Undescribed Lignanamide and Flavone C-Glucoside Isolated from the Aerial Parts of Piper Samentosum with NO Production Inhibitory Activity in LPS Activated RAW 264.7†Cells.

In this study, two undescribed compounds (1 and 2), together with eight known compounds (3-10) were isolated from the aerial parts of Piper samentosum by various chromatography methods. Their chemical structures were determined to be 7'''-oxolyciumamide N (1), vitexin 2''-O-ß-D-(6'''-feruloyl)-glucopyranoside (2), 1,2-dihydro-6,8-dimethoxy-7-hydroxy-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-N1,N2-bis-[2-(-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-2,3-napthalene dicarboamide (3), vitexin 6''-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4), vitexin 2''-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (5), methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate-2-O-ß-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→2)-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (6), ficuside G (7), methyl 2-O-ß-D-glucopyranosylbenzoate (8), methyl 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate-5-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (9), and 3,7-dimethyloct-1-ene-3,6,7-triol 6-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (10) by spectroscopic data analysis including HR-ESI-MS, 1D-, and 2D-NMR spectra. Compounds 1-5 inhibited nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages with the IC50 values of 27.62, 74.03, 38.54, 70.39, and 44.95 µM, respectively. The NMR data of 9 were firstly reported herein.

Suaedamas A-D: Four New Compounds from the Aerial Parts of Suaeda maritima with Inhibition of NO Production Activity.

Four new compounds, suaedamas A-D (1-4), and seven known ones (5-11) were isolated from the aerial parts of Suaeda maritima. Their chemical structures were evaluated by the IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D-, and 2D-NMR, experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compounds 1-6 inhibited nitric oxide production in LPS activated RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values ranging from 29.3 to 85.5 µM, compared to that of the positive control compound, dexamethasone, which showed IC50 value of 13.4 µM.

Cytotoxic Effects of Oleanane-type Saponins from Lysimachia laxa.

Phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Lysimachia laxa led to the isolation of four new oleanane-type saponins, lysimosides A-D (1-4) and one known compound, lysimachigenoside B (5). Their structures were elucidated using a combination of HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D-NMR spectral data, chemical methods, and comparison with previous literature. The cytotoxic activity of these compounds was evaluated against human lung cancer (A-549) and human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines. All compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity against A-549 and MCF-7 cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 6.1-16.0 µM, comparable to the positive control, mitoxantrone. Interestingly, oleanane-type saponins with an acetyl group (2-4) exhibited increased cytotoxic activities compared to those without an acetyl group (1).

Three Undescribed Iridoid Derivatives Isolated from the Fruits of Vitex trifolia with Their Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activities.

Vitex trifolia L. is a medicinal plant and widely distributed in the northern mountainous areas of Vietnam. Phytochemical study on the fruits of this plant led to the isolation of nine iridoid derivatives (1-9) including three undescribed compounds (1-3). Their structures were elucidated to be 3''-hydroxyscrophuloside A1 (1), 3''-hydroxycallicoside D (2), 2'-p-hydroxybenzoylaucubin (3), 6'-p-hydroxybenzoylmussaenosidic acid (4), nishindaside (5), agnuside (6), 10-O-vanilloylaucubin (7), 6'-O-p-hydroxybenzoyl-gardoside (8), and buddlejoside B (9) based on extensive analyses of HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra. Compounds 1, 2, 4, and 8 significantly posessed anti-barterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with MIC values in range of 16-64 µg/mL. At concentration of 20 µM, compounds 1-9 did not show cytotoxic effects against human lung cancer cells (PC9).

1H-1,2,3-Triazole-4H-chromene-D-glucose hybrid compounds: Synthesis and inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein tyrosine phosphatase B.

