Hawthorn with "homology of medicine and food": a review of anticancer effects and mechanisms.

Over the past few years, there has been a gradual increase in the incidence of cancer, affecting individuals at younger ages. With its refractory nature and substantial fatality rate, cancer presents a notable peril to human existence and wellbeing. Hawthorn, a medicinal food homology plant belonging to the Crataegus genus in the Rosaceae family, holds great value in various applications. Due to its long history of medicinal use, notable effects, and high safety profile, hawthorn has garnered considerable attention and plays a crucial role in cancer treatment. Through the integration of modern network pharmacology technology and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a range of anticancer active ingredients in hawthorn have been predicted, identified, and analyzed. Studies have shown that ingredients such as vitexin, isoorientin, ursolic acid, and maslinic acid, along with hawthorn extracts, can effectively modulate cancer-related signaling pathways and manifest anticancer properties via diverse mechanisms. This review employs network pharmacology to excavate the potential anticancer properties of hawthorn. By systematically integrating literature across databases such as PubMed and CNKI, the review explores the bioactive ingredients with anticancer effects, underlying mechanisms and pathways, the synergistic effects of drug combinations, advancements in novel drug delivery systems, and ongoing clinical trials concerning hawthorn's anticancer properties. Furthermore, the review highlights the preventive health benefits of hawthorn in cancer prevention, offering valuable insights for clinical cancer treatment and the development of TCM with anticancer properties that can be used for both medicinal and edible purposes.

Antihypertensive effect and mechanism of the traditional recipe of medicine food homology (Buyang Huanwu Decoction) in China: Meta analysis and network pharmacological exploration.

Background: Hypertension has become a part of the lives of many people worldwide. With the development, an increasing number of people have begun to control their hypertension through products of medicine food homology, such as Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD). However, there has been no objective review of the regulation of hypertension by BYHWD. Methods: As of 9 October 2023, this review made a detailed search of nine databases to look for random controlled trials (RCTs) focused on the use of BYHWD for treating hypertension. This was followed by network pharmacological analysis, and molecular docking assessment using AutoDockTools to explore the mode of action. Results: BYHWD was effective in reducing SBP (MD: 0.767; 95 % CI: 0.629, 0.905; p = 0.000), DBP (MD: 0.427; 95 % CI: 0.292, 0.561; p = 0.000), 24h SBP (MD: 0.665; 95 % CI: 0.368, 0.962; p = 0.000), 24h DBP (MD: 0.547; 95 % CI: 0.318, 0.777; p = 0.000), dSBP (MD: 0.625; 95 % CI: 0.395, 0.855; p = 0.000), dDBP (MD: 0.632; 95 % CI: 0.401, 0.862; p = 0.000), nSBP (MD: 0.859; 95 % CI: 0.340, 1.377; p = 0.001), nDBP (MD: 0.704; 95 % CI: 0.297, 1.112; p = 0.001), pv (MD: 1.311; 95 % CI: 0.363, 2.259; p = 0.007) and NIHSS (MD: 1.149; 95 % CI: 0.100, 2.199; p = 0.032), and elevating CER (OR = 2.848; 95 % CI: 1.388, 5.843; p = 0.004). However, BYHWD did not significantly reduce HCY, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of AE. In terms of the mechanism of action, the main active ingredient of BYHWD is quercetin, and the core targets are AKT1, MMP9, and others. Molecular docking also showed that quercetin mainly interacts with the amino acid residue CYS-28 of MMP2. Second, the KEGG analysis showed that BYHWD mainly act on HIF-1, Apelin, and cGMP-PKG signalling pathways, and GO analysis showed that it related to the apical part of the cell, circulatory system processes, and nuclear receptor activity. Conclusion: BYHWD can lowered blood pressure, reduced plasma viscosity, and restored neurological function with good tolerability, and had no significant effect on HCY levels. This study further demonstrated that quercetin is the main active ingredient of BYHWD that acts via the AKT1 and HIF-1 signalling pathways. These results provide new guidance for people's dietary choices by the general public.

