Screening of Key Components for Melanogenesis Inhibition of Polygonum cuspidatum Extract Based on the Spectrum-Effect Relationship and Molecular Docking.

Polygonum cuspidatum (PC) extract has been listed in the "Catalog of Used Cosmetic Ingredients (2021 Edition)", which can inhibit melanogenesis, thus exerting a whitening effect, and has been widely used in cosmetics. However, there are currently no quality standards for PC extract used in cosmetics, and the bioactive components associated with anti-melanogenesis remain unclear. In view of this, the present study was the first to investigate the spectrum-effect relationship between fingerprints of PC extract and melanogenesis inhibition. Ten batches of PC extract fingerprints were established by HPLC. Pearson's correlation analysis, gray correlation analysis (GRA) and orthogonal partial least squares regression analysis (OPLSR) were used to screen out resveratrol, emodin and physcion as the main whitening active ingredients using the inhibition of tyrosinase in B16F10 cells as the pharmacological index. Then, the melanogenesis inhibitory effects of the above three components were verified by tyrosinase inhibition and a melanin content assay in B16F10 cells. The interaction between small molecules and proteins was investigated by the molecular docking method, and it was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) that resveratrol, emodin and physcion significantly down-regulated the transcript levels of melanogenesis-related factors. In conclusion, this study established a general model combining HPLC fingerprinting and melanogenesis inhibition and also analyzed the spectrum-effect relationship of PC extract, which provided theoretical support for the quality control of PC extract in whitening cosmetics.

Assessing the UV-pulse-laser-induced damage density of fused silica optics using photo-thermal absorption distribution probability curves.

A photo-thermal absorption distribution probability curve based on a normal distribution model was proposed to describe the distribution of absorptive defects on fused silica surfaces under different processing conditions. Simultaneously, the maximum distribution probability absorption coefficient (MPA) and absorption distribution deviation (ADD) were used to quantitatively describe the overall absorption level and the uniformity of the absorption distribution on the fused silica surface. Based on this, the MPA (µ) and ADD (δ) were used to establish a statistical numerical relationship with the surface damage density of fused silica. The results showed that when µ ≤ 0.095 ± 0.015 and δ ≤ 0.045 ppm, the fused silica optics met the manufacturing process requirements for high laser-induced damage performance. Thus, a non-destructive approximate evaluation of the laser-induced damage density on the fused silica surface was achieved. This evaluation method provides a new, to the best of our knowledge, technology for evaluating the manufacturing process quality related to the damage performance of fused silica optics in high-power solid-state laser facilities and is an important supplement to popular destructive laser-induced damage testing methods.

Full-Length Transcriptomic Sequencing and Temporal Transcriptome Expression Profiling Analyses Offer Insights into Terpenoid Biosynthesis in Artemisia argyi.

Artemisiae argyi Folium is a traditional herbal medicine used for moxibustion heat therapy in China. The volatile oils in A.argyi leaves are closely related to its medicinal value. Records suggest that the levels of these terpenoids components within the leaves vary as a function of harvest time, with June being the optimal time for A. argyi harvesting, owing to the high levels of active ingredients during this month. However, the molecular mechanisms governing terpenoid biosynthesis and the time-dependent changes in this activity remain unclear. In this study, GC-MS analysis revealed that volatile oil levels varied across four different harvest months (April, May, June, and July) in A. argyi leaves, and the primarily terpenoids components (including both monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes) reached peak levels in early June. Through single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, corrected by Illumina RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq), 44 full-length transcripts potentially involved in terpenoid biosynthesis were identified in this study. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) exhibiting time-dependent expression patterns were divided into 12 coexpression clusters. Integrated chemical and transcriptomic analyses revealed distinct time-specific transcriptomic patterns associated with terpenoid biosynthesis. Subsequent hierarchical clustering and correlation analyses ultimately identified six transcripts that were closely linked to the production of these two types of terpenoid within A. argyi leaves, revealing that the structural diversity of terpenoid is related to the generation of the diverse terpene skeletons by prenyltransferase (TPS) family of enzymes. These findings can guide further studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying the quality of A. argyi leaves, aiding in the selection of optimal timing for harvests of A. argyi.

Role of each step in the combined treatment of reactive ion etching and dynamic chemical etching for improving the laser-induced damage resistance of fused silica.

