Effects of Low-Light Environments on the Growth and Physiological and Biochemical Parameters of Indocalamus and Seasonal Variations in Leaf Active Substance Contents.

Indocalamus, characterized by its expansive leaves, low height, strong reproductive capacity, and abundant bioactive compounds, has extensive utility in the realms of food processing, the manufacturing of packaging materials, and the advancement of novel pharmaceuticals. Two light environments, CK (100% full light) and ST (50% full light), were established to explore the effects of low-light environments on the reproductive ability, morphological characteristics, photosynthetic properties, and leaf active substances of 14 Indocalamus species. The findings revealed that in comparison to the CK treatment, for 14 species of Indocalamus under the ST treatment, (1) the diameter, single leaf area, and leaf area index increased by 8.27%, 8.14%, and 17.88%, respectively; (2) the net photosynthetic rate decreased by 15.14%, and the total chlorophyll contents increased by 20.25%; and (3) the total flavonoid contents increased by 18.28% in autumn, the total polyphenol contents increased by 48.96% in spring, and the total polysaccharide contents increased by 31.44% and 30.81% in summer and winter, respectively. In summary, Indocalamus are adapted to survive in low-light environments; the growth and physiological indices differ significantly between the two light environments, and the low-light environment can effectively promote the growth and development of the leaves. Furthermore, the leaves are rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and active substances, which are affected by the light intensity and the season to varying degrees, and autumn and winter are the best times for harvesting the leaves. The leaves of I. hunanensis and I. lacunosus are richest in flavonoids and polyphenols, while the leaves of I. kunmingensis cv. fuminer are richest in polysaccharides. The main findings of this study demonstrate that Indocalamus has strong shade tolerance and tremendous leaf value, laying the foundation for broadening the application of their leaves and for their industrial development in understory composite planting systems.

Effects of Simultaneous Application of Double Chelating Agents to Pb-Contaminated Soil on the Phytoremediation Efficiency of Indocalamus decorus Q. H. Dai and the Soil Environment.

Recent studies have shown that the combined application of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and degradable chelating agents can enhance EDTA's affinity for heavy metals and reduce its toxicity, but the effect of this combination on the phytoremediation remains largely unknown. This study evaluated and compared the effects of EDTA, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and glutamic acid-N,N-diacetic acid (GLDA) alone (E, N, G treatment), and in combination (EN and EG treatment), on the growth of dwarf bamboo (Indocalamus decorus Q. H. Dai), their phytoremediation efficiency, and the soil environment in Pb-contaminated soil. The results showed that treatment E significantly reduced the biomass, while treatments N and EN were more conducive to the distribution of aerial plant biomass. Except for treatment E, the total Pb accumulation in all treatments increased significantly, with the highest increase in treatment EN. For double chelating agents, the acid-soluble Pb concentrations in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils of treatments EN and EG were lower than those of treatment E, and the soil water-soluble Pb content after 20 days of treatment EN was significantly lower than that of treatment EG. Furthermore, chelating agents generally increased soil-enzyme activity in rhizosphere soil, indicating that chelating agents may promote plant heavy-metal uptake by changing the rhizosphere environment. In conclusion, treatment EN had the highest phytoremediation efficiency and significantly lower environmental risk than treatments E and EG, highlighting its massive potential for application in phytoremediation of Pb-contaminated soil when combined with I. decorus.

p53 gene therapy-based transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is used for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its efficacy still needs to be improved. Recombinant adenovirus p53 (rAd-p53) injection is a gene therapeutic agent that could improve the prognosis of HCC patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rAd-p53-based TACE for treating unresectable HCC. METHODS: Prospective analysis of patients who received rAd-p53-based TACE or TACE alone in Chongqing Cancer Institute from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012. The primary endpoint is overall survival. The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival, response rate, and safety. RESULTS: One hundred two patients were enrolled in this study. Forty-nine patients received the rAd-p53-based TACE, and 53 patients received TACE alone. The rAd-p53-based TACE treatment strategy improved the overall survival (hazard ratio: 0.58, 95% confidence interval: 0.35-0.96, P = 0.035), progression-free survival (hazard ratio: 0.60, 95% confidence interval: 0.37-0.97, P = 0.037), response rate (P = 0.047) compared with TACE monotherapy. The rAd-p53-based TACE treatment group caused more occurrences of fever than with TACE alone (P = 0.01). However, symptomatic treatment may solve this problem. CONCLUSIONS: rAd-p53-based TACE treatment strategy is effective and safe for treating unresectable HCC. Large-scale randomized clinical trials are needed to verify these results.