Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry最新文献

Plants from the Panax genus have significant medicinal and nutritional benefits. Many Panax species are traditionally used in Chinese medicine and have gained popularity as food and health products because of their tonic effects and high safety. Their key bioactive components include polysaccharides, which are hydrophilic biomolecules that have demonstrated significant potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries because of their multiple health-promoting qualities, such as immunomodulatory, antitumor, antiaging, blood glucose and blood lipid regulation, antiviral, hepatoprotective, and gastrointestinal protective properties. Additionally, polysaccharides are abundant in health products made from the genus Panax, such as energy drinks and herbal teas. However, compared with more extensively studied components, such as ginsenosides and saponins, polysaccharides from the genus Panax (GPPs) have been the subject of relatively limited research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the extraction and purification technology, structural characteristics, biological activities, applications, and structure-activity relationships of GPPs. Ultimately, this information establishes a theoretical foundation for the further development and application of GPPs in nutrition and medicine.

Laminarin mainly consists of fucoidan, a unique, naturally active sulfate polysaccharide. Laminarin is known for its outstanding multiple bioactives, but its role in lactation remains largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the influence of maternal intake of laminarin on lactation and infant health in a porcine model. A total of 20 sows of parity 6.85 ± 0.88 with similar comprehensive scores were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments to receive a basal diet with/without supplementary laminarin. We showed that maternal intake of laminarin improved the antioxidant capacity and intestinal barrier function of the offspring, alleviated the inflammatory response, and facilitated infant growth and health. Mechanistically, maternal consumption of laminarin significantly modified the metabolite profiles of colostrum and milk. We also demonstrated in a vitro study that coniferyl aldehyde, a representative differential milk metabolite, enhanced antioxidant capacity and tight junction protein expression levels in intestinal epithelial cells. In summary, maternal intake of laminarin facilitated offspring health and growth by fortifying milk metabolites.

In situ galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) synthesis in milk using β-galactosidases is an effective method for developing prebiotic dairy products. However, the low lactose concentration in milk (∼4.6%, w/w) reduces the GOS yield. In this study, a modified β-galactosidase from Bacillus circulans (mBgaD-D) with enhanced transglycosylation activity at low lactose concentration was developed through directed evolution and saturation mutagenesis. The GOS yield by mBgaD-D increased from 22.8% (wild type) to 30.8% in 50 g/L lactose (phosphate buffer). P_mgut was a strong sorbitol-inducible promoter from Bacillus subtilis. The expression of mBgaD-D in B. subtilis, coupled with the P_mgut promoter, resulted in a 6.4-fold increase (compared to the P₄₃ promoter) in extracellular enzyme activity. Additionally, adding whey powder to boost the initial lactose concentration further improved the GOS yield, which reached 43% under the optimized conditions. Combining mBgaD-D and whey powder enhanced milk sweetness, producing no sugar-added, GOS-enriched yogurt (GOSY). The GOS content in GOSY was 4.1/100 g, providing an appropriate level of sweetness and yielding a yogurt that is elastic as well as firm. GOSY also increased the population of Bifidobacterium spp. during a 24 h in vitro fecal fermentation. Thus, fortifying yogurt with mBgaD-D and whey powder can enhance its technological properties and health benefits.

Shikimic acid (SA), extracted from the fruit of shikimi-no-ki, is used both as a preservative in the food industry and as an intermediate for a variety of active ingredients with a wide range of pharmacological functions. A deeper understanding of the pharmacokinetic process of SA in pigs and its impact on humoral immunity could prove invaluable in facilitating its clinical application in veterinary and human medicine. The pharmacokinetic study employed a two-period, two-sequence, crossover design to animal experiments and developed a novel method of pig plasma preparation using water as an extractant and ionization promoter, followed by purification and enrichment on a MAX solid phase extraction (SPE) column. The results showed that SA is rapidly absorbed after intragastric administration (50 mg/kg BW), reaching a plasma C_max of 10,823.44 ng/mL at 1.78 h, followed by rapid elimination, with a t_1/2 of 1.81 h, consistent with a one-compartment model. The results for intravenous administration (2 mg/kg BW) were consistent with a two-compartment open model with a t_1/2 of 3.66 h, with concentrations below the limit of quantification (LOQ) observed beyond 12 h postdose. The absolute bioavailability of SA in pigs was calculated to be 21.68%. Furthermore, the Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated a strong positive correlation between SA concentration in pig plasma and the changes of C3, C4 and IgG, IgA, and IgM (0.6 < R < 1, P < 0.0001). A more detailed pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) modeling analysis of the intravenous group revealed the EC₅₀/C_max values of approximately 10%, with all γ values exceeding 3. This study was the inaugural investigation into the pharmacokinetics of SA in growing pigs, and it also revealed that SA has the potential to act as an immunopotentiator.

