Tricin-enriched ameliorates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through AMPK-dependent pathways.

This study aimed to identify and elucidate the mechanism underlying the protective effect of tricin-enriched ) extract (ETZL) against free fatty acid (FFA)-induced lipid accumulation in vitro and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-fat diet and fructose diet (HFD/F) in vivo. ETZL treatment significantly lowered body weight gain and decreased adipose tissue, lipid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in HFD/F-fed mice. ETZL acted on phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and anti-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) by activating the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and inhibiting sterol regulatory element-binding proteins-1 (SREBP)/fatty acid synthase (FAS) signaling to inhibit de novo adipogenesis and increase fatty acid oxidation.

Effects of Extract (Brainon) on Aging-Induced Memory Impairment in SAMP8 Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a worldwide problem. Currently, there are no effective drugs for AD treatment. Miquel (SB) is a traditional herbal medicine used in Korea to treat various diseases.

Two-qubit atomic gates: spatio-temporal control of Rydberg interaction.

By controlling the temporal and spatial features of light, we propose a novel protocol to prepare two-qubit entangling gates on atoms trapped at close distance, which could potentially speed up the operation of the gate from the sub-micro to the nanosecond scale. The protocol is robust to variations in the pulse areas and the position of the atoms, by virtue of the coherent properties of a dark state, which is used to drive the population through Rydberg states. From the time-domain perspective, the protocol generalizes the one proposed by Jaksch and coworkers [Jaksch , , 2000, , 2208], with three pulses that operate symmetrically in time, but with different pulse areas.

Circularly polarized light-induced potentials and the demise of excited states.

In the presence of strong electric fields, the excited states of single-electron molecules and molecules with large transient dipoles become unstable because of anti-alignment, the rotation of the molecular axis perpendicular to the field vector, where bond hardening is not possible. We show how to overcome this problem by using circularly polarized electromagnetic fields. Using a full quantum description of the electronic, vibrational, and rotational degrees of freedom, we characterize the excited electronic state dressed by the field and analyze its dependence on the bond length and angle and the stability of its vibro-rotational eigenstates.

Enzyme-Treated Extract Protects against Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury by Regulating the NRF2 Pathway.

Binge drinking patterns easily produce a state of oxidative stress that disturbs liver function. Eventually, this leads to alcoholic liver disease. A safe and effective therapy for alcoholic liver disease remains elusive.

Curcubinoyl flavonoids from wild ginseng adventitious root cultures.

Wild ginseng (Panax ginseng) adventitious root cultures were prepared by elicitation using methyl jasmonate and investigated further to find new secondary metabolites. Chromatographic fractionation of wild ginseng adventitious root cultures led to the isolation of eleven compounds. The chemical structures of isolated compounds were identified as four known flavanone derivatives (1-4), one new curcubinoyl derivative, jasmogin A (5) and six new curcubinoyl-flavanone conjugates, jasmoflagins A-F (6-11) by extensive spectroscopic analysis.

Extract (HP01) Improves Blood Circulation and Lipid Metabolism in Hyperlipidemic Rats.

Excessive intake of high-lipid foods and lifestyle changes can easily cause hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia is clinically considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the second leading cause of death worldwide. In this study, the effects of a extract (HP01) on coagulation, platelet aggregation, and lipid metabolism were investigated in hyperlipidemic rats.

SGL 121 Attenuates Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease through Adjusting Lipid Metabolism Through AMPK Signaling Pathway.

A ginsenoside F2-enhanced mixture (SGL 121) increases the content of ginsenoside F2 by biotransformation. In the present study, we investigated the effect of SGL 121 on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in vitro and in vivo. High-fat, high-carbohydrate-diet (HFHC)-fed mice were administered SGL 121 for 12 weeks to assess its effect on improving NAFLD.

Effect of echinalkamide identified from Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench on the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption.

Plant cell cultures have been exploited to provide stable production and new secondary metabolites for better pharmacological activity. Fractionation of adventitious root cultures of Echinacea purpurea resulted in the isolation of eleven constituents, including three new compounds. The structures of the three new compounds were determined to be an alkylamide (1), a polyacetylene (2) and a lignan (3) on the basis of combined spectroscopic analysis.

Neobavaisoflavone Inhibits Melanogenesis through the Regulation of Akt/GSK-3β and MEK/ERK Pathways in B16F10 Cells and a Reconstructed Human 3D Skin Model.

Previous studies have confirmed the anti-melanogenic effect of the aerial part of , however, due to its inherent color, has limited commercial use. In this study, an extract (GALM-DC) of the aerial part of having improved color by the use of activated carbon was obtained. Furthermore, the active compound neobavaisoflavone (NBI) was identified from GALM-DC.

Control defeasance by anti-alignment in the excited state.

We predict anti-alignment dynamics in the excited state of H or related homonuclear dimers in the presence of a strong field. This effect is a general indirect outcome of the strong transition dipole and large polarizabilities typically used to control or to induce alignment in the ground state. In the excited state, however, the polarizabilities have the opposite sign compared to those in the ground state, generating a torque that aligns the molecule perpendicular to the field, deeming any laser-control strategy impossible.

Grid-Based Ehrenfest Model To Study Electron-Nuclear Processes.

The two-dimensional electron-nuclear Schrödinger equation using soft-core Coulomb potentials has been a cornerstone for modeling and predicting the behavior of one-active-electron diatomic molecules, particularly for processes where both bound and continuum states are important. The model, however, is computationally expensive to extend to more electron or nuclear coordinates. Here we propose use of the Ehrenfest approach to treat the nuclear motion, while the electronic motion is still solved by quantum propagation on a grid.

Evaluation of estrogenic potential by herbal formula, HPC 03 for and .

HPC 03 is herbal formula that consists of extracts from , Makino and Presl. The present study evaluated the estrogenic potential of HPC 03 by using and models. The regulatory mechanisms of HPC 03 in estrogen-dependent MCF-7 cells were assessed.

Geometrical Optimization Approach to Isomerization: Models and Limitations.

We study laser-driven isomerization reactions through an excited electronic state using the recently developed Geometrical Optimization procedure. Our goal is to analyze whether an initial wave packet in the ground state, with optimized amplitudes and phases, can be used to enhance the yield of the reaction at faster rates, driven by a single picosecond pulse or a pair of femtosecond pulses resonant with the electronic transition. We show that the symmetry of the system imposes limitations in the optimization procedure, such that the method rediscovers the pump-dump mechanism.

Fraxin Prevents Chemically Induced Hepatotoxicity by Reducing Oxidative Stress.

Fraxin isolated from is reported to exert potent anti-oxidative stress action. However, pharmacological activities of fraxin remain to be elucidated. This study investigated the potential hepatoprotective effects of fraxin and the underlying signaling mechanism involved.

Potential of the Cnidium monnieri fruits as an immune enhancer in Escherichia coli infection model.

Objectives: The Cnidium monnieri fruits (CMF) were studied how they act on immune system as a novel immunostimulator against the infectious disease.

Methods: Macrophages were treated with CMF, and nitric oxide (NO) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured, and phagocytosis of macrophages was detected using FITC-labelled Escherichia coli. The protective effect of CMF against E.

Nonresonant electronic transitions induced by vibrational motion in light-induced potentials.

We find a new mechanism of electronic population inversion using strong femtosecond pulses, where the transfer is mediated by vibrational motion on a light-induced potential. The process can be achieved with a single pulse tuning its frequency to the red of the Franck-Condon window. We show the determinant role that the gradient of the transition dipole moment can play on the dynamics, and extend the method to multiphoton processes with odd number of pulses.

Protecting and accelerating adiabatic passage with time-delayed pulse sequences.

Using numerical simulations of two-photon electronic absorption with femtosecond pulses in Na2 we show that: (i) it is possible to avoid the characteristic saturation or dumped Rabi oscillations in the yield of absorption by time-delaying the laser pulses; (ii) it is possible to accelerate the onset of adiabatic passage by using the vibrational coherence starting in a wave packet; and (iii) it is possible to prepare the initial wave packet in order to achieve full state-selective transitions with broadband pulses. The findings can be used, for instance, to achieve ultrafast adiabatic passage by light-induced potentials and understand its intrinsic robustness.

Nonclinical Safety Assessment of Morus alba L. Fruits: Study of 90-D Toxicity in Sprague Dawley Rats and Genotoxicity in Salmonella.

Morus alba L. is a traditional herb with a long history of consumption, both as an edible fruit and as medicine. However, its safety evaluation has not yet been established.

Protective activity of kudzu (Pueraria thunbergiana) vine on chemically-induced hepatotoxicity: in vitro and in vivo studies.

Background: Kudzu (Pueraria thunbergiana) root has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, the vine of the kudzu plant has been considered waste material. This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective properties of the kudzu vine.

State-Selective Excitation of Quantum Systems via Geometrical Optimization.

We lay out the foundations of a general method of quantum control via geometrical optimization. We apply the method to state-selective population transfer using ultrashort transform-limited pulses between manifolds of levels that may represent, e.g.

Improved Chemotherapeutic Activity by Morus alba Fruits through Immune Response of Toll-Like Receptor 4.

Morus alba L. fruits have long been used in traditional medicine by many cultures. Their medicinal attributes include cardiovascular, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory actions.

Ultrafast Population Inversion without the Strong Field Catch: The Parallel Transfer.

Quantum systems with sublevel structures, like molecules, prevent full population inversion from one manifold of sublevels to the other using ultrafast resonant pulses. We explain the mechanism by which this population transfer is blocked. We then develop a novel concept of geometric control, assuming full or partial coherent manipulation within the manifolds, and show that by preparing specific coherent superpositions in the initial manifold, full population inversion or full population blockade, that is, laser transparency, can be achieved.

"Stirred, Not Shaken": Vibrational Coherence Can Speed Up Electronic Absorption.

We have recently proposed a laser control scheme for ultrafast absorption in multilevel systems by parallel transfer (J. Phys. Chem.

Pyrrole alkaloids from the fruits of Morus alba.

Phytochemical investigation of the fruits of Morus alba afforded seventeen pyrrole alkaloids including five new compounds. The structures of five new pyrrole alkaloids, named morroles B-F (4, 5, 7, 16 and 17), were determined on the basis of spectroscopic interpretations. 4-[Formyl-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanoate (2) was synthesized by chemical reaction but first isolated from nature.