Antibacterial Diphenyl Ether, Benzophenone and Xanthone Derivatives from Aspergillus flavipes.

The extract of the strain Aspergillus flavipes DL-11 exerted antibacterial activities against six Gram-positive bacteria. During the following bioassay-guided separation, ten diphenyl ethers (1-10), two benzophenones (11-12), together with two xanthones (13-14) were isolated. Among them, 4'-chloroasterric acid (1) was a new chlorinated diphenyl ether. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data analysis, including IR, HR-ESI-MS, NMR experiments, and by comparison with the literature data. All compounds showed moderate to strong antibacterial effects on different Gram-positive bacteria with MIC values that ranged from 3.13 to 50 µg/mL, but none of the compounds exhibited activity against Gram-negative bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC17802 (MIC>100 µg/mL). In particular, the MICs of some compounds are at the level of positive control.

[Protective effect of raspberry extract on ConA-induced acute liver injuryin mice].

In this experiment,the antioxidant capacity of raspberry extract and the protective effect on liver injury induced by ConA in mice were investigated. Balb/C male mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal group,model group,bicyclol control group( 200 mg·kg~(-1)),low-dose raspberry extract group( 200 mg·kg~(-1)),middle-dose raspberry extract group( 400 mg·kg~(-1)),and highdose raspberry extract group( 800 mg·kg~(-1)). Each group was intragastrically administered with drugs according to the body weight once a day. Seven days later,all of the groups except for the normal group were treated with ConA( 20 mg·kg~(-1)) through tail vein injection to establish the acute liver injury model. The mice were put to death 8 hours later. The organ indexes were calculated. These rum levels of ALT,AST and LDH and the activities of SOD,CAT,GSH and MDA in liver tissue were detected. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue in mice. Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Bax,Bcl-2,Nrf2 and Keap-1. The antioxidant capacity of raspberry extract was measured by CAA assay. The results showed that,raspberry extract had a strong antioxidant capacity. Simultaneously,compared with the model group,raspberry extract can significantly improve the pathological conditions of liver,and significantly reduce ALT,AST and LDH activities in serum of liver injury mice( P<0. 01). The activities of SOD,CAT in liver homogenate supernatant were significantly increased in the high-dose group,the content of GSH increased,while the content of MDA was sharply declined in the high-dose group( P<0. 01). Meanwhile,raspberry extract down-regulated the expressions of Bax and Keap-1 and up-regulated the expressions of Bcl-2 and Nrf2. CAA showed that the compound raspberry extract had a strong antioxidant capacity. Therefore,raspberry extract has an obvious protective effect on acute liver injury induced by ConA in mice.

[Trace phenolic compounds from Red Yeast Rice].

Trace chemical constituents from the ethyl acetate extract of Red Yeast Rice were investigated. Four phenolic compounds were isolated by various column chromatographies, and their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including UV, MS, IR and NMR. The four compounds were identified as 2-methyl-5-(2'R-methyl-4'-hydroxy-butyl)-cinnamic acid(1), 5-(2'-hydroxy-6'-methyl phenyl)-3-methylfuran-2-carboxylic acid(2), daidzein(3), and genistein(4). Compound 1 was new and 2 was firstly discovered from the genus Monascus, while 3-4 were obtained from Red Yeast Rice for the first time.

A pair of new isocoumarin epimers from soil fungus Hypoxylon sp.

In our research on novel secondary metabolites from micro-organisms, two new (1-2) and four known dihydroisocoumarins (3-6) were derived from soil fungus Hypoxylon sp. Their structures were determined with extensive NMR data analysis and ECD calculation comparing with those of experimental CD spectra. Interestingly, compounds 1 and 2 possessed the same planar structure and very similar NMR data, suggesting 1 and 2 were a pair of epimers at either C-3 or at C-4, confirmed by the totally opposite cotton effect around 250 nm in the CD spectra of 1 and 2. Moreover, for the first time, we revealed that the CD absorption peak at 250 nm was dominated by C-3 orientation, rather than the orientation of C-3 substituents, by intensive ECD investigations.

New flavonoid from Patrinia villosa.

