Stimulating activity of Chinese medicinal herbs on human lymphocytes in vitro

Unprecedented diterpene skeletons isolated from vascular plants in the last twenty years (2001-2021)

Every year there are hundreds of reports about the isolation of undescribed terpenoids based on novel functionalizations of known carbocyclic skeletons series. However, on some occasions the compounds obtained have a carbocyclic skeleton that does not correspond with the series established, in these peculiar opportunities, in addition to finding an undescribed natural product, is obtained an unprecedented carbocyclic skeleton, whose biogenesis must necessarily involve other additional steps that explain its formation. This review accounts for the reports of seventy-nine unprecedented diterpene skeletons (corresponding to one-hundred-three undescribed diterpenoids) isolated from vascular plants in the last two decades. According to the genus, Euphorbia and Salvia are the most prolific in reports of unprecedented diterpene skeletons with a total of twenty, and nine skeletons, respectively. If the findings are expressed in terms of the family, Euphorbiaceae and Lamiaceae have the highest number of reports of undescribed diterpene skeletons, with twenty-seven and twenty-two, respectively. Finally, fifty-three skeletons are derived from higher diterpenoids (2-12, 68, 69, 86, 104-109, 158-161, 186, 189, 222, 250-255, 285-298, 403-404, 415, 416, and 436), twenty are derived from lower diterpenoids (135, 136, 192-194, 225-229, 363-370, 397, and 425), and six (96, 97, 147, 148, 205, and 206) are derived from skeletons whose biogenesis has not yet been established, or at least, cannot be formally included within the groups mentioned above. This article comprehensively highlights the hypothetical biosynthetic pathway for each of the one-hundred-three undescribed compounds with unprecedented diterpene skeletons and summarizes their most significant biological activities.

Scientific rationale of Indian AYUSH Ministry advisory for COVID-19 prevention, prophylaxis, and immunomodulation

The current outbreak of COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that has affected > 210 countries. Various steps are taken by different countries to tackle the current war-like health situation. In India, the Ministry of AYUSH released a self-care advisory for immunomodulation measures during the COVID-19 and this review article discusses the detailed scientific rationale associated with this advisory. Authors have spotted and presented in-depth insight of advisory in terms of immunomodulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, co-morbidity associated actions, and their probable mechanism of action. Immunomodulatory actions of advised herbs with no significant adverse drug reaction/toxicity strongly support the extension of advisory for COVID-19 prevention, prophylaxis, mitigations, and rehabilitation capacities. This advisory also emphasized Dhyana (meditation) and Yogasanas as a holistic approach in enhancing immunity, mental health, and quality of life. The present review may open-up new meadows for research and can provide better conceptual leads for future researches in immunomodulation, antiviral-development, psychoneuroimmunology, especially for COVID-19.

Comparative pharmacokinetic and bioavailability study of lobetyolin in rats after administration of lobetyolin and Codonopsis pilosula extract by ultra-performance LC-tandem mass spectrometry

Codonopsis pilosula (CP) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to invigorate spleen, replenish lung, nourish blood and engender fluid. A rapid, selective and sensitive ultra-performance LC-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to determine lobetyolin in rat plasma. The calibration curve showed good linearity over a concentration range of 0.46-1000 ng/mL for lobetyolin. The extraction recovery ranged from 72.5% to 89.1% with matrix effects of 81.6%-107.8%. The intra- and inter-batch precision and accuracy were 0.02-14.4% and -13.9% to -1.36%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the bioavailability study of lobetyolin in rats after oral administration of pure lobetyolin and CP extract. Results showed that the elimination half-time (t_1/2 ) and the area under the concentration-time curve from zero to infinity of lobetyolin in CP extract were statistically different from those of the pure monomer (P < 0.05). However, the time to reach the maximum plasma concentration (T_max ) and the maximum concentration (C_max ) showed no significant differences between the two treatments. Furthermore, the bioavailability of lobetyolin in the experimental group was only 3.90%, significantly lower than that of the CP extract group (6.97%). The low bioavailability indicated that this component may be absorbed poorly or metabolized extensively in rats. Our results will provide useful information for further preclinical studies and formulation preparation of lobetyolin.

Immunomodulation of Chinese Herbal Medicines on NK cell populations for cancer therapy: A systematic review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Immunomodulation has become a crucial modality for cancer treatment. Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHMs) are expected as adjuvant therapy for immunomodulation against cancer, but face the key challenge of poor scientific evidence. Changes of natural killer (NK) cells on numbers and/or cytotoxicity are a novel respect to evaluate the immunomodulation of CHMs.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this review is to investigate the immunomodulation of Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHMs) on NK cell populations for cancer therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review was conducted and outside mainstream electronic databases were screened for potential reference articles. This review tried to report and critically analyzed all the correlative studies, especially these clinical trials (3 CHM extracts and 11 CHM formulas).

RESULTS

Evidence-based functions of CHMs against cancer could be summarized as: (1) enhancement of NK cells activity or relative percentage; (2) prevention of tumor growth and metastasis; (3) relief on side-effects or complications of therapeutic strategies (i.e. chemotherapy, radiotherapy and resection). Briefly, most of cellular studies and two thirds animal studies were based on the extract or components of single herbs, whilst most of clinical trials were keen on formula or prescription of CHMs. The main components of CHMs were demonstrated active on promoting the cytotoxicity of NK cells, including Angelica sinensis, Ganoderma lucidum, Panax ginseng, Radix Astragali, Lentinus edodes, etc. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive review demonstrated NK cells activity was positively associated with quality of life but not survival benefit of cancer patients. Thus exploring the roles of NK cells in adjuvant therapy against cancer is confirmed to be beneficial to explore the underlying relationship between immunomodulation and quality of life.

