Search Results (13)

Zanthoxyli Pericarpium (ZP), the dried pericarp of mature fruits of Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold and Zucc., has traditionally been used in East Asian medicine for its medicinal properties, but its therapeutic potential in periodontitis has not been elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the effects of ZP on ligature-induced experimental periodontitis (EPD) in male Sprague Dawley rats. Animals were assigned to vehicle control, ligature control, ZP-treated (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg), or indomethacin-treated (5 mg/kg) groups (n = 10 per group) and orally administered the respective treatments daily for 10 days after ligature placement. ZP significantly reduced anaerobic bacterial proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration in gingival tissue. ZP suppressed the production of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β, in both gingival tissues and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, through inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways. In addition, ZP decreased myeloperoxidase activity and reduced matrix metalloproteinase-8 expression, thereby preserving collagen areas. ZP also restored the receptor activator of NF-κB ligand/osteoprotegerin (RANKL/OPG) balance, leading to a reduction in osteoclast numbers and their occupancy on the alveolar surface, and it effectively ameliorated horizontal alveolar bone loss. Furthermore, ZP exhibited antioxidant effects by lowering malondialdehyde levels and inducible nitric oxide synthase activity in gingival tissues. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA followed by a post hoc test, with significance set at p < 0.05. These findings indicate that ZP mitigates periodontitis through combined antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-resorptive actions, supporting its potential as a therapeutic candidate for periodontitis. Full article

Incorporating specific nutritional supplements into animal diets can significantly enhance the quality and various characteristics of animal meat. This study investigated the effects of fermented Zanthoxylum schinifolium leaves (ZSLs) on growth performance, meat quality, and sensory attributes in Sanhuang chickens. Three hundred one-day-old Sanhuang chickens were randomly divided into five groups and reared for 70 days: NC (control, basal diet), NF (6% unfermented ZSLs), LDG (3% fermented ZSLs), MDG (6% fermented ZSLs), and HDG (9% fermented ZSLs). Supplementation with 6% fermented ZSLs significantly increased the leg muscle percentage by 7.4% and decreased the abdominal fat percentage by 22.6%. Meat quality improved notably in MDG, with higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Increasing the proportion of fermented ZSLs enhanced the levels of umami amino acids and sweet amino acids by 36.5% and 11.6%, respectively. Additionally, the enhancement of aroma and flavor of chicken may be correlated with supplementation of fermented ZSLs. These results establish fermented ZSLs as a valuable feed additive for improving production efficiency and meat quality in Sanhuang chickens. Full article

The harvesting of green Sichuan pepper remains heavily reliant on manual field operations, but automation can enhance the efficiency, quality, and sustainability of the process. However, challenges such as intertwined branches, dense foliage, and overlapping pepper clusters hinder intelligent harvesting by causing inaccuracies in target recognition and localization. This study compared the performance of multiple You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithms for recognition and proposed a cluster segmentation method based on K-means++ and a cutting-point localization strategy using geometry-based iterative optimization. A dataset containing 14,504 training images under diverse lighting and occlusion scenarios was constructed. Comparative experiments on YOLOv5s, YOLOv8s, and YOLOv11s models revealed that YOLOv11s achieved a recall of 0.91 in leaf-occluded environments, marking a 21.3% improvement over YOLOv5s, with a detection speed of 28 Frames Per Second(FPS). A K-means++-based cluster separation algorithm (K = 1~10, optimized via the elbow method) was developed and was combined with OpenCV to iteratively solve the minimum circumscribed triangle vertices. The longest median extension line of the triangle was dynamically determined to be the cutting point. The experimental results demonstrated an average cutting-point deviation of 20 mm and a valid cutting-point ratio of 69.23%. This research provides a robust visual solution for intelligent green Sichuan pepper harvesting equipment, offering both theoretical and engineering significance for advancing the automated harvesting of Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum schinifolium) as a specialty economic crop. Full article

