Inhibition of mast cell-dependent immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions by purple bamboo salt

Bamboo Salt and Triple Therapy Synergistically Inhibit Helicobacter pylori-Induced Gastritis In Vivo: A Preliminary Study

Helicobacter pylori infections are a major cause of gastrointestinal disorders, including gastric ulcers, gastritis, and gastric cancer. Triple therapy, using two antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor, is recommended for the treatment of H. pylori infections. However, antibiotic resistance in H. pylori is an emerging issue. Bamboo salt, a traditional Korean salt made by baking solar sea salt in bamboo barrels, can ameliorate the symptoms of various gastrointestinal diseases. Herein, we compared the anti-H. pylori activity of triple therapy (clarithromycin, metronidazole, and omeprazole), solar salt, and bamboo salt in vivo as a preliminary study. Four-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were inoculated for eight weeks with the H. pylori Sydney Strain 1 (SS-1) and orally administered triple therapy drugs and salts for five days. The transcript levels of the H. pylori-expressed gene CagA and inflammatory cytokines Tnfα and Il-1β significantly decreased in the bamboo salt treated mice than those in the H. pylori-infected control group. This effect was further enhanced by using triple therapy and bamboo salt together. Solar salt caused modest inhibition of H. pylori-induced inflammation. We also demonstrated the synergistic effects of bamboo salt and triple therapy against H. pylori. Thus, bamboo salt may be a potential candidate agent against the treatment of H. pylori-associated gastritis.

Supportive Home Remedies for Orofacial Pain during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Their Value and Limitations

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impeded access to timely dental care, and there is an urgent need for adjuvant therapies that can reduce orofacial pain in emergencies.

Aims

To provide information on the benefits and limitations of eight representative home remedies as palliative care for orofacial pain during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods

PubMed and Medline were electronically searched for eight home remedies for orofacial pain that can be used in COVID-19. Papers published in English in the past 30 years were considered. Among the published studies suitable for the research purpose, those in which the abstract and body text were confirmed were targeted, and duplicate studies were excluded. Finally, 86 studies were included.

Results

There is extensive and high-level scientific evidence for the application of tooth brushing and flossing, mouth rinsing with chlorhexidine, use of over-the-counter pain medication, and application of cryotherapy in emergencies. Gargling with salt water, brushing with bamboo salt, gargling with garlic juice, and oil pulling are traditional methods used for centuries. The use of natural products for orofacial pain has a significant empirical effect but has weak scientific evidence.

Conclusions

Knowing the correct application method, effects, and side effects is desirable to use these methods appropriately in emergencies. However, scientific evidence is unclear and generally lacking for home remedies to be the main treatment strategy, and there are clear limitations to their use as a single main treatment.

An anti-cancer effect of Sambou bamboo saltTM in melanoma skin cancer both in vivo and in vitro models

Bamboo salt has anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, diabetics, anti-aging, and immune-enhancing effects, which are closely related to anti-cancer effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of Sambou bamboo salt^TM (SBS) in melanoma skin cancer in vivo and in vitro models. SBS-administered mice effectively reduced tumor growth and increased survival rate compared with B16F10 cell-inoculated mice without tissue damage, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity. SBS enhanced levels of immune-enhancing mediators, such as interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IgE in serum and melanoma tissues. Furthermore, SBS enhanced activities of caspases and levels of Bax and p53, whereas decreased levels of Bcl-2. This reduction was a consequence of apoptosis signaling pathway. In conclusion, these results suggest that SBS is a potential substance for cancer therapy. SBS has the potential to be developed either as Korean traditional medicine or as a health functional food for cancer therapy. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In these days cancer is one of the world's largest health problems. Bamboo salt is used as a Korean traditional food or medicine and has beneficial effect on inflammation. We have identified Sambou bamboo salt^TM (SBS) is a potential substance for cancer therapy. These insights suggest that SBS can potentially be utilized for health functional foods for cancer treatment as well as improve various cancer diseases such as melanoma skin cancer.

