Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of ten Pittosporum species from East Asia.

Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae) is famous as the ornamental and medical values, which is distributed tropical and subtropical regions of Eastern Hemisphere. The few phylogenetic studies have included samples from the Pacific Island, but the phylogenetic relationships of Asian species has not been studied. Here, the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of ten Pittosporum species from East Asia were first sequenced and compared with those of the published species of this genus. Our results indicated that cp genomes of these species had a typical and conserved quadripartite structure. 131 genes were identical in order and orientation and no changes of inverted repeat (IR) occurred. However, the comparative analysis of cp genomes suggested that sequence divergence mainly appeared in non-coding or intergenic regions, in which several divergence hotspots were identified. By contrast, protein-coding genes showed the lowest variance under strong purifying selection. Phylogenetic analysis based on the cp genome sequences showed that the tested Pittosporum species were clustered into two major clades, in which the Asian species formed Clade I and the remaining species from Australia and New Zealand formed Clade II with high support values, which was consistent with the results of ITS data with low support values. These results suggested that cp genome is a robust phylogenetic indicator for deep nodes in the phylogeny of Pittosporum. Meanwhile, these results will provide the valuable information to better understand the phylogeny and biogeography of Pittosporum.

Laboratory-adapted and wild-type black soldier flies express differential plasticity in bioconversion and nutrition when reared on urban food waste streams.

BACKGROUND: The black soldier fly (BSF) offers a potential solution to address shortages of feed and food sources; however, selecting effective rearing substrates remains a major hurdle in BSF farming. In an urban area like Singapore, current practice is based on rearing BSF on homogeneous waste streams (e.g., spent brewery grains or okara) because heterogeneous food wastes (e.g., mixed kitchen/canteen waste or surplus cooked food) present several operational challenges with respect to the standardization of development, nutritional content, and harvesting. RESULTS: In this study, we compared two genetic strains of BSF larvae (wild-type and laboratory-adapted line) in a bioconversion experiment with diverse types of food waste (homogeneous/heterogeneous; plant/meat) and we quantified the phenotypic plasticity. Our results demonstrate different plasticity in bioconversion performance, larval growth and larval nutrition between the two BSF lines. This difference may be attributed to the selective breeding the laboratory-adapted line has experienced. Notably, larval lipid content displayed little to no genetic variation for plasticity compared with larval protein and carbohydrate content. Despite variation in larval development, heterogeneous food wastes can produce better performance in bioconversion, larval growth, and larval nutrient content than homogeneous food waste. All-meat diets result in high larvae mortality but larval survival could be rescued by mixing meat with plant-based food wastes. CONCLUSION: Overall, we suggest using mixed meals for BSF larvae feeding. Targeted breeding may be a promising strategy for the BSF industry but it is important to consider the selection effects on plasticity in larval nutrition carefully. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Specific capture and determination of glycoprotein using a hybrid epitopes and monomers-mediated molecular-imprinted polymer enzyme-free electrochemical biosensor.

A novel molecular-imprinted polymer (MIP)-based enzyme-free biosensor was created for the selective detection of glycoprotein transferrin (Trf). For this purpose, MIP-based biosensor for Trf was prepared by electrochemical co-polymerization of novel hybrid monomers 3-aminophenylboronic acid (M-APBA) and pyrrole on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (cMWCNTs). Hybrid epitopes of Trf (C-terminal fragment and glycan) have been selected as templates. The produced sensor exhibited great selective recognition ability toward Trf under optimal preparation conditions, offering good analytical range (0.125-1.25 µM) with a detection limit of 0.024 µM. The proposed hybrid epitope in combination with hybrid monomer-mediated imprinting strategy was successfully applied to detect Trf in spiked human serum samples, with recoveries and relative standard deviations ranging from 94.7 to 106.0% and 2.64 to 5.32%, respectively. This study provided a reliable protocol for preparing hybrid epitopes and monomers-mediated MIP for the synergistic and effective determination of glycoprotein in complicated biological samples.

An edible molecularly imprinted material prepared by a new environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvent for removing oxalic acid from vegetables and human blood.

