Preferentially selective extraction of lithium from spent LiCoO_(2)cathodes by medium-temperature carbon reduction roasting

Lithium recovery from spent lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)have attracted extensive attention due to the skyrocketing price of lithium.The medium-temperature carbon reduction roasting was proposed to preferential selective extraction of lithium from spent Li-CoO_(2)(LCO)cathodes to overcome the incomplete recovery and loss of lithium during the recycling process.The LCO layered structure was destroyed and lithium was completely converted into water-soluble Li2CO_(3)under a suitable temperature to control the reduced state of the cobalt oxide.The Co metal agglomerates generated during medium-temperature carbon reduction roasting were broken by wet grinding and ultrasonic crushing to release the entrained lithium.The results showed that 99.10%of the whole lithium could be recovered as Li2CO_(3)with a purity of 99.55%.This work provided a new perspective on the preferentially selective extraction of lithium from spent lithium batteries.

Evaluation of the intracellular lipid-lowering effect of polyphenols extract from highland barley in HepG2 cells

Active ingredients from highland barley have received considerable attention as natural products for developing treatments and dietary supplements against obesity.In practical application,the research of food combinations is more significant than a specific food component.This study investigated the lipid-lowering effect of highland barley polyphenols via lipase assay in vitro and HepG2 cells induced by oleic acid(OA).Five indexes,triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(T-CHO),low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),and alanine aminotransferase(ALT),were used to evaluate the lipidlowering effect of highland barley extract.We also preliminary studied the lipid-lowering mechanism by Realtime fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction(q PCR).The results indicated that highland barley extract contains many components with lipid-lowering effects,such as hyperoside and scoparone.In vitro,the lipase assay showed an 18.4%lipase inhibition rate when the additive contents of highland barley extract were 100μg/m L.The intracellular lipid-lowering effect of highland barley extract was examined using 0.25 mmol/L OA-induced HepG2 cells.The results showed that intracellular TG,LDL-C,and T-CHO content decreased by 34.4%,51.2%,and 18.4%,respectively.ALT and AST decreased by 51.6%and 20.7%compared with the untreated hyperlipidemic HepG2 cells.q PCR results showed that highland barley polyphenols could up-regulation the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes such as PPARγand Fabp4.

Intensified reactive extraction of 4-hydroxypyridine with di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid in 1-octanol by using tributyl phosphate

The efficient separation of amphoteric organic compounds from dilute solutions is of great importance in the industrial field. In the present work, the reactive extractions of 4-hydroxypyridine(4-HP) with tributyl phosphate(TBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid(D2EHPA) and TBP + D2EHPA dissolved in 1-octanol were investigated, respectively. The influences of the initial concentrations of TBP, D2EHPA and TBP + D2EHPA on distribution ratio(D) were discussed, as well as the reactive extraction mechanism were proposed. The obvious intensification effect was observed when the mixture of TBP and D2EHPA was used as extractant. The best extraction conditions were found to be of the molar ratio of D2EHPA and TBP at 2:1 and the equilibrium aqueous pH at 3.50-4.50. D values increased with the increase of the total concentration of TBP and D2EHPA in 1-octanol. Especially, the analysis on the extraction mechanisms clearly indicate(i) TBP in 1-octanol shows negligible reactive extraction toward 4-HP,(ii) D2EHPA in 1-octanol exhibits moderate extraction effect by forming 4-HP:D2EHPA(1:1) and 4-HP:2D2EHPA(1:2) type complexes, while(iii) D2EHPA in TBP/1-octanol demonstrates the maximum distribution ratio with the 4-HP:D2EHPA(1:1) type complex domination. The discussion provides new insights on the mechanism and opens a new way for the intensified extraction of amphoteric organic compounds by using the mixture of multiple extractants in the diluent.

