Biochanin A from Chinese Medicine: An Isoflavone with Diverse Pharmacological Properties

Biochanin A (BCA) is a dietary isoflavone, isolated from the leaves and stems of Trifolium pratense L and many other herbs of Chinese medicine. Recent findings indicated BCA as a promising drug candidate with diverse bioactive effects. On the purpose of evaluating the possibility of BCA in clinical application, this review is trying to provide a comprehensive summary of the pharmacological actions of BCA. The publications collected from PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Wiley databases were summarized for the last 10 years. Then, the potential therapeutic use of BCA on the treatment of various diseases was discussed according to its pharmacological properties, namely, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity effects as well as neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and osteoprotective effects. BCA might mainly regulate the MAPK, PI3K, NRF2, and NF-kB pathways, respectively, to exert its bioactive effects. However, the limited definitive targets, poor biological availability, and insufficient safety evaluation might block the clinical application of BCA. This review may provide new insights for the development of BCA in the application of related diseases.

In vitro dissolution characteristics of patent, generic and similar brands of naproxen in various dissolution media

Purpose: To investigate the dissolution properties of various brands of naproxen in four dissolution media in order to forecast their biological availability. Methods: Dissolution tests were carried out in a dissolution tester with 48 tablets of different naproxen brands in 900 mL of 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. Subsequently, the medium was modified with 600 mL of buffer plus 300 mL of cola drink, grapefruit or milk. Each sample was taken and brought to a concentration approximating that of a reference solution. Absorbance at 332 nm was determined and the dissolution, Q, was calculated (Q values ≥ 80.0 ± 5 % were acceptable). Results: Dissolution in buffer was > 85 %. In cola drink, it was < 80 %, while in grapefruit juice, it was in the range of 7 - 68 %. Using 2-way ANOVA, these media and the three naproxen brands showed significant differences (F = 68.90, p = 0.0000; F = 23.18, p = 0.0000). With Fisher's LSD test, two of these media contributed consistently to dissolution, and the three drug brands showed statistically different dissolution profiles (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: Caution must be exercised cola drink, grapefruit juice and milk are used to administered naproxen as the biological availability of the drug may be altered.

Genetically Encoded Dihydroxyphenylalanine Coupled with Tyrosinase for Strain Promoted Labelling

Protein modifications through the genetic code engineering method have a remarkable impact on macromolecule engineering, protein translocation, protein-protein interaction, and cell biology. Here, the newly developed molecular biology approach expanding the genetic code was used for fine tuning of protein for biological availability. For that non-canonical amino acid dihydroxyphenylalanine was genetically incorporated at the defined site in the protein. Further, the congener protein was enzymatically controlled for direct conversion of quinone for strain promoted click chemistry reaction. It yields a single product with defined stereochemistry and temporally controlled conjugation with BCN. The feasibility was explored for selective cell imaging and programmed cell death in HeLa cells.

Analysis of the bioavailability of tea species

In samples of different tea brands the content of biologically active substances (total water-soluble antioxidants content, ascorbic acid, rutin, polyphenols, anthocyanins) was determined. The water-soluble antioxidant biological availability of the studied tea samples was evaluated. Green Tea with Lemon and Ceylon Baikhovi Black Spiced Tea is characterized by similar levels of antioxidant bioavailability. After the consumption of both beverages, there was a definite increase in the content of antioxidants in saliva of individuals with an initially low content of antioxidants. Amaranth Phytotea antioxidants were characterized by low level of bioavailability. The consumption of this beverage did not change the level of antioxidants in saliva, regardless of their initial content.

Viral lysis alters the optical properties and biological availability of dissolved organic matter derived from picocyanobacteria Prochlorococcus

