Based on HPLC and HS-GC-IMS Techniques, the Changes in the Internal Chemical Components of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. Fruit at Different Harvesting Periods Were Analyzed.

Schisandra chinensis, as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has clear pharmacological effects such as treating asthma, protecting nerves and blood vessels, and having anti-inflammatory properties. Although the Schisandra chinensis fruit contain multiple active components, the lignans have been widely studied as the primary pharmacologically active compound. The volatile chemical components of Schisandra chinensis include a large amount of terpenes, which have been proven to have broad pharmacological activities. However, when to harvest to ensure the highest accumulation of pharmacologically active components in Schisandra chinensis fruits is a critical issue. The Schisandra chinensis fruit trees in the resource nursery were all planted in 2019 and began bearing fruit in 2021. Their nutritional status and tree vigor remain consistently good. The content of lignans and organic acids in the fruits of Schisandra chinensis over seven different harvest periods was tested, and the results of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicated that the lignan content was higher, at 35 mg/g, in late July, and the organic acid content was higher, at 72.34 mg/g, in early September. If lignans and organic acids are to be selected as raw materials for pharmacological development, the harvest can be carried out at this stage. Using HS-GC-IMS technology, a total of 67 volatile flavor substances were detected, and the fingerprint of the volatile flavor substances in the different picking periods was established. It was shown by the results that the content of volatile flavor substances was the highest in early August, and 16 flavor substances were selected by odor activity value (OAV). The variable importance in projection (VIP) values of 16 substances were further screened, and terpinolene was identified as the key volatile flavor substance that caused the aroma characteristics of Schisandra chinensis fruit at different harvesting periods. If the aroma component content of Schisandra chinensis fruit is planned to be used as raw material for development and utilization, then early August, when the aroma component content is higher, should be chosen as the time for harvest. This study provides a theoretical basis for the suitable harvesting time of Schisandra chinensis for different uses, and promotes the high-quality development of the Schisandra chinensis industry.

Flavor Quality Analysis of Ten Actinidia arguta Fruits Based on High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Headspace Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

Actinidia arguta is a fruit crop with high nutritional and economic value. However, its flavor quality depends on various factors, such as variety, environment, and post-harvest handling. We analyzed the composition of total soluble sugars, titratable acids, organic acids, and flavor substances in the fruits of ten A. arguta varieties. The total soluble sugar content ranged from 4.22 g/L to 12.99 g/L, the titratable acid content ranged from 52.55 g/L to 89.9 g/L, and the sugar-acid ratio ranged from 5.39 to 14.17 at the soft ripe stage. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that citric, quinic, and malic acids were the main organic acids in the A. arguta fruits. Headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) detected 81 volatile compounds in 10 A. arguta varieties, including 24 esters, 17 alcohols, 23 aldehydes, 7 ketones, 5 terpenes, 2 acids, 1 Pyrazine, 1 furan, and 1 benzene. Esters and aldehydes had the highest relative content of total volatile compounds. An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on the odor activity value (OAV) revealed that myrcene, benzaldehyde, methyl isobutyrate, α-phellandrene, 3-methyl butanal, valeraldehyde, ethyl butyrate, acetoin, (E)-2-octenal, hexyl propanoate, terpinolene, 1-penten-3-one, and methyl butyrate were the main contributors to the differences in the aroma profiles of the fruits of different A. arguta varieties. Ten A. arguta varieties have different flavors. This study can clarify the differences between varieties and provide a reference for the evaluation of A. arguta fruit flavor, variety improvement and new variety selection.

Characterization of Key Compounds of Organic Acids and Aroma Volatiles in Fruits of Different Actinidia argute Resources Based on High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Headspace Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS).

Actinidia arguta, known for its distinctive flavor and high nutritional value, has seen an increase in cultivation and variety identification. However, the characterization of its volatile aroma compounds remains limited. This study aimed to understand the flavor quality and key volatile aroma compounds of different A. arguta fruits. We examined 35 A. arguta resource fruits for soluble sugars, titratable acids, and sugar-acid ratios. Their organic acids and volatile aroma compounds were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). The study found that among the 35 samples tested, S12 had a higher sugar-acid ratio due to its higher sugar content despite having a high titratable acid content, making its fruit flavor superior to other sources. The A. arguta resource fruits can be classified into two types: those dominated by citric acid and those dominated by quinic acid. The analysis identified a total of 76 volatile aroma substances in 35 A. arguta resource fruits. These included 18 esters, 14 alcohols, 16 ketones, 12 aldehydes, seven terpenes, three pyrazines, two furans, two acids, and two other compounds. Aldehydes had the highest relative content of total volatile compounds. Using the orthogonal partial least squares discriminant method (OPLS-DA) analysis, with the 76 volatile aroma substances as dependent variables and different soft date kiwifruit resources as independent variables, 33 volatile aroma substances with variable importance in projection (VIP) greater than 1 were identified as the main aroma substances of A. arguta resource fruits. The volatile aroma compounds with VIP values greater than 1 were analyzed for odor activity value (OAV). The OAV values of isoamyl acetate, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-hexanol, and butanal were significantly higher than those of the other compounds. This suggests that these four volatile compounds contribute more to the overall aroma of A. arguta. This study is significant for understanding the differences between the fruit aromas of different A. arguta resources and for scientifically recognizing the characteristic compounds of the fruit aromas of different A. arguta resources.

