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Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Based on extensive studies of specimens in various herbaria, lectotypes are designated for many taxa of holoparasitic Orobanchaceae. In total, 31 names in the genera Alectra, Boschniakia, Cistanche, Orobanche, Phelipanche and Phelypaea are lectotypified and type references are provided for 46 names. All types are illustrated by scanned images. The following new names are proposed due to rank changes: Orobanche amoena var. dzejveri, O. amoena var. regeliana, Orobanche camptolepis f. sideana, Orobanche lutea var. hians, Phelipanche arenaria var. sareptana, Phelipanche caesia var. acuminata, Phelipanche caucasica, Phelipanche lavandulacea var. serratocalyx, Phelipanche pulchella var. bungeana, Phelipanche purpurea var. hirsutaand Phelipanche purpurea var. iberica. The following names are synonymized: Orobanche arenaria f. personata, Orobanche borkhausenii, Orobanche caesia f. tomentosa, Orobanche caryophyllacea f. besseri, Orobanche cernua f. subgrandis, Orobanche cumana f. helianthi, Orobanche eriophora, Orobanche glaucantha, Orobanche heyniae, Orobanche psilostemon, Orobanche sideritidis and Phelypaea helenae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Glucocorticoids are widely used in clinical practice; however, they can cause side effects, such as osteoporosis. Acteoside (ACT) from Cistanche has been used to combat a variety of diseases. The study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of ACT in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) and its potential mechanism. Methods Dexamethasone (Dex) was injected intramuscularly to induce osteoporosis in a rat model, and ACT was given orally. ACT was supplemented in vivo in Dex-stimulated osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. RT-qPCR was performed to assess the mRNA levels of bone formation (Runx2, CoL1A1), and bone resorption (OPG and RANKL). A commercial ELISA kit was applied to assess serum OC and CTX levels. Western blot was performed to assess protein levels in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were performed to assess osteoblast viability and apoptosis. Results ACT reduced Dex-induced bone microstructure deterioration, increased serum levels of OC, and decreased the levels of CTX (P

Cistanche is known to relieve cataracts; however, the active ingredients and mechanism of action of cistanche to relieve cataracts are unclear. At present, the active ingredients of cistanche were screened through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology website, and a total of six active ingredients were identified. Drug and disease targets were obtained through Swiss target prediction and the Genecard website, and a total of 172 common targets were identified. The biological functions and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment of the targets were found to be concentrated in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B, forkhead family of transcription factors, and mitogen-activated protein kinases pathways. The protein-protein interaction network was established, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B-related genes were found to be the key genes. Molecular docking was carried out between the active ingredient and the key target, and it was found that the combination of the active ingredient and the key target was stable. In summary, cistanche can reduce cataracts by regulating the key targets of the active ingredients and thus alleviating cataracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Detergent & Cosmetics is the property of Detergent & Cosmetics Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The first data on the interaction between a phytophagous hoverfly and holoparasitic broomrape plants in Europe is reported. Description of the new species Eumerus larvatus sp. nov. Aracil, Grković et Pérez-Bañón is presented from specimens feeding within the fleshy hypogeal stems of Cistanche phelypaea in different localities of Southeast of Iberian Peninsula. Both, adult and preimaginal morphology are studied, including also a molecular analysis based on COI gene sequences. The molecular data, together with the diagnostic morphological characteristics of the adult, indicate that the species belongs to the Eumerus tricolor species-group. This paper presents the first in-depth and detailed description of the preimaginal morphology of a representative of this species group, based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation process of compound yogurt with added cistanche and jujube was optimized using single-factor experiments and response surface curve analysis by applying evaluation indicators including taste, texture, odor, and color. Besides, a rapid evaluation of the antioxidant activity of the compound yogurt was performed by employing the DPPH free radical scavenging system and electrochemical biosensors. Results of the single-factor experiments and response surface analysis indicated that the quality of the compound yogurt was optimal when the percentages of jujube juice, cistanche juice, and honey were 18%, 8%, and 5%, respectively. This composition achieved a sensory score of 92.2, which was close to the predicted score of 92.5. Under the same optimized conditions, the evaluation of the antioxidant activity with the preparation of DNA/CS-N-G/GCE biosensor obtained through the layer-by-layer modified glassy carbon electrode assembly of DNA, chitosan, and nitrogen-doped graphene indicated that L-ascorbic acid, compound yogurt, and plain yogurt present peak current values of 6.5×10−5、8.5×10−5 and 1.05×10−4 A, respectively. This represented a decreasing trend in antioxidant activity. Further validation of DPPH free radical scavenging experiments showed that the IC50 value of L-ascorbic acid, compound yogurt and plain yogurt were 4.54, 15.65 and 22.94 mg/mL, respectively. This was consistent with the results of the evaluation of the compound yogurt using the biosensor, and there was no significant difference between the two methods. Therefore, the addition of cistanche and jujube extracts into plain yogurt significantly enhanced the inhibition of damage to DNA by free radicals, thus improving the antioxidant activity in the compound yogurt. The constructed sensor could be used for the rapid evaluation of antioxidant activity of compound yogurt.

