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Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Simple Summary: Crucian carp (Carassius auratus) is a freshwater fish that is popular due to its high nutritional value and delicious taste. It has become one of the most commonly farmed fish species, particularly in China. With the rapid development of intensive aquaculture, fish are becoming increasingly vulnerable to various pathogens that can cause significant economic losses. To reduce these losses, treatment with effective antibacterials is necessary. Although not approved in China, difloxacin is being used extensively in an extra-label manner to treat infections in aquaculture. However, the dosage guidelines specific to fish have not been established, resulting in the extrapolation of mammalian dosing regimens. Because fish are poikilotherms with unique physiologies and anatomies, dosing regimens intended for mammals may not be appropriate for them. In this research paper, we have employed a sparse sampling method and non-linear mixed effect modeling to develop population pharmacokinetics models. In addition, we have determined the values of the PK/PD parameter (free AUC/MIC) by utilizing previously published MIC data. Based on the free AUC/MIC values calculated herein, the current oral dose of difloxacin (20 mg/kg body weight) might be not enough to treat infections in crucian carp. This study aimed to investigate the population pharmacokinetics of difloxacin in crucian carp (Carassius auratus) orally provided a single dose of 20 mg/kg body weight (BW). To achieve this, fish were sampled at various intervals using a sparse sampling strategy, and plasma samples were analyzed using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Subsequently, naïve average data were analyzed using a non-compartmental method, and a population model was developed based on the nonlinear mixed effects approach. The covariate of BW and the relationship between covariances were sequentially incorporated into the population model. However, it was found that only covariance and not BW affected the population parameters. Therefore, the covariance model was taken as the final population model, which revealed that the typical values of the absorption rate constant (tvKa), apparent volume of distribution per bioavailability (tvV), and clearance rate per bioavailability (tvCl) were 1.18 1/h, 14.18 L/kg, and 0.20 L/h/kg, respectively. Based on the calculated free AUC/MIC values, the current oral dose of difloxacin (20 mg/kg BW) cannot generate adequate plasma concentrations to inhibit pathogens with MIC values above 0.83 μg/mL. Further study should be carried out to collect the pathogens from crucian carp and determine the MIC data of difloxacin against them. Pharmacodynamic experiments must also be further carried out to determine the optimal therapeutic dose for the treatment of Aeromonas hydrophila infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-derived alkaloids are a kind of very important natural organic compounds. Nitidine chloride is one of the main active ingredients in Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. which is a frequently-used Chinese herbal medicine. Z. nitidum has many kinds of efficacy, such as activating blood circulation and removing stasis, promoting qi circulation and relieving pain, and detoxication and detumescence. In China, Z. nitidum is usually used for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, toothache, and traumatic injury. At present, there are numerous studies of nitidine chloride with regard to its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, etc. However, a systematic, cutting-edge review of nitidine-related studies is extremely lacking. The present paper aimed at comprehensively summarizing the information on the extraction, separation and purification, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and formulation of nitidine chloride. The knowledge included in the present study were searched from the following academic databases involving Web of Science, PubMed, Google scholar, Elsevier, CNKI and Wanfang Data, till July 2022. In terms of nitidine chloride extraction, enzymatic method and ultrasonic method are recommended. Resin adsorption and chromatography were usually used for the separation and purification of nitidine chloride. Nitidine chloride possesses diversified therapeutical effects, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, anti-colitis, anti-malaria, anti-osteoporosis, anti-rheumatoid and so on. According to pharmacokinetics, the intestinal absorption of nitidine chloride is passive diffusion, and it is rarely excreted with urine and feces in the form of prototype drug. Nitidine chloride has a moderate binding to plasma protein, which is independent of the drug concentration. As to toxicology, nitidine chloride showed certain toxicity on liver, kidney and heart. Certain new formulations, such as nanoparticle, microsphere and nanomicelle, could increase the therapeutic effect and decrease the toxicity of nitidine chloride. Despite limitations such as poor solubility, low bioavailability and certain toxicity, nitidine chloride is still a promising natural alkaloid for drug candidates. Extensive and intensive exploration on nitidine chloride is essential to promote the usage of nitidine-based drugs in the clinic practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Journal of Irrigation & Drainage Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dengzhanxixin (DZXX), the dried whole plant of Erigeron breviscapus (Vaniot) Hand.-Mazz., belonging to Compositae and first published in Materia Medica of South Yunnan by Lan Mao in the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD–1644 AD), is included in Medicinal Materials and Decoction Pieces of the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China. Its main chemical components are flavonoids that mainly include flavonoid, flavonols, dihydroflavones, flavonol glycosides, flavonoid glycosides, coffee acyl compounds, and other substances, such as volatile oil compounds, coumarins, aromatic acids, pentacyclic terpenoids, phytosterols, and xanthones. Among them, scutellarin and 1,5-dicoffeoylquininic acid are the main active components of DZXX. DZXX has pharmacological effects, such as improving cerebral and cerebrovascular ischemia, increasing blood flow, inhibiting platelet aggregation, promoting antithrombotic formation, improving microcirculation, reducing blood viscosity, protecting optic nerves, exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties, scavenging free radicals, and eliciting antioxidant activities. It is widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ischemic diseases, kidney diseases, liver diseases, diabetic complications, and glaucoma. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that the active components of DZXX have a low bioavailability and a high elimination rate in vivo. Nevertheless, its utilization can be improved through liposome preparation and combination with other drugs. Acute and subacute toxicity studies have shown that DZXX is a safe medicinal material widely used in clinical settings. However, its target and drug action mechanism are unclear because of the complexity of its composition. In this paper, the clinical application and pharmacological toxicology of DZXX are reviewed to provide a reference for further studying its active components and action mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To evaluate the bioequivalence of two different tofacitinib citrate tablets formulations among healthy Chinese subjects under fasting and fed conditions and to observe the safety of test preparation and reference preparation in healthy subjects. Method. This randomized, open-label, 2-period, crossover, bioequivalence study included 64 healthy Chinese subjects (fasting: n = 32, fed: n = 32). The subjects were assigned to receive a single 5-mg dose of the test or a reference tofacitinib citrate tablets. Blood samples were collected at predose and up to 24 hours after dosing. Area under the plasma concentration time curve from zero to the last measurable concentration (AUC0-t), the area from time zero to infinite (AUC0-∞), and maximum plasma concentration ( C max ) were used for bioequivalence assessment. Safety assessment was conducted by vital signs, physical examination, laboratory examination, and 12-lead electrocardiogram during the study, from the time the subject receiving the test drug to the end of the last visit. Results. Under fed condition, the 90% CIs of the geometric mean ratios of the test/reference for tofacitinib citrate tablets were 98.40–104.16% for AUC0-t, 89.96–116.70% for C max , and 98.50–104.15% for AUC0-∞. Under fasting condition, the 90% CIs of the geometric mean ratios of the test/reference for tofacitinib citrate tablets were 93.65–101.60% for AUC0-t, 90.06–109.15% for C max , and 93.88–101.51% for AUC0-∞. There were no serious events. Conclusion. The 90% CI for the geometric mean ratio (test/reference) of C max , AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞ were within the range of 80.00%–125.00%, indicating that the test formulation was equivalent to the reference formulation in healthy Chinese subjects under both fasting and fed conditions. They are similar in terms of safety. This trial is registered with CTR20190366. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study used various amounts of P-arsanilic acid (AsA) in pot experiments to evaluate the effects of AsA on arsenic (As) accumulation, speciation and meanwhile using the in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model to evaluate the bioavailability of As in rice. The results indicated a linear relationship between As in rice and As in soil, and at 75 mg AsA/kg of soil, As content in rice exceeded the statutory permissible limit of 0.2 mg As/kg dry weight in China. Speciation studies indicated that inorganic As (Asi), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) were the main As species in rice. Bioavailability of As experiment indicated that As uptake and transport amount by Caco-2 cells increased with increasing As accumulation in rice. In general, the content of AsA in soil reached or exceeded 75 mg/kg, which is not suitable for growing rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beneficial utilization of potentially increasing urban green waste (UGW) is critical for sustainable urban development in China. In this study, UGW was pyrolyzed at different temperatures, and the resulting biochar was used to amend Cd-contaminated soils to grow cabbage. Our results showed that the Cd adsorption capacity of UGW-biochar was