Integrating Transcriptome and Chemical Analyses to Provide Insights into Biosynthesis of Terpenoids and Flavonoids in the Medicinal Industrial Crop Andrographis paniculate and Its Antiviral Medicinal Parts.

Andrographis paniculata is a medicinal plant traditionally used to produce diterpene lactones and flavonoids, which possess various biological activities. Widely distributed in China, India, and other Southeast Asia countries, A. paniculata has become an important economic crop, significantly treating SARS-CoV-2, and is being cultivated on a large scale in southern China. The biosynthesis of active ingredients in A. paniculata are regulated and controlled by genes, but their specific roles are still not fully understood. To further explore the growth regulation factors and utilization of its medicinal parts of this industrial crop, chemical and transcriptome analyses were conducted on the roots, stems, and leaves of A. paniculata to identify the biosynthesis pathways and related candidate genes of the active ingredients. The chemical analysis revealed that the main components of A. paniculata were diterpene lactones and flavonoids, which displayed potential ability to treat SARS-CoV-2 through molecular docking. Moreover, the transcriptome sequencing annotated a total of 40,850 unigenes, including 7962 differentially expressed genes. Among these, 120 genes were involved in diterpene lactone biosynthesis and 60 genes were involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. The expression of diterpene lactone-related genes was the highest in leaves and the lowest in roots, consistent with our content determination results. It is speculated that these highly expressed genes in leaves may be involved in the biosynthesis pathway of diterpenes. Furthermore, two class Ⅰ terpene synthases in A. paniculata transcriptome were also annotated, providing reference for the downstream pathway of the diterpene lactone biosynthesis. With their excellent market value, our experiments will promote the study of the biosynthetic genes for active ingredients in A. paniculata and provide insights for subsequent in vitro biosynthesis.

Zuogui Pill Promotes Neurite Outgrowth by Regulating OPN/ IGF-1R/PTEN and Downstream mTOR Signaling Pathway.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: Zuogui pill (ZGP) is the traditional Chinese medicine for tonifying kidney yin. Clinical and animal studies have shown that ZGP effectively enhances neurologic impairment after ischemic stroke, which may be related to promoting neurite outgrowth. This investigation aimed to prove the pro-neurite outgrowth impact of ZGP and define the underlying molecular pathway in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The major biochemical components in the ZGP were investigated using UPLC-QTOF-MS. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) was employed to stimulate SH-SY5Y cells to develop into mature neurons, followed by oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation damage (OGD/R). Then the cells were supplemented with different concentrations of ZGP, and cell viability was identified by CCK-8. The neurites' outgrowth abilities were detected by wound healing test, while immunofluorescence staining of ß-III-tubulin was used to label neurites and measure their length. Western blot was employed to discover the changes in protein levels. RESULTS: ZGP improved the cell viability of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells following OGD/R damage, according to the CCK-8 assay. Concurrently, ZGP promoted neurite outgrowth and improved neurite crossing and migration ability. Protein expression analysis showed that ZGP upregulated the expression of GAP43, OPN, p-IGF-1R, mTOR, and p-S6 proteins but downregulated the expression of PTEN protein. Blocking assay with IGF-1R specific inhibitor Linstinib suggested IGF-1R mediated mTOR signaling pathway was involved in the pro-neurite outgrowth effect of ZGP. CONCLUSION: This work illustrated the molecular mechanism underpinning ZGP's action and offered more proof of its ability to promote neurite outgrowth and regeneration following ischemic stroke.

Assessment of the response characteristics of pollution load in Huntai Basin under climate change.

This study establishes a calibrated SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model for the Huntai Basin, driven by SSP126, SSP245, SSP585, and multi-model ensemble (MME) models in CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-6), to investigate the effects of climate change on hydrological processes and pollution load in the Huntai Basin. The results show that the annual mean temperature and the annual precipitation will gradually increase. The nitrogen and phosphorus pollution loads in the basin exhibit a trend of decreasing-increasing-decreasing. The correlation between the nitrogen-phosphorus pollution load and the hydrological process strengthens with increasing radiative forcing. In the four scenarios, CO2 is a primary driving factor that contributes greatly to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. The main differences are in the total driving factors, and SSP126 and SSP245 are less than those of other models. The total phosphorus and total nitrogen pollution in different climate models were higher than the average level during the benchmark period, except for ammonia nitrogen pollution, which was lower. The nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in SSP126 and SSP245 modes will reach the maximum in 2040s, and the pollution in other periods will be lower than that in SSP585 and MME scenarios. In the long run, the development state between SSP126 and SSP245 may be better appropriate for the Huntai Basin's future sustainable development. This paper analyzes the occurrence and influencing factors of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution under climate change to provide reference to the protection of water environment under changing environments.

