As the building blocks of nucleic acids, nucleotides are conditionally essential nutrients that exhibit multifaceted activities. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of dietary nucleotides (NTs) on mice and explore the possible underlying mechanism. Mice were randomly divided into four experimental sets to detect different indicators. Each set of mice was then divided into four groups: (i) one control group and (ii) three NTs groups, which were fed diets supplemented with NTs at concentrations of 0%, 0.04%, 0.16%, and 0.64% (wt/wt). NTs could significantly increase the forced swimming time, enhance lactate dehydrogenase activity and hepatic glycogen levels, as well as delay the accumulation of blood urea nitrogen and blood lactic acid in mice after 30 days of treatment. NTs also markedly improved fatigue-induced alterations in oxidative stress biomarkers and antioxidant enzymes. Notably, NTs increased the mitochondrial energy metabolic enzyme activities in the skeletal muscles of mice. These results suggest that NTs exert anti-fatigue effects, which may be attributed to the inhibition of oxidative stress and the improvement of mitochondrial function in skeletal muscles. NTs could be used as a novel natural agent for relieving exercise fatigue.

The present study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of ginseng oligopeptides (GOPs). For the anti-inflammatory activity, dextran-induced paw edema and granuloma models were used in Sprague-Dawley rats (180–200 g, 12 weeks old, n = 10). Rats were treated orally with GOPs (0, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) for prophylaxis. In the granuloma model, the levels of NO, Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin IL-β, and interleukin IL-10 in serum were evaluated. In addition, in the edema model, the level of TNF-α, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), Leukotriene D4 (LTD4), and the platelet activating factor (RAF) in paw tissue were detected. PCR assessed the effect of GOPs on the expression of MAPK and NF-κB. The results showed that oral administration of GOPs inhibited inflammation caused by cotton pellet and dextran. GOPs significantly inhibited the edema formation via MAPK and NF-κB. These findings suggested that GOPs have a beneficial effect on acute and chronic inflammation, and the mechanism possibly mediated by inhibiting gene expression involved in inflammation and downregulating inflammatory mediators.

The present study examined the protective effects of seabuckthorn seed oil (Hippophae rhamnoidesL seed oil., SBT) on acute alcoholic-induced hepatic damage in male SD rats. Our results showed that oral administration of SBT seed oil at doses of 0.167, 0.333 and 0.500 g/kg for 45 days significantly reduced the changed levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum, and the level of triglyceride (TG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver, which were induced by alcoholic-induced in rats. Moreover, the treatment of SBT seed oil was also found to significantly increase the activities of sglutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in liver. Our study found that the optimal dose of SBT seed oil was 0.333 g/kg, as the minimum amount exhibiting the greatest hepatoprotective effects on alcoholic-induced liver injury, which have been supported by the evaluation of the liver histopathology in rats. In conclusion, it has been found the hepatoprotective effect of SBT seed oil at all tested doses.

To study the effect of high osmotic pressure milk formula on renal calcium oxalate crystallization induced by calcium oxalate. 40 SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: NC, MC, LOM and HOM group. For model preparation, MC, LOM and HOM were treated with 1% Ethanediol in the water combined with 2% ammonium chloride (2ml/day) intragastrically administration. The rats in LOM and HOM were intragastrically given LOM or HOM (40g/100ml, 2ml/100g*bw) twice/day, whereas the NC and MC group received an equal volume of distilled water. Combined application of ethylene glycol and ammonium chloride caused renal injury of rats, and induced calcium oxalate calculus in kidney. During experimental period, the increase of body weight of the rats treated with HOM was inhibited significantly; the amount of 24h urination, serum levels of Cr and UA, ratio of the kidney to body weight were significantly higher than those in MC group; the amount of 24h urination, Cr, and score of calcium oxalate crystal were significantly higher than those in LOM group. HOM has an obvious promoting effect on the formation of renal calcium oxalate crystallization induced by ethylene glycol combined with ammonium chloride.