Paeoniflorin alleviates hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in HK-2 cells by inhibiting apoptosis and repressing oxidative damage via Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious disorder associated with significant morbidity and mortality. AKI and ischemia/reperfusion (hypoxia/reoxygenation, H/R) injury can be induced due to several reasons. Paeoniflorin (PF) is a traditional herbal medicine derived from Paeonia lactiflora Pall. It exerts diverse therapeutic effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiapoptotic, and immunomodulatory properties; thus, it is considered valuable for treating several diseases. However, the effects of PF on H/R injury-induced AKI remain unknown. In this study, we established an in vitro H/R model using COCL2 and investigated the functions and underlying mechanisms of PF on H/R injury in HK-2 cells. The cell vitality was evaluated using the cell count kit-8 assay. The DCFH-DA fluorescence probe was used to measure the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative damage was detected using superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) assay kits. Apoptotic relative protein and Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling were evaluated by Western blotting. Our results indicated that PF increased cell viability and SOD activity and decreased the ROS and MDA levels in HK-2 cells with H/R injury. PF inhibits apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2 and decreasing Bax. Furthermore, PF significantly upregulated the expression of HO-1 and Nrf2, but downregulated the expression of HIF-1α and Keap1. PF considerably increased Nrf2 nuclear translocation and unregulated the HO-1 expression. The Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385) could reverse the abovementioned protective effects of PF, suggesting that Nrf2 can be a critical target of PF. To conclude, we found that PF attenuates H/R injury-induced AKI by decreasing the oxidative damage via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibiting apoptosis.

Integrated gut microbiota and metabolome analysis reveals the mechanism of Xiaoai Jiedu recipe in ameliorating colorectal cancer.

Introduction: Xiaoai Jiedu recipe (XJR), a classical prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been clinically proven to be effective in ameliorating colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its exact mechanism of action is still elusive, limiting its clinical application and promotion to a certain extent. This study aims to evaluate the effect of XJR on CRC and further illustrate mechanism underlying its action. Methods: We investigated the anti-tumor efficacy of XJR in vitro and vivo experiments. An integrated 16S rRNA gene sequencing and UPLC-MS based metabolomics approach were performed to explore possible mechanism of XJR anti-CRC on the gut microbiota and serum metabolic profiles. The correlation between altered gut microbiota and disturbed serum metabolites was investigated using Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: XJR effectively displayed anti-CRC effect both in vitro and in vivo. The abundance of aggressive bacteria such as Bacteroidetes, Bacteroides, and Prevotellaceae decreased, while the levels of beneficial bacteria increased (Firmicutes, Roseburia, and Actinobacteria). Metabolomics analysis identified 12 potential metabolic pathways and 50 serum metabolites with different abundances possibly affected by XJR. Correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of aggressive bacteria was positively correlated with the levels of Arachidonic acid, Adrenic acid, 15(S)-HpETE, DL-Arginine, and Lysopc 18:2, which was different from the beneficial bacteria. Discussion: The regulation of gut microbiota and related metabolites may be potential breakthrough point to elucidate the mechanism of XJR in the treatment of the CRC. The strategy employed would provide theoretical basis for clinical application of TCM.

Differential Analysis of Korean and Chinese Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes) Spore Powder by Infrared Spectroscopy with Stoichiometry.

To investigate the differences between Korean Ganoderma lucidum spore powder (KP), broken-spo-roderm KP (BSKP), Chinese traditional G. lucidum spore powder (CP), and broken-sporoderm CP (BSCP), they were identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), second derivative infrared spectroscopy (SD-IR), dual-index sequence analysis (DISA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). SEM showed that there were no significant differences in microstructure between the two kinds of spore powders. FT-IR spectra showed that the four spore powders appeared with characteristic peaks of 3400, 3006, 2925, 1745, 1535, 1454, 1249, 1074, 1049, and 896 cm-1, respectively, they were contained the characteristic peaks of total triterpenes, polysaccharides and fatty acids. DISA showed that the same species of spore powders, the overall similarity of before and broken the sporoderm was high with minor differences and there were no differences between the different kinds of spore powders. Similarity analysis showed that the four spore powders were in high agreement and were no differences. The polysaccharide, total triterpene, spore oil and protein content of the four spore powders were determined separately. The results showed that the active ingredients content of the batch of KP were lower than that of CP, that of BSKP were lower than that of BSCP, while the active ingredients content of both broken-sporoderm spore powders were higher than that of before broken-sporoderm. It is inferred that the structure of the main chemical and component of KP is the same as that of CP. This study provides a reference for the future development and application of G. lucidum.

