Piper nigrum Linnaeus is often used as a treatment for chills, stomach diseases, and other ailments. Piperine has many biological functions; however, its mechanism for preventing gastric mucosal damage is still unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of piperine on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury by using GES-1 cells and rats. SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and MDA were effectively regulated in GES-1 cells pre-treated with piperine. Piperine significantly increased SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activities, but decreased the ulcer area, MDA, ROS and MPO levels in the gastric tissues of rats. RT-PCR analysis showed that piperine downregulated the mRNA expression levels of keap1, JNK, ERK and p38, and upregulated the mRNA transcription levels of Nrf2 and HO-1. Western blotting results indicated that piperine could activate the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and inhibit the protein expression levels of keap1, p-JNK, p-ERK and p-p38. In conclusion, piperine suppressed ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in vitro and in vivo via oxidation inhibition and improving gastric-protecting activity by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 and MAPK signalling pathways.

Piperine, an important natural product, has a good anti-inflammatory effect. However, few researchers have studied its mechanism in these pathways. The objective of this research was to evaluate the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory responses of piperine in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The purification and characterization of piperine from Piper nigrum L. were determined by HPLC, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and ¹H NMR. Then, the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by a reagent test kit, ELISA kits, RT-PCR and Western blot experiments. The results suggested that piperine (90.65 ± 0.46% purity) at a concentration of 10–20 mg/L attenuated the production of NO and ROS, downregulated the protein and mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and upregulated the protein and mRNA transcription levels of IL-10. Meanwhile, the Western blot results indicated that piperine could inhibit the phosphorylation levels of the ERK, JNK, p38 and p65 proteins. Our findings suggest that piperine is a potential anti-inflammatory substance, whose molecular mechanism may be to regulate the key factors of the NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways.

Mallotus oblongifolius (MO), which is rich in polyphenols, is a characteristic tea resource with medicinal value. In this study, a total of 45 polyphenolic components of MO, including narirutin, isoquercitrin, rutin and digallic acid, were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis. In addition, the gastroprotective effect of Mallotus oblongifolius polyphenols (MOP) on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats was investigated. The rats received anhydrous ethanol after continuous gavage of MOP or lansoprazole for one week. In addition, the macro- and micro-damage induced by ethanol in the gastric tissue was significantly reduced after MOP pretreatment for one week. Further analysis showed that MOP prevented ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury by increasing the expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px) and decreasing the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid oxidation product (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Meanwhile, MOP inhibited the phosphorylation of p38/ERK/JNK and promoted the activation of the Nrf2 pathway. These results suggested that MOP may be a promising therapeutic target for the prevention of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury by improving oxidative stress, inhibiting the p38/ERK/JNK signaling pathways and activating Nrf2 expression.

To evaluate the feasibility of 60Co irradiation for rapid aging of SSATB, this study employed fresh SSATB (CK) as a benchmark while subjecting test samples to irradiation for 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, and 48 h, natural aging for five years (5Y) as a contrast. Three analytical platforms, E-nose, HS-SPME-GC–MS, and GC-IMS, were used to comprehensively characterize the aroma profiles. The result shows, distinguished significant aroma differences among groups. A notable acceleration in the accumulation and transformation of certain flavor-active components. Irradiation enhanced various esters, lactones, terpenes and other key volatile compounds. Overall, ⁶⁰Co irradiation significantly altered Baijiu's key aroma components in a relatively short timeframe, suggesting its viability for accelerated aging. These findings not only provide experimental and theoretical insights for process optimization and scaled-up applications but also offer valuable perspectives for comparative studies and technical advancements in the broader field of rapid spirits aging on the international stage.

: What are the risks associated with cryopreserved semen collected during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wave in Wuhan, China? : We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving young adult men who were qualified sperm donors at the Hunan Province Human Sperm Bank (China) during the pandemic wave (January 1, 2020, to January 30, 2020) and after the wave and return to work (April 7, 2020, to May 30, 2020). One hundred paired semen and blood specimens from 100 donors were included, 50 paired semen and blood samples collected during the pandemic from 50 donors, and 50 semen and blood samples from another 50 donors collected upon work resumption when COVID-19 infections in the population were very low. Considering the low viral load in both the specimens, we used one-step single-tube nested quantitative real-time PCR (OSN-qRT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Moreover, to control the unacceptable risk of false-negative results, a second round of screening was performed with pooled RNA from negative semen samples using crystal digital PCR (cd-PCR). Naso-oropharyngeal swabs were not evaluated during the pandemic peak, but were negative for the 50 donors who collected semen after the COVID-19 wave of infections. : For individual blood and semen samples, the target genes, namely nucleocapsid protein (N) and open reading frame (ORF-1ab) genes, tested negative in all of the 100 paired samples. Further, as per cd-PCR results, there were >20,000 droplets per well in the RNA for each combined sample and no positive droplets were present for either of the aforementioned target genes. A total of 100 paired semen and blood samples from these two groups tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. : Cryopreserved semen at the Hunan Province Human Sperm Bank during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wave was free of SARS-CoV-2, and was judged safe for external use in the future.Utmost precaution should be exercised by all human sperm banks, and the use of highly secure devices and segregated cryovessels is encouraged.