Comprehensive Analysis Reveals the Difference in Volatile Oil between Bupleurum marginatum var. stenophyllum (Wolff) Shan et Y. Li and the Other Four Medicinal Bupleurum Species.

Volatile oil serves as a traditional antipyretic component of Bupleuri Radix. Bupleurum marginatum var. stenophyllum (Wolff) Shan et Y. Li belongs to the genus Bupleurum and is distinguished for its high level of saikosaponins and volatile oils; nonetheless, prevailing evidence remains inconclusive regarding its viability as an alternative resource of other official species. This study aims to systematically compare the volatile oil components of both dried and fresh roots of B. marginatum var. stenophyllum and the four legally available Bupleurum species across their chemical, molecular, bionics, and anatomical structures. A total of 962 compounds were determined via GC-MS from the dried roots; B. marginatum var. stenophyllum showed the greatest differences from other species in terms of hydrocarbons, esters, and ketones, which was consistent with the results of fresh roots and the e-nose analysis. A large number of DEGs were identified from the key enzyme family of the monoterpene synthesis pathway in B. marginatum var. stenophyllum via transcriptome analysis. The microscopic observation results, using different staining methods, further showed the distinctive high proportion of phloem in B. marginatum var. stenophyllum, the structure which produces volatile oils. Together, these pieces of evidence hold substantial significance in guiding the judicious development and utilization of Bupleurum genus resources.

Comparative chloroplast genomes: insights into the identification and phylogeny of rapid radiation genus Rhodiola.

Rhodiola L. is a genus exhibiting rapid radiation and represents a typical case for studying plastid gene adaptation in species that spread from high altitudes to low altitudes. In this study, 23 samples of 18 Rhodiola species were collected from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and five scattered alpine areas, and the plastid genomes (plastomes) of these species were sequenced, annotated, and compared between high-altitude and widely distributed groups. The plastomes of Rhodiola were found to be highly conserved in terms of gene size, content, and order but highly variable in several lineage-specific features, such as codon usage bias, IR boundary shifting, and distinct repeat sequence structures binding to SSRs. Codon usage in the genes of photosystem II exhibited an obvious preference, reflecting significant environmental adaptation pressures. In this study, three repeat regions compounded with trinucleotide and mononucleotide repeats were found for the first time in R. forrestii, R. himalensis, and R. yunnanensis. High-variability regions such as ndhF, ycf1, trnH-psbA, and rpoC1-rpoB were screened, laying the foundation for the precise identification of these species. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the occurrence of cyto-nuclear discordance, likely originating from the frequent interspecific hybridization events observed within Rhodiola species during rapid radiation. Dioecious and hermaphrodite species can be broadly categorized into two subclades, probably they have different environmental adaptation strategies in response to climate change. In addition, the phylogenetic tree supported the monophyly of R. forrestii and R. yunnanensis, which compose R. Sect. Pseudorhodiola. In conclusion, plastome data enrich the genetic information available for the Rhodiola genus and may provide insight into species migration events during climate change.

Evolutionary radiation and microbial community dynamics shape the thermal tolerance of Fungiidae in the southern South China Sea.

