Anthocyanins from purple corn affect gut microbiota and metabolome in inflammatory bowel disease patients under infliximab infusion: the SiCURA pilot study

Nowadays,inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)-patient therapies are mainly based on corticosteroid,thiopurine,and immunomodulator treatments.Patients with active disease,that do not respond to corticosteroid and/or thiopurine treatment,can switch to the usage of the chimeric monoclonal antibody infliximab(IFX).However,to date,no treatment appeared to be conclusive in lowering the incidence of IBD relapses.With the aim to increase the effectiveness of IFX treatment,we combined it with an adjuvant purple corn supplementation enriched in anthocyanins.IBD-patients were enrolled before they underwent to the IFX-infusion,and they were allocated in 2 different study arms.Patients in the intervention-arm followed a dietary supplementation with purple corn water-soluble extract,whereas control patients had a daily consumption of red fruit tea.16S rDNA gene-sequencing and high-resolution mass-spectrometry metabo-lipidomics analyses were conducted on stool and sera samples,respectively.As a result,the experimental intervention mainly affected the serum metabolome of IBD-patients by decreasing the concentration of specific lipids.Focusing on IBD patient annotated taxa,a significant decrease in Lactobacillus and Bifi dobacterium relative abundances was found.As far as it concerns the ulcerative colitis patient subset,the experimental intervention led to a decrease in Alistipes and Erysipelotrichaceae UCG-003 genus abundances and a concomitant Parabacteroides increase.On the contrary,after treatment,Crohn’s disease patients did not exhibit metataxonomics differences at the genus level.At the end of the treatment that led to a reshaped microbiota community,the gathered data paves the way for the usage of a specifically designed probiotic supplementation as a valuable strategy for IBD-patients under IFX infusion.

Disentangling the effects of management and climate change on habitat suitability for saproxylic species in boreal forests

Forest degradation induced by intensive forest management and temperature increase by climate change are resulting in biodiversity decline in boreal forests.Intensive forest management and high-end climate emission scenarios can further reduce the amount and diversity of deadwood,the limiting factor for habitats for saproxylic species in European boreal forests.The magnitude of their combined effects and how changes in forest management can affect deadwood diversity under a range of climate change scenarios are poorly understood.We used forest growth simulations to evaluate how forest management and climate change will individually and jointly affect habitats of red-listed saproxylic species in Finland.We simulated seven forest management regimes and three climate scenarios(reference,RCP4.5 and RCP8.5)over 100 years.Management regimes included set aside,continuous cover forestry,business-as-usual(BAU)and four modifications of BAU.Habitat suitability was assessed using a speciesspecific habitat suitability index,including 21 fungal and invertebrate species groups.“Winner”and“loser”species were identified based on the modelled impacts of forest management and climate change on their habitat suitability.We found that forest management had a major impact on habitat suitability of saproxylic species compared to climate change.Habitat suitability index varied by over 250%among management regimes,while overall change in habitat suitability index caused by climate change was on average only 2%.More species groups were identified as winners than losers from impacts of climate change(52%–95%were winners,depending on the climate change scenario and management regime).The largest increase in habitat suitability index was achieved under set aside(254%)and the climate scenario RCP8.5(>2%),while continuous cover forestry was the most suitable regime to increase habitat suitability of saproxylic species(up to+11%)across all climate change scenarios.Our results show that close-to-nature management regimes(e.g.,continuous cover forestry and set aside)can increase the habitat suitability of many saproxylic boreal species more than the basic business-as-usual regime.This suggests that biodiversity loss of many saproxylic species in boreal forests can be mitigated through improved forest management practices,even as climate change progresses.

A Review of Biochemical Processes and Techniques for Soil Stabilization and Resilience

Biochemical, chemical, and mechanical, techniques have been employed to enhance soil resilience for decades. While the use of mechanical techniques requires transporting huge amounts of soil materials, the cement used in chemical techniques may lead to increase atmospheric carbon dioxide. Numerous studies indicate that biochemical techniques may be less expensive, cost effective, and environmentally friendly. Biopolymers and enzymes derived from microorganisms have been suggested as biological enhancers in strengthening and fortifying soils used for earthen structures. Lime and other treatment techniques used as biobased materials have been shown to be less effective for stabilizing soils. Here, we review biochemical processes and techniques involved in the interactions of soil enzymes, microorganisms, microbial extracellular polymeric substances, and other biopolymers with soil particles, and the challenges and strategies of their use as biobased materials for stabilizing soils. This review provides their impacts on various soil properties and the growth potentials of agricultural crops. .

