Enhanced extraction of bioactive compounds from propolis (Apis mellifera L.) using subcritical water.

The bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of propolis extracts were investigated using subcritical water extraction (SWE). SWE was performed by varying temperature (110-200 °C) and time (10-30 min). SWE using only water as solvent successfully to extracted bioactive compounds from propolis using high-purity glass thimbles. The concentrations of galangin (16.37 ± 0.61 mg/g), and chrysin (7.66 ± 0.64 mg/g) were maximal at 200 °C for 20 min, and 170 °C for 20 min, respectively. The antioxidative properties from propolis increased with the increasing extraction temperature and extraction time on SWE. The maximum yields of the total phenolics (226.37 ± 4.37 mg/g), flavonoids (70.28 ± 1.33 mg/g), and antioxidant activities (88.73 ± 0.58%, 98.86 ± 0.69%, and 858.89 ± 11.48 mg/g) were obtained at 200 °C for 20 min. Compared with using ethanol extraction (at 25 °C for 24 h, total phenolics = 176.28 ± 0.35, flavonoids = 56.41 ± 0.65, antioxidant activities = 72.74 ± 0.41%, 95.18 ± 0.11%, 619.51 ± 8.17 mg/g), all yields of SWE extracts obtained at 200 °C for 20 min were higher. SWE is suitable for a much faster and more efficient method extracting bioactive compounds from propolis compared to traditional extraction method.

Clinical effect and safety of thread embedding acupuncture on facial nerve palsy sequelae: A retrospective observational study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effect and safety of thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) in patients with facial nerve palsy sequelae. This was a retrospective observational study on 82 patients treated with TEA from January 2021 to May 2022. The Facial Disability Index (FDI) reported by patients and Sunnybrook Facial Grading System scores assessed by clinical practitioners were used to evaluate the intensity of facial movements, functional problems, and psychosocial status. One-way repeated measure analysis of variance showed that the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System scores improved significantly following the 2nd to 6th TEA treatments (Txs). FDI scores also showed significant increases except for the 4th Tx. Additionally, the physical scores improved significantly among the subscales of FDI, but the social/well-being scores did not. There were no reported serious adverse events or adverse events requiring medical Tx. TEA is a safe Tx that has a clinically cumulative effect, in terms of patient-oriented self-assessment of functional problems and objective facial movements, for treating facial nerve palsy sequelae.

Recovery of hesperidin and narirutin from waste Citrus unshiu peel using subcritical water extraction aided by pulsed electric field treatment.

The objective of this study was to identify whether the efficacy of extracting hesperidin and narirutin from Citrus unshiu peel by-products can be increased by combining pulsed electric field (PEF) and subcritical water extraction (SWE). The samples were treated with a PEF at a strength of 3 kV/cm for 60 and 120 s. Subsequent SWE was conducted at extraction temperatures of 110-190 °C for 3-15 min. The concentration of hesperidin was highest at 46.96 ± 3.37 mg/g peel (dry basis) after PEF treatment at 120 s, combined with SWE at 150 °C for 15 min, while that of narirutin peaked at 8.76 ± 0.83 mg/g after PEF treatment at 120 s, integrated with SWE at 190 °C for 5 min. The concentrations of both hesperidin and narirutin increased with PEF treatment time. The PEF increased the amounts of hesperidin and narirutin extracted by 22.1% and 33.6%, respectively. This study demonstrate the potential of PEF pretreatment for enhancing the SWE of flavonoids from C. unshiu peel.

Subcritical water extraction of bioactive compounds from Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (Crassulaceae).

Subcritical-water extraction is an ecofriendly method for extracting antioxidant compounds only using water. The Subcritical-water extraction was employed for the extraction of bioactive compounds from Orostachys japonicus known as rock pine by investigating the use of various temperatures (110-260 °C) and extraction times (5-20 min). The Subcritical-water extraction condition at 220 °C for 15 min; the total phenolics content (39.9 ± 4.1 mg/g), flavonoids content (11.4 ± 0.6 mg/g), and antioxidant activities (90.3 ± 2.2%, 96.0 ± 2.9%, and 662.4 ± 17.2 mg/g) of Subcritical-water extract were higher under this condition than for extraction with either methanol or ethanol. Triterpene saponins were observed only in subcritical-water extraction condition at 220 °C for 15 min. Further, some of its phenolic constituents; gallic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. Subcritical-water extraction is an effective method for extracting valuable bioactive compounds from Orostachys japonicus.

Conversion of 6-gingerol to 6-shogaol in ginger (Zingiber officinale) pulp and peel during subcritical water extraction.

Subcritical water extraction is an eco-friendly method for the extraction of less polar compounds without the use of organic solvents. This study determined the extraction conditions that maximize the contents of 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol obtained from ginger pulp and peel. The highest yields of 6-gingerol (0.68 ±â€¯0.08 mg/g), and 6-shogaol (0.39 ±â€¯0.03 mg/g) were obtained from ginger pulp at the extraction conditions of 130 °C/25 min, and 190 °C/15 min. 6-Shogaol content increased with the increasing extraction temperature and extraction time due to the conversion of 6-gingerol to 6-shogaol by thermal cracking. The antioxidant activity of ginger extracts were increased depending on the increasing of 6-shogaol content.

A novel natural compound from garlic (Allium sativum L.) with therapeutic effects against experimental polymicrobial sepsis.

