In Vitro and In Vivo Antimelanogenesis Effects of Leaf Essential Oil from Agathis dammara.

Agathis species are widely distributed around Southeast Asia, Australasia, South Pacific islands, and etc. Traditionally, Agathis species have been used as the folk medicines, the common ethnopharmacological uses of Agathis genus are the treatments of headache and myalgia. This study aims to investigate the chemical composition of Agathis dammara (Lamb.) Rich. leaf essential oil and to explore its antimelanogenesis effect. The chemical constituents of leaf essential oil are analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the major constituents of leaf essential oil are sesquiterpenoids. The major constituents are δ-cadinene (16.12%), followed by γ-gurjunene (15.57%), 16-kaurene (12.43%), ß-caryophyllene (8.58%), germacrene D (8.53%), and γ-cadinene (5.33%). As for the in vitro antityrosinase activity, leaf essential oil inhibit the tyrosinase activity of mushroom when the substrate is 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). Leaf essential oil prevents tyrosinase from acting as diphenolase and catalyzing L-DOPA to dopaquinone, and converting into dark melanin pigments. A. dammara leaf essential oil also exhibits the in vivo antimelanogenesis effect, leaf essential oil reduces 43.48% of melanin formation in zebrafish embryos at the concentration of 50 µg/mL. Results reveal A. dammara leaf essential oil has the potential for developing the skin whitening drug and depigmentation ingredient for hyperpigmentary disorders.

Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity and Chemical Composition of Pistacia chinensis Leaf Essential Oil.

Gout is a common metabolic disease caused by abnormal purine metabolism that promotes the formation and deposition of monosodium urate crystals within joints that causes acute arthritis and can seriously affect the daily life of patients. Pistacia chinensis is one of the traditional medicinal plants of the Anacardiaceae family, and there have been many studies on its biological activity, including anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antibacterial, antioxidant, and hypoglycemic activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antigout effect of P. chinensis leaf essential oil and its constituents through xanthine oxidase inhibition. Leaf essential oil showed good xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity for both substrates, hypoxanthine and xanthine. Six fractions were obtained from open column chromatography, and fraction E1 exhibited the best activity. The constituents of leaf essential oil and fraction E1 were analyzed by GC-MS. The main constituents of both leaf essential oil and fraction E1 were limonene and 3-carene; limonene showed a higher inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase. Based on the enzyme kinetic investigation, limonene was the mixed-type inhibitor against xanthine oxidase. The results revealed that Pistacia chinensis leaf essential oil and limonene have the potential to act as natural remedies for the treatment of gout.

Investigation of optimal conditions needed for the production of indigo and subsequent dyeing using CO2/O2 sensors and a cellphone camera.

An investigation of the process involved in the production of and dyeing with indigo based on a CO2/O2 sensor device and a cellphone-camera is reported. The former involves transforming indican to indigo, and the latter the process by which indigo and indigo-white are produced. During the process of indigo production, a clear and positive correlation can be observed between the concentration of gas levels (either the production of CO2 or the consumption of O2) and the final yield. The authors found that for the first time that the change in the concentration levels of CO2/O2 can be used as important parameters for indigo dyeing. The optimal time required to produce indigo can be decided by the change of CO2/O2 concentration level. It is no long should depending on the experience of a craftsperson. Furthermore, the optimal time needed to produce indigo also can be decided by the concentration levels of glucose. The color analysis of indigo dyeing can be performed by using a camera and by calculating the RGB and HSV (hue, saturation, value) values.

Antifungal Sesquiterpenoids from Michelia formosana Leaf Essential Oil against Wood-Rotting Fungi.

Michelia formosana (Kanehira) Masamune is a broad-leaved species widespread in East Asia; the wood extract and its constituents possess antifungal activity against wood-decay fungi. Antifungal activities of leaf essential oil and its constituents from M. formosana were investigated in the present study. Bioassay-guided isolation was applied to isolate the phytochemicals from leaf essential oil. 1D and 2D NMR, FTIR, and MS spectroscopic analyses were applied to elucidate the chemical structures of isolated compounds. Leaf essential oil displayed antifungal activity against wood decay fungi and was further separated into 11 fractions by column chromatography. Four sesquiterpenoids were isolated and identified from the active fractions of leaf essential oil through bioassay-guided isolation. Among these sesquiterpenoids, guaiol, bulnesol, and ß-elemol have higher antifungal activity against brown-rot fungus Laetiporus sulphureus and white-rot fungus Lenzites betulina. Leaf essential oil and active compounds showed better antifungal activity against L. sulphureus than against L. betulina. The molecular structure of active sesquiterpenoids all contain the hydroxyisopropyl group. Antifungal sesquiterpenoids from M. formosana leaf essential oil show potential as natural fungicides for decay control of lignocellulosic materials.

Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Induction of 6,7-Dehydroroyleanone from Taiwania cryptomerioides Bark Essential Oil in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

The objective of the present study is to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Taiwania cryptomerioides essential oil and its phytochemical on the Hep G2 cell line (human hepatocellular carcinoma). Bark essential oil has significant cytotoxicity to Hep G2 cells, and S3 fraction is the most active fraction in cytotoxicity to Hep G2 cells among the six fractions. The diterpenoid quinone, 6,7-dehydroroyleanone, was isolated from the active S3 fraction by bioassay-guided isolation. 6,7-Dehydroroyleanone exhibited significant cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells, and the efficacy of 6,7-dehydroroyleanone was better than the positive control, etoposide. Apoptosis analysis of Hep G2 cells with different treatments was characterized via flow cytometry to confirm the cell death situation. Etoposide and 6,7-dehydroroyleanone could induce the apoptosis in Hep G2 cells using flow cytometric assay. Results revealed 6,7-dehydroroyleanone from T. cryptomerioides bark essential oil can be a potential phytochemical to develop the anticancer chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of the human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Antimelanogenesis Effects of Leaf Extract and Phytochemicals from Ceylon Olive (Elaeocarpus serratus) in Zebrafish Model.

The melanogenesis inhibition effect in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and antityrosinase activity of the ethanolic extract and its phytochemicals from Ceylon olive (Elaeocarpus serratus Linn.) leaves were investigated in this study. Among the leaf extract and four soluble fractions, the ethyl acetate soluble fraction exhibits the best antityrosinase and antimelanogenesis activities. One phenolic acid, gallic acid, and two flavonoids, myricetin and mearnsetin, are isolated from the active subfractions through the bioassay-guided isolation; their structures are elucidated based on the 1D and 2D NMR, FTIR, UV, and MS spectroscopic analyses. These compounds have significant antityrosinase activity whether using l-tyrosine or l-DOPA as the substrate; mearnsetin shows the optimal activity. In the enzyme kinetic investigation, both gallic acid and mearnsetin are the competitive-type inhibitors against mushroom tyrosinase, and myricetin acts as a mixed-type tyrosinase inhibitor. Leaf extract and an ethyl acetate soluble fraction show effective performance in the inhibition of melanin formation in zebrafish embryos. Mearnsetin also possesses a promising antimelanogenesis effect, which is superior to the positive control, arbutin. Results reveal that the Ceylon olive leaf extract and its phytochemicals, especially mearnsetin, have the potential to be used as antimelanogenesis and skin-whitening ingredients.

Evaluation of Motor Coordination and Antidepressant Activities of Cinnamomum osmophloeum ct. Linalool Leaf Oil in Rodent Model.

Cinnamomum plants (Lauraceae) are a woody species native to South and Southeast Asia forests, and are widely used as food flavors and traditional medicines. This study aims to evaluate the chemical constituents of Cinnamomum osmophloeum ct. linalool leaf oil, and its antidepressant and motor coordination activities and the other behavioral evaluations in a rodent animal model. The major component of leaf oil is linalool, confirmed by GC-MS analysis. Leaf oil would not induce the extra body weight gain compared to the control mice at the examined doses after 6 weeks of oral administration. The present results provide the first evidence for motor coordination and antidepressant effects present in leaf oil. According to hypnotic, locomotor behavioral, and motor coordination evaluations, leaf oil would not cause side effects, including weight gain, drowsiness and a diminishment in the motor functions, at the examined doses. In summary, these results revealed C. osmophloeum ct. linalool leaf essential oil is of high potential as a therapeutic supplement for minor/medium depressive syndromes.

Thermal Degradation of Linalool-Chemotype Cinnamomum osmophloeum Leaf Essential Oil and Its Stabilization by Microencapsulation with ß-Cyclodextrin.

The thermal degradation of linalool-chemotype Cinnamomum osmophloeum leaf essential oil and the stability effect of microencapsulation of leaf essential oil with ß-cyclodextrin were studied. After thermal degradation of linalool-chemotype leaf essential oil, degraded compounds including ß-myrcene, cis-ocimene and trans-ocimene, were formed through the dehydroxylation of linalool; and ene cyclization also occurs to linalool and its dehydroxylated products to form the compounds such as limonene, terpinolene and α-terpinene. The optimal microencapsulation conditions of leaf essential oil microcapsules were at a leaf essential oil to the ß-cyclodextrin ratio of 15:85 and with a solvent ratio (ethanol to water) of 1:5. The maximum yield of leaf essential oil microencapsulated with ß-cyclodextrin was 96.5%. According to results from the accelerated dry-heat aging test, ß-cyclodextrin was fairly stable at 105 °C, and microencapsulation with ß-cyclodextrin can efficiently slow down the emission of linalool-chemotype C. osmophloeum leaf essential oil.

