Strategy of Charge Compensation for High-Performance Ni2+-Activated MgAl2O4 Spinel Near-Infrared Phosphor Synthesis via the Sol-Gel Combustion Method.

Near-infrared (NIR) phosphor conversion light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs) have great application potential as NIR light sources in many fields such as food analysis, night vision illumination, and bioimaging for noninvasive medical diagnosis. In general, phosphors synthesized by a high-temperature solid-phase method have large particle sizes and have to be processed to fine powders by a grinding process, which may introduce surface defects and lower the luminous efficiency. Here, we report a sol-gel sintering method with ammonium nitrate and citric acid as the sacrificing agents to synthesize high purity, nanosized (less than 50 nm) Zr4+/Ni2+ codoped MgAl2O4 spinel NIR phosphors, in which MgAl2O4 spinel is the matrix, Ni2+ is the luminous center, and Zr4+ acts as the charge compensator. We systematically characterized the crystal structures and NIR luminescence properties of the Ni2+-doped MgAl2O4 and the Zr4+/Ni2+ codoped MgAl2O4. Under 390 nm light excitation, the emission spectrum of the Ni2+-doped MgAl2O4 phosphor covers 900-1600 nm, the half-peak width is 251 nm, and the peak position is located at 1230 nm. We demonstrated that by incorporating small amounts of Zr4+ as the charge compensator, the NIR emission intensity of the Zr4+/Ni2+ codoped MgAl2O4 nanosized phosphor was doubled over that of the Ni2+-doped MgAl2O4 phosphor. The optimal content of the charge compensator was 2 mol %. More importantly, the inclusion of Zr4+ led to a NIR phosphor with improved thermal stability in luminous properties, and the luminous intensity measured at 100 °C was 33.83% of that measured at room temperature (20 °C). This study demonstrates that NIR phosphor nanomaterials with high-purity and enhanced optical properties can be designed and synthesized through the charge compensation strategy by a sol-gel sintering method.

Achieving Broadband NIR-I to NIR-II Emission in an All-Inorganic Halide Double-Perovskite Cs2NaYCl6:Cr3+ Phosphor for Night Vision Imaging.

Near-infrared phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (NIR pc-LEDs) offer numerous advantages, including compact size, tunable emission spectra, energy efficiency, and high integration potential. These features make them highly promising for various applications, such as night vision monitoring, food safety inspection, biomedical imaging, and theragnostics. All-inorganic halide double-perovskite materials, known for their large absorption cross section, excellent defect tolerance, and long carrier diffusion radius, serve as unique matrices for constructing near-infrared fluorescent materials. In this study, we successfully prepared the all-inorganic metal halide double-perovskite Cs2NaYCl6:Cr3+ using a grinding-sintering method. A small fraction of the [YCl6] octahedra within the host material's lattice was substituted with Cr3+ ions, resulting in the creation of the Cs2NaYCl6:Cr3+ phosphor. When excited with λ = 310 nm UV light, the phosphor exhibited a broad emission range spanning from 800 to 1400 nm, covering the NIR-I and NIR-II regions. It had a broad bandwidth emission of 185 nm and achieved a fluorescence quantum yield of 20.2%. The unique broadband emission of the phosphor originates from the weak crystal field environment provided by the Cs2NaYCl6 host matrix, which enhances the luminescence properties of the Cr3+ ions. To create NIR pc-LEDs, the phosphor was encapsulated onto a commercially available UV LED chip operating at 310 nm. The potential application of these NIR pc-LEDs in night vision imaging was successfully validated.

Influence of Gegenqinlian decoction on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of saxagliptin in type 2 diabetes mellitus rats.

