Saccharide mapping as an extraordinary method on characterization and identification of plant and fungi polysaccharides: A review.

Saccharide mapping was a promising scheme to unveil the mystery of polysaccharide structure by analysis of the fragments generated from polysaccharide decomposition process. However, saccharide mapping was not widely applied in the polysaccharide analysis for lacking of systematic introduction. In this review, a detailed description of the establishment process of saccharide mapping, the pros and cons of downstream technologies, an overview of the application of saccharide mapping, and practical strategies were summarized. With the updating of the available downstream technologies, saccharide mapping had been expanding its scope of application to various kinds of polysaccharides. The process of saccharide mapping analysis included polysaccharides degradation and hydrolysates analysis, and the degradation process was no longer limited to acid hydrolysis. Some downstream technologies were convenient for rapid qualitative analysis, while others could achieve quantitative analysis. For the more detailed structure information could be provided by saccharide mapping, it was possible to improve the quality control of polysaccharides during preparation and application. This review filled the blank of basic information about saccharide mapping and was helpful for the establishment of a professional workflow for the saccharide mapping application to promote the deep study of polysaccharide structure.

A spectroscopic study of solvent effects on the formation of Cu(ii)-chloride complexes in aqueous solution.

A combination of electronic (UV-vis) and X-ray absorption (EXAFS, XANES) spectroscopies has been used to investigate the formation of copper(ii)/chloride complexes in concentrated aqueous solutions. It is established that lowering the water activity by the addition of Mg(ClO4)2 at a constant Cl-/Cu(ii) ratio results in the replacement of water molecules by Cl- ions in the primary coordination shell of Cu(ii). This behavior closely parallels the effect of increasing the Cl-/Cu(ii) ratio and demonstrates that full understanding of the stoichiometry and structures of the complexes formed in concentrated metal-ion chloride solutions requires explicit consideration of the role of the solvent.

Pt@polydopamine nanoparticles as nanozymes for enhanced photodynamic and photothermal therapy.

Polydopamine nanoparticles were used to stabilize a nano-Pt catalyst to relieve tumour hypoxia in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Polydopamine not only provides a platform for carrying nano-Pt and photosensitizers but is also used as a photothermal reagent for photothermal therapy (PTT). The system presented an enhanced anti-tumor therapy effect through a combined PDT and PTT mechanism.

Astragalosideâ £ against cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting TRPM7 channel.

BACKGROUND: Astragaloside Ⅳ (ASG-Ⅳ, (Fig. 1) is the most active component of Chinese sp. Astragalus membranaceus Bunge (Fabaceae) that has showed antioxidant, antiapoptotic and antiviral activities among others. It is reported to play an important role in cardiac fibrosis (CF), but the mechanism remains unclear. PURPOSE: To investigate the mechanism of ASG-Ⅳ on inhibiting myocardial fibrosis induced by hypoxia. STUDY DESIGN: We studied the relationship between anti-fibrotic effect of ASG-Ⅳ and transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 7 (TRPM7) by in vivo and in vitro experiments. METHODS: In vivo, CF was induced by subcutaneous isoproterenol (ISO) for 10 days. Rat hearts were resected for histological experiment and reverse transcription real-time quantitative poly merase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). In vitro, molecular and cellular biology technologies were used to confirm the anti-fibrosis effect underlying mechanism of ASG-Ⅳ. RESULTS: Histological findings and the collagen volume fraction showed that ASG-Ⅳ decreased fibrosis in heart tissues. Hypoxia could stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of cardiac fibroblast which indicated that the degree of fibrosis was increased significantly. Anoxic treatment could also obviously up-regulate the expression of TRPM7 protein and current. ASG-Ⅳ groups showed the opposite results. Knock-down TRPM7 experiment further confirmed the role of TRPM7 channel in hypoxia-induced cardiac fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the inhibition of hypoxia-induced CF in vivo and in vitro by ASG-IV is associated with reduction of the expression of TRPM7. The moderate inhibition of the TRPM7 channel may be a new strategy for treating cardiac fibrosis.