Sepsis is a serious, life-threatening, infectious disease. In this study, we demonstrate that sucrose methyl 3-formyl-4-methylpentanoate (SMFM), a novel natural compound isolated from garlic (Allium sativum L.), markedly enhances survival rates by inhibiting lung inflammation in a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) experimental polymicrobial sepsis model. SMFM strongly reduced bacterial colony units from peritoneal fluid in CLP mice by stimulating the generation of reactive oxygen species. Lymphocyte apoptosis in spleens from CLP mice was also markedly decreased by SMFM administration. SMFM also significantly inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and IL-6, in CLP mice. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of TNF-α and IL-6 were also strongly inhibited by SMFM in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages. Taken together, our results indicate that SMFM has therapeutic effects against polymicrobial sepsis that are mediated by enhanced microbial killing and blockage of cytokine storm.

Emodin induces neurite outgrowth through PI3K/Akt/GSK-3ß-mediated signaling pathways in Neuro2a cells.

In this study, a neurite outgrowth-inducing substance was isolated from the ethylacetate extract of the Polygonum multiflorum roots and identified as emodin by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR. Emodin displayed remarkable neurite outgrowth-inducing activity in Neuro2a cells, as demonstrated by morphological changes and immunocytochemistry for class III ß-tubulin. Emodin exhibited a stronger neutrophic activity than retinoic acid (RA) known as inducer of neurite outgrowth in Neuro2a cells. Emodin treatment resulted in marked increases in phosphorylation of Akt a direct downstream signaling molecule of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), but upstream of glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). These augmentations and neurite-bearing cells induced by emodin were remarkably reduced by the addition of PI3K inhibitor LY294002. These results demonstrate that emodin induces neuronal differentiation of Neuro2a cells via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3ß pathway.

Extraction characteristics of subcritical water depending on the number of hydroxyl group in flavonols.

This study compared the efficiencies of using subcritical water, hot water, and organic solvents to extract flavonols from black tea, celery, and ginseng leaf. The effect of key operating conditions was determined by varying the temperature (110-200°C), extraction time (5-15min), and pressure (about 10MPa) and the extracts were analysed quantitatively using HPLC. The yields of myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol from plants were maximal at extraction temperatures of 170°C, 170°C and 200°C, respectively, and they depend on the number of hydroxyl groups included in the chemical structure of the flavonols, with more of those with fewer hydroxyl (OH) groups attached being extracted at higher temperatures. The results also showed that the yields of flavonols by subcritical water extraction were 2.0- to 22.7- and 1.8- to 23.6-fold higher than those obtained using the ethanol and methanol as traditional extraction methods, respectively.

Optimization of subcritical water extraction of flavanols from green tea leaves.

The subcritical-water extraction (SWE) of six kinds of flavanols from green tea leaves and the effect of extraction conditions were investigated by varying the temperature and time. The maximum yield of total flavanols, 71.36 ± 4.23 mg/g green tea leaves (mean ± SD), was obtained under extraction temperature/time conditions of 150 °C/5 min. The efficiency of SWE for total flavanols was slightly higher than that of the conventional extraction solvents such as methanol and ethanol. The extraction of flavanols via SWE was specifically adequate for epimer structures such as catechin, catechin gallate, and gallocatechin gallate due to the epimerization of epicatechins. The extraction efficiency of epimers was increased at temperatures up to 170 °C, whereas that of epicatechins was decreased. Thus, most epicatechins were converted to epimers during SWE, leading to some flavanol destruction at high temperatures, except when a short extraction time of 5 min was used.

Ethyl linoleate from garlic attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production by inducing heme oxygenase-1 in RAW264.7 cells.

In the present study, an essential fatty acid, ethyl linoleate (ELA), was isolated from the cloves of Allium sativum, and its structure was elucidated by NMR and GC-MS analyses. In vitro systems were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of ELA. Our results indicate that ELA down-regulates inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and thereby reduces nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Immunofluorescent microscopy and western blot analyses revealed that these effects were mediated by impaired translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and inhibition of phosphorylation of mitogen activated protein kinases. Furthermore, ELA exerted its anti-inflammatory activity by inducing heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, as determined by HO-1 small interfering (Si) RNA system. Si RNA-mediated knock-down of HO-1 abrogated the inhibitory effects of ELA on the production of NO, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in LPS-induced macrophages. These findings indicate the potential therapeutic use of ELA as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Relationship analysis between flavonoids structure and subcritical water extraction (SWE).

Subcritical water (about 10MPa) is an excellent solvent for extracting non-polar flavonoids by varying the temperature-dependent dielectric constant. This study determined the optimum conditions for subcritical water extraction (SWE), such as the time and temperature, for extracting flavonoids from eight plants, and their dependence on the chemical structure of flavonoids (polarity of side chains and the presence of sugar, and double bonds). Flavonoids having an OH side chain (quercetin at 170°C/10min) were optimally extracted at lower temperatures than O-CH3 (isorhamnetin at 190°C/15min) and H (kaempferol at 190°C/15min) side chains. The optimal temperatures of the glycoside forms including sugar, such as quercitrin (110°C/5min), spiraeoside (150°C/15min), and isoquercitrin (150°C/15min), were lower than of the less-polar aglycones (170°C/10min and 190°C/15min). Apigenin, having double bonds, was extracted well at a higher temperature (190°C/15min) than naringenin (170°C/15min) in SWE.

α-Iso-cubebene, a natural compound isolated from Schisandra chinensis fruit, has therapeutic benefit against polymicrobial sepsis.

α-Iso-cubebene, a natural compound isolated from Schisandra chinensis fruit, strongly enhanced survival rate in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) challenge-induced sepsis. The mechanism involved the marked reduction of viable bacteria in the peritoneal fluid, by virtue of increased phagocytic activity and production of hydrogen peroxide. α-Iso-cubebene also significantly attenuated lung inflammation and widespread immune cell apoptosis in a mouse CLP sepsis model, and inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 in CLP mice and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated splenocytes. The results indicate that α-iso-cubebene can reverse the progression of toxic shock by triggering multiple protective downstream signaling pathways to enhance microbial killing and maintain organ function and leukocyte survival.