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Benefiting from molten salts as reaction media, molten salt synthesis (MSS) offers advantages such as control of local reaction conditions to tailor material characteristics, the production of uniform and homogeneous crystallites, as well as reduced energy consumption and emissions. In this study, we successfully synthesized regular polyhedral La-substituted CaTiO3with an orthorhombic perovskite structure under molten salt conditions, utilizing a NaCl–KCl eutectic mixture at 1073 K for 6 h. The phase compositions of the prepared samples were determined through powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and their morphologies were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our investigation of the thermoelectric properties reveals that the substitution of La3+ions significantly enhances electrical conductivity and simultaneously introducing defects that substantially reduce lattice thermal conductivity. We achieved a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of approximately 0.27 at about 1200 K for the sample with a nominal composition of Ca0.8La0.2TiO3. This study is intended as a reference to experimentalists working in MSS for synthesizing CaTiO3-based ceramics and discloses the transport properties of La-doped CaTiO3-based ceramics.

The modified rougan decoction (MRGD) compound formula has been proven a certain ability to relieve lipopolysaccharide-enrofloxacin (LPS-ENR)-induced liver oxidant injury in chickens. Recent advances have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction affects the development of many diseases, leading to increased interest in exploring its effects. Using LPS-ENR-injured in vivo and in vitro to further evaluate the effects of MRGD on mitochondrial structure and function, and emphasized further investigation of its molecular mechanism. After LPS-ENR treatment, the levels of inflammation and apoptosis markers were increased, along with higher mitochondrial injury. Results showed that MRGD reduced inflammatory factors expression and inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB P65, reducing the inflammatory response in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, MRGD pretreatment inhibited mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial oxidative stress, and mitochondrial pathway apoptosis by maintaining mitochondrial structure and function. Moreover, treatment with the inhibitor EX527 showed that MRGD promoted mitochondrial biogenesis ability through the SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway and interfered with mitochondrial dynamics, and activate Nrf2. In summary, MRGD played a key role in promoting mitochondrial function and thus alleviating hepatocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro at least in part.

Liver injury plays a heavy burden on the chicken industry. Although modified rougan decoction is a prescription for the treatment of liver disease based on the classical prescription of rougan decoction (containing peony and licorice). However, the effect and mechanism of modified rougan decoction on the liver remain unclear. In this study, the effects of the water extracts (MRGD) and the alcohol precipitates of water extracts (MRGDE) against lipopolysaccharide-enrofloxacin (LPS - ENR)-induced hepatotoxicity were discussed in vivo and in vitro. The isolated hepatocytes and 128 one-day-old Hyline chickens were considered research objects. The indices of liver injury and oxidative stress were evaluated by HE stained and the assay kits, and the nuclear erythroid 2 - related factor 2 (Nrf2) / antioxidant responsive element (ARE) pathway was detected by the RT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence tests. All data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS 20.0 software. In vivo, the structural integrity of the liver was maintained, AST, ALT, and MDA levels were decreased, and antioxidant enzymes were increased, confirming that the oxidative stress was reduced and liver injury was alleviated. Correspondingly, MRGD and MRGDE were observed to improve cell viability and decrease lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in vitro, and the cell oxidative damage was reduced. In addition, the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 was improved significantly, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of the related genes were up-regulated. In conclusion, MRGD and MRGDE can exert a protective effect against LPS-ENR-induced hepatotoxicity by activating the Nrf2 / ARE pathway, which might be a potential therapeutic prescription for preventing or treating liver injury. Notably, no significant difference was found between the two extracts, suggesting that a depth extraction method did not always improve the efficacy of natural medicine. Our results provided new insights into finding effective hepatoprotective medicine.