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Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.) has been traditionally used as indigenous Chinese medicine. Phytochemical investigations of the immature fruits of S. nigrum have been carried out and nine phenylpropanoids (1-9) were obtained. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods, including MS, 1H and 13C-NMR. They were identified as (7S, 8R)-4-[3-hydroxymethyl-5-(3- hydroxypropyl)-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-2-yl]-2-methoxyphenol (1), (7S, 8R)- dihydrodehydroconifery alcohol (2), massonianoside A (3), butane-2,3-diol 2-O- (6-O-caffeoyl)-β-D-glucopyraniside (4), 4-[(6-O-(E)-caffeoyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl] vanillic acid (5), (+)-isolariciresinol (6), trans-cinnamic acid (7), ferulic acid (8), and 4-hydroxy cinnamic acid (9). This study enriched the chemical constituents of black nightshade.

Solanum nigrum L. has been traditionally used as traditional Chinese medicine and food all over the world. Phytochemical investigations of the immature fruits of S. nigrum have been carried out and five coumarins (1-5) and five phenolic compounds (6-11) were obtained. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods, including IR, MS, 1H and 13C-NMR. They were identifies as 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (1), 6-methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin (2), 6,8-dimethoxycoumarin (3), 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (4), umbelliferone (5), vanillin (6), vanillic acid (7), syringic aldehyde (8), isovanillic acid (9), ethyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (10), and ethyl 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate (11).

Chinese oak (Quercus serrata Thunb.) is widely distributed throughout China and plays an important role as a building material. Its seeds (acorns) have served as a traditional herbal medicine in East Asia. Eighteen oleanane-type triterpenoids, including seven previously undescribed (1, 2, and 4–8) and eleven known triterpenoids, were isolated and identified from acorns. Their structures were elucidated using various spectroscopic and chemical methods. All isolated triterpenoids were screened for anti-neuroinflammatory effects by measuring their abilities to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 microglial cells, and most of the triterpenoids exhibited obvious anti-neuroinflammatory activity. Among them, Compounds 1 and 5 exhibited the strongest NO inhibitory activity, reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines (iNOS, COX-2, and TNF-α), and blocked the nuclear translocation of NF-κB.

MoS2 nanomaterials and ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted tremendous interest as the prime electrodes and electrolytes of supercapacitors. However, the corresponding charge storage mechanisms have not yet been clearly understood. Herein, we study the molecular-level energy storage mechanisms of the MoS2 electrode in imidazolium ionic liquid ([BMI+][PF6−]) using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The electric double-layer (EDL) structures of MoS2 electrodes in [BMI+][PF6−] electrolytes are comprehensively studied in terms of number density, MD snapshots, separation coefficient, and ion-electrode interaction energy. Based on this, the electric potential and electric field distributions are calculated by integrating Poisson equations. Importantly, a bell-shaped differential capacitance profile is proposed, different from the U-shaped curve from the conventional Gouy–Chapman theory. Especially, it can be well reproduced by the differential charge density curve in the Helmholtz layer. This indicates that the capacitive behaviors of the MoS2 electrode are primarily determined by the counterion population/structure in the EDL region 5.0 Å from the electrode surface. In the end, ion diffusion coefficients within different interfacial EDL regions are evaluated, revealing that dynamics are significantly suppressed by ~50% in the Helmholtz region. However, the dynamics can be recovered to a bulk state with the ion position 10 Å away from the electrode surface. The as-obtained insights reveal the charge storage mechanisms of MoS2 in ILs, which can provide useful guidance on improving the energy density of MoS2 supercapacitors.

Uncontrolled inflammation is associated with many major diseases, and there is still an urgent need to develop new anti-inflammatory drugs. 3α-Angeloyloxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (WT-25) is an ent-kaurane dieterpenoid extracted from Wedelia trilobata, a medicinal plant with potential anti-inflammatory activity. The anti-inflammatory activity of WT-25 is better than that of its analog kaurenoic acid, but the underlying mechanism is still unknown. In this study, our aim was to study the anti-inflammatory effect of WT-25. In xylene-induced edema in mice, WT-25 produced 51% inhibition. WT-25 suppressed nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells by downregulating the expression of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). WT-25 reduced expression and secretion of TNF-α and IL-6. Moreover, WT-25 inhibited NF-κB activation and its upstream signaling, decreasing phosphorylation IKK and p65 levels. WT-25 also inhibited the phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) family. Additionally, it reduced LPS-induced excessive release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and maintained mitochondrial integrity in RAW264.7 cells. All these results indicate that WT-25 is a bioactive molecule with the potential to be developed as a novel structured anti-inflammatory drug.

A phytochemical study on the fruits of Ficus altissima Blume (lofty fig) led to the isolation and structural elucidation of three pairs of enantiomeric 3-hydroxycoumaronochromones and two pairs of enantiomeric isoflavanones, including eight undescribed compounds. Their structures were determined based on a comprehensive analysis of NMR and HR-ESI-MS spectroscopic data, calculated

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major cause of chemotherapy failure. Adriamycin (ADR) has been widely used to treat cancer, however, as a substrate of the adenosine triphosphate binding cassette (ABC) transporter, it is easy to develop drug resistance during the treatment. Here, we demonstrated that steroidal saponin S-20 isolated from the berries of black nightshade has comparable cytotoxicity in ADR-sensitive and resistant K562 cell lines. Autophagy is generally considered to be a protective mechanism to mediate MDR during treatment. However, we found that S-20-induced cell death in K562/ADR is associated with autophagy. We further explored the underlying mechanisms and found that S-20 induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in ADR-sensitive and resistant K562 cell lines. Most importantly, S-20-induced autophagy activates the ERK pathway and then inhibits the expression of drug resistance protein, which is the main reason to overcome K562/ADR resistance, rather than apoptosis. Taken together, our findings emphasize that S-20 exerts anti-multidrug resistance activity in K562/ADR cells through autophagic cell death and ERK activation, which may be considered as an effective strategy.

Morinda officinalis (MO) is a herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of osteoporosis. M13, a MO-based anthraquinone compound is known to suppress osteoclast activity. However, whether M13 promotes MSCs osteogenic differentiation and its potential mechanism remains unknown.To examine the influence of M13 on MSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation and elucidate the underlying mechanism.The effect of M13 exposure on MSCs proliferation was assessed via CCK8 assay, clone formation assay, immunofluorescence, RT-qPCR, and Western blot. The M13-mediated osteogenesis in vitro and ex vivo were evaluated via ALP and Alizarin red S staining, osteogenesis-associated gene (Runx2, Col1a1 and Opn) expression, and fetal limb explants culture. Molecular docking was employed for target signal pathway screening. The potential signaling mechanisms of M13-promoted MSCs osteogenic differentiation were analyzed by introducing XAV939 (Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor).M13 induced certain obvious positive effects on MSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Treatment with M13 enhanced MSCs viability and clone numbers. Meanwhile, M13 promoted osteogenic gene expression, enhanced ALP intensity and Alizarin red S staining in MSCs. In terms of mechanism, M13 strongly interacted with the docking site of the WNT signaling complex, thereby activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Furthermore, the M13-mediated osteogenic effect was partially inhibited by XAV939 both in vitro and ex vivo, which confirmed that the Wnt/β-catenin axis is a critical regulator of M13-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs.Our study elucidated for the first time that M13 significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation of MSCs via stimulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in vitro and ex vivo.Our findings offered new additional evidence to support the MO or M13-based therapy of osteoporosis.

Onion is the most widely cultivated vegetable around the world. In this study, the isolation, concentration, quantification, and bioactivity evaluation of the phenolics in onion peels were investigated. Thirty-four phenolics, including 17 flavonoids and 17 nonflavonoid phenolics, were purified and identified. Among them, there were 2 new unusual epoxyflavanones and a new phenolic constituent, as well as 13 unreported constituents from the genus Allium. The total flavonoids were concentrated, and finally obtained 90.25% of flavonoid content extract. Fifteen main flavonoids were quantified using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (UPLC-PDA), and quercetin (36.94%) and quercetin 4'-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (15.81%) were the richest contents of flavonoids. The antioxidant and anti-neuroinflammatory capacities were evaluated, and the bioactive results indicated that the flavonoids in onion exhibited pronounced activities. The study suggested that the flavonoids in onion peels could be used in functional food.

