Search

Shilajit, a natural substance used in traditional and modern medicine, has gained prominence as a vital component in dietary supplements. Concerns regarding its use in complementary medicine have arisen due to limited information regarding its composition. Considering thallium's well-known toxicity, this study employs flow - injection differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry to accurately quantify thallium in natural Shilajit and Shilajit-based commercial supplements from various regions. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were determined as 6.58 × 10− 3 µg.mL− 1 and 1.98 × 10− 2 µg.mL− 1, respectively. Thallium contents were detected up to 0.226 µg.g− 1 in natural Shilajit, but mainly in the range of a few tenths of µg.g− 1. Thallium contents were found up to 0.5 µg.g− 1 in the supplements studied. Consumption of one pill of supplement, introduces up to 0.095 µg of Tl to the body. Notably, the concentration of thallium in some supplements was higher than in crude Shilajit, raising concerns about the potential health risks associated with long-term consumption. This study underscores potential health risks associated with thallium in both Shilajit and supplements. Regular monitoring and standardized testing are essential to ensure compliance with safe thallium limits, protecting consumers against potential thallium poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low energy and fatigue are key symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and even when depression is partially treated, fatigue often remains as a persistent residual symptom. MDD was the third leading cause of global disease burden in 2008 and is projected by World Health Organization (WHO) to rank first by 2030. Globally, 15.1% of adults and 6.0% of minor's experience fatigue, while 10.1% of adults and 1.5% of minors suffer from chronic fatigue. Hence, it is essential to investigate further strategies to enhance human energy and alleviate fatigue. Traditional natural remedies are gaining attention as alternative therapies for various diseases worldwide. For centuries, various natural substances have been used to enhance physical and mental energy, combating fatigue, playing a vital role in mental health support, particularly in managing conditions like depression. This review aims to fill the gap in comprehensive literature reviews regarding those natural substances in Southeast Asian countries. It focuses on potential natural substances from six countries: Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Bhutan, Malaysia and Thailand. By summarizing and comparing these substances, we can identify shared effects and properties, as well as unique characteristics that differentiate them across various regions. This review examines 454 natural substances from six countries, used to enhance energy and combat fatigue, with a focus on plant-based sources, excluding animals and insects. Among those natural substances, 6.2% are from the Fabaceae family, followed by 4.8% from the Rubiaceae family and 4.2% from the Zingiberaceae family. In all the natural substances used, leaves represent the largest portion at 22.1%, followed by roots at 15.9% and fruits at 13.9%. This review is an attempt to study and compile the traditional and scientific aspects of the potential energizing substances used in Southeast Asia reported till date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of natural substance-based supplements and treatments for mental wellness is increasingly gaining attention. Southeast Asia, with its rich heritage of medicinal practices and cultural reliance on natural remedies, presents a unique opportunity to explore such interventions. Delightex is actively collaborating with research partners in Southeast Asia to investigate natural substances that may enhance mental well-being and create enriching experiences. Memory, defined as the capacity to record, retain and recall sensory stimuli, events and information, is a fundamental aspect of mental health. Memory loss and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are significant and growing concerns worldwide, particularly due to aging populations. Nootropics are generally well tolerated and typically mild. However, occasional complications can still occur. Hence, it is important to explore more natural alternatives for memory enhancement or treatment of memory loss. In this review, following an initial comprehensive literature search on mental well-being, we focused on memory improvement, identified and summarized 57 natural substances from 31 families with potential memory-enhancing effects. This review highlights their traditional use in Southeast Asia and examines the scientific evidence supporting their efficacy in enhancing memory and potential as nootropics alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, an increasing interest in phytotherapy has been observed. Parallel to the research on the total extracts of plant material, numerous studies on the activity of single molecules derived from plants are being conducted to address their mechanisms of action and determine active doses and eventual interactions. Despite this phenomenon, the isolation of individual compounds is a bottleneck due to its difficulty and cost. This work presents the results of a careful optimization of magnoflorine and berberine (isoquinoline alkaloids) recovery from a commonly distributed shrub, Berberis vulgaris, growing in Poland and Georgia, using CPC. Both compounds are known for their numerous medicinal properties, which makes the isolation methodology an important area of research. Additionally, CPC has the ability to isolate high-quality compounds in large quantities, which makes it an effective and easy-to-commercialize method. For a successful separation, the biphasic solvent system composed of hexane, butanol, ethanol, and water in a ratio (3:12:4:16 v/v/v/v) was used in the ascending mode, together with the flow rate of 8 mL/min and rotation speed of 1600 rpm. The method was selective for both compounds, and it delivered good results for both root and stem extracts from the plant. The qualitative composition of alkaloids in the studied extracts determined by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS confirmed the presence of berberine, magnoflorine, jatrorhizine, and palmatine alkaloids from the group of isoquinolines. The isolates, magnoflorine and berberine, were subjected to the Helicobacter pylori growth inhibition assay and urease inhibition test to assess whether, next to the previously proved anticancer properties, these compounds are characterized by H. pylori inhibition. MGN was found to exhibit inhibitory potential against urease (IC50 = 25 mg/L). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is still affecting the lives of people round the globe and remains a major public health threat. The emergence of new variants more efficiently transmitted, more virulent and more capable of escaping naturally acquired and vaccine-induced immunity creates a long-term negative outlook for the management of the pandemic. The development of effective and viable prevention and treatment options to reduce viral transmission is of the utmost importance. The fruits of the European black elderberry and extracts thereof have been traditionally used to treat viral infections such as coughs, cold and flu. Specifically, its efficacy against the Influenza A virus has been shown in vitro as well as in human clinical trials. In the current project, we investigated the antiviral activity of a black elderberry extract, mainly containing anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern and explored the possible mode of action by performing time of addition experiments. The results revealed that the extract displayed a strong anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity against the Wuhan type as well as the variants of concern Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron with a comparable antiviral activity. Based on cytotoxicity data, a 2-log theoretical therapeutic window was established. The data accumulated so far suggest that the viral replication cycle is inhibited at later stages, inasmuch as the replication process was affected after virus entry. Therefore, it would be legitimate to assume that black elderberry extract might have the potential to be an effective treatment option for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Nutraceuticals are food ingredients that provide extra health advantages that expand above their nutritional value. Nutraceuticals comprise amino acids, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, enzymes, organic acids, fatty acids, medicinal plants, etc. Recently, nutraceuticals have acquired much attention in poultry industry by reason of their potential effects on establishing the normal physiological status, supporting the immune system, and disease prevention, which consequently enhances productivity. The technique of in ovo feeding (IOF) of nutraceuticals holds several promises in poultry industry. The vital benefits of IOF of nutraceuticals are enhancement of intestinal development, establishment of a balanced microbial population in the gut, support of intestinal physiology and health. Interestingly, IOF of nutraceuticals participates in improving the antioxidative properties and energizing the immune system, which thereby translated into greater performance and bigger resistance to diseases, especially in early life challenges. The current review attempts to throw more light on the fresh results associated with the profits of IOF of nutraceuticals on intestinal histomorphology, intestinal microbiota, antioxidative properties, immune responsiveness, hatchability, chick quality, and growth performance in poultry.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mainly affects respiratory tracts including the trachea and lungs. As inflammation and cytokine storm are major pathological features in a Syrian hamster for SARS-CoV-2 infection, reducing inflammatory responses or antiviral therapy is an effective strategy for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections. Herbal medicines and natural substances are applied worldwide due to their health-beneficial effects. Although chemical and pharmacological verifications have not been made for all substances, the pharmacological effects of many substances are being studied. In this study, Boswellia serrata, Commiphora myrrha, and propolis known to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties were selected as candidates for therapeutic herbal medicine targeting SARS-CoV-2. When this herbal mixture was treated to SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 and Calu-3 cells, effective antiviral effects were demonstrated. Next, this herbal mixture was administered to SARS-CoV-2-infected Syrian hamsters, and histopathological lesions were significantly reduced. Viral spike protein and viral enzyme gene were also significantly less detected in immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR results, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that a mixture of Boswellia serrata, Commiphora myrrha, and propolis as natural substances has the potential to reduce lesions of respiratory tracts upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocontrol, including Natural Substances can offer a balanced solution for problems caused by the widespread use of conventional chemical pesticides. Potential harmful side-effects of many conventional chemical pesticides are becoming increasingly clear, in terms of the potential for effects on non-target organisms, environmental pollution, worker safety and pest resistance. Concurrently, there is