Rapid Construction of Recombinant PDCoV Expressing an Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein for the Antiviral Screening Assay Based on Transformation-Associated Recombination Cloning in Yeast.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging enteropathogenic coronavirus that mainly causes diarrhea and death in suckling piglets and also has the potential for cross-species transmission, threatening public health. However, there is still no effective vaccine or drug to prevent PDCoV infection. In order to accelerate the development of antiviral drugs, we established a high-throughput screening platform using a novel genome editing technology called transformation-associated recombination cloning in yeast. The recombinant PDCoV and PDCoV reporter virus expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein were both rapidly rescued with stable genealogical characteristics during passage. Further study demonstrated that the reporter virus can be used for high-throughput screening of antiviral drugs with a Z-factor of 0.821-0.826. Then, a medicine food homology compound library was applied, and we found that three compounds were potential antiviral reagents. In summary, we have established a fast and efficient reverse genetic system of PDCoV, providing a powerful platform for the research of antiviral drugs.

The Potential of Glycyrrhiza from "Medicine Food Homology" in the Fight against Digestive System Tumors.

Glycyrrhiza has a long history of applications and a wide range of pharmacological effects. It is known as the "king of all herbs". Glycyrrhiza is effective in clearing heat, detoxifying, relieving cough, and tonifying qi and has good bioactivity in multiple inflammatory, immune, and tumor diseases. This review aims to summarize the origin, distribution, and anti-digestive system tumor mechanism of glycyrrhiza and its homologous applications in medicine and food. The active compounds include triterpenoids, flavonoids, and coumarins, which are widely used in clinical treatments, disease prevention, and daily foods because of their "enhancement of efficacy" and "reduction of toxicity" against digestive system tumors. This paper reviews the use of glycyrrhiza in digestive system tumors and provides an outlook on future research and clinical applications.

"Medicine food homology" plants promote periodontal health: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and inhibition of bone resorption.

"Medicine food homology" (MFH) is a term with a lengthy history. It refers to the fact that a lot of traditional natural products have both culinary and therapeutic benefits. The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of MFH plants and their secondary metabolites have been confirmed by numerous research. A bacterially generated inflammatory illness with a complicated pathophysiology, periodontitis causes the loss of the teeth's supporting tissues. Several MFH plants have recently been shown to have the ability to prevent and treat periodontitis, which is exhibited by blocking the disease's pathogens and the virulence factors that go along with them, lowering the host's inflammatory reactions and halting the loss of alveolar bone. To give a theoretical foundation for the creation of functional foods, oral care products and adjuvant therapies, this review has especially explored the potential medicinal benefit of MFH plants and their secondary metabolites in the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.

Ameliorative effect of Luffa cylindrica fruits on Caenorhabditis elegans and cellular models of Alzheimer's disease-related pathology via autophagy induction.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder without an effective cure. Natural products, while showing promise as potential therapeutics for AD, remain underexplored. AIMS: This study was conducted with the goal of identifying potential anti-AD candidates from natural sources using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) AD-like models and exploring their mechanisms of action. MATERIALS & METHODS: Our laboratory's in-house herbal extract library was utilized to screen for potential anti-AD candidates using the C. elegans AD-like model CL4176. The neuroprotective effects of the candidates were evaluated in multiple C. elegans AD-like models, specifically targeting Aß- and Tau-induced pathology. In vitro validation was conducted using PC-12 cells. To investigate the role of autophagy in mediating the anti-AD effects of the candidates, RNAi bacteria and autophagy inhibitors were employed. RESULTS: The ethanol extract of air-dried fruits of Luffa cylindrica (LCE), a medicine-food homology species, was found to inhibit Aß- and Tau-induced pathology (paralysis, ROS production, neurotoxicity, and Aß and pTau deposition) in C. elegans AD-like models. LCE was non-toxic and enhanced C. elegans' health. It was shown that LCE activates autophagy and its anti-AD efficacy is weakened with the RNAi knockdown of autophagy-related genes. Additionally, LCE induced mTOR-mediated autophagy, reduced the expression of AD-associated proteins, and decreased cell death in PC-12 cells, which was reversed by autophagy inhibitors (bafilomycin A1 and 3-methyladenine). DISCUSSION: LCE, identified from our natural product library, emerged as a valuable autophagy enhancer that effectively protects against neurodegeneration in multiple AD-like models. RNAi knockdown of autophagy-related genes and cotreatment with autophagy inhibitors weakened its anti-AD efficacy, implying a critical role of autophagy in mediating the neuroprotective effects of LCE. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the potential of LCE as a functional food or drug for targeting AD pathology and promoting human health.

