The relationship between caffeine consumption and colon cancer prevalence in a nationally representative population.

Aims: This study examines the correlation between caffeine consumption and the prevalence of colon cancer. Methods: Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2001 to 2014, we applied weighted logistic regression to evaluate the association between caffeine consumption and the prevalence of colon cancer. This analysis accounted for variables including age, gender, race, education, poverty income ratio, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and diabetes. The findings were expressed as weighted odds ratios (ORs) with accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The restricted cubic spline analysis was performed to exam the dose-dependent relationship. Results: The study included 27,637 participants, of which 144 were diagnosed with colon cancer and 27,493 served as controls. Individuals in the highest quartile (Q4) of caffeine consumption (Q4) displayed a significantly increased risk of colon cancer compared to those in the lowest quartile (Q1), with a weighted OR of 2.00 (95% CI: 1.11-3.59; p = 0.022). Additionally, restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a significant correlation between higher caffeine intake and increased colon cancer risk, with an overall association p-value of 0.007. Conclusion: These findings suggest a potential relationship between higher levels of caffeine consumption and an increased risk of colon cancer. The dose-response relationship suggests a notable correlation at higher caffeine intake levels. Further investigations are warranted to confirm these results and elucidate potential underlying mechanisms.

Investigating the causal effects of COVID-19 vaccination on the adoption of protective behaviors in Japan: Insights from a fuzzy regression discontinuity design.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns emerged that vaccinated individuals might engage less in infection-preventive behaviors, potentially contributing to virus transmission. This study evaluates the causal effects of COVID-19 vaccination on such behaviors within Japan, highlighting the significance of understanding behavioral dynamics in public health strategies. METHODS: Utilizing Japan's age-based vaccination priority for those born before April 1, 1957, this research employs a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to assess the vaccination's impact. Data from the fourth round of a longitudinal online survey, conducted from July 20 to 27, 2021, served as the basis for analyzing 14 infection-protective behaviors, including mask usage, handwashing, and avoiding crowds. RESULTS: A total of 12067 participants completed the survey. The analyzed sample size varied by outcome variable, ranging from 1499 to 5233. The analysis revealed no significant differences in the 14 behaviors examined among fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated individuals. This consistency across groups suggests that vaccination status did not significantly alter engagement in protective behaviors during the observation period. CONCLUSIONS: Empirical findings highlight the complexity of behavioral responses following vaccination, indicating that such responses may be influenced by various factors, rather than by vaccination status alone. Additionally, this result underscores the importance of crafting public health policies that account for the intricate interplay between vaccination and behavior. This study contributes to the broader discourse on managing responses to the pandemic and tailoring interventions to sustain or enhance protective health behaviors amid vaccination rollouts.

A Novel Multiarmed Bifunctional PEG Derivative for the Preparation of Mass Spectrometry Ion Sources with Antifouling Property and High Selectivity.

It is challenging to prepare a highly selective mass spectrometry (MS) ion source for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of analytes, especially mycotoxins. In this study, an amino and tetrazine bifunctionalized multiarm PEG derivative (NH2HCl-4armPEG10K-(MTz)3), which can be easily immobilized on the substrate by the addition reaction between amino and polydopamine, was used for the preparation of MS ionization substrate. NH2HCl-4armPEG10K-(MTz)3 can also be used as a linker to immobilize sufficient streptavidin (SA) on the surface of the substrate by a click reaction. The process further promotes the immobilization of broad-spectrum antibodies (3D4), which were used as the recognition element for ZEN and its metabolites. The prepared SSS-Au-PDA-4armPEG10K-SA-3D4 not only can rapidly enrich ZEN and its metabolites with high selectivity but also shows good antifouling properties in the matrix. After simple sample preparation, the prepared SSS-Au-PDA-4armPEG10K-SA-3D4 can be directly coupled with MS to achieve high sensitivity (LODs: 0.18-0.66 ng/mL, LOQs: 0.5-1.0 ng/mL) and selective detection of ZEN and its metabolites in the matrix. At the same time, satisfactory recoveries (83.60-97.80%) and precision (RSD: 2.80-9.10%) can also be obtained. The prepared SSS-Au-PDA-4armPEG10K-SA-3D4 is expected to provide a powerful tool for the rapid and highly sensitive determination of multiple targets by MS.

Preparation of immunomagnetic composite nanostructures with bifunctional four-arm PEG derivatives as linkers for the ultrafast enrichment of zearalenone and its metabolites.

