Butin (7,3',4'-trihydroxydihydroflavone) reduces oxidative stress-induced cell death via inhibition of the mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway

Butin Mitigates Memory Impairment in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses

It has been reported from the previous literature that butin restores mitochondrial dysfunction by modulation of oxidative stress and glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in mouse hippocampus HT22 cells. Butin also possesses an anti-Huntington's effect in rats. Considering the current background, this study was designed to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of butin against memory loss caused by streptozotocin (STZ). STZ (40 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected into rats. Three days later, diabetic rats were identified and included in the study. A total of 30 rats (12 nondiabetic and 18 diabetics) were grouped as Group A (control-non-diabetic rats) and Group B (STZ diabetic control) were treated with 1 mL of sodium CMC (0.5% w/v). Group C (STZ+ butin 25) were treated with butin 25 mg/kg. Group D (STZ+ butin 50) and Group E (butin per se) were administered with butin 50 mg/kg. Each therapy was administered orally once each day for 15-day. The Morris water maze and the Y-maze behavioural tests were run throughout the experimental programme. Animals were put to death on day 15 and their brains were removed for biochemical assays (CAT, SOD, GSH, MDA, nitrite, acetylcholinesterase (AchE), IL-1, and mitochondrial enzyme complexes). Rats with neurobehavioral impairments brought on by STZ have less spontaneous movement, learning capacity, and memory. Additionally, STZ decreased endogenous antioxidants and increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitrite, MDA, and AchE. Neurobehavioral deficits and metabolic markers were dramatically improved by butin.

The chromosome-level genome for Toxicodendron vernicifluum provides crucial insights into Anacardiaceae evolution and urushiol biosynthesis

The lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum (Stokes) F.A. Barkley) is an important tree with economic, industrial, and medicinal values. Here, we generated the reference genome of T. vernicifluum at the chromosome level with 491.93 Mb in size, in which 98.26% of the assembled contigs were anchored onto 15 pseudochromosomes with the scaffold N50 of 32.97 Mb. Comparative genomic analysis revealed the gene families related to urushiol biosynthesis were expanded, contributing to the ecological fitness and biological adaptability of the lacquer tree. We combined multi-omics data to identify genes that encode key enzymes in the T. vernicifluum urushiol and lignin biosynthetic pathways. Furthermore, the unique active metabolites, such as butin and fisetin, in cultivar lacquers were identified by metabolism profiling. Our work would provide crucial insights into metabolite synthesis such as urushiol and lignin, meanwhile offer a basis for further exploration of the cultivation and breeding of T. vernicifluum and other Anacardiaceae members.

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We provide the first chromosome-level genome for Toxicodendron vernicifluum

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We explore the phylogenetic position of lacquer tree

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We identify genes involved in the urushiol and lignin biosynthetic pathways

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Analysis of the unique active metabolites in cultivar lacquers by LC-MS/MS is reported

Butin Attenuates Arthritis in Complete Freund's Adjuvant-Treated Arthritic Rats: Possibly Mediated by Its Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Actions

The present research work was planned to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions of butin in preventing complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Adult Wistar rats (200–240 g) were segregated equally into four groups: Group I (normal) and Group II complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA control) were administered orally with 3 ml/kg of 0.5% SCMC (vehicle); Group III and Group IV were test groups and orally administered 25 and 50 mg/kg of butin. These oral treatments were administered for a total of 21 days. In the 21-day treatment schedule, on the first day, animals from group I (normal control) were injected a single dose of normal saline (0.1 ml) intradermally into one of the hind paws, and animals from Group II to IV were injected CFA (0.1 ml) intradermally into one of the hind paws. During the treatment schedule, the volume of the hind paw and body weight were recorded at every 7 days intervals, and animals were scored for severe arthritis on days 17, 19, and 21. On the 22nd day, samples of blood were withdrawn by puncturing the retro-orbital sinus for analysis of RBC, WBC, hemoglobin, ALT, AST, ALP, PGE2, and cytokines. After blood withdrawal, animals were euthanized; the paw was separated by cutting at the ankle joint and used for analysis of oxidative stress and antioxidant parameters, as well as for the histopathological study. Administration of butin to CFA-treated animals significantly attenuated the CFA-induced inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and reversed the histopathological alteration towards normal. According to the findings, butin has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties in rats with CFA-induced arthritis.

