[Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment-related diseases and traditional Chinese medicine intervention: a review].

Alzheimer's disease(AD), vascular dementia(VD), and traumatic brain injury(TBI) are more common cognitive impairment diseases characterized by high disability and mortality rates, imposing a heavy burden on individuals and their families. Although AD, VD, and TBI have different specific mechanisms, their pathogenesis is closely related to the nucleotide-binding oligome-rization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3). The NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in neuroinflammatory responses, mediating microglial polarization, regulating the reduction of amyloid ß-protein(Aß) deposition, neurofibrillary tangles(NFTs) formation, autophagy regulation, and maintaining brain homeostasis, and synaptic stability, thereby contributing to the development of AD, VD, and TBI. Previous studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) can alleviate neuroinflammation, promote microglial polarization towards the M2 phenotype, reduce Aß deposition and NFTs formation, regulate autophagy, and maintain brain homeostasis by intervening in NLRP3 inflammasome, hence exerting a role in preventing and treating cognitive impairment-related diseases, reducing psychological and economic pressure on patients, and improving their quality of life. Therefore, this article elucidated the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in AD, VS, and TBI, and provided a detailed summary of the latest research results on TCM intervention in NLRP3 inflammasome for the prevention and treatment of these diseases, aiming to inherit the essence of TCM and provide references and foundations for clinical prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment-related diseases with TCM. Meanwhile, this also offers insights and directions for further research in TCM for the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment-related diseases.

Laparoscopically Assisted, Tubular, Stomach Construction for the Radical Resection of Esophageal Cancer.

Context: Tubular esophagogastrostomy is a digestive-tract reconstruction method that has emerged in recent years. Relevant research on totally laparoscopic, tubular, gastroesophageal resections remains limited. Objective: The study aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of totally laparoscopic, tubular, gastroesophageal resection for esophageal-cancer patients who underwent the procedure. Design: The research team designed a retrospective study of data from clinical files. Setting: The study took place in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital in Chongqing, China. Participants: Participants were 199 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent totally laparoscopic, tubular gastrectomy at the hospital between January 2022 and September 2022. Outcome Measures: The research team measured: (1) the operations' lengths, (2) intraoperative blood loss, (3) the tubular stomach's length, (4) number of staples used, (5) total amount of thoracic drainage at 2 days postoperatively, (6) length of postoperative hospital stay, and (7) postoperative hospitalization stay. The research team also determined the incidence of postoperative complications, evaluated the surgical efficacy, and evaluated participants' quality of life. Results: A summary analysis of the data, such as chest drainage and other indicators, showed that the means of the indicators were: (1) total operation time-223.13 ± 17.34 min, (2) intraoperative blood loss-300.00 ± 30.22 mL, (3) the tubular stomach's length-34.43 ± 14.12 cm, (4) number of staples used-2.33 ± 0.9, (5) total amount of chest drainage-approximately 453.32 ± 32.44 mL over 2 days, and (6) postoperative hospitalization stay-approximately 15.43 ± 2.33 days. Regarding surgical complications out of the 199 participants: (1) three had pulmonary infections; (2) two had anastomotic leakage, (3) one had a residual gastric fistula, (4) 10 had pleural effusion, and 5 had incision infections. No participants had co-infections. At 2 months postintervention, participants' lung function was in good condition, with no reduction, and the participants were satisfied, according to self-assessments of their quality of life. No anastomotic fractures, delayed anastomotic leakage, dilatation of the chest and stomach, or reflux esophagitis occurred. No participants died or experienced a recurrence of cancer. Conclusions: Laparoscopically assisted, tubular stomach construction has a good clinical effect in patients with esophageal cancer and is worthy of promotion.

Application of Jiawei Maxing Shigan Tang in the treatment of COVID-19: An observational study.