A novel deep eutectic solvent-magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (DES-MMIP) for the specific removal of oxalic acid (OA) was prepared by an environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvent, consisting of betaine, citric acid, and glycerol, which acted as the functional monomer for polymerization. The structure and morphology of DES-MMIPs were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. DES-MMIPs had a core-shell structure, with magnetic iron oxide as the core, and showed good thermal stability and high adsorption capacity (18.73 mg/g) for OA. The adsorption process of OA by DES-MMIPs followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. DES-MMIPs had significant selectivity for OA and their imprinting factor was 3.26. When applied to real samples, high performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that DES-MMIPs could remove OA from both spinach and blood serum. These findings provide potential methods for removal of OA from vegetables and for specific removal of OA in renal dialysis.

Effects of dihydroartemisinin, a metabolite of artemisinin, on colon cancer chemoprevention and adaptive immune regulation.

BACKGROUND: Artemisinin (ART) is an anti-malaria natural compound with a moderate anticancer action. As a metabolite of ART, dihydroartemisinin (DHA) may have stronger anti-colorectal cancer (CRC) bioactivities. However, the effects of DHA and ART on CRC chemoprevention, including adaptive immune regulation, have not been systematically evaluated and compared. METHODS: Coupled with a newly-established HPLC analytical method, enteric microbiome biotransformation was conducted to identify if the DHA is a gut microbial metabolite of ART. The anti-CRC potential of these compounds was compared using two different human CRC cell lines for cell cycle arrest, apoptotic induction, and anti-inflammation activities. Naive CD4+ T cells were also obtained for testing the compounds on the differentiation of Treg, Th1 and Th17. RESULTS: Using compound extraction and analytical methods, we observed for the first time that ART completely converted into its metabolites by gut microbiome within 24 h, but no DHA was detected. Although ART did not obviously influence cancer cell growth in the concentration tested, DHA very significantly inhibited the cancer cell growth at relatively low concentrations. DHA included G2/M cell cycle arrest via upregulation of cyclin A and apoptosis. Both ART and DHA downregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. The DHA significantly promoted Treg cell proliferation, while both ART and DHA inhibited Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: As a metabolite of ART, DHA possessed stronger anti-CRC activities. The DHA significantly inhibited cell growth via cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction and anti-inflammation actions. The adaptive immune regulation is a related mechanism of actions for the observed effects.

Rapid measurements of curcumin from complex samples coupled with magnetic biocompatibility molecularly imprinted polymer using electrochemical detection.

Curcumin widely exists in food, and rapid selective and accurate detection of curcumin have great significance in chemical industry. In this experiment, a new magnetic biocompatibility molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared with nontoxic and biocompatible Zein to adsorb curcumin selectively. The polymer has high biocompatibility, good adsorption capacity, and specific adsorption for curcumin. Combined with portable electrochemical workstations, the polymer can be used to detect curcumin rapidly and cost-effectively. Using curcumin as a template and Zein as the crosslinking agent, the polymers were synthesized on the surface of Fe3 O4 particles for solid phase extraction. The experimental results showed that the polymer reached large adsorption capacity (32.12 mg/g) with fast kinetics (20 min). The adsorption characteristic of the polymer followed the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Hexacyanoferrate was used as electrochemical probe to generate signals, and the linear range was 5-200 µg/mL for measuring curcumin. The experimental analysis showed that the polymer was an ideal material for selective accumulation of curcumin from complex samples. This approach has been successfully applied to the determination of curcumin in food samples with electrochemical detection, indicating that this is a feasible and practical technique.

Human intestinal microbiota derived metabolism signature from a North American native botanical Oplopanax horridus with UPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis.

