The mechanism and experimental verification of Ixeris sonchifolia promoting apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology: Ixeris sonchifolia Induces Hepatocellular Carcinoma Apoptosis via the PI3K/AKT Pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ixeris sonchifolia alias Kudiezi, it was named Ixeris sonchifolia (Bunge) Hance, a synonym for Crepidiastrum sonchifolium (Bunge) Pak & Kawano in the https://www.iplant.cn/. And it was first published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 13: 108 (1873), which was named Ixeris sonchifolia (Maxim.) Hance in the MPNS (http://mpns.kew.org). As a widely distributed medicinal and edible wild plant, it possesses unique bitter-cold characteristics and constituents with various pharmacological activities. Its main antitumor substances, same as artemisinin and paclitaxel, are classified as terpenoids and have become research foci in recent years. However, its specific biological activity and role in antitumor treatment remain largely unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to elucidate the molecular targets and potential mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma apoptosis induced by Ixeris sonchifolia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used network pharmacology methods to analyze and screen the active ingredients and possible underlying mechanisms of Ixeris sonchifolia in treating liver cancer and employed integrative time- and dose-dependent toxicity, transcriptomics, and molecular biology approaches to comprehensively verify the function of Ixeris sonchifolia extract (IsE) in human hepatoblastoma cell (HepG2) apoptosis and its potential mechanism. RESULTS: A total of 169 common targets were screened by network pharmacology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that IsE inhibited HepG2 cell activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis confirmed that IsE promoted HepG2 cell apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and that the PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002 also substantially enhanced IsE-induced apoptosis. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway exhibited significant differences compared to that in the control group. CONCLUSION: Combining network pharmacology with experimental verification, IsE inhibited mitochondrial function and the PI3K/AKT pathway while inducing hepatoma cell apoptosis. IsE may have promising potential for liver cancer treatment and chemoprevention.

Dual pH and Temperature-Sensitive Nanogels Loaded with Eugenol for Regulating Central Nervous System.

Fragrances have many biological activities such as anti-anxiety, anti-depression, and improving cognitive memory. However, most fragrances are so volatile that the useful lifespan of the fragrances is very short and excessive fragrance concentration makes us uncomfortable. In this study, dual pH and temperature-sensitive nanogels named EG@CPMONGs were prepared to encapsulate eugenol. This nano-fragrance was then applied to silk. In the following, the effects of EG@CPMO-NGs on the regulation of central nervous systems were evaluated. Open-field tests showed that EG@CPMONGs had an obvious effect on stress relief. Elevated plus-maze tests proved the significant effect of EG@CPMO-NGs on anti-anxiety. Morris water maze tests demonstrated the positive impact of nano-fragrance on spatial learning and memory. Therefore, these dual pH and temperature-sensitive nanogels loaded with eugenol had significant and positive effects on the central nervous system.

Ethyl 4-acetamido-3-acet-oxy-2-benzyl-3-methyl-butano-ate.

The crystal structure of the title compound, C(18)H(25)NO(5), is stabilized by inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which form inversion dimers. The ethyl group is disordered over two positions in a 0.651 (12):0.349 (12) ratio.

Ethyl 1-(4-chloro-benz-yl)-3-(4-fluoro-phen-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxyl-ate.

In the title compound, C(19)H(16)ClFN(2)O(2), the pyrazole ring makes dihedral angles of 5.15 (6) and 77.72 (6)°, with the fluoro-phenyl and chloro-phenyl rings, respectively.

Polymer microspheres with active carboxyl groups: preparation, structure and hydrophilicity.

A quantitative research of microspheres, poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-co-acrylic acid) (P(EGDMA-co-AA)) and poly(divinvlbenzene-80-co-acrylic acid) (P(DVB-co-AA)), with active carboxyl groups on surface prepared by distillation-precipitation polymerization was presented in this paper. The loading capacity of active carboxyl group on microspheres which was investigated by titration technique would be increased and the contact angle was decreased following the increase of the feed ratio of acrylic acid (AA) monomer. This phenomenon indicated that the hydrophilicity of particles was mainly determined by the feed ration of hydrophilic AA monomer. However, when the AA fraction was at a fixed level, a slight difference of the loading capacity of carboxyl groups on microsphere surfaces with different crosslinkers existed. The microspheres with EGDMA as crosslinker had a higher loading capacity of carboxyl groups and lower contact angle than those of P(DVB-co-AA) microspheres, which indicated that P(EGDMA-co-AA) microspheres were more hydrophilic than P(DVB-co-AA) microspheres.