Updates and advances on pharmacological properties of Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz and its potential applications.

As a well-recognized dietary and medicinal plant, Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz (TMHM) has been used for making wines, candies, energy drinks, and other functional foods. The TMHM contains a diverse range of active phytoconstituents, including flavonoids, triterpenoids, phenolic acids, sesquiterpene lactones, pigments, coumarins and sterols.

Luteolin decreases the attachment, invasion and cytotoxicity of UPEC in bladder epithelial cells and inhibits UPEC biofilm formation.

Urinary tract infection (UTI), primarily caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. Emerging antibiotic resistance requires novel treatment strategies. Luteolin, a dietary polyphenolic flavonoid, has been confirmed as a potential antimicrobial agent.

[The effect of compressive stress on the factors for liver regeneration in hepatocytes Chang cell line].

Objective: To investigate the effect of compressive stress on the factors for liver regeneration including NF-kappaB, signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STATS), c-fos and c-jun in hepatocytes Chang cell line.

Methods: Human hepatocytes Chang cell line were subjected to compressive stress at 1000 microstain or 2000 microstain, expression of NF-kappaB P65, p-STAT3, c-fos and c-jun were detected by Western blot or RT-PCR at 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 6 h after application of compressive stress to indicate the priming of hepatocytes proliferation.

Results: Enhanced expressions of NF-kappaB P65 and p-STAT3 were observed in hepatocytes under compressive stress indicated by Western blot, the magnitude of compressive stress loaded significantly affected the level of expression of NF-kappaB P65 at 2 h (P = 0.