Effects of carboxymethyl cellulose/pectin coating combined with ultrasound pretreatment before drying on quality of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.).

Turmeric is an herb with multiple bioactive substances and health benefits. Drying is one of the most important steps of its processing and sales. In order to obtain high-quality turmeric products, we used five different pretreatment methods to treat turmeric prior to pulse-spouted microwave vacuum drying (PSMVD), including carboxymethyl cellulose coating (CMC), pectin coating (P), ultrasound (US) and their combination (CMCUS or PUS). The effect of different pretreatments on the drying kinetics, quality attributes and microstructure of turmeric were evaluated. Results showed that the US pretreatment had the shortest drying time (60 min), while coating treatment did not significantly affect drying rate. Dried turmeric with coating pretreatment had lower rehydration ratio and water adsorption capacity compared with individual ultrasound treatment. Carboxymethyl cellulose coating protected bioactive substances better than pectin coating. Moreover, CMCUS pretreatment showed significantly lower total color change, higher curcumin content, total phenols and flavonoid content as well as antioxidant capacity in all dried samples. Microstructure observation showed that the polysaccharide coating covering the surface of turmeric might reduce the degradation of bioactive compounds. Therefore, the CMCUS pretreatment before PSMVD of turmeric was recommended due to the efficiency and quality protections.

A Network Pharmacology-Based Study on Antidepressant Effect of Salicornia europaea L. Extract with Experimental Support in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Model Mice / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the pharmacodynamic material basis, mechanism of actions and targeted diseases of Salicornia europaea L. (SE) based on the network pharmacology method, and to verify the antidepressant-like effect of the SE extract by pharmacological experiments.@*METHODS@#Retrieval tools including Chinese medicine (CM), PubMed, PharmMapper, MAS 3.0 and Cytoscape were used to search the components of SE, predict its targets and related therapeutic diseases, and construct the "Component-Target-Pathway" network of SE for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Further, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) function annotation of depression-related targets were analyzed to predict the antidepressant mechanism of SE. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model was used to construct a mouse model with depression-like symptoms. And the animals were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=10) including the normal group (nonstressed mice administered with distilled water), the CUMS group (CUMS mice administered with distilled water), the venlafaxine group (CUMS mice administered with venlafaxine 9.38 mg/kg), SE high-, medium-, and low-dose groups (CUMS mice administered with SE 1.8, 1.35 and 0.9 g/kg, respectively). Then some relevant indicators were determined for experimental verification by the forced swim test (FST), the tail suspension test (TST) and open-field test (OFT). Dopamine (DA) concentration in hippocampus and cerebral cortex, IL-2 and corticosterone (CORT) levels in blood, and nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), kelch-like epichlorohydrin related protein 1 (Keap1), NAD(P) H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels in mice were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot respectively to explore the possible mechanisms.@*RESULTS@#The "target-disease" network diagram predicted by network pharmacology, showed that the potential target of SE involves a variety of CNS diseases, among which depression accounts for the majority. The experimental results showed that SE (1.8, 1.35 g/kg) significantly decreased the immobility period, compared with the CUMS group in FST and TST in mice after 3-week treatment, while SE exhibited no significant effect on exploratory behavior in OFT in mice. Compared with CUMS group, the SE group (0.9 g/kg) showed significant differences (P<0.05) in DA levels in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. In addition, compared with CUMS control group, SE (1.8 g/kg) group showed a significant effect on decreasing the activities of CORT (P<0.05), and serum IL-2 level with no statistical significance. Finally, Western blot results showed that compared with the model group, Nrf2, Keap1, NQO1 and HO-1 protein expressions in SE group (1.8 g/kg) were up-regulated (all P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#The SE extract may have an antidepressant effect, which appeared to regulate Nrf2-ARE pathway and increased levels of DA and CORT in the hippocampus and cortex.

Methyl-Hispolon from Phellinus lonicerinus (Agaricomycetes) Affects Estrogen Signals in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells and Premature Aging in Rats.

We studied Phellinus lonicerinus to determine the cytotoxic effect and the dual estrogenic activities of methyl-hispolon and their relation to estrogen signals in vivo and in vitro. The Glide scores of methyl-hispolon-estrogen receptor α (ERα) and methyl-hispolon-ERß docked complexes were -7.29 kcal/mol and -6.68 kcal/mol in docking simulations. Methyl-hispolon had a significant antiproliferative effect for estrogen-sensitive ER(+) MCF-7 cells in the absence of estrogen, and it exhibited dual estrogen activities. Methyl-hispolon increased the serum E2 in rats with premature ovarian failure and fulfilled the estrogenic function in the uterus and ovary. Methyl-hispolon significantly inhibited the expression of Ras, API, ERα, C-myc, and cyclinDl, as well as their gene transcription in RL95-2 cells. The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was inhibited by methyl-hispolon. Thus, methyl-hispolon has potential use in treating estrogen deficiency-related diseases, with good antitumor effects and estrogenic activity.

