New discovery of the coalescence kinetics of sesame oil droplets under a high internal phase: A highly efficient oil extraction technique.

Traditional pressing is of low efficiency (< 80 %). A highly efficient sesame oil extraction technique was discovered via micro-hydration of sesame paste (φ = ∼ 75 %) and then agitation with a yield of âˆ¼ 95 %. However, the extraction mechanism is still unknown. To uncover this, microscopic imaging was used, and it found that agitation progressively increased the droplet size of micro-hydrated paste (φ = 74.5 %) from an initial size of < 4 µm. As agitated for 20 min, almost 85 % (v/v) of oil was over 20 µm, which was linearly and positively correlated (R2 > 0.96) with oil yield. Increase in droplet size was due to droplet compression, film rupture, and droplet coalescence. The coalescence frequency based on agitation time followed an exponent curve (R2 > 0.97). This coalescence might be related to the decreased water relaxation time and increased paste viscosity. This study, for the first time, found the oil droplet coalescence in hydrated sesame paste (φ = 74.5 %) during agitation, thereby successfully extracting oil at room temperature. The findings of this work can be a starting point for research on micro-hydration extraction for oil-containing materials from a packing density of oil droplets point view.

Shiitake polysaccharides acted as a non-competitive inhibitor to α-glucosidase and inhibited glucose transport of digested starch from Caco-2 cells monolayer.

The inhibition mechanism of shitake mushroom polysaccharides (Lentinula edodes polysaccharides, LEP) against α-glucosidase was studied by enzyme kinetic assay, fluorescence quenching and molecular docking. The effect of LEP on glucose transport of digested starch was investigated via an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 transwell model. LEP exhibited a stronger inhibiting effect (IC50 = 0.66 mg/mL) than acarbose and presented a non-competitive inhibition mechanism. The interaction between LEP and α-glucosidase primarily involved electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. Molecular docking modelling showed that the four structures of LEP were bound to the allosteric tunnel or adjacent pocket of α-glucosidase via electrostatic force and hydrogen bonds. The (1 â†’ 6)-linkages in LEP structures favoured its binding affinity to the α-glucosidase. The α-glucosidase inhibiting activity of LEP was also found to emanate from the reduction in glucose transport of digested starch as deducted from the in vitro digestion/Caco-2 transwell data. The release of glucose from digested starch cooked with LEP was significantly reduced (33.7%) compared to the digested starch without LEP. The findings from the current study suggest that LEP could be a promising ingredient to inhibit α-glucosidase activity as well as control the level of postprandial blood glucose when incorporated into starchy foods.

Novel Umami-, Salty-, and Kokumi-Enhancing γ-Glutamyl Tripeptides Synthesized with the Bitter Dipeptides from Defatted Peanut Meal Protein Hydrolysate.

Defatted peanut meal protein hydrolysates (DPMHs) usually have a bitter taste. γ-Glutamylation by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens l-glutaminase was introduced to DPMH to reduce its bitterness and generated a γ-glutamylated product (DPMH-G). Extra l-glutamine (l-Gln) (5% w/w) was added to DPMH, and the mixture was then γ-glutamylated (DPMH-G-Q). Results showed that γ-glutamylation decreased the bitterness of the products and also enhanced their kokumi, umami, and salty taste, especially for DPMH-G-Q. Bitter amino acids and bitter peptides were found to be substrates (acceptors) of the synthesized γ-[Glu](1,2)-AAs and γ-Glu-AA-AAs, respectively. The production yield of γ-[Glu](1,2)-AAs was only 0.69/100 g for DPMH-G and 2.30/100 g for DPMH-G-Q, which was much lower than that of γ-Glu-AA-AAs (5.73/100 g for DPMH-G and 18.72/100 g for DPMH-G-Q). The improvement in taste attributes of DPMH might mainly be due to the consumption of bitter dipeptides and the production of γ-Glu-AA-AAs. In DPMH-G-Q, eight γ-Glu-AA-AAs were identified, including γ-Glu-Ile-Lys, γ-Glu-Ala-Ile, γ-Glu-Leu-Leu, γ-Glu-Phe-Leu, γ-Glu-Thr-Leu, γ-Glu-Ile-Met, γ-Glu-Val-Leu, and γ-Glu-Ser-Tyr, which were first time reported. They all can enhance umami, salty, and kokumi taste with a threshold value between 1.61 ± 0.21-2.16 ± 0.19, 1.65 ± 0.19-2.23 ± 0.20, and 0.67 ± 0.21-1.00 ± 0.22 mM, respectively. Insufficient l-Gln restricted the formation of γ-glutamyl peptides, and this was why DPMH-G had a lower yield and variety than DPMH-G-Q. This also suggested that l-glutaminase is selective to different substrates. Overall, this study provides a new method to reduce the bitterness of protein hydrolysates and also improve the taste by synthesizing γ-glutamyl tripeptides.