Fungiidae have shown increased thermal adaptability in coral reef ecosystems under global warming. This study analyzes the evolutionary divergence and microbial communities of Fungiidae in the Sanjiao Reef of the southern South China Sea and explores the impact of coral evolution radiation and microbial dynamics on the heat tolerance of Fungiidae. The results found that Cycloseris was an ancient branch of Fungiidae, dating back approximately 147.8953 Mya, and Fungiidae differentiated into two ancestral clades (clades I and II) before 107.0312 Ma. Fungiidae exhibited specific symbioses with the Cladocopium C27 sub-clade. Notably, the Cladocopium C1 sub-clade has a high relative abundance in clade I, whereas the heat-tolerant Cladocopium C40 and C3u sub-clades subdominante in clade II. Regarding bacterial communities, Cycloseris costulata, the earliest divergent species, had higher bacterial ß-diversity, while the latest divergent species, Lithophyllon scabra, displayed lower bacterial α-diversity and higher community stability. Beneficial bacteria dominante Fungiidae's bacterial community (54%). The co-occurrence network revealed that microbial networks in clade II exhibited lower complexity and greater resilience than those in clade I. Our study highlights that host evolutionary radiation and microbial communities shaped Fungiidae's thermal tolerance. The variability in subdominant Symbiodiniaceae populations may contribute to interspecific differences in thermal tolerance along the evolutionary branches of Fungiidae. The presence of abundant beneficial bacteria may further enhance the thermal ability of the Fungiidae. Furthermore, the later divergent species of Fungiidae have stronger heat tolerance, possibly driven by the increased regulation ability of the host on the bacterial community, greater microbial community stability, and interaction network resistance.IMPORTANCECoral reefs are facing significant threats due to global warming. The heat tolerance of coral holobionts depends on both the coral host and its microbiome. However, the association between coral evolutionary radiation and interspecific differences in microbial communities remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of evolutionary radiation and microbial community dynamics in shaping the thermal acclimation potential of Fungiidae in the Sanjiao Reef of the southern South China Sea. The study's results suggest that evolutionary radiation enhances the thermal tolerance of Fungiidae. Fungiidae species that have diverged more recently have exhibited a higher presence of heat-tolerant Symbiodiniaceae taxa, more stable bacterial communities, and a robust and resilient microbial interaction network, improving the thermal adaptability of Fungiidae. In summary, this study provides new insights into the thermal adaptation patterns of corals under global warming conditions.

A comprehensive review of vine tea: Origin, research on Materia Medica, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Vine tea is a popular folk tea that has been consumed in China for more than 1200 years. It is often used in ethnic medicine by ethnic groups in southwest China with at least 35 aliases in 10 provinces. In coastal areas, vine tea is mostly used to treat heatstroke, aphtha, aphonia, toothache, etc. In contrast, in the southwest inland regions, vine tea is mostly used to clear away heat and toxic materials, antiphlogosis and relieving sore-throat, lowering blood pressure and lipid levels, and alleviating fatigue. Three main species have been used as the source of vine tea, Nekemias grossedentata, Nekemias cantonensis and Nekemias megalophylla. Among them, the leaves of Nekemias grossedentata were considered as new food resource in complicance with regulations, according to the Food Safety Standards published by the Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the National Health and Family Planning Commission in China. AIM OF THE STUDY: At present, the comprehensively summary of Materia Medica on the history and source of vine tea is currently unavailable. The current article summed up the Materia Medica, species origin and pharmacological effects of all 3 major species used in vine tea to fill the knowledge gaps. We also aim to provide a reference for future research on historical textual, resource development and medicinal utilization of vine tea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adhering to the literature screening methodology outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), this review encompasses 148 scholarly research papers from three database, paper ancient books, local chronicles and folklore through field investigations. We then comprehensively summarized and discussed research progresses in scientific and application studies of vine tea. RESULTS: The historical records indicated that vine tea could have been used as early as Southern and Northern Dynasties (AC 420-589). Nekemias grossedentata, Nekemias cantonensis and Nekemias megalophylla, were used to considered as vine tea in the ethnic medicine. The main phytochemicals found in three plants are flavonoids, polyphenols and terpenoids, among which dihydromyricetin (DHM) is the most important and most studied active substance. The key words "Ampelopsis grossedentata" (Synonym of Nekemias grossedentata) and "dihydromyricetin/DHM" showed the highest frequency over the last 27 year based on the research trend analysis. And the ethnopharmacology studies drawn the main activities of vine tea are antioxidant, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and anti-atherosclerosis activities. CONCLUSIONS: This review systematically summarized and discussed vine tea from the following five aspects, history, genetic relationship, phytochemistry, research trend and ethnopharmacology. Vine tea has a long historical usage in Chinese ethnic medicine. Its outstanding therapeutic efficacies have attracted extensive attention in other places in the world at present. Nekemias cantonensis and Nekemias megalophylla are quite similar to Nekemias grossedentata in terms of many aspects. However, the current research has a narrow focus on mainly Nekemias grossedentata and DHM. We propose that future studies could be carried out to determine the synergistic effect of multi-components and multi-targets of vine tea including all 3 species to provide valuable knowledge.

