Vibration-resistant Fizeau interferometry using three-cavity multiplexing.

This study demonstrates a three-cavity multiplexing vibration-resistant Fizeau interferometry (TCM). The method injects a vibration-measurement pass (VMP), which utilizes three-cavity hybrid interference for the transmission of phase and vibration information, to the Fizeau phase-measurement pass (PMP). Moreover, the VMP is demultiplexed using the temporal difference of mixed fringes and synchronous phase-shifting phase extraction of difference fringe to obtain the vibration information, which is then used to calculate the measured phase combined with PMP. The feasibility and performance of the TCM are demonstrated experimentally. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first proposal of the TCM that not only solves the effect of vibration and null-fringe demodulation but also features a common path, simple testing process, and low system complexity.

Stitching interferometry using alternating calibration of positioning and systematic errors.

Stitching interferometry is an essential technique for the non-contact, high-precision measurement of large apertures or complex optical surfaces. However, the accuracy of full-aperture surface reconstruction is significantly compromised by subaperture positioning and systematic errors. To address this challenge, this study introduces a novel stitching interferometry method utilizing alternating calibration of positioning and systematic errors (SIAC). This method calibrates one type of error while maintaining the other constant, and alternates between these processes to effectively decouple the two errors, facilitating accurate phase stitching. Within this calibration framework, an iterative weighted phase stitching model employing vertical projection for estimating overlapping areas was developed to calibrate positioning errors. Additionally, the rotation measurements of a single subaperture, in conjunction with a global fitting approach, were employed to correct reference errors. Numerical simulations have confirmed the efficacy of SIAC in calibrating these errors. Moreover, experimental measurements were performed on both a plane mirror and gullwing aspheres, with the resulting stitched full-aperture phase distributions and cross-testing outcomes affirming the method's accuracy and practicality. This research provides a novel solution for stitching interferometry, enhancing the precision of optical surface measurements.

Motor-Cognitive Interventions May Effectively Improve Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome that occurs in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease. Early intervention can be effective in preventing Alzheimer's disease, but further research is needed on intervention methods. To identify interventions that are more suitable for Chinese characteristics and to investigate the effects of motor-cognitive intervention on the cognitive functions of older adults with MCI, we screened 103 community-dwelling older adults with MCI aged 65 years and older in Qingdao, Shandong, China; divided them into an intervention group and a control group; and administered a motor-cognitive intervention to the intervention group for 12 weeks. The study used the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to assess the initial cognitive level of the MCI participants and detect the effects of the intervention. We found that the cognitive abilities of the intervention group were significantly improved at the end of the intervention, as well as at the end of the follow-up, compared with the control group. The results of the current study suggest that the motor-cognitive intervention we used may improve the cognition of older people with MCI in the Chinese community.

Flexible stitching interferometry for gull-wing asphere using variable-sign curvature compensation.

Aspheres have widespread applications in modern optical systems; however, the high-precision testing of the gull-wing asphere (GWA) is still challenging. In this Letter, flexible stitching interferometry (FSI) has been reported using variable-sign curvature compensation (VSCC) to realize accurate GWA testing. The method involves varying the sign and magnitude of the outgoing wavefront curvature by relative translation of VSCC to compensate for the curvatures of subapertures, and alternating optimization stitching is utilized to obtain the full-aperture absolute phase. The feasibility and performance of the proposed method are demonstrated experimentally. To our knowledge, such a stitching interferometry using VSCC is here proposed for the first time, and could contribute to general aspheric interferometry.

Trans-anethole exerts protective effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute jejunal inflammation of broilers via repressing NF-κB signaling pathway.

