Pharmacokinetics of Arctigenin and Fructus Arctii Powder in Piglets.

Fructus arctii, also known as great power seed, is the dried fruit of Arctium lappa of the family Compositae. It is a commonly used veterinary herbal medicine, and arctigenin is the main active ingredient. The aim of this study was to characterize the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of arctigenin and Fructus arctii powder in piglets. These data were used to provide a theoretical reference for the development and clinical use of new veterinary drugs. Sixteen healthy piglets (mean weight 30.0 ± 5.0 kg) were divided into two groups. One group was administered 2.0 mg/kg body weight (bw) arctigenin intravenously, and the other was administered 1.0 g/kg.bw Fructus arctii powder by gavage. Blood samples were collected from the anterior vena cava at different time points, and the concentration of arctigenin in the plasma of the piglets was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Arctigenin conformed to a two-compartment model with no absorption, and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows: distribution half-life (t 1/2α)-0.166 ± 0.022 h; elimination half-life (t 1/2ß)-3.161 ± 0.296 h; apparent volume of distribution (V d)-0.231 ± 0.033 L/kg; clearance rate (CLb)-0.057 ± 0.003 L/(h.kg); and area under the curve (AUC)-1.189 ± 0.057 g.h/mL. The pharmacokinetic parameters of arctigenin following oral administration of the Fructus arctii powder were as follows: absorption half-life (t 1/2ka)-0.274 ± 0.102 h, t 1/2α-1.435 ± 0.725 h, t 1/2ß-63.467 ± 29.115 h, V d-1.680 ± 0.402 L/kg, CLb-0.076 ± 0.028 L/(h kg), peak time (t max)-0.853 ± 0.211 h, peak concentration (C max)-0.430 ± 0.035 g/mL, and AUC-14.672 ± 4.813 g/mL. These results indicated that intravenous arctigenin was sparingly distributed in tissues. In contrast, orally administered Fructus arctii powder was rapidly absorbed, more widely distributed, and more slowly eliminated than the intravenous arctigenin, which may indicate its sustained pharmacological effects.

Organoids of liver diseases: From bench to bedside.

Understanding the occurrence, development, and treatment of liver diseases is the main goal of hepatopathology research. Liver diseases are not only diverse but also highly heterogeneous among individuals. At present, research on liver diseases is conducted mainly through cell culture, animal models, pathological specimens, etc. However, these methods cannot fully reveal the pathogenic mechanism and therapeutic characteristics of individualized liver diseases. Recent advances in three-dimensional cell culture technology (organoid culture techniques) include pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells that are cultured in vitro to form self-organizing properties, making it possible to achieve individualized liver disease research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the development of liver organoids, the existing and potential applications of liver regenerative medicine, the pathogenesis of liver disease heterogeneity, and drug screening.

One new lignan derivative from the Combretum alfredii Hance.

One new lignan derivative 2,3-dimethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-6,7-dihydroxynaphthalene (1), together with five known compounds (2-6), were isolated from ethanol extract of the branches and leaves of Combretum alfredii Hance collected in Hainan Province, China. Their structures were elucidated by the detailed analysis of comprehensive spectroscopic data. Compounds 1, 2, 5 and 6 were isolated from the genus of Combretum for the first time. All compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities. Compounds 1 and 2 showed significant antibacterial activities against six pathogenic bacteria.

Simultaneous Determination of Eight Alkaloids in Rat Plasma by UHPLC-MS/MS after Oral Administration of Coptis deltoidea C. Y. Cheng et Hsiao and Coptis chinensis Franch.

A ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method was successfully developed and validated for the identification and determination of eight alkaloids: tetrahydropalmatine (A); palmatine (B); magnoflorine (C); columbamine (D); berberine (E); worenine (F); berberrubine (G) and coptisine (H) in rat plasma, which are the active components in Coptis deltoidea C. Y. cheng et Hsiao (CCY) and Coptis chinensis Franch (CF). The chromatographic separation of analytes was successfully achieved on an Agilent SB-C18 column (1.8 µm, 150 mm × 2.1 mm) using a programme with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water containing 0.3% acetic acid at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The analytes were detected with a triple quadrupole tandem MS in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode and an electrospray ionization (ESI) source in positive mode. The validated method showed good linearity over a wide concentration range (r² > 0.991), and lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) less than 1.1 ng/mL for all analytes, and matrix effects ranged from 85.2% to 106.8%. The mean extraction recoveries were no less than 86.4%, and the precision and accuracy were within the acceptable limits. All analytes were proven to be stable during sample storage and analysis procedures. The method validation results demonstrated that the proposed method was sensitive, specific, and reliable, which could lay a foundation for the pharmacokinetic study of eight analytes after oral administration of CCY and CF in subsequent studies.

