Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf, a Traditional Chinese Edible Medicinal Herb, Promotes Neuronal Differentiation, and the Morphological Maturation of Newborn Neurons in Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells.

Neurogenesis in the adult brain comprises the entire set of events of neuronal development. It begins with the division of precursor cells to form a mature, integrated, and functioning neuronal network. Adult neurogenesis is believed to play an important role in animals' cognitive abilities, including learning and memory. In the present study, significant neuronal differentiation-promoting activity of 80% (v/v) ethanol extract of P. cocos (EEPC) was found in Neuro-2a cells and mouse cortical neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). Subsequently, a total of 97 compounds in EEPC were identified by UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS. Among them, four major compounds-Adenosine; Choline; Ethyl palmitoleate; and L-(-)-arabinitol-were further studied for their neuronal differentiation-promoting activity. Of which, choline has the most significant neuronal differentiation-promoting activity, indicating that choline, as the main bioactive compound in P. cocos, may have a positive effect on learning and memory functions. Compared with similar research literature, this is the first time that the neuronal differentiation-promoting effects of P. cocos extract have been studied.

[Effects of the extracts from Ajuga decumbens on anti-fatigue in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of extracts from Ajuga decumbens on anti-fatigue in mice. METHODS: One hundred and twenty female Kunming (KM) mice were randomly divided into quiet control group, sport control group, positive control group and 3 experimental groups which were the low, medium and high dose group given the extracts from Ajuga decumbens. The low, medium and high dose group were given the extracts with 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg by body weight of mice for 30 d, respectively, but the positive control group was given American ginseng granules, while the quiet control group and the sport control groups were treated with saline. After this, the exhausting time, the physio-biochemical indexes (including lactic acid, blood urea nitrogen, blood sugar, total cholesterol and triglyceride) in serum, the contents of muscle and liver glycogen, and the antioxidative indexes (including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and malondialdehyde) of organs in mice were investigated. RESULTS: The exhausting time, the number of red blood cell, the contents of hemoglobin and blood sugar, the contents of muscle and liver glycogen, and the activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in organs of mice in the medium dose group and the high dose group were significantly more than those of the sport control group, but the contents of blood lactic acid, blood urea nitrogen and that of triglyceride and total cholesterol in serum, and the content of malondialdehyde in organs of mice in the medium dose group and the high dose group were significantly lower than those of the sport control group. And the effect of medium dose extracts from Ajuga decumbens on anti-fatigue was better than that of American ginseng granules. CONCLUSIONS: The extracts from Ajuga decumbens has significant anti-fatigue effect in mice.

[Effects of Lonicera Japonica flavone on immunomodulation in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study immunomodulating activity of Lonicera Japonica flavone by investigating immune enzymatic activity of serum and antoxidized activity of lymphoid organs in mice. METHODS: Fifty KM mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, low dose group, middle dose group and high dose group(n = 10), respectively. And low dose group, middle dose group and high dose group were given Lonicera Japonica flavone with 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg every day, respectively, while control group and model group were administered with NS. After continuously giving drug 7 weeks, other groups were injected with Dexamethasome (Dex: 25 mg /kg) for 3 days by subcutaneous injection, but the control group were treated with NS. And after giving Lonicera Japonica flavone 1 week simultaneously, organ indexes , the activity of acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and lysozyme (LSZ) in serum , and the content of monoamine oxidase (MAO), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in lymphoid organs in mice were tested, respectively. RESULTS: Lonicera Japonica flavone could significantly improve the organ indexes, and significantly improve the activity of ACP, AKP and LSZ in serum, and significantly improve the contents of T-AOC and SOD, but reduce that of MAO and MDA in lymphoid organs in immunosuppressed mice. CONCLUSION: Ionicera Japonica flavone can significantly improve the activity of immune enzyme in serum and the antioxidized activity of lymphoid organs in mice. It suggests that Ionicera Japonica flavone has a good immunomodulatory effects.