Sea Buckthorn Polysaccharide Ameliorates Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by chronic inflammation and ulceration of the intestinal inner lining, resulting in various symptoms. Sea buckthorn berries contain a bioactive compound known as sea buckthorn polysaccharide (SBP). However, the precise mechanisms underlying the impact of SBP on UC remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of pretreatment with SBP on colitis induced by DSS. Our findings demonstrate that SBP pretreatment effectively reduces inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal barrier damage associated with colitis. To further elucidate the role of SBP-modulated gut microbiota in UC, we performed fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on DSS-treated mice. The microbiota from SBP-treated mice exhibits notable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, improves colonic barrier integrity, and increases the abundance of beneficial bacteria, as well as enhancing SCFA production. Collectively, these results strongly indicate that SBP-mediated amelioration of colitis is attributed to its impact on the gut microbiota, particularly through the promotion of SCFA-producing bacteria and subsequent elevation of SCFA levels. This study provides compelling evidence supporting the efficacy of pre-emptive SBP supplementation in alleviating colitis symptoms by modulating the gut microbiota, thereby offering novel insights into the potential of SBP as a regulator of the gut microbiota for colitis relief.

Characterizations of White Mulberry, Sea-Buckthorn, Garlic, Lily of the Valley, Motherwort, and Hawthorn as Potential Candidates for Managing Cardiovascular Disease-In Vitro and Ex Vivo Animal Studies.

Cardiovascular diseases are a broadly understood concept focusing on vascular and heart dysfunction. Lack of physical exercise, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, thromboembolism, and kidney and lung diseases all contribute to the development of heart and blood vessel dysfunction. Although effective and important, traditional treatment with diuretics, statins, beta blockers, calcium inhibitors, ACE inhibitors, and anti-platelet drugs remains a second-line treatment after dietary interventions and lifestyle changes. Scientists worldwide are still looking for an herbal product that would be effective and free from side effects, either taken together with or before the standard pharmacological intervention. Such herbal-originated medication therapy may include Morus alba L. (white mulberry), Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A. Nelson (sea-buckthorn), Allium sativum L. (garlic), Convallaria majalis L. (lily of the valley), Leonurus cardiaca L. (motherwort), and Crataegus spp. (hawthorn). Valuable herbal raw materials include leaves, fruits, seeds, and even thorns. This short review focuses on six herbs that can constitute an interesting and potential therapeutic option in the management of cardiovascular disorders.

Medicinal and edible polysaccharides from ancient plants: extraction, isolation, purification, structure, biological activity and market trends of sea buckthorn polysaccharides.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae L.), a well-known medicinal and edible plant, is known as the "king of VC". Due to its excellent medicinal and nutritional value, it has been developed into a variety of functional products. Sea buckthorn polysaccharides (SPs), one of the important and representative active components, have attracted the attention of researchers in the fields of health food and medicine because of their potential beneficial effects on human health. Recently, SPs have shown various biological activities in in vitro and in vivo studies, such as anti-obesity, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, and hepatoprotective activities. This review provides a comprehensive and systematic summary of the extraction and purification methods, structural characterization, biological activity, and market trends of SPs to provide a theoretical basis for their therapeutic potential and sanitarian functions. A future scope is needed to further explore the medicinal and nutritional value of SPs and incorporate them in functional food products.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Hippophae tibetana provides insights into high-altitude adaptation and flavonoid biosynthesis.

