A review on the protective effect of active components in Antrodia camphorata against alcoholic liver injury.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Antrodia camphorata is a genus of wood-rot basidiomycete in the family Fomitopsidaceae. It is a valuable medicinal fungus in China that contains more than 78 kinds of active compounds. A. camphorata has good protection effects on the liver, especially on alcoholic liver injury (ALI). AIM: This paper summarizes the complex occurrence and development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). In addition, the effect of ALD on the intestine through the gut-liver axis is summarized. The protective mechanism of A. camphorata on ALI is reviewed to reveal its therapeutic potential, offering insights into future research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search in the literature was obtained from books and online databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Science direct, ACS Publications and Baidu Scholar. RESULTS: The pathogenesis of ALD mainly includes oxidative stress injury, intestinal microflora imbalance, inflammatory mediator injury and nutritional imbalance. A. camphorata contains rich active components (e.g. polysaccharides, triterpenoids, maleic and succinic acid derivatives, amino acids, superoxide dismutase, vitamins, lignin and sterols). These components have good antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and intestinal protection activities. Therefore, A. camphorata has a wide application in the prevention and treatment of ALI. CONCLUSIONS: ALD develops from a mild disease to alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis, which is the main reason of global morbidity and mortality. At present, there is no effective drug for the treatment of ALD. A. camphorata, as a valuable medicinal fungus unique to Taiwan, has a great protective effect on the liver. It is expected to be an effective drug for ALI treatment. Although many studies have performed the protective effects of A. camphorata on ALI, its regulatory effects on the gut-liver axis of ALD patients need to be further explored.

Separation, characterization and hypoglycemic activity in vitro evaluation of a low molecular weight heteropolysaccharide from the fruiting body of Phellinus pini.

Edible mushrooms have potential in anti-diabetic phytotherapy. They are rich in natural compounds such as polysaccharides, which have been known to have antihyperlipidemic effects since ancient times. A polysaccharide fraction of PP80 and a contained low molecular-weight (Mw), water-soluble polysaccharide (PPW-1, Mw: 3.2 kDa) were isolated from the fruiting body of Phellinus pini. Both PP80 and PPW-1 possess α-glucosidase inhibition and glucose consumption amelioration in an insulin-resistant HepG2 cell model. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of PPW-1 (IC50 = 2.2 ± 0.1 mg mL-1) is significantly (P < 0.01) higher than those of PP80 (IC50 = 13.1 ± 0.5 mg mL-1) and acarbose (IC50 = 4.3 ± 0.2 mg mL-1), behaving in a non-competitive inhibition manner. The structural characterization results indicated that PPW-1 is a homogeneous heteropolysaccharide composed of d-glucose, d-mannose, d-galactose and l-rhamnose. The major backbone of PPW-1 is primarily comprised of 1,6-linked glucopyranose, every third residue of which is branched at the O-3 position by a side chain consisting of 1,3-linked and terminal glucopyranose. In addition, small amounts of 1,2-linked-α-d-Manp, 1,6-linked-3-O-Me-α-d-Galp and rhamnose exist in PPW-1. In summary, PPW-1 is a novel heteropolysaccharide with potent in vitro hypoglycemic activity, and it may be a potential dietary component for improving glucose homeostasis.

Effects of ultrasonic pre-treatment on physicochemical properties of proteins extracted from cold-pressed sesame cake.

Sesame is an oil crop with high nutritional value. Protein is one of the main ingredients of sesame, however research on protein of cold-pressed sesame cake is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasonic pre-treatment (UPT) on physicochemical properties of proteins (yield, solubility, amino acid composition, surface properties, structural and thermal stability) extracted from the cold-pressed sesame cake, after removing lignans by ultrasonic-assisted extraction. By comparison, the extraction yield of protein was significantly (p ＜ 0.05) increased from 22.24% (without UPT) to 25.95% (with UPT), while the purity (54.08% without UPT, 55.43% with UPT), total amount of essential amino acids (22.48% without UPT, 23.10% with UPT) and non-essential amino acids (37.48% without UPT, 36.54% with UPT) were not significantly influenced. Besides, UPT slightly reduced the solubility, foaming capacity and stability (FC and FS) of protein. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermal stability (TG) analysis demonstrated that UPT could disorder and loose protein molecular structure, resulting in the change of morphology, secondary structure and thermal stability. In conclusion, this study provides a way for the separation and future application of sesame cake protein. UPT is a good option to remove the lignans from sesame cake proteins.

In vitro prebiotic activities of oligosaccharides from the by-products in Ganoderma lucidum spore polysaccharide extraction.

