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The xanthones represent an important and widely spread class of specialized metabolites in the plant kingdom, fungi, and lichens. Their aromatic and highly oxygenated structures owe them the ability to undergo a series of chemical reactions to form an important number of derivatives as well as to exert a large scale of excellent activities that particularly increased their interest for several researchers. Amongst the reactions observed on their basic nucleus, C-glycosylation leads to the formation of C-glycosylxanthones, a rare subclass of xanthones encountered in nature. Until July 2023, the literature survey on chemical and pharmacological investigations of medicinal plants indicated that a total of 41 distinct natural C-glycosylxanthones have been isolated from 31 plant species belonging to 10 families. Mangiferin (1) was the most reported one and the most biologically screened. Antioxidant activity was the most performed test on isolated compounds, while some strong and good anti-inflammatory, antiplasmodial, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities have been also reported in the literature for some C-glycosylxanthones. This paper is a mini-review summarizing the occurrence, chemistry, and biological activities of C-glycosylxanthones. The writing of this paper has been done using the literature collected from online libraries including SciFinder, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using keywords xanthone, glycosyl, C-glycosylxanthone, without language restriction. This review represents therefore the easiest access to the information on C-glycosylxanthones for researchers intending to also continue the research investigations on this topic. [Display omitted] • This review summarizes the occurrence, the chemistry and pharmacology of C-glycoxanthones. • Forty-one naturally occurring C-glycosylxanthones have been identified and reported in the literature so far. • The distribution, classification and biosynthesis of C-glycosylxanthones are discussed. • The pharmacology of the C-glycosylxanthones is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most frequent psychiatric complication during the postnatal period and its mechanisms are not fully understood. Metabolomics, can quantitatively measure metabolites in a high-throughput method, and thus uncover the underlying pathophysiology of disease.Objectives: In this study, we reviewed metabolomics studies conducted on PPD, aiming to understand the changes of metabolites in PPD patients and analyze the potential application of metabolomics in PPD prediction and diagnosis.Methods: Relevant articles were searched in PubMed, Google scholar, and Web of Science databases from January 2011 to July 2022. The metabolites involved were systematically examined and compared. MetaboAnalyst online software was applied to analyze metabolic pathways.Results: A total of 14 papers were included in this study. There were several highly reported metabolites, such as kynurenine, kynurenic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid. Dysregulation of metabolic pathways involved amino acids metabolism, fatty acids metabolism, and steroids metabolism.Limitations: The included studies are relatively inadequate, and further work is needed.Conclusions: This study summarized significant metabolic alterations that provided clues for the prediction, diagnosis, and pathogenesis of PPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shenlian formula (SL) is a Chinese medicine formula used to curb the development of atherosclerosis (AS) and cardiovascular disease in clinical practice. However, owing to the complexity of compounds and their related multiple targets in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it remains difficult and urgent to elucidate the underlying mechanisms at a holistic level. To investigate the intrinsic mechanisms by which SL suppresses AS progression and to gain new insight into its clinical use. We proposed a network pharmacology-based workflow to evaluate the mechanism by which SL affects AS via data analysis, target prediction, PPI network construction, GO and KEGG analyses, and a "drug-core ingredient-potential target-key pathway" network. Then, non-targeted lipidomic analysis was performed to explore the differential lipid metabolites in AS rats, revealing the possible mechanism by which SL affects atherosclerotic progression. Moreover, an AS rabbit model was constructed and gavaged for SL intervention. Serum lipid profiles and inflammatory cytokine indices were tested as an indication of the mitigating effect of SL on AS. A total of 89 bioactive compounds and 298 targets related to SL and AS, which play essential roles in this process, were identified, and a component-target-disease network was constructed. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that SL regulated metabolic pathway, lipids and atherosclerosis, the PI3K-Akt pathway, the MAPK pathway and so on. In vivo experimental validation revealed that a total of 43 different lipid metabolites regulated by SL were identified by non-targeted lipidomics, and glycerophospholipid metabolism was found to be an important mechanism for SL to interfere with AS. SL reduced the plaque area and decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-4) and blood lipids (TC, TG, LDL-C, and ApoB) in HFD-induced AS models. In addition, HDL and ApoA 1 levels are increased. PLA2 and Lipin1 are highly expressed in AS model, indicating their role in destabilizing glycerophosphatidylcholine metabolism and contributing to the onset and progression of ankylosing spondylitis. Moreover, SL intervention significantly reduced the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines; significantly down-regulated NF-kB/p65 expression, exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity. The Shenlian formula (SL) plays a pivotal role in the suppression of AS progression by targeting multiple pathways and mechanisms. This study provides novel insights into the essential genes and pathways associated with the prognosis and pathogenesis of AS. [Display omitted] • The innovation of this paper lies in clarifying the therapeutic effect of SL on atherosclerosis, especially the prediction of anti-atherosclerosis active ingredients and related targets by network pharmacology tools. • The network pharmacology prediction and lipid metabolism pathway were verified by In vivo experiments, in atherosclerosis model. • SL formula intervention significantly reduced the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines; significantly down-regulated NF-kB/p65 expression, exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many transition metal complexes have been explored for their therapeutic properties after the discovery of cisplatin. Schiff bases have an efficient complexation tendency with the transition metals and several medicinal properties have been reported. However, fewer studies have reported the medicinal utility of vanadium and its Schiff base complexes. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of vanadium complexes with Schiff bases along with their mechanistic insight. Vanadium complexes in + 4 and + 5 oxidation states have exhibited well-defined geometry and found to be thermodynamically stable. The studies have reported the G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and decreased delta psi m, inducing mitochondrial membrane depolarization in cancer cell lines along with the alterations in the metabolism of the cancer cells upon dosing with the vanadium complexes. Cancer cell invasion and growth are also found to be markedly reduced by peroxo complexes of vanadium. The studies included in the review paper have been taken from leading indexing databases and focus was laid on recent reports in literature. The biological potential of vanadium complexes of Schiff bases opens new horizons for future interdisciplinary studies and investigation focussed on understanding the biochemistry of these complexes, along with designing new complexes which have better bioavailability, solubility and low or non-toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taste is one of the five human senses, but it contains differences and ambiguities among people. Therefore, some researchers consider that taste expression, which cannot be clearly defined, is influenced by the expressions used by others. In this study, we propose a method for quantitatively evaluating user comments on a recipe-sharing website. In evaluating KOKU as an example of a taste expression using the proposed method, we confirmed that expressions from others have a statistically significant influence on KOKU. Although there have been attempts to clarify the influence of other information on taste in cognitive linguistics and biochemistry, these attempts have been based on cognitive linguistics and chemical analysis. The series of analytical methods presented in this paper enables us to quantitatively evaluate the influence of others' comments on taste expressions the general public has used without clear definitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroids are farnesyl diphosphate-derived triterpene derivatives widely distributed in Meliaceae plants that can have several health benefits due to their biological activities. This literature survey on chemical and pharmacological studies of steroids from the Meliaceae plants indicates that 157 distinct steroids classified into six subclasses including (in decreasing number): pregnane-, stigmastane-, ergostane-, cholestane-, androstane- and ecdysterone-type steroids have been reported from a total of 49 plant species. This review aims to provide a reference document compiling information about the occurrence, chemistry and biological activities of meliaceous steroids for the period from 1988 to July 2023. In particular, generalities about the chemistry of steroids with unusual skeletons and underlying biosynthetic pathways are highlighted. In addition, some structural relationships between different compound types and their biological activities are presented. The information used during the writing of this paper was collected from the online libraries PubMed, Google Scholar and Scifinder using the keywords steroids and Meliaceae with no language restriction. This review points out new avenues for further investigations