6,6'-Bieckol induces apoptosis and suppresses TGF-ß-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small lung cancer cells.

Objective: In this study, the aim was to investigate the inhibitory effect of 6,6'-bieckol on the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, and explore its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods: Cell migration was measured using a CCK8, wound healing, and transwell migration assay. Apoptosis was determined using an Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to examine the expression level of apoptosis-related proteins and EMT marker proteins. Results: The results showed that 6,6'-bieckol inhibited migration and induced apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, 6,6'-bieckol had significantly up-regulated the E-cadherin and down-regulated Snail1 and Twist1 transcriptional levels. 6,6'-Bieckol might inhibit TGF-ß-induced EMT by down-regulating Snail1 and Twist1 and up-regulating E-cadherin in lung cancer cells. Conclusion: It is suggested that 6,6'-bieckol has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic candidate for lung cancer.

Recent development in biological activities and safety concerns of perillaldehyde from perilla plants: A review.

Monoterpene Perillaldehyde (PAE) is a major component of the essential oil extracted from perilla plants (Perilla frutescens), which has been used as a leafy vegetable and a medicinal agent. PAE has gained a lot of attention in recent years because of its antifungal and other microbial activities and, human health benefits. PAE has also been used as food additives, perfume ingredients, and traditional medicine concoctions. Biological analyses of PAE have revealed that it has good antioxidant activities and can serve as organic fruit and food preservative. Animal studies indicated potent anticancer, anti-depressant, and anti-inflammatory effects of PAE. Also, PAE is certified "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) and not mutagenic. However, moderation during usage is advisable, as minor adverse effects are associated with a very high dosage. Despite the newly reported findings, its properties have not been thoroughly summarized and reviewed. Also, clinical trials and official large-scale field applications of PAE in the agricultural sectors are yet to be reported. In this review, updated PAE research progress was provided, focusing on its antifungal and other antimicrobial properties and the mechanisms behind it, phytochemical profile, pharmacological effects, and safety concerns.HighlightsIsolation and recovery techniques of PAE from perilla plants have been developed and improved in recent years.PAE is a potential anti-oxidant and antifungal agent that can be widely used in the food industry.PAE can be developed into drug ingredients for pharmaceutical industries due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-depressant activities.PAE can be safely used in human when low and moderate dosage is used.

Perillaldehyde: A promising antifungal agent to treat oropharyngeal candidiasis.

Perillaldehyde (PAE), a natural monoterpenoid agent extracted from Perilla frutescence, PAE has been reported to present various physiological capabilities, such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative and anti-fungal. In this study, we show that PAE exhibits strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans (C. albicans). C. albicans, a fungal pathogen with high incidence of antifungal resistance in clinical settings, is the major cause of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). OPC is characterized by inflammatory immunological responses to fungal infections. Our in vitro results show PAE inhibited several virulence attributes of C. albicans including biofilm formation, yeast-to-hyphal transition and secreted aspartic proteinases (SAPs) gene expression. Using an experimental murine model of OPC, we found that PAE inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, reduced the excessive accumulation of ROS and prevented the p65 transfer in nuclear; processes all leading to reduced inflammation burden in the host. Together, this supports use PAE as a promising new agent to improve OPC.

Activities of Nerol, a natural plant active ingredient, against Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo.

Candida albicans invasion is one of the most serious fungal infections in clinical history. In recent years, because of the widespread use of immunosuppressive drugs, chemotherapy drugs, glucocorticoids, and broad-spectrum antibiotics, serious drug resistance has been reported; therefore, a new type of antifungal drug needs to be developed. In this study, we found that Nerol (NEL) had strong antimicrobial activity and 0.77 µL/mL NEL was the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) effective against C. albicans. We determined the change of the growth curve of NEL for C. albicans, to identify the trend of NEL activity against C. albicans. Through the determination of the ergosterol content and glucose-induced extracellular fluid acidification of NEL on C. albicans, we found that NEL inhibits the growth of C. albicans by destroying cell membranes. This finding was also supported by the expression of SAP (secreted aspartyl proteinase) involved in cell membrane synthesis. Finally, demonstrations of phenotype investigation, colony-forming unit (CFU) counts, and PAS (periodic acid-Schiff) staining were conducted to prove that NEL had the ability to treated mouse oral C. albicans infection and vaginal C. albicans infection. This research may help us to investigate new antimicrobial agents for treating C. albicans infections. KEY POINTS: • NEL can inhibit the growth of C. albicans. • NEL destroys the cell membrane formation and permeability of C. albicans. • NEL can treat vulvovaginal candidiasis and oropharyngeal candidiasis in mice. • NEL could be used as a possible antifungal agent.

Dietary fiber isolated from sweet potato residues promotes a healthy gut microbiome profile.

This study investigated the impact of dietary fiber from sweet potato residue (SPDF) on the diversity of the gut microbiota. An in vitro batch culture system simulating the human gut was used to understand the prebiotic role of SPDF. The results showed that SPDF mediated a significant increase in the concentrations of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, whereas induced a significant decrease of Enterobacillus, Clostridium perfringens and Bacteroides. The prebiotic index and Bifidobacterium/Enterobacillus value were also significantly increased in SPDF groups compared to those of the control group, suggesting that SPDF had prebiotic effects. Furthermore, to investigate the effects of SPDF on the intestinal microecosystem, diets containing different concentrations of SPDF were used to feed Wistar rats for 4 weeks. 16S rRNA gene sequencing, short chain fatty acid quantification and physiochemical property analysis in the rat feces were then conducted. The results showed that SPDF significantly increased the Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes ratio at the phylum level and the amount of Akkermansia was also increased at the genus level, which was confirmed by qRT-PCR. The production of propionate and butyrate in the rat feces of both 3% and 15% SPDF groups was higher than that in the control group, which was further confirmed by the decrease of pH. Additionally, SPDF supplementation in this study resulted in a higher villus height to fossa depth ratio, which indicated improved digestion and absorption in the GI tract. Our findings support the utilization of SPDF from sweet potato residue in the development of potentially prebiotic food products for improving intestinal health.