Therapeutic potential of ginger against COVID-19: Is there enough evidence?

In addition to the respiratory system, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strikes other systems, including the digestive, circulatory, urogenital, and even the central nervous system, as its receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is expressed in various organs, such as lungs, intestine, heart, esophagus, kidneys, bladder, testis, liver, and brain. Different mechanisms, in particular, massive virus replication, extensive apoptosis and necrosis of the lung-related epithelial and endothelial cells, vascular leakage, hyper-inflammatory responses, overproduction of pro-inflammatory mediators, cytokine storm, oxidative stress, downregulation of ACE2, and impairment of the renin-angiotensin system contribute to the COVID-19 pathogenesis. Currently, COVID-19 is a global pandemic with no specific anti-viral treatment. The favorable capabilities of the ginger were indicated in patients suffering from osteoarthritis, neurodegenerative disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, respiratory distress, liver diseases and primary dysmenorrheal. Ginger or its compounds exhibited strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative influences in numerous animal models. This review provides evidence regarding the potential effects of ginger against SARS-CoV-2 infection and highlights its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and immunomodulatory impacts in an attempt to consider this plant as an alternative therapeutic agent for COVID-19 treatment.     

姜黄素激活Nrf2抗氧化系统缓解百草枯诱导的胰岛素抵抗

目的：观察姜黄素是否具有改善百草枯（ paraquat,PQ）所致氧化应激诱导的胰岛素抵抗作用并探讨其改善胰岛素抵抗的效应机理。方法将实验小鼠随机分成对照组（ Control组）,百草枯组（ PQ组）以及PQ加姜黄素组（ Cur组）。 PQ和Cur组连续腹腔注射百草枯7天造模成功后。 Cur组继续Cur灌胃干预。7天后,取胰岛素敏感组织肌肉,用蛋白免疫印迹方法（ Western blot,WB）检测蛋白水平和磷酸化变化,并检测脂质过氧化指标MDA。结果在PQ诱导的小鼠胰岛素抵抗模型中,姜黄素可改善小鼠葡萄糖耐量并对抗 PQ 所致的胰岛素信号蛋白 PKB－Ser473磷酸化损害;姜黄素还可明显降低肌肉MDA水平,激活小鼠Nrf2系统,促进Nrf2核转位和NQO－1的表达,同时能增强IкBα的水平,缓解氧化应激及炎症反应。结论姜黄素通过增强内源性Nrf2系统功能和胰岛素信号水平,对抗PQ诱导的氧化应激,是其缓解胰岛素抵抗的重要机理。     

基于拉曼光谱技术的肉苁蓉苯乙醇苷对氧化损伤人精子DNA的保护作用

【目的】基于拉曼光谱技术,探讨肉苁蓉苯乙醇苷对Fenton’s试剂诱导人精子氧化损伤的保护作用。【方法】体外建立氧化损伤精子模型,给予肉苁蓉苯乙醇苷(剂量分别为0.1、0.01、0.001μg/mL）保护处理后,采用共聚焦显微拉曼光谱技术,检测分析精子核部DNA的变化情况。【结果】 Fenton’s试剂致使人精子细胞核拉曼光谱的强度和峰位移发生显著变化,给予肉苁蓉苯乙醇苷保护处理后,这种变化被抑制,且呈一定的剂量相关性。【结论】肉苁蓉苯乙醇苷对氧化损伤人精子DNA具有一定的保护作用。     

氟病区人群微量元素水平对血液抗氧化酶类的影响

检测了饮水氟含量不同的两组氟病村患者及两组正常人群内外环境 F、Se、Zn、Cu、Mo 等元素,血液 GSH—Px、SOD 及 LPO。结果病村、非病村内外环境 Se 含量较低。随饮水 F 增加,氟病患者体Se 增加;血、尿 F、血 Zn、Mo、Zn/Cu 比升高,血 Cu、Cu/Mo 比减少;血 LPO 升高,GSH—Px、SOD、GSH—Px/LPO 比降低。此提示,氟中毒患者体内 Se 等元素平衡紊乱,抗氧化酶类受损害,脂质过氧化代谢发生异常。本文就其相互关系及在氟病发病中的作用进行了初步讨论。     

祁州漏芦不同溶剂提取物对急性肝损伤模型小鼠的保护作用

目的:研究祁州漏芦(以下简称"漏芦")不同溶剂提取物对急性肝损伤模型小鼠的保护作用。方法:60只KM种小鼠随机分为正常对照(等容生理盐水)组、模型(等容生理盐水)组、联苯双酯(100 mg/kg)组、漏芦乙醇粗提物(200 mg/kg)组、漏芦正丁醇提取物(200 mg/kg)组和漏芦水提取物(200 mg/kg)组。灌胃给药,每天1次,连续7 d。末次给药1 h后,一次性腹腔注射300 mg/kg对乙酰氨基酚(APAP)以复制小鼠急性肝损伤模型。比色法检测小鼠血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、白蛋白(ALB),肝匀浆丙二醛(MDA)、还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶(GST),肝线粒体Na+-K+-ATP酶(Na+-K+-ATPase)、Ca2+-Mg2+-ATP酶(Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase)水平。结果:与正常对照组比较,模型组小鼠血清ALT、AST和ALP活性增强,ALB含量降低;肝组织MDA含量增加,CAT、GPx、SOD、GST活性减弱,GSH含量减少;肝线粒体Na+-K+-ATPase和Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase活性减弱,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。与模型组比较,漏芦乙醇粗提物组小鼠血清ALT、AST活性减弱,ALB含量增加,肝匀浆MDA含量减少,GSH含量增加,CAT、GPx、SOD、GST活性增强,肝线粒体Na+-K+-ATPase和Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase活性增强,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);漏芦正丁醇提取物组小鼠血清ALT、AST、ALP活性减弱,ALB含量增加,肝匀浆MDA含量减少,GSH含量增加,CAT、GPx、SOD、GST活性增强,肝线粒体Na+-K+-ATPase和Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase活性增强,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);漏芦水提取物组小鼠血清ALT、AST活性减弱,ALB含量增加,肝匀浆MDA含量减少,GSH含量增加,GPx、GST活性增强,肝线粒体Na+-K+-ATPase和Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase活性增强,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:漏芦不同溶剂提取物对APAP致小鼠急性肝损伤具有保护作用,其机制可能与其抗氧化作用有关。     

