Effects of the potassium application rate on lipid synthesis and eating quality of two rice cultivars

Lipid content has an important effect on rice eating quality,but the effects of fertilizer application rate on the lipid synthesis and eating quality of rice are not well understood.Potassium(K)has a strong influence on rice quality and the requirement for K fertilizer in rice is greater than for nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)fertilizers.To investigate the effects of K fertilizer on the lipid synthesis and eating quality of rice,we used Nanjing 9108(NJ9108,japonica)and IR72(indica)rice as experimental materials and four K levels:K0(0 kg ha^(-1)),K1(90 kg ha^(-1)),K2(135 kg ha^(-1))and K3(180 kg ha^(-1)).The results showed that the lipid content,free fatty acid(FFA)content,unsaturated fatty acid(UFA)content,malonyl-CoA(MCA)content,phosphatidic acid(PA)content,lipid synthesis-related enzyme activities and eating quality first increased and then decreased with increasing K in both cultivars.The maximum values were obtained under K2.However,the saturated fatty acid(SFA)content showed the opposite trend.No significant differences were found in pyruvate(PYR)content among the K treatments.The protein and oxaloacetic acid(OAA)contents and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase(PEPCase)activity of NJ9108 first decreased and then increased with increasing K,and the minimum values were obtained under K2;while IR72 showed the opposite trend and the maximum values were obtained under K1.Overall,increasing K optimized the fatty acid components and increased the lipid content and eating quality of rice by enhancing lipid synthesis-related enzyme activities and regulating substrate competition for lipid and protein synthesis.The optimal K application rate for lipid synthesis,eating quality and grain yield was 135 kg ha^(-1)for both cultivars.

Effect of salvianolic acid A and C compatibility on inflammatory cytokines in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of salvianolic acid A and C component molecules,which are involved in drug compatibility,on inflammatory cytokine expression that affects human chemokine ligand 5(CCL5) and chemokine ligand 10(CXCL10)levels in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO).METHODS:Fifty Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups:normal,model,salvianolic acid A,salvianolic acid C and salvianolic acid A and C groups.The normal group was used as the control,and the other groups of rats had a UUO model established.The control group had free access to food and water,and the other groups received the corresponding drugs for 2 weeks.After the last administration,urine β_2-microglobulin(β_2-MG) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase(NAG) levels were analyzed.After 24 h,all rats were sacrificed and the serum was analyzed for creatinine(Cr) and blood urea nitrogen(BUN) levels.Rat kidneys were removed,and CCL5 and CXCL10 inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression was measured using real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Kidney fibrosis was observed using hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Masson trichrome staining.RESULTS:In the salvianolic acid A and salvianolic acid C treatment groups,serum Cr and urine NAG levels were significantly lower than in the model group(both P < 0.05).In all treatment groups,urine pYMG levels were significantly lower than in the model group(all P < 0.05).Compared with model group,the pathological changes and collagen deposition improved to varying degrees(both P <0.05).CCL5 and CXCL10 mRNA expression decreased to different degrees compared with the model group(both P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Salvianolic acid A and C are component molecules of drug compatibility,and they may protect renal function and improve tubular function and renal pathology to a certain degree in UUO.This improvement may be related to a reduction in inflammatory cytokines CCL5 and CXCL10 secretion in the UUO rat kidney.