The Potential of Natural Products in the Management of Cardiovascular Disease.

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, comprising a variety of disorders such as hypertension, heart attacks, Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD), dyslipidemias, strokes, coronary heart disease, and cardiomyopathies. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that 22.2 million people will die from CVD in 2030. Conventional treatments for CVDs are often quite expensive and also have several side effects. This potentiates the use of medicinal plants, which are still a viable alternative therapy for a number of diseases, including CVD. Natural products' cardio-protective effects result from their anti-oxidative, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-ischemic, and platelet aggregation-inhibiting properties. The conventional therapies used to treat CVD have the potential to be explored in light of the recent increase in the popularity of natural goods and alternative medicine. Some natural products with potential in the management of cardiovascular diseases such as Allium sativum L., Ginkgo biloba, Cinchona ledgeriana, Ginseng, Commiphora mukul, Digitalis lanata, Digitalis purpurea L., Murrayakoenigii, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Polygonum cuspidatum, Fenugreek, Capsicum annuum, etc. are discussed in this article.

Terpenoids derived from Semen Ziziphi Spinosae oil enhance sleep by modulating neurotransmitter signaling in mice.

Semen Ziziphi Spinosae oil (SZSO) is a natural vegetable oil extracted from Semen Ziziphi Spinosae, a traditional Chinese medicine renowned for its sleep-promoting properties, while the mechanisms are still unclear. Our findings revealed that the terpenoids present in SZSO (T-SZSO) were identified as the active components responsible for promoting sleep. Network pharmacological analysis suggested that T-SZSO targeted different sleep-aid pathways to varying degrees and exhibited potential for preventing central nervous system diseases. Notably, lupeol and betulinicaldehyde exhibited more pronounced effects. Additionally, T-SZSO significantly elevated serotonin levels, enhanced gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis, promoted GABA A receptor expression, and decreased glutamate and norepinephrine expression levels. Moreover, T-SZSO was found to downregulate IL-1ß expression while upregulating superoxide dismutase and inducible nitric oxide synthase levels. In conclusion, this study presents the first investigation into the pharmacological basis of SZSO in promoting sleep and highlights the potential of nature food in improving suboptimal health conditions.

Pharmacological properties of Polygonatum and its active ingredients for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Despite continued advances in prevention and treatment strategies, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide, and more effective therapeutic methods are urgently needed. Polygonatum is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with a variety of pharmacological applications and biological activities, such as antioxidant activity, anti-inflammation, antibacterial effect, immune-enhancing effect, glucose regulation, lipid-lowering and anti-atherosclerotic effects, treatment of diabetes and anticancer effect. There has also been more and more evidence to support the cardioprotective effect of Polygonatum in recent years. However, up to now, there has been a lack of comprehensive studies on the active ingredients and their pharmacotoxicological effects related to cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the main active components of Polygonatum (including Polysaccharides, Flavonoids, Saponins) and their biological activities were firstly reviewed in this paper. Furthermore, we summarized the pharmacological effects of Polygonatum's active components in preventing and treating CVDs, and its relevant toxicological investigations. Finally, we emphasize the potential of Polygonatum in the prevention and treatment of CVDs.

Traditional Scraping (Gua Sha) Combined with Copper-Curcumin Nanoparticle Oleogel for Accurate and Multi-Effective Therapy of Androgenic Alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a prevalent systemic disease caused by diverse factors, for which effective treatments are currently limited. Herein, the oleogel (OG) containing copper-curcumin (CuR) nanoparticles is developed, designated as CuRG, which is also combined with traditional naturopathic scraping (Gua Sha, SCR) as a multifunctional therapy for AGA. With the assistance of lipophilic OG and SCR, CuR can efficaciously penetrate the epidermal and dermal regions where most hair follicles (HFs) reside, thereby releasing curcumin (CR) and copper ions (Cu2+) subcutaneously to facilitate hair regeneration. Concomitantly, the mechanical stimulation induced by SCR promotes the formation of new blood vessels, which is conducive to reshaping the microenvironment of HFs. This study validates that the combination of CuRG and SCR is capable of systematically interfering with different pathological processes, ranging from improvement of perifollicular microenvironment (oxidative stress and insufficient vascularization), regulation of inflammatory responses to degradation of androgen receptor, thus potentiating hair growth. Compared with minoxidil, a widely used clinical drug for AGA therapy, the designed synergistic system displays augmented hair regeneration in the AGA mouse model.