Study on detection method of microplastics in farmland soil based on hyperspectral imaging technology.

Microplastics (MPs) in farming soils can have a substantial impact on soil ecology and agricultural productivity, as well as affecting human health and the food chain cycle. As a result, it is vital to study MPs detection technologies that are rapid, efficient, and accurate in agriculture soils. This study investigated the classification and detection of MPs using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology and a machine learning methodology. To begin, the hyperspectral data was preprocessed using SG convolution smoothing and Z-score normalization. Second, the feature variables were extracted from the preprocessed spectral data using bootstrapping soft shrinkage, model adaptive space shrinkage, principal component analysis, isometric mapping (Isomap), genetic algorithm, successive projections algorithm (SPA), and uninformative variable elimination. Finally, three support vector machine (SVM), back propagation neural network (BPNN), and one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) models were developed to classify and detect three microplastic polymers: polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride, as well as their combinations. According to the experimental results, the best approaches based on three models were Isomap-SVM, Isomap-BPNN, and SPA-1D-CNN. Among them, the accuracy, precision, recall and F1_score of Isomap-SVM were 0.9385, 0.9433, 0.9385 and 0.9388, respectively. The accuracy, precision, recall and F1_score of Isomap-BPNN were 0.9414, 0.9427, 0.9414 and 0.9414, respectively, while the accuracy, precision, recall and F1_score of SPA-1D-CNN were 0.9500, 0.9515, 0.9500 and 0.9500, respectively. When their classification accuracy was compared, SPA-1D-CNN had the best classification performance, with a classification accuracy of 0.9500. The findings of this study shown that the SPA-1D-CNN based on HSI technology can efficiently and accurately identify MPs in farmland soils, providing theoretical backing as well as technical means for real-time detection of MPs in farmland soils.

Neuroprotection of isookanin against MPTP-induced cell death of SH-SY5Y cells via BCL2/BAX and PI3K/AKT pathways.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Isookanin, an important antioxidant component in Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt., has shown remarkable hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and hypotensive effects. However, the neuroprotective effect of isookanin has not been reported yet. Here, the neuroprotective effects and relevant molecular mechanisms of isookanin are explored for the first time. METHODS: The SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to neurotoxic H2O2, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), and Aß25-35, respectively. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated by MTT, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and TUNEL assays. Intercellular ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed by DCFH-DA and JC-1 assay. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to explore the perturbed signaling at the gene and protein levels. Molecular docking analysis and in vitro assay were further applied to confirm potential target. RESULTS: Among the three in vitro models, isookanin showed the best neuroprotection against MPTP-induced damage. Isookanin attenuated the levels of LDH, intracellular ROS, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Isookanin upregulated phosphorylation of AKT and PI3K, and increased BCL2/BAX ratio. Isookanin possessed a powerful affinity toward AKT. Besides, the protective effects of isookanin disappeared when cells were co-treated with an AKT inhibitor (AZD5363). CONCLUSION: Isookanin regulated BCL2/BAX and PI3K/AKT pathways to reduce mitochondrial damage and cellular apoptosis. Isookanin may be a new protector for neurodegenerative diseases.