awareness that modern agriculture needs to grow crops even more sustainably. To maintain human and environmental safety, biocontrol substances used in plant protection including Natural Substances, are regulated mainly following the same regulatory system as for conventional chemical pesticides. However, this approach can pose an unnecessarily high and inappropriate regulatory burden because many data requirements and evaluation criteria are not relevant, appropriate or technically feasible. It is essential that registration of Natural Substances, which are biocontrol products made from natural sources, should focus on relevant potential risk areas. In this paper, a tiered approach was used to indicate potential risk areas and a progressive 'Data Decision Tree' and risk-based flow chart was developed. Considering relevant risk factors for Natural Substances, a branched Data Decision Tree has been developed that considers: Identification, characterisation and analysis, Effects on human health, Residues, Environmental fate and behaviour, Effects on non-target organisms. Such a scientific risk-based decision tree approach can streamline the development of data for the dossier and the evaluation. This will accelerate the placing on the market of Natural Substances, which is so important for the transition to agroecological approaches to farming that deliver more resilient cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodegenerative disorders are a widespread cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, characterized by neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal depletion. They include selective malfunction and progressive loss of neurons, glial cells, and neural networks in the brain and spinal cord. There is an urgent need to develop new and more effective therapeutic strategies to combat these devastating diseases because, today, there is no treatment that can cure degenerative diseases; however, we have many symptomatic treatments. Current nutritional approaches are beginning to reflect a fundamental change in our understanding of health. The Mediterranean diet may have a protective effect on the neurodegenerative process because it is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Increasing knowledge regarding the impact of diet on regulation at the genetic and molecular levels is changing the way we consider the role of nutrition, resulting in new dietary strategies. Natural products, thanks to their bioactive compounds, have recently undergone extensive exploration and study for their therapeutic potential for a variety of diseases. Targeting simultaneous multiple mechanisms of action and a neuroprotection approach with the diet could prevent cell death and restore function to damaged neurons. For these reasons, this review will be focused on the therapeutic potential of natural products and the associations between the Mediterranean-style diet (MD), neurodegenerative diseases, and markers and mechanisms of neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutraceuticals are food ingredients that provide extra health advantages that expand above their nutritional value. Nutraceuticals comprise amino acids, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, enzymes, organic acids, fatty acids, medicinal plants, etc. Recently, nutraceuticals have acquired much attention in poultry industry by reason of their potential effects on establishing the normal physiological status, supporting the immune system, and disease prevention, which consequently enhances productivity. The technique of in ovo feeding (IOF) of nutraceuticals holds several promises in poultry industry. The vital benefits of IOF of nutraceuticals are enhancement of intestinal development, establishment of a balanced microbial population in the gut, support of intestinal physiology and health. Interestingly, IOF of nutraceuticals participates in improving the antioxidative properties and energizing the immune system, which thereby translated into greater performance and bigger resistance to diseases, especially in early life challenges. The current review attempts to throw more light on the fresh results associated with the profits of IOF of nutraceuticals on intestinal histomorphology, intestinal microbiota, antioxidative properties, immune responsiveness, hatchability, chick quality, and growth performance in poultry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the escalation of viral infections in recent decades, including the COVID- 19 pandemic, viral infectious diseases have increasingly become a global concern, attracting significant attention. Among many viral epidemics, the dengue virus, an RNA virus from the Flaviviridae family, has been reported by the WHO as one of the most prevalent mosquito-borne diseases, infecting roughly 400 million people yearly and spreading across all continents worldwide. In the last two decades, researchers from academia and industry have diligently studied many aspects of the virus, including its structure, life cycle, potential therapeutic agents, and vaccines. Dengvaxia® and Qdenga®, approved vaccines for DENV-4, have been a milestone in dengue prevention and treatment. However, these vaccines have some noticeable drawbacks, including Dengvaxia® being a monovalent vaccine against DENV-4 with a risk of severe dengue infection following the first use, Qdenga® being mainly effective for all 4 serotypes only in the cases of previously infected patients while being effective against only DENV-1 and DENV-2 in dengue-naïve patients. Additionally, no drug against dengue has been approved. Thus, numerous screening campaigns have been conducted on both natural and synthesized substances to search for anti-dengue agents, especially those targeting the virus's key protease (NS2B/NS3), to mitigate the dengue fever epidemic. As hit screening is only the first step in the drug discovery and development cycle, subsequent in-depth analyses (using a wide range of approaches from computational simulations to protein-ligand co-crystallization) have been conducted to provide more insights into the characteristics of optimal DENV NS2B/NS3 protease inhibitors. This review discusses recent discoveries in the search for novel inhibitors and highlights the importance of understanding the structural relationship between hits and the NS2B/NS3 protease for effective lead optimization., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Dengue virus (DENV) infection poses a global health threat, leading to severe conditions with the potential for critical outcomes. Currently, there are no specific drugs available whereas the vaccine does not offer comprehensive protection across all DENV serotypes. Therefore, the development of potential antiviral agents is necessary to reduce the severity risk and interrupt the transmission circuit. The search for effective antiviral agents against DENV has predominantly focused on natural resources, particularly those demonstrating diverse biological activities and high safety profiles. Cyanobacteria and algae including Leptolyngbya sp., Spirulina sp., Chlorella sp., and Sargassum spp., which are prevalent species in Thailand, have been reported for their diverse biological activities and high safety profiles. However, their anti-DENV activity has not been documented. In this study, the screening assay was performed to compare the antiviral activity against DENV of crude polysaccharide and ethanolic extracts derived from 4 species of cyanobacteria and algae in Vero cells. Polysaccharide extracts from Sargassum spp. were the most effective in inhibiting DENV-2 infection under co-infection conditions, where the virus was exposed to the extract at the time of infection. Treatment of the extract significantly reduced the ability of DENV to bind to the host cells to 47.87 ± 3.88 % while treatment upon virus binding step had no antiviral effect suggesting the underlaying mechanism of the extract on interfering virus binding step. Fucoidan, a key bioactive substance in Sargassum polysaccharide, showed to reduce DENV-2 infection to 26.59 ± 5.01 %, 20.46 ± 6.58 % under the co-infection condition in Vero and A549 cells, respectively. In accompanied with Sargassum polysaccharide, fucoidan disturbed the virus binding to the host cells. These findings warrant further development and exploration of the Sargassum -derived polysaccharide, fucoidan, as a promising candidate for combating DENV infections. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study envisaged the isolation and characterization of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) from magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) and the evaluation of their antibacterial efficacy. Methods and Results: MNPs were extracted from 20 motile but morphologically different MTB, and they were subjected to antibacterial activity assay. These MNPs were found to be highly effective against Vibrio cholerae. MTB17 was considered as the potent MTB strain based on the antibacterial activity. The MNPs of MTB17 were isolated and validated by UV‐Visible spectroscopy, particle size analysis, FTIR analysis, and PXRD. Conclusions: Isolation and characterization of ~85 nm MNPs from MTB is reported, and it is highly active against all the gram‐positive and gram‐negative strains tested. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study focuses on a novel use of biogenic magnetite MNPs as an antibacterial agent, which can be further explored using in vivo studies. [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.)

polylactic acid (PLA) is a kind of polyesters synthesized from plant resources. Tt has the characteristics of biodegradability, good biocompatibility and easy processing. Tn this paper, the research status and existing problems of PLA performance improvement by natural substances? such as essential oilsCnatural pigments? vegetable oils, and different natural fibers are reviewed, aiming to promote the preservation of the biodegradable advantages of PLA and provide some valuable references for broadening the application field of PLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study included the collection of 210 samples of Mid-stream urine samples of the patients who were confirmed to be infected with UTI by conducting a general urine examination and the patients of AL-Amriya General Hospital, Ramadi Teaching Hospital and Fallujah Teaching Hospital for the period between 2017 and January 2018. The results of the diagnosis showed a seven isolations of 17.5% of the total of 40 bacterial isolates. These isolations were diagnosed in aerobic conditions according to the microscopic examination and Culture characteristics on blood agar base and MacConkey agar as well as the biochemical tests, Diagnosis was confirmed using the modern diagnostic system VITEK2. The synergistic activity of the natural substances used (sesame oil, olive oil, and royal Jelly) was studied against Klebsiella isolates by interfering with some of the antibiotics by disk diffusion method (Gentamicin, Amikacin, Ceftriaxone, Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazol, Nitrofurantoin, Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid, Ciprofloxacin), and the synergic efficacy of natural materials was studied by adding 10 ul of sterile pasteurized natural substance directly to the antibiotic disk separately. The results showed increased efficacy of some antibiotics, especially Ciprofloxacin, Ceftriaxone and Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid. so it can be concluded that sesame oil and royal Jelly have synergistic effectiveness in increasing the effectiveness of some antibiotics against Klebsiella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection is perennially