Small molecule deoxynyboquinone triggers alkylation and ubiquitination of Keap1 at Cys489 on Kelch domain for Nrf2 activation and inflammatory therapy

Activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)by Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1)alkylation plays a central role in anti-inflammatory therapy.However,activators of Nrf2 through alkylation of Keap1-Kelch domain have not been identified.Deoxynyboquinone(DNQ)is a natural small molecule discovered from marine actinomycetes.The current study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and molecular mechanisms of DNQ via alkylation of Keap1.DNQ exhibited significant anti-inflammatory properties both in vitro and in vivo.The pharmacophore responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of DNQ was determined to be theα,β-unsaturated amides moieties by a chemical reaction between DNQ and N-acetylcysteine.DNQ exerted anti-inflammatory effects through activation of Nrf2/ARE pathway.Keap1 was demonstrated to be the direct target of DNQ and bound with DNQ through conjugate addition reaction involving alkylation.The specific alkylation site of DNQ on Keap1 for Nrf2 activation was elucidated with a synthesized probe in conjunction with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.DNQ triggered the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of Keap1 by alkylation of the cysteine residue 489(Cys489)on Keap1-Kelch domain,ultimately enabling the activation of Nrf2.Our findings revealed that DNQ exhibited potent anti-inflammatory capacity throughα,β-unsaturated amides moieties active group which specifically activated Nrf2 signal pathway via alkylation/ubiquitination of Keap1-Kelch domain,suggesting the potential values of targeting Cys489 on Keap1-Kelch domain by DNQ-like small molecules in inflammatory therapies.

Utilizing engineered extracellular vesicles as delivery vectors in the management of ischemic stroke:a special outlook on mitochondrial delivery

Ischemic stroke is a secondary cause of mortality worldwide,imposing considerable medical and economic burdens on society.Extracellular vesicles,serving as natural nanocarriers for drug delivery,exhibit excellent biocompatibility in vivo and have significant advantages in the management of ischemic stroke.However,the uncertain distribution and rapid clearance of extracellular vesicles impede their delivery efficiency.By utilizing membrane decoration or by encapsulating therapeutic cargo within extracellular vesicles,their delivery efficacy may be greatly improved.Furthermore,previous studies have indicated that microvesicles,a subset of large-sized extracellular vesicles,can transport mitochondria to neighboring cells,thereby aiding in the restoration of mitochondrial function post-ischemic stroke.Small extracellular vesicles have also demonstrated the capability to transfer mitochondrial components,such as proteins or deoxyribonucleic acid,or their sub-components,for extracellular vesicle-based ischemic stroke therapy.In this review,we undertake a comparative analysis of the isolation techniques employed for extracellular vesicles and present an overview of the current dominant extracellular vesicle modification methodologies.Given the complex facets of treating ischemic stroke,we also delineate various extracellular vesicle modification approaches which are suited to different facets of the treatment process.Moreover,given the burgeoning interest in mitochondrial delivery,we delved into the feasibility and existing research findings on the transportation of mitochondrial fractions or intact mitochondria through small extracellular vesicles and microvesicles to offer a fresh perspective on ischemic stroke therapy.

Ganoderma lucidum:a comprehensive review of phytochemistry,efficacy,safety and clinical study

Ganoderma lucidum,one of the most well-known edible fungi,is believed to be very beneficial for longevity and vitality.A long usage history suggests that G.lucidum has various clinical therapeutic effects.And experimental studies have confirmed that G.lucidum has multiple pharmacological effects,including antitumor,anti-microbial,anti-HIV protease,and antidiabetic activity and so on.With the deepening of research,more than 300 compounds have been isolated from G.lucidum.There is an increasing population of G.lucidum-based products,and its international development is expanding.Currently,G.lucidum has drawn much attention to its chemical composition,therapeutic effect,clinical value,and safety.This paper provides a comprehensive review of these aspects to enhance the global promotion of G.lucidum.

