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The Chinese horned toads, Boulenophrys boettgeri (Boulenger, 1899) and Boulenophrys kuatunensis (Pope, 1929), are two captivating species within the family Megophryidae, which inhabit the mountainous streams in the Eastern of China. In this study, two new complete mitochondrial genomes of B. boettgeri and B. kuatunensis were sequenced, assembled, and annotated using next-generation sequencing. The length of mitochondrial genomes of B. boettgeri and B. kuatunensis was 16,597 and 17,921 bp, respectively, with both containing 13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one putative control region. Phylogenetic relationships based on protein-coding mitochondrial genes showed that the two Boulenophrys species formed a cluster with other Boulenophrys species. The two new sequences provide valuable insights into the mitochondrial genomes of these two species, offering important data for understanding the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Boulenophrys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergistic systems of photoredox and copper catalyst have already appeared as a novel formation of green synthetic chemistry, which open new avenues for chemical synthesis applications. We describe a novel strategy for the cyclization of alkyne‐tethered α‐bromocarbonyls initiated by the cleavage of C(sp3)−Br bond via the collaboration of photoredox and copper catalyst. The present protocol exhibits mildness using economical copper catalyst and visible‐light at room temperature. The gram‐scale and sunlight irradiation experiments proceeded smoothly to show the practicality of the methodology. It is notable that the newly generated oxygen in the product originates from H2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that p-Hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs), including ferulic, caffeic, sinapic, and p-coumaric acids, possess a characteristic phenylpropanoid C6-C3 backbone and account for about one-third of the phenolic compounds in our diet. HCAs are typically associated with various plant cell wall components, including mono-, di-, and polysaccharides, sterols, polyamines, glycoproteins, and lignins. Interestingly, enzymes produced by intestinal microbes liberate HCAs from these associations. HCAs are completely absorbed in their free form upon ingestion and undergo specific reactions upon absorption in the small intestine or liver. The gut epithelium, composed of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), acts as a physical barrier against harmful bacteria and a site for regulated interactions between bacteria and the gut lumen. Thus, maintaining the integrity of the epithelial barrier is essential for establishing a physiochemical environment conducive to homeostasis. This review summarizes the protective effects of HCAs on the intestinal barrier, achieved through four mechanisms: preserving tight junction proteins (TJPs), modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, exerting antioxidant activity, and regulating the intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to study the effective active ingredients and mechanism of action of Atractylodes lancea in treatment of piglet diarrhea based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The chemical components and action targets in Atractylodes lancea were searched by TCMSP database, and compounds with OB≥30% and DL≥0.18 were screened. The GeneCards database was used to obtain the piglet diarrhea targets, and the Cytoscape 3.8.0 software and STRING database were used to construct and analyze the Atractylodes-component-target networks and PPI protein interaction maps, to identify the effective active ingredients and key targets of Atractylodes for the treatment of piglet diarrhea. The GO and KEGG signaling pathways were enriched using David's database and visualized and analyzed. The key targets and active ingredients for the treatment of piglet diarrhea were selected and molecular docking was performed using AutoDock Tools software, and the results of molecular docking were visualized and mapped using Pymol software to determine the binding mode of key targets and active ingredients. The results showed that the main active chemical components were screened, namely, baicalin and 3β-acetoxycancelone. There were 23 key targets, including CASP3, TNF, MAPK14, VEGFA, IL-6, NOS3, ESR1, NOS2 and so on. A total of 75 cellular components, molecular functions and biological processes were screened by GO enrichment. 50 KEGG signaling pathways were screened, including NOD-like receptor, TNF, colorectal cancer and other signaling pathways were screened. Molecular docking of active ingredients and key targets showed that baicalein CASP3 binding energy was -28.21 kJ/mol, baicalein IL-6 binding energy was -27.54 kJ/mol, baicalein MAPK14 binding energy was -31.31 kJ/mol and baicalein TNF binding energy was -30.10 kJ/mol. The binding energies were less than -20.92 kJ/mol, suggesting that the binding activity of the active ingredients to the key targets was good. The experiment indicates that Atractylodes lancea modulates Golgi, NOD-like receptor, cancer pathway, TNF and other signaling pathways through the effective active ingredient baicalein to reduce the level of inflammatory factors and protect the intestine, thus treating piglet diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]