Rosa Laevigata Research Articles

Extraction, purification, chemical characterization, and in vitro hypoglycemic activity of polysaccharides derived from Rosa laevigata Michx.

This study aimed to optimize the extraction process of polysaccharides from Rosa laevigata Michx. (RLMP) using an ultrasound-microwave-assisted method and investigate its in vitro hypoglycemic activity. Key factors affecting RLMP yield were identified using a Plackett–Burman design, followed by a Box–Behnken design and response–surface methodology, to determine the optimal extraction conditions. RLMP was purified using DEAE-52 cellulose, yielding two homogeneous fractions: RLMP-1 and RLMP-2. Monosaccharide composition was analyzed by gas chromatography, and structural characterization of RLMP, RLMP-1, and RLMP-2 was performed using FT-IR, SEM, and TEM. Methylation analysis and NMR were used to elucidate the sugar-chain structure of RLMP-1. In vitro hypoglycemic activity analysis showed that RLMP improved the glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis and enhanced the activities of pyruvate kinase and hexokinase in IR-HepG2 cells. Moreover, RLMP significantly increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as CAT, SOD, and GSH-Px and decreased those of ROS and MDA. Western blotting analysis confirmed that RLMP enhances glucose and lipid metabolism and reduces oxidative stress by activating the PI3K/Akt/GLUT-4 signaling pathway, thereby exerting its hypoglycemic effect. These findings suggest that RLMP is a promising candidate for developing novel antioxidant agents or hypoglycemic drugs.

Rosa laevigata Polysaccharides Ameliorate Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Ulcerative Colitis of Beagles through Regulating Gut Microbiota.

Rosa laevigata Michx. polysaccharides (RLP) have been demonstrated to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the mechanisms and efficacy of these polysaccharide components in preventing ulcerative colitis (UC) remain to be elucidated. The efficacy and mechanisms of RLP were investigated in a study that utilized healthy adult beagles to establish a UC model, considering the similarities in gut microbiota between humans and dogs. In the study, the beagle model induced by sodium dextran sulfate exhibited typical symptoms of ulcerative colitis, such as weight loss and diarrhea. All these symptoms and changes were significantly ameliorated through oral supplementation of RLP. Additionally, microbial community analysis based on the 16S rDNA gene revealed that RLP alleviated UC by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria and reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria. In conclusion, our study has provided that RLP effectively alleviated colitis by preserving the intestinal barrier and regulating the gut microbiota composition.

UPLC-ESI-MS/MS-Based Analysis of Various Edible Rosa Fruits Concerning Secondary Metabolites and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activities.

The genus Rosa is globally popular with well-established applications since it has a high edible and medicinal value. However, relatively limited research has been conducted on the composition and quality of wild Rosa fruits. The present study aimed to compare the properties and chemical components of five wild edible Rosa fruits, Rosa roxburghii, Rosa sterilis, Rosa laevigata, Rosa davurica, and Rosa sericea. The UPLC-ESI-MS/MS approach identified the key metabolites among the five Rosa fruits as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and organic acids. The main differential metabolites among the five fruits are flavonoids (22.29-45.13%), phenolic acids (17-22.27%), and terpenoids (7.7-24%), respectively. In total, 125 compounds served as potential markers for the five Rosa species. Differential metabolic pathways of five Rosa fruits were analyzed using the KEGG approach. Rosa laevigata fruits showed the highest total polysaccharide (TPS) content of 64.48 g/100 g. All the five Rosa extracts effectively decreased the levels of malondialdehyde while increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the H2O2-induced HaCaT cell model, demonstrating high potential for antioxidant development. Our findings suggest that the five studied Rosa fruits exhibit biological activity and edible value worth further exploration.

Structural Characterization and In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Polysaccharides Isolated from the Fruits of Rosa laevigata.

RLPa-2 (Mw 15.6 kDa) is a polysaccharide isolated from Rosa laevigata Michx. It consists of arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal), rhamnose (Rha), glucose (Glc), xylose (Xyl), and galacturonic acid (Gal-UA) with a molar ratio of 1.00:0.91:0.39:0.34:0.25:0.20. Structural characterization was performed by methylation and NMR analysis, which indicated that RLPa-2 might comprise →6)-α-D-Galp-(1→, →4)-α-D-GalpA-(1→, α-L-Araf-(1→, →2,4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, β-D-Xylp, and α-L-Rhap. In addition, the bioactivity of RLPa-2 was assessed through an in vitro macrophage polarization assay. Compared to positive controls, there was a significant decrease in the expression of M1 macrophage markers (CD80, CD86) and p-STAT3/STAT3 protein. Additionally, there was a down-regulation in the production of pro-inflammatory mediators (NO, IL-6, TNF-α), indicating that M1 macrophage polarization induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulation could be inhibited by RLPa-2. These findings demonstrate that the RLPa-2 might be considered as a potential anti-inflammatory drug to reduce inflammation.

