Flavonoid constituents of Chorizanthe diffusa with potential cancer chemopreventive activity

An ethyl acetate-soluble extract of Chorizanthe diffusa was found to exhibit significant antioxidant activity, as judged by scavenging stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals and inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced free radical formation with cultured HL-60 cells. Bioassay-directed fractionation of this extract using the DPPH antioxidant assay as a monitor led to the isolation of five structurally related flavonoids (1-5), including the novel compound 5,8,3',4',5'-pentahydroxy-3, 7-dimethoxyflavone (1). Isolates 1-5 demonstrated varying degrees of antioxidant or antimutagenic activity. Two of the compounds, 5,7,3', 4'-tetrahydroxy-3-methoxyflavone (2) and quercetin (4), were subsequently found to inhibit carcinogen-induced preneoplastic lesions in a mouse mammary organ culture model. Inhibitory activity of this type is known to correlate with cancer chemopreventive effects in full-term models of tumorigenesis.     

Quantification of the group B soyasaponins by high-performance liquid chromatography

High-performance liquid chromatographic methods were developed for the isolation and quantitative determination of the group B soyasaponins, including 2,3-dihydro-2,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one (DDMP)-conjugated soyasaponins alphag, betag, and betaa, and their non-DDMP counterparts, soyasaponins V, I, and II, respectively, with formononetin used as the internal standard. The limits of quantification for soy products were 0.11-4.86 micromol/g. The within-day and between-days assay coefficients of variation were <9.8 and < 14.3%, respectively. The group B soyasaponin concentrations in 46 soybean varieties ranged from 2.50 to 5.85 micromol/g. Soy ingredients (soybean flour, toasted soy hypocotyls, soy protein isolates, textured vegetable protein, soy protein concentrates, and Novasoy) and soy foods (commercial soy milk, tofu, and tempeh) contained the group B soyasaponins from 0.20 to 114.02 micromol/g. There was no apparent correlation between isoflavone and soyasaponin concentrations in the soy products examined.     

Antioxidative activity of heterocyclic compounds found in coffee volatiles produced by Maillard reaction

Typical heterocyclic compounds substituted with various functional groups found in Maillard reaction products were examined for antioxidant activity. Pyrroles exhibited the greatest antioxidant activity among all heterocyclic compounds tested. All pyrroles inhibited hexanal oxidation by almost 100% at a concentration of 50 microg/mL over 40 days. Addition of formyl and acetyl groups to a pyrrole ring enhanced antioxidative activity remarkably. Pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde, 2-acetylpyrrole, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolecarboxaldehyde, and 2-acetyl-1-methylpyrrole inhibited hexanal oxidation by >80% at 10 microg/mL. Unsubstituted furan exhibited the greatest antioxidant activity among furans tested. Addition of all functional groups used in this study to furan decreased antioxidative activity. The antioxidant activity of thiophene increased with the addition of methyl and ethyl groups, but the addition of formyl or acetyl groups to thiophene decreased antioxidant activity. Thiazoles and pyrazines were ineffective antioxidants at all concentrations tested. Reaction of all heterocyclic compounds with hydrogen peroxide resulted in the formation of various oxidized products.     

Comparison of effects of high-pressure processing and heat treatment on immunoactivity of bovine milk immunoglobulin G in enriched soymilk under equivalent microbial inactivation levels

Immunoglobulin-rich foods may provide health benefits to consumers. To extend the refrigerated shelf life of functional foods enriched with bovine immunoglobulin G (IgG), nonthermal alternatives such as high-pressure processing (HPP) may offer advantages to thermal processing for microbial reduction. To evaluate the effects of HPP on the immunoactivity of bovine IgG, a soymilk product enriched with milk protein concentrates, derived from dairy cows that were hyperimmunized with 26 human pathogens, was subjected to HPP or heat treatment. To achieve a 5 log reduction in inoculated Escherichia coli 8739, the HPP or heat treatment requirements were 345 MPa for 4 min at 30 degrees C or for 20 s at 70 degrees C, respectively. To achieve a 5 log reduction in natural flora in the enriched soymilk, the HPP or heat treatments needed were 552 MPa for 4 min at 30 degrees C or for 120 s at 78.2 degrees C, respectively. At equivalent levels for a 5 log reduction in E. coli, HPP and heat treatment caused 25% and no detectable loss in bovine IgG activity, respectively. However, at equivalent levels for a 5 log reduction in natural flora, HPP and heat resulted in 65 and 85% loss of bovine IgG activity, respectively. Results of combined pressure-thermal kinetic studies of bovine milk IgG activity were provided to determine the optimal process conditions to preserve product function.     

