Applied Biological Chemistry最新文献

The leading safety issue and side effect associated with natural herb products is drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by bioactive compounds derived from the herb products. Herein, in silico and in vitro analyses were compared to determine the hepatotoxicity of compounds. The results of in silico analyses, which included an integrated database and an interpretable DILI prediction model, identified calycosin, biochanin_A, xanthatin, piperine, and atractyloside as potential hepatotoxic compounds and tenuifolin as a non-hepatotoxic compound. To evaluate the viability of HepG2 cells exposed to the selected compounds, we determined the IC₅₀ and IC₂₀ values of viability using MTT assays. For in-depth screening, we performed hematoxylin and eosin-stained morphological screens, JC-1 mitochondrial assays, and mRNA microarrays. The results indicated that calycosin, biochanin_A, xanthatin, piperine, and atractyloside were potential hepatotoxicants that caused decreased viability and an apoptotic phase in morphology, while these effects were not observed for tenuifolin, a non-hepatotoxicant. In the JC-1 assay, apoptosis was induced by all the predicted hepatotoxicants except atractyloside. According to transcriptomic analysis, all the compounds predicted to induce DILI showed hepatotoxic effects. These results highlighted the importance of using in vitro assays to validate predictive in silico models and determine the potential of bioactive compounds to induce hepatotoxicity in humans.

Microplastics (MP) in the environment has attracted extensive attention due to their ubiquitous occurrence and potential toxic effects; but less attention has been given to the removal technologies of MP in different environmental media. This review covers the sources, ecotoxicities, and removal technologies of MP in soil and water environments reported in previous studies to derive the future research directions for MP removal technologies. Previous studies reported various sources contribute to MP present in soil and water environments, indicating that the source control may be a better strategy than contaminated media treatment for management of MP contamination. Similarly, different terrestrial and aquatic organisms have been used to determine the toxic effects of MP with different characteristics. Previous ecotoxicity studies of MP on soil organisms cover only a small number of species compared to that of MP on aquatic organisms. Therefore, further studies are necessary to investigate the ecotoxic effects of MP on a broader range of soil organisms. Also, since the characteristics of MP are diverse, more ecotoxicity studies in both water and soil environments are required. The review provides an overview of various removal technologies for MP in soil and water and identifies gaps in existing studies. Although more studies have been conducted for removal of MP in water than in soil, they remain in their early stages. More studies are needed for removal of MP removal in soil than in water. With MP in water, most studies have been carried out on a lab scale with artificial wastewaters, thus, studies with natural waters in a pilot or field scale are required. Overall, this review highlights the need for further studies on MP removal technologies for real world applications.

An experimental design study, using the Box-Behnken method with response surface methodologies (RSM), was conducted to evaluate the extraction process of chontaduro pulp (Bactris gasipaes) oil and its potential application in obtaining isopropyl esters through a transesterification process. The extraction of chontaduro oil and the transesterification reactions of the fatty esters were assisted by ultrasound techniques using n-hexane and isopropanol as environmentally friendly solvents. During the extraction process, the parameters evaluated were the sample to solvent ratio (w/w), power amplitude (%), and ultrasound pulse times (s). For the transesterification process, the parameters evaluated were ultrasound amplitude, ultrasound pulse time, and the amount of isopropanol (mol). The optimal conditions for the extraction process were found to be a sample to n-hexane ratio of 1:10 (w/w) and an ultrasound amplitude of 30%, with the pulse time not significantly affecting the oil yield of 15.02% achieved in a total time of 30 min. The predominant fatty acids in chontaduro oil were C18:1 cis oleic acid (54.31%) and C16:0 palmitic acid (20.40%). To synthesize isopropyl esters, we found that the ideal conditions are an ultrasound amplitude of 50%, an ultrasound pulse time of 20 s, and 0.4 moles of isopropanol. These conditions resulted in complete conversion within 45 min. The use of ultrasound radiation proved to be an alternative method to conventional techniques, reducing extraction and transesterification times, minimizing energy consumption, and increasing percentage yield. This contributes to green chemistry and the production of value-added products, potentially useful in the cosmetics industry.

Morinda citrifolia has been widely used by Polynesians as a folk medicine for more than 2000 years. It was reported that the main chemical components of Morinda citrifolia include nthraquinones, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, steroids, fatty acids and their esters, etc., it has a wide range of therapeutic properties, including anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, protective cardiovascular and anti-tumor effects. In order to reveal the nutritional and medicinal value of Morinda citrifolia and provide reference for further rational development and comprehensive utilization of Morinda citrifolia resources, the chemical composition, pharmacological activity and mechanism of Morinda citrifolia were reviewed in this review.

Carica papaya, commonly known as papaya, is a fruit recognized for its substantial medicinal potential, primarily due to its wide range of bioactive compounds. This review thoroughly examines the pharmacological implications of these constituents and highlights their potential applications in drug discovery and therapy. Papaya is abundant in vitamins (A, C, and E), minerals, enzymes, and phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, and alkaloids, all of which contribute to its antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. The fruit demonstrates significant activity against diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders. This review also discusses how environmental factors, including temperature, light, soil quality, and rainfall, impact the phytochemical composition of papaya, thereby influencing its medicinal properties. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted the therapeutic potential of papaya-derived compounds in various health conditions, including cancer, diabetes, wound healing, and cardiovascular health. Additionally, we explore papaya's role in promoting gut health and its antimicrobial properties against bacterial and viral pathogens. In conclusion, the diverse pharmacological activities of papaya's bioactive compounds position it as a valuable candidate for further research and development in drug discovery and therapeutic applications.