Rosa laevigata Michx. Polysaccharide Ameliorates Diabetic Nephropathy in Mice through Inhibiting Ferroptosis and PI3K/AKT Pathway-Mediated Apoptosis and Modulating Tryptophan Metabolism.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a metabolic disease wherein chronic hyperglycemia triggers various renal cell dysfunctions, eventually leading to progressive kidney failure. Rosa laevigata Michx. is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Many studies have confirmed its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and renoprotective effects. However, the effects and mechanisms of Rosa laevigata Michx. polysaccharide (RLP) in DN remain unclear. In this study, a DN mouse model was established to investigate the therapeutic effect of RLP on DN mice. Then, nontargeted metabolomics was used to analyze the potential mechanism of RLP in the treatment of DN. Finally, the effects of RLP on ferroptosis and the PI3K/AKT pathway were investigated. The results demonstrated that RLP effectively alleviated renal injury and reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in the kidney. In addition, nontargeted metabolomic analysis indicated that RLP could modulate riboflavin metabolism and tryptophan metabolism in DN mice. Notably, ferroptosis and PI3K/AKT pathway-mediated apoptosis in the kidney were also ameliorated following RLP treatment. In conclusion, this study confirmed that RLP had a significant therapeutic effect on DN mice. Furthermore, RLP treatment modulated tryptophan metabolism and inhibited ferroptosis and PI3K/AKT pathway-mediated apoptosis in the kidney.

RSM-optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of R. laevigata polysaccharides with bioactivities

Rosa laevigata Michx. is an edible traditional Chinese medicinal herb that possesses several health benefits. This study optimized the microwave-assisted extraction conditions of polysaccharides from Rosa laevigata fruits and investigated the antimicrobial potency and the antioxidant activity of Rosa laevigata polysaccharides. The microwave power, extraction time, the number of extraction, and the solvent-to-solid ratio were established using a three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken Design (BBD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) using screening experiments. Maximum polysaccharides yields were obtained when extraction was done for 18 min at a microwave power of 516 W and using a liquid-solid ratio of 54 mL/g. The polysaccharides yield was 20.37 % under the optimized conditions (predictive value for 20.40 %). This study also determined the antioxidant activity and the antibacterial potency of Rosa laevigata fruits to enhance their functional characterization and medicinal use. The antioxidant experiment showed that when the concentration was 5.0 mg/mL, polysaccharides had the strongest scavenging ability to DPPH free radicals and ABTS free radicals, and the scavenging rate was 83.06 % and 99.38 % respectively. Furthermore, the antibacterial experiment showed that the polysaccharides exhibited prominent inhibition activities, the MIC against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) at 3.13 mg/mL and 1.56 mg/mL, respectively.
 Keywords: Rosa laevigata Michx.; polysaccharides; microwave-assisted extraction; antibacterial activity; antioxidant activity

Active Components of Rosa laevigata Michx. Isolated Using Activity‐Guided Methods Based on LC‐MS/MS for Treating Alzheimer's Disease through Multitarget Mechanisms

AbstractRosa laevigata Michx., a member of the Rosaceae family, is a famous traditional Chinese medicine and edible food in Asian countries. The major active ingredient is triterpenoid, which has anti‐Alzheimer's Disease (AD), antioxidant and neuroprotection properties. However, the properties of “multi‐component structure” and “multi‐directional target” make it impossible to explain the molecular mechanism by conventional ways. The present study aimed to predict the multi‐target mechanisms of triterpenoids in R. laevigata against AD using high performance liquid chromatography equipped with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (HPLC‐Q‐TOF MS) approach, network pharmacology analysis, dynamics simulation (MDs) and validation of the predicted results with straight‐target tests as well as neuroprotection model. Firstly, bioassay‐guided fractionation of R. laevigata integrated with LC‐MS/MS analysis of the most prospective enriched fractions in terms of anti‐AD efficacy was commenced. Subsequently, multi‐level network model of “multi components‐multi‐targets‐multiple pathways” was established based on the identification of 69 triterpenoids. Complementarily, 64 AD‐related targets were identified through various databases. Network structure analysis illuminated that the intricate pharmacological mechanisms improving cognitive dysfunction of AD was superiorly combined with the crucial targets of APP, APOE, VEGFA, IL1B, MAPT, PSEN1 and BACE and further regulation of principal pathways as HIF‐1 and Calcium signaling pathways. In addition, AChE, BChE and BACE inhibitory activities in vitro showed that nine compounds exhibited potential inhibitory activities. The neuroprotective effects also had a similar effect on H2O2‐induced SH‐SY5Y cell injury. The results show that R. laevigata and its bioactive triterpenoids can pave the way for potential application as inhibitors for treatment of AD.