The Efficacy and Safety of Transcutaneous Acupoint Interferential Current Stimulation for Cancer Pain Patients With Opioid-Induced Constipation: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a principal complication secondary to analgesic therapy for cancer pain patients who suffer moderate to severe pain. In this study, we observe the efficacy and safety of transcutaneous acupoint interferential current (IFC) stimulation in those patients with OIC. METHODS: A total of 198 patients were randomly allocated to the IFC group and control group in a 1:1 ratio. Finally, 98 patients in the IFC group received 14 sessions administered over 2 weeks, whereas 100 patients in the control group took lactulose orally during the same period. Observation items were documented at management stage and at follow-up stage according to Cleveland Constipation Scales (CCS), pain Numeric Rating Scales (NRS) and Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QoL). RESULTS: The total curative effects of the IFC group and the control group were indistinguishable (76.5% vs 70.0%, P = .299). Regarding CCS and PAC-QoL scores, no significant difference was observed between the 2 groups during the management time and at the follow-up stage of week 3 ( P > .05, respectively), but groups were distinguished at the follow-up stage of week 4 ( P < .001 and P = .031, respectively). The pain NRS decreased significantly at management stage week 2 and follow-up stage week 3 and week 4 ( P = .013, P = .041, P = .011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Transcutaneous acupoint IFC therapy over acupoints of Tianshu (ST25) and Zhongwan (RN12) may improve constipation and quality of life in cancer patients receiving opiates; further studies are worthwhile.

Piriformospora indica promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis through regulation of the photoperiod and gibberellin pathways.

Flowering in plants is synchronized by both environmental cues and internal regulatory factors. Previous studies have shown that the endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica promotes the growth and early flowering in Coleus forskohlii (a medicinal plant) and Arabidopsis. To further dissect the impact of P. indica on pathways responsible for flowering time in Arabidopsis, we co-cultivated Arabidopsis with P. indica and used RT-qPCR to analyze the main gene regulation networks involved in flowering. Our results revealed that the symbiotic interaction of Arabidopsis with P. indica promotes early flower development and the number of siliques. In addition, expression of the core flowering regulatory gene FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), of genes controlling the photoperiod [CRYPTOCHROMES (CRY1, CRY2) and PHYTOCHROME B (PHYB)] and those related to gibberellin (GA) functions (RGA1, AGL24, GA3, and MYB5) were induced by the fungus, while key genes controlling the age and autonomous pathways remained unchanged. Moreover, early flowering promotion conferred by P. indica was promoted by exogenous GA and inhabited by GA inhibitor, and this effect could be observed under long day and neutral day photoperiod. Therefore, our data suggested that P. indica promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis likely through photoperiod and GA rather than age or the autonomous pathway.

Effects of Astaxanthin on Reverse Cholesterol Transport and Atherosclerosis in Mice.

High plasma level of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) has been consistently associated with a decreased risk of atherosclerosis (AS); thus, HDL-C is considered to be an antiatherogenic lipoprotein. The development of novel therapies to enhance the atheroprotective properties of HDL may have the possibility of further reducing the residual AS risk. Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is believed to be a primary atheroprotective activity of HDL, which has been shown to promote the efflux of excess cholesterol from macrophage-derived foam cells via ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1), and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) and then transport it back to the liver for excretion into bile and eventually into the feces. In the current study, we investigated the effects of astaxanthin on RCT and AS progression in mice. The results showed that short- and long-term supplementation of astaxanthin promote RCT in C57BL/6J and ApoE-/- mice, respectively. Moreover, astaxanthin can relieve the plaque area of the aortic sinus and aortic cholesterol in mice. These findings suggest that astaxanthin is beneficial for boosting RCT and preventing the development of AS.

Remyelination therapies: a new direction and challenge in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is characterized by inflammatory activity that results in destruction of the myelin sheaths that enwrap axons. The currently available medications for multiple sclerosis are predominantly immune-modulating and do not directly promote repair. White matter regeneration, or remyelination, is a new and exciting potential approach to treating multiple sclerosis, as remyelination repairs the damaged regions of the central nervous system. A wealth of new strategies in animal models that promote remyelination, including the repopulation of oligodendrocytes that produce myelin, has led to several clinical trials to test new reparative therapies. In this Review, we highlight the biology of, and obstacles to, remyelination. We address new strategies to improve remyelination in preclinical models, highlight the therapies that are currently undergoing clinical trials and discuss the challenges of objectively measuring remyelination in trials of repair in multiple sclerosis.