This study aimed to explore the effects of trans-anethole (TA) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute jejunal inflammation model of broilers. A total of 160 one-day-old broilers (male; Arbor Acres) were randomly allocated into four treatment groups with 8 replicates of 5 birds each. On d 20, the dose of 5 mg/kg body weight LPS solution and the equal amount of sterile saline were intraperitoneally injected into LPS-challenged and unchallenged broilers, respectively. Compared with the control group, LPS decreased (P < 0.05) the villus height (VH) and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (VCR) but increased (P < 0.05) the crypt depth (CD), meanwhile, enhanced (P < 0.01) the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) but decreased (P < 0.01) the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10). The group supplemented with 600 mg/kg of TA had lower (P < 0.01) CD and higher (P < 0.01) VCR than the LPS group. TA increased (P < 0.01) the level of IL-10 and decreased (P < 0.01) the level of IL-1ß. The mRNA expression levels of IL-6, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), TNF-α were up-regulated (P < 0.05) and the levels of IL-10 and inhibitor of NF-κB alpha (IκBα) were down-regulated (P < 0.05) by LPS as compared with the control group. TA down-regulated (P < 0.05) the increased mRNA expression levels of genes caused by LPS, as well as up-regulated (P < 0.05) the levels of IL-10 and IκBα. Furthermore, LPS down-regulated (P < 0.05) and up-regulated (P < 0.05) the protein expression levels of IκBα and NF-κB p65, respectively. TA up-regulated (P < 0.05) the level of IκBα and down-regulated (P < 0.05) the level of NF-κB p65. The conclusion of this study is that TA could exert protective effect on the LPS-induced acute jejunal inflammation of broilers via repressing the activation of NF-κB and the 600 mg/kg is the optimal dose against LPS-induced acute jejunal inflammation of broilers.

Selective Synthesis of Pyrazolonyl Spirodihydroquinolines or Pyrazolonyl Spiroindolines under Aerobic or Anaerobic Conditions.

Presented herein is a condition-controlled selective synthesis of pyrazolonyl spirodihydroquinolines or pyrazolonyl spiroindolines through formal [5 + 1] or [4 + 1] spiroannulation of 2-alkenylanilines with diazopyrazolones. Mechanistically, the formation of the title products involves initial generation of a pyrazolonyl spiro-fused seven-membered ruthenacycle species serving as a key intermediate through Ru(II)-catalyzed C-H/N-H bonds metalation, carbene formation, and its migratory insertion. When the reaction is carried out under air, the key intermediate undergoes reductive elimination to afford spirodihydroquinoline. When the reaction is run under argon, the key intermediate undergoes protonation and intramolecular nucleophilic addition to furnish spiroindoline. This work provides an atom-economical protocol for the effective functionalization of alkenyl C(sp2)-H bond, allowing rapid and selective assembly of valuable spiroscaffolds with a broad range of substrates.

Pharmacological Effects of Polyphenol Phytochemicals on the Intestinal Inflammation via Targeting TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

TLR4/NF-κB is a key inflammatory signaling transduction pathway, closely involved in cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and pro-inflammatory response. Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), the first mammalian TLR to be characterized, is the innate immune receptor that plays a key role in inflammatory signal transductions. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), the TLR4 downstream, is the key to accounting for the expression of multiple genes involved in inflammatory responses, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans is a chronic inflammatory disease with high incidence and prevalence worldwide. Targeting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway might be an effective strategy to alleviate intestinal inflammation. Polyphenol phytochemicals have shown noticeable alleviative effects by acting on the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in intestinal inflammation. This review summarizes the pharmacological effects of more than 20 kinds of polyphenols on intestinal inflammation via targeting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. We expected that polyphenol phytochemicals targeting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway might be an effective approach to treat IBD in future clinical research applications.

Trans-anethole ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver inflammation in broilers via inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway.

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of trans-anethole (TA) on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver inflammation model of chickens by determining the levels of inflammatory mediators in serum and liver, relative mRNA expression and protein expression of inflammation-related genes in NF-κB signaling pathway. A total of 160 one-day-old male chickens (Arbor Acres) were assigned into 4 treatments with 8 replicates of 5 birds each. On d 20, the control group was intraperitoneally injected with sterile saline and the other groups were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 5 mg/kg body weight). There were no significant differences in average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) among groups. However, compared with the control group, the LPS group significantly increased (P < 0.01) the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and decreased (P < 0.01) the interleukin-10 (IL-10) level. TA attenuated (P < 0.01) these increases in IL-1ß, TNF-α, ALT, and AST levels and improved (P < 0.01) the IL-10 level. In liver, the groups fed with TA had lower (P < 0.01) concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α as well as higher (P < 0.05) concentration of IL-10. Furthermore, TA downregulated (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65) and TNF-α, also upregulated (P < 0.05) IL-10 and inhibitor of NF-κB alpha (IκBα) upon LPS challenge. In protein level, supplementation of 600 mg/kg of TA downregulated (P < 0.05) and upregulated (P < 0.05) the protein expression of NF-κB p65 and IκBα, respectively. The present findings suggest that TA could alleviate the acute liver inflammation induced by LPS via blocking the activation of NF-κB and the 600 mg/kg of TA plays more fruitful role in protecting broilers against LPS stimulus.

