Co-reporter:Hao-Hong Chen and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry September 20, 2017 Volume 65(Issue 37) pp:8099-8099
Publication Date(Web):August 24, 2017
DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03495
Microalgae lipids have attracted great attention in the world as a result of their potential use for biodiesel productions. Microalgae are cultivated in photoautotrophic conditions in most cases, but several species are able to grow under heterotrophic conditions, in which microalgae are cultivated in the dark where the cell growth and reproduction are supported by organic carbons. This perspective is covering the related studies concerning the difference between hetero- and autotrophic cultivation of microalgae. The auto- and heterotrophic central carbon metabolic pathways in microalgae are described, and the catalyzing reactions of several key metabolic enzymes and their corresponding changes in the protein level are summarized. Under adverse environmental conditions, such as nutrient deprivation, microalgae have the ability to highly store energy by forming triacylglycerol (TAG), the reason for which is analyzed. In addition, the biosynthesis of fatty acids and TAGs and their difference between auto- and heterotrophic conditions are compared at the molecular level. The positive regulatory enzymes, such as glucose transporter protein, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and the negative regulation enzymes, such as triose phosphate isomerase, played a crucial role in the lipid accumulation auto- and heterotrophic conditions.Keywords: autotrophy; heterotrophy; lipid biosynthesis; metabolism; microalgae;
Co-reporter:Chun-Yan Shen, Jian-Guo Jiang, Chun-Ling Huang, Wei Zhu, and Chao-Yang Zheng
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry October 18, 2017 Volume 65(Issue 41) pp:9061-9061
Publication Date(Web):September 24, 2017
DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03759
Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl. (CAVA) was traditionally used as a digestant or expectorant in China. Crude polyphenols (CAVAP-W) extracted from blossoms of CAVA were mainly composed of eriocitrin/neoeriocitrin, eriocitrin/neoeriocitrin, rhoifolin, hesperidin, naringin, rutin, veronicastroside, neohesperidin, and hesperetin by LC-MS analysis. CAVAP-W showed significant anticomplement and anti-inflammatory effects. Due to the close relationship between anticomplement and anti-inflammatory activity, the anti-inflammatory effect was further investigated and the results showed that CAVAP-W significantly suppressed production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharides-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, CAVAP-W inhibited mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation and NF-κB activation through suppressing nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) P65, degradation and phosphorylation of IκBα, phosphorylation of IκKα/ß, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and P38, and activation of COX-2, thereby exerting the anti-inflammatory effects.Keywords: anti-complement; anti-inflammatory; Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl.; LC-MS; polyphenolys;
Co-reporter:Chun-Yan Shen, Tian-Xing Wang, Xi-Mei Zhang, and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry August 2, 2017 Volume 65(Issue 30) pp:6087-6087
Publication Date(Web):July 7, 2017
DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b02244
Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl. (CAVA) was traditionally used as an edible and medicinal material in China. Total flavonoids (CAVAF), alkaloids (CAVAA), polysaccharides (CAVAP), coumarins (CAVAC), and neroli (CAVAO) were extracted from CAVA. Hesperidin, naringin, and neohesperidin composed 83.94% of CAVAF, and synephrine represented 50.56% of CAVAA. On the basis of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•), 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical cation (ABTS• +), hydroxyl radical (•OH), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and reducing power assays, the antioxidant activities of five components were comprehensively and comparatively investigated. CAVAF had a stronger DPPH• scavenging effect and FRAP and reducing power. CAVAP and CAVAA exhibited comparable •OH scavenging effects to vitamin C. CAVAA showed the highest ABTS• + scavenging activity. In conclusion, different constituents varied significantly toward different sources of free radicals and other oxidants. It is obvious that CAVA has various antioxidant effects, which are attributed to different components.Keywords: alkaloids; antioxidant; Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl.; essential oils; flavonoids; polysaccharides;
Co-reporter:Ming-Hua Liang, Xiao-Ying Qv, Hui Chen, Qiang Wang, and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry April 19, 2017 Volume 65(Issue 15) pp:3190-3190
Publication Date(Web):April 3, 2017
DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b00552
Dunaliella tertiolecta, a halotolerant alga, can accumulate large amounts of neutral lipid, which makes it a potential biodiesel feedstock. In this study, neutral lipids of D. tertiolecta induced by different salinities or N or P starvation were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), flow cytometry (FCM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). High salinities or N or P starvation resulted in a decrease in cell growth and chlorophyll contents of D. tertiolecta. Neutral lipid contents increased markedly after 3–7 days of N starvation or at low NaCl concentrations (0.5–2.0 M). N starvation had a more dramatic effect on the neutral lipid contents of D. tertiolecta than P starvation. Four putative ME isozymes in different conditions can be detected by using isozyme electrophoresis. Two alternative acetyl-CoA producers, ACL and ACS genes, were up-regulated under low salinities and N starvation. It was suggested that low salinities and N starvation are considered efficient ways to stimulate lipid accumulation in D. tertiolecta.Keywords: Dunaliella tertiolecta; flow cytometry; neutral lipid; nitrogen starvation; phosphorus starvation;
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang;Ya-Jun Liu;Li Yang;Jing-Wen Zhao;Wei Zhu
MedChemComm (2010-Present) 2017 vol. 8(Issue 8) pp:1673-1680
Publication Date(Web):2017/08/16
DOI:10.1039/C7MD00240H
Rubus chingii Hu, namely “Fu-pen-zi” in Chinese, has been used as a functional food in China for a long time. This study aims to identify its bioactive constituents with antioxidant and anti-tumor properties. R. chingii was extracted with 95% ethanol and then partitioned into four fractions: petroleum ether fraction, ethyl acetate fraction, n-butanol fraction, and water fraction. Results showed that the ethyl acetate fraction had the strongest antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines (HepG-2, Bel-7402, A549 and MCF-7). Therefore, four compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction, and they were identified as ent-16α,17-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid, tormentic acid, oleanolic acid and β-daucosterol, the first two of which were isolated and identified from R. chingii for the first time. In particular, tormentic acid exhibited excellent cytotoxicity activities against human tumor cell lines. The results obtained in this work might contribute to the understanding of biological activities of R. chingii and further investigation on its potential application is valued for food and drugs.
Co-reporter:Lu-Lu Xue, Jian-Guo Jiang
Algal Research 2017 Volume 25(Volume 25) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 July 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.algal.2017.04.019
•Effect of triethylamine on lipid production of Dunaliella tertiolecta was investigated.•Total lipid production increased by 20% by adding 100 ppm of triethylamine.•Lipid content per cell increased by 80% by adding 100 ppm of triethylamine.•Fatty acid profile changes were beneficial for D. tertiolecta to be used as biodiesel feedstock.Microalgae have become increasingly attractive as feedstocks for biodiesel production since they have many advantages over traditional raw materials, such as strong carbon fixation ability, high growth rate, not competing with arable land etc. In this study, different concentrations of triethylamine were added into the culture medium to test their effects on biomass, chlorophyll content, fatty acid profile and neutral lipid content of Dunaliella tertiolecta. The results showed that biomass production and chlorophyll content were notably reduced by the addition of triethylamine. However, total lipid production and lipid content per cell were significantly enhanced. One hundred ppm showed the greatest boosting effect and elevated the lipid production and lipid content per cell by 20% and 80%, respectively, compared to the control group. Fatty acid profile was also affected, where C16:0 was increased while C18:2 and C18:3 were decreased. The content of C18:1 decreased from 0 to 100 ppm and then elevated as the addition of triethylamine increased from 100 ppm to 200 ppm. Intracellular stress was suspected to have occurred. It can be concluded that triethylamine is an effective inducer of lipid accumulation in D. tertiolecta.
Co-reporter:Qin Ma, Xi-Mei Zhang, Jian-Guo Jiang, Wei Zhu
Journal of Functional Foods 2017 Volume 35(Volume 35) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 August 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.jff.2017.06.026
•Apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide (APG) is first separated from C. japonicum.•APG strongly inhibited ox-LDL-induced macrophage foam cell formation.•APG suppressed lipid droplets accumulation and LDL uptake in RAW 264.7 cells.•APG displayed anti-atherosclerotic activity by inhibiting ERK1/2 activation.Cirsium japonicum DC is a perennial thistle widely distributed in China and has been reported to exhibit various pharmacological activities. Little research has been reported about its chemical constituents with anti-atherosclerotic activity. We investigated the active compounds in C. japonicum through ox-LDL-induced macrophages cell model, and identified an effective compound, apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide, which is first reported in C. japonicum. The anti-atherosclerotic activity of apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide was determined by measuring ox-LDL-induced foam cell formation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide inhibited the uptake of ox-LDL by macrophage and the accumulation of triglyceride in cells. Further research showed that apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide inhibited the scavenger receptor CD36 mRNA and protein expression, and enhanced the expression of scavenger receptor class B type 1, likely resulting from inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Taken together, these results suggest that apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide may be a therapeutic candidate for treating atherosclerosis as well as a dietary complement for health promotion.
Co-reporter:Chun-Yan Shen, Jian-Guo Jiang, Ming-Qiang Li, Chao-Yang Zheng, Wei Zhu
Journal of Functional Foods 2017 Volume 35(Volume 35) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 August 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.jff.2017.05.055
Two polysaccharides CAVAP-I and CAVAP-II from Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl showed significant structural differences. Average molecular weights of CAVAP-I and CAVAP-II were 10.5 kDa and 4.5 kDa. Triple-helix conformation existed in CAVAP-II rather than CAVAP-I. Arabinose, mannose, glucose and galactose formed main components of CAVAP-I and CAVAP-II at different ratios. (1 → 3,6)-β-d-Gal and (1 → 5)-α-l-Ara composed the backbone of CAVAP-I and CAVAP-II. CAVAP-II displayed greater immune enhancement potential than CAVAP-I. CAVAP-II significantly promoted interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production, and inducible nitric oxide synthase, IL-6, TNF-α and interleukin-1 beta mRNA expression by activating phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, P38 and P65. These results indicated that structures were closely related to immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides. CAVAP-II showed the greatest immunostimulation potential followed by CAVAP-I and CAVAPs by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathways.