Guben Qingfei decoction attenuates LPS-induced acute lung injury by modulating the TLR4/NF-κB and Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathways.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a life-threatening and widespread disease, with exceptionally high morbidity and mortality rates. Unfortunately, effective drugs for ALI treatment are currently lacking. Guben Qingfei decoction (GBQF) is a Chinese herbal compound known for its efficacy in treating viral pneumonia, yet the precise underlying mechanisms remain unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to validate the mitigating effect of GBQF on ALI and to further investigate its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ALI mice model was established by infusing LPS into the endotracheal tube. The effects of GBQF on ALI were investigated by measuring lung W/D; MPO; BALF total protein concentration; total number of cells; TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels; pathological changes in lung tissue, and oxidation products. Immunohistochemistry and Western Blotting were performed to verify the underlying mechanisms. MH-S and BEAS-2B cells were induced by LPS, and the effects of GBQF were confirmed by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: GBQF significantly reduced LPS-induced ALI in mice, improved lung inflammation, reduced the production of oxidative products, increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and reduced the degree of lung tissue damage. GBQF prevents MH-S cells from releasing inflammatory factors and reduces oxidative damage to BEAS-2B cells. In vivo studies have delved deeper into the mechanism of action of GBQF, revealing its correlation with the TLR4/NF-κB and Keap1/Nrf2 pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that GBQF is an effective treatment for ALI, providing a new perspective on medication development for ALI treatment.

Bioactive Phytoconstituents and Their Therapeutic Potentials in the Treatment of Haematological Cancers: A Review.

Haematological (blood) cancers are the cancers of the blood and lymphoid forming tissues which represents approximately 10% of all cancers. It has been reported that approximately 60% of all blood cancers are incurable. Despite substantial improvement in access to detection/diagnosis, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation, there is still high recurrence and unpredictable but clearly defined relapses indicating that effective therapies are still lacking. Over the past two decades, medicinal plants and their biologically active compounds are being used as potential remedies and alternative therapies for the treatment of cancer. This is due to their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-angiogenic, anti-cancer activities and negligible side effects. These bioactive compounds have the capacity to reduce proliferation of haematological cancers via various mechanisms such as promoting apoptosis, transcription regulation, inhibition of signalling pathways, downregulating receptors and blocking cell cycle. This review study highlights the mechanistic and beneficial effects of nine bioactive compounds (quercetin, ursolic acid, fisetin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, curcumin, gambogic acid, butein and celastrol) as potential remedies for chemoprevention of haematological cancers. The study provides useful insights on the effectiveness of the use of bioactive compounds from plants for chemoprevention of haematological cancers.

l-Arginine treatment maintains postharvest quality in blueberry fruit by enhancing antioxidant capacity during storage.

The postharvest quality of blueberry fruit is largely limited by deterioration. l-arginine (Arg) is a functional nontoxic amino acid with high biological activities. This study investigated the positive effects and the underlying mechanism of Arg treatment on the quality of postharvest blueberries. Arg effectively mitigated fruit decay and improved the quality of blueberries, including weight loss, firmness, and soluble solid content. Mechanistically, Arg-mediated activation of the anti-oxidative defense system reduced reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidative damage. Moreover, Arg treatment decreased the activities and gene expression of phospholipase D, lipoxygenase, and lipase-inhibiting membrane lipid peroxidation during the prolonged storage of blueberries. Meanwhile, Arg treatment increased nitric oxide (NO) content and NO synthase activity. Furthermore, correlation and principal component analyses revealed the enhancement of Arg treatment on antioxidant capacity. This study suggests that Arg treatment can maintain the postharvest quality of blueberries by improving antioxidant capacity.

