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The Recombinant Omicron BA.4/5-Delta COVID-19 Vaccine (ZF2202-A) is primarily designed for the Delta and Omicron BA.4/5 variants. Our objective was to assess the safety and immunogenicity of ZF2202-A in Chinese adults. A total of 450 participants aged ≥ 18 years, who had completed primary or booster vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine more than 6 months prior, were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial. Participants in the study and control groups were administered one dose of ZF2202-A and ZF2001, respectively. Immunogenicity subgroups were established in each group. At 14 days after vaccination, the seroconversion rates of Omicron BA.4/5, BF.7, and XBB.1 in the ZF2022-A group were 67.7 %, 58.6 %, and 62.6 %, with geometric mean titers (GMTs) of neutralizing antibodies at 350.2, 491.8, and 49.5, respectively. The main adverse reactions (ARs) were vaccination site pain, pruritus, fatigue, and asthenia in both the ZF2022-A group and ZF2001 group. The novel bivalent vaccine ZF2202-A demonstrated satisfactory immunogenicity and safety against Omicron variants as booster dose in adults with prior vaccination of COVID-19 vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lycium barbarum is an edible fruit widely used in herbal medicines and as a functional food. Polysaccharide is one of the most important active ingredients. Only L. barbarum grown in the Ningxia region of China are officially recognised as suitable for use in traditional Chinese medicine, but the systematic comparison of L. barbarum polysaccharide between Ningxia and the other growing regions of China has been rarely reported. Objective: To compare the difference of L. barbarum polysaccharide from different grown regions of China. Methods: A chemical fingerprint of L. barbarum polysaccharide hydrolysates was established based on controlled acidolysis combined with hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography‐evaporative light scattering detection‐electrospray ionisation‐time‐of‐flight‐mass spectrometry (HILIC‐ELSD‐ESI‐TOF‐MS). Then, it was employed for the comparison of L. barbarum samples from different geographical origins of China combined with chemometrics analysis. Results: Six monosaccharides [rhamnose (Rha), xylose (Xyl), arabinose (Ara), mannose (Man), glucose (Glu), galactose (Gal)] were qualitatively and quantitatively determined and four glycoconjugates were preliminarily identified from the hydrolysates. Content determination for the polysaccharide and monosaccharide indicated obvious geographical features. The HILIC‐ELSD fingerprint combined with partial least squares‐discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) was able to differentiate L. barbarum samples from Ningxia, Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai regions with 89.19% classification accuracy. Orthogonal projection to latent structure discriminant analysis (OPLS‐DA) was able to differentiate between samples from Ningxia and those from the other three growing regions, polysaccharide and Ara were the potential chemical markers. Conclusions: These findings form the basis of a reliable method to trace the region of origin of L. barbarum sample and thereby, improve the quality control of L. barbarum therapeutic polysaccharides. A chemical fingerprint of L. barbarum polysaccharide hydrolysates was established based on controlled acidolysis and HILIC‐ELSD‐ESI‐TOF/MS. Then, it was employed for the comparison of L. barbarum samples from different geographical origins of China combined with chemometrics analysis. PLS‐DA was able to differentiate L. barbarum samples from Ningxia, Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai regions with 89.19% classification accuracy. OPLS‐DA classified samples between Ningxia and other regions, polysaccharide and Ara were the potential chemical markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharide from Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino (GPP) could prevent H22 tumour growth and have immunostimulatory in mice, but the mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we further investigated whether GPP prevents tumour growth by inducing cytotoxicity to the tumour cells or enhancing immunity in H22 ascites tumour-bearing mice. The results showed that GPP prevented the H22 ascites tumour growth in vivo, but showed little effect on cell viability and cycles to H22 cells in vitro. GPP improved the proportion and mitochondrial level of T cells, and promoted the secretion of IL-2 and IFN-γ in the ascites of the mice. Furthermore, GPP in vitro enhanced the cell viability and promoted activation (in particular T cells), proliferation, and the secretion of IL-2 and IFN-γ of lymphocyte. Taken together, our results demonstrated that GPP prevents H22 ascites tumour growth by enhancing immunity rather than cytotoxicity in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygoni multiflori Radix Praeparata (PMRP) is a traditional medicine used for nourishing