Glucaric acid (GA) is derived from glucose and commonly used in chemical industry. It is also considered as one of the "Top value-added chemicals from biomass" as carbohydrate monomers to produce various synthetic polymers and bioenergy. The demand for GA in food manufacture is increasing. GA has also attracted public attentions due to its therapeutic uses such as regulating hormones, increasing the immune function and reducing the risks of cancers. Currently GA is produced by chemical oxidation. Research on production of GA via microbial synthesis is still at preliminary stage. We reviewed the advances of glucaric acid applications, preparation and quantification methods. The prospects on production of GA by microbial fermentation were also discussed.
Biomass ; Chemical Industry ; Fermentation ; Glucaric Acid ; chemistry ; Glucose ; Polymers

Objective:To explore the interaction between gossypol and human serum albumin ( HSA) . Methods:The interaction of gossypol and HSA under physiological conditions was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy, and the molecular docking software was used to simulate the interaction. Results:The binding constant of gossypol and HSA at 293K and 303K was 2. 390 6 × 105 L·mol-1 and 3. 576 8 × 103 L·mol-1 , respectively. There was one binding site on HSA for gossypol. Hydrogen bond and Van Der Waals inter-actions were involved in the binding process. The binding of gossypol and HAS was closer to tyrosine residue in HSA. The molecular simulation analysis verified the above results. Conclusion: The gossypol-induced fluorescence quenching of HSA belongs to a static quenching procedure.

Animals ; Rats ; Specimen Handling ; methods ; Spinal Cord

Objective To explore the value of color doppler ultrasonography by bed side in the early diagnosis of HIE in full term neonates.Methods The changes of cerebral parenchymal and cerebral arterial blood stream parameter on 35 cases of neonates clinically diagnosed HIE of mild and moderate degree and 40 cases of normal newborns on the 24,48 and 72 hours after birth were observed by color doppler ultrasonography by bed side.Results 1.The cerebral parenchyma was even echo in normal newborns,but it was maldistributed and reinforced in mild asphyxia neonates and it was more serious in moderate degree.The echo of cerebral parenchyma in mild degree was near normal in 48 hours after birth,while the echo of cerebral parenchyma in moderate degree was still maldistributed and reinforced in 48 and 72 hours after birth.2.There was obvious changes in the cerebral arterial blood stream parameter and hemodynamics of the asphyxia newborns compared with normals.The systolic peak velocity(Vs)and end diastolic velocity(Vd)of the cerebral arteries in mild and moderate degree were obviously lower than that of control group in 24,48 hours after birth(Pa0.05).3.Resistance index(RI)of the cerebral arteries in mild and moderate degree were higher than that of control group in 24,48 hours after birth(Pa0.05).Conclusion Color doppler ultrasonography by bed side is a convenient,noninvasive method for diagnosing HIE.

A strain named as WJ44 with capability of producing branched-chain aminotransferase was isolated from the soil, the enzyme activity is especially high when used leucine as a substrate. According to the physiological characteristics, biochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA sequence of WJ44, the strain was identified as Bacillus cereus. The optimal carbon source and nitrogen source were also determined as 20 g/L glucose, 15 g/L tryptone and 5 g/L beef extract, respectively. The optimal proportion of other component in the medium is corn steep liquor 15 g/L, KH2PO4 3 g/L, MgSO4?7H2O 0.5 g/L. The optimum original pH value is 7.0, the cultural temperature is 37℃, liquid volume is 20 mL/250 mL, the shaker’s rotating speed is 200 r/min. The highest leucine transferase activity of 45.787 U/mL was achieved after 10 h under the opti- mal condition, and the dry weight of cell is 8.643 g/L, increased by 54% and 10% respectively. This result shows that WJ44 is a branched-chain aminotransferase-production strain with fine capability.

In order to improve the efficiency of drug screening on serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitors, a high-throughput screening (HTS) model is established in RBL-2H3 cells. The RBL-2H3 cells are very similar to the serotonin genetic neuro, in modulation of post-receptor mechanisms and transduction pathway of SERT reactivated. Depending on a fluorescence substrate ASP+ used in detection method of inhibitor rates, it's convenient, quick, accurate and effective, not making the environmental biohazard compared with radioactive experiments. Furthermore, biological screening model combined with computer aided virtual screening technique describing high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS). Bayesian classification method and molecular fingerprint similarity were applied to virtual screening technique, for screening compounds in compound library. Some compounds have been found, and then validated further by biological screening model. Combination of HTS and HTVS improves the efficiency of screening SERT inhibitors.
Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; Cell Line ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; Models, Biological ; Rats ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; metabolism ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors ; pharmacology

