Extraction and Isolation of Two Polysaccharides from Chloranthus japonicus Sieb. and Evaluation of Their Anti-Gastric Cancer Activities.

Two unreported heteropolysaccharides, denoted as YCJP-1 and YCJP-2, were isolated from the herbs of Chloranthus japonicus. YCJP-1 was a heteropolysaccharide composed of glucose, galactose, arabinose, mannose, rhamnose, and a minor proportion of uronic acids, with the molecular weight mainly distributed in the 74,475-228,443 Da range. YCJP-2 was mainly composed of glucose, mannose, and galactose, with the molecular weights ranging from 848 to 5810 Da. To further evaluate the anti-gastric cancer effects of C. japonicus, the inhibitory effects of the crude polysaccharide (YCJP) and the purified polysaccharides (YCJP-1 and YCJP-2) were determined using a CCK-8 assay and colon-forming assay on MGC-803 and AGS gastric cancer cell lines. Our results showed that YCJP, YCJP-1, and YCJP-2 possess prominent inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MGC-803 and AGS cells, and the AGS cell was more sensitive to YCJP, YCJP-1, and YCJP-2. Moreover, YCJP-2 demonstrated superior anti-gastric cancer effects compared to YCJP-1. This could potentially be attributed to YCJP-2's higher glucose content and narrower molecular weight distribution.

SLC25A32 promotes malignant progression of glioblastoma by activating PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Solute carrier family 25 member 32 (SLC25A32) is an important member of SLC25A family and plays a role in folate transport metabolism. However, the mechanism and function of SLC25A32 in the progression of human glioblastoma (GBM) remain unclear. METHODS: In this study, folate related gene analysis was performed to explore gene expression profiles in low-grade glioma (LGG) and GBM. Western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to confirm the expression levels of SLC25A32 in GBM tissues and cell lines. CCK-8 assays, colony formation assays, and Edu assays were performed to assess the role of SLC25A32 on proliferation in GBM in vitro. A 3D sphere invasion assay and an ex vivo co-culture invasion model were performed to assess the effects of SLC25A32 on invasion in GBM. RESULTS: Elevated expression of SLC25A32 was observed in GBM, and high SLC25A32 expression was associated with a high glioma grade and poorer prognosis. Immunohistochemistry performed with anti-SLC25A32 on samples from an independent cohort of patients confirmed these results. Knockdown of SLC25A32 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of GBM cells, but overexpression of SLC25A32 significantly promoted cell growth and invasion. These effects were mainly due to the activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that SLC25A32 plays a significant role in promoting the malignant phenotype of GBM. Therefore, SLC25A32 can be used as an independent prognostic factor in patients with GBM, providing a new target for the comprehensive treatment of GBM.

Bioconversion of Homogeneous Linear C-Lignin to Polyhydroxyalkanoates.

The bioconversion of homogeneous linear catechyl lignin (C-lignin) to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) was examined for the first time in this study. C-lignins from vanilla, euphorbia, and candlenut seed coats (denoted as C1, C2, and C3, respectively) varied in their molecular structures, which showed different molecular weight distributions, etherification degrees, and contents of hydroxyl groups. A notable amount of nonetherified catechol units existed within C1 and C2 lignins, and these catechol units were consumed during fermentation. These results suggested that the nonetherified catechol structure was readily converted by Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Since the weight-average molecular weight of C2 raw lignin was 26.7% lower than that of C1, the bioconversion performance of C2 lignin was more outstanding. The P. putida KT2440 cell amount reached the maximum of 9.3 × 107 CFU/mL in the C2 medium, which was 37.9 and 82.4% higher than that in the C1 and C3 medium, respectively. Accordingly, PHA concentration reached 137 mg/L within the C2 medium, which was 41.2 and 149.1% higher than the C1 and C3 medium, respectively. Overall, C-lignin, with a nonetherified catechol structure and low molecular weight, benefits its microbial conversion significantly.