[Distribution characteristics and results of allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis in Ningxia area].

Objective:To investigate the distribution of allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis （AR） in Ningxia, and provide theoretical data for the prevention and treatment of AR in this region. Methods:A total of 1664 patients diagnosed with AR in the Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Department of Yinchuan First People's Hospital Outpatient Clinic from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected. Use the allergen sIgE antibody detection kit （immunoblotting method） to detect inhalation and ingestion allergens in patients.Results: ①Among all AR patients, 1 158 cases were detected positive, resulting in the detection rate was 69.59%; ②The detection rate of inhalation allergen was 65.87%, and the detection rate of ingestion allergen was 19.83%; ③Mugwort was the most sensitive allergen, and 76.32% of the patients having a positive grade ≥3; ④Out of the patients, 294 cases （25.39%） were allergic to only one allergen, 244 cases （21.07%） were allergic to two allergens, and 620 cases （53.54%） were allergic to three or more allergens; ⑤During different seasons, the highest number of positive allergens detected was in the summer, with 968 cases （83.59%）. Mugwort was the main allergen during this season （69.01%）. After the COVID-19 epidemic, the total positive rate of sIgE tests in AR patients decreased compared to before, and the difference was statistically significant （P<0.001）; ⑥Mugwort, dog epithelium, mold combination, egg, peanut, soybean, Marine fish combination and fruit combination all showed statistically significant differences between different gender groups （P<0.05）; ⑦Common ragweed, mugwort, dust mite combination, cockroach, egg, milk, Marine fish combination, shrimp, fruit combination and nut combination all showed statistically significant differences among different age groups （P<0.05）; ⑧There were statistically significant differences in hay dust among different ethnic groups （P<0.05）. Conclusion:Artemisia argyi is the main allergen in Ningxia, and the distribution characteristics of different allergens are influenced by treatment season, the COVID-19 epidemic, gender, age, ethnicity, and other factors, showing certain distribution patterns and rules.

Advanced low-strength wastewater treatment, side-stream phosphorus recovery, and in situ sludge reduction with aerobic granular sludge.

Modern paradigm has upgraded wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to water resources recovery facilities (WRRFs), where aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a sewage treatment technology with promising phosphorus recovery (PR) potential. Herein, the AGS-based simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal coupling side-stream PR process (AGS-SNDPRr) was developed with municipal wastewater. Results revealed that AGS always maintained good structural stability, and pollutant removal was unaffected and effective after 40 days of anaerobic phosphorus-rich liquid extraction (fixed rate of 30%). The AGS-SNDPRr achieved a stable phosphorus recovery efficiency of 63.40%, and the side-stream PR further exaggerated in situ sludge reduction by 7.7-10%. Apart from responses of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), the Matthew effect of typical denitrifying glycogen accumulating organisms (DGAOs) Candidatus_Competibacter up to 67.40% mainly contributed to enhanced performance of this new process. This study demonstrated a new approach for simultaneous advanced wastewater treatment, phosphorus recovery, and excess sludge minimization.

Performance of anaerobic/oxic/anoxic simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal system overwhelmingly dominated by Candidatus_Competibacter: Effect of aeration time.

