The anti-inflammatory potential of Portulaca oleracea L. (purslane) extract by partial suppression on NF-κB and MAPK activation.

Portulaca oleracea L. (Purslane) has great potential as food and traditional drugs in several countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of purslane extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.

Small molecules for fat combustion: targeting obesity.

Obesity is increasing in an alarming rate worldwide, which causes higher risks of some diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Current therapeutic approaches, either pancreatic lipase inhibitors or appetite suppressors, are generally of limited effectiveness. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) and beige cells dissipate fatty acids as heat to maintain body temperature, termed non-shivering thermogenesis; the activity and mass of BAT and beige cells are negatively correlated with overweight and obesity.

Immunomodulatory effects of a new whole ingredients extract from Astragalus: a combined evaluation on chemistry and pharmacology.

Background: Water extract (WAE) and ultrafine powder (UFP) are two types of commonly used supplements in preparing various pharmaceutical products and functional foods. However, the correlations of the chemical compositions with the traditional functions between WAE and the herb itself, as well as the potential problems of safety for UFP have been more and more concerned by many doctors and customers.

Methods: In this study, a new whole ingredients extract of Astragalus (WIE) was prepared using the gradient solvent extraction method.

FOXS1 is regulated by GLI1 and miR-125a-5p and promotes cell proliferation and EMT in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common malignant neoplasm and the second leading cause of cancer death. Identification of key molecular signaling pathways involved in gastric carcinogenesis and progression facilitates early GC diagnosis and the development of targeted therapies for advanced GC patients. Emerging evidence has revealed a close correlation between forkhead box (FOX) proteins and cancer development.

Andrographolide derivative ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis in mice.

The therapeutic efficacy of immunosuppressive agents has been intensively studied for colitis management. We synthesized a series of andrographolide derivatives and reported their structure-activity-relationship and anti-inflammatory activity in our previous studies. Among these derivatives, compound 3b exhibited the most potent immunosuppressive activity.

Rapid detection of aflatoxin B by dummy template molecularly imprinted polymer capped CdTe quantum dots.

A novel and sensitive fluorescent sensor was synthesized for the rapid and specific recognition of aflatoxin B (AFB1) by our combining molecular imprinting techniques with quantum dot technology. Molecularly imprinted polymers coated CdTe quantum dots (MIP@CdTe QDs) were prepared through the Stöber method with 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin as a dummy template. 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane was selected as the functional monomer, and tetraethyl orthosilicate was used as the cross-linking agent.

PRR11 and SKA2 gene pair is overexpressed and regulated by p53 in breast cancer.

Our previous study found that two novel cancer-related genes, PRR11 and SKA2, constituted a classic gene pair that was regulated by p53 and NF-Y in lung cancer. However, their role and regulatory mechanism in breast cancer remain elusive. In this study, we found that the expression levels of PRR11 and SKA2 were upregulated and have a negative prognotic value in breast cancer.

Chinese herb pair Paeoniae Radix Alba and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma suppresses LPS-induced inflammatory response through inhibiting MAPK and NF-κB pathway.

Background: The combination of Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA) and Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (RAM) has long been used as a classic herb pair for the treatment of gynecologic and gastrointestinal diseases, but the underlying mechanisms of the herb pair remain unknown. This study aims to explore the anti-inflammatory potentials of RPA-RAM herb pair and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: The bioactive parts of RPA-RAM were extracted and screened through the inhibitory effects against nitric oxide (NO) production.

Data for ampholytic ion-exchange materials coated with small zwitterions for high-efficacy purification of ionizable soluble biomacromolecules.

Data in this article are associated with the research article "Ampholytic ion-exchange materials coated with small zwitterion for high-efficacy purification of ionizable soluble biomacromolecules" (Rao et al., 2018) [1]. This article provided data on how to design ampholytic ion-exchange material (AIEM) for the purification of ionizable soluble biomacromolecules for both high activity yields and favorable homogeneity, with two uricases as protein models and a plasmid as DNA model.

Rhodiola species: A comprehensive review of traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and clinical study.

Rhodiola species, belonging to the family Crassulaceae, have long been used as an adaptogen, tonic, antidepressant, and antistress medicine or functional food in Asia and Europe. Due to the valuable application, the growing demand of Rhodiola species has led to a rapid decrease in resource content. This review aims to summarize the integrated research progress of seven mainstream Rhodiola species.

Nagilactone E suppresses TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration and invasion in non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death around the world. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been documented to increase motility and invasiveness of cancer cells, which promotes cancer metastasis.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effects and mechanisms of the dinorditerpenoids and norditerpenoids isolated from the seeds of Podocarpus nagi against transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced EMT.

γ-Mangostin alleviates liver fibrosis through Sirtuin 3-superoxide-high mobility group box 1 signaling axis.

The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) plays a critical role in liver fibrosis. In the current study, γ-mangostin (γ-man), one of the major xanthones from mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), was found to alleviate fibrogenesis in human immortalized HSCs (LX-2 cells) and in liver from chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl) injured mice. γ-Man suppressed the expression levels of collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in LX-2 cells in both dose and time dependent manners.

Serially coupled reversed phase-hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tailored multiple reaction monitoring, a fit-for-purpose tool for large-scale targeted metabolomics of medicinal bile.

The acquisition of high-quality quantitative dataset is the prerequisite for large-scale targeted metabolomics. However, the goal is usually dampened by the complexity of the biological matrices in terms of structural diversity, concentration span, and polarity range. We attempted herein to propose an analytical approach being able to circumvent these technical obstacles, and medicinal bile was employed as a proof of concept.

Deciphering the metabolic role of AMPK in cancer multi-drug resistance.

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a curious bottleneck in cancer research and chemotherapy, whereby some cells rapidly adapt to the tumor microenvironment via a myriad of heterogeneous metabolic activities. Despite being a major impediment to treatment, there is a silver lining: control over metabolic regulation could be an effective approach to overcome or correct resistance pathways. In this critical review, we comprehensively and carefully curated and analyzed large networks of previously identified proteins associated with metabolic adaptation in MDR.

Academic Career Progression of Chinese-Origin Pharmacy Faculty Members in Western Countries.

The field of Pharmacy education is experiencing a paucity of underrepresented minorities (URMs) faculty worldwide. The aim of this study is to investigate the current professional status of Chinese-origin pharmacy faculty members, who are considered as a good model of URMs at pharmacy academia in western countries, and identify the influencing factors to their academic career progression in academic careers. An online questionnaire was sent to Chinese-origin academic staffs at pharmacy schools in US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Andrographolide derivative as STAT3 inhibitor that protects acute liver damage in mice.

Sustained activation of the Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway contributed to the progression of cancer and liver diseases. STAT3 signaling inhibitor has been extensively investigated for pharmacological use. We synthesized a series of andrographolide derivatives, and characterized their activity against STAT3 signaling pathway both in vitro and in the CCl-induced acute liver damage mice model.

Ameliorates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Rats by Keap1/Nrf-2 Activation, Intestinal Barrier Function, and Gut Microbiota Regulation.

, a magic medicinal insect being present for over 300 million years, exhibits desirable therapeutic outcome for gastrointestinal ulcer treatment. Nowadays, ethanol extract (PAE) has been shown to ameliorate ulcerative colitis (UC) by either single-use or in combination with other therapeutic agents in clinics. However, its underlying mechanisms are still seldom known.

Anti-cancer effects of Rhizoma Curcumae against doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cells.

Background: Chemotherapy is a primary approach in cancer treatment after routine surgery. However, chemo-resistance tends to occur with chemotherapy in clinic, resulting in poor prognosis and recurrence. Nowadays, Chinese medicine may shed light on design of new therapeutic modes to overcome chemo-resistance.

DJ-1 promotes colorectal cancer progression through activating PLAGL2/Wnt/BMP4 axis.

Metastasis remains a big barrier for the clinical treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Our previous proteomics analysis identified DJ-1 as a potential metastasis biomarker of CRC. In this study, we found that DJ-1 was upregulated in CRC.

Authentic compound-free strategy for simultaneous determination of primary coumarins in Peucedani Radix using offline high performance liquid chromatography-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-tandem mass spectrometry.

Herein, a strategy is proposed for the simultaneous determination of primary coumarins in Peucedani Radix (Chinese name: Qianhu). The methodology consists of three consecutive steps: 1) Semi-preparative LC in combination with a home-made automated fraction collection module to fragment the universal metabolome standard into ten fractions (Frs. I-X); 2) LC-accurate MS/MS and quantitative H NMR spectroscopy conducted in parallel to acquire the qualitative and quantitative data of each fraction; 3) Robust identification and quantification of components by use of LC coupled to multiple reaction monitoring.

Ampholytic ion-exchange materials coated with small zwitterions for high-efficacy purification of ionizable soluble biomacromolecules.

For the purification of soluble proteins and nucleic acids through ion-exchange, the ampholytic ion-exchange materials (AIEMs) were designed, which possessed both short aliphatic carboxyl and short aliphatic amines/imidazole at optimized ratios on solid supports coated with high density of small zwitterions; under optimized conditions, the soluble ionizable biomacromolecules were adsorbed on those AIEMs via electrostatic attractions and eluted effectively through electrostatic repulsions. As the proof-of-concept, magnetic submicron particles bearing short aliphatic carboxyl and the coats of small zwitterion served as the starting solid supports, which were conjugated with lysine alone, or with lysine plus glycine or N,N‑dimethylethylenediamine, to yield magnetic AIEMs whose surfaces possessed zero net charges at different pH. Such magnetic AIEMs exhibited ideal efficacy to release acid red 13 as an anion at the elution pH optimized for strong electrostatic repulsions; those magnetic AIEMs were proven absorbing under optimized conditions for the purification of soluble proteins stable at pH close to their isoelectric points and solid-phase extraction of nucleic acids in applicable biological mixtures.

Overview of pharmacological activities of and its major compound andrographolide.

is a medicinal plant traditionally used as anti-inflammation and anti-bacteria herb. Andrographolide, the major active component of , exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, and other activities. In this article, we comprehensively review the therapeutic potential of and andrographolide focusing on the mechanisms of action and clinical application.

Honokiol protects hepatocytes from oxidative injury through mitochondrial deacetylase SIRT3.

Oxidative stress contributes to the initiation and progression of liver damage. SIRT3 is a member of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylases that plays a key role in anti-oxidative defense and mitochondrial function in the liver. Honokiol is a natural lignan from the plants of Magnolia genus that exhibits potent anti-oxidative property.

Chromosome-level reference genome of the Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens, a model species for the study of aggression.

Background: Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens are notorious for their aggressiveness and accordingly have been widely used to study aggression. However, the lack of a reference genome has, to date, limited the understanding of the genetic basis of aggression in this species. Here, we present the first reference genome assembly of the Siamese fighting fish.

Makino inhibits PamCSK-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages through suppressing TLR1/TLR2-mediated NF-κB activation.

Background: Makino (SP) is one of the important plant origins for the anti-inflammatory Chinese herbal medicine of Siegesbeckiae Herba. The current investigations indicated that the anti-inflammatory effects of SP were associated with the toll-like receptors (TLRs)-mediated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways.

Methods: Raw 264.