Basic characterization, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of polysaccharides from sea buckthorn leaves.

The polysaccharides from Sea buckthorn leaves (SBLPs) were extracted by hot water and purified by DEAE cellulose, then separated into six polysaccharides (SBLP-S) by DEAE-52 column. Six separated polysaccharides were characterized by Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectrum, High Performance Liquid Chromatographic and Congo red analysis. The antioxidant activity and immunological activity were investigated in vitro. The results revealed that the monosaccharide composition of SBLP-S-1, SBLP-S-2, SBLP-S-3, SBLP-S-5 and SBLP-S-6 contained Man, GlcN, Rib, Rha, GluA, GalA, Glu, Gal, Xyl, Ara and Fuc, among them, rare glucosamine was found. And SBLP-S-4 contained all above components except GlcN and GluA. FT-IR showed that SBLP-S were sulfated polysaccharide containing uronic acid. Molecular weights of SBLP-S were 338.659, 401.305, 599.849, 393.904, 626.895 and 176.862 kDa. The Congo-red test indicated that SBLP-S-2, SBLP-S-4, SBLP-S-5, and SBLP-S-6 had triple helix conformation. Crude polysaccharides had the strong scavenging activities on DPPH radicals, ABTS radicals and hydroxyl radicals. The six polysaccharides had the activity of immune stimulation on RAW264.7 cell. SBLP-S-2 promoted the phagocytosis best and SBLP-S-6 promoted the NO production best. The results suggested that SBLPs could be used as potential antioxidants and immunomodulatory agents in pharmaceutical and functional food fields.

Wenzi Jiedu Recipe ameliorates colorectal cancer by remodeling the gut microbiota and tumor microenvironment.

Introduction: Wenzi Jiedu Recipe (WJR), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been proven to be clinically useful in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its underlying mechanisms are still elusive, which limits its wider application. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effect of WJR on CRC and elucidate mechanisms underlying its action. Methods: Network pharmacology was employed to clarify the "herb-active ingredient-target" network of WJR. The 16S rDNA sequencing method was used to analyze the changes of gut microbes mediated by WJR in tumor-bearing mice with CRC. The proportions of CD4+ T cell and CD8+ T cell were measured by flow cytometry. Levels of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-10, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were assessed by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: WJR showed significant anti-CRC effects both in vitro and in vivo. Network pharmacology revealed that WJR exerts anti-CRC therapeutic effect on multiple targets and signaling pathways. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that WJR therapy significantly enriched for Oscillibacter and Bacteroides_acidifacien. In particular, we found that WJR significantly increased the proportion of CD8+ T cells and the expression of immune-associated cytokines IL-10, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. Conclusion: The regulation of gut microbiota by WJR may be the breakthrough point to clarify its mechanism of action in the treatment of CRC, and it has a good prospect of clinical application.

Simultaneous Enhancement of the Long-Wavelength NIR-II Brightness and Photothermal Performance of Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles.

Theranostic agents with fluorescence in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window, especially in its long-wavelength region, and NIR-II-excitable photothermal effect is promising but challenging in tumor diagnosis and therapy. Here, we report a simple but effective strategy to develop semiconducting polymer nanoparticles-based theranostic agents (PBQx NPs) and demonstrate their applications for long-wavelength NIR-II fluorescence imaging beyond 1400 nm and photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors upon excitation at 1064 nm. Both experimental results and theory calculations show that the brightness and photothermal performance of PBQx NPs can be simultaneously improved by simply increasing the repeating unit number of semiconducting polymers. For example, PBQ45 NPs have 5-fold higher brightness than PBQ5 NPs and 6.7-fold higher photothermal effect (based on PCE × Îµ) than PBQ3 NPs, and exhibit promising applications in long-wavelength NIR-II fluorescence abdomen imaging, image-guided tumor resection, and image-guided PTT. This study demonstrates the effectiveness and importance of repeating unit numbers in regulating the theranostic performance, which has not received enough attention before.

