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Ji H, Fan Y, Gao X, Gong Y, Dai K, Wang Z, Xu B, Yu J. The Protective Effects of Water-Soluble Alginic Acid on the N-Terminal of Thymopentin. Molecules 2023; 28:6445. [PMID: 37764221 PMCID: PMC10536172 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28186445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymopentin (TP5) has exhibited strong antitumor and immunomodulatory effects in vivo. However, the polypeptide is rapidly degraded by protease and aminopeptidase within a minute at the N-terminal of TP5, resulting in severe limitations for further practical applications. In this study, the protective effects of water-soluble alginic acid (WSAA) on the N-terminal of TP5 were investigated by establishing an H22 tumor-bearing mice model and determining thymus, spleen, and liver indices, immune cells activities, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4 levels, and cell cycle distributions. The results demonstrated that WSAA+TP5 groups exhibited the obvious advantages of the individual treatments and showed superior antitumor effects on H22 tumor-bearing mice by effectively protecting the immune organs, activating CD4+ T cells and CD19+ B cells, and promoting immune-related cytokines secretions, finally resulting in the high apoptotic rates of H22 cells through arresting them in S phase. These data suggest that WSAA could effectively protect the N-terminal of TP5, thereby improving its antitumor and immunoregulatory activities, which indicates that WSAA has the potential to be applied in patients bearing cancer or immune deficiency diseases as a novel immunologic adjuvant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyu Ji
- Center for Mitochondria and Healthy Aging, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; (H.J.); (Y.F.); (X.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.W.); (B.X.)
| | - Yuting Fan
- Center for Mitochondria and Healthy Aging, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; (H.J.); (Y.F.); (X.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.W.); (B.X.)
| | - Xiaoji Gao
- Center for Mitochondria and Healthy Aging, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; (H.J.); (Y.F.); (X.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.W.); (B.X.)
| | - Youshun Gong
- Center for Mitochondria and Healthy Aging, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; (H.J.); (Y.F.); (X.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.W.); (B.X.)
| | - Keyao Dai
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China;
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- Center for Mitochondria and Healthy Aging, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; (H.J.); (Y.F.); (X.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.W.); (B.X.)
| | - Bo Xu
- Center for Mitochondria and Healthy Aging, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; (H.J.); (Y.F.); (X.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.W.); (B.X.)
| | - Juan Yu
- Center for Mitochondria and Healthy Aging, College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; (H.J.); (Y.F.); (X.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.W.); (B.X.)
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Wang N, Ren D, Zhang L, Han N, Zhao Y, Yang X. Effects of sheep whey protein combined with Fu brick tea polysaccharides and stachyose on immune function and intestinal metabolites of cyclophosphamide-treated mice. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2023; 103:3402-3413. [PMID: 36722467 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.12477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sheep whey protein (SWP), Fu brick tea polysaccharides (FBTP) and stachyose (STA) have been shown to improve immunity, but little is known about the regulatory effect of SWP, FBTP, STA and their combined formula (CF) on immune function and intestinal metabolism of immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX). RESULTS Administration of SWP, FBTP, STA or CF restored the levels of body weight, immune organ index, immune organ morphology, cytokines and immunoglobulins in CTX immunosuppressed mice. Interestingly, CF improved all the mentioned parameters more effective than administration of SWP, FBTP or STA alone. In addition, CF was more effective to increase the levels of intestinal immune-related gene expression than FBTP, SWP or STA alone in immunosuppressed mice, suggesting that CF exhibited excellent intestinal immune regulation function. CF also significantly improved cecal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids of CTX-treated mice. Furthermore, metabolomics analysis demonstrated that CF recovered the levels of 28 metabolites associated with the CTX treatment to the levels of normal mice. CONCLUSION Conclusively, these findings suggested that CF as a functional food combination of SWP, FBTP and STA could promote the immune function against human diseases, which providing theoretical support for the co-ingestion of SWP and functional sugars as a feasible strategy for improving the body immunity in the future. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resource and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Daoyuan Ren
- Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Food Green Processing and Safety Control, and Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Hazard Factors Assessment in Processing and Storage of Agricultural Products, College of Food Engineering and Nutritional Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resource and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ning Han
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resource and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resource and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xingbin Yang
- Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Food Green Processing and Safety Control, and Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Hazard Factors Assessment in Processing and Storage of Agricultural Products, College of Food Engineering and Nutritional Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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Tan L, Liu S, Li X, He J, He L, Li Y, Yang C, Li Y, Hua Y, Guo J. The Large Molecular Weight Polysaccharide from Wild Cordyceps and Its Antitumor Activity on H22 Tumor-Bearing Mice. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28083351. [PMID: 37110586 PMCID: PMC10141569 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cordyceps has anti-cancer effects; however, the bioactive substance and its effect are still unclear. Polysaccharides extracted from Cordyceps sinensis, the fugus of Cordyceps, have been reported to have anti-cancer properties. Thus, we speculated that polysaccharides might be the key anti-tumor active ingredients of Cordyceps because of their larger molecular weight than that of polysaccharides in Cordyceps sinensis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of wild Cordyceps polysaccharides on H22 liver cancer and the underlying mechanism. The structural characteristics of the polysaccharides of WCP were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, high-performance gel-permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, H22 tumor-bearing BALB/c mice were used to explore the anti-tumor effect of WCP (100 and 300 mg/kg/d). The mechanism by WCP inhibited H22 tumors was uncovered by the TUNEL assay, flow cytometry, hematoxylin-eosin staining, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting. Here, our results showed that WCP presented high purity with an average molecular weight of 2.1 × 106 Da and 2.19 × 104 Da. WCP was determined to be composed of mannose, glucose, and galactose. Notably, WCP could inhibit the proliferation of H22 tumors not only by improving immune function, but also by promoting the apoptosis of tumor cells, likely through the IL-10/STAT3/Bcl2 and Cyto-c/Caspase8/3 signaling pathways, in H22 tumor-bearing mice. Particularly, WCP had essentially no side effects compared to 5-FU, a common drug used in the treatment of liver cancer. In conclusion, WCP could be a potential anti-tumor product with strong regulatory effects in H22 liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Tan
- Key Laboratory of Characteristic Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Sijing Liu
- College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Xiaoxing Li
- Key Laboratory of Characteristic Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Jing He
- College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Liying He
- Key Laboratory of Characteristic Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Caixia Yang
- Key Laboratory of Characteristic Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yong Li
- Key Laboratory of Characteristic Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yanan Hua
- College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Jinlin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Characteristic Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
- College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
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Han Y, Shi S, Liu S, Gu X. Effects of spaceflight on the spleen and thymus of mice: Gene pathway analysis and immune infiltration analysis. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2023; 20:8531-8545. [PMID: 37161210 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
During space flight, the immune system function of the body is disrupted due to continuous weightlessness, radiation and other factors, resulting in an increased incidence of infectious diseases in astronauts. However, the effect of space flight on the immune system at the molecular level is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify key genes and pathways of spatial environmental effects on the spleen and thymus using bioinformatics analysis of the GEO dataset. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the spleen and thymus of mice preflight and postflight were screened by comprehensive analysis of gene expression profile data. Then, GO enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed to determine the biological role of DEGs. A protein-protein interaction network was used to identify hub genes. In addition, transcription factors in DEGs were screened, and a TF-target regulatory network was constructed. Finally, immune infiltration analysis was performed on spleen and thymus samples from mice. The results showed that DEGs in the spleen and thymus are mainly involved in immune responses and in biological processes related to platelets. Six hub genes were identified in the spleen and 13 in the thymus, of which Ttr, Aldob, Gc and Fabp1 were common to both tissues. In addition, 5 transcription factors were present in the DEGs of the spleen, and 9 transcription factors were present in the DEGs of the thymus. The spatial environment can influence the degree of immune cell infiltration in the spleen and thymus. Our study bioinformatically analyzed the GEO dataset of spacefaring mice to identify the effects of the space environment on the immune system and the genes that play key roles, providing insights for the treatment of spaceflight-induced immune system disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuru Han
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuo Shi
- China COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuefeng Gu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Liu C, Liu AJ. Structural Characterization of an Alcohol-Soluble Polysaccharide from Bletilla striata and Antitumor Activities in Vivo and in Vitro. Chem Biodivers 2022; 19:e202200635. [PMID: 36282907 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202200635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In general, Bletilla striata polysaccharides were mostly water-soluble. However, the structural property, immunomodulatory effects and antitumor activities of alcohol-soluble Bletilla striata polysaccharide were rarely reported. In this study, an alcohol-soluble Bletilla striata polysaccharide was firstly extracted, investigated the structural property and evaluated the antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro. Results showed that BSAP was a low molecular weight polysaccharide (2.29×104 Da) and consisted of glucose, xylose and mannose (molar ratio: 2.39 : 1.00 : 0.21). Animal experiments results suggested that BSAP could effectively inhibit the expansion of H22 solid tumors, protect thymus and spleen, improve macrophages, lymphocytes and NK cells activities and enhance lymphocyte subsets proportion, presenting a better immunological enhancement effect in vivo. Additionally, the results of cell experiments showed that BSAP had obvious antitumor effect in vitro, including inhibiting the proliferation of H22 cells and inducing the apoptosis of tumor cells. These results would provide theoretical basis and new ideas for the further development and utilization of BSAP in the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Street, TEDA, Tianjin, 300457, P. R. China
