Antioxidant and Hypoglycemic Ability of Ardisia gigantifolia Stapf Parts

[Objectives]To study the antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects of different parts of Ardisia gigantifolia Stapf.[Methods]The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity,DPPH radical scavenging activity and total antioxidant capacity of ABTS of 75%ethanol extract of A.gigantifolia Stapf and the petroleum ether,ethyl acetate,n-butanol,chloroform and aqueous extract were measured with Vc as positive control.At the same time,acarbose was used as reference substance to determine the inhibitory effect of each polar site onα-glucosidase.[Results]All parts of A.gigantifolia Stapf had antioxidant activity,among which ethyl acetate had the strongest antioxidant activity,and the scavenging rate of hydroxyl radical and DPPH radical was higher than that of positive control.The results showed that petroleum ether,ethyl acetate and chloroform had a good inhibitory effect onα-glucosidase(better than acarbose).[Conclusions]The ethyl acetate part of A.gigantifolia Stapf had the best antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect onα-glucosidase.It provides a basis for further research and development of A.gigantifolia Stapf.

The use of bacterial cellulose from kombucha to produce curcumin loaded Pickering emulsion with improved stability and antioxidant properties

Curcumin is a bioactive molecule with limited industrial application because of its instability and poor solubility in water.Herein,curcumin-loaded Pickering emulsion was produced using purified bacterial cellulose from fermented kombucha(KBC).The morphology,particle size,stability,rheological properties,and antioxidant activities of the curcumin-loaded Pickering emulsion were investigated.The fluorescence microscope and scanning electron microscopy images showed that the curcumin-loaded Pickering emulsion formed circular droplets with good encapsulation.The curcumin-load Pickering emulsion exhibited better stability under a wide range of temperatures,low p H,sunlight,and UV-365 nm than the free curcumin,indicating that the KBC after high-pressure homogenization improved the stability of the CPE.The encapsulated curcumin retained its antioxidant capacity and exhibited higher functional potential than the free curcumin.The study demonstrated that the KBC could be an excellent material for preparing a Pickering emulsion to improve curcumin stability and antioxidant activity.

Antarctic krill antioxidant peptides show inferior IgE-binding ability and RBL-2H3 cell degranulation

Enzymatic hydrolysis,isolation,and purification might make a great deal of difference in antioxidant activity and antigenicity of peptide components.This study aimed to isolate and purify antioxidant peptide components from Antarctic krill and evaluate their allergenicity of them.Electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR)spectroscopy results indicated 3-10 kDa Antarctic krill hydrolysates(AKHs)had higher DPPH and·OH radical scavenging rates.And the second component(N2-2)purified 3-10 kDa hydrolysate showed better ability to scavenge DPPH and·OH radicals(P<0.05),which were(47.43±2.18)%and(34.33±1.25)%,respectively.Additionally,indirect-ELISA results revealed that N2-1 had a weaker ability to bind specific IgE and that N2-2 had a lower binding capability to specific IgG1(P<0.05).And N2-2 had a higher EC50 value of(5.29±0.95)ng/mL(P<0.05)in cell degranulation assay,which was about 13.80 times that of Antarctic krill.Therefore,N2-2 might be the potential source of the antioxidant peptides with lower allergenicity.

All-Polymer Solar Cells and Photodetectors with Improved Stability Enabled by Terpolymers Containing Antioxidant Side Chains

