Fisetin-Rich Extracts ofRhus vernicifluaStokes Improve Blood Flow Rates in Mice Fed Both Normal and High-Fat Diets

The natural polyphenol fisetin in atherosclerosis prevention: a mechanistic review

The incidence and mortality rate of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is increasing yearly worldwide. Recently, a growing body of evidence has unveiled the anti-atherosclerotic properties of fisetin, a natural polyphenol compound. In this article, we reviewed the pharmacologic actions of fisetin on experimental atherosclerosis and its protective effects on disease-relevant cell types such as endothelial cells, macrophages, vascular smooth muscle cells, and platelets. Based on its profound cardiovascular actions, fisetin holds potential for clinical translation and could be developed as a potential therapeutic option for atherosclerosis and its related complications. Large-scale randomized clinical trials are warranted to ascertain the safety and efficacy of fisetin in patients with or high risk for ASCVD.

Fisetin inhibits Salmonella Typhimurium type III secretion system regulator HilD and reduces pathology in vivo

IMPORTANCE

Salmonella spp. remains a major worldwide health concern that causes significant morbidity and mortality in both humans and animals. The spread of antimicrobial resistant strains has declined the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy. Thus, novel anti-infection drugs or strategies are needed. Anti-virulence strategy represents one of the promising means for the treatment of bacterial infections. In this study, we found that the natural compound fisetin could inhibit Salmonella invasion of host cells by targeting SPI-1 regulation. Fisetin treatment impaired the interaction of the regulatory protein HilD with the promoters of its target genes, thereby suppressing the expression of T3SS-1 effectors as well as structural proteins. Moreover, fisetin treatment could reduce pathology in the Salmonella murine infection model. Collectively, our results suggest that fisetin may serve as a promising lead compound for the development of anti-Salmonella drugs.

A comprehensive review of medicinal Toxicodendron (Anacardiaceae): Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Comprising of about 30 species, the genus Toxicodendron (Anacardiaceae) are mainly distributed in East Asia and North America. Among them, 13 species have been traditionally used as folk medicines in Asia and other parts of the world to treat blood diseases, abnormal bleeding, skin diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, liver diseases, bone injury, lung diseases, neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, tonic, cancer, eye diseases, menstrual irregularities, inflammation, rheumatism, diabetes mellitus, rattlesnake bite, internal parasites, contraceptive, vomiting and diarrhea.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To date, no comprehensive review on Toxicodendron has been published and the scientific basis of the traditional medicinal benefits of Toxicodendron have been less reported. Therefore, this review aims to provide a reference for further research and development on medicinal purpose of Toxicodendron by summarizing the works (from 1980 to 2023), and focusing on its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The names of the species were from The Plant List Database (http://www.theplantlist.org), World Flora Online (http://www.worldfloraonline.org), Catalogue of Life Database (https://www.catalogueoflife.org/) and Plants for A Future Database (https://pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx). And the search terms "Toxicodendron" and "the names of 31 species and their synonyms" were used to search for information from electronic databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Baidu Scholar, Springer, and Wiley Online Library. Moreover, PhD and MSc dissertations were also used to support this work.

RESULTS

These species on Toxicodendron are widely used in folkloric medicine and modern pharmacological activities. So far, approximately 238 compounds, mainly phenolic acids and their derivatives, urushiols, flavonoids and terpenoids, are extracted and isolated from Toxicodendron plants, commonly, T. trichocarpum, T. vernicifluum, T. succedaneum, and T. radicans. Among them, phenolic acids and flavonoids are the main compound classes that show pharmacological activities in Toxicodendron plants both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the extracts and single compounds of these species show a wide range of activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, liver protection, fat reduction, nerve protection, and treatment of blood diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Selected species of Toxicodendron have been used as herbal medicines in the Southeast Asian for a long time. Furthermore, some bioactive constituents have been identified from them, so plants in this genus may be potential new drugs. The existing research on Toxicodendron has been reviewed, and the phytochemistry and pharmacology provide theoretical basis for some of the traditional medicinal uses. Therefore, in this review, the traditional medicinal, phytochemical and modern pharmacology of Toxicodendron plants are summarized to help future researchers to find new drug leads or to get a better understanding of structure-activity relationships.

Could Sumac Be Effective on COVID-19 Treatment?

