Five new secondary metabolites from Aster tataricus.

Aster tataricus L.f. is highly valued for its rich reserves of bioactive compounds. Our research focused on the identification of previously unreported compounds found within the ethanol extract of A. tataricus. Through meticulous spectroscopic analyses and computational methods like NMR calculations and ECD, we successfully elucidated the structures of five novel compounds termed tatarisides A-E (1-5), alongside two known compounds (6, 7). The anti-inflammatory assays conducted yielded noteworthy results, particularly in relation to compounds 1 and 5. These compounds exhibited significant potential in inhibiting the release of NO in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, as evidenced by their respective IC50 values of 17.81 ± 1.25 µM and 13.32 ± 0.84 µM. The discovery of these new compounds adds to the existing knowledge of A. tataricus's chemical composition and potential applications.

First report of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' associated with yellowing, scorching and decline of almond trees in India.

The almond, a commercially important tree nut crop worldwide, is native to the Mediterranean region. Stone fruit trees are affected by at least 14 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' species globally, among which 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' is one of the most widespread phytoplasma infecting Prunus dulcis, causing aster yellows disease. Recently, almond plantations of Nauni region were consistently affected by phytoplasma, as evidenced by visible symptoms, fluorescent microscopic studies and molecular characterization. During several surveys from May to September 2020-2022, almond aster yellows phytoplasma disease showing symptoms such as chlorosis, inward rolling, reddening, scorching and decline with an incidence as high as 40%. Leaf samples were collected from symptomatic almond trees and the presence of phytoplasma was confirmed through fluorescent microscopic studies by employing DAPI (4, 6-diamino-2-phenylindole) that showed distinctive light blue flourescent phytoplasma bodies in phloem sieve tube elements. The presence of phytoplasma in symptomatic almond trees was further confirmed using nested PCR with specific primer pairs followed by amplification of 16S rDNA and 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer (IS) fragments. Sequencing and BLAST analysis of expected amplicon of the 16S rDNA gene confirmed that the almond phytoplasma in Himachal Pradesh was identical to the aster yellows group phytoplasma. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA almond phytoplasma also grouped 'Prunus dulcis' aster yellows phytoplasma within 16SrI-B subgroup showed 94% nucleotide identity with 'Prunus dulcis' phytoplasma PAEs3 and 'Prunus dulcis' phytoplasma PAE28 from Iran. This research presents the first host report of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' infecting almonds in India, expanding the knowledge of the diversity and distribution of phytoplasma strains affecting almond trees globally.

Radix Asteris: Traditional Usage, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of An Important Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Radix Asteris (RA), also known as 'Zi Wan', is the dried root and rhizome of Aster tataricus L. f., which has been used to treat cough and asthma in many countries such as China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. This article summarizes the available information on RA in ancient Chinese medicine books and modern research literature: its botanical properties, traditional uses, chemical composition, pharmacological activity, toxicity and quality control. Studies have shown that RA extracts contain terpenes, triterpenoid saponins, organic acids, peptides and flavonoids, and have various pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, and anti-depression. RA is considered to be a promising medicinal plant based on its traditional use, chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. However, there are few studies on its toxicity and the consistency of its components, which indicates the need for further in-depth studies on the toxicity and quality control of RA and its extracts.

Antiviral Activities of Ethyl Pheophorbides a and b Isolated from Aster pseudoglehnii against Influenza Viruses.

Screening of the antiviral and virucidal activities of ethanol extracts from plants endemic to the Republic of Korea revealed the inhibitory activity of a 70% ethanol extract of the whole plant of A. pseudoglehnii (APE) against influenza virus infection. Two chlorophyll derivatives, ethyl pheophorbides a and b, isolated as active components of APE, exerted virucidal effects with no evident cytotoxicity. These compounds were effective only under conditions of direct incubation with the virus, and exerted no effects on the influenza A virus (IAV) surface glycoproteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Interestingly, virucidal activities of ethyl pheophorbides a and b were observed against enveloped but not non-enveloped viruses, suggesting that these compounds act by affecting the integrity of the viral membrane and reducing infectivity.

2E-Decene-4,6-diyn-1-ol-acetate inhibits osteoclastogenesis through mitogen-activated protein kinase-c-Fos-NFATc1 signalling pathways.

