Table_2_Lactobacillus plantarum ZJUFB2 Prevents High Fat Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance in Association With Modulation of the Gut Microbiota.docx

Lactobacillus plantarum ZJUFB2 is a novel probiotic isolate derived from Chinese traditional sourdough that possesses promising probiotics properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of L. plantarum ZJUFB2 (B2) on insulin sensitivity using mice fed on a high-fat diet (HFD) as well as to explore the involved mechanisms. Purposely, male C57BL/6 mice continuously received an intervention of B2 (~109 CFU/day) for 16 weeks. The results showed that B2 treatment remarkably ameliorated insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in HFD-fed mice. The B2 intervention significantly decreased the hepatic lipid accumulation, serum low-density lipoproteins cholesterol, and lipopolysaccharides, and regulated the bile acids levels as well as liver mRNA expression involved in lipid metabolism. Moreover, the B2 intervention significantly changed the gut microbiota, specifically, showed a lower abundance of obesity-related and inflammation-associated microbes, e.g., Ruminococcus and Mogibacteriaceae. Furthermore, it exhibited a higher abundance of short-chain fatty acids and bile salt hydrolas-producing bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and F16 compared with the HFD group. The findings of this study suggested that B2 is a novel probiotic, effective in preventing insulin resistance by improving the gut microbiota and bile acids.</p

Table_1_Lactobacillus plantarum ZJUFB2 Prevents High Fat Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance in Association With Modulation of the Gut Microbiota.xlsx

Lactobacillus plantarum ZJUFB2 is a novel probiotic isolate derived from Chinese traditional sourdough that possesses promising probiotics properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of L. plantarum ZJUFB2 (B2) on insulin sensitivity using mice fed on a high-fat diet (HFD) as well as to explore the involved mechanisms. Purposely, male C57BL/6 mice continuously received an intervention of B2 (~109 CFU/day) for 16 weeks. The results showed that B2 treatment remarkably ameliorated insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in HFD-fed mice. The B2 intervention significantly decreased the hepatic lipid accumulation, serum low-density lipoproteins cholesterol, and lipopolysaccharides, and regulated the bile acids levels as well as liver mRNA expression involved in lipid metabolism. Moreover, the B2 intervention significantly changed the gut microbiota, specifically, showed a lower abundance of obesity-related and inflammation-associated microbes, e.g., Ruminococcus and Mogibacteriaceae. Furthermore, it exhibited a higher abundance of short-chain fatty acids and bile salt hydrolas-producing bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and F16 compared with the HFD group. The findings of this study suggested that B2 is a novel probiotic, effective in preventing insulin resistance by improving the gut microbiota and bile acids.</p

Planar Heptathienoacenes Based on Unsymmetric Dithieno­[3,2‑<i>b</i>:3′,4′-d]­thiophene: Synthesis and Photophysical Properties

The unsymmetric dithieno­[3,2-<i>b</i>:3′,4′-<i>d</i>]­thiophene (<i><b>ts</b></i><b>-DTT</b>) was efficiently synthesized, and two novel hepta­thieno­acenes with linear and bull’s horn shapes were designed and prepared via different ring cyclization connection manners. All intermediates and aimed hepta­thieno­acenes were fully characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and HRMS. Their UV–vis absorption behavior, fluorescence, and electrochemical properties are characterized. In addition, DFT quantum calculation was employed to further understand the electron distribution and the origin of the absorption bands

Table_2_Cellular uptake, transport mechanism and anti-inflammatory effect of cyanidin-3-glucoside nanoliposomes in Caco-2/RAW 264.7 co-culture model.DOCX

Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), which is the widest and richest anthocyanin (ACN) found in the edible fruit and vegetables, has been illustrated to perform a wide range of bioactivities. Nanoliposomes can inhibit C3G degradation and enhance the absorption rate of C3G as tools for conveying materials to particular locations. This experiment aims to study the absorption, transport and anti-inflammatory effects of C3G nanoliposomes in Caco-2/RAW 264.7 co-culture model, which symbolizes an intestinal inflammation system. The results indicated that the uptake and transport of C3G nanoliposomes by Caco-2/RAW 264.7 co-culture model were concentration-dependent as well as affected by temperature (37 and 4°C) and endocytic inhibitors, which revealed C3G nanoliposomes penetrate cells via endocytosis. Moreover, compared with C3G, C3G nanoliposomes significantly decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8), suggesting a stronger anti-inflammatory potential. Conclusively, the uptake of C3G nanoliposomes by Caco-2/RAW 264.7 co-culture model is mainly involved in macropinocytosis and endocytosis mediated by carrier protein (clathrin). C3G nanoliposomes may play a better role in the treatment of LPS-induced intestinal inflammation diseases.</p

Synthesis of Novel Two-Phase Co@SiO₂ Nanorattles with High Catalytic Activity

Noble metal nanocatalysts with remarkable catalytic properties have attracted much attention; however, the high cost of these materials limits their industrial applications. Here, we design and prepare Co@SiO₂ nanorattles as a mixture of hcp-Co and fcc-Co phases as a substitute. The nanorattles exhibit both superior catalytic activity and high stability for the reduction of <i>p</i>-nitrophenol. The reduction rate nearly follows pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the reaction rate constant is as high as 0.815 min^–1 and is maintained at 0.565 min^–1 even after storing for one month, which is higher than that reported for noble metal nanocatalysts. Such an excellent property can be attributed to the novel two-phase composition and rattle-type structure

Table_1_Cellular uptake, transport mechanism and anti-inflammatory effect of cyanidin-3-glucoside nanoliposomes in Caco-2/RAW 264.7 co-culture model.XLSX

Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), which is the widest and richest anthocyanin (ACN) found in the edible fruit and vegetables, has been illustrated to perform a wide range of bioactivities. Nanoliposomes can inhibit C3G degradation and enhance the absorption rate of C3G as tools for conveying materials to particular locations. This experiment aims to study the absorption, transport and anti-inflammatory effects of C3G nanoliposomes in Caco-2/RAW 264.7 co-culture model, which symbolizes an intestinal inflammation system. The results indicated that the uptake and transport of C3G nanoliposomes by Caco-2/RAW 264.7 co-culture model were concentration-dependent as well as affected by temperature (37 and 4°C) and endocytic inhibitors, which revealed C3G nanoliposomes penetrate cells via endocytosis. Moreover, compared with C3G, C3G nanoliposomes significantly decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8), suggesting a stronger anti-inflammatory potential. Conclusively, the uptake of C3G nanoliposomes by Caco-2/RAW 264.7 co-culture model is mainly involved in macropinocytosis and endocytosis mediated by carrier protein (clathrin). C3G nanoliposomes may play a better role in the treatment of LPS-induced intestinal inflammation diseases.</p

Tough and Biocompatible Hydrogel Tissue Adhesives Entirely Based on Naturally Derived Ingredients

Hydrogel tissue adhesives have tremendous potential applications in biological engineering. Existing hydrogel tissue adhesives generally do not have adequate mechanical robustness and acceptable biocompatibility at the same time. Herein, we report a one-step method to synthesize tough and biocompatible hydrogel tissue adhesives entirely made of naturally derived ingredients. We select two natural polymers, chitosan and gelatin, to construct the backbone and a bioderived compound, genipin, as the cross-linker. We show that, upon gelation, genipins cross-link chitosan and gelatin to form two interpenetrated networks and interlink them to tissue surfaces. Meanwhile, hydrogen bonds form in the matrix to strengthen the networks and at the interface to strengthen the adhesion between the hydrogel and tissue. Furthermore, we elaborately use high initial polymer contents to induce topological entanglements in the polymer networks to toughen the hydrogel. The resulting chitosan–gelatin hydrogel provides a tough matrix, and the robust covalent interlinks and hydrogen bonds provide a strong interface, achieving a tensile strength of ∼190 kPa, a fracture toughness of 205.7 J/m2, a mode I adhesion energy of 197.6 J/m2, and a mode II adhesion energy of 51.2 J/m2. We demonstrate that the hydrogel tissue adhesive is injectable, degradable, and noncytotoxic and can be used for the controlled release of the anticancer drug cisplatin. All-natural ingredient-based tough and biocompatible hydrogels are promising as tissue adhesives for biomedical and related applications

