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Flammulina velutipes has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant and many bioactive properties with high contents of carbohydrate, proteins and fibers. In this study, a novel proteoglycan with polysaccharide complexes and protein chain, named PGD1-1, was isolated from F. velutipes. The structural characteristics of PGD1-1 were then determined, and its anti-proliferation and pro-apoptotic activities against HepG-2 cells were demonstrated in vitro. Results proved that the average molecular weight of PGD1-1 was 32.71 kDa, and the carbohydrate and protein contents were 93.35 and 2.33%, respectively. The protein moiety was bonded to a polysaccharide chain via O-glycosidic linkage. The monosaccharides consisted of d -glucose, D-galactose and D-xylose in a molar ratio of 21.90:2.84:1.00. PGD1-1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG-2 cells by affecting cell lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide production. In addition, PGD1-1 promoted the apoptosis of HepG-2 cells, especially the early apoptosis. These findings proved that PGD1-1 was a novel potent ingredient against the proliferation of HepG-2, which will provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of the functional ingredients of the F. velutipes.

A crude polysaccharide derived from Flammulina velutipes (FVP), mainly consisting of glucose linked with β-glycosidic bonds, was administered to 6 week-old male ICR mice by gavage for five weeks, to investigate the effects on mice intestinal microbiota and immune response. The pH of the intestinal compartments decreased while short chain fatty acids concentrations increased in FVP-fed groups, in a dose dependent manner. High throughput sequencing revealed the enrichment in the diversity and an alteration in the composition of the fecal microbiota in the FVP fed mice. A significant decrease in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia were related to the energy absorption. The relative abundances of Porphyromonadaceae and Bacteroidaceae positively correlated with an increase in serum immunoglobulin and cytokines. This study indicated that this crude polysaccharide from F. velutipes could modulate the gut microbiota and represented a potential capacity of obesity suppression and immune regulation.

Lanzhou lily (Lilium davidii var. unicolor) is a perennial plant with medical and edible dual purpose in China and mainly planted in the middle area of Gansu province as a bulb crop. Like many other plants of the genus Lilium, the yield and quality of Lanzhou lily have been severely hampered by replanting failure during the cultivation. Previous reports showed that aqueous extractions of different organs from Lilium plants influenced the seed germination and seedling growth of several target plants. But the specific compounds which are responsible for the phytotoxicity remain obscure. In this study, six compounds were isolated and elucidated from the rhizosphere soil of Lanzhou lily. Among them, dibutyl phthalate, decyl trans-p-coumarate, 7-oxo-sitosterol, 6-hydroxystigmast-4-en-3-one and β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside, observably inhibited the growth of Lactuca sativa and Lanzhou lily seedlings, were clarified as main allelochemicals. They were further confirmed and quantified in the rhizosphere by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with a total concentration of 117.36 μg/g (dry soil). These findings provide allelopathic evidence of Lanzhou lily, which may be helpful for clarifying the replanting problems of Lilium plants.

Rapid senescence and short shelf-life of fresh Agaricus bisporus can cause serious economic losses. Sometimes even illegal additives are used to maintain the freshness of A. bisporus. This misconduct can bring health risks to consumers. Therefore, it is meaningful to establish shelf-life prediction model for taking necessary measures to reduce the losses, and establish storage time assessment model to evaluate the true postharvest storage duration of A. bisporus to prevent commercial misconduct. We developed storage time assessment model and shelf-life prediction model based on mushroom texture (hardness, gumminess, chewiness), signal of water mobility and typical flavor. With the extension of storage time, all the qualities of A. bisporus showed a decreasing tendency at different temperatures. Quality decreases were proven suitable to the first-order kinetic model. Gumminess was a more accurate index to assess how long postharvest A. bisporus has already been stored (the storage time), whereas chewiness was a more precise index to predict how long postharvest A. bisporus can be stored (the shelf-life). These mathematical models can be useful to assess the storage time and predict the shelf-life of fresh A. bisporus during distribution chain and storage under a temperature range of 4–20 °C.

