Comparative analysis of the transcriptomes from regenerated plants and root explants of endangered Oplopanax elatus.

BACKGROUND: Oplopanax elatus is a plant of therapeutic significance in oriental medicine; however, its mass cultivation is limited owing to the difficulties in propagating it from seeds. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the transcriptome profiles and transcriptional regulatory factors expressed during plantlet regeneration from root tissues of the endangered O. elatus. RESULTS: The RNA-seq results for the control and regenerated plants cultured in liquid medium for 8 weeks showed that the clean length of the control group was 11,901,667,912 and that of the 8-week sample was 10,115,155,171, indicating a clean value of 97% for both samples. The number of mapped paired-end reads was 63,922,480 for the control group and 54,146,902 for the 8-week sample. The number of genes for which at least one clean data point was mapped was 43,177 in the control group and 42,970 in the 8-week sample. The results of the differentially expressed gene analysis indicate that the number of upregulated genes in the 8-week sample was 158, and the number of downregulated genes was 424. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the upregulated genes revealed that GO terms were classified into 14 categories, and genes expressed in the biological process category occurred most frequently. GO terms of the downregulated genes were evenly distributed into two categories: biological process and molecular function. From the upregulated genes, eight reference genes with significant differences in expression were selected and analyzed using real-time PCR. The Oe38836 gene (late embryogenesis abundant protein M17-like isoform X1) showed the highest expression rate that was more than tenfold that of the control. Oe40610 (auxin-responsive protein SAUR21-like) and Oe07114 (glucose-1-phosphate adenyl transferase-like protein) genes showed expression levels that were increased eightfold relative to the control. CONCLUSIONS: The RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) results from the plants regenerated through liquid culture of O. elatus root tissue were confirmed using real-time PCR, indicating their reliability.

An outlook on the versatility of plant saponins: A review.

The abundance of saponin-rich plants across different ecosystems indicates their great potential as a replacement for harmful synthetic surfactants in modern commercial products. These organic saponins have remarkable biological and surface-active properties and align with sustainable and eco-friendly practices. This article examines and discusses the structure and properties of plant saponins with high yield of saponin concentrations and their exploitable applications. This highlights the potential of saponins as ethical substitutes for traditional synthetic surfactants and pharmacological agents, with favorable effects on the economy and environment. For this purpose, studies on the relevant capabilities, structure, and yield of selected plants were thoroughly examined. Studies on the possible uses of the selected saponins have also been conducted. This in-depth analysis highlights the potential of saponins as workable and ethical replacements for traditional synthetic medications and surfactants, thus emphasizing their favorable effects on human health and the environment.

Development of real-time PCR-based markers for differentiation of Oplopanax elatus and Aralia cordata in commercial food products.

Oplopanax elatus and Aralia cordata, commonly referred to as "Dureub" in Korea, are generally used as medicinal or food raw materials. Although O. elatus, a rare and endangered plant, is typically sold at high prices, the more abundant A. cordata is comparatively inexpensive. Given their common names and morphological root similarities, both plants can easily be confused, thereby providing potential opportunities for fraudulent use in food products. Species-specific molecular markers that can be used for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis were developed. Verification of the six primer pairs revealed a correlation coefficient greater than 0.99, with a slope between -3.33 and -3.56. The assay confirmed specificity based on an analysis of 14 non-target plant species and verified its practicality using 10 commercial products with reliability based on a blind test. Thus, qPCR assays can contribute to food safety and protect consumer rights and interests. Supplementary Information: The online version of this article contains supplementary material available 10.1007/s10068-023-01313-1.

Improving Flavonoid Accumulation of Bioreactor-Cultured Adventitious Roots in Oplopanax elatus Using Yeast Extract.

Oplopanax elatus is an endangered medicinal plant, and adventitious root (AR) culture is an effective way to obtain its raw materials. Yeast extract (YE) is a lower-price elicitor and can efficiently promote metabolite synthesis. In this study, the bioreactor-cultured O. elatus ARs were treated with YE in a suspension culture system to investigate the elicitation effect of YE on flavonoid accumulation, serving for further industrial production. Among YE concentrations (25-250 mg/L), 100 mg/L YE was the most suitable for increasing the flavonoid accumulation. The ARs with various ages (35-, 40-, and 45-day-old) responded differently to YE stimulation, where the highest flavonoid accumulation was found when 35-day-old ARs were treated with 100 mg/L YE. After YE treatment, the flavonoid content increased, peaked at 4 days, and then decreased. By comparison, the flavonoid content and antioxidant activities in the YE group were obviously higher than those in the control. Subsequently, the flavonoids of ARs were extracted by flash extraction, where the optimized extraction process was: 63% ethanol, 69 s of extraction time, and a 57 mL/g liquid-material ratio. The findings provide a reference for the further industrial production of flavonoid-enriched O. elatus ARs, and the cultured ARs have potential application for the future production of products.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Oplopanax elatus Nakai Adventitious Roots Extract by Regulating CYP450 and PPAR Signaling Pathway.

