The availability of commercial gravimetric and volumetric systems for the measurement of adsorption equilibrium has seen also a growth of the use of these instruments to measure adsorption kinetics. A review of publications from the past 20 years has been used to assess common practice in 180 cases. There are worrying trends observed, such as lack of information on the actual conditions used in the experiment and the fact that the analysis of the data is often based on models that do not apply to the experimental systems used. To provide guidance to users of these techniques this contribution is divided into two parts: a discussion of the appropriate models to describe diffusion in porous materials is presented for different gravimetric and volumetric systems, followed by a structured discussion of the main trends in common practice uncovered reviewing a large number of recent publications. We conclude with recommendations for best practice to avoid incorrect interpretation of these experiments.

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Highlights Okara peptides were prepared by high-pressure homogenization-assisted double enzymes. The method can improve the extraction rate of okara proteins by 69% and 51%. Antioxidant and immune activity were compared, and HPH-VAP was screened out. 116 okara peptides were identified from HPH-VAP by HPLC-MS/MS. The release of cytokines IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ was elevated.

Xueshuantong capsule (XST) is a patented traditional Chinese medicine used for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis. The molecular mechanism of anti-thrombotic effect of XST was investigated through the cross-talk among the platelets/leukocytes, endothelial cells (ECs), and flow shear stress. The Bioflux 1000 system was used to generate two levels of shear stress conditions: 0.1 and 0.9 Pa. Bioflux Metamorph microscopic imaging system was used to analyze the adhesion cell numbers. Protein expressions were detected by western blotting and flow cytometry. The flow-cytometry results showed that under 0.1 Pa flow, XST decreased ADP induced platelets CD62p surface expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Under 0.9 Pa flow, XST at a concentration of 0.15 g⋅L-1 reduced the platelets activation by 29.5%, and aspirin (ASA) showed no inhibitory effects. XST showed similar efficiency on monocytes adhesion both under 0.1 and 0.9 Pa flow conditions, and the inhibition rate was 30.2 and 28.3%, respectively. Under 0.9 Pa flow, the anti-adhesive effects of XST might be associated with the suppression of VE-cadherin and Cx43 in HUVECs. Blood flow not only acts as a drug transporter, but also exerts its effects to influence the pharmacodynamics of XST. Effects of XST on inhibiting platelets activation and suppressing platelets/leukocytes adhesion to injured ECs are not only concentration-dependent, but also shear stress-dependent. The mechanic forces combined with traditional Chinese medicine may be used as a precise treatment for cardiovascular diseases.

Malnutrition is associated with an increased risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) treatment failure. Currently, there is no effective adjunctive nutritional therapy. The current objective is to investigate the association of dietary micronutrient intake with PTB treatment outcome.A cohort study including 1834 PTB patients was conducted in Linyi, China. The dietary micronutrient intake was assessed through a three-day 24 h dietary recall questionnaire. The treatment outcome was assessed by combinations of sputum smear and computerized tomography results. A multivariate binary regression model was used to assess the associations. The final model was adjusted for potential confounding factors. A low intake of vitamin C (adjusted OR (95% CI): 1.80 (1.07, 3.04), Ptrend = 0.02) and Zn (adjusted OR (95% CI): 2.52 (1.25, 5.08), Ptrend = 0.02) was associated with a high treatment failure rate. In addition, a low intake of vitamin C and Mn was associated with a severe tuberculosis symptom, as indicated by a high TB score. A supplementation of vitamin C and Zn may be beneficial in PTB treatment. Previous meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported a null effect of Zn supplementation on PTB treatment. The effect of vitamin C supplementation should be investigated by RCTs.

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Ethno Pharmacological Relevance: Acetylharpagide is a monomeric compound extracted from Ajuga decumbens, widely used for remedying infectious and inflammatory diseases in Southern China.Aim of the Study: The present study designed and investigated the formulation of colon-targeted acetylharpagide tablets according to the dual controlled release mechanisms of time-delay and pH-sensitivity.Materials and Methods: The core tablets of acetylharpagide were coated with the material used in time-delay systems such as ethyl cellulose and suitable channeling agent, followed by pH-dependent polymers, polyacrylic resin II and III in a combination of 1:4. Furthermore, the release and absorption performance of colon-targets tables were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro tests, the optimized formulation was not released in simulated gastric fluid in 2 h; the release was <5% at pH 6.8 simulated intestinal fluids for 4 h; the drug was completely released within 5 h at pH 7.6 simulated colon fluid. In the in vivo tests, pharmacokinetic characteristics of the colon-targeted tablets were investigated in dogs.Results: The results indicated that the acetylharpagide tablets with the technology of colon-targeting caused delayed Tmax, prolonged absorption time, lower Cmax, and AUCINF_obs. Meanwhile, the apparent volume of distribution (Vz_F_bs) of the colon-target tablets was higher than the reference.Conclusions: These results suggested that colon-targeted acetylharpagide tablets deliver the drug to the colon. The in vitro performance of colon-targeted acetylharpagide tablet was appropriately correlated with its performance in vivo.