Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects 200 million people worldwide, and 75% of HCV cases progress into chronic infections, which consequently cause cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV infection is treated with currently considered standard drugs, including direct anti-viral agents (DAAs), alone or in combination with peginterferon-α plus ribavirin. However, sustained viral responses vary in d...

Lonicera japonica Thunb, rich in chlorogenic acid (CHA), is used for viral upper respiratory tract infection treatment caused by influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus, ect in China. It was reported that CHA reduced serum hepatitis B virus level and death rate of influenza virus-infected mice. However, the underlying mechanisms of CHA against the influenza A virus...

Oceanic archipelagos often hold very specialized floras with high degrees of endemism. These floras are frequently highly vulnerable to disturbance by natural causes and human intervention. The Juan Fernandez Islands (Chile) in the Pacific Ocean are a small archipelago of only three islands. Since discovery in 1574 by Juan Fernandez, human activities have altered floristic composition and survi...

Invasive plants decrease biodiversity, modify vegetation structure, and inhibit growth and reproduction of native species. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.) is the most prevalent invasive vine in the forestlands of eastern Texas. Hence, we aimed to identify potential factors influencing the distribution of the species, quantify the relative importance of each factor, and test poss...

In the present study, we investigated DNA barcoding effectiveness to characterize honeybee pollen pellets, a food supplement largely used for human nutrition due to its therapeutic properties. We collected pollen pellets using modified beehives placed in three zones within an alpine protected area (Grigna Settentrionale Regional Park, Italy). A DNA barcoding reference database, including rbcL a...

Luteolin is a falvonoid compound derived from Lonicera japonica Thunb. Numerous reports have demonstrated that luteolin has anticancer effects on many kinds of tumors. This study investigated the effects of luteolin on prostate cancer (PCa), assessing the PC3 and LNCaP cells. The cell viability and apoptosis were assessed by performing Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and Annexin V-fluorescein isothio...

Sample extraction is the first challenge in analysis of herbal medicines (HMs). Numerous methods have been developed to improve extraction efficiency, use less solvent and short time. In this work, a tissue-smashing based ultra-rapid extraction (TSURE) method has been proposed through the designed particle crushing, drastic stir, and dynamic molecular permeation at normal temperature. Factors i...

Studies suggest that the Southeast is an area of primary concern with regards to the spread of alien plant species (Miller 2003, Stapanian and others 1998). Data collected by Stapanian and others in 1998 showed that Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) occurred over 2 million acres in the Southeast, invading forests and displacing native species. Among the most important mechanisms for the ...

Although they are important components of forest communities, the general ecology and spatiotemporal patterns of temperate lianas during forest regeneration are largely unknown. The dependence of lianas on other plants for physical support makes them a potentially important driver of community dynamics. We examined 50 years of vegetation data from an old-field succession study to determine the ...