Gegenqinlian decoction (GQD) is a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which originated from Shanghanlun. The combination of GQD and hypoglycemic drugs (saxagliptin, Sax, metformin) is often used to treat Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in TCM clinics. However, the herb-drug interactions (HDIs) between GQD and hypoglycemic drugs are still unclear. In order to determine the safety of the combination, we assessed the influences of GQD on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Sax in T2DM rats. The plasma concentration of Sax (5 mg/kg) pretreated with GQD (freeze-dried powder, 1.35 g/kg) or not was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated. The influence of GQD on the pharmacodynamics of Sax was investigated by detecting the levels of weight, (see abbreviations list) OGTT, TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, FBG, FINS, HOMA-IR, QUICKI, AST, ALT, and the liver coefficient. The Cmax , AUC0-t ,and AUC0-∞ of Sax increased significantly in the combination group whether in normal or T2DM rats. The results of pharmacodynamics showed that the weight of rats in each treatment group increased. FBG, TC, TG, LDL-C, and HOMA-IR decreased, HDL-C, FINS, and QUICKI increased significantly (p < 0.05) compared with the model control group. The result showed that the combination of GQD and Sax could not only improve the hypoglycemic effect but also increase the plasma exposure of Sax. The potential HDIs between GQD and Sax should be taken into consideration in clinics. Moreover, for the complexity of the human compared with experimental animals, as well as genetic differences, the in-depth study should be carried out to assess the uniformity of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics between rats and humans.

Comprehensive investigation of the content and the origin of matrine-type alkaloids in Chinese honeys.

A HPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of four matrine-type alkaloids (matrine, oxymatrine, sophocarpine and sophoridine) in honey was established and was applied to 567 Chinese honey samples. The overall detection rate was 61.0 % and all eight Sophora viciifolia Hance honey samples were detected with the average content of 1183.3 µg/kg. Among 383 Acacia honey samples, matrine-type alkaloids have the highest detection rates in Gansu (98.8 %) and Shaanxi (86.5 %) provinces, which were significantly correlated with the distribution of S. viciifolia Hance. Moreover, matrine-type alkaloids in fruits and flowers of S. viciifolia Hance were as high as 7.06 g/kg and 2.65 g/kg respectively. The melissopalynological analysis showed that the concentration of oxymatrine was positively correlated with the pollen frequency of S. viciifolia Hance (R2 = 0.737) in representative Acacia honey samples. It can be concluded that the matrine-type alkaloids in Chinese honeys come from the nectariferous plants S. viciifolia Hance.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells With Different Delivery Route and Dosages in Rat Models of Spinal Cord Injury.

Recent studies have shown that the use of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) may be a promising strategy for treating spinal cord injury (SCI). This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUC-MSCs) with different administration routes and dosages on SCI rats. Following T10-spinal cord contusion in Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 60), three different dosages of hUC-MSCs were intrathecally injected into rats (SCI-ITH) after 24 h. Intravenous injection of hUC-MSCs (SCI-i.v.) and methylprednisolone reagent (SCI-PC) were used as positive controls (N = 10/group). A SCI control group without treatment and a sham operation group were injected with Multiple Electrolyte Injection solution. The locomotor function was assessed by Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) rating score, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histopathology, and immunofluorescence. ELISA was conducted to further analyze the nerve injury and inflammation in the rat SCI model. Following SCI, BBB scores were significantly lower in the SCI groups compared with the sham operation group, but all the treated groups showed the recovery of hind-limb motor function, and rats receiving the high-dose intrathecal injection of hUC-MSCs (SCI-ITH-H) showed improved outcomes compared with rats in hUC-MSCs i.v. and positive control groups. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed significant edema and spinal cord lesion in the SCI groups, and significant recovery was observed in the medium and high-dose hUC-MSCs ITH groups. Histopathological staining showed that the necrotic area in spinal cord tissue was significantly reduced in the hUC-MSCs ITH-H group, and the immunofluorescence staining confirmed the neuroprotection effect of hUC-MSCs infused on SCI rats. The increase of inflammatory cytokines was repressed in hUC-MSCs ITH-H group. Our results confirmed that hUC-MSC administered via intrathecal injection has dose-dependent neuroprotection effect in SCI rats.

