Acid Phenolic Compounds Research Articles

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Suggest the Mechanism for Biological Activity of Rosmarinic Acid.

Rosmarinic acid (RosA) is a natural phenolic acid compound, which is mainly extracted from Labiatae and Arnebia. At present, there is no systematic analysis of its mechanism. Therefore, we used the method of network pharmacology to analyze the mechanism of RosA. In our study, PubChem database was used to search for the chemical formula and the Chemical s Service (CAS) number of RosA. Then, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) was used to evaluate the pharmacodynamics of RosA, and the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) was used to identify the potential target genes of RosA. In addition, the Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of target genes were carried out by using the web-based gene set analysis toolkit (WebGestalt). At the same time, we uploaded the targets to the STRING database to obtain the protein interaction network. Then, we carried out a molecular docking about targets and RosA. Finally, we used Cytoscape to establish a visual protein-protein interaction network and drug-target-pathway network and analyze these networks. Our data showed that RosA has good biological activity and drug utilization. There are 55 target genes that have been identified. Then, the bioinformatics analysis and network analysis found that these target genes are closely related to inflammatory response, tumor occurrence and development, and other biological processes. These results demonstrated that RosA can act on a variety of proteins and pathways to form a systematic pharmacological network, which has good value in drug development and utilization.

Multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Knockout of Laccase Genes in Salvia miltiorrhiza Revealed Their Roles in Growth, Development, and Metabolism.

Laccases are multicopper-containing glycoproteins related to monolignol oxidation and polymerization. These properties indicate that laccases may be involved in the formation of important medicinal phenolic acid compounds in Salvia miltiorrhiza such as salvianolic acid B (SAB), which is used for cardiovascular disease treatment. To date, 29 laccases have been found in S. miltiorrhiza (SmLACs), and some of which (SmLAC7 and SmLAC20) have been reported to influence the synthesis of phenolic acids. Because of the functional redundancy of laccase genes, their roles in S. miltiorrhiza are poorly understood. In this study, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was used for targeting conserved domains to knockout multiple genes of laccase family in S. miltiorrhiza. The expressions of target laccase genes as well as the phenolic acid biosynthesis key genes decrease dramatically in editing lines. Additionally, the growth and development of hairy roots was significantly retarded in the gene-edited lines. The cross-sections examination of laccase mutant hairy roots showed that the root development was abnormal and the xylem cells in the edited lines became larger and looser than those in the wild type. Additionally, the accumulation of RA as well as SAB was decreased, and the lignin content was nearly undetectable. It suggested that SmLACs play key roles in development and lignin formation in the root of S. miltiorrhiza and they are necessary for phenolic acids biosynthesis.

Metabolome-Based Discrimination Analysis of Five Lilium Bulbs Associated with Differences in Secondary Metabolites.

The bulbs of several Lilium species are considered to be both functional foods and traditional medicine in northern and eastern Asia. Considering the limited information regarding the specific bioactive compounds contributing to the functional properties of these bulbs, we compared the secondary metabolites of ten Lilium bulb samples belonging to five different species, using an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS)-based secondary metabolomics approach. In total, 245 secondary metabolites were detected; further, more metabolites were detected from purple Lilium bulbs (217 compounds) than from white bulbs (123–171 compounds). Similar metabolite profiles were detected in samples within the same species irrespective of where they were collected. By combining herbal analysis and screening differential metabolites, steroid saponins were considered the key bioactive compounds in medicinal lilies. Of the 14 saponins detected, none were accumulated in the bulbs of L. davidii var. willmottiae, also called sweet lily. The purple bulbs of L. regale accumulated more secondary metabolites, and, notably, more phenolic acid compounds and flavonoids. Overall, this study elucidates the differential metabolites in lily bulbs with varying functions and colors and provides a reference for further research on functional foods and the medicinal efficacy of Lilium species.

