The p38 and NFκB signaling protein activation involved in glycitein protective effects on isoproterenol-treated H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells

Heart disease (HD) is greatly associated with gender and clinical evidence shows that increased serum norepinephrine levels are found in patients with HD. This study investigates the cardio-protective effect of glycitein, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) from soy bean extract, on H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells treated with isoproterenol (ISO, a norepinephrine analog). The image data and results from western blotting showed that ISO treatment was capable of inducing cellular apoptosis, especially the mitochondrial dependent pathway. Glycitein treatment could suppress mitochondrial pro-apoptotic proteins expression including caspase-9 and caspase-3 in H9c2 treated with ISO. In contrast, several survival proteins were expressed in H9c2 cells treated with glycitein, such as phosphor (p)-Akt, p-Bad and Akt. We confirmed that the protective role of glycitein was partially mediated through the expression of p-38 and NFκB proteins by adding several pathway inhibitors.     

Rhubarb inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell metastasis via GSK-3-β activation to enhance protein degradation and attenuate nuclear translocation of β-catenin

The aim of our study was to investigate the mechanisms by which rhubarb regulates β-catenin as well as metastasis of hepatocellular carcinomas. Our results revealed that rhubarb extract inhibited HA22T cell migration ability in wound healing, migration and invasion assays in a dose-dependent manner. Rhubarb also reduced β-catenin protein level, downregulated its downstream proteins, cyclin D, Tbx3 and c-Myc, and attenuated the expression of MMP9 and contactin-1 metastatic factors. Additionally, rhubarb inhibited β-catenin nuclear accumulation and induced its degradation via proteasome-mediated pathway. Furthermore, we found that rhubarb suppressed the p-ser⁹ GSK-3-β protein level to inactivate Wnt signalling and reduce β-catenin protein level. Taken together; we found that rhubarb blocked the metastatic process of HA22T hepatocellular carcinoma cells mediated through GSK-3-β activation, and enhancement of protein degradation as well as reduction of the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin.     

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of Ruellia tuberosa

The antioxidant activity of Ruellia tuberosa L. (Acanthaceae) was investigated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging assay and the hydrogen peroxide-induced luminol chemiluminescence assay. The methanolic extract (ME) and its four fractions of water (WtF), ethyl acetate (EaF), chloroform (CfF), and n-hexane (HxF) were prepared and then subjected to antioxidant evaluation. The results of both methods revealed that R. tuberosa possesses potent antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activities of the different fractions tested decreased in the order of EaF > CfF > ME > WtF > HxF according to the hydrogen peroxide-induced luminol chemiluminescence assay, and results were the same with the exception of the rank order of HxF and WtF according to the DPPH free radical-scavenging assay. The results provide useful information on the pharmacological activities associated with free radicals of this traditional folk remedy.     

Rheological and physical characterization of film-forming solutions and edible films from tapioca starch/decolorized hsian-tsao leaf gum

Rheological properties of the film-forming solutions of tapioca starch/decolorized hsian-tsao leaf gum (dHG) as well as the structural properties and viscoelasticity of the resulting films were characterized as a function of dHG and glycerol concentrations. As compared to film-forming solutions with tapioca starch alone, the apparent viscosity, storage modulus and loss modulus of starch/dHG film-forming solutions increased, and tan δ decreased with increasing dHG. After casting of the film-forming solutions, all starch/dHG films showed relatively low opacity values. SEM and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that all starch/dHG films exhibited homogeneous and highly amorphous structure. The extensional creep compliance of starch/dHG films increased with increasing glycerol concentration, implying weaker mechanical strength and higher mobility of polymer chains by the plasticizing effect of glycerol. However, addition of dHG pronouncedly increased the mechanical and elastic properties of tapioca starch films as evidenced by a decrease in extensional creep compliance and retardation time. Such results implied that dHG may possibly modify the network structure of tapioca starch film.     

泡菜优质乳酸菌的筛选及其产酸性能鉴定

实验选择自然发酵的泡菜汁为原料,采用平板稀释培养和钙溶圈方法分离纯化菌株后,其筛选出12株透明圈较大的菌株,经反复在培养基上划线纯化,将分离得到的单菌落进行革兰氏染色,显微镜油镜观察鉴定菌株,其中6株为革兰氏阳性菌.再经扩大培养反接种于白菜中,从而筛选出3种产酸性能优良的乳酸菌纯种.     

糖化酶的研究概况

糖化酶是世界上生产量最大应用范围最广的酶类，介绍了糖化酶的结构组成、特性、生产、提取、活力检测以及提高酶活力的研究。     

Development of a Single Chain Variable Fragment Antibody and Application as Amatoxin Recognition Molecule in Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors

A phage display library of single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies was constructed to screen specific scFv antibodies against amatoxins. One recombinant scFv antibody with high specificity for amatoxins, termed scFv-A4, was isolated from the library by biopanning. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the soluble scFv-A4 protein was expressed successfully, and the protein posed relatively good specificity with an IC₅₀ of 77.48 ng/mL and IC₁₅ of 1.91 ng/mL using indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA). On the basis of the expressed scFv-A4 protein, a rapid and simple new immunoassay using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for the detection of amatoxins was developed. The IC₅₀ and IC₁₅ of new immunoassay were 7.66 and 0.17 ng/mL. The sensitivity of immunoassay using SPR sensor was about 10 times that of ic-ELISA. These results showed the potential usefulness and advantages of new immunoassay using SPR sensor for the detection of toxins.     

茶籽饼中茶皂素提取工艺的优化

采用榨油后茶籽饼为原料,以茶皂素提取率为指标,利用超声辅助提取法优化了茶皂素的提取工艺。试验得到的最佳提取条件：常温下提取,95%甲醇：丙酮为6∶1、料液比为1∶5、超声时间为15min和超声功率为250W。此时,茶皂素的提取率为16.5%,纯度为93%。     

Effects of hexadecylphosphocholine on protein kinase C and TPA-induced differentiation of HL60 cells

Several structural analogs of alkylphosphocholine (APC) were studied for their effects on protein kinase C (PKC) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) elicited biochemical and cellular events in HL60 cells. Hexadecylphosphocholine (He-PC₂), the APC prototype, inhibited PKC competitively with respect to phosphatidylserine and noncompetitively with respect to CaCl₂, both with an apparent K_i of about 15 μM. Inhibition of PKC by He-PC₂ was selective, since cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase and Ca²⁺/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II were relatively unaffected. He-PC₂ inhibited TPA-induced depletion of PKC and TPA-stimulated phosphorylation of cellular proteins in HL60 cells. TPA-induced differentiation of HL60 cells was also inhibited by He-PC₂, and this inhibition was synergistic or additive to the effects of 1-(5-isoquinoline-sulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), a PKC inhibitor. The present findings are consistent with the hypothesis that inhibition of PKC might be related, in part, to the antineoplastic effect of He-PC₂ and ether lipid analogs such as ET-18-OCH₃ (1-octadecyl-2-methyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine).     

Minimum fluidization velocity of binary mixtures

The fast defluidization method was used to measure the minimum fluidization velocities of binary systems. Based on the experimental data obtained from the published literature and from this work, different correlations used for predicting the minimum fluidization velocities of binary systems were evaluated and compared.