Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Centaurea baseri: New Species from Turkey

The genus Centaurea L. is one of the largest and important genera of Asteraceae family. Centaurea species have been widely used as herbal remedies in folk medicine for their antidandruff, antidiarrheic, antirheumatic, anti‐inflammatory, choleretic, diuretic, digestive, stomachic, astringent, antipyretic, cytotoxic, and antibacterial properties. Centaurea baseri Kose & Alan is a recently described local endemic species in Turkey and this is the first study on the chemical composition and bioactivity of its hydrodistilled essential oil and the crude extract. According to chromatospectral analysis, hexadecanoic acid (42.3%), nonacosane (8.2%), and heptacosane (8.0%) were the main compounds of the essential oil, while 16 compounds were determined in the MeOH extract using LC/MS. Furthermore, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects of the essential oil and the extract were evaluated in comparison with the standard agents. The extract showed strong antifungal effect against Candida utilis at the concentration of 60 μg/ml (MIC) where the EO showed growth inhibition at the concentration of 47.00 μg/ml (MIC) against pathogen Bacillus cereus. Both the essential oil and the extract did not show any selective antioxidant properties. The extract showed remarkably selective cytotoxic properties against MCF‐7, PANC‐1, A549, and C6 glioma cells.     

An extract of Ulmus macrocarpa improves cellular immunity in immuno-suppressed models

An extract of Ulmus macrocarpa Hance, commonly known as the large-fruited elm, has been prescribed as a traditional medicine. In this study, we aimed to investigate the cellular immune effects of U. macrocarpa stem cortex extracts on cyclophosphamide (CY)-treated splenocytes and mice. A methanol extract showed an improved survival rate of splenocytes after 72?h. The extract was successively partitioned with dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water; and the fractions so obtained were also examined for their proliferative activity. Among them, the water fraction of U. macrocarpa showed the highest proliferation of splenocytes and was used throughout the present study. We tested the survival rate of splenocytes through dose-dependent treatment of CY and the suppression of the survival effect by CY was recovered by treatment with the water extract of U. macrocarpa. To determine the mechanism involved, we examined the expression of B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL) anti-apoptotic protein. CY decreased Bcl-xL protein levels in resting splenocyte cultures, whereas splenocytes were exposed to water extracts of U. macrocarpa in the presence of CY; however, elevations in Bcl-xL were observed at 96?h. Mice splenocytes treated with water extract of U. macrocarpa for cellular immunity showed an increase in the activity of the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and natural killer (NK) cells. In addition, mice receiving a water extract of U. macrocarpa recovered the CTL, NK, and MLR activities suppressed by CY administration. Consequently, U. macrocarpa improves the cell-mediated immune response and provides an insight on cell-based tonic materials.     

三种药物联合治疗假丝酵母菌性阴道炎的临床疗效评价

目的:研究克霉唑阴道片、硝夫太尔制霉素阴道软胶囊联合定君生栓治疗复发性假丝酵母菌性阴道炎的临床疗效,为临床治疗提供依据。方法:选取2014年9月到2015年6月我院就诊的复发性假丝酵母菌性阴道炎患者60例,按照随机数字表法将患者分为实验组和对照组,每组30例,实验组给予克霉唑阴道片、硝夫太尔制霉素阴道软胶囊联合定君生栓治疗,对照组给予克霉唑阴道片和定君生栓治疗,治疗前检测所有患者病原菌分布情况,治疗后随访3个月,分析两组临床疗效和不良反应。结果:细菌培养结果共分离出158株假丝酵母菌,其中白色假丝酵母菌最多,占66.46%;实验组总有效率为93.33%,显著高于对照组的76.67%,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);两组不良反应发生率比较无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:克霉唑阴道片、硝夫太尔制霉素阴道软胶囊联合定君生栓治疗复发性假丝酵母菌性阴道炎具有较好的临床疗效,且无明显不良反应。     

贝那普利联合肾炎四味片对慢性肾小球肾炎患者临床疗效的影响及机制研究

目的:探讨贝那普利联合肾炎四味片对慢性肾小球肾炎患者临床疗效的影响及其作用机制。方法:收集我院收治的慢性肾小球肾炎患者120例,随机分为观察组和对照组,每组各60例。对照组给予肾炎四味片治疗;观察组在对照组的基础上给予贝那普利片。治疗结束后,比较两组患者白细胞诱素1(Lkn-1)、尿酸、TNF-α、收缩压、舒张压、24小时蛋白尿水平的变化及临床总有效率。结果:与治疗前相比,两组患者治疗后Lkn-1、尿酸、TNF-α、收缩压、24小时蛋白尿水平均显著降低(P0.05);与对照组比较,观察组患者Lkn-1、尿酸、TNF-α、收缩压、24小时蛋白尿水平较低(P0.05),临床总有效率较高(P0.05)。结论:贝那普利联合肾炎四味片可有效治疗慢性肾小球肾炎,推测其机制与降低Lkn-1、尿酸、TNF-α、收缩压、24小时蛋白尿水平有关。     

Wasabi leaf extracts attenuate adipocyte hypertrophy through PPARγ and AMPK

Hypertrophy of adipocytes in obese adipose tissues causes metabolic abnormality by adipocytokine dysregulation, which promotes type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. We investigated the effects of wasabi (Wasabia japonica Matsum) leaf extracts on metabolic abnormalities in SHRSP.Z-Leprfa/IzmDmcr rats (SHRSP/ZF), which are a model of metabolic syndrome. Male SHRSP/ZF rats aged 7 weeks were divided into two groups: control and wasabi leaf extract (WLE) groups, which received water or oral treatment with 4 g/kg/day WLE for 6 weeks. WLE improved the body weight gain and high blood pressure in SHRSP/ZF rats, and the plasma triglyceride levels were significantly lower in the WLE group. Adipocyte hypertrophy was markedly prevented in adipose tissue. The expression of PPARγ and subsequent downstream genes was suppressed in the WLE group adipose tissues. Our data suggest that WLE inhibits adipose hypertrophy by suppressing PPARγ expression in adipose tissue and stimulating the AMPK activity by increased adiponectin.     

Protein extracts from cultured cells contain nonspecific serum albumin

Serum is an important component of cell culture media. The present study demonstrates contamination of intracellular protein extract by bovine serum albumin from the culture media and illustrates how this contamination can cause the misinterpretation of western blot results. Preliminary experiments can prevent the misinterpretation of some experimental results, and optimization of the washing process may enable specific protein detection.     

野鸦椿种子内源抑制物活性初探

以野鸦椿(Euscaphis japonica)种壳和胚为材料,甲醇浸提得到种壳浸提液和胚浸提液,配制浸提液浓度梯度为原浸提液浓度的10%、20%、30%、40%,研究不同浓度的种壳和胚浸提液对白菜、小麦、绿豆种子底物酶活性、发芽率、幼苗根长和苗高的影响,萃取和分离种壳和胚甲醇浸提液中的内源抑制物质,探讨野鸦椿种子内源抑制物质的活性与成分。结果表明:随着种壳和胚浸提液浓度的增加,白菜种子酸性磷酸酶活性和发芽率均显著降低(P0.05),表现为抑制作用递增,种壳的抑制作用小于胚,而幼苗的根长和苗高则表现为低促高抑,在10%浸提液处理下根长和苗高达最大值,种壳的促进效果弱于胚;小麦种子淀粉酶活性及幼苗的根长和苗高递减(P0.05),表现为抑制作用递增,而发芽率则在浓度≤20%时差异不明显(P0.05),浓度为30%时显著降低(P0.05),40%时发芽率为0,种壳的抑制作用大于胚;绿豆种子蛋白酶活性、发芽率、幼苗根长和苗高均在浸提液浓度≥20%时显著下降(P0.05),且种壳的作用效果小于胚。种子内源抑制物萃取及分离表明,外壳中含酚酸类较胚多,含碱类较胚少。综上认为,野鸦椿种壳和胚中均含有较高活性的内源抑制物,但性质、成分及含量存在差异,外壳内源抑制物主要作用对象为淀粉类物质,胚乳内源抑制物主要作用于油脂类和蛋白类物质。     