BACKGROUND: As an endemic shrub of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), the distribution of Hippophae tibetana Schlecht. ranges between 2800 and 5200 m above sea level. As the most basal branch of the Hippophae genus, H. tibetana has an extensive evolutionary history. The H. tibetana is a valuable tree for studying the ecological evolution of species under extreme conditions. RESULTS: Here, we generated a high-quality chromosome-level genome of H. tibetana. The total size of the assembly genome is 917 Mb. The phylogenomic analysis of 1064 single-copy genes showed a divergence between 3.4 and 12.8 Mya for H. tibetana. Multiple gene families associated with DNA repair and disease resistance were significantly expanded in H. tibetana. We also identified many genes related to DNA repair with signs of positive selection. These results showed expansion and positive selection likely play important roles in H. tibetana's adaptation to comprehensive extreme environments in the QTP. A comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analysis identified 49 genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in H. tibetana. We generated transgenic sea buckthorn hairy root producing high levels of flavonoid. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, this H. tibetana high-quality genome provides insights into the plant adaptation mechanisms of plant under extreme environments and lay foundation for the functional genomic research and molecular breeding of H. tibetana.

Variable resource allocation pattern, biased sex-ratio, and extent of sexual dimorphism in subdioecious Hippophae rhamnoides.

Evolutionary maintenance of dioecy is a complex phenomenon and varies by species and underlying pathways. Also, different sexes may exhibit variable resource allocation (RA) patterns among the vegetative and reproductive functions. Such differences are reflected in the extent of sexual dimorphism. Though rarely pursued, investigation on plant species harbouring intermediate sexual phenotypes may reveal useful information on the strategy pertaining to sex-ratios and evolutionary pathways. We studied H. rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica, a subdioecious species with polygamomonoecious (PGM) plants, in western Himalaya. The species naturally inhabits a wide range of habitats ranging from river deltas to hill slopes. These attributes of the species are conducive to test the influence of abiotic factors on sexual dimorphism, and RA strategy among different sexes. The study demonstrates sexual dimorphism in vegetative and reproductive traits. The sexual dimorphism index, aligned the traits like height, number of branches, flower production, and dry-weight of flowers with males while others including fresh-weight of leaves, number of thorns, fruit production were significantly associated with females. The difference in RA pattern is more pronounced in reproductive traits of the male and female plants, while in the PGM plants the traits overlap. In general, habitat conditions did not influence either the extent of sexual dimorphism or RA pattern. However, it seems to influence secondary sex-ratio as females show their significant association with soil moisture. Our findings on sexual dimorphism and RA pattern supports attributes of wind-pollination in the species. The observed extent of sexual dimorphism in the species reiterates limited genomic differences among the sexes and the ongoing evolution of dioecy via monoecy in the species. The dynamics of RA in the species appears to be independent of resource availability in the habitats as the species grows in a resource-limited and extreme environment.

Sea Buckthorn Polyphenols Alleviate High-Fat-Diet-Induced Metabolic Disorders in Mice via Reprograming Hepatic Lipid Homeostasis Owing to Directly Targeting Fatty Acid Synthase.

Our previous studies found that Sea Buckthorn polyphenols (SBP) extract inhibits fatty acid synthase (FAS) in vitro. Thus, we continued to explore possible effects and underlying mechanisms of SBP on complicated metabolic disorders in long-term high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed mice. To reveal that, an integrated approach was developed in this study. Targeted quantitative lipidomics with a total of 904 unique lipids mapping contributes to profiling the comprehensive features of disarranged hepatic lipid homeostasis and discovering a set of newfound lipid-based biomarkers to predict the occurrence and indicate the progression of metabolic disorders beyond current indicators. On the other hand, technologies of intermolecular interactions characterization, especially surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay, contribute to recognizing targeted bioactive constituents present in SBP. Our findings highlight hepatic lipid homeostasis maintenance and constituent-FAS enzyme interactions, to provide new insights that SBP as a functional food alleviates HFD-induced metabolic disorders in mice via reprograming hepatic lipid homeostasis caused by targeting FAS, owing to four polyphenols directly interacting with FAS and cinaroside binding to FAS with good affinity.

Mulberry and Hippophae-based solid beverage promotes weight loss in rats by antagonizing white adipose tissue PPARγ and FGFR1 signaling.

Obesity, a multifactorial disease with many complications, has become a global epidemic. Weight management, including dietary supplementation, has been confirmed to provide relevant health benefits. However, experimental evidence and mechanistic elucidation of dietary supplements in this regard are limited. Here, the weight loss efficacy of MHP, a commercial solid beverage consisting of mulberry leaf aqueous extract and Hippophae protein peptides, was evaluated in a high-fat high-fructose (HFF) diet-induced rat model of obesity. Body component analysis and histopathologic examination confirmed that MHP was effective to facilitate weight loss and adiposity decrease. Pathway enrichment analysis with differential metabolites generated by serum metabolomic profiling suggests that PPAR signal pathway was significantly altered when the rats were challenged by HFF diet but it was rectified after MHP intervention. RNA-Seq based transcriptome data also indicates that MHP intervention rectified the alterations of white adipose tissue mRNA expressions in HFF-induced obese rats. Integrated omics reveals that the efficacy of MHP against obesogenic adipogenesis was potentially associated with its regulation of PPARγ and FGFR1 signaling pathway. Collectively, our findings suggest that MHP could improve obesity, providing an insight into the use of MHP in body weight management.

Wound-healing effect of topical nanoemulsion-loaded cream and gel formulations of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) fruit oil and their acute dermal toxicity study on female SD rats.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical nanoemulsion (NE)-loaded cream and gel formulations of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn [SBT]) fruit oil for wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The NE-loaded cream and gel formulations of H. rhamnoides L. (SBT) fruit oil (IPHRFH) were prepared and evaluated for their wound-healing activity on female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. They were further divided into groups (seven) and the wound-healing activity was determined by measuring the area of the wound on the wounding day and on the 0th, 4th, 8th, and 10th days. The acute dermal toxicity of the formulations was assessed by observing the erythema, edema, and body weight (BW) of the rats. RESULTS: The topical NE cream and gel formulations of H. rhamnoides L. (SBT) fruit oil showed significant wound-healing activity in female SD rats. The cream formulation of IPHRFH showed 78.96%, the gel showed 72.59% wound contraction on the 8th day, whereas the positive control soframycin (1% w/w framycetin) had 62.29% wound contraction on the 8th day. The formulations also showed a good acute dermal toxicity profile with no changes significantly affecting BW and dermal alterations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that topical NE-loaded cream and gel formulation of H. rhamnoides L. (SBT) fruit oil are safe and effective for wound healing. The formulations showed no signs of acute dermal toxicity in female SD rats.

Changes in the Main Physicochemical Properties and Electrochemical Fingerprints in the Production of Sea Buckthorn Juice by Pectinase Treatment.

Enzymatic hydrolysis using pectinase is critical for producing high-yield and quality sea buckthorn juice. This study determined the optimal temperature, time, and enzyme dosage combinations to guide manufacturers. A temperature of 60 °C, hydrolysis time of 3 h, and 0.3% enzyme dosage gave 64.1% juice yield-25% higher than without enzymes. Furthermore, monitoring physicochemical properties reveals enzyme impacts on composition. Higher dosages increase soluble solids up to 15% and soluble fiber content by 35% through cell wall breakdown. However, excessive amounts over 0.3% decrease yields. Pectin concentration also declines dose-dependently, falling by 91% at 0.4%, improving juice stability but needing modulation to retain viscosity. Electrochemical fingerprinting successfully differentiates process conditions, offering a rapid quality control tool. Its potential for commercial inline use during enzymatic treatment requires exploration. Overall, connecting optimized parameters to measured effects provides actionable insights for manufacturers to boost yields, determine enzyme impacts on nutrition/functionality, and introduce novel process analytical technology. Further investigations of health properties using these conditions could expand sea buckthorn juice functionality.

Flavonoid Compounds in Hippophae rhamnoides L. Protect Endothelial Cells from Oxidative Damage Through the PI3K/AKT-eNOS Pathway.

