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The purpose of this study was to reduce the loss of spent laying hens during slaughtering by adjusting the parameters of scalding. The research object of this study was the spent laying hens with a rearing age of more than 400 days. The research meant to explore the effect of scalding methods on feather removing and muscle overheating. Three scalding parameters were set as follow: 65 ℃-3 min (high temperature scalding, HS), 60 ℃-4 min 20 s (medium temperature and slow scalding, MSS), and 58 ℃-4 min 20 s (low temperature and slow scalding, LSS). Broilers without scalding were set as the control group. The defeathering effect was characterized by measuring the feather retention force (FRF) and counting the number of feathers remaining after defeathering. The overheating degree of breast muscle was characterized by measuring meat color, depth of overheating area, DSC scanning and Raman spectrum scanning. The results showed that no significant difference in feather removal effects between HS treatments and LSS treatments, while the feather retention force and residual feather number of MSS treatment were significantly lower than those of the other two groups (P

This study explored the intrinsic relationship between the quality traits and protein-related property changes during the solar drying of shrimps (Penaeus vannamei). During drying, the shrimp exhibited a gradual decline in L*a*b* values and a notable increase in the hardness and chewiness. Proteins were degraded and oxidized. Especially, the trichloroacetic acid-soluble peptide and carbonyl contents increased, whereas the total sulfhydryl content decreased. The proportions of different types of intramolecular bonds were significantly changed. The ionic and hydrogen bonds greatly decreased to 10.72% and 9.05% and the hydrophobic and disulfide bonds notably increased to 19.38% and 28.19%, indicating the changes in the spatial structure of the protein and its denaturation during the drying process. The Pearson's correlation analysis showed that protein degradation and denaturation greatly affected the textural properties and protein oxidation caused color changes. The result of this work provides a theoretical support for improving the quality of shrimp products.

Drying, as a critical step in the production of air-dried beef, has a direct impact on the quality of the final product. Innovatively, a composite system incorporating contact ultrasound (CU) and infrared radiation (IR) as auxiliary measures within a hot air drying (HAD) framework was built in this research, and the effects of these techniques on the drying kinetics, protein denaturation, and moisture transformation of air-dried beef were investigated. In comparison to HAD treatment, the integrated CU and IR (CU-IRD) system displayed marked enhancements in heat and moisture transport efficiency, thereby saving 36.84% of time expenditure and contributing favorably to the improved moisture distribution of the end-product. This was mainly ascribed to the denaturation of myosin induced by IR thermal effect and the micro-channel produced by CU sponge effect, thus increasing T2 relaxation time and the proportion of free water. In conclusion, the composite system solved the problem of surface hardening and reduces hardness and chewiness of air-dried beef by 40.42% and 45.25% respectively, but inevitably increased the energy burden by 41.60%.

Preliminary assessment for anti-inflammatory and anti-lipidemic properties was done with different solvent extracts derived from Urtica urens and Polygonum chinense leaves through in vitro experimentation. To evaluate anti-inflammatory properties, the stability of human red blood cells membranes and the denaturation activity of proteins were assessed. For anti-lipidemic effects, an assay was conducted to measure the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase. The results of membrane stabilization showed IC50 values of 480.96 ± 0.02 and 319.41 ± 0.19 µg/mL for ethyl acetate extract of U. urens and P. chinense, respectively. The standard drug Diclofenac sodium exhibited IC50 value of 240.37 ± 0.04 µg/mL. For protein denaturation, IC50 values were determined as 221.75 ± 0.2 and 315.76 ± 0.19 µg/mL for U. urens and P. chinense, respectively. The IC50 value of the standard drug was calculated as 126.7 ± 0.34. The IC50 values towards HMG-CoA reductase inhibition were subsequently determined as 29.84 ± 0.35 µg/mL for U. urens and 24.34 ± 0.04 µg/mL for P. chinense against the standard drug Diclofenac sodium (7.52 ± 0.43 µg/mL). GC-MS chromatograms revealed the presence of bioactive compounds in ethyl acetate extract of P. chinense leaves. This work is substantiation for the traditional therapeutic utilization of these extracts.

Preliminary assessment for anti-inflammatory and anti-lipidemic properties was done with different solvent extracts derived from Urtica urens and Polygonum chinense leaves through in vitro experimentation. To evaluate anti-inflammatory properties, the stability of human red blood cells membranes and the denaturation activity of proteins were assessed. For anti-lipidemic effects, an assay was conducted to measure the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase. The results of membrane stabilization showed IC50 values of 480.96 ± 0.02 and 319.41 ± 0.19 µg/mL for ethyl acetate extract of U. urens and P. chinense, respectively. The standard drug Diclofenac sodium exhibited IC50 value of 240.37 ± 0.04 µg/mL. For protein denaturation, IC50 values were determined as 221.75 ± 0.2 and 315.76 ± 0.19 µg/mL for U. urens and P. chinense, respectively. The IC50 value of the standard drug was calculated as 126.7 ± 0.34. The IC50 values towards HMG-CoA reductase inhibition were subsequently determined as 29.84 ± 0.35 µg/mL for U. urens and 24.34 ± 0.04 µg/mL for P. chinense against the standard drug Diclofenac sodium (7.52 ± 0.43 µg/mL). GC-MS chromatograms revealed the presence of bioactive compounds in ethyl acetate extract of P. chinense leaves. This work is substantiation for the traditional therapeutic utilization of these extracts.

This study compares three Romanian Hyssopus officinalis species—H. officinalis f. ruber (HOR), H. officinalis f. albus (HOA), and H. officinalis f. cyaneus (HOC)—evaluating their chemical composition and biological activities, specifically protein denaturation, haemolysis inhibition, and antibacterial effects. Chemical profiles were determined using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The species were cultivated at two distinct locations: the Didactic and Experimental Station DESUSVT and the Agricultural Research and Development Station Lovrin (ARDSL). This study investigates the correlation between chemical composition, biological activities, and local climate data at each site. The results show significant variations in chemical profiles, with species and cultivation location influencing the biological activities. H. officinalis f. albus (HOA) exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria. The molecular docking analysis highlighted key compounds, such as cyclohexene,4-isopropenyl-1-methoxymethoxymethyl and elemol, with binding solid affinities to microbial and inflammatory proteins. This study provides valuable insights into the chemical and biological properties of Hyssopus officinalis, emphasising its potential in combating microbial infections, protein denaturation, and haemolysis inhibition.

Inflammation is a physiological process that serves as a defense mechanism for the body against foreign substances, bacteria, or irritants. Inflammation can be cured with anti-inflammatory drugs. One of the plants that has the potential to be an anti-inflammatory agent is the bamboo leaf. This research aims to analyze the content of secondary metabolites, determine the inhibition value and IC50 value of the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract of bamboo tali leaves. Bamboo tali leaves were macerated using 96% ethanol and subjected to phytochemical screening. The extract was then tested for anti-inflammatory activity in vitro with the Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein denaturation inhibition method. Bamboo tali leaf ethanol extract contains flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, and phenols. The anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract of bamboo tali leaves with concentrations of 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 ppm had an inhibition percentage value of 23.14 ± 0.008%; 34.30 0.026%; 54.51 0.060%; 69.07 ± 0.006%; and 87.02 ± 0.021% with an IC50 value of 52.991 ppm. These results indicate that the ethanol extract of bamboo tali leaves has the potential to be an anti-inflammatory with a strong IC50 value below 100 ppm.