Evaluation of antiviral activity of Andrographis paniculata and Tinospora cordifolia using in silico and in vitro assay against DENV-2

Background: Dengue is one of the most widespread arthropod-borne viral infections without any effective treatment. The anti-DENV-2 mechanism of plants Andrographis paniculata (whole plant), Tinospora cordifolia (stem & leaves), their bioactive synthetic compounds depend on acute febrile treatment, is poorly understood for new anti-dengue therapy development. Objectives: The current study was undertaken to evaluate in silico and in vitro study on crude extracts, bioactive fractions, bioactive synthetic compounds of A. paniculata, T. cordifolia against anti-DENV-2. Methods: In silico study was evaluated by Lipinski’s rule of five, drug-likeness score and molecular docking against DENV-2 NS2B-NS3. After in silico study, the antiviral activity was performed under in vitro conditions with cytotoxicity, pre-incubation, post-incubation, and protective assay. Findings: It was observed that in in silico studies, the best docked compounds andrographolide (-11.58 kcal/mol), magnoflorine (-9.22 kcal/mol) and their combination (50:50); ethanolic extract of A. paniculata, aqueous-ethanolic (50:50) extract of T. cordifolia and their combination (50:50) extract, their bioactive fractions with possible phenolic glycosides, pyridinecarboxylic acid, flavone, phenols, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, phenolic acid, alkaloids, isopalmitic acid, diterpenoids, quinic acid, isopalmitic acid and sesquiterpenoids compound class category, showed 50% minimum effective and inhibitory concentration. Conclusions: The crude extracts, bioactive fractions and bioactive synthetic compounds of A. paniculata and T. cordifolia and combination (50:50) could be the potential anti-DENV-2 therapy in in silico and in vitro infection model.

Assessment of paprika geographical origin fraud by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) fingerprinting

Paprika production under the protected designation of origin (PDO) standardized procedures leads to more quality products. However, it is also related to higher retail prices, making them susceptible to adulteration with low-quality paprika or its agricultural origin’s mislabeling. Therefore, in this study, high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) fingerprints, strongly related to phenolic acid and polyphenolic compounds, were proposed as chemical markers to assess the classification of paprika from five European regions (three Spanish PDO, Hungary, and the Czech Republic), through a classification decision tree constructed by partial least squares regression-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models. After external validation, an excellent classification accuracy of 97.9% was achieved. Moreover, the chromatographic fingerprints were also proposed to detect and quantitate two different paprika geographical origin blend scenarios by partial least squares (PLS) regression. Low external validation and prediction errors —with values below 1.6 and 10.7%, respectively— were obtained.

Nontargeted metabolomics reveals the discrimination of Cyclocarya paliurus leaves brewed by different methods

An original way of brewing Cyclocarya paliurus leaves, especially in China, is to steep leaves in hot water before people drink it directly. Recently, infusing tea leaves with cold water, a creative way in Taiwan, has become a popular way of making tea. This study was designed to investigate the differences in metabolites among three brewing methods (cold-brewing, steep-brewing, and boil-brewing) based on UPLC-QTOF-MS metabolomics experiments and the feasibility of cold-brewing methods for C. paliurus leaves. Unsupervised analysis (PCA) explained 54.6% (positive ion mode) and 57.4% (negative ion mode) of the total variance, whereas supervised analysis (OPLS-DA) with cross-validated R2Y and Q2 values > 0.5, could reveal potential metabolites with better discrimination among the three brewing methods. Fifteen potential differential metabolites were chosen and identified, and nine of them were further confirmed with reference standards. This study suggested that the cold-brewing method without an increase in temperature protected the phenol aromatic ring, thereby obtaining more phenolic acid compounds from C. paliurus leaves. These results provided a basis for making cold tea and promoting the development of cold tea with C. paliurus leaves as raw materials.

The characterisation of the in vitro metabolism and transport of 6-hydroxykynurenic acid, an important constituent of Ginkgo biloba extracts

6-Hydroxykynurenic acid (6-HKA) is a nitrogen-containing phenolic acid compound in Ginkgo biloba leaves. The pharmacological activities of 6-HKA have been reported and shown that 6-HKA has the potential to become a therapeutic drug and may play an important role in the treatment of nervous system diseases. However, there are few studies on the drug metabolism and transport of 6-HKA. The aim of this study is to investigate the in vitro metabolism of 6-HKA and its interaction with multiple important drug transporters. The in vitro metabolism experiments in the present study demonstrate that 6-HKA might not undergo phase-I or phase-II metabolism in hepatic microsomes/S9 of rats. In addition, some drug transporters, including OAT1/3, OCT2, MDR1, OATP1B1, MATE1/2K and OCTN2, were investigated. The cellular uptake assays indicate that 6-HKA exhibits inhibition to the transport of classical substrates mediated by OAT3, OCT2, MATE2K and OCTN2 but has no significant effect on the transport of substrates mediated by MDR1, OAT1, OATP1B1 or MATE1. Further investigation of cellular accumulation assays shows that 6-HKA might be the substrate of OAT3, but not OCT2 or OCTN2. The bidirectional transport study suggests that 6-HKA is not a substrate of MDR1. The information about the in vitro metabolism of 6-HKA and the interaction between 6-HKA and some transporters will help us to better understand the pharmacokinetic properties of 6-HKA and provide reference for its pharmacodynamics, DDIs and drug-food interactions studies.

