Glutamine exerts a protective effect on osteoarthritis development by inhibiting the Jun N-terminal kinase and nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathways.

Strategies for treating osteoarthritis (OA) have become a research focus because an effective treatment for OA is unavailable. The objective of this study was to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of glutamine (Gln) in OA. First, the chondrocytes were identified and a standard IL-1ß-induced OA model was established. After treatment with Gln or saline, the viability and apoptosis of chondrocytes were evaluated using a CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry analysis, which revealed that Gln can improve the IL-1ß-induced OA cells. Meanwhile, Gln can enhance the expression of aggrecan and collagen II, which are protective proteins for articular cartilage. Instead, Gln inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), which can degrade cartilage. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of Gln in IL-1ß-induced chondrocytes, the classical OA pathways of JNK and NF-κB were examined at the protein and mRNA levels using western blot and qRT-PCR analyses. We found that JNK and NF-κB were downregulated gradually depending on the Gln dose and protective and destructive factors changed based on changes of JNK and NF-κB. The effects of high-dose Gln were more effective than low-dose. Moreover, Gln was applied to the animal OA model to check the effects in vivo. The results showed that Gln attenuated cartilage degeneration and decreased OARSI scores, which demonstrated that Gln can improve OA. The experiments showed that Gln can benefit mice with OA by inhibiting the JNK and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Specialised metabolites as chemotaxonomic markers of Coptosapelta diffusa, supporting its delimitation as sisterhood phylogenetic relationships with Rubioideae.

From the aerial extracts of Coptosapelta diffusa (Champ. ex Benth.) Steenis, twenty-one compounds were isolated and identified by means of column chromatography and NMR and MS techniques, respectively. Amongst, ten ones were determined to be undescribed compounds including six seco-iridoid glucosides (1-6), 2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracene-9,10-dione (7) and three guaiane-type sesquiterpenes (15-17). Compounds 7, 8 and 9 exhibited inhibitory activities against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 with MIC of 8, 4 and 8 µg/mL. The use of 1-6 (iridoids), 7-14 (anthraquinones) and 15-17 (sesquiterpenes) as chemotaxonomic markers for this species was evidenced. Structurally, 7-14 are similar to those anthraquinones isolated from other species of the family Rubiaceae, confirming their close phylogenetic relationship. Whereas, these iridoids and sesquiterpenes with unique structures provided chemotaxonomic evidence to support the genus Coptosapelta (the tribe Coptosapelteae) as a sister of the subfamily Rubioideae. These results contrast with the general producing tendency of indole alkaloids by the species of the subfamily Cinchonoideae, and merit chemotaxonomic significance for the delimitation of Coptosapelta.

A new sesquineolignan and four new neolignans isolated from the leaves of Piper betle, a traditional medicinal plant in Myanmar.

One new sesquineolignan, piperneolignan A (1), four new neolignans, piperneolignans B-E (2-5), and eight known compounds were isolated from the leaves of Piper betle (Piperaceae) collected from Myanmar. These new structures were determined by analysis of MS and NMR data, and the absolute configuration of piperneolignan A was elucidated by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Piperneolignan A (1), piperneolignan B (2), hydroxychavicol (6), p-hydroxycinnamaldehyde (10), and diallylcatechol (13) possessed anti-inflammatory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values of 9.87, 45.94, 4.80, 26.40, and 40.45 µM, respectively, compared with the positive control NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA, IC50 = 33.84 µM). The two hydroxy groups in the structure of hydroxychavicol are essential for activity, and dimerization or trimerization of hydroxychavicol decreases activity.

The secret of health in daily cuisine: typical healthy vegetables in local markets in central Myanmar.

