Effect of sodium alginate-based hydrogel loaded with lutein on gut microbiota and inflammatory response in DSS-induced colitis mice

In order to effectively deliver lutein to the inflamed colon and better exert its pharmacological activity,this paper constructed a sodium alginate hydrogel-based delivery system loaded with lutein nanoparticles,evaluated the regulation on the expression and secretion of related inflammatory factors in mice with colitis,and its impact on intestinal microbial environment.The results showed that comparing lutein crystal and its nanoparticle,lutein hydrogel alleviated dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)-induced colitis in mice more effectively by adjusting fecal heme content,colon tissue damage,and inflammatory factor levels.Moreover,lutein hydrogel increased the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins zonula occluden-1(ZO-1),claudin-1 and occludin to maintain the integrity of the intestinal-barrier,inhibited the nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)pathway and reduced expression and secretion of inflammatory factors including tumour necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),NOD-like receptors 3(NLRP3)and interleukin(IL)-1β.In addition,the intestinal microbial environment of mice with colitis was improved by down-regulating the relative abundance of Desulfovibrionaceae and up-regulating the relative abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae and Rikenellaceae.As a slow-release carrier to load lutein nanoparticles,sodium alginate-based hydrogel has potential application prospect.

Lutein-stevioside nanoparticle attenuates H_(2)O_(2)-induced oxidative damage in ARPE cells

In order to improve the bioavailability of lutein(LUT),a novel lutein-stevio side nanoparticle(LUT-STE)were prepared previously,but the information about LUT-STE on protecting of eye health was limited.This study investigated the effect of LUT-STE on antioxidant activity of H_(2)O_(2)-induced human retinal pigment epithelial(ARPE)cells.LUT and LUT-STE(final concentration of 5μg/mL)significantly enhanced cell viability from(74.84±5.10)%to(81.92±10.01)%(LUT)and(89.33±4.34)%(LUT-STE),and inhibited the cell apoptosis(P<0.05).After pretreatment with LUT-STE in ARPE cells,the levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT)and glutathion peroxidase(GSH-Px)in ARPE cells were significantly increased(P<0.05),the contents of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and malondialdehyde(MDA)were decreased.In addition,the vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)levels were inhibited by 13.61%and 17.39%,respectively,pretreatment with LUT and LUT-STE.Western blotting results showed that the pretreatment with LUT-STE inhibited the expression of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and up-regulated Bcl-2/Bax pathway to inhibit H_(2)O_(2)-induced apoptosis.In summary,the novel delivery LUT-STE had more pronounced inhibitory effect on H_(2)O_(2)-induced damage in human ARPE cells.

Peptide fraction from sturgeon muscle by pepsin hydrolysis exerts anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages via MAPK and NF-κB pathways

Previous studies have suggested that polypeptides extracted from milk, soybean, fish, eggs, and meat possess potential anti-inflammatory effects. To date, few studies have reported the anti-inflammatory function of sturgeon peptides and their underlying mechanisms are unknown. The current study was therefore to determine the anti-inflammatory potential of sturgeon peptides with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 inflammatory model. Pepsin hydrolysate (PeH) was purified by ultrafiltration and Sephadex G-15 gel filtration chromatography. PeH significantly reduced the inflammatory mediator (NO) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β) expression in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the purified sturgeon peptide (F2) possessed strong antioxidant potential and effectively inhibited DPPH and ABTS free radicals. F2 significantly suppressed the expression of MAPK, IκBα, and NF-κB p65, indicating that F2 exerted anti-inflammatory influence by the inhibition of MAPK and NF-κB pathways.

Study on the interaction between β-carotene and gut microflora using an in vitro fermentation model

β-Carotene,a typical non-oxygenated carotenoid,is the most efficient source of retinol(VA).The low bio-availability ofβ-carotene lead to large accumulation in colon;however,the relationship betweenβ-carotene and gut microflora remains unclear.This study intends to explore the interaction betweenβ-carotene and gut microflora using an in vitro fermentation model.After 24 h fermentation,the degradation rate ofβ-carotene was(64.28±6.23)%,which was 1.46 times that of the group without gut microflora.Meanwhile,the production of VA was nearly 2 times that of the group without gut microflora,indicating that the gut microflora can metabolizeβ-carotene into VA.β-Carotene also influences the production of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs),the production of total SCFAs in 0.5 mg/mLβ-carotene(BCM)group was(44.00±1.16)mmol/L,which was 2.26 times that of the blank control(BLK)group.Among them,the production of acetic acid in BCM group was(19.06±0.82)mmol/L,which was 2.64 time that of the BLK group.Furthermore,β-carotene significantly affected the structure and composition of gut microflora,increasing the abundance of Roseburia,Parasutterella and Lachnospiraceae,and decreasing the abundance of Dialister,Collinsella and Enterobacter(P<0.05).This study provides a new way to understand howβ-carotene works in human body with gut microflora.