As a famous tonic herb, Cistanches Herba is known for its broad medicinal functions, especially its hormone balancing, anti-aging, anti-dementia, anti-tumor, anti-oxidative, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of studies on Cistanche and to identify research hotspots and frontier topics on the genus. Based on the metrological analysis software CiteSpace, 443 Cistanche related papers were quantitatively reviewed. The results indicate that 330 institutions from 46 countries have publications in this field. China was the leading country in terms of research importance and number of publication (335 articles). In the past decades, studies on Cistanche have mainly focused on its rich active substances and pharmacological effects. Although the research trend shows that Cistanche has grown from an endangered species to an important industrial plant, its breeding and cultivation continue to be important areas for research. In the future, the application of Cistanche species as functional foods may be a new research trend. In addition, active collaborations among researchers, institutions, and countries are expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenylethanoid Glycosides of Cistanche (PhGs) have a certain curative effect on AD animal model, Echinacea (ECH) and verbascoside (ACT), as the quality control standard of Cistanche deserticola Y. C. Ma and the main representative compounds of PhGs have been proved to have neuroprotective effects, but the specific mechanism needs to be further explored. This study explored the mechanisms of PhGs, ECH, and ACT in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) from the perspectives of glial cell activation, TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, and synaptic protein expression. We used APP/PS1 mice as AD models. After treatment with PhGs, ECH, and ACT, the learning and memory abilities of APP/PS1 mice were enhanced, and the pathological changes in brain tissue were alleviated. The expression of pro-inflammatory M1 microglia markers (CD11b, iNOS, and IL-1β) was decreased; the expression of M2 microglia markers (Arg-1 and TGF-β1) was increased, which promoted the transformation of microglia from M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype to M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype. In addition, PhGs, ECH, and ACT could down-regulate the expression of proteins related to the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and up-regulate the expression of synaptic proteins. The results indicated that PhGs, ECH, and ACT played a neuroprotective role by regulating the activation of glial cells and inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway, and improving the expression levels of synapse-related proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Cistanche is an important genus of Orobanchaceae, with critical medicinal, economic, and desertification control values. However, the phylogenetic relationships of Cistanche genus remained obscure. To date, no effective molecular markers have been reported to discriminate effectively the Cistanche closely related species reported here. In this study, we obtained and characterized the plastomes of four Cistanche species from China, to clarify the phylogenetic relationship within the genus, and to develop molecular markers for species discrimination. Results Four Cistanche species (Cistanche deserticola, Cistanche salsa, Cistanche tubulosa and Cistanche sinensis), were deep-sequenced with Illumina. Their plastomes were assembled using SPAdes and annotated using CPGAVAS2. The plastic genomes were analyzed in detail, finding that all showed the conserved quadripartite structure (LSC-IR-SSC-IR) and with full sizes ranging from 75 to 111 Kbp. We observed a significant contraction of small single copy region (SSC, ranging from 0.4–29 Kbp) and expansion of inverted repeat region (IR, ranging from 6–30 Kbp), with C. deserticola and C. salsa showing the smallest SSCs with only one gene (rpl32). Compared with other Orobanchaceae species, Cistanche species showed extremely high rates of gene loss and pseudogenization, as reported for other parasitic Orobanchaceae species. Furthermore, analysis of sequence divergence on protein-coding genes showed the three genes (rpl22, clpP and ycf2) had undergone positive selection in the Cistanche species under study. In addition, by comparison of all available Cistanche plastomes we found 25 highly divergent intergenic spacer (IGS) regions that were used to predict two DNA barcode markers (Cis-mk01 and Cis-mk02 based on IGS region trnR-ACG-trnN-GUU) and eleven specific DNA barcode markers using Ecoprimer software. Experimental validation showed 100% species discrimination success rate with both type of markers. Conclusion Our findings have shown that Cistanche species are an ideal model to investigate the structure variation, gene loss and pseudogenization during the process of plastome evolution in parasitic species, providing new insights into the evolutionary relationships among the Cistanche species. In addition, the developed DNA barcodes markers allow the proper species identification, ensuring the effective and safe use of Cistanche species as medicinal products.

