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Microarc oxidized calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramic coatings were fabricated on Mg-2Sr alloy from silicate electrolytes with different concentration gradient poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG 1000 ). The microstructure, phase and degradability of the ceramic coatings were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and simulation body fluid (SBF) immersion tests respectively. An electrochemical workstation was used to investigate the electrochemical corrosion properties of the coatings. It is found that microstructure, thickness, adhesive strength and degradation rate are influenced by PEG 1000 incorporation through adjusting the electrolyte activity and then altering the coating growth mechanism. Similar thicknesses (39.0-42.2 μm) are observed in PEG 1000 -containing coatings while their PEG 1000 -free counterparts possess the maximum value (51.5 μm). The weight gain in the first two days of SBF immersion suggests that a new layer containing CaP apatites is generated. Results show that ceramic coatings prepared in the electrolyte containing 8 g L -1 PEG 1000 exhibits the highest corrosion resistance and lowest degradation rate., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Current strategies for influenza virus vaccines primarily aim to elicit immune responses towards the globular head domain of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein so that binding of the virus to membrane receptors on the host cells is inhibited. In the present study, we show a novel strategy to generate immunity against the highly conserved region of the influenza virus. The globular head domain was replaced by different linkers to generate a headless HA (stalk domain) and then coexpressed with influenza M1 proteinin Tni insect cells. The expression was validated by western blot analysis, and stalk domain with peptides (GGGGS)4 linkers was identified to anchor in a stable way to the cell membrane. An immunoelectron microscope showed that stalk domain with (GGGGS)4 linkers were steadily incorporated to the surface of influenza virus-like particles (VLPs). Mice immunized with these VLPs exhibited enhanced systemic antibody responses with increased binding avidity and study found high titers of ADCC antibodies to the influenza virus, these VLPs also induced mucosal immune responses and produced antigen-specific IgG and IgA in nasal and lung washes. In addition, antigen-specific IgG antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) increased significantly in the spleen and lymph node. The results of this study suggest that the headless HA is a useful target in developing a universal vaccine against influenza virus., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Individuals are exposed to brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), on a daily basis because of their widespread usage. These compounds may have adverse effects on human health. In the present study, dermal absorption experiments were conducted in vivo to predict the adhesion, penetration, and bioavailability of TBBPA. TBBPA was administered to Wistar rats for 6 h by repeated dermal exposure at doses of 20, 60, 200, and 600 mg of TBBPA per kg of body weight (bw). The skin adhesion coefficient (AC) was calculated using a difference-value method and ranged from 0.12 to 3.25 mg/cm 2 and 0.1 to 2.56 mg/cm 2 for the male and female rats, respectively. The adhesion rate was 70.92%. According to Fick's first law of diffusion, the diffusion constant (D) was 1.4 × 10 -4  cm 2 /h and the permeation coefficient (K p ) was 1.26 × 10 -5  cm/h for TBBPA. TBBPA levels in the blood, urine, and feces of the male rats were significantly higher than those in the female rats. The dermal bioavailability of TBBPA was 24.71% for male rats and 20.05% for female rats 24 h after exposure., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Induction of broad immune responses at mucosal site remains a primary goal for most vaccines against mucosal pathogens. Abundance of evidence indicates that the co-delivery of mucosal adjuvants, including cytokines, is necessary to induce effective mucosal immunity. In the present study, we set out to evaluate the role of a chemokine, CCL20, as an effective mucosal adjuvant for HIV vaccine., Methods: To evaluate the role of CCL20 as a potent adjuvant for HIV vaccine, we examined its effects on antigen-specific antibody responses, level of antibody-secreting cells, cytokine production and intestinal homing of plasma cells in vaccine immunized mice., Results: CCL20-incorporated VLP administered by mucosal route (intranasal (n = 10, p = 0.0085) or intravaginal (n = 10, p = 0.0091)) showed much higher potency in inducing Env-specific IgA antibody response than those administered by intramuscular route (n = 10). For intranasal administration, the HIV Env-specific IFN-γ(751 pg/ml), IL-4 (566 pg/ml), IL-5 (811 pg/ml) production and IgA-secreting plasma cells (62 IgA-secreting plasma cells/10 6 cells) in mucosal lamina propria were significantly augmented in CCL20-incorporated VLP immunized mice as compared to those immunized with Env only VLPs (p = 0.0332, 0.0398, 0.033, 0.0302 for IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5, and IgA-secreting plasma cells, respectively). Further, anti-CCL20 mAb partially suppressed homing of Env-specific IgA ASCs into small intestine in mice immunized with CCL20-incorporated VLP by intranasal (62 decreased to 16 IgA- secreting plasma cells/10 6 cells, p = 0.0341) or intravaginal (52 decreased to 13 IgA- secreting plasma cells/10 6 cells, p = 0.0332) routes., Conclusion: Our data indicated that the VLP-incorporated CCL20 can enhance HIV Env-specific immune responses in mice, especially those occurring in the mucosal sites. We also found that i.m. prime followed by mucosal boost is critical and required for CCL20 to exert its full function as an effective mucosal adjuvant. Therefore, co-incorporation of CCL20 into Env VLPs when combined with mucosal administration could represent a novel and promising HIV vaccine candidate.

