Key Techniques of an Ecological Pattern“Planting Rice in One Season and Breeding Red Swamp Crawfish in Three Seasons” for Green Production in Lixiahe Region of Jiangsu Province

Three big field projects, independent irrigation and drainage facilities, and a blocking net, which are auxiliary projects of a green planting and breeding pattern composed of rice and red swamp crawfish （Procambarus clarkii）, spatial and temporal coupling technology of ＂planting rice in one season and breeding red swamp crawfish in three seasons＂, green fertilization technology, green prevention and control technology, control technology of water level, and throwing technology of bait in Lixiahe region of Jiangsu Province were introduced successively, which can provide technical support for the development of ecological planting and breeding patterns and realization of green production in paddy fields.

The Restoring Ability of Normal Indica Red Rice Ruby and Its Restoring Gene Mapping

[Objective] This study was to investigate the restoring ability of normal indica red rice Ruby and to carry out its restoring gene mapping. [Method] Normal indica red rice Ruby was hybridized with the sterile lines Zhenxian 97A, D62A, G46A and D702A to prepare their F1, BC1 and F2 progenies, and the pollen fertilities of these progenies were investigated. Meanwhile the restoring genes were mapped using SSLP. [ Result] For the sterile lines tested, Ruby has a gene to restore their fertilities. This gene is located on the chromosome 7 and shows a genetic distance of 7.4 cM with RM182. Unlike the clustering distribution of the restoring genes on chromosome 10, it is a specific restoring gene. [ Conclusion] it is feasible to breed restoring genes controlling red color characters via transgene and backcross.

Effects of Inorganic-organic Incorporation on Productivity and Soil Fertility of Rice Cropping System in Red Soil Area of China

Results from ten-year (1990 - 1999) field experiments indicated that the productivity and the soil fertility of rice cropping system were significantly influenced by the fertilization system adopted in red soil area of China. Contrasting with no-fertili/er treatment (CK), yield-increase rate of organic matter cycling, chemical NPK and inorganic-organic fertilizer incorporation treatments were 56.5% , 62.5% and 80.7% , respectively. In the case of optimum fertilization system, the largest contribution of inorganic fertilizer to the yield was 38.5% while that of inorganic-organic fertilizer incorporation was 44.7%. The content of soil organic matter changed in tendency from decrease to equilibrium with heightened the extent of N, P and K incorporation while that of inorganic-organic fertilizer incorporation could be enhanced further. After N, P and K entered into the rice cropping system and maintained organic matter cycling in the system, the pools of total N, P and K could be strengthened.

Associations between the use of red yeast rice preparations and adverse health outcomes:An umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

Background:Red yeast rice(RYR),a natural lipid-lowering agent,is widely used in clinical practice.However,the existing meta-analyses concerning the safety of RYR preparations have yielded inconsistent results,and the credibility of the evidence has not been quantified.Objective:This study was designed to evaluate the existing evidence and offer a comprehensive understanding of the associations between the use of RYR preparations and various adverse health outcomes.Search strategy:Seven literature databases were searched from inception to May 5,2023,using medical subject headings and free-text terms(e.g.,“red yeast rice,”“Xuezhikang,”and“Zhibitai”).Inclusion criteria:Meta-analyses that investigated and quantitatively estimated associations between the use of RYR preparations and adverse health outcomes were included in this study.Data extraction and analysis:Two researchers independently extracted data using a standardized data collection table;any disagreements were resolved by consulting a third researcher.Based on the participant,intervention,comparator and outcome(PICO)framework in each eligible meta-analysis,a series of unique associations between the use of RYR preparations and adverse health outcomes were determined.The associations’effect estimates were re-evaluated using random-effect models.Results:Fifteen meta-analyses,comprising 186(164 unique)randomized controlled trials,were identified.Based on A Mea Surement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews version 2,3(20%)and 12(80%)of these meta-analyses had low and critically low confidence,respectively.A total of 61 unique associations between the use of RYR preparations and adverse health outcomes were extracted from eligible metaanalyses.Based on the random-effect models,10(16.4%)associations indicated a significant protective effect of RYR preparations against adverse health outcomes,while 5(8.2%)indicated an increased risk of adverse health outcomes related to uric acid,alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase levels.The other 46(75.4%)associations showed no significant difference between the use of RYR preparations and control treatments.Regarding the credibility of the evidence,21(34.4%),34(55.7%)and 6(9.8%)associations showed moderate,low and very low credibility,respectively.Conclusion:The evidence examined in this study suggests that RYR preparations are safe;however,the credibility of the evidence was not high.Further high-quality evidence is required.