Emerging roles of astrocytes in blood-brain barrier disruption upon amyloid-beta insults in Alzheimer's disease

Blood-brain barrier disruption occurs in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.Recent studies indicate a link between blood-brain barrier dysfunction and cognitive decline and might accelerate Alzheimer’s disease progression.Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system with important roles in the structural and functional maintenance of the blood-brain barrier.For example,astrocytic cove rage around endothelial cells with perivascular endfeet and secretion of homeostatic soluble factors are two major underlying mechanisms of astrocytic physiological functions.Astrocyte activation is often observed in Alzheimer’s disease patients,with astrocytes expressing a high level of glial fibrillary acid protein detected around amyloid-beta plaque with the elevated phagocytic ability for amyloid-beta.Structural alte rations in Alzheimer’s disease astrocytes including swollen endfeet,somata shrinkage and possess loss contribute to disruption in vascular integrity at capillary and arte rioles levels.In addition,Alzheimer’s disease astrocytes are skewed into proinflammatory and oxidative profiles with increased secretions of vasoactive mediators inducing endothelial junction disruption and immune cell infiltration.In this review,we summarize the findings of existing literature on the relevance of astrocyte alte ration in response to amyloid pathology in the context of blood-brain barrier dysfunction.First,we briefly describe the physiological roles of astrocytes in blood-brain barrier maintenance.Then,we review the clinical evidence of astrocyte pathology in Alzheimer’s disease patients and the preclinical evidence in animal and cellular models.We further discuss the structural changes of blood-brain barrier that correlates with Alzheimer’s disease astrocyte.Finally,we evaluate the roles of soluble factors secreted by Alzheimer’s disease astrocytes,providing potential molecular mechanisms underlying blood-brain barrier modulation.We conclude with a perspective on investigating the therapeutic potential of targeting astrocytes for blood-brain barrier protection in Alzheimer’s disease.

Molecular Identification of Chinese Materia Medica and Its Adulterants Using ITS2 and <i>psbA-trnH</i>Barcodes: A Case Study on Rhizoma Menispermi

Rhizoma Menispermi, derived from the rhizoma of Menispermum dauricum DC., is one of the most popular Chinese medicines. However Rhizoma Menispermi is often illegally mixed with other species in the herbal market, including Aristolochia mollissimae Hance, which is toxic to the kidneys and potentially carcinogenic. The use of DNA barcoding to authenticate herbs has improved the management and safety of traditional medicines. In this paper, 49 samples belonging to five species, including 34 samples of M. dauricum, from different locations and herb markets in China were collected and identified using DNA barcoding. The sequences of all 34 samples of Rhizoma Menispermi are highly consistent, with only one site variation in internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA and no variations in the psbA-trnH region. The intra-specific genetic distance is much smaller than inter-specific one. Phylogenetic analysis shows that both sequences allow the successful identification of all species. Nearest distance and BLAST1 methods for the ITS2 and psbA-trnH regions indicate 100% identification efficiency. Our research shows that DNA barcoding can effectively distinguish Rhizoma Menispermi from its adulterants from both commercial and original samples, which provides a new and reliable way to monitor commercial herbs and to manage the modern medicine market.

Small molecule inhibitors of RORγt for Th17 regulation in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

As a ligand-dependent transcription factor,retinoid-associated orphan receptor gt(RORγt)that controls T helper(Th)17 cell differentiation and interleukin(IL)-17 expression plays a critical role in the progression of several inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.An emerging novel approach to the therapy of these diseases thus involves controlling the transcriptional capacity of RORγt to decrease Th17 cell development and IL-17 production.Several RORγt inhibitors including both antagonists and inverse agonists have been discovered to regulate the transcriptional activity of RORγt by binding to orthosteric-or allosteric-binding sites in the ligand-binding domain.Some of small-molecule inhibitors have entered clinical evaluations.Therefore,in current review,the role of RORγt in Th17 regulation and Th17-related inflammatory and autoimmune diseases was highlighted.Notably,the recently developed RORγt inhibitors were summarized,with an emphasis on their optimization from lead compounds,efficacy,toxicity,mechanisms of action,and clinical trials.The limitations of current development in this area were also discussed to facilitate future research.

Quantitative estimation of enzymatic released specific oligosaccharides from Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides using CE-LIF