Cultivation of legume plants is well known to improve soil N level and net primary productivity; besides, it may deliver other ecosystem benefits such as increasing soil carbon sequestration and soil food web complexity. However, little is known about whether legumes can improve the resistance of soils to ecosystem disturbances. In the present study, we compared the resistance of soils to an ecosystem disturbance (understory removal) in the presence or absence of a legume species ( Cassia alata ) in mixed tree species plantations in southern China. Soil physico-chemical and biotic properties were employed to quantify the resistance of soils to understory removal. Our results showed that the resistance indices of soil water content, omnivorous-predacious nematode abundance and nematode channel index to understory removal were greater in the presence of legumes than those without legumes in wet season. The resistance indices of fungal to bacterial ratio, fungivorous nematode abundance and total arthropod abundance were greater in the presence of legume than those without legume species in dry season. Our results indicate that legumes may enhance the resistances of soil physico-chemical and biological properties to the ecosystem disturbance. Our findings could provide a better understanding of the myriad ways in which legumes can positively affect ecosystem functioning.

To compare the clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, and prognoses of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who were superinfected with hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), or hepatitis E virus (HEV). Two hundred and eleven patients with confirmed CHB in our hospital, a tertiary teaching hospital in China, between 2005 and 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Among 211 patients with CHB, 35 were superinfected with HAV, 31 were superinfected with HCV, 22 were superinfected with HDV, and 53 were superinfected with HEV. We analyzed and compared the clinical features of the five groups. The tested biochemical indices and markers of liver function included serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), prothrombin activity (PTA), serum albumin (Alb), and the serum levels of HBV DNA. The peak values of ALT, AST, and TBil were significantly higher in all of the superinfected groups. Lower peak Alb concentration and PTA were also observed in the superinfected patients, with the exception of patients in the CHB + HAV group. The CHB + HCV, and CHB + HEV groups had higher death rates than the CHB monoinfected group, and the difference was statistically significant. Further analysis of the liver failure groups showed that the level of HBV DNA was not correlated with prognosis. The comparison of clinical outcomes revealed that CHB patients superinfected with HCV, HDV, and HEV compared with CHB monoinfection had statistically greater incidences of exacerbation of the condition and poor prognosis, whereas the patients superinfected with HAV generally had better outcomes., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Spine magnetic resonance image (MRI) plays a very important role in the diagnosis of various spinal diseases, such as disc degeneration, scoliosis, and osteoporosis. Accurate localization and segmentation of the intervertebral disc (IVD) in spine MRI can help accelerate the diagnosis time and assist in the treatment by providing quantitative parameters. In this paper, a method based on Gabor filter bank is proposed for IVD localization and segmentation., Methods: First, the structural features of IVDs are extracted using a Gabor filter bank. Second, the Gabor features of spine are calculated and spinal curves are detected. Third, the Gabor feature images (GFI) of IVDs are calculated and adjusted according to the spinal curves. Fourth, the IVDs are localized by clustering analysis with GFI. Finally, an optimum grayscale-based algorithm with self-adaptive threshold, combined with the localization results and Gabor features of the spine, is performed for IVDs segmentation., Results: The proposed method is verified by an MRI dataset consisting of 278 IVDs from 37 patients. The accuracy of localization is 98.23 % and the dice similarity index for segmentation evaluation is 0.9237., Conclusions: The proposed Gabor filter based method is effective for IVD localization and segmentation. It would be useful in computer-aided diagnosis of IVD diseases and computer-assisted spine surgery.

Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor in the central nervous system (CNS) with high morbidity and mortality in adults. Although standardized comprehensive therapy has been adapted, the prognosis of glioma patients is still frustrating and thus novel therapeutic strategies are urgently in need. Quercetin (Quer), an important flavonoid compound found in many herbs, is shown to be effective in some tumor models including glioma. Recently, it is reported that adequate regulation of autophagy can strengthen cytotoxic effect of anticancer drugs. However, it is not yet fully clear how we should modulate autophagy to achieve a satisfactory therapeutic effect. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) and Beclin1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) were used to inhibit the early stage of autophage while chloroquine (CQ) to inhibit the late stage. MTT assay was implemented to determine cell viability. Transmission electron microscopy, western blot, and immunohistochemistry were adopted to evaluate autophagy. Western blot, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect apoptosis. C6 glioma xenograft models were established to assess the therapeutic effect (the body weight change, the median survival time, and tumor volume) in vivo. Quercetin can inhibit cell viability and induce autophagy of U87 and U251 glioma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of early-stage autophagy by 3-MA or shRNA against Beclin1 attenuated the quercetin-induced cytotoxicity. In contrast, suppression of autophagy at a late stage by CQ enhanced the anti-glioma efficiency of quercetin. Therapeutic effect of quercetin for malignant glioma can be strengthened by inhibition of autophagy at a late stage, not initial stage, which may provide a novel opportunity for glioma therapy.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is widely used as a flame retardant and frequently detected in environmental and biological samples. In this study, male Wistar rats were repeatedly exposed by dermal application to 20, 60, 200 and 600 mg TBBPA/kg body weight during 90 days. Concentrations of TBBPA in serum, urine and feces after dermal exposure were determined. TBBPA concentrations in serum ranged from 19.04 to 427.20 g/g lipids. The percentage of TBBPA dose recovered in serum on the 90th day varied from 0.002 ± 0.002% to 0.013 ± 0.008%, and the percentage of dose excreted in urine varied from 0.004 ± 0.002% to 0.072 ± 0.027%, while the percentage of dose recovered in feces were 3.30 ± 0.61% to 11.13 ± 3.16%. The results showed that about 3.31-11.21% TBBPA was absorbed dermally under different dosing regimens. TBBPA was excreted mainly in feces and small only amounts were recovered in urine., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Terahertz waves have unique properties and advantages, which makes it gain increasing attention and applications in the biomedical field. Burns is a common clinical trauma. Since the water-sensitive and non-destructive characteristics of terahertz, terahertz imaging techniques can be used to detect burns. So far, terahertz imaging technology in the assessment of burn injuries has been developed from ex vivo to in vivo, and high-resolution images can be obtained through the gauzes and plasters. In this paper, we mainly introduces the application of terahertz imaging technology and development in the assessment of burn injuries.