Anaerobic digestion of straw and corn stover: The effect of biological process optimization and pre-treatment on total bio-methane yield and energy performance.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a useful method for producing renewable energy/biofuel. Today, biogas production uses a large amount of energy crops (EC), with the effect of increasing AD costs and creating conflict between food/feed vs. energy use. A partial solution to this might be the substitution of EC with agricultural wastes, e.g. straw. Straw and corn stover are widely available in the world and approximately 1600millionMgyear-1 of these substrates are available. Straw can be useful used for biogas production but its characteristics limit its performance so that sometimes the energetic balance can be negative. In this review, the limits for the conversion of this substrate into biogas were investigated and solutions/proposals for getting higher straw biogas production performance are reported. In addition, energetic balances for untreated and pre-treated substrates are reported, giving indicative evaluations of the sustainability of straw and corn stover use for biogas production.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of bisabolangelone oxime derivatives as potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs).

With the aim of searching novel P-CABs, seven bisabolangelone oxime derivatives were designed, synthesized, characterized and evaluated the H(+),K(+)-ATPase inhibitory activities guided by computer aided drug design methods. The binding free energy calculations were in good agreement with the experiment results with the correlation coefficient R of -0.9104 between ΔGbind and pIC50 of ligands. Compound 5 exhibited the best inhibitory activity (pIC50=6.36) and most favorable binding free energy (ΔGbind=-47.67 kcal/mol) than other derivatives. The binding sites of these compounds were found to be the hydrophobic substituted groups with the Cys813 residue by the decomposed binding free energy analysis.

[Chemical Constituents from Semiliquidambar cathayensis Roots].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from the roots of Semiliquidambar cathayensis. METHODS: The roots of Semiliquidambar cathayensis were extracted with 80% ethanol for reflux. Chemical constituents were isolated by silica gel chromatography and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography from petrol ether part and ethyl acetate part of extracts. Their structures were identified on the basis of physico-chemical characters and spectroscopic analysis. RESULTS: Eleven compounds were obtained from the roots of Semiliquidambar cathayensis, and identified as 3-acetyl-12-ene-oleanolic acid methyl ester (1), ß-sitosterol (2), 3-acetyl-12-ene-oleanol-ic acid (3), 2α,3ß-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (4), (24R)-5α-stignast-3,6-dione (5), betulonic acid (6), stearic acid (7), hexadecanoic acid (8), 3-oxo-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (9), arjunolic acid (10) and daucosterol (11). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1,3 - 6 and 8 are isolated from this genus for the first time.

The H+/K+-ATPase inhibitory activities of Trametenolic acid B from Trametes lactinea (Berk.) Pat, and its effects on gastric cancer cells.

Trametenolic acid B (TAB), the bioactive component in the Trametes lactinea (Berk.) Pat, was reported to possess cytotoxic activities and thrombin inhibiting effects. This study was performed to investigate the effects of TAB on H(+)/K(+)-ATPase and gastric cancer. The H(+)/K(+)-ATPase inhibitory activity was determined by gastric parietal cells. Compared to the normal control group, TAB (10, 20, 40 and 80 µg/mL) inhibited the H(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity by 15.97, 16.96, 24.86 and 16.25%, respectively. In the study, 36 Kunming mice were randomly divided into six groups: control, model, TAB-L (TAB, 5 mg/kg/day, i.g.), TAB-M (TAB, 20 mg/kg/day, i.g.), TAB-H (TAB, 40 mg/kg/day, i.g.) and omeprazole (OL, 10 mg/kg/day, i.g.). All mice except the control group were administrated with anhydrous alcohol (5.0 mL/kg, i.g.) for induced gastric-ulcer 1h after the 5th day. At the same time, the control mice were given the same volume of physiological saline. After 4h, TAB was evaluated for H(+)/K(+)-ATPase inhibitory activities of ulcerative gaster, gastric ulcer index and ulcer inhibition. In vitro, the anti-proliferation effect of TAB to gastric cancer cell (HGC-27) in acid environment was detected by MTT, and the apoptosis morphological changes were also observed by Hoechst 33258 dye assay. The results indicated that TAB inhibited moderately H(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in vitro. Compared to the model group, TAB showed anti-ulcer effects in gastric tissue with the dosages of 20 and 5 mg/kg in vivo. Apart from that, TAB could selectively inhibit gastric cancer cell viability and reduce cell apoptosis against HGC-27 cells at low doses in acid environment.

Commonality and specificity of acupuncture action at three acupoints as evidenced by FMRI.

