Partial biochemical characterization of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase extracted from eggs of hens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Publication date: 15 July 2017
Source:Food Chemistry, Volume 227
Author(s): J. Wawrzykowski, M. Kankofer
Biochemical characteristics of Cu,Zn-SOD derived from hen egg white and egg yolk were determined, and compared with those of enzymes from erythrocytes of hens and SOD standard. The presence of dimer with a molecular weight of 33.38±0.34kDa, and pI of 6.30±0.15 was confirmed in samples of SOD extracted from egg yolk. Cu,Zn-SOD isolated from egg yolk had an optimum at pH 6. Average SOD activity in egg yolk was 98.5±19.5U·g⁻¹ while in egg white reached 6.1±0.8U·g⁻¹. Changes in SOD activity of the egg yolk during its storage for 200days were also described. FTIR analysis confirmed that the enzymatic protein described in this study was SOD, while MALDI-TOF analysis confirmed only SOD from erythrocytes. Since eggs are a cheap and easily obtainable source of SOD, this enzymatic protein could be used in food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical industries.



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Au nanoparticles decorated ZnS hollow spheres for highly improved gas sensor performances

Publication date: June 2017
Source:Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Volume 245
Author(s): Luping Zhang, Rui Dong, Zhenyu Zhu, Shurong Wang
Novel Au nanoparticles decorated wurtzite ZnS hollow spheres (Au NPs-ZnS HSs) were successfully synthesized by simple hydrothermal and deposition-precipitation methods without using any surfactants or toxic organic solvents. The fabribated Au NPs-ZnS HSs based gas sensor showed high responses, quick response/recovery characteristics, excellent reproducibility and simultaneously highly improved responses compared with the pristine ZnS HSs based sensor to several volatile organic pollutants (VOPs) such as ethanol, n-propanol and n-butanol at a low operating temperature of 260°C. In terms of other VOPs, the sensor also displayed a high response to acetone (84.4%) and formaldehyde (75.8%), and a certain response to toluene (46.9%) and benzene (37.8%), indicating its multifunctional gas sensor application. The superior gas sensor performances could be attributed to the catalytic and spillover effect of Au NPs and the unique rough, porous and hollow structure which can improve the accessible surface area of the gas sensing materials, form conjugated electron depletion layers on both the outer and inner surfaces and facilitate the diffusion and transport of the tested gases. The as-synthesized Au NPs-ZnS HSs are considered to be one of the extremely promising candidate materials in gas sensor applications, and are also expected to provide other potential applications in the future.



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Expression of oncogenic miR-17-92 and tumor suppressive miR-143-145 clusters in basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Publication date: Available online 31 January 2017
Source:Journal of Dermatological Science
Author(s): Michael Sand, Schapoor Hessam, Susanne Amur, Marina Skrygan, Michael Bromba, Eggert Stockfleth, Thilo Gambichler, Falk G. Bechara
BackgroundA variety of cancers are associated with the expression of the oncogenic miR-17-92 cluster (Oncomir-1) and tumor suppressor miR-143-5p/miR-145-5p. Epidermal skin cancer has not been investigated for the expression of miR-17-92 and miR-143-145 clusters, despite being extensively studied regarding global microRNA profiles. The goal of this study was to investigate the expression and possible correlation of expression of miR17-92 and miR-143-145 cluster members in epidermal skin cancer.MethodsWe evaluated punch biopsies from patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC, n=15) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC, n=16), along with control specimens from non-lesional epidermal skin (n=16). Expression levels of the miR17-92 cluster (including miR-17-5p, miR-17-3p, miR-18a-3p, miR-18a-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-19a-5p, miR-19b-3p, miR-19b-1-5p, miR-20a-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-92a-3p, and miR-92a-5p) and the tumor-suppressive cluster miR-143-145 (including miR-143-5p and miR-145-5p) were detected by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.ResultsWe noted a highly significant increased expression of the miR-17-92 members miR-17-5p, miR-18a-5p, miR19a-3p, and miR-19b-3p and tumor suppressor miR-143-5p (p<0.01) in cSCC. miR-145-5p had a significantly decreased expression (p<0.05) for in BCC. A correlation analysis revealed multiple correlating miRNA-pairs within and between the investigated clusters.ConclusionThis study marks the first evidence for the participation of members of the miR-17-92 cluster in cSCC and miR-143-145 cluster in BCC.



