Comparison of the Metabolomics of Different Dendrobium Species by UPLC-QTOF-MS.

Dendrobium Sw. (family Orchidaceae) is a renowned edible and medicinal plant in China. Although widely cultivated and used, less research has been conducted on differential Dendrobium species. In this study, stems from seven distinct Dendrobium species were subjected to UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis. A total of 242 metabolites were annotated, and multivariate statistical analysis was employed to explore the variance in the extracted metabolites across the various groups. The analysis demonstrated that D. nobile displays conspicuous differences from other species of Dendrobium. Specifically, D. nobile stands out from the remaining six taxa of Dendrobium based on 170 distinct metabolites, mainly terpene and flavonoid components, associated with cysteine and methionine metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, and galactose metabolism. It is believed that the variations between D. nobile and other Dendrobium species are mainly attributed to three metabolite synthesis pathways. By comparing the chemical composition of seven species of Dendrobium, this study identified the qualitative components of each species. D. nobile was found to differ significantly from other species, with higher levels of terpenoids, flavonoids, and other compounds that are for the cardiovascular field. By comparing the chemical composition of seven species of Dendrobium, these qualitative components have relevance for establishing quality standards for Dendrobium.

Research Progress on the Relationship between Vitamins and Diabetes: Systematic Review.

Diabetes is a serious chronic metabolic disease that causes complications over time, bringing serious public health challenges that affect different countries across the world. The current clinical drugs for diabetes may lead to adverse effects such as hypoglycemia and liver and abdominal distension and pain, which prompt people to explore new treatments for diabetes without side effects. The research objective of this review article is to systematically review studies on vitamins and diabetes and to explain their possible mechanism of action, as well as to assess the role of vitamins as drugs for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. To achieve our objective, we searched scientific databases in PubMed Central, Medline databases and Web of Science for articles, using "vitamin" and "diabetes" as key words. The results of numerous scientific investigations revealed that vitamin levels were decreased in humans and animals with diabetes, and vitamins show promise for the prevention and/or control of diabetes through anti-inflammation, antioxidation and the regulation of lipid metabolism. However, a few studies showed that vitamins had no positive effect on the development of diabetes. Currently, studies on vitamins in the treatment of diabetes are still very limited, and there are no clinical data to clarify the dose-effect relationship between vitamins and diabetes; therefore, vitamins are not recommended as routine drugs for the treatment of diabetes. However, we still emphasize the great potential of vitamins in the prevention and treatment of diabetes, and higher quality studies are needed in the future to reveal the role of vitamins in the development of diabetes.

A classification and identification model of extra virgin olive oil adulterated with other edible oils based on pigment compositions and support vector machine.

Adulteration identification of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a vital issue in the olive oil industry. In this study, chromatographic fingerprint data of pigments combined with machine learning methodologies were successfully identified and classified EVOO, refined-pomace olive oil (R-POO), rapeseed oil (RO), soybean oil (SO), peanut oil (PO), sunflower oil (SFO), flaxseed oil (FO), corn oil (CO), extra virgin olive oil adulterated with rapeseed oil (EVOO-RO) and extra virgin olive oil adulterated with corn oil (EVOO-CO). Support vector machine (SVM) classification of EVOO, other edible oils, and EVOO adulteration identification achieved 100% accuracy for the training set sample and 94.44% accuracy for the test set sample. As a result, this SVM model could identify effectively the adulteration EVOO with the limit of 1% RO and 1% CO. Therefore, the excellent classification and predictive power of this model indicated pigments could be used as potential markers for identifying EVOO adulteration.

Antimicrobial activity and comparative metabolomic analysis of Priestia megaterium strains derived from potato and dendrobium.

