Enhancing La(III) biosorption and biomineralization with Micromonospora saelicesensis: Involvement of phosphorus and formation of monazite nano-minerals.

The release of rare earth elements (REEs) from mining wastes and their applications has significant environmental implications, necessitating the development of effective prevention and reclamation strategies. The mobility of REEs in groundwater due to microorganisms has garnered considerable attention. In this study, a La(III) resistant actinobacterium, Micromonospora saelicesensis KLBMP 9669, was isolated from REE enrichment soil in GuiZhou, China, and evaluated for its ability to adsorb and biomineralize La(III). The findings demonstrated that M. saelicesensis KLBMP 9669 immobilized La(III) through the physical and chemical interactions, with immobilization being influenced by the initial La(III) concentration, biomass, and pH. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order rate model, and the adsorption isotherm conformed to the Langmuir model. La(III) adsorption capacity of this strain was 90 mg/g, and removal rate was 94 %. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) analysis revealed the coexistence of La(III) with C, N, O, and P. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations further indicated that carboxyl, amino, carbonyl, and phosphate groups on the mycelial surface may participate in lanthanum adsorption. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that La(III) accumulation throughout the M. saelicesensis KLBMP 9669, with some granular deposits on the mycelial surface. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed the presence of LaPO4 crystals on the M. saelicesensis KLBMP 9669 biomass after a prolonged period of La(III) accumulation. This post-sorption nano-crystallization on the M. saelicesensis KLBMP 9669 mycelial surface is expected to play a crucial role in limiting the bioimmobilization of REEs in geological repositories.

Anti-oxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Ethanol Extract from Polygala sibirica L. var megalopha Fr. on Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract of Polygala sibirica L. var megalopha Fr. (EEP) on RAW264.7 mouse macrophages. METHODS: RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with 0-200 µg/mL EEP or vehicle for 2 h prior to exposure to 1 µg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h. Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PGE2) production were determined by Griess reagent and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß), and IL-6 were determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Western blot assay was used to determine the protein expressions of iNOS, COX-2, phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), inhibitory subunit of nuclear factor Kappa B alpha (Iκ B-α) and p38. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the nuclear expression of nuclear factor-κ B p65 (NF-κ B p65). Additionally, the anti-oxidant potential of EEP was evaluated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl (OH), superoxide anion (O2-) radical and nitrite scavenging activity were also measured. RESULTS: The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of EEP were 23.50±2.16 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g and 43.78±3.81 mg rutin equivalent/100 g. With EEP treatment (100 and 150 µg/mL), there was a notable decrease in NO and PGE2 production induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells by downregulation of iNOS and COX-2 mRNA and protein expressions (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, with EEP treatment (150 µg/mL), there was a decrease in the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6, as well as in the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, P<0.01 or P<0.05), by blocking the nuclear translocation of NF-κ B p65 in LPS-stimulated cells. In addition, EEP (100 and 150 µg/mL) led to an increase in the anti-oxidant enzymes activity of SOD and CAT, with a concomitant decrease in ROS production (P<0.01 or P<0.05). EEP also indicated the DPPH, OH, O2- radical and nitrite scavenging activity. CONCLUSION: EEP inhibited inflammatory responses in activated macrophages through blocking MAPK/NF-κ B pathway and protected against oxidative stress.

Anthocyanin Extract from Purple Sweet Potato Exacerbate Mitophagy to Ameliorate Pyroptosis in Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection.

Given the rise of morbidity and mortality caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), the increasing number of strains resistant to antibiotics, and the emergence of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumonia, treatment of KP infection becomes difficult; thus, novel drugs are necessary for treatment. Anthocyanins, or natural flavonoids, have an extensive effect against bacterial infection. However, few studies on anti-KP are identified. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of purple sweet potato anthocyanins (PSPAs) on KP, containing 98.7% delphinidin 3-sambubioside. Results showed that KP-infected mice after PSPAs treatment manifested decreased mortality, weakened lung injury, dampened inflammatory responses, and reduced bacterial systemic dissemination in vivo. In Vitro, PSPAs significantly suppressed pyroptosis and restricted NLRP3 inflammasome activation in alveolar macrophages infected with KP. As for the mechanism, PSPAs promote mitophagy by recruiting Parkin to the mitochondria. PSPAs-conferred mitophagy increased mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial DNA, resulting in impaired NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In addition, the promotion of mitophagy by PSPAs required the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Collectively, these findings suggest that PSPAs are a potential option for the treatment of KP infection.

Cochlioquinone derivative CoB1 induces cytostatic autophagy in lung cancer through miRNA-125b and Foxp3.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, yet no effective medication for this disease is available. Cochlioquinone B derivative (CoB1), purified from Salvia miltiorrhiza endophytic Bipolaris sorokiniana, affects the defense against pulmonary pathogens by regulating inflammatory responses. However, the effect of CoB1 on lung cancer and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study, we investigate the protective effects of CoB1 on lung cancer and explore its underlying mechanism. METHOD: We examined the inhibitory effect of CoB1 on lung cancer cells (A549 cells) by MTT and colony formation assay. The effect of CoB1 on cytostatic autophagy in lung cancer cells was verified by Western blot, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy. The differentially expressed miRNAs were identified using quantitative RT-PCR. Luciferase assay and Northern blot were performed to verify the correlation between miRNA-125b and Foxp3. Protein expression in autophagy-related pathways was detected by Western blot. Xenograft tumor models were constructed to explore the inhibitory effect of CoB1 and the role of miRNA-125b as a suppressor in lung cancer in vivo. RESULT: CoB1 inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation by inducing cytostatic autophagy both in vitro and in vivo. CoB1-induced autophagy was related to blocking of the PI3K/Akt1/mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, CoB1 induced miR-125b expression via activating the TAK1/MKK4/JNK/Smad axis, thereby reducing Foxp3 expression and further inducing autophagy. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to report the specific inhibitory function of CoB1 purified from Salvia miltiorrhiza endophytic Bipolaris sorokiniana in lung cancer, which may be due to the induction of autophagy. This study provides evidence and novel insights into the anticancer efficacy of CoB1.

Contribution of traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional western medicine treatment for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), current evidence with systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study provides current evidence for efficacy and safety of treating COVID-19 with combined traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and conventional western medicine (CWM). Six databases were searched from January 1 to December 31, 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), case-control studies (CCTs), and cohort studies on TCM or TCM combined with CWM treatment for COVID-19 were included. The quality of included RCTs was assessed by Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of cohort studies and CCTs. Review Manager 5.4 software was used to perform meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. A total of 35 studies (3,808 patients) composing 19 RCTs and 16 observational studies were included. The results of meta-analysis revealed that comparing with CWM alone, integrated TCM and CWM had significant improvement in total effective rate, improvement rate of chest CT, the rate of disease progression, as well as improvement of fever, fatigue and cough. The overall quality of evidence was very low to moderate. In conclusion, TCM combined with CWM was a potential treatment option for increasing clinical effective rate, improving the clinical symptoms, and preventing disease progression in COVID-19 patients. High-quality clinical trials are required in the further.

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Anticancer Activity of Houttuynia cordata Thunb Aerial Stem Extract in Human Gastric Cancer SGC-7901 Cells.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, and prevention through diet is one of the ways to control. Houttuynia cordata thunb.(HCT) is a plant having medicine and food function, has many biological properties. However, the effect of food style on the anticancer activity of HCT is not clear. So, we investigate the effect of heat treatment on anticancer activity of HCT. HCT extracts (heated aerial stem, heated subterraneous stem, heated leaves defined as HAS, HSS, HL, respectively, and not heated defined as NAS, NSS, NL, respectively) were obtained, and their inhibited activity were detected by alamar blue assay. The cell apoptosis was detected by DAPI staining and flow cytometry analysis. Western blot was performed to test the expression of apoptotic related protein. HCT showed the anticancer activity in four human tumor cell lines. Interestingly, heat treatment could increase the anticancer activity. In SCG-7901 cells, heat treatment increased anticancer activity of AS by 2-14 folds and induced apoptosis through regulating the intrinsic signaling pathways. Intriguingly, the caspase nine specific inhibitor blocked AS-reduced cell viability. Heat treatment increased the anticancer activity of HCT, and can be used as a dietary style for prevention of gastric cancer.