Turmeric rhizomes (Curcuma longa) and black cumin seeds (Nigella sativa) are polyherbal ingredients used for the management of cancer and other chronic inflammatory diseases in Nigerian ethnomedicine. Previous studies have shown the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities of the individual plant extracts. However, the two spices have not been biologically potentiated in their combined form. Therefore, this study obtained essential oils (EOs) from the combined spices and evaluated their inhibitory effects on free radicals, protein denaturation, and cancer proliferation. The EOs were extracted by hydro-distillation (HD) and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In vitro antioxidant assessment was conducted based on DPPH, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitric oxide (NO), and ferric ion (Fe3+) radical scavenging assays. The cytotoxicity of the oil against non-tumorigenic (HEK293) and cancerous (HepG2 and HeLa) cell lines was determined following the MTT cell viability assay. An in silico molecular docking analysis of the oil constituents was also performed. Six batches of EOs I–VI were afforded, comprising twenty-two major constituents, with aromatic Ar-turmerone being the most prominent compound. There was a marked improvement in the bioactivity of the oils upon repeated HD and as a combination. The batch VI oil exhibited the best activity, with a cytotoxicity (CC50) of 10.16 ± 1.69 µg/100 µL against the HepG2 cell line, which was comparable to 5-fluorouracil (standard, CC50 = 8.59 ± 1.33 µg/100 µL). In silico molecular docking suggested δ-curcumene, Ar-curcumene, Ar-turmerol, and Ar-turmerone among the promising compounds based on their high binding energy scores with NOX2, NF-κB, and mdm2 proteins. In conclusion, the oils from the turmeric–black cumin combined possess a considerable inhibition ability against free radicals, protein denaturation, and cancer proliferation. This study’s findings further underscore the effectiveness of turmeric–black cumin as a polyherbal medicinal ingredient.

This study investigates the impact of dry heat pretreatment on the functionality of soy, chickpea, and pea protein ingredients for use in texturized vegetable protein (TVP) production via low moisture extrusion. The protein powders were heat-treated at temperatures ranging from 80 °C to 160 °C to modulate the extent of protein denaturation and assess their effects on RVA pasting behavior, water absorption capacity (WAC), and color attributes. The results indicate that the pretreatment temperature significantly influenced the proteins’ functional properties, with an optimal temperature of 120 °C enhancing pasting properties and maintaining WAC, while a higher pretreatment temperature of 160 °C led to diminished ingredient functionality. Different protein sources exhibited distinct responses to heat pretreatment. The subsequent extrusion processing revealed significant changes in extrudate density and color, with increased density and darkness observed at higher pretreatment temperatures. This research provides insights into the interplay between protein sources, pretreatment conditions, and extrusion outcomes, highlighting the importance of controlled protein denaturation for developing high-quality, plant-based meat analogues. The findings have broad implications for the optimization of meat analogue manufacturing, with the aim of enhancing the sensory experience and sustainability of plant-based foods.

In order to investigate the intrinsic relationship between protein characteristics and quality changes during the hot air drying of shrimp, Penaeus vannamei was dried by hot air at 55 ℃ after being boiled in 3% salt solution for 2 minutes. We studied changes in the microstructure and quality of shrimp, and systematically investigated changes in the oxidative degradation degree, intramolecular valence bonds, and secondary and tertiary structure of protein. The results showed that the drying treatment gradually decreased the L*, a* and b* values of shrimp, and changed the texture characteristics, and the hardness, adhesiveness and chewiness were increased to 344.78 N, 45.01 mJ and 116.50 mJ at the end of drying, respectively. In addition, oxidative denaturation and degradation of proteins occurred; the total sulfhydryl content decreased to 0.36 μmol/g at the end of drying, while the carbonyl content increased to 2.03 nmol/mg protein, and the trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptide content increased to 0.91 μmol/g. The protein structure was significantly changed; the relative contents of ionic and hydrogen bonds decreased, the relative contents of hydrophobic and disulfide bonds increased, the secondary structure was transformed from α-helix to β-fold, β-turn and random coil, the intensity of tryptophan fluorescence decreased, and the tertiary structure was also changed. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the color changes were mainly related to protein oxidation and protein degradation and denaturation significantly affected the textural properties of shrimp. This study can provide theoretical support for further improving the quality of dried shrimp products.

Indirect immunofluorescence is usually restricted to 3-5 markers per preparation, limiting analysis of coexistence. A solution containing 2-mercaptoethanol and sodium dodecyl sulfate (2-ME/SDS) can elute indirect immunofluorescence labelling (i.e. primary antisera followed by fluorophore-conjugated secondary antisera) and has been used for sequential staining of sections. The aim of this study was to test whether 2-ME/SDS is effective for eluting indirect immunofluorescent staining (with primary antisera visualised by fluorophore-coupled secondary antisera) in wholemount preparations. We also analysed how 2-ME/SDS may work and used this understanding to devise additional uses for immunofluorescence in the nervous system. 2-ME/SDS appears to denature unfixed proteins (including antisera used as reagents) but has much less effect on antigenicity of formaldehyde-fixed epitopes. Moieties linked by strong biotin-streptavidin bonds are highly resistant to elution by 2-ME/SDS. Two primary antisera raised in the same species can be applied without spurious cross-reactivity, if a specific order of labelling is followed. The first primary antiserum is followed by a biotinylated secondary, then a tertiary of fluorophore-conjugated streptavidin. The preparation is then exposed to 2-ME/SDS, which has minimal impact on labelling by the first primary/secondary/tertiary combination. However, when this is followed by a second primary antiserum (raised in the same species), followed by a fluorophore-conjugated secondary antiserum, the intervening 2-ME/SDS exposure prevents cross-reactivity between primary and secondary antisera of the two layers. A third property of 2-ME/SDS is that it reduces lipofuscin autofluorescence, although it also raises background fluorescence and strongly enhances autofluorescence of erythrocytes. In summary, 2-ME/SDS is easy to use, cost-effective and does not require modified primary antisera. It can be used as the basis of a multi-layer immunohistochemistry protocol and allows 2 primary antisera raised in the same species to be used together.

Background: Capparis cartilaginea Decne.(C. cartilaginea Decne.) a medicinally important plant that belongs to the family Capparaceae. Traditionally the fruit, leaf, and root have been believed to show anti-inflammatory effects and can also be used as agents. Purpose: The objective of this study is to investigate the chemical compositions, in-vitro antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanolic extract of Capparis cartilaginea Decne. leaves. Study methods: The chemical compounds were investigated by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. Ferric-bipyridine reducing capacity of total antioxidants (FBRC), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were utilized to determine antioxidant activity. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated using a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole- 2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Additionally, in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract of C. cartilaginea Decne. leaves using COX1 and protein denaturation methods. Results: The major twenty- four bioactive compounds from fifty compounds were identified including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, fatty acids, and carotenes. Pleiocarpamine was the major constituent of the extract (73.07 %). Additionally, in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract of C. cartilaginea Decne. leaves using COX1 and protein denaturation methods showed a strong effect with IC50 values of 60.23 and 17.67 µg/mL respectively, compared to Indomethacin and Diclofenac as a standard anti-inflammatory drug.; while FBRC and FRAP were utilized to determine antioxidant activity slowed high antioxidants capacity with values 0.056 ± 0.001and 0.03 ± 0.00196 Ascorbic acid equivalent/g of extract (AAE) and DPPH radical scavenging method show IC50 value 10 ± 1 %. Evaluation of the cytotoxic activity against three human cancer cell lines colon carcinoma cells HCT-116, Breast carcinoma cells MCF-7, and human muscle Rhabdomyosarcoma RD cell line using MTT assay showed a significant effect with IC50 values 59.58 ± 1.5, 39.14 ± 3.09, and 102 ± 8.75 µg/mL, compared to Vinblastine Sulfate as a standard cytotoxic drug. Yemeni C. cartilaginea Decne. showed a higher effect on MCF-7 compared to Iranian C. cartilaginea Decne. as well as established a higher antioxidant activity than that extracts obtained from Jordan. Conclusion: Ethanolic leaves extract of C. cartilaginea Decne. have the potential for development as therapeutic agents for cytotoxicity on certain cancer cells following further investigation. C. cartilaginea Decne. leaves that could have medicinal values and application in industries, were used to design the drug for the treatment of various types of inflammatory diseases.

