(R)-panaxadiol by whole cells of filamentous fungus Absidia coerulea AS 3.3382.

The microbial transformation of 20(R)-panaxadiol (PD) by the fungus Absidia coerulea AS 3.3382 afforded three new and three known metabolites. The structures of the metabolites were characterized as 3-oxo-20(R)-panaxadiol (1), 3-oxo-7ß- hydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (2), 3-oxo-22ß-hydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (3), 3-oxo- 7ß,22ß-dihydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (4), 3-oxo-7ß,24ß-dihydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (5), and 3-oxo-7ß,24α-dihydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (6). Among them, 2-4 were new compounds. In addition, compounds 3 and 4 exhibited significant anti-hepatic fibrosis activity.

[Curcumin inhibits iron overload-induced hepatocytic apoptosis and nuclear factor-κB activity].

OBJECTIVE: Iron is an essential micronutrient for human beings but its overload induces various diseases of liver, the main body storage site for iron, such as liver fibrosis. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol derived from turmeric and has been used widely. Its pharmacological action has attracted great attention in recent years. The apoptosis of rat cultured hepatocytes was induced by FeNTA (ferric nitrilotriacetate)-induced Iron overload. The present study was to examine the effect of curcumin at low concentrations on FeNTA-induced apoptosis of hepatocytes and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: After the incubation of hepatocytes with 100 µmol/L FeNTA in the presence or absence of 1 - 10 µmmol/L of curcumin, a series of analyses were performed, including the analyses of hepatocytic apoptosis, the expressions of proteins relating with the regulations of cell apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nuclear factor NF-κB activity. RESULTS: Curcumin reduced the FeNTA-induced hepatocytic apoptosis by 46.65% and significantly down-regulated the protein levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. In contrast, it had no effect on the protein levels of Bax and Bad. The curcumin treatment reduced FeNTA-caused production of ROS and caspase-3 activity by 45.01% and 59.71% respectively. And the NF-κB activity was also inhibited. CONCLUSION: Curcumin at low concentrations reduces iron overload-caused hepatocytic apoptosis and NF-κB activity, the key regulatory transcription factor for the inflammation-related gene expression in cultured hepatocyte.

[SGP polymorphism in cultivated naked barley from Qinghai-Tibet plateau in China and the relationship between SGPs and starch content].

Starch granule proteins (SGPs) are minor components bound with starch granule, which mutation may be related to starch properties. This study investigated the variation of SGPs in cultivated naked barley from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China for the first time, and the relationship between SGPs and starch content was preliminarily done. Ten major SGPs and 16 types of patterns were present in 66 cultivated naked varieties, indicating SGPs in cultivated naked barley from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China are polymorphic. SGPs in Tibet and Sichuan naked barley were greatly different and SGPs were specific to origin of site. Significance test analysis demonstrates SGPs described in this study except for SGP1 may be related with the variation of starch content in different naked barley.