Search Results (6)

Background/Objectives: Chestnut inner shells, traditionally used in Korean and Chinese herbal medicine, contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that contribute to complementary medicine. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of chestnut inner-shell extract (CIE) on skeletal muscle injury and atrophy using both in vivo and in vitro models. Methods: We used three experimental models representing distinct pathological mechanisms: (1) barium chloride (BaCl₂)-induced muscle injury to model acute myofiber damage, (2) sciatic nerve transection to model chronic neurogenic muscle atrophy, and (3) H₂O₂-treated C2C12 myoblasts to model oxidative-stress-related myogenic impairment. Histological analyses (e.g., hematoxylin and eosin staining and cross-sectional area measurement) and molecular analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of CIE on muscle structure, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Results: In the BaCl₂ injury model, CIE treatment significantly restored the muscle fiber structure, with muscle protein levels returning to near-normal levels. In the denervation-induced muscle atrophy model, CIE treatment led to a dose-dependent decrease in apoptosis-related factors (especially cleaved caspase-3) and mitigated the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In the in vitro oxidative stress model, CIE suppressed the expression of NRF2 and HO-1, which are key oxidative stress response regulators. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CIE may offer therapeutic potential for mitigating skeletal muscle damage, atrophy, and oxidative stress. Full article

Castanea crenata (Fagaceae) is a species of chestnut tree that is endemic to the Republic of Korea and Japan. While its kernels are consumed, chestnut by-products such as shells and burs, which account for 10–15% of the total weight, are discarded as waste. Phytochemical and biological studies have been carried out to eliminate this waste and develop high-value products from its by-products. In this study, five new compounds (1–2, 6–8) along with seven known compounds were isolated from the shell of C. crenata. This is the first study to report diterpenes from the shell of C. crenata. Comprehensive spectroscopic data including 1D, 2D NMR, and CD spectroscopy were used to determine the compound structures. All isolated compounds were examined for their ability to stimulate dermal papilla cell proliferation using a CCK-8 assay. In particular, 6β,7β,16α,17-Tetrahydroxy-ent-kauranoic acid, isopentyl-α-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside, and ellagic acid exhibited the most potent proliferation activity of all. Full article

Chestnut (Castanea crenata) inner shell extract (CIE), a curative herb in Korea, has diverse pharmacological effects against various diseases including pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, its molecular mechanisms of anti-emphysematous effects are still not fully elucidated. In the present study, we elucidate the efficacy of CIE against emphysematous lesion progression in a cigarette smoke condensate (CSC)-instilled mice and CSC-stimulated H292 cell line. The mice are administered CSC via intranasal instillation at 7-day intervals for 1 month after 1 week of pretreatment with CIE. CIE (100 or 300 mg/kg) is administered by oral gavage for 1 month. CIE decreased the macrophage count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and the severity of emphysematous lesions in lung tissue. Additionally, CIE suppressed the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/nuclear factor kappa B signal pathway and thereby downregulated matrix metalloprotease-9 expression, which was confirmed in CSC-stimulated H292 cells. Thus, CIE effectively inhibited CSC-induced macrophage-driven emphysema progression in airways; this inhibition was associated with the suppression of protease–antiprotease imbalance. Our results propose that CIE has the potential for the alleviation of COPD. Full article

The inner shell of the chestnut (Castanea crenata) has long been used in Asia as a medicinal herb for improving digestion and blood circulation, and treating diarrhea. However, most chestnut shells are now treated as waste materials in industrial peeling processes. In this study, we examined the metabolite variation among major cultivars of C. crenata shells using mass spectrometry. Among five representative cultivars, Okkwang, Porotan, and Ishizuuchi had higher levels of bioactive compounds, such as ellagic acid derivatives, ellagitannins, flavonoids, and gallic acid derivatives. Their antioxidant capacity was positively correlated with their chemical composition. The byproducts (whole shells) from the industrial peeling process were re-evaluated in comparison with the inner shell, a rich source of phenolic compounds. The phenolic acids and flavonoid glucoside derivatives were significantly higher in the whole shells, whereas the levels of flavonoids were higher in the inner shells. In addition, the whole shell extracts significantly reduced cellular reactive oxygen species production compared to the inner shell extracts. This study demonstrated the different biochemical benefits of different C. crenata cultivars through metabolic profiling and suggests that the whole shell could be used as a functional ingredient, as it has the highest levels of bioactive products and antioxidant effects. Full article

The inner shell of the chestnut (Castanea crenata) contains various polyphenols, which exert beneficial biological effects. Hence, we assessed the anti-inflammatory efficacy of a chestnut inner shell extract (CIE) in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma. We intraperitoneally injected 20 μg of OVA with 2 mg of aluminum hydroxide on days 0 and 14. On test days 21, 22, and 23, the mice were treated with aerosolized 1% (w/v) OVA in saline. CIE was administered orally at 100 and 300 mg/kg on days 18–23. CIE significantly reduced inflammatory cytokines and cells and immunoglobulin-E increased by OVA. Anti-inflammatory efficacy was revealed by reduction of inflammatory cell migration and mucus secretion in lung tissue. Further, CIE suppressed the OVA-induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) phosphorylation. Accordingly, the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were decreased sequentially in lung tissues. CIE alleviated OVA-induced airway inflammation by restraining phosphorylation of NF-κB and the sequentially reduced expression of iNOS, COX-2, leading to reduced MMP-9 expression. These results indicate that CIE has potential as a candidate for alleviating asthma. Full article

Microglia activation and the release of various inflammatory cytokines are largely related to neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other brain diseases. The suppression of microglial cells using natural bioactive compounds has become increasingly important for brain therapy owing to the expected beneficial effect of lower toxicity. Scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin), a major bioactive compound found in various plant parts, including the inner shell of chestnut (Castanea crenata), was evaluated on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV-2 microglia cells. The results indicated that scoparone suppresses the LPS-stimulated increase of neuroinflammatory responses and inhibited the pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the BV-2 microglial cells. A mechanistic study showed that scoparone specifically inhibited the LPS-stimulated activation via a major regulation of IRF-3 and a regulation of ERK, whereby the phosphorylation in the BV-2 microglial cells is blocked. These data suggest that scoparone has anti-neuroinflammatory effects in LPS-activated BV-2 microglial cells, and could possibly be used in the development of novel drugs for the prevention and treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases. Full article