內(nèi)容: Poria cocos (PC) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and a widely used healthcare ingredient, which has antiobesity, enhancing immunity and improving sleep effects. Traditionally, only water-soluble poria polysaccharide (WSP) is extracted and applied for clinical application, while insoluble polysaccharide (alkali-soluble poria polysaccharide, ASP) is discarded as herb residue. However, the whole PC has also been historically utilized as functional herbal food. Considering the beneficial role of dietary fiber and the traditional use of PC, ASP may also contribute substantially to the therapy function of PC. Compared to WSP, little attention has been paid to ASP and ASP modified product carboxymethyl poria polysaccharide (CMP) which has been used as an antitumor adjuvant drug. In this study, the oil, cholesterol, metal ions and polyphenols adsorption ability, in vitro simulated digestive and the gut microbiota fermentation characteristics of WSP, ASP and CMP were studied to evaluate the functional values of three P. cocos polysaccharides (PCPs). The results showed that all three PCPs had good adsorption capacity on cholesterol, polyphenols and metal ions (Cd2+/Zn2+/Mg2+), among which ASP showed the highest capacity than WSP and CMP. The adsorption capacity of all three PCPs on heavy metal ions (Cd2+/Zn2+) was stronger than that of non-heavy metal ions (Mg2+); The in vitro digestibility of all three PCPs was very low, but WSP was slightly higher than ASP and CMP; Moreover, the indigestible residue of all three PCPs could improve the richness and diversity of gut microbiota, among which ASP had the greatest influence. In general, ASP and CMP could significantly promote the proliferation of some probiotics and inhibit the growth of some harmful bacteria. The gut microbiota diversity of CMP was reduced, but the richness of probiotics, especially Parabacteroides distasonis was significantly enhanced compared with the ASP group, and the growth of harmful bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae was inhibited after CMP treatment. The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis results showed that all three PCPs could significantly promote the production of acetic acid, propionic acid and the total acid content compared with blank control group, and SCFAs producing activity was positively correlated with the proliferative capacity of probiotics. Taken together, the good adsorption characteristics and gut microbiota regulatory activity of ASP may lay foundation for its lipid-lowering and immune-improving function. Additionally, the probiotic effect of CMP and ASP indicated that except for only use the water extract of PC in clinic, CMP and ASP also can be used in healthcare to take full advantage of this valuable medicine.

內(nèi)容: We evaluated the effect of isoquercetin (quercetin-O-3-glucoside-quercetin, IQ) as a functional component of Abeliophyllum disistichum Nakai ethanol extract (ADLE) on prostate cell proliferation and apoptosis and its effects on the IGF-1/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Metabolites in ADLE were analyzed using UHPLC-qTOF-MS and HPLC. IQ was orally administered (1 or 10 mg/kg) to a testosterone propionate-induced BPH rat model, and its effects on the prostate weight were evaluated. The effect of IQ on androgen receptor (AR) signaling was analyzed in LNCaP cells. Whether IGF-1 and IQ affect the IGF-1/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in BPH-1 cells was also examined. The metabolites in ADLE were identified and quantified, which confirmed that ADLE contained abundant IQ (20.88 mg/g). IQ significantly reduced the prostate size in a concentration-dependent manner in a BPH rat model, and significantly decreased the expression of AR signaling factors in the rat prostate tissue and LNCaP cells in a concentration-dependent manner. IQ also inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activated by IGF-1 treatment in BPH-1 cells. In BPH-1 cells, IQ led to G0/G1 arrest and suppressed the expression of proliferation factors while inducing apoptosis. Thus, IQ shows potential for use as a pharmaceutical and nutraceutical for BPH.

內(nèi)容: Restenosis is a common complication following coronary angioplasty. The traditional use of seaweeds for health benefits has increasingly been explored, however few studies exist reporting its protective effects on the development of restenosis and gut dysbiosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of seaweed extracts (SE) of Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus in inhibiting intimal hyperplasia in a rat model of restenosis and its underlying mechanisms in macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs). 16S rRNA sequencing was done to investigate the regulatory effect of SE on the gut microbiome of injured rats. As indicated by the results, SE significantly inhibited the progression of intimal hyperplasia in vivo, attenuated inflammation in macrophages and could inhibit the proliferation, dedifferentiation and migration of vSMCs. It was observed through immunoblotting assays that treatment with SE significantly upregulated PTEN expression in macrophages and inhibited the upregulation of PI3K and AKT expression in vSMCs. Meanwhile, according to the 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis, supplementation with SE modulated gut microbiota composition in injured rats. In conclusion, SE could ameliorate intimal hyperplasia by inhibiting inflammation and vSMCs proliferation through the regulation of the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway and modulating the gut microbiome.