Phytoplankton contribute almost half of the world's total primary production. The exudates and viral lysates of phytoplankton are two important forms of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic environments and fuel heterotrophic prokaryotic metabolism. However, the effect of viral infection on the composition and biological availability of phytoplankton-released DOM is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the optical characteristics and microbial utilization of the exudates and viral lysates of the ecologically important unicellular picophytoplankton Prochlorococcus. Our results showed that Prochlorococcus DOM produced by viral lysis (Pro-vDOM) with phages of three different morphotypes (myovirus P-HM2, siphovirus P-HS2 and podovirus P-SSP7) had higher humic-like fluorescence intensities, lower absorption coefficients and higher spectral slopes compared to DOM exuded by Prochlorococcus (Pro-exudate). The results indicate that viral infection altered the composition of Prochlorococcus-derived DOM and might contribute to the pool of oceanic humic-like DOM. Incubation with Pro-vDOM resulted in a greater dissolved organic carbon (DOC) degradation rate and decreases in the absorption spectral slope and heterotrophic bacterial growth rate compared to incubation with Pro-exudate, suggesting that Pro-vDOM was more bioavailable compared to Pro-exudate. In addition, the stimulated microbial community succession trajectories were significantly different between the Pro-exudate and Pro-vDOM treatments, indicating that viral lysates play an important role in shaping the heterotrophic bacterial community. Our study demonstrated that viral lysis altered the chemical composition and biological availability of DOM derived from Prochlorococcus, which is the numerically dominant phytoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean. Importance The unicellular picocyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the numerically dominate phytoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean, contributing to the vast majority of marine primary production. Prochlorococcus releases a significant fraction of fixed organic matter into surrounding environment and supports a vital portion of heterotrophic bacterial activity. Viral lysis is an important biomass loss process of Prochlorococcus. Yet little is known about whether and how viral lysis affects Prochlorococcus-released dissolved organic matter (DOM). Our paper shows that viral infection alters the optical properties (such as the absorption coefficients, spectral slopes and fluorescence intensities) of released DOM and might contribute to a humic-like DOM pool and carbon sequestration in the ocean. Meanwhile, viral lysis also releases various intracellular labile DOM including amino acids, protein-like DOM and lower-molecular weight DOM, increases the bioavailability of DOM and shapes the successive trajectory of the heterotrophic bacterial community. Our study highlights the importance of viruses in impacting the DOM quality in the ocean.

EFFECT OF COOKING ON IRON AVAILIBILITY IN FORTIFIED HOMEMADE TEMPEH

Iron deficiency anemia is a type of anemia caused by iron deficiency, decreasing in the number of healthy red blood cells. The purpose of this study was to make fortified Fe-EDTA and find out the changes in iron availability after cooking (frying and boiling). The biological availability test for iron was carried out in vitro by simulating human digestion using enzyme pepsin and pancreatin-bile solution. The iron variants added were 0, 0.033, 0.066, 0.099, 0.132, and 0.166 % of EDTA iron on 30 grams of raw soybeans to be homemade tempeh. Test results with Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) showed that the highest Fe content of 12.54 mg was obtained by adding 0.166% of EDTA iron to raw tempeh. But after cooking, there is a decrease in fried and boiled tempeh. The results obtained from the addition of 0.166% of iron-EDTA are 7.74 mg for fried tempeh, and 8.40 mg for boiled tempeh. The results of the addition of Fe-EDTA 0.166% for raw tempeh and boiled match to the value of daily Fe intake to reduce iron anemia in the amount of 8-15 mg / day according to Recommendation Dietary Allowance (RDA). The addition of 0.166% of Fe-EDTA fortification on dried tempeh, it still has not match to the recommended level.Received: 13 September 2019; Accepted: 30 December 2019; Published: 12 January 2020

Dynamics of body calcium and net calcium requirements for maintenance of Saanen goats

The objectives of the current study were to investigate the dynamics of body calcium (Ca) and to estimate the net Ca maintenance requirements (NCam) of Saanen goats, using45Ca as a radiotracer. Eighteen castrated male Saanen goats (25 ± 2.3 kg body weight (BW)) received a basal diet (ground ear maize, ground maize and vitamin–mineral premix). The treatments consisted of adding limestone to the basal diet to provide Ca content of 0.6, 1.7 and 3.0 g/kg dry matter (DM). The experiment lasted 45 days (i.e. 36 d of adaptation and 9 days of measurements). On day 38, 0.5 ml of 7.4 MBq45Ca solution was administrated before feeding. From days 39 to 45, samples of faeces, blood and urine were collected, and Ca concentration determined. The Ca intake, Ca in faeces, Ca in urine, faecal endogenous Ca and true absorbed Ca increased linearly as Ca content in the diets increased, while retained Ca increased at a decreasing rate. Dry matter intake decreased at an increasing rate with increased Ca content in the diets. In contrast, Ca content in the diets did not affect biological availability of Ca, or Ca in plasma. The true biological availability of Ca from limestone in Saanen goats was 0.72. The daily NCamwas 11.6 (±1.3) mg/kg BW. The current results might help to understand Ca dynamics in goats and enhance the formulation of balanced diets to best meet Ca requirements of Saanen goats.