To explore the suitable fertilizing pattern for Saposhnikovia divaricata in the genuine producing area, a field trial was carried out to investigate the changes in the yield and quality of medicinal materials and soil in different fertilization patterns, such as organic fertilizer substitution(organic fertilizer+NPK fertilizer) and chemical fertilizer reduction(organic fertilizer+NPK fertilizer decrement and organic fertilizer+NPK fertilizer decrement+soil conditioner). The comprehensive analysis of all treatments was based on the medicine quality evaluation data set and soil quality evaluation data set, respectively, by CRITIC weight method. The results showed that(1) the yield of S. divaricate increased by 4.93%-12.67% under the organic fertilizer substitution mode, and the yield increased by 44.43% under the treatment of chemical fertilizer reduction YHT15, which was higher than that of the organic fertilizer substitution mode.(2) The quality of S. divaricate under the two fertilization modes was superior to the standard in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and the application of biochar was helpful to improve the quality of S. divaricate quality, with an increase of 82.83%-181.54%. CRITIC method analysis showed that fertilization treatments with high comprehensive scores were YHT15, YH30, and YH15.(3) Soil quality under the two fertilization modes was higher than that under the control. The fertilization treatments with higher comprehensive scores of soil quality were YHT15, YHT30, and YHT. The fertilization mode of adding biochar as soil conditioner, applying an appropriate amount of organic fertilizer, and reducing part of chemical fertilizer is the appropriate way to develop ecological plantation of S. divaricata in the Baicheng area in the western Jilin province. The specific fertilization mode is as follows. The basic fertilizer was 361 kg·hm~(-2) superphosphate+110 kg·hm~(-2) potassium sulfate+82 kg·hm~(-2) organic fertilizer+10 000 kg·hm~(-2) rice husk biochar, and urea was applied as top fertilizer three times, 29, 29, and 20 kg·hm~(-2), respectively.
The manganese peroxidase (MnP) can degrade multiple mycotoxins including deoxynivalenol (DON) efficiently; however, the lignin components abundant in foods and feeds were discovered to interfere with DON catalysis. Herein, using MnP from Ceriporiopsis subvermispora (CsMnP) as a model, it was demonstrated that desired catalysis of DON, but not futile reactions with lignin, in the reaction systems containing feeds could be achieved by engineering MnP and supplementing with a boosting reactant. Specifically, two successive strategies (including the fusion of CsMnP to a DON-recognizing ScFv and identification of glutathione as a specific targeting enhancer) were combined to overcome the lignin competition, which together resulted into elevation of the degradation rate from 2.5% to as high as 82.7% in the feeds. The method to construct a targeting MnP and fortify it with an additional enhancer could be similarly applied to catalyze the many other mycotoxins with yet unknown responsive biocatalysts.
Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a widely spread mycotoxin contaminates food and feed, causing severe oxidative stress damages and immunotoxicity. Grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSPE), a natural antioxidant with wide range of pharmacological and medicinal properties. The goal of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of GSPE against AFB₁-induced immunotoxicity and oxidative stress via NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling pathways in broiler chickens. For the experiment, 240 one-day old Cobb chicks were allocated into four dietary treatment groups of six replicates (10 birds per replicate): 1. Basal diet (control); 2. Basal diet + AFB₁ 1mg/kg contaminated corn (AFB₁); 3. Basal diet + GSPE 250 mg/kg (GSPE); 4. Basal diet + AFB₁ 1 mg/kg + GSPE 250 mg/kg (AFB₁ + GSPE). The results showed that GSPE significantly decreased serum inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-6 induced by AFB₁. Similarly, GSPE + AFB₁ treated group revealed a significant decrease in mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6) in the splenic tissue compared to the AFB₁ treatment group. In addition, western blotting results manifested that GSPE treatment normalized the phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (p65) and the degradation of IκBα protein induced by AFB₁. Furthermore, GSPE enhanced the antioxidant defense system through activating the nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2) signaling pathway. The mRNA and protein expression level of Nrf2 and its down streaming associated genes were noted up-regulated by the addition of GSPE, and down-regulated in the AFB₁ group. Taken together, GSPE alleviates AFB₁-induced immunotoxicity and oxidative damage by inhibiting the NF-κB and activating the Nrf2 signaling pathways in broiler chickens. Conclusively, our results suggest that GSPE could be considered as a potential natural agent for the prevention of AFB₁-induced immunotoxicity and oxidative damage.
Food and feed are frequently co-contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEN). This study investigated the effects of ZEN on the AFB1-induced liver and mammary gland toxicity in pregnant and lactating rats. AFB1 and ZEN co-exposure inhibited the growth of rats and caused oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in the liver and mammary gland. Compared with the AFB1-only group, damage was aggravated in the AFB1 + 10 mg/kg ZEN group, and the AFB1 + 1 mg/kg ZEN group showed a reduction in some metrics. The metabolomic results of the mammary gland showed that metabolite changes were mainly in lipid, amino acid, and glucose metabolism. Compared with the AFB1 + 0 mg/kg ZEN group, the AFB1 + 1 mg/kg ZEN group had the most metabolite changes. Moreover, AFB1 and ZEN co-exposure reduced the levels of sex hormones and RNA m6A methylation in the mammary gland. We speculate that ZEN affects the toxicity of AFB1 to the liver and mammary gland by interfering with the function of sex hormones, regulating cell proliferation and metabolic processes.