Oplopanax horridus, widely distributed in North America, is an herbal medicine traditionally used by Pacific indigenous peoples for various medical conditions. After oral ingestion, constituents in O. horridus extract (OhE) could be converted to their metabolites by the enteric microbiome before absorption. In this study, in order to mimic gut environment, the OhE was biotransformed using the enteric microbiome of healthy human subjects. For accurate and reliable data collection with optimized approaches in sample preparation and analytical conditions, ultra-performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to characterize parent constituents and their metabolites. In the extract, 20 parent compounds were identified including polyynes, sesquiterpenes, monoterpeondids, phenylpropanoids and phenolic acids. After the biotransformation, a total of 78 metabolites were identified, of which 37 belonged to polyynes metabolites. The common biotransformation pathways are hydroxylation, acetylization, methylation and demethylation. Based on the pathway distributions, the metabolism signature of OhE has been explored. The metabolism pathways of OhE compounds are dependent on their structural classifications and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties. In summary, with comprehensive analysis, we systematically investigated human microbiome-derived OhE metabolites. The enteric microbial metabolism signature provides novel information for future effective use of O. horridus.

[Rotective Effects of Quercetin Against the Triptolide Induced Liver Injury and Relevant Mechanism Study].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effects of quercetin (QE) on triptolide (TP) induced liver injury and the relevant mechanism. METHODS: Forty C57BL/6 mice were equally divided into 4 groups, control group, TP model group, 20 mg/kg QE treatment group and 80 mg/kg QE treatment group randomly. The 20 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg QE groups were gastrointestinal administration with QE at the dose of 0.2 mL/10 g for 10 d, twice daily, while other groups were administrated with equivalent normal saline. Four hours post the last dose, animals were gastrointestinal administered with TP at a dose of 500 µg/kg per mouse, except for NS control. All the mice were sacrificed 22 h later, blood and liver tissue samples were collected. The pathologic change of liver tissue was detected by HE staining. The level of aminotransferase (AST) and aspartate alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum, and the level of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver tissue homogenates were detected using the commercial kits. The level of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-10 and IL-6 in liver tissue homogenates was measured by ELISA. Hepatic expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, in the TP model group, hepatic lobule structure atrophied and even disappeared, hepatic cell necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration are obvious. Additionally, in TP model group, serum ALT, AST and MDA levels were significantly increased, SOD and GSH levels were decreased, IL-6 and IL-17 levels were increased, IL-10 levels were decreased, and TLR4 protein levels were increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the TP model group, liver tissue injury and inflammatory cell infiltration were reduced in the QE group, and serum levels of ALT, AST, MDA, IL-6 and IL-17 were all decreased. TLR4 expression was down-regulated (P < 0.05) in both QE groups, and the decease levle was more significant in the high-dose QE group (P < 0.05, compared with the low-dose QE group). CONCLUSION: Quercetin can reduce TP-induced liver injury by reducing oxidative damage, promoting antioxidant and regulating cytokine secretion.

Significant difference in active metabolite levels of ginseng in humans consuming Asian or Western diet: The link with enteric microbiota.

After ingestion of ginseng, the bioavailability of its parent compounds is low and enteric microbiota plays an important role in parent compound biotransformation to their metabolites. Diet type can influence the enteric microbiota profile. When human subjects on different diets ingest ginseng, their different gut microbiota profiles may influence the metabolism of ginseng parent compounds. In this study, the effects of different diet type on gut microbiota metabolism of American ginseng saponins were investigated. We recruited six healthy adults who regularly consumed different diet types. These subjects received 7 days' oral American ginseng, and their biological samples were collected for LC-Q-TOF-MS analysis. We observed significant ginsenoside Rb1 (a major parent compound) and compound K (a major active metabolite) level differences in the samples from the subjects consuming different diets. Subjects on an Asian diet had much higher Rb1 levels but much lower compound K levels compared with those on a Western diet. Since compound K possesses much better cancer chemoprevention potential, our data suggested that consumers on a Western diet should obtain better cancer prevention effects with American ginseng intake compared with those on an Asian diet. Ginseng compound levels could be enhanced or reduced via gut microbiota manipulation for clinical utility.

Biotransformation and metabolic profile of anemoside B4 with rat small and large intestine microflora by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry.

Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel is commonly used in Asia, and anemoside B4 (AB4) is its major saponin, with diverse pharmaceutical effects. Previous studies showed that intestinal flora plays an important role in the metabolism of herbs administered orally. In this study, the metabolic profile of AB4 with microflora in rat small and large intestines in vitro was investigated. Gut microflora was collected from different intestinal segments and anaerobically incubated with AB4 at 37°C for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, respectively. A total of 10 metabolites were detected and identified by ultra- performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, involving the products of oxygenation and deglycosylation reactions. Gut microflora in the large intestine generated more comprehensive metabolic pathways, which appears to be attributable to the wider range of bacterial types and numbers of bacteria. Human cancer cell lines SMMC-7721, Hela and MCF-7 were treated with metabolite pools by MTT assay, together with M6 as the greatest deglycosylation product. As a result, M6 exhibited a reduction in cell viability of SMMC-7721 with an IC50 value of 22.28 ± 1.26 µg/mL. The present study provided scientific evidence for AB4 metabolism in small and large intestines, which is helpful to reveal the active forms of AB4 in vivo.

Evaluation of affinity interaction between small molecules and platelets by open tubular affinity capillary electrochromatography.

In this paper, an open tubular affinity capillary electrochromatography (OT-ACEC) was developed by physical adsorption of rabbit platelets on the inner surface of capillary. The interactions between small molecules include adenosine diphosphate (ADP) (positive control), protocatechuic acid (negative control) and seven natural products (salvianolic acid B, salvianic acid A sodium, hydroxysafflor yellow A, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, caffeic acid) and platelets were evaluated by their retention factors and binding constants obtained based on peak-shift assay. Then, the activities of anti-platelet aggregation induced by thrombin (THR), ADP and arachidonic acid (AA) for those small molecules (except ADP) were evaluated by turbidimetric method. The results indicate that: (i) ADP, a platelet aggregation inducer, had strong interaction with platelet, while protocatechuic acid that had no inhibition on platelet aggregation behaved no specific interaction; (ii) there was a positive correlation between the anti-platelet aggregation activities of small molecules and their interactions with platelet, generally those compounds with higher binding constants with platelet exhibited higher activities. Therefore, the OT-ACEC method developed in the present study can be a potential method to evaluate affinity interactions between small molecules and platelets, so as to predict the biological activities such as anti-platelet aggregation for the small molecules.

Streptomyces tremellae sp. nov., isolated from a culture of the mushroom Tremella fuciformis.

A novel actinomycete strain, designated Js-1T, was isolated from Tremella fuciformis collected from Gutian, Fujian Province, in southeastern China. The taxonomic status of this strain was determined by a polyphasic approach, which demonstrated that the novel strain was a member of the genus Streptomyces. The cell walls of this strain were found to contain ll-diaminopimelic acid, muramic acid and glycine. An analysis of whole-cell hydrolysates revealed that no characteristic sugar was present. The key identified menaquinones were MK-9 (H6) and MK-9 (H8), while the diagnostic polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The main cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. An analysis of an almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the strain shared the highest levels of sequence similarity with Streptomyces sannanensisKC-7038T (97.87 %), Streptomyces hebeiensis YIM 001T (97.84 %), Streptomyces pathocidini NBRC 13812T (97.80 %), Streptomyces cocklensis BK168T (97.25 %), Streptomyces coerulescens NBRC 12758T (97.12 %), Streptomyces aurantiogriseus NBRC 12842T (97.06 %) and Streptomyces rimosussubsp. rimosus ATCC 10970T (97.04 %). The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain Js-1T was 70.1 mol%. Furthermore, DNA-DNA hybridization tests revealed that the relatedness values between strain Js-1T and the most closely related species ranged from 15.10 to 47.20 %. Based on its phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain Js-1T (=CCTCC M 2011365T=JCM 30846T) is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Streptomyces, which we classified as Streptomycestremellae sp. nov.

Simultaneous screening and analysis of antiplatelet aggregation active alkaloids from Rhizoma Corydalis.

