Journal of Natural Medicines最新文献

Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), as a pivotal protein in the cellular stress response, plays a significant role in the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Consequently, therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting TXNIP may offer novel interventions for patients with DN. Our study is to explore the therapeutic potential of targeting TXNIP in mitigating renal tubular injury induced by hyperglycemia. Cell viability and apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) were evaluated using CCK-8, Annexin V/7-AAD, and TUNEL staining after exposure to normal glucose (NG; 5 mM), high glucose (HG; 30 mM), or treatment with TXNIP inhibitors (Xanthohumol, Xan). Furthermore, histochemical staining was utilized to assess the morphological changes in the kidney. Xan was determined to be a potential inhibitor of TXNIP due to its low binding energy value of - 7.433 kcal/mol. Both genetic inhibition of TXNIP using sh-RNA and pharmacological inhibition with Xan were found to reverse HG-induced RTEC apoptosis and inflammatory response. In diabetic mice, administration of Xan resulted in significant improvements in pathological features such as tubular atrophy, tubular injury score, and collagen deposition in the tubulointerstitium. Additionally, treatment with Xan effectively reduced the up-regulation of TXNIP protein expression caused by hyperglycemia. In conclusion, Xan, as a bioactive natural product, has been shown to attenuate hyperglycemia-induced renal tubular injury in both in vitro and in vivo models, potentially through the inhibition of TXNIP expression. Xan has the potential to serve as a therapeutic compound for the treatment of DN.

Myelosuppression is a serious and common complication of targeted therapy for cancer patients, and there are few studies exploring the efficacy of natural drugs in this condition. Niraparib is a widely used targeted therapy for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. As a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, niraparib significantly improves progression-free and overall survival in patients. We aimed to explore the potential effect of red ginseng (RG) on niraparib-induced myelosuppression and to further reveal its possible molecular mechanism. Female C57BL/6 mice were divided into control, tumor, model, and RG groups (n = 6). After receiving ID8 ovarian cancer cell inoculation, the mice received niraparib treatment (80 mg/kg) for 3 days. Meanwhile, RG groups (100 and 200 mg/kg) were intragastrically treated with RG extract for 7 days. Compared with the model group, RG extract increased the counts of peripheral blood cells and enhanced the hematopoietic function of bone marrow. Furthermore, RG extract increased the colony yield of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), facilitated DNA damage repair, alleviated the G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, and significantly reversed the increased expression levels of p53, p21, and p27, while stimulating cyclinE1 expression levels. These findings indicate that RG might have therapeutic potential on niraparib-induced myelosuppression, which encourages further clinical trials. This study is the first to explore the efficacy and mechanism of RG in preventing myelosuppression induced by niraparib.

Ipomoea alba L. (Convolvulaceae) is an annual vine native to tropical America that is cultivated primarily for ornamental purposes. Its seeds are used in traditional medicine as a laxative, and young shoots are consumed as food. In this study, ten new resin glycosides, ipoalbins I (1)-X (10), were isolated from I. alba seeds. The structures of 1-10 were determined based on spectroscopic data. All compounds had intramolecular cyclic ester structures (jalapins). The sugar moieties in 1-10 were partially acylated by organic acids, including isobutyric, (E)-2-methylbut-2-enoic, and 2S-methyl-3S-hydroxybutyric acids. Notably, one of these compounds has a rare jalapin structure characterized by an ester linkage between the carboxyl group of the aglycone moiety and the hydroxyl group of an organic acid attached to the sugar moiety. In contrast, other compounds exhibited typical macrolactone structures. Furthermore, the cytotoxic activity of 1-10 against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells and their antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were evaluated. All tested compounds, except 3, were comparable to or slightly less cytotoxic than cisplatin, the positive control. In addition, all the compounds showed anti-HSV-1 activity; notably, 5 showed an EC₅₀ value lower than that of acyclovir, the positive control. However, the selectivity indices of these compounds were lower than that of acyclovir.

The traditional post-harvest processing method of Angelica acutiloba roots, which involves hanging the roots outdoors after being harvested, is known to promote the conversion of starch in roots into sucrose, thereby increasing sweetness. At the same time, this method increases the dilute ethanol-soluble extract (DEE) content in A. acutiloba roots to meet the standard set by the Japanese Pharmacopoeia 18th edition. However, in Hokkaido, where A. acutiloba has been cultivated in recent years, it is a challenge to practice this traditional post-harvest processing method owing to the risk of freezing. Therefore, it is necessary to determine post-harvest processing conditions to increase DEE content in A. acutiloba roots in Hokkaido. In this study, we cultivated seedlings in plug trays and the open field in Hokkaido and stored the harvested products at various temperatures and durations to determine changes in DEE content. DEE content immediately after harvest was 20.5% in roots from plug-tray seedlings and 27.8% in roots from seedlings cultivated in the open field. DEE content in roots stored at 0 °C increased slowly over 5 weeks, whereas that in roots stored at 20 °C increased rapidly. We found a strong correlation between DEE content and sucrose content, but not (Z)-ligustilide content. Our findings on the post-harvest processing conditions for roots revealed that the optimal post-harvest processing conditions are storage at 0 °C for at least two weeks during which DEE content increases stably, similar to the traditional method.

Oxidative stress has been implicated as a causative factor for the development and progression of osteoporosis(OP). Ellagic acid (EA), a natural polyphenol, presents anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. However, EA's role and molecular mechanism in osteoblasts have not yet been elucidated. In this study, exogenous supplementation with EA restored the osteoporotic bone defects in ovariectomized (OVX)-induced osteoporotic mice. Also, EA inhibited the H₂O₂-induced apoptosis of primary osteoblasts, prevented the production of reactive oxygen species, and restored the bone-forming potential of osteoblasts. Furthermore, EA was revealed to activate Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) and its downstream Nrf2/Heme Oxygenase 1 (HO-1) signaling pathway, and EX527 (a SIRT1 inhibitor) partially counteracted the effect of EA on bone loss. The findings suggest that EA protects against osteoporotic bone loss by activating SIRT1 and its downstream Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, providing novel insights into the potential of EA as a treatment agent for osteoporosis-related bone metabolism diseases.