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In order to construct nano-lutein hydrogels with sustained release properties, the basic properties and structure of nano-lutein hydrogels cross-linked with different concentrations of Ca2+ were investigated. The results showed that the highest loading capacity for lutein reached 770.88 μg/g, while the encapsulation efficiency was as high as 99.39%. When Ca2+ concentration was lower than 7.5 mM, the filling of lutein nanoparticles reduced the hardness and gumminess of the hydrogel. The resilience and cohesiveness of the hydrogel decreased as the concentration of Ca2+ increased. Filling with lutein nanoparticles and increasing Ca2+ concentration both increased the G′ and G″. The hydrogel loaded with lutein showed different swelling properties in different pH environments, the filling of lutein nanoparticles inhibited the swelling of the hydrogel. When Ca2+ concentration was greater than 7.5 mM, the cut-off amount of lutein on the surface of the Ca2+ cross-linked hydrogel was larger. The digestive enzymes quickly degraded the hydrogel structure, resulting in a high initial release of lutein. DSC and FTIR results showed that lutein nanoparticles were mainly physically trapped in the hydrogel network structure. Lutein nanoparticles and excessive Ca2+ affected the stability of cross-linked ionic bonds in the hydrogel, thereby reducing its thermodynamic stability.

Background: Fluoride, a necessary mineral element for our health, is widely presented in drinking water and foods. The intake of excessive fluoride showed potential risk to human health. A strong relation between fluoride exposure and obesity has been reported. However, the knowledge on the potential mechanisms on fluoride-induced obesity is still limited.Results: In this work, we showed here that fluoride alone did not induce obesity in normal diet fed mice, whereas, it could trigger exacerbation of obesity in high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice. Fluoride impaired intestinal barrier and activated Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling to induce obesity, which was further verified in TLR4-/- mice. Furthermore, fluoride could deteriorate the gut microbiota in HFD mice. The fecal microbiota transplantation from fluoride-induced mice was sufficient to induce obesity, while the exacerbation of obesity by fluoride was blocked upon gut microbiota depletion. The fluoride-induced bloom of Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum belonged to Erysipelotrichaceae was responsible for exacerbation of obesity. In addition, a potential strategy for prevention of fluoride-induced obesity was proposed by intervention with polysaccharides from Fuzhuan brick tea.Conclusions: Overall, these results provide the first evidence of a comprehensive cross-talk mechanism between fluoride and obesity in HFD fed mice, which is mediated by gut microbiota and intestinal barrier. E. ramosum was identified as a crucial mediator of fluoride induced obesity, which could be explored as potential target for prevention and treatment of obesity with exciting translational value.

A new method for the drying of beef and chicken meats at low temperatures (4 °C) was developed by using a composite film based on sodium carboxymethyl cellulose-gum Arabic (SG) with anthocyanins from Cinnamomum camphora fruit peel (ANC.P, 0, 1, 1.5 and 2%). After incorporation of ANC.P into SG, the physicochemical properties, morphological characteristics, melting, molecular, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the resulting dehydration films were improved. Film-dried beef and chicken slices showed higher values of dehydration ratio on day 6 (54.58% and 72.06%, respectively) compared with the control samples without film (4.55% and 7.04%, respectively). Results showed that SG-ANC.P film-dried meats exhibited more stable pH and color, higher rehydration rate, better sensory quality and microbial growth inhibition compared with SG film-dried samples and control samples, in which control samples showed the highest total viable count values (6.02 and 5.16 log CFU/mL for beef and chicken, respectively) during storage.

