Biological Active Components Research Articles

Study on biomolecules in extractives of Camellia oleifera fruit shell by GC-MS.

This study aims to present an integrated process that can be used to produce biomedical and biological active components from the fruit shell of Camellia oleifera Abel. Through the Foss method, Aldehyde, acid compounds, acyl and alcohol compounds account for 22.7, 15.93, 0.24 and 61.13% of the extractives which were extracted from Camellia oleifera fruit shell by methanol solvents. Furfural, Pyrazole-4-carboxaldehyde, 1-methyl- and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural account for 4.74, 1.22 and 58.78% of the extractives which were extracted from the fruit shell of Camellia oleifera Abel by ethanol solvents. Aldehyde, acid and amine compounds account for 5.01, 56.18 and 7.20% of the extractives which were extracted from the fruit shell of Camellia oleifera Abel by ethyl acetate solvents. The extractives of fresh flesh of bayberry were rich in rare drug, biomedical and biological activities.

Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol inhibit the N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced neutrophil degranulation and chemotaxis via AKT, p38, and ERK1/2 MAP-Kinase inhibition.

Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol are polyphenols that are extracted from olives and are major biological active components of olives and olive oil. Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol exhibit interesting pharmacological effects on cells, and have been shown to have many health benefits such as anti-inflammatory effects. These effects were mainly attributed to their ability to scavenge the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by phagocytes such as neutrophils. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol on other neutrophil functions. Human neutrophils were isolated from healthy donors. ROS production was measured by luminol-amplified chemiluminescence. Degranulation was assessed by measuring myeloperoxidase activity and Western blots. Chemotaxis was assessed by the under-agarose chemotaxis assay. Phosphorylated proteins were assessed by gel electrophoresis and Western blots. We show that in addition to their ROS scavenging effect, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol significantly inhibited the bacterial peptide N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF)-induced degranulation of azurophilic and specific granules as measured by myeloperoxidase and lactoferrin release, respectively. We also show that oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol reduced fMLF-induced neutrophil chemotaxis. Interestingly, both agents impaired the fMLF-induced AKT, p38MAPKinase, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, signaling molecules that are involved in pathways regulating neutrophil functions. Our data suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol are not only restricted to their ROS scavenging effect, but also involve the inhibition of two other major pro-inflammatory neutrophil functions.

P 170 - Pro-oxidant tumor therapy in murine melanoma and pancreatic cancer

Despite recent advances in oncology, cancer is still among the most life threatening diseases. This requires furthering therapeutic approaches. Cold physical plasma is an ionized gas. Its biological active components are reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS, RNS). Such species receive increasing recognition in pro‑oxidant tumor therapies. They are evident in chemo and radiation therapy in that antitumor immunity is often observed. We tested the efficacy of plasma‑derived oxidants in murine melanoma and pancreatic cancer. In vitro, B16 melanoma cells showed a decrease in metabolic activity, viability, cell growth, and cell migration. Cell death was confirmed in melanoma spheroid cultures. Plasma treatment upregulated MHC class I expression and calreticulin exposure. The latter is known to be important in conferring immunological cell death. Extended the findings to another cancer model, plasma‑treated murine PDA6606 pancreatic cancer cells also gave decrease in cellular activity and viability. In co-culture, macrophage motility was enhanced. In a syngeneic pancreatic cancer mouse model, peritoneal tumor nodes were frequently lavaged with plasma‑treated liquid. Treatment decreased lesion number and size, and increased cell apoptosis in tumors, macrophage infiltration, and animal survival. These results argue for role of pro‑oxidants in tumor therapy.

The importance of soybean (Glycine max) as a source of biologically valuable substances

In the paper the biological valuable components of soybean are discussed. Soya is widespread product in the world. Soya is a prevention agent against of cardiovascular diseases, tromboembolosm. Consumption of soybean protein is decreased the content of cholesterol in blood, the risk of steoporosis, promotes preservation of bones in the elderly. The useful futures of soybean are provided by the large content of protein, izoflavonoids, lecithin, micro- and macroelements and vitamins. High concentrations of biological active components in soybean allow using them in the pharmaceutical industry for production of drugs and dietary supplements. Phytopreparations like Inoclim, Estroel, produced by pharmaceutical companies on the basis of soybean extract, containing soybean isoflavonoides against menopausal syndrome are reviewed. Soybean isoflavonoids like genistine and daidestin have antioxidant, anticarcinogenic effect, normalize the function of the immune system and hemostasis The study of biological valuable components of Kazakhstan soybean varieties are required.

