Methanol Extracts from Cirsium japonicum DC. var. australe Kitam. and Their Active Components Reduce Intracellular Oxidative Stress in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Cirsium japonicum DC. var. australe Kitam. has been used as an herbal remedy and often involves using the whole plant or roots. However, the bioactivities of different parts of the plant have been far less explored. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidative ability of methanol extracts from the flowers, leaves, stems, and roots of the Cirsium plant and their possible active components against juglone-induced oxidative stress in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The results showed that the highest dry weight (12.3 g per plant) was observed in leaves, which was followed by stems (8.0 g). The methanol extract yields from the flowers, leaves, and roots were all similar (13.0-13.8%), while the yield from stems was the lowest (8.6%). The analysis of the silymarin contents in the extracts indicated that the flowers, leaves, stems, and roots contained silychristin and taxifolin; however, silydianin was only found in the leaves, stems, and roots. The flower, leaf, and stem extracts, at a concentration of 10 mg/L, significantly reduced juglone-induced oxidative stress in C. elegans, which was potentially due to the presence of silychristin and taxifolin. Overall, C. japonicum DC. var. australe Kitam. contains a significant amount of silymarin and exhibits in vivo antioxidative activity, suggesting that the prospects for the plant in terms of health supplements or as a source of silymarin are promising.

Evaluation of Motor Coordination and Antidepressant Activities of Cinnamomum osmophloeum ct. Linalool Leaf Oil in Rodent Model.

Cinnamomum plants (Lauraceae) are a woody species native to South and Southeast Asia forests, and are widely used as food flavors and traditional medicines. This study aims to evaluate the chemical constituents of Cinnamomum osmophloeum ct. linalool leaf oil, and its antidepressant and motor coordination activities and the other behavioral evaluations in a rodent animal model. The major component of leaf oil is linalool, confirmed by GC-MS analysis. Leaf oil would not induce the extra body weight gain compared to the control mice at the examined doses after 6 weeks of oral administration. The present results provide the first evidence for motor coordination and antidepressant effects present in leaf oil. According to hypnotic, locomotor behavioral, and motor coordination evaluations, leaf oil would not cause side effects, including weight gain, drowsiness and a diminishment in the motor functions, at the examined doses. In summary, these results revealed C. osmophloeum ct. linalool leaf essential oil is of high potential as a therapeutic supplement for minor/medium depressive syndromes.

Role of Camellia brevistyla (Hayata) Coh. Stuart Seed Pomace Extract on Hypertension and Vascular Function in L-NAME-Treated Mice.

Camellia brevistyla (Hayata) Coh. Stuart seeds are used to produce edible oil. The seed pomace is an agricultural waste, containing approximately 8% saponin, which has antihypertensive effects. Nω -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) can induce hypertension with no deficiency on mice. Here, we investigated the effects of ethanol extract from C. brevistyla seed pomace (CBPE) in L-NAME-induced hypertension mice. The results showed that all doses of CBPE significantly decreased systolic (117 ± 5-122 ± 5 mmHg) and diastolic (72 ± 16-77 ± 8 mmHg) blood pressure, aortic intima media thickness (48 ± 5-53 ± 5 µm), and also reduced the MDA adduct and protein carbonyl levels in the liver (101 ± 19-114 ± 17 ρmol/mL and 4.8 - 5.2 nmol/mg) compared to those observed in the L-NAME group (140 ± 3 and 95 ± 8 mmHg, 65 ± 10 µm, 145 ± 25 ρmol/mL, and 7.8 nmol/mg; P < 0.05). These results suggest that CBPE has profitable antihypertensive properties which are preventing aorta remodeling and reducing liver oxidative stress in hypertensive mice.

Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity and Thermostability of Cinnamaldehyde-Chemotype Leaf Oil of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Microencapsulated with ß-Cyclodextrin.

The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and thermostability of Cinnamomum osmophloeum leaf oil microencapsulated with ß-cyclodextrin were evaluated in this study. The yield of leaf oil microcapsules was 86.3% using the optimal reaction conditions at the leaf oil to ß-cyclodextrin ratio of 15:85 and ethanol to water ratio ranging from 1:3 to 1:5. Based on the FTIR analysis, the characteristic absorption bands of major constituent, trans-cinnamaldehyde, were confirmed in the spectra of leaf oil microcapsules. According to the dry-heat aging test, ß-cyclodextrin was thermostable under the high temperature conditions, and it was beneficial to reduce the emission of C. osmophloeum leaf oil. Leaf oil microcapsules exhibited high xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 83.3 µg/mL. It is concluded that the lifetime of C. osmophloeum leaf oil can be effectively improved by microencapsulation, and leaf oil microcapsules possess superior xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity.

Quality Characterization and Oxidative Stability of Camellia Seed Oils Produced with Different Roasting Temperatures.

In this study, the effects of roasting camellia (Camellia oleifera Abel.) seed oils at different temperatures (65°C, 100°C, 120°C, and 140°C) on the oxidative stability and composition of the oils were investigated. The results showed that, in terms of the quality of the oils, the roasting temperature influenced the total phenolic content (which ranged from 1.64～2.45 GAE mg/g for the different oils) and total flavonoid content (which ranged from 0.36～0.45 QE mg/g for the different oils), while the fatty acid profile and tocopherol content were not influenced by the roasting temperature. We also investigated the kinetic parameters of camellia seed oil during oxidation via Rancimat (at temperatures ranging from 110~140°C). It turned out that the natural logarithms of the oxidative stability index (OSI) varied linearly with respect to temperature (R2: 0.958～0.997). This was done on the basis of the Arrhenius equation that indicates that the activation energies (Ea) for oxidative stability are 65.7～78.4 KJ/mol. Simultaneously, we found that increasing the roasting temperature could increase the antioxidant stability of Maillard reaction products in camellia seed oil. The effects of roasting include the assurance that the camellia seed oil so produced will comply with the relevant governmental health codes and standards and have a longer shelf life.