Effects of three medicinal herbs Bidens pilosa, Lonicera japonica, and Cyathula officinalis on growth and non-specific immune responses of cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

This study investigates the effects of three medicinal herbal extracts, namely Bidens pilosa (BPE), Lonicera japonica (LJE), and Cyathula officinalis (COE), on nonspecific immune parameters of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) in vitro and in vivo. During in vitro tests, BPE treatment increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in a dose-dependent manner in primary head kidney leukocytes. Similarly, ROS production rates were enhanced by LJE (50 and 100 mg/ml) and COE (100 mg/ml). This suggests that these three herbal extracts possess immunostimulating properties. We then conducted two feeding trials to examine the effects of these three herbal extracts on growth and innate immune parameters of cobia, and sought an optimal dietary supplementation proportion required for activating the non-specific immune responses. In the first trial, we supplemented the diet with 1, 5, or 10% of the individual extracts. After a ten-week feeding trial, no negative impacts on weight gain, feed conversion rate, and survival rate were observed in fish offered experimental diets. Further, ROS production, phagocytic capacity of the head kidney leukocytes, and serum lysozyme activity were enhanced by differing degrees in fish fed the herbal extracts compared to fish in the control group. A similar albumin/globulin ratio was seen between each experimental group and the control group regardless of the type and dose of herbal extract used, indicating these medicinal herbal extracts are safe for cobia. We then performed a 30-day feeding trial with lower extract concentrations (1, 3, and 5% of the diet) to identify dose responses in cobia at various time points so that we could establish a cost-effective manner of administering the three extracts for cobia. All BPE fed fish had higher ROS production compared to the control group, while phagocytosis rate and index were simultaneously raised in only the BPE30 group (3% BPE). Immune parameters such as ROS production, phagocytic rate, and serum lysozyme activity were triggered when fish received 30 g LJE per kg of feed. However, ROS production only increased in the LJE10 group (1% LJE) on day 30 and was not enhanced in the LJE50 group (5% LJE). Additionally, although the phagocytic rate and phagocytic index were induced in the LJE50 group, serum lysozyme activity was not elevated in this group (LJE50) at any time point examined. ROS production was greatly improved in all COE fed groups, but only the COE30 group (3% COE) showed prolonged enhanced phagocytic rate over the 30-day feeding trial.

The feeding of dietary Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide enhances the immune responses, the expression of immune-related genes and the growth performance of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

Polysaccharides have many functions in aquatic animals and are widely used as immunopotentiators. However, despite the emergence of serious diseases, few studies have explored the effects of Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide (CPP) on crustaceans. We studied the effects of CPP on the growth performance, nonspecific immunity, antioxidant activity and disease resistance of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Healthy crayfish (5.80 ± 0.1 g) were fed diets supplemented with 0% (control), 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15%, 0.20%, and 0.30% CPP for 8 weeks. At the end of the 8-week feeding trial, the optimal final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed in the crayfish fed the diets with 0.15% and 0.20% CPP, followed by those fed the diet with 0.30% CPP and then those fed the diet with 0.10% CPP, whereas the values of these parameters were obtained with the control crayfish (P < 0.05). The crayfish fed the diets with 0.15% and 0.20% CPP exhibited a significantly higher total hemocyte count (THC) and significantly increased phenoloxidase (PO), lysozyme (LZM), hemocyte (Hc), acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) compared with those belonging to the other groups (P < 0.05). The crayfish fed the diets with 0.15% and 0.2% CPP exhibited significantly higher total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, a significantly increased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and a significantly lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content compared with the other groups (P < 0.05), which indicated that antioxidant capacity was significantly induced by the CPP-supplemented diets. Significantly upregulated expression of immune-related genes (anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (alf), peroxiredoxin (prx5), cathepsin B (ctsb), mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (mtMnsod), cyclophilin A (cypa), glutathione peroxidase (gpx), Toll-like receptor 3 (tlr3), and heat shock protein 70 (hsp70)) was detected in the crayfish fed the diets supplemented with 0.15% and 0.20% CPP diet compared with the levels observed in the control crayfish. These results showed that dietary CPP supplementation greatly improved the growth, immunity and antioxidant capacities of crayfish, and according to the observed results, 0.15%-0.2% is the recommended optimal level of CPP dietary supplementation for crayfish.

Rheum officinale extract promotes the innate immunity of orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) and exerts strong bactericidal activity against six aquatic pathogens