A series of 1H-1,2,3-triazole-4H-chromene-D-glucose hybrid compounds 7a-w were synthesized using click chemistry of 2-amino-7-propargyloxy-4H-chromene-3-carbonitriles 5a-w. CuNPs@montmorillonite was used as a catalyst in the presence of DIPEA as an additive for this chemistry. All synthesized 1H-1,2,3-triazoles were examined for in vitro inhibition against Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein tyrosine phosphatase B (MtbPtpB). Nine 1H-1,2,3-triazoles, including 7c-e, 7h, 7i, and 7r-t, displayed remarkable inhibitory activity against MtbPtpB with IC50 < 10 µM; compound 7t exhibited the most potent inhibition in vitro with an IC50 value of 0.61 µM. Kinetic studies of the three most active compounds, 7c,h,t, showed their competitive inhibition toward the MtbPtpB enzyme. Induced-fit docking and MM-GBSA studies on the enzyme (PDB: 2OZ5) revealed that the most active compound 7t was more effective against MtbPtpB. Residues Arg64, Arg136, Ash165, Arg166, and Arg63 in the binding pocket were identified as potential ligand-binding hot-spot residues for ligand 7t. The binding free energy calculation by the MM-GBSA approach for ligand 7t indicated that Coulomb, lipophilic, and van der Waals energy terms are major contributors to the inhibitor binding. Furthermore, the stability of the ligand-protein complex and the structural insights into the mode of binding were confirmed by 300-ns molecular dynamics simulation of 7t/2OZ5.

A new iridoid glucoside from the roots of Morinda officinalis.

A new iridoid glucoside, moridoside (1), and nine known compounds, asperulosidic acid (2), 6-O-epi-acetylscandoside (3), geniposidic acid (4), 2-hydroxymethylanthraquinone (5), 2-hydroxymethyl-3-hydroxyanthraquinone (6), damnacanthol (7), lucidine-ω-methyl ether (8), 2-hydroxy-1-methoxyanthraquinone (9), and 3,8-dihydroxy-1,2-dimethoxyanthraquinone (10) were isolated from the methanol extract of Morinda officinalis How. roots. Their structural identification was carried out based on the spectroscopic evidence. All compounds were evaluated for their nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory activities in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Compounds 5-7 significantly inhibited the production of NO with IC50 values of 28.4, 33.6, and 30.5 µM, respectively.

One new furostane saponin from Allium ramosum and lipid accumulation inhibitory activity.

A new furostane saponin, ramosaponin (1), and four known furostane saponins, protodioscin (2), dehydrotomatoside (3), (25 R)-26-O-(ß-D-glucopyranosyl)-furost-5-ene-3ß,22α,26-triol 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-galactopyranoside (4), and anguivioside A (5) were isolated from the methanol extract of Allium ramosum seeds. Their structures were identified based on spectroscopic evidence and comparison with those reported in the literature. All compounds were evaluated for reduction of lipid accumulation in HepG2 cell line. As a result, compound 1 showed significant lipid accumulation inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 64.32 ± 3.87 µM.

Five new seco-labdane-type diterpenoids from Caesalpinia latisiliqua.

Five new seco-labdane-type diterpenoids, caesalatisics A-E (1-5), were isolated from the leaves of Caesalpinia latisiliqua (Cav.) Hattink. Their chemical structures were determined using 1D and 2D NMR, mass spectra, and circular dichroism spectroscopies.

Design, Synthesis, α-Amylase/α-Glucosidase Inhibition Assay, Induced Fit Docking Study of New Hybrid Compounds Containing 4H-Pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 1H-1,2,3-Triazole and D-Glucose Components.

In this study, the click chemistry between N-propargyl derivatives of substituted 4H-pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidines and tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl azide carried out under catalytic conditions using catalyst CuI@Montmorillonite and additive N,N-diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA). The yields of obtained hybrid compounds having 4H-pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine connected to 1H-1,2,3-triazole rings were about 85-94 %. All these synthesized hybrid compounds were examined for in vitro α-amylase (with IC50 values in the range of 103.63±1.13 µM to 295.45±1.11 µM) and α-glucosidase (with IC50 values in the range of 45.63±1.14 µM to 184.52±1.15) inhibitory activity. Amongst this series, ethyl ester 8m showed the best inhibitory activity against α-amylase with IC50 of 103.63±1.13 µM, while ethyl ester 8t exhibited the highest activity against α-glucosidase with IC50 of 45.63±1.14 µM. The kinetics of the inhibition of compound 8t showed the competitive α-glucosidase inhibitor property of this compound. Furthermore, the most potent compounds had any cytotoxicity against human normal cells. Induced fit docking and molecular dynamics simulation calculations indicated that the inhibition potential compounds 8m and 8t had the active interactions with the residues in receptors of corresponding tested enzymes. The calculated binding free energy from MM-GBSA approach showed that the major energy components contributed to the active binding of these studied inhibitors, including Coulomb, lipophilic and van der Waals energy. Further, 300 ns MD simulation showed that studied ligand-protein complexes were stable and indicated the structural observations into mode of binding in these complexes.

