Nguyen Tien Dat

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to analyze the anti-inflammatory potential of the phytochemical constituents of Turpinia montana Kurz, with a focus on nitric oxide (NO) inhibition and potential synergistic effects among isolated substances. Methods: The chemicals were isolated from methanolic extracts of T. montana leaves and twigs using combined chromatographic methods. The ability of each compound to decrease NO generation in RAW 264.7 macrophages activated with LPS was examined. Combination tests were used to further evaluate synergistic interactions, and the Chou–Talalay method was used for quantitative analysis. Results: One new flavonol glucoside, 7-O-(1,1-dimethyl-3-oxobutan-1-y1)kaempferol 3-O-β-Dglucopyranoside (1) and seven known compounds, kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), 2α,3β,19α-trihydroxy-5α,9α-urs-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (3), pedunculoside (4), rotungenoside (5), quadranoside III (6), urolic acid (7), and icariside E3 (8) were isolated. Moderate NO inhibitory activity was demonstrated by compounds 1, 3, and 4. Increased effects were found in combination experiments, especially for the combination Comp.1/Comp. 4, which showed consistent synergy with DRI values of roughly 4–9. Discussion: The anti-inflammatory properties of T. montana may result from the consequence of synergistic interactions between its ingredients. It may reflect the value of combination-based phytochemical approaches. conclusion: Overall, the isolation of the new compound 1 and the characterization of its quantitative synergy (CI, DRI) with compound 4 collectively validate the anti-inflammatory therapeutic potential of T. montana. These findings also emphasize that synergistic interactions among isolated compounds play a critical role in the anti-inflammatory activity of T. montana, providing a rational basis for further exploration of combination-based phytochemical strategies. Conclusion: The study confirms the anti-inflammatory properties of T. montana leaves and twigs. The overall bioactivity may be partially attributable to synergistic interactions.

A phytochemical study of Phellodendron amurense bark of Vietnamese origin was carried out to achieve a detailed characterisation of its alkaloid composition. A total of twelve alkaloids were isolated and determined, including four tertiary (canthin-6-one, γ-fagarine, skimmianine, and platydesmine), and eight quaternary alkaloids (berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, N-methyltetrahydrocolumbamine, N-methylcanadine, N-methylisocorydin (menisperine), and magnoflorine). Centrifugal partition chromatography operating in pH-zone-refining mode was successfully applied for the separation of quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids. The alkaloid N-methyltetrahydrocolumbamine is reported for the first time in the species P. amurense, while N-methylcanadine is newly found for the genus Phellodendron. The results demonstrate that P. amurense with Vietnamese origin retains the characteristic to the species alkaloid profile, dominated by protoberberine-type derivatives.

The 13 studied urban lakes in Hanoi city classify as eutrophic or hypertrophicLight, not N or P, is the main limiting factor to algae growthSilicate limits diatom development in 8 out of 13 lakes b...

Traditional food smoking in Vietnam often uses biomass fuels, but the incidental inclusion of plastics can generate toxic pollutants. This study evaluated the effects of polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compared with clean wood on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in smoked chicken, including PCBs, PCDD/Fs, and PAHs. Samples were smoked under controlled conditions, analyzed by GC–MS/MS, and assessed with univariate and multivariate statistics. Clean wood yielded low contamination, while PE introduced lighter PAHs and dioxins, PS was associated with mid-weight PAHs and specific PCBs (66, 195), and PVC caused the most severe contamination with 12 PCDD/Fs, 21 PCBs (e.g., 189, 101, 180, 153), and multiple carcinogenic PAHs (e.g., benzo[a]pyrene). Statistical tests confirmed significant differences among fuel groups (p < 0.01). The contamination gradient (W < PE < PS < PVC) highlights the urgent need to prohibit plastic-contaminated fuels in traditional smoking to safeguard food safety and public health.

Inflammation is a major contributor to the development of chronic diseases, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. The Memecylon genus has been demonstrated for its diverse biological activities such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer and antimicrobial effects. Nevertheless, the anti-inflammatory potential of Memecylon scutellatum (Lour.) Hook. & Arn. remains unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the detailed molecular mechanism of 2-butanone 4-glucopyranoside 6'-O-gallate (2-BGG), a bioactive compound isolated from the leaves of Memecylon scutellatum, using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages as a model. Anti-inflammatory functional outcomes (NO, TNF-α, IL-6) were assessed by Griess and ELISA. The gene expression (RT-qPCR) and protein signaling cascade activation (Western blotting) were employed to define the molecular targets, focusing on the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the interaction of 2-BGG with IKKβ and MAPK, while physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and toxicity profiles were predicted using ADMETlab 3.0. The compound was confirmed to be non-cytotoxic at concentrations exhibiting biological activity, where it significantly attenuated the LPS-induced overproduction of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6. This effect was closely associated with the dose-dependent suppression of pro-inflammatory gene products, iNOS and COX-2, at the transcriptional and translational levels. Our investigation revealed that the compound exerts its action by dual modulation of core signaling cascades: it strongly suppressed the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α and the activation of NF-κB p65, while simultaneously inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2, and JNK. In silico analyses supported these findings, suggesting that 2-BGG may bind to the ATP-binding pockets of IKKβ and MAPK in an ATP-competitive manner, and acceptable ADMET properties with low predicted toxicity. These findings support 2-BGG as a potential anti-inflammatory agent that modulates both NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Furthermore, ADMET predictions indicated favorable pharmacokinetic properties and low predicted toxicity. This study provides strong molecular evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of this natural gallate derivative.