Adenosine cyclic phosphate with ultrasonic-assisted pectinase extraction alleviated allergic reactions in RBL-2H3 through inhibiting the influx of intracellular Ca^(2+)

Jujube contains abundant cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP)and the ultrasonic-assisted pectinase extraction(UAPE)conditions for obtaining the maximum cAMP yield from jujube were optimized.Orthogonal array design was applied to evaluate the effects of 4 variables by UAPE on cAMP yield.The results showed that the optimal cAMP yield(783.0μg/g)was derived at ratio of liquid to solid 5 mL/g,ratio of pectinase to raw material 1.5%,time 60 min and temperature 40℃.Moreover,the effect of cAMP on the anti-allergic function of action induced by immunoglobulin E(IgE)and its meschanism was investigated through establishing the sensitized cell model in rat basophilic leukemia(RBL-2 H3)cells using dinitrophenylated(DNP)-bovine serum albumin(BSA)-IgE.The results showed that cAMP interfered with sensitized cells,effectively inhibited the occurrence of basophil degranulation in dose dependence,and significantly reduced the activity ofβ-hexosamindase(β-hex),at the optimal concentration of 50μg/mL.The level of anti-inflammatory factor interleukin-10(IL-10)was promoted and the content of pro-inflammatory factor tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)was suppressed by cAMP.In addition,influx of intracellular Ca^(2+) was repressed effectively.Our results demonstrate that jujube cAMP regulated the cytokine balance in the allergy pathway through blocking the influx of extracellular Ca^(2+),with the prevention of allergy symptoms.

Mori fructus aqueous extracts attenuates liver injury by inhibiting ferroptosis via the Nrf2 pathway

Background Liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinogenesis secondary to liver fibrosis are serious liver diseases with no effective treatments.Mori fructus aqueous extracts(MFAEs)have served as successful treatments for many types of liver injury including fibrosis although the molecular mechanisms are unknown at present.Purpose To investigate the effect of MFAEs in alleviating acute and chronic liver injury and tried to decipher the underlying mechanism.Methods and results Mice were divided into 5 groups(n ps:contro=8)for acute(groups:control,0.3%CCl_(4),bifendate(BD),100 and 200 mg/kg MFAEs,7 d)and chronic(groul,10%CCl_(4),BD,100 and 200 mg/kg MFAEs,4 weeks)liver injury study.Each mouse was injected intraperitoneally with 10μL/g corn oil containing CCl_(4)expect the control group.HepG2 cells were used in vitro study.Eighteen communal components were identified by UPLC-LTQOrbitrap-MS.We utilized a mouse model for acute and chronic liver injury using CCl_(4)and MFAEs administration effectively blocked fibrosis and significantly inhibited inflammation in the liver.MFAEs activated the nuclear factor erythroid derived 2 like 2/heme oxygenase 1(Nrf2/HO-1)pathway and promoted the synthesis of the antioxidants glutathione(GSH),superoxidedismutase(SOD)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)that resulted in reduced levels of CCl_(4)-induced oxidative stress molecules including reactive oxygen species.These extracts administered to mice also inhibited ferroptosis in the liver by regulating the expression of Acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4(ACSL4),solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11)and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),thus reducing the occurrence of liver fibrosis.Both in vivo and in vitro tests indicated that the mechanism of MFAEs protection against liver fibrosis was linked to activation of Nrf2 signaling.These effects were blocked in vitro by the addition of a specific Nrf2 inhibitor.Conclusion MFAEs inhibited oxidative stress,ferroptosis and inflammation of the liver by activating Nrf2 signal pathway and provided a significant protective effect against CCl_(4)-induced liver fibrosis.

Fecal metabolomics reveals the positive effect of ethanol extract of propolis on T2DM mice

A large number of studies have shown that propolis has positive effects in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).However,there are have only been a few reports that are based on an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)analysis of the fecal metabolomics of ethanol extract of propolis(EEP)in the treatment of T2DM.The present investigation was designed to screen potential biomarkers of T2DM by the metabonomic method and to explain the possible anti-diabetes mechanism of EEP according to the changes in the biomarkers.The results showed that EEP improved the body weight(BW)of T2DM mice,lowered blood sugar levels,and significantly restored blood biochemical indicators related to T2DM,such as fasting insulin(FINS),homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR),aspartate transaminase(AST),and alanine aminotransferase(ALT).Liver pathology showed that EEP reversed liver damage caused by T2DM.Metabolomics data identified 27 potential biomarkers in fecal samples.EEP effectively regulated the dysfunction in the metabolic pathways of glycerophospholipids,sphingolipids,riboflavins,and sterol lipids caused by T2DM.In summary,our research results revealed positive effects of EEP in the treatment of T2DM and provided potential candidate markers for further research and in the clinical treatment of T2DM.