Diversity and sustainability of pig farm types in the northern mountains of Vietnam.

Pig farming systems in Vietnam are very diverse but little is known about this diversity. In particular, the different livestock farming systems currently in operation do not have the same capacity to be sustainable. The study aims to categorize farming systems involving pig production and investigate their sustainability. Data were collected from 160 family pig farms and 2 large-scale farms in Mai Son district of Son La province (northwest of Vietnam) using stratified random sampling. The multiple factor analysis method was used to identify different farms and to characterize each type with economic, social, and environmental indicators. The results highlighted four different farm types. Type 1 contained smallholder farms with diversified farm activities. They were mainly farmed by ethnic minorities located in the intermediate highland. They had low labor productivity and relied mainly on crop farming. Pig production was characterized by a low level of economic and social sustainability. Type 2 farms had comparatively less land and crops than other types. They were more specialized in livestock production, had medium-size pig herds, and were engaged in off-farm jobs. They were less dependent on credit or location and performed better with regard to environmental issues than larger farm types. Type 3 was specialized farms with large pig herds. They seemed more sustainable in economic and social components than the other types, but their environmental sustainability was questionable. Type 4 contained large mixed crop-livestock farms. They obtained high income but were more dependent on credit than the other types. In the future, in addition to focusing on large-scale specialized farms, policies should also consider small-scale and diversified farms because of their role in the sustainable development of national pig production.

Sesquiterpene derivatives from marine sponge Smenospongia cerebriformis and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Using various chromatographic methods, five new sesquiterpene derivatives named smenohaimiens A-E (1-5) and five known, 19-hydroxy-polyfibrospongol B (6), ilimaquinone (7), dictyoceratin C (8), polyfibrospongol A (9), and polyfibrospongol B (10) were isolated from the marine sponge Smenospongia cerebriformis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864. Their structures were assigned by 1D, 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis, HR ESI MS, and calculations of the electron circular dichroism spectra. All compounds were evaluated for the inhibitory activity against NO production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated in BV2 microglia cells. As the results, compound 7 significantly inhibited NO production with the IC50 value of 10.40±1.28µM. The remaining compounds showed moderate inhibitory NO production activities with IC50 values ranging from 24.37 to 30.43µM.

Naphtoquinones and Sesquiterpene Cyclopentenones from the Sponge Smenospongia cerebriformis with Their Cytotoxic Activity.

Two new naphtoquinones (smenocerones A and B, 1 and 2) and four known sesquiterpene cyclopentenones (dactylospongenones A-D, 3-6) were isolated from sponge Smenospongia cerebriformis living in the Eastern Sea of Vietnam. Their chemical structures were determined by high resolution electrospray ionization (HR-ESI)-MS, NMR spectroscopic analysis, and in comparison with the reported data. The chiroptical properties of compounds 3-6 were examined by experiment and theoretical calculation of circular dichroism (CD) spectra to prove their absolute configurations. Compound 2 significantly exhibited cytotoxic activity towards lung carcinoma (LU-1), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2), promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), breast carcinoma (MCF-7), and melanoma (SK-Mel-2) human cancer cells with IC50 values of 5.5±0.8, 3.2±0.2, 4.0±0.7, 4.1±0.8, and 5.7±1.1 µg/mL, respectively.

Increasing charge transfer of SERS by the combination of amorphous Al2O3-Al thin film and ZnO nanorods decorated with Ag nanoparticles for trace detection of metronidazole.

