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  1. Fulltext An exotic fruit with high nutritional value: Kadsura coccinea fruit
    Sun, J., Jiang, Y., Amin, I., Li, Z., Prasad, K.N., Duan, X., et al.
    International Food Research Journal, 2011;18(2):651-657.
    MyJurnal
    This research was to determine nutritional composition, essential and toxic elemental content, and major phenolic acid with antioxidant activity in Kadsura coccinea fruit. The results indicated that Kadsura coccinea fruit exhibited the high contents of total protein, total fat, ash and essential elements such as calcium (Ca), ferrum (Fe) and phosphorus (P). The levels of four common toxic elements, i.e. cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and lead (Pb), were lower than legal limits. By high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, gallic acid was identified as major phenolic acid in peel and pulp tissues. Its contents were no significant difference in both tissues. In comparison with two commercial antioxidants, the major phenolic acid extracted from Kadsura coccinea exhibited stronger 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity and reducing power. Kadsura coccinea fruit is a good source of nutrition and natural antioxidant. It is worthwhile to popularize this exotic fruit around the world.
  2. Structure identification of a polysaccharide purified from litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) pulp
    Yang B, Prasad KN, Jiang Y
    Carbohydr Polym, 2016 Feb 10;137:570-575.
    PMID: 26686165 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.10.088
    As a health-beneficial fruit, litchi is widely accepted by people in subtropical and tropical regions. However, the critical chemicals responsible for the health benefits are not clear yet. As a large amount of polysaccharides are present in litchi, they might play an important role in the health benefits. In this work, the main water-soluble polysaccharide (LPPBa) was purified from litchi pulp. The chemical structure was characterized as arabinogalactan by gas chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR). NMR data revealed the glycosidic linkages and their locations in backbone and branches. The precise structure was putatively identified as below, and it was different to those commonly occurred arabinogalactans. The molecular weight was determined to be 2.4 × 10(6)Da by gel permeation chromatography.
  3. Fulltext The allometry of coarse root biomass: log-transformed linear regression or nonlinear regression?
    Lai J, Yang B, Lin D, Kerkhoff AJ, Ma K
    PLoS One, 2013;8(10):e77007.
    PMID: 24116197 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077007
    Precise estimation of root biomass is important for understanding carbon stocks and dynamics in forests. Traditionally, biomass estimates are based on allometric scaling relationships between stem diameter and coarse root biomass calculated using linear regression (LR) on log-transformed data. Recently, it has been suggested that nonlinear regression (NLR) is a preferable fitting method for scaling relationships. But while this claim has been contested on both theoretical and empirical grounds, and statistical methods have been developed to aid in choosing between the two methods in particular cases, few studies have examined the ramifications of erroneously applying NLR. Here, we use direct measurements of 159 trees belonging to three locally dominant species in east China to compare the LR and NLR models of diameter-root biomass allometry. We then contrast model predictions by estimating stand coarse root biomass based on census data from the nearby 24-ha Gutianshan forest plot and by testing the ability of the models to predict known root biomass values measured on multiple tropical species at the Pasoh Forest Reserve in Malaysia. Based on likelihood estimates for model error distributions, as well as the accuracy of extrapolative predictions, we find that LR on log-transformed data is superior to NLR for fitting diameter-root biomass scaling models. More importantly, inappropriately using NLR leads to grossly inaccurate stand biomass estimates, especially for stands dominated by smaller trees.
  4. The association between neuropsychiatric effects of substance use and occurrence of endoplasmic reticulum and unfolded protein response: A systematic review
    Yang B, Zhang R, Leong Bin Abdullah MFI
    Toxicol Lett, 2024 Jan;391:71-85.
    PMID: 38101493 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.12.008
    INTRODUCTION: This systematic review aimed to assess the association between neuropsychiatric effects of substance use and occurrence of ER stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) through comprehensive electronic search of existing literature and review of their findings.

    METHODS: A comprehensive electronic literature search was carried out on research articles published between 1950 to July 2023 through major databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Medline and Cochrane Library.

    RESULTS: A total of 21 research articles were selected for review, which were comprised of sixteen animal studies, four human studies and one study on postmortem human brain samples. The selected studies revealed that alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine, opioid and kratom exposures contributed to neuropsychiatric effects: such as decline in learning and memory function, executive dysfunction, alcohol, methamphetamine, opioid, and kratom dependence. These effects were associated with activation and persistent of ER stress and UPR with elevation of BiP and CHOP expression and the direction of ER stress is progressing towards the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP pathway and neuronal apoptosis and neurodegeneration at various regions of the brain. In addition, regular kratom use in humans also contributed to elevation of p-JNK expression, denoting progress of ER stress towards the IRE1-ASK1-JNK-p-JNK pathway which was linked to kratom use disorder. However, treatment with certain compounds or biological agents could reverse the activation of ER stress.

    CONCLUSIONS: The neuropsychiatric effects of alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine, opioid and kratom use may be associated with persistent ER stress and UPR.

  5. Changes of alternative splicing in Arabidopsis thaliana grown under different CO2 concentrations
    Huang W, Chen X, Guan Q, Zhong Z, Ma J, Yang B, et al.
    Gene, 2019 Mar 20;689:43-50.
    PMID: 30528270 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.11.083
    Atmospheric CO2 level is one of the most important factors which affect plant growth and crop production. Although many crucial genes and pathways have been identified in response to atmospheric CO2 changes, the integrated and precise mechanisms of plant CO2 response are not well understood. Alternative splicing (AS) is an important gene regulation process that affects many biological processes in plants. However, the AS pattern changes in plants in response to elevated CO2 levels have not yet been investigated. Here, we used RNA-Seq data of Arabidopsis thaliana grown under different CO2 concentration to analyze the global changes in AS. We found that AS increased with the rise in CO2 concentration. Additionally, we identified 345 differentially expressed (DE) genes and 251 differentially alternative splicing (DAS) genes under the elevated CO2 condition. Moreover, the results showed that the expression of most of the DAS genes did not change significantly, indicating that AS can serve as an independent mechanism for gene regulation in response to elevated CO2. Furthermore, our analysis of function categories revealed that the DAS genes were associated mainly with the stimulus response. Overall, this the first study to explore the changes of AS in plants in response to elevated CO2.
  6. Fulltext Organ-Specific Analysis of Morus alba Using a Gel-Free/Label-Free Proteomic Technique
    Zhu W, Zhong Z, Liu S, Yang B, Komatsu S, Ge Z, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2019 Jan 16;20(2).
    PMID: 30654535 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20020365
    Morus alba is an important medicinal plant that is used to treat human diseases. The leaf, branch, and root of Morus can be applied as antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory medicines, respectively. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the various pharmacological functions within different parts of Morus, organ-specific proteomics were performed. Protein profiles of the Morus leaf, branch, and root were determined using a gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. In the Morus leaf, branch, and root, a total of 492, 414, and 355 proteins were identified, respectively, including 84 common proteins. In leaf, the main function was related to protein degradation, photosynthesis, and redox ascorbate/glutathione metabolism. In branch, the main function was related to protein synthesis/degradation, stress, and redox ascorbate/glutathione metabolism. In root, the main function was related to protein synthesis/degradation, stress, and cell wall. Additionally, organ-specific metabolites and antioxidant activities were analyzed. These results revealed that flavonoids were highly accumulated in Morus root compared with the branch and leaf. Accordingly, two root-specific proteins named chalcone flavanone isomerase and flavonoid 3,5-hydroxylase were accumulated in the flavonoid pathway. Consistent with this finding, the content of the total flavonoids was higher in root compared to those detected in branch and leaf. These results suggest that the flavonoids in Morus root might be responsible for its biological activity and the root is the main part for flavonoid biosynthesis in Morus.
  7. Recent advances in hybrid wet scrubbing techniques for NOx and SO2 removal: State of the art and future research
    Sharif HMA, Mahmood N, Wang S, Hussain I, Hou YN, Yang LH, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2021 Jun;273:129695.
    PMID: 33524756 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129695
    Recently, the discharge of flue gas has become a global issue due to the rapid development in industrial and anthropogenic activities. Various dry and wet treatment approaches including conventional and hybrid hybrid wet scrubbing have been employing to combat against these toxic exhaust emissions. However, certain issues i.e., large energy consumption, generation of secondary pollutants, low regeneration of scrubbing liquid and high efficieny are hindering their practical applications on industrial level. Despite this, the hybrid wet scrubbing technique (advanced oxidation, ionic-liquids and solid engineered interface hybrid materials based techniques) is gaining great attention because of its low installation costs, simultaneous removal of multi-air pollutants and low energy requirements. However, the lack of understanding about the basic principles and fundamental requirements are great hurdles for its commercial scale application, which is aim of this review article. This review article highlights the recent developments, minimization of GHG, sustainable improvements for the regeneration of used catalyst via green and electron rich donors. It explains, various hybrid wet scrubbing techniques can perform well under mild condition with possible improvements such as development of stable, heterogeneous catalysts, fast and in-situ regeneration for large scale applications. Finally, it discussed recovery of resources i.e., N2O, NH3 and N2, the key challenges about several competitive side products and loss of catalytic activity over time to treat toxic gases via feasible solutions by hybrid wet scrubbing techniques.
  8. Fulltext Transcriptional regulation of Lonicera japonica Thunb. during flower development as revealed by comprehensive analysis of transcription factors
    Wang T, Yang B, Guan Q, Chen X, Zhong Z, Huang W, et al.
    BMC Plant Biol, 2019 May 14;19(1):198.
    PMID: 31088368 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-1803-1
    BACKGROUND: Lonicera japonica Thunb. flower has been used for the treatment of various diseases for a long time and attracted many studies on its potential effects. Transcription factors (TFs) regulate extensive biological processes during plant development. As the restricted reports of L. japonica on TFs, our work was carried out to better understand the TFs' regulatory roles under different developmental stages in L. japonica.