Acidic polysaccharides from black ear and silver ear mushrooms modulated the release and transport of glucose from gelatinised sorghum starch during digestion.

This study investigated the ability of acidic polysaccharides from Auricularia auricula-judae (AAP) and Tremella fuciformis (TFP) mushrooms to modulate starch digestion and absorption. Gelatinised sorghum starch was used as starch-rich material, and its digestion and glucose transport were determined through in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cells model. Results showed that fortification with 0.6% AAP/TFP increased the proportion of high molecular weight α-dextrin and delayed glucose diffusion from digested starch gels. Gelatinisation of sorghum starch with AAP and TFP reduced the amount of transported glucose by 34.2% and 38.7%, respectively. This reduction was related to the inhibition of AAP/TFP on α-glucosidase and the difficulty in the hydrolysis of high molecular weight maltooligosaccharides. The potential bonding of AAP/TFP to glucose transporter (SGLT1) also impeded glucose transport. The findings suggest that AAP/TFP could act as natural hypoglycaemic agents used in starch-based foods and provide a better understanding of the hypoglycaemic mechanism of mushroom polysaccharides.

Synergistic Effect of Kokumi-Active γ-Glutamyl Peptides and l-Glutamate on Enhancing Umami Sensation and Stimulating Cholecystokinin Secretion via T1R1/T1R3 Activation in STC-1 Cells.

This study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of γ-glutamyl peptides (γEL, γEV, and γEγEV) and l-glutamate (MSG) on the activation of the umami receptor (T1R1/T1R3) in relation to enhanced umami taste and promoted cholecystokinin (CCK) secretion. The synergy of γ-glutamyl peptides and MSG (1-15 mM, 1:1) caused a significant increase in both the umami taste score by 0.218 ± 0.015-1.216 ± 0.031 times and the CCK secretion by 41.41 ± 6.46-201.16 ± 12.91% when compared to the group treated with individual MSG. The increase in CCK secretion promoted by γ-glutamyl peptides was only reduced by 11.54 ± 0.01-45.65 ± 3.58% after adding yjr CaSR inhibitor (NPS 2143), implying that there were other receptors besides CaSR involved in the stimulation of CCK secretion. The mixture of γEγEV and MSG synergistically increased the intracellular calcium release by 111.26 ± 11.94-135.28 ± 16.60% in STC-1 and 108.47 ± 7.89-152.33 ± 26.26% in HEK 293 compared to MSG. The protein expression for T1R1/T1R3 was increased, indicating that the mixture can activate T1R1/T1R3. The amino acids V277, S147, and D190 of T1R3 can be critical for the binding of γEγEV to T1R3. This is the first report on the synergistic effect of taste-active substances on taste sensation and hormone release via taste receptor activation.

An underlying softening mechanism in pale, soft and exudative - Like rabbit meat: The role of reactive oxygen species - Generating systems.

