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Most canopy-forming macroalgae have disappeared from temperate reefs in southern Japan, one of the ocean warming hotspots, but Sargassum nipponicum is surviving in this region. As this species’ annual shoots emerge from holdfasts during summer, both plant components may be highly tolerant to warm and nutrient-poor conditions in this season. The present study examined the effects of temperature and nutrient conditions on holdfast growth, shoot emergence from holdfasts, and shoot growth in S. nipponicum samples collected in Tanegashima Island, southern Japan. The summer temperature in this region (30 °C) allowed holdfast growth and shoot emergence but inhibited shoot growth. Nutrient-poor conditions had limited effects on the first two parameters but suppressed shoot growth. These results suggested that during warm summers and under nutrient-poor conditions in southern Japan, shoots can emerge from S. nipponicum holdfasts but cannot further grow. Additionally, nutrient loading from a nearby river was higher at the only site dominated by S. nipponicum, than at the other sites where this species was absent on Tanegashima Island. This was observed especially between autumn and winter, implying that such a nutrient-rich environment may contribute to shoot growth in S. nipponicum and to the persistence of its population in the area.

Circadian rhythms are endogenous oscillations that regulate physiological and biochemical processes with approximately 24-h rhythms. Circadian rhythmic disorders caused by a high-fat diet (HFD) are associated with metabolic syndrome and obesity. Herein, we assessed whether black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) modulates disturbances in the circadian rhythm and improves obesity caused by an HFD in C57BL/6 mice. Three study groups were created: normal diet, HFD, and HFD + K. parviflora extract (KPE). HFD-fed mice showed attenuated circadian locomotor activity, weight gain, and increased serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels, whereas HFD mice administered KPE showed improved circadian locomotor activity and reduced body weight and serum triglyceride levels. Moreover, following RNAi knockdown of clock genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, KPE was found to enhance clock gene expression and induce lipolysis-related gene expression in adipocytes. Collectively, these results suggest that KPE improves rhythm disturbances in HFD-fed mice and exhibits anti-obesity effects.

Circadian rhythms are endogenous oscillations of approximately 24-h periods and regulate diel changes in physiological biochemical processes. We examined the effects of black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) on the expression of circadian clock genes and the disruption of circadian rhythms using in vitro and in vivo assays. K. parviflora extract increased the amplitude of circadian rhythms, extended the circadian period, and caused phase delays in NIH3T3 cells. We identified chemical components involved in the circadian clock gene expression using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. 3,5,7,3′,4′-Pentamethoxyflavone, 5,7,4′-trimethoxyflavone, and 5,7-dimethoxyflavone were identified as components that regulated the circadian clock gene expression. In addition, we examined the effects of K. parviflora on behavioral entrainment in mice subjected to experimental jet lag (6-h phase advance), finding that K. parviflora enhanced adaptation to jet lag. These results suggested that polymethoxyflavones in K. parviflora could regulate the circadian clock and reduce circadian disruption.

The quantification of histidine-containing dipeptides (anserine, carnosine, and balenine) in serum might be a diagnostic tool to assess the health condition of animals. In this study, an existing reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–ultraviolet detection method was improved and validated to quantify serum anserine, carnosine, and balenine levels in the dolphin. The serum was deproteinized with trichloroacetic acid and directly injected into the HPLC system. Chromatographic separation of the three histidine-containing dipeptides was achieved on a TSK–gel ODS-80Ts (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 5 µm) analytical column using a mobile phase of 50 mmol/L potassium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 3.4) containing 6 mmol/L 1-heptanesulfonic acid and acetonitrile (96:4). The standard curve ranged from 0.1 µmol/L to 250 µmol/L. The average accuracy of the intra- and inter-analysis of anserine, carnosine, and balenine was 97–106%. The relative standard deviations of total precision (RSDr) of anserine, carnosine, and balenine in dolphin serum were 5.9%, 4.1%, and 2.6%, respectively. The lower limit of quantification of these compounds was 0.11–0.21 µmol/L. These results indicate that the improved method is reliable and concise for the simultaneous determination of anserine, carnosine, and balenine in dolphin serum, and may be useful for evaluation of health conditions in dolphins. Furthermore, this method can also be applied to other biological samples.