An imbalance of osteoclasts and osteoblasts can result in a variety of bone-related diseases, including osteoporosis. Thus, decreasing the activity of osteoclastic bone resorption is the main therapeutic method for treating osteoporosis. 2E-Decene-4, 6-diyn-1-ol-acetate (DDA) is a natural bioactive compound with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. However, its effects on osteoclastogenesis are unknown. Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) or RAW264.7 cells were treated with DDA, followed by evaluation of cell viability, RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation, and pit formation assay. Effects of DDA on RANKL-induced phosphorylation of MAPKs were assayed by western blot analysis. Expression of osteoclast-specific genes was examined with reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis. In this study, DDA significantly inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation in RAW264.7 cells as well as in BMMs without cytotoxicity. DDA also strongly blocked the resorbing capacity of BMM on calcium phosphate-coated plates. DDA inhibited RANKL-induced phosphorylation of ERK, JNK and p38 MAPKs, as well as expression of c-Fos and NFATc1, which are essential transcription factors for osteoclastogenesis. In addition, DDA decreased expression levels of osteoclastogenesis-specific genes, including matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) in RANKL-induced RAW264.7 cells. Collectively, these findings indicated that DDA attenuates RANKL-induced osteoclast formation by suppressing the MAPKs-c-Fos-NFATc1 signalling pathway and osteoclast-specific genes. These results indicate that DDA may be a potential candidate for bone diseases associated with abnormal osteoclast formation and function.

Chemotaxonomy of Aster species from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau based on metabolomics.

INTRODUCTION: The genus Aster plants have been widely used for thousands of years in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau for the clearing of heat, detoxification, and the treatment of seasonal pandemic diseases. Although the presence of several flavonoid compounds in Aster has been reported by previous studies, the diversity of secondary metabolites within and among species is relatively unknown. OBJECTIVE: The metabolite profile of one Aster species was systematically compared with those of other taxa to find potential chemotaxonomic markers, delimit species, and assess chemodiversity. METHOD: Samples of the above-ground parts of 11 Aster species were collected and their metabolites were analysed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Unsupervised principal component analysis, supervised orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis, heatmap analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis were employed to analyse 95 representative samples from 11 Aster species and determine species-specific chemical markers based on a metabolomics database. RESULTS: Six phenolic acids and flavonoids were detected and quantified in all Aster species, suggesting that these compounds may be common constituents in the Aster genus. Metabolite analysis showed terpenoid compounds to be potential chemical markers for interspecies differentiation. Ent-kaurane-type diterpenoid glycosides were the main class of compounds in all Aster species except for A. farreri, which mainly contained oleanane-type pentacyclic triterpenoids. Diterpenoid glycosides were low-content chemotaxonomic markers and were detected for the first time in Aster species from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. CONCLUSION: Chemotaxonomy and metabolomics were used to support the phylogenic relationships of the Aster genus.

A new biflavonoids from Aster tataricus induced non-apoptotic cell death in A549 cells.

A new biflavonoids, (2R,2''R)-7-O-methyl-2,3,2'',3''-tetrahydrorobustaflavone (1), along with five known flavonoids (2-6) were isolated from the MeOH extract of Aster tataricus. Among them, compounds 1-2 were the C-3'-C-6'' type biflavonoids obtained from the genus Aster for the first time. The structures and absolute configurations of compound 1 was confirmed based on extensive spectroscopic and circular dichroism analyses. Compound 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against seven human cancer A549, HepG2, PC3, DU145, MCF-7, LOVO and NCI-H1975 cell lines. Compound 1 remarkably inhibited the proliferation of A549 cancer cells with IC50 value of 5.4 µM. Further preliminary pharmacological study, 1 induces A549 cell death by non-apoptotic forms through flow cytometry and cell scratch assay data.

Inhibition of melanogenesis by Aster yomena callus pellet extract in melanoma cells and patients with skin pigmentation.

Plant tissue culture holds immense potential for the production of secondary metabolites with various physiological functions. We recently established a plant tissue culture system capable of producing secondary metabolites from Aster yomena. This study aimed to uncover the mechanisms underlying the potential therapeutic effects of Aster yomena callus pellet extract (AYC-P-E) on photoaging-induced skin pigmentation. Excessive melanogenesis was induced in B16F10 melanoma cells using α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH). The effects of AYC-P-E treatment on melanin biosynthesis inducers and melanin synthesis inhibition were assessed. Based on the results, a clinical study was conducted in subjects with skin pigmentation. AYC-P-E inhibited melanogenesis in α-MSH-treated B16F10 cells, accompanied by decreased mRNA and protein expression of melanin biosynthesis inducers, including cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB), tyrosinase, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2. This anti-melanogenic effect was mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation. Treatment of subjects with skin pigmentation with AYC-P-E-containing cream formulations resulted in 3.33%, 7.06%, and 8.68% improvement in the melanin levels at 2, 4, and 8 weeks, respectively. Our findings suggest that AYC-P-E inhibits excessive melanogenesis by activating MEK/ERK and AKT signaling, potentiating its cosmetic applications in hyperpigmentation treatment.

Comparison of the chemical profile differences of Aster tataricus between raw and processed products by metabolomics coupled with chemometrics methods.

Aster tataricus, a traditional Chinese herb, has been used to treat cough and asthma for many years. Its raw and processed products have different pharmacological effects in clinical applications. To explore the chemical profile differences of components in A. tataricus processed with different methods, metabolomics methods based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were developed. Chemometrics strategy was applied to filter and screen the candidate compounds. The accuracy of differential markers was validated by back propagation neural network. The established methods showed that raw A. tataricus, honey-processed A. tataricus, vinegar-processed A. tataricus, and steamed A. tataricus were clearly divided into four groups, suggesting that the components were closely related to the processing methods. A total of 64 nonvolatile and 43 volatile compounds were identified in A. tataricus, and 22 nonvolatile and 12 volatile differential constituents were selected to distinguish the raw and processed A. tataricus. This study demonstrated that the metabolomics methods coupled with chemometrics were a comprehensive strategy to analyze the chemical profile differences and provided a reliable reference for quality evaluation of A. tataricus.

Aster tataricus alleviates constipation by antagonizing the binding of acetylcholine to muscarinic receptor and inhibiting Ca2+ influx.

BACKGROUND: The dried root and rhizome of Aster tataricus (RA), is a traditional Chinese medicine has been used for more than 2000 years with the function of antitussive, expectorant and antiasthmatic. Ancient books and modern pharmacological researches demonstrated that RA may have the function of moistening intestines and relieving constipation, but there was a lack of systematic evidence. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and possible mechanisms of ethanol extract of Aster tataricus (ATE) in treating constipation from in vivo to in vitro. METHODS: In vivo, the ATE was studied in loperamide-induced constipation of mice. In vitro, different concentrations of ATE was tested separately or cumulatively on spontaneous and agonists-induced contractions of isolated rat duodenum strips. RESULTS: In vivo, at doses of 0.16, 0.8 g/mL, ATE showed significantly promotion of the small intestinal charcoal transit, decrease of the amount of remnant fecal, and increase of the content of fecal water in colon. In addition, ATE could effectively relieve colonic pathological damage caused by loperamide as well. In vitro, with the cumulative concentration increase of ATE from 0.8 to 6.4 mg/mL, it could significantly decrease the contraction caused by KCl or Ach, and gradually restore to near base tension value.Meanwhile, it could also partially but significantly inhibit the contractions induced by Ach and CaCl2 on rat duodenum in a concentration related manner. CONCLUSIONS: Taking all these findings together, it could be speculated that ATE may attenuate constipation mainly through antagonizing the binding of acetylcholine to muscarinic receptor, inhibiting Ca2+ influx and anti-inflammation.

Aster spathulifolius Maxim. a leaf transcriptome provides an overall functional characterization, discovery of SSR marker and phylogeny analysis.

