Fucoidan and Fucoxanthin Attenuate Hepatic Steatosis and Inflammation of NAFLD through Modulation of Leptin/Adiponectin Axis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the emerging cause of chronic liver disease globally and lack of approved therapies. Here, we investigated the feasibility of combinatorial effects of low molecular weight fucoidan and high stability fucoxanthin (LMF-HSFx) as a therapeutic approach against NAFLD. We evaluated the inhibitory effects of LMF-HSFx or placebo in 42 NAFLD patients for 24 weeks and related mechanism in high fat diet (HFD) mice model and HepaRG^TM cell line. We found that LMF-HSFx reduces the relative values of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c in NAFLD patients. For lipid metabolism, LMF-HSFx reduces the scores of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and increases adiponectin and leptin expression. Interestingly, it reduces liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients, either. The proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and interferon-γ are reduced in LMF-HSFx group. In HFD mice, LMF-HSFx attenuates hepatic lipotoxicity and modulates adipogenesis. Additionally, LMF-HSFx modulates SIRI-PGC-1 pathway in HepaRG cells under palmitic acid-induced lipotoxicity environment. Here, we describe that LMF-HSFx ameliorated hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis and insulin resistance in NAFLD patients. LMF-HSFx may modulate leptin-adiponectin axis in adipocytes and hepatocytes, then regulate lipid and glycogen metabolism, decrease insulin resistance and is against NAFLD.     

Influence of organic matter and inorganic fertilizer on the growth and nitrogen accumulation of corn plants

Effects of different nitrogen (N) sources on the growth and N accumulation of corn plants were studied on plots treated with a compost, a leguminous green manure, and a peat, respectively, associated with a chemical N fertilizer. The experiment included seven treatments with a no‐fertilization check and a conventional chemical fertilizer treatment. Whole corn plants were sampled, and total N was analyzed at 22, 33, 56, 77, and 120 days after seeding (DAS). The results showed that compost with an adequate amount of chemical N fertilizer could reach a high dry matter yield and a high N accumulation, even higher than those of the conventional chemical N fertilizer treatment. With green manure, a considerable amount of N was mineralized and utilized by the corn plants for growth and resulted in a good yield. Neither the peat nor the compost alone could supply enough N for the growth of corn plants. There were no significant effect of treatments on the distribution of dry matter yield and N accumulated in various organs. The crop growth rate of the corn plants of different treatments were significantly different at the vegetative growth stage, however, there were no significant difference during the grain filling period. The apparent N recovery of various treatments were between 0.22 to 0.51 kg N for each kg N applied.     

Cracking the Cytotoxicity Code: Apoptotic Induction of 10-Acetylirciformonin B is Mediated through ROS Generation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

A marine furanoterpenoid derivative, 10-acetylirciformonin B (10AB), was found to inhibit the proliferation of leukemia, hepatoma, and colon cancer cell lines, with selective and significant potency against leukemia cells. It induced DNA damage and apoptosis in leukemia HL 60 cells. To fully understand the mechanism behind the 10AB apoptotic induction against HL 60 cells, we extended our previous findings and further explored the precise molecular targets of 10AB. We found that the use of 10AB increased apoptosis by 8.9%–87.6% and caused disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) by 15.2%–95.2% in a dose-dependent manner, as demonstrated by annexin-V/PI and JC-1 staining assays, respectively. Moreover, our findings indicated that the pretreatment of HL 60 cells with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, diminished MMP disruption and apoptosis induced by 10AB, suggesting that ROS overproduction plays a crucial rule in the cytotoxic activity of 10AB. The results of a cell-free system assay indicated that 10AB could act as a topoisomerase catalytic inhibitor through the inhibition of topoisomerase IIα. On the protein level, the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-xL and Bcl-2, caspase inhibitors XIAP and survivin, as well as hexokinase II were inhibited by the use of 10AB. On the other hand, the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax was increased after 10AB treatment. Taken together, our results suggest that 10AB-induced apoptosis is mediated through the overproduction of ROS and the disruption of mitochondrial metabolism.     

苏中地区稻茬小麦生产措施采用特征与效益调研分析

为进一步明确江苏苏中地区小麦生产情况,通过发放问卷调查表的形式,获取了代表苏中的兴化和高邮两市2016—2020年度小麦生产调研数据,明确了该区域从事小麦生产的农户以51~60岁中老年劳动者为主,农户受教育程度以初中为主,迫切需要农业新技术,但接受能力偏低。不同农户田间小麦播期、播种量和肥料施用量均有明显差异。在10月26日—11月5日播种,采用211~240 kg/hm²的播种量易获得高产。两地农户平均施氮水平分别为308 kg/hm²和281 kg/hm²,部分农户施氮量高于350 kg/hm²时,产量不增反减。在播期、播量和施氮量作用下,兴化和高邮市小麦平均产量分别为6129.64 kg/hm²和6788.25 kg/hm²,农户间高产水平与低产水平间的产量差值分别为2270.36 kg/hm²、1611.75 kg/hm²。不同种麦规模获得的经济效益不同,种植面积为6.67~20 hm²时大多数农户能获得较高收益,仅极少数农户出现亏损,面积超过33.33 hm²的农户亏损占比较高,有收益农户单位面积种麦效益偏低。综上所述,苏中地区农户种植小麦规模20 hm²左右,采用播期10月26日—11月15日、播种量200~240 kg/hm²、施氮量为250~300 kg/hm²的生产措施可以获得较高产量和收益。建议在苏中地区推广使用。     

