Manganese dioxide decorated kiwi peel powder for efficient removal of lead from aqueous solutions, blood and Traditional Chinese Medicine extracts.

For human health and environment safety, it is of great significance to develop novel materials with high effectiveness for removal of lead from not only aqueous solutions but also human body and traditional Chinese medicines. Here, functional kiwi peel composite, manganese dioxide decorated kiwi peel powder (MKPP), is proposed for the removal of Pb2+ effectively. The adsorption of Pb2+ in aqueous solution is a highly selective and endothermic process and kinetically follows a pseudo-second-order model, which can reach equilibrium with the capacity of 192.7 mg/g within 10 min. Comprehensive factors of hydration energy, charge-to-radius ratio and softness of Pb2+ make a stronger affinity between MKPP and Pb2+. The possible adsorption mechanism involves covalent bond, electrostatic force and chelation, etc. MKPP can be efficiently regenerated and reused with high adsorption efficiency after five cycles. Besides, MKPP can remove over 97% of Pb2+ from real water samples. MKPP can also alleviate lead poisoning to a certain extent and make the Pb level of TCM extract meet the safety standard. This work highlights that MKPP is a promising adsorbent for the removal of Pb2+ and provides an efficient strategy for reusing kiwi peel as well as dealing with the problem of Pb pollution.

Total flavonoids from the dried root of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg inhibit colorectal cancer growth through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

The dried root of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg is used as a traditional Chinese medicine in southern China, as a folk remedy for carcinomas and gastrointestinal diseases. The total flavonoids of T. hemsleyanum (THTF) provide its main bioactive constituents. However, the mechanisms underlying its potential activity on colorectal cancer are still unknown. Here, we investigated the antitumor effect of THTF on colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo. It was found that THTF inhibited HCT-116 and HT-29 cell growth, with an IC50 of 105.60 and 140.80 µg/mL, respectively. THTF suppressed clonogenicity and promoted apoptosis in HCT-116. In vivo, THTF (120 mg/kg) delayed tumor growth in HCT-116 xenografts without influencing on body weight, organ pathology and indexes, and blood routine level. Mechanistically, THTF inhibited the expression of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR at the protein level and transcriptional levels. Molecular docking indicated eight compounds in THTF (kaempferol 3-rutinoside, rutinum, isoquercitrin, L-epicatechin, quercetin, astragalin, kaempferol 3-sambubioside, and catechin) strongly bound with amino acid sites of PI3K and mTOR proteins, indicating a high affinity. The results suggest that THTF delayed colorectal tumor growth by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and might be a potential candidate for colorectal cancer prevention.

Fritillaria thunbergii Miq. (Zhe Beimu): A review on its traditional uses, phytochemical profile and pharmacological properties.

Fritillaria thunbergii Miq. (Zhe beimu) ranked as oldest known homeopathic traditional folk medicine in China. The bulbs are medicinally important curing cough, inflammation, gastric ulcers, hypertension, diarrhea, and bronchitis. The aim of this review is to enlighten the deeper knowledge about F. thunbergii giving a comprehensive overview on its traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology for future investigation of plant-based drugs and therapeutic applications. Total 48 medicinally important species of Fritillaria were described; total 122 compounds have been identified as results only 72 chemical constituents were described with proper chemical and biological details. F. thunbergii and its bulbs mainly constitute alkaloids, essential oils, diterpenoids, carbohydrates, sterols, amino acids, nucleosides, fatty acids, and lignans. The pharmacological studies demonstrate that F. thunbergii and its bulbs displays a wide range of bioactivities e.g., anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antitussive, expectorant, anti-ulcer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-thyroid, regulation of blood rheology, anti-diarrhea, neuroprotection, and analgesic effects. Although promising reports on the various chemical bioactive constituents and biological properties of F. thunbergii have been published, very few reviews are related specifically to the traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological applications. Further, various other studies on these plants should deserve our more attention for future investigation for drug development and its therapeutic applications.