97 research outputs found
The Stability of Medicinal Plant microRNAs in the Herb Preparation Process
Herbal medicine is now globally accepted as a valid alternative system of
pharmaceutical therapies. Various studies around the world have been initiated
to develop scientific evidence-based herbal therapies. Recently, the
therapeutic potential of medicinal plant derived miRNAs has attracted great
attraction. MicroRNAs have been indicated as new bioactive ingredients in
medicinal plants. However, the stability of miRNAs during the herbal
preparation process and their bioavailability in humans remain unclear. Viscum
album L. (European mistletoe) has been widely used in folk medicine for the
treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Our previous study has
indicated the therapeutic potential of mistletoe miRNAs by using
bioinformatics tools. To evaluate the stability of these miRNAs, various
mistletoe extracts that mimic the clinical medicinal use as well as
traditional folk medicinal use were prepared. The mistletoe miRNAs including
miR166a-3p, miR159a, miR831-5p, val-miR218 and val-miR11 were quantified by
stem-loop qRT-PCR. As a result, miRNAs were detectable in the majority of the
extracts, indicating that consumption of medicinal plant preparations might
introduce miRNAs into mammals. The factors that might cause miRNA degradation
include ultrasonic treatment, extreme heat, especially RNase treatment, while
to be associated with plant molecules (e.g., proteins, exosomes) might be an
efficient way to protect miRNAs against degradation. Our study confirmed the
stability of plant derived miRNAs during herb preparations, suggesting the
possibility of functionally intact medicinal plant miRNAs in mammals
In vitro Effects of Selected Saponins on the Production and Release of Lysozyme Activity of Human Monocytic and Epithelial Cell Lines
Lysozyme is one of the most important factors of innate immunity and a unique enzybiotic in that it exerts not only antibacterial activity, but also antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether in vitro exposure to saponins can affect the release and production of lysozyme activity in human monocytic cells THP-1, and in human epithelial cells HT-29. Lysozyme activity levels in cell culture fluids were measured using highly sensitive fluorescence-based lysozyme activity assay. Majority of the examined saponins were demonstrated to stimulate significantly the release of lysozyme activity of monocytes and epithelial cells after one hour treatment at non-toxic concentrations. On the contrary, cells treated with saponins for longer periods up to 72 hours showed tendency to decrease in the secretion and production of lysozyme activity. However, these inhibitory effects of saponins observed with long-term treatment periods were mostly associated with toxic effects of saponins to cells. The results suggested positive contribution of some saponins to lysozyme release of monocytes and epithelial cells upon short exposure. Furthermore, demonstrated ability of these saponins to enhance the release of lysozyme activity can present a new mechanism contribute to explaining important biological characteristics of saponins, including the antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory or immune-stimulating properties
Fluorometric quantification of alkaloids in the homeopathic mother tinctures of Vinca minor L. and Fumaria officinalis L.
To assess the toxic potential of the alkaloids, a quantification method is necessary. An ion pair extraction method was used for quantitative fluorometric determination of vincamine, protopine and all contained alkaloids in the mother tinctures of Vinca minor and Fumaria officinalis. The non-fluorescent alkaloids were transformed into an ion pair with sodium-9,10-dimethoxy-anthracene-sulfonate and then fluorometrically determined and quantified in this study. The applicable ion pair was extracted in a suitable organic solvent, where dichloromethane has proven to be beneficial. Conditions for the ion pairing and fluorometric quantification are given. The recovery rate was used to investigate the quality of determinability and the influence of the mother tincture matrix. The method was applied to determine the concentration of protopine in the range 0.1 – 15 μg/ml and of vincamine in the range of 0.5 – 20 μg/ml. The limit of detection was < 0.3 μg/ml, and the limit of quantification < 0.9 μg/ml for both alkaloids
Cornus mas and Cornus Officinalis—Analogies and Differences of Two Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used
Among 65 species belonging to the genus Cornus only two, Cornus mas L. and Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. (Cornaceae), have been traditionally used since ancient times. Cornus mas (cornelian cherry) is native to southern Europe and southwest Asia, whereas C. officinalis (Asiatic dogwood, cornel dogwood) is a deciduous tree distributed in eastern Asia, mainly in China, as well as Korea and Japan. Based on the different geographic distribution of the closely related species but clearly distinct taxa, the ethnopharmacological use of C. mas and C. officinalis seems to be independently originated. Many reports on the quality of C. mas fruits were performed due to their value as edible fruits, and few reports compared their physicochemical properties with other edible fruits. However, the detailed phytochemical profiles of C. mas and C. officinalis, in particular fruits, have never been compared. The aim of this review was highlighting the similarities and differences of phytochemicals found in fruits of C. mas and C. officinalis in relation to their biological effects as well as compare the therapeutic use of fruits from both traditional species. The fruits of C. mas and C. officinalis are characterized by the presence of secondary metabolites, in particular iridoids, anthocyanins, phenolic acids and flavonoids. However, much more not widely known iridoids, such as morroniside, as well as tannins were detected particularly in fruits of C. officinalis. The referred studies of biological activity of both species indicate their antidiabetic and hepatoprotective properties. Based on the available reports antihyperlipidemic and anticoagulant activity seems to be unique for extracts of C. mas fruits, whereas antiosteoporotic and immunomodulatory activities were assigned to preparations of C. officinalis fruits. In conclusion, the comparison of phytochemical composition of fruits from both species revealed a wide range of similarities as well as some constituents unique for cornelian cherry or Asiatic dogwood. Thus, these phytochemicals are considered the important factor determining the biological activity and justifying the use of C. mas and C. officinalis in the traditional European and Asiatic medicine
Identification of Viscum album L. miRNAs and prediction of their medicinal values
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of approximately 22 nucleotides single-stranded
non-coding RNA molecules that play crucial roles in gene expression. It has
been reported that the plant miRNAs might enter mammalian bloodstream and have
a functional role in human metabolism, indicating that miRNAs might be one of
the hidden bioactive ingredients in medicinal plants. Viscum album L.