CONTEXT: The rising problem of atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease emphasizes the need to look for new antithrombotic components with effective modes of action. Corydalis yanhusuo (Y.H. Chou & Chun C. Hsu) W.T. Wang ex Z.Y. Su & C.Y. Wu (Papaveraceae) (Rhizoma Corydalis) has been used in the traditional medicines for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: The antiplatelet aggregation compounds in Rhizoma Corydalis were screened to validate its traditional medicinal use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Total alkaloid extract (TAE) of Rhizoma Corydalis was obtained by refluxing 100 g Rhizoma Corydalis powder with 600 mL 70% ethanol, and purified by acidification (20% HCl) and alkalization (5 M NaOH) process. Potential antiplatelet aggregation compounds in TAE were screened by a method involving platelet bio-specific extraction and HPLC-DAD/LC-MS analysis. Further in vitro antiplatelet aggregation activity confirmation of TAE and seven main alkaloids were achieved by turbidimetry method within 3 h after blood collection from rabbit carotid artery, and all the test drugs were at the concentration range of 25-350 µg/mL. Finally, HPLC-DAD was employed for the quantitative determination of seven main components in TAE. RESULTS: Five alkaloids, identified as glaucine, dehydrocorydaline, canadine, tetrahydrocoptisine and corydaline, can be specifically extracted with platelets. The results indicated that all these five alkaloids can inhibit thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in a low dose (IC50 of glaucine, dehydrocorydaline, canadine, tetrahydrocoptisine and corydaline were 49.057, 34.914, 33.547, 84.261 and 54.164 µg/mL, respectively) as compared to TAE (IC50 = 175.426 µg/mL) and aspirin (IC50 = 300.340 µg/mL), while the unbound compounds (palmatine and tetrahydropalmatine) had a very weak antiplatelet effect (IC50 > 200 µg/mL). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study is the first reported work for antiplatelet components screening in Rhizoma Corydalis. Seven compounds were detected and identified by HPLC-DAD/LC-MS, of which five platelet-targeted compounds were discovered.

Two new secondary metabolites from the marine-derived fungus Nigrospora sphaerica.

Two new secondary metabolites, (2S)-5-acetamidopentyl-2-hydroxypropanoate (1) and 2, 5, 7-trihydroxy-4-(3'-methylbut-2'-en-1'-yl) oxy-2H-naphtho [1, 8-b c] furan-9-one (2) were isolated from the marine-derived fungus Nigrospora sphaerica. The structures were established on the basis of their spectroscopic data, including 1D NMR and 2D NMR, HR-TOF-MS, and the absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by the Mosher method.

Phytochemistry of Red Ginseng, a Steam-Processed Panax ginseng.

Asian ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, occupies a prominent position in the list of best-selling natural products in the world. There are two major types of ginseng roots: white ginseng and red ginseng, each with numerous preparations. White ginseng is prepared by air-drying fresh Asian ginseng roots after harvest. Red ginseng is prepared by steaming roots in controlled conditions using fresh or raw Asian ginseng. Red ginseng is commonly used in Asian countries due to its unique chemical profile, different therapeutic efficacy, and increased stability. Compared with the widespread research on white ginseng, the study of red ginseng is relatively limited. In this paper, after a botanical feature description, the structures of different types of constituents in red ginseng are systematically described, including naturally occurring compounds and those resulting from the steam processing. In red ginseng phytochemical studies, the number of published reports on ginsenosides is significantly higher than that for other constituents. Up to now, 57 ginsenosides have been isolated and characterized in red ginseng. The structural transformation pathways during steaming have been summarized. In comparison with white ginseng, red ginseng also contains other constituents, including polyacetylenes, Maillard reaction products, other types of glycosides, lignans, amino acids, fatty acids, and polysaccharides, which have also been presented. Appropriate analytical methods are necessary for differentiating between unprocessed white ginseng and processed red ginseng. Specific marker compounds and chemical profiles have been used to discriminate red ginseng from white ginseng and adulterated commercial products. Additionally, a brief phytochemical profile comparison has been made between white ginseng and black ginseng, and the latter is another type of processed ginseng prepared from white or red ginseng by steaming several times. In conclusion, to ensure the safe and effective use of red ginseng, phytochemical and analytical studies of its constituents are necessary and even crucial.