Extractives of Stemwood and Sawmill Residues of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) for Biorefining in Four Climatic Regions in Finland—Phenolic and Resin Acid Compounds

This study aimed to identify and quantify phenolic and resin acid extractive compounds in Scots pine stemwood and sawmill residues in four climatic regions of Finland to evaluate their most optimal sources for bio-based chemical biorefining and bioenergy products. The sample consisted of 140 trees from 28 stands, and sawdust lots from 11 log stands. NMR for the overall extractive analysis and HPLC for the quantitative estimation of phenolic and resin acid compounds were employed. Correlation analysis, multivariate factor analysis, principle component analysis and multiple linear regression modelling were applied for statistical analysis. HPLC identified 12 extractive compounds and NMR five more resin acids. Pinosylvin (PS), pinosylvin monomethyl ether (PSMME), and partly neolignans/lignans occurred in the largest concentrations. Wood type caused the most variation, heartwood having larger concentrations than sapwood (sawdust between them). Regional differences in the concentrations were smaller, but factor analysis distinguished the northern and the southern regions into their own groups. The results indicated higher concentrations of PS, PSMME, and vanillic acid in southern regions and those of, e.g., PSMME glycoside, lignan 2, and neolignan 1 in northern regions. The rather low concentrations of extractives in stemwood and sawdust imply value-added products, efficient sorting and/or large raw material volumes.

Short Chain (≤C4) Esterification Increases Bioavailability of Rosmarinic Acid and Its Potency to Inhibit Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation

Rosmarinic acid is a natural phenolic acid and active compound found in many culinary plants, such as rosemary, mint, basil and perilla. Aiming to improve the pharmacokinetic profile of rosmarinic acid and its activity on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, we generated a series of rosmarinic acid esters with increasing alkyl chain length ranging from C1 to C12. UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of rat blood samples revealed the highest increase in bioavailability of rosmarinic acid, up to 10.52%, after oral administration of its butyl ester, compared to only 1.57% after rosmarinic acid had been administered in its original form. When added to vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro, all rosmarinic acid esters were taken up, remained esterified and inhibited vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation with IC50 values declining as the length of alkyl chains increased up to C4, with an IC50 of 2.84 µM for rosmarinic acid butyl ester, as evident in a resazurin assay. Vascular smooth muscle cells were arrested in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and the retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation was blocked. Esterification with longer alkyl chains did not improve absorption and resulted in cytotoxicity in in vitro settings. In this study, we proved that esterification with proper length of alkyl chains (C1–C4) is a promising way to improve in vivo bioavailability of rosmarinic acid in rats and in vitro biological activity in rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

Ultrasound-assisted vesicle-based microextraction as a novel method for determination of phenolic acid compounds in Nepeta cataria L. samples

In this research, a novel method was adopted for the extraction and determination of polyphenolic acids, i.e., chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, syringic acid and caffeic acid from different parts of Nepeta cataria L. samples. Extraction of polyphenolic acids from methanol extract was performed by ultrasound-assisted vesicles-based microextraction. In this procedure for the first time, 5-methyl salicylic acid was used for forming vesicles that trap analyte molecules in themselves. High-performance liquid chromatography was used for the separation and detection of polyphenolic acid content in Nepeta cataria L. samples. To obtain maximum extraction efficiency, some parameters affecting extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. This analytical method was validated for linearity, precision, trueness, the limits of detection (LODs) and recovery. The LODs ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 ng mL‒1. Enrichment factors are between 102 and 116. Extraction recovery and relative standard deviation (RSD) values were calculated for both intraday and interday measurements. The extraction recovery and RSD values were in the concentration range of 84.2‒92.4% and 3.2‒4.6%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the analysis of the collected real samples from Guilan, Golestan, Taleghan and Arak.

Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed the influence of sucrose on flavor and taste quality of <em>Coffea arabica</em> and <em>C. canephora</em> varieties

Coffea arabica (Arabica) and C. canephora (Robusta) are the most popular coffee species in the world, accounting for 99% of overall consumption of coffee beans. Arabica generally possesses better coffee quality than Robusta partly due its higher sucrose content. The flavor and taste (FT) of coffee, as important aspects of coffee quality, are mainly affected by the content of caffeine, phenolic acid and terpenoid compounds, which use sucrose as an important precursor. However, how sucrose affects the coffee FT remains unclear. In this study, coffee beans at different developmental stages from Arabica #161 (A161, high-sucrose variety) and Robusta #6 (R6, low-sucrose variety) were sampled to perform transcriptomic analysis. Most differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between them were enriched in sucrose-related metabolisms and the FT-related metabolism processes: caffeine biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathway, terpenoid metabolism. Thirty-four candidate DEGs probably contributed to the higher content of sucrose, anthocyanin and linalool in A161, and higher content of caffeine and carotenoid in R6. Generally, sucrose-related metabolisms were strongly associated with FT-related substance accumulation. The content of sucrose and its influence on the downstream secondary metabolism probably play important roles in the FT quality of coffee beans. Our results provide efficient targets for investigation regarding the influence of sucrose on FT quality of coffee beans.

Isolation, Structural Characterization and Identification of Major Constituents in Ephedra foliata Naturally Growing in Iraq by TLC, GC-MS and UPLC-ESI-MS/MS

Abstract:
 The aerial part of Ephedra foliata Family Ephedraceae have long been used in traditional medicine and now Ephedra species have medicinal, ecological, and commercial value. The variety of pharmacological actions of this plant is due to its chemical constituents. Ephedrine and related alkaloids; are the newly potential medicinal value of Ephedra supplements for weight loss or performance improvement. Other pharmacological actions like antibacterial and antifungal effects of the phenolic acid compounds, the immunosuppressive action of the polysaccharides, and the antitumor action of flavonoids. The genus of this plant wildly distributed throughout asia, america, europe, and north africa. Aim of study: this study is to screen the phytochemical constituents due to the importance of pharmacological actions of this plant.
 Methods: the aerial part of E. foliata was macerated in 80% ethanol for 9 days and fractionated by n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The n-hexane, chloroform, n-butanol fractions, and isolated compounds were analyzed by GC-MS, TLC, UPLC ESI MS/MS.
 Results and discussion: The various chromatographic and spectroscopic results indicate the presence of a different type of phytochemicals like ephedrine, 6hka, vicenin 2 and quercetin 3-sophoroside-7-rhamnoside.

Metabolite Profiling of Manilkara zapota L. Leaves by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Coupled with ESI and APCI and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity, α-Glucosidase, and Elastase Inhibition Assays.

High-resolution mass spectrometry equipped with electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) sources was used to enhance the characterization of phytochemicals of ethanol extracts of Manilkara zapota L. leaves (ZLE). Sugar compounds, dicarboxylic acids, compounds of phenolic acids and flavonoids groups, and other phytochemicals were detected from the leaves. Antioxidant activity and inhibition potentiality of ZLE against α-glucosidase enzyme, and elastase enzyme activities were evaluated in in vitro analysis. ZLE significantly inhibited activities of α-glucosidase enzyme at a lower concentration (IC50 2.51 ± 0.15 µg/mL). Glucose uptake in C2C12 cells was significantly enhanced by 42.13 ± 0.15% following the treatment with ZLE at 30 µg/mL. It also exhibited potential antioxidant activities and elastase enzyme inhibition activity (IC50 27.51 ± 1.70 µg/mL). Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI–MS) detected more m/z peaks than electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS), and both ionization techniques illustrated the biological activities of the detected compounds more thoroughly compared to single-mode analysis. Our findings suggest that APCI along with ESI is a potential ionization technique for metabolite profiling, and ZLE has the potential in managing diabetes by inhibiting α-glucosidase activity and enhancing glucose uptake.

Metabolism and Pharmacological Mechanisms of Active Ingredients in Erigeron breviscapus

Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. is a plant species in the Compositae family. More than ten types of compounds-such as flavonoids, caffeinate esters, and volatile oils-have been identified in Erigeron breviscapus; however, it remains unknown as to which compounds are associated with clinical efficacy. In recent years, flavonoids and phenolic acids have been considered as the main effective components of Erigeron breviscapus. The metabolism and mechanisms of these compounds in vivo have been extensively studied to improve our understanding of the drug. In the present review, we summarize the relationships among these compounds, their metabolites, and their pharmacodynamics. Many methods have been implemented to improve the separation and bioavailability of these compounds from Erigeron breviscapus. In China, Erigeron breviscapus has been used for many years. In recent years, through the study of its metabolism and the mechanisms of its effective components, the effects of Erigeron breviscapus in the treatment of various diseases have been extensively studied. Findings have indicated that Erigeron breviscapus improves cardiovascular and cerebrovascular function and that one of its ingredients, scutellarin, has potential value in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, cancer, diabetic vascular complications, and other conditions. In addition, phenolic acid compounds and their metabolites also play an important role in anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and improving blood lipids. Erigeron breviscapus plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular/ cerebrovascular diseases, neuroprotection, and cancer through many different mechanisms of action. Further investigation of its efficacious components and metabolites may provide more possibilities for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine and the development of novel drugs.