A comprehensive review on traditional and modern research of the genus Bupleurum (Bupleurum L., Apiaceae) in recent 10 years.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The genus Bupleurum (family Apiaceae), comprising approximately 248 accepted species, is widely distributed and used in China, Japan, India, Central Asia, North Africa and some European countries as traditional herbal medicines. Certain species have been reported to have significant therapeutic effects in fever, inflammatory disorders, cancer, gastric ulcer, virus infection and other diseases. AIM OF THE REVIEW: we performed a comprehensive review of the ten-year research progress in phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, along with bibliometrics research of the genus Bupleurum, aiming to identify knowledge gaps for future research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the literatures are retrieved from library and electronic sources including Web of Science, PubMed, Elsevier, Google Scholar, CNKI and Baidu Scholar. These papers cover studies of the traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of the genus Bupleurum. RESULTS: There is a long history of using the genus Bupleurum in traditional herbal medicine that dated back to over 2000 years ago. Twenty-five species and 8 varieties with 3 variants within this genus have been reported to be effective to treat fever, pain, liver disease, inflammation, thoracolumbar pain, irregular menstruation and rectal prolapse. The main phytochemicals found in these plants are triterpene saponins, volatile oil, flavonoid, lignans, and polysaccharides. Many of these compounds have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antimicrobial, immunoregulation, neuroregulation, hepatoprotective and antidiabetic activities. Meanwhile, improper usage of Bupleurum may induce cytotoxic effects, and polyacetylenes may be the main poisonous compounds. CONCLUSIONS: This article summarized recent findings about Bupleurum research from many different aspects. While a small number of Bupleurum species have been investigated through modern pharmacology methods, there are still major knowledge gaps due to inadequate studies and ambiguous findings. Future research could focus on more specific phytochemistry studies combined with mechanistic analysis to provide better guidance to utilize Bupleurum as medicinal resources.

Research on non-destructive testing of hotpot oil quality by fluorescence hyperspectral technology combined with machine learning.

Eating repeatedly used hotpot oil will cause serious harm to human health. In order to realize rapid non-destructive testing of hotpot oil quality, a modeling experiment method of fluorescence hyperspectral technology combined with machine learning algorithm was proposed. Five preprocessing algorithms were used to preprocess the original spectral data, which realized data denoising and reduces the influence of baseline drift and tilt. The feature bands extracted from the spectral data showed that the best feature bands for the two-classification model and the six-classification model were concentrated between 469 and 962 nm and 534-809 nm, respectively. Using the PCA algorithm to visualize the spectral data, the results showed the distribution of the six types of samples intuitively, and indicated that the data could be classified. Based on the modeling analysis of the feature bands, the results showed that the best two-classification models and the best six-classification models were MF-RF-RF and MF-XGBoost-LGB models, respectively, and the classification accuracy reached 100 %. Compared with the traditional model, the error was greatly reduced, and the calculation time was also saved. This study confirmed that fluorescence hyperspectral technology combined with machine learning algorithm could effectively realize the detection of reused hotpot oil.

The genus Chrysanthemum: Phylogeny, biodiversity, phytometabolites, and chemodiversity.

The ecologically and economically important genus Chrysanthemum contains around 40 species and many hybrids and cultivars. The dried capitulum of Chrysanthemum morifolium (CM) Ramat. Tzvel, i.e., Flos Chrysanthemi, is frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and folk medicine for at least 2,200 years. It has also been a popular tea beverage for about 2,000 years since Han Dynasty in China. However, the origin of different cultivars of CM and the phylogenetic relationship between Chrysanthemum and related Asteraceae genera are still elusive, and there is a lack of comprehensive review about the association between biodiversity and chemodiversity of Chrysanthemum. This article aims to provide a synthetic summary of the phylogeny, biodiversity, phytometabolites and chemodiversity of Chrysanthemum and related taxonomic groups, focusing on CM and its wild relatives. Based on extensive literature review and in light of the medicinal value of chrysanthemum, we give some suggestions for its relationship with some genera/species and future applications. Mining chemodiversity from biodiversity of Chrysanthemum containing subtribe Artemisiinae, as well as mining therapeutic efficacy and other utilities from chemodiversity/biodiversity, is closely related with sustainable conservation and utilization of Artemisiinae resources. There were eight main cultivars of Flos Chrysanthemi, i.e., Hangju, Boju, Gongju, Chuju, Huaiju, Jiju, Chuanju and Qiju, which differ in geographical origins and processing methods. Different CM cultivars originated from various hybridizations between multiple wild species. They mainly contained volatile oils, triterpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides, amino acids and other phytometabolites, which have the activities of antimicrobial, anti-viral, antioxidant, anti-aging, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and closely related taxonomic groups could also be useful as food, medicine and tea. Despite some progresses, the genetic/chemical relationships among varieties, species and relevant genera have yet to be clarified; therefore, the roles of pharmacophylogeny and omics technology are highlighted.

