The Effect of Chinese Herbal Medicine Formula mKG on Allergic Asthma by Regulating Lung and Plasma Metabolic Alternations.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway and is characterized by airway remodeling, hyperresponsiveness, and shortness of breath. Modified Kushen Gancao Formula (mKG), derived from traditional Chinese herbal medicines (TCM), has been demonstrated to have good therapeutic effects on experimental allergic asthma. However, its anti-asthma mechanism remains currently unknown. In the present work, metabolomics studies of biochemical changes in the lung tissue and plasma of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma mice with mKG treatment were performed using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). Partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) indicated that the metabolic perturbation induced by OVA was reduced after mKG treatment. A total of twenty-four metabolites involved in seven metabolic pathways were identified as potential biomarkers in the development of allergic asthma. Among them, myristic acid (L3 or P2), sphinganine (L6 or P4), and lysoPC(15:0) (L12 or P16) were detected both in lung tissue and plasma. Additionally, l-acetylcarnitine (L1), thromboxane B2 (L2), 10-HDoHE (L10), and 5-HETE (L11) were first reported to be potential biomarkers associated with allergic asthma. The treatment of mKG mediated all of those potential biomarkers except lysoPC(15:0) (P16). The anti-asthma mechanism of mKG can be achieved through the comprehensive regulation of multiple perturbed biomarkers and metabolic pathways.

Rupestonic acids B-G, NO inhibitory sesquiterpenoids from Artemisia rupestris.

Six new guaiane sesquiterpenoids, rupestonic acids B-G (1-6), have been isolated from the whole plants of Artemisia rupestris together with six known compounds (7-12). The structures of the new isolates (1-6) were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR analysis, and the absolute configurations were established by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) in combination with density functional theory calculations. In in vitro bioassays, compounds 2 and 6 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on LPS-stimulated NO production in BV-2 microglial cells with IC50 values of 2.6 and 2.2 µM, respectively.

[Chemical constituents from ethyl acetate extract of Artemisia rupestris].

Chemical constituents of ethyl acetate extract of Artemisia rupestris were isolated and purified by various chromatographic methods, including silica gel, ODS and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. 12 compounds were separated from A. rupestris and their structures were identified as 5,4'-dihydroxy -3,6,7-trimethoxy flavone (1), R-(-) -vestitol (2), tricin (3), chrysoeriol (4), 3-indole carboxylic acid (5), esculetin (6), apigenin (7), luteolin (8), trans-caffeic acid (9), casticin (10), chrysosptertin B (11) and artemetin (12). Compound 2 was obtained from the genus Artemisia for the first time, and compounds 1-6 and 9 were separated from this plant for the first time.