Lipid-soluble Components Research Articles

Ailanthus altissima Seed Oil-A Valuable Source of Lipid-Soluble Components with DNA Protective and Antiproliferative Activities.

The present study is focused on the chemical and lipid composition of seed oil of the European ornamental and invasive wood plant Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae). Total lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, ash, and moisture in the seeds were determined. A high yield of glyceride oil (30.7%) was found, as well as a high content of fibers (29.6%) and proteins (18.7%). Physicochemical properties of the oil define it as semi-dry (129.4 g I2/100 g Iodine value) with oxidative stability, refractive index, saponification value, and relative density similar to widely used oils with nutritional value and health benefits. The composition of the seed oil was determined chromatographically. Unsaturated fatty acids (95.3%) predominated in the seed oil, of which linoleic acid (48.6%) and oleic acid (44.8%) were the major ones. The main lipid-soluble bioactive components were β-sitosterol (72.6%), γ-tocopherol (74.6%), phosphatidylinositol (29.5%), and phosphatidic acids (25.7%). The proven in vitro DNA-protective ability of seed oil is reported for the first time. The seed oil exhibited a weak antiproliferative effect on HT-29 and PC3 tumor cell lines and showed no cytotoxicity on the BALB/c 3T3 cell line. In brief, the present study reveals that A. altissima seed oil can be used as a healthy food.

Chemical Composition, Lipid-Soluble Bioactive Compounds and Potential Health Benefits of the Moss Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw.

Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. is the main species for Moss surveys (ICP Vegetation programme) in Southeastern Europe and is widely distributed in the region. In addition to their biomonitoring role, mosses are applied in some countries as a traditional medicine for the treatment of eczema, cuts, burns, eye diseases, etc. Therefore, the chemical and lipid composition of the moss H. cupressiforme is of interest to establish their possible application in different fields. The chemical composition of the moss was examined regarding total lipids, proteins, carbohydrates (i.e., fibres), ash, and moisture content. The main lipid-soluble bioactive components were determined as sterols, tocopherols, phospholipids and fatty acids. The major fatty acids were linoleic (14.9%), oleic (13.8%), palmitic (12.5%) and α-linolenic (11.3%) acids. Unsaturated fatty acids (56.4%) prevailed in the glyceride oil, in which the polyunsaturated ones constituted 32.5%. The lipid indices (atherogenicity, thrombogenicity, hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio, peroxidability, and oxidation stability index) were also theoretically calculated based on the fatty acid composition of the moss lipids to establish their health benefits and the rate of oxidation. The primary results of this study revealed H. cupressiforme to be a promising alternative source of bioactive compounds that could be implemented in supplements with health-promoting effects.

Advantage analysis of flow-through cell method in quality evaluation of Chinese patent medicine: a case study of Danshen Tablets

To explore the quality consistency evaluation method for multi-component traditional Chinese medicine and establish a dissolution evaluation method suitable for the characteristics of multi-component Chinese patent medicine, this study discussed the characteristics and advantages of the flow-through cell method in the dissolution evaluation of Chinese patent medicine by comparing the impact of the small cup method and the flow-through cell method on the dissolution behavior of water-soluble and lipid-soluble major active components of Danshen Tablets. Dissolution tests were performed using the small cup method as described in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the newly introduced flow-through cell method(closed-loop method) with water solution containing 0.5% SDS as dissolution medium. Cumulative dissolution curves of the water-soluble component salvianolic acid B and the lipid-soluble component tanshinone Ⅱ_A in Danshen Tablets were plotted, and fitting and similarity analysis of the dissolution models was conducted to identify the characteristics and advantages of the flow-through cell method. For the small cup method, 150 mL of water containing 0.5% SDS was used as the dissolution medium, with a rotation speed of 75 r·min~(-1) and a temperature of(37±0.5) ℃, and 3 mL of samples were taken at 15, 30 min, 1, 2, and 4 h, with fresh dissolution medium added at the same temperature and volume. For the flow-through cell method, a closed-loop system was used. Danshen Tablets were placed in the flow-through cell with approximately 6.7 g of glass beads, and 150 mL of water containing 0.5% SDS was used as the dissolution medium. The flow rate was set at 20 mL·min~(-1), and the temperature and sampling were the same as the small cup method. The results showed that compared with the small cup method, the flow-through cell method had stronger discriminative power and higher sensitivity in distinguishing the dissolution behavior of the two components, and could better reflect the differences in formulation quality, especially for water-insoluble lipid-soluble components. Given that there were no essential differences in the in vitro release kinetics between the two methods, the flow-through cell method could not only replace the traditional small cup method but also better guide the formulation development and identify quality issues of formulations.

