Bioactive compounds from Huashi Baidu decoction possess both antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects against COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an ongoing global health concern, and effective antiviral reagents are urgently needed. Traditional Chinese medicine theory-driven natural drug research and development (TCMT-NDRD) is a feasible method to address this issue as the traditional Chinese medicine formulae have been shown effective in the treatment of COVID-19. Huashi Baidu decoction (Q-14) is a clinically approved formula for COVID-19 therapy with antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Here, an integrative pharmacological strategy was applied to identify the antiviral and anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds from Q-14. Overall, a total of 343 chemical compounds were initially characterized, and 60 prototype compounds in Q-14 were subsequently traced in plasma using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Among the 60 compounds, six compounds (magnolol, glycyrrhisoflavone, licoisoflavone A, emodin, echinatin, and quercetin) were identified showing a dose-dependent inhibition effect on the SARS-CoV-2 infection, including two inhibitors (echinatin and quercetin) of the main protease (Mpro), as well as two inhibitors (glycyrrhisoflavone and licoisoflavone A) of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Meanwhile, three anti-inflammatory components, including licochalcone B, echinatin, and glycyrrhisoflavone, were identified in a SARS-CoV-2-infected inflammatory cell model. In addition, glycyrrhisoflavone and licoisoflavone A also displayed strong inhibitory activities against cAMP-specific 3',5'-cyclic phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4). Crystal structures of PDE4 in complex with glycyrrhisoflavone or licoisoflavone A were determined at resolutions of 1.54 Å and 1.65 Å, respectively, and both compounds bind in the active site of PDE4 with similar interactions. These findings will greatly stimulate the study of TCMT-NDRD against COVID-19.

Flavonoids from the roots and rhizomes of Sophoratonkinensis and their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity.

Acute respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had caused a global pandemic since 2019, and posed a serious threat to global health security. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played an indispensable role in the battle against the epidemic. Many components originated from TCMs were found to inhibit the production of SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease (3CLpro) and papain-like protease (PLpro), which are two promising therapeutic targets to inhibit SARS-CoV-2. This study describes a systematic investigation of the roots and rhizomes of Sophora tonkinensis, which results in the characterization of 12 new flavonoids, including seven prenylated flavanones (1-7), one prenylated flavonol (8), two prenylated chalcones (9-10), one isoflavanone (11), and one isoflavan dimer (12), together with 43 known compounds (13-55). Their structures including the absolute configurations were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of MS, 1D and 2D NMR data, and time-dependent density functional theory electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT ECD) calculations. Compounds 12 and 51 exhibited inhibitory effects against SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro with IC50 values of 34.89 and 19.88 µmol·L-1, repectively while compounds 9, 43 and 47 exhibited inhibitory effects against PLpro with IC50 values of 32.67, 79.38, and 16.74 µmol·L-1, respectively.

Efficient discovery of potential inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease from herbal extracts using a native MS-based affinity-selection method.

The 3C-like protease (3CLpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential to the virus life cycle and is supposed to be a potential target for the treatment of coronaviral infection. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have played an impressive role in the treatment of COVID-19 in China. The effectiveness of TCM formulations prompts scientists to take continuous effort on searching for bioactive small molecules from the ancient resources. Herein, we developed a native mass spectrometry-based affinity-selection method for rapid screening of active small molecules from crude herbal extracts applied for COVID-19 therapy. Six common herbs named Lonicera japonica, Scutellaria baicalensis, Forsythia suspensa, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Cirsium japonicum, and Andrographis paniculata were investigated. After preliminary separation of the crude extracts, the fractions were incubated with 3CLpro. A native MS-based affinity screening assay was then conducted to search for the protein-ligand complexes. A UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS with UNIFI data acquisition and data processing software was applied to identify the hit compounds. Standard compounds were used to verify the outcomes. Among the 16 hits, three flavonoids, baicalein, scutellarein and ganhuangenin, were identified as potential noncovalent inhibitors against 3CLpro with IC50 values of 0.94, 3.02, and 0.84 µM, respectively. Their binding affinities were further characterized by native MS, with Kd values being 1.43, 3.85, and 1.09 µM, respectively. Overall, we established an efficient native MS-based strategy for discovering 3CLpro ligands from crude mixtures, which supplies a potential strategy of small molecule lead discovery from TCMs.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities in vitro of Shuanghuanglian preparations and bioactive ingredients.