In this study, carboxymethyl chitosan with gum Arabic (CG) based novel functional films containing Cinnamomum camphora seeds extract (CCSE) at varying concentrations (0.5, 1.2 and 2% in w/w) were successfully fabricated. Moreover, sixteen phenolic compounds were identified by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS and the most abundant organic acid was citric acid (present at 1062.55 µg/g dry weight in CCSE). SEM showed that higher extract concentration indicated a homogeneous surface and more stability of films. CCSE inclusion into CG resulted in a marked increase (33.01 to 63.23 MPa) of tensile properties, with optimum thickness. The swelling degree, water solubility, and water vapor permeability were markedly (p < 0.05) reduced from 54.21 to 31.70%, 32.05 to 14.02%, and 3.46 to 1.12 × 10−11g−1s−1Pa−1, respectively. The open control and CG samples showed much higher peroxide values of sunflower oil (69.49 ± 0.68 and 20.15 ± 0.31 mEq/kg, respectively) while CG-CCSE2 exhibited a low value (9.79 ± 0.28 mEq/kg) after 28 days incubation. The good antioxidant and antimicrobial properties exhibited by the fabricated films demonstrated their potential use in the food packaging industry.

Background: Fluoride, a necessary mineral element for our health, is widely presented in drinking water and foods. The intake of excessive fluoride showed potential risk to human health. A strong relation between fluoride exposure and obesity has been reported. However, the knowledge on the potential mechanisms on fluoride-induced obesity is still limited.Results: In this work, we showed here that fluoride alone did not induce obesity in normal diet fed mice, whereas, it could trigger exacerbation of obesity in high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice. Fluoride impaired intestinal barrier and activated Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling to induce obesity, which was further verified in TLR4-/- mice. Furthermore, fluoride could deteriorate the gut microbiota in HFD mice. The fecal microbiota transplantation from fluoride-induced mice was sufficient to induce obesity, while the exacerbation of obesity by fluoride was blocked upon gut microbiota depletion. The fluoride-induced bloom of Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum belonged to Erysipelotrichaceae was responsible for the exacerbation of obesity. In addition, a potential strategy for prevention of fluoride-induced obesity was proposed by intervention with polysaccharides from Fuzhuan brick tea.Conclusions: Overall, these results provide the first evidence of a comprehensive cross-talk mechanism between fluoride and obesity in HFD fed mice, which is mediated by gut microbiota and intestinal barrier. E. ramosum was identified as a crucial mediator of fluoride-induced obesity, which could be explored as potential target for prevention and treatment of obesity with exciting translational value.

The objective of the present study was to develop chitosan (CS) based novel functional films containing Chinese chive root extract (CRE) using solution casting method. CRE at different concentrations (1, 3 and 5% in w/w) were incorporated into the film-forming solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal behavior analysis (DSC & TGA) were performed to investigate the structure, potential interaction and thermal stability of prepared films. It was revealed by SEM that higher extract concentration triggered the formation of agglomerates within the films. Incorporation of CRE into CS resulted in decrease tensile properties of the films from 28.9 to 15.4 MPa, whereas thickness was increased from 0.076 to 0.113 mm. The water solubility, swelling degree and water vapor permeability were significantly decreased from 31.6 to 18.7%, 57.4 to 40.5% and 15.67 to 7.81 × 10−11 g·m−1s−1Pa−1, respectively. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging ability of CS-CRE films were increased from 6.95 to 47.05% and 11.98 to 57.38%, respectively. CS-CRE5 film showed the highest biodegradability of 47.36%. The films prepared by addition of CRE into CS exhibited good antioxidant and antimicrobial activity indicating that it could be developed as bio-composite food packaging material for food industry.

Flavonoids can influence the bioaccessibility of carotenoids. In this study, the effect of citrus flavanones on β-carotene (Bc) bioaccessibility, lipid lipolysis and Bc micellarization were investigated. The results show that citrus flavanones significantly increased the bioaccessibility of Bc, made it from 15.85% to 19.67% (p

The effects of guar gum (GG), xanthan gum (XG), carrageenan gum (CG), xanthan-guar gum blend (XG-GG), chitosan (CS), gum arabic (GA) on the water migration, rheological and 3D printing properties of β-carotene loaded yam starch-based hydrogel (BCH) were investigated to expand product form of β-carotene. The results showed that CS addition promoted the migration of weakly bound water to tightly bound water in BCH. Addition of GG, CG, XG-GG, CS and GA enhanced apparent viscosity, G', G'', hardness and gumminess of BCH. CG, XG-GG, CS and GA addition improved printing stability of BCH. The printed objects added with GG and CS displayed smooth lines with fine resolution and higher formability, which showed a more uniform pore distribution and thinner gel skeleton structure. The results of XRD showed that hydrocolloids addition decreased the relative crystallinity of BCH. A combination of physicochemical parameters could be used to discriminate samples through hierarchical cluster analysis.