Aquatic animal products are rich in protein, lipids, and moisture and are often stored at frozen temperature. However, aquatic animal products are prone to deterioration caused by ice crystal formation, lipid oxidation and protein denaturation. Quick freezing is crucial for preserving the quality of aquatic animal products by preventing the formation of large ice crystals. Liquid nitrogen quick-freezing (LNF) provides a fast-freezing rate, minimal ice crystal formation, preservation of product texture and nutritional properties, shelf-life extension, energy efficiency, and quality and safety improving. This review comprehensively illustrates the mechanism of LNF, the impact of LNF on qualities of aquatic animal products including flavor, texture, color, and nutrition. Additionally, LNF devices applied on aquatic animal products are also discussed. Furthermore, future prospects and research directions are suggested, including optimizing freezing processes, understanding the impact on nutritional value and considering sustainability and energy consumption. However, challenges such as freezing damage, cost considerations, and quality control issues for LNF application need to be addressed.

The water distribution have a profound influence on meat quality, and proteins play a critical role in water distribution. The water distribution detected with proton NMR and its relationship with protein related properties were investigated. Three populations of water were detected: bound water (T21, P21), immobilized water (T22, P22), and free water (T23, P23). The decreased T22 and T23 indicated an increase in water-holding capacity in both muscles from 3 days of aging. The P22 in cattle was higher than that in yak and the P23 in cattle was lower than that in yak, suggesting that cattle exhibited a greater water-holding capacity compared to yak. Moreover, postmortem aging affected muscle protein oxidation, denaturation, and degradation. Correlation analysis suggested that protein oxidation and denaturation caused muscle water loss and protein degradation could allow the muscle to retain water. It provides a basis for the optimization of quality of meat and products.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammation of joints with increased cellularity of synovial tissue. Allopathic drugs possess several adverse effects, which have led to increase in the utilization of herbal medicines. Polyherbal emulgel resolves the bioavailability issue associated with hydrophobic drugs and can be used effectively in the treatment of RA. Objectives: The present study aimed at the formulation of polyherbal emulgel, and evaluation of in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and in vivo antiarthritic activity. Methods: Seven emulgels F-1 to F-7 were optimally formulated. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was determined using protein denaturation method employing Diclofenac sodium as the standard. In antiarthritic study Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) model was used. The various parameters were assessed, like paw volume, body weight, hematological parameters, antioxidant parameters, Rheumatic factor (RF), and histopathological study of ankle joint. Results: F-4 and F-7 were found to be optimized formulations as compared to other formulations. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was found to be highest in F-4 with IC50 7.74 and F-7 with IC50 8.87 in comparison with Diclofenac sodium having IC50 57.0. Both formulations F-7 and F-4 showed a significant reduction in paw volume and normalization of body weights. The formulation F-7 even showed more potent antiarthritic activity than F-4 by decreasing white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes, increasing packed cell volume (PCV), neutrophils, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum. This was further confirmed by histopathological study. Conclusion: As an anti-inflammatory agent, this newly developed emulgel was found to possess more therapeutic efficacy than commercially available diclofenac sodium.

Noscapine hydrochloride (benzyl-isoquinoline antitussive alkaloid) is an opium derivative and generally used as a cough suppressant. Numerous studies on noscapine hydrochloride have reported that it has potent anti-inflammatory activity. However, the mechanisms by which it exerts an anti-inflammatory function is not well understood. Protein denaturation is the primary step that leads to the organ destruction and permanent arthritic disability. The above-mentioned facts provided the ground to plan this study using different in-vitro and in-vivo approaches. RT-qPCR and ELISA assays were used to assess the inflammatory markers related to protein denaturation in complete adjuvant persuaded rheumatism in Sprague - Dawley rats. The results were collected as paw volume and body weight changes, arthritic scoring and serum antioxidant enzymes assays. These findings demonstrated that all doses of noscapine hydrochloride (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) studied in this study, significantly (p

Background: Oldenlandia corymbosa and Oldenlandia umbellata are well-known medicinal plants in various traditional systems of medicine and used to treat bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis, constipation, and leprosy. We evaluated the phytochemical content, antioxidant potential, enzyme inhibitory action, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities of the whole plant extracts of O. corymbosa and O. umbellata due to their therapeutic importance. Methods: The phytochemical analysis includes qualitative analysis and quantification of total phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, flavonols, proanthocyanidins, and vitamin E. Enzyme inhibitory assays were studied using α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes and anti-inflammatory activity was determined by egg albumin denaturation assay. Antioxidant potential was estimated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethyl benzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), hydroxyl radical, superoxide, nitric oxide, metal chelating, and phosphomolybdenum assays. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of extracts were studied against ten bacterial strains by the microdilution method. Results: The aqueous extract of O.umbellata showed a higher extract yield (5.0%). The highest amount of total phenolics and flavonoids were observed in the ethanolic extract of O.umbellata (77.23±0.46 mg GAE/g) and O.corymbosa (19.01±0.26 mg GAE/g). Ethanolic extract of O.umbellata (IC50 of 31.71±0.32 µg/mL) and aqueous extract of O.corymbosa (30.53±1.83 µg/mL) showed notable α-amylase inhibitory effect and petroleum ether extract of both plants observed good inhibition against α-glucosidase enzyme. Likewise, petroleum ether extract of O.umbellata (IC50 of 57.16±1.88 µg/mL) showed a moderate anti-inflammatory effect. In all extracts, considerable antioxidant potential was recorded specially with aqueous extract in the nitric oxide scavenging assay with an IC50 of 40.72±1.25 µg/mL. Ethanolic extract of O.umbellata and petroleum ether extract of O.corymbosa (MIC of 56.25 µg/mL) showed good antibiotic potency in lower concentrations which proves these two valuable herb's potential in herbal preparations. Conclusions: The results of the study provide a basis for further studies aiming to evaluate the possibilities of using the O. umbellata and O. corymbosa as natural sources of antioxidants, enzyme inhibitory, and antibacterial agents. Further studies could be directed to exploit these plants in experimental animal models as potential pharmaceutical agents.

The post-mortem rigid of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) affects the texture of the meat and might even be risky for microorganisms, undermining the popularity of frozen filets among consumers. This study investigated the importance of different conditions (0°C, 4°C, and 25°C for 0–4 days) and physicochemical characteristics of rainbow trout filet storage on fish’s characteristics, freshness, quality, and shelf-life. Results showed that the fish easily underwent rigor mortis and resolution of rigor mortis when stored at 25°C. However, rigor mortis was more likely to occur under storage at 0°C than at 4°C [with 100 kV/m high voltage electrostatic fields (HVEF)] due to low-temperature stimulation, but resolution of rigor mortis began to appear after 24 h of storage at either temperature. The protein solubility and gel strength of fish stored at 25°C continued to decrease due to thermal denaturation, and those of fish stored at 4°C and 0°C also showed a decrease owing to rigor mortis and then an increase when rigor mortis disappeared. The K values increased rapidly at 25°C and reached 61% at 14 h. Under storage at 4°C and 0°C, the K values only slightly increased before resolution of rigor mortis. However, the K-values did not exceed 40% for 4 days post-resolution of rigor mortis. Differential Scanning Calorimetry analysis and tissue sectioning showed that protein denaturation and separation between muscle fibers persisted during storage at various temperatures, most notably at 25°C. It is important to note that storing at 0°C for 96 h did not result in any significant changes in the molecular protein composition. Moreover, the muscle tissue remained in excellent condition compared to storage at 25°C and 4°C. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the total viable count (TVC) and psychrophilic bacteria between storage at 0°C and 4°C, considered safe for food consumption. These promising findings are conveyed in a circular economy based on the food industry, particularly adequate raw materials, stable prices, measures to reduce food loss and waste, and contributing to developing efficient, diverse, and sustainable food processing systems.

