Effects of maltogenic amylase from Lactobacillus plantarum on retrogradation of bread

Maltogenic amylase originated from Lactobacillus plantarum (LpMA) was studied to investigate its applicability as an antistaling enzyme. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrated that the bread treated with purified LpMA exhibited a retrogradation peak that was 65% that of the control bread. Then, for the purpose of practically using L. plantarum as an antistaling agent, the expression of LpMA in L. plantarum was enhanced by growth on a modified medium; the LpMA expression of L. plantarum grown on De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) medium supplemented with an additional 6% glucose was 54 times higher than that of L. plantarum grown on the original MRS medium. The side chain length distribution analysis showed that the cell extract of L. plantarum (CELP) tended to prefer to hydrolyzes the long side chains of amylopectin (>30). During storage for 9 days at 4 °C, the bread treated with CELP exhibited a 25% slower retrogradation rate and 63% lower hardness relative to the control bread, indicating that the CELP is a potential candidate for use as an antistaling agent.     

Protective effect of adiponectin on glucose and lipid metabolism by suppressing MHCⅡ expression

AIM: To investigate whether the protective effect of adiponectin on glucose and lipid metabolism is achieved through down-regulating major histocompatibility complex class Ⅱ (MHCⅡ) in the adipose tissue. METHODS: Adiponectin knockout (KO) mice and C57BL/6(WT) mice were fed with high-fat diet and standard diet for 24 weeks, respectively. The body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), hepatic histology, and class Ⅱ trans-activator (CⅡTA), histocompatibility 2 class Ⅱ antigen E beta (H2-Eb1) and cluster of differentiation 74(CD74) mRNA and MHC Ⅱ protein levels in adipose tissue were measured at sacrifice. siRNA targeting MHC Ⅱ and overexpression vector was used in 3T3-L1 cells to explore the effect of adiponectin on the protein level of MHCⅡ. RESULTS: The levels of body weight, FBG, FINS, HOMA-IR, TC, TG, LDL-C, hepatic steatosis, CⅡTA, H2-Eb1 and CD74 mRNA expression, and MHCⅡ protein expression in the KO mice were higher than those in the WT mice that fed with high-fat diet or standard diet. In 3T3-L1 cells, inhibition of adiponectin reversed MHC Ⅱ protein level induced by specific siRNA. The expression of MHC Ⅱ in adipocytes decreased after adiponectin was overexpressed. CONCLUSION: Adiponectin improves glucose and lipid metabolism through suppressing the expression of MHCⅡ in the adipose tissue.     

Bauhinia candicans stimulation of glucose uptake in isolated gastric glands of normal and diabetic rabbits

A butanol extract of dried leaves of Bahuinia candicans showed, in vitro, a stimulatory effect of glucose uptake in isolated gastric glands of normal and alloxan-diabetic rabbits. The extract (0.001-0.07 mg/mg protein) produced a dose-dependent effect and was similar to the effect of insulin (1-100 nM). These findings suggest that the extract contains compound(s) that efficiently increase glucose transport at the basolateral side of isolated gastric glands.     

Fungal and bacterial N2O production regulated by soil amendments of simple and complex substrates

Fungal N₂O production results from a respiratory denitrification that reduces NO₃⁻/NO₂⁻ in response to the oxidation of an electron donor, often organic C. Despite similar heterotrophic nature, fungal denitrifiers may differ from bacterial ones in exploiting diverse resources. We hypothesized that complex C compounds and substances could favor the growth of fungi over bacteria, and thereby leading to fungal dominance for soil N₂O emissions. Effects of substrate quality on fungal and bacterial N₂O production were, therefore, examined in a 44-d incubation after soils were amended with four different substrates, i.e., glucose, cellulose, winter pea, and switchgrass at 2 mg C g⁻¹ soil. During periodic measurements of soil N₂O fluxes at 80% soil water-filled pore space and with the supply of KNO₃, substrate treatments were further subjected to four antibiotic treatments, i.e., no antibiotics or soil addition of streptomycin, cycloheximide or both so that fungal and bacterial N₂O production could be separated. Up to d 8 when antibiotic inhibition on substrate-induced microbial activity and/or growth was still detectable, bacterial N₂O production was generally greater in glucose- than in cellulose-amended soils and also in winter pea- than in switchgrass-amended soils. In contrast, fungal N₂O production was more enhanced in soils amended with cellulose than with glucose. Therefore, fungal-to-bacterial contribution ratios were greater in complex than in simple C substrates. These ratios were positively correlated with fungal-to-bacterial activity ratios, i.e., CO₂ production ratios, suggesting that substrate-associated fungal or bacterial preferential activity and/or growth might be the cause. Considering substrate depletion over time and thereby becoming limited for microbial N₂O production, measurements of soil N₂O fluxes were also carried out with additional supply of glucose, irrespective of different substrate treatments. This measurement condition might lead to potentially high rates of fungal and bacterial N₂O production. As expected, bacterial N₂O production was greater with added glucose than with added cellulose on d 4 and d 8. However, this pattern was broken on d 28, with bacterial N₂O production lower with added glucose than with added cellulose. In contrast, plant residue impacts on soil N₂O fluxes were consistent over 44-d, with greater bacterial contribution, lower fungal contribution, and thus lower fungal-to-bacterial contribution ratios in winter pea- than in switchgrass-amended soils. Real-time PCR analysis also demonstrated that the ratios of 16S rDNA to ITS and the copy numbers of bacterial denitrifying genes were greater in winter pea- than in switchgrass-amended soils. Despite some inconsistency found on the impacts of cellulose versus glucose on fungal and bacterial leading roles for N₂O production, the results generally supported the working hypothesis that complex substrates promoted fungal dominance for soil N₂O emissions.     

