Composition analysis and preliminary safety evaluation of edible Monascus red pigment

ObjectiveTo provide scientific basis for the development and utilization of edible pigment Monascus red， the analysis of its key components and toxicological evaluation were carried out.MethodsIdentification test and physicochemical indexes test were carried out based on the samples according to the method in National food safety standard GB 1886.181—2016. The content of citrinin （CIT） and Monacolin K were detected through high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. UPLC-Orbitrap-MS2 were used for chemical composition and content determination， in which the molecular structure was also characterized. The 14-day oral toxicity test of SD rats was carried out， based on the acute oral toxicity test of Monascus red by the limited method.ResultsThe quality and specification of test samples conformed to the provisions of China National Food Safety Standard. The content of CIT and Monacolin K was 0.030 8 mg/kg （converted as one color value） and 0.166 mg/g. Twenty compounds were separated in Monascus red by UPLC-Orbitrap-MS2， red pigment， orange pigment and yellow pigment of it accounted for 88.38%， 2.04% and 5.96%， respectively. The results of acute oral toxicity showed that Monascus red was innocuous （LD50>20 g/kg·BW）. In the 14-day repeated oral dose toxicity test， compared with the control group， rats in 5 g/kg·BW dose group exhibited no significant differences in the general clinical observation， growth and development， hematology， blood biochemistry， routine urine detection， gross anatomy，organ weight，organ-to-body ratio， and histopathological examinations.ConclusionMonascus red is composed of multiple components characterized by red pigments. There is no obvious toxic effects found in the preliminary safety evaluation， which can provide reference for further long-term research

Effect of Hydrothermal Treatment on the Structure and Functional Properties of Quinoa Protein Isolate

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hydrothermal treatment at different temperatures and times on the structure and functional properties of quinoa protein isolate (QPI). The structure of QPI was investigated by analyzing changes in the intrinsic fluorescence spectrum, ultra-violet (UV) spectrum, and Fourier transform infrared spectrum. The solubility, water/oil-holding capacity, emulsifying activity, and emulsion stability of QPI were studied, as were the particle size and the thermogravimetric properties of QPI. The results showed that the average particle size of QPI gradually increased with the increase in hydrothermal treatment time and temperature, and reached a maximum value of 121 °C for 30 min. The surface morphology also became rough and its thermal stability also increased. The endogenous fluorescence and UV spectral intensity at 280 nm decreased gradually with increasing hydrothermal treatment time and temperature, and reduced to the minimum values at 121 °C for 30 min, respectively. After hydrothermal treatment, the secondary structure of QPI tended to be disordered. The functional properties of QPI after treatment were all superior to those of the control. The results of this study might provide a basis for the processing and utilization of QPI

A large scale 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon dataset of hand, foot and mouth patients and healthy individuals

Abstract There is evidence linking hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) to gut microbiota dysbiosis, and this relationship was corroborated in a large HFMD patient population in our previous study. Here, we present a bacterial 16S rRNA gene dataset from faecal samples of 713 individuals (254 HFMD patients, 459 healthy controls) aged 2 to 7 years residing in Heyuan and Jiangmen counties, Guangdong Province, southern China. Microbiome analysis indicated a significant increase in genus Prevotella, Cetobacterium, and Megamonas was observed in patients with HFMD, whereas a large increase in genus Bacteroides, Ruminococcus, and Faecalibacterium were seen in the control group. We also share the bioinformatic analytical pipeline for this analysis, from data preprocessing to data filtering and amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table generation. We expect that the dataset will be reprocessed, evaluated and fully analysed with various analysis methods to further elucidate the role of the gut microbiota in HFMD development