The anaerobic/oxic/anoxic simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal process (AOA-SNDPR) is a promising technology for enhanced biological wastewater treatment and in situ sludge reduction. Herein, effects of aeration time (90, 75, 60, 45, and 30 min, respectively) on the AOA-SNDPR were evaluated including simultaneous nutrients removal, sludge characteristics, and microbial community evolution, where the role of a denitrifying glycogen accumulating organisms, Candidatus_Competibacter, was re-explored given its overwhelming dominance. Results revealed that nitrogen removal was more vulnerable, and a moderate aeration period of 45-60 min favored nutrients removal most. Low observed sludge yields (Yobs) were obtained with decreased aeration (as low as 0.02-0.08 g MLSS/g COD), while MLVSS/MLSS got increased. The dominance of Candidatus_Competibacter was identified as the key to endogenous denitrifying and in situ sludge reduction. This study would aid the low carbon- and energy-efficient aeration strategy for AOA-SNDPR systems treating low-strength municipal wastewater.

Facile and selective separation of anthraquinones by alizarin-modified iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles.

Anthraquinones are widely distributed in higher plants and possess broad biological activities. The conventional separation procedures for isolating anthraquinones from the plant crude extracts require multiple extraction, concentration, and column chromatography steps. In this study, we synthesized three alizarin (AZ)-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@AZ, Fe3O4@SiO2-AZ, and Fe3O4@SiO2-PEI-AZ) by thermal solubilization method. Fe3O4@SiO2-PEI-AZ showed strong magnetic responsiveness, high methanol/water dispersion, good recyclability, and high loading capacity for anthraquinones. To evaluate the feasibility of using Fe3O4@SiO2-PEI-AZ for separating various aromatic compounds, we employed molecular dynamics simulations to predict the adsorption/desorption effects of PEI-AZ for various aromatic compounds in different methanol concentrations. The results showed that the anthraquinones could be efficiently separated from the monocyclic and bicyclic aromatic compounds by adjusting the methanol/water ratio. The Fe3O4@SiO2-PEI-AZ nanoparticles were then used to separate the anthraquinones from the rhubarb extract. At 5% methanol, all the anthraquinones were adsorbed by the nanoparticles, thus allowing their separation from other components in the crude extract. Compared with the conventional separation methods, this adsorption method has the advantages of high adsorption specificity, simple operation, and solvent saving. This method sheds light on the future application of functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles to selectively separate desired components from complex plant and microbial crude extracts.

Vacuum-assisted thermal bonding of ß-cyclodextrin and its derivatives as chiral stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography.

In this work, the vacuum-assisted thermal bonding method was proposed for the covalent coupling of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) (CD-CSP), hexamethylene diisocyanate cross-linked ß-CD (HDI-CSP) and 3, 5-dimethylphenyl isocyanate modified ß-CD (DMPI-CSP) onto the isocyanate silane modified silica gel. Under vacuum conditions, the side reaction due to the water residue from the organic solvent, air, reaction vessels and silica gel could be avoided, and the optimal temperature and time of vacuum-assisted thermal bonding method were determined as 160°C and 3 h. These three CSPs were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, elemental analysis and the nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The surface coverage of CD-CSP and HDI-CSP on silica gel was determined as ∼0.2 µmol m-2, respectively. The chromatographic performances of these three CSPs were systematically evaluated by separating 7 flavanones, 9 triazoles and 6 chiral alcohols enantiomers under the reversed-phase condition. It was found that the chiral resolution ability of CD-CSP, HDI-CSP and DMPI-CSP was complementary to each other. Among them, CD-CSP could separate all 7 flavanones enantiomers with the resolution of 1.09-2.48. HDI-CSP had a good separation performance for triazoles enantiomers with one chiral center. DMPI-CSP showed excellent separation performance for chiral alcohol enantiomers, among which the resolution of trans-1, 3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-ol reached 12.01. Generally, the vacuum-assisted thermal bonding had been demonstrated as a direct and efficient method for the preparation of chiral stationary phases of ß-CD and its derivatives.

Rapid start-up and stable operation of an aerobic/oxic/anoxic simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal reactor with no sludge discharge.

An anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic mode simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal system was visited for enhanced low-strength wastewater treatment and dramatic in situ sludge reduction. Results showed that rapid start-up was achieved with conventional activated sludge after 15 days, with effluent ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chemical oxygen demand being 0.25, 7.89, 0.12, 24.37 mg/L, respectively. A two-stage biomass growth rate was observed with the sludge yield of 0.285 (day 1-50) and 0.017 g MLSS/g COD (day 51-110) without sludge discharge. Dynamics of bacterial community has been identified with outstanding accumulation of Candidatus_Competibacter up to 29.06 %, which contributed to both simultaneous nutrients removal and sludge reduction. Further analysis via PICRUSt2 revealed the main pathway of nitrogen metabolism, while proposed mechanism for phosphorus removal with no sludge discharge was analyzed from the intracellular and extracellular perspectives. Overall, this study provided guidance and reference for the development and application of A/O/A-SNDPR technology.