Thirty-one Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) isolated from domestic and wild birds in Shandong Province, China (2006-2014) were characterized genetically, pathogenically and antigenically. Phylogenetic analysis classified the viruses into a single genotype under Class I, and four genotypes under Class II. The nineteen viruses classified in genotype VII of Class II were velogenic, while the other viruses were either mesogenic or lentogenic to chickens. Some NDV isolates (17/23) showed no neutralizing reactivity with a monoclonal antibody developed against the HN protein of the LaSota strain, reflecting the mutation at the related antigenic epitope. When challenged with two genotype VII NDV isolates, LaSota-vaccinated SPF chickens were prevented from disease development, but virus shedding was detected for at least 5 days post challenge. Circulation of the same NDV isolate for up to 13 years suggested the role of an environmental reservoir in NDV perpetuation, and reinforced the importance of strict biosecurity measures in addition to vaccination for disease control., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The use of pyridine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (H2 pydc) in the construction of Sr(II) and Sr(II) -M(II) (M=Co, Ni, Zn and Cu) coordination polymers is reported. Eight complexes, that is, [Sr(pydc)H2 O]n (1), [MSr(pydc)2 (H2 O)2 ]n (M=Co (2), Ni (3), Zn (4)), [ZnSr(pydc)2 (H2 O)7 ]n ⋅4 nH2 O (5), [SrCu(pydc)2 ]n (6), [SrCu(pydc)2 (H2 O)3 ]n ⋅2 nH2 O (7), and [Cu3 Sr2 (pydc)4 (Hpydc)2 (H2 O)2 ]n (8), have been synthesized via dexterously choosing the appropriate strontium sources and transition metal salts, and rationally controlling the temperature of the reaction systems. Complexes 1, 2 (3, 4), 6, and 8 display four types of 3-D framework structures. Complexes 5 and 7 exhibit a 2-D network and a 1-D chain structure, respectively. The 2-D complex 7 can be reversibly transformed into 3-D compound 6 through temperature-induced solvent-mediated structural transformation. The luminescent property studies indicated that complex 1 shows a strong purple luminescent emission and 4 exhibits a strong violet luminescence emission. The magnetic properties of 2, 3, and 8 were also studied. Antiferromagnetic M(II) ⋅⋅⋅M(II) interactions were determined for these complexes., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) was identified as a novel gene expressed in the adventitia and neointima on arterial injury and was found to be overexpressed in several malignant tumors, such as breast cancer and malignant melanoma. However, the expression of Cthrc1 and its role in gastric cancer progression remain unknown. We investigated the expression of the Cthrc1 protein by immunohistochemistry in 30 normal tissues from the control subjects and 166 gastric carcinomas and analyzed its correlation with various clinicopathological features, including patient outcome. Cthrc1 immunoreactivity was overexpressed in gastric carcinoma cases compared with normal tissues (P < .001). High Cthrc1 expression was found in 108 (65.06%) of these 166 carcinomas and was positively correlated with the American Joint Committee on Cancer stage classification, depth of gastric wall invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular space involvement, and recurrence but not with age, tumor site, and carcinoembryonic antigen level. Patients with high Cthrc1 expression had significantly poorer overall survival and disease-free survival compared with patients with low expression of Cthrc1 (P = .001 and P = .002, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that high Cthrc1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for both overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with gastric carcinoma (both P = .005). These results showed that high Cthrc1 expression was associated with progression and prognosis of gastric carcinoma., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A facile and efficient method for the precise editing of large viral genomes is required for the selection of attenuated vaccine strains and the construction of gene therapy vectors. The type II prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas)) RNA-guided nuclease system can be introduced into host cells during viral replication. The CRISPR-Cas9 system robustly stimulates targeted double-stranded breaks in the genomes of DNA viruses, where the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR) pathways can be exploited to introduce site-specific indels or insert heterologous genes with high frequency. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas9 can specifically inhibit the replication of the original virus, thereby significantly increasing the abundance of the recombinant virus among progeny virus. As a result, purified recombinant virus can be obtained with only a single round of selection. In this study, we used recombinant adenovirus and type I herpes simplex virus as examples to demonstrate that the CRISPR-Cas9 system is a valuable tool for editing the genomes of large DNA viruses.

Polymorphisms in excision repair cross-complementing rodent repair deficiency complementation group 1 (ERCC1) gene have been shown to affect individual susceptibility to glioma, though studies have yielded conflicting results. This meta-analysis aims to derive a more precise estimation of the association between ERCC1 C8092A and C118T polymorphisms and glioma risk. A literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases was conducted to identify all eligible studies published before August 5, 2013. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with their corresponding confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to assess the strength of this association. A meta-analysis was performed by reviewing seven studies on the C8092A polymorphism (2,978 cases and 4,051 controls) and four studies on the C118T polymorphism (1,390 Asian cases and 1,546 Asian controls). Pooled analysis yielded a significant association between the C8092A variant genotype and increased risk of glioma. As for ethnicity, the A allele was associated with increased risk of glioma in Asians, while no similar finding was observed in Caucasians. Stratified analyses by histological subtype indicated that the C8092A polymorphism showed a significant association with the risk of non-glioblastoma multiforme. For the C118T polymorphism, increased glioma susceptibility was also observed among Asians. Taken together, results from our meta-analysis support the view that common variants in ERCC1 may contribute to susceptibility to glioma, especially in Asians. However, further studies investigating the significance of these two polymorphisms as markers of susceptibility to and disease progression of glioma are still needed.

Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is a copper-dependent amine oxidase that plays important roles in the development and homeostasis of primary brain tumors such as glioma. The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms in the LOX gene were associated with susceptibility to glioma. We tested two functional polymorphisms of LOX, -22G/C and 473G/A, and compared them between 466 glioma cases and 502 healthy controls in the Chinese population. Results showed that the prevalence of 473AA genotype was significantly increased in cases than in controls (p = 0.001). Individuals who carried 473A allele had a 1.44-fold of increased risk for glioma than those with 473G allele (p = 0.002). In addition, when analyzing the survival time of glioma patients with LOX 473G/A polymorphism, cases with AA genotype had significantly shorter survival time compared to the patients carrying G allele (25.0 months vs 43.0 months, p = 0.0009). These results suggested that polymorphism in LOX gene was associated with increased susceptibility to glioma and could be used as prognostic factor for this malignancy., (© 2013 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties are described for a {Co16} cluster [Co(II)16O(OH)2(bha)12(PhCO2)4(Phen)2(MeOH)4]·2MeOH (1) and a 1-D Mn(II) chain complex [Mn(Hbha)2]n·(2MeOH)n (2) (H2bha = benzohydroxamic acid; Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). The 1 : 1 : 0.5 reaction of Co(O2CMe)2·4H2O, H2bha and 1,10-phenanthroline in MeOH at 100 °C under autogenous pressure gave cluster 1. Complex 2 was obtained from the 1 : 1 reaction mixture of Mn(O2CMe)2·2H2O and H2bha in MeOH under solvothermal conditions. The {Co16} cluster can be thought as a face-centered cube with two wings. The H2bha ligands show hydroximic form in 1 and exhibit hydroxamic mode in 2. The hydroximate ligands in 1 display three distinct binding modes, one of which is novel. Variable-temperature solid-state dc magnetic susceptibility studies have been performed in the 2.0-300 K range for complexes 1 and 2. Antiferromagnetic M(II)···M(II) exchange interactions were found for both 1 and 2. This work also demonstrates that solvothermal method is a potential synthetic approach for the design and growth of high nuclearity clusters or chain complexes of the H2bha ligand.

Eight novel Sr(II)-Ln(III) heteronuclear coordination polymers based on pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (H2pda) and imidazole (im) ligands, namely, [LnSr(pda)3(H2O)5]·Him·H2O (Ln = Eu (1), Gd (2), Tb (3)), [Ln2Sr(pda)6(H2O)5]·4Him·C2H5OH·nH2O (Ln = Eu (4), n = 5; Gd (5), n = 4), [LnSr(pda)3(H2O)4]·Him·3H2O (Ln = Gd (6), Tb (7)), and [GdSr(pda)3(H2O)5]·Him·C2H5OH·3H2O (8), have been prepared by employing different amounts of imidazole. X-ray crystal structure analysis reveals that these compounds exhibit a rich structural chemistry. Complexes 1-3 possess 2-D frameworks. Complexes 4-5, 6-7, and 8 exhibit three types of 1-D chain structure. The structures of the complexes could be rationally tuned via adding different amounts of imidazole. The luminescent properties of these complexes have been investigated. The results show that Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes exhibit intense red and green luminescence emission which are characteristics of Tb(III) and Eu(III), respectively. Solid-state quantum yield and the lifetime of these complexes are also reported.

