Nutritional Value, Food Ingredients, Chemical and Species Composition of Edible Insects in China

As the prevailing food cultures, edible insects could be dated back to ancient China. It is becoming clear that insect resource can be mass‐produced in sustainable development food utilization. China could introduce insects into modern western diets. It is a precious resource considering the nutritional value, food ingredients and chemical composition of species. Meanwhile, the edible insects’ consumption also led to a challenge of addressing food security, nature conservation and the erosion of traditional food culture. We summarized the resourceful edible insects containing the nutrition substance, such as essential proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral elements and other functional ingredients with the insect secondary metabolite, including the flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, hormones and phospholipids, which have high economic value for development and utilization.Based on the history, custom, plasmid resource, production and status of edible insects in China at present, it has been proven that the development of insects food well matches the need for human health in China

Spatio-vertical characterization of the BTEXS group of VOCs in Chinese agricultural soils

Ubiquitous contamination of the BTEXS (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and styrene) group in soils is a significant concern for ecological safety. However, comprehensive spatio-vertical survey of the BTEXS group on a national scale is rare to date. Using a static headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method (HS-GCMS), this study performed a quantitative analysis of BTEXS levels in soils from Chinese rural areas in 2013 and 2016. The median ∑BTEXS concentrations in surface soils in 2013 and 2016 were 37.5 and 34.4 ng g^(−1) dry weight, respectively. Toluene was the dominant pollutant, accounting for approximately 41.6% and 32.1% of the total levels. BTEXS contamination was higher in Shanxi province, Northeast China, and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau compared to the other regions. Vertically, toluene, m,p′-xylene and o′-xylene concentrations were significantly higher in the top soil layer (0–15 cm) and decreased significantly with increasing soil depth (p < 0.05). Higher soil organic matter was significantly associated with higher BTEXS concentrations of sampling site. BTEXS was also enhanced at sites with higher elevations and lower temperature due to global distillation effects. The findings of this study could help decision-makers to protect against BTEXS contamination in rural areas. These findings provide a basis for further study of the mechanism of BTEXS migration and transport in large-scale environment

From Traditional Usage to Pharmacological Evidence: A Systematic Mini-Review of Spina Gleditsiae

Spina Gleditsiae is an important herb with various medicinal properties in traditional and folk medicinal systems of East Asian countries. In China through the centuries, it has been traditionally used as a source of drugs for anticancer, detoxication, detumescence, apocenosis, and antiparasites effects. Recently, an increasing number of studies have been reported regarding its chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. To further evidence the traditional use, phytochemicals, and pharmacological mechanisms of this herb, a systematic literature review was performed herein for Spina Gleditsiae. The review approach consisted of searching several web-based scientific databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and Elsevier using the keywords “Spina Gleditsiae”, “Zao Jiao Ci”, and “Gleditsia sinensis”. Based on the proposed criteria, 17 articles were evaluated in detail. According to the reviewed data, it is quite evident that Spina Gleditsiae contains a number of bioactive phytochemical components, which account for variety medicinal values including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, antimicrobial, antiallergic, and antivirus activities. The phytochemical and pharmacological studies reviewed herein strongly underpin a fundamental understanding of herbal Spina Gleditsiae and support its ongoing clinical uses in China. The further phytochemical evaluation, safety verification, and clinical trials are expected to progress Spina Gleditsiae-based development to finally transform the traditional TCM herb Spina Gleditsiae to the valuable authorized drug