CONTEXT: Patrinia villosa (Thunb.) Juss (Valerianaceae) is an important ancient herbal medicine widely used for inflammation, wound healing, and abdominal pain. But little is known of the phytochemical constituents of this herbal plant. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to isolate and identify the bioactive components from P. villosa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 70% EtOH extract of P. villosa was subjected to normal-phase silica, ODS silica gel column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC chromatography after partitioned successively with light petroleum, dichloromethane and n-BuOH. Chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including UV, 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and CD spectra. The cytotoxic activity of the new component was determined with the SMMC-7721 cell line using the MTT method after incubation for 48 h. RESULTS: A new flavonoid named patriniaflavanone A (1) along with four known compounds was isolated from P. villosa. The four known compounds were identified as luteolin 7-O-glucuronide-6″-methyl ester (2), p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid methyl ester (3), trans-caffeic acid (4), and trans-caffeic acid methylate (5) by comparison of their spectral data with the reported data. The IC50 value of patriniaflavanone A (1) on SMMC-7721 was 61.27 µM. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This is the first report on the isolation and identification of patriniaflavanone A (1), and compounds 2-5 were isolated for the first time from the title plant. Patriniaflavanone A (1) exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity.

[Study on the Apoptotic Mechanisms of Human Liver Cancer HepG-2 Cells Induced by Total Saponins of Ornithogalum caudatum].

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of human liver cancer HepG-2 cells apoptosis induced by total saponins of Ornithogalum caudatum( OCA-TS). Methods: The anti-proliferative effects of OCA-TS on HepG-2 cells was detected by MTT assay; the inverted microscope was used to observe cell morphology; transmission electron microscope( TEM) was used to observe the cellular ultrastructure changes; flow cytometry method was used to detect the apoptosis rate, mitochondrial membrane potential, and protein expression level of Cyt-C; Caspase-3 activity was measured by ELISA. Results: OCA-TS can inhibit the proliferation of HepG-2 cells and the IC50 was 79. 80 ± 0. 18 µg / m L. After treated by OCA-TS, cells became round, and the refractivity of cells receded, the number of suspension cells increased. By TEM method, the cells presented typical apoptosis characteristics. With the increasing of concentration of OCA-TS, cell apoptosis rate, the protein expression level of Cyt-C and the activity of Caspase-3 were increased markedly( P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01). Conclusion: OCA-TS can effectively inhibit the proliferation of human liver cancer HepG-2 cells by inducing apoptosis of HepG-2 cells through mitochondrial pathway.

Targeted gene capture and massively parallel sequencing identify TMC1 as the causative gene in a six-generation Chinese family with autosomal dominant hearing loss.

Hereditary nonsyndromic hearing loss is extremely heterogeneous. Mutations in the transmembrane channel-like gene1 (TMC1) are known to cause autosomal dominant and recessive forms of nonsyndromic hearing loss linked to the loci of DFNA36 and DFNB7/11, respectively. We characterized a six-generation Chinese family (5315) with progressive, postlingual autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss (ADNSHL). By combining targeted capture of 82 known deafness genes, next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, we identified TMC1 c.1714G>A (p. D572N) as the disease-causing mutation. This mutation co-segregated with hearing loss in other family members and was not detected in 308 normal controls. In order to determine the prevalence of TMC1 c.1714G>A in Chinese ADNSHL families, we used DNA samples from 67 ADNSHL families with sloping audiogram and identified two families carry this mutation. To determine whether it arose from a common ancestor, we analyzed nine STR markers. Our results indicated that TMC1 c.1714G>A (p.D572N) account for about 4.4% (3/68) of ADNSHL in the Chinese population.

New C13 lipids from the marine-derived fungus Trichoderma harzianum.

Chemical examination of the fermentation broth of a sponge-associated fungus Trichoderma harzinum HMS-15-3 led to the isolation of four pairs of new C13 lipid enantiomers namely harzianumols A-H (1a-4b). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic (IR, MS, 1D, and 2D NMR) data analysis, including the modified Mosher's method for the assignment of their absolute configurations. The new compounds were evaluated for antihyperlipidemic effects in HepG2 cells.

Screening antitumor bioactive fraction from Sauromatum giganteum (Engl.) Cusimano & Hett and sensitive cell lines with the serum pharmacology method and identification by UPLC-TOF-MS.

