Cytoprotective effect of Panax ginseng on gallic acid-induced toxicity in TM3 mouse Leydig cells

Our previous study had demonstrated cytotoxicity of gallic acid on testicular cells with increasing the intracellular production of hydrogen peroxide. In the present study, the Panax ginseng root aqueous extract showed the cytoprotective effect on gallic acid-induced toxicity in TM3 mouse Leydig cells with decreasing the intracellular production of hydrogen peroxide.     

First step of non‐fish meal,non‐fish oil diet development for red seabream, (Pagrus major), with plant protein sources and microalgae Schizochytrium sp

A feeding experiment was conducted to develop non‐fish meal and non‐fish oil diet for red seabream by using plant protein source and Schizochytrium meal which is rich in 22:6n‐3 (DHA). Three iso‐nitrogenous and iso‐lipidic experimental diets were prepared (CP 41.2% ± 0.4%, CL 16.4% ± 1%). Control diet contained both fish meal (40%) and fish oil (6%). In the second diet, fish meal was replaced by plant meals (soy protein concentrate, soybean meal, corn gluten meal) [FO]. In the third diet, fish meal and fish oil were replaced by algae meal (Schizochytrium sp. powder) and plant proteins [AO]. Duplicated groups of juvenile red seabream (8.8 g ± 1.5) were fed the experimental diets for 12 weeks to near satiation. There was no statistical difference among treatment in specific growth rate. Feed conversion ratio of AO diet group was higher than that of control. In wet basis, whole body protein level was significantly higher in AO diet than FO group while lipid content was lower than control group. In fatty acid profile, AO group had significantly lower 18:4n‐3, 20:4n‐3, 22:5n‐3 and 20:5n‐3 (EPA) level, but significantly higher 18:3n‐3 and DHA level than the other two diet fed fish. The results might suggest that further developments in microalgae diet offer a promising lipid source of n‐3 PUFA as essential fatty acid on marine fish. And it showed possibility to develop non‐fish meal and non‐fish oil feed for marine aquaculture fish by using microalgae.     

Non‐fish meal,non‐fish oil diet development for red sea bream,Pagrus major,with plant protein and graded levels of Schizochytrium sp.: Effect on growth and fatty acid composition

A feeding experiment was conducted to determine the optimal formulation level of algae meal, which is rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in a non‐fish meal diet. Six iso‐nitrogenous (450 g/kg) and iso‐lipidic (130 g/kg) experimental diets were prepared. The control diet was formulated with fish meal (400 g/kg), fish oil (60 g/kg), plant protein sources (220 g/kg) and rapeseed oil (50 g/kg). Plant protein sources (soy protein concentrate, soybean meal and corn gluten meal), rapeseed and fish oil were formulated in the second diet (NFM + FO). In the third diet, fish oil of the NFM + FO diet was replaced by rapeseed oil (NFM + NFO) and designated as the negative control. In the other three diets, rapeseed oil in the NFM + NFO diet was replaced with algae meal (Schizochytrium sp. powder) at 50 g/kg, 100 g/kg and 150 g/kg (AM5, AM10 and AM15, respectively). Triplicate groups of juvenile red sea bream (8.8 g) were fed the experimental diets for 12 weeks near satiation. The growth was lowest in the fish fed NFM + NFO diet. This was improved by the formulation of algae meal, which reached the growth level of the NFM + FO group in the AM10 group. The lipid content of the whole fish body in the NFM + NFO group was significantly lower than those of other groups. The fatty acid profile showed significant differences among dietary treatments. DHA content in total and polar lipids of the whole body and liver was highest in the AM10 and AM15 groups. These results reconfirm that microalgae are a suitable lipid source for the replacement of dietary fish oil for marine fish, and the optimal level was estimated as 50 g/kg?100 g/kg in diet.     