Dietary alfalfa hay or lipid-soluble alfalfa extract may improve broiler growth, but fiber presence may be detrimental during Eimeria vaccine challenge

Lipid-soluble components in late-cutting alfalfa are linked to beneficial immune and microbiota responses in mouse challenge models; therefore, responses in a comparative poultry Eimeria challenge model were investigated. The study objective was to evaluate performance, immunity, and the cecal microbiota in broilers fed ground hay or lipid-soluble extract from late (fifth) cutting alfalfa during Eimeria challenge. At hatch, 432 Ross 708 broilers were placed in 24 floor pens (18 birds/pen) and assigned to 3 isocaloric/isonitrogenous dietary treatments consisting of control, 5% ground hay, or 0.25% lipid-soluble extract for a 42-d trial divided into 14 d starter, grower, and finisher periods. On d 14, 4 birds/treatment were euthanized to collect blood and cecal contents before half the remainder were inoculated with 10X Merck Coccivac-B52 (Kenilworth, NJ). Tissue samples were collected at 3, 7, 14, and 28 d postinoculation (pi; 4 birds/diet×Eimeria group) with body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) recorded weekly. Immune populations within peripheral blood mononuclear cells were characterized by flow cytometry while cecal microbial communities were profiled by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Data were normalized when appropriate and analyzed to evaluate the effects of diet, Eimeria challenge, and timepoint (SAS 9.4; P ≤ 0.05). Before challenge, dietary alfalfa hay or extract increased FI 6.9 to 8.0% and increased CD3+ T cells 19.3 to 24.9% compared to control-fed birds (P ≤ 0.007). Alfalfa did not significantly affect post-Eimeria performance, but Eimeria-challenged birds fed hay showed the greatest numeric reduction in final BW compared to their unchallenged counterparts (0.17 kg) vs. control and extract-fed birds (0.02-0.04 kg). Immune cell changes did not indicate recruitment from peripheral blood to local infection sites; however, alfalfa hay may have accelerated Bu-1+ B cell development by 7 d in unchallenged birds (P < 0.0001). During Eimeria-challenge, dietary alfalfa extract preserved alpha diversity measures related to species richness (P ≤ 0.007). Collectively, these results indicate potential benefits of feeding lipid-soluble extract from late cutting alfalfa to broilers during Eimeria challenge.

Effects of liposoluble components of highland barley spent grains on physiological indexes, intestinal microorganisms, and the liver transcriptome in mice fed a high-fat diet.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the active ingredients of barley lees on the physiological indexes, intestinal flora, and liver transcriptome of mice fed a high-fat diet. Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 4 groups and fed the experimental diets for 5 weeks. The results showed that the fat-soluble components of distillers' grains significantly reduced body weight, abdominal fat, perirenal fat, blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol in the high-fat diet-fed mice (p < .05), significantly decreased alanine aminotransferase and malondialdehyde levels, and significantly increased total superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione and glutathione peroxidase levels (p < .05). At the phylum level, lipid-soluble components significantly increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. At the genus level, the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Clostridium were increased. Transcriptomic analysis showed that lipid-soluble components of spent grains reduced the mRNA expression of ANGPTL8, CD36, PLTP, and SOAT1 and increased the mRNA expression of CYP7A1 and ABCA1 in the cholesterol metabolism pathway, promoted the transport of cholesterol, and inhibited the absorption of cholesterol, which can decrease cholesterol levels by speeding up the conversion of cholesterol into bile acids.

