The protective effect of Macrostemonoside T from Allium macrostemon Bunge against Isoproterenol-Induced myocardial injury via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Myocardial injury (MI) signifies a pathological aspect of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as coronary artery disease, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and myocarditis. Macrostemonoside T (MST) has been isolated from Allium macrostemon Bunge (AMB), a key traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used for treating chest stuffiness and pains. Although MST has demonstrated considerable antioxidant activity in vitro, its protective effect against MI remains unexplored. To investigate MST's effects in both in vivo and in vitro models of isoproterenol (ISO)-induced MI and elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. This study established an ISO-induced MI model in rats and assessed H9c2 cytotoxicity to examine MST's impact on MI. Various assays, including histopathological staining, TUNEL staining, immunohistochemical staining, DCFH-DA staining, JC-1 staining, ELISA technique, and Western blot (WB), were utilized to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of MI protection. In vivo experiments demonstrated that ISO caused myocardial fiber disorders, elevated cardiac enzyme levels, and apoptosis. However, pretreatment with MST significantly mitigated these detrimental changes. In vitro experiments revealed that MST boosted antioxidant enzyme levels and suppressed malondialdehyde (MDA) production in H9c2 cells. Concurrently, MST inhibited ISO-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitigated the decline in mitochondrial membrane potential, thereby reducing the apoptosis rate. Moreover, pretreatment with MST elevated the expression levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR, indicating activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and consequent protection against MI. MST attenuated ISO-induced MI in rats by impeding apoptosis through activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. This study presents potential avenues for the development of precursor drugs for CVDs.

Changes in chemical components and hepatoprotective effect of red Panax notoginseng processed by aspartic acid impregnation treatment.

BACKGROUND: Red Panax notoginseng (RPN) is one of the major processed products of P. notoginseng (PN), with more effective biological activities. However, the traditional processing method of RPN has some disadvantages, such as low conversion rate of ginsenosides and long processing time. RESULTS: In this work, we developed a green, safe, and efficient approach for RPN processing by aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment. Our results showed that the optimized temperature, steaming time, and concentration of aspartic acid were 120 °C, 1 h, and 3% respectively. The original ginsenosides in PN treated by aspartic acid (Asp-PN) were completely converted to rare saponins at 120 °C within just 1 h. The concentration of the rare ginsenosides in Asp-PN was two times higher than that in untreated RPN. In addition, we examined the protective effect of RPN and Asp-PN on acetaminophen-induced liver injury in a mouse model. The results showed that Asp-PN has significantly more potent hepatoprotective action than the RPN. The hepatoprotection of Asp-PN in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity may be due to its anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory activities. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment may provide an effective method to shorten the steaming time, improve the conversion rate of ginsenosides, and enhance hepatoprotective activity of RPN. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antioxidant activity of spirostanol saponins from Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus and their contents in different origins and processed products.

Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus (AMB), a traditional Chinese edible and medicinal plant, is considered beneficial to health. In this study, we isolated and purified nine steroidal saponins (compounds 1-9) from AMB. Their structures were characterized using physicochemical properties, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Among these compounds, compounds 1-5 were newly discovered named macrostemonoside U-Y, respectively. We assessed the in vitro antioxidant properties of the nine steroidal saponins through free radical scavenging and reducing power assays. This provides options for developing natural antioxidants. Additionally, an HPLC-ELSD quantitative analysis method was developed for the nine saponins in 12 batches of AMB from different origins and processing methods. The results showed that the contents of the nine steroidal saponins in AMB varied greatly among different growing environments and processing methods.

Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus: A Comprehensive Review of Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology.

The dried bulbs of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus (AMB) are called "" in China and are mainly distributed in Asia. The plant species included in the 2020 Edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) are Allium macrostemon Bunge (called xiaogensuan in Chinese, A. macrostemon) and Allium chinense G. Don (called xie in Chinese, A. chinense), respectively. In the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theoretical system, AMB is warm in nature, acrid-bitter taste, and attributive to the heart, lung, stomach, large intestine meridian. AMB has the function of activating Yang and removing stasis, regulating Qi and eliminating stagnation. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that AMB has anti-platelet aggregation, hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, cardiomyocyte, vascular endothelial cell protection, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-asthmatic, and anti-oxidant effects. In some Asian countries, AMB is often used to treat coronary heart disease (CHD), angina pectoris (AP), asthma, and diarrhea. This review collates the botanical background, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, quality control, and toxicological studies of AMB, and provides an outlook on the current research deficiencies and future research priorities of AMB, intending to provide ideas for future research directions and commercial development.