具有自萃取功能的相变CO_(2)吸收剂体系开发

二氧化碳(CO_(2))捕集工程应用的吸收剂存在再生能耗高、传质速率低、运行损耗大等问题,严重制约了CO_(2)捕集技术的大规模推广应用。为解决这些问题,该文开发适用于低分压CO_(2)捕集的相变吸收剂。该相变吸收体系以亲水性胺N-氨乙基哌嗪(N-aminoethyl piperazine,AEP)为主吸收体系,添加亲脂性分相剂二正丁胺(Di-n-butylamine,DPA)和活化剂(activator,ACT)。通过核磁共振波谱(nuclear magnetic resonance,NMR)和捕集CO_(2)连续测试实验研究该相变吸收剂的性能。实验结果表明,吸收负载达1.082 mol CO_(2)/mol溶液,再生温度降至98.5℃,具有优异的吸收性能和解吸性能。NMR分析表明,反应产物具有氨基甲酸盐分子结构,捕集CO_(2)连续测试实验研究与同浓度3 mol/L一乙醇胺(Monoethanolamine,MEA)溶液进行对比分析可知,相同再生能耗下,单位体积同浓度相变体系相比MEA吸收容量提高33%以上;相同再生能耗下相变体系的再生率比MEA提高15%,相同再生率下相变体系的再生能耗比MEA降低31%以上。结果表明,该相变吸收剂对于低分压CO_(2)捕集具有良好的应用前景。

Synergistic extraction of rare earth by mixtures of 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid from sulfuric acid medium

The extraction of Nd^3＋ and Sm^3＋, including the extraction and stripping capability as well as the separation effect of Nd^3＋ or Sm^3＋, from a sulfuric acid medium, by mixtures of di-（2-ethylhexyl） phosphoric acid （HDEHP, H2A2（0）） and 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester （HEH/EHP, H2L2（0）） were studied. The distribution ratios and synergistic coefficients of Nd^3＋ and Sm^3＋ in different acidities were also determined. A synergistic extractive effect was found when HDEHP and HEH/EHP were used as mixed extractants for Sm^3＋ or Nd^3＋. The chemical compositions of the extracted complex were determined as Nd.（HA2）2-HL2 and Sm.（HA2）2-HL2. The extraction equilibrium constants, enthalpy change, and entropy change of the extraction reaction were also determined.

The Effect of Simvastatin on mRNA Expression of Transforming Growth Factor-β1,Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Tooth Extraction Socket

Aim To determine the effect of local simvastatin application on the mRNA expression level of transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）, bone morphogenetic protein-2 （BMP-2） and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） in the tooth sockets of rat. Methodology Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into experimental and control groups （n=24）. Polylactic acid/polyglycolic acid copolymer carriers, with or without simvastatin, were implanted into extraction sockets of right mandibular incisors. The expression of TGF-β1, BMP-2 and VEGF mRNA was determined by in situ hybridization in the tooth extraction socket at five days, one week, two weeks and four weeks after implantation. Results The fusiform stroma cells in the tooth extraction socket began to express TGF-β1, BMP-2 and VEGF mRNA in both experimental and control groups from one week after tooth extraction until the end of experiment. The expression of TGF-131 and BMP-2 mRNA in the experimental group was significantly up-regulated after one, two and four weeks, and expression of VEGF mRNA was significantly increased after one and two weeks compared with that in the control group. Conclusion The findings indicate that local administration of simvastatin can influence alveolar bone remodeling by regulating the expression of a school of growth factors which are crucial to osteogenesis in the tooth extraction socket.

Separation of nickel, cobalt and copper by solvent extraction with P204

Nickel, cobalt and copper were separated by solvent extraction with P204. The experimental results show that [Co(NH 3) 6] 3+ is an inert complex in extraction kinetics, therefore cobalt can be separated from nickel and copper by non equilibrium solvent extraction. Under the conditions of temperature 25?℃, contact time of two phases 10?min, phase ratio 1∶1, aqueous pH 10.10 and concentration of P204 20%, [Co(NH 3) 6] 3+ is hardly extracted by P204, while the percentage extractions of nickel and copper are 79.3% and 93.9% respectively. Nickel and copper are separated by equilibrium solvent extraction with P204. Under the conditions of temperature 25?℃, contact time of two phases 1?min, phase ratio 1∶1, equilibrium pH 4.01 and concentration of P204 20%, the separation factor of copper and nickel is 216.

