A comprehensive review of bupleuri radix and its bioactive components： with a major focus on treating chronic liver diseases.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bupleuri Radix (BR) has been recognized as an essential herbal medicine for relieving liver depression for thousands of years. Contemporary research has provided compelling evidence of its pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, metabolic regulation, and anticancer properties, positioning it as a promising treatment option for various liver diseases. Hepatitis, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer are among the prevalent and impactful liver diseases worldwide. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive systematic reviews that explore the prescription, bio-active components, and underlying mechanisms of BR in treating liver diseases. AIM OF THE REVIEW: To summarize the BR classical Chinese medical prescription and ingredients in treating liver diseases and their mechanisms to inform reference for further development and research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature in the last three decades of BR and its classical Chinese medical prescription and ingredients were collated and summarized by searching PubMed, Wiley, Springer, Google Scholar, Web of Science, CNKI, etc. RESULTS: BR and its classical prescriptions, such as Xiao Chai Hu decoction, Da Chai Hu decoction, Si Ni San, and Chai Hu Shu Gan San, have been utilized for centuries as effective therapies for liver diseases, including hepatitis, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. BR is a rich source of active ingredients, such as saikosaponins, polysaccharides, flavonoids, sterols, organic acids, and so on. These bioactive compounds exhibit a wide range of beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and lipid metabolism regulation. However, it is important to acknowledge that BR and its constituents can also possess hepatotoxicity, which is associated with cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes and oxidative stress. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using BR in therapeutic applications to ensure the safe and appropriate utilization of its potential benefits while minimizing any potential risks. CONCLUSIONS: To sum up, BR, its compounds, and its based traditional Chinese medicine are effective in liver diseases through multiple targets, multiple pathways, and multiple effects. Advances in pharmacological and toxicological investigations of BR and its bio-active components in the future will provide further contributions to the discovery of novel therapeutics for liver diseases.

Si-Ni-SAN ameliorates obesity through AKT/AMPK/HSL pathway-mediated lipolysis: Network pharmacology and experimental validation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Si-Ni-San (SNS) is a famous Chinese herbal formula used in China for thousands of years. It has clinical effects on a variety of lipid metabolism disorders, but the ameliorating effects of SNS on obesity and underlying mechanisms remained poorly elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of SNS on obesity from multiple perspectives in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mouse model was established to evaluate the effect of SNS. Then network pharmacologic methods were performed to predict underlying mechanisms, and the core pathways were verified in animal and cell studies. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that SNS significantly reduced body weight, body fat content, white adipose tissue (WAT) expansion in obese mice, and lipid accumulation in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) cells. Network pharmacologic analysis identified 66 potential therapeutic targets, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of these genes revealed that the most important signaling pathway includes AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway, regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes, lipid and atherosclerosis. Western blot assay confirmed that SNS activated hormone-sensitive triglyceride lipase (HSL) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) activity and promoted lipolysis through AMPK signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: The results confirmed that SNS improves lipid accumulation through AKT/AMPK/HSL axis mediated lipolysis, which opens a new option for clinical treatment of obesity and associated complications.

Identify potential allelochemicals from Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr. root extracts that induce allelopathy on Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb.

Although it is well-documented that invasion of invasive plants is promoted with allelopathic effects by inhibiting the growth and phenotypic performance of native plants, little is known conversely. In this study, the allelopathy effects of a native plant, Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr., on a typical invasive species Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., was investigated by exposing A. philoxeroides seedlings to three chemical solvent extracts (i.e., petroleum ether extract (PE), ethyl acetate extract (EE), and n-butanol extract (NE) of H. scandens root (HR). The three chemical extracts inhibited the growth, stem length, node number, leaf number, leaf area, and root number, and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content of A. philoxeroides seedlings, which indicated that the extracts inhibited the plant growth by damaging the membrane system of leaves. And the synthetical effect of allelopathy (SE) index indicated that EE had the greatest inhibition on the growth of A. philoxeroides. Fifty compounds were identified from the three extracts of HR using GC-MS analysis, among which 5 compounds (dibutyl phthalate, stigmasta-3,5-diene, 2,6-Di-tert-butylphenol campesterol, and neophytadiene) were identified from H. scandens root extracts for the first time. And n-hexadecanoic acid exists in all three extracts. The findings of the present study provide a novel method to potentially control the invasion of A. philoxeroides. However, field monitoring under natural conditions would be necessary to confirm in practice the results obtained with the bioassays.

