Secondary Metabolites from Polar Organisms.

Polar organisms have been found to develop unique defences against the extreme environment environment, leading to the biosynthesis of novel molecules with diverse bioactivities. This review covers the 219 novel natural products described since 2001, from the Arctic and the Antarctic microoganisms, lichen, moss and marine faunas. The structures of the new compounds and details of the source organism, along with any relevant biological activities are presented. Where reported, synthetic and biosynthetic studies on the polar metabolites have also been included.

[Study on quality standard of Sophora flavescens root extract].

As a part of the project for the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition), the quality standard of Sophora flavescens root extract was investigated and established. According to the methods described in the Appendix of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition), the water and ash inspections were carried out. The marker components trifolirhizin, sophoraflavanone G, oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine in the samples were identified by qualitative TLC. The determination of oxymatrine, matrine, oxysophocarpine and sophocarpine was conducted by HPLC and the total flavonoids were measured by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, using sophoraflavanone G as reference substance. The results indicated the spots on the plate were clear with good resolution and the contents of oxymatrine, matrine, oxysophocarpine and sophocarpine in the 13 batches of the samples were 3.87% - 11.1%, 0.970% - 4.33%, 1.30% - 2.59% and 0.260% - 1.14%, respectively. The total flavoids in the 13 batches of the samples were 3.88% - 7.93%. In the study, the validated methods were reproducible and the established quality standard was feasible, which could be used for the quality control of S. flavescens root extract and related preparations.

[Determination of phenols and triterpenoid saponins in stems of Sargentodoxa cuneata].

The methods to determine the total phenols, total saponins, and marker constituents salidroside, chlorogenic acid and 3, 4-dihydroxy-phenylethyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside in the samples of Sargentodoxae Caulis were established to provide the evidence for the improvement and revision of the quality standard of the crude material recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 Edition). The content of total phenols was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, using gallic acid as a reference substance. The content of total saponins was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, using 3-O-[ß-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-2)-O-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-[ß-D-glucopyranosyl] asiatic acid as a reference substance. The contents of salidroside, chlorogenic acid and 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylethyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside were detected by HPLC. The linear ranges were 1.01-7.04 mg x L(-1) for total phenols, 37.7-201 µg for total saponins, 0.025 8-1.55 µg for salidroside, 0.076 2-5.44 µg for chlorogenic acid, and 0.064 9-3.47 µg for 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylethyl-ßP-D-glucopyranoside, respectively. Their average recoveries were 99.12%, 99.11% 105.5%, 99.08%, and 101.6%, respectively. The contents of total phenols and total saponins were 3. 04% -11. 9% and 0. 87% -3. 63%. The contents of salidroside, chlorogenic acid and 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylethyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside fluctuated from 0.018% to 0. 572%, from 0.041% to 1.75% and from 0.035% to 1.32%. The established methods were reproducible, and they could be used for the quality control of Sargentodoxae Caulis. The present investigation suggested that total phenols, salidroside, and chlorogenic acid should be recorded in the quality standard of Sargentodoxae Caulis and their contents should not be less than 6.8% for total phenols, 0.040% for salidroside, and 0.21% for chlorogenic acid.

[Rapid determination of the multi-marker ingredients in Heterosmilacis Japonicae Rhizoma and Sophorae Flavescentis Radix with near-infrared diffused reflection spectroscopy].

A rapid NIRS method for determination of macrozamin in Heterosmilacis japonicae rhizoma (HJR), and the total content of oxymatrine and matrine (OMT + MT) as well as the total content of oxysophocarpine and sophocarpine (OSC + SC) in sophorae flavescens radix (SFR) was developed to explore the application feasibility of NIRS for the quality assurance system of Chinese patent drugs. The contents of macrozamin in HJR samples, and OMT + MT and OSC + SC in SFR samples were determined by HPLC as reference values. The NIR spectra of the samples were measured in a diffused reflection mode. The different characteristic wavebands and pretreatment methods were optimized. The quantitative calibration models between the NIR spectra and the content reference values of marker components in HJR and SFR samples, were established with partial least square method, and further optimized through the cross validation and external validation. The contents of macrozamin in 88 batches of HJR samples were over the range of 0.36-12.88 mg · g(-1). The total contents of OMT + MT and OSC + SC in 75 batches of SFR samples were over the range of 8.87-66.31 and 2.30-15.11 mg · g(-1), respectively. The performance of the final models for macrozamin, OMT + MT and OSC + SC was evaluated well according to correlation coefficients (r), root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP). The R2 values of the cross-validation for macrozamin, OMT + MT and OSC + SC were 0.9025, 0.9491 and 0.9137, and those of RMSECV were 0.961, 2.45 and 0.724 mg · g(-1) respectively. The R2 values of external validation for the three models were 0.9817, 0.9826 and 0.9609, and those of RMSEP were 0.693, 2.27 and 0.658 mg · g(-1), respectively. This is the first report on rapid determination of macrozamin in Heterosmilacis japonicae rhizoma, and oxymatrine, matrine, oxysophocarpine and sophocarpine in sophorae flavescens radix by NIRS method. The presented method can fulfill the requirement of rapid acquirement of chemical information of raw medicinal materials prior the manufacturing of compound Kushen injection.