Cistanche is a tonic Chinese medicine commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, with 2016, CFSA through the alxa desert cistanche safety evaluation, cistanche began to officially enter the food field. At present, the research on cistanche mainly focuses on the extraction, isolation and purification and pharmacological effects, and its pharmacological effects such as neuroprotective effects, immunomodulation, antioxidant anticancer and hepatoprotective liver protection have attracted the attention of researchers. This review mainly reviews the research status, chemical composition and health benefits, analyzes its application prospects in food, and aims to provide certain theoretical support for the safe application of cistanche in functional food.

Glucocorticoids are widely used in clinical practice; however, they can cause side effects, such as osteoporosis. Acteoside (ACT) from Cistanche has been used to combat a variety of diseases. The study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of ACT in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) and its potential mechanism. Dexamethasone (Dex) was injected intramuscularly to induce osteoporosis in a rat model, and ACT was given orally. ACT was supplemented in vivo in Dex-stimulated osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. RT-qPCR was performed to assess the mRNA levels of bone formation (Runx2, CoL1A1), and bone resorption (OPG and RANKL). A commercial ELISA kit was applied to assess serum OC and CTX levels. Western blot was performed to assess protein levels in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were performed to assess osteoblast viability and apoptosis. ACT reduced Dex-induced bone microstructure deterioration, increased serum levels of OC, and decreased the levels of CTX (P < 0.05). In the MC3T3-E1 cells, Dex inhibited cell viability and promoted apoptosis; however, this effect was greatly attenuated by ACT (P < 0.05). Concurrently, ACT reversed the reduction in Runx2, osterix, CoL1A1, and OPG mRNA levels, ALP activity, and the promotion of RANKL by Dex. Additionally, ACT attenuated Dex-induced inhibition of p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-PI3K/PI3K protein levels by Dex (P < 0.05), while the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitor LY294002 diminished the potential effect of ACT (P < 0.05). ACT from Cistanche may exert osteoprotective effects by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to alleviate Dex-induced osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Desert hyacinths" are a remarkable group of parasitic plants belonging to genus Cistanche, including more than 20 accepted species typically occurring in deserts or coastal dunes parasitizing roots of shrubs. Several Cistanche species have long been a source of traditional herbal medicine or food, being C. deserticola and C. tubulosa the most used in China. This manuscript reports the isolation and identification of some phenylethanoid and iridoid glycosides, obtained from the hydroalcoholic extract of C. phelypaea collected in Spain. The present study aims to characterize the antioxidant activity of C. phelypaea metabolites in the light of their application in nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries and the effect of acetoside, the most abundant metabolite in C. phelypaea extract, on human keratinocyte and pluripotent stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Our study demonstrated that acetoside, besides its strong antioxidant potential, can preserve the proliferative potential of human basal keratinocytes and the stemness of mesenchymal progenitors necessary for tissue morphogenesis and renewal. Therefore, acetoside can be of practical relevance for the clinical application of human stem cell cultures in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extreme diversity and complexity of angiosperms is well known. Despite the fact that parasitic plants are angiosperms, little is known about parasitic plant mitogenomic diversity, complexity, and evolution. In this study, we obtained and characterized the mitogenomes of three Cistanche species (holoparasitic plants) from China to compare the repeats, segment duplication and multi-copy protein-coding genes (PCGs), to clarify the phylogenetic and evolution relationship within the Lamiales order, and to identify the mitochondrial plastid insertions (MTPT) in Cistanche mitogenomes. The results showed that the mitogenome sizes of the three Cistanche species ranged from 1,708,661 to 3,978,341 bp. The Cistanche species genome encodes 75–126 genes, including 37–65 PCGs, 31–58 tRNA genes and 3–5 rRNA genes. Compared with other Lamiales and parasitic species, the