International Journal of Biological Macromolecules最新文献

Endometritis in dairy cows significantly impacts their reproductive performance. However, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase trifunctional multienzyme complex subunit-alpha (HADHA) is known to regulate the occurrence of various diseases, but its role in bovine endometritis is poorly understood. In the present study, an in vitro bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) inflammation model was constructed to explore the effects of HADHA on inflammation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Functional analyses based on HADHA interference and overexpression revealed that it positively regulated the expression of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BEECs, enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and promoting inflammation. Concurrently, HADHA decreased the expression of PCNA, CDK2, and CDK4, inhibited mitotic transition of BEECs from S to G2 phase, and negatively regulated BEEC proliferation. It also increased BAX and Caspase-3 expression while decreasing BCL2 expression, hence promoting BEECs apoptosis. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses indicated that HADHA modulated inflammation in BEECs by affecting pathways such as the TGF-beta signaling pathway, fatty acid metabolism, and p53 signaling. These findings provide novel insights into HADHA's role in bovine endometritis and reveal future research directions on its regulatory mechanisms.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and ferroptosis play crucial roles in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) following heart transplantation. Microsomal glutathione s transferase 1 (MGST1) is widely distributed in mitochondria and has a protective effect against ferroptosis, and its involvement in myocardial I/R injury has not yet been elucidated. In this study, donor hearts from C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to 12 h of ex-vivo cold ischemia treatment and transplanted into the abdomen of recipient mice for 24 h of reperfusion. The results showed that MGST1 was significantly down-regulated in the model heart graft tissues, and overexpressing MGST1 effectively alleviated myocardial infarction, inflammation and histological damage of myocardial tissues in the model group. Subsequently, mouse cardiomyocytes HL-1 cells were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/re‑oxygenation (OGD/R) condition, and MGST1 overexpression reduced cell apoptosis and inflammation in OGD/R-induced HL-1 cells. Of note, MGST1 overexpression attenuated I/R-induced mitochondrial damage and inhibited ferroptosis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, MGST1 was found to be negatively regulated by DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)-mediated promoter methylation, and DNMT1 silence suppressed OGD/R-induced damage in HL-1 cells through restoring MGST1 expression. Altogether, targeting MGST1 hyper-methylation ameliorates mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis of cardiomyocytes, and prevents myocardial I/R injury following heart transplantation.

Environmental pollution and health problems caused by traditional non-degradable fossil-based plastics are significant concerns, rendering green and renewable bio-based materials, such as cellulose and C₃₆-Priamine (1074), as attractive substitutes. In particular, the low plasticity of cellulose can be optimized using soft alkyl chains. Herein, multifunctional cellulose-based materials were constructed via covalent adaptable networks using the Schiff base reaction of oxidized microcrystalline cellulose with varying aldehyde (dialdehyde cellulose (DAC)) contents and C₃₆-Priamine (1074). Subsequently, a series of DAC/1074 bio-based films were formed via a simple heat-pressing process (T = 90 °C). The resulting films exhibited excellent properties, including high stresses (16.8-28.6 MPa), high strains (4.94-25.38 %), good transparency (>80 %), excellent toughness (118.24-267.61 J/m³), and enhanced water resistance (92.9-94.5 %) and hydrophobicity (water contact angle of 120.6°-132.83°). Owing to their excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, our prepared DAC/1074 films have diversified applications in food packaging, medical materials, and cosmetics.

The contamination of water systems by antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (CIP), which is used to treat bacterial infections, poses severe risks to environmental safety and public health. To address this issue, a novel zwitterionic polymeric nanocomposite (PNs-HTC) was developed in this study. This novel material was synthesized using alkylated chitosan ionic macromonomers, ionic monomers and combined with hydrotalcite (HTC) via in situ free radical polymerization. The incorporation of quaternary ammonium and vinyl groups into the chitosan backbone, along with varying HTC contents, considerably impacted the properties of the nanocomposite. The nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The effectiveness of PNs-HTC in removing CIP from water was evaluated under different conditions. PNs-HTC exhibited a CIP adsorption capacity of up to 84.43 mg g^-1 at 318 K. Equilibrium data fitted well to the Temkin isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The pH, ionic strength (30 % using 0.1 M NaCl), and HTC content in the nanocomposite influenced CIP adsorption, which reached a maximum of 80 % using 0.03 g of PNs-HTC. Thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption process was favorable, spontaneous, and endothermic and was marked by significant randomness. These findings underscore the potential of PNs-HTC as a robust material for mitigating antibiotic pollution in aquatic environments.