BACKGROUND Chickpea protein isolate (CPI) originating from chickpeas has the advantages of facilitating the stability of food emulsions. Stevioside (STE) exhibits a notable surface activity and can improve the water solubility of numerous hydrophobic nutrients. STE and protein mixtures show great potential as emulsions stabilizers. The present study aimed to prepare a novel nanoemulsion for encapsulating lutein (LUT) by ultrasonic homogenization using chickpea protein isolate-stevioside complex (CPI-STE) as a stabilizer and also to investigate the physicochemical characteristics. RESULTS The results obtained showed that different preparation conditions demonstrated significant influences on the physicochemical properties of CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions. Under the optimal condition, the average particle size of CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions was 195.1 nm, and the emulsifying and encapsulation efficiencies of lutein were 91.04% and 87.56%, respectively. CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions stabilized by CPI-STE could significantly increase the emulsifying and encapsulation efficiencies of lutein compared to that stabilized by CPI. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that hydrogen bond was the main binding force of CPI and lutein, and there was a covalent bond between the two molecules. Furthermore, the stability of CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions in gastrointestinal phase was higher than that of CPI-LUT nanoemulsions, which could load lutein more effectively and be more resistant to digestive enzymes. CONCLUSION The present study reports the physicochemical characterization of CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions for the first time. CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions were characterized by a small average particle size lower than 200 nm, as well as high emulsifying and encapsulation efficiencies, and good stability. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The introduction of electroplating sludge in the manufacturing of clay brick can be considered a feasible method to consume it, while physical-mechanical performances would degrade significantly and the potential leachability of heavy metals remain. This study proposed an alternative to remedy these negative impacts by adding Na2SiO3. The addition of Na2SiO3 decreased water absorption and promoted compressive strength substantially. Water absorption of bricks fired at 1050 °C for 3 h decreased from 6.05 to 0.56% and compressive strength increased dramatically from 22 to 46 MPa with the adding amount of Na2SiO3 raising from 0 to 20 wt%. The porosity analysis demonstrated the apparent porosity, surface area, pore volume, and pore size decreased significantly, especially at 1050 °C. The mineralogical phase analysis showed the Na2SiO3 reacted with quartz and formed albite, and the albite played an important role in decreasing porosity and enhancing mechanical property. Additionally, Na2SiO3 decreased the leachability of heavy metals, it was mainly due to the decrease in water absorption, surface area, pore volume, and pore size. Prolonging the firing time can also decrease water absorption and enhance compressive strength in the presence of Na2SiO3. These results proved that the addition of Na2SiO3 is a feasible strategy for enhancing the properties and environmentally safe of fired bricks when solid waste was introduced to produce bricks or ceramics.

This study investigated effects of UV-B radiation and CaCl2 on the enhancement of carotenoid content in germinated corn kernels. UV-B radiation and CaCl2 treatments were effective for promoting both carotenoid content and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the carotenoid content was greater when under the combined treatments of UV-B radiation and CaCl2. Activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were enhanced but malondialdehyde content was weakened by UV-B radiation plus CaCl2 compared to the UV-B radiation only. The mRNA expression of PSY, PDS, ZDS, LCYB, LCYE, BCH1, CYP97C genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway showed different patterns in UV-B radiation and CaCl2 treatments. This reveals that the UV-B radiation can increase carotenoid content and antioxidant enzyme activity. Moreover, CaCl2 can further improve carotenoid content and reduce photooxidative damage caused by UV-B radiation.

