This study was to investigate the antibacterial effects and metabolites derived from bifidobacterial fermentation of an exopolysaccharide EPS-LM produced by a medicinal fungus Cordyceps sinensis, Cs-HK1. EPS-LM was a partially purified polysaccharide fraction which was mainly composed of Man, Glc and Gal at 7.31:12.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPollutants often exist as mixtures in environmental settings, creating a challenge in selecting the most effective combination of biomarkers for routine monitoring. This study was conducted seasonally in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, to compare the responses of nine biomarkers in the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis with respect to its tissue levels of persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Multivariate statistical techniques were utilised to determine the single best predictor and optimal subset of biomarkers in P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the primary and secondary metabolites of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (HILIC-Orbitrap-HRMS). Certified samples from two cultivars, Green stem water spinach (G) and White stem water spinach (W) cultivated using organic and conventional farming methods, were collected from the Hong Kong market. Multivariate analysis was used to differentiate water spinach of different cultivars and farming methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Pollut Bull
April 2024
The green-lipped mussel Perna viridis was utilised for pollution biomonitoring in Victoria Harbour and its adjacent aquaculture area in Hong Kong. P. viridis was collected from a reference site and redeployed at five study sites for five weeks during the dry and wet seasons of 2019.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroplastics represent an emerging environmental issue and have been found almost everywhere including seafood, raising a great concern about the ecological and human health risks they pose. This study addressed the common technical challenges in the assessment of microplastics in seafood by developing an improved protocol based on Raman spectroscopy and using the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis and the Japanese jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus as the test models. Our findings identified a type of stainless-steel filter membranes with minimal Raman interference, and a combination of chemicals that achieved 99-100% digestion efficiency for both organic and inorganic biomass.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBeef is a common staple food in many countries, and there is a growing concern over misinformation of beef products, such as false claims of origin, species and production methods. In this study, we used a mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach to study the metabolite profiles of beef samples purchased from local retailers in Hong Kong. Using multivariate analysis, beef samples from different a) geographical origins, namely the United States (US), Japan and Australia, and b) feeding regimes could be differentiated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethylmercury (MeHg) is a well-known environmental neurotoxicant affecting millions worldwide who consume contaminated fishes and other food commodities. Exposure to MeHg has been shown to associate positively with some chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, but the mechanism is poorly characterized. MeHg had been shown to affect prostaglandin (PG) regulations in in vitro studies, but neither in vivo nor human studies investigating the effects of MeHg on PG regulations has been reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResidents of Hong Kong have undergone a dietary transition from a traditional Chinese diet that is high in seafood to a more Western diet. This may have affected the nutritional composition of breast milk of Hong Kong mothers. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between the dietary pattern and the fatty acid profile of the breast milk of lactating women in Hong Kong.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolysaccharide-protein complex-coated selenium nanoparticles (PTR-SeNPs) system has been rationally designed and identified as a potent bone-formation therapeutic to antagonize osteoporosis. The nanosystem presents high cellular uptake in osteoblast cells and significantly enhances bone formation in vitro and in vivo, mainly through BMP-2/Smad-mediated signalling pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn recent decades attention has focused on the development of non-toxic fouling-release coatings based on silicone polymers as an alternative to toxic antifouling coatings. As fouling-release coatings gain market share, they will contribute to environmental contamination by silicones. We report effects of eight model polysiloxane and three commercial foul-release coatings on embryonic development of sea urchins and fish, Japanese medaka.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF