Octacosanol Attenuates Inflammation in Both RAW264.7 Macrophages and a Mouse Model of Colitis

Enzymatic Synthesis of a Novel Antioxidant Octacosanol Lipoate and Its Antioxidant Potency in Sunflower Oil

α-Lipoic acid possesses remarkable antioxidant activity; however, its poor lipid solubility greatly restricts its practical utilization. The present study was the first (i) to synthesize a novel lipophilic antioxidant of octacosanol lipoate and (ii) to assess its antioxidant potency in sunflower oil by hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. In brief, octacosanol lipoate was successfully synthesized using octacosanol and lipoic acid as substrates and Candida sp. 99-125 lipase as a catalyst. The conversion of octacosanol lipoate could reach as high as 98.1% within merely 2 h, with an overall yield of 87.9%. The hydrophobicity of lipoic acid was significantly enhanced upon esterification with octacosanol. Interestingly, both traditional methods and 1H NMR analysis consistently indicated that octacosanol lipoate exhibited superior antioxidant activity compared with butyl hydroxytoluene at high temperatures. It was concluded that octacosanol lipoate has the potential to be developed into a safe and efficient natural antioxidant which can be utilized not only in daily cooking oils but also in frying oils.

The Galloyl Group Enhances the Inhibitory Activity of Catechins against LPS-Triggered Inflammation in RAW264.7 Cells

The galloyl group in catechins was confirmed to be crucial for their health benefits. However, whether the catechins' galloyl group had a contribution to their anti-inflammation remains unclear. This study investigated the anti-inflammation properties and mechanisms of catechins in RAW264.7 cells by using ELISA, fluorometry, flow cytometer, Western blot, and molecular docking. Results showed that the galloyl group enhanced the inhibitory abilities of catechins on inflammatory cytokines (NO, PGE2, IL-1β, and TNF-α) and ROS release in LPS-induced cells. This suppression was likely mediated by delaying cells from the G0/G1 to the S phase, blocking COX-2 and iNOS via the TLR4/MAPK/NF-κB pathway with PU.1 as an upstream target. The research proved that the existence of galloyl groups in catechins was indispensable for their anti-inflammatory capacities and offered a theoretical basis for the anti-inflammatory mechanism of galloylated catechins. Future research is needed to verify the anti-inflammatory effects of catechins in various sources of macrophages or the Caco-2/RAW264.7 cell co-culture system.

Impacts of preparation technologies on biological activities of edible mushroom polysaccharides - novel insights for personalized nutrition achievement

Edible mushroom polysaccharides (EMPs) as a natural macromolecular carbohydrate have a very complex structure and composition. EMPs are considered ideal candidates for developing healthy products and functional foods and have received significant research attention due to their unique physiological activities such as immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor/cancer, gut microbiota regulation, metabolism improvement, and nervous system protection. The structure and monosaccharide composition of edible mushroom polysaccharides have an unknown relationship with their functional activity, which has not been widely studied. Therefore, we summarized the preparation techniques of EMPs and discussed the association between functional activity, preparation methods, structure and composition of EMPs, laying a theoretical foundation for the personalized nutritional achievements of EMP. We also establish the foundation for the further investigation and application of EMPs as novel functional foods and healthy products.

Screening and characterization of an anti-inflammatory pectic polysaccharide from Cucurbita moschata Duch

Pectin polysaccharides have demonstrated diverse biological activities, however, the inflammatory potential of pectin polysaccharides extracted from Cucurbita moschata Duch remains unexplored. This study aims to extract, characterize and evaluate the effects of pumpkin pectin polysaccharide on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in RAW264.7 cells and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice, along with its underlying mechanism of action. Initially, we extracted three fractions of pectin polysaccharides from pumpkin and screened them for anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-induced macrophages, identifying CMDP-3a as the most potent anti-inflammatory fraction. Subsequently, CMDP-3a underwent comprehensive characterization through chromatography and spectroscopic analysis, revealing CMDP-3a as an RG-I-HG type pectin polysaccharide with →4)-α-D-GalpA-(1 → and →4)-α-D-GalpA-(1 → 2,4)-α-L-Rhap-(1 → as the main chain. Further, in the LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells model, treatment with CMDP-3a significantly down-regulated the mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) by inhibiting the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. Finally, in a mouse colitis model, CMDP-3a administration obviously inhibited DSS-induced pathological alterations and reduced inflammatory cytokine expressions in the colonic tissues by down-regulating the TLR4/NF-κB and MAPK pathways. These findings provide a molecular basis for the potential application of CMDP-3a in reducing inflammatory responses.

Anti-skin ageing activities of rice (Oryza sativa) bran soft and hard waxes in cultured skin cells

OBJECTIVE

Rice (Oryza sativa) bran waxes, the by-products of rice bran oil manufacturing, are widely used as inactive components in several preparations. Nevertheless, the function of rice bran waxes against skin ageing has never been reported. This study aimed to investigate thermal property and fatty acid profile of rice bran waxes, including rice bran soft (RBS) and hard (RBH) waxes, and the activities against skin ageing in cultured skin cells.

METHODS

Thermal property and fatty acid profile of rice bran waxes were analysed by differential scanning calorimetry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. The cytotoxicity assay of waxes was performed in B16F10 melanoma cells, human skin fibroblasts and co-culture cells of HaCaT cells and human skin fibroblasts. The non-cytotoxic concentrations of waxes were evaluated for their activities against skin ageing, including melanogenesis assay, antioxidant activity, collagen content analysis, matrix metalloproteinase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 inhibitory assay and anti-inflammatory activity.

RESULTS

Thermal property indicated the endotherm peaks with melting temperatures at 40.89 ± 0.27°C and 69.64 ± 0.34°C for RBS and RBH, respectively. The main fatty acids in RBS were oleic (31.68 ± 0.75%) and linoleic acids (27.19 ± 0.40%), whereas those in RBH were palmitic (36.24 ± 1.08%) and stearic acids (35.21 ± 4.51%). The cytotoxicity assay in single cells and co-culture cells showed the non-cytotoxicity of RBS (0.0001-1 mg/mL) and RBH (0.0001-0.1 mg/mL). The anti-skin ageing activities of 1 mg/mL RBS and 0.1 mg/mL RBH included the melanogenesis inhibition by suppression of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-2 enzymes, the antioxidant activity by cellular protection against cell damage and cell death, the collagen stimulation, the matrix metalloproteinase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 suppression and the anti-inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

The study results suggest that RBS and RBH can potentially be applied as the functional ingredients in formulations against skin ageing as well as provide the superior benefit on skin moisturization.

The antimicrobial peptide Abaecin alleviates colitis in mice by regulating inflammatory signaling pathways and intestinal microbial composition

Abaecin is a natural antimicrobial peptide (AMP) rich in proline from bees. It is an important part of the innate humoral immunity of bees and has broad-spectrum antibacterial ability. This study aimed to determine the effect of Abaecin on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) -induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice and to explore its related mechanisms. Twenty-four mice with similar body weight were randomly divided into 4 groups. 2.5% DSS was added to drinking water to induce colitis in mice. Abaecin and PBS were administered rectally on the third, fifth, and seventh days of the experimental period. The results showed that Abaecin significantly alleviated histological damage and intestinal mucosal barrier damage caused by colitis in mice, reduced the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and the phosphorylation of NF-κB / MAPK inflammatory signaling pathway proteins, and improved the composition of intestinal microorganisms. These findings suggest that Abaecin may have potential prospects for the treatment of UC.

Enhancing solubility and bioavailability of octacosanol: Development of a green O/W nanoemulsion synthesis process

Octacosanol, a naturally occurring higher fatty alcohol, possessed numerous biological effects. However, octacosanol limited solubility in water due to its lipophilic nature and large structure, resulting in poor absorption and low bioavailability. To overcome this challenge, we developed a simple, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient O/W nanoemulsion synthesis process. The nanoemulsion achieved an average droplet size of approximately 30 nm, exhibited excellent dispersibility and stability at room temperature for 60 days, and showcased robust storage properties insensitive to ambient temperature, pH, NaCl, and sucrose. Remarkably, the preparation process of the nanoemulsion maintained the biological activity of octacosanol while demonstrating significantly enhancing antioxidant activity compared to octacosanol suspension. Additionally, the nanoemulsion displayed negligible cytotoxic effects on Caco-2 cells. Significantly, the octacosanol nanoemulsion exhibited a 5.4-fold enhancement in transmembrane transport efficiency when compared to the suspension in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Additionally, in an in vivo experiment, there was a notable 2.9-fold increase in rat intestinal absorption. These findings could provide valuable insights into the development of octacosanol nanoemulsion, supporting its future applications and paving the way for the design of stable nanoemulsion systems for other lipophilic and sparingly soluble substances.

Scytosiphon lomentaria fucoidan ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in dietary fiber-deficient mice via modulating the gut microbiota and inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB/MLCK pathway

The prevalence of ulcerative colitis (UC) poses a serious threat to human health. This study showed that fiber-deficient diet (FD) increased the susceptibility of mice to low dosage of DSS-induced UC, and a UC model was established by feeding mice with DSS and FD to evaluate the effect of Scytosiphon lomentaria fucoidan (SLF) on UC. SLF ameliorated the symptoms of UC, as evidenced by increases in colon length, goblet cells and glycoprotein and reduction in inflammatory cell infiltration and intestinal epithelial injury. SLF alleviated oxidative stress and inhibited colonic inflammation by reducing the levels of lipopolysaccharides and pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressing the activation of nuclear factor kappa B pathway. SLF protected tight junction integrity by reducing the level of myosin light chain kinase and increasing the levels of claudin, zonula occludens-1 and occludin. SLF improved serum metabolites profile and affected multiple metabolic pathways that are crucial to human health, e.g. butanoate metabolism. The underlying mechanism can be associated with modulation of the gut microbiota and metabolites, including increases in short chain fatty acids and reduction in Proteobacteria, Bacteroides and Romboutsia. It suggests that SLF could be developed as a prebiotic polysaccharide to benefit human health by improving intestinal microecology.

The Effects of Synbiotics on Dextran-Sodium-Sulfate-Induced Acute Colitis: The Impact of Chitosan Oligosaccharides on Endogenous/Exogenous Lactiplantibacillus plantarum

In this work, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) isolated from mice feces (LP-M) and pickles (LP-P) were chosen as the endogenous and exogenous L. plantarum, respectively, which were separately combined with chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) to be synbiotics. The anti-inflammatory activity of LP-M, LP-P, COS, and the synbiotics was explored using dextran-sodium-sulfate (DSS)-induced acute colitis mice, as well as by comparing the synergistic effects of COS with LP-M or LP-P. The results revealed that L. plantarum, COS, and the synbiotics alleviated the symptoms of mice colitis and inhibited the changes in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) caused by DSS. In addition, the intervention of L. plantarum, COS, and the synbiotics increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria Muribaculaceae and Lactobacillus and suppressed the pathogenic bacteria Turicibacter and Escherichia-Shigella. There was no statistically difference between LP-M and the endogenous synbiotics on intestinal immunity and metabolism. However, the exogenous synbiotics improved SCFAs, inhibited the changes in cytokines and MPO activity, and restored the gut microbiota more effectively than exogenous L. plantarum LP-P. This indicated that the anti-inflammatory activity of exogenous LP-P can be increased by combining it with COS as a synbiotic.

Protective effect and mechanism insight of purified Antarctic kill phospholipids against mice ulcerative colitis combined with bioinformatics

Antarctic krill oil is functional oil and has a complex phospholipids composition that poses difficulties in elucidating its effect mechanism on ulcerative colitis (UC). The mechanism of UC action was studied by bioinformatics, and the therapeutic effect of Antarctic krill phospholipids (APL) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice was verified. GO functional enrichment analysis uncovered an enrichment of these genes in the regulation of cell-cell adhesion, membrane region, signaling receptor activator activity, and cytokine activity. Meanwhile, the KEGG results revealed the genes were enriched in the TNF signaling pathway, pathogenic Escherichia coli infection, inflammatory bowel disease and tight junction. Animal experiments showed that APL treatment alleviated the UC symptoms and reduced inflammatory damage. Meanwhile, the expressions of the tight junction (TJ) proteins, ZO-1 and occludin, were restored, and the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced. Moreover, Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the intestinal microbiota was regulated, and the contents of short-chain fatty acids metabolites were raised. These findings would provide an insight for the beneficial effects of APL and dietary therapy strategies for UC.

Ethanol Extract of Rosa laevigata Michx. Fruit Inhibits Inflammatory Responses through NF-κB/MAPK Signaling Pathways via AMPK Activation in RAW 264.7 Macrophages

The fruit of Rosa laevigata Michx. (FR), a traditional Chinese herb utilized for the treatment of a variety diseases, has notably diverse pharmacological activities including hepatoprotective, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Despite ongoing research on illustrating the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism of FR, the principal mechanism remained inadequately understood. In this study, we investigated in depth the molecular mechanism of the anti-inflammatory actions of the ethanol extract of FR (EFR) and its potential targets using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro. We showed that EFR effectively ameliorated the overproduction of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, as well as the expression of related genes. It was further demonstrated that LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with EFR, accompanied by a concomitant decrease in the nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit of NF-κB and activator protein 1 (AP-1). In addition, EFR pretreatment potently prevented LPS-induced decreased phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Our data also revealed that the activation of AMPK and subsequent inhibition of the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway was probably responsible for the inhibitory effect of EFR on LPS-induced inflammatory responses, evidenced by reverse changes observed under the condition of AMPK inactivation following co-treatment with the AMPK-specific inhibitor Compound C. Finally, the main components with an anti-inflammatory effect in EFR were identified as madecassic acid, ellagic acid, quinic acid, and procyanidin C1 by LC-MS and testified based on the inhibition of NO production and inflammatory mediator expression. Taken together, our results indicated that EFR was able to ameliorate inflammatory responses via the suppression of MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathways following AMPK activation, suggesting the therapeutic potential of EFR for inflammatory diseases.

