Screening of effective antioxidant components from Trichosanthes extract and assessment of their antioxidant activity / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To screen the effective antioxidant components in Trichosanthes extract based on the mean value of Deng's correlation degree and assess the antioxidant activity of the identified components.@*METHOD@#High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to obtain the fingerprints of Trichosanthes extract, and the clearance rates of DPPH · and O2-· by 3, 9 and 27 mg/mL Trichosanthes extract were determined. The antioxidant spectrum effect of Trichosanthes extract was analyzed by calculating the mean value of Deng's correlation degree to screen the effective antioxidant component group. According to the contents of each known components in the antioxidant effective component group, mixed solutions of the components were prepared and tested for their clearance rates of DPPH · and O2-·.@*RESULTS@#The 36 common peaks in HPLC fingerprints of Trichosanthes extract showed different degrees of correlation with DPPH · and O2-· clearance. The common peaks with a correlation degree greater than the median value included peaks 21, 36, 8, 31, 14, 5, 27, 2, 24, 15, 18, 33, 22, 34, 35, 19, 28 and 25. The 5 components, namely kaempferol (peak 36), isoquercitrin (peak 8), luteolin (peak 31), rutin (peak 5) and apigenin (peak 35), were tentatively identified to constitute the effective antioxidant component group with a mass ratio 3∶2∶2∶ 1∶1 in Trichosanthes extract. The prepared mixed solutions of antioxidant effective component group (6.12, 2.04, and 0.68 μg/mL) showed clearance rates of DPPH · of 65.4%, 64.0% and 61.0%, and clearance rates of O2-· of 12.9%, 9.5% and 8.3%, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#We identified the material basis for the antioxidant activity of Trichosanthes and screened the antioxidant effective component group in Trichosanthes extract.

Progress and prospect of application of traditional Chinese medicine fingerprint (specific chromatogram) in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010-2020) / 南方医科大学学报

The Chinese Pharmacopoeia began to apply fingerprints (specific chromatogram) to quality control of traditional Chinese medicine in its 2010 edition, and in its 2015 and 2020 editions, new fingerprints (specific chromatogram) were added for improvement of the Pharmacopoeia-based national standards for drugs. This review analyzes the traditional Chinese medicine fingerprints (specific chromatogram) in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010-2020) in terms of the number of varieties listed, application of fingerprints (specific chromatogram), selection of evaluation method, determination method, the selection of extraction or preparation solvents of the test samples. With the expansion of the application of fingerprints (specific chromatogram), the evaluation indicators are constantly improving. The future development of the fingerprints (specific chromatogram) is also discussed in light of the selection of appropriate extraction or preparation solvents to obtain effective substances, which is the basis for the establishment of the fingerprints; multiple fingerprints for one drug based on different functional indications or basic sources, which expands the application of the fingerprints; addition of technical guidelines for traditional Chinese medicine fingerprints to standardize the use of the fingerprints; and the regular revision, update and application expansion of the fingerprints to ensure its essential role in quality control of traditional Chinese medicine.

Study on anticoagulant material basis and mechanism of Trichosanthis Semen and its shell and kernel based on spectrum-effect relationship integrated molecular docking / 中国中药杂志

This study explored the anticoagulant material basis and mechanism of Trichosanthis Semen and its shell and kernel based on spectrum-effect relationship-integrated molecular docking. High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprints of Trichosanthis Semen and its shell and kernel were established. Prothrombin time(PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT) in mice in the low-and high-dose(5, 30 g·kg~(-1), respectively) Trichosanthis Semen, the shell, and kernel groups were determined as the coagulation markers. The spectrum-effect relationship and anticoagulant material basis of Trichosanthis Semen and its shell and kernel were analyzed with mean value calculation method of Deng's correlation degree(MATLAB) and the common effective component cluster was obtained. Then the common targets of the component cluster and coagulation were retrieved from TCMSP, Swiss-TargetPrediction, GenCLiP3, GeneCards, and DAVID, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment of the targets. The main anticoagulant molecular mechanism of the component cluster was verified by SYBYL-X 2.1.1. The spectrum-effect relationship of Trichosanthis Semen and its shell and kernel was in positive correlation with the dosage. The contribution of each component to anticoagulation was not the same, suggesting that the material basis for anticoagulation was different, but they have common effective components(i.e. common material basis), such as adenine(peak 3), uracil(peak 4), hypoxanthine(peak 6), xanthine(peak 9), and adenosine(peak 11). Network pharmacology showed that these components can act on multiple target proteins such as NOS3, KDR, and PTGS2, and exert anticoagulant effect through multiple pathways such as VEGF signaling pathway. They involved the biological functions such as proteolysis, cell component such as cytosol, and molecular functions. The results of molecular docking showed that the binding free energy of these components with NOS3(PDB ID: 1 D0 C), KDR(PDB ID: 5 AMN), and PTGS2(PDB ID: 4 COX) was ≤-5 kJ·mol~(-1), and the docking conformations were stable. Spectrum-effect relationship-integrated molecular docking can be used for the optimization, virtual screening, and verification of complex chemical and biological information of Chinese medicine. Trichosanthis Semen and its shell and kernel have the common material basis for anticoagulation and they exert the anticoagulant through multiple targets and pathways.

Effect of compound houttuynia mixture on influenza virus in vitro / 药学学报

Compound houttuynia mixture belongs to OTC class A medicine, which is made from Houttuynia cordata, Scutellaria baicalensis, Radix Isatidis, Forsythia, and Lonicera. As a kind of compound preparation of traditional Chinese medicine, houttuynia cordata mixture has extensive pharmacological effects, for example, clearing away heat and detoxifying, thus it is used for the sore throat, acute pharyngitis, and tonsillitis with wind-heat syndrome. In this study, the antiviral activity against influenza viruses and the primary mechanism of compound houttuynia mixture was evaluated. The antiviral effect of compound houttuynia mixture was determined by cytopathic effects (CPE), Western blot, quantitive reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), and virus titer assays. The effect of houttuynia mixture on the replication cycle of influenza virus was evaluated by time-of-addition assay. In conclusion, the results showed that the compound houttuynia mixture had a broad-spectrum effect against influenza virus, including the international common influenza virus strains, the drug-resistant strains and the highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses H5N1 and H7N9. It mainly impairs the early stage of the viral replication.

Inhibitory effect of Qing-Fei-Pai-Du decoction on coronavirus in vitro / 药学学报

Qing-Fei-Pai-Du decoction (QFPDD) is a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and plays an important role in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study investigated the inhibitory effect of QFPDD on coronavirus replication and antiviral mechanism. The cytotoxicity of QFPDD was determined by PrestoBlue cell viability assay. Quantitive reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunofluorescence assay (IF) were used to detect the inhibitory effects of QFPDD on coronavirus at RNA and protein levels. qRT-PCR was used to detect the adsorption and penetration of coronavirus after QFPDD treatment. The effects of QFPDD on interferon (IFN) and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were also detected by qRT-PCR. The results showed that QFPDD inhibited coronavirus at RNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner at non-toxic concentration, and QFPDD targeted in the early stages of coronavirus infection cycle. Preliminary mechanism studies have shown that QFPDD can directly block the virus entry into the cell by inhibiting virus adsorption, and QFPDD can also play an antiviral role by up-regulating the expression of IFN and ISGs. These results indicate QFPDD as a drug potential to treat coronavirus infection.

Anti-platelet aggregation and anti-thrombotic mechanism of Trichosanthis Fructus combined with aspirin based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

To explore the anti-platelet aggregation and anti-thrombotic mechanisms of Trichosanthis Fructus combined with aspirin based on network pharmacology and the validation of arteriovenous by pass model in rats. The databases of Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),Drug Repositioning and Adverse Drug Reaction Chemical-Protein Interactome(DRAR-CPI),Universal Protein Resource(Uniprot) and the Database for Annotation,Visualization,and Integrated Discovery(DAVID) were used to predict protein targets and analyze biological pathway and signal pathway in the combination of Trichosanthis Fructus with aspirin. The effects of pretreatment with Trichosanthis Fructus pellets,aspirin pellets and their combination on thromboxane B2(TXB2),6-keto prostaglandin F1α(6-keto-PGF1α) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate(c AMP) in rat thrombotic model were studied. Through the study of network pharmacology,12 components of aspirin and Trichosanthis Fructus,including hydroxygenkwanin,quercetin and adenosine,were found to show the anti-platelet aggregation and anti-thrombosis mechanisms through9 common protein targets,such as SRC,RAC1,MAPK14,MAPK1,AKT1,and 14 common signaling pathways,such as VEGF signaling pathway. After the intervention with Trichosanthis Fructus pellets combined with aspirin pellets,the vascular endothslia growth factor(VEGF) signaling pathway can be activated to inhibit platelet aggregation and improve vascular endothelial function,and show the anti-platelet aggregation and anti-thrombosis mechanisms,which verify the results of the network pharmacology,and explain the anti-platelet aggregation and anti-thrombotic mechanisms of the combination of Trichosanthis Fructus pellets with aspirin pellets.