We investigate the role of each step in the combined treatment of reactive ion etching (RIE) and dynamic chemical etching (DCE) for improving the laser-induced damage resistance of fused silica optics. We employ various surface analytical methods to identify the possible damage precursors on fused silica surfaces treated with different processes (RIE, DCE, and their combination). The results show that RIE-induced defects, including F contamination, broken Si-O bonds, luminescence defects (i.e., NBOHCs and ODCs), and material densification, are potential factors that limit the improvement of laser-induced damage resistance of the optics. Although being capable of eliminating the above factors, the DCE treatment can achieve rough optical surface with masses of exposed scratches and pits which might serve as reservoirs of the deposits such as inorganic salts, thus limiting the further improvement in damage resistance of fused silica. The study guides us to a deep understanding of the laser-induced damage process in achieving fused silica optics with enhanced resistance to laser-induced damage by the combined treatment of RIE and DCE.

Capping a glass thin layer on the etched surface via plasma chemical vapor deposition for improving the laser damage performance of fused silica.

Buffered HF-based etching can effectively improve the laser damage resistance of the fused silica, but deep etching would cause the deteriorations in surface roughness and hardness, and decrease the laser-induced damage threshold. Capping a glass thin layer on the etched surface via plasma chemical vapor deposition in one step could overcome those deteriorations. We found that the deposition of the glass thin layer can further reduce the impurity element contamination and the PL intensity while retaining the low subsurface defect density as well as for the deeply etched sample. The surface quality, surface hardness and the laser damage resistance of the fused silica can be significantly improved by the glass thin layer, which reveals the potential application in high power laser facility.

Low-loss polarization-maintaining THz photonic crystal fiber with a triple-hole core.

In this paper, we report a novel low-loss and polarization-maintaining terahertz (THz) photonic crystal fiber with a triple-hole unit inside the core. The properties of birefringence, effective material loss, confinement loss, bending loss, power fraction, dispersion, and single-mode condition are analyzed in detail by using the finite element methods. Simulation results show that high birefringence at a level of 10-2 can be achieved by simply reducing the diameter of one air hole of the triple-hole core. And low effective material loss down to 30% of its bulk material loss can be achieved in our interested band around 3 THz, due to the high core porosity of the designed triple-hole core. Moreover, this design dramatically facilitates the fabrication process, because of the typical hexagonal structure with all circular air holes and avoiding the troublesome multiple sub-wavelength air holes in the core area. The results reveal that this proposal has potential for efficient THz transmission and other functional applications.

A highly selective two-photon fluorescent probe for detection of cadmium(II) based on intramolecular electron transfer and its imaging in living cells.

A new quinoline-based probe was designed that shows one-photon ratiometric and two-photon off-on changes upon detecting Cd(2+) . It exhibits fluorescence emission at 407 nm originating from quinoline groups in Tris-HCl (25 mM, pH 7.40), H2 O/EtOH (8:2, v/v). Coordination with Cd(2+) causes quenching of the emission at 407 nm and simultaneously yields a remarkable redshift of the emission maximum to 500 nm with an isoemissive point at 439 nm owing to an intramolecular charge-transfer mechanism. Thus, dual-emission ratiometric measurement with a large redshift (Δλ=93 nm) and significant changes in the ratio (F500 /F439 ) of the emission intensity (R/R0 up to 27) is established. Moreover, the sensor H2 L displays excellent selectivity response, high sensitive fluorescence enhancement, and strong binding ability to Cd(2+). Coordination properties of H2 L towards Cd(2+) were fully investigated by absorption/fluorescence spectroscopy, which indicated the formation of a 2:1 H2 L/Cd(2+) complex. All complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallography, and TD-DFT calculations were performed to understand the origin of optical selectivity shown by H2 L. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy experiments have demonstrated that H2 L could be used in live cells for the detection of Cd(2+).

A colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for distinguishing cysteine from biothiols in water and living cells.

A merocyanine-based highly selective colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe is described for Cys detection in water and diluted deproteinized human serum. Upon reaction with Cys in aqueous buffer solution, the probe showed a dramatic color change from faint yellow to pink and remarkable ratiometric fluorescence enhancement signals were also observed, which are ascribed to an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process. This strategy was based on modulating the merocyanine π-electron system by conjugation and removal of the acrylate group to release the chromophore group, resulting in a specific colorimetry and fluorescence response. The probe has low cytotoxicity and good cell permeability. It is readily employed for assessing the change of the intracellular Cys level.