Dual ecological and socio-cultural fragmentation induced by hydropower dams: Case studies from the Greater Himalayan region of India

Climate change and biodiversity loss are pressing global challenges(Pörtner et al.,2021).However,as global energy demand continues to increase(IEA,2021),nations face significant challenges to decarbonization and reaching“net zero”due to trade-offs between the often-competing needs of renewable energy generation and biodiversity conservation.For example,hydropower generates renewable energy(Gibson et al.,2017),yet there are well-documented and severe consequences of dam development for biodiversity(e.g.,Zarfl et al.,2019)and people(e.g.,Bisht,2009)due to reservoir creation and disruption of river flows.Despite such potentially damaging ecological and social trade-offs,hydropower currently contributes 70%of global renewable energy and there are at least 3700 large dams planned or under construction globally(Zhang&Gu,2023).

Environmental fate and health exposures of the geogenic and anthropogenic contaminants in potable groundwater of Lower Ganga Basin,India

The study evaluated the sources and controlling factors of the groundwater contaminants in an agroeconomic region of Lower Ganga Basin using principal component analysis(PCA),multivariable linear regressions(MLR),correlation analysis,and hierarchical cluster analysis,and evaluated the public health risks using the Latin Hypercube Sampling,goodness-of-fit statistics,Monte Carlo simulation and Sobol sensitivity analysis based on the 1000 samples collected in two sampling cycles(N=1000).The study reveals that the dissolution of fluoride-bearing minerals and semi-arid climate regulate the fluoride concentrations(0.10–18.25 mg/L)in groundwater.Extensive application of inorganic nitrogenous fertilizers and livestock manure mainly contributed to elevated nitrate levels(up to 435.0 mg/L)in groundwater.The health risks analysis indicates that fluoride exposure is more prevalent in the residents of each age group than the nitrate and both contaminants exhibited higher non-carcinogenic health risks on the infant and child(minor)age groups compared to adolescents and adults.Based on the cokriging interpolation mapping,the minor residents of 17.88%–23.15%of the total area(4545.0 km^(2))are vulnerable to methemoglobinemia whereas the residents of all age-groups in 38.47%–44.45%of the total area are susceptible to mild to severe dental/skeletal fluorosis owing to consumption of untreated nitrate and fluoride enriched groundwater.The Sobol sensitivity indices revealed contaminant levels,groundwater intake rate and their collective effects are the most influential factors to pose potential health risks on the residents.Artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting practices should be adopted to improve the groundwater quality and the residents are advised to drink purified groundwater.

Untargeted metabolomics analysis of four date palm(Phoenix dactylifera L.)cultivars using MS and NMR

Since ancient times,the inhabitants of dry areas have depended on the date palm(Phoenix dactylifera L.)as a staple food and means of economic security.For example,dates have been a staple diet for the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula and Sahara Desert in North Africa for millennia and the local culture is rich in knowledge and experience with the benefits of dates,suggesting that dates contain many substances essential for the human body.Madinah dates are considered one of the most important types of dates in the Arabian Peninsula,with Ajwa being one of the most famous types and grown only in Madinah,Saudi Arabia.Date seeds are traditionally used for animal feed,seed oil production,cosmetics,and as a coffee substitute.Phytochemical compounds that have been detected in date fruits and date seeds include phenolic acids,carotenoids,and flavonoids.Phenolic acids are the most prevalent bioactive constituents that contribute to the antioxidant activity of date fruits.The bioactive properties of these phytochemicals are believed to promote human health by reducing the risk of diseases such as chronic inflammation.Ajwa dates especially are thought to have superior bioactivity properties.To investigate these claims,in this study,we compare the metabolic profiles of Ajwa with different types of dates collected from Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.We show by UHPLC-MS that date seeds contain several classes of flavonoids,phenolic acids,and amino acid derivatives,including citric acid,malic acid,lactic acid,and hydroxyadipic acid.Additionally,GC-MS profiling showed that date seeds are richer in metabolite classes,such as hydrocinnamic acids(caffeic,ferulic and sinapic acids),than flesh samples.Deglet N fruit extract(minimum inhibitory concentration:27 MIC/μM)and Sukkari fruit extract(IC_(50):479±0.58μg/mL)have higher levels of antibacterial and antioxidative activity than Ajwa fruits.However,the seed analysis showed that seed extracts have better bioactivity effects than fruit extracts.Specifically,Ajwa extract showed the best MIC and strongest ABTS radical-scavenging activity among examined seed extracts(minimum inhibitory concentration:20μM;IC_(50):54±3.61μg/mL).Our assays are a starting point for more advanced in vitro antibacterial models and investigation into the specific molecules that are responsible for the antioxidative and anti-bacterial activities of dates.

