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To investigate the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on pathological symptoms and behavioral deficits in a Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease (PD) mouse model. The therapeutic effects of LBP were monitored with an Open field test, a Rotarod test and a Morris water maze test. We also investigated the mechanisms with qRT-PCR and Western blotting analyses. After a relatively short-term LBP treatment, the total distance and walking time of PD mice significantly increased. The staying duration on the rod of PD mice increased in the Rotarod test. LBP can up-regulate levels of SOD2, CAT and GPX1 and inhibit the abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein induced by MPTP. LBP treatment can also up-regulate the phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR, and may play its protective role by activating the PTEN/AKT/mTOR signaling axis. These results suggest that LBP can effectively alleviate the degeneration in the nigrostriatal system induced by MPTP treatment. It may be a potential candidate for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Traditional approaches for monitoring human gait have severe spatial and temporal restrictions with complex analysis methods and high cost, which are powerless to promote the development of intelligent life involving fitness, sport training, and healthcare. Herein, a portable smart insole system with high spatial resolution and simple manufacturing process to measure plantar pressure distribution anytime, anywhere for gait analysis is proposed. An insole‐shaped array of 104 piezoresistive sensors with highly robust characteristics is assembled, exhibiting a good pressure‐sensing uniformity. The smart insole not only detects the subtle displacement of the center of gravity of the body, but also exhibits a real‐time, high‐resolution thermodynamic diagram of the plantar pressure distribution during human activities. More importantly, the function of motion intelligence identification can be realized by regionalizing and digitizing the whole plantar pressure distribution, achieving an average recognition accuracy of 83.32% among six predefined motions. These results imply that the carbon fiber‐based smart insole can provide an effective approach for convenient gait analysis and motion identification, which has a great potential in the application of future intelligent life.

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