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Root extracts of Ancistrocladus tectorius (AT), a shrub native to China, have been shown to have antiviral and antitumor activities, but the anti-obesity effects of AT aerial parts, mainly the leaves and stems, have not been investigated. This study is the first to investigate the anti-obesity effects and molecular mechanism of AT 70% ethanol extract in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6J mice. Treatment with AT extract inhibited lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells and decreased the expression of adipogenesis-related genes. AT extract also upregulated the mRNA expression of genes related to mitochondrial dynamics in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. AT administration for 12 weeks reduced body weight and organ weights, including liver, pancreas, and white and brown adipose tissue, and improved plasma profiles such as glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol in HFD-fed mice. AT extract reduced HFD-induced hepatic steatosis with levels of liver TG and lipogenesis-related genes. AT extract upregulated thermogenesis-related genes such as Cidea, Pgc1α, Ucp1, Prdm16, Adrb1, and Adrb3 and mitochondrial dynamics-related genes such as Mff, Opa1, and Mfn2 in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Therefore, AT extract effectively reduced obesity by promoting thermogenesis and the mitochondrial dynamics of BAT in HFD-fed mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bronze wine vessel attributed to 1600–1046 B.C., Shang dynasty in China, an object from the East Asian Collection of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney (Australia), was studied using a non-destructive scientific analytical protocol based on the synergic combination of nuclear techniques. Gamma spectrometry, neutron-computed tomography, and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectroscopy were applied to gain a better insight into the structural and compositional features of the artefact to prove its authenticity. Gamma spectrometry was performed to assess the risk of excessive sample activation induced by long exposure to the neutron beam and to determine the bulk elemental composition. Based on neutron-computed tomography, the porosities and the thickness of the metal wall were evaluated and found consistent with the piece-mould casting technology adopted by craftsmen during the Shang dynasty in China. Finally, PIXE spectroscopy demonstrated the use of a ternary (copper–tin-leaded) alloy and the nature of mineralisation on the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agarwood is a resinous wood from the tree in the family Thymelaeaceae. It has been used as traditional medicine in China and Southeast Asia countries. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of agarwood pill (AP) as a supplement to enhance immune function. In this study, immunity-enhancing activity was demonstrated in BALB/c male mice administered with AP for 10 days after intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (CPA). Results demonstrated that AP supplementation ameliorated spleen index and body weight changes of CPA-injected mice by increasing the proliferation of T- and B-lymphocytes as well as the activity of natural killer cells. Analysis of spleen-derived lymphocytes showed that counts of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were slightly recovered in the spleen of mice treated with a high dosage of AP. Serum levels of immune-related cytokines of tumor necrosis factor-α were notably restored after AP administration. In addition, serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG were recovered by AP administration at a medium dosage. Furthermore, in analysis of ex vivo bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells, counts of immune-related interleukin-12, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I, MHC-II, CD80, and CD86 were significantly increased by AP treatment in concentration-dependent manner. This study provides reference data for the development of AP as a supplementation to enhance human immune function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evodiae fructus is a natural plant that is used as a medicinal material in many Asian countries such as Korea and China. However, little is known about its effect on ulcerative colitis. Objectives: Thus, the purpose of this study was to find the improvement effect of Evodiae fructus in mice model with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Materials and Methods: The animal experiments were conducted using ulcerative colitis animals induced by DSS. To induce ulcerative colitis in BALB/c mice used in the experiment, 5% DSS was supplied as drinking water for 7 days. BALB/c mice were divided into five groups (n = 8): Group 1 (normal group), Group 2 (5% DSS control group), Group 3 (5% DSS + sulfasalazine 60 mg/kg treated), Group 4 (5% DSS + Evodiae fructus water extract 50 mg/kg treated), Group 5 (5% DSS + Evodiae fructus water extract 100 mg/kg treated). After the animal experiment, the expression of antioxidant, oxidative stress, inflammatory, and necrosis-related factors in colonic tissues was analyzed by western blotting. Results: As a result, the Evodiae fructus treatment group reduced oxidative stress by increasing the expression of Nrf2, an antioxidant-related transcription factor. Also, the expression of NF-κB, an inflammatory transcription factor, was reduced, thereby reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory proteins and inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: These results suggest that Evodiae fructus treatment has an inhibitory effect on inflammation against DSS-induced colitis. Therefore, Evodiae fructus has the potential to be used as a natural medicine for ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the increasing demands of the society in the current era, new strains of the domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) are being continuously bred. Consequently, cataloging the genetic information of pure lines is essential. The strain Jam 146, whose larvae have atypical pale, crescent-shaped body markings, is an important breeding resource due to its excellent fecundity. In this study, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of this strain using next-generation sequencing. The complete genome of this strain has a gene arrangement typical of Lepidoptera. The length of the Jam 146 mitogenome (15,661 bp) is well within the range reported in other B. mori strains, i.e. between 15,629 (Baiyun strain, China) and 15,676 bp (Hukpyobeom strain, South Korea). However, the total length of protein-coding genes, 3,733 codons in Jam 146 and two other silkworm strains previously reported from South Korea, is 13 codons longer than that in other B. mori strains. Phylogenetic analysis of 22 silkworm strains from nine countries showed that the Jam 146 strain forms a strong cluster with three other strains from China, Japan, and South Korea, suggesting that after their split from a common ancestor, the evolutionary divergence among the silkworm strains in these countries has been limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bombyx mandarina (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), the presumed ancestor of B. mori, has long been a subject of study to illustrate the geographic variation in relationship to origin of B. mori. We report 37 mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences of B. mori strains obtained by whole-genome sequencing and four of B. mandarina individuals obtained by Sanger sequencing from South Korea. These mitogenome sequences were combined with 45 public data to uncover the population genetic and phylogenetic relationships among regional populations of B. mandarina and their relationships to B. mori. A substantial genetic reduction in B. mori strains compared to the B. mandarina was detected, with the highest diversity detected in the Chinese origin B. mori. Chinese B. mandarina were divided into northern and southern groups, largely concordant to the Qinling–Huaihe line, and the northern group was placed as an immediate progenitor of monophyletic B. mori strains in phylogenetic analyses. The enigmatic South Korean population of B. mandarina, which has often been regarded as a closer genetic group to Japan, was most similar to the northern Chinese group, evidencing substantial gene flow between the two regions. This is the first report that the South Korean B. mandarina are closer genetically to the northern Chinese group. We report 37 mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences of Bombyx mori strains (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) and four of B. mandarina individuals, each preserved and collected, respectively, in South Korea. These mitogenome sequences combined with 45 public data showed a substantial genetic reduction in B. mori strains compared to the presumed ancestor B. mandarina, with the highest diversity detected in the Chinese origin B. mori. Chinese B. mandarina were divided into northern and southern groups, concordant to the Qinling–Huaihe line, and the northern group was placed as an immediate progenitor of monophyletic B. mori strains in phylogenetic analyses, as has previously been detected. However, one individual that was in close proximity to the south Qinling–Huaihe line was exceptional, belonging to the northern group. The enigmatic South Korean population of B. mandarina, which has often been regarded as a closer genetic group to Japan, was most similar to the northern Chinese group, evidencing substantial gene flow between the two regions. Although a substantial genetic divergence is present between B. mandarina in southern China and Japan, a highly supported sister relationship between the two regional populations may suggest the potential origin of Japanese B. mandarina from southern China instead of the Korean peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]