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At present, specific therapies for COVID-19 are not well established, being certain only that the immune system plays a decisive role in the initiation and progression of the disease. Plants have given and continue to give compounds with great efficiency and low toxicity, some of them being a starting point for extremely effective synthetic substances. Although herbal remedies are used mainly for preventive purposes, there are also guidelines issued by some countries that indicate the use of traditional remedies for different stages of COVID-19 disease.Europe has a long and strong tradition of using medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes, but clinical trials for this type of approach are scarce, compared to Asia. In this regard, a bridge between tradition and science, would have a strong impact on the capacity for prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The paper reviews compounds of plant origin that have previously proven effective in counteracting some coronaviruses but also some of their major effects - direct action on virus replicative apparatus (viral entry or replication, action on the viral enzymatic system), collateral action of natural compounds on the immune system and also the contribution of herbal medicine as vaccine adjuvants are tackled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 2000s, studies of the evolution of venom within animals have rapidly expanded, offering new revelations on the origins and development of venom within various species. The venomous mammals represent excellent opportunities to study venom evolution due to the varying functional usages, the unusual distribution of venom across unrelated mammals and the diverse variety of delivery systems. A group of mammals that excellently represents a combination of these traits are the slow (Nycticebus spp.) and pygmy lorises (Xanthonycticebus spp.) of south-east Asia, which possess the only confirmed two-step venom system. These taxa also present one of the most intriguing mixes of toxic symptoms (cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity) and functional usages (intraspecific competition and ectoparasitic defence) seen in extant animals. We still lack many pieces of the puzzle in understanding how this venom system works, why it evolved what is involved in the venom system and what triggers the toxic components to work. Here, we review available data building upon a decade of research on this topic, focusing especially on why and how this venom system may have evolved. We discuss that research now suggests that venom in slow lorises has a sophisticated set of multiple uses in both intraspecific competition and the potential to disrupt the immune system of targets; we suggest that an exudate diet reveals several toxic plants consumed by slow and pygmy lorises that could be sequestered into their venom and which may help heal venomous bite wounds; we provide the most up-to-date visual model of the brachial gland exudate secretion protein (BGEsp); and we discuss research on a complement component 1r (C1R) protein in saliva that may solve the mystery of what activates the toxicity of slow and pygmy loris venom. We conclude that the slow and pygmy lorises possess amongst the most complex venom system in extant animals, and while we have still a lot more to understand about their venom system, we are close to a breakthrough, particularly with current technological advances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible bird nest (EBN) production is a major industry in South East Asia, motivated by the perception that consumption of this delicacy can help improve the human immune system while slowing down the aging process. However, processing the raw EBN requires a tremendous amount of human effort, making it a very labour-intensive process. The most critical part of this process is the cleaning of the EBN and this is also the most labour intensive and time consuming. Impurities in each sample have to be painstakingly identified and then removed from the rest of the nest. This paper proposed a method to detect the impurities in edible bird nest using K-Means segmentation to help improve the effectiveness of the conventional cleaning process by accurately identifying the impurities of various shapes and sizes. The accuracy of the proposed method has been compared with Fuzzy C-Means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f. (Orchidaceae), also known as Hyacinth Orchid and Baiji (Simplified Chinese: 白及), not only has been widely used for the treatment of hematemesis, hemoptysis, and traumatic bleeding due to the efficacy of arresting bleeding with astringent action, but also has been applied topically to overcome ulcers, sores, swellings, and chapped skin due to the efficacy of dispersing swelling and promoting tissue regeneration. Additional medical applications include the treatment of tuberculosis, malignant ulcers, hemorrhoids, anthrax, eye diseases, and silicosis. Aim of this review This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the botanical characterization, medicinal uses, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of B. striata . In addition, this paper also focuses on the possible exploitation of this plant for the treatment of different diseases, and uncovers opportunities for future research. Materials and methods The relevant information on B. striata was gathered from worldwide accepted scientific databases via an electronic search (Google Scholar, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ACS Publications, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, SciFinder, CNKI). Information was also obtained from The Plant List, Chinese pharmacopoeia, Chinese herbal classics books, PhD and MSc dissertations, etc. Results A comprehensive analysis of the literature obtained through the above-mentioned sources confirmed that the ethnomedical usages of B. striata have been recorded in Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and China. Phytochemical investigations revealed that the major chemical constituents of B. striata are polysaccharides, bibenzyls, phenanthrenes, triterpenoids and its saponins, steroids and its saponins, which also have been proven to be the main bioactive substances capable of exhibiting numerous pharmacological activities including wound healing, antiulcer, hemostasis, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, immunomodulation, anti-fibrosis, antiaging, anti-allergy, and anti-itch. Conclusions Preliminary investigations on pharmacological properties of B. striata have shown that B. striata is an outstanding astringent hemostatic medicinal, B. striata polysaccharides (BSP) as the major bioactive components not only capable of promoting wound healing, but also show good performance as a kind of promising natural biomaterial. More importantly, BSP are also reported to be excellent embolic material. However, further investigations need to be carried out to fully clarify its efficacy of dispersing swelling and promoting tissue regeneration. Moreover, this plant also needs a lot more investigations to clarify the pathways of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, and to evaluate its long-term in vivo chronic toxicity before proceeding to the development of pharmaceutical formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginseng is a valuable medicinal plant in Asian countries with thousands of years of history. Ginsenosides, one of the active components of ginseng, are considered to be of potential value in the treatment of various diseases. The antitumor effects of ginsenosides, such as Rg3, Rh2, Rg5, and CK, are well known, and their potential mechanisms are thought to be related to inducing apoptosis, enhancing the immune response, reversing drug resistance to chemotherapy, and regulating signaling pathways, such as MAPK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Wnt/ β -catenin, NF- κ B, ASK-1/JNK, AMPK, and EGFR/Akt/SOX2. On the other hand, ginsenosides also have anti-inflammatory effects, including reducing the release of inflammatory factors, regulating the balance of immune cells, regulating the diversity of intestinal flora, and activating MAPK, NF- κ B, and NLRP3 inflammasomes. These data suggest that ginsenosides may provide new insights as promising drugs for the treatment of malignant tumors and inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringa) plant, which belongs to the Moringaceae family, is an important crop in Asia and Africa. Moringa has been investigated for its health benefits, which are related to several bioactive components found in the plant, including flavonoids, vitamins, phenolic acids, isothiocyanates, saponins, and tannins. The leaves of moringa have been researched extensively and hence proven to be effective in various chronic illnesses such as insulin resistance, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, cancer, nonalcoholic liver disease, high blood pressure, and general inflammation. Moringa includes a variety of dietary phytonutrients, notably flavonoids, the secondary plant metabolites which have health-enhancing effects, such as avoiding damage to normal cellular DNA and stimulating the death of cancer cells, therefore reducing the prevalence of non-communicable disorders (NCDs). Flavonoids are phenolic chemicals, which are plant elements that correlate to the non-energy portion of a person's diet. Flavonoids are often removed chemically using solvents and conventional techniques that, in addition to being costly, take a long time and have an impact on the bioactivity of these substances. As a consequence, there is no universally applicable extraction procedure, and each best practice is adapted to the specific plants involved. To be selective, an extraction technique must have combined an ideal solvent or mixture of solvents with an optimum procedure. In this study, we provide information on the improved and standardized extraction process from Moringa leaf extract concerning flavonoids and its good consequences on immune system efficacy that have been documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global prototypical zoonotic hantavirus, Hantaan virus (HTNV) is prevalent in Asia and is the leading causative agent of severe hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which has profound morbidity and mortality. Macrophages are crucial components of the host innate immune system and serve as the first line of defense against HTNV infection. Previous studies indicated that the viral replication efficiency in macrophages determines hantavirus pathogenicity, but it remains unknown which factor manipulates the macrophage activation pattern and the virus-host interaction process. Here, we performed the transcriptomic analysis of HTNV-infected mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and identified the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1), especially the isoform NEAT1-2, as one of the lncRNAs that is differentially expressed at the early phase. Based on coculture experiments, we revealed that silencing NEAT1-2 hinders inflammatory macrophage activation and facilitates HTNV propagation, while enhancing NEAT1-2 transcription effectively restrains viral replication. Furthermore, sterol response element binding factor-2 (SREBP2), which controls the cholesterol metabolism process, was found to stimulate macrophages by promoting the production of multiple inflammatory cytokines upon HTNV infection. NEAT1-2 could potentiate SREBP2 activity by upregulating Srebf1 expression and interacting with SREBP2, thus stimulating inflammatory macrophages and limiting HTNV propagation. More importantly, we demonstrated that the NEAT1-2 expression level in patient monocytes was negatively correlated with viral load and HFRS disease progression. Our results identified a function and mechanism of action for the lncRNA NEAT1 in heightening SREBP2-mediated macrophage activation to restrain hantaviral propagation and revealed the association of NEAT1 with HFRS severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aucklandia costus Falc. a medicinal plant is native to the Himalayan region and synonymous with Saussurea costus, Saussurea lappa, and Aucklandia lappa. It has an ancient background of being used ethnopharmacologically for various body ailments. According to Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Costus roots are recommended for leukoderma, liver, kidney, blood disorders, Qi stagnation, and tridosha. Root and powder are used orally with warm water to cure gastric problems, and the paste is applied to the inflamed area to relieve pain. Root paste is applied on