Anti-Huntington's Effect of Butin in 3-Nitropropionic Acid-Treated Rats: Possible Mechanism of Action

Butin has a strong antioxidant plus anti-inflammatory action and it is reported to be protective in oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Butin has been shown to protect the mouse hippocampus HT22 cells from glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. The current investigation was planned to assess anti-Huntington's effect of butin in 3-nitropropionic acid-treated rats. A total of 32 Wistar rats (200-240 g) were equally segregated into four groups. Groups I and II were treated with vehicle (0.3 ml/100 g) and groups III and IV received butin 25 and 50 mg/kg for 15 days. Daily 1 h post above oral treatments, 3 ml/kg of normal saline was injected (i.p.) to group I animals and 10 mg/kg of 3-NP was injected (i.p.) to II and IV groups for 15 days. During the experimental schedule, behavioral tests were conducted for animals. On day 15, after behavioral parameters, animals were sacrificed and brains were removed for biochemical tests. Systemic administration of 3-NP induced neurobehavioral deficits which resulted in reduced spontaneous locomotor activity, motor incoordination, learning ability, and memory in the animals. Moreover, 3-NP depleted endogenous antioxidants (GSH, catalase, and SOD), mitochondrial complexes activities (I, II, IV, and MTT assay), elevated LDH, MDA, nitrite, and AchE. Administration of butin significantly improved neurobehavioral impairments, nitrative and oxidative stress, activities of mitochondrial enzyme complex, and reduced AchE levels in rat brain.

Flavonoids of the Heartwood of Cotinus coggygria Scop. Showing Protective Effect on Human Lymphocyte DNA

In continuation of our study on Cotinus coggygria from Serbia, 10 known flavonoids (1-10) were isolated from the methylene chloride/methanol extract of the heartwood. They were tested for in vitro protective effect against chromosome aberrations in peripheral human lymphocytes, using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. All tested compounds (in minimal doses of 1 μg/mL) exerted a beneficial effect by decreasing DNA damage of human lymphocytes in the range of 24.2% to 54.5%, better than the radio protectant control, amifostine. Functional groups, such as 3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl (catechol), 5-OH, 3-OH, and 4-keto in flavonoids (3-keto in aurones), which play a key role in antioxidant activity, are proposed to be responsible for the DNA protective activity of the tested compounds.

Plant-Derived Compounds as Promising Therapeutics for Vitiligo

Vitiligo is the most common depigmenting disorder characterized by white patches in the skin. The pathogenetic origin of vitiligo revolves around autoimmune destruction of melanocytes in which, for instance, oxidative stress is responsible for melanocyte molecular, organelle dysfunction and melanocyte specific antigen exposure as well as melanocyte cell death and thus serves as an important contributor for vitiligo progression. In recent years, natural products have shown a wide range of pharmacological bioactivities against many skin diseases, and this review focuses on the effects and mechanisms of natural compounds against vitiligo models. It is showed that some natural compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, glycosides and coumarins have a protective role in melanocytes and thereby arrest the depigmentation, and, additionally, Nrf2/HO-1, MAPK, JAK/STAT, cAMP/PKA, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways were reported to be implicated in these protective effects. This review discusses the great potential of plant derived natural products as anti-vitiligo agents, as well as the future directions to explore.

Phytochemical profile, antioxidant and cytotoxic potential of Parkinsonia aculeata L. growing in Saudi Arabia

Parkinsonia aculeata L. growing in Saudi Arabia was investigated for its phytochemical profile, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS was employed as a powerful technique for the characterization of secondary metabolites from a hydroalcoholic extract, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate fractions of P. aculeata L. aerial parts. Sixty-nine compounds (flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolics and fatty acids) were detected and characterized; flavonoids were the abundant components in the analyzed samples. The dichloromethane fraction was rich in phenolics as vanillic acid hexoside, flavonols as 3,7-dimthylquercetin, and flavones as 3'-hydroxymelanettin. However, the ethyl acetate fraction was rich in flavonoid-C-glycosides as luteolin-8-C-β-D-glucoside (orientin) and apigenin-8-C-glucoside (vitexin), flavonoid- O, C-diglycosides such as luteolin 7-O-[6''-dihydrogalloyl]-glucosyl-8-C-pentosyl-(1 → 2)-glucoside and 2''-O-rhamnosyl isoorientin. These compounds were identified for the first time in dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions of Saudi P. aculeata L. Additionally, all the samples were assessed for antioxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging method and for cytotoxic activity through MTT assay. Accordingly, the most active fraction was the ethyl acetate which showed the highest antioxidant activity (SC₅₀ = 57.4 ± 1.2 μg/mL) compared with the positive control, ascorbic acid (SC₅₀ = 12.4 ± 0.5 μg/mL) and moderate cytotoxicity against HepG-2 (hepatocellular carcinoma) and MCF-7 (breast carcinoma) cell lines with IC₅₀ = 56.9 ± 3.1 and 95.8 ± 3.8 μg/mL, respectively compared with cisplatin (IC₅₀ = 3.67 ± 0.22 and 5.71 ± 0.57 μg/mL, respectively for both cell lines). The antioxidant and cytotoxic activities may be attributed to the presence of high percentage of phenolic compounds and hydroxylated flavonoids detected in ethyl acetate fraction using UPLS-ESI-MS/MS.