We investigated the antimicrobial properties and the effects of Rheum officinale extract (ROE) on nonspecific immune parameters of orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro analysis was conducted by treating grouper primary head kidney leukocytes with various concentrations of ROE. The phagocytic rate of the leukocytes was elevated in a dose-dependent manner from 0.01 to 0.1 mg/ml, but decreased with higher concentrations of ROE (0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml). The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was strongly enhanced in a dose-dependent manner by treatment with ROE doses of 0.1-10.0 mg/ml. However, morphological changes (e.g., rounding and shrinkage of cells, chromatin condensation, fragmentation, and appearance of apoptotic bodies) were observed in the leukocytes after incubation with higher concentrations of ROE (1.0 and 10.0 mg/ml). A 28-day feeding trial was performed to assess the impact of dietary administration of ROE on grouper innate immunity parameters. Fish were fed with feed supplemented with 0, 0.1, 1.0, or 5.0 g ROE per kg of feed. The phagocytic activity of the animals' leukocytes was significantly elevated in all ROE-fed groups on day 1 and in groups fed with ROE at 0.1 or 1.0 g/kg on day 14. Production of ROS was substantially increased on day 1 in fish fed with ROE at 1.0 and 5.0 g/kg, but decreased steadily later on. The ability to generate ROS increased steadily until day 7 in fish fed the lowest concentration of ROE (0.1 mg/ml), but decreased thereafter. ROE showed excellent antibacterial activity against six pathogens of aquatic animals: Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, V. carchariae, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Edwardsiella tarda. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of measured ROE-derived anthraquinones were 10.57-84.53 μg/ml and 10.57-169.05 μg/ml, respectively.

Effects of dietary supplementation of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on growth performance, immune status, antioxidant capacity and selected microbial populations of weaned piglets

Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) are a complex mixture of highly branched and partially characterised polysaccharides and proteoglycans extracted from the goji berry. This mixture has great potential as a novel feed supplement for pigs. Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementation with LBPs on the growth performance, immune status, antioxidant capacity and selected intestinal microbial populations in weaned piglets. In trial 1, a total of 400 weaned piglets [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an average body weight (BW) of 6.34 ± 0.16 kg (21 days of age) were divided into five groups and fed a basal diet (control group) or a basal diet containing 1,000, 2,000, 4,000 or 6,000 mg/kg LBPs (supplemented at the expense of corn). Supplementation with 4,000 or 6,000 mg/kg LBPs for 2 weeks significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of the pigs compared with the control group (p < .05). In trial 2, thirty-two 21-days-old weaned piglets (BW: 6.33 ± 0.11 kg) were allotted to a control group (fed with a basal diet) or an experimental group (basal diet containing 4,000 mg/kg LBPs). The experiment lasted for 14 days. Pigs fed LBP diets exhibited an increased ADG and ADFI, and a decreased diarrhoeal incidence compared with those fed the basal diets (p < .05). Supplementation with LBPs increased the serum IgG and IgM levels (p < .05). Dietary LBPs effectively promoted antioxidant defence properties through enhancing the activities of serum, liver superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), in addition to decreasing the malondialdehyde (MDA) content (p < .05). The addition of LBPs increased the amounts of Bacteroidetes in the ileum and caecum and the caecal contents of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. (p < .05), while decreased the populations of Escherichia coli and Firmicutes in the ileum and caecum (p < .05) compared with the control group. Our results suggest that dietary supplementation with LBPs can enhance growth performance, immune status and antioxidant capacity, and improve the intestinal microbial populations of weaned piglets.

Network-pharmacology-based identification of caveolin-1 as a key target of Oldenlandia diffusa to suppress breast cancer metastasis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer remains the most common female malignancy and metastasis is the leading cause of death in breast cancer patients. Oldenlandia diffusa has been empirically and extensively used as an adjuvant therapy for metastatic breast cancer patients in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with proven efficacy. However, its anti-metastasis mechanism has been poorly revealed.

METHODS

Multiple molecular biology experiments as well as network pharmacology, bioinformatics analysis were conducted to investigate the anti-metastasis mechanism of Oldenlandia diffusa in breast cancer.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that ethanol extract of Oldenlandia diffusa (EEOD) significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of high-metastatic breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-453, while having no obvious cytotoxic effect on multiple nonmalignant cells. Furthermore, EEOD remarkably suppressed the migration and invasion capacities of the above breast cancer cells by modulating the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway. More importantly, EEOD also significantly inhibited breast cancer metastasis in zebrafish xenotransplantation model in vivo. Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis further demonstrated that EEOD yielded 12 candidate compounds and 225 potential targets, and shared 85 putative targets associated with breast cancer metastasis. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing and experimental validation results suggested that EEOD might inhibit breast cancer metastasis by attenuating the expression of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) as overexpression of Cav-1 could weaken the anti-metastasis efficacy of EEOD.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our findings proved that EEOD could inhibit breast cancer metastasis by attenuating the expression of Cav-1, highlighting the use of EEOD as an adjunctive therapy for metastatic breast cancer patients. This study also provides novel insights into network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis as effective tools to illuminate the scientific basis of TCM.

Simultaneous determination of fourteen compounds of Hedyotis diffusa Willd extract in rats by UHPLC-MS/MS method: Application to pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution study