Gut microbiota: A magical multifunctional target regulated by medicine food homology species.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between gut microbiota and human health has gradually been recognized. Increasing studies show that the disorder of gut microbiota is related to the occurrence and development of many diseases. Metabolites produced by the gut microbiota are responsible for their extensive regulatory roles. In addition, naturally derived medicine food homology species with low toxicity and high efficiency have been clearly defined owing to their outstanding physiological and pharmacological properties in disease prevention and treatment. AIM OF REVIEW: Based on supporting evidence, the current review summarizes the representative work of medicine food homology species targeting the gut microbiota to regulate host pathophysiology and discusses the challenges and prospects in this field. It aims to facilitate the understanding of the relationship among medicine food homology species, gut microbiota, and human health and further stimulate the advancement of more relevant research. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW: As this review reveals, from the initial practical application to more mechanism studies, the relationship among medicine food homology species, gut microbiota, and human health has evolved into an irrefutable interaction. On the one hand, through affecting the population structure, metabolism, and function of gut microbiota, medicine food homology species maintain the homeostasis of the intestinal microenvironment and human health by affecting the population structure, metabolism, and function of gut microbiota. On the other hand, the gut microbiota is also involved in the bioconversion of the active ingredients from medicine food homology species and thus influences their physiological and pharmacological properties.

Effect of "maccog" TCM tea on improving glucolipid metabolism and gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes in community.

Objectives: This work aimed to observe the effect of consuming Chinese herb tea on glucolipid metabolism and gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Ninety patients with T2DM were recruited from a community and randomly divided into the control group (CG) and intervention group (IG). CG maintained conventional treatment and lifestyle, and IG accepted additional "maccog" traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) tea (mulberry leaf, radix astragali, corn stigma, cortex lycii, radix ophiopogonis, and gynostemma) for 12 weeks. Glucolipid metabolism, hepatorenal function, and gut microbiota were then measured. Results: After the intervention, the decreases in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and total cholesterol (TC) were greater (P<0.05) in IG than in CG, and those in glycosylated serum protein (GSP) were almost significantly greater (P=0.066) in IG than in CG. The total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and creatinine (CREA) levels in IG were significantly lower and their decreases were larger in IG than in CG (P<0.05) after the intervention. The Ace and Chao1 indices in IG were slightly higher after the intervention (P=0.056 and 0.052, respectively) than at baselines. The abundance of Actinobacteria, Lachnospiraceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, and Phascolarctobacterium increased significantly after the intervention in IG (P<0.05), and the abundance was higher in IG than in CG (P<0.05 or P<0.1). The abundance of Clostridiales and Lactobacillales was negatively correlated with FPG (P<0.05), Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae was negatively correlated with GSP (P<0.05), and Bacteroides/Firmicutes was positively correlated with both (P<0.05). No adverse event was observed during the intervention. Conclusions: Administration of "maccog" TCM tea for 12 weeks slightly improved glucolipid metabolism and significantly increased the abundance of beneficial gut microbiota in community patients with T2DM. The increase in beneficial bacteria abundance may be involved in the improvement of glucose metabolism indicators. In addition, this intervention is safe and feasible. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=31281, identifier ChiCTR1800018566.

Nardosinone and aurantio-obtusin, two medicine food homology natural compounds, are anti-influenza agents as indicated by transcriptome signature reversion.