positively correlated with the surface area, O/C, and (O+N)/C value of biochar. Furthermore, UGW-biochar was incorporated into three Cd-contaminated soils, including one acidic soil and two neutral soils, to assess its impact on the availability of Cd. The most substantial reduction in the concentration of available Cd was observed in the acidic soil, of the three tested soils. In the neutral soils, a more substantial reduction was found in the heavily Cd-contaminated soil compared to the lightly Cd-contaminated soil. UGW-biochar amendments to the three Cd-contaminated soils resulted in an increase in the cabbage biomass in acidic soil, whereas in neutral soils, it increased in lightly contaminated soils but decreased in heavily contaminated soils. Additionally, the Cd bioaccumulation factor (BCF), translocation factor (TF), and removal efficiency (RE), as impacted by the biochar application, were calculated in the lightly Cd-contaminated soil–cabbage system. The BCF decreased from 5.84 to 3.80 as the dosage of the UGW-biochar increased from 0% to 3%, indicating that the UGW-biochar immobilized Cd and reduced its bioaccumulation in cabbage roots. Based on our investigations, UGW-biochar effectively immobilizes Cd by reducing its mobility and bioavailability in a lightly contaminated environment matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite large scale intervention programmes, iron deficiency anemia and zinc deficiency remains the most widely prevalent nutritional problem in the world. Widespread deficiencies of iron and zinc, commonly found in developing country such as China dependent on plant foods, necessitate food-based strategies to maximise their bioavailability from plant foods. In this paper, ß-carotene-rich vegetables were evaluated for their effects on the bioavailability of iron and zinc from cereals and legumes by employing in vitro digestions. Addition of carrot or spinach (2.5 g and 5 g per 10 g of grain) significantly enhanced the bioavailability of iron and zinc from the food grains, the percent increase being 9.4--73.8 in the case of carrot and 11-- 179% in the case of spinach. Pure ß-carotene added at an equivalent level also enhanced the bioavailability of iron (9.6--97.6% increase) and zinc (13--92.4% increase) from the cereals examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DOP is highly bioavailable in Lake Taihu, China, especially in Meiliang Bay. • DOP utilization is vital in shaping phytoplankton community in P-deficient waters. • High APA expression is not equal to the high capacities of DOP utilization. • Low algal APA implies the restriction of other factors under P-deficient conditions. • APA can be used to optimize the prediction of algal blooms in P-deficient lakes. Dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) could be transformed to dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) under phosphorus (P) deficient conditions by various enzymes, among which alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) is regarded as the most important one. To better understand the different response of phytoplankton to DOP and the role of alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in phytoplankton growth in natural waters, the distribution of P, APA, and phytoplankton density were measured at 12 sites in Lake Taihu, China, in summer, autumn, and winter of 2016. In this study, 34.12% of DOP could be hydrolyzed, indicative of the high bioavailability of DOP in Lake Taihu, especially in Meiliang Bay. More than 70% of enzymatically hydrolyzed DOP came from alkaline phosphatase-hydrolyzed DOP, verifying that APA had a major role in hydrolyzing DOP to fulfill the DIP requirements of phytoplankton, and that phosphomonoesters were the main form of bioavailable DOP in Lake Taihu. Redundancy analysis implied a high capacity of DOP use may be important for species dominance under P-deficient conditions, but high APA expression is not equal to the high capacities of DOP utilization. In this study, phytoplankton density was significantly positive with bulk APA, algal APA and bacteria APA. APA, despite of its complex contributors, is able to increase the amount of bioavailable P for phytoplankton growth. Moreover, algal APA reflects the actual response of phytoplankton to available P under P-deficient conditions. Low algal APA means that other factors limit phytoplankton growth. Increased algal APA means that other limitations get alleviated and algae are in anxious demand for P. Therefore, this paper suggests that monitoring APA can be used as a supplementary indicator to reflect the actual demand for P of algal, thus to optimize the prediction of algal blooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch) is a natural plant resource widely used as a food and herbal medication in China. Glycycoumarin (GCM) is a major coumarin in licorice that possesses several biological activities. However, little is known about its pharmacokinetic profile. The present study aimed to describe the oral absorption, tissue distribution, and excretion of GCM in rats. Free (parent drug) and/or total (parent drug plus the glucuronidated metabolite) GCM in biological samples was quantified before and after the hydrolysis reaction with ß-glucuronidase using a reliable LC-MS/MS method. The results indicated that GCM was rapidly absorbed and transformed