Osteoporosis with bone loss is widely recognized as a major health problem. Bone homeostasis is maintained by balancing bone formation and bone resorption. The imbalance caused by increased bone resorption over bone formation can lead to various bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoclasts are the principal cells responsible for bone resorption and the main targets of anti-resorptive therapies. However, excessive inhibition of osteoclast differentiation may lead to inhibition of osteoblast differentiation. Therefore, it is important to screen for new compounds capable of inhibiting bone resorption and enhancing bone formation. Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam. has been utilized traditionally for medicinal purposes such as the treatment of rheumatism. Currently, the extract is considered to be a good source of pharmacological agents for the treatment of bone-related diseases, but the active compounds have yet to be identified. We investigated whether toddaculin, derived from Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam., affects both processes by inhibiting bone resorption and enhancing bone formation. Towards this end, we used pre-osteoclastic RAW 264 cells and pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. We found that toddaculin not only inhibited the differentiation of osteoclasts via activation of the NF-κB, ERK 1/2, and p38 MAPK signaling pathways, but it also induced differentiation and mineralization of osteoblasts by regulating differentiation factors. Thus, toddaculin might be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

The potential of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction of "koku" enhancing compounds from dried herring fillet ("Migaki-nishin" in Japanese) and sturgeon liver was explored. "Koku" enhancing compounds from a water-soluble extract and a mixed water miscible SC-CO2 extract were isolated and evaluated for their effects on sensory perception. Results showed that only select compounds were found in the mixed water miscible SC-CO2 extract compared to the complicated composition of the water-soluble extract. A notable feature was that the mixed water miscible SC-CO2 extract contained "koku" enhancing compounds, e.g., nicotinamide, glycerol and creatine. This study revealed for the first time that these compounds were extracted by SC-CO2 extraction and that nicotinamide enhances "koku". We also extracted "koku" enhancing compounds from sturgeon liver using the SC-CO2 extraction technique. Instrumental analysis revealed that the sturgeon liver contained relatively large amounts of nicotinamide and glycerol. Thus, it is suggested that this technique might be applicable to the extraction of select compounds from fish and fishery by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most canopy-forming macroalgae have disappeared from temperate reefs in southern Japan, one of the ocean warming hotspots, but Sargassum nipponicum is surviving in this region. As this species' annual shoots emerge from holdfasts during summer, both plant components may be highly tolerant to warm and nutrient-poor conditions in this season. The present study examined the effects of temperature and nutrient conditions on holdfast growth, shoot emergence from holdfasts, and shoot growth in S. nipponicum samples collected in Tanegashima Island, southern Japan. The summer temperature in this region (30 °C) allowed holdfast growth and shoot emergence but inhibited shoot growth. Nutrient-poor conditions had limited effects on the first two parameters but suppressed shoot growth. These results suggested that during warm summers and under nutrient-poor conditions in southern Japan, shoots can emerge from S. nipponicum holdfasts but cannot further grow. Additionally, nutrient loading from a nearby river was higher at the only site dominated by S. nipponicum, than at the other sites where this species was absent on Tanegashima Island. This was observed especially between autumn and winter, implying that such a nutrient-rich environment may contribute to shoot growth in S. nipponicum and to the persistence of its population in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown algae contain a β-glucan called laminaran that exhibits various biological activities, such as immune-enhancing, anti-cancer, and antioxidant properties. The laminaran content in brown algae varies depending on species, habitat, and season. When developing a laminaran-containing functional food using brown algae or its extract, accurate quantitative methods to determine laminaran content in a variety of brown algae and foodstuffs are required. In this study, we examined the applicability of the existing sodium hypochlorite extracting and enzymatic digesting (SEED) assay for the determination of the laminaran content of the brown alga Eisenia bicyclis. The laminaran content of E. bicyclis could be determined using the SEED assay. Furthermore, we developed a rapid and concise acid extraction enzymatic method. This method can specifically extract total water-soluble β-glucan (laminaran) and selectively convert it to glucose. The generated glucose content was determined using the glucose oxidase/peroxidase method. The validation test using brown algae E. bicyclis and Sargassum horneri revealed that the acid extraction-enzymatic method is accurate, precise, and applicable to the determination of the laminaran content in these brown algae. Furthermore, developed method was also applicable to laminaran-added processed foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Configuration determination, cytotoxicity, natural products, structure elucidation, total synthesis The escaping fish are illustrating the feeding deterrence property of aplysiol B. More information can be found in the Communication by Keisuke Nishikawa, Yoshiki Morimoto et al. GLO:BDBM/03jan22:asia202101276-toc-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): . gl GLO:BDBM/03jan22:asia202101276-toc-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): . gl Keywords: configuration determination; cytotoxicity; natural products; structure elucidation; total synthesis EN configuration determination cytotoxicity natural products structure elucidation total synthesis 1 1 1 01/05/22 20220103 NES 220103 B Total assignments of stereostructures b of marine cytotoxic bromotriterpenoids, aplysiol B (laurenmariannol) and saiyacenol A derived from a sea hare or red alga, have been accomplished through their asymmetric syntheses from the known epoxide to elucidate their ambiguous stereostructures. [Extracted from the article]