Previous work from our team and others has shown that manual acupuncture at LI4 (hegu), ST36 (zusanli), and LV3 (taichong) deactivates a limbic-paralimbic-neocortical brain network, and at the same time activates somatosensory regions of the brain. The objective of the present study was to explore the specificity and commonality of the brain response to manual acupuncture at LI4, ST36, and LV3, acupoints that are located on different meridians and are used to treat pain disorders. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor the brain responses to acupuncture at three different acupoints; we examined 46 healthy subjects who, according to their psychophysical responses, experienced deqi sensation during acupuncture. Brain responses to stimulation at each of the acupoints were displayed in conjunction with one another to show the spatial distribution. We found clusters of deactivation in the medial prefrontal, medial parietal and medial temporal lobes showing significant convergence of two or all three of the acupoints. The largest regions showing common responses to all three acupoints were the right subgenual BA25, right subgenual cingulate, right isthmus of the cingulum bundle, and right BA31. We also noted differences in major sections of the medial prefrontal and medial temporal lobes, with LI4 predominating in the pregenual cingulate and hippocampal formation, ST36 predominating in the subgenual cingulate, and LV3 predominating in the posterior hippocampus and posterior cingulate. The results suggest that although these acupoints are commonly used for anti-pain and modulatory effects, they may mobilize the same intrinsic global networks, with substantial overlap of common brain regions to mediate their actions. Our findings showing preferential response of certain limbic-paralimbic structures suggests acupoints may also exhibit relative specificity.

The effects of acupuncture on the brain networks for emotion and cognition: an observation of gender differences.

Acupuncture modulates brain activity at the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical network (LPNN) and the default mode network (DMN). Since these brain networks show gender differences when mediating emotional and cognitive tasks, we thus hypothesize that women and men may also respond differently to acupuncture procedure at these brain regions. In order to test this hypothesis, we retrieved the data of 38 subjects, 19 females and 19 males, who had brain fMRI during acupuncture from previous studies and reanalyzed them based on sex status. Deactivation at the LPNN/DMN during needle manipulation of acupuncture was more extensive in females than in males, particularly in the posterior cingulate (BA31), precuneus (BA7m) and angular gyrus (BA39). The functional correlations between the right BA31 and pregenual cingulate (BA32), hippocampus or contralateral BA31 were significantly stronger in females than in males. The angular gyrus (BA39) was functionally correlated with BA31 in females; in contrast, it was anticorrelated with BA31 in males. Soreness, a major component of the psychophysical responses to needle manipulation, deqi, was correlated in intensity with deactivation of the angular gyrus in females; no such relationships were observed in males. In contrast to lesser deactivation at the LPNN/DMN networks, needle manipulation during acupuncture induced greater activation at the secondary somatosensory cortex and stronger functional connectivity with the anterior-middle cingulate (BA32/24) in males than in females. Our study suggests that brains with sex dimorphism may process the acupuncture stimulation differently between women and men.

Study on anti-diabetes active fraction and constituents from Potentilla chinesis / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the active fraction and constituents from Potentilla chinesis.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Tested fractions were obtained by different solvent-partition from 95% ethanol-extracts of P. chinesis, and tested compound was isolated by repeated chromatography. Anti-diabetes experiment was taken by using alloxan-induced diabetic mice.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The fraction F and the tested compound revealed obvious difference comparing with the control group (P <0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Fraction F and potentilla flavone revealed the significant hypoglycemic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic mice.</p>

The Nutrition, Aging, and Memory in Elders (NAME) study: design and methods for a study of micronutrients and cognitive function in a homebound elderly population.

BACKGROUND: Micronutrient status can affect cognitive function in the elderly; however, there is much to learn about the precise effects. Understanding mediating factors by which micronutrient status affects cognitive function would contribute to elders' quality of life and their ability to remain in the home. OBJECTIVES: The Nutrition, Aging, and Memory in Elders (NAME) Study is designed to advance the current level of knowledge by investigating potential mediating factors by which micronutrient status contributes to cognitive impairment and central nervous system abnormalities in the elderly. NAME targets homebound elders because they are understudied and particularly at risk for poor nutritional status. METHODS: Subjects are community-based elders aged 60 and older, recruited through area Aging Services Access Points. The NAME core data include demographics; neuropsychological testing and activities of daily living measures; food frequency, health and behavioral questionnaires; anthropometrics; gene status; plasma micronutrients, homocysteine, and other blood determinants. A neurological examination, psychiatric examination, and brain MRI and volumetric measurements are obtained from a sub-sample. RESULTS: Preliminary data from first 300 subjects are reported. These data show that the NAME protocol is feasible and that the enrolled subjects are racially diverse, at-risk, and had similar basic demographics to the population from which they were drawn. CONCLUSION: The goal of the NAME study is to evaluate novel relationships between nutritional factors and cognitive impairment. These data may provide important information on potential new therapeutic strategies and supplementation standards for the elderly to maintain cognitive function and potentially reduce the public health costs of dementia.