Cortisone-loaded stearoyl ascorbic acid based nanostructured lipid carriers alleviate inflammatory changes in DSS-induced colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease which poorly affects the colon and spreads toward the rectum over time. Cortisone (CRT) is a corticosteroid clinically used for the management of inflammatory diseases like colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases. Due to some physicochemical properties' cortisone has limited potency in clinics. To overcome drug-related problems, we successfully prepared lipid nanocarriers with generally regarded as safe (GRAS) materials approved by USFDA. The present study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of CRT-loaded 6-o-stearoyl ascorbic acid (SAA) nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) against DSS-induced colitis mice. Formulation and characterizations of reported nanostructured lipid carrier were performed according to our previously optimized parameters. The average hydrodynamic diameter of NLCs was 182 nm as measured by DLS with 81.14 % encapsulation efficacy. TEM, AFM and SEM images analysis confirmed its spherical appearance. hTERT-BJ cells viability up to a dose of 500 μg/ml shows cytocompatible characteristics of blank NLCs. CRT-loaded NLCs treatment normalizes physically observed parameters such as disease activity index, weight variation etc. These NLCs were able to significantly reduce the severity of colitis in terms of colon histoarchitecture, regaining of the goblet cells, mucins secretions, inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines etc. Treatment with CRT-loaded NLCs effectively downregulated the overexpression of inflammatory enzymes like cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) etc. The results of this study concluded that these CRT-encapsulated NLCs efficiently manage the disease severity induced by DSS.

Polysaccharides from Phellinus linteus: A systematic review of their extractions, purifications, structures and functions

Phellinus linteus (P. linteus) is a famous Chinese medicine and has a long history in China. In recent years, P. linteus polysaccharides (PLPs) have attracted extensive attention because of their biological activities such as anti-bacteria, anti-aging, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, hepatoprotective effect and hypoglycemic effect. In this review, we systemically summarized the advances in extractions, purifications and structural characterizations of PLPs, and also analyzed their biological functions and molecular mechanisms. Meanwhile, the structure-activity relationships of PLPs are closely related to their anti-oxidation and anti-tumor activities. So far, the applications of PLPs are still very limited, further exploring structure-activity relationships, biological functions and their mechanisms of PLPs will promote to develop functional foods.

Phytochemical composition, bioactive properties, and toxicological profile of Tetrapleura tetraptera

The use of medicinal plants has gained renewed wide popularity in Africa, Asia, and most parts of the world because of the decreasing efficacy of synthetic drugs. Thus, natural products serve as a potent source of alternative remedy. Tetrapleura tetraptera is a medicinal plant with cultural and traditional significance in West Africa. In addition to the plant being commonly used as a spice in the preparation of traditional spicy food for postpartum care it is also widely used to constitute herbal concoctions and decoctions for treatment of diseases. This review aimed to provide an up-to-date information on the ethnomedicinal uses, pharmacological activities and phytoconstituents of T. tetraptera. Preclinical studies regarding the plant's toxicity profile were also reviewed. For this updated review, literature search was done on PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, and Google Scholar databases using the relevant keywords. The review used a total of 106 papers that met the inclusion criteria from January 1989 - February 2022 and summarised the bioactivities that have been reported for the rich phytoconstituents of T. tetraptera studied using various chemical methods. Considering the huge report, the review focused on the antimicrobial and antiinflammatory activities of the plant extracts and isolated compounds. Aridan, aridanin and several bioactive compounds of T. tetraptera have shown pharmacological activities though their mechanisms of action are yet to be fully understood. This study also highlighted the influence of plant parts and extraction solvents on its biological activities. It also presented data on the toxicological profile of the plant extracts using different models. From cultural uses to modern pharmacological research the bioactive compounds of T. tetraptera have proved effective in infectious disease management. We hope that this paper provided a robust summary of the biological activities and toxicological profile of T. tetraptera, thus calling for more research into the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic activities of natural products to help combat the growing threat of drug resistance and provide guidelines for their ethnomedicinal uses.

Phillygenin Attenuated Colon Inflammation and Improved Intestinal Mucosal Barrier in DSS-induced Colitis Mice via TLR4/Src Mediated MAPK and NF-κB Signaling Pathways

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, relapsing, and nonspecific inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Phillygenin (PHI), a natural bioactive ingredient, isolated from Forsythiae Fructus, exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and hepatoprotective activities. However, few reports provide direct evidence on the efficacy of PHI in improving colitis mice. The present study elucidated that the symptoms of DSS-induced colitis mice were alleviated after PHI administration, including body weight loss, the disease activity index, colon length shortening, colonic pathological damage, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly. PHI treatment improved the intestinal mucosal barrier by protecting goblet cells, promoting gene expressions of Clca1, Slc26a3, and Aqp8, increasing tight junction proteins (TJs), and reducing epithelial cell apoptosis. In addition, the levels of oxidative stress (MPO, SOD, and MDA) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10) were reversed by PHI in colitis mice. According to transcriptome and network pharmacology analysis, inflammatory pathway might be an important mechanism for PHI to improve colitis. Western blotting displayed that the PHI inhibited the activation of tyrosine kinase Src mediated by TLR4, and then reduced the phosphorylation of downstream proteins p38, JNK, and NF-κB in colitis mice. In summary, our results suggested that PHI might be an appropriate and effective drug candidate to protect colitis.

Caffeic Acid-Conjugated Budesonide-Loaded Nanomicelle Attenuates Inflammation in Experimental Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a multifactorial disease of the gastrointestinal tract which is caused due to chronic inflammation in the colon; it usually starts from the lower end of the colon and may spread to other portions of the large intestine, if left unmanaged. Budesonide (BUD) is a synthetically available second-generation corticosteroidal drug with potent local anti-inflammatory activity. The pharmacokinetic properties, such as extensive first-pass metabolism and quite limited bioavailability, reduce its therapeutic efficacy. To overcome the limitations, nanosized micelles were developed in this study by conjugating stearic acid with caffeic acid to make an amphiphilic compound. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the pharmacological potential of BUD-loaded micelles in a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. Micelles were formulated by the solvent evaporation method, and their physicochemical characterizations show their spherical shape under microscopic techniques like atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The in vitro release experiment shows sustained release behavior in physiological media. These micelles show cytocompatible behavior against hTERT-BJ cells up to 500 μg/mL dose, evidenced by more than 85% viable cells. BUD-loaded micelles successfully normalized the disease activity index and physical observation of colon length. The treatment with BUD-loaded micelles alleviates the colitis severity as analyzed in histopathology and efficiently, overcoming the disease severity via downregulation of various related cytokines (MPO, NO, and TNF-α) and inflammatory enzymes such as COX-2 and iNOS. Results of the study suggest that BUD-loaded nano-sized micelles effectively attenuate the disease conditions in colitis.

