The protective effects and potential mechanisms of fulvic acid against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in mice.

Fulvic acid (FA) is a kind of natural organic acids extracted from lignite, which is the active ingredient in Wujin oral liquid, a proprietary Chinese medicine used to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of FA remains limited. Currently, the protection of FA and its mechanism were explored using the ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury mouse model. The histopathological examinations showed FAs at three doses effectively reduced gastric congestion, oedema caused by ethanol, and prevented gastric epithelial cell fall-off. When compared to the model group, FAs reduced IL-1ß and IL-6 levels in serum, as well as IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and COX-2 expression levels in tissue. Furthermore, FAs significantly inhibited p65, P38 MAPK, and Erk1/2 phosphorylation in damaged gastric tissue. It was indicated FA has good protection against ethanol-induced gastric mucosa injuries in mice and this effect was related to NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways.

Antioxidation Abilities of Sesquiterpenoids from Curcuma aromatica in vitro.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: In our previous study, 21 sesquiterpenoids with different skeleton types were isolated from the radix of Curcuma aromatica Salisb., a traditional Chinese medicine used for treating depression and qi and blood stasis. C. aromatica enhanced PC12 cell viability upon damage by H2O2. The aim of this study was to elucidate the antioxidation capability of these sesquiterpenoids using a model of H2O2-induced PC12 cells and analyze the correlation between their structure and bio-activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PC12 cells were simultaneously treated with 400 µM H2O2 and sesquiterpenoid compounds or vitamin E (used as a positive control) for 24 h. The activities of GSH-Px, LDH, CAT, and SOD were detected by ELISA kits. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the cells was determined by the fluorescence probe DCFH-DA. [Ca2+]i was detected based on the Fluo 2-AM fluorescence labeling assay. The structures of sesquiterpenoids were featured with 41 selected molecular descriptors, and the relationship between active parameters and structural features was determined by the partial least squares (PLS) analysis. RESULTS: All twenty-one sesquiterpenoids from the radix of C. aromatica increased the activities of GSH-Px, CAT, and SOD, and decreased the LDH leakage, and levels of ROS level and [Ca2+]i to different degrees. Some relationships were observed between the molecular descriptors featured by the sesquiterpenoids and GSH-Px, CAT, SOD, LDH, ROS, and [Ca2+]i by PLS analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-one sesquiterpenoids showed different antioxidation abilities as measured by a model of H2O2-induced PC12 cells. Five molecular descriptors were positively correlated with GSH-Px, CAT, SOD, and were negatively correlated with LDH and [Ca2+].

Influence of steroidal glycosides from Cynanchum auriculatum on antioxidant indicators in H2O2-damaged PC12 cells.

The root of Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight is a traditional Chinese medicine, which is rich in C21 steroidal glycosides by phytochemistry research. In this study, the antioxidant effect of 27 C21 steroidal glycosides isolated from the root of C. auriculatum by our group was evaluated using the H2O2-treated PC12 cells. As the result, all tested compounds altered the activities of lactate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase at concentrations as low as 1 µM in H2O2-treated PC12 cells. They also decreased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species and Ca2+. Further, the correlation between their structural features described by molecular descriptors and the indicators of bioactivity was analyzed by partial least squares analysis, displaying those six bio-indicators were positive correlated with 13 molecular descriptors and providing some guidance for further study of relationships between steroid structure and antioxidant activity.

Antioxidant effects of diarylheptanoids from two Curcuma species.

Five linear diarylheptanoids (1-5), including a new one (1), were isolated from the rhizomes of Curcuma kwangsiensis S. G. Lee et C. F. Liang, while four linear diarylheptanoids (6-9) and four cyclic diarylheptanoids (10-13) were isolated from the roots of Curcuma aromatica Salisb. Using the model of H2O2-induced PC12 cells, the antioxidant effects of these thirteen diarylheptanoids from these two traditional Chinese medicines from Curcuma genus of Zingiberaceae family were investigated. As result, they produced different efficiency on damaged cell viability, ROS, LDH, SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, which were the six indexes related to oxidative stress. Further, the correlation between these six bio-indexes and 53 selected molecular descriptors of diarylheptanoids was determined by PLS regression analysis.