Systematics of the avian family Alaudidae using multilocus and genomic data

The family Alaudidae,larks,comprises 93-100 species(depending on taxonomy)that are widely distributed across Africa and Eurasia,with single species extending their ranges to North and northernmost South America and Australia.A decade-old molecular phylogeny,comprising~80%of the species,revealed multiple cases of parallel evolution and large variation in rates of morphological evolution,which had misled taxonomists into creating many non-monophyletic genera.Here,we reconstruct the phylogeny of the larks,using a dataset covering one mitochondrial and 16 nuclear loci and comprising all except one of the currently recognised species as well as several recently proposed new species(in total 133 taxa;not all loci available for all species).We provide additional support using genome-wide markers to infer a genus-level phylogeny based on near-complete generic sampling(in total 51 samples of 44 taxa across 40 species).Our results confirm the previous findings of rampant morphological convergence and divergence,and reveal new cases of paraphyletic genera.We propose a new subfamily classification,and also that the genus Mirafra is divided into four genera to produce a more balanced generic classification of the Alaudidae.Our study supports recently proposed species splits as well as some recent lumps,while also questioning some of the latter.This comprehensive phylogeny will form an important basis for future studies,such as comparative studies of lark natural history,ecology,evolution and conservation.

Effects of Variety and Planting Density on Mung Bean Eco-Physiology and Yield in the Southeastern US

Mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek.) is a warm-season, C3 pulse crop of the legume family that has been widely cultivated in Asian countries. As the demand for mung bean continues to increase in the United States, the ecophysiology, growth, and yield of mung bean varieties in the southeastern US need to be assessed. A field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research and Education Center of Tennessee State University to investigate the effects of four varieties (OK2000, Berken, TSU-1, AAMU-1) and three planting densities (5, 10, and 15 cm spacing) on the ecophysiology and yield of mung bean. Results showed that the relative chlorophyll content, plant height, pod dry biomass, pod number, crop yield, and harvest index significantly varied among the varieties. Density only influenced transpiration, relative chlorophyll content, and plant dry biomass. OK2000 had 101.0% more pods per plant and a 42.4% higher harvest index and produced a 45.3% higher yield than other varieties, but no significant difference in yield was found among the other three varieties. This study demonstrated that the mung bean variety OK2000 with a high yield would be ideal for commercial production in the southeastern US.

考虑融雪及土壤冻融的新安江模型及其应用——以雅砻江上游径流模拟为例

寒区为中国大江大河的主要产流区,其径流预报精度直接影响下游水利工程调度和水资源科学管理。针对传统概念性水文模型较少考虑积雪融雪及土壤冻融过程对径流的叠加影响这一问题,以新安江模型为基础,以降水量和气温为驱动数据,提出了基于“等效土壤温度”和“土壤冻融特征曲线”的概念性土壤冻融模块来刻画积雪融雪及土壤冻融共同影响下的流域产流过程,构建了考虑融雪产流和土壤冻融的新安江模型。以雅砻江甘孜水文站以上流域为典型研究区,开展了流域2017—2022年冰雪消融期逐小时的径流模拟分析。结果表明,相比于HBV模型,考虑融雪产流和土壤冻融的模型可以显著提升流域冰雪消融期的水文模拟精度,各年份消融期径流的纳什效率系数中位数由0.69提升至0.83,相关系数中位数由0.88上升至0.92。本研究所提出的考虑融雪及土壤冻融的新安江模型可以为寒区的水文业务预报提供科学支撑。

Antisense therapy:a potential breakthrough in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of disorders characterized by the progressive degeneration of neurons in the central or peripheral nervous system.Currently,there is no cure for neurodegenerative diseases and this means a heavy burden for patients and the health system worldwide.Therefore,it is necessary to find new therapeutic approaches,and antisense therapies offer this possibility,having the great advantage of not modifying cellular genome and potentially being safer.Many preclinical and clinical studies aim to test the safety and effectiveness of antisense therapies in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.The objective of this review is to summarize the recent advances in the development of these new technologies to treat the most common neurodegenerative diseases,with a focus on those antisense therapies that have already received the approval of the U.S.Food and Drug Administration.

The chromosome-level genome of double-petal phenotype jasmine provides insights into the biosynthesis of floral scent

Jasmine(Jasminum sambac Aiton)is a well-known cultivated plant species for its fragrant flowers used in the perfume industry and cosmetics.However,the genetic basis of its floral scent is largely unknown.In this study,using PacBio,Illumina,10×Genomics and highthroughput chromosome conformation capture(Hi-C)sequencing technologies,a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome for J.sambac was obtained,exploiting a double-petal phenotype cultivar‘Shuangbanmoli’(JSSB).The results showed that the final assembled genome of JSSB is 580.33 Mb in size(contig N50=1.05 Mb;scaffold N50=45.07 Mb)with a total of 39618 predicted protein-coding genes.Our analyses revealed that the JSSB genome has undergone an ancient whole-genome duplication(WGD)event at 91.68 million years ago(Mya).It was estimated that J.sambac diverged from the lineage leading to Olea europaea and Osmanthus fragrans about 28.8 Mya.On the basis of a combination of genomic,transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses,a range of floral scent volatiles and genes were identified involved in the benzenoid/phenylpropanoid and terpenoid biosynthesis pathways.The results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of its fragrance biosynthesis in jasmine.

基于多源数据的黄河源区降雪比变化及其影响因素

黄河源区是黄河流域关键产流区域,对气候变化十分敏感。在气候变暖背景下,降水形态转变及其影响因素的研究依然不足。围绕这一重要科学问题,本研究基于地面气象站点观测和多源高分辨率气象数据集[China Meteorological Forcing Dataset(CMFD)、ECWMF ERA5-Land(ERA5-Land)、Multi-Source Weather(MSWX)],采用湿球温度参数化模型对1980—2015年黄河源区降水形态进行区分,并对降雪比长期变化趋势及其影响因素进行了综合研究。结果表明,1980—2015年黄河源区降水量整体呈增加趋势,降水形态向降雨转变,降雪量减少,平均降雪比呈显著下降趋势(P<0.05),四套数据源的降雪比平均下降速率为0.002 a^(-1)(P<0.05)。降雪比呈显著下降趋势(P<0.05)的格点占比分别为98.31%(ERA5-Land)、96.87%(MSWX)、67.62%(CMFD)。黄河源区中西部降雪比下降速率较快,下降速率最大的地区为玛多、达日等地。三套格点产品中CMFD能够较好地呈现降雪比变化趋势的空间差异,MSWX次之,而ERA5-Land降雪比变化趋势空间变异较小。源区降雪比与年平均气温、降水量相关性较高(P<0.05),相关系数r分别为-0.42和-0.48,亦受到西风的影响(r=-0.31,P=0.07)。研究结果有助于加深气候变暖对黄河源区水文气象过程影响的科学认识,为黄河流域区域水资源管理提供理论支撑。

Biodiversity responses to insular fragmentation in Amazonia: Two decades of research in the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir

As hydropower development expands across lowland tropical forests,flooding and concomitant insular fragmentation have become important threats to biodiversity.Newly created insular landscapes serve as natural laboratories to investigate biodiversity responses to fragmentation.One of these most iconic landscapes is the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir in Brazilian Amazonia,occupying>400000 ha and comprising>3500 forest islands.Here,we synthesise the current knowledge on responses of a wide range of biological groups to insular fragmentation at Balbina.Sampling has largely concentrated on a set of 22 islands and three mainland sites.In total,39 studies were conducted over nearly two decades,covering 17 vertebrate,invertebrate,and plant taxa.Although species responses varied according to taxonomic group,island area was consistently included and played a pivotal role in 66.7%of all studies examining patterns of species diversity.Species persistence was further affected by species traits,mostly related to species capacity to use/traverse the aquatic matrix or tolerate habitat degradation,as noted for species of vertebrates and orchid bees.Further research is needed to improve our understanding of such effects on wider ecosystem functioning.Environmental Impact Assessments must account for changes in both the remaining habitat amount and configuration,and subsequent long-term species losses.

