Enzymatic bioconversion of ginseng powder increases the content of minor ginsenosides and potentiates immunostimulatory activity.

Background: Ginsenosides are biologically active components of ginseng and have various functions. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory activity of a ginseng product generated from ginseng powder (GP) via enzymatic bioconversion. This product, General Bio compound K-10 mg solution (GBCK10S), exhibited increased levels of minor ginsenosides, including ginsenoside-F1, compound K, and compound Y. Methods: The immunomodulatory properties of GBCK10S were confirmed using mice and a human natural killer (NK) cell line. We monitored the expression of molecules involved in immune responses via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, NK cell-targeted cell destruction, quantitative reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analyses. Results: Oral administration of GBCK10S significantly increased serum immunoglobulin M levels and primed splenocytes to express pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ. Oral administration of GBCK10S also activated NK cells in mice. Furthermore, GBCK10S treatment stimulated a human NK cell line in vitro, thereby increasing granzyme B gene expression and activating STAT5. Conclusion: GBCK10S may have potent immunostimulatory properties and can activate immune responses mediated by B cells, Th1-type T cells, and NK cells.

Inhibition of melanogenesis by Aster yomena callus pellet extract in melanoma cells and patients with skin pigmentation.

Plant tissue culture holds immense potential for the production of secondary metabolites with various physiological functions. We recently established a plant tissue culture system capable of producing secondary metabolites from Aster yomena. This study aimed to uncover the mechanisms underlying the potential therapeutic effects of Aster yomena callus pellet extract (AYC-P-E) on photoaging-induced skin pigmentation. Excessive melanogenesis was induced in B16F10 melanoma cells using α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH). The effects of AYC-P-E treatment on melanin biosynthesis inducers and melanin synthesis inhibition were assessed. Based on the results, a clinical study was conducted in subjects with skin pigmentation. AYC-P-E inhibited melanogenesis in α-MSH-treated B16F10 cells, accompanied by decreased mRNA and protein expression of melanin biosynthesis inducers, including cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB), tyrosinase, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2. This anti-melanogenic effect was mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation. Treatment of subjects with skin pigmentation with AYC-P-E-containing cream formulations resulted in 3.33%, 7.06%, and 8.68% improvement in the melanin levels at 2, 4, and 8 weeks, respectively. Our findings suggest that AYC-P-E inhibits excessive melanogenesis by activating MEK/ERK and AKT signaling, potentiating its cosmetic applications in hyperpigmentation treatment.

The Metabolite Profile in Culture Supernatant of Aster yomena Callus and Its Anti-Photoaging Effect in Skin Cells Exposed to UVB.

Aster yomena (A. yomena) extract has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-asthma, and anti-atopic effects. However, the commercial use of A. yomena extract requires a long processing time with specific processing steps (including heat treatment and ethanol precipitation), and there are various environmental problems. We aimed to build a system to produce A. yomena extract by culturing the callus in a bioreactor that can allow rapid process scale-up to test the effect of extract (AYC-CS-E) isolated from culture supernatant of A. yomena callus on photoaging of human keratinocytes (HaCaT) caused by ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure. Through screening analysis based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS), 17 major metabolites were tentatively identified from AYC-CS-E for the first time. The suppression of cell proliferation caused by UVB was effectively alleviated in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells treated with AYC-CS-E. Treatment with AYC-CS-E strongly induced the formation of type I procollagen and the inhibition of elastase in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells and significantly reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1. In addition, treatment of UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells with AYC-CS-E effectively improved various factors associated with an inflammatory reaction, skin damage recovery, skin moisture retention, and hyper-keratinization caused by photoaging, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), pro-inflammatory cytokines, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß), MMP-3, MMP-9, filaggrin, hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (HAS-2), keratin 1 (KRT-1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) at the gene and protein levels. These results suggest that AYC-CS-E can be used as a cosmetic ingredient for various skin diseases caused by photoaging, and the current callus culture system can be used commercially to supply cosmetic ingredients.

Understanding Hailstone Temporal Variability and Contributing Factors over the U.S. Southern Great Plains.

Hailstones are a natural hazard that pose a significant threat to property and are responsible for significant economic losses each year in the United States. Detailed understanding of their characteristics is essential to mitigate their impact. Identifying the dynamic and physical factors contributing to hail formation and hailstone sizes is of great importance to weather and climate prediction and policymakers. In this study, we have analyzed the temporal and spatial variabilities of severe hail occurrences over the U.S. southern Great Plains (SGP) states from 2004 to 2016 using two hail datasets: hail reports from the Storm Prediction Center and the newly developed radar-retrieved maximum expected size of hail (MESH). It is found that severe and significant severe hail occurrences have a considerable year-to-year temporal variability in the SGP region. The interannual variabilities have a strong correspondence with sea surface temperature anomalies over the northern Gulf of Mexico and there is no outlier. The year 2016 is identified as an outlier for the correlations with both El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and aerosol loading. The correlations with ENSO and aerosol loading are not statistically robust to inclusion of the outlier 2016. Statistical analysis without the outlier 2016 shows that 1) aerosols that may be mainly from northern Mexico have the largest correlation with hail interannual variability among the three factors and 2) meteorological covariation does not significantly contribute to the high correlation. These analyses warrant further investigations of aerosol impacts on hail occurrence.

Platycosides from the Roots of Platycodon grandiflorum and Their Health Benefits.

The extracts and pure saponins from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) are reported to have a wide range of health benefits. Platycosides (saponins) from the roots of PG are characterized by a structure containing a triterpenoid aglycone and two sugar chains. Saponins are of commercial significance, and their applications are increasing with increasing evidence of their health benefits. The biological effects of saponins include cytotoxic effects against cancer cells, neuroprotective activity, antiviral activity, and cholesterol lowering effects. Saponins with commercial value range from crude plant extracts, which can be used for their foaming properties, to high purity saponins such as platycodin D, which can be used for its health applications (e.g., as a vaccine adjuvant). This review reveals that platycosides have many health benefits and have the potential to be used as a remedy against many of the major health hazards (e.g., cancer, obesity, alzheimer's) faced by populations around the world. Methods of platycoside purification and analysis are also covered in this review.