BACKGROUND: Central Myanmar is located in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, and the Bamar people are the main ethnic group, which settled there over 1000 years ago. Despite being the core region of the country, central Myanmar has been ignored in previous ethnobotanical studies. Local healthy foods and knowledge are regarded as treasures for resource development and pharmaceutical drug discovery, and market surveys are a good strategy in ethnobotanical research. Thus, we collected and documented typical vegetables and local knowledge in local markets and then analysed the diversity and local knowledge of these vegetables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observations and interviews were used in the field study, and 10 markets and fairs were selected in central Myanmar. A total of 277 vegetable stalls or shops were visited. We compared the local knowledge we collected with selected important and typical herbal books on traditional Myanmar medicine. Quantitative analysis, including frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and use value (UV), was used to assess the diversity and local knowledge of these vegetables. RESULTS: A total of 132 plant taxa from 47 botanical families and 116 genera were collected. Most (106 taxa, 80.3%) of these vegetables were cited by the informants as functional foods that had health benefits, while others were regarded as merely "good for health". The main health function of the vegetables was treating digestive problems. Sixty-four species were recorded in selected herbal books on traditional Myanmar medicine, and forty-seven taxa were not recorded in these books but were nonetheless used as healthy vegetables by local people. Twenty-eight species of vegetables were collected from wild places. CONCLUSION: The diversity and local knowledge of healthy vegetables in central Myanmar were rich. Nevertheless, the diversity of wild vegetables was seemingly relatively low. The possible reason was that we counted only the vegetables that were from entirely wild sources as "wild vegetables". The most frequently cited vegetables were commonly cultivated species, which reflects the fact that plants cultivated on a large scale comprise the major source of vegetables. Some lesser known vegetables could reflect the unique food culture of local people, but most of these were cited only a few times by the interviewees, which caused low UV and RFC rankings for them in the league table. In addition, future research should pay more attention to the food safety of these vegetables.

Documenting the heritage along the Silk Road: An ethnobotanical study of medicinal teas used in Southern Xinjiang, China.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: People in Southern Xinjiang, China have been consuming medicinal teas for healthcare since before the ancient Silk Road markets began. Several pharmaceutical studies have illustrated the potential healthcare benefits of medicinal teas used in Southern Xinjiang, China. However, little information is available from the literature about the diversity of the species used and related traditional knowledge of these medicinal teas. AIMS OF THE STUDY: (i) create a comprehensive record of medicinal tea plant species (MTPS) and combinations used with related traditional knowledge for healthcare in Southern Xinjiang, China; (ii) assess safety of MTPS, and (iii) address conservation status for sustainable use of MTPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed both field and market surveys from 2014 to 2019 in 10 counties/cities and four main medicinal tea markets by using semi-structured interviews. We interviewed 236 informants and 70 medicinal tea shop vendors. The commonly used MTPS were ranked by Frequency of Citation. Safety issues were assessed based on expert knowledge and with reference to the official list of Medicinal Plants Used as Food. Conservation implications of plant use were assessed as part of the interviews and this was cross referenced with official records. RESULTS: The surveys revealed 145 different plants from 65 families used for making medicinal teas, expanding the list of known Chinese herbal tea species from 782 to 884. Leguminosae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae and Apiaceae were dominant families. Herbs (60.7%, 88 species) were the most commonly used plant types; fruits (23.1%, 50 species) and seeds (22.2%, 48 species) were commonly used parts. Nearly half (42.1%) of the plant species were introduced from abroad. Respondents reported more than 50 types of healthcare uses of medicinal teas. Tonic (13.7%, 71 species) and promoting digestion (9.6%, 50 species) were the most frequently mentioned healthcare uses. The majority of commonly used plant species were spices (20 species, 50%) and aromatic plants (10 species, 25%). Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J.Presl, Piper longum L. Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L. M. Perry and Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis were the most cited species. High doses of Piper longum L., Crocus sativus L., Curcuma longa L, and Senna alexandrina Mill. May have negative health implications. Assessments of conservation status and sustainable use of tea species indicate that wild harvesting of Nardostachys jatamansi (D. Don) DC. and Pterocarpus indicus Willd. Should be controlled and cultivation technologies should be improved. CONCLUSIONS: We found high plant species diversity and rich traditional knowledge of medicinal teas used in Southern Xinjiang, China. The traditional healthcare uses of some of the medicinal teas are also supported by pharmaceutical evidence. Others should be investigated further. Conservation pressures exist for commonly used wild species. China's 'Healthy China 2030' policy should do more to take traditional cultural practices into account. In doing so, both local and national government agendas may seek to promote sustainable harvest and to protect traditional knowledge so that this cultural heritage continues to serve human well-being into the future.

Chemical Constituents from Ethanoic Extracts of the Aerial Parts of Leea aequata L., a Traditional Folk Medicine of Myanmar.