Flavonoids-rich extract from Bidens bipinnata L. protects pancreatic ß-cells against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: As a traditional Chinese medicinal, Bidens bipinnata L. has been used to treat many diseases with a long history in China. The anti-diabetic effects of extract from B. bipinnata have been demonstrated in the previous reports. AIM OF THE STUDY: The protective effects of flavonoids-rich extract from B. bipinnata (BBTF) on cell damage induced by H2O2 in pancreatic ß cell and its potential mechanisms were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MTT, ROS production, nuclear staining and flow cytometry assays were adopted to determine the effects of BBTF on cell viability, production of ROS and cell apoptosis in H2O2-treated INS-1 cell. Cell apoptosis-related proteins expressions were detected by Western blot assay. RESULTS: Pre-treatment of BBTF could significantly increase INS-1 cell viability, inhibit the production of intracellular ROS and reduced the characteristic features of cell apoptosis induced by H2O2 in INS-1 cells. The studies of the underlying mechanism showed that BBTF could regulate Bax and Bcl-2 proteins expressions, suppress the phosphorylation of JNK, ERK and p38, as well as down-regulate Fas and FasL proteins expressions induced by H2O2. The expressions of caspase-8, caspase-9 and caspase-3 were therefore decreased. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that flavonoids-rich extract from B. bipinnata could be a natural agent in diabetic prevention and therapy.

Anti-type I allergic effects of Jing-Fang powder extracts via PI3K/Akt pathway in vitro and in vivo.

Jing-Fang powder (Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq. and Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk.) was used to treat chronic bronchitis, asthma and chronic urticaria. Based on the preliminary results of screening research on the antiallergic effective parts of Jing-Fang powder, its ethyl acetate extract fractions (JFEE) and isolate D (JFEE-D) showed the best anti-allergic effect. RBL-2H3 cell activation degranulation model and mice passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction model were used to investigate the effects and mechanisms of JFEE and JFEE-D on IgE-mediated type I allergic reactions. LC-MS was utilized to determine the composition of JFEE and JFEE-D. We found that JFEE and JFEE-D significantly reduced ß-HEX, histamine, IL-4, IL-6 levels in cell supernatants, and improved the degree and morphology of cell degranulation. JFEE and JFEE-D significantly inhibited the increase of ear vascular permeability and abnormal increase of serum IgE, TNF-α, IL-6 levels. JFEE and JFEE-D inhibited mRNA expression of PI3K and Akt and down-regulated protein expression of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, and PLCγ1 in sensitized RBL-2H3 cells. The combined use of JFEE and JFEE-D with pathway inhibitor Wortmannin revealed synergistic down-regulation of PI3K, Akt, and p-Akt protein expression. The combined use of pathway agonist IGF-1, JFEE and JFEE-D down-regulated increase of p-Akt/Akt protein expression. Moreover, JFEE and JFEE-D significantly inhibited protein expression of PI3K, p-Akt and PLCγ1 in PCA model mice. These results show that JFEE and JFEE-D inhibit type I allergic reactions by inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Effect of ethanolic extract from Morus alba L. leaves on the quality and sensory aspects of chilled pork under retail conditions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of ethanolic extract from Morus alba L. leaves (MLEE) in preserving chilled pork under retail conditions. The four treatments were 5 mg/mL sodium benzoate solution (SB), 1 mg/mL MLEE solution (high-concentration MLEE; HM), 0.5 mg/mL MLEE solution (low-concentration MLEE; LM), and 0 mg/mL MLEE solution (C). The quality characteristics, pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values, metmyoglobin, total volatile basic nitrogen, and number of microbes of MLEE-treated chilled pork stored at 4 °C for 9 days were consistent with those obtained by the SB treatment and lower than those obtained by the C treatment. Sensory analyses showed that treatment of pork with MLEE did not have a negative impact on its sensory characteristics. MLEE can extend the shelf life of chilled pork from 3 days to 6 days (9 days) in first-class (second-class) fresh meat. Results suggest that MLEE could be a candidate resource in the preservation of chilled pork.

Microwave-assisted extraction, characterization and immunomodulatory activity on RAW264.7 cells of polysaccharides from Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim seeds.

Microwave-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim seeds (TKMSP) was optimized using Response surface methodology (RSM) base on Central composite design (CCD). The optimum extraction conditions are detailed as follows: liquid-solid ratio 42 mL/g, extraction temperature 80 °C, microwave power 570 W, extraction time 26 min. Under this conditions, the mean value of TKMSP yield 2.43 ± 0.45% (n = 3), which was consistent closely with the predicted value (2.44%). The five polysaccharides (TKMSP-1, TKMSP-2, TKMSP-3, TKMSP-4 and TKMSP-5) were isolated from TKMSP by DEAE-52. TKMSP-1, TKMSP-2 and TKMSP-4 were common in containing Man, Rib, Rha, GluA, GalA, Glu, Gal, Xyl, Arab and Fuc. However, there was no Fuc in TKMSP-3, while TKMSP-5 lacked GluA, GalA and Fuc. UV-vis and FT-IR analysis combined with molecular weight determination further indicated that the five fractions were polydisperse polysaccharides. A significant difference was achieved in the structural characterization of these five fractions. TKMSP exhibited immunosuppressive activity on RAW264.7 cells. It can be applied as a potential immunosuppressant agent in medicine.

