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Acrylamide (ACR) is a chemical compound with severe neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. Recent studies showed that ACR impairs the function of reproductive organs, e.g., epididymis and testes. In vitro maturation of mouse oocyte is a sensitive assay to identify potential chemical hazard to female fertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adverse effects of ACR on the nuclear maturation and cumulus cells apoptosis of mouse oocytes in vitro. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were incubated in a maturation medium containing 0, 5, 10 and 20 μM of ACR. Chromosome alignment and spindle morphology of oocytes was determined by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Our results showed that oocytes exposed to different doses of ACR in vitro were associated with a significant decrease of oocyte maturation, significant increase of chromosome misalignment rate, occurrence of abnormal spindle configurations, and the inhibition of oocyte parthenogenetic activation. Furthermore, apoptosis of cumulus cells was determined by TUNEL and CASPASE-3 assay. Results showed that apoptosis in cumulus cells was enhanced and the expression of CASPASE-3 was increased after cumulus–oocyte complexes were exposed to ACR. Therefore, ACR may affect the nuclear maturation of oocytes via the apoptosis of cumulus cells in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to explore the effects of herbal medicine on secondary metabolites of microorganisms during fermentation. Clonostachys rogersoniana was found to metabolize only small amounts of polyketide glycosides rogerson B and C on fresh potatoes, but after replacing the medium to the medicinal plant Rubus delavayi Franch., the type and content of the metabolized polyketones showed significant changes. The sugars and glycosides in R. delavayi are probably responsible for the changes in secondary metabolites. Six polyketide glycosides including a new metabolite, rogerson F, and two potential antitumor compounds, TMC-151C and TMC-151D, were isolated from the extract of R. delavayi fermented by C. rogersoniana. In addition, 13C labeling experiments were used to trace the biosynthesis process of these compounds. TMC-151C and TMC-151D showed significant cytotoxic activity against PANC-1, K562 and HCT116 cancer cells but had no obvious cytotoxic activity against BEAS-2B human normal lung epithelial cells. The yields of TMC-151C and TMC-151D reached 14.37 ± 1.52 g/kg and 1.98 ± 0.43 g/kg, respectively, after fermentation at 28 °C for 30 days. This is the first study to confirm that herbal medicine can induce microbes to metabolize active compounds. And the technology of fermenting medicinal materials can bring more economic value to medicinal plants. [Display omitted] • Secondary metabolites of microorganisms can be affected by herbal medicine. • TMC-151 s were enriched by fermentation of R. delavayi with C. rogersoniana. • The yields of TMC-151C and TMC-151D reached 14.37 ± 1.52 and 1.98 ± 0.43 g/kg. • Biosynthetic pathways of TMC-151 s were predicted by 13C labeling experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unusual proaporphine alkaloid bearing an isopropanenitrile group at isoquinoline nitrogen, named epiganine A ( 1 ) and a new aporphine alkaloid, epiganine B ( 2 ), together with eight known alkaloids, pronuciferine ( 3 ), dehydrodicentrine ( 4 ), romerine ( 5 ), romeline ( 6 ), N -methylcalycinine ( 7 ), phanostenine ( 8 ), dicentrine ( 9 ), and N -methyllaurotetanine ( 10 ), were isolated from the roots of Stephania epigaea . The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by calculating electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and comparing with experimental data. Compounds 2 and 4 showed strong acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory effects with the IC 50 values of 4.36 and 2.98 μM, respectively. Compounds 5 – 9 also exhibited potent AChE inhibitory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new phenanthrene, aphyllone A ( 1 ) and four new bibenzyl derivatives, aphyllone B ( 2 ) and aphyllals C–D ( 3 – 5 ), together with nine known compounds ( 6–14 ), were isolated from the stems of Dendrobium aphyllum (Roxb.) C. E. Fischer. The structures of these new compounds were elucidated by means of extensive spectroscopic analyses, and the absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and quantum calculations. Compounds 6 , 8 and 14 inhibited NO production at the concentration of 25 μM in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with the inhibition (%) of 32.48, 35.68, and 38.50. Compound 2 possessed significant DPPH radical scavenging activity with scavenging percentage of 87.97% at the concentration of 100 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Curcumae Radix", the dried rhizomes of Curcuma kwangsiensis documented in Chinese pharmacopoeia, has been traditionally used for the treatment of inflammatory and pain diseases, such as jaundice and red urine, cleaning the heart-fire and depression, arthralgia, and dysmenorrhea. However, according to literature surveys, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive studies of C. kwangsiensis have been seldom reported so far. The current study focuses on the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of C. kwangsiensis and discovering the bioactive compounds for its traditional usages both in vivo and in vitro , which could provide scientific justification about its traditional use. The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive assays of various layers (ME, EA, AQS) from C. kwangsiensis were achieved by carrageenan-induced paw edema and acetic acid-induced writhing animal models, respectively. The most bioactive part, EA layer was further phytochemically investigated by multiple step chromatography techniques. The structures of these isolates were unambiguously elucidated by means of extensive spectroscopic and chemical methods, and comparison with corresponding data of the reported literature. Four major sesquiterpenoids (4 , 6 , 14 , and 15) were achieved for their anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive assays by the two aforementioned animal models in vivo. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory effects via detecting inflammatory mediator releases (COX-2, IL-1 β , and TNF- α) in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells induced by LPS. The ME and EA layers significantly alleviated the paw edema caused by carrageenan and decreased the number of writhes induced by acetic acid at the dose of 200 and/or 100 mg/kg in comparison to the control group (p < 0.01 / 0.05), and the EA layer exhibited better activity than that of ME layer. Subsequent phytochemical investigation on EA layer of C. kwangsiensis exhibited that three new terpenoid compounds (1 – 3), identified as (12 Z ,14 R)-7 β -hydroxylabda-8(17),12-diene-14,15,16-triol (1), (12 Z ,14 S)- 7 β -hydroxlabda-8(17),12-diene-14,15,16-triol (2), and (4 S)-hydroxy-(8)-methoxy-(5 S)-(H)-guaia1(10),7(11)-dien-12,8-olide (3), together with twenty-two known analogs were isolated. Furthermore, four major sesquiterpenoids (4 , 6 , 14 , and 15) significantly relieved the paw edema and number of writhes at 100 and/or 50 mg/kg (p < 0.05/0.01). Likewise, the majority of sesqui- and diterpenoids isolated could remarkably inhibited the secretion of inflammatory mediators (COX-2, IL-1 β , and TNF- α) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages cells at the concentration of 20 μ g/mL, comparable to DXM used as the positive control. All the results suggested that EA layer from C. kwangsiensis possessed the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities, and these sesqui- and diterpenoids could be the effective constituents responsible for relieving inflammation. The present studies undoubtedly determined the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive material basis of C. kwangsiensis , including the EA layer and its precise components, which presented equivalent or better anti-inflammatory effects than that of positive control (ASP/DXM) in vivo and in vitro. These results not only would account for scientific knowledge for traditional use of C. kwangsiensis , but also provide credible theoretical foundation for the further development of anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive agents. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peniterester (1), a new tricyclic sesquiterpene, together with 6 known compounds (2 – 7) were isolated from the secondary metabolites of an artificial mutant Penicillium sp. T2-M20 which was obtained from the parental strain Penicillium sp. T2–8 via UV irradiation as well as nitrosoguanidine (NTG) induction. Peniterester was only produced by the mutant T2-M20 on the basis of LC-MS analysis. Meanwhile, the results of in vitro bioactivities screening indicated that peniterester owned obvious antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis , Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with MICs of 8.0, 8.0 and 4.0 μg/mL, respectively. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]