Co-reporter:Chun-Yan Shen, Wen-Li Zhang, Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Functional Foods 2017 Volume 34(Volume 34) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 July 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.jff.2017.03.060
•Four homogeneous polysaccharides were obtained from H. sabdariffa.•HSPs could significantly promote the proliferation of spleen cells induced by Con A and LPS.•Immune-enhancement activity of HAP-II was better than that of HSP-I, HSP-III and HSP-IV.•HSP-II might activate macrophages through MAPK and NF-kB signaling pathways.Four novel heteropolysaccharides (HSP-I, HSP-II, HSP-III, HSP-IV) were isolated from blossoms of Hibiscus sabdariffa. Average molecular weights of the four polysaccharides were 8.7 × 103 Da, 1.4 × 104 Da, 4.4 × 104 Da and 1.4 × 105 Da, respectively. Glucuronic acid, rhamnose, mannose, glucose and galactose composed the main components of HSP-II at an approximate molar ratio of 1:9.89:4.64:1.99:7.65. (1 → 3)-linked glycosidic bond formed the main linkage type of HSP-II and its branch linkage types were (1→), (1 → 6), and (1 → 2)-linked glycosidic bonds. All fractions could significantly promote the proliferation of spleen cells induced by Con A and LPS. HSP-II showed greater immune enhancement potential than other fractions based on production of NO in RAW264.7 cells. HSP-II also dramatically increased secretion of TNF-α and IL-6, as well as mRNA expression of iNOS, IL-1β and IL-6 through activating phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, p38 and p65. HSP-II might be a novel immunomodulator by activating macrophages through MAPKs and NF-kB signaling pathway.
Co-reporter:Hao-Hong Chen;Xi-Lin Xu;Yu Shang
Food & Function (2010-Present) 2017 vol. 8(Issue 12) pp:4478-4486
Publication Date(Web):2017/12/13
DOI:10.1039/C7FO01102D
Butylparaben sodium (BP), sodium diacetate (SDA) and potassium sorbate (PS) are safe and internationally recognized preservatives. The aim of this study is to further evaluate their toxicities using microalgae cells, and a comparison is made with their mammalian cell cytotoxicities. Unicellular Dunaliella tertiolecta, was employed to test the possible toxicities of BP, SDA and PS. The results show that the three preservatives have a negative effect on D. tertiolecta, as manifested by a strong decrease in chlorophyll and carotenoid content, viable algal cells, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. SDA and PS had small effects on the normal hepatocytes HL7702, but similar to that for MCF-10A cells, BP is toxic. The effective concentration (EC50) value for HL7702 is 215.97 mg L−1. It is concluded that BP, SDA and PS have low toxicities to D. tertiolecta under slightly alkaline conditions, while under acidic conditions, SDA has moderate toxicity and PS has high toxicity. The sensitivity of algal cells is higher than that of HL7702 cells under slightly alkaline conditions, and is even more sensitive under acidic conditions. D. tertiolecta can be used as a pre-screen for toxicity testing.
Co-reporter:Chun-Yan Shen;Li Yang;Chao-Yang Zheng;Wei Zhu
Food & Function (2010-Present) 2017 vol. 8(Issue 2) pp:796-807
Publication Date(Web):2017/02/23
DOI:10.1039/C6FO01545J
The crude polysaccharides of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl (CAVAPs) were extracted and their bioactivities including DPPH radical scavenging activity, cytotoxicity to human breast cancer cells, MCF-7, as well as lung cancer cells, HCC827, and their immune-enhancement activity were evaluated. Results showed that CAVAPs exhibited better immunoenhancement activity compared to the DPPH radical scavenging and anticancer activities. Subsequently, the immune enhancement activity of CAVAPs on RAW264.7 cells was further observed and the results displayed that CAVAPs could significantly stimulate the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in RAW264.7 cells, and promote the mRNA expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), TNF-α, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and IL-6. Furthermore, western blot analysis demonstrated that the phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphorylated p38 and phosphorylated p65 were all remarkably increased in CAVAP-treated RAW264.7 cells. All these results indicated that CAVAPs might activate macrophages through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Additionally, a three-level-three-factor Box–Behnken design (BBD) was performed to optimize the extraction process of CAVAPs for the purpose of application and further research. The maximum extraction yield reached 4.49 ± 0.25%.
Co-reporter:Lu-Lu Xue, Hao-Hong Chen, Jian-Guo Jiang
Progress in Lipid Research 2017 Volume 68(Volume 68) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 October 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.plipres.2017.07.002
Triacylglycerol (TAG) is an important product in oil-producing organisms. Biosynthesis of TAG can be completed through either esterification of fatty acids to glycerol backbone, or through esterification of 2-monoacylglycerol. This review will focus on the former pathway in which two precursors, fatty acid and glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P), are required for TAG formation. Tremendous progress has been made about the enzymes or genes that regulate the biosynthetic pathway of TAG. However, much attention has been paid to the fatty acid provision and the esterification process, while the possible role of G3P is largely neglected. Glycerol is extensively studied on its usage as carbon source for value-added products, but the modification of glycerol metabolism, which is directly associated with G3P synthesis, is seldom recognized in lipid investigations. The relevance among glycerol metabolism, G3P synthesis and lipid production is described, and the role of G3P in glycerol metabolism and lipid production are discussed in detail with an emphasis on how G3P affects lipid production through the modulation of glycerol metabolism. Observations of lipid metabolic changes due to glycerol related disruption in mammals, plants, and microorganisms are introduced. Altering glycerol metabolism results in the changes of final lipid content. Possible regulatory mechanisms concerning the relationship between glycerol metabolism and lipid production are summarized.
Co-reporter:Ming-Hua Liang, Shi-Shui Zhou, Jian-Guo Jiang
Enzyme and Microbial Technology 2017 Volume 102(Volume 102) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 July 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.enzmictec.2017.04.001
•The engineering strain X4 was able to obtain higher expression of HBscFv-IFNγ.•HBscFv-IFNγ displayed an excellent immunoreaction against HBsAg.•HBscFv-IFNγ was purified from the culture supernatant of X4 with a purity of 95–98%.•HBscFv–IFNγ was able to bind 27.9% HBsAg in the serum of HBV transgenic mice.HBscFv-IFNγ, a fusion protein constructed by fusing γ-interferon (IFNγ) with an antibody fragment HBscFv for the purpose of targeted delivery of the cytokine IFNγ, was designed in order to enhance its therapeutic efficacy through increasing its hepatoma localization. HBscFv and IFNγ were connected into HBscFv-IFNγ by the linker (Gly4Ser)3, and then the multicopy recombinant plasmids pPICZαA/(HBscFv-IFNγ)1,2,4 were constructed and transformed into Komagatella (Pichia) pastoris X33. The engineering strain X4, which had much higher copy number and could secretively express HBscFv-IFNγ, was screened from transformed X33 by qPCR. Results from SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and ELISA indicated that HBscFv-IFNγ displayed an excellent immunoreaction against HBsAg. The culture supernatant of X4 was purified by 14F7 affinity chromatography to obtain the fusion protein HBscFv-IFNγ in a purity of 95–98%. The HBscFv–IFNγ was able to bind 27.9% HBsAg in the serum of HBV transgenic mice, showing that the antibody of HBscFv-IFNγ has high binding affinity against HBsAg. The expressing of the recombinant HBscFv-IFNγ in P. pastoris provides a promising and inexpensive diagnostic reagent for preventing HBV infection.
Co-reporter:Qin Ma, Lin-Huan Wang and Jian-Guo Jiang
Food & Function 2016 vol. 7(Issue 5) pp:2179-2184
Publication Date(Web):04 Apr 2016
DOI:10.1039/C6FO00068A
Cirsium japonicum DC is a perennial plant that is widely distributed throughout China. Flavonoids are the major active constituents of C. japonicum, which has been reported to possess many bioactivities. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of flavonoids from C. japonicum against liver injury using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatocyte injury, with silymarin as a positive control. Silymarin is a mixture of flavonoids from Silybum marianum, a traditional European food plant with clear hepatoprotective effects. The results indicated that the pretreatment with C. japonicum flavonoids could significantly reverse CCl4-induced L02 cell viability decrease similarly to silymarin. Analysis of flavonoids of C. japonicum and silymarin by HPLC showed that these two mixtures may contain one common component, which may be the major active ingredient responsible for their hepatoprotective effects. It is concluded that C. japonicum could be developed into functional foods with hepatoprotective efficacy, similarly to S. marianum.
Co-reporter:Ming-Hua Liang;Yun-Fang Hao;Yi-Meng Li;Ying-Jie Liang
Food and Bioprocess Technology 2016 Volume 9( Issue 6) pp:1002-1009
Publication Date(Web):2016 June
DOI:10.1007/s11947-016-1681-6
Dunaliella bardawil is characterized as a mass accumulator of β-carotene through lycopene cyclization by lycopene cyclase catalysis. The present research tried to inhibit the formation of β-carotene in D. bardawil to accumulate lycopene using triethylamine, a lycopene cyclase inhibitor. Results showed that 50 ∼ 100 ppm triethylamine could steadily trigger lycopene production, and 150 ppm triethylamine treatment for 3 days led to maximum proportion of lycopene with lowest proportion of β-carotene. The upstream genes (GGPS, PSY, PDS, and ZDS) involved in lycopene biosynthesis of D. bardawil were upregulated after triethylamine treatment for 3 days. While the transcription levels of the downstream genes (LycB, LycE, and ChyB) were decreased at high triethylamine concentration (50 ∼ 150 ppm). Triethylamine seemed to increase lycopene metabolic flow by inhibiting the expressions of LycB and LycE, which stimulated the expression levels of the upstream genes. The increased expression of upstream genes resulting from the inhibition of lycopene cyclases in D. bardawil provides a new insight into the desired pathway of carotenoid synthesis in algae and plants.
