Improving the electrochemical performance of biomass-derived carbon electrode-active materials for supercapacitor applications has recently attracted considerable attention. Herein, we develop hybrid electrode materials from rice-husk-derived porous carbon (RH-C) materials and β-Ni(OH)₂ via a facile solid-state reaction strategy comprising two steps. The prepared RH-C/Ni(OH)₂ (C–Ni) was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS)), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to acquire the physical and chemical information, which was used to demonstrate the successful fabrication of C–Ni. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurement results confirmed that the thermal stability of C–Ni changed due to the presence of Ni(OH)₂. As expected, C–Ni possesses a high capacitance of ∼952 F/g at a current density of 1.0 A/g. This result is higher than that of pure biomass-based carbon materials under the three-electrode system. This facile preparation method, which was used to synthesize the electrode-active materials, can extend to the value-added utility of other waste biomass materials as high-performing supercapacitor electrodes for energy storage applications.

The usage of tea polyphenols (TPs) as a natural food additive into non-fermented frozen dough (NFFD) has rarely been investigated, and results have been controversial. Hence, this study investigated the effect of TPs at various levels (0, 0.5, 1, and 2%) on the quality of NFFD stored from 0 to 4 weeks. The rheological characteristics, water state, protein, and its microstructure were analyzed by DSC, LF-NMR, SDS-PAGE, FT-IR, and SEM, respectively. Results showed that the 0.5% TP group delayed the deterioration of protein and inhibited the water migration in dough throughout the whole frozen storage period. In addition, the 0.5% TP group enhanced the rheological properties of NFFD and stabilized the sulfhydryl content and the secondary structure in the gluten network. On the contrary, opposite phenomena were found in the 1 and 2% TP groups, which might be due to the induction of excess hydroxyl groups from TPs. In conclusion, our results suggested that a proper addition of TPs, but not an excessive amount (>1%), exhibited beneficial effects in maintaining the quality of NFFD during the 4-week frozen storage. Moreover, this paper elucidated the mechanism of TPs in influencing the protein structure and water state of NFFD during storage and provided new insight into its application in dough-based foods.

Ferulic acid is a widely distributed phenolic acid in plants and herbs, often conjugates with large molecules and enters the colon to exert anti-cancer effect. However, its suppression effect and mechanisms of action on colon cancer cells across various stages of Duke’s classification is not clear. This study aims to investigate the effects of ferulic acid on the migration, cell cycle, apoptosis, and signaling pathways in colon cancer cells (SW-480, Caco-2, and HCT-116) at different Duke’s stages. Results demonstrates that ferulic acid significantly inhibits the proliferation and migration of these cells, inducing cell cycle arrest at different phase, and ultimately promotes apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Specifically, ferulic acid activates the ATM/Chk2 and ATR/Chk1 pathways, down regulating their relative cell cycle regulatory proteins (CDK2 and Cyclin A2 complex, CDK4/6 and Cyclin D1/E1 complex), and thus leading to S-phase arrest in SW-480 and Caco-2 cells, and G1 phase arrest in HCT-116 cells, respectively. In addition, upregulated p53 and p21 proteins also contributing to the induction of apoptosis. This study is highly significant as they provide a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which ferulic acid exerts its anticancer effects at different Duke’s stages, and propose novel dietary strategy for the prevention of colon cancer.

The effects of the addition of 0–3.0 wt% α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) on the quality of wheat flour as well as the texture and the aging of prebaked bread were evaluated. The addition of α-CD and γ-CD increased the ability of wheat flour to absorb water and shortened the times of dough formation and stabilization. Amylase activity slightly increased after using 2.0 and 3.0 wt% of α-CD and γ-CD, respectively. Moreover, the addition of α-CD and γ-CD increased the fermentation height and gas retention ability of dough. Dough samples containing 2.0 wt% α-CD and 3.0 wt% γ-CD showed the highest fermentation heights and gas retention volumes, respectively. Dough gas production increased with the addition of γ-CD. Gas production by dough samples containing more than 2.0 wt% α-CD exceeded that by samples in the control group. The results of the texture crumb of bread and specific volume tests revealed that the addition of 2.0 wt% α-CD and 3.0 wt% γ-CD reduced bread hardness and increased bread elasticity, resilience, and specific volume. The optimal α-CD and γ-CD contents were identified as 2.0 wt% and 3.0 wt%, respectively. The addition of 2.0 wt% α-CD and 3.0 wt% γ-CD delayed the aging of prebaked bread and reduced the hardness of prebaked bread during different weeks of storage, which may be due to decreasing the melting enthalpy of starch crystals. This work elucidated the mechanisms underlying the effects of CD addition on prebaked bread quality.