BACKGROUND Biomass pretreatment remains an essential step in lignocellulosic biofuel production, largely to facilitate the efficient removal of lignin and increase enzyme accessibility to the polysaccharides. In recent years, there have been significant efforts in planta to reduce lignin content or modify its composition to overcome the inherent recalcitrance that it imposes on lignocellulosic ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the combination of sodium ferulate (SF) and oxymatrine (OMT) on mice with cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis. Swiss male mice were randomly divided into a control group, CLP group, three SF + OMT groups (3.1+6.9; 6.2+13.8 and 12.3+27.7 mg/kg), SF (6.2 mg/kg) group and OMT (13.8 mg/kg) group. Eight hours after the administrati...

Hydroxycinnamates are plant products catabolized through the diphenol protocatechuate in the naturally transformable bacterium Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1. Genes for protocatechuate catabolism are central to the dca-pca-qui-pob-hca chromosomal island, for which gene designations corresponding to catabolic function are dca (dicarboxylic acid), pca (protocatechuate), qui (quinate), pob (p-hydro...

Hydroxycinnamates, aromatic compounds that play diverse roles in plants, are dissimilated by enzymes encoded by the hca genes in the nutritionally versatile, naturally transformable bacterium Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1. A key step in the hca-encoded pathway is activation of the natural substrates caffeate, p-coumarate, and ferulate by an acyl:coenzyme A (acyl:CoA) ligase encoded by hcaC. As ...

Human marrow stromal cells (hMSCs) are multipotential stem cells, capable of differentiating into bone, cartilage, fat and muscle. Several recent reports demonstrated that hMSCs have been also differentiated into neural cells. However, only a few reported inducers are applicable for clinical use. This work is to explore the effects of sodium ferulate (SF) on differentiation of hMSCs into neural...

Ferulates and dehydrodiferulates have a significant role in cross-linking polysaccharides to lignin in grass cell walls. Among the various ferulate dehydrodimers, the 5]5-coupled dehydrodimer (E,E)-4,49dihydroxy-3,39-dimethoxy-5,59-bicinnamate is capable of the most extensive cross-linking into lignin, forming major branch-points. However, current literature fails to recognise the role of radic...

UNLABELLED This study investigated the effects of pregnane X receptor (PXR/NR1I2) and CYP2B6 genetic variants on sodium ferulate (SF)-mediated induction of bupropion hydroxylation. The pharmacokinetics of bupropion and hydroxybupropion were evaluated after an oral dose of bupropion (150 mg) administered with and without SF pretreatment for 14 days in 33 healthy subjects. The area under the time...