The mechanism of urea's action in protein denaturation remains largely unknown. To provide an experimental basis for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on urea-protein interactions, we investigated the effect of urea on human intestinal fatty acid binding protein (hIFABP) by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) rates at ≤ 2 M urea indicate that urea affects hIFABP in a residue-specific manner via direct urea-protein interactions and preferentially weakens hydrogen bonds between highly protected amides. Residue-specific effects of urea on NMR peak intensities and chemical shifts further support the presence of direct urea-protein interactions. Two-dimensional (2D) water-rotating frame Overhauser enhancement (ROE) data shows one protein-bound water molecule in contact with Val66 and Trp82, one putative bound water molecule in interaction with Thr76 and E-F loop, and that urea at low concentrations cannot displace these protein-bound water molecules. Our urea-nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) experiments using 15N-urea further show no tightly protein-bound urea molecules. Our results thus suggest specific, but weak or transient, urea-protein interactions, supporting the direct interaction model of urea denaturation.

Inflammation is a normal protective reaction against tissue damage caused by physical injury, harmful chemicals, and protein denaturation. Protein denaturation is a process in which proteins lose their tertiary structure and secondary structure due to foreign substances, external compounds, such as strong acids, strong bases, organic salts, organic solvents, and heating. The purpose of this study was to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction of the seed coat of Kebiul (Caesalpinia bonduc L.) by calculating the IC50 value of protein denaturation in the sample. The results of the phytochemical test of the ethanol extract of Kebiul seeds contained flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, saponins, and tannins, while the ethyl acetate fraction only contained tannins and alkaloids. The results of the anti-inflammatory test showed that the highest percent inhibition value of sodium diclofenac, ethanol extract, and ethyl acetate fraction, respectively, at a concentration of 20 ppm was 84.8%; 84.1%; and 50%. The IC50 values ​​of sodium diclofenac, ethanol extract, and ethyl acetate fraction were 5.4 μg/mL; 9.9 μg/mL; and 13.3 μg/mL, respectively. The three samples had percent inhibition values exceeding 20% which indicated that all three can be used as an anti-inflammatory. Keywords: anti-inflammatory, protein denaturation, Caesalpinia bonduc L.

The development of novel and sustainable food products, such as cheese- and meat analogues, requires a better understanding of the use of less refined ingredients. We investigated the distribution of water between the protein and starch phase of doughs and heat-induced gels made from air-classified faba bean fractions by developing a method suited for investigation of such multi-component ingredients. The moisture contents of the protein and starch phases in the dough were determined using a method based on partial sorption isotherms of mixed doughs of protein- and starch-rich fractions at high water activity. Water content of the protein phase is higher than that of the starch phase in dough, showing that protein takes up more water than starch at room temperature. Also, the moisture content of the protein phase in the gels was calculated using a model based on the denaturation temperature of legumin. From the experiments and the modelling, it became evident that the moisture content of the protein phase in the gel is lower than the moisture content of the protein phase in the dough, showing the importance of considering moisture migration from the protein to the starch during heating.

To clarify the factors influencing the physical properties of fish after heat treatments, we investigated changes in the properties of proteins in the dorsal ordinary and dark muscle of yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata) heated under different conditions commonly used for the purposes of food hygiene. High-temperature/short-time heating (85°C for 90 s and 75°C for 60 s) affected the protein solubility more than low-temperature/long-time heating (63°C for 30 min). Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and differential scanning calorimetry showed that low-temperature/long-time heating reduced the degree of actin denaturation in fish compared with that by other heating conditions. In addition, collagen solubility was enhanced with low-temperature/long-time heating. Therefore, these results suggest that differences in the degree of actin and collagen denaturation are responsible for the enhanced meat tenderness and diminished meat shrinkage, resulting from low-temperature/ long-time heating.

Introduction: Antioxidants of natural sources for the treatment of many ailments have taken priority since the last decades. Recently, researches have been focused on marine algae as they are the largest reservoir of bioactive compounds. Hence, the objective of this study was to explore the in-vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Sargassum wightii. Methods: The total phenolics, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid (AA) contents were evaluated informs of gallic acid equivalent (GAE), rutin equivalent (RUE), and AA equivalent, respectively. The aqueous and methanolic extracts were isolated. The antioxidant activities were explored using2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), hydroxyl radical scavenging, and ferric reducing power assays. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was assayed using nitric oxide radical scavenging, inhibition of protein denaturation, and antiproteinase activities. Results: We observed significant changes in DPPH scavenging activity with both methanolicSargassum extract (MSE) and aqueous Sargassum extract (ASE) [IC50: 511.15 µg/mL and 927.05µg/mL, respectively]. Methanolic extract showed a greater SOD scavenging activity [IC50: 369.56µg/mL] and hydroxyl radical scavenging potential [IC50: 668.93 µg/mL] than that of ASE [SOD,IC50: 923.94 µg/mL; hydroxyl ion, IC50: 953.57 µg/mL]. In the Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay, MSE and ASE exhibited absorbance of 0.93±0.12 and 0.59±0.08, respectively, at 1200 µg/mL each. Both methanol and ASEs showed NO– scavenging activity having IC50 in order, AA(96.46 µg/mL)

Blue light with a wavelength of 400–470 nm is the composition of the visible light. However, in recent years, blue light contributed the most significance to light pollution due to the artificial light at night. Previously, we have demonstrated that the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri, an important pest in citrus production, has significant positive phototaxis with a light-emitting diode light of 400 nm. In this study, ACP with positive phototactic behavior to 400 nm light (PH) and non-phototactic behavior to 400 nm light (NP) were collected, individually. Transcriptome dynamics of head tissues of PH and NP groups were captured by using RNA-sequencing technology, respectively. Forty-three to 46 million clean reads with high-quality values were obtained, and 1773 differential expressed genes (DEGs) were detected. Compared with the NP group, there were 841 up-regulated DEGs and 932 down-regulated DEGs in the PH group. Eight pathways were significantly enriched in the PH group in the KEGG database, while 43 up-regulated pathways and 25 down-regulated pathways were significantly enriched in the PH group in the GO database. The DGE approach was reliable validated by real time quantitative PCR. Results indicated that the blue light acted as an abiotic stress causing physiological and biochemical responses such as oxidative stress, protein denaturation, inflammation and tumor development in ACPs. Additionally, the light was absorbed by photoreceptors of ACPs, and converted into electrical signal to regulate neuromodulation. This study provides basic information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of ACP in response to blue light and provides a reference for further studies to elucidate phototactic behavior.

