Incoherent ultrafast energy transfer in phycocyanin 620 from Thermosynechococcus vulcanus revealed by polarization-controlled two dimensional electronic spectroscopy.

Phycocyanin 620 (PC620) is the outermost light-harvesting complex in phycobilisome of cyanobacteria, engaged in light collection and energy transfer to the core antenna, allophycocyanin. Recently, long-lived exciton-vibrational coherences have been observed in allophycocyanin, accounting for the coherent energy transfer [Zhu et al., Nat.

Effect and mechanism of natural composite hydrogel from fish scale intercellular matrix on diabetic chronic wound repair.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease with prolonged low-grade inflammation and impaired cellular function, leading to poor wound healing. The treatment of diabetic wounds remains challenging due to the complex wound microenvironment. In view of the prominence of fish scales in traditional Chinese medicine and their wide application in modern medicine, we isolated the intercellular components in the scales of sea bass, obtained a natural composite hydrogel, fish scales gel (FSG), and applied it to diabetic chronic wounds.

Quantum phase synchronization via exciton-vibrational energy dissipation sustains long-lived coherence in photosynthetic antennas.

The lifetime of electronic coherences found in photosynthetic antennas is known to be too short to match the energy transfer time, rendering the coherent energy transfer mechanism inactive. Exciton-vibrational coherence time in excitonic dimers which consist of two chromophores coupled by excitation transfer interaction, can however be much longer. Uncovering the mechanism for sustained coherences in a noisy biological environment is challenging, requiring the use of simpler model systems as proxies.

Astaxanthin Induces the Nrf2/HO-1 Antioxidant Pathway in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells by Generating Trace Amounts of ROS.

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that possesses potent protective effects against various human diseases and physiological disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying its antioxidant functions in cells are not fully understood. In the present study, the effects of astaxanthin on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant enzyme activity, as well as mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, and the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathways in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), were examined.

-Carrageenan Enhances Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Interleukin-8 Secretion by Stimulating the Bcl10-NF-B Pathway in HT-29 Cells and Aggravates . -Induced Inflammation in Mice.

The dietary usage of carrageenan as common food additive has increased observably over the last 50 years. But there is substantial controversy about its safety. We investigated whether the -carrageenan could enhance lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-8 expression by studying its actions on the TLR4-NF-B pathway.

Enhanced effect of κ-carrageenan on TNBS-induced inflammation in mice.

Background: As a sulfated polysaccharide, carrageenan has been widely used as common food additive.

Methods: In the present study, we investigated the effects of κ-carrageenan on TNBS-induced gut inflammation in mice. BALB/c mice were pretreated with κ-carrageenan for 14days prior to the administration of TNBS.