Characterisation and stability of anthocyanins in purple-fleshed sweet potato P40

Citation: Xu, J., Su, X., Lim, S., Griffin, J., Carey, E., Katz, B., … Wang, W. (2015). Characterisation and stability of anthocyanins in purple-fleshed sweet potato P40. ISPMF 2015: International Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (Shanghai, China, June 26th –29th, 2015), 186, 90–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.08.123Purple-fleshed sweet potato P40 has been shown to prevent colorectal cancer in a murine model. This study is to identify anthocyanins by using HPLC/MS–MS and assess the stability during various cooking conditions. P40 possesses a high content of anthocyanins up to 14 mg/g dry matter. Total 12 acylated anthocyanins are identified. Top three anthocyanins, e.g., cyanidin 3-caffeoyl-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside, peonidin 3-caffeoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside, and cyanidin 3-(6″-caffeoyl-6″-feruloylsophoroside)-5-glucoside, account for half of the anthocyanin contents. Over 80% of anthocyanins measured by acid hydrolysis were cyanidin derivatives, indicating P40 is unique when compared with other purple-fleshed sweet potatoes that usually contain more peonidin than cyanidin. Steaming, pressure cooking, microwaving, and frying but not baking significantly reduced 8–16% of total anthocyanin contents. Mono-acylated anthocyanins showed a higher resistance against heat than di- and non-acylated. Among of which, cyanidin 3-p-hydroxybenzoylsophoroside-5-glucoside exhibited the best thermal stability. The stable acylated and cyanidin-predominated anthocyanins in P40 may provide extra benefits for cancer prevention

Association of the Haptoglobin Gene Polymorphism With Cognitive Function and Decline in Elderly African American Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Findings From the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes–Memory in Diabetes (ACCORD-MIND) Study

IMPORTANCE African American individuals have higher dementia risk than individuals of white race/ethnicity. They also have higher rates of type 2 diabetes, which may contribute to this elevated risk. This study examined the association of the following 2 classes of alleles at the haptoglobin (Hp) locus that are associated with poor cognition, cardiovascular disease, and mortality: Hp 1-1 (associated with poor cognition and cerebrovascular disease) and Hp 2-1 and Hp 2-2 (associated with greater risk ofmyocardial infarction and mortality). An additional polymorphism in the promoter region of the Hp 2 allele, restricted to individuals of African descent, yields a fourth genotype, Hp 2-1m. African American adults have a higher prevalence of Hp 1-1 (approximately 30%) compared with individuals of white race/ethnicity (approximately 14%), but the potential role of the Hp genotype in cognition among elderly African American individuals with type 2 diabetes is unknown. OBJECTIVE To assess the association of the Hp genotypes with cognitive function and decline in elderly African American adults with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study used publicly available data and specimens from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes–Memory in Diabetes (ACCORD-MIND) study to investigate the association of the Hp genotypes with cognitive function and decline in 466 elderly African American participants with type 2 diabetes. The hypothesis was that the Hp 1-1 genotype compared with the other genotypes would be associated with more cognitive impairment and faster cognitive decline in elderly African American adults with type 2 diabetes. The initial ACCORD trialwas performed from October 28, 1999, to September 15, 2014. This was a multicenter clinical study performed in an academic setting. EXPOSURES The Hp genotypes were determined from serum samples by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to measure cognitive function and change after 40 months. The MMSE score ranges from 0 to 30 points; higher scores represent better cognition. Associations were examined with analysis of covariance and linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, education, baseline glycated hemoglobin level, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol level, creatinine level, and treatment arm (intensive vs standard). The cognitive change model adjusted also for the baseline MMSE score. RESULTS Among 466 African American study participants (mean [SD] age, 62.3 [5.7] years), 64.8% were women, and the genotype prevalences were 29.4%(n = 137) for Hp 1-1, 36.1%(n = 168) for Hp 2-1, 10.9%(n = 51) for Hp 2-1m, and 23.6%(n = 110) for Hp 2-2. The groups differed in their baseline MMSE scores (P = .006): Hp 1-1 had the lowest MMSE score (mean [SE], 25.68 [0.23]), and Hp 2-1m had the highest MMSE score (mean [SE], 27.15 [0.36]). Using the least squares method, the 40-month decline was significant for Hp 1-1 (mean [SE], −0.41 [0.19]; P = .04) and for Hp 2-2 (mean [SE], −0.68 [0.21]; P = .001). However, the overall comparison across the 4 groups did not reach statistical significance for the fully adjusted model. The interaction of age with the Hp 1-1 genotype on MMSE score decline estimate per year change was significant (mean [SE], −0.87 [0.37]; P = .005), whereas itwas not significant for Hp 2-1 (mean [SE], 0.06 [0.37]; P = .85), Hp 2-1m (mean [SE], −0.06 [0.51]; P = .89), and Hp 2-2 (mean [SE], −0.44 [0.41]; P = .29), indicating that cognitive decline in Hp 1-1 carrierswas accentuated in older ages, whereas it was not significant for the other Hp genotypes. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, the Hp 1-1 genotype, which is 2-fold (approximately 30%) more prevalent among African American individuals than among individuals of white race/ ethnicity, was associated with poorer cognitive function and greater cognitive decline than the other Hp genotypes. The Hp gene polymorphism may explain the elevated dementia risk in African American adults. The neuropathological substrates and mechanisms for these associations merit further investigation