O. elatus Nakai is a traditional medicine that has been confirmed to exert effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions, and is used for the treatment of different disorders. However, its potential beneficial effects on drug induced hepatotoxicity and relevant molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the protective effect and further elucidated the mechanisms of action of O. elatus on liver protection. O. elatus chlorogenic acids-enriched fraction (OEB), which included chlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid A, were identified by HPLC-MS/MS. OEB was administrated orally daily for seven consecutive days, followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of an overdose of APAP after the final OEB administration. The effects of OEB on immune cells in mice liver were analyzed using flow cytometry. APAP metabolite content in serum was detected using HPLC-MS/MS in order to investigate whether OEB affects CYP450 activities. The intestinal content samples were processed for 16 s microbiota sequencing. Results demonstrated that OEB decreased alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase contents, affected the metabolism of APAP, and decreased the concentrates of APAP, APAP-CYS and APAP-NAC by inhibiting CYP2E1 and CYP3A11 activity. Furthermore, OEB pretreatment regulated lipid metabolism by affecting the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling pathway in mice and also increased the abundance of Akkermansia and Parabacteroides. This study indicated that OEB is a potential drug candidate for treating hepatotoxicity because of its ability to affect drug metabolism and regulate lipid metabolism.

The phenolic acids from Oplopanax elatus Nakai stems and their potential photo-damage prevention activity.

25 phenolic acids, including four new isolates, eurylophenosides A-D (1-4) and 21 known ones (5-25) were isolated and identified from the stems of Oplopanax elatus Nakai. Among the known compounds 5-9, 11-13, 16, 18-25 were isolated from the genus for the first time; 17 was first obtained from the plant; and the NMR data of 22 was reported here first. Meanwhile, the UVB-induced photodamage model of HaCaT cells was used to study the prevent-photodamage abilities of compounds 1-2, 4-8, 11-13 and 15-25 with a nontoxic concentration at 50 µM. Moreover, a dose-dependent experiment was conducted for active compounds at the concentration of 10, 25, and 50 µM, respectively. Consequently, pretreatment with compounds 1, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24 and 25 could suppress the cell viability decreasing induced by UVB irradiation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results indicated that phenolic acids were one kind of material basis with prevent-photodamage activity of O. elatus.

Chemical profiling of root bark extract from Oplopanax elatus and its in vitro biotransformation by human intestinal microbiota.

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai, in the Araliaceae family, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat diseases as an adaptogen for thousands of years. This study established an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) method to identify chemical components and biotransformation metabolites of root bark extract from O. elatus. A total of 18 compounds were characterized in O. elatus extract, and 62 metabolites by human intestinal microbiota were detected. Two polyynes, falcarindiol and oplopandiol were recognized as the main components of O. elatus, whose metabolites are further illustrated. Several metabolic pathways were proposed to generate the detected metabolites, including methylation, hydrogenation, demethylation, dehydroxylation, and hydroxylation. These findings indicated that intestinal microbiota might play an essential role in mediating the bioactivity of O. elatus.

Falcarindiol and dichloromethane fraction are bioactive components in Oplopanax elatus: Colorectal cancer chemoprevention via induction of apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest mediated by cyclin A upregulation.

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai has a long history of use as an ethnomedicine by the people living in eastern Asia. However, its bioactive constituents and cancer chemopreventive mechanisms are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to prepare O. elatus extracts, fractions, and single compounds and to investigate the herb's antiproliferative effects on colon cancer cells and the involved mechanisms of action. Two polyyne compounds were isolated from O. elatus, falcarindiol and oplopandiol. Based on our HPLC analysis, falcarindiol and oplopandiol are major constituents in the dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) fraction. For the HCT-116 cell line, the dichloromethane fraction showed significant effects. Furthermore, the IC50 for falcarindiol and oplopandiol was 1.7 µM and 15.5 µM, respectively. In the mechanistic study, after treatment with 5 µg/ml for 48 h, dichloromethane fraction induced cancer cell apoptosis by 36.5% (p < 0.01% vs. control of 3.9%). Under the same treatment condition, dichloromethane fraction caused cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase by 32.6% (p < 0.01% vs. control of 23.4%), supported by upregulation of key cell cycle regulator cyclin A to 21.6% (p < 0.01% vs. control of 8.6%). Similar trends were observed by using cell line HT-29. Data from this study filled the gap between phytochemical components and the cancer chemoprevention of O. elatus. The dichloromethane fraction is a bioactive fraction, and falcarindiol is identified as an active constituent. The mechanisms involved in cancer chemoprevention by O. elatus were apoptosis induction and G2/M cell cycle arrest mediated by a key cell cycle regulator cyclin A.

