Effect of cordyceps militaris on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal epithelium functions in weaned pigs.

To explore the effects of cordyceps militaris (CM) on growth performance and intestinal epithelium functions, 180 weaned pigs were randomly assigned into 5 treatments with 6 replicate pens per treatment (6 pigs per pen). Pigs were fed with basal diet (control) or basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg CM. The trial lasted for 42 d, and pigs from the control and optimal-dose groups (based on growth performance) were picked for blood and tissue collection (n=6). Results showed that CM elevated the average daily gain (ADG) and decreased the ratio of feed intake to gain (F:G) in the weaned pigs (P < 0.05). CM supplementation at 100 mg/kg improved the digestibilities of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and gross energy (GE) (P < 0.05). CM not only increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT), but also increased the concentration of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in serum (P < 0.05). The serum concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), D-lactate, and diamine oxidase (DAO) were reduced by CM (P < 0.05). Interestingly, CM elevated the villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the duodenum and jejunum and increased the activities of duodenal sucrase and maltase (P < 0.05). Moreover, CM elevated the expression levels of tight-junction proteins ZO-1, claudin-1, and occluding, as well as critical functional genes such as the fatty acid transport protein (FATP1), cationic amino acid transporter 1 (CAT1), and NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05). Importantly, CM increased the concentrations of acetic acid and butyric acid, and elevated the abundances of Bacillus and Lactobacillus in the cecum and colon, respectively (P < 0.05). These results indicated potential benefits of CM in improving the growth of weaned pigs, and such effect may be tightly associated with improvement in antioxidant capacity and intestinal epithelium functions.

Metabolomic Analysis Reveals the Association of Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia with Gut Microbiota and Oxidative Response in Extremely Preterm Infants.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease mainly affecting premature infants needing ventilation or oxygen for respiratory distress. This study aimed to evaluate the molecular linkages for BPD in very and extremely preterm infants using a metabolomics-based approach. A case-control study of enrolling preterm infants born before 32 weeks gestational age (GA) was prospectively performed. These preterm infants were subsequently stratified into the following two groups for further analysis: no or mild BPD, and moderate or severe BPD based on the 2019 NICHD criteria. Urinary metabolomic profiling was performed using 1H-Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) at a corrected age of 6 months. Metabolites significantly differentially related to GA and BPD severity were performed between groups, and their roles in functional metabolic pathways were also assessed. A total of 89 preterm infants born before 32 weeks gestation and 50 infants born at term age (above 37 completed weeks' gestation) served as controls and were enrolled into the study. There were 21 and 24 urinary metabolites identified to be significantly associated with GA and BPD severity, respectively (p < 0.05). Among them, N-phenylacetylglycine, hippurate, acetylsalicylate, gluconate, and indoxyl sulfate were five metabolites that were significantly higher, with the highest importance in both infants with GA < 28 weeks and those with moderate to severe BPD, whereas betaine and N,N-dimethylglycine were significantly lower (p < 0.05). Furthermore, ribose and a gluconate related pentose phosphate pathway were strongly associated with these infants (p < 0.01). In conclusion, urinary metabolomic analysis highlights the crucial role of gut microbiota dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of BPD in preterm infants, accompanied by metabolites related to diminished antioxidative capacity, prompting an aggressive antioxidation response in extremely preterm infants with severe BPD.

Enzymolytic soybean meal-impact on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidative capacity, and intestinal health of weaned piglets.

Enzymolytic soybean meal (ESBM) enriches free amino acids and small peptides, while mitigating anti-nutritional factors. Substituting soybean meal with ESBM enhances animal performance, though optimal piglet dietary supplementation levels vary. The present study aimed to assess the impact of ESBM on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidative capacity and intestinal health of weaned piglets. A total of 120 piglets (initial body weight, 7.0 ± 0.4 kg) were randomly allocated into 4 dietary groups, each comprising 5 replicates with 6 piglets per replicate. The control group received the basal diet, while the experimental groups were fed diets containing 2, 4% or 8% ESBM as a replacement for soybean meal over 28 days. Compared with the control group, piglets supplemented with 4% ESBM exhibited a significant increase (p < 0.05) in average daily gain and the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, ether extract and gross energy (p < 0.05), alongside a notable decrease (p < 0.05) in diarrhea incidence. Fed ESBM linearly increased (p < 0.05) the villus height in the ileum of piglets. The levels of superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity in serum of piglets increased (p < 0.05) in the 2 and 4% ESBM groups, while diamine oxidase content decreased (p < 0.05) in the 4 and 8% ESBM group. ESBM inclusion also upregulated (p < 0.05) the expression of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1), Catalase (CAT) and claudin-1 mRNA. In terms of cecal fermentation characteristics, ESBM supplementation resulted in a increase (p < 0.05) in valerate content and a linear rise (p < 0.05) in propionate, butyrate, and total short-chain fatty acids levels, accompanied by a decrease (p < 0.05) in the concentrations of tryptamine and NH3 in cecal digesta. ESBM had no discernible effect on cecal microbial composition. In summary, substitution of soybean meal with ESBM effectively improved the growth performance of piglets by enhancing nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, intestinal barrier and cecal microbial fermentation characteristics, with the optimal replacement level identified at 4%.