into its conjugated metabolites after administration. Free GCM plasma concentrations after i. v. (10 mg/kg) administration quickly decreased with an average t1/2,λz of 0.71 h, whereas the totalGCMconcentration reduced slowly with a t1/2, λz of 2.46 h. The area under the curve of glucuronidated metabolites was approximately four-times higher than that of free GCM. Presumably, because of hepatic and/or intestinal tract first-pass metabolism, GCM exhibited a poor bioavailability of 9.22%, as estimated from its total plasma concentration. Additionally, GCM was distributed rapidly and widely in various tissues except the brain. The liver had the highest concentration; further, GCM was promptly eliminated from test tissues after intraperitoneal (20 mg/kg) administration, but only a small amount of GCM was excreted via bile and urine. Overall, GCM is absorbed and rapidly transformed into its conjugated metabolites with low bioavailability; further, it is distributed in various tissues, except the brain. These pharmacokinetic results are helpful for better understanding the characteristics and pharmacological effects of GCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal tea has numerous biological activities and exhibits broad benefits for human health. In China, the flower buds of Lyonia ovalifolia are traditionally processed as herbal tea, namely White Que Zui tea (WQT). This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of ultra-high hydrostatic pressure (UHHP) pretreatment on the chemical constituents and biological activities of free, esterified, and insoluble-bound phenolic fractions from WQT. A total of 327 chemical constituents were identified by a quasi-targeted metabolomics analysis. UHHP pretreatment extremely inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell apoptosis in H2O2-induced HepG2 cells, and it increased the activities of intracellular antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) and GSH content in different phenolic fractions from WQT. In addition, after UHHP pretreatment, the anti-inflammatory effects of different phenolic fractions from WQT were improved by inhibiting the production of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Thus, the UHHP method might be a potential pretreatment strategy for improving the bioavailability of phytochemicals from natural plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic heavy metals pollution in urban soil has become a major global issue due to its adverse effects on the environment and human health. In this paper, 26 soil samples were analyzed to assess the speciation, bioavailability and human health risk of Arsenic (As), Mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) in urban soils of a heavy industrial city in NE China by using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. The results showed that As, Hg, Pb and Cd concentrations in the soil all exceed the corresponding background value of study area. Mercury displays the highest value of geo-accumulation index (Igeo), followed by Cd, Pb and As. The pollution load index (PLI) value (>2) indicates a moderate pollution level in the study area. The chemical speciation of HMs mainly exists in residual fraction except Cd. The probabilistic health risk assessment demonstrated that the mean values of Total Carcinogenic Risk (TCR) and Hazard Index (HI) calculated with total concentration are at the unacceptable level, with a higher risk to children than adults. However, the mean values calculated with bioavailable fraction are all within the acceptable level. The mean value of TCR and HI obtained by bioavailable fraction is about 96% and 95% lower than that obtained by total concentration, respectively. Thus, this study suggested that the bioavailable fraction of HMs is a more reliable parameter for health risk assessment, while the total concentration of HMs can overestimate the true risk. The results of this study provide some insight into the speciation, bioavailability and health risks of toxic heavy metals in urban soils in those heavy industrial cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth elements (REEs) are increasingly used in the high-tech sectors in the world and are therefore called burgeoning contaminants. As diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) can be used to assess the bioavailability of inorganic matters, in this paper, we evaluated, for the first time, the ecotoxicology risks of REEs and their mixtures in river sediments of China's old industrial base by DGT. During our research, taking the Songhua River system (SRS) as an example, we detected its surficial sediments, of which the DGT-labile concentration of REEs (∑REEs) was 2.07–8.76 μg/L. As for the single toxicity, the risk quotient (RQ) values of Y at all sites were significantly greater than 1; while the values of Nd and Pr in some upstream reaches were all significantly greater than the threshold (1), indicating that these adverse effects of single REEs were not neglected. In terms of the combined toxicity of REEs mixtures, we carried out an assessment of the risks of probabilistic ecotoxicology, which showed that the SRS superficial sediments had a low probability of toxicity to aquatic organisms (0.54%). • Rare earth elements (REEs) in sediments were assessed based on DGT. • Combined toxicity of REEs in sediments of