In this work, we study the charge transfer improvement by the combination of two semiconductors of SERS. The energy levels of the semiconductor, when combined, become intermediate energy levels that support the charge transfer from the HOMO to the LUMO level, amplifying the Raman signal of the organic molecules. The SERS substrates of Ag/a-Al2O3-Al/ZnO nanorods with high sensitivity are prepared for detecting dye rhodamine 6G (R6G) and metronidazole (MNZ) standard. The highly ordered vertically grown ZnO nanorods (NRs) are first developed on a glass substrate by a wet chemical bath deposition method. Then, ZnO NRs are covered with an amorphous oxidized aluminum thin film by a vacuum thermal evaporation method to produce a platform with a large surface area and high charge transfer performance. Finally, silver nanoparticles (NPs) are decorated onto this platform to form an active SERS substrate. The structure, surface morphology, optical properties, and elements in the sample are investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), reflectance spectroscopy, and energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Rhodamine 6G is used as a reagent to evaluate the SERS substrates with an analytical enhancement factor (EF) of ∼1.85 × 1010 at the limit of detection (LOD) of 10-11 M. These SERS substrates are used to detect metronidazole standard at a LOD of 0.01 ppm and an EF of 2.2 × 106. The SERS substrate exhibits high sensitivity and stability for promising wide application in chemical, biomedical, and pharmaceutical detection.

Mapping chicken production and distribution networks in Vietnam: An analysis of socio-economic factors and their epidemiological significances.

The growing chicken industry in Viet Nam has an increasingly important contribution to the country's food security, but its development requires careful planning to prevent disease risks. This study characterizes the chicken production and distribution networks in Vietnam and identifies potential factors that could promote disease emergence and transmission. Qualitative data were collected from interviews with 29 key informants from five stakeholder groups representing the main nodes from chicken production and distribution networks (PDN). Three main networks were identified based on production type: a colored broiler and spent hen network, a white (or exotic) broiler network, and an egg network. Colored chickens and spent hens are the most preferred commodity by vietnamese consumers and their PDN is composed of production units differing in their scale and management and with long distribution chains involving numerous small-scale independent stakeholders. Live bird markets plays a central role in this network, which is driven by consumers' preference for live chickens. The white chicken network presents an important duality, as it is composed of both a large number of independent household farms and traders operating independently with little chain coordination, and of large farms contracted by vertically-integrated companies. The egg PDN was the most organized network, being mostly controlled by large vertically-integrated companies. High level specialization and diversification of stakeholders is found in all three networks. Stakeholders' perceptions of the main factors promoting disease risk along the PDN were the low biosecurity in household farms and live bird markets, mobile traders, the informal slaughter of birds and the management of sick birds. Findings from this study can be used to plan future studies to support food system planners in the development of safer poultry production and distribution in Vietnam.

Spirooxindol-1,3-oxazine Alkaloids: Highly Potent and Selective Antitumor Agents Evolved from Iterative Structure Optimization.

Spirooxindole-1,3-oxazines are a small and structurally unique class of spirooxindole alkaloids. To date, only four of these compounds have been isolated from natural sources, and their biological properties remained unknown thus far. Dioxyreserpine is a synthetic spirooxindole-1,3-oxazine, that can readily be prepared from the Rauvolfia alkaloid (-)-reserpine by catalytic photooxygenation. While dioxyreserpine itself was now identified as a moderately effective antitumoral agent, structurally modified analogs of it emerged as a new class of highly potent and selective growth inhibitors of various human cancers, including pancreatic cancers. Systematic structural optimization ultimately led to an inhibitor displaying low-micromolar IC50 -values against six cancer cell lines as well as selective apoptosis induction in vitro.

Spatiotemporal Analysis and Assessment of Risk Factors in Transmission of African Swine Fever Along the Major Pig Value Chain in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam.

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious and lethal hemorrhagic disease with a case fatality rate approaching 100% in domestic pigs. The main objectives of this study were to describe the spatiotemporal analysis as well as to assess the potential risk factors along the pig value chain in Lao Cai province, Vietnam. A total of 925 outbreaks were reported from 2019 to 2020. The three clusters (primary, secondary and 5th) were observed near the Chinese border. The most temporal clusters were detected between May and August during the study period. In addition, we evaluated the association between ASF outbreak locations to the nearest main roads and elevation. For ASF outbreak locations to the nearest main roads, compared with the reference (<5,000 m), <1,000 m (10.22 times) and 1,000-2,000 m (1.98 times) were significantly higher occurrences of ASF. For elevation, compared to the reference (>1,500 m), the farm locations with <500 m (55.31 times) showed a significantly increased risk of ASF outbreaks. Farmers perceived that the highest risk of ASF transmission may come from collectors and slaughterers, intermediaries inside and outside the commune, feed agents and maize agents in the commune, and pig retailers. Both commercial and household pig producers considered minimizing the number of people going in and out of pig stables and improving healthcare and husbandry procedures to be both very important and feasible. There is a need for compliance by all pig producers and other actors in the pig value chain to adopt biosecurity practices. Therefore, awareness, knowledge and understanding of infection and risks of ASF need to be improved. Veterinary officials at the provincial and district levels need to improve capacity and resources to perform laboratory analysis for ASF and need to coordinate with local actors on the control and prevention of ASF in the community.