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a high-molecular-weight (MW) polysaccharide, has attracted considerable attention from the public because of its multifunctional health effects. Although the MW of HA is typically over 1 000 kDa, HA of less than 100 kDa (low-MW-HA) is currently manufactured and used in health foods to increase absorbability in humans. However, this has caused confusion in the definition of HA and has made accurate quantification difficult. Thus, a new so-called enzyme-HPLC method focusing on low-MW-HA was developed. Recombinant hyaluronidase was prepared and used to generate HA-disaccharides for quantitative accuracy optimization for low-MW-HA. Additionally, both saturated and unsaturated HA disaccharides were prepared as analytical standards. Further, a post-column-derivatization HPLC method was improved to simultaneously determine the two HA disaccharides following enzyme-hydrolysis of HA. A validation study was carried out by spiking a high-MW-HA standard material to a processed food. The resulting parameters were satisfactory: repeatability 0.8 %; intermediate precision 3.9 %; recovery 93.1 %. The lower quantification limit was inferred to be 0.01 g / 100 g. We also report new findings on the non-hyaluronic partial structures of an artificial low-MW-HA material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are marine cytotoxic bromotriterpenoids, named the thyrsiferol family that are structurally characterized by some tetrahydropyran (THP) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) rings. The thyrsiferol family belongs to natural products that are often difficult to determine their stereostructures even by the current, highly advanced spectroscopic methods, especially in acyclic systems including stereogenic tetrasubstituted carbon centers. In such cases, it is effective to predict and synthesize the possible stereostructures. Herein, to elucidate ambiguous stereostructures and unassigned absolute configurations of aplysiol B, laurenmariannol, and saiyacenol A, members of the thyrsiferol family, we carried out their asymmetric chemical syntheses featuring 6‐exo and 5‐exo oxacyclizations of epoxy alcohol precursors and 6‐endo bromoetherification of a bishomoallylic alcohol. In this paper, we report total assignments of their stereostructures through their asymmetric chemical syntheses and also their preliminary cytotoxic activities against some tumor cells. These results could not have been achieved without depending on asymmetric total synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feroniellin analogs isolated from Feroniella lucida possess a furanocoumarin skeleton connected to monoterpenic five‐ to seven‐membered ethereal rings by an ether linkage and exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities. In this contribution, we intended to establish a "ring‐size‐divergent" synthetic strategy for the monoterpenic five‐ to seven‐membered ethereal rings through the chemical sythesis of feroniellins. The short and comprehensive synthesis of feroniellins was achieved in only two steps from easily available bergamottin based on the "ring‐size‐divergent" strategy. In addition, these syntheses resulted in revision of the proposed structures for feroniellins A and B and the determination of all the absolute configurations of feroniellins; their preliminary anti‐inflammatory activities were investigated as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and is related to the rising morbidity and mortality. Discovery of agents targeting adipogenesis, especially from natural sources, is important for the treatment of obesity. Here, we aimed to identify anti-adipogenic substances in methanol extracts of Physalis peruviana and to investigate their effect, along with underlying mechanisms. Activity-guided fractionation of the extract revealed 4β-hydroxywithanolide E (HWE) and withanolide E (WE) as the adipogenesis inhibitors. Both compounds suppressed mRNA expression of central adipogenic transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α in the early stage of adipocyte differentiation. The inhibitory action of these two withanolides on adipogenesis was largely limited to this stage. The proliferation of preadipocytes was markedly suppressed by treatment with HWE and WE for 24 and 48 h in the differentiation medium, and cell-cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase was observed. Therefore, our results suggested that withanolides from P. peruviana to be novel anti-adipogenic compounds that modulate mitotic clonal expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a Japanese folk medicine, Tithonia diversifolia is used for cardiovascular disease prevention and health maintenance. We isolated T. diversifolia‐derived orizabin based on the nitric oxide production inhibitory effect. This study aimed to consider orizabin as a novel functional compound with anti‐atherosclerotic activity. Orizabin significantly inhibited the adhesion of THP‐1 cells to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and suppressed the mRNA expression of adhesion molecules in HUVECs. In Phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate stimulated THP‐1 cells, orizabin suppressed macrophage differentiation, CD36 expression (1% at 10 μM), and NFκB transcriptional activity. Furthermore, orizabin suppressed oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (oxLDL) uptake in macrophages and the Akt phosphorylation. On the contrary, we revealed that phosphatidylinositol‐3,4,5‐trisphosphate 3‐phosphatase (PTEN) mRNA and protein expression were promoted significantly by orizabin (mRNA, 270‐fold at 10 μM). Our study presented the possibility that T. diversifolia‐derived orizabin is novel anti‐atherosclerotic compound via the suppression of Akt phosphorylation, and T. diversifolia may be effective as a new crop for vascular health maintenance. Practical applications: In this study, the differentiation of monocytes was suppressed without any toxicity, it was obvious in the image, and the oxLDL uptake in monocytes was clearly suppressed by orizabin. Our findings presented that T. diversifolia‐derived compound orizabin specifically contributes to the promotion of PTEN expression and suppression of Akt signal in cells, and acts to suppress inflammation by suppression of NFκB transcriptional activity. As a component derived from food, it has a strong function and can be used to maintain the health for blood vessels. It is also a finding that deserves to expand production currently being carried out on a small scale. Furthermore, the promoting effect of PTEN known as a cancer suppressor in orizabin may result in further use for pharmaceuticals research. Orizabin can be safely used as a food‐derived compound for maintaining human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights from the article: Titelbild: Critical Switching of Cyclization Modes of Polyepoxides in Acidic Aqueous Media and Neutral Water: Synthesis and Revised Structure of a Nerolidol-Type Sesquiterpenoid (Angew. Im Titelbild steht eine Schienenweiche für diesen divergierenden Verlauf der Polyepoxid-Cyclisierung, wobei der rechte Waggon die THP-Bildung beim Erhitzen in neutralem Wasser darstellt. Eine Alkyl-MOF-basierte Methan-Nanofalle mit gegenüberliegenden offenen Metallzentren und dichten Alkylgruppen wird von S. Ma, Z. Niu et al. in ihrer Zuschrift auf S. 10244 vorgestellt.