Introduction: Inflammation is body’s immune response to harmful stimulus. Commonly used conventional anti-inflammatory agents are Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). But on prolonged long-term use, it causes serious adverse events. So, the search towards natural agents which have anti-inflammatory property are increasing nowadays. Sinapis arvensis is an annual flowering plant which has proven multipurpose medicinal phytoconstituents. Aim: To evaluate in-vitro anti-inflammatory effects of flower extracts of Sinapis arvensis with diclofenac as standard. Materials and Methods: This in-vitro study assessed the laboratory based anti-inflammatory activity, performed using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) assay in December 2021 at Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. BSA at pH of 6.8 generated denatured proteins. The anti-inflammatory activity of the sample (flower extracts of Sinapis arvensis) and standard (Diclofenac) was assessed by adding to BSA and percentage of inhibition of denaturation were calculated using the formula based on the absorbance measured. Descriptive statistics was used for analysis of collected data. Results: The concentration-dependent inhibition of protein denaturation was observed for both Sinapis arvensis and Diclofenac. At 100 μg concentration, percentage of inhibition reached up to 81.8% and 100% for Sinapis arvensis and Diclofenac, respectively. Conclusion: The present study showed that flower extracts of Sinapis arvensis exhibited concentration dependent anti-inflammatory property invitro which proves to be nearly equivalent with that of the standard Diclofenac.

Physicochemical, proteomics, and bioinformatics analyses were conducted to investigate protein profiles in Trichiurus haumela under frozen (120 d) and chilled (6 d) storage. Springiness, chewiness, myofibrillar active sulfhydryl content, and Ca2+-ATPase activity significantly decreased, suggesting that cold stress altered muscle proteins. Compared with fresh hairtail (FH), 66 common differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) had lower abundances in chilled (3 d; CSH) and frozen (120 d; FSH) hairtail, including myosin binding proteins, filamins, actinin, troponin, and muscle-restricted coiled-coil protein. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation showed DAPs were mainly involved in cellular process, cellular anatomical entity, intracellular, and binding items. Eukaryotic orthologous group (KOG) analysis revealed that changes in cytoskeleton and energy production and conversion functions dominated during cold storage, degrading the myofibril and connective tissue structures and the physicochemical performance of muscle tissues. This study presents deep insights into the protein alternation mechanisms in hairtail muscle under cold stress.

Marination is a common technology in meat processing with advantages of enhancing tenderness, water retention, and overall quality. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of vacuum tumbling and immersion marination on meat quality, microstructure, water mobility, protein changes, and denaturation of Xueshan chicken. Results showed that vacuum tumbling significantly increased the marinating rate of chicken, tenderness, meat texture, and water retention. Meanwhile, vacuum tumbling decreased total sulfhydryl content alongside an increased protein surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl content, indicating that vacuum tumbling elevated the degree of protein denaturation. Further, the peak area corresponding to the relaxation time T22 after vacuum tumbling was significantly higher than that of immersion marination, suggesting that the stability of the immobilized water of chicken was reduced by vacuum tumbling. Compared to immersion marination, vacuum tumbling improved myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) presenting fewer myofibrillar protein bands in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gel and more damaged muscular cells. Overall, vacuum tumbling could improve the marination absorptivity, protein degradation, and denaturation, resulting in changes in myofibril structure and meat quality of Xueshan chicken.

This study was conducted on chicken pectoralis major muscle with different wooden breast severity in combination with different sampling locations to investigate the effects of wooden breast syndrome on protein traits and total myofiber area, and their associations. Contents of sarcoplasmic, salt-soluble myofibrillar and salt-insoluble protein and proportion of total myofiber area significantly declined with increasing severity in the superficial part of muscle, whereas the amount of heat-soluble/insoluble collagen and protein denaturation as well as the area of degenerated myofibers, connective tissue and cellular infiltrates increased. Myofibril protein content indicators showed strong positive correlations to total myofiber area. Moreover, PCA results indicated that severe wooden breast is positively linked to muscle collagen content and to protein denaturation. Our results suggest that decrease in sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins is associated with reduction of myofiber area. In turn, the muscle fibers are replaced by connective tissue, accompanied by excessive myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein denaturation.

Storage via freezing remains the most effective approach for fish preservation. However, lipid oxidation and protein denaturation still occur during storage, along with nutritional loss. The extent of lipid alteration and protein denaturation are associated with human health defects. To precisely predict common carp (Cyprinus carpio) nutritional quality change during frozen storage, here, we first determined lipid oxidation and hydrolysis and protein denaturation of common carp fillets during 17 weeks of frozen preservation at 261 K, 253 K, and 245 K. Results showed that the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and free fatty acids (FFA) were significantly increased. However, salt-soluble protein (SSP) content, Ca2+-ATPase activity, and total sulfhydryl (SH) content kept decreasing during frozen storage, with SSP content decreasing by 64.82%, 38.14%, and 11.24%, respectively, Ca2+-ATP enzyme activity decreasing to 12.50%, 18.52%, and 28.57% Piμmol/mg/min, and SH values decreasing by 70.71%, 64.92%, and 56.51% at 261 K, 253 K, and 245 K, respectively. The values at 261 K decreased more than that at 253 K and 245 K (p < 0.05). Ca2+-ATPase activity was positively correlated (r = 0.96) with SH content. Afterwards, based on the results of the above chemical experiments, we developed a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) to predict the modification of lipid and protein of common carp fillets during frozen storage. Results showed that all the relative errors of experimental and predicted values were within ±10%. In summary, the quality of common carp can be well protected at 245 K, and the established RBFNN could effectively predict the quality of the common carp under frozen conditions at 261–245 K.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), an important intestinal flora-derived metabolite, plays a role in the development of cardiovascular disease and tumor immunity. Here, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibiotics against Escherichia coli under gradient concentrations of TMAO and performed a bacterial killing analysis. Overall, TMAO (in the range of 10 ~ 100 mM) increased the MIC of quinolones, aminoglycosides, and β-lactams in a concentration-dependent manner, and increased the lethal dose of antibiotics against E. coli. It implies that TMAO is a potential risk for failure of anti-infective therapy, and presents a case for the relationship between intestinal flora-derived metabolites and antibiotic resistance. Further data demonstrated that the inhibition of antibiotic efficacy by TMAO is independent of the downstream metabolic processes of TMAO and the typical bacterial resistance mechanisms (mar motif and efflux pump). Interestingly, TMAO protects E. coli from high-protein denaturant (urea) stress and improves the viability of bacteria following treatment with two disinfectants (ethanol and hydrogen peroxide) that mediate protein denaturation by chemical action or oxidation. Since antibiotics can induce protein inactivation directly or indirectly, our work suggests that disruption of protein homeostasis may be a common pathway for different stress-mediated bacterial growth inhibition/cell death. In addition, we further discuss this possibility, which provides a different perspective to address the global public health problem of antibiotic resistance.

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of meat temperature on moisture loss, muscle water properties, and protein profiles in broiler pectoralis major with the severe woody breast (WB) condition. Broiler breast samples were collected from a commercial plant and sorted into normal, WB, and pale, soft, and exudative (PSE). Temperature treatments included 23°C, 40°C, 53°C, 57°C, 68°C, and 90°C based on denaturation of major muscle protein types during heating. Moisture loss was estimated with weight changes, water properties were measured with time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, and protein profiles were determined with SDS electrophoresis gel. There were no differences in moisture loss between 3 groups at meat temperature 23°C, 40°C, and 57°C. Moisture loss of WB samples was greater than normal and PSE at either 68°C or 90°C; however, it was the least at 53°C. Only close changing trend was noted between the intramyofibrillar water (T21) reduction and moisture loss. The extramyofibrillar (T22) water content and reduction in WB meat during heating were consistent greater, and electrophoretic profiles differed among 3 muscle conditions. Data suggest that greater reductions in intramyofibrillar and extramyofibrillar water are responsible for the increased moisture loss in WB meat at higher temperature.

