Optimized-SopungSunkiwon, a Herbal Formula, Attenuates A β

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is an age-related neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by memory dysfunction, neuronal cell damage, and neuroinflammation. It is believed that AD-related pathology is mostly due to the overproduction of Aβ, especially the oligomeric form (AβO), in the brain. Evidence of the effects of multifunctional medicinal herbs in the treatment of AD has been steadily increasing. Optimized-SopungSunkiwon (OSS), a multiherbal formulation that is composed of six medicinal herbs derived from SopungSunkiwon, is a traditional medicine that is prescribed for neurodegenerative disorders in elderly patients. We previously reported that OSS showed an antiamnesic and memory enhancing effect in mice, but it is unknown whether OSS has a protective effect against AβO neurotoxicity. In this study, we investigated the effects of OSS in AD models induced by AβO in vitro and in vivo. We found that OSS protected neuronal cells and inhibited the generation of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species against AβO toxicity in vitro. These results were confirmed by in vivo data that oral administration of OSS for 14 days attenuated memory impairments and neuronal cell death by modulating gliosis, glutathione depletion, and synaptic damage in the mouse hippocampus induced by AβO

FULL COMMUNICATION Royal Jelly Protects Against Ultraviolet B-Induced Photoaging in Human Skin Fibroblasts via Enhancing Collagen Production

ABSTRACT Royal jelly (RJ) is a honeybee product containing proteins, carbohydrates, fats, free amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. As its principal unsaturated fatty acid, RJ contains 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), which may have antitumor and antibacterial activity and a capacity to stimulate collagen production. RJ has attracted interest in various parts of the world for its pharmacological properties. However, the effects of RJ on ultraviolet (UV)-induced photoaging of the skin have not been reported. In this study we measured the 10-HDA content of RJ by high-performance liquid chromatography and tested the effects of RJ on UVB-induced skin photoaging in normal human dermal fibroblasts. The effects of RJ and 10-HDA on UVB-induced photoaging were tested by measuring procollagen type I, transforming growth factor (TGF)-b1, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 after UVB irradiation. The RJ contained about 0.211% 10-HDA. The UVB-irradiated human skin fibroblasts treated with RJ and 10-HDA had increased procollagen type I and TGF-b1 productions, but the level of MMP-1 was not changed. Thus RJ may potentially protect the skin from UVB-induced photoaging by enhancing collagen production. KEY WORDS: 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid matrix metalloproteinase-1 photoaging procollagen type I royal jelly transforming growth factor-b

Antioxidant Properties of the Edible Basidiomycete Armillaria mellea in Submerged Cultures

Antioxidant components, ascorbic acid, total flavonoids and total phenols are produced effectively by Armillaria mellea submerged cultures. Dried mycelia and mycelia-free broths obtained by A. mellea submerged cultures are extracted with methanol and hot water and investigated for antioxidant properties. Methanolic extracts from dried mycelia (MEM) and mycelia-free broth (MEB) and hot water extracts from dried mycelia (HWEM) by A. mellea submerged cultures show good antioxidant properties as evidenced by low EC50 values (<10 mg/mL). Total flavonoid is mainly found in hot water extracts; however, total phenol is rich in methanol and hot water extracts from mycelia. Ascorbic acid and total phenol contents are well correlated with the reducing power and the scavenging effect on superoxide anions. Total flavonoid content is dependent on the antioxidant activity and the chelating effect on ferrous ions. Total antioxidant component contents are closely related to the antioxidant activity and the scavenging superoxide anion ability. Results confirm that extracts with good antioxidant properties from fermenting products by A. mellea are potential good substitutes for synthetic antioxidants and can be applied to antioxidant-related functional food and pharmaceutical industries

Royal jelly enhances migration of human dermal fibroblasts and alters the levels of cholesterol and sphinganine in an in vitro wound healing model

