Okanin from Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. alleviates cognitive impairment in bilateral common carotid artery occlusion mice by regulating the miR-7/NLRP3 axis in microglia.

Researchers investigated the effects of okanin, the main active ingredient in Nutt. flower, on cognitive impairment following stroke. They found that okanin was able to improve cognitive impairment, inhibit microglial activation, decrease inflammasome activation, and increase miR-7 expression. Okanin was also able to suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation in stimulated microglia and prevent microglia-induced neuronal injury. These results suggest that okanin could be a potential functional food for stroke recovery.

Mi Y et al (2023).

Food Funct.

DOI:

10.1039/d2fo01476a

PubMed:

36511396

Comparative and phylogenetic analyses of the chloroplast genome reveal the taxonomy of the Morus genus.

In this study, the chloroplast genomes of 123 varieties of the mulberry plant were analyzed. The genomes were found to be around 159,000 bp in size and contained 125 genes. The study discovered that 87 of the varieties shared 14 common ancestors, indicating maternal inheritance. The study also identified six species of the mulberry plant and proposed a new classification system. This research is important for the classification, domestication, and breeding improvement of the economically important mulberry plant.

Zeng Q et al (2022).

Front Plant Sci.

DOI:

10.3389/fpls.2022.1047592

PubMed:

36507423

Chemical profile, anti-hepatoma activity, anti-acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activity of aerial part of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx.

Researchers extracted five different compounds from the aerial parts of Debx using different methods and tested their antioxidant, anti-AChE, and anti-hepatoma activities. The results showed that the extract eluted by 80% ethanol had the best anti-hepatoma activity and high antioxidant activity. The study suggests that Debx may have medicinal value as a natural medicine.

Yu J et al (2022).

Nat Prod Res.

DOI:

10.1080/14786419.2022.2155821

PubMed:

36503283

The chemical profiling and assessment of antioxidative, antidiabetic and antineurodegenerative potential of Kombucha fermented Camellia sinensis, Coffea arabica and Ganoderma lucidum extracts.

Pavlović MO et al (2023).

Food Funct.

DOI:

10.1039/d2fo02979k

PubMed:

36484426

A taxonomic assessment of novel and remarkable fungal species in Didymosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) from plant litter.

Researchers in China and Thailand have identified three new fungal species, as well as six new host records previously unreported. Using a combination of morphology and DNA-based analysis, the team examined fungal species found in plant litter. The new species can be identified based on their size differences and DNA sequence data. In addition to the new species, the team also provided in-depth descriptions and micrographs to show the placement of new taxa.

Tennakoon DS et al (2022).

Front Microbiol.

DOI:

10.3389/fmicb.2022.1016285

PubMed:

36483195

Treadmill running and Levisticum Officinale extract protect against LPS-induced memory deficits by modulating neurogenesis, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

Exercise and Levisticum officinale extract can protect against Alzheimer's disease by reducing neuroinflammation. In a study with male Wister rats, a week of treadmill running and/or treatment with Levisticum officinale extract for a week, followed by three weeks of treadmill running and/or treatment, improved spatial learning and memory, reduced levels of interleukin-6 and malondialdehyde, and increased superoxide dismutase activity and neurogenesis in the hippocampus. These results suggest that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Levisticum officinale extract may help prevent or mitigate Alzheimer's disease.

Amraie E et al (2022).

Metab Brain Dis.

DOI:

10.1007/s11011-022-01140-z

PubMed:

36478529

Aphid species specializing on milkweed harbor taxonomically similar bacterial communities that differ in richness and relative abundance of core symbionts.

This study investigated whether host plant specialization affects the diversity and composition of bacterial communities within milkweed aphids. Despite overlap in taxa detected across all three aphid species, structural differences were identified within communities. Bacterial community diversity did not vary with degree of aphid host plant specialization, but the narrow specialist A. asclepiadis had significantly higher relative abundances of the facultative symbiont Arsenophonus compared to the other two aphid species. This study highlights how low abundance microbes can have important ecological effects in shaping microbiomes within herbivore species.

Enders L et al (2022).

Sci Rep.

DOI:

10.1038/s41598-022-25554-y

PubMed:

36477425

Cannabidiol reveals a disruptive strategy for 21st century epilepsy drug discovery.

This article discusses the historical relevance of the approval of cannabidiol (CBD) for epilepsy treatment. Unlike its related compound, marijuana's Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, CBD does not have any euphorigenic or withdrawal effects at anticonvulsant doses. CBD also has anti-inflammatory properties. Though CBD's anticonvulsant properties were suggested in a few studies in rodent seizure models, social and regulatory pressures kept it from being clinically implemented. However, CBD was approved for the orphan disease Dravet syndrome in 2018 after its efficacy was established in randomized, placebo-controlled trials in children. The article suggests that CBD's approval is a key driver of a new discovery strategy for epilepsy treatment in the 21st century.

Del Pozo A and Barker-Haliski M (2023).

Exp Neurol.

DOI:

10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114288

PubMed:

36471511