Phlorotannins, the polyphonic compounds found in brown Eisenia and Ecklonia algae, have several pharmacologically beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation. In addition, our recent data show that these compounds may improve the cognitive functions of aged humans suggesting the potential ability to enhance memory in several neurodegenerative disorders. To examine the experimental hypothesis that two effective components of Ecklonia cava, dieckol and phlorofucofuroeckol (PFF), have memory-enhancing abilities, both were administered orally to mice before a passive avoidance test. The repeated administration of either dieckol or PFF dose-dependently reduced the inhibition of latency by the administration of ethanol. To investigate the mode of memory-enhancing actions, the levels of major central neurotransmitters in three different regions (striatum, hippocampus, and frontal cortex) of the mouse brain were measured. The levels of some of the neurotransmitters were significantly changed by ethanol. Both dieckol and PFF altered the levels of some neurotransmitters modified by the ethanol treatment. It is noteworthy that both dieckol and PFF increased the level of acetylcholine, and they exerted anticholinesterase activities. Overall, the memory-enhancing abilities of dieckol and PFF may result from, at least in part, the increment of the brain level of acetylcholine by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase.
The effects of purple sweet potato anthocyanin (SPA) and Cordyceps mushroom extract (CME) on lipid peroxidation, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and cognitive deficits were examined. Both SPA and CME exhibited DPPH radical scavenging activities with similar potency. In contrast, only SPA was shown to effectively inhibit lipid peroxidation initiated by Fe2+ and ascorbic acid in rat brain homogenates. Furthermore, SPA markedly enhanced cognitive performance, assessed by passive avoidance test in ethanol-treated mice. Combined treatments with SPA and CME did not significantly influence the effects of SPA alone. These results demonstrate that anthocyanin prepared from purple sweet potato exhibits memory enhancing effects, which may be associated with its antioxidant properties.
A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to determine salidroside and tyrosol simultaneously in the Rhodiola rosea. The optimum condition was Nova-Pak C18 as stationary phase, 6.5% methanol in water as mobile phase and detection at UV 225 nm. The identification was carried out by comparing the retention time and IC/MS spectrum of the relevant peaks with those of isolated standards. The contents of salidroside and tyrosol in the samples gathered from various area in China were ranged over 1.3-11.1 mg/g and 0.3-2.2 mg/g, respectively.
The individual parts of Morus alba L. including root bark, branches, leaves, and fruits are used as a cosmetic ingredient in many Asian countries. This study identified several anti-melanogenesis constituents in a 70% ethanol extract of M. alba leaves. The ethyl acetate fraction of the initial ethanol extract decreased the activity of tyrosinase, a key enzyme in the synthetic pathway of melanin. Twelve compounds were isolated from this fraction and their structures were identified based on spectroscopic spectra. Then, the authors investigated the anti-melanogenesis effects of the isolated compounds in B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells. Compounds 3 and 8 significantly inhibited not only melanin production but also intracellular tyrosinase activity in alpha-melanocyte-stimulating-hormone (α-MSH)-induced B16-F10 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These same compounds also inhibited melanogenesis-related protein expression such as microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1). Compound 3 modulated the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) and p38 signaling pathways in α-MSH-activated B16-F10 melanoma cells, which resulted in the anti-melanogenesis effects. These results suggest that compound 3, isolated from M. alba leaves, could be used to inhibit melanin production via the regulation of melanogenesis-related protein expression.
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