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang;Chuan-Li Lu
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 2016 Volume 71( Issue 4) pp:450-453
Publication Date(Web):2016 December
DOI:10.1007/s11130-016-0570-5
Two novel diphenylheptanes, 2,3- dihydro-2 - (4′ - hydroxy-phenylethyl) - 6 - [(3″,4″ - dihydroxy-5“ - methoxy) phenyl] -4 - pyrone (CG-A) and 4 - dihydro-2 - (4’ - hydroxy-phenylmethyl) -6 - [(3”,4″ - dihydroxy-5″ - methoxyphenyl) methylene]-pyran-3, 5 - dione (CG-B), were isolated from the dried fruits of Amomum tsaoko, a commercially important spice. This study was designed to investigate their protective effects against H2O2-induced nerve injury, using PC-12 cells to determine the cell cytotoxicity and cell viability. The inhibitory effect on (nitric oxide) NO production was also determined in (lipopolysaccharide) LPS-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. The results showed that CG-A and CG-B displayed significant neuroprotective effect and exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that CG-A and CG-B are very important nutritional ingredients responsible for the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory health benefits of A. tsaoko.
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang, Chuan-Li Lu, Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Functional Foods 2015 Volume 18(Part A) pp:423-431
Publication Date(Web):October 2015
DOI:10.1016/j.jff.2015.08.005
•An bioassay-guided isolation was used to identify active constituents in Amomum tsaoko.•4 compounds were identified from A. tsaoko; compounds III, IV are new structure.•Compounds III and IV showed strong antioxidant activity.•Compounds II, III and IV exhibited good cytotoxicity against tested tumour cell lines.This research was aimed to isolate the active compounds with antioxidant and anti-tumour properties from Amomum tsaoko Crevost et Lemaire, a traditional health food in China. Ethanol (95%) extract and ethyl acetate fraction was found to have significant DPPH radical scavenging activities and cytotoxicities against cervical cancer cell Hela, hepatoma cells HepG-2 and SMMC-7721, and lung cancer cell A549. Four compounds were isolated from ethyl acetate fraction, and compounds III and IV are identified as new compounds. Compounds III and IV showed high DPPH radical scavenging activities. Compound II, III and IV exhibited good anti-tumour activity against HepG-2, SMMC-7721, Hela and A549 cell lines. Compound I showed a strong anti-tumour activity only against Hela cell lines. Compounds III and IV were concluded to be the active compositions responsible for potent antioxidant and anti-tumour properties of A. tsaoko, whose molecular mechanism and pathways of inhibiting tumour cell need to be further studied.
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang, Min Wang, Li Yang, Jian-Guo Jiang, Jing-Wen Zhao, Wei Zhu
Journal of Functional Foods 2015 Volume 18(Part A) pp:235-243
Publication Date(Web):October 2015
DOI:10.1016/j.jff.2015.07.006
•An active tracking extraction of ingredients from R. chingii was conducted.•Ethyl acetate (EA) fraction exhibited higher anti-inflammatory activity.•Tiliroside showed the highest activity among five flavonoid glycosides isolated from EA.•Tiliroside exerts anti-inflammatory function by suppressing MAPKs activation in macrophages.Rubus chingii Hu has been used as a functional food for a long time. This work was aimed to identify the anti-inflammatory ingredients from R. chingii by an activity-guided isolation. The ethanol extracts of R. chingii were partitioned into petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, butanol and water fractions, and the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory activity. Five flavonoid glycosides were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction based on anti-inflammatory assay-guided purification, which were identified as quercitrin, hyperoside, tiliroside, astragalin and kaempferol 3-rutinoside. The inhibitory effects of extract fractions and compounds on NO production in LPS-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells were evaluated. The five flavonoid glycosides displayed different degrees of anti-inflammatory activity, among which tiliroside showed stronger activity than others. Further analysis showed that the anti-inflammatory activity of tiliroside might be exerted through inhibiting the activation of ERK and JNK to decrease NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, iNOS and IL-6) production.
Co-reporter:Qiao-hui Zeng, Chuan-Li Lu, Xue-wu Zhang and Jian-Guo Jiang
Food & Function 2015 vol. 6(Issue 2) pp:431-443
Publication Date(Web):25 Nov 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4FO00709C
This study was carried out to isolate ingredients from the seeds of a Chinese spice (Alpinia galangal) and to evaluate their cytotoxic activity on cancer cell lines. Isolation and purification of the phytochemical constituents were conducted using silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and ODS columns. After extraction using 95% ethanol, the total extracts were re-extracted, resulting in petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EA) and water fractions, respectively. Activity tests showed that the EA fraction exhibited obvious (p < 0.05) protective effects on H2O2 damaged PC-12 cells at 20 μg mL−1, and showed much higher (p < 0.05) cytotoxic activity on cancer cell lines than other fractions. Five compounds, 1′-S-1′-acetoxyeugenol acetate (I), 1′-S-1′-acetoxychavicol acetate (II), 2-propenal, 3-[4-(acetyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl] (III), isocoronarin D (IV) and caryolane-1, 9β-diol (V), were obtained from the EA fraction and identified by HPLC, UV, MS, and NMR spectroscopic analyses. Compounds III and V were isolated from A. galangal for the first time. Moreover, compounds I, II, IV and V were the main active ingredients for inducing death of the tested cancer cells, and their IC50 values ranged from 60 to 90 μg mL−1, indicating that these compounds possessed a wide anti-cancer capability. Therefore, A. galangal seeds could be a potential source of healthy food for tumor prevention.
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang, Li Yang and Jian-Guo Jiang
Food & Function 2015 vol. 6(Issue 8) pp:2588-2597
Publication Date(Web):15 Jun 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5FO00388A
The anti-cancer activities of Thonningianin A on the HepG-2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line were evaluated by MTT assay, flow cytometry, quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Results showed that Thonningianin A effectively inhibited the proliferation of HepG-2 cells by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by increase in the sub-G1 cell population, DNA fragmentation, and increase in the content of reactive oxygen species. Activation of caspase-9 and the subsequent activation of caspase-3 indicated that Thonningianin A-induced apoptosis is caspase-dependent. Thonningianin A also disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and down-regulated the Bcl-xL mRNA expression in HepG-2 cells. Thonningianin A induced cell cycle arrest by changing the cyclin D1 and CDK4 mRNA expression levels. Moreover, western blotting showed that Thonningianin A significantly down-regulated the NF-kappa-B cell survival pathway, along with up-regulation of the expression level of phosphorylated P38 and down-regulation of the expression level of phosphorylated ERK. The anti-cancer activity of Thonningianin A was confirmed by the characteristic patterns of DNA fragmentation and cell cycle arrest, suggesting that Th A is an effective antitumor ingredient in natural plant foods, and is worthy of further study.
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang, Li Yang and Jian-Guo Jiang
Food & Function 2015 vol. 6(Issue 7) pp:2205-2214
Publication Date(Web):18 May 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5FO00406C
Dried and unripe fruit of Rubus chingii Hu, known as “Fu-pen-zi” in Chinese, has been used as a food and tonic in China for a long time. In order to analyze its effective ingredients, polysaccharides, flavonoids, saponins and alkaloids were extracted from the unripe fruits and their contents were determined. The in vitro antioxidant, anticomplementary and anticancer activities against human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells of the four major constituents were investigated. Results showed that total flavonoids exhibited an obvious antioxidant activity, which was very close to ascorbic acid. The anticomplementary and anticancer activities of flavonoids were also the best among the four chemical compositions. Therefore, extraction process optimization of flavonoids was conducted using response surface methodology. The optimal conditions were as follows: extraction temperature 72.8 °C, ethanol concentration 30.67%, extraction time 2.66 h, and a liquid/solid ratio of 19.54:1. In addition, total flavonoids were subsequently separated by column chromatography and the major flavonoid was identified as tiliroside. Further experimental data revealed that tiliroside treatment could suppress the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of A549 cells.
Co-reporter:Ying-Jie Liang and Jian-Guo Jiang
RSC Advances 2015 vol. 5(Issue 56) pp:45558-45570
Publication Date(Web):14 May 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5RA04635A
Nowadays, microbial lipids are employed as the feedstock for biodiesel production, which has attracted great attention across the whole world. Malic enzyme (ME) is a key enzyme regulating the lipid accumulation process in oleaginous microorganisms. It catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of L-malate to pyruvate and CO2 with concomitant reduction of NADP+ to NADPH, supplying the reducing power for fatty acid biosynthesis. The extent of lipid accumulation in some fungi is identified to be controlled by ME acting as the sole source of NADPH. This review covers related research about molecular characterization and biochemical properties of MEs from various sources, and summarizes several possible modulators that affect ME activity during the lipid production process. If those harmful effects on ME activity throughout the lipid accumulation can be eliminated, more lipids can be produced. In addition, recent progress in overexpression of the ME gene for lipid biosynthesis is discussed. Quite a few successful stories in lipid overproduction by homologous or heterogenous overexpression of ME have occurred in some transformed microbial strains, indicating that ME is a promising target for gene transformation. However, the role of ME in the regulation of lipid biosynthesis is challenging in some cases.
Co-reporter:Hong-Hao Jin and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2015 Volume 63(Issue 12) pp:3067-3077
Publication Date(Web):February 11, 2015
DOI:10.1021/jf505975k
Oleaginous microorganism is becoming one of the most promising oil feedstocks for biodiesel production due to its great advantages in triglyceride (TAG) accumulation. Previous studies have shown that de novo TAG biosynthesis can be divided into two parts: the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (the upstream part which generates acyl-CoAs) and the glycerol-3-phosphate acylation pathway (the downstream part in which three acyl groups are sequentially added onto a glycerol backbone). This review mainly focuses on two enzymes in the G3P pathway, phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT). The former catalyzes a dephosphorylation reaction, and the latter catalyzes a subsequent acylation reaction. Genes, functional motifs, transmembrane domains, action mechanism, and new studies of the two enzymes are discussed in detail. Furthermore, this review also covers diacylglycerol kinase, an enzyme that catalyzes the reverse reaction of diacylglycerol formation. In addition, PAP and DGAT are the conjunction points of the G3P pathway, the Kennedy pathway, and the CDP-diacylglycerol pathway (CDP-DAG pathway), and the mutual transformation between TAGs and phospholipids is discussed as well. Given that both the Kennedy and CDP-diacylglycerol pathways are in metabolic interlock (MI) with the G3P pathway, it is suggested that, via metabolic engineering, TAG accumulation can be improved by the two pathways based on the pivotal function of PAP and DGAT.
