Extraction of Theanine from Waste Liquid of Tea Polyphenol Production in Aqueous Two-phase Systems with Cationic and Anionic Surfactants

Extraction of theanine from waste liquid of tea polyphenol production was studied in aqueous surfactanttwo-phase system （ASTP） with cationic surfactant （CTAB） and anionic surfactant （SDS）. Results indicate that the region of ASTP is narrow and there is only a two-phase region of cationic surfactant. The increase in concentrations of NaBr and Na2SO4 are beneficial to the formation of ASTP. Theanine concentration in the bottom phase increases with increasing concentration of theanine, whereas the Partition coefficient and extraction rate only change a littlewhen the concentration of theanine is above 0.2 g.L-＇. With the increase of SDS concentration, the phase ratio and the partition coefficient decrease, while the extraction efficiency of theanine increases and the concentration of theanine changes a little in the range from 2.4/7.5 to 2.8/7.2 for SDS/CTAB ratio. The temperature has a notable ef- fect on the concentration of theanine in the bottom phase, partition coefficient and extraction rate of theanine. The increase of waste liquid decreases the phase ratio, increases the concentration and extraction rate of theanine in the bottom ohase, since the orotein and the saccharide enter the bottom nhase with theanine.

Extraction Process Optimization and Moisturizing Performance of Fucoidan from Sargassum fusiforme

[Objectives] The research aimed to optimize extraction process of fucoidan from Sargassum fusiforme( FSF) and study its moisturizing performance. [Methods]Extracting condition of FSF by cellulase hydrolysis-ultrasonic assisted extraction method was optimized. The influences of solvent p H,enzyme dosage,extraction temperature,cellulose hydrolysis time,ultrasonication time,and the ratio of material to liquid on FSF were investigated by single factor and orthogonal experiments. [Results] The optimum extraction conditions were as followings:p H,4. 5; enzyme dosage,1%; extraction temperature,40℃; cellulose hydrolysis time,2 h; ultrasonic time,15 min; and the ratio of material to liquid,1∶ 10( g∶ m L). Under the optimal condition,the extraction yield of FSF was 8. 50%,RSD = 2. 74%. The short-time hygroscopicity( within 8 h) of crude extract of fucoidan from S. fusiforme( CEFSF) was better than glycerin,butanediol,and sodium alginate,and the moisture retention capacity of 1% CEFSF aqueous solution was better than 1% butanediol or 1% sodium alginate,and was equal to 5% glycerin under relative humidity of 43% and 81%. The determination results of skin moisture content and transepidermal water loss rate( TEWL)showed that: 5% CEFSF solution had good moisturizing effect. [Conclusions]The research could provide certain reference for deep development of S. fusiforme.

Metabolic fate of tea polyphenols and their crosstalk with gut microbiota

Tea represents an abundant source of naturally occurring polyphenols.Tea polyphenols(TPs)have received growing attentions for its wide consumption in the world,and more importantly its pleiotropic bioeffects for human health.After ingestion,TPs may undergo absorption and phase II reaction in the small intestine,and most undigested proportion would be submitted to the colon to interact with gut microbiota.Interactions between gut microbiota and TPs are bidirectional,including not only bacteria-mediated TPs metabolism,e.g.,removal of gallic acid moiety and ring fission to release phenolic acid catabolites,but also TPs-based modification of bacterial profiles.Crosstalk between TPs and gut microbes may benefit for gut barrier function,for example,improvement of the intestinal permeability to alleviate inflammation.Moreover,by reshaping microbial composition and associated metabolites,TPs may exert a systemic protection on host metabolism,which contributes to improve certain chronic metabolic disorders.Given that,further understanding of the metabolic fate of TPs and interplay with gut microbiota as well as potential health-promoting effects are of great significance to development and application of tea and their polyphenolic components in the future as dietary supplements and/or functional ingredients in medical foods.

How does the tea L-theanine buffer stress and anxiety

Tea(Camellia sinensis)is widely considered to promote feelings of calming and soothing.This effect is attributed to L-theanine(L-γ-glutamylethylamide)in tea,a non-protein amino acid mainly derived from tea leaves.As a naturally occurring structural analogue of glutamate,L-theanine competes for the receptors with glutamate and is able to pass the blood-brain barrier to exert its relaxation effect.This review focuses on the relaxation effect of L-theanine,including animal models and the latest human trials as well as the potential molecular mechanisms regarding neuron stem cells.The biological efficacy of dietary L-theanine in the food matrix has been further discussed in this review in relation to the physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract and bindings of L-theanine with other food components.

