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The accumulation of aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain is the first critical step in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which also includes synaptic impairment, neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, and eventual cognitive defects. Emerging evidence suggests that impairment of Aβ phagocytosis and clearance is a common phenotype in late-onset AD. Rutin (quercetin-3-rutinoside) has long been investigated as a natural flavonoid with different biological functions in some pathological circumstances. Sodium rutin (NaR), could promote Aβ clearance by increasing microglial by increasing the expression levels of phagocytosis-related receptors in microglia. Moreover, NaR promotes a metabolic switch from anaerobic glycolysis to mitochondrial OXPHOS (oxidative phosphorylation), which could provide microglia with sufficient energy (ATP) for Aβ clearance. Thus, NaR administration could attenuate neuroinflammation and enhance mitochondrial OXPHOS and microglia-mediated Aβ clearance, ameliorating synaptic plasticity impairment and eventually reversing spatial learning and memory deficits. Our findings suggest that NaR is a potential therapeutic agent for AD.

A precise and selective reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for quantifying huperzine A (HupA) in samples of the Huperziaceae in China. This method was used to quantify the levels of HupA in samples of Huperzia serrata collected from a single population at different times of the year, in different organs of the same H. serrata plant, and from different geographical locations of H. serrata plants in China. For different species of Huperziaceae, the highest content of HupA was found in Phlegmariurus carinatus. Members of the genus Phlegmariurus possessed higher levels of HupA than Huperzia species. H. serrata plants growing in humid forests contained significantly more HupA than plants growing in less humid environments. Finally, HupA content varied significantly by season, with the highest levels being found in mid fall and the lowest levels in early spring, suggesting that HupA is turned over in the plant.

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Highlights d Use of CMap identified the phytochemical hyperforin as an anti-obesity agent in mice d Hyperforin promotes adipose tissue thermogenesis to promote weight loss d Dlat was identified and validated as a direct molecular target of hyperforin d Hyperforin-induced thermogenesis is modulated by a Dlat-AMPK-PGC1a axis

In recent decades, bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) has been in widespread use for normal-temperature thermoelectric cooling. However, commercial zone-melted bismuth telluride faces the big challenge of dramatically decreased thermoelectric properties at higher temperature, which limits its usage at intermediate temperature. In this contribution, the thermoelectric performance of p-type bismuth telluride is enhanced via a synergistic optimization by hot deformation and copper doping. Hot deformation treatment boosts the grain growth and exhibits donor-like effects, leading to improved electronic transport properties. Meanwhile, high-density dislocations and lattice distortions induced by dynamic recrystallization aggravate the phonon-related scattering and significantly compress the lattice thermal conductivity. In addition, copper doping effectively tunes the hole concentration, and the generated point defects also reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. Consequently, a high ZT max of 1.1 at 400 K and ZT ave of 1.0 between 300–500 K were obtained in hot-deformed Cu0.01Bi0.48Sb1.52Te3. This study suggests that the synergistic effect of hot deformation and copper doping is promising to boost the near-normal-temperature thermoelectric power generation of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectrics.

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