A novel nonreversible heat-induced low-molecular-weight gel based on naturally-occurring self-assembled fupenzic acid for tumor therapy

Herein, a nonreversible heat-induced supramolecular gel based on natural products was reported for the first time. This natural triterpenoid, fupenzic acid (FA), isolated from the roots of Rosa laevigata, was discovered to be capable of forming supramolecular gel spontaneously in 50 % ethanol-water solution induced by heating. Distinguished from the common thermosensitive gels, the FA-gel showed a distinctive nonreversible phase transition from the liquid to gel state upon heating. In this work, the entire gelation process of FA-gel induced by heating was recorded digitally by microrheology monitor. And a unique heat-induced gelation mechanism based on self-assembled FA has been proposed by using various experimental methods and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Its excellent injectability and stability were also demonstrated. Furthermore, the FA-gel had been evaluated to exhibit better anti-tumor activity and higher biosafety comparing with its equivalent free-drug, which opened up a new possibility to reinforce antitumor efficacy by using natural product gelator originated from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) without any complicated chemical modifications.

Quality analysis of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma

Rosae Radix et Rhizoma is a herbal medicine in a variety of famous Chinese patent medicines, while the quality standard for this medicine remains to be developed due to the insufficient research on the quality of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma from different sources. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyzed the components in Rosae Radix et Rhizoma of different sources from the aspects of extract, component category content, identification based on thin-lay chromatography, active component content determination, and fingerprint, so as to improve the quality control. The results showed that the content of chemical components varied in the samples of different sources, while there was little difference in the chemical composition among the samples. The content of components in the roots of Rosa laevigata was higher than that in the other two species, and the content of components in the roots was higher than that in the stems. The fingerprints of triterpenoids and non-triterpenoids were established, and the content of five main triterpenoids including multiflorin, rosamultin, myrianthic acid, rosolic acid, and tormentic acid in Rosae Radix et Rhizoma was determined. The results were consistent with those of major component categories. In conclusion, the quality of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma is associated with the plant species, producing area, and medicinal parts. The method established in this study lays a foundation for improving the quality standard of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma and provides data support for the rational use of the stem.

Electrochemical and HPLC fingerprint spectra analysis of salt-treated Rosa laevigata

Rosa laevigata is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant whose efficacy can be enhanced by salt treatment. In this study, we collected the electrochemical and HPLC fingerprint spectra of Rosa laevigata samples before and after salt treatment. A graphene-modified glassy carbon electrode was used as the electrochemical sensor. The plant tissue was embedded in graphene to generate a stronger signal. This enabled clear differences to be observed in the fingerprint spectra of the plant samples before and after salt treatment. Gallic acid, catechin, and tannic acid were the major contributing compounds. This work verified the stability and reliability of the salt treatment process for Rosa laevigata and the repeatability and stability of the established fingerprinting method. Multivariate statistical analysis combining fingerprinting and chromaticity values can provide a reference for identification and quality analysis of Rosa laevigata before and after salt treatment.

Ethanol Extract of Rosa laevigata Michx. Fruit Inhibits Inflammatory Responses through NF-κB/MAPK Signaling Pathways via AMPK Activation in RAW 264.7 Macrophages.