BACKGROUND: Medicine food homology (MFH) refers to food that can be used as medicine, and compounds isolated from MFH materials are valuable in novel drug discovery due to their good safety. Transcriptome signature reversion (TSR) is an attractive method for discovering drugs through transcriptional reverse matching; namely, the changes in transcriptional signatures induced by compounds are matched to a certain disease. This strategy can be used to discover anti-influenza agents among MFH natural compounds. PURPOSE: MFH natural compounds with anti-influenza activities were identified through analyses of the reversal in the expression of multiple informative genes followed by in vitro evaluation of the cytopathic effect (CPE) caused by influenza infection and relative quantification of the nucleoprotein (NP) gene in viral RNA (vRNA). The combined effect of active compounds was determined through network-based separation score prediction followed by quantification of the viral hemagglutinin (HA) level. METHODS: The transcriptome profiles of 4 lung or airway cell lines infected with 7 influenza virus strains were analyzed by robust rank aggregation (RRA) to identify informative genes in the signature of influenza virus infection. The identified informative genes were then matched to a transcriptomic profile library of MFH natural compounds. The anti-influenza activities of MFH natural compounds with negative enrichment scores (ESs) were evaluated in vitro using a CPE assay and relative quantification of the NP gene in the vRNA in the supernatant and cytoplasm to identify anti-influenza agents. The effects of combinations of active compounds were analyzed using network-based calculations followed by confirmation through bioassays for quantifying the viral HA levels. RESULTS: Among the 159 MFH natural compounds, 54 compounds had negative ESs, as determined through TSR, and the anti-influenza activities of nardosinone and aurantio-obtusin were confirmed by bioassays. The half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50) of nardosinone and aurantio-obtusin were 4.3-84.4 µM and 31.9-113.6 µM, respectively. The separation score between the informative genes with expression that was negatively regulated by nardosinone and aurantio-obtusin in the human protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was calculated to be 0.10, which indicated that the two compounds potentially exert a synergistic effect, and this effect was confirmed by the finding that the combination indexes (CIs) were calculated to equal 0.86 at inhibition level of 50% and 0.44 at inhibition level of 90%. CONCLUSION: The TSR analysis and in vitro evaluation identified nardosinone and aurantio-obtusin as anti-influenza agents. Their antiviral activities were exerted by reversing the expression of multiple informative genes of the host cells. The separation analysis between the informative genes that were reversely regulated by nardosinone and aurantio-obtusin indicated that their combination may exert a synergistic effect, which was confirmed in vitro.

Metabolites of medicine food homology-derived endophytic fungi and their activities.

Medicine food homology (MFH) substances not only provide essential nutrients as food but also have corresponding factors that can prevent and help treat nutritional imbalances, chronic disease, and other related issues. Endophytic fungi associated with plants have potential for use in drug discovery and food therapy. However, the endophytic fungal metabolites from MFH plants and their effects have been overlooked. Therefore, this review focuses on the various biological activities of 108 new metabolites isolated from 53 MFH-derived endophytic fungi. The paper explores the potential nutritional and medicinal value of metabolites of MFH-derived endophytic fungi for food and medical applications. This research is important for the future development of effective, safe, and nontoxic therapeutic nutraceuticals for the prevention and treatment of human diseases.

In Vitro Anti-Obesity Effect of Shenheling Extract (SHLE) Fermented with Lactobacillus fermentum grx08.

Obesity is a common global problem. There are many fat-reducing herbal prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine that have been proven to be safe and functional during long-term application. Microbial fermentation can improve the efficacy of herbal medicine and improve the unsavory flavor. In this study, Shenheling extract (SHLE) composed of six medicine food homology materials was used as the research object. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillusfermentum grx08 fermentation on the antiobesity efficacy and flavor of SHLE. We found that L. fermentum grx08 grew well in SHLE. After 72 h of fermentation, the total polysaccharides, total flavonoids, total polyphenols and total saponins of SHLE decreased, but the lipase inhibitory activity and total antioxidant capacity (FRAP) were significantly increased (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the α-glucosidase inhibition rate and DPPH· clearance rate before or after fermentation (p > 0.05). In addition, the fermentation reduces the unpleasant flavors of SHLE such as bitterness and grassy and cassia flavors. This study demonstrates that SHLE fermented by L. fermentum grx08 improved some anti-obesity functions and improved the unpleasant flavor.

