In Vitro and In Vivo Antiglycation Effects of Connarus ruber Extract

Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) of the Maillard reaction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. Connarus ruber has been used as a folk remedy for several diseases, including diabetes; however, its underlying mechanism has not yet been investigated. This study investigated the effects of C. ruber extract against glycation on collagen-linked AGEs in vitro and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (STZ-DM rats) in vivo. The antiglycation activities of C. ruber extract and aminoguanidine (AG) were examined using a collagen glycation assay kit. Nonfluorescent AGE, Nε-carboxymethyl lysine (CML), Nω-carboxymethyl arginine, and Nε-carboxyethyl lysine levels were measured via electrospray ionization-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The effect of the extract on the cytotoxicity of methylglyoxal (MG), a precursor of AGEs, was examined in HL60 cells. STZ-DM rats were treated with the extract for 4 wk, and the effect was assessed using biochemical markers in the serum and CML-positive cells in renal tissues. C. ruber extract dose-dependently inhibited the glycation of collagen and formation of nonfluorescent AGEs, which was comparable to AG, and it significantly attenuated MG-induced cytotoxicity in HL60 cells. Furthermore, the glycated albumin levels in STZ-DM rats decreased, the increase in serum lipid levels was reversed, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that CML deposition in the glomerulus of STZ-DM rats significantly decreased. Although further studies are needed, C. ruber could be a potential therapeutic for preventing and progressing many pathological conditions, including diabetes.

De Novo Assembly and Species-Specific Marker Development as a Useful Tool for the Identification of Scutellaria L. Species

Scutellaria L. (family Lamiaceae) includes approximately 470 species found in most parts of the world and is commonly known as skullcaps. Scutellaria L. is a medicinal herb used as a folk remedy in Korea and East Asia, but it is difficult to identify and classify various subspecies by morphological methods. Since Scutellaria L. has not been studied genetically, to expand the knowledge of species in the genus Scutellaria L., de novo whole-genome assembly was performed in Scutellaria indica var. tsusimensis (H. Hara) Ohwi using the Illumina sequencing platform. We aimed to develop a molecular method that could be used to classify S.indica var. tsusimensis (H. Hara) Ohwi, S. indica L. and three other Scutellaria L. species. The assembly results for S.indica var. tsusimensis (H. Hara) Ohwi revealed a genome size of 318,741,328 bp and a scaffold N50 of 78,430. The assembly contained 92.08% of the conserved BUSCO core gene set and was estimated to cover 94.65% of the genome. The obtained genes were compared with previously registered Scutellaria nucleotide sequences and similar regions using the NCBI BLAST service, and a total of 279 similar nucleotide sequences were detected. By selecting the 279 similar nucleotide sequences and nine chloroplast DNA barcode genes, primers were prepared so that the size of the PCR product was 100 to 1000 bp. As a result, a species-specific primer set capable of distinguishing five species of Scutellaria L. was developed.

Optical Properties and Antioxidant Activity of Water-Ethanolic Extracts from Sempervivum tectorum L. from Bulgaria

Sempervivum tectorum L. is an evergreen plant belonging to a large family of the Crassulaceae. The fresh juice of the plant is used as a folk remedy almost exclusively for external purposes. The combination of several instrumental methods—transmission and fluorescence spectroscopy, ICP-MS spectrometry, and assays for the assessment of antioxidant activities were used for the characterization of water-ethanolic extracts from the leaves of Sempervivum tectorum L. with different polarities (ethanol content in the extracts varied between 10% and 95%). The highest total phenolic content was found in the 50% ethanol extract—0.84 ± 0.08 mg GAE/mL. Furthermore, this extract also possessed the highest antioxidant potential evaluated by DPPH and FRAP assays—7.02 ± 0.71 mM TE/mL and 6.15 ± 0.25 mM TE/mL, respectively. High correlation coefficients were found between the total phenolic contents and the antioxidant activities of water-ethanolic extracts from Sempervivum tectorum L. The same is true for the strong relationship between the phenolic contents and the concentrations of Na and K. Most likely, the bioavailable species of elements such as Fe, Zn, Ca, and Mg are mostly aqueous soluble. For all the studied extracts, the toxic element (As, Cd, Pb, Tl, Hg) contents are very much below the permissible limits for pharmaceutical products. On the contrary, the concentrations of compounds such as β-carotene and chlorophyll increase with the increase in ethanol in the extract. Results from this study may be used for the preliminary prognosis of pharmaceutical applications of extracts from Sempervivum tectorum L.

