Selenium supplementation provides potent neuroprotection following cerebral ischemia in mice.

Despite progress in reperfusion therapy, functional recovery remains suboptimal in many stroke patients, with oxidative stress, inflammation, dysbiosis, and secondary neurodegeneration constituting the major hurdles to recovery. The essential trace element selenium is emerging as a promising therapeutic agent for stroke. However, although several rodent studies have shown that selenium can protect against cell loss following cerebral ischemia, no study has yet examined whether selenium can enhance long-term functional recovery. Moreover, published studies have typically reported a single mechanism of action underlying selenium-mediated stroke recovery. However, we propose that selenium is more likely to have multifaceted actions. Here, we show that selenomethionine confers a potent neuroprotective effect in a canonical filament-induced transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mouse model. Post-tMCAO selenium treatment significantly reduces the cerebral infarct volume, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis and enhances post-tMCAO motor performance in the acute phase after stroke. Moreover, analysis of the gut microbiota reveals that acute selenium treatment reverses stroke-induced gut dysbiosis. Longer-term selenium supplementation activates intrinsic neuroprotective mechanisms, prevents secondary neurodegeneration, alleviates systemic inflammation, and diminishes gut microbe-derived circulating trimethylamine N-oxide. These findings demonstrate that selenium treatment even after cerebral ischemia has long-term and multifaceted neuroprotective effects, highlighting its clinical potential.

Ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction of Scutellaria baicalensis root polysaccharide and its hypoglycemic and immunomodulatory activities.

Scutellaria baicalensis is a medicinal plant possessing abundant bioactive polysaccharides. This study aimed to optimize the ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction of S. baicalensis root polysaccharide (SRP) and investigate its hypoglycemic and immunomodulatory activities. The optimal extraction conditions found in this study were as follows: cellulase concentration 165.6 U/mL, temperature 57.3 °C, liquid-solid ratio 44.8 mL/g, time 50 min, and ultrasonic power 225 W; with the yield reached up to 12.27 %. The ion exchange and gel filtration chromatographies were used to obtain a purified SRP. The carbohydrate content of SRP was 85.09 %, with a relatively high content of uronic acids (11.27 %). The SRP had a molecular weight of 89.7 kDa and was composed of eight monosaccharides. The inhibitory activity of SRP against α-amylase and α-glucosidase was determined. It was revealed that SRP could effectively inhibit these two enzymes with IC50 values of 1.23 and 0.63 mg/mL, respectively. Finally, the immunomodulatory effect of SRP on the dendritic cell activation was investigated, and the expressions of MHC II, CD80, CD86, and CD40 increased by 1.56, 1.96, 1.75, and 1.70 times, respectively, by the SRP treatment. This work will provide a foundation for SRP's efficient extraction and utilization for diabetes and immune therapy.

How does UV-B stress affect secondary metabolites of Scutellaria baicalensis in vitro shoots grown at different 6-benzyl aminopurine concentrations?

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation is one of the abiotic stresses that can significantly affect the secondary metabolite accumulation in in vitro tissue cultures of medicinal plants. The present study investigated the effects of UV-B radiation on the secondary metabolites and antioxidant activities of Scutellaria baicalensis in vitro shoots grown at different concentrations of 6-benzyl aminopurine (6-BA), which is the cytokinin most widely used in plant tissue culture. The UV-B radiation caused significant increases in lipid peroxidation, total phenolic, and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activities in the in vitro shoots grown at lower 6-BA concentrations (0 and 1 mg L-1 ), while it did not cause any significant changes in those grown at higher 6-BA concentrations (2 and 3 mg L-1 ). However, the UV-B radiation significantly altered the contents of main individual flavonoids at both lower and higher 6-BA concentrations. Upon UV-B radiation, aglycones (including baicalein, wogonin, and scutellarein) increased, while glucuronides such as baicalin and wogonoside decreased; this was more evident at higher 6-BA concentrations. This study demonstrated that the effects of UV-B radiation on the secondary metabolites of S. baicalensis in vitro shoots highly depended on the 6-BA concentration in the culture medium.

In vitro production of atractylon and ß-eudesmol from Atractylodes chinensis by adventitious root culture.

Atractylodes chinensis is a medicinal plant widely used for the treatment of gastric disorders, and its main bioactive compounds are atractylon and ß-eudesmol. This study was purposed to establish the adventitious root culture system of A. chinensis for in vitro production of atractylon and ß-eudesmol. The main parameters in the adventitious root induction and suspension cultures were optimized to maximize the culture efficiency. Adventitious roots were induced most efficiently from leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) solid medium containing 1.5 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 30 g/L sucrose with the highest root induction rate of approximately 92% and 12.9 roots per explant. During the adventitious root suspension culture, the root biomass and the accumulated content of the target compounds simultaneously increased to reach the maximum values after 8 weeks of culture. The maximum yield of the target compounds (total concentration 3.38 mg/g DW, total yield 2.66 mg) was achieved in the roots cultured in ½ MS liquid medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L IBA, 3.2 mg/L NAA, and 40 g/L sucrose with the inoculum density of 8 g/L. Through the central composite design experiment, it was found that the combined use of different types of auxins in the suspension culture could further improve root growth and metabolite accumulation than the application of only one type of auxin. This work provides a new possibility to have a promising candidate for the industrial production of A. chinensis pharmaceuticals without relying on wild resources or field cultivation. KEY POINTS: • The induction culture was optimized for efficient root induction. • Suspension culture was optimized for the atractylon and ß-eudesmol production. • Combined use of different auxins improves root growth and metabolite accumulation.

Preparation and structural properties of selenium modified heteropolysaccharide from the fruits of Akebia quinata and in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity.

Cancer is a complex disease, and blocking tumor angiogenesis has become one of the most promising approaches in cancer therapy. Here, an exopoly heteropolysaccharide (AQP70-2B) was firstly isolated from Akebia quinata. Monosaccharide composition indicated that the AQP70-2B was composed of rhamnose, glucose, galactose, and arabinose. The backbone of AQP70-2B consisted of →1)-l-Araf, →3)-l-Araf-(1→, →5)-l-Araf-(1→, →3,5)-l-Araf-(1→, →2,5)-l-Araf-(1→, →4)-d-Glcp-(1→, →6)-d-Galp-(1→, and →1)-d-Rhap residues. Based on the close relationship between selenium and anti-tumor activity, AQP70-2B was modified with selenium to obtain selenized polysaccharide Se-AQP70-2B. Then, a series of methods for analysis and characterization, especially scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), indicated that Se-AQP70-2B was successfully synthesized. Furthermore, zebrafish xenografts and anti-angiogenesis experiments indicated that selenization could improve the antitumor activity by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and migration and blocking angiogenesis.

Structural properties and in vitro and in vivo immunomodulatory activity of an arabinofuranan from the fruits of Akebia quinata.

In our continuous searching for natural active polysaccharides with immunomodulatory activity, an arabinofuranan (AQP70-3) was isolated and purified from the fruits of Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne. by using ion-exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography for the first time. AQP70-3 contained both α-l-Araf and ß-l-Araf, and the absolute molecular weight was 1.06 × 104 g/mol. The backbone of AQP70-3 comprised →5)-α-l-Araf-(1→, →3,5)-α-l-Araf-(1→, and →2,5)-α-l-Araf-(1→, with branches of →1)-ß-l-Arafand →3)-α-l-Araf-(1→ residues. Biological assay suggested that AQP70-3 can stimulate phagocytic activity and promote the levels of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) of RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, AQP70-3 was found to increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and NO in zebrafish embryo model.

Nitric oxide inhibitory iridoids as potential anti-inflammatory agents from Valeriana jatamansi.

Five new iridoids, jatadomins A-E (1-5), together with six known analogues (6-11) and one known sesquiterpenoid (12), were isolated from the roots of Valeriana jatamansi Jones. Their structures were determined by analysis of their NMR, HRESIMS, and electronic circular dichroism calculations (ECD) data. The biological evaluation revealed that compounds 1-6 had anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) release in LPS-induced murine microglial BV-2 cells, with IC50 values of 24.4, 9.2, 21.2, 25.9, 30.6, and 0.4 µM, respectively. Further molecular docking studies revealed a potential mechanism for NO inhibition by the bioactive compounds.

[Quality evaluation of the Meta-analysis literature published by acupuncture journals in Chinese Science Citation Database].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the methodological quality and reporting quality of Meta-analysis literature published by acupuncture journals included in Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD), and to provide references and demonstration for relevant studies. METHODS: The Meta-analysis literature published before December 2017 in Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Acupuncture Research, Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science and World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion was retrieved by computer. AMSTAR was used for methodology quality evaluation, and PRISMA was used for reporting quality evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 69 literature was included. Among them, the co-authorship rate was 100% and the cooperation degree was 5.45. The first authors came from 32 institutions, and 29 literature (42.0%) was funded. The cited rate was 98.6%, and averagely each paper was cited 16.3 times. The mean score of methodology quality evaluation was (7.78±1.14) points, including 14 high-quality literature (20.3%), 50 moderate-quality literature (72.5%) and 5 low-quality literature (7.2%). The average score of reporting quality evaluation was (20.33±2.36) points, including 24 relatively complete literature (34.8%), 41 literature with certain defects (59.4%) and 4 literature with serious defects (5.8%). CONCLUSION: The Meta-analysis reports published by acupuncture journals in CSCD have relatively high methodological quality and reporting quality, which could provide evidence for clinical decision making, but still the quality level needed to be further enhanced according to the writing standard of Meta-analysis report. At the same time, the overall level of experimental research should be constantly improved to promote the development of evidence-based research on acupuncture and promote the formation of high-quality evidence.

Isoprenoids obtained from Cortex Dictamni and their nitric oxide inhibitory activities.

Nine new isoprenoids, named as dictamtrinor-guaianols A (1), B (2), C (3), D (4), and E (5), dictamnorsesquiterpenol A (6), dictamnorsesquiterpenosides B (7) and C (8), as well as dictamtriterpenol A (9), along with eight known compounds (10-17) were obtained from 70% EtOH extract of Cortex Dictamni. Their structures were ascertained based on the extensive spectroscopic methods and ECD data analysis. Moreover, LC-MS analysis result suggested compounds 2 and 3 were natural products. Furthermore, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage model were used to evaluate nitric oxide production inhibitory activities of them, and compounds 2, 3, 5, 6, 8-11, as well as 15-17 displayed significant activities at 40 µM.

Characterization of liquefied products from corn stalk and its biomass components by polyhydric alcohols with phosphoric acid.

The hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were directly separated from corn stalk, and their liquefaction processes were investigated via acid-catalyzed solvolysis treatment with 1,2-propylene glycol (PG) and diethylene glycol (DEG) to produce bio-oil and residues. The main components, functional groups and organics structure of bio-oil were analyzed by the FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, GCMS, and TGA. It was found that there had a similar tendency in the liquefaction processes of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Corn stalk and its biomass components were degraded and formed plentiful low-molecular polymers by acid catalysis, prior to polymers were converted into corresponding PG/DEG-derivatives. Finally, low-molecular weight soluble substances and insoluble residues were generated by decomposition and polymerization. Additionally, more than 80% compounds' carbon number in four bio-oils was below 25. The residues were mostly stemmed from macromolecules produced by degradation products and PG/DEG or re-polymerization between degraded small molecules.

Rapid extraction of Amomum tsao-ko essential oil and determination of its chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

A simple, green and efficient extraction method named modified-solvent free microwave extraction (M-SFME) was employed for the extraction of essential oils (EOs) from Amomun tsao-ko. The process of M-SFME was optimized with the prominent preponderance of such higher extraction yield (1.13%) than those of solvent free microwave extraction (SFME, 0.91%) and hydrodistillation (HD, 0.84%) under the optimal parameters. Thirty-four volatile substances representing 95.4% were identified. The IC50 values of EOs determined by DPPH radical scavenging activity and ß-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assay were 5.27 and 0.63mg/ml. Furthermore, the EOs exhibited moderate to potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against all tested strains including five gram-positive and two gram-negative bacteria (MIC: 2.94-5.86mg/ml). In general, M-SFME is a potential and desirable alternative for the extraction of EOs from aromatic herbs, and the EOs obtained from A. tsao-ko can be explored as a potent natural antimicrobial and antioxidant preservative ingredient in food industry from the technological and economical points of view.

Efficient extraction and preparative separation of four main isoflavonoids from Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen leaves by deep eutectic solvents-based negative pressure cavitation extraction followed by macroporous resin column chromatography.

In this study, green and efficient deep eutectic solvent-based negative pressure cavitation-assisted extraction (DES-NPCE) followed by macroporous resin column chromatography was developed to extract and separate four main isoflavonoids, i.e. prunetin, tectorigenin, genistein and biochanin A from Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen leaves. The extraction procedure was optimized systematically by single-factor experiments and a Box-Behnken experimental design combined with response surface methodology. The maximum extraction yields of prunetin, tectorigenin, genistein and biochanin A reached 1.204, 1.057, 0.911 and 2.448mg/g dry weight, respectively. Moreover, the direct enrichment and separation of four isoflavonoids in DES extraction solution was successfully achieved by macroporous resin AB-8 with recovery yields of more than 80%. The present study provides a convenient and efficient method for the green extraction and preparative separation of active compounds from plants.

Differences in the activities of eight enzymes from ten soil fungi and their possible influences on the surface structure, functional groups, and element composition of soil colloids.

How soil fungi function in soil carbon and nutrient cycling is not well understood by using fungal enzymatic differences and their interactions with soil colloids. Eight extracellular enzymes, EEAs (chitinase, carboxymethyl cellulase, ß-glucosidase, protease, acid phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase, laccase, and guaiacol oxidase) secreted by ten fungi were compared, and then the fungi that showed low and high enzymatic activity were co-cultured with soil colloids for the purpose of finding fungi-soil interactions. Some fungi (Gomphidius rutilus, Russula integra, Pholiota adiposa, and Geastrum mammosum) secreted 3-4 enzymes with weak activities, while others (Cyathus striatus, Suillus granulate, Phallus impudicus, Collybia dryophila, Agaricus sylvicola, and Lactarius deliciosus) could secret over 5 enzymes with high activities. The differences in these fungi contributed to the alterations of functional groups (stretching bands of O-H, N-H, C-H, C = O, COO- decreased by 11-60%, while P = O, C-O stretching, O-H bending and Si-O-Si stretching increased 9-22%), surface appearance (disappearance of adhesive organic materials), and elemental compositions (11-49% decreases in C1s) in soil colloids. Moreover, more evident changes were generally in high enzymatic fungi (C. striatus) compared with low enzymatic fungi (G. rutilus). Our findings indicate that inter-fungi differences in EEA types and activities might be responsible for physical and chemical changes in soil colloids (the most active component of soil matrix), highlighting the important roles of soil fungi in soil nutrient cycling and functional maintenance.