Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Agents in Endophytic Fungi and Their Abundance in Tissue.

Coronavirus disease 2019 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therapeutic agents for the disease are being developed. Endophytes are diverse and produce various secondary metabolites and bioactive substances.

Shimanami Leaf Intake Affects Bowel Movement and Intestinal Microbiota in Mice.

The Shimanami Leaf, produced at Innoshima Island in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, is a leafy vegetable that does not require pesticide use and has a high nutritional value. Although the leaf has abundant dietary fiber and other nutrients, reports on its biological regulatory functions are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the effects of Shimanami leaf intake on bowel movement and gut microbiota in mice.

Anthraquinone-containing compound in rhubarb prevents indole production via functional changes in gut microbiota.

Indole is produced from dietary tryptophan by tryptophanase in intestinal bacteria, such as Escherichia coli. In the liver, indole is converted into indoxyl sulfate, a uremic toxin and risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Probiotics and prebiotics are currently used for suppressing CKD, but there are no drugs that directly suppress indole production.

Determination of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Mouse Feces by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Using 2-Nitrophenylhydrazine as a Labeling Reagent.

It has been suggested that imbalances in gut microbiota are related to diseases associated with metabolism, the central nervous system, etc. Therefore, analysis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut microbiota is very important as an indicator of causation, demonstrating the effects on the host due to changes in the gut microbiota. We developed a HPLC method for the determination of SCFAs in mouse feces.

Daiokanzoto (Da-Huang-Gan-Cao-Tang) is an effective laxative in gut microbiota associated with constipation.

Interindividual differences affect the purgative activities of sennoside A (SA) and Daiokanzoto (Da-Huang-Gan-Cao-Tang, DKT). In this study, we manipulated gut microbiota in mice to establish laxative responders and non-responders by feeding them a high-carbohydrate, a high-fat or a high-fibre diet. To assess the relationship between laxatives and gut microbiota, we monitored the gut microbiota before and after administering laxatives.

Rhein 8-O-β-D-Glucopyranoside Elicited the Purgative Action of Daiokanzoto (Da-Huang-Gan-Cao-Tang), Despite Dysbiosis by Ampicillin.

Sennoside A (SA), the main purgative constituent of Daiokanzoto (da-huang-gan-cao-tang; DKT), is generally regarded as a prodrug that is transformed into an active metabolite by β-glucosidase derived from Bifidobacterium spp. It has been suggested that antibiotics would promote dysbiosis, and thereby inhibit the purgative activity of DKT. In this study, ampicillin was administered to mice for 8 d, and the changes in the SA metabolism of SA alone and of DKT were investigated.

The influence of rhein 8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside on the purgative action of sennoside A from rhubarb in mice.

Rhubarb is one of the most well-known herbal medicines that constitute daiokanzoto (DKT), which is clinically effective for constipation. Sennoside A is transformed into an active metabolite, rheinanthrone, by intestinal bacteria. Sennoside A in rhubarb showed significantly accelerated metabolic activity in intestinal bacteria in comparison with sennoside A alone.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination and metabolic study of sennoside a in daiokanzoto by mouse intestinal bacteria.

Daiokanzoto (DKT, combination of rhubarb and glycyrrhiza), a Kampo medicine, is clinically effective for constipation. Sennoside A is well known to induce diarrhea. Sennoside A is a prodrug that is transformed into an active metabolite, rheinanthrone, by intestinal bacteria.

The influence of glycyrrhiza and antibiotics on the purgative action of sennoside a from Daiokanzoto in mice.

Daiokanzoto (DKT), a Kampo medicine that includes the combination of two crude drugs (rhubarb and glycyrrhiza), is clinically effective for constipation. The aim of this study is to clarify the influence of glycyrrhiza, three glycyrrhiza constituents (glycyrrhizin, liquiritin, and liquiritin apioside), and eight antibiotics on the purgative action of DKT, rhubarb, or sennoside A, a constituent of rhubarb, in mice. The purgative actions of rhubarb and sennoside A were significantly intensified when glycyrrhiza was co-administered orally to mice.