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Walnut kernel is a traditional Chinese herb recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia with the efficacies of invigorating kidney, tonifying lung, and relaxing bowel. However, the potential mechanisms were unclear. This article aims to uncover the interdict mechanisms of walnut meal extracts (WMP) on high-fat diet (HFD) induced metabolic disorders in rats and reveal how the WMP benefits are associated with changes in the intestinal flora. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed a standard chow diet or an HFD for 18 weeks. After 6 weeks, the HFD rats were supplemented with 750 mg WMP/kg body weight or the vehicle for 12 weeks. The structure of gut microbiota was assessed by analyzing 16S rDNA sequences. WMP suppressed the weight gain and visceral obesity. WMP treatment also improved lipid profiles and increased antioxidative activities. WMP fully reversed hepatic steatosis with the upregulation of adipocytokines involved in lipid catabolism (

Background: This paper aims to investigate the metabolic impact of walnut meal extracts rich in polyphenols (WMP) on high fat diet (HFD)-fed rats and to determine whether the lipid-lowering effects are related to modulations of the gut microbiota. SD rats were fed a standard chow diet or an HFD for 18 weeks. After 6 weeks, the HFD rats were supplemented with 750mg WMP/kg body weight and the vehicle for 12 weeks. The structure of gut microbiota was assessed by analyzing 16S rDNA sequences.Results: WMP suppressed the weight gain and visceral obesity. WMP treatment also improved lipid profiles and increased antioxidative activities. WMP fully reversed hepatic steatosis with upregulation of adipocytokines involved in lipid catabolism (e.g. adiponectin, PPAR-γ, visfatin, CEBPα), and increased the activity of lipoprotein lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase, in which were associated with glucose tolerance improved and insulin resistance mitigated. As revealed by 16S rDNA sequencing, WMP restored the diversity of intestinal flora reduced by HFD, dramatically reduced the abundance of Fusobacterium varium and Enterobacteriaceae, reversed and sharply raised the abundance of Lachnospiraceae UCG005 and Akkermansia decreased by HFD.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that WMP suppressed the weight gain and adiposity in HFD-fed rats, and fully reversed HFD diet-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis while dramatically reduced the abundance of Fusobacteriaceae and Enterobacteriaceae, underscoring the gut-liver axis as a primary target of walnut polyphenols.

Wasp pupa protein has triggered allergies in certain consumers. In this study, we investigated the allergenicity of alcohol-soluble wasp pupa protein (ACWP) and its effect on the gut microbiota of mice in vivo. It was found that ACWP caused skin erythema and diarrhea in mice, the up-regulation of HIS, IgE, IL-4, IL-22, and IL-17A, and down-regulation of IgG2a, IgA, and IL-2 in serum. The results also revealed that the thymus, spleen, and small intestine structures in mice also altered significantly, and the intestinal wall structure was disrupted. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled dextran intestinal permeability test depicted that the intestinal permeability of mice in the ACWP group increased significantly. The gut microbiota analysis in mice depicted that five bacterial strains in the ACWP group, including s_Candidatus_Arthromitus_sp._SFB_mice_Japa, were up-regulated, and nine low-abundant strains, including s_unclassified_g_norank_f_Ruminococcaceae, were down-regulated. The association analysis of gut microbiota and serum factors showed that eight serum biochemical factors were significantly correlated with 11 strains. The results revealed that ACWP could cause disturbance of gut microbiota and its metabolism, change the integrity and permeability of the intestinal tract, destroy the intestinal mucosal immune system, and then cause skin erythema and diarrhea as the primary manifestations.

Walnut kernel was a traditional Chinese medicine, as well as a brain power boosting food. Walnut meal (WM) was prepared from walnut kernel by cold-press deoil, which was rich in polyphenols. In this study, we investigated the positive effects of walnut meal extracts on memory impairment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice induced by D-galactose. After 6 weeks of WMP treatment, the behavioral results showed that WMP could significantly improve the learning and memory of D-galactose Model (MOL) mice. The biochemical assay showed WMP could increase the amount of Acetylcholine (Ach) and reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation. Meanwhile, WMP improved the expression of neural stem cells, restored the number and the shape of neurons. The RNA-seq analysis revealed 284 differentially expressed genes in the hippocampus were regulated by WMP treatment, among which Gzma, Apol11b, H2-Q6 were up-regulated, while Rny1, Scgn, Col6a3 were down-regulated. Further analysis disclosed the differentially expressed genes were relevant to PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, cellular senescence, and particularly strongly interacted with the ribosomal family genes (Rpl35a, Rps27rt, Rpl3l, Rpl21, Rpl26). In addition, transcription factor Ep300 regulated genes of Cdkn1a, Spp1, and Tnfsf10 distinctly in the hippocampus, which were involved in inflammation and protein kinase. Transcription factor Pparg regulated genes of Angptl4, Fabp4, and Plin4, which were mainly expressed in PPAR (Peroxisome Proliferator-activated receptors) signaling pathway. This study might assist in identifying new targets to restore memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease.