Polysaccharides exhibit multiple pharmacological activities which are closely related to their structural features.Therefore,quantitatively quality control of polysaccharides based on their chemical charac-teristics is important for their application in biomedical and functional food sciences.However,poly-saccharides are mixed macromolecular compounds that are difficult to isolate and lack standards,making them challenging to quantify directly.In this study,we proposed an improved saccharide mapping method based on the release of specific oligosaccharides for the assessment of Hericium eri-naceus polysaccharides from laboratory cultured and different regions of China.Briefly,a polysaccharide from H.erinaceus was digested by b-(1-3)-glucanase,and the released specific oligosaccharides were labeled with 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic-acid(APTS)and separated by using micellar electrokinetic chromatography(MEKC)coupled with laser induced fluorescence(LIF),and quantitatively estimated.MEKC presented higher resolution compared to polysaccharide analysis using carbohydrate gel elec-trophoresis(PACE),and provided great peak capacity between oligosaccharides with polymerization degree of 2(DP2)and polymerization degree of 6(DP6)in a dextran ladder separation.The results of high performance size exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering and refractive index detector(HPSEC-MALLS-RI)showed that 12 h was sufficient for complete digestion of polysaccharides from H.erinaceus.Laminaritriose(DP3)was used as an internal standard for quantifi-cation of all the oligosaccharides.The calibration curve for DP3 showed a good linear regression(R2>0.9988).The limit of detection(LOD)and limit of quantification(LOQ)values were 0.05 mg/mL and 0.2 mg/mL,respectively.The recovery for DP3 was 87.32(±0.03)%in the three independent injections.To sum up,this proposed method is helpful for improving the quality control of polysaccharides from H.erinaceus as well as other materials.

Metabolomics characterization of Qingwei San on oral ulcer in db/db mice with stomach heat pattern

Objective:To characterize the effects of Qingwei San(QWS)on diabetic oral ulcer(OU)mice with stomach heat pattern through metabolomic analysis.Methods:A stomach heat pattern mouse model was established by treating C57BLKS/J Leprdb/db(db/db)mice with dried Zingiber officinale Rosc.rhizome(Z.officinale,Gan Jiang)decoction by gavage.All model mice had blood glucose levels of≥11.1 m M.Subsequently,OU was induced by Na OH cauterization.After 1 week of administration of QWS,non-targeted metabolomic analysis of serum was conducted using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS).Results:The non-targeted metabolomics results indicated that tryptophan metabolism,2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism,serotonergic synapses,amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism,and amino acid biosynthesis were involved in the therapeutic effects of QWS,with tryptophan metabolism playing a predominant role.Conclusion:QWS treatment can significantly improve the pathological status of diabetic OU mice with stomach heat pattern.QWS may regulate the release of inflammatory factors through the tryptophan metabolism pathway.

Anti-diabetic potential of apigenin,luteolin,and baicalein via partially activating PI3K/Akt/GLUT-4 signaling pathways in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells

Dietary flavonoids are abundant in natural plants and possess multiple pharmacological and nutritional activities.In this study,apigenin,luteolin,and baicalein were chosen to evaluate their anti-diabetic effect in high-glucose and dexamethasone induced insulin-resistant(IR)HepG2 cells.All flavonoids improves the glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis abilities in IR-HepG2 cells via activating glucose transporter protein 4(GLUT4)and phosphor-glycogen synthase kinase(GSK-3β).These fl avonoids signifi cantly inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and advanced glycation end-products(AGEs),which were closely related to the suppression of the phosphorylation form of NF-κB and P65.The expression levels of insulin receptor substrate-1(IRS-1),insulin receptor substrate-2(IRS-2)and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt)pathway in IR-HepG2 cells were all partially activated by the fl avonoids,with variable effects.Furthermore,the intracellular metabolic conditions of the fl avonoids were also evaluated.

Rapid Simultaneous Determination of Four Ganoderic Acids in Ganoderma(Chinese Name:Lingzhi)by Direct Infusion-Multiple Reaction Monitoring Cubed

Attributing to the rapid demand expansion for the edible medicinal materials in the market,the limited throughput of highperformance liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring(HPLC-MRM)cannot fully address the measurement workload for a huge number of testing samples.Hence,it is urgent to pursue more efficient approaches for the quality evaluation.Because of the greater selectivity of MRM cubed(MRM^(3))over MRM,there might be a chance to omit the time-intensive LC separation.In current study,we attempted to develop a direct infusion(DI)-MRM^(3) program,and the applicability was thereafter assessed through simultaneous determination of four ganoderic acids(GAs)in one of the most famous tonic herbal medicines namely Ganoderma(Chinese name:Lingzhi).Primary parameters such as Q1>Q3>QLIT ion transitions,collision energy(CE),and excitation energy were optimized by programming online energy-resolved mass spectrometry with authentic compounds.A single DI-MRM measurement merely costed four minutes,and in spite of the wide occurrences of isomers,satisfactory selectivity was achieved.Method validation assays demonstrated the method to be sensitive,precise,accurate,and reproducible.The quantitative results from DI-MRM^(3) were also justified by conducting LC-MRM measurements in parallel.Significant differences occurred for the content patterns between the two original sources namely Ganoderma lucidum and G.sinense,and,moreover,either cultivar or harvest time showed dramatical influence on the quantitative features of the four targeted GAs.More importantly,DI-MRM3 is a meaningful analytical option for rapid quantitative analysis of herbal medicines,because of the comparable reliability,nonetheless,less consumptions of both measurement time and solvent,compared with LC-MRM.