of steroids from plants of the Meliaceae family. A comprehensive compilation of literature and discussion on the occurrence, chemistry and biological activities of a total of 153 natural occurring steroids and 4 synthetic analogues reported from 49 Meliaceae plant species between 1988 and July 2023. [Display omitted] • This is the first comprehensive review on steroids from Meliaceae. • A total of 157 steroids from 49 plant species are reported in the literature so far. • The distribution, classification and biosynthesis of Meliaceous steroids are discussed. • Pregnane-type steroids represent the most abundant ones. • Biological activities of the reported steroids are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the papers of Kacser and Burns (1973) and Heinrich and Rapoport (1974a,b) are commonly taken as the birth of metabolic control analysis, many of the ideas in them are foreshadowed in earlier papers, from 1956 onwards, when Kacser first argued for taking a systemic view of genetics and biochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a withdrawal notice for an article titled "Carbon monoxide protects against hyperoxia-induced endothelial cell apoptosis by inhibiting reactive oxygen species formation." The authors of the article have withdrawn it, except for one author who could not be contacted. The journal determined that there were issues with the reuse of images and potential reuse of data from a previously published paper. These issues could not be resolved due to the lack of original data. [Extracted from the article]

Since its conception some fifty years ago, metabolic control analysis (MCA) aims to understand how cells control their metabolism by adjusting the activity of their enzymes. Here we extend its scope to a whole-cell context. We consider metabolism in the evolutionary context of growth-rate maximisation by optimisation of protein concentrations. This framework allows for the prediction of flux control coefficients from proteomics data or stoichiometric modelling. Since genes compete for finite biosynthetic resources, we treat all protein concentrations as interdependent. We show that elementary flux modes (EFMs) emerge naturally as the optimal metabolic networks in the whole-cell context and we derive their control properties. In the evolutionary optimum, the number of expressed EFMs is determined by the number of protein-concentration constraints that limit growth rate. We use published glucose-limited chemostat data of S. cerevisiae to illustrate that it uses only two EFMs prior to the onset of fermentation and that it uses four EFMs during fermentation. We discuss published enzyme-titration data to show that S. cerevisiae and E. coli indeed can express proteins at growth-rate maximising concentrations. Accordingly, we extend MCA to elementary flux modes operating at an optimal state. We find that the expression of growth-unassociated proteins changes results from classical metabolic control analysis. Finally, we show how flux control coefficients can be estimated from proteomics and ribosome-profiling data. We analyse published proteomics data of E. coli to provide a whole-cell perspective of the control of metabolic enzymes on growth rate. We hope that this paper stimulates a renewed interest in metabolic control analysis, so that it can serve again the purpose it once had: to identify general principles that emerge from the biochemistry of the cell and are conserved across biological species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NAD+ is crucial for cellular balance in all organisms. Recent interest has focused on its metabolism. Deficiency-related issues can be countered using NMN and NR, potential therapies available through diet or supplementation. These compounds are emerging as nutraceuticals and bioactive food elements. Bibliometric analysis was used to study the scientific output and impact of research on the NAD+ metabolome. For this, the terms "nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide" or "NAD+" or "NAD+ precursors" or "nicotinamide riboside" or "nicotinamide mononucleotide" were searched in the topic title in The Web of Science™ database. Only original articles and articles review were considered. VOSviewer was used for constructing and visualizing the bibliometric networks maps. A total of 10,568 papers were published, with a consistent increase in the number of publications, especially over the last decade. Biochemistry molecular biology, biophysics, cell biology, chemistry multidisciplinary and microbiology were the top 5 field research in the subject. The majority of the publications came from the 'Journal of biological chemistry' and 'Biochemistry' journals. The prominent research topics included longevity, sirtuins, NAD+ precursors, oxidation and reduction reactions, enzymes, microbial biotechnology, cancer therapy, and crop science. Finally, a guide for future investigation in nutrition and food sciences areas was proposed, which holds immense potential for developing innovative strategies to enhance food quality, promote optimal nutrition, and explore new avenues for improving human health. To our knowledge, this is the first bibliometric