Molecular Composition of Beijing PM2.5 Brown Carbon Revealed by an Untargeted Approach Based on Gas Chromatography and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

The knowledge of the chemical composition of brown carbon (BrC) is limited to the categories of components or parts of specific organic components. In this paper, the light-absorbing properties and molecular compositions of lipid-soluble organic components in fine particulate matter of Beijing from 2016 to 2018, characterized by an ultraviolet-visible spectrometer and gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, respectively, were combined to untargetedly screen the key BrC molecules by a partial least squares regression model for the first time. A total of 421 molecules were obtained, where 61 molecules were identified qualitatively and 22 molecules quantitatively. To the best of our knowledge, 11 molecules were newly identified BrC species. These qualitative molecules included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with higher ambient concentrations and mass absorbing efficiencies (MAEs), as well as oxygen- and nitrogen-containing aromatic components with relatively lower concentrations and MAEs. The absorption contribution at 365 nm of quantified BrC species to lipid-soluble BrC during heating seasons was 39.1 ± 17.0%, which was about 5 times as high as previous studies. These results help establish a complete BrC molecular database and provide data support for better evaluating the climate effect of atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols and formulating air pollution control strategies.

Evaluation of Herb-Drug Interaction Between Danshen and Rivaroxaban in Rat and Human Liver Microsomes.

The combination of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) and rivaroxaban is a promising treatment option in clinical practice in China, but the herb–drug interaction between Danshen and rivaroxaban remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the interaction between Danshen and rivaroxaban. We not only investigated the inhibitory properties of Danshen tablet on rivaroxaban metabolism in rat and human liver microsomes but also evaluated the inhibitory effects of Danshen tablet and its eight active components (dihydrotanshinone I, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, cryptotanshinone, danshensu, salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, and salvianolic acid C) on cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. The results showed that Danshen tablet potently inhibited the metabolism of rivaroxaban in rat and human liver microsomes. In the CYP inhibition study, we found that dihydrotanshinone I, the active component of Danshen tablet, potently inhibited the activities of rat CYP3A and CYP2J, with IC50 values at 13.85 and 6.39 μM, respectively. In further inhibition kinetic study, we found that Danshen tablet is a mixed inhibitor in rivaroxaban metabolism in rat and human liver microsomes, with the K i value at 0.72 and 0.25 mg/ml, respectively. In conclusion, there is a potential interaction between Danshen tablet and rivaroxaban. Danshen tablet inhibits the metabolism of rivaroxaban, which may be because its lipid-soluble components such as dihydrotanshinone I strongly inhibit the activities of CYP enzymes, especially CYP3A and CYP2J. Therefore, when Danshen tablet and rivaroxaban are used simultaneously in the clinic, it is necessary to strengthen the drug monitoring of rivaroxaban and adjust the dosage.

Coenzyme Q10: Current Overview

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a lipid-soluble component from benzoquinones. The oxidized form of Coenzyme Q10 is ubiquinone, and the reduced form is ubiquinol. As well to its endogenous synthesis, Coenzyme Q10 is also included in the diet. Dietary sources of CoQ10 are meat, poultry, fish, oil, and nuts. Coenzyme Q10 has an important role in energy metabolism in the mitochondria. It also protects the phospholipids, proteins, and DNA from oxidative damage in the membrane. It is stated that CoQ10 has several positive effects on diseases due to its antioxidant capacity. In recent years CoQ10 intake has become widespread. There are several studies investigating the usage and dosage of CoQ10 in diseases such as cardiovascular, neurological disease, diabetes, and reproductive endocrinology. In the present study, it was aimed to evaluate the CoQ10 and its possible health effects.

Triterpenoid saponins from Ilex pubescens promote blood circulation in blood stasis syndrome by regulating sphingolipid metabolism and the PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling pathway