Exploring the antibacterial potential and underlying mechanisms of Prunella vulgaris L. on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Prunella vulgaris L. (PV) is a widely distributed plant species, known for its versatile applications in both traditional and contemporary medicine, as well as in functional food development. Despite its broad-spectrum antimicrobial utility, the specific mechanism of antibacterial action remains elusive. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study investigated the antibacterial properties of PV extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and assessed their mechanistic impact on bacterial cells and cellular functions. The aqueous extract of PV demonstrated greater anti-MRSA activity compared to the ethanolic and methanolic extracts. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS tentatively identified 28 phytochemical components in the aqueous extract of PV. Exposure to an aqueous extract at ½ MIC and MIC for 5 h resulted in a significant release of intracellular nucleic acid (up to 6-fold) and protein (up to 10-fold) into the extracellular environment. Additionally, this treatment caused a notable decline in the activity of several crucial enzymes, including a 41.51% reduction in alkaline phosphatase (AKP), a 45.71% decrease in adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), and a 48.99% drop in superoxide dismutase (SOD). Furthermore, there was a decrease of 24.17% at ½ MIC and 27.17% at MIC in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity and energy transfer. Collectively, these findings indicate that the anti-MRSA properties of PV may stem from its ability to disrupt membrane and cell wall integrity, interfere with enzymatic activity, and impede bacterial cell metabolism and the transmission of information and energy that is essential for bacterial growth, ultimately resulting in bacterial apoptosis. The diverse range of characteristics exhibited by PV positions it as a promising antimicrobial agent with broad applications for enhancing health and improving food safety and quality

Effects of Prunella vulgaris on the mice immune function.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of Prunella Vulgaris (P. vulgaris) on the immune function in mice. The mice were randomly divided into one control group and three treatment groups of 10 mice each. The control group received pure water and the treatment groups received P. vulgaris extract at concentrations of 0.15, 0.30 and 0.90 g/kg BW orally for 30 days, respectively. Changes in cell immune function, non-specific immunity and humoral immunity function were evaluated. Active lymphocytes and T lymphocyte subsets were determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Certain Serum concentrations of cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that, for cell immune function, compared with the control group, foot pad thickness in high dose group increased significantly (p<0.01), whereas no significant difference in the proliferative ability of splenic lymphocytes was observed among all groups (p>0.05). For non-specific immunity, NK cell activity increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner in P. vulgaris treated mice (p<0.01), mononuclear-macrophage function in medium and high dose P. vulgaris treated mice were significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05). For humoral immunity, no significant differences were observed in terms of the half value of hemolysis (HC50), number of hemolytic plaques and serum IgG level (p>0.05). The percentage of active T and Th lymphocytes of mice peripheral blood in high dose group were significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.01). There was no significant difference in serum levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ among all of the four groups (p>0.05). The data indicated that 0.90 g/kg BW P. vulgaris extract (equivalent to 7.5 g/kg BW crude drug) had some effect on cellular immune function and non-specific immune function in mice

Exploring the Antibacterial Potential and Underlying Mechanisms of <i>Prunella vulgaris</i> L. on Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Prunella vulgaris L. (PV) is a widely distributed plant species, known for its versatile applications in both traditional and contemporary medicine, as well as in functional food development. Despite its broad-spectrum antimicrobial utility, the specific mechanism of antibacterial action remains elusive. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study investigated the antibacterial properties of PV extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and assessed their mechanistic impact on bacterial cells and cellular functions. The aqueous extract of PV demonstrated greater anti-MRSA activity compared to the ethanolic and methanolic extracts. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS tentatively identified 28 phytochemical components in the aqueous extract of PV. Exposure to an aqueous extract at ½ MIC and MIC for 5 h resulted in a significant release of intracellular nucleic acid (up to 6-fold) and protein (up to 10-fold) into the extracellular environment. Additionally, this treatment caused a notable decline in the activity of several crucial enzymes, including a 41.51% reduction in alkaline phosphatase (AKP), a 45.71% decrease in adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), and a 48.99% drop in superoxide dismutase (SOD). Furthermore, there was a decrease of 24.17% at ½ MIC and 27.17% at MIC in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity and energy transfer. Collectively, these findings indicate that the anti-MRSA properties of PV may stem from its ability to disrupt membrane and cell wall integrity, interfere with enzymatic activity, and impede bacterial cell metabolism and the transmission of information and energy that is essential for bacterial growth, ultimately resulting in bacterial apoptosis. The diverse range of characteristics exhibited by PV positions it as a promising antimicrobial agent with broad applications for enhancing health and improving food safety and quality

HyPRP1 performs a role in negatively regulating cotton resistance to V. dahliae via the thickening of cell walls and ROS accumulation