Until recently, a variety of oligosaccharides from fruits, vegetables and mushrooms have demonstrated positive prebiotic effects. Ganoderma lucidum, a well-known traditional medicine and tonic in East Asia, has been utilized in the prevention and treatment of a broad range of illnesses. In this study, each of three oligosaccharides was obtained from the polysaccharide extraction by-products of sporoderm: the unbroken and broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum (UB-GLS, B-GLS). Their molecular weight distribution, monosaccharide composition and preliminary structures were analyzed using gel permeation chromatography (GPC), GC-MS, UV and FTIR, respectively. All of the oligosaccharides were found to exhibit prebiotic activities, evaluated by detecting growth stimulation on Lactobacillus in vitro. Among these, UB-O80 and B-O80 displayed the most significant effects (p < 0.05) in these groups, and UB-O80 showed higher resistance to hydrolysis by artificial human gastric juice compared with inulin, giving a maximum hydrolysis rate of 1.65%. Compared with inulin media, Lactobacillus also revealed high tolerance to lower pH levels and simulated gastric juices in UB-O80 and B-O80 media. Compared with a control in gut microbiota fermentation, the abundance of some beneficial bacteria increased and some harmful bacteria declined in the groups of UB-O80 and B-O80. In conclusion, the results suggest that GLS oligosaccharides could be exploited as promising prebiotics for the enhancement of human health.

Protective effect of low molecular-weight seleno-aminopolysaccharides against H2O2-induecd oxidative stress in intestinal epithelial cells.

Organoselemium compounds possess strong antioxidant activity as well as protecting cells from DNA damage, mitochondrial injury, lipid peroxidation, protein denaturation and cell death. Herein, we used an in vitro oxidative model to further investigate the antioxidant effects of a novel organoselemium compound, low molecular-weight seleno-aminopolysaccharides (LSA) in intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-1), and the molecular mechanisms of these effects. Analysis by MTT assay showed that LSA could significantly increase the viability of IPEC-1 cells compared to cells exposed to H2O2. We found that the levels of different antioxidant enzymes could dramatically increase in LSA pretreatment group compared to H2O2 treatment group. Furthermore, LSA significantly increased the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and phase 2 detoxifying enzymes in IPEC-1 cells, as measured by qRT-PCR. In addition, LSA up-regulated the expression level of intracellular transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and inhibited the level of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) with western blot analysis. Collectively, the present study suggested that LSA has the protective effect of IPEC-1 cells against H2O2-induecd oxidative stress, and its mechanism may be related to activation of Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in intestinal epithelial cells.

Taraxacum mongolicum extract exhibits a protective effect on hepatocytes and an antiviral effect against hepatitis B virus in animal and human cells.

In order to validate the antiviral effect against hepatitis B virus (HBV) of Taraxacum mongolicum (T. mongolicum), the protective effect on hepatocytes, and antiviral properties against duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) and HBV of T. mongolicum extract (TME) were evaluated in chemically-injured neonatal rat hepatocytes, DHBV-infected duck fetal hepatocytes and HBV-transfected HepG2.2.15 cells, respectively. The results demonstrated that TME at 50-100 µg/ml improved D-galactosamine (D-GalN), thioacetamide (TAA) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-injured rat hepatocytes, and produced protection rates of 42.2, 34.6 and 43.8% at 100 µg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, TME at 1-100 µg/ml markedly inhibited DHBV DNA replication. Additionally, TME at 25-100 µg/ml reduced HBsAg and HBeAg levels and produced inhibition rates of 91.39 and 91.72% at 100 µg/ml, respectively. TME markedly inhibited HBV DNA replication at 25-100 µg/ml. The results demonstrate the potent antiviral effect of T. mongolicum against HBV effect. The protective of TME effect on hepatocytes may be achieved by its ability to ameliorate oxidative stress. The antiviral properties of TME may contribute to blocking protein synthesis steps and DNA replication. Furthermore, major components of TME were quantificationally analyzed. These data provide scientific evidence supporting the traditional use of TME in the treatment of hepatitis.

Blood anticoagulation and antiplatelet activity of green tea (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) in mice.

EGC was prepared from green tea polyphenols through column chromatography of a polyamide (3.6 × 40 cm). Three dosages of EGC (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 g kg(-1) d(-1)) were ingested respectively by ICR mice via gavage. Compared with the control group, group EGC0.5 (dosage, 0. 5 g kg(-1) d(-1)) and group EGC1.0 (dosage, 1.0 g kg(-1) d(-1)) presented significant inhibition on platelet aggregation in mice accompanied by 18.4 and 25.6% of inhibition ratio, respectively. The bleeding times (BT) of mice in group EGC0.5 and group EGC1.0 were significantly prolonged (P < 0.01) as well as blood clotting time (BCT) in group EGC1.0 (P < 0.05). All three dosages of EGC prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) significantly (P < 0.01), but had no prominent effect on prothrombin time (PT) and fibrinogen level which indicated that the anticoagulation of EGC could not be attributed to the level decrease of coagulation factor such as fibrinogen. The results demonstrated that EGC had prominent antiplatelet activity and blood anticoagulation in a dose-dependent manner.