Identification and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of different forms of phenolic compounds in Camellia oleifera oil.

Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera) oil is known as "oriental olive oil". We previously reported the anti-inflammatory activity of C. oleifera oil was mainly attributed to the phenolic compounds, but the specific compounds remain uncovered. In this study, phenolic compounds in the form of free (11.92 µg GAE/g), esterified (37.57 µg GAE/g), glycosylated (128.71 µg GAE/g), and insoluble (47.53 µg GAE/g) were prepared from C. oleifera oil. Their anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by lipopolysaccharide induced RAW 264.7 macrophage. Glycosylated fraction showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity as indicated by the low production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Subsequently, 13 different glycosylated polyphenols were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS, and the major compounds were purified for anti-inflammatory re-evaluation. Lower anti-inflammatory activities of compound 3 and compound 6 were observed when compared to kaempferol. Overall, these results would promote the utilization of phenolic compounds in C. oleifera oil.

Analysis of Phytochemical Composition of Camellia oleifera Oil and Evaluation of its Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Macrophages.

In China, Camellia oleifera oil (COO) is not only a common edible oil but also a traditional remedy widely applied to ameliorate a variety of illnesses associated with inflammation, such as mouth ulcers, thrush, eczema, etc. However, there has been a lack of relevant biological research on the anti-inflammatory capacity of COO, and the specific bioactive lipid phytochemicals contributing to the anti-inflammatory effect need further research. In this study, the RAW 264.7 macrophages model was used to investigate the anti-inflammatory capacity of COO. Our data showed that 33-200 µg/mL COO markedly inhibited the lipopolysaccharide lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated nitric oxide (NO.) secretion via the suppression of Nos2 and Cox-2 expression. The enzyme immunoassay confirmed that COO also exhibited a strong suppressive effect on the expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as Tnf-α and Il-6. To further explore the correlation between the anti-inflammatory effects and the lipid phytochemicals in COO, 10 samples were collected and screened for their chemical compositions. It was interestingly demonstrated that the polyphenol extracts of COO play a vital role in its anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion-based system was also developed to deliver the liposoluble COO into the cells, and the feasibility of this system was confirmed. Our research confirms the anti-inflammatory potential of COO and highlights that the main functional ingredient is polyphenol extracts. This may provide a scientific basis for the comprehensive utilization and development of COO and related functional foods.

A facile synthesis of hierarchically porous carbon derived from serum albumin by a generated-templating method for efficient oxygen reduction reaction.

Hierarchically porous carbons (HPCs), with large specific surface area, abundant porous channels and adequate anchor points, act as one type of ideal carbon supports for the preparation of single-atom electrocatalysts. In this study, the blood plasma-derived HPC with an interconnected porous framework is constructed via a generated-template method, with the formation of ZnS nanoparticles from the abundant disulfide bonds (-S-S-) in serum albumin. After the thermal activation with heme-containing molecules (also from the bovine-blood biowaste), the HPC exhibits high-exposure and low-spin-state Fe(ii)-N4 atomic active sites, and thereby presents a superior oxygen reduction reaction activity (the half wave potential of 0.87 V) and excellent stability (a 4 mV negative shift after 3000 potential cycles), even comparable with the benchmark Pt/C. This work delivers a new insight into the design and synthesis of porous carbons and carbon-based electrocatalysts to develop bio-derived materials in the field of clean energy conversion and storage.

Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Arylation of Tertiary Benzamides: Para-Selectivity of Monosubstituted Arenes.

A mild and efficient protocol for the high para-selective arylation of monosubstituted arenes with tertiary benzamides has been developed via palladium-catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions. Due to the mild conditions and the easy availability of substrates and oxidant, this method could potentially provide a practical approach for the synthesis of para-substituted biaryl compounds.

A common polymorphism in CD40 Kozak sequence (-1C/T) is associated with acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence suggests the CD40-CD40L pathway as a key process in the development, progression, and outcome of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We hypothesized that the -1C/T polymorphism of the CD40 gene would be associated with ACS and influence the CD40 expression. METHODS: The genotype distribution and allele frequency of CD40-1C/T polymorphism in 248 ACS patients and 206 controls were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Monocytes from 90 healthy volunteers were incubated with IFN-gamma. CD40 expression was detected by flow cytometry. RESULT: Patients with ACS showed a significant increase of CD40 expression compared with controls (P<0.001). The frequency of the CC genotype in the ACS group was significantly higher than that of the controls (P<0.001). Frequency of the C allele was higher among ACS patients compared with controls (P<0.001). Case control association analysis of the CD40 -1C/T SNP showed an association between the C allele and ACS (OR=1.991, 95%CI: 1.526 approximately 2.596, P<0.001). -1C/C carriers presented significantly higher CD40 expression levels than -1C/T and -1T/T subjects, both in ACS group and controls (P<0.001). When stimulated by IFN-gamma, CD40 expression levels on monocytes in individuals with CC, CT and TT genotypes were increased by 9.16, 3.83 and 1.53 fold, respectively, compared with the levels absent with IFN-gamma. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the -1C allele of the CD40 (-1C/T) gene polymorphism is a genetic factor that may determine an individual's susceptibility by ACS in Chinese. The CD40 -1C/T polymorphism is a novel regulator of CD40 expression.

Study on the penetrability of PEP-1-P27mt for cell membranes in vitro.

Double-stranded oligomeric nucleotide encoding PEP-1 peptides was synthesized, prokaryotic expression pET15b-pep-1-p27mt recombinant constructed, E. coli BL21 (DE3)pLysS transformed and induced with IPTG to highly express fusion protein PEP-1-P27mt. Fusion protein with an N-terminal His-tag could be purified by Ni2+-resin affinity chromatography and identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Cultured EC9706 cells treated with PEP-1-P27mt revealed that PEP-1-P27mt was transduced into cells after 15 min and reached maximal intracellular concentrations in 2 h. PEP-1-P27mt of 1 micromol/L final concentration could most strongly suppress the growth. It was suggested that PEP-1 can carry P27mt across membrane, which provides a new biological protocol for using cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p27mt in suppressing the growth of tumor cells.