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The occurrence of hyperlipidemia is significantly influenced by lipid synthesis, which is regulated by sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs), thus the development of drugs that inhibit lipid synthesis has become a popular treatment strategy for hyperlipidemia. Alisol B (ALB), a triterpenoid compound extracted from Alisma , has been reported to ameliorate no-nalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and slow obesity. However, the effect of ALB on hyperlipidemia and mechanism are unclear. To examine the therapeutic impact of ALB on hyperlipidemia whether it inhibits SREBPs to reduce lipid synthesis. HepG2, HL7702 cells, and C57BL/6J mice were used to explore the effect of ALB on hyperlipidemia and the molecular mechanism in vivo and in vitro. Hyperlipidemia models were established using western diet (WD)-fed mice in vivo and oleic acid (OA)-induced hepatocytes in vitro. Western blot, real-time PCR and other biological methods verified that ALB regulated AMPK/mTOR/SREBPs to inhibit lipid synthesis. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), molecular dynamics (MD), and ultrafiltration-LC/MS analysis were used to evaluate the binding of ALB to voltage-dependent anion channel protein-1 (VDAC1). ALB decreased TC, TG, LDL-c, and increased HDL-c in blood, thereby ameliorating liver damage. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated that ALB inhibited the biosynthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids. Consistently, ALB inhibited the protein expression of n-SREBPs and downstream genes. Mechanistically, the impact of ALB on SREBPs was dependent on the regulation of AMPK/mTOR, thereby impeding the transportation of SREBPs from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to golgi apparatus (GA). Further investigations indicated that the activation of AMPK by ALB was independent on classical upstream CAMKK2 and LKB1. Instead, ALB resulted in a decrease in ATP levels and an increase in the ratios of ADP/ATP and AMP/ATP. CETSA, MD, and ultrafiltration-LC/MS analysis indicated that ALB interacted with VDAC1. Molecular docking revealed that ALB directly bound to VDAC1 by forming hydrogen bonds at the amino acid sites S196 and H184 in the ATP-binding region. Importantly, the thermal stabilization of ALB on VDAC1 was compromised when VDAC1 was mutated at S196 and H184, suggesting that these amino acids played a crucial role in the interaction. Our findings reveal that VDAC1 serves as the target of ALB, leading to the inhibition of lipid synthesis, presents potential target and candidate drugs for hyperlipidemia. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weedy rice infestation has been expanding with the increasing proportion of direct-seeded rice (DSR) systems in China. Limited herbicides are effective against weedy rice due to its high similarity with cultivated rice. Hence, it is important to figure out some non-chemical management strategies for weedy rice. One of the methods is to reduce the size of seed bank by inducing weedy rice germination. Petri dish germination experiment found that weedy rice with different seed morphologies showed an absence of primary dormancy. The field phenology study showed that weedy rice differed from cultivated rice in many features including plant height, number of tillers, fresh weight, and days required for earing when sown from 1 June to 1 October, and in the case of late sowings (between 1 August and 1 October), the plants produced no heads despite a high germination rate. Simulated field experiment to induce germination found that when soil moisture content was 22.2% and day/night temperatures were 20/15 °C, respectively, germination was more than 60% up to 10 days after sowing; at higher levels of soil moisture and temperature, germination was faster and germination percentage was higher. These results indicated that weedy rice seed bank size could be reduced by inducing the seed germination with post harvest irrigation as the seedlings would be killed overwinter in lower-middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China. • Some ecotypes of weedy rice seed showed an absence of seed dormancy. • Weedy rice phenology showed differed in many features sown from 1 June to 1 October. • Weedy rice produced no heads when sown after 1 August despite a high germination rate. • Flood irrigation before harvesting induced the seeds to germinate. • Seedlings cannot survive the winter and the seed bank will be reduced in the next year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of ternary metal oxides, MnCo 2 O 4.5 and MnNi 6 O 8 nanoparticles have been separately synthesized through chemical transformation from the corresponding bimetallic coordination polymer particles precursor under high-heating conditions. Series of electrochemical measurements are performed to examine the MnCo 2 O 4.5 and MnNi 6 O 8 electrodes, and the result shows that MnCo 2 O 4.5 structure, especially for Mn/Co-600, has much higher capacitance than that of MnNi 6 O 8 nanoparticles, indicating MnCo 2 O 4.5 electrode is more suitable for applying in neutral electrolyte system. The Mn/Co-600 electrode exhibits a specific capacitance of 158 F g −1 at 5 mV s −1 , good rate capability of 53.8% with a 20 times current density increase, good cycle performance (92.9% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles) and high power density (a specific power of 5760 W kg −1 at 4.0 A g −1 ) with low charge transfer resistance value of 1.8 Ω. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical oxidation with boron-doped diamond (BDD) had been well established as an outstanding technology for wastewater treatment. In this study, BDD technology was initially used to degrade direct blue 71 (DB71) dye under galvanostatic conditions. The main and joint effects of three operating parameters (supporting electrolyte concentration, applied current density and flow rate) on oxidation performance were estimated by Box-Behnken design. Among the variables, sulfate concentration displayed the most unique roles in DB71 degradation. The optimum operating conditions obtained by response surface methodology were: 2.0 mM Na 2 SO 4 , applied current density of 7.75 mM cm−2 and flow rate of 600 mL min−1, which gave a decolorization percentage of 100%, a mineralization percentage of 50.2%, as well as an energy consumption of 3845 kWh kg−1 TOC and a mineralization efficiency of 8.7% at 120 min of electrolysis. In addition, based on the quantum chemistry calculation and identified reaction intermediates detected by LC/MS analysis, a plausible degradation sequence of DB71 in BDD anode cells was also proposed. The results obtained were expected to offer useful guidance for the application of BDD technology as powerful and green option for treating DB71 pollutants. [Display omitted] • Direct blue 71 could be effectively oxidized with boron-doped diamond. • The electrolytic degradation of DB71 was optimized by Box-Behnken design. • Sulfate electrolytes displayed significant and unique roles in DB71 degradation. • DFT, FOA and LC/MS analyses were all employed for mechanistic study. • A detailed oxidation pathway of DB71 on BDD anodes was proposed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple one-step hydrothermal reaction was used to successfully activate and modify original sepiolite. The as-prepared sepiolite/β-FeOOH composites were characterized by X-ray diffractions, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, specific surface area, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the Cr(VI) reduction efficiency in the presence of tartaric acid under simulated solar light illumination. The results show that the most optimal amount of iron modification on the surface of sepiolite was 2.8 mmol Fe 3 + /g sepiolite in the reaction dispersion. The developed sepiolite/20β-FeOOH catalyst exhibited outstanding photocatalytic performance with complete Cr(VI) reduction of after irradiation of 10 min under the test condition of c (Cr(VI)) = 100 mM, catalyst dosage = 400 mg/L, c (tartaric acid) = 40 mM and initial pH = 5. The XPS analysis verified that Cr(VI) adsorption also contributed to the Cr(VI) removal from the aqueous solution. The effects of test parameters, such as initial pH of suspension, catalyst dosage and tartaric acid concentration on Cr(VI) photocatalytic reduction rates were investigated. It has to be noted that the synthesized sepiolite/20β-FeOOH catalyst can be effective in a wide range of pH with quite good catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two nanoscale metal–organic frameworks (NMOFs), namely Co–Im and Co–Py, have been firstly prepared in poor solvent through a precipitation method. XRD, TGA and EA results show that as-synthesized NMOFs are isostructural with the reported crystal structure of {[Co(H 2 IDC) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ]·2DMF} n and {[Co(H 2 PDC)(PDC)]·3H 2 O} n molecules. High temperature calcining of these Co-based NMOFs can result in pseudo-capacitive Co 3 O 4 electrodes. Series of electrochemical measurements indicated that the as-prepared Co 3 O 4 material could deliver a maximum specific capacitance of 233 F g −1 , good stability over 1500 cycles with the capacitance retention of 89.8% and low charge-transfer resistance of 1.22 Ω. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nanoparticles of single-phase akaganeite (β-FeOOH) were synthesized by an ultrasound–microwave assisted method. The synthesis parameters were optimized by means of response surface methodology. X-ray diffractions (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), UV–vis diffused reflection spectra (UV–vis DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and specific surface area were used to characterize the as-prepared samples. The catalytic activity of the prepared β-FeOOH was evaluated in a heterogeneous photo-Fenton-like process using methyl orange as target pollutant. It is found that the reaction temperature and interaction between microwave and ultrasound have a significant influence on the catalytic properties of the prepared β-FeOOH samples. The β-FeOOH prepared at microwave power of 400 W, ultrasound power of 200 W, reaction temperature of 70 °C and reaction time of 3 h, exhibited considerable catalytic activity in weak alkaline solution and under visible light irradiation, which would be of great promise for the industrial application of this catalyst to oxidize organic pollutants