Steam Cell

Cornus officinalis , a medicinal and edible plant known for its liver-nourishing properties, has shown promise in inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), crucial indicators of hepatic fibrosis, especially when processed by high pressure wine steaming (HPWS). Herein, this study aims to investigate the regulatory effects of cornus officinalis , both in its raw and HPWS forms, on inflammation and apoptosis in liver fibrosis and their underlying mechanisms. In vivo liver fibrosis models were established by subcutaneous injection of CCl4 , while in vitro HSCs were exposed to transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Members of Plectranthus genus such as Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng is a well-known folkloric medicine around the globe in treating several human ailments such as cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary tract, skin and infective diseases. Its therapeutic value is primarily attributed to its essential oil. Although several properties of Plectranthus amboinicus essential oil have been documented, its mechanism of action and safety has not been completely elucidated...

The fig-milk dessert, a traditional and nutritionally rich treat infused with bioactive compounds, was subjected to a comprehensive analysis in this study. The novelty of this research lies in the investigation of the in vitro antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial potential of the fig-milk dessert. This was accomplished through the utilization of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, Annexin/propidium iodide staining, microtiter plate-based assay and agar well diffusion, respectively, for the first time...

Aspergillus oryzae spores, when sprinkled onto steamed rice and allowed to propagate, are referred to as rice "koji ." Agmatine, a natural polyamine derived from arginine through the action of arginine decarboxylase (ADC), is abundantly produced by solid state-cultivated rice koji of A. oryzae RIB40 under low pH conditions, despite the apparent absence of ADC orthologs in its genome. Mass spectrometry imaging revealed that agmatine was accumulated inside rice koji at low pH conditions, where arginine was distributed...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The traditional Chinese herb Panax notoginseng (PN) tonifies blood, and its main active ingredient is saponin. PN is processed by different methods, resulting in different compositions and effects. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate changes in the microstructure and composition of fresh PN processed by different techniques and the anti-anemia effects on tumor-bearing BALB/c mice after chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (CTX). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh PN was processed by hot-air drying (raw PN, RPN), steamed at 120 °C for 5 h (steamed PN, SPN), or fried at 130 °C, 160 °C, or 200 °C for 8 min (fried PN, FPN1, FPN2, or FPN3, respectively); then, the microstructures were compared with 3D optical microscopy, quasi-targeted metabolites were detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS), and saponins were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)...

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Freezing and blanching are essential processing steps in the production of frozen yellow peaches, inevitably leading to texture softening of the fruit. In this study, the synergistic mechanism of stem blanching, freezing conditions (-20°C, -40°C, -80°C, and liquid nitrogen [-173°C]), and sample sizes (cubes, slices, and half peaches) on macroscopic properties of texture, cellular structure, and ice crystal size distribution of frozen yellow peaches were measured. Blanching enhanced the heat and mass transfer rates in the subsequent freezing process...

Often, trace impurities in a feed stream will cause failures in industrial applications. The efficient removal of such a trace impurity from industrial steams, however, is a daunting challenge due to the extremely small driving force for mass transfer. The issue lies in an activity-stability dilemma, that is, an ultrafine adsorbent that offers a high exposure of active sites is favorable for capturing species of a low concentration, but free-standing adsorptive species are susceptible to rapidly aggregating in working conditions, thus losing their intrinsic high activity...

Increasing densities of reaction sites for gaseous reactants in solid oxide electrochemical reactors (SOERs), is a key strategy for achieving enhanced performance in either fuel cell or electrolysis modes. Fabrication of 3D structured components in SOERs can enhance those densities of reaction sites, which is achieved by 3D inkjet printing with high reproducibility, having developed inks with appropriate properties. First, the effects of pillar geometries on SOER performances are predicted through numerical simulations, enabling subsequent 3D printing to focus on the more effective geometries...

Our previous study examined the phytochemical composition and bio-activities of raw daylily flower (Hemerocallis fulva L.). However, this plant food is usually served via heat process such as cooking in a soup. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical profile and biofunctions of steamed daylily flower (SDF). The content of total phenolic acids, total flavonoids, total carotenoids, total anthocyanins and total triterpenoids in SDF aqueous extract was assessed. Normal cardiac and hepatic cells, H9c2 and L-02 cells, were used to evaluate the protective effects of SDF against ethanol...

