Proposal for the classification of sinomenine alkaloids.

The chemical structure of sinoacutine is formed by a phenanthrene nucleus and an ethylamine bridge. Because it has a similar parent structure to morphine, it is subdivided into morphinane. At present, all reports have pointed out that the basic skeleton of morphine alkaloids is salutaridine (the isomer of sinoacutine), which is generated by the phenol coupling reaction of (R)-reticuline.

Protease inhibitor ASP enhances freezing tolerance by inhibiting protein degradation in kumquat.

Cold acclimation is a complex biological process leading to the development of freezing tolerance in plants. In this study, we demonstrated that cold-induced expression of protease inhibitor FmASP in a -relative species kumquat [ (Lour.) Swingle] contributes to its freezing tolerance by minimizing protein degradation.

Flavor, antimicrobial activity and physical properties of gelatin film incorporated with of ginger essential oil.

Adding essential oil into the gelatin-based film can enhance the antibacterial activity of the film, but excessive amounts of addition will bring the film an unpleasant flavor and reduce its mechanical performance. Hence, we prepared functional gelatin-based films by incorporating low content of ginger essential oil (GEO). The flavor of GEO was not detected from the films containing less than 1% GEO.

Flavor, antimicrobial activity, and physical properties of composite film prepared with different surfactants.

Different surfactants (lecithin, Tween-20, and Tween-80) were added in composite film during the preparation. Flavor, antimicrobial activity, and physical properties of ginger essential oil -gelatin film were investigated, in order to study the effect of surfactants on the properties of film. The flavor of GEO was not detected in the film prepared with Tween-20 and film prepared with Tween-80, and these two films exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity; film prepared with lecithin possessed higher value in thickness, elongation at break, water solubility, Δ and opacity, lower value in water vapor property, and tensile strength; attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectrum results suggested, Tween-20 and Tween-80 enhanced the strength of covalent bond, and lecithin weakened the strength of hydrogen bond; and the result of scanning electron microscope showed that Tween-20 and Tween-80 improved the dispersion of oil droplets in film.

Mode-evolution-based silicon-on-insulator 3 dB coupler using fast quasiadiabatic dynamics.

We report a 2×2 broadband and fabrication tolerant mode-evolution-based 3 dB coupler based on silicon-on-insulator rib waveguides. The operating principle of the coupler is based on the adiabatic evolution of local eigenmodes. The key element of the device is an adiabatically tapered mode evolution region, which converts two dissimilar waveguides into two identical waveguides.

Chlorogenic Acid Maintains Glucose Homeostasis through Modulating the Expression of SGLT-1, GLUT-2, and PLG in Different Intestinal Segments of Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Objective: To reveal the effects and related mechanisms of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on intestinal glucose homeostasis.

Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into four groups: normal chow (NC), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD with low-dose CGA (20 mg/kg, HFD-LC), and HFD with high-dose CGA (90 mg/kg, HFD-HC). The oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and fast serum insulin (FSI) was detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Effect of 5-caffeoylquinic acid on the NF-κB signaling pathway, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2, and macrophage infiltration in high-fat diet-fed Sprague-Dawley rat adipose tissue.

Obesity, considered as a consequence of overnutrition, sustains a low-degree inflammatory state and results in insulin-resistance and type 2 diabetes. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of 5-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA) in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Serum interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and free fatty acid (FFA) levels were determined.

5-Caffeoylquinic acid decreases diet-induced obesity in rats by modulating PPARα and LXRα transcription.

Background: Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are widely distributed in plant material, including foods and beverages. 5-Caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA) is the most studied CGA, but the mechanism of its hypolipidaemic effect remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the effect of 5-CQA on lipid metabolism in the liver of Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD).

Imaging of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma in the mice with the αⅤβ3 integrin-targeted tracer (99m)Tc-RGD-4CK.

Receptor-based imaging agents have shown improved specificity and sensitivity of cancer diagnosis by targeting the specific features of cancer. Here we reported the (99m)Tc-labeling of a cyclic polypeptide RGD-4CK and the characterization of this agent in vitro and in bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) xenograft model. The αⅤβ3 integrin receptor binding affinity of (99m)Tc-RGD-4CK was determined in BAC.