The increasing prevalence of micropollutants like cationic and anionic dyes in wastewater creates an influential environmental challenge, mainly due to their toxic effects and persistence. Current methods often lack the efficiency and versatility to cope with a wide variety of contaminants. This study explores the modification of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF) using (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) to enhance their cationic properties. Laccase was immobilized within the MIL-100 framework and integrated into the cationized TOCNF network. The optimum enzyme concentration was obtained using Lowry's method equal to 2.5 mg/L, and the efficiency of enzyme immobilization at this concentration was 61%. Immobilized laccase in nanocomposite showed maximum activity at 30 °C and pH = 4. The performance of the nanocomposite with cationized-TOCNF was superior to the unmodified cellulose nanofiber nanocomposite (TOCNF), which effectively absorbs and degrades the cationic dye crystal violet and the anionic dye acid orange 7 with an efficiency of 95 and 98%, respectively. The multifunctional cellulose nanofibers increases the adsorbent potential against a wide range of micropollutants, and its integration with the laccase enzyme immobilized in the MIL-100 metal-organic framework provides a promising approach for new applications in the field of wastewater treatment.

Protein-based emulsions are widely utilized for delivering bioactives but suffer from thermodynamic instability, microbial spoilage, and gastrointestinal instability, necessitating enhancement strategies. This study explores the improvement of whey protein isolate (WPI) emulsions through chitosan (CS) coating and spray drying with maltodextrin (MD) or gum Arabic (GA). Canola oil droplets were stabilized with WPI, electrostatic coated with CS, and spray-dried. CS addition significantly increased entrapment efficiency from ∼75-78 % to ∼95-98 %, correlating with enhanced storage and gastrointestinal stability. During a 2-h gastric digestion study, CS/GA-protected powders demonstrated only 3.6 % lipolysis compared to 27.1 % for unprotected WPI emulsions, exhibiting superior gastric resistance. Under small intestinal conditions, their digestion rate constant was one-fifth of that for unprotected WPI emulsions. Furthermore, CS/GA-protected powders maintained excellent storage stability for one year. These findings highlight the potential of WPI-based emulsion powders as effective oral delivery systems for lipophilic bioactives, offering improved storage and gastrointestinal stability.

Starch-ferulic acid (FA) composites have been developed for medical and food fields, while little focus is caused on their use in functional products by 3D printing. In this work, dynamic high-pressure microfluidization was employed to treat starch at various concentrations, for preparing modified starch-FA composites. The high-performance liquid chromatography results showed that an increased starch concentration was conducive to a high yield of composite with enhanced binding of FA. Compared with pure starch and starch-FA mixture gel, the starch-FA composite gel possessed lower viscosity, with a dramatically reduced extrusion pressure in the 3D printing test. Furthermore, antimicrobial activity tests indicated that the starch-FA composite gel can inhibit the growth of microorganism for achieving a long storage period. Overall, we provide a biomaterial of starch-FA composite that can serve as both a 3D printing food ink and an edible, printable, active, and lightweight packaging ink.

The preparation of lignin-based adhesives from sustainable lignin sources has garnered increasing attention from many researchers in recent years. However, developing high-performance and environmentally friendly lignin-based adhesives through a simple and efficient approach remains a significant challenge. In this study, aminated corn stover lignin (ACSL) was prepared by aminating corn stover lignin (CSL) using glutaraldehyde and ethylenediamine. Subsequently, ACSL was covalently crosslinked with trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TMPEG) through simple stirring at room temperature to fabricate a formaldehyde-free adhesive, namely the ACSL-TMPEG adhesive. This adhesive was then hot-pressed directly into bamboo composites. The obtained formaldehyde-free bamboo composites exhibited robust adhesive properties, with the dry strength and wet strength reaching 8.26 MPa and 5.81 MPa, respectively, outperforming many other bio-based adhesives. This study presented a convenient and efficient strategy for synthesizing lignin-based adhesives, thus offering a cost advantage compared with other alternatives and exhibiting the potential for large-scale production.

Influenza virus infection can cause lung inflammation and viral pneumonia in patients. Patchouli alcohol (PA), a tricyclic sesquiterpene derived from Pogostemonis Herba, has been shown to alleviate inflammation in various diseases. However, the molecular mechanism by which patchouli exerts its anti-inflammatory effects, particularly its role in mitigating influenza virus induced inflammation and pneumonia during H1N1 viral infection, remains largely unclear. Herein, we found that PA considerably reduced body weight loss, lung pathological index and attenuated lung histological damage in H1N1-infected mice. Mechanistically, PA reduced the production and secretion of inflammatory cytokines via inhibition of the NF-κB-signaling pathway and blocking inflammasome-mediated proptosis. Additionally, proteomic analysis identified several potential targets of PA, with ubiquitin-specific peptidase 18 (USP18) emerging as a key candidate. Further investigation revealed that PA binds to USP18, enhancing its stability and increasing its transcriptional and translational expression. Overall, our results emphasize the anti-inflammatory effects of PA during influenza virus infection. PA may alleviate lung inflammation and damage by targeting USP18, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for treating influenza-induced lung complications.