Red Yeast Rice Increases Excretion of Bile Acids in Hamsters

Objective To investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of red yeast rice （RYR） and its underlying mechanism. Methods Three groups of hamsters were fed either the control diet or one of the two experimental diets containing by weight 0.1% RYR （0.1RYR） or 0.3% RYR （0.3RYR）. Blood （0.5 mL） was collected from the retro-orbital sinus into a heparinized capillary tube at the end of week 0, 3, and 6. Plasma lipoproteins were measured using enzymatic kits, while fecal neutral and acidic sterols were quantified using a gas-liquid chromatography. Results Plasma total cholesterol was reduced by 12% in 0.1RYR group and by 18% in 0.3RYR group compared with the control value. Similarly, plasma triacylglycerol was decreased by 11% in 0.1RYR group and by 24% in 0.3RYR group. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that RYR had no effect on sterol regulatory element binding protein 2, fiver X receptor, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutary-CoA reductase, LDL receptor, and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase. HPLC analysis confirmed that RYR contained 0.88% monacolin K. It was recently found that RYR supplementation increased excretion of fecal acidic sterols by 34 folds compared with the conlrol value. Conclusion Hypocholesterolemic activity of RYR is mediated at least partially by enhancement of acidic sterol excretion.

Weedy red rice has novel sources of resistance to biotic stress

Weedy red rice(Oryza sativa;WRR),a close relative of cultivated rice,is a highly competitive weed that commonly infests rice fields and can also naturally interbreed with rice.Useful genes for biotic stress have been maintained in WRR and can be explored for breeding.Here we describe genetic and physiological traits of WRR that can be beneficial in preventing major rice diseases.Rice blast,caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae,and sheath blight disease,caused by the necrotrophic pathogen Rhizoctonia solani,are the two most damaging biotic stresses of rice.Many major and minor resistance genes and QTL have been identified in cultivated and wild rice relatives.However,novel QTL were recently found in the two major U.S.biotypes of WRR,blackhull-awned(BH)and strawhullawnless(SH),suggesting that WRR has evolved novel genetic mechanisms to cope with these biotic stresses.Twenty-eight accessions of WRR(PI 653412–PI 653439)from the southern USA were characterized and placed in the National Small Grains Collection,and are available for identification of novel genetic factors to prevent biotic stress.

Effect of Light on Flavonoids Biosynthesis in Red Rice Rdh

The effect of light on flavonoids biosynthesis in red rice Rdh was studied. The panicles of red rice Rdh produced colorless caryopses after darkness treatment; and these colorless caryopses displayed bright-red after vanillin treatment, but did not display red color after light inducing for 15 days, suggesting that red rice Rdh could produce leucoanthocyanidin, but could not produce polyproanthocyanidins in darkness. Histological study revealed that the aleurone layers of Rdh colorless caryopses displayed bright-red after vanillin assay, but the pericarp and seed coat layers did not display color change, which indicated that the aleurone layers could accumulate precursors of polyproanthocyanidins in darkness, but the pericarp and seed coat could not. Additionally, color ofRdh caryopses changed from green in immaturity to red in maturity, and the green caryopses changed color from green to red gradually indoor for 7 days after harvest, suggesting that leucoanthocyanidins could synthesize polyproanthocyanidins. It was concluded that light was necessary for red pigment biosynthesis in red rice Rdh, leucoanthocyanidins biosyntheses in the aleurone layers did not need light, leucoanthocyanidins biosynthesis in pericarp and seed coat needed light inducing, the effect of leucoanthocyanidin biosynthesis in Rdh to light had tissue specificity.

Technical Specification for Seed Production of Qinzhou Sea Red Rice(Chihe)

Sea red rice is a geographical indication agricultural product of Qinzhou City.It is suitable for growing in hydrochloric acid field with salinity of 2‰-20‰,and is a green and healthy food positioned in the medium and high-end rice market.The brand of Qinzhou sea red rice started to be established in November of 2019.In this paper,the technical specification for seed production of Qinzhou sea red rice is introduced from the aspects of seed production,breeding and harvest,so as to provide technical support for accelerating the popularization of characteristic varieties and the process of industrialization.

The current trend and challenges of developing red yeast rice-based food supplements for hypercholesterolemia

Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases,which have been managed using statin drugs.Red yeast rice(RYR)as a traditional food in the Eastern Asia countries has anti-hyperlipidemia activity.Recently,a variety of food supplement products containing RYR have been developed to lower blood cholesterol,which is attributed to the presence of monacolins,especially monacolin K(lovastatin,a statin drug).This review was aimed to summarize the clinical trials using RYR products to investigate their effects on lipid profiles in humans.Relevant articles of human clinical trials were retrieved from PubMed and discussed here.Results showed that RYR and its extracts have been included in commercially available products alone and in combinations with various other materials,which include bioactive compounds such as coenzyme Q10 and berberine,vitamins,extracts from other plants such as phytosterols,polyunsaturated fatty acids or even probiotics.The durations of the trials ranged from 4 weeks to 60 months.The content of monacolin K ranged from 0.32 mg/pack to 10 mg/pack.The data of these human clinical trials demonstrated that these RYR supplement products were sufficient to reduce blood cholesterol in different populations.However,the inclusions of certain materials might not have additive effect.Additionally,studies including a lovastatin only positive control group with the equivalent dose as that of monacolin K in the RYR products remain to be done.Furthermore,variations of monacolin K contents and presence of toxic citrinin are still concerns.Last,bioactivities of other components in RYR should be investigated as well.More future studies will certainly help to fully explore the potentials of this traditional food in the combat against cardiovascular and other metabolic diseases.

Population genomic analysis unravels the evolutionary roadmap of pericarp color in rice

Pigmented rice stands out for its nutritional value and is gaining more and more attention.Wild rice,domes-ticated red rice,and weedy rice all have a red pericarp and a comprehensive genetic background in terms of the red-pericarp phenotype.We performed population genetic analyses using 5104 worldwide rice acces-sions,including 2794 accessions with red or black pericarps,85 of which were newly sequenced in this study.The results suggested an evolutionary trajectory of red landraces originating from wild rice,and the split times of cultivated red and white rice populations were estimated to be within the past 3500 years.Cultivated red rice was found to feralize to weedy rice,and weedy rice could be further re-domesticated to cultivated red rice.A genome-wide association study based on the 2794 accessions with pigmented peri-carps revealed several new candidate genes associated with the red-pericarp trait for further functional characterization.Our results provide genomic evidence for the origin of pigmented rice and a valuable genomic resource for genetic investigation and breeding of pigmented rice.

No Additional Cholesterol-Lowering Effect Observed in the Combined Treatment of Red Yeast Rice and Lactobacillus Casei in Hyperlipidemic Patients：A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objective：To observe the effect of combining red yeast rice and Lactobacillus casei（L.casei）in lowering cholesterol in patients with primary hyperlipidemia,the later has also been shown to remove cholesterol in in vitro studies.Methods：A double-blind clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the cholesterol-lowering effect of the combination of red yeast rice and L.casei.Sixty patients with primary hyperlipidemia were recruited and randomized equal y to either the treatment group（red yeast rice＋L.casei）or the control group（red yeast rice＋placebo）.One red yeast rice capsule and two L.casei capsules were taken twice a day.The treatment lasted for 8 weeks,with an extended follow-up period of 4 weeks.The primary endpoint was a difference of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）level at week 8.Results：At week 8,the LDL-C serum level in both groups was lower than that at baseline,with a decrease of 33.85±26.66 mg/dL in the treatment group and 38.11±30.90 mg/dL in the control group;however,there was no statistical difference between the two groups（P〉0.05）.The total cholesterol was also lower than the baseline in both groups,yet without a statistical difference between the two groups.The only statistical y significant difference between the two groups was the average diastolic pressure at week 12,which dropped by 2.67 mm Hg in the treatment group and increased by 4.43 mm Hg in the placebo group（P〈0.05）.The antihypertensive activity may be associated with L.casei.Red yeast rice can significantly reduce LDL-C,total cholesterol and triglyceride.Conclusion：The combination of red yeast rice and L.casei did not have an additional effect on lipid profiles.

Statin alternatives or just placebo： an objective review of omega-3, red yeast rice and garlic in cardiovascular therapeutics

Objective The aim of this review is to objectively access the trial evidence on the role of omega-3, red yeast rice and garlic in preventing clinical cardiovascular events. Given the large number of clinical trials favoring statin use in cardiovascular disease, it is important to see if evidence is available for these supplements and whether they could replace statin therapy. Data source A PubMed search was conducted using the keywords ＇trial, omega-3, red yeast rice, xuezhikang, garlic, cholesterol, cardiovascular, outcomes＇; the resulting trials were reviewed together with the references quoted in the papers obtained. Study selection The studies selected are prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled studies with predefined clinical cardiovascular end-points recruiting at least 2000 patients, with a follow-up over 2 years. Results Modest dose omega-3 fatty acid has been shown in GISSI-P （11 324 patients, follow-up 3.5 years） to produce a reduction in sudden death of 45%, and in cardiac death of 35%, acting probably via an anti-arrhythmic effect. In JELLS （18 645 patients, follow-up 4.6 years）, high dose omega-3 given to Japanese patients on a high fish diet and already on statin treatment produced further benefit with a 19% reduction of nonfatal cardiovascular outcomes; fatal cardiac events are not affected. CCSPS （4870 patients, follow-up 4 years）, a secondary prevention trial using xuezhikang, a commercial red yeast rice preparation, produced a 46% reduction in nonfatal myocardial infarction and coronary death. There has been no trial to show that garlic reduces clinical cardiovascular outcomes. A rigorous trial with constant assessment of chemicals in the study material in 192 patients found that over a 6-month follow-up, raw garlic and 2 commercial preparations do not significantly affect lipid levels. Conclusions Omega-3 in modest doses reduces cardiac deaths, and in high doses reduces nonfatal cardiovascular events. Red yeast rice reduces adverse cardiac events to a similar degree as the statins. It is unlikely that garlic is useful in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Effectiveness and safety of red yeast rice predominated by monacolin Kβ-hydroxy acid form for hyperlipidemia treatment and management