essence and blood in China. However, it is unclear which PMRP compounds are responsible for its hematopoietic effect. In this study, spectrum‐effect relationship was used to discovery potential hematopoietic compounds. The fingerprints of 20 PMRP batches were established by HPLC and the hematopoietic effect was determined using red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet indexes in aplastic anemia model mice. The spectrum‐effect relationship between common peaks and hematopoietic efficacy values was established using gray relational analysis and partial least squares analysis. Spectrum‐effect relationship results showed that peaks 21 (emodin‐8‐O‐(6´‐O‐acetyl)‐β‐D‐glucoside), 15 (2, 3, 5, 4′‐tetrahydroxystilbene‐2‐O‐di‐glucoside), 16 (cis‐2,3,5,4′‐tetrahydroxy‐stilbene‐2‐O‐β‐D‐glucoside), 11 (unknown), 20(unknown, 12 (epicatechin), 29 (carboxyl emodin), and 31 (emodin) in the fingerprints were closely related to the hematopoietic effect. This work successfully established the spectrum‐effect relationship between PMRP hematopoietic effect and its fingerprints, which can be used to explain the material basis for the PMRP hematopoietic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glossy privet fruit and Ecliptae herba (GE) as formula was used as traditional Chinese medicine for liver diseases. However, systematic research of GE in liver injury has been explored rarely. Here, we comprehensively investigate the hepato-protective effects of the mixture of GE on different models. Our data indicated that GE administration decreased the levels of ALT and AST in serum compared with the model group. The histopathological changes were markedly alleviated in the GE treated groups. In addition, expression of cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6 and TGF-β in liver tissue associated with liver injury was elevated in the model groups, but significantly decreased after GE treatment. Furthermore, we explored that activation of Kupffer cells in liver tissue were suppressed after treatment with GE. Therefore, the major mechanism of the liver protective effects of GE may be attributed to the inhibition of Kupffer cell activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant tumors are among the most life-threatening diseases in the world. Although many different types of antitumor agents are available, severe side effects and toxicity limit their applications. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) inhibit the antitumor immune response by suppressing the proliferation of T cells, the production of cytokines and the killing of tumor cells. As MDSCs have become novel targets in cancer therapy, this research focused on the anti-MDSC function of cinnamaldehyde (CA), which is extracted from cinnamon, a traditional Chinese spice. In the present study, MDSCs isolated from the spleens of mice with colon cancer were used as an in vitro model to assess the efficacy of CA. Treatment of MDSCs with CA significantly decreased cell proliferation and induced apoptotic cell death. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that CA treatment enhanced the expression of Bax and caspase-9 and inhibited the expression of Bcl-2, suggesting that CA induced apoptosis in the MDSCs via the intrinsic pathway. Taken together, the results demonstrated that CA exhibited significant anti-MDSC activity and attenuated the suppression of the antitumor immune response, indicating a potential use for CA in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioactivity of onion, particularly its oil, has gained increasing research attention. Preparation of onion oil is challenging due to its low oil content and abundance of water. In this study, pilot-scale drying combined with laboratory extraction was conducted for sample preparation. GC/MS and solid phase microextraction (SPME) analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between onion oil and drying. Results showed that drying significantly influenced the sulfocompounds composition of onion oils. Dipropyl disulfide and dispropyl trisulfide were the most abundant compounds in fresh onions (accounting for 68.41% to 93.13% of the total volatile sulfocompounds). The total contents of sulfocompounds in vacuum freeze dried and hot air dried onion powder were 4.96% and 39.79%, respectively, which account for 24.59% to 48.89% of the total content. Dimethyl sulfides and thiophenes were the main compounds in the onion oils. The highest content of sulfocompounds was obtained in the oil of hot air dried powder. Pilot-scale hot air drying was the optimal pretreatment method for onion oil extraction. It enjoys lower energy lost, shorter process time, and higher quality of the oil compared with freeze drying. The results may be helpful for onion oil production and bioactivity evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of four LBP fractions with different molecular weights (MWs), designated LBP2, LBP3, LBP4 and LBP5, on RAW264.7 macrophages function. Results showed that LBP fractions could significantly enhance the