    RESULTS: In this study, 1316 TFs belonging to 52 families were identified from the transcriptomic data, and corresponding expression profiles during the L. japonica flower development were comprehensively analyzed. 917 (69.68%) TFs were differentially expressed. TFs in bHLH, ERF, MYB, bZIP, and NAC families exhibited obviously altered expression during flower growth. Based on the analysis of differentially expressed TFs (DETFs), TFs in MYB, WRKY, NAC and LSD families that involved in phenylpropanoids biosynthesis, senescence processes and antioxidant activity were detected. The expression of MYB114 exhibited a positive correlation with the contents of luteoloside; Positive correlation was observed among the expression of MYC12, chalcone synthase (CHS) and flavonol synthase (FLS), while negative correlation was observed between the expression of MYB44 and the synthases; The expression of LSD1 was highly correlated with the expression of SOD and the total antioxidant capacity, while the expression of LOL1 and LOL2 exhibited a negative correlation with them; Many TFs in NAC and WRKY families may be potentially involved in the senescence process regulated by hormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The expression of NAC19, NAC29, and NAC53 exhibited a positive correlation with the contents of ABA and H2O2, while the expression of WRKY53, WRKY54, and WRKY70 exhibited a negative correlation with the contents of JA, SA and ABA.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our study provided a comprehensive characterization of the expression profiles of TFs during the developmental stages of L. japonica. In addition, we detected the key TFs that may play significant roles in controlling active components biosynthesis, antioxidant activity and flower senescence in L. japonica, thereby providing valuable insights into the molecular networks underlying L. japonica flower development.