It is challenging to prepare sample pretreatment materials with simple use, strong selectivity and satisfactory enrichment performance. In this study, the antibody (3D4) that can specifically recognize zearalenone (ZEN) and its metabolites was immobilized on the surface of gold-coated magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (GMN) by streptavidin (SA)-biotin interaction using GMN as the substrate and our designed four-arm PEG derivative (HS-4ARMPEG10K-(CM)3) as the linker. The immunomagnetic nanoparticles (GMN-4ARMPEG10K-SA-3D4) prepared by this strategy can achieve rapid enrichment (only 5 min) of analytes directly in the matrix, and higher enrichment capacity compared with the previous immunomagnetic particles. The sensitive and accurate analysis of ZEN and its metabolites can be achieved coupled with HPLC-MS/MS. The LODs and LOQs were 0.02-0.05 µg/kg and 0.05-0.10 µg/kg, respectively. The recoveries were 84.13%-112.67%, and the RSDs were 1.09%-9.39%. The method can provide a powerful tool for highly sensitive and rapid monitoring of mycotoxins in complex matrices due to its' strong selectivity and resistance to matrix interference.

Extra-appendiceal mucinous neoplasms: A tumour with clinicopathologic similarities to low- and high-grade appendiceal counterpart.

AIMS: Appendiceal mucinous neoplasms feature neoplastic mucinous epithelium with pushing borders and densely fibrotic walls. We have identified five examples of analogous colorectal tumours. METHODS AND RESULTS: Slides, pathology reports, and clinical data were reviewed. Whole genome sequencing was performed in two cases. Three were women and the mean age was 70. Associated GI conditions included Crohn's disease [1], diverticulosis [2], and sarcoma of the terminal ileum [1]. Signs/symptoms included obstruction [2], nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain [1], and positive faecal immunohistochemical test [1]. Colonoscopic findings included narrowing [1], "fullness" [1], and caecal lesion concerning for GIST [1]. Tumours involved the rectosigmoid [2], sigmoid [1], transverse colon [1], and cecum [1] and ranged from 1.5 cm to 8.5 cm. All but one tumour arose in the setting of faecal stream abnormalities related to obstruction, diverticulosis, or bowel diversion. All cases showed columnar, variably mucinous epithelium associated with little-to-no lamina propria. All but one case showed fibrosis of the submucosa. Three cases had high-grade areas. Neoplastic glands and/or mucin dissected through the muscularis propria or subserosa in 3 examples. No extracolonic neoplastic cells/mucin, infiltrative invasion, or desmoplastic response were identified. Three patients with available follow-up [5.5-28 months] are alive. Whole genome sequencing identified pathogenic TP53 and ERBB2 variants, as well as ERBB2 copy number amplification in one high-grade example. CONCLUSIONS: Though these tumours share clinicopathologic characteristics with their appendiceal counterparts, our cohort is too small to draw solid conclusions. We propose the term "extra-appendiceal mucinous neoplasm [EAMN]" for these rare lesions.

TBX3 reciprocally controls key trophoblast lineage decisions in villi during human placenta development in the first trimester.

Human trophoblastic lineage development is intertwined with placental development and pregnancy outcomes, but the regulatory mechanisms underpinning this process remain inadequately understood. In this study, based on single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) analysis of the human early maternal-fetal interface, we compared the gene expression pattern of trophoblast at different developmental stages. Our findings reveal a predominant upregulation of TBX3 during the transition from villous cytotrophoblast (VCT) to syncytiotrophoblast (SCT), but downregulation of TBX3 as VCT progresses into extravillous trophoblast cells (EVT). Immunofluorescence analysis verified the primary expression of TBX3 in SCT, partial expression in MKi67-positive VCT, and absence in HLA-G-positive EVT, consistent with our snRNA-seq results. Using immortalized trophoblastic cell lines (BeWo and HTR8/SVneo) and human primary trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs), we observed that TBX3 knockdown impedes SCT formation through RAS-MAPK signaling, while TBX3 overexpression disrupts the cytoskeleton structure of EVT and hinders EVT differentiation by suppressing FAK signaling. In conclusion, our study suggests that the spatiotemporal expression of TBX3 plays a critical role in regulating trophoblastic lineage development via distinct signaling pathways. This underscores TBX3 as a key determinant during hemochorial placental development.

Idiopathic Megaduodenum in a Teenager: A Case Report.

