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Cinnamomum cassia Presl. is a subtropical plant that is used for food and medicine. Climate change has changed the suitable habitats of medicinal plants, which might have repercussions for the efficacy of herbal remedies. In this study, the potential distribution in each period of Cinnamomum cassia was predicted and the quality in different suitable habitats was evaluated. According to the results, (1) precipitation, temperature, and soil are the primary environmental variables influencing C. cassia distribution. (2) The high-suitable habitats of current climate scenarios were predominantly located in the southern regions (Guangdong and Guangxi etc.) of China, with an area of 706,129.08 km2. Under future climate scenarios, suitable habitats will increasingly move northward, with a greater concentration south of the Yangtze River, particularly in the 2090s SSP585 scenario, the total area of newly extended suitable habitat reaches 312,963.53 km2. (3) HPLC and FTIR, combined with chemometrics, can be effective methods for identifying different suitable habitats of C. cassia. The content of trans-cinnamaldehyde (0.85%) is significantly higher in the high suitability habitat compared to the medium-low suitability habitat (0.30%). Our findings can offer valuable guidance for the identification of suitable C. cassia cultivation areas in China, as well as for the evaluation of C. cassia resource quality and the rational use of resources in different suitable habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For exploring structurally diverse metabolites and uniquely metabolic mechanisms, we systematically investigated the chemical constituents and putative biosynthesis of Janibacter sp. SCSIO 52865 derived from the deep-sea sediment based on the OSMAC strategy, molecular networking tool, in combination with bioinformatic analysis. As a result, one new diketopiperazine (1), along with seven known cyclodipeptides (2–8), trans-cinnamic acid (9), N-phenethylacetamide (10) and five fatty acids (11–15), was isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of SCSIO 52865. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, Marfey's method and GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the analysis of molecular networking revealed the presence of cyclodipeptides, and compound 1 was produced only under mBHI fermentation condition. Moreover, bioinformatic analysis suggested that compound 1 was closely related to four genes, namely jatA–D, encoding core non-ribosomal peptide synthetase and acetyltransferase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bafilomycins are macrocyclic polyketides with intriguing structures and therapeutic value. Genomic analysis of Streptomyces sp. SCSIO 66814 revealed a type I polyketide synthase biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC), namely blm , which encoded bafilomycins and featured rich post-modification genes. The One strain many compounds (OSMAC) strategy led to the discovery of six compounds related to the blm BGC from the strain, including two previously undescribed 6,6-spiroketal polyketides, streptospirodienoic acids D (1) and E (2), and four known bafilomycins, bafilomycins P (3), Q (4), D (5), and G (6). The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, quantum calculation, and biosynthetic analysis. Additionally, the absolute configurations of the 6/5/5 tricyclic ring moiety containing six consecutive chiral carbons in the putative structures of 3 and 4 were corrected through NOE analysis, DP4+ calculation, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Bioinformatic analysis uncovered a plausible biosynthetic pathway for compounds 1 – 6 , indicating that both streptospirodienoic acids and bafilomycins were derived from the same blm BGC. Additionally, sequence analysis revealed that the KR domains of module 2 from blm BGC was B1-type, further supporting the configurations of 1 – 4. Notably, compounds 3 and 4 displayed significant cytotoxic activities against A-549 human non-small cell lung cancer cells and HCT-116 human colon cancer cells. [Display omitted] • Genome-guided method facilitated discovery of two previously undescribed 6,6-spiroketal polyketides. • The stereo-configurations of bafilomycins P and Q were corrected. • Streptospirodienoic acids sharing the same blm BGC with bafilomycins was first discovered. • Bafilomycins P and Q displayed significant cytotoxic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary metabolites (SMs) of medicinal plants are the material basis of their clinically curative effects. They are also important indicators for evaluating the quality of medicinal materials. However, the synthesis and accumulation of SMs are very complex, which are affected by many factors including internal developmental genetic circuits (regulated gene, enzyme) and by external environment factors (light, temperature, water, salinity, etc.). Currently, lots of literatures focused on the effect of environmental factors on the synthesis and accumulation of SMs of medicinal plants, the effect of the developmental growth and genetic factors on the synthesis and accumulation of SMs still lack systematic classification and summary. Here, we have given the review base on our previous works on the morphological development of medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites, and systematically outlined the literature reports how different environmental factors affected the synthesis and accumulation of SMs. The results of our reviews can know how developmental and environmental factors qualitatively and quantitatively influence SMs of medicinal plants and how these can be integrated as tools to quality control, as well as on the improvement of clinical curative effects by altering their genomes, and/or growth conditions. • The secondary metabolites (SMs) of plant can be especially affected by developmental and environmental factors. • The review reveal the dynamic