Phytocosmetic potential of Blumea balsamifera oil in mitigating UV-induced photoaging: Evidence from cellular and mouse models.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (BB), the source of Blumea balsamifera oil (BBO), is an aromatic medicinal plant, renowned for its pharmacological properties and its traditional use in Southeast Asian countries such as China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines for centuries. Traditionally, BB has been used as a raw herbal medicine for treating various skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis, athlete's foot, and wound healing for skin injuries. AIM OF THE STUDY: This research aimed to explore the inhibitory effects of BBO on skin aging using two models: in vitro analysis with human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) under UVB-induced stress, and in vivo studies on UVA-induced dorsal skin aging in mice. The study sought to uncover the mechanisms behind BBO's anti-aging effects, specifically, its impact on cellular and tissue responses to UV-induced skin aging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We applied doses of 10-20 µL/mL of BBO to HDF cells that had been exposed to UVB radiation to simulate skin aging. We measured cell viability, and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), SA-ß-gal, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In addition, we investigated the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways in mediating the anti-aging effects of BBO. Histopathological and biochemical analyses were conducted in a mouse model to examine the effects of BBO on UV-induced photoaging. RESULTS: UV exposure accelerated aging, and caused cellular damage and inflammatory responses through ROS-mediated pathways. In HDF cells, BBO treatment countered the UVB-induced senescence, and the recovery of cell viability was correlated to notable reductions in SA-ß-gal, ROS, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and MMPs. Mechanistically, the anti-aging effect of BBO was associated with the downregulation of the JNK/NF-κB signaling pathways. In the in vivo mouse model, BBO exhibited protective capabilities against UV-induced photoaging, which were manifested by the enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and tissue remodeling. CONCLUSIONS: BBO effectively protects fibroblasts from UV-induced photoaging through the JNK/NF-κB pathway. Recovery from photoaging involves an increase in dermal fibroblasts, alleviation of inflammation, accelerated synthesis of antioxidant enzymes, and slowed degradation of ECM proteins. Overall, BBO enhances the skin's defensive capabilities against oxidative stress, underscoring its potential as a therapeutic agent for oxidative stress-related skin aging.

Green Synthesis of Blumea balsamifera Oil Nanoemulsions Stabilized by Natural Emulsifiers and Its Effect on Wound Healing.

In this study, we developed a green and multifunctional bioactive nanoemulsion (BBG-NEs) of Blumea balsamifera oil using Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) and glycyrrhizic acid (GA) as natural emulsifiers. The process parameters were optimized using particle size, PDI, and zeta potential as evaluation parameters. The physicochemical properties, stability, transdermal properties, and bioactivities of the BBG-NEs under optimal operating conditions were investigated. Finally, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to elucidate the potential molecular mechanism underlying its wound-healing properties. After parameter optimization, BBG-NEs exhibited excellent stability and demonstrated favorable in vitro transdermal properties. Furthermore, it displayed enhanced antioxidant and wound-healing effects. SD rats wound-healing experiments demonstrated improved scab formation and accelerated healing in the BBG-NE treatment relative to BBO and emulsifier groups. Pharmacological network analyses showed that AKT1, CXCL8, and EGFR may be key targets of BBG-NEs in wound repair. The results of a scratch assay and Western blotting assay also demonstrated that BBG-NEs could effectively promote cell migration and inhibit inflammatory responses. These results indicate the potential of the developed BBG-NEs for antioxidant and skin wound applications, expanding the utility of natural emulsifiers. Meanwhile, this study provided a preliminary explanation of the potential mechanism of BBG-NEs to promote wound healing through network pharmacology and molecular docking, which provided a basis for the mechanistic study of green multifunctional nanoemulsions.

Green Preparation and Antibacterial Activity Evaluation of AgNPs-Blumea balsamifera Oil Nanoemulsion.

Bacterial infection is a thorny problem, and it is of great significance to developing green and efficient biological antibacterial agents that can replace antibiotics. This study aimed to rapidly prepare a new type of green antibacterial nanoemulsion containing silver nanoparticles in one step by using Blumea balsamifera oil (BBO) as an oil phase and tea saponin (TS) as a natural emulsifier and reducing agent. The optimum preparation conditions of the AgNPs@BBO-TS NE were determined, as well as its physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity in vitro being investigated. The results showed that the average particle size of the AgNPs@BBO-TS NE was 249.47 ± 6.23 nm, the PDI was 0.239 ± 0.003, and the zeta potential was -35.82 ± 4.26 mV. The produced AgNPs@BBO-TS NE showed good stability after centrifugation and 30-day storage. Moreover, the AgNPs@BBO-TS NE had an excellent antimicrobial effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results demonstrated that the AgNPs@BBO-TS NE produced in this study can be used as an efficient and green antibacterial agent in the biomedical field.