Metabolite fingerprinting of buckwheat in the malting process

With aims to better optimize and improve the industrial buckwheat maling process, metabolite analysis was carried out by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) to investigate the time-dependent metabolic changes during buckwheat malting. Sixty-four metabolites, which covered a broad spectrum of polar (e.g. amino acids, sugars, acids and phenolic compounds) and non-polar (e.g. fatty acid methyl esters, free fatty acids, sterols) buckwheat constituents with low molecular weights, were identified and quantified. Results show that content of polar metabolites, such as sugars and amino acids, increased during malting. Meanwhile, levels of most of non-pollar metabolites, including fatty acid methyl esters, free fatty acids and sterols changed very little or kept constant. The statistical assessment of the metabolic data was derived by principal component analysis (PCA). Results demonstrate that the metabolic changes during the buckwheat malting process can be reflected by time-dependent shifts in the PCA loading scores. The analysis of the loadings further showed that polar metabolites, including sugars, amino acids and some of phenolic acid compounds, were the major contributors of the malting time-driven changes during buckwheat malting. The changing rule of these metabolites was explored nutritionally. Free fatty acids were the superior energy supplier during steeping and initial germination phase compared with sugars in the buckwheat malting process. Buckwheat malt is a potential material for the beer brewing industry.

Polyphenol and flavonoid profiles and radical scavenging activity in leafy vegetable Amaranthus gangeticus

BackgroundRed amaranth (Amaranthus gangeticus L.) has great diversity in Bangladesh, India, and South East Asia with multipurpose uses. The bright red-violet colored A. gangeticus is a popular and low-cost leafy vegetable in the Asian continent including Bangladesh and India because of attractive leaf color, taste, adequate nutraceuticals, phenolic compounds, and sole source of betalains. The natural colors and phenolic compounds of this species have a significant role in promoting the health-benefit including the scavenging capacity of radicals, the colorant of food products, and play a vital role in the industry of foods. However, phenolic profiles and radical scavenging activity of this species have not been evaluated. Hence, for the first time, four selected advance lines of A. gangeticus were characterized for phenolic profiles, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant potentiality.ResultsA. gangeticus genotypes are abundant sources of phenolic profiles and antioxidant constituents with good radical quenching capacity that differed across the genotypes. Twenty-five phenolic acids and flavonoids, such as protocatechuic acid, salicylic acid, gentisic acid, gallic acid, β-resorcylic acid, vanillic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, kaempferol, m-coumaric acid, trans-cinnamic acid, quercetin, p-coumaric acid, apigenin, caffeic acid, rutin, sinapic acid, isoquercetin, naringenin, myricetin, catechin, and hyperoside were identified in A. gangeticus accessions. A. gangeticus accessions LS7 and LS9 demonstrated ample phenolic acids, flavonoids, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant potentiality. It revealed from the correlation study that antioxidant components of A. gangeticus genotypes exhibited good radical scavenging activities. The genotypes LS7 and LS9 could be directly used as phenolic profiles, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant activity enrich cultivars.ConclusionsThe identified compounds of phenolic acids and flavonoids in A. gangeticus privilege the comprehensive study of pharmacology. The basic information on phenolic profiles and antioxidant constituents achieved in the present study will provide the scientist’s forum for the scientific assessment of these compounds in A. gangeticus.

Influence of Biofortified Colored Wheats (Purple, Blue, Black) on Physicochemical, Antioxidant and Sensory Characteristics of Chapatti (Indian Flatbread).