A rapid, sensitive and selective ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry UHPLC-MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of fourteen bioactive ingredients (gallic acid, geniposidic acid, protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, scopoletin, apigenin-7-o-glucuronide, daidzein, apigenin, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, β-sitosterol, coniferin, and stigmasterol) in the plasma and tissues of rats. Danshensu and icariin were used as internal standards (IS1 and IS2). The chromatographic separation was achieved by using an Agilent ZORBAX RRHD Eclipse Plus C18 column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.8 μm) with gradient elution using mobile phase, which consisted of 0.1% acetic acid water (solvent A) and methanol (solvent B) and pumped at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Mass spectrometric detection was performed in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode utilizing electrospray ionization (ESI) in positive and negative mode. The plasma samples were pretreated via protein precipitation with 300 μL of methanol containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid and organ homogenates were processed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) with Waters Oasis HLB 3 cc (60 mg), respectively. The intra- and inter- day precisions (RSD%) were less than 10.3%, while the accuracy was ranged from -7.34% to 9.10%. Extraction recovery ranged from 85.02 to 112.0% and the matrix effects ranged from 85.12% to 109.6%. The present method exhibited excellent linearity and the lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) were 30.0 ng/mL, 15.0 ng/mL, 80.0 ng/mL, 30.0 ng/mL, 10.0 ng/mL, 3.0 ng/mL, 2.5 ng/mL, 2.5 ng/mL, 1.5 ng/mL, 15.0 ng/mL, 75.0 ng/mL, 15.0 ng/mL, 30.0 ng/mL, and 20.0 ng/mL for gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, geniposidic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, scopoletin, apigenin-7-o-glucuronide, daidzein, apigenin, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, β-sitosterol, coniferin, and stigmasterol, respectively. This analytical method was verified by the FDA guidelines for bioanalytical method validation and applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of fourteen constituents of Hedyotis diffusa Willd extract in rats. These results provide useful information for improving the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of fourteen bioactive ingredients of Hedyotis diffusa Willd extract in SD rats, supporting additional clinical application and Chinese herbal medicine safety evaluations.

Synergistic Effect of the Lactoperoxidase System and Cinnamon Essential Oil on Total Flora andSalmonellaGrowth Inhibition in Raw Milk

Despite its antibacterial and antipathogenic effects, the heat treatment of milk induces undesirable changes that can be noted in the overall properties of ultrahigh temperature (UHT) milk, such as changes in nutritional and organoleptic properties. Our goal is to find new nonthermal antibacterial technologies for the preservation of raw milk (RM). This study investigates the possible synergistic effect of using a combination of the lactoperoxidase system (LS) and 3 μg mL−1of cinnamon essential oil (cinnamon EO) to inactivate the total flora of milk andSalmonellaHadar (S. Hadar). The LS was activated with 30 mg L−1sodium percarbonate and 14 mg L−1of sodium thiocyanate. Using this approach, we obtained a synergistic effect with a complete inhibition of the activity of the total flora of the milk andS.Hadar after 12 hours at 25°C. In addition, the attainment of synergy was defined when the inhibitory effect of the two compounds together was greater than the effect observed by each compound added alone. Moreover, the monitoring of the synergistic effect at 4°C for 5 days showed complete inhibition of total flora for 3 days and forS. Hadar it was up to 5 days. To summarize, the current study clearly identified a new inhibitory combination that may be used in food-based applications.

Effects of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and chitooligosaccharides (COS) on growth, immune response and disease resistance of juvenile largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides

The effects of oral administration of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and chitooligosaccharides (COS), single or combined, on the growth performance, immunity and disease resistance of M. salmoides were investigated. Largemouth bass juvenile were divided into 4 groups and each group was fed with diets supplemented with or without immunostimulant for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of feeding trial, five fish per tank were sampled for immunity determination, ten fish per tank were challenged by A. hydrophila. The results showed that the largemouth bass fed with two immunostimulants alone or in combination significantly enhanced the final weight and specific growth rate (SGR), decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences (P < 0.05) in specific growth rate (SGR) between dietary COS and dietary APS. In addition, both COS and APS upregulated respiratory burst activity (RBA), phagocytic activity (PA), lysozyme activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Meanwhile, COS also exhibited a increase in total leukocyte count, nitric oxide (NO) content and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity compared to the control. When challenged with A. hydrophila, the mortality of groups fed with COS and/or APS was lower than the control (P < 0.05). Under the experimental conditions, dietary APS and COS had a synergistic effect on lysozme activity, iNOS activity, NO content and disease resistance of fish (P < 0.05).

ShenQi FuZheng Injection combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis

Objective

This study aims to investigate cellular immunity and clinical efficacy of ShenQi FuZheng Injection (SFI) in the associated chemotherapy of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Full-text Database (VIP), WanFang Database and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) searches were undertaken to identify randomized controlled trials of SFI plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in CRC patients. The quality of each trial was assessed according to the Jadad’s scale, and Review Manager 5 was used to statisitically analyze the outcomes.

Results

Eight studies involving 722 patients were included in this review. The meta-analyses suggested there was a significantly higher overall response rate (OR 1.89; CI: 1.10–3.24; p = 0.02), grades of KPS (OR 2.35; CI: 1.55–3.56; p<0.01), CD3+cells (MD 10.29; CI: 8.46–12.12; p<0.01), CD4+cells (MD 7.06; CI: 5.33–8.794; p<0.01), CD4/CD8+cells (MD 0.32; CI: 0.25–0.40; p<0.01), NK+ (MD 7.20; CI: 2.02–12.37, p = 0.006), WBC (MD 1.24; CI: 0.59–1.89; p<0.01), HB (MD 14.55; CI: 7.47–21.63; p<0.01), and PLT (MD 19.05; CI: 4.29–33.81; p = 0.01), but lower severe toxicity for leukocytopenia (OR 0.37; CI: 0.17–0.80; p = 0.01), thrombocytopenia (OR 0.32; CI: 0.14–0.74; p = 0.008), gastrointestinal toxicity (OR 0.48; CI: 0.24–0.96; p = 0.04), when chemotherapy combined with SFI was compared with chemotherapy alone. There were similarities between two groups in liver dysfunction (OR 0.44; CI: 0.18–1.08; p = 0.07) and CD8+ (MD 0.54; CI: -1.89–2.96; p = 0.66). Also, there was presence of heterogeneity in the CD8 results; after the sensitivity analysis, the result of CD8+ was reversed (MD 1.57; CI: 0.32–2.81; p = 0.01). There was no significant publication bias across studies according to the Egger’s (P = 0.19) and Begg’s test (P = 0.23).