Allicin inhibits tubular epithelial-myofibroblast transdifferentiation under high glucose conditions in vitro.

Previous studies have suggested that tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important event in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, which is a clinical characteristic of diabetic nephropathy. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of allicin, the major biological active component of garlic, on the EMT of a human renal proximal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2) cultured under high glucose concentrations. HK-2 cells were exposed for 48 h to 5.5 or 25 mmol/l D-glucose, 25 mmol/l D-glucose plus allicin (2.5, 5, 10 or 20 µg/ml) or 25 mmol/l D-glucose plus 20 µmol/l PD98059, a selective inhibitor of the mitogen activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. The EMT of HK-2 cells was assessed by analyzing the protein expression of E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), vimentin and collagen I via immunocytochemistry. In addition, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and phosphorylated (p)-ERK1/2. Marked morphological changes were observed in HK-2 cells cultured under high glucose conditions, and these changes were abrogated by simultaneous incubation with allicin and PD98059. The expression levels of α-SMA, vimentin and collagen I were significantly increased in HK-2 cells cultured under high glucose conditions, as compared with those cultured under normal glucose conditions (P<0.01). Conversely, the expression levels of E-cadherin were significantly decreased upon stimulation with high glucose (P<0.01). Furthermore, the expression levels of TGF-β1 and p-ERK1/2 were significantly upregulated in HK-2 cells cultured under high glucose conditions, as compared with those cultured under normal glucose conditions (P<0.05). Allicin partially reversed the high-glucose-induced increase in α-SMA, vimentin and collagen I expression (P<0.01 at 20 µg/ml), increased the expression of E-cadherin, and significantly downregulated the high glucose-induced expression of TGF-β1 and p-ERK1/2 in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). The results of the present study suggested that high glucose concentrations induced the EMT of HK-2 cells, and that allicin was able to inhibit the EMT, potentially via regulation of the ERK1/2-TGF-β1 signaling pathway.

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Streptomyces griseorubens isolated from Soil and Their Antioxidant Activity.

Microbial mediated biological synthesis of metallic nanoparticles was carried out ecofriendly in the present study. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were extracellularly biosynthesised from Streptomyces griseorubens AU2 and extensively characterised by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Elemental analysis of nanoparticles was also carried out using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The biosynthesised AgNPs showed the characteristic absorption spectra in UV-vis at 422 nm which confirmed the presence of metallic AgNPs. According to the further characterisation analysis, the biosynthesised AgNPs were found to be spherical and crystalline particles with 5-20 nm average size. Antioxidant properties of the biosynthesised AgNPs were determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay and was found to increase in a dose-dependent matter. The identification of the strain was determined by molecular characterisation method using 16s rDNA sequencing. The present study is the first report on the microbial biosynthesis of AgNPs using S. griseorubens isolated from soil and provides that the active biological components found in the cell-free culture supernatant of S. griseorubens AU2 enable the synthesis of AgNPs.

The Effect of Holder Pasteurization on Nutrients and Biologically-Active Components in Donor Human Milk: A Review.

When a mother’s milk is unavailable, the best alternative is donor milk (DM). Milk delivered to Human Milk Banks should be pasteurized in order to inactivate the microbial agents that may be present. Currently, pasteurization, performed at 62.5 °C for 30 min (Holder Pasteurization, HoP), is recommended for this purpose in international guidelines. Several studies have been performed to investigate the effects of HoP on the properties of DM. The present paper has the aim of reviewing the published papers on this topic, and to provide a comparison of the reported variations of biologically-active DM components before and after HoP. This review was performed by searching the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL and Cochrane Library databases. Studies that clearly identified the HoP parameters and compared the same DM samples, before and after pasteurization, were focused on. A total of 44 articles satisfied the above criteria, and were therefore selected. The findings from the literature report variable results. A possible explanation for this may be the heterogeneity of the test protocols that were applied. Moreover, the present review spans more than five decades, and modern pasteurizers may be able to modify the degradation kinetics for heat-sensitive substances, compared to older ones. Overall, the data indicate that HoP affects several milk components, although it is difficult to quantify the degradation degree. However, clinical practices demonstrate that many beneficial properties of DM still persist after HoP.

MicroRNAs as New Bioactive Components in Medicinal Plants.

