Targeting histone demethylases JMJD3 and UTX: selenium as a potential therapeutic agent for cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: The intriguing connection between selenium and cancer resembles a captivating puzzle that keeps researchers engaged and curious. While selenium has shown promise in reducing cancer risks through supplementation, its interaction with epigenetics in cervical cancer remains a fascinating yet largely unexplored realm. Unraveling the intricacies of selenium's role and its interaction with epigenetic factors could unlock valuable insights in the battle against this complex disease. RESULT: Selenium has shown remarkable inhibitory effects on cervical cancer cells in various ways. In in vitro studies, it effectively inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells, while promoting apoptosis. Selenium also demonstrates significant inhibitory effects on human cervical cancer-derived organoids. Furthermore, in an in vivo study, the administration of selenium dioxide solution effectively suppresses the growth of cervical cancer tumors in mice. One of the mechanisms behind selenium's inhibitory effects is its ability to inhibit histone demethylases, specifically JMJD3 and UTX. This inhibition is observed both in vitro and in vivo. Notably, when JMJD3 and UTX are inhibited with GSK-J4, similar biological effects are observed in both in vitro and in vivo models, effectively inhibiting organoid models derived from cervical cancer patients. Inhibiting JMJD3 and UTX also induces G2/M phase arrest, promotes cellular apoptosis, and reverses epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). ChIP-qPCR analysis confirms that JMJD3 and UTX inhibition increases the recruitment of a specific histone modification, H3K27me3, to the transcription start sites (TSS) of target genes in cervical cancer cells (HeLa and SiHa cells). Furthermore, the expressions of JMJD3 and UTX are found to be significantly higher in cervical cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal cervical tissues, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the significant inhibitory effects of selenium on the growth, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells, promoting apoptosis and displaying promising potential as a therapeutic agent. We identified the histone demethylases JMJD3 and UTX as specific targets of selenium, and their inhibition replicates the observed effects on cancer cell behavior. These findings suggest that JMJD3 and UTX could be valuable targets for selenium-based treatments of cervical cancer.

Efficacy and safety of oral traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional anti-osteoporosis drugs for osteoporosis and fractures: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional anti-osteoporosis drugs in the treatment of osteoporosis and fractures. METHODS: The database of China national knowledge infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wangfang (WANGFANG DATA), ChineseBioMedicalLiteratureDatabase, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to June 1st, 2023 for randomized controlled trials on oral Chinese medicine combined with conventional anti-osteoporosis drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis and fractures. Quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 5.1.0. STATA 15.0 software was used for meta-analysis. Outcome measures included overall response rate, adverse events, T-score, bone mineral density, Oswestry Disability Index score, fracture healing time, and visual analog scale score. RESULTS: A total of 72 studies were included, involving 7847 participants. Different treatment options showed different advantages in the adjuvant treatment of osteoporosis and fractures. The total response rate, complication reduction, Oswestry Disability Index and visual analog scale score reduction, bone mineral density improvement and fracture healing time were all superior to drug therapy alone. The differences were statistically significant, but the improvement in T-score was not significant. CONCLUSION: The combination of oral traditional Chinese medicine and conventional anti-osteoporosis drugs is more effective and safer than Western medicine alone in the treatment of osteoporosis and fractures, which indicated that the treatment of integrated Chinese and western medicine can promote the healing of osteoporosis and fracture. This approach had a promising clinical application prospect. Due to the limitations of included studies, the ranking results should be interpreted with caution. In the next step, we will further conduct subgroup data based on factors, such as conventional Western medicine treatment regimens, whether surgical treatment was performed, fracture locations.

The Effect of Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Plasma Treatment on the Nutritional and Physicochemical Characteristics of Various Legumes.

High activity of lipoxygenase (LOX) has been identified as a primary cause of oxidative rancidity in legumes. In this study, the application of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) (5 W, 10 min) resulted in an obvious decrease in LOX activity in mung bean (MB), kidney bean (KB), and adzuki bean (AB) flours by 36.96%, 32.49%, and 28.57%, respectively. Moreover, DBD-ACP induced significant increases (p < 0.05) in content of soluble dietary fiber, saturated fatty acids, and methionine. The starch digestibility of legumes was changed, evidenced by increased (p < 0.05) slowly digestible starch and rapidly digestible starch, while resistant starch decreased. Furthermore, DBD-ACP treatment significantly affected (p < 0.05) the hydration and thermal characteristics of legume flours, evidenced by the increased water absorption index (WAI) and gelatinization temperature, and the decreased swelling power (SP) and gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH). Microscopic observations confirmed that DBD-ACP treatment caused particle aggregation.