This work investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) - generating systems on the softening of the pale, soft and exudative-like (PSE-like) rabbit meat during aging. PSE-like meat was induced by incubation of post-mortem rabbit Longissimus thoracis et lumborum at 37 °C for 3 h. During aging, PSE-like meat samples had higher values in peroxides value, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, metmyoglobin percentage, ferrylmyoglobin content, non-heme iron content, hydroxyl radical content and ROS concentration compared with the normal ones, suggesting that PSE-like incubation could activate lipid-oxidizing system, myoglobin-mediated oxidation system, together with metal-catalyzed oxidation system. Additionally, higher protein carbonyl content was observed in PSE-like meat, along with a significant loss in sulfhydryl group. The results of SDS-PAGE suggested that more serious protein degradation occurred in PSE-like meat. It is plausible that the activated ROS-generating system played an underlying role in the softening texture during the aging period of PSE-like meat.

Delivery of Phenolic Compounds, Peptides and ß-Glucan to the Gastrointestinal Tract by Incorporating Dietary Fibre-Rich Mushrooms into Sorghum Biscuits.

Sorghum biscuits were enriched with mushroom powders (Lentinula edodes, Auricularia auricula and Tremella fuciformis) at 5%, 10% and 15% substitution levels. An in vitro gastrointestinal digestion was used to evaluate the effect of this enrichment on the phenolic content and soluble peptide content as well as antioxidant activities of the gastric or intestinal supernatants (bio-accessible fractions), and the remaining portions of phenolic compounds, antioxidants and ß-glucan in the undigested residue (non-digestible fraction). The phenolic content of the gastric and intestinal supernatants obtained from digested mushroom-enriched biscuits was found to be higher than that of control biscuit, and the phenolic content was positively correlated to the antioxidant activities in each fraction (p < 0.001). L. edodes and T. fuciformis enrichment increased the soluble protein content (small peptide) of sorghum biscuits after in vitro digestion. All mushroom enrichment increased the total phenolic content and ß-glucan content of the undigested residue and they were positively correlated (p < 0.001). The insoluble dietary fibre of biscuits was positively correlated with ß-glucan content (p < 0.001) of undigested residue. These findings suggested that enriching food with mushroom derived dietary fibre increases the bioavailability of the non-digestible ß-glucan and phenolic compounds.

Effects of partial replacement of NaCl with KCl on bacterial communities and physicochemical characteristics of typical Chinese bacon.

This work aimed to determine the effects of partial substitution of NaCl with 0% (control), 30%, 50%, and 70% of KCl on the bacterial communities, proteolysis and lipid oxidation of Chinese bacon during processing. The proportion of genus Lactobacillus increased from 22.45% (fresh meat) to 72.78%, 81.64%, 76.53% and 85.63% at the end of processing for 0%, 30%, 50% and 70% KCl replacement samples, respectively. During the processing, Lactobacillus gradually became the dominant one, and higher the KCl ratio, more rapid was the process. After salting, the TBARS of control was markedly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the others, while a similar lipid oxidation level (P > 0.05) was observed at the end of processing for different groups. After salting, there was no difference in total free amino acids (TFAA) content among four treatments (P > 0.05), whereas KCl replacement samples shared significantly higher (P < 0.05) values than control at the end of processing. Redundancy analysis and Pearson correlation showed positive correlation between Lactobacillus versus TBARS and TFAA. Partial replacement of NaCl with KCl could, directly or subsequently by promoting the growth of Lactobacillus, influence proteolysis and lipid oxidation over the manufacturing process.

A comprehensive insight into the effects of microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation on the discoloration of rabbit meat during retail display.

The effects of the retail display temperature (8 °C, 3 °C and - 1 °C) on the discoloration of the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum of rabbits and the associations among such effects with microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation were investigated. The total aerobic count, total volatile basic nitrogen content, metmyoglobin content, protein carbonyl content, and contents of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances steadily increased during retail display. Moreover, the lightness and redness of the rabbit meat significantly (P < 0.05) declined over time, whereas the yellowness increased considerably (P < 0.05) with prolonged retail time. Canonical correlation analysis suggested that microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation jointly affected rabbit meat color. Linear mixed models further revealed that microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation and protein oxidation positively affected yellowness, and they inversely impacted lightness and redness.

Mechanisms of change in gel water-holding capacity of myofibrillar proteins affected by lipid oxidation: The role of protein unfolding and cross-linking.

This work explored the effects of protein unfolding and cross-linking induced by lipid oxidation (linoleic acid, OLA) on the gel water-holding capacity (WHC) of beef myofibrillar proteins (MP). Medium concentration of OLA (≤6 mM) caused the increase of gel WHC from 55.2% to 65.1%, while relative high OLA concentration (>6 mM) decreased the gel WHC. When the OLA concentrations increased from 0 to 10 mM, the population of immobile water of gel decreased from 92.91% to 78.97%, whereas that of free water increased from 6.13% to 19.80%, suggesting that OLA treatment regardless concentration was harmful for gel WHC. However, medium OLA concentrations (≤6 mM) caused the shifting of α-helixes to ß-sheets in MP gel, exerting positive effect on gel WHC. Protein unfolding and cross-linking jointly determined the increased gel WHC at moderate oxidative modification. Additionally, the protein aggregation at high OLA concentration resulted in decreased gel WHC.

A Preliminary Study on the Synergistic Effect of Nano Ag and Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs on Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

To determine the bactericidal effect of nano silver and anti-tuberculosis drugs on drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Solid-state drug sensitivity tests with streptomycin (SM), isoniazid (INH), RIF, EMB, kanamycin (km), and ofloxacin (ofx) were carried out on H37Rv and different clinical isolates. Briefly, the effects of SM, INH, RIF, EMB (1.0 µg/mL, 0.1 µg/mL, 1.0 µg/mL, 5.0 µg/mL), and anti-tuberculosis drugs, and their combined effect with 0.15 µg/mL and 0.30 µg/mL nano silver on drug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria were evaluated by liquid drug sensitivity test. At the low concentration (0.15 µg/mL), nano silver could not effectively kill the tuberculosis strains; however, at concentrations ≥0.30 µg/mL, it could effectively kill H37Rv and the clinical isolates of the sensitive, single-resistant, multi-resistant, multi-resistant, and extensively resistant strains. Combining 0.15 µg/mL nano silver with the four first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs could not effectively kill the tuberculosis strains; however, combining 0.30 µg/mL nano silver and the anti-tuberculosis drugs could effectively kill the drug-resistant tuberculosis strains. Nano silver exhibits a concentrationdependent killing effect on tubercle bacillus. Further, a nano silver concentration higher than 0.30 µg/mL could kill sensitive and resistant tubercle bacillus.

Critical functional properties of defatted peanut meal produced by aqueous extraction and conventional methods.

The functional properties of the defatted peanut meal produced by aqueous extraction, solvent extraction and cold screw pressing followed by solvent extraction were studied. Good gelling property, color and nitrogen dispersibility as well as the high protein content of the defatted peanut meals produced by these methods were verified to be the critical functional properties for their high value of application to the food industry (e.g. production of ham sausages or hotdog sausages) though they are not suggested to be applied to the foods needing good oil binding capacity, emulsifying activity or stability and foaming capacity or stability. These results should provide valuable reference data for the application of defatted peanut meal to the food industry, the correct selection of processing method of peanut kernels which should be pursued by manufacturers and the determination of research direction that peanut processing technologists should be interested in.

Fatal adverse events with molecular targeted agents in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIMS: Concerns have increased about the risk of fatal adverse events (FAEs) associated with molecular targeted agents (MTAs) in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study is to investigate the overall incidence and risk of FAEs in advanced HCC with administration of MTAs by using a meta-analysis of available clinical trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for relevant articles before March 2017. Eligible studies were selected according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Pooled incidence, Peto ORs and 95% CIs were calculated according to the heterogeneity of selected studies. RESULTS: A total of 4,716 HCC participants from 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were finally considered for this meta-analysis. The pooled incidence of death due to MTAs was 2.1% (95% CI 1.6%-2.8%) with a Peto OR of 1.79 (95% CI 1.07-3.01; p=0.027) in comparison with controlled groups. Subgroup analysis according to biological agents showed that brivanib treatment in HCC patients significantly increased the risk of developing FAEs (Peto OR 3.97; 95% CI 1.17-13.51; p=0.028) but not for sorafenib (Peto OR 1.78; 95% CI 0.54-5.89; p=0.34) and other MTAs (Peto OR 1.43; 95% CI 0.75-2.76; p=0.28). Sensitive analysis showed that the pooled results were influenced by removing each single trial. The most common causes of FAEs were hepatic failure (22.2%) and hemorrhage (13.3%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware of the risks of FAEs during the administration of MTAs in advanced HCC patients, especially for patients with abnormal liver function. However, the use of sorafenib remains justified in its approved indications due to their potential survival benefits and limited toxicities.

