ABSTRACT
Background: Jing Guan Fang (JGF) is an anti-COVID-19 Chinese Medicine decoction comprised of five medicinal herbs to possess anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties for treatment. This study aims to electrochemically decipher the anti-coronavirus activity of JGF and show that microbial fuel cells may serve as a platform for screening efficacious herbal medicines and providing scientific bases for the mechanism of action (MOA) of TCMs. Methods: Electrochemical techniques (e.g., cyclic voltammetry) and MFCs were adopted as the bioenergy-based platforms to assess the bioenergy-stimulating characteristics of JGF. Phytochemical analysis correlated polyphenolic and flavonoid content with antioxidant activity and bioenergy-stimulating properties. Network pharmacology on the active compounds was employed to identify anti-inflammatory and anti-COVID-19 protein targets, and molecular docking validated in silico results. Significant findings: This first-attempt results show that JGF possesses significant reversible bioenergy-stimulation (amplification 2.02 ± 0.04) properties suggesting that its antiviral efficacy is both bioenergy-steered and electron mediated. Major flavonoids and flavone glycosides identified by HPLC (e.g., baicalein and baicalin, respectively) possess electron-shuttling (ES) characteristics that allow herbal medicines to treat COVID-19 via (1) reversible scavenging of ROS to lessen inflammation; (2) inhibition of viral proteins; and (3) targeting of immunomodulatory pathways to stimulate the immune response according to network pharmacology.
ABSTRACT
Background: Traditional herbal medicines usually contain electron shuttle (ES)-like structures compounds which are potential candidates for antiviral compounds selection. Houttuynia cordata is applied as a biomaterial to decipher its potential applications in bioenergy extraction in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and anti-COVID-19 via molecular docking evaluation. Methods: H. cordata leaves extracts by water and 60% ethanol solvent were analyzed for total polyphenols, antioxidant activity, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and MFCs. The bioactive compounds of H. cordata leaves extracts were assayed via LC/MS analysis. Identification of the marker substances for potential antiviral activity using a molecular docking model was provided. Significant findings: 60% ethanol extract exhibits the highest total polyphenols and antioxidant activity compared with water extracts. Bioenergy extraction in MFCs showed that 60% ethanol extracts could give 1.76-fold more power generation compared to the blank. Flavonoids and their sugar-to-glycan ratios increased after CV scanning and they are expected to be effective ES substances. Quercitrin, from the H. cordata extract that shares an ES-like structure, was found to exhibit strong binding affinities towards ACE2 and RdRp. This indicated the potential of H. cordata leaves as a promising antiviral herb.
ABSTRACT
Due to the pandemics of COVID-19, herbal medicine has recently been explored for possible antiviral treatment and prevention via novel platform of microbial fuel cells. It was revealed that Coffea arabica leaves was very appropriate for anti-COVID-19 drug development. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory tests exhibited the most promising activities for C. arabica ethanol extracts and drying approaches were implemented on the leaf samples prior to ethanol extraction. Ethanol extracts of C. arabica leaves were applied to bioenergy evaluation via DC-MFCs, clearly revealing that air-dried leaves (CA-A-EtOH) exhibited the highest bioenergy-stimulating capabilities (ca. 2.72 fold of power amplification to the blank). Furthermore, molecular docking analysis was implemented to decipher the potential of C. arabica leaves metabolites. Chlorogenic acid (-6.5 kcal/mol) owned the highest binding affinity with RdRp of SARS-CoV-2, showing a much lower average RMSF value than an apoprotein. This study suggested C. arabica leaves as an encouraging medicinal herb against SARS-CoV-2.
ABSTRACT
Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used as an "immune booster" for disease prevention and clinical treatment since ancient China. However, many studies were focused on the organic herbal extract rather than aqueous herbal extract (AHE; decoction). Due to the COVID-19 pandemics, this study tended to decipher phytochemical contents in the decoction of herbs and derived bioactivities (e.g., anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties). As prior works revealed, the efficacy of Parkinson's medicines and antiviral flavonoid herbs was strongly governed by their bioenergy-stimulating proficiency. Methods: Herbal extracts were prepared by using a traditional Chinese decoction pot. After filtration and evaporation, crude extracts were used to prepare sample solutions for various bioassays. The phytochemical content and bioactivities of AHEs were determined via ELISA microplate reader. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were used as a novel platform to evaluate bioenergy contents with electron-transfer characteristics for antiviral drug development. Significant findings: Regarding 18 TCM herbal extracts for the prevention of SARS and H1N1 influenza, comparison on total polyphenol, flavonoid, condensed tannins and polysaccharides were conducted. Moreover, considerable total flavonoid contents were detected for 11 herb extracts. These AEHs were not only rich in phytonutrient contents but also plentiful in anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Herbs with high polyphenol content had higher antioxidant activity. Forsythia suspensa extract expressed the highest inhibition against nitric oxide production for anti-inflammation. MFC bioenergy-stimulating studies also revealed that top ranking COVID-19 efficacious herbs were both bioenergy driven and electron mediated. That is, electron transfer-controlled bioenergy extraction was significant to antiviral characteristics for anti-COVID-19 drug development.
ABSTRACT
Background: This first-attempt study explored indigenous herbs from agricultural waste with bioenergy and biorefinery-stimulating potentials for possible anti-COVID-19 drug development. As prior novel study revealed, medicinal herbs abundant in ortho-dihydroxyl substituents and flavonoid-bearing chemicals were likely not only electron shuttle (ES)-steered, but also virus transmission-resisted. Methods: Herbal extract preparation from agricultural wastes were implemented via traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction pot. After filtration and evaporation, a crude extract obtained was used for evaluation of bioenergy-stimulating and electron-mediating characteristics via microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Combined with cyclic voltammetric analysis, MFCs provided a novel platform to distinguish electron shuttles from antioxidants with electron-transfer steered antiviral potentials of herbal extracts. Significant findings: After 50 serial cyclic voltammogram traces, considerable ES activities of herbal extracts still stably remained, indicating that possible medication-associated capabilities could be persistent. This work also extended to explore bioenergy-stimulating herbs from agricultural waste recycling for bioenergy and biorefinery applications. Water extract of Coffea arabica was more biotoxic than ethanolic extract, resulting in its lower power-generating capability. The findings revealed that water extract of Trichodesma khasianum and Euphorbia hirta could exhibit considerable bioenergy-enhancing effects. For cradle-to-cradle circular economy, agricultural waste could be specifically screened for possible regeneration of value-added anti-COVID-19 drugs via bioenergy selection.