The fruit of Rosa laevigata Michx. (FR), a traditional Chinese herb utilized for the treatment of a variety diseases, has notably diverse pharmacological activities including hepatoprotective, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Despite ongoing research on illustrating the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism of FR, the principal mechanism remained inadequately understood. In this study, we investigated in depth the molecular mechanism of the anti-inflammatory actions of the ethanol extract of FR (EFR) and its potential targets using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro. We showed that EFR effectively ameliorated the overproduction of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, as well as the expression of related genes. It was further demonstrated that LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with EFR, accompanied by a concomitant decrease in the nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit of NF-κB and activator protein 1 (AP-1). In addition, EFR pretreatment potently prevented LPS-induced decreased phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Our data also revealed that the activation of AMPK and subsequent inhibition of the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway was probably responsible for the inhibitory effect of EFR on LPS-induced inflammatory responses, evidenced by reverse changes observed under the condition of AMPK inactivation following co-treatment with the AMPK-specific inhibitor Compound C. Finally, the main components with an anti-inflammatory effect in EFR were identified as madecassic acid, ellagic acid, quinic acid, and procyanidin C1 by LC-MS and testified based on the inhibition of NO production and inflammatory mediator expression. Taken together, our results indicated that EFR was able to ameliorate inflammatory responses via the suppression of MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathways following AMPK activation, suggesting the therapeutic potential of EFR for inflammatory diseases.

Exploring the Protective Effect of the Ethanolic Extract of Rosa laevigata Michx. Fruit on Rats with Mesangial Proliferative Glomerulonephritis Based on NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway

Objective: To investigate the effect of the ethanolic extract of Rosa laevigata Michx. fruit on rats with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis based on the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were divided into three groups, a blank control group, a diabetic nephropathy (DN) model group, and an ethanolic extract intervention group, according to the random number table method, with 10 rats in each group. One day before the experiment, basic feeding was initiated for all the rats; the changes in activity and weight of each group of rats were observed and recorded after 7 d, and a rat model of renal function injury was established after 1 d. Results: Compared with the control group, the model group had significantly higher kidney/body ratio, 24 h urine protein, serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glomerular mesangial cell (GMC) count, and extracellular matrix (ECM) positive area ratio (P < 0.05); the same indicators were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the model group (P < 0.05). The NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in renal intrinsic cells was activated in the intervention group. The overactivation of NLRP3 inflammasome is known to promote interleukin (IL)-1? release, which was inhibited in the intervention group. Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of Rosa laevigata Michx. fruit has a protective effect on renal intrinsic cells and may be related to NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, suggesting that the fruit of Rosa laevigata Michx. has a potential role in protecting renal intrinsic cells from inflammatory damage. NLRP3 inflammasomes are involved in the development of various chronic inflammatory diseases, such as acute and chronic glomerulonephritis and renal fibrosis.

Cinnamomum cassia and Rosa laevigata Mixture Improves Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats by Regulating Androgen Receptor Signaling and Apoptosis.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common condition in elderly men that is characterized by an increase in the size of the prostate gland. Cinnamomum cassia and Rosa laevigata have been reported to treat the symptoms associated with BPH. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of HT080, an herbal extract of C. cassia and R. laevigata, on a testosterone propionate (TP)-induced BPH rat model. The rats received a daily subcutaneous injection of TP (3 mg/kg) for 4 weeks to induce BPH. Rats were divided into four groups: group 1 (sham), group 2 (BPH, TP alone), group 3 (Fina, TP + finasteride 1 mg/kg/day), and group 4 (HT080, TP + HT080 200 mg/kg/day). At the end of the experiment, all rats were sacrificed, and their prostate glands were removed, weighed, and subjected to histopathological examination and western blot analyses. Serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were determined. In addition, serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase levels were measured to evaluate the toxicity in the liver. The Hershberger bioassay was also conducted to investigate the effects of HT080 on androgenic and antiandrogenic activities. In the BPH model, the prostate weight, prostate index, prostate epithelial thickness, and serum testosterone and DHT levels in the HT080 group were significantly reduced compared to the BPH group. Histological studies showed that HT080 reduced prostatic hyperplasia. The protein expression of androgen receptor from the HT080 group was significantly reduced in comparison with the BPH group (p < 0.05). HT080 also induced apoptosis by regulating Bcl-2 and Bax expression. In addition, HT080 showed no toxicity in the liver and did not exhibit androgenic and antiandrogenic activities. Our finding revealed that HT080 can be a potential candidate for the treatment of BPH by regulating androgen receptor signaling and apoptosis.