  9. Synthesis of conjugated linoleic acid-rich triacylglycerols by immobilized mutant lipase with excellent capability and recyclability
    Lian W, Li D, Zhang L, Wang W, Faiza M, Tan CP, et al.
    Enzyme Microb Technol, 2018 Oct;117:56-63.
    PMID: 30037552 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2018.06.007
    Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-rich triacylglycerols (TAG) have received significant attention owing to their health promoting properties. In this study, CLA-rich TAG were successfully synthesized by an immobilized mutant lipase (MAS1-H108A)-catalyzed esterification of CLA-rich fatty acids and glycerol under vacuum. MAS1-H108A was first immobilized onto ECR1030 resin. Results showed that the lipase/support ratio of 41 mg/g was suitable for the immobilization and the thermostability of immobilized MAS1-H108A was greatly enhanced. Subsequently, the immobilized MAS1-H108A was employed for the synthesis of CLA-rich TAG and 95.21% TAG with 69.19% CLA was obtained under the optimized conditions. The TAG content (95.21%) obtained by immobilized MAS1-H108A is the reported highest value thus far, which was significantly higher than that (9.26%) obtained by Novozym 435 under the same conditions. Although the TAG content comparable to the results obtained in this study could also be obtained by Novozym 435, the used enzyme amount is approximately 5-fold of the immobilized MAS1-H108A. Additionally, the immobilized MAS1-H108A exhibited excellent recyclability during esterification retaining 95.11% of its initial activity after 10 batches. Overall, such immobilized mutant lipase with superior esterification activity and recyclability has the potential to be used in oils and fats industry.
  10. Molecular Characterization of a Geranyl Diphosphate-Specific Prenyltransferase Catalyzing Stilbenoid Prenylation from Morus alba
    Zhong Z, Zhu W, Liu S, Guan Q, Chen X, Huang W, et al.
    Plant Cell Physiol, 2018 Nov 01;59(11):2214-2227.
    PMID: 30020500 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcy138
    Pharmaceutically active compounds from medical plants are attractive as a major source for new drug development. Prenylated stilbenoids with increased lipophilicity are valuable secondary metabolites which possess a wide range of biological activities. So far, many prenylated stilbenoids have been isolated from Morus alba but the enzyme responsible for the crucial prenyl modification remains unknown. In the present study, a stilbenoid-specific prenyltransferase (PT), termed Morus alba oxyresveratrol geranyltransferase (MaOGT), was identified and functionally characterized in vitro. MaOGT recognized oxyresveratrol and geranyl diphosphate (GPP) as natural substrates, and catalyzed oxyresveratrol prenylation. Our results indicated that MaOGT shared common features with other aromatic PTs, e.g. multiple transmembrane regions, conserved functional domains and targeting to plant plastids. This distinct PT represents the first stilbenoid-specific PT accepting GPP as a natural prenyl donor, and could help identify additional functionally varied PTs in moraceous plants. Furthermore, MaOGT might be applied for high-efficiency and large-scale prenylation of oxyresveratrol to produce bioactive compounds for potential therapeutic applications.
  11. Fulltext Chalcomoracin is a potent anticancer agent acting through triggering Oxidative stress via a mitophagy- and paraptosis-dependent mechanism
    Han H, Chou CC, Li R, Liu J, Zhang L, Zhu W, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2018 06 22;8(1):9566.
    PMID: 29934599 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27724-3
    Chalocomoracin (CMR), one of the major secondary metabolites found in fungus-infected mulberry leaves, is a potent anticancer agent. However, its anticancer mechanism remains elusive. Here, we demonstrated the potent anti-tumor activity and molecular mechanism of CMR both in vitro and in vivo. We showed for the first time that CMR treatment markedly promoted paraptosis along with extensive cytoplasmic vacuolation derived from the endoplasmic reticulum, rather than apoptosis, in PC-3 and MDA-MB-231cell lines. Additional studies revealed that ectopic expression of Myc-PINK1 (PTEN-induced kinase 1), a key regulator of mitophagy, rendered LNCap cells susceptible to CMR-induced paraptosis, suggesting that the mitophagy-dependent pathway plays a crucial role in inducing paraptosis by activating PINK1. CMR treatment directly upregulated PINK1 and downregulated Alix genes in MDA-MB-231 and PC-3 cell lines. Furthermore, mitophagy signaling and paraptosis with cytoplasmic vacuolation could be blocked by antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), indicating the novel pathway was triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. An in vivo MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumor model revealed that CMR suppressed tumor growth by inducing vacuolation production through the same signal changes as those observed in vitro. These data suggest that CMR is a potential therapeutic entity for cancer treatment through a non-apoptotic pathway.
  12. Highly Efficient Deacidification of High-Acid Rice Bran Oil Using Methanol as a Novel Acyl Acceptor
    Li D, Faiza M, Ali S, Wang W, Tan CP, Yang B, et al.
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2018 Apr;184(4):1061-1072.
    PMID: 28948493 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-017-2594-1
    A highly efficient process for reducing the fatty acid (FA) content of high-acid rice bran oil (RBO) was developed by immobilized partial glycerides-selective lipase SMG1-F278N-catalyzed esterification/transesterification using methanol as a novel acyl acceptor. Molecular docking simulation indicated that methanol was much closer to the catalytic serine (Ser-171) compared with ethanol and glycerol, which might be one of the reasons for its high efficiency in the deacidification of high-acid RBO. Additionally, the reaction parameters were optimized to minimize the FA content of high-acid RBO. Under the optimal conditions (substrate molar ratio of methanol to FAs of 1.8:1, enzyme loading of 40 U/g, and at 30 °C), FA content decreased from 25.14 to 0.03% after 6 h of reaction. Immobilized SMG1-F278N exhibited excellent methanol tolerance and retained almost 100% of its initial activity after being used for ten batches. After purification by molecular distillation, the final product contained 97.86% triacylglycerol, 2.10% diacylglycerol, and 0.04% FA. The acid value of the final product was 0.09 mg KOH/g, which reached the grade one standard of edible oil. Overall, methanol was a superior acyl acceptor for the deacidification of high-acid RBO and the high reusability of immobilized SMG1-F278N indicates an economically attractive process.
