Chamaecyparis obtusa (CO) belongs to the Cupressaceae family, and it is found widely distributed in Japan and Korea. In this study, the anti-proliferative activities of the methanol and water extracts of CO leaves against a human colorectal cancer cell line (HCT116) were investigated. The methanol extract of CO leaves, at a concentration of 1.25 µg/mL, exhibited anti-proliferative activity against HCT116 cells, while displaying no cytotoxicity against Chang liver cells. Comparative global metabolite profiling was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with multivariate statistical analysis, and it was revealed that anthricin was the major compound contributing to the anti-proliferative activity. The activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases played a key role in the apoptotic effect of the methanol extract of CO leaves in HCT116 human colon cancer cells. These results suggest that the methanol extract and anthricin derived from CO leaves might be useful in the development of medicines with anti-colorectal cancer activity.

In this study, we developed and validated a high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array method for the quantification of glycine-proline-hydroxyproline (GPH) as a marker compound in skate skin collagen peptides (SCPs). The accurate molecular mass and amino acid sequence of this marker were determined using a QTOF mass spectrometer. Chromatographic separations were conducted using a 95:5 isocratic mobile phase of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (A) and acetonitrile/methanol (1:4 v/v, B) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min; the separated compounds were detected at 214 nm using a Jupiter® 4 μm Proteo 90Å column. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), accuracy, and precision. It was found to be linear in the range of 1.0-50.0 μg/mL, with a good correlation coefficient (R2=0.9999) and excellent specificity. The LOD and LOQ were 0.07 and 0.22 μg/mL, respectively. A recovery study determined the accuracy of the method, with an average recovery of 103.76%, 100.35% and 103.97% of the marker at 10, 15 and 25 μg/mL, respectively, and a precision study showed a relative standard deviation of less than 2%. Additionally, the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities of the SCPs increased in a concentration-dependent manner, and UV-protective effect was confirmed by human keratinocyte (HaCaT cell) viability. Our study thus provides the foundation for developing functional foods or cosmetics using SCPs.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common gastrointestinal disorder worldwide, is characterized by chronic abdominal pain, bloating, and disordered defecation. IBS is associated with several factors, including visceral hypersensitivity, gut motility, and gut–brain interaction disorders. Because currently available pharmacological treatments cannot adequately improve symptoms and may cause adverse effects, the use of herbal therapies for managing IBS is increasing. Lysimachia vulgaris var. davurica (LV) is a medicinal plant used in traditional medicine to treat diarrhea. However, information on whether LV can effectively improve diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) remains limited. In this study, using an experimental mouse model of IBS-D, we elucidated the effects of the LV extract. The methanol extract of LV decreased fecal pellet output in the restraint stress- or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-induced IBS mouse model and inhibited 5-HT-mediated [Ca²⁺]_i increase in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we developed and validated a high-performance liquid chromatography method using two marker compounds, namely, chlorogenic acid and rutin, for quality control analysis. Our study results suggest the feasibility of the methanol extract of LV for developing therapeutic agents to treat IBS-D by acting as a 5-HT₃ receptor antagonist.