accumulation of SMs in medicinal plants. • Developmental and environmental factors has influence on the expression of SMs biosynthesis genes. • The review suggest regulation at post-transcriptional/translational levels on SMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid snakehead fish ( Channa maculata ♀ ×  Channa argus ♂), a new species used in freshwater aquaculture in China, is the common host of an epizootic bacterial infection by Nocardia seriolae . However, the information on the functions and mechanisms of hybrid snakehead immune pathways with the N . seriolae infection is limited. Thus, the peripheral blood lymphocytes from hybrid snakehead were used for transcriptome analysis to understand the host immune response after challenge with N . seriolae . A total of 49,839,332 and 50,059,283 raw reads were obtained from the N . seriolae -challenged group (Ns group) and phosphate-buffered saline control group (Ctr group), respectively. The 75.50% and 74.25% reads from the Ns and Ctr groups were matched to reference genomic sequence after cleaning the raw reads, respectively. Additionally, there were 2892 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the 17,196 expressed genes between the Ns and Ctr groups, including 1387 upregulated and 1505 downregulated genes. All the DEGs were classified into three gene ontology categories, and 2502 DEGs had significant matches, which were allocated to 246 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Immune-related genes were detected from immune system pathways among the top 20 enriched pathways. Moreover, the regulation of several observed effective genes was confirmed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Altogether, this study offers deep-sequence data of hybrid snakehead peripheral blood lymphocyte via transcriptome analysis and lays the foundation for further study on the immunogenetics of hybrid snakehead. Moreover, it provides insights into the pathogenic mechanism of N . seriolae , facilitating the prevention and treatment of fish nocardiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyploidization is an effective method to achieve a higher yield of secondary metabolism active ingredients in medicinal plants. Polyphenols are the main active substances that contribute to the antioxidant activity of Lonicera japonica . For studying on the effect of chromosome doubling and harvest time on the dynamic accumulation of the main active substances and antioxidant capabilities of L. japonica , the polyphenol composition contents (7 phenolic acids and 3 flavonoids) and the antioxidant capacity in buds and flowers of diploid and tetraploid L. japonica at six different growth stages were determined by HPLC-DAD and three common antioxidant assays (FRAP, OH RSC and DPPH ARP), and the correlation between the dynamic accumulation of the polyphenol components and antioxidant capacity was also analyzed in current research. The results indicated that the content of the most determined phenolic acids and flavonoids and the antioxidant capacity in most of the growth stages from tetraploid plants were significantly higher than those in the diploid plants. Furthermore, the changes in the antioxidant activity presented a significant positive correlation with the variations in the chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperoside, luteoloside in the two ploidy levels of L. japonica plants. The higher yields of chlorogenic acid (158.97, 164.00, 199.85 mg), luteoloside (5.44, 4.03, 6.31 mg), hyperoside (1.15, 1.06, 1.30 mg) and total flavonoids (9.87, 8.67, 11.10 mg) from 100 buds or flowers in tetraploid plants occurred during the S3–S5 stages, and these stages also exhibited higher antioxidant activities. Therefore, the stages of S3–S5 are recommended as the best time for harvesting high-yield, high-quality tetraploid Flos Lonicerae Japonicae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyapatite and strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HA and Sr-HA) were prepared by microwave-assisted solution synthesis with aqueous solutions of various Sr/(SrCa) molar ratios ranging from 0% to 15%. The structural properties of the hydroxyapatite powders were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectra, field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. The results confirmed that strontium ions had been incorporated into the hydroxyapatite lattice. The synthetic n-HA and Sr-HA nanocrystalline consisted of hydroxyapatite crystalline phase with hexagonal structure, and the particle size was 30-40 × 60-70nm and 40-50 × 70-80nm, respectively. The calcined HA particle size ranged from about 120nm to 150nm, the calcined Sr-HA products were composed of spherical aggregates with a size of about 70-100nm. The incorporation of Sr ions lead to the formation of vacancies in the crystal structure of the HA. The results indicated that the strontium substitution did not change the crystal structures. More Sr resulted in less calcined crystallites and formed agglomerates owing to the size effect. Strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite was synthesized by microwave-assisted solution. The incorporation of Sr ions led to the formation of vacancies in the crystal structure of HA, and did not change the crystal structures. The synthetic n-HA and Sr-HA nanocrystalline consisted of hydroxyapatite crystalline phase with hexagonal structure. The calcined Sr-HA products were composed of nanoscale spherical aggregates, which indicated that the doping of Sr2+ in apatite lattice destroyed the long range order arrangement of atoms, thus affecting the thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC) was used to make a composite materials by a coprecipitation method. The physical and chemical properties of the composite were tested. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation indicated that the biomimetic n-HA crystals were uniformly distributed in the polymer matrix. As the n-HA content increased in the composite, the fracture mechanism of the composites changes from gliding fracture to gliding and brittle fracture. Furthermore, the chemical interaction between inorganic n-HA and polypropylene carbonate was also investigated and discussed in detail. The hydrogen bonds might be formed between –OH/CO 3 2 − of n-HA crystal and the ester group (–COO–) of PPC. The tensile strength of n-HA/PPC (40/60) was similar to that of the cancellous bone, and reached ca 58 MPa. The osteoblasts were cultured for up to 7 days, and then the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts were measured by Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetry assay and SEM. The cells proliferated, grew normally in fusiform shape and well attached. The in vitro test confirmed that the n-HA/PPC composites were biocompatible and showed undetectable negative effect on osteoblasts. In vivo implantation of the composite in New Zealand white rabbits was performed. It can stimulate the growth of a new bone, and at the same time the material begins to degrade. These results suggested that the composite may be suitable for the reparation or replacement of bone defects and possessed the potential for clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intreleukin-37 (IL-37), a member of IL-1 family, is primarily an anti-inflammatory cytokine, which reduces systemic and local inflammation. However, the expression and role of IL-37 in Graves' disease (GD) remains unknown. This study aims to measure the levels of serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) IL-37 in patients with Graves' disease and to examine its association with disease activity. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of IL-37 on proinflammatory cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of GD. Methods: The expressions of IL-37, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 40 patients with Graves' disease were determined by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the levels of IL-37, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17 in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). The correlation of serum IL-37 levels with cytokines and disease activity in Graves' disease patients were investigated. The expressions of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17 in PBMCs under recombinant IL-37 stimulation were determined by RT-PCR and ELISA respectively. Results: The levels of IL-37, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17 in PBMCs and serum were significantly increased in patients with GD compared with healthy controls (HC). Serum IL-37 were closely correlated with TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4),free triiodothyronine (FT3) and thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAB). GD patients with active disease showed higher IL-37 mRNA and serum protein levels compared with those with inactive disease as well as HC. Moreover, IL-37 suppressed the production of IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α in PBMCs of patients with GD. Conclusions: Increased level of IL-37 in patients with GD are associated with TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17 and disease activity, and it plays a protective role against inflammatory effect in GD by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Thus, IL-37 may provide a novel research target for the pathogenesis and therapy of GD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Molecular Networking disclosed the strain could produce surfactin analogues. • 10 new and 20 known surfactins were isolated from the strain. • The new structures were elucidated via spectroscopic and Marfey's analyses. • 5 surfactins showed obvious antitumor activity with IC 50 values less than 10 μM. Surfactins are natural biosurfactants with myriad potential applications in the areas of healthcare and environment. However, surfactins were almost exclusively produced by the bacterium Bacillus species in previous reported literatures, together with difficulty in isolating pure monomer, which resulted in making extensive effort to remove duplication and little discovery of new surfactins in recent years. In the present study, the result of Molecular Networking indicated that Limimaricola sp. SCSIO 53532 might well be a potential resource for surfacin-like compounds based on OSMAC strategy. To search for new surfactins with significant biological activity, further study was undertaken on the strain. As a result, ten new surfactins (1 – 10), along with twenty known surfactins (11 – 30), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of SCSIO 53532. Their chemical structures were established by detailed 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, HRESIMS data, secondary ion mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis, and chemical degradation (Marfey's method) analysis. Cytotoxic activities of twenty-seven compounds against five human tumor cell lines were tested, and five compounds showed significant antitumor activities with IC 50 values less than 10 μM. Furtherly, analysis of structure–activity relationships revealed that the branch of side chain, the esterification of Glu or Asp residue, and the amino acid residue of position 7 possessed a great influence on antitumor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgal lipids are the oils of future for sustainable biodiesel production. However, relatively high production costs due to low lipid productivity have been one of the major obstacles impeding their commercial production. We studied the effects of nitrogen sources and their concentrations on cell growth and lipid accumulation of Neochloris oleoabundans, one of the most promising oil-rich microalgal species. While the highest lipid cell content of 0.40 g/g was obtained at the lowest sodium nitrate concentration (3 mM), a remarkable lipid productivity of 0.133 g l−1 day−1 was achieved at 5 mM with a lipid cell content of 0.34 g/g and a biomass productivity of 0.40 g l−1 day−1. The highest biomass productivity was obtained at 10 mM sodium nitrate, with a biomass concentration of 3.2 g/l and a biomass productivity of 0.63 g l−1 day−1. It was observed that cell growth continued after the exhaustion of external nitrogen pool, hypothetically supported by the consumption of intracellular nitrogen pools such as chlorophyll molecules. The relationship among nitrate depletion, cell growth, lipid cell content, and cell chlorophyll content are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae are a group of unicellular or simple multicellular photosynthetic microorganisms that can fix CO2 efficiently from different sources, including the atmosphere, industrial exhaust gases, and soluble carbonate salts. Combination of CO2 fixation, biofuel production, and wastewater treatment may provide a very promising alternative to current CO2 mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Maize silk is a specialized type of stigma, covered with numerous papillae for pollen grain capture. However, the developmental process of stigmatic papillae and the underlying regulatory mechanisms have remained largely unknown.Here, we combined the cytological, genetic and molecular studies to demonstrate that three homologous genes ZmSPL10, ZmSPL14 and ZmSPL26 play a central role in promoting stigmatic papilla formation in maize.We show that their triple knockout mutants are nearly complete lack of stigmatic papilla, resulting in a severe reduction in kernel setting. Cellular examination reveals that stigmatic papilla is developed from a precursor cell, which is the smaller daughter cell resulting from asymmetric cell division of a silk epidermal cell. In situ hybridization shows that ZmSPL10, ZmSPL14 and their target genes SPI1, ZmPIN1b, ZmARF28 and ZmWOX3A are preferentially expressed in the precursor cells of stigmatic papillae. Moreover, ZmSPL10, ZmSPL14 and ZmSPL26 directly bind to the promoters of SPI1, ZmPIN1b, ZmARF28 and ZmWOX3A and promote their expression. Further, Zmwox3a knockout mutants display severe defects in stigmatic papilla formation and reduced seed setting.Collectively, our results demonstrate that ZmSPL10, ZmSPL14 and ZmSPL26 act together to promote stigmatic papilla development through regulating auxin signaling and ZmWOX3A expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to acquire a tetracalcium phosphate/magnesium phosphate (TTCP/MPC) composite bone cement that combines the excellent bioactivity of TTCP and high mechanical strength of MPC, the cement was made and the compressive strength, phase composition of hardened cement, degradation in vitro, and tissue responses in vivo by implantation of TTCP/MPC in bone defect of rabbits were investigated. The results showed that TTCP/MPC was with a markedly better mechanical property than MPC. Moreover, compared with MPC, TTCP/MPC showed significantly delayed degradability in simulated body fluid. To investigate the in vivo biocompatibility and osteogenesis, the TTCP/MPC samples were implanted into bone defects in rabbits. Histological evaluation displayed that the introduction of TTCP into MPC enhanced the efficiency of new bone formation. TTCP/MPC also showed good biocompatibility, biodegradability and osteoconductivity with host bone in vivo. The results suggested that TTCP/MPC meets the basic requirements of bone tissue engineering, has an obvious clinical advantage over MPC and is promising to be applied in orthopedic, reconstructive and maxillofacial surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinnamomum burmannii (Nees & T. Nees) Blume is a cinnamon species used for daily needs and as an herb in traditional medicine. This study was designed to determine the composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) extracted from different organs of the plant. The gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed that the bark was dominated by 1-isopropyl-4,7-dimethyl-1,2,3,5,6,8a-hexahydronaphthalene (11.60%), γ-muurolene (8.79%), eucalyptol (7.66%), α-muurolene (7.37%), α-terpineol (6.65%), δ-selinene (6.42%), while endo-borneol (41.74 and 40.60%), caryophyllene (6.29 and 10.43%), and bornyl acetate (4.18 and 4.08%) were the primary components of branch and leaf oils. Additionally, a notable antioxidant power of the bark, branch and leaf essential oil was observed from the results of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging activity (0.03-0.05 mg/mL), antiradical power (ARP) (19.61-32.26), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity assay (0.40-0.75 mol/g), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (0.30-0.66 mg Fe2+/g). Branches and leaves had stronger antioxidant activity, and endo-borneol, bornyl acetate, humulene and cedrene were the main contributors to the antioxidant activity. Moreover, the bark showed notable inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, while the leaf oil had good antibacterial activity against Micrococcus luteus and Pseudomonas putida. These findings suggest that C. burmannii could be considered a potent source of natural nutraceutical uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic pesticides used to control Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) can negatively affect human and environmental health due to non-target toxicity and long-lasting residues. Plant essential oils may have lower human health impacts and environmental toxicity. They can be an excellent source of pesticides because of their exceptional repellency and insecticidal properties. In this study, we used the fumigation method to study the insecticidal properties of essential oils from the bark and leaves of Cinnamomum loureirii Nees on S. invicta at different concentrations and fumigation time. The fumigation time with C. loureirii essential oils was positively correlated with the knockdown and mortality of S. invicta and negatively correlated with the grasping. The essential oils at 320 µg/cm3 had a noticeable fumigation effect. The insecticidal effect of the essential oils extracted from C. loureirii leaves was significantly stronger than that from the bark at effective concentrations. Cinnamyl acetate, an abundant component in leaf essential oils, plays a vital role in increasing the insecticidal effect of trans-cinnamaldehyde. The treatment of the mixed trans-cinnamaldehyde and cinnamyl acetate in a 2:1 ratio had the best insecticidal effect (at 50 and 25 µg/cm3, respectively) and more apparent electroantennogram change than the individual compounds. Essential oils caused disorganization and shedding of the antennae morphology and receptors that led to the death of S. invicta. This study provides a basis for developing and utilizing cinnamon leaf oil as a new environment-friendly insecticide resource to control S. invicta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compositional- and time-dependent mechanical properties, recovery, and fracture toughness of hybrid gels having chemical and transient cross-links are systematically studied. The hybrid gels are prepared via micellar copolymerization of acrylamide (AAm) with n -Butyl acrylate (nBA) and the hydrophobic associations of nBA form the transient cross-links. The hybrid gels exhibited excellent mechanical properties (ultimate strength ∼ 400 kPa), fast recovery, and high tolerance to cracks (fracture toughness up to 378.0 J m − 2 ). Swelling, tensile, and pure shear measurements all revealed that the reinforcement is more pronounced when the mole fraction of nBA is above 0.05 and/or the stretch rate is above 0.1 s −1 . The compositional dependence is related to the onset of the formation of transient network while the time-dependent mechanical responses are ascribed to the dynamics of the hydrophobic associations. We also confirmed the separability of strain and time in hydrophobically reinforced hybrid gels for the first time. Our results emphasize the role of the transient network and its responses under external loading in the design of next-generation tough gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence has demonstrated that Chinese medicine formula Xuefu Zhuyu decoction can markedly promote the formation of new hair in patients and mice with alopecia areata (AA). Amygdalin is one of the active components of Xuefu Zhuyu decoction, but its therapeutic effects and the underlying mechanisms on AA remains largely unrevealed. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects and to probe its molecular mechanisms of inflammation and immune regulation on AA model of C3H/HeJ mice. The C3H/HeJ female mice were divided into control, AA, rusolitinib (60 mg/kg), and amygdalin groups (60, 90, and 120 mg/kg, 0.2 ml/10 g, i.g.). The optical microscope was used to observe the feature of the local skin, and the number of lanugo and terminal hair. H&E staining was performed to determine the degree of pathological damage to the skin. ELISA was performed to detect levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in mice serum. Flow cytometry was carried out to analyze the CD4+CD25+FOXP3+, CD4+ and CD8+ of skin tissue. And the levels of CD4+ and CD8+, p-JAK/JAK2, p-STAT3/STAT, and SOCS3 were detected by immunohistochemistry. Western blot and qRT-PCR were employed to examine the expression levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, JAK2, p-JAK, STAT, p-STAT3 and SOCS3 proteins and genes in skin tissues. Compared with AA group, amygdalin immensely increased the number of vellus hairs and decreased the number of terminal hairs determined by skin microscopy and H&E staining. ELISA, Western blot and qRT-PCR data showed that the levels of IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ in serum and skin tissues of AA mice were significantly increased, while amygdalin administration dramatically restrained the contents of the three pro-inflammatory factors. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry hinted that amygdalin observably enhanced the number of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ and CD4+ cells, while inhibited the number of CD8+ positive cells in mice with AA. Moreover, amygdalin signally reduced JAK2/STAT3 pathway-related protein and gene levels in AA mice. Amygdalin could inhibit inflammatory response and improve immune function in the treatment of AA. The underlying molecular mechanism may be related to inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Amygdalin showed a certain therapeutic effect on AA by reducing the inflammatory infiltration of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in hair follicles, reducing the release of cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α and interferon IFN-γ, and improving hair follicle damage. Meanwhile, amygdalin can inhibit the activation of JAK2/STAT3 pathway by reducing the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STST3, contributing to the suppression of inflammatory response in AA disease. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinnamon essential oil (CNO) is a natural and renewable antibacterial agent. However, CNO is highly volatile and unstable, which limits its practical application as a long-term and wide antibacterial agent. In order to improve the CNO stability, we have microencapsulated CNO into composite microcapsules basing on Pickering emulsion stabilized by silica (SiO2) nanoparticles. The CNO-loaded composite microcapsules possess the hybrid microcapsule shell including SiO2, xanthan gum and chitosan. Moreover, the results show that the microcapsules have spherical appearance. Microencapsulation technique effectively promotes the CNO stability, and the loaded CNO is slowly released from microcapsules. The antibacterial test indicates that the minimal inhibitory concentration of microcapsules was 2 mg mL−1 against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and the microcapsules can play an effective long-term antibacterial effect. Thus, Pickering emulsion templates is a convenient and effective technique to construct antibacterial essential oil-contained microcapsules, which can be used as long-term antibacterial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zanthoxylum nitidum is a traditional medicinal herb prevalent in China and Southeast Asia. However, despite being a widely cultivated perennial woody plant, an accurate reference and guide for determining the appropriate harvesting age in lacking. This study employed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, along with in vitro antioxidant and in vivo anti-inflammatory assays, to comprehensively analyze and compare the roots of Z. nitidum at 1–9 and 14 years. The results indicated a positive correlation between the increase in age and the root biomass. The highest decoction rates were observed in the roots of the 5- (44.08 %) and 4-year-old plants (40.42 %). However, the total alkaloid content (TAC) and the levels of nitidine chloride (NC), chelerythrine, and sanguinarine chloride initially increased but then decreased; their highest contents were 1.49 % (3-year-old), 0.50 % (7-year-old), 0.50 % (5-year-old), and 0.061 % (6-year-old), respectively. The levels of magnoflorine exhibited a trend of 3-year peaks; the respective contents were 0.36 % (3-year-old), 0.30 % (5-year-old), and 0.33 % (14-year-old). The change in the in vitro antioxidant potency composite index correlated with the wave-like trends in the total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic acid (TPA). The indices for 9-, 5-, and 3-year-olds ranked among the top three and were >90. Extracts of Z. nitidum roots demonstrated a therapeutic effect in dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis mice, with that from the roots of 5-year-old plants showing the highest impact. Overall, the Z. nitidum roots of 4–6-year-old plants can be harvested as high-quality raw materials that meet the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China standards. This study provides scientific references for aspects such as the rational harvesting of Z. nitidum during artificial cultivation, the optimal utilization of land resources, and clinical use. [Display omitted] • First comparative evaluation this species at different growth years. • Alkaloid contents showed uni or bimodal patterns of variation. • Anti-oxidant capacity fluctuated. • The highest in vivo anti-inflammation effect was exhibited by five-year-old plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exosomes derived from stem cells have been widely studied for promoting regeneration and reconstruction of multiple tissues as "cell-free" therapies. However, the applications of exosomes have been hindered by limited sources and insufficient therapeutic potency. Results: In this study, a stem cell-mediated gene therapy strategy is developed in which mediator mesenchymal stem cells are genetically engineered by bone morphogenetic protein-2 gene to produce exosomes (MSC-BMP2-Exo) with enhanced bone regeneration potency. This effect is attributed to the synergistic effect of the content derived from MSCs and the up-regulated BMP2 gene expression. The MSC-BMP2-Exo also present homing ability to the injured site. The toxic effect of genetical transfection vehicles is borne by mediator MSCs, while the produced exosomes exhibit excellent biocompatibility. In addition, by plasmid tracking, it is interesting to find a portion of plasmid DNA can be encapsulated by exosomes and delivered to recipient cells. Conclusions: In this strategy, engineered MSCs function as cellular factories, which effectively produce exosomes with designed and enhanced therapeutic effects. The accelerating effect in bone healing and the good biocompatibility suggest the potential clinical application of this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • FL has been carboxymethylated at DS 0.6733 using chloroacetic acid. • CMFL possesses stronger in vitro antioxidant capacity than FL. • CMFL more effectively prevents strawberry from decay than FL. Abstract Carboxymethylation modification is commonly used for improving physicochemical and biological properties of nature polysaccharides, effect of carboxymethylation on property of fucoidan from Laminaria japonica (FL) is still unknown even though the polysaccharide has been isolated for several decades. To explore the derivatization-related effect, this study prepared carboxymethyl FL (CMFL) using chloroacetic acid. CMFL was characterized by degree of substitution (DS) determination and infrared spectroscopic analysis. Antioxidant activity of CMFL in vitro was assessed by scavenging capacity of DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals. Strawberry were used to investigate the effects of CMFL on harvested fruit. DS was determined to be 0.6733, and two characteristic absorption peaks of carboxymethylation were detected at 1602 and 1420 cm−1, suggesting that FL was carboxymethylated. IC 50 values of hydroxyl, superoxide and DPPH radicals decreased by 17.8%, 17.5% and 15.7%, respectively, indicating higher in vitro antioxidant activity of CMFL than FL. CMFL reduced water loss and decay more effectively than FL. CMFL and to a lesser extent, FL treated fruit had higher ascorbic acid content and stronger scavenging capacities of DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals than control fruit during storage. Overall, carboxymethylation can enhance the properties of FL, including its effects on antioxidant activity, which suggests that CMFL can be used as a natural preservative for harvested fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some plant essential oils (EOs) are environmentally friendly insecticides because they can kill insects by manipulating the social behaviour of the red imported fire ants. In this study, we found that the main component of cinnamon oil, trans -cinnamaldehyde, which is extracted from the bark and leaves of Cinnamomum loureirii Nees and Cinnamomum cassia Presl, could cause leg-antennal and double-antennal grooming, as well as fighting behaviors in red imported fire ants. In particular, the bark oils not only produced strong fighting behaviour but also accelerated the death of the worker ants. Analysis of the contents of neurotransmitters (octopamine and dopamine) in red imported fire worker ants treated with trans -cinnamaldehyde, the main component of cinnamon oil, showed that trans -cinnamaldehyde destroyed the antennal receptor structure, causing a decrease in octopamine content and in the ants' ability to recognise their nest mates. Trans -cinnamaldehyde stimulated the synthesis of dopamine, thereby enhancing the aggression of the worker ants. Indeed, the relative mRNA expression levels of two genes needed for dopamine synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase and DOPA decarboxylase, were significantly upregulated compared with those of the control group (CK) from the beginning of the fight to the peak of the fight. The ratio of octopamine to dopamine reached 1:86 during the peak of the fight. The findings revealed that trans -cinnamaldehyde acts on the nervous system of red imported fire ants to interfere with the behaviour of the workers, thus providing a strategy to control the spread of red imported fire ants using cinnamon EOs. [Display omitted] • Cinnamon oils caused antennal grooming and fighting in red imported fire ants. • Trans -cinnamaldehyde was main component of behaviour disorder in Solenopsis invicta. • Trans -cinnamaldehyde increased dopamine content and decreased octopamine content. • Dopamine synthesis promoted fighting in red imported fire ants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To solve the problem of poor water resistance and restricted usage of magnesium phosphate cement, the cement prepared by NaH2PO4 and NH4H2PO4 was modified via chitosan, and the modification mechanism was also explored. The results showed that the optimum molar ratio of NaH2PO4: NH4H2PO4 was 2:3. Upon setting the chitosan content of wt.1%, the mechanical strength of the resulting cements after 28 days was 42 MPa. After water immersion, the percentage of the lost mechanical strength of cements and mass loss was smaller than those in the control group. Free amino group on the molecular chain of chitosan could react with Mg2+ ions to form complexes. Interconnected polymer network structure was formed in magnesium phosphate bone cement paste. Magnesium phosphate bone cement had hydration products with Mg2+ ions as nucleation sites, which further gradually formed a network structure, indicating that chitosan could improve the water resistance of magnesium phosphate bone cements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suitable habitats of medicinal plants have changed as the result of climate change, which may affect quality of herbal medicine. However, as an important traditional herbal medicine, the Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. lacks relevant research on coping with climate challenges. In this study, through field and online surveys, occurrence records and samples of Z. nitidum were gathered. The various periods' suitable habitats of Z. nitidum were predicted by using Maxent and ArcGIS software. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to ascertain the samples' nitidine chloride (NC) content. Chemometric methods was used to conduct hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) on Z. nitidum samples from different suitable habitats. The results showed that the precipitation and temperature were significant factors in the distribution of Z. nitidum. The suitable habitats of current climate scenarios were predicted to be mainly distributed in south of the Yangtze River. The suitable habitats were predicted to gradually reduce southward under the four future climate scenarios. The contents of NC in suitable habitats were significantly higher than low-suitable habitats. Meanwhile, HCA and PCA showed that the Z. nitidum samples from different suitable habitats were effectively identified and evaluated based on bioactive substances. Overall, the findings of this study are useful references for the identification of suitable areas of Z. nitidum cultivation, as well as suitable habitats identification and quality evaluation of Z. nitidum resources in China. [Display omitted] • First time to evaluate and predict this species's distribution by MaxEnt model. • Suitable habitat area will to reduce southward in the future. • Precipitation and temperature are the key factors. • The quality of medicinal materials in the suitable habitat is better. • Samples from different habitats are effectively identified and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate the enhanced mechanical properties of nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 (nHA/PA66) composites reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by means of the blending method. The MWCNTs–nHA/PA66 composites were characterized by various techniques, and the obtained results indicated that the MWCNTs were evenly distributed in the composite and that good interfacial bonding was formed between MWCNTs and PA66. The addition of MWCNTs improved the crystallinity of PA66, while it had little or no effect either on the composition or on the crystal structure of the composites. Moreover, the addition of MWCNTs in nHA/PA66 significantly improved the mechanical strength, and the tensile and compressive strengths attained maximum values of 90.3 and 126.8 MPa, respectively, with the addition of 0.1 wt% MWCNTs, whereas the bending strength attained a maximum value of 105.5 MPa with the addition of 0.05 wt% MWCNTs. Finally, L929 cells co-cultured with the MWCNTs-nHA/PA66 composite exhibited comparatively uninhibited cell growth, indicating that the addition of MWCNTs had negligible effect on the cytocompatibility of the original nHA/PA66 composite. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Incorporation of small reactive moieties, the reactivity of which depends on externally imposed load (so-called mechanophores) into polymer chains offers access to a broad range of stress-responsive materials. Here, we report that polymers incorporating spirothiopyran (STP) manifest both green mechanochromism and load-induced addition reactions in solution and solid. Stretching a macromolecule containing colorless STP converts it into green thiomerocyanine (TMC), the mechanically activated thiolate moiety of which undergoes rapid thiol-ene click reactions with certain reactive C=C bonds to form a graft or a cross-link. The unique dual mechanochemical response of STP makes it of potentially great utility both for the design of new stress-responsive materials and for fundamental studies in polymer physics, for example, the dynamics of physical and mechanochemical remodeling of loaded materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporation of small reactive moieties, the reactivity of which depends on externally imposed load (so-called mechanophores) into polymer chains offers access to a broad range of stress-responsive materials. Here, we report that polymers incorporating spirothiopyran (STP) manifest both green mechanochromism and load-induced addition reactions in solution and solid. Stretching a macromolecule containing colorless STP converts it into green thiomerocyanine (TMC), the mechanically activated thiolate moiety of which undergoes rapid thiol-ene click reactions with certain reactive C=C bonds to form a graft or a cross-link. The unique dual mechanochemical response of STP makes it of potentially great utility both for the design of new stress-responsive materials and for fundamental studies in polymer physics, for example, the dynamics of physical and mechanochemical remodeling of loaded materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous wounds, especially chronic wounds, remain clinical challenges, and this is partially due to the complex healing process composed of four overlapping but distinct stages including hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. Therefore, wound dressings with spatially designed structures which can temporally regulate certain bioactive components to function at specific healing stages might be able to accelerate the healing process. In this study, nanobioglass incorporated chitosan-PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) trilayer nanofibrous membrane (nBG-TFM) was fabricated via sequential electrospinning. This membrane exhibited excellent biocompatibility, antibacterial activity and regeneration promotion effect. Furthermore, spatially designed structure optimized functions of each component and provided more suitable microenvironment as compared with uniform membrane. Rat full-thickness skin defects model and mice diabetic chronic wound model showed that nBG-TFM could achieve significantly accelerated and enhanced healing, in terms of complete re-epithelialization, improved collagen alignment and formation of skin appendages. It was revealed that nBG-TFM functioned through upregulating growth factors including VEGF and TGF-β. Meanwhile inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1β were downregulated. The technology presented in this study shed new light on designing functional wound dressings which can promote healing of chronic wounds. Unlabelled Image • Components in wound dressing can be spatially organized to coordinate functions. • Multilayer wound dressing provides better hemostatic and antibacterial effects. • Bioglass release active ions to suppress inflammatory and to promote angiogenesis. • Multilayer wound dressing containing bioglass can accelerate diabetic wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So wie mechanischer Druck schöne Klänge auf einer Geige erzeugt, kann die mechanische Belastung von Polymeren zu interessanten chemischen Reaktionen führen. In der Zuschrift auf S. 3092 ff. stellen W. Weng et al. ein Spirothiopyran ‐ Polymer vor, das bei Einwirkung einer mechanischen Kraft hellgrün leuchtet und Quervernetzung eingeht. Zwei charakteristische mechanische Antworten auf eine mechanische Belastung sind in einem einzigen reaktiven Molekül kombiniert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover picture for "A Journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker Angewandte Chemie: International Edition" 2016-55/9 issue is presented.

Background: Interleukin-37 (IL-37), a new member of IL-1 family cytokine, is recently identified as a natural inhibitor of innate immunity. This study aimed to measure the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum levels of IL-37 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to investigate its role in SLE, including its correlation with disease activity, organ disorder and the regulation of inflammatory cytokines.Methods: The expressions of IL-37 mRNAs in PBMCs and serum IL-37 levels in 66 SLE patients were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). SLE patients PBMCs were stimulated with recombinant IL-37, levels of cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 were detected by RT-PCR and ELISA.Results: IL-37 mRNAs and serum protein levels were higher in patients with SLE compared with healthy controls. Patients with active disease showed higher IL-37 mRNAs and serum protein levels compared with those with inactive disease as well as healthy controls. Serum IL-37 levels correlated with SLEDAI and inversely with C3 and C4. Serum IL-37 levels were higher in SLE patients with renal involvement compared with those without renal disease. In vitro, IL-37 inhibited the production of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in PBMCs of patients with SLE, whereas the production of IL-10 was unaffected.Conclusions: IL-37 associated with SLE disease activity, especially related with SLE renal disease activity. IL-37 is an important cytokine in the control of SLE pathogenesis by suppressing the production of inflammatory cytokines. Thus, IL-37 may provide a novel research target for the pathogenesis and therapy of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]