In this study, in vitro digestion and fermentation of Flammulina velutipes ‐derived polysaccharides (FVP) were investigated. It was found that FVP mainly consisted of 48.45% glucose, 15.40% mannose, 14.60% xylose, 11.80% fucose and 9.90% galactose. The ‐human saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal juices conditions did not break down the FVP. Based on in vitro fermentation tests, FVP modulated the composition of gut microbiota by elevating the amounts of Bifidobacteriaceae and Bacteroidaceae and reducing the numbers of genera Lachnospiraceae and Enterococcaceae. Meanwhile, FVP affected the synthesis of short‐chain fatty acids derived from gut microbiota.

Using the Flammulina velutipes polysaccharide (FVP) extracted from our previous study, herein, we investigated the improvement of this starch-free β-type glycosidic polysaccharide in alleviating dextran sodium sulfate-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. The absolute and relative abundance of intestinal microbes in the mouse feces were both determined by 16s RNA gene sequencing. The results from the histological analysis indicate that FVP treatment reduced the symptoms of UC, up- or down-regulated the relative gene expression levels in the colon tissue, and enhanced the capacity of metabolic and biogenesis in the UC mice, as predicted by PICRUSt. 11 species of gut microbes including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Clostridium associated with UC symptoms were analyzed by correlation analysis. Our findings suggest that FVP can alleviate the UC symptoms in mice by regulating specific gut microbes, improving the understanding of the functional activity of FVPs as prebiotics.

Pleurotus eryngii is a valuable new edible mushroom variety cultivated on a large scale in China. The polysaccharides found in this mushroom are strong bioactive. This study used simulated digestion and fermentation model to study the digestion and fermentation characteristics of Pleurotus eryngii polysaccharide (PEP) and its effect on gut microbiota. The results showed that the molecular weight of PEP remained unchanged after simulated digestion, and the overall structure of PEP was not destroyed, indicating that PEP was not decomposed during digestion. However, during fermentation, PEP was degraded and utilized by intestinal flora to produce a variety of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which reduced the pH value in fecal cultures. Meanwhile, PEP regulated the composition of intestinal flora, and the relative abundance of Firmicutes increased significantly. These suggests that PEP can be used as a functional food to promote intestinal health and prevent disease.

Agaricus bisporus is prone to deteriorate after harvest. In this study, polyethylene-based packaging material loaded with nano-Ag/TiO2 (Nano-PM) was used for the preservation of A. bisporus, and compared with the polyethylene packaging material. The samples were stored at 4 ± 1 ℃ and a relative humidity of 90 % for ten days. Membrane lipid metabolism was taken as a breakthrough point in this study. The cell membrane phenotype and ultrastructure were documented. The changes of key enzyme activities, phospholipids and fatty acids in membrane lipid metabolism were also studied. The results showed that at the end of storage, the electrolyte leakage of the mushrooms in Nano-PM was 19 %, which was lower than that of the control groups (27 %). Nano-PM delayed the decrease of cell membrane fluidity, maintained a good cell structure, also maintained the ascorbic acid (AsA) content, kept glutathione (GSH) and proline at high levels. Furthermore, the phospholipase D (PLD), lipase (LPS) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities of the mushrooms in Nano-PM were reduced by 16 %, 25 % and 10 % compared with those in control groups. Nano-PM also alleviated the degradation of cell membrane phospholipids and maintained a higher relative content of unsaturated fatty acids. Generally, Nano-PM can delay quality deterioration of A. bisporus by regulating membrane lipid metabolism.