Integrating transcriptome and chemical analyses to reveal the anti-Alzheimer's disease components in Verbena officinalis Linn.

Verbena officinalis Linn. is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, which has a long history of application and shows good effects on neuroprotection. Therefore, we consider that V. officinalis may be a potential drug for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). First, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) pointed out that the main chemical components in V. officinalis were iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, and flavonoids. These compounds were used for molecular docking and the results showed that these compounds had good anti-AD activity. To explore the biosynthetic pathway of anti-AD components in V. officinalis, UPLC and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry were used for contents determination and the result was leaf > stem > root. At the same time, 92,867 unigenes were annotated in V. officinalis transcriptome; 206, 229, 115 related unigenes were, respectively, annotated in iridoid glycoside, phenylethanoid glycoside, and flavonoid pathway, of which 61, 73, and 35 were differential expression genes. The components had relatively high expression in leaves, which was consistent with the quantitative results. In addition, the tissue distribution particularity of verbenalin may be related to the branching of pathways. Meanwhile transcription factors VoWRKY6 and VoWRKY7 may be involved in the regulation of iridoid glycoside biosynthesis. Further, VoWRKY3, VoWRKY9, and VoWRKY12 may be related to flavonoid biosynthesis. The above research is helpful to explore the biosynthetic pathway of anti-AD components and the regulation mechanism of active components and to further explore the anti-AD effect of V. officinalis.

Compounds with NO Inhibitory Effect from the Rattan Stems of Sinomenium acutum, a Kind of Chinese Folk Medicine for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Three new alkaloids (1-3), one new diphenyl ether (4) and fifteen known alkaloids (5-19) were isolated from the rattan stems of Sinomenium acutum. Comprehensive analyses of HR-ESI-MS, 1D (1 H and 13 C), 2D-NMR (1 H-1 H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY), circular dichroism (CD), UV and IR revealed the structures and absolute configurations of these new compounds. The structures of other compounds were determined by comparison of their 1 H and 13 C-NMR data with previous literature reports. By measuring the amount of NO produced, the anti-inflammatory properties of the isolated compounds were studied. The results showed that compounds 4 and 5 had strong NO inhibitory activity.

Distinct responses of aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors to nitrogen and phosphorus deficient conditions.

The nutrients availability determines efficiency of biological treatment systems, along with the structure and metabolism of microbiota. Herein nutrients deficiencies on aerobic granular sludge were comparatively evaluated, treating wastewater with mass ratios of chemical oxygen demand : nitrogen : phosphorus being 200:20:4, 200:2:4, and 200:20:0.4 (deemed as nutrient-balanced, nitrogen-deficient, and phosphorus-deficient), respectively. Results revealed that both nitrogen and phosphorus deficiencies significantly raised the effluent qualities especially nitrogen removal. However, nitrogen deficiency aroused considerable growth of filamentous bacteria, while granules kept compact structure under phosphorus deficient condition. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) also varied in contents and structures in response to different wastewaters. Microbial community structure analysis demonstrated that nitrogen deficiency led to lower richness and higher diversity, while the reverse was observed under phosphorus deficient condition. Nitrogen deficiency mainly induced decrease of nitrifying bacteria, while similarly phosphorus deficiency led to loss of phosphorus accumulating organisms. Dramatic enrichment Candidatus_Competibacter and filamentous Thiothrix were found under nutrients deficiencies, in which the latter explained and indicated filamentous bulking potential especially under nitrogen limited condition. Bacterial metabolism patterns verified the functions of microbial community responding to nutrients via PICRUSt2 prediction mainly by up-regulating cell motility, and cellular processes and signaling. This study could aid understanding of long-term stability of aerobic granular sludge for low-strength wastewater treatment.