Leaf spot is a common disease of Zanthoxylum schinifolium (Z. schinifolium), which can seriously harm the plant’s ability to grow, flower, and fruit. Therefore, it is important to identify the mechanism of leaf spot caused by Pestalotiopsis kenyana (P. kenyana) for thorough comprehension and disease control. In this study, to verify whether the mycotoxins produced by P. kenyana cause leaf spot disease, the best medium for P. kenyana, namely PDB, was used. The mycotoxins were determined by ammonium sulfate precipitation as non-protein substances. The crude mycotoxin of P. kenyana was prepared, and the optimal eluent was eluted with petroleum either/ethyle acetate (3:1, v/v) and purified by silica gel column chromatography and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography to obtain the pure mycotoxins PK-1, PK-2, and PK-3. The PK-3 had the highest toxicity to Z. schinifolium, which may be the primary mycotoxin, according to the biological activity test using the spray method. The physiological and biochemical indexes of Z. schinifolium plants treated with PK-3 mycotoxin were determined. Within 35 days after mycotoxin treatment, the results showed that the protein content and malondialdehyde content of leaves increased over time. The soluble sugar and chlorophyll content decreased over time. The superoxide dismutase activity and catalase activity of the leaves increased first and then decreased, and the above changes were the same as those of Z. schinifolium inoculated with the spore suspension of the pathogen. Therefore, it is believed that the mycotoxin pestalopyrone could be a virulence factor that helps P. kenyana induce the infection of Z. schinifolium. In this study, the pathogenic mechanism of Z. schinifolium leaf spot was discussed, offering a theoretical foundation for improved disease prevention and control. Full article

Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold et Zuccarini belongs to the Rutaceae family and has been widely used as a spice in East Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Japan. The present study focused on developing and validating a simultaneous analytical method for marker substances (bergapten and schinifoline) in Z. schinifolium seeds. This was achieved using high-performance liquid chromatography with a photo-diode array detector (HPLC-PDA) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) systems. In the regression equation, all markers showed a coefficient of determination of ≥0.9990. Marker recovery was 96.90–105.16% (relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤ 2.23), and the intra- and interday precision was RSD < 3.00. Bergapten and schinifoline were detected in the seeds at 1.70–2.85 mg/g and 0.19–0.94 mg/g, respectively. This analytical method will improve quality control of Z. schinifolium seeds. Additionally, this assay will provide basic data and quality assurance for future biological activity experiments or clinical applications. Full article

Pepper leaf spot is a common disease of Zanthoxylum schinifolium. When it is serious, it directly affects the growth of Z. schinifolium, making the plant unable to blossom and bear fruit, which seriously restricts the development of the Z. schinifolium industry. Therefore, the pathogenic mechanism of leaf spots should be explored to provide a basis for a comprehensive understanding of the disease. Using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) technology combined with the data-dependent acquisition, the full spectrum analysis of pathogen mycelium samples was carried out. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to reveal the differences in metabolic patterns among different groups. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and PLS-DA were used to reveal the relationship between samples and metabolites, which reflected the metabolomics changes of Pestalotiopsis kenyana in the logarithmic growth phase of mycelia, the stable growth phase of mycelia, the massive spore stage, the induction culture conditions of PDA and Z. schinifolium leaves, and the possible pathogenic substances were selected for pathogenicity detection. PLS-DA had a strong predictive ability, indicating a clear analysis trend between different groups. The results of the metabolomics analysis showed that the differential metabolites of pathogenic bacteria were abundant at different stages and under different medium conditions, and the content of metabolites changed significantly. There were 3922 differential metabolites in nine groups under positive and negative ion modes, including lipids and lipid molecules, organic acids and their derivatives, organic heterocyclic compounds, organic oxygen compounds, carbohydrate polyketides, nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogs. The results of the pathogenicity test showed that the leaves treated with 3,5-dimethoxy benzoic acid, S-(5-adenosy)-l-homocysteine, 2-(1H-indol-3-yl) acetic acid, l-glutamic acid, and 2-(2-acetyl-3,5-dihydroxy phenyl) acetic acid showed different degrees of yellowish-brown lesions. This indicated that these substances may be related to the pathogenicity of P. kenyana, and the incidence was more serious when treated with 3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid and S-(5-adenosy)- l -homocysteine. This study provides a basis for further analysis of differential metabolites and provides a theoretical reference for the prevention and treatment of Z. schinifolium leaf spot. Full article