Shenqi formula delayed Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms by skn-1 pathway in Caernorhabditis elegans.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Shenqi formula is composed of Codonopsis pilosula (Cp) and Lycium barbarum (Lb), and it is traditionally used for promoting qi and nourishing the spleen, liver and kidney. Cp and Lb have been reported to improve cognitive performance in APP/PS1 mice, prevent the accumulation of Aß, and reduce the neurotoxicity of Aß to achieve the anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) effect. AIM OF THE STUDY: Shenqi formula was explored the therapeutic effect on Caenorhabditis elegans AD pathological model and the underlying mechanism of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Paralysis assay and serotonin sensitivity assay was used to detect whether Shenqi formula can alleviate AD paralysis phenotype, and then DPPH, ABTS, NBT and Fenton methods were applied to investigate the scavenging capacity to free radical, ROS, ·O2- and ·OH of Shenqi formula in vitro. H2DCF-DA and MitoSOX™ Red were employed to measure ROS and .O2- accumulation, respectively. RNAi was used to knock down the expression of skn-1 and daf-16 related to oxidative stress resistance signalling pathway. Fluorescence microscopy was used to record the expression of SOD-3::GFP, GST-4::GFP, SOD-1::YFP, and the nuclear translocation of SKN-1 and DAF-16. Western blot assay was carried out to test Aß monomers and oligomers. RESULTS: Shenqi formula delayed the AD-like pathological characteristics in C. elegans, and the complete Shenqi formula was more effective than Cp or Lb alone. The effect of Shenqi formula on delaying worm paralysis was partially eliminated by skn-1 RNAi, but not daf-16 RNAi. Shenqi formula significantly inhibited the abnormal deposition of Aß protein, decreased Aß protein monomers and oligomers. It increased the expressions of gst-4, sod-1, and sod-3 similar to paraquat, companied by rise then fall of ROS and .O2- in AD worms. CONCLUSIONS: Shenqi formula at least partially depended on SKN-1 signalling pathway to exert its anti-AD effect, and it is potential to be used as a kind of health food to prevent the progress of AD.

Protein-rich yeast extract (®fermgard) has potential antioxidant and anti-aging activities.

There existed a deficiency in the research on the nutritional activities of microbial (yeast) active substances in antioxidant and anti-aging activities, although the research objects were concentrated in animals and plants in recent years. In this study, the anti-oxidant and anti-aging activities of protein-rich yeast extract (®fermgard) (YE) were investigated through Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The results indicated that YE could improve the lifespan and anti-stress ability by up-regulating the activities of antioxidant enzymes in C. elegans. Meanwhile, the mRNA transcriptional level of daf-16, skn-1 and sod-3 was significantly up-regulated. In addition, the composition and level of the gut microbiota and metabolite were modulated. YE exerts antioxidant and anti-aging activities by regulating the expression of anti-oxidation-related mRNA, gut microbiota and metabolites in C. elegans, providing a basis for exploring the deep mechanism of YE improving health. At the same time, it provides new ideas for the development of functional foods.

Integration of molecular docking, molecular dynamics and network pharmacology to explore the multi-target pharmacology of fenugreek against diabetes.

Fenugreek is an ancient herb that has been used for centuries to treat diabetes. However, how the fenugreek-derived chemical compounds work in treating diabetes remains unclarified. Herein, we integrate molecular docking and network pharmacology to elucidate the active constituents and potential mechanisms of fenugreek against diabetes. First, 19 active compounds from fenugreek and 71 key diabetes-related targets were identified through network pharmacology analysis. Then, molecular docking and simulations results suggest diosgenin, luteolin and quercetin against diabetes via regulation of the genes ESR1, CAV1, VEGFA, TP53, CAT, AKT1, IL6 and IL1. These compounds and genes may be key factors of fenugreek in treating diabetes. Cells results demonstrate that fenugreek has good biological safety and can effectively improve the glucose consumption of IR-HepG2 cells. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the anti-diabetic effect of fenugreek was regulated by the AGE-RAGE and NF-κB signalling pathways. It is mainly associated with anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory response and ß-cell protection. Our study identified the active constituents and potential signalling pathways involved in the anti-diabetic effect of fenugreek. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of the anti-diabetic effect of fenugreek. Finally, this study may help for developing anti-diabetic dietary supplements or drugs based on fenugreek.

Carotenoids Composition of Green Algae Caulerpa racemosa and Their Antidiabetic, Anti-Obesity, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties.

Green alga Caulerpa racemosa is an underexploited species of macroalgae, even though it is characterized by a green color that indicates an abundance of bioactive pigments, such as chlorophyll and possibly xanthophyll. Unlike chlorophyll, which has been well explored, the composition of the carotenoids of C. racemosa and its biological activities have not been reported. Therefore, this study aims to look at the carotenoid profile and composition of C. racemose and determine their biological activities, which include antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxicity in vitro. The detected carotenoids were all xanthophylls, which included fucoxanthin, lutein, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, ß-carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin based on orbitrap-mass spectrometry (MS) and a rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) diode array detector. Of the seven carotenoids observed, it should be highlighted that ß-carotene and canthaxanthin were the two most dominant carotenoids present in C. racemosa. Interestingly, the carotenoid extract of C. racemosa has good biological activity in inhibiting α-glucosidase, α-amylase, DPPH and ABTS, and the TNF-α and mTOR, as well as upregulating the AMPK, which makes it a drug candidate or functional antidiabetic food, a very promising anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory. More interestingly, the cytotoxicity value of the carotenoid extract of C. racemosa shows a level of safety in normal cells, which makes it a potential for the further development of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

