ABSTRACT
Phytochemical-enriched edible greens, sweet potato leaves (Ipomoea batatas L.), have become popular due to potential health benefits. However, the phytochemical contents in sweet potato leaves and their subsequent change over harvest stages and growth condition are mostly unknown. In this study, the anthocyanin profile and content in leaves of four sweet potato cultivars, i.e., white-skinned and white-fleshed Bonita, red-skinned and orange-fleshed Beauregard, red-skinned and white-fleshed Murasaki and purple-skinned and purple-fleshed P40, were evaluated. Fourteen anthocyanins were isolated and identified by HPLC-MSI/MS. The most abundant was cyanidin 3-caffeoyl-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside, which comprised up to 20% of the total anthocyanins. Of the young leaves (1st and 2nd slip cuttings), Bonita contained the highest anthocyanin content followed by P40. Of the mature leaves (vine stage), Beauregard had the greatest anthocyanin (592.5 ± 86.4 mg/kg DW) and total phenolic (52.2 ± 3 mg GAE/g DW). It should be noted that the lowest anthocyanin and total phenolic content of shoots were found in P40, while tubers of P40 contain the highest content of each. Furthermore, the increase in leaf anthocyanin content over the growth stages that was observed in three of the cultivars but not in P40. No significant difference of anthocyanin content was found in Beauregard leaves grown in the high tunnels when compared with that in the open field. This study demonstrated for the first time that anthocyanin levels were significantly changed in response to various growth stages but not high tunnel condition, indicating that the effect of anthocyanin biosynthesis in sweet potato leaves is highly variable and genotype specific.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the correlation between placental growth factor (P1GF) expression and sperm quality in seminal plasma, and to evaluate its clinical significance in patients with oligoasthenospermia and azoospermia. Methods A total of 88 patients undergoing seminal fluid detection were enrolled from the Department of Reproductive Medicine Center of Changhai Hospital of Second Military Medical University fromSep. 2014 to Nov. 2014. The patients were divided into three groups according to the test results: ten cases with normal semen (normal group), 68 cases with oligoasthenospermia (oligoasthenospermia group), and ten cases with azoospermia (azoospermia group). Semen samples from five patients with normal semen and 5 patients with oligoasthenospermiawere collected and assayed for cytokine-related proteinmicroarray. The contents of P1GF in seminal plasma were detected by ELISA. The correlations between P1GF concentration and the sperm concentration and activity in seminal plasma and the age of patients were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results The contents of P1GF in seminal plasma in the normal group were significantly higher than that in the oligoasthenospermia and azoospermia groups (P<0. 05). The level of P1GF in seminal plasma was related to the concentration and activity of sperm (r=0.362, 0.253; P<0.05), but not to the age of patients. Conclusion The levll of P1GF in seminal plasma is correlated with the sperm concentration, providing reference for diagnosis and treatment of oligoasthenospermia and azoospermia in clinic.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the effects of the compound preparation Jinghuosu on oligospermia and asthenospermia.@*METHODS@#This multi-centered clinical study included 120 cases of mild to moderate idiopathic oligospermia or asthenospermia, all treated with oral Jinghuosu once a bag, bid, for 3 successive months. Before and at 1, 2 and 3 months after treatment, we detected sperm concentration, total sperm motility, progressive sperm motility and normal sperm morphology of each ejaculate, and recorded whether the patients had any adverse reactions.@*RESULTS@#After 3 months of treatment, all the patients showed obvious improvement in semen parameters, most significantly in sperm concentration, total sperm motility, and the percentages of progressive motile sperm and morphologically normal sperm (P <0.05). No significant adverse reactions were observed during the 3 months of medication.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Jinghuosu has a significant efficacy and no obvious adverse effect in the treatment of mild to moderate oligospermia and asthenospermia.