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The pentafluorophenyl stationary phase shows a unique separation efficiency for performing fast chromatography determination of highbush blueberry anthocyanins

Publication date: 1 May 2017
Source:Talanta, Volume 166
Author(s): Barbora Šmídová, Dalibor Šatínský, Kateřina Dostálová, Petr Solich
A high-performance liquid chromatography method using an alternative pentafluorophenyl (PFP) core-shell stationary phase has been developed and used for rapid separation of 23 anthocyanins in a highbush blueberry Bluehaven cultivar. A high efficiency of separation of anthocyanins was achieved in the core-shell column Kinetex PFP, 150×4.6mm (particle size 2.6µm) with a 5×4.6mm precolumn, using a simple linear gradient elution with a mobile phase of acetonitrile and a water solution of 2% formic acid at a flow rate of 1.0ml/min and at a temperature of 50°C. The detection wavelength was set at 520nm for detection of all anthocyanins. The homogenized blueberry sample (Bluehaven cultivar) was extracted using pure methanol with 1.3% formic acid using an ultrasound bath for 20min and then filtrated. A 5-µL sample volume was directly injected into the HPLC system. The developed method showed an efficient separation of 23 anthocyanins in a total runtime of 21min. The potential of the pentafluorophenyl phase for efficient separation was demonstrated on a wide range of anthocyanins varying in glycosylation and acylation patterns found in highbush blueberries. The fluorinated stationary phase showed an alternative and complementary separation approach providing unique aromatic and polar selectivity in comparison with common C-18 phases.

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The extraction of uranium using graphene aerogel loading organic solution

Publication date: 1 May 2017
Source:Talanta, Volume 166
Author(s): Mumei Chen, Zheng Li, Jihao Li, Jingye Li, Qingnuan Li, Lan Zhang
A new approach for uranium extraction employing graphene aerogel (GA) as a skeleton loading organic solution (GA-LOS) is proposed and investigated. Firstly, the GA with super-hydrophobicity and high organic solution absorption capacity was fabricated by one-step reduction and self-assembly of graphene oxide with ethylenediamine. By adsorbing Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP)/n-dodecane solution to prepare GA-LOS, the extraction of U(VI) from nitric acid medium using GA-LOS was investigated and compared with conventional solvent extraction. It is found that the GA-LOS method can provide several advantages over conventional solvent extraction and adsorption due to the elimination of aqueous-organic mixing-separation procedures and easy solid-liquid separation. Furthermore, it also possesses higher extraction capacity (the saturated extraction capacity of GA loading TBP for U(VI) was 316.3mgg⁻¹ ) and lower consumption of organic diluents, leading to less organic waste. Moreover, the stability of GA-LOS in aqueous solution and cycling test were also studied, and it shows a remarkable regeneration capability, making it an ideal candidate for metal extraction from aqueous solution.

Graphical abstract

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Silver nanoclusters-catalyzed luminol chemiluminescence for hydrogen peroxide and uric acid detection

Publication date: 1 May 2017
Source:Talanta, Volume 166
Author(s): Yingying Sheng, Hongli Yang, Ying Wang, Lu Han, Yanjun Zhao, Aiping Fan
In the present study, four kinds of bovine serum albumin (BSA) caped silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) were prepared using different amount of BSA as template, respectively. The diameters of the four prepared BSA-Ag NCs were all less than 4nm which were obtained using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). All of the BSA-Ag NCs showed catalytic activity in luminol-H2O2 chemiluminescent (CL) reaction. It was interesting that different CL kinetic curves were obtained in different BSA-Ag NCs catalyzed CL reaction. Ag NCs with less template exhibited slow and stable signals. The luminophors for all the cases were still 3-aminophthalate ion in an excited state (3-APA*). Mechanism studies showed that Ag NCs with less template molecules have higher affinity to H2O2 and are benefit to the generation of ^•OH and ¹O2. Then, Ag NCs with 4mg/mL of BSA as template was applied to the detection of H2O2. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the linear dynamic range for H2O2 detection was from 0.14μM to 100μM with a detection limit of 0.016μM. By combining the urate oxidase-catalyzed oxidation reaction, CL detection of uric acid was realized. The linear range of uric acid detection was 2–100μM with a detection limit of 0.75μM. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of six replicates determination of 10μM uric acid was 5.1%. The proposed method has been applied to the detection of uric acid in diluted serum.