[Professor GAO Wei-bin's clinical experience of electroacupuncture with dense wave at periotic points for neurotic tinnitus].

Professor GAO Wei-bin's clinical experience of electroacupuncture (EA) with dense wave at periotic points for neurotic tinnitus is introduced. Based on the basic theory of TCM and the perspective of neuroanatomy, EA with dense wave at new periotic points (four points at mastoid process) and Ermen (TE 21), Tinggong (SI 19) could have the effects of qi reaching affected area, and play the treatment role of "where the acupoint is, where the efficacy is".

Influences of microwave exposure to flaxseed on the physicochemical stability of oil bodies: Implication of interface remodeling.

This study aimed to investigate the influences of microwave (MV) exposure to flaxseed on the physicochemical stability of oil bodies (OBs) focused on the interface remodeling. The results showed that the intracellular OBs subjected to absolute rupture and then partial dispersion by protein bodies visualized by TEM following MV exposure (1-5 min; 700 W). After aqueous extraction, native flax OBs manifested excellent spherical particles with completely intact surface and wide particle size distribution (0.5-3.0 µm) examined by cryo-SEM. Upon 1-5 min of MV exposure, the defective interface integrity and beaded morphology were successively observed for flax OBs, accompanied by the impaired physical stability and rheological behavior due to the newly assembled phospholipid/protein interface. Notably, the profitable migration of phenolic compounds effectively suppressed the lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation in flax OBs. Thus, MV exposure (1-5 min; 700 W) was unfavorable for improving the physical stability of flax OBs.

Moisture variation analysis of the green plum during the drying process based on low-field nuclear magnetic resonance.

Green plums were dried at 50, 60, 70, and 80 ℃ to study the dynamic changes of internal moisture during the drying process. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to study the dynamic changes across the T2 relaxation spectrum, while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provided visualization of the plums throughout the process. The results indicate a negative linear relationship between the lost moisture of the plums (p < 0.05) as drying time increased. Relaxation times T21 , T22, and T23 , and the peak areas of A21 and A23 decreased significantly during the drying process. The MRI results also show that the brightness of the images decreased as the drying time increased, indicating that the higher the temperature, the greater the water loss inside the plums. Color measurements demonstrated that the high temperature dried plums had better sensory quality. Correlation analysis implies a strong positive relationship between A23 and Atotal and water content, with coefficients of 0.958 and 0.936, respectively. Principal component analysis results show that the drying temperature has a significant effect on the sample's internal moisture release. LF-NMR is a fast, convenient, and feasible technique for monitoring the moisture variation of green plums during the drying process. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to study the moisture dynamic changes of green plums across the T2 relaxation spectrum, while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provided visualization of plums throughout the process. The drying temperature has a significant effect on the green plum's internal moisture release and may affect the quality of the plums. LF-NMR might be a complementary technique in monitoring the moisture variation of green plums during the drying process.

Efficient Production of 2'-Fucosyllactose from l-Fucose via Self-Assembling Multienzyme Complexes in Engineered Escherichia coli.