The growth of endophytic bacteria is influenced by the host plants and their secondary metabolites and activities. In this study, P. megaterium P-NA14 and P. megaterium D-HT207 were isolated from potato tuber and dendrobium stem respectively. They were both identified as Priestia megaterium. The antimicrobial activities and metabolites of both strains were explored. For antimicrobial activities, results showed that P. megaterium P-NA14 exhibited a stronger inhibition effect on the pathogen of dendrobium, while P. megaterium D-HT207 exhibited a stronger inhibition effect on the pathogen of potato. The supernatant of P. megaterium P-NA14 showed an inhibition effect only on Staphylococcus aureus, while the sediment of P. megaterium D-HT207 showed an inhibition effect only on Escherichia coli. For metabolomic analysis, the content of L-phenylalanine in P. megaterium P-NA14 was higher than that of P. megaterium D-HT207, and several key downstream metabolites of L-phenylalanine were associated with inhibition of S. aureus including tyrosine, capsaicin, etc. Therefore, we speculated that the different antimicrobial activities between P. megaterium P-NA14 and P. megaterium D-HT207 were possibly related to the content of L-phenylalanine and its metabolites. This study preliminarily explored why the same strains isolated from different hosts exhibit different activities from the perspective of metabolomics.

Polygonum sibiricum polysaccharides exert the antidepressant-like effects in chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depressive mice by modulating microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Polygonum sibiricum polysaccharides (PSP) are one of the main active components of Polygonatum sibiricum, which is a traditional Chinese medicine with food and drug homologies. Recent studies have revealed the antidepressant-like effects of PSP. However, the precise mechanisms have not been clarified. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explore that whether PSP could exert the antidepressant-like effects via microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depressive mice by transplantation of fecal microbiota (FMT) from PSP administration mice. FMT markedly reversed the depressive-like behaviors of CUMS-induced mice in the open field, the sucrose preference, the tail suspension, the forced swimming, and the novelty-suppressed feeding tests. FMT significantly increased the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine, decreased the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus and reduced the levels of corticosterone, an adrenocorticotropic-hormone, in the serum of CUMS-induced mice. In addition, administration of PSP and FMT significantly increased the expressions of ZO-1 and occludin in the colon and decreased the levels of lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ in the serum of CUMS-induced mice. Moreover, administration of PSP and FMT regulated the signaling pathways of PI3K/AKT/TLR4/NF-κB and ERK/CREB/BDNF. Taken together, these findings indicated that PSP exerted antidepressant-like effects via the MGB axis.

Combined metabolomics and proteomics to reveal beneficial mechanisms of Dendrobium fimbriatum against gastric mucosal injury.

As a dietary and medicinal plant, Dendrobium fimbriatum (DF) is widely utilized in China for improving stomach disease for centuries. However, the underlying mechanisms against gastric mucosal injury have not been fully disclosed. Here, metabolomics and proteomics were integrated to clarify the in-depth molecular mechanisms using cyclophosphamide-induced gastric mucosal injury model in mice. As a result, three metabolic pathways, such as creatine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and pyrimidine metabolism were hit contributing to DF protective benefits. Additionally, γ-L-glutamyl-putrescine, cytosine, and thymine might be the eligible biomarkers to reflect gastric mucosal injury tatus, and DF anti-gastric mucosal injury effects were mediated by the so-called target proteins such as Ckm, Arg1, Ctps2, Pycr3, and Cmpk2. This finding provided meaningful information for the molecular mechanisms of DF and also offered a promising strategy to clarify the therapeutic mechanisms of functional foods.

Soy isoflavones protects against cognitive deficits induced by chronic sleep deprivation via alleviating oxidative stress and suppressing neuroinflammation.

Mounting evidence suggests that there is a close association between chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) and cognitive deficits. The animal model of CSD-induced cognitive deficits is commonly used to seek potential treatments. Soy isoflavones (SI) have been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and neuroprotective effects. In the present study, the effects of SI on CSD-induced memory impairment were investigated. The mice were subjected to the sleep interruption apparatus and continuously sleep deprived for 2 weeks, while orally administrated with SI (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) or Modafinil (MOD,100 mg/kg) during the CSD process. Immediately after the SD protocol, cognitive performance of mice was evaluated by the object location recognition (OLR) test, the novel object recognition (NOR) test, and the Morris water maze (MWM) task, as well as the hippocampus, was extracted for evaluation of oxidative stress parameters and inflammation levels through biochemical parameter assay and western blotting analysis. The results showed that SI administration remarkably improved the cognitive performance of CSD-treated mice in OLR, NOR, and MWM tests. In addition, SI significantly elevated total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase enzyme activities, decreased malondialdehyde level, promoting antioxidant element nuclear erythroid-2-related factor 2, and its downstream targets, including heme oxygenase 1, and quinone oxidoreductase 1 protein expressions. Moreover, SI treatment significantly suppressed nuclear factor kappa B p65, nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase 2 activation, as well as the pro-inflammatory cytokines (Tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and interleukin-1ß [IL-1ß]) release in the hippocampus of CSD-treated mice. In summary, the current study provides an insight into the potential of SI in treatment of cognitive deficits by CSD.