Sesquiterpenes From Oplopanax elatus Stems and Their Anti-Photoaging Effects by Down-Regulating Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 Expression via Anti-Inflammation.

In the process of continuing to investigate ultraviolet b (UVB) irradiation protective constituents from Oplopanax elatus stems, nine new sesquiterpenes, named as eurylosesquiterpenosides A-D (1-4), eurylosesquiterpenols E-I (5-9), and ten known ones (10-19) were gained. Their structures were established by analysis of their NMR spectroscopic data, and electronic circular dichroism calculations were applied to define their absolute configurations. In addition, UVB induced HaCaT cells were used to study their anti-photoaging activities and mechanism. The results consolidated that compounds 7, 11, and 14 could improve the survival rate of HaCaT cells in concentration dependent manner at 10, 25, and 50 µM. Furthermore, western blot assay suggested that all of them could inhibit the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and increase the level of type I collagen markedly. Compounds 11 and 14 could reduce the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38, respectively. Besides, compounds 7, 11, and 14 could significantly down-regulate the expression of inflammation related protein, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and cyclooxygenase-2, which indicated that they played anti-photoaging activities by reducing MMP-1 expression via down-regulating the production of inflammatory mediators and cytokines in UVB-induced HaCaT cells.

Inhibitory Mechanisms of Water Extract of Oplopanax elatus on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses in RAW 264.7 Murine Macrophage Cells.

OBJECTIVE: To study the anti-inflammatory action and cellular mechanism of Oplopanax elatus. METHODS: A hot water extract of OE (WOE) was prepared and a major constituent, syringin, was successfully isolated. Its content in WOE was found to be 214.0 µg/g dried plant (w/w). Their anti-inflammatory activities were examined using RAW 264.7 macrophages and a mouse model of croton oil-induced ear edema. RESULTS: In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells, a mouse macrophage cell line, WOE was found to significantly and strongly inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production [half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50)=135.2 µg/mL] and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-induced NO production (IC50=242.9 µg/mL). In the same condition, WOE was revealed to inhibit NO production by down-regulating iNOS expression, mainly by interrupting mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs)/activator protein-1 (AP-1) pathway. The activation of all three major MAPKs, p38 MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, was inhibited by WOE (50-300 µg/mL). On the other hand, WOE reduced PGE2 production by inhibiting COX-2 enzyme activity, but did not affect COX-2 expression levels. In addition, WOE inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. In croton oil-induced ear edema in mice, oral administration of WOE (50-300 mg/kg) dose-dependently inhibited edematic inflammation. CONCLUSION: Water extract of OE exhibited multiple anti-inflammatory action mechanisms and may have potential for treating inflammatory disorders.

Inhibitory Mechanisms of Water Extract of Oplopanax elatus on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses in RAW 264.7 Murine Macrophage Cells / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the anti-inflammatory action and cellular mechanism of Oplopanax elatus.@*METHODS@#A hot water extract of OE (WOE) was prepared and a major constituent, syringin, was successfully isolated. Its content in WOE was found to be 214.0 µg/g dried plant (w/w). Their anti-inflammatory activities were examined using RAW 264.7 macrophages and a mouse model of croton oil-induced ear edema.@*RESULTS@#In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells, a mouse macrophage cell line, WOE was found to significantly and strongly inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-induced prostaglandin E (PGE) production [half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC)=135.2 µg/mL] and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-induced NO production (IC=242.9 µg/mL). In the same condition, WOE was revealed to inhibit NO production by down-regulating iNOS expression, mainly by interrupting mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs)/activator protein-1 (AP-1) pathway. The activation of all three major MAPKs, p38 MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, was inhibited by WOE (50-300 µg/mL). On the other hand, WOE reduced PGE production by inhibiting COX-2 enzyme activity, but did not affect COX-2 expression levels. In addition, WOE inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. In croton oil-induced ear edema in mice, oral administration of WOE (50-300 mg/kg) dose-dependently inhibited edematic inflammation.@*CONCLUSION@#Water extract of OE exhibited multiple anti-inflammatory action mechanisms and may have potential for treating inflammatory disorders.