Aphelenchoides besseyi and Ditylenchus destructor can cause serious problems for a number of important agricultural crops and vegetables. In this study, the ethanol extract of Stellera chamaejasme L. roots showed strong nematicidal activity against Aphelenchoides besseyi and Ditylenchus destructor. By using a bioactivity-driven fractionation, three biflavonoids were isolated from the extract and their structures were identified by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data. Nematicidal activity bioassays revealed that isoneochamaejasmin A had the strongest nematicidal activity against A. besseyi and D. destructor with LC50 values of 2.32 and 0.18 mM at 72 h, respectively. Chamaejasmenin B displayed weaker nematicidal activity against A. besseyi with an LC50 value of 3.94 mM at 72 h. Neochamaejasmin B induced the lowest mortality against D. destructor with an LC50 values of 15.6 mM at 72 h. These results suggested that the kind and position of substitutions and the relative configuration of 2-H/3-H and 2”-H/3”-H could be considered as important factors responsible for the nematicidal activity of these purified C-3/C-3″ biflavonoids.

Autotoxicity has been considered as one of the critical factors resulting in replanting failure in agriculture. To clarify the chemical reasons for the replanting problems of Pinellia ternate, a widely used and cultivated Traditional Chinese Medicine, eight compounds were isolated and identified from its rhizosphere soil. Bioassays showed that chrysophanol (1), benzofuran (6) and protocatechuic aldehyde (8) obviously inhibited the seedling growth of P. ternate and Raphanus sativus in a concentration-dependent manner. The isolated compounds were further confirmed and quantified by HPLC in the rhizosphere soil and tissues of P. ternate, and the origins of the allelochemicals being released into the soil environment were also investigated. Physiological analyses demonstrated that the allelochemicals evidently affected the levels of protective enzymes in the tested plant seedlings and caused membrane damage, which resulted in the reduction of cell vitality. These findings provide allelopathic evidence for the replanting problems of P. ternate and would be helpful for assessing plant-soil interactions.

The effect of altitude on the composition and diversity of microbial communities have attracted highly attention recently but is still poorly understood. We used 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses to characterize the bacterial communities from the rhizosphere and roots of Stellera chamaejasme in the Tibetan Plateau. Our results revealed that Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were dominant bacteria in this medicinal plant in the rhizosphere and root communities. The Shannon diversity index showed that the bacterial diversity of rhizosphere follows a small saddle pattern, while the roots possesses of a hump-backed trend. Significant differences in the composition of bacterial communities between rhizosphere and roots were detected based on multiple comparisons analysis. The community of Actinobacteria was found to be significantly negative correlated with soil available P (p

Natural pesticides are the subject of growing interest, as the overuse of synthetic pesticides severely threatens the safety of humans and the eco-environment. Allelopathic plants can release plentiful secondary metabolites as natural plant growth regulators to affect the growth of neighboring plants. Bio-guided isolation of the aerial waste part of typical allelopathic plant-Codonopsis pilosula led to six active compounds being produced, including ginsenoside Rg1 (1), ginsenoside Re (2), luteolin (3), luteolin-5-O-glucoside (4), ginsenoside Rb1 (5) and lobetyolin (6). Ginsenosides and luteolin-5-O-glucoside were firstly found in Codonopsis. Phyto-activity tests showed that all compounds showed inhibiting effects toward C. pilosula, and compounds 2, 4, 5 and 6 were also inhibitors of Amaranthus retroflexus. By contrast, the compounds promoted the seedling growth of wheat, rice and Setaria viridis. At certain concentrations, compounds 1, 4, 5 and 1, 2, 4 could observably promote the growth of wheat and rice seedlings, respectively, exceeding Setaria viridis. The different effects toward the two weeds might be related to the different ROS levels induced by the compounds. The ROS amounts in the root tips of S. viridis were as low as those in the control test, and the ROS content in the root tips increased with aggravation of the inhibition effect. In summary, successful isolation of phyto-selective chemicals from allelopathic plants may provide a promising method for natural herbicide screening. The compounds isolated could potentially be applied as inhibitors of dicotyledon weeds and promoters of monocotyledon crops for weed management in agriculture.

