Melanin-concentrating hormone-1 receptor binding activity of pheophorbides isolated from morus alba leaves

Morus alba: a comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacological review

Morus alba is a fast-growing shrub or medium-sized tree with a straight, cylindrical trunk. Medicinally, whole plants, leaves, fruits, branches, and roots have been employed. Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were used to search for relevant material on the phytochemical components and pharmacologic and mechanism of action of the Morus alba. This was reviewed to assess important updates about Morus alba. The fruits of Morus alba have traditionally been used as an analgesic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, anti-rheumatic, diuretic, hypotensive, hypoglycemia, purgative, restorative, sedative tonic, and blood stimulant. Various plant parts were used as a cooling, sedating, diuretic, tonic, and astringent agent to treat nerve disorders. The plant contained tannins, steroids, phytosterols, sitosterol, glycosides, alkaloids, carbohydrates, proteins, and amino acids, as well as saponins, triterpenes, phenolics, flavonoids, benzofuran derivatives, anthocyanins, anthraquinones, glycosides, vitamins, and minerals. Previous pharmacological research identified antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunological, analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidant, anti-cancer, antidiabetic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, cardiovascular, hypolipidemic, anti-obesity, dermatological, neurological, muscular, and protecting effects. This study looked at Morus alba's traditional uses, chemical components, and pharmacological effects.

Assessing the Nutritional-Value-Based Therapeutic Potentials and Non-Destructive Approaches for Mulberry Fruit Assessment: An Overview

Among different fruits, mulberry is the most highlighted natural gift in its superior nutritional and bioactive composition, indispensable for continuing a healthy life. It also acts as a hepatoprotective immunostimulator and improves vision, anti-microbial, anti-cancer agent, anti-stress activity, atherosclerosis, neuroprotective functions, and anti-obesity action. The mulberry fruits also help reduce neurological disorders and mental illness. The main reason for that is the therapeutic potentials present in the nutritional components of the mulberry fruit. The available methods for assessing mulberry fruits are mainly chromatographic based, which are destructive and possess many limitations. However, recently some non-invasive techniques, including chlorophyll fluorescence, image processing, and hyperspectral imaging, were employed to detect various mulberry fruit attributes. The present review attempts to collect and explore available information regarding the nutritional and medicinal importance of mulberry fruit. Besides, non-destructive methods established for the fruit are also elaborated. This work helps encourage many more research works to dug out more hidden information about the essential nutrition of mulberry that can be helpful to resolve many mental-illness-related issues.

Identifying Chinese herbal medicine network for treating acne: Implications from a nationwide database

ETHNO-PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Acne is a highly prevalent inflammatory skin disease which causes patients great psychological stress, especially teenagers. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is commonly used to treat acne with personalized but complicated prescriptions. The aim of this study is to determine a CHM network and core CHM treatments for acne by analyzing a nationwide database.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From January 1st to December 31st, 2011, all CHM prescriptions made for acne (ICD-9-CM code: 706.0 or 706.1) were included in this study. Visits with acupuncture, manual therapy or other treatment modalities were excluded, and CHM visits with other diagnoses were also excluded in final analysis. Association rule mining (ARM) and social network analysis (SNA) were used to explore and demonstrate a CHM network.

RESULTS

A total of 91,129 patients used traditional Chinese medicine, and 99% of them chose CHM for acne treatment. Most CHM users were teenagers, and there were twice as many female patients as male patients. A total of 279,823 CHM prescriptions were made for acne in 2011. Qing-Shang-Fang-Feng-Tang was the most commonly used CHM (31.2% of all prescriptions), and Zhen-Ren-Huo-Ming-Yin combined with Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl. (Lian Qiao) was the most commonly used CHM-CHM combination. Thirty-one important CHM-CHM combinations were identified, and the CHM network could be built. Extensive coverage of the known pathogenesis of acne could be found in the CHM network when incorporating CHM pharmacological mechanisms into the network. Anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects were commonly found in the CHM network, and CHMs with anti-androgen, anti-depressive and skin whitening effects were frequently used in combination.

CONCLUSIONS

The CHM combination patterns and core treatments for acne were disclosed in this study by applying network analysis to a CHM prescription database. These results may be beneficial for further bench or clinical studies when choosing target CHM.

Role of melanin-concentrating hormone in the nucleus accumbens shell in rats behaviourally sensitized to methamphetamine

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a neuropeptide and its receptor is extensively expressed throughout the brain. MCH has been suggested to regulate the rewarding and reinforcing effects of psychostimulants by potentiating the dopaminergic system within the midbrain. Moreover, MCH and its receptor can regulate ERK activity. The present study investigated the role of MCH in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in rats behaviourally sensitized to methamphetamine (Meth). We found that the development of Meth-induced locomotor sensitization was attenuated by MCH infused into the NAc shell but not core. Moreover, the elevation of ERK phosphorylation in the NAc shell induced by Meth was inhibited by locally infused MCH. Infusion of the MCH receptor 1 (MCHR1) antagonist SNAP 94847 into the NAc shell but not core augmented the initiation of locomotor sensitization and amplitude of elevated phosphorylated ERK levels induced by Meth. The expression of Meth-induced locomotor sensitization and ERK alterations after 1 wk withdrawal were not affected by either MCH or SNAP 94847 infused into the NAc shell or core. These results indicate that MCH in the NAc shell plays a critical role in the development but not expression of Meth-induced locomotor sensitization in rats, which might be mediated by the ERK signalling pathway. Our study suggests that MCH might be a potential target for the treatment of Meth addiction.