scholarly journals The Difference of Chemical Components and Biological Activities of the Crude Products and the Salt-Processed Product from Semen Cuscutae

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Yang ◽  
Hefang Xu ◽  
Baosheng Zhao ◽  
Shasha Li ◽  
Tingting Li ◽  
...  

Semen Cuscutae is a well-known Chinese medicine which has been used to nourish kidney in China for thousands of years. The crude product of semen Cuscutae (CP) and its salt-processed product (SPP) are separately used in clinic for their different effects. The study was designed to investigate the influence of processing from semen Cuscutae on chemical components and biological effects. The principal component analysis and quantitative analysis were used to study the differences of the chemical components. The effects of nourishing kidney were detected to compare the differences between the CP and SPP. The PCA results showed that the obvious separation was achieved in the CP and SPP samples. The results of quantitative analysis showed that quercetin and total flavonoids had significantly increased after salt processing while hyperoside had decreased. The comparison of CP and SPP on biological activities showed that both of them could ameliorate the kidney-yang deficiency syndrome by restoring the level of sex hormone, improving the immune function and antioxidant effect. However, SPP was better in increasing the level of T and the viscera weight of testicle and epididymis, improving the antioxidant effect. The results suggested that salt processing changed its chemical profile, which in turn enhanced its biological activities.

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Yuewu Wang ◽  
Song Yang ◽  
Yunfeng Xiao ◽  
Haibin Guan ◽  
...  

As a well-known Chinese herb medicine, the Cistanche deserticola has been used for the treatment of kidney deficiency syndrome in China for thousands of years. Both the raw product of Cistanche deserticola slices (RCD) and its Wine Steam-Processed Product (WSCD) are used clinically for different effects. In this study, the influences of steaming process with wine (SPW) from Cistanche deserticola on chemical compositions and biological effects were investigated. The principal component analysis (PCA) and quantitative analysis were used to study the differences of the chemical compositions. The effects of nourishing kidney were also investigated to compare the differences between the RCD and the WSCD. The PCA results indicated that the obvious separation was achieved in the RCD and WSCD. The results of quantitative analysis showed that the WSCD has higher amounts of total polysaccharides, total PhGs, isoacteoside, and osmanthuside B than RCD, while the content of 2′-acetylacteoside and acteoside decreased after the SPW. The comparison of RCD and WSCD on biological activities showed that both could restore the level of sex hormone in the model of kidney-yang deficiency and improve the antioxidant effect. The WSCD were much better in increasing the viscera weight of kidney and seminal vesicle. The results indicated that SPW changed its chemical components and enhanced its biological activities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 294 (46) ◽  
pp. 17371-17382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kateřina Macháčková ◽  
Květoslava Mlčochová ◽  
Pavlo Potalitsyn ◽  
Kateřina Hanková ◽  
Ondřej Socha ◽  
...  

Information on how insulin and insulin-like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1 and -2) activate insulin receptors (IR-A and -B) and the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) is crucial for understanding the difference in the biological activities of these peptide hormones. Cryo-EM studies have revealed that insulin uses its binding sites 1 and 2 to interact with IR-A and have identified several critical residues in binding site 2. However, mutagenesis studies suggest that Ile-A10, Ser-A12, Leu-A13, and Glu-A17 also belong to insulin's site 2. Here, to resolve this discrepancy, we mutated these insulin residues and the equivalent residues in IGFs. Our findings revealed that equivalent mutations in the hormones can result in differential biological effects and that these effects can be receptor-specific. We noted that the insulin positions A10 and A17 are important for its binding to IR-A and IR-B and IGF-1R and that A13 is important only for IR-A and IR-B binding. The IGF-1/IGF-2 positions 51/50 and 54/53 did not appear to play critical roles in receptor binding, but mutations at IGF-1 position 58 and IGF-2 position 57 affected the binding. We propose that IGF-1 Glu-58 interacts with IGF-1R Arg-704 and belongs to IGF-1 site 1, a finding supported by the NMR structure of the less active Asp-58–IGF-1 variant. Computational analyses indicated that the aforementioned mutations can affect internal insulin dynamics and inhibit adoption of a receptor-bound conformation, important for binding to receptor site 1. We provide a molecular model and alternative hypotheses for how the mutated insulin residues affect activity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Chen ◽  
Chao Hu ◽  
Jican Dai ◽  
Lei Chen

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important treatment for male infertility, and its application to therapy is dependent on differentiation of TCM syndromes. This study aims to investigate the changes in metabolites and metabolic pathways in infertile males with Kidney-Yang Deficiency syndrome (KYDS) via metabolomics approaches. Seminal plasma samples were collected from 18 infertile males with KYDS and 18 fertile males. Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to characterize metabolomics profiles. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA), and pathway analysis were used for pattern recognition and metabolite identification. PCA and PLS-DA results differentiated the two groups of patients. Forty-one discriminating metabolites (18 in positive mode and 23 in negative mode) were identified. Seven metabolites were related to five potential metabolic pathways associated with biosynthesis and metabolism of aromatic amino acids, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and sphingolipid metabolism. The changes in metabolic pathways may play an important role in the origin of KYDS-associated male infertility. Metabolomics analysis of seminal plasma may be used to differentiate TCM syndromes of infertile males, but further research must be conducted.