Hypoallergenic mutants of the major oyster allergen Cra g 1 alleviate oyster tropomyosin allergenic potency

Design of hypoallergen with low IgE reactivity is desirable for allergen-specific immunotherapy. Despite oyster tropomyosin (Cra g 1) is considered as the major allergen, no immunotherapy is available now. In the current research, we generated hypoallergens of Cra g 1 and evaluated their allergenicity. Four hypoallergenic derivatives were constructed by epitope deletion or site-directed mutagenesis on grounds of the identified epitopes. They showed obvious reduction in reactivity towards IgE from oyster-allergic patients and Cra g 1-sensitized BN rats, as well as significant decrease in degranulation and secretion of allergic mediators including histamine, IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α. In addition, to further investigate the molecular mechanism, we examined the effects of these variants on FcεRI-dependent signalling pathway in IgE-challenged RBL-2H3 cells. We found that the hypoallergenic mutants were able to attenuate FcεRI-mediated signaling cascades in tested cells. These results indicate that the hypoallergenic molecules have ideal characteristics and offer a promising new strategy in clinical immunotherapy for shellfish-allergic subjects.

Anti-allergic effects and related active constituents of mung bean (Vignaradiatus Linn) sprouts

The mung bean (Vigna radiata) is an important food crop with preventative effects against human diseases. The anti-allergic activities of mung bean sprouts of different lengths were evaluated by assaying in vivo antipruritic activity and in vitro hyaluronidase inhibitory effects. After 48 h of growth, sprouts were determined to have the best activity and extracted with petroleum (PeF), ethyl acetate (EaF), and n-butanol (nBF). The active EaF extracts were further assayed for in vivo effects on compound 48/80-induced mast cell degranulation and histamine release, as well as the anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE-induced passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction. The main chemical constituents were further analyzed by UV spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC/MS/MS). EaF significantly protected against compound 48/80-induced mast cell degranulation and histamine release, and PCA. Flavonoids were determined to be the main contributors to the anti-allergic activity of the EaF extracts.

Neuroprotective and antioxidant activities of bamboo salt soy sauce against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in rat cortical neurons

Bamboo salt (BS) and soy sauce (SS) are traditional foods in Asia, which contain antioxidants that have cytoprotective effects on the body. The majority of SS products contain high levels of common salt, consumption of which has been associated with numerous detrimental effects on the body. However, BS may be considered a healthier substitute to common salt. The present study hypothesized that SS made from BS, known as bamboo salt soy sauce (BSSS), may possess enhanced cytoprotective properties; this was evaluated using a hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced neuronal cell death rat model. Rat neuronal cells were pretreated with various concentrations (0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10%) of BSSS, traditional soy sauce (TRSS) and brewed soy sauce (BRSS), and were subsequently exposed to H₂O₂ (100 µM). The viability of neuronal cells, and the occurrence of DNA fragmentation, was subsequently examined. Pretreatment of neuronal cells with TRSS and BRSS reduced cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas neuronal cells pretreated with BSSS exhibited increased cell viability, as compared with non-treated neuronal cells. Furthermore, neuronal cells pretreated with 0.01% BSSS exhibited the greatest increase in viability. Exposure of neuronal cells to H₂O₂ significantly increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein, poly (ADP-ribose), cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, cytochrome c, apoptosis-inducing factor, cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3, in all cases. Pretreatment of neuronal cells with BSSS significantly reduced the levels of ROS generated by H₂O₂, and increased the levels of phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3β. Furthermore, the observed effects of BSSS could be blocked by administration of 10 µM LY294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor. The results of the present study suggested that BSSS may exert positive neuroprotective effects against H₂O₂-induced cell death by reducing oxidative stress, enhancing survival signaling, and inhibiting death signals.

Elucidating how bamboo salt interacts with supported lipid membranes: influence of alkalinity on membrane fluidity

Bamboo salt is a traditional medicine produced from sea salt. It is widely used in Oriental medicine and is an alkalizing agent with reported antiinflammatory, antimicrobial and chemotherapeutic properties. Notwithstanding, linking specific molecular mechanisms with these properties has been challenging to establish in biological systems. In part, this issue may be related to bamboo salt eliciting nonspecific effects on components found within these systems. Herein, we investigated the effects of bamboo salt solution on supported lipid bilayers as a model system to characterize the interaction between lipid membranes and bamboo salt. The atomic composition of unprocessed and processed bamboo salts was first analyzed by mass spectrometry, and we identified several elements that have not been previously reported in other bamboo salt preparations. The alkalinity of hydrated samples was also measured and determined to be between pH 10 and 11 for bamboo salts. The effect of processed bamboo salt solutions on the fluidic properties of a supported lipid bilayer on glass was next investigated by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) analysis. It was demonstrated that, with increasing ionic strength of the bamboo salt solution, the fluidity of a lipid bilayer increased. On the contrary, increasing the ionic strength of near-neutral buffer solutions with sodium chloride salt diminished fluidity. To reconcile these two observations, we identified that solution alkalinity is critical for the effects of bamboo salt on membrane fluidity, as confirmed using three additional commercial bamboo salt preparations. Extended-DLVO model calculations support that the effects of bamboo salt on lipid membranes are due to the alkalinity imparting a stronger hydration force. Collectively, the results of this work demonstrate that processing of bamboo salt strongly affects its atomic composition and that the alkalinity of bamboo salt solutions contributes to its effect on membrane fluidity.

