ABSTRACT
The Asian ginseng root (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a very commonly used herbal medicine worldwide. Ginseng fruit, including the berry (or pulp) and seed, is also valuable for several health conditions including immunostimulation and cancer chemoprevention. In this study, the anticancer and anti-proliferative effects of the extracts of ginseng berry and seed were evaluated. The ginsenosides in the ginseng berry concentrate (GBC) and ginseng seed extract (GSE) were analyzed. We then evaluated their anti-colorectal cancer potentials, including antiproliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptotic induction. Further investigation consisted of the berry's adaptive immune responses, such as the actions on the differentiation of T helper cells Treg, Th1, and Th17. The major constituents in GBC were ginsenosides Re and Rd, which can be compared to those in the root. The GBC significantly inhibited colon cancer cell growth, and its anti-proliferative effect involved mechanisms including G2/M cell cycle arrest via upregulation of cyclin A and induction of apoptosis via regulation of apoptotic related gene expressions. GBC also downregulated the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes. For the adaptive immune responses, GBC did not influence Th1 and Treg cell differentiation but significantly inhibited Th17 cell differentiation and thus regulated the balance of Th17/Treg for adaptive immunity. Although no ginsenoside was detected in the GSE, interestingly, it obviously enhanced colon cancer cell proliferation with the underlined details to be determined. Our results suggested that GBC is a promising dietary supplement for cancer chemoprevention and immunomodulation.
Subject(s)
Colonic Neoplasms , Panax , Apoptosis , Cell Cycle , Cell Differentiation , Colonic Neoplasms/drug therapy , Colonic Neoplasms/prevention & control , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Fruit , Humans , Inflammation/drug therapy , Inflammation/prevention & control , Plant Extracts/pharmacologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Chronic intestinal inflammation is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation and development. Diets that are rich in Western style fats have been shown to promote CRC. This study was conducted to investigate the role of intestinal microbiome in American ginseng-mediated CRC chemoprevention in a mouse model. The population and diversity of enteric microbiome were evaluated after the ginseng treatment. METHODS: Using an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced gut inflammation and tumorigenesis mouse model, the effects of oral American ginseng on high fat diet-associated enteric pathology were determined. After establishment of a 16S rRNA illumina library from fecal samples, MiSeq sequencing was carried out to reveal the microbial population. The alpha and beta diversities of microbiome were analyzed. RESULTS: American ginseng significantly attenuated AOM/DSS-induced colon inflammation and tumorigenesis by reducing the colitis score and colon tumor multiplicity. The MiSeq results showed that the majority of sequences fell into three phyla: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia. Further, two significant abundance shifts at the family level, Bacteroidaceae and Porphyromonadaceae, were identified to support ginseng's anti-colitis and anti-tumor effects. In addition, alpha and beta diversity data demonstrated that ginseng led to a profound recovery from the AOM/DSS-induced dysbiosis in the microbial community. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the CRC chemopreventive effects of American ginseng are mediated through enteric microbiome population-shift recovery and dysbiosis restoration. Ginseng's regulation of the microbiome balance contributes to the maintenance of enteric homeostasis.
Subject(s)
Carcinogenesis/drug effects , Colonic Neoplasms/pathology , Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects , Panax , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Animals , Azoxymethane/toxicity , Carcinogenesis/chemically induced , Carcinogenesis/pathology , Colitis/etiology , Colitis/microbiology , Colitis/pathology , Colonic Neoplasms/etiology , Colonic Neoplasms/microbiology , Dextran Sulfate/toxicity , Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects , Male , Mice , Plant RootsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory constituents of the leaves of Lindera aggrega. METHOD: Compounds were isolated by colum chromatography, and the structures were identified by spectroscopic methods. RESULT: Six compounds were isolated and identified as mixture of 6-Acetyllindenanolide B-1 and B-2(I), dehydrolindestrenolide (II), hydroxylinderstrenolide (III), linderalactone (IV), kameofero (V), beta-sitosterol (VI). CONCLUSION: These compounds were obtained from the leaves of Lindera aggregata for the first time.