裸花紫珠提取物及其主要成分抗氧化活性研究

裸花紫珠是海南一种道地药材,具有消炎止血的功效。裸花紫珠富含黄酮类和苯乙醇苷类化学成分,它们已经被证实是天然抗氧化剂的主要来源之一。为了考察裸花紫珠药材的抗氧化活性,该研究采用DPPH.自由基清除法测定裸花紫珠醇提物、4个不同极性部位(石油醚、乙酸乙酯、正丁醇、水)及其7个主要成分的抗氧化作用。结果表明：裸花紫珠醇提物、醇提物的水部位、正丁醇部位、乙酸乙酯部位和化合物木犀草素、木犀草苷、毛蕊花糖苷具有较强的抗氧化活性,而5-羟基-3,7,3′,4′-四甲氧基黄酮的抗氧化活性则较弱。该研究结果为裸花紫珠的保健功能开发提供了依据。     

Copper Oxide Nanomaterials Derived from Zanthoxylum armatum DC. and Berberis lycium Royle Plant Species: Characterization,Assessment of Free Radical Scavenging and Antibacterial Activity

Copper oxide nanomaterials were synthesized by a facile sustainable biological method using two plant species (Zanthoxylum armatum DC. and Berberis lycium Royle ). The formation of materials was confirmed by FT‐IR, ATR, UV‐visible, XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, TGA and PL. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by agar well diffusion method to ascertain the efficacy of plant species extract and extract derived copper oxide nanomaterials against six Gram‐positive bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Corynebacterium xerosis, Bacillus cereus and four Gram‐negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris against the standard drug, Ciprofloxacin for Gram‐positive and Gentamicin for Gram‐negative bacteria, respectively. In both cases, copper oxide nanomaterials were found to be sensitive in all the bacterial species. Sensitivity of copper oxide nanomaterials shows an be higher as compared to plant species extract against different bacteria. Scavenging activity of plant extracts along with nanomaterials have been accessed using previously reported protocols employing ascorbic acid as standard. Scavenging activity of copper oxide nanomaterials shows an increase with increase in concentration. The biological activity (bactericidal and scavenging efficiency) of plant derived copper oxide nanomaterials revealed that these materials can be used as potent antimicrobial agent and DPPH scavengers in industrial as well as pharmacological fields.     

Biological activities of ginger against cadmium-induced renal toxicity

Our aim was to evaluate the protective and antioxidant effects of ginger extract against cadmium-induced renal toxicity in animal models and to support the use of ginger as anti-renal failure natural remedy. Seventy rats were examined in a 4-week experiment to evaluate the effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight on molecular DNA content, antioxidant status, and renal function in rats intoxicated with cadmium at dose of (5 mg/kg) using biochemical and histological analysis. Renal dysfunction, kidney tissue damage, and oxidative effect were evident in cadmium intoxicated rats as estimated by significant increase in (creatinine, urea), decrease in (creatinine clearance and reabsorption rate of urine albumin), increase in MDA, decrease in total antioxidant status (TAC), reduction in DNA content, and histopathological changes of kidneys’ tissues compared to control rats. Treatment with ginger resulted in significant restoring of renal function biomarkers, TAC, molecular DNA, and histological improvements which occurs via free radical scavenging and regenerative mechanisms. The activity of ginger was supported by estimation of bioactive phenolic and falvinods constituents. Twenty-eight polyphenolic compounds were estimated in ginger extract; [6]-gingerol, [6]-shogaol, citral and pyrogallol were the highest amounts in ginger, and supposed to be responsible for its major antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity as shown by In vitro DPPH/β-carotene-linolic acid assay tests. Consequently, ginger extracts could have a potent protective effects against nephrotoxicity induced by various toxicants.