Hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of iridoid glycosides extracted from: Corni fructus: Possible involvement of the PI3K-Akt/PKB signaling pathway

Iridoid glycosides (CIG) are the major component of Corni fructus. In this work, we researched the antioxidative, hypoglycemic and lowering blood lipids effects of CIG on diabetic mice induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ). Furthermore, to investigate the molecular mechanism of action, the phosphorylation and protein expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and its downstream proteins, such as insulin receptor (INSR), protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) have been detected. The results showed that CIG significantly improved oral glucose tolerance in diabetic mice. Biochemical indices also revealed that CIG had a positive effect on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. In addition, CIG can significantly enhance the expression level of the PI3K-Akt/PKB pathway related proteins in skeletal muscle, which is the key pathway of insulin metabolism. These findings show that CIG can improve the hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia of HFD-STZ-induced diabetic mice through the PI3K-Akt/PKB signaling pathway, and CIG might be a potential medicine or functional food for type 2 diabetes mellitus remedies. © 2018 The Royal Society of Chemistry

The Human Activity Radar Challenge: benchmarking based on the ‘Radar signatures of human activities’ dataset from Glasgow University

Radar is an extremely valuable sensing technology for detecting moving targets and measuring their range, velocity, and angular positions. When people are monitored at home, radar is more likely to be accepted by end-users, as they already use WiFi, is perceived as privacy-preserving compared to cameras, and does not require user compliance as wearable sensors do. Furthermore, it is not affected by lighting condi-tions nor requires artificial lights that could cause discomfort in the home environment. So, radar-based human activities classification in the context of assisted living can empower an aging society to live at home independently longer. However, challenges remain as to the formulation of the most effective algorithms for radar-based human activities classification and their validation. To promote the exploration and cross-evaluation of different algorithms, our dataset released in 2019 was used to benchmark various classification approaches. The challenge was open from February 2020 to December 2020. A total of 23 organizations worldwide, forming 12 teams from academia and industry, participated in the inaugural Radar Challenge, and submitted 188 valid entries to the challenge. This paper presents an overview and evaluation of the approaches used for all primary contributions in this inaugural challenge. The proposed algorithms are summarized, and the main parameters affecting their performances are analyzed

The Human Activity Radar Challenge: benchmarking based on the ‘Radar signatures of human activities’ dataset from Glasgow University

Radar is an extremely valuable sensing technology for detecting moving targets and measuring their range, velocity, and angular positions. When people are monitored at home, radar is more likely to be accepted by end-users, as they already use WiFi, is perceived as privacy-preserving compared to cameras, and does not require user compliance as wearable sensors do. Furthermore, it is not affected by lighting condi-tions nor requires artificial lights that could cause discomfort in the home environment. So, radar-based human activities classification in the context of assisted living can empower an aging society to live at home independently longer. However, challenges remain as to the formulation of the most effective algorithms for radar-based human activities classification and their validation. To promote the exploration and cross-evaluation of different algorithms, our dataset released in 2019 was used to benchmark various classification approaches. The challenge was open from February 2020 to December 2020. A total of 23 organizations worldwide, forming 12 teams from academia and industry, participated in the inaugural Radar Challenge, and submitted 188 valid entries to the challenge. This paper presents an overview and evaluation of the approaches used for all primary contributions in this inaugural challenge. The proposed algorithms are summarized, and the main parameters affecting their performances are analyzed

Protective Effects of Iridoid Glycoside from Corni Fructus on Type 2 Diabetes with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver in Mice

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common chronic metabolic disease. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) shares common typical features with T2DM, and they affect each other extensively. Thus, NAFLD has emerged as a novel target for T2DM prevention and care. Although Corni Fructus (CF) and its extracts have a therapeutic effect on T2DM, its effects and mechanisms on T2DM with NAFLD are far from elucidated. In this study, a mouse model of T2DM with NAFLD complication was established in ICR mice by feeding a high-fat, high-sugar (HFHS) diet and intraperitoneally injecting with a low dose of streptozotocin (STZ). Then, the effects of iridoid glycosides (IG) extracted from CF on this mouse model were investigated. We found that 4-week IG administration remarkably alleviated hyperglycemia and insulin resistance and significantly reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, and fat accumulation in the liver of T2DM with NAFLD mice. Further studies showed that IG inhibited the NF-κB but enhanced the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. In summary, these results indicated that the IG from CF has potential therapeutic effects on T2DM with NAFLD

A bifunctional MnxCo3-xO4-decorated separator for efficient Li-LiI-O2 batteries : A novel strategy to promote redox coupling and inhibit redox shuttling