BackgroundBlood stasis syndrome (BSS) is a severe disorder involving disturbances in glycerophosphocholine metabolism. Ilex pubescens (IP) can regulate the levels of lipids, such as lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE); however, the main active constituent of IP and its corresponding mechanism in BSS treatment are still unclear. PurposeTo explore the mechanisms by which triterpenoid saponins of IP (IPTS) promote blood circulation using system pharmacology-based approaches. MethodsSprague-Dawley (SD) rat BSS model was prepared by oral administration of IPTS for 7 days followed by adrenaline hydrochloride injection before immersion in ice water. Coagulation parameters in plasma and thromboxane B2 (TXB2), endothelin (ET) and 6-keto-PGF1α in serum were measured. The possible influence on abdominal aortas was evaluated by histopathology assessment. Human vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated with ox-LDL, and the effects of IPTS on cell viability and LDH release were investigated. UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS was used for metabolic profile analysis of lipid-soluble components in rat plasma and intracellular metabolites in HUVECs. Network pharmacology was used to predict the relevant targets and model pathways of BSS and the main components of IPTS. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and biochemical assays were used to predict molecular interactions between the active components of IPTS and target proteins. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA level of target proteins. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to verify the mechanisms by which IPTS promotes blood circulation in BSS. ResultsIPTS improved blood biochemical function in the process of BSS and played a role in vascular protection and maintenance of the normal morphology of blood vessels. Furthermore, metabolite pathways involved in steroid biosynthesis and sphingolipid metabolism were significantly perturbed. Both metabolomics analysis and network pharmacology results showed that IPTS ameliorates vascular injury and that lipid accumulation may be mediated by PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activation. MD simulation and enzyme inhibitory activity results suggested that the main components of IPTS can form stable complexes with PI3K, AKT and eNOS and that the complexes have significant binding affinity. PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, and eNOS mRNA and protein levels were considerably elevated in the IPTS-treated group. Thus, IPTS protects the vasculature by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, activating eNOS and increasing the release of NO. ConclusionA possible mechanism by which IPTS prevents BSS is proposed: IPTS can promote blood circulation by modulating sphingolipid metabolism and activating the PI3K/AKT/eNOS signaling pathways.

Activation of CNR1/PI3K/AKT Pathway by Tanshinone IIA Protects Hippocampal Neurons and Ameliorates Sleep Deprivation-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction in Rats

Sleep deprivation is commonplace in modern society, Short periods of continuous sleep deprivation (SD) may negatively affect brain and behavioral function and may lead to vehicle accidents and medical errors. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is an important lipid-soluble component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which could exert neuroprotective effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of neuroprotective effect of Tan IIA on acute sleep deprivation-induced cognitive dysfunction in rats. Tan IIA ameliorated behavioral abnormalities in sleep deprived rats, enhanced behavioral performance in WMW and NOR experiments, increased hippocampal dendritic spine density, and attenuated atrophic loss of hippocampal neurons. Tan IIA enhanced the expression of CB1, PI3K, AKT, STAT3 in rat hippocampus and down-regulated the expression ratio of Bax to Bcl-2. These effects were inhibited by cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonist (AM251). In conclusion, Tan IIA can play a neuroprotective role by activating the CNR1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to antagonize apoptosis in the hippocampus and improve sleep deprivation-induced spatial recognition and learning memory dysfunction in rats. Our study suggests that Tan IIA may be a candidate for the prevention of sleep deprivation-induced dysfunction in spatial recognition and learning memory.

Tanshinone I inhibits metastasis of cervical cancer cells by inducing BNIP3/NIX-mediated mitophagy and reprogramming mitochondrial metabolism

BackgroundCervical cancer is the most common malignancy of the female lower genital tract. Tanshinone I (Tan I) is one of the crucial lipid-soluble components of red sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza). While its mode of action against cervical cancer is unclear. PurposeOur study aimed to explore the role of Tan I on cervical cancer in vitro. Study design and methodsEffects of Tan I on cervical cancer cells viability, migration and mitochondrial function were investigated by Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell and Fluorescence laser confocal microscope assays respectively. The potential mechanism of Tan I was uncovered by an integrative approach combining RNA profiling and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolic analysis, molecular docking and Western blot. ResultsTan I significantly inhibited the growth and colony formation of HeLa and SiHa cells. It induced apoptosis and cell cycle S phase arrest at low (12.5-25 μM) but not high (50 μM) concentrations. It also altered the HeLa cell ultrastructure, decreased the membrane potential and increased the total mitochondrial content. Further, Tan I induced autophagic flux and the colocalization of mitochondria with lysosomes, led to decreased adhesion, invasion, and migration of cervical cancer cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that Tan I altered the RNA profile and signal processing in HeLa cells. Tan I significantly impacted “central carbon metabolism in cancer” and “mitophagy–animal” processes. A global metabolic analysis identified 25 metabolites affected by Tan I treatment in HeLa cells. Changes in the metabolic profile indicated that Tan I affected such processes as protein digestion and absorption, central carbon metabolism in cancer, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis in cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, Tan I significantly induced the expression of mitophagy-related proteins BNIP3, NIX and Optineurin and the conversion from LC3-I to LC3-II, inhibited the NDP52 and P62 level in a concentration-dependent manner. While CQ further increased the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II and the expression of P62. Moreover, Tan I interacted with BNIP3 and NIX through hydrogen bond. Tan I induce mitophagy could be prevented by BNIP3 and NIX siRNA transfection. ConclusionTan I induced the BNIP3/NIX-mediated mitophagy, and reprogrammed the mitochondrial metabolism in cervical cancer cells, thus inhibiting metastasis.

