Rationale Discovering and identifying new small‐molecule inhibitors of monoamine oxidase B (MAO‐B) could provide the potential to treat many neurodegenerative diseases. Methods We employed affinity ultrafiltration liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (AUF‐LC/MSn) to identify and characterize small‐molecule inhibitors of MAO‐B from a 30% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax senticosus root (ASR). In vitro tests were performed in stimulated BV2 microglia to evaluate the anti‐inflammatory effects of the ASR preparation. An in vitro enzyme activity assay, measuring half‐maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) against MAO‐B, determined the inhibitory activity of the potential MAO‐B ligands. Results ASR treatment significantly inhibited NO release (p <0.01) and attenuated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α expression in stimulated BV2 microglia. Nine compounds were isolated from the ASR preparation as potential MAO‐B inhibitors, identified as quinic acid, chlorogenic acid, isofraxidin, dicaffeoylquinic acid, pinoresinol diglucoside, medioresinol 4’‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside, eletutheroside E, syringaresinol O‐β‐D‐glucoside, and trihydroxyoctadecenoic acid, based on their tandem mass spectra. Conclusions Our study provides critical data on compounds from ASR extracts which are suitable for the development of new MAO‐B inhibitors as potential therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.

We present a pilot Hi survey of 17 Planck Galactic Cold Clumps (PGCCs) with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Hi Narrow Self-Absorption (HINSA) is an effective method to detect cold Hi being mixed with molecular hydrogen H2 and improves our understanding of the atomic to molecular transition in the interstellar medium. HINSA was found in 58% PGCCs that we observed. The column density of HINSA was found to have an intermediate correlation with that of 13CO, following (N(HINSA)) = (0.52 ± 0.26) (N 13CO) + (10 ± 4.1). Hi abundance relative to total hydrogen [Hi]/[H] has an average value of 4.4 × 10–3, which is about 2.8 times of the average value of previous HINSA surveys toward molecular clouds. For clouds with total column density N H > 5 × 1020 cm–2, an inverse correlation between HINSA abundance and total hydrogen column density is found, confirming the depletion of cold Hi gas during molecular gas formation in more massive clouds. Non-thermal line width of 13CO is about 0-0.5 km s−1 larger than that of HINSA. One possible explanation of narrower non-thermal width of HINSA is that HINSA region is smaller than that of 13CO. Based on an analytic model of H2 formation and H2 dissociation by cosmic ray, we found the cloud ages to be within 106.7 – 107.0 yr for five sources.

Rationale Formalin‐Fixed Paraffin‐Embedded (FFPE) samples are valuable for proteomic studies of disease. However, the crosslink among proteins, protein vs nucleic acid, and other covalent chemical modifications like methylation introduced by formaldehyde can interfere with trypsin digestion in proteomics studies. LysargiNase was reported to have a better full‐cleavage rate at methylation and b ion coverage than trypsin. The contribution of LysargiNase in the proteomic study of FFPE samples was assessed and compared with trypsin in this study for the first time to facilitate proteomic research on FFPE samples. Methods The FFPE proteins were extracted with an “antigen retrieval” method. Digestion parameters were optimized by visualization of the digests on the tricine gel by silver staining. Then the FFPE proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) and cut into 16 gel bands and in‐gel digested by trypsin and LysargiNase, respectively. Peptides were desalted with Stage‐Tips and separated via liquid chromatography. Electrospray ionization was conducted and peptide mass was measured in the LTQ Orbitrap Velos in the data‐dependent mode. Results High concentrations of enzyme facilitate the digestion efficiency of FFPE samples. A total of 32,294 peptides and 3445 proteins were identified with LysargiNase and trypsin combined in two replicates. LysargiNase increased peptide identification by 18.9% and protein identification by 13.4% on the basis of trypsin. Consistently, LysargiNase increased C‐terminal peptide identification by 47.7%. Moreover, LysargiNase showed better full‐cleavage rate (49.3%) at methylated sites than trypsin (23.9%). LysargiNase and trypsin combined can improve the b‐ion coverage by 50% on FFPE samples. Conclusions FFPE samples can be more efficiently digested at high concentrations of LysargiNase and trypsin. LysargiNase can better digest methylated peptides and improve the proteome identification by 13.4% and the b‐ion coverage by 50% on the basis of trypsin in FFPE samples.