Effect of forsythiaside A on immune function in rats with ulcerative colitis

AIM To investigate the effect of forsythiaside A (FA) on immune function in rats with ulcerative colitis and its related mechanism. METHODS Healthy SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control group (no treatment, normal feeding), model group (establishment of rat ulcerative colitis model), and low, medium and high doses of FA groups (treatment of the model rats with FA at 5 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg, respectively). The malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in rat colon tissues were measured by colorimetry, and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4 were detected by ELISA. The spleen index and thymus index, the percentages of CD3⁺, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMC）, the serum IgA and IgG levels, and the serum complement C3 and C4 levels were also determined. RESULTS The colon tissues of the rats in model group showed obvious inflammation and ulceration, indicating that the animal model was successfully established. Compared with model group, the colonic inflammation and ulceration were significantly attenuated in FA groups, among which the high dose had the best effect. Compared with control group, the spleen index and thymus index of the rars in model group were decreased (P<0.05), MDA content in colon tissues was increased (P<0.05), and SOD activity in colon tissues was decreased (P<0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in PBMC, and the serum levels of C3, C4 and IL-4 were decreased (P<0.05), while the serum levels of IgA, IgG, TNF-α, and IL-2 were increased in model group as compared with control group. Furthermore, the spleen index and thymus index of the rats in FA groups were increased (P<0.05), the MDA content in the colon tissues was decreased (P<0.05), and the SOD activity in the colon tissues was increased (P<0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in PBMC, and the serum levels of C3, C4 and IL-4 were increased (P<0.05), while serum IgA, IgG, TNF-α and IL-2 levels were decreased in FA groups as compared with model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Forsythiaside A effectively attenuates the colonic lesions in rats with ulcerative colitis, and its mechanism may be related to reinforcement of oxygen free radical scavenging power, alleviation of inflammatory response, and enhancement of immune function.     

氟节胺抑制枇杷嫁接成苗砧木萌蘖相关机理初探

为寻找更长效、无害的化学控蘖剂以减轻田间管理劳动强度,以枇杷(Eriobotrya japonica)嫁接成苗为材料,喷施有效成分浓度为0.050%,0.071%和0.125%的氟节胺,于不同时期取样观察控蘖效果,并尝试探究相关机理。结果表明,氟节胺减少了叶片单位面积光能的吸收量、抑制了光化学转换,但叶片的热耗散量并无明显变化。进一步测定植株氧化还原状态发现,氟节胺能够快速促进细胞内超氧阴离子(O₂^.-)积累并延缓或抑制H₂O₂的转化,从而诱发氧化胁迫。由此可见,氟节胺可能通过抑制叶片光化学转换和热耗散来破坏新生萌蘖的光合性能,进而抑制其萌发生长,而成熟叶片则通过提升自身抗氧化系统活性耐受氟节胺造成的轻度胁迫。在本试验中,各浓度的氟节胺对控制砧木萌蘖有不同程度的效果,其中浓度为0.125%的氟节胺控蘖效果相对最佳,且基本不会对砧木和嫁接成苗造成持续伤害,其作为化学控蘖剂有一定的应用潜力。     

不同处理方式对蒸谷米复水性的影响

以稻谷为原料,对蒸谷米的复水性进行了研究。通过单因素试验,探讨超高压浸泡工序、蒸煮工序、干燥工序中相关参数的影响规律,并以蒸煮时柠檬酸添加量、蒸煮次数、微波干燥时间为变量,成品复水率为指标,通过响应面分析建立回归方程,得出蒸煮次数对复水性影响最大,柠檬酸添加量次之,干燥时间影响最小。利用模型确定了较佳参数为柠檬酸添加量1.1%,微波干燥时间6.4 min,蒸煮次数3次。     

艾比湖流域水资源变化与区域响应

艾比湖流域地处干旱的北疆地区,人类活动中最突出的建设水利设施和土地开发利用,加之全球变化的影响,改变了艾比湖及其水系原生自然生态系统,水资源和水环境发生了很大的变化。在综合研究流域内水资源变化成因的基础上,提出通过开源和节流并举,保证生态用水量,调整产业结构,依靠工程性和非工程性措施响应水资源变化,降低脆弱性,实现流域效益的最大化。     

博落回对铅的耐性、富集及生理响应研究

以草本植物博落回（Macleaya cordata）为供试植物,采用沙培盆栽实验研究其对重金属铅（Pb）的耐性、富集及生理响应机制。结果表明：博落回能耐受500 mg/L的Pb胁迫而其生长发育不受影响,高于此浓度时植株生长发育受到抑制。不同组织对Pb的富集能力表现为根>茎>叶,博落回对Pb的富集与转运能力皆随Pb胁迫浓度的升高而减弱。Pb胁迫引起丙二醛（Malondialdehyde, MDA）在植物体内累积。低于500 mg/L的Pb促进叶绿素、可溶性蛋白的合成和抗氧化酶活性的提高,高于此浓度时,则表现为抑制,且导致膜脂过氧化与生物膜的损伤。Pb主要以迁移活性低的化学形态存在于细胞壁和可溶性组分中,浓度升高会导致Pb向迁移毒性强的形态转化。透射电子显微镜（TEM）观察到高浓度的Pb胁迫会损害细胞壁结构,使Pb进入细胞内部,对细胞造成毒害。傅里叶红外光谱仪（FTIR）分析表明,Pb胁迫会提高细胞内-OH、-COOH等基团和有机酸、蛋白质的含量,在低浓度时可与Pb结合,削弱其对博落回的毒性。     