We aimed at reporting the chemical constituents and antimicrobial activities of Leea aequata L., a traditional folk medicine used in Myanmar for the treatment of wounds and skin diseases. A new neolignan, (7S,8R)-9'-O-acetylcedrusin (1), a new lactam, (3S,4S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxypiperidin-2-one (2), along with 21 known compounds, including five lignans (3-7), four flavonoid glycosides (8-11), and others (12-23), were isolated from the ethanoic extract of the aerial parts of L. aequata. The structures of the new compounds were determined by NMR, MS, and ECD spectra. For all the antimicrobial tests of the 23 compounds, only 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid ethyl ester (17) showed weak inhibitory activities against Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica.

Beneficial effect of traditional Chinese medicine fumigation "Bone-healing Powder" in postoperative pain and recovery of neurological function of traumatic thoracolumbar spine fractures: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Thoracolumbar spine (TLS) fractures are commonly associated with the young healthy population, with its risk factors including both high-energy traumas and neurological deficit. The underlying mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and TLS fractures have been explored. Therefore, our prospective study was conducted in order to explore the beneficial effects of TCM fumigation "Bone-healing Powder" method in both postoperative pain as well as the recovery of the patient's neurological function following healing from their traumatic TLS fractures. METHODS: Patients dealing with traumatic TLS fractures were randomly assigned into both the control and the intervention groups based on whether or not they received prior TCM fumigation in addition to any and all conventional therapy. Imaging indexes, including height of the injured vertebra (%), Cobb angle (°), horizontal displacement (%), compression area (%), sagittal diameter (%), and degree of both the swelling and pain regarding the fractures were observed and recorded both before and after the treatment for proper progression documentation. The neurological function was evaluated according to American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification in order to investigate whether TCM fumigation "Bone-healing Powder" could affect the recovery of the patient's neurological function. RESULTS: Following the treatment as well as 1 year after its completion, patients who received TCM fumigation presented a higher height of their previously injured vertebra (%) and sagittal diameter (%), while a lower Cobb angle (°), horizontal displacement (%), and compression area (%) than those who were part of the conventional therapy group. A week posttreatment, patients that received TCM fumigation also showed no signs of swelling or mild pain. One year following the treatment, patients receiving TCM fumigation demonstrated an improved neurological function. CONCLUSION: These findings help to indicate that TCM fumigation "Bone-healing Powder" reduces the degrees of postoperative pain and swelling, and effectively improves recovery of the neurological function of those patients with traumatic TLS fractures, proving its worth as a clinical method in treatment.

A billion cups: The diversity, traditional uses, safety issues and potential of Chinese herbal teas.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Herbal teas have long been consumed by Chinese people for preventive and/or therapeutic healthcare. Although herbal teas are widely consumed by many cultural groups in different regions of China, no thorough review has been undertaken to assess the diversity of the country's herbal tea usage. This literature review, complemented by a quantitative survey in an important tea market in Kunming, begins to fill this knowledge gap. AIMS OF THE STUDY: The study aims to summarize the current knowledge of plant species used as herbal teas by different cultural groups in different regions of China, with a focus on the teas' perceived traditional healthcare functions, related phytochemical/pharmaceutical research, and safety issues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved a comprehensive literature review and a market survey. The literature review was based on published ethnobotanical studies of herbal teas in China. We searched the Web of Science™, ELSEVIER, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the China Science and Technology Journal Database to locate relevant studies (including journal articles, Masters/PhD dissertations and books) that were published before March 2017. A species list was compiled based on the review and supplemented with information retrieved from the Scifinder database (https://scifinder.cas.org) and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010). A Use Value Index was employed for ranking the most cited species. Based on the 29 most cited species, we discussed the current research status in relation to healthcare benefits and safety concerns of herbal teas in China. To better understand the current status of the herbal tea market in China, we also surveyed 136 tea vendors at the Xiongda Tea Market in Kunming. Information gathered from the survey included the species sold, the sale prices and the form of the herbal tea product. RESULTS: The literature identified 759 plant species used as herbal tea in China and the market survey identified an additional 23 species. Most of the species used were from the Leguminosae, Compositae and Lamiaceae families. Twenty two provinces and fourteen ethnic minority groups have records on the consumption of herbal teas. Southern China uses up to 82% of the total species, and 211 out of 759 species are used by minority groups. Thirty categories of traditional healthcare functions are linked with herbal teas, with clearing away heat, relieving toxicity and suppressing cough being the most important functions. There is phytochemical/pharmaceutical evidence to support the claimed healthcare benefits of some Chinese herbal teas. Although Chinese herbal teas are generally safe to consume, overdoses of some herbal teas and some unapproved mixtures of species may cause health risks. Based on our market survey, the prices of most herbal teas range between 100 and 200 RMB (US$15-30) per kg. CONCLUSIONS: A rich array of herbal tea species with various traditional healthcare functions have long been used in China, and as such there is a huge market potential for Chinese herbal teas. More pharmaceutical/phytochemical research is needed to assess a wide range of perceived healthcare benefits of Chinese herbal teas. Our research highlights the need to study herbal teas through an ethnopharmacological perspective and by employing a holistic approach, which requires greater consideration of traditional knowledge in the pharmacological research design. Product safety and sustainability issues should also be considered, so the traditional applications of herbal teas can be transformed to efficient health boosting functional products.