Metastatic Patterns and Prognosis of Patients with Sinonasal Carcinoma: A Population-Based Study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to summarize the incidence, risk factors, and prognostic factors of distant metastasis of sinonasal carcinoma. METHODS: We collected data for patients diagnosed with sinonasal carcinoma from 2010 to 2015 from the SEER database and analyzed the risk factors for distant metastasis via univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. In addition, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis models were used to describe the factors related to the overall survival of patients with distant metastasis. RESULTS: A total of 2,255 patients were included in the study, including 86 in the distant metastasis group and 2,169 in the nondistant metastasis group. In the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, we found that the risk factors affecting distant metastasis were poorly differentiated tumor grade (HR = 1.932, 95% CI: 1.082-3.452, p = 0.026), advanced T stage (T3-T4) (HR = 4.302, 95% CI: 2.047-9.039, p < 0.001), and advanced N stage (HR = 3.093, 95% CI: 1.911-5.005, p < 0.001). Moreover, elderly patients had a poorer prognosis than young patients (HR = 1.792, 95% CI: 1.096-2.931, p = 0.02) and that surgical treatment improved the survival rate of tumor patients with distant metastasis (HR = 0.450, 95% CI: 0.247-0.821, p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Tumor grade, T stage, and N stage are risk factors for distant metastasis in sinonasal carcinoma, while an age of less than 65 years and surgery were positive prognostic factors for sinonasal carcinoma patients with distant metastasis.

Selenium Nanoparticles Based on Morinda officinalis Polysaccharides: Characterization, Anti-Cancer Activities, and Immune-Enhancing Activities Evaluation In Vitro.

Recently, selenium nanoparticles have been drawing attention worldwide, and it is crucial to increase the stability of nano-Se. Morinda officinalis polysaccharides (MOP) are the main active component in Morinda officinalis radix. However, their low activity has limited their application. A novel selenium nanoparticle (Se-MOP) was prepared to solve these problems using MOP as a dispersant. The zeta potential was measured to evaluate the stability, and UV and ATR-FTIR were used to investigate the binding type of selenium and MOP. The morphology was observed by the TEM method. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect on five selected cancer cells (HepG2, MCF-7, AGS, PC9, and HCT8) was evaluated, showing remarkable inhibition of all five cancer cells. The mechanism of inhibition was also investigated by cell circle assay, and it was found that Se-MOP could induce cell circle G0/G1 phase arrest. Immune-enhancing activities were evaluated by measuring the proliferation and cytokines of mouse spleen lymphocytes in vitro and quantitative RT-PCR. The results indicated that single stimulation of Se-MOP and synergistic stimulation with PHA or LPS increased immune capacity and improved immune by increasing the expression of cytokines.

Phenotypic, chemical component and molecular assessment of genetic diversity and population structure of Morinda officinalis germplasm.

BACKGROUND: Morinda officinalis How (MO) is a perennial herb distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, which known as one of the "Four Southern Herbal Medicines". The extent of genetic variability and the population structure of MO are presently little understood. Here, nine morphological traits, six chemical components and Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were used in integrative research of MO germplasm variation among 88 individuals collected from ten populations across four geographical provinces of China. RESULTS: Both phenotype and chemical composition have significant genetic variation, and there is a certain correlation between them such as root diameter and the nystose content, as well as geographical distribution. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed the leaf length, leaf width, nystose, 1F-furanosaccharide nystose, and the section color were the major contributors to diversity. The cluster analysis based on phenotypic and oligosaccharide data distinguished three significant groups, which was consistent with the result of a corresponding analysis with 228,615 SNP markers, and importantly, they all showed a significant correlation with geographical origin. However, there was little similarity between two cluster results. The Shannon's information index (I) varied from 0.17 to 0.53 with a mean of 0.37, suggesting a high level of genetic diversity in MO populations, which mainly existed among individuals within populations, accounting for 99.66% of the total according to the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) results. Each population also maintains the connection because of certain gene communication, so that the genetic differentiation between populations was not very significant. The STRUCTURE software was used to analyse the population structure and the result showed that 88 accessions were clustered into three groups, and 67% of them were pure type, which was also confirmed through PCA. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive study of phenotypic, chemical and molecular markers will provide valuable information for future breeding plans and understanding the phylogenetic relationship of MO population.

Scoring model based on the signature of non-m6A-related neoantigen-coding lncRNAs assists in immune microenvironment analysis and TCR-neoantigen pair selection in gliomas.