an old industrial base were firstly studied. • Potential toxicities of individual REEs and mixtures have emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its high persistence in soil, oxyfluorfen has negative effects on environmental and human health. To reduce soil contamination and impacts on non-target organisms, biochar is introduced into soils to immobilize and sequestrate oxyfluorfen as a remediation practice. Three types of soils common in China were selected and biochar (rice hull, BCR) was added to investigate the desorption and bioavailability of oxyfluorfen after aging BCR for 0, 1, 3, and 6 months. Four chemical extraction methods were used to predict oxyfluorfen bioavailability. Results indicated that after addition of 0.5–2% unaged BCR, the desorption values of oxyfluorfen increased from 64–119 to 176–920 (μg/g)/(mg/L)n in the three soils compared with unamended soil. The bioaccumulation factor (BCF) values of oxyfluorfen in earthworms decreased from 0.80–1.7 to 0.10–1.56 after BCR addition. However, the desorption values decreased from 170–868 to 144–701 (μg/g)/(mg/L)n after aging. The bioavailability of oxyfluorfen in earthworms also increased after the aging treatments, while the BCF was still lower than with unaged BCR. The reduced BCF indicated lower exposure risk of oxyfluorfen to earthworms after amendment with biochar, even after aging 6 months. The bioavailability after extraction by Tenax showed a high linear correlation with uptake in earthworms, even after the 6-month aging treatment (R2 > 0.80). Consequently, BCR could be a practical method to remediate contaminated soil and the 6h Tenax method could be a sensitive and feasible tool to assess the bioavailability of oxyfluorfen in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim Our aim was to address the potential effect of the geographical range size of species on the relationships between plant traits, soil and climate in Chinese grasslands. Previous analyses tended to examine plant-environment relationships across many species while ignoring that species with different range sizes may respond differently to the environment. Here we hypothesized that leaf traits of narrow-ranging species would be more strongly correlated with soil and climatic variables than those of wide-ranging species. Location Chinese grasslands. Methods Data on leaf traits, including nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, carbon/nitrogen ratio, nitrogen/phosphorus ratio and specific leaf area, as well as species range sizes for 208 species distributed across 178 sites in Chinese grasslands were collected. Soil and climate information for each study site was also gathered. The effects of range size on leaf traits were tested using one-way ANOVA. Correlations between leaf traits, soil and climate were calculated for all species pooled together and for species partitioned into range size quartiles, from the first (narrowest- ranging 25%) to the fourth (widest-ranging 25%). Results Narrow-ranging species tended to occur at high altitude with lower temperature but higher soil nutrient concentrations compared with wide-ranging species. No direct link between leaf traits and species range sizes was detected. However, patterns of leaf-soil nutrient relationships changed significantly across levels of range size. Narrow-ranging species tended to be more sensitive to variation in soil nutrient availability than wide-ranging species, resulting in a shift from a positive leaf-soil nutrient relationship for narrow-ranging plants to no relationship for wide-ranging plants. Species responses to climatic variables were unrelated to their range sizes. Main conclusions The close relationship between leaf and soil nutrients indicates a specialization of narrow-ranging species to particular habitats whereas wide-ranging species may be able to better withstand changes in environment such as soil fertility over a large area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corydalis saxícola Bunting, also named Yanhuanglian in China, is widely used in folk prescriptions to treat hepatitis, hepato- cirrhosis and hepatic cancer. Its active components consists mainly of alkaloids, which have poor solubility in water. The previous study showed that the absolute bioavailabilities (BA) of the alkaloids were only about 10% after oral administration to rats, compared to intravenous administration. In this paper, the solid dispersion (SD) method was used to improve the BAs of dehydro- cavidine (YHL-1), coptisine (YHL-2), and dehydroapocavidine (YHL-3), the main alkaloids of the extract of Corydalis saxícola Bunting, by improving their solubility. The results showed that using PEG 4000 as a carrier at an amount equivalent to 7 folds of the extract could significantly improve the solubility of the compounds in water, pH 1.2 HC1 and pH 7.2 PBS. DSC and X-ray detection indicated that the drug might be in a dissolved or amorphous state in SD, which was different from that in the physical mixture. The formulation was further studied in terms of BA enhancement by cumulative urinary excretion after oral administration to rats. A new method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a diode-array detector (DAD) was established. The results showed that the relative BAs (RE BAs) of YHL-1, YHL-2 and YHL-3 were all significantly improved by