Pharmacological Effects of Astragaloside IV: A Review.

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is one of the main active components extracted from the Chinese medicinal herb Astragali and serves as a marker for assessing the herb's quality. AS-IV is a tetracyclic triterpenoid saponin in the form of lanolin ester alcohol and exhibits various biological activities. This review article summarizes the chemical structure of AS-IV, its pharmacological effects, mechanism of action, applications, future prospects, potential weaknesses, and other unexplored biological activities, aiming at an overall analysis. Papers were retrieved from online electronic databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI, and data from studies conducted over the last 10 years on the pharmacological effects of AS-IV as well as its impact were collated. This review focuses on the pharmacological action of AS-IV, such as its anti-inflammatory effect, including suppressing inflammatory factors, increasing T and B lymphocyte proliferation, and inhibiting neutrophil adhesion-associated molecules; antioxidative stress, including scavenging reactive oxygen species, cellular scorching, and regulating mitochondrial gene mutations; neuroprotective effects, antifibrotic effects, and antitumor effects.

Effect of an Herbal-Based Injection on 28-Day Mortality in Patients With Sepsis: The EXIT-SEP Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Previous research has suggested that Xuebijing injection (XBJ), an herbal-based intravenous preparation, may reduce mortality among patients with sepsis. Objective: To determine the effect of XBJ vs placebo on 28-day mortality among patients with sepsis. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Efficacy of Xuebijing Injection in Patients With Sepsis (EXIT-SEP) trial was a multicenter, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in intensive care units at 45 sites and included 1817 randomized patients with sepsis (sepsis 3.0) present for less than 48 hours. Patients aged 18 to 75 years with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score of 2 to 13 were enrolled. The study was conducted from October 2017 to June 2019. The final date of follow-up was July 26, 2019. Data analysis was performed from January 2020 to August 2022. Interventions: The patients were randomized to receive either intravenous infusion of XBJ (100 mL, n = 911) or volume-matched saline placebo (n = 906) every 12 hours for 5 days. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Results: Among the 1817 patients who were randomized (mean [SD] age, 56.5 [13.5] years; 1199 [66.0%] men), 1760 (96.9%) completed the trial. In these patients, the 28-day mortality rate was significantly different between the placebo group and the XBJ group (230 of 882 patients [26.1%] vs 165 of 878 patients [18.8%], respectively; P < .001). The absolute risk difference was 7.3 (95% CI, 3.4-11.2) percentage points. The incidence of adverse events was 222 of 878 patients (25.3%) in the placebo group and 200 of 872 patients (22.9%) in the XBJ group. Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial among patients with sepsis, the administration of XBJ reduced 28-day mortality compared with placebo. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03238742.

[Progress in research and development of Xanthoceras sorbifolia].

Xanthoceras sorbifolia, an excellent oil-rich woody species, has high comprehensive economic value in edible, medicinal, and ornamental fields. The chemical composition, pharmacological effect, and quality control of X. sorbifolia were introduced, and its development and application were reviewed in this study. As revealed by the previous research, the main chemical constituents of X. sorbifolia were triterpenoids, flavonoids, fatty acids, phenylpropanoids, steroids, phenolic acids, organic acids, etc. It possesses pharmacological effects, such as neuroprotection, bacteriostasis, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, analgesia, anti-HIV, and anti-coagulation. X. sorbifolia is widely applied in medical, food, chemical industry, and other fields, and deserves in-depth research and development.

Inhalable Jojoba Oil Dry Nanoemulsion Powders for the Treatment of Lipopolysaccharide- or H2O2-Induced Acute Lung Injury.

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis (Link) C.K. Schneid) is a dioecious plant in desert and semi-desert areas, e.g., the Ismailia Desert in Egypt. Jojoba oil (JJBO) is a natural slight yellow oil with the functions of skin barrier repairing and wound healing, which is dermally applied as a traditional medication or cosmetic in the Middle East. The objective of this study was to prepare JJBO dry nanoemulsion powders (JNDs) and investigate their anti-acute lung injury effects. JJBO nanoemulsions (JNEs) were prepared and then lyophilized to JNDs and the properties and simulated lung deposition were measured. Rat acute lung injury (ALI) models were established after intratracheal (i.t.) administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). JNDs and dexamethasone (DXM) solutions were also i.t. administered to the rats. The pathological states of lung tissues were checked. Inflammatory and oxidative factors in the lung tissues were determined using ELISA methods. NF-κB p65 and caspase-3 were measured with a Western blotting method and an immunohistochemical method, respectively. JNDs had an appropriate mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 4.17 µm and a fine particle fraction (FPF) of 39.11%. JNDs showed higher anti-inflammatory effect on LPS-induced ALI than DXM with a decrease in total protein content and down-regulation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and NF-κB p65. JNDs also showed higher anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation effect on H2O2-induced ALI than DXM with elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS), increasing of superoxide dismutase (SOD), decrease in of lipid peroxide malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH), and inhibition of caspase-3 expression. Moreover, i.t. JNDs attenuated bleeding and infiltrations of the inflammatory cells in the two ALI models. JNDs are a promising natural oil-contained inhalable medication for the treatment of LPS- or H2O2-induced ALI.

Transdermal delivery of the in situ hydrogels of curcumin and its inclusion complexes of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin for melanoma treatment.

Curcumin (Cur) is a hydrophobic polyphenol with diverse pharmacological effects, especially for cancer treatment. However, its weak water solubility and stability was the major obstacle for the formulation research of Cur. The complexation of Cur and hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) was done by grinding. The increasing solubility of Cur was achieved due to complexation and the photochemical stability of Cur was improved. The inclusion of Cur could happen when two ends of Cur were embedded into the cavity of the HP-ß-CD rings. The in situ hydrogels (ISGs) of Cur and its inclusion complexes were prepared using poloxamers 407 and 188 as the matrix. The extent of drug's in vitro release from the ISGs depended on the dissolution of drugs. Both of the ISGs had transdermal effect and cytotoxicity on B16-F10 cells. However, the effects of the ISGs containing Cur inclusion complexes were much higher than those of Cur ISGs because of the improved Cur solubility in the former. The cytotoxicity of Cur on melanoma cells was related to blocking of cellular proliferation in the G2/M stage followed by cellular apoptosis. The ISGs of Cur inclusion complexes are a promising formulation for melanoma treatment.