Sesquiterpenes and polyphenols with glucose-uptake stimulatory and antioxidant activities from the medicinal mushroom Sanghuangporus sanghuang.

A chemical investigation on the fermentation products of Sanghuangporus sanghuang led to the isolation and identification of fourteen secondary metabolites (1-14) including eight sesquiterpenoids (1-8) and six polyphenols (9-14). Compounds 1-3 were sesquiterpenes with new structures which were elucidated based on NMR spectroscopy, high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. All the isolates were tested for their stimulation effects on glucose uptake in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells, and cellular antioxidant activity.

Effect of bovine bone collagen oligopeptides on wound healing in mice.

Impaired wound healing often brings a set of problems in clinical practice. This study aimed to observe the wound healing potential of bovine bone collagen oligopeptides (BCOP) in mice. After an operation, mice in BCOP-treated groups were given intragastric administration of BCOP, while others were administered vehicle.

A Versatile Transcription-Translation in One Approach for Activation of Cryptic Biosynthetic Gene Clusters.

The ever-growing drug resistance problem worldwide highlights the urgency to discover and develop new drugs. Microbial natural products are a prolific source of drugs. Genome sequencing has revealed a tremendous amount of uncharacterized natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoded within microbial genomes, most of which are cryptic or express at very low levels under standard culture conditions.

-Terphenyls and actinomycins from a sp. associated with the larva of mud dauber wasp.

In the course of searching for cytotoxic metabolites from insects associated actinomyces, two new natural -terphenyl glycosides, strepantibin D () and strepantibin E (), along with terferol (), actinomycin D (), actinomycin V () and actinomycin V (), were identified from the fermentation medium of a sp. which was obtained from the larva body of mud dauber wasp. Strepantibin D (), previously reported as a synthetic derivative of terfestatin A, is firstly isolated as a natural -terphenyl in this research.

Cytotoxic, Anti-Migration, and Anti-Invasion Activities on Breast Cancer Cells of Angucycline Glycosides Isolated from a Marine-Derived sp.

Four angucycline glycosides were previously characterized from marine-derived sp. OC1610.4.

Small Molecule Oligopeptides Isolated from Walnut ( L.) and Their Anti-Fatigue Effects in Mice.

Walnut ( L.) is unique for its extensive biological activities and pharmaceutical properties. There are few studies on walnut oligopeptides (WOPs), which are small molecule peptides extracted from walnuts.

Ginseng ( Meyer) Oligopeptides Protect Against Binge Drinking-Induced Liver Damage through Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Rats.

C.A. Meyer (ginseng) is an edible and traditional medicinal herb, which is reported to have a wide range of biological activity and pharmaceutical properties.

Ginseng oligopeptides protect against irradiation-induced immune dysfunction and intestinal injury.

Intestinal injury and immune dysfunction are commonly encountered after irradiation therapy. While the curative abilities of ginseng root have been reported in prior studies, there is little known regarding its role in immunoregulation of intestinal repairability in cancer patients treated with irradiation. Our current study aims to closely examine the protective effects of ginseng-derived small molecule oligopeptides (Panax ginseng C.

Anti-fatigue effects of small-molecule oligopeptides isolated from Panax quinquefolium L. in mice.

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) was reported to have extensive biological activities and pharmaceutical properties. In most of the studies, the anti-fatigue effects of American ginseng are attributed to ginsenoside, and in only a few studies, they have been attributed to oligopeptides.

2-Pyranone and isocoumarin derivatives isolated from the plant pathogenic fungus .

Two new 2-pyranones and two new isocoumarin derivatives, maculanslines A-D (), together with seven known compounds (), were isolated from the plant pathogenic fungus . Their planar structures and absolute configuration were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic techniques including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrum, 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance, as well as electronic circular dichroism. All 11 compounds were tested for their inhibitory activity against -glucosidase.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) oligopeptides regulate innate and adaptive immune responses in mice via increased macrophage phagocytosis capacity, NK cell activity and Th cells secretion.

Traditionally used as a restorative medicine, ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) has been the most widely used and acclaimed herb in Chinese communities for thousands of years. To investigate the immune-modulating activity of ginseng oligopeptides (GOP), 420 healthy female BALB/c mice were intragastrically administered distilled water (control), whey protein (0.15 g per kg body weight (BW)), and GOP 0.

Chemical diversity from the Tibetan Plateau fungi and .

Two new secondary metabolites, kongiilines A and B (), and two asperphenamate derivatives, asperphenamates B and C (-), together with 16 known compounds (--), were isolated from Tibetan Plateau fungi and . This is the first report on asperphenamates B and C as naturally occurring compounds, and that aspterric acid is isolated from for the first time. Their structures were elucidated by different spectroscopic techniques including high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrum, 1D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 2D NMR as well as electronic circular dichroism.

Sea cucumber (Codonopsis pilosula) oligopeptides: immunomodulatory effects based on stimulating Th cells, cytokine secretion and antibody production.

This study aimed to investigate the immunomodulating activity of small molecule oligopeptides from sea cucumber (Codonopsis pilosula) (SOP) in mice. Seven assays were performed to determine the immunomodulatory effects, including splenic lymphocyte proliferation and delayed-type hypersensitivity assays (cell-mediated immunity), IgM antibody response of spleen to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and serum hemolysin level assays (humoral immunity), the carbon clearance assay and the phagocytic capacity of peritoneal cavity phagocytes assay (macrophage phagocytosis), and the NK cell activity assay. Spleen T lymphocyte subpopulations, multiplex sandwich immunoassays of serum cytokine and immunoglobulin levels and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for small intestinal secretory immunoglobulin were performed to study the mechanism by which SOP affects the immune system.

Stucturally Diverse Sesquiterpenes Produced by a Chinese Tibet Fungus Stereum hirsutum and Their Cytotoxic and Immunosuppressant Activities.

Two new heterodimeric sesquiterpenes, sterhirsutins C (1) and D (2), along with eight new sesquiterpenoid derivatives, sterhirsutins E--L (3-10), were isolated from the culture of Stereum hirsutum. The absolute configuration of 1 was assigned by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment. Compounds 1 and 2 possessed an unprecedented chemical skeleton with a 5/5/5/6/9/4 fused ring system.

Sterhirsutins A and B, two new heterodimeric sesquiterpenes with a new skeleton from the culture of Stereum hirsutum collected in Tibet Plateau.

Two new heterodimeric sesquiterpenes, sterhirsutins A (1) and B (2), and two new sesquiterpenes, hirsutic acids D-E (3 and 4), were identified from the culture of Stereum hirsutum. The absolute configurations in 1 and 2 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 are likely biosynthesized from a hirsutane-type sesquiterpene and α-humulene by a hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition.

Cyclohexanone derivatives with cytotoxicity from the fungus Penicillium commune.

Four new cyclohexanone derivatives (2-5) and one known analog, (-)-Palitantin (1) were isolated from the EtOAc extract of Penicillium commune, a fungal strain of low-temperature habitats. The structures of 2-5 were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Furthermore, the absolute configuration of 2 was assigned by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, whereas that 3-5 were deduced via the CD data.

Anti-diabetic and hypolipidemic effects of aqueous-extract from the flower of Inula japonica in alloxan-induced diabetic mice.

The anti-diabetic and hypolipidemic effects of aqueous-extract from the flower of Inula japonica (IJ) and its two fractions (IJR and IJP) were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) of IJ was also performed in normal and diabetic mice. The results showed that IJ (1000 mg/kg), IJR (500 mg/kg) and IJP (250 mg/kg) significantly reduced blood glucose levels in diabetic mice by oral administration (p<0.