材料科学最新文献

Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (LLF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat hepatopathy and osteopathy. Wine-processed LLF (WLLF) was much more widely used than raw LLF (RLLF) in clinical practice, however, there is no consensus on processing time. To investigate the processing status of WLLF and transformation rules during processing, a UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS method combined with data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode was firstly established and 227 compounds were identified or tentatively identified. Subsequently, a novel strategy using integration weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) with LC-MS data was proposed. A total of 73 differential metabolites were screened out between RLLF and WLLF (wine steaming for 18 h). Meanwhile, the concentration of 11 differential compounds for WLLF was quantified. Finally, correlations between compounds were analyzed by WGCNA and the top five compounds negatively correlated with salidroside were validated, revealing that G13, specnuezhenide, oleuropein, acteoside, and neonuzhenide could be transformed into salidroside and its analogues during processing, respectively. The results indicated that our proposed strategy could be effectively employed to evaluate the processing status of TCMs.

Lipids contribute to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease but their roles are not fully understood. Spatial lipid composition of atherosclerotic plaques was compared between species focusing on aortic plaques from New Zealand White rabbits and carotid plaques from humans (n = 3), using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging. Histologically discriminant lipids within plaque features (neointima and media in rabbits, and lipid-necrotic core and fibrous cap/tissue in humans) included sphingomyelins, phosphatidylcholines, and cholesteryl esters. There were 67 differential lipids between rabbit plaque features and 199 differential lipids in human, each with variable importance in projection score ≥1.0 and p < 0.05. The lipid profile of plaques in the rabbit model closely mimicked that of human plaques and two key pathways (impact value ≥ 0.1), sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolism, were disrupted by atherosclerosis in both species. Thus, mass spectrometry imaging of spatial biomarkers offers valuable insights into atherosclerosis.

In this work, a novel deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of thymol and 1-(o Tolyl)thiourea 9/1 (mol) is presented for the first time. This DES has not been described in the literature. This DES was first used as a stationary phase in an extraction column integrated into a flow injection analysis system for the simultaneous determination of mercury and copper in edible oils. The automated approach involves passing an aqueous sample solution obtained after microwave mineralization through a microcolumn of DES retained on polytetrafluoroethylene. This leading to the extraction and concentration of the analytes. The metals are then eluted with an aqueous thiourea solution for subsequent analysis by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The limits of detection (LODs) for mercury and copper were 3 μg L⁻¹ and 2.5 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The approach demonstrated high accuracy. Relative standard deviations (RSD) for repeatability and inter-day reproducibility ranged from 3 % to 11 %. Extraction recovery of both metals exceeded 95 %, indicating the high efficiency of the DES-based extraction process. Environmental assessment using the AGREEprep method yielded a favorable environmental index of 0.54, highlighting the robustness of the approach. This novel use of DES as a stationary phase in flow injection analysis system provides a robust, efficient and environmentally friendly approach to the determination of trace metals in edible oils. This method can also be applied to the analysis of other samples.

Illicit drugs are a global burden, not only for society, but also for the various control authorities for which its rapid on-site detection remains a challenge. In this context, the potential of a voltammetric electronic tongue (ET) for the analysis of different drugs is evaluated herein. Concretely, the discrimination and identification of cocaine, heroin, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methamphetamine and ketamine in self-prepared and real samples were attempted. For its analysis, an array of three carbon-based screen-printed electrodes (SPE) was prepared, and their responses towards the different drugs and some of the more common cutting agents and adulterants were assessed by means of square wave voltammetry (SWV). To this aim, a tiny amount (ca. 3 mg) of the drug powder was added to the electrochemical cell containing phosphate buffer (pH 12), shaken, and measured directly without any other pre-treatment than its dilution. Next, to identify their characteristic fingerprint, obtained voltammograms were submitted to linear discriminant analysis (LDA), which allowed to correctly identify the different drugs regardless of the presence of the different cutting agents and other possible interfering compounds, or their concentration. Satisfactory results were obtained both for the synthetic and the "street" seized samples, with a classification rate of 100 % for the external test subset of the latter (n = 10).

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, which have notable incidence and mortality, are impacted by metabolic reprogramming, especially the increased production and accumulation of lactate. Lactylation, a post‑translational modification driven by lactate, is a crucial regulator of gene expression and cellular function in GI cancer. The present review aimed to examine advancements in understanding lactate and lactylation in GI cancer. The mechanisms of lactate production, its influence on the tumor microenvironment and the clinical implications of lactate levels as potential biomarkers were explored. Furthermore, lactylation was investigated, including its biochemical foundation, primary targets and functional outcomes. The present review underscored potential therapeutic strategies targeting lactate metabolism and lactylation. Challenges and future directions emphasize the potential of lactate and lactylation as innovative therapeutic targets in GI cancer to improve clinical outcomes.

Acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common respiratory disease characterized by hypoxemia and respiratory distress. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Due to the complex pathogenesis of ALI, the clinical management of patients with ALI/ARDS is challenging, resulting in numerous post‑treatment sequelae and compromising the quality of life of patients. Macrophages, as a class of innate immune cells, play an important role in ALI/ARDS. In recent years, the functions and phenotypes of macrophages have been better understood due to the development of flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, single‑cell sequencing and spatial genomics. However, no macrophage‑targeted drugs for the treatment of ALI/ARDS currently exist in clinical practice. Natural products are important for drug development, and it has been shown that numerous natural compounds from herbal medicine can alleviate ALI/ARDS caused by various factors by modulating macrophage abnormalities. In the present review, the natural products from herbal medicine that can modulate macrophage abnormalities in ALI/ARDS to treat ALI/ARDS are introduced, and their mechanisms of action, discovered in the previous five years (2019‑2024), are presented. This will provide novel ideas and directions for further research, to develop new drugs for the treatment of ALI/ARDS.

Cataracts are primarily caused by aging or gene mutations and are the leading cause of blindness globally. As the older population increases, the number of patients with a cataract is expected to grow rapidly. At present, cataract surgery to replace the lens with an artificial intraocular lens is the principal treatment method. However, surgery has several drawbacks, including economic burdens and complications such as inflammation, xerophthalmia, macular edema and posterior capsular opacification. Thus, developing an effective non‑surgical treatment strategy is beneficial to both patients and public health. Mechanistically, cataract formation may be due to various reasons but is primarily initiated and promoted by oxidative stress and is closely associated with crystallin aggregation. In the present review, the current research progress on anti‑cataract drugs, including antioxidants and protein aggregation inhibitors is examined. It summarizes strategies for preventing and treating cataract through cell apoptosis and protein aggregation inhibition while discussing their limitations and further prospects.

The present study aimed to explore the effect of melittin (MLT) on the growth of Schwann cells (SCs) in high glucose conditions and to understand the mechanisms involved. The goal was to provide a theoretical basis for using MLT in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). The CCK‑8 assay was used to measure cell activity at different concentrations of glucose and MLT. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze the effect of MLT on cell cycle phases and apoptosis in SCs under high glucose conditions. To identify differentially expressed proteins, 4D label‑free quantitative proteomics with liquid chromatography‑mass spectrometry was used, followed by biological analysis to explore potential mechanisms. PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence were conducted to confirm these mechanisms. Melittin (0.2 µg/ml) increased the proliferation of SCs in a high glucose environment. Flow cytometry showed that after MLT treatment, the proportion of cells in the G₂/M+S phase increased and the combined ratio of early and late apoptosis decreased under high glucose conditions. Proteomics identified 1,784 proteins with significant changes in expression; 725 were upregulated, and 1,059 were downregulated. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that the differentially expressed proteins were mainly involved in metabolic pathways and neurodegenerative disease pathways. PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence confirmed the increase in Crabp2, Wnt3a, C‑Jun, CDK4, CyclinD1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. In high glucose conditions, MLT protects SCs from glucose toxicity by upregulating the Crabp2/Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway, potentially providing a new treatment for DPN.

A novel, portable, disposable, affordable, and environmentally friendly paper-based analytical device (PAD) was designed for on-site determination of carmine and carminic acid. This platform utilized paper test strips with a chitosan coating as an adsorption layer, which was characterized using scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and water contact angle measurement. Carmine and carminic acid could be efficiently adsorbed on chitosan-coated paper test strips, producing distinct colors that could be captured using a smartphone camera without the need for an elution step. Notably, by utilizing the Hue component of the HSL model, it was possible to differentiate between carmine and carminic acid, confirming their presence in a sample. Furthermore, the color saturation intensity changed in a concentration-dependent manner, allowing for the determination of carmine and carminic acid concentrations in the ranges of 200-800 μg/mL and 20-100 μg/mL, respectively. Additionally, the created test strip could be used to measure the percentage of carminic acid in the presence of carmine. The developed PAD enabled the quantification of carmine in various food samples without the need for reagents or complex equipment. The environmental impact of this method was found to be positive based on assessments using GAPI and AGREE tools.