Sea buckthorn, a traditional medicinal plant, has been used for several years in China for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, a practice closely associated with its significant antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of sea buckthorn flavonoids on vascular endothelial cells in an oxidative stress environment. We isolated and extracted active compounds from sea buckthorn and investigated their impact on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity through the PI3K/AKT-eNOS signaling pathway through a combination of network pharmacology and cellular experiments, elucidating the regulatory effects of these compounds on endothelial cell functions. Three flavonoids, named Fr.4-2-1, Fr.4-2-2 and Fr.4-2-3, were obtained from sea buckthorn. The results of network pharmacology indicated that they might exert their effects by regulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. In vitro results showed that all three flavonoids were effective in alleviating the degree of oxidative stress in cells, among which Fr.4-2-1 exerted its antioxidant effects by modulating the PI3K/AKT-eNOS pathway. Flavonoids in sea buckthorn can effectively inhibit oxidative stress-induced cellular damage, preserving the integrity and functionality of endothelial cells, which is crucial for maintaining vascular health and function.

Extraction techniques, structural features and biological functions of Hippophae rhamnoides polysaccharides: A review.

Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a type of traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of clinical application. It is used in the improvement and treatment of various diseases as medicine and food to strengthen the stomach and digestion, relieving cough and resolving phlegm, promoting blood circulation, and resolving blood stasis in traditional Chinese medicine. Emerging evidence has shown that H. rhamnoides polysaccharides (HRPs) are vital bioactive macromolecules responsible for its various health benefits. HRPs possess the huge potential to develop a drug improving or treating different diseases. In this review, we comprehensively and systematically summarize the recent information on extraction and purification methods, structural features, biological activities, structure-activity relationships, and potential industry applications of HRPs and further highlight the therapeutic potential and sanitarian functions of HRPs in the fields of therapeutic agents and functional food development. Additionally, this paper also lists a variety of biological activities of HRPs in vitro and in vivo roundly. Finally, this paper also discusses the structure-activity relationships and potential applications of HRPs. Overall, this work will help to have a better in-depth understanding of HRPs and provide a scientific basis and direct reference for more scientific and rational applications.

Extraction, purification, structural characterization and pharmacological activities of polysaccharides from sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.): A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is an edible fruit with a long history in China as a medicinal plant. The fruits of H. rhamnoides are rich in a variety of nutrients and pharmacological active compounds. As one of the most important active ingredients in sea buckthorn, polysaccharides have attracted the attention of researchers due to their antioxidant, anti-fatigue, and liver protective qualities. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review summarizes recent studies on extraction, purification, structural characterization and pharmacological activities of polysaccharides from sea buckthorn. In addition, the relationship between the structure and the activities of sea buckthorn polysaccharides (SBPS) were discussed. This review would provide important research bases and up-to-date information for the future in-depth development and application of sea buckthorn polysaccharides in the field of pharmaceuticals and functional foods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By inputting the search term "Sea buckthorn polysaccharides", relevant research information was obtained from databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, China Knowledge Network (CNKI), China Master Theses Full-text Database, and China Doctoral Dissertations Full-text Database. RESULTS: The main extraction methods of SBPS include hot water extraction (HWE), ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), flash extraction (FE), and ethanol extraction. More than 20 polysaccharides have been isolated from sea buckthorn fruits. The chemical structures of sea buckthorn polysaccharides obtained by different extraction, isolation, and purification methods are diverse. Polysaccharides from sea buckthorn display a variety of pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-fatigue, liver protection, anti-obesity, regulation of intestinal flora, immunoregulation, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic activities. CONCLUSIONS: Sea buckthorn has a long medicinal history and characteristics of an ethnic medicine and food. Polysaccharides are one of the main active components of sea buckthorn, and they have received increasing attention from researchers. Sea buckthorn polysaccharides have remarkable pharmacological activities, health benefits, and broad application prospects. In addition, further exploration of the chemical structure of SBPS, in-depth study of their pharmacological activities, identification of their material basis, characterization of disease resistance mechanisms, and potential health functions are still directions of future research. With the accumulation of research on the extraction and purification processes, chemical structure, pharmacological effects, molecular mechanisms, and structure-activity relationships, sea buckthorn polysaccharides derived from natural resources will ultimately make significant contributions to human health.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Hippophae gyantsensis.

Hippophae gyantsensis, which is a native tree species in China, is ideal for windbreak and sand-fixing forests. It is an economically and ecologically valuable tree species distributed exclusively in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. In our study, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of H. gyantsensis using Illumina sequencing, Nanopore sequencing and chromosome structure capture technique. The genome was 716.32 Mb in size with scaffold N50 length of 64.84 Mb. A total of 716.25 Mb genome data was anchored and orientated onto 12 chromosomes with a mounting rate of up to 99.99%. Additionally, the genome was found to comprise approximately 56.84% repeat sequences, of which long terminal repeats(LTRs) that accounted for 33.19% of the entire genome. Meanwhile, a total of 32,316 protein-coding genes were predicted, and 91.07% of these genes were functionally annotated. We also completed a series of comparative genomic analyses to provide researchers with useful reference material for future studies on seabuckthorn.

Cyclic loading changes the taproot's tensile properties and reinforces the soil via the shrub's taproot in semi-arid areas, China.

This study aimed to reveal the soil reinforcement by shrub root systems after repeated stress from external forces, such as high winds and runoff, for extended periods in the wind-hydraulic compound erosion zone. Using the widely distributed Shandong mine area soil and water-conserving plant species, Caragana microphylla, Hippophae rhamnoides, and Artemisia ordosica, cyclic loading tests were conducted on taproots of the three plant species (1-5 mm diameter) via a TY8000 servo-type machine to investigate the taproots' tensile properties response to repeated loading-unloading using simulated high wind pulling and runoff scouring. Our study revealed that the tensile force was positively correlated with the root diameter but the tensile strength was negatively correlated under monotonic and cyclic loading of the three plants' taproots. However, after cyclic loading, the three plant species' taproots significantly enhanced the tensile force and strength more than monotonic loading (P < 0.05). The taproot force-displacement hysteresis curves of the three plant species revealed obvious cyclic characteristics. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that root diameter and damage method directly affected the taproots' survival rate, reflecting their sustainable soil reinforcement capacity. The damage method significantly influenced the soil reinforcement more than the root diameter. Our findings reveal that the plant species' taproots can adapt more to the external environment and enhance their resistance to erosion after natural low perimeter erosion damage, effectively inducing soil reinforcement. Particularly, the taproots of Caragana microphylla have superior soil-fixing ability and can be used for ecological restoration.

Hippophae rhamnoides Prevents Oleic Acid-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome by Releasing Acetylcholinesterase Activity and Mitigation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Level.

Hippophae rhamnoides exhibit a wide variety of medicinal and pharmacological effects. The present study aims to determine the role of ethanol extract of H. rhamnoides on oleic acid (OA)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in rats. Male rats were randomly divided into the following groups: (I) Control, (II) OA, and (III) OA+H. rhamnoides. H. rhamnoides extract (500 mg/kg) was given orally for 2 weeks before OA in Group III. Levels of total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status (TOS), myeloperoxidase (MPO), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was utilized to evaluate the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2). Also, Caspase-3 immunostaining and expression were performed to evaluate apoptosis. Compared with the OA group, there was a significantly decrease in the levels of MPO, TOS, MAPK, and ACE and in the expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, MMP2, and Caspase-3 in the H. rhamnoides administration group. Moreover, the activity of AChE and level of TAS were substantially higher in the H. rhamnoides administration compared with the OA group. The findings in the study suggest that the protective effect of H. rhamnoides pretreatment may act through inhibition of the ACE activity, releasing AChE, regulation of inflammatory cytokine levels, and suppression of apoptotic process in ARDS.

