Rubiadin exerts an acute and chronic anti-inflammatory effect in rodents

Rubiadin is identified as a bioactive anthraquinone that exists in some quinone rich plants. The current research was carried out to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory impact of Rubiadin in acute and chronic inflammation test models in rodents. The anti-inflammatory activity of Rubiadin was examined in cotton pellet-induced granuloma and carrageenan-induced edema as chronic and acute inflammation models in rats. TNF-α level and histopathological changes were assessed using sampled foot tissue of rat in the acute model. Also, the IL-1β level was assessed in the chronic model. One-way ANOVA (post hoc Tukey’s) analysis was used for comparing the groups. Rubiadin (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) induced a significant reduction in TNF α level and the paw edema compared to the control group in carrageenan test. Also, it was observed that the anti-inflammatory activity of Rubiadin (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) is comparable to mefenamic acid (30 mg/kg, i.p.) as the standard drug. Rubiadin was effective in granuloma induced by cotton pellet concerning the granuloma and transudate formation amount. Rubiadin’s anti-inflammatory effects were associated with a significant IL-1β decrease in this model. The results suggest that Rubiadin as a natural compound can possess significant peripheral anti-inflammatory impacts.

Effect of heparin sodium on postoperative inflammation after adult cataract surgery

To evaluate the effect of use of ringer lactate solution supplemented with heparin sodium in patients undergoing cataract surgery.In a prospective, double-blind, interventional study, 200 patients were included and were randomized to undergo cataract surgery using ringer lactate solution with or without 10 IU/ml heparin. All patients underwent phacoemulsification with hydrophobic acrylic foldable intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. The severity of anterior chamber inflammation and amount of pigment deposition of IOL was assessed by slit lamp biomicroscopy on day 1, 7, 28 and after 8 weeks postoperatively. Mean age in treatment and control group was 63.0± 11.5 years and 65.1±12.7 years respectively. A significant reduction in the severity of inflammatory cellular activity (p=0.001), flare (p=0.001) and pigment deposition on IOL (p=0.001) was noted on day 1 in the heparin treated group compared to the control group. However, no significant difference was observed in the amount of inflammatory activity as well as IOL pigment deposition beyond 1 week postoperatively. The inflammatory activity resolved almost completely in both the groups by the end of 8 weeks postoperatively. : Our study showed the beneficial effect of addition of heparin to irrigating solution during cataract surgery. Heparin treated eyes demonstrated a reduction in the early postoperative inflammation and IOL pigment deposition. The anti-inflammatory effect was observed in the early postoperative period.

Characterization of the Composition and Biological Activity of the Venom from Vespa bicolor Fabricius, a Wasp from South China

We analyzed, for the first time, the major components and biological properties of the venom of Vespa bicolor, a wasp from South China. Using HPLC and SDS-PAGE, combined with LC–MS/MS, MALDI-TOF-MS, and NMR data to analyze V. bicolor venom (VBV), we found that VBV contains three proteins (hyaluronidase A, phospholipase A1 (two isoforms), and antigen 5 protein) with allergenic activity, two unreported proteins (proteins 5 and 6), and two active substances with large quantities (mastoparan-like peptide 12a (Vb-MLP 12a), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)). In addition, the antimicrobial activity of VBV was determined, and results showed that it had a significant effect against anaerobic bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration for Propionibacterium acnes were 12.5 µg/mL. Unsurprisingly, VBV had strong antioxidant activity because of the abundance of 5-HT. Contrary to other Vespa venom, VBV showed significant anti-inflammatory activity, even at low concentrations (1 µg/mL), and we found that Vb-MLP 12a showed pro-inflammatory activity by promoting the proliferation of RAW 264.7 cells. Cytotoxicity studies showed that VBV had similar antiproliferative effects against all tested tumor cell lines (HepG2, Hela, MCF-7, A549, and SASJ-1), with HepG2 being the most susceptible. Overall, this study on VBV has high clinical importance and promotes the development of Vespa bicolor resources.