Juniperus chinensis Fruits Attenuate Oxazolone- and 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced Atopic Dermatitis Symptoms in Mice.[Pubmed: 29386485]

Juniperus chinensis, commonly Chinese juniper, has been used for treating inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to investigate anti-atopic dermatitis (AD) effects of standardized J. chinensis fruits extract on murine oxazolone- and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced models of AD. Ear swelling, epidermis thickening, and eosinophils infiltration in the oxazolone-mediated dermatitis of BALB/c mice were significantly reduced upon topical application of J. chinensis fruits 95% EtOH extract (JCE). Besides, transdermal administration of JCE to SKH-1 hairless mice inhibited the development of DNCB-induced AD-like skin lesions by suppressing transepidermal water loss and improving skin hydration. Decreased total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and interleukin (IL)-4 levels could be observed in atopic dorsal skin samples of JCE-treated group. According to the phytochemical analysis, JCE was found to contain isoscutellarein-7-O-β-D-xyloside, cupressuflavone, and amentoflavone as main compounds. Therapeutic attempts with the J. chinensis fruits might be useful in the treatment of AD and related skin inflammatory diseases.

Host-Tree Selection by the Invasive Argentine Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Relation to Honeydew-Producing Insects.[Pubmed: 29329403]

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr; Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is one of the world's most hazardous invasive species, and thus its eradication from Japan is important. Physical and chemical controls can be expensive and cause strong adverse effects on local terrestrial ecosystems regardless of their high efficacy. Here, presence/absence of host-tree selection by Argentine ants was investigated to understand the ant-honeydew-producing insects interactions in order to develop new cultural controls compatible with biodiversity conservation. Abundance of Argentine ants and their tree utilization ratio was measured among dominant roadside trees (Cinnamomum camphora, Myrica rubra, Nerium indicum, Rhaphiolepis indica var. umbellata, Juniperus chinensis var. kaizuka) in two areas around Kobe, Japan. Almost all ants collected were Argentine ants suggesting that native ants would have been competitively excluded. Tree utilization of Argentine ants clearly differed among host trees. Abundance of both Argentine ants and honeydew-producing insects and tree utilization rate of the ants were significantly lower in especially C. camphora and J. chinensis. Few Argentine ants were observed trailing on C. camphora, J. Chinensis, and N. indicum, most probably due to low abundance of honeydew-producing insects on these trees with the toxic and repellent chemical components. On the other hand, high abundance of both Argentine ants and homopterans were found in M. rubra and especially R. indica. We suggest that reductions of R. indica and M. rubra would lead to a decrease in abundance of honeydew-producing insects, and thus effectively control populations of Argentine ants. At the same time, planting of C. camphora, J. Chinensis, and N. indicum may also play a role in restraint efficacy against invasion of the invasive ants.

α-Methyl artoflavanocoumarin from Juniperus chinensis exerts anti-diabetic effects by inhibiting PTP1B and activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells.[Pubmed: 29177868]

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Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitory activity of cone oils from Juniperus chinensis cv. Kaizuca and in silico theoretical explanation.[Pubmed: 28880110]

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Antiangiogenic and antihepatocellular carcinoma activities of the Juniperus chinensis extract.[Pubmed: 27502492]

To identify a novel therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), for which no promising therapeutic agent exists, we screened a panel of plants and found that Juniperus chinensis exhibited potential antiangiogenic and anti-HCC activities. We further investigated the antiangiogenic and anti-HCC effects of the active ingredient of J. chinensis extract, CBT-143-S-F6F7, both in vitro and in vivo.

Anticholinesterase and β-Site Amyloid Precursor Protein Cleaving Enzyme 1 Inhibitory Compounds from the Heartwood of Juniperus chinensis.[Pubmed: 26521861]

Two new compounds (2, 3) and 20 known compounds (1, 4-22) were isolated from the heartwood of Juniperus chinensis LINNE (Cupressaceae), and their structures were elucidated as 9'-methoxycalocedrin (1); α-methyl artoflavanocoumarin (2); 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-2-styrylchromone (3); cedrol (4); widdrol (5); savinin (6); calocedrin (7); 10-oxowiddrol (8); 12-hydroxywiddrol (9); (+)-naringenin (10); vanillic acid methyl ester (11); (+)-taxifolin (12); (+)-aromadendrin (13); kaempferol (14); quercetin (15); (7S,8R)-dihydro-3'-hydroxy-8- hydroxymethyl-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1'-benzofuranpropanol (16); styraxlignolide C (17); protocatechuic acid (18); vanillic acid (19); (7R,8S)-dihydro-3'-methoxy-8-hydroxymethyl-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1'-benzofuranpropanol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (20); (7S,8S)-dihydro-3'-hydroxy-8-hydroxymethyl-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1'-benzofuranpropanol 4-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (21); and (+)-catechin (22) on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. The new compounds (2, 3) exhibited good inhibitory activities against β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), with IC50 values of 6.25, and 11.91 µM, respectively.

Caulicolous Botryosphaeriales from Thailand.[Pubmed: 26240447]

Members of Botryosphaeriales are commonly encountered as endophytes or pathogens of various plant hosts. The Botryosphaeriaceae represents the predominant family within this order, containing numerous species associated with canker and dieback disease on a wide range of woody hosts. During the course of routine surveys from various plant hosts in Thailand, numerous isolates of Botryosphaeriaceae, including Aplosporellaceae were collected. Isolates were subsequently identified based on a combination of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of a combined dataset of the ITS and EF1-α gene regions. The resulting phylogenetic tree revealed 11 well-supported clades, correlating with different members of Botryosphaeriales. Other than confirming the presence of taxa such as Lasiodiplodia theobromae, L. pseudotheobromae and Neofusicoccum parvum, new records for Thailand include Pseudofusicoccum adansoniae and P. ardesiacum. Furthermore, four novel species are described, namely Diplodia neojuniperi from Juniperus chinensis, Lasiodiplodia thailandica from Mangifera indica, Pseudofusicoccum artocarpi and Aplosporella artocarpi from Artocarpus heterophyllus, while a sexual morph is also newly reported for L. gonubiensis. Further research is presently underway to determine the pathogenicity and relative importance of these species on different woody hosts in Thailand.

Widdrol, a sesquiterpene isolated from Juniperus chinensis, inhibits angiogenesis by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signaling.[Pubmed: 26133679]

Widdrol is an odorous compound derived from Juniperus chinensis that is widely used in traditional medicine to treat fever, inflammation and cancer. It was previously reported that widdrol has antitumor activity by apoptosis induction in cancer cells in vitro. However, its anti-angiogenic activity remains elusive. In the present study, we investigated the anti‑angiogenic activity of widdrol and the molecular mechanisms involved. Widdrol inhibited cell proliferation via G1 phase arrest induction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, it was associated with a decreased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and an increased expression of p21, a CDK inhibitor. Widdrol significantly inhibited the cell migration and tube formation of HUVECs using an in vitro angiogenesis assay. The results showed that widdrol suppressed phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and its downstream proteins, such as AKT, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Moreover, widdrol effectively reduced tumor growth and blood vessel formation in colon tumor xenograft mice. Collectively, these results suggested that widdrol may act as a potential anti-angiogenic agent by inhibiting vessel sprouting and growth, which may have implications for angioprevention.