Co-reporter:Xiao-Dan Fan, Yan Hou, Xing-Xin Huang, Tai-Qiu Qiu, and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2015 Volume 63(Issue 18) pp:4597-4605
Publication Date(Web):April 2, 2015
DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.5b00461
Lutein is an important pigment of Chlorella pyrenoidosa with many beneficial functions in human health. The main purpose of this study was to extract lutein from C. pyrenoidosa using ultrasound-enhanced subcritical CO2 extraction (USCCE). Effects of operating conditions on the extraction, including extraction pretreatment, temperature, pressure, time, CO2 flow rate, and ultrasonic power, were investigated, and an orthogonal experiment was designed to study the effects of extraction pressure, temperature, cosolvent amount, and time on the extraction yields. The USCCE method was compared with other extraction methods in terms of the yields of lutein and the microstructure of C. pyrenoidosa powder by scanning electron microscopy. A maximal extraction yield of 124.01 mg lutein/100 g crude material was achieved under optimal conditions of extraction temperature at 27 °C, extraction pressure at 21 MPa, cosolvent amount at 1.5 mL/g ethanol, and ultrasound power at 1000 W. Compared to other methods, USCCE could significantly increase the lutein extraction yield at lower extraction temperature and pressure. Furthermore, the kinetic models of USCCE and subcritical CO2 extraction (SCCE) of lutein from C. pyrenoidosa were set as E = 130.64 × (1 – e–0.6599t) and E = 101.82 × (1 – e–0.5683t), respectively. The differences of parameters in the kinetic models indicate that ultrasound was able to enhance the extraction process of SCCE.
Co-reporter:Ming-Hua Liang, Ying-Jie Liang, Hong-Hao Jin, and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2015 Volume 63(Issue 35) pp:7805-7812
Publication Date(Web):August 20, 2015
DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02732
Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPS) catalyzes the biosynthesis of geranylgeranyl diphosphate, a key precursor for carotenoid biosynthesis. In this study, a full-length cDNA encoding GGPS from Dunaliella bardawil (DbGGPS) was isolated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) for the first time. The full-length cDNA of DbGGPS was 1814 bp, containing a 1074 bp ORF encoding 357 amino acids with a calculated mass of 38.88 kDa. Analysis of DbGGPS genomic DNA revealed that it contained 10 exons and 9 introns. It was predicted that DbGGPS possessed a 48 amino acid transit peptide at its N terminus. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that DbGGPS was a member of a group of polyprenyltransferases with five conserved domains and two highly conserved aspartate-rich motifs. Using heterologous expression, carotenoid complementation assay, and gene deletion analysis, it was shown that the coding region of DbGGPS encodes a functional GGPS. This provides new gene sources for carotenoid genetic engineering.
Co-reporter:Xiao-Dan Fan, Wen-Li Zhang, Hai-Yan Xiao, Tai-Qiu Qiu and Jian-Guo Jiang
RSC Advances 2015 vol. 5(Issue 57) pp:45622-45630
Publication Date(Web):15 May 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5RA03024B
Methamidophos (MDP) and dichlorvos (DDVP) are organophosphorous pesticides which are commonly used for pest control in agriculture to obtain better yields. The occurrence of OPP residues in vegetables is known to cause serious health problems to consumers. In the present research, a laboratory-scale experiment was performed to investigate the effects of ultrasound (US)/ozone (O3) combination on the degradation of the two pesticides on lettuce. Various parameters including ozone flow rate, water temperature, treatment time and initial concentration of OPPs were chosen to identify their effects on the degradation rate of MDP under US/O3 treatment. The degradation rate could reach up to 82.16% under the optimal conditions of ozone flow rate 75 mg min−1, time 60 min, initial concentration 0.1–0.2 mg kg−1, and water temperature 8 °C. It was observed that the treatments with O3, US and US/O3 had no obvious impact on the quality of the lettuce. Subsequently, the reaction kinetics of DDVP degradation in water were studied, and the dynamical equation of US/O3 treatment was obtained as: , which confirmed the practicability and applicability of the US/O3 degradation process.
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang
Food Analytical Methods 2015 Volume 8( Issue 4) pp:937-944
Publication Date(Web):2015 April
DOI:10.1007/s12161-014-9973-9
Rubus chingii Hu, belonging to the family of Rosaceae, is a nutritious fruit with various bioactivities and is widely distributed in both north and south China. This research was aimed to analyse its compositions of essential oils and their potential biological effects. Three different methods, steam distillation extraction (SDE), Soxhlet extraction (SE) with ethanol, and SE with ether, were employed to extract the essential oils from R. chingii. Chemical compositions of the three essential oils were identified by GC-MS; their cytotoxic and anti-complement activities were comparatively studied. Results showed that the yields of essential oils were 0.15 % (SDE), 2.12 % (SE-ethanol) and 1.98 % (SE-ether) (w/w), respectively. A total of 58 compounds were identified, including nine saturated hydrocarbons, 10 unsaturated hydrocarbons, nine alcohols, two carbonyl compounds, 11 esters, seven organic acids, eight oxides and epoxides and two others. Biological evaluation displayed that the essential oils extracted by SE-ether exhibited the highest anti-complementary activity, even higher than heparin (control). The essential oils extracted by SDE and SE-ethanol both showed certain cytotoxicity on A549 cell lines, and the former was higher than the latter. These results indicated the importance of selecting appropriate methods in practice.
Co-reporter:Guang-Hong Wu, Ting Hu, Zi-Yi Li, Zhuo-Lie Huang, Jian-Guo Jiang
Food Chemistry 2014 Volume 148() pp:351-356
Publication Date(Web):1 April 2014
DOI:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.10.029
•W-HNP and A-HNP from P. tuber-regium present significant antioxidant activity.•Both W-HNP and A-HNP can effectively scavenge O2-.•Scavenging activity to O2- of W-HNP were stronger than that of A-HNP.•A-HNP was stronger than W-HNP in other four antioxidant activities.The antioxidant activities of two homogeneous polysaccharides, water extraction of polysaccharide (W-PTR) and alkali extraction of polysaccharide (A-PTR) from Pleurotus tuber-regium (Fr.) Sing. were evaluated. Results showed that W-PTR was stronger than A-PTR in O2- scavenging activity, while A-PTR was stronger than W-PTR in the scavenging activities to OH, DPPH, inhibition effects on liver lipid peroxidation, liver mitochondria swelling, and red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis. At concentration of 0.3 g/L, the O2- scavenging activity of W-PTR and A-PTR were 85.7% and 71.7%. At concentration of 0.25 g/L, the OH scavenging activity of W-PTR and A-PTR were 64.20% and 74.97%. At the concentration of 0.3 g/L, the lipid peroxidation inhibition effects of A-PTR were 79.37%. At concentration of 0.8 g/L, the hemolysis inhibition rate of A-PTR was 77.16%. The polysaccharides of P. tuber-regium had strong antioxidant potency and might be exploited as effective natural antioxidant to alleviate oxidative stress.
Co-reporter:Xiao-Ying Qv;Qin-Fan Zhou
Journal of Separation Science 2014 Volume 37( Issue 20) pp:2991-2999
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/jssc.201400458
Microalgal lipid is considered as a potential biodiesel resource due to its advantages compared to other bioresources. The production of biofuel from microalgae includes several stages like microalgae cultivation, biomass harvest, biomass treatment, lipid extraction, and the ultimate biodiesel synthesis. Lipid extraction is closely associated with the productivity and cost of energy production. In the present study, lipid of green algae Dunaliella tertiolecta was extracted by chemical agents with involvement of ultrasound and microwave. The optimization of experimental conditions was carried out by response surface methodology and orthogonal test design. Using the ultrasonic technique, an extraction rate of 45.94% was obtained under the optimum conditions of ultrasonic power 370 W, extraction time 5 min and liquid/solid ratio 125 mL/g. The extraction rate of 57.02% was obtained by the means of microwave assistance under the optimized conditions of extraction time 160 s, microwave power 490 W and liquid/solid ratio 100 mL/g. The comparison of the two results indicated microwave was more effective than ultrasound in extracting process. When the two techniques were utilized in combination, the optimized condition was ultrasonic power 320 W, ultrasonic time 4 min, microwave power 280 W, microwave time 120 s and liquid/solid ratio 100 mL/g, and the extraction rate was 49.97%.
Co-reporter:Ting Hu, Xiao-Wei He, Jian-Guo Jiang, and Xi-Lin Xu
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2014 Volume 62(Issue 7) pp:1449-1455
Publication Date(Web):January 31, 2014
DOI:10.1021/jf405820v
As olive oil is the main source of calories in the Mediterranean diet, a large number of studies have been carried out to characterize its role in various diseases and exploitation for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, carcinogenesis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and other diseases. As one of the major polyphenols present in virgin olive oil, hydroxytyrosol shows a variety of pharmacological activities such as antioxidant properties, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities, and beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, which show its potentiality for the development of dietary supplements. In the future, more attention should be paid to its action mechanism in vivo and synergistic effect. Further research will be performed to provide the theoretical basis for hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives use as health supplements.
