Publications by authors named "Qing Feng Zhang"

Roselle extract (RE) is rich in anthocyanins and chlorogenic acids. This study investigated the health-promoting effects of RE on lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, glycometabolism, and gut microbiota in obese mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The obesity model was induced by feeding mice a HFD, with RE supplementation added to their drinking water at concentrations of 2 and 4 mg/mL for 12 weeks.

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A lipophilic piceid lipoate (PIL) was synthesized by enzymatic method to enhance the antioxidant activity of piceid and improve its state in oil system. The highest substrate conversion of 93.71 % was obtained in γ-valerolactone using Novozym 435 as a catalyst, with a piceid/lipoic acid ratio of 1:15 (mM/mM), an enzyme dosage of 40 mg/mL, and 4 Å molecular sieves at 400 mg/mL.

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Taxifolin, a natural dihydroflavonol compound, possesses notable anti-inflammatory properties and regulatory effects on intestinal microbiota. In this study, gelatinized-retrograded corn starch (GCS) was utilized as a carrier for colonic delivery of taxifolin, and its therapeutic efficacy against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice were systematically investigated. Taxifolin can integrate into the helical structure of starch, and the formation of GCS-Taxifolin complexes (GCS-Tax) significantly delayed the release of taxifolin in vitro.

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Inhibition of pancreatic lipase (PL) is a strategy to prevent obesity. The inhibitory effects of Flos Sophorae Immaturus (FSI) extract and its main flavonoid components, rutin and quercetin, on PL were investigated. The contents of rutin and quercetin in FSI extract were 44.

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Here, a scheme for a controllable nonreciprocal phonon laser is proposed in a hybrid photonic molecule system consisting of a whispering-gallery mode (WGM) optomechanical resonator and a χ-nonlinear WGM resonator, by directionally quantum squeezing one of two coupled resonator modes. The directional quantum squeezing results in a chiral photon interaction between the resonators and a frequency shift of the squeezed resonator mode with respect to the unsqueezed bare mode. We show that the directional quantum squeezing can modify the effective optomechanical coupling in the optomechanical resonator, and analyze the impacts of driving direction and squeezing extent on the phonon laser action in detail.

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Roselle is rich in an extensive diversity of beneficial substances, including phenolic acids, amino acids, anthocyanins, vitamins, and flavonoids. Herein, the chemical constituents in Roselle extract (RE) were identified by UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS. Besides, its inhibitory effects on three digestive enzymes, i.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study reviews the effectiveness of high-fidelity (HF) simulation versus low-fidelity (LF) and no simulation in advanced life support (ALS) training for medical professionals.
  • A total of 25 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 2,000 trainees were analyzed, showing significant improvements in both knowledge and skill performance for those using HF simulation compared to other methods.
  • Results indicated higher confidence and satisfaction among participants with HF simulation, along with lasting improvements in skill performance even after one year, underscoring its value in medical training.
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Luteolin loaded zein nanoparticles (Lut-ZNP) were prepared by using sodium caseinate as an electrostatic stabilizer. The formulation of the nanoparticles was optimized. Lut-ZNP were spray-dried, and the physicochemical properties were characterized by SEM, XRD, FT-IR and DSC.

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Mung bean is a kind of legume commonly eaten by human. In the present study, a HPLC method for analyzing of two C-glycoside flavonoids, isovitexin and vitexin, in Mung bean was developed. Results showed that the flavonoids are mainly existed in Mung bean coat (MBC), while kernel contains very trace.

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As the α-subunit of the high-affinity receptor for the Fc portion of immunoglobulin E (FcεRIα), FcεRIα plays a central role in IgE-mediated allergic disorders and in the immunity and immunopathology of some parasitic infections. FcεRIα is specifically expressed on basophils and mast cells, but the mechanism that controls FcεRIα expression in these cells is poorly understood. In this study, we found that the natural antisense transcript (NAT) of FcεRIα (-AS) is co-expressed with the sense transcript (-S) in both interleukin (IL)-3-induced FcεRIα-expressing cells and in the high FcεRIα-expressing cell line MC/9.

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Lipase is a very important digestive enzyme for triglyceride absorption in vivo. The inhibitory activities of 26 dietary flavonoids, including flavone, flavanone, isoflavone and flavanol, on lipase were determined. Flavone exhibited stronger inhibitory activity than other types of flavonoids.