Research progress on chromatographic fingerprint similarity evaluation method for traditional Chinese medicine in the past 30 years（1988-2017）and its prospect / 中国中药杂志

Over the past 30 years, the chromatographic fingerprint technology of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been developed from academic discussion to application for the research and development of TCM which has promoted the technological innovation of Chinese medicine industry and the progress of quality standard of TCM. The similarity evaluation method of chromatographic fingerprint of TCM has played a key role in this process. According to the number of literature and research tendency in terms of the chromatographic fingerprint in the last 30 years, the chromatographic fingerprint evaluation could be divided into three stages: the direct comparison stage (1988-1999), similarity evaluation stage (2000-2009) and the similarity evaluation development stage (2010-2017). In this paper, the research progress of chromatographic fingerprints similarity evaluation of TCM in the last 30 years and its prospect were discussed, which may lead to a more mature stage for this method.

Study of the anti-heart failure mechanisms of compatibility of Gualou with Xiebai in basis of network pharmacology / 药学学报

This study was designed to explore the anti heart failure mechanisms of the compatibility of Gualou with Xiebai based on network pharmacology in rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Using the databases of Traditional Chinese Medicine Database@Taiwan (TCM Database@Taiwan), Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), Drug Repositioning and Adverse Drug Reaction Chemical-Protein Interactome (DRAR-CPI) and Universal Protein Resource (Uniprot) to screen compounds and predict the target of active components, the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) database, we predicted the biological pathway and signal pathway in the compatibility of Gualou with Xiebai. The effects of Gualou Xiebai dropping pills on the apoptosis of myocardial cells and the expression of protein kinase B (Akt), p-Akt and cysteine aspartate-specific proteinase (caspase-3) protein were examined in the related signal pathway phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) of myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury in rats. Twenty two compounds, such as 10 α-cucurbita-5,24-diene-3β-ol and macrostemonoside were found to protect rats from heart failure through multiple targets, multiple biological pathways and multiple pathways, involving biological pathways such as hormone stimulation reaction, phosphorylation, apoptosis regulation, and signaling pathways such as insulin, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), cell apoptosis and so on. After the intervention of Gualou Xiebai dropping pills, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway was activated to promote the phosphorylation of Akt protein, reduce the expression of caspase-3 protein, inhibit apoptosis and protect the myocardium. The data verify the results of the network pharmacology, and explain the mechanisms of anti-heart failure activity of combination of Gualou with Xiebai.

Spectrum-activity relationship of trichosanthis fructus and trichosanthis fructus strip pieces for rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the spectrum-activity relationship of Trichosanthis Fructus and Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces for rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. HPLC fingerprints of Trichosanthis Fructus and Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces were established, and the values of creatinekinase-MB (CK-MB), myoglobin (MYO) and cardiac troponin-T (cTNT) in 3 dose groups (2.25, 13.5, 27.0 g·kg⁻¹, equivalent to the crude herb g·kg⁻¹) of Trichosanthis Fructus and Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats were measured, and the grey relational analysis was used to study the spectrum-activity relationship of Trichosanthis Fructus and Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces for rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. With the dosage increase from 2.25 g·kg⁻¹ to 27.0 g·kg⁻¹, the correlation degree of spectrum-activity relationship of Trichosanthis Fructus and Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces was also enhanced, but the change trend was different between these two groups. According to the frequency of the top 10 peaks in the correlation degree, peak 17, 14, 16, 19, 32, 12, 26, 30, 4, 6 and 2 were the basic effective substances group of Trichosanthis Fructus, peak 6,14,12,32,30,4 and 6 were the basic effective substances group of Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces. Peak 6, 14, 12, 32, 30, 4 and 26 in fingerprints of Trichosanthis Fructus and Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces were the main common pharmacodynamic substance base, among them, peak 6 was 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, peak 14 was vanillic acid and the peak 28 was rutin, but the correlation degree with the efficacy was different. The effect of Trichosanthis Fructus and Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces on rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury was due to the synergistic effect of the effective substance groups related to the dosage. The essential pharmacodynamic substance groups of Trichosanthis Fructus and Trichosanthis Fructus strip pieces were different, but they shared a common active ingredient group.