Cistanche species showed extremely high rates of multi-copy PCGs, ranging from 0.13 to 0.58 percent of the total number of PCGs. In addition, 37–133 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSRs) were found in these three mitogenomes, the majority of which were the mononucleotides Adenine/Thymine. The interspersed repeats contained forward and palindromic repeats. Furthermore, the segment-duplication sequence size ranged from 199,584 to 2,142,551 bp, accounting for 24.9%, 11.7% and 53.9% of the Cistanche deserticola, Cistanche salsa and Cistanche tubulosa mitogenome, respectively. Furthermore, the Ka/Ks analysis suggested that the atp4, ccmB, ccmFc and matR were probably positively selected during Lamiales evolution. The Cistanche plastome suggested the presence of MTPT. Moreover, 6–12 tRNA, 9–15 PCGs fragments and 3 rRNA gene fragments in the Cistanche mitogenomes were found in the MTPT regions. This work reports the Cistanche species mitogenome for the first time, which will be invaluable for study the mitogenome evolution of Orobanchaceae family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cistanche is an important genus of Orobanchaceae, with critical medicinal, economic, and desertification control values. However, the phylogenetic relationships of Cistanche genus remained obscure. To date, no effective molecular markers have been reported to discriminate effectively the Cistanche closely related species reported here. In this study, we obtained and characterized the plastomes of four Cistanche species from China, to clarify the phylogenetic relationship within the genus, and to develop molecular markers for species discrimination. Results: Four Cistanche species (Cistanche deserticola, Cistanche salsa, Cistanche tubulosa and Cistanche sinensis), were deep-sequenced with Illumina. Their plastomes were assembled using SPAdes and annotated using CPGAVAS2. The plastic genomes were analyzed in detail, finding that all showed the conserved quadripartite structure (LSC-IR-SSC-IR) and with full sizes ranging from 75 to 111 Kbp. We observed a significant contraction of small single copy region (SSC, ranging from 0.4–29 Kbp) and expansion of inverted repeat region (IR, ranging from 6–30 Kbp), with C. deserticola and C. salsa showing the smallest SSCs with only one gene (rpl32). Compared with other Orobanchaceae species, Cistanche species showed extremely high rates of gene loss and pseudogenization, as reported for other parasitic Orobanchaceae species. Furthermore, analysis of sequence divergence on protein-coding genes showed the three genes (rpl22, clpP and ycf2) had undergone positive selection in the Cistanche species under study. In addition, by comparison of all available Cistanche plastomes we found 25 highly divergent intergenic spacer (IGS) regions that were used to predict two DNA barcode markers (Cis-mk01 and Cis-mk02 based on IGS region trnR-ACG-trnN-GUU) and eleven specific DNA barcode markers using Ecoprimer software. Experimental validation showed 100% species discrimination success rate with both type of markers. Conclusion: Our findings have shown that Cistanche species are an ideal model to investigate the structure variation, gene loss and pseudogenization during the process of plastome evolution in parasitic species, providing new insights into the evolutionary relationships among the Cistanche species. In addition, the developed DNA barcodes markers allow the proper species identification, ensuring the effective and safe use of Cistanche species as medicinal products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a famous tonic herb, Cistanches Herba is known for its broad medicinal functions, especially its hormone balancing, anti-aging, anti-dementia, anti-tumor, anti-oxidative, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of studies on Cistanche and to identify research hotspots and frontier topics on the genus. Based on the metrological analysis software CiteSpace, 443 Cistanche related papers were quantitatively reviewed. The results indicate that 330 institutions from 46 countries have publications in this field. China was the leading country in terms of research importance and number of publication (335 articles). In the past decades, studies on Cistanche have mainly focused on its rich active substances and pharmacological effects. Although the research trend shows that Cistanche has grown from an endangered species to an important industrial plant, its breeding and cultivation continue to be important areas for research. In the future, the application of Cistanche species as functional foods may be a new research trend. In addition, active collaborations among researchers, institutions, and countries are expected.