Aster spathulifolius Maxim. is belongs to the Asteraceae family, which is distributed only in Korea and Japan. The species is traditionally a medicinal plant and is economically valuable in the ornamental field. On the other hand, the Aster genus, among the Asteraceae family, lacks genomic resources and its molecular functions. Therefore, in our study the high-throughput RNA-sequencing transcriptome data of A. spathulifolius were obtained to identify the molecular functions and its characterization. The de novo assembly produced 98660 uniqueness with an N50 value of 1126bp. Total unigenes were procure to analyze the functional annotation against databases like non-redundant protein, Pfam, Uniprot, KEGG and Gene ontology. The overall percentage of functional annotation to the nr database (43.71%), uniprotein database (49.97%), Pfam (39.94%), KEGG (42.3%) and to GO (30.34%) were observed. Besides, 377 unigenes were found to be involved in the terpenoids pathway and 666 unigenes were actively engaged in other secondary metabolites synthesis, given that 261 unigenes were within phenylpropanoid pathway and 81 unigenes to flavonoid pathway. A further prediction of stress resistance (9,513) unigenes and transcriptional factor (3,027) unigenes in 53 types were vastly regulated in abiotic stress respectively in salt, heat, MAPK and hormone signal transduction pathway. This study discovered 29,692 SSR markers that assist the genotyping approaches and the genetic diversity perspectives. In addition, eight Asteraceae species as in-group together with one out-group were used to construct the phylogenetic relationship by employing their plastid genome and single-copy orthologs genes. Among 50 plastid protein-coding regions, A. spathulifolius is been closely related to A. annua and by 118 single copy orthologs genes, O. taihangensis is more neighboring species to A. spathulifolius. Apart from this, A. spathulifolius and O. taihangensis, genera have recently diverged from other species. Overall, this research gains new insights into transcriptome data by revealing and exposing the secondary metabolite compounds for drug development, the stress-related genes for producing resilient crops and an ortholog gene of A. spathulifolius for the robustness of phylogeny reconstruction among Asteraceae genera.

In Vivo Anti-Inflammation Potential of Aster koraiensis Extract for Dry Eye Syndrome by the Protection of Ocular Surface.

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a corneal disease often characterized by an irritating, itching feeling in the eyes and light sensitivity. Inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of DES, although the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Aster koraiensis has been used traditionally as an edible herb in Korea. It has been reported to have wound-healing and inhibitory effects against insulin resistance and inflammation. Here, we examined the inhibitory effects of inflammation and ER stress by A. koraiensis extract (AKE) in animal model and human retinal pigmented epithelial (ARPE-19) cells. Oral administration of AKE mitigated DE symptoms, including reduced corneal epithelial thickness, increased the gap between lacrimal gland tissues in experimental animals and decreased tear production. It also inhibited inflammatory responses in the corneal epithelium and lacrimal gland. Consequently, the activation of NF-κB was attenuated by the suppression of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Moreover, AKE treatment ameliorated TNF-α-inducible ocular inflammation and thapsigargin (Tg)-inducible ER stress in animal model and human retinal pigmented epithelial (ARPE-19) cells. These results prove that AKE prevents detrimental functional and histological remodeling on the ocular surface and in the lacrimal gland through inhibition of inflammation and ER stress, suggesting its potential as functional food material for improvement of DES.

Aster tataricus attenuates asthma efficiently by simultaneously inhibiting tracheal ring contraction and inflammation.

Asthma is an airway chronic inflammatory disease with significant morbidity, mortality and huge social economic burden. Previous research demonstrated that the root of Aster tataricus (RA) may have the potential to treat asthma, but the efficacy and mechanism were not clear. In this study, preliminary results in vitro showed that Fr-75 eluted from RA extract could not only completely inhibit the tracheal ring contraction raised by KCl in 20 min, but also effectively affect the tracheal ring contraction induced by KCl-, Ach- and His in a concentration-dependent manner (3.91-250 µg/mL). Further results on cells exhibited that Fr-75 could decrease the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ as well. These results revealed the underlying mechanism in vitro that the inhibition of tracheal ring contraction might be due to the decline of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, which caused by suppressing calcium channel, antagonizing the muscarinic and histamine receptors. Also, results in vivo exhibited that Fr-75 could distinctly ease the symptoms of ovalbumin-sensitized mice, including relieving the pathological injury, increasing the latency to preconvulsive dyspnea and to enhanced pause, reducing the inflammatory cells, chemokines and cytokines in BALF and lung tissue. In general, it could be speculated that RA fraction may attenuate asthma through dilating the tracheal ring contraction and alleviating the lung inflammation simultaneously.

Photobiological and lipidic responses reveal the drought tolerance of Aster tripolium cultivated under severe and moderate drought: Perspectives for arid agriculture in the mediterranean.

