The objective of this study was to explore the mechanisms of power ultrasound (PUS, 150 and 300W) and treatment time (30 and 120min) on the water-holding capacity (WHC) and tenderness of beef during curing. Beef muscle at 48h post mortem was subjected to PUS treatment at a frequency of 20kHz. Analysis of compression loss and shear force showed that PUS-assisted curing significantly increased the WHC and the tenderness of beef compared to static brining (p<0.05). According to the analysis of LF-NMR, PUS treatment could increase the P values which indicated an improvement in water-binding ability of beef muscle. SDS-PAGE and LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis suggested that PUS induced moderate oxidation of myosin causing polymerization, which may contribute to increased water retention. On the other hand, an increased tenderness of beef is suggested by the increased MFI values and proteolysis of desmin and troponin-T. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further supported the effects of PUS on WHC and tenderness changes due to the swelling and disruption of myofibrils. Thus, these results provide knowledge about the mechanism for improving WHC and tenderness of beef by PUS curing, which could be employed as an emerging technology for various meat curing processes.

There is accumulating evidence that regulating tumor microenvironment plays a vital role in improving antitumor efficiency. Herein, to remodel tumor immune microenvironment and elicit synergistic antitumor effects, lipid-coated biodegradable hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticle (dHMLB) was constructed with co-encapsulation of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), doxorubicin (DOX) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) for chemo-immunotherapy. The nanoparticle-mediated combinational therapy provided a benign regulation on tumor microenvironment through activation of tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, promotion of cytokines secretion of IFN-γ and IL-12, and down-regulation of immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells, cytokine IL-10 and TGF-β. ATRA/DOX/IL-2 co-loaded dHMLB demonstrated significant tumor growth and metastasis inhibition, and also exhibited favorable biodegradability and safety. This nanoplatform has great potential in developing a feasible strategy to remodel tumor immune microenvironment and achieve enhanced antitumor effect.

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Chain entanglement, either cohesional or topological, distinguishes polymers from other engineering materials. It impedes the movement of molecular segments and influences the polymer rheology, morphology, and mechanical properties. Although a high level of entanglement can increase the polymer toughness, excessive entanglement should be avoided because it causes a high melt viscosity making the processing difficult. This review tended to elucidate the influence of entanglement on the polymer structure, determining the material properties and processability. A wide range of methods used to fine control the degrees of chain entanglement are summarized. The methods are applicable to polymers in solutions, melts, and condensed states with advantages and limitations discussed in detail. The authors also examined the effect of the entanglement on polymer crystallization—the mechanism remains a controversial issue. This review will provide general guidance to designing and processing polymer materials with desired properties via a rational route of controlling the chain entanglement.

Cancer remains an obstacle to be surmounted by humans. As an FDA-approved biocompatible drug excipient, d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) has been widely applied in drug delivery system (DDS). Along with in-depth analyses of TPGS-based DDS, increasingly attractive results have revealed that TPGS is able to act not only as a simple drug carrier but also as an assistant molecule with various bio-functions to improve anticancer efficacy. In this review, recent advances in TPGS-based DDS are summarized. TPGS can inhibit P-glycoprotein, enhance drug absorption, induce mitochondrial-associated apoptosis or other apoptotic pathways, promote drug penetration and tumor accumulation, and even inhibit tumor metastasis. As a result, many formulations, by using original TPGS, TPGS-drug conjugates or TPGS copolymers, were prepared, and as expected, an enhanced therapeutic effect was achieved in different tumor models, especially in multidrug resistant and metastatic tumors. Although the mechanisms by which TPGS participates in such functions are not yet very clear, considering its effectiveness in tumor treatment, TPGS-based DDS appears to be one of the best candidates for future clinical applications.

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