Co-reporter:Ting Hu, Xiao-Wei He, and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2014 Volume 62(Issue 34) pp:8608-8615
Publication Date(Web):August 13, 2014
DOI:10.1021/jf501670v
Ilex latifolia Thunb., widely distributed in China, has been used as a functional food and drunk for a long time. This study was aimed to identify the bioactive constituents with antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory properties. I. latifolia was extracted with 95% ethanol and then partitioned into four fractions: petroleum ether fraction, ethyl acetate fraction, n-butanol fraction, and water fraction. Results showed that the ethyl acetate fraction was found to have significant ferric reducing antioxidant power activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity, cytotoxicity against human cervix carcinoma HeLa cells, and inhibitory effect on NO production in macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Five compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction, and they were identified as ethyl caffeate (1), ursolic acid (2), chlorogenic acid (3), 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (4), and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (5), the last two of which were isolated for the first time from I. latifolia. Compounds 4 and 5 exhibited cytotoxicity actions against tumor cell line. Compound 3 showed the strongest anti-inflammatory activity of all the compounds. The results obtained in this work might contribute to the understanding of biological activities of I. latifolia and further investigation on its potential application values for food and drug.
Co-reporter:Ting Hu, Xiao-Wei He, Jian-Guo Jiang and Xi-Lin Xu
Food & Function 2014 vol. 5(Issue 5) pp:876-881
Publication Date(Web):28 Jan 2014
DOI:10.1039/C3FO60603A
In order to evaluate the health effects of Ilex latifolia Thunb., a Chinese bitter tea widely consumed as a health beverage, flavonoids, saponins, polysaccharides and alkaloids were extracted from its leaves and their in vitro antioxidant activity, anticomplement system activity, antiproliferative effects against human cervical carcinoma Hela cells, and anti-inflammatory effects against mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells were analyzed. Results showed that the polysaccharides exhibited a considerable inhibition of the complement system, the hemolysis inhibition rate reached 98% at a concentration of 0.8 mg mL−1, which was clearly higher than that of the positive control (heparin sodium). The total flavonoids displayed significant DPPH scavenging activity and an inhibition effect on the generation of NO in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. In addition, the total saponins showed a better antiproliferative effect against Hela cells, and the total alkaloids exhibited a high reducing power. It is obvious that I. latifolia has a variety of nutritional and health functions which are attributed to its different components. The analysis method presented in this research can suggest lessons for analysis of other plant foods.
Co-reporter:Xiao-Ying Qv, Yan-Yun Guo and Jian-Guo Jiang
RSC Advances 2014 vol. 4(Issue 79) pp:42202-42210
Publication Date(Web):20 Aug 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4RA04192E
Bio-energy is arousing the common interest of worldwide researchers to investigate it as a substitute for fossil resources. Compared to other bio-energy sources, algae energy has many advantages. This research was aimed to increase the lipid productivity of Dunaliella tertiolecta, an oleaginous microalgae, by optimizing algal culture medium. Plackett–Burman Design (PBD) was adopted to screen out the critical factors from seven nutritional elements. Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used to seek the optimal nutritional conditions for achieving maximum lipid productivity. Results showed that four nutrients, i.e. NaNO3, NaCl, NaHCO3 and NaH2PO42H2O, played a critical role in the accumulation of lipid. GC analysis verified that the four critical nutrients mentioned above had different influences on fatty acid methyl esters, moreover, NaCl had the most prominent effects on fatty acid composition of D. tertiolecta. NaCl 87.69 g L−1, NaNO3 1.77 g L−1, NaH2PO4·2H2O 1.92 g L−1, NaHCO3 5.57 g L−1 were proven to be the optimal culture conditions, under which the lipid productivity in the experiment was 12.576 ± 0.12 mg per L per day, which is approaching the theoretically predicted lipid productivity of 12.925 mg per L per day. The lipid productivity was increased by 31.4% under the optimal culture conditions compared to that under the initial medium composition, indicating that optimization of nutrients could effectively improve the lipid production of D. tertiolecta.
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang, Chuan-Li Lu and Jian-Guo Jiang
Food & Function 2014 vol. 5(Issue 8) pp:1747-1754
Publication Date(Web):06 May 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4FO00169A
In this work, a phytochemical investigation was conducted on Amomum tsaoko Crevost et Lemaire, a traditional Chinese spice. Based on spectroscopic methods including MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT135 and HMQC spectroscopy, eight main chemical compositions, sitosterol, daucosterol, meso-hannokinol, quercetin, epicatechin, quercetin-7-O-β-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-β-glucoside, and catechol, were isolated and identified from A. tsaoko, among which quercetin, quercetin-7-O-β-glucoside and quercetin-3-O-β-glucoside were first found in A. tsaoko. Their bioactivities were evaluated by the inhibitory effect on NO production in LPS-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells, the protective effect on H2O2-induced apoptosis of PC-12 cells and the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Epicatechin exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory properties; its inhibition rate was up to 63.65% at a concentration of 100 μg mL−1. In addition, quercetin showed the strongest neuroprotective effect of PC-12 cells induced by H2O2, and the cell viability was up to 78.9% at a concentration of 50 μg mL−1. Quercetin also exhibited excellent DPPH radical-scavenging activity at a concentration of 100 μg mL−1 (DPPH radical inhibition rate > 80%), which was very close to Vc at the same concentration. It is concluded that, in A. tsaoko, different ingredients have their own health functions.
Co-reporter:Yun-Fang Hao, Chuan-Li Lu, Dong-Jun Li, Liang Zhu, Jian-Guo Jiang and Jin-Hua Piao
Food & Function 2014 vol. 5(Issue 7) pp:1369-1373
Publication Date(Web):11 Mar 2014
DOI:10.1039/C3FO60687B
Curcuma phaeocaulis Val. has been used as a health food in China for a long time. This research aimed to isolate and identify its active compounds with protective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced PC12 cell death. 70% ethanol extracts of C. phaeocaulis were re-extracted and three fractions of water, petroleum ether and ethyl acetate were obtained. Three diphenylheptane compounds from the ethyl acetate fraction were identified for the first time from C. phaeocaulis, and compound III was considered to be a new structure. All of the three compounds displayed certain protective effects against toxicity in PC12 cells. For all concentrations, compound III displayed a more significant protective effect than ethanol extracts, the ethyl acetate fraction, and the other two compounds. At a concentration of 50 μg mL−1, the survival rate of damaged PC-12 cells treated with compound III reached 84.7%. Diphenylheptanes were concluded to be the main compounds responsible for the health effects of C. phaeocaulis.
Co-reporter:Yong-Min Lao;Li-Xin Luo
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 2014 Volume 173( Issue 5) pp:1274-1292
Publication Date(Web):2014 July
DOI:10.1007/s12010-014-0915-1
A complementary DNA (cDNA) of nitrate reductase (NR) from Dunaliella bardawil was isolated using RT-PCR and RACEs techniques. The full-length D. bardawil NR (DbNR) cDNA is 3,107 bp containing a putative open reading frame of 2,670 bp in length which encodes 889 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight (MW) of 98.37 kDa, a 34-bp 5′-untranslated region, and a 3′-untranslated region of 403 bp with a poly (A) tail. BLAST search showed that the nucleotide and putative protein sequence exhibit sequence identities of 92 and 79 % with the corresponding gene from Dunaliella tertiolecta, respectively. Protein structural analysis showed a typical NR structure of DbNR with five structural distinctive domains which form three common subparts of eukaryotic NR (Euk-NR). Phylogenetic analysis based on the holo-DbNR and sulfite oxidase (SO) and cytochrome b reductase (CbR) subparts manifested that (1) DbNR has a closer relationship with those counterparts from algae and higher plants than from other species and (2) DbNR might have evolved from ancient SO and CbR in a “domain shuffling” pattern. The glycerol contents and transcriptional expression patterns of DbNR under salt stress and dilution shock treatments were also traced. The results implied an indirect role of NaCl on the induction of DbNR through an osmoregulation pathway.
Co-reporter:Z-W Ye, X-M Wu, L-J Zhang, Z-L Huang and J-G Jiang
International Journal of Obesity 2013 37(12) pp:1616
Publication Date(Web):2013-12-01
DOI:10.1038/ijo.2013.168
Correction to: International Journal of Obesity (2010) 34, 157–164; doi:10.1038/ijo.2009.197; published online 29 September 2009.The authors would like to apologize for the omission of two authors, Dr Li-Jun Zhang and Dr Zhi-Li Huang, from this article. The corrected author list and affiliations are shown above.This work was supported by Science and Technology Project of Shenzhen City (07KJba160).
Co-reporter:Guang-Hong Wu, Ting Hu, Zhuo-Lie Huang, Jian-Guo Jiang
Carbohydrate Polymers 2013 Volume 96(Issue 1) pp:284-290
Publication Date(Web):1 July 2013
DOI:10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.03.036
•W-PTR and A-PTR from P. tuber-regium were extracted by hot water and alkali methods.•Optimum extraction for W-PTR: temperature 100 °C, solid/liquid ratio 1:30, time 2 h.•Optimum extraction for A-PTR: solid/liquid ratio 1:6, NaOH 0.5 mol/l, time 2 h.•W-PTR and A-PTR were different in color, solubility, monosaccharide and molecular weight.Pleurotus tuber-regium sclerotia, an edible and medicinal mushroom, is a rich source of polysaccharides used as a functional food to promote health and longevity. The crude polysaccharides were isolated from the P. tuber-regium by hot aqueous and alkali extraction and then further purified by DEAE-52 cellulose chromatography and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. Two polysaccharides, water and alkaline extraction of polysaccharides (W-PTR and A-PTR), were obtained and their extraction process were optimized through orthogonal array design. Structure characteristics (physicochemical property analysis, molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, sulfate and uronic acid contents, triple helical structures, ultraviolet spectrum and infrared spectroscopy) of the two polysaccharides were investigated. Results showed that the main difference between the two polysaccharides is reflected in color, solubility, molecular weight and monosaccharide composition. Conformational analysis showed that both W-PTP and A-PTP had triple-helix conformation. The 3D structure of the two polysaccharides and their structure–function relationship will be challenge in the future.
