Japanese pickled apricot, called \"umeboshi\", is a traditional food that has experientially been consumed as a folk medicine. The main variation of umeboshi is called \"shiso-zuke umeboshi\", meaning pickled with red perilla leaves to add a colorful appearance. This study investigated changes in phenolics and antioxidant potential of shiso-zuke umeboshi during pickling processes and simulated digestion. Results showed that the red perilla pickling (PP; 1338.12) had 13 times higher phenolics than salt pickling (SP; 101.99) in μg/g DW, and the formation of rosmarinic acid was enhanced. The simulated digestion showed a gradual increase in antioxidant content and activity from the stomach to small intestine, with TPC and TFC being rapidly released in the intestinal environment. The study concluded that shiso-zuke umeboshi provides higher health benefits due to the excellent antioxidant compounds produced through the perilla pickling process.

Prunella vulgaris L. (P. vulgaris) has great application value and development prospects in improving sleep. In this study, we continued to evaluate the sleep-improvement function and mechanism of P. vulgaris from both chemical characterization and function based on sleep-improvement functional ingredients, rosmarinic acid and salviaflaside, screened out in the previous stage as the index components. The chemical constituents of P. vulgaris and its phenolic acid fraction were characterized by the UPLC-MSn technology. The quality of the sleep-improvement phenolic acid fraction of P. vulgaris was scientifically evaluated by fingerprints combined with quantitative analysis of rosmarinic acid and salviaflaside. The function of phenolic acid parts of P. vulgaris in improving sleep was verified by different insomnia models including the PCPA-induced insomnia model and surface platform sleep deprivation model. HE staining was used to observe the effect of P. vulgaris on the morphology of nerve cells in different brain regions. In vivo experiments and molecular docking explored the sedative-hypnotic effects of functional ingredients of P. vulgaris. All these results investigated the material basis and mechanism of P. vulgaris to improve sleep from multiple perspectives, which contribute to providing a basis for the development of functional food to improve sleep.

Magnetic drug delivery systems using nanoparticles present a promising opportunity for clinical treatment. This study explored the potential anti-inflammatory properties of RosA- CrFe2O4 nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were developed through rosmarinic acid (RosA) co-precipitation via a photo-mediated extraction technique. XRD, FTIR, and TEM techniques were employed to characterize the nanoparticles, and the results indicated that they had a cubic spinel ferrite (FCC) structure with an average particle size of 25nm. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of RosA- CrFe2O4 nanoparticles were evaluated by using LPS-induced raw 264.7 macrophages and a hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay, respectively. The results showed that RosA- CrFe2O4 nanoparticles had moderate DPPH scavenging effects with an IC50 value of 59.61±4.52μg/ml. Notably, these nanoparticles effectively suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory genes (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS) in LPS-stimulated cells. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory activity of RosA- CrFe2O4 nanoparticles was confirmed by reducing the release of secretory pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) in LPS-stimulated macrophages. This investigation highlights the promising potential of Phyto-mediated CrFe2O4-RosA as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent in biomedical applications.

Although used in in vitro culture to boost secondary metabolite production, UV-B radiation can seriously affect plant growth if not properly dosed. Rosemary callus can be used as an important source of effective ingredients in the food and medicine industry. To balance the positive and negative effects of UV-B on rosmary callus, this study investigated the effects of melatonin on rosemary callus under UV-B radiation. The results showed that melatonin improved rosemary callus growth, with fresh weight and dry weight increased by 15.81% and 8.30%, respectively. The addition of 100 μM melatonin increased antioxidant enzyme activity and NO content in rosemary callus. At the same time, melatonin also significantly reduced membrane lipid damage and H2O2 accumulation in rosemary callus under UV-B stress, with malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 contents reduced by 13.03% and 14.55%, respectively. In addition, melatonin increased the total phenol and rosmarinic acid contents in rosemary callus by 19% and 54%, respectively. Melatonin significantly improved the antioxidant activity of the extracts from rosemary callus. These results suggest that exogenous melatonin can alleviate the adverse effects of UV-B stress on rosemary callus by promoting NO accumulation while further enhancing phenolic accumulation and biological activity.

Chemotherapeutic drugs and radiotherapy are fundamental treatments to combat cancer, but, often, the doses in these treatments are restricted by their non-selective toxicities, which affect healthy tissues surrounding tumors. On the other hand, drug resistance is recognized as the main cause of chemotherapeutic treatment failure. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a polyphenol of the phenylpropanoid family that is widely distributed in plants and vegetables, including medicinal aromatic herbs, consumption of which has demonstrated beneficial activities as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories and reduced the risks of cancers. Recently, several studies have shown that RA is able to reverse cancer resistance to first-line chemotherapeutics, as well as play a protective role against toxicity induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, mainly due to its scavenger capacity. This review compiles information from 56 articles from Google Scholar, PubMed, and ClinicalTrials.gov aimed at addressing the role of RA as a complementary therapy in cancer treatment.

Salicylic acid (SA) plays a crucial role as a hormone in plants and belongs to the group of phenolic compounds. Our objective was to determine the optimal concentration of SA for enhancing the production of bioactive compounds in Agastache rugosa plants while maintaining optimal plant growth. The plants underwent SA soaking treatments at different concentrations (i.e., 0, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 μmol mol-1) for 10 min at 7 days after they were transplanted. We observed that elevated levels of SA at 800 and 1600 μmol mol-1 induced oxidative stress, leading to a significant reduction across many plant growth variables, including leaf length, width, number, area, shoot fresh weight (FW), stem FW and length, and whole plant dry weights (DW) compared with that in the control plants. Additionally, the treatment with 1600 μmol mol-1 SA resulted in the lowest values of flower branch number, FW and DW of flowers, and DW of leaf, stem, and root. Conversely, applying 400 μmol mol-1 SA resulted in the greatest increase of chlorophyll (Chl) a and b, total Chl, total flavonoid, total carotenoid, and SPAD values. The photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance decreased with increased SA concentrations (i.e., 800 and 1600 μmol mol-1). Furthermore, the higher SA treatments (i.e., 400, 800, and 1600 μmol mol-1) enhanced the phenolic contents, and almost all SA treatments increased the antioxidant capacity. The rosmarinic acid content peaked under 200 μmol mol-1 SA treatment. However, under 400 μmol mol-1 SA, tilianin and acacetin contents reached their highest levels. These findings demonstrate that immersing the roots in 200 and 400  μmol mol-1 SA enhances the production of bioactive compounds in hydroponically cultivated A. rugosa without compromising plant growth. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into the impact of SA on A. rugosa and its potential implications for medicinal plant cultivation and phytochemical production.

Hyaluronidase possesses the capacity to degrade high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid into smaller fragments, subsequently initiating a cascade of inflammatory responses and activating dendritic cells. In cases of bacterial infections, substantial quantities of HAase are generated, potentially leading to severe conditions such as cellulitis. Inhibiting hyaluronidase activity may offer anti-inflammatory benefits. Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, a traditional Chinese medicine, has anti-inflammatory properties. However, its effects on skin inflammation are not well understood. This study screened and evaluated the active components of S. miltiorrhiza that inhibit skin inflammation, using ligand fishing, enzyme activity assays, drug combination analysis, and molecular docking. By combining magnetic nanomaterials with hyaluronidase functional groups, we immobilized hyaluronidase on magnetic nanomaterials for the first time in the literature. We then utilized an immobilized enzyme to specifically adsorb the ligand; two ligands were identified as salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid by HPLC analysis after desorption of the dangling ligands, to complete the rapid screening of potential anti-inflammatory active ingredients in S. miltiorrhiza roots. The median-effect equation and combination index results indicated that their synergistic inhibition of hyaluronidase at a fixed 3:2 ratio was enhanced with increasing concentrations. Kinetic studies revealed that they acted as mixed-type inhibitors of hyaluronidase. Salvianolic acid B had Ki and Kis values of 0.22 and 0.96 μM, respectively, while rosmarinic acid had values of 0.54 and 4.60 μM. Molecular docking revealed that salvianolic acid B had a higher affinity for hyaluronidase than rosmarinic acid. In addition, we observed that a 3:2 combination of SAB and RA significantly decreased the secretion of TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 inflammatory cytokines in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. These findings identify salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid as key components with the potential to inhibit skin inflammation, as found in S. miltiorrhiza. This research is significant for developing skin inflammation treatments. It demonstrates the effectiveness and broad applicability of the magnetic nanoparticle-based ligand fishing approach for screening enzyme inhibitors derived from herbal extracts.

The phytohormones cytokinins are essential mediators of developmental and environmental signaling, primarily during cell division and endophytic interactions, among other processes. Considering the limited understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that affect the growth and bioactivity of the medicinal plant Nepeta nuda (Lamiaceae), our study aimed to explore how cytokinins influence the plant\'s metabolic status. Exogenous administration of active cytokinin forms on in vitro N. nuda internodes stimulated intensive callus formation and de novo shoot regeneration, leading to a marked increase in biomass. This process involved an accumulation of oxidants, which were scavenged by peroxidases using phenolics as substrates. The callus tissue formed upon the addition of the cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) acted as a sink for sugars and phenolics during the allocation of nutrients between the culture medium and regenerated plants. In accordance, the cytokinin significantly enhanced the content of polar metabolites and their respective in vitro biological activities compared to untreated in vitro and wild-grown plants. The BAP-mediated accumulation of major phenolic metabolites, rosmarinic acid (RA) and caffeic acid (CA), corresponded with variations in the expression levels of genes involved in their biosynthesis. In contrast, the accumulation of iridoids and the expression of corresponding biosynthetic genes were not significantly affected. In conclusion, our study elucidated the mechanism of cytokinin action in N. nuda in vitro culture and demonstrated its potential in stimulating the production of bioactive compounds. This knowledge could serve as a basis for further investigations of the environmental impact on plant productivity.

The transformation of salvianolic acid B brought on by heat treatment recovery of ethanol eluent, which is a difficult problem in pharmaceutical technology, affects the purity of raw material when the medicinal raw material salvianolic acid B is purified by resin. Ultrasonic-assisted nanofiltration separation (UANS) was first employed to improve efficiency of resource utilization by regulating rejection and separating salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid from organic pharmaceutical wastewater. The rejection was related to three variables: ultrasonic power, pH, and ethanol concentration. But there were differences in the effects of variables on the rejections of salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid. The rejections of rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B showed a decreasing trend with an increase in ultrasonic power or a decrease in pH; however, when the concentration of ethanol was increased from 5 % to 35 %, the salvianolic acid B rejection increased from 84.96 % to 96.60 % and the rosmarinic acid rejection decreased from 35.09 % to 17.51 %. On the basis of response surface methodology (RSM), the optimal UANS parameters for solution conditions involving different ethanol concentrations are as follows: 10 % ethanol solution (ultrasonic power 500 W and pH 6.15), 20 % ethanol solution (ultrasonic power 500 W and pH 6.54), and 30 % ethanol solution (ultrasonic power 460 W and pH 6.34). The molecular proportions of salvianolic acid B were 10.75 %, 7.13 %, and 8.27 % in 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % ethanol wastewater, while the molecular proportions of rosmarinic acid were 40.52 %, 33.83 %, and 69.87 %, respectively. And the recoveries of salvianolic acid B in 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % ethanol wastewater were 93.56 %, 95.04 %, and 97.30 %, respectively, while the recoveries of rosmarinic acid were 3.19 %, 2.27 %, and 0.56 %. The molecular proportion and the rejection are correlated exponentially. In comparison with conventional nanofiltration separation (CNS), UANS is able to resolve the conflict between rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B in pharmaceutical wastewater, as well as enhance resource recycling and separation efficiency to prevent pollution of the environment from pharmaceutical wastewater. Experiments using UANS at different power intensities suggest that the ultrasonic at a power intensity of 46-50 W/L and the power density of 0.92-1.00 W/cm2 may resolve the separation conflict between rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B. This work suggests that UANS may be a significant advancement in the field of ultrasonic separation and has several potential uses in the water treatment industry.

Callus cultures of the Iranian medicinal plant Salvia atropatana were initiated from three-week-old seedlings on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and various cytokinins. Although all tested hormonal variants of the medium and explant enabled callus induction, the most promising growth was noted for N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N\'-phenylurea (CPPU)-induced calli. Three lines obtained on this medium (cotyledon line-CL, hypocotyl line-HL, and root line-RL) were preselected for further studies. Phenolic compounds in the callus tissues were identified using UPLC-MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) and quantified with HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). All lines exhibited intensive growth and contained twelve phenolic acid derivatives, with rosmarinic acid predominating. The cotyledon-derived callus line displayed the highest growth index values and polyphenol content; this was exposed to different light-emitting diodes (LED) for improving biomass accumulation and secondary metabolite yield. Under LED treatments, all callus lines exhibited enhanced RA and total phenolic content compared to fluorescent light, with the highest levels observed for white (48.5-50.2 mg/g dry weight) and blue (51.4-53.9 mg/g dry weight) LEDs. The selected callus demonstrated strong antioxidant potential in vitro based on the 2,2\'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) tests. Our findings confirm that the S. atropatana callus system is suitable for enhanced rosmarinic acid production; the selected optimized culture provide high-quality plant-derived products.