Antioxidant potential evaluation of polysaccharides from Camellia oleifera Abel in vitro and in vivo

Impact of Molecular Weight Variations in Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharides on Antioxidant Activity and Anti-Obesity in Caenorhabditis elegans

This research investigates the impact of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides (DOP) with different molecular weights on antioxidant effects, lifespan enhancement, and obesity reduction, utilizing both in vitro analyses and the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model. Through a series of experiments-ranging from the extraction and modification of polysaccharides, Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), and analysis of composition to the evaluation of antioxidant capabilities, this study thoroughly examines DOP and its derivatives (DOP5, DOP15, DOP25) produced via H2O2-Fe2+ degradation. The results reveal a direct relationship between the molecular weight of polysaccharides and their bioactivity. Notably, DOP5, with its intermediate molecular weight, demonstrated superior antioxidant properties, significantly extended the lifespan, and improved the health of C. elegans. Furthermore, DOP15 appeared to regulate lipid metabolism by affecting crucial lipid metabolism genes, including fat-4, fat-5, fat-6, sbp-1, and acs-2. These findings highlight the potential application of DOP derivatives as natural antioxidants and agents against obesity, contributing to the development of functional foods and dietary supplements.

Phytochemical analysis and anticancer effect of Camellia oleifera bud ethanol extract in non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells

Camellia oleifera is a medicine food homology plant widely cultivated in the Yangtze River Basin and southern China due to its camellia oil. Camellia oleifera bud and fruit exist simultaneously, and its bud is largely discarded as waste. However, C. oleifera bud has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of ailments. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the chemical components of C. oleifera bud ethanol extract (EE) and first evaluate its anticancer effects in non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. Based on UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS analysis, seventy components were identified. For anticancer activity, C. oleifera bud EE had remarkable cytotoxic effect on non-small cell lung cancer A549 (IC50: 57.53 ± 1.54 μg/mL) and NCI-H1299 (IC50: 131.67 ± 4.32 μg/mL) cells, while showed lower cytotoxicity on non-cancerous MRC-5 (IC50 > 320 μg/mL) and L929 (IC50: 179.84 ± 1.08 μg/mL) cells. It dramatically inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Additionally, it induced apoptosis in A549 cells through a mitochondria-mediated pathway, which decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, upregulated Bax, activated caspase 9 and caspase 3, and resulted in PARP cleavage. Wound healing and transwell invasion assays demonstrated that C. oleifera bud EE inhibited the migration and invasion of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The above findings indicated that C. oleifera bud EE revealed notable anticancer effects by inhibiting proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and suppressing migration and invasion of A549 cells. Hence, C. oleifera bud ethanol extract could serve as a new source of natural anticancer drugs.

Apricot polysaccharides as new carriers to make curcumin nanoparticles and improve its stability and antibacterial activity

Apricot polysaccharides (APs) as new types of natural carriers for encapsulating and delivering active pharmaceutical ingredients can achieve high-value utilization of apricot pulp and improve the solubility, the stability, and the antibacterial activity of insoluble compounds simultaneously. In this research, the purified APs reacted with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by the Maillard reaction, and with d-α-tocopheryl succinate (TOS) and pheophorbide A (PheoA) by grafting to fabricate two materials for the preparation of curcumin (Cur)-encapsulated AP-BSA nanoparticles (CABNs) and Cur-embedded TOS-AP-PheoA micelles (CTAPMs), respectively. The biological activities of two Cur nano-delivery systems were evaluated. APs consisted of arabinose (22.36%), galactose (7.88%), glucose (34.46%), and galacturonic acid (31.32%) after the optimized extraction. Transmission electron microscopy characterization of CABNs and CTAPMs displayed a discrete and non-aggregated morphology with a spherical shape. Compared to the unencapsulated Cur, the release rates of CABNs and CTAPMs decreased from 87% to 70% at 3 h and from 92% to 25% at 48 h, respectively. The antioxidant capacities of CABNs and CTAPMs were significantly improved. The CTAPMs exhibited a better antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli than CABNs due to the synergistic photosensitive effect between Cur and PheoA.

Total Flavonoids from Camellia oleifera Alleviated Mycoplasma pneumoniae-Induced Lung Injury via Inhibition of the TLR2-Mediated NF-κB and MAPK Pathways

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is an atypical bacterial pathogen responsible for community-acquired pneumonia primarily among school-aged children and young adults. Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera) has been used as a medicinal and edible plant in China for centuries, the constituents from which possessed various bioactivities. Notably, flavonoids existing in residues of C. oleifera defatted seeds exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we investigated the impact of total flavonoids from C. oleifera (TFCO) seed extract on M. pneumoniae pneumonia. TFCO was obtained using multiple column chromatography methods and identified as kaempferol glycosides via UPLC-HRESIMS. In a M. pneumoniae pneumonia mouse model, TFCO significantly reduced the lung damage, suppressed IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α production, and curbed TLR2 activation triggered by M. pneumoniae. Similarly, in RAW264.7 macrophage cells stimulated by lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs), TFCO suppressed the generation of proinflammatory cytokines and TLR2 expression. Moreover, TFCO diminished the phosphorylation of IκBα, JNK, ERK, p38, and p65 nuclear translocation in vitro. In conclusion, TFCO alleviated M. pneumoniae-induced lung damage via inhibition of TLR2-mediated NF-κB and MAPK pathways, suggesting its potential therapeutic application in M. pneumoniae-triggered lung inflammation.