响应面法和人工神经网络对亚临界CO_(2)萃取红花籽油的建模与优化

本文旨在寻找有效建模方法以预测亚临界CO_(2)萃取红花籽油的萃取率,优化其萃取工艺条件。以单因素实验为基础,采用Box-Behnken试验设计,研究了萃取压力、分离温度、萃取时间对红花籽油萃取率的影响,并采用响应面法(RSM)和人工神经网络(ANN)两种方法分别对同一实验进行建模分析,通过RSM数值优化、人工神经网络和遗传算法结合(ANN-GA)两种方法优化其工艺条件。结果表明,RSM与ANN两种模型均能较为精准预测,但通过两种模型的决定系数(R^(2))、平均绝对误差(MAE)、平均绝对百分比误差(MAPE)、均方根误差(RMSE)值比较,得出ANN模型(R^(2)=0.9966)的预测效果较优于RSM模型(R^(2)=0.9950)。ANN-GA确定的最佳萃取条件及萃取率分别为:萃取压力19.04 MPa、分离温度55.50℃、萃取时间134.98 min、萃取率23.52%。综上,RSM和ANN两种方法均可用于亚临界CO_(2)萃取带壳红花籽油的建模与优化,但ANN的预测准确度及拟合能力更为优秀。

Comparison of Constituents and Insecticidal Activities of Essential Oil from Artemisia lavandulaefolia by Steam Distillation and Supercritical-CO_2 Fluid Extraction

Essential oil was extracted from Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC.by steam distillation（SD） and supercritical-CO2 fluid extraction（SFE）,respectively.The constituents of the essentil oils extracted with those two methods were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS） and insecticidal activities of the essential oils were evaluated,then the results were compared to assess their biological activity.Thirty-one compounds were identified in the essential oil extracted by SD,and its main components were eucalyptol,α,α,4-trimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-methanol and so on.Twenty-two compounds were identified for the essential oil extracted by SFE,and its main components were cyclodecene,n-hexadecanoic acid and so on.Six chemical compositions were all contained in the essential oils extracted by the two methods,i.e.,eucalyptol,α,α,4-trimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-methanol,caryophyllene,[3aS-（3aα,3bβ,4β,7α,7aS）]-octahydro-7-methyl-3-methylene-4-（1-methylethyl）-1H-cyclopenta[1,3]cyclopropa-[1,2]benzene,nerolidol and（-）-Spathulenol.The fumigation toxicity of the essential oil obtained by means of SD to the adults of Sitophilus zeamais is significantly higher than that of the essential oil by means of SFE.The contact toxicity of the essential oil obtained by means of SFE to the adults of S.zeamais is higher than that of the essential oil obtained by means of SD,but the difference is not significant.

Liquid-liquid Extraction System Based on Non-ionic Surfactant-salt-H_2O and Mechanism of Drug Extraction

Extraction behavior of chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ) and procaine hydro- chloride (PCN) in the system described in the title was studied. Research shows that the extraction efficiency of CPZ can amount to 96% by twice extraction, while that of PCN is 77%. This system produces the distribution coefficients (KD) of 12.3 and 2.6 respectively for CPZ and PCN. Extraction mechanism is deduced according to ultraviolet and molecular fluorescence spectra variation of the drugs in the system studied.

Solvent extraction equilibrium of dysprosium(Ⅲ) from nitric acid solutions with 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester

In view of the importance of solvent extraction of rare earth metals with the acidic organophosphorous reagent,the development of a chemically based model applicable to high concentration is desired.In the present study,the equilibrium distribution of dysprosium(Ⅲ)between an aqueous nitric acid solution and 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC88A)was measured in the range of an initial aqueous dysprosium(Ⅲ)concentration from 1.0×10-3to 1.0×10-1kmol/m 3and PC88A concentration from 0.16 to 0.65 kmol/m3in Shellsol D70 as the diluent.The obtained data were analyzed using the chemically based model in order to correlate the equilibrium distribution ratios.In this model,dysprosium(Ⅲ)was assumed to be extracted with the PC88A dimer as a 1:3 complex,the activities were considered for the aqueous species,and the effective concentration of the PC88A dimer was calculated using Alstad's empirical equation.As a result,the apparent extraction equilibrium constant was determined to be 253(kmol·m- 3)-2with an excellent correlation between the experiment and calculation results in the wide range of the logarithm of the distribution ratio from-2 to 3.5.In conclusion,the methodology in this model would be effective for quantitative description of solvent extraction behavior of general rare earth elements as well as dysprosium.