Preparation of Compound Salvia miltiorrhiza-Blumea balsamifera Nanoemulsion Gel and Its Effect on Hypertrophic Scars in the Rabbit Ear Model.

Hypertrophic scars (HS) still remain an urgent challenge in the medical community. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has unique advantages in the treatment of HS. However, due to the natural barrier of the skin, it is difficult for the natural active components of TCM to more effectively penetrate the skin and exert therapeutic effects. Therefore, the development of an efficient drug delivery system to facilitate enhanced transdermal absorption of TCM becomes imperative for its clinical application. In this study, we designed a compound Salvia miltiorrhiza-Blumea balsamifera nanoemulsion gel (CSB-NEG) and investigated its therapeutic effects on rabbit HS models. The prescription of CSB-NEG was optimized by single-factor, pseudoternary phase diagram, and central composite design experiments. The results showed that the average particle size and PDI of the optimized CSB-NE were 46.0 ± 0.2 nm and 0.222 ± 0.004, respectively, and the encapsulation efficiency of total phenolic acid was 93.37 ± 2.56%. CSB-NEG demonstrated excellent stability and skin permeation in vitro and displayed a significantly enhanced ability to inhibit scar formation compared to the CSB physical mixture in vivo. After 3 weeks of CSB-NEG treatment, the scar appeared to be flat, pink, and flexible. Furthermore, this treatment also resulted in a decrease in the levels of the collagen I/III ratio and TGF-ß1 and Smad2 proteins while simultaneously promoting the growth and remodeling of microvessels. These findings suggest that CSB-NEG has the potential to effectively address the barrier properties of the skin and provide therapeutic benefits for HS, offering a new perspective for the prevention and treatment of HS.

Full-Length Transcriptome Sequencing and RNA-Seq Analysis Offer Insights into Terpenoid Biosynthesis in Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.

Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC., an important economic and medicinal herb, has a long history of being used as a traditional Chinese medicine. Its leaves have always been used as a raw material for the extraction of essential oils, comprising large amounts of terpenoids, which have good therapeutic effects on many diseases, such as eczema, bacterial infection, and hypertension. However, the genetic basis of terpenoid biosynthesis in this plant is virtually unknown on account of the lack of genomic data. Here, a combination of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and full-length transcriptome sequencing was applied to identify genes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis at five developmental stages. Then, the main components of essential oils in B. balsamifera were identified using GC-MS. Overall, 16 monoterpenoids and 20 sesquiterpenoids were identified and 333,860 CCS reads were generated, yielding 65,045 non-redundant transcripts. Among these highly accurate transcripts, 59,958 (92.18%) transcripts were successfully annotated using NR, eggNOG, Swissprot, KEGG, KOG, COG, Pfam, and GO databases. Finally, a total of 56 differently expressed genes (DEGs) involved in terpenoid biosynthesis were identified, including 38 terpenoid backbone genes and 18 TPSs, which provide a significant amount of genetic information for B. balsamifera. These results build a basis for resource protection, molecular breeding, and the metabolic engineering of this plant.

Blumea balsamifera （L.） DC Oil Alleviates LPS-Induced Inflammatory Response in Macrophages by Affecting Arachidonic Acid Metabolism Via NF-κB Nonclassical Pathway / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo study the anti-inflammatory effects of Blumea balsamifera （L.） DC oil （BBO） based on nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB） nonclassical and arachidonic acid （AA） pathway. MethodsEffects of BBO on the production of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis （SRS-A） were detected by the ileal smooth muscle method. The contents of prostaglandin E2 （PGE2） and leukotriene B4 （LTB4） in lipopolysaccharides （LPS） -induced macrophages were detected by ELISA kit. The expression of COX-2， 5-LOX， FLAP and RelB were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was performed to detect the effects of BBO on the level of NF-κB nonclassical pathway proteins TNF receptor associated factor 3 （TRAF3）， TNF receptor associated factor 2 （TRAF2）， NF-κB-inducing kinase （NIK）， p100 and RelB. ResultsThe contractile tension of guinea pig ileum was reduced （P<0.001）， and the SRS-A production inhibition rate reached 65.34% at 1mg·mL-1 BBO concentration. Compared with LPS group， BBO reduced the concentrations of PGE2 （P<0.05） and LTB4 （P<0.05）， and decreased the expressions of COX-2 （P<0.05）， 5-LOX （P<0.05） and FLAP （P<0.05） in AA pathway at concentrations of 40-80 μg·mL-1. Moreover， 40-80 μg·mL-1 BBO decreased the concentrations of TRAF3 （P<0.05）， TRAF2 （P<0.05）， and NIK （P<0.05）， and further inhibited the phosphorylation of p100 （P<0.05）， as well as the level of the transcription factor RelB in genes （P<0.05） and proteins （P<0.05） in nonclassical NF-κB pathway， whereas BBO did not cause such changes. ConclusionBBO may potentially exert its anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing the regulatory proteins TRAF3 and TRAF2 and the transcription factor RelB in NF-κB nonclassical pathway. The inhibitory action extending to the induction kinase function of NIK， further hindering the phosphorylation of p100 and its binding with the transcription factor RelB. Consequently， downstream elements in the AA pathway， including the pivotal rate-limiting enzymes COX-2， 5-LOX and FLAP， were altered. This modulation influences the levels of inflammatory mediators such as PGE2 and LTB4.

Nanoemulsion of the Essential Oil from Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. and Its Effect on Trauma Repair.

The essential oil, extracted from the Hmong medicine Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (BBO), is a purely natural wound repair agent. Its application has, however, been restricted due to its low solubility and high volatility properties. In this study, we have developed a nanoemulsion formulation to improve the characteristics of BBO. The particle size of the nanoemulsion was normally distributed, and 71% of its range was concentrated between 10-100 nm, with an average particle size of 62.8 nm and an encapsulation rate of 98%. After 7 days of application, the wound healing rate of the BBO nanoemulsion (BBO-NE) group was 1.5 times higher than that of the normal BBO group. Along with histological observations, nanoemulsion formulation has been demonstrated to significantly improve the efficacy of BBO for wound repair. In addition, inflammation-related TLR4, CD14 and IRAK-1 gene transcript levels were significantly reduced after the administration of BBO-NE compared to the BBO group, with downregulation of 47.8%, 35.7% and 57.8%, respectively, while the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α was also significantly reduced by 83.8% and 32.7%, respectively, in the nanoformulation administration (BBO-NE) group compared to the BBO group. In contrast, the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was significantly increased by 4.2-fold. It was further found that the drug penetration per unit area increased significantly 6.30% to 19.5% at different time points after the application of the BBO-NE compared to the BBO. In conclusion, nano-formulation enhanced the drug penetration of the BBO, reduced inflammatory factors, increased the level of anti-inflammatory factors, and promoted collagen deposition, thereby accelerating wound repair.

Fabrication and Biological Activities of All-in-One Composite Nanoemulsion Based on Blumea balsamifera Oil-Tea Tree Oil.

Nanoemulsion is a new multi-component drug delivery system; the selection of different oil phases can give it special physiological activity, and play the role of "medicine and pharmaceutical excipients all-in-one". In this paper, we used glycyrrhizic acid as the natural surfactant, and Blumea balsamifera oil (BB) and tea tree oil (TTO) as the mixed oil phase, to obtain a new green functional composite nanoemulsion. Using the average particle size and polydispersion index (PDI) as the evaluation criteria, the effects of the oil ratio, oil content, glycyrrhizic acid concentration, and ultrasonic time on the nanoemulsion were systematically investigated. The stability and physicochemical properties and biological activities of BB-TTO NEs prepared via the optimum formulation were characterized. The optimal prescription was BB: TTO = 1:1, 5% oil phase, 0.7% glycyrrhizic acid, and 5 min ultrasonication time. The mean particle size, PDI, and zeta potential were 160.01 nm, 0.125, and -50.94 mV, respectively. The nanoemulsion showed non-significant changes in stability after centrifugation, dilution, and 120 days storage. These nanoemulsions were found to exhibit potential antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of BB-TTO NEs against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is 2975 µg/mL, 2975 µg/mL, and 5950 µg/mL, respectively. A lower level of inflammatory cell infiltration and proportion of fibrosis were found in the synovial tissue of AIA rats treated with BB-TTO NEs. These findings demonstrate that the BB-TTO NEs produced in this study have significant potential for usage in antibacterial and anti-inflammatory areas.