The Protective Effect of the Asystasia chelonoides Extracts on Hypertensive Nephropathy Rats.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive nephropathy (HN) is one kind of kidney disorders caused by long-term uncontrolled hypertension, usually resulting in severe kidney damage, including inflammation and oxidative stress, no matter in cells or tissues, from patients with nephropathy. In recent years, nephropathy accompanied by hypertension is becoming one of the main causes for kidney replacement therapy, but few effective treatments have been reported for HN treatment. Asystasia chelonoides (AC) is a kind of plant with the effects of anti-inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and anti-oxidative stress. Still, the therapeutic effect of AC in HN rats is not clear. METHODS: To establish HN model by feeding high sugar and high fat diet spontaneously hypertensive rats. Blood measurement, HE staining, PAS staining and biochemical analysis and were used to assess the therapeutic effects of AC extracts and western blotting analyzed the underlying mechanisms of AC extracts treatment in the HN rat model. RESULTS: AC extracts could significantly lower systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean blood pressure (MBP) in HN rats; and reduce the expression of total protein (TP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), microalbuminuria (MALB), creatinine (Cr), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations, and also could down-regulate expression of IL-6, MDA and AGEs, up-regulate the expression of SOD in HN rats; HE staining and PAS staining demonstrated that AC extracts could alleviate the histopathological changes in HN rats; western blotting demonstrated that AC extracts could up-regulate the expression of PPARγ and down-regulate the expression of TGFß1 and NF-кB in HN rats. CONCLUSION: The finding of the article demonstrated that AC extracts had the better therapeutic effect for HN, and provided the pharmacological evidences for AC extracts treatment for HN.

Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Aging Effects of Probiotic Fermented Ginseng by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Metabolites in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Antioxidative and antiaging abilities of probiotic fermented ginseng (PG) were evaluated in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Lifespan and effect on heat stress and acute oxidative stress in C. elegans were significantly enhanced by PG. Antioxidative enzymes such as T-SOD, GSH-PX, CAT were significantly up-regulated, and MDA, ROS and apoptosis levels were significantly down-regulated. At the same time, PG exerted antioxidant and anti-aging activities by reducing the expression of DAF-2 mRNA and increasing the expression of SKN-1 and SOD-3 mRNA in C. elegans. In addition, the mechanism of antioxidative and antiaging activities of PG was explored through gut microbiota sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. The results of gut microbiota indicated that PG could significantly improve the composition and structure of microbes in the gut of C. elegans, and the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria was up-regulated. Untargeted metabolomic results elucidated that PG modulated antioxidant and antiaging activities through neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, Citrate cycle (TCA cycle), pyruvate metabolism, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism and D-Arginine and D-ornithine metabolism of C. elegans. These results indicated that PG had excellent antioxidant and anti-aging activities, providing research value for the development of functional foods and improvement of aging-related diseases.

Polysaccharide from fermented mycelium of Inonotus obliquus attenuates the ulcerative colitis and adjusts the gut microbiota in mice.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the colon. Polysaccharides not only have biological activities but also can regulate gut microbiota to alleviate the symptoms of UC. In this study, polysaccharide extracted from mycelium of Inonotus obliquus (IOP) was prescribed to treat UC induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in mice. Compared to model control group (MC), IOP-Low, IOP-Medium and IOP-High (IOP-L, IOP-M and IOP-H) treatment groups increased the body weight rate by 6.0%-9.6%, colon length by 8.57%-25.14% and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity by 53.8-110.4 U/mg, while decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 37.4%-64.8%, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity by 29.0%-46.9%, and the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) by 24.8-35.6 µmol/L. IOP treatment also promoted the secretion of interleukin (IL)-10 but suppressed those of interleukin (IL)-6, interleukin (IL)-1ß and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Simultaneously, analysis of high-throughput sequencing indicated that IOP reduced the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) at phylum level, and increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides and Lactobacillus at genus level. In brief, IOP may be a promising alternative medicine for UC remedy by regulating the anti-inflammatory level, the anti-oxidative ability and the gut microbiota composition.

Comparative study on the effects of crystalline L-methionine and methionine hydroxy analogue calcium supplementations in the diet of juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei).