Both Phosphorus Fertilizers and Indigenous Bacteria Enhance Arsenic Release into Groundwater in Arsenic-Contaminated Aquifers.

Arsenic (As) is a human carcinogen, and arsenic contamination in groundwater is a worldwide public health concern. Arsenic-affected areas are found in many places but are reported mostly in agricultural farmlands, yet the interaction of fertilizers, microorganisms, and arsenic mobilization in arsenic-contaminated aquifers remains uncharacterized. This study investigates the effects of fertilizers and bacteria on the mobilization of arsenic in two arsenic-contaminated aquifers. We performed microcosm experiments using arsenic-contaminated sediments and amended with inorganic nitrogenous or phosphorus fertilizers for 1 and 4 months under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The results show that microcosms amended with 100 mg/L phosphorus fertilizers (dipotassium phosphate), but not nitrogenous fertilizers (ammonium sulfate), significantly increase aqueous As(III) release in arsenic-contaminated sediments under anaerobic condition. We also show that concentrations of iron, manganese, potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium are increased in the aqueous phase and that the addition of dipotassium phosphate causes a further increase in aqueous iron, potassium, and sodium, suggesting that multiple metal elements may take part in the arsenic release process. Furthermore, microbial analysis indicates that the dominant microbial phylum is shifted from α-proteobacteria to ß- and γ-proteobacteria when the As(III) is increased and phosphate is added in the aquifer. Our results provide evidence that both phosphorus fertilizers and microorganisms can mediate the release of arsenic to groundwater in arsenic-contaminated sediments under anaerobic condition. Our study suggests that agricultural activity such as the use of fertilizers and monitoring phosphate concentration in groundwater should be taken into consideration for the management of arsenic in groundwater.

Antioxidant activity, delayed aging, and reduced amyloid-ß toxicity of methanol extracts of tea seed pomace from Camellia tenuifolia.

There is a growing interest in the exploitation of the residues generated by plants. This study explored the potential beneficial health effects from the main biowaste, tea seed pomace, produced when tea seed is processed. DPPH radical scavenging and total phenolic content assays were performed to evaluate the in vitro activities of the extracts. Caenorhabditis elegans was used as in vivo model to evaluate the beneficial health effects, including antioxidant activity, delayed aging, and reduced amyloid-ß toxicity. Among all soluble fractions obtained from the extracts of tea seed pomace from Camellia tenuifolia, the methanol (MeOH)-soluble fraction has the best in vivo antioxidant activities. The MeOH-soluble extraction was further divided into six fractions by chromatography with a Diaion HP-20 column eluted with water/MeOH, and fraction 3 showed the best in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities. Further analysis in C. elegans showed that the MeOH extract (fraction 3) of tea seed pomace significantly decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species, prolonged C. elegans lifespan, and reduced amyloid-ß (Aß) toxicity in transgenic C. elegans expressing human Aß. Moreover, bioactivity-guided fractionation yielded two potent constituents from fraction 3 of the MeOH extract, namely, kaempferol 3-O-(2″-glucopyranosyl)-rutinoside and kaempferol 3-O-(2″-xylopyranosyl)-rutinoside, and both compounds exhibited excellent in vivo antioxidant activity. Taken together, MeOH extracts of tea seed pomace from C. tenuifolia have multiple beneficial health effects, suggesting that biowaste might be valuable to be explored for further development as nutraceutical products. Furthermore, the reuse of agricultural byproduct tea seed pomace also fulfills the environmental perspective.

The ameliorative and toxic effects of selenite on Caenorhabditis elegans.

Selenium is an essential trace nutrient that has a narrow exposure window between its beneficial and detrimental effects. We investigated how selenium affected the development, fertility, and cholinergic signaling of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Our results showed that selenite supplementation at 0.01 and 0.05 µM accelerated development and increased the brood size, while the addition of 20 µM selenite retarded the developmental rate and decreased the brood size. We also showed that the 0.01 µM selenite-pretreated nematodes were more resistant to paralysis induced by an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, aldicarb, and a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, levamisole, compared to untreated worms. In contrast, 20 µM selenite-pretreated animals were more sensitive to aldicarb- and levamisole-induced paralysis compared to untreated worms. We measured the internal selenium in supplemented worms using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, and the data obtained suggested that selenite added to growth medium was taken up by the worms. Taken together, these results suggest that selenite exerts both ameliorative and toxic effects on C.elegans, depending on the amount. Our investigations here thus reinforce our understanding of the ameliorative and toxic effects of selenium on development, reproduction, and cholinergic signaling.

Evaluation of antifungal properties of octyl gallate and its synergy with cinnamaldehyde.

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using octyl gallate alone or with organic biocides as a preservative against wood decay fungi. Antifungal activities of three antioxidants, propyl gallate, octyl gallate and butylated hydroxyltoluene (BHT) were tested against four wood decay fungi, Lenzites betulina, Trametes versicolor, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Laetiporus sulphureus. Octyl gallate was found to be the only active compound with IC50 values of 0.47, 0.16, 0.24 and 0.04 mM against L. betulina, T. versicolor, G. trabeum and L. sulphureus, respectively. A synergistic effect was also found when octyl gallate was combined with cinnamaldehyde. Results obtained herein demonstrated that octyl gallate by itself exhibited an excellent antifungal property and enhanced protection was further observed by combining it with cinnamaldehyde.