Laboratory investigation on the retention performance of a soil-bentonite mixture used as an engineered barrier: insight into the effects of ionic strength and associated heavy metal ions.

Soil-bentonite (S-B) materials are promising backfill materials for use as engineered barriers in heavy metal-contaminated sites. The effects of contaminant exposure on the retention performance of the S-B barrier remain unrevealed. In this study, based on the pollution status of an abandoned ferroalloy factory located in southern China, the retention performance of the S-B mixture toward Cr(VI) and Zn(II) was studied through adsorption and diffusion experiments sequentially; the separate effect of ionic strength (binary solution) and the combined effect of ionic strength and associated heavy metal ion (ternary solution) were discussed. In NaCl-Cr(VI)/Zn(II) binary solutions, the adsorption of Zn(II) onto the S-B mixture is larger than that of Cr(VI). Kd, Qmax, and ɛacc (accessible porosity) of Cr(VI) increase through increasing ionic strength, while Zn(II) shows the opposite trend; De (effective diffusion coefficient) values for both Cr(VI) and Zn(II) increased with increasing ionic strength and follow a sequence of Cr(VI) > Zn(II), indicating a better retention performance of the S-B mixture to Zn(II). For a given ionic strength, the adsorption of Zn(II) was larger than that of Cr(VI), which can be attributed to the retention specificity of the S-B mixture to anion and cation. In Cr(VI)-Zn(II)-NaCl ternary solutions, the adsorptions of Cr(VI) and Zn(II) are enhanced in varying degrees when compared with their binary solution, which probably could be attributed to the ion bridge role of Cr(VI)/Zn(II) to connect each other that relatively increased the adsorption capacity of S-B material. This work will contribute to an in-depth understanding of the retention performance of the S-B mixture in complicated chemical environments and facilitate the selection of future remediation strategies.

Genetic diversity and main functional composition of Lingzhi strains from main producing areas in China.

In this study, we used genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to examine the genetic diversity of 22 strains of Lingzhi and the quality differences in 15 fruit bodies of Lingzhi from different Chinese regions. The phylogenetic trees of 22 strains were constructed based on ITS (Internal transcribed spacer) and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism). Moisture, ash, water-soluble extracts, alcohol-soluble extracts, polysaccharides, and triterpenoids from 15 fruit bodies of Lingzhi were detected and analyzed based on Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the US Pharmacopoeia references. Moreover, the monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides was studied using PMP-HPLC, and the effect of polysaccharides on the proliferation rate of splenocytes was investigated in vitro. The identification results of these strains by the phylogenetic trees which were constructed based on ITS sequences and SNPs showed that most of the strains applied in the main producing areas of Lingzhi in China were accurate except for a few inaccurate strains. The moisture, ash, water and alcohol soluble extractive, polysaccharide and triterpenoid content of all samples were meet the requirements of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, while the polysaccharide and triterpenoid content of less than half of the samples meet the requirements of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia. The polysaccharide extracted from these samples have different effects on the proliferation rate of spleen cells. To sum up, this is the first study that reported on the differences in Lingzhi strains from the main producing areas in China. The quality of some fruit bodies did not meet the pharmacopeia requirements, and wrong strains were used in some production areas; thus, strains should be given special attention before legal processing.

Inhibitory effect of triterpenoids from the mushroom Inonotus obliquus against α-glucosidase and their interaction: Inhibition kinetics and molecular stimulations.

Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of a series of triterpenoids (1-46) including 12 new ones (1-12) from the mushroom Inonotus obliquus. The structures of all the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis as well as by comparison with literature data. Triterpenoids 1-3, 6, 7, 16, 24, 25, 27, 38, 43, 44 and 46 showed strong α-glucosidase inhibition, with IC50 values from 11.5 to 81.8 µM. Their structure-activity relationships were discussed. Inonotusol F (24) showed the strongest inhibitory activity and it presented noncompetitive inhibition against α-glucosidase. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics stimulation further demonstrated that GLU302 and PHE298 were key amino acids for the inhibition of inonotusol F (24) towards α-glucosidase. This study indicates the vital role of triterpenoids in explaining hypoglycemic effect of Inonotus obliquus and provides important evidence for further development and utilization of this mushroom.

Inhibitory Effect of Five Ganoderma Species (Agaricomycetes) against Key Digestive Enzymes Related to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Ganoderma mushrooms are widely used in clinical therapies and functional foods. The antidiabetic effect of Ganoderma has become a research hot spot in recent decades. To search for a superior antidiabetic Ganoderma extract, five common Ganoderma species (G. lucidum, G. sinense, G. tsugae, G. applanatum, and G. leucocontextum) were investigated. A total of 10 fractions, including a total triterpenes fraction and a crude polysaccharides fraction for each, were prepared for further assays. Activities of α-glucosidase and α-amylase are inhibited dominantly by triterpenes from all five Ganoderma species rather than the polysaccharides. G. lucidum triterpenes inhibits α-glucosidase and α-amylase most significantly with IC50 values of 10.02 ± 0.95 µg/mL and 31.82 ± 4.30 µg/mL. Even more, triterpenes content was positively correlated with anti-α-glucosidase and anti-α-amylase activities. Therefore, triterpenes were considered to be the active compounds in inhibiting α-glucosidase and α-amylase activity. It is hoped that the results will provide more systematic information for the application of Ganoderma in the functional food and traditional medicine industries in the future.

Effectiveness of Physical, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Intervention in Breast Cancer Survivors: An Integrative Review.

Factors affecting the health outcomes of cancer patients have gained extensive research attention considering the increasing number and prolonged longevity of cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivors experience physical, psychological, social, and spiritual challenges. This systematic literature review aims to present and discuss an overview of main issues concerning breast cancer survivors after treatment. Treatment-related symptoms as well as psychosocial and spiritual aspects of breast cancer survivors are evaluated. Moreover, the benefits of intervention for emotional, physical, social, and spiritual needs of the patient during the survivorship are investigated. This review also proposes avenues for future studies in this field and develops a new, integrated, and complete interpretation of findings on the holistic well-being of women with breast cancer. Thus, this study provides clinicians with a more comprehensive source of information compared with individual studies on symptom experiences.