Graphical abstract

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Analysis of flavors and fragrances by HPLC with Fe3O4@GO magnetic nanocomposite as the adsorbent

Publication date: 1 May 2017
Source:Talanta, Volume 166
Author(s): Rui Xiao, Xiaoting Zhang, Xiaona Zhang, Jiahua Niu, Minghua Lu, Xiuhua Liu, Zongwei Cai
In this article, a method for the analysis of flavors and fragrances including ethyl vanillin, trans-cinnamic acid, methyl cinnamate, ethyl cinnamate, and benzyl cinnamate in foods by HPLC with Fe3O4@GO nanocomposite as the adsorbent of magnetic solid-phase extraction was developed. The magnetic Fe3O4@GO nanocomposite was prepared and characterized by transmission electron microscope, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometer. The as-prepared Fe3O4@GO nanocomposite was used as adsorbent for extraction and preconcentration of flavors and fragrances in foods. The extraction and desorption conditions including amount of materials, extraction time and desorption solvents were investigated. The analytes were separated within 10min and detected with LODs ranged from 0.02 to 0.04μg/mL. The recovery obtained from the analysis of spiked juice sample was between 71.5% and 112.4% with RSDs lower than 4.14%. The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of real samples including orange juice, chocolate and fruit sugar.

Graphical abstract

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Preparation and characterization of a packed bead immobilized trypsin reactor integrated into a PDMS microfluidic chip for rapid protein digestion

Publication date: 1 May 2017
Source:Talanta, Volume 166
Author(s): Adam Kecskemeti, Attila Gaspar
This paper demonstrates the design, efficiency and applicability of a simple, inexpensive and high sample throughput microchip immobilized enzymatic reactor (IMER) for rapid protein digestion. The IMER contains conventional silica particles with covalently immobilized trypsin packed inside of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchip channel (10mm×1mm×35µm). The microchip consists of 9 different channels, enabling 9 simultaneous protein digestions. Trypsin was covalently immobilized using carbodiimide activation, the ideal trypsin/silica particle ratio (i.e. measured mass ratio before the immobilization reaction) was determined. The amount of immobilized trypsin was 10–15μg trypsin for 1mg silica particle. Migration times of CZE peptide maps showed good repeatability and reproducibility (RSD%=0.02–0.31%). The IMER maintained its activity for 2 months, in this period it was used effectively for rapid proteolysis. Four proteins (myoglobin, lysozyme, hemoglobin and albumin) in a wide size range (15–70kDa) were digested to demonstrate the applicability of the reactor. Their CZE peptide maps were compared to peptide maps obtained from standard in-solution digestion of the four proteins. The number of peptide peaks correlated well with the theoretically expected peptide number in both cases, the peak patterns of the electropherograms were similar, however, digestion with the microchip IMER requires only <10s, while in-solution digestion takes 16h. LC-MS/MS peptide mapping was also carried out, the four proteins were identified with satisfying sequence coverages (29–50%), trypsin autolysis peptides were not detected. The protein content of human serum was digested with the IMER and with in-solution digestion.

Graphical abstract

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Contrasting effects of 5-HT3 receptor stimulation of the nucleus accumbens or ventral tegmentum on food intake in the rat

Publication date: 14 April 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 323
Author(s): Wayne E. Pratt, Peagan Lin, Zachary Pierce-Messick, Adeolu O. Ilesanmi, Kara A. Clissold
Although serotonin (5-HT) signaling is known to regulate food intake and energy homeostasis, the roles of the 5-HT3 receptor in feeding processes have been elusive. 5-HT3 receptors are found throughout mesolimbic circuitry that promote feeding not only in response to hunger, but also to the palatable and rewarding properties of food. These experiments examined if stimulation or blockade of the 5-HT3 receptor of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) or ventral tegmentum affected food intake in the rat in response to hunger or the presence of a palatable diet. Rats (N=6–9/group) received bilateral injections of the 5-HT3 agonist m-chlorophenylbiguanide hydrochloride (mCPBG; at 0.0, 10.0, or 20.0μg/0.5μl/side) or the 5-HT3 antagonist ondansetron hydrochloride (at 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, or 5.0μg/0.5μl/side) into either the NAcc or the ventral tegmentum. NAcc 5-HT3 receptor stimulation significantly increased 2-h food intake in food-deprived animals offered rat chow and in a separate group of unrestricted rats offered a sweetened fat diet. In contrast to the feeding increase seen with NAcc treatments, stimulation of 5-HT3 receptors of the ventral tegmentum significantly reduced food and water intake in food-restricted animals; reductions of intake in non-restricted rats offered the palatable diet did not approach significance. Blockade of the 5-HT3 receptor had no effect on feeding in either brain region. These data support a functional role for serotonergic signaling in the mesolimbic pathway on motivated behavior, and demonstrate that 5-HT3 receptors differentially modulate food consumption in a region-dependent manner.



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Combination of behaviorally sub-effective doses of glutamate NMDA and dopamine D1 receptor antagonists impairs executive function

Publication date: 14 April 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 323
Author(s): Sagar J. Desai, Brian L. Allman, Nagalingam Rajakumar
Impairment of executive function is a core feature of schizophrenia. Preclinical studies indicate that injections of either N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) or dopamine D1 receptor blockers impair executive function. Despite the prevailing notion based on postmortem findings in schizophrenia that cortical areas have marked suppression of glutamate and dopamine, recent in vivo imaging studies suggest that abnormalities of these neurotransmitters in living patients may be quite subtle. Thus, we hypothesized that modest impairments in both glutamate and dopamine function can act synergistically to cause executive dysfunction. In the present study, we investigated the effect of combined administration of "behaviorally sub-effective" doses of NMDA and dopamine D1 receptor antagonists on executive function. An operant conditioning-based set-shifting task was used to assess behavioral flexibility in rats that were systemically injected with NMDA and dopamine D1 receptor antagonists individually or in combination prior to task performance. Separate injections of the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, and the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, SCH 23390, at low doses did not impair set-shifting; however, the combined administration of these same behaviorally sub-effective doses of the antagonists significantly impaired the performance during set-shifting without affecting learning, retrieval of the memory of the initial rule, latency of responses or the number of omissions. The combined treatment also produced an increased number of perseverative errors. Our results indicate that NMDA and D1 receptor blockade act synergistically to cause behavioral inflexibility, and as such, subtle abnormalities in glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems may act cooperatively to cause deficits in executive function.



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Effect of acute psychological stress on response inhibition: An event-related potential study

Publication date: 14 April 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 323
Author(s): Mingming Qi, Heming Gao, Guangyuan Liu
This study aimed to investigate the effect of acute psychological stress on response inhibition and its electrophysiological correlates using a dual-task paradigm. Acute stress was induced by a primary task (mental arithmetic task), which consisted of a stress block and a control block. Response inhibition was measured using a secondary task (Go/NoGo task). In each trial, a Go/NoGo stimulus was presented immediately after the mental arithmetic task. The results revealed increased subjective stress and negative affect for the stress relative to control block, suggesting that the mental arithmetic task triggered a reliable stress response. ERPs locked to the Go/NoGo stimuli revealed that decreased P2 and increased N2 components were evoked for the stress block compared to the control block. These results demonstrated that acute psychological stress alters the response inhibition process by reducing the early selective attention process and enhancing the cognitive control process.



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Up-regulation of SIRT6 in the hippocampus induced rats with depression-like behavior via the block Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway

Publication date: 14 April 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 323
Author(s): Qiang Mao, Xue Gong, Chanjuan Zhou, Zhe Tu, Libo Zhao, Ling Wang, Xinfa Wang, Lu Sun, Jinjun Xia, Bin Lian, Jianjun Chen, Jun Mu, Deyu Yang, Peng Xie
Major depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, which is associated with diverse alterations in brain such as neuro-inflammation, synaptic dysfunction, and cognitive deficit. Accumulating evidences suggest sirtuins (SIRTs) are involved in brain developmental disorders, metabolic diseases and play a key role in cognition and synaptic plasticity, yet the role in mood regulation remains controversial. Hence, Western blotting and RT-qPCR were used to investigate whether SIRTs (SIRT1–7) expression levels were altered in the hippocampus of rats, which followed 5 weeks of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) treatment, the results showed depressive-like behaviors: like body weight, forced swim test and sucrose preference test and SIRT6 was a significant increase in the hippocampal of CUMS rats. Furthermore, via a lentivirus-mediated transfection in hippocampal neurons, we aimed to detect how SIRT6 influence the function of hippocampus. The SIRT6 overexpression significantly inhibited expressions of proteins and/or phosphoproteins (e.g AKT, p-AKT, P-GSK3β), decreased the ratios of p-GSK3β/GSK3β and p-Akt/Akt in the primary hippocampus neurons. Thus, our data indicates that SIRT6 is involved in the modulation of depressive-like behaviors and affects the survival and synaptic plasticity of hippocampal neuron via inhibitory activation of Akt-GSK3β signaling.



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Brain-specific knockin of the pathogenic Tubb5 E401K allele causes defects in motor coordination and prepulse inhibition

Publication date: 14 April 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 323
Author(s): Martin W. Breuss, Andi H. Hansen, Lukas Landler, David A. Keays
The generation, migration, and differentiation of neurons requires the functional integrity of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Mutations in the tubulin gene family are known to cause various neurological diseases including lissencephaly, ocular motor disorders, polymicrogyria and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We have previously reported that mutations in TUBB5 cause microcephaly that is accompanied by severe intellectual impairment and motor delay. Here we present the characterization of a Tubb5 mouse model that allows for the conditional expression of the pathogenic E401K mutation. Homozygous knockin animals exhibit a severe reduction in brain size and in body weight. These animals do not show any significant impairment in general activity, anxiety, or in the acoustic startle response, however, present with notable defects in motor coordination. When assessed on the static rod apparatus mice took longer to orient and often lost their balance completely. Interestingly, mutant animals also showed defects in prepulse inhibition, a phenotype associated with sensorimotor gating and considered an endophenotype for schizophrenia. This study provides insight into the behavioral consequences of tubulin gene mutations.



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Effects of repeated treatment with a delta opioid receptor agonist KNT-127 on hyperemotionality in olfactory-bulbectomized rats

Publication date: 14 April 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 323
Author(s): Leo Gotoh, Akiyoshi Saitoh, Misa Yamada, Hideaki Fujii, Hiroshi Nagase, Mitsuhiko Yamada
We previously demonstrated that a single treatment of a non-peptidic delta opioid receptor agonist, KNT-127, has an antidepressant-like effect in rodents in the forced swim test. Here we evaluated the effect of repeated administration of the potential antidepressant KNT-127 in an olfactory-bulbectomized (OBX) rat model. Male Wistar rats (8–12 weeks old) underwent olfactory bulbectomy. From 14days after surgery each was weighed and administered either KNT-127 (3mgkg⁻¹/day), the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine (10mgkg⁻¹/day), or vehicle, daily for 14 days. Hyperemotionality was measured on days 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14. Repeated administration of KNT-127 significantly decreased total and individual hyperemotionality scores (attack, startle, struggle and fight) over the entire period. Conversely, fluoxetine did not show any significant effect on days 3, 5, 7, or 14 but significantly reduced the total score on day 10. The inhibitory effects of KNT-127 were greater than those of fluoxetine. The KNT-127 and control groups both gained weight, while the fluoxetine group lost weight. Our results suggest that KNT-127 is a potential lead compound for antidepressant therapy, with high efficacy, a relatively rapid onset of therapeutic effect, and without the possible adverse effects of weight loss caused by SSRIs.