analysis of NAD+ metabolome, which can provide valuable insights into the research landscape in this multidisciplinary rapidly growing field. [Display omitted] • Initial research of NAD + has focused on biochemistry and cellular biology fields. • The most cited topic was related with sirtuins and lifespan extension. • Current focus is on strategies targeting NAD + for reverting diseases. • There are many unexplored topics related to NAD+ in nutrition and food sciences. • NAD + metabolome holds promise for nutrition, food quality, and health improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolomics is the study of small molecules, primarily metabolites, that are produced during metabolic processes. Analysis of the composition of an organism's metabolome can yield useful information about an individual's health status at any given time. In recent years, the development of large-scale, targeted metabolomic methods has allowed for the analysis of biological samples using analytical techniques such as LC-MS/MS. This paper presents a large-scale metabolomics method for analysis of biological samples, with a focus on quantification of metabolites found in blood plasma. The method comprises a 10-min chromatographic separation using HILIC and RP stationary phases combined with positive and negative electrospray ionization in order to maximize metabolome coverage. Complete analysis of a single sample can be achieved in as little as 40 min using the two columns and dual modes of ionization. With 540 metabolites and the inclusion of over 200 analytical standards, this method is comprehensive and quantitatively robust when compared to current targeted metabolomics methods. This study uses a large-scale evaluation of metabolite recovery from plasma that enables absolute quantification of metabolites by correcting for analyte loss throughout processes such as extraction, handling, or storage. In addition, the method was applied to plasma collected from adjuvant breast cancer patients to confirm the suitability of the method to clinical samples. [Display omitted] • Large-scale targeted metabolomics 560 metabolites in human plasma • Rapid (40 min per sample) analysis using RP and HILIC chromatography • % Recovery for 228 compounds in human plasma enables absolute quantification [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhus chinensis Mill. is a species of the genus Rhus belonging to the family Anacardiaceae. Its fruits used to treat/prevent liver related diseases (e.g., jaundice and hepatitis) in folk medicine. Otherwise, the effects and underlying mechanisms of the fruits on the prevention of isoniazid and rifampicin-caused liver injury have not been investigated. To study the preventive effects and mechanisms of the Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits on isoniazid and rifampicin-caused liver injury. This experiment was based on rifampicin (75 mg/kg/day) and isoniazid (75 mg/kg/day)-induced liver damage model to explain the pharmacological effects of Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits. The prevention of the extract from Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits on isoniazid and rifampicin-caused liver injury were evaluated using biochemical parameters, histopathological analysis, and immunofluorescence technique. Apart from that, the potential molecular mechanisms were elucidated by analyzing the expression of such crucial proteins participated in oxidative stress, apoptosis, and bile acid transport. The extract from Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits significantly reduced the levels of ALT, AST, TBIL, ALP and MDA. Besides, the extract, especially 800 mg/kg b.w., was remarkably decreased the content of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β, restored the levels of GSH and SOD. The results of Western blot also presented that the extract could activate the Nrf2 protein pathway and inhibit the expression of CYP2E1 to reduce oxidative stress. Meanwhile, the extract significantly up-regulated the expressions of BSEP and Mrp2 to regulate the transport of bile acid, and alleviated the cellular apoptosis via adjusting the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins. Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits can prevent the liver injury induced by isoniazid and rifampicin in mice through adjusting the expressions of multiple proteins in oxidative stress, apoptosis, and bile acid transport pathways. This paper may provide scientific basis for the fruits as a Chinese medicine to prevent/cure liver injury. [Display omitted] • R. chinensis fruits were rich in polyphenols, especially quercetin and gallic acid. • The fruits effectively prevented liver injury induced by anti-tuberculosis drugs. • The fruits improved oxidative stress via Nrf2 signaling pathway & CYP2E1 protein. • Hepatocyte apoptosis was prevented by the fruits adjusting Bax and Bcl-2 proteins. • Bile acid transport was obviously ameliorated via up-grading BSEP and Mrp2 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman (Rosaceae), commonly known as "Pygeum" or "African cherry", occurs in mainland montane forests scattered across sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and some surrounding islands. Traditionally, decoctions of the stem-bark are taken orally for the treatment of a wide variety of conditions, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), stomach ache, chest pain, malaria, heart conditions, and gonorrhoea, as well as urinary and kidney diseases. The timber is used to make axe handles and for other household needs. The dense wood is also sawn for timber. The fragmented information available on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and biological activities of the medicinally important P. africana was collated, organised, and analysed in this review, to highlight knowledge voids that can be addressed through future research. A bibliometric analysis of research output on P. africana was conducted on literature retrieved, using the Scopus® database. The trend in the publications over time was assessed and a network analysis of collaborations between countries and authors was carried out. Furthermore, a detailed review of the literature over the period 1971 to 2021, acquired through Scopus, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Pubmed, Scirp, DOAJ and Google Scholar, was conducted. All relevant abstracts, full-text articles and various book chapters on the botanical and ethnopharmacological aspects of P. africana , written in English and German, were consulted. A total of 455 documents published from 1971 to 2021, were retrieved using the Scopus search. Analysis of the data showed that the majority of these documents were original research articles, followed by reviews and lastly a miscellaneous group comprising conference papers, book chapters, short surveys, editorials and letters. Data were analysed for annual output and areas of intense research focus, and countries with high research output, productive institutions and authors, and collaborative networks were identified. Prunus africana is reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, antiviral, antimutagenic, anti-asthmatic, anti-androgenic, antiproliferative and apoptotic activities amongst others. Phytosterols and other secondary metabolites such as phenols, triterpenes, fatty acids, and linear alcohols have been the focus of phytochemical investigations. The biological activity has largely been ascribed to the phytosterols (mainly 3- β -sitosterol, 3- β -sitostenone, and 3- β -sitosterol-glucoside), which inhibit the production of prostaglandins in the prostate, thereby suppressing the inflammatory symptoms associated with BPH and chronic prostatitis. Many of the ethnobotanical assertions for the biological activity of P. africana have been confirmed through in vitro and in vivo studies. However, a disparity exists between the biological activity of the whole extract and that of single compounds isolated from the extract, which were reported to be less effective. This finding suggests that a different approach to biological activity studies should be encouraged that takes all secondary metabolites present into consideration. A robust technique, such as multivariate biochemometric data analysis, which allows for a holistic intervention to study the biological activity of a species is suggested. Furthermore, there is a need to develop rapid and efficient quality control methods for both raw materials and products to replace the time-consuming and laborious methods currently in use. [Display omitted] • Prunus africana is distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa and some offshore islands. • Traditionally, the stem-bark is commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. • Prunus africana is composed of phytosterols, phenols, triterpenes, and fatty acids. • Prunus africana has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is a plant pathogen that can block the flow of water and nutrients through the xylem. Xf symptoms may be confounded with generic water stress responses. Here, we assessed changes in biochemical, biophysical and photosynthetic traits, inferred using biophysical models, in Xf- affected almond orchards under rainfed and irrigated conditions on the Island of Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). Recent research has demonstrated the early detection of Xf -infections by monitoring spectral changes associated with pigments, canopy structural traits, fluorescence emission and transpiration. Nevertheless, there is still a need to make further progress in monitoring physiological processes (e.g., photosynthesis rate) to be able to efficiently detect when Xf- infection causes subtle spectral changes in photosynthesis. This paper explores the ability of parsimonious machine learning (ML) algorithms to detect Xf- infected trees operationally, when considering a proxy of photosynthetic capacity, namely the maximum carboxylation rate (V cmax), along with carbon-based constituents (CBC, including lignin), and leaf biochemical traits and tree-crown temperature (T c) as an indicator of transpiration rates. The ML framework proposed here reduced the uncertainties associated with the extraction of reflectance spectra and temperature from individual tree crowns using high-resolution hyperspectral and thermal images. We showed that the relative importance of V cmax and leaf biochemical constituents (e.g., CBC) in the ML model for the detection of Xf at early stages of development were intrinsically associated with the water and nutritional conditions of almond trees. Overall, the functional traits that were most consistently altered by Xf- infection were V cmax , pigments, CBC, and T c , and, particularly in rainfed-trees, anthocyanins, and T c. The parsimonious ML model for Xf detection yielded accuracies exceeding 90% (kappa = 0.80). This study brings progress in the development of an operational ML framework for the detection of Xf outbreaks based on plant traits related to photosynthetic capacity, plant biochemistry and structural decay parameters. • Vcmax and leaf biochemical constituents are intrinsically related to water stress. • Anthocyanins and Tc are main traits for Xf detection under limited water conditions. • Vcmax, chlorophyll and CBC are relevant in ML models in absence of water stress. • Xf detection is highly precise with Vcmax, pigments, N, CBC and Tc in the ML models. • The operational ML framework shows an automatic approach to monitor plant pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic dermatopathy is one of the most serious and common complications of diabetes. It has been found that high glucose can lead to abnormal glycometabolism. The skin microenvironment pollution caused by the increase in glucose and the oxidative stress mediated by the deposition of advanced glycation end products can lead to invisible skin injury, and the interaction between them is the key factor that makes the skin wounds of diabetic rats difficult to heal. Therefore, the main task of promoting healing is to reduce blood glucose levels and relieve the deposition of advanced glycation end products. Polygonatum kingianum Collett & Hemsl (PK) of Asparagaceae is planted in Yunnan, China, and is used by the Bai, Hani and Wa nationalities as a traditional medicine for preventing and treating diabetes. To study the effects of PK extract on skin wound healing in diabetic rats and to explore the regulatory mechanism of PK on wound microenvironment pollution, the antioxidative stress signaling pathway and latent injury of wound skin tissue. First, wounds were prepared after diabetic rats were given PK extract by gavage for 4 weeks, and then gavage was continued for 2 weeks to observe and calculate the wound healing rate. A scanning electron microscope was used to observe the pathomorphological changes in the skin tissue at the edge of the wound. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of CD34, AGEs, bFGF and VEGF. The Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in skin tissue was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Serum biochemical indicators and inflammatory cytokine levels were detected by a kit. After PK treatment, the wound healing rate increased significantly (P < 0.001), the infiltration of inflammatory cells in skin tissue of DM lesion rats decreased, the number of new blood vessels increased, and the epidermis and dermis thickened. The content of glucose, AGEs, RAGE protein and RAGE mRNA in skin decreased significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001), while the expression of Nrf2 mRNA, HO-1 mRNA, CD34, bFGF and VEGF increased significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001). The levels of SOD, GSH, MMP-9 and MMP-2 in skin decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001), but the level of TIMP-2 increased (P < 0.001). GSP, GHb and ICAM-1 in plasma decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001), while T-AOC, SOD and FINS increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The levels of MDA, TNF-, IL-6, IL-2 and IFN-γ in plasma and wound skin tissue decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001). PK can reduce the infiltration of inflammatory cells and glucose content in the skin tissue at the edge of the wound, reduce inflammatory factors in skin and plasma, and increase angiogenesis, thus improving the wound healing rate. PK can alleviate the microenvironment pollution caused by AGEs and glucose metabolism disorder in diabetic rats and induce antioxidant activity through the Nrf 2/HO-1 signaling pathway, thus reducing oxidative damage and offsetting endogenous skin damage and hidden damage. [Display omitted] • There has been no previous report on the study of PK in the treatment of diabetic complications，and this paper is the first time to study the repairing effect of Polygonatum kingianum on diabetic skin injury complications. • This study established a "chain of disease" from beginning to end, and explored the multi-target and multi-link therapeutic effects of Polygonatum kingianum. • This study prove that Polygonatum kingianum can improve the quality of micro-environmental pollution in diabetic rat skin lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The triterpenes represent one of the most reported subclasses of specialized metabolites from the plant kingdom. They play a key role in the protection of plants and their metabolism in addition to displaying a high structural diversity and large scale of biological activities. The scaffold can undergo several reactions like oxidation or substitution at different positions of the skeleton leading to the formation of several types of compounds. More specifically, triterpene dimer is a small group of compounds found in nature (from plants precisely). Until 2021, the chemical and pharmacological works reported in the literature indicated the identification of 90 natural dimeric triterpenes and 11 synthetic derivatives from 19 plants species and very few of them have been biologically evaluated for their antibacterial, antioxidant, antiproliferative or molluscicide activities. This review aims to compile the literature on the occurrence, chemistry and biological activities of the triterpenoid dimers. To attend this goal, a literature survey has been done in a number of online libraries including Scifinder, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar using keywords terpene, triterpene, dimer, celastroloid without language restriction. This paper provides the easiest access to the information on triterpene dimers for readers and researchers in view to enhancing the continuity of research works on this topic. [Display omitted] A comprehensive compilation of literature and discussion on the occurrence, chemistry and antibacterial, antioxidant, antiproliferative as well as molluscicide activities of a total of 90 natural occurring triterpene dimers and 11 synthetic analogues reported from 19 plants species until 2021. • Total of 90 naturally dimeric triterpenoids from 19 plant species are reported. • Eleven semi-synthetic triterpene dimers derivatives have been prepared so far. • Celastroloids represent the most abundant triterpene dimers. • Biological activities of the triterpene dimers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Edible bird's nest contained Neu5Ac, the most abundant sialic acid. • Sialic acid is linked glycosidically with glycan to display diverse functions. • Enzymatic hydrolysis offers better quality of extracted sialic acid over acid hydrolysis. • Detection without derivatisation is preferable but rarely reported. • Sialic acid is essential nutrient to fulfil several significant biological functions. Sialic acids are a group of nine-carbon α-keto acids. Sialic acid exists in more than 50 forms, with the natural types discovered as N -acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), deaminoneuraminic acid (2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulononic acid or Kdn), and N -glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). Sialic acid level varies depending on the source, where edible bird's nest (EBN), predominantly Neu5Ac, is among the major sources of sialic acid. Due to its high nutritive value and complexity, sialic acid has been studied extensively through acid, aqueous, and enzymatic extraction. Although detection by chromatographic methods or mass spectrometry is common, the isolation and recovery work remained limited. Sialic acid is well-recognised for its bioactivities, including brain and cognition development, immune-enhancing, anti-hypertensive, anticancer, and skin whitening properties. Therefore, sialic acid can be used as a functional ingredient in the various industries. This paper reviews the current trend in the biochemistry, sources, extraction, and functions of sialic acids with special reference to EBN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor in Chief. This paper is being retracted due to many inaccuracies in the original data in Figures 1D, 1E, 2A, 2B, 2E, 3B, 4B, 5A being identified that have raised concerns over the validity of the overall findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indirubin is the crucial ingredient of Danggui Longhui Wan and Qing-Dai, traditional Chinese medicine herbal formulas used for the therapy of chronic myelocytic leukemia in China for hundreds of years. Although the monomeric indirubin has been used in China for the treatment human chronic myelocytic leukemia. However, due to low water solubility, poor pharmacokinetic properties and low therapeutic effects are the major obstacle, and had significantly limited its clinical application. Consequently, the attractive anticancer profile of indirubin has enthused numerous researchers to discover novel indirubin derivatives with improved pharmacodynamic activity as well as good pharmacokinetic property. In this paper, we comprehensively review the recent progress of anticancer potential of indirubins, structural modification and structure-activity relationship, which may provide useful direction for the further development of novel indirubins with improved pharmacological profiles for the treatment of various types of cancer. This review covers the recent advances of anticancer potential of indirubins, structural modification and structure-activity relationship, which may provide useful direction for the further development of novel indirubins with improved pharmacological profiles. [Display omitted] • Indirubin is an important natural bisindole alkaloid for anticancer drug exploration. • The recent advances of structural modification of indirubin were comprehensively summarized. • The multiple mechanisms underlying the anticancer action were included. • The structure-activity relationship was discussed. • The review will be conducive to the medicinal research of indirubin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise target distribution is a key issue for further appropriate applications of fangjis (formulas) with similar efficacy and herbal constituents to maximize efficacy and minimize toxicity. To develop an algorithm for investigating the differential target distributions and characteristic mechanisms of fangjis. In this study, we proposed a Modulome-Fangjiome Association Study (MoFAS) for comparing fangjis from qi-invigorating and xue-nourishing fangjiome (represented by four fangjis: FEJ, SDT, LYG and QOL). Firstly, the database-driven target network of these 4 fangjis was constructed as qi-xue network and decomposed into modules. Then, the modular map with functional landscape were constructed based on consistency score and enrichment analysis. Finally, we employed a targeting rate (TR) matrix to assess the contribution of this fangjiome to modulome (a set of modules) and compared characteristic effect of fangjis by principal component analysis (PCA). A qi-xue network constituted by 579 proteins and 23 modules were constructed. In the functional landscape, 3 primary modules were mainly involved in the endocrine system and environmental adaptation. For the target distribution, SDT and QOL were more similar; the FEJ and LYG were located distant from other fangjis according to PCA. The common effects of FEJ, SDT, and QOL focused on stress response and organism development in environmental perturbation, but the FEJ was superior in regulating critical targets, primarily focusing on hormone and neurotransmitter processes. SDT and QOL were concentrated on the majority scale of the qi-xue network, especially for the mitotic cell cycle and development. LYG only targeted lymphocyte costimulation and icosanoid biosynthetic processes. In this study, for the first time, we investigated the difference in the target distribution of qi-invigorating and xue-nourishing fangjiome and provided direct evidence for the characteristic therapeutic effect of these fangjis, which may promote the precise application of fangjis and support the identification of appropriate populations. [Display omitted] • This strategy provided a systematical exploration of target distribution for multiple-target and multiple-herb fangjis. • This strategy promoted precise application of fangjis from identical fangjiome and identification of appropriate populations. • This paper is a paradigm for precision medicine of fangjis and network-based drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galla chinensis (GC), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has a wide range of pharmacological properties which have been widely used for more than 1400 years. Based on shape, GC is divided into two groups: jiaobei and dubei. It is a bitter, sour, cold and astringent substance which is usually used for treating diarrhea, constipation, bleeding, cough, vomiting, sweating, hemorrhoids, and anal and uterine prolapse. It is distributed in Japan, North Korea, and all parts of China. This study was aimed at carrying out a comprehensive overview of the current status of research on Galla chinensis (GC) for better understanding of it characteristics, while providing a clear direction for future studies. It has aroused the interest of researchers, leading to development of medicinal value, expansion of its application, and provision of wider and more effective drug choices. This study was focused on the traditional uses, botany, chemical composition, pharmacology and toxicology of GC. Finally, the study focused on possible future research directions for GC. A comprehensive analysis was done based on academic papers, pharmaceutical monographs, ancient medicinal works, and drug standards of China. This review used Galla and Galla chinensis as keywords for retrieval of information on GC from online databases such as PubMed, Elsevier, CNKI, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SCI hub, and Baidu academic. It was found that the chemical constituents of GC included tannins, phenolic acid, amino acids and fatty acid, with polyphenol compounds (especially tannins and gallic acid) as the distinct components. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that GC exerted numerous biological effects such as anti-caries, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, and antioxidant effects. The therapeutic effect of GC was attributed mainly to the biological properties of its bioactive components. GC is an important TCM which has potential benefit in the treatment of a variety of diseases. However, the relationship amongst the structure and biological activity of GC and its components, mechanism of action, toxicity, pharmacokinetics and target organs need to be further studied. Quality control and quality assurance programs for GC need to be further developed. There is need to study the dynamics associated with the accumulation of chemical compounds in GC as well as the original plants and aphid that form GC. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]