In this study, we investigated the effects of a newly synthesized α-galacto-oligosaccharide mixture (α-GOSg), 0.5% in drinking water, on high-fat/western-style diet (HFWD)-induced metabolic abnormality in mice in a study of 13 weeks. Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) were included as a comparison. Mice treated with α-GOSg had significantly lower body weight and body fat (p < 0.05), while RFOs were less effective. Both α-GOSg and RFOs significantly reduced serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase and liver lipids. However, only α-GOSg significantly decreased the histopathological score for liver steatosis and downregulated hepatic fatty acid synthesis gene acetyl CoA carboxylase-α. α-GOSg also significantly reduced the content of bile acids in the small intestine and significantly increased the abundance of gut Bifidobacterium and decreased the abundance of Clostridium leptum. These actions are proposed to be key mechanisms contributing to the beneficial health effects of α-GOSg.

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to comprehensively evaluate the pilot scale nonfried explosion puffing drying (EPD) conditions for developing high-value yellow-fleshed peach crisps. The independent variables were different levels of vacuum drying temperature, vacuum drying time, and puffing pressure difference. The responses were crispness, total color difference (ΔE), total carotenoid content (TC), and DPPH radical scavenging capability (AEAC). Statistical analysis revealed that vacuum drying temperature significantly affected all the responses, puffing pressure difference showed maximum influences on TC, AEAC, and crispness, while vacuum drying time showed influences on TC and AEAC. The optimum EPD conditions obtained by RSM were vacuum drying temperature, vacuum drying time, and puffing pressure difference of 73 °C, 144 min, and 0.05 MPa, respectively. At this optimal condition, crispness, ΔE, TC, and AEAC value were found to be 7.3 N, 18.3, 53.5 µg/mg d.w., and 865.4 mg AA/100g, respectively. The EPD-dried yellow-fleshed peach crisps contained higher amounts of carotenoids and AEAC values when compared to hot-air dried samples, they were also found to be crispier than vacuum freeze-dried samples.

Objective To investigate and compare the effects of two common dietary phytosterols, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, in altering lipid metabolism and attenuating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods Stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were administered to mice at 0.4% in a high-fat western-style diet (HFWD) for 17 weeks. Results Stigmasterol and β-sitosterol significantly ameliorated HFWD-induced fatty liver and metabolic abnormalities, including elevated levels of hepatic total lipids, triacylglycerols, cholesterol and liver histopathology. Both phytosterols decreased the levels of intestinal bile acids, accompanied by markedly increased fecal lipid levels. In addition, they altered the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism. β-Sitosterol was less effective in affecting most of these parameters. Lipidomic analysis of liver and serum samples showed that stigmasterol prevented the HFWD-induced elevation of some di- and triacylglycerol species and lowering of some phospholipid species. Stigmasterol also decreased serum levels of ceramides. Conclusion Stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, at a dose corresponding to that suggested for humans by the FDA for lowering cholesterol levels, are shown to alleviate HFWD-induced NAFLD. Stigmasterol was more effective than β-sitosterol, possibly because of its suppression of hepatic lipogenic gene expression and modulation of circulating ceramide levels.

In this study, α-galactooligosaccharides (α-GOSs) were synthesized using galactose as the substrate and α-galactosidase from Aspergillus niger as the catalyst. In the reaction, synthesized products of U1, U2, U3, and U4 were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. By mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone derivatization, U1 was the mixture of disaccharides of α-d-Gal p-(1→1)-α-d-Gal, α-d-Gal p-(1→2)-α-d-Gal, α-d-Gal p-(1→3)-α-d-Gal, α-d-Gal p-(1→4)-α-d-Gal, U2 was identified to be α-d-Gal p-(1→6)-α-d-Gal, U3 was the mixture of galactotrisaccharides linked by one α-(1→6)-glycosidic linkage and one other α-glycosidic linkage, and U4 was identified as α-d-Gal p-(1→6)-α-d-Gal p-(1→6)-α-d-Gal. Afterward, the synthesized α-GOSs (U1, U2, U3, U4, and their mixture) as well as α-GOSs (manninotriose, stachyose, ciceritol, and verbascose) obtained from natural materials were used as subjects to evaluate their immunomodulatory effects in vitro by culturing mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that α-GOS with a higher degree of polymerization had better immunomodulatory activity, while to a certain extent, α-GOS linked with α-(1→6)-galactosidic linkage showed a better immunomodulatory effect.

