BACKGROUND & AIMS: 1. The actions of a chromatographically identified extract of the marine dinoflagellate Ostreopsis lenticularis, named ostreotoxin-3 (OTX-3), were studied on frog isolated neuromuscular preparations. 2. OTX-3 (1-10 microg ml(-1)) applied to cutaneous pectoris nerve-muscle preparations depolarized skeletal muscle fibres and caused spontaneous contractions. The depolarization was neither reversed by prolonged washing nor by (+)-tubocurarine. 3. OTX-3 decreased the amplitude of miniature end plate potentials (m.e.p.ps) but did not affect their frequency. 4. Extracellular recording of compound action potentials revealed that OTX-3 affected neither excitability nor conduction along intramuscular nerve branches. 5. End-plate potentials (e.p.ps) elicited by nerve stimulation were reduced in amplitude by OTX-3 and even showed reversed polarity in junctions deeply depolarized by the toxin. 6. Membrane depolarization induced by OTX-3 was decreased about 70% in muscles pretreated for 30 min with 10 microM tetrodotoxin. In contrast, muscles pretreated with 5 microM mu-conotoxin GIIIA were completely insensitive to OTX-3-induced depolarization. 7. OTX-3 did not affect e.p.p. amplitude and the quantal content of e.p.ps in junctions in which muscle depolarization was abolished by mu-conotoxin GIIIA. 8. OTX-3 is a novel type of sodium-channel activating toxin that discriminates between nerve and skeletal muscle membranes.

背景与目标： 1.在青蛙分离的神经肌肉制剂上研究了经色谱鉴定的海洋鞭毛虫ostreotoxin-3 (OTX-3) 提取物的作用。2. OTX-3 (1-10微克毫升 (-1)) 应用于皮肤神经-肌肉制剂使骨骼肌纤维去极化并引起自发收缩。去极化既不能通过长时间洗涤也不能通过 ()-管草碱来逆转。3. OTX-3降低了微型端板电位 (m.e.p.ps) 的幅度，但不影响其频率。4.复合动作电位的细胞外记录表明，OTX-3既不影响兴奋性，也不影响沿肌内神经分支的传导。5.神经刺激引起的端板电位 (e.p.ps) 通过OTX-3降低了幅度，甚至在被毒素深深去极化的连接处显示出相反的极性。6.在用10微米河豚毒素预处理30分钟的肌肉中，OTX-3诱导的膜去极化降低约70%。相反，用5 microM mu-cocontoxin GIIIA预处理的肌肉对OTX-3-induced去极化完全不敏感。7. OTX-3没有影响e.p.mu-contoxin GIIIA消除了肌肉去极化的连接中e.p.ps的振幅和定量含量。8. OTX-3是一种新型的钠通道激活毒素，可区分神经和骨骼肌膜。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Diabetes is associated with vascular complications, such as impaired wound healing and accelerated vascular growth. The different clinical manifestations, such as retinopathy and nephropathy, reveal the severity of enhanced vascular growth known as angiogenesis. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of an extract of Ishige okamurae (IO) and its constituent, Ishophloroglucin A (IPA) on high glucose-induced angiogenesis. A transgenic zebrafish (flk:EGFP) embryo model was used to evaluate vessel growth. The 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), gap closure, transwell, and Matrigel® assays were used to analyze the proliferation, migration, and capillary formation of EA.hy926 cells. Moreover, protein expression were determined using western blotting. IO extract and IPA suppressed vessel formation in the transgenic zebrafish (flk:EGFP) embryo. IPA attenuated cell proliferation, cell migration, and capillary-like structure formation in high glucose-treated human vascular endothelial cells. Further, IPA down regulated the expression of high glucose-induced vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and downstream signaling molecule cascade. Overall, the IO extract and IPA exhibited anti-angiogenic effects against high glucose-induced angiogenesis, suggesting their potential for use as therapeutic agents in diabetes-related angiogenesis.

