Pathway Analysis and Metabolites Identification by Metabolomics of Etiolation Substrate from Fresh-Cut Chinese Water Chestnut (Eleocharis tuberosa).

Fresh-cut Chinese water chestnuts (CWC) turn yellow after being peeled, reducing their shelf life and commercial value. Metabolomics, the systematic study of the full complement of small molecular metabolites, was useful for clarifying the mechanism of fresh-cut CWC etiolation and developing methods to inhibit yellowing. In this study, metabolic alterations associated with etiolation at different growth stages (0 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days) from fresh-cut CWC were investigated using LC-MS and analyzed by pattern recognition methods (principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA)). The metabolic pathways of the etiolation molecules were elucidated. The main metabolic pathway appears to be the conversion of phenylalanine to p-coumaroyl-CoA, followed by conversion to naringenin chalcone, to naringenin, and naringenin then following different pathways. Firstly, it can transform into apigenin and its derivatives; secondly, it can produce eriodictyol and its derivatives; and thirdly it can produce dihydrokaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin. The eriodictyol can be further transformed to luteolin, cyanidin, dihydroquercetin, dihydrotricetin, and others. This is the first reported use of metabolomics to study the metabolic pathways of the etiolation of fresh-cut CWC.

[Survey on blood pressure and serum lipids in Hei Yi Zhuang Chinese living in Guangxi].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the levels of blood pressure and serum lipids, and examine the relationship between hypertension and hyperlipidemia in Hei Yi Zhuang Chinese living in Guangxi. METHODS: A total of 1056 people of Hei Yi Zhuang ethnicity were studied. Blood pressure, body height, body weight, and serum levels of lipids and apolipoprotein were measured. The data were compared with those in 925 people of Han ethnicity, who live in the same region. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than Han Chinese (P < 0.001). The prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension and hypertension was also significantly higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than Han Chinese (P < 0.001). Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein (Apo) B, and the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia were significantly lower in Hei Yi Zhuang than Han Chinese (P < 0.05). Serum concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the Apo A1 to Apo B ratio were significantly higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than Han Chinese (P < 0.001). The prevalence of hypertension in Hei Yi Zhuang Chinese was positively associated with triglycerides (r = 0.425, P < 0.05), whereas the prevalence of hypertension in Han Chinese was positively correlated with total cholesterol (r = 0.623, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study revealed a significant difference in blood pressure and serum lipids between Hei Yi Zhuang and Han ethnic groups, and an association between hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

[Association of autoantibody and cytokines with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical value of detecting glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GADA), islet cell antibody (ICA) and cytokines in the diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), and define the characteristics of the two different types of LADA. METHODS: A total of 500 patients with an initial diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were tested for GADA, ICA and cytokines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: In type 2 diabetic patients approximately 11% were positive for GADA, who had similar symptoms as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and other diabetic complications to justify the diagnosis of LADA-2 subtype. Another 9.6% of the total patients were ICA-positive, and when compared with T2DM, these patients had similar clinical findings typical of type 1 diabetes such as younger age of onset, impaired beta cell function and dependence on insulin treatment. Therefore they had more resemblance to insulin-dependent diabetes and can be diagnosed as having LADA-1 subtype. It was also found that cytokines positively acted on GADA and ICA, showing positive correlation between them. CONCLUSION: LADA has LADA-1 and LADA-2 subtypes, and GADA, ICA and cytokines test have important clinical significance for diagnosis of LADA.