The application of domestic sewage sludge (SS) may affect plant growth and soil quality through altering nutrient availability. However, the effect of SS application on the plant–soil system in sandy soils is poorly understood. In this study, we established SS application treatment plots (SL, 25 t ha⁻¹) and control treatment plots without sewage sludge application (CK, 0 t ha⁻¹). SS was applied to the soil surface of a Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) plantation in Horqin Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China, to assess its potential effects on plants and soil. We analyzed tree growth performances (tree height, basal diameter, and diameter at breast height), understory traits (species diversity, coverage, and aboveground biomass), soil physical and chemical parameters (nutrient content, dissolved organic carbon, soil water content, bulk density, pH), and proxies of ecosystem services (soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks). The results showed that SS addition not only significantly increased soil nutrient contents, but also markedly enhanced aboveground productivity and plant coverage. Specifically, SS addition decreased soil bulk density and increased concentrations of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus and mineral nitrogen, and it also increased soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. Furthermore, the addition of SS significantly increased soil dissolved organic carbon contents and enhanced the fluorescence intensities of dissolved organic carbon components (humic acid-like and UV fulvic acid-like) in the topsoil (0–5 cm). This study provides evidence that SS is an acceptable, and possibly preferred organic fertilizer for improving the soil quality and tree–grass growth of Mongolian pine plantations.

Macrophage hyperactivation is associated with various inflammatory diseases. In this study, the effects of nine bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids on NO production by LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages were evaluated. It was found that certain bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids with single oxygen bridge have more potent effects than those with two oxygen bridges. Further studies revealed that three bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (Neferine, Liensinine and Isoliensinine) of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) seed embryo, a homology of traditional Chinese medicine and food, can also reduce LPS-induced expression of iNOS and production of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α by blocking IκBα phosphorylation and degradation. And this effect is mediated at least partly by the inhibition of cytosolic Ca²⁺ level and CaM expression as well as the binding of three alkaloids with CaM, thereby inhibiting the subsequent phosphorylation of CaMKII. These results revealed for the first time that three bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids of lotus embryo play an anti-inflammatory role via suppressing Ca²⁺-CaM/CaMKII pathway.

The seed embryo of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. is a famous traditional Chinese medicine and food which is considered conducive to the prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, the effect and mechanism of TASENN (total alkaloids from the seed embryo of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) on AD mice and amyloid-β (Aβ) injured PC12 cells were evaluated. HPLC-UV analysis showed that the extracted TASENN (purity = 95.6%) mainly contains Liensinine, Isoliensinine, and Neferine (purity was 23.01, 28.02, and 44.57%, respectively). In vivo, oral treatment with TASENN (50 mg/kg/day for 28 days) improved the learning and memory functions of APP/PS1 transgenic mice, ameliorated the histopathological changes of cortical and hippocampal neurons, and inhibited neuronal apoptosis. We found that TASENN reduced the phosphorylation of Tau and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in APP/PS1 mouse brain. Moreover, TASENN down-regulated the expression of APP and BACE1, ameliorated Aβ deposition, and inhibited microglial proliferation and aggregation. The elevated protein expression of CaM and p-CaMKII in APP/PS1 mouse brain was also reduced by TASENN. In vitro, TASENN inhibited the apoptosis of PC12 cells injured by Aβ_25–35 and increased the cell viability. Aβ_25–35-induced increase of cytosolic free Ca²⁺ level and high expression of CaM, p-CaMKII, and p-Tau were decreased by TASENN. Our findings indicate that TASENN has a potential therapeutic effect on AD mice and a protective effect on PC12 cells. The anti-AD activity of TASENN may be closely related to its negative regulation of the CaM pathway. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

According to strain X7's morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA gene sequence, the result showed that strain X7 was Myroides odoratus.