Sarcopenia adversely impacts clinical outcomes in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is a syndrome marked by a gradual and widespread reduction in skeletal muscle mass and strength, as well as a decline in functional ability, which is associated with malnutrition, hormonal changes, chronic inflammation, disturbance of intestinal flora, and exercise quality. Pancreatoduodenectomy is a commonly employed clinical intervention for conditions such as pancreatic head cancer, ampulla of Vater cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma, among others, with a notably high rate of postoperative complications. Sarcopenia is frequent in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. However, data regarding the effects of sarcopenia in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) are both limited and inconsistent. AIM: To assess the influence of sarcopenia on outcomes in patients undergoing PD. METHODS: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases were screened for studies published from the time of database inception to June 2023 that described the effects of sarcopenia on the outcomes and complications of PD. Two researchers independently assessed the quality of the data extracted from the studies that met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3.5 and Stata 14.0 software was conducted. Forest and funnel plots were used, respectively, to demonstrate the outcomes of the sarcopenia group vs the non-sarcopenia group after PD and to evaluate potential publication bias. RESULTS: Sixteen studies encompassing 2381 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The patients in the sarcopenia group (n = 833) had higher overall postoperative complication rates [odds ratio (OR) = 3.42, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.95-5.99, P < 0.0001], higher Clavien-Dindo class ≥ III major complication rates (OR = 1.41, 95%CI: 1.04-1.90, P = 0.03), higher bacteremia rates (OR = 4.46, 95%CI: 1.42-13.98, P = 0.01), higher pneumonia rates (OR = 2.10, 95%CI: 1.34-3.27, P = 0.001), higher pancreatic fistula rates (OR = 1.42, 95%CI: 1.12-1.79, P = 0.003), longer hospital stays (OR = 2.86, 95%CI: 0.44-5.28, P = 0.02), higher mortality rates (OR = 3.17, 95%CI: 1.55-6.50, P = 0.002), and worse overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.81, 95%CI: 1.45-5.45, P = 0.002) than those in the non-sarcopenia group (n = 1548). However, no significant inter-group differences were observed regarding wound infections, urinary tract infections, biliary fistulas, or postoperative digestive bleeding. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia is a common comorbidity in patients undergoing PD. Patients with preoperative sarcopenia have increased rates of complications and mortality, in addition to a poorer overall survival rate and longer hospital stays after PD.

Using Quercetin to Construct Molecularly Imprinting Polymer in the Preparation and Enrichment of Flavonol and Flavonoid Compounds.

Flavonol and flavonoid compounds are important natural compounds with various biomedical activities. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a strategy for the specific extraction of flavonol and flavonoid compounds. Quercetin is a well-studied flavonoid possessing many health benefits. This compound is a versatile antioxidant known to possess protective abilities against body tissue injury induced by pathological situations and various drug toxicities. Although quercetin is widely distributed in many plants, its content generally is not very high. Therefore, the specific extraction of quercetin as well as other flavonol and flavonoid compounds has profound significance. In this work, the quercetin molecularly imprinting polymer (QMIP) was successfully prepared, in which a typical flavonol quercetin was selected as the template molecule. QMIP was synthesized by performing the surface molecular imprinting technology on the surface of NH2-MIL-101(Fe). Our study results showed that QMIP exhibited quick binding kinetic behavior, a high adsorption capacity (57.04[Formula: see text]mg/g), and the specific recognition ability toward quercetin compared with structurally distinct compounds (selective [Formula: see text]). The specific adsorption ability of quercetin by QMIP was further explained using computation simulation that molecules with non-planar 3D conformations hardly entered the molecularly imprinted cavities on QMIP. Finally, QMIP was successfully used for the specific extraction of quercetin and five other flavonol and flavonoid compounds in the crude extracts from Sapium sebiferum. This study proposes a new strategy to synthesize the molecularly imprinted polymer based on a single template for enriching and loading a certain class of active ingredients with similar core structures from variable botanicals.