Carrageenan oligosaccharides have shown promising bioavailability and possess a variety of physiological activities, making them highly suitable for use in the food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries. The preferred method for producing carrageenan oligosaccharides is using various carrageenolytic enzymes, as it offers mild reaction conditions, high efficiency, and product specificity. However, there is still a lack of specific applications for using these enzymes to prepare odd-numbered carrageenan-oligosaccharides (OCOSs). Our previous research identified a more convenient route for simultaneously preparing OCOSs and 3,6-anhydro-D-galactose (D-AHG) using only two types of carrageenolytic enzymes: κ-carrageenase and exo-α-3,6-anhydro-D-galactosidase (D-ADAGase). In this study, we utilized a CipA-based self-assembly system to cascade κ-carrageenase CaKC16A and D-ADAGase ZuGH129A for one-step preparation of β/κ-carrapentaose, G-(DA-G4S)₂, and D-AHG from degrading β/κ-carrageenan. This self-assembled enzyme, namely CipA-CaKC16A-ZuGH129A, can be easily obtained through a simple centrifugation process. The final optimized enzymatic process produced 0.74 g/L G-(DA-G4S)₂ and 0.13 g/L D-AHG. This cascade system of different types of carrageenolytic enzymes has the potential to achieve the preparation of various types of carrageenan oligosaccharides.

In an effort to explore new-type high-efficiency antifungal agents, 25 novel L-carvone-based 1,3,4-thiadiazole-amide derivatives were designed, synthesized, and structurally characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analyses. The antifungal activity of the target compounds was preliminarily assayed at a concentration of 50 μg/mL, and boscalid, a commercialized fungicide identified as a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI), was employed as the positive control. It was found that all of the target compounds showed moderate to potent antifungal activity against the tested fungi compared to boscalid. Surprisingly, compound 4b exhibited broad-spectrum and significant inhibition activity against the growth of eight phytopathogenic strains with inhibitory rates of 67-89%. Further, the results of the EC₅₀ value test suggested that the EC₅₀ values of compound 4b against Physalospora piricola and Colletotrichum orbiculare were 16.33 and 18.06 μg/mL, respectively, and both of them were better than those of boscalid (16.64 and >50). Therefore, compound 4b deserves further study as a lead compound for novel fungicides. In addition, the inhibitory activity of compound 4b against succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) was evaluated as well to prove that compound 4b (IC₅₀ = 3.38 μM) displayed higher SDH-inhibition activity than boscalid (IC₅₀ = 7.02 μM). The binding mode of compound 4b and SDH was simulated by molecular docking and found to be similar to that of boscalid. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) of the target compounds were analyzed by establishing a 3D-QSAR model. Besides, a 4b-loaded complex 4b/CSTA on a reported L-carvone-based nanochitosan carrier CSTA containing the 1,3,4-thiadiazole-amide group was constructed, and its sustained release performance was investigated in the EtOH-H₂O system (1:9, v/v). The complex 4b/CSTA exhibited preferred sustained release performance, indicating its potential for developing environmentally friendly nanofungicides.

The skin and cardiovascular systems are connected in unique and meaningful ways, and many diseases conventionally considered as being limited to one organ system are more closely related than previously believed. Major cardiovascular diseases and phenomena such as infective endocarditis, congestive heart failure, Kawasaki disease and thromboembolism are associated with specific skin findings, and advances in genetics, immunology and clinical epidemiology show that inflammatory dermatological diseases, such as psoriasis, have serious cardiovascular and cardiometabolic consequences. Additionally, commonly used cardiovascular therapies, such as antihypertensive medications, are associated with important cutaneous adverse effects, including photosensitivity, photocarcinogenesis and eczematous skin reactions. Moreover, systemic dermatological therapies, including retinoids, Janus kinase inhibitors and biologics, can alter the risk of cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. In this Review on cardiodermatology, we provide interdisciplinary insights from dermatology and cardiology that will be of practical use to both cardiologists and generalists who manage cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases in patients with dermatological findings or histories. We discuss specific skin findings associated with cardiovascular diseases to aid in diagnosis; important cutaneous adverse effects of common cardiovascular therapies, for the purpose of treatment monitoring; and the effect of dermatological diseases and dermatological treatment on cardiovascular risk.

Autologous saphenous veins are the most frequently used conduits for coronary and peripheral artery bypass grafting. However, vein graft failure rates of 40–50% within 10 years of the implantation lead to poor long-term outcomes after bypass surgery. Currently, only a few therapeutic approaches for vein graft disease have been successfully translated into clinical practice. Building on the past two decades of advanced understanding of vein graft biology and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying vein graft disease, nanomedicine-based strategies offer promising opportunities to address this important unmet clinical need. In this Review, we provide deep insight into the latest developments in the rational design and applications of nanoparticles that have the potential to target specific cells during various pathophysiological stages of vein graft disease, including early endothelial dysfunction, intermediate intimal hyperplasia and late-stage accelerated atherosclerosis. Additionally, we underscore the convergence of nanofabricated biomaterials, with a particular focus on hydrogels, external graft support devices and cell-based therapies, alongside bypass surgery to improve local delivery efficiency and therapeutic efficacy. Finally, we provide a specific discussion on the considerations, challenges and novel perspectives for the future clinical translation of nanomedicine for the treatment of vein graft disease.

The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, and the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy jointly developed clinically relevant and evidence-based guidelines focusing on key aspects of fertility-sparing strategies and follow-up of patients with cervical cancers, ovarian cancers, and borderline ovarian tumours. The developmental process of these guidelines is based on a systematic literature review and critical appraisal involving an international multidisciplinary development group consisting of 25 experts from relevant disciplines (ie, gynaecological oncology, oncofertility, reproductive surgery, endoscopy, imaging, conservative surgery, medical oncology, and histopathology). Before publication, the guidelines were reviewed by 121 independent international practitioners in cancer care delivery and patient representatives. The guidelines comprehensively cover oncological aspects of fertility-sparing strategies during the initial management, optimisation of fertility results and infertility management, and the patient's desire for future pregnancy and beyond.