Consensus statement on research and application of Chinese herbal medicine derived extracellular vesicles-like particles(2023 edition)

To promote the development of extracellular vesicles of herbal medicine especially the establishment of standardization,led by the National Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles,research experts in the field of herbal medicine and extracellular vesicles were invited nationwide with the support of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles,Professional Committee on Extracellular Vesicle Research and Application,Chinese Society of Research Hospitals and the Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Chinese Herbal Vesicles.Based on the collation of relevant literature,we have adopted the Delphi method,the consensus meeting method combined with the nominal group method to form a discussion draft of“Consensus statement on research and application of Chinese herbal medicine derived extracellular vesicles-like particles(2023)”.The first draft was discussed in online and offline meetings on October 12,14,November 2,2022 and April and May 2023 on the current status of research,nomenclature,isolation methods,quality standards and research applications of extracellular vesicles of Chinese herbal medicines,and 13 consensus opinions were finally formed.At the Third Academic Conference on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles,held on May 26,2023,Kewei Zhao,convenor of the consensus,presented and read the consensus to the experts of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles.The consensus highlights the characteristics and advantages of Chinese medicine,inherits the essence,and keeps the righteousness and innovation,aiming to provide a reference for colleagues engaged in research and application of Chinese herbal vesicles at home and abroad,decode the mystery behind Chinese herbal vesicles together,establish a safe,effective and controllable accurate Chinese herbal vesicle prevention and treatment system,and build a bridge for Chinese medicine to the world.

Taohong Siwu Decoction:a classical Chinese prescription for treatment of orthopedic diseases

The pathogenesis of orthopedic diseases is intimately linked to blood stasis,frequently arising from damage to primary and secondary blood channels.This disruption can lead to“blood leaving the meridians”or Qi stagnation,resulting in blood stasis syndrome.Taohong Siwu Decoction(THSWD)is a renowned classical Chinese medicinal formula extensively used to promote blood circulation and mitigate blood stasis.Clinical studies have demonstrated its significant therapeutic effects on various orthopedic conditions,particularly its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties,as well as its efficacy in preventing deep vein thrombosis post-surgery.Despite these findings,research on THSWD remains fragmented,and its interdisciplinary impact is limited.This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and pharmacological mechanisms of THSWD in treating common orthopedic diseases.Additionally,we employ bibliometric analysis to explore research trends and hotspots related to THSWD.We hope this review will enhance the recognition and application of THSWD in orthopedic treatments and guide future research into its pharmacological mechanisms.

A promising approach for quantifying focal stroke modeling and assessing stroke progression:optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy photothrombosis

To investigate the mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of ischemic stroke,some methods have been proposed that can simultaneously monitor and create embolisms in the animal cerebral cortex.However,these methods often require complex systems and the effect of age on cerebral embolism has not been adequately studied,although ischemic stroke is strongly age-related.In this study,we propose an optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy-based visualized photothrombosis methodology to create and monitor ischemic stroke in mice simultaneously using a 532 nm pulsed laser.We observed the molding process in mice of different ages and presented age-dependent vascular embolism differentiation.Moreover,we integrated optical coherence tomography angiography to investigate age-associated trends in cerebrovascular variability following a stroke.Our imaging data and quantitative analyses underscore the differential cerebrovascular responses to stroke in mice of different ages,thereby highlighting the technique's potential for evaluating cerebrovascular health and unraveling age-related mechanisms involved in ischemic strokes.