for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DA is a dual-PPAR-α/γ and PPAR-γ partial agonist. • DA alleviates HFD-induced insulin resistance via PPAR-γ. • DA alleviates HFD-induced hepatic steatosis via PPAR-α. Dual-PPAR-α/γ agonist has the dual potentials to improve insulin resistance (IR) and hepatic steatosis associated with obesity. This study aimed to investigate whether dehydroabietic acid (DA), a naturally occurred compound, can bind to and activate both PPAR-γ and PPAR-α to ameliorate IR and hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice.. We found that DA formed stable hydrogen bonds with the ligand-binding domains of PPAR-γ and PPAR-α. DA treatment also promoted 3T3-L1 differentiation via PPAR-γ activation, and mitochondrial oxygen consumption in HL7702 cells via PPAR-α activation. In HFD-fed mice, DA treatment alleviated glucose intolerance and IR, and reduced hepatic steatosis, liver injury markers (ALT, AST), and lipid accumulation, and promoted mRNA expression of PPAR-γ and PPAR-α signaling elements involved in IR and lipid metabolism in vivo and in vitro , and inhibited mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory factors. Therefore, DA is a dual-PPAR-α/γ and PPAR-γ partial agonist, which can attenuate IR and hepatic steatosis induced by HFD-consumption in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caption: Proposed mechanism of the MG-mediated alleviation of AD. MG may be binding and activating PPAR-γ, then induce LXR , ABCA1 , and ApoE expression, which mediate the effective lysosomal clearance of Aβ in microglia. At the same time, MG inhibited the NF-κB and mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, it can activate Nrf2-ARE and reduce the production of ROS. • Magnolol is a natural PPAR-γ agonist with potent binding affinities. • Magnolol improves Aβ pathology in transgenic C. elegans via PPAR-γ. • Magnolol promoting microglia phagocytosis and the degradation of Aβ through activation of PPAR-γ. This study aims to investigate whether magnolol (MG), a natural neolignane compound, can prevent AD induced by beta-amyloid (Aβ) and the possible mechanisms involved. MG dose-dependently reduces Aβ deposition, toxicity and memory impairment caused by Aβ in transgenic C. elegans. More importantly, these effects are reversed by GW9662, a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) antagonist. MG is more effective in enhancing PPAR-γ luciferase levels than honokiol (HK). Meanwhile, MG has the potential to bind with the ligand binding domain of PPAR-γ (PPAR-γ-LBD). As expected, MG inhibited the luciferase activity of NF-κB and its target genes of inflammatory cytokines, and this effect was blocked by GW9662. The luciferase activity of Nrf2-ARE expression can be activated by MG and decreased Aβ-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). The target gene LXR of PPAR-γ is activated by MG, which upregulates ApoE and promotes microglia phagocytosis and the degradation of Aβ, and these effects were also reversed by GW9662. In summary, MG can attenuate Aβ-induced AD and the underlying mechanism is the reduction of inflammation and promotion of phagocytosis and degradation of Aβ, which is dependent on PPAR-γ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Kaempferol maintains cell viability and membrane integrity in RGC cells injured by high glucose • Kaempferol reduces apoptosis and caspase-3 activity in RGC cells exposed to high glucose • Kaempferol inhibits ROS in RGC exposed to high glucose • Kaempferol protected RGC cells by modulating ERK activation and VASH1 expression Kaempferol is a medicinal flavonol derived from the roots of Kaempferia galanga L. Kaempferol can affect cell survival, apoptosis, and anti-oxidation, though its role and underlying mechanism in retinal ganglion cells with high-glucose injury remains unclear. In this study, we explored kaempferol's role in high-glucose injury in cells from the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) line. RGC cells were isolated and then cultured in high glucose (55 mmol/L) for 0 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, or 72 h, and results showed decreased cell viability at 48 h and 72 h. We treated RGC cells with different concentrations of kaempferol (0 μmol/L, 20 μmol/L, 40 μmol/L, 60 μmol/L, 80 μmol/L, or 100 μmol/L) and high-glucose (55 mmol/L) for 48 h. The data indicated inhibited lactate dehydrogenase leakage, apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Moreover, whereas cell viability increased in RGC cells that were incubated with kaempferol (60 μmol/L, 80 μmol/L, or 100 μmol/L) and glucose (55 mmol/L), compared with glucose alone. Kaempferol (60 μmol/L) elevated ERK phosphorylation and vasohibin-1 (VASH1) expression, and inhibition of ERK phosphorylation reversed the effect of kaempferol (60 μmol/L) on VASH1 expression in RGC cells with high-glucose injury. Additionally, interference of VASH1 by VASH1 siRNA markedly reversed the effects of kaempferol (60 μmol/L) on cell viability, caspase-3 activity, and ROS levels in RGC cells with high glucose injury. Taken together, the results suggest that kaempferol protected retinal ganglion cells from high-glucose-induced injury via ERK and VASH1 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]