•Mulberry polysaccharide JS-MP-1 was defined as a rhamnogalacturonan type I (RG I) polymer.•JS-MP-1 carries arabinan and arabinogalactan (AG II) side chains.•JS-MP-1 dose-dependently reduces the ...viability of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells.•JS-MP-1 induces mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in pre-adipocyte cells.•JS-MP-1 has in vitro anti-obesity effects via inhibition of adipocyte proliferation.
A water-soluble polysaccharide JS-MP-1 was isolated from Korean mulberry fruits Oddi (Morus alba L.). Sugar linkage analysis and NMR data confirmed that it is a rhamnogalacturonan type I (RG I) polymer carrying arabinan and arabinogalactan (AG II) side chains. JS-MP-1 reduced dose-dependently the viability of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells, significantly stimulated the cleavage of caspases 9 and 3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and decreased the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax expression level that led to mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in pre-adipocyte cells. The apoptotic death was mediated by stimulation of MAPKs (ERK and p38) signalling pathway. These results suggest that JS-MP-1 is able to reduce the number of fat cells and the mass of adipose tissue via inhibition of pre-adipocyte proliferation and thus JS-MP-1 itself or a crude aqueous Oddi extract containing this polysaccharide can be used as functional ingredient of health-beneficial food supplements for the treatment or prevention of obesity disorders.
Despite receiving increasing attention during the last few decades, the production of microalgal biofuels is not yet sufficiently cost-effective to compete with that of petroleum-based conventional ...fuels. Among the steps required for the production of microalgal biofuels, the harvest of the microalgal biomass and the extraction of lipids from microalgae are two of the most expensive. In this review article, we surveyed a substantial amount of previous work in microalgal harvesting and lipid extraction to highlight recent progress in these areas. We also discuss new developments in the biodiesel conversion technology due to the importance of the connectivity of this step with the lipid extraction process. Furthermore, we propose possible future directions for technological or process improvements that will directly affect the final production costs of microalgal biomass-based biofuels.
Chronic liver disease encompasses diseases that have various causes, such as alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Gut microbiota dysregulation plays a key role ...in the pathogenesis of ALD and NAFLD through the gut-liver axis. The gut microbiota consists of various microorganisms that play a role in maintaining the homeostasis of the host and release a wide number of metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), peptides, and hormones, continually shaping the host's immunity and metabolism. The integrity of the intestinal mucosal and vascular barriers is crucial to protect liver cells from exposure to harmful metabolites and pathogen-associated molecular pattern molecules. Dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability may allow the liver to be exposed to abundant harmful metabolites that promote liver inflammation and fibrosis. In this review, we introduce the metabolites and components derived from the gut microbiota and discuss their pathologic effect in the liver alongside recent advances in molecular-based therapeutics and novel mechanistic findings associated with the gut-liver axis in ALD and NAFLD.
•Recent developments in wet oil extraction and biodiesel conversion from microalgae.•Direct transesterification omitting a separate oil extraction step for wet microalgae.•Needs for purification of ...microalgal oils and upgrading of biodiesel properties.
An interest in biodiesel as an alternative fuel for diesel engines has been increasing because of the issue of petroleum depletion and environmental concerns related to massive carbon dioxide emissions. Researchers are strongly driven to pursue the next generation of vegetable oil-based biodiesel. Oleaginous microalgae are considered to be a promising alternative oil source. To commercialize microalgal biodiesel, cost reductions in oil extraction and downstream biodiesel conversion are stressed. Herein, starting from an investigation of oil extraction from wet microalgae, a review is conducted of transesterification using enzymes, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, and yield enhancement by ultrasound, microwave, and supercritical process. In particular, there is a focus on direct transesterification as a simple and energy efficient process that omits a separate oil extraction step and utilizes wet microalgal biomass; however, it is still necessary to consider issues such as the purification of microalgal oils and upgrading of biodiesel properties.
•A rapid colorimetric method for lipids quantification of microalgae.•Rapid and accurate lipid quantification within four different microalgae.•Verification of SPV’s accuracy via comparison with gas ...chromatography.
Identification of novel microalgal strains with high lipid productivity is one of the most important research topics in renewable biofuel research. However, the major bottleneck in the strain screening process is that currently known methods for the estimation of microalgal lipid are laborious and time-consuming. The present study successfully employed sulpho-phospho-vanillin (SPV) colorimetric method for direct quantitative measurement of lipids within liquid microalgal culture. The SPV reacts with lipids to produce a distinct pink color, and its intensity can be quantified using spectrophotometric methods by measuring absorbance at 530nm. This method was employed for a rapid quantification of intracellular lipid contents within Chlorella sp., Monoraphidium sp., Ettlia sp. and Nannochloropsis sp., all of which were found to have lipid contents ranging in between 10% and 30%. Subsequent analysis of the biomass using gas chromatography confirmed that our protocol is highly accurate (R2=0.99).
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an active area of research in synthesizing carbon-rich materials because of its ability to transform wet biomass into valuable products. Carbon-rich materials have ...received a great deal of attention because carbon is a raw material for several industrial products and their production from various biomasses is currently an active area of research. In addition, lignocellulosic biomass has been of great interest as precursors for the preparation of carbon-rich materials because of their low cost and due to environmental concerns. This review exhibits the research on the hydrothermal carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass, production of carbon-rich materials or carbon spheres or hydrochar by the HTC process and the role of water and the proposed mechanism in the HTC process. This research on hydrothermal carbonization mostly focused on lignocellulosic biomass materials and the effect of process parameters including the temperature, pressure residence time, pH, heating rate and substrate concentration are also discussed. The reaction mechanisms of hydrolysis, dehydration or decarboxylation and carbonization are elaborated in detail. Solid carbon-rich materials have a wide range of applications as environmental additives, biofuels, catalysts and energy storage and have been covered in detail. At the end of the review, we deliver an outlook on future research prospects and applications of hydrothermal carbon-rich materials.