Conclusion

SFI enhances chemotherapy efficiency as they are combined and used in the treatment of colorectal cancer patients. At the same time, SFI also improves patients’ immunity function.

Cinnamomols A and B, Immunostimulative Diterpenoids with a New Carbon Skeleton from the Leaves of Cinnamomum cassia

Two diterpenoids with an unprecedented diterpene carbon skeleton, cinnamomols A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the leaves of Cinnamomum cassia. 1 and 2 feature a cage-like, rigid, 5/5/5/5/5/6-fused hexacyclic ring system. The structures of 1 and 2 were established by extensive spectroscopic techniques and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and their plausible biosynthetic pathways were proposed. 1 and 2 exhibited significant in vitro immunostimulative activity, and the mode of action of 1 was investigated.

Utilization of carrageenan, citric acid and cinnamon oil as an edible coating of chicken fillets to prolong its shelf life under refrigeration conditions

AIM

The present study was conducted to determine efficacy of edible coating of carrageenan and cinnamon oil to enhance the shelf life of chicken meat stored under refrigeration conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Chicken breast was coated with carrageenan and cinnamon oil by three methods of application viz., spraying brushing and dipping. The coated meat was evaluated for drip loss, pH, thiobarbituric acid number (TBA), tyrosine value (TV), extract release volume (ERV), Warner-Bratzler shear force value (WBSFV), instrumental color, microbiological, and sensory qualities as per standard procedures.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference observed for physicochemical parameters (pH, TBA, TV, ERV, drip loss and WBSFV) and microbiological analysis between storage periods in all the samples and between the control and treatments throughout the storage period but samples did not differed significantly for hunter color scores. However, there was no significant difference among three methods of application throughout the storage period though dipping had a lower rate of increase. A progressive decline in mean sensory scores was recorded along with the increase in storage time.

CONCLUSION

The carrageenan and cinnamon edible coating was found to be a good alternative to enhance the shelf life of chicken meat under refrigeration conditions. It was also observed from study that dipping method of the application had comparatively higher shelf life than other methods of application.

Shenqi fuzheng injection attenuates irradiation-induced brain injury in mice via inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway and microglial activation

AIM

Radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI) is the most common and severe adverse effect induced by cranial radiation therapy (CRT). In the present study, we examined the effects of the traditional Chinese medicine Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (SFI) on RIBI in mice, and explored the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

C57BL/6J mice were subjected to a single dose of 20-Gy CRT. The mice were treated with SFI (20 mL·kg(-1)·d(-1), ip) for 4 weeks. Morris water maze test was used to assess the cognitive changes. Evans blue leakage and a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) assay were used to evaluate the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The expression of inflammatory factors and microglial activation in brain tissues were detected using RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTS

CRT caused marked reductions in the body weight and life span of the mice, and significantly impaired their spatial learning. Furthermore, CRT significantly increased the BBB permeability, number of activated microglia, expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, and the levels of phosphorylated p65 and PIDD-CC (the twice-cleaved fragment of p53-induced protein with a death domain) in the brain tissues. Four-week SFI treatment (administered for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after CRT) not only significantly improved the physical status, survival, and spatial learning in CRT-treated mice, but also attenuated all the CRT-induced changes in the brain tissues. Four-week SFI pretreatment (administered for 4 weeks before CRT) was less effective.

CONCLUSION

Administration of SFI effectively attenuates irradiation-induced brain injury via inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway and microglial activation.

Characterization and identification of iridoid glucosides, flavonoids and anthraquinones in Hedyotis diffusa by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The multiple bioactive constituents in Hedyotis diffusa Willd. (H. diffusa) were extracted and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS(n)). The optimized separation condition was obtained using an Agilent ZorBax SB-C18 column (4.6×150 mm, 5 μm) and gradient elution with water (containing 0.1% formic acid) and acetonitrile (containing 0.1% formic acid), under which baseline separation for the majority of compounds was achieved. Among the compounds detected, 14 iridoid glucosides, 10 flavonoids, 7 anthraquinones, 1 coumarin and 1 triterpene were unambiguously identified or tentatively characterized based on their retention times and mass spectra in comparison with the data from standards or references. The fragmentation behavior for different types of constituents was also investigated, which could contribute to the elucidation of these constituents in H. diffusa. The present study reveals that even more iridoid glycosides were found in H. diffusa than hitherto assumed. The occurrence of two iridoid glucosides and five flavonoids in particular has not yet been described. This paper marks the first report on the structural characterization of chemical compounds in H. diffusa by a developed HPLC-ESI-MS(n) method.

Acetylenes and fatty acids from Codonopsis pilosula

Four new acetylenes (1–4) and one new unsaturated ω-hydroxy fatty acid (5), together with 5 known analogues, were isolated from an aqueous extract of Codonopsis pilosula roots. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods. The new acetylenes are categorized as an unusual cyclotetradecatrienynone (1), tetradecenynetriol (2), and rare octenynoic acids (3 and 4), respectively, and 3 and 4 are possibly derived from oxidative metabolic degradation of 1 and/or 2. The absolute configuration of 1 was assigned by comparison of the experimental circular dichroism (CD) spectrum with the calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of stereoisomers based on the quantum-mechanical time-dependent density functional theory, while the configuration of 2 was assigned by using modified Mosher׳s method based on the MPA determination rule of Δδ_RS values for diols.