In the past Aster tripolium has already proved to be a good candidate for saline agriculture in soils with low water availability. Thus, the aim of the present work was to disentangle the photobiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying the response of A. tripolium to PEG-induced drought stress, by exposing plants to PEG-induced moderate and severe drought conditions. Plant primary productivity was maintained under moderate drought conditions, due to the presence of alternative electron donors fueling the PSII. Additionally, the high anthocyanin production under drought conditions, act as photoprotective shields against photoinhibition. Moreover, the increased quinone turnover rate simultaneously with a net rate of RC closure and density increase, acted as a counteractive measure, allowing high energy fluxes into the photosystems under drought conditions. PSI showed an activity reduction, indicating that under drought conditions the ETC activity acts as an energetic escape route. Furthermore, membrane remodeling could also be observed under drought. The total fatty acid and omega-3 linolenic acid (18:3) contents were maintained, under osmotic stress. Membrane restructuring with lower amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (18:3) is considered an adaptation to osmotically stressful environments. Increased 18:1 and 16:1t fatty acids production improve the LHCs and chloroplast membrane stabilization, allowing the LHC to maintain its efficient functioning. The results here presented are very similar to the ones observed in the past regarding A. tripolium feedback to salinity stress, indicating that the mechanisms to overcome osmotic stress, either due to increased salinity or reduced water availability, are the same.

Assessment of Alternanthera sessilis and Aster philippinensis as excluders in a small-scale Cu-Au processing site at Kias, Benguet, Philippines.

In unregulated mining and processing for Cu and Au, large amounts of heavy metals and metalloids are generated as tails. These wasted by-products could actually pose serious environmental problems. The objective of this study was to assess the potential ability of Alternanthera sessilis and Aster philippinensis thriving abundantly in a small-scale mine processing site at Kias, Benguet, for possible Cu, Pb, Zn, and As uptake. It also aimed to determine the cellular localization of the contaminants within the plant biomass. Alternanthera sessilis and Aster philippinensis exhibited low bioaccumulation factor (BF) and translocation factor (TF) values for Cu, Pb, Zn, and As. The BF and TF values could suggest possible exclusion mechanisms of the plants in avoiding phytotoxicity. SEM-EDX analysis of the Alternanthera sessilis roots indicated higher weight % of Cu, Pb, and As in the epidermis, and Zn in the cortex. On the other hand, Aster philippinensis roots showed high weight % of Zn and As in the epidermis and Cu and Pb in the cortex. The localization of the contaminants in the root epidermal and cortical cells signifies restriction of their mobility to the xylem, preventing migration to the shoot system. The findings of this study suggest that Alternanthera sessilis and Aster philippinensis are considered potential phytostabilizers capable of immobilizing contaminant toxicity in the soil and in the rhizosphere.

Asteris Radix et Rhizoma suppresses testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats by regulating apoptosis and inflammation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Asteris Radix et Rhizoma (AR) refers to the roots and rhizomes of Aster tataricus L., which is widely distributed throughout East Asia. AR has been consumed as a traditional medicine in Korea, Japan and China for the treatment of urologic symptoms. To date, however, the therapeutic effect of AR on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has not been investigated. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study evaluated the therapeutic effects of AR on a testosterone-induced BPH rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We induced BPH to rats by subcutaneous injections (s.c) of testosterone propionate (TP) daily for four weeks. Rats were also administered daily oral gavage of AR (150 mg/kg) or vehicle. After four weeks of induction, all animals were euthanized humanely and their prostate glands were removed, weighed and processed for further analysis, including histopathological examination, real-time PCR, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Administration of AR to TP-induced BPH rats considerably reduced prostate weight and concentrations of serum testosterone and prostate dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Epithelial thickness and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were markedly suppressed by AR-treatment in the rats. Furthermore, the expression of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were reduced and expression of the Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) increased, resulting in significant reduction in Bcl-2/Bax ratio. In addition, AR decreased the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were reduced by AR treatment in a TP-induced BPH rat model. CONCLUSIONS: AR alleviates BPH by promoting apoptosis and suppressing inflammation, indicating that AR may be used clinically to treat BPH accompanied by inflammation.