Anti-inflammatory secondary metabolites from Scrophularia kotschyana

The species belonging to Scrophularia genus grow mainly in Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean regions and have been used as folk remedy for inflammatory-related diseases since ancient times. The present study was aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts of Scrophularia kotschyana as well as the isolated compounds. The aerial parts and the roots of the plant were separately extracted with methanol. Anti-inflammatory activities of both extracts were evaluated with formalin test in mice. As the methanolic extract of the aerial parts significantly ( p < .05) inhibited inflammation, it was then submitted to successive solvent extractions with n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol to yield subextracts. Anti-inflammatory activities of the subextracts were evaluated within the same test system. Among the subextracts tested, the n-butanol subextract produced a significant ( p < .05) anti-inflammatory activity at all doses (5, 10, and 30 mg/kg, ip.). Sequential chromatographic separation of the n-butanol subextract yielded 8-O-acetyl-4′- O-( E)- p-coumaroylharpagide, 8- O-acetyl-4′- O-( Z)- p-coumaroylharpagide, β-sitosterol 3- O-β-glucopyranoside, apigenin 7- O-β-glucopyranoside, apigenin 7- O-rutinoside, luteolin 7- O-β-glucopyranoside and luteolin 7- O-rutinoside. The anti-inflammatory activities of the isolates were evaluated at 5 mg/kg dose. Luteolin 7- O-β-glucopyranoside and apigenin 7- O-rutinoside caused a significant ( p < .05) inhibition of oedema formation.

Efficacy and Safety of the Cudrania tricuspidata Extract on Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Multicenter Study

Cudrania tricuspidata is a folk remedy used to treat inflammation in patients with tumors or liver damage. This study investigated the efficacy of Cudrania tricuspidata extract (CTE) for relieving the symptoms of functional dyspepsia. In an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 100 adults with any condition featured in the Rome IV criteria and a Gastrointestinal Symptoms Scale (GIS) score ≥4 were randomly allocated to take either a placebo (maltodextrin) or a 50 mg CTE tablet, which equally included celluloses, magnesium stearate, and silicon dioxide, twice daily, 20 January 2020, and 3 August 2020. Among the 83 participants finally analyzed, the CTE group was associated with a significant reduction in the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (day 0: 8.0 ± 5.2, day 28: 4.7 ± 3.9, and day 56: 2.3 ± 2.4, p < 0.001, respectively) in comparison with the control group (day 0: 8.1 ± 4.7, day 28: 7.8 ± 5.7, and day 56: 7.5 ± 6.6, p > 0.05) after adjusting for smoking, drinking, eating habits, stress levels, and caffeine intake. The CTE group resulted in significant improvements of GIS, Nepean Dyspepsia Index (Korean version), and functional dyspepsia-related quality of life over time. There were no different adverse events (p = 0.523). These findings suggest that CTE is safe and efficacious for alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia.

Anticancer Activity of Continentalic Acid in B-Cell Lymphoma

Aralia continentalis has been used in Korea as a folk remedy for arthralgia, rheumatism, and inflammation. However, its anti-lymphoma effect remains uncharacterized. Here, we demonstrate that A. continentalis extract and its three diterpenes efficiently kill B-lymphoma cells. Our in vitro and in vivo results suggest that the cytotoxic activities of continentalic acid, a major diterpene from A. continentalis extract, are specific towards cancer cells while leaving normal murine cells and tissues unharmed. Mechanistically, continentalic acid represses the expression of pro-survival Bcl-2 family members, such as Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL. It dissociates the mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to the stimulation of effector caspase 3/7 activities and, ultimately, cell death. Intriguingly, this agent therapeutically synergizes with roflumilast, a pan-PDE4 inhibitor that has been successfully repurposed for the treatment of aggressive B-cell malignancies in recent clinical tests. Our findings unveiled that A. continentalis extract and three of the plant’s diterpenes exhibit anti-cancer activities. We also demonstrate the synergistic inhibitory effect of continentalic acid on the survival of B-lymphoma cells when combined with roflumilast. Taken in conjunction, continentalic acid may hold significant potential for the treatment of B-cell lymphoma.