Changes in the Quality of Refined Fish Oil in an Accelerated Storage Study

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to prepare the refined oil derived from Sardinella longiceps by a step-wise procedure of degumming, bleaching, and deodorization. The refined sardine oil showed greater susceptibility toward oxidation than the crude oil, but the addition of ethyl acetate fractions of the red seaweeds Hypnea musciformis, Kappaphycus alvarezii, and Jania rubens with great antioxidant potential significantly increased the oxidative stability of the refined oil. The refined oil supplemented with the ethyl acetate fraction of these seaweeds indicated more noteworthy oxidative stability indices (≥ 0. 51 h) than α-tocopherol. The induction time was greater for refined oil added with H. musciformis (1.26 h) than butylated hydroxytoluene (1.04 h) and α-tocopherol (0.4 h). No traces of aromatic (δ 6.7–7.5 ppm), hydroperoxides, and aldehydes (δ 9–10 ppm) in the ¹H-NMR spectra of the refined oil supplemented with seaweed extracts at the baseline and after the accelerated storage study demonstrated that the seaweed extracts were able to prevent the formation of secondary oxidation products in the unsaturated system during storage. This study demonstrated the potential of seaweeds as natural alternatives to the synthetic antioxidants to prevent the rancidity of the refined fish for use in food and pharmaceutical industries.     

Structural and Rheological Characteristics of Alginate from Sargassum cristaefolium Extracted by Twin Screw Extruder

This study aimed to investigate the effects of process extrusion on the characteristics of Sargassum cristaefolium sodium alginate (SCSA) extracted using twin-screw extruder. Box-Behnken Design (BBD) from response surface methodology (RSM) was established to understand the effects of temperature, screw speed, and pH on the multiple-responses of alginate characteristics including intrinsic viscosity, yield, and molecular weight. The results revealed that temperature, screw speed, and pH significantly affected (P < .05) all responses. The optimum extraction condition was found at temperature of 58.18°C, screw speed of 77.99 rpm, and pH 10.11. At this condition, the response of residence time distribution was 7.07 ± 0.029 min, yield of 34.01 ± 0.12%, intrinsic viscosity of 460.13 ± 14.75 mL/g, and molecular weight of 217.94 ± 7.14 × 10³ g/mol. This alginate had mannuronic acid to guluronic acid (M/G) ratio of 0.28, and the L-guluronic acid block was 0.78, which was higher than the D-mannuronic acid block. Rheological characterization of SCSA in aqueous solution was shear-thinning pseudoplastic, and alginate gel in 1 M CaCl₂ was more elastic than liquid.     

斑马鱼报警反应产生发育阶段的研究

鱼类在遭受捕食后,受损的表皮会释放大量的化学信号物质,同种其它个体嗅到这些化学信号后会作出躲避反应,称为报警反应(alarm response),报警反应通常出现在一定的发育阶段。采用斑马鱼(Dinio rerio)同种碾碎提取物(处理组,质量浓度为10-6g·L-1)作为报警物质,并设3个对照组:罗非鱼碾碎提取物组、双蒸水组、空白对照组,通过暴露处理实验,检测沉底累积时间(time of bottom)、呆滞累积时间(time of freezing)两项指标,研究了28 dpf(days post fertilization,受精后天数)、35 dpf、42 dpf 3个不同发育时期幼鱼的报警反应。结果显示:28 dpf时,处理组与3个对照组相比,在沉底累积时间、呆滞累积时间两项指标上均无显著差异,这个时期处理组有2 ind斑马鱼出现"沉底",其中1 ind出现"呆滞";35 dpf时,处理组与3个对照组相比,在沉底累积时间上有显著差异(P0.05),在呆滞累积时间上无显著差异,这个时期有5 ind斑马鱼出现"沉底",其中1 ind出现"呆滞";42 dpf时,处理组与对照组相比,在沉底累积时间、呆滞累积时间两项指标均有显著差异(P0.05),这个时期有8 ind斑马鱼出现"沉底",且8 ind全部出现"呆滞",与此对应的是这个时期大部分个体出现明显的报警反应。研究表明,斑马鱼报警反应产生的发育阶段为35~42 dfp之间,结合已知的野外斑马鱼生活史,推测斑马鱼在特定的阶段产生报警反应可能与栖息地的迁移有关。