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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Jan 2024During the past two decades, the correlation between oxidative stress and a variety of serious illnesses such as atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...
BACKGROUND
During the past two decades, the correlation between oxidative stress and a variety of serious illnesses such as atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Alzheimer disease (AD) and cancer has been established. Medicinal plants and their derived phytochemicals have proven efficacy against free radicals and their associated diseases. The current work was aimed to evaluate the phytochemical constituents of Rhamnus pentapomica R. Parker via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and its antioxidant and anti-glioblastoma potentials.
METHODS
The bioactive compounds were analysed in Rhamnus pentapomica R. Parker stem bark extracts by GC-MS analysis, and to evaluate their antioxidant and anti-glioblastoma effects following standard procedures. The stem bark was extracted with 80% methanol for 14 days to get crude methanolic extract (Rp.Cme) followed by polarity directed fractionation using solvents including ethyl acetate, chloroform, butanol to get ethyl acetate fraction (Rp.EtAc), chloroform fraction (Rp.Chf) and butanol fraction (Rp.Bt) respectively. Antioxidant assay was performed using DPPH free radicals and cell viability assay against U87 glioblastoma cancer cell lines was performed via MTT assay.
RESULTS
In GC-MS analysis, thirty-one compounds were detected in Rp.Cme, 22 in Rp.Chf, 24 in Rp.EtAc and 18 compounds were detected in Rp.Bt. Among the identified compounds in Rp.Cme, 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-methyl ester (7.73%), Octasiloxane (5.13%) and Heptasiloxane (5.13%), Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (3.76%) and Pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-, methyl Ester (3.76%) were highly abundant.. In Rp.Chf, Benzene, 1,3-dimethyl- (3.24%) and in Rp.EtAc Benzene, 1,3-dimethyl-(11.29%) were highly abundant compounds. Antioxidant studies revealed that Rp.Cme and Rp.EtAc exhibit considerable antioxidant potentials with IC values of 153.53 μg/ml and 169.62 μg/ml respectively. Both fractions were also highly effective against glioblastoma cells with IC of 147.64 μg/ml and 76.41ug/ml respectively.
CONCLUSION
Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of important metabolites which might be active against free radicals and glioblastoma cells. Various samples of the plant exhibited considerable antioxidant and anti-glioblastoma potentials warranting further detailed studies.
Topics: Antioxidants; Plant Extracts; Rhamnus; Glioblastoma; Chloroform; Plant Bark; Benzene; Free Radicals; Phytochemicals; Butanols; Esters
PubMed: 38167318
DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04309-w -
Microorganisms Oct 2023The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens creates public health challenges, prompting a continuous search for effective novel antimicrobials. This study aimed to...
The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens creates public health challenges, prompting a continuous search for effective novel antimicrobials. This study aimed to isolate marine actinomycetes from South Africa, evaluate their in vitro antimicrobial activity against and Shiga toxin-producing , and characterize their mechanisms of action. Marine actinomycetes were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify the chemical constituents of bioactive actinomycetes' secondary metabolites. Antibacterial activity of the secondary metabolites was assessed by the broth microdilution method, and their mode of actions were predicted using computational docking. While five strains showed antibacterial activity during primary screening, only strain SOD(B)ST2SA2 exhibited activity during secondary screening for antibacterial activity. GC-MS identified five major bioactive compounds: 1-octadecene, diethyl phthalate, pentadecanoic acid, 6-octadecenoic acid, and trifluoroacetoxy hexadecane. SOD(B)ST2SA2's extract demonstrated minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration, ranging from 0.78-25 mg/mL and 3.13 to > 25 mg/mL, respectively. Diethyl phthalate displayed the lowest bacterial protein-binding energies (kcal/mol): -7.2, dihydrofolate reductase; -6.0, DNA gyrase B; and -5.8, D-alanine:D-alanine ligase. Thus, marine SOD(B)ST2SA2 is a potentially good source of antibacterial compounds that can be used to control STEC and .
PubMed: 37894198
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102539 -
Phytomedicine : International Journal... Jan 2024Astragali Radix (AR) is a widely used herbal medicine. The quality of AR is influenced by several key factors, including the production area, growth mode, species, and...