The Relationship between Prevention and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer and Cancerous Toxin Pathogenesis Theory Basing on Gut Microbiota.

Gut microbiota is a diverse consortium of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses in the gut of all mammals. Gut microbiota remains in steady state under normal conditions. Changes in the internal and external environment may cause gut Microbiota to be out of tune. Malignant tumors are one of the major diseases currently endangering human health. CRC (colorectal cancer) has a significant upward trend in morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world. Technological advances have not yet brought about a breakthrough in the efficacy of CRC. The development of colon cancer is closely related to gut microbiota imbalance. According to more than 60 years of clinical practice, Professor Zhongying Zhou first proposed the pathogenesis theory of "cancerous toxin" in the 1990s and believed that cancerous toxin was a key pathogenesis of tumor development. Under the guidance of the theory of cancerous toxin, combined with clinical practice, Professor Zhou created an effective anticancer Chinese herbal compound, Jiedu Xiaoai Prescription. This paper summarizes recent hotspots related to gut microbiota and the occurrence, development, and prevention of colon cancer at home and abroad. The relationship between gut microbiota and cancerous toxin theory is proposed, and the feasibility of further studying the biological basis of cancerous toxin pathogenesis theory from the perspective of gut microbiota is pointed out.

Herbal drink formulation optimization of Trollius chinensis Bunge by sensory fuzzy comprehensive evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Trollius chinensis Bunge is a common herbal plant used for pharmaceutical and food resources in China. The dry flowers of Trollius chinensis Bunge are also treated as a traditional Chinese tea for daily drinking, yet the Trollius chinensis Bunge tea will exhibit a bitter taste in a certain concentration range and is not always accepted among consumers. The aim of the study was to design a herbal drink with a good flavor and optimize the formulation. METHODS: Trollius chinensis Bunge was purchased and ground. The sensory fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and the orthogonal test were applied to optimize the formulation of the Trollius chinensis Bunge herbal drink. RESULTS: The results showed that the optimum formulation was as follows: an addition amount of Trollius chinensis Bunge extract solution of 30%; an addition amount of mint extract solution of 4%; an addition amount of liquorice extract solution of 7%; an addition amount of sugar of 3%; an addition amount of citric acid of 0.15%. The polysaccharide content decreased with an increase in storage time; the stability of the polysaccharides was not significantly affected by storage temperature (P > 0.05). The pH value of the samples was significantly affected by storage temperature (P < 0.01), which was basically unchanged at 4°C and 25°C, and relatively large at 37°C; the stability of color was significantly affected by temperature (0.01 < P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sensory fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is an useful evaluation method in optimizing the formulation of a herbal drink. These results provide some theoretical basis for the food product development of Trollius chinensis Bunge.

A comparative analysis of the essential oils from two species of garlic seedlings cultivated in China: chemical profile and anticoagulant potential.

Garlic seedlings (GS) and blanched garlic seedlings (BGS) are two kinds of common garlic-derived vegetables in China, but little information is available on their bioactive constituents. In this work, chemical profiles and anticoagulant activities of essential oils from GS (EOGS) and BGS (EOBGS) were disclosed and compared for the first time. Sixteen and fourteen volatile compounds were identified in EOGS and EOBGS by GC-MS analysis, and both of them were rich in sulfur-containing compounds, particularly diallyl sulfides accounting for 74.77% and 85.87%, respectively. EOGS and EOBGS exerted anticoagulant activities via intrinsic, extrinsic, and common coagulation pathways as well as by lowering the content of fibrinogen; EOGS exceeded EOBGS in the activation of intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation pathways, while EOBGS outperformed EOGS on the activation of the common coagulation pathway, which was even superior to that of heparin at the same dose. Herein, the results of the present investigation will give a strong clue that EOGS and EOBGS are more likely to lead to a promising way to vegetable-based anticoagulants.