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Chalcone-1-deoxynojirimycin heterozygote (DC-5), a novel compound which was designed and synthesized in our laboratory for diabetes treatment, showed an extremely strong in vitro inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase in our previous studies. In the current research, its potential in vivo anti-diabetic effects were further investigated by integration detection and the analysis of blood glucose concentration, blood biochemical parameters, tissue section and gut microbiota of the diabetic rats. The results indicated that oral administration of DC-5 significantly reduced the fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose, both in diabetic and normal rats; meanwhile, it alleviated the adverse symptoms of elevated blood lipid level and lipid metabolism disorder in diabetic rats.

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Astilbin is a dihydroflavanol found in many plants and processed foods. Astilbin possesses multiple health-beneficial bioactivities and has received great attention. Hence, the natural source, physicochemical properties, biological activities and metabolism of astilbin are summarized in the present article.

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The metabolism, tissue distribution and excretion of taxifolin in rat after oral administration of taxifolin encapsulated zein-caseinate Nanoparticles (TZP) were studied. The isomerization of taxifolin in rat small intestine and colon was found. Besides isomers, 16 metabolites of taxifolin were identified in rat feces, plasma and urine by UPLC-QTOF-MS.

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Unlabelled: Slowly digestible gorgon nut starch (GN-SDS) was prepared by heating-cooling treatment (HCT), meanwhile its morphological and structural features were characterized in detail by SEM, DSC, XRD and IR detection. The optimized parameters of GN-SDS processing were as following: starch milk (20%) was heated at 100 °C for 20 min, and then cooled under 4 °C for 24 h. Under the optimized parameters, the SDS content increased from 20.

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Article Synopsis
  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is linked to cognitive decline, and this study explores how Dihydromyricetin (DMY) can mitigate these effects in aging mice induced by d-galactose.
  • Through 16 weeks of d-gal injections and DMY supplementation, the study found significant improvements in cognitive tests and brain health, with DMY enhancing antioxidant activity and decreasing harmful substances in the brain.
  • DMY also helps reduce cholinergic damage by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent in combating cognitive impairments associated with AD.
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Three shell materials, lecithin (ZNP-L), chitosan (ZNP-CH) and sodium caseinate (ZNP-SC), were used to prepare core-shell zein nanoparticles. Astilbin was encapsulated as a model flavonoid to compare the influence of the shell materials on zein nanoparticles both and . The particle size was moderately increased by lecithin and sodium caseinate, but notably increased by chitosan.

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  • Taxifolin, a natural dihydroflavonol, was tested for its effects on obesity and gut microbiota in mice fed a high-fat diet for 15 weeks.
  • Supplementation with taxifolin did not affect food or water intake but led to reduced body weight gain, decreased fat accumulation, and improved liver health by lowering cholesterol and enhancing antioxidant activity.
  • The study found that taxifolin improved gut microbiota diversity, counteracting the dysbiosis caused by a high-fat diet, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic for obesity-related issues.
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In the Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, pore-forming toxins (PFTs), such as leukocidins and hemolysins, play prominent roles in staphylococcal pathogenesis by killing host immune cells and red blood cells (RBCs). However, it remains unknown which combination of toxin antigens would induce the broadest protective immune response against those toxins. In this study, by targeting six major staphylococcal PFTs (i.

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  • Bambusa multiplex cv Fernleaf (B. multiplex) leaf extract was analyzed, revealing high levels of C-glycosyl flavonoids, particularly isoorientin and vitexin.
  • The extract demonstrated strong inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase and α-glucosidase, suggesting potential for reducing fat absorption.
  • In vivo experiments on rats indicated that the extract led to decreased fat absorption and increased fat excretion, correlating the extract's C-glycosyl flavonoid content with triglyceride levels in feces.
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Background: Dihydromyricetin (DMY) is a natural dihydroflavonol with many bioactive effects. However, the physicochemical properties of DMY related to its bioavailability, especially its stability, are unclear.

Results: The effects of pH, temperature, metal ions and ascorbic acid (AA) on the stability of DMY were studied using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

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In the complement system, the opsonin C3b binds to the bacterial cell surface and mediates the opsonophagocytosis. However, the cell-wall protein SdrE of Staphylococcus aureus inhibits the C3b activity by recruiting the complement regulatory protein factor H (fH). SdrE binds to fH via its N-terminal N2N3 domain, which are also found in six other staphylococcal cell-wall proteins.

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Astilbin and neoastilbin are two flavonoid stereoisomers. In the present study, their solubility, stability, and bioavailability were compared in a rat. The results revealed that the water solubility of astilbin and neoastilbin was 132.

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Background: Malaria caused by Plasmodium spp. is still a major threat to public health globally. The various approaches to developing new antimalarial agents rely on the understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms of dynamic gene expression in the life-cycle of these malaria parasites.

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