One new berberine from the branches and leaves of Polyalthia obliqua Hook.f. & Thomson.

One new alkaloid consanguine B (1), together with 10 known alkaloids (2-11), were isolated from ethanol extract of the branches and leaves of Polyalthia obliqua Hook.f. & Thomson collected in the Hainan Province, China. Their structures were elucidated by the detailed analysis of comprehensive spectroscopic data. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities. Compound 1 showed weak cytotoxic activities against Hela and MCF-7 human cancer cell lines.

Two new isoxazolines from the husks of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge.

Two new isoxazoline compounds, 1-oxa-2-azaspiro[4.5]dec-2-ene-8ß-ol (1) and 1-oxa-2-azaspiro[4.5]dec-2-ene-8α-ol (2), were isolated from the husks of fruits of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge and their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses, including X-ray crystallography, HRESI-MS, UV, IR, and 1D and 2D NMR (HSQC, HMBC, NOESY) methods. Neither compound showed significant inhibitory effects on butyrylcholinesterase (BuchE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), nor the selected tumor cells growth. Based on an online activity prediction program (PASS ONLINE), the structures with isoxazoline skeletons were found to show potential anti-asthmatic (AM) and anti-anaphylaxis (AP) activities; moreover, compounds 1 and 2 were predicted to possess high affinities for many enzymes involved in AM and AP according to the RCSB Protein Data Bank. High-affinity binding to phosphodiesterase IV (PDE-4), an important inflammatory modulator in asthma, was demonstrated experimentally, beside that, the predicted structures based on compounds 1 and 2 were analyzed for PDE-4 interactions using the molecular docking methodology of Discovery Studio 3.0 (DS 3.0). The predicted structure 2A-6 exhibited much higher affinity and stability of PDE-4 binding than the clinical PDE-4 inhibitor rolipram.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitory activity of dimeric dihydrochalcone glycosides from flowers of Helichrysum arenarium.

A methanol extract of everlasting flowers of Helichrysum arenarium L. Moench (Asteraceae) was found to inhibit the increase in blood glucose elevation in sucrose-loaded mice at 500 mg/kg p.o. The methanol extract also inhibited the enzymatic activity against dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV, IC50 = 41.2 µg/ml), but did not show intestinal α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. From the extract, three new dimeric dihydrochalcone glycosides, arenariumosides V-VII (2-4), were isolated, and the stereostructures were elucidated based on their spectroscopic properties and chemical evidence. Of the constituents, several flavonoid constituents, including 2-4, were isolated, and these isolated constituents were investigated for their DPP-IV inhibitory effects. Among them, chalconaringenin 2'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (16, IC50 = 23.1 µM) and aureusidin 6-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (35, 24.3 µM) showed relatively strong inhibitory activities.

Extracts and compounds with anti-diabetic complications and anti-cancer activity from Castanea mollissina Blume (Chinese chestnut).

BACKGROUND: Castanea mollissima Blume (Chinese chestnut), as a food product is known for its various nutrients and functional values to the human health. The present study was carried out to analyze the anti-diabetic complications and anti-cancer activities of the bioactive compounds present in C. mollissima. METHODS: The kernels (CK), shells (CS) and involucres (CI) parts of C. Blume were extracted with 90% alcohol. The water suspension of these dried alcohol extracts were extracted using EtOAc and n-BuOH successively. The n-BuOH fraction of CI (CI-B) was isolated by silica gel column, Sephadex LH 20 column and preparative HPLC. The isolated compounds were identified by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HMBC, HMQC and ESI-Q-TOF MS, All the fractions and compounds isolated were evaluated on human recombinant aldose reductase (HR-AR) assay, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation assay and human COLO 320 DM colon cancer cells inhibitory assay. RESULTS: CI-B was found to show a significant inhibitory effect in above biological screenings. Six flavonoids and three polyphenolic acids were obtained from CI-B. They were identified as kaempferol (1), kaempferol-3-O-[6''-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl]-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), kaempferol-3-O-[6''-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl]-ß-D-galactopyranoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-[2''-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl]-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4), kaempferol-3-O-[2", 6"-di-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl]-ß-D-glucopyranoside (5) and kaempferol-3-O-[2", 6"-di-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl]-ß-D-galactopyranoside (6), casuariin (7), casuarinin (8) and castalagin (9). Compounds 2-9 were found to show higher activity than quercetin (positive control) in the AR assay. Compounds 3-6, 8, and 9 showed stronger inhibitory effects than amino guanidine (positive control) on AGEs production. Compounds 4-6, 7, and 8 showed much higher cytotoxic activity than 5-fluorouracil (positive control) against the human COLO 320 DM colon cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that flavonoids and polyphenolic acids possesses anti-diabetes complications and anti-cancer properties, and they were presumed to be the bioactive components of Castanea mollissima Blume.