Assessing the relative role of climate change and human activities in desertification of North China from 1981 to 2010

Desertification is a severe environmental problem induced by both climate change and human activities.This study assessed the relative contribution of climate change,human activities,and different climatic and anthropogenic factors in desertification reversion and expansion of North China from 1981 to 2010.The results showed that the desertification of North China had changed significantly over the past 30 years;desertification reversion and expansion covered an area of 750,464 km^2, and the spatial distribution of these regions exhibited considerable heterogeneity.For desertification reversion, climate change and human activity accounted for 22.6% and 26%,respectively of total reverted land.Wind speed reduction and the improvement ofhydrothermal conditions were the most important climatic factors for desertification reversion in the arid region of Northwest China (ARNC) and the Three-River Headwaters region (TRHR),and the reduction in grassland use intensity was the most important anthropogenic factor related to desertification reversion in Inner Mongolia and regions along the Great Wall (IMGW). For desertification expansion,the relative role of climate change was more obvious,which was mainly attributed to the continuous reduction in precipitation in eastern IMGW, and the increase in grassland use intensity was the main factor underlying regional human-induced desertification expansion.

Dielectric properties of edible fungi powder related to radio-frequency and microwave drying

Edible fungi are rich in nutrition,but they are susceptible to spoilage,and often prolonged by drying.RF and microwave energy drying have the advantages of short drying time,high energy efficiency and good process control.However,to develop an effective dielectric drying method,it is important to understand dielectric properties,the major factor characterizing the interaction between the electromagnetic energy and the food.At present,there is a lack of research on dielectric properties of edible fungi.In this study,a vector network analyzer and an open-ended coaxial-line probe were employed to measure the dielectric parameters.The dielectric parameters were observed at different temperatures(25–85°C)for edible fungi powder with moisture content ranging from 5 to 30%wet basis over a frequency range of 1–3000 MHz.The relationship between the dielectric properties and frequency,temperature,and moisture content were obtained via regression analysis.Further,the dielectric penetration depth was calculated,and the effects of frequency,moisture content,and temperature on the penetration depth were also analyzed.The results showed that the dielectric properties of edible fungi powder increased with an increase in moisture content and temperature,while they decreased with increasing frequency.At high moisture content and temperature,the increase in dielectric properties was slightly larger than that at low moisture content and temperature.The dielectric properties changed more evidently at lower radio frequencies than at higher radio frequencies.The penetration depth decreased with an increase in temperature,moisture content,and frequency.It can be concluded that a large penetration depth at radio frequencies below 100 MHz could be used to dry edible fungi on a large scale,whereas microwave energy could be employed for drying edible fungi on a small scale.

Changes in the sugars,amino acids and organic acids of postharvest sperminetreated immature vegetable soybean(Glycine max L.Merr.)as determined by^(1)H NMR spectroscopy

^(1)H NMR spectroscopy was adopted to determine compositional changes(mainly sugars,organic acids and amino acids)involved in cold-stored immature soybean grains after exogenous spermine treatment.Significant changes of sugars,including sucrose,galactose,myo-inositol,glucose and fructose were detected in soybean after spermine treatment.As for the organic acids related to tricarboxylic acid cycle,the levels of malic and fumaric acids decreased but the level of citric acid increased.However,no significant changes were observed for amino acids in spermine-treated soybeans.By using metabolic profile analysis,a difference was observed between the aging of soybean grains as such and those treated with spermine.This study provides an insight into the accumulation of metabolites in postharvest immature soybeans after exogenous spermine-treatment.

Correction to:Changes in the sugars,amino acids and organic acids of postharvest sperminetreated immature vegetable soybean(Glycine max L.Merr.)as determined by^(1)H NMR spectroscopy

Correction:Food Production,Processing and Nutrition 2,7(2020)https://doi.org/10.1186/s43014-020-00021-1 Following publication of the original article(Song et al.2020),the authors realised the Fig.1 was not very clear.The clear figure is given below.