Trans-anethole Ameliorates Intestinal Injury Through Activation of Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in Subclinical Necrotic Enteritis-Induced Broilers.

This study was conducted to investigate the alleviative effects of trans-anethole (TA) on intestinal oxidative stress by enhancing the activities of intestinal antioxidant enzymes and activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway in subclinical necrotic enteritis (NE) infected broilers. A total of 192 1-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated into three treatment groups: (1) control (CON); (2) subclinical NE challenge (NE); (3) NE challenge + 600 mg/kg TA (NE+TA600). Subclinical NE was induced by oral administration of live coccidiosis vaccine containing 2 × 104 oocysts at 10 days of age and 2 ml of Clostridium perfringens type A solution (3 × 108 CFU/ml) daily from days 14 to 19. The results showed that NE infection led to a severe decline (p < 0.05) in the final body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), but an increase (p < 0.05) in feed/gain (F/G) of broilers at day 10-21 and day 1-21 compared with the control group. TA administration improved (p < 0.05) the growth performance of NE birds. The intestinal villus height (VH) and villus height/crypt depth (VH/CD) were reduced (p < 0.05) by NE challenge as compared with those of the control group, which was elevated by TA administration. Subclinical NE infection decreased (p < 0.05) serum activities of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and jejunal and ileal glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and T-SOD activity as well as T-AOC in the jejunum, while TA interventions positively elevated that (p < 0.05). Administration of TA protected the intestine against oxidative stress through up-regulation of intestinal nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway as compared with the NE group (p < 0.05). In addition, dietary inclusion of TA elevated (p < 0.05) mRNA abundance of c-mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met), jejunal epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) in the jejunum and ileum of birds after subclinical NE challenge. In conclusion, 600 mg/kg of TA may be a promising tool to prevent and control subclinical NE by increasing intestinal antioxidant status in broilers.

Trans-anethole ameliorates LPS-induced inflammation via suppression of TLR4/NF-κB pathway in IEC-6 cells.

This study was undertaken to investigate the protective role of trans-anethole (TA) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) injury and the potential mechanisms. The cells were pretreated with TA (0 and 1 mM) for 24 h, prior to stimulation by LPS (1 mg/mL) for 24 h. Compared with the control group (CON), LPS stimulus resulted in decreased cell viability, intestinal barrier injury, increased cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. These effects triggered by LPS were reversed by TA. In order to reveal the main genes and pathways involved among the groups, transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the differential expression genes (DEGs) among the treatment groups. There were a total of 493 DEGs (275 upregulated and 218 downregulated) that were identified between the LPS and CON group. Meanwhile, a total of 361 DEGs (103 regulated and 258 downregulated) were identified in the LPS+TA group compared with the LPS group. The results showed that the DEGs were mostly enriched in immune related pathways, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, complement and coagulation cascades, interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathway, NF-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, antigen processing and presentation, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Based on the results of RNA-sequencing, further investigation of the signaling pathway involved revealed that TA could inhibit the activation of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NF-κB signaling pathway and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in LPS-induced IEC-6 cells. In conclusion, this finding demonstrated a functional role of TA in intestinal epithelial cells injury and indicated that TA may be a potential strategy for treatment of inflammatory intestinal diseases.

Synthesis of N-Arylindoles from 2-Alkenylanilines and Diazonaphthalen-2(1H)-ones through Simultaneous Indole Construction and Aryl Introduction.

In this paper, an efficient synthesis of N-arylindoles through the cascade reaction of 2-alkenylanilines with diazonaphthalen-2(1H)-ones is presented. Mechanistically, this reaction involves the generation of a Ru-carbene complex from diazonaphthalen-2(1H)-one, followed by carbene N-H bond insertion with 2-alkenylaniline, intramolecular cyclization, and oxidative aromatization. In this reaction, the Ru(II) complex acts as a multifunctional catalyst to promote not only the carbene formation but also the intramolecular cyclization and the dehydrogenative aromatization. Meanwhile, air acts as a green and cost-effective oxidant. To our knowledge, this is the first example in which N-arylindoles were synthesized through simultaneous introduction of the N-aryl unit and construction of the indole scaffold. Notable advantages of this method include readily accessible and halide-free substrates, additive-free reaction conditions, good efficiency, excellent atom economy, and compatibility with diverse functional groups. In addition, the utility of the product thus obtained was showcased by its diverse structural transformations.

Trans-Anethole Alleviates Subclinical Necro-Haemorrhagic Enteritis-Induced Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction and Intestinal Inflammation in Broilers.

This study investigated the alleviative potential of trans-anethole (TA) on the impaired intestinal barrier and intestinal inflammation and its regulatory effects on gut microbiota in broilers with subclinical necro-hemorrhagic enteritis (NE) challenge. Subclinical NE challenge led to a severe decline in the 21-day body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), but an increase in feed conversion ratio (FCR) and intestinal lesion score of birds compared with controls (P < 0.05). Compared with the subclinical NE group, the TA administration group exhibited lower (P < 0.05) intestinal lesion score and crypt depth (CD), serum diamine oxidase activity, and D-lactate concentration, but higher (P < 0.05) intestinal tight junction protein expressions, villus height (VH), VH/CD, and numbers of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells. The administration of TA also inhibited (P < 0.05) the expression of intestinal pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-8, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) but increased (P < 0.05) jejunal IL-10 and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) concentration. TA inclusion also led to a remarkable reduction of intestinal NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha (IκBα) degradation and nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) translocation. Moreover, TA modulated the cecal microbiota abundance and diversity of NE birds, as confirmed by reducing the phylum Firmicutes and genera Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, and Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group when supplemented at 600 mg/kg and reducing genera Butyricicoccus, Oscillibacter, and Flavonifractor when supplemented at 400 mg/kg (P < 0.05). Supplementation of TA in broiler diets could alleviate subclinical NE infection by restoring intestinal barrier integrity, inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, and modulating gut microbiota. A 600-mg/kg dose of TA is the optimum concentration for ameliorating subclinical NE in broilers.

Dynamic Fizeau interferometer with assistant defocused source.

We report and demonstrate a dynamic Fizeau interferometer (DFI) capable of high-precision measurements under severe vibration. The method involves two interferometric passes: a null-interference pass (NP) and a circular carrier-frequency pass (CP). The NP adopts an on-axis Fizeau design, preserving the common path of the reference and test beams. The CP uses an assistant defocused source to generate circular fringe patterns, assisting the NP in phase extraction and sign correction. The feasibility and performance of the proposed method are demonstrated experimentally. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first proposal of a general asynchronous phase-shifting DFI that can not only demodulate null-fringe patterns and correct phase-sign ambiguity but can also maintain the common-path advantages of the Fizeau interferometer.

Effects of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Growth, Intestinal Barrier, Oxidative Status and Mineral Deposition in 21-Day-Old Broiler Chicks.

This experiment was to study the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on growth, intestinal barrier, oxidative status, and mineral deposition. In total, 256 one-day-old chicks were randomly allotted to 4 dietary groups and fed with basal diet plus 80 mg/kg ZnSO4 (ZnSO4 group) or plus 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg ZnO-NPs, respectively, for 21 days. Compared with the ZnSO4 group, dietary 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg ZnO-NPs did not alter growth (average daily gain, body weight, and gain to feed ratio), and serum activities of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (P > 0.05). However, dietary 80 and 160 mg/kg ZnO-NPs linearly decreased serum D-lactate content and diamine oxidase activity (P < 0.01). Moreover, 80 mg/kg ZnO-NPs enhanced zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) mRNA expression in jejunal mucosa (P = 0.02). Dietary ZnO-NPs increased total antioxidant capacity activity (P = 0.01), and 80 mg/kg ZnO-NPs decreased malondialdehyde content in jejunal mucosa as compared to the ZnSO4 group (P = 0.02). In contrast, dietary ZnO-NPs did not alter mRNA expressions of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, heme oxygennase-1 (HO-1) and NAD (P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) (P > 0.05). No significant difference was found in selected mineral concentrations (Mn, Cu, Fe and Zn) in the liver among ZnSO4 and 3 ZnO-NP groups (P > 0.05). However, 160 mg/kg ZnO-NPs increased fecal contents of Zn, Fe and Cu (P < 0.01), but did not affect fecal Mn level (P > 0.05). Therefore, results suggested that ZnO-NPs could be an additive to enhance the intestinal barrier and antioxidant capacity of broiler chicks, whereas the inclusion of 80 mg/kg would be more efficient.

Effects of yeast hydrolysate on growth performance, serum parameters, carcass traits, meat quality and antioxidant status of broiler chickens.

BACKGROUND: Yeast hydrolysate (YH) has multiple salutary biological activities. Nevertheless, the application of YH in broiler production is limited. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of YH derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by exploring growth performance, serum parameters, organs relative weight, carcass traits, meat quality and antioxidant status of broilers. RESULTS: Supplementing YH linearly and quadratically improved (P < 0.05) body weight gain and gain-to-feed ratio compared to that in the control group. Triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol in serum, the decline in pH and cooking loss of breast muscle, and malonaldehyde concentration in serum and liver were decreased linearly and/or quadratically by YH (P < 0.05), whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in serum, GSH-Px activity in liver, glutathione content in serum and liver, eviscerated yield rate and chest muscle yield, and the relative weight of spleen and liver were linearly and/or quadratically increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, YH enhanced the mRNA levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, heme oxygennase-1 (HO-1), GSH-Px1 and SOD1 (linear and/or quadratic, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Dietary YH beneficially affected growth performance, serum parameters, organ relative weight, carcass traits, meat quality and antioxidant status in broilers, indicating its potential application as a promising feed additive in broiler production. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparative effectiveness of low-level laser therapy with different wavelengths and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in the treatment of pain caused by temporomandibular disorders: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with different wavelengths and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) and explore the optimal wavelength range of laser application in the treatment of pain caused by temporomandibular disorders (TMD). METHODS: An electronic search on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science was undertaken to identify the randomised clinical trials (RCTs) published from database inception to 16 April 2021, aiming to compare the effects of LLLT with different wavelengths (632.8-672 nm, 780-904 nm, and 910-1100 nm) or TENS or placebo group on TMD patients pain reduction. In addition, manual search of the studies was performed. The reviewers assessed the risk of bias of individual studies with the Cochrane risk of bias tool and excluded the RCTs with a high risk of bias in any field. Meanwhile, the reviewers, after performing the network meta-analysis, assessed the quality of evidence, which contributed to network estimate via the GRADE framework. RESULTS: Twenty-seven RCTs with 969 patients with TMD were included. In the meta-analysis, all treatment groups showed an overall improvement in pain scores, when compared with the placebo group. LLLT with wavelength ranging from 910 nm to 1100 nm produced more pain relief in the visual analogue scale (VAS) immediately after treatment [mean difference (MD) = 4.68, 95% confidence interval (CI):(3.08,6.28)]. After one-month follow-up, LLLT with wavelength ranging from 910 nm to 1100 nm also showed superior pain-relieving effects [MD = 3.61, 95% CI: (-1.77, 8.99)]. However, no significant difference was observed. Based on the SUCRA ranking, L3 ranked first immediately after treatment and 1 month later. CONCLUSION: The results of the meta-analysis showed the LLLT had better short-term efficacy than TENS in the treatment of pain caused by TMD. Better results can be achieved with higher wavelengths. Therefore, we recommended to treat TMD using LLLT with wavelength ranging from 910 nm to 1100 nm.

Dynamic white-light interferometry via multiwavelength tilt iteration and sliding local least squares.

The growing interest in microprofile measurements for advanced semiconductor manufacturing and electronic glass screens has stimulated the demand for in situ dynamic white-light interferometry (DWLI). However, it is challenging to perform vibration-insensitive measurements because of the broad-spectrum interference. In this Letter, we report a vertical scanning DWLI using multiwavelength tilt iteration and sliding local least squares. Numerical simulations and comparative experiments were conducted to verify the principle and performance of the proposed method. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such a DWLI has been proposed to achieve excellent vibration-resistant performance without using complex photoelectric compensation systems.

