2-O-β-D-Glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid,an ascorbic acid derivative isolated from the fruits of Lycium barbarum L.,ameliorates high fructose-induced neuroinflammation in mice:involvement of gut microbiota and leaky gut

Western diet(rich in highly refined sugar and fat)can induce a range of metabolic dysfunctions in animals and humans,including neuroinflammation and cognitive function decline.Neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment,two critical pathological characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease,have been closely associated with microbial alteration via the gut-brain axis.Thus,the present study aimed to investigate the influence of 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid(AA-2βG)isolated from the fruits of Lycium barbarum on preventing the high-fructose diet(HFrD)induced neuroinflammation in mice.It was found that AA-2βG prevented HFr D-induced cognitive deficits.AA-2βG also predominantly enhanced the gut barrier integrity,decreased lipopolysaccharide entry into the circulation,which subsequently countered the activation of glial cells and neuroinflammatory response.These beneficial effects were transmissible by horizontal fecal microbiome transplantation,transferring from AA-2βG fed mice to HFr D fed mice.Additionally,AA-2βG exerted neuroprotective effects involving the enrichment of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia,potentially beneficial intestinal bacteria.The present study provided the evidence that AA-2βG could improve indices of cognition and neuroinflammmation via modulating gut dybiosis and preventing leaky gut.As a potential functional food ingredient,AA-2βG may be applied to attenuate neuroinflammation associated with Western-style diets.

Supplementation of L-ascorbic acid improves the in vitro development of buffalo(Bubalus bubalis)embryos and alters the expression of apoptosis-related genes

Objective:To study the effect of L-ascorbic acid supplementation on the in vitro development of buffalo embryos and evaluate the relative mRNA abundance of some pro-apoptotic,anti-apoptotic,and embryonic development-related genes.Methods:In experiment 1,we evaluated the effect of the addition of 0(control),50,and 100μM L-ascorbic acid to the in vitro maturation medium on the developmental competence in terms of blastocyst rate and relative mRNA abundance of some pro-apoptotic(BAX,BID),anti-apoptotic(BCL-XL,MCL1),and embryonic development(GDF9,BMP15)related genes.Based on the results,we chose 50μM as the suitable dose of L-ascorbic acid for the subsequent experiments.We further evaluated the blastocyst rates following the addition of 50μM L-ascorbic acid to the in vitro culture medium(experiment 2),and in vitro maturation and in vitro culture media(experiment 3).In all three experiments,the maturation and culture media devoid of L-ascorbic acid served as the control group.Results:The blastocyst rate after adding 50μM L-ascorbic acid to the in vitro maturation medium was significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05),whereas 100μM L-ascorbic acid exhibited a negative effect on the blastocyst rate.The blastocyst rates for embryos cultured in 50μM L-ascorbic acid in the in vitro culture medium alone and both in vitro maturation and in vitro culture media were significantly higher than their corresponding control groups(P<0.05).The relative mRNA abundance of BAX significantly decreased in blastocysts produced after the addition of 50μM L-ascorbic acid as compared with the control group(P<0.05),whereas,for MCL1,it significantly decreased in blastocysts produced after the addition of 100μM L-ascorbic acid(P<0.05).Conclusions:The supplementation of 50μM L-ascorbic acid to in vitro maturation and in vitro culture media supports in vitro embryonic development in buffaloes by improving developmental competence and altering the expression of apoptosis-related genes.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Antioxidant Activity of 5,6-O-(4-bromophenyl)-L-ascorbic Acid

The title compound 5,6-O-（4-bromophenyl）-L-ascorbic acid （C13H11BrO6, Mr = 343.13） has been synthesized and its structure was characterized by IR, 1H NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The product is a mixture of two diastereomer compounds （a （7S） and b （7R））. The crystal of a （7S） belongs to orthorhombic system, space group P212121 with a = 6.5362（10）, b = 7.8226（11）, c = 25.294（4） ？, V = 1293.3（3） ？3, Z = 4, Dc = 1.762 g/cm3, μ（MoKα） = 3.202 mm-1, F（000） = 688, R = 0.0235 and wR （I 〉 2σ（I）） = 0.0566. The hydrogen bonding interactions link the molecules to form a three-dimensional system. In addition, 5,6-O-（4-bromophenyl）-L-ascorbic acid （BPAA） exhibits strong free-radical scavenging activities in vitro against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhy- drazyl and superoxide anion. BPAA should be investigated further as a worthy antioxidant.

