Comparison of Flavonoid Content, Antioxidant Potential, Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Activity and Volatile Components Based on HS-SPME-GC-MS of Different Parts from Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro.

Matteuccia struthiopteris is one of the most globally consumed edible ferns and widely used in folk medicine. Reports mainly focus on young fronds and the rhizome which are common edible medicinal parts. However, there are few detailed reports on other parts. Therefore, the volatile components of different parts based on HS-SPME-GC-MS were identified, and total flavonoid contents, antioxidant activities and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities were compared in order to reveal the difference of volatile components and potential medicinal value of different parts. The results showed that total flavonoid contents, antioxidant activities and volatile components of different parts were obviously different. The crozier exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities, but only underground parts exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition potential against AChE. Common volatile compounds were furfural and 2-furancarboxaldehyde, 5-methyl-. In addition, it was found that some volatile components from adventitious root, trophophyll, sporophyll and petiole were important ingredients in food, cosmetics, industrial manufacturing and pharmaceutical applications.

Preparation, In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Nanoemulsion In Situ Gel for Transnasal Delivery of Traditional Chinese Medicine Volatile Oil from Ligusticum sinense Oliv.cv. Chaxiong.

Ischemic stroke is a difficult-to-treat brain disease that may be attributed to a limited therapeutic time window and lack of effective clinical drugs. Nasal-brain administration is characterized by low systemic toxicity and is a direct and non-invasive brain targeting route. Preliminary studies have shown that the volatile oil of Chaxiong (VOC) has an obvious anti-ischemic stroke effect. In this work, we designed a nanoemulsion thermosensitive in situ gel (VOC-NE-ISG) loaded with volatile oil of Chaxiong for ischemia via intranasal delivery to rat brain treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke. The developed VOC-NE-ISG formulation has a suitable particle size of 21.02 ± 0.25 nm and a zeta potential of -20.4 ± 1.47 mV, with good gelling ability and prolonged release of the five components of VOC. The results of in vivo pharmacokinetic studies and brain targeting studies showed that intranasal administration of VOC-NE-ISG could significantly improve the bioavailability and had excellent brain-targeting efficacy of nasal-to-brain delivery. In addition, the results of pharmacodynamics experiments showed that both VOC-NE and VOC-NE-ISG could reduce the neurological deficit score of model rats, reducing the size of cerebral infarction, with a significant effect on improving ischemic stroke. Overall, VOC-NE-ISG may be a promising intranasal nanomedicine for the effective treatment of ischemic stroke.

Modification effects of SanWei GanJiang Powder on liver and intestinal damage through reversing bile acid homeostasis.

BACKGROUND: Sanwei Ganjiang Powder (SWGJ), derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has long demonstrated its effectiveness in long-term liver damage therapy. Recent studies indicated that it can also regulate the intestinal tract, although the underlying molecular mechanisms of this remain mysterious. The aim of the study is to investigate the mechanisms of SWGJ against dysbacteriosis and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced gut-liver axis damage underlying bile acid enterohepatic circulation. METHODS: To observe the regulatory effects of SWGJ on Liver and Intestinal Damage, we explored two animal models. In model 1, sixty BALB/c mice were subjected to oral gavage with 12 g/kg of ceftriaxone sodium for 10d; during this time, SWGJ, bifendate and bifico were sequentially administered over 7d. In model 2, the model of chronic liver injury was induced by subcutaneous injection of 40% CCl4 oil solution twice per week for 8 weeks. From the 3rd week, SWGJ, bifendate and bifico were sequentially administered for 6 weeks. Intestinal flora (16S rDNA analysis), histology (H&E staining), tight connections (Immunohistochemistry, IHC), ultrastructure (Transmission electron microscopy, TEM), inflammatory cytokines and LPS (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA) of the intestines were assessed, and liver function was also evaluated by methods including ALT, AST and H&E staining. The levels of protein associated with bile acid metabolism were assessed by western blot. RESULTS: In model 1, SWGJ significantly decreased the activity of inflammatory cytokines and LPS compared with the ceftriaxone sodium group. In addition, SWGJ improved symptoms of intestinal flora imbalance; further, ZO-1 and occludin in the cytoplasm of intestinal villus epithelial cells was increased, and the histopathology of the ileum was improved. Notably, the expression of ALT and AST was significant increased, and disordered hepatic lobule structures were clearly observed in liver histopathology in model group; SWGJ can significantly improve these changes. Furthermore, the levels of proteins related to bile acid synthesis, such as CYP7A1, were significantly upregulated in the SWGJ group compared with the model, and proteins related to excretion and reabsorption, such as NTCP, Mrp2 and BESP, were also upregulated. Importantly, SWGJ increased the nuclear expression of nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2). Similar results appeared in model 2. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that SWGJ may elicit significant effects on the treatment of gut-liver axis damage, potential mechanisms at least partially involve bile acid enterohepatic, and increasing of the nuclear Nrf2 levels.

Flavonoids, Antioxidant Potential, and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Activity of the Extracts from the Gametophyte and Archegoniophore of Marchantia polymorpha L.

Marchantia polymorpha L. is a representative bryophyte used as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb for scald and pneumonia. The phytochemicals in M. polymorpha L. are terpenoids and flavonoids, among which especially the flavonoids show significant human health benefits. Many researches on the gametophyte of M. polymorpha L. have been reported. However, as the reproductive organ of M. polymorpha L., the bioactivity and flavonoids profile of the archegoniophore have not been reported, so in this work the flavonoid profiles, antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities of the extracts from the archegoniophore and gametophyte of M. polymorpha L. were compared by radical scavenging assay methods (DPPH, ABTS, O(2-)), reducing power assay, acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay and LC-MS analysis. The results showed that the total flavonoids content in the archegoniophore was about 10-time higher than that of the gametophyte. Differences between the archegoniophore and gametophyte of M. polymorpha L. were observed by LC-MS analysis. The archegoniophore extracts showed stronger bio-activities than those of the gametophyte. The archegoniophore extract showed a significant acetylcholinesterase inhibition, while the gametophyte extract hardly inhibited it.

[Effects of gypsum on the firing of pyrogen-treated thermosensitive neurons in PO/AH of cats].

AIM: To investigate the possible central mechanism of antipyretic effects of Chinese medicine gypsum. METHODS: Gypsum was injected after the fever model was established. The firing rate of thermosensitive neurons in preoptic-anterior hypothalamus(PO/AH) region was recorded by using extracellular microelectrode technique. RESULTS: The injection of pyrogen evoked decrease in firing rate of the warm-sensitive neurons and increase in the cold-sensitive neurons in the region of PO/AH; the changes of the firing rate of pyrogen- treated warm-sensitive and cold-sensitive neurons could be reversed by the injection of gypsum. CONCLUSION: The result may suggest that antipyretic action of gypsum is mediated by its influences on the thermosensitivity neurons in the region of PO/AH.