Background: To aim of this study is to assess the mechanism through which Desertliving Cistanche modulates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the treatment of hyperlipidemic osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats., Methods: We randomly assigned specific-pathogen-free (SPF) rats into five groups (n = 10 per group). The normal control group received a standard diet, while the model group, atorvastatin group, diethylstilbestrol group, and treatment group were fed a high-fat diet. Four weeks later, bilateral ovariectomies were conducted, followed by drug interventions. After six weeks of treatment, relevant indicators were compared and analyzed., Results: Compared to the normal control group, rats in the model group exhibited blurred trabecular morphology, disorganized osteocytes, significantly elevated levels of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), bone Gla-protein (BGP), total cholesterol (TC), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL). Also, the model group revealed significantly reduced levels of ultimate load, fracture load, estradiol (E2), bone mineral density (BMD), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt) in femoral tissue. The atorvastatin group presented with higher TC and TNF-α levels compared to the normal control group. Conversely, the treatment group demonstrated enhanced trabecular morphology, denser structure, smaller bone marrow cavities, and reduced BALP, BGP, TC, TNF-α, and RANKL levels. Furthermore, the treatment group exhibited higher levels of E2, BMD, OPG, and PI3K and Akt in bone tissue compared to the model group. The treatment group also had lower TC and TNF-α levels than the atorvastatin group. Biomechanical analysis indicated that after administration of Desertliving Cistanche, the treatment group had reduced body mass, increased ultimate and fracture load of the femur, denser bone structure, smaller bone marrow cavities, and altered periosteal arrangement compared to the model group., Conclusion: Our study revealed that Desertliving Cistanche demonstrated significant efficacy in preventing and treating postmenopausal hyperlipidemic osteoporosis in rats., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cistanche tubulosa (CT) is the dried fleshy stem with scaly leaves of Cistanche tubiflora (Schenk) Wight, which has the effects of tonifying the kidney-yang, benefiting the vital essence and blood, and moisturizing the intestines and laxatives. There are differences in the activity of CT before and after processing, but the mechanism of processing is not clear., Aim of the Study: The study aimed to compare the strength of action of CT before and after yellow-wine processing in the treatment of constipation and kidney yang deficiency and to identify the active ingredients responsible for the differences in activity before and after yellow-wine processing., Materials and Methods: This study established the fingerprints of CT and PCT using HPLC to identify their shared components. Then efficacy of KYDS and FC were carried out to compare the differences between CT and PCT in terms of efficacy. Next, this study established the spectrum-effect relationship between the shared chemical components and the medical effects of CT and PCT using the gray correlation analysis and entropy methods. Ultimately, the activity of the analyzed chemical components was verified using the zebrafish model., Results: CT was more effective than PCT in promoting intestinal peristalsis, regulating gastrointestinal hormone levels, and thus treating FC. PCT was more effective than CT in improving the level of hormone indexes of the hypothalamus-pituitary-target gland axis, replenishing blood, and enhancing immunity. Through the analysis of the spectrum-effect relationship, it was finally found that 5, 6, 12 (tubuloside A), and 13 (isoacteoside) might be more closely related to the activity of tonifying kidney yang, and peaks 9, 10, and 11 (acteoside) are more closely associated with the treatment of constipation, and peaks 3 (salidroside), 4, 1, 2 (geniposidic acid), and 8 (echinacoside) were associated with both kidney yang tonic and treatment of constipation. At the same time, an activity verification experiment showed that echinacoside, geniposidic acid, and salidroside were effective in the treatment of FC and KYDS, while acteoside was very effective in the treatment of FC, and tubuloside A was significant in supplementing the blood, which validated the spectrum-effect relationship analysis., Conclusion: This study proved that the raw CT had a better laxative effect, while the yellow-wine processed CT had a better kidney-yang tonic effect; moreover, spectrum-effect relationships were established to analyze the chemical components leading to changes in the activity of CT before and after yellow-wine processing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Copyright of Detergent & Cosmetics is the property of Detergent & Cosmetics Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dietary therapy may be beneficial in alleviating symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a disorder that is characterized by extreme fatigue and other symptoms, but the cause of which remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of a botanical product containing cistanche (Cistanche tubulosa [Schenk] Wight) and ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.) extracts on adults with CFS in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 190 subjects (35–60 years old, non-obese) with CFS were randomized to receive one tablet of a low dose (120-mg ginkgo and 300-mg cistanche), a high dose (180-mg ginkgo and 450-mg cistanche) or a placebo once daily for 60 days. Blood samples and responses on the Chalder fatigue scale (CFQ 11), the World Health Organization's quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL), and the sexual life quality questionnaire (SLQQ) were collected at baseline and post-intervention. CFS symptoms of impaired memory or concentration, physical fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, and post-exertional malaise were significantly improved (p < 0.001) in both of the treatment groups. The botanical intervention significantly decreased physical and mental fatigue scores of CFQ 11 and improved WHOQOL and SLQQ scores of the subjects (p < 0.01). Levels of blood ammonia and lactic acid in the treatment groups were significantly lower than those of the placebo group (low-dose: p < 0.05; high-dose: p < 0.01). In addition, the change in lactic acid concentration was negatively associated with the severity of CFS symptoms (p = 0.0108) and was correlated with the change in total physical fatigue score of the CFQ (p = 0.0302). Considering the trivial effect size, the results may lack clinical significance. In conclusion, this botanical product showed promising effects in ameliorating the symptoms of CFS. Clinical trials with improved assessment tools, an expanded sample size, and an extended follow-up period are warranted to further validate the findings.Clinical Trial Registration:https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier: NCT02807649.

