Neuroprotective effects of torularhodin against H2O2-induced oxidative injury and apoptosis in PC12 cells.

The neuroprotective effects of torularhodin against oxidative injury and apoptosis in PC12 cells, as well as the related mechanisms, were investigated. The results showed that torularhodin significantly reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and malondialdehyde (MDA) production, meanwhile increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, which were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The presence of torularhodin attenuated H2O2-induced apoptosis which was proven by flow cytometric detection of Ca2+ influx inhibition and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) reduction. Furthermore, the oxidative injury produced by H2O2 was mitigated by torularhodin pretreatment via down-regulation of GSK-3ß and Keap1 genes while up-regulating the expressions of Nrf2, HO-1 and NQO1 genes. The neuroprotective effects of torularhodin against oxidative injury and apoptosis appeared to be associated with the synergistic effect of mitochondria-mediated pathway and GSK-3ß/ Nrf2 signaling pathway. These findings demonstrated that torularhodin could be considered as a neuroprotective agent against H2O2-induced oxidative stress.

[Structural characterization and spectroscopic analysis of the aloin].

Aloe is widely used in various fields for its rich polysaccharides, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, active enzymes and trace beneficial elements to human body. However, the main active ingredient aloin is also an allergenic ingredient, which even may cause a severe allergic reaction In this study, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy applied to the structural characterization of the aloin Density functional theory (DFT) is applied to the theoretical calculations using the B3LYP/6-31G (d) basis set vibration, which was helpful to understand the aloin molecular vibrational frequency. By comparing we choose the optimal experimental condition for water as solvent under alkaline conditions, the detection limit of the Aloin can reach a level of 5 ppm, which can be considered the theoretical basis for rapid detection of aloin content.

[DFT and surface-enhanced Raman scattering studies of BPA].

On the base of the vibration theory, the spectrum of bisphenol A(BPA) molecule was calculated by the density functional theory(DFT) using B3LYP/6-311G(d), and the normal Raman spectrum (NRS) of BPA was assigned in detail. The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of the BPA molecule was obtained by gold sol enhancement. The adsorption of BPA to gold surface was analyzed: in acidic pH, the molecule was adsorbed on the gold surface by =CO-, the vibration of the band O-H disappeared, and the benzene ring was perpendicular on the surface of gold sol.

Assessment of the antibacterial activity and the antidiarrheal function of flavonoids from bayberry fruit.

Chinese bayberry fruits are used as a folk medicine to cure diarrhea. However, the active compounds have not yet been reported. We found that bayberry fruit extract showed significant antibacterial activity against Salmonella, Listeria, and Shigella, and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranged from 2.07 to 8.28 mg/mL. Positive relationships were found between the antibacterial activity and the total polyphenol (r = 0.88) and flavonoid contents (r = 0.92) of samples using different extraction times. The active compounds showed green or blue fluorescence under UV light using the bioautography method and were purified using a polyamide column. The fraction F1 with the most activity was comprised of flavonoids, which included cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, myricetin deoxyhexoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, and quercetin deoxyhexoside, and it also possessed an antidiarrheal activity (p < 0.10) at 80 mg/kg in mice. These findings provide scientific evidence for the antidiarrheal function of bayberry.