Medicine-Food Herbs against Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of Their Traditional Functional Features, Substance Basis, Clinical Practices and Mechanisms of Action.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that currently has reached epidemic proportions among elderly populations around the world. In China, available traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) that organically combine functional foods with medicinal values are named "Medicine Food Homology (MFH)". In this review, we focused on MFH varieties for their traditional functional features, substance bases, clinical uses, and mechanisms of action (MOAs) for AD prevention and treatment. We consider the antiAD active constituents from MFH species, their effects on in vitro/in vivo AD models, and their drug targets and signal pathways by summing up the literature via a systematic electronic search (SciFinder, PubMed, and Web of Science). In this paper, several MFH plant sources are discussed in detail from in vitro/in vivo models and methods, to MOAs. We found that most of the MFH varieties exert neuroprotective effects and ameliorate cognitive impairments by inhibiting neuropathological signs (Aß-induced toxicity, amyloid precursor protein, and phosphorylated Tau immunoreactivity), including anti-inflammation, antioxidative stress, antiautophagy, and antiapoptosis, etc. Indeed, some MFH substances and their related phytochemicals have a broad spectrum of activities, so they are superior to simple single-target drugs in treating chronic diseases. This review can provide significant guidance for people's healthy lifestyles and drug development for AD prevention and treatment.

Ingredients with anti-inflammatory effect from medicine food homology plants.

Inflammation occurs when the immune system responses to external harmful stimuli and infection. Chronic inflammation induces various diseases. A variety of foods are prescribed in the traditional medicines of many countries all over the world, which gave birth to the concept of medicine food homology. Over the past few decades, a number of secondary metabolites from medicine food homology plants have been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory effects. In the present review, the effects and mechanisms of the medicine food homology plants-derived active components on relieving inflammation and inflammation-mediated diseases were summarized and discussed. The information provided in this review is valuable to future studies on anti-inflammatory ingredients derived from medicine food homology plants as drugs or food supplements.

Natural Ingredients from Medicine Food Homology as Chemopreventive Reagents against Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Modulating Gut Microbiota Homoeostasis.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a noteworthy worldwide public health problem. It represents a complex metabolic disorder, mainly characterized as hyperglycemia and lipid dysfunction. The gut microbiota dysbiosis has been proposed to play a role in the development of diabetes. Recently, there has been considerable interest in the use of medicine food homology (MFH) and functional food herbs (FF) to ameliorate diabetes and lead to a natural and healthy life. Hence, this review compiles some reports and findings to demonstrate that the practical use of the MFH/FF can modulate the homoeostasis of gut microbiota, thereby ameliorating the development of T2DM. The results provided useful data to support further investigation of the functional basis and application of MFH/FF to treat T2DM through maintaining intestinal homeostasis.

Preparation and properties of extracellular vesicle-like nanoparticles from medicinal and edible plants / 药学学报

Extracellular vesicle-like nanoparticles (EVNs) isolated from edible plants have been shown to have multiple activities, while EVNs from medicinal plants have rarely been reported. In this paper, medicinal parts of medicinal and edible homologous fresh Curcumae Longae Rhizoma (CLR), Lilii Bulbus (LB), Polygonati Rhizoma (PR), and Gastrodiae Rhizoma (GR) are used to squeeze juice to collect EVNs. The physical and chemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and cellular uptake behavior of EVNs are determined. The results show that the particle size of EVNs from different sources ranges from 150 nm to 200 nm, and the polydispersity index (PDI) values of four EVNs are less than 0.2. Different EVNs all contain lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, but their contents are different. The stability of EVNs is different at 4 ℃ and -80 ℃, among which the CLR-derived EVNs are most stable. Antioxidant experiments confirm that the four EVNs have different antioxidant activities while structural damage of EVNs leads to the reduced antioxidant capacity. Cellular uptake studies prove that four EVNs differ in the uptake capacity by RAW264.7 cells, which is associated with the structural interference of EVNs. The available evidence implies that the specific structure of EVNs may be necessary to their pharmacological activity and transport property.

Plant diversity in herbal tea and its traditional knowledge in Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province, China.