2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (03) ◽  
pp. 427-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Jun Ding ◽  
Ying Zi Zeng ◽  
Wei Hong Li ◽  
Tian E. Zhang ◽  
Wei Wei Liu ◽  
...  

In order to probe the genetic traits of Kidney-yang Deficiency Syndrome (KDS), we employed a national standard of KDS diagnosis for the collection of KDS subjects. Each candidate KDS subject from a typical family was diagnosed by 5 independent physicians of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and repeated for 3 years, all on the first Saturday of December. Fifteen samples of genomic DNA were isolated and genotyped by Affymetrix 100 K arrays of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Then appropriate tools were used for the analysis of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and bioinformatic mining of LD SNPs. The results indicated that our procedure of TCM diagnosis can effectively collect KDS subjects and therefore provide substantial basis for the linkage analysis of KDS. Five SNPs (i.e. rs514207, rs1054020, rs7685923, rs10515889 and rs10516202) were identified as LD SNPs from this KDS family, representing an unprecedented set of LD SNPs derived from TCM syndrome. These SNPs demonstrate midrange linkage disequilibrium within the KDS family. Two genes with established functions were identified within 100 bp of these SNPs. One is Homo sapiens double cortin domain containing 5, which interacts selectively with mono-, di- or tri-saccharide carbohydrate and involves certain signaling cascades. Another one, leucyl-tRNA synthetase, is also a pleiotropic gene response to cysteinyl-tRNA aminoacylation and protein biosynthesis. In conclusion, KDS is involved in special SNP linkage disequilibrium in the intragenic level, and genes within the flanks of these SNPs suggest some essential symptoms of KDS. However, definitive evidence to confirm or exclude these loci and to establish their biological activities will be required.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1245
Author(s):  
Paola Angelini ◽  
Roberto Maria Pellegrino ◽  
Bruno Tirillini ◽  
Giancarlo Angeles Flores ◽  
Husam B. R. Alabed ◽  
...  

The genus Pleurotus (Fr.) P. Kumm (Pleurotaceae, Basidiomycota) comprises a cosmopolitan group of mushrooms highly appreciated for their nutritional value and health-promoting benefits. Despite there being many studies about the phytochemical composition of Pleurotus spp., there are very few reports dealing with the phytochemistry, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of P. columbinus Quél. In this study, a mass spectrometry ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UHPLC)-QTOF method, coupled with principal component analysis (PCA), was applied to the P. columbinus metabolome in order to investigate the influence of different agri-food residues as growth substrates for P. columbinus cultivation, on the bioactive chemical profile of fruiting bodies and evaluated their potential as antioxidants and antimicrobials. Additionally, a quantitative HPLC-DAD-MS analysis was conducted on phenolic and flavonoid compounds, that could explain, albeit partially, the observed biological effects of P. columbinus extracts. The qualitative metabolic profile identified 97 metabolites, whereas the quantitative HPLC-DAD-MS analysis confirmed the presence of phenolic and flavonoids, in the mushroom extracts, which also showed intrinsic scavenging/reducing and antimicrobial effects. The antibacterial effects were particularly evident against Escherichia coli, whereas Tricophyton and Aspergillus were the dermatophytes more sensitive to the mushroom extracts. The present study supports more in-depth investigations, aimed at evaluating the influence of growth substrate on P. columbinus antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The extracts from P. columbinus revealed valuable sources of primary and secondary metabolites, thus suggesting potential applications in the formulation of food supplements with biological properties, above all in terms of antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2092485
Author(s):  
Yu Jin Kim ◽  
Hye-Sun Lim ◽  
Joo-Hwan Kim ◽  
MinKyun Na ◽  
Soo-Jin Jeong

Diospyros lotus L. (Ebenaceae) is a deciduous plant that was traditionally used to treat various diseases such as sedation, constipation, and hypertension. However, its effects on Alzheimer’s diseases (AD) have not been reported. We investigated the potent biological effects of D. lotus on AD and performed quantitative analysis of 7 standard compounds in D. lotus leaves. First, two parts leaf and branch of D. lotus were compared to examine the effects on amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation and oxidative stress. Ethanol extract of D. lotus leaves (EDLL) had higher activities on the Aβ disaggregation and antioxidation compared with ethanol extract of D. lotus branches (EDLB). Second, we have focused on the biological activities of EDLL for neurocellular analyses. In HT22 neuronal cells, EDLL reversed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-damaged cell death. In BV-2 microglia, EDLL suppressed lipopolysaccharide-stimulated productions of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2. Third, we performed quantitative analyses of 7 standard compounds in D. lotus using high-performance liquid chromatography. Among 7 compounds, myricitrin (44.189 mg/g) was the most abundant compound in EDLL. Myricetin presented the marked inhibitory effect on Aβ aggregation, indicating its potential as a bioactive compound to control Aβ aggregation. Overall, this study suggests that EDLL may be a promising therapeutic agent for AD via Aβ disaggregation, and inhibition of neuronal cell damage and inflammation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yepei Fu ◽  
Jia Yang ◽  
Shanshan Fan ◽  
Shaozhe Zhao ◽  
Syed Muhammad Ali Shah ◽  
...  

In reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) studies, endogenous reference genes are routinely used to normalize the expression of target gene studies. In order to precisely evaluate the relative expression of genes in the cells of mice suffering from Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome (KYDS) in response to influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1 using RT-qPCR, it is crucial to identify reliable reference genes. In the present study, 15 candidate reference genes (Actb, β2m, Gapdh, Gusb, Tuba, Grcc10, Eif4h, Rnf187, Nedd8, Ywhae, 18S rRNA, Rpl13, Ubc, Rpl32, and Ppia) were investigated in lung cells from KYDS mice infected with IAV H1N1. NormFinder, BestKeeper, and GeNorm were used to assess the stability of reference genes. The results were authenticated over extended experimental settings by a group of 10 samples. In the present study, we explored a novel method using dual-gene combinations; the difference in gene expression between the model and normal control groups was statistically analyzed by an independent-samples t-test, and the difference in the mean value between the two groups was compared. A P value > 0.05 and the lowest absolute value of the difference indicated the optimal reference two-gene combination. Four additional host innate immune system-related genes (TLR3, TLR4, TLR7, and RIG-I) were analyzed together with the two treatment datasets to confirm the selected reference genes. Our results indicated that none of these 15 candidate reference genes can be used as reference gene individually for relative quantitative fluorescence PCR analysis; however, the combination of Grcc10 and Ppia, based on the process of calculating the higher P value and lower difference values between groups, was the best choice as a reference gene for the lung tissue samples in KYDS mice infected with IAV. This technique may be applied to promote the selection process of the optimal reference gene in other experiments.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2590
Author(s):  
Dong-Kyu Lee ◽  
Seongoh Park ◽  
Nguyen Phuoc Long ◽  
Jung Eun Min ◽  
Hyung Min Kim ◽  
...  

Black ginseng has various pharmacological activities, but only few studies have compared its pharmacological effects with those of red ginseng. We conducted an integrative systematic literature evaluation and developed a non-inferiority test based on the multivariate modeling approach to compare the pharmacological effects of red ginseng and black ginseng. We searched reported studies on the pharmaceutical effects and composition of ginsenosides and assigned numeric scores using nonlinear principal component analysis, based on discretization measures for the included publications. Downstream weighted linear regression models were constructed to study the eight major biological activities that are generally known to be exhibited by red ginseng. Our statistical model, based on available ordinal information gathered from previous literature, helped in comparing the overlapping effects of black ginseng. Black ginseng showed antioxidant effects comparable to those of red ginseng; however, this variant was inferior to red ginseng in enhancing immunity, relieving fatigue, alleviating depression/anxiety, decreasing body fat, and reducing blood pressure. We have showed a cost-efficient method to indirectly evaluate the biological effects of ginseng products using data from published articles. This method can also be used to compare the nutritional and medicinal value of herbal medicines that share similar compositions of bioactive compounds.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Li Zhou ◽  
Fatma Al-Zahra Kamal Kamel Attia ◽  
Lijun Meng ◽  
Sitan Chen ◽  
Zhenhua Liu ◽  
...  

The plants from genus Origanum are common folk Chinese herbs used to treat a variety of diseases. They are also used as a spice, a seasoning, and an ornament. Origanum plants are rich in essential oils and also have other compounds including terpenoids, flavonoids, organic acids, and sterols. They have a variety of biological activities such as antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, growth-promoting, antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The chemical components and biological effects of genus Origanum were summarized by different scientific databases such as Web of Science, SciFinder, Baidu Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink. In conclusion, recent studies were mainly focused on the activities of their essential oils. The research studies for nonvolatile constituents and their pharmacological activities are few. Therefore, research on compounds in genus Origanum plants can be strengthened and their application prospect can be explored so as to make better use of the resources of these plants.


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