Influence of Gegenqinlian Decoction on Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Atorvastatin Calcium in Hyperlipidemic Rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gegenqinlian decoction (GQD), a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), was described in Shanghan Lun. GQD is often combined with antihyperlipidemic drugs (mainly atrovastatin calcium) in TCM clinics. However, the herb-drug interaction between GQD and atrovastatin calcium (AC) is still unknown. To determine whether the combination is safe, we evaluated the effects of GQD on the activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A2 enzyme and investigated the impact of GQD on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of AC in rats. METHODS: The pharmacokinetics of AC (10 mg/kg) with or without pretreatment with GQD (freeze-dried powder, 1.35 g/kg) were investigated using HPLC. The influence of GQD on pharmacodynamics of AC were determined by detecting the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Moreover, the probe drug method was used to explore the effect of GQD on CYP3A2 activity. RESULTS: The pharmacokinetic parameters of AC combined with GQD were significantly affected (P < 0.05) in hyperlipidemic rats. The serum TC, TG and LDL-C levels of the combination were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), and the serum HDL-C level was significantly increased (P < 0.05) compared with AC/GQD alone. AST and ALT activities treated with both GQD and AC+GQD group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) compared with AC group. There was a significant difference in the pharmacokinetic parameters of midazolam between control and GQD groups (P < 0.05). Maximum concentration (Cmax), area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0-t) and AUC from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-∞) increased significantly in GQD group. CONCLUSIONS: The result suggested that GQD combined with AC can improve the lipid-lowering effect of AC and reduce the damage of AC to the liver simultaneously. However, GQD can inhibit the activity of CYP3A2 in hyperlipidemic rats and increase the blood concentration of AC. Therefore, the clinical dose of AC should be adjusted when they are combined. Since the study was conducted in rats,  further research should be carried out to assess the uniformity of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics between rats and humans.

Plant sprout foods: Biological activities, health benefits, and bioavailability.

Plant sprout foods exhibit a lot of biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anticancer, antidiabetes, anti-infection, and antiviral activities. Up to the present moment, plant sprout foods have received much attention due to their abundance, good bioavailability, and health benefits for human. This review highlights the biological activities of different plant sprout foods (viz., broccoli sprout, buckwheat sprout, wheat sprout, mung bean sprout, soybean sprout, and adkuzi bean sprout) using in vitro model, animal model, and human model. Furthermore, the bioavailability of plant sprout foods is also discussed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: A review of the literature was conducted to biological activities of plant sprout foods, in addition to a summary of health benefits and bioavailability of sprout foods. Several biological activities of plant sprout foods with in vitro and in vivo evidence are currently unexplored in clinical trials, because the effects of sprout foods on human tissues and cells measured by tube test do not recapitulate the actual in vivo effects. Moreover, the safety of chemoprevention strategies using sprout foods that to protect against environmental exposures and other oxidative stress-related pathologies is important. Further research is warranted to evaluate bioavailability of individual forms.

An Insight into Anti-Inflammatory Activities and Inflammation Related Diseases of Anthocyanins: A Review of Both In Vivo and In Vitro Investigations.

Anthocyanin is a type of flavonoid pigment widely present in fruits and vegetables. It can not only be used as natural pigment, but also has a variety of health functions, for instance, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and neuroprotective activities. Persistent proinflammatory status is a major factor in the development, progression, and complications of chronic diseases. Not surprisingly, there are thus many food ingredients that can potentially affect inflammation related diseases and many studies have shown that anthocyanins play an important role in inflammatory pathways. In this paper, the inflammation related diseases (such as, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer) of anthocyanins are introduced, and the anti-inflammatory effect of anthocyanins is emphatically introduced. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory mechanism of anthocyanins is elaborated from the aspects of NF-κB, toll like receptor, MAPKs, NO, and ROS and the main efficacy of anthocyanins in inflammation and related diseases is determined. In conclusion, this review aims to get a clear insight into the role of anthocyanins in inflammation related diseases.

