BRE potentiated the activity of β-lactams, particularly CLX, against β-lactam-resistant staphylococci by damaging the CM and PG layer, leading to leakage of intracellular material. Combination of BRE and β-lactams provides a potential way forward in developing novel antistaphylococcal agents.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Cordyceps sinensis extract (CSE) and Gymnema inodorum extract (GIE), used alone and combined, on antiadipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Oil Red O staining was used to examine the effects of these extracts on inhibition of intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and on lipid droplet morphology. Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy was used to examine biomolecular changes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The pancreatic lipase assay was used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of CSE and GIE on pancreatic lipase activity. Taken together, the results indicated that CSE, GIE, and their combination suppressed lipid accumulation. The FTIR microspectroscopy results indicated that CSE, GIE, and their combination had inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation in the adipocytes. Compared with the untreated adipocytes, the signal intensity and integrated areas of glycogen and other carbohydrates, the acyl chain of phospholipids, and the lipid/protein ratios of the CSE, GIE, alone, and combined treated adipocytes were significantly lower (p < 0.05). Combination treatment resulted in a synergistic effect on lipid accumulation reduction in the adipocytes. Principal component analysis of the biomolecular changes revealed six distinct clusters in the FTIR spectra of the sample cells. The pancreatic lipase assay results indicated that CSE and GIE inhibited the pancreatic lipase activity in a dose-dependent manner (mean ± standard error of the mean IC50 values, 2312.44 ± 176.55 μg mL−1 and 982.24 ± 44.40 μg mL−1, resp.). Our findings indicated that FTIR microspectroscopy has potential application for evaluation of the effectiveness of medicinal plants and for the development of infrared biochemical obesity markers useful for treating patients with obesity. These results suggested that use of CSE and GIE alone and in combination may be efficacious as a complementary therapy for hyperlipidemia and obesity management. However, clinical trials in animals and humans must first be completed.

Butea superba Roxb. (B. superba) is a herb that has been used for rejuvenation, to improve sexual performance, or to prevent erectile dysfunction function. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that is the main cause of progressive dementia. This study aimed to investigate the amelioration for cognitive and memory dysfunction of B. superba ethanolic extract (BSE), a possible mechanism of action, and its toxicity. The results from the Y-maze test, novel object recognition test, and passive avoidance test exhibited that the administration of BSE at 50 mg/kg (BSL) and 200 mg/kg (BSH) could ameliorate scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in all behavior testing. Moreover, BSE could prevent the cognitive deficit in a dose-dependent manner in a passive avoidance test. Furthermore, BSE inhibited acetylcholinesterase’s (AChE) ex vivo activity in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Also, the in vitro and ex vivo antioxidative effects of BSE revealed that BSE had free radical scavenging activities in both DPPH and FRAP assay. Furthermore, male rats treated with BSE at 200 mg/kg/day for two weeks could significantly increase serum testosterone compared with control ( P < 0.05 ). The GC-MS analysis and previous studies revealed that BSE contained propanoic acid, 3,3′-thiobis-, didodecyl ester, oleic acid, gamma-sitosterol, and stigmasterol which may play an important role in cognitive and memory impairment prevention. The toxicity test of BSE in rats at 50 and 200 mg/kg/day for two weeks showed that relative organ weight, serum creatinine, ALT, ALP, and CBC levels of both treated groups were not significantly different compared to the CON ( P > 0.05 ). These results suggest that BSE may not be toxic to the vital organ and blood. In conclusion, BSE has the potential to be developed as a health supplement product or medicine for AD prevention and treatment.

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