Preventive effect of curcumin and quercetin against nitric oxide mediated modification of goat lung cystatin

Facile synthesis of multi-layer Co(OH)2/CeO2-g-C3N4 ternary synergistic heterostructure for efficient photocatalytic oxidation of NO under visible light

In this work, we report a one-step synthesis of ternary Z-scheme Co(OH)2/CeO2-g-C3N4 (CoCe-CN) heterostructure via hydrothermal method. Owing to the modification of Co(OH)2 and CeO2, the existence of Co(OH)2 as an electron acceptor-donor center between CeO2 and g-C3N4 accelerates the electron transfer and provides extra OH- reaction pathway for photocatalytic oxidation of NO. As a result, 50CoCe-CN (Co and Ce accounting for 25% mass ratio separately) achieved a 53.5% conversion efficiency of NO at 600 ppb concentration, which is 1.82 times that of g-C3N4 under visible light. The results of the DFT analysis and element distribution of cobalt and ceria provide convincing evidence supporting the existence of a novel multi-layer structure in the CoCe-CN photocatalyst. This structure involves the loading of CeO2 and Co(OH)2 on the g-C3N4 surface, and Co(OH)2 as a co-catalyst introduced between CeO2 and g-C3N4 realizes the synergy between CeO2 and Co(OH)2 which further improve the photocatalytic properties. The higher photocatalytic efficiencies observed in the CoCe-CN photocatalysts compared to those containing only cobalt (Co-CN) or ceria (Ce-CN) provide further evidence of the synergistic effect of these two elements. This work demonstrates a more efficient and effective ternary photocatalytic system, with greater practical potential for photocatalytic oxidation of NO.

Reduced graphene oxide-supported CuO nanoparticles with synergistically enhanced electrocatalytic activity for nitric oxide sensing

This work reports a NO electrochemical sensor based on rGO/CuO composites with excellent electrochemical performance.

Protective effect of quercetin against myocardial ischemia as a Ca2+ channel inhibitor: involvement of inhibiting contractility and Ca2+ influx via L-type Ca2+ channels

Many studies describe the stimulating effect of quercetin on Ca²⁺ channels and the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial ischemia and hypertension. However, these studies are scattered and contradictory. The aim of this study is to elucidate the protective effects of quercetin against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial ischemia and verify the cellular mechanisms based on the L-type Ca²⁺ channel (LTCC), Ca²⁺ transients, and myocardial contractility. An animal model of myocardial ischemia was established by subcutaneous injection of ISO for 2 days. Quercetin significantly reduced J-point elevation, heart rate, reactive oxygen species, serum levels of myocardial enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase and improved heart pathologic morphology. L-type Ca²⁺ current (I_Ca-L) was tested in an experiment with isolated rat myocardial cells by using the whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique and IonOptix Myocam detection system. Quercetin reduced I_Ca-L in a concentration-dependent fashion with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 4.67 × 10^-4 M. Quercetin also shifted the current-voltage curve upwards, moved the activation and inactivation curves to the left and inhibited the amplitude of the cell shortening and Ca²⁺ transients. The results showed that quercetin acts as a LTCC inhibitor and exerts a cardioprotective effect by inhibiting Ca²⁺ influx and contractility in rats.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Beopje curly dock (Rumex crispus L.) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells and its active compounds

Inflammation is a defense response of the body to stimuli. Curly dock (CD) is an herbal food with anti-inflammatory effects. Beopje is an herbal food processing method that reduces toxicity and enhances beneficial effects. This study investigated the effects of CD and Beopje curly dock (CD-B) extracts on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory damage in RAW 264.7 cells. Cell survival rate and nitrite concentration were determined using the MTT assay and Griess method, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the inflammatory cytokine levels. The mRNA and protein expression levels of inflammatory associated genes were detected by qPCR and Western blot, respectively. CD and CD-B extracts compositions were assessed by UPLC-Q-TOF MS analysis. Our results indicate that CD-B has a more significant inhibitory effect on the LPS-induced inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 cells than CD, suggesting that the Beopje process potentially enhances the anti-inflammatory effect of CD. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Long-term inflammation can cause a variety of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the occurrence of body inflammation in time. This study preliminarily clarified the mechanism of herbal foods to alleviate inflammation by regulating the immune response, and further confirms that applying the Beopje process enhances the anti-inflammatory effect. This research can serve as a significant reference for future research, prevention and treatment of inflammation-related diseases, and the development of functional foods with anti-inflammatory activity. It also provides a theoretical basis for the further reasonable application of Beopje processing method.

Comparison of the Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide versus Ethanol Extracts from Leaves of Perilla frutescens Britt. Radiation Mutant

In this study, we aimed to compare supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and ethanol extraction for isoegomaketone (IK) content in perilla leaf extracts and to identify the optimal method. We measured the IK concentration using HPLC and inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells from the extracts. The IK concentration was 10-fold higher in perilla leaf extracts by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SFE) compared with that in perilla leaf extracts by ethanol extraction (EE). When the extracts were treated in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells at 25 µg/mL, the SFE inhibited the expression of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleutkin-6 (IL-6), interferon-β (IFN-β), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) to a much greater extent compared with EE. Taken together, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is considered the optimal process for obtaining high IK content and anti-inflammatory activities in leaf extracts from the P. frutescens Britt. radiation mutant.

Isoegomaketone Upregulates Heme Oxygenase-1 in RAW264.7 Cells via ROS/p38 MAPK/Nrf2 Pathway

Isoegomaketone (IK) was isolated from Perilla frutescens, which has been widely used as a food in Asian cuisine, and evaluated for its biological activity. We have already confirmed that IK induced the HO-1 expression via Nrf2 activation in RAW264.7 cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of IK on the mechanism of HO-1 expression. IK upregulated HO-1 mRNA and protein expression in a dose dependent manner. The level of HO-1 mRNA peaked at 4 h after 15 μM IK treatment. To investigate the mechanisms of HO-1 expression modulation by IK, we used pharmacological inhibitors for the protein kinase C (PKC) family, PI3K, and p38 MAPK. IK-induced HO-1 mRNA expression was only suppressed by SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK. ROS scavengers (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, NAC, and glutathione, GSH) also blocked the IK-induced ROS production and HO-1 expression. Furthermore, both NAC and SB203580 suppressed the IK-induced Nrf2 activation. In addition, ROS scavengers suppressed other oxidative enzymes such as catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and NADH quinone oxidoreductase (NQO-1) in IK-treated RAW264.7 cells. Taken together, it can be concluded that IK induced the HO-1 expression through the ROS/p38 MAPK/ Nrf2 pathway in RAW264.7 cells.

Translating curcumin to the clinic for lung cancer prevention: evaluation of the preclinical evidence for its utility in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies

Lung cancer is responsible for over one million deaths worldwide each year. Smoking cessation for lung cancer prevention remains key, but it is increasingly acknowledged that prevention strategies also need to focus on high-risk groups, including ex-smokers, and patients who have undergone resection of a primary tumor. Models for chemoprevention of lung cancer often present conflicting results, making rational design of lung cancer chemoprevention trials challenging. There has been much focus on use of dietary bioactive compounds in lung cancer prevention strategies, primarily due to their favorable toxicity profile and long history of use within the human populace. One such compound is curcumin, derived from the spice turmeric. This review summarizes and stratifies preclinical evidence for chemopreventive efficacy of curcumin in models of lung cancer, and adjudges the weight of evidence for use of curcumin in lung cancer chemoprevention strategies.