Determination of vegetable tannins from plants in China

AbstractTannin is a chemical compound found in plants such as tea, with yellow or brown as a characteristic color. Tannin is present in any plant species’ wood, stems, barks, leaves, roots, and fruits. However, the tannin contents in those plants are not the same and plants rich in tannin are the most used raw material for industrial‐level tannin extraction, such as chestnut. The central purpose of this article was to identify the tannin content of vegetables. In this study, tannins were extracted from 72 plants in China. The contents and purities of tannins, non‐tannins and insoluble substances in those studied plants were determined. A gravimetric approach, using hider powder as a precipitate to bind tannins, has been developed to quantify total tannins in plants. The results showed that high contents of tannins (&gt;20%) were found in Pltycarya strobilacea fruit, Quercus acutissima shell, Quercus variabilis shell, Acacia mearnsii bark, Albizia kalkora bark, Camellia oleifera wood, Rosa cymosa root, Rosa laevigata root, Rhus chinensis gallnut, Bruguiera sexangular bark, Kandelia candel bark, Ceriops tagal bark, Lumnitzera racemose bark and Dioscorea cirrhosa tuber. The purity of tannins was more than 70% in some plants: Larix gmelimi bark, Causuarina equisetifolia bark, P. strobilacea fruit, Castanopsis tibetana wood, Quercus aliena shell, Quercus chenii shell and bark, A. mearnsii bark, A. kalkora bark, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza bark, C. tagal bark, K. candel bark and D. cirrhosa tubers. These plants are excellent resources for vegetable tannins in China. © 2023 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd.

Traditional uses, phytochemical, pharmacology, quality control and modern applications of two important Chinese medicines from Rosa laevigata Michx.: A review.

Rosa laevigata Michx. is an ethnic medicine that have strong biological activities used in the traditional medicine system for the treatment of diabetes, nephropathy, myocardial damage, oxidative damage, liver damage and so on. Currently, The Chinese herb R. laevigata Michx. can be divided into two important medicines: Fructus R. laevigata and Radix R. laevigata, from which approximately 148 chemical components have been isolated, including flavonoids, lignans, polyphenols, steroids, triterpenoids, tannins as well as other components. Pharmacological studies have already confirmed that both of these herbs have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-tumor activities, as well as renal protective, immunomodulatory, lipid-lowering, cardiovascular protective, bacteriostatic, and other pharmacological effects. Toxicological tests and quality control studies revealed the safety and nontoxicity of R. laevigata Michx. Therefore, this paper systematically summarizes the traditional uses, botanical, phytochemical, and pharmacology as well as the quality control and toxicology of Fructus and Radix, which in order to provide a comprehensive reference for its continued research.

Polysaccharide extract from Rosa laevigata fruit attenuates inflammatory obesity by targeting redox balance and gut interface in high-fat diet-fed rats

Low-molecular-weight polysaccharides (RLPs) extracted from Rosa laevigata fruits showed multiple biofunctions in Asia. This study aimed to investigate its anti-inflammatory obesity effect in high-fat diet-fed rats and further elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism by multi-omics methods. The results showed that RLPs administration had significantly restored immune organ indexes and reduced body weight gain. RNA-seq revealed that the effect of RLPs was partially attributed to its regulation on PPARs signaling by increasing the expressions of Scd, Acox3 and Hmgcs2, and on other redox-related pathways by decreasing the expressions of Cyp2e1, Il1-r1 and Lbp. Moreover, 16S rRNA sequencing coupled with metagenome sequencing showed that RLPs had significantly reduced the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes from 8.01 to 2.37, and significantly increased the relative abundances of Alistipes, Prevotella, and Akkermansia from 0.36 %, 1.10 % and 2.61 % to 0.65 %, 2.37 % and 4.42 %, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis result indicated that the abundances of Lachnospiraceae, Prevotella and Bacteroidales were significantly negatively correlated with obesity phenotype, liver function and inflammatory factors. These results revealed that RLPs exerted significant anti-inflammatory obesity property partially via regulation on gut microbiota interface and the redox balance. Therefore, RLPs could be a promising functional food resource with the potential for redox imbalance-related diseases chemoprevention.

Rosa laevigata Attenuates Allergic Asthma Exacerbated by Water-Soluble PM by Downregulating the MAPK Pathway.

Exposure to water-soluble particulate matter (WPM) containing heavy metals can cause severe inflammatory responses and trigger and exacerbate the onset of asthma. As a follow-up study of Rosa laevigata (RL), this study analyzed the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of oral and intratracheal administration of RL and demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in asthma models. Worse T-helper cell type 2 (Th2)-related inflammatory and pro-inflammatory responses were observed after simultaneous challenge with ovalbumin (OVA) and WPM. To establish a model of asthma exacerbated by WPM, BALB/c mice were sensitized with OVA + aluminum hydroxide and challenged with OVA + WPM. To confirm the therapeutic efficacy of RL, it was administered both orally and intratracheally. Histopathological analysis of H&E staining confirmed that oral and intratracheal administration of RL alleviated inflammatory cell infiltration in the airways aggravated by OVA + WPM. RL effectively reduced the number of inflammatory cells obtained from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and multiplex analysis of serum samples confirmed that the administration of RL reduced the levels of immuno-globulin E (IgE), Th2-related cytokines, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, real-time PCR analysis of lung tissue samples confirmed that the release of MUC5AC (Mucin 5AC, Oligomeric Mucus/Gel-Forming) and pro-inflammatory cytokines was reduced by RL, and western blotting confirmed that the administration of RL reduced the phosphorylation of ERK and p38 in the MAPK pathway. In conclusion, oral and intratracheal administration of RL appears to have an anti-asthmatic effect by reducing the secretion of Th2-related cytokines, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and IgE by downregulating the MAPK pathway. Thus, RL has further demonstrated potential for development as an oral and inhaled therapeutic for asthma symptoms exacerbated by WPM exposure.