about 1 fold after oral administration of SD solution, compared to the extract suspension (p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: The dried rhizome of Ligusticum sinense Oliv.cv. Chaxiong has been used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, anemia and stroke. A high purity extract from chaxiong (VOC, brownish yellow oil) was extracted and separated. Its main components were senkyunolide A (SA, 33.81%), N-butylphthalide (NBP, 1.38%), Neocnidilide (NOL, 16.53%), Z-ligustilide (ZL, 38.36%), and butenyl phthalide (BP, 2.48%), respectively. Little is known about the pharmacokinetics of these phthalides in Chaxiong, and different preparations to improve the physicochemistry and pharmacokinetics of VOC have not been investigated. Methods: At different predetermined time points after oral administration or intravenous administration, the concentrations of SA, NBP, NOL, ZL and BP in the rat plasma were determined using LC-MS/MS, and the main PK parameters were investigated. VOC-P188 solid dispersion and VOC-β-CD inclusion compound were prepared by melting solvent method and grinding method, respectively. Moreover, the physicochemical properties, dissolution and pharmacokinetics of VOC-P188 solid dispersion and VOC-β-CD inclusion compound in rats were assessed in comparison to VOC. Results: The absorptions of SA, NBP, NOL, ZL and BP in VOC were rapid after oral administration, and the absolute bioavailability was less than 25%. After the two preparations were prepared, dissolution rate was improved at pH 5.8 phosphate buffer solution. Comparing VOC and physical mixture with the solid dispersion and inclusion compound, it was observed differences occurred in the chemical composition, thermal stability, and morphology. Both VOC-P188 solid dispersion and VOC-β-CD inclusion compound had a significantly higher AUC and longer MRT in comparison with VOC. Conclusion: SA, NBP, NOL, ZL and BP in VOC from chaxiong possessed poor absolute oral bioavailability. Both VOC-P188 solid dispersion and VOC-β-CD inclusion compound could be prospective means for improving oral bioavailability of SA, NBP, NOL, ZL and BP in VOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pot experiment was conducted to study chemical speciations and bioavailability of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in the gray calcium soil from northwestern China, and accumulation and translocation of Cd and Pb in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown on the soil was also studied. The results showed that significant changes of Cd and Pb fractions in the soil and Cd and Pb concentrations in the wheat were observed with increasing soil Cd and Pb concentrations, and both Cd and Pb in exchangebale fraction in the soil made the greatest contribution to the accumulation of Cd and Pb in the wheat. Higher bio-concentration factors (BCFs) and translocation factors (TFs) for Cd and lower BCFs and TFs for Pb were observed in the wheat, respectively, and Cd had much higher accumulation than Pb in the edible parts of the wheat. Therefore, Cd has higher risk than Pb when people eat the wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the total concentrations and chemical fractionations of metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Fe, and Mn) in 54 surface sediment samples collected from the Huaihe River (Anhui Province) in eastern China. Compared with the average shale values, Zn and Pb exhibited the most substantial anthropogenic enrichment, especially in Fengtai and Huainan areas, the main industrial districts along the Huaihe River (Anhui Province). Low levels of Cu and Ni were observed in the sediments. Based on risk assessment code (RAC), the metals associated with weak acid soluble (F1) in the Huaihe River sediments followed the order: Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Fe. Manganese presented the most potential for releasing into the aqueous environment and can easily enter the food chain. Copper, zinc, nickel, and iron were found dominant in the residual fraction, implying that these four metals were strongly bound to the sediments. Lead showed a different partitioning pattern from that of other metals studied, with a large percentage in Fe-Mn oxide fraction, indicating that slight redox potential changes may make significant influence on the removability of Pb. Moreover, Cu in oxidizable (F3) and residual (F4) fractions presented high positive correlation with organic matter, which can explain the high percentage of Cu in these two fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence indicates that carotenoids may have particular roles in infant nutrition and development, yet data on the profile and bioavailability of carotenoids from human milk remain sparse. Milk was longitudinally collected at 2, 4, 13, and 26 weeks postpartum from twenty mothers each in China, Mexico, and the USA in the Global Exploration of Human Milk Study (n = 60 donors, n = 240 samples). Maternal and neonatal plasma was analyzed for carotenoids from the USA cohort at 4 weeks postpartum. Carotenoids were analyzed by HPLC and total lipids by Creamatocrit. Across all countries and lactation stages, the top four carotenoids were lutein (median 114.4 nmol/L), β-carotene (49.4 nmol/L), β-cryptoxanthin (33.8 nmol/L), and lycopene (33.7 nmol/L). Non-provitamin A carotenoids (nmol/L) and total lipids (g/L) decreased (p<0.05) with increasing lactation stage, except the provitamin A carotenoids α- and β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene did not significantly change (p>0.05) with lactation stage. Total carotenoid content and lutein content were greatest from China, yet lycopene was lowest from China (p<0.0001). Lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene, and lycopene concentrations in milk were significantly correlated to maternal plasma and neonatal plasma concentrations (p<0.05), with the exception that lycopene was not significantly associated between human milk and neonatal plasma (p>0.3). This enhanced understanding of neonatal exposure to carotenoids during development may help guide dietary recommendations and design of human milk mimetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves is a key mechanism of nutrient conservation for plants. The nutrient resorption efficiency is highly dependent on leaf nutrient status, species identity and soil nutrient availability. Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in most ecosystems, it is widely reported that nitrogen resorption efficiency (NRE) was highly dependent on the soil nitrogen availability and vary with N deposition. The effects of nitrogen deposition on NRE and nitrogen concentration in green and senescing leaves have been well established for forests and grasslands; in contrast, little is known on how plants in shrublands respond to nitrogen deposition across the world. In this study, we conducted a two-year nitrogen addition manipulation experiment to explore the responses of nitrogen concentration in green and senescing leaves, and NRE of seven dominant species, namely, Vitex negundo, Wikstroemia chamaedaphne, Carex rigescens and Cleistogenes chinensis from the Vitex negundo community, and Spirea trilobata, Armeniaca sibirica, V. negundo, C. rigescens and Spodiopogon sibiricus from the Spirea trilobata community, to nitrogen deposition in two typical shrub communities of Mt. Dongling in northern China. Results showed that NRE varied remarkably among different life forms, which was lowest in shrubs, highest in grasses, and intermediate in forbs, implying that shrubs may be most capable of obtaining nitrogen from soil, grasses may conserve more nitrogen by absorption from senescing leaves, whereas forbs may adopt both mechanisms to compete for limited nitrogen supply from the habitats. As the N addition rate increases, N concentration in senescing leaves ([N]s) increased consistent from all species from both communities, that in green leaves ([N]g) increased for all species from the Vitex negundo community, while no significant responses were found for all species from the Spirea trilobata community; NRE decreased for all species except A. sibirica from the Vitex community and W. chamaedaphn from the Spirea community. Given the substantial interspecific variations in nutrient concentration, resorption and the potentially changing community composition, and the increased soil nutrient availability due to fertilization may indirectly impact nutrient cycling in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the location of manufacturing in north Hangzhou, many residential areas are close to trunk roads and factory areas. This potentially exposes citizens to pollution sources such as industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust. Because pollution by cadmium (Cd) is of great concern, an extensive survey was conducted in north Hangzhou city to study the current condition of Cd contamination and any resulting hazard. Environmental materials including water, bottom mud, urban green-land soil, street dust and moss were collected. Cd concentration and chemical partitioning in the samples were determined. The results indicate that all the media in north Hangzhou have elevated Cd concentrations, the Cd content trend being: factory area > traffic area > residential area. The chemical partitioning results show that Cd in topsoil and street dust presents are mobile (9 - 61% Cd are bound in acetic acid extractable phase), which suggests a high ecological hazard potential. Environmental bioindicator moss samples were found to be loaded with Cd revealing high bioavailability of Cd in various media in north Hangzhou. This confirms the possibility of Cd being a potential biohazard in this location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human exposure to toxic heavy metals via dietary intake is of increasing concern. In this regard, the bioavailability of heavy metals in the soil-crop system is considered to be a key factor controlling plant uptake and, therefore, public health risk through food chain transfer [J. Environ. Sci. Health B 34(4) (1999) 681]. In 2002, a pot experiment was conducted to elucidate the relative significance of soil types and rice genotype on the bioavailability, uptake and partitioning of Cd by two rice cultivars with distinct affinity for Cd. The results indicated that the total uptake of Cd and accumulation in grain was dependent on both soil type and genotype effects. Cd spiking enhanced high Cd uptake and partitioning in grain. Inherent differences in soil type effecting Cd bioavailability were less significant under the Cd spiking regime as compared to non-Cd spiking. In the case of Soil-P, with low Cd