Extracts of Echinacea purpurea (EP, purple coneflower) have been used traditionally in North America for the treatment of various types of infections and wounds, and they have become very popular herbal medicines globally. Recent studies have revealed that certain standardized preparations contain potent and selective antiviral and antimicrobial activities. In addition, they display multiple immune-modulatory activities, comprising stimulation of certain immune functions such as phagocytic activity of macrophages and suppression of the proinflammatory responses of epithelial cells to viruses and bacteria, which are manifested as alterations in secretion of various cytokines and chemokines. These immune modulations result from upregulation or downregulation of the relevant genes and their transcription factors. All these bioactivities can be demonstrated at noncytotoxic concentrations of extract and appear to be due to multiple components rather than the individual chemical compounds that characterize Echinacea extracts. Potential applications of the bioactive extracts may go beyond their traditional uses.

James B. Hudson

Applications of the Phytomedicine Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) in Infectious Diseases

This study evaluated the antilipogenic and anti-inflammatory effects of Codonopsis lanceolata (C. lanceolata) root extract in mice with alcohol-induced fatty liver and elucidated its underlying molecular mechanisms. Ethanol was introduced into the liquid diet by mixing it with distilled water at 5% (wt/v), providing 36% of the energy, for nine weeks. Among the three different fractions prepared from the C. lanceolata root, the C. lanceolata methanol extract (CME) exhibited the most remarkable attenuation of alcohol-induced fatty liver with respect to various parameters such as hepatic free fatty acid concentration, body weight loss, and hepatic accumulations of triglyceride and cholesterol. The hepatic gene and protein expression levels were analysed via RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. CME feeding significantly restored the ethanol-induced downregulation of the adiponectin receptor (adipoR) 1 and of adipoR2, along with their downstream molecules. Furthermore, the study data showed that CME feeding dramatically reversed ethanol-induced hepatic upregulation of toll-like receptor- (TLR-) mediated signaling cascade molecules. These results indicate that the beneficial effects of CME against alcoholic fatty livers of mice appear to be with adenosine- and adiponectin-mediated regulation of hepatic steatosis and TLR-mediated modulation of hepatic proinflammatory responses.

Areum Cha

Youngshim Choi

Yoojeong Jin

Mi-Kyung Sung

Yun-Chang Koo

Kwang-Won Lee

Taesun Park

Antilipogenic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Codonopsis lanceolata in Mice Hepatic Tissues after Chronic Ethanol Feeding

An investigation of the chemical constituents in Artocarpus obtusus species led to the isolation of three new xanthones, pyranocycloartobiloxanthone A (1), dihydroartoindonesianin C (2), and pyranocycloartobiloxanthone B (3). The compounds were subjected to antiproliferative assay against human promyelocytic leukemia (HL60), human chronic myeloid leukemia (K562), and human estrogen receptor (ER+) positive breast cancer (MCF7) cell lines. Pyranocycloartobiloxanthone A (1) consistently showed strong cytotoxic activity against the three cell lines compared to the other two with IC50 values of 0.5, 2.0 and 5.0&#x2009;&#x03BC;g/mL, respectively. Compound (1) was also observed to exert antiproliferative activity and apoptotic promoter towards HL60 and MCF7 cell lines at respective IC50 values. The compound (1) was not toxic towards normal cell lines human nontumorigenic breast cell line (MCF10A) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with IC50 values of more than 30&#x2009;&#x03BC;g/mL.

