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Introduction: Safflower, a traditional Chinese medicine, is rich in chemical components including flavonoids, polysaccharides, and alkaloids. It exhibits pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-thrombosis properties, making it a valuable resource in the medical field. Furthermore, due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, safflower is increasingly being utilized in the cosmetics industry. Methods: In this study, yeast was employed to ferment safflower, and the optimal fermentation conditions were established through single-factor experiments and response surface methodology. Subsequently, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacy of the safflower fermentation solution was assessed using both cellular and zebrafish models. Finally, the safety of the safflower fermentation solution was evaluated through a cosmetic eye irritation test. Results: From a total of 20 yeast strains, YF-5 was identified as the dominant strain for safflower fermentation. By optimizing the fermentation conditions, it was established that the optimal parameters for YF-5 fermentation of safflower are as follows: a fermentation temperature of 36.55°C, a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:20.46, a fructose concentration of 6.20%, a fermentation duration of 72 h, and an inoculum volume of 4%. The biological activities of safflower, including its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, were enhanced through yeast fermentation. In HaCaT cell and zebrafish oxidative damage assays, safflower fermentation solution inhibits the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) and increases superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as well as total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). In the RAW264.7 cell inflammatory damage assays, a 20% safflower fermentation solution was found to inhibit the release of TNF-α and NO in the inflammatory model, with inhibition rates of 30.94 and 28.86%, respectively. In the zebrafish inflammatory damage assays, the quantity of fluorescent neutral proteins in the 5% safflower fermentation solution was 0.7 times that observed in the dexamethasone (0.1 mg/mL) positive control group, indicating that its anti-inflammatory activity is comparable to that of dexamethasone (0.1 mg/mL). In the chicken embryo chorionic membrane experiment, it was observed that the safflower fermentation solution did not cause significant damage to the blood vessels of the chorionic allantoic membrane (CAM). This finding demonstrates that the safflower fermentation solution possesses a certain degree of safety. Discussion: Safflower fermentation solution has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities, and it has passed cosmetic safety evaluations. It can be used as a new natural cosmetic ingredient added to cosmetic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic functional bowel disorder and is strongly associated with an increased risk of depression and anxiety. The brain–gut axis plays an important role in the pathophysiologic changes in IBS, yet effective treatments for IBS are still lacking. Sinisan, originating from the Treatise on Typhoid Fever by the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing, is a classic formula in the Eight Methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that focuses on dispersing the liver and regulating the spleen, relieving depression and transmitting evils, and has been widely used in the treatment of liver-depression and spleen-deficiency, diarrhea, and related liver and stomach disorders. However, the therapeutic effect of sinisan in IBS has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sinisan on stress-induced intestinal dysfunction and depressive behavior in IBS mice. We established a diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) mouse model using a 4% acetic acid enema combined with restraint stress, and analyzed the results using behavioral tests, relevant test kits, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunofluorescence (IF), Western blot (WB), and quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The results showed that sinisan administration significantly alleviated intestinal dysfunction and depressive-like behaviors in IBS-D mice, improved mild colonic inflammation and intestinal mucosal permeability, up-regulated the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin. Sinisan significantly alleviated intestinal dysfunction and depressive-like behaviors in IBS-D mice by decreasing the expression of TNF-α, promoting the expression of tight junction proteins (occludin, ZO-1) expression, and inhibiting the Tlr4/Myd88 signaling pathway, thereby attenuating the inflammatory response, protecting the intestinal barrier, and alleviating symptoms in the IBS-D mouse model. Taken together, sinisan may ameliorate intestinal inflammation and the intestinal barrier by regulating 5-HT expression and the Tlr4/Myd88 pathway, thereby alleviating stress-induced intestinal dysfunction and depressive behaviors in IBS-D mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi is a traditional medicinal herb that has been extensively used in Chinese medicine for various therapeutic purposes. In this study, twelve chemical constituents were isolated from the roots of P. lobata, comprising three puerosides (compounds 1–3), six alkaloids (compounds 4–9), and three additional compounds (compounds 10–12). Notably, compound 1 (4R-pueroside B) was identified as a novel compound. The structures of all compounds were elucidated using a range of spectroscopic techniques, including CD spectroscopy for the first-time determination of the absolute configurations of pueroside B isomers (compounds 1 and 2). Enzyme inhibition assays revealed that, with the exception of compound 2, all isolated compounds exhibited varying degrees of α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activity. Remarkably, compound 12 demonstrated IC50 values of 23.25 μM for α-glucosidase inhibition and 27.05 μM for α-amylase inhibition, which are superior to those of the positive control, acarbose (27.05 μM and 36.68 μM, respectively). Additionally, compound 11 exhibited inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and α-amylase comparable to the positive control, acarbose. Molecular docking studies indicated that compound 12 interacts with the active sites of the enzymes via hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic interactions, which likely contribute to their inhibitory effects. These findings suggest that the chemical constituents of P. lobata could be potential natural sources of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors, with compound 12 being particularly promising for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinisan (SNS) has been used to treat psychosomatic diseases of the digestive system. But little is known about how SNS affects water immersion restraint stress (WIRS). To study the effects of SNS on colonic tissue injury in the WIRS model. Forty-eight Kunming (KM) mice were randomized into 6 groups (n = 8): The control and WIRS groups receiving deionized water; the SNS low-dose (SL, 3.12 g/kg/d), SNS middle-dose (SM, 6.24 g/kg/d), SNS high-dose (SH, 12.48 g/kg/d), and diazepam (DZ, 5 mg/kg/d) groups; each with two daily administrations for 5 consecutive days. The 5 treatment groups were subjected to WIRS for 24 h on day 6. The effects of SNS on colon tissue injury caused by WIRS were assessed by changes in colon histology, inflammatory cytokines, brain-gut peptides, and tight junction (TJ) proteins levels. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to detect the regulation of the gut microbiota. SNS pretreatment significantly reduced TNF-α (0.75- to 0.81-fold), IL-6 (0.77-fold), and IFN-γ (0.69-fold) levels; and increased TJ proteins levels, such as ZO-1 (4.06- to 5.27-fold), claudin-1 (3.33- to 5.14-fold), and occludin (6.46- to 11.82-fold). However, there was no significant difference between the levels of substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the control and WIRS groups. SNS regulated the composition of gut microbiota in WIRS mice. The positive effects of SNS on WIRS could provide a theoretical basis to treat stress-related gastrointestinal disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to assess the protective effects of 18β-GA against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced injury. First, the SMILES annotation for 18β-GA was used to search PubChem and for reverse molecular docking in Swiss Target Prediction, the Similarity Ensemble Approach Search Server and the TargetNet database to obtain potential targets. Injury-related molecules were obtained from the GeneCards database and the predicted targets of 18β-GA for injury treatment were selected by Wayne diagram analysis. Subsequently, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis was performed by WebGestalt. The experimental cells were assorted into control, model, 10 µM SB203580-treated, 5 µM 18β-GA-treated and 10 µM 18β-GA-treated groups. Hoechst 33258 staining was performed and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, cell apoptosis, Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, Bad, Bax, cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 7, transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) levels, as well as p38 MAPK phosphorylation were measured. The 'Inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels' pathway was selected for experimental verification. The results indicated that 10 µM 18β-GA significantly increased cell viability as compared with the H2O2-treated model group. As suggested by the difference in intracellular ROS fluorescence intensity, 18β-GA inhibited H2O2-induced ROS production in Schwann cells. Hoechst 33258 staining indicated that 18β-GA reversed chromatin condensation and the increase in apoptotic nuclei following H2O2 treatment. Furthermore, flow cytometry suggested that 18β-GA substantially inhibited H2O2-induced apoptosis. Pre-treatment with 18β-GA obviously reduced Bad, Bax, cleaved-caspase3, cleaved-caspase 7, TRPA1 and TRPV1 levels and p38 MAPK phosphorylation after H2O2 treatment and increased Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl levels. In conclusion, 18β-GA inhibited Schwann cell injury and apoptosis induced by H2O2 and may be a potential drug to prevent peripheral nerve injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Porous Fe3O4-decorated graphene (GN–Fe3O4) composites with different microstructures were successfully synthesized by a modified two-step method. The microstructure and morphology were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. XRD studies show that the products consist of highly crystallized Fe3O4 but disorderedly stacked GN sheets. Electron microscopy images reveal that Fe3O4 nanoparticles with different sizes and microstructures are uniformly coated on both sides of GN sheets, without large vacancies or apparent aggregation. Electromagnetic wave absorption properties of epoxy containing 30 wt.% GN–Fe3O4 composites were investigated at room temperature in the frequency range of 0.5–18GHz. In particular, the porous, flower-like Fe3O4-decorated GN sample exhibits an enhanced dielectric loss due to the porous microstructure of Fe3O4. The multiple absorbing mechanisms attribute to the improved impedance matching which indicates the as-prepared porous GN–Fe3O4 composites could be a potential candidate for lightweight electromagnetic wave absorption materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the present study was to assess the protective effects of 18β-GA against hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )-induced injury. First, the SMILES annotation for 18β-GA was used to search PubChem and for reverse molecular docking in Swiss Target Prediction, the Similarity Ensemble Approach Search Server and the TargetNet database to obtain potential targets. Injury-related molecules were obtained from the GeneCards database and the predicted targets of 18β-GA for injury treatment were selected by Wayne diagram analysis. Subsequently, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis was performed by WebGestalt. The experimental cells were assorted into control, model, 10 µM SB203580-treated, 5 µM 18β-GA-treated and 10 µM 18β-GA-treated groups. Hoechst 33258 staining was performed and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, cell apoptosis, Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, Bad, Bax, cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 7, transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) levels, as well as p38 MAPK phosphorylation were measured. The 'Inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels' pathway was selected for experimental verification. The results indicated that 10 µM 18β-GA significantly increased cell viability as compared with the H 2 O 2 -treated model group. As suggested by the difference in intracellular ROS fluorescence intensity, 18β-GA inhibited H 2 O 2 -induced ROS production in Schwann cells. Hoechst 33258 staining indicated that 18β-GA reversed chromatin condensation and the increase in apoptotic nuclei following H 2 O 2 treatment. Furthermore, flow cytometry suggested that 18β-GA substantially inhibited H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis. Pre-treatment with 18β-GA obviously reduced Bad, Bax, cleaved-caspase3, cleaved-caspase 7, TRPA1 and TRPV1 levels and p38 MAPK phosphorylation after H 2 O 2 treatment and increased Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl levels. In conclusion, 18β-GA inhibited Schwann cell injury and apoptosis induced by H 2 O 2 and may be a potential drug to prevent peripheral nerve injury., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Zhang et al.)

Introduction: Liver cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence and short survival time. In order to increase the cure rate and disease-free survival rate of liver cancer, it is necessary to seek effective treatment methods., Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of IL-21 and IFN-γ inducing the formation of CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells on liver cancer., Methods: The methods of analyze the relationship between CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells and the survival time of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and study the effect of IL-21 combined with IFN-γ in inducing stem cells to differentiate into CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells. The effects of IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induced CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells on liver cancer were studied through animal experiments, and the regulatory mechanism, and the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) on it., Results: The study found that the number of CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells in serum of liver cancer patients with prolonged survival time increased significantly, the expression of CD4, CD57, and CXCR5 in the tumor microenvironment increased, and the serum IL-21 and IFN-γ concentrations increased. IL-21 and IFN-γ induce stem cells to differentiate into CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells and induce HepG2 cells apoptosis. HBV leads to a decrease in the number of CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells and a chronic inflammatory response. Treg cells can regulate CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells. IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induced an increase in the number of CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells in hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice, which has an inhibitory effect on H22 liver cancer., Conclusion: The conclusion of the study is that IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induces stem cells to differentiate into CD4 + CXCR5 + CD57 + T cells, Treg can control the increase in their number, and HBV can cause their number to decrease, which can control the growth of liver cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Cairo University.)

The aim of this study was to find an effective drug cocktail pretreatment to protect myocardial tissue of the heart from ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. The mechanisms underlying the effects of the drug cocktail were subsequently explored in order to expand the application of Dang-gui-si-ni-tang (DGSN), a Traditional Chinese Medicine. The active components of DGSN in the serum following oral administration were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were then analyzed to show the effect of the active components in the treatment of myocardial I/R injury. An L 16 (4 4 ) orthogonal experiment was utilized to determine the most effective cocktail mix and the mechanism underlying the effect of this mix on myocardial I/R injury was investigated. It was observed that FCG, a mixture of glycyrrhizic (50 mg/kg), cinnamic (200 mg/kg) and ferulic (300 mg/kg) acid, was the optimal drug cocktail present in DGSN. This was absorbed into the blood following oral administration and was shown to decrease MDA levels and increase the activity of SOD. In conclusion, the findings suggest that FCG, a combination of active ingredients in the DGSN decoction, can be absorbed into the blood and protect the myocardium from I/R injury.