Walnut meal (WM) is rich in polyphenols which exhibit multiple therapeutic effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of walnut meal extracts (WMP) on glycolipid metabolism and liver transcriptomics in T2DM rats. A T2DM rat model was established by using a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin. A 5-week WMP therapy showed the effects of decreasing water intake, excretion, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance, increasing β-cell function and insulin sensitivity index; meanwhile regulating dysfunctional lipid metabolism and reducing inflammation; improving body weight, oral glucose tolerance test and insulin sensitivity; and increasing the activities of SOD and CAT while decreasing the MDA levels in the liver and serum of T2DM rats. Moreover, 10 key differentially expressed genes were identified by RNA-seq, including Gck, RT1-Ba, Fasn, Slc13a3, Cd74, Jun, Cyp4a1, Myh7b, Plin3, and Got1, and they were highly potentially related to glycolipid metabolism. Our results suggested that WMP exhibited the anti-diabetic effect and could regulate glycolipid metabolism in T2DM rats. This finding might assist in identifying potential therapeutic targets for T2DM prevention and intervention.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The diaphragma juglandis (DJ) comes from the wooden septum in the core of Juglans regia L, also known as the walnut septum. In Iranian traditional medicine, walnut distraction wood was widely used in the treatment of diabetes. However, there is a lack of research data on the mechanism of DJ against diabetes. Aim of the study: To explore the protective effect of diaphragma juglandis extract (DJE) on type 2 diabetic rats and the hypoglycemic mechanism of DJE. Material and methods Supplemented DJE and fed a high-fat diet for five weeks, and then injected low-dose STZ, successfully induced type 2 diabetic rats. Collected rat serum, liver, pancreas and feces to determine the biochemical parameters of serum and liver, analyze the pathological damages of pancreas and liver, and measure the changes of gut microbes in feces. Results DJE could inhibit the metabolic abnormalities of T2DM by improving insulin resistance, abnormal lipid metabolism, liver damage, oxidative stress, and reducing inflammation. DJE significantly held fasting blood glucose, glycosylated serum protein, serum low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, oral glucose tolerance test, nitric oxide, superoxide dismutase and catalase, serum and liver triglycerides, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, malondialdehyde, lipopolysaccharide, fasting insulin and tumor necrosis factor-α and prevented the pathological damage of pancreas and liver. The 16SrRNA gene sequencing results showed that DJE intercepted the disorders of the fecal gut microbes, mainly including Lactobacillaceae, Rikenella, Pygmaiobacter, Oscillospiraceae and Klebsiella. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the changes of gut microbes were closely relative with biochemical parameters. Conclusion DJE might prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications and hold up the disorders of gut microbes.

Pressed degreased walnut meal (WM) was prepared from walnut kernel by cold-press deoil. It was rich in polyphenols with high activities of lowering lipids, antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and others, but the hypoglycemic activity has scarcely been reported. The purpose of this research was to investigate the preventive effect of the extracts of WM (WMP) on T2DM rats and the regulation of WMP on intestinal flora. Some results showed that WMP significantly held FBG, FINS and GSP, OGTT, the serum and hepatic TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, AST, ALT, LPS, TNF-α, IL-6, and the hepatic MDA, CAT, SOD, as well as, prevented the pathological damage of the liver and the pancreas. The results of 16SrDNA sequencing demonstrated that WMP impeded the changes of intestinal flora in feces, mainly including Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria. These indicated that WMP had promising effects on T2DM, which could be associated with the modulation of gut bacteria.

A DSP-based self-adaptive proportional-integral (PI) controller to control a DC-DC converter is proposed in this paper. The full-bridge topology is adopted here to obtain higher power output capability and higher conversion efficiency. The converter adopts the zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) technique to reduce the conduction losses. A parallel secondary active clamp circuit is added to deal with the voltage overshoot and ringing effect on the transformer’s secondary side. A self-adaptive PI controller is proposed to replace the traditional PI controller. Moreover, the designed converter adopts the constant-current and constant-voltage (CC-CV) output control strategy. The secondary active clamp mechanism is discussed in detail. The effectiveness of the proposed converter was experimentally verified by an IGBT-based 10kW prototype.