Experience of providing care to a family member with Crohn's disease and a temporary stoma: A qualitative study.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to understand the feelings and experiences of the main caregivers of temporary ostomy patien ts with Crohn's disease (CD). And explore the caregivers' inner feelings, to provide reference and basis for constructing the health education content of the main caregivers of CD patients with a temporary stoma. Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was used to conduct an unstructured interview among 11 primary caregivers of CD patients with temporary enterostomy from the gastroenterology department of The Second Hospital of Nanjing. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected between July 2021 and September 2021. The interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed for a qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Five themes and accompanying subthemes were identified: (1) negative psychological experience (2) perceived caregiver burden (3) future uncertainty (4) disease benefit (5) insufficien support system. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that caregivers of CD temporary enterostomy patients have problems such as negative psychology, heavy caregiver burden, uncertain future, lack of support system, etc., but they also have positive experience of feeling of benefit from the disease, and are eager to obtain more disease information from more channels.Therefore, medical staff should improve their professionalism and health education capabilities, carry out diversified and targeted health education activities to reduce the burden of care, stimulate positive caregiver responses and help caregivers respond to and deal with caregiving problems in a timely and accurate manner.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Ten Actinidia arguta Wines Based on Color, Organic Acids, Volatile Compounds, and Quantitative Descriptive Analysis.

Actinidia arguta wine is a low-alcoholic beverage brewed from A. arguta with a unique flavor and sweet taste. In this study, the basic physicochemical indicators, color, organic acid, and volatile aroma components of wines made from the A. arguta varieties 'Kuilv', 'Fenglv', 'Jialv', 'Wanlv', 'Xinlv', 'Pinglv', 'Lvbao', 'Cuiyu', 'Tianxinbao', and 'Longcheng No.2' were determined, and a sensory evaluation was performed. The findings show that 'Tianxinbao' produced the driest extract (49.59 g/L), 'Kuilv' produced the most Vitamin C (913.46 mg/L) and total phenols (816.10 mg/L), 'Jialv' produced the most total flavonoids (477.12 mg/L), and 'Cuiyu' produced the most tannins (4.63 g/L). We analyzed the color of the A. arguta wines based on CIEL*a*b* parameters and found that the 'Kuilv' and 'Longcheng No.2' wines had the largest L* value (31.65), the 'Pinglv' wines had the greatest a* value (2.88), and the 'Kuilv' wines had the largest b* value (5.08) and C*ab value (5.66) of the ten samples. A total of eight organic acids were tested in ten samples via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and we found that there were marked differences in the organic acid contents in different samples (p < 0.05). The main organic acids were citric acid, quinic acid, and malic acid. The aroma description of a wine is one of the keys to its quality. A total of 51 volatile compounds were identified and characterized in ten samples with headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry, including 24 esters, 12 alcohols, 9 aldehydes, 3 aldehydes, 2 terpenes, and 1 acid, with the highest total volatile compound content in 'Fenglv'. There were no significant differences in the types of volatile compounds, but there were significant differences in the contents (p < 0.05). An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on the odor activity value (OAV) showed that ethyl butanoate, ethyl pentanoate, ethyl crotonate, ethyl isobutyrate, butyl butanoate, 2-methylbutanal, ethyl isovalerate, and ethyl hexanoate were the main odorant markers responsible for flavor differences between all the A. arguta wines. Sensory evaluation is the most subjective and effective way for consumers to judge A. arguta wine quality. A quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) of the aroma profiles of ten grapes revealed that the 'fruity' and 'floral' descriptors are the main and most essential parts of the overall flavor of A. arguta wines. 'Tianxinbao' had the highest total aroma score. The flavor and quality of A. arguta wines greatly depend on the type and quality of the A. arguta raw material. Therefore, high-quality raw materials can improve the quality of A. arguta wines. The results of the study provide a theoretical basis for improving the quality of A. arguta wines and demonstrate the application prospects of HS-GC-IMS in detecting A. arguta wine flavors.

Interfacial Adhesion Property of Asphalt Binder with Calcium Alginate Carrier of Asphalt Rejuvenator.

Recently calcium alginate has been successfully applied to encapsulate asphalt rejuvenator, which can protect asphalt rejuvenator from early leakage and release asphalt rejuvenator when triggered by specific factors such as cracks. The interfacial adhesion property of asphalt binder with calcium alginate carrier is of great importance to its actual performance. In this paper, the molecular model of the interface region between asphalt binder and calcium alginate was established, and molecular dynamics simulations were performed on it to investigate the molecular interaction at the interface region. By extracting and processing the data during the simulation process, the interfacial adhesion behavior was expounded using the spreading coefficient (S), permeation depth and permeation degree. Furthermore, the interfacial adhesion strength was evaluated by adopting the interfacial adhesion work. Results showed that the value of S was greater than 0, implying that asphalt binder could wet the surface of calcium alginate. Saturate had the highest value of permeation degree, followed by resin, aromatic and asphaltene. However, asphalt binder could not infiltrate into the interior of TiO2, only accumulating and spreading on the surface of TiO2. The interfacial adhesion work of unaged and aged asphalt binder to calcium alginate was -114.18 mJ/m2 and -186.37 mJ/m2, respectively, similar to that of asphalt-aggregate interface. The van der Waals interactions contributed the most to the formation of the interfacial adhesion strength. In addition, a certain degree aging of asphalt binder and addition of titanium dioxide in the calcium alginate carrier were helpful to enhance the interfacial adhesion strength.

Influencing Factors and Evaluation of the Self-Healing Behavior of Asphalt Binder Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation Method.

In order to investigate the self-healing behavior of asphalt binder at the molecule scale, the self-healing models of neat and aged asphalt binder with different damage degrees were established by introducing a vacuum pad between two layers filled with asphalt molecules. With this model, the self-healing process was simulated at various healing conditions to reveal the effects of oxidative aging, damage degree and healing temperature on the self-healing property. In addition, self-healing efficiency was evaluated using the indexes representative of the characteristics of different self-healing stages. Our results show that the oxidative aging weakened the stacked structure of the asphalt binder and increased the healing activation energy barrier. The increasing damage degree extended the distance for particles to travel, thus prolonging the time required for the crack interfaces contacting with each other. The elevated temperature improved the molecular mobility by supplying more energy to the molecular system. Furthermore, the self-healing process was evaluated quantitatively by the density variation at the crack closing stage and the diffusion coefficient at the intrinsic healing stage. The duration of each stage was influenced by the oxidative aging, damage degree and healing temperature. The findings in this paper are helpful to reveal and evaluate the self-healing property of asphalt binder.

Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis Reveal the Flavonoid Biosynthesis Mechanism of Abelmoschus manihot L. at Different Anthesis Stages.

Abelmoschus manihot L. (HSK) is a rare and endangered species in the wild that grows on the cliffs of deep mountains. As a natural plant, the chemical composition of HSK is relatively complex, which mainly includes flavonoids, organic acids, polysaccharides, and various trace elements with good effects of clearing away heat, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and calming nerves, and inhibiting tumor cells. In this experiment, different developmental stages of HSK flowers were used for optimization of the flavonoid extraction and determining method. The antioxidant activities, flavonoid accumulation pattern, and synthesis regulatory network were analyzed using biochemistry, RNA-seq, and UPLC-MS/MS. The total content of flavonoids, vitexin rhamnoside, hyperoside, and rutin in HSK flowers at T3 stage (flower wilting) was significantly higher than in T2 (full flowering) and T1 (bud) stages. Compared with T1 and T2, the antioxidant capacity of the T3 flower alcohol extract was also the strongest, including the total reducing ability, DPPH clearance, OH clearance, O2- clearance, and total antioxidant capacity. A total of 156 flavonoids and 47,179 unigenes were detected by UPLC-MS/MS and RNA-Seq, respectively. The candidate genes and key metabolites involved in flavonoid biosynthesis were identified and the regulatory networks were also analyzed in this study. qRT-PCR test further proved that the gene expression level was consistent with the results of RNA sequence data. The relationship between the gene expression and flavonoid accumulation network provides a theoretical basis for the mining and regulation of functional genes related to the flavonoid biosynthesis and metabolism in Abelmoschus manihot L.