Enrichment of flavonoid-rich extract from Bidens bipinnata L. by macroporous resin using response surface methodology, UHPLC-Q-TOF MS/MS-assisted characterization and comprehensive evaluation of its bioactivities by analytical hierarchy process.

The extract of Bidens bipinnata L. exhibited wide spectrum of bioactivities owing to the presence of flavonoids. In this study, a purification process was developed to enrich the flavonoid-rich extract from B. bipinnata L. (BBTF). AB-8 resin was selected for the purification of total flavonoids. Response surface methodology coupled with Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the purification condition; it was optimized as pH 5.1, volume of ethanol 80 ml, flow rate of ethanol 1.8 bed volume per hour (BV/h) and concentration of ethanol 76.0%. The total flavonoid content of BBTF was 56.48% under the optimal conditions. The identification of flavonoids in BBTF was conducted using UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF MS. A total of 14 compounds, including 12 flavonoids, were identified in BBTF. Finally, the in vitro antioxidant activities, α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities of BBTF were comprehensively analyzed by an analytical hierarchy process. The results indicated that it exhibited higher bioactivities than the crude extract. These findings suggested that the optimized process could significantly enhance the purity of flavonoids and their bioactivities. This study showed a comprehensive analysis of a total flavonoid extract of B. bipinnata L. for the first time, which could provide a useful approach for its purification process and quality control as well as bioactivities.

Characterization of a polysaccharide with antioxidant and anti-cervical cancer potentials from the corn silk cultivated in Jilin province.

Corn silk polysaccharides (CSPs) were extracted from the corn silk cultivated in Jilin province, China, where is one of the golden corn belts worldwide. Three fractions (CSP-1, CSP-2 and CSP-3) were obtained by DEAE-52 cellulose and the former two fractions were further purified by Sephadex G-150 column chromatography to obtain CSP-S-1 and CSP-S-2. The molecular weights of CSP-S-1 and CSP-S-2 were calculated to be 586 kDa and 813 kDa, respectively. CSP-S-1 was composed of galactose, arabinose, xylose and rhamnose at a molar ratio of 4.16:1.00:1.01:6.32 and CSP-S-2 was composed of galactose, arabinose, glucose and rhamnose at a molar ratio of 8.71:3.58:0.169:1.00. CSP-S-2 outperformed CSP-S-1 in scavenging DPPH, ABTS and hydroxyl radicals, and significantly inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells. IR and NMR analysis indicated that CSP-S-2 was pyranose. CSP-S-2 consisted of 1 → 4 and 1 → 6 linkages and exhibited a triple helix configuration. In summary, CSP-S-2 possesses high potential to be developed as a novel antioxidant and anti-cervical cancer agent.

Traditional Uses, Bioactive Constituents, Biological Functions, and Safety Properties of Oviductus ranae as Functional Foods in China.

Oviductus ranae is an animal-based traditional Chinese material widely used as tonics in China for hundreds of years. Various bioactive components are present in OR including proteins, amino acids, steroids, fatty acids, phospholipids, nucleosides, vitamins, hydantoins, and mineral elements. These constituents exert a myriad of biological functions such as immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antifatigue, antiaging, estrogen-like, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, antiosteoporotic, antidepressant, antitumor, antitussive, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and antiasthmatic activities. Unlike other traditional Chinese crude drugs recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, OR is seldom prescribed as medicine but often consumed as nutraceuticals to optimize health. In this review, the traditional uses, bioactive constituents, biological functions, and safety properties of OR as functional foods in China were summarized and discussed. It is expected that this review will provide useful information for anyone who is interested in OR.

Flavonoids from Morus alba L. Leaves: Optimization of Extraction by Response Surface Methodology and Comprehensive Evaluation of Their Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Inhibition of α-Amylase Activities through Analytical Hierarchy Process.

To explore the flavonoids from Morus alba L. leaves (MLF), the process of extracting was optimized by a response surface methodology and the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro. The yield of flavonoids reached 50.52 mg g-1 under the optimized extraction conditions (i.e., extraction temperature, 70.85 °C; solvent concentration, 39.30%; extraction time, 120.18 min; and liquid/solid ratio, 34.60:1). The total flavonoids were extracted in organic solvents with various polarities, including petroleum ether (MLFp), ethyl acetate (MLFe), and n-butanol (MLFb). In vitro, the four MLF samples exhibited good antioxidant activities for scavenging of 2, 2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulphonate) radical, 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical, and total reducing power. Regarding antimicrobial efficacy, the MLF samples suppressed the development of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus pumilus. The MLF samples inhibited α-amylase activity to a certain extent. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to evaluate comprehensively the bioactivities of the MLF samples. The AHP results revealed that the bioactivity comprehensive score (78.83 µg mL-1) of MLFe was optimal among the four MLF samples. Morus alba L. leaves also exhibited non-hemolytic properties. All bioactivities suggested the potential of MLFe as a candidate resource in the food and drug industries.