Identification of Chemical Constituents in Blumea balsamifera Using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activities.

Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC., a perennial herb in the Asteraceae family native to China and Southeast Asia, has a notable history of medicinal use due to its pharmacological properties. Using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS techniques, we systematically investigated the chemical constituents of this plant. A total of 31 constituents were identified, of which 14 were flavonoid compounds. Significantly, 18 of these compounds were identified in B. balsamifera for the first time. Furthermore, the mass spectrometry fragmentation patterns of significant chemical constituents identified in B. balsamifera were analyzed, providing important insights into their structural characteristics. The in vitro antioxidative potential of the methanol extract of B. balsamifera was assessed using DPPH and ABTS free-radical-scavenging assays, total antioxidative capacity, and reducing power. The antioxidative activity exhibited a direct correlation with the mass concentration of the extract, with IC50 values of 105.1 ± 0.503 µg/mL and 12.49 ± 0.341 µg/mL for DPPH and ABTS, respectively. For total antioxidant capacity, the absorbance was 0.454 ± 0.009 at 400 µg/mL. In addition, the reducing power was 1.099 ± 0.03 at 2000 µg/mL. This study affirms that UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS can effectively discern the chemical constituents in B. balsamifera, primarily its flavonoid compounds, and substantiates its antioxidative properties. This underscores its potential utility as a natural antioxidant in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics sectors. This research provides a valuable theoretical basis and reference value for the comprehensive development and utilization of B. balsamifera and expands our understanding of this medicinally valuable plant.

Functional characterization of four mono-terpene synthases (TPSs) provided insight into the biosynthesis of volatile monoterpenes in the medicinal herb Blumea balsamifera.

Blumea balsamifera, a wooden plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, is a medicinal herb with anticancer, antiviral, and multiple pharmacological effects, which are believed to be caused by its essential oil. The essential oil from B. balsamifera is comprised of mono- and sesqui-terpenes as the majority. Unfortunately, this plant has been facing the challenge of resource shortage, which could be effectively alleviated by biological engineering. Therefore, the identification of key elements involved in the biosynthesis of active ingredients becomes an indispensable prerequisite. In this study, candidate genes encoding monoterpene synthase were screened by transcriptome sequencing combined with metabolomics profiling in the roots, stems, and leaves of B. balsamifera. Then, these candidates were successfully cloned and verified by heterologous expression and in vitro enzyme activity assays. As a result, six candidate BbTPS genes were isolated from B. balsamifera, of which three encoded single-product monoterpene synthases and one encoded a multi-product monoterpene synthase. Among them, BbTPS1, BbTPS3, and BbTPS4 could catalyze the formation of D-limonene, α-phellandrene, and L-borneol, respectively. Meanwhile, BbTPS5 functioned in catalyzing GPP into terpinol, ß-phellandrene, ß-myrcene, D-limonene, and 2-carene in vitro. In general, our results provided important elements for the synthetic biology of volatile terpenes in B. balsamifera, which laid a foundation for subsequent heterologous production of these terpenoids through metabolic engineering and increasing their yield, as well as promoting sustainable development and utilization of B. balsamifera. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01306-8.

Optimization of extraction process and evaluation of the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity of blumeatin from Blumea balsamifera / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To optimize the extraction process of blumeatin from Blumea balsamifera and to evaluate its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. METHODS The content of blumeatin in the extract of B. balsamifera was determined by HPLC. On the basis of the single factor experiment， the extraction technology of blumeatin was optimized by the Box-Behnken response surface method with the volume fraction of ethanol， liquid-solid ratio and extraction time as the factors， using the yield of blumeatin as index. Microdilution method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of blumeatin against Streptococcus pyogenes， Staphylococcus aureus， Streptococcus agalactiae， Streptococcus mutans， Bacillus subtilis and Micrococcus luteus. The anti-inflammatory activity of blumeatin was evaluated by ear swelling test and capillary permeability test in mice. RESULTS The optimal extraction technology was as follows： ethanol concentration of 90%， liquid-material ratio of 15∶1， extraction time of 2 h at 80 ℃； the yield of blumeatin using this extraction process was 1.97 mg/g. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of blumeatin for S. pyogenes， S. aureus， S. agalactiae， S. mutans， B. subtilis and M. luteus were 50.00， 200.00， 400.00， 400.00， 800.00 and 1 600.00 μg/mL， respectively； the minimum bactericidal concentrations of blumeatin for S. pyogenes and S. aureus were 400.00 and 1 600.00 μg/mL， respectively. Blumeatin could significantly inhibit the ear swelling induced by xylene and capillary permeability induced by acetic acid in mice（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS The optimized extraction technology of blumeatin is stable and feasible. The extracted blumeatin has a certain antibacterial effect against S. pyogenes and a good anti-inflammatory activity.

Study on the pharmacodynamics and mechanism of Blumea balsamifera total flavonoids against acute myocardial infarction model rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study pharmacodynamics and potential mechanism of Blumea balsamifera total flavonoids against acute myocardial infarction （AMI） model rats. METHODS AMI model of SD rats was established by ligating anterior descending branch of left coronary artery. Fifty model rats were randomly divided into model group （0.8% carboxymethyl cellulose solution）， positive control group （Compound danshen tablet， 300 mg/kg）， B. balsamifera total flavonoids low-dose， medium-dose and high- dose groups （3， 10， 30 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Other 10 rats were included in sham operation group （0.8% carboxymethyl cellulose solution）. After 1 day of surgery， they were given relevant medicine 3 mL/kg intragastrically， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks. The changes of S-T segment were recorded before and after operation， after weekly intragastric administration. The hemodynamic indexes of rats were all determined， i.e. systolic blood pressure （SBP）， diastolic blood pressure （DBP）， mean arterial pressure （MAP）， left ventricular systolic pressure （LVSP）， left ventricular end diastolic blood pressure （LVEDP）， maximal left ventricular pressure rising rate （+LVdp/dtmax）， maximal left ventricular pressure decreasing rate （－LVdp/ dtmax）. The levels of serum myocardial enzymes [lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB （CK-MB）] and inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β] were determined. The myocardial infarction rate of rats and the phosphorylation levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K） and protein kinase B （Akt） proteins in myocardial tissue were determined. RESULTS Compared with model group， S-T segments of electrocardiogram were all decreased significantly in administration groups （P＜0.05）. SBP， DBP， MAP， LVSP， +LVdp/dtmax， －LVdp/dtmax， and ratio of p-PI3KTyr607/ PI3K， p-AktThr308/Akt， p-Aktser473/Akt were increased significantly in B. balsamifera total flavonoids medium-dose and high-dose groups （P＜0.05）. The levels of LVEDP， serum myocardial enzymes and inflammatory factors， myocardial infarction rate were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS balsamifera total flavonoids can improve cardiac function of AMI model rats， the mechanism of which may be associated with inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factor and activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Antimicrobial activities and phytochemical properties of Blumea balsamifera against pathogenic microorganisms.

Medicinal plants have been widely used in healthcare based on traditional knowledge. We investigated the antimicrobial activities and phytochemical contents of a plant known as Blumea balsamifera (B. balsamifera), which Sabah native people have used for health benefits. Methanolic extracts and fractions of the leaves of B. balsamifera were tested for their phytochemical contents and their antimicrobial activities against four Gram-negative and five Gram-positive strains of bacteria. The extracts of B. balsamifera showed antimicrobial activities against three Gram-positive, and one Gram-negative bacteria, with the zone of inhibition ranging from 7.8 mm±0.41 to 10.5 mm±0.71. Fraction CE.F7 exerted the broadest antimicrobial activity towards four Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. The phytochemical constituents identified in the extracts were alkaloid, flavonoid, steroid, and cardiac glycosides. The plant extract demonstrated antimicrobial activities and contained multiple phytochemical constituents. Further investigations into potential antimicrobial agents containing promising fractions would validate the medicinal properties of B. balsamifera used in Sabah.

Diterpenoids from Blumea balsamifera and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities.

Six new diterpenoids, blusamiferoids A-F (1-6), including four pimarane-type diterpenoids, one rosane-type diterpenoid (3), and one rearranged abietane-type diterpenoid (6), were isolated from the dry aerial parts of Blumea balsamifera. Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic and computational methods. In particular, the structures of 1 and 4 were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Compounds 5 and 6 were found to dose-dependently inhibit the production of TNF-α, IL-6, and nitrite oxide, and compound 5 also downregulated NF-κB phosphorylation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells.

Potential distribution of Blumea balsamifera in China using MaxEnt and the ex situ conservation based on its effective components and fresh leaf yield.

Blumea balsamifera is a famous Chinese Minority Medicine, which has a long history in Miao, Li, Zhuang, and other minority areas. In recent years, due to the influence of natural and human factors, the distribution area of B. balsamifera resources has a decreasing trend. Therefore, it is very important to analyze the suitability of B. balsamifera in China. Following three climate change scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) under 2050s and 2070s, geographic information technology (GIS) and maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) were used to simulate the ecological suitability of B. balsamifera. The contents of L-borneol and total flavonoids of B. balsamifera in different populations were determined by gas chromatography (GC) and ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV). The results showed that the key environmental variables affecting the distribution of B. balsamifera were mean temperature of coldest quarter (6.18-26.57 ℃), precipitation of driest quarter (22.46-169.7 mm), annual precipitation (518.36-1845.29 mm), and temperature seasonality (291.31-878.87). Under current climate situation, the highly suitable habitat was mainly located western Guangxi, southern Yunnan, most of Hainan, southwestern Guizhou, southwestern Guangdong, southeastern Fujian, and western Taiwan, with a total area of 24.1 × 104 km2. The areas of the moderately and poorly suitable habitats were 27.57 × 104 km2 and 42.43 × 104 km2, respectively. Under the future climate change scenarios, the areas of the highly, moderately, and poorly suitable habitats of B. balsamifera showed a significant increasing trend, the geometric center of the total suitable habitats of B. balsamifera would move to the northeast. In recent years, the planting area of B. balsamifera has been reduced on a large scale in Guizhou, and its ex situ protection is imperative. By comparison, the content of L-borneol, total flavonoids and fresh leaf yield had no significant difference between Guizhou and Hainan (P > 0.05), which indicated that Hainan is one of the best choice for ex situ protection of B. balsamifera.

Identification of (-)-bornyl diphosphate synthase from Blumea balsamifera and its application for (-)-borneol biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Borneol is a precious monoterpenoid with two chiral structures, (-)-borneol and (+)-borneol. Bornyl diphosphate synthase is the key enzyme in the borneol biosynthesis pathway. Many (+)-bornyl diphosphate synthases have been reported, but no (-)-bornyl diphosphate synthases have been identified. Blumea balsamifera leaves are rich in borneol, almost all of which is (-)-borneol. In this study, we identified a high-efficiency (-)-bornyl diphosphate synthase (BbTPS3) from B. balsamifera that converts geranyl diphosphate (GPP) to (-)-bornyl diphosphate, which is then converted to (-)-borneol after dephosphorylation in vitro. BbTPS3 exhibited a K m value of 4.93 ± 1.38 µM for GPP, and the corresponding k cat value was 1.49 s-1. Multiple strategies were applied to obtain a high-yielding (-)-borneol producing yeast strain. A codon-optimized BbTPS3 protein was introduced into the GPP high-yield strain MD, and the resulting MD-B1 strain produced 1.24 mg·L-1 (-)-borneol. After truncating the N-terminus of BbTPS3 and adding a Kozak sequence, the (-)-borneol yield was further improved by 4-fold to 4.87 mg·L-1. Moreover, the (-)-borneol yield was improved by expressing the fusion protein module of ERG20F96W-N127W-YRSQI-t14-BbTPS3K2, resulting in a final yield of 12.68 mg·L-1 in shake flasks and 148.59 mg·L-1 in a 5-L bioreactor. This work is the first reported attempt to produce (-)-borneol by microbial fermentation.

New sesquiterpeniod esters form Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. and their anti-influenza virus activity.

Phytochemical studies led to the isolation of five new sesquiterpeniod esters, named balsamiferine N-R, along with ten known compounds (6-15) from the leaves of Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. The skeletons of nine known sesquiterpeniods belong to guaiane and eudesmane. The structures of the new compounds including their absolute configurations were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, and quantum-chemical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation. Compounds 3 and 4 showed significant inhibitory effects on influenza A virus (H3N2) with IC50 values of 46.23 µg/mL and 38.49 µg/mL, respectively. It was the first report on the anti-influenza A virus constituents from B. balsamifera.

