Sargassum horneri is an edible brown seaweed with potential anti-inflammatory properties. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of S. horneri using an in vivo mouse asthma model following exposure to particulate matter (PM). 7–8 week old BALB/c mice (20–25 g) were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 4) as follows: 1: no treatment, 2: OVA (ovalbumin) + PM, 3: OVA + PM + SHE (S. horneri ethanol extract) 200 mg kg−1, 4: OVA + PM + SHE 400 mg kg−1, 5: OVA + PM + prednisone 5 mg kg−1, 6: OVA only, and 7: PM only. All mice (except healthy controls) were sensitized on the first day by intraperitoneal injection of 10 μg OVA and 2 mg Al(OH)3 in 200 μL of saline. Starting from day 15, mice (except groups 1 and 6) were exposed to sonicated PM (5 mg m−3, 30 min day−1) through a nebulizer daily for 7 consecutive days. Mice exposed to PM and OVA showed up-regulated expression of MAPKs and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the lungs. Furthermore, PM-exposed lungs had significantly reduced expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 genes. However, oral administration of the SHE reduced the phosphorylation levels of MAPKs, iNOS and COX2 expression levels, and mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, SHE treated group mice had up-regulated anti-oxidant gene expression levels in the lungs compared to group 2. These findings demonstrate that oral administration of the SHE re-establishes PM-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in the lungs. Taken together, the SHE has therapeutic potential in preventing PM-induced inflammation and oxidative stress.

Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Background: A sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) is an invertebrate rich in high-quality protein peptides that inhabits the coastal seas around East Asian countries. Such bioactive peptides can be utilized in targeted disease therapies and practical applications in the nutraceutical industry. Methods: Bioactive peptides were isolated from Stichopus japonicus through ultrafiltration and Sephadex G-10 size exclusion chromatography. The low-molecular-weight fraction (ACSH-III) showed the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities. Subsequent purification of ACSH-III resulted in four fractions, of which ACSH-III-F3 and ACSH-III-F4 exhibited significant bioactivity. Results: Peptides identified in these fractions, including Phenylalanine-Proline-Threonine-Tyrosine (FPTY) and Tyrosine-Proline-Serine-Tyrosine-Proline-Serine (YPSYPS), were characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS). FPTY demonstrated the most potent antioxidant and antihypertensive activities among these peptides, with IC50 values of 0.11 ± 0.01 mg/mL for hydroxyl radicals and 0.03 ± 0.01 mg/mL for ACE inhibition. Docking simulations revealed strong binding affinities of these peptides to the active site of the ACE, with FPTY displaying interactions similar to those of the synthetic inhibitor lisinopril. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the identified peptides, particularly FPTY, have potential applications as natural antioxidants and functional foods.

Inflammatory muscle loss results from excessive inflammatory responses, causing muscle damage and weakness. In the current investigation, we evaluated the protective effects of diphlorethohydroxycarmalol (DPHC) against tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-induced skeletal muscle inflammation and muscle loss and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, the effect of DPHC on swimming performance was confirmed under TNF-α-induced inflammatory muscle loss-conditioned zebrafish by assessing the swimming number, distance moved, time spent swimming, frequency of swimming zebrafishes in an upstream swim track (Zone A). In vivo behavioral endurance test results indicated that TNF-α treatment significantly decreased the number of swimming zebrafish and swimming distance in Zone A compared with the Control. Meanwhile, the DPHC treatment significantly increased the number of swimming zebrafish and swimming distance in Zone A compared to TNF-α-induced zebrafish. These findings indicate that DPHC treatment effectively improved the swimming performance of TNF-α-induced zebrafish. In an additional study, TNF-α significantly induced inflammatory muscle loss by upregulating nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) associated proteins and MuRF-1 in the skeletal muscle tissues of TNF-α-induced zebrafish. However, DPHC administration significantly counteracted TNF-α-induced inflammation and muscle loss by downregulating NF-Κb and MAPK-associated proteins, as well as the muscle degradation-related proteins MuRF-1 and MAFbx, in the skeletal muscle tissues of TNF-α-induced zebrafish. In summary, our research findings demonstrated that DPHC from Ishige okamurae could be used for the development of nutraceuticals or functional foods targeting inflammatory muscle loss.

In this study, the cosmeceutical potential of a 70% ethanol extract of Rosa lucieae was investigated as a multifunctional bioactive ingredient. The extract was systematically evaluated for its antioxidant, anti-melanogenic, and anti-aging properties, and was comprehensively phytochemically profiled using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The analysis tentatively identified 21 metabolites, including phenolic acids (gallic acid, ellagic acid, and corilagin), flavonoids (catechin, rutin, quercetin, hyperoside, and quercitrin), and glycosidic derivatives (e.g., phlorizin), several of which are well-documented for their skin-protective effects. Quantitative measurements confirmed high polyphenol and flavonoid contents, correlating with strong radical-scavenging and reducing capacities in α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid, as well as ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assays. Moreover, the extract inhibited tyrosinase activity and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine oxidation, thereby suppressing melanin biosynthesis. In addition, marked inhibitory effects against collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase were observed; these enzymes are critically involved in extracellular matrix degradation and skin aging. Taken together, these results indicate that the biological activities of R. lucieae are supported by a diverse polyphenol- and flavonoid-rich chemical profile, highlighting the potential of this plant as a natural multifunctional ingredient for cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, functional food, and preventive healthcare applications.