| | - An-Jun Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Street, TEDA, Tianjin, 300457, P. R. China
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Xu Y, Pei W, Hu W. A Current Overview of the Biological Effects of Combined Space Environmental Factors in Mammals. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:861006. [PMID: 35493084 PMCID: PMC9039719 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.861006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinct from Earth’s environment, space environmental factors mainly include space radiation, microgravity, hypomagnetic field, and disrupted light/dark cycles that cause physiological changes in astronauts. Numerous studies have demonstrated that space environmental factors can lead to muscle atrophy, bone loss, carcinogenesis, immune disorders, vascular function and cognitive impairment. Most current ground-based studies focused on single environmental factor biological effects. To promote manned space exploration, a better understanding of the biological effects of the spaceflight environment is necessary. This paper summarizes the latest research progress of the combined biological effects of double or multiple space environmental factors on mammalian cells, and discusses their possible molecular mechanisms, with the hope of providing a scientific theoretical basis to develop appropriate countermeasures for astronauts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
| | - Weiwei Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Weiwei Pei, ; Wentao Hu,
| | - Wentao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Weiwei Pei, ; Wentao Hu,
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Bai Y, Zeng Z, Xie Z, Chen G, Chen D, Sun Y, Zeng X, Liu Z. Effects of polysaccharides from Fuzhuan brick tea on immune function and gut microbiota of cyclophosphamide-treated mice. J Nutr Biochem 2022; 101:108947. [PMID: 35017006 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.108947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this study, cyclophosphamide (Cy) was used to treat mice to establish an immunosuppressant model in mice, and the regulatory effects of polysaccharides from Fuzhuan brick tea (FBTPSs) including crude FBTPSs (CFBTPSs) and the purified fraction (FBTPSs-3) on the immune function and gut microbiota of mice were investigated. The results showed that CFBTPSs and FBTPSs-3 restored the levels of body weight, feed intake, immune organ index, cytokine and immunoglobulin A in mice. The Cy-induced injury of gut including intestinal morphology and expression of tight junction proteins were also restored. Furthermore, CFBTPSs and FBTPSs-3 could significantly modulate gut microbiota by increasing the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae and reduceing the relative abundances of Lachnospiraceae, Helicobacteraceae, Clostridaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae and Deferribacteraceae. Moreover, the gut microbiota derived short-chain fatty acids might play an important role in improvement of immune function by FBTPSs. Our results showed that FBTPSs could regulate the immune function of mice, which provided evidences for the development of FBTPSs as potentially functional foods to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Bai
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ziqi Zeng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiyong Xie
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guijie Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi Sun
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoxiong Zeng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Tea Science, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China; National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China.
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Ji HY, Liu C, Dai KY, Yu J, Liu AJ, Chen YF. The immunosuppressive effects of low molecular weight chitosan on thymopentin-activated mice bearing H22 solid tumors. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 99:108008. [PMID: 34330058 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, the low molecular weight of chitosan (CS) was prepared and its activity on thymopentin-activated mice bearing H22 solid tumors was further researched. The purity and molecular weight of CS were determined by UV and HPGPC spectra, and its immunosuppressive effects on H22 tumor-bearing mice were evaluated through determination on immune organs, cells and cytokines. Results showed that CS contained little impurities with the average molecular weight of 1.20 × 104 Da. The in vivo antitumor experiments demonstrated that CS facilitated to destroy immune organs (thymuses and spleens), suppress immune cells (lymphocytes, macrophages and NK cells) activities and reduce immune-related cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-4) expressions of H22 tumor-bearing mice even with simultaneous TP5 stimulation. Our data suggested that CS could not be applied to improve immune response in cancer-bearing patients, but might be employed for treatments on autoimmune diseases or organ transplant patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Yu Ji
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Chao Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Ke-Yao Dai
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Juan Yu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - An-Jun Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China.
| | - Ye-Fu Chen
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China.
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