Purpose: To explore the potential immunomodulatory effects of total extract and different polar parts from Blaps rynchopetera Fairmaire. Methods: Phagocytic activity was evaluated by neutral red assay, and the effect of the immune function was investigated by normal and immunocompromised mice models. Results: In vitro , total extract, as well as chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water fractions could individually enhance the phagocytic ability of mouse peritoneal macrophages; in addition, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions had an increasing tendency when combined stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In vivo , ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) could enhance the immune organ index, increase the serum hemolysin level and peripheral blood immune cells of immunocompromised mice, while for normal mice, the effect was inconspicuous. Conclusions: Blaps rynchopetera extracts had noteworthy immunomodulatory effect, especially for individuals with immune disorders.

The edible Blaps rynchopetera Fairmaire is widely used for its various medicinal effects. From its ethyl acetate fraction, three new hydroxytyrosol dimers, rynchopeterine H (1), rynchopeterine I (2) and trans-2-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-3-hydroxy-7-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,4-benzdioxane (3), together with four known similar dimers were obtained by chromatography of silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were identified by HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra analysis. Compounds 1-4 were obtained as a mixture, and cytotoxicity screening for HepG2, Caco-2, U251, AGS, B16 and Bel-7402 cell lines showed that the mixture of compounds 1-4 exhibited significantly selective cytotoxicity and good inhibitory activity on the proliferation of mouse melanoma cells (B16) with an IC50 value of 27.37 μg·mL−1.

CII-3 is the effective part of Periplaneta americana for application in oncotherapy. This study investigated its main chemical components for macrophage polarization regulation activity. Compounds were separated and purified, and their structures were elucidated based on NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses. After inducing the M1 and M2 phenotype macrophages, CII-3 and testing components were added and co-incubated to evaluate their effects on the relevant markers of macrophages. Then, gradient concentrations of CII-3 and active monomers were further investigated for their effects on M2 macrophages. The effects were detected by RT-PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. Twelve compounds were identified from CII-3. CII-3 and pericanaside (5) had no obvious effect on M1 macrophages, while they significantly reduced the expression levels of M2 macrophage markers. Specifically, they significantly reduced the levels of TGF-β and IL-10 and the mRNA expression levels of ARG-1 and CD206 in the M2 phenotypes of RAW264.7 and Ana-1 macrophages. The conditioned medium of CII-3 and pericanaside (5) could inhibit the migration capacity of CT26.WT tumor cells. Macrophage M1/M2 polarization is a dynamic equilibrium, and the M2 phenotype, which can promote the growth of tumor cells, is relatively highly expressed in the tumor microenvironment. CII-3 and pericanaside could significantly reduce the phenotype of M2-type macrophages, indicating that the anti-tumor activity of CII-3 could be related to the inhibitory effect on M2 polarization, and pericanaside was one of the active components.

Background The aim of this study was to determine the effect of kangfuxin liquid (KFXL) on inflammatory response, and its underlying mechanism in treating acute ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Material/Methods Mice were provided drinking water containing DSS (3%) for 7 days to induce acute enteritis. The mice were divided into 6 groups: a control group, a DSS-induced (vehicle) group, a sulfasalazine (SASP) group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose kangfuxin liquid groups. Disease activity index (DAI), colon mucosa damage index (CMDI), histopathological score (HS), and organ index were monitored daily. The levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-10 (IL-10) in serum and interleukin-17 (IL-17) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in colon tissue were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Flow cytometry was used to assess the changes of T lymphocyte subsets in spleens of mice to evaluate the therapeutic effect of drugs on acute UC in mice. Results Different doses of kangfuxin liquid reduced the DAI, CMDI, and HS scores ( P <0.01 or P <0.05) of acute UC mice, reduced the level of IL-1β and IL-17 in serum, increased the expression of IL-10 in serum and EGF in colon tissue, increased the number of CD3 + T cells, and decreased the level of CD4 + T cells and the ratio of CD4 + /CD8 + . Conclusions Kangfuxin liquid has a therapeutic effect on DSS-induced acute UC in mice, and its mechanism of action may be associated with regulating immune function and reducing intestinal inflammatory response.