Although redox mediator (RM) strategy can decrease the overpotential in Li-O2 batteries by tuning the electrochemical formation/degradation of Li2O2 from the circumscribed surface pathway to the solution one, the redox shuttling causes an unexpected RM degradation and a continuous deterioration of Li anode, finally leading to a poor cyclability. This work presents the first report detailing the development of a novel MnxCo3-xO4-decorated separator for Li-LiI-O2 batteries. Benefiting from the promotion effect of MnxCo3-xO4 nanocages on I−/I3− and I3−/I2 redox coupling, the cell with as-prepared separator maintains a low charge potential of ~3.3 V till the death of cell cycling. In addition, as-prepared separator can efficiently restrain the redox shuttling, leading to an obvious improvement on cycling stability for the cell. Moreover, the contributions of LiI to the battery performance and the operation mechanism are systematically investigated. These results present a promising progress in the development of multi-functional separator materials for RM-involved Li-O2 batteries and the new design of hybrid energy storage device.Title in Web of Science: A bifunctional MnxCo3-xO4-decorated separator for efficient Li-LiI-O-2 batteries: A novel strategy to promote redox coupling and inhibit redox shuttling</p

Corni Fructus extracts ameliorate Streptozotocin-Induced diabetes in mice via regulating AMPK/ACC/CPT-1 signaling pathway

As a common endocrine disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has a rising incidence year by year, which is producing various complications seriously threatening human health. Therefore, great attention has been paid to T2DM treatment, in which medicinal and food homologous plants play key roles because of their natural, healthy and widely used characteristics. Corni Fructus (CF) has been used centuries for the hypoglycemics and hypolipidemics. However, the detailed mechanism of CF on T2DM is still far from elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different extracts of CF on T2DM hepatic lipid metabolism and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that CF can inhibit the body weight loss, decrease blood glucose and regulate serum lipid contents in T2DM mice. It also restored the islet function of the mice and reversed their abnormal lipid metabolism. Additionally, the mechanism of CF extracts to improve T2DM was explored, CF enhanced the activation of AMP-activating protein kinase and upregulated lipid oxidation related proteins, such as ACC and CPT-1, these data suggested that CF significantly improved T2DM mice at least partially through AMPK/ACC/CPT-1 signaling pathway. Taken together, our data demonstrated that CF may be a novel potential agent for T2DM treatment

Nano powder and alcohol extraction of Corni Fructus protects against diabetes in mice by ameliorating hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemia via the PI3K/AKT pathway

As a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Corni Fructus (CF) possesses varieties of pharmacological functions including anti-diabetes, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties. However, the most commonly used forms of CF are pills and decoctions in the type 2 diabetes (T2DM) medical treatment. Until now, it remains unclear whether and how nano-powder CF (NPCF) improves T2DM. Here, we prepared NPCF via ball milling nanotechnology. NPCF significantly improved the symptoms of T2DM mice through alleviating hepatic inflammation and oxidative stress, reducing hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic, and restoring pancreatic and liver damages. Network pharmacology screening was utilized to obtain 293 NPCF active ingredient targets and 1235 T2DM targets, and 195 cross-targets were obtained by crossover. Mechanistically, NPCF may enhance glucose transport, promote glycogen synthesis, and improve insulin resistance by acting on insulin receptor (INSR)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K/AKT)/glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) signaling pathways. Therefore, NPCF may be a potential dosage form of CF for T2DM treatment

Transcriptional Responses and Gentiopicroside Biosynthesis in Methyl Jasmonate-Treated <i>Gentiana macrophylla</i> Seedlings

<div><p><i>Gentiana macrophylla</i>, a medicinal plant with significant pharmacological properties, contains the bioactive compound gentiopicroside. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is an effective elicitor for enhancing the production of such compounds. However, little is known about MeJA-mediated biosynthesis of gentiopicroside. We investigated this phenomenon as well as gene expression profiles to determine the molecular mechanisms for MeJA-mediated gentiopicroside biosynthesis and regulation in <i>G</i>. <i>macrophylla</i>. Our HPLC results showed that <i>Gentiana macrophylla</i> seedlings exposed to MeJA had significantly higher concentrations of gentiopicroside when compared with control plants. We used RNA sequencing to compare transcriptional profiles in seedlings treated for 5 d with either 0 μmol L^-1 MeJA (C) or 250 μmol L^-1 MeJA (M5) and detected differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In total, 77,482 unique sequences were obtained from approximately 34 million reads. Of these, 48,466 (57.46%) sequences were annotated based on BLASTs performed against public databases. We identified 5,206 DEGs between the C and M5 samples, including genes related to the α-lenolenic acid degradation pathway, JA signaling pathway, and gentiopicroside biosynthesis. Expression of numerous enzyme genes in the glycolysis pathway was significantly up-regulated. Many genes encoding transcription factors (e.g. ERF, bHLH, MYB, and WRKY) also responded to MeJA elicitation. Rapid acceleration of the glycolysis pathway that supplies precursors for IPP biosynthesis and up-regulates the expression of enzyme genes in that IPP pathway are probably most responsible for MeJA stimulation of gentiopicroside synthesis. Our qRT-PCR results showed that the expression profiles of 12 gentiopicroside biosynthesis genes were consistent with the RNA-Seq data. These results increase our understanding about how the gentiopicroside biosynthesis pathway in <i>G</i>. <i>macrophylla</i> responds to MeJA.</p></div