Human infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and there is no cure currently. The 3CL protease (3CLpro) is a highly conserved protease which is indispensable for CoVs replication, and is a promising target for development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. In this study we investigated the anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential of Shuanghuanglian preparation, a Chinese traditional patent medicine with a long history for treating respiratory tract infection in China. We showed that either the oral liquid of Shuanghuanglian, the lyophilized powder of Shuanghuanglian for injection or their bioactive components dose-dependently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro as well as the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero E6 cells. Baicalin and baicalein, two ingredients of Shuanghuanglian, were characterized as the first noncovalent, nonpeptidomimetic inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and exhibited potent antiviral activities in a cell-based system. Remarkably, the binding mode of baicalein with SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro determined by X-ray protein crystallography was distinctly different from those of known 3CLpro inhibitors. Baicalein was productively ensconced in the core of the substrate-binding pocket by interacting with two catalytic residues, the crucial S1/S2 subsites and the oxyanion loop, acting as a "shield" in front of the catalytic dyad to effectively prevent substrate access to the catalytic dyad within the active site. Overall, this study provides an example for exploring the in vitro potency of Chinese traditional patent medicines and effectively identifying bioactive ingredients toward a specific target, and gains evidence supporting the in vivo studies of Shuanghuanglian oral liquid as well as two natural products for COVID-19 treatment.

Structure-based design of antiviral drug candidates targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease.

SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) is the etiological agent responsible for the global COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak. The main protease of SARS-CoV-2, Mpro, is a key enzyme that plays a pivotal role in mediating viral replication and transcription. We designed and synthesized two lead compounds (11a and 11b) targeting Mpro Both exhibited excellent inhibitory activity and potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 infection activity. The x-ray crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in complex with 11a or 11b, both determined at a resolution of 1.5 angstroms, showed that the aldehyde groups of 11a and 11b are covalently bound to cysteine 145 of Mpro Both compounds showed good pharmacokinetic properties in vivo, and 11a also exhibited low toxicity, which suggests that these compounds are promising drug candidates.

Green Tea Liquid Consumption Alters the Human Intestinal and Oral Microbiome.

SCOPE: GTPs (green tea polyphenols) exert anti-CRC (colorectal cancer) activity. The intestinal microbiota and intestinal colonization by bacteria of oral origin has been implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis. GT modulates the composition of mouse gut microbiota harmonious with anticancer activity. Therefore, the effect of green tea liquid (GTL) consumption on the gut and oral microbiome is investigated in healthy volunteers (n = 12). METHODS AND RESULTS: 16S sequencing and phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) analysis of both fecal and saliva samples (collected before intervention, after 2 weeks of GTL (400 mL per day) and after a washout period of one week) in healthy volunteers show changes in microbial diversity and core microbiota and difference in clear classification (partial least squares-discriminant analysis [PLS-DA]). An irreversible, increased FIR:BAC (Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio), elevated SCFA producing genera, and reduction of bacterial LPS synthesis in feces are discovered in response to GTL. GTL alters the salivary microbiota and reduces the functional pathways abundance relevance to carcinogenesis. Similar bacterial networks in fecal and salivary microbiota datasets comprising putative oral bacteria are found and GTL reduces the fecal levels of Fusobacterium. Interestingly, both Lachnospiraceae and B/E (Bifidobacterium to Enterobacteriacea ratio-markers of colonization resistance [CR]) are negatively associated with the presence of oral-like bacterial networks in the feces. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that GTL consumption causes both oral and gut microbiome alterations.