Comparison of hypoglycemic and antioxidative effects of polysaccharides from four different Dendrobium species.

Four polysaccharides from Dendrobium huoshanense (DHP), D. officinale (DOP), D. nobile (DNP) and D. chrysotoxum (DCP), which had obvious differences in intrinsic viscosities and monosaccharide compositions, were extracted to compare their hypoglycemic and antioxidative activities in alloxan-induced diabetic mice by oral administration. The analysis of fasting blood glucose, glycosylated serum protein and serum insulin levels showed that DHP, DOP and DNP, but not DCP, possessed significant hypoglycemic effect with the decreasing order of DHP>DNP>DOP. Histopathological observation confirmed the capability of DHP, DOP and DNP to intervene the damage in pancreas tissues. The determination of superoxide dismutase, catalase, malonaldehyde and L-glutathione levels in the liver and kidney displayed that DHP, DOP and DNP had protective effects against alloxan-induced oxidative damage and the effect of DHP ranked first. These results suggested that there were significant differences in hypoglycemic and antioxidative activities between four Dendrobium polysaccharides, which may be contributed to their physicochemical properties.

[Effect of jianpi liqi recipe on mRNA expressions of TP, DPD, and CYP3A4 in mice with human gastric cancer transplanted tumor].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Jianpi Liqi Recipe (JLR) on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) relevant metabolic enzymes and CYP3A4 (the same enzyme of many chemotherapeutics) of mice with human gastric cancer transplanted tumor. METHODS: Totally 80 mice were randomly divided into the model group, the chemotherapy group, the JLR group, and the combination group (using chemotherapy combined JLR), 20 in each group. The human gastric cancer transplanted tumor mouse model was duplicated by hypodermic inoculating MKN-8 tumor cell suspension from the left armpit. Physiological saline or JLR was given to those in the model group or the JLR group at 0.25 mL each time, twice daily by gastrogavage from the 2nd day after transplantation. Mice in the chemotherapy group were given 0.25 mL physiological saline, twice daily by gastrogavage 2 days after transplantation, for 5 days in succession, and then they were peritoneal injected with 5-FU at the daily dose of 20 mg/kg, once daily for 5 days in succession from the 7th day of transplantation. Those in the combination were given 0.25 mL JLR, twice daily by gastrogavage, for 5 days in succession, and then they were peritoneal injected with 5-FU at the daily dose of 20 mg/kg, once daily for 5 days in succession from the 7th day of transplantation. The mRNA expressions of thymidine phosphorylase (TP), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), and CYP3A4 were detected using RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the model group and the chemotherapy group, mRNA expressions of TP and CYP3A4 obviously increased, mRNA expression of DPD obviously decreased in the JLR group and the combination group (P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in mRNA expressions of TP, DPD, and CYP3A4 between the JLR group and the combination group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: JLR could promote the activation of 5-FU, suppress the decomposition and inactivation of 5-FU in the tumor tissue of mice, and improve the chemotherapeutic efficacy through up-regulating mRNA expressions of TP and CYP3A4, and suppressing the mRNA expression of DPD.