Effects of Dihydromyricetin Extracted from Ampelopsis grossedentata on Visceral Organ Indexes and Intestinal Digestive Enzyme Activities of Chickens

To provide a reference basis for reasonable development and utilization of Ampelopsis grossedentata resource and its application in production,we added 0.025%,0.05% and 0.1% dihydromyricetin（DMY）extracted from A.grossedentata into the basal diets of Yaoshan chickens,and studied the effects of DMY on visceral organ indexes and digestive enzyme activities of 40-day-old healthy Yaoshan chickens.Supplementation of DMY in basal diets influenced visceral organ weight,organ index,length and digestive enzyme activity of small intestine of chickens.Among them,0.05% DMY was the most appropriate volume for supplementation.Compared with control group（without DMY）,0.05% DMY reduced lung weight and index（P〉0.05）,significantly reduced liver weight（P〈0.05）,extremely reduced stomach weight and stomach index（P〈0.01）,increased activity of amylase in small intestine（P〉0.05）,significantly increased length of small intestine and activity of protease（P〈0.05）.Supplementation of 0.05% DMY reduced the visceral organ weight and organ index,enhanced digestion and absorption ability of gastrointestinal tract,thereby improving feed utilization rate and promoting the growth of chickens.

Long-term agricultural activity affects anthropogenic soil on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Anthropogenic activities largely influence the soil quality of agricultural fields and the composition of soil. Samples of typical anthropogenic Loutu soil in the Guanzhong area of the Loess Plateau, Shaanxi Province, China were collected and measured for soil compaction, bulk density, total organic carbon（TOC）, active organic carbon（AOC）, and soil enzyme activities to investigate spatial variations in soil quality. The results indicate that soil compaction and bulk density increased with increasing distance from the farm village, whereas soil TOC, AOC, and soil enzyme activities firstly increased and subsequently decreased with increasing distance from the farm village. All of the tested parameters presented clear concentric distribution. Vertically, soil compaction and bulk density in the topsoil were lower than those in the subsoil, but all other tested parameters in the topsoil were significantly higher than those in the subsoil. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between organic carbon content and enzyme activities, confirming that the spatial distribution of Loutu soil characteristics has been affected by long-term anthropogenic activities to some extent. The results of this study imply that the use of farmyard manure and appropriate deep plowing are important and effective ways to maintain and improve soil quality.

Light-responsive organic artificial enzymes:Material designs and bio-applications

As significant biocatalysts,natural enzymes have exhibited a vast range of applications in biocatalytic reactions.However,the“always-on”natural enzyme activity is not beneficial for the regulation of catalytic processes,which limits their bio-applications.Recently,it has been extensively reported that various organic artificial enzymes exhibit prominent absorption and controlled activity under illumination,which not only creates a series of light-responsive catalytic platforms but also plays a key role in biosensing and biomedical research.To provide novel ideas for the design of artificial enzymes,we conduct this review to highlight the recent progress of light-responsive organic artificial enzymes(LOA-Enz).The specific photoresponse mechanism and various bio-applications of LOA-Enz are also presented in detail.Furthermore,the remaining challenges and future perspectives in this field are discussed.

Extracts of passion fruit peel and seed of Passiflora edulis(Passifloraceae) attenuate oxidative stress in diabetic rats

This study was aimed at evaluating the anti-diabetic potential of passion fruit Passiflora edulis(EPE) extracts in diabetic rats, following Streptozotocin(STZ) induced oxidative stress. Thirty adult Wistar rats were divided into five groups, with six rats in each group. The control rats were injected intraperitoneally with citrate buffer(pH 4.5). The remaining groups of rats were administered single dose of 45 mg·kg-1 of STZ by intraperitoneal route to induce diabetes. The diabetic animals were treated with 250 and 500 mg·kg-1 of EPE and glibenclamide 0.6 mg·kg-1 for fifteen days by oral route. Blood glucose, end organ oxidative stress marker, and anti-oxidants were assayed. Further, histopathological investigation of pancreas was studied at the end of the experimentation. The results revealed that subacute administration of EPE significantly(P < 0.001) controlled the blood glucose level in the diabetic rats. In addition, EPE extract protected the end organs by restoring the anti-oxidants enzyme, significantly increasing super oxide dismutase level(SOD) and decreasing catalase(CAT) and TBARS level in visceral organs. In conclusion, that EPE extracts showed anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant potential against streptozotocin-induced diabetes.