Najihah Mohd Hashim

Mawardi Rahmani

Gwendoline Cheng Lian Ee

Mohd Aspollah Sukari

Maizatulakmal Yahayu

Winda Oktima

Abd Manaf Ali

Rusea Go

Antiproliferative Activity of Xanthones Isolated from Artocarpus obtusus

Silibinin is a composition of the silymarin group as a hepatoprotective agent, and it exhibits various biological activities, including antibacterial activity. In this study, the antibacterial activities of silibinin were investigated in combination with two antimicrobial agents against oral bacteria. Silibinin was determined with MIC and MBC values ranging from 0.1 to 3.2 and 0.2 to 6.4&#x2009;&#x3bc;g/mL, ampicillin from 0.125 to 64 and 0.5 to 64&#x2009;&#x3bc;g/mL, gentamicin from 2 to 256 and 4 to 512&#x2009;&#x3bc;g/mL, respectively. The ranges of MIC50 and MIC90 were 0.025&#x2013;0.8&#x2009;&#x3bc;g/mL and 0.1&#x2013;3.2&#x2009;&#x3bc;g/mL, respectively. The antibacterial activities of silibinin against oral bacteria were assessed using the checkerboard and time-kill methods to evaluate the synergistic effects of treatment with ampicillin or gentamicin. The results were evaluated showing that the combination effects of silibinin with antibiotics were synergistic (FIC index <svg style="vertical-align:-0.30096pt;width:34.712502px;" id="M1" height="11.25" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 34.712502 11.25" width="34.712502" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
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</svg>) against all tested oral bacteria. Furthermore, a time-kill study showed that the growth of the tested bacteria was completely attenuated after 2&#x2013;6&#x2009;h of treatment with the MBC of silibinin, regardless of whether it was administered alone or with ampicillin or gentamicin. These results suggest that silibinin combined with other antibiotics may be microbiologically beneficial and not antagonistic.

Young-Soo Lee

Kyeung-Ae Jang

Jeong-Dan Cha

Synergistic Antibacterial Effect between Silibinin and Antibiotics in Oral Bacteria

The composition of the dressings is based on polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and agar. The electron beam irradiation technique has been used to prepare hydrogel wound dressings. The in vitro biocompatibility of the hydrogel was investigated by check samples (hydrocolloid Comfeel), antibacterial test (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia Coli k12), anti fungal test (Candida Albicans) and cytotoxicity test (Fibroblast L929). Results have shown cell attachment characteristics and nontoxicity of all samples. Antibacterial testing also showed that the antibacterial effect of the hydrogel sample to the check sample increased to 30&#x25;. Also, investigation of antifungal analysis did not show any trace of fungi growth on the surface of the hydrogel, whereas antifungal effect did not observe on the surface of the check sample. Finally, this hydrogel sample showed a good in vitro biocompatibility.

Esmaeil Biazar

Ziba Roveimiab

Gholamreza Shahhosseini

Mohammadreza Khataminezhad

Mandana Zafari

Ali Majdi

Biocompatibility Evaluation of a New Hydrogel Dressing Based on Polyvinylpyrrolidone/Polyethylene Glycol

The neuroprotective effects of 3,<svg style="vertical-align:-0.17555pt;width:12.2875px;" id="M2" height="13.1125" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 12.2875 13.1125" width="12.2875" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
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</svg>-disinapoyl sucrose (DISS) from Radix Polygala against glutamate-induced SH-SY5Y neuronal cells injury were evaluated in the present study. SH-SY5Y neuronal cells were pretreated with glutamate (8&#x2009;mM) for 30&#x2009;min followed by cotreatment with DISS for 12&#x2009;h. Cell viability was determined by (3,4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenylte-trazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and apoptosis was confirmed by cell morphology and flow cytometry assay, evaluated with propidium iodide dye. Treatment with DISS (0.6, 6, and 60&#x2009;&#x3bc;mol/L) increased cell viability dose dependently, inhibited LDH release, and attenuated apoptosis. The mechanisms by which DISS protected neuron cells from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity included the downregulation of proapoptotic gene Bax and the upregulation of antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2. The present findings indicated that DISS exerts neuroprotective effects against glutamate toxicity, which might be of importance and contribute to its clinical efficacy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Yuan Hu

Jie Li

Ping Liu

Xu Chen

Dai-Hong Guo

Qing-Shan Li

Khalid Rahman

Protection of SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells from Glutamate-Induced Apoptosis by 3,<svg style="vertical-align:-0.17744pt" height="17.924999" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 12.775 17.924999" width="12.775" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,17.65)"><path id="x1D7D4" d="M470 688v-26q-108 -22 -172.5 -84.5t-93.5 -173.5q40 17 84 17q85 0 136 -54t51 -145q0 -105 -59 -170t-156 -65q-106 0 -169 77q-63 78 -63 210q0 176 139 297q64 54 118 73q62 22 185 44zM323 165q0 117 -20 164t-69 47q-26 0 -37 -10q-13 -10 -13 -121q0 -149 27 -202&#xA;q15 -29 51 -29q35 0 48 31q13 30 13 120z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,8.562,9.488)"><path id="x2032" d="M227 744l-123 -338l-31 15l73 368q12 3 41.5 -8t36.5 -20z" /></g></svg>-Disinapoyl Sucrose, a Bioactive Compound Isolated from Radix Polygala

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