  13. RNA-Seq transcriptomic analysis of the Morus alba L. leaves exposed to high-level UVB with or without dark treatment
    Guan Q, Yu J, Zhu W, Yang B, Li Y, Zhang L, et al.
    Gene, 2018 Mar 01;645:60-68.
    PMID: 29274907 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.12.045
    Ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiation induces oxidative stress in plant cells due to the generation of excessive reactive oxygen species. Morus alba L. (M. abla) is an important medicinal plant used for the treatment of human diseases. Also, its leaves are widely used as food for silkworms. In our previous research, we found that a high level of UVB irradiation with dark incubation led to the accumulation of secondary metabolites in M. abla leaf. The aim of the present study was to describe and compare M. alba leaf transcriptomics with different treatments (control, UVB, UVB+dark). Leaf transcripts from M. alba were sequenced using an Illumina Hiseq 2000 system, which produced 14.27Gb of data including 153,204,462 paired-end reads among the three libraries. We de novo assembled 133,002 transcripts with an average length of 1270bp and filtered 69,728 non-redundant unigenes. A similarity search was performed against the non-redundant National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI) protein database, which returned 41.08% hits. Among the 20,040 unigenes annotated in UniProtKB/SwissProt database, 16,683 unigenes were assigned 102,232 gene ontology terms and 6667 unigenes were identified in 287 known metabolic pathways. Results of differential gene expression analysis together with real-time quantitative PCR tests indicated that UVB irradiation with dark incubation enhanced the flavonoid biosynthesis in M. alba leaf. Our findings provided a valuable proof for a better understanding of the metabolic mechanism under abiotic stresses in M. alba leaf.
  14. Isolation, characterization and the potential use of starch from jackfruit seed wastes as a coagulant aid for treatment of turbid water
    Choy SY, Prasad KM, Wu TY, Raghunandan ME, Yang B, Phang SM, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Jan;24(3):2876-2889.
    PMID: 27838910 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-8024-z
    Fruit wastes constituting up to half of total fruit weight represent a large pool of untapped resources for isolation of starch with diverse applications. In this work, the possibility of isolating starch from tropical fruit wastes and its extended application as a natural coagulant was elucidated. Amongst the 12 various parts of fruit wastes selected, only jackfruit seeds contained more than 50% of total starch content. Using alkaline extraction procedures, starch has been successfully isolated from local jackfruit seeds with a yield of approximately 18%. Bell-shaped starch granules were observed under SEM with a granule size ranging from 1.1 to 41.6 μm. Detailed starch characteristics were performed to provide a comparison between the isolated seed starch and also conventional starches. Among them, chemical properties such as the content of starch, amylose, amylopectin and the corresponding molecular weights are some of the key characteristics which governed their performance as natural coagulants. The potential use of isolated seed starch as an aid was then demonstrated in both suspensions of kaolin (model synthetic system) and Chlorella sp. microalga (real-time application) with plausible outcomes. At optimized starch dosage of 60 mg/L, the overall turbidity removal in kaolin was enhanced by at least 25% at a fixed alum dosage of 2.1 mg/L. Positive turbidity and COD removals were also observed in the treatment of Chlorella suspensions. Starches which served as bridging agents aided in the linkage of neighbouring microflocs and subsequently, forming macroflocs through a secondary coagulation mechanism: adsorption and bridging.
  15. Fulltext Comparative Proteomic Analysis Reveals Elevated Capacity for Photosynthesis in Polyphenol Oxidase Expression-Silenced Clematis terniflora DC. Leaves
    Chen X, Yang B, Huang W, Wang T, Li Y, Zhong Z, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2018 Dec 05;19(12).
    PMID: 30563128 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123897
    Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalyzes the o-hydroxylation of monophenols and oxidation of o-diphenols to quinones. Although the effects of PPO on plant physiology were recently proposed, little has been done to explore the inherent molecular mechanisms. To explore the in vivo physiological functions of PPO, a model with decreased PPO expression and enzymatic activity was constructed on Clematis terniflora DC. using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology. Proteomics was performed to identify the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the model (VC) and empty vector-carrying plants (VV) untreated or exposed to high levels of UV-B and dark (HUV-B+D). Following integration, it was concluded that the DEPs mainly functioned in photosynthesis, glycolysis, and redox in the PPO silence plants. Mapman analysis showed that the DEPs were mainly involved in light reaction and Calvin cycle in photosynthesis. Further analysis illustrated that the expression level of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase, the content of chlorophyll, and the photosynthesis rate were increased in VC plants compared to VV plants pre- and post HUV-B+D. These results indicate that the silence of PPO elevated the plant photosynthesis by activating the glycolysis process, regulating Calvin cycle and providing ATP for energy metabolism. This study provides a prospective approach for increasing crop yield in agricultural production.
  16. Fulltext Kratom use disorder and unfolded protein response: Evaluating their relationship in a case control study
    Yang B, Tan ML, Zhang R, Singh D, Leong Bin Abdullah MFI
    PLoS One, 2023;18(6):e0287466.
    PMID: 37352311 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287466
    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) is widely use worldwide despite its addictive potential. Although psychostimulant use has been linked to occurrence of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, data is lacking on how regular kratom use affects ER stress. This case-control study first determined differences in ER stress sensor protein expression (BiP, sXBP1, ATF4, CHOP, JNK, and p-JNK) between regular kratom users and healthy controls. Second, it evaluated the association between kratom use characteristics, targeted ER stress sensor protein expression, and "kratom use disorder" diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5) among regular kratom users.

    METHODS: In total, 60 regular kratom users and 50 healthy control-group participants were recruited and administered a sociodemographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire. While participants who used kratom were also administered a kratom use characteristics questionnaire. Blood samples were collected from all participants, and targeted ER stress sensor protein expression was determined via Western blot analysis.

    RESULTS: The study's findings revealed first that kratom users registered significantly higher protein expression in all targeted ER stress sensors compared to the control group. Second, higher protein expression of CHOP (B = 5.061, standard error [SE] = 2.547, Wald = 3.948, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 5.382, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.071 to 9.656, p = 0.047) and p-JNK (B = 5.795, SE = 2.635, Wald = 4.544, AOR = 17.025, 95% CI = 1.395 to 24.123, p = 0.017) increased the odds of kratom use disorder occurrence. Kratom use characteristics and other ER stress sensor protein expression were not associated with kratom use disorder.

    CONCLUSION: Regular kratom use may induce protracted ER stress, leading to the decompensation of the unfolded protein response to maintain ER homeostasis. This effect may be linked to kratom use disorder occurrence.

  17. Fulltext A model for evaluating the performance of compulsory education inputs in ethnic areas in China
    Yang B, Tan Y, Sarker MNI, Deng W, Yuan J, Firdaus RBR
    Heliyon, 2024 Feb 29;10(4):e26247.
    PMID: 38390186 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26247
    A scientific performance evaluation model is necessary to establish a performance evaluation index system for compulsory education in ethnic areas and to conduct objective and impartial evaluations. After conducting theoretical analysis and reviewing literature, it was determined that existing educational input performance evaluation models are general and fail to reflect the unique characteristics of compulsory education development in ethnic areas of China. Therefore, this study intends to improve their self-adaptability and degree of fit. Based on the features of China's ethnic areas and the current situation of compulsory education development, a trinity evaluation model of compulsory education input performance in ethnic regions was constructed using the classical performance evaluation theoretical framework. This model includes the "implementation topic - target concept - performance dimension." The government is the main organization responsible for organizing and implementing the entire performance evaluation, with publicness and responsiveness as the value idea of evaluation. The "4E″ of enough, equity, efficiency, and effectiveness are the evaluation objectives, and input, allocation, output, and effect are the dimensions of the building of the performance evaluation index system. The "4E″ evaluation objectives are integrated into the performance evaluation dimensions and index system. The reconstructed theoretical model of performance evaluation combines universality and specificity, highlights the dual attributes of "tool-value," realizes the organic combination of internal and external performance evaluation, illustrates the overall performance evaluation process and ensures objective, fair, and accurate performance evaluation results. It provides useful guidelines for further optimizing compulsory education investment policies and promoting high-quality and well-balanced compulsory education in China's ethnic areas.
  18. The structure characteristics, biosynthesis and health benefits of naturally occurring rare flavonoids
    Bo S, Chang SK, Chen Y, Sheng Z, Jiang Y, Yang B
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2024;64(9):2490-2512.
    PMID: 36123801 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2124396