Dinotefuran exposure alters biochemical, metabolomic, gut microbiome, and growth responses in decapoda pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei.

Dinotefuran, a neonicotinoid insecticide, may impact nontarget organisms such as Decapoda P. vannamei shrimp with nervous systems similar to insects. Exposing shrimp to low dinotefuran concentrations (6, 60, and 600 µg/L) for 21 days affected growth, hepatosomatic index, and survival. Biomarkers erythromycin-N-demethylase, alanine aminotransferase, and catalase increased in all exposed groups, while glutathione S-transferase is the opposite; aminopyrin-N-demethylase, malondialdehyde, and aspartate aminotransferase increased at 60 and 600 µg/L. Concentration-dependent effects on gut microbiota altered the abundance of bacterial groups, increased potentially pathogenic and oxidative stress-resistant phenotypes, and decreased biofilm formation. Gram-positive/negative microbiota changed significantly. Metabolite differences between the exposed and control groups were identified using mass spectrometry and KEGG pathway enrichment. N-acetylcystathionine showed potential as a reliable dinotefuran metabolic marker. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) results indicated high connectivity of cruecdysone in the metabolite network and significant enrichment at 600 µg/L dinotefuran. The WGCNA results revealed a highly significant negative correlation between two key metabolites, caldine and indican, and the gut microbiota within co-expression modules. Overall, the risk of dinotefuran exposure to non-target organisms in aquatic environments still requires further attention.

Menstrual Blood-Derived Endometrial Stem Cell Transplantation Improves Male Reproductive Dysfunction in T1D Mice by Enhancing Antioxidative Capacity.

Diabetes is known to negatively affect male reproduction. Recent clinical results have confirmed that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies are safe and effective for the treatment of diabetes. However, the effect and potential mechanism through which MSC transplantation improves diabetes-derived male reproductive dysfunction are still unknown. In the present study, we first established a male T1D mouse model through intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin for five consecutive days. Subsequently, we evaluated the blood glucose levels, fertility, and histology and immunology of the pancreas, testes, and penis of T1D mice with or without transplantation of menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells (MenSCs) or umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs). Glucose was added to the medium in which the Leydig cells were cultured to imitate high glucose-injured cell viability. Subsequently, we evaluated the cellular viability, ROS levels, and mitochondrial membrane potential of Leydig cells treated with or without MenSC-conditioned medium (MenSC-CM) using a CCK8 assay, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. The targeted proteins are involved in the potential mechanism underlying MenSC-derived improvements, which was further validated via Western blotting. Collectively, our results indicated that MenSC transplantation significantly ameliorated reproductive dysfunction in male T1D mice by enhancing cellular antioxidative capacity and promoting angiogenesis. This study provides solid evidence and support for the application of MSCs to improve diabetes-induced male reproductive dysfunction.

Enhanced Antioxidative Capacity Transfer between Sow and Fetus via the Gut-Placenta Axis with Dietary Selenium Yeast and Glycerol Monolaurate Supplementation during Pregnancy.

This study aims to investigate the impact of dietary supplementation with selenium yeast (SeY) and glycerol monolaurate (GML) on the transfer of antioxidative capacity between the mother and fetus during pregnancy and its underlying mechanisms. A total of 160 sows with similar body weight and parity of 3-6 parity sows were randomly and uniformly allocated to four groups (n = 40) as follows: CON group, SeY group, GML group, and SG (SeY + GML) group. Animal feeding started from the 85th day of gestation and continued to the day of delivery. The supplementation of SeY and GML resulted in increased placental weight and reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in sow plasma, placental tissues, and piglet plasma. Furthermore, the redox balance and inflammatory markers exhibited significant improvements in the plasma of sows fed with either SeY or GML, as well as in their offspring. Moreover, the addition of SeY and GML activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway, while downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and proteins associated with inflammatory pathways (MAPK and NF-κB). Vascular angiogenesis and nutrient transportation (amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose) were upregulated, whereas apoptosis signaling pathways within the placenta were downregulated with the supplementation of SeY and GML. The integrity of the intestinal and placental barriers significantly improved, as indicated by the increased expression of ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1, along with reduced levels of DLA and DAO with dietary treatment. Moreover, supplementation of SeY and GML increased the abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Clostridium_sensus_stricto_1, and Bacteroidota, while decreasing levels of gut microbiota metabolites LPS and trimethylamine N-oxide. Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant negative relationship between plasma LPS levels and placental weight, oxidative stress, and inflammation. In summary, dietary supplementation of SeY and GML enhanced the transfer of antioxidative capacity between maternal-fetal during pregnancy via gut-placenta axis through modulating sow microbiota composition.

Effects of foliar selenium application on Se accumulation, elements uptake, nutrition quality, sensory quality and antioxidant response in summer-autumn tea.

Summer-autumn tea is characterized by high polyphenol content and low amino acid content, resulting in bitter and astringent teast. However, these qualities often lead to low economic benefits, ultimately resulting in a wastage of tea resources. The study focused on evaluating the effects of foliar spraying of glucosamine selenium (GLN-Se) on summer-autumn tea. This foliar fertilizer was applied to tea leaves to assess its impact on plant development, nutritional quality, elemental uptake, organoleptic quality, and antioxidant responses. The results revealed that GlcN-Se enhanced photosynthesis and yield by improving the antioxidant system. Additionally, the concentration of GlcN-Se positively correlated with the total and organic selenium contents in tea. The foliar application of GlcN-Se reduced toxic heavy metal content and increased the levels of macronutrients and micronutrients, which facilitated adaptation to environmental changes and abiotic stresses. Furthermore, GlcN-Se significantly improved both non-volatile and volatile components of tea leaves, resulting in a sweet aftertaste and nectar aroma in the tea soup. To conclude, the accurate and rational application of exogenous GlcN-Se can effectively enhance the selenium content and biochemical status of tea. This improvement leads to enhanced nutritional quality and sensory characteristics, making it highly significant for the tea industry.

Atomically Dispersed Fe-N4 Site as a Conductive Bridge Enables Efficient and Stable Activation of Peroxymonosulfate: Active Site Renewal, Anti-Oxidative Capacity, and Pathway Alternation Mechanism.

Atomically dispersed metal sites anchored on nitrogen-doped carbonaceous substrates (M-NCs) have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activators; however, the exact contribution of each site still remains elusive. Herein, isolated Fe-N4 active site-decorated three-dimensional NC substrates (FeSA-NC) via a micropore confinement strategy are fabricated to initiate PMS oxidation reaction, achieving a specific activity of 5.16 × 103 L·min-1·g-1 for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA), which outperforms most of the state-of-the-art single-atom (SA) catalysts. Mechanism inquiry reveals enhanced chemisorption and electron transfer between PMS and FeSA-NC, enabling an inner electron shuttle mechanism in which Fe-N4 serves as a conductive bridge. The Fe-N4 sites reduce the energy barrier for the formation of SO5* and H*, thereby transforming the reaction pathway from directly adjacent electron transfer into reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dominated oxidation. Theoretical calculations and dynamic simulations reveal that the Fe-N4 sites induce facilitated desorption of reaction intermediates (PMS*/BPA*), which collectively contribute to the renewal of active sites and eventually enhance the catalytic durability. This work offers a reasonable interpretation for the important role of the Fe-N4 moiety in altering the activation mechanism and enhancing the antioxidative capacity of NC materials, which fundamentally furnishes theoretical support for SA material design.

Food Monitoring: Limitations of Accelerated Storage to Predict Molecular Changes in Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.) under Realistic Conditions Using UPLC-ESI-IM-QTOF-MS.