Sumac is an herbal product, commonly consumed as a spice and was used for medical treatment for centuries. The phytochemical structure of Sumac was studied extensively, and it was established that the herb contained tannins, polyphenols, flavonoids, organic acids, and essential oils. Various scientific studies demonstrated that Sumac had a free oxygen radical-scavenging effect, a protective effect against liver damage, antihemolytic, leukopenia, and antifibrogenic effects, along with its antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Recently, several scientific studies described the pathophysiology, clinical course, and the treatment of COVID-19 infection. The examination of the characteristics of COVID-19 infection revealed via the clinical studies suggests that Sumac extract could be useful in the treatment of COVID-19. Given the scientific studies focusing on the beneficial effects of Sumac, the present review aims to provide an encouraging viewpoint to investigate whether Sumac is effective in treating COVID-19 infection.

Macrophages from Mice Administered Rhus verniciflua Stokes Extract Show Selective Anti-Inflammatory Activity

The bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) is used as a food additive and herbal medicine for various inflammatory disorders and cancer in Eastern Asia. RVS has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages in vitro, but whether oral administration of RVS affects the inflammatory response of macrophage needs to be verified. RVS was given orally to mice for ten days. For isolation of macrophages, intraperitoneal injection of thioglycollate was performed. For determination of serum inflammatory response, intraperitoneal injection of LPS was applied. RVS stimulated monocyte differentiation in thioglycollate-induced peritonitis by increasing the population of cells expressing CD11b and class A scavenger receptors. These monocyte-derived macrophages showed an increased uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein. When peritoneal macrophages from the RVS group were stimulated with LPS, the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 in the supernatant decreased, but the level of IL-12 increased. The surface expression of CD86 was reduced, but surface expression of class II major histocompatibility complex molecules was increased. RVS suppressed the serum levels of LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-6. Collectively, RVS promoted monocyte differentiation upon inflammatory insults and conferred selective anti-inflammatory activity without causing overall inhibitory effects on immune cells.

Comparison of the main components and bioactivity of Rhus verniciflua Stokes extracts by different detoxification processing methods

BACKGROUND

Rhus verniciflua Stokes is an Asian tree species that is used as a food supplement and traditional medicine in Korea. However, its use is restricted by its potential to cause allergy. Thus, allergen-free R. verniciflua extracts are currently being marketed as a functional health food in Korea. In the present study, three different allergen-free R. verniciflua extracts (DRVE, FRVE, and FFRVE) were produced by detoxification of R. verniciflua, and their properties and constituents were compared.

METHODS

The main components and properties (antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, and hepatic lipogenesis inhibitory effects) of the three allergen-free extracts were compared. Moreover, the major phenolic constituents of R. verniciflua, including gallic acid, fustin, fisetin, and quercetin, were analyzed in the three extracts.

RESULTS

DRVE was superior to the two other extracts with regard to antioxidant activity, while FRVE was superior with regard to antimicrobial activity and suppression of hepatic lipogenesis. FRVE exhibited lipid-lowering effects by lowering sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 and triglyceride levels, and promoting the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and AMP-activated protein kinase in an in vitro model of non-alcoholic fatty liver.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our findings demonstrate various differences among the three extracts. This suggests that functional and bioactive compounds present in R. verniciflua could be altered by the detoxification process, and this property could be considered in the development of functional health foods in the future.

A hydroxylated flavonol, fisetin inhibits the formation of a carcinogenic estrogen metabolite

Fisetin can be found in a wide variety of plants and possesses strong efficacy against many cancers. 17β-Estradiol (E2) is hydrolyzed to 4-hydroxy-E2 (4-OHE2) via cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1B1 in vivo. In estrogen target tissues including the mammary gland, ovaries, and uterus, CYP1B1 is highly expressed, and 4-OHE2 is predominantly formed in cancerous tissues. Herein, we investigated the inhibitory activity of fisetin and flavone against CYP1B1 using estrogen E2 as substrate in vitro to reveal structure-activity relationship between structure of flavonoids and inhibition. The results showed that fisetin possessed inhibitory effect on CYP1B1 activity. Compared with flavone, the inhibition of fisetin was stronger. The V_max and K_i values were 1.950±0.157pmol/μgprotein/min and 4.925±0.689nM for fisetin and 2.277±0.231pmol/μgprotein/min and 9.148±2.150nM for flavone, respectively. By kinetic analyses, both fisetin and flavone displayed mixed inhibition. Taken together the data suggested that fisetin is able to inhibit the formation of carcinogenic 4-OHE2 from E2, which reveals one of its anti-cancer mechanisms and helps to reveal the relationship between the structure of flavonoids and the inhibition CYP1B1 for discovering new drugs in cancer therapy and prevention.