Liver Protection of a Low-Polarity Fraction from Ficus pandurata Hance, Prepared by Supercritical CO2 Fluid Extraction, on CCl4-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice via Inhibiting Apoptosis and Ferroptosis Mediated by Strengthened Antioxidation.

Ficus pandurata Hance (FPH) is a Chinese herbal medicine widely used for health care. This study was designed to investigate the alleviation efficacy of the low-polarity ingredients of FPH (FPHLP), prepared by supercritical CO2 fluid extraction technology, against CCl4-induced acute liver injury (ALI) in mice and uncover its underlying mechanism. The results showed that FPHLP had a good antioxidative effect determined by the DPPH free radical scavenging activity test and T-AOC assay. The in vivo study showed that FPHLP dose-dependently protected against liver damage via detection of ALT, AST, and LDH levels and changes in liver histopathology. The antioxidative stress properties of FPHLP suppressed ALI by increasing levels of GSH, Nrf2, HO-1, and Trx-1 and reducing levels of ROS and MDA and the expression of Keap1. FPHLP significantly reduced the level of Fe2+ and expression of TfR1, xCT/SLC7A11, and Bcl2, while increasing the expression of GPX4, FTH1, cleaved PARP, Bax, and cleaved caspase 3. The results demonstrated that FPHLP protected mouse liver from injury induced by CCl4 via suppression of apoptosis and ferroptosis. This study suggests that FPHLP can be used for liver damage protection in humans, which strongly supports its traditional use as a herbal medicine.

Ent-11α-Hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid Inhibits Growth of Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells by Arresting Cell Cycle and Triggering Apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the apoptotic effect of ent-11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (5F), a compound isolated from Pteris semipinnata L (PsL), in human lung cancer A549 cells. METHODS: A549 cells were treated with 5F (0-80 µg/ml) for different time periods. Cytotoxicity was examined using a MTT method. Cell cycle was examined using propidium iodide staining. Apoptosis was examined using Hoechst 33258 staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and caspase-3 activity analysis. Expression of representative apoptosis-related proteins was evaluated by Western blot analysis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was measured using standard protocols. Potential interaction of 5F with cisplatin was also examined. RESULTS: 5F inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. 5F increased the accumulation of cells in sub-G1 phase and arrested the cells in the G2 phase. Exposure to 5F induced morphological changes and DNA fragmentation that are characteristic of apoptosis. The expression of p21 was increased. 5F exposure also increased Bax expression, release of cytochrome c and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), and activation of caspase-3. 5F significantly sensitized the cells to cisplatin toxicity. Interestingly, treatment with 5F did not increase ROS, but reduced ROS production induced by cisplatin. CONCLUSION: 5F could inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells by arresting the cells in G2 phase and by inducing mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.

Marine compounds targeting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in cancer therapy.

Cancer is a disease characterized by overproliferation, including that due to transformation, apoptosis disorders, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis, and is one of the deadliest diseases. Currently, conservative chemotherapy is used for cancer treatment due to a lack of effective drugs. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway plays a very essential role in the pathogenesis of many cancers, and abnormal activation of this pathway leads to abnormal expression of a series of downstream proteins, which ultimately results in the excessive proliferation of cancer cells. Therefore, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is a critical target in cancer treatment. Marine drugs have attracted much attention in recent years, and studies have found that many extracts from oceanic animals, plants and microorganisms or their metabolites exert antitumor effects, including antiproliferative effects or the induction of cell cycle arrest, apoptosis or autophagy. However, most anticancer targets and the mechanisms of marine compounds remain unclear. The great potential of the development of marine drugs provides a new direction for cancer treatment. This review focuses on marine compounds that target the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway for the prevention and treatment of cancer and provides comprehensive information for those interested in research on marine drugs.

Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of Zn(II) coordination polymer.

In this study, the zinc(II)-based coordination polymer, [Zn(CPDA)(NO3)2)](CPDA = 1,2-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid) (1), had been successfully synthesized according to the hydrothermal method. Afterwards, 1 had been characterized by means of single crystal and power X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectrum techniques. In addition, the antibacterial activities in vitro had been evaluated towards Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), respectively, through the growth inhibition and inhibition zone experimental methods. Our results indicated that 1 had displayed favorable antibacterial activity compared with the Zinc nitrate and the CPDA ligand. These findings had revealed that the antibacterial mechanism of 1 might be correlated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells.

[Determination of chlorogenic acid and total caffeoylquinic acid in 6 Folium Lonicerae].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the contents of chlorogenic acid and total caffeoylquinic acid in 6 Folium Lonicerae in Sichuan province and Chongqing city for evaluating the quality of them. METHODS: The HPLC analysis and spectrophotometry analysis were used. RESULTS: The contents of chlorogenic acid and total caffeoylquinic acid in 6 Folium Lonicerae had been determined. CONCLUSION: The method is accurate, simple and has a good reproducibility. The results can be used as a reference for the reasonable medication, quality control and further study of Folium Lonicerae.