Anti-inflammatory effects of bamboo salt and sodium fluoride in human gingival fibroblasts--An in vitro study

Dental caries preventive agents, such as sodium fluoride (NaF) and bamboo salt (BS), are known to cause cellular growth that is characterized by morphological and gene expression changes. This study was designed to investigate the dual effect of NaF and BS on interleukin (IL)-1β-induced gingival inflammation. Under in vitro experimental conditions, exposure to a subcytotoxic dose of IL-1β enhanced human gingival fibroblast inflammation, as characterized by increased levels of inflammation-associated proteins. A combination of NaF and BS significantly protected fibroblasts from IL-1β-induced cellular deterioration. Exposure to NaF and BS induced the cell growth and no changes in viability were found with the Lactate Dehydrogenase Assay (LDH) assay at the NaF and BS concentration analyzed. Molecular analysis demonstrated that NaF and BS increased resistance to inflammation by reduction of IL-1β, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production. In addition, NaF and BS decreased the expression of IL-1β, IL-8, and TNF-α mRNA in IL-1β-induced human gingival fibroblast cells. The study identifies a new role for NaF and BS in the IL-1β-induced inflammation of gingival fibroblasts and provides a potential target for gingival protection.

Antiobesity effects of bamboo salt in C57BL/6 mice

Antiobesity effects of bamboo salt (BS) were evaluated compared with those of purified salt and solar salt by oral administration in a diet-induced obesity model using C57BL/6 mice. Compared with other salts, BS, especially nine times baked BS (BS-9×), significantly reduced body weight, food efficiency ratio, and weights of epididymal adipose tissue and liver in high-fat diet-fed mice. Furthermore, BS suppressed the expression of adipogenic factors, such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c). Therefore, BS may suppress obesity by downregulating adipogenesis.

Tricin derivatives as anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic constituents from the aerial part of Zizania latifolia

Methanol extract of Zizania latifolia was partitioned with EtOAc, n-BuOH, and H2O. From the EtOAc layers, a new flavonolignan along with a known flavone and three known flavonolignans, tricin (1), salcolin A (2), salcolin B (3), and salcolin C (4), were isolated through repeated silica gel and ODS column chromatography. The chemical structure of the new flavonolignan was determined to be tricin-4'-O-[erythro-β-guaiacyl-(7″-O-methyl)-glyceryl] ether and was named salcolin D (5) based on physicochemical and spectroscopic data, including FT-NMR and ESI-MS. All compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant. Compounds 2-5, tricin derivatives, all exhibited higher anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy activities than tricin. In particular, salcolin D (5) was shown to have the strongest inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells as well as β-hexosaminidase release in IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells. These results suggest that the presence of tricin derivatives conveys allergy and inflammation treatment ability to Z. latifolia.

Inhibition of IL-32 signaling by bamboo salt decreases pro-inflammatory responses in cellular models of allergic rhinitis

Previously, we showed the antiallergic effect of bamboo salt (BS) in allergic rhinitis (AR). We also demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-32 is an important mediator of AR. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect and specific underlying mechanism of BS, NaCl, and the mineral mixture (components of BS other than NaCl, including zinc, magnesium, and potassium, Mix) on IL-32 signaling using the human monocyte cell line, THP-1. Here, we documented for the first time that BS significantly decreased IL-32-induced thymic stromal lymphopoietin protein and mRNA expression in THP-1 cells. BS treatment significantly inhibited IL-32-induced proinflammatory cytokine production including IL-1β, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α by suppressing nuclear factor-κB, p38 mitogen-activated kinase, and caspase-1 pathways. The presence of BS or Mix effectively suppressed IL-32-induced macrophage-like cell differentiation but NaCl exhibited no effect on monocyte-to-macrophage-like cell differentiation. In IL-32-induced macrophages, the production of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, induced by lipopolysaccharide was dramatically decreased in a dose-dependent manner after BS treatment. BS also significantly decreased IL-32-induced nitric oxide, IL-8, and TNF-α production. Furthermore, BS inhibited granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced IL-32 and IL-8 protein and mRNA expression in EOL-1 cells. Taken together, BS suppressed inflammatory activity by inhibiting the IL-32 signaling pathway in AR.

