Application of Scutellariae radix

Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis, a host-adapted pathogen of swine, usually causes septicemia. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains have been widely studied in recent years for their probiotic properties. In this study, a mouse infection model first screened for potential agents against infection, then a pig infection model evaluated effects of LAB strains and herbal plants against infection. Scutellariae radix (SR) and Gardeniae fructus (GF) showed abilities to reduce bacteria shedding and suppressing serum level of TNF-α induced by infection in swine. Bioactivities of SR and GF were enhanced by combining with LAB strains, which alone could speed up the bacteria elimination time in feces and boost immunity of infected pigs. Baicalein and genipin exhibited stronger cytotoxicity than baicalin and geniposide did, as well as prevent Salmonella from invading macrophages. Our study suggests LAB strains as exhibiting multiple functions: preventing infection, enhancing immunity to prepare host defenses against further infection, and adjusting intestinal microbes’ enzymatic activity in order to convert herbal compounds to active compounds. The SR/GF-LAB strain mixture holds potential infection-prevention agents supplied as feed additives

Recent progress in natural dietary non-phenolic bioactives on cancers metastasis

From several decades ago to now, cancer continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide, and metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related deaths. For health benefits, there is a great desire to use non-chemical therapy such as nutraceutical supplementation to prevent pathology development. Over 10,000 different natural bioactives or phytochemicals have been known that possessing potential preventive or supplementary effects for various diseases including cancer. Previously, the in vitro and in vivo anti-invasive and anti-metastatic activities of phenolic acids, monophenol, polyphenol and their derivatives and flavonoids and their derivatives have been reviewed. However, a vast number of natural dietary compounds other than phenolics have been demonstrated to potentially possess the ability to inhibit the invasion and metastasis of various cancers. In this review, we summarize the studies in recent decade on in vitro and in vivo effects and molecular mechanisms of natural bioactives, excluding the phenolics in food, in cancer invasion and metastasis. By combining this review of non-phenolics with the previous phenolics reviews, the puzzle for the contribution of natural dietary bioactives on cancer invasive or/and metastatic progress will be almost complete and more clear

Assessment of the Anti-invasion Potential and Mechanism of Select Cinnamic Acid Derivatives on Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells

Patients with lung adenocarcinoma are often diagnosed with metastasizing symptoms and die of early and distal metastasis. Metastasis is made up of a cascade of interrelated and sequential steps, including cell adhesion, extracellular matrix degradation, cell movement, and invasion. Hence, substances carrying the ability to stop one of the metastasis-associated steps could be a potential candidate for preventing tumor cells from metastasizing and prolonging the life of cancer patients. Cinnamic acid (CA) was demonstrated to be such a candidate for human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of CA derivatives on invasion of lung cancer cells is still unclear. The aims of this study were to explore the mechanisms underlying several select CA derivatives against invasion of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The results revealed that caffeic acid (CAA), chlorogenic acid (CHA), and ferulic acid (FA) can inhibit phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated invasion of A549 cells at a concentration of ≥100 μM. The MMP-9 activity was suppressed by these compounds through regulating urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1, and PAI-2; the cell-matrix adhesion was decreased by CAA only. The proposed molecular mechanism involved not only decreasing the signaling of MAPK and PI3K/Akt but also inactivating NF-κB, AP-1, and STAT3. In the present study, we selected CAA, CHA, and FA as potential inhibitors for invasive behaviors of human lung adenocarcinoma cells and disclosed the possible mechanisms. The association between structural features and anti-invasive activity of these compounds cannot be determined here and needs to be further verified