In recent years, metabolic syndromes (MetSs), including diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases, have become a common health problem in both developed and developing countries. Accumulating data have suggested that traditional herbs might be able to provide a wide range of remedies in prevention and treatment of MetSs. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) has been documented to ameliorate hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation. These beneficial effects are mediated by transcription factors, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, and nuclear factor κB. This review focuses on recent findings regarding the beneficial effects of ginger on obesity and related complications in MetS and discusses its potential mechanisms of action. This review provides guidance for further applications of ginger for personalized nutrition and medicine.
We introduce a new method, multifractal cross-correlation analysis based on statistical moments (MFSMXA), to investigate the long-term cross-correlations and cross-multifractality between time series generated from complex system. Efficiency of this method is shown on multifractal series, comparing with the well-known multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis (MFXDFA) and multifractal detrending moving average cross-correlation analysis (MFXDMA). We further apply this method on volatility time series of DJIA and NASDAQ indices, and find some interesting results. The MFSMXA has comparative performance with MFXDMA and sometimes perform slightly better than MFXDFA. Multifractal nature exists in volatility series. In addition, we find that the cross-multifractality of volatility series is mainly due to their cross-correlations, via comparing the MFSMXA results for original series with those for shuffled series.
Identification and molecular analysis of four tribenuron-methyl resistant mutants in Brassica napus , which would be very useful in hybrid production using a Chemically induced male sterility system. Chemically induced male sterility (CIMS) systems dependent on chemical hybridization agents (CHAs) like tribenuron-methyl (TBM) represent an important approach for practical utilization of heterosis in rapeseed. However, when spraying the female parents with TBM to induce male sterility the male parents must be protected with a shield to avoid injury to the stamens, which would otherwise complicate the seed production protocol and increase the cost of hybrid seed production. Here we report the first proposed application of a herbicide-resistant cultivar in hybrid production, using a CIMS system based on identifying four TBM-resistant mutants in Brassica napus. Genetic analysis indicated that the TBM resistance was controlled by a single dominant nuclear gene. An in vitro enzyme activity assay for acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) suggested that the herbicide resistance is caused by a gain-of-function mutation in a copy of AHAS genes. Comparative sequencing of the mutants and wild type BnaA.AHAS.a coding sequences identified a C-to-T transition at either position 535 or 536 from the translation start site, which resulted in a substitution of proline with serine or leucine at position 197 according to the Arabidopsis thaliana protein sequence. An allele-specific dCAPS marker developed from the C536T variation co-segregated with the herbicide resistance. Transgenic A. thaliana plants expressing BnaA.ahas3.a conferred herbicide resistance, which confirmed that the P197 substitution in BnaA.AHAS.a was responsible for the herbicide resistance. Moreover, the TBM-resistant lines maintain normal male fertility under TBM treatment and can be of practical value in hybrid seed production using CIMS.
The main purpose of the present study was to investigate
the browning
effect of 6-gingerol (6G), one of the main functional compounds in
the
ethyl acetate extract of ginger (ginger ethyl acetate fraction, GEF),
and its underlying mechanisms. In this study, we first discovered
that GEF stimulated brown adipocyte differentiation by upregulating
the expression levels of browning-specific transcription makers (UCP1,
PRDM16, and PGC-1α), thereby reducing lipogenesis transcriptional
regulator (C/EBPα) expression in 3T3-L1-differentiated adipocytes.
Then, 6G (47.81 ± 0.62 mg/g) was identified as one of the main
functional compounds in GEF using high-performance liquid chromatography.
6G promoted adipocyte browning, as evidenced by an increase in some
brown/beige fat-specific genes (PGC-1α, Cidea, Prdm16, Cited1, SIRT1, Tmem26, and Ucp1) and proteins (UCP1, CEBP/β, PGC-1α, and PRDM16) expression
levels. Moreover, 6G greatly improved mitochondrial respiration and
energy metabolism by upregulating the expression levels of some mitochondrial
biogenesis markers (Tfam, Nrf1, SIRT1, and p-AMPK/AMPK)
and increasing the uncoupled oxygen consumption rate of protons leaked
in 3T3-L1 cells. Comparison of the experimental results obtained with
an inhibitor (dorsomorphin) and an activator (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide
ribonucleotide) suggested that the 6G-associated regulation of the
energy metabolism effect was mediated partly through the AMPK signaling
pathway. This study provides new insight into the promotion of fat
browning and regulation of lipid metabolism by 6G and suggests that
6G likely has potential therapeutic effects on obesity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.