α-Galacto-oligosaccharides have been reported to have beneficial health effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of a newly synthesized α-galacto-oligosaccharide mixture (α-GOSg), as well as raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs), on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. When administered in drinking water at 0.5% for 15 days, both α-GOSg and RFOs significantly decreased fecal hemoglobin content, partially prevented colon length shortening, reduced the severity of colon inflammation, and attenuated DSS-induced upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, the activation of the inflammatory regulator nuclear factor-kappa B was slightly inhibited by α-GOSg. The results showed that the newly synthesized α-GOSg preparation has similar anti-inflammatory activities as RFOs in this colitis model. The anti-inflammatory activity of α-GOSg in humans remains to be investigated.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based novel functional films containing Chinese chives root extract (CRE) at different concentrations (1, 3 and 5 % in w/w) were successfully fabricated. It was revealed by SEM that higher extract concentration triggered the formation of agglomerates within the film. Tensile strength of the films was decreased from 30.91 to 16.48 MPa. Thickness of films was increased from 43 to 84 μm, while decrease in water solubility from 77.51–52.91 %, swelling degree from 55.74 to 40.37 %, and water vapor permeability from 5.76 to 1.17 10−10 gm-1s-1 Pa-1 was observed. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging ability of CMC-CRE films was increased from 0 to 58 % and 82 %, respectively. CMC-CRE5 film showed the highest biodegradability of 58.14 %. The film prepared by the addition of CRE into CMC also exhibited good antioxidant and antimicrobial activity indicating that it could be developed as a bio-composite food packaging material for the food industry.

To study the effects of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol on high-fat Western diet (HFWD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), lipidomic analyses were conducted in liver samples collected after 33 weeks of the treatment. Principal component analysis showed these phytosterols were effective in protecting against HFWD-induced NAFLD. Orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) and S-plots showed that triacylglycerols (TGs), phosphatidylcholines, cholesteryl esters, diacylglycerols, and free fatty acids (FFAs) were the major lipid species contributing to these discriminations. The alleviation of NAFLD is mainly associated with decreases in hepatic cholesterol, TGs with polyunsaturated fatty acids, and alterations of free hepatic FFA. In conclusion, phytosterols, at a dose comparable to that suggested for humans by the FDA for the reduction of plasma cholesterol levels, are shown to protect against NAFLD in this long-term (33-week) study.

An increasing amount of evidence suggests that the gut microbiota composition and structure contribute to the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome (MS), which has been put forward as a new target in the treatment of diet-induced MS. In this work, we aimed to investigate effects of Fuzhuan brick tea polysaccharides (FBTPS) on MS and gut microbiota dysbiosis in high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice and to further investigate whether its attenuation of MS is related to the modulation of gut microbiota. The results showed that FBTPS intervention could significantly attenuate metabolic syndrome in HFD-induced mice. Based on results of sequencing, FBTPS treatment could increase the phylogenetic diversity of HFD-induced microbiota. FBTPS intervention could significantly restore the HFD-induced increases in relative abundances of Erysipelotrichaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, and Streptococcaceae. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that 44 key OTUs were negatively or positively associated with MS. Our results suggested that FBTPS could serve as a novel candidate for prevention of MS in association with the modulation of gut microbiota.

