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1.
Insoluble dietary fibers: structure, metabolism, interactions with human microbiome, and role in gut homeostasis.
Baky, MH, Salah, M, Ezzelarab, N, Shao, P, Elshahed, MS, Farag, MA
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2024;(7):1954-1968
Abstract
Consumption of food rich in dietary fibers (DFs) has been long recognized to exert an overall beneficial effect on human health. This review aims to provide a holistic overview on how IDFs impact human gut health either directly, or through modulation of the gut microbiome. Several databases were searched for collecting papers such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus and Reaxys from 2000 till 2022. Firstly, an overview of the chemical structure of the various IDFs and the pathways employed by gut microbiota for their degradation is provided. The impact of IDFs on microbial community structure and pathogens colonization inside the human gut was discussed. Finally, the impact of IDFs on gut homeostasis and systemic effects at the cellular level, as well as the overall immunological benefits of IDFs consumption were analyzed. IDFs viz., cellulose, hemicellulose, resistant starch, and lignin found enriched in food are discussed for these effects. IDFs were found to induce gut immunity, improve intestinal integrity and mucosal proliferation, and favor adhesion of probiotics and hence improve human health. Also, IDFs were concluded to improve the bioavailability of plant polyphenols and improve their health-related functional roles. Ultimately, dietary fibers processing by modification shows potential to enhance fibers-based functional food production, in addition to increase the economic value and usage of food-rich fibers and their by-products.
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A critical review on correlating active sites, oxidative species and degradation routes with persulfate-based antibiotics oxidation.
Li, N, Ye, J, Dai, H, Shao, P, Liang, L, Kong, L, Yan, B, Chen, G, Duan, X
Water research. 2023;:119926
Abstract
At present, numerous heterogeneous catalysts have been synthesized to activate persulfate (PS) and produce various reactive species for antibiotic degradation from water. However, the systematic summary of the correlation among catalyst active sites, PS activation pathway and pollutant degradation has not been reported. This review summarized the effect of metal-based, carbon-based and metal-carbon composite catalysts on the degradation of antibiotics by activating PS. Metal and non-metal sites are conducive to inducing different oxidation pathways (SO4•-, •OH radical oxidation and 1O2 oxidation, mediated electron transfer, surface-bound reactive complexes and high-valent metal oxidation). SO4•- and •OH are easy to attack CH, S-N, CN bonds, CC double bonds and amino groups in antibiotics. 1O2 is more selective to the structure of the aniline ring and amino group, and also to attacking CS, CN and CH bonds. Surface-bound active species can cleave CC, SN, CS and CN bonds. Other non-radical pathways may also induce different antibiotic degradation routes due to differences in oxidation potential and electronic properties. This critical review clarified the functions of active sites in producing different reactive species for selective oxidation of antibiotics via featured pathways. The outcomes will provide valuable guidance of oriented-regulation of active sites in heterogeneous catalysts to produce on-demand reactive species toward high-efficiency removing antibiotics from water.
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Dendrobium as a new natural source of bioactive for the prevention and treatment of digestive tract diseases: A comprehensive review with future perspectives.
Wu, W, Lin, Y, Farag, MA, Li, Z, Shao, P
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2023;:154784
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of diseases related to the digestive tract is on the rise, with many types of complex etiologies. Dendrobium nobile Lindl. is a famous Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rich in many bioactives proven to be beneficial in several health diseases related to inflammation and oxidative stress. PURPOSE At present, despite the availability of various therapeutic clinical drugs used for the treatment of digestive tract diseases, resistance emergence and existence of several side effects warrant for the developing of novel drugs for improved effects on digestive tract diseases. METHODS "Orchidaceae", "Dendrobium", "inflammation", "digestive tract", and "polysaccharide" were used as search terms to screen the literature. The therapeutic use of Dendrobium related to digestive tract diseases relative to known polysaccharides and other bioactive compounds were derived from online databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Elsevier, Science Direct, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, as well as relevant information on the known pharmacological actions of the listed phytochemicals. RESULTS To better capitalize upon Dendrobium for preventing and treating diseases related to digestive tract, this review summarizes bioactives in Dendrobium reported of potential in digestive tract diseases management and their underlying action mechanisms. Studies revealed that Dendrobium encompasses diverse classes including polysaccharides, phenolics, alkaloids, bibenzyls, coumarins, phenanthrene and steroids, with polysaccharide as the major class. Dendrobium exerts various health effects on a variety of disease related to the digestive tract. Action mechanisms involve antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, anticancer, alongside the regulation of some key signaling pathways. CONCLUSION Overall, Dendrobium appears as a promising TCM source of bioactives that has the potential to be further developed into nutraceuticals for digestive tract diseases compared to current drug treatments. This review highlights for Dendrobium potential effects with future perspectives for needed future research to maximize the use of bioactive compounds from Dendrobium for digestive tract disease treatment. A compile of Dendrobium bioactives is also presented alongside methods for their extraction and enrichment for potential incorporation in nutraceuticals.
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4.
Bergapten attenuates microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and ischemic brain injury by targeting Kv1.3 and Carbonyl reductase 1.