Objective: To investigate some phytochemical constituents and biological activities of twelve samples of Tetrapleura tetraptera (Schumach & Thonn.) taub. and nine samples of Aframomum citratum (C. Pereira) K. Schum fruits collected in the bimodal forest zone (ZONE V), the unimodal forest zone (ZONE IV) and the highlands zone (ZONE III) in Cameroon. Methods: Fresh fruits extracts were obtained by aqueous infusion (100 °C during 15 min) and evaluated by spectrophotometric methods for total polyphenol (TPP), total flavonoids (TFLV) contents and antioxidant (DPPH, total antioxidant capacity by the phosphomolybdenum method, iron reducing power or ferric reducing antioxidant power and inhibition of beta carotene discoloration assays) and anti-inflammatory (inhibitions of protein denaturation and 5-LOX represented by INH.PROT and INH.5- LOX respectively) properties. Principal component analysis was performed. Results: For both species, fruits from ZONE V have the highest TPP, TFLV levels and biological activities. TPP and TFLV content of Aframomum citratum and Tetrapleura tetraptera fruits are positively and significantly (P

Background: This study evaluated the influence of intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) on structural shrinkage and water loss during cooking. Longissimus thoracis (LT), semimembranosus (SM) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles were cut and boiled for 30 min in boiling water, followed by detection of water holding capacity (WHC), tenderness, fiber volume shrinkage and protein denaturation. Results: Compared with LT and SM, ST had the best WHC and lowest WBSF and area shrinkage ratio. The mobility of immobilized water (T22) was key to holding the water of meat. ST contained the highest content of total and heat-soluble collagen. On the contrary, ST showed the lowest content of cross-links and decorin, which indicate the IMCT strength of ST is weaker than the other two. The heat-soluble collagen is positively correlated to T22. Conclusions: The shrinkage of heat-insoluble IMCT on WHC and WBSF may partly depend on the structural strength changes of IMCT components rather than solely caused by quantitative changes of IMCT.

The functional structure of proteins results from marginally stable folded conformations. Reversible unfolding, irreversible denaturation, and deterioration can be caused by chemical and physical agents due to changes in the physicochemical conditions of pH, ionic strength, temperature, pressure, and electric field or due to the presence of a cosolvent that perturbs the delicate balance between stabilizing and destabilizing interactions and eventually induces chemical modifications. For most proteins, denaturation is a complex process involving transient intermediates in several reversible and eventually irreversible steps. Knowledge of protein stability and denaturation processes is mandatory for the development of enzymes as industrial catalysts, biopharmaceuticals, analytical and medical bioreagents, and safe industrial food. Electrophoresis techniques operating under extreme conditions are convenient tools for analyzing unfolding transitions, trapping transient intermediates, and gaining insight into the mechanisms of denaturation processes. Moreover, quantitative analysis of electrophoretic mobility transition curves allows the estimation of the conformational stability of proteins. These approaches include polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and capillary zone electrophoresis under cold, heat, and hydrostatic pressure and in the presence of non-ionic denaturing agents or stabilizers such as polyols and heavy water. Lastly, after exposure to extremes of physical conditions, electrophoresis under standard conditions provides information on irreversible processes, slow conformational drifts, and slow renaturation processes. The impressive developments of enzyme technology with multiple applications in fine chemistry, biopharmaceutics, and nanomedicine prompted us to revisit the potentialities of these electrophoretic approaches. This feature review is illustrated with published and unpublished results obtained by the authors on cholinesterases and paraoxonase, two physiologically and toxicologically important enzymes.

The poultry production is growing rapidly every year. Having a rapid pace of development and reproduction, and greater affordability, the poultry products are in high demand from the population. In this regard, the industry is in demand for deep processing of poultry meat, which is not only economically feasible, but also makes it possible to expand the scope of use of this product. The complex morphological structure of the poultry complicates its use as the main raw material for meat products, and poultry meat is mainly sold in the form of natural semi-finished products with a limited shelf life. It is possible to expand the range of poultry products through the production of canned food. A new technology for the production of pasteurized canned poultry meat was developed at the Department of Meat, Fish and Seafood Technology of the Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies. This technology involves hydrothermal treatment of the raw materials, hot boning, mixing of components of the formulation and pasteurization. This article reveals the issue of the first stage of production, namely the establishment of rational meat hydrothermal treatment conditions. The problem of choosing the heat treatment conditions is extremely important, because depending on the process conditions and the final heating temperature, the transformation of the components and the properties of the finished products differ significantly. The paper studies the effect of temperature in the range from 65 to 95°C in 5°C increment on the rate and degree of cooking of collagen, the formation of the required structure of the product (hydrogel base filled with individual muscle fibers), hardness and tenderness of meat. It is established that the optimal processing temperature of poultry meat is 65°C. The meat processed at this temperature had the highest degree of collagen cooking, the highest viscosity of the broth, the lowest shear stress, and the best organoleptic characteristics.

Abstract Background Lichen is a composite organism composed of fungus in association with algae or cyanobacteria. Particularly, lichen betide to mangroves are named as manglicolous lichens. From the folklore, lichen extracts were used in the management of many infections and diseases. Results The chemical investigation of acetone extract of manglicolous lichen Roccella montagnei (RM-Ac) yielded nine known metabolites namely divarinolmonomethylether (1), ethyl divaricatinate (2), divarinol (3), orcinol (4), methyl 2,6-dihydroxy-4-methylbenzoate (5), haematommic acid (6), atranol (7), ethyl haematommate (8) and ethyl orsellinate (9). Except 4, all are for the first reported from this species. The RM-Ac and its metabolites (1–9) were screened for antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS and superoxide free radical assays), anti-inflammatory, anticancer (SRB assay using A549, DLD-1, FADU, HeLa and MCF-7) and acute toxicity studies. The pharmacological results showed that compounds 6 and 8 depicted potent inhibitory profile against ABTS free radical (with IC50 value of 40.0 and 40.5 μg/mL, respectively) and protein denaturation (with IC50 value of 435 and 403 μg/mL, respectively). LD50 of RM-Ac was found to be above 2 g/Kg body weight. Moreover, the RM-Ac showed prominent inhibition of formalin-hind albino rat paw oedema at both the tested doses, i.e., 100 and 200 mg/Kg b.w than that of the standard drug (indomethacin). Furthermore, the compounds 6 and 8 exhibited significant degree of specificity against HeLa, FADU and A549; besides, they showed very little degree of specificity against NHME cell line specifying less toxicity to normal cells. Conclusion It can be concluded that the manglicolous lichen R. montagnei has an aptitude to act against free radicals, inflammation and cancer, and the main metabolites responsible for its biological activity are 6 and 8.

In the temperature range from 45 °C to 90 °C the process of thermal denaturation of a whole complex of muscle proteins in meat takes place. An effective mode to register the thermal denaturation process is the method of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). As a result of studies the differences during the process of thermal denaturation of muscle proteins of pork, beef, chicken and turkey were defined by the appearance of endothermic peaks in DSC thermograms. The main variances are associated with the process of denaturation of myosin and sacroplasmic proteins and indicate indirectly their quantitative ratio in meat. The values of effective specific heat capacity in the temperature range from 20 °C to 90 °C are obtained as well as those of heat spent on the denaturation process.At reheating, the values of specific heat capacity increased by 0.1 J/(g*K) on the average, and peaks of thermal denaturation were not detected, that certifies the irreversibility of the denaturation process and the decrease in the bound moisture proportion in meat after thermal processing. Knowledge of the nature of protein thermal denaturation of each kind of meat product is one of the necessary tools for developing the technology of meat product thermal processing.

