Pueraria lobata-Prunus mume Complex Alleviates Alcoholic Liver Disease by Regulating Lipid Metabolism and Inhibiting Inflammation: A Transcriptome and Gut Microbiota Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lipid metabolism disorder appears to be one of the early features of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which can be speculated via omics analysis including liver transcriptomics and gut microbiota. A complex consisting of the roots of Pueraria lobata and dried fruits of Prunus mume (PPC), which possesses hepatoprotective effects, could serve as a drug or functional food. The lack of non-polysaccharide compounds in PPC with their moderation effects on gut microbiota suggests the necessity for a relevant study. METHODS: Six groups of Kunming mice (control, Baijiu injury, silybin, low, medium, and high) were modelled by gavage with Baijiu (for 14 days) and PPC (equivalent to a maximum dose of 9 g/kg in humans). The liver transcriptome data were analyzed to predict gene annotation, followed by the verification of gut microbiota, serum, tissue staining, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to detect the components. RESULTS: PPC normalized serum ALT (40 U/L), down-regulated TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit the release of TNF-α (90 pg/mL), improved the expression of occludin, claudin-4, and ZO-1, and restored the abundance of Muribaculaceae, Bacteroides and Streptococcus. CONCLUSION: PPC can alleviate ALD by regulating the gut microbiota with an anti-inflammatory and intestinal barrier, and has an application value in developing functional foods.

HPLC-DAD Analysis, SFE-CO2 Extraction, and Antibacterial Activity on Bioactive Compounds from Mosla chinensis Maxim.

Mosla chinensis Maxim is an annual herb with many potential purposes in agricultural, industrial, and pharmaceutical fields. At present, the extract of the whole plant from M. chinensis has been proven to demonstrate antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Previous studies focused on the enzyme pretreatment in hydrodistillation from M. chinensis. However, organic solvent or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide extraction (SFE-CO2) methods, which are commonly utilized in industry, have seldom been studied and cannot provide multiple evaluations of yield. In this work, we analysed compounds from M. chinensis by HPLC-DAD, discussed n-hexane extraction, and conducted further investigations on SFE-CO2 through the design of response surface methodology (RSM). The sample obtained from pilot-scale SFE-CO2 was also tested against nine kinds of microorganisms. Single-factor results revealed that the extraction rates from M. chinensis by steam distillation, n-hexane extraction, and SFE-CO2 were 1%, 2.09%, and 3.26%, respectively. RSM results showed a significant improvement in extraction rate through optimising pressure and time, and the interaction of both factors was more important than that of temperature-pressure and temperature-time. A pilot-scale test with an extraction rate of 3.34% indicated that the predicted RSM condition was operable. In addition, samples from the pilot-scale SFE-CO2 showed antibacterial effects against three previously unreported bacteria (Gardnerella vaginalis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Propionibacterium acnes). These results fill the gap in previous research and provide more information for the application and development of M. chinensis in the future.

Norbisabolane-type sesquiterpenoid derivatives, benzofuran lignans and a phenolic glycoside from the roots of Glochidion wilsonii Hutch.

Three highly oxygenated norbisabolane sesquiterpenoid glycosides (glochiwilsonosides A-C), five benzofuran lignans (glochiwilsonises A-E) and a phenolic glycoside (glochiwilsophe-noside), together with forty-one known compounds, were isolated from the roots of Glochidion wilsonii Hutch. The chemical structures of the compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods and previous literature data. Glochiwilsonoside A displayed anti-proliferative activity on A-549 and RAW 264.7 cell lines with an IC50 value of 34.5 ± 0.9 µM and CC50 value of 16.0 ± 0.9 µM, respectively. Twenty-three known compounds were reported from the genus Glochidion for the first time, and the chemotaxonomic characteristics of the isolated compounds were also summarized. The bisabolane/norbisabolane-type sesqui-terpenoid derivatives could be used as chemotaxonomic markers for G. wilsonii.

Severe brain calcification and migraine headache caused by SLC20A2 and PDGFRB heterozygous mutations in a five-year-old Chinese girl.

BACKGROUND: Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a rare inheritable neurodegenerative disease characterized by bilateral calcification in different brain regions and by a range of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Six causative genes of PFBC (SLC20A2, PDGFRB, PDGFB, XPR1, MYORG, and JAM2) have been identified. METHODS: Sanger sequencing was used to identify the causative genes associated with PFBC in this study. RESULTS: We describe the first PFBC case with both SLC20A2 and PDGFRB heterozygous mutations. Notably, this patient with the digenic mutation (who was only 5 years old) showed severe brain calcification and migraine, whereas the patient's parents, who each carried a heterozygous mutation in SLC20A2 or PDGFRB, exhibited varying degrees of brain calcification but were clinically asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the digenic influences on the characteristics of PFBC patients.