Effects of experimental nitrogen and phosphorus addition on litter decomposition in an old-growth tropical forest.

The responses of litter decomposition to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions were examined in an old-growth tropical forest in southern China to test the following hypotheses: (1) N addition would decrease litter decomposition; (2) P addition would increase litter decomposition, and (3) P addition would mitigate the inhibitive effect of N addition. Two kinds of leaf litter, Schima superba Chardn. & Champ. (S.S.) and Castanopsis chinensis Hance (C.C.), were studied using the litterbag technique. Four treatments were conducted at the following levels: control, N-addition (150 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)), P-addition (150 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1)) and NP-addition (150 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) plus 150 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1)). While N addition significantly decreased the decomposition of both litters, P addition significantly inhibited decomposition of C.C., but did not affect the decomposition of S.S. The negative effect of N addition on litter decomposition might be related to the high N-saturation in this old-growth tropical forest; however, the negative effect of P addition might be due to the suppression of "microbial P mining". Significant interaction between N and P addition was found on litter decomposition, which was reflected by the less negative effect in NP-addition plots than those in N-addition plots. Our results suggest that P addition may also have negative effect on litter decomposition and that P addition would mitigate the negative effect of N deposition on litter decomposition in tropical forests.

Effects of maternal and dietary selenium (Se-enriched yeast) on oxidative status in testis and apoptosis of germ cells during spermatogenesis of their offspring in goats.

To investigate the effect of maternal and dietary selenium on antioxidant status in testis and apoptosis of germ cells during spermatogenesis of their offspring, selected Taihang Black Goats (n=119) were randomly allotted to four treatment groups. They were fed the experimental diet with different Se levels (from Se-enriched yeast) for 174 d from 60 d prior to lactation to weaning of kids. The treatments were: (1) Group 1 (control), basal diet without Se supplementation, (2) Group 2, the same basal diet supplemented 0.5mg Se/kg DM, (3) Group 3, the same basal diet supplemented 2mg Se/kg DM and (4) Group 4, the same basal diet supplemented 4 mg Se/kg DM. Thirty days after weaning, testis samples of the young male goats were collected for mRNA expression and analyzing the antioxidant status and Se concentration, as well as the population of apoptotic germ cells by TUNEL assay. The results show that mRNA expression of apoptosis genes (Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase 8) were significantly higher in Groups 1 and 4 than that in Groups 2 and 3. The same trend was observed in the population of apoptotic cells analyzed by TUNEL assay. GSH-Px activity and Se concentration in testis of offspring was progressively increased with the increasing Se level in diet of dams. However, there was no significant difference in GSH-Px activity between Groups 3 and 4. The lowest MDA content was obtained in Group 2 and a significant decrease was observed in Groups 1, 3 and 4. These data suggest that doe maternal and dietary Se could influence antioxidant status in the testis of their offspring and the oxidative stress related to Se from the dam could modulate mRNA expression of apoptosis genes and apoptosis of germ cells during spermatogenesis. It is possible that Se supplementation of the dam's diet during gestation and lactation could be a way to supply the Se necessary for normal development of reproductive function of their offspring.

Micelle-mediated extraction and cloud point preconcentration for the analysis of aesculin and aesculetin in Cortex fraxini by HPLC.

In this paper, a micelle-mediated extraction and cloud point preconcentration method was developed for the determination of less hydrophobic compounds aesculin and aesculetin in Cortex fraxini by HPLC. Non-ionic surfactant oligoethylene glycol monoalkyl ether (Genapol X-080) was employed as the extraction solvent. Various experimental conditions were investigated to optimize the extraction process. Under optimum conditions, i.e. 5% Genapol X-080 (w/v), pH 1.0, liquid/solid ratio of 400:1 (ml/g), ultrasonic-assisted extraction for 30 min, the extraction yield reached the highest value. For the preconcentration of aesculin and aesculetin by cloud point extraction (CPE), the solution was incubated in a thermostatic water bath at 55 degrees C for 30 min, and 20% NaCl (w/v) was added to the solution to facilitate the phase separation and increase the preconcentration factor during the CPE process. Compared with methanol, which was used in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2005 edition) for the extraction of C. fraxini, the extraction efficiency of 5% Genapol X-080 reached higher value.