Combined electrochemical/surface and theoretical assessments of Rosa laevigata extract as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for copper in acidic medium

Background: Plant extract is an ideal alternative to replace expensive and toxic traditional inhibitors. The Rosa laevigata mainly contains flavonoids, triterpenoids, tannins, polysaccharides, and other compounds, which may be an effective and eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor.Methods: The Rosa laevigata extract (RLE) was obtained by decoction. Electrochemical/surface and theoretical calculation methods were applied for investigating the inhibitive performance of RLE as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for copper in 0.5 M sulfuric acidic solution.Significant finds: Electrochemical results prove that RLE is a mixed-type inhibitor and the corrosion inhibitive efficiency (η) can arrive at 89.8% as the concentration of RLE is 300 mg/L. What's more, it can still keep marked inhibitive ability in a certain temperature scope. The adsorption of RLE on copper surface meets with the Langmuir adsorption model, the value of Kads and ΔG0 ads at 298 K are 36.97 L/g and −26.07 kJ/mol, including that it is a spontaneous process and includes chemisorption and physisorption. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results show that the average roughness value of the sample immersed in RLE solution decreased from 38.9 nm to 13.2 nm. Based on the theoretical calculation results, the values of Ebinding are 341.5 kJ/mol for 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin, 514.1 kJ/mol for catechin, 500.3 kJ/mol for kaempferol, and 316.0 kJ/mol for loliolide, manifesting that the four molecules have a certain degree of inhibition on copper corrosion in sulfuric acid solution.

Selenium-containing polysaccharides isolated from Rosa laevigata Michx fruits exhibit excellent anti-oxidant and neuroprotective activity in vitro

Selenium-containing polysaccharides have potential as an organic selenium dietary supplement, owing to their low toxicity, few side effects, and easy absorption attributes. In this study, we isolated two novel homogeneous selenium-containing polysaccharides from Rosa laevigata Michx fruits (Se-RLFPs). Results from primary structural analysis revealed that Se-RLFPs were α – pyranose, and were both composed of rhamnose, xylose, glucose with an average molecular weight of 24 and 16 KDa, respectively. Selenium contents in Se-RLFP-I and Se-RLFP-II were 16.49 μg/g and 21.61 μg/g, respectively. Results from analysis of antioxidant and neuroprotective activity of the polysaccharides revealed that Se-RLFPs had a radical scavenging effect. Specifically, they effectively protected SH-SY5Y cells from H2O2-induced damage by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and suppressing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Western blots showed that the underlying mechanisms of action may be related to the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Taken together, these results suggested that Se-RLFPs have potential as a pharmaceutical agent for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) or as a selenium-complementary ingredient in functional foods.

Metabarcoding Analysis of Pollen Species Foraged by Osmia excavata Alfken (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in China

To meet the pollination need of economic crops, Osmia excavata has been successfully used to improve the pollination efficiency of Rosaceae and Brassicaceae plants. As a widely used pollinator of economic crops, a systematic study of flower-visiting species and diversities of O. excavata stocked in China was not found. To investigate the foraging pollen species and diversities of O. excavata, beebread from 20 experimental plots in China was collected by the trap-nesting method and analyzed by DNA metabarcoding technology. A total of 26 pollen plants in 14 genera and nine families were identified. A further analysis showed that the richness and abundance of the wild flowering plants in orchards and farmlands were lower than those in the nearby semi-natural habitats. The favorite pollen comes from economic crops apple and rape and wild flowering plants Juncus interior, Rosa gymnocarpa, and Rosa laevigata. Through a diversity index analysis, it was found that the Anhui region has the highest pollen plant diversity, while the Liaoning region has the lowest. Our results can provide a basis for flower-visiting species and diversities of O. excavata.