Background and objectives: Blood vessel thrombosis causes blood circulation disorders, leading to various diseases. Currently, various antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, such as aspirin, warfarin, heparin, and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), are used as the major drugs for the treatment of a wide range of thrombosis. However, these drugs have a side effect of possibly causing internal bleeding due to poor hemostasis when taken for a long period of time. Materials and Methods: Gastrodia elata Blume (GE) and Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold & Zucc (ZS) are known to exhibit hemostatic and antiplatelet effects as traditional medicines that have been used for a long time. In this study, we investigated the effect of a mixed extract of GE and ZS (MJGE09) on platelet aggregation and plasma coagulation. Results: We found that MJGE09 inhibited collagen-and ADP-induced platelet aggregation in vitro. In addition, collagen- and ADP-induced platelet aggregation were also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner on the platelets of mice that were orally administered MJGE09 ex vivo. However, compared with aspirin, MJGE09 did not prolong the rat tail vein bleeding time in vivo and did not show a significant effect on the increase in the prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Conclusions: These results suggest that MJGE09 can be used as a potential anticoagulant with improved antithrombotic efficacy. Full article

The fruit and pericarp of Zanthoxylum schinifolium (ZS) have been used in traditional medicine; however, few studies have characterized ZS fruit and pericarp. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the safety of ZS fruit (ZSF) and pericarp (ZSP) extracts and compared their bioactivity. To evaluate the safety of ZSF and ZSP, mutagenicity, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress assays were performed and nontoxic concentration ranges were obtained. ZSP was found to be superior to ZSF in terms of its antimutagenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. In the S9 mix, the mutation inhibition rate of ZSP was close to 100% at concentrations exceeding 625 µg·plate⁻¹ for both the TA98 and TA100 strains. ZSP exhibited efficient DPPH (IC₅₀ = 75.6 ± 6.1 µg·mL⁻¹) and ABTS (IC₅₀ = 57.4 ± 6 µg·mL⁻¹) scavenging activities. ZSP inhibited the release of cytokines, involved in IL-1β (IC₅₀ = 134.4 ± 7.8), IL-6 (IC₅₀ = 262.8 ± 11.2), and TNF-α (IC₅₀ = 223.8 ± 5.8). These results indicate that ZSP contains a higher amount of biochemicals than ZSF, or that ZSP contains unique biochemicals. In conclusion, for certain physiological activities, the use of ZSP alone may be more beneficial than the combined use of ZSF and ZSP. Full article

Daegunjoong-tang (DGJT) is an oriental medicine consisting of four medicinal herbs (Zingiber officinale Rosc., Panax ginseng C.A.Mey., Oryza sativa L., and Zanthoxylum schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc.) that is used to treat intestinal- and cancer-related diseases. In this study, a protocol for quality control of DGJT based on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis were developed. In HPLC analysis, the marker analytes (hyperoside, quercitrin, ginsenoside Rg1, and 6-gingerol) were separated, verified, and quantified using a mobile phase of 0.1% (v/v) aqueous formic acid–0.1% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile system, and a C18 reverse-phase column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, particle size; 5 m) maintained at 40 °C. In LC–MS/MS analysis, all analytes were separated using a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C₁₈ column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, particle size; 1.7 μm). Using the developed HPLC and LC–MS/MS methods, the four marker analytes were found in the samples at 0.95–13.86 mg/g (HPLC) and 0.27–2.42 mg/g (LC–MS/MS). The assay will be useful for evaluating the quality of DGJT. Full article

Zanthoxylum schinifolium and Zanthoxylum piperitum are the sources of the well-known traditional Korean herbal medicines “sancho” (prickly ash) and “chopi” (Korean pepper), respectively. Sancho and chopi are often indiscriminately mixed due to the similar appearance of the herbal materials when used as spices and herbal medicines. Moreover, commercial sancho and chopi products often contain adulterants, which is insufficient to ensure food efficacy and safety. In this study, we developed hypervariable insertion/deletion (InDel) markers to distinguish between sancho and chopi products by comparing the complete chloroplast genome sequences of four Zanthoxylum species deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank. Comparative analyses of the nucleotide diversity (Pi) of these Zanthoxylum genomes revealed four hypervariable divergent sites (trnH-psbA, psbZ-trnG, trnfM-rps14, and trnF-ndhK) with Pi > 0.025 among 520 windows. Of these four regions, including two genic and two intergenic regions, only psbZ-trnG yielded accurate PCR amplification results between commercial sancho and chopi products from the Korean herbal medicine market. We therefore selected psbZ-trnG, an InDel-variable locus with high discriminatory powers, as a candidate DNA barcode locus. This InDel marker could be used as a valuable, simple, and efficient tool for identifying these medicinal herbs, thereby increasing the safety of these spices and herbal materials in the food market. Full article