Oryzanol Ameliorates DSS-Stimulated Gut Barrier Damage via Targeting the Gut Microbiota Accompanied by the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 Cascade Response In Vivo

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a global chronic disease with a long duration and repeated relapse. Currently, there is still a lack of effective approaches to prevent IBD. Food-derived oryzanol (ORY) possesses extensive biological activities, such as ameliorating bowel diseases, antioxidation, and antiobesity. However, the mechanism of ORY in preventing colitis remains unclear. The present research aims to explore the potential mechanism of ORY in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-stimulated colitis in a rat model. The results showed that the symptoms of colitis were significantly improved with the administration of ORY. Mechanismly, the expression levels of Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), Claudin-1, Occludin, MUC2, and TFF3 were elevated through ORY treatment, suggesting that oral ORY relieved the degree of gut barrier damage of colitis rats. Meanwhile, 16S sequencing results found that ORY supplementation increased the abundances of Alloprevotella, Roseburia, Treponema, Muribaculaceae, and Ruminococcus, which are associated with the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Moreover, GC-MS results confirmed that ORY supplementation reversed the DSS-induced reduction of acetic acid, butyric acid, and total acid. Further research indicated that ORY intervention downregulated the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway, which is closely linked to the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and colon injury. Taken together, ORY ameliorates DSS-stimulated gut barrier damage and inflammatory responses via the gut microbiota-TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling axis.

Laminarin ameliorates alcohol-induced liver damage and its molecular mechanism in mice

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has become a health issue globally. Laminarin, a low molecular weight marine-derived β-glucan, has been identified with multiple biological activities. In this study, the ameliorative effect on ALD of laminarin isolated from brown algae was investigated. Phenotypic, pathological alterations and biochemical characteristics indicated that laminarin administration (100 mg/kg/day) significantly alleviated liver injury and improved liver function in the alcohol-induced mice. Gene chip results indicated that laminarin treatment caused 52 up-regulated and 13 down-regulated genes in the hepatic tissues of alcohol-induced damage mice, and most of these genes are associated with regulation of oxidative stress (such as CYP450/glutathione-dependent antioxidation), Wnt signaling pathway, retinol metabolism, and cAMP pathway based on GO and KEGG analysis. PPI network analysis indicated that the downstream target genes lied in the hub of the net. Our experiments also confirmed the changed expressions of some target genes. Taken together, these results suggest that laminarin can ameliorate alcohol-induced damage in mice and its molecular mechanism lies in modulating anti-oxidation pathway, WNT pathway, and cAMP pathway, which regulate the expressions of downstream target genes and alleviate alcohol-induced damage. Our study provides new clue to prevent alcohol-induced damage and will be benefit to develop functional foods. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study verified the positive effect on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) of laminarin, a water-soluble brown algae-derived β-glucan, linked by β-(1,3) glycosidic bonds with β-(1,6) branches. Laminarin significantly alleviated liver injury and improved liver function of ALD mice. Moreover, transcriptomics and bioinformatics analysis further revealed the gene expression patterns, hub targets, and signalings including CYP450/glutathione, Wnt, retinol metabolism, cAMP pathways regulated by laminarin. This research is the first evidence for hepatoprotective effect of laminarin against ALD and its molecular mechanism, which will be advantage to develop functional foods or adjuvant therapy of ALD.

Analysis of Components and Properties of Extractives from Alnus cremastogyne Pods from Different Provenances

Chemical components with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties extracted from Alnus bark and leaves have been extensively studied. However, less attention has been paid to extractives from Alnus pods, which are mostly treated as waste. Here, extractives of Alnus cremastogyne pods from 12 provenances in Sichuan Province were studied for high value-added utilization of Alnus waste. The extractives were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis spectra), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. A total of 58, 49, and 51 chemical components were found when the organic solvents of ethanol, petroleum ether, and ethyl acetate were used to collect extractives, respectively. These chemical components including Phytol, CIS-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid, Germacrene D, Lupeol, and β-sitosterol, etc., have wide applications in the fields of pharmacy and cosmetics. Moreover, it was also found that extractives in ethanol and ethyl acetate had impressive UV resistance, especially for UV-C and UV-B blocking. The results showed that the maximum block ratio towards UV-C and UV-B could reach 99%. In addition, the ethanol extract showed good anti-oxidant activity with a maximum free radical scavenging rate of 96.19%. This comprehensive and systematic study on extractives from Alnus cremastogyne pods promotes the development of high-value utilization of Alnus components.

Policosanol suppresses tumor progression in a gastric cancer xenograft model

Gastric cancer (GC) is the most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer death, with the fifth highest incidence. The development of effective chemotherapeutic agents is needed to decrease GC mortality. Policosanol (PC) extracted from Cuban sugar cane wax is a healthy functional food ingredient that helps improve blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Its various physiological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, have been reported recently. Nevertheless, the therapeutic efficacy of PC in gastric xenograft models is unclear. We aimed to investigate the anticancer effect of PC on human GC SNU-16 cells and a xenograft mouse model. PC significantly inhibited GC cell viability and delayed tumor growth without toxicity in the SNU-16-derived xenograft model. Therefore, we investigated protein expression levels in tumor tissues; the expression levels of Ki-67, a proliferation marker, and cdc2 were decreased. In addition, we performed proteomic analysis and found thirteen differentially expressed proteins. Our results suggested that PC inhibited GC progression via cdc2 suppression and extracellular matrix protein regulation. Notably, our findings might contribute to the development of novel and effective therapeutic strategies for GC.

Effect of dietary octacosanol concentration extracted from triticale sprout on laying performance, egg quality, and blood parameters of laying hens

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of octacosanol (OCT) extracted from triticale sprout on laying performance, egg quality, and blood parameters of laying hens. A total of 192, Hyline brown laying hens aged 43 weeks were divided into 4 dietary groups of 48 birds each and they were randomly subjected to one of the experimental diets containing OCT at the levels of none, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg of diet. All birds were fed with isoenergetic and isonitrogenous mash diets for 6 weeks. The result showed that hens supplemented with 20 and 30 mg/kg OCT in diet significantly increased (p < 0.05) egg production than those fed with the basal diet. OCT concentration in the egg yolk of hens fed with 20 and 30 mg/kg OCT was significantly higher than in those fed the control diet. Hens fed 20 and 30 mg/kg OCT exhibited greater high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and interleukin (IL) concentrations and reduced serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglyceride compared to those fed with 0 and 10 mg/kg OCT. This study indicates that supplementing the diet of laying hens with 20 and 30 mg/kg of OCT can improve the performance, egg quality, and health status of laying hens.

Different Dose of Sucrose Consumption Divergently Influences Gut Microbiota and PPAR-γ/MAPK/NF-κB Pathway in DSS-Induced Colitis Mice

Sugar reduction and sugar control are advocated and gaining popularity around the world. Sucrose, as the widely consumed ingredient in our daily diet, has been reported a relation to gastrointestinal diseases. However, the role of sucrose in inflammatory bowel disease remains controversial. Hence, our study aimed to elucidate the potential role of three doses of sucrose on DSS-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that low-dose sucrose intervention alleviated colitis in mice, reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines and repairing mucosal damages. In contrast, high-dose sucrose intervention exacerbated colitis. Furthermore, three doses of sucrose administration markedly altered gut microbiota composition. Notably, the low-dose sucrose restored microbial dysfunction and enhanced the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Specifically, the abundance of SCFAs-producing bacteria Faecalibaculum, Bacteroides, and Romboutsia were increased significantly in the LOW group. Consistently, PPAR-γ, activated by SCFAs, was elevated in the LOW group, thereby inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB pathway. Together, our study demonstrates the differential effects of sucrose on colitis at different doses, providing a scientific basis for measuring and modifying the safe intake level of sugar and providing favorable evidence for implementing sugar reduction policies.