Giant crepe-myrtle (Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers) is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in southern China and other Southeast Asian countries. Its leaves are also well-known as a popular traditional herb for diabetes and other diseases. In this study, bioactive phytochemical investigation on the extract of its fruits resulted in the isolation and purification of 27 compounds, including 16 sterols (1-16) and 11 triterpenoids (17-27). Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basic of various spectroscopic methods (IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR). Among them, there were two new ergostane derivatives and a new ursane triterpenoid, which were identified as 5α,6α-epoxy-3β-hydroxy-(22E,24R)-ergosta-9(11),22-diene-7-one (1), (22E,24R)-ergosta-7,9(11),22-triene-3β,5β,6α-triol (2), and 2-hydroxy-3-oxo-24- norursa-1,4,12-triene-28-oic acid (17). Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant anti-neuroinflammatory with the IC50 values of 8.29 ± 0.85 μM and 7.20 ± 1.55 μM, while compounds 1, 2, 7, 13, and 15 were displayed potent anti-proliferative activity against the tested cell lines (HeLa, HepG2, and SGC-7901). The study provided a phytochemical evidence for further development and utilization of the fruits of giant crepe-myrtle in health products.

Allium chinense is a vegetable with nutrition and unique flavor, and it is used as traditional Chinese medicine. We previously reported that the active compound A-24 induces apoptosis and autophagy in p53 wild-type gastric cancer cells through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Our present work indicates that A-24 also has a significant proliferation inhibition effect on p53-deficient KATO-III cells, and the p53 status did not affect A-24 induced migration inhibition, but negatively controlled the occurrence of autophagy. We also found that the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated A-24 induced apoptosis is p53-independent. Besides, p-Akt was not downregulated by A-24 in p53-deficient gastric cancer cells. Taken together, our results indicate that A-24 induced apoptosis and autophagy via the ROS-PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in p53 wild-type gastric cancer cells and through the ROS-mTOR pathway in p53-deficient gastric cancer cells. Our study recommended A-24 as a promising future phytotherapeutic candidate for gastric cancer treatment.

Lychee is a favorite fruit of the Cantonese and native to Southeast Asia. In this study, the anti-neuroinflammatory bioactive compounds of lychee seeds have been carried out. Five new jasmonates (1, 2, 6-8) and seventeen known compounds were isolated using a series of chemical and chromatographic methods. Their chemical structures were identified through comprehensive spectroscopic analysis. Anti-neuroinflammatory activities were assayed and evaluated for the purified compounds. Most of the compounds exhibited pronounced anti-neuroinflammatory activities on nitric oxide (NO) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in BV-2 microglia cells. Moreover, compounds 1, 2 and 20 could reduce the expression of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory factors (iNOS and COX-2), inhibit the expression of mRNA levels of iNOS, COX-2, IL-6 and block NF-κB nuclear translocation in dose-dependent manners. This study suggested that lychee phytochemicals could be benefit to some neuroinflammatory-associated diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Uncontrolled inflammation is associated with many major diseases, and there is still an urgent need to develop new anti-inflammatory drugs. 3α-Angeloyloxy

The p53 tumor suppressor gene contributes to a series of life processes of cells. Previously, we have shown that T-17, a spirostanol saponin extracted from Tupistra chinensis induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy in gastric cancer cells. The p53 is essential in the cell cycle arrest induced by T-17, however, the effect of p53 on T-17-induced apoptosis and autophagy is still unclear. Here, our study shows that T-17 has no difference in the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells with different p53 status. By transfecting p53 siRNA into AGS cells (p53 wild type cells) or wild-type p53 into KATO-III cells (p53 deficiency cells), T-17 was found to induce apoptosis and autophagy in gastric cancer cells in a p53-independent manner. Pre-treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC, a ROS scavenger) demonstrated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated T-17-induced p53-independent apoptosis. Besides, T-17 induces apoptosis and autophagy in gastric cancer cells by decreasing the expression of HMGB1, also in a p53-independent manner. But when we detected the inhibitory effect of T-17 on gastric cancer cell migration, it was found that p53 is essential. These experimental results showed that T-17 induced apoptosis and autophagy in gastric cancer cells in a p53-independent manner, but inhibited the migration of gastric cancer cells in a p53-dependent manner. Our research indicates that T-17 is a potential candidate for gastric cancer and provides support for better utilization of Tupistra chinensis.

(3α)-3-(tiglinoyloxy)-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (WT-26) is an ent-kaurane dieterpenoid extracted from Wedelia trilobata L., a widely cultivated ornamental plant with several scientific reports supporting its anti-inflammatory activity. WT-26 has better anti-inflammatory activity than its analog Kaurenoic acid (ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid). Nevertheless, the participation of WT-26 in the main signaling pathway associated with inflammation is lack of study. We aimed to study the anti-inflammatory effect of WT-26 and related signaling cascade in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. Here, we showed that WT-26 suppressed nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in LPS-stimulated macrophages by downregulating the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in mRNA and protein level. WT-26 down-regulated tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1β production as well. Moreover, WT-26 inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 and its upstream signaling. WT-26 also reduced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and mTOR. Besides, WT-26 decreased the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protected the mitochondrial integrity in stimulated macrophages. Our study also demonstrated that the autophagy induced by LPS was attenuated by WT-26. Collectively, our data indicated that WT-26 has the potential to be developed as a novel therapeutic agent for inflammatory-related diseases.

Lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a famous tropical fruit. While enjoying its delicacy, it also produces a lot of lychee seeds as waste. In this study, bioactive phytochemical study of the seeds of lychee led to the isolation and identification of four methyl jasmonate analogs (1–4), one lignanoside (5), together with fifteen flavonoids (6–20). Their chemical structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities were evaluated for the isolated compounds. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited notable inhibition on NO production induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in macrophages cell line RAW 264.7. Compound 5 and some flavonoids revealed potent antioxidant capacities. The results disclosed that the methyl jasmonates in lychee seeds may be partially responsible for anti-inflammatory activity of lychee and could be served as anti-inflammatory agent in functional food.

Biotransformation of laxogenin (LG, 1) was performed by the fungus Syncephalastrum racemosum (AS 3.264). Thirteen previously undescribed metabolites were obtained and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. S. racemosum catalyzes mainly oxygenation reactions of the B, C, and D rings of the sapogenin to afford metabolites 2–12. Conversion of the spirostanol skeleton to cholestane-type was also encountered in metabolite 13. Rearrangement of F-ring afforded F-ring ‘furanose’ sapogenin was observed in metabolite 14. The substrate and its derivatives were evaluated for their anti-neuroinflammatory activities. LG and metabolites 2, 3, 5, 8–10 and 13–14 exhibited moderate to good inhibitory activities on lipopolysaccharide-induced NO (nitric oxide) production in BV-2 cells. Moreover, 1, 2 and 5 dose-dependently reduced the LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 expressions.

Seven undescribed Amaryllidaceae alkaloids classified into four types, including the plicamine-type, secoplicamine-type, belladine-type and pretazettine-type, along with another three alkaloids that have not been isolated from plant material and seven known alkaloids, were isolated from the bulbs of Hymenocallis littoralis (Jacq.) Salisb. The structures were elucidated on the basis of various spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, MS, NMR, ECD). The isolated alkaloids were screened for antiproliferative activity against four human tumour cell lines (HepG2, HeLa, SPC-A-1, FaDu) through MTT assay, and some alkaloids exhibited potent cytotoxicity. Meanwhile, cell morphological assessment, flow cytometric analysis, Western blot analysis, clone formation and scratch wound assays were utilized for an undescribed belladine-type alkaloid and two known alkaloids, which had antiproliferative effects on the HepG2 cell line via induction of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. A pair of diastereoisomers of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids exhibited significant differences in antiproliferative activity. In addition, the alkaloids also possessed the potential to inhibit tumour cell migration.

Kencur (Kaempferia galanga L.) is an aromatic plant of the Zingiberaceae family. It is widely cultured as a crops and its rhizome has been widely used as a flavor spice existing in various cooking. In this study, three new diarylheptanoids (1–3), one new phenolic glycoside (4), together with thirteen known phenolics were isolated from the rhizomes of kencur. Their chemical structures were elucidated based on IR, 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) methods. Diarylheptanoids were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in a macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line. Except for compound 7, most of diarylheptanoids exhibited pronounced inhibitory activities compared with indomethacin. The results demonstrated that the diarylheptanoids may be partially responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of kencur, which suggested that it could be served as an anti-inflammatory agent for healthy or medicinal products.

Chinese acorns are served as a healthy food supplementary and cuisine in the local residents. The anti-neuroinflammatory phytochemicals of Chinese acorns have been investigated in this study. Four new triterpenoids (1, 8, 16 and 17), together with thirteen known congeners (2–7, 9–15), were isolated and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and chemical degradation. The isolated compounds were evaluated for anti-neuroinflammatory activity. Some triterpenoids showed obvious inhibitory effects on the production of nitric oxide (NO) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in microglia cells (BV-2). Compounds 1, 2, and 16 could dose-dependently reduce the expression levels of pro-inflammatory mediator iNOS, while compounds 1, 2, 8 and 16 could dose-dependently reduce the COX-2 expression induced by LPS in BV-2 cells. This study suggested that Chinese acorns could be served as healthy product for neuroinflammatory related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.