ICESat-2水深提取方法及其反演应用

相比于传统水深测量方法,结合主动激光卫星ICESat-2数据与被动光学遥感影像的主被动融合水深反演方法具有低成本、覆盖面积广、不受地域限制、无需地面实测数据等优点.研究选取澳大利亚大堡礁中部的John Brewer Reef和南部的Fitzroy Reef为实验区,开展主被动融合水深反演实验.针对ICESat-2光子点群信噪比低、光子点水深信息提取和改正难的问题,本文提出基于光子点群高斯分布特征的海面光子点群提取方法和基于深度自适应DBSCAN的海底光子点群提取方法,并顾及海面倾斜引起的入射角偏移,改进了Parrish水体折射改正几何模型.实验表明,基于光子点群高斯分布特征的海面光子点群提取方法和基于深度自适应DBSCAN的海底光子点群提取方法可以高效准确地提取出有效的海面、海底光子点群;经过地球物理改正和基于改进模型的水体折射改正后,水深变浅,且改正项与改正前水深呈线性关系,线性系数约为-0.2550.实验将提取并改正后的ICESat-2光子点水深与经大气校正、耀斑校正、空间域滤波等预处理后的Sentinel-2影像进行空间匹配构建水深反演样本集,并利用单波段模型(SB)、比值模型(BR)、Lyzenga多项式模型(LP)、二次多项式模型(QP)、三次多项式模型(CP)、支持向量回归模型(SVR)、多层感知器模型(MLP)、随机森林回归模型(RF)等水深反演模型对实验区全域水深进行反演.通过对比分析多种水深反演模型在不同地理区域和ICESat-2水深样本分布条件下的表现,研究为不同场景下的主被动融合水深反演策略提供了一定的科学依据.

Extraction of palladium(Ⅱ) from hydrochloride solutions with 2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one as novel extractant

Solvent extraction of palladium （Ⅱ） from hydrochloric acid solution with 2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one （OIT）/cyclohexane was studied. Effects of different parameters on extraction efficiency were evaluated. 99.96 % and 98.26 % palladium （Ⅱ） could be effectively extracted with 0.018 mol·L^-1 OIT/cyclohexane of 0.1 and 4.0 mol·L^-1 HCl medium, respectively. Nonpolar solvent and low acidity could improve the extracting efficiency, and successfully strip palladium （Ⅱ） from the loaded organic phase was achieved with 0.5 mol·L^-1 （NH2）2CS solution. It was proposed that the extraction of Pd com-plexes from HCl medium proceeded through the ion-association mechanism by slope method, NMR and FF-IR spectra.

Synthesis of amorphous manganese borohydride in the(NaBH_4–MnCl_2) system, its hydrogen generation properties and crystalline transformation during solvent extraction

The mixture of(2NaBH4+ MnCl2) was ball milled in a magneto-mill. No gas release was detected. The XRD patterns of the ball milled mixture exhibit only the Bragg diffraction peaks of the Na Cl-type salt which on the basis of the present X-ray diffraction results and the literature is likely to be a solid solution Na(Cl)x(BH4)(1-x), possessing a cubic Na Cl-type crystalline structure. No presence of any crystalline hydride was detected by powder X-ray diffraction which clearly shows that NaBH4in the initial mixture must have reacted with MnCl2forming a Na Cl-type by-product and another hydride that does not exhibit X-ray Bragg diffraction peaks. Mass spectrometry(MS) of gas released from the ball milled mixture during combined MS/thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)/differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) experiments, confirms mainly hydrogen(H2) with a small quantity of diborane gas, B2H6. The Fourier transform infra-red(FT-IR) spectrum of the ball milled(2NaBH4+ MnCl2) is quite similar to the FT-IR spectrum of crystalline manganese borohydride, c-Mn(BH4)2, synthesized by ball milling, which strongly suggests that the amorphous hydride mechano-chemically synthesized during ball milling could be an amorphous manganese borohydride. Remarkably, the process of solvent filtration and extraction at 42 °C, resulted in the transformation of mechano-chemically synthesized amorphous manganese borohydride to a nanostructured,crystalline, c-Mn(BH4)2hydride.