BACKGROUND: Small peptides encoded by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have attracted attention for their various functions. Recent studies indicate that these small peptides participate in immune responses and antigen presentation. However, the significance of RNA modifications remains unclear. METHODS: Thirteen non-m6A-related neoantigen-coding lncRNAs were selected for analysis from the TransLnc database. Next, a neoantigen activation score (NAS) model was established based on the characteristics of the lncRNAs. Machine learning was employed to expand the model to two additional RNA-seq and two single-cell sequencing datasets for further validation. The DLpTCR algorithm was used to predict T cell receptor (TCR)-peptide binding probability. RESULTS: The non-m6A-related NAS model predicted patients' overall survival outcomes more precisely than the m6A-related NAS model. Furthermore, the non-m6A-related NAS was positively correlated with tumor cells' evolutionary level, immune infiltration, and antigen presentation. However, high NAS gliomas also showed more PD-L1 expression and high mutation frequencies of T-cell positive regulators. Interestingly, results of intercellular communication analysis suggest that T cell-high neoplastic cell interaction is weaker in both of the NAS groups which might arise from decreased IFNGR1 expression. Moreover, we identified unique TCR-peptide pairs present in all glioma samples based on peptides encoded by the 13 selected lncRNAs. And increased levels of neoantigen-active TCR patterns were found in high NAS gliomas. CONCLUSIONS: Our work suggests that non-m6A-related neoantigen-coding lncRNAs play an essential role in glioma progression and that screened TCR clonotypes might provide potential avenues for chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy for gliomas.

Application of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy coupled with support vector regression for the quantitative detection of thiamethoxam in tea.

A model combining UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and support vector regression (SVR) for the quantitative detection of thiamethoxam in tea is proposed. First, each original UV-Vis spectrum in the sample set is decomposed into some intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residual via ensemble empirical mode decomposition. Next, the decomposed IMFs are reconstructed into high-frequency and low-frequency matrices, and the residuals are combined into a trend matrix. Then, the SVR is used to build regression sub-models between each matrix and the content of thiamethoxam in tea. Finally, the combination model is established by a weighted average of the sub-models. The prediction results are compared with SVR and SVR coupled with several preprocessing methods, and the results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed approach in the quantitative detection of thiamethoxam in tea.

Impact of Fuzheng Huayu tablet on antiviral effect of entecavir in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Fuzheng Huayu tablet is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used for the treatment of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, whether the combination with Fuzheng Huayu tablet could affect the antiviral efficacy of nucleos(t)ide remains a concern. The objective of this trial was to explore the impact of Fuzheng Huayu tablet on antiviral effect of entecavir in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis. METHODS: A prospective, randomized control trial was conducted. Patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis were randomly divided into the treatment group (entecavir capsule plus Fuzheng Huayu tablet) and the control group (entecavir capsule plus simulant of Fuzheng Huayu), and followed up for 48 weeks. The dynamic changes of HBV DNA load, the rate of serological conversion of HBeAg, liver function, renal function and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were monitored. The general clinical data and adverse events were also recorded. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the rate of virological response and cumulative virological response between the treatment group and the control group (P > 0.05). After 48 weeks of treatment, the HBeAg seroconversion rate, biochemical response rate and LSM value were 21.05% and 4.76% (P = 0.164), 86.96% and 65.96% (P = 0.017), 9.5 kpa and 10.6 kpa (P = 0.827) in the treatment group and the control group, respectively. No serious adverse events related to the study therapy occurred during the trial. CONCLUSIONS: The antiviral entecavir combined with Fuzheng Huayu tablet did not affect the antiviral efficacy of entecavir, but could improve the rate of biochemical response, and had a tendency to improve the rate of serological conversion of HBeAg and liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis. Fuzheng Huayu tablet is clinically safe for patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis.

Neuroprotective Effects of a New Derivative of Chlojaponilactone B against Oxidative Damaged Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in PC12 Cells.

A new sesquiterpenoid (1) was obtained by hydrogenating Chlojaponilactone B. The structure of 1 was elucidated according to a combination of NMR, HRESIMS, and NOE diffraction data. The treatment of H2O2 in a PC12 cell model was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of 1. An MMT assay showed that 1 had no cytotoxicity to the PC12 cell and rescued cell viability from the oxidative damage caused by H2O2. The treatment of 1 stabilized the mitochondria membrane potential (MMP), which decreased the intracellular ROS level and reduced cell apoptosis in the oxidative stress model. The activities of antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and the content of intracellular glutathione (GSH) were significantly enhanced after the treatment of 1. In addition, the results of qRT-PCR showed that 1 treatment minimized the cell injury by H2O2 via the up-regulation of the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream enzymes Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glutamate cysteine ligase-modifier subunit (GCLm), and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (Nqo1). Based on the antioxidant activity of 1, we speculated its potential as a therapeutic agent for some diseases induced by oxidative damage.

Bioinformatics-Guided Identification of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium as a Functional Food Ingredient with Anti-Inflammatory Potential.

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP) is one of the most commonly used food supplements and folk medicines worldwide, and possesses cardiovascular, digestive, and respiratory protective effects partially through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. The unique aromatic flavor and mild side effects make CRP a promising candidate for the development of anti-inflammatory functional food. However, recent studies show that the crude alcoholic extract and some isolated compounds of CRP show compromised anti-inflammatory activity, which became the main factor hindering its further development. To identify the bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory potential, and improve the anti-inflammatory effects of the extract, a bioinformatics-guided extraction protocol was employed in this study. The potential bioactive candidates were identified by combing network pharmacology analysis, molecular docking, principal components analysis, k-means clustering, and in vitro testing of reference compounds. Our results demonstrated that 66 compounds in CRP could be grouped into four clusters according to their docking score profile against 24 receptors, while the cluster containing flavonoids and phenols might possess a more promising anti-inflammatory function. In addition, in vitro anti-inflammatory tests of the seven reference compounds demonstrated that hesperitin, naringenin, and gardenin B, which were grouped into a cluster containing flavonoids and phenols, significantly decreased LPS-induced NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 production of macrophages. While the compounds outside of that cluster, such as neohesperidin, naringin, hesperidin, and sinensetin showed little effect on alleviating LPS-induced NO and proinflammatory cytokine production. Based on the chemical properties of selected compounds, ethyl acetate (EtOAc) was selected as the solvent for extraction, because of its promising solubility of flavonoids and phenols. Furthermore, the ethanol alcoholic extract was used as a reference. The chemical profiling of EtOAc and crude alcoholic extract by HPLC/MS/MS also demonstrated the decreased abundance of flavonoid glycosides in EtOAc extract but increased abundance of phenols, phenolic acid, and aglycones. In accordance with the prediction, the EtOAc extract of CRP, but not the crude alcoholic extract, significantly decreased the NO, IL-6, and TNF-α production. Taken together, the results suggested selective extraction of phenols and flavonoids rich extract was able to increase the anti-inflammatory potential of CRP partially because of the synergistic effects between flavonoids, phenols, and enriched polymethoxyflavones. Our study might pave the road for the development of ethyl acetate extract of CRP as a novel functional food with anti-inflammatory function.

Development of monolayer AuNPs decorated on an optical fiber facet for SERS analysis.

In this paper, we present a novel strategy for fabricating surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) optical probe modified monolayer gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by a seed-mediated growth method. The morphology and optical properties of the samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The results show that the resulting probes exhibit high sensitivity with a detection limit down to 10-9mol/L for Methylene Blue solution and 10-8mol/L for both Crystal Violet and Rhodamine 6G solutions. Furthermore, the probes show an excellent reproducibility (relative standard deviation of 9.2% at 1621cm-1) and good stability, and the SERS spectra can be reproduced after storing the probes for one month in air. Finally, by finite-element simulations, we investigate the electromagnetic field distribution of the fiber facet modified with AuNPs. This work provides a promising potential of prepared SERS fiber probes and has broad application prospects in food safety, pesticide residue analysis, and environmental surveillance.

Optimization of Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Baphicacanthus cusia Leaves by Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are considered as efficient and green solvents for the extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants. In this work, a novel method of DES-based ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Baphicacanthus cusia leaves (BCL) was established. Systematic screening and the morphology of the original and treated BCL were observed with scanning electron microscopy to determine the extraction efficiency of different solvents. The extraction conditions were optimized by Box-Behnken design (BBD) tests and the optimal extraction conditions were as follows: lactic acid/L-menthol ratio of 5: 2 (mol/mol), solid-liquid ratio of 80.0 mL/g and temperature of 60.5 °C. The extraction yields of tryptanthrin, indigo and indirubin reached 0.356, 1.744 and 0.562 mg/g, respectively. The results of a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) radical scavenging activity test indicated the feasibility of DESs in the extraction of bioactive compounds. This study indicated that L-menthol/lactic acid was a green and efficient solvent for the extraction of bioactive compounds from BCL, and DES-based ultrasound-assisted extraction could be used as an effective application strategy for the extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants.

Chemical Fingerprint Analysis and Quantitative Analysis of Saccharides in Morindae Officinalis Radix by HPLC-ELSD.

