Ethanolic extract of Tulipa edulis Bak induces apoptosis in SGC-7901 human gastric carcinoma cells via the mitochondrial signaling pathway

Tuliposides H-J and Bioactive Components from the Bulb of Amana edulis

Three new tuliposides H-J (1-3) and 11 known compounds were obtained from the methanolic extracts of the bulbs of Amana edulis for the first time. Their structures were elucidated by NMR, MS, and IR spectroscopic data, optical rotation, and Mosher's method. The melanogenesis properties of all the isolates were evaluated in B16 melanoma cells. Consequently, tributyl citrate (9) had anti-melanogenesis activity but was cytotoxic toward B16. (+)-Pyroglutamic acid (4), (+)-butyl 5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylate (6), (-)-3-hydroxy-2-methylbutyrolactone (10), and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (12) had increased melanin productions and tyrosinase activities. Those active components could be further studied as the candidates against melanoma and vitiligo for skin diseases or whitening/hypopigmentation for hair.

Neuroprotective Effect of Catalpol via Anti-Oxidative, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Apoptotic Mechanisms

Neuroinflammation and neuro-oxidative damage are now considered to be key factors in the neurological diseases. Therefore, it is important to study anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agents. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of catalpol (CAT), and the potential molecular mechanisms involved. The findings revealed that CAT markedly downregulated pro-inflammatory mediator nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated BV2 microglial cells. Moreover, CAT significantly decreased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) level, reversed apoptosis, and restored mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in primary cortical neurons stimulated with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Furthermore, mechanistic studies showed that CAT inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway and p53-mediated Bcl-2/Bax/casaspe-3 apoptotic pathway. Moreover, it targeted the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1)/Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. In summary, CAT may exert neuroprotective potential by attenuating microglial-mediated neuroinflammatory response through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. It blocked cortical neuronal oxidative damage by inhibiting p53-mediated Bcl-2/Bax/casaspe-3 apoptosis pathway and regulating Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. These results collectively indicate the potential of CAT as a highly effective therapeutic agent for neuroinflammatory and neuro-oxidative disorders.

Antitumor effects of baicalin on ovarian cancer cells through induction of cell apoptosis and inhibition of cell migration in vitro

Baicalin, an active flavone isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been demonstrated to induce various beneficial biochemical effects such as anti‑inflammatory, anti‑viral, and antitumor effects. However, the antitumor mechanism of baicalin is not well understood. In the present study, baicalin was demonstrated to inhibit the viability and migration of a widely used ovarian cancer cell line, A2780, in a dose‑dependent manner. MTT assays revealed that cell viability significantly decreased in ovarian cancer cells treated with baicalin compared with untreated cells, without effect on normal ovarian cells. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that baicalin suppressed cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis. The underlying mechanisms involved were indicated to be downregulation of the anti‑apoptotic protein B‑cell lymphoma 2 apoptosis regulator and activation of caspase‑3 and ‑9. In addition, wound healing and transwell assays revealed that cell migratory potential and expression of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)‑2 and MMP‑9 were significantly inhibited when cells were exposed to baicalin, compared with untreated cells. The present study therefore suggested that baicalin has the potential to be used in novel anti‑cancer therapeutic formulations for treatment of ovarian cancer.

Identification of miRNAs Involved in Stolon Formation in Tulipa edulis by High-Throughput Sequencing

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous, non-coding small RNAs that play an important role in transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation. However, the sequence information and functions of miRNAs are still unexplored in Tulipa edulis. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was used to identify small RNAs in stolon formation stages (stage 1, 2, and 3) in T. edulis. A total of 12,890,912, 12,182,122, and 12,061,434 clean reads were obtained from stage 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Among the reads, 88 conserved miRNAs and 70 novel miRNAs were identified. Target prediction of 122 miRNAs resulted in 531 potential target genes. Nr, Swiss-Prot, GO, COG, and KEGG annotations revealed that these target genes participate in many biologic and metabolic processes. Moreover, qRT-PCR was performed to analyze the expression levels of the miRNAs and target genes in stolon formation. The results revealed that miRNAs play a key role in T. edulis stolon formation.