Sauromatum giganteum (Engl.) Cusimano & Hett Tuber are used in Chinese folklore medicine for treatment of neoplasms. However, the claim has not been scientifically validated. The aim of the study is to screen the antitumor bioactive fraction of Sauromatum giganteum (Engl.) Cusimano & Hett Tuber and sensitive tumor cell lines using a cytotoxicity assay in vitro and tumor transplantation method in vivo, to support its use in folk medicine. The petroleum ether fraction, chloroform fraction, ethyl acetate fraction, n-butanol fraction and water fraction were successively extracted by turn by the maceration under reflux assay. Screening of antitumor bioactive fraction and sensitive cell lines were measured by MTT assay and the serum pharmacology method, and in vivo the antitumor activities of the active fraction was evaluated by using S180 or H22 tumor-bearing mice model and Kunming mice. The active constituents of ethyl acetate fraction of Sauromatum giganteum (Engl.) Cusimano & Hett were characterized by UPLC-TOF-MS. Compared with control groups, mice serum containing ethyl acetate fraction had a inhibition effect on SMMC-7721 cell, SGC-7901 cell, MCF-7 cell, HeLa cell, A549 cell, HT-29, and MDA-MB-231, respectively, but mice serum containing other four fractions had no different with that of control group. The inhibition capabilities of mice serum containing ethyl acetate fraction on the seven cell lines in descending order is SGC-7901 > SMMC-7721 > MCF-7 > HT-29 > A549 > HeLa > MDA-MB-231. In vivo the inhibition rate of 106, 318, 954 mg/kg·d ethyl acetate fraction dry extract to sarcoma S180 is 15.22%, 26.15% and 40.24%, respectively, and life prolonging rate to hepatoma H22 is 33.61%, 40.16% and 55.74%. A total of 14 compounds were identified in the ethyl acetate fraction of Sauromatum giganteum (Engl.) Cusimano & Hett. The results of the experimental studies proved the antitumor activity of Sauromatum giganteum (Engl.) Cusimano & Hett and supported the traditional use of this plant. These data indicate the potential for the use of ethyl acetate fraction of Sauromatum giganteum (Engl.) Cusimano & Hett Tuber in tumor therapy, anti-tumor activity on cancer cell line in descending order is SGC-7901 > SMMC-7721 > MCF-7 > HT-29 > A549 > HeLa > MDA-MB-231.

Magnesium ions improving the growth and organics reduction of Rhodospirillum rubrum cultivated in sewage through regulating energy metabolism pathways.

Rhodospirillum rubrum has the potential for biomass resource recycling combined with sewage purification. However, low biomass production and yield restricts the potential for sewage purification. This research investigated the improvement of biomass production, yield and organics reduction by Mg²âº in R. rubrum wastewater treatment. Results showed that with optimal dosage (120 mg/L), biomass production reached 4,000 mg/L, which was 1.5 times of that of the control group. Biomass yield was improved by 43.3%. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal reached over 90%. Hydraulic retention time was shortened by 25%. Mechanism analysis indicated that Mg²âº enhanced the isocitrate dehydrogenase and Ca²âº/Mg²âº-ATPase activities, bacteriochlorophyll content on respiration and photophosphorylation. These effects then enhanced ATP production, which led to more biomass accumulation and COD removal. With 120 mg/L Mg²âº dosage, the isocitrate dehydrogenase and Ca²âº/Mg²âº-ATPase activities, bacteriochlorophyll content, ATP production were improved, respectively, by 33.3%, 50%, 67%, 41.3% compared to those of the control group.

[Impact of AMPKgamma silencing on AMPK activation and intracellular lipids regulation].

The study is aimed to confirm the silencing efficiency of the vector in human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2), and observe effects of AMPKgamma silencing on the AMPK stimulating activity and lipid synthesis of cordycepin (CCS), a natural product with known AMPK activating function. The downregulating efficacy of siRNAs on AMPKgamma expression was confirmed in our previous study. The double stranded shRNA Oligo was ligated to lentivirus vector and verified by sequencing. The lentiviral which can effectively inhibited protein expression levels of AMPKgamma was selected by Western blotting, and the regulation of CCS on protein expression of AMPKgamma and p-AMPK in AMPKgamma silence cells were detected by Western blotting analysis. The lipid accumulation in cells was observed by Oil-Red O stain and cells were collected for the estimation of cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG). The results showed that the lentiviral vector carrying a shRNA targeting the AMPKgamma gene was successfully constructed. Western blotting analysis confirmed that GR085 had the highest interfering efficiency. Treatment with CCS can significantly increase the levels of phospho-AMPK in normal cells, and the level of TC, TG was reduced, but in AMPKgamma silence cells the effects of CCS on AMPK activation and lipid synthesis were almost completely abolished without changing the expression levels of total AMPK or AMPKgamma protein. In conclusion, the AMPKgamma gene may be related to AMPK activation and intracellular lipids regulation by CCS.

[Research progress of transgenic Drosophila model of Alzheimer disease].

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. Drosophila has been regard as one of the ideal models for Alzheimer because of its unique advantage on genetic manipulation. AD transgenic drosophila models not only help to elucidate the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease, but also provide potential screening models for drugs to treat the disease. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress using AD transgenic drosophila.

Optimization of synthesis, characterization and cytotoxic activity of Seleno-Capparis spionosa L. polysaccharide.

