Evaluation of quality consistency between dispensing granules and traditional decoction of Bombyx batryticatus based on peptidomics and in silico simulations.

The application of traditional Chinese medicine dispensing granules is becoming increasingly prevalent. However, the consistency of dispensing granules with traditional decoction remains controversial. In this study, the consistency of peptide composition and pharmacodynamics between dispensing granules and traditional decoction of Bombyx batryticatus (BB) were assessed. A peptidomics method based on LC-tandem mass spectrometry technology was used to evaluate peptide composition similarity between BB traditional decoction and dispensing granules. The results revealed notable differences in peptide sequences between the two dosage forms, with only 8.55% of peptides shared between them. To evaluate the potential pharmacodynamic effects of the two dosage forms on epilepsy, virtual screening was used to identify potential active peptides, including blood-brain barrier permeability, toxicity prediction, and molecular docking. BB traditional decoction demonstrated a higher number and greater abundance of potential active peptides than BB dispensing granules, suggesting that BB traditional decoction may have a more favorable effect in treating epilepsy compared with BB dispensing granules. Moreover, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies confirmed the mechanism of action of active peptides to γ-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 (GAT-1). This study provides a scientific basis for the evaluation of quality consistency between BB traditional decoction and dispensing granules.

Spatial and temporal variations in the pollution status and sources of mercury in the Jiaozhou bay.

In the past few decades, mercury (Hg) discharged into the coastal bays of China has significantly increased; however, long-term trends regarding the pollution status and sources of Hg in these bays have yet to be clear. Focusing on this issue, surface sediments and core sediments were collected in the Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), a typical bay highly affected by human activities in China, to analyze the concentrations and stable isotopic composition of Hg. Total mercury (THg) concentrations in surface sediment varied from 7 to 163 ng/g, with higher levels located in the eastern JZB, possibly attributed to intensive industrial and population density. THg in sediment cores 14 and 20 displayed fluctuating increasing trends from 1936 to 2019, reflecting the deterioration of Hg pollution. In contrast, THg in sediment core 28 near the river mouth exhibited a declining trend, possibly due to the river dam construction. Using a stable isotope mixing model, contributions of various sources (atmospheric, riverine, and industrial emissions) to Hg in the JZB were estimated. The results showed that industrial emissions were the main source (over 50%) of mercury in the JZB in 2019. Sediment cores recorded an increase in industrial Hg due to early industrialization and Reform and Opening-up before 2000. In addition, sediment core 20 demonstrated a rise in the percentage of riverine Hg due to land reclamation at the bay's mouth during 2000-2007.

Sources and high burial efficiency of fossil organic carbon in small bays and implication for coastal carbon cycle.

Coastal seas receive and store large amounts of organic carbon (OC) from land and ocean, thereby playing a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. Understanding factors that influencing OC sources and burial efficiencies in coastal areas have been challenging. We selected the Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) and its surrounding rivers heavily affected by human activities as a case study small bay. We presented bulk parameters of grain size, sediment surface area (SSA), TOC content and carbon isotopes (δ13Corg and Δ14Corg), terrestrial biomarkers (∑C27 + C29 + C31n-alkanes) and marine biomarkers (brassicasterol and dinosterol) in surface sediments and suspended particulates. Our results showed low TOC and biomarker contents in the Dagu River Estuary from the west of the JZB associated with coarse sediments and lower SSA. To estimate the OC proportions, we applied a three-end member mixing model based on TOC δ13Corg and biomarker ratios and obtained the OC contribution from phytoplankton (average 52 %), soil (average 34 %) and wetlands (average 14 %). A transect from east to west of the JZB was selected to further assess the OC age composition based on radiocarbon isotopic (14C) measurements for a new perspective. The lower Δ14Corg values in the east revealed fossil OC contributions from human activities, such as petroleum pollutant inputs from sewage outlets. Based on a dual­carbon isotope (δ13Corg and Δ14Corg) mass balance mixing model, the OC contributions were 40 %, 34 %, 14 %, 12 % from fossil carbon, phytoplankton, wetlands and soil, respectively. The very high burial efficiency of fossil OC in JZB (111 ± 19 %) indicated that small bays such as the JZB could be an important sedimentary carbon sink.

[Effects of Pollution Control of Xiaoqing River on Environment Factors and Phytoplankton Community in the Laizhou Bay].

The spatial distribution of environmental factors, chlorophyll a (Chla), phytoplankton abundance, and community structure in the Laizhou Bay were investigated in August 2018 (wet season after pollution control) to clarify the effects of the pollution control of the Xiaoqing River, which is a major source of pollution, on environmental factors and phytoplankton community structure in this area. The results showed that the environmental factors changed significantly after pollution control of the Xiaoqing River. The concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic silicon (DSi), NO3-, and NO2- decreased significantly, with values only 40.1% to 60.4% of those from the same period of in 2017 (the nearest year before the pollution control), whereas dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and NH4 increased by 2.5 and 1.4 times that of their concentrations in 2017. The spatial distribution of environmental factors changed significantly, with the nutrient concentrations around the Xiaoqing River estuary noticeably decreasing. The abundance of phytoplankton cells was 21.5×106 cell·m-3, which was close to the results of a previous study, whereas the ρ(Chla) was 2.43 µg·L-1, which decreased obviously. Both microscopic analysis and pigment taxonomy suggested that phytoplankton community structure in the Laizhou Bay changed clearly, with the dominant community shifting from diatoms alone to the co-dominance of diatoms and cyanobacteria. Chaetoceros curvisetus, Skeletonema costatum, and Cerataulina pelagica, which were commonly observed in the Laizhou Bay before pollution control of the Xiaoqing River, decreased in 2018, whereas the abundance of common dominant freshwater species (e.g., Merismopedia sp. and Synedra spp.) increased significantly. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that the phytoplankton community was significantly related to nitrogen, phosphate (negative correlation), and salinity (negative correlation) after pollution control of the Xiaoqing River, indicating that the variation in nutrient concentration and the structure of river runoff input may be the main factors affecting phytoplankton community and dominant species structure.

Occurrence of quinotone antibiotics and their impacts on aquatic environment in typical river-estuary system of Jiaozhou Bay, China.

There is a data gap on occurrence and transport of antibiotics in river-estuary system, with limited understanding of their impact on aquatic environment. To gain insight into the antibiotic pollution in river-estuary system, 22 surface sediments and 5 wetland plants from Yang River and its estuary in Jiaozhou Bay were selected to explore the occurrence and transport of eight quinotone antibiotics (QNs), and their impacts on aquatic environment. Our results indicated that QNs were widely present in the sediments from Yang River and its estuary, with a range of 1.34-8.69 ng/g (average 4.46 ng/g) in Yang River and 0.99-10.86 ng/g (average 3.92 ng/g) in its estuary, respectively. No obvious correlations were observed between QNs values and TOC contents in sediments from our study area, due to low detective concentrations and frequencies of QNs. The mass loading of individual antibiotic from Yang River to its estuary was from 11.73 to 391.59 g/year, far below those from the other estuarine regions all over the world. QNs were observed in all five wetland plants, demonstrating that QNs contaminants could be taken up by wetland plants and providing the evidence that phytoremediation could be a feasible way to remove contaminants. Negative partial coefficients between individual antibiotic and brassicasterol biomarker suggested the presence of QNs inhibited the phytoplankton growth. Evaluation of ecological risk based on the values of risk quotients (RQs) showed that OFL in Yang River displayed medium risk for algae, and CIP and OFL in its estuary also displayed medium risk value for plant and algae. The results could provide powerful basis on controlling river antibiotics pollution to enhance rivers-estuary security in similar regions.