Mining Therapeutic Efficacy from Treasure Chest of Biodiversity and Chemodiversity: Pharmacophylogeny of Ranunculales Medicinal Plants.

Ranunculales, comprising of 7 families that are rich in medicinal species frequently utilized by traditional medicine and ethnomedicine, represents a treasure chest of biodiversity and chemodiversity. The phylogenetically related species often have similar chemical profile, which makes them often possess similar therapeutic spectrum. This has been validated by both ethnomedicinal experiences and pharmacological investigations. This paper summarizes molecular phylogeny, chemical constituents, and therapeutic applications of Ranunculales, i.e., a pharmacophylogeny study of this representative medicinal order. The phytochemistry/metabolome, ethnomedicine and bioactivity/pharmacology data are incorporated within the phylogenetic framework of Ranunculales. The most studied compounds of this order include benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, flavonoid, terpenoid, saponin and lignan, etc. Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids are especially abundant in Berberidaceae and Menispermaceae. The most frequent ethnomedicinal uses are arthritis, heat-clearing and detoxification, carbuncle-abscess and sore-toxin. The most studied bioactivities are anticancer/cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities, etc. The pharmacophylogeny analysis, integrated with both traditional and modern medicinal uses, agrees with the molecular phylogeny based on chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences, in which Ranunculales is divided into Ranunculaceae, Berberidaceae, Menispermaceae, Lardizabalaceae, Circaeasteraceae, Papaveraceae, and Eupteleaceae families. Chemical constituents and therapeutic efficacy of each taxonomic group are reviewed and the underlying connection between phylogeny, chemodiversity and clinical uses is revealed, which facilitate the conservation and sustainable utilization of Ranunculales pharmaceutical resources, as well as developing novel plant-based pharmacotherapy.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on gastrointestinal function after laparoscopic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (PGD) leading to nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distension are common complications after laparoscopic surgery for abdominal diseases. However, drugs cannot completely stop PGD. Over the years, transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) therapy has shown potential in preventing PGD, but there is no medical evidence that TEAS represents the best choice for the treatment of PGD. This network meta-analysis sought to evaluate the effectiveness of TEAS therapy in preventing PGD in patients after abdominal laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: Articles (published from the establishment of the databases to July 2021) were retrieved from the following databases: PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China Technical Journal VIP Database (CQVIP), China Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Wanfang Database. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies, and a network meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.20. RESULTS: A total of 7 randomized controlled trials, comprising 440 TEAS-treated patients and 468 control patients, were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the TEAS treatment group and the control group in relation to postoperative nausea and vomiting [relative risk (RR) =0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-1.21; P=0.18], postoperative abdominal distension (RR =0.53; 95% CI: 0.40-0.72; P<0.0001), the time of first postoperative fart (imply gastrointestinal motility) [mean difference (MD) =-7.31; 95% CI: -11.33 to -3.30; P=0.0004], and the time of first postoperative bowel movement (MD =-5.28; 95% CI: -7.23 to -3.33; P<0.0001); there were significant differences among these 3 indicators. DISCUSSION: We found that TEAS can promote postoperative fart and bowel movement, and has good clinical value in promoting postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery.

The Neuroprotective Effects of Coreopsis tinctoria and Its Mechanism: Interpretation of Network Pharmacological and Experimental Data.