Microwave-Assisted Extraction, Purification, Partial Characterization, and Bioactivity of Polysaccharides from Panax ginseng.

Polysaccharides are a main active substance in Panax ginseng; however, microwave-assisted extraction used to prepare P. ginseng polysaccharides (MPPG) has rarely been reported, and knowledge of the bactericidal activity of P. ginseng polysaccharides remains low. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the extraction of P. ginseng polysaccharides by using two methods-hot water extraction and microwave-assisted extraction-and compare their chemical composition and structure. In addition, their antibacterial and antioxidant activities were also determined. The data implied that P. ginseng polysaccharides extracted by microwave-assisted extraction possessed a higher extraction yield than hot water extraction (WPPG) under optimized conditions, and the actual yields were 41.6% ± 0.09% and 28.5% ± 1.62%, respectively. Moreover, the preliminary characterization of polysaccharides was identified after purification. The WPPG with the molecular weight (Mw) of 2.07 × 105 Da was composed of Man, Rib, Rha, GalA, Glu, Gal, and Arab, and the typical characteristics of polysaccharides were determined by IR spectra. Compared with WPPG, MPPG had a higher Mw, uronic acid content, and Glu content. More importantly, the antioxidant activity of MPPG was higher than WPPG, which was probably ascribed to its highly Mw and abundant uronic acid content. Besides, both of them exhibited high bactericidal activity. These results demonstrate that microwave-assisted extraction is an effective method for obtaining P. ginseng polysaccharides, and MPPG could be applied as an antioxidant and antibacterial agent.

Microwave-assisted extraction releases the antioxidant polysaccharides from seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) berries.

Seabuckthorn berries are rich in various bioactive components and used as a traditional medicine for a long time. Until now, little information is available for the extraction of polysaccharides from seabuckthorn berries (PSB) by linking antioxidant activity and microwave power. In this study, microwave-assisted extraction, characterization, in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of PSB were explored. The maximum PSB extraction yield of 0.264±0.005% was obtained under the optimal conditions as follows: microwave power 600W, extraction time 6min, liquid to material ratio 10: 1mL/g, and extraction temperature 85°C. Meanwhile, effects of microwave power on antioxidant activity of PSB was investigated and found that microwave at power of 600W can facilitate the release of antioxidant PSB in a high yield. The main monosaccharides of PSB were Rha, Man, Glu, and Gal at a molar ratio of 1.00: 6.89: 1.62: 13.52, UV and FT-IR analysis coupled with molecular weight determination further indicated that PSB is a polydisperse polysaccharide. Moreover, PSB obtained under the optimal conditions equally exerted in vivo antioxidant activity through decreasing malonaldehyde and protein carbonyls and increasing superoxide dismutase and glutathione.

Acute Toxicity, Antioxidant, and Antifatigue Activities of Protein-Rich Extract from Oviductus ranae.

The paper investigated the preparation, amino acid composition, acute toxicity, and in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, coupled with in vivo antifatigue activities of protein-rich extract of Oviductus ranae (PEOR). The results indicated that PEOR possesses high-safety property with maximum tolerated dose (MTD) higher than 20 g/kg in mice, shows weak scavenging capacities against hydroxyl, superoxide anion, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, as well as ferric-reducing antioxidant power in vitro, but exerts strong antioxidant effect in ethanol-induced oxidative stress mice model; it can decrease malonaldehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PCO) formation and increase total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Besides the strong in vivo antioxidant activity, PEOR in a dose of 400 mg/kg also has antifatigue effect in mice, and it can prolong the exhaustive swimming time, reduce the elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood lactic acid (BLA) caused by intense exercise. The in vivo activity of PEOR may be contributed by its absorbed amino acids, due to the fact that eight antioxidant amino acids and twelve glucogenic ones were found in it. This study will provide an evidence for the clinical use of PEOR as a dietary supplement for antioxidant and antifatigue in the same oral dose (400 mg/kg).