The extensive diversity of the tribe Orobancheae, the most species-rich lineage of holoparasitic Orobanchaceae, is concentrated in the Caucasus and Mediterranean regions of the Old World. This extant diversity has inspired hypotheses that these regions are also centres of origin of its key lineages, however the ability to test hypotheses has been limited by a lack of sampling and phylogenetic information about the species, especially in the Caucasus region. First, we assessed the phylogenetic relationships of several poorly known, problematic, or newly described species and host-races of four genera of Orobancheae occurring in the Caucasus region-Cistanche, Phelypaea, Phelipanche and Orobanche-using nuclear ribosomal (ITS) and plastid (trnL-trnF) sequence data. Then we applied a probablistic dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis model of historical biogeography across a more inclusive clade of holoparasites, to explicitly test hypotheses of Orobancheae diversification and historical biogeography shifts. In sum, we sampled 548 sequences (including 196 newly generated) from 13 genera, 140 species, and 175 taxa across 44 countries. We find that the Western Asia (particularly the Caucasus) and the Mediterranean are the centre of origin for large clades of holoparasitic Orobancheae within the last 6 million years. In the Caucasus, the centres of diversity are composed both of long-branch taxa and shallow, recently diversified clades, while Orobancheae diversity in the Mediterranean appears to represent mainly recent diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) occurs frequently clinically as a complication following cardiovascular resuscitation resulting in neuronal damage specifically to the hippocampal CA1 region with consequent cognitive impairment. Apoptosis and oxidative stress were proposed as major risk factors associated with CIRI development. Previously, glycosides obtained from Cistanche deserticola (CGs) were shown to play a key role in counteracting CIRI; however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be determined. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of CGs on subsequent CIRI in rats. The model of CIRI was established for 2 hr and reperfusion for 24 hr by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. The MCAO rats were used to measure the antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of CGs on CIRI. Neurological function was evaluated by the Longa neurological function score test. 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to detect the area of cerebral infarction. Nissl staining was employed to observe neuronal morphology. TUNEL staining was used to detect neuronal apoptosis, while Western blot determined protein expression levels of factors for apoptosis-related and PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Data demonstrated that CGs treatment improved behavioral performance, brain injury, and enhanced antioxidant and anti-apoptosis in CIRI rats. In addition, CGs induced activation of PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 signaling pathway accompanied by inhibition of the expression of apoptosis-related factors. Evidence indicates that CGs amelioration of CIRI involves activation of the PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 signaling pathway associated with increased cellular viability suggesting these glycosides may be considered as an alternative compound for CIRI treatment.

