Activation of mitochondrial-associated apoptosis signaling pathway and inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway by voacamine suppress breast cancer progression.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest morbidity and mortality rate. Numerous efficient anti-breast cancer drugs are being derived from the development of natural products. Voacamine (VOA), a bisindole alkaloid isolated from Voacanga africana Stapf, possesses various pharmacological and biological activities.

Fish Oil Is More Potent than Flaxseed Oil in Modulating Gut Microbiota and Reducing Trimethylamine--oxide-Exacerbated Atherogenesis.

Trimethylamine--oxide (TMAO) is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. We compared the potency of fish oil with flaxseed oil in reducing TMAO-exacerbated atherogenesis. Five groups of ApoE mice were given one of five diets, namely, a low-fat diet, a Western high fat diet (WD), a WD plus 0.

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis of 32 Chemical Ingredients of a Chinese Patented Drug Sanhuang Tablet.

Sanhuang Tablet (SHT) is a Chinese patented drug commonly used for the treatment of inflammations of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. It contains a special medicinal composition including the single compound berberine hydrochloride, extracts of Scutellariae Radix and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, as well as the powder of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. Despite advances in analytical techniques, quantitative evaluation of a Chinese patented drug like SHT remains a challenge due to the complexity of its chemical profile.

[Chemical variation in Aurantii Fructus before and after processing based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS].

To explore the processing mechanism of Aurantii Fructus decoction pieces used in Guangdong province and Hong Kong by analysing the chemical variation between raw and processed Aurantii Fructus with different methods based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The total ion chromatograms detected in positive and negative ion modes, and ion peak area ratio before and after processing were taken as variation indexes in the comparison. The results indicated that fermented Aurantii Fructus could produce three new ingredients, namely eriodictyol-7-glucoside, hesperetin-7-O-glucoside and 5-demethylnobiletin.

Comprehensive quantitative analysis of Chinese patent drug YinHuang drop pill by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry.

YinHuang drop pill (YHDP) is a new preparation, derived from the traditional YinHuang (YH) decoction. Since drop pills are one of the newly developed forms of Chinese patent drugs, not much research has been done regarding the quality and efficacy. This study aims to establish a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the chemical profile of YHDP.

Simultaneous determination of ten compounds in rat plasma by UPLC-MS/MS: Application in the pharmacokinetic study of Ma-Zi-Ren-Wan.

Ma-Zi-Ren-Wan (MZRW) is a classic Chinese formula which has been used to treat human constipation in China for over 2000 years. In order to make good and rational use of this formula in the future, this paper presents the first attempt to track the pharmacokinetic features of MZRW in rat using rapid and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Ten chemical components of MZRW, namely, rhein, emodin, aloe emodin, hesperidin, naringin, amygdalin, albiflorin, paeoniflorin, magnolol and honokiol, were simultaneously determined in rat plasma after a single oral administration (10g/kg body weight) of MZRW to rats.

Unconjugated bilirubin mediates heme oxygenase-1-induced vascular benefits in diabetic mice.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) exerts vasoprotective effects. Such benefit in diabetic vasculopathy, however, remains unclear. We hypothesize that bilirubin mediates HO-1-induced vascular benefits in diabetes.

Comprehensive quantitative analysis of Shuang-Huang-Lian oral liquid using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS and HPLC-ELSD.

Shuang-Huang-Lian oral liquid (SHL) is a well-known Chinese patent drug containing three herbal medicines: Radix Scutellariae, Flos Lonicerae Japonicae and Fructus Forsythiae. It is usually used to treat acute upper respiratory tract infection caused by virus or bacteria. Although the licensing of botanical drug Veregen approved by FDA has indicated the importance of quantitative analysis in quality control of herbal medicines, quantitative evaluation of a Chinese patent drug like SHL remains a challenge due to the complex chemical profile.

Histochemical evaluation of alkaloids in rhizome of Coptis chinensis using laser microdissection and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Traditional macroscopic and microscopic identification methods of medicinal materials are economical and practical, but usually experience-based due to few chemical supports. Here histochemical evaluation on bioactive components of Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) in anatomic sections using laser microdissection and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LMD-LC-MS) was developed to correlate the inner quality and outer features of materials from different growing areas. Results of a total 33 peaks representing potential different alkaloids were detected and 8 common peaks were identified as the major alkaloids, namely magnoflorine, thalifendine, columbamine, epiberberine, jatrorrhizine, coptisine, palmatine, and berberine.

Cyclooxygenase-2-dependent oxidative stress mediates palmitate-induced impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxations in mouse arteries.

Palmitic acid, one of the saturated free fatty acids, impairs cardiovascular function as manifested by inducing vascular inflammation, apoptosis and over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) although the origin for ROS remains unclear. The present study investigated the cellular mechanisms underlying palmitate-induced impairment of endothelial function. Ex vivo treatment in tissue culture with palmitate concentration-dependently attenuated acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxations, up-regulated the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and elevated superoxide formation in mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs) measured by dihydroethidium (DHE) staining and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy.

A novel and rapid HPGPC-based strategy for quality control of saccharide-dominant herbal materials: Dendrobium officinale, a case study.

Qualitative and quantitative characterization of natural saccharides, especially polysaccharides, in herb materials remains a challenge due to their complicated structures and high macromolecular masses. Currently available methods involve time-consuming and complicated operations, and present poor specificity. Here, a novel and rapid high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC)-based approach is described for quality assessment of saccharide-dominant herbal materials by simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of saccharide components.

Mass spectrometric studies on effects of counter ions of TMPyP4 on binding to human telomeric DNA and RNA G-quadruplexes.

A comparative study on human telomeric DNA G-quadruplex binding of meso-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP4) between its two salt forms, i.e., tetratosylate and tetrachloride, was conducted by using ESI-TOF-MS, UV-melting measurement, and molecular modeling methods.

Tissue-specific metabolite profiling of Cyperus rotundus L. rhizomes and (+)-nootkatone quantitation by laser microdissection, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques.

Cyperus rotundus L. is a plant species commonly found in both India and China. The caused destruction of this plant is of critical concern for agricultural produce.

Structural diversity requires individual optimization of ethanol concentration in polysaccharide precipitation.

Ethanol precipitation is one of the most widely used methods for preparing natural polysaccharides, in which ethanol concentration significantly affects the precipitate yield, however, is usually set at 70-80%. Whether the standardization of ethanol concentration is appropriate has not been investigated. In the present study, the precipitation yields produced in varied ethanol concentrations (10-90%) were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated by HPGPC (high-performance gel-permeation chromatography), using two series of standard glucans, namely dextrans and pullulans, as reference samples, and then eight natural samples.

Transformation of ginsenosides from notoginseng by artificial gastric juice can increase cytotoxicity toward cancer cells.

Multicomponent metabolic profile of notoginseng saponins in artificial gastric juice was qualitatively and quantitatively investigated, showing that ginsenosides were transformed via multiple pathways including deglycosylation, dehydration, hydration, and oxygenation. A total of 83 metabolites was identified by using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, among which 16 new dammarane glycosides were further characterized by comparing with synthesized authentic compounds. Transformation time-course of notoginseng saponins in artificial gastric juice was quantitatively measured for the first time, showing rapid degradation of primary ginsenosides and concomitant formation of deglycosylation, hydration, and dehydration products.

Quality evaluation of commercial Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang based on simultaneous determination of fourteen major chemical constituents using high performance liquid chromatography.

Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang (HLJDT), comprising Coptidis Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, Phellodendri Cortex and Gardeniae Fructus, is one of the commonly used Chinese medicine formulas for clearing heat and detoxifying. Quality control of the herbal complex like Chinese medicine formulas still remains a challenge. The successful approval of botanical drug Veregen by FDA indicated the importance of quantitative analysis in quality control of herbal medicines.

Aminoglycosylation can enhance the G-quadruplex binding activity of epigallocatechin.

With the aim of enhancing G-quadruplex binding activity, two new glucosaminosides (16, 18) of penta-methylated epigallocatechin were synthesized by chemical glycosylation. Subsequent ESI-TOF-MS analysis demonstrated that these two glucosaminoside derivatives exhibit much stronger binding activity to human telomeric DNA and RNA G-quadruplexes than their parent structure (i.e.

A cellular lipidomic study on the Aβ-induced neurotoxicity and neuroprotective effects of EGCG by using UPLC/MS-based glycerolipids profiling and multivariate analysis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular lipid metabolism associated with β-amyloid peptide (Aβ)-induced neurotoxicity as well as the neuroprotective effect of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major polyphenol in green tea. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)-based lipidomic approach was developed to screen and identify changes of the glycerolipids (GL) upon Aβ treatment with or without the presence of EGCG in PC12 cells. Principle component analysis (PCA) showed that the Aβ-treated group was well separated from the control group, whereas the EGCG group was closer to the control group.

Paeoniflorin reduced acute toxicity of aconitine in rats is associated with the pharmacokinetic alteration of aconitine.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: To investigate the influence of paeoniflorin (major bioactive component of Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) on the pharmacokinetic behavior of aconitine (major toxic and bioactive component of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx.) and potential detoxifying effect of paeoniflorin on the acute toxicity of aconitine, which may provide in depth understanding to the toxicity reduction effect of Paeonia lactiflora to Aconitum carmichaeli.

Quantitative comparison of ginsenosides and polyacetylenes in wild and cultivated American ginseng.

Quantitative comparison of seven ginsenosides in wild and cultivated American ginseng revealed that the Rg(1)/Rd ratio presented a significantly large difference between cultivated and type-I (one of the defined chemotypes) wild American ginseng, facilitating this ratio as a characteristic marker for differentiating these two groups. Similarly, the ratio (Rg(1)+Re)/Rd, and the ratio of protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type ginsenosides to protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type ginsenosides showed a large difference between these two groups. On the other hand, type-II wild samples were found to have high Rg(1)/Rb(1) and Rg(1)/Re ratios and low panaxydol/panaxynol ratio, which is entirely different from Type-I American ginseng, but is very similar to that of Asian ginseng.

Soy leaf lowers the ratio of non-HDL to HDL cholesterol in hamsters.

The present study was to examine effect of soy leaf powder (SLP) and soy leaf ethanol extract (SLEE) on serum lipoproteins in hamsters. The control group was fed a semisynthetic diet containing 0.1% cholesterol, while the tested groups were maintained on the same diet but supplemented with 3% SLP or the equivalent amount of SLEE derived from 3% SLP for 4 weeks.

Difference in flavonoid and isoflavone profile between soybean and soy leaf.

The present study was to compare the flavonoid profile between soybean and soy leaves. Soybean was most abundant in malonyl-genistin followed by malonyl-daidzin, genistin, daidzin, genistein and daidzein in a decreasing order. In contrast, soy leaves contained only trace amounts of malonyl-genistin and genistin, but they had the six unknown flavonoids that were absent in soybean.

Vascular effects of a soy leaves (Glycine max) extract and kaempferol glycosides in isolated rat carotid arteries.

We have recently purified genistin, and six kaempferol glycosides from a soy leaves ( Glycine max L. Merr.) butanol extract.