Measurement of Zinc Ions in Seawater Samples Using a Microfluidic System Based on the GR/CeO/Nafion Material.

Considering that heavy-metal contamination of seawater is getting worse, building a quick, accurate and portable device for detecting trace zinc in seawater in real time would be very beneficial. In this work, a microfluidic system was developed that includes a planar disc electrode, a micro-cavity for detection, an electrochemical workstation, a computer, a container for waste liquid reprocessing, an external pipeline and other components as well as a graphene/cerium oxide/nano-cerium oxide/Nafion composite membrane was used to modify the planar disc electrode (GR/CeO/Nafion/Au) to investigate the electrochemical behaviour of Zn(II) using cyclic voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry and orthogonal test methods. Under optimal experimental conditions, the peak reaction current of Zn(II) showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of Zn(II) in the range of 1-900 μg/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.

Exclusive Core-Janus Satellite Assembly Based on Au-Ag Janus Self-Aligned Distributions with Abundant Hotspots for Ultrasensitive Detection of CA19-9.

The development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes with high sensitivity and stability is imminent to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnosis. Here, an exclusive core-Janus satellite (CJS) assembly was constructed by a hierarchical assembly strategy in which the Au-Ag Janus satellite is vertically self-aligned on the core surface. In the process, a silica shell template was ingeniously employed to asymmetrically mask the presatellites for the in situ formation of the Janus structure, and a series of Janus satellites with different morphologies were developed by regulating the encapsulated area of the presatellites.

A Ratiometric Fluorescence Probe for Selective Detection of ex vivo Methylglyoxal in Diabetic Mice.

Accurate monitoring of methylglyoxal (MGO) at cell and living level was crucial to reveal its role in the pathogenesis of diabetes since MGO was closely related to diabetes. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescence strategy was constructed based on the capture probe 2,3-diaminonaphthalene (DAN) for the specific detection of MGO. Compared to the fluorescent probes with a single emission wavelength, the ratiometric mode by monitoring two emissions can effectively avoid the interference from the biological background, and provided additional self-calibration ability, which can realize accurate detection of MGO.

A new polysaccharide from induces molecular shifts of immunomodulation on macrophages RAW264.7.

Investigation on polysaccharides led to the finding of a new polysaccharide (CCP). The basic components of CCP were the total sugar (59.18% ± 0.

Immunomodulatory sulfated polysaccharides from Caulerpa racemosa var. peltata induces metabolic shifts in NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Algal polysaccharide activates macrophages to alter physiologic biomarkers to drive the immunomodulatory phenotype, but it lacks specific biomarkers involved in the biochemical underpinning process. Here, we undertook an extensive analysis of the RAW 264.7 macrophages induced by an immunostimulating sulfated polysaccharide from Caulerpa racemosa var.

Transglutaminase-Catalyzed Encapsulation of Individual Mammalian Cells with Biocompatible and Cytoprotective Gelatin Nanoshells.

Mammalian cells are extremely vulnerable to external assaults compared with plant and microbial cells because of the weakness of cell membranes compared with cell walls. Construction of ultrathin and robust artificial shells on mammalian cells with biocompatible materials is a promising strategy for protecting single cells against harsh environmental conditions. Herein, layer-by-layer assembly combined with a transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-linking reaction was employed to prepare cross-linked and biocompatible gelatin nanoshells on individual human cervical carcinoma cell line (HeLa) cells and mouse insulinoma cell line 6 (MIN6) cells.

Structural characterization and immunological activity of pectin polysaccharide from kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus) peels.

Two novel polysaccharides, namely CMPP-1 and CMPP-2, from kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus) peels were isolated through hot-water extraction, followed by ethanol precipitation and column chromatography. The results showed that CMPP-1 and CMPP-2 were hetero-galacturonans with different molecular weights of 7.35 kDa and 6.

Structural features, interaction with the gut microbiota and anti-tumor activity of oligosaccharides.

