Accession in Centella asiatica; Current Understanding and Future Knowledge

Centella asiatica is described as a potential cure-all because of its wide usage. The accessions in Centella asiatica make standardisation important before using it. In Malaysia alone, there are more than 15 accessions of Centella asiatica with each having variation in their secondary metabolites. There are several reports from India to Korea, from Madagascar to Malaysia and from Thailand to South Africa about variations in chemical profiling of secondary metabolites and the reasons for these variations in Centella asiatica. Despite all these reports, there has been no attempt to bring all these variations together and discuss them under one heading resulting into scattered information about accession in Centella asiatica. In this review, we discuss the impact of accessions in Centella asiatica and what more need to be done to our knowledge of accession in Centella asiatica

Autocrine androgen action is essential for Leydig cell maturation and function, and protects against late-onset Leydig cell apoptosis in both mice and men

Leydig cell number and function decline as men age, and low testosterone is associated with all “Western” cardio-metabolic disorders. However, whether perturbed androgen action within the adult Leydig cell lineage predisposes individuals to this late-onset degeneration remains unknown. To address this, we generated a novel mouse model in which androgen receptor (AR) is ablated from ∼75% of adult Leydig stem cell/cell progenitors, from fetal life onward (Leydig cell AR knockout mice), permitting interrogation of the specific roles of autocrine Leydig cell AR signaling through comparison to adjacent AR-retaining Leydig cells, testes from littermate controls, and to human testes, including from patients with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). This revealed that autocrine AR signaling is dispensable for the attainment of final Leydig cell number but is essential for Leydig cell maturation and regulation of steroidogenic enzymes in adulthood. Furthermore, these studies reveal that autocrine AR signaling in Leydig cells protects against late-onset degeneration of the seminiferous epithelium in mice and inhibits Leydig cell apoptosis in both adult mice and patients with CAIS, possibly via opposing aberrant estrogen signaling. We conclude that autocrine androgen action within Leydig cells is essential for the lifelong support of spermatogenesis and the development and lifelong health of Leydig cells.—O’Hara, L., McInnes, K., Simitsidellis, I., Morgan, S., Atanassova, N., Slowikowska-Hilczer, J., Kula, K., Szarras-Czapnik, M., Milne, L., Mitchell, R. T., Smith, L. B. Autocrine androgen action is essential for Leydig cell maturation and function, and protects against late-onset Leydig cell apoptosis in both mice and men

The Eurasian Modern Pollen Database (EMPD), version 2

The Eurasian (nee European) Modern Pollen Database (EMPD) was established in 2013 to provide a public database of high-quality modern pollen surface samples to help support studies of past climate, land cover, and land use using fossil pollen. The EMPD is part of, and complementary to, the European Pollen Database (EPD) which contains data on fossil pollen found in Late Quaternary sedimentary archives throughout the Eurasian region. The EPD is in turn part of the rapidly growing Neotoma database, which is now the primary home for global palaeoecological data. This paper describes version 2 of the EMPD in which the number of samples held in the database has been increased by 60% from 4826 to 8134. Much of the improvement in data coverage has come from northern Asia, and the database has consequently been renamed the Eurasian Modern Pollen Database to reflect this geographical enlargement. The EMPD can be viewed online using a dedicated map-based viewer at https://empd2.github.io and downloaded in a variety of file formats at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.909130 (Chevalier et al., 2019).Peer reviewe

The Eurasian Modern Pollen Database (EMPD), version 2

The Eurasian (née European) Modern Pollen Database (EMPD) was established in 2013 to provide a public database of high-quality modern pollen surface samples to help support studies of past climate, land cover, and land use using fossil pollen. The EMPD is part of, and complementary to, the European Pollen Database (EPD) which contains data on fossil pollen found in Late Quaternary sedimentary archives throughout the Eurasian region. The EPD is in turn part of the rapidly growing Neotoma database, which is now the primary home for global palaeoecological data. This paper describes version 2 of the EMPD in which the number of samples held in the database has been increased by 60 % from 4826 to 8134. Much of the improvement in data coverage has come from northern Asia, and the database has consequently been renamed the Eurasian Modern Pollen Database to reflect this geographical enlargement. The EMPD can be viewed online using a dedicated map-based viewer at https://empd2.github.io and downloaded in a variety of file formats at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.909130 (Chevalier et al., 2019)Swiss National Science Foundation | Ref. 200021_16959

Lobularia libyca: phytochemical profiling, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity using in vitro and In silico studies