expression of CD86 and MHC-II molecules on RAW264.7 macrophages. LBP3, LBP4 and LBP5 could enhance the production of ROS, NO, TNF-α and IL-6, and the phagocytosis of RAW264.7 macrophages. LBP2 with an MW of larger than 350 kDa could only enhance the secretion of TNF-α. LBP3 enhanced the RAW264.7 macrophages function in a dose-dependent manner and also enhanced the iNOS mRNA expression in the cells. These results demonstrated that the immunomodulatory activity of LBP on RAW264.7 macrophages was closely related to its MW. It indicated that fractions with an MW smaller than 350 kDa were the main active fractions of LBP in enhancing macrophages function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether fraction from Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) could reduce immunotoxicity and enhance antitumor activity of doxorubicin (Dox) in mice. A water-soluble LBP fraction, designated LBP3, was isolated from edible Chinese herbal Lycium barbarum and used in this study. To investigate the effect of LBP3 on Dox-induced immunotoxicity, tumor-free mice were used and treated with either normal saline, Dox, or Dox plus LBP3. To investigate the effect of LBP3 on antitumor activity of Dox, H22 tumor-bearing mice were used and treated with either normal saline, Dox, LBP3, or Dox plus LBP3. The results showed that LBP3 did not protect against the body weight loss caused by Dox, but it promoted the recovery of body weight starting at day 5 after Dox treatment in tumor-free mice. LBP3 also improved peripheral blood lymphocyte counts, promoted cell cycle recovery in bone marrow cells, and restored the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells. Furthermore, in H22 tumor-bearing mice, LBP3 enhanced antitumor activity of Dox and improved peripheral blood lymphocyte counts and the cytotoxicity of splenocytes. In brief, our results demonstrated that LBP3 could reduce the immunotoxicity and enhance antitumor activity of Dox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of research, malignant tumors are extremely difficult to eliminate with conventional methods. Although surgical resection potentially eradicates the problem, only a few cases are suitable for operation, and other approaches often involve harmful consequences. Revolutionary methods are desperately needed to improve patient outcomes and diminish harmful side effects. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), downregulators of the innate and adaptive immune systems, have been widely studied over the past 2 decades. MDSCs inhibit the antitumor immune response by suppressing T cell proliferation, cytokine production, and tumor cell killing. With MDSCs becoming novel targets in cancer therapy, our research has focused on the anti-MDSC function of Asparagus polysaccharide (AP), extracted from asparagus, a traditional Chinese herb. In this study, we have used MDSCs isolated from the spleen of mice with colon cancer as an in vitro model to assess the efficacy of AP. Treatment of MDSCs with AP significantly decreased cell proliferation and induced apoptotic cell death through a toll-like receptor 4 dependent way. Subsequent studies showed that the AP treatment enhanced the expression of Bax and Caspase-9 and inhibited the expression of Bcl-2, suggesting that AP induced apoptosis in the MDSCs via the intrinsic pathway. Altogether, the results showed that AP exhibited a significant anti-MDSC activity and attenuated suppression of the antitumor immune response, thereby indicating its potential use in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is isolated from the fruit of Chinese herbal Lycium barbarum. Previous studies had demonstrated that LBP could inhibit tumor growth and enhance the immunity in mice. However, the effect of LBP on systemic and local immune responses in vivo, especially on phenotypic and functional changes of T cells, is still largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of LBP on systemic and local T cell-dependent antitumor immune responses in H22 tumor-bearing mice. The results showed that LBP could inhibit the solid tumor growth in mice, but showed little effect on the body weight or spleen index. Furthermore, LBP could maintain high levels of T cells in peripheral blood (PB), tumor draining lymph node (TDLN), and tumor tissue, prevent the increase of Tregs while promote infiltration of CD8+ T cells in tumor tissue, inhibit the production of TGF-β1 and IL-10 in serum, decrease the exhaustion phenotype of T cells, and maintain cytotoxicity of lymphocytes. Taken together, our results demonstrated that LBP simultaneously induced systemic and local immune responses in H22 tumor-bearing mice by alleviating immunosuppression and maintaining antitumor immune responses in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polysaccharides can alleviate obesity in mammals; however, studies on mechanism of this alleviation are limited. A few studies have indicated that polysaccharides improve obesity by regulating the metabolism of the body. Therefore, a metabolomics