Co-reporter:Tian-Tian Zhang, Xi-Lin Xu, Ming-Hua Jiang and Jian-Guo Jiang
Food & Function 2013 vol. 4(Issue 11) pp:1581-1585
Publication Date(Web):19 Aug 2013
DOI:10.1039/C3FO60245A
This research was to figure out the hepatoprotective constituents of Penthorum chinense Pursh, a typical species both for food and medicine, using carbon tetrachloride-induced chronic hepatotoxicity in HL-7702 cells. Cell viability, levels of microsomal enzymes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined in homogenates of the liver cells. Results showed that the cell viability increased significantly in all test groups in a concentration-dependent manner and the content of the peroxidation product MDA decreased significantly, similar to the serum levels of hepatic enzyme biomarkers (ALT and AST). The effects of 70% ethanol extracts and Vc were better than 95% ethanol and water extracts, and the ethyl acetate extracts further obtained from 70% ethanol fraction showed the highest hepatoprotective activity, even better than Vc. The ethyl acetate fraction from 70% ethanol extracts is responsible for the hepatoprotective function of P. chinense.
Co-reporter:Yan Hou and Jian-Guo Jiang
Food & Function 2013 vol. 4(Issue 12) pp:1727-1741
Publication Date(Web):04 Sep 2013
DOI:10.1039/C3FO60295H
The viewpoints of “medicine food homology” (MFH) conform to today's food requirements of returning to a natural and green healthy life. This paper aims to introduce the concept of MFH and its origin and evolution, and analyze the relationship between food and Chinese medicine. In this review, more than 80 MFH materials approved by China's Ministry of Health are listed and their effective ingredients are summarized in detail. Their treatment mechanism in TCM and western medicine are summarized too. Moreover, some new MFH resources that have been gradually developed are also introduced. MFH materials are a treasure house of functional factors for current functional foods. Innovative ideas for the development of MFH resources in current functional foods are prospected and discussed, such as taking advantage of Chinese diet theory, building a database for MFH varieties and developing new methods and technologies. At present, modern research for the development of MFH functional foods is still in its primary stage, there is still much work required in the popularization of the MFH concept and the development of new products. Knowledge and technological innovations in this area should be accelerated in the future to promote the modernization of MFH.
Co-reporter:Qiao-Hui Zeng, Xue-Wu Zhang, Xi-Lin Xu, Ming-Hua Jiang, Kai-Peng Xu, Jin-Hua Piao, Liang Zhu, Jian Chen and Jian-Guo Jiang
Food & Function 2013 vol. 4(Issue 12) pp:1811-1818
Publication Date(Web):24 Sep 2013
DOI:10.1039/C3FO60342C
Penthorum chinense Pursh is rich in flavonoids, which have strong antioxidant and anticomplement activities. In order to optimize their extraction conditions, various extraction parameters were chosen to identify their effects on flavonoids extraction. Single factor and Box–Behnken experimental designs consisting of 24 experimental runs and five replicates at zero point were applied to obtain the optimal extraction yield. The optimization conditions for flavonoids extraction were determined as follows: ethanol concentration 60.89%, extraction time 68.15 min, temperature 52.89 °C and liquid/solid ratio 19.70:1. The corresponding flavonoids content was 7.19%. The regression equation was found to fit well with the actual situation. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity (the free radical scavenging ability and ferric reducing/antioxidant power) and anticomplement ability of the flavonoids from P. chinense were determined. Results showed that the flavonoids of P. chinense displayed significant antioxidant and anticomplement activities. Its antioxidant activity can compete with ascorbic acid (Vc), whereas its anticomplement activity (IC50 = 111.6 μg ml−1) surpassed the effect of heparin (IC50 = 399.7 μg ml−1) which was used as the positive control, suggesting that P. chinense flavonoids and their related products could potentially be used as a promising natural agent in the treatment of humoral effector inflammation.
Co-reporter:Qun Lu and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2013 Volume 61(Issue 6) pp:1417-1417
Publication Date(Web):January 10, 2013
DOI:10.1021/jf3047237
Co-reporter:Yan Lu
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 2013 Volume 169( Issue 3) pp:923-940
Publication Date(Web):2013 February
DOI:10.1007/s12010-012-0026-9
Active components from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are the material basis for disease treatment. Extraction, identification, and transformation are the critical processes to analyze and use the active components of TCM. Botanic TCM takes up 90 % of total Chinese crude drugs. Some active components are complex and of lower level; moreover, most of them are enveloped under plant cell wall. Traditional extraction methods such as lixiviate method, decoction, and others are often hindered by cell wall, leading to low extraction efficiency, low clearance of impurity, and other problems, which have restricted the development of TCM. This paper reviews both domestically and internationally published literatures in recent years on application of enzymatic methods in the extraction and transformation of active ingredients from TCM. Principles of enzymatic method and its application in extraction and transformation of active ingredients and in dreg recycles of TCM are introduced in detail. With the development of TCM modernization, enzymatic method applied in the domain of TCM has achieved prominent benefits, not only improving the extraction and separation rate of active ingredients from TCM and elevating the transformation level and production, but also reducing costs in the transformation of active ingredients.
Co-reporter:Yong-Min Lao, Yan Lu, Jian-Guo Jiang, and Li-Xin Luo
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2012 Volume 60(Issue 36) pp:9211-9220
Publication Date(Web):August 20, 2012
DOI:10.1021/jf302659z
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a well-known proverbial protein involved in various functions in vivo. The functional diversity of GAPDH from Dunaliella bardawil (DbGAPDH) may relate to the regulatory elements lying in the promoter at the transcriptional level. Using RT-PCR and RACE reactions, gapdh cDNA was isolated, and the full-length genomic sequence was obtained by LA-PCR-based genome walking. The full-length cDNA sequence was 1645 bp containing an 1128 bp putative open reading frame (ORF), which coded a 375 amino acids-deduced polypeptide whose molecular weight was 40.27 kDa computationally. Protein conserved domain search and structural computation found that DbGAPDH consists of two structural conserved domains highly homologous in most species; multiple sequence alignment discovered two positive charge residues (Lys164 and Arg 233), which play a critical role in the protein–protein interaction between GAPDH, phosphoribulokinase (PRK), and CP12. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that DbGAPDH has a closer relationship with analogues from algae and higher plants than with those from other species. In silico analysis of the promoter region revealed six potential regulatory elements might be involved in four hypothesized functions characterized by chloroplast GAPDH: oxygen-, light-, pathogen-, and cold-induced regulation. These results might supply some hints for the functional diversity mechanisms of DbGAPDH, and fresh information for further research to bridge the gap between our knowledge of DNA and protein structure and our understanding of functional biology in GAPDH regulation.
Co-reporter:Qun Lu, Ming-Hua Jiang, Jian-Guo Jiang, Rui-Fen Zhang, and Ming-Wei Zhang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2012 Volume 60(Issue 44) pp:11097-11103
Publication Date(Web):October 17, 2012
DOI:10.1021/jf303755w
Penthorum chinense Pursh, widely distributed in eastern Asia, has long been used in China for both food and medicine due to its various bioactivities. The aim of this study was to isolate its active compounds with antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma properties. P. chinense was extracted with 95% ethanol, 70% ethanol, and water, respectively, and then the 70% ethanol extract was re-extracted, resulting in petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water fractions, subsequently. Results showed that the antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma activities of ethanol extracts were stronger than those of aqueous extract, and the ethyl acetate fraction of 70% ethanol extract showed the highest activities. Four compounds, β-sitosterol, quercetin, pinocembrin-7-O-[3-O-galloyl-4″,6″-hexahydroxydiphenoyl]-β-glucose (PGHG), and thonningianins A (Th A), were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction and identified by UV, MS, and NMR spectroscopic analysis. Th A was isolated from P. chinense for the first time. PGHG and Th A exhibited higher antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma activities than did other isolated parts of P. chinense. The antihepatocarcinoma activity of Th A was much higher than that of positive control (5-fluorouracil). PGHG and Th A were suggested to be the active chemical compositions responsible for potent antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma properties of P. chinense, which are worthy of further study.
Co-reporter:Chuan-Li Lu, Yan-Min Li, Guo-Qiang Fu, Li Yang, Jian-Guo Jiang, Liang Zhu, Fu-Lan Lin, Jian Chen, Qing-Shen Lin
Food Chemistry 2011 Volume 124(Issue 4) pp:1500-1506
Publication Date(Web):15 February 2011
DOI:10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.08.002
The bark of Wikstroemia indica is rich in daphnoretin, which has strong antiviral and anti-tumour activities. In order to optimise the extraction conditions of daphnoretin from the bark of W. indica, various extraction parameters were chosen to identify their effects on daphnoretin extraction. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to obtain the optimal combination of these parameters. Results showed that the optimisation conditions for daphnoretin extraction were: ethanol concentration 67.44%, extraction time 49.44 min, temperature 60.19 °C and liquid–solid ratio 23.49:1. The maximum extraction of daphnoretin obtained experimentally was 2.18‰. The mathematical model developed was found to fit well with the experimental data. Further, four kinds of human cancer cell lines, HeLa, A549, CNE and HEp-2, were tested in vitro to explore the anti-tumour spectrum of daphnoretin. It was found for the first time that daphnoretin showed significant inhibition on the proliferation of CNE and HeLa cells.