背景与目标： : 糖尿病与血管并发症有关，如伤口愈合受损和血管生长加速。不同的临床表现，如视网膜病变和肾病，揭示了血管生长增强的严重程度，即血管生成。进行这项研究是为了评估石原 (IO) 提取物及其成分Ishophloroglucin A (IPA) 对高糖诱导的血管生成的影响。使用转基因斑马鱼 (flk:EGFP) 胚胎模型评估血管生长。3-(4,5-二甲基噻唑-2-基)-2,5-二苯基四唑溴化物 (MTT)，间隙闭合，tranwell和Matrigel®测定用于分析EA.hy926细胞的增殖，迁移和毛细血管形成。此外，使用蛋白质印迹法测定蛋白质表达。IO提取物和IPA抑制了转基因斑马鱼 (flk:EGFP) 胚胎中的血管形成。IPA减弱了高糖处理的人血管内皮细胞的细胞增殖，细胞迁移和毛细血管样结构的形成。此外，IPA下调高糖诱导的血管内皮生长因子受体2 (VEGFR-2) 和下游信号分子级联的表达。总体而言，IO提取物和IPA对高糖诱导的血管生成表现出抗血管生成作用，表明它们有潜力用作糖尿病相关血管生成的治疗剂。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Herein, corn silk extract and its flavonoids were used to inhibit the formation of Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) in a casein glucose-fatty acid model system. Under these optimum extraction conditions, nine major flavonoids were identified and quantified by HPLC-MS/MS. The percent inhibition of CML formation by corn silk extract was 76.57%. The inhibitory mechanism of corn silk extract toward CML formation was further investigated by examining the trapping of glyoxal/methyl glyoxal by the major flavonoids (5 mM) using HPLC-ESI-MS, and mono-, di-, and tri-adducts were found for some flavonoid compounds. The antioxidant activity of the corn silk extract was evaluated by the DPPH and ABTS assays. The scavenging activity of the corn silk extract for DPPH and ABTS was 84.38% and 89.11%, respectively. The results suggested that corn silk extract inhibited CML formation through glyoxal/methyl glyoxal scavenging or by its antioxidant activity attributed to its flavonoid content.

背景与目标： : 本文使用玉米丝提取物及其类黄酮来抑制酪蛋白葡萄糖-脂肪酸模型系统中n ε-羧甲基赖氨酸 (CML) 的形成。在这些最佳提取条件下，通过hplc-ms/MS鉴定并定量了9种主要的类黄酮。玉米丝提取物对CML形成的抑制百分比为76.57%。通过使用hplc-esi-MS检测主要类黄酮 (5  mM) 对乙二醛/甲基乙二醛的捕集作用，进一步研究了玉米丝提取物对CML形成的抑制机制，并发现了一些类黄酮化合物的单，二和三加合物。通过DPPH和ABTS分析评估了玉米丝提取物的抗氧化活性。玉米丝提取物对DPPH和ABTS的清除活性分别为84.38% 和89.11%。结果表明，玉米丝提取物通过清除乙二醛/甲基乙二醛或其抗氧化活性归因于其类黄酮含量来抑制CML的形成。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:In our previous study, the aqueous extract of Channa striatus (family: Channidae) fillet (AECSF) showed an antidepressant-like effect in mice. However, the mechanism of the antidepressant-like effect is unknown. AIM:The objective of this study was to explore the involvement of monoamines in the antidepressant-like effect of AECSF in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS:AECSF was prepared by steaming the fillets of C. striatus. The male ICR mice were pretreated with various monoaminergic antagonists viz., p-chlorophenylalanine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), prazosin (1 mg/kg, i.p.) and yohimbine (1 mg/kg, i.p.), SCH23390 (0.05 mg/kg, s.c.) and sulpiride (50 mg/kg, i.p.) followed by treatment with AECSF and tested in tail suspension test (TST). Two-way ANOVA with Tukey test were used at p < 0.05 for significance. RESULTS:The pretreatments with p-chlorophenylalanine, prazosin and yohimbine, but not with SCH23390 and sulpiride, were able to reverse the antidepressant-like effect of AECSF in TST. CONCLUSIONS:The antidepressant-like effect of AECSF may be mediated through the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems and not through the dopaminergic system.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVES:To evaluate the remediation efficiency of Mucor hiemalis by comparing media elimination, uptake, and biotransformation of microcystin-LR with exposure to pure toxin versus a crude bloom extract. RESULTS:With exposure to the extract, the elimination rate of microcystin-LR from the media, which was 0.28 ng MC-LR l-1 h-1, was significantly higher compared to that achieved with exposure to the pure toxin (0.16 ng MC-LR l-1 h-1) after 24 h. However, intracellular breakdown of microcystin-LR was significantly lower in the extract exposed pellets compared to the pure toxin treated fungal pellets over time. This coincided with reduced intracellular glutathione S-transferase activity with crude extract exposure which could be responsible for the detection of only the glutathione conjugate of microcystin-LR. CONCLUSION:This paper signifies the importance of using laboratory exposure scenarios which resemble conditions in nature to fully understand and evaluate remediation efficiency. There is merit in using M. hiemalis for mycoremediation of cyanotoxins in surface waters.