Complex Extract of Polygonatum sibiricum and Nelumbinis semen Improves Menopause Symptoms via Regulation of Estrogen Receptor Beta in an Ovariectomized Rat Model.

Menopause is a hormone-deficiency state that causes facial flushing, vaginal dryness, depression, anxiety, insomnia, obesity, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease as ovarian function decreases. Hormone-replacement therapy is mainly used to treat menopause; however, its long-term use is accompanied by side effects such as breast cancer and endometriosis. To identify the effect of a complex extract of Polygonatum sibiricum (PS) and Nelumbinis semen (NS) on improving menopause without side effects, an ovariectomized rat model was established to analyze several menopause symptoms. Compared to single extracts, the complex extract restored vaginal epithelial cell thickness and decreased serotonin concentration by increasing the estrogen receptors ERα (ESR1) and ERß (ESR2), depending on the ratio. Although the complex extract exerted a lower weight-loss effect than the single extracts, improved blood-lipid metabolism was observed after increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and decreasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis was alleviated by suppressing osteoclast production. Thus, by increasing only ERß expression without regulating ERα expression in the uterus, the complex extract of PS and NS may be a natural treatment for improving menopause symptoms without side effects, such as endometriosis.

Polygonatum sibiricum improves menopause symptoms by regulating hormone receptor balance in an ovariectomized mouse model.

Female menopause is a hormone deficiency phenomenon that causes hot flashes, vaginal dryness, depression, nervous tension, insomnia, obesity, and bone loss. There are various hormone replacement therapy (HRT)-based menopausal treatments, but they are accompanied by side effects such as endometrial cancer and hyperplasia. To confirm the menopausal improvement effect of Polygonatum sibiricum (PS), we prepared an ovariectomized animal model, administered 17ß-estradiol (E2) and PS, and analyzed various menopausal symptoms. PS restored vaginal epithelium thickness, by increasing the expression of estrogen receptors ERα (ESR1) and ERß (ESR2), and increased serotonin concentration by reducing serotonin receptor 1 A (5-HT1A) and glucocorticoid receptor (Gr) expression. In addition, PS suppressed obesity by increasing HDL-C and decreasing LDL-C levels and improved the osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy. In particular, by controlling Hand2, Fgf2, and Faf9 expression through PR, the antiproliferative signal was suppressed in uterine epithelium, thereby reducing the risk of side effects of the administration of E2 alone. These results demonstrate that PS alleviates menopausal symptoms without causing endometrial hyperplasia.

Neurotherapeutic Potential of Cervus elaphus Sibericus on Axon Regeneration and Growth Cone Reformation after H2O2-Induced Injury in Rat Primary Cortical Neurons.

Cervus elaphus sibericus (CES), commonly known as deer antler, has been used as a medicinal herb because of its various pharmacological activities, including its anti-infective, anti-arthritic, anti-allergic, and anti-oxidative properties. However, the precise mechanisms by which CES functions as a potent anti-oxidative agent remain unknown; particularly, the effects of CES on cortical neurons and its neurobiological mechanism have not been examined. We used primary cortical neurons from the embryonic rat cerebral cortex and hydrogen peroxide to induce oxidative stress and damage in neurons. After post-treatment of CES at three concentrations (10, 50, and 200 µg/mL), the influence of CES on the neurobiological mechanism was assessed by immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and real-time PCR. CES effectively prevented neuronal death caused by hydrogen peroxide-induced damage by regulating oxidative signaling. In addition, CES significantly induced the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin nerve growth factor, as well as regeneration-associated genes. We also observed newly processing elongated axons after CES treatment under oxidative conditions. In addition, filopodia tips generally do not form a retraction bulb, called swollen endings. Thus, CES shows therapeutic potential for treating neurological diseases by stimulating neuron repair and regeneration.

Effect of Fermented Medicinal Plants as Dietary Additives on Food Preference and Fecal Microbial Quality in Dogs.

This research determined the antioxidant activities of medicinal plants fermented by Enterococcus faecium and their subsequent applications as dog food additives. Turmeric (5%, w/v), glasswort (2.5%, w/v), Ganghwa mugwort (2.5%, w/v), and their mixture (5%, w/v) were fermented by autochthonous E. faecium (1%, v/v) for 72 h. Bacterial cell counts and pH were monitored during fermentation. Total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, and intracellular superoxide scavenging activity in bovine mammary alveolar epithelial (MAC-T) cells were measured with the fermented and non-fermented samples. Only the antioxidant capacity of the mixture was increased after fermentation. However, intracellular superoxide level in MAC-T cells was significantly reduced after treatment with fermented plant samples (p < 0.001) as compared with that in non-fermented plants. Fermented plants were then sprayed at 1% (v/w) onto dog foods. TPC, TFC, ABTS radical scavenging activity, and DPPH radical scavenging activity of dog foods were significantly enhanced after the addition of fermented plants. Food preference testing was conducted using a two-pan method-control diet vs. four treatment diets-for 4 days for each additive diet, a total 16 days in 9 beagles. Feces were collected to enumerate bacterial counts. Preferences for glasswort and Ganghwa mugwort were higher than those of the control (p < 0.05). Furthermore, fecal microbiota enumeration displayed a higher number of beneficial microorganisms in treated groups. These results suggest that fermented plants with enhanced antioxidant abilities might be useful as potential additives for dog foods.