In this study, an experiment was designed to optimize the synthesis of seleno-Capparis spionosa L. polysaccharide (Se-CSPS) by response surface methodology. Three independent variables (reaction time, reaction temperature and ratio of Na(2)SeO(3) to CSPS) were tested. Furthermore, the thermal stability, particle size, shape and cytotoxic activity of Se-CSPS in vitro were investigated. The optimum reaction conditions were obtained shown as follows: reaction time 7.5 h, reaction temperature 71 °C, and ratio of Na(2)SeO(3) to CSPS 0.9 g/g. Under these conditions, the Se content in Se-CSPS reached 5.547 mg/g, which was close to the predicted value (5.518 mg/g) by the model. The thermal stability, particle size and shape of Se-CSPS were significantly different from those of CSPS. Additionally, a MTT assay indicated that the Se-CSPS could inhibit the proliferation of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells in a dose-dependent manner.

Laminarin induces apoptosis of human colon cancer LOVO cells through a mitochondrial pathway.

Many scientific studies have shown that laminarin has anti-tumor effects, but the anti-tumor mechanism was unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of laminarin on the induction of apoptosis in human colon cancer LOVO cells and the molecular mechanism involved. LOVO cells were treated with different concentrations of laminarin at different times. Morphology observations were performed to determine the effects of laminarin on apoptosis of LOVO cells. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pH. Laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) was used to analyze intracellular calcium ion concentration, mitochondrion permeability transition pore (MPTP) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Western blotd were performed to analyze the expressions of Cyt-C, Caspase-9 and -3. The results showed the apoptosis morphology, which showed cell protuberance, concentrated cytoplasm and apoptotic bodies, was obvious after 72 h treatment. Laminarin treatment for 24 h increased the intracellular level of ROS and Ca²âº; decreased pH value; activated intracellular MPTP and decreased MMP in dose-dependent manners. It also induced the release of Cyt-C and the activation of Caspase-9 and -3. In conclusion, laminarin induces LOVO cell apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway, suggesting that it could be a potent agent for cancer prevention and treatment.

Optimizing the extraction of anti-tumor polysaccharides from the fruit of Capparis spionosa L. by response surface methodology.

Capparis spionosa L. is a traditional medicinal plant in China and central Asia. In this study, an experiment was designed to investigate the optimization of the extraction of anti-tumor polysaccharides from the fruit of Capparis spionosa L. (CSPS) by response surface methodology (RSM). Four independent variables (extraction temperature, extraction time, ratio of water to sample and extraction cycles) were explored. Meanwhile, the in vivo anti-tumor activity of CSPS was investigated. The results showed that the experimental data could be fitted to a second-order polynomial equation using multiple regression analysis. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: extraction temperature 92 °C, extraction time 140 min, ratio of water to sample 26 mL/g, and three extraction cycle. Under these conditions, the yield of polysaccharides reached 13.01%, which was comparable to the predicted yield (12.94%, p > 0.05). This indicated that the model was adequate for the extraction process. Additionally, CSPS could prolong the survival time of H22 bearing mice in vivo. The anti-tumor activities of CSPS were dose-dependent.

Optimization of trypsin extraction technology of Allium cepa L. polysaccharide by response surface methodology and the antitumor effects through immunomodulation.

The trypsin-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Allium cepa L. was optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum extraction conditions were extraction temperature, extraction time, extraction pH, and enzyme amount of 37.16°C, 180 min, 8.57, and 5.16%, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the yield of A. cepa L. polysaccharides (ACP) reached 9.69%, which was comparable with the predicted yield (9.73%). Mid- and high-dose ACP significantly inhibited the tumor growth (43.93%) and the tumor inhibition percentage (38.05%), which were more than 30%. The ACP could extend the survival time of H22 ascites tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, the ACP could reduce the thymus and the spleen atrophy and significantly promoted the Con A-induced proliferation of splenocytes and elevated the serum IFN-γ and IL-2 levels. Therefore, the ACP could inhibit the tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice and regulated the immune function of mice. Practical ApplicationsThe trypsin-assisted extraction has high efficiency, is carried out through the polysaccharide extraction and the deproteinization at the same time, and is more convenient and fast than traditional methods. No detailed study on the optimization of the trypsin extraction of onion polysaccharides is available. Thus, this experiment aims to use the BBD (4 factors and 3 levels) to optimize the roles of extraction temperature, extraction time, extraction pH, and amount of enzyme on the yield of polysaccharides obtained from the fruit of A. cepa L. In addition, when looking for high-quality biological functional principles for the pharmaceutical industry, the antitumor activity of ACP was evaluated. A. cepa L. is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed crops worldwide. Polysaccharides are the main active ingredient, and studies have shown that a high intake of Allium vegetables is associated with reduced risk of cancers.