Integrative Medicine ; education

A rapid, sensitive and convenient LC-MS/MS method was developed for the determination of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in human plasma. d2-γ-Aminobutyric acid (d2-GABA) was synthesized as internal standard (IS). After extraction from human plasma by protein precipitation with acetonitrile, all analytes were separated on a Luna HILIC column (100 mm x 3.0 mm, 3 μm) using an isocratic mobile phase of water: acetonitrile: formic acid (20 : 80 : 0.12) with a flow rate of 0.5 mL x min(-1). Acquisition of mass spectrometric data was performed in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) in positive electrospray ionization using the transitions of m/z 104 --> 69 for GABA and m/z 106 --> 71 for d2-GABA. The method was linear in the concentration range of 5.00 to 1 000 ng x mL(-1). The intra- and inter-day precisions were within 9.9%, and accuracy ranged from 99.1% to 104%, within the acceptable limit across all concentrations. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of GABA tablets in healthy Chinese volunteers.
Chromatography, Liquid ; Humans ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; blood

Objective To explore the effects of transcranial ultrasound (TU) on the sensory functioning of children with cerebral palsy (CP).Methods Sixty-seven children with CP were randomly divided into a TU group (n =33) and a control group (n =34).All of the children were given conventional rehabilitative treatment, but the children in the TU group also received TU stimulation at 1.2 W/cm2 for 20 min daily, 5 times a week.All the treatments continued for 3 weeks in both groups.Before and after the intervention, the latencies and amplitudes of N20 and P37 were recorded and the escape reflex threshold was measured using the Von-Frey method.Results Before the treatment there were no significant differences between the two groups.After the 3 weeks of treatment, significant differences were observed in the N20 and P37 amplitudes, but not in the latencies in the control group.In TU group, however, the N20 and P37 latencies were significantly shorter and the amplitudes were significantly improved after the treatment.So significant inter-group differences were found in terms of N20 latency and both N20 and P37 amplitude after the treatment.The average escape reflex threshold in the TU group was significantly lower than before treatment, but not significantly different from the control group's average.Conclusions Transcranial ultrasound can effectively shorten the latencies and increase the amplitudes of somatosensory evoked potentials, suggesting that it can improve somatosensory functioning in children with CP.

Objective To determine the impact of fluorine and aluminum,and both action combined on the number of rat osteoclasts and bone resorption cultured in vitro and to explore its mechanisms.Methods The osteoclasts and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) isolated from long bone of new born rats were cultured,respectively,in TC199 medium (containing 10％ fetal bovine serum) with fluoride,aluminum and fluoride combined with aluminum.The osteoclasts were inoculated in 96-well culture plate and ivory slice,BMSCs in 6-well culture plate,and culture medium was changed after 2 hours incubation.The cells were divided into control group,fluoride group,aluminum group and fluoride combined with aluminum group; the doses of sodium fluoride were 0,1.0 × 10-4,0,1.0 × 10-4 mol/L and the doses of aluminum chloride were 0,0,1.0 × 10-5,1.0 × 10-5 mol/L,respectively.Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining positive cells were counted under light microscope after TRAP staining on the 5th day and the pit formed in ivory slices were measured by histomorphometry after staining with toludine blue.The expression of osteoprotegerin(OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR in BMSCs after 8 h treatment.Results ① Fluoride,aluminum and the interactive effects of fluoride and aluminum all had impact on the numbers of osteoclasts (F =7.15,6.56 and 7.98,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05).The numbers of osteoclasts in fluoride group,aluminum group and fluoride combined with aluminum group[(136.9 ± 22.99),(135.4 ± 23.5),(163.0 ± 24.4) per well] were higher than that in the control group[(92.5 ± 22.1) per well,all P ＜ 0.05].② Fluoride,aluminum and the interactive effects of fluoride and aluminum all had impact on the resorption pit area on ivory slices(F =10.47,12.64,14.29,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05).The resorption pit area on ivory slices in fluoride group,aluminum group and fluoride combined with aluminum group[(0.242 ± 0.031),(0.293 ± 0.026),(0.333 ± 0.016)mm2 per slice] was higher than that in the control group [(0.088 ± 0.030)mm2 per slice,all P ＜ 0.05].③Fluoride,aluminum and the interactive effects of fluoride and aluminum all had impact on the expression ratios of RANKL/OPG in BMSCs (F =8.15,15.38,23.59,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05).The expression ratios of RANKL/OPG in BMSCs in fluoride group,aluminum group and fluoride combined with aluminum group [(193.98 ± 137.93)％,(326.11 ± 176.78)％,(599.84 ± 275.82)％] were higher than that in the control group[(100.00 ± 56.02)％,all P ＜ 0.05].Conclusions Both fluoride and aluminum can cause increase in the number of osteoclasts in vitro and promote cell differentiation and bone resorption activity,which may be related to increased expression ratio of RANKL/OPG mRNA in BMSCs.The stimulating effects of fluoride on osteoclasts differentiation and bone resorption is enhanced by aluminum.