Benthic nutrient fluxes at longline sea squirt and oyster aquaculture farms and their role in coastal ecosystems

To assess the impact of aquaculture activities, we measured the primary production, total sediment oxygen consumption, and benthic nutrient flux at two aquaculture farms (sea squirt and oyster) and one reference site. The estimated primary production in the water column ranged from 19–169 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹. Total sediment oxygen consumption rates ranged from 58 to 328 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹, 1.1 to 40 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ for nitrogen, 0.17 to 3.0 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ for phosphate, and 7.3 to 74 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ for silicate. The average total sediment oxygen consumption at the longline farms was >2.5 times higher than the reference site. Nitrate was significantly removed by denitrification at the longline farms in July and September and ranged from −5.4 to −0.09 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹, which is higher than for other coastal sediments. The benthic fluxes of nitrogen and phosphate at longline farms were up to 16 and six times higher than at the reference site, respectively. The average nitrogen requirements of the primary producers were 9.3 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ at the sea squirt farm, 7.0 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ at the oyster farm, and 13.5 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ at the reference site, corresponding to 88, 316, and 27.2% of the nitrogen supplied by benthic fluxes, respectively. Our results suggest that benthic nutrient fluxes at longline farms are a major nutrient source for primary production in coastal waters.     

High-throughput detection of antioxidants in mulberry fruit using correlations between high-resolution mass and activity profiles of chromatographic fractions

Background

Plant extracts contain a huge variety of pharmacologically active substances. Conventionally, various chromatographic methods must be applied several times to purify functional compounds to measure their functional activity. However, conventional purification methods are time-consuming and expensive due to the laborious purification process. Recently, a high-throughput discovery method that replaces such time-consuming purification processes was introduced; this method uses 15 T ultra-high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (15 T FT-ICR MS) and a high-throughput screening method. This 15 T FT-ICR MS provides unparalleled resolution and sub-ppm accuracy in mass measurements, while simultaneously detecting multiple compounds without separation. The high-throughput, simultaneous multi-component discovery method known as Scaling of Correlations between Activity and Mass Profiles (SCAMP) was used to detect functional compounds in a plant extract. We validated the performance of SCAMP using 33 fractions from antioxidant-rich mulberry ethyl acetate extract and known standard antioxidants.

Results

The mulberry fruit was first separated into 33 fractions by LC and analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry. The antioxidative strength of the 33 fractions and standard antioxidants was measured. To validate the efficiency of this antioxidant discovery method, correlations between the antioxidation activity profile and changes in mass intensity of components within the 33 fractions were calculated to provide relative scores for the antioxidant candidate list. Enrichment curves and area under the curve (AUC) values were then calculated to compare the performance of the methods. Using this improved scoring method, five strong antioxidants, chlorogenic acid (14.2 ng), dihydoxy quercetin (46.2 ng), rutin (154.0 ng), quercetin (71.7 ng) and luteolin (3.5 ng) in 2 kg mulberry fruit, were found within the top 20 candidates.

Conclusions

We calculated AUCs in order to compare scoring methods quantitatively. Scoring systems were compared and calculated AUCs, where the AUCs for new scoring systems (0.98 and 0.99) were higher than the previously used correlation coefficient (AUC = 0.89). Using the new scoring algorithms, we successfully enriched thirteen unknown strong antioxidant candidates in addition to known antioxidants, methyl syringin and naringenin (3.5 ng) in mulberry extract. Targeted purification of these unknown candidates will significantly reduce purification time and labor.

     

Root storage of nitrogen applied in autumn and its remobilization to new growth in spring of persimmon trees (Diospyros kaki cv. Fuyu)

This study was conducted to understand the effect of N supply in autumn on its uptake and distribution in tree parts and the utilization of reserve N the following year in persimmon trees (Diospyros kaki cv. Fuyu). The treated trees received 22.5-g N each for two successive years as a 3.5% urea solution from September 18 at 5-day intervals. Trees absorbed about 30% on average of the N applied in autumn. Sixty four to 83% of the N absorbed in autumn was in perennial parts, and 65–72% of that was in roots. Total N in perennial parts of the tree fertilized with N increased by over 4.28 g while leaf N changed little during senescence, indicating that the reserve N was constituted mostly by the N absorbed in autumn. Total N in the new growth was about the same as the amount of N declined in spring from perennial parts, indicating that there was little contribution by soil N to sustain new growth. Total dry weights of new growth the following year in a with-N tree were greater by over 34 g than those in a without-N tree.     

