Advantages of Spray Drying over Freeze Drying: A Comparative Analysis of Lonicera caerulea L. Juice Powders-Matrix Diversity and Bioactive Response.

The study investigated the impact of Lonicera caerulea L. juice matrix modification and drying techniques on powder characteristics. The evaluation encompassed phenolics (514.7-4388.7 mg/100 g dry matter), iridoids (up to 337.5 mg/100 g dry matter), antioxidant and antiglycation capacity, as well as anti-ageing properties of powders produced using maltodextrin, inulin, trehalose, and palatinose with a pioneering role as a carrier. Spray drying proved to be competitive with freeze drying for powder quality. Carrier application influenced the fruit powder properties. Trehalose protected the phenolics in the juice extract products, whereas maltodextrin showed protective effect in the juice powders. The concentrations of iridoids were influenced by the matrix type and drying technique. Antiglycation capacity was more affected by the carrier type in juice powders than in extract products. However, with carrier addition, the latter showed approximately 12-fold higher selectivity for acetylcholinesterase than other samples. Understanding the interplay between matrix composition, drying techniques, and powder properties provides insights for the development of plant-based products with tailored attributes, including potential health-linked properties.

Assessment of Selected Chemical and Morphological Properties of Lonicera var. kamtschatica and Lonicera var. emphyllocalyx Treated with Gaseous Ozone.

Lonicera caerulea L. fruits are a rich source of vitamins, organic acids, and phenolic compounds, which are characterised by their health-promoting properties. The content of bioactive compounds in this fruit may vary depending on the cultivar and the harvest date. This study analysed the effect of applying 5 ppm gaseous ozone for 1, 3, and 5 min on the chemical properties of L. kamtschatica varieties and newly created clones of L. emphyllocalyx for three years of cultivation. The fruits harvested from L. emphyllocalyx, depending on the year of harvest, had significantly larger size and weight compared to L. kamtschatica. On average, the acidity of the L. emphyllocalyx clones was 6% higher than other tested varieties. The average content of ascorbic acid was highest in L. emphyllocalyx clone '21-17'-57.80 mg·100 g-1; the year of harvest will significantly affect the content of vitamin C, reaching the highest level in 2022-53.92 mg·100 g-1. The total content of polyphenols was significantly dependent on the year of cultivation; reaching, on average, 54.8% more in 2022 compared to the rest of the years. The total antioxidant value using the FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS methods varied depending on the variety; exposure to ozone significantly increased the antioxidant value in each case. On the basis of the study, both botanical varieties can be used in food processing. Gaseous ozone exposure can significantly influence chemical composition, increasing the health-promoting value of fruit.

The Essential Oils Obtained from (Lonicerae japonicae Flos) Flower Buds Could Affect the Deposition of Sunflower Oil under Common High Temperature Conditions and the Traditional Frying Process in Maye.

The essential oil extracted from the flower buds of Lonicerae japonicae (LJEO) was employed in the high-temperature (65℃) accelerated preservation of sunflower oil. In the present investigation, the addition of the essential oil at a concentration of 800 ppm significantly inhibited the decrease in the oxidative stability of sunflower oil. This positive effect was achieved by significantly hindering the reduction in acidity value (AV), peroxide value (PV), p-anisidine value (AnV), the total oxidation value (TOTOX) (p < 0.01), and the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), the absorbance at 232/268 nm (K232/K268) and total polar compounds (TPC) (p < 0.01). Besides, it also significantly enhances the sensory attributes of Maye, including taste, flavor, and appearance, improving its overall acceptability through the addition of certain potential fragrance molecules (p < 0.01). Furthermore, one of the primary chemical compounds in LJEO, eugenol, has demonstrated significant natural antioxidant properties in the traditional deep-frying procedure for the product, Maye. Consequently, together with eugenol, the essential oil LJEO could be employed as a possible effective antioxidant for the typical long-term preservation and even the traditional deep-frying procedures, and developed as effective antioxidant extracted from plants for the whole food industry.