Background: Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. (CT), an annual herb in the genus Coreopsis, is an important traditional medicine to be used for antidiabetes and antioxidation. Objective: The antioxidant compounds from CT may affect mitochondrial function and apoptosis, which in turn may affect related diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the potential molecular mechanism and new therapeutic opportunities of CT based on network pharmacology. Methods: A network pharmacology-based method, which combined data collection, drug-likeness filtering, target prediction, disease prediction, and network analysis, was used to decipher the potential targets and new therapeutic opportunities of CT. The potential molecular mechanism and pathway were explored through Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG analyses. Then MPTP-induced SH-SY5Y cell model was applied to evaluate the neuroprotective effects and key targets. Results: There were 1,011 targets predicted for 110 compounds. Most targets were regulated by flavones, phenylpropanoids, and phenols and had synergistic effects on memory impairment, pancreatic neoplasm, fatty liver disease, and so on. The compounds-targets-diseases network identified TNF, PTGS2, VEGFA, BCL2, HIF1A, MMP9, PIK3CG, ALDH2, AKT1, and EGFR as key targets. The GO and KEGG analyses revealed that the cell death pathway, mitochondrial energy metabolism, and PI3K-AKT signal pathway were the main pathways. CT showed neuroprotective effects via regulating gene and protein expression levels of key targets in an in vitro model. Conclusion: CT had potential neuroprotective effects by targeting multiple targets related with apoptosis, which were affected by the BCL-2 and AKT signaling pathways. This study provided a theoretical basis for the research of neuroprotective effects of CT.

Target RNA modification for epigenetic drug repositioning in neuroblastoma: computational omics proximity between repurposing drug and disease.

RNA modifications modulate most steps of gene expression. However, little is known about its role in neuroblastoma (NBL) and the inhibitors targeting it. We analyzed the RNA-seq (n=122) and CNV data (n=78) from NBL patients in Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) database. The NBL sub-clusters (cluster1/2) were identified via consensus clustering for expression of RNA modification regulators (RNA-MRs). Cox regression, principle component analysis and chi-square analysis were used to compare differences of survival, transcriptome, and clinicopathology between clusters. Cluster1 showed significantly poor prognosis, of which RNA-MRs' expression and CNV alteration were closely related to pathologic stage. RNA-MRs and functional related prognostic genes were obtained using spearman correlation analysis, and queried in CMap and L1000 FWD database to obtain 88 inhibitors. The effects of 5 inhibitors on RNA-MRs were confirmed in SH-SY5Y cells. The RNA-MRs exhibited two complementary regulation functions: one conducted by TET2 and related to translation and glycolysis; another conducted by ALYREF, NSUN2 and ADARB1 and related to cell cycle and DNA repair. The perturbed proteomic profile of HDAC inhibitors was different from that of others, thus drug combination overcame drug resistance and was potential for NBL therapy with RNA-MRs as therapeutic targets.

Dihydrochalcone-derived polyphenols from tea crab apple (Malus hupehensis) and their inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase in vitro.

Three dihydrochalcone-derived polyphenols, huperolides A-C (1-3), along with thirteen known compounds (4-16) were isolated from the leaves of Malus hupehensis, the well-known tea crab apple in China. Their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis including NMR (HSQC, HMBC, 1H-1H COSY and ROESY), HRMS and CD spectra. Huperolide A is a polyphenol with a new type of carbon skeleton, while huperolides B and C are a couple of atropisomers, which were isolated from natural sources for the first time. The antihyperglycemic effects of the isolated compounds were evaluated based on assaying their inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase. As a result, phlorizin (4), 3-hydroxyphloridzin (5), 3-O-coumaroylquinic acid (12) and ß-hydroxypropiovanillone (15) showed significant concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase. Therefore, those compounds might be responsible for the antihyperglycemic effect of this herb, and are the most promising compounds to lead discovery of drugs against diabetes.

Dietary Supplementation of Vine Tea Ameliorates Glucose and Lipid Metabolic Disorder via Akt Signaling Pathway in Diabetic Rats.