Microwave-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction of polysaccharides from Hippophae rhamnoide L.: Modeling, characterization and hypoglycemic activity.

Natural polysaccharides are concerned for their high biological activity and low toxicity. Two kinds of polysaccharides were extracted from Hippophae rhamnoide L. by microwave-assisted aqueous two-phase system. Under the optimal conditions predicted by RSM model (K2HPO4/ethanol (18.93 %/28.29 %), liquid to material ratio 77 mL/g, power 625 W and temperature 61 °C), the yield of total polysaccharides reached 35.91 ± 0.76 %. Moreover, the polysaccharides extraction was well fitted to the Weibull model. After purification by Sepharose-6B, the polysaccharides from top phase (PHTP, purity of 81.44 ± 1.25 %) and bottom phase (PHBP, purity of 88.85 ± 1.40 %) were obtained. GC, FT-IR, methylation and NMR analyses confirmed the backbone of PHTP was composed of a repeated unit →4)-ß-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ 2)-α-L-Rhap-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-D-Galp-(1 â†’ 4)-α-D-GalAp-(1 â†’ 3)-α-L-Araf-(1 â†’ 3)-α-D-Manp-(1→, while the repeated unit in PHBP was →3)-α-L-Araf-(1 â†’ 2)-α-L-Rhap-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ 3)-α-D-Manp-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-D-Galp-(1 â†’ 4)-α-D-GalAp-(1→. Compared with PHTP (6.46 × 106 g/mol), PHBP with relatively low molecular weight (8.2 × 105 g/mol) exhibited the smaller particle size, better water-solubility, thermal and rheological property, stronger anti-glycosylation and α-amylase inhibitory effects. Moreover, PHTP and PHBP displayed a reversible inhibition on α-amylase in a competitive manner. This study provides a high-efficient and eco-friendly method for polysaccharides extraction, and lays a foundation for sea buckthorn polysaccharides as potential therapeutic agents in preventing and ameliorating diabetes.

Sea buckthorn oil regulates primary myoblasts proliferation and differentiation in vitro.

Skeletal muscle is the main edible part of meat products, and its development directly affects the yield and palatability of meat. Sea buckthorn oil (SBO) contains plenty of bioactive substances and has been recognized as a potential functional food product. The study aimed to explore the effects and possible mechanisms of SBO on sheep primary myoblast proliferation and myogenic differentiation. The results implied that SBO exhibited a pro-proliferative effect on primary myoblasts, along with up-regulated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Cyclin D1/cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) abundances. And, SBO promoted myotube formation by increasing the expression of myogenin. Meanwhile, we found that SBO inhibited the expression of miRNA-292a. Moreover, the regulatory effect of SBO on myogenic differentiation of myoblasts was attenuated by miRNA-292a mimics. Of note, SBO activated protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and augmented glucose uptake and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) content, which might be attributed to AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. Additionally, the results were shown that SBO increased the abundance of antioxidative enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4) and catalase. In summary, these data suggested that SBO regulated the proliferation and myogenic differentiation of sheep primary myoblasts in vitro, which might potentiate the application of SBO in muscle growth.

Improvement of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) flavonoids on the antioxidant and immune performance of Yellow River carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fed high-carbohydrate diet.

