Effect of heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis EF-2001 on ethanol-induced acute gastric injury in mice: Protective effect of EF-2001 on acute gastric ulcer.

Enterococcus faecalis is a facultative anaerobic gram-positive commensal bacterium common in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of heat-killed E. faecalis EF-2001 (EF-2001) on acute gastric ulcer using a murine model of ethanol (EtOH)-induced acute gastric injury. EF-2001 (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg/day) was administered by oral gavage for 5 days before EtOH treatment (10 mL/kg body weight). EF-2001 effectively attenuated EtOH-induced gastric mucosal injury with reduced gastric mucosal ulcer and histological damage score. Pretreatment of EF-2001 markedly suppressed the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs; ERK1/2, JNK, and p38MAPK). In addition, EF-2001 significantly inhibited phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and subsequently suppressed the upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta, and interleukin 6 in gastric tissues. Taken together, these results suggest that EF-2001 exerts a gastroprotective effect against acute gastric injury, and the underlying mechanism might be associated with the suppression of MAPKs and NF-κB signaling and consequent reduction of pro-inflammatory mediators or cytokines.

Inhibitory effects on mushroom tyrosinase by flavones from the stem barks of Morus lhou (S.) Koidz.

Five flavones displaying tyrosinase inhibitory activity were isolated from the stem barks of Morus lhou (S.) Koidz., a cultivated edible plant. The isolated compounds were identified as mormin (1), cyclomorusin (2), morusin (3), kuwanon C (4), and norartocarpetin (5). Mormin (1) was characterized as a new flavone possesing a 3-hydroxymethyl-2-butenyl at C-3. The inhibitory potencies of these flavonoids toward monophenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase were investigated. The IC50 values of compounds 1-5 for monophenolase activity were determined to be 0.088, 0.092, 0.250, 0.135 mM, and 1.2 microM, respectively. Mormin (1), cyclomorusin (2), kuwanon C (4) and norartocarpetin (5) exhibited competitive inhibition characteristics. Interestingly norartocarpetin (5) showed a time-dependent inhibition against oxidation of L-tyrosine: it also operated under the enzyme isomerization model (k5 = 0.8424 min(-1), k6 = 0.0576 min(-1), K(app)(i) = 1.354 microM).

Purification and functional characterization of the first stilbene glucoside-specific ß-glucosidase isolated from Lactobacillus kimchi.

This study aimed to develop viable enzymes for bioconversion of resveratrol-glucoside into resveratrol. Out of 13 bacterial strains tested, Lactobacillus kimchi JB301 could completely convert polydatin into resveratrol. The purified enzyme had an optimum temperature of 30-40°C and optimum pH of pH 5.0 against polydatin. This enzyme showed high substrate specificities towards different substrates in the following order: isorhaponticin>>polydatin>>mulberroside A>oxyresveratrol-3-O-glucoside. Additionally, it rarely hydrolyzed astringin and desoxyrhaponticin. Based on these catalytic specificities, we suggest this enzyme be named stilbene glucoside-specific ß-glucosidase. Furthermore, polydatin extracts from Polygonum cuspidatum were successfully converted to resveratrol with a high yield (of over 99%). Stilbene glucoside-specific ß-glucosidase is the first enzyme isolated from lactic acid bacteria capable of bio-converting various stilbene glucosides into stilbene.

Kurarinol, tyrosinase inhibitor isolated from the root of Sophora flavescens.

It is well known that flavanones, sophoraflavanone G 1, kurarinone 2, and kurarinol 3, from the root of Sophora flavescens, have extremely strong tyrosinase inhibitory activity. This study delineates the principal pharmacological features of kurarinol 3 that lead to inhibition of the oxidation of l-tyrosine to melanin by mushroom tyrosinase (IC(50) of 100 nM). The inhibition kinetics analyses unveil that compounds 1 and 2 are noncompetitive inhibitors. However similar analysis shows kurarinol 3 to be a competitive inhibitor. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited potent antibacterial activity with 10 microg/disk against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas kurarinol 3 did not ostend any antibacterial activity. Interestingly, kurarinol 3 inhibits production of melanin in S. bikiniensis without affecting the growth of microorganism. It is thus distinctly different from the other tyrosinase inhibitors 1 and 2. In addition, kurarinol 3 manifests relatively low cytotoxic activity (EC(50)>30 microM) compared to 1 and 2. To account for these observations, we conducted molecular modeling studies. These suggested that the lavandulyl group within 3 is instrumental in the interaction with the enzyme. More specifically, the terminal hydroxy function within the lavandulyl group is most important for optimal binding.