Integrated Network Pharmacology and Metabolomics Analysis to Reveal the Potential Mechanism of Siwu Paste on Aplastic Anemia Induced by Chemotherapy Drugs.

Purpose: This study aimed to reveal the multicomponent synergy mechanisms of SWP based on network pharmacology and metabolomics for exploring the relationships of active ingredients, biological targets, and crucial metabolic pathways. Materials: Network pharmacology, including TRRUST, GO, and KEGG, enrichment was used to discover the active ingredients and potential regulation mechanisms of SWP. LC-MS and multivariate data analysis method were further applied to analyze serum metabolomics profiling for discovering the potential metabolic mechanisms of SWP on AA induced by Cyclophosphamide (CTX) and 1-Acetyl-2-phenylhydrazine (APH). Results: A total of 27 important bioactive ingredients meeting the ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) screening criteria from SWP were selected. Interaction networks were constructed and validated based on the 10 associated ingredients with the relevant targets. A total of 125 biomarkers were found by Metabolomics approach, which associated with the development of AA, mainly involved in amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism. While SWP can reverse the above 12 metabolites changed by AA. Network analysis revealed the synergistic effects of SWP through the 43 crucial pathways, including Sphingolipid signaling pathway, Sphingolipid metabolism, Arginine and proline metabolism, VEGF signaling pathway, Estrogen signaling pathway. Conclusion: The study suggested that SWP is a useful alternative for the treatment of AA induced by CTX + APH. Its potential mechanisms are to improve hematopoietic microenvironment and promote bone marrow hematopoiesis therapies.

Integrative analysis of metabolome and transcriptome provide new insights into the bitter components of Lilium lancifolium and Lilium brownii.

Lilium, a perennial crop with great ornamental, medicinal and edible value, has been frequently used as functional food and medicine. Lilium lancifolium Thunb. (L. lancifolium) and Lilium brownii F.E.Brown var.viridulum Baker (L. brownii) are the most used medicinal species in China. However, the flavor compounds of these two species have not yet been clear. Here, metabolomics and transcriptome analysis were used to reveal the difference of the bitter substances of L. lancifolium and L. brownii. Qualitative results indicated that nine compounds are commonly existed in L. lancifolium and L. brownii, while nine compounds are unique in L. lancifolium and eight compounds are unique in L. brownii. Furthermore, quantitative results revealed that the content of regaloside A in L. lancifolium was nearly 2-7 folds higher than that of L. brownii, and the content of regaloside B in L. lancifolium was about 4-16 folds higher than that of L. brownii. Regaloside C and E were not detected in L. brownii. Transcriptome analysis showed that there were 90 unique genes up-regulated in L. lancifolium samples in the pathway of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and 75 unique genes up-regulated in L. brownii samples, which could be related to the different content and chemical structure specificity of phenylpropanoid glycerol glucosides in L. lancifolium and L. brownii. The results of our in-deep research provide new insights into the bitter substances of L. lancifolium and L. brownii, and a further consideration for the chemical consistency and quality evaluation for Lilii bulbus.

The extraction of phenolic acids and polysaccharides from Lilium lancifolium Thunb. using a deep eutectic solvent.

Establishing a fast and effective extraction method for herbs is beneficial for the determination of their main compounds and estimating their quality. In this study, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were optimized to simultaneously extract three main types of phenolic acids, i.e., regaloside B, regaloside C, and regaloside E, and polysaccharides from the bulbs of Lilium lancifolium Thunb. Based on the optimized extraction conditions, i.e., an extraction temperature of 50 °C, an extraction time of 40 min, a solid-liquid ratio of 1 : 25, and a ratio of water in the DES of 20%, the extracted amounts of regaloside B, regaloside C, and regaloside E reached 0.31 ± 0.06 mg g-1, 0.29 ± 0.03 mg g-1, and 3.04 ± 0.38 mg g-1, respectively. The extraction efficiencies were higher than those obtained using conventional organic solvents. Next, the polysaccharide levels were measured and compared with those obtained using a conventional hot water extraction method, and equivalent extraction efficiencies were obtained with the conventional hot water extraction method. This study provides a new application of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for simultaneously extracting phenolic acids and polysaccharides from the bulbs of L. lancifolium Thunb. Considering the biodegradability and pharmaceutical acceptability, DESs as a class of green solvents could have wide applications in the extraction of natural products.