[Optimization of process of sodium aescinate lyophilized powder].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal freeze-drying process of Sodium Aescinate lyophilized powder in order to shorten the lyophilization cycle. METHODS: Using the single factor experiment and L9 (3(4)) orthogonal test to optimize parameters of the herbal liquid volume and concentration, pre-freezing time, pressure, drying time and analytical temperature. RESULTS: The best lyophilization process parameters were as follows: 1.0 mL herbal liquid with concentration of 10 mg/mL, phased cooling style, pre-freezing temperature at - 35 degrees C, 6.5 h; vacuum of 20 Pa;sublimation drying time of 7 h; and desorption-drying temperature of 35 degrees C for 5.5 h. CONCLUSION: Compared with the original process conditions, the product quality is more stable and the freezing-drying cycle time is shorten of 3 h, which can provide technical reference for production process of the freeze-dried powder of sodium aescinate.

Benzoylmesaconine mitigates NLRP3 inflammasome-related diseases by reducing intracellular K+ efflux and disrupting NLRP3 inflammasome assembly.

BACKGROUND: Benzoylmesaconine (BMA), a major alkaloid derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Aconitum carmichaeli Debx, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory properties. However, the precise mechanism underlying its action remains unclear. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory mechanism of BMA on the NLRP3 inflammasome and assess its therapeutic efficacy in NLRP3-related metabolic diseases. METHODS: A classic NLRP3 inflammasome-activated bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) model was established to evaluate BMA's effects on NLRP3 upstream and downstream protein expression, as well as pyroptosis. Two distinct animal disease models, MSU-induced gouty arthritis and DSS-induced colitis, were utilized to validate BMA's anti-inflammatory activity in vivo. RESULTS: In vitro findings revealed that BMA can suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation by inhibiting interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) secretion and GSDMD-N protein expression. This mechanism involved blocking intracellular K+ efflux and interfering with the formation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. In vivo studies demonstrated that BMA significantly alleviated inflammatory symptoms in MSU-induced acute gout and DSS-induced colitis models. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that BMA effectively inhibits the activation of the NLRP3 signaling pathway through dual mechanisms: reducing intracellular K+ efflux and disrupting NLRP3 inflammasome assembly. This multifaceted action highlights the therapeutic potential of BMA for NLRP3-related diseases.

A highly selective fluorescence "turn-on" probe for Cu(II) based on reaction and its imaging in living cells.

A new oxidative C-O bond cleavage reaction-based probe FluHMPP was designed and prepared. FluHMPP displays excellent selective turn-on fluorescence response for Cu(II) in aqueous solution under visible light excitation. The cleavage products are fully characterized. Fluorescein fragment is further oxidized to highly fluorescent MFME (3'-O-methylfluorescein methyl ester), and benzyl ether of imine fragment has been transformed to carboxyl. Confocal microscopy experiments have demonstrated that FluHMPP could also be used in live cells for the detection of Cu(II).

[Supercritical CO2 extraction and component analysis of Aesculus wilsonii seed oil].

OBJECTIVE: To research the optimal extraction process of supercritical CO2 extraction and analyze the component of the oil extracted from Aesculus wilsonii seed. METHODS: Using the yield of Aesculus wilsonii seed oil as the index, optimized supercritical CO2 extraction parameter by orthogonal experiment methodology and analysed the compounds of Aesculus wilsonii seed oil by GC-MS. RESULTS: The optimal parameters of the supercritical CO2 extraction of the oil extracted from Aesculus wilsoniit seed were determined: the extraction pressure was 28 MPa and the temperature was 38 degrees C, the separation I pressure was 12 MPa and the temperature was 40 degrees C, the separation II pressure was 5 MPa and the temperature was 40 degrees C, the extraction time was 110 min. The average extraction rate of Aesculus wilsonii seed oil was 1.264%. 26 kinds of compounds were identified by GC-MS in Aesculus wilsonii seed oil extracted by supercritical CO2. The main components were fatty acids. CONCLUSION: Comparing with the petroleum ether extraction, the supercritical CO2 extraction has higher extraction rate, shorter extraction time, more clarity oil. The kinds of fatty acids with high amounts in Aesculus wilsonii seed oil is identical in general, the kinds of fatty acids with low amounts in Aesculus wilsonii seed oil have differences.