The Protective Effect of Anthocyanins Extracted from Aronia Melanocarpa Berry in Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Our previous research showed the antioxidant activity of anthocyanins extracted from Aronia melanocarpa of black chokeberry in vitro. Ischemia acute kidney injury is a significant risk in developing progressive and deterioration of renal function leading to clinic chronic kidney disease. There were many attempts to protect the kidney against this progression of renal damage. Current study was designed to examine the effect of pretreatment with three anthocyanins named cyanidin-3-arabinoside, cyanidin-3-glucodise, and cyaniding-3-galactoside against acute ischemia-reperfusion injury in mouse kidney. METHODS: Acute renal injury model was initiated by 30 min clamping bilateral renal pedicle and followed by 24-hour reperfusion in C57Bl/6J mice. Four groups of mice were orally pretreated in 50 mg/g/12 h for two weeks with cyanidin-3-arabinoside, cyanidin-3-glucodise, and cyaniding-3-galactoside and anthocyanins (three-cyanidin mixture), respectively, sham-control group and the renal injury-untreated groups only with saline. RESULTS: The model resulted in renal dysfunction with high serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and changes in proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-ɑ, IL-1ß, IL-6, and MCP-1), renal oxidative stress (SOD, GSH, and CAT), lipid peroxidation (TBARS and MDA), and apoptosis (caspase-9). Pretreatment of two weeks resulted in different extent amelioration of renal dysfunction and tubular damage and suppression of proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and apoptosis, thus suggesting that cyanidins are potentially effective in acute renal ischemia by the decrease of inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation, as well as apoptosis. CONCLUSION: the current study provided the first attempt to investigate the role of anthocyanins purified from Aronia melanocarpa berry in amelioration of acute renal failure via antioxidant and cytoprotective effects.

Proteomic analysis of Aspergillus niger 3.316 under heat stress.

ß-Glucosidase production by Aspergillus niger is accompanied by an inevitable temperature increase in the industrial fermentation environment. Hence, the synthetic process of ß-glucosidase is negatively affected. However, our understanding of the heat stress response (HSR) mechanism in A. niger is still incomplete. The current study explored the intracellular proteome profile of A. niger 3.316 in group T (50°C stress) and group C (30°C control) using two proteomic approaches (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation [iTRAQ] and label-free) and examined the expression of four proteins using a parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) approach. Based on the result of the iTRAQ proteomic analysis, 1,025 proteins were differentially expressed in group T compared to group C. Using the label-free approach, we only focused on 77 proteins with significant changes in their protein expression levels. In addition, we performed bioinformatics analysis on all these proteins and obtained detailed gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway results. Under heat stress conditions, the relative expression levels of proteins with protection and repair functions were upregulated in A. niger 3.316. These proteins were involved in metabolic pathways, oxidative phosphorylation, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). The insights obtained from the presented proteomics and bioinformatics analyses can be used to further explore the HSR mechanism of A. niger.

Determination of 3,5-Dinitrosalicylic Acid Hydrazide in Honey by Solid-Phase Extraction-Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

ABSTRACT: 3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid hydrazide (DNSAH) is the metabolite of the antibacterial nitrofuran nifursol. A simple and accurate analytical method to determine DNSAH levels in honey by solid-phase extraction-ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry has been established. The honey sample was hydrolyzed under acidic conditions and derivatized with 2-nitrobenzaldehyde in the dark for 16 h, followed by solid-phase extraction and column chromatography. Detection was performed with an electrospray ionization source and multiple reaction monitoring mode and was quantified by the internal standard method. The detection and quantitative limits of DNSAH in honey were 0.1 and 0.3 µg/kg, respectively. Good linear relationships between peak areas and mass concentrations of the analyte were achieved in the range of approximately 0.1 to 200 µg/L, with the correlation coefficient >0.9991. Under the concentration levels of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 µg/kg, the average recovery rate were between 98.5 and 102.3%, and the relative standard deviations were between 1.1 and 5.4%. The results indicate that the method is simple, rapid, sensitive, and reproducible and can be used to determine DNSAH levels in different types of honey.

Anti-inflammatory effects of phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, and food legumes: A review.

Inflammation is the first biological response of the immune system to infection, injury or irritation. Evidence suggests that the anti-inflammatory effect is mediated through the regulation of various inflammatory cytokines, such as nitric oxide, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor alpha-α, interferon gamma-γ as well as noncytokine mediator, prostaglandin E2. Fruits, vegetables, and food legumes contain high levels of phytochemicals that show anti-inflammatory effect, but their mechanisms of actions have not been completely identified. The aim of this paper was to summarize the recent investigations and findings regarding in vitro and animal model studies on the anti-inflammatory effects of fruits, vegetables, and food legumes. Specific cytokines released for specific type of physiological event might shed some light on the specific use of each source of phytochemicals that can benefit to counter the inflammatory response. As natural modulators of proinflammatory gene expressions, phytochemical from fruits, vegetables, and food legumes could be incorporated into novel bioactive anti-inflammatory formulations of various nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Finally, these phytochemicals are discussed as the natural promotion strategy for the improvement of human health status. The phenolics and triterpenoids in fruits and vegetables showed higher anti-inflammatory activity than other compounds. In food legumes, lectins and peptides had anti-inflammatory activity in most cases. However, there are lack of human study data on the anti-inflammatory activity of phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, and food legumes.

Advance on the bioactivity and potential applications of dietary fibre from grape pomace.

The winemaking grape pomaces are rich in bioactive phytochemicals and dietary fibre (DF). DFs are phenolic-rich DF matrix and are dietary supplement with benefits on human health. As a result of the increased attention to sustainability of winemaking by-products, efforts have been made to use grape pomace in different bio-industries. In this review, we summarize the existing knowledge on the bioactivity and potential applications of DF from grape pomace, as well as the chemical compositions of DF. Furthermore, the biological activities of DF such as, anti-cancer activity, antibacterial activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity, improving gastrointestinal health activity, anti-apoptotic activity, preventing cardiovascular disease activity, anti-hypercholesterolemic activity, are discussed. Finally, the possible applications and future prospects of grape pomace DF in various fields are also summarised.

[Protective effect of Salidroside on oxidative damage to human lens epithelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effects of salidroside (Sal) on oxidative damage to human lens epithelial cells (HLEC). METHODS: Experimental study. The cultured HLECwas intervened with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) which created oxidative damage model to observe the effect of Sal on HLECs. The cultured cells during the logarithmic phase were interposed by different concentrations Sal (0 µmol/L, 10 µmol/L, 30 µmol/L, 50 µmol/L, 100 µmol/L, 200 µmol/L) for 24 h. Then the viability of cells was detected by cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The cells were divided into 5 groups:control group, H2O2 group, Sal low dose group (30 µmol/L Sal+ H2O2 group), Sal middle dose group (50 µmol/L Sal+H2O2 group), Sal high dose group (100 µmol/L Sal+ H2O2 group). The effects of Sal on the apoptosis of the HLEC were determined by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry assay.Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect B cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (Caspase-3) expression. Data between groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), while LSD-t test was used for further comparison between every two groups. RESULTS: CCK-8 result showed that when the concentration of H2O2 was 200 µmol/L, the survival of HLEC inhibition rate was 49.56% ± 7.07%, which was close to the half of the cell survival inhibition rate (IC50). So 200 µmol/L was chosen as the concentration of H2O2 in follow-up experiments. Different concentrations of Sal had no inhibitive influence on HLEC viability. After 24 hours cultivated with Sal (10 µmol/L, 30 µmol/L, 50 µmol/L, 100 µmol/L, 200 µmol/L), the survival rate of HLEC were 100.24% ± 2.07%, 101.18% ± 2.14%, 101.32% ± 2.48%, 101.76% ± 1.93% and 99.28% ± 1.74% correspondingly. There was no significant difference comparing with that of the control group 99.84% ± 2.21% (F = 1.044, P = 0.415; all P > 0.05). Hoechst 33258 staining showed that the chromatin of H2O2 group aggregated and concentrated obviously. And Sal could reduce the aggregation of chromatin of HLEC obviously. FCM results indicated that the apoptosis rate of HLEC was 2.26% ± 0.29% in control group and 44.56% ± 4.28% in H2O2 group. After interposal with Sal (30 µmol/L, 50 µmol/L, 100 µmol/L), the apoptosis rate of HLEC reduced to 31.52% ± 3.05%, 24.06% ± 4.25% and 17.16% ± 2.75%. The differences of apoptosis rates had statistical significance between the five groups (F = 117.082, P < 0.001). The HLEC apoptosis rate decreased with higher Sal concentreations (F = 117.082, P < 0.01). The expression of Bax and Caspase-3 in H2O2 group were higher and the expression of Bcl-2 were lower than that in the control group (P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the expression of Bcl-2 in three Sal dose groups was higher and the expression of Bax, Caspase-3 was lower, especially the high dose Sal group (Bax:F = 493.554, P < 0.01; Bcl-2:F = 827.820, P < 0.01; Caspase-3:F = 537.237, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The Sal takes the protective effect on the oxidative damage to HLEC.It could decrease the apoptosis of HLEC.