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to determine the effects of instant controlled decompression of steam pressure, termed as ICPD (Instant Controlled Pressure Drop) on fresh tea leaves, when combined with refractance window drying (RWD) of rolled green teas during green tea manufacturing. The ICPD steam treatment pressure (TP; 0.1-0.3 MPa), treatment time (TT; 10-20 s) and refractance window drying temperature (RWDT; 70-90°C) were used as the processing parameters for manufacturing of green tea...

Recent advances in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines and gene therapy vectors have increased the need for rapid plasmid DNA (pDNA) screening and production within the biopharmaceutical industry. High-throughput (HT) fermentor systems, such as the Ambr® 250 HT, can significantly accelerate process development timelines of pDNA upstream processes compared to traditional bench-scale glass fermentors or small-scale steam-in-place (SIP) fermentors. However, such scale-down models must be qualified to ensure that they are representative of the larger scale process similar to traditional small-scale models...

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing globally due to behavioral and environmental changes. There are many therapeutic agents available for the treatment of chronic metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, but the data on their efficacy and safety are lacking. Through a pilot study by our group, Zingiber officinale rhizomes used as a spice and functional food were selected as an anti-obesity candidate. In this study, steam-processed ginger extract (GGE) was used and we compared its efficacy at alleviating metabolic syndrome-related symptoms with that of conventional ginger extract (GE)...

Iron-based perovskite air electrodes for protonic ceramic cells (PCCs) offer broad application prospects owing to their reasonable thermomechanical compatibility and steam tolerance. However, their insufficient electrocatalytic activity has considerably limited further development. Herein, oxygen-vacancy-rich BaFe0.6 Ce0.2 Sc0.2 O3-δ (BFCS) perovskite is rationally designed by a facile Sc-substitution strategy for BaFe0.6 Ce0.4 O3-δ (BFC) as efficient and stable air electrode for PCCs. The BFCS electrode with an optimized Fe 3d-eg orbital occupancy and more oxygen vacancies exhibits a polarization resistance of ≈ 0...

MRS is a noninvasive technique to measure different metabolites in the brain. Changes in the levels of certain metabolites can be used as surrogate markers for Alzheimer's disease. They can potentially be used for diagnosis, prediction of prognosis, or even assessing response to treatment.There are different techniques for MRS acquisitions including STimulated Echo Acquisition Mode (STEAM) and Point Resolved Spectroscopy (PRESS). In terms of localization, single or multi-voxel methods can be used. Based on current data: 1...

The genus Psidium, belonging to the family Myrtaceae, encompasses several plant species rich in essential oils. Several studies involving different research areas have shown promising results for essential oils, which has attracted interest from diverse sectors, including pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biological activity of the essential oil extracted from Psidium bahianum leaves (EOPb) collected in an Atlantic Forest remnant in the northern coast of the state of Bahia, Brazil...

Three-dimensional (3D) hydrogels provide tissue-like complexities and allow for the spatial orientation of cells, leading to more realistic cellular responses in pathophysiological environments. There is a growing interest in developing multifunctional hydrogels using ternary mixtures for biomedical applications. This study examined the biocompatibility and suitability of human auricular chondrocytes from microtia cultured onto steam-sterilized 3D Chitosan/Gelatin/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) (CS/Gel/PVA) hydrogels as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications...

This research aimed to evaluate the effect of different cooking methods (boiling, stir-frying, and steaming) on the microstructure, moisture, fat, protein, and glucose-derived carbohydrate contents, and the bioactive compounds (total carotenoids: CAR, total chlorophyll: CHLO, and total phenolic compounds: TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) of squash blossoms. Furthermore, we characterized polyphenolic compounds using HPLC and evaluated their bioaccessibility via in vitro digestions. Our results show that steaming and boiling do not affect moisture content...

Methanol and ethanol, when used as biomass fuels, demonstrate distinct benefits compared to hydrogen in proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (PCFCs) applications. Nevertheless, employing these biomass fuels in PCFCs encounters a significant obstacle due to carbon deposition, adversely affecting the cells' longevity. To mitigate this issue, a dendritic pore channel anode design was implemented to optimize the fuel distribution and utilization efficiency. Additionally, the approach incorporates a co-reforming strategy of fuel and steam, operating the cell under stable output current conditions to mitigate carbon deposition in the cell...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditionally, the roots of Kaempferia galanga has been used to treat high blood pressure, chest pain, headache, toothache, rheumatism, indigestion, cough, inflammation and cancer in Asia. Nevertheless, most of its pharmacological studies were focused on ethanolic extracts and volatile oils. The exact active chemical constituents and their underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood, especially towards its anti-cancer treatment. Inhibition of angiogenesis is an important atrategy to inhibit tumor growth...