內(nèi)容: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. The loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the substantia nigra and the decrease of dopamine (DA) levels accelerate the process of PD. L-Ergothioneine (EGT) is a natural antioxidant derived from microorganisms, especially in edible mushrooms. EGT can penetrate blood-brain barrier and its levels are significantly decreased in the plasma of PD patients. Therefore, we speculated that EGT could ameliorate PD, and determined its effect on PD development by using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mouse models and neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced cell models. Our results show that EGT alleviated MPTP-induced behavioral dysfunction in mice. Mechanistically, we innovatively revealed that EGT was a key regulator of DJ-1. EGT restored DA levels by activating the DJ-1-nuclear receptor-related factor 1 (Nurr1) axis. Furthermore, it reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by regulating the DJ-1-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway, which inhibited oxidative stress-induced DAergic neuronal apoptosis. Combined treatment with DJ-1-siRNA transfection revealed that blocking DJ-1 reversed EGT upregulated Nurr1 and Nrf2 expression in the nucleus, which significantly decreased the benefits of EGT. Taken together, our study suggests that EGT can ameliorate PD and be considered as a strategy for PD treatment.

內(nèi)容: High-fat diet (HFD) consumption induces gut microbiota dysbiosis and neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety. Previous research found that Tremella polysaccharide (TP) exhibited neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of TP on HFD-induced anxiety-like behaviors and elucidate the underlying mechanisms from the point view of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Two groups of HFD-induced obese mice were orally gavaged with low dose (TPL, 40 mg/kg) and high dose (TPH, 400 mg/kg) of TP. A 12-week administration of TPH could significantly improve anxiety-like behaviors in HFD mice. In the hippocampus, microglia activation, the expression of blood-brain barrier (BBB) markers, and the levels of two neurotransmitters (serotonin and norepinephrine) were countered by TPH in mice consuming HFD. Furthermore, TPH improved the intestinal permeability and immune response of the enterocytes in HFD-fed mice. The gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by HFD was also rebalanced by TP treatments, especially in Proteobacteria and its lower taxa. The correlational analysis also suggested that shifts of some microbial genera were closely associated with body weight and the parameters of behavioral tests. Interestingly, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) results indicated that fecal microbiota from TPH-treated obese mice could prevent HFD-induced anxiety-like behaviors, suppressed microglia activation and intestinal permeability. In conclusion, the present study indicated that TP intake is a promising dietary intervention strategy to prevent HFD-induced anxiety via the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

內(nèi)容: The association between dietary fat types and obesity is controversial, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different dietary fat sources (lard, corn oil or canola oil) on obesity in mice. The results revealed that lard-fed mice showed a lean phenotype, as well as lower serum cholesterol level compared with mice fed corn oil or canola oil. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the lard-fed mice had higher α-diversity of gut microbiota. In addition, the lard group had similar relative abundance of Lactobacillus, unclassified_f_Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroides compared with the control group. Targeted metabolomics analysis of caecal bile acid (BA) profile suggested the levels of chenodeoxycholic acid, lithocholic acid, deoxycholic acid and cholic acid in the lard group were higher than those in the corn oil and canola oil groups. Meanwhile, the levels of BA receptor farnesoid X receptor (Fxr) gene in lard-fed mice were higher than vegetable oil groups. These results suggested that lard could reduce the risk of obesity compared with corn oil and canola oil, which may be associated with more balanced gut microbiota and BA composition as well as activated FXR signaling.

內(nèi)容: Royal jelly (RJ) is rich in various nutrients with multiple health-promoting properties. This study aims to evaluate whether RJ can modulate related metabolite in the natural aging mice. Male C57BL/6J mice drank RJ solution daily for 9 months. Determination of serum lipids and pathological analysis exhibited that triglycerides, serum cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were decreased by 31.15%, 9.96%, and 22.58%, respectively, the morphology of brain nerve cells was also effectively recovered after RJ intervention. Lipidomic analysis showed that RJ could improve the levels of different kinds of lipids in aging mice brain, especially by increasing the content of antioxidant ether ester, and that the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acid to polyunsaturated fatty acid was up by 23.46%, which could alleviate oxidative stress. Moreover, the metabolism of glycerol phospholipids, glycerols, and fatty acids in aging mice could be regulated by RJ. RJ intervention can effectively improve lipid metabolism disorders caused by aging.

內(nèi)容: Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in foods pose a serious threat to human health, motivating the development of novel analytical methods for their rapid detection and quantification. A magnetic covalent organic framework (M-COF) adsorbent for the magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of OPPs from foods was reported. M-COF was synthesized by the Schiff base condensation reaction of 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene and 4,4-biphenyldicarboxaldehyde on the surface of amino-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that adsorption of OPPs onto the surface of M-COF involved hydrophobic effects, van der Waals interactions, π-π interactions, halogen-N bonding, and hydrogen bonding. Combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technology, the MSPE method features low limits of detection for OPPs (0.002–0.015 μg/L), good reproducibility (1.45%–6.14%), wide linear detection range (0.01–1 μg/L, R ≥ 0.993 5), and satisfactory recoveries (87.3%–110.4%). The method was successfully applied for the trace analysis of OPPs in spiked fruit juices.