    Rare flavonoids, a special subclass of naturally occurring flavonoids with diverse structures including pterocarpans, aurones, neoflavonoids, homoisoflavones, diphenylpropanes, rotenoids and 2-phenylethyl-chromones. They are mainly found in legumes with numerous health benefits. Rare flavonoids are regarded as minor flavonoids due to their very limited abundance in nature. This review gives an overview of the natural occurrences of rare flavonoids from previous literatures. Recent findings on the biosynthesis of rare flavonoids have been updated by describing their structural characteristics and classifications. Recent findings on the health benefits of rare flavonoids have also been compiled and discussed. Natural rare flavonoids with various characteristics from different subclasses from plant-based food sources are stated. They show a wide range of health benefits, including antibacterial, anticancer, anti-osteoporosis and antiviral activities. Studies reviewed suggest that rare flavonoids possessing different skeletons demonstrate different characteristic bioactivities by discussing their mechanism of actions and structure-activity relationships. Besides, recent advances on the biosynthesis of rare flavonoids, such as pterocarpans, rotenoids and aurones are well-known, while the biosynthesis of other subclasses remain unknown. The perspectives and further applications of rare flavonoids using metabolic engineering strategies also be expected.
  19. Fulltext Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Capacity from Nypa fruticans Wurmb. Fruit
    Prasad N, Yang B, Kong KW, Khoo HE, Sun J, Azlan A, et al.
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013;2013:154606.
    PMID: 23710209 DOI: 10.1155/2013/154606
    Nypa fruticans Wurmb. is one of the important underutilized fruit of Malaysia, which lacks scientific attention. Total phenolics, flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacities from endosperm extracts of Nypa fruticans (unripe and ripe fruits) were evaluated. Endosperm extract of unripe fruits (EEU) exhibited the highest phenolics (135.6 ± 4.5 mg GAE/g), flavonoid content (68.6 ± 3.1 RE/g), and antioxidant capacity. Free radical scavenging capacity of EEU as assessed by 2-2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals showed inhibitory activity of 78 ± 1.2% and 85 ± 2.6%, respectively. Beta carotene bleaching coefficient of EEU was higher (2550 ± 123), when compared to endosperm extract of ripe fruits (1729 ± 172). Additionally, EEU exhibited high antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdenum method and ferric reducing antioxidant power values. Eight phenolic compounds from Nypa fruticans endosperm extracts were identified and quantified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. Chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, and kaempferol were the major phenolic compounds. Thus this fruit could be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant.
  20. Fulltext Pirfenidone improves early cardiac function following myocardial infarction by enhancing the elastin/collagen ratio
    Yu Y, Xu Y, Chen J, Yao Y, Liu Y, Chen Y, et al.
    Biomed Pharmacother, 2024 Sep;178:117254.
    PMID: 39142250 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117254
    BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with reduced elastin/collagen ratios exacerbating cardiac dysfunction due to collagen-rich scar tissue replacing necrotic myocardial cells. This study aims to evaluate pirfenidone's therapeutic effect on early cardiac function post-AMI and elucidate its impact on the elastin/collagen ratio.

    METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: Sham, AMI, AMI treated with PBS (AMI-PBS), and AMI treated with pirfenidone (AMI-PFD) (n=12 each). AMI was induced via coronary artery ligation. The AMI-PFD and AMI-PBS groups received pirfenidone and PBS for 14 days, respectively. Cardiac function, fibrosis, serum cytokines, collagen and elastin content, and their ratios were assessed. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) from neonatal rats were categorized into control, hypoxia-induced (LO), LO+PBS, and LO+PFD groups. ELISA measured inflammatory factors, and RT-PCR analyzed collagen and elastin gene expression.

    RESULTS: The AMI-PFD group showed improved cardiac function and reduced serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Type I and III collagen decreased by 22.6 % (P=0.0441) and 34.4 % (P=0.0427), respectively, while elastin content increased by 79.4 % (P=0.0126). E/COLI and E/COLIII ratios rose by 81.1 % (P=0.0026) and 88.1 % (P=0.0006). CFs in the LO+PFD group exhibited decreased IL-1β, IL-6, TGF-β, type I and III collagen, with increased elastin mRNA, enhancing the elastin/collagen ratio.

    CONCLUSION: Pirfenidone enhances cardiac function by augmenting the early elastin/collagen ratio post-AMI.

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