Saccharobisindole,Neoasterric Methyl Ester,and 7-Chloro-4(1H)-quinolone: Three New Compounds Isolated from the Marine Bacterium Saccharomonospora sp.

Analysis of the chemical components from the culture broth of the marine bacterium Saccharomonospora sp. CNQ-490 has yielded three novel compounds: saccharobisindole (1), neoasterric methyl ester (2), and 7-chloro-4(1H)-quinolone (3), in addition to acremonidine E (4), pinselin (5), penicitrinon A (6), and penicitrinon E (7). The chemical structures of the three novel compounds were elucidated by the interpretation of 1D, 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) data. Compound 2 generated weak inhibition activity against Bacillus subtilis KCTC2441 and Staphylococcus aureus KCTC1927 at concentrations of 32 μg/mL and 64 μg/mL, respectively, whereas compounds 1 and 3 did not have any observable effects. In addition, compound 2 displayed weak anti-quorum sensing (QS) effects against S. aureus KCTC1927 and Micrococcus luteus SCO560.     

Evaluation of Caspase-3 and Ki-67 expression in squamous cell hyperplasia of the stomach induced by Platycodi radix water extract in Sprague–Dawley rats

Platycodi radix is widely used in traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. This study aimed to investigate cell proliferation (Ki-67) and apoptosis (Caspase-3) potential in squamous cell hyperplasia of the stomach induced by a Platycodi radix water extract in a subchronic toxicity study. One hundred formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded stomach tissues of rats treated with Platycodi radix at doses of 0, 500, 1,000, and 3,000 mg/kg body weight/day were used for the analysis. They were conventionally stained using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemically (IHC) stained using caspase-3 and Ki-67 antibodies. The incidence of squamous cell hyperplasia was significantly increased in the 3,000 mg/kg b.w./day treatment group in both sexes (p<0.01). However, the hyperplastic change was completely repaired after 4 weeks of recovery period. Ki-67 expression was similar in all groups, with no statistically significant differences among the groups. Caspase-3 expression was significantly increased in both sexes in the 3,000 mg/kg b.w./day treatment group (p<0.01), compared with the vehicle control groups, and then reduced to normal levels in the recovery groups in both sexes. In conclusion, this study showed that squamous cell hyperplasia induced by the Platycodi radix water extract in the limiting ridge of the stomach is not considered to be abnormal proliferative change; as a result, squamous cell hyperplasia is considered to be a non-adverse effect when induced by the oral administration of the Platycodi radix water extract once daily for 13 weeks in rats.     

Analysis of green total factor productivity trend and its determinants for the countries along silk roads

In coping with increasing energy consumption and the consequential environmental pollution, green development is becoming an important part of social development. Since the inauguration of China’s Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative (BRI), economic cooperation between China and other countries along BRI has seen much growth. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the levels of green total factor productivity (GTFP) of the countries in the Silk Roads Economic Belt (B&R) and examine how these levels vary spatially and evolve temporally. In this paper, a panel regression analysis with DEA windows is used to study the spatiotemporal trends of the levels of GTFP. The results are: (1) The B&R countries have seen an increase in their overall levels of GTFP over time; (2) There are regional differences in the levels of GTFP, with higher efficiency in Western Asia and Central and Eastern Europe, and lower efficiency in Southeast and Central Asia; (3) The analysis of GTFP for countries in these regions shows that the efficiencies of most countries have been improving, with that of only a few countries have been decreasing; (4) By using regression analysis, we find that variables such as import, export, industrial structure, and urban affect the B&R countries with growing GTFP.     

A deep-level region-based visual representation architecture for detecting strawberry flowers in an outdoor field

Precision Agriculture - An accurate and robust strawberry flower representation and detection scheme is a key step to enable the reliable forecasting of fruit yield for use in precision...     

Potential Anti-Aging Substances Derived from Seaweeds

Aging is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The exact mechanisms underlying the aging process are not fully elucidated. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that several pathways, such as sirtuin, AMP-activated protein kinase, insulin-like growth factor, autophagy, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 play critical roles in regulating aging. Furthermore, genetic or dietary interventions of these pathways can extend lifespan by delaying the aging process. Seaweeds are a food source rich in many nutrients, including fibers, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds. The health benefits of seaweeds include, but are not limited to, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obese activities. Interestingly, a body of studies shows that some seaweed-derived extracts or isolated compounds, can modulate these aging-regulating pathways or even extend lifespans of various animal models. However, few such studies have been conducted on higher animals or even humans. In this review, we focused on potential anti-aging bioactive substances in seaweeds that have been studied in cells and animals mainly based on their anti-aging cellular and molecular mechanisms.