[Quality control mode between Lonicera macranthoides and L. japonica based on multi-elemental difference through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry].

Numerous studies show that Lonicera macranthoides and L. japonica have significant differences in organic matter. However, there is still a lack of research on inorganic elements between them. In this study, a non-targeted elemental metabolomics method was established by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS), so as to compare the overall differences of inorganic elements between L. macranthoides and L. japonica. In addition, the differential markers were screened, and these differential markers were quantitatively analyzed by the targeted method. The non-targeted elemental metabolomics showed that the established mathematical model could reflect the difference in element content between L. macranthoides and L. japonica. Four inorganic elements such as ~(55)Mn, ~(209)Bi, ~(111)Cd, and ~(85)Rb were confirmed as the differential markers of L. macranthoides and L. japonica based on the screening principles of variable importance in the projection(VIP) value>2.0, P<0.01 and fold change(FC) value>1.2 or <0.80. The targeted quantitative results showed that the content of ~(209)Bi in L. japonica was significantly higher than that in L. macranthoides, while ~(55)Mn, ~(111)Cd, and ~(85)Rb in L. macranthoides were significantly higher than that in L. japonica. The non-targeted and targeted elemental metabolomics methods based on ICP-MS can significantly reflect the overall differences in inorganic elements between L. macranthoides and L. japonica. Exploring the differences between them from the perspective of elements can partly reflect the differences in their drug properties and lay a foundation for further study on the quality control mode of inorganic elements in L. macranthoides and L. japonica and their pharmacological effects.

Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Lonicera similis Flowers at Three Harvest Periods: Comparison of Composition, Characterization, and Antioxidant Activity.

Lonicera similis Hemsl. (L. similis) is a promising industrial crop with flowers rich in phenolic compounds. In this study, an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was designed to extract phenolic compounds from L. similis flowers (LSFs). A contrastive analysis on the phenolic compounds' yield and characterization and the antioxidant activity of the extracts at three harvest stages (PGS I, PGS II, and PGS III) are reported. The results indicate that the optimal conditions are a sonication intensity of 205.9 W, ethanol concentration of 46.4%, SLR of 1 g: 31.7 mL, and sonication time of 20.1 min. Under these optimized conditions, the TPC values at PGS I, PGS II, and PGS III were 117.22 ± 0.55, 112.73 ± 1.68, and 107.33 ± 1.39 mg GAE/g, respectively, whereas the extract of PGS I had the highest TFC (68.48 ± 2.01 mg RE/g). The HPLC analysis showed that chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercetin, isoquercitrin, and ferulic acid are the main components in the phenolic compounds from LSFs, and their contents are closely corrected with the harvest periods. LSF extracts exhibited a better antioxidant activity, and the activity at PGS I was significantly higher than those at PGS II and PGS III. The correlation analysis showed that kaempferol and ferulic acid, among the eight phenolic compounds, have a significant positive correlation with the antioxidant activity, while the remaining compounds have a negative correlation. Minor differences in extracts at the three harvest stages were found through SEM and FTIR. These findings may provide useful references for the optimal extraction method of phenolic compounds from LSFs at three different harvest periods, which will help to achieve a higher phytochemical yield at the optimal harvest stage (PGS I).

Deep Eutectic Solvents-Based Ultrasonic-Assisted Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction for the Determination of Organophosphorus Pesticides in Honeysuckle Dew Samples.

