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Sichuan pepper, a well-known traditional Chinese spice, is popularly used in Chinese cuisine. In this study, the antioxidant activities of Sichuan pepper water extract (SP) were evaluated both chemically [in 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH) assay] and biologically [in 2,2′-azobis-(2-amidinopropane) (AAPH)-induced haemolysis assay]. The protective effect of SP against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in primary Sprague Dawley rat hepatocytes was investigated by using cell viability assay, nuclear staining, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement and flow cytometry. It was found to possess high total phenolic content as assessed by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The antiapoptotic effect of SP may be mediated, in part, by significantly inhibiting intracellular ROS generation and depletion of the mitochondrial membrane potential. SP was also found to enhance the cellular antioxidant defense system through up-regulating heme oxygenase-1 expression. SP is an effective antioxidant that can be consumed regularly as a functional food for the prevention of oxidative stress-related liver diseases. Practical applications The present study demonstrated that Sichuan pepper water extract (SP) could enhance the cellular antioxidant ability in hepatocytes. SP is an effective antioxidant that can be consumed regularly as a functional food for the prevention of oxidative stress-related liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gui-ling-gao (GLG), also known as turtle/tortoise jelly, has been traditionally used as a functional food in southern China, Singapore, and Malaysia to regulate the immune system. In the present study, the antiinflammatory effects of GLG against Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced inflammation in BALB/c mice isolated splenocytes were evaluated. GLG significantly ( p < .05) inhibited Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Con A-mediated increases in mRNA and protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were suppressed by GLG treatment ( p < .001). GLG decreased the upregulated mRNA expressions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) ( p < .05) and IL-15 ( p < .001) induced by Con A. These findings suggest that GLG possesses potential antiinflammatory effects by inhibiting the expressions of iNOS and proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-15. Practical applications The present study revealed that Gui-ling-gao (GLG) exhibited potential antiinflammatory effect. Thus, GLG could be employed as an effective health food for regulating immune system to cope with inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperlipidemia, characterized by the abnormal blood lipid profiles, is one of the dominant factors of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). For the low cost, effectiveness, and fewer side effects, the popularity of using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to handle hyperlipidemia is increasing and its role in health care has been recognized by the public at large. Despite the importance of TCM herbs and formulations, there is no comprehensive review summarizing their scientific findings on handling hyperlipidemia. This review summarizes the recent experimental and clinical results of nine representative single Chinese herbs and seven classic TCM formulae that could improve lipid profiles so as to help understand and compare their underlying mechanisms. Most of single herbs and formulae demonstrated the improvement of hyperlipidemic conditions withmultiple and diverse mechanisms of actions similar to conventionalWestern drugs in spite of their mild side effects. Due to increasing popularity of TCM, more extensive, well-designed preclinical and clinical trials on the potential synergistic and adverse side effects of herb-drug interactions as well as their mechanisms are warranted. Hyperlipidemic patients should be warned about the potential risks of herb-drug interactions, particularly those taking anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in China for thousands of years to treat and prevent diseases. TCM has been proven safe and effective, and it is being considered as one of the important types of complementary and alternative medicine and receives increasing attention worldwide. The dried root of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb, et Zucc. (also known as "Hu Zhang" in Chinese) is one of the medicinal herbs listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the Peoples Republic of China. Hu Zhang is widely distributed in the world. It can be found in Asia and North America and is used as folk medicine in countries such as Japan and Korea. In China, Hu Zhang is usually used in combination with other TCM herbs. The therapeutic uses of those Hu Zhang-containing TCM prescriptions or formulations are for treating cough, hepatitis, jaundice, amenorrhea, leucorrhea, arthralgia, burns and snake bites. Recent pharmacological and clinical studies have indicated that Hu Zhang has antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective functions. This review gives a summary of the reported therapeutic effects of the active compounds and the different extracts of Hu