Current Issue : July-September Volume : 2025 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 5 Articles
Background/Objectives: Medicinal herbs produce valuable substances with therapeutic potential. The chemical structures of those substances are often converted by gut microbiota. Our previous studies showed that several kinds of bioactive molecules are newly generated in fermented medicinal herbal extract with plant-derived lactic acid bacteria (LABs). Methods: The fermented extract of Atractylodes Japonica Rhizoma (AJR), which is designated as “Byakujutsu” in Japan, with a plant-derived LAB strain IJH-SONE68 was prepared and whether the fermented extract could help reduce symptoms of food allergies, especially wheat intolerance, was confirmed using animal model. Results: It has been found that the fermented extract significantly ameliorates the anaphylaxis score (from 3.0 to 1.0, p = 0.003) of gliadin-induced allergic model mice (specific-pathogen-free, BALB/cJ) accompanied with the modulation of serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) (from 778 to 518 ng/mL, p = 0.006), interferon (IFN)-γ (from 6.6 to 9.5 pg/mL, p < 0.001), and interleukin (IL)-4 (from 32.0 to 9.1 pg/mL, p < 0.001) levels. Conclusions: The fermented AJR extract may modulate the Th1/Th2 cell balance to alleviate the symptoms of gliadininduced anaphylaxis in mice. The present study supports the view that the fermentation of medicinal herbal extract prepared using LABs may be a useful procedure for producing therapeutic potential compounds to maintain health....
Zanthoxylum nitidum is a traditional Chinese herb, but limited information is available concerning its composition and pharmacological effects of essential oils from different parts of Z. nitidum. This study examined the composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of essential oils from different parts of Z. nitidum in China. The results indicate that the highest essential oil extraction rate was obtained from the pericarps (0.42%), primarily consisting of caryophyllene oxide (15.33%), nerolidol 2 (14.03%), and spathulenol (9.64%). This was followed by the leaves (0.21%), stems (0.09%), and roots (0.05%), with the highest content in their essential oils being caryophyllene (27.03%), cadina-1(10),4- diene (25.76%), and benzyl benzoate (17.11%), respectively. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that, compared with the essential oils from stems and leaves, the essential oils from roots and pericarps showed relatively smaller differences and were usually clustered into one category. The leaf essential oil has the highest in vitro antioxidant activity, followed by the root, pericarp, and stem. This study aims to provide a scientific reference for the rational development and utilization of different parts of Z. nitidum, especially the leaf essential oil....
This study was conducted to identify the optimal conditions and evaluate the feasibility of deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for utilizing maca (Lepidium meyenii) leaves, an agricultural by-product, as functional materials. The extraction parameters influencing the recovery of saponins and polyphenols, which are major bioactive compounds, were analyzed using the Taguchi method. Results: Signalto- noise ratios and analysis of variance indicated that the liquid–solid ratio was the most critical factor for optimizing the extraction process. The optimal extraction conditions were determined to be a liquid–solid ratio of 40 mL/g, a water content in DES of 30%, an extraction time of 30 min, and an ultrasonic power of 300Win the DES system consisting of choline chloride and glycerin in the molar ratio of 1:2. Maca leaf extract obtained under optimized DES-based UAE conditions exhibited higher bioactive compounds content and antioxidant activity compared with that obtained by hot water extraction. Therefore, the DES-based UAE method is a promising, eco-friendly alternative for extracting bioactive compounds from maca leaves....
Extraction is one of the most important phases in the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries, as it enables the isolation of valuable compounds from raw materials. Ipomoea batatas L. leaf extract has anti-diabetic qualities due to anthocyanidins, flavonols, flavanones, and phenolic acids. The goal of this study is to maximize extraction on a production scale with total flavonoids and fingerprint profiles that closely resemble standardized extracts. In this study, extraction was performed using the percolator method with optimization parameters, including ethanol concentration (40, 50, 60, and 70%) and wetting time (0.5, 3, and 24 h). Quality control in extraction was assessed through the total flavonoids and fingerprint analysis. TLC was used to determine the fingerprints of Ipomoea batatas L. leaf extract, followed by multivariate analysis. Using 60% ethanol and 3 h of wetting time produced total flavonoids of 19.86 ± 0.2 mg quercetin/g and a fingerprint close to the control with a similarity of 94.87%. Ethanol concentration and wetting time are critical parameters in Ipomoea batatas L. extraction. Quality control through total flavonoid determination and fingerprint analysis during the extraction process provides a standardized approach to maintain the quality, safety, and efficacy of Ipomoea batatas L. natural products....
In this work, a preliminary screening of the bioactivities of an ethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Wollemia nobilisW.G.Jones, K.D.Hill & J.M.Allen was carried out to explore its potential pharmaceutical applications. In particular, the radical scavenging, chelating, reducing antiglycative, antimicrobial and antifungal activities as well as the inhibitory effects on the production of aflatoxin B1 in Aspergillus flavus Link were evaluated. The extract demonstrated promising biological activities, although generally with lower potency compared to the positive control. To identify the metabolites potentially responsible for these effects, the extract was subjected to phytochemical analysis evidencing the presence of eight known compounds. Among them, 15-agathic acid methyl ester (1) and ladanein (5) were reported for the first time in this species. Furthermore methyl-(E)- communate (2), 7,4,7,4-tetra-O-methyl-robustaflavone (6), agathisflavone (7) and quinic acid (8) were detected for the first time in the leaf tissue ofW. nobilis. Their presence and the presence of isocupressic acid (3) and acetyl-isocupressic acid (4) in this species highlights the taxonomic correlations within the Araucariaceae family and suggests a possible contribution of these compounds in the bioactivities of the extract. However, further studies are required to confirm these contributions and to elucidate their mechanisms of action....
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