Bolin Fan

Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot (A. argyi), commonly known as Chinese mugwort, is a wild vegetable with a long history of dietary use in China, and Qiai is its cultivated variety. However, it has not yet been included in China's food catalog. Based on traditional folk edible processing methods, we developed A. argyi tender leaf powder (AATLP) to evaluate its safety. Here, the food safety of processed AATLP was assessed through acute toxicity, genotoxicity, repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity, and teratogenicity tests. AATLP components and human consumption were analyzed and surveyed, respectively. Results showed that the oral half lethal dose of AATLP was greater than 7.5 g/kg body weight (BW), indicating that it is practically non-toxic. Genotoxicity results (Ames, micronucleus, chromosome aberration) were negative. The results of 90-day oral toxicity test showed the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of 8.0 g/kg BW, without toxicological changes. The teratogenicity test indicated a NOAEL of 6.45 g/kg BW. Human consumption survey revealed no adverse effects. In conclusion, the findings provide toxicological and human survey evidence to confirm that A. argyi tender leaves can be used in food preparation for human consumption.

The growing prevalence of hyperuricemia necessitates the urgent development of more potent treatments. This study aimed to develop, optimize, and evaluate the safety and efficacy of porcine–human recombinant uricase (PHRU) both in vitro and in vivo. The study employed gene editing of PHRU through site-directed mutagenesis, with recombinant proteins expressed in vitro utilizing Escherichia coli. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) approach was employed to augment uricase stability and diminish immunogenicity. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of PHRU were tested in vitro and in Sprague Dawley rats. Successful expression of the fusion protein in E. coli and the development of the PEGylated drug were achieved. In vitro experiments confirmed the efficacy of PEG-PHRU in degrading uric acid, with PEGylation not markedly affecting the biological activity of PHRU. Animal studies revealed that PEG-PHRU significantly lowered plasma uric acid levels and mitigated hyperuricemia-induced renal damage in rats. Both drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics exhibited favorable characteristics without observable adverse effects in experimental animals. This novel fusion protein shows the potential for ameliorating hyperuricemia and related renal complications, highlighting it as a promising drug candidate with substantial market applications.

There is substantial evidence for the probiotic activity of anthocyanins, but the relationship between anthocyanins involved in the regulation of microbiota and intestinal inflammation has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory effects of black rice anthocyanin extract (BRAE) on intestinal microbiota imbalance in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced chronic colitis. DSS was added into drinking water to induce a mouse model of chronic experimental colitis, and BRAE was given by gavage (200 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Body weight, fecal viscosity, and hematochezia were monitored during administration. After mice were sacrificed, the serum concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the composition of intestinal flora was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. The results showed that BRAE significantly suppressed DSS-induced colonic inflammatory phenotypes and maintained colon length in mice. In addition, BRAE reduced intestinal permeability and improved intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice with colitis. Gut microbiota analysis showed that BRAE significantly improved the imbalance of intestinal microecological diversity caused by DSS, inhibited the increase in the relative abundance of inflammatory bacteria, and promoted the abundance of anti-inflammatory probiotics includingAkkermansiaspp.

The aim of this study was to investigate the absorption, distribution, excretion of Selenium-enriched peptides(SeP) in miniature Bama pigs via oral route. Two different dosage groups of SeP was designed given 0.2 and 0.02 mg selenium per kilogram body weight respectively, and one control group was set given basic diet. A single administration of SeP was finished following with 2 weeks washout period and then a 7-day repeated administration of SeP was given. The concentrations of Se in plasma, tissues, urine and feces were measured by ICP-MS/MS, the activity of Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and content of selenium protein (SelP) in plasma were determined by ELISA Kit. Toxicokinetic parameters were calculated by fitting data with metabolic dynamics model using WinNonlin (6.3) software. Selenium from SeP was absorbed to plasma to maximum concentration with hours, mostly accumulated in the liver and kidney and mostly excreted by the gastrointestinal tract than by urine. Compared with control group, GSH-PX activity in SeP groups increased significantly after single or repeated administration, but no significant change were observed in SelP content, biochemical or hematological parameters.