Oral administration of octacosanol modulates the gut bacteria and protects the intestinal barrier in ulcerative colitis mice

Octacosanol (Oct), a kind of long-chain fatty alcohol extracted from rice bran was applied to study its effects on alleviating ulcerative colitis (UC). Oct was orally administered at 10 mg/kg (Oct-L) and 30 mg/kg (Oct-H) to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice. Here, we reported that oral administration of 30 mg/kg Oct can significantly prevent the weight loss, colon shortening, and decrease the disease activity index (DAI) score. Oct-H supplementation modified the intestinal flora by lowering the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio, increasing the abundance of Prevotellaceae, S24-7, Turicibacter, and meanwhile decreasing Enterococcus and Stenotrophomonas. Based on the PICRUSt2 analysis, Oct-H may exert effects by anti-inflammation and xenobiotics degradation. Furthermore, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels were raised and the integrity of the gut barrier was protected. In conclusion, Oct-H can relieve clinical symptoms, modulate the gut bacteria and protect the intestinal barrier in UC mice, suggesting the potential of Oct as a food supplementation in alleviating UC. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a hard-to-cure disease, with increasing morbidity in recent years. Therefore, finding out a food supplement to alleviate UC is very meaningful. In this work, we showed that octacosanol significantly alleviated ulcerative colitis in mice. We revealed, for the first time, octacosanol's effects on protecting the integrity of the gut barrier, modulating the intestinal flora and its metabolism (SCFAs). Therefore, octacosanol was expected to prevent colitis in an all-round way. Our research might also lay the theoretical foundation for the further development of related functional foods.

Digestion behavior of a polysaccharide from Cyclina sinensis: An explanation for the discrepancy in its immunostimulatory activities in vitro and in vivo

Although numerous polysaccharides have demonstrated potential immunostimulatory activities in in vitro models, only a few of them successfully stimulate the immune system in vivo. In order to explore the possible reasons for the activity loss of polysaccharides in in vivo models, the immunostimulatory activities in vitro and in vivo and the digestion behavior of a polysaccharide from Cyclina sinensis (CSP) were investigated in the present study. CSP showed obvious immunostimulatory activity in a RAW 264.7 cell model. In in vitro experiment, CSP did not exhibit cytotoxicity at concentrations of ≤10 µg/ml, and significantly increased NO production at concentrations of 0.4-10 µg/ml, suggesting CSP processes immunostimulatory activity in vitro. Further investigation using simulated digestion model indicated that CSP could bind with the protein in the digestive fluids to form precipitate in both the stomach and small intestine, and it could be seriously degraded by amylase during the digestion in the small intestine. Furthermore, the in vivo immunostimulatory activity evaluation demonstrated CSP had no effect on immunosuppressed mice as indicated by the body weight, thymus and spleen indexes, and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 mRNA expression. Thus, the present study indicates that the degradation and precipitation of CSP in the digestive tract are the possible reasons for the activity loss of CSP after digestion. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Cyclina sinensis is the common aquatic shellfish in China and plays an important role in the marine aquaculture industry. Cyclina sinensis polysaccharide (CSP) is the main active component of C. sinensis. The structure characterization and immunostimulatory activity of a purified fraction of CSP (CSP-1) and the effect of digestion on CSP and its immunostimulatory activity were studied. The result of this study promotes the understanding of the nutritional function effects and provides a scientific reference for the rational development and high-value utilization of C. sinensis.

Octacosanol Modifies Obesity, Expression Profile and Inflammation Response of Hepatic Tissues in High-Fat Diet Mice

The incidence of obesity has increased significantly on account of the alterations of living habits, especially changes in eating habits. In this study, we investigated the effect of octacosanol on lipid lowering and its molecular mechanism. High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mouse model was used in the study. Thirty C57BL/6J mice were divided into control, HFD, and HFD+Oct groups randomly, and every group included ten mice. The mice of HFD+Oct group were intragastrically administrated 100 mg/kg/day of octacosanol. After 10 weeks for treatment, our results indicated that octacosanol supplementation decreased the body, liver, and adipose tissues weight of HFD mice; levels of TC, TG, and LDL-c were reduced in the plasma of HFD mice; and level of HDL-c were increased. H&E staining indicated that octacosanol supplementation reduces the size of fat droplets of hepatic tissues and adipose cells comparing with the HFD group. Gene chip analysis found that octacosanol regulated 72 genes involved in lipid metabolism in the tissues of liver comparing to the HFD group. IPA pathway network analysis indicated that PPAR and AMPK may play a pivotal role in the lipid-lowering function of octacosanol. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot showed that the octacosanol supplementation caused change of expression levels of AMPK, PPARs, FASN, ACC, SREBP-1c, and SIRT1, which were closely related to lipid metabolism. Taken together, our results suggest that octacosanol supplementation exerts a lipid-decreasing effect in the HFD-fed mice through modulating the lipid metabolism-related signal pathway.

Protective Effects of a Novel Probiotic Bifidobacterium pseudolongum on the Intestinal Barrier of Colitis Mice via Modulating the Pparγ/STAT3 Pathway and Intestinal Microbiota

Colitis has become a major health concern worldwide. The objective of the present study was to determine the probiotic influence of different strains of B. pseudolongum (Bp7 and Bp8) on alleviating colitis and to explore its possible potential mechanisms. Our results displayed that Bp7 and Bp8 intervention effectively reduced dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-caused body weight loss and the release of several pro-inflammatory factors (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes (T-AOC, SOD, and GSH) and the concentrations of tight junction proteins (occludin, claudin-1, and ZO-1). Moreover, Bp7 and Bp8 intervention drastically down-regulated the expression of colonic MyD88, NF-κB, iNOS and COX2 and drastically elevated the expression of colonic STAT3, Nrf2, and PPARγ. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results revealed that the cecal levels of isobutyric, butyric, and isovaleric acids were drastically increased in colitis mice intervened with Bp7 and Bp8. Moreover, 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that Bp7 and Bp8 intervention modulated the intestinal microbiota structure, particularly by enhancing the proportion of Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group, Marvinbryantia, Enterorhabdus, Faecalibaculum, Coriobacteriaceae UCG 002, Alistipes, and Bifidobacterium, which are relevant to the levels of cecal isobutyric acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid, and inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these findings suggest that Bp7 and Bp8 intervention alleviates the intestinal barrier function, possibly by blocking the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, maintaining the intestinal physical barrier integrity, activating the PPARγ/STAT3 pathway, and modulating intestinal microbiota composition. Our study also suggested that B. pseudolongum is a promising probiotic for colitis treatment.