Supplementation with embryo chicken egg extract improves exercise performance and exerts anti-fatigue effects via AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway in mice.

BACKGROUND: Embryo chicken egg is a nutritional supplement that has been used to enhance physical fitness and promote wound healing according to traditional Chinese medicine for many years. In this study, we evaluated the effects of embryo chicken egg extract (ECE) on the exercise performance and fatigue in mice and the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: The results indicated that ECE can prolong the exhaustive swimming time, decrease lactic acid, blood urea nitrogen, creatine kinase, and malondialdehyde levels, and increase superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glycogen levels. Additionally, ECE can also regulate the balance of oxidative stress via the adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin signalling pathway. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results showed that ECE can improve exercise performance and reduce physical fatigue in mice, which indicates that ECE can be used as a potential supplement to reduce physical fatigue. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Protective effect of ginsenoside Rh2 on scopolamine-induced memory deficits through regulation of cholinergic transmission, oxidative stress and the ERK-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway.

Rh2 is a rare ginsenoside and there are few reports of its effect on cognition compared with other similar molecules. This study aimed to establish the impact of Rh2 treatment on improving scopolamine (Scop)-induced memory deficits in mice and illuminate the underlying mechanisms. First, memory-related behavior was evaluated using two approaches: object location recognition (OLR), based on spontaneous activity, and a Morris water maze (MWM) task, based on an aversive stimulus. Our results suggested that Rh2 treatment effectively increased the discrimination index of the mice in the OLR test. In addition, Rh2 elevated the crossing numbers and decreased the escape latency during the MWM task. Moreover, Rh2 markedly upregulated the phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-cAMP response element binding (CREB)-brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pathway in the hippocampus. Meanwhile, the administration of Rh2 significantly promoted the cholinergic system and dramatically suppressed oxidative stress in the hippocampus. Taken together, Rh2 exhibited neuroprotective effects against Scop-induced memory dysfunction in mice. Rh2 activity might be ascribed to several underlying mechanisms, including its effects on modulating the cholinergic transmission, inhibiting oxidative stress and activating the ERK-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway. Consequently, the ginsenoside Rh2 might serve as a promising candidate compound for Alzheimer's disease.

The genus Schefflera: A review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Schefflera is the largest genus in the family Araliaceae, which contains 602 known species indigenous to Asia, Africa, and the southwest Pacific region, several of which are used in traditional medicine. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The review discusses current knowledge of the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities of Schefflera species, to assess the medicinal potential of this genus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The literature were explored using the keyword "Schefflera" in SciFinder®, Google Scholar®, and PubMed® databases. The taxonomy of all reported plants was authenticated using "The Plant List". Additional data on traditional uses was obtained from secondary references including books and online resources. RESULTS: Fourteen species were documented as traditional medicines in China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, specifically to manage rheumatism, pain, and trauma. Other species are used in the treatment of liver disorders, skin conditions, respiratory infections, cancer, diarrhea, malaria, paralysis, and many other conditions. The main phytochemical constituents identified were triterpenoids and saponins, with sesquiterpenes, phenylpropanoids, and lignans. Pharmacological properties of extracts and pure isolated compounds included analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antimalarial, and antiallergic effects. CONCLUSION: The reported biological activities of Schefflera species support their traditional uses, although the available data, even for medicinal species, was limited. Reports of chemical constituents or biological activities could be found for only about 20 species, but suggest that further investigation of efficacy and safety of the largely unexplored genus Schefflera is necessary.

Analysis of volatile compound changes in fried shallot (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum) oil at different frying temperatures by GC-MS, OAV, and multivariate analysis.