A method based on high performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD) was developed for the quantitative analysis of three active compounds and chemical fingerprint analyses of saccharides in Morindae officinalis radix. Ten batches of Morindae officinalis radix were collected from different plantations in the Guangdong region of China and used to establish the fingerprint. The samples were separated with a COSMOIL Sugar-D column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 µm) by using gradient elution with water (A) and acetonitrile (B). In addition, Trapped-Ion-Mobility (tims) Time-Of-Flight (tims TOF) was used to identify saccharides of Morindae officinalis radix. Fingerprint chromatogram presented 26 common characteristic peaks in the roots of Morinda officinalis How, and the similarities were more than 0.926. In quantitative analysis, the three compounds showed good regression (r = 0.9995-0.9998) within the test ranges, and the recoveries of the method were in the range of 96.7-101.7%. The contents of sucrose, kestose and nystose in all samples were determined as 1.21-7.92%, 1.02-3.37%, and 2.38-6.55%, respectively. The developed HPLC fingerprint method is reliable and was validated for the quality control and identification of Morindae officinalis radix and can be successfully used to assess the quality of Morindae officinalis radix.

Purification, Structural Characterization and Immunomodulatory Effects of Polysaccharides from Amomumvillosum Lour. on RAW 264.7 Macrophages.

Amomum Villosum Lour. (A. villosum) is a folk medicine that has been used for more than 1300 years. However, study of the polysaccharides of A. villosum is seriously neglected. The objectives of this study are to explore the structural characteristics of polysaccharides from A. villosum (AVPs) and their effects on immune cells. In this study, the acidic polysaccharides (AVPG-1 and AVPG-2) were isolated from AVPs and purified via anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The structural characteristics of the polysaccharides were characterized by methylation, HPSEC-MALLS-RID, HPLC, FT-IR, SEM, GC-MS and NMR techniques. AVPG-1 with a molecular weight of 514 kDa had the backbone of → 4)-α-d-Glcp-(1 → 3,4)-ß-d-Glcp-(1 → 4)-α-d-Glcp-(1 →. AVPG-2 with a higher molecular weight (14800 kDa) comprised a backbone of → 4)-α-d-Glcp-(1 → 3,6)-ß-d-Galp-(1 → 4)-α-d-Glcp-(1 →. RAW 264.7 cells were used to investigate the potential effect of AVPG-1 and AVPG-2 on macrophages, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used as a positive control. The results from bioassays showed that AVPG-2 exhibited stronger immunomodulatory activity than AVPG-1. AVPG-2 significantly induced nitric oxide (NO) production as well as the release of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and upregulated phagocytic capacities of RAW 264.7 cells. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that AVPG-2 was able to turn the polarization of macrophages to the M1 direction. These results suggested that AVPs could be explored as potential immunomodulatory agents of the functional foods or complementary medicine.

Exploring the antibacterial mechanism of essential oils by membrane permeability, apoptosis and biofilm formation combination with proteomics analysis against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the important causes of food poisoning and infectious diseases worldwide, it can produce a large number of virulence factors, enhance the colonization ability of the host so that it can quickly colonize and spread on the surface of the objects. Essential oil (EO) is one of the natural products with antimicrobial properties, can be used as an important source of antibacterial agent discovery, and has a broad development prospect. However, the unclear mechanisms of antibacterial action have become an obstacle to its further development and use. Hence, the objective of the present study was to reveal the antibacterial mechanism of EO from Amomum villosum Lour (A villosum Lour) against MRSA using label-free quantitative proteomics, investigate the effect of EO on the bacterial proteome, enzymatic activities and leakage of bacterial intracellular biomacromolecule. Proteomic analysis of MRSA in the presence of EO found that a total of 144 differential expressed proteins (DEPs) between the control and treatment group, in which 42 proteins were distinctly up-regulated and 102 proteins were down-regulated. Besides, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis, determination of cell membrane permeability and apoptosis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, bacterial surface hydrophobicity, and biofilm formation measurement were performed. Collectively, the above results indicated that the cell membrane damage by EO leads to the loss of membrane integrity and causes leakage of intracellular macromolecular substances, inhibition of protein, and biofilm synthesis. These findings manifested that EO exerts antibacterial effect by multiple avenues and expands our understanding of the antibacterial mechanism, it has potential application value in food preservative and pharmaceutical industries.

The novel HOCl fluorescent probe CAN induced A549 apoptosis by inhibiting chlorination activity of MPO.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is an important signaling molecule for cell survival. However, it has been reported that excessive HOCl contributes to a variety of diseases such as cancers. And in cancer cells, the level of HOCl is much higher than that in normal cells. Here a coumarin-based fluorescent probe 7-Diethylamino-3-(2,3-dihydro-1H-perimidin-2-yl)-chromen-2-one (CAN) was successfully developed for HOCl detection. The probe could be oxidized by HOCl to induce significant change in its fluorescence profile, which made it feasible for ratiometric detecting HOCl. CAN (below 1 µM) did not affect cell viability and had good capacity in ratiometric detection of HOCl in RAW 264.7 cells. CAN induced A549 apoptosis and inhibited tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. And CAN could decrease the chlorination activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in A549. These findings suggested that CAN (below 1 µM) would develop into a HOCl probe. High activity of MPO and level of HOCl might be helpful for A549 survival. A549 could be induced apoptosis by reducing the HOCl level by CAN. It implies a new anticancer strategy by targeting HOCl.

UV-vis spectroscopic studies of low-energy argon-ion-bombarded ion-exchanged glasses.

The ion-exchanged glasses bombarded with 80 eV, 100 eV, and 120 eV argon ions at room temperature are investigated. The optical and structural properties of ion-exchanged glasses before and after bombardment were analyzed by means of a UV-vis spectrometer, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron probe micro analysis, respectively. The optical absorption and transmittance spectra of ion-exchanged glasses appear as obvious changes in the UV-visible region after bombardment. The optical absorption band and transmittance properties of ion-exchanged glasses at about 369-900 nm are less sensitive to the ion bombardment energy than that at about 200-280 nm. The changes in binding energy shift and peak area ratios of non-bridging oxygen and bridging oxygen contributions to the O 1s lines were observed with increasing ion beam bombardment energy. Accompanied with out-diffusion of potassium cations during argon ion bombardment, the peak of potassium cations concentration in the exchanged region decreases and moves into the interior of glasses in different degrees. The results show that variation of structure and optical properties of the ion-exchanged glasses are indicative of alterations of the silicate network structure induced by argon ion bombardment, which provide important information for application of the ion-exchanged glasses.

Anti-Inflammatory Property of the Essential Oil from Cinnamomum camphora (Linn.) Presl Leaves and the Evaluation of Its Underlying Mechanism by Using Metabolomics Analysis.

Cinnamomum camphora (Linn.) Presl has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of purposes. Our previous study indicated the antibacterial mechanism of the essential oil (EO) from C. camphora leaves; however, its anti-inflammatory activity and the underlying mechanism have not been clearly demonstrated. Thus, the present study investigated its anti-inflammatory property. Our data revealed that EO significantly decreased the release of nitric oxide (NO) and the mRNA expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 microglial cells. EO also attenuated LPS-induced increase in the mRNA expression and secretion of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-18, IL-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Furthermore, the metabolic profiles of LPS-induced BV2 microglial cells treated with or without EO were explored. Thirty-nine metabolites were identified with significantly different contents, including 21 upregulated and 18 downregulated ones. Five pathways were enriched by shared differential metabolites. Compared with the control cells, the glucose level was decreased, while the lactate level was increased, in the culture supernatant from LPS-stimulated cells, which were reversed by EO treatment. Moreover, compared to the LPS-treated group, the activities of phosphofructokinase (PFK) and pyruvate kinase (PK) in EO group were decreased. In summary, the current study demonstrated that EO from C. camphora leaves acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, which might be mediated through attenuating the glycolysis capacity of microglial cells.

Chloraserrtone A, a Sesquiterpenoid Dimer from Chloranthus serratus.

Chloraserrtone A (1), a new sesquiterpenoid dimer with two lindenane-type sesquiterpenoid monomers bridged by two six-membered rings, was obtained from Chloranthus serratus. A combination of UV, IR, NMR, HRESIMS, and X-ray diffraction data were used to elucidate the structure of 1. Compound 1 represents the first lindenane-type sesquiterpenoid dimer with extremely unique C-15-C-15', C-4-C-6', and C-6-C-11' linkages to form two six-membered rings between the monomeric units. A plausible biosynthesis toward chloraserrtone A is proposed. This new compound (1), together with the known lindenane dimers (2-11), were assessed for their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells. Compound 6 showed activity with an IC50 value of 3.7 µM.