Overexpression of Kdm6b induces testicular differentiation in a temperature-dependent sex determination system

In reptiles,such as the red-eared slider turtle(Trachemys scripta elegans),gonadal sex determination is highly dependent on the environmental temperature during embryonic stages.This complex process,which leads to differentiation into either testes or ovaries,is governed by the finely tuned expression of upstream genes,notably the testis-promoting gene Dmrt1 and the ovary-promoting gene Foxl2.Recent studies have identified epigenetic regulation as a crucial factor in testis development,with the H3K27me3 demethylase KDM6B being essential for Dmrt1 expression in T.s.elegans.However,whether KDM6B alone can induce testicular differentiation remains unclear.In this study,we found that overexpression of Kdm6b in T.s.elegans embryos induced the male development pathway,accompanied by a rapid increase in the gonadal expression of Dmrt1 at 31°C,a temperature typically resulting in female development.Notably,this sex reversal could be entirely rescued by Dmrt1 knockdown.These findings demonstrate that Kdm6b is sufficient for commitment to the male pathway,underscoring its role as a critical epigenetic regulator in the sex determination of the red-eared slider turtle.

Manipulation of photosensory and circadian signaling restricts phenotypic plasticity in response to changing environmental conditions in Arabidopsis

Plants exploit phenotypic plasticity to adapt their growth and development to prevailing environmental conditions.Interpretation of light and temperature signals is aided by the circadian system,which provides a temporal context.Phenotypic plasticity provides a selective and competitive advantage in nature but is obstructive during large-scale,intensive agricultural practices since economically important traits(including vegetative growth and flowering time)can vary widely depending on local environmental condi-tions.This prevents accurate prediction of harvesting times and produces a variable crop.In this study,we sought to restrict phenotypic plasticity and circadian regulation by manipulating signaling systems that govern plants'responses to environmental signals.Mathematical modeling of plant growth and develop-ment predicted reduced plant responses to changing environments when circadian and light signaling pathways were manipulated.We tested this prediction by utilizing a constitutively active allele of the plant photoreceptor phytochrome B,along with disruption of the circadian systemvia mutation of EARLYFLOW-ERING3.We found that these manipulations produced plants that are less responsive to light and temper-ature cues and thus fail to anticipate dawn.These engineered plants have uniform vegetative growth and flowering time,demonstrating how phenotypic plasticity can be limited while maintaining plant productiv-ity.This has significant implications for future agriculture in both open fields and controlled environments.

Optimization of Solid-State Fermentation with Lactobacillus brevis and Aspergillus oryzae for Trypsin Inhibitor Degradation in Soybean Meal

The aim of the present study was to optimize trypsin inhibitor degradation in soybean meal by solid-state fermentation （SSF） with Lactobacillus brevis and Aspergillus oryzae, and to determine the effect of SSF on phytic acid, crude protein, crude fat, and amino acid profile. Response surface methodology （RSM） with Box-Behnken design was used to optimize SSF. The optimal conditions derived from RSM for L. brevis fermentation were： pH=5. 1; inoculum size=10%; duration=72 h; substrate to water ratio=1.5. The minimum content of trypsin inhibitors was 6.4 mg g^-1 dry matter. The optimal conditions derived from RSM for A. oryzae fermentation were： substrate to water ratio= 0.8 1; inoculum size=4%; duration=120 h. The minimum content of trypsin inhibitors was 1.6 mg g^-1 dry matter. Both L. brevis and A. oryzae decreased trypsin inhibitors dramatically （57.1 and 89.2% respectively）. L. brevis fermentation did not affect phytic acid （0.4%） and crude fat （5.2%） considerably, whereas A. oryzae fermentation degraded phytic acid （34.8%） and crude fat （22.0%） contents to a certain extent. Crude protein content was increased after both fermentation （6.4 and 12.9% for L. brevis and A. oryzae respectively）. Urease activity was reduced greatly （83.3 and 58.3% for L. brevis and A. oryzae respectively）. In conclusion, SSF with A. oryzae and L. brevis reduced trypsin inhibitor content and modified major macronutrients in soybean meal.

Human bocavirus: Current knowledge and future challenges

Human bocavirus(HBoV) is a parvovirus isolated about a decade ago and found worldwide in both respiratory samples, mainly from early life and children of 6-24 mo of age with acute respiratory infection, and in stool samples, from patients with gastroenteritis. Since then, other viruses related to the first HBoV isolate(HBoV 1), namely HBoV 2, HBoV 3 and HBoV 4, have been detected principally in human faeces. HBo Vs are small nonenveloped single-stranded DNA viruses of about 5300 nucleotides, consisting of three open reading frames encoding the first two the non-structural protein 1(NS1) and nuclear phosphoprotein(NP1) and the third the viral capsid proteins 1 and 2(VP1 and VP2). HBoV pathogenicity remains to be fully clarified mainly due to the lack of animal models for the difficulties in replicating the virus in in vitro cell cultures, and the fact that HBo V infection is frequently accompanied by at least another viral and/or bacterial respiratory and/or gastroenteric pathogen infection. Current diagnostic methods to support HBoV detection include polymerase chain reaction, real-time PCR, enzymelinked immunosorbent assay and enzyme immunoassay using recombinant VP2 or virus-like particle capsid proteins, although sequence-independent amplification techniques combined with next-generation sequencing platforms promise rapid and simultaneous detection of the pathogens in the future. This review presents the current knowledge on HBoV genotypes with emphasis on taxonomy, phylogenetic relationship and genomic analysis, biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and diagnostic methods. The emerging discussion on HBoV s as true pathogen or innocent bystander is also emphasized.