approach, consisting of high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and a multivariate statistical technique, was applied to explore the mechanism of the protective effects of lentinan and Flos Lonicera polysaccharides (LF) on high-fat diet (HFD) induced obesity. Methods: In this study, rats were randomly divided into three groups: control diet (CD), HFD, and HFD supplemented with a mixture of lentinan and Flos Lonicera polysaccharide. Histopathological and clinical biochemical assessments were also conducted. A combination of a NMR metabolomics study and a multivariable statistical analysis method to distinguish urinary and fecal metabolites was applied. Results: Significant obesity symptoms appeared in HFD rats (for example, significant weight gain, epididymal adipose accumulation and lipid deposition in hepatocytes), which was attenuated in the LF group. Additionally, the HFD induced a reduction of choline, citrate, pyruvate and glycerol and increased the levels of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and taurine. Of note, these metabolic disorders were reversed by LF intervention mainly through pathways of energy metabolism, choline metabolism and gut microbiota metabolism. Conclusions: LF supplementation had a re-balancing effect on the disturbed metabolic pathways in the obese body. The results of this study validate the therapeutic effect of the compound polysaccharide--LF in obesity and described the biochemical and metabolic mechanisms involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to use a chemometric study to compare the in-vitro antioxidant activities and bioactive compounds of flaxseed based on the variety and geographical origins, and further explore the specific components constructed the endogenous antioxidant system of flaxseed in China. The differential contents of α-linolenic acid (35.83-58.91%), lignans (11.37-33.31 mg/g), total phenolic acids (109.93-246.88 mg/100 g) and phytosterols (56.52-125.12 mg/g) of 32 flaxseed varieties were observed. Concomitantly, the in-vitro antioxidant activities varied from 32.56 to 46.22 mg TE/100 g, 0.58 to 1.08 mg TE/g, and 14.22 to 36.14 mmol TE/g as determined by the 2,2’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline 6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays, respectively. Significant correlations were found between the antioxidant activities and contents of free syringic acid, p-coumaric acid glucoside and secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) (p < 0.01). Principal component analysis showed a relatively dispersed distribution between samples, which was not effective enough to determine the geographical origins of the flaxseed samples. Hierarchical cluster analysis allowed flaxseed samples to be grouped based on their in-vitro antioxidant activities and bioactive component contents, primarily in relation to variety specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have uncovered important aging clues, including free radicals, inflammation, telomeres, and life span pathways. Strategies to regulate aging-associated signaling pathways are expected to be effective in the delay and prevention of age-related disorders. For example, herbal polysaccharides with considerable anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation capacities have been shown to be beneficial in aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Polysaccharides capable of reducing cellular senescence and modulating life span via telomere and insulin pathways have also been found to have the potential to inhibit protein aggregation and aggregation-associated neurodegeneration. Here we present the current status of polysaccharides in anti-aging and anti-neurodegenerative studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to design and optimize a transdermal liposomes gel formulation for paeonol (PAE). A three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken design was used to derive a second-order polynomial equation to construct three-dimensional (3-D) contour plots for prediction of responses. Independent variables studied were the DC-Chol concentration ( X1), molar ratio of lipid/drug ( X2), and the polymer concentration ( X3), and the levels of each factor were low, medium, and high. The dependent variables studied were the encapsulation efficiency (%EE) of PAE ( Y1), flux of PAE ( Y2), and viscosity of the gels ( Y3). Response surface plots were drawn and statistical validity of the polynomials was established to find the compositions of optimized formulation, which was evaluated using the Franz diffusion cell. The %EE of PAE increased proportionally with the molar ratio of lipid/drug, but decreased with polymer concentration, whereas the flux of PAE increased proportionally with polymer concentration and the DC-Chol concentration. The viscosity of gels increased with the polymer concentration. Gels showed a non-Fickian diffusion release mechanism for PAE, and the in vitro release profiles were fit for Higuchi's order model. The design demonstrated the