Ultrasound-assisted pH-shifting remodels egg-yolk low-density lipoprotein to enable construction of a stable aqueous solution of vitamin D3

Egg-yolk low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has a natural liposome structure. Using ultrasound-assisted pH-shifting (pH 12), a naturally safe and stable aqueous solution of vitamin D3 (VD3) was constructed employing LDL as the carrier. Images from electron microscopy showed that pH-shifting remodeled LDL molecules, resulting in a dramatic reduction in particle size (∼50%) and an increase in specific surface area, which reduced the turbidity (27.7%) and provided new interfaces for VD3 loading. Fluorescence analyses showed that the binding of VD3 to LDL under pH-shifting was strong, involved quenching, and the binding constant was 6.19 × 104 M−1. Thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy showed that pH-shifting hydrolyzed the esters in LDL to fatty acid salts, and the maximum weight loss of LDL occurred from 381.9 °C to 457.0 °C. Ultrasonic treatment enhanced the binding of LDL and VD3 (binding constant increased to 2.56 × 107 M−1), reduced the particle size, and increased the ζ-potential of the complex between LDL and VD3, thereby resulting in the improvement of solution stability and storage stability of VD3. Ultrasound-assisted pH-shifting could remodel LDL to construct a stable aqueous solution of VD3, which showed the potential of LDL as a carrier for lipid-soluble components.

Mechanism of LolCDE as a molecular extruder of bacterial triacylated lipoproteins

Lipoproteins are important for bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance. These proteins use lipid acyl chains attached to the N-terminal cysteine residue to anchor on the outer surface of cytoplasmic membrane. In Gram-negative bacteria, many lipoproteins are transported to the outer membrane (OM), a process dependent on the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter LolCDE which extracts the OM-targeted lipoproteins from the cytoplasmic membrane. Lipid-anchored proteins pose a unique challenge for transport machinery as they have both hydrophobic lipid moieties and soluble protein component, and the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here we determined the cryo-EM structures of nanodisc-embedded LolCDE in the nucleotide-free and nucleotide-bound states at 3.8-Å and 3.5-Å resolution, respectively. The structural analyses, together with biochemical and mutagenesis studies, uncover how LolCDE recognizes its substrate by interacting with the lipid and N-terminal peptide moieties of the lipoprotein, and identify the amide-linked acyl chain as the key element for LolCDE interaction. Upon nucleotide binding, the transmembrane helices and the periplasmic domains of LolCDE undergo large-scale, asymmetric movements, resulting in extrusion of the captured lipoprotein. Comparison of LolCDE and MacB reveals the conserved mechanism of type VII ABC transporters and emphasizes the unique properties of LolCDE as a molecule extruder of triacylated lipoproteins.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of principal lipid-soluble components of Pinellia ternate fermented with Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger and Meyerozyma guillermondii

Purpose: To study the differences in lipid-soluble compounds from naturally-fermented Rhizoma Pinelliae fermentata (BXQ) samples, and fermentation products of BXQ using pure cultures of Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger, and Meyerozyma guillermondii.&#x0D; Methods: First, unfermented BXQ (CTFJ-Q), traditional, naturally-fermented BXQ (CTFJ-H), and fermentation products of BXQ using pure cultures of Bacillus subtilis (XJFJ), Aspergillus niger (MJFJ), and Meyerozyma guillermondii (JMJFJ) were obtained. Their lipid-soluble components were then analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technology and principal component analysis (PCA).&#x0D; Results: GC-MS results showed that there were 26, 24, 27, 31 and 32 types of chemical components in CTFJ-Q, CTFJ-H, XJFJ, MJFJ and JMJFJ, respectively. Furthermore, PCA revealed that samples obtained using fermentation with pure cultures of the three microorganisms had unique chemical components.&#x0D; Conclusion: These results suggest that the microorganisms used for fermentation greatly influence the lipid-soluble components of BXQ. This finding is considered beneficial for the optimization of BXQ fermentation process.