A traditional Chinese tea with many pharmacological effects, vine tea (VT) is considered a potential dietary supplement to improve type 2 diabetes (T2D). To investigate the effect and mechanism of VT on glucose and lipid metabolic disorders in T2D rats, Wistar rats fed a normal diet served as the normal control, while rats fed a high-fat diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T2D were divided into three groups: The model group (MOD); the positive control group (MET, metformin at 200 mg/kg/d); and the VT-treated group (VT500, allowed to freely drink 500 mg/L VT). After four weeks of intervention, biochemical metrics indicated that VT significantly ameliorated hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia in T2D rats. Metabolomics research indicated that VT regulated the levels of metabolites closely related to glucose and lipid metabolism and promoted glycogen synthesis. Furthermore, VT had a significant influence on the expression of key genes involved in the Akt signaling pathway, inhibited gluconeogenesis through the Akt/Foxo1/Pck2 signaling pathway, and reduced fatty acid synthesis via the SREBP1c/Fasn signaling pathways. In conclusion, VT has great potential as a dietary supplement to ameliorate glucose and lipid metabolic disorders via the Akt signaling pathway in T2D rats.

Dihydromyricetin ameliorates memory impairment induced by acute sleep deprivation.

Dihydromyricetin (DHM), the major bioactive flavonoid ingredient extracted from the leaves of Ampelopsis grossedentata (Hand.-Mazz) W.T. Wang displays multiple pharmacological activities, including oxidation resistance, anti-tumour properties and free radical scavenging capacities. However, the role of DHM in sleep deprivation (SD)-induced memory impairments and its underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of DHM on oxidative stress and its role in ameliorating memory impairment induced by acute SD. DHM (100, 50, 25 mg/kg) and melatonin (10 mg/kg) were administered to mice via oral gavage. The open field test was used to evaluate motor function. Spatial learning and memory were assessed using the Morris water maze task. Malondialdehyde, glutathione, and glutathione disulfide levels, as well as superoxide dismutase enzyme activity, were assessed to determine the level of oxidative stress. In addition, we employed quantitative real-time PCR assays to examine the gene expression of 29 key proteins, including protein kinase A (PKA), cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), and adcy1. The levels of proteins including those of GABABRS, GABAARα5, GluR1, BDNF and PSD95, were detected by western blotting. The results showed that DHM significantly attenuated SD-induced spatial learning and memory impairments (P < 0.01). The possible underlying mechanisms of DHM may be attributed to its ability to reduce oxidative stress and restore synaptic plasticity.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the mechanism of the effect of flower tea Coreopsis tinctoria on hepatic insulin resistance.

Non-Camellia tea and herbal medicine help prevent the development of diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Previous studies revealed that Coreopsis tinctoria (CT) flower tea increases insulin sensitivity and, in some high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats, even prevents hepatic metabolic disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms by which CT improves insulin resistance are not known. In this study, six-week-old rats were fed a normal diet (ND), an HFD or an HFD supplemented with CT for 8 weeks. Serum samples were collected, and the livers were extracted for RNA-seq gene expression analysis. Real-time PCR and western blotting further verified the RNA-seq results. In our results, dietary CT ameliorated HFD-induced hepatosteatosis, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. In the HFD group, 1667 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified compared with the ND group. In the CT group, 327 DEGs were identified compared with the HFD group. Some of these DEGs were related to insulin signalling, hepatic lipogenesis and glucose homeostasis. This study suggested that insulin resistance with hyperinsulinaemia, and not insulin insufficiency, is an early problem in HFD-fed rats, and CT downregulates insulin secretion genes (e.g., Rasd1, Stxbp1 and Sfxn1). Hepatic gene and protein expression analyses indicated that the regulatory effects of CT on glucose and lipid homeostasis are likely mediated via the Akt/FoxO1 signalling pathway and are regulated by the transcription factors hairy and enhancer of split 1 (HES1) and small heterodimer partner (SHP). Our study provides transcriptomic evidence of the complex pathogenic mechanism involved in hepatic insulin resistance and proves that supplementation with CT improves insulin resistance at a global scale.

