Exploration of the in vitro Antiviral Effects and the Active Components of Changyanning Tablets Against Enterovirus 71.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the in vitro antiviral effects of the aqueous solution of Changyanning (CYN) tablets on Enterovirus 71 (EV71), and to analyze its active components. Methods: The in vitro anti-EV71 effects of CYN solution and its herbal ingredients were assessed by testing the relative viral RNA (vRNA) expression level and the cell viability rates. Material basis analysis was performed using HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS detection. Potential targets and active components were identified by network pharmacology and molecular docking. The screened components were verified by in vitro antiviral experiments. Results: CYN solution exerted anti-EV71 activities as the vRNA is markedly reduced after treatment, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 996.85 µg/mL. Of its five herbal ingredients, aqueous extract of Mosla chinensis (AEMC) and leaves of Liquidambar formosana Hance (AELLF) significantly inhibited the intracellular replication of EV71, and the IC50 was tested as 202.57 µg/mL and 174.77 µg/mL, respectively. Based on HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS results, as well as the comparison with the material basis of CYN solution, a total of 44 components were identified from AEMC and AELLF. Through network pharmacology, AKT1, ALB, and SRC were identified as core targets. Molecular docking performed between core targets and the components indicated that 21 components may have anti-EV71 effects. Of these, nine were selected for in vitro pharmacodynamic verification, and only rosmarinic acid manifested in vitro anti-EV71 activity, with an IC50 of 11.90 µg/mL. Moreover, rosmarinic acid can stably bind with three core targets by forming hydrogen bonds. Conclusion: CYN solution has inhibitory effects on EV71 replication in vitro, and its active component was identified as rosmarinic acid. Our study provides a new approach for screening and confirmation of the effective components in Chinese herbal preparation.

Structure-specific antitumor effects and potential gut microbiota-involved mechanisms of ginseng polysaccharides on B16F10 melanoma-bearing mice.

Ginseng polysaccharides (GPs) have shown gut microbiota-related antitumor effects. However, the relation between their structures and antitumor functions remains unknown. Here, crude polysaccharide (GP-c) and its fractions neutral polysaccharide (GP-n) and pectin (GP-a) were prepared for structure characterization and anti-B16F10 melanoma effect evaluation, and their influence on gut microbiota diversities and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were also analyzed. Spearman correlations among the altered gut microbiota, SCFAs, and antitumor effects were conducted to elucidate the structure-function relationships. It was shown that the structures of GP-c, GP-n, and GP-a varied in monosaccharide composition and molecular weight distribution. GP-n and GP-c showed anti-melanoma effects, whereas GP-a promoted its growth slightly. GP-n and GP-c restored SCFAs levels such as acetic acid and butyric acid; moreover, it improved the gut microbiota ecosystem by upregulating the abundance of Allobaculum and Bifidobacterium. However, the restoration effect of GP-a was weak, or even worse. In addition, these two bacteria were negatively correlated with the tumor weight and related with the altered SCFAs. In conclusion, GP-n is essential for the anti-melanoma effects of GP, and the potential mechanisms might be related with its specific regulation of Allobaculum and Bifidobacterium abundance, and tumor-associated SCFAs levels. The outcomes highlighted here enable a deeper insight into the structure-function relationship of GP and propose new opinions on its antitumor effect.

Impact of sulfur-fumigation on carbohydrate components of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma.

Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR) is one of commonly used medicinal and edible herbs in China. It is often sulfur-fumigated during post-harvest processing. Carbohydrates are important active components of AMR. However, it is unknown whether sulfur-fumigation would induce changes on carbohydrates. Here, carbohydrates including polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and free monosaccharides were comprehensively analyzed to characterize the quality changes of sulfur-fumigated AMR. Determination of both homemade sulfur-fumigated AMR samples and commercial samples from market revealed that sulfur-fumigation did not affect molecular weight distribution of polysaccharides, but altered polysaccharides content and its ratios of constituent monosaccharides, especially glucose (Glc) and fructose (Fru), as well as the contents of oligosaccharides DP2-10 and free monosaccharide Fru. Moreover, the variations enhanced with the increasing of residual SO2 content. The potential transformation mechanisms could be due to the hydrolysis of polysaccharides. The research outcomes could provide a chemical basis for the safety and efficacy evaluations of sulfur-fumigated AMR.