bioavailability as indicated by the comparatively lower MgCl2 extractable?Cd, differences in metal affinity between genotypes dominated uptake. Conversely, inherent differences in soil type affecting Cd bioavailability dominated uptake in the low metal affinity cultivar treatments. Under the experimental conditions evaluated, the positive interaction between soil type and genotype results in elevated levels of Cd in rice grain with the Cd values exceeding the Chinese food guideline limit of 0.2 mg kg-1. The results indicated that Cd bioavailability and plant uptake is dependent on soil chemical and physical properties affecting Cd mobility, rice genotype and soil pollution status. The results further suggested that caution should be paid to rice production with the new high metal affinity genotypes on soils with inherent Cd bioavailability as with acidic Red Soils of Jiangxi Provinces, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulphur fractionation and availability to plants are poorly understood in calcareous soils. Sixty-four calcareous soils containing varying amounts of CaCO3 were collected from ten provinces in China and their S fractions determined. Organic S was the predominant fraction of S, accounting for on average 77% of the soil total S. The amounts of adsorbed sulphate were found to be negligible. 1 M HCl extracted substantially more sulphate than either 0.01 M CaCl2 or 0.016 M KH2PO4, indicating the existence of water-insoluble but acid-soluble sulphate, probably in the form of sulphate co-precipitated with CaCO3. The concentrations of water-insoluble sulphate correlated positively with the contents of CaCO3 and accounted for 0.03-40.3% (mean 11.7%) of soil total S. To test the bioavailability of water-insoluble sulphate, a sulphate-CaCO3 co-precipitate labelled with35S was prepared and added to a calcareous soil in a pot experiment with either NHor NOas the N source. In 29 days, wheat plants took up 10.6% and 3.0% of the35S added to the soil in the NHand NOtreatments, respectively. At the end of the pot experiment, the decrease of water-insoluble, acid-soluble, sulphate was more apparent in the NHthan in the NOtreatment. The results indicate that sulphate co-precipitated with CaCO3 in calcareous soils may become partly available for plant uptake, depending on rhizosphere pH, if the field precipitate is similar to the laboratory prepared sample studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg is a herbaceous perennial species distributed mainly in southern China. The Tetrastigma hemsleyanum root (THR) has been prevalently consumed as a functional tea or dietary supplement. In vitro digestion models, including colonic fermentation, were built to evaluate the release and stability of THR phenolics with the method of HPLC-QqQ-MS/MS and UPLC-Qtof-MS/MS. From the oral cavity, the contents of total phenolic and flavonoid began to degrade. Quercetin-3-rutinoside, quercetin-3-glucoside, kaempferol-3-rutinoside, and kaempferol-3-glucoside were metabolized as major components and they were absorbed in the form of glycosides for hepatic metabolism. On the other hand, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and glutathione (GSH) content were significantly increased, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was decreased in plasma and tissues of rats treated with THR extract in the oxidative stress model. These results indicated that the THR extract is a good antioxidant substance and has good bioavailability, which can effectively prevent some chronic diseases caused by oxidative stress. It also provides a basis for the effectiveness of THR as a traditional functional food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal preparation by-products, such as coal gangue, are inferior fuels enriched with trace elements (TEs). Owing to the issues surrounding the disposal of coal preparation by-products and energy shortages, Chinese researchers have strongly advocated harvesting energy from by-products. However, the secondary environmental pollution caused by such by-products has been overlooked. In this study, we aimed to assess the contamination of soil and maize (Zea mays L.) near a coal gangue–fired power plant (CGPP) in Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province, China, by TEs. The contents of 11 TEs (Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn) in soil samples and different maize tissues were measured, and their chemical speciation in soil was also determined. The results showed that the soil in the study area was polluted by the above elements to varying degrees at a very high potential ecological risk. The Cr and Pb levels in niblets of partial samples exceeded the Chinese food safety standards. The TE contents of maize tissues largely depend on the bioavailable fraction of the same elements in the soils, rather than their total contents. Pearson's correlation and hierarchical cluster analyses resulted in three clusters:(1) Pb–Zn–Cd; (2) Co–Cu–Mn–Sb–V–Be; and (3) Cr–Ni. Coal preparation by-products should not be directly combusted without pre-treatment. These results will aid readers and engineers in understanding the adverse effect of CGPPs and provide regulators and policymakers with relevant data to scientifically guide the utilisation of coal preparation by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]