Zanthoxylum schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc. (Rutaceae), a dioecious shrub with hooked prickly branches, has been used as folk medicine for the treatment of the common cold, stomach ache, diarrhea, and jaundice in China, Korea, and Japan. In our phytochemical investigations on this genus, a new megastigmane sesquiterpenoid, which is referred to as schinifolenol A (1), was isolated from Z. schinifolium. The stereochemistry was characterized via the analyses of extensive spectra. The absolute configuration was established by the application of a modified Mosher’s experiment and assisted by a time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) on calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Bioactivity screenings showed that compound 1 exhibited a safe hypotoxicity and a better selectivity on anti-Kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpes virus (KSHV). Full article

Schinifoline (SF), a 4-quinolinone derivative, was found in Zanthoxylum schinifolium for the first time. 4-Quinolinone moieties are thought to have cytotoxic activity and are often used as a tubulin polymerization inhibitors, heterogeneous enzyme inhibitors and antiplatelet agents. However, very little information respect to radiosensitization has focused on SF. This work aimed to investigate the radiosensitizing effect of SF on A549 cells. The cell viability results indicated cytotoxicity of SF on A549 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 33.7 ± 2.4, 21.9 ± 1.9 and 16.8 ± 2.2 μg/mL, respectively, after 6, 12, 24 h treatment with different concentrations, and the 10% or 20% IC₅₀ concentration during 12 h was applied in later experiments. The results of cell proliferative inhibition and clonogenic assay showed that SF enhanced the radiosensitivity of A549 cells when applied before ⁶⁰Co γ-irradiation and this effect was mainly time and concentration dependent. The flow cytometric data indicated that SF treatment before the irradiation increased the G₂/M phase, thus improving the radiosensitivity of A549, leading to cell apoptosis. This paper is the first study that describes the in vitro radiosensitising, cell cycle and apoptotic-inducing effects of schinifoline. Full article

In our screening program for new agrochemicals from Chinese medicinal herbs and wild plants, Zanthoxylum schinifolium essential oils were found to possess strong insecticidal activity against the maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais. The essential oils of Z. schinifolium fruits and leaves were extracted via hydrodistillation and investigated by GC and GC-MS. Estragole (69.52%) was the major compound of the essential oil of fresh fruits, followed by linalool (8.63%) and limonene (4.34%) and 94.33% of the total components were monoterpenoids. The main components of the essential oil of fresh leaves were linalool (12.94%), ar-tumerone (8.95%), limonene (6.45%) and elixene (5.43%) and only 50.62% were monoterpenoids. However, the essential oil from purchased fruits contained linalool (33.42%), limonene (13.66%) and sabinene (5.72%), followed by estragole (4.67%), nerol (4.56%) and 4-terpineol (4.27%). Estragole, linalool and sabinene were separated and purified by silica gel column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography, and further identified by means of physicochemical and spectrometric analysis. The essential oil from the fresh fruits (LD₅₀ = 15.93 μg/adult) possessed two times more toxicity to the insects compared with that of fresh leaves (LD₅₀ = 35.31 μg/adult). Estragole, linalool and sabinene exhibited contact activity against S. zeamais with LD₅₀ values of 17.63, 13.90 and 23.98 μg/adult, respectively. The essential oils of Z. schinifolium possessed strong fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais adults with LC₅₀ values of 13.19 mg/L (fresh fruits), 24.04 mg/L (fresh leaves) and 17.63 mg/L (purchased fruits). Estragole, linalool and sabinene also exhibited strong fumigant toxicity against the maize weevils with LC₅₀ values of 14.10, 10.46 and 9.12 mg/L, respectively. Full article