Aroma enhancement and enzymolysis regulation of grape wine using ß-glycosidase.

Adding ß-glycosidase into grape wine for enhancing aroma was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Kramer sensory evaluation. Compared with the extract from control wines, the extract from enzyme-treated wines increased more aromatic compounds using steam distillation extraction (SDE) and GC-MS analyses. Theses aromatic compounds were as follows: 3-methyl-1-butanol formate, 3-pentanol, furfural, 3-methyl-butanoic acid, 2-methyl-butanoic acid, 3-hydroxy-butanoic acid ethyl ester, hexanoic acid, hexanoic acid ethyl ester, benzyl alcohol, octanoic acid, octanoic acid ethyl ester, dodecanoic acid, and ethyl ester. The enzymolysis regulation conditions, including enzymolysis temperature, enzymolysis time, and enzyme amount, were optimized through L9(3(4)) orthogonal test. Kramer sensory evaluation was performed by an 11-man panel of judges. The optimum enzymolysis regulation conditions were found to be temperature of 45°C, enzymolysis time of 90 min, and enzyme amount of 58.32 U/mL grape wine, respectively. The Kramer sensory evaluation supported that the enzyme-treated wines produced a stronger fragrance.

Effect of ultrafine grinding on physicochemical and antioxidant properties of dietary fiber from wine grape pomace.

Wine grape pomace dietary fiber powders were prepared by superfine grinding, whose effects were investigated on the composition, functional and antioxidant properties of the wine grape pomace dietary fiber products. The results showed that superfine grinding could effectively pulverize the fiber particles to submicron scale. As particle size decrease, the functional properties (water-holding capacity, water-retention capacity, swelling capacity, oil-binding capacity, and nitrite ion absorption capacity) of wine grape pomace dietary fiber were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased and a redistribution of fiber components from insoluble to soluble fractions was observed. The antioxidant activities of wine grape pomace and dietary fiber before and after grinding were in terms of DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS diammonium salt radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and total phenolic content. Compared with dietary fiber before and after grinding, micronized insoluble dietary fiber showed increased ABTS radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and total phenolic content yet decreased DPPH radical scavenging activity. Positive correlations were detected between ABTS radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and total phenolic content.

Membrane Damage Induced by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide in Rhodotorula mucilaginosa.

To clarify the mechanism of microbial inactivation by supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2), membrane damage of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was investigated within specific pressure (10 Mpa), temperature (37 °C), and treatment time (10-70 min) ranges, including cell morphological structure, membrane permeability and fluidity. SEM and TEM observations showed morphological changes in the cell envelope and intracellular organization after SCCO2 treatment. Increase of membrane permeability was measured as increased uptake of the trypan blue dye with microscopy, and leakage of intracellular substances such as UV-absorbing materials and ions by determining the change of protein and electrical conductivity. The SCCO2 mediated reduction in CFU ml(-1) was 0.5-1 log higher at 37 °C and 10 MPa for 60 min in Rose Bengal Medium containing 4 % sodium than a similar treatment in Rose Bengal Medium. Membrane fluidity analyzed by fluorescence polarization method using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene showed that the florescence polarization and florescence anisotropy of the SCCO2-treated cells were increased slightly and gently compared with the untreated cells. The correlation between membrane damage and death of cells under SCCO2 was clear, and the membrane damage was a key factor induced the inactivation of cells.