BACKGROUND
Astragali Radix (AR) is a widely used herbal medicine. The quality of AR is influenced by several key factors, including the production area, growth mode, species, and grade. However, the markers currently used to distinguish these factors primarily focus on secondary metabolites, and their validation on large-scale samples is lacking.
PURPOSE
This study aims to discover reliable markers and develop classification models for identifying the production area, growth mode, species, and grade of AR.
METHODS
A total of 366 batches of AR crude slices were collected from six provinces in China and divided into learning (n = 191) and validation (n = 175) sets. Three ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) methods were developed and validated for determining 22 primary and 10 secondary metabolites in AR methanol extract. Based on the quantification data, seven machine learning algorithms, such as Nearest Neighbors and Gradient Boosted Trees, were applied to screen the potential markers and build the classification models for identifying the four factors associated with AR quality.
RESULTS
Our analysis revealed that secondary metabolites (e.g., astragaloside IV, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, and ononin) played a crucial role in evaluating AR quality, particularly in identifying the production area and species. Additionally, fatty acids (e.g., behenic acid and lignoceric acid) were vital in determining the growth mode of AR, while amino acids (e.g., alanine and phenylalanine) were helpful in distinguishing different grades. With both primary and secondary metabolites, the Nearest Neighbors algorithm-based model was constructed for identifying each factor of AR, achieving good classification accuracy (>70%) on the validation set. Furthermore, a panel of four metabolites including ononin, astragaloside II, pentadecanoic acid, and alanine, allowed for simultaneous identification of all four factors of AR, offering an accuracy of 86.9%.
CONCLUSION
Our findings highlight the potential of integrating large-scale targeted metabolomics and machine learning approaches to accurately identify the quality-associated factors of AR. This study opens up possibilities for enhancing the evaluation of other herbal medicines through similar methodologies, and further exploration in this area is warranted.
Topics: Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Chromatography, Liquid; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Astragalus propinquus; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Astragalus Plant; Alanine
PubMed: 37976693
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155201 -
Annals of Nuclear Medicine Jan 2024The purpose of this practice recommendation is to specifically identify the critical steps involved in performing and interpreting I-β-methyl-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic...
The purpose of this practice recommendation is to specifically identify the critical steps involved in performing and interpreting I-β-methyl-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and measurement of washout rate (WR) from the heart. This document will cover backgrounds, patient preparation, testing procedure, visual image interpretation, quantitation methods using planar and SPECT studies, and reporting of WR. The pitfall and some tips for the calculation of I-BMIPP WR are also included. The targets of global and regional WR calculation include ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy, an emerging rare heart disease.
Topics: Humans; Heart; Fatty Acids; Iodobenzenes; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Myocardium
PubMed: 37691078
DOI: 10.1007/s12149-023-01863-8 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024Strong-flavor Daqu, as a fermentation agent, plays a significant role in shaping the quality of strong-flavor baijius, and fungal species in Daqu are important factors...
Strong-flavor Daqu, as a fermentation agent, plays a significant role in shaping the quality of strong-flavor baijius, and fungal species in Daqu are important factors affecting the quality of Daqu. Therefore, we selected strong-flavor Daqu from seven different origins to study the fungal composition and the effects of the fungal composition on the physicochemical properties and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It was found that the fungal composition influences the physicochemical properties of Daqu. Specifically, there was a positive link between , , , and liquefying activity and a positive correlation between and fermenting activity. Furthermore, the relationships between esterifying activity and , , , , and were found to be positive. The VOCs in Daqu were affected by , , , and . was significantly positively correlated with benzeneethanol as well as and pentadecanoic acid ethyl ester, ethyl myristate. and were significantly negatively correlated with benzaldehyde and 2-furaldehyde. This study deepens our understanding of the relationship between VOCs, the physicochemical properties with microbial communities, and reference significance for the production of better-quality strong-flavor Daqu.
PubMed: 38672935
DOI: 10.3390/foods13081263 -
International Heart Journal May 2024The effectiveness of ischemic postconditioning (iPoC) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without ischemic preconditioning has not been...