Herbal medicine has been used to treat diseases for centuries; however, the biological active components and the mechanistic understanding of actions of plant-derived drugs are permanently discussed. MicroRNAs are a class of small, non-coding RNAs that play crucial roles as regulators of gene expression. In recent years, an increasing number of reports showed that microRNAs not only execute biological functions within their original system, they can also be transmited from one species to another, inducing a posttranscriptional repression of protein synthesis in the recipient. This cross-kingdom regulation of microRNAs provides thrilling clues that small RNAs from medicinal plants might act as new bioactive components, interacting with the mammalian system.In this article, we provide an overview of the cross-kingdom communication of plant-derived microRNAs. We summarize the microRNAs identified in medicinal plants, their potential targets in mammals, and discuss several recent studies concerning the therapeutic applications of plant-based microRNAs. Health regulations of herbal microRNAs in mammals are a new concept. Continuing efforts in this area will broaden our understanding of biological actions of herbal remedies, and will open the way for the development of new approaches to prevent or treat human diseases.

A combination strategy for extraction and isolation of multi-component natural products by systematic two-phase solvent extraction-13C nuclear magnetic resonance pattern recognition and following conical counter-current chromatography separation: Podophyllotoxins and flavonoids from Dysosma versipellis (Hance) as examples

Despite of substantial developments of extraction and separation techniques, isolation of natural products from natural resources is still a challenging task. In this work, an efficient strategy for extraction and isolation of multi-component natural products has been successfully developed by combination of systematic two-phase liquid–liquid extraction-13C NMR pattern recognition and following conical counter-current chromatography separation. A small-scale crude sample was first distributed into 9 systematic hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (HEMWat) two-phase solvent systems for determination of the optimum extraction solvents and partition coefficients of the prominent components. Then, the optimized solvent systems were used in succession to enrich the hydrophilic and lipophilic components from the large-scale crude sample. At last, the enriched components samples were further purified by a new conical counter-current chromatography (CCC). Due to the use of 13C NMR pattern recognition, the kinds and structures of major components in the solvent extracts could be predicted. Therefore, the method could collect simultaneously the partition coefficients and the structural information of components in the selected two-phase solvents. As an example, a cytotoxic extract of podophyllotoxins and flavonoids from Dysosma versipellis (Hance) was selected. After the systematic HEMWat system solvent extraction and 13C NMR pattern recognition analyses, the crude extract of D. versipellis was first degreased by the upper phase of HEMWat system (9:1:9:1, v/v), and then distributed in the two phases of the system of HEMWat (2:8:2:8, v/v) to obtain the hydrophilic lower phase extract and lipophilic upper phase extract, respectively. These extracts were further separated by conical CCC with the HEMWat systems (1:9:1:9 and 4:6:4:6, v/v). As results, total 17 cytotoxic compounds were isolated and identified. In general, whole results suggested that the strategy was very efficient for the systematic extraction and isolation of biological active components from the complex biomaterials.

MiRNA Analysis by Quantitative PCR in Preterm Human Breast Milk Reveals Daily Fluctuations of hsa-miR-16-5p.

Background and AimsHuman breast milk is an extremely dynamic fluid containing many biologically-active components which change throughout the feeding period and throughout the day. We designed a miRNA assay on minimized amounts of raw milk obtained from mothers of preterm infants. We investigated changes in miRNA expression within month 2 of lactation and then over the course of 24 hours.Materials and MethodsAnalyses were performed on pooled breast milk, made by combining samples collected at different clock times from the same mother donor, along with time series collected over 24 hours from four unsynchronized mothers. Whole milk, lipids or skim milk fractions were processed and analyzed by qPCR. We measured hsa-miR-16-5p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-146-5p, and hsa-let-7a, d and g (all -5p). Stability of miRNA endogenous controls was evaluated using RefFinder, a web tool integrating geNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper and the comparative ΔΔCt method.ResultsMiR-21 and miR-16 were stably expressed in whole milk collected within month 2 of lactation from four mothers. Analysis of lipids and skim milk revealed that miR-146b and let-7d were better references in both fractions. Time series (5H-23H) allowed the identification of a set of three endogenous reference genes (hsa-let-7d, hsa-let-7g and miR-146b) to normalize raw quantification cycle (Cq) data. We identified a daily oscillation of miR-16-5p.PerspectivesOur assay allows exploring miRNA levels of breast milk from mother with preterm baby collected in time series over 48–72 hours.

Chemical, Physicochemical and Functional Characteristics of Dietary Fiber Obtained From Asparagus byproducts (Asparagus officinalis L.)