one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Effective therapy and vaccination are needed to control viral expansion. However, current anti-IAV drugs risk inducing drug-resistant virus emergence. Although intranasal administration of whole inactivated virus vaccine can induce efficient protective immunity, formalin and β-propiolactone are the currently used and harmful inactivating agents. Here, we analyzed the antiviral activity of hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) tea extract against human IAV and evaluated its potential as a novel anti-IAV drug and a safe inactivating agent for whole inactivated vaccine. The in vitro study revealed that the pH of hibiscus tea extract is acidic, and its rapid and potent antiviral activity relied largely on the acidic pH. Furthermore, the mouse study showed that the acidic extract was not effective for either therapeutic or vaccination purposes. However, hibiscus tea extract and protocatechuic acid, one of the major components of the extract, showed not only potent acid-dependent antiviral activity but also weak low-pH-independent activity. The low-pH-independent activity did not affect the conformation of immunodominant hemagglutinin protein. Although this low-pH-independent activity is very limited, it may be suitable for the application to medication and vaccination because this activity is not affected by the neutral blood environment and does not lose antigenicity of hemagglutinin. Further study of the low-pH-independent antiviral mechanism and attempts to enhance the antiviral activity may establish a novel anti-IAV therapy and vaccination strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (HRS) leaves using water resulted in a yield of 12.46% for the HRS mucilage. It possessed a molecular weight of 2.001 x 106 ± 6.578 x 104 kDa. Its high specific viscosity of 2.84 ± 0.03 confirmed its large molecular weight. In X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of HRS mucilage, a broad and clear peak was seen, showing the amorphous nature of the substance. Four endotherms and one exotherm were identified in the thermal spectra of HRS mucilage. Additionally, the attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy revealed important structural and functional polysaccharide groups. HRS mucilage could be used in pharmaceutical dosage forms, such as tablet binding agents, as well as stabilisers in emulsions and suspensions, to improve drug delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimising outputs of waste and pollution by recycling and efficient utilisation of renewable resources is of common interest for organic agriculture and the concepts of circular and bioeconomy. However, in practice, many efforts to increase recycling of various biological materials in organic agriculture are hampered because standards for certified organic production and processing tend to prefer natural products while avoiding processing and especially chemical processes. This creates several dilemmas and weakens the position of organic agriculture as a spear head in the development of a better resource utilisation which will reduce environmental impacts from food production. Based on practical examples derived from projects aimed at better utilisation of residual materials in various food chains, this paper presents some of these dilemmas. Our aim is to initiate a discussion among organic agriculture stakeholders about the regulations for organic production, how they restrict recycling and a better utilisation of valuable resources, and how this can be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen an increase in the use of botanicals and natural substances (BNS) in consumer products such as cosmetics and household care products. Most work conducted to date to assess botanicals for human safety has focused their use as dietary supplements and thus on systemic toxicity. However, the induction of skin sensitization is a possible adverse effect of natural products in particular those that come into skin contact, especially for cosmetics that remain on the skin and are not rinsed off following use. Assessments of BNS ingredients are often challenging for a number of reasons: the BNS are complex mixtures that can be of mostly unknown composition; the composition can be highly variable even within the same plant species and dependent on how processed; the physical form of the BNS raw material can vary from a highly concentrated powdered extract to a liquid extract containing only a small percentage of the BNS; testing of the BNS raw materials in New Approach Methods (NAM) has uncertainty as these methods are often not developed or validated for complex mixtures. In this study, a reference set of 14 selected BNS which span the range of skin sensitization potential was complied. These data were used in a Weight of Evidence (WoE) approach to evaluate their skin sensitization potential with each of the data rich BNS being classified as either having strong evidence of inducing skin sensitization based on human topical use history, animal data, clinical data, composition data and NAM data, or having some but more limited (weak) evidence of inducing skin sensitization, or having strong evidence of no skin sensitization potential. When available data have sufficient potency related information, sensitization potency assessment is also provided based on WoE, classifying these BNS as either strong, moderate, or weak sensitizers, or non-sensitizers. An outline for a BNS skin sensitization risk assessment framework is proposed starting with exposure-based waiving and WoE assessment for higher exposures. In addition to demonstrating the application of the WoE approach, the reference set presented here provides a set of 'data rich' botanicals which cover a range of sensitization potencies that could be used for evaluating existing test methods or aid in the development of new predictive models for skin sensitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of KIOM-2015EW, the hot-water extract of maple leaves in hyperosmolar stress (HOS)-induced human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs). HCECs were exposed to hyperosmolar medium and exposed to KIOM-2015EW with or without the hyperosmolar media. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 production and apoptosis were observed, and the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) including extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), p38 and c-JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling and nuclear factor (NF)-κB was confirmed. Compared to isomolar medium, the induction of cell cytotoxicity significantly increased in HCECs exposed to hyperosmolar medium in a time-dependent manner. KIOM-2015EW-treatment significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and apoptosis. KIOM-2015EW-treatment inhibited HOS-induced MAPK signaling activation. Additionally, the HOS-induced increase in NF-κB phosphorylation was attenuated by KIOM-2015EW. The results demonstrated that KIOM-2015EW protects the ocular surface by suppressing inflammation in dry eye disease, and suggest that KIOM-2015EW may be used to treat several ocular surface diseases where inflammation plays a key role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se revisó la bibliografía médica disponible sobre el uso de algunas sustancias de origen natural, utilizadas desde la antigüedad para tratar a personas lesionadas, inicialmente por traumatismos. Con el transcurso del tiempo, los conocimientos trasmitidos de una generación a otra condujeron a emplearlas para desinfectar heridas quirúrgicas y curar o cicatrizar úlceras, escaras y quemaduras, entre otras lesiones. La miel, el azúcar y los peloides, específicamente el limo, han devenido eficaces medicamentos para eliminar infecciones y reparar heridas, con mejores resultados que los derivados de productos industriales y otros métodos alternativos, puesto que además de ser menos costosos y de fácil aplicación, ejercen su acción beneficiosa sin tener que combinarse con antibióticos o compuestos cicatrizantes.The available literature on the use of some natural substances that were used since ancient times for treating injured people due to initial traumatisms was reviewed. Eventually, knowledge transmitted from one generation to another led to the employ of them in order to disinfect surgical wounds and cure or heal up ulcers, sloughs, and burns, among other injuries. Honey, sugar, and peloids, specifically mud, have become an effective therapy to avoid infections and restore wounds, achieving better results than those derived from using industrial products and other alternative methods, since they are less expensive and easy to apply, they provide a beneficial action without combining them with antibiotics or healing compounds.

Although a number of natural materials have been used as hemostatic agents, many substances do not act quickly enough. Here, we created a novel dressings using collagen and chitosan with recombinant batroxobin (r-Bat) to promote faster and more effective hemostasis. We hypothesized that r-Bat would promote synergetic blood coagulation because it contains a blood coagulation active site different than those of collagen and chitosan. Our results suggest that each substances can maintain hemostatic properties while in the mixed dressings and that our novel hemostatic dressings promotes potent control of bleeding, as demonstrated by a whole blood assay and rat hemorrhage model. In a rat femoral artery model, the scaffold with a high r-Bat concentration more rapidly controlled excessive bleeding. This novel dressings has enormous possible for rapidly controlling bleeding and it improves upon the effect of collagen and chitosan used alone. Our novel r-Bat dressings is a possible candidate for improving preoperative care and displays promising properties as an absorbable agent in hemostasis. Statement of Significance Despite the excellent hemostatic properties of collagen and chitosan pads, they reported to brittle behavior and lack sufficient hemostatic effect within relevant time. Therefore, we created a novel pad using collagen and chitosan with recombinant batroxobin (r-Bat). r-Bat acts as a thrombin-like enzyme in the coagulation cascade. Specifically, r-Bat, in contrast to thrombin, only splits fibrinopeptide A off and does not influence other hemostatic factors or cells, which makes it clinically useful as a stable hemostatic agent. Also the materials in the pad have synergetic effect because they have different hemostatic mechanisms in the coagulation cascade. This report propose the novel hemostatic pad isreasonable that a great potential for excessive bleeding injury and improve effects of natural substance hemostatic pad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice sheath blight is caused by Rhizoctonia solan, a plant pathogenic fungus that is spread by insect pests as well as splashing rain and plant contact, causing the most serious damage globally with the second largest cost for antifungal control. The Aralia Continentalis Radix extract has an antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solan, and it was presumed that the ent-Pimara-8(14), 15-diene-19-oic acid contained in Aralia Continentalis Radix is the chemical constituent of the antifungal metabolite. It was confirmed that the Aralia Continentalis Radix extract can be used as a control agent against rice sheath blight. The damage caused by rice sheath blight was decreased to less than 16% when the Aralia Continentalis Radix extract (125 mg.L-1 or more) was sprayed onto rice plants in a disaster prevention experiment in a field afflicted by rice sheath blight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]