Quinolone alkaloids with antibacterial and cytotoxic activities from the fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa.

Five new quinolone alkaloids, euocarpines A-E (16-20), four new natural products (1, 4, 12, and 14), and eleven known natural products were isolated from the fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated based on spectroscopic evidence. All compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against three strains and for their cytotoxic activity against four human tumor cell lines. The results revealed that 5, 7-11, 13, 14, and 16-20 exhibited moderate antibacterial activities (MIC values: 4-128 µg/mL), and 9, 11, 14, and 17 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities against HepG-2, Hela, BEL7402, and BEL7403 (IC50 values: 15.85-56.36 µM).

Two new compounds with cytotoxic activity on the human melanoma A375-S2 cells from Daphne giraldii callus cells.

Four compounds were isolated from Daphne giraldii callus cells, and their structures were characterized as daphnenone (1), daphnolon (2), R-( - )-1-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-5-phenyl-1,5-pentandione (3), and S-(+)-daphneolone-4'-O-ß-d-glucoside (4) on the basis of MS, NMR spectrographic analysis, and chemical methods. All of the four compounds possessed C6-C5-C6 carbon skeleton, and among them, 3 and 4 were two new compounds. In activity screening test, compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 showed different degrees of cytotoxic activity against the tumor cells of human melanoma A375-S2 by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium hydrobromide method, with IC(50) values of 29.8, 51.0, 41.0, and 150.0 µM, respectively. Furthermore, we found the important target which could explain the cytotoxic mechanism of the four compounds by using autodock 4.0, a structure-guided discovery approach, and the important residues CYS532, GLY534, and SER535 of B-Raf kinase have been discovered.

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of flavonoids in Spirodela polyrrhiza by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

INTRODUCTION: Spirodela polyrrhiza (L.) Schleid. is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of influenza. Despite its wide use in Chinese medicine, no report on quality control of this herb is available so far. OBJECTIVE: To establish qualitative and quantitative analytical methods by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) for the quality control of S. polyrrhiza. METHODOLOGY: The methanol extract of S. polyrrhiza was analysed by HPLC/ESI-MS(n). Flavonoids were identified by comparing with reference standards or according to their MS(n) (n = 2-4) fragmentation behaviours. Based on LC/MS data, a standardised HPLC fingerprint was established by analysing 15 batches of commercial herbal samples. Furthermore, quantitative analysis was conducted by determining five major flavonoids, namely luteolin 8-C-glucoside, apigenin 8-C-glucoside, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, apigenin 7-O-glucoside and luteolin. RESULTS: A total of 18 flavonoids were identified by LC/MS, and 14 of them were reported from this herb for the first time. The HPLC fingerprints contained 10 common peaks, and could differentiate good quality batches from counterfeits. The total contents of five major flavonoids in S. polyrrhiza varied significantly from 4.28 to 19.87 mg/g. CONCLUSION: Qualitative LC/MS and quantitative HPLC analytical methods were established for the comprehensive quality control of S. polyrrhiza.

Constituents with α-glucosidase and advanced glycation end-product formation inhibitory activities from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.

The 75% ethanol extract from roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (Dan shen) afforded two new compounds, 3-hydroxy-2-(2'-formyloxy-1'-methylethyl)-8-methyl-1,4-phenanthrenedione (1), (8'R)-isosalvianolic acid C methyl ester (2), and 14 known compounds. Their structures were established on the basis of spectral analysis. The ability of the compounds to inhibit α-glucosidase activity and formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) was evaluated. All compounds displayed various degrees of inhibitory effects against α-glucosidase; moreover, compounds 2, 6, 11, 14, and 16 exhibited much more potent inhibition against AGEs than the positive control (aminoguanidine, AG, IC(50) 0.11 µM). This is the first time that compounds from this plant have been reported to have inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase.