Synthesis of L-Ascorbic Acid Lactone Derivatives

A small focused library which comprised of L-AA lactone derivatives was built with a facile method.This reported method was optimized by modifying the acidity of the solvent.As a result,12 L-AA lactones were synthesized.Among these lactones,lactones 8–12 were new compounds.The cytotoxicity of these synthetic compounds were investigated.

Conductive Polyacrylonitrile Fiber Prepared by Copper Plating with L-Ascorbic Acid as Reducing Agent

Conductive polyacrylonitrile fibers were prepared by electroless copper plating under weak alkaline conditions,with L-ascorbic acid as reducing agent.The influences of CuSO_(4)·5H_(2)O,L-ascorbic acid,2,2′-bipyridine and K_(4)Fe(CN)_(6) concentration on the conductivity and mass gain percentage of the fibers were studied.The morphological structure of the fibers was characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and the mechanical properties of the fibers were analyzed through the mechanical property test.The results showed that the optimal reaction conditions were as follows:26 g/L CuSO_(4)·5H_(2)O,26 g/L L-ascorbic acid,12 mg/L 2,2′-bipyridine,7 mg/L K 4Fe(CN)6,and 38℃.The volume resistivity of the conductive PAN fibers prepared by the process was only 3.84×10^(-3)Ω·cm.

Microencapsulation of L-Ascorbic Acid by Spray Drying Using Sodium Alginate as Wall Material

L-ascorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin (vitamin C) widely used as an additive in foods and cosmetics. It has high instability against certain environmental factors;the main cause of its deterioration is oxidation. Microencapsulation is an effective protection technique of L-ascorbic acid from its degradation reactions. This work is focused on the encapsulation of L-ascorbic acid by spray drying technique using sodium alginate as wall material. The microcapsules morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the encapsulation efficiency was determined by spectrophotometric analysis. Results showed that encapsulation efficiency was of 93.48% and after 30 days was of 92.55%;differences were not significant, so that the stability of L-ascorbic acid was not affected. Encapsulation yields obtained were low, at around 30%, but the microcapsules morphology obtained is spherical.

Alteration of chemical behavior of L-ascorbic acid in combination with nickel sulfate at different pH solutions in vitro

Objective:To evaluate the alteration of chemical behavior of L-ascorbic acid(vitamin C) with metal ion(nickel) at different pH solutions in vitro.Methods:Spectra of pure aqueous solution of L-ascorbic acid(E mark) compound and NiSO_4(H_2O)(sigma USA) were evaluated by UV visible spectrophotometer.Spectral analysis of L-ascorbic acid and nickel at various pH(2.0, 7.0,7.4 and 8.6) at room temperature of 29℃ was recorded.In this special analysis,combined solution of L-ascorbic acid and nickel sulfate at different pH was also recorded.Results:The result revealed that λ_(max)(peak wavelength of spectra) of L-ascorbic acid at pH 2.0 was 289.0 run whereas at neutral pH 7.0,λ_(max) was 29S.4 run.In alkaline pH 8.6,λ_(max) was 295.4 nm and at pH 7.4 the λ_(max) of L-ascorbic acid remained the same as 295.4 nm.Nickel solution at acidic pH 2.0 was 394.5 nm,whereas at neutral pH 7.0 and pH 7.4 were the same as 394.5 nm.But at alkaline pH 8.6,λ_(max) value of nickel sulfate became 392.0 nm.The combined solution of L-ascorbic acid and nickel sulfate(6 mg/mL each) at pH 2.0 showed 292.5 nm and 392.5 nm,respectively whereas at pH 7.0,L-ascorbic acid showed 296.5 nm and nickel sulfate showed 391.5 nm.At pH 7.4,L-ascorbic acid showed 297.0 nm and nickel sulfate showed 394.0 nm in the combined solution whereas at pH 8.6(alkaline) L-ascorbic acid and nickel sulfate were showing 297.0 and 393.5 nm,respectively. Conclusions:Results clearly indicate an altered chemical behavior of L-ascorbic acid either alone or in combination with nickel sulfate in vitro at different pH.Perhaps oxidation of L-ascorbic acid to L-dehydro ascorbic acid via the free radical(HSc*) generation from the reaction of H,ASc + Ni(Ⅱ) is the cause of such alteration of λ_(max),value of L-ascorbic acid in the presence of metal nickel.