Hydrogen gas and microalgae both exist in the natural environment. We aimed to integrate hydrogen gas and biology nano microalgae together to expand the treatment options in sepsis.
Proteins that are pathogenesis-related 1 (PR-1) can accumulate to high levels when plants employ defenses, being major participants in processes critical for stress responses as well as development of many species. Yet we still lack information concerning PR-1 family members in Qingke plants (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum). In this work, we distinguished 20 PR-1s from the Qingke genome whose encoded proteins often featured at the N-terminus a signal peptide; all 20 PR-1s were predicted to localize either periplasmically or extracellularly. The CAP domain was confirmed as being highly conserved in all these PR-1s. Phylogeny-based inference revealed that PR-1 proteins clustered into four major clades, with the majority of Qingke PR-1s distributed in clade I (17 out 20), and the other 3 distributed in clade II. Gene structure analysis showed that 16 PR-1s did not contain any introns, whereas the other four had 1-4 introns. We identified a variety of motifs that are cis-acting in the promoter regions of PR-1s; these included those potentially involved in Qingke's light response, hormonal and stress responses, circadian control and regulation of development and growth, in addition to sites where transcription factors bind to. Expression analysis uncovered several members of PR-1 genes that were strongly and rapidly induced by powdery mildew infection, phytohormones, and cold stimulus. Altogether, our study's findings enhance what is known about genetic features of PR-1 family members in H. vulgare plants, especially Qingke, and could thereby facilitate further exploration aiming to elucidate the functioning of these proteins.
Abstract Background Soil salinization and alkalinization are the main factors that affect the agricultural productivity. Evaluating the persistence of the compound material applied in field soils is an important part of the regulation of the responses of cotton to saline and alkaline stresses. Result To determine the molecular effects of compound material on the cotton’s responses to saline stress and alkaline stress, cotton was planted in the salinized soil (NaCl 8 g kg − 1 ) and alkalized soil (Na 2 CO 3 8 g kg − 1 ) after application of the compound material, and ion content, physiological characteristics, and transcription of new cotton leaves at flowering and boll-forming stage were analyzed. The results showed that compared with saline stress, alkaline stress increased the contents of Na + , K + , SOD, and MDA in leaves. The application of the compound material reduced the content of Na + but increased the K + /Na + ratio, the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT, and REC. Transcriptome analysis revealed that after the application of the compound material, the Na + /H + exchanger gene in cotton leaves was down-regulated, while the K + transporter, K + channel, and POD genes were up-regulated. Besides, the down-regulation of genes related to lignin synthesis in phenylalanine biosynthesis pathway had a close relationship with the ion content and physiological characteristics in leaves. The quantitative analysis with PCR proved the reliability of the results of RNA sequencing. Conclusion These findings suggest that the compound material alleviated saline stress and alkaline stress on cotton leaves by regulating candidate genes in key biological pathways, which improves our understanding of the molecular mechanism of the compound material regulating the responses of cotton to saline stress and alkaline stress.
Most metabolites of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ), especially exo‐AFB 1 ‐8,9‐epoxide (AFBO), can induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to vary degrees, causing oxidative stress and liver damage, and ultimately induce liver cancer in humans and animals. Duck is one of the most sensitive animals to AFB 1 , and severe economic losses are caused by duck AFB 1 poisoning every year, but the exact mechanism of this high sensitivity is still unclear. This review highlights significant advances in our understanding of the AFB 1 metabolic activation, like cytochrome P450s (CYPs), and AFB 1 metabolic detoxification, like glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs) in poultry. In addition, AFB 1 may have other metabolic pathways in poultry, such as the mutual conversion of AFB 1 and aflatoxicol (AFL) and the process of AFBO to produce AFB 1 ‐8,9‐dihydrodiol (AFB 1 ‐dhd) and further metabolize it into detoxification substances. This review also summarized some exogenous regulatory substances that can alleviate AFB 1 ‐induced oxidative stress.
Aflatoxin is a known mycotoxin that pollutes various grains widely in the environment. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) have been shown to induce cytotoxicity in many cells, yet their effects on mammary epithelial cells remain unclear. In this study, we examined the toxicity and the effects of AFB1 and AFM1 on bovine mammary epithelial cells (BME cells). The cells were treated with AFB1 or AFM1 at a concentration of 0–10 mg/L for 24 or 48 h, followed by cytotoxicity assays, flow cytometry, and transcriptomics. Our results demonstrated that AFB1 and AFM1 induced cell proliferation inhibition, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. However, the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species has no significant difference. The RNA-Seq results also showed that AFB1 and AFM1 changed many related gene expressions like apoptosis and oxidative stress, cycle, junction, and signaling pathway. Taken together, AFB1 and AFM1 were found to affect cytotoxicity and related gene changes in BME cells. Notably, this study reported that 2 mg/L of AFB1 and AFM1 affected the expression of methylation-related genes, and ultimately altered the rate of m6A methylation in RNA. It may provide a potential direction for toxins to indirectly regulate gene expression by affecting RNA methylation modification. Our research provides some novel insights and data about AFB1 and AFM1 toxicity in BME cells.