Limonoids from the roots of Melia azedarach and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Twelve undescribed limonoids, meliazedarines J-U (1-12), along with a known one, were isolated from the roots of Melia azedarach. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic investigations, X-ray diffraction analyses, and ECD calculations. Compounds 1-8 were identified as ring intact limonoids, while compounds 9-12 were established as ring C-seco ones.

Corrigendum: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α: A pivotal regulator of the gastrointestinal tract.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.

Deeper insight into the role of IL-17 in the relationship beween hypertension and intestinal physiology.

With the incidence of hypertension increasing worldwide, more and more the mechanisms of hypertension from the perspective of immunity have found. Intestinal microbiota as well as its metabolites relationship with hypertension has attracted great attention from both clinicians and investigators. However, the associations of hypertension with lesions of a large number of immune factors including IL-17, MCP-1, IL-6, TGF-β, IL-10 and others have not been fully characterized.

An Unexpected Alteration Colonic Mucus Appearance in the Constipation Model via an Intestinal Microenvironment.

Due to the lack of research between the inner layers in the structure of colonic mucous and the metabolism of fatty acid in the constipation model, we aim to determine the changes in the mucous phenotype of the colonic glycocalyx and the microbial community structure following treatment with Rhubarb extract in our research. The constipation and treatment models are generated using adult male C57BL/6N mice. We perform light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to detect a Muc2-rich inner mucus layer attached to mice colon under different conditions.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-α: A Pivotal Regulator of the Gastrointestinal Tract.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α is a ligand-activated transcription factor distributed in various tissues and cells. It regulates lipid metabolism and plays vital roles in the pathology of the cardiovascular system. However, its roles in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are relatively less known.

Trace determination of carbamate pesticides in medicinal plants by a fluorescent technique.

The safety issue of using carbamate pesticides in medicinal plants (MPs) has been a global concern and hence attracted attention of many researchers to develop analytical tools for trace pesticides detection. Derived from the fluorescence-based techniques, a rapid, convenient and efficient method for the detection of three carbamate pesticides, including carbofuran, aldicarb and methomyl has been developed by using core-shell QDs. By optimizing experimental parameters, the system demonstrated high detection sensitivities for the investigated carbamates, with the lowest detectable concentrations less than 0.

Online comprehensive two-dimensional hydrophilic interaction chromatography×reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid linear ion trap Orbitrap mass spectrometry for the analysis of phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

In the present study, a system was developed for the analysis of phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza using online comprehensive two-dimensional hydrophilic interaction chromatography and reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to a DAD detector and hybrid linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (HILIC×RP-DAD-ESI/HRMS/MS). The system was configured based on the combination of an XBridge Amide column (150mm×4.6mm, 3.

pH-sensitive micelles based on acid-labile pluronic F68-curcumin conjugates for improved tumor intracellular drug delivery.

Curcumin (Cur) is a highly pleiotropic anticancer agent that inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. A variety of nano-systems constituted by polymer-drug conjugates have been designed to overcome its shortages on water solubility, chemical instability, and poor bioavailability. However, most of them suffer from ineffective release of Cur in cancer cells in vivo.

Sensitive Detection of Organophosphorus Pesticides in Medicinal Plants Using Ultrasound-Assisted Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Combined with Sweeping Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method using ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UA-DLLME) combined with sweeping micellar electrokinetic chromatography (sweeping-MEKC) has been developed for the determination of nine organophosphorus pesticides (chlorfenvinphos, parathion, quinalphos, fenitrothion, azinphos-ethyl, parathion-methyl, fensulfothion, methidathion, and paraoxon). The important parameters that affect the UA-DLLME and sweeping efficiency were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed method provided 779.

Qualitative and quantitative characterization of phenolic and diterpenoid constituents in Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) by comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid linear ion trap Orbitrap mass.

Danshen is one of the most frequently used traditional Chinese herbs owing to its remarkable and reliable therapeutic effects. Phenolic acids and diterpenoids have proved to be the bioactive substance groups. In order to fully profile its chemical compositions and explore new potential bioactive compounds, a comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography system coupled to DAD detector and hybrid linear ion trap (LTQ) Orbitrap mass spectrometry (LC × LC-DAD-ESI/HRMS/MS(n)) was set up in this study based on the column combination of Hypersil gold CN (150 mm × 1 mm, 3 μm) and Accucore C18 (50 mm × 4.

[Differential expression of microRNA in chronic hepatitis B patients of pi-wei dampness-heat syndrome and of gan depression Pi deficiency syndrome: a primary research].

Objective: To explore different microRNA expression profiles between chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients of Pi-Wei dampness-heat syndrome (PWDHS) and Gan depression Pi deficiency syndrome (GDPDS).

Methods: By applying gene chip technology, blood samples from CHB patients of PWDHS (3 cases), GDPDS (3 cases), and healthy volunteers (3 cases) were withdrawn and microRNA detected. The microRNA was screened and functional analyses performed by using SAS system.

Suppression of acute ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis by docosahexaenoic acid is associated with downregulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 and inflammatory cytokines.

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to hepatic steatosis. Omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been shown to be effective in reducing hepatic accumulation of triglycerides (TG) by downregulation of TG biosynthesis in the liver. The aim of this study was to examine whether supplementation with the n-3 PUFA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), can effectively reduce acute alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis.

Herbal medicines for the prevention of alcoholic liver disease: a review.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Long-term excess alcohol exposure leads to alcoholic liver disease (ALD)-a global health problem without effective therapeutic approach. ALD is increasingly considered as a complex and multifaceted pathological process, involving oxidative stress, inflammation and excessive fatty acid synthesis. Over the past decade, herbal medicines have attracted much attention as potential therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of ALD, due to their multiple targets and less toxic side effects.

Panax notoginseng reduces atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE-deficient mice and inhibits TNF-alpha-induced endothelial adhesion molecule expression and monocyte adhesion.

It is widely recognized that atherogenesis is associated with vascular inflammation. Panax notoginseng , a commonly used herb in China, has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory activity. In the present study, the antiatherogenic effect of P.

Docosahexaenoic acid suppresses arachidonic acid-induced proliferation of LS-174T human colon carcinoma cells.

Aim: To investigate the impact of arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and their combination on colon cancer cell growth.

Methods: The LS-174T colon cancer cell line was used to study the role of the prostaglandin precursor AA and the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid DHA on cell growth. Cell viability was assessed in XTT assays.

Curcumin prevents and reverses murine cardiac hypertrophy.

Chromatin remodeling, particularly histone acetylation, plays a critical role in the progression of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. We hypothesized that curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound abundant in the spice turmeric and a known suppressor of histone acetylation, would suppress cardiac hypertrophy through the disruption of p300 histone acetyltransferase-dependent (p300-HAT-dependent) transcriptional activation. We tested this hypothesis using primary cultured rat cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts as well as two well-established mouse models of cardiac hypertrophy.

Inducing apoptosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-2Z by bcl-xL short hairpin RNA.

Background & Objective: Recent studies showed overexpression of bcl-x(L) in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line CNE-2Z; it may play a pivotal role in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance of NPC. This study was to explore inducing effect of bcl-x(L) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) on apoptosis of CNE-2Z cells.

Methods: After transfection of recombinant plasmid pmU6-RNAi expressing bcl-x(L) shRNA, apoptotic CNE-2Z cells were detected by fluorescent staining and flow cytometry (FCM).

RNA interference by expression of short hairpin RNAs suppresses bcl-xL gene expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

Aim: To evaluate a new plasmid mediated RNA interference (RNAi) system and investigate whether knock-down of bcl-xL by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) can induce apoptosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line CNE-2Z in vitro.

Methods: The plasmid containing mU6 promoter was subcloned to yield the pmU6 plasmid, recombinant plasmid expressing shRNA targeting bcl-xL gene was designed and constructed, and were co-transfected cells with green fluorescence protein expressing plasmid. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate transfection efficiency, and RT-PCR and Western blot were applied to analyze bcl-xL mRNA and protein levels, respectively.

[Apoptotic effect of bcl-XL antisense oligodeoxynucleotide mediated by lipofectin on cell strain CNE-2Z].

Background & Objective: Recent studies have shown that overexpression of bcl-XL was detected in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell strain CNE-2Z, suggesting it may play a pivotal role in tumorigenesis of NPC. The current study was designed to explore the effect of bcl-XL antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASODN) on CNE-2Z.

Methods: A 20-mer gapmer ASODN with a full phosphorothioate backbone targeting a sequence unique of the bcl-XL coding region was artificially synthesized.