Physalis pubescens L. branch and leaf extracts inhibit lymphoma proliferation by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.

Physalis pubescens L. is an annual or perennial plant in the family Solanaceae It is used in traditional medicine for treating sore throats, coughs, urinary discomfort, and astringent pain, and externally for pemphigus and eczema in northern China. The proliferation inhibitory activity and mechanisms of the ethyl acetate extract (PHY-EA) from the leaves of Physalis pubescens were investigated. High performance liquid chromatography was used to identify the chemical composition of PHY-EA; sulforhodamine B was used to detect the proliferation inhibitory effect of PHY-EA on MCF-7, CA-46, Hela, HepG2, B16, and other tumor cells; flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of PHY-EA on the lymphoma cell cycle and apoptosis; Western blot was used to detect the expression of the cycle- and apoptosis-related proteins. The expression of Ki-67 and cleaved caspase 3 was detected by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that PHY-EA contained physalin B, physalin O, and physalin L. PHY-EA blocked the cell cycle of G2/M→G0/G1 in lymphoma cells and induced apoptosis in tumor cells. Mouse transplantation tumor experiments showed that PHY-EA had a significant inhibitory effect on mouse transplantation tumors, and the tumor volume and weight were significantly reduced. In conclusion, PHY-EA has a good antiproliferative effect on Burkkit lymphoma, indicating its potential medicinal value.

Intervention with the crude polysaccharides of Physalis pubescens L. mitigates colitis by preventing oxidative damage, aberrant immune responses, and dysbacteriosis.

In this study, a colitis mouse model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to investigate the mechanisms of action of an extract of crude polysaccharides (POL) from Physalis pubescens L. as a dietary intervention for colitis. Our results showed that the administration of POL prior to DSS-induced colitis protected the colon mucosal layer; maintained intestinal barrier integrity; alleviated oxidative damage; and lowered neutrophil infiltration by downregulating intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression. More importantly, POL pretreatment reduced the expression of the proinflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), thereby modulating the nuclear factor-κB/iNOS-COX-2 signal transduction pathway. In addition, POL reversed DSS-induced gut dysbiosis, accompanied by reducing the relative abundance of Helicobacter, Mucispirillum, and Erysipelatoclostridium. In conclusion, POL ameliorated DSS-induced intestinal injury in mice, indicating that POL could be a useful dietary nutrient to protect against colitis. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Physalis pubescens L. is an edible fruit. The results of this study show that the intervention with Physalis pubescens L. crude polysaccharides may help prevent ulcerative colitis.

Isolation and structural characterization of chemical constituents from fruits of Physalis pubescens / 中草药

Objective To study the chemical constituents from the fresh fruits of Physalis pubescens. Methods Compounds were isolated and purified by repeated column chromatography on silica gel column, Sephadex LH-20 gel column, and preparative HPLC methods. Physicochemical properties and spectroscopic methods were employed for the structure elucidation. Results Twenty compounds were obtained and identified as osthol (1), xanthotoxin (2), isopimpinellin (3), imperatorin (4), (-)-meranzin hydrate (5), auraptenol (6), 1-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl) ethanone (7), 2,5-dimethoxybenzoquinone (8), 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetic acid (9), (S)-methyl 2-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetate (10), pyrocatechol 1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (11), benzyl β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (12), 2-phenylethyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (13), p-hydroxybenzene propanoic acid (14), 3,4-dihydroxybenzene propionic acid (15), (1-O-p-coumaroyl)-(6-O-β-glucosyl)-β-glucoside (16), 1-O-trans-cinnamoyl-β-D- glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (17), N-trans-feruloyltyramine (18), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (19), and bergapten (20), respectively. Conclusion Compounds 1-16 are obtained from Physalis genus for the first time.

Carotenoids and Carotenoid Esters of Red and Yellow Physalis (Physalis alkekengi L. and P. pubescens L.) Fruits and Calyces.

