Lycium ruthenicum Murray (LRM; commonly known as black goji berry or black wolfberry), a plant in the Solanaceae family, grows in the deserts of China’s Qinghai–Tibet plateau. LRM is widely consumed ...in traditional Chinese medicine, and its fruits are frequently used as herbal remedies to treat heart disease, fatigue, inflammation, and other conditions. Many studies have reported that LRM is rich in functional phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins and polysaccharides, and has various pharmacological actions. This article reviews research on the biological and pharmacological effects of the constituents of LRM fruits. LRM has various pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-radiation, immune-enhancing, anti-tumor, and protective effects. LRM has much promise as a dietary supplement for preventing many types of chronic metabolic disease.
Obesity is a lipid metabolism disorder caused by genetic, medicinal, nutritional, and other environmental factors. It is characterized by a complex condition of excess lipid accumulation in ...adipocytes. Adipogenesis is a differentiation process that converts preadipocytes into mature adipocytes and contributes to excessive fat deposition. Saikosaponin A (SSA) and saikosaponin D (SSD) are triterpenoid saponins separated from the root of the Bupleurum chinensis, which has long been used to treat inflammation, fever, and liver diseases. However, the effects of these constituents on lipid accumulation and obesity are poorly understood. We investigated the anti-obesity effects of SSA and SSD in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The MTT assay was performed to measure cell viability, and Oil Red O staining was conducted to determine lipid accumulation. Various adipogenic transcription factors were evaluated at the protein and mRNA levels by Western blot assay and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Here, we showed that SSA and SSD significantly inhibited lipid accumulation without affecting cell viability within the range of the tested concentrations (0.938-15 µM). SSA and SSD also dose-dependently suppressed the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), and adiponectin. Furthermore, the decrease of these transcriptional factors resulted in the repressed expression of several lipogenic genes including fatty acid binding protein (FABP4), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). In addition, SSA and SSD enhanced the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its substrate, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), and inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38, but not c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK). These results suggest that SSA and SSD inhibit adipogenesis through the AMPK or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in the early stages of adipocyte differentiation. This is the first study on the anti-adipogenic effects of SSA and SSD, and further research in animals and humans is necessary to confirm the potential of saikosaponins as therapeutic agents for obesity.
Metoclopramide inhibits the central and peripheral D
2
receptors and is frequently prescribed in adults and children as an antiemetic or a prokinetic drug to control symptoms of upper ...gastrointestinal motor disorders. Metoclopramide is predominantly metabolized via N-dealkylation and it is primarily mediated by CYP2D6 which is highly polymorphic. Thus, the effects of
CYP2D6
genetic polymorphism on the pharmacokinetics of metoclopramide were evaluated in this study. All volunteers were genotyped for
CYP2D6
and divided into four different genotype groups (
CYP2D6*wt/*wt
*wt
=
*1
or
*2
,
CYP2D6*wt/*10
,
CYP2D6*10/*10
, and
CYP2D6*5/*10
). Each subject received a single oral dose of metoclopramide 10 mg. Plasma concentrations of metoclopramide were measured by using HPLC-UV. Compared to
CYP2D6*wt/*wt
, AUC
inf
of
CYP2D6*wt/*10
,
CYP2D6*10/*10
, and
CYP2D6*5/*10
significantly increased by 1.5-, 2.3-, and 2.5-fold, respectively. C
max
also increased significantly in comparison to
CYP2D6*wt/*wt
across all genotype groups, with 1.5-, 1.7-, and 1.7-fold increases seen in
CYP2D6*wt/*10
,
CYP2D6*10/*10
, and
CYP2D6*5/*10
groups, respectively. The CL/F of metoclopramide decreased in
CYP2D6
genotype groups with decreased function alleles, as decreases of 37%, 56% and 61% were observed in
CYP2D6*wt/10
,
*10/10
, and
*5/*10
genotype groups in comparison to the
CYP2D6*wt/*wt
group. In conclusion, the genetic polymorphisms of
CYP2D6
significantly affected metoclopramide pharmacokinetics.
(commonly known as kokum), belonging to the Clusiaceae family (mangosteen family), is a tropical evergreen tree distributed in certain regions of India. It has been used in culinary and industrial ...applications for a variety of purposes, including acidulant in curries, pickles, health drinks, wine, and butter. In particular,
has been used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, dermatitis, and diarrhea, and to promote digestion. According to several studies, various phytochemicals such as garcinol, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), cyanidin-3-sambubioside, and cyanidin-3-glucoside were isolated from
, and their pharmacological activities were published. This review highlights recent updates on the various pharmacological activities of
. These studies reported that
has antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects both in vitro and in vivo. These findings, together with previously published reports of pharmacological activity of various components isolated from
, suggest its potential as a promising therapeutic agent to prevent various diseases.
(Moraceae), known as white mulberry, has been used to treat fever, protect against liver damage, improve eyesight, and lower blood sugar levels in traditional oriental medicine. Few studies have been ...conducted on the antidiabetic compounds identified from
and their underlying mechanisms of action. Consequently, in this study, the fruits of
were investigated for potential antidiabetic natural products using 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Phytochemical analysis of the ethanolic extract of
fruits, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), purification led to the isolation of two main compounds: rutin and quercetin-3-
-β-d-glucoside (Q3G). Long-term use of available drugs for treating type 2 diabetes ((T2D) is often accompanied by undesirable side effects, which have generated increased interest in the development of more effective and safer antidiabetic agents. Examination of the isolated compounds, rutin and Q3G, for antidiabetic or anti-obesity properties or both in 3T3-L1 adipocytes demonstrated that they both improved glucose uptake via Akt-mediated insulin signaling pathway or AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The compounds also showed a positive effect on lipid accumulation in adipocytes, suggesting that glucose uptake occurred through activation of the Akt and AMPK signaling pathway without inducing adipogenesis. Taken together, our findings suggest that rutin and Q3G in
fruits have the potential to induce fewer side effects such as weight gain, and these active compounds could be potential therapeutic candidates for the management of T2D.