2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL) has been widely used as a nutritional additive in infant formula due to its multifarious nutraceutical and pharmaceutical functions in neonate health. As such, it is essential to develop an efficient and extensive microbial fermentation platform to cater to the needs of the 2'-FL market. In this study, a spatial synthetic biology strategy was employed to promote 2'-FL biosynthesis in recombinant Escherichia coli. First, the salvage pathway for 2'-FL production from l-fucose and lactose was constructed by introducing a bifunctional enzyme l-fucokinase/GDP-l-fucose pyrophosphorylase (Fkp) derived from Bacteroides fragilis and an α-1,2-fucosyltransferase (FutC) derived from Helicobacter pylori into engineered E. coli BL21(DE3). Next, the endogenous genes involved in the degradation and shunting of the substrate and key intermediate were inactivated to improve the availability of precursors for 2'-FL biosynthesis. Moreover, to further improve the yield and titer of 2'-FL, a short peptide pair (RIAD-RIDD) was used to form self-assembling multienzyme complexes in vivo. The spatial localization of peptides and stoichiometry of enzyme assemblies were subsequently optimized to further improve 2'-FL production. Finally, cofactor regeneration was also considered to alleviate the potential cofactor deficiency and redox flux imbalance in the biocatalysis process. Fed-batch fermentation of the final WLS20 strain accumulated 30.5 g/L extracellular 2'-FL with the yield and productivity of 0.661 mol/mol fucose and 0.48 g/L/h, respectively. This research has demonstrated that the application of spatial synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies can dramatically enlarge the titer and yield of 2'-FL biosynthesis in engineered E. coli.

Application of Raman spectroscopy in the rapid detection of waste cooking oil.

Raman spectra were used to distinguish waste cooking oil from edible vegetable oils. Signals at 869, 969, 1302 and 1080 cm-1 were found to be crucial to distinguish waste cooking oil from five edible oils using PCA. When waste cooking oil was added to soybean or olive oil, PCA could separate adulterated and pure oils, when the adulteration proportions reached 10% and 20%, respectively. Peaks at 969 (R2 > 0.951), 1267 (R2 = 0.987) and 1302 (R2 > 0.984) cm-1 responded linearly to adulteration. Heating assays and 1H NMR analysis revealed that differences between the Raman spectra of waste cooking oil and edible oils at 969 and 1267 cm-1 were directly related to heat treatment. This work highlights the potential for Raman spectroscopy to detect waste cooking oil.

Development of weaning food with prebiotic effects based on roasted or extruded quinoa and millet flour.

Weaning is the gradual process of introducing solids or semisolid foods into an infant's diet, in order to ensure their healthy growth. This study developed two kinds of formula weaning food based on roasted or extruded quinoa and millet flour, and evaluated their quality. A fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS)/galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) mix was added to provide the prebiotic potential. The protein contents of the roasted quinoa-millet complementary food (RQMCF) and extruded quinoa-millet complementary food (EQMCF) were 16.7% and 17.74% higher, respectively, than that of commercial millet complementary food (CMCF). Both RQMCF and EQMCF provided sufficient levels of energy and minerals. Extrusion provided the foods with a lower viscosity, and higher solubility and water absorption ability than roasting. In vitro digestion results showed that EQMCF exhibited the highest starch and protein digestibility (89.76% and 88.72%, respectively) followed by RQMCF (87.75% and 86.63%) and CMCF (83.35% and 81.54%). The digestas of RQMCF and EQMCF after in vitro digestion exhibited prebiotic effects by promoting the growth of the probiotics (Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus delbrueckii). These results will contribute to developing complementary weaning foods for infants. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study has shown that extrusion is an efficient and stable processing method for producing infant complementary foods with low density, balanced nutrition, and high levels of starch and protein digestibility. Extruded quinoa-millet prebiotic complementary food can also promote the proliferation of probiotics. This will provide a new direction for developing novel infant formula weaning foods.

Anti-obesity effects of α-amylase inhibitor enriched-extract from white common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) associated with the modulation of gut microbiota composition in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

α-Amylase inhibitors (α-AI) have great potential to treat obesity. In this study, an α-AI enriched extract (α-AIE) with a specific activity of 1027.1 ± 154.2 (U per mg protein) was prepared from white common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds. Its anti-obesity effect and gut microbiota modulation properties were verified in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. The intake of the α-AIE significantly reduced body weight gain and improved serum lipid levels (p < 0.05). In addition, rats fed the α-AIE diet exhibited higher total short-chain fatty-acid (SCFA) concentrations (p < 0.05) in their colonic contents. ß-Diversity analysis, principal component analysis and a Venn diagram showed that α-AIE administration changed the gut microbiota composition. At the phylum level, the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria decreased and the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Akkermansia increased. In addition, 89 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) significantly responding to the high-fat diet and 30 OTUs significantly responding to the α-AIE were identified. The OTUs enriched by the α-AIE were mainly assigned to putative SCFA-producing bacteria, including Bacteroides, Butyricoccus, Blautia and Eubacterium. Twenty-two OTUs were found to be significantly correlated with obesity indexes. Taken together, the present results suggest that the intake of the α-AIE attenuated obesity and modulated gut microbiota.

