Health Benefits of Monk Fruit under Traditional Dietary Patterns: Perspective on Immunity and Gut Microbiota Modulatory Functions.

Monk fruit is the mature fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (SG), which contains mogrosides and various nutrients with diverse benefits as a traditional edible herb. The immunomodulatory effects of the ingredients of monk fruit in daily diets are poorly understood.

Effects of fully immersive virtual reality training on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prodromal stage of dementia. There is no specific medication to slow the progression of MCI. Recent studies have confirmed the positive effects of virtual reality (VR).

Integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology to explore the clinical efficacy and mechanism of Yinchenhao decoction combined with nucleoside analogues on chronic hepatitis B.

Yinchenhao decoction (YCHD) is widely used in the treatment of damp-heat syndrome of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but it remains unclear about the active compounds in YCHD and its potential mechanism for treating CHB. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of YCHD combined with nucleoside analogues (NAs) for the treatment of CHB. Besides, based on the exact clinical efficacy, we combined serum metabolomics and network pharmacology to screen differential metabolites and related pathways regulated by YCHD to investigate the possible mechanism for treating CHB.

Network pharmacology and experimental verification to explore the anti-inflammatory activities of triterpenoids from .

(Swingle) C. Jeffrey (SG), a Chinese medicinal plant, exhibits promising anti-inflammatory properties. Based on previous reports, aglycone and mogrosides bearing lesser glucosyl groups may contribute to the bioactivity of SG .

A cuproptosis-related lncRNAs signature predicts prognosis and reveals pivotal interactions between immune cells in colon cancer.

Copper-mediated cell death presents distinct pathways from established apoptosis processes, suggesting alternative therapeutic approaches for colon cancer. Our research aims to develop a predictive framework utilizing long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) related to cuproptosis to predict colon cancer outcomes while examining immune interactions and intercellular signaling. We obtained colon cancer-related human mRNA expression profiles and clinical information from the Cancer Genome Atlas repository.

Synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity of mogrol derivatives modified at C site.

Mogrol, the aglycone of well-known sweeter mogrosides, shows potent anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, forty-two mogrol derivatives bearing various pharmacophores with oxygen or nitrogen atoms were designed and synthesized via structural modification at C site, and their anti-inflammatory activity were screened against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells.

Enhancing vitamin D bioaccessibility: Unveiling hydrophobic interactions in soybean protein isolate and vitamin D binding via an infant in vitro digestion model.

In the domain of infant nutrition, optimizing the absorption of crucial nutrients such as vitamin D (VD) is paramount. This study harnessed dynamic-high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) on soybean protein isolate (SPI) to engineer SPI-VD nanoparticles for fortifying yogurt. Characterized by notable binding affinity (K = 0.

and as potential diagnostic biomarkers for HBV-induced liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.

Background: The main cause of the liver fibrosis (LF) remains hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, especially in China. Histologically, liver fibrosis still occurs progressively in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, even if HBV-DNA is negative or undetectable. The diagnosis of LF is beneficial to control the development of it, also it may promote the reversal of LF.

Metabolism of Two Mogroside Isomers, Mogroside III and Mogroside IIIE, in Normal and Drug-Metabolizing Enzyme-Induced Rats.

Mogrosides III () and IIIE () are two important bioactive cucurbitane-type triterpenoid triglycosides in the edible fruits of (Swingle), which are isomers and have only a minor difference in their structures. To clarify the effects of structural difference and drug-metabolizing-enzyme induction on their metabolism in vivo, their metabolites in normal rats and drug-metabolizing-enzyme-induced rats were tentatively identified and semiquantified by using the HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MS technique. Totally, 76, 78, 96, and 121 metabolites of mogrosides were identified in the NIII (normal rats orally administered with mogroside III), NIIIE (normal rats orally administered with mogroside IIIE), EIII (drug-metabolizing-enzyme-induced rats orally administered with mogroside III), and EIIIE (drug-metabolizing-enzyme-induced rats orally administered with mogroside IIIE) groups, respectively.

The Triterpenoids from and Their Anti-Proliferative Effects.

Six new tirucallane-type triterpenoids, named munropenes A-F (-), were extracted from the whole plants of using a water extraction method. Their chemical structures were determined based on detailed spectroscopic data. The relative configurations of the acyclic structures at C-17 of munropenes A-F (-) were established using carbon-proton spin-coupling constants () and inter-proton spin-coupling constants ().

Identification and Isolation of α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Roots Using Bio-Affinity Ultrafiltration and Comprehensive Chromatography.

The discovery of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants has played a crucial role in drug discovery. In this study, a simple and efficient method utilizing affinity-based ultrafiltration (UF) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the rapid screening and targeted separation of α-glucosidase inhibitors from roots. First, an active fraction of roots (SGR2) was prepared, and 17 potential α-glucosidase inhibitors were identified based on UF-HPLC analysis.

Lindenane-Type Sesquiterpene Dimers Mitigate Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation by Inhibiting Toll-Like Receptor Signaling.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and trigger an inflammatory response via the myeloid differential factor 88 (MyD88)-dependent and toll-interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF)-dependent pathways. Lindenane type sesquiterpene dimers (LSDs) are characteristic metabolites of plants belonging to the genus Sarcandra (Chloranthaceae). The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory effects of the LSDs shizukaol D (1) and sarcandrolide E (2) on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.