(Loranthaceae, European mistletoe) has been widely used for the treatment of
cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but its functional compounds have not been
well characterized. We considered that miRNAs might be involved in the
pharmacological activities of V. album. High-throughput Illumina sequencing
was performed to identify the novel and conserved miRNAs of V. album. The
putative human targets were predicted. In total, 699 conserved miRNAs and 1373
novel miRNAs have been identified from V. album. Based on the combined use of
TargetScan, miRanda, PITA, and RNAhybrid methods, the intersection of 30697
potential human genes have been predicted as putative targets of 29 novel
miRNAs, while 14559 putative targets were highly enriched in 33 KEGG pathways.
Interestingly, these highly enriched KEGG pathways were associated with some
human diseases, especially cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neurological
disorders, which might explain the clinical use as well as folk medicine use
of mistletoe. However, further experimental validation is necessary to confirm
these human targets of mistletoe miRNAs. Additionally, target genes involved
in bioactive components synthesis in V. album were predicted as well. A total
of 68 miRNAs were predicted to be involved in terpenoid biosynthesis, while
two miRNAs including val-miR152 and miR9738 were predicted to target
viscotoxins and lectins, respectively, which increased the knowledge regarding
miRNA-based regulation of terpenoid biosynthesis, lectin and viscotoxin
expressions in V. album
FT-IR Method for the Quantification of Isoflavonol Glycosides in Nutritional Supplements of Soy (Glycine max (L.) MERR.)
Due to increasing health consciousness, a lot of food supplements are sold and
used. Dietary supplements of Glycine max (L.) MERR. are used as an alternative
treatment for menopausal complaints such as hot flashes. Thereby, the
effective soy compounds are the isoflavones daidzin, genistin, and glycitin.
However, only the total soy extract content of the nutritional supplements is
indicated. The aim of this study is to introduce a fast, efficient, and
economic Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy method to
quantify the active ingredients in the complex matrix of soy-based
supplements. Five different nutritional supplements of Glycine max (L.) MERR.
were purchased from a German pharmacy and were extracted with 80% aqueous
methanol. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used for
the separation. The samples were concentrated and measured with infrared
spectroscopy. An FT-IR method was established to quantify the active
ingredients in the complex matrix of soy-based nutritional supplements. The
partial least-squares algorithm was used to develop the method, which enabled
the estimation of the content of particular isoflavones (daidzin R² = 0.86,
glycitin R² = 0.94, genistin R² = 0.96) and the quantification of the total
isoflavone content (R² = 0.92) despite peak overlap in the infrared (IR)
spectra. The method for the quantification of the isoflavonol glycosides is
precise with the standard error of prediction being 13.54%
Correction: Schreck, K. and Melzig, M.F. Intestinal Saturated Long-Chain Fatty Acid, Glucose and Fructose Transporters and their Inhibition by Natural Plant Extracts in Caco-2 Cells. Molecules, 2018, 23, 2544
The authors wish to make the following correction to their paper [1]:
We have found the following error in Figure 4a and Figure 4b of this article, which was recently published in Molecules as part of the Special Issue entitled “Natural Products in Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome”. The correct order should be: Figure 4a is supposed to be Figure 4b and Figure 4b is supposed to be Figure 4a. The captions will match after changing the images
Inhibition of Digestive Enzymes and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts from Fruits of Cornus alba, Cornus sanguinea subsp. hungarica and Cornus florida - A Comparative Study
The fruits of some Cornus species (dogwoods) are used in traditional medicine and considered potential anti-diabetic and hypolipemic agents. The aim of the study was to determine the ability of extracts from Cornus alba (CA), Cornus florida (CF), and Cornus sanguinea (CS) to inhibit digestive enzymes namely α-amylase, pancreatic lipase, and α-glucosidase, as well as isolation of compounds from plant material with the strongest effect. In addition, the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of extracts from three dogwoods were compared with HPLC-DAD-MS/MS and DPPH scavenging assay, respectively. Among the aqueous-ethanolic extracts, the activity of α-amylase was the most strongly inhibited by the fruit extract of CA (IC50 = 115.20 ± 14.31 μg/mL) and the activity of α-glucosidase by the fruit of CF (IC50 = 38.87 ± 2.65 μg/mL). Some constituents of CA fruit extract, such as coumaroylquinic acid, kaempferol, and hydroxytyrosol derivatives, were isolated. Among the three species of dogwood studied, the greatest biological potential was demonstrated by CA extracts, which are sources of phenolic acids and flavonoid compounds. In contrast, iridoid compounds or flavonoid glycosides found in fruits of CF or CS extracts do not play a significant role in inhibiting digestive enzymes but exert antioxidant activity
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