Biofortified colored wheat (black, blue, and purple) is rich in anthocyanins and phenolic acid compounds that impart positive physiological effects in humans. A large proportion of wheat is consumed in the form of Chapatti in Asian countries. The effect of chapatti cooking on the proximate composition, bioactive compounds (anthocyanins and phenolics), and antioxidant activities of these wheat varieties were checked in this study. Apart from acceptable sensory parameters, good taste, and soft texture of chapatti, biofortified colored wheat chapatti and flour had higher dietary fibers, protein content, and lower carbohydrate content. Higher soluble and insoluble phenolic compounds, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity were in the order of black > blue > purple > white. Chapatti making has reduced their antioxidant activity and anthocyanin content in comparison to flour. Moreover, the reduction in antioxidant activity is less as compared to the decrease in anthocyanin content. Our results suggest that colored wheat can be a better alternative to normal wheat for preparing chapatti as it would have additional health-promoting activities.

Protocatechualdehyde attenuates obstructive nephropathy through inhibiting lncRNA9884 induced inflammation.

Persistent chronic inflammation and fibrosis product accumulation aggravate tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF), leading to the progression of chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was designed to investigate the effect of protocatechualdehyde (PCA), a natural phenolic acid compound isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza, on the unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced fibrosis and inflammation and to elucidate the underlying mechanism in primary renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs). Results from the histology suggested that the moderate to severe deteriorations of renal dysfunction and the pathological changes in UUO could be relieved by PCA treatment. Mechanistic studies revealed that the effect of PCA was associated with the downregulation of Smad3 and NF-κB driven fibrosis and inflammation respectively. It is worth noting that PCA could inhibit the aberrant expression of inflammation cytokines such as iNOS, MCP-1, TNF-α in UUO, and IL-1β-treated TECs. In addition, PCA also suppressed the expression of Smad3-dependent long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), 9884. Importantly, when overexpressing of lncRNA9884 in TECs by transfection of pcDNA3.1-lncRNA9884 plasmid, it revealed significant reversal of protein expression levels as that observed with only PCA, suggesting that PCA inhibits inflammation by mediating lncRNA9884/MCP-1 signaling pathway. Collectively, the current study establishes a foundational basis for PCA in future treatment of obstructive nephropathy.

HPLC Separation of Phenolic Acids on Silica Gels Layer-by-Layer Modified with 6,10-Ionene and Dextran Sulfate

Using phenolic acids as an example, we continue to study the nature of the previously obtained multilayer sorbents for HPLC—silica gels modified up to two times with 6,10-ionene and dextran sulfate (DS). The chromatographic behavior of this class of compounds on the obtained sorbents was studied. A six-component mixture of sorbic, vanillic, sinapic, p -coumaric, caffeic, and ferulic acids was separated on the silica gel twice modified with 6,10-ionene and dextran sulfate in 15 min with a selectivity of up to 1.88 and a column efficiency of up to 26000 theoretical plates per meter. The possibility of separating the two classes of compounds—phenolic acids and basic nitrogen-containing pharmaceuticals—in a single mixture on silica gel, twice modified with 6,10-ionene and dextran sulfate, is shown.

Role of polar extracts from two quinoa varieties in prevention of steatohepatitis and cardiovascular diseases and improving glucose tolerance in rats.

Introduction: Steatohepatitis, which is the deposition of fat in the liver with inflammation and starting of necrosis, can induce cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The aim of this research was to study the preventive effects of steatohepatitis and CVD by ethanol extract of two quinoa varieties (quinoa 1 and hualhuas) in rats. Methods: Phenolic and flavonoid compounds were determined in the extracts utilizing colorimetric and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) scavenging activity was assessed for the extracts. Rats were divided into four groups, the first group was fed on a balanced diet (negative control), and other groups consumed a high fructose-fat diet (HFFD) to induce steatohepatitis and CVD. The second group served as a positive control; however, the third and fourth groups were treated by ethanol extract of quinoa 1 and hualhuas, respectively. Different biochemical changes, as well as liver and heart histopathology, were followed. Results: Results showed significant elevation in liver lipids, plasma malondialdehyde, total cholesterol (T-C), triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with reduction of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and total antioxidant as well as a significant increase in T-C/HDL-C in control positive group (P < 0.05) compared to control negative group. Plasma parameters and liver lipids were improved by the extracts; hualhuas was superior concerning the effect on lipid while quinoa 1 was more efficient in reducing oxidative stress. The oral glucose tolerance curve and the histopathology of the liver and heart tissues were improved by both extracts. Total phenolic and DPPH scavenging activity were higher in quinoa 1 than hualhuas. Protocatechuic and rutin were the major identified phenolic acid and flavonoid compounds, respectively in the extracts. Conclusion: Quinoa extracts are able to prevent the progression of steatohepatitis and CVD, and might be beneficial in patients with such diseases.