Baicalein improves behavioral dysfunction induced by Alzheimer's disease in rats.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered to be a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by increased oxidative stress. Medicinal plants, with their antioxidant properties, have been used to cure several human diseases. The aim of the current study was to explore the protective and therapeutic effect of baicalein on AD-induced rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Swiss Wistar rats were used in the study. The rats were divided into five groups. Group I: normal control group treated with water; Group II: disease control treated with AlCl3 to induce the mimicking AD for 4 successive weeks (SW); Group III: normal control group treated with baicalein (5 mg/kg) for 2 SW followed by combination of baicalein and AlCl3 for 4 SW; Group IV: normal control group treated with baicalein (10 mg/kg) for 2 SW followed by combination of baicalein and AlCl3 for 4 SW; Group V: normal control group treated with rivastigmine (0.3 mg/kg) for 2 SW followed by combination of rivastigmine and AlCl3 for 4 SW. Moreover, the therapeutic groups are as follows: Group VI: AD disease control treated with AlCl3 for 4 SW and serving as the therapeutic positive group; Group VII: AD disease control + baicalein (5 mg/kg) for 12 SW; Group VIII: AD disease control + baicalein (10 mg/kg) for 12 SW; Group IX: AD disease control + rivastigmine (0.3 mg/kg) for 12 SW. Behavioral test, T-maze, and rotarod test were also performed before and after the treatment. At the end of the experimental study, all the rats were sacrificed and their brains were removed and divided into two portions. The first portion was homogenated for estimating the level of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and acetylcholine (Ach). Another portion was used for histopathological evaluation. RESULTS: The current investigation showed that baicalein significantly reduced the duration of revolving on the rotarod, cage activity, and T-maze activity in a dose-dependent manner compared with the AD control group rats. It also altered the AchE and Ach levels in the brain homogenates. The histopathology study also provides strength to the protective effect of baicalein. CONCLUSION: The current study showed that baicalein significantly (P<0.05) improved the biochemical and histopathological condition of AD in rats.

[Physiological effects of air temperature and sink-source volume at milk-filling stage of rice on its grain quality].

This paper studied the grain quality and Q-enzyme activity of three rice varieties and their combinations as affected by air temperature and sink-source volume. The results showed that at the early stage of milk filling, the grains of fully milk filling under high temperature had a higher chalkiness, lower transparency, and lower rate of white rice. Compared with the grain of early-rice, that of late rice had higher gel consistency and transparency, and higher rate of white rice. Planting rice at early-or late season had no significant effect on the amylose and protein contents of rice grain. Leaf-cutting to limit source decreased grain quality markedly, while grain-thinning to decrease sink improved grain quality significantly.

[Effects of transgenes insertion on pollen vigor and hybrid seed set of rice].

In this paper, the effects of transgenes insertion on the outcross potentiality of rice varieties were assessed by pollen vigor and hybrid seed set. The in vitro pollen germination rates of five transgenic rice lines transformed respectively with bar, crylAb, BADH and Xa21 gene were investigated, and compared with their relative receptor rice varieties. The results showed that there existed a significant difference in in vitro pollen germination rates between receptor rice varieties, but no significant difference was found between transgenic rice varieties and their relative receptors. The in vitro pollen germination rate for transgenic rice varieties varied from 0.416 to 0.584, similar to that of their relative receptors (0.400-0.574). Investigation on the hybrid seed set of 26 hand-crosses showed that the inserted bar or crylAb gene had a significant effect on the hybrid seed set of receptors, while the effect of Xa21 gene was smaller. The hybrid seed set rate of non-transgenic rice in crosses with transgenic rice (pollen donor) was from 0.056 to 0.413, not different from that in crosses with their relative receptors (0.052-0.417). It's suggested that transgenes insertion had little effect on the outcross potentiality of rice varieties.