Induction of apoptosis by sarijang, a bamboo salt sauce, in U937 human leukemia cells through the activation of caspases

Sarijang is a bamboo salt soy sauce, containing extracts of Rhynchosia nulubilis, sulfur-fed duck, dried bark of Ulmus davidiana and Allium sativum, which has been demonstrated to exert anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of sarijang have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the pro-apoptotic effects of sarijang in an in vitro U937 human leukemia cell model. Treatment with sarijang resulted in a concentration-dependent growth inhibition of the cells, coupled with the characteristic morphological features of apoptosis. The induction of the apoptotic cell death of the U937 cells by sarijang exhibited a correlation with the upregulation of death receptor 4 (DR4), the downregulation of members of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, including survivin and cellular IAP (cIAP)-1, and the cleavage of Bid. Apoptosis-inducing concentrations of sarijang also induced the activation of caspases (caspase-3, -8 and -9), accompanied by proteolytic degradation of poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase, β-catenin and phospholipase C-γ1. However, the apoptosis induced by sarijang was significantly inhibited by z-VED-fmk, a pan-caspase inhibitor, which demonstrated the importance of caspases in the process. These results suggested that sarijang may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for use in the control of U937 human leukemia cells. Further studies are required to identify the active compounds in sarijang.

Purple bamboo salt has anticancer activity in TCA8113 cells in vitro and preventive effects on buccal mucosa cancer in mice in vivo

Bamboo salt is a traditional healthy salt known in Korea. The in vitro anticancer effects of the salt were evaluated using a 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in TCA8113 human tongue carcinoma cells. At 1% concentration, the growth inhibitory rate of purple bamboo salt was 61% higher than that of sea salt (27%). Apoptosis analysis of the cancer cells was carried out using 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining to investigate the mechanism of the anticancer effects in tongue carcinoma cells. Purple bamboo salt induced a stronger apoptotic effect than sea salt. An Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mouse buccal mucosa cancer model was established by injecting mice with U14 squamous cell carcinoma cells. Following injection, the wound at the injection site was smeared with salt samples. It was observed that the tumor volumes for the group treated with purple bamboo salt were smaller than those from the sea salt treatment and control groups. The sections of buccal mucosa cancer tissue showed that canceration in the purple bamboo salt group was weaker compared with that in the sea salt group. Similar results were observed in the lesion section of the cervical lymph. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting, the purple bamboo salt group demonstrated an increase in Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and a decrease in B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, compared with the sea salt and control groups. The results demonstrated that purple bamboo salt had improved in vivo buccal mucosa cancer preventive activity compared with sea salt in mice.

Bamboo salt reduces allergic responses by modulating the caspase-1 activation in an OVA-induced allergic rhinitis mouse model

Bamboo salt (BS) is a specially processed salt according to the traditional recipe using sun-dried salt (SDS) and bamboo in Korea. The present study investigated the effects and mechanism of BS, SDS, NaCl, or mineral mixture (containing zinc, magnesium, and potassium) on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis (AR) animal model. The increased number of rubs was inhibited by the oral administration of BS, SDS, NaCl, mineral mixture, or nose inhalation of BS. The increased levels of IgE, histamine, and interleukin (IL)-1β in serum were reduced by BS. The level of interferon-γ was increased, whereas the level of IL-4 was reduced on the spleen tissue of BS-treated mice. In the BS-treated mice, the number of eosinophils and mast cells infiltration increased by OVA-sensitization were also decreased. Protein levels of inflammatory cytokines were reduced by BS or NaCl administration in the nasal mucosa of the AR mice. In addition, BS inhibited caspase-1 activity in the nasal mucosa tissue. In activated human mast cells, BS significantly inhibited the production of IL-1β and thymic stromal lymphopoietin and activation of caspase-1. Our data indicate that BS has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects by regulating of caspase-1 activation in AR mice and in vitro models.