Ruthenium-dihydroartemisinin complex: a promising new compound for colon cancer prevention via G1 cell cycle arrest, apoptotic induction, and adaptive immune regulation.

BACKGROUND: Artemisinin (ART) and its derivatives are important antimalaria agents and have received increased attention due to their broad biomedical effects, such as anticancer and anti-inflammation activities. Recently, ruthenium-derived complexes have attracted considerable attention as their anticancer potentials were observed in preclinical and clinical studies. METHODS: To explore an innovative approach in colorectal cancer (CRC) management, we synthesized ruthenium-dihydroartemisinin complex (D-Ru), a novel metal-based artemisinin derivative molecule, and investigated its anticancer, anti-inflammation, and adaptive immune regulatory properties. RESULTS: Compared with its parent compound, ART, D-Ru showed stronger antiproliferative effects on the human CRC cell lines HCT-116 and HT-29. The cancer cell inhibition of D-Ru comprised G1 cell cycle arrest via the downregulation of cyclin A and the induction of apoptosis. ART and D-Ru downregulated the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-8. Although ART and D-Ru did not suppress Treg cell differentiation, they significantly inhibited Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that D-Ru, a novel ruthenium complexation of ART, remarkably enhanced its parent compound's anticancer action, while the anti-inflammatory potential was not compromised. The molecular mechanisms of action of D-Ru include inhibition of cancer cell growth via cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, and anti-inflammation via regulation of adaptive immunity.

Constructing electrochemical sensor using molecular-imprinted polysaccharide for rapid identification and determination of l-tryptophan in diet.

An imbalance of l-tryptophan (l-Trp), a basic component of a healthy diet, is harmful to human health. Traditional methods for detecting l-Trp have many limitations. To correct a deficiency or excess of l-Trp in human diets, it is necessary to develop a novel method that is rapid, low-cost, and high-sensitivity. Herein, a molecularly imprinted polysaccharide electrochemical sensor termed MIP/CS/MWCNTs/GCE (molecularly imprinted polymer/chitosan/multiwalled carbon nanotubes/glassy carbon electrode) targeting l-Trp was first constructed on a glassy carbon electrode, which was modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes and chitosan using bifunctional monomers. The MIP/CS/MWCNTs/GCE obtained a wide linear range (1-300 µM) for detecting l-Trp and accurately detected the proportion of l-Trp in mixtures of Trp enantiomers. In milk samples, the spiked recoveries of l-Trp were 86.50 to 99.65%. The MIP/CS/MWCNTs/GCE electrochemical sensor possessed good recognition and detection performance for l-Trp and has promising potential for practical application.

Effects of Curcuminoids and Surfactant-Formulated Curcumin on Chemo-Resistant Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, and chronic gut inflammation is a risk factor for CRC initiation and development. Curcuma longa L., or turmeric, has become one of the most studied herbal medicines in recent years due to its anticancer potentials. It is generally accepted that the major component in turmeric is curcuminoids, and the active constituent in curcuminoids is curcumin. However, unprocessed curcumin is characterized by poor water solubility, which means low bioavailability in humans. To increase the bioavailability of curcumin, in this study, we utilized a novel surfactant-formulated curcumin (CuminUP60[Formula: see text]) and evaluated its CRC chemopreventive activities. Compared with the chemo-sensitive CRC cell line HCT-116, the management of the CRC SW-480 cell line is a challenge, since the latter is chemo-resistant. In other words, these cancer cells resist the effects of the chemotherapy. Using the newly formulated CuminUP60[Formula: see text] water solution, this study demonstrated its strong antiproliferative effects on the SW-480 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This new formulation induced early apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase via the upregulation of cyclin B1. We also observed that this new formulation possessed inhibitory effects on Th17 cell differentiation, which regulates the body's immune response against gut malignancies. In summary, our results exhibited a potential clinical utility of the surfactant-formulated curcumin in chemo-resistant colorectal cancer management.