Flavor is a key attribute of fried oil that shows a critical correlation with temperature. Therefore, selecting the appropriate temperature is important in preparing fried shallot oil (FSO). Volatile compounds from five different FSOs were identified and comparatively studied using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) coupled with multivariate data analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). GC-MS results identified a total of 93 volatiles, among which aldehydes, alcohols, pyrazines, and sulfur-containing compounds were the major compounds. Eighteen compounds had odor active values (OAV) >1. Among the compounds, hexanal, (E)-2-heptenal, (E)-2-octenal, dipropyl disulfide, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine, and 1-octen-3-ol were important to the overall aroma profile of FSOs. In the PCA model, all the detected FSOs were divided into three clusters, which were assigned as cluster A (FSO5), B (FSO4), and C (the rest FSOs). Multivariate data analyses revealed that nonanal, 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, (E)-2-heptenal, and hexanal contributed positively to the classification of different FSOs. GC-MS coupled with multivariate data analysis could be used as a convenient and efficient analytical method to classify raw materials.

Neuroprotective effects of soy isoflavones on chronic ethanol-induced dementia in male ICR mice.

Chronic ethanol intake can lead to dementia by activating neuroinflammation, causing oxidative stress response, reducing cholinergic function and inducing neuronal apoptosis. Soy isoflavones (SIs) exert beneficial effects in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders by acting on the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic and neuro-trophic processes. However, at present, it is unknown whether SIs have a neuroprotective effect in chronic ethanol-induced dementia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of SI on chronic ethanol-induced cognitive deficit in mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. The cognition-impaired mouse model was induced by ethanol (2.0 g kg-1, p.o) for 4 weeks. SIs (10, 20 or 40 mg kg-1, p.o) were delivered 1 hour after ethanol administration for 4 weeks. The Morris water maze (MWM) test and the passive avoidance (PA) task were conducted to evaluate the learning and memory abilities. After the behavioral tests, the biochemical parameter assay and western blot analysis were used to explore the underlying mechanisms of its action. SI administration significantly improved the cognitive performance in the MWM and PA tests, regulated the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and acetylcholine (Ach) level, elevated the synaptic plasticity-related protein expressions and inhibited neuron apoptosis-related protein expressions in the cortex and hippocampus of mice. The results revealed that soy isoflavones may provide a possible novel candidate for the prevention and treatment of alcoholic dementia.

Dammarane sapogenins attenuates stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors by upregulating ERK/CREB/BDNF pathways.

Dammarane sapogenins (DS), an extract derived from ginseng by alkaline hydrolysis of total ginsenosides, possesses high pharmacological activity and higher bioavailability than ginsenosides. The present study was designed to investigate the anxiolytic-like effects of DS in a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). DS (40 and 80 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated social avoidance and anxiety-like behavior in four test models of CSDS, showing increased time in the interaction zone in the social interaction test and in the center of the field in the open field test, an increased percentage of entries and open arm time in the elevated plus maze, and reduced latency to eat in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. Biochemical analyses showed that DS significantly reduced serum corticosterone levels and increased brain concentration of neurotransmitter 5-HT and noradrenaline in CSDS mice. Treatment with DS significantly upregulated BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), p-CREB/CREB and p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 protein expression in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of CSDS mice. Collectively, these results suggest that DS exerts anxiolytic-like effects in CSDS model mice and the action is mediated, at least in part, by modulating the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis and monoamine neurotransmitter levels, and via ERK/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway.

Protective effects of Genistein on the cognitive deficits induced by chronic sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation has been widely reported to cause cognitive dysfunction, and elevation in oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, including the brain, have been suggested as the main factors. Genistein (GE) is an isoflavone widely present in leguminous plants, and it was found to exert a wide spectrum of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and antimetastatic effects. In this study, the protective effect of GE on chronic sleep deprivation (CSD)-induced cognitive dysfunction was investigated. The mice were subjected to the sleep interruption apparatus and continuously sleep deprived for 25 days. GE was orally administrated (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) during the sleep deprivation process totally for 25 days. Cognitive behavioral tests were conducted to study the learning and memory using the object location recognition (OLR) task, novel object recognition (NOR) test, and the Morris water maze (MWM) task. Additionally, the cortex and hippocampus were dissected to measure the oxidative stress markers and the antioxidant element nuclear erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream targets, including glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic, glutamate cysteine ligase modifier, heme oxygenase 1, and quinone oxidoreductase 1, as well as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expression. Moreover, the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, interleukin [IL]-6, and IL-1ß) level was examined in the serum. The current results showed that GE could dose-dependently ameliorate the cognitive deficits of CSD-treated mice in the OLR, NOR, and MWM tasks. In addition, GE treatment significantly elevated the activities of total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase and the level of glutathione and lowered the content of malondialdehyde in the cortex and hippocampus of CSD-treated mice. Furthermore, GE administration effectively activated the antioxidant element Nrf2 and its downstream targets in the cortex and hippocampus of CSD-treated mice. Moreover, GE treatment significantly suppressed CSD-induced NF-κB p65, iNOS, and COX-2 activation in the cortex and hippocampus, as well as inhibited CSD-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß) release in the serum. Taken together, all these results suggested that GE has substantial potential as a therapeutic intervention for the alleviation of CSD-induced deleterious effects.