The effectiveness of ischemic postconditioning (iPoC) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without ischemic preconditioning has not been determined. Therefore, we investigated the impact of iPoC and its potential mechanism related to heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) induction on myocardial salvage in patients with STEMI without prodromal angina (PA).We retrospectively analyzed data from 102 patients with STEMI with successful reperfusion among 323 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome. Among these, 55 patients with iPoC (iPoC (+) ) underwent 4 cycles of 60-second inflation and 30-second deflation of the angioplasty balloon. Both the iPoC (+) and iPoC (-) groups were divided into 2 further subgroups: patients with PA (PA (+) ) and those without (PA (-) ). We analyzed HSP72 levels in neutrophils, which were measured until 48 hours after reperfusion. I-123 β-methyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) scintigraphy was performed within a week of reperfusion therapy. In 64% of patients, thallium-201 (TL) scintigraphy was performed 6-8 months after STEMI onset.Using BMIPP and TL, in the PA (-) subgroups, the iPoC (+) group had a significantly greater myocardial salvage ratio than the iPoC (-) group. iPoC was identified as an independent predictor of the myocardial salvage ratio. The HSP72 increase ratio was significantly elevated in the iPoC (+) PA (-) group. Importantly, the myocardial salvage effect in patients without PA was significantly correlated with the HSP72 increase ratio, which was greater in patients with iPoC.These results suggest the potential impact of iPoC via HSP72 induction on myocardial salvage; however, the effects may be limited to patients with STEMI without PA.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; Retrospective Studies; Aged; Middle Aged; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction; Ischemic Postconditioning; Angina Pectoris; Prodromal Symptoms; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Neutrophils
PubMed: 38749746
DOI: 10.1536/ihj.23-651 -
Microorganisms Feb 2024Fungal-bacterial combinations have a significant role in increasing and improving plant health under various stress conditions. Metabolites secreted by fungi and...
Fungal-Bacterial Combinations in Plant Health under Stress: Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics of the Filamentous Fungus and the Actinobacterium sp. ISTPL4 under In Vitro Arsenic Stress.
Fungal-bacterial combinations have a significant role in increasing and improving plant health under various stress conditions. Metabolites secreted by fungi and bacteria play an important role in this process. Our study emphasizes the significance of secondary metabolites secreted by the fungus alone and by an actinobacterium sp. ISTPL4 under normal growth conditions and arsenic (As) stress condition. Here, we evaluated the arsenic tolerance ability of alone and in combination with sp. ISTPL4 under in vitro conditions. The growth of and sp. ISTPL4 was measured in varying concentrations of arsenic and the effect of arsenic on spore size and morphology of was determined using confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The metabolomics study indicated that alone in normal growth conditions and under As stress released pentadecanoic acid, glycerol tricaprylate, L-proline and cyclo(L-prolyl-L-valine). Similarly, d-Ribose, 2-deoxy-bis(thioheptyl)-dithioacetal were secreted by a combination of and sp. ISTPL4. Confocal studies revealed that spore size of decreased by 18% at 1.9 mM and by 15% when in combination with sp. ISTPL4 at a 2.4 mM concentration of As. Arsenic above this concentration resulted in spore degeneration and hyphae fragmentation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated an increased spore size of in the presence of sp. ISTPL4 (18 ± 0.75 µm) compared to alone (14 ± 0.24 µm) under normal growth conditions. Our study concluded that the suggested combination of microbial consortium can be used to increase sustainable agriculture by combating biotic as well as abiotic stress. This is because the metabolites released by the microbial combination display antifungal and antibacterial properties. The metabolites, besides evading stress, also confer other survival strategies. Therefore, the choice of consortia and combination partners is important and can help in developing strategies for coping with As stress.
PubMed: 38399809
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020405 -
Journal of Cardiology Cases Feb 2024Myocardial complications in the setting of inflammatory myopathy associated with anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) cause various cardiovascular complications. A...
UNLABELLED
Myocardial complications in the setting of inflammatory myopathy associated with anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) cause various cardiovascular complications. A 64-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with inflammatory myopathy associated with AMA, and three years after diagnosis, the patient was referred to our hospital with leg edema and dyspnea on exertion. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy showed no disease-specific findings, with neither inflammatory cell infiltration nor non-caseating epithelioid cell granuloma, and only mild fibrosis; therefore, we finally diagnosed this patient with cardiac involvement in inflammatory myopathy associated with AMA. I-β-methyl--iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) cardiac scintigraphy showed decreased uptake in wider areas discordant with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). One month after starting prednisolone (PSL), the symptoms of congestive heart failure and left ventricular (LV) systolic function had improved. Additionally, BMIPP uptake in the LV myocardium significantly improved compared to that before PSL administration, although decreased BMIPP uptake remained in areas concordant with LGE on CMR. Moreover, it is suggested that recovery of cardiac metabolic function after high-dose PSL administration, which was confirmed through improvement in BMIPP uptake in the LV myocardium, may have led to the improvement in both LV systolic function and heart failure.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Although the definitive diagnosis of cardiac involvement in inflammatory myopathy associated with anti-mitochondrial antibody is difficult because of the rarity of this condition and no disease-specific findings in imaging and histology, physicians should consider this in patients with cardiac dysfunction and muscle weakness. I-β-methyl--iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid scintigraphy should be used to assess cardiac metabolic function and treatment efficacy and should be considered for patient management.
PubMed: 38362584
DOI: 10.1016/j.jccase.2023.10.014 -
Nutrients Jul 2023Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) during pregnancy are associated with disrupted metabolic programming among offspring at birth and later growth. We examined plasma...
Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) during pregnancy are associated with disrupted metabolic programming among offspring at birth and later growth. We examined plasma phospholipid SFAs in early pregnancy and fetal growth throughout pregnancy. We enrolled 321 pregnant women from the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort at gestational weeks 8-13. Ultrasonogram schedules were randomly assigned to capture weekly fetal growth. We measured plasma phospholipid SFAs at early pregnancy using blood samples and modeled fetal growth trajectories across tertiles of SFAs with cubic splines using linear mixed models after full adjustment. We then compared pairwise weekly fetal growth biometrics referencing the lowest tertile in each SFA using the Wald test. We found that even-chain and very long even-chain SFAs were inversely associated, whereas odd-chain SFAs were positively associated with fetal weight and size. Compared with the lowest tertile, the highest tertile of pentadecanoic acid (15:0) had a greater fetal weight and size, starting from week 13 until late pregnancy (at week 39: 3429.89 vs. 3269.08 g for estimated fetal weight; 328.14 vs. 323.00 mm for head circumference). Our findings could inspire future interventions using an alternative high-fat diet rich in odd-chain SFAs for optimal fetal growth.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Humans; Pregnancy; Female; Phospholipids; Fetal Weight; Birth Cohort; Prospective Studies; Fatty Acids; Fetal Development
PubMed: 37571228
DOI: 10.3390/nu15153287 -
PloS One 2024Despite growing evidence supporting the importance of the quality of attachment during adolescence, no studies have been conducted to date in the Arab world due to an...
Despite growing evidence supporting the importance of the quality of attachment during adolescence, no studies have been conducted to date in the Arab world due to an absence of valid and reliable tools to measure this construct in Arabic. The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment-Revised (IPPA-R) was devised as a self-report questionnaire in English to assess the quality of adolescent attachment to mother, father, and peers, each scale consisting of 25 items. The current study sets out to determine the psychometric properties of the Arabic IPPA-R and to explore attachment styles in Lebanon in a sample of 765 Lebanese adolescents. Results suggested a modified three-factor structure to reach satisfactory reliability of the Arabic IPPA-R, resulting in a modified questionnaire consisting of 19 items for each of mother (α = .82) and father (α = .85), and 21 items for peers (α = .89). Strict measurement invariance across gender was achieved for the IPPA-R parental forms, while only scalar invariance was achieved for the IPPA-R peers form. Overall, there were significant differences in attachment scores to mother and father, with adolescents scoring higher on attachment to mother, with both scores being significantly lower than attachment to peers. Gender differences were found on the peer scale with girls scoring significantly higher than boys. Results are interpreted from a cultural lens, emphasizing the importance of accounting for cultural, religious, and socio-economic factors in understanding adolescent attachment. This study is the first conducted in the Arab region and provides a road map to understanding gender-roles, parental expectations and adolescent perceived parenting, and their impact on adolescent attachment scores.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Adolescent; Reproducibility of Results; Parents; Mothers; Peer Group; Psychometrics; Iodobenzenes
PubMed: 38507401
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298084