Diaporthales is an important ascomycetous order comprising phytopathogenic, saprobic, and endophytic fungi, but interfamilial taxonomic relationships are still ambiguous. Despite its cosmopolitan distribution and high diversity with distinctive morphologies, this order has received relativelyiaceae, Macrohilaceae, Melanconidaceae, Pseudoplagiostomaceae, Schizoparmaceae, Stilbosporaceae and Sydowiellaceae. Taxonomic uncertainties among genera are also clarified and recurrent discrepancies in the taxonomic position of families within the Diaporthales are discussed. An updated outline and key to families and genera of the order is presented.

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The online version of the original article can be found at http://dx

Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces (Yungui Plateau) in Southwestern China are well known as biodiversity hotspots. We introduce two new species in this study viz., Mucispora hydei (in Fuscosporellaceae, Fuscosporellales, Sordariomycetes) and Tolypocladium cucullae (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales, Sordariomycetes) and six new records based on morpho-molecular analyses. Full descriptions, color photographs and phylogenetic trees to indicate the placements of new species are provided.

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This study aimed at investigating the cytoprotective effect of an ethyl acetate extract of insect fungi against high glucose- (HG-) induced oxidative damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). An insect fungus strain termed CH180672 (CH) was found for protecting HUVECs from HG-induced damage. In this study, CH was identified as Simplicillium sp. based on a phylogenetic analysis of ITS‐rDNA sequences. Ethyl acetate extract (EtOAc) of this strain (CH) was subjected to the following experiments. Cell viability was examined with the MTT method. To evaluate the protection of CH, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes were measured and the expression of oxidation-associated proteins was assessed. In the current study, it has been found that CH can increase the survival rate of HUVECs induced by HG. Additionally, we found that HG-induced nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) signal decreased and increased the intracellular ROS and MDA generation in HUVECs. However, CH treatment strongly promoted the translocation of Nrf2 and its transregulation on HO-1 and ultimately inhibited the high level of ROS and MDA induced by HG. The regulatory ability of CH was similar to Nrf2 agonist bardoxolone, while the effect was abolished by ML385, suggesting that Nrf2 mediated the inhibition of CH on HG-induced oxidative stress in HUVECs. Taken together, CH can improve HG-induced oxidative damage of HUVECs, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

The bioactive ingredients of essential oil from Valerianae Jatamansi Rhizoma et Radix (the Rhizome et Radix from Valerianae Jatamansi Jones) (EOVJRR) on the efficacy of inhibiting microglial activation were investigated with the approach of spectrum-efficacy relationship. Fourteen batches of Valerianae Jatamansi Rhizoma et Radix were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and their activities in the efficacy of inhibiting microglial activation were assayed by measuring the inflammatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in microglia cells from mice. The spectrum-efficacy relationships between fingerprints and the efficacy of inhibiting microglial activation of EOVJRR were established by grey relational analysis (GRA). Twenty common peaks were obtained from the GC-MS fingerprints of EOVJRR. P12 (vetivenol), P1 (bornyl acetate), P5 (seychellene), and P3 (β-elemene) indicated inhibition on microglia activation together, according to the spectrum-efficacy relationships. The current results established a general model for the spectrum-efficacy relationships of EOVJRR by GC-MS and the efficacy of inhibiting microglial activation, which could be applied to identify the bioactive ingredient and control the quality of herbs.

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