Simultaneous Determination of Dopamine and L-Ascorbic Acid by Modified Carbon Paste Electrode with Ni (II) Cyclam Complex

The electroanalysis of dopamine (DA) and ascorbic acid (AA) by square wave voltammetry has been performed at a modified carbon paste electrode with macrocyclic ligand 1, 4, 8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (cyclam) and monolayer of Ni (II) cyclam. In pH 7.2 buffer solutions, the electrostatic reaction of AA with di-positive monolayer shifts the oxidation potential to less positive potential, while the electrostatic repulsion of DA with the monolayer shifts the oxidation potential of DA to more positive potential. The separation between the oxidation peaks of AA and DA at the present di-positive monolayer modified electrode (252 mV) was larger than that (187 mV) at the cyclam modified electrode. In addition, the catalytic oxidation of AA by oxidized DA has been advantageously eliminated at the modified carbon paste electrode with cyclam and Ni (II) cyclam complex. Thus, the determination of DA in the presence of an excess of AA is possible with the present modified electrodes.

Measurement and Correlation on Viscosity and Apparent Molar Volume of Ternary System for L-ascorbic Acid in Aqueous D-Glucose and Sucrose Solutions

Visosities and densities at ,several temperatures from 293.15 K to 313.15K are reported for L-ascorbic acid in aqueous glucose and sucrose solutions at different concentrations.The parameters of density,Viscosity coefficient B and partial molar volume are calculated by regression.The experimental results show that densities and viscositis decrease as temperature increases at the same solute and solvent (glucose and sucrose aueous solution)concentrations,and increase with concentration of glucose and sucrose at the same solute concentration and temperature,B increases with concentration of glucose and sucrose and temaperature,L-ascorbic acid is sturcture-breaker or structure-making for the glucose and sucrose aqueous solutions ,Furthermore,the solute-solvent interactions in ternary systems of water-glucose-electrolyte and water-sucrose-electrolyte are discussed.

Development of a miniature silicon wafer fuel cell using L-ascorbic acid as fuel

In the current studies a miniature silicon wafer fuel cell(FC) using L-ascorbic acid as fuel was developed. The cell employs L-ascorbic acid and air as reactants and a thin polymer electrolyte as a separator. Inductively coupled plasma(ICP) silicon etching was employed to fabricate high aspect-ratio columns on the silicon substrate to increase the surface area. A thin platinum layer deposited directly on the silicon surface by the sputtering was used as the catalyst layer for L-ascorbic acid electro-oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry shows that the oxidation of L-ascorbic acid on the sputtered platinum layer is irreversible and that the onset potentials for the oxidation of L-ascorbic acid are from 0.27 V to 0.35 V versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. It is found that at the room temperature,with 1 mol/L L-ascorbic acid/PBS(phosphate buffered solution) solution pumped to the anode at 1 ml/min flow rate and air spontaneously diffusing to the cathode as the oxidant,the maximum output power density of the cell was 1.95 mW/cm2 at a current density of 10 mA/cm2.

Study of Diffusion through the Skin of Coated L-Ascorbic Acid by Fluid Bed Technology

Coating protects substances such as L-ascorbic acid from natural processes like oxidation. In this study, L-ascorbic acid was coated by fluid bed technology. A pH-dependent polymer was used as a coating material in order to release L-ascorbic acid (dissolution above pH 5.5) under conditions closest to the skin’s natural condition. Different techniques were used to determine the coating (SEM and size distribution) and to evaluate the percentage of coated L-ascorbic acid and its diffusion through the skin.