Structural, antioxidant and adsorption properties of dietary fiber from foxtail millet (Setaria italica) bran.

BACKGROUND: Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) bran is a by-product of millet processing, rich in dietary fiber (DF) and has great application value. A comparative study was conducted to explore the differences in structural and functional properties among millet bran DF, soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF). RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the content of monosaccharides between SDF and IDF, in which xylose, arabinose and glucose were the main compositions. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that DF and IDF had different forms of network structure, and SDF presented a sign of mutual adhesion. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 0.54 and 0.08 g kg-1 in SDF. Antioxidant activity of SDF was higher than that of IDF based on the evaluation of free radical scavenging and iron reducing capacity in vitro. Meanwhile, the glucose dialysis retardation index of IDF and SDF was 12.59% and 9.26% at 30 min, respectively. And, there was no significant difference in the adsorption capacity of glucose among different samples (P > 0.05). Furthermore, SDF had strong α-amylase inhibition (17.92% inhibition rate) and sodium cholate adsorption capacities; the adsorption amount was 16.76 g kg-1 in 2.00 g L-1 sodium cholate solution. CONCLUSION: Foxtail millet bran DF, especially SDF, has good functional properties and would be a suitable ingredient for health-beneficial food production. However, the relevant verification trials in vivo need to be carried out in the next steps. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Expression of Bioactive Lunasin Peptide in Transgenic Rice Grains for the Application in Functional Food.

Lunasin, a bioactive peptide initially isolated from soybean, has anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity. Due its great application value, lunasin seems to be a candidate gene in improving the nutritional value of crops. In this study, lunasin was inserted into the rice genome to evaluate whether it was feasible to express lunasin using the rice expression system and improve the bioactivity of protein in rice for our needs. We generatedlunasin-overexpressing rice lines, and chose three independent transgenic rice lines for further study. The lunasin content in trans-lunasin rice detected by UPLC-MS/MS was 1.01 × 10-3 g·kg-1 dry rice flour with grease removal in the lunasin extracts. The antioxidant efficacy of LET (lunasin-enriched fraction from trans-lunasin rice) and PEW (peptide-enriched fraction from wild type rice) was compared. Due to the presence of lunasin, LET showed higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity than PEW. LET exhibited high DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 value, 8 g·L-1), strong ABTS⁺ radical scavenging activity (IC50 value, 1.18 g·L-1), and great oxygen radical scavenging activity (170 µmol·L-1 Trolox equivalents when the concentration reached 4 g·L-1). Moreover, LET presented significantly higher (p < 0.05) anti-inflammatory activity on macrophage cells, and the NO production and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, MCP1, and TNF-α) were significantly inhibited by LET. However, because of the low purity, LET showed weaker antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity when compared to the Lunasin standard. These results suggested that it is feasible to use the rice expression system to express the exogenous lunasin in rice, and lunasin-overexpressing rice seems to be a candidate resource for application in functional food. Rice rich in lunasin is beneficial for human health, and could be used as a functional food in the diets of cancer and obese patients in the future.

Fish oil, lard and soybean oil differentially shape gut microbiota of middle-aged rats.

High-fat diets have been associated with overweight/obesity and increased mortality in middle-aged populations. However, it is still unclear how gut microbiota in middle-aged populations responds to dietary fats at a normal dose. In this study, we explored gut microbiota structure in middle-aged rats (aged 12 months) after feeding 4% (w/w) soybean oil, lard or fish oil for 3 months, respectively. The results showed that the gut microbiota structure in the fish oil group was substantially different from those of the soybean oil and lard groups in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The relative abundances of phylum Proteobacteria and genus Desulfovibrio in the caecal and colonic contents were the highest in the fish oil group (p < 0.05). The mRNA levels of biomarkers for inflammation in the colon, including IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17, IL-18 and TNF-α, were also the highest in the fish oil group (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the fish oil group had the highest microbial DNA abundance of a predicted lipid metabolism. Our results gave a new insight into the potentially negative impact of fish oil diet on health of middle-aged populations by changing gut microbiota and inducing inflammation as compared to soybean oil and lard diets.