Methylglyoxal and D-lactate in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury: Investigation of the potential mechanism via fluorogenic derivatization liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (FD-LC-MS/MS) proteomic analysis.

Nephrotoxicity severely limits the chemotherapeutic efficacy of cisplatin (CDDP). Oxidative stress is associated with CDDP-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Methylglyoxal (MG) forms advanced glycation end products that elevate oxidative stress. We aimed to explore the role of MG and its metabolite D-lactate and identify the proteins involved in CDDP-induced AKI. Six-week-old female BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally administered CDDP (5 mg/kg/day) for 3 or 5 days. Blood urea nitrogen (42.6 ± 7.4 vs. 18.3 ± 2.5; p < 0.05) and urinary N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminide (NAG; 4.89 ± 0.61 vs. 2.43 ± 0.31 U/L; p < 0.05) were significantly elevated in the CDDP 5-day group compared to control mice. Histological analysis confirmed AKI was successfully induced. Confocal microscopy revealed TNF-α was significantly increased in the CDDP 5-day group. Fluorogenic derivatized liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (FD-LC-MS/MS) showed the kidney MG (36.25 ± 1.68 vs. 18.95 ± 2.24 mg/g protein, p < 0.05) and D-lactate (1.78 ± 0.29 vs. 1.12 ± 0.06 mol/g protein, p < 0.05) contents were significantly higher in the CDDP 5-day group than control group. FD-LC-MS/MS proteomics identified 33 and nine altered peaks in the CDDP 3-day group and CDDP 5-day group (vs. control group); of the 35 proteins identified using the MOSCOT database, 11 were antioxidant-related. Western blotting confirmed that superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1) and parkinson disease protein 7 (DJ-1) are upregulated and may participate with MG in CDDP-induced AKI. This study demonstrates TNF-α, MG, SOD-1 and DJ-1 play crucial roles in CDDP-induced AKI.

Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity and Thermostability of Cinnamaldehyde-Chemotype Leaf Oil of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Microencapsulated with ß-Cyclodextrin.

The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and thermostability of Cinnamomum osmophloeum leaf oil microencapsulated with ß-cyclodextrin were evaluated in this study. The yield of leaf oil microcapsules was 86.3% using the optimal reaction conditions at the leaf oil to ß-cyclodextrin ratio of 15:85 and ethanol to water ratio ranging from 1:3 to 1:5. Based on the FTIR analysis, the characteristic absorption bands of major constituent, trans-cinnamaldehyde, were confirmed in the spectra of leaf oil microcapsules. According to the dry-heat aging test, ß-cyclodextrin was thermostable under the high temperature conditions, and it was beneficial to reduce the emission of C. osmophloeum leaf oil. Leaf oil microcapsules exhibited high xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 83.3 µg/mL. It is concluded that the lifetime of C. osmophloeum leaf oil can be effectively improved by microencapsulation, and leaf oil microcapsules possess superior xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity.

Singlet Fission Reaction of Light-Exposed ß-Carotene Bound to Bovine Serum Albumin. A Novel Mechanism in Protection of Light-Exposed Tissue by Dietary Carotenoids.

We have attempted to investigate the role of carotenoids (Car) in protecting pigment-protein complexes against light-induced degradation. Upon direct photoexcitation of ß-carotene (ß-Car), nanosecond flash photolysis and femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy detected a substantial population of triplet states for ß-Car aggregates associated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) or dispersed in aqueous phase with 10% tetrahydrofuran (THF), but none were observed for monomeric ß-Car in neat THF. The direct photogeneration of triplet states was on the time scale of <1 ps, indicating that the underlying reaction mechanism was singlet fission (SF). Efficient triplet-triplet annihilation in the time regime from picoseconds to microseconds resulted in a <1 µs triplet lifetime for ß-Car aggregates, in contrast to a 20 µs lifetime for monomeric ß-Car as determined by anthracene-sensitized flash photolysis. The short-lived triplet excitations of ß-Car aggregates associated with BSA or dispersed in aqueous phase were found to be insensitive to the presence of oxygen, which are considered to be important for the protection of both protein and carotenoid against light-induced degradation via reaction with oxidative species.

Regeneration of ß-Carotene from Radical Cation by Eugenol, Isoeugenol, and Clove Oil in the Marcus Theory Inverted Region for Electron Transfer.