Chewable Gelatin Emulsions for Oral Lipid Delivery: Elimination of Gastric Coalescence with κ‐Carrageenan

AbstractGelatin‐based chewable emulsions can be a convenient vehicle for oral delivery of oils or lipid soluble bioactive components. Gelatin‐stabilized emulsions do, however, rapidly flocculate and gradually coalesce in gastric fluids. This destabilization is caused by the combined action of pepsin and mucin and is most significant at pH 3, followed by pH 2, then pH 4. Through in vitro lipolysis experiments it is shown that this destabilization leads to a decrease in emulsion lipolysis rate after incubation in simulated gastric fluids (SGFs). In this paper a potential solution to this gastric instability is suggested: inclusion of 1 wt% sodium‐κ‐carrageenan (κ‐CGN) of intermediate Mw into the gelatin emulsions. The κ‐CGN used has minimal impact on gelatin gelled emulsion properties, preserving the soft elastic gelatin texture. When these gelled emulsions disintegrate in gastric fluids, electrostatic interactions between the gelatin and κ‐CGN occur. While these interactions lead to heavy flocculation, they also protect the gelatin from pepsin action, providing full stability against emulsion coalescence during at least 2 h in SGF at pH 2–4. When the pH is neutralized upon mixing with intestinal fluids, the emulsion fully deflocculates and the rate of in vitro lipolysis is not affected by gastric residence time.Practical applications: Avoiding gastric coalescence in gelatin emulsions may lead to more reliable oral delivery of lipids or lipophilic components in gelatin‐based chewable supplements or functional foods. Keeping the emulsion droplet size stable and small until reaching the intestine may lead to more rapid and efficient intestinal lipolysis, potentially advantageous in regards to bioavailability of slowly digested oils (e.g., omega‐3 concentrate) or for people suffering from impaired lipid digestion. These findings may also be applicable to emulsion systems stabilized by other proteins.

Quantitative Determination and Validation of Four Ketones in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge Using Quantitative Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Salvia mltiorrhiza Bunge (SMB) is native to China, whose dried root has been used as medicine. A few chromatographic- or spectrometric-based methods have already been used to analyze the lipid-soluble components in SMB. However, the methodology of qNMR on the extracts of fresh SMB root has not been verified so far. The purpose of this study was to establish a fast and simple method to quantify the tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, dihydrotanshinone, and cryptotanshinone in fresh Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge root without any pre-purification steps using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The process is as follows: first, 70% methanol aqueous extracts of fresh Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge roots were quantitatively analyzed for tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, dihydrotanshinone, and cryptotanshinone using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Different internal standards were tested and the validated method was compared with HPLC. 3,4,5-trichloropyridine was chosen as the internal standard. Twelve samples of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge were quantitatively analyzed by qNMR and HPLC respectively. Then, the results were analyzed by chemometric approaches. This NMR method offers a fast, stable, and accurate analysis of four ketones: tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, dihydrotanshinone, and cryptotanshinone in fresh roots of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge.

GC-MS Analysis of Fat-Soluble Components of Wild Russula in Fangcheng Area of Henan Province

Objective: To study the lipid soluble constituents of wild Russula in Fangcheng-Henan province. Methods: The lipid soluble chemical constituents of wild Russula in henan province were analyzed by GC-MS. Results: The Fatty acids was the highest content of lipid soluble components in wild Russula, 27 compounds were identified, accounting for 99.44% of the total detected components, the main compounds were (E)- 9-octadecenoic acid (44.93%), linoleic acid (28.18%), Palmitic acid (12.07%) and (E)- 12,15-octadecenoic acid (4.17%). Conclusion: The study provides experimental datas for the further development and utilization of wild Russula.

Water and Lipid-Soluble Component Profile of Sargassum cristaefolium from Different Coastal Areas in Indonesia with Potential for Developing Functional Ingredient.