Antidepressant-like effects of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol in a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress and the related mechanisms.

20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) is a basic aglycone of the dammarane triterpenoid saponins and exerts antidepressant-like effects on behaviour in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) and in rat olfactory bulbectomy depression models. However, the antidepressant effects of PPD have not been studied thoroughly. The objective of the present study was first to investigate the effect of PPD on depression behaviours induced by chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) in mice. The results showed that CSDS was effective in producing depression-like behaviours in mice, as indicated by decreased responses in the social interaction test, sucrose preference test, TST, and FST, and that this effect was accompanied by noticeable alterations in the levels of oxidative markers (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and lipid peroxidation) and monoamines (5-HT and NE) in the hippocampus and serum corticosterone levels. Additionally, western blot analysis revealed that CSDS exposure significantly downregulated BDNF, p-TrkB/TrkB, p-Akt/Akt, and p-mTOR/mTOR protein expression in the hippocampus. Remarkably, chronic PPD treatment significantly ameliorated these behavioral and biochemical alterations associated withCSDS-induced depression. Our results suggest that PPD exerts antidepressant-like effects in mice with CSDS-induced depression and that this effect may be mediated by the normalization of neurotransmitter and corticosterone levels and the alleviation of oxidative stress, as well as the enhancement of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR-mediated BDNF/TrkB pathway.

Memory enhancement of fresh ginseng on deficits induced by chronic restraint stress in mice.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic stress exposure can disrupt the balance of organisms, result in learning and memory impairments and induce oxidative stress. However, there is a lack of safe and effective long-term therapeutic agents for stress-related injuries. Fresh ginseng (FG), an unprocessed raw root of ginseng, has antioxidant and neuroprotective activities and has been used as functional health food in Asian countries for many years. The aim of this study was to verify the protective effects of FG on chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced learning and memory impairments as well as oxidative stress damage in mice. METHODS: Animals were subjected to object location recognition test (OLRT) and novel object recognition test (NORT) to evaluate discriminative ability and spatial learning and memory, and Morris water maze test (MWMT) was used to evaluate the acquisition and retention of spatial memory. In addition, oxidative stress parameters were assessed by measuring the malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant reactivity levels in serum. RESULTS: Experimental results demonstrated that CRS-induced mice exhibited significantly decreased discrimination index (DI) in OLRT and NORT, longer escape latency and swimming distance, and decreased crossing numbers in MWMT. FG (2 and 6 g/kg) treatment markedly enhanced the discriminative ability by elevating DI in OLRT and NORT, improved the acquisition and retention of spatial memory by decreasing escape latency and swimming distance in the acquisition phase, and increased the crossing numbers in the probe phase of MWMT. Administration of FG (2 and 6 g/kg) significantly reduced the elevated MDA level caused by CRS. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that FG treatment could improve CRS-induced learning and memory impairments and oxidative stress damage. FG is an intriguing therapeutic agent and functional health food in stress-related dementia.

Antidepressant effects of dammarane sapogenins in chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depressive mice.