Synergistic extraction of praseodymium with 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester and 8-Hydroxyquinoline

The synergistic extraction of Pr^3＋ from hydrochloric medium using mixture of 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono- 2-ethylhexyl ester （P507, HL） and 8-Hydroxyquinoline （HQ） in heptane was investigated. The effect of equilibrium of aqueous acidity on extraction of Pr^3＋ was discussed. The effect of extractant concentraction, different diluents, equilibrium time and acetate ion concentration oil extraction reaction were also studied. With a method of double-logarithmic slope, composition of the extracted species on 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester and 8-Hydroxyquinoline was derived. The result shows that the synergistic extraction system not only overcomes emulsification of 8-Hydroxyquinoline, but also shows perfect capacity of synergistic extraction. The largest synergistic enhancement factor can be calculated to be 5.49 at pH 3.6 for Pr^3＋.

Reactive extraction for intensifying 2-ethylhexyl acrylate synthesis using deep eutectic solvent [Im:2PTSA]

2-Ethylhexyl acrylate(2-EHA)is one of the most widely used acrylates in the polymer industry,which is synthesized via Fisher esterification that is limited by chemical equilibrium.To intensify the esterification process,in this work,reactive extraction concept is proposed,with halogen-free deep eutectic solvent(DES[Im:2PTSA])as dual solvent-catalyst that consists of imidazole(Im)and p-toluenesulfonamide(PTSA).The bifunctional effects of the DES[Im:2PTSA]are evaluated by thermodynamic analysis and experimental study.Favorable phase splitting is verified byσ-potential analysis predicted by COSMO-RS theory,combined with experiments,and the optimal acid-to-alcohol molar ratio is set to 1.2.The esterification kinetics is then experimentally determined and fitted using the molar-based and activity-based pseudo-homogeneous(PH)models,respectively.The activity-based PH model,that considers the bifunctional roles of the DES,proves to be more accurate with small RMSD of 0.0344.The stability of DES after recycling is validated to further confirm the industrial prospects of DES[Im:2PTSA]in 2-EHA production.

Water Extract of Rice False Smut Balls Activates Nrf2/HO-1 and Apoptosis Pathways,Causing Liver Injury

Ustiloxins are vital cyclopeptide mycotoxins originally isolated from rice false smut balls that form in rice spikelets infected by the fungal pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens.The toxicity of the water extract of rice false smut balls(RBWE) remains to be investigated.Studies have shown that RBWE may be toxic to animals,but toxicological evidence is still lacking.In this study,we found that the IC50 values of RBWE to BNL CL.2 cells at 24 and 48 h were 40.02 and 30.11 μg/m L,respectively,with positive correlations with dose toxicity and time toxicity.After treatment with RBWE,the number of BNL CL.2 cells decreased significantly,and the morphology of BNL CL.2 cells showed atrophy and wall detachment.RBWE induced DNA presynthesis phase arrest of BNL CL.2 cells,increased the proportion of apoptotic cells and inhibited cell proliferation.RBWE up-regulated reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels and lowered mitochondrial membrane potentials.Additionally,Western blot and q RT-PCR results suggested that RBWE exerted the above effects by promoting the Nrf2/HO-1 and caspase-induced apoptosis pathways in vitro and in vivo.The contents of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,alkaline phosphatase,and total bile acids in the serum of mice from Institute of Cancer were significantly up-regulated by RBWE.At the same time,RBWE can lead to increases in ROS and malondialdehyde contents,decreases in contents of oxidized glutathione,glutathione and reduced glutathione,as well as decrease in catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in mouse liver tissues,demonstrating that oxidative stress occurred in mice.Moreover,liver damage was further detected by haematoxylin-eosin staining and electron microscopy to verify the damage to the mice caused by RBWE.In general,RBWE may cause hepatotoxicity in vivo and in vitro via the apoptosis pathway,which provides a reference for hepatotoxicity and its mechanism of action.