Positive feedback between retinoic acid and 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid trisodium salt during somatic cell reprogramming

Retinoic acid(RA)and 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid trisodium salt(AscPNa)promote the reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells.In the current studies,the lower abilities of RA and AscPNa to promote reprogramming in the presence of each other suggested that they may share downstream pathways at least partially.The hypothesis was further supported by the RNA-seq analysis which demonstrated a high-level overlap between RA-activated and AscPNa activated genes during reprogramming.In addition,RA upregulated Glut1/3,facilitated the membrane transportation of dehydroascorbic acid,the oxidized form of L-ascorbic acid,and subsequently maintained intracellular L-ascorbic acid at higher level and for longer time.On the other hand,AscPNa facilitated the mesenchymal-epithelial transition during reprogramming,downregulated key mesenchymal transcriptional factors like Zeb1 and Twist1,subsequently suppressed the expression of Cyp26a1/b1 which mediates the metabolism of RA,and sustained the intracellular level of RA.Furthermore,the different abilities of RA and AscPNa to induce mesenchymal-epithelial transition,pluripotency,and neuronal differentiation explain their complex contribution to reprogramming when used individually or in combination.Therefore,the current studies identified a positive feedback between RA and AscPNa,or possibility between vitamin A and C,and further explored their contributions to reprogramming.

Near-UV light assisted green reduction of graphene oxide films through l-ascorbic acid

Recent studies have highlighted the effects of various stimuli on the chemical reduction of graphene oxide(GO)through green reductant L-ascorbic acid(L-AA);however,the combination of near ultraviolet(NUV)light to increase the reduction rate has yet to be thoroughly explored.In this study,drop-casted GO films were subjected to chemical reduction through L-AA with various levels of exposure under 405 nm NUV radiation.The structure and uniformity of GO stackings that form the film were characterized through scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and wide-angle x-ray scattering(WAXS).Additionally,WAXS was used to track the removal of oxygen-containing functional groups along with Fourier-transform infrared(FT-IR)spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)as a function of L-AA and NUV light exposure times.XPS results demonstrated that the interaction between L-AA and NUV exposure has a significant effect on the reduction of films.Furthermore,the results that yielded the highest reduction(C-C bond concentration of 60.7%)were the longest L-AA and NUV light exposure times(48 hours and 3 hours,respectively).This report provides a study on the effects of NUV on the green reduction of GO films through L-AA with potential application in solar energy and chemical sensing applications.

Shikimic acid accelerates phase change and flowering in Chinese jujube

The juvenile-to-adult phase change with first flowering as the indicator plays a crucial role in the lifecycle of fruit trees. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying phase change in fruit trees remain largely unknown. Shikimic acid (ShA) pathway is a main metabolic pathway closely related to the synthesis of hormones and many important secondary metabolites participating in plant phase change. So,whether ShA regulates phase change in plants is worth clarifying. Here, the distinct morphological characteristics and the underlying mechanisms of phase change in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), an important fruit tree native to China with nutritious fruit and outstanding tolerance abiotic stresses, were clarified. A combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis found that ShA is positively involved in jujube(Yuhong’×Xing 16’) phase change. The genes in the upstream of ShA synthesis pathway (ZjDAHPS, ZjDHQS and ZjSDH), the contents of ShA and the downstream secondary metabolites like phenols were significantly upregulated in the phase change period. Further, the treatment of spraying exogenous ShA verified that ShA at a very low concentration (60 mg·L^(-1)) can substantially speed up the phase change and flowering of jujube and other tested plants including Arabidopsis, tomato and wheat. The exogenous ShA (60 mg·L^(-1)) treatment in jujube seedlings could increase the accumulation of endogenous ShA, enhance leaf photosynthesis and the synthesis of phenols especially flavonoids and phenolic acids, and promote the expression of genes (ZjCOs, ZjNFYs and ZjPHYs) involved in flowering pathway. Basing on above results, we put forward a propose for the underlying mechanism of ShA regulating phase change, and a hypothesis that ShA could be considered a phytohormone-like substance because it is endogenous, ubiquitous, movable and highly efficient at very low concentrations. This study highlights the critical role of ShA in plant phase change and its phytohormone-like properties.