A deep eutectic solvent (DES) with the ability to change from hydrophilic to hydrophobic was designed and synthesized and applied to the determination of organophosphorus (OPP) pesticides in honeysuckle dew samples. Choline chloride, phenol, and tetrahydrofuran (THF) were used as the hydrogen bond acceptor, hydrogen bond donor, and demulsifier, respectively. Eight OPP pesticides were extracted by DES coupled with ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UA) and then chromatographed by GC-MS. DES used as an extract solvent has the advantages of high extraction efficiency, low cost, and environmental protection. Furthermore, DES is compatible with GC-MS. The single factor experiment design and Box-Behnken design (BBD) were applied to the optimization of experimental factors, including the type and composition of extraction solvent, type of demulsifier solvent, the volume of DES and THF, pH of sample solution, and ultrasonic time. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the high degree of linearity from 0.1 to 20.0 ng mL-1 (R2 ≥ 0.9989), the limits of detection from 0.014 to 0.051 ng mL-1 (S/N = 3), and the recoveries of analytes from 81.4 to 104.4% with relative standard deviation below 8.6%. In addition, the adsorption mechanism of OPPs on DES was explored by adsorption kinetic studies. These results have demonstrated that the present method has offered an effective, accurate, and sensitive methodology for OPP pesticides in honeysuckle dew samples, and this method provides a reference for the detection of pesticide residues in traditional Chinese medicine.

Exploring bitter characteristics of blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) berries by sensory-guided analysis: Key bitter compounds and varietal differences.

The taste of blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) berries is wrapped in bitterness, and awareness about the essence of bitterness is lacking. In the current study, 7-ketologanin, sweroside and loganin were isolated and identified as key bitter compounds using sensory-guided analysis. The bitterness thresholds of these compounds were determined to be 11.9 µg/mL, 33.5 µg/mL and 60.2 µg/mL. Subsequently, the differences in bitterness among 16 blue honeysuckle varieties were evaluated. The wild varieties A1 and A2 exhibited the highest bitter intensity. 7-Ketologanin, with the highest concentration of 34.70-37.11 mg/100 g and taste activity values of 29.16-31.18 in A1 and A2, was first identified as a bitter contributor in blue honeysuckle. There was no significant difference in bitter intensity between the reconstitution model and the original sample, confirming the contribution of the three bitter compounds. This study lays the foundation for the bitter improvement and variety selection of blue honeysuckle resources.

Isolation and characterization of a hepatoprotective polysaccharide from Lonicera caerulea L. var. edulis Turcz. ex Herd. fruit against APAP-induced acute liver injury mice.

The structure and bioactivities of a novel polysaccharide from Lonicera caerulea L. var. edulis Turcz. ex Herd. fruit (THP-3) were investigated. The crude polysaccharides of Turcz. ex Herd. (THP) were extracted by hot water extraction. After purification, the chemical structure of polysaccharides was identified. Then, a mouse model of acute drug-induced liver injury was constructed using 4-acetamidophenol (APAP) and pretreated with THP. The number-average molecular weight of THP-3 was 48.89 kDa and the mass average molar mass was 97.87 kDa. THP-3 was mainly composed of arabinose (42.54 %), glucose (27.62 %), galacturonic acid and galactose (29.84 %). The main linkage types of THP-3 were 1-linked Araf, 1,4-linked Glcp, and 1,3,6-linked Galp. In addition, after THP treatment, serum Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γGT) in AILI mice were successfully down-regulated. The results showed that THP could prevent the characteristic morphological changes of hepatic lobular injury and lipid depletion caused by APAP, reduced the level of oxidative damage in mice, increased the expression of APAP-induced hypolipidemia and related inflammatory indicators, and improved the detoxification function of liver. In general, the newly extracted THP polysaccharide has a good liver protection effect and is an ideal natural medicine for the treatment of liver diseases.

Quality Evaluation of Lonicerae Flos Produced in Southwest China Based on HPLC Analysis and Antioxidant Activity.

Lonicera macranthoides, the main source of traditional Chinese medicine Lonicerae Flos, is extensively cultivated in Southwest China. However, the quality of L. macranthoides produced in this region significantly varies due to its wide distribution and various cultivation breeds. Herein, 50 Lonicerae Flos samples derived from different breeds of L. macranthoides cultivated in Southwest China were collected for quality evaluation. Six organic acids and three saponin compounds were quantitatively analyzed using HPLC. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of a portion of samples was conducted with 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging experiments. According to the quantitative results, all samples met the quality standards outlined in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The samples from Guizhou, whether derived from unopened or open wild-type breeds, exhibited high quality, while the wild-type samples showed relatively significant fluctuation in quality. The samples from Chongqing and Hunan demonstrated similar quality, whereas those from Sichuan exhibited relatively lower quality. These samples demonstrated significant abilities in clearing ABTS and DPPH radicals. The relationship between HPLC chromatograms and antioxidant activity, as elucidated by multivariate analysis, indicated that chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, and isochlorogenic acid C are active components and can serve as Q-markers for quality evaluation.

Data fusion of near-infrared and mid-infrared spectroscopy for rapid origin identification and quality evaluation of Lonicerae japonicae flos.

A data fusion strategy based on near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy techniques were developed for rapid origin identification and quality evaluation of Lonicerae japonicae flos (LJF). A high-level data fusion for origin identification was formed using the soft voting method. This data fusion model achieved accuracy, log-loss value and Kappa value of 95.5%, 0.347 and 0.910 on the prediction set. The spectral data were converted to liquid chromatography data using a data fusion model constructed by the weighted average algorithm. The Euclidean distance and adjusted cosine similarity were used to evaluate the similarity between the converted and the real chromatographic data, with results of 247.990 and 0.996, respectively. The data fusion models all performed better than the models constructed using single data. This indicates that multispectral data fusion techniques have a wide range of application prospects and practical value in the quality control of natural products such as LJF.

Extract of Scutellaria baicalensis and Lonicerae flos improves growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier of yellow-feather broiler chickens against Clostridium perfringens.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of Scutellaria baicalensis and Lonicerae Flos (SL) extract on the growth performance and intestinal health of yellow-feather broilers following a Clostridium perfringens challenge. In total, 600 one-day-old yellow-feather broilers were divided into five treatments (6 replicate pens of 20 birds per treatment), including a control (Con) group fed a basal diet and the infected group (iCon) fed a basal diet and infected with Clostridium perfringens, the other 3 groups receiving different doses of SL (150, 300, and 450 mg/kg) and infected with Clostridium perfringens. The total experimental period was 80 d. When the birds were 24-days-old, a subclinical necrotizing enteritis model was induced by orally inoculating the birds with 11,000 oocysts of mixed Eimeria species on d 24, followed by C. perfringens (108 CFU/mL) from d 28 to 30. The birds were evaluated for parameters such as average weight gain (AWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), mortality, feed conversion ration (FCR), intestinal lesion score, intestinal C. perfringens counts, and villus histomorphometry. Results indicated that C. perfringens infection led to reduced AWG and the levels of tight junction proteins, increased the FCR, ileum E. coli load, and intestinal permeability, causing damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier (P < 0.05). Compared with the infected group, supplementing 300 mg/kg of SL significantly increased AWG at 43 to 80 d, the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the jejunum and ileum at 35 d, and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum. It also significantly reduced the FCR at 22 to 42 d, intestinal lesion score, and the amount of C. perfringens in the ileum (P < 0.05). Additionally, compared with the infected group, the addition of 300 mg/kg SL significantly increased mRNA levels of claudin-2, claudin-3, mucin-2, and toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2) in the ileum of infected birds at 35 d of age. In conclusion, supplementation with SL extract could effectively mitigate the negative effects of C. perfringens challenge by improving intestinal barrier function and histomorphology, positively influencing the growth performance of challenged birds.

Network pharmacology combined with an experimental validation study to reveal the effect and mechanism of Lonicera japonica Thunb. extracts against immunomodulation.

Lonicera japonica Thunb. (LJT) is known for its valuable medicinal properties that highlight its potential application in the pharmaceutical and health food industry. We predict that LJT polyphenols by network pharmacology may be involved in immunomodulation, and the study of LJT polyphenols regulating immunity is still insufficient; therefore, we experimentally found that LJT enhances immunity by promoting the proliferation and phagocytic activity of RAW246.7 cells. A model of an immunosuppressed mouse was constructed using cyclophosphamide-induced, and LJT was extracted for the intervention. We found that LJT restored immune homeostasis in immune deficiency mice by inhibiting the abnormal apoptosis in lymphocytes, enhancing natural killer cell cytotoxicity, promoting T lymphocyte proliferation, and increasing the CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in quantity. Moreover, LJT treatment modulates immunity by significantly downregulating lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and oxidative stress levels. We verified the immunomodulatory function of LJT through both cell and animal experiments. The combination of potential-protein interactions and molecular docking later revealed that LJT polyphenols were associated with immunomodulatory effects on MAPK1; together, LJT intervention significantly modulates the immune, with the activation of MAPK1 as the underlying mechanism of action, which provided evidence for the utilization of LJT as a nutraceutical in immune function.