JGI Plant Gene Atlas: an updateable transcriptome resource to improve functional gene descriptions across the plant kingdom.

Gene functional descriptions offer a crucial line of evidence for candidate genes underlying trait variation. Conversely, plant responses to environmental cues represent important resources to decipher gene function and subsequently provide molecular targets for plant improvement through gene editing. However, biological roles of large proportions of genes across the plant phylogeny are poorly annotated. Here we describe the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) Plant Gene Atlas, an updateable data resource consisting of transcript abundance assays spanning 18 diverse species. To integrate across these diverse genotypes, we analyzed expression profiles, built gene clusters that exhibited tissue/condition specific expression, and tested for transcriptional response to environmental queues. We discovered extensive phylogenetically constrained and condition-specific expression profiles for genes without any previously documented functional annotation. Such conserved expression patterns and tightly co-expressed gene clusters let us assign expression derived additional biological information to 64 495 genes with otherwise unknown functions. The ever-expanding Gene Atlas resource is available at JGI Plant Gene Atlas (https://plantgeneatlas.jgi.doe.gov) and Phytozome (https://phytozome.jgi.doe.gov/), providing bulk access to data and user-specified queries of gene sets. Combined, these web interfaces let users access differentially expressed genes, track orthologs across the Gene Atlas plants, graphically represent co-expressed genes, and visualize gene ontology and pathway enrichments

In situ observations of liquid-liquid phase separation in aqueous ZnSO4 solutions at temperatures up to 400 °C: Implications for Zn2+-SO4 2- association and evolution of submarine hydrothermal fluids

Liquid-liquid immiscibility is gaining recognition as an important process in hydrothermal fluid activity. However, studies of this complex process are relatively limited. We examined liquid-liquid immiscibility in aqueous ZnSO4 solutions at temperatures above ~266.5 °C and at vapor-saturation pressures. The homogeneous aqueous ZnSO4 solution separated into ZnSO4-rich (L1) and ZnSO4-poor (L2) liquid phases coexisting with the vapor phase. The L1-L2 phase separation temperature decreased with increasing ZnSO4 concentration up to 1.0 mol/kg, and then increased at greater ZnSO4 concentrations, showing a typical lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of ~266.5 °C. Gunningite (ZnSO4·H2O) precipitated in 2.0 mol/kg ZnSO4 solution at 360 °C. The L1-L2 phase separation resulted mainly from the strong Zn2+-SO4 2- association at high temperatures. The major results of this study are: (1) the discovery of the LCST in these systems, a macroscale property associated with polymeric mixtures; (2) analyses of the peak area ratios of the v1(SO4 2-) and OH stretching bands, which suggest that the sulfate concentration increases with increasing temperature in L1, especially above 375 °C; (3) a new Raman v1(SO4 2-) mode at ~1005 cm-1 observed only in the L1 phase, whose fraction increases with increasing temperature; and (4) the shape of the OH Raman stretching band, which indicates that water molecules and solute interact much more strongly in L1 than in the coexisting L2 phase, suggesting that water molecules fit into the framework formed by various Zn2+-SO4 2- pairs and chain structures in L1.These results have potential implications for understanding transport and reduction of seawater-derived sulfate in submarine hydrothermal systems. The formation of an immiscible sulfate-rich liquid phase can favor the circulation of sulfate within mid-ocean ridge basalt because the sulfate-rich liquid density is higher than that of the coexisting fluid. The reduction of sulfate could also be accelerated because sulfate is locally concentrated and strong Zn2+-SO4 2- association increases the reactivity of sulfate