Anticancer properties and mechanisms of mimulone (MML), C-geranylflavonoid isolated from the Paulownia tomentosa fruits, were firstly elucidated in this study. MML prevented cell proliferation in a ...dose- and time-dependent way and triggered apoptosis through the extrinsic pathway in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, MML-treated cells displayed autophagic features, such as the formation of autophagic vacuoles, a primary morphological feature of autophagy, and the accumulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) puncta, another typical maker of autophagy, as determined by FITC-conjugated immunostaining and monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining, respectively. The expression levels of LC3-I and LC3-II, specific markers of autophagy, were also augmented by MML treatment. Autophagy inhibition by 3-methyladenine (3-MA), pharmacological autophagy inhibitor, and shRNA knockdown of Beclin-1 reduced apoptotic cell death induced by MML. Autophagic flux was not significantly affected by MML treatment and lysosomal inhibitor, chloroquine (CQ) suppressed MML-induced autophagy and apoptosis. MML-induced autophagy was promoted by decreases in p53 and p-mTOR levels and increase of p-AMPK. Moreover, inhibition of p53 transactivation by pifithrin-α (PFT-α) and knockdown of p53 enhanced induction of autophagy and finally promoted apoptotic cell death. Overall, the results demonstrate that autophagy contributes to the cytotoxicity of MML in cancer cells harboring wild-type p53. This study strongly suggests that MML is a potential candidate for an anticancer agent targeting both autophagy and apoptotic cell death in human lung cancer. Moreover, co-treatment of MML and p53 inhibitor would be more effective in human lung cancer therapy.
We introduced a digital photo image analysis in color space to estimate the spectrum of fluor components dissolved in a liquid scintillator sample through the hue and wavelength relationship. ...Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors with Bayer color filter array (CFA) technology in the digital camera were used to reconstruct and decode color images. Hue and wavelength are closely related. To date, no literature has reported the hue and wavelength relationship measurements, especially for blue or close to the UV region. The non-linear hue and wavelength relationship in the blue region was investigated using a light emitting diode source. We focused on this wavelength region, because the maximum quantum efficiency of the bi-alkali photomultiplier tube (PMT) is around 430 nm. It is necessary to have a good understanding of this wavelength region in PMT-based experiments. The CMOS Bayer CFA approach was sufficient to estimate the fluor emission spectrum in the liquid scintillator sample without using an expensive spectrophotometer.
Conventional chemotherapy lacking target selectivity often leads to severe side effects, limiting the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Therefore, drug delivery systems ensuring both selective drug ...release and efficient intracellular uptake at the target sites are highly demanded in chemotherapy to improve the quality of life of patients with low toxicity. One of the effective approaches for tumor-selective drug delivery is the adoption of functional ligands that can interact with specific receptors overexpressed in malignant cancer cells. Various functional ligands including folic acid, hyaluronic acid, transferrin, peptides, and antibodies, have been extensively explored to develop tumor-selective drug delivery systems. Furthermore, cell-penetrating peptides or ligands for tight junction opening are also actively pursued to improve the intracellular trafficking of anticancer drugs. Sometimes, multiple ligands with different roles are used in combination to enhance the cellular uptake as well as target selectivity of anticancer drugs. In this review, the current status of various functional ligands applicable to improve the effectiveness of cancer chemotherapy is overviewed with a focus on their roles, characteristics, and preclinical/clinical applications.
Background
Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC) has been reported to account for approximately 5–16% of all GCs with good prognosis compared to EBV-negative GC. We evaluated ...the clinicopathological characteristics of EBVaGC including survival rate in South Korea.
Methods
A total of 4,587 patients with GC who underwent EBV in situ hybridization (EBV–ISH) were prospectively enrolled at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from 2003 to 2021. Age, sex, smoking status, cancer type and stage, tumor size and location, histological type, molecular features and survival information were analyzed.
Results
A total of 456 patients with GC (9.9%) were positive for EBV. The EBVaGC group displayed a higher proportion of males (
P
< 0.001), a predominant presence in the proximal stomach (
P
< 0.001), a higher proportion of undifferentiated cancer (
P
< 0.001), and a lower cancer stage (
P
= 0.004) than the EBV-negative group. Cox multivariate analyses revealed age (hazard ratio HR = 1.025,
P
< 0.001), tumor size (HR = 1.109,
P
< 0.001), and cancer stage (stage2 HR = 4.761,
P
< 0.001; stage3 HR = 13.286,
P
< 0.001; stage4 HR = 42.528,
P
< 0.001) as significant risk factors for GC-specific mortality, whereas EBV positivity was inversely correlated (HR = 0.620,
P
= 0.022). Furthermore, the EBVaGC group displayed statistically significant survival advantages over the EBV-negative cancer group in terms of both overall (
P
= 0.021) and GC-specific survival (
P
= 0.007) on the Kaplan–Meier survival curve. However, this effect was evident only in males.
Conclusions
EBVaGC patients showed better prognoses despite their association with proximal location and poorly differentiated histology in male, probably due to the difference in immunity between males and females.
PDF