Gao, S, Zou, X, Wang, Z, Shu, X, Cao, X, Xia, S, Shao, P, Bao, X, Yang, H, Xu, Y, et al
European journal of pharmacology. 2022;:175242
Abstract
Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke, which serves as a prime target for developing novel therapeutic agent. However, feasible and effective agents for controlling neuroinflammation are scarce. Bergapten were acknowledged to hold therapeutic potential in restricting inflammation in multiple diseases, including peripheral neuropathy, migraine headaches and osteoarthritis. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of bergapten on microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and its therapeutic potential in ischemic stroke. Our study demonstrated that bergapten significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in LPS-stimulated primary microglia. Mechanistically, bergapten suppressed cellular potassium ion efflux by inhibiting Kv1.3 channel and inhibits the degradation of Carbonyl reductase 1 induced by LPS, which might contribute to the anti-inflammatory effect of bergapten. Furthermore, bergapten suppressed microglial activation and post-stroke neuroinflammation in an experimental stroke model, leading to reduced infarct size and improved functional recovery. Thus, our study identified that bergapten might be a potential therapeutic compound for the treatment of ischemic stroke.
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Effect of probiotics supplementation combined with WeChat platform health management on nutritional status, inflammatory factors, and quality of life in patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis: a randomized trial.
Ou, Q, Wang, L, Wang, K, Shao, P
Annals of palliative medicine. 2021;(6):6606-6616
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a refractory disease which is difficult to cure, is increasing in incidence, and is expensive to manage. The impact of long-term remission and recurrence in UC patients can cause a loss of confidence in patients regarding the efficacy of treatment and a lack of compliance, which creates a vicious circle. There is a lack of research on the nutritional status and quality of life (QOL) of UC patients in China. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of probiotics supplementation combined with WeChat platform health management on the nutritional status, inflammatory factor levels, and QOL of patients with mild to moderate UC. METHODS We enrolled 150 patients diagnosed with mild to moderate UC in the outpatient and inpatient department of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University between January 2018 to December 2020. Patients were randomly divided into an intervention group (probiotics supplement combined with WeChat platform) and a control group (routine follow-up). Changes to the nutritional status, inflammatory factor levels, and QOL of patients at discharge and 12 weeks after discharge were compared. RESULTS After 12 weeks of intervention, the nutritional status, inflammatory factor levels, and QOL scores of the two groups were improved compared with those before 12 weeks. Nutritional status related indicators (PA, ALB, and TP) of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05); the inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) of the intervention group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05); the SF-36 scores (PF, RP, and SF) in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05); and the IBDQ scores (BS, SS, and EF) in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Probiotics supplements combined with WeChat platform health management have a better curative effect on UC than conventional treatment by significantly improving the nutritional status of patients, reducing the level of inflammatory factors, and improving the QOL of patients. This intervention adds value to the management of UC patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100046446.
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Within-trial cost-effectiveness of lifestyle intervention using a 3-tier shared care approach for pregnancy outcomes in Chinese women with gestational diabetes.
Li, W, Zhang, C, Leng, J, Shao, P, Tian, H, Zhang, F, Dong, L, Yu, Z, Chan, JCN, Hu, G, et al
PloS one. 2020;(8):e0237738
Abstract
This study assessed within-trial cost-effectiveness of a shared care program (SC, n = 339) for pregnancy outcomes compared to usual care (UC, n = 361), as implemented in a randomized trial of Chinese women with gestational diabetes (GDM). SC consisted of an individualized dietary advice and physical activity counseling program. The UC was a one-time group education program. The effectiveness was measured by number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one macrosomia/large for gestational age (LGA) infant. The cost-effectiveness was measured by incremental cost-effectiveness ratio in terms of cost (2012 Chinese Yuan/US dollar) per case of macrosomia and LGA prevented. The study took both a health care system and a societal perspective. This study found that the NNT was 16/14 for macrosomia/LGA. The incremental cost for treating a pregnant woman was ¥1,877 ($298) from a health care system perspective and ¥2,056 ($327) from a societal perspective. The cost of preventing a case of macrosomia/LGA from the two corresponding perspectives were ¥30,032/¥26,278 ($4,775/$4,178) and ¥32,896/¥28,784 ($5,230/$4,577), respectively. Considering the potential severe adverse health and economic consequences of a macrosomia/LGA infant, our findings suggest that implementing this lifestyle intervention for women with GDM is an efficient use of health care resources.
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7.
Probing the structures, electronic and bonding properties of multidecker lanthanides: Neutral and anionic Lnn(COT)m (Ln = Ce, Nd, Eu, Ho and Yb; n, m = 1, 2) complexes.
Shao, P, Ding, LP, Luo, DB, Lu, C
Journal of molecular graphics & modelling. 2019;:226-234
Abstract
The ground state structures of neutral and anionic Lnn(COT)m (Ln = Ce, Nd, Eu, Ho and Yb; n, m = 1, 2) complexes have been identified by density functional theory. Ln(COT)1,20/- and Ln2(COT)20/- complexes are found to possess sandwich ground state structures in which Ln atoms and COT molecules are alternately stacked except for Nd2COT20/-. Our calculated AEA and VDE values show good agreement with the available experimental values, which validates that our obtained ground state structures are credible. Based on the frontier molecular orbitals, we find that the bond formation between the 4f electrons of Ln atoms and the π clouds of COT molecules is weak. Then, the bond strength within these complexes is further analyzed based on the topological analysis of electron density at bond critical point. By analyzing Hirshfeld charge, we find Lnn(COT)m0/- are charge-transfer complexes with weak bonding feature.
