Identification and Characterization of Novel Umami Peptides from Protein Hydrolysates of Morchella esculenta and Their Interaction with T1R1/T1R3 Receptor.

The study aimed to explore umami peptides derived from protein hydrolysates of Morchella esculenta. According to the electronic tongue and sensory evaluation, the ultrafiltration fractions (<3 kDa) of the protein hydrolysates exhibited the strongest umami taste. The overall flavor of the screened fractions was significantly improved after the Maillard reaction, based on the electronic nose and electronic tongue analyses, and the content of total free amino acid increased from 387.35 to 589.30 µg/mL. A total of 37 peptides with high confidence were identified from the fractions using LC-MS/MS. Additionally, two novel umami peptides were screened through bioinformatics and molecular docking, and their recognition threshold was 0.43 (EYPPLGRFA) and 0.52 mmol/L (TVIDAPGHRDFI), respectively. In addition, molecular docking analysis revealed that the key binding sites, such as Ser148, Leu51, Arg327, and Leu468 in T1R1/T1R3 contributed to docking, and hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were the dominant interaction forces between the two umami peptides and T1R1/T1R3 receptor. This study contributes to the development and utilization of Morchella esculenta in flavored foods.

Gouty sacroiliitis: A case report of an often-overlooked cause of inflammatory back pain.

Gout is a chronic disease caused by monosodium urate crystal deposition, typically affecting the big toe, midfoot, and ankle. As it rarely involves the sacroiliac joints, it could be easily misdiagnosed as spondylarthritis. Here, we report the case of a patient with a long history of gout with recurrent low back pain. Computed tomography of the sacroiliac joint suggested sacroiliac arthritis, puncture biopsy indicated gout granuloma, and polarized light microscopy confirmed monosodium urate crystal deposits.

Efficacy and safety of belimumab in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with severe lupus nephritis requiring renal replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that has various manifestations. Lupus nephritis is a common and severe presentation, which results in increased morbidity and mortality. Belimumab added on standard therapy has been proved to induce disease remission and improve renal parameters. However, the use of belimumab has not been explored in patients requiring dialysis treatment. METHODS: Seven patients diagnosed as SLE with renal involvement requiring dialysis, who received belimumab in addition to steroids or immunosuppressants were identified. Clinical and biological data were extracted from medical records and laboratory databases. Ten mg/kg belimumab was applied on day 1, 15, 29, and every 28 days thereafter for a total of 8 dose. Renal parameters including urine output and serum creatinine level, immunologic index including anti-ds-DNA antibody titer and complement level, and disease activity were documented to reveal the response to belimumab. RESULTS: After belimumab therapy, all the 7 patients receiving dialysis therapy showed immunologic improvement. Disease activity significantly declined from 16.5 to 5.33 using SLEDAI-2K score. Apart from patient 7 on maintenance dialysis, 5 of 6 patients had increased urine output and were out of dialysis treatment. Patient 5 and 6 showed significant decrease in serum creatinine level. Only one pulmonary infection was documented. CONCLUSIONS: Belimumab added to steroids or immunosuppressive agents was able to improve renal and immunologic parameters and decrease disease activity of SLE patients receiving dialysis treatment. The safety issue is promising with no severe adverse effect recorded. Further large, controlled, randomized clinical trials are required to confirm the results.