Oryzanol alleviates high fat and cholesterol diet-induced hypercholesterolemia associated with the modulation of the gut microbiota in hamsters

A high fat and cholesterol diet (HFCD) can modulate the gut microbiota, which is closely related with hypercholesterolemia. This study aimed to explore the anti-hypercholesterolemia effect of oryzanol, and investigate whether the function of oryzanol is associated with the gut microbiota and related metabolites. 16S rRNA and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were applied for the gut microbiota and untargeted metabolomics, respectively. The results showed that HFCD significantly upregulated body fat accumulation and serum lipids, including triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and ratio of LDL-c/HDL-c, which induced hypercholesterolemia. Oryzanol supplementation decreased body fat accumulation and serum lipids, especially the LDL-c concentration and LDL-c/HDL-c ratio. In addition, the abundances of Desulfovibrio, Colidextribacter, norank_f__Oscillospiraceae, unclassified_f__Erysipelotrichaceae, unclassified_f__Oscillospiraceae, norank_f__Peptococcaceae, Oscillibacter, Bilophila and Harryflintia were increased and the abundance of norank_f__Muribaculaceae was decreased in HFCD-induced hyperlipidemia hamsters. Metabolites were changed after HFCD treatment and 9 differential metabolites belonged to bile acids and 8 differential metabolites belonged to amino acids. Those genera and metabolites were significantly associated with serum lipids. HFCD also disrupted the intestinal barrier. Oryzanol supplementation reversed the changes of the gut microbiota and metabolites, and intestinal barrier injury was also partly relieved. This suggests that oryzanol supplementation modulating the gut microbiota contributes to its anti-hyperlipidemia function, especially anti-hypercholesterolemia.

Terazosin Stimulates Pgk1 to Remedy Gastrointestinal Disorders

Gastrointestinal disease is the most common health concern that occurs due to environmental, infectious, immunological, psychological, and genetic stress. Among them, the most frequent diseases are gastric ulcer (GU) and ulcerative colitis (UC). DSS-induced UC and ethanol-stimulated GU models resemble the pathophysiology of human gastrointestinal disease. The current study was designed to explore the anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-cell death properties of terazosin, an α-adrenergic receptor antagonist, in vivo and in vitro. Our results indicate that terazosin dramatically activates Pgk1, and upregulates glycose metabolism, evidenced by the enhanced ATP production and higher LDH enzymatic activity. Also, terazosin significantly enhances p-AKT expression and inhibits NF-κB p65 activation through abrogating the phosphorylation of IKBα, as well as lowers Caspase-1 and GSDMD expression. The findings in this study demonstrate that terazosin exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by downregulating NF-κB-GSDMD signal pathway, along with enhancing glycolysis for gastrointestinal disease treatment. Meanwhile, we also find terazosin ameliorates ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage in mice. Collectively, as a clinical drug, terazosin should be translated into therapeutics for gastrointestinal disease soon.

Investigation of the Active Ingredients and Mechanism of Hudi Enteric-Coated Capsules in DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis Mice Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification

Background

Hudi enteric-coated capsule (HDC) is a Chinese medicine prescribed to treat ulcerative colitis (UC). However, its anti-inflammatory active ingredients and mechanisms remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the active components of HDC and explore its potential mechanisms against UC by integrating network pharmacology and experimental verification.

Methods

A DSS-induced colitis murine model was established to validate the efficacy of HDC by detecting disease activity index (DAI) and histopathological changes. Network pharmacological analysis was performed to identify the active compounds and core targets of HDC for the treatment of UC. The main compounds in HDC were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The relative expressions of HDC’s core targets were also determined in vivo. Finally, molecular docking was applied to model the interaction between HDC and target proteins.

Results

In an in vivo experiment, HDC, especially the middle-dose HDC, effectively reduced clinical symptoms of UC, including weight loss, bloody stool, and colon shortening. Besides, the severity of colitis was considerably suppressed by HDC as evidenced by reduced DAI scores. A total of 118 active compounds and 69 candidate targets from HDC closely related to UC progression were identified via network pharmacology. Enrichment analysis revealed that the key targets of HDC correlated with the expressions of PTGS2, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. Meanwhile, these cytokines were enriched in various biological processes through the IL-17/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. The middle-dose HDC contributed more to ameliorating DSS-induced colitis through this signaling pathway than other dosages. Nine components binding to JAK2, STAT3, IL-17 and IL-6 were identified by molecular docking, confirming again the inhibition effects of HDC on the IL-17/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Conclusion

The HDC treatment, particularly the middle-dose, exerted an anti-UC effect in a multi-component, multi-target, and multi-mechanism manner, especially inhibiting the IL-17/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway to downregulate the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines.

Plant Extracts in Obesity: A Role of Gut Microbiota

Obesity has become one of the most serious chronic diseases threatening human health. Its occurrence and development are closely associated with gut microbiota since the disorders of gut microbiota can promote endotoxin production and induce inflammatory response. Recently, numerous plant extracts have been proven to mitigate lipid dysmetabolism and obesity syndrome by regulating the abundance and composition of gut microbiota. In this review, we summarize the potential roles of different plant extracts including mulberry leaf extract, policosanol, cortex moutan, green tea, honokiol, and capsaicin in regulating obesity via gut microbiota. Based on the current findings, plant extracts may be promising agents for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its related metabolic diseases, and the mechanisms might be associated with gut microbiota.

Bioactive Peptide F2d Isolated from Rice Residue Exerts Antioxidant Effects via Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

Studies have shown that the peroxidation caused by oxygen free radicals is an important reason of vascular endothelial dysfunction and multiple diseases. In this study, active peptides (F2ds) were isolated from the fermentation product of rice dregs and its antioxidant effects were approved. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated by H2O2 were used to evaluate the antioxidation effect and its molecular mechanism in the oxidative stress model. F2d protected H2O2-induced damage in HUVECs in a dosage-dependent manner. F2d can reduce the expression of Keap1, promote the expression of Nrf2, and activate the downstream target HO-1, NQO1, etc. It means F2d can modulate the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Using Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 to block the Nrf2 activation, the protective function of F2d is partially lost in the damage model. Our results indicated that F2d isolated from rice exerts antioxidant effects via the Nrf2 signaling pathway in H2O2-induced damage, and the work will benefit to develop functional foods.

Dietary Supplementation of Octacosanol Improves Exercise-Induced Fatigue and Its Molecular Mechanism

Several publications report that octacosanol (OCT) has different biological functions. This study was designed to evaluate the antifatigue effect and molecular mechanism of octacosanol (200 mg/(kg day)) in forced exercise-induced fatigue models of trained male C57BL/6 mice. Results showed that octacosanol ameliorated the mice's autonomic activities, forelimb grip strength, and swimming endurance, and the levels of liver glycogen (LG), muscle glycogen (MG), blood lactic acid (BLA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were also regulated. Gene analysis results showed that treatment with OCT upregulated 29 genes, while 38 genes were downregulated in gastrocnemius tissue. Gene ontology (GO) analyses indicated that these genes enriched functions in relation to myofibril, contractile fiber, and calcium-dependent adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activity. Octacosanol supplementation significantly adjusted the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression levels related to fatigue performance. Octacosanol has an observably mitigating effect in exercise-induced fatigue models, and its molecular mechanism may be related to the regulation of tripartite motif-containing 63 (Trim63), periaxin (Prx), calcium voltage-gated channel subunit α1 H (Cacna1h), and myosin-binding protein C (Mybpc3) expression.