Megaduodenum is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by significant duodenal dilation, elongation, and hypertrophy. Given its rarity and nonspecific clinical manifestations, megaduodenum may be misdiagnosed, leading to delays in surgical care and increased morbidity. We describe a case of idiopathic megaduodenum in a teenage Caucasian female, who presented with a five-year history of halitosis, recurrent belching, bloating, nausea and vomiting, and postprandial epigastric abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with megaduodenum by dramatic findings on contrast radiography. She developed a duodenal volvulus necessitating emergency exploratory laparotomy, during which a duodenal plication and a side-to-side duodenojejunostomy were performed. Exploratory laparotomy and histopathological analysis were unrevealing of any definitive abnormalities to explain her megaduodenum. Postoperatively, she developed two early small bowel obstructions, both from subsequent adhesions requiring repeat laparotomy with adhesiolysis. She has subsequently recovered without incident. Diagnosis and accurate classification of megaduodenum requires surgical exploration with a full-thickness biopsy and subsequent histopathologic analysis to rule out obstructive or functional disorders of the duodenum. Treatment of megaduodenum depends on the underlying cause and degree of duodenal distention. It is crucial that clinicians are knowledgeable of the various surgical options, their indications, and the potential postoperative complications that may arise.

Comprehensive Analysis of WUSCEL-Related Homeobox Gene Family in Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) Indicates Its Potential Role in Adventitious Root Development.

A WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) gene family has been implicated in promoting vegetative organs to embryonic transition and maintaining plant embryonic stem cell identity. Using genome-wide analysis, we identified 17 candidates, WOX genes in ramie (Boehmeria nivea). The genes (BnWOX) showed highly conserved homeodomain regions typical of WOX. Based on phylogenetic analysis, they were classified into three distinct groups: modern, intermediate, and ancient clades. The genes displayed 65% and 35% collinearities with their Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa ortholog, respectively, and exhibited similar motifs, suggesting similar functions. Furthermore, four segmental duplications (BnWOX10/14, BnWOX13A/13B, BnWOX9A/9B, and BnWOX6A/Maker00021031) and a tandem-duplicated pair (BnWOX5/7) among the putative ramie WOX genes were obtained, suggesting that whole-genome duplication (WGD) played a role in WOX gene expansion. Expression profiling analysis of the genes in the bud, leaf, stem, and root of the stem cuttings revealed higher expression levels of BnWOX10 and BnWOX14 in the stem and root and lower in the leaf consistent with the qRT-PCR analysis, suggesting their direct roles in ramie root formation. Analysis of the rooting characteristics and expression in the stem cuttings of sixty-seven different ramie genetic resources showed a possible involvement of BnWOX14 in the adventitious rooting of ramie. Thus, this study provides valuable information on ramie WOX genes and lays the foundation for further research.

Potential of dietary hemp and cannabinoids to modulate immune response to enhance health and performance in animals: opportunities and challenges.

Cannabinoids are a group of bioactive compounds abundantly present in Cannabis sativa plant. The active components of cannabis with therapeutic potential are known as cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are divided into three groups: plant-derived cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids), endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids), and synthetic cannabinoids. These compounds play a crucial role in the regulation various physiological processes including the immune modulation by interacting with the endocannabinoid system (A complex cell-signaling system). Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) stimulates the binding of orexigenic peptides and inhibits the attachment of anorexigenic proteins to hypothalamic neurons in mammals, increasing food intake. Digestibility is unaffected by the presence of any cannabinoids in hemp stubble. Endogenous cannabinoids are also important for the peripheral control of lipid processing in adipose tissue, in addition to their role in the hypothalamus regulation of food intake. Regardless of the kind of synaptic connection or the length of the transmission, endocannabinoids play a crucial role in inhibiting synaptic transmission through a number of mechanisms. Cannabidiol (CBD) mainly influences redox equilibrium through intrinsic mechanisms. Useful effects of cannabinoids in animals have been mentioned e.g., for disorders of the cardiovascular system, pain treatment, disorders of the respiratory system or metabolic disorders. Dietary supplementation of cannabinoids has shown positive effects on health, growth and production performance of small and large animals. Animal fed diet supplemented with hemp seeds (180 g/day) or hemp seed cake (143 g/kg DM) had achieved batter performance without any detrimental effects. But the higher level of hemp or cannabinoid supplementation suppress immune functions and reduce productive performance. With an emphasis on the poultry and ruminants, this review aims to highlight the properties of cannabinoids and their derivatives as well as their significance as a potential feed additive in their diets to improve the immune status and health performance of animals.