Co-reporter:Qun Lu, Di-Cai Li, and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2011 Volume 59(Issue 24) pp:13004-13011
Publication Date(Web):November 16, 2011
DOI:10.1021/jf203194w
Tea polyphenol is rich in green tea with diverse biological activities. However, its application in the food industry is limited due to its instability toward oxygen and light. In this study, the preparation of tea polyphenol liposome by the thin film ultrasonic dispersion method was performed in order to enhance the bioavailability of tea polyphenol. The process conditions were optimized using response surface analysis, and the optimal parameters were as follows: ratio of tea polyphenol to lecithin, 0.125:1; ratio of lecithin to cholesterol, 4:1; phosphate buffered saline (PBS) pH, 6.62; ultrasonic time, 3.5 min. The theoretical and practical entrapment efficiency were 60.36% and 60.09 ± 0.69%, respectively. Furthermore, physicochemical properties including size distribution, zeta potential, permeability, infrared spectrum and in vitro release of liposomal formulations were determined. The mean size of tea polyphenol liposome was 160.4 nm, and the ζ-potential value was −67.2. The tea polyphenol liposome was formed by physical interaction, and the in vitro release process followed a first-order equation. The results indicated that the prepared tea polyphenol liposome was stable and suitable for more widespread application.
Co-reporter:Zhi-Ping Zeng
British Journal of Pharmacology 2010 Volume 159( Issue 7) pp:1374-1391
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00645.x
Compared with the therapeutic effects of established medicinal drugs, it is often considered that natural product-derived drugs are of a more benign nature in side-effects, which has made natural medicines become a popular form of therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is generally considered as being natural and harmless. TCM has been paid much more attention than before and widely used for the treatment nowadays. However, with the increasing cases of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), the ADRs induced by TCM are becoming more widely recognized. Some ADRs are sometimes even life-threatening. This article reviews literatures on ADRs induced by TCM which was published in the past 10 years. A total of 3122 cases including complete data are selected for the present analysis. From the data of the 3122 cases, statistics is carried out to the distribution of administration routes and time of the occurrence of ADRs, the prognosis of ADRs, sex and age factors, types and clinical symptoms of ADRs, and drugs involved in ADRs. In addition, occurrence and influencing factors of TCM-induced diseases are also analysed, which includes spices confusion, processing drugs improperly, toxic components, long-term medication, improper concerted application, interaction of TCM and Western medicine. It is concluded that the efficacy and toxicity of TCM, often using the compound prescription involving various plants and animals, resulted from a variety of chemical constituents, which lead to a comprehensive response in the human body. The ‘toxicity’ of TCM should be correctly recognized and reasonably utilized.
Co-reporter:Chuan-Li Lu;Xiao-Ying Qv
Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2010 Volume 14( Issue 12) pp:2721-2728
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1111/j.1582-4934.2010.01178.x
Abstract
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Introduction
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Proteomics and its adaptive multi-disciplinary
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Relationship between proteomics and syndrome of Chinese medicine
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Applications of proteomics in syndrome
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Problems and prospects
Syndrome of Chinese medicine is an understanding of the regularity of disease occurrence and development and its performance of symptoms. Syndrome is the key to recognize diseases and the foundation to treat them. However, because of the complexity of the concept and the limitation of present investigations, the research of syndrome is hard to go further. Proteomics has been received extensive attention in the area of medical diagnosis and drug development. In the holistic and systemic context, proteomics have a convergence with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome, which could overcome the one-sidedness and singleness of TCM and avoid the complication and tedious processes. Chinese medicine has a wealth of experience and proteomics has a substantial research potential, the integration of the two aspects will bring a great enhancement of our knowledge of disease.
Co-reporter:Xian-Ke Zhong, Xin Jin, Feng-Ying Lai, Qing-Sheng Lin, Jian-Guo Jiang
Carbohydrate Polymers 2010 Volume 82(Issue 3) pp:722-727
Publication Date(Web):15 October 2010
DOI:10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.05.042
The polysaccharide of Opuntia ficus indica Mill. was isolated by water, and purified by Sephacryl S-400 HR column. The purity of polysaccharide was evaluated by HPLC coupled with gel permeation chromatography. Results showed that the neutral monosaccharide composition of O. ficus indica polysaccharide was rhamnose, arabinose, and glucose in a molar ratio of 1.00:2.98:2.57, with an average molecular weight of about 172,591 Da. Further, its antioxidant capacities in vitro were respectively evaluated by the assays of inhibition of pyrogallol autoxidation, scavenging hydroxyl radical, and liver lipid peroxidation inhibiting. The crude water-soluble polysaccharide and purified polysaccharide showed notable free radical scavenging activity and hydroxyl radical-induced liver lipid peroxidation inhibiting ability, suggesting that O. ficus indica polysaccharide may be considered as a potential candidate for the natural antioxidants and possible health-promoting functional foods.
Co-reporter:Li Yang;Ya-Lan Cao;Qing-Sheng Lin;Jian Chen ;Liang Zhu
Journal of Separation Science 2010 Volume 33( Issue 9) pp:1349-1355
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/jssc.200900776
Abstract
Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl is a member of genus Citrus (Rutaceae) and has been used in Chinese medicine with the effectiveness of digestant and expectorant. Ultrasonic-assisted extraction process for maximum flavonoids from the flower of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl was investigated by response surface methodology. Through single factor experiment, ranges of the main variables (including ethanol concentration, solid/liquid ratio, extraction time and temperature) affecting the extraction yield of flavonoids were confirmed. Box–Behnken central composite design consisting of 24 experimental runs and 5 replicates at zero point was then applied and a regress model was obtained to predict the optimal extraction yield. The ANOVA indicated that the regression equation fits very well with the actual situation, reflecting the relationship between the extraction yield of flavonoids and extraction conditions. The optimal conditions were as follows: extraction temperature 72.11°C, time 51.89 min, ethanol concentration 51.19% and liquid/solid ratio of 40:10. Under the optimal conditions, the maximum response value of yield (1.88%) was consistent with the experimental value (1.87%), indicating the feasibility and validation of response surface methodology in optimizing the extraction of flavonoids from the flower of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl.
Co-reporter:Zhi-Wei Ye and Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2010 Volume 58(Issue 21) pp:11477-11482
Publication Date(Web):October 13, 2010
DOI:10.1021/jf102885n
The green alga Dunaliella has become a valuable model organism for understanding the interesting mechanism of massive carotenoid accumulation. Previously, DNA sequences of several carotenogenic enzymes were obtained from Dunaliella. In this study, the cDNA of zds was isolated from Dunaliella salina using a polymerase chain reaction approach. The full-length cDNA sequence was 2178 base pairs (bp) containing a 1731 bp putative open reading frame which coded a 576 amino acid deduced polypeptide whose molecular weight was 63.9 kDa computationally. A complete homologous search displayed that the nucleotide and putative protein sequence have sequence identities of 69% and 66% with those of green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, respectively. It was predicted that this ζ-carotene desaturase (Zds) may be located in the chloroplast of D. salina. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the D. salina Zds had a closer relationship with the Zds of algae and higher plants than with those of other species.
Co-reporter:Di-Cai Li, Xian-Ke Zhong, Zhi-Ping Zeng, Jian-Guo Jiang, Lin Li, Mou-Ming Zhao, Xiao-Quan Yang, Jian Chen, Ben-Shan Zhang, Qiang-Zhong Zhao, Ming-Yong Xie, Hua Xiong, Ze-Yuan Deng, Xiao-Ming Zhang, Shi-Ying Xu, Yan-Xiang Gao
Journal of Controlled Release 2009 Volume 138(Issue 2) pp:103-112
Publication Date(Web):1 September 2009
DOI:10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.05.008
Targeted drug delivery system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) refers to those using different carriers to make the effective parts or monomer extracted from TCM or natural medicine into agents which can directly concentrate on the target site. This system is an ideal delivery approach and has became a hot spot in the field of TCM pharmaceutical research since it can improve the pharmacological effects and reduce the adverse reactions. This paper reviews literatures on TCM targeted agents which were published in the past 10 years. In accordance with the different carriers, four types of agents, liposome, nanoparticle, microsphere, and emulsion are analyzed. Liposomes were studied most profoundly and a variety of new types of liposomes was developed on the basis of the traditional liposomes. Using natural or synthetic polymer materials to carry drugs, nanoparticles and microspheres can promote the drug through the blood–brain barrier and enhance its bioavailability. Emulsion has lymphatic affinity and the drug is coated in the internal phase, which can protect the drugs from hydrolysis. All these delivery agents are proved to be effective ways to improve the clinical efficacy of drugs, and each is discussed in detail with examples. At present, TCM targeted agents are still in the exploratory stage and many problems need to be solved. Especially, it is a huge challenge to research the targeted delivery systems for the effective parts of Chinese medicines and compound prescriptions, and the paper gives a particular discussion on this point. In the future, more attention should be paid to the research on the particle agents of TCM effective parts, and the development of new carrier materials in order to enhance the overall quality of TCM targeted agents.Four types of targeted agents, liposome, nanoparticle, microsphere, and emulsion are widely used in TCM. Liposomes were studied most profoundly and the figure showed the structure of PEG-modified liposome.
Co-reporter:Yong-Min Lao, ;Lu Yan
British Journal of Pharmacology 2009 Volume 157( Issue 7) pp:1128-1141
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00257.x
In the recent years, a wide range of metabonomic analytical techniques are widely used in the modern research of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). At the same time, the international community has attached increasing importance to TCM toxicity problems. Thus, many studies have been implemented to investigate the toxicity mechanisms of TCM. Among these studies, many metabonomic-based methods have been implemented to facilitate TCM toxicity investigation. At present, the most prevailing methods for TCM toxicity research are mainly single analysis techniques using only one analytical means. These techniques include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), etc.; with these techniques, some favourable outcomes have been gained in the toxic reaction studies of TCM, such as the action target organs assay, the establishment of action pattern, the elucidation of action mechanism and the exploration of action material foundation. However, every analytical technique has its advantages and drawbacks, no existing analytical technique can be versatile. Multi-analysed techniques can partially overcome the shortcomings of single-analysed techniques. Combination of GC-MS and LC-MS metabolic profiling approaches has unravelled the pathological outcomes of aristolochic acid-induced nephrotoxicity, which can not be achieved by single-analysed techniques. It is believed that with the further development of metabonomic analytical techniques, especially multi-analysed techniques, metabonomics will greatly promote TCM toxicity research and be beneficial to the modernization of TCM in terms of extending the application of modern means in the TCM safety assessment, assisting the formulation of TCM safety norms and establishing the international standards indicators.