OBJECTIVE:To assess the lipid-lowering activity and safety of a dietary supplement containing monacolin Kβ-hydroxy acid form(MKA),Heye(Folium Nelumbinis),and Cangzhu(Rhizoma Atractylodis Lanceae),compared to lifestyle modifications.METHODS:Totally 117 subjects with moderate to severe dyslipidemia(according to Chinese guidelines)and low CV risk were randomly assigned into three treatment groups:lifestyle modification(LM),LM plus a low dosage of MKA,LM plus a high dosage of MKA,and treated for 60 d.The primary endpoint was the reduction of low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and total cholesterol(TC).Safeties along with Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes were assessed through the study.RESULTS:A low dosage of MKA along with lifestyle modifications caused a significant decrease in LDL-C by 15.6%on average(95%CI,9.6%to 21%)with,a decrease in TC by 15.3%on average(95%CI,9.26%to 21.4%),and a decrease in non-HDL-C by 35.4%(95%CI,25.76%to 41.34%).Weak evidence of a reduction of triglycerides but an increment of HDL-C was observed in patients with severe hyperlipidemia.No severe adverse events occurred during the study.CONCLUSION:Our results confirm the LDL-C and TC lowering properties of MKA is clinically meaningful.It also produces a significant reduction of non-HDL-C,and slightly effects on TG and HDL-C as well.

Red Yeast Rice Prevents Atherosclerosis through Regulating Inflammatory Signaling Pathways

Objective： To observe the effects of red yeast rice（RYR） on blood lipid levels, aortic atherosclerosis（AS）, and plaque stability in apolipoprotein E gene knockout（Apo E-/-） mice. Methods： Twentyfour Apo E-/-mice were fed with a high-fat diet starting from 6 weeks of age. Mice were randomized into three groups（n = 8 in each group）： model group（Apo E-/-group）, RYR group（Apo E-/-＋ RYR group）, and simvastatin group（Apo E-/-＋ simvastatin group）. Eight 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were assigned as the control group and fed with a basic diet. After 36 weeks, plasma lipids and inflammatory factors were measured. Aortic atherosclerotic lesions by microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope were observed. Plasma levels of interleukin-6（IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） were measured with enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. The level of high sensitivity C-reaction protein（Hs-CRP） was detected by the scattering immunoturbidimetric assay. Protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9（MMP-9） and nuclear factor κB（NF-κB） in aorta were tested by immunohistochemistry. Results： Compared with the model group, treatment with RYR significantly decreased the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lipoprotein（a）, and apolipoprotein B100 in Apo E-/-mice（P〈0.01）. Compared with the model group, treatment with RYR decreased the levels of Hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α（P〈0.01）. RYR also reduced the protein levels of NF-κB and MMP-9 of the aorta. Conclusions： RYR has the anti-atherosclerotic and stabilizing unstable plaque effects. The mechanism might be related to the inflammatory signaling pathways.

A systematic,updated review of Xuezhikang,a domestically developed lipid-lowering drug,in the application of cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases(CVDs)are a major threat to public health globally.A large proportion of people with dyslipidaemia have poorly controlled lipid levels,emphasizing the need for alternative lipid-lowering treatments that are both effective and safe.Xuezhikang,a red yeast rice(RYR)extract,containing 13 kinds of monacolins and other bioactive components,emerges as one such promising option.Its discovery was built on a long history of RYR use as a functional food supplement and traditional Chinese medicine.Several randomized,controlled clinical trials have substantiated its lipid-lowering effects and its potential to protect against CVDs.Safety concerns with statins did not arise during decades of experience with Xuezhikang treatment in clinical practice.The approval of Xuezhikang in multiple regions of Asia marked a conceptual shift in CVD management,moving from single agents to polypills and from synthetic medicines to natural extracts.This review comprehensively addresses important topics related to this medicinal natural extract,including the ancient utilization of RYR,the development of Xuezhikang,its mechanisms of action,pleiotropic effects,clinical studies,challenges,and future perspectives to enhance our understanding regarding the role of Xuezhikang,a representative,domestic lipid-lowering drug of RYR,in prevention and treatment of CVD.