To expound the molecular mechanism of nanocomposite packaging material (Nano-PM) in delaying quality deterioration of Flammulina velutipes during storage, transcriptome analysis was conducted to observe the changes of gene expression in F. velutipes that was packaged in Nano-PM, polyethylene packaging material (Normal-PM) and no packaging material (No-PM). In comparison with Normal-PM, 379 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in Nano-PM packaged F. velutipes, comprising of 161 up-regulated genes and 218 down-regulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated that Nano-PM improved the stress resistance of F. velutipes by up-regulating RBOHF and msp2, which were related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism. Nano-PM also ensured sufficient energy supply by regulating oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. Moreover, the regulation of gene expression also delayed programmed cell death (PCD) and lignification. Furthermore, the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results were also in accordance with transcriptome analysis. Therefore, Nano-PM could regulate the expression of specific genes, which in turn alleviated quality deterioration of F. velutipes during storage.

Background: Gut microbiota plays an indispensable role in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis-associated cancer (CAC). As traditional medicinal fungi, previous studies have shown that Ophiocordyceps sinensis could better maintain intestinal health via promoting the growth of probiotics in vitro compared with Cordyceps militaris. However, the detailed pharmacological activities and clinical efficacy of O. sinensis and C. militaris are still elusive. Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the different actions of O. sinensis and C. militaris on colitis-associated tumorigenesis in Azoxymethane (AOM)/Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-treated mice and explore the potential gut microbiota-dependent mechanisms. Methods: C57BL/6 mice (Male, 4 weeks old) were used to construct the AOM/DSS-induced CAC mice model. The mice were administered with 0.6 mg/g/d O. sinensis or C. militaris for 12 weeks. It's worth noting that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and antibiotic treatment were used to investigated the complex interactions between the medicinal fungi, gut microbiota and colonic tumorigenesis. Results: O. sinensis treatment significantly increased the body weight and survival rate, reduced the number of colon tumors, improved the damage of colon epithelial tissue, restored the crypt structure and alleviate the colonic inflammation in AOM/DSS-treated mice. RT-qPCR results indicated that O. sinensis partly regulated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling via alleviating the overexpression of β-catenin, TCF4 and c-Myc genes in adjacent noncancerous tissues. Compared with C. militaris, O. sinensis showed better anti-tumor activity. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that O. sinensis reversed the decline of gut microbiota diversity and the structural disorder induced by AOM/DSS. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that O. sinensis promoted the growth of Parabacteroides goldsteinii and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum PV8-2, which were positively correlated with the anti-tumor activity and the production of SCFAs. FMT combined with antibiotic treatment showed that horizontal fecal transfer derived from O. sinensis-treated mice improved the intestinal inflammation and alleviated the colitis-associated tumorigenesis, which was consistent with the direct ingestion of O. sinensis. Conclusion: O. sinensis could better attenuate colitis-associated tumorigenesis compared with C. militaris. These effects might be at least partially due to the increased abundance of probiotics, especially P. goldsteinii and B. pseudolongum PV8-2.

To explore a novel kind of anti-bacterial composite material having the excellent antibacterial ability, stability and specific-targeting capability, palygorskite (PGS) was used as the carrier of ginger essential oil (GEO) and a novel kind of composite GEO-PGS was prepared by ion exchange process. The characterization and the antibacterial activity of GEO-PGS was investigated in this study. Results of FTIR, XPS, XRD,TG analysis and SEM observation demonstrated the combination of GEO and PGS, GEO was absorbed on the surface of PGS, and the content of GEO in the composite was estimated to be 18.66%. Results of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis, growth curve and Gram staining analysis of Staphylococci aureus and Escherichia coli exposed to GEO-PGS showed that GEO-PGS had much higher antibacterial activity than GEO, and GEO-PGS had the specific-targeting antibacterial capability. Moreover, GEO-PGS showed the characteristics of thermo-stability, acidity and alkalinity-resistance in exerting its anti-bacteria activity. In conclusion, the novel composite GEO-PGS combined the bacteria-absorbent activity of PGS and the antibacterial activity of GEO, suggesting the great potential application of GEO-PGS as the novel composite substance with high antibacterial activity.

