Effect of superheated steam on Maillard reaction products, digestibility, and antioxidant activity in β-Lactoglobulin-glucose system.

This study analyzes the interactions among Maillard reaction products (MRPs), digestibility and antioxidant activity in a β-lactoglobulin-glucose (βlg-Glu) model system during superheated steam treatment at 120 °C for 1 to 5 min. With an increase in treatment duration, there were significant increases in glucose loss, grafting degree, browning, and the formation of intermediate products in βlg-Glu. Characteristic MRPs, including α-dicarbonyl compounds, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), were formed through the degradation of sugars and condensation reactions between carbonyls and amines, accompanied by an increase in oxidative products.

Effect of dynamic high-pressure microfluidization on the structural, emulsifying properties, in vitro digestion and antioxidant activity of whey protein isolate.

The effects of dynamic high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) on the structural, emulsifying properties, in vitro digestion and antioxidant activity of whey protein isolate (WPI) were investigated. The results demonstrated that WPI treated with 100 MPa DHPM exhibited superior emulsification performance. This can be attributed to the conformational changes induced by 100 MPa DHPM in WPI, leading to a transformation from disordered structures to ordered structures and an increased exposure of fluorophore such as tryptophan residues and hydrophobic groups, reduced aggregation state and particle size of WPI.

Dynamic high-pressure microfluidization assisted with galactooligosaccharide-modified whey protein isolate: Investigating its effect on relieving intestinal barrier damage.

The study aimed to investigating the mechanisms of relieved intestinal barrier damage by dynamic high-pressure microfluidization assisted with galactooligosaccharide- glycated whey protein isolate. The modifications changed the multi-structure, and the modified whey protein isolate could promote the proliferation of IEC-6 cells and contributed to the restoration of LPS-induced occludin damage in IEC-6 cells. Also, it could repair cyclophosphamide-induced ileal villus rupture and crypt destruction in BALB/c mice, significantly altered the abundance of dominant bacteria, which were associated with propionic acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid, and valeric acid.

Galacto-oligosaccharides modified whey protein isolate ameliorates cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression.

The effect of whey protein isolate (WPI)- galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS)/fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) conjugates on RAW264.7 cells, and further the effect of WPI-GOS conjugates on CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice were investigated. Compared to WPI-FOS conjugates, WPI-GOS conjugates exhibited deeper glycation extent, more pronounced structural unfolding and helix-destabilizing, and obviously improved functional indicators of RAW264.

Gut Microbiome-Serum Metabolism Revealed the Allergenicity of Ferulic Acid Combined with Glucose-Modified β-Lactoglobulin.

A novel strategy combining ferulic acid and glucose was proposed to reduce β-lactoglobulin (BLG) allergenicity and investigate whether the reduction in allergenicity was associated with gut microbiome and serum metabolism. As a result, the multistructure of BLG changed, and the modified BLG decreased significantly the contents of IgE, IgG, IgG, and mMCP-1 in serum, improved the diversity and structural composition of gut microbiota, and increased the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in allergic mice. Meanwhile, allergic mice induced by BLG affected arachidonic acid, tryptophan, and other metabolic pathways in serum, the modified BLG inhibited the production of metabolites in arachidonic acid metabolism pathway and significantly increased tryptophan metabolites, and this contribution helps in reducing BLG allergenicity.

Mechanism of the Allergenicity Reduction of Ovalbumin by Microwave Pretreatment-Assisted Enzymolysis through Biological Mass Spectrometry.

Ovalbumin (OVA) is a major allergen in hen eggs. Enzymolysis has been demonstrated as an efficient method for reducing OVA allergenicity. This study demonstrates that microwave pretreatment (MP) at 400 W for 20 s assisting bromelain enzymolysis further decreases the allergenicity of OVA, which was attributed to the increase in the degree of hydrolysis and promoted the destruction of IgE-binding epitopes.

A study on the correlation between work stressors and the coping styles of outpatients and emergency nurses in 29 pediatric specialty hospitals across China.

Objective: This study aimed to better understand the current situation involving work stressors and the coping styles of outpatient and emergency nurses in 29 pediatric specialty hospitals across China. The study analyzed this correlation to provide a reference for the occupational stress management of pediatric nurses.

Methods: From June to September 2020, 1,457 outpatient and emergency nurses in 29 pediatric specialty hospitals across China were selected as study participants, and a questionnaire survey was conducted using the Basic Information Questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Work Stressor Scale for Nurses, and the Simple Coping Style Scale.

Isolation and allergenicity evaluation of glycated α-lactalbumin digestive products and identification of allergenic peptides.

This study aimed to isolate and evaluate the allergenicity of glycated α-lactalbumin (ALA) digestive products and identify its allergenic peptides. The digestive products of native-, alone glycated- and ultrasound-assisted glycated ALA (ALA-D, ALA-gal-D, 100ALA-gal-D) were isolated into three fractions (F1, F2 and F3). High-resolution mass spectrometry showed that the digestion-resistant peptides of F2 and F3 mainly distributed in amino acid sequence (AA) 25-31, AA32-53, AA40-53, AA54-60, AA80-90, AA94-104.