Chemotherapy-induced phlebitis via the GBP5/NLRP3 inflammasome axis and the therapeutic effect of aescin.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intravenous infusion of chemotherapy drugs can cause severe chemotherapy-induced phlebitis (CIP) in patients. However, the underlying mechanism of CIP development remains unclear. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: RNA-sequencing analysis was used to identify potential disease targets in CIP. Guanylate binding protein-5 (GBP5) genetic deletion approaches also were used to investigate the role of GBP5 in NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) primed murine bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) induced by vinorelbine (VIN) in vitro and in mouse models of VIN-induced CIP in vivo. The anti-CIP effect of aescin was evaluated, both in vivo and in vivo. KEY RESULTS: Here, we show that the expression of GBP5 was upregulated in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CIP patients. Genetic ablation of GBP5 in murine macrophages significantly alleviated VIN-induced CIP in the experimental mouse model. Mechanistically, GBP5 contributed to the inflammatory responses through activating NLRP3 inflammasome and driving the production of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß. Moreover, aescin, a mixture of triterpene saponins extracted from horse chestnut seed, can alleviate CIP by inhibiting the GBP5/NLRP3 axis. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that GBP5 is an important regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome in CIP mouse model. Our work further reveals that aescin may serve as a promising candidate in the clinical treatment of CIP.

A highly selective fluorescent sensor for distinguishing cadmium from zinc ions based on a quinoline platform.

A fluorescent sensor, N-(quinolin-8-yl)-2-(quinolin-8-yloxy)acetamide (HL), based on 8-aminoquinoline and 8-hydroxyquinoline platforms has been synthesized. This sensor displays high selectivity and sensitive fluorescence enhancement to Cd(2+) in ethanol. Moreover, sensor HL can distinguish Cd(2+) from Zn(2+) via two different sensing mechanisms (photoinduced electron transfer for Cd(2+); internal charge transfer for Zn(2+)). The composition of the complex Cd(2+)/HL or Zn(2+)/L(-) has been found to be 1:1, based on the fluorescence/absorption titration and further confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

The Chromosome-level genome of Aesculus wilsonii provides new insights into terpenoid biosynthesis and Aesculus evolution.

Aesculus L. (buckeye and horse chestnut) are woody plant species with important horticultural and medicinal values. Aesculus seeds are widely used as biomedicine and cosmetic ingredients due to their saponins. We report a chromosomal-scale genome of Aesculus wilsonii. Sequences amounting to a total of 579.01 Mb were assembled into 20 chromosomes. More than half of the genome (54.46%) were annotated as repetitive sequences, and 46,914 protein-coding genes were predicted. In addition to the widespread gamma event with core eudicots, a unique whole-genome duplication (WGD) event (17.69 Mya) occurred in Aesculus after buckeye differentiated from longan. Due to WGD events and tandem duplications, the related synthetic genes of triterpene saponins unique to Aesculus increased significantly. Combined with transcriptome characterization, the study preliminarily resolved the biosynthetic pathway of triterpenoid saponins like aescin in A. wilsonii genome. Analyses of the resequencing of 104 buckeye accessions revealed clear relationship between the geographic distribution and genetic differentiation of buckeye trees in China. We found that the buckeye species found in southern Shaanxi is A. wilsonii rather than A. chinensis. Population dynamics analysis further suggests that the population size and evolution of existing buckeye species have been influenced by climate fluctuations during the Pleistocene and recent domestication events. The genome of A. wilsonii and population genomics of Aesculus provide a resource for future research on Hippocastanaceae. These findings will contribute to the utilization and diversity protection of Aesculus.

The complete chloroplast genome of Aesculus chinensis var. wilsonii.

In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Aesculus chinensis Bunge var. wilsonii (Rehder) Turland & N. H. Xia and compared it with cp genomes of congeneric species. The cp genome of A. chinensis var. wilsonii is a circular molecule, 156,211 bp in length, with typical quadripartite structure. It has one large single copy (LSC) region of 85,211 bp and one small single copy (SSC) region of 18,124 bp that are separated by two inverted repeat regions (IR) of 26,438 bp. The cp genome encodes 133 genes comprising 85 protein-coding genes, 40 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA ribosomal genes. The overall GC content of the cp genome of A. chinensis var. wilsonii is 37.93%. We conducted amaximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, which revealed that A. chinensis var. wilsonii is sister to A. wangii and has a close relationship with Acer L. (maples). We expect that the cp genome of A. chinensis var. wilsonii will be useful for DNA barcoding and species delimitation for this species as well as future studies on the conservation, taxonomy, and evolutionary relationships of Aesculus L.

