Chlorophyllide (chlide) is a natural catabolic product of chlorophyll (Chl), produced through the activity of chlorophyllase (chlase). The growth inhibitory and antioxidant effects of chlide from different plant leaf extracts have not been reported. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that chlide in crude extracts from leaves has the potential to exert cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines. The potential inhibitory and antioxidant effects of chlide in crude extracts from 10 plant leaves on breast cancer cells (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231), hepatocellular carcinoma cells (Hep G2), colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco2), and glioblastoma cells (U-118 MG) were studied using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assays. The results of the MTT assay showed that chlide in crude extracts from sweet potato were the most effective against all cancer cell lines tested. U-118 MG cells were the most sensitive, while Caco2 cells were the most resistant to the tested crude extracts. The cytotoxic effects of chlide and Chl in crude extracts from sweet potato and of commercial chlorophyllin (Cu-chlin), in descending order, were as follows: chlide > Chl > Cu-chlin. Notably, the IC₅₀ of sweet potato in U-118 MG cells was 45.65 μg/mL while those of Chl and Cu-chlin exceeded 200 μg/mL. In the DPPH assay, low concentrations (100 μg/mL) of chlide and Cu-chlin from crude extracts of sweet potato presented very similar radical scavenging activity to vitamin B2. The concentration of chlide was negatively correlated with DPPH activity. The current study was the first to demonstrate that chlide in crude extracts from leaves have potential cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines. Synergism between chlide and other compounds from leaf crude extracts may contribute to its cytotoxicity.

Chlorophyllides can be found in photosynthetic organisms. Generally, chlorophyllides have a-, b-, c-, d-, and f-type derivatives, and all chlorophyllides have a tetrapyrrole structure with a Mg ion at the center and a fifth isocyclic pentanone. Chlorophyllide a can be synthesized from protochlorophyllide a, divinyl chlorophyllide a, or chlorophyll. In addition, chlorophyllide a can be transformed into chlorophyllide b, chlorophyllide d, or chlorophyllide f. Chlorophyllide c can be synthesized from protochlorophyllide a or divinyl protochlorophyllide a. Chlorophyllides have been extensively used in food, medicine, and pharmaceutical applications. Furthermore, chlorophyllides exhibit many biological activities, such as anti-growth, antimicrobial, antiviral, antipathogenic, and antiproliferative activity. The photosensitivity of chlorophyllides that is applied in mercury electrodes and sensors were discussed. This article is the first detailed review dedicated specifically to chlorophyllides. Thus, this review aims to describe the definition of chlorophyllides, biosynthetic routes of chlorophyllides, purification of chlorophyllides, and applications of chlorophyllides.

Generally, bacteriochlorophyllides were responsible for the photosynthesis in bacteria. Seven types of bacteriochlorophyllides have been disclosed. Bacteriochlorophyllides a/b/g could be synthesized from divinyl chlorophyllide a. The other bacteriochlorophyllides c/d/e/f could be synthesized from chlorophyllide a. The chemical structure and synthetic route of bacteriochlorophyllides were summarized in this review. Furthermore, the potential applications of bacteriochlorophyllides in photosensitizers, immunosensors, influence on bacteriochlorophyll aggregation, dye-sensitized solar cell, heme synthesis and for light energy harvesting simulation were discussed.

Our previous findings have shown that the chlorophyllides composites have anticancer activities to breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). In the present study, microarray gene expression profiling was utilized to investigate the chlorophyllides anticancer mechanism on the breast cancer cells lines. Results showed that chlorophyllides composites induced upregulation of 43 and 56 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. In both cell lines, chlorophyllides composites modulated the expression of annexin A4 (ANXA4), chemokine C-C motif receptor 1 (CCR1), stromal interaction molecule 2 (STIM2), ethanolamine kinase 1 (ETNK1) and member of RAS oncogene family (RAP2B). Further, the KEGG annotation revealed that chlorophyllides composites modulated DEGs that are associated with the endocrine system in MCF-7 cells and with the nervous system in MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. The expression levels of 9 genes were validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). The expression of CCR1, STIM2, ETNK1, MAGl1 and TOP2A were upregulated in both chlorophyllides composites treated-MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The different expression of NLRC5, SLC7A7 and PKN1 provided valuable information for future investigation and development of novel cancer therapy.

Background. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a critical public health issue with a huge financial burden for both patients and society worldwide. Unfortunately, there are currently no efficacious therapies to prevent or delay the progression of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Traditional Chinese medicine practices have shown that Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) mycelia have a variety of pharmacologically useful properties, including antitumor, immunomodulation, and hepatoprotection. However, the effect of mycelial C. militaris on CKD remains unclear. Methods. Here, we investigated the effects of C. militaris mycelia on mice with CKD using four types of media: HKS, HKS with vitamin A (HKS+A), CM, and CM with vitamin A (CM+A). Results. The results at day 10 revealed that the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were significantly lower in the HKS (41), HKS+A (41), and CM+A (34) groups compared with those in the corresponding control groups (nephrectomic mice). The level of serum creatinine in the HKS+A group decreased by 35 at day 10, whereas the levels in the HKS and CM+A groups decreased only by 14 and 13, respectively, on day 30. Taken together, this is the first report using four new media (HKS, HKS+A, CM, and CM+A medium) for C. militaris mycelia. Each medium of mycelial C. militaris on CKD exhibits specific effect on BUN, serum creatinine, body weight, total protein, and uric acid. Conclusions. Taken together, this is the first report using four new media (HKS, HKS+A, CM, and CM+A medium) for C. militaris mycelia. Each medium of mycelial C. militaris on CKD exhibits specific effects on BUN, serum creatinine, body weight, total protein, and uric acid. We concluded that treatment with C. militaris mycelia cultured in HKS or CM+A medium could potentially prevent the deterioration of kidney function in mice with CKD.

Background: This study investigated whether the double overexpression of decorin and IL-10 in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells [HBMDMSCs ^{DO (DEC/IL-10)} ] can protect against bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in mice. Methods: L2 and NR8383 cells were treated with BLM (0–2.5 μg/mL). In vivo , animals were assigned to four groups: Group 1 – sham control (SC); Group 2 – PF; Group 3 – PF + HBMDMSCs; Group 4 – PF + HBMDMSCs ^{DO (DEC/IL-10)} . Results: BLM, at its IC ₅₀ , significantly reduced the viability of L2 and NR8383 cells while increasing early and late apoptosis and TGF-β expression ( P < 0.001). BLM treatment in L2 cells induced oxidative stress (mitochondrial ROS, NOXs/p22 ^phox ), cell-stress signaling (MAPKs), and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers, which were reversed by decorin, HBMDMSCs, decorin-overexpressing HBMDMSCs, or p22 ^phox silencing ( P < 0.001). Decorin silencing in L2 and CG1629 cells upregulated EMT and cell-stress markers, effects reversed by decorin treatment, decorin overexpression, or MSC ^{DO (DEC/IL-10)} ( P < 0.001). In BLM-induced PF mice, SaO ₂ was highest in Group 1, lowest in Group 2, and higher in Group 4 than Group 3, while lung injury, fibrosis, right-ventricular pressure, and inflammatory cells showed the opposite trend ( P < 0.0001). Lung expression of EMT/proliferation (c-Myc, Cyclin D/E, Wnt/β-catenin), oxidative stress (p22 ^phox , OxyBlot), and fibrosis (TGF-β, p-Smad3) proteins mirrored lung injury scores ( P < 0.0001). Conclusion: HBMDMSCs ^{DO (DEC/IL-10)} treatment effectively protected the lungs from BLM-induced PF in rodents.