Background:Taxus cuspidata S.et Z.is a precious species of frigid zone plant belonging to the Taxaceae family,which possesses anticancer,anti-inflammatory,hypoglycemic,and antibacterial pharmacological properties.Whil...Background:Taxus cuspidata S.et Z.is a precious species of frigid zone plant belonging to the Taxaceae family,which possesses anticancer,anti-inflammatory,hypoglycemic,and antibacterial pharmacological properties.While taxane extracted from Taxus chinensis has been reported to elicit antioxidant activities,whether Taxus cuspidata S.et Z.has skin-protective actions against injuries remained unknown.This study aims to explore the pharmacological effects of three Taxus extracts on skin melanin deposition,oxidation,inflammation,and allergy so as to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of various diseases related to skin damage.Methods:Skin melanin deposition was evaluated by measuring melanin content in the skin of guinea pigs by alkali lysis method.Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by measuring superoxide dismutase(SOD)concentration and glutathione(GSH)content in skin tissue homogenates of Kunming mice by SOD assay kit and micro reduced GSH assay kit.The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and western blotting were used to examine the levels of both SOD and recombinant glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4).Skin inflammation was evaluated by xylene-induced ear swelling test and egg-white-induced paw swelling test in mice.In a mouse model of skin allergy induced by 4-aminopyridine(4-AP),allergy was determined by licking body counts and histamine concentrations in tissue homogenates using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)kits.Two proinflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αand interleukin(IL)-1βwere measured by qRT-PCR.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was conducted to assess the degree of skin lesion.Results:All three Taxus extracts including Taxus chinensis essential oil,Taxus chinensis extract and Taxus chinensis extract compound reduced the melanin deposits in the back skin relative to the non-treated control animals,of which Taxus chinensis essential oil produced the greatest effect.In contrast,the three Taxus extracts elevated SOD and GSH levels in the skin tissues,and the highest increase was seen with Taxus chinensis essential oil.Three Taxus extracts,especially Taxus chinensis essential oil,effectively reduce the rate of ear and paw swelling.All three Taxus extracts reduced the number of body licks,the levels of TNF-αand IL-1β,and the histamine content in tissue homogenates of mice and alleviated skin damage.Consistently,Taxus chinensis essential oil yielded the greatest magnitude of decreases.Conclusion:While all three Taxus extracts possessed the anti-skin melanin deposition,oxidation,and allergy properties,Taxus chinensis essential oil produced the superior effects.展开更多
Benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH） is an age-related disease of unknown aetiology characterized by prostatic enlargement coincident with distinct alterations in tissue histomorphology. Instead of therapeutic agents ...Benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH） is an age-related disease of unknown aetiology characterized by prostatic enlargement coincident with distinct alterations in tissue histomorphology. Instead of therapeutic agents that can cause severe side effects, plant extracts are frequently used to treat BPH. In this study, we investigated whether the Melandrium firmum methanolic extract （MFME） improves BPH, using the testosterone propionate （TP）-induced BPH rat model. Castration was performed via the scrotal route under sodium pentobarbital anaesthesia. BPH in castrated rats was generated via daily subcutaneous injections of TP （3 mg kg-1） dissolved in corn oil, for 4 weeks. MFME was administered daily by oral garage at a dose of 200 mg kg-1 for 4 weeks, along with the TP injections. The control group received injections of corn oil subcutaneously. At the scheduled termination of the experiment, all rats were killed and their prostates weighed; the relative prostate weight （prostate/body weight ratio） was calculated, and histomorphological changes in the prostate were examined. Additionally, we measured the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone （DHT） in the serum and the prostate. Experimentally induced BPH led to marked decreases in the relative prostate weight and the DHT levels in the serum and the prostate. Histologically, BPH was evident in the ventral lobe of the prostate, and MFME treatment suppressed the severity of the lesions. These results indicate that MFME effectively inhibits the development of BPH induced by testosterone in a rat model. Further studies will be needed to identify the compound（s） responsibility for inducing the protective effect against BPH and determine its mechanism of action,展开更多
Objective:To study bioactive compounds from the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp.HJT-A-6 isolated from stem of Rhodiola tibetica,and evaluate its allelopathic activity.Methods:The chemical constituents were isolated a...Objective:To study bioactive compounds from the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp.HJT-A-6 isolated from stem of Rhodiola tibetica,and evaluate its allelopathic activity.Methods:The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC.Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism(ECD)calculations.In addition,the allelopathic activity of compound 1 was evaluated by measuring the seed germination rate of R.tibetica.Results:Two new polyketides 4-hydroxy-3,6-dimethyl-2H-pyran-2-one(1)and penilactone E(2),together with six known compounds walterolactone A(3),5-hydroxyhexan-4-olide(4),3-methyl-2-penten-5-olide(5),chaetoquadrin F(6),(Z)-6-acetyl-3-(1,2-dihydroxypropylidene)-5-hydroxy-8-methyl chroman-2-one(7)and 4-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyhexanoyl)-5-methylfuran-2(5H)-one(8)were isolated from Penicillium sp.HJT-A-6.Compound 1 showed moderate seed-germination-promoting activity at a concentration of 0.001 mg/mL while inhibiting the seed germination at concentrations of 0.1 and0.01 mg/mL.Compared with the positive drug 6-benzyladenine(6-BA),compound 1 could extend the seed-germination period of R.tibetica(up to 11 d).Conclusion:Two new compounds were isolated from R.tibetica endophytic fungus Penicillium sp.HJT-A-6.Compound 1 displayed plant hormone-like activity,which inhibited the seed germination of the host plant at high concentrations and promoted the seed germination of the host plant at low concentrations.The results not only enrich the chemical constituents of the endophytic fungi isolated from Rhodiola tibetica,but also provide a theoretical basis for understanding the interaction mechanism between Rhodiola tibetica endophytic fungi and the host plant.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province-Outstanding Youth Project(No.YQ2020H008).
文摘Background:Taxus cuspidata S.et Z.is a precious species of frigid zone plant belonging to the Taxaceae family,which possesses anticancer,anti-inflammatory,hypoglycemic,and antibacterial pharmacological properties.While taxane extracted from Taxus chinensis has been reported to elicit antioxidant activities,whether Taxus cuspidata S.et Z.has skin-protective actions against injuries remained unknown.This study aims to explore the pharmacological effects of three Taxus extracts on skin melanin deposition,oxidation,inflammation,and allergy so as to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of various diseases related to skin damage.Methods:Skin melanin deposition was evaluated by measuring melanin content in the skin of guinea pigs by alkali lysis method.Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by measuring superoxide dismutase(SOD)concentration and glutathione(GSH)content in skin tissue homogenates of Kunming mice by SOD assay kit and micro reduced GSH assay kit.The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and western blotting were used to examine the levels of both SOD and recombinant glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4).Skin inflammation was evaluated by xylene-induced ear swelling test and egg-white-induced paw swelling test in mice.In a mouse model of skin allergy induced by 4-aminopyridine(4-AP),allergy was determined by licking body counts and histamine concentrations in tissue homogenates using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)kits.Two proinflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αand interleukin(IL)-1βwere measured by qRT-PCR.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was conducted to assess the degree of skin lesion.Results:All three Taxus extracts including Taxus chinensis essential oil,Taxus chinensis extract and Taxus chinensis extract compound reduced the melanin deposits in the back skin relative to the non-treated control animals,of which Taxus chinensis essential oil produced the greatest effect.In contrast,the three Taxus extracts elevated SOD and GSH levels in the skin tissues,and the highest increase was seen with Taxus chinensis essential oil.Three Taxus extracts,especially Taxus chinensis essential oil,effectively reduce the rate of ear and paw swelling.All three Taxus extracts reduced the number of body licks,the levels of TNF-αand IL-1β,and the histamine content in tissue homogenates of mice and alleviated skin damage.Consistently,Taxus chinensis essential oil yielded the greatest magnitude of decreases.Conclusion:While all three Taxus extracts possessed the anti-skin melanin deposition,oxidation,and allergy properties,Taxus chinensis essential oil produced the superior effects.
文摘Benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH） is an age-related disease of unknown aetiology characterized by prostatic enlargement coincident with distinct alterations in tissue histomorphology. Instead of therapeutic agents that can cause severe side effects, plant extracts are frequently used to treat BPH. In this study, we investigated whether the Melandrium firmum methanolic extract （MFME） improves BPH, using the testosterone propionate （TP）-induced BPH rat model. Castration was performed via the scrotal route under sodium pentobarbital anaesthesia. BPH in castrated rats was generated via daily subcutaneous injections of TP （3 mg kg-1） dissolved in corn oil, for 4 weeks. MFME was administered daily by oral garage at a dose of 200 mg kg-1 for 4 weeks, along with the TP injections. The control group received injections of corn oil subcutaneously. At the scheduled termination of the experiment, all rats were killed and their prostates weighed; the relative prostate weight （prostate/body weight ratio） was calculated, and histomorphological changes in the prostate were examined. Additionally, we measured the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone （DHT） in the serum and the prostate. Experimentally induced BPH led to marked decreases in the relative prostate weight and the DHT levels in the serum and the prostate. Histologically, BPH was evident in the ventral lobe of the prostate, and MFME treatment suppressed the severity of the lesions. These results indicate that MFME effectively inhibits the development of BPH induced by testosterone in a rat model. Further studies will be needed to identify the compound（s） responsibility for inducing the protective effect against BPH and determine its mechanism of action,
基金supported by Central Government Guided Local Science and Technology Development Fund Project(No.XZ202101YD0017C)International Science and Technology Cooperation Project of Dalian Science and Technology Innovation Fund(No.2022JJ12WZ059)。
文摘Objective:To study bioactive compounds from the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp.HJT-A-6 isolated from stem of Rhodiola tibetica,and evaluate its allelopathic activity.Methods:The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC.Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism(ECD)calculations.In addition,the allelopathic activity of compound 1 was evaluated by measuring the seed germination rate of R.tibetica.Results:Two new polyketides 4-hydroxy-3,6-dimethyl-2H-pyran-2-one(1)and penilactone E(2),together with six known compounds walterolactone A(3),5-hydroxyhexan-4-olide(4),3-methyl-2-penten-5-olide(5),chaetoquadrin F(6),(Z)-6-acetyl-3-(1,2-dihydroxypropylidene)-5-hydroxy-8-methyl chroman-2-one(7)and 4-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyhexanoyl)-5-methylfuran-2(5H)-one(8)were isolated from Penicillium sp.HJT-A-6.Compound 1 showed moderate seed-germination-promoting activity at a concentration of 0.001 mg/mL while inhibiting the seed germination at concentrations of 0.1 and0.01 mg/mL.Compared with the positive drug 6-benzyladenine(6-BA),compound 1 could extend the seed-germination period of R.tibetica(up to 11 d).Conclusion:Two new compounds were isolated from R.tibetica endophytic fungus Penicillium sp.HJT-A-6.Compound 1 displayed plant hormone-like activity,which inhibited the seed germination of the host plant at high concentrations and promoted the seed germination of the host plant at low concentrations.The results not only enrich the chemical constituents of the endophytic fungi isolated from Rhodiola tibetica,but also provide a theoretical basis for understanding the interaction mechanism between Rhodiola tibetica endophytic fungi and the host plant.