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8.
Non-Chloride in Situ Preparation of Nano-Cuprous Oxide and Its Effect on Heat Resistance and Combustion Properties of Calcium Alginate.
Shao, P, Xu, P, Zhang, L, Xue, Y, Zhao, X, Li, Z, Li, Q
Polymers. 2019;(11)
Abstract
With Cu2+ complexes as precursors, nano-cuprous oxide was prepared on a sodium alginate template excluded of Cl- and based on which the calcium alginate/nano-cuprous oxide hybrid materials were prepared by a Ca2+ crosslinking and freeze-drying process. The thermal degradation and combustion behavior of the materials were studied by related characterization techniques using pure calcium alginate as a comparison. The results show that the weight loss rate, heat release rate, peak heat release rate, total heat release rate and specific extinction area of the hybrid materials were remarkably lower than pure calcium alginate, and the flame-retardant performance was significantly improved. The experimental data indicates that nano-cuprous oxide formed a dense protective layer of copper oxide, calcium carbonate and carbon by lowering the initial degradation temperature of the polysaccharide chain during thermal degradation and catalytically dehydrating to char in the combustion process, and thereby can isolate combustible gases, increase carbon residual rates, and notably reduce heat release and smoke evacuation.
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Highly selective ratiometric peptide-based chemosensors for zinc ions and applications in living cell imaging: a study for reasonable structure design.
Yang, J, Rong, H, Shao, P, Tao, Y, Dang, J, Wang, P, Ge, Y, Wu, J, Liu, D
Journal of materials chemistry. B. 2016;(36):6065-6073
Abstract
Recently, fluorescent peptide-based chemosensors have been reported and used to detect series of metal ions in both aqueous solutions and living cells. In order to explore and indicate the structural regulations of "fluorophore-(His)n-Pro-Gly-(His)n-fluorophore (H2L peptide sensor)", we predict the relationship between the number of histidine molecules and the coordination activity, as well as the preferred coordination site, through computational studies. Ln=3 was modeled as showing the highest activity with the lowest calculated ΔEtotal, and inner histidine residues bonding with the "Pro-Gly" core structure always provided essential coordination sites for zinc ions. A predicted structural regulation mechanism was studied and verified experimentally. Three Zn2+ sensors with the number of histidine molecules set as 2 (Ln=2), 3 (Ln=3) and 4 (Ln=4) were synthesized and tested. The Ln=3 sensor shows the highest fluorescence intensity by specific binding with Zn2+. The key coordination site was identified by mutating the histidine residues of the Ln=3 sensor. The inner histidine bonding with the "Pro-Gly" core structure was proved as the vital coordination site, and at least one extra histidine had to be provided to assist the coordination process according to the experimental results. Both computational and experimental studies reveal the same relationship between the structure and activity for H2L peptides in the fluorescent sensing of zinc ions. The results give fundamental information for the reasonable design and optimization of all similar classes of peptide sensors.
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Metformin treatment of antipsychotic-induced dyslipidemia: an analysis of two randomized, placebo-controlled trials.
Wu, RR, Zhang, FY, Gao, KM, Ou, JJ, Shao, P, Jin, H, Guo, WB, Chan, PK, Zhao, JP
Molecular psychiatry. 2016;(11):1537-1544
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Abstract
Dyslipidemia is one of the most common adverse effects in schizophrenia patients treated with antipsychotics. However, there are no established effective treatments. In this study, data were pooled from two randomized, placebo-controlled trials, which were originally designed to examine the efficacy of metformin in treating antipsychotic-induced weight gain and other metabolic abnormalities. In total, 201 schizophrenia patients with dyslipidemia after being treated with an antipsychotic were assigned to take 1000 mg day-1 metformin (n=103) or placebo (n=98) for 24 weeks, with evaluation at baseline, week 12 and week 24. The primary outcome was the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. After metformin treatment, the mean difference in the LDL-C value between metformin treatment and placebo was from 0.16 mmol l-1 at baseline to -0.86 mmol l-1 at the end of week 24, decreased by 1.02 mmol l-1 (P<0.0001); and 25.3% of patients in the metformin group had LDL-C ≥3.37 mmol l-1, which is significantly <64.8% in the placebo group (P<0.001) at week 24. Compared with the placebo, metformin treatment also have a significant effect on reducing weight, body mass index, insulin, insulin resistance index, total cholesterol and triglyceride, and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The treatment effects on weight and insulin resistance appeared at week 12 and further improved at week 24, but the effects on improving dyslipidemia only significantly occurred at the end of week 24. We found that metformin treatment was effective in improving antipsychotic-induced dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, and the effects improving antipsychotic-induced insulin resistance appeared earlier than the reducing dyslipidemia.