Polysaccharides are known as one of the most important bioactive compounds in Flammulina velutipes. However, there is no accurate and comprehensive assessment method to evaluate and authenticate F. velutipes polysaccharides (FVPs) from different sources. In this study, a multiple fingerprint analysis method including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was established. The inhibitory activities of FVPs against HepG2 were measured and introduced into multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis to investigate fingerprint-activity relationship. The principal component analysis (PCA) scores showed that the polysaccharides extracted from 20 batches of different F. velutipes were highly similar, and substandard samples could be distinguished from the authentic polysaccharides clearly. The glucuronic acid could be considered as a marker for discrimination of white and yellow F. velutipes polysaccharides in HPLC fingerprints. Moreover, the HPLC fingerprint-growth inhibitory activity relationship illuminated that monosaccharides composition played an important role on the HepG2 growth inhibitory activity, and activity-associated markers (mannose, rhamnose, xylose, and galactose) were chosen to assess FVPs from different sources. The suggested HPLC fingerprint-activity relationship method provides an integrated strategy for the quality control of F. velutipes and its related products.

Biologically active peptides released by proteins are important in regulating immunity. The purpose of this study was to isolate and purify an immunologically active peptide from Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus) and to explore its effect on cytokine secretion and differentiation of macrophages. An active peptide with an amino acid sequence, Lys-Ser-Pro-Leu-Tyr (KSPLY) was obtained from H. erinaceus protein by ultrafiltration combined with multistage chromatography separation and identification technology. Subsequently, it was confirmed that the synthetic peptide KSPLY had a good immunomodulatory activity at a concentration of 100 μmol/L and could promote the secretion of NO, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α by macrophages. The effects of KSPLY on M1 macrophages and M2 macrophages were also studied. Results showed that KSPLY inhibited the secretion of NO and IL-6 by M1 macrophages and promoted the tendency of M2 macrophages to transform to M1 macrophages. Therefore, it can be concluded that KSPLY is an effective immunomodulatory peptide that may be beneficial in cancer treatment and human health improvement.

Lignification is an important inducement of quality deterioration of postharvest Flammulina velutipes. In this study, phenylpropanoid pathway and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolisms were taken as breakthrough points to investigate the lignification mechanism in harvested F. velutipes packaged in nanocomposite packaging material (Nano-PM). In comparison with polyethylene packaging material (Normal-PM) and no packaging material (No-PM), Nano-PM prevented the decrease of L* value and the increase of firmness. Nano-PM also maintained a better microstructure. Furthermore, Nano-PM reduced the deposition of lignin by suppressing the enzymes activities involved in phenylpropanoid pathway. In addition, the regulation of ROS in mitochondria alleviated the accumulation of Ca2+ and inhibited the programmed cell death (PCD) process, which ultimately delayed the lignification process. These results indicated that Nano-PM delayed the lignification process by regulating phenylpropanoid pathway and the accumulation of ROS in mitochondria.

Alkaline extraction followed by acid precipitation were employed to extract rapeseed protein and, Alcalase 2.4 L was used to obtain rapeseed protein hydrolysates. Three groups of rapeseed protein hydrolysates were obtained by purifying with membrane ultrafiltration and a Sephacryl S-100HR gel column. The antioxidant activities were then determined. Group 3 had the best antioxidant activities according to the oxygen radical absorbance capacity, peroxyl radical-scavenging capacity, and cellular antioxidant activity assays, with the following antioxidant values: an oxygen radical absorbance capacity value of 1610 ± 113 µmol TE/(g sample), a peroxyl radical-scavenging capacity value of 622 ± 30 mg VC/(100 g sample), and a cellular antioxidant activity value of 25 ± 2 µmol QE/(g sample) and corresponding EC50 value of 58 ± 3 µg/mL. Six peaks of group 3 were collected and well separated by reversed phase–high-performance liquid chromatography. Peak 5 were identified to exhibit a higher antioxidant activity, the...