The employment of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (H2pda) and imidazole (im) in the synthesis of Sr(II)-Sm(III) and Sr(II)-Dy(III) coordination polymers has been reported. Seven novel heterometallic coordination polymers of compositions, [Dy3Sr3(pda)7(Hpda)(H2O)9]·6H2O (1), [LnSr(pda)3(H2O)5]·Him·H2O (Ln = Sm(2), Dy(3)), [Ln2Sr(pda)6(H2O)5]·4Him·C2H5OH·nH2O (Ln = Sm(4), n = 4; Dy(5), n = 5), [Sm2Sr2(pda)5(H2O)9]·2H2O (6) and [DySr(pda)3(H2O)4]·Him·3H2O (7), have been prepared and characterized. Complexes 1, 2-3, and 6 display three varieties of 2-D structures. 4-5 and 7 exhibit two types of 1-D chain structures. The structures of the complexes could be controlled via choosing appropriate starting materials and tuning the amount of imidazole. The photo-luminescent properties of these complexes have been investigated. The results show the exclusive luminescence emission bands being characteristic of Sm(III) and Dy(III).

The gelatin was added into pullulan films to improve their performances and lower their cost. The gelatin addition raised the tensile strength of the gelatin-pullulan composite films, and reduced the oxygen permeability. The cost of composite films was reduced comparing to that of the pullulan films. Moreover, the molecular interaction of the composite film was evaluated. The interactions of gelatin and pullulan in the composite films were detected, such as (1) formation of 2 glycosylated proteins; (2) improvement of β-sheet content; (3) formation of the interchain hydrogen bond and a semicrystalline region. Therefore, the molecular interaction was the main reason for the performance improvement of the composite films., (© 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®)

Inhibitor of apoptosis protein-like protein-2 (ILP-2) has only been detected in the testis and in lymphoblastoid cells. Although previous studies have not reported the presence of ILP-2 in breast cancer tissues, this study indicates the presence of ILP-2 in breast cancer serum samples. To validate whether ILP-2 is a novel serological biomarker for breast cancer, we conducted two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry analysis on 400 breast cancer serum samples and 40 non-cancer serum samples (i.e., healthy controls). We then performed a Western blot analysis of 10 breast cancer serum samples and 10 non-cancer serum samples. Finally, we analyzed 35 serum samples from healthy controls or subjects with breast cancer, other types of cancer, galactophore hyperplasia or breast cancer post-surgery by using 2DE and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our results indicate that ILP-2 is a novel breast cancer biomarker in the peripheral blood.

Background: Cottonseed protein is widely regarded as a potential source of nutrients for humans and animals, but it is mainly used as forage in China. In the present study, Neutrase was employed to hydrolyse cottonseed protein to produce a hydrolysate with antioxidant activity suitable for conversion to high-value products. The antioxidant potential of the cottonseed protein hydrolysate (CPH) and its fractions was investigated using different in vitro methods. Furthermore, the amino acid composition of the CPH fractions was determined to evaluate the relationship between antioxidant activity and amino acid composition., Results: The CPH prepared using Neutrase was separated into four fractions (I, II, III and IV) by gel filtration on Sephadex G-25. All fractions were effective antioxidants, with fraction III (0.8-1.2 kDa) showing the strongest activity. The amino acid analysis showed that fraction III also had the highest total amino acid content (616.8 g kg(-1) protein) and was rich in Phe, His, Pro, Met, Ile and Cys compared with the other fractions., Conclusion: The results showed that the hydrolysate derived from cottonseed protein, particularly fraction III, could be a natural antioxidant source suitable for use as a food additive., (Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was carried out in Erlenmeyer flasks by Lactobacillus brevis NCL912. Traditional methods were first adopted to select the key factors that impact the GABA production to preliminarily determine the suitable concentration ranges of the key factors. It was found that glucose, soya peptone, Tween-80 and MnSO(4).4H(2)O were the key factors affecting GABA production. Then, response surface methodology was applied to analyze the optimum contents of the four key factors in the medium, and the production of GABA was predicted as 349.69 mM under the optimized conditions with this model. Afterward, the experiment was performed under the optimized conditions, and the yield of GABA reached 345.83 mM, which was 130% higher than the initial medium. The results showed that experimental yield and predicted values of GABA yield were in good agreement.