Alzheimer Disease ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Mice ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the eliminating ability of catechin to eliminate O2-* and *OH. METHODS: The ability of catechin to clear away O2-* and *OH was respectively measured by faintness chemiluminescence and spin trapping assay. RESULTS: IC50 that catechin eliminated O2-* and *OH was 6.16, 0.59 g/mL respectively, and the eliminating ability of catechin was much stronger than that of the extract from liquorice, rosemary, grape pip, giant knotweed and ginkgo leaf. CONCLUSION Compared with several important natural plants of antioxidants, the eliminating ability of cathechin is the best.
Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Catechin ; pharmacology ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Hydroxyl Radical ; metabolism ; Luminescent Measurements ; Superoxides ; metabolism

In this study, the effect of brassinosteroid(BR) on the physiological and biochemical conditions of 2-year-old Panax notoginseng under the cadmium stress was investigated by the pot experiments. The results showed that cadmium treatment at 10 mg·kg~(-1) inhibited the root viability of P. notoginseng, significantly increased the content of H_2O_2 and MDA in the leaves and roots of P. noto-ginseng, caused oxidative damage of P. notoginseng, and reduced the activities of SOD and CAT. Cadmium stress reduced the chlorophyll content of P. notoginseng, increased leaf F_o, reduced F_m, F_v/F_m, and PIABS, and damaged the photosynthesis system of P. notoginseng. Cadmium treatment increased the soluble sugar content of P. notoginseng leaves and roots, inhibited the synthesis of soluble proteins, reduced the fresh weight and dry weight, and inhibited the growth of P. notoginseng. External spray application of 0.1 mg·L~(-1) BR reduced the H_2O_2 and MDA content in P. notoginseng leaves and roots under the cadmium stress, alleviated cadmium-induced oxidative damage to P. notoginseng, improved the antioxidant enzyme activity and root activity of P. notoginseng, increased the content of chlorophyll, reduced the F_o of P. notoginseng leaves, increased F_m, F_v/F_m, and PIABS, alleviated the cadmium-induced damage to the photosynthesis system, and improved the synthesis ability of soluble proteins. In summary, BR can enhance the anti-cadmium stress ability of P. notoginseng by regulating the antioxidant enzyme system and photosynthesis system of P. notoginseng under the cadmium stress. In the context of 0.1 mg·L~(-1) BR, P. notoginseng can better absorb and utilize light energy and synthesize more nutrients, which is more suitable for the growth and development of P. notoginseng.
Cadmium/metabolism* ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Panax notoginseng ; Brassinosteroids/pharmacology* ; Chlorophyll/metabolism* ; Plant Roots/metabolism* ; Stress, Physiological

Areca catechu L. medicinal materials and their preparations are widely used in clinical practice. Betelnut polyphenol is one of the main chemical components with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. With continuous increase of high altitude activities, tissue oxidative damage caused by high altitude hypoxia seriously affects the ability to work, and the studies on anti-hypoxia drugs are particularly important. Recent studies have shown that betelnut polyphenols have protective effects on oxidative stress injury caused by hypoxia via improving blood gas index of hypoxic organism, increasing superoxide dismutase glutathione catalase activity, and scavenging excessive free radicals. The effects of betelnut polyphenols against hypoxia and oxidative damage protection suggest that betelnut polyphenols can be used as potential anti-hypoxia drugs and posses clinical prospects.
Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Areca/chemistry* ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; Oxidative Stress ; Polyphenols/pharmacology* ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*

Genome sequencing projects revealed massive cryptic gene clusters encoding the undiscovered secondary metabolites in Streptomyces. To investigate the metabolic products of silent gene clusters in Streptomyces chattanoogensis L10 (CGMCC 2644), we used site-directed mutagenesis to generate ten mutants with point mutations in the highly conserved region of rpsL (encoding the ribosomal protein S12) or rpoB (encoding the RNA polymerase β-subunit). Among them, L10/RpoB (H437Y) accumulated a dark pigment on a yeast extract-malt extract-glucose (YMG) plate. This was absent in the wild type. After further investigation, a novel angucycline antibiotic named anthrachamycin was isolated and determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) were performed to investigate the mechanism underlying the activation effect on the anthrachamycin biosynthetic gene cluster. This work indicated that the rpoB-specific missense H437Y mutation had activated anthrachamycin biosynthesis in S. chattanoogensis L10. This may be helpful in the investigation of the pleiotropic regulation system in Streptomyces.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics* ; Multigene Family ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Streptomyces/metabolism*

OBJECTIVETo observe effects of ginsenoside-Rb (G-Rb) on total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol metabolism and anti-oxidation in experimental hyperlipidemia rats.

METHODHyperlipidemia rats were respectively given G-Rb 50, 100, 200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) ig for twelve days. Total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol and lipid peroxidation (LPO) contents, prostacycline (PGI2), thromboxane (TXA2), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blood viscosity were measured. Fat accumulation in liver was also observed.

RESULTTriglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in serum, TXA2 in plasma, LPO in serum and liver, and blood viscosity were decreased significantly. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) in serum, PGI2 in plasma and SOD in serum and liver were significantly increased by G-Rb (100, 200 mg x kg(-1)) in experimental hyperlipidemia rats. In addition, G-Rb could decrease TC/HDL-c, LDLc/HDL-c ratio, increase PGI2/TXA2 ratio and inhibit fat accumulation in liver.

CONCLUSIONG-Rb could have anti-arteriosclerosis effect by improving cholesterol and lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolism, suppressing lipid peroxidation, increasing anti-oxidase activity and PGI2/TXA2 ratio.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Hyperlipidemias ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxides ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Adenosine Triphosphatases ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Rats ; Sulfinic Acids ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: Although the protective effects of Momordica charantia L. (MC) extract on chemical-induced testicular damage have been studied, the preventive effects of MC extract on functional proteins in the epididymis under chronic stress have never been reported. This study investigated the protective effects of MC fruit extract on protein secretion, especially tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, in the epididymis of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). METHODS: Total phenolic compounds (TPC), total flavonoid compounds (TFC) and antioxidant capacities of MC extract were measured. Adult male rats were divided into 4 groups: control group, CUS group, and 2 groups of CUS that received different doses of MC extract (40 or 80 mg/kg). In treated groups, rats were given MC daily, followed by induction of CUS (1 stressor was randomly applied from a battery of 9 potential stressors) for 60 consecutive days. Plasma corticosterone and testosterone levels were analyzed after the end of experiment. Expressions of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP-70) and tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins present in the fluid of the head and tail of the epididymis were quantified using Western blot. RESULTS: MC extract contained TPC of (19.005 ± 0.270) mg gallic acid equivalents and TFC of (0.306 ± 0.012) mg catechin equivalents per gram, and had 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl antioxidant capacity of (4.985 ± 0.086) mg trolox equivalents per gram, radical 50% inhibitory concentration of (2.011 ± 0.008) mg/mL and ferric reducing antioxidant power of (23.697 ± 0.819) µmol Fe(II) per gram. Testosterone level in the epididymis was significantly increased, while the corticosterone level was significantly improved in groups treated with MC extract, compared to the CUS animals. Particularly, an 80 mg/kg dose of MC extract prevented the impairments of HSP-70 and tyrosine-phosphorylated protein expressions in the luminal fluid of the epididymis of CUS rats. CONCLUSION MC fruit extract had antioxidant activities and improved the functional proteins secreted from the head and tail of the epididymis. It is possible to develop the MC fruit extract as a male fertility supplement for enhancing functional sperm maturation in stressed men.
Male ; Rats ; Animals ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Tyrosine/metabolism* ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use* ; Corticosterone ; Seeds ; Testosterone ; Fruit/metabolism*

Fucoidan is a natural polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds, with a wide variety of biological features, especially the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. Studies indicated that the anti-inflammatory effect of fucoidan related to its capacity to interact with the selectin or scavenger receptor on the cell membrane. Fucoidan can also inhibit the synthesis and release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as promote its clearance, showing the anti-oxidative activity.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Antioxidants ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Polysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Receptors, Scavenger ; metabolism ; Seaweed ; chemistry ; Selectins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of copper-phenanthroline (CuOP) on pentachlorophenol (PCP)-induced adaptation and cell death of Escherichia coli.

METHODSBacterial growth and adaptation to PCP were monitored spectrophotometrically at 600 nm. Inactivation of bacterial cells was determined from colony count on agar dishes. Cellular ATP content and accumulation of PCP were assessed by chemiluminescence and HPLC analysis respectively. The formation of PCP-Cu-OP complex was shown by UV-visible spectra.

RESULTSEscherichia coli (E. coli) could adapt to PCP, a wood preservative and insecticide used in agriculture. The adaptation of E. coli to PCP prevented its death to the synergistic cytotoxicity of CuOP plus PCP and declined cellular accumulation and uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation of PCP. Furthermore, CuOP and PCP neither produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) nor had a synergistic effect on uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation in E. coli. The synergistic cytotoxicity of CuOP and PCP in E. coli might be due to the formation of lipophilic PCP-Cu-OP complex.

CONCLUSIONOur data suggested that adaptation of E. coli to PCP decreased the synergistic effects of CuOP and PCP on prokaryotic cell death due to the formation of lipophilic PCP-Cu-OP complex, but it had no effect on the uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation and production of reactive oxygen species in E. coli.

Adaptation, Physiological ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; metabolism ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Copper ; pharmacology ; Cytotoxins ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Drug Synergism ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Pentachlorophenol ; pharmacology ; Phenanthrolines ; pharmacology