Introduction: Stephania glabra (S. glabra) is a medicinal plant from the Menispermaceae family, traditionally used to treat various ailments. Its tubers contain alkaloids, particularly rotundine, which have sedative, analgesic, and cardioprotective properties with minimal toxicity. Optimizing rotundine extraction is crucial for its pharmaceutical applications. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM), particularly the Box-Behnken Design (BBD), is an effective approach to refining extraction conditions by reducing experiments, minimizing solvent use, and improving efficiency Methods: The RSM with BBD design was applied to optimize the extracting conditions for obtaining a rotundine-rich extract from Stephania glabra tubers using a predictive modeling approach with four independent factors (temperature, methanol concentration, extraction time, and liquidsolid ratio). Results: The proposed model was experimentally validated, demonstrating a high degree of accuracy, with predicted and actual rotundine contents showing strong agreement with p-value < 0.0001, model, adjusted, and predicted R2 above 0.90. A systematic evaluation of key extraction parameters, including temperature (55°C), methanol concentration (67%), extraction time (154 minutes), and liquid/solid ratio (30/1), was conducted to maximize rotundine yield. The findings indicate that the optimized extraction process consistently yielded extracts with more than 15%. Discussion: RSM optimization effectively maximized rotundine yield with minimal resource use. The model’s accuracy and key factors—temperature and methanol concentration—align with previous studies, offering a more efficient approach for rotundine extraction and potential use in other medicinal plants. Conclusion: This research establishes a scientific basis for efficient rotundine extraction and its pharmaceutical applications. The validated predictive model for optimizing extraction from Stephania glabra tubers demonstrated strong accuracy, reinforcing its reliability and practical value in the medicinal field.

Background: Although smoking has historically been one of the most prevalent methods for food preservation, it was considered a source of carcinogenic and mutagenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) due to incompletely combustion process. In this study, POPs in pork samples smoked with different materials: sawdust only (NP group), sawdust and polyethylene (PE group), sawdust and polystyrene (PS group), and mixed sawdust (M group) were detected and quantified. Methods: The GC-MS method was applied to quantify several POPs in pork samples smoked by various materials. After that, multivariate statistics were used to elucidate differences among groups and chemical markers associated with each smoking material, underscoring the need to evaluate the implications of smoking materials on food safety and public health. Results: The total PAH and PCB contents were lowest in the NP samples (smoked with sawdust only), with PAH levels ranging from 500 to 2000 μg/kg lipid and PCB levels from 0.5 to 1.3 μg/kg lipid. In contrast, the PE, PS, and M groups, which were smoked with sawdust combined with different polymers and contaminants, showed higher levels. The PAH content in these groups exceeded 3000 μg/kg lipid, while PCB levels in PE and PS ranged from 1.5 to over 3.0 μg/kg lipid, and M samples had the widest variation, spanning from 0.6 to 3.2 μg/kg lipid. Regarding PCDD/Fs, none were detected in the NP samples, while the PE and PS groups contained between 1.2 and 1.5 pg/g lipid, with specific compounds identified (e.g., 234678-HxCDF in PE and 12378-PeCDF and 123478-HxCDF in PS). The M samples exhibited the highest PCDD/Fs content, ranging from 5.0 to 14.0 pg/g lipid, with up to six compounds formed, including one PCDD and five PCDFs. Conclusion: The analysis also revealed that the presence of polyethylene and polystyrene significantly elevated POP levels in the respective groups. Meanwhile, samples in the M group possessed various chemical compositions with multiple concentrations, presented by the large area on the PCA biplot and usually intermingled with samples of other groups. Especially, OCDD was the only PCDD that was detected only in M group simples.

Introduction: Murdannia nudiflora (L.) Brenan, a medicinal herb, has traditionally been used for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, but scientific evidence for its bioactivity remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activity and antipeptic ulcer potential of M. nudiflora extracts and isolated compounds. Methods: Successive solvent extraction was performed to obtain fractions, followed by chromatographic isolation of metabolites. The fractions and purified compounds were tested for NO inhibition in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The most active fraction was further evaluated for acute toxicity in Swiss albino mice (both sexes, 6-8 weeks, 18-22 g) and tested for antiulcer activity in Wistar rats (both sexes, 180-220 g) using the cysteamine-induced peptic ulcer model. Results: The ethyl acetate fraction of M. nudiflora (MNC2) exhibited the strongest NO inhibitory activity. From the MNC2, six compounds were isolated for the first time from this genus, including indole-3-carbaldehyde (1), loliolide (2), macommelinol (3), indole-3-carboxylic acid (4), blumenol A (5), and benzoic acid (6), and their NO inhibitory activities were subsequently evaluated. Among these, compound 3 showed the most potent NO inhibition (IC50 = 16.89 ± 0.77 μM), stronger than butein, a flavonoid used as the positive control (IC50 = 21.19 ± 0.36 μM). MNC2 was also found to be relatively safe, with an LD50 value above 25000 mg/kg/day in acute toxicity studies. In vivo, MNC2 significantly reduced the ulcer index and improved histopathology in cysteamine- treated rats. Discussion: The findings suggest that the anti-ulcer effect of M. nudiflora may be associated with inhibition of NO production, while additional mechanisms such as antioxidant, cytoprotective, and acid-regulatory pathways could also contribute. Conclusion: This is the first report of macommelinol exhibiting significant biological activity and the first evidence of gastroprotective effects of M. nudiflora, supporting its potential as a source of anti-ulcer agents.