Chemo-Preventive Potential of Falcarindiol-Enriched Fraction from Oplopanax elatus on Colorectal Cancer Interfered by Human Gut Microbiota.

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai is an oriental herb, the polyyne-enriched fraction of which (PEFO) showed anticolorectal cancer (anti-CRC) effects. Other concomitant components, which are inevitably bio-transformed by gut microbiota after oral administration, might be interfere with the pharmacodynamics of polyynes. However, the influence of human gut microbiota on molecules from O. elatus possessing anticancer activity are yet unknown. In this study, the compounds in PEFO and PEFO incubated with human gut microbiota were analyzed and tentatively identified by HPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS. Two main polyynes ((3S,8S)-falcarindiol and oplopandiol) were not significantly decomposed, but some new unknown molecules were discovered during incubation. However, the antiproliferative effects of PEFO incubated with human gut microbiota for 72 h (PEFO I) were much lower than that of PEFO on HCT-116, SW-480, and HT-29 cells. Furthermore, PEFO possessed better anti-CRC activity in vivo, and significantly induced apoptosis of the CRC cells, which was associated with activation of caspase-3 according to the Western-blot results (P<0.05). These results suggest anticolorectal cancer activity of polyynes might be antagonized by some bio-converted metabolites after incubation with human gut microbiota. Therefore, it might be better for CRC prevention if the polyynes could be orally administrated as purified compounds.

Anti-arthritic Effects of Oplopanax elatus in a Rat Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis (Adjuvant-induced Arthritis)

The stems of Oplopanax elatus (OE) have long been used to treat inflammatory disorders in herbal medicine, and in the previous investigation, OE was found to possess anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide-treated macrophages, RAW 264.7 cell. OE reduces inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase-induced NO production, and interferes with mitogen-activated protein kinase activation pathways. In the present study, the pharmacological action of the water extract of OE was examined to establish anti-arthritic action, using a rat model of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). The water extract of OE administered orally inhibited AIA-induced arthritis at (100 – 300) mg/kg/day. The paw edema was significantly decreased, in combination with reduced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The action mechanism includes an inhibition of MAPKs/nuclear transcription factor-κB activation. These new findings strongly suggest that OE possesses anti-arthritic action, and may be used as a therapeutic agent in inflammation-related disorders, particularly in arthritic condition.

Anticancer Activity of an Oplopanax elatus Stem Extract and Biologically Active Isolated Compounds.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai is used in folk medicine in China. In this study, the antiproliferative activity of an O. elatus fraction extracted by ethyl acetate (EF) was tested on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, human colon cancer HCT-116 cells, and human stomach cancer AGS cells. The potential mechanism of antiproliferation was also investigated using an apoptosis assay. RESULTS: The results showed that the EF remarkably suppressed proliferation of human breast, stomach, and colon cancer cells. Further apoptosis tests by flow cytometry and immunoblot analyses showed the EF inhibited HCT-116 cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis. The bioassay-monitored fractionation of the EF resulted in the isolation of two polyacetylenes, falcarindiol (compound 1) and oplopandiol (compound 2), with falcarindiol possessing the strongest antiproliferative activity in colon cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Together, this study evaluated the anticancer activity of an O. elatus extract against human cancer cells, and provided the basis for further development of this herbal extract for the treatment of cancer.

Phenolic glycosides from root of Oplopanax elatus / 中草药

Objective To investigate the hydrophilic constituents from the anti-colorectal cancer extract of Oplopanax elatus. Methods The compounds were isolated and purified using macroporous resin, silica gel, ODS gel and pre-HPLC, and their chemical structures were identified by spectral data and physicochemical properties. The extracts and compounds from O. elatus were screened for anti-proliferation on HCT-116 and HT-29 cancer cell lines. Results Eleven phenolic compounds had been purified and identified from the n-butanol fraction including six phenylpropanoid glycosides: (E)-sinapic acid-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), 3- hydroxyphenethyl alcohol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), 3-methoxycinnamyl alcohol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), homovanillyl alcohol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), dihydrosyringin (5), and syringin (6); And five lignan glycosides: 3,3'-dimethoxy-4,9,9'- trihydroxy-4',7-epoxy-5',8-lignan-4,9-bis-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), (+)-5,5'-dimethoxylariciresinol 4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (8), (+)-isolariciresinol-9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (9), (+)-isolariciresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (10), and (+)-5,5'-dimethoxylariciresinol- 9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (11). All the phenolic glycosides showed no significant effects on the proliferation of HCT-116 and HT-29 cancer cell lines with IC50 > 100 μmol/L. Conclusion Compounds 4, 6, 9, and 11 are isolated and purified from this herb for the first time, while compounds 1, 2, and 10 are firstly obtained from the genus Oplopanax.