Combating pathogenic microorganisms using plant-derived antimicrobials: a minireview of the mechanistic basis

The emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria has led to renewed interest in exploring the potential of plant-derived antimicrobials (PDAs) as an alternative therapeutic strategy to combat microbial infections. Historically, plant extracts have been used as a safe, effective, and natural remedy for ailments and diseases in traditional medicine. Extensive research in the last two decades has identified a plethora of PDAs with a wide spectrum of activity against a variety of fungal and bacterial pathogens causing infections in humans and animals. Active components of many plant extracts have been characterized and are commercially available; however, research delineating the mechanistic basis of their antimicrobial action is scanty. This review highlights the potential of various plant-derived compounds to control pathogenic bacteria, especially the diverse effects exerted by plant compounds on various virulence factors that are critical for pathogenicity inside the host. In addition, the potential effect of PDAs on gut microbiota is discussed.

Structural characterization and antitumor activity of a pectic polysaccharide from Codonopsis pilosula

A pectic polysaccharide (CPP1b) was at first isolated from Codonopsis pilosula. Sugar analysis revealed that CPP1b is composed of rhamnose (Rha), arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal) and galacturonic acid (GalA) with a molar ratio of 0.25:0.12:0.13:2.51. The result of esterification assay showed that about 46.7±0.4% of carboxylic groups in GalA residues existed as methyl ester. Combined with chemical and spectroscopic analyses, a preliminary structure of CPP1b was proposed as follows: 1,4-linked α-D-GalpA and 1,4-linked α-D-GalpA6Me interspersed with rare 1,2-linked β-L-Rhap, 1,2,6-linked α-D-Galp and terminal α-L-Arap. CPP1b had an average molar mass and root-mean square radius (RMS) of 1.45×10(5) Da and 29.7 nm, respectively, and presented a linear random coil conformation in 0.9% NaCl. The ultrastructure of CPP1b was further investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). CPP1b exhibited obvious cytotoxicity to human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

Screening of 42 medicinal plants for in vivo anthelmintic activity against Dactylogyrus intermedius (Monogenea) in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

In the present study, methanol extracts of 42 traditional medicinal plants with potent anthelmintic activity against Dactylogyrus intermedius (Monogenea) in goldfish (Carassius auratus) were investigated. Cinnamomum cassia, Lindera aggregata, and Pseudolarix kaempferi exhibited 100% activity and were selected for further evaluation by applying five solvents (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water) for the extraction of the samples, followed by the in vivo bioassay. Among the extracts tested, water and methanol extracts of C. cassia showed the highest efficacies with EC(50) values of 13.2 and 12.3 mg L(-1), showing 100% efficacy against D. intermedius at 30.0 and 40.0 mg L(-1), followed by methanol extract of L. aggregata which demonstrated 100% efficacy at 60.0 mg L(-1) with EC(50) value of 17.1 mg L(-1) after 48 h of exposure. Methanol and ethyl acetate extract of P. kaempferi, which exhibited a 100% efficacy against D. intermedius at 60.0 and 50.0 mg L(-1), revealed similar activity with EC(50) values of 23.5 and 23.3 mg L(-1), respectively. Acute toxicity of these active extracts was investigated on goldfish for 48 h and the corresponding median lethal concentrations (LC(50)) of 56.9, 31.3, 88.7, 168.2, and 165.7 mg L(-1), respectively. These findings indicated that these extracts of the three plants can be developed as preferred natural antiparasitic agents for the treatment of D. intermedius.

A nonimmunosuppressant approach on Asia psoriasis subjects: 5-year followup and 11-year data analysis

Mono- or combine immunosuppressants are commonly used for psoriasis; however the side effect caused by potent systemic immunosuppressants frequently incurred; moreover the inflammation flares up shortly after immunosuppressants are discontinued. An alternative nonimmunosuppressive therapy was introduced to psoriasis subjects. A retrospective observational study consisted of 1583 psoriasis patients who were treated with Herose Psoria capsule 1440 mg three times daily at two clinical centres, one in China, the other in Singapore, from 1 January 2000 to 1 January 2011. Psoriasis lesion evolution was photographed at monthly visit, and efficacy and safety were assessed using psoriasis area severity index PASI score grading, renal and liver function testing, and adverse event reporting and supplemented by information obtained during targeted telephone interviews. The effectiveness of Herose on psoriasis was inversely associated to prior immunosuppressants exposure (r = 0.9154), significant improvements occurred in non-immunosuppressants subjects, and complete clearance was achieved in 8 months (87.5%, 14 of 16); the wavelike evolution of psoriatic lesion appeared in prior immunosuppressants subjects.

Gender effect on in vitro lymphocyte subset levels of healthy individuals

Differences in gender immune response have resulted in differences in immune protection and susceptibility to inflammatory diseases. Cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are widely used in immunomodulation studies, yet the influence of gender is usually not considered. We examined the effect of in vitro culture and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation on PBMC lymphocyte subsets using flowcytometry. Full blood counts of whole blood showed higher levels of lymphocyte in male subjects. Lymphocyte subsets enumeration revealed higher NK cell counts in males and higher B cells in females. Cultured PBMC resulted in significant increases in B and total T cell percentages among females and NK cells among males. PHA stimulated significantly increased percentages of NK and total T cells in males and total activated T cells (CD69+) in females. Our results showed significant gender differences in lymphocyte subsets in cultured conditions. This may affect experimental outcome.

