The inhibition of dentifrice containing the lotus leaf-derived inhibitor on periodontitis-related bacteria in vitro

OBJECTIVES: To search for a substance in lotus leaf that could efficiently be used in toothpaste for preventing periodontal disease. METHODS: Dried lotus leaves were hydrated and fractionated using 40% butanol and 40% ethanol extraction. The extracts and the residue were evaluated by antimicrobial sensitivity tests of broth micro-dilution methods on 96-microwell plates for inhibition of five species of oral bacteria: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4, Actinomyces viscosus 19246, Porphyromonas gingivalis 33277, Fusobacterium nucleatum 25586, and Actinomyces naeslundii wvl 45. The most active antimicrobial extract was then ready to use in toothpaste. A water extract of the toothpaste was prepared and its inhibitory activity tested. The potency of the lotus leaf extracts was compared to inhibition observed by three commercially available toothpastes. RESULTS: The butanol-extracted material was separated into four fractions on silica gel. Fraction #3, the fraction containing the most potent inhibitor, was formulated into toothpaste. The toothpaste containing the extract showed an inhibition effect on suspicious peridontitis-causing bacteria. CONCLUSION: An extract from the lotus leaf is effective in inhibiting peridontitis-causing bacteria. The toothpaste containing the lotus leaf-derived inhibitor could be useful in preventing periodontal disease.     

莲芯茶对高脂大鼠抗氧化及调节血脂作用的初步观察

以莲子芯为原料制成莲芯茶,以６０只Ｗｉｓｔａｒ大鼠为对象建立高脂动物模型,观察饮喂莲芯茶８周后血清ＬＰＯ、红细胞ＳＯＤ、血清甘油三酯ＴＧ和胆固醇ＴＣ的变化。结果表明：莲芯茶对高脂大鼠具有降低ＬＰＯ和提高ＳＯＤ的作用,对高脂饲料诱导的ＴＧ和ＴＣ升高具有降低作用,这一结果为莲芯茶的开发利用提供了实验依据。     

Procyanidin B2 from lotus seedpod regulate NO/ADMA/DDAH pathway to treat insomnia in rats

Recent studies show that nitric oxide/asymmetric dimethylarginine/dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (NO/ADMA/DDAH) pathway may contribute to the development of sleep disorder. The objective of this study was to explore the inhibitory effect of procyanidin B2 from lotus seedpod (LSPC), a naturally occurring catechin compound, on insomnia and the mechanisms involved. The experiments were performed in brain from Sprague‐Dawley rat control and insomniac rats treated or not with LSPC (15, 30, and 45 mg/kg, intragastrically) for 7 days. LSPC treatment reduced walking time and forelimb lifting‐up frequency, cerebral levels of noradrenaline, glutamic acid, ADMA, sleep latency, and 8‐isoprostane; increased sleep duration, cerebral concentrations of 5‐hydroxytryptamine, γ‐aminobutyric acid, and NO concomitantly with upregulated cerebral expression of DDAH 1, DDAH2, and neuronal NO synthases in insomniac rats. The present results suggest that LSPC may regulate NO/ADMA/DDAH pathway by inhibiting oxidative stress to treat insomnia in rats when sleep evaluation was achieved on the basis of behavioral criteria.     

莲房原花青素对D-半乳糖衰老小鼠脑组织抗氧化的作用

目的：探讨莲房原花青素（lotus seedpod procyanidins,LSPC）对D-半乳糖衰老小鼠脑组织抗氧化系统的影响。方法：雄性健康昆明种小鼠60只,随机分为对照组、衰老模型组、ESPC低剂量组（15mg·ml^-1）、LSPC中剂量组（30mg·ml^-1）和LSPC高剂量组（60mg·ml^-1）。采用小鼠皮下注射D-半乳糖（120mg·kg^-1·d^-1）,连续注射8周,建立小鼠衰老模型,ISPC组造模同时灌胃给予ISPC,qd,连续给药8周。化学比色法检测5组小鼠脑组织中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH—Px）和丙二醛（MDA）含量。结果：衰老模型组与对照组相比,小鼠脑组织SOD和GSH—Px活性明显降低,MDA含量明显增高（P〈0．01）。与衰老模型组相比较,LSPC能明显提高衰老小鼠脑组织中SOD活性和GSH—Px活性（P〈0．01）,能减少MDA含量（P〈0．01）。结论：LSPC对D-半乳糖所致衰老小鼠具有明显的抗氧化作用。     

《金瓶梅》评点的八股技法

八股文深刻影响着明清文人的生存境遇,《金瓶梅》评点者取法八股,视小说可为圣贤立言的文本承载,客观提升了小说的文类地位。尊题意识的鼓荡,促使其围绕文题去多方探究小说题旨,展示小说文本的多向指寓。八股结构安排的转合之说,强化了小说文本的整体分析视野,也体现了浓郁的文学辩证法色彩。     

Protective effect of procyanidins extracted from the lotus seedpod on immune function injury induced by extremely low frequency electromagnetic field

This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of Lotus seedpod procyanidins (LSPCs) from extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure (50 Hz, 8 mT, 28 days) and their protective mechanism against radiation damage. The results showed that LSPCs increased the organ index of mice and made the damaged blood-producing function and cytokine(INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 in spleen) levels by ELF-EMF-irradiation recovered to normal appearance. And experimental results proved that dosing LSPCs inhibit more stagnation of splenocytes in G0/G1 phase caused by ELF-EMF, thus the spleen cells from G0/G1 phase to S phase shift, restore normal cell metabolism, promote the splenocytes proliferation, reduced the apoptosis of spleen cells, effective protect the damage induced by the ELF-EMF radiation. In addition, LSPCs prevented the decline of DNA content caused by ELF-EMF. Western blot determinated the levels of apoptosis genes including Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-cl, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9. The results revealed that a significant suppression in Bcl-2 expression and increase in Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 expression in splenic cells in ELF-EMF group. However, LSPCs restored these changes. Taking these results together, it may be summarized that LSPCs could protect hematopoietic tissues and the immune system from ELF-EMF. And it may be hypothesized that ELF-EMF-induced apoptosis in splenocytes might occur via triggers the trans-activation of Bax and activates caspases-3 and −9, which then cleaves the death substrates, leading to apoptosis in splenocytes of mice treated with ELF-EMF.