MicroRNA-34a-5p inhibits liver fibrosis by regulating TGF-ß1/Smad3 pathway in hepatic stellate cells.

Liver fibrosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the outcome of various chronic liver diseases. Recent studies suggest that aberrant expression of miR-34 is involved in the progression of various liver diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is still poorly understood whether miR-34 mediates the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Here, we found that the expression of microRNA-34a-5p (miR-34a-5p) was significantly decreased in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-activated liver fibrosis and HCC, as well as in CC14 (Carbon tetrachloride Tetrachloromethane) induced liver fibrosis model mice. The TGF-ß1/Smad3 (Transforming growth factor-ß1/Smad3) pathway were significantly augmented in CC14 induced mice compared with normal control, whereas inhibitor of TGF-ß1 (SB431542) significantly attenuated liver fibrosis and TGF-ß1/Smad3 activation. Administration of the miR-34a-5p mimic de-activated TGF-ß1/Smad3 pathway in human hepatic stellate cells (HSC), LX-2. Moreover, the target gene for miR-34a-5p, Smad4, was predicted and verified in LX-2 cells. Taken together, these data demonstrated that overexpression of miR-34 in HSCs ameliorated the development and progression of liver fibrosis by targeting Smad4 and regulating TGF-ß1/Smad3 pathway. Strategies targeting miR-34a-5p may be of benefit in the treatment of liver fibrosis.

Clinical Etiologies of Fever of Unknown Origin in 500 Cases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution and change of the causes of fever of unknown origin(FUO). METHODS: The clinical data of 500 inpatients with FUO in our center between December 2003 and June 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The diagnostic methods,etiologies,and their possible relationship with age,sex,fever duration,and period. RESULTS: Of these 500 FUO patients,452(90.4%)were confirmed to be with fever caused by conditions including infectious diseases [(n=231,46.2%;e.g.tuberculosis(32.9%,76/231)],connective tissue diseases(CTD)(n=99,19.8%),neoplasms(n=58,11.6%),miscellaneous causes(n=64,12.8%). The causes were not identified in 48 cases(9.6%).The proportion of CTD in female patients was significantly higher than that in male patients(26.3% vs. 14.5%,P=0.025),whereas the proportion of neoplasms in male patients was significantly higher than that in female patients(14.5% vs. 8.0%,P=0.001). Infectious diseases was the most common cause in all age groups,CTD ranked the second in the 21-39-year group and 40-59-year group,and neoplasm was the second most coomon cause in the over 60 year group. Thus,the distribution of FUO etiologies significantly differed in different age groups(χ(2)=43.10,P=0.000). The duration of fever in patients with neoplasms [60(28,90)d] was longer than that in patients with infectious diseases [28(21,42)d,Z=-4.168,P=0.000] or CTD [30(21,60)d,Z=-2.406,P=0.016)]. Compared with the level in 2003-2008,the proportion of CTD significantly increased in 2009-2014(13.7% vs. 23.8%,χ(2)=8.598,P=0.003),along with the dicrease of the proportions of infectious diseases,neoplasms and miscellaneous diseases were decreased(all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Infectious diseases(in particular,tuberculosis)remains the major cause of FUO. CTD and neoplasms also play important roles in the development of FUO. The distributions of the FUO etiologies have certain differences in terms of age,sex,duration of fever,and period.