The rate of regeneration of ß-carotene by eugenol from the ß-carotene radical cation, an initial bleaching product of ß-carotene, was found by laser flash photolysis and transient absorption spectroscopy to be close to the diffusion limit in chloroform/methanol (9:1, v/v), with a second-order rate constant (k2) of 4.3 × 109 L mol-1 s-1 at 23 °C. Isoeugenol, more reducing with a standard reduction potential of 100 mV lower than eugenol, was slower, with k2 = 7.2 × 108 L mol-1 s-1. Regeneration of ß-carotene following photobleaching was found 50% more efficient by eugenol, indicating that, for the more reducing isoeugenol, the driving force exceeds the reorganization energy for electron transfer significantly in the Marcus theory inverted region. For eugenol/isoeugenol mixtures and clove oil, kinetic control by the faster eugenol determines the regeneration, with a thermodynamic backup of reduction equivalent through eugenol regeneration by the more reducing isoeugenol for the mixture. Clove oil, accordingly, is a potential protector of provitamin A for use in red palm oils.

Binding to Bovine Serum Albumin Protects ß-Carotene against Oxidative Degradation.

Binding to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was found to protect ß-carotene (ß-Car) dissolved in air-saturated phosphate buffer solution/tetrahydrofuran (9:1, v/v) efficiently against photobleaching resulting from laser flash excitation at 532 nm. From dependence of the relative photobleaching yield upon the BSA concentration, an association constant of Ka = 4.67 × 10(5) L mol(-1) for ß-Car binding to BSA was determined at 25 °C. Transient absorption spectroscopy confirmed less bleaching of ß-Car on the microsecond time scale in the presence of BSA, while kinetics of triplet-state ß-Car was unaffected by the presence of oxygen. The protection of ß-Car against this type of reaction seems accordingly to depend upon dissipation of excitation energy from an excited state into the protein matrix. Static quenching of BSA fluorescence by ß-Car had a Stern-Volmer constant of Ksv = 2.67 × 10(4) L mol(-1), with ΔH = 17 kJ mol(-1) and ΔS = 142 J mol(-1) K(-1) at 25 °C. Quenching of tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence by ß-Car suggests involvement of Trp in binding of ß-Car to BSA through hydrophobic interaction, while the lower value for the Stern-Volmer constant Ksv compared to the binding constant, Ka, may indicate involvement of ß-Car aggregates. Bound ß-Car increased the random coil fraction of BSA at the expense of α-helix, as shown by circular dichroism, affecting the ß-Car configuration, as shown by Raman spectroscopy.

Correction: Chan, Y.-Y., et al. The Constituents of Michelia compressa var. formosana and Their Bioactivities. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15, 10926-10935.

The authors wish to make two changes to their published paper [1]. [...].

Effect of maternal use of chewing gums containing xylitol on transmission of mutans streptococci in children: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Mutans streptococci (MS) are the major causative bacteria involved in human dental decay. Habitual consumption of xylitol has been proved to reduce MS levels in saliva and plaque. AIM: To evaluate the effect of the maternal use of xylitol gum on MS reduction in infants. DESIGN: A structured literature review and meta-analysis. A random effects model was used to assess the relative risks of the incidence of MS in the saliva or plaque of children who were 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months old. RESULTS: We reviewed 11 RCTs derived from 5 research teams that included 601 mothers. Our results indicated that the incidence of MS in the saliva or plaque of the infants was significantly reduced in the xylitol group (risk ratio: 0.54; 95% confidence interval: 0.39-0.73, at 12-18 months) and (risk ratio: 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.40-0.79, at 36 months) compared with the control groups. The long-term effect of maternal xylitol gum exposure on their children's dental caries was controversial. CONCLUSION: Habitual xylitol consumption by mothers with high MS levels was associated with a significant reduction in the mother-child transmission of salivary MS.

The constituents of Michelia compressa var. formosana and their bioactivities.

Phytochemical investigation of the heartwood of Michelia compressa afforded forty-four compounds, which were identified by comparison of experimental and literature analytical and spectroscopic data. Some compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and anticancer bioactivities. The result showed that soemerine (1) and cyathisterol (2) exhibited significant nitric oxide (NO) inhibition, with IC50 values of 8.5±0.3 and 9.6±0.5 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, liriodenine (3) and oliveroline (4) exhibited cytotoxicity to human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC-TW01), non-small cell lung carcinoma (NCI-H226), T cell leukemia (Jurkat), renal carcinoma (A498), lung carcinoma (A549) and fibrosarcoma (HT1080) cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 15.7-3.68 µM.

Loss of cofilin 1 disturbs actin dynamics, adhesion between enveloping and deep cell layers and cell movements during gastrulation in zebrafish.

During gastrulation, cohesive migration drives associated cell layers to the completion of epiboly in zebrafish. The association of different layers relies on E-cadherin based cellular junctions, whose stability can be affected by actin turnover. Here, we examined the effect of malfunctioning actin turnover on the epibolic movement by knocking down an actin depolymerizing factor, cofilin 1, using antisense morpholino oligos (MO). Knockdown of cfl1 interfered with epibolic movement of deep cell layer (DEL) but not in the enveloping layer (EVL) and the defect could be specifically rescued by overexpression of cfl1. It appeared that the uncoordinated movements of DEL and EVL were regulated by the differential expression of cfl1 in the DEL, but not EVL as shown by in situ hybridization. The dissociation of DEL and EVL was further evident by the loss of adhesion between layers by using transmission electronic and confocal microscopy analyses. cfl1 morphants also exhibited abnormal convergent extension, cellular migration and actin filaments, but not involution of hypoblast. The cfl1 MO-induced cell migration defect was found to be cell-autonomous in cell transplantation assays. These results suggest that proper actin turnover mediated by Cfl1 is essential for adhesion between DEL and EVL and cell movements during gastrulation in zebrafish.

Methyl-CpG-binding PCR of bloodspots for confirmation of fragile X syndrome in males.

This study demonstrates that methyl-CpG-binding PCR (MB-PCR) is a rapid and simple method for detecting fragile X syndrome (FXS) in males, which is performed by verifying the methylation status of the FMR1 promoter in bloodspots. Proteins containing methyl-CpG-binding (MB) domains can be freeze-stored and used as stocks, and the entire test requires only a few hours. The minimum amount of DNA required for the test is 0.5 ng. At this amount, detection sensitivity is not hampered, even mixing with excess unmethylated alleles up to 320 folds. We examined bloodspots from 100 males, including 24 with FXS, in a blinded manner. The results revealed that the ability of MB-PCR to detect FMR1 promoter methylation was the same as that of Southern blot hybridization. Since individuals with 2 or more X chromosomes generally have methylated FMR1 alleles, MB-PCR cannot be used to detect FXS in females.

Insecticidal activities of leaf and twig essential oils from Clausena excavata against Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus larvae.

BACKGROUND: The current study investigates, for the first time, the mosquito larvicidal activities of leaf and twig essential oils from Clausena excavata Burm. f. and their individual constituents against Aedes aegypti L. and Aedes albopictus Skuse larvae. The yields of essential oils obtained from hydrodistillation were compared, and their constituents were determined by GC-MS analyses. RESULTS: The LC(50) values of leaf and twig essential oils against fourth-instar larvae of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were 37.1-40.1 microg mL(-1) and 41.1-41.2 microg mL(-1) respectively. This study demonstrated that C. excavata leaf and twig essential oils possess mosquito larvicidal activity, inhibiting the growth of mosquito larvae for both species at a low concentration. In addition, results of larvicidal assays showed that the effective constituents in leaf and twig essential oils were limonene, gamma-terpinene, terpinolene, beta-myrcene, 3-carene and p-cymene. The LC(50) values of these constituents against both mosquito larvae were below 50 microg mL(-1). Among these effective constituents, limonene had the best mosquito larvicidal activity, with LC(50) of 19.4 microg mL(-1) and 15.0 microg mL(-1) against Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus larvae respectively. CONCLUSION: The findings suggested that the essential oils from Clausena excavata leaf and twig and their effective constituents may be explored as a potential natural larvicide.

Isolation of antibacterial diterpenoids from Cryptomeria japonica bark.

The aims of the present study were to determine the antibacterial activity of bark extract of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don and to isolate potential antibacterial constituents. The results showed that the ethanolic extract of C. japonica bark possessed a good antibacterial activity. Nine compounds including seven diterpenoids (ferruginol (I), isopimaric acid (II), iguestol (III), isopimarol (IV), phyllocladan-16alpha-ol (V), sandaracopimarinol (VI) and sugiol (VII)) and two steroids (beta-sitosterol (VIII) and beta-sitostenone (IX)) were isolated from active subfractions; beta-sitostenone was isolated for the first time from this plant. Among these compounds, ferruginol possessed the strongest antibacterial activity and had MIC values ranging from 6.3 to 12.5 microg mL(-1) against all bacteria tested. Isopimaric acid was also an antibacterial natural product. Cryptomeria japonica bark extract and its diterpenoids, ferruginol and isopimaric acid, have the ability to inhibit the bacterial growth and can be used as the source for natural bactericides.