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of Jiawei Maxing Shigan Tang (JMST; a modified decoction of ephedra, apricot kernel, gypsum, and licorice) combined with western medicine in the symptomatic treatment of COVID-19. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively collected the basic data of 48 patients with COVID-19 who were discharged from our hospital between January 20 and February 28, 2020. Besides, the blood routines, biochemical indexes, nucleic acid detection results, clinical symptoms, lung imaging improvements, adverse reactions, and other clinical data of these patients before and after treatment were recorded. Finally, we drew comparisons between the outcomes and adverse reactions of patients in the combined treatment group (therapeutic regimen recommended by authoritative guidelines and supplemented by JMST) and the conventional treatment group (therapeutic regimen recommended by authoritative guidelines). Results: There were no significant differences in age, gender, clinical classification, and underlying medical conditions between the combined treatment group (28 cases) and the conventional treatment group (20 cases). However, the combined treatment group presented superior results to the conventional treatment group in several key areas. For instance, patients produced negative nasal/throat swab-based nucleic acid detection results in a shorter time, clinical symptoms were more effectively alleviated, and the absorption time of lung exudation was shorter (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the combined treatment group had a shorter length of stay (LOS) and faster lymphocyte recovery duration than the conventional treatment group, although the differences were not statistically significant. Moreover, there were no significant differences concerning gastrointestinal reaction, hepatic injury, renal impairment, myocardial injury, and other adverse reactions between the two groups. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that JMST combined with the recommended therapeutic regimen enhances the recovery of COVID-19 patients without increasing the risk of adverse reactions. Therefore, this therapy promotes positive outcomes for COVID-19 patients.

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids block the trimethylamine-N-oxide- ACE2- TMPRSS2 cascade to inhibit the infection of human endothelial progenitor cells by SARS-CoV-2.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that infects many types of cells and causes cytokine storms, excessive inflammation, acute respiratory distress to induce failure of respiratory system and other critical organs. In this study, our results showed that trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite generated by gut microbiota, acts as a regulatory mediator to enhance the inerleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokine production and the infection of human endothelial progenitor cells (hEPCs) by SARS-CoV-2. Treatment of N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) could effectively block the entry of SARS-CoV-2 in hEPCs. The anti-infection effects of N-3 PUFAs were associated with the inactivation of NF-κB signaling pathway, a decreased expression of the entry receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and downstream transmembrane serine protease 2 in hEPCs upon the stimulation of TMAO. Treatment of DHA and EPA further effectively inhibited TMAO-mediated expression of IL-6 protein, probably through an inactivation of MAPK/p38/JNK signaling cascades and a downregulation of microRNA (miR)-221 in hEPCs. In conclusion, N-3 PUFAs such as DHA and EPA could effectively act as preventive agents to block the infection of SARS-CoV-2 and IL-6 cytokine production in hEPCs upon the stimulation of TMAO.

The neuroprotective effects of icariin on ageing, various neurological, neuropsychiatric disorders, and brain injury induced by radiation exposure.

Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been used for the treatment of impotence, sinew and bone disorders, "painful impediment caused by wind-dampness," numbness, spasms, hypertension, coronary heart disease, menopausal syndrome, bronchitis, and neurasthenia for many years in China. Recent animal experimental studies indicate that icariin, a major bioactive component of epimedium may effectively treat Alzheimer's disease, cerebral ischemia, depression, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, as well as delay ageing. Our recent study also suggested that epimedium extract could exhibit radio-neuro-protective effects and prevent ionizing radiation-induced impairment of neurogenesis. This paper reviewed the pharmacodynamics of icariin in treating different neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases, ageing, and radiation-induced brain damage. The relevant molecular mechanisms and its anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidant, as well as pro-neurogenesis roles were also discussed.

Laboratory and Field Evaluation of the Phytotoxic Activity of Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn Pulp Extract and Identification of a Phytotoxic Substance.

Interest in finding plant-based herbicides to supplement synthesized herbicides is increasing. Although the extract of Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn has been reported to have herbicidal activity, little is known about phytotoxic substances and their efficacy of weed control in the field. To identify phytotoxic substances, the bioassay-guided fractionation by column chromatography and high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was carried out. The phytotoxic activity assay, performed by the agar medium method, showed that the 70% ethanol fraction exhibited strong root growth inhibition against Trifolium pratense with an 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 35.13 mg/L. An active compound was isolated from the 70% ethanol fraction and identified as hederagenin 3-o-ß-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-l-arabinopyranoside (Compound A). Compound A had an IC50 value of 16.64 mg/L. Finally, a new formulation was prepared based on the 70% ethanol fraction, which exhibited good efficacy against broadleaf weeds in a carrot field. The fresh weight control efficacy was 78.7% by 45 days after treatment at the dose of 1500 g a. i./ha. Hence, the extract of S. mukorossi pulp could be a promising supplement to the synthesized herbicides. Furthermore, compound A from S. mukorossi may be responsible for its phytotoxic activity.

Anti-fungal activity of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) leaf extract and its development into a botanical fungicide to control pepper phytophthora blight.

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens, Gramineae) is a well-known medicinal and edible plant found in China with various bioactivities, but few systematic studies address the utilization of its anti-fungal activity. The extract of moso bamboo leaf showed good anti-fungal activity to Phytophthora capsici, Fusarium graminearum, Valsa mali Miyabe et Yamada, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Venturia nashicola, and Botrytis cinerea Pers, with inhibitory rate of 100.00%, 75.12%, 60.66%, 57.24%, 44.62%, and 30.16%, respectively. Anti-fungal activity was different by the difference of samples picking time and location. The extract showed good synergistic effects with carbendazim at the ratios of 9:1 and 15:1 (extract : carbendazim), and the co-toxicity coefficients were 124.4 and 139.95. Compound 2 was isolated and identified as the main active component, with the EC50 value of 11.02 mg L-1. Then, the extract was formulated as a 10% emulsion in water, which was stable and had no acute toxic effects. Moreover, a field trial about this formulation was assayed to control pepper phytophthora blight, with the control effect of 85.60%. These data provided a better understanding of the anti-fungal activity and relevant active component of moso bamboo leaf extract. Taken together, our findings illustrated that bamboo leaf extract could be developed and utilized as a botanical fungicide or fungicide adjuvant.

Folinate Supplementation Ameliorates Methotrexate Induced Mitochondrial Formate Depletion In Vitro and In Vivo.

(1) Background: Antifolate methotrexate (MTX) is the most common disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) for treating human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The mitochondrial-produced formate is essential for folate-mediated one carbon (1C) metabolism. The impacts of MTX on formate homeostasis in unknown, and rigorously controlled kinetic studies can greatly help in this regard. (2) Methods: Combining animal model (8-week old female C57BL/6JNarl mice, n = 18), cell models, stable isotopic tracer studies with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) platforms, we systematically investigated how MTX interferes with the partitioning of mitochondrial and cytosolic formate metabolism. (3) Results: MTX significantly reduced de novo deoxythymidylate (dTMP) and methionine biosyntheses from mitochondrial-derived formate in cells, mouse liver, and bone marrow, supporting our postulation that MTX depletes mitochondrial 1C supply. Furthermore, MTX inhibited formate generation from mitochondria glycine cleavage system (GCS) both in vitro and in vivo. Folinate selectively rescued 1C metabolic pathways in a tissue-, cellular compartment-, and pathway-specific manner: folinate effectively reversed the inhibition of mitochondrial formate-dependent 1C metabolism in mouse bone marrow (dTMP, methionine, and GCS) and cells (dTMP and GCS) but not methionine synthesis in liver/liver-derived cells. Folinate failed to fully recover hepatic mitochondrial-formate utilization for methionine synthesis, suggesting that the efficacy of clinical folinate rescue in MTX therapy on hepatic methionine metabolism is poor. (4) Conclusion: Conducting studies in mouse and cell models, we demonstrate novel findings that MTX specifically depletes mitochondrial 1C supply that can be ameliorated by folinate supplementation except for hepatic transmethylation. These results imply that clinical use of low-dose MTX may particularly impede 1C metabolism via depletion of mitochondrial formate. The MTX induced systematic and tissue-specific formate depletion needs to be addressed more carefully, and the efficacy of folinate with respect to protecting against such depletion deserves to be evaluated in medical practice.

Lignans and phenylpropanoids from the liquid juice of phyllostachys edulis.

Seven lignans and eight phenylpropanoids, including one new lignan, 7S,8R,8'R-5,5'-dimethoxyariciresinol-4-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), were isolated from the liquid juice of Phyllostachys edulis. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configuration of the new compound was determined by comparing its experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra with calculated ECD spectra. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity and xanthine oxidase inhibitor activity, and the results showed that compound 9 exhibited a moderate activity in these two bioassays. In addition, all the compounds can be detected in health panda faeces by LC-MS.

