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Postmenopausal women experience several symptoms, including inflammation and a sharp rise in oxidative stress caused by estrogen deprivation. Although estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is generally regarded as an effective treatment for menopause, it has been used less frequently due to some adverse effects and high costs. Therefore, there is an immediate need to develop an effective herbal-based treatment that is affordable for low-income populations. Acordingly, this study explored the estrogen-like properties of methanol extracts from Cynanchum wilfordii (CW) and Poligonum multiflorum (PM), two important medicinal plants in Republic of Korea, Japan, and China. Due to the similar names and morphologies of these two radixes, they are frequently confused in the marketplace. Our previous colleagues discriminated between these two plants. In this study, we investigated the estrogenic activity of PM and CW using several in vitro assays with their possible mechanism of action. First, their phytochemical contents, such as gallic acid, 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-glucoside (TSG) and emodin, were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Secondly, estrogen-like activity was assessed utilizing the well-known E-screen test and gene expression analysis in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF7 cells. ROS inhibition and anti-inflammatory effects were analyzed using HaCaT and Raw 264.7 cells, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that PM extracts significantly increased the expression of the estrogen-dependent genes (ERα, ERβ, pS2) and boosted MCF7 cell proliferation in comparison to CW extracts. Additionally, PM extract demonstrated a significant reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production as well as an enhanced antioxidant profile compared to the CW extract. Further, the PM extract treatment significantly reduced the generation of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line, demonstrating the anti-inflammatory properties of the extract. Finally, this research offers an experimental foundation for the use of PM as a phytoestrogen to minimize menopausal symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mulberry is known to have pharmacological effects against cholesterol, obesity, and dyslipidemia. Many studies have revealed that mulberry leaf possesses hepatoprotective properties against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, mulberry fruit is less studied in this context. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the preventive effects of mulberry fruit against high fat diet- (HFD-) induced NAFLD. To evaluate the effects of mulberry fruit on NAFLD, two doses of mulberry fruit ethanol extracts [MB, 100, and 200 mg/kg BW (body weight)] were given to HFD-fed rats for 10 weeks. MB dramatically prevented liver damage as shown by biochemical analysis of the liver injury markers, alanine transaminase, and aspartate transaminase. MB treatment significantly inhibited the increased levels of total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol but restored the level of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in HFD-fed rats. Notably, histological analysis of liver tissues demonstrated that MB substantially ameliorated lipid accumulation. Expression of cholesterol-regulating genes was also suppressed by MB treatment. For its underlying mechanisms, MB suppressed hepatic reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction and mitochondrial oxidative stress in HFD-fed rats. MB potentially protects liver tissue against NAFLD by inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative stress, suggesting its possible use as a therapeutic agent for treatment of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have become a promising therapeutic approach against skin aging. Recent studies confirm that exosomes partially mediate the therapeutic effect of stem cells. This study successfully isolated exosomes from the ADSC culture medium and discovered that ADSC-derived exosomes (ADSC-Exos) could alleviate human dermal fibroblast (HDF) senescence and stimulate HDF migration. Moreover, ADSC-Exos increased the type I collagen expression level and reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) activity in HDFs. In addition, we demonstrated that ADSC-Exos significantly inhibited senescence-related protein expression levels of p53, p21, and p16. In conclusion, our results have revealed the antisenescence effects of ADSC-Exos on HDFs and ADSC-Exos may be a novel cell-free therapeutic tool for antiaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a high water-demanding and drought-susceptible vegetable crop. Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) have been linked to drought stress response in plants. Here we characterized a G subfamily gene in cucumber, CsbZIP50 , which was strongly induced by drought stress and an exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Under drought stress, CsbZIP50 -overexpressing plants exhibited enhanced drought tolerance compared with wild-type plants, as indicated by the higher antioxidant enzyme activities but lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde contents. In addition, overexpression of CsbZIP50 enhanced cucumber's sensitivity to exogenously applied ABA, and up-regulated the expression of its stress-related genes. Moreover, we found that CsbZIP50 activated CsRD29 expression by directly binding to the G-box/ABRE cis-acting element in its promoter, both in vitro and in vivo. Yeast two-hybrid, luciferase complementation imaging, and pull-down assays showed that CsbZIP50 physically interacted with two IQ domain-containing proteins, CsIQD1 and CsIQD4, both of which promoted the ability of CsbZIP50 to activate the expression of CsRD29. Taken together, our results show that CsbZIP50 enhances drought stress tolerance in cucumber by regulating drought-responsive gene expression and ROS levels. • CsbZIP50 is a G subfamily of the bZIP TF, which was induced by drought stress and exogenous ABA treatment. • Expression of CsbZIP50 positively regulates drought tolerance by improving stomata closure and ROS scavenging. • CsbZIP50 targeted CsRD29A and the expression activation effect was enhanced by interacting with CsIQD1 and CsIQD4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]