Accelerated storage is routinely used with pharmaceuticals to predict stability and degradation patterns over time. The aim of this is to assess the shelf life and quality under harsher conditions, providing crucial insights into their long-term stability and potential storage issues. This study explores the potential of transferring this approach to food matrices for shelf-life estimation. Therefore, hazelnuts were stored under accelerated short-term and realistic long-term conditions. Subsequently, they were analyzed with high resolution mass spectrometry, focusing on the lipid profile. LC-MS analysis has shown that many unique processes take place under accelerated conditions that do not occur or occur much more slowly under realistic conditions. This mainly involved the degradation of membrane lipids such as phospholipids, ceramides, and digalactosyldiacylglycerides, while oxidation processes occurred at different rates in both conditions. It can be concluded that a food matrix is far too complex and heterogeneous compared to pharmaceuticals, so that many more processes take place during accelerated storage, which is why the results cannot be used to predict molecular changes in hazelnuts stored under realistic conditions.

Melatonin Improves Turbot Oocyte Meiotic Maturation and Antioxidant Capacity, Inhibits Apoptosis-Related Genes mRNAs In Vitro.

High-quality eggs are essential for the sustainability of commercial aquaculture production. Melatonin is a potent candidate for regulating the growth and maturation of oocytes. Therefore, research on the effect of melatonin on marine fish oocytes in vitro has been conducted. The present study successfully established a culture system of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) oocytes in vitro and investigated the effect of melatonin on oocyte meiotic maturation, antioxidant capacity, and the expression of apoptosis-related genes. The cultures showed that turbot Scophthalmus maximus late-vitellogenic denuded oocytes, with diameters of 0.5-0.7 mm, had a low spontaneous maturation rate and exhibited a sensitive response to 17α, 20ß-dihydroxyprogesterone (DHP) treatment in vitro. Melatonin increased by four times the rate of oocyte germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The mRNA of melatonin receptor 1 (mtnr1) was significantly upregulated in the oocyte and follicle after treatment with melatonin (4.3 × 10-9 M) for 24 h in vitro, whereas melatonin receptor 2 (mtnr2) and melatonin receptor 3 (mtnr3) remained unchanged. In addition, melatonin significantly increased the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, as well as the levels of glutathione, while decreasing the levels of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in turbot oocytes and follicles cultures in vitro. p53, caspase3, and bax mRNAs were significantly downregulated in oocytes and follicles, whereas bcl2 mRNAs were significantly upregulated. In conclusion, the use of turbot late-vitellogenesis oocytes (0.5-0.7 mm) is suitable for establishing a culture system in vitro. Melatonin promotes oocyte meiotic maturation and antioxidative capacity and inhibits apoptosis via the p53-bax-bcl2 and caspase-dependent pathways, which have important potential to improve the maturation and quality of oocytes.

In vitro assessment of the antioxidative, toxicological and antimicrobial properties of battery of parabens.

The aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidative features using 2,2-diphenyl-1-pycrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH•) scavenging method, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-binding properties with usage of spectrofluorimetric method, proliferative and cyto/genotoxic status by use of chromosome aberration test, and antimicrobial potential using broth microdilution method, followed by resazurin assay of benzyl-, isopropyl-, isobutyl and phenylparaben in vitro. Our results showed that all parabens had significant antiradical scavenger activity compared to p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) precursor. Higher mitotic index for benzyl-, isopropyl and isobutylparaben (250 µg/mL) in comparison with control was demonstrated. An increase in the frequency of acentric fragments in lymphocytes treated with benzylparaben and isopropylparaben (125 and 250 µg/mL), and isobutylparaben (250 µg/mL) was observed. Isobutylparaben (250 µg/mL) induced higher number of dicentric chromosomes. An increased number of minute fragments in lymphocytes exposed to benzylparaben (125 and 250 µg/mL) was found. A significant difference in the frequency of chromosome pulverization, between phenylparaben (250 µg/mL) and control, was detected. Benzylparaben (250 µg/mL) and phenylparaben (62.5 µg/mL) caused an increase in the number of apoptotic cells, while isopropylparaben (62.5, 125 and 250 µg/mL) and isobutylparaben (62.5 and 125 µg/mL) induced higher frequency of necrosis. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tested parabens ranged 15.62-250 µg/mL for bacteria, and 125-500 µg/mL for the yeast. Minimum microbiocidal concentration ranged 31.25 to 500 µg/mL, and 250 to 1000 µg/mL in bacteria and fungi respectively. The lowest MICs for bacteria were observed for phenyl- (15.62 µg/mL) and isopropylparaben (31.25 µg/mL) against Enterococcus faecalis.