Identification and quantitation of the actual active components in bamboo juice and its oral liquid by NMR and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS.

Bamboo juice is a traditional Chinese drink and herbal medicine, and bamboo juice oral liquids are widely sold for the treatment of cough and phlegm in China. In this study, 26 main compounds of bamboo juice (Phyllostachys edulis) were separated, precisely identified, and qualitative analysis using NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and quantitative analysis using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer), respectively. Potentially harmful levels of added excessive preservatives, including benzoic acid, ethylparaben, and sorbic acid, were found in bamboo juice oral liquid. Carbohydrates were determined to be the major components of bamboo juice, with contents as high as 191.13 g L-1, far higher than those of other compounds. The result indicated that the cough relief activity of bamboo juice oral liquid may be related to their high levels of added preservatives.

Docosahexaenoic acid inhibits the proliferation of Kras/TP53 double mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells through modulation of glutathione level and suppression of nucleotide synthesis.

The treatment of cancer cells obtained by blocking cellular metabolism has received a lot of attention recently. Previous studies have demonstrated that Kras mutation-mediated abnormal glucose metabolism would lead to an aberrant cell proliferation in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells. Previous literature has suggested that consumption of fish oil is associated with lower risk of pancreatic cancer. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in human PDAC cells in vitro and in vivo. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) significantly inhibited the proliferation of human PDAC cells. The actions of DHA were evaluated through an induction of cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and noticed a decreased expression of cyclin A, cyclin E and cyclin B proteins in HPAF-II cells. Moreover, it was found that co-treatment of DHA and gemcitabine (GEM) effectively induced oxidative stress and cell death in HPAF-II cells. Interestingly, DHA leads to an increased oxidative glutathione /reduced glutathione (GSSG/GSH) ratio and induced cell apoptosis in HPAF-II cells. The findings in the study showed that supplementation of GSH or N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) could reverse DHA-mediated cell death in HPAF-II cells. Additionally, DHA significantly increased cellular level of cysteine, cellular NADP/NADPH ratio and the expression of cystathionase (CTH) and SLCA11/xCT antiporter proteins in HPAF-II cells. The action of DHA was, in part, associated with the inactivation of STAT3 cascade in HPAF-II cells. Treatment with xCT inhibitors, such as erastin or sulfasalazine (SSZ), inhibited the cell survival ability in DHA-treated HPAF-II cells. DHA also inhibited nucleotide synthesis in HPAF-II cells. It was demonstrated in a mouse-xenograft model that consumption of fish oil significantly inhibited the growth of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and decreased cellular nucleotide level in tumor tissues. Furthermore, fish oil consumption induced an increment of GSSG/GSH ratio, an upregulation of xCT and CTH proteins in tumor tissues. In conclusion, DHA significantly inhibited survival of PDAC cells both in vitro and in vivo through its recently identified novel mode of action, including an increment in the ratio of GSSG/GSH and NADP/NADPH respectively, and promoting reduction in the levels of nucleotide synthesis.

High-altitude Tibetan fermented milk ameliorated cognitive dysfunction by modified gut microbiota in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease that is regarded as a growing global challenge. Accumulating evidence linking gut microbiota with AD has become intriguing. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Tibetan fermented milk affected memory impairment in amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin-1 (PS1) mice, using APP/PS1 transgenic mice as examples. We used Tibetan fermented milk (the yogurt samples with the highest microbial diversity were selected by 16S sequencing) as an intervention in such mice for 20 weeks, with aseptic maintenance feed as their basic diet. At the end of the intervention, we collected fecal samples for 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequencing. We evaluated the effects of Tibetan fermented milk on the mice's cognitive function by behavioral examination, and deposition of amyloid beta (Aß) in the hippocampus and cortex of the mice by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results showed that Tibetan fermented milk could improve cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice, including spatial learning/memory and object recognition/memory. Sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA in mouse feces showed that Tibetan fermented milk increased intestinal microbial diversity and elevated the relative abundance of Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium spp. Mucispirillum and Ruminiclostridium were highly abundant in APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, correlation analysis revealed that cognitive function was correlated negatively with Mucispirillum abundance and positively with Muribaculum and Erysipelatoclostridium abundance. Tibetan fermented milk could also reduce deposition of Aß in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Our data suggested that long-term intake of Tibetan fermented milk had a beneficial effect on the composition of intestinal flora, which was correlated with cognitive improvements in APP/PS1 mice and seemed to help prevent and treat AD-induced cognitive decline.

Rapid screening and quantitative detection of Salmonella using a quantum dot nanobead-based biosensor.

The continuing hurdle of developing foodborne pathogen detection techniques is that compromises must be made among simplicity, portability, speed, sensitivity, and quantitation. Herein, we fabricated quantum dot nanobeads (QDNS) by a layer-by-layer assembly of quantum dots on the surface of polymer nanospheres. QDNS exhibited higher fluorescence intensity than the quantum dots at the same particle number. Based on the quantum dot nanobeads as the signal reporter, a quantitative lateral flow immunoassay was demonstrated for Salmonella typhimurium detection with improved sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. A visual detection limit of 5 × 103 CFU mL-1Salmonella typhimurium within 10 min has been proved and demonstrated. Additionally, higher concentrations of non-Salmonella typhimurium bacteria have negligible effects on the detection of Salmonella typhimurium. The results of 50 single blind tests by 10 testers suggested that the assay exhibited 100% accuracy. The results illustrate that the assay provides a balance among simplicity, speed, sensitivity and accuracy, and it can be a favorable alternative for Salmonella typhimurium screening in various samples.

Thermostability detection and optimization of glycoengineered antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates based on differential scanning flouremitry analysis.

Thermostability of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), as a critical property of biotherapeutics, is important for their physicochemical processes, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics. Fc glycosylation of mAbs plays a crucial role in antibody functions including thermostability, however, due to the lack of homogeneous glycosylation for comparison, the precise impact of glycoforms on thermostability of mAbs and ADCs remains challenging to elucidate. In this paper, we employed the technique of differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) to investigate the thermostability of Fc domains, glycoengineered mAbs, and ADCs, carrying well-defined N-glycan structures for comparison. The results revealed that high-mannose-type N-glycans dramatically reduce the Tm value of Fc, compared to complex-type N-glycans. We also found that core-fucose contributes to the thermostability of mAbs, and the unnatural modification on non-reducing end of biantennary N-glycan can compensate the reduced stability of afucosylated mAbs and maintain the advantage of enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). DSF analysis of lysine-linked and glycosite-specific ADCs indicated that thermostability of glycan-linked ADCs is reduced, but it could be improved by using an optimized linkage. This work provides an in-depth analysis on thermostability of mAbs and ADCs with homogeneous glycoforms, and also proposes new strategies for optimizing glycoengineered mAbs and glycosite-specific ADCs using unnatural glycan and stabilized linkage.

QingBai decoction regulates intestinal permeability of dextran sulphate sodium-induced colitis through the modulation of notch and NF-κB signalling.

OBJECTIVE: Chinese Herb QingBai decoction (QBD) has been approved affective in the treatment of IBD patients in clinic. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We aim to investigate the effect of QBD on the mouse model of ulcerative colitis and its possible mechanism. METHODS: C57/bL mice were given 5% DSS to induce colitis and were divided as QBD and mesalazine group. Weight, faeces and mental status were recorded each day and the histopathological changes (goblet cells etc) of the colon were observed after sacrificed. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran 4000 was measured to reflect the intestinal mucosal permeability. In addition, cell junction-related proteins and possible signal pathways were investigated. RESULTS: QingBai decoction could significantly alleviate the inflammation and the protection effect of colitis is comparable as those in mesalazine enema group. It was found that the permeability reduced significantly with QBD treatment vs the control group, while no significant difference between the mesalazine and QBD groups. QBD treatment could upregulate the expression of tight junction complex（ZO-1, claudin-1 and occludin）and muc-2 expression. It significantly reduced the production and secretion of serials proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, Kc and TNF-α) compared with the control group. Meanwhile, NF-κB and Notch pathways were regulated. CONCLUSION: QingBai decoction can effectively alleviate intestinal inflammation and mucosal barrier function in colitis mice, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of inflammatory cascade as well as enhanced mucus layer barrier and mechanical barrier function by NF-κB and Notch signalling.

