Utilizing ultrasound combined with quinoa protein to improve the texture and rheological properties of Chinese style reduced-salt pork meatballs (lion's head).

This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasound treatment times (30 min and 60 min) and levels of quinoa protein (QPE) addition (1 % and 2 %) on the quality of Chinese style reduced-salt pork meatballs, commonly known as lion's head. The water-holding capacity (WHC), gel and rheology characteristics, and protein conformation were assessed. The results indicated that extending the ultrasound treatment time and elevating the quinoa protein content caused conspicuous improvements (P<0.

Synthesis of Highly Luminescent Chiral Nanographene.

Chiral nanographenes with both high fluorescence quantum yields (Φ ) and large dissymmetry factors (g ) are essential to the development of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials. However, most studies have been focused on the improvement of g , whereas how to design highly emissive chiral nanographenes is still unclear. In this work, we propose a new design strategy to achieve chiral nanographenes with high Φ by helical π-extension of strongly luminescent chromophores while maintaining the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) distribution pattern.

Evaluation of storage period of fresh ginseng for quality improvement of dried and red processed varieties.

Background: Dried and red ginseng are well-known types of processed ginseng and are widely used as healthy food. The dried and red ginseng quality may vary with the storage period of raw ginseng. Therefore, herein, the effect of the storage period of fresh ginseng on processed ginseng quality was evaluated through multicomponent quantification with statistical analysis.

Highly Selective Bioconversion of Ginsenoside Rb1 to Compound K by the Mycelium of Cordyceps sinensis under Optimized Conditions.

Compound K (CK), a highly active and bioavailable derivative obtained from protopanaxadiol ginsenosides, displays a wide variety of pharmacological properties, especially antitumor activity. However, the inadequacy of natural sources limits its application in the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, we firstly discovered that Cordyceps sinensis was a potent biocatalyst for the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rb1 into CK.

MicroRNA-328 inhibits proliferation of human melanoma cells by targeting TGFβ2.

Some microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to act as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in human melanomas. miR-328 is upregulated in blood cells of melanoma patients compared to in healthy controls. This suggests a role for miR-328 in melanoma that warrants investigation.

Production of graphite chloride and bromide using microwave sparks.

Chemically modified graphite is an economical material with promising applications in its own right or as an intermediate in the synthesis of graphene. However, because of its extreme chemical inertness, to date only two methods-oxidation and fluorination-have been found which can modify graphite with high yield and large throughput. Herein, we describe a third chemical approach for the synthesis of large quantities of highly modified graphite which uses a microwave-sparks-assisted halogenation reaction.

Direct asymmetric vinylogous Mannich reaction of 3,4-dihalofuran-2(5H)-one with aldimine catalyzed by quinine.

The direct asymmetric vinylogous Mannich reaction of 3,4-dihalofuran-2(5H)-one with aldimine catalyzed by quinine was first reported, and γ-butenolides have been obtained in excellent yield (up to 98%) and enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee). The synthetic applications of this protocol are demonstrated in the preparations of γ-substituted amino butyrolactones and vicinal amino alcohols.

Organocatalytic stereocontrolled synthesis of 3,3'-pyrrolidinyl spirooxindoles by [3+2] annulation of isocyanoesters with methyleneindolinones.

A stereoselective [3+2] cycloaddition of isocyanoesters to methyleneindolinones catalyzed by a quinine-based thiourea-tertiary amine has been successfully developed. Just by tuning the protecting groups on substrates, a variety of optically enriched 3,3'-pyrrolidinyl spirooxindole diastereomers could be obtained in excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee).

Asymmetric Michael addition of α-substituted isocyanoacetates with maleimides catalyzed by chiral tertiary amine thiourea.

A highly diastereoselective and enantioselective Michael addition of α-substituted isocyanoacetates with maleimides catalyzed by bifunctional tertiary amine thioureas has been developed. Various chiral succinimide derivatives bearing adjacent quaternary and tertiary stereocenters were prepared in excellent yields (up to 98%), diastereoselectivities (up to 99:1), and enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee). The synthetic utility of chiral succinimide derivatives is also demonstrated in the preparation of h5-HT(1d) receptor agonist motifs.

Highly enantioselective aldol reaction of acetone with β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters promoted by simple chiral primary-tertiary diamine catalysts.

A series of primary-tertiary diamine catalysts were successfully applied to promote the enantioselective aldol reaction of acetone with β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters in excellent yields (up to 99%) and enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee).