The Chemerin-CMKLR1 Axis is Functionally important for Central Regulation of Energy Homeostasis.

Chemerin is an adipokine involved in inflammation, adipogenesis, angiogenesis and energy metabolism, and has been hypothesized as a link between obesity and type II diabetes. In humans affected by obesity, chemerin gene expression in peripheral tissues and circulating levels are elevated. In mice, plasma levels of chemerin are upregulated by high-fat feeding and gain and loss of function studies show an association of chemerin with body weight, food intake and glucose homeostasis.

The effect of photoperiod and high fat diet on the cognitive response in photoperiod-sensitive F344 rats.

In many species, seasonal changes in day length (photoperiod) have profound effects on physiology and behavior. In humans, these include cognitive function and mood. Here we investigated the effect of photoperiod and high fat diets on cognitive deficits, as measured by novel object recognition, in the photoperiod-sensitive F344 rat, which exhibits marked natural changes in growth, body weight and food intake in response to photoperiod.

Aquatic polymer-based edible films of fish gelatin crosslinked with alginate dialdehyde having enhanced physicochemical properties.

Fish-derived gelatin (FG), a raw material for edible films, has recently been spotlighted as an alternative source of mammalian gelatin. However, its low stability under moisture conditions and weak mechanical properties limit its application. In this study, a water-stable and mechanically robust FG film was prepared using alginate dialdehyde (ADA) as an eco-friendly crosslinking agent.

Fabrication of an ultrafine fish gelatin nanofibrous web from an aqueous solution by electrospinning.

Electrospinning of aqueous gelatin solution obtained from bovine or porcine sources has been difficult to achieve without additional facilities, such as a temperature control oven or heating cover. Gelatin from cold-water fish has low contents of proline (Pro) and hydroxyproline (Hyp) compared with mammalian-derived gelatin. For this reason, the fish-derived gelatin maintains a sol state without showing gelation behavior at room temperature.

Preparation of Silk Sericin/Lignin Blend Beads for the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium Ions.

In the present study, novel adsorbents having high adsorption capability and reusability were prepared using agricultural by-products: silk sericin and lignin. Silk sericin and lignin blend beads were successfully prepared using simple coagulation methods for the removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from aqueous solution. A 1 M lithium chloride (LiCl)/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent system successfully dissolved both sericin and lignin and had sufficient viscosity for bead preparation.

The role of glycerol and water in flexible silk sericin film.

Silk sericin (SS) can be obtained as a byproduct during the silk fiber process, but its application has been limited due to the brittleness of the SS film. To enhance the flexibility of the SS film, glycerol (Glc) has been added as a plasticizer. The addition of Glc enhanced the elongation property of the SS film when the Glc content was 50-70 wt% of SS.

Effect of shear viscosity on the preparation of sphere-like silk fibroin microparticles by electrospraying.

Silk fibroin (SF) is known to be a biocompatible material, and different forms of SF are used for various applications. However, the application of SF in particle form is rarely reported, compared to other forms. In this study, SF microparticles with a diameter of approximately 250 μm were prepared by the electrospray method, using 1 M LiCl/DMSO as a solvent.

Extraction conditions of Antheraea mylitta sericin with high yields and minimum molecular weight degradation.

Although the technique for extracting the Bombyx mori sericin has been extensively known, the extraction of sericin from wild-silkworm cocoons is not yet standardized. The aim of this study was to find the optimal conditions for the extraction of sericin from Antheraea mylitta cocoons, with high yields and minimum degradation. We attempted to apply various protocols for the extraction of the A.