Murine Placental-Fetal Phosphate Dyshomeostasis Caused by an Xpr1 Deficiency Accelerates Placental Calcification and Restricts Fetal Growth in Late Gestation.

Phosphorus is a necessary component of all living organisms. This nutrient is mainly transported from the maternal blood to the fetus via the placenta, and insufficient phosphorus availability via the placenta disturbs the normal development of the fetus, especially fetal bone formation in late gestation. Key proteins (phosphate transporters and exporters) that are responsible for the maintenance of placental-fetal phosphorus homeostasis have been identified. A deficiency in the phosphate transporter Pit2 has been shown to result in placental calcification and the retardation of fetal development in mice. What roles does XPR1 (the only known phosphate exporter) play in maintaining placental-fetal phosphorus homeostasis? In this study, we found that Xpr1 expression is strong in the murine placenta and increases with age during gestation. We generated a global Xpr1 knockout mouse and found that heterozygous (Xpr1+/- ) and homozygous (Xpr1-/- ) fetuses have lower inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels in amniotic fluid and serum and a decreased skeletal mineral content. Xpr1-deficient placentas show abnormal Pi exchange during gestation. Therefore, Xpr1 deficiency in the placenta disrupts placental-fetal Pi homeostasis. We also discovered that the placentas of the Xpr1+/- and Xpr1-/- embryos are severely calcified. Mendelian inheritance statistics for offspring outcomes indicated that Xpr1-deficient embryos are significantly reduced in late gestation. In addition, Xpr1-/- mice die perinatally and a small proportion of Xpr1+/- mice die neonatally. RNA sequence (RNA-Seq) analysis of placental mRNA revealed that many of the transcripts are significantly differentially expressed due to Xpr1 deficiency and are linked to dysfunction of the placenta. This study is the first to reveal that XPR1 plays an important role in maintaining placental-fetal Pi homeostasis, disruption of which causes severe placental calcification, delays normal placental function, and restricts fetal growth. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Separation and preparation of xanthochymol and guttiferone E by high performance liquid chromatography and high speed counter-current chromatography combined with silver nitrate coordination reaction.

Xanthochymol (XCM) and guttiferone E (GFE), a pair of π bond benzophenone isomers from Garcinia xanthochymus, were once reported to be difficult or impossible to separate. The present study reports the successful separation of these two isomers through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), as well as their effective isolation using high speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) based on the silver nitrate (AgNO3) coordination reaction. First, an effective HPLC separation system was developed, achieving a successful baseline separation with resolution of 2.0. Based on the partition coefficient (K) resolved by HPLC, the two-phase solvent system was determined as n-hexane, methanol and water with the uncommon volume ratio of 4:6:1. A crude extract of Garcinia xanthochymus (0.2g) was purified by normal HSCCC and refined with AgNO3-HSCCC. Monomers of XCM and GFE were identified by HPLC, mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results demonstrate the separation and isolation of π bond benzophenone isomers using ordinary octadecyl silane (C18) columns and HSCCC.

Six New Triterpene Derivatives from Aralia chinensis Var. dasyphylloides.

Aralia chinensis var. dasyphylloides is widely distributed in China and used as a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of digestive and immune system diseases. The present study aimed to search for novel oleanolic-type triterpenoids in low-polarity fractions. Six new triterpene derivatives (1-6), together with two known compounds were isolated from the barks of A. chinensis var. dasyphylloides. Their structures were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. They were identified as 3-oxo-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28,30-dioic acid (1), 30-hydroxy-3-oxo-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid (2), 3ß-hydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (3), 3ß,30-dihydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (4), 3ß-hydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-3-O-ß-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-d-glucopyranoside (5), 3ß,29-dihydroxy-oleana-9(11),12-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (6), namely, araliachinolic acids I and II and araliachinosides I-IV. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was tested against HepG2, A549, SGC7901, and MCF7 cell lines, but no apparent activity was observed at a concentration of 50 µM.

Interaction of lobed kudzuvine root, rhizoma chuanxiong with both acetylcholinesterase and beta-amyloid (Aß1-42).

BACKGROUND: Lobed kudzuvine root and rhizoma chuanxiong are effective drugs in traditional Chinese medicine. OBJECTIVE: Extracts of the two medicines were investigated for their in vitro of beta-amyloid (Aß1-42)-aggregation-and acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibitory activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The interaction of lobed kudzuvine root, rhizoma chuanxiong with both acetylcholinesterase and beta-amyloid (Aß1-42) were studied by Michaelis-Menten equations, Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence analysis and transmission electron microscope (TEM). RESULTS: Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase showed that 1-butanol fraction of the two medicines were noncompetitive inhibition, apparent inhibition constants were 9.947 and 7.1523. ThT fluorescence analysis and TEM results indicated that inhibition of the water fraction and 1-butanol fraction (both lobed kudzuvine root and rhizoma chuanxiong) was better. CONCLUSION: The result supported further research on chemical constituents and pharmacological mechanisms.