The Regulatory Effects of Licochalcone A on the Intestinal Epithelium and Gut Microbiota in Murine Colitis

The gut epithelium is a mechanical barrier that protects the host from the luminal microenvironment and interacts with the gut microflora, which influences the development and progression of ulcerative colitis (UC). Licochalcone A (LA) exerts anti-inflammatory effects against UC; however, whether it also regulates both the gut barrier and microbiota during colitis is unknown. The current study was conducted to reveal the regulatory effects of LA on the intestinal epithelium and gut microflora in C57BL/6 mice subjected to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Sulfasalazine (SASP) was used as the positive control. Results of clinical symptoms evaluation, hematoxylin, and eosin (H&E) staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assays showed that LA significantly inhibited DSS-induced weight loss, disease activity index (DAI) increase, histological damage, and gut inflammation. Additionally, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis showed that LA maintained the integrity of the intestinal barrier by suppressing cell apoptosis and preserving the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins. Notably, the optimal dose of LA for gut barrier preservation was low, while that for anti-inflammatory effects was high, indicating that LA might preserve gut barrier integrity via direct effects on the epithelial cells (ECs) and TJ proteins. Furthermore, 16S rRNA analysis suggested that the regulatory effect of LA on the gut microbiota differed distinctly according to dose. Correlation analysis indicated that a low dose of LA significantly modulated the intestinal barrier-associated bacteria as compared with a moderate or high dose of LA. Western blot (WB) analysis indicated that LA exhibited anti-UC activity partly by blocking the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Our results further elucidate the pharmacological activity of LA against UC and will provide valuable information for future studies regarding on the regulatory effects of LA on enteric diseases.

Phytosterols and Novel Triterpenes Recovered from Industrial Fermentation Coproducts Exert In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Activity in Macrophages

The unstoppable growth of human population that occurs in parallel with all manufacturing activities leads to a relentless increase in the demand for resources, cultivation land, and energy. In response, currently, there is significant interest in developing strategies to optimize any available resources and their biowaste. While solutions initially focused on recovering biomolecules with applications in food, energy, or materials, the feasibility of synthetic biology in this field has been demonstrated in recent years. For instance, it is possible to genetically modify Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce terpenes for commercial applications (i.e., against malaria or as biodiesel). But the production process, similar to any industrial activity, generates biowastes containing promising biomolecules (from fermentation) that if recovered may have applications in different areas. To test this hypothesis, in the present study, the lipid composition of by-products from the industrial production of β-farnesene by genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae are studied to identify potentially bioactive compounds, their recovery, and finally, their stability and in vitro bioactivity. The assayed biowaste showed the presence of triterpenes, phytosterols, and 1-octacosanol which were recovered through molecular distillation into a single fraction. During the assayed stability test, compositional modifications were observed, mainly for the phytosterols and 1-octacosanol, probably due to oxidative reactions. However, such changes did not affect the in vitro bioactivity in macrophages, where it was found that the obtained fraction decreased the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation.

Bioactive Sugarcane Lipids in a Circular Economy Context

Most of the global sugar and ethanol supply trade comes from the harvesting of Saccharum officinarum (i.e., sugarcane). Its industrial processing results in numerous by-products and waste streams, such as tops, straw, filter cake, molasses and bagasse. The recovery of lipids (i.e., octacosanol, phytosterols, long-chain aldehydes and triterpenoids) from these residues is an excellent starting point for the development of new products for various application fields, such as health and well-being, representing an important feature of the circular economy. By selecting green scalable extraction procedures, industry can reduce its environmental impact. Refluxed ethanol extraction methods have been demonstrated to meet these characteristics. On the other hand, effective non-solvent methodologies such as molecular distillation and supercritical CO2 extraction can fractionate lipids based on high temperature and pressure application with similar yields. Sugarcane lipophilic extracts are usually analyzed through gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) techniques. In many cases, the identification of such compounds involves the development of high-temperature GC-MS/FID techniques. On the other hand, for the identification and quantification of thermolabile lipids, LC-MS techniques are suitable for the separation and identification of major lipid classes. Generically, its composition includes terpenes, phytosterols, tocopherol, free fatty acids, fatty alcohols, wax esters, triglycerides, diglycerides and monoglycerides. These compounds are already known for their interesting application in various fields such as pharma and cosmetics due to their anti-hypercholesterolemic, anti-hyperglycemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Quercetin Nanoparticle Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Triggered Renal Inflammatory Impairment by Regulation of Sirt1/NF-KB Pathway

As a conventional complication of sepsis, acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by high incidence and mortality. Effective management methods are still lacking. Quercetin belongs to a kind of flavonoids that exerts many functions, for example anti-inflammation and anti-fibrosis. However, its function in sepsis AKI is uncertain. Our study therefore set out to assess the function of quercetin in AKI mice model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and human proximal tubular cells (HK-2), including the potential mechanisms. Quercetin was loaded onto a biodegradable polymer carrier (nanoparticle) to enhance its bioavailability. The data showed that quercetin administration strikingly improved renal dysfunction and ameliorated tubular injury caused by LPS in mice. In mice model and in cultured cells, quercetin pretreatment obviously restrained LPS-triggered cell apoptosis and inflammation, including generation of various cytokines. Moreover, the results from mice model and cell model showed that quercetin could diminish IκBα and p65 phosphorylation after LPS treatment. The most significant observation of this study was that quercetin elevated the expression of Sirt1. Transfection of Sirt1 specific shRNA mitigated the suppression of quercetin on cell apoptosis, inflammation and of NF-κB activation triggered by LPS. Therefore, these sequels indicate that quercetin protects against sepsis-associated AKI by upregulation Sirt1 expression through quenching NF-κB activation and may be an encouraging therapeutic agent for patients with sepsis-associated AKI.

Dietary intake of Lycium ruthenicum Murray ethanol extract inhibits colonic inflammation in dextran sulfate sodium-induced murine experimental colitis

In this study, phytochemical compositions of Lycium ruthenicum Murray ethanol extract (LRE) were analyzed by LC-ESI-MS/MS and the protective effect of LRE on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was evaluated in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced experimental colitis mice model. The results showed that a total of 129 compounds were tentatively identified, including phenols/phenolic acids, flavonoids and others. LRE supplementation significantly reduced DSS-induced body weight loss, disease activity index increase, colon length shortening and colonic pathological damage. LRE inhibited intestinal inflammation by regulating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, restored intestinal immune homeostasis by regulating immune cell infiltration and T lymphocyte subsets, and suppressed (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. Moreover, the LRE profoundly ameliorated aberrant oxidative stress and restored the intestinal barrier integrity of colitis. Together, LRE supplementation might provide a new dietary strategy for preventing and ameliorating IBD as a functional food.

