Ajuga turkestanica increases Notch and Wnt signaling in aged skeletal muscle.

BACKGROUND: The declining myogenic potential of aged skeletal muscle is multifactorial. Insufficient satellite cell activity is one factor in this process. Notch and Wnt signaling are involved in various biological processes including orchestrating satellite cell activity within skeletal muscle. These pathways become dysfunctional during the aging process and may contribute to the poor skeletal muscle competency. Phytoecdysteroids are natural adaptogenic compounds with demonstrated benefit on skeletal muscle. AIM: To determine the extent to which a phytoecdysteroid enriched extract from Ajuga turkestanica (ATE) affects Notch and Wnt signaling in aged skeletal muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice (20 months) were randomly assigned to Control (CT) or ATE treatment groups. Chow was supplemented with either vehicle (CT) or ATE (50 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. Following supplementation, the triceps brachii muscles were harvested and immunohistochemical analyses performed. Components of Notch or Wnt signaling were co-labelled with Pax7, a quiescent satellite cell marker. RESULTS: ATE supplementation significantly increased the percent of active Notch/Pax7+ nuclei (p = 0.005), Hes1/Pax7+ nuclei (p = 0.038), active B-catenin/Pax7+ nuclei (p = 0.011), and Lef1/Pax7+ nuclei (p = 0.022), compared to CT. ATE supplementation did not change the resting satellite cell number. CONCLUSIONS: ATE supplementation in aged mice increases Notch and Wnt signaling in triceps brachii muscle. If Notch and Wnt benefit skeletal muscle, then phytoecdysteroids may provide a protective effect and maintain the integrity of aged skeletal muscle.

Bioactive polyphenols from muscadine grape and blackcurrant stably concentrated onto protein-rich matrices for topical applications.

OBJECTIVES: Natural botanical agents that are antimicrobial, or that modulate skin hyperpigmentation via tyrosinase inhibition, are increasingly sought in the cosmetic industry. METHODS: In this study, an efficient tactic is demonstrated for concentrating and stabilizing skin-beneficial bioactive compounds from muscadine grape and blackcurrant juice or muscadine pomace, into hemp flour (HF), hemp protein isolate (HPI) and soy protein isolate (SPI) matrices suitable for cosmetic applications. RESULTS: Anthocyanins were most efficiently captured from blackcurrant juice into HF (8.39 mg g(-1) ). HPI most effectively captured total phenolics from muscadine pomace (72.32 and 77.32 mg g(-1) from Noble and Carlos, respectively), while the three matrices incorporated highest levels of ellagic acid, gallic acid, and PAC B1 from Noble muscadine grape juice. The enriched matrices demonstrated effective in vitro inhibition of tyrosinase (up to 57.29% for blackcurrant juice-HPI matrix), and in general, juice sources provided greater inhibition on L-dopamine oxidation by tyrosinase than pomace sources. The polyphenol-enriched matrices effectively inhibited microbial proliferation in a screening assay against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, whereas untreated HF, HPI or SPI did not inhibit bacterial growth. CONCLUSION: The technology of combining and stably concentrating phytoactive polyphenols with proteins has potential use for cosmetic topical applications.

A new eudesmanolide from Crataegus flava fruits.

A new eudesmanolide, 1beta,9alpha-dihydroxyeudesm-3-en-5beta,6alpha,7alpha,11alphaH-12,6-olide (1), was isolated from Crataegus flava fruits. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic methods.

A new flavone derivative from Ehretia ovalifolia leaves.

From the methylene chloride extract of Ehretia ovalifolia leaves, a new flavone derivative named ovalifolin [3-(3-methyl-1-butenyl)-6-methoxy-5,7,4'-trihydroxy flavone] has been isolated and identified together with the known flavone aglycones apigenin, luteolin and the highly methoxylated flavanol araneosol. The structures of these metabolites have been established on the basis of chemical, chromatographic and spectral methods.

Polyphenols from Cornulaca monacantha.

The aerial parts of the Egyptian herb Cornulaca monacantha have yielded two new galloyltannin analogs (named monacanthin A and monacanthin B) characterized by protoctechuoyl moiety at C-6, and also a new flavonol glycoside, quercetin-4'-O-beta-D-galactoside. The structures of the new compounds were established by conventional analytical methods and confirmed by spectral analyses. Two known flavonoids, luteolin-7-O-rhamnoside, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and two known gallotannins, penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose and 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose were also isolated.

Hepato-protective effect of daturaolone isolated from Solanum arundo.

The triterpene daturaolone was isolated for the first time from Solanum arundo Mattei. The structure has been elucidated by comparison of MS and 1H NMR spectra with the reported literature data, and was confirmed by 13C NMR. The compound proved its potency in reducing the harmful effects or in maintaining the normal hepatic physiological mechanisms in both acute and chronic hepato-toxic induced liver damage in rats.