22-Hydroxy-3-oxo-12-ursen-30-oic acid

The value of grip test, lysophosphatidlycholines, glycerophosphocholine, ornithine, glucuronic acid decrement in assessment of nutritional and metabolic characteristics in hepatitis B cirrhosis.[Pubmed:28384211]

PLoS One. 2017 Apr 6;12(4):e0175165.

The liver is essential for the regulation of energy, protein and amino acids, as well as in other aspects of metabolism. To identify efficient indexes for evaluation of nutritional status and metabolic characteristics during different Child-Pugh stages of hepatitis B cirrhosis, 83 patients and 35 healthy individuals were enrolled in our study. We found that grip strength, triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), body fat and skeletal muscle of the patients were reduced compared to the control group (P<0.05). Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography data combined with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) showed that levels of a variety of metabolites, including lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPCs), glycerophosphocholine, ornithine and glucuronic acid were reduced in the serum of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis (P<0.001). However, glycerophosphoserine and taurocholic acid levels were higher than in the control group (P<0.001). Moreover, grip strength was correlated with the Child-Pugh score (P<0.05). Serum albumin, total cholesterol, LDL, LysoPCs, glycerophosphocholine, ornithine, glucuronic acid, glycerophosphoserine and taurocholic acid were correlated with the Child-Pugh score (P<0.01). These findings suggested that grip strength and the above small molecular substances might be considered as sensitive and important indexes for evaluating nutritional status and metabolic characteristics of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis, which may help assess prognosis and adjust nutritional treatment.

Prevention of TGF-beta-induced early liver fibrosis by a maleic acid derivative anti-oxidant through suppression of ROS, inflammation and hepatic stellate cells activation.[Pubmed:28384213]

PLoS One. 2017 Apr 6;12(4):e0174008.

Current anti-fibrotic effect of antioxidants in vivo is disappointing due probably to the fact that once liver fibrogenesis is established it is too advanced to be reversed by anti-oxidation mechanism. We consider antioxidant may only act on the early phase of fibrogenesis. Thus, we had previously established an early liver fibrosis animal model using an inducible expression vector (pPK9a), which contains TGF-beta gene and was hydro-dynamically transferred into mice to induce a transient liver fibrosis. TGF-beta1 has been well documented to up-regulate the expression of alpha2(1) collagen (Col 1A2) gene in the liver via the reactive oxygen species (ROS); the process triggers inflammation, leading to hepatic stellate cells (HSC) activation and liver fibrogenesis. Using our animal model and ROS, cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and Col 1A2 promoter assays as screening targets, we report here that a maleic acid derivative isolated from the Antrodia camphorata mycelium strongly decreases ROS production, promoter activity of Cox-2 and Col 1A2, intracellular calcium, expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), Smad4-p-Smad2/3 co-localization in cell nucleus and the DNA binding activity of Sp1. Our results suggest that the maleic acid derivative prevents liver fibrosis at an early phase both in vitro and in vivo through the inhibition of ROS, inflammation and the activation of HSC.

Thermo-acid-stable phytase-mediated enhancement of bioethanol production using Colocasia esculenta.[Pubmed:28384593]

Bioresour Technol. 2017 Jul;235:396-404.

Phytase production by the thermophilic mould Thermomyces lanuginosus SSBP was enhanced 8.56-fold in submerged fermentation, which was further improved in fed-batch cultivations. The protein was purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulphate precipitation, Resource Q anion exchange and Superdex gel-filtration chromatography, with an overall purification of 24.7-fold and a yield of 5.16%. The purified 49kDa protein was optimally active at 55 degrees C and pH 5.0, and was stable between 50 and 90 degrees C from pH 3.0-6.0, with a half-life of 138.6min at 70 degrees C. It was moderately stimulated by Ba(+2) and Mg(+2). The enzyme reduced phytate content in Colocasia esculenta starch (from 1.43mg/g to 0.05mg/g) that resulted in an improvement in the availability of fermentable sugars with a concomitant reduction in viscosity and 1.59-fold improvement in ethanol production. Thermo-acid-stable phytase from T. lanuginosus SSBP could be of major biotechnological interest, especially due to its robustness and wide applicability.