It is of vital importance to improve the long-term and photostability of organic photovoltaics,including organic solar cells(OSCs)and organic photodetectors(OPDs),for their ultimate industrialization.Herein,two series of terpolymers featuring with an antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene(BHT)-terminated side chain,PTzBI-EHp-BTBHTx and N2200-BTBHTx(x=0.05,0.1,0.2),are designed and synthesized.It was found that incorporating appropriate ratio of benzothiadiazole(BT)with BHT side chains on the conjugated backbone would induce negligible effect on the molecular weight,absorption spectra and energy levels of polymers,however,which would obviously enhance the photostability of these polymers.Consequently,all-polymer solar cells(all-PSCs)and photodetectors were fabricated,and the all-PSC based on PTzBI-EHp-BTBHT0.05:N2200 realized an optimal power conversion efficiency(PCE)approaching~10%,outperforming the device based on pristine PTzBI-EHp:N2200.Impressively,the all-PSCs based on BHT-featuring terpolymers displayed alleviated PCEs degradation under continuous irradiation for 300 h due to the improved morphological and photostability of active layers.The OPDs based on BHT-featuring terpolymers achieved a lower dark current at−0.1 bias,which could be stabilized even after irradiation over 400 h.This study provides a feasible approach to develop terpolymers with antioxidant efficacy for improving the lifetime of OSCs and OPDs.

A comparison study on structure-function relationship of polysaccharides obtained from sea buckthorn berries using different methods:antioxidant and bile acid-binding capacity

In this study,the structural characters,antioxidant activities and bile acid-binding ability of sea buckthorn polysaccharides(HRPs)obtained by the commonly used hot water(HRP-W),pressurized hot water(HRP-H),ultrasonic(HRP-U),acid(HRP-C)and alkali(HRP-A)assisted extraction methods were investigated.The results demonstrated that extraction methods had significant effects on extraction yield,monosaccharide composition,molecular weight,particle size,triple-helical structure,and surface morphology of HRPs except for the major linkage bands.Thermogravimetric analysis showed that HRP-U with filamentous reticular microstructure exhibited better thermal stability.The HRP-A with the lowest molecular weight and highest arabinose content possessed the best antioxidant activities.Moreover,the rheological analysis indicated that HRPs with higher galacturonic acid content and molecular weight showed higher viscosity and stronger crosslinking network(HRP-C,HRP-W and HRP-U),which exhibited stronger bile acid binding capacity.The present findings provide scientific evidence in the preparation technology of sea buckthorn polysaccharides with good antioxidant and bile acid binding capacity which are related to the structure affected by the extraction methods.

Whole-process case management effects on mental state and selfcare ability in patients with liver cancer

BACKGROUND Regarding the incidence of malignant tumors in China,the incidence of liver cancer ranks fourth,second only to lung,gastric,and esophageal cancers.The case fatality rate ranks third after lung and cervical cancer.In a previous study,the whole-process management model was applied to patients with breast cancer,which effectively reduced their negative emotions and improved treatment adherence and nursing satisfaction.METHODS In this single-center,randomized,controlled study,60 randomly selected patients with liver cancer who had been admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 were randomly divided into an observation group(n=30),who received whole-process case management on the basis of routine nursing mea-sures,and a control group(n=30),who were given routine nursing measures.We compared differences between the two groups in terms of anxiety,depression,the level of hope,self-care ability,symptom distress,sleep quality,and quality of life.RESULTS Post-intervention,Hamilton anxiety scale,Hamilton depression scale,memory symptom assessment scale,and Pittsburgh sleep quality index scores in both groups were lower than those pre-intervention,and the observation group had lower scores than the control group(P<0.05).Herth hope index,self-care ability assessment scale-revision in Chinese,and quality of life measurement scale for patients with liver cancer scores in both groups were higher than those pre-intervention,with higher scores in the observation group compared with the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Whole-process case management can effectively reduce anxiety and depression in patients with liver cancer,alleviate symptoms and problems,and improve the level of hope,self-care ability,sleep quality,and quality of life,as well as provide feasible nursing alternatives for patients with liver cancer.

Highly efficient organic solar cells with improved stability enabled by ternary copolymers with antioxidant side chains

The stability of organic solar cells(OSCs)remains a major concern for their ultimate industrialization due to the photo,oxygen,and water susceptibility of organic photoactive materials.Usually,antioxidant additives are blended as radical scavengers into the active layer.However,it will induce the intrinsic morphology instability and adversely affect the efficiency and long-term stability.Herein,the antioxidant dibutylhydroxytoluene(BHT)group has been covalently linked onto the side chain of benzothiadiazole(BT)unit,and a series of ternary copolymers D18-Cl-BTBHTx(x=0,0.05,0.1,0.2)with varied ratio of BHT-containing side chains have been synthesized.It was found that the introduction of BHT side chains would have a negligible effect on the photophysical properties and electronic levels,and the D18-Cl-BTBHT0.05:Y6-based OSC achieved the highest power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 17.6%,which is higher than those based active layer blended with BHT additives.More importantly,the unencapsulated device based on D18-Cl-BTBHTx(x=0.05,0.1,0.2)retained approximately 50%of the initial PCE over 30 hours operation under ambient conditions,significantly outperforming the control device based on D18-Cl(90%degradation in PCE after 30 h).This work provides a new structural design strategy of copolymers for OSCs with simultaneously improved efficiency and stability.

Implications of vitamin D for flesh quality of grass carp(Ctenopharyngodon idella):antioxidant ability,nutritional value,sensory quality,and myofiber characteristics

Background Muscle represents a unique and complex system with many components and comprises the major edible part of animals.Vitamin D is a critical nutrient for animals and is known to enhance calcium absorption and immune response.In recent years,dietary vitamin D supplementation in livestock has received increased attention due to biological responses including improving shear force in mammalian meat.However,the vitamin D acquisition and myofiber development processes in fish differ from those in mammals,and the effect of vitamin D on fish flesh quality is poorly understood.Here,the influence of dietary vitamin D on fillet quality,antioxidant ability,and myofiber development was examined in grass carp(Ctenopharyngodon idella).Methods A total of 540 healthy grass carp,with an initial average body weight of 257.24±0.63 g,were allotted in 6 experimental groups with 3 replicates each,and respectively fed corresponding diets with 15.2,364.3,782.5,1,167.9,1,573.8,and 1,980.1 IU/kg vitamin D for 70 d.Results Supplementation with 1,167.9 IU/kg vitamin D significantly improved nutritional value and sensory quality of fillets,enhancing crude protein,free amino acid,lipid,and collagen contents;maintaining an ideal pH;and reduc-ing lactate content,shear force,and cooking loss relative to respective values in the control(15.2 IU/kg)group.Average myofiber diameter and the frequency of myofibers>50μm in diameter increased under supplementation with 782.5–1,167.9 IU/kg vitamin D.Levels of oxidative damage biomarkers decreased,and the expression of antioxi-dant enzymes and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling molecules was upregulated in the 1,167.9 IU/kg vitamin D treatment compared to respective values in the control group.Furthermore,vitamin D supplementation activated cell differentiation by enhancing the expression of myogenic regulatory factors and myocyte enhancer factors compared to that in the control group.In addition,supplementation with 1,167.9 IU/kg vitamin D improved protein deposition associated with protein synthesis molecule(target of rapamycin)signaling and vitamin D receptor paralogs,along with inhibition of protein degradation(forkhead box protein 1)signaling.Conclusions Overall,the results demonstrated that vitamin D strengthened antioxidant ability and myofiber devel-opment,thereby enhancing nutritional value and sensory quality of fish flesh.These findings suggest that dietary vitamin D supplementation is conducive to the production of nutrient-rich,high quality aquaculture products.

Molecular Mechanism and Molecular Design of Lubricating Oil Antioxidants

To overcome the limitations of traditional experimental“trial and error”methods in lubricant additive design,a new molecular design method based on molecular structure parameters is established here.The molecular mechanism of the antioxidant reaction of hindered phenol,diphenylamine,and alkyl sulfide are studied via molecular simulations.Calculation results show that the strong electron-donating ability and high hydrogen-donating activity of the antioxidant molecule and the low hydrogen-abstracting activity of free radicals formed after dehydrogenation are the internal molecular causes of the shielding of phenol and diphenylamine from scavenging peroxy free radicals,and the strong electron-donating ability is the internal molecular cause of the high activity of thioether in decomposing alkyl hydrogen peroxide.Based on this antioxidant molecular mechanism,a molecular design rule of antioxidant is proposed,namely“high EHOMO,large Q(S),low bond dissociation energy BDE(O—H)and BDE(N—H)”.Two new antioxidants,PAS-I and PAS-II,are designed and prepared by chemical bonding of hindered phenol,diphenylamine,and sulfur atoms.Experimental results show that these antioxidants both have excellent antioxidant effects in lubricating oil,and that PAS-II is the superior antioxidant,consistent with theoretical predictions.

Dehydrated Natural Feed for Cats: Influence on Apparent Digestibility Coefficient, Feces Scores, and Serum Immune, Antioxidant, and Metabolic Biomarkers

The present study aimed to determine whether natural dehydrated feed (DNF) can replace dry extruded feed while preserving the required daily intake, nutrient digestibility and benefits for immunity and antioxidant response in cats. The animals were divided into two groups of seven animals each. One group received DNF, and the other consumed commercial extruded dry feed (DCF). The experiment lasted 45 days and we measured daily consumption and collected blood and feces samples. The animals in the DNF group showed greater digestibility of fiber and mineral matter than DCF. Cats in the DNF group had a higher volume of feces. DNF cats had lower leukocyte and granulocyte counts and cholesterol levels. Serum enzymatic antioxidant responses and non-enzymatic were higher in DNF cats. Cats in the DNF group showed lower serum acute phase proteins in addition to a tendency toward a higher concentration of transferrin than in the DCF group. Fecal Escherichia coli and total coliform counts of cats fed DNF were higher than DCF. We conclude that the daily consumption of cats is adequate. This feed had greater digestibility of fiber and mineral matter, in addition to an improvement in antioxidant and immunological responses.

Betalains protect various body organs through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways

Betalains are natural coloring pigments with betalamic acid as the core structure of all subclasses.Besides their coloring properties,betalains exhibit various biological activities,including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,which are highly imperative.Further in-vivo studies reported that betalains protect various body organs,leading to health enhancement.Body organs,including the heart,liver,kidney,lung,etc.,are important for a healthy life.However,these organs can be affected or damaged by various stress factors,toxicants,and harmful substances.Recent studies have claimed that betalains could protect all vital organs of the body through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.This review article described the in-vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of betalains in various cell-line or animal models.A comprehensive discussion has been provided on the mechanism of action of betalains in protecting various body organs,including cardio-protective effect,hepato-protective ability,renal protection capacity,repro-protective ability,neuro-protective effect,lung protection,and gut protection ability.Finally,future research directions and conclusions have been outlined.

Processing Effects on Selected Antioxidant Activities and Metabolizing Enzyme Inhibition of M. Koneigii (Curry Leaves) Extracts

Curry leaves, scientifically termed Murraya koenigii, are renowned in South Asian cuisine for their flavor enhancement and potential health benefits, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of thermal processing methods on curry leaves by analysing Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC), antioxidant activity, and metabolizing enzyme inhibition. Fresh curry leaves were subjected to thermal treatments: Oven-dried at 60˚C and Air-dried at 25˚C for 2 weeks. Extracts were prepared using Ethanol and water solvents. Results indicated that Air-dried leaves exhibited significantly higher TPC (5132.65 mg GAE/100 g) and TFC (243.13 mg CE/100 g) compared to Fresh and Oven-dried leaves. Antioxidant assays show that oven-dried curry leaves at 60˚C displayed higher results in NORS, FRAP, and TEAC assays compared to Fresh and Air-dried leaves. Ethanol extracts showed better extraction of bioactive compounds than aqueous extracts. Moreover, Lipase inhibition activity was notably high, indicating potential health benefits. This study provides valuable insights into the effects of processing methods on curry leaf extracts, emphasizing the importance of solvent selection for optimal extraction of bioactive compounds.