Co-reporter:Hui Chen, Jian-Guo Jiang and Guang-Hong Wu
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2009 Volume 57(Issue 14) pp:6178-6182
Publication Date(Web):June 23, 2009
DOI:10.1021/jf900447r
Dunaliella salina could survive in media containing a wide range of NaCl concentrations ranging from about 0.05 M to saturation (around 5.5 M). Glycerol is an important osmolyte when Dunaliella survive in various salt environments, and G3pdh is a key enzyme in glycerol metabolism. The osmotic response of D. salina was investigated by studying its cell growth, glycerol content change, and isozyme activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3pdh) in different salinities. Results showed that 2.0 M NaCl was the optimal salinity for the growth of D. salina, in which condition the highest glycerol content of 64.02 ± 3.21 (mean ± SD) μg/mL was detected. D. salina could rapidly increase or decrease glycerol contents to adapt to hypoosmotic or hyperosmotic environments. The glycerol content declined 52.05% when salinity was changed from 2.0 to 0.5 M NaCl, and the glycerol content increased 43.61% when salinity was increased from 2.0 to 5.0 M NaCl. In the isozyme electrophoresis assay two kinds of isozymes, G3pdh and superoxide dismutase (Sod), were detected synchronously. Interestingly, it was first found that there are five isozymes of G3pdh in D. salina. G3pdh-2 mainly takes effect in moderate to high salinities, whereas the other four isozymes take effect in low salinities, which may provide an important clue for future research on osmoregulation mechanisms.
Co-reporter:Li Yang;Wei-Feng Li;Jian Chen;Ding-Yong Wang;Liang Zhu
Journal of Separation Science 2009 Volume 32( Issue 9) pp:1437-1444
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/jssc.200800744
Abstract
Phyllanthus emblica L. is an economic plant used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of various diseases. The bark of P. emblica is rich in polyphenols and its extractions have shown strong antioxidative and radical scavenging activity. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to assess the optimal extraction of polyphenols from P. emblica bark. Various extraction parameters including ethanol concentration, extraction time, temperature, solid–liquid ratio, and extraction times were chosen to identify their effects on polyphenols extraction. Among these parameters, extraction times and solvent concentration were found to have significant effect on polyphenols extraction. RSM was applied to obtain the optimal combination of solvent concentration, extraction time, temperature, and extraction time for maximum rate of extraction. The most suitable condition for the extraction of polyphenols was at ethanol concentration 75%, extraction time 25 min, extraction temperature 45°C, and extraction times 3. At these optimal extraction parameters, the maximum extraction of polyphenols obtained experimentally was found to be very close to its predicted value. The extraction rate of polyphenols was 19.78% at the optimum conditions. The mathematical model developed was found to fit with the experimental data of polyphenols extraction.
Co-reporter:Guan-Nan Liu;Yue-Hui Zhu
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 2009 Volume 83( Issue 6) pp:989-999
Publication Date(Web):2009 July
DOI:10.1007/s00253-009-2069-6
Carotenoids such as β-carotene, lycopene, and antheraxanthin have plenty of scientific and commercial value. The comprehensive investigation of carotenoids drives people to improve and develop all kinds of analytical techniques to approach or even achieve “versatile” analysis. The metabolic engineering efforts in plants and algae have progressed rapidly, aiming to enable the use of plants and algae as “cell factories” for producing specific or novel carotenoids, such as β-carotene (provitamin A) in Gold rice, while the emerging technologies of metabolomics support it by providing comprehensive analysis of carotenoids biochemical characterizations. This review describes metabolomics as a high-throughput platform to study carotenoids, including the engineering methods in the plants or algae, the bioinformatics for metabolomics, and the metabolomics of carotenoids in engineered cell factory. Modern systems biology tools, together with the development of genomics and metabolomics databases, will dramatically facilitate the advancement of our knowledge in gene-to-metabolite networks in plants. Metabolomics accompanying genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics as well as bioinformatics facilitate metabolic engineering efforts towards designing superior biocatalysts in cell factories. Ongoing advances in biological techniques coupled with crucial metabolic networks will further promote plants and algae as attractive platforms for the production of numerous high-value compounds such as carotenoids.
Co-reporter:Yue-Hui Zhu and Jian-Guo Jiang, Qian Chen
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2008 Volume 56(Issue 11) pp:4027-4031
Publication Date(Web):May 8, 2008
DOI:10.1021/jf8004417
The halophilic green alga Dunaliella salina has the potential to be cultivated for β-carotene-rich biomass, however, open-air systems need to be further improved in order to become more competitive and more economical, rather than leave the major β-carotene consuming market derived from artificially synthesis. A set of daily collection ratios was designed and scaled up with the aim to harvest cell biomass and β-carotene from D. salina at logarithmic phase; the yields were comparable to the normal culture without daily removal of culture. Daily collection of 1/7.5 volume of algal culture was found to be appropriate to keep the balance between the cell biomass and β-carotene accumulation. Light intensity as one of the important factors would affect both cell growth and β-carotene content synchronously. Further, the method of recycling 1/7.5 volume of culture after removal of algae cells was developed in order to decrease input cost for the effective production of β-carotene, and both the resulting yields of the cell biomass and β-carotene gained an advantage over those from the normal D. salina culture.
Co-reporter:Zhi-Wei Ye, Xiao-Ming Wu, Jian-Guo Jiang
Metabolism (September 2009) Volume 58(Issue 9) pp:1288-1296
Publication Date(Web):1 September 2009
DOI:10.1016/j.metabol.2009.04.014
Obesity is a worldwide serious health problem; and it may result in a wide range of complications, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. As a consequence, molecular identification on the differentiation of preadipocytes and the generation of bioactive mediators is crucial in understanding the formation and development of obesity and obesity-associated health problems. In addition, exhaustive exhibition and purposeful control of adipocytes formation also play critical roles in the plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures. The primary purpose of this study was to exhibit the expression changes of angiotensin II (Ang II) pathways and 2 vital adipokines, leptin and resistin, during human preadipocytes-visceral differentiation by real-time quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. The present result indicated that the generation of Ang II during preadipocytes differentiation was achieved through both renin-angiotensin system pathway and non–renin-angiotensin system pathways, and the latter may be more important in this process. Gene expression of Ang II receptor type 1 and 2 increased in the initial phase of differentiation and then quickly decreased after 9 days. Moreover, the expression of both leptin and resistin increased significantly during preadipocyte-adipocyte conversion. The present work provided a fundamental understanding of human visceral preadipocytes differentiation molecularly. It may promote the understanding of obesity and obesity-associated diseases to some extent. However, there is still a long way to go to treat obesity and its complications effectively; and more efforts should be devoted urgently.
Co-reporter:Man-Man Shi, Jin-Hua Piao, Xi-Lin Xu, Liang Zhu, Li Yang, Fu-Lan Lin, Jian Chen, Jian-Guo Jiang
Sleep Medicine Reviews (October 2016) Volume 29() pp:108-118
Publication Date(Web):1 October 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.smrv.2015.10.001
The main pharmacological effects of sedative agents are sedation, hypnosis, antianxiety, and antidepression. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of clinical experience in treating insomnia. This review focuses mainly on the role of active ingredients from TCM in the treatment of insomnia. Single herbs and their active ingredients from TCM with hypnotic effects are summarized through reviewing the relevant literature published in the past 20 y. The active ingredients are divided into alkaloids, terpenoids, and volatile oils, flavonoids, lignanoids and coumarins, saponins, and others. Current studies on TCM in treating insomnia are described from the aspects of active ingredients, sources, experimental models and methods, results, and mechanisms. In addition, Chinese compound prescriptions developed from a variety of single herbs with sedative–hypnotic effects are introduced. The acting pathways of TCM are covered from the perspectives of regulating central neurotransmitters, influencing sleep-related cytokines, and improving the structure of the central nervous system.
Co-reporter:Hong-Hao Jin, Qun Lu, Jian-Guo Jiang
Journal of Dairy Science (March 2016) Volume 99(Issue 3) pp:1780-1790
Publication Date(Web):1 March 2016
DOI:10.3168/jds.2015-10391
Using thin film ultrasonic dispersion method, the curcumin liposomes were prepared with milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) phospholipids and soybean lecithins, respectively, to compare the characteristics and stability of the 2 curcumin liposomes. The processing parameters of curcumin liposomes were investigated to evaluate their effects on the encapsulation efficiency. Curcumin liposomes were characterized in terms of size distribution, ζ-potential, and in vitro release behavior, and then their storage stability under various conditions was evaluated. The curcumin liposomes prepared with MFGM phospholipids had an encapsulation efficiency of about 74%, an average particle size of 212.3 nm, and a ζ-potential of −48.60 mV. The MFGM liposomes showed higher encapsulation efficiency, smaller particle size, higher absolute value of ζ-potential, and slower in vitro release than soybean liposomes. The retention rate of liposomal curcumin was significantly higher than that of free curcumin. The stability of the 2 liposomes under different pH was almost the same, but MFGM liposomes displayed a slightly higher stability than soybean liposomes under the conditions of Fe3+, light, temperature, oxygen, and relative humidity. In conclusion, MFGM phospholipids have potential advantages in the manufacture of curcumin liposomes used in food systems.
Co-reporter:Wei-Feng Li, Jian-Guo Jiang, Jian Chen
Archives of Medical Research (February 2008) Volume 39(Issue 2) pp:246-251
Publication Date(Web):February 2008
DOI:10.1016/j.arcmed.2007.09.011
Co-reporter:Hao-Hong Chen, Shan-Li Chen, Yong-Ming Lao, Ming-Hua Liang, Jian-Guo Jiang
Algal Research (December 2016) Volume 20() pp:16-21
Publication Date(Web):December 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.algal.2016.09.012
Co-reporter:Ming-Hua Liang, Jian-Guo Jiang
Algal Research (December 2016) Volume 20() pp:77-86
Publication Date(Web):December 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.algal.2016.09.025
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