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Gynura japonica (also named Tusanqi in Chinese) is used as a folk herbal medicine for treating blood stasis or traumatic injury. However, hundreds of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) cases have been reported after consumption of preparations made from G. japonica because it contains large amounts of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). To date, blood pyrrole-protein adducts (PPAs) are suggested as biomarkers for the diagnosis of PA-induced HSOS in clinics. However, the concentration of PPAs in the blood is greatly affected by several factors including the amount of PA exposure, herb intake period, and blood sampling time after the last exposure. In present study, the kinetic characters of PPAs in serum and liver as well as other potential target organs were studied systematically and comprehensively following multiple exposures of PAs in G. japonica extract (GJE). As results, PPAs content reached to a plateau both in serum and liver after the mice were treated with GJE for 2 weeks on daily basis. PPAs cleared significantly slower in liver (T1/2ke∼184.6 h, ∼7.7 days) than in serum (T1/2ke∼95.8 h, ∼4.0 days). Although more than 90 % PPAs were removed 2 weeks after the last dosing, PPAs still persisted in the liver until the end of the experiment, i.e. 8 weeks after the last dosing. The results would be of great help for understanding the importance of PPAs for PA-induced toxicity and its detoxification.

背景与目标： : Gynura japonica (中文也称为Tusanqi) 用作民间草药，用于治疗血瘀或外伤。然而，食用日本粳稻制成的制剂后，已经报道了数百例肝窦阻塞综合征 (HSOS) 病例，因为它含有大量的肝毒性吡咯烷生物碱 (PAs)。迄今为止，在临床上建议将血液吡咯蛋白加合物 (PPAs) 作为诊断PA诱导的hso的生物标志物。但是，血液中PPAs的浓度受多种因素的影响很大，包括PA的暴露量，草药的摄入时间以及上次暴露后的血液采样时间。在本研究中，对多次暴露日本粳稻提取物 (GJE) 中PAs后，血清和肝脏以及其他潜在靶器官中PPAs的动力学特性进行了系统而全面的研究。结果，每天用GJE处理小鼠2周后，血清和肝脏中的PPAs含量均达到平稳状态。肝脏 (T1/2ke ~ 184.6小时，~ 7.7天) 的PPAs清除速度明显低于血清 (T1/2ke ~ 95.8小时，~ 4.0天)。尽管在最后一次给药后2周移除了超过90% 个ppa，但ppa仍持续在肝脏中直到实验结束，即在最后一次给药后8周。该结果对于了解PPAs对PA诱导的毒性及其解毒的重要性将有很大帮助。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Bisabololoxide A (BSBO), main constituents in German chamomile extract, is responsible for antipruritic effect. In previous study, the incubation with 30-100 μM BSBO for 24 h exerted cytotoxic and proapoptotic effects on rat thymocytes. To further characterize BSBO cytotoxicity, the effect on the cells suffering from calcium overload by calcium ionophore A23187 was examined. A23187 induced Ca(2+) -dependent cell death. Contrary to our expectation, 1-10 μM BSBO inhibited A23187-induced increase in cell lethality of rat thymocytes. BSBO attenuated A23187-induced increases in populations of shrunken living cells, phosphatidylserine-exposed living cells, and dead cells, without affecting the increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration and the Ca(2+) -dependent hyperpolarization. The effect of BSBO on A23187-treated cells may be unique because the activation of Ca(2+) -dependent K(+) channels is required for cell shrinkage, externalization of phosphatidylserine, and cell death in some cells. The cell death induced by A23187 was not inhibited by Z-VAD-FMK, a pan-inhibitor of caspases. Thus, the cell death may be a necrosis with some features observed during an early stage of apoptosis. These results suggest that BSBO at low micromolar concentrations is cytoprotective against calcium overload.

背景与目标： : 双药物氧A (BSBO)，德国洋甘菊提取物的主要成分，负责止痒作用。在先前的研究中，与30-100  μ mbsbo孵育24  h对大鼠胸腺细胞具有细胞毒性和促凋亡作用。为了进一步表征BSBO的细胞毒性，研究了钙离子载体A23187对遭受钙超载的细胞的影响。A23187诱导Ca(2 +) 依赖性细胞死亡。与我们的预期相反，1-10  μ mbsbo A23187-induced抑制大鼠胸腺细胞致死率的增加。BSBO减弱了收缩的活细胞，磷脂酰丝氨酸暴露的活细胞和死细胞的A23187-induced增加，而不影响细胞内Ca(2) 浓度和Ca(2) 依赖性超极化的增加。BSBO对A23187-treated细胞的作用可能是独特的，因为某些细胞的细胞收缩，磷脂酰丝氨酸的外部化和细胞死亡需要激活Ca(2) 依赖性K () 通道。A23187诱导的细胞死亡不受胱天蛋白酶泛抑制剂Z-VAD-FMK的抑制。因此，细胞死亡可能是坏死，在凋亡的早期阶段观察到某些特征。这些结果表明，低微摩尔浓度的BSBO对钙超载具有细胞保护作用。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Black yeast, Aureobasidium pullulans is extracellularly produced β-(1,3), (1,6)-D-glucan (β-glucan) under certain conditions. In this study, using Glycine max cv. Kurosengoku (Kurosengoku soybeans), the production of β-glucan through fermentation of A. pullulans was evaluated, and the effects of A. pullulans cultured fluid (AP-CF) containing β-glucan made with Kurosengoku soybeans (kAP-CF) on a human monocyte derived cell line, Mono Mac 6 cells were investigated. Concentration of β-glucan in kAP-CF reached the same level as normal AP-CF. An anti-angiogenic protein, Thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) was effectively induced after the stimulation with kAP-CF for comparison with AP-CF. The THBS1 is also induced after stimulation with hot water extract of Kurosengoku soybeans (KS-E), while the combined stimulation of β-glucan with KS-E more effectively induced THBS1 than that with KS-E alone. These results suggest effects of A. pullulans-produced β-glucan on the enhancement of Kurosengoku soybean-induced THBS1 expression.

背景与目标： : 黑色酵母，短梗霉在一定条件下在细胞外产生 β-(1,3)，(1,6)-D-葡聚糖 (β-葡聚糖)。在这项研究中，使用Glycine max cv。Kurosengoku (Kurosengoku大豆)，通过发酵产生 β-葡聚糖的方法进行了评估，以及含有Kurosengoku大豆 (kap-cf) 制成的 β-葡聚糖的A.Pululans培养液 (ap-cf) 对人单核细胞衍生细胞系的影响，研究了Mono Mac 6细胞。Kap-cf中 β-葡聚糖的浓度达到与正常ap-cf相同的水平。与ap-cf相比，用kap-cf刺激后有效诱导了抗血管生成蛋白Thrombospondin-1 (THBS1)。用Kurosengoku大豆 (ks-e) 的热水提取物刺激后，也诱导了THBS1，而 β-葡聚糖与ks-e的联合刺激比单独使用ks-e更有效地诱导了THBS1。这些结果表明，支链淀粉产生的 β-葡聚糖对增强Kurosengoku大豆诱导的THBS1表达的影响。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:Erythrophleum ivorense (A Chev.) is a common plant in the tropics. Its use as ordeal poison in folklore medicine is controversial. The incoordination and behavioral changes following consumption are often associated with guilt. This study is aimed at dispelling or upholding this belief by investigating the actions of E. ivorense on the brain and behavior using rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Sixty male Wistar rats were equally divided into five groups; control group received distilled water, test groups were administered 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg/kg ethanolic extract of E. ivorense in a daily oral dose for 28 days. Cognition (Morris water maze) depression (forced swim test), motor function (hanging wire and inverted wire mesh grid grip tests) and exploratory assessments were done. Brains were stained with H&E, Cresyl violet and immunohistochemistry was done using GFAP, anticalbindin-D28k, Iba-1 and MBP antibodies. RESULTS:At all doses, E. ivorense significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased escape latency in the Morris water maze compared to control. Forced swim test showed a dose-related increase in duration of immobility, significant reduction in hanging latency in hanging wire and wire mesh grid grip test was also observed. Depletion of Purkinje cells of the cerebellum and hippocampal neurons was observed with H&E and cresyl violet. Immuno-staining revealed astrocytic activation in the cerebellum, loss of dendritic spines, cortical microglial activation and demyelination in the cerebellum and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. CONCLUSION:The ethanolic extract of E. ivorense stem bark caused a dose-dependent deficit in learning, memory and motor coordination with evidences of depression in rats. It is concluded that the plant is neurotoxic and induce several neurobehavioral changes.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease caused mainly by immune dysregulation. This study explored the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of the Centellaasiatica ethanol extract (CA) on an AD-like dermal disorder. Treatment with CA inhibited the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in a dose-dependent manner in inflammatory stimulated HaCaT cells by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and TNF-α-triggered inflammation. Eight-week-old BALB/c mice treated with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) were used as a mouse model of AD. In AD induce model, we had two types treatment of CA; skin local administration (80 µg/cm2, AD+CA-80) and oral administration (200 mg/kg/d, AD+CA-200). Interestingly, the CA-treated groups exhibited considerably decreased mast cell infiltration in the ear tissue. In addition, the expression of IL-6 in mast cells, as well as the expression of various pathogenic cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, iNOS, COX-2, and CXCL9, was reduced in both AD+CA-80 and AD+CA-200 groups. Collectively, our data demonstrate the pharmacological role and signaling mechanism of CA in the regulation of allergic inflammation of the skin, which supports our hypothesis that CA could potentially be developed as a therapeutic agent for AD.

背景与目标： 特应性皮炎 (AD) 是一种主要由免疫失调引起的慢性炎症性皮肤病。这项研究探讨了积雪草乙醇提取物 (CA) 对AD样皮肤疾病的抗炎和免疫调节作用。CA治疗以剂量依赖性方式抑制干扰素-γ (IFN-γ) 和TNF-α 触发的炎症刺激HaCaT细胞中interleukin-6 (IL-6) 和肿瘤坏死因子-α (TNF-α) 的表达。炎症。用2,4-二硝基氯苯 (DNCB) 处理的八周龄BALB/c小鼠用作AD的小鼠模型。在AD诱导模型中，我们有两种类型的CA治疗: 皮肤局部给药 (80 µ g/cm2，AD + CA-80) 和口服给药 (200 mg/kg/d，AD + CA-200)。有趣的是，CA处理的组在耳组织中的肥大细胞浸润明显减少。此外，在AD + CA-80和AD + CA-200组中，肥大细胞中IL-6的表达以及各种致病细胞因子 (如TNF-α，IL-4，IL-5，IL-6，IL-10，IL-17，iNOS，COX-2和CXCL9) 的表达均降低。总的来说，我们的数据证明了CA在调节皮肤过敏性炎症中的药理作用和信号传导机制，这支持了我们的假设，即CA可能被开发为AD的治疗剂。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: PURPOSE:To evaluate the effect of a reducing agent and plant-extract antioxidant on the bonding durability of a self-etch adhesive to normal and NaOCl-treated, smear-layer-deproteinized dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Flat smear-layer-covered dentin surfaces from 60 extracted human molars were prepared by removing the occlusal enamel. The teeth were divided into two groups with or without NaOCl-deproteinizing treatment for 30 s, and further divided into three subgroups as follows: no application of antioxidant, application of Accel (p-toluenesulfinic acid sodium salt solution) for 5 s, or application of rosmarinic acid solution for 5 s. All treated dentin surfaces were bonded with a two-step self-etch adhesive (Clearfil SE Bond) and restored with composite (Clearfil AP-X). The bonded teeth were sectioned into a hourglass-shaped sticks with a composite-dentin bonded interface area of 1.0 mm2. After storage in artificial saliva for 24 h or 1 year, the specimens were subjected to the microtensile bond strength test (n = 15). Data were statistically analyzed with three-way ANOVA, Tukey's post-hoc test, and the t-test (p < 0.05). RESULTS:Without an antioxidant, 1-year storage significantly reduced the bond strengths of the self-etch adhesive to normal and smear-layer-deproteinized dentin compared with those after 24-h storage (p < 0.05). Application of Accel and rosmarinic acid restored the compromised initial bond strengths to smear-layer-deproteinized dentin (p < 0.05), and prevented long-term deterioration of bond strengths to both normal and smear-layer-deproteinized dentin (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION:Application of Accel and rosmarinic acid improved bonding durability of the self-etch adhesive to both normal and smear-layer-deproteinized dentin.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:Ulcerative colitis (UC) is tightly associated with inflammation response and oxidative stress. As a folk medicine applied in treatment of diarrhea, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza also possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities, which indicated that B. gymnorrhiza may exert anti-colitis effect. AIM OF THE STUDY:To investigate effect and mechanism of B. gymnorrhiza on experimental UC. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Aqueous extract of B. gymnorrhiza leaves (ABL) was used for investigation in the present study. Murine UC was established through access to 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for 7 days. Meanwhile, mice accepted treatment with ABL (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) or sulfasalazine (200 mg/kg) once daily. On the last day, disease activity index (DAI) including body weight loss, fecal character and degree of bloody diarrhea was evaluated, colon segments were obtained for length measurement and further analysis and feces were collected for intestinal microbiota analysis. RESULTS:ABL ameliorated DAI scores, colon length shortening and histopathological damage in DSS-induced colitis mice obviously. SOD activity, levels of MDA and GSH altered by colitis were restored remarkably after ABL treatment. ABL inhibited increases in levels of colonic COX-2, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-11 in colitis mice. Moreover, ABL prominently suppressed NF-κB p65 and IκB phosphorylation and down-regulated mRNA levels of COX-2, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β elevated by colitis. As shown in microbiota analysis, ABL modulated composition of intestinal microbiota of colitis mice. CONCLUSION:ABL exhibited protective effect against DSS-induced ulcerative colitis through suppressing NF-κB activation and modulating intestinal microbiota.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Pinus massoniana bark extract (PMBE) contains a variety of flavonoids whose antioxidant properties have been confirmed in vitro. This study was undertaken to evaluate the cytotoxic effects and the mechanism of cell death on the PMBE-treated human cervical cancer cell line, HeLa. PMBE treatment led to cell growth inhibition in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and PMBE-induced apoptosis was confirmed by DAPI staining, TUNEL assays and sub-G1 phase accumulation. Cell cycle was also arrested in G2/M phase. Immunoblotting analysis showed that cytochrome c was released, the protein expression of Bax was increased, the protein expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated and caspase-9 and -3 were activated in PMBE-treated HeLa cells. Taken together, PMBE inhibited proliferation, induces apoptosis and causes cell cycle arrest in HeLa cells, indicating that PMBE may be a potential therapeutic agent for cancer.