Due to its mechanical and biochemical properties, dietary fiber is part of a healthy diet. Containing good levels of prebiotics, asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) produces healthy effects when incorporated into processed foods. The objective of the current study was to obtain fiber from asparagus byproducts and determine its chemical composition [Total Dietary Fiber (TDF), protein, moisture and ash)] and physicochemical [pH, and water activity (aw)] and functional characteristics [Water Absorption Index (WAI), Water Solubility Index (WSI), Oil Absorption Index (OAI) and Swelling Volume (SV)]. The plant material was treated through extraction and dehydration thermal treatments. A response surface model was applied to evaluate the effects of extraction and drying temperatures. The TDF ranged from 60.7 to 79%. Significant differences were only observed for TDF, moisture and aw (P ≤ 0.05). The WAI, WSI, OAI and SV were found to be within the range observed for similar plant materials. Due to their functional properties and elevated TDF content, asparagus byproducts can be used as active biological components in food production. This innovative utilization will contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the industrial processing of this vegetable.

Separation and identification of multiple constituents in Xiao Chai Hu Decoction (Sho-saiko-to) by bioactivity-guided fractionation combined with LC-ESI-QTOFMS/MS.

Xiao Chai Hu Decoction (XCHD), named Sho-saiko-to in Japanese, is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine formula used in Asia. However, the characterization methods used in the past have lacked sensitivity and the nature of the active constituents of XCHD remains unclear. This study was carried out to establish the hyphenated method of bioactivity-guided fractionation and liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOFMS/MS) in order to identify the major bioactive constituents of XCHD. D101 macroporous resin was used to separate and enrich the material base into four fractions, XCHD-1, XCHD-2, XCHD-3 and XCHD-4. Each fraction was then evaluated for its antidepressant effect using depression-related parameters. An LC-ESI-QTOFMS/MS method in both positive and negative ion mode was also applied for separation and identification of the biological active fractions of XCHD. As a result, 79 compounds including polysaccharides, flavonoids, saikosaponins, ginsenosides, licoricesaponins and gingerols were detected, 69 of them were identified or tentatively characterized. Based on our preliminary characterization investigations, polysaccharides, gingerols and flavonoids in XCHD may contribute to the antidepressant effect of XCHD. In conclusion, the hyphenated method of bioactivity-guided fractionation and LC-ESI-QTOFMS/MS was meaningful for the isolation and preliminary identification of the biological active components in complex matrices of traditional Chinese medicine.

Phenological response of milk thistle (Silybum marianum [L.] Gaertn.) to different nutrition systems

Nowadays, growing medicinal plants in sustainable agricultural systems in which sustainable plant nutrition strategies play an important role are more focused. Seeds of milk thistle plants (Silybum marianum [L.] Gaertn.) are the main source of silymarin which is known as the biological active component helpful in treating liver and biliary diseases and also preventing liver cancer. Phenological stages, especially the reproduction time and maturity of milk thistle, might be affected by management strategies. In order to investigate the potential effects of different nourishment systems on phenological stages of milk thistle, a field experiment was conducted during 2010–2011, at Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Twelve nutrition systems comprising single and integrated nutrition systems of vermicompost, poultry manure, chemical fertilizer, mycorrhiza (Glomus mosseae), and bio-sulfur (Thiobacillus sp.) were compared in a completely randomized block design with three replications. According to the results, growth development stages of milk thistle in Mashhad climate were found to have four discrete stages; vegetative, elongating, flowering, and seed maturation stage. Analysis of variance of heat units, expressed in growing degree-days (GDDs), showed that elongating and flowering stages were significantly affected by different nutrition systems (P<0.05). Milk thistle plants treated with mycorrhiza started the elongating stage and flowering stage with less GDDs (845 and 1001°C, respectively) compared with other treatments. The highest amount of GDDs for starting the elongating stage was recorded for chemical fertilizer treatment and plants under integrated use of mycorrhiza and vermicompost required more GDDs to start flowering stage.

Chemical composition and biological activities of the Agaricus mushrooms

Two species of Agaricus mushroom grown in Mongolia were analyzed for their element content. Biological activity and chemical components study of Agaricus, grown in the Mongolian flora has been investigated for the first time. The ethanol extracts of dried Agaricus sp. mushrooms were analyzed for antioxidant activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and interferon-like activity. The ethanol extracts from Agaricus arvensis showed the most potent radical scavenging activity. The IC50 of A. silvaticus and A. arvensis were 216 and 17.75 g/ml respectively. Among the twenty three mushroom extracts, the extracts from A. silvatisus and A. arvensis have shown the interferon-like activity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjc.v14i0.197Mongolian Journal of Chemistry 14 (40), 2013, p41-45

Global insight into N-glycome and N-glycoproteome of three most abundant snake venoms in Asia