AP-1 Expression and its Clinical Relevance in Immune Disorders and Cancer

The inflammatory response is known to have a significant role in certain autoimmune diseases and malignancies. We review current knowledge regarding the functions of activator protein 1 (AP-1) as an important modulator in several immune disorders and carcinomas. AP-1 is overexpressed in rheumatoid arthritis and in long-term allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation survivors; however, decreased expression of AP-1 has been observed in psoriasis, systematic lupus erythematosus and in patients who do not survive after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. AP-1 also is implicated in the control of various cancer cells. Higher levels of AP-1 components are present in breast and endometrial carcinomas, colorectal cancer and in acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin׳s lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma, with downregulation in ovarian and gastric carcinomas and in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. AP-1 may enable the development of helpful markers to identify early-stage disease or to predict severity.

Vitamin K4 inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of U2OS osteosarcoma cells via mitochondrial dysfunction

Vitamin K (VK) is a group of fat‑soluble vitamins, which serve important roles in blood coagulation and bone metabolism. A recent study reported that several VK subtypes possess antitumor properties, however the antitumor effects of VK in osteosarcoma are unknown. The present study aimed to identify the antitumor effects of VK in osteosarcoma and the possible underlying mechanism of action. The effect of VK4 on cell viability was determined using a 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cellular and nuclear morphological changes were observed by phase contrast microscopy. Cell cycle analysis, apoptotic rate, mitochondrial membrane potential and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by flow cytometry. In vitro cancer cell migration activities were evaluated using a Wound healing assay and Transwell microplates. The results demonstrated that VK4 arrested the cells in S phase and induced apoptosis. Additional mechanistic studies indicated that the induction of apoptosis by VK4 was associated with the increased production of reactive oxygen species, dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased Bcl‑2 family protein expression levels and activation of caspase‑3. In conclusion, the results suggest that the sensitivity of U2OS osteosarcoma cells to VK4 may be as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction. As it is readily available for human consumption, VK4 may therefore present a novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of patients with osteosarcoma.

Fisetin attenuates hydrogen peroxide-induced cell damage by scavenging reactive oxygen species and activating protective functions of cellular glutathione system

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can induce cell damage by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in DNA damage and cell death. The aim of this study is to elucidate the protective effects of fisetin (3,7,3',4',-tetrahydroxy flavone) against H2O2-induced cell damage. Fisetin reduced the level of superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical in cell free system, and intracellular ROS generated by H2O2. Moreover, fisetin protected against H2O2-induced membrane lipid peroxidation, cellular DNA damage, and protein carbonylation, which are the primary cellular outcomes of H2O2 treatment. Furthermore, fisetin increased the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) and expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit, which is decreased by H2O2. Conversely, a GSH inhibitor abolished the cytoprotective effect of fisetin against H2O2-induced cells damage. Taken together, our results suggest that fisetin protects against H2O2-induced cell damage by inhibiting ROS generation, thereby maintaining the protective role of the cellular GSH system.

ortho-Amidoalkylation of phenols via tandem one-pot approach involving oxazine intermediate

A new and efficient method for ortho-amidoalkylation of phenols via Mannich-type condensation with formaldehyde and lactams using recyclable solid acid catalyst is described. This is the first report for ortho-amidoalkylation of phenols by lactams via Mannich-type condensation. LC-ESI-MS/MS based mechanistic study revealed that reaction proceeds through o-quinone methide (o-QM) and an oxazine intermediate via tandem Knoevenagel condensation, formal [4 + 2]-Diels-Alder cycloaddition and acid catalyzed oxazine ring-opening.