Rhabdastrenones A-D from the sponge Rhabdastrella globostellata.

Three new isomalabaricanes (1-3), a new α-pyrone derivative (4), together with four known isomalabaricane analogs rhabdastrellin G (5), isogeoditin A (6), stelliferin A (7), and (13E)-isogeoditin A (8) were isolated from the marine sponge Rhabdastrella globostellata. Their chemical structures were determined by HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopic data analysis. The absolute configurations were identified by Mo2(OAc)4 induced ECD spectra and TD-DFT theoretical calculated ECD spectra. Compound 6 exhibited weak cytotoxic effects against HepG2 and SKMel2 cell lines with the IC50 values of 7.53 ± 0.70 and 9.93 ± 0.95 µM, respectively.

Quality of Life and Activities of Daily Living among Patients with Complete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury and Surgical Treatment in Vietnam.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is defined as temporary or permanent changes in spinal cord function and reflex activity. The objective of this study is to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and activities of daily living (ADL) among postoperative surgery patients with complete cervical SCI in Vietnam and to explore the factors associated with these indices. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 88 adults in Vietnam from June 2018 to June 2019. The EQ-5D-5L, ADL, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were applied. Multivariate Tobit regression was adopted to determine factors that were associated with HRQOL, ADL, and IADL. Results: Participants who were in American Spinal Cord Injury Association (ASIA) scale group A (ASIA-A) had the lowest ADL, IADL index, and HRQOL score (p < 0.001). HRQoL and ADL were affected by health insurance coverage, occupation, type of fracture, and IADL. Meanwhile, IADL was significantly associated with living areas and ASIA. Low HRQoL among patients suffering from SCI was observed. Attention should be given to outcomes related to a disability during clinical treatment and should be treated effectively in the recovery.

Unpacking the Theory Behind One Health Food Safety Programs: A Vietnam Case Study.

Many One Health programs are inherently complex, characterized by multiple perspectives from multiple sectors, delivery across various scales, and a focus on complex problems at the convergence of people, animals, and the environment. This complexity makes them difficult to conceptualize, requiring frameworks to organize the different program components. Evaluation frameworks that unpack the sequence of events linking program activities to outcomes (e.g., Theory of Change) and track outcomes (e.g., Outcome Mapping) show promise in supporting the development of One Health programs. While widely used in international development and health contexts, there has been little reflection on the use of Theory of Change and Outcome Mapping within One Health efforts. This paper reflects on the process of applying these frameworks to conceptualize a One Health food safety program in Vietnam. We find Theory of Change fostered the characterization of a change pathway toward safer pork, while Outcome Mapping kept us informed of where along the change pathway we were. One Health programs considering evaluation frameworks should adopt elements that make sense to them, be intentional about co-designing the evaluation, and view evaluation as a process, not a product.

Prioritizing Training Needs of School Health Staff: The Example of Vietnam.

Competencies of school health staff (SHS) members, including school nurses, are crucial to improving child and adolescent health. In Vietnam, although SHS members are dispatched to schools, they have limited training opportunities. This study identified SHS members' training needs in a province of Vietnam. A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted with 204 SHS members. The performance and importance of SHS members' competencies were measured using 59-items and rated by a 5-point Likert scale. SHS members' training priorities were analyzed using the Borich Needs Assessment and the Locus for Focus model. Controlling infectious disease was the highest training priority while implementing health promotion programs was of relatively low priority. The high-priority training needs identified could be rendered mandatory in policy for continuing education of SHS members. Awareness of the importance of health promotion, which has been emphasized globally, should also be promoted via school health policy. These findings could guide development of future training programs for SHS members.