背景与目标： : 马尾松树皮提取物 (PMBE) 含有多种黄酮类化合物，其抗氧化性能已在体外得到证实。这项研究旨在评估对PMBE处理的人宫颈癌细胞系HeLa的细胞毒性作用和细胞死亡机制。PMBE处理以剂量和时间依赖性方式导致细胞生长抑制，并且通过DAPI染色，TUNEL测定和sub-G1相积累证实了PMBE诱导的凋亡。细胞周期也被阻滞在G2/M期。免疫印迹分析显示，在PMBE处理的HeLa细胞中，细胞色素c释放，Bax蛋白表达增加，Bcl-2蛋白表达下调，caspase-9和-3被激活。总之，PMBE抑制增殖，诱导凋亡并导致HeLa细胞中的细胞周期停滞，表明PMBE可能是潜在的癌症治疗剂。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :This experiment studied the effect of Cordyceps sinensis extract (CSE) on mice aged by d-galactose and castrated rats to analyse its antiaging effect. Water maze and step-down type avoidance tests were used to examine the effect of CSE on learning and memory. CSE shortened escape latency, prolonged step-down latency and decreased the number of errors in mice aged by d-galactose. The effect of CSE on the sexual function of castrated rats was evaluated by measuring the penis erection latency, mount latency and ejaculation latency. CSE appeared to shorten penis erection latency and mount latency in castrated rats. The study also measured the effect of CSE on the activity of age-related enzymes. The results showed that CSE improved the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase and lowered the level of lipid peroxidation and monoamine oxidase activity in the aged mice. The study demonstrated that CSE can improve the brain function and antioxidative enzyme activity in mice with d-galactose-induced senescence and promote sexual function in castrated rats. All of these findings suggest that CSE has an antiaging effect.

背景与目标： : 本实验研究了冬虫夏草提取物 (CSE) 对d-半乳糖和去势大鼠衰老小鼠的影响，以分析其抗衰老作用。使用水迷宫和降压型回避测试来检查CSE对学习和记忆的影响。CSE缩短了逃避潜伏期，延长了降压潜伏期，并减少了d-半乳糖老化小鼠的错误数量。通过测量阴茎勃起潜伏期，坐骑潜伏期和射精潜伏期来评估CSE对去势大鼠性功能的影响。CSE似乎可以缩短去势大鼠的阴茎勃起潜伏期和坐骑潜伏期。该研究还测量了CSE对年龄相关酶活性的影响。结果表明，CSE提高了衰老小鼠的超氧化物歧化酶，谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶和过氧化氢酶的活性，降低了脂质过氧化和单胺氧化酶的活性。研究表明，CSE可以改善d-半乳糖诱导的衰老小鼠的脑功能和抗氧化酶活性，并促进去势大鼠的性功能。所有这些发现都表明CSE具有抗衰老作用。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: AIMS:To evaluate the antibacterial activity of Artocarpus hirsutus mediated seed extract for nanoparticle synthesis. BACKGROUND:Gastrointestinal bacteria are known for causing deadly infections in humans. They also possess multi-drug resistance and interfere with clinical treatments. Applied nanotechnology has been known to combat such infectious agents with little interference from their special attributes. Here we synthesize silver nanoparticles from Artocarpus hirsutus seed extract against two gastro-intestinal bacterial species: Enterobacter aerogenes and Listeria monocytogenes. OBJECTIVE:To collect, dry, and process seeds of Artocarpus hirsutus for nanoparticle synthesis. To evaluate the morphological interaction of silver nanoparticles with bacteria. METHODS:Artocarpus hirsutus seeds were collected and processed and further silver nanoparticles were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, UV, FTIR, and SEM. These nanoparticles were employed to study the antibacterial activity of nanoparticles against Enterobacter aerogenes and Listeria monocytogenes using well diffusion method. Further, morphological interaction of silver nanoparticles on bacteria was studied using SEM. RESULTS:Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using Artocarpus hirsutus seed extract and characterization studies confirmed that silver nanoparticles were spherical in shape with 25-40 nm size. Antibacterial study exhibited better activity against Enterobacter aerogenes with a maximum zone of inhibition than on Listeria monocytogenes. SEM micrographs indicated that Enterobacter aerogenes bacteria were more susceptible to silver nanoparticles due to the absence of cell wall. Also, the size and charge of silver nanoparticles enable easy penetration of the bacterial cell wall. CONCLUSION:In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using the seed extract of Artocarpus hirsutus for the first time exploiting the fact that Moraceae species have high phytonutrient content which aided in nanoparticle synthesis. This nanoparticle can be employed for large scale synthesis which when coupled with the pharmaceutical industry can be used to overcome the problems associated with conventional antibiotics to treat gastrointestinal bacteria.

背景与目标：