Stiff skin syndrome: a clinicopathological study of 31 cases.

BACKGROUND: Stiff skin syndrome (SSS) is a rare disease characterized by sclerosis of the skin. Cases of both widespread and segmental SSS have been reported. OBJECTIVES: To report the clinical and histopathological characteristics of a large series of SSS. MATERIALS & METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the clinical and histopathological characteristics of widespread and segmental SSS collected from a dermatology department. We also compared histopathology between segmental SSS and morphea. RESULTS: Thirty-one cases, including three widespread SSS and 28 segmental SSS, were collected. Skin lesions of widespread SSS generally showed skin sclerosis concentrating over the lumbar, buttocks, thighs, proximal part of limbs, and shoulders with specific abnormal gait and posture. Skin lesions of segmental SSS generally showed sclerotic plaques involving the thigh, lumbar area and buttocks, associated with hypertrichosis, hyperpigmentation and a cobblestone appearance. Segmental SSS did not typically cause joint limitation or serious physical discomfort. Histopathologically, SSS showed proliferation of fibroblasts and sclerosis of collagen in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue. Compared with morphea, SSS showed more prominent proliferation of fibroblasts and completely lacked lymphocyte infiltration. CONCLUSION: Segmental SSS represents the major variant of SSS. Histopathologically, SSS shows proliferation of fibroblasts, sclerosis and an absence of inflammation.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 breed Longshengcui and its phylogenetic analyses.

Duck breed Longshengcui (Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 breed Longshengcui, LSC) is one of the famous native breed of the Guangxi Zhuang Nationality Autonomous Region in China. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of LSC. The mitogenome (GenBank accession no. MZ895120) has 16,602 bp in length and consisted of the well-known 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and the control region. The phylogenetic analysis showed that LSC and Zhijiang duck have highly similar genetic relationship. These results are helpful for the conservation of genetic resources and phylogeny of this species.

An Aptamer-Functionalized DNA Circuit to Establish an Artificial Interaction between T Cells and Cancer Cells.

Nongenetic strategies that enable control over the cell-cell interaction network would be highly desired, particularly in T cell-based cancer immunotherapy. In this work, we developed an aptamer-functionalized DNA circuit to modulate the interaction between T cells and cancer cells. This DNA circuit was composed of recognition-then-triggering and aggregation-then-activation modules. Upon recognizing target cancer cells, the triggering strand was released to induce aggregation of immune receptors on the T cell surface, leading to an enhancement of T cell activity for effective cancer eradication. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of this DNA circuit for promoting target cancer cell-directed stimulation of T cells, which, consequently, enhanced their killing effect on cancer cells. This DNA circuit, as a modular strategy to modulate intercellular interactions, could lead to a new paradigm for the development of nongenetic T cell-based immunotherapy.

Phase Separation of DNA-Encoded Artificial Cells Boosts Signal Amplification for Biosensing.

Life-like hierarchical architecture shows great potential for advancing intelligent biosensing, but modular expansion of its sensitivity and functionality remains a challenge. Drawing inspiration from intracellular liquid-liquid phase separation, we discovered that a DNA-encoded artificial cell with a liquid core (LAC) can enhance peroxidase-like activity of Hemin and its DNA G-quadruplex aptamer complex (DGAH) without substrate-selectivity, unlike its gelled core (GAC) counterpart. The LAC is easily engineered as an ultrasensitive biosensing system, benefiting from DNA's high programmability and unique signal amplification capability mediated by liquid-liquid phase separation. As proof of concept, its versatility was successfully demonstrated by coupling with two molecular recognition elements to monitor tumor-related microRNA and profile cancer cell phenotypes. This scalable design philosophy offers new insights into the design of next generation of artificial cells-based biosensors.

Construction of a Highly Selective Enrichment, Ionization, and Detection Platform Based on a Broad-Spectrum Antibody.

Ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) allows direct analysis of various raw food samples with minimal or no sample pretreatment, but the trace analytes in complex food samples still have problems with limitations. In this work, we developed a platform based on coated stainless steel sheet spray mass spectrometry for fast, in situ, high-throughput, and high selectivity multiresidue analysis of fluoroquinolone drugs (FQs). The sensitivity of the platform was enhanced via coupling broad-spectrum antibodies against FQs to graphene oxide coated blade spray (CBS)-MS through a streptavidin-biotin (SA-biotin) interaction. The prepared platform had sufficient loading capacity for SA (1.37 mg/piece) and the antibody (84.8 µg/piece), which is greater than that of physical mixing and the EDC/NHS covalent coupling strategy. With simplified sample pretreatment, this platform demonstrated comparable sensitivity to high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) (0.08-0.16 ng/mL in phosphate-buffered saline and 0.21-0.32 ng/mL in diluted milk). Meanwhile, compared with HPLC-MS/MS, the method is rapid (enrichment: 10 min, detection: <1 min) and acceptable recoveries (81.94-102.08%) can be obtained. The presence of analytes can be monitored by MS/MS spectra, and multiple analytes can be measured simultaneously in a single assay. This study is expected to provide a powerful and portable tool for rapid laboratory analysis and reliable screening in the field.

Effects of Litsea cubeba essential oil on growth performance, blood antioxidation, immune function, apparent digestibility of nutrients, and fecal microflora of pigs.

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of Litsea cubeba essential oil (LCO) on the growth performance, blood antioxidation, immune function, apparent digestibility of nutrients, and fecal microflora in fattening pigs. A total of 120 pigs were randomly assigned to five groups, with six replicate pens per treatment and four pigs per pen, and they were fed basal diet, chlortetracycline (CTC), and low-, medium-, and high-concentration LCO. The results of the study showed that compared with the control treatment and CTC addition treatment of the basic diet, the catalase level in the serum of the pigs treated with 500 mg/kg LCO in the diet of finishing pigs was significantly increased (p < 0.05). The apparent digestibility of crude protein, crude ash, and calcium in pigs with different levels of LCO was significantly increased compared with the control treatments fed the basal diet (p < 0.05). In addition, compared with the control treatment fed the basal diet and the treatment with CTC, the apparent digestibility of ether extract in pigs treated with medium-dose LCO was significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the apparent digestibility of pigs was significantly increased after the addition of low-dose LCO (p < 0.05). Among the genera, the percentage abundance of SMB53 (p < 0.05) was decreased in the feces of the CTC group when compared to that in the medium-LCO group. At the same time, the relative abundance of L7A_E11 was markedly decreased in the feces of the control and medium- and high-concentration LCO group than that in the CTC group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, adding the level of 250 mg/kg LCO in the diet of pig could improve the growth performance and blood physiological and biochemical indicators of pigs, improve the antioxidant level of body and the efficiency of digestion and absorption of nutrients, and show the potential to replace CTC.

Organizational Principles of the Centrifugal Projections to the Olfactory Bulb.

Centrifugal projections in the olfactory system are critical to both olfactory processing and behavior. The olfactory bulb (OB), the first relay station in odor processing, receives a substantial number of centrifugal inputs from the central brain regions. However, the anatomical organization of these centrifugal connections has not been fully elucidated, especially for the excitatory projection neurons of the OB, the mitral/tufted cells (M/TCs). Using rabies virus-mediated retrograde monosynaptic tracing in Thy1-Cre mice, we identified that the three most prominent inputs of the M/TCs came from the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), the piriform cortex (PC), and the basal forebrain (BF), similar to the granule cells (GCs), the most abundant population of inhibitory interneurons in the OB. However, M/TCs received proportionally less input from the primary olfactory cortical areas, including the AON and PC, but more input from the BF and contralateral brain regions than GCs. Unlike organizationally distinct inputs from the primary olfactory cortical areas to these two types of OB neurons, inputs from the BF were organized similarly. Furthermore, individual BF cholinergic neurons innervated multiple layers of the OB, forming synapses on both M/TCs and GCs. Taken together, our results indicate that the centrifugal projections to different types of OB neurons may provide complementary and coordinated strategies in olfactory processing and behavior.

Bioinspired molecular engineering of bivalent aptamers by ligand-induced self-dimerization.

A bioinspired "point-and-shoot" molecular strategy is described for engineering noncovalent aptamers via K+-induced reassembly of a split G-quadruplex sequence at the end of monomeric aptamers. This design compensates for insufficient cell recognition of monovalent aptamers in biological environments and minimizes structure-induced nonspecific cell binding, expending the aptamer toolbox available for complex systems.

A Dynamic Control Center Based on a DNA Reaction Network for Programmable Building of DNA Nanostructures.