[Content of secondary metabolites and antioxidant activities of Lonicera japonica flowers at different developmental stages from Shandong province].

This study established an ultrasound-assisted extraction-high performance liquid chromatography method for simulta-neously determinining the content of 11 bioactive compounds including iridoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids in Lonicera japonica flowers. The flowers at six stages from the rice bud stage(ML) to the golden flower stage(JH) of L. japonica varieties 'Sijuhua' and 'Beihua No.1' in two planting bases in Shandong province were collected. The established method was employed to determine the content of 11 target compounds, on the basis of which the dynamics of active components in L. japonica sampels during different development stages was investigated. The correlation analysis was carried out to reveal the correlations of the content of iridoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of samples at different developmental stages were determined, and the relationship between antioxidant activity and chemical components was analyzed by the correlation analysis. The results showed that the total content of the 11 components in 'Sijihua' changed in a "W" pattern from the ML to JH, being the highest at the ML and the second at the slight white stage(EB). The total content of 11 compounds in 'Beihua No.1' was the highest at the ML and decreased gra-dually from the ML to JH. The samples of 'Sijihua' had higher content of iridoids and lower content of phenolic acids than those of 'Beihua No.1'. The content of flavonoids and phenolic acids showed a positive correlation(R~2=0.90, P<0.05) in 'Sijihua' but no obvious correlation in 'Beihua No.1'. The antioxidant activity and phenolic acid content showed positive correlations, with the determination coefficients(R~2) of 0.84(P<0.05) in 'Beihua No.1' and 0.73(P<0.05) in 'Sijihua'. The antioxidant activity of both varieties was the strongest at the ML and the second at the EB. This study revealed that the content dynamics of iridoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids in 'Sijihua' and 'Beihua No.1' cultivated in Shandong province during different developmental stages. The results indicated that the antioxidant activity of L. japonica flowers was significantly correlated with the content of phenolic acids at different deve-lopmental stages, which provided a basis for determining the optimum harvest time of L. japonica flowers.

[Transcriptional regulation mechanism of differential accumulation of flavonoids in different varieties of Lonicera macranthoides based on metabonomics and transcriptomics].

This study aims to explore the molecular regulatory mechanism of the differential accumulation of flavonoids between 'Xianglei' and the wild type of Lonicera macranthoides. The flowers, stems, and leaves of the two varieties of L. macranthoides were collected. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS) and high-throughput sequencing(RNA-seq) were employed to screen out the differential flavonoids, key differentially expressed genes(DEGs) and transcription factors(TFs). Fourteen DEGs were randomly selected for verification by qRT-PCR. The results showed that a total of 17 differential flavonoids were obtained, including naringin chalcone, apigenin, and quercetin. The transcriptomic analysis predicted 19 DEGs associated with flavonoids, including 2 genes encoding chitin synthase(CHS) and 3 genes encoding chalcone isomerase(CHI). The regulatory network analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA) screen out the key enzyme genes CHS1, FLS1, and HCT regulating the accumulation of flavonoids. MYB12 and LBD4 may be involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids by regulating the expression of key enzyme genes CHS1, FLS1, and HCT. The qRT-PCR and RNA-seq results were similar regarding the expression patterns of the 14 randomly selected DEGs. This study preliminarily analyzed the transcriptional regulatory mechanism for the differential accumulation of flavonoids in the two varieties of L. macranthoides and laid a foundation for further elucidating the regulatory effects of key enzyme genes and TFs on the accumulation of flavonoids.

