Woohwangcheongsimwon Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Memory Deficits and Induces SIRT1 in Mice.

Woohwangcheongsimwon (WHC) is a mixture of herbal medicines that is widely prescribed in Korean traditional medicine. SIRT1 is known for its regulatory roles in energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and circadian rhythms. This study was designed to determine whether WHC can increase and mimic the biological reactions of SIRT1 activation. Ten-month-old male mice were divided into four groups: nontreated normal diet (ND), nontreated high-fat diet (HFD), WHC-treated ND, and WHC-treated HFD. Body weight and cognitive functions were evaluated after treatment. The hippocampal expressions of SIRT1 and PGC-1α were also measured. The components of WHC were identified by liquid chromatography. High-fat diet-fed mice gained more weight and demonstrated greater deficits in short-term and long-term cognitive functions. WHC suppressed the deleterious effects of a HFD on weight gain and cognitive decline, but showed no prominent effects on animals fed NDs. The herbal treatment also increased the expression of SIRT1 and PGC-1α in the hippocampus. Despite the induction of hippocampal SIRT1 expression by WHC, resveratrol was not present among the natural compounds identified. This expression might have contributed to the suppression of high-fat diet-induced memory deficits in mice treated with the herbal mixture.

Two new flavonol glycosides from Lamium amplexicaule L. and their in vitro free radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibitory activities.

Two new flavonol glycosides, kaempferol 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)][alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside and quercetin 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)][alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside, together with three known flavonoids were isolated using column chromatography from the aerial parts of Lamium amplexicaule (Labiatae). In addition, the five isolates were evaluated for their in vitro free radical scavenging (EC50 values, 14.1-63.9 microg/mL) and tyrosinase inhibitory activities (IC50 values, 110.4-193.5 microg/mL).

In-vitro and in-vivo anti-inflammatory effect of oxyresveratrol from Morus alba L.

The antioxidative effects of mulberroside A and oxyresveratrol obtained from Mori Cortex were examined. Mulberroside A and oxyresveratrol showed an inhibitory effect against FeSO4/H2O2-induced lipid peroxidation in rat microsomes and a scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical. The anti-inflammatory effects of mulberroside A and oxyresveratrol using the carrageenin-induced model of inflammation were investigated in rats. Mulberroside A and oxyresveratrol significantly reduced paw edema. To investigate the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory action of these compounds, we examined the effects of oxyresveratrol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced responses in murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. Exposure of LPS-stimulated cells to oxyresveratrol inhibited nitrite accumulation in the culture medium. Oxyresveratrol also inhibited the LPS-stimulated increase of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in a concentration-dependent manner; however, it had little effect on iNOS enzyme activity, suggesting that the inhibitory activity of oxyresveratrol is mainly due to the inhibition of iNOS expression rather than iNOS enzyme activity. Oxyresveratrol significantly inhibited LPS-evoked nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity in RAW 264.7 cells. The results suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of oxyresveratrol might be correlated with inhibition of the iNOS expression through down-regulation of NF-kappaB binding activity and significant inhibition of COX-2 activity.

[Studies on chemical constituents from the seed of Trigonella foenum-graecum].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from the seed of Trigonella foenum-graecum. METHOD: The compounds were isolated with silica gel chromatography and their structures were identified by physical, chemical properties and spectral analysis. RESULT: Seven compounds were isolated and identified as N,N'-dicarbazyl, glycerol monopalmitate, stearic acid, beta-sitosteryl glucopyranoside, ethyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, D-3-O-methyl-chiroinsitol and sucrose. CONCLUSION: All the compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time and N,N'-dicarbazyl is a new natural product.