Evaluation of the binding affinity and antioxidant activity of phlorizin to pepsin and trypsin

Phlorizin(PHL)is a natural compound with strong antioxidant properties mainly found in apples.In this paper,the interaction mechanism of PHL with pepsin and trypsin was comparatively evaluated by computer simulation,fluorescence spectra,circular dichroism(CD),and Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR)spectra at a molecular level.Fluorescence spectra showed that PHL quenches the pepsin/trypsin by static quenching.Thermodynamic parameters indicated that PHL binds to pepsin mainly through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces,and that of trypsin was electrostatic forces.The ground state complexes PHL and protease have a moderate affinity of 105 L/mol PHL binds more strongly to trypsin than to pepsin.CD and FT-IR spectra results showed that pepsin/trypsin decreased theβ-sheet content and slightly changed its secondary structure upon PHL.These experimental results are mutually verified with the predicted computer-aid simulation results.Upon PHL and trypsin binding,the antioxidant capacity of PHL was elevated.Nevertheless,the antioxidant capacity of PHL was decreased after binding to pepsin.This work elucidates the binding of PHL binding mechanisms to pepsin/trypsin and provides useful information for the digestion of PHL to improve the application of PHL in food processing.

Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemical Screening in Acacia rigidula Benth. Leaves

This study aimed to compare the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities of A. rigidula extracts. It also aimed to identify phenolic acids present in the extracts. The 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and ferric thiocyanate lipid peroxidation antioxidant assays were performed. High performance liquid chromatography was used to identify phenolic acids. There was no solvent effect on TPC nor on scavenging activities, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (p > 0.05) among solvent extracts. On the other hand, 1:1:3 water: acetone: methanol extract (10.22 mg GAE/g sample) had significantly higher reducing potential than 50% ethanol extract (EE) (9.259 mg GAE/g sample) (p < 0.05);but EE was not significantly different from 80% methanol extract (9.781 mg GAE/g sample) (p > 0.05). Phenolic fraction designated as fraction 4 had the highest antioxidant activity (p < 0.05) with 69.49% ABTS scavenging activity and FRAP reducing potential, 22.26 mg of GAE/g sample. DPPH scavenging activities of fractions 4 (55.59%) and 5 (55.64%) were significantly higher than the other fractions (p A. rigidula extracts contain gallic, caffeic, vanillic, p-coumaric, salicylic acids and vanillin.

Nutritional and Antioxidant Evaluation and Effect of Eggplant Consumption on Anthropometric and Hematologic Parameters in Wistar Rats

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the nutritional quality of green and purple eggplant, their antioxidant activity and their nutritional efficacy on Wistar rats. For nutritional quality, the parameters measured are dry matter, protein, lipid, ash, carbohydrate, iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and energy content. For antioxidant activity, the parameters measured are 50% DDPH free radical inhibition concentration and total polyphenol content. Nutritional efficacy was evaluated in rats fed the control diet and in rats fed the three treated diets containing eggplant meal obtained by replacing 5%, 10%, and 15% of the control diet. The parameters measured are the amount consumed, the weight of the animal and target organs, and hematologic parameters. The results of the nutritional analysis show the following values: 13.31% protein, 2.66% lipids, 0.84% calcium, 0.12% magnesium, 0.43% phosphorus for the Solanum aethiopicum L. species and 13.47% protein, 3.66% lipids, 0.36% calcium, 0.22% magnesium, 0.35% phosphorus for the Solanum melongena L. species. In terms of antioxidant activity, we obtained DDPH inhibition percentages of 40.28 mg/ml for Solanum aethiopicum L. and 12.42 mg/ml for Solanum melongena L., respectively. Finally, hematologic and anthropometric tests showed that for the different diets used, weight loss and an increase in hematologic parameters were observed in the rats tested. This study showed that eggplant has interesting nutritional characteristics and antioxidant activity, contributing to an increase in weight and anthropometric parameters.

Experimental Study on Wire Melting Control Ability of Twin-Body Plasma Arc

The twin-body plasma arc has the decoupling control ability of heat transfer and mass transfer,which is beneficial to shape and property control in wire arc additive manufacturing.In this paper,with the wire feeding speed as a characteristic quantity,the wire melting control ability of twin-body plasma arc was studied by adjusting the current separation ratio(under the condition of a constant total current),the wire current/main current and the position of the wire in the arc axial direction.The results showed that under the premise that the total current remains unchanged(100 A),as the current separation ratio increased,the middle and minimum melting amounts increased approximately synchronously under the effect of anode effect power,the first melting mass range remained constant;the maximum melting amount increased twice as fast as the middle melting amount under the effect of the wire feeding speed,and the second melting mass range was expanded.When the wire current increased,the anode effect power and the plasma arc power were both factors causing the increase in the wire melting amount;however,when the main current increased,the plasma arc power was the only factor causing the increase in the wire melting amount.The average wire melting increment caused by the anode effect power was approximately 2.7 times that caused by the plasma arc power.The minimum melting amount was not affected by the wire-torch distance under any current separation ratio tested.When the current separation ratio increased and reached a threshold,the middle melting amount remained constant with increasing wire-torch distance.When the current separation ratio continued to increase and reached the next threshold,the maximum melting amount remained constant with the increasing wire-torch distance.The effect of the wire-torch distance on the wire melting amount reduced with the increase in the current separation ratio.Through this study,the decoupling mechanism and ability of this innovative arc heat source is more clearly.

Effects of antioxidant‑rich Lactiplantibacillus plantarum inoculated alfalfa silage on rumen fermentation, antioxidant and immunity status, and mammary gland gene expression in dairy goats

Background Milk synthesis in lactating animals demands high energy metabolism,which results in an increased production of reactive oxygen metabolites(ROM)causing an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants thereby inducing oxidative stress(OS)on the animals.To mitigate OS and postpartum disorders in dairy goats and gain insight into the impact of dietary choices on redox status during lactation,a feeding trial was conducted using alfalfa silage inoculated with a high-antioxidant strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum.Methods Twenty-four Guanzhong dairy goats(38.1±1.20 kg)were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments:one containing silage inoculated with L.plantarum MTD/1(RSMTD-1),and the other containing silage inoculated with high antioxidant activity L.plantarum 24-7(ES24-7).Results ES24-7-inoculated silage exhibited better fermentation quality and antioxidant activity compared to RSMTD-1.The ES24-7 diet elevated the total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC),superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxi-dase(GSH-Px),and catalase(CAT)activities in milk,serum,and feces of lactating goats(with the exception of T-AOC in milk).Additionally,the diet containing ES24-7 inoculated silage enhanced casein yield,milk free fatty acid(FFA)content,and vitamin A level in the goats’milk.Furthermore,an increase of immunoglobulin(Ig)A,IgG,IgM,inter-leukin(IL)-4,and IL-10 concentrations were observed,coupled with a reduction in IL-1β,IL-2,IL-6,interferon(IFN)-γ,and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αconcentrations in the serum of lactating goats fed ES24-7.Higher concentrations of total volatile fatty acid(VFA),acetate,and propionate were observed in the rumen fluid of dairy goats fed ES24-7 inoculated silage.Moreover,the diet containing ES24-7 inoculated silage significantly upregulated the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2 like 2(NFE2L2),beta-carotene oxygenase 1(BCO1),SOD1,SOD2,SOD3,GPX2,CAT,glu-tathione-disulfide reductase(GSR),and heme oxygenase 1(HMOX1)genes in the mammary gland,while decreased the levels of NADPH oxidase 4(NOX4),TNF,and interferon gamma(IFNG).Conclusions These findings indicated that feeding L.plantarum 24-7 inoculated alfalfa silage not only improved rumen fermentation and milk quality in lactating dairy goats but also boosted their immunity and antioxidant status by modulating the expression of several genes related to antioxidant and inflammation in the mammary gland.

Application of Polygonum minus Extract in Enhancing Drought Tolerance in Maize by Regulating Osmotic and Antioxidant System

Drought stress is a major factor affecting plant growth and crop yield production.Plant extracts as natural biostimulants hold great potential to strengthen plants to overcome drought impacts.To explore the effect of Polygonum minus extract(PME)in enhancing drought tolerance in plants,a study was set up in a glasshouse environment using 10 different treatment combinations.PME foliar application were designed in CRD and effects were closely observed related to the growth,physiology,and antioxidant system changes in maize(Zea mays L.)under well-watered and drought conditions.The seaweed extract(SWE)was used as a comparison.Plants subjected to drought stress exhibited a significant reduction in fresh weight,dry weight,relative water content(RWC),and soluble sugar,but they stimulated the phenolic,flavonoid,proline,glutathione(GSH),malondialdehyde(MDA)and antioxidant enzyme(catalase,CAT;peroxidase,POD;superoxide dismutase,SOD)activities.Foliar application of PME improved fresh and dry weight(FW:33.1%~41.4%;DW:48.0%~43.1%),chlorophyll content(Chl b:87.9%~100.76%),soluble sugar(23.6%~49.3%),and soluble protein(48.6%~56.9%)as well as antioxidant enzyme activities(CAT and POD)compared to CK under drought conditions.while decreasing the level of MDA.Notably,the mitigating effect of PME application with high concentration was more effective than those of SWE.Our study reveals that PME could alleviate drought stress by regulating osmoprotectant content and antioxidant defense system and can be used as an economical and environmentally friendly biostimulants for promoting maize growth under drought stress.

The extraction of effective components and an antioxidant activity study of Tulipa edulis

Plant extracts from natural sources are an excellent choice for food additives and natural antioxidants.In this study,the active components of Tulipa edulis were extracted and analysed,and their antioxidant capacity was measured.Then,the crude extract mixture was separated and purified using a Sephadex LH-20 gel,and the antioxidant activity of the purified products was determined.Human umbilical vein endothelial human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)cells were treated with 35 mmol/L glucose to construct a model of oxidative stress.Then,the cells were treated with the active component to observe whether the products of T.edulis could have a good protective effect on HUVEC cells induced by glucose.Transcriptome analysis was also performed on HUVEC cells after same treatment to explore the possible mechanism of the component F2 protecting HUVEC cells from oxidative stress induced by high glucose.The results showed that component F2 obtained from T.edulis has strong antioxidant activity.Moreover,F2 can play a strong antioxidant protective role in HUVEC cells.Meanwhile,the gene expression of heme oxygenase 1(HO-1),γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase catalytic subunit(GCLC)and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1(NQO1)in HUVEC cells was up-regulated after treated with F2.This study provides reference value for the further development and application of T.edulis and the d evelopment of functional food.

Melatonin mitigates cold-induced damage to pepper seedlings by promoting redox homeostasis and regulating antioxidant profiling

This study assessed the influence of exogenous ME in the mitigation of cold damage in pepper seedlings. Melatonin(ME) is a dynamic molecule that helps plants cope with stress in several ways. Cold stress(CS) is one of the most important environmental factors that restrict plant growth and yield. Pepper(Capsicum annuum L.) is a valuable commercial crop, highly sensitive to CS. Thus, identifying an efficient strategy to mitigate cold damage is critical for long-term pepper production. For this purpose, the roots of pepper seedlings were pretreated with ME(5 μmol · L^(-1)) and exposed to CS for 7 d. The results indicated that CS suppressed pepper growth, hampered photosynthetic capacity, and damaged root architecture in pepper plants. In contrast, the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS), malondialdehyde(MDA), electrolyte leakage(EL), proline, and soluble sugars were enhanced in plants under CS. ME(5 μmol · L^(-1)) pretreatment reduced the negative effects of CS by recovering plant growth, root traits, gas exchange elements, and pigment molecules compared to CS control treatment. Furthermore, ME application efficiently reduced oxidative stress markers [hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2)), superoxide ion(O_(2)^(·-)), EL, and MDA] while increasing proline and soluble sugar content in pepper leaves. ME application combined with CS further increased antioxidant enzymes and related gene expression. Collectively, our results confirmed the mitigating potential of ME supplementation for CS by maintaining pepper seedling growth,improving the photosynthesis apparatus, regulating pigments, and osmolyte content.