Pharmacological Activities of Lonicerae japonicae flos and Its Derivative-"Chrysoeriol" in Skin Diseases.

Chrysoeriol is an active ingredient derived from the Chinese medicinal herb (CMH) "Lonicerae japonicae flos" in the dried flower bud or bloomed flower of Lonicera japonica Thunberg. Dermatoses are the most common diseases in humans, including eczema, acne, psoriasis, moles, and fungal infections, which are temporary or permanent and may be painless or painful. Topical corticosteroids are widely used in Western medicine, but there are some side effects when it is continuously and regularly utilized in a large dosage. Chrysoeriol is a natural active ingredient, nontoxic, and without any adverse reactions in the treatment of dermatological conditions. METHODS: Nine electronic databases were searched, including WanFang Data, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Springer Link, SciFinder, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), without regard to language constraints. The pharmacological activities of chrysoeriol from Lonicerae japonicae flos to fight against skin diseases were explained and evaluated through the literature review of either in vitro or in vivo studies. RESULTS: Chrysoeriol decreased the mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α. These were transcriptionally regulated by NF-κB and STAT3 to combat skin inflammation. It also showed promising actions in treating many skin ailments including wound healing, depigmentation, photoprotection, and antiaging. CONCLUSION: The cutaneous route is the best delivery approach to chrysoeriol across the skin barrier. However, toxicity, dosage, and safety assessments of chrysoeriol in a formulation or nanochrysoeriol on the human epidermis for application in skin diseases must be further investigated.

Establishment of an at-line nanofractionation-based screening platform by coupling HPLC-MS/MS with high-throughput fluorescence polarization bioassay for natural SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors.

In this study, a novel at-line nanofractionation platform was established for screening SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors from natural products for the first time by combining HPLC-MS/MS with high-throughput fluorescence polarization (FP) bioassay. A time-course FP bioassay in 384 well-plates was conducted in parallel with MS/MS to simultaneously obtain chemical and biological information of potential fusion inhibitors in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) and Lianhua Qingwen capsules (LHQW). Semi-preparative liquid chromatography and orthogonal HPLC separation were employed to enrich and better identify the co-eluted components. After comprehensive evaluation and validation, 28 potential SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors were screened out and identified. Several compounds at low micromolar activity were validated by in vitro inhibitory assay, molecular docking, cytotoxicity test, and pseudovirus assay. Moreover, four potential dual-target inhibitors against influenza and COVID-19 were discovered from LJF using this method, offering novel insights for the development of future pharmaceuticals targeting epidemic respiratory diseases.

The protective effect of Lonicera japonica Thunb. against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice: Modulation of inflammation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Various components of Lonicera japonica Thunb. (LJT) exhibit pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Nevertheless, the relationship between LJT and ferroptosis remains largely unexplored. AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this research was to look into the role of LJT in regulating LPS-induced ferroptosis in ALI and to compare the effects of different parts of LJT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We established a mice ALI model by treating with LPS. Administered mice with different doses of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF), Lonicera Japonica Leaves (LJL) and Lonicerae Caulis (LRC) extracts, respectively. The levels of IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-10, and PGE2 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, the concentrations of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and total ferrous ions (Fe2+) in lung tissues were evaluated. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was conducted to examine the morphological structure of lung tissues. Transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the ultrastructural morphology of mitochondria. Furthermore, the effects of LJT were evaluated via immunohistochemical staining, western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. Finally, employing molecular docking and molecular dynamics research techniques, we aimed to identify crucial components in LJT that might inhibit ferroptosis by targeting nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). RESULTS: We observed that pretreatment with LJT significantly mitigated LPS-induced lung injury and suppressed ferroptosis. This was supported by reduced accumulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, ROS, MDA, and Fe2+, along with increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, SOD, GSH, Nrf2, and GPX4 in the lung tissues of ALI mice. Luteolin-7-O-rutinoside, apigenin-7-O-rutinoside, and amentoflavone in LJT exhibit excellent docking effects with key targets of ferroptosis, Nrf2 and GPX4. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment with LJT may alleviate LPS-induced ALI, possibly by suppressing ferroptosis. Our initial results indicate that LJT activates the Nrf2/GPX4 axis, providing protection against ferroptosis in ALI. This finding offers a promising therapeutic candidate for ALI treatment.