Data_Sheet_1_Antiaging function of Chinese pond turtle (Chinemys reevesii) peptide through activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway and its structure-activity relationship.docx

Chinese pond turtle is a traditional nourishing food with high nutritional value and bioactivity and has been considered a dietary remedy for prolonging the lifespan since ancient times. However, only limited information about their effects on longevity is available. This study was performed to assess the antioxidant activities and antiaging potential of Chinese pond turtle peptide (CPTP) using Drosophila melanogaster model and uncover the possible mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects. CPTP exhibited excellent antioxidant capability in vitro with IC50 values of 3.31, 1.93, and 9.52 mg/ml for 1,1-diphenyl-2-pycryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazo-line-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), and hydroxyl radical scavenging, respectively. In vivo, 0.8% of CPTP significantly extended the mean and median lifespan of female flies by 7.66 and 7.85%, followed by enhanced resistance to oxidative and heat stress. Besides, CPTP remarkably increased the antioxidant enzyme activities and diminished the peroxide product accumulation. Furthermore, CPTP upregulated the relative mRNA expression of antioxidant-related genes, including nuclear factor-erythroid-2-like 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream target genes, while downregulated the expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). Taken together, CPTP displayed promising potential in both antioxidant and antiaging effects on flies by targeting the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway. Further peptide sequence determination revealed that 89.23% of peptides from the identified sequences in CPTP could exert potential inhibitory effects on Keap1. Among these peptides, ten representative peptide sequences could actively interact with the binding sites of Keap1-Nrf2 interaction through hydrogen bonds, van der Walls, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic interactions. Conclusively, CPTP could be utilized as health-promoting bioactive peptide with antioxidant and antiaging capacities.</p

All-pH Hydrogen Evolution by Heterophase Molybdenum Carbides Prepared via Mechanochemical Synthesis

As non-precious-metal catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), molybdenum carbides have attracted extensive attention in recent years. Molybdenum carbides usually require high synthesis temperatures (>700 °C), which leads to a high cost. In this study, we report a controllable synthesis of heterophase molybdenum carbides (MoC/Mo2C) using a simple ball milling method without external thermal input. The as-obtained MoC/Mo2C catalysts exhibit excellent HER electrocatalytic activity and durability at all pH conditions in comparison with MoC or Mo2C alone. The interface of MoC/Mo2C formed in situ is the key factor in improving the electrocatalytic activity. This fabrication method is cheap and effective in generating heterophase interfaces, which can be employed in many other fields where interface engineering is needed

Morphology-Controllable Synthesis of Metal Organic Framework Cd₃[Co(CN)₆]₂·<i>n</i>H₂O Nanostructures for Hydrogen Storage Applications

In this paper, a potential strategy for increasing the hydrogen sorption has been demonstrated by using the nanostructure of metal organic framework. Prussian Blue analogue (PBA) Cd₃[Co­(CN)₆]₂·<i>n</i>H₂O nanocubes and octahedrons were successfully obtained at room temperature in the presence of poly­(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), respectively. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Detailed proof indicated that the synthetic parameters such as surfactant, the ratio of different solvents (water and ethanol) play crucial roles in the morphology and size of the nanoparticles. The fine-detailed information about porous structures of the samples has also been studied using the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller isotherm. Most importantly, two kinds of nanostructures both display high adsorption on H₂ and CO₂, showing enhanced adsorption properties compared with the bulk materials. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the synthesis of Cd₃[Co­(CN)₆]₂ nanomaterials and their H₂, CO₂ adsorption applications at the nanoscale