New triterpenes from Salacia hainanensis Chun et How with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

Fractionation of the methanol extract from the roots of Salacia hainanensis Chun et How showing the potent inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase afforded two new lupane derivatives, 3α,28-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-2-one (1) and 3α-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-2-one (2), a new friedelane derivative, D:A-friedo-oleanane-7α,30-dihydroxy-3-one (3), and a novel natural product, 2,3-seco-lup-20(29)-en-2,3-dioic acid (4), along with four known compounds (5-8). Their structures were established on the basis of spectral analysis, especially on the data afforded by 2D NMR and high-resolution mass spectra experiments. All of them showed a much stronger inhibiting activity on α-glucosidase than the positive control (acarbose, IC50 = 5.83 µM). Constituents with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity from this plant are reported for the first time.

Microbial transformation of asiatic acid by Alternaria longipes.

Asiatic acid is a major pentacyclic triterpene isolated from Centella asiatica. It shows a variety of bioactivities. In order to obtain its derivatives, potentially useful for detailed pharmacological studies, the substrate was subjected to incubations with selected micro-organisms. In this work, asiatic acid was converted into three new compounds: 2α,3ß,23,30-tetrahydroxyurs-12-ene-28-oic acid (1), 2α,3ß,22ß,23-tetrahydroxyurs-12-ene-28-oic acid (2), and 2α,3ß,22ß,23,30-pentahydroxyurs-12-ene-28-oic acid (3) by the fungus Alternaria longipes AS 3.2875. The structures of the three metabolites were determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectral data.

Three new cassane diterpenes from the seeds of Caesalpinia minax Hance.

Three new cassane-diterpene-lactones, methyl 1α,7ß-diacetoxy-5α,12α-dihydroxy-cass-13(15)-en-16,12-olide-17ß-carboxylate (1), methyl 7ß-acetoxy-1α,5α,12α-trihydroxy-cass-13(15)-en-16,12-olide-17ß-carboxylate (2), and 12α-ethoxyl-1α,6α,7ß-triacetoxy-5α,14ß-dihydroxy-cass-13(15)-en-16,12-olide (3), were isolated from the seeds of Caesalpinia minax Hance. Their structures were established on the basis of HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis.

Protein tyrosine kinase pathway-derived ROS/NO productions contribute to G2/M cell cycle arrest in evodiamine-treated human cervix carcinoma HeLa cells.

A previous study indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) played pivotal roles in mediating cytotoxicity of evodiamine in human cervix carcinoma HeLa cells. This study suggested that G2/M cell cycle arrest was triggered by ROS/NO productions with regulations of p53, p21, cell division cycle 25C (Cdc25C), Cdc2 and cyclin B1, which were able to be prevented by protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity inhibitor genistein or JNK inhibitor SP600125. The decreased JNK phosphorylation by addition of Ras or Raf inhibitor, as well as the increased cell viability by addition of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), Ras, Raf or c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, further demonstrated that the Ras-Raf-JNK pathway was responsible for this PTK-mediated signalling. These observations provide a distinct look at PTK pathway for its suppressive effect on G2/M transition by inductions of ROS/NO generations.

Constituents from the testas of Castanea mollissima Blume with alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

In the screening of biologically active constituents from medicinal plants, the 75% EtOH extract of the testas of Castanea mollissima Blume showed potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity. By means of various chromatographic methods, the extract gave a new dammarane-type triterpene 1 along with 17 known compounds. The structure of 1 was determined to be 3beta-acetoxy-20-oxo-21-nordammaran-23-oic acid by HRMS and NMR studies including 2D NMR experiments. The new compound and some known compounds showed potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity with acarbose as a positive control.

Two new alkaloids from Gelsemium elegans.

Two new alkaloids, named gelsenine (1) and 11-methoxyhumantenmine (2), were isolated from the whole plant of Gelsemium elegans. The structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and MS methods.

Structure and absolute configuration of a diterpenoid from Castanea mollissima.

From the nuts of Castanea mollissima Blume, a new kauranoid diterpene glycoside, named mollioside (1), was isolated. Its structure was established as (4R, 5S, 6R, 8R, 9S, 10S, 13R, 16R) 17-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, ent-6,7-epoxy-6alpha-hydroxyl-6,7-secokaur-19-oic acid, 6, 19-lactone-16beta, 17-diol on the basis of HR-FAB-MS, 1D, 2D-NMR and CD spectral analysis. The aglycone (1a, named mollissin), also as a new compound, was obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis of 1. Both compounds exhibited significant growth inhibitory activity on HeLa tumor cells, but no activity on A375-S2.