DNA-based nanostructures allow for complex self-assembly with nanometer precision through the specificity of Watson-Crick base pairing, but network behavior-directed control of the kinetic process is less studied. Here we show how the DNA reaction network (DRN), which has emerged as a reliable and programmable way to implement artificial network dynamics, can be built as the control center of programmable nanostructures, allowing spatiotemporal control over the dynamic behavior of DNA nanotubes. We chose a common network motif in biological control systems, the feed-forward loop, as the model network and demonstrated that dynamic behaviors, such as self-tuning control and multilayer hierarchical assembly, could be programmed by constructing an inhibition network and an excitation network, separately, in buffer solution and inside protocells.

Comparison of the Effects between Tannins Extracted from Different Natural Plants on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, Immunity, and Intestinal Flora of Broiler Chickens.

In this study, four plant tannins, including AT (Acacia mearnsii tannin, 68%), CT (Castanea sativa tannin, 60%), QT (Schinopsis lorenzii tannin, 73%) and TT (Caesalpinia spinosa tannin, 50%) were added to broiler diets for 42 days to evaluate and compare their effects on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune performance and gut microbiota in broilers. The results showed that the supplementation of five tannins could increase the production of T-AOC, GSH-Px, SOD and CAT and reduce the production of MDA in the serum of broilers (p < 0.01), but the antioxidant effect of the AT group was lower than that of the other three groups (p < 0.01). All four tannins decreased the level of the pro-inflammatory factor IL-1ß and increased the level of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 (p < 0.01). CT, QT and TT decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α (p < 0.01), while AT and CT increased the level of IL-2 in serum (p < 0.01). Supplementation with four tannins also increased the levels of IgG, IgM, IgA and sIgA in serum (p < 0.01) and the levels of ZO-1, claudin-1 and occludin in the jejunum (p < 0.01). The detection results of ALT and AST showed that CT, QT and TT decreased the concentrations of ALT and AST in serum (p < 0.01). The results of the gut microbiota showed that the abundance of Clostridia and Subdoligranulum increased, and the abundance of Oscillospiraceae decreased, compared to the control group after adding the four tannins to the diets (p > 0.05). In addition, CT, QT and TT decreased the abundance of Lactobacillus and increased the abundance of Bacteroides compared to the control group, while AT showed the opposite result (p > 0.05). Overall, our study shows that tannins derived from different plants have their own unique effects on broilers. AT and CT can promote broilers' growth better than other tannins, CT has the best ability to improve immune and antioxidant properties, and QT and TT have the best effect on broilers' liver protection.

Comprehensive Comparisons between Grafted Kynam Agarwood and Normal Agarwood on Traits, Composition, and In Vitro Activation of AMPK.

Agarwood, a highly valuable resin/wood combination with diverse pharmacological activities but scarce supply, has a long history of being used as a medicine in several medical systems. Grafted Kynam agarwood (GKA) has been cultivated successfully recently and has the qualities meeting the definition of premium Kynam agarwood. However, there are few comprehensive comparisons between GKA and normal agarwood in terms of traits, global composition, and activity, and some key issues for GKA to be adopted into the traditional Chinese medical (TCM) system have not been elaborated. The two types of agarwood samples were evaluated in terms of trait characteristics, physicochemical indicators, key component groups, and global compositional profile. Furthermore, a molecular docking was performed to investigate the active ingredients. In vitro activity assays were performed to evaluate the activation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) by GKA and normal agarwood. The results revealed that, overall, the traits, microscopic characteristics, chemical composition types, and bioactivity between GKA and normal agarwood were similar. The main differences were the content of resin (ethanolic extract content), the content of key component groups, and the composition of the different parent structural groups of 2-(2-phenethyl) chromones (PECs). The contents of total PEC and ethanol extract content of GKA were significantly higher than those of normal agarwood. The MS-based high-throughput analysis revealed that GKA has higher concentrations of sesquiterpenes and flindersia-type 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones (FTPECs) (m/z 250-312) than normal agarwood. Molecular docking revealed that parent structural groups of FTPECs activated multiple signaling pathways, including the AMPK pathway, suggesting that FTPECs are major active components in GKA. The aim of this paper is to describe the intrinsic reasons for GKA as a high-quality agarwood and a potential source for novel drug development. We combined high-throughput mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis to infer the different components of the two types of agarwood. Then we combined virtual screening and in vitro activity to construct a component/pharmacodynamic relationship to explore the causes of the activity differences between agarwood with different levels of quality and to identify potentially valuable lead compounds. This strategy can also be used for the comprehensive study of other TCMs with different qualities.