Virtual screening of anti-inflammatory components in Blumea balsamifera(L.)DC.And effect of ergosterol peroxide on NF-kB Signaling pathways / 中国药理学通报

Aim To target the key proteins of TLR4 signaling pathway to sereen the compounds of Blumea baisamifera ( L.) DC.in order to explore the anti-in- flammatorv active components and the mechanism of action of key proteins targeting TLR4 signaling pathway in Blumea balsamifera( L.) DC.Methods The effects of ergosterol peroxide ( EP) on cell activity, LPS in¬duced inflammatory factor secretion and NF-kB related protein expression were detected by MTT, EL1SA, Western blot and Subcellular Structural Localization.Results The results showed EP, (3-sitosterol, 16- kaurene, carosterol, luteolin, ergosterol, hyperin and genkwa had more optimal interconnection score.EP (2.3 x 10"5 ~ 9.3 x 10 5 mol • L"1) inhibited the degradation and phosphorylation of inflammatory pro¬tein IkB and phosphorylation of NF-kB p65 down¬stream of TLR4 signaling pathway induced by LPS in BAW264.7 cells,and further inhibit the entrv of NF-kB p65 into the nucleus, thus inhibiting the secretion of cytokines IL-lp and 1L-6.Conclusions The antiin¬flammatory components of Blumea balsamifera ( L.) DC are identified by molecular docking technology and ac-tivity detection technique, and the anti-inflammatory action anrl mechanism of EP as active substances are e- luci dated.

Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Blumea balsamifera / 中国药房

Blumea balsamifera belonging to Blumea of Compositae family is a perennial herb or subshrub ，which is the only source of Traditional Chinese medicine Aipian and ethnic medicine essential oil of B. balsamifera . B. balsamifera contains volatile oil，flavonoids，sesquiterpenoids，phenylpropanoids，etc.，and shows antibacterial ，anti-inflammatory，analgesic，treating burns and scalds，neuroprotective and antioxidant effects ，etc. In this paper ，the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities are summarized by reviewing the domestic and foreign research literatures ，and it is expected to provide a reference for the in-depth research and development and utilization of B. balsamifera .

Optimization of extraction technology of volatile oil from Blumea balsamifera and analysis on its compositions / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To opti mize the supercritical CO 2 extraction technology of volatile oil from Blumea balsamifera ，and compare the components of the volatile oil from B. balsamifera obtained by supercritical CO 2 extraction and steam distillation. METHODS The volatile oil of B. balsamifera was extracted by supercritical CO 2 extraction. Using extraction rate of volatile oil as index，extraction temperature ，extraction pressure and extraction time as factors ，based on single-factor experiment ，orthogonal experiment was used to optimize the supercritical CO 2 extraction technology. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify the components of volatile oil from B. balsamifera . Peak area normalization was used to calculate the relative contents of each component. Taking the volatile oil obtained by steam distillation as a reference ，the extraction rates ，components and contents of volatile oil by the two methods were compared. RESULTS The optimal supercritical CO 2 extraction technology of volatile oil from B. balsamifera included extraction pressure of 30 MPa，extraction temperature of 50 ℃ and extracting for 50 min. After 3 times of validation tests ，average extraction rate of volatile oil was 4.64％（RSD＝0.54％，n＝3）. Thirty-nine components such as tritriacontane，stigmasterol，squalene were identified in the volatile oil of B. balsamifera obtained by supercritical CO 2 extraction； and 51 components such as triacontane ，ledol，humulene epoxide Ⅰ were identified by steam distillation. The extraction rate of volatile oil from B. balsamifera obtained by 2 methods were 4.64％ and 0.99％. A total of 26 common components were obtained ， such as xanthoxylin ，L-borneol，β-caryophyllene. Except for xanthoxyline （34.829％ by supercritical CO 2 extraction，30.676％ by steam distillation method ）and phytol （2.401％ by supercritical CO 2 extraction，1.273％ by steam distillation ），the relative contents of the components of volatile oil obtained by supercritical CO 2 extraction were lower than those of steam distillation. CONCLUSIONS The optimal supercritical CO 2 extraction technology is stable and feasible ；the components and contents of volatile oil obtained by two methods varies greatly ，and main compounds are aldehydes and ketones ，alkenes，alcohols and other components.