Six Spain Thymus essential oils composition analysis and their in vitro and in silico study against Streptococcus mutans.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus mutans is a well-known oral pathogen that plays a critical role in the development of dental caries. Many studies have been directed to discover the chemical compounds present in natural products to inhibit the growth and biofilm formation activity of S. mutans. Thymus essential oils exhibit good inhibition on the growth and pathogenesis of S. mutans. However, details about the active compounds in Thymus essential oil and the inhibition mechanism still remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of 6 Thymus species (Three samples of Thymus vulgaris, two samples of Thymus zygis, and one sample of Thymus satureioides essential oils) on S. mutans, to identify the potential active components, and to reveal the underlying mechanism. METHODS: The composition of Thymus essential oils was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. And its antibacterial effect was evaluated based on the bacterial growth, acid production, biofilm formation and genetic expression of virulence factors by S. mutans. Potential active components of the Thymus essential oil were identified using molecular docking and correlation analysis. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis showed that the major components in the 6 Spain Thymus essential oils were linalool, α-terpineol, p-cymene, thymol and carvacrol. MIC and MBC analysis showed that 3 Thymus essential oils showed very sensitive antimicrobial activity, and were chosen for further analysis. The 3 Thymus essential oil exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on acid production, adherence and biofilm formation of S. mutans and the expression of virulence genes, such as brpA, gbpB, gtfB, gtfC, gtfD, vicR, spaP and relA. Correlation analysis showed that phenolic components, such as carvacrol and thymol, were positively related to DIZ value, which suggests that they are the potential antimicrobial components. Molecular docking between the Thymus essential oil components and virulence proteins also found that carvacrol and thymol exhibited strong binding affinity with functional domains of virulence genes. CONCLUSIONS: Thymus essential oil showed significant inhibition against the growth and pathogenesis of S. mutans depending on their composition and concentration. And phenolic compounds, such as carvacrol and thymol, are the major active components. Thymus essential oil could be used in oral healthcare products as a potential anti-caries ingredient.

Biodegradable mesoporous delivery system for biomineralization precursors.

Scaffold supplements such as nanoparticles, components of the extracellular matrix, or growth factors have been incorporated in conventional scaffold materials to produce smart scaffolds for tissue engineering of damaged hard tissues. Due to increasing concerns on the clinical side effects of using large doses of recombinant bone-morphogenetic protein-2 in bone surgery, it is desirable to develop an alternative nanoscale scaffold supplement that is not only osteoinductive, but is also multifunctional in that it can perform other significant bone regenerative roles apart from stimulation of osteogenic differentiation. Because both amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) and silica are osteoinductive, a biodegradable, nonfunctionalized, expanded-pore mesoporous silica nanoparticle carrier was developed for loading, storage, and sustained release of a novel, biosilicification-inspired, polyamine-stabilized liquid precursor phase of ACP for collagen biomineralization and for release of orthosilicic acid, both of which are conducive to bone growth. Positively charged poly(allylamine)-stabilized ACP (PAH-ACP) could be effectively loaded and released from nonfunctionalized expanded-pore mesoporous silica nanoparticles (pMSN). The PAH-ACP released from loaded pMSN still retained its ability to infiltrate and mineralize collagen fibrils. Complete degradation of pMSN occurred following unloading of their PAH-ACP cargo. Because PAH-ACP loaded pMSN possesses relatively low cytotoxicity to human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, these nanoparticles may be blended with any osteoconductive scaffold with macro- and microporosities as a versatile scaffold supplement to enhance bone regeneration.

Effects of Er'zhi Tiangui Granule () on sequential expressions of integrin ß 3 and its ligand osteopontin in mouse endometrium during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Er'zhi Tiangui Granule (, ETG) on sequential expressions of integrinß3 and its ligand osteopontin in the mouse endometrium during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and implantation period. METHODS: Seventy-five Mature female Kunming mice were randomly divided into 3 groups, a normal control group, a model group, and a treatment group administrated with ETG for 10 days, 25 in each group. After mated with male mice, every 5 mice were sacrified in each group at the 0, 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th days to take their endometrium. In-situ hybridization was used to detect the expressions of integrinß3 and osteopontin in the endometrium. RESULTS: mRNA expressions of integrinß3 and osteopontin in the endometrium during implantation period showed similar time sequence rules in the treatment group to those in the normal control group; the peak values of them were a little lower in the treatment group than the normal control without significant differences. In the model group, integrinß3 mRNA expression was higher at the 2nd day, obviously lower at the 4th and 6th days, and insignificantly lower at the 8th day; and osteopontin expression was remarkably lower at the 4th, 6th, and 8th days, compared with the normal control and the treatment groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: COH might influence the sequential expressions of integrinß3 and its ligand osteopontin, bring forward the integrinß3 expression peak, impact on the cooperation of integrinß3 and osteopontin, so as to damage the endometrial receptivity. ETG could regulate the sequential expressions of integrinß3 and its ligand osteopontin to improve the mouse endometrial receptivity during COH.

[Shengjing prescription improves semen parameters of oligoasthenozoospermia patients: efficacy and mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of Shengjing prescription for oligoasthenozoospermia and its action mechanism. METHODS: We equally assigned 120 patients with oligoasthenozoospermia to receive Shengjing prescription (treatment group) and vitamin E (control group), respectively, for 12 weeks. Before and after the treatment, were obtained sperm concentration, sperm motility, the percentage of morphologically normal sperm, the levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T) and luteinizing hormone (LH), sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), the percentage of hypotonic swelling sperm, and the levels of seminal plasma elastase, x-glucosidase, fructose, zinc and acrosin. RESULTS: Compared with vitamin E, Shengling prescription significantly improved sperm concentration, motility and morphology (P < 0.01), decreased the serum FSH level, elevated the serum T level (P <0. 01) , reduced DFI and seminal plasma elastase, and increased the percentage of hypotonic swelling sperm as well as the levels of seminal plasma cx-glucosidase, fructose, zinc and acrosin. CONCLUSION: Shengjing prescription improves semen parameters of patients with oligoasthenozoospermia at multiple levels and through multiple channels.