苹果多酚-壳寡糖微胶囊的制备表征及释放特性

为了有效提高未熟苹果多酚（apple polyphenols,APP）和壳寡糖（chitooligosaccharides,COS）多功能协调效应,该研究采用喷雾干燥法研制未成熟的苹果多酚-壳寡糖微胶囊（apple polyphenols-chitooligosaccharides microcapsule,APCM）,并测定了APCM的微胶囊粒度和分布,以及结构表征,并评价了模拟胃肠道消化模型对总多酚（total phenolic content,TPC）释放和健康益处功能的影响。激光粒度分析结果表明,APCM的平均粒径为32.98μm。跨度值最小为1.19,这意味着APCM比COS和APP更均匀、颗粒度更小。APP在1 237和1 194cm-1处观察到了清晰的峰形,在APCM中同一位置处未观察到。但是,APCM与APP具有相似的吸收带,这意味着APP与COS也可能通过范德华力和分子间氢键的方式形成APCM。模拟胃肠消化模型结果表明,APCM中多酚的释放发生在60 min以内。在模拟胃液消化系统（simulated gastric fluid,SGF）处理中,APCM释放的TPC从25.6%到76.5%不等,而在模拟肠液消化系统（simulated intestinal fluid,SIF）持续处理中,TPC释放量达到31.3%到97.6%。体外抗氧化活性和活性氧（reactive oxygen species,ROS）清除活性结果表明,相比与APP和COS,APCM对抗氧化能力指数、清除DPPH自由基、铁离子还原抗氧化力、?OH清除活性、O2?-清除活性和H2O2清除活性表现出更出色的清除自由基活性。此外,与APP或COS相比,APCM不仅表现出更高的糖还原酶抑制活性（P<0.05）,而且具有更好的血管紧张素I转换酶（Angiotensin I converting enzyme,ACE）抑制活性（P<0.05）。结果表明,APCM今后可在功能性食品或药物领域更大的研发潜力。     

Effects of Steeping Temperatures and Periods of Waxy Rice on Expansion Properties of Gangjung (a traditional Korean oil‐puffed rice snack)

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of steeping conditions of waxy rice, temperatures (15, 25, and 35°C) and time periods (1, 11, and 21 days) on the expansion ratio of gangjung (a traditional Korean oil‐puffed rice snack). Physicochemical properties of waxy rice flour steeped under various conditions and expansion properties of gangjung made of the steeped waxy rice flour were investigated, and multiple regression analyses were applied between those properties to identify major physicochemical factors that optimally predict the expansion ratio of gangjung. As steeping temperature and time periods of waxy rice changed from the lowest to the highest, the expansion ratio of gangjung markedly increased (from 1,022 to 2,533%). Yet, the expansion ratio of the waxy rice sample steeped for 11–21 days at 35°C was not significantly different from the sample steeped for 21 days at 25°C, indicating that the lengthy steeping process for gangjung making can be shortened by increasing the steeping temperature. Physicochemical properties include moisture (γ = 0.85), protein (γ = –0.91), ash (γ = –0.84), potassium (γ = –0.89), magnesium (γ = –0.88), phosphorous (γ = –0.91), peak viscosity (γ = 0.77), and breakdown (γ = 0.94) of steeped waxy rice flour. These properties were highly correlated with expansion ratio (P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed that the expansion ratio of gangjung was predicted successfully by the phosphorous content and breakdown value of steeped waxy rice flour.