Screening and identifying antioxidants from Oplopanax elatus using 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl with off-line two-dimensional HPLC coupled with diode array detection and tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

The root of Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai has a well-known history of use for the treatment of diseases such as neurasthenia, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer by the native people in northeast China. It is important to screen and identify the bioactive molecules from its root rapidly. Hereby, an off-line two-dimensional high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry together with 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl was established to screen antioxidants from the root of O. elatus. A Waters cyanogen column (150 × 3.9 mm, id, 4 µm) was used for the first dimensional liquid chromatography, while a Hypersil BDS-C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, id, 5 µm) was installed for the second dimension liquid chromatographic analysis. Twenty-eight compounds had been tentatively identified from the methanol extract of the air-dried root of O. elatus including six polyynes and eight phenolic derivatives were screened with antioxidant activity. The developed method could be expedient for screening and identifying antioxidants from O. elatus.

Pharmacokinetic profiles of falcarindiol and oplopandiol in rats after oral administration of polyynes extract of Oplopanax elatus.

Polyynes, such as facarindiol (FAD) and oplopandiol (OPD), are responsible for anticancer activities of Oplopanax elatus (O. elatus). A novel approach to pharmacokinetics determination of the two natural polyynes in rats was developed and validated using a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. Biosamples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction using ethyl acetate/n-hexane (V : V = 9 : 1) and the analytes were eluted on an Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 threaded column (4.6 mm × 50 mm, 1.8 µm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1% aqueous formic acid at a flow-rate of 0.5 mL·min(-1) within a total run time of 11 min. All analytes were simultaneously monitored in a single-quadrupole mass spectrometer in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode using electrospray source in positive mode. The method was demonstrated to be rapid, sensitive, and reliable, and it was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of the two polyynes in rat plasma after oral administration of polyynes extract of O. elatus.

Pharmacokinetic profiles of falcarindiol and oplopandiol in rats after oral administration of polyynes extract of Oplopanax elatus / 中国天然药物

Polyynes, such as facarindiol (FAD) and oplopandiol (OPD), are responsible for anticancer activities of Oplopanax elatus (O. elatus). A novel approach to pharmacokinetics determination of the two natural polyynes in rats was developed and validated using a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. Biosamples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction using ethyl acetate/n-hexane (V : V = 9 : 1) and the analytes were eluted on an Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 threaded column (4.6 mm × 50 mm, 1.8 μm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1% aqueous formic acid at a flow-rate of 0.5 mL·min(-1) within a total run time of 11 min. All analytes were simultaneously monitored in a single-quadrupole mass spectrometer in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode using electrospray source in positive mode. The method was demonstrated to be rapid, sensitive, and reliable, and it was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of the two polyynes in rat plasma after oral administration of polyynes extract of O. elatus.

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai: chemistry, traditional use and pharmacology.

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai, a member of the ancient angiosperm plant family Araliaceae, is used for the treatment of different disorders in the medicine systems of China, Russia, and Korea, and was designated in Russia as a classical adaptogen. Despite extensive studies of classical adaptogens, there are comparatively few reports concerning the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of O. elatus in English. The plant is a potential source of saponins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, terpenes, and other active compounds. Experimental studies and clinical applications have indicated that O. elatus possesses a number of pharmacological activities, including adaptogenic, anti-convulsant, anti-diabetic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, blood pressure modulating, and reproductive function effects. In this review, the chemistry, safety, and therapeutic potential of O. elatus are summarized and highlighted to encourage the further development of this plant.

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai: chemistry, traditional use and pharmacology / 中国天然药物

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai, a member of the ancient angiosperm plant family Araliaceae, is used for the treatment of different disorders in the medicine systems of China, Russia, and Korea, and was designated in Russia as a classical adaptogen. Despite extensive studies of classical adaptogens, there are comparatively few reports concerning the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of O. elatus in English. The plant is a potential source of saponins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, terpenes, and other active compounds. Experimental studies and clinical applications have indicated that O. elatus possesses a number of pharmacological activities, including adaptogenic, anti-convulsant, anti-diabetic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, blood pressure modulating, and reproductive function effects. In this review, the chemistry, safety, and therapeutic potential of O. elatus are summarized and highlighted to encourage the further development of this plant.