Targeting Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases by Natural Products: A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

An increase in the prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) as a multifactorial intestinal chronic inflammation as well as the absence of a certain cure, has created an innovative era in the management of IBD by molecule/pathway-based anti-inflammatory approaches. There are credible documentations that demonstrate Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPK) acts as IBD regulator. Upon the activation of MAPK signalling pathway, the transcription and expression of various encoding inflammatory molecules implicated in IBD are altered, thereby exacerbating the inflammation development. The current pharmacological management of IBD, including drug and biological therapies are expensive, possess temporary relief and some adverse effects. In this context, a variety of dietary fruits or medicinal herbs have received worldwide attention versus the development of IBD. Infact, natural ingredients, such as Flavaglines, Fisetin, Myricitrin, Cardamonin, Curcumin, Octacosanol and Mangiferin possess protective and therapeutic effects against IBD via modulation of different segments of MAPK signaling pathway. This review paper calls attention to the role of MAPK signaling triggered by natural products in the prevention and treatment of IBD.

Effects of compound growth regulators on the anatomy of Jujube Leaf and Fruit

Effects of three compound growth regulators formulated with hypersensitivity protein, spermidine, salicylic acid and DA-6 (diethyl aminoethanol hexanoate) were tested on Xinjiang Jun Jujube. The doses of compound growth regulators were named as A (Hypersensitivity protein + spermidine + salicylic acid at the rate of 30 mg/L, 0.1 mmol/L and 0.25 mmol/L, respectively), B (Hypersensitive protein + spermidine + DA-6 at the rate of 30 mg/L, 0.1 mmol/L and 30 mg/L, respectively) and C (Spermidine + salicylic acid + DA-6 at the rate of 0.1 mmol/L, 0.25 mmol/L and 30 mg/L, respectively) versus a control group CK (contained only water). Fruit anatomical structures were compared after spraying. The results indicated that after spraying, the thickness of the upper and lower epidermal cells and the stratum corneum were increased. However, the upper epidermal stratum corneum became significantly thicker than the lower epidermis. Spraying with A improved the thickness of upper and lower epidermal cells, stratum corneum, the central vein and mesophyll. The cumulative effects of all these changes in leaf and fruit anatomical structures provided the resistance of the experimental fruit plant to stress. While the B and C regulators had inhibitory effects. So, the results obtained after spraying A category were beneficial to improve the stress resistance of the fruits. The length and cell area of pericarp and sarcocarp cells in the treatment groups were not changed significantly. But the length, number of sarcocarp cells and number of gaps were lower than those in the CK. This study can provide new measures for improving plant resistance in jujube production.

UNC5A, an epigenetically silenced gene, functions as a tumor suppressor in non-small cell lung cancer

UNC5A has been reported to be related with human cancers. However, the function and mechanism in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains unknown. We analyzed two NSCLC cell lines (A549 and H157), one normal human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) and the tissues of NSCLC. We used quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining to examine the expression of UNC5A. Methylation status of the UNC5A promoter was analyzed using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP). We used western blot to analyzed protein levels of PI3K/Akt pathway. We found that the mRNA expression of UNCA5 was significantly downregulated in NSCLC cells and tissues. The promoter of UNC5A was hypermethylated in NSCLC cells compared to normal control cells. The expression of UNC5A could be reversed by demethylation agent in NSCLC cells. The expression of UNC5A was decreased in NSCLC samples and significantly associated with the advanced types of NSCLC. Functionally, knockdown of UNC5A promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion and induced apoptosis in NSCLC, overexpression of UNC5A yielded the opposite result. Moreover, we found that UNC5A negatively regulated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in NSCLC. UNC5A is a novel epigenetically silenced gene in NSCLC and consequent under-expression of UNC5A may contribute to NSCLC tumorigenesis through regulating PI3K/Akt pathway.

Protective effect of Lachnum polysaccharide on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been gradually considered as a public health challenge worldwide. This study determined the protective effect of Lachnum polysaccharide (LEP) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental colitis in mice and explored the underlying mechanism. Results showed that dietary LEP reduced DSS-induced disease activity index (DAI), colon shortening and colonic tissue damage. LEP treatment restored intestinal barrier integrity by regulating the expression of tight junction proteins and mucus layer protecting proteins. Moreover, pro-inflammatory cytokine production was inhibited by LEP through regulating PPARγ/NF-κB and IL-6/STAT3 pathways and inhibiting inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, LEP also inhibited (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative/nitrosative stress induced by DSS. These results provided a scientific basis for LEP as a potential natural agent for protecting mice from DSS-induced IBD.

Laxative Metabolites from the Leaves of Moringa oleifera

Three new flavonoids, quercetin-3-O-6-[methyl-(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl(1→6]-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), kaempferol-3-O-[methyl-(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl(1→6)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (2), and quercetin-3-O-6-[(E)-4-methoxy-5-methylhexa-2,4-dienoatyl(1→6)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (3), and two new alkaloids, 5-dehydroxymethyl-pyrrolemarumine 4″-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (4) and N¹-methyl-N²-((4-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside)benzyl) oxalamide (5), together with 45 known compounds (6-50) were isolated from the leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. Among those compounds, 1-octacosanol (50), a straight-chain 28-carbon alcohol, exhibited good activity against diphenoxylate-induced constipation in mice, which is obtained as a laxative constituent from the plant for the first time. In order to have an accurate understanding of the content of compound 50, a quantification with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was carried out. The anti-inflammatory and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of some compounds also was assessed.

Anemoside B4 prevents acute ulcerative colitis through inhibiting of TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway

Anemoside B4 (B4) is a compound extracted from Pulsatilla chinensis(P. chinensis). Pharmacological studies have proved that it has certain anti-inflammatory activity. Acute ulcerative colitis (ulcerative colitis) is a non-specific inflammatory disease whose pathogenesis is not completely known, and there is no effective drugs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of B4 on ulcerative colitis and its mechanism. In this study, the C57BL/6 mice model of ulcerative colitis was established by DSS [3% (w/v)] and treated with intraperitoneal injection of B4 and oral administration of mesalazine, respectively. During the experiment, the clinical symptoms of the mice were scored by the disease activity index (DAI). Histopathological changes were observed by HE staining. In addition, the effect of LPS on Raw264.7 cells was also studied. In vivo studies showed that B4 could prevent DSS-induced colitis mice from losing weight, shortening colon length and improving pathological changes of colon tissues. B4 significantly reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in colon tissues. In vitro experiments, B4 was almost nontoxic to Raw264.7 cells and could protect the Raw264.7 cells induced by LPS. In terms of mechanism, B4 significantly inhibited the activation of the TLR4 signaling pathway induced by DSS and down-regulate the expression of key proteins in the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway in Raw264.7 cells induced by LPS. These findings suggest that the inhibition of B4 on ulcerative colitis may be through the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK pathway. Therefore, B4 may be used as a potential drug for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.