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Renoprotective and antioxidative effects of methanolic Paederia foetida leaf extract on experimental diabetic nephropathy in rats

Publication date: 23 February 2017
Source:Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 198
Author(s): M.P. Borgohain, L. Chowdhury, S. Ahmed, N. Bolshette, K. Devasani, T.J. Das, A. Mohapatra, M. Lahkar
Ethnopharmacological relevancePaederia foetida Linn. (Family: Rubiaceae) is widely used as a natural remedy for diabetes mellitus by the Nepali and Lepcha tribes of Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayan region. The plant is administered to a diabetic individual in the form of leaf infusion for 2–3 weeks. Therefore, we investigated the effects of methanolic leaf extract of Paederia foetida (MEPF) on alloxan (ALX) induced diabetic renal oxidative stress and NF-kB dependent renoinflammatory events in rat.MethodEffects of MEPF on blood glucose, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), serum and oxidative stress markers were evaluated in ALX induced diabetic wistar rats. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out to estimate serum IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α and renal tissue NF-kB p65 levels. MEPF treatment was given to the diabetic rats at a dose of 250 and 500mg/kg body weight (b.w.).Results & discussionMEPF treatment significantly reduced hyperglycaemia, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglycerides (TRIGs), and total cholesterol (TCHOL) levels in the diabetic rats, whereas it significantly restored GFR and serum albumin level. The activity of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant machineries was remarkably augmented by MEPF treatment. Likewise, it also significantly lowered lipid peroxidation which was evidenced by decreased concentration of thiobarbituric reactive substances (malondialdehyde, MDA) in the renal tissue of treated diabetic groups. Moreover, MEPF treated animals exhibited low serum concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α compared to the diabetic control rats. It showed a dose dependent inhibition of NF-kB activation in the diabetic kidney, but the effects were more prominent at a dose of 500mg/kg. Histopathological examinations also confirmed its nephroprotective action during diabetes.ConclusionMEPF treatment mitigates oxidative stress and suppresses renal inflammation via inhibition of NF-kB in diabetic kidney in early progressive diabetic nephropathy.

Graphical abstract

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Rehmanniae Radix in osteoporosis: A review of traditional Chinese medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacokinetics and pharmacology

Publication date: 23 February 2017
Source:Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 198
Author(s): Chenyue Liu, Rufeng Ma, Lili Wang, Ruyuan Zhu, Haixia Liu, Yubo Guo, Baosheng Zhao, Shangang Zhao, Jinfa Tang, Yu Li, Jianzhao Niu, Min Fu, Dongwei Zhang, Sihua Gao
Ethnopharmacological relevanceEmerging clinical usage and pharmacological effects have been achieved in using Rehmanniae Radix either singly or in combination with other herbs to treat skeletal diseases in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the recent years. This study is aimed to provide a comprehensive review about the historical TCM interpretation of the action of Rehmanniae Radix in osteoporosis, its usage in clinical trials and osteoporotic models, its main phytochemical constituents, and its pharmacokinetics.Materials and methodsSeveral databases included PubMed, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, National Science and Technology Library and the Web of Science Database were consulted to locate the publications pertaining to Rehmanniae Radix. The initial inquiry was conducted for the presence of the following terms combinations in the abstracts: Rehmanniae Radix, Dihuang, phytochemistry, pharmacokinetics, osteoporosis, bone, osteoclast and osteoblast. About 330 research papers and reviews were consulted.ResultsIn TCM, Rehmanniae Radix exerts the anti-osteoporotic effect via regulating the functions of kidney and liver as well as improving blood circulation. 107 clinical trials are identified that used Rehmanniae Radix in combination with other herbs to treat post-menopausal, senile and secondary osteoporosis. Most of the clinical trials are characterized by high efficacy and no obvious adverse effects. However, the efficacies of these clinical trials are limited because of small patient sample size, short treatment duration and poor clinical design. In addition, TCM herbs under the clinical study are not clear because of a lack of standardization and authentication. The pharmacokinetics data demonstrate that the ingredients of Rehmanniae Radix are widely distributed after administration, and that catalpol and ajugol as well as acetoside are supposed to be the active constituents. More than 140 individual compounds have been currently isolated from this plant and reported to show pleiotropic effects on various diseases. Rehmanniae Radix displays bone protecting features in the osteoporosis models via the delicate balance between osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis through single herb extracts and its isolated compounds.ConclusionsThe successful inclusion of Rehmanniae Radix in clinical trials and preclinical studies for the management of osteoporosis has attracted rising attentions for identifying potential anti-osteoporotic candidates from this plant and clinical existing TCM formulas, which will further speed up anti-osteoporosis drug discovery processes. Properly designed and well controlled prospective studies are still needed to further demonstrate bone protective actions and safe use of this herb and its ingredients

Graphical abstract

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Reverse ethnopharmacology and drug discovery

Publication date: 23 February 2017
Source:Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 198
Author(s): Marco Leonti, Gary I. Stafford, Maja Dal Cero, Stefano Cabras, Maria Eugenia Castellanos, Laura Casu, Caroline S. Weckerle
Ethnopharmacological relevanceEthnopharmacological investigations of traditional medicines have made significant contributions to plant-derived drugs, as well as the advancement of pharmacology. Drug discovery from medicinal flora is more complex than generally acknowledged because plants are applied for different therapeutic indications within and across cultures. Therefore we propose the concept of "reverse ethnopharmacology" and compare biomedical uses of plant taxa with their ethnomedicinal and popular uses and test the effect of these on the probability of finding biomedical and specifically anticancer drugs.Materials and methodsFor this analysis we use data on taxonomy and medical indications of plant derived biomedical drugs, clinical trial, and preclinical trial drug candidates published by Zhu et al. (2011) and compare their therapeutic indications with their ethnomedicinal and popular uses as reported in the NAPRALERT^® database. Specifically, we test for increase or decrease of the probability of finding anticancer drugs based on ethnomedicinal and popular reports with Bayesian logistic regression analyses.ResultsAnticancer therapy resulted as the most frequent biomedicinal indication of the therapeutics derived from the 225 drug producing higher plant taxa and showed an association with ethnomedicinal and popular uses in women's medicine, which was also the most important popular use-category. Popular remedies for dysmenorrhoea, and uses as emmenagogues, abortifacients and contraceptives showed a positive effect on the probability of finding anticancer drugs. Another positive effect on the probability of discovering anticancer therapeutics was estimated for popular herbal drugs associated with the therapy of viral and bacterial infections, while the highest effect was found for popular remedies used to treat cancer symptoms. However, this latter effect seems to be influenced by the feedback loop and divulgence of biomedical knowledge on the popular level.ConclusionWe introduce the concept of reverse ethnopharmacology and show that it is possible to estimate the probability of finding biomedical drugs based on ethnomedicinal uses. The detected associations confirm the classical ethnopharmacological approach where a popular remedy for disease category X results in a biomedical drug for disease category X but does also point out the existence of cross-over relationships where popular remedies for disease category X result in biomedical therapeutics for disease category Y (Zhu et al., 2011).

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Yupingfeng Powder relieves the immune suppression induced by dexamethasone in mice

Publication date: Available online 1 February 2017
Source:Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Author(s): Yuhua Li, Bin Zheng, Huajie Tian, Xiaotao Xu, Yang Sun, Qibing Mei, Xiaotian Lin, Li Liu
Ethnopharmacological relevance:Yupingfeng Powder (YPF), a Chinese medical formula, is used traditionally for allergic diseases and characterized by reducing allergy relapse. In the present study, we attempted to investigate the effect of YPF on the immunity of mice and the possible mechanisms.Materials and methods:An immunosuppressive mice model induced by Dexamethasone (Dex) was used. Blood samples, spleen and thymus were collected. Then, hematology parameters and organ weight were measured; Phenotypic analyses (CD4⁺/CD8⁺) of lymphocytes were performed using a flow cytometer; Phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages were evaluated by particle tracers; Spleen lymphocytes were isolated, whose proliferation and apoptosis were assessed. NK cells' cytotoxicity was determined using the LDH release assay.Results:YPF could ameliorate weight loss and improve low thymus and spleen coefficients caused by Dex. Treatment with YPF made decreased lymphocytic activity of Dex-treated mice back to normal and inhibited Dex-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes. YPF increased the Dex caused low proportion of CD4⁺/CD8⁺, and upregulated Dex-reduced NK cells' activity.Conclusion:The series of experiments demonstrated that YPF could exert immune regulation and enhance immunity of immunosuppressive mice through adjusting nonspecific and cellular immunity. The results would provide a basis for clinical application of YPF.

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Topical treatments of Saussurea costus root and Thuja orientalis L. synergistically alleviate atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions by inhibiting protease-activated receptor-2 and NF-κB signaling in HaCaT cells and Nc/Nga mice

Publication date: Available online 1 February 2017
Source:Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Author(s): Hye Jeong Yang, Min Jung Kim, Suna Kang, Na Rang Moon, Da Sol Kim, Na Ra Lee, Kang Sung Kim, Sunmin Park
Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe root of Saussurea costus (Aucklandia lappa Decne, Aucklandiae Radix, SC) and Thuja orientalis L. (TOL) have been traditionally used as anti-inflammatory agents in Korea. However, they have not been studied for the efficacy of atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment, a chronic inflammatory skin disease. We investigated the efficacy of topical applications with 1,3-butyleneglycol extracts of SC and TOL to alleviate the symptoms of AD.Materials and methodsHaCaT cells and the dorsal skin of Nc/Nga mice had a local exposure of house mite extracts and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), respectively. After lesions developed, we topically applied 1,3-butylen glycol (vehicle; control), SC (30%), TOL (30%), or SC (15%)+TOL (15%) to the skin lesions for 5 weeks. The normal-control was not exposed to DNCB. The skin thickness, mast cell infiltration, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and IgG1 and gene expressions of interleukin (IL)−4, IL-13, and IFN-γ in the dorsal skin and HaCaT cells were measured.ResultsChlorogenic acid (129.6±10.2μg/g) for SC and catechin and apigenin (93.4±13.2 and 16.9±1.3μg/g, respectively) for TOL were used as indicator compounds for the strength of the extracts. SC+TOL decreased the expression of protease-activated receptor-2 and ICAM-1 and the release of TNF-α and IL-6 in HaCaT cells activated by 3ug/mL house mite extracts in comparison to either of SC or TOL alone. In Nc/Nga mice challenged with DNCB, SC+TOL synergistically attenuated clinical symptoms of AD such as erythema, hemorrhage, edema, excoriation and dryness in the dorsal skin better than either SC or TOL alone. Histological analysis of the dorsal skin also showed that SC+TOL treatment significantly and additively decreased the inflammatory cellular infiltrate, including mast cells and eosinophils in comparison to either of SC or TOL. SC+TOL also decreased serum IgE and IgG1 levels and the expression of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-13 mRNA in dorsal skin in DNCB-treated Nc/Nga mice.ConclusionSC+TOL relieved the symptoms of AD by reducing pro-inflammatory activity and over-activated immune responses. These data suggest that SC+TOL may be an effective alternative intervention for the management of AD.

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Anti-ulcer Effect and Potential Mechanism of Licoflavone by Regulating Inflammation Mediators and Amino Acid Metabolism

Publication date: Available online 31 January 2017
Source:Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Author(s): Yi Yang, Shuai Wang, Yong-rui Bao, Tian-jiao Li, Guan-lin Yang, Xin Chang, Xian-sheng Meng
Ethnopharmacological relevanceGlycyrrhiza is the dry root and rhizome of the leguminous plant, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat. or Glycyrrhiza glabra L., which was firstly cited in Shennong's Herbal Classic in Han dynasty and was officially listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, has been widely used in China during the past millennia. Licoflavone is the major component of Glycyrrhiza with anti-ulcer activity. The present study is based on clarifying the anti-ulcer effect of licoflavone, aiming at elucidating the possible molecule mechanisms of its action for treating gastric ulcer rats induced by acetic acid.Materials and methodsRats were divided into 7 groups, and drugs were administered from on the day after the onset of gastric ulcer (day 3) until day 11 of the experiment once daily continuously. The plasma were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with time-of-flight masss pectrometry (HPLC/ESI-TOF-MS), significant different metabolites were investigated to explain its therapeutic mechanism. Furthermore, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was performed to detect the expression of RNA in stomach tissue for verifying the above results.ResultsLicoflavone can effectively cure the gastric ulcer, particularly the middle dose group. According to the statistical analysis of the plasma different metabolites from each groups and the expression of genes in tissues, sixteen significant different metabolites, including histamine, tryptophan, arachidonic acid, phingosine-1-phosphate etc., contributing to the treatment of gastric ulcer were discovered and identified. In RT-PCR analysis, the results of the expression of RNA were corresponded with what we discovered.ConclusionsOur study indicated licoflavone plays the role of treating gastric ulcer by regulating inflammation mediators and amino acid metabolism. We demonstrated that metabolomics technology combined with gene technology is a useful tool to search different metabolites and to dissect the potential mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating gastric ulcer.

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