the skin to cure boils, blisters, and leprosy. The aim of the present review is to establish a correlation among the ethnopharmacological uses and scientific studies conducted on A. costus with chemical constituents, safety & toxicity data including future directions for its conservation with higher yield and effect. The study was conducted by studying books, research papers, and literature in history, agroforestry, phytopharmacology of Himalayan plants using international databases, publication, Red data book, and reports. The search engines: Pubmed, Scopus, Wiley Inter-science, Indian Materia Medica, Science Direct, and referred journals are referenced. The literature collected from databases, journals, websites, and books mentioned the use of costus roots in local and traditional practices. CITES included A. costus in a critically endangered category due to lack of cultural practices and overexploitation from wild. A. costus roots are known since 13th century for use in ancient Ayurvedic products but the scientific evaluation is of future research interest. A correlation of traditional uses with scientific studies has been explored to assess the effect of root powder, extract, oil and isolated constituents: Costunolids, Saussureamine B and Dehydrocostus lactone etc. in gastric ulceration and lesions; inhibition of antigen-induced degranulation, mucin production, number of immune cells, eosinophils, and expression and secretion of Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13) in asthma. The inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators is also reported by Cynaropicrin, Alantolactone, Caryophyllene, Costic acid. Also, the sesquiterpene lactones has profound effect in inhibition of inflammatory stages and induced apoptotic cascades in cancer. Very few data on the safety and toxicity of plant parts have been noted which needs to be evaluated scientifically. A. costus have been noted to have remarkable effect for gastric, hepatic, inflammatory, respiratory, cancer, skin problems but there were several errors in selection of plant material, authentification, selection of dose, assessment, selection of standard and control have been identified. Therefore, a schematic drug development and research strategy exploiting the potential of plant extract, fraction, products and probable constituents, costunolide, dehydrocostus lactone, cynaropicrin, saussureamine assuring dose-response relationship and safety may be determined under pre-clinical which may be extrapolated to clinical level. An evaluation of phytochemicals in A. costus collected from different geographical location in Himalayas may be drawn to identify and conserve the higher yielding plant. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientia (O.) tsutsugamushi-induced scrub typhus is endemic across many regions of Asia and the Western Pacific, where an estimated 1 million cases occur each year; the majority of patients infected with O. tsutsugamushi end up with a cytokine storm from a severe inflammatory response. Previous reports have indicated that blocking tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α reduced cell injury from a cytokine storm. Since TNF-α production is known to be associated with intracellular Ca2+ elevation, we examined the effect of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) inhibitors on TNF-α production in O. tsutsugamushi-infected macrophages. We found that 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), but not SKF96365, facilitates the suppression of Ca2+ mobilization via the interruption of Orai1 expression in O. tsutsugamushi-infected macrophages. Due to the decrease of Ca2+ elevation, the expression of TNF-α and its release from macrophages was repressed by 2-APB. In addition, a novel role of 2-APB was found in macrophages that causes the upregulation of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression associated with ERK activation; upregulated TNF-α production in the case of knockdown HSP70 was inhibited with 2-APB treatment. Furthermore, elevated HSP70 formation unexpectedly did not help the cell survival of O. tsutsugamushi-infected macrophages. In conclusion, the parallelism between downregulated Ca2+ mobilization via SOCE and upregulated HSP70 after treatment with 2-APB against TNF-α production was found to efficiently attenuate an O. tsutsugamushi-induced severe inflammatory response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is an economically important marine fish in Asia and has suffered from disease outbreaks caused by various pathogens, which requires more information for immune relevant genes on genome background. However, genomic and transcriptomic data for Japanese flounder remain scarce, which limits studies on the immune system of this species. In this study, we characterized the Japanese flounder spleen transcriptome using an Illumina paired-end sequencing platform to identify putative genes involved in immunity. Methodology/Principal Findings: A cDNA library from the spleen of P. olivaceus was constructed and randomly sequenced using an Illumina technique. The removal of low quality reads generated 12,196,968 trimmed reads, which assembled into 96,627 unigenes. A total of 21,391 unigenes (22.14%) were annotated in the NCBI Nr database, and only 1.1% of the BLASTx top-hits matched P. olivaceus protein sequences. Approximately 12,503 (58.45%) unigenes were categorized into three Gene Ontology groups, 19,547 (91.38%) were classified into 26 Cluster of Orthologous Groups, and 10,649 (49.78%) were assigned to six Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Furthermore, 40,928 putative simple sequence repeats and 47, 362 putative single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. Importantly, we identified 1,563 putative immune-associated unigenes that mapped to 15 immune signaling pathways. Conclusions/Significance: The P. olivaceus transciptome data provides a rich source to discover and identify new genes, and the immune-relevant sequences identified here will facilitate our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the immune response. Furthermore, the plentiful potential SSRs and SNPs found in this study are important resources with respect to future development of a linkage map or marker assisted breeding programs for the flounder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]