Attenuation of plasma dyslipidemia and oxidative damage by dietary caloric restriction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Oxidative stress has been proposed as the pathogenic mechanism linking insulin resistance with endothelial dysfunction during diabetes. The present study investigated the attenuation of plasma dyslipidemia and oxidative damage by caloric restriction in experimental diabetes. Forty male Wistar rats were divided into ad libitum and calorie-restricted groups. The calorie-restricted group was subjected to 30% caloric restriction for 63 days before induction of diabetes to 50% of both groups. Caloric restriction significantly (p<0.01) reduced the body weights, reactive oxygen species (ROS), catalase, total cholesterol levels and non-significantly reduced SOD activities in non-diabetic and diabetic rats. Caloric restriction was also found to improve blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin, malondialdehyde, triglyceride, oxidized glutathione and reduced glutathione levels and significantly (p<0.05) increased GPx and GR activities in the experimental animals. The non-diabetic rats fed ad libitum had the most significant increases in body weight which could be due to dyslipidemia. These results indicate that dietary caloric restriction attenuates the oxidative damage and dyslipidemia exacerbated during diabetes as evidenced by the significant reduction in their body weights, ROS, total cholesterol levels and the increases in GPx activity and redox status.     

Caloric Restriction and Diet-Induced Weight Loss Do Not Induce Browning of Human Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue in Women and Men with Obesity

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Effects of environmental factors on gross caloric values of three life-forms aquatic plants on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,China

Aims Gross caloric value (GCV) reflected plants’ capability of converting solar energy. It provided a reliable indicator of plants’ adaptations to environments in perspective of energy conversion and fixation. The aims of this study were (1) to illustrate the characteristics of GCV of aquatic plants on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, (2) to explore the geographical and environmental patterns and (3) to discuss the underlying mechanisms in forming the patterns.
Methods In July and August 2015, we collected 533 samples of aquatic plants’ leaves in 143 field sites on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, and measured their GCV using SDACM-4000 oxygen bomb calorimeter. Together with mean annual temperature (MAT) of climatic factor and properties of water body, this study compared the differences of GCV among submerged, emergent and floating-leaved plants by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s HSD. We further regressed GCV of submerged and emergent plants against geographical and climatic factors and properties of water body by simple regression to explore the relative effects of environmental factors on GCV.
Important findings On the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the mean GCV was (15.95 ± 3.90) kJ·g^-1. Among the three life forms, the rank of GCV was the emergent plants (18.10 kJ·g^-1) > the floating-leaved plants (16.77 kJ·g^-1) > the submerged plants (14.31 kJ·g^-1). With an increasing latitude, the GCV of emergent and submerged plants increased. Only GCV of emergent plants decreased with increasing altitude and temperature. The GCV of emergent and submerged plants increased with increased water salinity. Dissolved oxygen had significant negative effects on emergent plants, while pH value had no significant effects.     

长白落叶松人工林热值及其能量现存量

采用量热法对5个径级的长白落叶松各器官热值进行测定,结合生物量的数据,对长白落叶松的能量现存量进行研究。结果表明:长白落叶松各器官能量现存量模型W=aD~b最适推算长白落叶松的能量现存量。长白落叶松各器官热值的测定结果显示:枝皮干叶根。各器官的能量现存量呈现:干根皮枝叶的规律,能量现存总量1988.39×10~9J/hm~2,地上部分能量现存量远远高于地下部分,主要集中在0—12 m的树段,地下部分主要集中在粗根和根坨。对比5个径级根系的能量现存量,20径级根系的能量现存量最大(187.73×10~9J/hm~2),8径级根系的能量现存量最小(7.72×10~9J/hm~2)。对比5个径级长白落叶松的能量现存量,16径级的能量现存量最大(723.45×10~9J/hm~2),8径级的能量现存量最小(46.58×10~9J/hm~2)。对比长白落叶松和樟子松的能量现存量可知:长白落叶松小于樟子松。     

鼎湖山马尾松群落能量分配及其生产的动态

对鼎湖山马尾松群落各组分热值、能量现存量、能量净生产量及群落太阳能转化效率进行了研究。结果表明:(1)乔木层马尾松各器官热值相差不大,为19.02~20.30 kJ/g(总平均 19.34 kJ/g);灌木层植物热值低于乔木层,为16.55~18.78 kJ/g(总平均17.82 kJ/g);草本层植物热值低于灌木层,为13.07~16.16 kJ/g(总平均15.03 kJ/g)。(2)群落能量总现存量随时间而增加,且组分分配比例因年份不同而异。在 1990、1995和2000年分别为167 141.4、270 295.9和321 294.3 kJ/m2,其中乔木层占93.4%、79.8%和86.7%,林下层占3.5%、10.6%和7.2%,而地表现存凋落物层仅占3.2%、9.5%和6.1%。(3)群落在1990~1995年和1995~2000年期间能量净生产每年分别为 1 7083. 2 kJ/m2 和 21 571. 8 kJ/m2,其中乔木层占 96. 6%和95 5%,林下层仅占3.4%和5.0%。所有能量生产量中,群落自身增长能量(即年能量存留量)占 72.7%和57.6%,而释放到其它子系统的能量占27.3%和42.4%。(4)群落太阳能转化效率在 1990~1995 年和 1995~2001年分别为0.759%和0.958%,10年平均为0.873%。     

天然甜味剂罗汉果的研究与应用

本文综述了广西特产药用植物罗汉果的化学成分和药理研究,其甜味成分的甜度与结构关系及提取分离方法和应用。     

Structure‐function relationships of brazzein variants with altered interactions with the human sweet taste receptor

Brazzein (Brz) is a small (54 amino acid residue) sweet tasting protein with physical and taste properties superior to other non‐carbohydrate sweeteners. In an investigation of sequence‐dependent functional properties of the protein, we used NMR spectroscopy to determine the three‐dimensional structures and dynamic properties of two Brz variants: one with a single‐site substitution (D40K), which is three‐fold sweeter than wild‐type Brz, and one with a two‐residue insertion between residues 18 and 19 (ins₁₈RI₁₉), which is devoid of sweetness. Although the three‐dimensional folds of the two variants were very similar to wild‐type Brz, they exhibited local conformational and dynamic differences. The D40K substitution abolished the strong inter‐stand H‐bond between the side chains of residues Gln46 and Asp40 present in wild‐type Brz and increased the flexibility of the protein especially at the mutation site. This increased flexibility presumably allows this site to interact more strongly with the G‐protein coupled human sweet receptor. On the other hand, the Arg‐Ile insertion within Loop9–19 leads to distortion of this loop and stiffening of the adjacent site whose flexibility appears to be required for productive interaction with the sweet receptor.     

外来入侵植物加拿大一枝黄花繁殖生物学研究

加拿大一枝黄花(S olid ag o canad ensis)原产北美,自然条件下既能结实,同时又能以地下茎出芽的方式克隆繁殖,是目前我国东部地区危害严重的外来入侵杂草之一,对我国部分省市的农业生产和生态环境构成了严重威胁。连续3a定点观测其种群扩张规律,从生境因子、种子性状及萌发特性、残体无性克隆生长,地下部分形态特征和各器官热值能量的季节动态变化等方面对加拿大一枝黄花的繁殖生物学作了研究,同时比较了加拿大一枝黄花和其他4种菊科外来杂草的地下部分形态特征。研究结果表明:(1)自然条件下,加拿大一枝黄花种子在3~10月期间均可萌发,4~5月份气候适宜,雨水充沛,是种子萌发的高峰期。夏季的6~8月份是其营养生长和克隆增殖的旺盛期,9月份开始献蕾,花果期为10月至翌年1月份。加拿大一枝黄花的结实量高达20000粒/株,种子(瘦果)千粒重为0.045~0.050g,含水量在60%~80%之间;(2)加拿大一枝黄花自然条件下种子萌发率约为30%,在不同pH值、盐浓度和湿度环境条件下种子萌发的耐受性较强。不同环境胁迫下的种子萌发率和沪浙地区加拿大一枝黄花土壤生境因子的调查结果均表明,该种比较适应干燥、透气性良好的酸性低盐砂壤土,对Zn、Cu、Pb等重金属耐性较高;(3)加拿大一枝黄花地下茎和植株基部节处能萌生克隆分株。在机械除草等人为干扰条件下加拿大一枝黄花采用应激繁殖对策,容易产生更多的克隆分株。植株残体的无性繁殖能力为地下部分>基部茎>茎秆,20cm基部茎>30cm基部茎>45cm基部茎,从小到大的机械破坏程度使地下部分残体出芽数依次减少,但累计出芽数反而增加;(4)与其他菊科外来杂草相比,加拿大一枝黄花地下部分的长度、表面积、体积等指标最大,说明其在地下部分形态上具有广泛逸生的结构基础;(5)加拿大一枝黄花地上部分生长速率以及多数地下部分形态指标在9月份达到最大值。8月份过于高温干旱的气候使茎、叶中的部分能量转向地下部分,增加须根以吸收更多的水分。加拿大一枝黄花生长周期内地下部分形态指标和各器官热值能量的动态变化与其兼备有性繁殖和克隆生长的繁殖对策相适应。