Synthesis and characterization of ion-induced sodium alginate/soy protein isolate microgels for the controlled release.

In this study, sodium alginate/ soy protein isolate (SPI) microgels cross-linked by various divalent cations including Cu2+, Ba2+, Ca2+, and Zn2+ were fabricated. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy observations revealed distinctive structural variations among the microgels. In the context of gastric pH conditions, the degree of shrinkage of the microgels followed the sequence of Ca2+ > Ba2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+. Meanwhile, under intestinal pH conditions, the degree of swelling was ranked as Zn2+ > Ca2+ > Ba2+ > Cu2+. The impact of these variations was investigated through in vitro digestion studies, revealing that all microgels successfully delayed the release of ß-carotene within the stomach. Within the simulated intestinal fluid, the microgel cross-linked with Zn2+ exhibited an initial burst release, while those cross-linked with Cu2+, Ba2+, or Ca2+ displayed a sustained release pattern. This research underscores the potential of sodium alginate/SPI microgels cross-linked with different divalent cations as efficient controlled-release delivery systems.

Effects of soft robotic exoskeleton for gait training on clinical and biomechanical gait outcomes in patients with sub-acute stroke: a randomized controlled pilot study.

Background: Ankle function impairment is a critical factor impairing normal walking in survivors of stroke. The soft robotic exoskeleton (SRE) is a novel, portable, lightweight assistive device with promising therapeutic potential for gait recovery during post-stroke rehabilitation. However, whether long-term SRE-assisted walking training influences walking function and gait quality in patients following subacute stroke is unknown. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to assess the therapeutic effects of SRE-assisted walking training on clinical and biomechanical gait outcomes in the rehabilitation of patients with subacute stroke. Methods: A group patients who had experienced subacute stroke received conventional rehabilitation (CR) training combined with 10-session SRE-assisted overground walking training (30 min per session, 5 sessions/week, 2 weeks) (SRE group, n = 15) compared with the control group that received CR training only (CR group, n = 15). Clinical assessments and biomechanical gait quality measures were performed pre-and post-10-session intervention, with the 10-Minute Walk Test (10MWT) and 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) used to define the primary clinical outcome measures and the Functional Ambulation Category, Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Lower Extremity (FMA-LE) subscale, and Berg Balance Scale defined the secondary outcome measures. The gait quality outcome measures included spatiotemporal and symmetrical parameters during walking. Results: After the 10-session intervention, the SRE and CR groups exhibited significant within-group improvements in all clinical outcome measures (p < 0.05). Between-comparison using covariance analyses demonstrated that the SRE group showed greater improvement in walking speed during the 10MWT (p < 0.01), distance walked during the 6MWT (p < 0.05), and FMA-LE scores (p < 0.05). Gait analyses showed that the SRE group exhibited significantly improved spatiotemporal symmetry (p < 0.001) after 10-session training, with no significant changes observed in the CR group. Conclusion: Compared with CR training, SRE-assisted walking training led to greater improvements in walking speed, endurance, and motor recovery. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that SRE may be considered for inclusion in intensive gait training clinical rehabilitation programs to further improve walking function in patients who have experienced stroke.

Polydatin inhibits mitochondrial damage and mitochondrial ROS by promoting PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy in allergic rhinitis.

Polydatin (PD), a natural product derived from Polygonum cuspidatum, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and has significant benefits in treating allergic diseases. However, its role and mechanism in allergic rhinitis (AR) have not been fully elucidated. Herein, we investigated the effect and mechanism of PD in AR. AR model was established in mice with OVA. Human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs) were stimulated with IL-13. HNEpCs were also treated with an inhibitor of mitochondrial division or transfected with siRNA. The levels of IgE and cellular inflammatory factors were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry. The expressions of PINK1, Parkin, P62, LC3B, NLRP3 inflammasome proteins, and apoptosis proteins in nasal tissues and HNEpCs were measured by Western blot. We found that PD suppressed OVA-induced epithelial thickening and eosinophil accumulation in the nasal mucosa, reduced IL-4 production in NALF, and regulated Th1/Th2 balance. In addition, mitophagy was induced in AR mice after OVA challenge and in HNEpCs after IL-13 stimulation. Meanwhile, PD enhanced PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy but decreased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and apoptosis. However, PD-induced mitophagy was abrogated after PINK1 knockdown or Mdivi-1 treatment, indicating a key role of the PINK1-Parkin in PD-induced mitophagy. Moreover, mitochondrial damage, mtROS production, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and HNEpCs apoptosis under IL-13 exposure were more severe after PINK1 knockdown or Mdivi-1 treatment. Conclusively, PD may exert protective effects on AR by promoting PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy, which further suppresses apoptosis and tissue damage in AR through decreasing mtROS production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Producing mixed-soy protein adsorption layers on alginate microgels to controlled-release ß-carotene.

In this study, the effects of soy protein isolate (SPI) on the morphology, encapsulation efficiency, storage stability, swelling behavior, and in vitro digestion behavior of calcium alginate (CA) microgels were investigated. CA and calcium alginate-SPI (CAS) microgels with encapsulated ß-carotene were prepared by extruding a mixture of alginate and SPI using a co-extrusion technique, followed by cross-linking with Ca2+. All microgels exhibited homogeneous sizes and spherical shapes, and CAS microgels showed high levels of protein loading efficiency. The encapsulation efficiency and storage stability of ß-carotene within CAS microgels were higher than those within CA microgels. The introduction of SPI into CAS microgels resulted in a higher degree of gel size shrinkage in gastric fluid and a lower degree of swelling in intestinal fluid compared to CA microgels. In vitro digestion was conducted to investigate the effects of the addition of SPI on the release behavior of CA and CAS microgels. Results obtained showed that CAS microgels were more resistant to simulated gastric fluid than CA microgels. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) observations indicated that the release behavior was dependent on the porosity of the CA and CAS microgels, and the porosity was influenced by the concentration of SPI. This study showed that the introduction of SPI to CA microgels can lead to the development of an effective controlled release delivery system.

An insight into the changes in conformation and emulsifying properties of soy ß-conglycinin and glycinin as affected by EGCG: Multi-spectral analysis.

The binding mechanisms between soy ß-conglycinin/glycinin and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) were evaluated using multi-spectral techniques and molecular modeling. Additionally, the emulsifying properties of ß-conglycinin/glycinin were investigated in their interactions with EGCG. Fluorescence analysis revealed that the quenching of ß-conglycinin/glycinin by EGCG was static quenching. Specifically, EGCG to ß-conglycinin/glycinin resulted in the conformation changes of the Trp and Tyr residues, around which the polarity toward more hydrophilic. The dominated binding between ß-conglycinin and EGCG was hydrogen bonding, whereas was mainly hydrophobic force between glycinin and EGCG. Such affinity induced a more organized protein confirmation with decreased random coil and increased α-helix and ß-structures. The docking data indicated the better affinity between glycinin and EGCG, compared to ß-conglycinin. The emulsifying ability and capacity of ß-conglycinin were enhanced with involvement EGCG, however no effect was found for glycinin. Our findings deliver insights in understanding of the interaction mechanisms between ß-conglycinin/glycinin and EGCG.

Panax notoginseng saponin R1 attenuates allergic rhinitis through AMPK/Drp1 mediated mitochondrial fission.

We investigated whether Panax notoginseng saponin (PNS-R1) attenuates allergic rhinitis (AR) through AMPK/Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission. AR model was established in mice by Ovalbumin (OVA). In vitro, human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs) were stimulated using recombinant human interleukin 13 (IL-13). PNS-R1 was administrated in vivo and in vitro. Then, HE staining of nasal tissue, ELISA detection of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and proinflammatory cytokine levels in serum and nasal lavage fluid, flow cytometry analysis of Th1/Th2 ratio and apoptosis, TUNEL staining, Western blot, detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial ROS, immunofluorescence analysis of Tom20 and mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 co-localization, and mitochondrial membrane potential detection, were performed. PNS-R1 attenuated allergic symptoms in AR mice, decreased OVA-specific IgE, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, and TNF-α levels, and restored the Th1/Th2 imbalance. Meanwhile, we found that PNS-R1 treatment significantly reduced apoptosis, ROS production, and co-localization of Tom20 and Drp1 in the nasal epithelium of AR mice. In vitro, we found that PNS-R1 upregulated mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced ROS and mitochondrial ROS production as well as Cleaved-caspase-3/9, Bax, Cyt-c, Apaf-1 expression and mitochondrial fission. Mechanistically, we found that PNS-R1 downregulated Drp1 phosphorylation (Ser 616) and Drp1 translocation in an AMPK-dependent manner, promoted MFN2 expression, and reduced TXNIP, NLRP3, Caspase-1, and IL-1ß expression. PNS-R1 may protect mitochondrial integrity by inhibiting AMPK/Drp1 and TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling pathway, thereby alleviating AR symptoms in mice. PNS-R1 may have great potential as a therapeutic agent for AR.

Deciphering the Structural Network That Confers Stability to High Internal Phase Pickering Emulsions by Cross-Linked Soy Protein Microgels and Their In Vitro Digestion Profiles.

High internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) stabilized by food-grade particles have received much attention in recent years. However, the stabilizing mechanism (e.g., structural network) in the continuous phase of HIPPEs stabilized by proteins is not well understood. In this work, we deciphered the stabilizing mechanisms that confer stability to HIPPEs produced from sunflower oil and soy protein microgels (SPMs). HIPPEs were fabricated at the protein concentrations of 1.50-2.00 wt % and oil volume fraction of 0.78-0.82. The cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) observations indicated that there were two possible stabilizing mechanisms for HIPPEs at the protein concentrations of 1.50-2.00 wt %: the first is a stabilization provided by the shared monolayer of SPMs (at a protein concentration of 1.50%), and the other is stabilization provided by the distinct monolayer of SPMs (at protein concentrations of 1.75 and 2.00 wt %). The latter protein concentration created a thick network, formed by interacting SPMs, which trapped oil droplets. Results also confirmed that HIPPEs have an open-cell porous structure, forming a sponge-like morphology, where the internal phase was located. This study also investigated the digestibility of HIPPEs, suggesting a slower free fatty acid-releasing profile in in vitro intestinal digestion.