Ameliorative effect of purple bamboo salt-pharmaceutical acupuncture on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrated that purple bamboo salt (PBS)-pharmaceutical acupuncture has an ameliorative effect on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.

OBJECTIVES

We have previously reported that PBS exhibited anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory actions in vitro and in vivo. Pharmaceutical acupuncture is a traditional oriental therapeutic technique that combines acupuncture with herbal treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of PBS-pharmaceutical acupuncture against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in the auditory cell line, HEI-OC1, and in vivo.

METHODS

The ELISA method, a caspase-3 assay, an MTT assay, Western blot analysis, and a luciferase assay were utilized to investigate the effect of PBS in vivo and in vitro.

RESULTS

When it was acupunctured at the Ermen acupoint (triple energizer meridian 21) after an administration of cisplatin, PBS-pharmaceutical acupuncture significantly suppressed interleukin (IL)-6 production and caspase-3 activation induced by cisplatin in the cochlea. In addition, PBS significantly inhibited cisplatin-induced apoptosis and IL-6 production in HEI-OC1 cells. PBS also suppressed cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation, and it inhibited extracellular signal-related kinase and nuclear factor-κB activation in HEI-OC1 cells.

Effect of pilopool on forced swimming test in mice

Pilopool is composed of high molecular weight water-soluble chitosan, Allium sativum L. extract, mushroom extract, Dioscorea Batatas D., and purple bamboo salt. This study investigated the effect of Pilopool on performance of forced swimming test (FST). First, the immobility time was decreased in Pilopool-fed group in comparison with control group on FST. In blood serum, the contents of creatine kinase and lactic dehydrogenase were decreased and the contents of glucose and total protein were increased. The results predict a potential benefit of Pilopool as an anti-fatigue agent and for improving physical stamina.

Use of electroacupuncture at ST36 to inhibit anaphylactic and inflammatory reaction in mice

OBJECTIVE

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to treat myalgia, allergy and gastroenteropathy in Korea. To determine whether EA can treat anaphylactic and inflammatory reactions, the effect of EA was investigated in a murine model.

METHODS

EA stimulation of the ST36 acupoint was performed for 10 min. Using a passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) model, the antianaphylactic effects of EA were examined. Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were measured using the ELISA method. The level of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB/RelA protein and NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity was determined using the Western blot analysis and the transcription factor enzyme-linked immunoassay method.

RESULTS

EA inhibits PCA and beta-hexosaminidase release, IL-6 secretion on the PCA, and in addition, EA reduces NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that EA may possess antianaphylactic and antiinflammatory properties.

Enhanced bioavailability of paclitaxel by bamboo concentrate administration

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a cotreatment of bamboo concentrates (Jukcho solution; 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 mL/kg) with the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel on the bioavailability of orally administered paclitaxel (50 mg/kg) in rats. The effect of a pretreatment of bamboo concentrates (1.5 and 3.0 mL/kg for 1.0 h or a consecutive 3 day) was also examined. The paclitaxel plasma concentrations of rats orally administered paclitaxel plus bamboo concentrates (coadministration, 3.0 mL/kg and pretreatment, 1.5 and 3.0 mL/kg) were significantly higher than those of rats treated with paclitaxel alone. Plasma concentrations of paclitaxel in groups pretreated with bamboo concentrates for 3 day were markedly higher than those of a paclitaxel control group at the measured time points. The areas under plasma concentration-time curves (AUCs) of paclitaxel in groups pretreated with bamboo concentrates were elevated and the absolute bioavailability (AB%) and relative bioavailability (RB%) of paclitaxel were also significantly higher than those in the control group. The peak concentration (Cmax), half-life (t1/2), and the elimination rate constant (Kel) of paclitaxel after 3 day of pretreatment with bamboo concentrates were also significantly higher than those in the control, but the time required to reach the maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) of paclitaxel was unaffected by the bamboo concentrates. Western blot analyses demonstrated that the level of CYP3A4 was increased in the livers of rats treated orally with paclitaxel, but this was reversed by pretreating with bamboo concentrates. These results show that bamboo concentrates enhance the bioavailability of orally administered paclitaxel and this effect may be associated with a diminished expression of CYP3A4 in the liver.