Some oligosaccharides are regarded as biological constituents with benefits to human health in an indirect way. They enter the intestinal tract to be fermented by the gut microbiota, causing changes in the abundance and composition of the gut microbiota and producing fermentation products such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In this review, the structural features and biological activities of eight common natural oligosaccharides were summarized, including human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS), xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides (AXOS), isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOS), chitin oligosaccharides (NACOS), mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS).

Structural Features of Three Hetero-Galacturonans from Fruits and Their in Vitro Immunomodulatory Effects.

is a horticultural plant and vital traditional Chinese herbal medicine. In our previous study, the characterization and immuno-enhancing effect of fruits polysaccharide 1 (PFP1), a water-eluted hetero-mannan from wild fruits, were investigated. Herein, another three salt-eluted novel polysaccharides, namely PFP2, PFP3, and PFP4, were obtained and structurally characterized.

Marine unsaturated fatty acids: structures, bioactivities, biosynthesis and benefits.

Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) are an important category of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids with nutritional properties. These secondary metabolites have been obtained from multitudinous natural resources, including marine organisms. Because of the increasing numerous biological importance of these marine derived molecules, this review covers 147 marine originated UFAs reported from 1978 to 2018.

Nutritional characteristics of marine fish Bleeker and immunostimulatory activities of its glycoprotein.

Bleeker, an edible and medicinal marine fish, is largely distributed in tropical oceans. However, the chemical composition and nutritional properties of this species have not yet been investigated. In the present study, proximate composition, fatty acids, amino acids, taurine, and minerals of Bleeker were characterized, and the immunostimulatory properties of its glycoprotein were evaluated.

Structure characterization of a novel polysaccharide from Chinese wild fruits (Passiflora foetida) and its immune-enhancing activity.

A novel polysaccharide (PFP1) with an average molecular weight of 2.02 × 10 g/mol was isolated from Passiflora foetida fruits through hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation and column chromatography. The structure of PFP1 was determined by GPC-MALS-RI, IC, FT-IR, GC-MS and NMR.

Structural characterization and immunostimulatory activity of a novel polysaccharide from green alga Caulerpa racemosa var peltata.

A novel water-soluble polysaccharide (named CRVP-1) was successfully obtained from Caulerpa racemosa var peltata by hot-water extraction, ethanol precipitation, and column chromatography. The structure of CRVP-1 was characterized by HPGPC, HPAEC-PAD, FT-IR, GC-MS and NMR. The structural analysis indicated that CRVP-1 possessed a sulfate content of 25.

Biodiversity and antifouling activity of fungi associated with two soft corals from the South China Sea.

Bacteria in corals have been studied in detail in the past decades. However, the biodiversity and bioactivity of fungi in corals are still poorly understood. This study investigated the biodiversity and antifouling activity of fungi in soft corals Cladiella krempfi and Sarcophyton tortuosum from the South China Sea.

Investigation of glycerol concentration on corn starch morphologies and gelatinization behaviours during heat treatment.

The effects of various glycerol concentrations (0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 50%, w/w) on the morphologies and gelatinization behaviours of corn starch were evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rapid visco-analyzer (RVA). When corn starch granules with no added glycerol were treated at 65°C, the granules of corn starch were almost completely broken and tightly connected, and the characteristic birefringence of the starch granules disappeared. Various microscopic techniques revealed that starch gelatinization was delayed to higher temperatures as the glycerol concentration increased.

Nocardioides kandeliae sp. nov., an endophytic actinomycete isolated from leaves of Kandelia candel.

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-spore-forming, atrichous and short rod-shaped endophytic actinomycete, designated strain BGMRC 2075, was isolated from the leaves of Kandelia candel, and was subjected to polyphasic characterization to unravel its taxonomic position. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BGMRC 2075 belongs to the genus Nocardioides ,showing the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Nocardioides aestuarii JC2056 (96.1 %), Nocardioides agariphilus MSL-28 (95.