Finds of Lithospermum Nuts at Archaeological Sites in Ukraine

Lithospermum officinale L. and Buglossoides arvensis (L.) I.M. Johnston [syn. Lithospermum arvense L.] nuts were found among the fossil grains and seeds in the materials of various archaeological cultures of the territory of Ukraine. These finds have attracted the researchers’ attention for their large number, which sometimes reaches tens of thousands. Why were our ancestors interested in these small, unattractive plants? They have neither brightly fragrant flowers, nor edible fruits. The oldest and largest find, more than 40,000 nuts of Lithospermum officinale L., was found in two pots from Trypillia settlement Ozhevo-Ostriv (the last phase of ВІ — В / I stages, Cucuteni A4) dated by the last third of the 5th millennium BC. For what purpose was such a number of nuts collected? In the article there is data on the finds of gromwell nuts in Europe and the reasons for their gathering. There are several of them: the usage of nuts for future crops and preparation of plants roots with red coloring; making beads from nuts; the usage of nuts in herbal medicine as diuretics, anesthetics and as an aphrodisiac. For what purpose was a large number of nuts collected by the residents of Trypillia settlement Ozhevo-Ostriv? The ancient population may have used nuts as a folk remedy and as a dye. However, the laying of vessels with nuts under the platform No. 4 at the Ozhevo-Ostriv settlement did not imply such household usage. Probably, these nuts were collected and placed in vessels for ritual purposes and they should be considered as ritual items. The finds in materials from other archaeological cultures are less numerous. It is possible that gromwell nuts were used as herbal medicine or as a dye. The gromwell nuts are also of interest to modern researchers. Thanks to recent studies by K. Pustovoytov and S. Riehl, the possibility of using biogenic carbonate from the shells of nuts for radiocarbon dating has been established. Thus, the biogenic carbonate of the nut shell is a new source of chronological information. The same researchers established the relationship between the isotopic composition of oxygen from the biogenic carbonate of nuts and climatic conditions.

Diarrhea treatment with raw apples

The treatment of diarrhea with raw apples is an old folk remedy that has been used for many years in Germany by non-physicians (Hessing, Klimsch). Among doctors, Dr. Heissler has been using apples for more than 20 years for diarrhea due to tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands and other etiology.

The Effect of Crude Extract and Fractions of Teucrium polium L. on the Brain, Liver, and Kidney of Male Rats

Background: Teucrium polium (TP) is a medicinal plant with a long history of consumption as a folk remedy for curing many diseases, including diabetes, common cold, obesity, anxiety, etc. Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating the effects of TP crude extracts (TPCE), as well as its diethyl ether (DE) and petroleum ether (PE) fractions, on the brain, kidney, and liver tissue of male rats in the subchronic phase. Methods: In the study, 45 adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups as the PBS (receiving phosphate buffer saline), vehicle (receiving dimethyl sulfoxide), as well as CE, PE, and DE receiving 3 mg/kg (100 µL) TPCE, PE, and DE, respectively, for six weeks. Histopathological examinations by hematoxylin and eosin staining investigated morphological changes in all specimens. Also, the brain samples were stained by the immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique with Ki-67, CD31, p53, Nestin, and GFAP markers. Results: The findings showed that the prolonged consumption of TP caused the formation of histological lesions as apoptosis, degeneration, cytoplasmic vacuolization of neurons, and foamy cells in the brain. The liver, displayed cytoplasmic vacuolization, apoptosis, degeneration, and dilated sinusoids. Moreover, TP led to atrophy, vacuolization, and necrosis in renal cells. IHC studies evidenced an increase in the expression of P53, whereas the expression of Ki67 and CD31 decreased. It should be noted that TP crude extract and fractions were toxic; however, the PE fraction was more cytotoxic than others. Conclusions: The study findings indicated that long-term administration of a sublethal dose of TP impairs cellular integrity in vital orangs, including the liver, brain, and kidney, through triggering the cell death mechanisms.