Induction of the brown adipocyte-like phenotype in white adipocytes (fat browning) is considered a promising therapeutic strategy to treat obesity. Naringin, a citrus flavonoid, has antioxidant, ...anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. We examined the application of naringin as an anti-obesity compound based on an investigation of its induction of fat browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Naringin did not induce lipid accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Additionally, naringin reduced the expression levels of proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) involved in adipogenesis during lipid metabolism and increased the levels of PPARα and adiponectin involved in fatty acid oxidation. The expression levels of fat browning markers uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1; involved in thermogenesis) and PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16) increased. In addition, naringin treatment resulted in the activation of PPARγ coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), a factor related to UCP1 transcription and mitochondrial biogenesis. Moreover, the expression of beige adipocyte-specific genes such as
Cd137
,
Cited1
,
Tbx1
, and
Tmem26
was also induced. The small multi-lipid droplets characteristic of beige adipocytes indicated that naringin treatment increased the levels of all lipolysis markers (hormone-sensitive lipase HSL, adipose triglyceride lipase ATGL, perilipin PLIN, and protein kinase A PKA). Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and UCP1 levels increased by treatment with naringin alone; this was possibly mediated by the stimulation of the AMPK signaling pathway. According to mechanistic studies, naringin activated the thermogenic protein UCP1 via the AMPK signaling pathway. In conclusion, naringin induces fat browning and is a promising therapeutic agent for metabolic disorders based on the regulation of lipid metabolism.
Abstract
During the continuous charge and discharge process in lithium-sulfur batteries, one of the next-generation batteries, polysulfides are generated in the battery’s electrolyte, and impact its ...performance in terms of power and capacity by involving the process. The amount of polysulfides in the electrolyte could be estimated by the change of the Gibbs free energy of the electrolyte,
$$\Delta _{mix}\textrm{G}$$
Δ
mix
G
in the presence of polysulfide. However, obtaining
$$\Delta _{mix}\textrm{G}$$
Δ
mix
G
of the diverse mixtures of components in the electrolyte is a complex and expensive task that shows itself as a bottleneck in optimization of electrolytes. In this work, we present a machine-learning approach for predicting
$$\Delta _{mix}\textrm{G}$$
Δ
mix
G
of electrolytes. The proposed architecture utilizes (1) an attention-based model (Attentive FP), a contrastive learning model (MolCLR) or morgan fingerprints to represent chemical components, and (2) transformers to account for the interactions between chemicals in the electrolyte. This architecture was not only capable of predicting electrolyte properties, including those of chemicals not used during training, but also providing insights into chemical interactions within electrolytes. It revealed that interactions with other chemicals relate to the logP and molecular weight of the chemicals.
We report a SERS-based competitive immunoassay technique for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Simultaneous quantification of the dual cardiac markers, CK-MB and troponin I, ...was achieved by single wavelength excitation.
Fat browning, which converts white adipose tissue to brown, has attracted attention as a promising strategy for the treatment of obesity. Betanin (BT) has been reported to have potential anti-obesity ...activity. 3T3-L1 cells were differentiated for 7 days during BT treatment. The BT concentration range for the study was determined using an MTT assay, and lipid accumulation was evaluated by Oil-Red-O staining. The expression of protein level was analyzed by Western blot. Immunofluorescence images were performed with confocal microscopy to visually show the amount and location of thermogenesis factor uncoupling protein1 (UCP1) and mitochondria. qRT-PCR was performed to evaluate mRNA expression. BT inhibited lipid accumulation and increased the expression of UCP1, peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and PPARγ coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α). In addition, the increases in beige adipocyte-specific markers were observed, supporting BT-mediated browning of the fat tissue. The UCP1 was localized in the inner membrane of the mitochondria, and its expression was associated with mitochondrial activation. Consistent with this, the mRNA expression of mitochondrial biogenesis markers increased in 3T3-L1 cells after BT treatment. Immunofluorescence staining also indicated an increased number of mitochondria and UCP1, respectively. Moreover, BT inhibited lipogenesis and enhanced lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. This mechanism has been suggested to be mediated by an adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. BT induces fat browning and regulates lipid metabolism via the AMPK-mediated pathway in 3T3-L1 cells, suggesting that BT can be a promising candidate for controlling obesity.
We report the rapid and highly sensitive trace analysis of mercury(ii) ions in water using a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based microdroplet sensor. Aptamer-modified Au/Ag core-shell ...nanoparticles have been fabricated and utilized as highly functional sensing probes. All detection processes for the reaction between mercury(II) ions and aptamer-modified nanoparticles were performed in a specially designed microdroplet channel. Small water droplets that included sample reagents were separated from each other by an oil phase that continuously flowed along the channel. This two-phase liquid-liquid segmented flow system prevented the adsorption of aggregated colloids to the channel walls due to localized reagents within encapsulated droplets. The result was reduced residence time distributions. The limit of detection (LOD) of mercury(II) ions in water was determined by the SERS-based microdroplet sensor to be below 10 pM, which is three orders below the EPA-defined maximum contaminant level. This combination of a SERS-based microfluidic sensor with aptamer-based functional nanoprobes can be used for in-the-field sensing platforms, due to its size and simplicity.
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