Zhang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dried ripe seed of Raphanus sativus L., commonly known as radish seed (or Raphani Semen), is used as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat constipation, chronic tracheitis, and hypertension. The major active compounds in Raphani Semen are alkaloids, glucosinolates, brassinosteroids, and flavonoids. Fatty acids are its main nutritional contents. Raphani Semen has been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, constipation, and cough. So far, there is no report about the adverse/toxic effects of this herb on humans. However, Raphani Semen processed by roasting was reported to exhibit some adverse effects on mice. Additionally, erucic acid, the main fatty acid in Raphani Semen, was shown to enhance the toxicity of doxorubicin. Thus, Raphani Semen has a potential risk of causing toxicity and drug interaction. In summary, Raphani Semen is a valuable TCM herb with multiple pharmacological effects. More studies on Raphani Semen could help better understand its pharmacological mechanisms so as to provide clear scientific evidence to explain its traditional uses, to identify its therapeutic potential on other diseases, and to understand its possible harmful effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The king of herbs, Panax ginseng, has been used widely as a therapeutic agent vis-à-vis its active pharmacological and physiological effects. Based on Chinese pharmacopeia Ben Cao Gang Mu and various pieces of literature, Panax ginseng was believed to exert active vascular protective effects through its antiobesity and anti-inflammation properties. We investigated the vascular protective effects of ginseng by administrating ginseng extracts to rats after the induction of diabetes. We found that Panax ginseng can restore diabetes-induced impaired vasorelaxation and can reduce serum triglyceride but not cholesterol level in the diabetic rats. The ginseng extracts also suppressed the expression of atherosclerosis-related genes and altered the expression of lipid-related genes. The results provide evidence that Panax ginseng improves vascular dysfunction induced by diabetes and the protective effects may possibly be due to the downregulation of atherosclerosis-related genes and altered lipid metabolism, which help to restore normal endothelium functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of functional foods for lowering serum cholesterol has globally gained acceptance by the general public. Turtle jelly (TJ), also called gui-ling-gao, is a popular traditional functional food in southern China. The hypocholesterolemic effect of consuming TJ was investigated in rats fed with normal diet, high-cholesterol diet or high-cholesterol diet supplemented with simvastatin (3mg/kg bw per day, p.o.) or TJ (3.3 or 10 mL/kg bw per day, p.o.) for 30 days. TJ markedly reversed the increased serum total cholesterol, increased high-density lipoprotein, and decreased high-density lipoprotein induced by hypercholesterolemic diet with a dose-dependent improvement on the atherogenic index. It also demonstrated good hepatoprotective function by reducing fat depositions and overall lipid contents in the liver and increasing the activities of hepatic antioxidative enzymes. The blunted nitric oxide/endothelium-mediated aortic relaxation in rats fed with hypercholesterolemic diet was partially restored after TJ consumption. It is postulated that the hypocholesterolemic effect is the primary beneficial effect given by TJ; it then leads to secondary beneficial effects such as vasoprotective and hepatoprotective functions. The results revealed that TJ could block the downregulation of LDLR and PEPCK and upregulation of PPARa mRNA and protein expressions in the livers of rats fed with hypercholesterolemic diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan-based photocatalyst composites containing CdS nanocrystals with and without glutaraldehyde or epichlorohydrin cross-linking treatments were investigated and the catalyzed photodegradation of methyl orange in aqueous solution was examined. In addition, the effects of catalyst dosage, initial dye concentration, and initial pH of the dye solution on the photodegradation kinetics were investigated. In this study, the effect of initial solution pH was more important than other factors. The photocatalyst composite could remove 99% dye in 80 minutes at pH 4. The catalyst composite was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and visible reflectance spectroscopy. The dye removal mechanism of methyl orange involved an initial sorption process followed by photodegradation. The sorption process underwent the pseudo-second order kinetics, while photodegradation followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics. Although the glutaraldehyde cross-linked chitosan enhanced the initial dye sorption, the epichlorohydrin cross-linked catalyst composite demonstrated a better overall dye removal performance, especially in the photodegradation step. Both chitosan encapsulated catalyst with and without epichlorohydrin cross-linking demonstrated the same pseudo-first order photodegradation kinetic constant of 0.026 min−1 and the same dye removal capacity. The catalyst composite could be reused but the photocatalytic activity dropped successively in each cycle.