[Optimization of extraction of flavonoids from Lonicera rupicola and analysis of its effects in resisting inflammation, relieving pain, enhancing immunity, and inhibiting pyroptosis].

The present study optimized the extraction of flavonoids from Lonicera rupicola Hook. f. et Thoms(LRH) and explored its pharmacological effects, such as resisting inflammation, relieving pain, enhancing immunity, and inhibiting pyroptosis, aiming to provide data support and scientific basis for the development and utilization of LRH. Response surface methodology(RSM) was applied to optimize the extraction of flavonoids from LRH based on the results of single-factor experiments. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of LRH flavonoids were evaluated via inflammation and pain models in mice, such as xylene-induced ear swelling, carrageenan-induced footpad swelling, writhing caused by acetic acid, and paw licking. The effect of LRH flavonoids on the carbon clearance index of monocytes and serum immunoglobulin A(IgA) and IgM levels was analyzed on the immunosuppression model induced by cyclophosphamide in mice. The anti-oxidative effect in vivo of LRH flavonoids on liver superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), and malondialdehyde(MDA) levels was determined based on the chronic/subacute aging model in mice induced by D-galactose. The levels of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(caspase-1), interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), and IL-18 in the supernatant of J774 A.1 mononuclear phagocytes were detected to evaluate the effect of LRH flavonoids on the pyroptosis of mononuclear phagocytes in mice induced by the combination of lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and adenosine triphosphate(ATP). Meanwhile, the effect of LRH flavonoids on the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway was also explored. The optimum conditions for the extraction of LRH flavonoids are listed below: extraction temperature of 65 ℃, the ethanol concentration of 50%, extraction time of 60 min, a material-liquid ratio at 1∶25, and the yield of LRH flavonoids of 0.553%. RSM determined the multiple quadratic regression equation model of response value and variables as follows: the yield of LRH flavonoids=0.61-0.48A+0.1B+0.029C-0.014D+0.32AB+0.04AC-0.012AD-0.02BC+0.037BD-0.031CD-0.058A~2-0.068B~2-0.069C~2-0.057D~2. LRH flavonoids could effectively inhibit ear swelling and footpad swelling, reduced acetic acid-induced writhing, and delayed the paw licking response time in mice. Additionally, LRH flavonoids could improve the carbon clearance index in immunosuppressed mice, potentiate the activities of SOD and CAT and reduce MDA levels in the liver of aging mice induced by D-galactose, and effectively inhibit macrophage pyroptosis by decreasing the levels of caspase-1, IL-1ß, and IL-18. The results reveal that LRH flavonoids possess excellent pharmacological activities such as resisting inflammation and oxidation, relieving pain, and enhancing immunity. They can inhibit pyroptosis by enhancing the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. The results of this study can underpin the pharmacological research, development, and utilization of LRH.

High prevalence of Eimeria infection in dairy goats in Shaanxi province, northwestern China.

A survey of dairy goats for infection with Eimeria species of coccidia was conducted in the Shaanxi province, northwestern China between December and November 2010, including Saanen and Guanzhong breeds. A total of 584 fecal samples (250 and 334 from Saanen and Guanzhong dairy goats, respectively) in six farms were collected. Eimeria oocysts were seen in 568 (97.3%) fecal samples, with six species, namely Eimeria jolchijevi, Eimeria arloingi, Eimeria alijevi, Eimeria caprina, Eimeria hirci, and Eimeria christenseni. The most prevalent were E. arloingi in Saanen and Guanzhong dairy goats, with an overall prevalence of 83.3% and 84.4%, and the lowest prevalence were E. christenseni (26.9%) and E. hirci (20.7%) for Saanen and Guanzhong Dairy goats, respectively. Two or more Eimeria species were commonly presented in all the age groups; 80.0% and 81.4% of positive Saanen and Guanzhong dairy goats carried more than two species, and 1.6% and 6.5% of two breeds had six species. The results of the present survey suggested that Eimeria infection is wide and severe in the Saanen and Guanzhong dairy goats, which suggested that integrated strategies should be implemented to prevent and control coccidial infection in dairy goats in this province.

Dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans from Artemisia sieversiana and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Two previously undescribed dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans, named sieverlignans D-E (1-2), as well as eight known ones (3-10), were isolated from the aerial parts of Artemisia sieversiana. Their structures were elucidated from extensive spectroscopic analysis, including HRMS, NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) experiments. This study is the first to report dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans in the genus Artemisia and this plant. All the compounds were evaluated for their anti-neuroinflammatory activities on the lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced nitric oxide production in BV-2 murine microglial cells. Compounds 1 and 6 exhibited the moderate activities with their IC50 values of 47.7 and 21.9 µM, compared to a positive control quercetin with the IC50 value of 16.0 µM.

Rapidly detecting antibiotics with magnetic nanoparticle coated CdTe quantum dots.

A reusable magnetic-quantum dot material (MNP-SiO2-QD) with good magnetic properties and high fluorescence retention was successfully fabricated from linked magnetic nanoparticles and quantum dots. The resulting material can qualitatively and quantitatively detect four kinds of antibiotics and maintain high recovery rates.

A new strategy for the preparation of antibody against natural glycoside: With astragaloside IV as an example.

A new strategy for the hapten design of natural glycoside and application for the preparation of antibody is reported in this work. With astragaloside IV (AGS-IV) as an example, C6"-CH2OH on a glucosyl group was selectively oxidized by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) oxidation to C6"-COOH, which was subsequently condensed with -NH2 on bovine serum albumin to get artificial antigen. Then, the successful preparation of artificial antigen was verified by TCL, SDS-PAGE, UV, and MALDI-TOF-MS. Finally, rabbits were immunized with artificial antigen to obtain an antibody against AGS-IV. After tests of the titer, IC50, and cross-reactivity, the results showed that the antibody prepared by TEMPO oxidation in this work had higher specificity than that the antibody prepared by conventional sodium periodate (NaIO4) oxidation. The hapten, as a carboxylic acid derivative of AGS-IV, has better water solubility than AGS IV, which is more suitable for the synthesis of the hapten-carrier protein conjugate in aqueous phase, achieving another virtue of TEMPO oxidation over NaIO4 oxidation. This new strategy provides new ideas for the design of haptens of other natural glycosides, as well as the preparation of their antibodies.

Prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance qnr genes in poultry and swine clinical isolates of Escherichia coli.

The prevalence of qnr genes was investigated in veterinary clinical isolates of Escherichia coli in Guangdong province, China, and the aac (6')-Ib gene and the mutations in QRDRs of gyrase and topoisomerase IV were examined in qnr-positive strains. A total of 232 E. coli strains isolated from pig and poultry were screened for the presence of the qnrA, qnrB and qnrS genes by PCR and sequencing. The aac (6')-Ib gene was detected in qnr-bearing strains by PCR and sequencing. For all strains carrying qnr, MICs for six quinolones were determined. Mutations within the gyrase and topoisomerase were analyzed by PCR and sequencing for all the QRDRs of gyrA, gyrB, parC and parE. Among 232 E. coli isolates, 14 (6%) isolates were positive for the qnr gene, including one for qnrB, 13 for qnrS, but no qnrA was identified in this population. Detection of the aac (6')-Ib gene showed that one qnrS-positive isolate from pig and one qnrB-positive isolate from duck carried aac (6')-Ib gene, and both were the cr variant allele of aac (6')-Ib. All of the 14 isolates had MICs of ciprofloxacin more than 0.25 mg/L. Mutations in the QRDR of gyrA mutations were observed in 5 (35.7%) of the 14 strains. Three fluoroquinolone-resisting strains showed one mutation S83L of gyrA, while one S83I. One high-level resistance strains harboured gyrA S83L and A87N of gyrA. A singe mutation in site 58 of parC was detected in 3 (21.4%) strains. None mutations were found in QRDRs of gyrB and parE. The emergence of qnr genes in veterinary clinical E. coli isolates is described for the first time. This is also the first report of aac (6')-Ib-cr gene in E. coli isolates from food-producing animals.