The current study aims to investigate the antioxidant activities of various extracts from defatted adlay seed meal (DASM) based on the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, peroxyl radical scavenging capacity (PSC) assay and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assay. Of all the fractions, the n-butanol fraction exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, followed by crude acetone extract and aqueous fractions. Of the three sub-fractions obtained by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography, sub-fraction 3 possessed the highest antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. There was a strong positive correlation between the total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity. Based on HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS analysis, the most abundant phenolic acid in sub-fraction 3 of DASM was ferulic acid at 67.28 mg/g, whereas the predominant flavonoid was rutin at 41.11 mg/g. Of the major individual compounds in sub-fraction 3, p-coumaric acid exhibited the highest ORAC values, and quercetin exhibited the highest PSC values and CAA values.

Various traditional edible fungi were demonstrated to modulate gut microbiota. In this study, 1H NMR and high-throughput sequencing were used to investigate the difference of microecology modulating function between Ophicordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris. The data showed that total 7 constituents (glucose, mannitol, trehalose, aspartate, glutamate, lysine, threonine) were selected as potential biomarkers to identify O. sinensis and C. militaris based on 1H NMR. After in vitro fermentation, both O. sinensis and C. militaris modulated gut microbiota composition, via decreasing the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. However, O. sinensis could significantly decreased the pH and stimulated the production of short-chain fatty acids versus C. militaris. O. sinensis also increased the relative abundance of probiotics including Phascolarctobacterium and Bifidobacterium. In general, the results suggested that O. sinensis had more positive effects on gut microbiota compared with C. militaris, which was conducive to the development of functional products of traditional edible fungi.

Flammulina velutipes polysaccharides (FVP) have been proved to be effective in improving learning and memory impairment in mice. However, their underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between memory improvement and gut microbiota regulation of FVP. The results showed a significant decrease in the relative abundances of Clostridia and Bacilli but a significant increase in Bacteroidia, Erysipelotrichia and Actinobacteria in the FVP-treated group versus the control group. Fecal microbiota transplantation of mice with ‘FVP microbiota’ derived from FVP-fed mice resulted in improved learning and memory function compared to colonization with ‘common microbiota’ derived from control individuals. FVP and ‘FVP microbiota’ significantly increased the numbers of platform crossings and the swimming distance of mice in the probe test and decreased the escape latency and total swimming distance of mice in the hidden platform test. Moreover, FVP and ‘FVP microbiota’ regulated cytokines, such as IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10, suggesting a mechanism involving the suppression of neuroinflammation. This study indicated that the regulation of the gut microbiome may have a causal role in improving scopolamine-induced impairment of learning and memory.

Natural pesticides are the subject of growing interest, as the overuse of synthetic pesticides severely threatens the safety of humans and the eco-environment. Allelopathic plants can release plentiful secondary metabolites as natural plant growth regulators to affect the growth of neighboring plants. Bio-guided isolation of the aerial waste part of typical allelopathic plant

Allelochemicals are the media of allelopathy and form the chemical bases of plant-environment interactions. To determine true allelochemicals and their autotoxic effects, seven compounds were isolated and identified from in-situ sampled rhizosphere soil of cultivated Saussurea lappa. Of these, costunolide (2), dehydrocostus lactone (3) and scopoletin (4) showed significant inhibition on seedling growth in a concentration-dependent manner. Detection and observation demonstrated that the antioxidase system was found to be affected by these chemicals, resulting in the accumulation of ROS and membrane damage. To investigate their release ways, the compounds were traced back and volumes quantified in rhizosphere soil and plant tissues. This work made clear the chemical bases and their physiological effects on the plants. These chemicals were found to be the secondary metabolites of the plants and included in the rhizosphere soil. The findings identified a potential pathway of plant-plant interactions, which provided theoretical basis to overcoming replanting problems. This research was also useful for exploring ecological effects of allelochemicals in green agriculture.