內(nèi)容: Terpenoids, as crucial plant secondary metabolites in honey, possess various bioactivities. This study aimed at investigating terpenoids of longan, litchi, and schefflera honey. Our results reveal that these three species of honey are characterized by abundant terpenoids, with eight terpenoids and one phenylpropanoid identified. Callunene, 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylpropanal, schefflerin (4-2’-(3’,4’-dihydroxy-5’-methylfuran)- 3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexenone) or abscisic acids may be as the characteristic components of longan, litchi, or schefflera honey. Abscisic acids were the most abundant components, average contents reached up to 53.67, 96.89 and 21.11 mg/kg, respectively, and the content ranges in three types of honey were 13.75?85.40, 19.93?177.31, 14.69?28.38 mg/kg, respectively. To our knowledge, the presence of schefflerin, (6R,9S)- vomifoliol, and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylpropanal in honey is a novel finding. We distinguish Thailand from Chinese mainland and Taiwan longan honeys, based on the ratio of abscisic acid and callunene content. Overall, our proposal to combine terpenoids with standard fingerprints seems to provide a novel and reliable solution for evaluating the authenticity of commercial honey.

內(nèi)容: Aging is an inevitable biological phenomenon that involves a multitude of physiological alterations. Dietary interventions are being considered as potential strategies for delaying age-related dysfunction. Unsaponifiable matter (USM), a composition of highly active ingredients found in walnut oil, has demonstrated antioxidant effects. This study aims to explore the neuroprotective effects of USM on D-galactose-treated C57BL/6 mice and elucidate its underlying mechanism, which was validated in PC12 cells treated with D-galactose. The results of behavioral tests demonstrated that USM significantly improved cognitive deficits associated with aging. The morphological analysis demonstrated that USM effectively alleviated hippocampal neuronal damage, synaptic impairment, and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by D-galactose. Furthermore, USM significantly increases the antioxidant enzymes activity while reducing the malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels. The results suggest that USM can mitigate age-related symptoms caused by D-galactose by activating the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 signaling pathway, which enhances the expression of antioxidant enzymes, restore redox balance, and improves synaptic and mitochondrial functions. This has a positive on improving cognition and memory disorders in elderly mice.

內(nèi)容: Goji berry is a famous edible and medicinal substance around the world. In this research, 15 phenylpropionyl phenylethylamine derivatives (1?15), including one new compound (1), were separated and identified from goji berry. All isolates were elucidated via extensive nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analyses and chemical techniques. Six known isolates were first obtained from Lycium genus. Six isolates were effectively split into double chromatographic peaks accompanied by the basically identical areas, indicating they belong to racemates. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) experiment indicated that all isolates displayed a capacity of scavenging free radicals, and most of them exhibited higher ORAC than epigallocatechingallate. In ethanol/palmitic acid-established in vitro hepatocyte injury model, four phenylpropionyl phenylethylamine derivatives (1, 2, 9, and 15) significantly alleviated hepatocyte injury, among which compound 1 exerted the strongest protective activity. Notably, the hepatoprotective effect of compound 1 was further confirmed in ethanol-established liver damage mouse model, reflected by the reduction of lipid accumulation and the attenuation of pathological alteration. Combined with the in vitro results, the in vivo observations suggested that compound 1 suppressed cell apoptosis and the outburst of inflammation. Our findings provided first-hand evidence proving that goji berry-derived phenylpropionyl phenylethylamine derivatives hold a potential in treating alcoholic liver disease.

內(nèi)容: Pseudomonas fragi and Pseudomonas lundensis have been reported as key spoilage bacteria in aerobically-stored chilled meat. However, the co-spoilage effect of these bacteria has not been effectively evaluated. This study evaluated the spoilage potential of P. fragi, P. lundensis and P. fragi + P. lundensis in vitro and in situ at 4 °C. The results showed that P. fragi + P. lundensis performed the highest growth rate and displayed larger decomposition zone diameters on raw-pork juice agar (RJA) plates. P. fragi + P. lundensis inoculants exhibited the strongest proteolytic activity, which resulted in the highest values of trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptides concentration, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content and myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) in chilled pork. Moreover, the inoculated samples showed different pH and sensory changes. Notably, increased amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as octanal, nonanal, 2-nonanone, 1-propanol, 1-octanol, isopropyl acetate, and 2,6-dimethylpyazine, were observed in inoculated P. fragi + P. lundensis samples, hinting their potential use as spoilage markers for spoilage monitoring of co-cultures. This study would provide a deeper understanding of meat spoilage and serve as a reference for future studies to inhibit meat spoilage.

內(nèi)容: We assessed the quorum sensing (QS) inhibitory impact of sesamol against the foodborne bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. At concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 μg/mL, sesamol significantly inhibited the production of virulence factors such as protease, elastase, pyocyanin, rhamnolipid, and chemotaxis, and improved the susceptibility of bacterial and biofilm cells to colistin. Integrated transcriptomics, metabolomics, and docking analyses indicated that exposure to sesamol destroyed the QS system and down-regulated the expressions of genes encoding virulence and antioxidant enzymes. The down-regulation of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes intensified oxidative stress, as demonstrated by the enhancement of reactive oxygen species and H2O2. The enhanced oxidative stress changed the components of the cell membrane, improved its permeability, and ultimately enhanced the susceptibility of bacterial and biofilm cells to colistin. Moreover, exposure to sesamol also led to the disorder of amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism, eventually attenuating the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa. These findings indicated that sesamol can function as a potent anti-virulence agent to defend against food spoilage caused by P. aeruginosa.