Quantitative analysis of the quality constituents of Lonicera japonica Thunberg based on Raman spectroscopy.

Quantitative analysis of the quality constituents of Lonicera japonica (Jinyinhua [JYH]) using a feasible method provides important information on its evaluation and applications. Limitations of sample pretreatment, experimental site, and analysis time should be considered when identifying new methods. In response to these considerations, Raman spectroscopy combined with deep learning was used to establish a quantitative analysis model to determine the quality of JYH. Chlorogenic acid and total flavonoids were identified as analysis targets via network pharmacology. High performance liquid chromatograph and ultraviolet spectroscopy were used to construct standard curves for quantitative analysis. Raman spectra of JYH extracts (1200) were collected. Subsequently, models were built using partial least squares regression, Support Vector Machine, Back Propagation Neural Network, and One-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN). Among these, the 1D-CNN model showed superior prediction capability and had higher accuracy (R2 = 0.971), and lower root mean square error, indicating its suitability for rapid quantitative analysis.

Quality evaluation of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos from different origins based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting and multicomponent quantitative analysis combined with chemical pattern recognition.

INTRODUCTION: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) is widely used in food and traditional Chinese medicine. To meet demand, Lonicera japonica Thunb. is widely cultivated in many provinces of China. However, reported studies on the quality evaluation of LJF only used a single or a few active components as indicators, which could not fully reflect the quality of LJF. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we aimed to develop a methodology for comprehensively evaluating the quality of LJF from different origins based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting and multicomponent quantitative analysis combined with chemical pattern recognition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The HPLC method was developed for fingerprint analysis and was used to determine the contents of 19 components of LJF. To distinguish between samples and identify differential components, similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were performed. RESULTS: The HPLC fingerprint was established. Using the developed method, the contents of 19 components recognized in the fingerprint analysis were determined. Samples from different origins could be effectively distinguished. CONCLUSIONS: HPLC fingerprinting and multicomponent quantitative analysis combined with chemical pattern recognition is an efficient method for evaluating LJF.

The comparative analysis of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos: A systematical review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) and Lonicerae Flos (LF) were once used as the same herb in China, but they were distinguished by Chinese Pharmacopoeia in 2005 in terms of their medicinal history, plant morphology, medicinal properties and chemical constituents. However, their functions, flavor, and meridian tropism are the same according to the Chinese pharmacopoeia 2020 edition, making researchers and customers confused. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aimed to provide a comparative analysis of LJF and LF in order to provide a rational application in future research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The information was gathered from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), SciFinder, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Chinese Masters and Doctoral Dissertations (all chosen articles were reviewed attentively from 1980.1 to 2023.8). RESULTS: Till now, 507 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified in LJF, while 223 ones (79 overlapped compounds) are found in LF, including organic acids and derivatives, flavonoids, triterpenoids, iridoids, and essential oil components, etc. In addition, the pharmacological activities of LJF and LF, especially for their anti-influenza efficacy and mechanism, and their difference in terms of pharmacokinetic parameters, toxicology, and clinical applications were also summarized. CONCLUSION: The current work offers comparative information between LJF and LF in terms of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and pharmacology, especially their anti-influenza activities. Despite the same clinical applications and similar chemical components in LJF and LF, differentiated components were still existed, resulting in differentiated pharmacological activities and pharmacokinetics parameters. Moreover, the research about anti-influenza mechanism and functional substances of LJF and LF is dramatically limited, restricting their clinical applications. In addition, few studies have investigated the metabolism feature of LF in vivo, which is one of the important bases for revealing the pharmacological mechanism of LF. At the same time, the toxicity of LJF and LF is not fully studied, and the toxic compounds of LJF and LF need to be screened out in order to standardize the drug use and improve their rational applications.