Detection of lunasin in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and the in vitro evaluation of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

BACKGROUND: Lunasin is a novel cancer-preventive peptide that has been detected in various plants. However, the presence and bioactivity of lunasin in quinoa have not been demonstrated. RESULTS: Lunasin was detected in quinoa using ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography-electrosparay ionization-mass spectrometry. The content in 15 quinoa samples ranged from 1.01 × 10-3 g kg-1 dry seed to 4.89 × 10-3 g kg-1 dry seed. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in lunasin content among different cultivars (yy22, xsg86, xsg59, yy30 and yy19) from the same area and the same cultivar from different areas (Hainan, Hebei and Shanxi provinces) were observed. The lunasin isolated and purified from quinoa (QLP) exhibited a weak DPPH radical scavenging activity (no IC50 value), but a strong ABTS+ radical scavenging activity (IC50 value, 1.45 g L-1 ) and oxygen radical scavenging activity (40.06 µmol L-1 Trolox equivalents/g QLP when the concentration was 3.20 g L-1 ). In addition, QLP inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages by up to 44.77%, 39.81% and 33.50%, respectively, at a concentration of 0.40 g L-1 . CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings indicate that lunasin presents in quinoa and is bioactive, which strengthens the recommendations for the development of quinoa-based functional foods. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Serum betaine is inversely associated with low lean mass mainly in men in a Chinese middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling population.

Previous studies have demonstrated that betaine supplements increase lean body mass in livestock and improve muscle performance in human beings, but evidence for its effect on human lean mass is limited. Our study assessed the association of circulating betaine with lean mass and its composition in Chinese adults. A community-based study was conducted on 1996 Guangzhou residents (weight/mass: 1381/615) aged 50-75 years between 2008 and 2010. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect general baseline information. Fasting serum betaine was assessed using HPLC-MS. A total of 1590 participants completed the body composition analysis performed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry during a mean of 3·2 years of follow-up. After adjustment for age, regression analyses demonstrated a positive association of serum betaine with percentage of lean mass (LM%) of the entire body, trunk and limbs in men (all P<0·05) and LM% of the trunk in women (P=0·016). Each sd increase in serum betaine was associated with increases in LM% of 0·609 (whole body), 0·811 (trunk), 0·422 (limbs), 0·632 (arms) and 0·346 (legs) in men and 0·350 (trunk) in women. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the prevalence of lower LM% decreased by 17 % (whole body) and 14 % (trunk) in women and 23 % (whole body), 28 % (trunk), 22 % (arms) and 26 % (percentage skeletal muscle index) in men with each sd increment in serum betaine. Elevated circulating betaine was associated with a higher LM% and lower prevalence of lower LM% in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults, particularly men.

Suppressive Effects of Barley ß-Glucans with Different Molecular Weight on 3T3-L1 Adipocyte Differentiation.

In this study, 2 ß-glucans with different molecular weight were prepared and purified from hull-less barley bran. The aim was to evaluate their effects on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. Results showed that barley ß-glucans inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes induced by differentiation medium in a dose-dependent manner, the suppressive effect of high-molecular-weight barley ß-glucans (552 kDa, BGH) was stronger (P < 0.05) than that of low-molecular-weight barley ß-glucan (32 kDa, BGL), evidenced by the significantly decrease (P < 0.05) of Oil-red O staining and intracellular triglyceride content in the mature adipocytes. Besides, gene expression analysis and Western Blot analysis revealed that both BGH and BGL inhibited the mRNA and protein levels of adipogenesis related transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) which are principal regulators of adipogenesis. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression levels of PPARγ target genes in adipose tissue including adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (ap2), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2), and glucose-transporter 4 (Glut4) in 3T3-L1 cells was also markedly downregulated (P < 0.05). These findings were anticipated to help develop barley ß-glucans based functional food for the management of obesity.

Evaluation of protein structural changes and water mobility in chicken liver paste batters prepared with plant oil substituting pork back-fat combined with pre-emulsification.

