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Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma, and... Oct 2023Asthma, characterized by persistent inflammation and increased sensitivity of the airway, is the most common chronic condition among children. Novel, safe, and reliable...
Asthma, characterized by persistent inflammation and increased sensitivity of the airway, is the most common chronic condition among children. Novel, safe, and reliable treatment strategies are the focus of current research on pediatric asthma. Amygdalin, mainly present in bitter almonds, has anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory potential, but its effect on asthma remains uninvestigated. Here, the impact of amygdalin on the thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP)-dendritic cell (DC)-OX40L axis was investigated. A BALB/c mouse model for allergic asthma was established using the ovalbumin-sensitization method. Amygdalin treatment was administered between days 21 and 27 of the protocol. Cell numbers and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were used to observe the impact of amygdalin on airway inflammation. TSLP, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IFN-γ concentrations were determined via Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). TSLP, GATA-3, and T-bet proteins were measured using western blotting. Cell-surface receptor expression on DCs (MHC II, CD80, and CD86) was assessed via flow cytometry. OX40L mRNA and protein levels were detected using western blotting and qRT-PCR, respectively. Amygdalin treatment attenuated airway inflammation decreased BALF TSLP levels, inhibited DC maturation, restrained TSLP-induced DC surface marker expression (MHCII, CD80, and CD86), and further decreased OX40L levels in activated DCs. This occurred together with decreased Th2 cytokine levels (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and GATA3 expression, whereas Th1 cytokine (IFN-γ) levels and T-bet expression increased. Amygdalin thus regulates the Th1/Th2 balance through the TSLP-DC-OX40L axis to participate in inflammation development in the airways, providing a basis for potential allergic asthma treatments.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Child; Humans; Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin; Interleukin-13; Amygdalin; OX40 Ligand; Interleukin-4; Interleukin-5; Cytokines; Asthma; Disease Models, Animal; Inflammation; Th2 Cells; Dendritic Cells; Mice, Inbred BALB C
PubMed: 38085145
DOI: 10.18502/ijaai.v22i5.13993 -
Honey bee colonies change their foraging decisions after in-hive experiences with unsuitable pollen.The Journal of Experimental Biology Jan 2024Pollen is the protein resource for Apis mellifera and its selection affects colony development and productivity. Honey bee foragers mainly lose their capacity to digest...
Pollen is the protein resource for Apis mellifera and its selection affects colony development and productivity. Honey bee foragers mainly lose their capacity to digest pollen, so we expect that those pollen constituents that can only be evaluated after ingestion will not influence their initial foraging preferences at food sources. We predicted that pollen composition may be evaluated in a delayed manner within the nest, for example, through the effects that the pollen causes on the colony according to its suitability after being used by in-hive bees. To address whether pollen foraging is mediated by in-hive experiences, we conducted dual-choice experiments to test the avoidance of pollen adulterated with amygdalin, a deterrent that causes post-ingestion malaise. In addition, we recorded pollen selection in colonies foraging in the field after being supplied or not with amygdalin-adulterated pollen from one of the dominant flowering plants (Diplotaxis tenuifolia). Dual-choice experiments revealed that foragers did not avoid adulterated pollens at the foraging site; however, they avoided pollen that had been offered adulterated within the nest on the previous days. In field experiments, pollen samples from colonies supplied with amygdalin-adulterated pollen were more diverse than controls, suggesting that pollen foraging was biased towards novel sources. Our findings support the hypothesis that pollen assessment relies on in-hive experiences mediated by pollen that causes post-ingestive malaise.
Topics: Bees; Animals; Amygdalin; Behavior, Animal; Animal Communication; Pollen; Food
PubMed: 38044836
DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246233 -
Current Drug Delivery Nov 2023Cancer is the deadliest and most serious health problem. The mortality rate of cancer patients has increased significantly worldwide in recent years. There are several...
Cancer is the deadliest and most serious health problem. The mortality rate of cancer patients has increased significantly worldwide in recent years. There are several treatments available, but these treatments have many limitations, such as non-specific targeting, toxicity, bioavailability, solubility and permeability problems, serious side effects, and a higher dose. Many people prefer phytomedicine because it has fewer side effects. However, amygdalin is a naturally occurring phytoconstituent. It has many harmful effects due to the cyanide group present in the chemical structure. Many scientists and researchers have given their thoughts associated with amygdalin and its toxicities. However, there is a need for a more advanced, effective, and newer delivery system for amygdalin to reduce its toxic effect. Nanotechnology has become a more refined and emerging medical approach, offering innovative ways to treat cancer. This review focuses on the use of amygdaline as herbal medicine encapsulating into several nanoparticulate delivery systems such as silver nanoparticles, graphene oxide nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanocomposites, niosomes, and magnetic nanoparticles in the treatment of cancer. In addition, this article provides information on amygdalin structure and physical properties, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and challenges with amygdalin.
PubMed: 38037911
DOI: 10.2174/0115672018280381231119150732 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1030516.].
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1030516.].
PubMed: 38029160
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1303273 -
Heliyon Nov 2023Cancer recurrence following surgery is a serious and worrying problem for the patient. Common treatment strategies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, are...
Cancer recurrence following surgery is a serious and worrying problem for the patient. Common treatment strategies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, are restricted because of low uptake of the drugs, poor pharmacokinetic properties, and toxicity issues for healthy tissues. The development of engineering platforms for improving the postoperative treatment of cancer can help solve this problem. In this study, the ceria-tannic acid nanoparticles (CeTA-NPs) were successfully synthesized and characterized. Chitosan-polyvinyl/alcohol (S-PVA) hydrogels containing CeTA NPs (S-PVA/CeTA) and amygdalin as an anticancer substance were fabricated using freeze-thaw and immersion-drying techniques. The swelling and degradation behaviors, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility of as-prepared hydrogel were done. The apoptotic effects of amygdalin/CS-PVA/CeTA hydrogel were evaluated by flow cytometry technique on a human colorectal cancer (SW-480) cell line. The CeTA-NPs were investigated as antibacterial and cross-linker agents for greater stability of the hydrogel network. The S-PVA/CeTA hydrogel demonstrated good safety and antibacterial activity. The results of swelling and biodegradation suggest that S-PVA/CeTA hydrogels can inspire long-time application. The anticancer effects of the amygdalin/CS-PVA/CeTA hydrogel were confirmed by apoptosis results. Hence, amygdalin/CS-PVA/CeTA hydrogel can be a promising candidate for long-time biomedical application.
PubMed: 38027646
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21835 -
Biomedical Chromatography : BMC Feb 2024Natural medicines play a crucial role in clinical drug applications, serving as a primary traditional Chinese medicine for the clinical treatment of liver fibrosis....
Natural medicines play a crucial role in clinical drug applications, serving as a primary traditional Chinese medicine for the clinical treatment of liver fibrosis. Understanding the in vivo metabolic process of the Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) formula is essential for delving into its material basis and mechanism. In recent years, there has been a growing body of research focused on the mechanisms and component analysis of FZHY. This study aimed to examine the pharmacokinetics of FZHY in healthy volunteers following oral administration. Blood samples were collected at designated time intervals after the oral intake of 9.6-g FZHY tablets. A UHPLC-Q/Exactive method was developed to assess the plasma concentrations of five components post-FZHY ingestion. The peak time for all components occurred within 10 min. The peak concentration (C ) values for amygdalin, schisandrin, and schisandrin A ranged from 3.47 to 28.80 ng/mL, with corresponding AUC values ranging from 10.63 to 103.20 ng h/mL. For schisandrin B and prunasin, C values were in the range of 86.52 to 229.10 ng/mL, and their AUC values ranged from 375.26 to 1875.54 ng h/mL, indicating significant exposure within the body. These findings demonstrate that the developed method enables rapid and accurate detection and quantification of the five components in FZHY, offering a valuable reference for its clinical study.
Topics: Humans; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Liver Cirrhosis; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Administration, Oral; Tablets
PubMed: 38016814
DOI: 10.1002/bmc.5782 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Dec 2023Cyanoglycoside-modified flexible protein films, exhibiting a high level of transparency of ≈46 to 83%, were successfully prepared from lysozyme and glycerol with...
Cyanoglycoside-modified flexible protein films, exhibiting a high level of transparency of ≈46 to 83%, were successfully prepared from lysozyme and glycerol with varying amounts of amygdalin (20, 40, and 60%) using water as a solvent. The increasing percentage of amygdalin leads to a drastic improvement of the hydrophilicity of the surface with a decrease in the water contact angle to 5.6°, resulting in superhydrophilicity. The increasing percentage of amygdalin led to a significant improvement in the surface's hydrophilicity, resulting in a reduced water contact angle of 5.6° and achieving superhydrophilicity. This superhydrophilic characteristic is particularly relevant to the excellent antifogging and self-cleaning properties of the resulting protein films. In addition to enhanced flexibility, the films also exhibited considerably improved thermal stability with a 40% loading of amygdalin in the protein solution. The superior mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of amygdalin-modified films are due to the strong hydrogen bonding with the peptides of lysozyme, as evidenced by the disappearance of amide bands in the cured protein films. Therefore, these transparent protein films, with their antifogging and enhanced thermal stability properties, can be potentially used for different packaging and coating applications.
Topics: Muramidase; Amygdalin; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Water
PubMed: 38011283
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11100 -
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine... Oct 2023To evaluate the effects of Sanren Tang (SRT, ) on a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mice and to investigate the hepatic...
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of Sanren Tang (SRT, ) on a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mice and to investigate the hepatic transcriptome regulated by SRT.
METHODS
The primary SRT components were identified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry. The SRT-induced pharmacological effects on HFD-induced NAFLD were evaluated in mice for 16 weeks. Obeticholic acid was used as a control drug. Body weight, food intake, and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index were analysed. Hepatic histological changes were observed in haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections and quantified using the NAFLD activity score (NAS). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels were measured. Lipids in hepatocytes were visualised by Oil red staining. RNA-sequencing was performed to determine the transcriptome profile of the liver tissue. The differentially expressed genes were validated using real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting.
RESULTS
Four principal compounds were identified in the SRT: adenosine, amygdalin, luteoloside, and magnolol. SRT ameliorated hepatic histology and lipid deposition in the NAFLD mice, and decreased HOMA-IR, NAS and ALT, and hepatic TG levels. Hepatic transcriptome analysis revealed 232 HFD-regulated genes that were reversed by SRT simultaneously. Retinol metabolism, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ signalling were the top three SRT-regulated pathways in NAFLD.
CONCLUSIONS
SRT significantly ameliorated HFD-induced NAFLD, which was correlated with the regulation of genes enriched in the retinol metabolism, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and PPARγ signalling pathways.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Transcriptome; Diet, High-Fat; Vitamin A; Liver; Lipid Metabolism; Insulin Resistance; Cytokines; Receptors, Cytokine; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 37946471
DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2023.06.004 -
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and... Mar 2024This study investigated the effects of amygdalin (AMY, a cyanogenic glycoside widely distributed in the fruits and seeds of plants) on cardiac performance and...
Amygdalin and exercise training exert a synergistic effect in improving cardiac performance and ameliorating cardiac inflammation and fibrosis in a rat model of myocardial infarction.
This study investigated the effects of amygdalin (AMY, a cyanogenic glycoside widely distributed in the fruits and seeds of plants) on cardiac performance and ventricular remodeling in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI). We also investigated whether the combination of AMY with exercise training (ExT) has a beneficial synergistic effect in treating MI rats. MI was induced by the ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in male SD rats. ExT or AMY treatment was started 1 week after MI and continued for 1 week (short-term) or 8 weeks (long-term). Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters. Heart tissues were harvested and subjected to 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride, Masson's trichrome, hematoxylin-eosin, and immunohistochemical staining. Gene expression was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Western blot gave a qualitative assessment of protein levels. AMY or ExT improved cardiac function and reduced infarct size in MI rats. AMY or ExT also suppressed myocardial fibrosis and attenuated inflammation in the infarct border zone of hearts from MI rats, as evidenced by inhibition of collagen deposition, inflammatory cell infiltration, and pro-inflammatory markers (interleukin 1β, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and cyclooxygenase 2). Notably, the effects of AMY combined with ExT were superior to those of AMY alone or ExT alone. Mechanistically, these beneficial functions were correlated with the inhibition of MI-induced activation of the transforming growth factor-β/Smad pathway. Collectively, AMY and ExT exert a synergistic effect on improving cardiac performance and ameliorating cardiac inflammation and fibrosis after MI, and the effects of long-term intervention were better than short-term intervention.
Topics: Animals; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Amygdalin; Myocardial Infarction; Inflammation; Fibrosis
PubMed: 37944128
DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2023-0135 -
Brazilian Journal of Medical and... 2023Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a major public health issue with limited treatment options. As the active ingredient of the n-butanol extract of Amygdalus mongolica (BUT),...
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a major public health issue with limited treatment options. As the active ingredient of the n-butanol extract of Amygdalus mongolica (BUT), amygdalin inhibits PF. However, its mechanisms of action are unclear and need further verification. Therefore, the purpose of the present studies was to investigate the anti-fibrotic effects of BUT on PF by serum metabolomics and the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) pathway. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, untreated PF, prednisone-treated (5 mg/kg), and BUT-treated (1.75, 1.25, 0.75 g/kg) groups, and the respective drugs were administered intragastrically for 21 days. The serum metabolomics profiles were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) and metabolism network analysis. The expression of TGF-β1, Smad-3, Smad-7, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was measured using a real-time polymerase chain reaction in the lung tissue. BUT significantly alleviated fibrosis by reducing the mRNA expressions of TGF-β1 (from 1.73 to 1.13), Smad-3 (from 2.01 to 1.19), and α-SMA (from 2.14 to 1.19) and increasing that of Smad7 (from 0.17 to 0.62). Twenty-eight potential biomarkers associated with PF were identified. In addition, four key biomarkers were restored to baseline levels following BUT treatment, with the lowest dose showing optimal effect. Furthermore, A. mongolica BUT was found to improve PF by the pentose phosphate pathway and by taurine, hypotaurine, and arachidonic acid metabolism. These findings revealed the mechanism of A. mongolica BUT antifibrotic effects and metabolic activity in PF rats and provided the experimental basis for its clinical application.
Topics: Rats; Male; Animals; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Transforming Growth Factor beta1; Bleomycin; 1-Butanol; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Signal Transduction; Biomarkers
PubMed: 37937603
DOI: 10.1590/1414-431X2023e13045