The use of Chinese herbal medicine to improve quality of life in women undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial with immunological monitoring

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in improving quality of life (QOL), reducing chemotoxicity and modulating immune function in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with ovarian cancer were randomized to receive either TCM or placebo in addition to standard chemotherapy. The primary outcome was global health status (GHS) score, assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire, while the secondary outcomes were other QOL items, chemotoxicity according to World Health Organization criteria and alterations in immune function as measured by immune cells count and the numbers of cytokines-secreting cells.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the GHS between the two groups. With adjustment for stage, chemotherapy type, disease status, age and baseline value, emotional function, cognitive function and nausea and vomiting were found to be worse or less improved in the TCM group compared with placebo group after six cycles of chemotherapy. The TCM group had less neutropenia after three cycles (0% grade 4 neutropenia versus 28.6%). There were no other significant differences in terms of chemotoxicity. Lymphocyte counts and cytokine activities decreased less in the TCM group.

CONCLUSIONS

TCM did not improve QOL but did have some effects in terms of maintaining immune function.

Cinnamon and health

Cinnamon has been used as a spice and as traditional herbal medicine for centuries. The available in vitro and animal in vivo evidence suggests that cinnamon has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, cardiovascular, cholesterol-lowering, and immunomodulatory effects. In vitro studies have demonstrated that cinnamon may act as an insulin mimetic, to potentiate insulin activity or to stimulate cellular glucose metabolism. Furthermore, animal studies have demonstrated strong hypoglycemic properties. However, there are only very few well-controlled clinical studies, a fact that limits the conclusions that can be made about the potential health benefits of cinnamon for free-living humans. The use of cinnamon as an adjunct to the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most promising area, but further research is needed before definitive recommendations can be made.

Aqueous extract of Carica papaya leaves exhibits anti-tumor activity and immunomodulatory effects

AIM OF THE STUDY

Various parts of Carica papaya Linn. (CP) have been traditionally used as ethnomedicine for a number of disorders, including cancer. There have been anecdotes of patients with advanced cancers achieving remission following consumption of tea extract made from CP leaves. However, the precise cellular mechanism of action of CP tea extracts remains unclear. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of aqueous-extracted CP leaf fraction on the growth of various tumor cell lines and on the anti-tumor effect of human lymphocytes. In addition, we attempted to identify the functional molecular weight fraction in the CP leaf extract.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The effect of CP extract on the proliferative responses of tumor cell lines and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and cytotoxic activities of PBMC were assessed by [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation. Flow cytometric analysis and measurement of caspase-3/7 activities were performed to confirm the induction of apoptosis on tumor cells. Cytokine productions by PBMC were measured by ELISA. Gene profiling of the effect of CP extract treatment was performed by microarray analysis and real-time RT-PCR.

RESULTS

We observed significant growth inhibitory activity of the CP extract on tumor cell lines. In PBMC, the production of IL-2 and IL-4 was reduced following the addition of CP extract, whereas that of IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha was enhanced without growth inhibition. In addition, cytotoxicity of activated PBMC against K562 was enhanced by the addition of CP extract. Moreover, microarray analyses showed that the expression of 23 immunomodulatory genes, classified by gene ontology analysis, was enhanced by the addition of CP extract. In this regard, CCL2, CCL7, CCL8 and SERPINB2 were representative of these upregulated genes, and thus may serve as index markers of the immunomodulatory effects of CP extract. Finally, we identified the active components of CP extract, which inhibits tumor cell growth and stimulates anti-tumor effects, to be the fraction with M.W. less than 1000.

CONCLUSION

Since Carica papaya leaf extract can mediate a Th1 type shift in human immune system, our results suggest that the CP leaf extract may potentially provide the means for the treatment and prevention of selected human diseases such as cancer, various allergic disorders, and may also serve as immunoadjuvant for vaccine therapy.

The use of immunostimulating herbs in fish. An overview of research

The use of immunostimulants as an alternative to the drugs, chemicals and antibiotics currently being used to control fish diseases in fish culture is attracting the attention of many researchers. In this context, many have focused on the use of medicinal plant products as potential therapeutic measures for modulating the immune response and, specifically, on the use of herbs to prevent and control fish diseases. Medicinal plants (plant remedies) are a deeply rooted component of the cultural heritage of many people from diverse cultures and countries and are, as such, closely linked to the maintenance of good health. The aim of this paper is to review research currently being carried out on the herbs and herbal extracts that have been shown to modulate the immune system of fish. Special attention is given to the use of Chinese and Indian herbs.

Antioxidative activity of glycoprotein isolated from Geranium sibiricum Linne

Glycoprotein from Geranium sibiricum Linne (GSL) with 18 kDa was isolated and it consists of carbohydrate moiety (10.45%) and protein moiety (89.55%). The GSL glycoprotein was characterised by its radical scavenging activity under various experimental conditions. When GSL glycoprotein was treated with deactivation agents (pronase E or NaIO(4)), its scavenging activity decreased in both cases. It has optimal and maximal activity in acidic, neutral pH (up to pH 9), and up to 85 degrees C. Also, its activity reduced in the case of Ca(2+) and Mn(2+), with the exception of the Mg(2+) case. Its activity in the presence of Mn(2+) declined more than in the case of the Ca(2+). Also, GSL glycoprotein (500 microg mL(-1)) has antioxidative effects on hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals in cell-free systems, and GSL glycoprotein (200 microg mL(-1)) significantly protected from cytotoxicity in the GO (100 mU mL(-1))-treated Chang liver cells for 4 h.

