Lasia spinosa (L.) Thwaites was used as a traditional medicine to treat many inflammatory diseases for centuries. However, its effects on the inflammatory response are not yet characterized. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activities of L. spinosa leaf extract in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. We found that ethanol extracts of L. spinosa leaves showed anti-oxidant activity due to the presence of high levels of polyphenolic compounds. Treatment with the leaf extract significantly repressed the production of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, L. spinosa leaf extract treatment prevented activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway by inhibiting nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IκBα) degradation. Furthermore, the mitogen-activated kinase and phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathways were suppressed upon treatment with the leaf extract. In addition to suppressing inflammatory factors, the extract also activated the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme-oxygenase-1 pathway. We propose that L. spinosa leaf extract has the potential as an effective therapeutic agent for alleviating oxidative stress and excessive inflammation.

Anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum spp. makes heavy losses for post-harvest mangoes of Cat Hoa Loc variety during storage, packaging, and transportation. The synthetic fungicides are commonly used to control the disease, but they are not safe for consumers’ health and environment. This study was aimed to investigate the use of essential oils (EOs) as the safe alternative control. Pathogen was isolated from the infected Cat Hoa Loc mangoes and identified by morphology and DNA sequencing of the ITS region. Six EOs (cinnamon, basil, lemongrass, peppermint, coriander, and orange) were chemically analyzed by GC–MS. The antifungal activity of EOs was studied in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the isolated pathogen was Colletotrichum acutatum. Cinnamon, basil, and lemongrass EOs effectively inhibited the growth of C. acutatum in descending order of cinnamon, basil, and lemongrass. However, they (except basil oil) severely damaged fruit peels. The antifungal activity was closely related to the main compounds of EOs. Basil EOs effectively controlled anthracnose development on Cat Hoa Loc mangoes artificially infected with C. acutatum, and its effectiveness was comparable to that of fungicide treatment. Consequently, basil EOs can be used as a biocide to control anthracnose on post-harvest Cat Hoa Loc mangoes.

Launaea sarmentosa has been extensively used as a nutrient herb in traditional Vietnamese remedies for the treatment of various diseases, especially inflammatory diseases. However, no detailed research has been conducted examining the molecular mechanisms involved in the suppression of inflammatory response. Here, we studied the effects of L. sarmentosa methanol extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation using RAW 264.7 macrophages. The extract demonstrated potent antioxidant activity owing to the presence of polyphenolic and flavonoid components. Pretreatment with the extract inhibited LPS-mediated secretion of nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, and tumor necrosis factor-α as well as the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway and phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B pathways was blocked by the extract by inhibiting Akt phosphorylation. Additionally, the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway was suppressed, and endoplasmic reticulum stress was attenuated. Furthermore, the extract promoted the activity of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 resulting in the up-regulation of heme oxygenase-1 pathway, leading to the suppression of oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Taken together, the results indicate that L. sarmentosa exhibits anti-inflammatory effects, and hence, can be further developed as a novel drug for the treatment of diseases associated with excessive inflammation.

In this study, chitosan nanoparticles were used as a carrier for Protocatechuic acid (PCA) to resist Pyricularia oryzae against rice blast. The final compound was characterized using zeta potentials for its surface electricity, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were conducted for functional groups and for particle sizes and shape, respectively. The zeta potential results showed that loading PCA causes chitosan nanoparticle (CSNP) to decrease in surface electrons. The TEM images revealed that the particle size of chitosan (CS), although increasing in size when carrying PCA molecules, showed sufficient size for reasonable penetration into fungal cells. The FT-IR analysis showed that all functional group in CSNP carried PCA matched with previous studies. The antifungal test showed that diameters of inhibition zone of CS increases significantly after loading PCA, exhibiting the strongest antimicrobial effect on the Pyricularia oryzae fungus compared with weaker effects exhibited by CSNP alone or PCA. Our results suggested that CSNP loaded with PCA could be a potential compound for eradication of Pyricularia oryzae and that further testing on in vitro rice plants is recommended to reaffirm this possibility.

The flowers of M. velutina were extracted with ethanol to obtain a crude extract that was consecutively extracted using n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and water. The crude extract and fractions were studied for the chemical composition and antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. The extracts had various phytoconstituents, namely steroids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids and glycosides. The aqueous extract had the highest total polyphenol (12.6 mg GAE/g extract) and total flavonoid (205.6 mg QE/g extract) content. The aqueous extract exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities in the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (EC₅₀ = 4.0 µg/mL), reducing power assay (EC₅₀ = 78.1 µg/mL), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid radical cation assay (EC₅₀ = 48.2 µg/mL), total antioxidant capacity assay (EC₅₀ = 8.7 µg/mL) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay (EC₅₀ = 9.3 µg/mL). The aqueous extract showed the strongest inhibitory effect on the activity of α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 376.6 μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 69.7 μg/mL). The results showed that the aqueous extract of M. velutina flowers can be a promising candidate for the control of diabetes and oxidative stress. This is the first report about the chemical components and antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of M. velutina flower extracts.