Tea and depression

The available evidence,which derives from studies investigating mechanistic effects of tea,research on animal models as well as epidemiological studies and intervention trials in humans,suggests that compounds contained in tea may have the potential to aid in the prevention of depression or in its treatment as an addition to established therapies.A wide range of potentially antidepressive biological activities of tea components have been reported.However,the mechanisms of tea phytochemicals possibly capable of decreasing the risk of depressive symptoms are complex,multifaceted and not well understood.Potent pharmacological effects on circumscribed neurobiological systems may be produced not by individual tea components but rather by the synergistic action of various compounds on multiple pathophysiological mechanisms involved in depression.While epidemiological studies have generally demonstrated beneficial effects of tea consumption on mood and depressive symptoms,cross-sectional studies are unable to prove a cause-effect relationship.If positive effects on mood could be firmly established,tea drinking could support mental health.However,the moderate antidepressive effects observed in healthy people are not necessarily indicative of possible clinical effects in major depressive disorder.Randomized controlled intervention studies are needed to establish a causal relationship between bioactive compounds in tea and depression.

Effects of Siraitia grosvenorii extracts on high fat diet-induced obese mice:a comparison with artificial sweetener aspartame

Long-term artificial sweetener intake is linked to increased risk of obesity. In the present study, supplement of natural sweetener from Siraitia grosvenorii(SG)(or Momordica grosvenorii) fruit, compared with the artificial sweetener aspartame(ASM), was evaluated for anti-obesity effects on mice fed with high fat diet(HFD). We found that, in contrary to ASM, SG extracts prevented body weight gain, the insulin resistance and fat mass accumulation in HFD mice. SG extracts treatment inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory macrophages and lowered the levels of the fat inflammatory cytokines(leptin, macrophage chemoattractant protein 1(MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)) in adipose tissues. In addition, SG extracts supplement counteracted the remodeling of gut microbiota resulted from HFD. However, ASM supplement aggravated the HFD-induced obese performances, fat inflammation and dysregulation of gut microbiota. Taken together, our results indicate that supplement of SG extracts may represent a promising alternation of artificial sweeteners in preventing metabolic diseases.

Formulated citrus peel extract gold lotion improves cognitive and functional recovery from traumatic brain injury(TBI)in rats

Traumatic brain injury(TBI)is closely related to neuro-inflammatory response and causes a complex pathological process and serious consequence.In this study,we explored whether the formatted citrus peel extract gold lotion(GL)could have a therapeutic effect on rats suffered TBI.TBI rat model was prepared by the electric Cortical Contusion Impactor(eCCI)device.Prevention against TBI by GL was assessed by the behavioral,organizational of rats and the molecular markers in the brain injury area.The results showed that GL could reduce nerve damage and neurological dysfunction.The mechanisms probably due to that GL could not only reduce the associated damage markers including GFAP,OX-42,TNF-α,COX-2,NF-κB and TLR4 but also promote the expression of VEGF which is responsible for protecting neuronal cells in the injury area.These findings revealed that GL could be a promising preparation for TBI prevention.

Completely Green Synthesis of Ag Nanoparticles Stabilized by Soy Protein Isolate under UV Irradiation

A completely green pathway for the preparation of Ag nanoparticles was proposed, by using soy protein isolate （SPI） as stabilizer under UV irradiation and H2O as the environmentally benign solvent throughout the preparation. Transmission electronic microscopy （TEM） and zeta potential characterization results indicated that the Ag nanoparticles were stable and well dispersed with an average diameter about 13 nm, and X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis of SPI/Ag composite nanoparticles confirmed the formation of metallic silver. UV-Vis spectrum showed that the Ag nanoparticles dispersion solution had the maximum absorbance at about 430 nm due to surface plasmon resonance of the Ag nanoparticles. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the polypeptide backbone of SPI was not cleaved during the conjugation process and that some active amino groups were oxidized. The SPI/Ag composite nanoparticles have excellent antibacterial activity against two representative bacteria, staphylococcus aureus （Gram positive） and escherichia coli （Gram negative） in the presence of SPI.

How does the addition of mushrooms and their dietary fibre affect starchy foods

Mushrooms contain multiple bioactive compounds of which dietary fibre is a representative type.Fortification of extracted or naturally derived dietary fibre in staple starchy foods constitutes a strategy to increase fibre intake in terms of cardiovascular disease and other metabolic diseases.Food matrix is viewed as a physical domain containing nutrients in which interactions and behaviours are different from those in isolation or free state.The nutritional effect of mushrooms'addition in the starchy food matrix is reviewed together with the alterations of cooking properties.Prospective studies include nutrients bioaccessibility due to the interfere of dietary fibres in consideration of their types and quality.The future approach to shaping microbial colonisation in the digestive tract through metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids from dietary fibres is required to sustain host physiology and health.

Long-term effects of oral tea polyphenols and Lactobacillus brevis M8 on biochemical parameters, digestive enzymes, and cytokines expression in broilers

This study investigates the long-term effects of oral tea polyphenols （TPs） and Lactobacillus brevis M8 （LB） on biochemical parameters, digestive enzymes, and cytokines expression in broilers. In experiment 1,240 broiler chickens were selected to investigate the effects of 0.06 g/kg body weight （BW） TP and 1.0 ml/kg BW LB on broilers; in experiment 2, 180 broiler chickens were assigned randomly to three groups to investigate the effects of different dosages of TP （0.03, 0.06, and 0.09 g/kg BW） combined with 1.0 ml/kg BW LB on broilers; in experiment 3, 180 broiler chickens were assigned randomly to three groups to investigate the effects of different dosages of LB （0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 ml/kg BW） combined with 0.06 g/kg BW TP on broilers. The results showed that TP and LB affected serum biochemical parameters, and TP reduced serum cholesterol （CHO） and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） abundances in a dosage-dependent manner （P〈0.05） on Day 84. Meanwhile, broilers fed a diet supplemented with TP or LB had a lower intestinal lipase activity on Day 84 compared with the control group （P〈0.05）. Middle and high dosages of TP increased pancreatic lipase and proventriculus pepsin activities （P〈0.05）. Also middle and high dosages of LB significantly enhanced pancreatic lipase activity （P〈0.05）, while high LB supplementation inhibited intestinal trypsase （P〈0.05） on Day 84. Furthermore, both TP and LB reduced intestinal cytokine expression and nuclear factor-K B （NF-KB） mRNA level on Days 56 and 84. In conclusion, long-term treatment of TP and LB improved lipid metabolism and digestive enzymes activities, and affected intestinal inflammatory status, which may be associated with the NF-KB signal.

Optimization of low-abundance protein extraction and abundant protein removal from defatted soybean meal

The aim of this study was to optimize the conditions for the extraction of low-abundance proteins（LAPs） and the removal of abundant proteins（APs; β-conglycinin and glycinin） from soybean meal.Single factor and orthogonal experiments were designed to determine the effects of four factors（isopropanol concentration, total extraction time, ultrasonic power, and ultrasonic time） on protein concentration in isopropanol extracts.Proteins in the isopropanol supernatant and the cold acetone precipitate of isopropanol were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis（SDS-PAGE） and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF-MS）.The results showed that the optimal conditions were 50% isopropanol, ultrasonic pretreatment for 15 min at 350 W, and a total extraction time of 1 h.Under these conditions, the protein concentration in the isopropanol extracts reached 0.8081 g/L.Many LAPs were detected, including β-amylase, soybean agglutinin, soybean trypsin inhibitor, fumarylacetoacetase-like, phospholipase D alpha 1-like, oleosin, and even some unknown soybean proteins.The soybean APs（β-conglycinin and glycinin） were not found.The method may be useful for discovering new soybean proteins and extracting enough LAPs of soybean to allow further studies of their physiological effects on animals without the influence of APs.