role of the derived polynomial equation and 3-D contour plots in predicting the values of dependent variables for the preparation and optimization of gel formulation for transdermal drug release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Dictyophora indusiata is a medicinal mushroom traditionally used in China for a variety of conditions, including inflammatory and neural diseases. D. indusiata polysaccharides (DiPS) are shown to have in vitro antioxidant activity but in vivo evidence is lacking. This study aimes to explore the antioxidant capacity and related neuroptotective activities of DiPS using wild-type and neurodegenerative Caenorhabditis elegans models. Materials and methods The antioxidant capacities of DiPS were first determined using paraquat survival and Pgst-4 ::GFP expression assays in wild-type and transgenic C. elegans models, respectively, and then further investigated by determining reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as well as functional parameters of mitochondria. The activation of stress response transcription factors and neuroptotective activities were examined using nuclear localization and chemosensory behavioral assays in transgenic nematodes, respectively. Results DiPS was shown not only to increase survival rate and reduce stress level under paraquat-induced oxidative conditions but also to decrease ROS and MDA levels and increase SOD activity in C. elegans models. Moreover, DiPS was also able to restore the functional parameters of mitochondria, including membrane potential and ATP content, in paraquat-stressed nematodes. In addition, nuclear translocation assays demonstrate that the stress response transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO was involved in the antioxidant activity of the polysaccharide. Further experiments reveal that DiPS was capable of reducing ROS levels and alleviating chemosensory behavior dysfunction in transgenic nematode models of neurodegenerative diseases mediated by polyglutamine and amyloid-β protein. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the antioxidant and neuroprotective activities of the D. indusiata polysaccharide DiPS in wild-type and neurodegenerative C. elegans models, and thus provide an important pharmacological basis for the therapeutic potential of D. indusiata in neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharide compounds (PCs), which composed of different kinds of polysaccharides always isolated from different kinds of traditional Chinese medicine, are now attracting more and more attentions due to their strong immunomodulatory activities beyond the corresponding one-component polysaccharides. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that PCs-1 and PCs-2 had strong immunomodulatory effects on macrophages both in in vitro and in vivo models by atomic force microscopy (AFM). By high resolution AFM imaging, PCs-1 and PCs-2 were found to inhibit LPS induced cell surface particle size and roughness increase in RAW264.7 macrophages, demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effects of PCs-1 and PCs-2 on macrophages. PCs-1 and PCs-2 were also proved to increase the particle size and roughness of resting RAW264.7 macrophages, which suggested that PCs could activate resting RAW264.7 macrophages. And additionally, PCs-1 and PCs-2 were also found to reverse the surface particle size and roughness decrease of peritoneal macrophages isolated from cyclophosphamide induced immunosuppressive mice, suggesting the activation effects of PCs-1 and PCs-2 on immunosuppressive macrophages. These results further enhanced our understanding of macrophage activations by direct imaging of cell surface ultrastructure and also highlighted AFM as a novel nanotool for macrophage detections. And most importantly, these results also indicated the outstanding immunomodulatory effects of PCs on macrophages, which therefore suggested that PCs could be served as a kind of novel immunomodulatory agents that would benefit human health. SCANNING 38:792-801, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ganoderma lucidum is an edible and medicinal mushroom used widely in East Asia. In recent years, its spores have been used as a supplement in combination with other forms of antitumor therapies. The cell wall of Ganoderma lucidum spores contains a high amount of polysaccharides. In this study, a neutral polysaccharide, GLSA50-1B, was isolated from sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum, by hot-water extraction, graded ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography, and gel permeation chromatography. Using sugar compositional analysis, methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis, acetolysis, and NMR and ESI-MS spectroscopy, GLSA50-1B was elucidated to be a novel β-d-glucan featured by a 1,6-linked β-d-Glcp backbone with different length of branches consisting of terminal and 1,4-linked Glcp residues, attached to O-4 of alternative Glc residues in the backbone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]