Herbal teas composed of locally occurring plant species have long been used as the primary form of health care in Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province, China. However, large-scale emigration overseas and an aging population threaten the conservation of traditional knowledge of these herbal teas. Traditional knowledge about the plants used for these herbal teas is not well documented in Qingtian, despite their widespread use. The aim of this study was to assess the plant-cultural diversity of plants used as herbal teas, and to point out the prospective value of herbal teas used by Qingtian people. This study was conducted using semi-structured interviews, as well as field and market surveys. Forty-three local informants were interviewed. We recorded plant resources, plant parts used, local names, and medicinal uses. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices, including cognitive salience (CS), frequency of citation (FC), index of informant consensus (Fic) and use value (UV), were calculated to analyze the level of representativeness and relative importance of plants used in herbal teas. One hundred and twenty-nine species belonging to 75 families and 113 genera were reported to be used in herbal tea, with Compositae being the richest family. Whole plants are most commonly used to make herbal teas (66.7%). In this study, informants reported that 92.2% of plant species used in herbal teas are wild. The most utilized herbal preparation form is dry/fresh. Informants reported that herbal teas are used to treat 31 ailments. Our results show that the highest representativeness, based on CS and FC, was recorded for species Actinidia eriantha. Based on UV, the top five most used species are Goodyera schlechtendaliana, Plantago asiatica, Prunella vulgaris, Lophatherum gracile and Leonurus japonicus. The highest Fic was cited for dental medicine. This study helps document the status of current herbal teas in Qingtian. The use value and traditional knowledge of herbal teas have provided basic data for further research focused on bioactivity studies and sustainable utilization of the most important species.

Hypoglycemic effects of bioactive ingredients from medicine food homology and medicinal health food species used in China.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic progressive systemic disease caused by a metabolic disorder. In recent years, a large number of studies have shown that certain traditional Chinese medicines and their bioactive ingredients have obvious hypoglycemic effects. This literature review focuses on medicine food homology (MFH) and medicinal health food (MHF) species used in China with a hypoglycemic function and emphasizes the bioactive ingredients and their pharmacological effects. The bioactive ingredients of MFH and MHF have been divided into six categories: saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, and others; and their sources, models, efficacy, and mechanisms of action have been described. It is noteworthy that the mechanisms of the bioactive ingredients of MFH and MHF with hypoglycemic effects have been summarized as follows: a) insulin-mimetic effects and restoration of the damaged pancreas; b) effect on glucose metabolism; c) increased insulin sensitivity and improved insulin resistance; and d) regulation of intestinal flora. We conclude that this review provides useful data and information to support the further investigation and application of MFH and MHF to treat DM.

In Silico Investigation of the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Beneficial Effects of Ginkgo biloba L. on Alzheimer's Disease.

Based on compelling experimental and clinical evidence, Ginkgo biloba L. exerts a beneficial effect in ameliorating mild to moderate dementia in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurological disorders, although the pharmacological mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study, compounds, their putative target proteins identified using an inverse docking approach, and clinically tested AD-related target proteins were systematically integrated together with applicable bioinformatics methods in silico. The results suggested that the beneficial effects of G. biloba on AD may be contributed by the regulation of hormone sensitivity, improvements in endocrine homeostasis, maintenance of endothelial microvascular integrity, and proteolysis of tau proteins, particularly prior to amyloid β-protein (Aβ) plaque formation. Moreover, we identified six putative protein targets that are significantly related to AD, but have not been researched or have had only preliminary studies conducted on the anti-AD effects of G. biloba. These mechanisms and protein targets are very significant for future scientific research. In addition, the existing mechanisms were also verified, such as the reduction of oxidative stress, anti-apoptotic effects, and protective effects against amyloidogenesis and Aβ aggregation. The discoveries summarized here may provide a macroscopic perspective that will improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism of medicinal plants or dietary supplements, as well as new clues for the future development of therapeutic strategies for AD.

Hypolipidemic Components from Medicine Food Homology Species Used in China: Pharmacological and Health Effects.

Hyperlipidemia is a systemic disease caused by abnormal human lipid metabolism. Dietary control and treatment on hyperlipidemia is now a popular therapy pathway. This paper focuses on the medicine food homology (MFH) species used in China with hypolipidemic function, and emphasizes on the active ingredients and their pharmacological effect. The single herbal and its hypolipidemic active ingredients are summarized through reviewing the relevant literatures published in the past twenty years. The ingredients are divided into polysaccharides, flavonoids, steroidal saponins, quinones, alkaloids and others, of which the related researches are described from the aspects of sources, model and method, result and mechanisms, respectively. MFH exerts treating hyperlipidemia through inhibiting the biosynthesis of endogenous lipids, promoting the catabolism of exogenous lipid, restraining lipid absorption, and anti-lipid peroxidation. It is concluded that some MFH species with low toxicity and small side effects can used to adjust the diet nutrition to prevent the occurrence of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease.