Baoshun Zhang

Brasenia schreberi , a valuable aquatic vegetable in East Asia prized for its unique and delicious taste, is rich in bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, proteins, vitamins, and trace elements. This study compared enzymatic and alkaline extraction techniques to isolate polysaccharides from B. schreberi . Extraction yield, total sugar, protein, uronic acid contents, and monosaccharide composition were determined, and structural characteristics were analyzed using Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. Following alkaline extraction, the crude polysaccharide (BSP‐A) was then purified by DEAE‐52 cellulose and Sepharose CL‐6B chromatography to obtain a homogeneous fraction, BSP‐2, with a molecular weight of 544.2 kDa. The physicochemical properties and structure of BSP‐2 were analyzed using comprehensive techniques including FT‐IR, Congo red assay, scanning electron microscope (SEM), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), methylation analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Results showed that BSP‐2 is a flat, sheet‐like polysaccharide devoid of a triple‐helix structure. It comprises nine monosaccharides, including mannose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, and fucose, via 18 distinct glycosidic bond types of linkage. Rheological tests of BSP‐2 indicated the gel‐like behavior at low angular frequencies and the fluid‐like behavior at high frequencies. Additionally, the immunomodulatory activities of BSP‐2 on the RAW264.7 macrophage cells were investigated, with key assessments of cytotoxicity, nitric oxide (NO) production, the mRNA expression levels of various cytokines, and the expression of key proteins in the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. These results establish a foundational framework for the extraction and identification of polysaccharides from B. schreberi and demonstrate their value in immunoregulatory applications.

Poor aqueous solubility of steroid precursors, such as pregnenolone and progesterone, limits microbial biotransformation and high-throughput strain screening, representing a bottleneck for strain improvement and potential industrial applications.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic liver disease with a high global incidence rate, intricately linked to metabolic disorders. It is characterized by steatosis, inflammation, and hepatocyte ballooning. STAT1 is a transcription factor involved in metabolic regulation and progression of inflammatory responses. In this study, we have identified STAT1 as a novel therapeutic target for NASH. Using our established STAT1 inhibitor screening platform, we identified the compound ZDZ-553, which is characterized by a chromone skeleton, demonstrates potent inhibitory activity against STAT1, and exhibits a favorable safety profile. In the NASH mouse model experiment, ZDZ-553 significantly ameliorated liver steatosis and inflammatory responses. These findings collectively suggest that ZDZ-553 could be a promising candidate for treatment of NASH, highlighting the therapeutic potential of targeting STAT1.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury involves brain tissue damage caused by a temporary interruption of blood flow followed by reperfusion, leading to inflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal death. Diosmetin, a flavonoid with known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has been shown to mitigate I/R injury, but its impact on systemic inflammation is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated its protective effects on I/R injury and the mechanisms mediated through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Using MCAO-induced rats and OGD/R-induced PC12 cells, we employed multiomics sequencing and molecular biology techniques. The results showed that the IL-6/pJAK1/pSTAT3 signaling pathway was the key mechanism influenced by tryptophan metabolites. Diosmetin alleviated intestinal and systemic inflammation by modulating tryptophan metabolism and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Microbiota transplantation from diosmetin-treated rats produced similar protective effects. In conclusion, diosmetin mitigated I/R injury by influencing tryptophan metabolism through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, offering potential therapeutic strategies for I/R injury.

Polysaccharides have been drawing growing attention due to their potential biological properties and applications in the health industry. Aucklandia lappa Decne. not only exerts anti‐inflammatory, anti‐cancer, antibacterial, and other activities but also is rich in polysaccharides. In this study, two polysaccharides (ALN1 and ALN2) were extracted from the roots of Aucklandia lappa Decne. The structures of ALN1 and ALN2 were analyzed by monosaccharide analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results showed that both ALN1 and ALN2 were composed of fructose and glucose with molecular weights of 3.060 and 1.948 kDa, respectively. The structure of ALN1 was determined to be 1‐α‐D‐Glc p ‐(‐2‐β‐D‐Fru f ‐1‐) ₁₅ ‐2‐β‐D‐Fru f . The structure of ALN2 was unclear due to the probable existence of complex branched chains, which caused the overlap of its 2D spectral peaks. ALN1 and ALN2 displayed outstanding immunomodulatory effects in cyclophosphamide (CTX)‐induced immunocompromised mice. ALN1 and ALN2 improved food intake, body weight, and the functions of immune organs by enhancing humoral immunity and adjusting gut microbiota. ALN1 and ALN2 not only reversed gut dysbiosis by restoring species diversity and adjusting the relative abundances of Bacteroidota , Oscillospiraceae , and Lachnospiraceae but also played a protective role in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier. These findings imply that ALN1 and ALN2 have the potential to be investigated as natural and effective immunomodulatory agents for food and pharmaceutical industries.