Protective Effect of Perilla Seed Meal and Perilla Seed Extract against Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Ulcerative Colitis through Suppressing Inflammatory Cytokines in Mice.

An excessive inflammatory response of the gastrointestinal tract is recognized as one of the major contributors to ulcerative colitis (UC). Despite this, effective preventive approaches for UC remain limited. Rosmarinic acid (RA), an enriched fraction from Perilla frutescens, has been shown to exert beneficial effects on disease-related inflammatory disorders. However, RA-enriched perilla seed meal (RAPSM) and perilla seed (RAPS) extracts have not been investigated in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC in mice. RAPSM and RAPS were extracted using the solvent-partitioning method and analyzed with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mice with UC induced using 2.5% DSS for 7 days were pretreated with RAPSM and RAPS (50, 250, 500 mg/kg). Then, the clinical manifestation, colonic histopathology, and serum proinflammatory cytokines were determined. Indeed, DSS-induced UC mice exhibited colonic pathological defects including an impaired colon structure, colon length shortening, and increased serum proinflammatory cytokines. However, RAPSM and RAPS had a protective effect at all doses by attenuating colonic pathology in DSS-induced UC mice, potentially through the suppression of proinflammatory cytokines. Concentrations of 50 mg/kg of RAPSM and RAPS were sufficient to achieve a beneficial effect in UC mice. This suggests that RAPSM and RAPS have a preventive effect against DSS-induced UC, potentially through alleviating inflammatory responses and relieving severe inflammation in the colon.

New depside and rosmarinic acid derivatives from Perilla frutescens and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Two new depside derivatives 1 and 2 as well as a new pair of rosmarinic acid enantiomers 3a/b were isolated from the leaves of Perilla frutescens (L.) britt. The chemical structures of these compounds were identified based on detailed spectroscopic and physicochemical analyses (HR-ESI-MS, NMR) and comparison of literature data. Compounds 3a/b were obtained by chiral separation, and their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compounds 3a/b exhibited potential inhibitory activity on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide in RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values of 15.92 ± 3.32 µM and 48.72 ± 4.12 µM.

On-Site Evaluation of Constituent Content and Functionality of Perilla frutescens var. crispa Using Fluorescence Spectra.

Perilla frutescens leaves are hypothesized to possess antioxidant and amyloid-ß (Aß) aggregation inhibitory properties primarily due to their polyphenol-type compounds. While these bioactivities fluctuate daily, the traditional methods for quantifying constituent contents and functional properties are both laborious and impractical for immediate field assessments. To address this limitation, the present study introduces an expedient approach for on-site analysis, employing fluorescence spectra obtained through excitation light irradiation of perilla leaves. Standard analytical techniques were employed to evaluate various constituent contents (chlorophyl (Chl), total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and rosmarinic acid (RA)) and functional attributes (DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and Aß aggregation inhibitory activity). Correlations between the fluorescence spectra and these parameters were examined using normalized difference spectral index (NDSI), ratio spectral index (RSI), and difference spectral index (DSI) analyses. The resulting predictive model exhibited a high coefficient of determination, with R2 values equal to or greater than 0.57 for constituent contents and 0.49 for functional properties. This approach facilitates the convenient, simultaneous, and nondestructive monitoring of both the chemical constituents and the functional capabilities of perilla leaves, thereby simplifying the determination of optimal harvest times. The model derived from this method holds promise for real-time assessments, indicating its potential for the simultaneous evaluation of both constituents and functionalities in perilla leaves.

The Role and Mechanism of Perilla frutescens in Cancer Treatment.

Perilla frutescens is an annual herb of the Labiatae family and is widely grown in several countries in Asia. Perilla frutescens is a plant that is used medicinally in its entirety, as seen in its subdivision into perilla seeds, perilla stalks, and perilla leaves, which vary more markedly in their chemical composition. Several studies have shown that Perilla frutescens has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, detoxifying, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective. In the absence of a review of Perilla frutescens for the treatment of cancer. This review provides an overview of the chemical composition and molecular mechanisms of Perilla frutescens for cancer treatment. It was found that the main active components of Perilla frutescens producing cancer therapeutic effects were perilla aldehyde (PAH), rosmarinic acid (Ros A), lignan, and isoestrogen (IK). In addition to these, extracts of the leaves and fruits of Perilla frutescens are also included. Among these, perilla seed oil (PSO) has a preventive effect against colorectal cancer due to the presence of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. This review also provides new ideas and thoughts for scientific innovation and clinical applications related to Perilla frutescens.

Comprehensive HPLC fingerprint analysis based on a two-step extraction method for quality evaluation of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt.

Abundant chemical components are key to ensure the evaluation accuracy of fingerprint analysis of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). A two-step extraction method combining supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and water ultrasonic extraction was established for the quality evaluation of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. Weakly polar components were extracted under optimal SFE conditions (15% co-solvent (EtOH : n-hexane = 1 : 14, (v/v)), 40 °C, 250 bar, and 30 min), and polar components were subsequently extracted by an ultrasonic step (100% water as solvent, 40 °C, and 45 min). Then, HPLC methods were established, which were validated to be accurate, stable, and reliable. In this work, 25 batches of samples were evaluated and the data were analysed by similarity analysis (SA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The similarity values of SFE extracts and aqueous extracts were respectively 0.616-0.999, and 0.252-0.997, proving the importance of the extraction method for the accuracy of the subsequent fingerprint analysis results. For the HCA, 25 samples were divided into two categories (leaves and stems), among which four batches of leaves with less similarity were considered as stems, indicating that quality differences of P. frutescens depending on medicinal parts and origin exist. The two-step extraction method developed in this work has been proved to be suitable for the quality evaluation of TCMs with complex compositions.

A highly contiguous genome assembly of red perilla (Perilla frutescens) domesticated in Japan.

Perilla frutescens (Lamiaceae) is an important herbal plant with hundreds of bioactive chemicals, among which perillaldehyde and rosmarinic acid are the two major bioactive compounds in the plant. The leaves of red perilla are used as traditional Kampo medicine or food ingredients. However, the medicinal and nutritional uses of this plant could be improved by enhancing the production of valuable metabolites through the manipulation of key enzymes or regulatory genes using genome editing technology. Here, we generated a high-quality genome assembly of red perilla domesticated in Japan. A near-complete chromosome-level assembly of P. frutescens was generated contigs with N50 of 41.5 Mb from PacBio HiFi reads. 99.2% of the assembly was anchored into 20 pseudochromosomes, among which seven pseudochromosomes consisted of one contig, while the rest consisted of less than six contigs. Gene annotation and prediction of the sequences successfully predicted 86,258 gene models, including 76,825 protein-coding genes. Further analysis showed that potential targets of genome editing for the engineering of anthocyanin pathways in P. frutescens are located on the late-stage pathways. Overall, our genome assembly could serve as a valuable reference for selecting target genes for genome editing of P. frutescens.

Microwave-ultrasonic technique development coupled with natural deep eutectic solvents in anthocyanin extraction from perilla leaves (Perilla frutescens var. Acuta).

BACKGROUND: As potent antioxidants, anthocyanins can protect the body from free radicals. However, the traditional solvent extraction method has the disadvantages of requiring a high extraction temperature and long extraction time, so it is necessary to develop an efficient extraction method for anthocyanins. RESULTS: In this study, the technique of natural deep eutectic solvents (DESs) was applied to extract anthocyanins from purple perilla leaves with the aid of microwave-ultrasonic assisted extraction (MUAE). The response surface methodology (RSM), based on the Box-Behnken design (BBD), predicted the maximum extraction yield of anthocyanins to be 619.62 mg (100 g)-1 under the following conditions: x1 (ultrasonic extraction power) = 357.25 W, x2 (time) = 25.62 min, and x3 (temperature) = 57.80 °C. The biological activity of the extract obtained was evaluated by examining its radical-scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl radical, and superoxide anion radicals. Its bacteriostatic impact was investigated on four typical bacteria: Shewanella putrefaciens (S. putrefaciens), Pseudomonas fluorescens (P. fluorescens), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). CONCLUSION: The integrated extraction method of DESs with MUAE was efficient, energy-saving, green, and sustainable. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Comparison of active components in different parts of Perilla frutescens and its pharmacological effects].

Perilla frutescens is a widely used medicinal and edible plant with a rich chemical composition throughout its whole plant. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia categorizes P. frutescens leaves(Perillae Folium), seeds(Perillae Fructus), and stems(Perillae Caulis) as three distinct medicinal parts due to the differences in types and content of active components. Over 350 different bioactive compounds have been reported so far, including volatile oils, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenes, sterols, and fatty acids. Due to the complexity of its chemical composition, P. frutescens exhibits diverse pharmacological effects, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antidepressant, and antitumor activities. While scholars have conducted a substantial amount of research on different parts of P. frutescens, including analysis of their chemical components and pharmacological mechanisms of action, there has yet to be a systematic comparison and summary of chemical components, pharmacological effects, and mechanisms of action. Therefore, this study overviewed the chemical composition and structures of Perillae Folium, Perillae Fructus, and Perillae Caulis, and summarized the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of P. frutescens to provide a reference for better development and utilization of this valuable plant.

Metabolites and chemometric study of Perilla (Perilla frutescens) from different varieties and geographical origins.

Perilla (Perilla frutescens, PF) is an annual labiaceae herb that can be used as vegetable, seasoner, and herb, which mainly includes red PF (P. frutescens var. crispa) and green PF (P. frutescens var. frutescens). Red and green Perilla is mainly used for medicine and food, respectively. In order to explore the differences between these two Perilla cultivars and the effects of origin on them, we studied the components of 130 Perilla samples from different origins by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with partial least squares discriminant analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. In this study, 57 potential compounds were analyzed, mainly including organic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and anthocyanins. In different varieties of Perilla, anthocyanins were found only in red PF. In addition, the content of four flavonoids, two organic acids, and one coumarin in red PF is much higher than that in green PF. Among the same variety of Perilla, the contents of three metabolites were higher in the north of China for red Perilla, while five metabolites were higher in the south of China for green Perilla. Overall, this research provided a basis for distinguishing different varieties and sources of Perilla through the differential metabolites of Perilla.

Antiasthmatic Compounds Targeting ß2-Adrenergic Receptor from Perilla frutescens Improved Lung Inflammation by Inhibiting the NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Asthma is a highly prevalent and heterogeneous chronic respiratory disease and is often treated with inhaled corticosteroids or in combination with a ß2-adrenergic receptor (ß2-AR) agonist. However, around 5% of asthma remains uncontrolled, and more effective antiasthmatic drugs with known mechanisms are in high demand. Herein, we immobilized ß2-AR on the polystyrene amino microsphere surface in a one-step fashion. The successful immobilization of ß2-AR was verified by scanning electron microscopy and chromatographic analysis. We screened rosmarinic acid (RA) as the bioactive compound targeting ß2-AR in Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton by mass spectroscopy. The binding constant between RA and ß2-AR was determined to be 2.95 × 104 M-1 by adsorption energy distribution and frontal analysis. The antiasthmatic effect and mechanism of RA were examined on a murine model of allergic asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminum hydroxide. The results showed that RA significantly reduced lung inflammatory cell numbers, the production of Th2 cytokines, and the secretion of total IgE, OVA-specific IgE, and eotaxin. The decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion were associated with the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of AMCase, CCL11, CCR3, Ym2, and E-selectin in the lung tissues were effectively reduced. It is the first time that RA was proven to target ß2-AR and be effective in counteracting allergic airway inflammation via the NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, the immobilized ß2-AR preserves the potential in screening antiasthmatic compounds from herbal medicine, and RA can be developed as an effective agent for the treatment of allergic asthma.

Comprehensive Comparison of Two Color Varieties of Perillae Folium by GC-MS-Based Metabolomic Approach.

Perillae Folium (PF), the leaf of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt, is extensively used as culinary vegetable in many countries. It can be divided into two major varietal forms based on leaf color variation, including purple PF (Perilla frutescens var. arguta) and green PF (P. frutescens var. frutescens). The aroma of purple and green PF is discrepant. To figure out the divergence of chemical composition in purple and green PF, gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to analyze compounds in purple and green PF. A total of 54 compounds were identified and relatively quantified. Multivariate statistical methods, including principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) and clustering analysis (CA), were used to screen the chemical markers for discrimination of purple and green PF. Seven compounds that accumulated discrepantly in green and purple PF were characterized as chemical markers for the discrimination of the purple and green PF. Among these 7 marker compounds, limonene, shisool and perillaldehyde that from the same branch of the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway were with relatively higher contents in purple PF, while perilla ketone, isoegomaketone, tocopheryl and squalene on other branch pathways were higher in green PF. The results of the present study are expected to provide theoretical support for the development and utilization of PF resources.

Quantitative Comparison and Chemical Profile Analysis of Different Medicinal Parts of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. from Different Varieties and Harvest Periods.

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. is a plant that has been classified as one of the "One Root of Medicine and Food", and it can be used both as medicine and as food. To explore the influence of different varieties and harvest periods on the quality of different medicinal parts of P. frutescens, a comprehensive study on the chemical constituents of P. frutescens based on plant metabolomics was conducted. A total of 57 nonvolatile chemical components and 105 volatile chemical components of P. frutescens were characterized by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Furthermore, 35, 27, and 2 nonvolatile constituents as well as 16, 16, and 18 volatile constituents were identified as potential markers for discriminating P. frutescens between different medicinal parts, different varieties, and different harvest periods, respectively. Besides, 22 bioactive compounds of P. frutescens were quantitatively determined by a new sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method. This study comprehensively compares the differences and similarities of P. frutescens among the different medicinal parts, different varieties, and different harvest periods, and the results of this study may provide a theoretical basis and guidance for studying the quality evaluation and the optimization of the harvest period of this plant.

Perilla frutescens: A Rich Source of Pharmacological Active Compounds.

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, an important pharmaceutical and nutraceutical crop, is widely cultivated in East Asian countries. In this review, we present the latest research findings on the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of P. frutescens. Different databases, including PubMed, Scopus, CNKI, Agricola, Scifinder, Embase, ScienceDirect, DOAJ, and Web of Science, were searched to present the best review. In this review, we clearly represent the active constituents responsible for each and every pharmacological activity, plausible mechanism of action, and maximum inhibitory concentrations, as well as IC50 values. Approximately 400 different bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, terpenoids, quinines, phenylpropanoids, polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, coumarins, anthocyanins, carotenoids, neolignans, fatty acids, polycosanols, tocopherols, and sitosterols, have been reported in the leaves, seeds, roots, and aerial parts of P. frutescens. The bioactive constituents of P. frutescens exhibited different enzyme-inhibition properties, including antihyaluronidase effects and aldose reductase inhibitory, α-glucosidase inhibitory, xanthine oxidase inhibitory, and tyrosinase inhibitory properties. P. frutescens showed strong anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, anti-spasmodic, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, insecticidal, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. Hence, the active constituents of P. frutescens used in the treatment of diabetes and diabetic complications (retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy), prevention of hyperuricemia in gout patients, hyper pigmentation, allergic conditions, skin inflammation, skin allergy, atopic dermatitis, periodontosis, androgenic alopecia, gastric inflammation, oesophagitis, carcinogenesis, cardiovascular, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cerebral ischemic disorders. Furthermore, we revealed the most active constituents and possible mechanisms of the pharmacological properties of P. frutescens.

Comparative Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Halogenated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Different Parts of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt.

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., a medicinal herb and edible plant, is very popular among East Asian countries. The perilla leaves, stems and seeds can be used as traditional medicines and foods. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and halogenated PAHs (HPAHs) are organic pollutants that are widely present in the environment, such as in water, air and soil, and are harmful to humans. In this study, the contents of 16 PAHs and 4 HPAHs in perilla leaves, stems and seeds were determined by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 12 PAHs were detected in all samples, and no HPAHs were detected. The total contents of PAHs in perilla leaves, stems and seeds varied from 41.93 to 415.60 ng/g, 7.02 to 51.52 ng/g and 15.24 to 180.00 ng/g, respectively. The statistical analyses showed that there were significant differences in the distribution of PAHs in perilla leaves, stems and seeds. On the basis of the toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) model, the cancer risks of the intake of perilla leaves, stems and seeds were assessed to be from 3.30 × 10-8 to 2.11 × 10-5, 5.52 × 10-9 to 5.50 × 10-8 and 1.20 × 10-8 to 1.41 × 10-7, respectively. These were lower than 10-4 (the priority risk level of the EPA) and suggested that there may be almost no cancer risk from the intake of these traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs).

Effects of Perilla frutescens var. acuta in amyloid ß toxicity and Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in 5XFAD mice.

Although accumulation of amyloid ß (Aß) plaque is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), various pathologies have been suggested therapeutic targets. Therefore, therapies-targeting multiple pathologies would be required for effective managements of AD. Accordingly, natural products, which has multiple active ingredients, have been receiving a lot of attention. In this study, we tested whether standardized ethanol extract of leaves of Perilla frutescens var. acuta (L.) Britt. (Lamiaceae) (ELPF) could modulate various pathologies in AD using 5XFAD mice. ELPF blocked Aß aggregation and disassembled pre-formed Aß aggregates. ELPF blocked Aß aggregates-induced LTP impairment and ELPF-disassembled Aß aggregates failed to impair hippocampal LTP. Systemic administration of ELPF blocked Aß aggregates-induced memory impairment in a passive avoidance test. ELPF-disassembled Aß aggregates failed to impair passive avoidance memory. Prolonged administration of ELPF ameliorated memory impairments in 5XFAD mice. In the hippocampus of 5XFAD mice, ELPF administration significantly reduced Aß deposits and neuroinflammation. These results demonstrate that ELPF could be a promising therapeutic candidate for AD.

Anti-Osteoporosis Effect of Perilla frutescens Leaf Hexane Fraction through Regulating Osteoclast and Osteoblast Differentiation.

Osteoporosis is the result of an imbalance in the bone-remodeling process via an increase in osteoclastic activity and a decrease in osteoblastic activity. Our previous studies have shown that Perilla frutescens seed meal has anti-osteoclastogenic activity. However, the role of perilla leaf hexane fraction (PLH) in osteoporosis has not yet been investigated and reported. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of PLH in osteoclast differentiation and osteogenic potential using cell-based experiments in vitro. From HPLC analysis, we found that PLH contained high luteolin and baicalein. PLH was shown to inhibit RANKL-induced ROS production and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multi-nucleated osteoclasts. Moreover, PLH significantly downregulated the RANKL-induced MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, leading to the attenuation of NFATc1 and MMP-9 expression. In contrast, PLH enhanced osteoblast function by regulating alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and restoring TNF-α-suppressed osteoblast proliferation and osteogenic potential. Thus, luteolin and baicalein-rich PLH inhibits osteoclast differentiation but promotes the function of osteoblasts. Collectively, our data provide new evidence that suggests that PLH may be a valuable anti-osteoporosis agent.

Extraction, preparative monomer separation and antibacterial activity of total polyphenols from Perilla frutescens.

Polyphenols exhibit potential functional activities, especially rosmarinic acid (RosA) and caffeic acid (CafA). In this study, two different methods, ultrasonic-assisted ethanol extraction (60%) and ultrasound-assisted cellulase (≥15 000 Ug-1, 2%) hydrolysis, were used for the extraction of the total phenolics from 44 species of Perilla frutescens. The Folin-Ciocalteu method of detection showed that the content of the total phenolics extracted by cellulase hydrolysis was the highest and attained up to 28.00 mgGAE per gextracts for ZB1. Continuously, the extracts were purified using XDA-8 macroporous resin and medium-pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC), and the content of the total phenolics improved to 66.62 mgGAE per gextract. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay showed that the total polyphenols were mainly composed of gallic acid, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, luteolin and apigenin. Besides, a sequential XDA-8 macroporous resin combined with high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC)/MPLC system was established for the simultaneous isolation and preparation of RosA (purity 98.29%) and CafA (purity 97.01%) from the extracts. Furthermore, the antibacterial activities of the total polyphenols were evaluated by the disc diffusion method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation. The results verified that the total polyphenols had effective antibacterial activity on three kinds of bacteria including E. coli, S. aureus, and B. subtilis in a concentration-dependent manner. All of these results demonstrated that the ultrasound-assisted cellulase hydrolysis extraction of the total polyphenols and the proposed three-step separation of RosA and CafA gave high yields and good purity, and they exhibited effective antibacterial ability.

Multifunctional colorimetric cellulose acetate membrane incorporated with Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. anthocyanins and chamomile essential oil.

A colorimetric cellulose acetate (CA) membrane incorporated with Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. anthocyanins (PFA) and chamomile essential oil (CO) is developed via electrospinning technique for food freshness monitoring and shelf-life extending. The moieties of PFA and CO are well-dispersed in fiber matrix by hydrogen bonds and their incorporation increases the fiber size but with no obvious influence on the fiber morphology at incorporation levels. The presence of CO enhances membrane hydrophobicity. The target membrane of CA-PFA6-CO15 (PFA6%, CO15%) has a wide color change range of pH 2-12 which is high sensitive and reversible towards external pH-stimuli. The membrane has good antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus besides antioxidant activity. The release of bioactive moieties is predominantly controlled by Fickian diffusion. The target membrane can simultaneously monitor pork freshness in real-time and double the shelf-life at 25 °C, indicating its potential application in active and intelligent food packaging.

Chemical Characterization of Chinese Perilla Seed Oil.

Physicochemical properties and chemical composition of Chinese perilla seed oil has been characterized in this study. The result showed that both the cold press oil and the solvent extracted oil possessed low acid value and peroxide value. The fatty acid composition result showed that the oil has high content of linolenic acid (C18:3) up to 66.4 g/100 g, followed by linoleic acid (C18:2) of 15.3 g/100 g. The total triacylglycerol (TAG) profiles results showed that the oil contained 20 TAGs including 17 regioisomers, including LnLnLn (35.8 g/100 g), LLnLn (20.2 g/100 g), LLLn (17.7 g/100 g) and PLnLn (14.9 g/100 g) (Ln, linolenic acid; L, linoleic acid; P, palmitic acid). With content of only 0.57 g/100 g oil, the unsaponifiable matters were mainly composed of phytosterols, squalene, tocopherol, alcohols and hydrocarbons. The total phytosterols content was 0.39 g/100 g oil, in which ß-sitosterol has high content of 0.31 g/100 g oil.

The Methanolic Extract of Perilla frutescens Robustly Restricts Ebola Virus Glycoprotein-Mediated Entry.

Ebola virus (EBOV), one of the most infectious human viruses and a leading cause of viral hemorrhagic fever, imposes a potential public health threat with several recent outbreaks. Despite the difficulties associated with working with this pathogen in biosafety level-4 containment, a protective vaccine and antiviral therapeutic were recently approved. However, the high mortality rate of EBOV infection underscores the necessity to continuously identify novel antiviral strategies to help expand the scope of prophylaxis/therapeutic management against future outbreaks. This includes identifying antiviral agents that target EBOV entry, which could improve the management of EBOV infection. Herein, using EBOV glycoprotein (GP)-pseudotyped particles, we screened a panel of natural medicinal extracts, and identified the methanolic extract of Perilla frutescens (PFME) as a robust inhibitor of EBOV entry. We show that PFME dose-dependently impeded EBOV GP-mediated infection at non-cytotoxic concentrations, and exerted the most significant antiviral activity when both the extract and the pseudoparticles are concurrently present on the host cells. Specifically, we demonstrate that PFME could block viral attachment and neutralize the cell-free viral particles. Our results, therefore, identified PFME as a potent inhibitor of EBOV entry, which merits further evaluation for development as a therapeutic strategy against EBOV infection.