An efficient and recyclable electroeluter: from homemade to modular design for potential mass production.

Electrophoresis is one of the most powerful techniques to separate nucleic acids or protein molecules. The recovery of purified components from the gel is key to downstream analysis or function study. Here, we provide a cost-effective electroeluter in both homemade and module-assembled versions. The recovery yield can reach as high as >90% for single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), and protein in practical testing, which outperforms a commercial kit as well as a purchased electroeluter. It fully addresses the existing concerns in this field. First of all, for almost all kits, there remains ambiguity in recovering ssDNA to satisfy specific demands, which is generally ignored. Secondly, the recovery of dsDNA from agarose gel with consumables is vulnerable to a lot of factors and involves chemicals/materials that are not friendly to the environment and operating personnel. Thirdly, recovery from polyacrylamide matrices is very difficult, and the most exploited diffusion method through crush-and-soak suffers from low yield even after a long-time diffusion. Lastly, there is a universal problem in scaling up, especially for commercial electroeluters. The present electroelution method addresses the above issues, and it is believed that it will facilitate associated research and find widespread application.

Preparation, characterization, and biological activity of Cinnamomum cassia essential oil nano-emulsion.

To solve the problems of low bioavailability and unstable properties of Cinnamomum cassia Essential oil (CCEO), encapsulation technology was introduced as an effective means to improve its shortcomings. In this study, Cinnamomum cassia Essential oil nano-emulsion (CCEO-NE) was successfully synthesized by the oil-in-water method and characterized by standard analytical methods, including dynamic light scattering (DLS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the synthesized CCEO is spherical, smooth in surface, and uniform in shape, with an average particle size of 221.8 ± 1.95 nm, which is amorphous. In this experiment, by simulating the digestion of CCEO-NE in the gastrointestinal tract, it was found that CCEO-NE was undigested in the oral cavity, mainly in the stomach, followed by the small intestine. By understanding the digestion of CCEO-NE, we can improve the potential of CCEO bioavailability in food and drug applications. In addition, through the study of ABTS and DPPH free radicals by CCEO and CCEO-NE, it was found that the antioxidant activity of CCEO-NE was more potent than that of CCEO. When the concentration of CCEO-NE and CCEO is 400 µg/mL, the DPPH free radical scavenging rate is 92.03 ± 0.548% and 80.46 ± 5.811%, respectively. In comparison, ABTS free radical scavenging rate is 90.35 ± 0.480% and 98.44 ± 0.170% when the concentration of CCEO- NE, and CCEO is 75 µg/mL, respectively. The antibacterial test shows that CCEO-NE can inhibit both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Among them, CCEO-NE has a stronger antibacterial ability than CCEO, and the maximum inhibition zone diameter of CCEO can reach 15 mm, while that of CCEO-NE can reach 18 mm. Meanwhile, SEM and TEM showed that CCEO-NE treatment destroyed the ultrastructure of bacteria. Generally speaking, we know the situation of CCEO in the gastrointestinal tract. CCEO-NE has more potent antioxidant and antibacterial ability than CCEO. Our research results show that whey protein is an effective packaging strategy that can improve the effectiveness, stability, and even bioavailability of CCEO in various applications, including food and health care industries.

A novel ionic AIE smart responsive material with multiple structural transformations.

A novel ionic liquid [TPE-Dim-DMe] (Br)2 was successfully synthesiszed. With the change of temperature, quadruple transformations of structure were observed in the [TPE-Dim-DMe] (Br)2 crystal, and it simultaneously displayed mechanochromic phenomena. In addition, its excellent solubility in water makes it a novel bioimaging agent.