Aloe-emodin, an anthraquinone compound naturally derived from Rheum undulatum L., has gained extensive research attention owing to its various pharmacological effects, including its potential as an anticancer, antivirus, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic agent. It has demonstrated notable inhibitory effects against various types of cancer and cancer cells. Prostate cancer is among the most commonly identified cancers globally and remains a leading cause of cancer-associated deaths in men, often presenting challenges in early detection due to its asymptomatic nature during initial stages. The aim of present study was to determine the biological activity of aloe-emodin obtained from Rheum undulatum L. involving activation of the p53-dependent pathway in certain human prostate cancer cell lines. We explored the mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of aloe-emodin using LNCaP cells, which include p53-wild type and phosphatase and tensin homolog-deficient mutated genes, a widely studied model in genomic research. Aloe-emodin induced apoptosis in LNCaP cells through several mechanisms, including upregulation of the cleavage of caspase-8 (a cross-linked promoter of cell death signals), phosphorylation of p53 at serine 15, DNA fragmentation, cleavage of poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase, and promotion of cell death. These findings strongly indicated that aloe-emodin's anticancer properties in human prostate cancer involve the activation of p53-induced cellular senescence. Conclusively, the findings of this study imply that aloe-emodin extracted from Rheum undulatum L. is a potential therapeutic compound for adjuvant chemotherapy that induces apoptosis and pyroptosis, an innate immune response, in preventing the progression of precancerous lesions in patients with prostate cancer.

Probiotics have been shown to provide health benefits for several metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), by modulating the gut microbiota. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis CKDB001 as a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of MASLD. We evaluated antibiotic resistance, hemolytic, gelatinase, and bile salt hydrolase activities, and the production of biogenic amines and D-lactate using in vitro analyses. We found that L. lactis CKDB001 treatment resulted in significant anti-adipogenic properties in the HepG2 cell line, reducing lipid accumulation and improving lipid profiles through mechanisms involving the upregulation of SIRT1 and PPARα, and downregulation of CD36 and ELOVL6. These results suggest that L. lactis CKDB001 is a safe and effective probiotic for managing MASLD. Further in vivo studies and clinical trials are required to validate these effects and fully elucidate their therapeutic potential and safety profiles.

Sixteen color additives (tar colors) were detected in 128 food samples (macarons, meringue cookies, and coque macarons) using HPLC with a photodiode array detector at 420 nm, 520 nm, and 620 nm for the yellow, red, and blue and green color types, respectively. The tar color recovery rates ranged from 81.3 to 95.6%, and their limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.001–0.049 mg/kg and 0.004–0.147 mg/kg, respectively. Seven tar colors (Y4, Y5, R3, R40, R102, B1, and B2) were detected in 129 samples. All the samples did not contain nine tar colors (R2, G3, Azo, R106, QY, ORII, BBN, PBV, and GS). The quantity of tar colors (Y4, Y5, R40, and B1) in 15 samples exceeded the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) standard. Ninety samples (70%) used a mixture of two or more tar colors, and the amount used was 11.0–1643.3 mg/kg. The quantity of combined tar colors in 15 samples exceeded 300 mg/kg. Through these findings, this study aims to contribute to the development of safer and more reliable desserts containing tar colors, by enhancing safety measures and ensuring improved quality control for consumer protection.

Phloretin (PT) belongs to the dihydrochalcones (DHCs) family and is found in apple and rooibos tea. Its glycosides, including phlorizin (PT 2′-O-glucoside), trilobatin (PT 4′-O-glucoside), and nothofagin (NF, PT 3′-C-glucoside), are present in various plants. Phloretin and its related glycosides possess health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. To biosynthesize PT and its glycosides, the relevant pathways in plants were studied and introduced into Escherichia coli. We reconstructed the biosynthetic pathways pertaining to PT and three PT C-glycosides (NF, PT 3′, 5′-di-C-glucoside [PDG], and PT 3′-C-arabinoside [PARA]) in E. coli. To prevent the undesirable synthesis of flavonoids instead of PT, we strategically divided the entire pathway into two parts: the first involved the synthesis of tyrosine to phloretic acid (PA), while the second involved the synthesis of PA to PT and its glycosides. The gene set pertaining to each part was incorporated into a different engineered microbe. We optimized phloretin microbial biosynthesis by improving enzyme affinity, identifying the gene that increased the output, refining the production design to a stepwise culture approach, and analyzing the culture conditions (substrate and yeast extract concentrations and pH) conducive to maximum output and the prevention of product degradation. Using the stepwise culture approach, 12.8 mg/L of PT, 26.1 mg/L of NF, 30.0 mg/L of PDG, and 18.1 mg/L of PARA were synthesized. This study provides valuable information for future approaches in the microbe-based synthesis of PT derivatives.

This study aimed to meticulously assess the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid (HA) in mitigating symptoms associated with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms in rodent models and to investigate the underlying mechanistic pathways. Eight-week-old rats were randomly allocated to a normal control group and three experimental groups (n = 10 per group). The normal group did not undergo any treatment. The experimental groups were administered MIA for 1 week to induce osteoarthritis, and orally administered distilled water (control group), 2 mg/kg indomethacin (INDO group), or 20 mg/kg HA (HA20 group) daily for 4 weeks. The HA20 group showed a significant improvement in hind-paw weight-bearing distribution after 4 weeks compared to the control group. HA suppressed inflammatory responses by reducing the overproduction of prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4 and protected the vital components of the articular ECM, including glycosaminoglycans and aggrecan. HA treatment effectively reduced inflammation, protected cartilage by inhibiting MMP expression, and suppressed inflammatory mediator production. This study demonstrates that HA has potential to alleviate OA symptoms in a rodent model stimulated with MIA, rendering it a promising therapeutic agent for OA.