This study aims to develop novel lutein nanoparticles encapsulized by stevioside (LUT-STE, 165 ± 2 nm average particles size) and systematically evaluate its bioavailability. Multiple spectroscopy and NMR analyses showed lutein and stevioside could interact through hydrogen bonds, C H π interaction and van der Waals forces. Molecular docking simulation showed lutein was well distributed in the hydrophobic cavity of stevioside. Analyzed by Caco-2 cellular models, the transported amount of LUT-STE was 2.39 times that of lutein in 120 min with a Papp (B → A)/Papp (A → B) value of 0.63 ± 0.04. Nystatin and dynasore significantly reduced the cellular uptake of LUT-STE by 41.3% and 57.7%, respectively. Compared with free lutein, LUT-STE increased the Cmax in mice plasma by 5.01-fold and promoted the accumulation in multiple organs. LUT-STE promoted the protein expressions of CD36, NPC1L1 and PPARγ in both cell and animal models. In conclusion, stevioside entrapment significantly promote the bioavailability of lutein through multiple transmembrane pathways.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ciceritol on human colonic microflora and the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Ciceritol was extracted from chickpeas by using 50% ethanol-water solvent with a ratio of 1:10, and the extract was purified by chromatography of charcoal-Celite column and gel chromatography of Biogel P-2 column. Bacterial population and the concentration of SCFAs during in vitro anaerobic fermentation were investigated to evaluate the effect of ciceritol on human colonic microflora. The results indicated that the addition of ciceritol could significantly enhance the growth of Lactobacillus–Enterococcus group (8.26 compared to 7.71 log 10 cells/mL of control group) and Bifidobacterium spp. (10.43 compared to 9.45 log 10 cells/mL of control group), and inhibit the growth of Bacteroides–Prevotella , Clostridium histolyticum and Eubacterium–Clostridium groups. Besides, the production of SCFAs was significantly improved by addition of ciceritol that the content was twice of the control group. Accordingly, we conclude that ciceritol can behave as a potential prebiotics by optimizing the microflora of human colon and promoting the production of SCFAs, which will benefit to human health.

The gut microbiota has the ability to modulate host energy homeostasis, which may regulate metabolic disorders. Functional oligosaccharide may positively regulate the intestinal microbiota. Therefore, effects of α-galactooligosaccharides (α-GOS) from chickpea on high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome and gut bacterial dysbiosis were investigated. After 6 weeks of intervention, HFD led to significant increases in levels of blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, glycated serum protein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of mice compared to normal-chow-fed mice. Meanwhile, all of the α-GOS-treated groups significantly decreased above parameters compared to the HFD group. HFD could significantly decrease the content of all bacteria, especially Bacteroides (9.82 ± 0.09 versus 10.3 ± 0.10; p0.05) and Lactobacillus (6.67 ± 0.18 versus 7.30 ± 0.24; p0.05), and a decrease in the production of short-chain fatty acids was also observed. Treatment with α-GOS significantly increased the number of Bifidobacterium (6.07 ± 0.23 of the low-dose treatment versus 5.65 ± 0.20 of the HFD group) and Lactobacillus (7.22 ± 0.16 of the low-dose treatment). It also significantly promoted the secretion of propionic and butyric acids. These results indicate that α-GOS from chickpeas may affect the metabolic disorders and gut bacterial ecosystem in a positive way.

Phytosterols, the plant analogues of cholesterol, widely occur in the human diet. In this study, we investigated and compared the effects of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol (both with purities ≥95%) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in C57BL/6J male mice fed a high fat Western-style diet. Mice treated with DSS developed severe mucosal colitis, with a marked distortion and crypt loss of colonic surface epithelium. Both β-sitosterol and stigmasterol significantly inhibited colon shortening, lowered fecal hemoglobin content, and reduced the severity of colitis in the middle and distal colon (p < 0.05). These phytosterols also significantly suppressed the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B. They also significantly decreased colony stimulating factor-1 and the nuclear translocation of inflammatory master regulator nuclear factor-kappa B. Stigmasterol significantly lowered the colonic inflammation score and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and colony stimulating factor-1, while β-sitosterol was less or not effective. These results suggest that dietary intake of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol ameliorates colitis. Such activities of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol in humans remain to be investigated.