A new benzophenone with biological activities purified from Aspergillus fumigatus SWZ01.

Strain SZW01 was isolated from sea sediment collected from Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China, and was later identified as Aspergillus fumigatus by16S rDNA sequence analysis. Various chromatographic processes led to the isolation and purification of three compounds from the fermentation culture of SZW01, including a new compound, 2,6'-dihydroxy-2,4'dimethoxy-8'-methyl-6-methoxy-acyl-ethyl-diphenylmethanone (1), and two known compounds: fumigaclavine C (2) and alternarosin A (3), as characterised by UV, IR, 1 D, 2 D-NMR and MS data. The antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of these compounds were evaluated. The result illustrated that compound 1 exhibited a moderate antioxidant activity and stronger α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than acarbose.

A new benzophenone with biological activities from metabolites of butyrolactone I in rat faeces.

Butyrolactone I, one of the major secondary metabolites of fungus Aspergillus terreus, is a selective cdc2 kinase inhibitor. In the present study, the metabolism of butyrolactone I in male Wistar rats was investigated by characterising metabolites excreted into faeces. Following an oral dose of 40 mg/kg butyrolactone I, two phase I metabolites were isolated from the faeces of rat. The new structure was identified on the spectroscopic data analysis. The new compound V1 and known compound V2 were tested for their cytotoxicity, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. V1 and V2 showed significant free radical scavenging ability. V2 also showed strong inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Screening mutations of OTOF gene in Chinese patients with auditory neuropathy, including a familial case of temperature-sensitive auditory neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in OTOF gene, encoding otoferlin, cause DFNB9 deafness and non-syndromic auditory neuropathy (AN). The aim of this study is to identify OTOF mutations in Chinese patients with non-syndromic auditory neuropathy. METHODS: 73 unrelated Chinese Han patients with AN, including one case of temperature sensitive non-syndromic auditory neuropathy (TS-NSRAN) and 92 ethnicity-matched controls with normal hearing were screened. Forty-five pairs of PCR primers were designed to amplify all of the exons and their flanking regions of the OTOF gene. The PCR products were sequenced and analyzed for mutation identification. RESULTS: Five novel possibly pathogenic variants (c.1740delC, c.2975_2978delAG, c.1194T>A, c.1780G>A, c.4819C > T) were identified in the group of 73 AN patients, in which two novel mutant alleles (c.2975_2978delAG + c.4819C > T) were identified in one Chinese TS-NSRAN case. Besides, 10 non-pathogenic variants of the OTOF gene were found in AN patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Screening revealed that mutations in the OTOF gene account for AN in 4 of 73(5.5%) sporadic AN patients, which shows a lower genetic load of that gene in contrast to the previous studies based on other populations. Notably, we found two novel mutant alleles related to temperature sensitive non-syndromic auditory neuropathy. This mutation screening study further confirms that the OTOF gene contributes to ANs and to TS-NSRAN.

Sulfated modification, characterization and monosaccharide composition analysis of Undaria pinnatifida polysaccharides and anti-tumor activity.

Undaria pinnatifida (U. pinnatifida) polysaccharides (UPPS) are considered to be the major bioactive components of U. pinnatifida. The aim of the present study was to investigate the separation, sulfated modification, characterization and monosaccharide composition of UPPS. The optimal processing conditions were as follows: Distilled water-to-solid ratio, 50 ml/g; extraction time, 300 min; and extraction temperature, 90˚C. The major polysaccharide fraction of U. pinnatifida (UPPS-B1) was purified via DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-200 column chromatography. The chlorosulfonic acid-pyridine method was applied for sulfation modification. UPPS-B1 and sulfated (S)-UPPS-B1 were characterized via chemical analysis, ultraviolet-visible and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The total sugar content of UPPS-B1 and S-UPPS-B1 was 79.78 and 77.28%, respectively. The sulfate radical content of UPPS-B1 and S-UPPS-B1 was 8.53 and 29.12%, whilst the content of uronic acid was 9.29 and 7.98%, respectively. The average molecular weight of UPPS-B1 and S-UPPS-B1 was determined to be 37 and 110 kD, respectively. UPPS-B1 was considered to be a heteropolysaccharide composed of xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose at a ratio of 7.9:8.7:12.0:9.8. In addition, S-UPPS-B1 was a heteropolysaccharide composed of xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose at a ratio of 1.0:9.7:6.4:1.6. The results of the tumor growth inhibition experiment demonstrated that UPPS-B1 exhibited anti-tumor activity in vivo, which was improved following sulfation to yield S-UPPS-B1.