Measurement Uncertainty Assessment of Magnesium Trisilicate Column for Determination of Sudan Colorants in Food by HPLC Using C8 Column

This study aimed to conduct measurement uncertainty assessment of a new method for determination of Sudan colorants（Sudan Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ） in food by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）. Samples were extracted with organic solvents（hexane, 20% acetone） and first purified by magnesium trisilicate（2Mg O·3Si O2）. The Sudan colorants（Sudan Ⅰ–Ⅳ） were also initially separated on C8 by gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.1%（v/v） formic acid aqueous solution as the mobile phases and detected with diode-array detector（DAD）. The uncertainty of mathematical model of Sudan Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ is based on EURACHEM guidelines. The sources and components of uncertainty were calculated. The experiment gave a good linear relationship over the concentration from 0.4 to 4.0 μg/m L and spiked recoveries were from 74.0% to 97.5%. The limits of determination（LOD） were 48, 61, 36, 58 μg/kg for the four analytes, respectively. The total uncertainty of Sudan colorants（Sudan Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ） was 810±30.8, 790±28.4, 750±27.0, 730±50.0 μg/kg, respectively. The recovery uncertainty was the most significant factor contributing to the total uncertainty. The developed method is simple, rapid, and highly sensitive. It can be used for the determination of trace Sudan dyes in food samples. The sources of uncertainty have been identified and uncertainty components have been simplified and considered.

Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract attenuates abnormal Tau phosphorylation

Large-scale epidemiological studies have found that hyperhomocysteinemia is a powerful, independent risk factor for Alzheimer＇s disease. Trillium tschonoskii maxim is a traditional Chinese medicine that is used to promote memory. However, scientific understanding of its mechanism of action is limited. This report studied the potential neuroprotective effects of Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract against homocysteine-induced cognitive deficits. Rats were intravenously injected with homocysteine（400 μg/kg） for 14 days to induce a model of Alzheimer＇s disease. These rats were then intragastrically treated with Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract（0.125 or 0.25 g/kg） for 7 consecutive days. Open field test and Morris water maze test were conducted to measure spontaneous activity and learning and memory abilities. Western blot assay was used to detect the levels of Tau protein and other factors involved in Tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine Tau protein in the hippocampus. Golgi staining was applied to measure hippocampal dendritic spines. Our results demonstrated that homocysteine produced learning and memory deficits and increased levels of Tau phosphorylation, and diminished the activity of catalytic protein phosphatase 2A. The total number of hippocampal dendritic spines was also decreased. Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract treatment reversed the homocysteine-induced changes. The above results suggest that Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract can lessen homocysteine-induced abnormal Tau phosphorylation and improve cognitive deterioration such as that present in Alzheimer＇s disease.

Chronic consumption of thermally processed palm oil or canola oil modified gut microflora of rats

Dietary oils have critical influences on human health,and thermally cooking or frying modify the components and nutritional functions of oils.Palm oil was the most widely used oil in food processing industry,but its health effects remain debatable.In the current study,we aimed to compare the effects of thermally oxidized palm oil and canola oil on gut microbiota.Palm oil or canola oil were heated at 180°C for 10 h to prepare high-fat diets.Rats were fed high-fat diets for 3 months,and hematological properties,gut microflora composition and intestinal gene expression were examined.The results indicated that heated canola oil consumption elevated plasma total cholesterol and LDL-c levels compared with unheated canola oil,but heated palm oil do not had these effects;and consumption of heated palm oil significantly elevated the relative abundance of Lactobacillucs and Roseburia in gut,compared with non-heated palm oil or two canola oil groups.Moreover,intestinal expression of IL-22 was increased in heated palm oil fed animal,though ZO-1 and GPR41 were reduced.In conclusion,heating process may enhance the effects of palm oil on proliferation of probiotics Lactobacillucs,and weaken the effects of canola oil on cholesterol transport and metabolism.

A positive feedback inhibition of isocitrate dehydrogenase 3β on paired-box gene 6 promotes Alzheimer-like pathology

Impaired brain glucose metabolism is an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease(AD);however,the fundamental mechanism is unknown.In this study,we found a substantial decline in isocitrate dehydrogenase 3β(IDH3β)levels,a critical tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme,in AD patients and AD-transgenic mice’s brains.Further investigations demonstrated that the knockdown of IDH3βinduced oxidation-phosphorylation uncoupling,leading to reduced energy metabolism and lactate accumulation.The resulting increased lactate,a source of lactyl,was found to promote histone lactylation,thereby enhancing the expression of paired-box gene 6(PAX6).As an inhibitory transcription factor of IDH3β,the elevated PAX6 in turn inhibited the expression of IDH3β,leading to tau hyperphosphorylation,synapse impairment,and learning and memory deficits resembling those seen in AD.In AD-transgenic mice,upregulating IDH3βand downregulating PAX6 were found to improve cognitive functioning and reverse AD-like pathologies.Collectively,our data suggest that impaired oxidative phosphorylation accelerates AD progression via a positive feedback inhibition loop of IDH3β-lactate-PAX6-IDH3β.Breaking this loop by upregulating IDH3βor downregulating PAX6 attenuates AD neurodegeneration and cognitive impairments.

Gastrodin Attenuates Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures by Modulating the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase-Associated Inflammatory Responses in Mice

Gastrodin, the major component isolated from the rhizome of the Chinese traditional medicinal herb Gastrodia elata（‘‘Tianma＇＇）, has a long history in the treatment of epilepsy and other neurological disorders.However, the molecular mechanisms are not clear. Here,we found that gastrodin ameliorated pentylenetetrazole（PTZ）-induced epileptic seizures with improvement of the electroencephalographic pattern in mice. Further studies demonstrated that gastrodin decreased the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1b and tumor necrosis factor-a while increasing interleukin-10, an antiinflammatory cytokine in the brain. Furthermore, gastrodin attenuated the PTZ-induced microglial activation along with inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinases,c AMP response element binding protein, and NF-j B. Our data suggest that gastrodin attenuates seizures by modulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase-associated inflammatory responses.