老龄杉木材下植物成分结构特征

老龄杉木材下植物群落的物种种类较为丰富,共有85种植物,其中蕨类植物门8种,种子植物门77种;以山茶科、清风藤科、交让木科、壳斗科、紫金牛科、防已科、樟科、乌毛蕨科、卷柏科和葡萄科为主要优势种,从群落成份的分布频度级系数来看,A级占总种数的44．715,说明该群落内的绝大多数种类是分布不均匀的;老龄杉木材下植物属的地理分布以泛热带占绝大多数,其次为旧世界热带分布和热带亚洲分布。     

Preparation and Characterization of Low Oil Uptake Rice Cake Donuts

Cake donuts were prepared using wheat flour (WF), long grain rice flour (LGRF), and waxy rice flour (WRF). They were also prepared with the flours partially replaced by pregelatinized rice flour (PGRF) or propylene glycol alginate (PGA). The dough consistency was maintained at a comparable predetermined level by adjusting the water content. Without PGRF or PGA in the formulation, the WRF donut had the lowest oil uptake (11.8%) and the WF donut the highest (23.6%). With modified flour formulations, the oil uptake decreased for LGRF donuts and WF donuts. Oil uptake of the LGRF donut decreased with increased PGRF. Up to 30% PGRF could be used, with characteristics comparable to the traditional WF donuts but as much as 54% lower in oil uptake on a dry basis.     

斑节对虾Chitinase-2基因的克隆及其在蜕皮和幼体发育过程中的表达分析

研究以斑节对虾(Penaeus monodon)转录组获得的几丁质酶基因(Pm Chi)片段,运用RACE技术克隆了PmChi基因c DNA全长,命名为PmChi-2。PmChi-2基因c DNA全长2 050 bp,其中5'-非编码区(5'-UTR)144 bp、3'-UTR 319 bp和开放阅读框(ORF)1 587 bp,编码528个氨基酸。生物信息学分析显示,PmChi-2与其他甲壳动物Chi-2的相似性为78%~97%。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,PmChi-2在蜕皮前期(D期)表皮中表达水平最高,在胃、鳃、腹神经节和眼柄中表达水平依次降低,在其他组织(肝胰腺、肠、肌肉、心脏)中几乎不表达。不同蜕皮阶段,PmChi-2在鳃、胃和表皮3种组织中的表达变化模式基本一致,均在蜕皮期(E期)表达量最低,而最高表达量在鳃中出现在蜕皮后期(A期),在胃和表皮中为D期。幼体不同发育阶段分析揭示PmChi-2 mRNA在幼体发育阶段的无节幼体到糠虾幼体第二期表达量维持在一个低水平,在糠虾幼体第三期PmChi-2 mRNA表达水平显著升高,在仔虾期又显著下降,推测PmChi-2 mRNA可能与斑节对虾幼体发育密切相关。研究结果表明PmChi-2基因可能在斑节对虾蜕皮以及幼体的变态发育中发挥重要作用,为深入研究斑节对虾几丁质酶发育调控提供了重要信息。     

Averting the baiji syndrome: conserving habitat for critically endangered dolphins in Eastern Taiwan Strait

• 1. Numbering no more than 100 individuals and facing many threats, the geographically isolated Eastern Taiwan Strait population of Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) is in peril. The estuarine and coastal waters of central‐western Taiwan have historically provided prime habitat for these dolphins, but environmental conditions today bear little resemblance to what they were in the past.
• 2. The humpback dolphins must share their habitat with thousands of fishing vessels and numerous factories built upon thousands of hectares of reclaimed land.
• 3. They are exposed to chemicals and sewage released from adjacent terrestrial activities. Noise and disturbance associated with construction, vessel traffic and military activities are features of everyday life for these animals.
• 4. Measures to slow the pace of habitat deterioration and reduce the many risks to the dolphins are urgently needed. As one practical step in this direction, this paper describes the habitat needs of these small cetaceans so that decision makers will be better equipped to define ‘priority habitat’ and implement much needed protection measures under the terms of local legislation.
• 5. The preferred habitat of these dolphins in Taiwan consists of shallow (<30 m), near‐shore marine waters with regular freshwater inputs.
• 6. For such a small, isolated and threatened population, ‘priority habitat’ should not be limited to areas of particularly intensive dolphin use or high dolphin density, but rather it should encompass the entire area where the animals have been observed (their current ‘habitat’), as well as additional coastal areas with similar bio‐physical features (‘suitable habitat’). Such a precautionary approach is warranted because the loss of only a few individuals could have serious population‐level consequences.
• 7. While conventional socio‐economic analysis might suggest that implementing protection measures over an area stretching ～350 km north–south along Taiwan's west coast and ～3 km out to sea would be too ‘costly’, the loss of this charismatic species from Taiwan's waters would send a troubling message regarding our collective ability to reconcile human activities with environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.