A pair of novel phenylethanol glycosides from Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight.

A pair of differential epimers with opposite C-7 configurations, crenatosides A and B (1 and 2), and 10 known phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) (3-12) were obtained from the succulent stem of Cistanche tubulosa. The structures were elucidated based on extensive spectral data (UV, IR, 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESIMS), which are first reported natural products with unique glycoside structures. After acid hydrolysis, the configuration of the sugar was determined by comparing it with the normative sugar by HPLC. The absolute configurations of both compounds were determined by ECD spectrum analysis. All the obtained compounds were examined for their inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in mouse microglial cells (BV-2 cells), and compounds 1 and 2 showed potent inhibition on NO production with IC50 values of 5.62 µM and 6.30 µM, respectively.

A Combined Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approach to Investigate Candidate Active Components and Multitarget Mechanisms of Hemerocallis Flowers on Antidepressant Effect.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our research is to systematically explore the multiple mechanisms of Hemerocallis fulva Flowers (HF) on depressive disorder (DD). METHODS: The components of HF were searched from the literature. The targets of components were obtained from PharmMapper. After that, Cytoscape software was used to build a component-target network. The targets of DD were collected from DisGeNET, PharmGKB, TTD, and OMIM. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) among the DD targets were executed to screen the key targets. Afterward, the GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed by the KOBAS database. A compound-target-KEGG pathway network was built to analyze the key compounds and targets. Finally, the potential active substances and targets were validated by molecular docking. RESULTS: A total of 55 active compounds in HF, 646 compound-related targets, and 527 DD-related targets were identified from public databases. After treated with PPI, 219 key targets of DD were acquired. The gene enrichment analysis suggested that HF probably benefits DD patients by modulating pathways related to the nervous system, endocrine system, amino acid metabolism, and signal transduction. The network analysis showed the critical components and targets of HF on DD. Results of molecular docking increased the reliability of this study. CONCLUSIONS: It predicted and verified the pharmacological and molecular mechanism of HF against DD from a holistic perspective, which will also lay a foundation for further experimental research and rational clinical application of DD.

Nootkatone improves anxiety- and depression-like behavior by targeting hyperammonemia-induced oxidative stress in D-galactosamine model of liver injury.

Acute or chronic liver injury is closely related to hyperammonemia, which will result in oxidative stress and damage to nerve cells, and these factors are vital to the development of anxiety and depression. In this study, the effect of Nootkatone (NKT) on the anxiety- and depression-like behavioral changes in mice induced by liver injury was investigated. Liver injury was induced by D-galactosamine (D-GalN; 350 mg/kg) three times a week for 4 weeks. NKT (5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) was given as co-treatment daily for 4 weeks. NKT (5 mg/kg) co-treatment remarkably ameliorates D-GalN-induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors as evident from the results of sucrose preference test, forced swimming test, tail suspension test, and novelty suppressed feeding test. Results showed that NKT could induce an elevation in serum alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase level, alleviate the oxidative stress induced by hyperammonemia through activating Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathways, decrease the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and NOX2 in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, enhance the vitality of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione levels in serum, liver, and brain, and significantly reduce the generation of malondialdehyde. At the same time, NKT also reduces the level of ammonia in serum and brain and upgrades the activity of glutamine synthetase in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Taken together, the present results suggested that NKT has a significant antidepressant effect through modulation of oxidative stress induced by D-GalN administration.

Cobalt-Nanocrystal-Assembled Hollow Nanoparticles for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Generation from Neutral-pH Water.

Highly active and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen generation from neutral-pH water are highly desired, but very difficult to achieve. Herein we report a facile synthetic approach to cobalt nanocrystal assembled hollow nanoparticles (Co-HNP), which serve as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen generation from neutral-pH water. An electrode composed of Co-HNP on a carbon cloth (CC) produces cathodic current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm(-2) at overpotentials of -85 mV and -237 mV, respectively. The Co-HNP/CC electrode retains its high activity after 20 h hydrogen generation at a high current density of 150 mA cm(-2) , indicating the superior activity and stability of Co-HNP as electrocatalyst.