Isolation, functional evaluation, and fermentation process optimization of probiotic Bacillus coagulans.

Bacillus coagulans is a probiotic agent widely used in various industries. In this study, we isolated a novel strain of B. coagulans, X26, from soil and characterized its properties.

Improved stabilization of coix seed oil in a nanocage-coating framework based on gliadin-carboxymethyl chitosan-Ca.

Coix seed oil (CSO) is easily suffered functional-loss by oxidation and hydrothermal-treatment. The environmental stable nanocage-coating-CSO particles (OGC-Ca) by the frameworks consist of gliadins, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and Ca were investigated. Results showed Ca was the key controller for fabricating this nanocage-coating-frameworks, bridging macromolecule-chains with electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonds, detected by FTIR, CD, DSC and XRD.

Copper(I)-Catalyzed Nitrile-Addition/-Arylation Ring-Closure Cascade: Synthesis of 5,11-Dihydro-6-indolo[3,2-]quinolin-6-ones as Potent Topoisomerase-I Inhibitors.

In this paper, we present a copper(I)-catalyzed nitrile-addition/-arylation ring-closure cascade for the synthesis of 5,11-dihydro-6-indolo[3,2-]quinolin-6-ones from 2-(2-bromophenyl)--(2-cyanophenyl)acetamides. Using CuBr and -BuONa in dimethylformamide (DMF) as the optimal reaction conditions, the cascade reaction gave the target products, in high yields, with a good substrate scope. Application of the cascade reaction was demonstrated on the concise total syntheses of alkaloid isocryptolepine.

Comparative study on glucomannans with different structural characteristics: Functional properties and intestinal production of short chain fatty acids.

Glucomannans (GMs) from abundant natural resources have excellent processing properties and plentiful bioactivities. In current study, functional properties of GMs with different structural characteristics, including KGM from konjac, DOP from dendrobium, AGP, ASP-4N, ASP-6N, & ASP-8N from aloe were determined. Results suggested that molecular weights (M) of GMs were positively correlated with their water absorption capacity, fat absorption capacity, and viscosity, while ratio of mannose/glucose showed negative effect.

Synthesis, characterization, and biological activity of selenium nanoparticles conjugated with polysaccharides.

Nanoparticles with unique properties have potential applications in food, medicine, pharmacology, and agriculture industries. Accordingly, many significant researches have been conducted to develop novel nanoparticles using chemical and biological techniques. This review focuses on the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using polysaccharides as templates.

Protuboxepin C and protuboxepin D from the sponge-derived fungus Aspergillus sp SCSIO XWS02F40.

Two new diketopiperazine alkaloids, named protuboxepin C (1) and protuboxepin D (2), which contain D-Phe residue and oxepin ring, were isolated from EtOAc extract of sponge-derived fungus Aspergillus sp SCSIO XWS02F40. Their structures were elucidated by 1D, 2D NMR and HRESIMS dates, and their absolute configurations were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments and CD analyses. The in vitro cytotoxicity of these two new compounds was further evaluated using A549 and Hela cell lines.

Risk of glomerular filtration rate decline in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and obstructive sleep apnoea.

Sleep apnoea is associated with chronic kidney diseases. A high obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) prevalence is shown in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Whether the presence of OSA would affect the renal function of patients with HCM is unknown.

Preparation and evaluation of a sustained-release buckwheat noodle.

Background: Different carbohydrates elicit various effects on the digestibility and the glucose release rate, so it is of interest to develop a sustained-release noodle based on the combination of different carbohydrates and reveal the sustained-release mechanism.

Results: The data obtained suggest that xanthan and konjac gum exhibited excellent and synergistic sustained-release properties, whereas cornstarch showed the lowest average digestion rate. The sustained release was particularly evident when the noodle consisted of the following components: 50 g of 25 g kg(-1) hydrophilic colloid mixture solution composed of a 1:1 mass ratio of xanthan:konjac gum and 100 g of reconstructed flour consisting of 200 g kg(-1) buckwheat flour, 400 g kg(-1) cornstarch, and 400 g kg(-1) plain flour.

Purification and characterisation of a glutamic acid-containing peptide with calcium-binding capacity from whey protein hydrolysate.

The bioavailability of dietary ionised calcium is affected by intestinal basic environment. Calcium-binding peptides can form complexes with calcium to improve its absorption and bioavailability. The aim of this study was focused on isolation and characterisation of a calcium-binding peptide from whey protein hydrolysates.

Purification and characterization of a novel lectin from Chinese leek seeds.

A novel lectin, CLSL, was purified from Chinese leek seeds by ion exchange chromatography on SP Sephadex C-25 and gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G50. The lectin had a molecular weight of 23.6 kDa and was composed of two identical subunits linked by disulfide bonds, a conclusion based on SDS-PAGE under reducing and nonreducing conditions.

[Ultrastructure of Ericerus pela (Chavannes) nymph mouthparts and ecological adaptations].

The ultrastructure of nymph mouthparts of the Chinese white wax scale (CWWS), Ericerus pela, consists internally of the crumena, tentorium, the stylet bundle, comprised of two mandibular stylets and two maxillary stylets, and the external clypeolabral shield, labium and sensilla. The mouthpart morphology and structures of the female nymphs are similar to the male. The mouthparts of CWWS have significantly different features in comparison to aphids and other coccids.

1,3-Bis(2-nitro-phen-oxy)propan-2-ol.

In the title compound, C(15)H(14)N(2)O(7), the planes of the two benzene rings form a dihedral angle of 33.16 (17)°. In the crystal, inter-molecular hydrogen bonds involveing the OH group and nitro O atoms link the mol-ecules into chains propagating along the a axis.

Ice-structuring peptides derived from bovine collagen.

Antifreeze proteins belonging to structurally diverse families of genetically coded proteins from several living organisms have been isolated and characterized in the past. This paper reports that collagen peptides of a certain molecular size range derived from Alcalase hydrolysis of bovine gelatin are able to inhibit recrystallization of ice in frozen ice cream mix as well as in frozen sucrose solutions in a manner similar to natural antifreeze proteins. The optimum conditions for producing such ice-structuring peptides (ISP) were hydrolysis at pH 9.

[Effects of host plants on natural population of Kerria yunnanensis (Hemipterae: Kerridae)].

The study on the development, survivorship and reproduction of Kerria yunnanensis on 4 kinds of host trees indicated that in natural environment, the initial K. yunnanensis population density varied from 181.17 individuals on Dalbergia obtusifolia to 145.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a non-specific lipid-transfer protein with antipathogenic activity from Phaseolus mungo.

A 9 kDa non-specific lipid-transfer protein (nsLTP) from mung bean (Phaseolus mungo) seeds, displaying antifungal activity, antibacterial activity and lipid-transfer activity, was crystallized at 297 K using ammonium sulfate as a precipitant by means of the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. Native X-ray diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 2.4 A.

A non-specific lipid transfer protein with antifungal and antibacterial activities from the mung bean.

A non-specific lipid transfer peptide (nsLTP) with antimicrobial activity was isolated from the mung bean (Phaseolus mungo) seeds. The procedure entailed aqueous extraction, ion exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on POROS-HS-20. The peptide exhibited a molecular mass of 9.