Tuning electronic structure of RuO_(2)by single atom Zn and oxygen vacancies to boost oxygen evolution reaction in acidic medium

The poor stability of RuO_(2)electrocatalysts has been the primary obstacles for their practical application in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers.To dramatically enhance the durability of RuO_(2)to construct activity-stability trade-off model is full of significance but challenging.Herein,a single atom Zn stabilized RuO_(2)with enriched oxygen vacancies(SA Zn-RuO_(2))is developed as a promising alternative to iridium oxide for acidic oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Compared with commercial RuO_(2),the enhanced Ru–O bond strength of SA Zn-RuO_(2)by forming Zn-O-Ru local structure motif is favorable to stabilize surface Ru,while the electrons transferred from Zn single atoms to adjacent Ru atoms protects the Ru active sites from overoxidation.Simultaneously,the optimized surrounding electronic structure of Ru sites in SA ZnRuO_(2)decreases the adsorption energies of OER intermediates to reduce the reaction barrier.As a result,the representative SA Zn-RuO_(2)exhibits a low overpotential of 210 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^(-2)and a greatly enhanced durability than commercial RuO_(2).This work provides a promising dual-engineering strategy by coupling single atom doping and vacancy for the tradeoff of high activity and catalytic stability toward acidic OER.

Effect of different drying methods on the amino acids,α-dicarbonyls and volatile compounds of rape bee pollen

The significant demand for high quality food has motivated us to adopt appropriate processing methods to improve the food nutritional quality and flavors.In this study,the effects of five drying methods,namely,pulsed vacuum drying(PVD),freeze drying(FD),infrared drying(IRD),hot-air drying(HAD)and sun drying(SD)on free amino acids(FAAs),α-dicarbonyl compounds(α-DCs)and volatile compounds(VOCs)in rape bee pollen(RBP)were determined.The results showed that FD significantly released the essential amino acids(EAAs)compared with fresh samples while SD caused the highest loss.Glucosone was the dominantα-DCs in RBP and the highest loss was observed after PVD.Aldehydes were the dominant volatiles of RBP and SD samples contained more new volatile substances(especially aldehydes)than the other four drying methods.Comprehensively,FD and PVD would be potential methods to effectively reduce the quality deterioration of RBP in the drying process.

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.

Elaidic acid leads to mitochondrial dysfunction via mitochondria-associated membranes triggers disruption of mitochondrial calcium fluxes

Elaidic acid(EA)stimulation can lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS),accompanied by a large release of Ca^(2+),and ultimately the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in Kupffer cells(KCs).Mitochondrial instability or dysfunction may be the key stimulating factors to activate NLRP3 inflammasome,and sustained Ca^(2+)transfer can result in mitochondrial dysfunction.We focused on KCs to explore the damage to mitochondria by EA.After EA stimulation,cells produced an oxidative stress(OS)response with a significant increase in ROS release.Immunoprecipitation experiments and the addition of inhibitors revealed that the increase in the level of intracellular Ca^(2+)led to Ca^(2+)accumulation in the mitochondrial matrix via mitochondria-associated membranes(MAMs).This was accompanied by a significant release of m ROS,loss of MMP and ATP,and a significant increase in mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening,ultimately leading to mitochondrial instability.These findings confirmed the mechanism that EA induced mitochondrial Ca^(2+)imbalance in KCs via MAM,ultimately leading to mitochondrial dysfunction.Meanwhile,EA induced OS and the decrease of MMP and ATP in rat liver,and significant lesions were found in liver mitochondria.Swelling of the inner mitochondrial cristae and mitochondrial vacuolization occurred,with a marked increase in lipid droplets.

Antibacterial mechanism of kojic acid and tea polyphenols against Escherichia coli O157:H7 through transcriptomic analysis

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the major foodborne pathogenic bacterial that cause infectious diseases in humans.The previous found that a combination of kojic acid and tea polyphenols exhibited better activity against E.coli O157:H7 than using either alone.This study aimed to explore responses underlying the antibacterial mechanisms of kojic acid and tea polyphenols from the gene level.The functional enrichment analysis by comparing kojic acid and tea polyphenols individually or synergistically against E.coli O157:H7 found that acid resistance systems in kojic acid were activated,and the cell membrane and genomic DNA were destructed in the cells,resulting in“oxygen starvation”.The oxidative stress response triggered by tea polyphenols inhibited both sulfur uptake and the synthesis of ATP,which affected the bacteria's life metabolic process.Interestingly,we found that kojic acid combined with tea polyphenols hindered the uptake of iron that played an essential role in the synthesis of DNA,respiration,tricarboxylic acid cycle.The results suggested that the iron uptake pathways may represent a novel approach for kojic acid and tea polyphenols synergistically against E.coli O157:H7 and provided a theoretical basis for bacterial pathogen control in the food industry.