Development and application of a capillary electrophoretic method for the composition analysis of a typical heteropolysaccharide from Codonopsis pilosula NANNF

A simple capillary electrophoretic method based on 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolon (PMP) derivatization has been developed for simultaneous separation and determination of nine aldoses (xylose, arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, fucose, galactose, mannose, glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid). The separation of PMP-labeled monosaccharide derivatives was carried out in uncoated capillary (48.5 cm x 75 microm i.d.) and under the selected optimum conditions of pH 11.0, 200 mM borate buffer at applied voltage 15 kV and capillary temperature 20 degrees C, the nine PMP-monosaccharides could be perfectly separated from each other within 40 min. Furthermore, the developed method was firstly applied to determine the sugar composition in the polysaccharide isolated from Chinese Codonopsis pilosula. The results showed that C. pilosula polysaccharide was a typically acidic heteropolysaccharide and was composed of arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, galactose, mannose, glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid in the molar contents of 48.1, 103.5, 16.1, 48.5, 7.5, 4.2 and 119.1 microM, respectively. The assay results were satisfactory.

Fingerprint of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. by HPLC-MS

A HPLC-MS fingerprint method has been developed based on the consistent chromatographic features of the major chemical constituents among 10 batches of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Chromatographic separation was conducted on a Hypersil-Keystone Hypurity C(18) column using methanol:water:acetic acid as the mobile phase. Major compounds, including oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and ferulic acid, were analysed by HPLC-MS. Their analysis was ascertained by comparison with data derived from the standard compounds. The HPLC-MS fingerprint was successfully applied to analyse and differentiate samples from different geographical origins, or processing methods. H. diffusa was well distinguished from Hedyotis chrysotricha by HPLC-MS. Therefore the establishment of fingerprint of H. diffusa is critical in assessing and controlling its overall quality.

Analysis of iridoid glucosides in Hedyotis diffusa by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

An HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS method was developed for analysis of iridoid glucosides (IGs) from Hedyotis diffusa Willd. The optimized separation condition was achieved with the Complex Sample Analysis Software System (CSASS) software, under which the whole analytes were achieved complete resolution especially for some isomeric IGs. Based on the UV and fragmentations, eleven IGs were detected. According to the fragmentation patterns of the three standard IGs, especially those of the isomeric standards, seven IGs including three pairs of isomers were unambiguous/tentatively identified. For the isomeric IGs with methyl ester or carboxyl group at C-4, the extents of the losses of CH3OH and/or H2O from their molecular and/or the aglycone adducts are useful for the differentiation of the stereoisomers in positive ion (PI) mode, which depends on the stereochemistry of the hydroxyl group on the cyclopentanoid unit.

Apoptotic effect of Oldenlandia diffusa on the leukaemic cell line HL60 and human lymphocytes

Oldenlandia diffusa is traditionally prescribed in the treatment of a number of cancers and studies suggest that it exerts a cytotoxic action specific to cancer cells. To further investigate this suggested action, the effect(s) of Oldenlandia diffusa on leukaemic cells (HL60) and stimulated and unstimulated human blood lymphocytes (PBLs) was investigated. For the HL60s, cell growth, apoptotic induction, alterations in cell cycle characteristics and genotoxicity were investigated. For the PBLs, apoptotic induction and alterations in cell cycle characteristics were investigated. Preliminary chemical analysis to identify the cytotoxic constituents of Oldenlandia diffusa was also carried out. Results showed that Oldenlandia diffusa significantly inhibited the growth of the HL60s and induced apoptosis in a cell cycle-independent fashion, possibly through the induction of genotoxic damage. Oldenlandia diffusa did not induce apoptosis in the PBLs however progression through the cell cycle was not evident (in stimulated PBLs) suggesting some degree of cytotoxicity. Preliminary chemical analysis indicated that a number of compounds appear to be responsible for the cytotoxic action of Oldenlandia diffusa. These results indicate that HL60s are more sensitive to Oldenlandia diffusa than stimulated PBLs and thus support a cytotoxic action for Oldenlandia diffusa that has some degree of specificity.

Immunomodulatory effects of a traditional Chinese medicine, Chi-Shie-Shuang-Bu-An-Shen-Tang, on BALB/c mice

Chi-Shie-Shuang-Bu-An-Shen-Tang (CST), a traditional Chinese medicine, has long been used to stabilize one's spirit and treatment of body weakness caused by fatigue. In order to understand whether the CST possess the immunological function and effect of thermal processing on its activities, sterilized (SCST) and nonsterilized CST (NCST) extracts were orally administrated to BABL/c mice for 1 or 3 weeks as drinking water. The results showed that CST extract after sterilization at 121 degrees C for 15 min had higher immunological activities than nonsterilized CST. SCST revealed mitogenic effects on splenocyte stimulated by concanavalin A (Con A) and mediated the changes of total serum antibodies; production of IgG increased and IgE reduced. Among cytokines, secretion of IFN-gamma increased and IL-5 decreased, which fit in with the Th1 cell profile, however cytolytic activity of natural killer cells did not show any significant difference. Furthermore, the population of CD4(+) T cells in the mice spleen increased after oral administration of SCST for 3 weeks. These results suggest that SCST had the immunomodulatory effects which drove CD4(+) T cells into Th1 cells and had potential benefit to cope with CD4(+) T lymphopenia condition.