Comprehensive evaluation of chemical constituents and antioxidant activity between crude and processed Polygalae radix based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis.

Polygalae radix (PR) is a famous herbal medicine obtained by drying the root of Polygala tenuifolia Willd., one of the traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) that can be used for healthy food. There are three main processed methods of PR, including removing the xylem of roots (Polygalae Cortex, PC), frying PC with licorice (LP), and frying PC with honey (HP). While processing is believed to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity, it is crucial to understand the differences in chemical composition and biological activities between crude and processed PR. This study used ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) combined with multivariate statistical analysis to analyze the chemical profiles and differences between the crude and processed products. Total polyphenol contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), total saponin contents (TSC) and antioxidant activity of the processed and crude PR were also investigated. A total of 131 chemical compounds, including 42 saponins, 44 oligosaccharide esters, 25 xanthones, 2 organic acids, 3 Carbohydrates, and 15 components detected in auxiliary materials, were detected in all samples. Notably, PC exhibited significant changes among the three processed products, with the content of 62 compounds being higher. Processing of licorice (LP) and honey (HP) decreased the content of several compounds due to temperature and moisture influences. Comprehensive comparison of the antioxidant capacity of crude and processed PR showed that the antioxidant capacity of PC was higher than that of PR, HP, and LP. Our results can provide a scientific basis for further developing and applying P. tenuifolia resources.

Increased phenolic acid and tanshinone production and transcriptional responses of biosynthetic genes in hairy root cultures of Salvia przewalskii Maxim. treated with methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid.

The purpose of this study is to reveal the impact of the plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the growth, effective components accumulation, and related gene expression of the hairy root of Salvia przewalskii Maxim. Various concentrations of SA (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 µM) or MeJA (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, 600 µM) were added to the culture medium of Salvia przewalskii Maxim. Low concentrations of SA promoted the growth of hairy root, while a high concentration inhibited it. 0 to 400 µM MeJA promoted the growth of hairy root, but 600 µM MeJA starts to inhibit its growth. 50 µM SA and 400 µM MeJA significantly enhanced the production of caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone IIA. In general, 50 µM SA can be used to accumulate of tanshinone in hairy roots of S. przewalskii with 6 days. 400 µM MeJA can be used to accumulate of phenolic acids in hairy roots of S. przewalskii with 3 days. The selected genes in the tanshinone and phenolic acid biosynthetic pathway were upregulated with elicitation. To obtain a higher yield and content of secondary metabolites, it is advisable to use 50 µM SA or 400 µM MeJA as the optimal doses to cultivate the hairy root of S. przewalskii. This study provides, for the first time, an efficient tanshinone and phenolic acid production method for S. przewalskii.

Experimental Study on the Protection of Agrimony Extracts from Different Extracting Methods against Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Objective To study the protective effect of agrimony extracts from different extracting methods on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats, in order to optimize the extraction scheme of agrimony. Methods Male rats were randomly assigned into seven groups: 1. Sham-operated group, 2. Untreated MCAO group (MCAO), 3. Petroleum ether extract of Agrimonia pilosa treated MCAO group (PEA), 4. Ethyl acetate extract of Agrimonia pilosa treated MCAO group (EAEA), 5. Ethanol extract of Agrimonia pilosa treated MCAO group (EEA), 6. Water extract of Agrimonia pilosa treated MCAO group (WEA), 7. Nimodipine treated MCAO group (NP). Intragastrical drug administration (i.g) was performed at 0 and 6 hours after MCAO. Neurological function tests were performed after reperfusion for 24 hours, then the brain was removed for the evaluations of the cerebral infarction volume (percentage of total brain volume) by immunohistochemistry, histological changes (hematoxylin-eosin staining), Na+/K+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase (modified method of Svoboda and Mosinger), mRNA expression of Tumor suppressor gene (P53) and hot shock protein (HSP70) (quantitative real-time PCR). Results The neurological function of MCAO group had significantly higher scores than the sham group (P<0.01). The WEA group showed a significantly lower neurological score than the MCAO group (P<0.05), indicating the protective effect of WEA on neurological deficits. The mean infarction volumes of WEA (13.5±6.6%, F=4.75, P<0.01), EEA (19.90±6.90%, F=5.23, P<0.01), PEA (20.40±5.30%, F=4.68, P<0.01) and EAEA (22.50±10.50%, F=6.25, P<0.05) group were all significantly smaller than that of MCAO group (29.40±6.50%). HE staining demonstrated that, compared to the treated groups, the infarcted cerebral tissue of MCAO group had more swelling neural cells, lighter stained nucleus, fewer and irregularly distributed neurons. The activity of Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase reduced in the MCAO group (3.67±0.48 U/mg, 1.28±0.26 U/mg, respectively), and were significantly higher in WEA group (7.56±0.85 U/mg, F=12.65, P=0.010; 3.59±0.22 U/mg, F=8.32, P=0.041, respectively). The MCAO group showed significantly elevated P53 and HSP70 mRNA expressions compared to the sham group (P<0.01, P<0.05). P53 mRNA expressions in Agrimony extracts treated groups were significantly lower than that of the MCAO group (all P<0.01), with the WEA group showing the greatest difference from MCAO group. The HSP70 mRNA level of the treated groups were not significantly different from that of the MCAO group. Conclusions Treatment using water extracts of agrimony can promote the best functional and metabolic recovery for rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, which maybe relate with the upregulation of energy metabolism in nerve cells after MCAO.