Lobularia libyca (L. libyca) is a traditional plant that is popular for its richness in phenolic compounds and flavonoids. The aim of this study was to comprehensively investigate the phytochemical profile by liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS), the mineral contents and the biological properties of L. libyca methanol extract. L. libyca contains significant amounts of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Thirteen compounds classified as flavonoids were identified. L. libyca is rich in nutrients such as Na, Fe and Ca. Moreover, the methanol extract of L. libyca showed significant antioxidant activity without cytotoxic activity on HCT116 cells (human colon cancer cell line) and HepG2 cells (human hepatoma), showing an inhibition zone of 13 mm in diameter. In silico studies showed that decanoic acid ethyl ester exhibited the best fit in β-lactamase and DNA gyrase active sites; meanwhile, oleic acid showed the best fit in reductase binding sites. Thus, it can be concluded that L. libyca can serve as a beneficial nutraceutical agent, owing to its significant antioxidant and antibacterial potential and due to its richness in iron, calcium and potassium, which are essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Early neurological and cognitive impairments in subclinical cerebrovascular disease

Background: The subclinical cerebrovascular disease (SCVD) is an important public health problem with demonstrated prognostic significance for stroke, future cognitive decline, and progression to dementia. The earliest possible detection of the silent presence of SCVD in adults at age at risk with normal functioning is very important for both clinical doctors and scientists.Materials and Methods: Seventy-seven adult volunteers, recruited during the years 2005–2007, with mean age 58.7 (standard deviation 5.9) years, were assessed by four subtests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB)-Eclipse cognitive assessment system. We used a questionnaire survey for the presence of cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) such as arterial hypertension, smoking and dyslipidemia, among others, as well as instrumental (Doppler examination) and neurological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures. Descriptive statistics, comparison (t-test, Chi-square) and univariate methods were used as followed by multifactor logistic regression and receiver operating characteristics analyses.Results: The risk factor questionnaire revealed nonspecific symptoms in 44 (67.7%) of the subjects. In 42 (64.6%) of all 65 subjects, we found at least one of the conventional CVRFs. Abnormal findings from the extra- and trans-cranial Doppler examination were established in 38 (58.5%) of all studied volunteers. Thirty-four subjects had brain MRI (52.3%), and abnormal findings were found in 12 (35.3%) of them. Two of the four subtests of CANTAB tool appeared to be potentially promising predictors of the outcome, as found at the univariate analysis (spatial working memory 1 [SWM1] total errors; intra-extra dimensional set 1 [IED1] total errors [adjusted]; IED2 total trials [adjusted]). We established that the best accuracy of 82.5% was achieved by a multifactor interaction logistic regression model, with the role CVRF and combined CANTAB predictor “IED total ratio (errors/trials) × SWM1 total errors” (P = 0.006).Conclusions: Our results have contributed to the hypothesis that it is possible to identify, by noninvasive methods, subjects at age at risk who have mild degree of cognitive impairment and to establish the significant relationship of this impairment with existing CVRFs, nonspecific symptoms and subclinical abnormal brain Doppler/MRI findings. We created a combined neuropsychological predictor that was able to clearly distinguish between the presence and absence of abnormal Doppler/MRI findings. This pilot prognostic model showed a relatively high accuracy of >80%; therefore, the predictors may serve as biomarkers for SCVD in subjects at age at risk (51–65 years)

Biochemical Profile and In Vitro Therapeutic Properties of Two Euhalophytes, <i>Halocnemum strobilaceum</i> Pall. and <i>Suaeda fruticosa</i> (L.) Forske., Grown in the Sabkha Ecosystem in the Algerian Sahara

This study reports the biochemical profile and in vitro biological activities of the aerial part of two shrubs: Halocnemum strobilaceum and Suaeda fruticosa, a halophytes species native to saline habitats. The biomass was evaluated by determining its physiological properties and approximate composition. Hydro-methanolic extracts from Halocnemum strobilaceum and Suaeda fruticosa have been investigated for the inhibition of bacterial growth, the protection of proteins (albumin) from denaturation, and cytotoxicity to hepatocellular carcinomas (Huh-7 and HepG2). Their antioxidant activity was evaluated by five tests, including one that examined their ability to inhibit hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced hemolysis. The profile of their phenolic compounds was also determined. These two euhalophytes had a high moisture content, high levels of photosynthetic pigments, elevated levels of ash and protein, low oxidative damage indices, MDA (Malondialdehyde) and proline, and low lipids levels. Their content was also characterized by a moderate acidity with good electrical conductivity. They contained abundant levels of phytochemicals and varied phenolic contents. Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis revealed the presence of caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, rutin, and quercetin in both plant extracts. On the pharmaceutical level, the two euhalophytes had anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties, and therefore it was recommended to isolate and identify biologically active compounds from these plants and evaluate them in vivo