Effects of blackcurrant extract on indole and ammonia productions in an human fecal culture model.

Blackcurrant is available as a traditional medicine in Europe. However, the detailed effects of blackcurrant on the human gut microbiota remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the prebiotic effects of a blackcurrant extract using a human fecal culture model in six healthy subjects.

New flavan trimer from Daemonorops draco as osteoclastogenesis inhibitor.

Dragon's blood is a red resin obtained from different plants and is considered highly efficacious and used in medicine owing its wound healing function. Two new compounds (7 and 8) were isolated from the dragon's blood of Daemonorops draco fruits, along with eight known compounds (1-6, 9, and 10). Their structures, including their absolute configurations, were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis.

Identification of Ecdysteroid Sinapate Esters with COX-2 Inhibitory Effects from Using Molecular Networking and MS2LDA.

The roots of are recognized as a rich source of protoberberine and aporphine alkaloids, but the non-alkaloidal metabolites in this plant are underexplored. The present study investigated the chemical composition of the plant roots using untargeted metabolomics-based molecular networking and MS2LDA motif annotation, revealing the presence of a characteristic fragment motif related to several sinapoyl-functionalized metabolites. Guided by the targeted motif, two new sinapic acid-ecdysteroid hybrids, named 3--sinapoyl makisterone A () and 2--sinapoyl makisterone A (), were isolated.

Protein aggregation model to explain the bioactivity of condensed tannins.

Tannins are involved in the taste of foods and multi bioactivity of traditional herbal medicines. The characteristics of tannins are believed to derive from their connectivity with proteins. However, the mode of interaction between proteins and tannins is not yet understood because of the complexity of the tannin structure.

Eumitrins I-K: three new xanthone dimers from the lichen Usnea baileyi.

In the continuing discovery and structure elucidation of natural xanthone dimers, which are still rarely reported in absolute configuration, three new xanthone dimers, eumitrins I-K (1-3) were isolated from the lichen Usnea baileyi, a rich source of natural xanthone dimers. Their structures were elucidated unambiguously by spectroscopic analyses, including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1D and 2D NMR). The absolute configuration of all three compounds was established through DP4 probability and ECD calculation.

Arnica montana L. extract containing 6-O-methacryloylhelenalin and 6-O-isobutyrylhelenalin accelerates growth and differentiation of human subcutaneous preadipocytes and leads volumizing of skin.

Objective: An important factor in the aging of the face is a reduction in the volume of adipose tissue. This reduction in adipose tissue contributes to decreased skin elasticity, which is also part of the aging process. Overall, these lead to wrinkle formation.

Molecular networking-based lipid profiling and multi-omics approaches reveal new contributions of functional vanilloids to gut microbiota and lipometabolism changes.

Obesity is now recognized as an epidemic, requiring rapid intervention. We previously demonstrated that vanilloids from the African spice known as Grains of Paradise (GOP) exhibit strong anti-obesity effects. Here, the molecular mechanism behind the obesity prevention property of the GOP extract was investigated by employing molecular networking-based lipid profiling and 16S rRNA sequencing.

Molecular networking-based discovery of anti-inflammatory chromene dimers from Melicope pteleifolia.

With the aid of a feature-based molecular networking strategy, five undescribed C and C symmetric chromene dimers, namely, melptelchromenes A-E, were isolated from the leaves of Melicope pteleifolia. Four asymmetric dimers were found to be racemates and were resolved by chiral phase HPLC analyses. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were elucidated by HRMS, NMR spectroscopy, and quantum mechanical calculations of ECD spectra and NMR chemical shifts.

Development of flavonoid probes and the binding mode of the target protein and quercetin derivatives.

This study investigated the mechanism underlying anti-cancer cell migration activity of quercetin derivatives by investigating the binding mode of the target protein. Five flavonoid probes were newly synthesized, and pull down assay using synthesized flavonoid probes indicated matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) as the target protein of quercetin derivatives. Quercetin and 3-O-methylquercetin (3MQ) inhibited MMP-1.

Eumitrins F-H: three new xanthone dimers from the lichen and their biological activities.

The lichen is a fruticose lichen belonging to the . It is well known as a rich source of natural xanthone dimers and possesses various bioactivities. Nevertheless, the chemical investigation on this type of lichen is still rare as most of researches reported its components without structural elucidation.

New benzoic acid and caffeoyl derivatives with anti-inflammatory activities isolated from leaves of .

A new benzoic acid, 3-[2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)acetoxy]benzoic acid (), and two new caffeoyl derivatives, methyl (3,5)-di--caffeoylquinate () and dhurrin 6'--caffeate (), along with 20 known compounds were isolated from the leaves of collected in Vietnam. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1 D and 2 D NMR spectroscopy, and high-resolution MS spectrometry. The absolute configuration of and was unambiguously established by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD spectra and/or chemical reactivity.

Ellagitannins from Rosa roxburghii suppress poly(I:C)-induced IL-8 production in human keratinocytes.

The anti-inflammatory effects of a 50% aqueous extract of Rosa roxburghii fruit (RRFE) and two ellagitannins (strictinin and casuarictin) isolated from the RRFE were evaluated in a cell model of skin inflammation induced by self-RNA released from epidermal cells damaged by UV ray (UVR) irradiation. The RRFE inhibited interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA expression in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) stimulated with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), a ligand of toll-like receptor-3 (TLR-3). The plant-derived anti-inflammatory agents, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (GK2) and allantoin, had no influence on the IL-8 expression.

6-Paradol Acts as a Potential Anti-obesity Vanilloid from Grains of Paradise.

Scope: Grains of Paradise (GOP), the seeds of Aframomum melegueta, has anti-obesity effects. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects remain unclear.

Methods And Results: This study sets up to study the anti-obesity impact and homeostatic effects of 6-paradol, a major vanilloid found in GOP, and investigates the physiological outputs and the lipometabolism-related gene in fat and liver in high-fat-induced obese mice with a comparison with structurally similar vanilloids (6-gingerol and 6-shogaol).

In vitro activities of Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile bark fractions against Oral Bacteria, Glucosyltransferase and as antioxidant.

Background: Dental caries and periodontal disease are the most common chronic infectious oral diseases in the world. Acacia nilotica was commonly known in Sudan as Garad or Sunt has a wide range of medicinal uses. In the present study, antibacterial activity of oral bacteria (Streptococcus sobrinus and Porphyromonas gingivalis), inhibitory activity against glucosyltransferase (GTF) enzyme and antioxidant activity were assayed for methanolic crude extract of A.

6-Paradol and its glucoside improve memory disorder in mice.

In this study, the effects of 6-paradol (6P) and 6-paradol-β-glucoside (6PG) on neuritogenesis were investigated using PC12 cells. Treatment with 200 μM 6P or 6PG and nerve growth factor (NGF) (5 ng mL-1) increased the number of elongated dendritic cells 8.7 and 5.

Garcinoic Acids and a Benzophenone Derivative from the Seeds of and Their Antibacterial Activities against Oral Bacterial Pathogenic Organisms.

In this study, three new garcinoic acid dimers, δ,δ-bigarcinoic acid (), δ,δ-bi--garcinoic acid (), and γ,δ-bi--garcinoic acid (), and a new benzophenone derivative, (8)-4-geranyl-3,5-dihydroxybenzophenone (), as well as seven known compounds (-) were isolated from the seeds of . The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using MALDI-TOF-MS and spectroscopic data, including 1D and 2D NMR and electronic circular dichroism spectra. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against two oral pathogens, and .

A review on osteoclast diseases and osteoclastogenesis inhibitors recently developed from natural resources.

Natural products have been investigated as potential candidates of novel therapeutics and play a crucial role in advanced medicinal drugs. Natural resources, including local medicinal plants (especially folk medicinal plants), animals, bacteria, and fungi have been used for more than a century, and are precious gifts from nature, providing potential medicines with high safety. Osteoclast-related diseases, such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Paget's disease, osteoclastoma, and periprosthetic osteolysis, are currently the most common reasons for bone inflammation, pain and fractures, resulting in low quality of life.

Identification and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of chemical constituents from Daemonorops draco (Willd.) Blume and selected commercial flavonoids on anti-osteoclastogenesis activity.

Osteoclastogenesis-related bone diseases including osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Paget's disease and periodontitis are worldwide occurred and cause severe health problems including bone fracture and bone cancer. However, A few studies have shown that Daemonorops draco (Willd.) Blume may decrease bone destruction and relieve bone cancer pain.

Selective synthesis of 7-O-substituted luteolin derivatives and their melanonenesis and proliferation inhibitory activity in B16 melanoma cells.

In our previous study, the isolation of ugonin J, K, and L, which are luteolin derivatives, from the roots of Helminthostachys zeylanica and their identification as potent melanogenesis inhibitors, was described. The structure activity relationship (SAR) investigation in that study revealed that the catechol moiety in the B-ring of the flavone skeleton of ugonin K was important for its melanogenesis inhibitory activity, and the presence of the low polarity substituents at the C-7 position enhanced this activity. In order to further investigate the SAR of the C-7-substituent in the luteolin derivatives, different groups were selectively introduced at the C-7 position of luteolin after borax protection of the catechol hydroxyl group and the C-5 hydroxyl group.

Identification of vanilloid compounds in grains of paradise and their effects on sympathetic nerve activity.

Background: Grains of paradise (GP) is the seed of Aframomum melegueta, which is widely distributed throughout West Africa and has been used as a spice and a folk remedy for a long time. Anti-obesity effect of GP intake was demonstrated in a previous report. Aim of the present study was to isolate some compounds in GP and clarify the anti-obesity mechanism.

Methylquercetins stimulate melanin biosynthesis in a three-dimensional skin model.

In a previous study, we found that both synthetic 3-O-methylquercetin (3MQ) and 3,4',7-O-trimethylquercetin (34'7TMQ) increased extracellular melanin content. 34'7TMQ increased the activity of melanogenic enzymes by stimulating the p38 pathway and the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). In contrast, 3MQ increased the activity of melanogenic enzymes without the involvement of MITF, which suggests that 3MQ inhibits the degradation of melanogenic enzymes.

Melanogenesis inhibitory activity of components from Salam leaf (Syzygium polyanthum) extract.

In order to identify a novel whitening agent, the methanol extract of S. polyanthum leaf was focused on by the screening test using nine Indonesian medicinal plants for the inhibition of melanogenesis and tyrosinase activity in B16 melanoma cells. Three novel compounds [(1) 1-(2,3,5-trihydroxy-4-methylphenyl)hexane-1-one, (2) 1-(2,3,5-trihydroxy methylphenyl)octane-1-one, and (3) (4E)-1-(2,3,5-trihydroxy-4-methylphenyl)decan-1-one and one known compound [(4) 1-(2,3,5-trihydroxy-4-methylphenyl)decan-1-one were isolated from the methanol extract.

Inhibition of TNF-α-Induced Inflammation by Sesquiterpene Lactones from Saussurea lappa and Semi-Synthetic Analogues.

We investigated the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) inhibitory activity of sesquiterpenes from root extracts. According to the hexane and EtOAc extracts showing significant activity with IC values of 0.5 and 1.

3,4',7-O-trimethylquercetin Inhibits Invasion and Migration of Ovarian Cancer Cells.

Background/aim: Methylquercetin, 3,4',7-O-trimethylquercetin (34'7TMQ), has been reported to inhibit metastasis. Recently, we demonstrated that 34'7TMQ inhibited the in vitro melanoma B16 cell metastatic activity. We evaluated the effect of 34'7TMQ on three ovarian cancer cells (SK-OV-3, CRL11731 and CRL1978).

Inhibitory activities of selected Sudanese medicinal plants on Porphyromonas gingivalis and matrix metalloproteinase-9 and isolation of bioactive compounds from Combretum hartmannianum (Schweinf) bark.

Background: Periodontal diseases are one of the major health problems and among the most important preventable global infectious diseases. Porphyromonas gingivalis is an anaerobic Gram-negative bacterium which has been strongly implicated in the etiology of periodontitis. Additionally, matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) is an important factor contributing to periodontal tissue destruction by a variety of mechanisms.