Kudingcha made from the leaves of Ilex kudingcha and chlorogenic acid have antiobesity and intestinal microbiota modulating effects. However, the effects of kudingcha dicaffeoylquinic acids (diCQAs) on obesity and intestinal microbiota are still poorly understood. In the present study, the effects of kudingcha diCQAs on adipose accumulation and intestinal microbiota were investigated in high-fat-diet-fed mice. As a result, kudingcha diCQAs decreased the liver and adipose tissue masses, concentrations of serum inflammatory factors, and hepatic expressions of lipid synthesis related genes and increased the expressions of genes involved in lipid degradation in the liver. Kudingcha diCQAs also exhibited considerable effects on intestinal microbiota. They increased the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia and affected the function of the microbial community including bile acid biosynthesis. Kudingcha diCQAs had antiobesity potential, possibly acting through affecting intestinal microbiota. Furthermore, the effects of kudingcha diCQAs on fat accumulation and intestinal microbiota had a dose-dependent manner.

Increasing evidence has shown that dicaffeoylquinic acids (DiCQAs) have anti-inflammatory activity. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory effects of DiCQAs are still unclear. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of DiCQAs from the leaves of Ilex kudingcha and the potential molecular mechanisms on LPS-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 macrophage cells were investigated. The results showed that pretreatment with DiCQAs could suppress the production of NO, PGE2 and also pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and the mRNA expression of two major inflammatory mediators of COX-2 and iNOS. The phosphorylated IκBα, ERK, JNK and p38 proteins in LPS-treated cells were significantly increased, which could be reversed by pretreatment with DiCQAs in a concentration-dependent manner. Taken together, the results suggest that DiCQAs from I. kudingcha have potent anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-induced inflammatory responses by inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPKs pathways and may be a prophylactic for inflammation.

Electroplating sludge (ES) is regularly listed as the hazardous waste in all the world, and its treatment is always a pressing problem for environment safety. This study introduced this sludge into the production of fired clay bricks in lab scale, not only consumed a large amount of this sludge but also provided an available raw material for building materials industries. Two types clay, brown clay and red clay, were mixed with ES and used in the production of bricks. Physical property tests showed that the introduction of ES with mass fraction of 10 wt% impacted slightly mass loss, linear shrinkage and bulk density. However, water absorption increased by 15% and compressive strength declined more than 30%. Porosity analysis showed that the introduction of ES enhanced porosity and enlarged pore volume and size. These negative impacts bought by the incorporation of ES can be remedied by elevating firing temperature. Long periods leaching tests for 10 days proved that the releasing concentrations of all heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni) from fired samples containing 10 wt% of ES were under 1 mg/L, far below the corresponding regulation limitation values. This study indicated that ES could be sustainably used in the manufacturing process of fired bricks or ceramics, and the influences on physical-mechanical properties bought by the introduction of ES could be remedied by elevating firing temperature or others ways.

Increasing evidence shows that the gut microbiota contributes to the occurrence and development of colitis. Kudingcha (KDC), made from the leaves of Ilex kudingcha, could mitigate inflammation, however, little is known about the relationship between modulatory effect on gut microbiota by KDC and improvement of colitis. In this study, the attenuating effects of KDC extract (KDCE) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and gut microbiota in C57BL/6 mice were investigated. It was found that the supplementation of KDCE could alleviate typical symptoms of IBD including weight loss, colon shortening, intestinal barrier damage, and decreases in the colitis disease activity index and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, KDCE supplementation could reverse the alteration of gut microbiota in the colitic mice by increasing the abundances of potential beneficial bacteria, e.g. Odoribacter, Prevotella and Helicobacter, and decreasing the abundances of potential harmful bacteria, e.g. Parabacteroides, Bacteroides, Turicibacter, Parasutterella and Lachnospiraceae. The levels of short-chain fatty acids in feces, cecum contents and serum were also regulated by KDCE. Furthermore, the correlation analysis suggested that KDCE could attenuate DSS-induced colitis which might be related to the alteration of gut microbiota. Therefore, the modulation of gut microbiota by KDCE might be a potential strategy for improving inflammation-driven diseases.

This study investigated effects of UV-B radiation and CaCl