Antiobesity Effect of N-Acetylneuraminic Acid by Enhancing Antioxidative Capacity in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

The sialic acid N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA), an essential factor in bioregulation, is a functional food component that is known to have beneficial health effects, but its antiobesity effect has not been clearly understood. Adipocyte dysfunction in obesity involves a decrease in the level of NANA sialylation. In this study, we investigated the antiobesity effect of NANA in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups and administered the following diets: a normal diet, an HFD, and an HFD with 1% NANA supplementation for 12 weeks. NANA supplementation significantly reduced body weight gain; epididymal adipose tissue hypertrophy; and serum lipid, fasting glucose, and aspartate transaminase levels compared with those in HFD mice. The percentage of lipid droplets in hepatic tissue was also decreased by NANA supplementation in HFD mice. The downregulation of Adipoq expression and upregulation of Fabp4 expression induced by HFD in epididymal adipocytes were improved by NANA supplementation. The downregulation of Sod1 expression and increase in malondialdehyde level were induced by HFD, and they were significantly improved in the liver by NANA supplementation, but not in epididymal adipocytes. However, NANA supplementation had no effect on sialylation and antioxidant enzyme levels in mouse epididymal adipocytes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Overall, NANA exerts antiobesity and antihypolipidemic effects and may be beneficial in suppressing obesity-related diseases.

The Association of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Maternal and Cord Blood Anti-Oxidative Capacity and HDL Functionality: Findings of DALI Study.

Obesity is one of the most common health issues in pregnancy with short and long-term consequences for both mother and her offspring. Promoting moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and decreasing sedentary time (ST) could have a positive impact on weight and obesity management, and therefore adiposity-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and atherogenesis. However, the effects of MVPA and ST on anti-oxidative and anti-atherogenic markers in pregnancy have not been studied to date. This study aimed to assess the association of longitudinally and objectively measured MVPA and ST in 122 overweight/obese women (BMI ≥ 29 kg/m2) with maternal and cord blood markers of oxidative stress measured by advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), anti-oxidative capacity, as well as high-density lipoproteins (HDL) related paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activity and cholesterol efflux. Linear regression models showed no associations of MVPA and ST with outcomes in maternal blood. In contrast, MVPA at <20 weeks and 24-28 weeks of gestation were positively associated with anti-oxidative capacity, as well as PON-1 activity of HDL in cord blood. MVPA at 35-37 weeks correlated with higher AOPP, as well as higher anti-oxidative capacity. ST <20 weeks was also positively associated with inhibition of oxidation in cord blood. We speculate that increasing MVPA of overweight/obese women during pregnancy attenuates the oxidative stress state in the new-born.

Antiphotoaging and Skin-Protective Activities of Ardisia silvestris Ethanol Extract in Human Keratinocytes.

Ardisia silvestris is a traditional medicinal herb used in Vietnam and several other countries. However, the skin-protective properties of A. silvestris ethanol extract (As-EE) have not been evaluated. Human keratinocytes form the outermost barrier of the skin and are the main target of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV exposure causes skin photoaging via the production of reactive oxygen species. Protection from photoaging is thus a key component of dermatological and cosmetic products. In this research, we found that As-EE can prevent UV-induced skin aging and cell death as well as enhance the barrier effect of the skin. First, the radical-scavenging ability of As-EE was checked using DPPH, ABTS, TPC, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays, and a 3-(4-5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was used to examine cytotoxicity. Reporter gene assays were used to determine the doses that affect skin-barrier-related genes. A luciferase assay was used to identify possible transcription factors. The anti-photoaging mechanism of As-EE was investigated by determining correlated signaling pathways using immunoblotting analyses. As-EE had no harmful effects on HaCaT cells, according to our findings, and As-EE revealed moderate radical-scavenging ability. With high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, rutin was found to be one of the major components. In addition, As-EE enhanced the expression levels of hyaluronic acid synthase-1 and occludin in HaCaT cells. Moreover, As-EE dose-dependently up-regulated the production of occludin and transglutaminase-1 after suppression caused by UVB blocking the activator protein-1 signaling pathway, in particular, the extracellular response kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Our findings suggest that As-EE may have anti-photoaging effects by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase, which is good news for the cosmetics and dermatology sectors.

Effect of substitution of taurine for methionine and additional taurine supplementation on the performance and antioxidative capacity of laying hens.