Snake venom is a complex cocktail including a variety of biological active proteins and proteinaceous components, which have considerable medical and pharmacological importance. N-Glycosylation is widely implicated as a common modification in numerous venom proteins and impacts the in vivo venomic functions. However, systematic survey of N-glycome and N-glycoproteome on snake venoms has not been undertaken. In this study, employing combination of N-glycomics and N-glycoproteomics strategies, we explored the N-glycosylation including both N-glycoproteins and N-glyco-chains in three venoms from Agkistrodon blomhoffii, Naja naja atra Cantor and Vipera russelii siamensis Smith, respectively, which are amongst the most abundant venomous snakes in Asia. As a result, numbers of N-glycoproteins and N-glycans were identified. However, the overlaps of N-glycoproteins and N-glycans of the three venoms were small. Thus, the exploration results of N-glycome and N-glycoproteome indicate that N-glycosylation increases the complexity and variety of the three venoms. Our research provided some new horizons for the comprehensive understanding of venoms variation, which is helpful for the basic venom research as well as the management of snake envenomation.

EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL (EVCO): NATURAL SKIN LIGHTENING ENHANCER WITH CURCUMIN

Extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO) is a carrier for fragrances and ethno-medicinal ingredients in aromatherapy massage oils due to its medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), and biological active polyphenol components. TPA (12-O tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) is a strong promoter of chemical induced skin cancer proto-oncogenes. Topical application of curcumin, which is a constituent of turmeric (Curcuma longa), is known to inhibit TPA induced tumor promotion in most skin. This study assesses the stability, fragrance, rancidity, and staining/lightening effects of oil, alcohol, and water extracts of fresh and dry root turmeric and EVCO as the aromatherapy carrier, with or without Aloe vera extract as extenders. The photographic results highlight the colour variations for 5 to 100% of all the extracts and their skin lightening intensity and variations on four skin types. The data on rancidity indicated no oxidation, and the products have demonstrated no separation, unpleasant odour or permanent staining effects.

A study of the chemical composition and the biological active components of Nigella Sativa and trigonella foenum-graecum L. seeds

Enas Mehjen Muman* (PhD), Shifaa Jameel Ibrahim**, Hedef Dhafir El-Yssin** (Assistant lecturer MSc) Professor, PhD. Post Doctorate/ member of the society for endocrinology, Bristol, UK *Ibn Al-Betar Research center, corporation of research and industrial development, Ministry of industry and minerals, Al-Jadriyah, Baghdad, Iraq. **Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Bab Almuadhum, Baghdad, Iraq

Polyphosphoester-based cationic nanoparticles serendipitously release integral biologically-active components to serve as novel degradable inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors.

A degradable polyphosphoester (PPE)-based cationic nanoparticle (cSCK), which is integrated constructed as a novel degradable drug device, demonstrates surprisingly efficient inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) transcription, and eventually inhibits nitric oxide (NO) over-production, without loading of any specific therapeutic drugs. This system may serve as a promising anti-inflammatory agent toward the treatment of acute lung injury.

Design of large-scale manufacturing of induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes

A new approach for design of large-scale manufacture of stem cell derived cells by using the biomechatronic methodology and computer-aided-design tools is described. The systematic conceptual design methodology for systems composed of active mechanical, electronic and biological components, here referred to as biomechatronics, is combined with the methodology for computer-aided design of bioprocesses. The objective has been to systematically investigate and compare by the combination of the methodologies what are favourable design alternatives in terms of equipment configuration and economic parameters. A demonstration case has been used for the manufacture of cardiomyocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells. The results show how certain configurations are more favourable than others under given boundary conditions. The study indicates that the approach is possible to apply on other related bio-manufacturing systems.

The protective effect of grape seed procyanidin extract against cadmium-induced renal oxidative damage in mice

As an important environmental pollutant, cadmium (Cd) can lead to serious renal damage. Grape seed procyanidins extract (GSPE), a biological active component of grape seed, has been shown to possess antioxidative effects. Here, we assessed the protective effect of GSPE on Cd-induced renal damage using animal experiment. After 30 days, the oxidative damage of kidney was evaluated through measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidation (GSH-Px) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Since, oxidative stress could lead to apoptosis, the renal apoptosis was measured using flow cytometer. Moreover, the expression of apoptosis-related protein Bax and Bcl-2 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The results showed that Cd led to the decrease of SOD and GSH-Px activities, and the increase of MDA level, induced renal apoptosis. However, the coadministration of GSPE attenuated Cd-induced lipid peroxidation, and antagonized renal apoptosis, probably associated with the expression of Bax and Bcl-2. These data suggested that GSPE has protective effect against renal oxidative damage induced by Cd, which provide a potential natural chemopreventive agent against Cd-poisoning.