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of L-methionine and methionine hydroxy analogue calcium (MHA-Ca) supplements in low-fishmeal diet on growth performance, hepatopancreas morphology, protein metabolism, anti-oxidative capacity, and immunity of Pacific white shrimp (Litopena eus vannamei). Four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were designed: PC (203.3 g/kg fishmeal), NC (100 g/kg fishmeal), MET (100 g/kg fishmeal +3 g/kg L-methionine) and MHA-Ca (100 g/kg fishmeal +3 g/kg MHA-Ca). White shrimp (initial body weight 0.23 ± 0.00 g, 50 shrimp per tank) were allocated to 12 tanks and divided among 4 treatments in triplicates. In response to L-methionine and MHA-Ca supplementations, the shrimp exhibited higher weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), condition factor (CF), and lower hepatosomatic index (HSI) compared to those fed the NC diet (p < 0.05). The WGR and SGR of shrimp fed L-methionine and MHA-Ca showed no difference with those in the PC diet (p > 0.05). Both of L-methionine and MHA-Ca supplementary diets significantly decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of shrimp when compared with the NC diet (p < 0.05). L-methionine supplementation improved the lysozyme (LZM) activity and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of shrimp, while the MHA-Ca addition elevated the reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in comparison with those fed the NC diet (p < 0.05). Hypertrophied blister cells in hepatocytes were observed in shrimp fed the NC diet, and alleviated with L-methionine and MHA-Ca supplementations. Shrimp fed the MET and MHA-Ca diets had higher mRNA expression levels of target of rapamycin (tor) than those fed the NC diet (p < 0.05). Compared to the NC group, dietary MHA-Ca supplementation upregulated the expression level of cysteine dioxygenase (cdo) (p < 0.05), while L-methionine supplementation had no significant impact (p > 0.05). The expression levels of superoxide dismutase (sod) and glutathione peroxidase (gpx) were significantly upregulated by L-methionine supplemented diet in comparison with those in the NC group (p < 0.05). Overall, the addition of both L-methionine and MHA-Ca elevated the growth performance, facilitated protein synthesis, and ameliorated hepatopancreatic damage induced by plant-protein enriched diet in L. vannamei. L-methionine and MHA-Ca supplements enhanced anti-oxidants differently.

Phenolic compounds in Nordic berry species and their application as potential natural food preservatives.

An increasing demand for natural food preservatives is raised by consumers. For Nordic berry species, abundance of phenolic compounds and potent activities of anti-oxidation and anti-bacteria enables a great potential as food preservatives. This review provides a systematic examination of current literature on phenolic profiles, anti-oxidative and anti-bacterial activities of various extracts of Nordic berry species, as well as the impact of various structure features of phenolics on the bioactivities. Special attention is placed on exploitation of leaves of berry species and pomaces after juice-pressing as side-streams of berry production and processing. The current progress and challenges in application of Nordic berry species as food preservatives are discussed. To fully explore the potential application of Nordic berry species in food industry and especially to valorize the side-streams of berry cultivation (leaves) and juice-pressing industry (pomaces), it is crucial to obtain extracts and fractions with targeted phenolic composition, which have high food preserving efficacy and minimal impact on sensory qualities of food products.

Bioactive Compounds in Moringa oleifera: Mechanisms of Action, Focus on Their Anti-Inflammatory Properties.

Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) is a tropical tree native to Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan; it is cultivated for its nutritious leaves, pods, and seeds. This scientific study was conducted to outline the anti-inflammatory properties and mechanisms of action of bioactive compounds from M. oleifera. The existing research has found that the plant is used in traditional medicine due to its bioactive compounds, including phytochemicals: flavonoids and polyphenols. The compounds are thought to exert their anti-inflammatory effects due to: (1) inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes: quercetin and kaempferol inhibit the pro-inflammatory enzymes (cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase); (2) regulation of cytokine production: isothiocyanates modulate signaling pathways involved in inflammation, such as the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) pathway; isothiocyanates inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor α) and IL-1ß (interleukin-1ß); and (3) antioxidant activity: M. oleifera contains flavonoids, polyphenols, known to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. The review includes M. oleifera's effects on cardiovascular protection, anti-hypertensive activities, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This research could prove valuable for exploring the pharmacological potential of M. oleifera and contributing to the prospects of developing effective medicines for the benefit of human health.

[Research progress in pharmacological effectsand mechanism of Fel Ursi against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases].

