Dioscorea oppositifolia is a well-known edible and traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. In our previous study, D. oppositifolia exhibited both pancreatic lipase inhibition and an anti-adipogenesis effect in vitro. This study was performed to investigate the anti-obesity effect of D. oppositifolia on high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Female ICR mice were fed a high-fat diet with the 100 mg/ kg of D. oppositifolia n-BuOH extract for 8 weeks. The high-fat diet mice received the 15 mg/kg Orlistat orally as a positive control. The body weight, parametrial adipose tissue weight, and the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol in blood serum of female ICR mice were significantly decreased by feeding a high-fat diet with the n-BuOH extract of D. oppositifolia. An inhibitory effect of D. oppositifolia extract on dietary fat absorption was also clearly shown. The D. oppositifolia sample was found to contain 3,5-dimethoxy-2,7-phenanthrenediol and (3R,5R)-3,5-dihydroxy-1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,5-heptanediol as main components based on its phytochemical analysis. The present study is the first report of the anti-obesity effect by D. oppositifolia n-BuOH extract using an established disease model. The increase in fecal fat excretion by treatment of D. oppositifolia may be an effective approach for treating obesity and related diseases.Key words Dioscorea oppositifolia; anti-obesity; high-fat diet-induced obese mouse; fecal fat excretion; phytochemical analysis Obesity is the disease associated with accumulation of excessive body fat resulting from energy imbalance.1) The obesity epidemic has become a public health problem, leading to secondary chronic diseases like dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.2,3) Furthermore, obese persons experience a number of physical problems such as sleep apnoea and joint pain, which shortens the life expectancy and impacts on the quality of life. 4) Natural phytochemicals have become more attractive as sources of industrial and medicinal materials in overweight and obese patients due to potential anti-obesity properties.5) Numerous trials have been conducted to discover pharmacological features of crude plant extracts, isolates, and phytochemical combinations against obesity. 6,7)Nevertheless, attention has continuously focused on new anti-obesity agents from herbal resources to minimize adverse effects associated with the present anti-obesity drugs. 6)Dioscorea oppositifolia L. (Dioscoreaceae, synonym: D. opposita THUNB.) has been cultivated in China, Japan, and Korea as a food and widely used as a traditional medicine for a long time. Our current pharmacological studies showed that D. oppositifolia possesses significant inhibitory activity against porcine pancreatic lipase in vitro. 8) In addition, the anti-adipogenesis effect of D. oppositifolia n-BuOH soluble extract has been detected in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocyte. 9)Biological activities of Dioscorea species against diverse met...
Wikstroemia indica (L.) C.A. Mey. is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and bronchitis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of an ethanolic extract of W. indica on cutaneous inflammation in mice with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD). Dermal administration of W. indica ethanolic extract to DNCB-sensitized hairless mice with dermatitis, for two weeks, reduced erythema, scaling, and edema. Skin hydration was improved and transepidermal water loss was reduced at a W. indica concentration of 1%. Furthermore, W. indica also significantly reduced serum IgE and IL-4 concentrations in our mouse model. These results suggest that W. indica has potential as a topical treatment for AD and as an adjunctive agent to control AD.
Ginseng saponins, also called ginsenosides, are the main active ingredients of Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius and are often used as qualitative and quantitative markers in the regulation of ginseng products. Various methods have been used to extract the major ginsenosides, such as ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, and Rf from P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius. The objective of this paper is to review the studies regarding the influence of different extraction systems on ginsenoside amount and pattern in P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius roots. Although traditional extraction methods, Soxhlet and heat reflux extractions, have many disadvantages, including long extraction times and low extraction efficiency, they are the most widely used methods for ginseng saponin extraction. The amount and pattern of ginsenosides found in P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius roots differ depending on the method of extraction. In particular, the total ginsenoside amount and extraction efficiency can be significantly increased with the use of advanced extraction techniques that apply the conditions of high temperature and/or high pressure, such as pressurized liquid extraction, high-pressure microwave-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and pulsed electric field extraction. Among several advanced extraction procedures, ultrahigh-pressure extraction is thought to offer the most advanced and efficient technology in that it requires only a few minutes for ginseng saponin extraction.
Stellera chamaejasme, also known as “Langdu”, has been traditionally used for the management of skin-related diseases such as psoriasis and skin ulcers. The aim of this study was to determine whether S. chamaejasme and its major component, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, have a preventive effect on the development of atopic dermatitis in oxazolone-treated BALB/c mice and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-treated hairless mice. The epicutaneous applications of oxazolone and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene evoke an experimental murine atopic dermatitis-like reaction in BALB/c mouse ears and SKH-1 hairless mice. Atopic skin symptoms, including erythema (redness), pruritus (itching), exudation (weeping), excoriation (peeling), and lichenification (skin thickening), responded to treatment with S. chamaejasme aerial parts EtOH extract for 2 or 3 weeks. Histopathological examination revealed S. chamaejasme aerial parts EtOH extract significantly reduced inflammatory cell infiltration when applied to atopic dermatitis mice. In addition, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, the major active compound of the S. chamaejasme aerial parts EtOH extract, decreased serum IgE and IL-4 levels and transepidermal water loss and increased skin hydration, therefore exhibiting strong anti-atopic dermatitis activity in 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis mice. In this study, we confirmed antipruritic and antidermatitic effects of S. chamaejasme extract and its main component luteolin 7-O-glucoside in atopic dermatitis murine models. The study shows S. chamaejasme aerial parts EtOH extract and luteolin 7-O-glucoside are most likely to be potential drug candidates for atopic dermatitis treatment.
The fruits of Juniperus communis have been traditionally used in the treatment of skin diseases. In our preliminary experiment, the MeOH extract of J. communis effectively suppressed mushroom tyrosinase activity. Three monoflavonoids and five biflavonoids were isolated from J. communis by bioassay-guided isolation and their inhibitory effect against tyrosinase was evaluated. According to the results of all isolates, hypolaetin 7-O-β-xylopyranoside isolated from J. communis exhibited most potent effect of decreasing mushroom tyrosinase activity with an IC value of 45.15 μM. Further study provided direct experimental evidence for hypolaetin 7-O-β-D-xylopyranoside-attenuated tyrosinase activity in α-MSH-stimulated B16F10 murine melanoma cell. Hypolaetin 7-O-β-D-xylopyranoside from the EtOAc fraction of J. communis was also effective at suppressing α-MSH-induced melanin synthesis. This is the first report of the enzyme tyrosinase inhibition by J. communis and its constituent. Therapeutic attempts with J. communis and its active component, hypolaetin 7-O-β-D-xylopyranoside, might be useful in treating melanin pigmentary disorders.
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