Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) using sludge from different wastewater treatment processes and the potential for medical and pharmaceutical applications.

In this study, seven strains of bacteria with polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)-producing ability (i.e. Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus pumilus, Pseudomona huttiensis, Yersinia frederiksenii, Aeromonas ichthiosmia, and Sphingopyxis terrae) were isolated from various waste treatment plants in Hong Kong.

Cortex Fraxini (Qingpi) Protects Rat Pheochromocytoma Cells against 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Apoptosis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder having close relationship with oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cortex Fraxini (QP) is a kind of traditional Chinese medicinal herb with antioxidant properties. It may be a potential candidate for preventing the development of chronic neurodegenerative diseases.

Emodin elicits cytotoxicity in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells through inducing apoptosis.

This study investigated the mechanism of the cytotoxic effect of emodin, an active anthraquinone, on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. In vitro growth inhibition and suppression on colony forming were used to evaluate the effects of emodin on A549 cells. Emodin's ability in changing the expressions of apoptosis-related genes was studied by real-time RT-PCR.

Emodin induces cytotoxic effect in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cell through modulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes.

Context: The poor prognostic outcome of breast cancer is largely due to its resistance to cancer therapies. Development of therapeutic agents that can inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells can help solve the problem. Emodin is an active anthraquinone that has been reported to have diverse biological effects.

Neuroprotective effects of luteolin against apoptosis induced by 6-hydroxydopamine on rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells.

Context: Apoptotic neuronal cell death plays an important role in Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Luteolin, a flavonoid, has been shown to possess various pharmacological properties including strong antioxidant capacity.

Objective: This study investigated the neuroprotective effect of luteolin against cytotoxicity induced by 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) (250 µM) in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell line.

Chlorogenic acid exhibits cholesterol lowering and fatty liver attenuating properties by up-regulating the gene expression of PPAR-α in hypercholesterolemic rats induced with a high-cholesterol diet.

Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Natural compounds have been proved to be useful in lowering serum cholesterol to slow down the progression of cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In the present study, the hypocholesterolemic and hepatoprotective effects of the dietary consumption of chlorogenic acid were investigated by monitoring plasma lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein) in Sprague-Dawley rats fed with a normal diet, a high-cholesterol diet or a high-cholesterol diet supplemented with chlorogenic acid (1 or 10 mg/kg/day p.

A review of the anticancer and immunomodulatory effects of Lycium barbarum fruit.

The anticancer effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have attracted the attention of the public vis-à-vis existing cancer therapies with various side effects. Lycium barbarum fruit, commonly known as Gou Qi Zi in China, is a potential anticancer agent/adjuvant. Its major active ingredients, L.

Isolation and identification of a new tetrodotoxin-producing bacterial species, Raoultella terrigena, from Hong Kong marine puffer fish Takifugu niphobles.

Puffer fish, Takifugu niphobles, collected from the Hong Kong coastal waters were screened for tetrodotoxin-producing bacteria. A Gram-negative, non-acid-fast, non-sporing and rod shaped bacterial strain (designated as gutB01) was isolated from the intestine of the puffer fish and was shown to produce tetrodotoxin (TTX). Based on the Microbial Identification (MIDI) and 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) phylogenetic analysis, the strain was identified as Raoultella terrigena.

A review of the pharmacological effects of Arctium lappa (burdock).

Arctium lappa, commonly known as burdock, is being promoted/recommended as a healthy and nutritive food in Chinese societies. Burdock has been used therapeutically in Europe, North America and Asia for hundreds of years. The roots, seeds and leaves of burdock have been investigated in view of its popular uses in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Evaluation of anti-oxidant capacity of root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, in comparison with roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb and Panax ginseng CA Meyer.

In Chinese communities, regular consumption of Chinese-medicated diets (CMD) (usually in the form of soup) is a traditional practice to promote health and prevent disease development. The overall improvement of health conditions is believed to be correlated with the anti-oxidant potentials of these herbs. Huangqin, roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Lamiaceae), is one of the herbs commonly used in CMD.

Rapid screening of tetrodotoxin in urine and plasma of patients with puffer fish poisoning by HPLC with creatinine correction.

A rapid and simple detection method for tetrodotoxin (TTX) in urine and plasma of patients with puffer fish poisoning was developed using commercially pre-packed solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges (C18 and weak cation exchange columns) and subsequent analyses by HPLC with UV detection. The detection limit of the standard TTX, TTX-spiked urine and plasma samples were all 10 ng/ml and the average TTX recovery in urine and plasma samples after SPE were 90.3 +/- 4.

Water extract of Rheum officinale Baill. induces apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 and human breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Rheum officinale Baill. (Da Huang) is one of the herbs commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine formulae against cancer. The traditional decoction is similar to the water extract used in the present study.

Two novel species of tetrodotoxin-producing bacteria isolated from toxic marine puffer fishes.

Out of eight dominant discrete bacterial colonies isolated and purified from the toxic marine puffer fishes collected in Hong Kong waters, two novel species of non-sporing, non-acid-fast and chemoorganotrophic bacteria capable of producing tetrodotoxin (TTX, a potent non-protein neurotoxin), as well as one previously reported and confirmed TTX-producing bacterium. They were identified as Microbacterium arabinogalactanolyticum, Serratia marcescens and Vibrio alginolyticus, respectively, all of which are widely distributed in soils, sewage or marine environments. Each bacterial isolate (500 ml broth medium cultured in darkness without aeration for 10 days at 25 degrees C) could produce an amount of toxicity, after extraction and purification, ranging from 78.

Sphaerotilus natans isolated from activated sludge and its production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate).

Sphaerotilus natans is a sheathed bacterium existing in the activated sludge of wastewater treatment plants. It is one of the filamentous bacteria causing the bulking and foaming difficulties of activated sludge. Isolating the strain and culturing it in an axenic environment could not only provide the metabolic knowledge of the strains that would be useful in the development of wastewater treatment methods, but also could enable us to gain an understanding of the mechanism by which poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (poly[3-HB-co-3-HV]) is produced by this strain.

The annual toxicological profiles of two common puffer fish, Takifugu niphobles (Jordan and Snyder) and Takifugu alboplumbeus (Richardson), collected along Hong Kong coastal waters.

The toxicological profiles of two local common puffer fish, Takifugu niphobles (Jordan and Snyder) and Takifugu alboplumbeus (Richardson), collected in Hong Kong waters were investigated continuously for 14 months (June 1997-August 1998). Their annual spawning seasons (as evident by the enlargement of gonads and presence of eggs in the ovary) were found to be from October to February (four consecutive months) and December to February (two consecutive months), respectively. The toxicities of their internal organs were determined by standard mouse bioassay and expressed in terms of mouse units (MU).