Carotenoid profiles of fruits and calyces of red (Physalis alkekengi L.) and yellow (P. pubescens L.) Physalis were characterized by HPLC-DAD-APCI-MSn. Altogether 69 carotenoids were detected in red Physalis, thereof, 45 were identified. In yellow Physalis, 40 carotenoids were detected and 33 were identified. Zeaxanthin esters with various fatty acids were found to be the most abundant carotenoids in red Physalis, accounting for 51-63% of total carotenoids, followed by ß-cryptoxanthin esters (16-24%). In yellow Physalis, mainly free carotenoids such as lutein and ß-carotene were found. Total carotenoid contents ranged between 19.8 and 21.6 mg/100 g fresh red Physalis fruits and 1.28-1.38 mg/100 g fresh yellow Physalis fruits, demonstrating that Physalis fruits are rich sources of dietary carotenoids. Yellow Physalis calyces contained only 153-306 µg carotenoids/g dry weight, while those of red Physalis contained substantially higher amounts (14.6-17.6 mg/g dry weight), thus possibly exhibiting great potential as a natural source for commercial zeaxanthin extraction.

Research progress on physalis pubescens / 中草药

Physalis pubescens is used as both food and medicine over 1 200 years. From the phytochemical view, the second metabolites such as flavonoids, sterols, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, fatty acid and so on have been reported from this species. And this plant shows the activities of antitumor, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, diuresis, immunosuppressive and so on in the recent studies. This paper reviews the researches on the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of this plant in recent 30 years, by which the prospect of development and utilization of P. pubescens could be prospected. It provides the reference for the further rational development and comprehensive utilization of the resources of P. pubescens.

Chemical constituents from berries of Physalis pubescens / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents from the berries of Physalis pubescens. Methods: The constituents from the 80% ethanol extract of berries of P. pubescens were separated and purified by all several chromatographic technologies. The isolated compounds' structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectral data analysis. Results: Nine compounds were isolated and purified. They were identified as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (1), ethyl caffeate (2), β-sitosterol (3), trans-p-hydroxyl ethyl cinnamate (4), quercetin 3,5,7-trimethyl ether 3'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), quercetin-3-O-(6'-O-trans-p-coumaroyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-rutinoside (7), oleuropein (8), and 4,4'-diol-2'-methoxychalcone (9). Conclusion: Compounds 4-9 are obtained from the plants of genus Physalis L. for the first time, and compound 1 is isolated from P. pubescens for the first time.

Induction of quinone reductase (QR) by withanolides isolated from Physalis pubescens L. (Solanaceae).

In the present study, it was demonstrated that the dichloromethane extract of Physalis pubescens L. (DEPP) had weak potential quinone reductase (QR) inducing activity, but an UPLC-ESI-MS method with glutathione (GSH) as the substrate revealed that the DEPP had electrophiles (with an α,ß-unsaturated ketone moiety). These electrophiles could induce quinone reductase (QR) activity, which might be attributed to the modification of the highly reactive cysteine residues in Keap1. Herein, four withanolides, including three new compounds physapubescin B (2), physapubescin C (3), physapubescin D (4), together with one known steroidal compound physapubescin (1) were isolated. Structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis and that of physapubescin C (3) was confirmed by a combination of molecular modeling and quantum chemical DFT-GIAO calculations. Evaluation of the QR inducing activities of all withanolides indicated potent activities of compounds 1 and 2, which had a common α,ß-unsaturated ketone moiety.

Chemical constituents from berries of Physalis pubescens / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents from the berries of Physalis pubescens. Methods: The chemical constituents were isolated by repeated silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 gel columns chromatography, medium pressure column chromatography, and semi-preparative liquid chromatography, and their structures were elucidated by chemical properties and spectral analyses. Results: Sixteen compounds were isolated and identified to be 3, 7, 3'-trimethylquercetin (1), kaempferol (2), chrysoeriol (3), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), arjunolic acid (5), pulsatilla saponin A (6), pulsatilla saponin D (7), caffeic acid (8), 1-O-caffeoyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (9), N-trans-ferulogltyramine (10), neo-olivil (11), medioresinol (12), pinoresinol (13), sucrose (14), uridine (15), and β-sitosterol (16). Conclusion: Compounds 5-7 and 9-15 are obtained from the plants of genus Physalis L. for the first time. Compounds 3 and 8 are obtained from this plant for the first time.