Nuezhenoside G13 from Osmanthus fragrans fruit ameliorates Concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis by regulating the NF-κB/MAPK pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Osmanthus fragrans fruit (OFF) exhibits hepatoprotective function, and it is consumed as food and used in traditional medicine in China. Nuezhenoside G13 (G13) is present in the highest levels in OFF. Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a manifestation of liver disease and seriously endangers health. However, it remains unclear whether G13 affects AIH. AIM OF THE STUDY: To clarify the effect of G13 on AIH and its exact underlying mechanism from a new perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a Concanavalin A-induced AIH mouse model and lipopolysaccharide-treated Raw264.7 cells to quantify serum biochemical indicators and confirm whether G13 exhibited protective effects in the AIH mice. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of G13 via hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction to quantify the inflammatory factors. We confirmed that G13 inhibited apoptosis via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining. Molecular docking, immunofluorescence, and western blotting experiments of G13 and key proteins of the NF-κB/MAPK pathway revealed that G13 alleviated inflammation. In addition, Cell Counting Kit-8, ELISA, NO detection, and western blotting assays were performed. Finally, we used an inhibitor of the p38 MAPK to verify that G13 reduced inflammation through the NF-κB/MAPK pathway in Raw264.7 cells. RESULTS: The in vivo experiments revealed that G13 improved oxidative stress and apoptosis. In addition, G13 decreased the expression levels of CD4+, CD8+, F4/80+, and Ly6G and the secretion of inflammatory factors. Interestingly, G13 reduced the phosphorylation levels of IκBα, NF-κB, JNK, ERK1/2, and p38. Additionally, the in vitro experiments revealed that G13 alleviated inflammation through the NF-κB/MAPK pathway in lipopolysaccharide-treated Raw264.7 cells. Furthermore, molecular docking demonstrated that the binding fraction of G13 with these proteins was high. CONCLUSION: G13 suppressed oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in a Concanavalin A-induced AIH mouse model. Furthermore, G13 exerted its effect through the NF-κB/MAPK pathway.

Flash extraction of the active constituents and its antitumor activity from rehmanniae radix, achyranthes bidentatae radix, dioscoreae rhizoma and chrysanthemi flos.

In this study, we applied the Flash extraction (FE) for the first time to the extraction of active ingredients of Sidahuaiyao (including Rehmanniae Radix, Achyranthes Bidentatae Radix, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, and Chrysanthemi Flos), and the content of active ingredients (catalpinoside, ecdysterone, chlorogenic acid and diosgenin) was determined by HPLC, and compared with Soxhlet extraction (SE) and ultrasonic extraction (UE). The results show that under the same solvent ratio, FE is used to extract the largest amount of different active ingredients. Compared with SE and UE, the extraction amount increases by 20.8% -92%. It is demonstrated for the first time that using FE to extract the active ingredients from Sidahuaiyao produced the highest extraction efficiency. In addition, we evaluated the anticancer activities of the main components. Three cancer cells and one normal cells were used to detect the anti-proliferative activity by MTT assay. The results showed that diosgenin had the strongest inhibitory effect on MCF-7 cells with IC50 value of 19.28±0.36µM. In short, we optimized the extraction process of Sidahuaiyao, and evaluated the anti-cancer activity of the main components, which provided a scientific theoretical basis for the application of Sidahuaiyao.

Phytochemical profiles and biological activity evaluation of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim seed against asthma in murine models.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim seed (ZBMS) has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as an ingredient of polyherbal formulations for the treatment of inflammation and asthma. The aim of this study was to analyze the major composition and to evaluate the anti-asthma activity of ZBMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Some murine models including acetylcholine/histamine-induced asthma, ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation, ear edema and toe swelling measurement, citric acid-induced cough, and anti-stress abilities were investigated to fully study the anti-asthma activity of ZBMS.GC chromatography was also performed to analyze the major fatty acid composition of ZBMS. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the major fatty acid composition of ZBMS includes oleic acid (20.15%), linoleic acid (26.54%), and α-linolenic acid (30.57%), which was the leading component of ZBMS, and that the total fatty acid content of ZBMS was 77.27%. The murine models demonstrated that ZBMS displays a protective effect on guinea pig sensitization, a dose-dependent inhibition of the increases in RL and decreases in Cdyn, which resulted in the relief of auricle edema and toe swelling in mice and anti-stress activity. CONCLUSION: Our results validate the traditional use of ZBMS for the treatment of asthma and other inflammatory joint disorders, and suggest that ZBMS has potential as a new therapeutic agent for asthma management.

Preparative separation and purification of rosmarinic acid from perilla seed meal via combined column chromatography.

In this study, the preparative separation and purification of rosmarinic acid (RA) from perilla seed meal (PSM), which is a by-product of edible oil production, was achieved using combined column chromatography over macroporous and polyamide resins. To optimize the RA enrichment process, the performance and separation characteristics of nine selected macroporous resins with different chemical and physical properties were investigated. SP825 resin was the most effective: the content of RA increased from 0.27% in the original extract to 16.58% in the 50% ethanol fraction (a 61.4-fold increase). During further purification treatment on polyamide resin, 90.23% pure RA could be obtained in the 70% ethanol fraction. RA with a higher purity (>95%) could also be easily obtained using one crystallization operation. The proposed method is simple, easily operated, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly and is suitable for both large-scale RA production and waste management.