Fel Ursi is a dried product obtained from the gallbladder of Ursidae animals, such as Selenarctos thibetanus or Ursus arctos, through gallbladder surgery for bile drainage. It is one of the rare animal medicinal materials in China and is known for its therapeutic effects, including clearing heat, removing toxins, extinguishing wind, relieving spasms, clearing the liver, and improving vision. Research has also found that Fel Ursi has pharmacological effects against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant stress properties. Recently, numerous studies have confirmed the close relationship between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and the gut microbiota as well as gut metabolites. Fel Ursi contains bile acid components that may have bidirectional regulatory effects on the gut microbiota and gut metabolites. This aspect could represent a potential therapeutic pathway for Fel Ursi in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. This article comprehensively summarized relevant literature in China and abroad, reviewed the research progress on the pharmacological effects of Fel Ursi against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and explored the impact of Fel Ursi on gut microbiota and gut metabolites, thereby aiming to provide references for further in-depth research and clinical application of Fel Ursi.

Phytohustil® and root extract of Althaea officinalis L. exert anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties and improve the migratory capacity of endothelial cells in vitro.

Introduction: Althaea officinalis L.'s root extract (REA) has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient times to treat a cough. Applying REA leads to a protective film that induces a faster regeneration of the lesioned laryngopharyngeal mucosa caused by dry coughs. The buccopharyngeal mucosa is a highly vascularized tissue. In this regard, anti-inflammatory/-oxidant phytochemicals that improve the repair of the lesion site, e.g., neovascularization in the wound, are critical for promoting healing. For this reason, it is essential to investigate the effects of Phytohustil® and REA on different cellular components of the mucosa under conditions similar to those found in the injured mucosa. Thus, this in vitro study investigated the anti-inflammatory/oxidative and pro-migratory properties of Phytohustil® cough syrup on vascular endothelial cells. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were pretreated (24 h) with Phytohustil®, its excipients, or REA, followed by incubation with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; 1 h; pro-oxidative) or with lipopolysaccharides (LPS; 3 h; pro-inflammatory). Viability and cytotoxicity were measured by PrestoBlue® assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were quantified with 20-70-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA). The release of interleukin 6 (IL6) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The migratory capacity of HUVEC was measured using a scratch assay. Results: Our results show that Phytohustil®, its excipients and REA were not cytotoxic. Pretreatment of HUVEC (24 h) with Phytohustil® or REA inhibited the LPS-activated IL6 release. Phytohustil® or REA inhibited the H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and intracellular ROS production. Phytohustil® and REA significantly stimulated wound closure compared to the control. Conclusion: Our data show that Phytohustil® and REA have anti-inflammatory/-oxidant properties and improve the migratory capacity of vascular endothelial cells. These properties may contribute to the healing characteristics of Phytohustil® and support the benefit of Phytohustil® in patient's treatment of irritated oral mucosa.

Dietary Se-Enriched Cardamine enshiensis Supplementation Alleviates Transport-Stress-Induced Body Weight Loss, Anti-Oxidative Capacity and Meat Quality Impairments of Broilers.

The aim of this experiment was to explore the effects of a new selenium (Se) source from Se-enriched Cardamine enshiensis (SeCe) on body weight loss, anti-oxidative capacity and meat quality of broilers under transport stress. A total of 240 one-day-old ROSS 308 broilers were allotted into four treatments with six replicate cages and 10 birds per cage using a 2 × 2 factorial design. The four groups were as follows: (1) Na2SeO3-NTS group, dietary 0.3 mg/kg Se from Na2SeO3 without transport stress, (2) SeCe-NTS group, dietary 0.3 mg/kg Se from SeCe without transport stress, (3) Na2SeO3-TS group, dietary 0.3 mg/kg Se from Na2SeO3 with transport stress, and (4) SeCe-TS group, dietary 0.3 mg/kg Se from SeCe with transport stress. After a 42 d feeding period, the broilers were transported by a lorry or kept in the original cages for 3 h, respectively. The results showed that dietary SeCe supplementation alleviated transport-stress-induced body weight loss and hepatomegaly of the broilers compared with the broilers fed Na2SeO3 diets (p < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary SeCe supplementation increased the concentrations of plasma total protein and glucose, and decreased the activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase of the broilers under transport stress (p < 0.05). Dietary SeCe supplementation also enhanced the anti-oxidative capacity and meat quality in the breast and thigh muscles of the broilers under transport stress (p < 0.05). In summary, compared with Na2SeO3, dietary SeCe supplementation alleviates transport-stress-induced body weight loss, anti-oxidative capacity and meat quality impairments of broilers.