Synthesis of Indolyl-Tethered Spiro[cyclobutane-1,1'-indenes] through Cascade Reactions of 1-(Pyridin-2-yl)-1H-indoles with Alkynyl Cyclobutanols.

Presented herein is an efficient and unprecedented synthesis of indolyl-tethered spiro[cyclobutane-1,1'-indenes] through the cascade reaction of 1-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-indoles with alkynyl cyclobutanols. Mechanistic experiments implicate a sequential process in which 1-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-indole first undergoes an alkenylation with alkynyl cyclobutanol followed by an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction to give the title products. The utility of this novel protocol was reflected by the ample substrate scope, high chemo- and regioselectivity, removable directing group, and scalable preparation. In addition, the product thus obtained can be further derivatized quite efficiently.

Effects of trans-anethole supplementation on serum lipid metabolism parameters, carcass characteristics, meat quality, fatty acid, and amino acid profiles of breast muscle in broiler chickens.

This study investigated the effects of trans-anethole (TA) supplementation on the carcass characteristics, meat quality, fatty acid, and amino acid profiles of breast muscle in broilers. A total of 40 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Arbor Acres) were randomly allocated to 5 treatments, respectively, fed a corn-soybean basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 200, 400, 600, and 800 mg TA/kg diet for 42 d. 600 mg/kg of TA supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) serum triglycerides (TG) on d 21 and d 42, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration on d 21, but increased (P < 0.01) serum HDL-C concentration on d 42. Dietary supplementation of TA increased (P < 0.01) the half chamber rate (HCR) and eviscerated rate (ER) of broilers. The drip loss (storing 24 and 48 h) and cooking loss of breast muscle in 600 mg/kg TA groups were lower (P < 0.05) than those in control group. The concentration of palmitoleic acid, daturic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, α-Linolenic acid, eicostrienoic acid, and pentosapentanoic acid (EPA), MUFA, and PUFA in the breast muscle were higher (P < 0.05) in the 600 mg/kg of TA group compared with other groups. Dietary inclusion of 600 mg/kg of TA also increased (P < 0.05) the concentration of Met, Thr, Asp, Ser, and Glu in breast muscle, tended to increase (P = 0.069) the Lys concentration. In conclusion, results indicated that TA inclusion improved the lipid metabolism, meat quality, fatty acid composition, and amino acid profile of breast muscle in broilers.

Influence of Trans-anethole on the nutrient digestibility and intestinal barrier function in broilers.

This experiment was undertaken to investigate the effects of dietary trans-anethole (TA) at 5 levels (0, 200, 400, 600, and 800 mg/kg of diet) on the growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility and intestinal barrier function in broilers. Three hundred twenty 1-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into the 5 dietary treatments with 8 replicates each for 42 d. Dietary TA supplementation increased (P < 0.05) average daily feed intake (ADFI), but had no effects (P > 0.05) on average daily gain (ADG), feed/gain (F/G), and body weight (BW) of broilers throughout the entire experimental period. The apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn), the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), and gross energy (GE) showed a quadratic increase (P < 0.05) with the increasing TA concentration in the diet. The apparent ileal digestibility of Lys, Met, Leu, Thr, Ala, Tyr, and Pro were higher (P < 0.05) in birds fed TA diets compared with control group. Dietary supplementation of 400 mg/kg of TA increased (P < 0.05) mRNA levels of jejunal and ileal Na+/glucose co-transporter (SGLT1) on d 21 and d 42, oligopeptide transporter 1 (PepT1) on d 42, and ileal mRNA expressions of occludin (OCLN), claudin-1 (CLDN-1), and mucin 2 (MUC2), villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and VH:CD on d 21, as well as jejunal zonula-occludens-1 (ZO-1) and ileal mucin 2 on d 42. Linear or quadratic responses of the jejunal CD and villus VH:CD ratio occurred (P < 0.01) with increasing dietary TA concentration on d 42. The inclusion of 400 mg/kg TA decreased (P < 0.05) cecal Escherichia coli population on d 21 and d 42, but increased (P < 0.05) Bifidobacterium population on d 21 and ileal Bifidobacterium on d 42. In conclusion, 400 mg/kg of TA is the optimum concentration for increasing nutrient utilization and intestinal barrier function of broilers.