甲肿与非甲肿学龄儿童甲状腺功能及抗氧化能力的研究

目的 进一步了解甲状腺肿对甲状腺功能和抗氧化能力的影响。方法 分别在沈阳地区的新民、法库和康平三县对甲肿与非甲肿各40例学龄儿童的抗氧化能力（SOD和GSH－Px的活性、血浆中MDA的含量）以及甲状腺激素水平（TT3、TT4、FT3、FT4和TSH）进行了测定。结果 甲肿组与非甲肿组的甲状腺激素水平以及抗氧化能力的各项指标经统计学处理其差异均无显性意义。结论 生活在同一地区的学龄儿童其碘营养水平基本相同，尽管某些儿童存在甲状腺肿大，但未影响其甲状腺功能及抗氧化能力，不会造成更严重的自由基损伤。     

葛根黄酮对亚急性衰老模型小鼠抗氧化作用的研究

目的：考察葛根黄酮对衰老模型小鼠抗氧化能力的影响。方法：用D-半乳糖制备衰老模型小鼠,分为正常对照组、模型组、阳性对照组、高、低剂量组,检测各组小鼠血清丙二醛（MDA）、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-PX）水平变化。结果：葛根黄酮能显著降低衰老小鼠血清MDA水平,同时可提高SOD和GSH-PX活力水平。结论：葛根黄酮对亚急性衰老模型小鼠具有抗氧化作用。     

Trillin, a steroidal saponin isolated from the rhizomes of Dioscorea nipponica, exerts protective effects against hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress

Ethnopharmacological evidence

Numerous efforts have been conducted in searching for effective agents against cardiovascular diseases, in particular from herbal medicines. The rhizome of Dioscorea nipponica (Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma) is a traditional Chinese herb being prescribed to improve the blood circulation. Here, we identified a steroidal saponin trillin from Dioscorea nipponica, which showed robust anti-hyperlipidemic effects.

Materials and methods

Rats were induced for hyperlipidemia and subjected to the drug treatment. The anti-hyperlipidemic effects of trillin were evaluated by different biochemical assays.

Results

In hyperlipidemic rat model, fed with high-fat diet, the blood levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were increased. The intra-peritoneal administration of trillin into those rats significantly improved the bleeding and blood coagulation time, and in parallel the treatment restored the levels of cholesterol, glyceride, LDL and HDL back to the normal condition. In addition, the administration of trillin in rats exerted beneficial effects in improving the levels of lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase activity.

Conclusion

This was the first time to reveal the anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-oxidative effects of trillin. These results would be important in developing food supplements for health improvements and therapeutic drugs against hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases in future.     

Anti-hyperglycemic and antigenotoxic potential of Ulva rigida ethanolic extract in the experimental diabetes mellitus

An increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and insufficient antioxidant activity is known in diabetes mellitus (DM). Antioxidant compounds in the human foods or supplementary diets can be used to counteract several diseases. The analysis of micronuclei (MN) is a cytogenetic technique used to show chromosomal damage caused by clastogenic affects. The present study was designed to evaluate: (i) the effects of diabetes mellitus on bone marrow MN frequency, (ii) the effect of oral administration of Ulva rigida ethanolic extract (URE) on MN frequency produced by DM, and (iii) some hematological values in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Daily fluid and food consumptions, weekly body weights, blood glucose concentrations and serum insulin levels were also examined in the study groups during the two different administration periods. The blood glucose concentration and MN frequency have been significantly increased in diabetic rats compared with the normal rats (p < 0.0001). Especially, URE-30d group treatment in diabetic rats was significantly decreased blood glucose concentrations and MN frequency. This is the first report on the anti-hyperglycemic, anti-oxidative and genotoxic/antigenotoxic capacity of U. rigida in vivo. Our results suggest that URE shows strong anti-hyperglycemic and antigenotoxic effect on the genotoxicity produced by DM in rats.     

煤烟对大鼠肺细胞氧化性损伤作用途径的探讨

目的：探讨煤烟导致肺Ⅱ型细胞氧化性损伤的途径，方法：通过对加入抗氧化剂N－乙酰半胱氨酸、维生素E、维生素C和甘露醇作为实验干预手段，采用MTT法观察其对煤烟所致大鼠肺Ⅱ型细胞毒性的影响，结果：与对照组相比，加入10mmol/L N-乙酰半胱氨酸，维生素E，维生素C后的实验组细胞毒性有所下降，而甘露醇没有观察到类似的作用。结论：煤烟可以通过产生氧自由基或脂质过氧化物等多种途径对机体造成氧化性损伤。