Fabrication of 3D biomimetic composite coating with broadband antireflection, superhydrophilicity, and double p-n heterojunctions

The traditional single material with two-dimensional （2D） biomimetic moth-eye structures is limited by its narrowband antireflection and single functional capability. To overcome these disadvantages, we exploited wet etching and hydrothermal synthesis coupled with chemical oxidation for fabricating a three- dimensional （3D） biomimetic moth-eye coating with ternary materials （polypyrrole nanoparticles, TiO2 nanorods, and Si micropyramids, i.e., PPy/TiOa/Si-p）. This coating reduced the reflectivity to 〈4% at wavelengths ranging from 200 to 2,300 nm and exhibited remarkable superhydrophilidty with a low water contact angle of 1.8°. Moreover, the composite coating had double p-n heterojunctions, allowing the high-efficiency separation of photogenerated carriers. The photo- current density of PPy/TiO2/Si-p was more than three times higher than that of TiO2/Si-p at a positive potential of 1.5 V. The proposed method provides a means to enhance solar energy conversion.

Analysis of oral microorganism diversity in healthy individuals before and after chewing areca nuts using PCR-denatured gradient gel electrophoresis

To analyze oral microbial diversity in the saliva of 8 healthy individuals before and after chewing areca nuts. Saliva samples were collected before chewing areca nuts, after chewing areca nuts for 5 min and after chewing areca nuts for 30 min. DNA was extracted, and microbial diversity was examined using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(PCR-DGGE). When examining DGGE profiles collectively,the bands associated with Streptococcus and Veillonella were the most intense, making them the most prevalent bacteria. Furthermore, the band intensities did not decrease after chewing areca nuts for 5 or30 min; thus, these bacteria were unaffected. However, when examining some individuals, the band intensities for Streptococcus and Veillonella became more intense after 5 min of chewing and then returned to the pre-chewing level. This difference may be attributed to the mechanical movements of the oral cavity or individual differences. Other bacteria, such as Neisseria, Actinomycetes, and Rothia dentocariosa, were also found to have an increased or decreased prevalence following areca nut-chewing.Since the predominant species that are present following areca nut-chewing include Streptococcus and Veillonella, it would seem likely that these bacteria play an important role in the periodontal diseases associated with areca chewing.

Effect of Different Ionic Liquids on 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Preparation from Glucose in DMA over AlCl_(3):Experimental and Theoretical Study

In this work,effect of different ionic liquids(ILs)on 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF)preparation from glucose in N,N-dimethylacetamide(DMA)over AlCl3 was revealed by a combined experimental and computational study.ILs used as cocatalysts in this work included N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone hydrogen sulfate([NMP]HSO_(4)),N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone methyl sulfate([NMP]CH_(3)SO_(3)),N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone chlorine([NMP]Cl)and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone bromide([NMP]Br)which were endowed with the same cation but different anions.According to the conclusion that fructose was intermediate product from glucose to HMF,we found fructose was transformed to more by-products by[NMP]H_(S)O_(4),making HMF yield decline significantly when glucose was treated as substrate.Neither glucose nor fructose could be converted by[NMP]CH_(3)SO_(3)efficiently,leading to its no influence on glucose conversion to HMF.[NMP]Br had a higher selectivity for HMF from fructose than[NMP]Cl and AlCl3.Besides,Al^(3+)preferred to combine with Br−,slightly decreasing both the overall free energy barrier for glucose isomerization and activation barrier for H-shift at 393.15 K.So a high HMF yield of 57%was obtained from glucose catalyzed by AlCl3 together with[NMP]Br under mild conditions.

Synthesis and Properties of Degradable Copolymers Com- posed of Poly（E-caprolactone） and 3,4-Dihydroxycinnamic Acid

Photoreactive and degradable hyperbranched （HB） copolymers with various 3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid （DHCA） compositions, poly（e-caprolactone）-co-poly（3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid） （PCL-co-PDHCA）, were ob- tained by thermal melt-polycondensation of PCL and DHCA. The HB structures and the branching degree （BD） of the PCL-co-PDHCA copolymers were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） and nuclear magnetic resonance （1H NMR）. The melting points （Tm） of the PCL-co-PDHCA copolymers changed depending on the PCL and DHCA composition by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） measurements. Wide angle X-ray dif- fraction （WXRD） analysis showed semi-crystalline of the PCL and PCL-co-PDHCA polymers. The PCL-co-PDHCA copolymers showed good photoreactivities and fluorescent properties. Crosslinking of the cin- namoyl groups in the copolymers caused by UV irradiation affected the thermal stability and wettability slightly. Moreover, the hydrolysis experiments revealed that copolyrners are facile degradable.

Kinetic Analysis of the Interaction between Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Cyclooxygenase-2 Using Wavelength Modulation Surface Plasmon Resonance

A surface plasmon resonance （SPR） biosensor based on wavelength modulation technology was developed and validated for the kinetic analysis of the interactions between two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs （NSAIDs） and cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2）. After the effect of different concentration COX-2 on the binding capacity of the SPR biosensor surface was studied, the COX-2 was immobilized covalently onto the biosensor surface using a standard amine coupling method. The affinity constants for indomethacin, ketoprofen binding to COX-2 are 7.5× 10^3 L/tool and 9.25 × 10^3 L/mol, respectively. The biosensor surface can be regenerated after being rinsed with 0.01 mol/L NaOH, and the biosensor can be used repeatedly. These indicated that the wavelength modulation SPR biosensor has the potential application in the fields of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug discovery.

Well-dispersive K2O-KCl alkaline catalyst derived from waste banana peel for biodiesel synthesis

In this work, a novel alkaline catalyst was synthesized by an economical and effective method of roasting waste banana peel. From XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS, TGA and CO2-TPD characterization, it was proved that the calcined banana peel catalyst showed the strong alkalinity and well dispersity in microstructure, and K2O-KCl as the main active contents. The calcined banana peel catalyst showed better catalytic performance than the catalysts by physical mixing of K2O and KCl, which was due to good dispersibility of K2O-KCl formed during decomposing of carbon fiber by calcination of banana peel. Furthermore, the calcined banana peel catalyst also performed well in both water-resistant ability and recyclability, indicating their potential for biodiesel production from an efficient, robust, and low-cost catalyst.

Gold-Loaded Polymeric Micelles with TemperatureModulated Catalytic Activity

Four-armed amphiphilic block copolymers, polystyrene-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PS-bPNIPAM)4, were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP).(PS-b-PNIPAM)4 self-assembled into micelles with PS block as core and thermoresponsive PNIPAM block as corona. The gold nanoparticles(Au NPs) with average diameter about 5.8 nm were immobilized on the surfaces of the micelles by the reduction of the corresponding ions. The micelle-supported gold nanoparticles(Au-micelles) were applied to catalyze the reduction of p-nitrophenol. Moreover, the activity of the Au-micelle catalyst could be modulated by the temperature and the Au-micelles could be easily recovered by changing the temperature and recycled four times with high catalytic activity.

Facile and Controllable Assembly of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on Polystyrene Microspheres

Herein a facile and controllable heterocoagulation between polystyrene （PS） microspheres and multiwalled carbon nanotubes （MWCNTs） is introduced based on colloid thermodynamics. The MWCNTs play the role of steric stabilizer for stabilizing the metastable PS microspheres and thus immobilize spontaneously on the surface of PS microspheres. The synthesized MWCNTs-coated PS composite particles have been extensively characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetry and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that the structure and morphology of the resultant MWCNTs-coated PS composite particles are significantly affected by the weight ratio of PS and MWNCTs and the amount of poly（vinylpyrrolidone） that is injected into PS dispersion before they are mixed with MWCNTs. Therefore, these composite particles have the potential to produce MWCNTs-based composite materials with controllable mass loading and dispersity of MWCNTs.

Asymmetric Hydrosilylation of Aromatic Ketones Catalyzed by an Economical and Effective Copper-Diphosphine Catalytic System in Air

In the presence of the inexpensive and non-toxic polymethylhydrosiloxane, the combination of copper(II) acetateand a chiral diphosphine displayed high catalytic efficiency in the asymmetric hydrosilylation of a series ofaromatic ketones in air atmosphere and at room temperature. (R)-1-Arylethanols were obtained with up to 99%yield and 93% enantiomeric excess. Meanwhile, the electron effect and steric hindrance of substituents on the aromaticring had an interesting influence on both the yields and enantioselectivities. Furthermore, a possible mechanismwas presented to explain the influence of some key factors on the reaction.