Protein structural changes and water mobility properties in chicken liver paste batters prepared with plant oil (sunflower and canola oil combinations) substituting 0-40% pork back-fat combined with pre-emulsification were studied by Raman spectroscopy and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Results showed that pre-emulsifying back-fat and plant oil, including substituting higher than 20% back-fat with plant oil increased the water- and fat-binding (p<0.05) properties, formed more even and fine microstructures, and gradually decreased the NMR relaxation times (T21a, T21b and T22), which was related to the lower fluid losses in chicken liver paste batters. Raman spectroscopy revealed that compared with a control, there was a decrease (p<0.05) in α-helix content accompanied by an increase (p<0.05) in ß-sheet structure when substituting 20-40% back-fat with plant oil combined with pre-emulsification. Pre-emulsification and plant oil substitution changed tryptophan and tyrosine doublet hydrophobic residues in chicken liver paste batters.

Antioxidant and immunoregulatory activity of alkali-extractable polysaccharides from mung bean.

Alkali-extractable polysaccharides from the seeds of mung beans and two polysaccharide sub-fractions (MAP-1 and MAP-2) were isolated and purified by anion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The average molecular weights (Mws) of MAP-1 and MAP-2 were 94.2 kDa and 60.4 kDa, respectively. Monosaccharide component analysis indicated that MAP-1 was composed of Rha, Ara, Glu, Gal, and GalA in a molar ratio of 1.1:0.4:0.7:0.5:0.3. MAP-2 consisted of Xyl, Rha, Gal, Glu and GalA with a relative molar ratio of 0.4:1.4:1.6:0.5:0.2. Antioxidant assays indicated that both MAP-1 and MAP-2 exhibit significant antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner. An in vitro study further showed that MAP-1 and MAP-2 were both able to stimulate the production of secretory molecules (NO, TNF-α and IL-6) by RAW 264.7 murine macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings suggest that the polysaccharides isolated in our study have immunoregulatory effects on macrophages and can be used as a beneficial health food.

Suppressive effects of saponin-enriched extracts from quinoa on 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of quinoa saponins (QS) on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. QS inhibited triglyceride (TG) accumulation in the mature adipocytes, evidenced by oil-red O staining and intracellular quantification. Real time-PCR analysis and western blot analysis showed that QS significantly down-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of key adipogenic transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), however, they had no significant effect on CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPß) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (C/EBPδ) which are the upstream regulators for adipogenesis compared with mature adipocytes. QS also reduced mRNA and protein expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) related to the late stage of adipogenesis. Furthermore, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), adipocyte protein 2 (aP2) and glucose transporter 4 (Glut4), as adipocyte specific genes, were decreased in mature adipocytes by QS treatment. These findings indicate that QS are capable of suppressing adipogenesis and therefore they seem to be natural bioactive factors effective in adipose tissue mass modulation.

Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory activities and toxicology of phenylethanoid glycosides from Monochasma savatieri Franch. ex Maxim.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Monochasma savatieri Franch. ex Maxim is used for treating many diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study was designed to evaluate antibacterial, anti-inflammatory activities and toxicity of the total phenylethanoid glycosides from Monochasma savatieri Franch. ex Maxim (TPG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antibacterial activity of TPG was checked by MIC and MBC in vitro; survival of mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus infection-induced sepsis was investigated to evaluate antibacterial activity of TPG in vivo. Additionally, antibacterial activities of TPG were also investigated in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection-induced pneumonia in the mice model. Cotton pellet induced granuloma and xylene induced ear swelling in mice models were used to quantify the anti-inflammatory activity. RESULTS: TPG showed a significant possess bacteriostatic properties against five bacteria strains at a concentration between 0.0625 and 16 mg/ml. Moreover, TPG has bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae or Escherichia coli. TPG (60, 120, and 180 mg/kg) prolonged survival rate of mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus infection-induced sepsis. In addition, TPG (180 mg/kg) could reduce the bacterial colony-forming units in lung tissue. Furthermore, TPG (60-180 mg/kg) had significantly reduced xylene-induced ear edema and granulomat formation induced by cotton pellet at a dose-dependent manner. In addition, administration of TPG (1.5 g/kg) for 15 days did not result in toxicities in liver, kidney, spleen and thymus tissue in rats. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that TPG might be useful for the development of a novel treatment for respiratory infections or pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus.