Biodegradation of malachite green by Pleurotus eryngii: a study on decolorization, mechanism, toxicity, and enzyme.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biodegradation of malachite green (MG) by Pleurotus eryngii via decolorization. This study also explored the possible mechanisms and toxicity. The results indicated that this fungus exhibited strong decolorizing potential. MG degradation based on UPLC-TOF-Triple-MS analysis revealed the formation of intermediates such as 4-(dimethylamino)benzophenone, 4-(methylamino)benzophenone, and 4-(dimethylamino)phenol. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the toxicity of the degradation products was observed using the zebrafish animal model. A newly discovered dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP-PE) from P. eryngii was amplified, cloned, and expressed. The purified 56.4 kDa DyP-PE strongly decolorized MG, suggesting potentially application in the bioremediation of MG pollution. Thus, the DyP-PE derived from P. eryngii may contribute to the degradation of MG.

Effects of different extraction methods on the structural and biological properties of Hericium coralloides polysaccharides.

In current study, polysaccharides from Hericium coralloides were extracted by heat reflux, acid-assisted, alkali-assisted, enzyme-assisted, ultrasonic-assisted, cold water, pressurized hot water, hydrogen peroxide/ascorbic acid system and acid-chlorite delignification methods, which were named as HRE-P, ACE-P, AAE-P, EAE-P, UAE-P, CWE-P, PHE-P, HAE-P, and ACD-P, respectively. Their physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, and antioxidant activities were investigated and compared. Experimental outcomes indicated notable variations in the extraction yields, chemical compositions, monosaccharide constituents and molecular weights of the obtained nine polysaccharides. HRE-P demonstrated the highest activity against ABTS and OH radicals, CWE-P against ABTS, DPPH, and superoxide radicals, and UAE-P against DPPH radicals. In addition, UAE-P, CWE-P, and HAE-P exhibited better protective effects on L929 cells, when compared to the other obtained polysaccharides. Additionally, correlation analysis indicated that monosaccharide composition and total polyphenol content were two prominent variables influencing the bioactivity of H. coralloides polysaccharides.

Recovery of a hypolipidemic polysaccharide from artificially cultivated Sanghuangporus vaninii with an effective method.

In this study, an effective method was developed to extract the polysaccharide from Sanghuangporus vaninii (PFSV) by destroying the cell wall. Box-Behnken design was employed to determine the optimal processing conditions as follows: processing temperature (80°C), processing time (0.81 h) and amount of HCl (1.5 ml). Under these conditions, the yield of PFSV reached 5.94 ± 0.16%. The purified polysaccharide (PFSV-2) was found to be a hetero-polysaccharide with an average molecular weight of 20.377 kDa. The backbone of PFSV-2 was composed of an →6)-α-Galp-(1→ and →2,6)-ß-Manp-(1→ and →2)-α-Fucp-(1→ and was branched of t-α-Manp-(1→ at position 2 of residue B. PFSV-2 showed hypolipidemic activity by decreasing lipid accumulation and the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in zebrafish larvae. Furthermore, PFSV-2 downregulated the pparg, fasn, and HMGCRb genes and upregulated the pparab and acaca genes. These findings suggested PFSV-2 may be a promising candidate in lipid regulation therapy.

Nutrient profiles, functional compositions, and antioxidant activities of seven types of grain fermented with Sanghuangporus sanghuang fungus.

Sanghuangporus sanghuang (SS) is a rare medicinal polypore fungus that grows solely on Morus trees. In this study, seven grains (oats, barley, millet, rice, buckwheat, corn, and coix seed) were used as solid substrates for SS fermentation and characterized in their nutrition, functional composition, and antioxidant activities. After fermentation, the nutrient compositions of crude protein (F 1,41 = 111.1, P < 0.01), soluble protein (F 1,41 = 595.7, P < 0.01), soluble sugar (F 1,41 = 51.4, P < 0.01) and ash (F 1,41 = 227.3, P < 0.01) increased significantly. Oats were one of the best grains for SS fermentation, SS-Oat produced 6.23 mg QE/g polyphenols, 21.8 mg rutin/g flavonoids, and 2.3% triterpene. In addition, the antioxidant capacities of the seven grains all increased. Principal component analysis analysis shows that the antioxidant properties of the grains were similar after SS fermentation. The changes of antioxidant activity due to SS fermentation were corrected with corresponding grain and remarked as ΔT-AOC/ABTS+/DPPH/DNAp, that was correlated to part of changes in polyphenol, carotenoid, triterpenoids, and flavonoid contents. In summary, oats have the greatest potential for use as a fermentation substrate for health food development.

Structural characterization and hypoglycemic activity of an intracellular polysaccharide from Sanghuangporus sanghuang mycelia.

A neutral polysaccharide (SSIPS1) was isolated and purified from cultured mycelia of Sanghuangporus sanghuang by DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephacryl S-100 columns. Basic monosaccharide composition indicated that SSIPS1 was mainly composed of d-glucose. The results of methylation and 2D-NMR analysis suggested that the glycosidic linkages of SSIPS1 were elucidated to consisted of 1,4-linked α-d-glucopyranose (Glcp) residues with two branched points at O-6. The two branches were composed of 1,4-linked α-D-Glcp terminated with α-D-Glcp, 1,4-linked α-D-Glcp and 1,4-linked ß-Galp terminated by α-D-Glcp. Moreover, its chain conformation was revealed to present a flexible chain conformation in 0.1 NaNO3 with a hydrodynamic radius and radius of gyration of 3.26 and 6.45 nm by multi-angle laser light scattering, with a single chain of 0.559 nm observed by atomic force microscopy. Further, SSIPS1 exhibited a potential inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and it had hypoglycemic effects on in vitro insulin resistance of HepG2 cells as well.

Conformational properties and biological activities of α-D-mannan from Sanghuangporus sanghuang in liquid culture.

Sanghuang is a well-known edible and medicinal fungus consumed in Asia for centuries. In the present study, a novel exopolysaccharide named as mannan (SSEPS2) was isolated from the liquid culture broth of Sanghuangporus sanghuang by using ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography, and size-exclusion chromatography, which was exclusively composed of D-mannose with the molecular weight 9.43 × 104 g/mol. The structural analysis suggested that SSEPS2 consisted of 1,3-linked and 1,2-linked α-D-mannopyranose (Manp), with substitution at O-6 of 1,2-linked α-D-Manp by 1,6-linked α-D-Manp residues and terminal α-D-Manp residues. The exponent of α (0.58) indicated that SSEPS2 existed in a flexible chain conformation, with a coil-like structure in 0.1 M NaNO3 at 25 °C, which was further confirmed by the atomic force microscopy images and a three-dimensional molecular model. It exhibited potential antitumor activity against the growth of HepG2 (human hepatoma) and MCF-7 cell lines in vitro. The IC50 values for inhibiting HepG-2 cells and MCF-7 cells proliferation were 365 and 340 µg/mL, which showed its potential application in the development of anticancer therapeutics.

Effect of Cultured Substrates on the Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes).

A systematic study was carried out to compare the chemical composition and biological activities of wood-cultured and sack-cultured Ganoderma lucidum (WG and SG, respectively). The proximate composition, microelement content, and functional compounds of the two different cultivated mushrooms were investigated. Antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities of polysaccharide and phenolic extracts of WG and SG were also investigated. The phenolic extracts exhibited higher antioxidant and hypoglycemic activity than the polysaccharidic extracts, and activities of the WG extracts were better than those of the SG extracts. Therefore, wood culture is a superior method of artificial cultivation for the production of such antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities.

Characterization and biological activities of polysaccharides from artificially cultivated Phellinus baumii.

The polysaccharide (PPB-2) was extracted and purified from the fruiting body of artificially cultivated Phellinus baumii by an acid-chlorite delignification method. The in vitro hypoglycemic and in vivo hepatoprotective activities of PPB-2 were investigated. FT-IR spectra, NMR spectral analysis, and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the structural characterization of PPB-2. PPB-2 exhibited higher α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities and showed significant inhibitory effects against the diffusion of glucose. Furthermore, the administration of PPB-2 to mice significantly prevented the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, as well as the increase in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and total bilirubin, and hepatic malondialdehyde levels, and PPB-2 enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, as well as the glutathione levels. The results suggest that PPB-2 may be suitable as a functional food with hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective activities.

Antioxidant and DNA damage protecting potentials of polysaccharide extracted from Phellinus baumii using a delignification method.

A delignification method was employed to extract the polysaccharide from the fruiting body of Phellinus baumii. The three parameters, processing temperature, ratio of water to raw material and amount of acetic acid every time were optimized using the Box-Behnken design. As a result, the optimal extraction conditions were: processing temperature 70.3°C, ratio of water to raw material of 34.7mL/g and amount of acetic acid of 0.32mL every time. Under these conditions, the highest yield of polysaccharide (10.28%) was obtained. The main fraction (PPB-2) purified from PPB was composed of fucose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose and mannose, while glucose was the predominant monosaccharide. PPB-2 exhibited noticeable antioxidant activity and strong protection against oxidative DNA damage. These findings implied that acid-chlorite delignification was a superior method to extract the polysaccharide from P. baumii and PPB-2 may be useful for cancer chemoprevention.

Colored light-quality selective plastic films affect anthocyanin content, enzyme activities, and the expression of flavonoid genes in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) fruit.

The influence of colored light-quality selective plastic films (red, yellow, green, blue, and white) on the content of anthocyanin, the activities of the related enzymes and the transcripts of the flavonoid gene was studied in developing strawberry fruit. The results indicated that colored films had highly significant effects on the total anthocyanin content (TAC) and proportions of individual anthocyanins. Compared with the white control film, the red and yellow films led to the significant increase of TAC, while the green and blue films caused a decrease of TAC. Colored film treatments also significantly affected the related enzyme activity and the expression of structural genes and transcription factor genes, which suggested that the enhancement of TAC by the red and yellow films might have resulted from the activation of related enzymes and transcription factor genes in the flavonoid pathway. Treatment with red and yellow light-quality selective plastic films might be useful as a supplemental cultivation practice for enhancing the anthocyanin content in developing strawberry fruit.

Comparison of the preliminary characterizations and antioxidant properties of polysaccharides obtained from Phellinus baumii growth on different culture substrates.

Three polysaccharides (PPB-MB, PPB-MW and PPB-MM) were obtained from the fruiting body of Phellinus baumii growth on different culture substrates (mulberry branches, mixed wood sawdust and an equal combination of the two materials) and their chemical composition was investigated. PPB-MM contained the highest contents of neutral sugar (66.59%) and uronic acid (23.38%), followed by PPB-MW and PPB-MB, with PPB-MW having the highest protein content. The three polysaccharides were all composed of six kinds of monosaccharides, namely fucose, mannose, glactose, xylose, arabinose and glucose. The antioxidant activities of the three polysaccharides were determined using lipid peroxidant inhibition, ABTS radical scavenging, and Fe(2+)-chelating assay. Results showed that PPB-MM exhibited the highest antioxidant properties in all the assays. As a result, an equal combination of mulberry branches and mixed wood sawdust serves as a good culture substrate for producing such antioxidant polysaccharides.

Extraction optimization and biological properties of a polysaccharide isolated from Gleoestereum incarnatum.

Extraction was optimized of polysaccharides from Gleoestereum incarnatum (GIP). The three parameters, extraction temperature, extraction time and the ratio of water to raw material, were optimized using the Box-Behnken design. As a result, the optimal extraction conditions were: extraction temperature 87.5 °C, extraction time 1 h and the ratio of water to raw material of 39.7 mL/g, where the highest yield of polysaccharide (13.18%) was obtained. GIP-II was the main fraction purified form GIP. GIP-II was composed of galactose, glucose, xylose, and mannose, with glucose was the predominant monosaccharide. GIP-II exhibited strong scavenging activities against DPPH and hydroxyl radials in vitro, as well as a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of HepG2 cells. The overall findings indicated that GIP-II is worthy of further exploration for its potential applications in antitumor drugs or health foods.

Structural elucidation and in vitro antitumor activity of a novel oligosaccharide from Bombyx batryticatus.

An oligosaccharide BBPW-2 was isolated and purified from Bombyx batryticatus, its molecular weight was 2.0 × 10(3)Da, and its structure was elucidated by compositional, methylation and NMR analysis. Our results showed that BBPW-2 consisted of ß-D-(1 → 2,6)-glucopyranose and ß-D-(1 → 2,6)-mannosyl units serving as the backbone, α-D-(1 → 2)-galactopyranose and α-D-(1 → 3)-mannosyl units as branches, and α-D-Manp and ß-D-Glcp as terminals. The in vitro inhibitory activity of BBPW-2 was measured using MTT and and crystal violet assays, which suggested that BBPW-2 had direct cytotoxic effects on the cancer cell lines HeLa and HepG2 (particularly HeLa cells), and had a long-term antiproliferative effect on MCF-7 cells, respectively. Apoptosis and cellcycle analysis of HeLa cells showed that BBPW-2 induced cellcycle disruption in the G0/G1 and G2/M phases accompanied by an impressive increment of early apoptotic cells and late apoptotic and necrotic cells. These results suggest that BBPW-2 could be a potential chemotherapeutic drug and its antitumor effects deserve further study.

Effects of extraction methods on the antioxidant activities of polysaccharides obtained from Flammulina velutipes.

Four polysaccharides (CFP, UFP, MFP and EFP) were extracted from Flammulina velutipes using hot water, ultrasonic, microwave or enzymatic methods optimized by orthogonal test. Preliminary structural characterizations were conducted using physicochemical properties. Polysaccharides extracted by all four methods showed similar physicochemical characteristics and FT-IR spectra. However, SEM images of tissues of F. velutipes were significantly different. EFP demonstrated better antioxidant activities against hydroxyl radical as well as improved metal chelating activity. UFP showed higher DPPH scavenging activity, but CFP exhibited higher antioxidant activity in reducing power. Hence, these polysaccharides can be used as natural antioxidants in functional foods or medicine. Further experiments on the biological activities of these four polysaccharides are currently in progress.

Biological decolorization of malachite green by Deinococcus radiodurans R1.

Cultures of Deinococcus radiodurans R1 were observed to decolorize malachite green (MG) dye. The effects of various factors on decolorization efficiency were investigated. The optimal decolorization temperature and pH ranges were 25-50°C and 6.0-8.0, respectively. With increasing initial MG concentration, the decolorization efficiency decreased, and the kinetic parameters, R(MG,max) and K(m) were 416.7 mg-MG/g-cell/h and 1033.7 mg/L, respectively. The D. radiodurans R1 cells were capable of tolerating and rapidly degrading high concentrations of the dye. When MG concentration was 200 mg/L, decolorization efficiency was up to 97.2% within 30 min. The intermediate products of MG biodegradation were 4-(dimethylamino)phenol and 4-(dimethylamino)benzophenone, as identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. Toxicity tests indicated that D. radiodurans R1 did not detoxify an MG solution completely, but clearly reduced its toxicity. This study demonstrated that this strain was an efficient degrader compared to other microorganisms.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential of endo-polysaccharides from Hericium erinaceus grown on tofu whey.

Three fractions of the endo-polysaccharides from the mycelium of Hericium erinaceus (HEP) grown on tofu whey were obtained by the fractional precipitation with gradient concentrations of ethanol (HEP40, HEP60 and HEP80). The chemical and physical characteristics of the three crude polysaccharides were investigated by the combination of chemical and instrumental analysis methods. The studies to evaluate the antioxidant potential and the hepatoprotective effects of the three polysaccharides showed that they had different activities in different evaluation system. HEP80 showed strong activity on antioxidant in vitro and potent hepatoprotective effect in vivo and the hepatoprotective effect may be due to its potent antioxidant capacity. The HEP could be exploited as antioxidant product and a supplement in the prevention of hepatic diseases. The study also opens an avenue for the efficient utilization of tofu whey, which is usually discarded in environment, causing concerns.

[Detection of antioxidant active compounds in mori ramulus by HPLC-MS-DPPH].

OBJECTIVE: To study major antioxidant active compounds in Mori Ramulus. METHOD: The combination of on-line HPLC method and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify major antioxidant compounds and their content was determined by HPLC-DAD (detection wavelength of 320 nm). RESULT: Oxyresveratrol was proved to be the major antioxidant compound in Mori Ramulus ethanolic extracts. Using the HPLC-DAD quantitative determination, Mori Ramulus oxyresveratrol had a good linear range of 14-1 260 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.999 96). The average recovery was 98.2% with RSD of 1.2%. This method is simple, rapid, accurate and sensitive. There was rich oxyresveratrol in Mori Ramulus and the content was significantly different according to the mulberry varieties. CONCLUSION: The on-line HPLC-MS-DPPH method is applicable for the determination of antioxidant compounds in Mori Ramulus.

Antidiabetic activities of ethanol extract of dry matters of culture broth of Coriolus versiolor in submerged culture

The study aimed to investigate the antihyperglycemic and antilipidperoxidative effects of ethanol extract of the dry matter from culture broth of Coriolus versicolor (ECBC) in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mice. Blood glucose level, insulin level, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C), high density lipoprotein -cholesterol (HDL-C) in serum and reduced glutathione level (GSH), lipid peroxidation, glycogen, antioxidant enzymes in liver were evaluated. Moreover, histopathological observation was conducted. Streptozotocin treatment (150 mg/kg body weight) induced the decrease of GSH level, antioxidant enzymes activities, glycogen content in liver, HDL-C content and insulin level in serum, accompanied by the elevation of the lipid peroxidation in liver, serum blood glucose level, contents of TC, TG and LDL-C. Treatment with ECBC restored the changes in the above parameters up to the basal level. The protective effects were further supported by the attenuation of the degree of pancreas damage in ECBC treated mice.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of cis-mulberroside A from Ramulus mori.

This study examined the analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions of cis-mulberroside A isolated from Ramulus mori in several models of inflammatory pain in mice. Cis-mulberroside A (25 and 50mg/kg) given by p.o. route 30 min before challenge produced a dose-dependent inhibition of the acetic acid-induced pain and Evans blue leakage in mice. In addition, this compound exhibited significant systemic anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema in a concentration-related manner (33.1-68.5% inhibition), and similar results were achieved in formalin test. Suppressive effects of cis-mulberroside A on the production of NO and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages were also assessed. Collectively, cis-mulberroside A showed high analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The above results will be the supporting evidence for the potential anti-rheumatoid activity of R.mori in Chinese traditional medicine.

Protective function of cis-mulberroside A and oxyresveratrol from Ramulus mori against ethanol-induced hepatic damage.

The aim of the study was to investigate the protective effects of oxyresveratrol and cis-mulberroside A isolated from Ramulus mori on the liver of mice intoxicated with ethanol. Animals were pretreated with different doses (30 and 60mg/kg of body weight) of oxyresveratrol and cis-mulberroside A prior to the ethanol (9g/kg of body weight) orally for 7 days. Ethanol treatment induced the decrease of reduced glutathione level and antioxidant enzymes activities, the elevation of the lipid peroxidation and cytochrome P450 2E1 activity accompanied with the increase of iron concentration and mitochondrial permeability transition. Pretreatment with oxyresveratrol and cis-mulberroside A restored the changes in the above parameters up to the basal level. The protective effects of the two active compounds were further supported by attenuation of the degree of tissue damage and the regulation of the expression of TNF-α. It could be concluded that oxyresveratrol and cis-mulberroside A from R. mori could protect mice against ethanol-induced hepatic damage.