Dihydromyricetin protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells from injury through ERK and Akt mediated Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease is the predominant cause of death worldwide. Ox-LDL-induced vascular endothelial cell injury is a major factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Dihydromyricetin (DMY) is a flavonoid extracted from vine tea that exerts multiple pharmacological activities, including cardio-protective, anti-tumor, and anti-oxidative effects. However, it is unreported that DMY shows protective effects on ox-LDL-induced endothelial cell injury. In this study, we used an ox-LDL injured human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) in vitro model to explore the protective effects and mechanism of DMY. HUVECs were pretreatment with DMY and then exposed to ox-LDL, the cell viability was measured. Then, the anti-oxidative enzymes were tested by commercial kits and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by flow cytometry, cell apoptosis was determined by Annexin-V/PI assay and apoptosis-related proteins were detected by western blot. Our results showed that DMY pretreatment provided cytoprotective effects by suppressing ox-LDL-induced endothelial cell apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, caspase-3 activation, and modulation of oxidative enzymes, thereby inhibiting ROS generation. The anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic effects of DMY were abrogated by the transfection of Nrf2 siRNAs and HO-1 inhibitor ZnPP. Furthermore, DMY might activate the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway through activation of the Akt and ERK1/2 pathways, as shown by the inhibition of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling by the inhibitors PD98059 or LY294002 and the transfection of ERK, Akt siRNAs. In this study, DMY protects HUVECs from ox-LDL-induced oxidative injury by activating Akt and ERK1/2, which subsequently activates Nrf2/HO-1 signaling, thereby up-regulating antioxidant enzymes and anti-apoptotic proteins.

Metabolomics reveals the protective of Dihydromyricetin on glucose homeostasis by enhancing insulin sensitivity.

Dihydromyricetin (DMY), an important flavanone found in Ampelopsis grossedentata, possesses antioxidative properties that ameliorate skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and exert a hepatoprotective effect. However, little is known about the effects of DMY in the context of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic insulin resistance. Male Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were fed a HFD(60% fat) supplemented with DMY for 8 weeks. The administration of DMY to the rats with HFD-induced insulin resistance reduces hyperglycemia, plasma levels of insulin, and steatosis in the liver. Furthermore, DMY treatment modulated 24 metabolic pathways, including glucose metabolism, the TCA cycle. DMY significantly enhanced glucose uptake and improved the translocation of glucose transporter 1. The specificity of DMY promoted the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In addition, the exposure of HepG2 cells to high glucose concentrations impaired the insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt2 Ser474 and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) Ser612, increased GSK-3ß phosphorylation, and upregulated G6Pase and PEPCK expression. Collectively, DMY improved glucose-related metabolism while reducing lipid levels in the HFD-fed rats. These data suggest that DMY might be a useful drug for use in type 2 diabetes insulin resistance therapy and for the treatment of hepatic steatosis.

Marein protects against methylglyoxal-induced apoptosis by activating the AMPK pathway in PC12 cells.

Diabetic encephalopathy, which is characterized by cognitive decline and dementia, commonly occurs in patients with long-standing diabetes. Previous studies have suggested that methylglyoxal (MG), an endogenous toxic compound, plays an important role in diabetic complications such as cognitive impairment. MG induces neuronal apoptosis. To clarify whether marein, a major compound from the hypoglycemic plant Coreopsis tinctoria, prevents PC12 cell damage induced by MG, we cultured PC12 cells in the presence of MG and marein. Marein attenuated MG-induced changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), mitochondrial permeability transition pores (mPTPs), intracellular Ca2+ levels, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and the increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells. Marein also increased glyoxalase I (Glo1) activity, phospho-AMPKα (Thr172) and Bcl-2 expression and diminished the activation of Bax, caspase-3 and inhibitor of caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease (ICAD). Importantly, pretreatment of cells with marein diminished the compound C-induced inactivation of p-AMPK. Molecular docking simulation showed that marein interacted with the γ subunit of AMPK. In conclusion, we found for the first time that the neuroprotective effect of marein is due to a reduction of damage to mitochondria function and activation of the AMPK signal pathway. These results indicate that marein may be a potent compound for preventing/counteracting diabetic encephalopathy.