Abstract Background Developing tolerant cultivars by incorporating resistant genes is regarded as a potential strategy for controlling Verticillium wilt that causes severe losses in the yield and fiber quality of cotton. Results Here, we identified the gene GbHyPRP1 in Gossypium barbadense, which encodes a protein containing both proline-rich repetitive and Pollen Ole e I domains. GbHyPRP1 is located in the cell wall. The transcription of this gene mainly occurs in cotton roots and stems, and is drastically down-regulated upon infection with Verticillium dahliae. Silencing HyPRP1 dramatically enhanced cotton resistance to V. dahliae. Over-expression of HyPRP1 significantly compromised the resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis plants to V. dahliae. The GbHyPRP1 promoter region contained several putative phytohormone-responsive elements, of which SA was associated with gene down-regulation. We compared the mRNA expression patterns of HyPRP1-silenced plants and the control at the global level by RNA-Seq. A total of 1735 unique genes exhibited significant differential expression. Of these, 79 DEGs involved in cell wall biogenesis and 43 DEGs associated with the production of ROS were identified. Further, we observed a dramatic thickening of interfascicular fibers and vessel walls and an increase in lignin in the HyPRP1-silenced cotton plants compared with the control after inoculation with V. dahliae. Additionally, silencing of HyPRP1 markedly enhanced ROS accumulation in the root tips of cotton inoculated with V. dahliae. Conclusions Taken together, our results suggest that HyPRP1 performs a role in the negative regulation of cotton resistance to V. dahliae via the thickening of cell walls and ROS accumulation

Characterization and Expression Analysis of a Fiber Differentially Expressed Fasciclin-like Arabinogalactan Protein Gene in Sea Island Cotton Fibers

<div><p>Fasciclin-like arabinogalactan (FLA) protein is a cell-wall-associated protein playing crucial roles in regulating plant growth and development, and it was characterized in different plants including Upland cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.). In cDNA-AFLP analysis of 25 DPA (days post anthesis) fiber mRNA, two FLA gene-related transcripts exhibit differential expression between Sea Island cotton (<i>G</i><i>. barbadense</i> L.) and Upland cotton. Based on the transcript-derived fragment, RACE-PCR and realtime PCR technique, <i>GbFLA5</i> full-length cDNA was isolated and its expression profiles were characterized in both cotton plant tissues and secondary cell wall (SCW) fibers in this study. The 1154 bp <i>GbFLA5</i> cDNA contains an ORF of 720 bp, encoding GbFLA5 protein of 239 amino acids residues in length with an estimated molecular mass of 25.41 kDa and isoelectric point of 8.63. The deduced GbFLA5 protein contains an N-terminal signal sequence, two AGP-like domains, a single fasciclin-like domain, and a GPI anchor signal sequence. Phylogenetic analysis shows that GbFLA5 protein is homologous to some known SCW-specific expressed FLAs of plant developing xylem, tension wood and cotton fibers. In the SCW deposition stage from 15 to 45 DPA detected, <i>FLA5</i> maintains a significantly higher expression level in Sea Island cotton fibers than in Upland cotton fibers. The increasing <i>FLA5</i> transcript abundance coincided with the SCW deposition process and the expression intensity differences coincided with their fiber strength differences between Sea Island cotton and Upland cotton. These expression profile features of <i>GbFLA5</i> in cotton fibers revealed its tissue-specific and SCW developmental stage-specific expression characters. Further analysis suggested that GbFLA5 is a crucial SCW-specific protein which may contribute to fiber strength by affecting cellulose synthesis and microfibril deposition orientation.</p> </div

Efficiency calculation of the nMCP with 10B doping based on mathematical models

The nMCP (Neutron sensitive microchannel plate) combined with advanced readout electronics is widely used in energy selective neutron imaging because of its good spatial and timing resolution. Neutron detection efficiency is a crucial parameter for the nMCP. In this paper, a mathematical model based on the oblique cylindrical channel and elliptical pore was established to calculate the neutron absorption probability, the escape probability of charged particles and overall detection efficiency of nMCP and analyze the effects of neutron incident position, pore diameter, wall thickness and bias angle. It was shown that when the doping concentration of the nMCP was 10 mol%, the thickness of nMCP was 0.6 mm, the detection efficiency could reach maximum value, about 24% for thermal neutrons if the pore diameter was 6 μm, the wall thickness was 2 μm and the bias angle was 3 or 6°. The calculated results are of great significance for evaluating the detection efficiency of the nMCP. In a subsequent companion paper, the mathematical model would be extended to the case of the spatial resolution and detection efficiency optimization of the coating nMCP