Cistanche deserticola is a precious Chinese medicinal material with extremely high health care and medicinal value. In recent years, the frequent occurrence of stem rot has led to reduced or even no harvests of C. deserticola. The unstandardized use of farm chemicals in the prevention and control processes has resulted in excessive chemical residues, threatening the fragile desert ecological environment. Therefore, it is urgent to explore safe and efficient prevention and control technologies. Biocontrol agents, with the advantages of safety and environment-friendliness, would be an important idea. The isolation, screening and identification of pathogens and antagonistic endophytic bacteria are always the primary basis. In this study, three novel pathogens causing C. deserticola stem rot were isolated, identified and pathogenicity tested, namely Fusarium solani CPF1, F. proliferatum CPF2, and F. oxysporum CPF3. For the first time, the endophytic bacteria in C. deserticola were isolated and identified, of which 37 strains were obtained. Through dual culture assay, evaluation experiment and tissue culture verification, a biocontrol candidate strain Bacillus atrophaeus CE6 with outstanding control effect on the stem rot was screened out. In the tissue culture system, CE6 showed excellent control effect against F. solani and F. oxysporum, with the control efficacies reaching 97.2% and 95.8%, respectively, indicating its great potential for application in the production. This study is of great significance for the biocontrol of plant stem rot and improvement of the yield and quality of C. deserticola., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Oral vaccines are a safe and convenient alternative to injected vaccines and have great potential to prevent major infectious diseases. However, the harsh gastrointestinal (GI) environment, mucus barriers, low immunogenicity, and lack of effective and safe mucosal adjuvants are the major challenges for oral vaccine delivery. In recent years, nanoparticle-based strategies have become attractive for improving oral vaccine delivery. Here, the dendritic fibrous nano-silica (DFNS) grafted with Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide (CDP) nanoparticles (CDP-DFNS) were prepared and investigated how to impact the immune responses. CDP-DFNS facilitated the antigen uptake in mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs), and induce the activation of DCs in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo experiments, the result showed that the uptake efficiency by Peyer's patches (PPs) of CDP-DFNS/BSA was the best. And CDP-DFNS/BSA then significantly activated the DCs in lamina propria (LP), and T/B cells in PPs and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). Moreover, the memory T cell responses in later period of vaccination was stronger than other groups. In addition, CDP-DFNS/BSA enhanced BSA-specific antibody IgG, IgA production, and SIgA secretion, was effective at inducing a strong mixed Th1/Th2 response and mucosal antibody responses. These results indicated that CDP-DFNS deserves further consideration as an oral vaccine adjuvant delivery system., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No potential conflicts of interest were reported by the authors in this work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The plastid genomes (plastomes) of non-photosynthetic plants generally undergo gene loss and pseudogenization. Despite massive plastomes reported in different parasitism types of the broomrape family (Orobanchaceae), more plastomes representing different degradation patterns in a single genus are expected to be explored. Here, we sequence and assemble the complete plastomes of three holoparasitic Cistanche species (C. salsa , C. mongolica , and C. sinensis) and compare them with the available plastomes of Orobanchaceae. We identified that the diverse degradation trajectories under purifying selection existed among three Cistanche clades, showing obvious size differences in the entire plastome, long single copy region, and non-coding region, and different patterns of the retention/loss of functional genes. With few exceptions of putatively functional genes, massive plastid fragments, which have been lost and transferred into the mitochondrial or nuclear genomes, are non-functional. In contrast to the equivalents of the Orobanche species, some plastid-derived genes with diverse genomic locations are found in Cistanche. The early and initially diverged clades in different genera such as Cistanche and Aphyllon possess obvious patterns of plastome degradation, suggesting that such key lineages should be considered prior to comparative analysis of plastome evolution, especially in the same genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of cistanche on sevoflurane‐induced aged cognitive dysfunction rat model. Aged (24 months) male SD rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control group, sevoflurane group, control + cistanche and sevoflurane + cistanche group. Subsequently, inflammatory cytokine levels were measured by ELISA, and the cognitive dysfunction of rats was evaluated by water maze test, open‐field test and the fear conditioning test. Three days following anaesthesia, the rats were killed and hippocampus was harvested for the analysis of relative biomolecules. The oxidative stress level was indicated as nitrite and MDA concentration, along with the SOD and CAT activity. Finally, PPAR‐γ antagonist was used to explore the mechanism of cistanche in vivo. The results showed that after inhaling the sevoflurane, 24‐ but not 3‐month‐old male SD rats developed obvious cognitive impairments in the behaviour test 3 days after anaesthesia. Intraperitoneal injection of cistanche at the dose of 50 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days before anaesthesia alleviated the sevoflurane‐induced elevation of neuroinflammation levels and significantly attenuated the hippocampus‐dependent memory impairments in 24‐month‐old rats. Cistanche also reduced the oxidative stress by decreasing nitrite and MDA while increasing the SOD and CAT activity. Moreover, such treatment also inhibited the activation of microglia. In addition, we demonstrated that PPAR‐γ inhibition