Sargassum brown seaweed is known to have many health benefits and therapeutic effects. Preliminary chemical characterization of this seaweed is important as a bioprospecting strategy for seaweed industry development. This study aimed to evaluate chemical composition differences, both water and lipidsoluble component, of Sargassum cristaefolium from four different coastal areas in Indonesia, namely Pari Island/PI, Awur Bay/AB, Ujung Genteng Beach/UGB, and Sayang Heulang Beach/SHB. Principal component analysis (PCA) on water-soluble component made samples from different origins to be clearly distinguished (variance: 80.37%). SHB and UGB samples were characterized by a high content of ash, alginate, fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides (FCSPs), and fucose content of FCSPs, while samples of AB and PI had a high amount of total sugar and crude fiber. PCA result on lipid-soluble components showed a different tendency that SHB and AB samples were located at close proximity and characterized by larger blade size, higher content of chlorophyll, fucoxanthin, carotenoid, PUFA, total n-3 fatty acids, total n-6 fatty acids, and also a lower ratio of n-6 to n-3 (variance: 75.42%). The overview of each samples' chemical characteristics can be valuable knowledge for further development, especially for developing functional ingredients.

A network pharmacology approach to investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of effective ingredients from Salvia miltiorrhiza

Salvia miltiorrhiza, known as Danshen in Chinese, has been widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China. Tanshinone I (Tan I) and cryptotanshinone (CST) are the lipid-soluble and effective components from Salvia miltiorrhiza. However, the molecular mechanism of Tan I and CST for treating inflammation is still not known. Therefore, this study was designed to use network pharmacology-based strategy to predict therapeutic targets of Tan I and CST against inflammation, and further to investigate the pharmacological molecular mechanism in vitro.Inflammation targets were identified and followed by acquisition of verified targets of Tan I and CST. After constructing target-functional protein interaction network of Tan I and CST against inflammation, the core therapeutic targets of Tan I and CST against inflammation were obtained. Further, pathway enrichment analyses were performed on core therapeutic targets to evaluate key signaling pathways of Tan I and CST against inflammation. As revealed in network pharmacology analysis, 8 key hub targets for Tan I and CST against inflammation were identified, respectively: JUN, VEGFA, IL-6, TNF, MAPK8, CXCL8, and PTGS2 for Tan I, while STAT3, AKT1, CCND1, MAPK14, VEGFA, ESR1, MAPK8 and AR for CST. Pathway enrichment analysis by DAVID database indicated that Tan I and CST principally regulated the inflammation-associated pathway, such as TLR, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, focal adhesion, apoptosis, mTOR signaling pathway. In vitro, we found that both Tan I and CST exerts significantly effect on LPS stimulated NO secretion and iNOS expression in macrophages. Taken together, our data elucidate that anti-inflammatory pharmacological activities of Tan I and CST may be predominantly related to inhibition of TLR signaling pathway and regulating iNOS synthesis. These findings highlight the predicted therapeutic targets may be potential targets of Tan I and CST for anti-inflammation treatment.

Repulsion of Ants Using Non-Toxic Household Products

Ant invasion causes damage exceeding $5 billion annually in North America. Commercial repellents often contain chemical compounds that are potential carcinogens and maybe harmful to human health. In this study, we aimed to identify natural products with ant-repelling properties. We tested chalk, cinnamon, ginger powder, lemon juice, rosemary powder, table salt, and turmeric powder using a custom ring apparatus designed to quantify ant-repellence. We discovered that cinnamon and lemon were the most effective ant repellents of the tested products. Specifically, we found that cinnamon oil and lemon juice increased the median time required for ants to exit the ring as compared to their vehicle controls; that the lipid-soluble component of cinnamon, i.e., oil, and the lipid-insoluble component of lemon, i.e., juice, were more efficacious at repelling ants than their counterpart fractions; that cinnamon oil and lemon juice repelled ants in a dose-dependent manner; that cinnamon oil was more efficacious than lemon juice; that lemon juice was more potent than cinnamon oil; and that cinnamon oil and lemon juice are synergistic in their ant-repellent properties. These data suggest that compounds found in non-toxic household products, such as cinnamon oil and lemon juice, could be used in low-dose combinations as potent, effective, eco-friendly, and safe ant repellents.