Association between postoperative hypoalbuminemia and postoperative pulmonary imaging abnormalities patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumors: a retrospective cohort study.

Hypoalbuminemia is associated with poor outcome in patients undergoing surgery intervention. The main aim for this study was to investigate the incidence and the risk factors of postoperative hypoalbuminemia and assessed the impact of postoperative hypoalbuminemia on complications in patients undergoing brain tumor surgery. This retrospective study included 372 consecutive patients who underwent brain tumors surgery from January 2017 to December 2019. The patients were divided into hypoalbuminemia (< 35 g/L) and non-hypoalbuminemia group (≥ 35 g/L) based on postoperative albumin levels. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine risk factors. Of the total 372 patients, 333 (89.5%) developed hypoalbuminemia after surgery. Hypoalbuminemia was associated with operation time (OR 1.011, P < 0.001), preoperative albumin (OR 0.864, P = 0.015) and peroperative globulin (OR 1.192, P = 0.004). Postoperative pulmonary imaging abnormalities had a higher incidence in patients with than without hypoalbuminemia (41.1% vs 23.1%, P = 0.029). The independent predictors of postoperative pulmonary imaging abnormalities were age (OR 1.053, P < 0.001), operation time (OR 1.003, P = 0.013) and lower postoperative albumin (OR 0.946, P = 0.018). Pulmonary imaging abnormalities [OR 19.862 (95% CI 2.546-154.936, P = 0.004)] was a novel independent predictors of postoperative pneumonia. Postoperative hypoalbuminemia has a higher incidence with the increase of operation time, and may be associated with postoperative complications in patients undergoing brain tumor surgery.

A three-dimensional matrix system containing melatonin and neural stem cells repairs damage from traumatic brain injury in rats.

Brain lesions can cause neural stem cells to activate, proliferate, differentiate, and migrate to the injured area. However, after traumatic brain injury, brain tissue defects and microenvironment changes greatly affect the survival and growth of neural stem cells; the resulting reduction in the number of neural stem cells impedes effective repair of the injured area. Melatonin can promote the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of neural stem cells under adverse conditions such as oxidative stress or hypoxia that can occur after traumatic brain injury. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic effects of melatonin combined with neural stem cells on traumatic brain injury in rats. First, in vitro studies confirmed that melatonin promoted the survival of neural stem cells deprived of oxygen and glucose. Then, we established a three-dimensional Matrigel-based transplantation system containing melatonin and neural stem cells and then used it to treat traumatic brain injury in rats. We found that treatment with the Matrigel system containing melatonin and neural stem cells decreased brain lesion volume, increased the number of surviving neurons, and improved recovery of neurological function compared with treatment with Matrigel alone, neural stem cells alone, Matrigel and neural stem cells combined, and Matrigel and melatonin combined. Our findings suggest that the three-dimensional Matrigel-based transplantation system containing melatonin and neural stem cells is a potential treatment for traumatic brain injury.

Bioactive Natural Products from Animal Associated-Microbes.

OBJECTIVE: Animal associated-microbes are miroorganisms living inside animal hosts during some parts of their life. In view of the special environment, it is considered that the unique microbes might be the producer of new compounds with diversity biological activities. CONCLUSION: This review summarizes new findings (mainly described since 2011) concerning the characteristics of various natural products that can be extracted from animal associated-microbes, highlighting that animal related microorganisms represent an underexplored reservoir for the discovery of molecules with unique scaffolds and promising biological activities.