Biomimetic epoxide‐opening cascades of polyepoxides enable the efficient and rapid construction of polyether frameworks. Herein, we show that the epoxide‐opening cascade cyclization that affords tetrahydrofuran products in acidic aqueous media produces tetrahydropyran (THP) in neutral water. THP formation proceeded by simply heating polyepoxides in neutral water and followed a different cyclization mode from those observed so far. The novel cascade cyclization in H2O was applied to the synthesis of a new nerolidol‐type sesquiterpenoid, resulting in revision of the proposed structure and determination of the absolute configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enantioselective total syntheses of lepadiformine marine alkaloids, azatricyclic natural products isolated from marine tunicates, were completed. These alkaloids have a unique chemical structure characterized by the trans-1-azadecalin (AB ring system) fused with the spirocyclic ring (AC ring system). Here we found that a cycloisomerization reaction from functionalized linear substrates to a 1-azaspiro[4.5]decane framework corresponding to the AC ring in lepadiformines is promoted by a catalytic amount of mercury(II) triflate (Hg(OTf)2). The total syntheses of (−)-lepadiformines A and B were achieved in 28 % and 21 % overall yields, respectively, through the novel cycloisomerization reaction. The syntheses of (+)- and (−)-lepadiformine C hydrochloride salts also enabled us to determine the absolute configuration of natural lepadiformine C. It has been found that a phenomenon of enantiodivergence occurs in lepadiformine alkaloids from a single species of marine tunicate, Clavelina moluccensis. The cytotoxic activities of synthesized lepadiformine hydrochloride salts and their synthetic intermediates were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of anti-oxidative compounds from the brown alga Dictyopteris undulata has led to the isolation and identification of isozonarol, isozonarone, chromazonarol, zonaroic acid and isozonaroic acid. Their structures were identified by comparison of MS and NMR spectra. Full NMR assignment and absolute configuration of isozonaroic acid are described. Isozonarol showed the most potent 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity among the compounds isolated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]