High-carbohydrate (HC) diets may lead to the deterioration of the antioxidant and immune properties of Yellow River carp and the healthy development of the industry. Studies in mammals have found that sea buckthorn flavonoids (SF) improve antioxidant and immune performance. Therefore, this study comprehensively evaluated the effects of SF on Yellow River carp using in vitro and feeding trials with an HC diet. Control (C, 27.23 %), high-carbohydrate (HC, 42.99 %), and HC + SF (0.1 %, 0.2 %, and 0.4 %) groups were studied in a 10-week aquaculture experiment. The main findings were as follows: (1) SF scavenged O2·-, ·OH, and DPPH free radicals in vitro, which gradually increased with the SF concentration. (2) The antioxidant and immune performance of Yellow River carp was enhanced by dietary supplementation with SF, which involved the regulation of activities of antioxidant and immune enzymes, as well as their changes at the transcription and protein levels. In terms of antioxidant properties, compared to the HC group, HC + SF significantly decreased the activities of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and the contents of H2O2 and malondialdehyde in the serum and hepatopancreas. The activities of glutathione, glutathione-Px, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total antioxidant activity in the HC-diet group. In contrast, the addition of SF increased antioxidant enzyme activity. In the hepatopancreas and muscles, SF regulated and activated Nrf2-Keap1, a key signaling pathway for oxidative stress. SF significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of downstream genes (gr, ho-1, cat, and sod) regulated by nrf2. In terms of immune performance, 0.4 % SF markedly increased the activity of immune-related enzymes. SF inhibited the gene expression of pro-inflammatory factors induced by the HC diet and promoted the gene expression of anti-inflammatory factors. In addition, the resistance of Yellow River carp to Aeromonas hydrophila was enhanced by SF. In summary, SF supplementation can reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory harm caused by the HC diet and improve the antioxidant and immune performance of Yellow River carp to varying degrees.

Discovery of Anti-Coronavirus Cinnamoyl Triterpenoids Isolated from Hippophae rhamnoides during a Screening of Halophytes from the North Sea and Channel Coasts in Northern France.

The limited availability of antiviral therapy for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spurred the search for novel antiviral drugs. Here, we investigated the potential antiviral properties of plants adapted to high-salt environments collected in the north of France. Twenty-five crude methanolic extracts obtained from twenty-two plant species were evaluated for their cytotoxicity and antiviral effectiveness against coronaviruses HCoV-229E and SARS-CoV-2. Then, a bioguided fractionation approach was employed. The most active crude methanolic extracts were partitioned into three different sub-extracts. Notably, the dichloromethane sub-extract of the whole plant Hippophae rhamnoides L. demonstrated the highest antiviral activity against both viruses. Its chemical composition was evaluated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) and then it was fractionated by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). Six cinnamoyl triterpenoid compounds were isolated from the three most active fractions by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by high resolution MS (HR-MS) and mono- and bi-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Specifically, these compounds were identified as 2-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-maslinic acid, 3ß-hydroxy-2α-trans-p-coumaryloxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid, 3ß-hydroxy-2α-cis-p-coumaryloxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid, 3-O-trans-caffeoyl oleanolic acid, a mixture of 3-O-trans-caffeoyl oleanolic acid/3-O-cis-caffeoyl oleanolic acid (70/30), and 3-O-trans-p-coumaroyl oleanolic acid. Infection tests demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition of these triterpenes against HCoV-229E and SARS-CoV-2. Notably, cinnamoyl oleanolic acids displayed activity against both SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-229E. Our findings suggest that Hippophae rhamnoides could represent a source of potential antiviral agents against coronaviruses.

The Systematics, Reproductive Biology, Biochemistry, and Breeding of Sea Buckthorn-A Review.

Both the fruit flesh and seeds of sea buckthorn have multiple uses for medicinal and culinary purposes, including the valuable market for supplementary health foods. Bioactive compounds, such as essential amino acids, vitamins B, C, and E, carotenoids, polyphenols, ursolic acid, unsaturated fatty acids, and other active substances, are now being analyzed in detail for their medicinal properties. Domestication with commercial orchards and processing plants is undertaken in many countries, but there is a large need for improved plant material with high yield, tolerance to environmental stress, diseases, and pests, suitability for efficient harvesting methods, and high contents of compounds that have medicinal and/or culinary values. Applied breeding is based mainly on directed crosses between different subspecies of Hippophae rhamnoides. DNA markers have been applied to analyses of systematics and population genetics as well as for the discrimination of cultivars, but very few DNA markers have as yet been developed for use in selection and breeding. Several key genes in important metabolic pathways have, however, been identified, and four genomes have recently been sequenced.