Depression is a common, dysthymic, and psychiatric disorder, resulting in enormous social and economic burden. Dammarane sapogenins (DS), an active fraction from oriental ginseng, has shown antidepressant-like effects in chronic restraint rats and sleep interruption-induced mice, and the present study aimed to further confirm the antidepressant effects of DS in a model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and to explore the underlying mechanism. Oral administration of DS (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg) markedly improved depressant-like behaviors, increasing the sucrose intake in the sucrose preference test and reducing the latency in the novelty-suppressed feeding test, and decreasing the immobility time in both the tail suspension and forced swimming tests, compared with the CUMS mice. Biochemical analysis of brain tissue and serum showed that DS treatment restored the decreased hippocampal neurotransmitter concentrations of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and gamma-aminobutyric acid, and decreased the elevated of serum hormone levels (corticotrophin releasing factor, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, and corticosterone) induced by CUMS. Our findings confirm that DS exerts an antidepressant-like effect in the CUMS model of depression in mice, and suggest it may be mediated by regulation of neurotransmitters and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Neuroprotective effects of 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PPT) on scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits in mice.

20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PPT), one of the ginsenosides from Panax ginseng, has been reported to have neuroprotective effects and to improve memory. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of PPT on scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits in mice. Male Institute of Cancer Research mice were pretreated with 2 different doses of PPT (20 and 40 µmol/kg) for 27 days by intraperitoneal injection, and scopolamine (0.75 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally for 9 days to induce memory impairment. Thirty minutes after the last pretreatment, the locomotor activity was firstly examined to evaluate the motor function of mice. Then, memory-related behaviors were evaluated, and the related mechanism was further researched. It was founded that PPT treatment significantly reversed scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in the object location recognition experiment, the Morris water maze test, and the passive avoidance task, showing memory-improving effects. PPT also significantly improved cholinergic system reactivity and suppressed oxidative stress, indicated by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity, elevation of acetylcholine levels, increasing superoxide dismutase activity and lowering levels of malondialdehyde in the hippocampus. In addition, the expression levels of Egr-1, c-Jun, and cAMP responsive element binding in the hippocampus were significantly elevated by PPT administration. These results suggest that PPT may be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of cognitive deficit in Alzheimer's disease.

Radioprotective effects of dammarane sapogenins against 60 Co-induced myelosuppression in mice.

Radiotherapy frequently induces failure of hematopoietic system and leads to myelosuppression. The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect of dammarane sapogenins (DS), the hydrolysed product of the constituent ginsenosides of Panax ginseng, which are produced by gut metabolism, on radiation-induced hematopoietic injury. Mice were exposed to 3.5 Gy 60 Co γ-rays of total body radiation at a dose rate of 1.60 Gy per minute and treated with DS or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor immediately after radiation. The general condition of the mice, the peripheral blood cell counts, multiple colony forming unit (CFU) assays of hematopoietic progenitor cells, hematopoietic stem cell counts, bone marrow histology, and spleen colony forming unit counts were then investigated. Our results indicated that administration with DS could ameliorate 60 Co-irradiation induced damage and significantly increase the number of peripheral blood cells (white blood cells and platelets), 5 types of hematopoietic progenitor cells CFU (CFU-GM, CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-Meg, and CFU-GEMM), hematopoietic stem cell (Lin- c-kit+ Scal-1+ ) numbers, and CFUs in the spleen, as well as improved bone marrow histopathology. All together, these results confirmed the enhancement of DS on hematopoiesis.

The Protective Effect of Lavender Essential Oil and Its Main Component Linalool against the Cognitive Deficits Induced by D-Galactose and Aluminum Trichloride in Mice.

Lavender essential oil (LO) is a traditional medicine used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It was extracted from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. This study was designed to investigate the effects of lavender essential oil (LO) and its active component, linalool (LI), against cognitive impairment induced by D-galactose (D-gal) and AlCl3 in mice and to explore the related mechanisms. Our results revealed that LO (100 mg/kg) or LI (100 mg/kg) significantly protected the cognitive impairments as assessed by the Morris water maze test and step-though test. The mechanisms study demonstrated that LO and LI significantly protected the decreased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and protected the increased activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and content of malondialdehyde (MDA). Besides, they protected the suppressed nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression significantly. Moreover, the decreased expression of synapse plasticity-related proteins, calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), p-CaMKII, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and TrkB in the hippocampus were increased with drug treatment. In conclusion, LO and its active component LI have protected the oxidative stress, activity of cholinergic function and expression of proteins of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, and synaptic plasticity. It suggest that LO, especially LI, could be a potential agent for improving cognitive impairment in AD.