Taurine (TAU), a sulfur-containing amino acid that synthesized from methionine and cystine, plays vital roles in maintenance of redox balance. The effect of substitution of TAU for methionine was evaluated in vivo and in vitro. The effects of replacing methionine with TAU and additional TAU supplementation on the performance and antioxidant capacity of laying hens were evaluated. The in vitro cultured chicken primary hepatocytes and intestinal epithelial cells were further employed. Two hubdred eighty-eight 40-wk-old Isa brown laying hens were divided into 4 groups and subjected one to the following treatments: fed with basal diet with 0.17% crystallized DL-Met (CON), the control diet and replace 25% (21% total Met, 21TAU) or 50% (42% total Met, 42TAU) of crystallized DL-Met with taurine, the control diet supplemented with 0.1% taurine (0.1% TAU). The laying rate, feed intake, egg weight, and feed efficiency were not influenced (P > 0.05) by TAU replacement or additional TAU supplementation. In the liver, 0.1% TAU decreased SOD but increased GSH-Px activity (P < 0.01). In duodenum, 42TAU decreased SOD activity (P < 0.05) while 0.1% TAU decreased GSH level and SOD activity (P < 0.05). In the hepatocytes, TAU treatment decreased (P < 0.05) the MDA and GSH contents, whereas increased SOD and GSH-Px activities (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, TAU treatment decreased (P < 0.05) the protein expression of Nrf2 while increase Keap1 expression. The mRNA expression of Nrf2, SOD1, SOD2, CAT, and GCLC were increased (P < 0.05) and GSR were decreased (P < 0.05) by 0.1% TAU. In the intestinal epithelial cells, TAU treatment decreased (P < 0.05) SOD activity, increased (P < 0.05) CAT activity, and decreased (P < 0.05) the mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2. In summary, partial substitution methionine for taurine (21-42%) has no influence on egg performance of hens. Taurine enhances the antioxidative capacity in hepatocyte but not in the enterocytes and if taurine could offer an improved effect on antioxidant capacity needs to be verified under oxidative stress-challenged conditions.

Obesity Affects Maternal and Neonatal HDL Metabolism and Function.

Pregravid obesity is one of the major risk factors for pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and an increased risk of cardiovascular events in children of affected mothers. However, the biological mechanisms that underpin these adverse outcomes are not well understood. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are antiatherogenic by promoting the efflux of cholesterol from macrophages and by suppression of inflammation. Functional impairment of HDLs in obese and GDM-complicated pregnancies may have long-term effects on maternal and offspring health. In the present study, we assessed metrics of HDL function in sera of pregnant women with overweight/obesity of the DALI lifestyle trial (prepregnancy BMI ≥ 29 kg/m2) and women with normal weight (prepregnancy BMI < 25 kg/m2), as well as HDL functionalities in cord blood at delivery. We observed that pregravid obesity was associated with impaired serum antioxidative capacity and lecithin−cholesterol acyltransferase activity in both mothers and offspring, whereas maternal HDL cholesterol efflux capacity was increased. Interestingly, functionalities of maternal and fetal HDL correlated robustly. GDM did not significantly further alter the parameters of HDL function and metabolism in women with obesity, so obesity itself appears to have a major impact on HDL functionality in mothers and their offspring.

Calcium and L-glutamate present the opposite role in managing arsenic in barley.

Arsenic contamination in agricultural soils has posed tremendous threat to sustainable crop production and human health via food chain. Calcium and Glutamate have been well-documented in metal(loid)s detoxification, but it is poorly understood how they regulate arsenic-induced toxicity to plants. In this study, the effect of glutamate and calcium at high concentration on arsenic toxicity and accumulation in barley seedling was accessed in terms of plant growth, photosynthetic efficacy, arsenic uptake, translocation and accumulation, antioxidant defense, nutrient uptake and the expression of As transporters. Our results have demonstrated that calcium could effectively ameliorate arsenic toxicity to barley seedlings, which is mainly attributed to its beneficial effect on increasing nutrient uptake, reducing the aboveground arsenic accumulation and enhancing antioxidative defense capacity. However, it is unexpected that glutamate considerably exacerbated the arsenic toxicity to barley seedlings. More importantly, for the first time, glutamate was observed to tremendously facilitate the root-to-shoot translocation of arsenic by 41.8- to 60.8-fold, leading to 90% of the total amount of As accumulating in barley shoots. The reason of this phenomenon can be well explained by the glutamate-triggered enormous upregulation of genes involved in arsenic uptake (HvPHT1;1, HvPHR2 and HvNIP3;2), reduction (HvHAC1;1), translocation (HvABCC7, HvNIP1;1 and HvNIP3;3) and intracellular sequestration (HvABCC1). These findings suggest that calcium and glutamate function as the opposite player in managing arsenic, with calcium being an effective alleviator of arsenic stress to ensure the safe production of crops; while glutamate being a highly efficient phytoextraction agent for phytoremediation of arsenate-contaminated soils.

Photosystems and antioxidative system of rye, wheat and triticale under Pb stress.

Lead (Pb2+) pollution in the soil sub-ecosystem has been a continuously growing problem due to economic development and ever-increasing anthropogenic activities across the world. In this study, the photosynthetic performance and antioxidant capacity of Triticeae cereals (rye, wheat and triticale) were compared to assess the activities of antioxidants, the degree of oxidative damage, photochemical efficiency and the levels of photosynthetic proteins under Pb stress (0.5 mM, 1 mM and 2 mM Pb (NO3)2). Compared with triticale, Pb treatments imposed severe oxidative damage in rye and wheat. In addition, the highest activity of major antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, and GPX) was also found to be elevated. Triticale accumulated the highest Pb contents in roots. The concentration of mineral ions (Mg, Ca, and K) was also high in its leaves, compared with rye and wheat. Consistently, triticale showed higher photosynthetic activity under Pb stress. Immunoblotting of proteins revealed that rye and wheat have significantly lower levels of D1 (photosystem II subunit A, PsbA) and D2 (photosystem II subunit D, PsbD) proteins, while no obvious decrease was noticed in triticale. The amount of light-harvesting complex II b6 (Lhcb6; CP24) and light-harvesting complex II b5 (Lhcb5; CP26) was significantly increased in rye and wheat. However, the increase in PsbS (photosystem II subunit S) protein only occurred in wheat and triticale exposed to Pb treatment. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that triticale shows higher antioxidant capacity and photosynthetic efficiency than wheat and rye under Pb stress, suggesting that triticale has high tolerance to Pb and could be used as a heavy metal-tolerant plant.

Physicochemical Properties of Yanggaeng with Added Tempeh Powder.

In this study, we investigated the physicochemical and antioxidative properties of the traditional Korean confectionery, Yanggaeng, when various amounts of tempeh powder (TP) were added. We replaced a portion of the white bean paste in Yanggaeng with TP at percentages of 0% (CON), 2% (TP2), 4% (TP4), and 6% (TP6) by total weight. The proximate composition results showed that TP6 exhibited the highest crude ash and crude protein contents, but its moisture content and carbohydrate content were the lowest compared to the CON. Tempeh addition altered the colorimetric properties by increasing the L* value, b* value, and browning index; however, tempeh addition did not alter the a* value. The results also showed that tempeh addition gradually decreased the pH of Yanggaeng. The Brix value was the highest in TP2; in TP4 and TP6, the Brix value gradually decreased, and these formulations exhibited lower Brix values than the CON. Furthermore, tempeh addition gradually induced antioxidative capacities, as evidenced by 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activities. The results of this study demonstrate that the addition of tempeh to Yanggaeng alters its physicochemical properties and antioxidative capacity.

Synergistic Effects of Silicon and Preservative on Promoting Postharvest Performance of Cut Flowers of Peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.).

As a commercial high-grade cut flower, the marketability of herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is limited by its short vase life in water. Si (silicon) is an alternative to improve the postharvest life of cut flowers. However, the effects of the combined application of Si and preservatives on the postharvest performance of cut peony flowers are unknown. In this study, the effects of a Si application and a preservative alone and collegial on the longevity of the vase life, water loss, antioxidant defense system, and stock carbohydrates level of cut flowers of three peony cultivars were investigated. It was observed that Si effectively prolonged the vase life, while the preservative alone, to a lesser extent, but markedly induced an early flowering and a greater flower diameter (flower open degree). The simultaneous use of Si and the preservatives not only showed larger flowers, but also improved the postharvest performance as characterized by an extended vase life and delayed the water loss. In addition, the Si supplementation dramatically intensified the antioxidant defense system (ameliorated antioxidant enzymes and alleviated ROS accumulation) in petals but did not increase the stock carbohydrates (starch and soluble sugars) levels, as compared to the treatment with the preservative alone. We show that a Si supplementation to a preservative is highly recommended for a large-scale use to promote the postharvest performance and competitiveness of marketed cut flowers.