Effects of Aster glehni Extract on Serum Uric Acid in Subjects with Mild Hyperuricemia: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Aster glehni extracts (AGE) reduced serum uric acid levels in hyperuricemia rats in several previous studies. However, its efficacy in human has not been yet explored. This study aimed at investigating the efficacy and safety of AGE on the anti-hyperuricemia effect in subjects with slightly high serum uric acid. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted for 12 weeks. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned to either AGE (480 mg/day) or placebo. The primary endpoint was the change in serum uric acid concentrations from baseline to follow-up time points. The secondary endpoints were the change of serum xanthine oxidase activity, and the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the blood from baseline to follow-up time points. Safety was assessed by clinical laboratory parameters and adverse events reported by subjects. Six weeks of AGE supplementation significantly reduced serum uric acid level from baseline (P = .0468) but at the end of the intervention the participants did not show the beneficial effect of AGE supplementation. Also, the serum uric acid level in the AGE group was not significantly different at the follow-up time points, when compared with placebo. The mean changes of secondary endpoints from baseline to each time point did not show significant differences within and between the two groups. There were no adverse events reported by subjects or changes in safety parameters after intervention. In conclusion, AGE supplementation for 12 weeks did not show significant benefits for reducing serum uric acid concentrations in subjects with mild hyperuricemia.

Petroleum hydrocarbons degradation in contaminated soil using the plants of the Aster family.

Oil extraction is one of the causes of soil contamination with the total petroleum hydrocarbons. The objective of this study was to clarify the effect of Asteraceae plants on the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in contaminated soil. Initial soils with 40 and 90 g kg-1 of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) were prepared. There were three treatments: (1) no addition, (2) addition of FeCl3 and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) solution, and (3) addition of FeCl3 + NTA and the cultivation of nine Asteraceae plants. The concentration of TPH was measured using infrared spectrophotometer, 2 and 3 months after transplanting (MAT). Shoot and root dry weights were measured 3 MAT. The concentration of TPH in soil cultivated with Cosmos caudatus was lower than that of the initial soil (40 g kg-1 TPH), 2 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with Calendula officinalis, Callistephus chinensis, C. caudatus, and Tagetes sp. were also lower than that in the initial soil, 3 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with Achillea filipendulina, Anthemis tinctoria, Tagetes erecta, Chrysanthemum coronarium, C. officinalis, C. chinensis, and C. caudatus were lower than that in the initial soil (90 g kg-1 TPH), 2 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with T. erecta, A. tinctoria, Zinnia elegans, C. chinensis, C. caudatus, and Tagetes sp. were lower than that in the initial soil, 3 MAT. A. filipendulina and C. coronarium died at both 40 and 90 kg-1 TPH soils. These results suggest that the roots of Asteraceae plants degrade petroleum hydrocarbon in contaminated soil and C. chinensis and Z. elegans are more suitable for using TPH remediation. Plant survival and extensive root system are important factors for the remediation of TPH in contaminated soil.

An Autophagy Inducing Triterpene Saponin Derived from Aster koraiensis.

Autophagy is an important self-degradative mechanism that plays a key role in treating neurodegeneration diseases. This research aimed at discovering bioactive compounds from Aster koraiensis. A new triterpene saponin, astersaponin I (1), was isolated from the EtOH extract of A. koraiensis. The structure of 1 was characterized by spectroscopic methods, ECD calculation, and acid hydrolysis. The biochemical analysis showed that compound 1 significantly increased the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3-II) expression in SH-SY5Y cells, which indicates the induction of autophagy. Thus, further study may be needed to clarify whether compound 1 exerts beneficial effects on neurodegeneration diseases like Parkinson's disease through autophagy induction.

Identification of potential inflammatory inhibitors from Aster tataricus.

Aster tataricus L.f. is a traditional Eastern Asian herbal medicine used for the relief of cough-related illnesses. In this study, 32 known compounds and two novel monoterpene glycosides were isolated from the roots of A. tataricus. With the aid of reported data, elucidation of the root-extract components was carried out using a multitude of spectroscopic techniques. All isolates were investigated for their ability to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) secretion in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW264.7 cells. Compound 7 remarkably suppressed NO production with an IC50 value of 8.5 µM. In addition, compound 7 exhibited significant inhibitory activity against the production of inflammatory cytokines (prostaglandin E2, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1 beta) and the expression of inflammatory enzymes (inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2) via inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B activation. Moreover, compound 7 effectively prevented the downstream activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway by inhibiting phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinases, and p38. These results outline compound 7 as a potential inhibitor for the broad treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, and various allergies.