Essential oil of Curcuma wenyujin induces apoptosis in human hepatoma cells

AIM: To investigate the effects of the essential oil of Curcuma wenyujin (CWO) on growth inhibition and on the induction of apoptosis in human HepG2 cancer cells. METHODS: The cytotoxic effect of drugs on HepG2 cells was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2- yl)-2,5-diphenyltetra-zolium bromide (MTT) assay. DNA fragmentation was visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis. Cell cycle and mitochondrial transmembrane potential (△Ψm) were determined by flow cytometry (FCM). Cytochrome C immunostaining was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. Caspase-3 enzymatic activity was assayed by the cleavage of Ac-DEVD-R110. Cleaved PARP and active caspase-3 protein levels were measured by FCM using BD? CBA Human Apoptosis Kit. RESULTS: Treatment with CWO inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the IC50 of CWO was approximately 70 μg/mL. CWO was found to inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells by inducing a cell cycle arrest at S/G2. DNA fragmentation was evidentlyobserved at 70 μg/mL after 72 h of treatment. During the process, cytosolic HepG2 cytochrome C staining showed a markedly stronger green fluorescence than in control cells in a dose-dependent fashion, and CWO also caused mitochondrial transmembrane depolarization. Furthermore, the results clearly demonstrated that both, activity of caspase-3 enzyme and protein levels of cleaved PARP, significantly increased in a dose- dependent manner after treatment with CWO. CONCLUSION: CWO exhibits an antiproliferative effect in HepG2 cells by inducing apoptosis. This growth inhibition is associated with cell cycle arrest, cytochrome C translocation, caspase 3 activation, Poly- ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) degradation, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. This process involves a mitochondria-caspase dependent apoptosis pathway. As apoptosis is an important anti-cancer therapeutic target, these results suggest a potential of CWO as a chemotherapeutic agent.

Cell Membrane Coating Technology:A Promising Strategy for Biomedical Applications

Cell membrane coating technology is an approach to the biomimetic replication of cell membrane properties,and is an active area of ongoing research readily applicable to nanoscale biomedicine.Nanoparticles(NPs)coated with cell membranes offer an opportunity to unite natural cell membrane properties with those of the artificial inner core material.The coated NPs not only increase their biocompatibility but also achieve effective and extended circulation in vivo,allowing for the execution of targeted functions.Although cell membrane-coated NPs offer clear advantages,much work remains before they can be applied in clinical practice.In this review,we first provide a comprehensive overview of the theory of cell membrane coating technology,followed by a summary of the existing preparation and characterization techniques.Next,we focus on the functions and applications of various cell membrane types.In addition,we collate model drugs used in cell membrane coating technology,and review the patent applications related to this technology from the past 10 years.Finally,we survey future challenges and trends pertaining to this technology in an effort to provide a comprehensive overview of the future development of cell membrane coating technology.

Thymoquinone suppresses migration of Lo Vo human colon cancer cells by reducing prostaglandin E2 induced COX-2 activation

AIM To identify potential anti-cancer constituents in natural extracts that inhibit cancer cell growth and migration. METHODS Our experiments used high dose thymoquinone (TQ) as an inhibitor to arrest LoVo (a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line) cancer cell growth, which was detected by cell proliferation assay and immunoblotting assay. Low dose TQ did not significantly reduce LoVo cancer cell growth. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that is involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in humans. PGE2 can promote COX-2 protein expression and tumor cell proliferation and was used as a control. RESULTS Our results showed that 20 mu mol/L TQ significantly reduced human LoVo colon cancer cell proliferation. TQ treatment reduced the levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-GSK3 beta, and beta-catenin and thereby inhibited the downstream COX-2 expression. Results also showed that the reduction in COX-2 expression resulted in a reduction in PGE2 levels and the suppression of EP2 and EP4 activation. Further analysis showed that TG treatment inhibited the nuclear translocation of beta-catenin in LoVo cancer cells. The levels of the cofactors LEF-1 and TCF-4 were also decreased in the nucleus following TQ treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with low dose TQ inhibited the COX-2 expression at the transcriptional level and the regulation of COX-2 expression efficiently reduced LoVo cell migration. The results were further verified in vivo by confirming the effects of TQ and/or PGE2 using tumor xenografts in nude mice. CONCLUSION TQ inhibits LoVo cancer cell growth and migration, and this result highlights the therapeutic advantage of using TQ in combination therapy against colorectal cancer.

Development of nanoscale drug delivery systems of dihydroartemisinin for cancer therapy: A review

Dihydroartemisinin(DHA),a first-line antimalarial drug,has demonstrated great anticancer effects in many types of tumors,including liver cancer,glioblastoma,and pancreatic cancer.Due to its abilities to induce programmed cell death(PCD;apoptosis,autophagy and ferroptosis),inhibit tumor metastasis and angiogenesis,and modulate the tumor microenvironment,DHA could become an antineoplastic agent in the foreseeable future.However,the therapeutic efficacy of DHA is compromised owing to its inherent disadvantages,including poor stability,low aqueous solubility,and short plasma halflife.To overcome these drawbacks,nanoscale drug delivery systems(NDDSs),such as polymeric nanoparticles(NPs),liposomes,and metal-organic frameworks(MOFs),have been introduced to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of DHA in either single-drug or multidrug therapy.Based on the beneficial properties of NDDSs,including enhanced stability and solubility of the drug,prolonged circulation time and selective accumulation in tumors,the outcomes of DHA-loaded NDDSs for cancer therapy are significantly improved compared to those of free DHA.This reviewfirst summarizes the current understanding of the anticancer mechanisms of DHA and then provides an overview of DHA-including nanomedicines,aiming to provide inspiration for further application of DHA as an anticancer drug.