Oral administration of royal jelly (RJ) promotes wound healing in diabetic mice. Concerns have arisen regarding the efficacy of RJ on the wound healing process of normal skin cells. In this study, a wound was created by scratching normal human dermal fibroblasts, one of the major cells involved in the wound healing process. The area was promptly treated with RJ at varying concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, or 5 mg/ml for up to 48 hrs and migration was analyzed by evaluating closure of the wound margins. Furthermore, altered levels of lipids, which were recently reported to participate in the wound healing process, were analyzed by HPTLC and HPLC. Migration of fibroblasts peaked at 24 hrs after wounding. RJ treatment significantly accelerated the migration of fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner at 8 hrs. Although RJ also accelerated the migration of fibroblasts at both 20 hrs and 24 hrs after wounding, the efficacy was less potent than at 8 hrs. Among various lipid classes within fibroblasts, the level of cholesterol was significantly decreased at 8 hrs following administration of both 0.1 ug/ml and 5 mg/ml RJ. Despite a dose-dependent increase in sphinganines, the levels of sphingosines, ceramides, and glucosylceramides were not altered with any concentration of RJ. We demonstrated that RJ enhances the migration of fibroblasts and alters the levels of various lipids involved in the wound healing process

Neuroprotective and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Allyl Isothiocyanate through Attenuation of JNK/NF-κB/TNF-α Signaling

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), present in Wasabia japonica (wasabi), is an aliphatic isothiocyanate derived from the precursor sinigrin, which is a glucosinolate present in vegetables of the Brassica family. Traditionally, it has been used to treat rheumatic arthralgia, blood circulation, and pain. This study focuses on its anti-apoptotic activity through the regulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation. Furthermore, we assessed its neuroprotective efficacy, which it achieves through the upregulation of nerve growth factor (NGF) production. Pretreatment with AITC significantly inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and nitric oxide (NO) production in activated microglia, and increased the nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurite outgrowth in neuroblastoma cells. AITC inhibited the nuclear factor (NF-κB-mediated transcription by modulating mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, particularly downregulating c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation, which was followed by a reduction in the TNF-α expression in activated microglia. This promising effect of AITC in controlling JNK/NF-κB/TNF-α cross-linking maintains the Bcl-2 gene family and protects neuroblastoma cells from activated microglia-induced toxicity. These findings provide novel insights into the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of AITC on microglial cells, which may have clinical significance in neurodegeneration

Glyoxalase System in the Progression of Skin Aging and Skin Malignancies

Dicarbonyl compounds, including methylglyoxal (MGO) and glyoxal (GO), are mainly formed as byproducts of glucose metabolism. The main glyoxalase system consists of glyoxalase I and II (Glo1 and Glo2) and is the main enzyme involved in the detoxification of dicarbonyl stress, which occurs as an accumulation of MGO or GO due to decreased activity or expression of Glo1. Dicarbonyl stress is a major cause of cellular and tissue dysfunction that causes various health issues, including diabetes, aging, and cancer. The skin is the largest organ in the body. In this review, we discuss the role of the glyoxalase system in the progression of skin aging, and more importantly, skin malignancies. We also discuss the future prospects of the glyoxalase system in other skin abnormalities such as psoriasis and vitiligo, including hyperpigmentation. Finally, in the present review, we suggest the role of glyoxalase in the progression of skin aging and glyoxalase system as a potential target for anticancer drug development for skin cancer

Antidepressive Effect of Natural Products and Their Derivatives Targeting BDNF-TrkB in Gut&ndash;Brain Axis

Modern neurological approaches enable detailed studies on the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. An imbalance in the microbiota&ndash;gut&ndash;brain axis contributes to the pathogenesis of depression. This extensive review aimed to elucidate the antidepressive effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-targeting therapeutic natural products and their derivatives on the gut&ndash;brain axis. This information could facilitate the development of novel antidepressant drugs. BDNF is crucial for neuronal genesis, growth, differentiation, survival, plasticity, and synaptic transmission. Signaling via BDNF and its receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) plays a vital role in the etiopathogenesis of depression and the therapeutic mechanism of antidepressants. This comprehensive review provides information to researchers and scientists for the identification of novel therapeutic approaches for neuropsychiatric disorders, especially depression and stress. Future research should aim to determine the possible causative role of BDNF-TrkB in the gut&ndash;brain axis in depression, which will require further animal and clinical research as well as the development of analytical approaches