葡萄糖水溶液环境对麦秆水热产物特性的影响

为了研究葡萄糖对水热炭化反应过程和水热焦形成的影响,以麦秆为原料,利用高温高压反应釜,对麦秆在葡萄糖水溶液环境中的炭化反应过程和水热焦理化结构演变及液相产物主要组分浓度分布的变化进行了分析。研究发现,在反应温度220℃,停留时间120 min条件下,随着葡萄糖添加量的增加,水热焦产率和碳质量分数有所增加,而氢和氧质量分数未发生明显改变,当葡萄糖添加量为麦秆质量的0.4倍时,水热焦产率达68.56%;葡萄糖分子阻碍了麦秆中主要化学组分的分解与炭化反应,使得水热焦炭聚合物的红外吸收特征峰减弱,同时XRD衍射峰强度降低,热稳定性下降,如选择水热炭化过程水循环利用,可进行可溶性糖分离;在麦秆与葡萄糖共同水热炭化过程中,葡萄糖以分解反应为主,同未添加葡萄糖的麦秆水热炭化液相产物相比,糠醛、5-HMF和乙酸的质量浓度均有所增加,其中5-HMF增加最为显著,至葡萄糖添加量为4 g时,达20.21 g/L。     

葡萄糖氧化酶基因植物表达载体的构建

为进一步开展转基因研究创造条件,用限制性内切酶将葡萄糖氧化酶(GOD)基因从pMD/GO载体上切下,定向连接到植物表达载体pROKⅡ的CaMV35S启动子下游和NOS终止子上游,成功地构建了GOD基因植物表达载体pROK/GO。利用冻融法将此表达载体导入根癌农杆菌LBA4404中,提取转化质粒,经PCR和酶切鉴定表明,GOD基因植物表达双元载体构建成功。     

Growth of the collembolan Folsomia candida Willem in soil supplemented with glucose

Freely available glucose improves the conditions for soil microorganisms which are utilized as food by Collembola. We examined the effects of glucose application on collembolan (Folsomia candida Willem) growth and on several biotic and abiotic soil parameters (microbial biomass, soil respiration, qCO₂, dissolved organic carbon, inorganic nitrogen, and Olson-P) in an artificial system without predatory pressure on Collembola. Glucose addition increased soil respiration and qCO₂, and decreased nutrient levels in the soil. Collembolan growth increased with increasing glucose doses. We conclude that the availability of carbon substrates can sustain collembolan growth via an improvement of microbial growth conditions.     

添加乳酸菌和葡萄糖对苜蓿青贮品质的影响

初花期收获的苜蓿经过0h、8h和32h的晾晒(干物质含量分别为27.15%、38.45%、50.87%),添加不同含量的乳酸菌 葡萄糖(0、105cfu/g 20g/kg、106cfu/g 15g/kg、107cfu/g 10g/kg)进行青贮,其品质测定结果表明:无添加剂直接青贮时,苜蓿低水分(干物质含量为50.87%)青贮的效果最好,其青贮综合评定为82分;添加乳酸菌 葡萄糖青贮时,3种不同干物质水平中以凋萎苜蓿(干物质含量为38.45%)青贮后青贮料的青贮品质和综合评定最好;苜蓿较低干物质含量(27.15%)条件下,适中的乳酸菌和葡萄糖添加量(106cfu/g 15g/kg)可以得到最好的青贮效果和最高的综合评分;而在干物质含量为38.45%和50.87%条件下,乳酸菌和葡萄糖添加量为107cfu/g 10g/kg时,可以得到较好的青贮效果和最高的综合评分。