Stroke and the risk of gastrointestinal disorders: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The issue of whether a stroke is causally related to gastrointestinal disorders was still not satisfactorily understood. Therefore, we investigated if there is a connection between stroke and the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders, including peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: We applied two-sample Mendelian randomization to investigate relationships with gastrointestinal disorders.

The spleen-strengthening and liver-draining herbal formula treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by regulation of intestinal flora in clinical trial.

Objective: As a metabolic disease, one important feature of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the disturbance of the intestinal flora. Spleen-strengthening and liver-draining formula (SLF) is a formula formed according to the theory of "One Qi Circulation" (Qing Dynasty, 1749) of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which has shown significant therapeutic effect in patients with NAFLD in a preliminary clinical observation. In this study, we aim to explore the mechanism of SLF against NAFLD, especially its effect on glucolipid metabolism, from the perspective of intestinal flora.

Design and synthesis of mogrol derivatives modified on a ring with anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities.

A class of novel mogrol derivatives modified on A ring were synthesized. The screening result showed that indole-fused derivatives exhibited lower toxicity and better anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells model than mogrol and other compounds.

Land Use and Climate Change Altered the Ecological Quality in the Luanhe River Basin.

Monitoring and assessing ecological quality (EQ) can help to understand the status and dynamics of the local ecosystem. Moreover, land use and climate change increase uncertainty in the ecosystem. The Luanhe River Basin (LHRB) is critical to the ecological security of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Identification of a Novel Immune Landscape Signature for Predicting Prognosis and Response of Colon Cancer to Immunotherapy.

Purpose: To construct an immune-related gene prognostic index (IRGPI) for colon cancer and elucidate the molecular and immune characteristics as well as the benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in IRGPI-defined groups of colon cancer.

Experimental Design: Transcriptional and clinical data of colon cancer samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (n = 521). Immune-related genes were obtained from ImmPort and InnateDB databases.

Rhodomollosides A and B, glycosides of methyl everninate from the aerial parts of .

Two new glycosides of methyl everninate, rhodomollosides A () and B (), were isolated from the aerial parts of a medicinal plant . The structures of and were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analyses as well as HPLC analyses for thiazolidine derivatives of their sugar moieties. The sugar moiety of rhodomolloside A () was elucidated to be a rare monosaccharide, D-allose, while rhodomolloside B () was assigned as a D-glucoside of methyl everninate.

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity of Ester Derivatives of Mogrol through JAK2/STAT3 Pathway.

In attempt to enhance the antiproliferative activity of mogrol, two series of ester derivatives modified at C -OH and C -OH were designed and synthesized. The activity against human cancer cells including A549, NCI-H460 and CNE1 was screened by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay. According to the results, modifications of the mogrol core through introduction of different ester scaffolds drastically improved the cytotoxicity, and some of the derivatives exhibited even higher activity than the positive drug.

Synthesis and anti-proliferation activity of mogrol derivatives bearing quinoline and triazole moieties.

A series of novel derivatives based on mogrol were designed and synthesized in attempt to improve anti-lung cancer activity. The cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cells including A549 and NCI-H460 were performed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay in vitro. The screening result showed that compound 8f exhibited the strongest activity with an IC value of 4.

Prolamin-based complexes: Structure design and food-related applications.

Prolamins are a group of safe food additives that are biocompatible, biodegradable, and sustainable. Zein, gliadin, kafirin, and hordein are common prolamins that have been extensively studied, particularly as these form colloidal particles because of their amphiphilic properties. Prolamin-based binary/ternary complexes, which have stable physicochemical properties and superior functionality, are formed by combining prolamins with polysaccharides, polyphenols, water-soluble proteins, and surfactants.

Babao Dan improves neurocognitive function by inhibiting inflammation in clinical minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

Background And Purpose: Inflammation has been considered a precipitating event that contributes to neurocognitive dysfunction in minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). Inhibition TLR-4 related inflammation can effectively improve neurocognitive dysfunction of MHE. Our previous study showed that Babao Dan (BBD) effectively inhibited inflammation and ameliorated neurocognitive function in rats with acute hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and chronic HE.

Fabrication of Composite Structures of Lysozyme Fibril-Zein using Antisolvent Precipitation: Effects of Blending and pH Adjustment Sequences.

Antisolvent precipitation is a widely used method to fabricate prolamin-based composites. In the present study, composite structures of lysozyme amyloid fibrils with zein proteins were fabricated using the antisolvent precipitation method by applying different blending and pH adjustment sequences. Globular prolamins were bound to the amyloid fibrils to combine their respective advantages.

Fabrication, Characterization, and Formation Mechanism of Zein-Gum Arabic Nanocomposites in Aqueous Ethanol Solution with a High Ethanol Content.

The antisolvent precipitation method is widely applied to produce zein colloidal particles. The process involves dissolving zein in 55-90% (v/v) alcohol/water mixtures and then shearing such solutions into deionized water to lower the ethanol content. In the present work, on the basis of the preliminary result that gum arabic (GA) was able to well disperse in 70% (v/v) alcohol/water mixtures, a new way was created to produce zein-GA nanocomposites by simply mixing their aqueous alcohol solution with a high alcohol level of 70% (v/v) at pH 8.