Objective The influence of broiler carcass scalding conditions on chicken breast meat quality parameters was investigated. Methods Two hundred and seventy Cobb broiler chickens from 42 to 48 days old were slaughtered according to the standard industry practice and scalded in five temperature/time combinations—T1, 54°C/210 s; T2, 55°C/180 s; T3, 56°C/150 s; T4, 57°C/120 s; T5, 58°C/90 s. Results Scalding temperature increase resulted in higher values of external and ventral lightness and in protein functionality reduction—determined by emulsification capacity and protein denaturation—in chicken breast fillets 24 h post-mortem. Protein secondary structures had conformational changes, with a decrease of the α-helix and an increase of the β-sheet and β-turn proportions, mainly in T1 and T5 samples, determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in an attenuated reflectance mode analysis. The chemical composition, pH, water holding capacity and Warner-Bratzler shear force did not differ among the treatments. In the fatty acid profile, the 18:1n-9 was lower in T5, which suggested that the high scalding-temperature could have caused the lipid oxidation. The values of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as 22:2, 20:4n-6, and 22:6n-3, were highest in the T5, thus being related to the phospholipid cellular membrane collapse in this experimental condition and subsequent release of these PUFA. Conclusion Intermediate scalding-parameters avoided the negative changes in the chicken meat quality.

The effects of microwave cooking on the changes of physical properties, protein denaturation, microstructure and volatiles of yak meat were investigated. Various microwave power settings were used for cooking the yak longissimus meats, and SDS-PAGE, cooking loss, colour difference, shear force, microstructure and volatile flavour compounds of longissimus muscle were evaluated. Cooking losses (37.03–45.92%) and shear forces (257.20–315.57 N) in microwave heated meats were higher and lower, respectively, than these in boiled meats (p

Focal thermal therapy (Heat), cryosurgery (Cryo) and irreversible electroporation (IRE) are increasingly used to treat cancer. However, local recurrence and systemic spread are persistent negative outcomes. Nevertheless, emerging work with immunotherapies (i.e., checkpoint blockade or dendritic cell (DC) vaccination) in concert with focal therapies may improve outcomes. To understand the role of focal therapy in priming the immune system for immunotherapy, an in vitro model of T cell response after exposure to B16 melanoma cell lysates after lethal exposures was designed. Exposure included: Heat (50 °C, 30 min), Cryo (−80 °C, 30 min) and IRE (1250 V/cm, 99 pulses, 50 µs pulses with 1 Hz intervals). After viability assessment (CCK-8 assay), cell lysates were collected and assessed for protein release (BCA assay), protein denaturation (FTIR-spectroscopy), TRP-2 antigen release (western blot), and T cell activation (antigen-specific CD8 T cell proliferation). Results showed IRE released the most protein and antigen (TRP-2), followed by Cryo and Heat. In contrast, Cryo released the most native (not denatured) protein, compared to IRE and Heat. Finally, IRE dramatically outperformed both Cryo and Heat in T cell activation while Cryo modestly outperformed Heat. This study demonstrates that despite all focal therapies ability to destroy cells, the ‘quantity’ (i.e., amount) and ‘quality’ (i.e., molecular state) of tumor protein (including antigen) released can dramatically change the ensuing priming of the immune system. This suggests protein-based metrics whereby focal therapies can be designed to prime the immune system in concert with immunotherapies to eventually achieve improved and durable cancer treatment in vivo.

Deposition of toxic protein inclusions is a common hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson disease etc. N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is an important brain metabolite whose levels got altered under various neurodegenerative conditions. Indeed, NAA has been a widely accepted biological marker for various neurological disorders. We have also reported that NAA is a protein stabilizer. In the present communication, we investigated the role of NAA in modulating the aggregation propensity on two model proteins (carbonic anhydrase and catalase). We discovered that NAA suppresses protein aggregation and could solubilize preformed aggregates.

The objective of this study was to reveal the effects of boiling processing on the texture of scallop adductor muscle (SAM) and its mechanism. Compared to the fresh sample, all the texture indicators, including the hardness, chewiness, springiness, resilience, cohesiveness, and shear force of 30-s- and 3-min-boiled SAMs increased time-dependently (p < 0.05). As the boiling time increased further to 15 min, the shear force and cohesiveness still increased significantly (p < 0.05), and the resilience and hardness were maintained (p > 0.05), but the springiness and chewiness decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The overall increase in the texture indicators of the boiled SAMs was due to the boiling-induced protein denaturation, aggregation, and increased hydrophobicity, resulting in the longitudinal contraction and lateral expansion of myofibrils, the longitudinal contraction and lateral cross-linked aggregation of muscle fibers, and the loss of free water. However, the decreasing springiness and chewiness of the 15-min-boiled SAMs was due to the significant degradation of proteins (especially collagen), resulting in the destruction of the connective tissue between the muscle fiber clusters. Both from a subjective sensory point of view and from the objective point of view of protein denaturation and degradation, 3-min-boiled SAMs are recommended. The quality improvement of thermally processed products by controlled, moderate cooking is of practical value from the perspective of food consumption.

Passive microwave radiometry (MWR) is a measurement technique based on the detection of passive radiation in the microwave spectrum of different objects. When in equilibrium, this radiation is known to be proportional to the thermodynamic temperature of an emitting body. We hypothesize that living systems feature other mechanisms of emission that are based on protein unfolding and water rotational transitions. To understand the nature of these emissions, microwave radiometry was used in several in vitro experiments. In our study, we performed pilot measurements of microwave emissions from egg whites during denaturation induced by ethanol. Egg whites comprise 10% proteins, such as albumins, mucoproteins, and globulins. We observed a novel phenomenon: microwave emissions changed without a corresponding change in the water’s thermodynamic temperature. We also found striking differences between microwave emissions and thermodynamic temperature kinetics. Therefore, we hypothesize that these two processes are unrelated, contrary to what was thought before. It is known that some pathologies such as stroke or brain trauma feature increased microwave emissions. We hypothesize that this phenomenon originates from protein denaturation and is not related to the thermodynamic temperature. As such, our findings could explain the reason for the increase in microwave emissions after trauma and post mortem for the first time. These findings could be used for the development of novel diagnostics methods. The MWR method is inexpensive and does not require fluorescent or radioactive labels. It can be used in different areas of basic and applied pharmaceutical research, including in kinetics studies in biomedicine.

In this study, the effect of various heating temperatures (61–70 °C) and times (1–10 min) on physical and chemical properties of liquid egg yolk (LEY) and mayonnaise were investigated. Initially, we found that the increase of LEY protein denaturation was highly correlated with the increase of temperature and time, without causing either protein degradation or aggregation. In addition, the viscosity and particle size of LEY were significantly increased with greater heating temperature and time. Furthermore, the emulsification stability of mayonnaise prepared from thermally processed LEY were significantly better than that of the unheated control group, in particular, the emulsion stability of mayonnaise was higher at a temperature ranging from 62 °C to 68 °C, whereas the emulsion stability decreased above 69 °C. A rheological analysis showed that mayonnaise prepared from thermally processed LEY has higher shear stress when compared with the control group. Indeed, a sharp increase in the shear stress was observed when LEY was heated above 67 °C. Results from storage behavior analysis suggest that mayonnaise prepared from thermally processed LEY failed to affect the chemical qualities of mayonnaise, as evidenced by the fact that acid values and TBA values were not statistically significant with the unheated control group. Microscopic observation indicates that the number of complete oil droplets were significantly reduced at higher heating (70 °C/5 and 10 min) conditions. Finally, the sensory evaluation results suggest that mayonnaise prepared from thermally processed LEY does not influence the appearance, aroma, taste, greasy feeling, and overall acceptance of mayonnaise, as indicated by there being no significant differences between the experimental group and the control group (p > 0.05). We conclude from our study that a combination of heating conditions over 67 °C/5 min can allow the mayonnaise to retain better quality in terms of stability.

Although chemically inert, Xe and other noble gases have been shown to have functional effects on biological systems. For example, Xe is a powerful anesthetic with neuroprotective properties. Recent reports have claimed that Xe inhibits the activity of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and urate oxidase (UOX), indicating that the use of Xe as an anesthetic may have undesirable side effects. Here, we revisited the methods used to demonstrate Xe inhibition of UOX and tPA, testing both indirect and direct gas delivery methods with variable bubble sizes and gas flowrates. Our results indicate that Xe or Kr do not affect the activity of UOX or tPA and that the previously reported inhibition is due to protein damage attendant to directly bubbling gases into protein solutions. The lack of evidence to support Xe inhibition of UOX or tPA alleviates concerns regarding possible side effects for the clinical application of Xe as an anesthetic. Furthermore, this study illustrates the importance of using indirect methods of gas dissolution for studying gas-protein interactions in aqueous solution.

This study aimed to evaluate how extrusion cooking conditions and microwave heating play a role in enhancing physical and thermal properties of third-generation expanded cellular snacks made from yellow pea (YP) and red lentil (RL) flours for the first time. Increasing temperature and moisture content during extrusion resulted in darker, crunchier and crispier products with higher expansion index (EI). Microwave heating after extrusion led to an increase in cell size and porosity of YP and RL products when qualitatively compared to extrusion alone. Additionally, extrusion followed by microwave heating resulted in extensive damage to starch granular structure and complete denaturation of proteins. Using microwave heating, as a fast and inexpensive process, following partial cooking with extrusion was demonstrated to greatly improve the physical and thermal properties of YP and RL snacks. Microwave heating following mild extrusion, instead of severe extrusion cooking alone, can potentially benefit the development of high quality nutritionally-dense expanded cellular snacks made from pulse flours.

Edible insects have received global attention as an alternative protein-rich food. However, their structural characteristics make them difficult to digest. To overcome this obstacle, we assessed the techno-functional properties of three protein concentrates from the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Freeze-dried G. bimaculatus powder was defatted using ethanol, hexene, or acetone as solvents, and the techno-functional properties (protein solubility, water and oil holding capacity, foaming properties, emulsion capacity, and gel formation) of the protein concentrates were determined. Freeze-dried G. bimaculatus powder comprised approximately 17.3% crude fat and 51.3% crude protein based on dry weight. Ethanol was the most effective solvent for reducing the fat content (from 17.30% to 0.73%) and increasing the protein content (from 51.3% to 62.5%) of the concentrate. Techno-functionality properties drastically differed according to the defatting solvent used and foaming properties were most affected. Thus, the techno-functional and whole properties must be considered for proper application of edible insects to achieve global food sustainability.

Several species of Bridelia have been used in the condition of pain & arthritis in Indian folk medicine. Present study revealed the preliminary phytochemical investigation and evaluation of analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity as well as underlying mechanism of bark of Bridelia retusa Spreng. (Euphorbiaceae). The bark was subjected to extraction using pet.ether, ethyl acetate and acetone. All the extracts were significantly inhibit abdominal writhings response and licking time in late phase of formalin test. Extracts could also significantly inhibit mean paw edema of rats induced by carrageenan & histamine at dose of 200 & 400 mg/kg, i.p. Test materials also showed significant dose dependent reduction in cotton pellet granuloma & acetic acid induced vascular permeability at 400 mg/kg. Oral administration of B. retusa fractions in CFA induced arthritic rats, physical, biochemical and hematological parameters observed in arthritic animals were altered significantly to near normal condition. The maximum paw edema inhibition at day 21 was observed at 400 mg/kg. It also proved significant protection against protein denaturation & RBC membrane damage. The GC-MS analysis of EA extract revealed the presence of β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, lupeol and friedelin (Pentacyclic triterpenoid). Therefore present study has demonstrated the analgesic; anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities of B. retusa bark and suggested that the molecular membrane might be associated with inhibition of biochemical and hematological parameters. Overall bioactive profile of B. retusa used phytomedicine in future for inflammatory conditions.

Context: Sida (Malvaceae) has been used as a traditional remedy for the treatment of diarrhoea, malarial, gastrointestinal dysentery, fevers, asthma and inflammation. Objectives: This study evaluates the anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and anti-cholinergic activities of Sida rhombifolia Linn. whole plant for the first time. Materials and methods: S. rhombifolia whole plant was extracted by n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol using Soxhlet apparatus. The plant extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant (DPPH, FIC and FRAP), anti-inflammatory (NO and protein denaturation inhibitions), cytotoxic (MTT) and anti-cholinesterase (AChE) properties in a range of concentrations to obtain IC50 values. GC-MS analysis was carried out on the n-hexane extract. Results and discussion: The ethyl acetate extract exhibited the most significant antioxidant activities by scavenging DPPH radicals and ferrous ions with EC50 of 380.5 and 263.4 μg/mL, respectively. In contrast, the n-hexane extract showed the strongest anti-inflammatory activity with IC50 of 52.16 and 146.03 μg/mL for NO and protein denaturation inhibition assays, respectively. The same extract also revealed the strongest effects in anti-cholinesterase and cytotoxic tests at the concentration of 100 μg/mL, AChE enzyme inhibition was 58.55% and human cancer cells, SNU-1 and Hep G2 inhibition was 68.52% and 47.82%, respectively. The phytochemicals present in the n-hexane extract are palmitic acid, linoleic acid and γ-sitosterol. Conclusions: The present study revealed that the n-hexane extract possessed relatively high pharmacological activities in anti-inflammation, cytotoxicity and anti-cholinesterase assays. Thus, further work on the detail mechanism of the bioactive phytochemicals which contribute to the biological properties are strongly recommended.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder, despite the discovery of numerous drugs there is still need to introduce newer, safer and more effective sources of drugs such as medicinal herbs. Present research work was an attempt to appraise the antiarthritic potential of Ribes alpestre Decne in rheumatoid arthritis. In vitro inhibition of protein (bovine serum albumin and egg albumin) denaturation, Human red blood cell membrane stabilization assays along with formaldehyde induced arthritis in rats were commenced in this study. Findings of present investigation demonstrated significant and dose dependent antiarthritic effect of Ribes alpestre. Aqueous ethanolic extract, butanol and aqueous fraction illustrated 95%, 69.233% and 92.840% protection at 6400 ug/mL against bovine serum albumin denaturation respectively. Similarly, plant extract together with butanol and aqueous fractions showed 3653.47%, 1484.03% and 3563.19% inhibition of pathological alteration of egg albumin in that order. Moreover, hydroethanolic extract with butanol and aqueous fraction exhibited 91.29%, 65.73% and 89.62% stabilization against erythrocyte hemolysis at 6400 ug/mL correspondingly. Furthermore, hydroethanolic extract, butanol and aqueous fraction notably 73.49%, 66.42% and 68.87% decreased paw edema at highest dose (200 mg/kg). Similarly aqueous ethanolic extract, butanol and aqueous fraction illustrated 72.38%, 54.90% and 66.33% decrease in paw thickness at 200 mg/kg. Hence results suggested that Ribes alpestre possess antiarthritic potential thus supporting its use as natural remedy in rheumatic conditions.