Diet and epigenetics in colon cancer

Over the past few years, evidence has accumulated indicating that apart from genetic alterations, epigenetic alterations, through e.g. aberrant promoter methylation, play a major role in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Even in the hereditary colon cancer syndromes, in which the susceptibility is inherited dominantly, cancer develops only as the result of the progressive accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations. Diet can both prevent and induce colon carcinogenesis, for instance, through epigenetic changes, which regulate the homeostasis of the intestinal mucosa. Food-derived compounds are constantly present in the intestine and may shift cellular balance toward harmful outcomes, such as increased susceptibility to mutations. There is strong evidence that a major component of cancer risk may involve epigenetic changes in normal cells that increase the probability of cancer after genetic mutation. The recognition of epigenetic changes as a driving force in colorectal neoplasia would open new areas of research in disease epidemiology, risk assessment, and treatment, especially in mutation carriers who already have an inherited predisposition to cancer.

Inhibition and enhancement of neural regeneration by chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans

The current dogma in neural regeneration research implies that chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans（CSPGs） inhibit plasticity and regeneration in the adult central nervous system（CNS）. We argue that the role of the CSPGs can be reversed from inhibition to activation by developmentally expressed CSPG-binding factors. Heparin-binding growth-associated molecule（HB-GAM; also designated as pleiotrophin） has been studied as a candidate molecule that might modulate the role of CSPG matrices in plasticity and regeneration. Studies in vitro show that in the presence of soluble HB-GAM chondroitin sulfate（CS） chains of CSPGs display an enhancing effect on neurite outgrowth. Based on the in vitro studies, we suggest a model according to which the HB-GAM/CS complex binds to the neuron surface receptor glypican-2, which induces neurite growth. Furthermore, HB-GAM masks the CS binding sites of the neurite outgrowth inhibiting receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma（PTPσ）, which may contribute to the HB-GAM-induced regenerative effect. In vivo studies using two-photon imaging after local HB-GAM injection into prick-injury of the cerebral cortex reveal regeneration of dendrites that has not been previously demonstrated after injuries of the mammalian nervous system. In the spinal cord, two-photon imaging displays HB-GAM-induced axonal regeneration. Studies on the HB-GAM/CS mechanism in vitro and in vivo are expected to pave the way for drug development for injuries of brain and spinal cord.

Isolation and Purification of Anthocyanins from Blood Oranges by Column Chromatography

In this study, isolation and purification of anthocyanins from blood oranges by column chromatography were investigated, and then the anthocyanins of blood orange were identified. The behaviors of static adsorption and desorption, dynamic adsorption and desorption of 12 kinds of resins were compared. The results indicated that NKA-9 macroporous resin was optimum for isolation of blood orange anthocyanins, and the optimal elution reagent was 50% ethanol with citric acid （pH 2.5）. Toyopearl TSK HW-40S column was employed to separate and purify the anthocyanin extracts from blood orange. The best separation of Toyopearl TSK HW-40S column was obtained using a mobile phase of 35% methanol with 2% formic acid at a flow-rate of 0.6 mL min-~. Three kinds of anthocyanins were purified from blood orange. Then, the anthocyanins of blood orange were identified by HPLC-ESUMS analysis. The results showed that cyanidin-3-glucoside （35.2%） and cyaniding-3-（6＂-malonyl） glucoside （42.9%） were the major anthocyanins of blood orange. Furthermore, cyanidin-3-（3＂-malonyl） glucoside, cyanidin 3-（6＂-dioxalyl） glucoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside adduct：4-vinylcatechol were identified in blood orange. The combination of NKA-9 macroporous resin and Toyopearl TSK HW-40S column chromatography for isolation and purification of blood orange anthocyanins was an effective method, and HPLC-ESI/MS analysis was a convenient, rapid and effective method for identification of anthocyanins from blood orange.