Full-length transcriptome and metabolite analysis reveal reticuline epimerase-independent pathways for benzylisoquinoline alkaloids biosynthesis in Sinomenium acutum.

Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a large family of plant natural products with important pharmaceutical applications. Sinomenium acutum is a medicinal plant from the Menispermaceae family and has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis for hundreds of years. Sinomenium acutum contains more than 50 BIAs, and sinomenine is a representative BIA from this plant. Sinomenine was found to have preventive and curative effects on opioid dependence. Despite the broad applications of S. acutum, investigation on the biosynthetic pathways of BIAs from S. acutum is limited. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the transcriptome data and BIAs in the root, stem, leaf, and seed of S. acutum. Metabolic analysis showed a noticeable difference in BIA contents in different tissues. Based on the study of the full-length transcriptome, differentially expressed genes, and weighted gene co-expression network, we proposed the biosynthetic pathways for a few BIAs from S. acutum, such as sinomenine, magnoflorine, and tetrahydropalmatine, and screened candidate genes involved in these biosynthesis processes. Notably, the reticuline epimerase (REPI/STORR), which converts (S)-reticuline to (R)-reticuline and plays an essential role in morphine and codeine biosynthesis, was not found in the transcriptome data of S. acutum. Our results shed light on the biogenesis of the BIAs in S. acutum and may pave the way for the future development of this important medicinal plant.

Phytochemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Plants from the Genus Cissampelos.

Cissampelos is a significant genus comprising of approximately 21 species of the medicinal plants (Menispermaceae). The plants of this genus are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments such as asthma, arthritis, dysentery, hyperglycemia, cardiopathy, hypertension and other related problems. These plants are rich in bioactive dibenzylisoquinoline and aborphine as well as small amounts of other ingredients. In recent years, the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Cissampelos genus have been paid more and more attention due to their diversity. Herein, we compile the chemical constituents and biological activities on this genus, and summarize the 13 C-NMR data of the main bioactive ingredients. All information comes from scientific databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Sci-Finder, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and CNKI. It provides valuable data for the future research and development of Cissampelos genus.

Enzyme-Powered Liquid Metal Nanobots Endowed with Multiple Biomedical Functions.

Catalytically powered micro/nanobots (MNBs) can perform active movement by harnessing energy from in situ chemical reactions and show tremendous potential in biomedical applications. However, the development of imageable MNBs that are driven by bioavailable fuels and possess multiple therapeutic functions remains challenging. To resolve such issues, we herein propose enzyme (urease) powered liquid metal (LM) nanobots that are naturally of multiple therapeutic functions and imaging signals. The main body of the nanobot is composed of a biocompatible LM nanoparticle encapsulated by polydopamine (PDA). Urease enzyme needed for the powering and desired drug molecules, e.g., cefixime trihydrate antibiotic, are grafted on external surfaces of the PDA shell. Such a chemical composition endows the nanobots with dual-mode ultrasonic (US) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging signals and favorable photothermal effect. These LM nanobots exhibit positive chemotaxis and therefore can be collectively guided along a concentration gradient of urea for targeted transportation. When exposed to NIR light, the LM nanobots would deform and complete the function change from active drug carriers to photothermal reagents, to achieve synergetic antibacterial treatment by both photothermal and chemotherapeutic effects. The US and PA properties of the LM nanoparticle can be used to not only track and monitor the active movement of the nanobots in a microfluidic vessel model but also visualize their dynamics in the bladder of a living mouse in vivo. To conclude, the LM nanobots demonstrated herein represent a proof-of-concept therapeutic nanosystem with multiple biomedical functionalities, providing a feasible tool for preclinical studies and clinical trials of MNB-based imaging-guided therapy.

Genetically engineered magnetic nanocages for cancer magneto-catalytic theranostics.

