One of the main challenges in oil-water separation of traditional Chinese medicines(TCM)is to obtain essential oils from the aromatic water of TCM.In this study,silicon dioxide/polyvinylidene fluoride(SiO_(2)/PVDF)mem...One of the main challenges in oil-water separation of traditional Chinese medicines(TCM)is to obtain essential oils from the aromatic water of TCM.In this study,silicon dioxide/polyvinylidene fluoride(SiO_(2)/PVDF)membranes were prepared using nonsolvent induce phase separation.Then polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)was coated to obtain PDMS/SiO_(2/)PVDF membranes.Separated essential oils and water from aromatic water in the gaseous state by vapor permeation membrane separation technology.The relationship between membrane structure and membrane separation effect was investigated.Response surface methodology was used to develop a quadratic model for the separation factor,membrane permeation separation index and membrane preparation process.The optimal process parameters for the membrane separation were 12.31%(mass)concentration of PVDF solution,9.6%(mass)of N,Ndimethylacetamide in the solidification bath,and 0.2 g hydrophobic nano-SiO_(2)incorporation,with a separation factor of 14.45,and a membrane flux of 1203.04 g·m^(-2)·h^(-1).Compared with the PDMS/PVDF membranes,the separation factor and membrane flux were increased by 68.59%and 3.46%,respectively.Compared with the SiO_(2)/PVDF membranes,the separation factor and membrane flux were increased by478%and 79.33%,respectively.Effectively mitigated the limitations of traditional polymer membrane material performance affected by the"trade-off"effect.Attenuated total internal reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,contact angle,scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to characterize the PDMS/SiO_(2)/PVDF membranes,and gas chromatography was used to characterize the permeate.In addition,the contents of L-menthol,L-menthone,menthyl acetate and limonene in the permeate,conformed to the European Pharmacopoeia standards.This study provided an effective preparation strategy of a feasible hydrophobic powder polymer membrane for the separation of essential oils from gaseous peppermint aromatic water.展开更多
The androgenic gland(AG)is an important endocrine gland for male reproductive function in crustaceans.In the present study,we investigated the histological characteristics of the androgenic gland of peppermint shrimp,...The androgenic gland(AG)is an important endocrine gland for male reproductive function in crustaceans.In the present study,we investigated the histological characteristics of the androgenic gland of peppermint shrimp,Lysmata wurdemanni.The peppermint shrimp matures as male first,then some individuals may become euhermaphrodite after several moltings(transitional phase).Euhermaphrodite-phase shrimp acts as male at intermolts.However,it can be fertilized as a female immediately after molting.Considering the male reproductive function acts in its lifespan except for at larval stages,and female reproductive system starts to develop at transitional phase,we hypothesized that AG activity might be reduced to allow and promote vitellogenesis onset in early transitional phase and the following euhermaphrodite phase.So AG cell structure might be different in three phases in L.wurdemanni.The results showed that AG exists in the male in transitional and euhermaphrodite phases.The gland cell clusters surrounding the ejaculatory ducts locate at the roots of the fifth pereopods.The nucleus diameters are similar in the three phases while the nucleus-to-cell ratio is the lowest in euhermaphrodite phase.Our results indicated that for the individuals that will become euhermaphrodite,the cellular structure of AG changes since transitional phase.Male reproductive function which is still available in euhermaphrodite-phase shrimp should be due to the existence of the gland.展开更多
Oral candidiasis causes pain in oral cavity or tongue. Antifungal drugs are commonly used for the treatment of candidiasis, however, there could be several problems such as side effects, drug resistance, or contraindi...Oral candidiasis causes pain in oral cavity or tongue. Antifungal drugs are commonly used for the treatment of candidiasis, however, there could be several problems such as side effects, drug resistance, or contraindication to concomitant use with drugs already taken. The development of substituting antimicrobial agents, which could be used internally or as gargling agents, is expected. Some essential oils have been known for the activities against microbes. We focused on the three chemotype essential oils from rosemary and five essential oils from Lamiaceae plants including rosemary, and examined their antifungal activity against Candida albicans by broth microdilution method. The activity with or without addition of Tween 80 or Tween 20 was statistically analyzed. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the essential oils were significantly decreased when either of the two surfactants was added. Among the tested oils, only CAMPHOR, a rosemary chemotype, showed a significantly lower MIC with addition of Tween 20 than Tween 80. It is inferred that the antifungal activity of essential oils is influenced by the type of surfactants. Some of the essential oils showed the same values of MIC and the minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) when surfactant was added. Peppermint showed the same MICs and MFCs in most cases, and its low MFC indicated potent fungicidal activity against C. albicans, as observed in CINEOL. We will discuss peppermint oil as one of the potential candidates for antifungal agents against C. albicans.展开更多
Virtual screening is a computational technique widely used for identifying small molecules which are most likely to bind to a protein target. In the present work, a molecular docking study is carried out to propose po...Virtual screening is a computational technique widely used for identifying small molecules which are most likely to bind to a protein target. In the present work, a molecular docking study is carried out to propose potential candidates for preventing the RBD/ACE2 attachment. These candidates are sixteen different flavonoids present in the peppermint leaf. Results showed that Luteolin 7-O-neohesperidoside is the peppermint flavonoid with a higher binding affinity regarding the RBD/ACE2 complex (about -9.18 Kcal/mol). On the other hand, Sakuranetin presented the lowest affinity (about -6.38 Kcal/mol). Binding affinities of the other peppermint flavonoids ranged from -6.44 Kcal/mol up to -9.05 Kcal/mol. The binding site surface analysis showed pocket-like regions on the RBD/ACE2 complex that yield several interactions (mostly hydrogen bonds) between the flavonoid and the amino acid residues of the proteins. This study can open channels for the understanding of the roles of flavonoids against COVID-19 infection.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22478007)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFB3805100)the Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation(2023AH050728)。
文摘One of the main challenges in oil-water separation of traditional Chinese medicines(TCM)is to obtain essential oils from the aromatic water of TCM.In this study,silicon dioxide/polyvinylidene fluoride(SiO_(2)/PVDF)membranes were prepared using nonsolvent induce phase separation.Then polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)was coated to obtain PDMS/SiO_(2/)PVDF membranes.Separated essential oils and water from aromatic water in the gaseous state by vapor permeation membrane separation technology.The relationship between membrane structure and membrane separation effect was investigated.Response surface methodology was used to develop a quadratic model for the separation factor,membrane permeation separation index and membrane preparation process.The optimal process parameters for the membrane separation were 12.31%(mass)concentration of PVDF solution,9.6%(mass)of N,Ndimethylacetamide in the solidification bath,and 0.2 g hydrophobic nano-SiO_(2)incorporation,with a separation factor of 14.45,and a membrane flux of 1203.04 g·m^(-2)·h^(-1).Compared with the PDMS/PVDF membranes,the separation factor and membrane flux were increased by 68.59%and 3.46%,respectively.Compared with the SiO_(2)/PVDF membranes,the separation factor and membrane flux were increased by478%and 79.33%,respectively.Effectively mitigated the limitations of traditional polymer membrane material performance affected by the"trade-off"effect.Attenuated total internal reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,contact angle,scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to characterize the PDMS/SiO_(2)/PVDF membranes,and gas chromatography was used to characterize the permeate.In addition,the contents of L-menthol,L-menthone,menthyl acetate and limonene in the permeate,conformed to the European Pharmacopoeia standards.This study provided an effective preparation strategy of a feasible hydrophobic powder polymer membrane for the separation of essential oils from gaseous peppermint aromatic water.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Fund of the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute(No.2012M08)National Science Foundation of China(No.41276142)
文摘The androgenic gland(AG)is an important endocrine gland for male reproductive function in crustaceans.In the present study,we investigated the histological characteristics of the androgenic gland of peppermint shrimp,Lysmata wurdemanni.The peppermint shrimp matures as male first,then some individuals may become euhermaphrodite after several moltings(transitional phase).Euhermaphrodite-phase shrimp acts as male at intermolts.However,it can be fertilized as a female immediately after molting.Considering the male reproductive function acts in its lifespan except for at larval stages,and female reproductive system starts to develop at transitional phase,we hypothesized that AG activity might be reduced to allow and promote vitellogenesis onset in early transitional phase and the following euhermaphrodite phase.So AG cell structure might be different in three phases in L.wurdemanni.The results showed that AG exists in the male in transitional and euhermaphrodite phases.The gland cell clusters surrounding the ejaculatory ducts locate at the roots of the fifth pereopods.The nucleus diameters are similar in the three phases while the nucleus-to-cell ratio is the lowest in euhermaphrodite phase.Our results indicated that for the individuals that will become euhermaphrodite,the cellular structure of AG changes since transitional phase.Male reproductive function which is still available in euhermaphrodite-phase shrimp should be due to the existence of the gland.
文摘Oral candidiasis causes pain in oral cavity or tongue. Antifungal drugs are commonly used for the treatment of candidiasis, however, there could be several problems such as side effects, drug resistance, or contraindication to concomitant use with drugs already taken. The development of substituting antimicrobial agents, which could be used internally or as gargling agents, is expected. Some essential oils have been known for the activities against microbes. We focused on the three chemotype essential oils from rosemary and five essential oils from Lamiaceae plants including rosemary, and examined their antifungal activity against Candida albicans by broth microdilution method. The activity with or without addition of Tween 80 or Tween 20 was statistically analyzed. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the essential oils were significantly decreased when either of the two surfactants was added. Among the tested oils, only CAMPHOR, a rosemary chemotype, showed a significantly lower MIC with addition of Tween 20 than Tween 80. It is inferred that the antifungal activity of essential oils is influenced by the type of surfactants. Some of the essential oils showed the same values of MIC and the minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) when surfactant was added. Peppermint showed the same MICs and MFCs in most cases, and its low MFC indicated potent fungicidal activity against C. albicans, as observed in CINEOL. We will discuss peppermint oil as one of the potential candidates for antifungal agents against C. albicans.
文摘Virtual screening is a computational technique widely used for identifying small molecules which are most likely to bind to a protein target. In the present work, a molecular docking study is carried out to propose potential candidates for preventing the RBD/ACE2 attachment. These candidates are sixteen different flavonoids present in the peppermint leaf. Results showed that Luteolin 7-O-neohesperidoside is the peppermint flavonoid with a higher binding affinity regarding the RBD/ACE2 complex (about -9.18 Kcal/mol). On the other hand, Sakuranetin presented the lowest affinity (about -6.38 Kcal/mol). Binding affinities of the other peppermint flavonoids ranged from -6.44 Kcal/mol up to -9.05 Kcal/mol. The binding site surface analysis showed pocket-like regions on the RBD/ACE2 complex that yield several interactions (mostly hydrogen bonds) between the flavonoid and the amino acid residues of the proteins. This study can open channels for the understanding of the roles of flavonoids against COVID-19 infection.