Mechanism on the Allergenicity Changes of α-Lactalbumin Treated by Sonication-Assisted Glycation during Gastroduodenal Digestion.

Physical-assisted chemical modification is effective to reduce the allergenicity of α-lactalbumin (ALA). However, there are few in-depth studies on the allergenicity changes of physical-assisted chemical-modified ALA during digestion. The effect of gastroduodenal digestion on the allergenicity changes of ALA treated by sonication-assisted glycation was assessed.

Mechanism of the Reduced IgG/IgE Binding Abilities of Glycated β-Lactoglobulin and Its Digests through High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Glycation between proteins and reducing sugars is the common chemical modification in food protein, and many studies have focused on the allergenicity of the glycated protein. However, a systemic study on the allergenicity change of its digests is lacking. In this work, we explored the change rule of the digestibility and allergenicity of glycated β-Lg during gastrointestinal digestion and interpreted the mechanism using high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Validation of efficacy and mechanism of Sanwei-Tanxiang powder in improving myocardial ischemia reperfusion injuries.

Sanwei-Tanxiang powder (SWTX), a traditional Mongolian and Tibetan medicine containing a cocktail of active molecules, relieves angina pectoris and improves recovery in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The pharmacological effect of SWTX on CHD was analyzed at a systemic point of view in our previous studies. The bioinformatics prediction showed that the PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a pathway was one of important pathways of SWTX on treatment of coronary heart disease.

Using demographic model selection to untangle allopatric divergence and diversification mechanisms in the Rheum palmatum complex in the Eastern Asiatic Region.

Allopatric divergence is often initiated by geological uplift and restriction to sky-islands, climate oscillations, or river capture. However, it can be difficult to establish which mechanism was the most likely to generate the current phylogeographical structure of a species. Recently, genomic data in conjunction with a model testing framework have been applied to address this issue in animals.

[Suitable Habitats Prediction of Original Plants of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma Under Climate Change].

Objective: To predict the distribution patterns of the original plants of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma current and in future in China under climate change.

Methods: A maximum entropy modeling and variety of climate change scenarios were employed to predict its current and future distribution ranges in China.

Results: The resultant models exhibited excellent predictive power.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the medicinal plant Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae).

The complete chloroplast genome of the medicinal plant Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae) has been reconstructed from the whole-genome Illumina sequencing data. The genome is 161 541 bp in length, and exhibits a typical quadripartite structure of the large (LSC, 86 518 bp) and small (SSC, 13 111 bp) single-copy regions, separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 30 956 bp each).

Morphological variation in leaf dissection of Rheum palmatum complex (Polygonaceae).

Aims: Rheum palmatum complex comprises all taxa within section Palmata in the genus Rheum, including R. officinale, R. palmatum, R.

Merging Fargesia dracocephala into Fargesia decurvata (Bambusoideae, Poaceae): implications from morphological and ITS sequence analyses.

Aims: Fargesia decurvata is closely allied with F. dracocephala and differs in 5 major characters (i.e.

[Impact of perceived male infertility factors on penile erectile function].

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the factors of perceived male infertility on men's penile erectile function.

Methods: Using the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), we investigated the penile erectile function among 245 infertile men (infertility group) and another 52 males having physical checkup for planned conception (checkup group), the former further divided into four subgroups according to the factors of infertility: male factor, female factor, bilateral factor, and unknown factor. We compared the total and item scores of IIEF-5 among different groups.

[Impact of male infertility on men's self-esteem and satisfaction with sexual relationship].

Objective: To investigate the impact of infertility on men's self-esteem, self-confidence, sexual satisfaction and overall relationship with their spouses.

Methods: Using Self-Esteem and Relationship questionnaire (SEAR), we conducted an investigation among 253 infertile men and 52 fertile male controls. We divided the infertile men into four subgroups according to their perceived causes of infertility: male (M) factors, female (F) factors, both M and F factors, and unknown factors, and compared the SEAR scores among different groups.

Genetic diversity of the endemic and medicinally important plant Rheum officinale as revealed by Inter-Simpe Sequence Repeat (ISSR) Markers.

Rheum officinale Baill., an important but endangered medicinal herb, is endemic to China. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were employed to investigate the genetic diversity and differentiation of 12 populations of R.

Heterodichogamy in Kingdonia (Circaeasteraceae, Ranunculales).

Background And Aims: Preliminary field observations in 2001 and 2002 suggested that Kingdonia uniflora (Circaeasteraceae, Ranunculales) exhibits heterodichogamy, an unusual kind of reproductive heteromorphy, hitherto unreported in Ranunculales and known from only one other genus in basal eudicots.

Methods: During several subsequent years flowers were observed in the field. Flowers were fixed in FAA and studied with microtome sections series and with the scanning electron microscope.