The clinical applications of magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) have been largely hindered by the poor magnetic-to-thermal conversion efficiency of MHT agents. Herein, we develop a facile and efficient strategy for engineering encapsulin-produced magnetic iron oxide nanocomposites (eMIONs) via a green biomineralization procedure. We demonstrate that eMIONs have excellent magnetic saturation and remnant magnetization properties, featuring superior magnetic-to-thermal conversion efficiency with an ultrahigh specific absorption rate of 2390 W/g to overcome the critical issues of MHT. We also show that eMIONs act as a nanozyme and have enhanced catalase-like activity in the presence of an alternative magnetic field, leading to tumor angiogenesis inhibition with a corresponding sharp decrease in the expression of HIF-1α. The inherent excellent magnetic-heat capability, coupled with catalysis-triggered tumor suppression, allows eMIONs to provide an MRI-guided magneto-catalytic combination therapy, which may open up a new avenue for bench-to-bed translational research of MHT.

Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract alters gut microbiota composition, enhances short-chain fatty acids production, and ameliorates osteoporosis in the senescence-accelerated mouse P6 (SAMP6) model.

The bark and the leaf of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. content similar bioactive components, but the leaf of this medically important plant is mostly abandoned. In this study, we revealed that the aqueous extract of E. ulmoides leaf (EUL) can promote the growth of the probiotic Lactobacillus bulgaricus (LB) and inhibit the formation of osteoclast in vitro. This extract was next administrated to senescence-accelerated mice P6 to evaluate examine its influence on the composition of gut microbiota (GM), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and osteoporosis (OP). The results showed that supplementation of the EUL aqueous extract to the mouse model: (a) increased bacterial diversity and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the gut, (b) increased SCFAs concentration in the feces and serum, and (c) ameliorated OP based on the results of bone mineral density (BMD), Dual-energy X-ray bone scan, and HE staining of distal femur.

Photoacoustic Imaging-Trackable Magnetic Microswimmers for Pathogenic Bacterial Infection Treatment.

Micro/nanorobots have been extensively explored as a tetherless small-scale robotic biodevice to perform minimally invasive interventions in hard-to-reach regions. Despite the emergence of versatile micro/nanorobots in recent years, matched in vivo development remains challenging, limited by unsatisfactory integration of core functions. Herein, we report a polydopamine (PDA)-coated magnetic microswimmer consisting of a magnetized Spirulina (MSP) matrix and PDA surface. Apart from the properties of the existing MSP (e.g., robust propulsion, natural fluorescence, tailored biodegradation, and selective cytotoxicity), the introduced PDA coating enhances the photoacoustic (PA) signal and photothermal effect of the MSP, thus making PA image tracking and photothermal therapy possible. Meanwhile, the PDA's innate fluorescence quenching and diverse surface reactivity allows an off-on fluorescence diagnosis with fluorescence probes (e.g., coumarin 7). As a proof of concept, real-time image tracking (by PA imaging) and desired theranostic capabilities of PDA-MSP microswimmer swarms are demonstrated for the treatment of pathogenic bacterial infection. Our study suggests a feasible antibacterial microrobot for in vivo development and a facile yet versatile functionalization strategy of micro/nanorobots.

12ß-Acetyloxyperforatin, a New Limonoid from Harrisonia Perforata.

A new A, D-seco limonoid, named 12-acetyloxyperforatin (1), along with three known ones, were isolated from the leaves of Harrisonia perforata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including extensive NMR techniques and computational modelling. These compounds showed no inhibitory activity against the 11ß-HSD1 enzyme.

Insight into the biological effects of acupuncture points by X-ray absorption fine structure.

Exploration of the biological effects of transition metal ions in acupuncture points is essential to clarify the functional mechanism of acupuncture treatment. Here we show that in the SP6 acupuncture point (Sanyinjiao) the Fe ions are in a high-spin state of approximately t2g4.5eg1.5 in an Fe-N(O) octahedral crystal field. The Fe K-edge synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption fine structure results reveal that the Fe-N and Fe-O bond lengths in the SP6 acupuncture point are 2.05 and 2.13 Å, respectively, and are 0.05-0.10 Å longer than those in the surrounding tissue. The distorted atomic structure reduces the octahedral symmetry and weakens the crystal field around the Fe ions by approximately 0.3 eV, leading to the high-spin configuration of the Fe ions, which is favorable for strengthening the magnetotransport and oxygen transportation properties in the acupuncture point by the enhanced spin coherence. This finding might provide some insight into the microscopic effect of the atomic and electronic interactions of transition metal ions in the acupuncture point. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.