Dual Effects of a Combination of and Inflammation and Hyperuricemia.

This study developed an effective combination of and (SNE) and evaluated its anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperuricemic effects under conditions. First, the effect of SNE was tested on xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of SNE, nitric oxide (NO) production was detected by Griess assay, and proinflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in RAW264.

Restoration of Oxacillin susceptibility in MRSA strains by NPPB.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a critical public health issue because of its resistance to multiple antibiotics, including β-lactams such as methicillin and oxacillin. To search for antibacterial sensitizers, we have investigated the synergistic antibacterial effects of the combination of the β-lactam antibiotic oxacillin and 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (NPPB) against the MRSA strains. Checkerboard assays showed the synergistic antibacterial efficacy of NPPB combined with oxacillin against five MRSA strains.

TolCV1 inhibition by NPPB renders less virulent and more susceptible to antibiotics.

Bacterial efflux pumps play important roles in the antibiotic resistance and excretion of virulence factors. We previously characterized that TolCV1, a component of efflux pumps, plays critical roles in resistance to antibiotics and bile and also RtxA1 toxin secretion of . In this context, we speculated that TolCV1 blockers would have a dual effect of enhancing susceptibility to antibiotics and suppressing virulence of .

Anti-Adipogenic and Anti-Obesity Effects of Gongmi Tea and Gongmi So Extract.

The prevalence of obesity has been increasing worldwide, and its pathogenesis is closely related to preadipo-cyte differentiation. Because the presence of obesity increases the risk of chronic disease, it is important to decrease exces-sive body fat accumulation. This study aimed to demonstrate the anti-adipogenesis and anti-obesity effects of gongmi tea and gongmi so extract.

Chromatographic Determination of the Absolute Configuration in Sanjoinine A That Increases Nitric Oxide Production.

A chiral derivatization strategy with phenylglycine methyl ester (PGME) was employed to develop a straightforward method to determine the absolute configurations of ,-dimethyl amino acids. The PGME derivatives were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify the absolute configurations of various ,-dimethyl amino acids based on their elution time and order. The established method was applied to assign the absolute configuration of the ,-dimethyl phenylalanine in sanjoinine A (), a cyclopeptide alkaloid isolated from Zizyphi Spinosi Semen widely used as herbal medicine for insomnia.

Actinoflavosides B-D, Flavonoid Type Glycosides from Tidal Mudflat-Derived Actinomyces.

Three new secondary metabolites, actinoflavosides B-D (-), were discovered in the culture broth of two actinomycete strains (JML48 and JMS33) that were isolated from tidal mudflat sediment in Muan, Republic of Korea. The planar structures of the actinoflavosides were elucidated by MS, UV, and NMR analyses. The stereochemistry of an aminosugar, 2,3,6-trideoxy-3-amino-ribopyranoside in the actinoflavosides was determined by -based configuration analysis using values obtained from DQF-COSY experiments and modified Mosher's method.

Cystargamides C and D, New Cyclic Lipopeptides From a Tidal Mudflat-Derived sp. JMS132.

Cystargamides C and D ( and ) were isolated from a marine actinomycete strain collected at Beolgyo, South Korea. The planar structures of the cystargamides were elucidated by 1/2D NMR, UV, and MS spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configurations of and were determined based on ROESY correlations and the advanced Marfey's methods.

The chemical constituents of ethanolic extract from leaves and their anti-inflammatory effects.

(Lardizabalaceae) is an important medicinal plant in Korea, Japan, and China. Its leaves are used to treat many diseases because of their analgesic, sedative, and diuretic effects; however, there are few reports on their chemical constituents and biological activities. This study divided an ethanol extract into dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and water fractions.

Anti-allergic Inflammatory Effects of the Essential Oil From Fruits of .

is a rare shrub which grows in Korea and China. Pericarp of has been used as a crude medicine, but there are few researches about the pharmacologic activities. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-allergic inflammatory activities of the essential oil from fruits of ().

RtxA1 Toxin Expression Upon Contact With Host Cells Is RpoS-Dependent.

The expression of virulence genes in bacteria is known to be regulated by various environmental and host factors. , an estuarine bacterium, experiences a dramatic environmental change during its infection process. We reported that RtxA1 toxin caused acute cell death only when close contact to host cells was allowed.