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of bioactive alkaloids from lotus plumule using response surface methodology

In this work,a fast and efficient microwave-assisted extraction(MAE) method was developed to extract main bioactive alkaloids from lotus plumue.To optimize MAE conditions,three main factors were selected using univariate approach experiments,and then central composite design(CCD).The optimal extraction conditions were as follows:methanol concentration of 65%,microwave power of 200 W,and extraction time of 260 s.A high performance liquid chromatography–diode array detector(HPLC–DAD) method was established to quantitatively analyze these phytochemicals in different lotus plumule samples and in different part of lotus.Chromatographic separation was carried out on an Agilent Zorbax Extend-C_(18) column(4.6 mm×150 mm,3.5 μm).Gradient elution was applied with the mobile phase constituted with 0.1% triethylamine in water(A)and acetonitrile(B):40%-70% B at 0-8 min,70%-100% B at 8–9 min,100% B for 2 min,and then equilibrated with 40% B for 2 min.

Enhancement of oral bioavailability and anti-Parkinsonian efficacy of resveratrol through a nanocrystal formulation

Resveratrol(RES),a non-flavonoid polyphenol extracted from a wide variety of plants,exhibits neuroprotective activities against Parkinson’s disease(PD).However,undesirable water solubility of RES reduces its oral bioavailability and demonstrates lowefficacy in blood and brain,thus limiting its application.In present study,a nanocrystal formulation of RES(RES-NCs)was developed to enhance its oral bioavailability and delivery into brain for PD treatment.RES-NCs were fabricated with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC)stabilizer via antisolvent precipitation approach.The obtained RES-NCs displayed the particle size of 222.54±1.66 nm,the PDI of 0.125±0.035,the zeta potential of−9.41±0.37mV,and a rapid in vitro dissolution rate.Molecular dynamics simulation of RES and HPMC revealed an interaction energy of−68.09 kJ/mol and a binding energy of−30.98±0.388 kJ/mol,indicating that the spontaneous binding between the two molecules is through van der Waals forces.RES-NCs conferred enhanced cellular uptake as well as improved permeability relative to pure RES.In addition,RES-NCs were able to protect neurons against cytotoxicity induced by MPP+.Meanwhile,RES-NCs exerted no significant toxic effects on zebrafish embryos and larvae,and did not influence their survival and hatching rates.When orally administered to rats,RES-NCs exhibited more favorable pharmacokinetics than pure RES,with higher plasma and brain concentrations.More importantly,MPTP-induced PD mice showed notable improvements in behavior,attenuated dopamine deficiency,and elevated levels of dopamine and its metabolites after the treatment with RES-NCs.Furthermore,immunoblot analysis revealed that the neuroprotective role of RES-NCsmay be at least partially mediated by Akt/Gsk3βsignaling pathway.Taken altogether,RES-NCs can serve as a potential treatment modality for PD,offering means of improving RES oral bioavailability and brain accumulation.

Nanotechnologies in Food Science:Applications,Recent Trends,and Future Perspectives

Nanotechnology is a key advanced technology enabling contribution,development,and sustainable impact on food,medicine,and agriculture sectors.Nanomaterials have potential to lead qualitative and quantitative production of healthier,safer,and high-quality functional foods which are perishable or semi-perishable in nature.Nanotechnologies are superior than conventional food processing technologies with increased shelf life of food products,preventing contamination,and production of enhanced food quality.This comprehensive review on nanotechnologies for functional food development describes the current trends and future perspectives of advanced nanomaterials in food sector considering processing,packaging,security,and storage.Applications of nanotechnologies enhance the food bioavailability,taste,texture,and consistency,achieved through modification of particle size,possible cluster formation,and surface charge of food nanomaterials.In addition,the nanodelivery-mediated nutraceuticals,synergistic action of nanomaterials in food protection,and the application of nanosensors in smart food packaging for monitoring the quality of the stored foods and the common methods employed for assessing the impact of nanomaterials in biological systems are also discussed.