Radioprotective effect of epimedium on neurogenesis and cognition after acute radiation exposure.

The radioprotective effect of herb epimedium (or yin yang huo) extract (5 g/kg, oral administration daily for 4 weeks) on neurogenesis and cognition after acute radiation exposure with 5.5 Gy was evaluated in Balb/c mice by behavioral tests and immunohistochemical study. The results indicated that epimedium extract could improve animal weight loss, locomotor activity and spatial learning and memory which are similar to pre-irradiation intraperitoneal injection (100 mg/kg) of amifostine phosphate, a well- known radioprotective drug. Immunohistochemical study showed that epimedium extract prevented the loss of proliferation cells, newly generated neurons, and interneurons in the hilus, in particular, the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. It suggests that herb epimedium may be a promising radio-neuro-protective drug to prevent radiation-induced neuropsychological disorders.

Repellent action and contact toxicity mechanisms of the essential oil extracted from Chinese chive against Plutella xylostella larvae.

Botanical pesticides play increasingly important roles in the control of agricultural pests. In this study, the insecticidal effects, specifically the repellent action and contact toxicity, of the essential oil extracted from Chinese chive (EOC) against Plutella xylostella larvae were confirmed. The mechanisms of repellent's action were studied using electroantennograms (EAGs), and the effects on glutathione S-transferase (GST), carboxylesterase (CarE), and acetyl cholinesterase were investigated after EOC treatments. The EOC affected the EAG results and inhibited the activities of GST and CarE in treated P. xylostella larvae, which could explain its insecticidal effects. And, four pyrazines showed greater repellent activities than that of the EOC, which was confirmed as the main active compounds of EOC.

Potential role of genipin in cancer therapy.

Genipin, an aglycone derived from the iridoid glycoside, geniposide, is isolated and characterized from the extract of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit (family Rubiaceae). It has long been used in traditional oriental medicine for the prevention and treatment of several inflammation driven diseases, including cancer. Genipin has been shown to have hepatoprotective activity acting as a potent antioxidant and inhibitor of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), and also reported to exert significant anticancer effects. It is an excellent crosslinking agent that helps to make novel sustained or delayed release nanoparticle formulations. In this review, we present the latest developments of genipin as an anticancer agent and briefly describe its diverse mechanism(s) of action. Several lines of evidence suggest that genipin is a potent inhibitor of UCP2, which functions as a tumor promoter in a variety of cancers, attenuates generation of reactive oxygen species and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2, as well as induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in vitro and in in vivo models. These finding suggests that genipin can serve as both a prominent anticancer agent as well as a potent crosslinking drug that may find useful application in several novel pharmaceutical formulations.

Isolation and identification of new chemical constituents from Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and toxicological evaluation of raw and cooked Chinese chive.

Chinese chive (jiu cai) is a popular vegetable in China and has a unique flavour and aroma. The molecular basis of the characteristic fragrance and nutritional properties of Chinese chive has not been previously identified. Sequential extractions in a series of solvents and high-performance liquid chromatography were used to isolate 40 compounds from Chinese chive. The compounds were identified based on high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectra, 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, and circular dichroism spectra. Eight novel compounds were identified-four new pyrazines, which have distinctive flavour; one new lignan; and three new flavonoids-together with 32 known compounds. Several of these compounds have potential applications as health-promoting dietary supplements, food additives, or seasonings. Additionally, the volatile organic compounds in fresh and steamed Chinese chive were compared, and the toxicological activity of extracts from fresh and steamed Chinese chive was tested in normal rat liver (IAR20) and kidney (NRK) cells. The results showed that Chinese chive is toxic to liver and kidney cells when fresh, but is safe after heating. This could explain why it is traditional to eat cooked Chinese chive. A possible metabolic rule regarding pyrazines is postulated based on this data, and a human metabolic pathway is suggested for two of the novel compounds which have the highest amount of Chinese chive extracts.