conversely alleviated cistanche‐induced protective effect. Taken together, we demonstrated that cistanche can exert antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐apoptosis and anti‐activation of microglia effects on the development of sevoflurane‐induced cognitive dysfunction by activating PPAR‐γ signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Headings Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Functional constipation (FC), characterized by chronic constipation, significantly impacts physiological function and induces psychological stress in patients. However, current clinical treatment options for FC are currently limited. Cistanche deserticola, a traditional Chinese medicine that promotes intestinal moisture and bowel relaxation, contains cistanche total alditol extract (CTAE) as its primary active extract. However, the production of CTAE, its overall efficacy, and potential mechanisms for treating FC have yet to been investigated., Aim of the Study: This study aimed to reveal the overall efficacy and potential mechanism of action of CTAE in rats with FC using a combination of stable preparation, pharmacodynamics, non-targeted metabolomics, bile acid metabolomics, and western blotting., Materials and Methods: Fourteen batches of CTAE underwent quality testing. A rat model of FC was developed using diphenoxylate tablets. The comprehensive pharmacodynamic effects of CTAE on FC were evaluated using fecal characteristics (wet weight, dry weight, and water content), intestinal transmission (colonic EMG amplitude, colonic EMG frequency, propulsion length, and propulsion rate), serum and colon biochemical indicators, distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), and pathological examination. Non-targeted metabolomics was performed to assess the changes in endogenous metabolite profiles induced by CTAE. Bile acid metabolomics and western blotting analyses were employed to validate the potential mechanisms of action of CTAE., Results: CTAE, with a total content of betaine, mannitol, D-fructose, glucose, and sucrose of (75.67 ± 3.73) %, significantly enhanced intestinal transit, regulated neurotransmitters, increased the expression of c-kit in ICC, and alleviated intestinal inflammation in rats with FC. Non-targeted metabolomics revealed that CTAE significantly alleviated FC-induced metabolic disorders, mainly the biosynthesis of primary bile acids. Targeted metabolomic analysis confirmed that CTAE regulated FC-induced bile acid disorders. Western-blotting results confirmed that CTAE increased the expression of CYP8B1, FGF15, TGR5, and FXR, thereby modulating bile acid synthesis and enterohepatic circulation., Conclusion: CTAE demonstrates significant therapeutic effects on FC, primarily through the regulation of bile acid synthesis and enterohepatic circulation. These findings provide a promising foundation for the development and clinical application of novel CATE-based drugs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the potential mechanism behind the protective effect of Cistanche deserticola polysaccharides (CP) against alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Multiple chromography techniques were employed to characterize CP from polysaccharide, the molecular weight distribution of polysaccharides, monosaccharide composition, isomeric hydrogen and isomeric carbon, in order to clarify the material basis of CP. To create the ALD mouse model, we utilized the well-established Lieber-DeCarli alcoholic liquid feed method. Findings from the study revealed that CP administration resulted in significant improvements in intestinal permeability, upregulation of barrier proteins expression, and reduced levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in mouse liver and serum. Additionally, CP treatment reduced the presence of inflammatory cytokines both in serum and liver while enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the liver. Furthermore, CP effectively reduced alcohol-induced oxidative damage by downregulating Keap1 protein levels in the liver, leading to increased expression of Nrf2 protein. The 16S rDNA sequencing results revealed that CP significantly restored the intestinal microbiota composition in ALD mice. These findings establish a strong association between gut microbiota and liver injury indicators, highlighting the potential of CP in preventing and treating ALD by modulating the gut-liver axis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The pollen grains of 53 species and 57 taxa of two genera (Cistanche, Orobanche s. l.) of tribe Orobancheae were studied with light microscopy (LM). Thirty-five of these species were also studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Two pollen types (Orobanche and Phelipanche) and six pollen groups (I-VI) were described. A principal component analysis was performed to help clarify some taxonomic problems at generic, specific and infraspecific levels. Some transition forms exist between the two pollen types. We consider that these data support the elevation of Trionychon to the rank of subgenus (Phelipanche). The pollen morphology of the subgenus Boulardia and of the genus Cistanche is quite similar to that of subgenera Orobanche and Phelipanche, respectively. Our results support the position of Boulardia as the sister taxon to Orobanche s. s. The contribution of pollen morphology to the resolution of several taxonomic problems related to specific and infra-specific taxa was discussed. Within the Orobancheae, the tricolpate, isopolar, microreticulate-scabrate pollen grains are plesiomorphic and the apolar, granulate, inaperturate pollen grains are apomorphic. Some taxa (e.g. O. cernua, O. cumana, O. lavandulacea and O. mutelii) present pollen heteromorphism, which could be related to the existence of geographical clines. The polymorphic (inaperturate, colpate), scabrate-perforate, tectate-columellate pollen grains present in some species (O. cernua, O. cumana) possibly represent an intermediate evolutionary type. Considering the separation of specific and infraspecific taxa in the Orobancheae, LM is apparently more useful than SEM, although information from SEM is clearly relevant as a complement for LM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]