Sodium aescinate and its bioactive components induce degranulation via oxidative stress in RBL-2H3 mast cells.

Sodium aescinate (SA) is a vital salt of sodium escin from Aesculus wilsonii Rehd seeds. SA injection (SAI) has received great success in treating cerebral edema, venous reflux disease and other inflammatory conditions. Recently, high incidences of immediate hypersensitivity reactions were reported after SA infusion, which raised questions on safety and risk associated with its clinical application. This study was designed to check whether SAI and its four components induce degranulation using RBL-2H3 mast cells. For this purpose, we evaluated different treatment levels of SAI (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 µg ml-1) and its four characteristic components, SA-A, SA-B, SA-C and SA-D, at 60 µg ml-1 in different tests including cell viability test, ß-hexosaminidase and histamine assays, oxidative stress indices, apoptosis analysis and intracellular calcium ions in RBL-2H3 cells. Our results demonstrated that SAI at 80 µg ml-1 and 100 µg ml-1, and its two components (SA-B and SA-D) at 60 µg ml-1 were responsible for disturbing cell morphology and cell viability, elevated levels of ß-hexosaminidase, histamine, modulation of oxidative stress indices, induced apoptosis and increase in intracellular calcium ions in RBL-2H3 cells, when compared with the control. Our results demonstrated for the first time that SAI was more likely to induce immediate hypersensitivity reactions attributable to degranulation via oxidative stress caused by SA-B and SA-D components. These results would not only be useful for the safety of end user but also for the industry to improve the quality of SA infusion.

[Effects of penetration enhancers on percutaneous permeability of geniposide in Xiao'er Ninhuang tuire cataplasms].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the different permeation enhancers on the transdermal permeation of Xiao'er Niuhuang tuire cataplasms (XNTC). METHOD: Using improved franz-type diffusion cell with excised rat skin in vitro as the transdermal barrier, the content of permeated geniposide was determined by HPLC to study the kinetic parameters such as cumulative permeation quantity and permeation rate. RESULT: The result showed that the process of penetrating of geniposide in XNTC through skin could be in accordance with zero-rade releasing equation and XNTC was stable during the course of experiment. CONCLUSION: 5% Propylene glycol (PG)-azone (2:3) has the best permeation-enhancing effect, and the results provided a primary basis for the future research on Xiao'er Niuhuang tuire cataplasms.

Ultraviolet Laser Damage Dependence on Contamination Concentration in Fused Silica Optics during Reactive Ion Etching Process.

The reactive ion etching (RIE) process of fused silica is often accompanied by surface contamination, which seriously degrades the ultraviolet laser damage performance of the optics. In this study, we find that the contamination behavior on the fused silica surface is very sensitive to the RIE process which can be significantly optimized by changing the plasma generating conditions such as discharge mode, etchant gas and electrode material. Additionally, an optimized RIE process is proposed to thoroughly remove polishing-introduced contamination and efficiently prevent the introduction of other contamination during the etching process. The research demonstrates the feasibility of improving the damage performance of fused silica optics by using the RIE technique.

Self-Assembly of Luminescent Lanthanide Mesocates as Efficient Catalysts for Transforming Carbon Dioxide into Cyclic Carbonates.

Four dinuclear lanthanide mesocates were fabricated through a spontaneous self-assembly method, and the formation of these complexes was well studied by their absorption and emission spectra. These stable complexes were also found to exhibit superior performance in catalyzing the coupling reaction between epoxides and CO2 with excellent recyclability. Moreover, the catalysts could be prepared on large scale. Moreover, the Yb and Lu complexes featured emissions in the near-infrared and visible regions, respectively, and their intensities and lifetimes could be used for identification purposes. Thus, this new approach can be used to construct promising lanthanide complexes as efficient catalysts and it identifies the possibility to better study a catalytic reaction with a luminescent catalyst.