Multivariate approach to assess the bioactive compounds of Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz in different harvest periods.

BACKGROUND: The Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz (A. chinensis) Chinese herb possesses numerous therapeutic properties and is extensively utilized in the pharmaceutical industry. Its quality is closely associated with the harvest periods. However, the optimal quality and harvest periods of A. chinensis remain elusive. METHODS: The bioactive compounds of perennial A. chinensis were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS) metabolomics, and differentially abundant compounds were selected by multivariate statistical analysis. Then, variations in the content of differential compounds in samples harvested at different periods were analyzed, while correlation analysis was carried out on the differential compounds to determine the suitable harvest period for distinct components. RESULTS: A total of 61 bioactive compounds were detected in all samples, grouped into 9 known classes. The results revealed that the chemical compositions of A. chinensis at different harvest periods were significantly different. The volatile oil content in the four-year-old and five-year-old samples was relatively high, at 31.92 mg/g and 32.42 mg/g, respectively. There were also significant differences in the content of the six active ingredients, for example, the five-year-old sample had the highest content of atractylodin (4.38 mg/g). Indeed, the harvest period was correlated with the abundance of most bioactive compounds. Specifically, quinquennial samples were significantly negatively correlated with the abundance of organic acids and aliphatics while moderately positively correlated with the abundance of other classes of bioactive compounds. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, the ideal harvest time for atractylenolide Ⅲ was 3 years. Regarding organic acids, the optimal harvest time was around 2-3 years. Taken together, these results offer valuable insights to producers for optimizing the harvest period for A. chinensis.

UHPLC-HRMS based saponins profiling of three morphological regions in American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) and their correlation with the antioxidant activity.

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) is used as tonic plant and high-grade nourishment. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) method was established for identifying the chemical constituent in three morphological regions of American ginseng, including main root (MR), rhizome (RH) and lateral root (LR). The 63 saponins was identified in different morphological regions of 10 American ginseng samples. The chemical maker compounds in corresponding morphological region, while the major compounds of MR (malonyl-ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rd, Rs2 and pseudo-RC1), LR (stipuleanoside R2, ginsenoside Re and malonyl-ginsenoside Rc), and RH (malonyl-ginsenoside Rd, Rb3, and chikusetsu saponin II) were discovered. Correlation analysis showed that 11 compounds were positively correlated with the antioxidant activity of American ginseng. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01453-4.

Oligosaccharides from black ginseng innovatively prepared by low-temperature steam-heating process ameliorate cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease mice via the Keap-1/Nrf2 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Our objective in this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oligosaccharides extracted from black ginseng (OSBG), innovatively prepared by a low-temperature steam-heating process, in the improvement of learning and memory impairment in mice, as well as the mechanism(s). RESULTS: Eight carbohydrates involving isomaltose and maltotetraose were detected in black gensing; monosaccharide residues including mannose and rhamnose were also discovered. OSBG-treated mice showed significant amelioration in recognition and spatial memory deficits compared to the scopolamine group. OSBG could decrease acetylcholinesterase activity in a tissue-dependent fashion but not in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, in contrast, OSBG administration resulted in significant upregulation superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, downregulation of malondialdehyde and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in the tissues. Finally, at the genus level, we observed that the OSBG interventions increased the relative abundance of probiotics (e.g., Barnesiella, Staphylococcus, Clostridium_XlVb) and decreased pernicious bacteria such as Eisenbergiella and Intestinimonas, compared to the Alzheimer's disease mouse model group. Herein, our results demonstrate that OSBG restores the composition of the scopolamine-induced intestinal microbiota in mice, providing homeostasis of gut microbiota and providing evidence for microbiota-regulated therapeutic potential. CONCLUSION: Our results showed for the first time a clear role for OSBG in improving scopolamine-induced memory impairment by inhibiting cholinergic dysfunction in a tissue-dependent manner. Additionally, OSBG administration relieved oxidative stress by activating the Keap-1/Nrf2 pathway and modulating the gut microbiota. Collectively, OSBG may be a promising target for neuroprotective antioxidants for improving memory and cognition in Alzheimer's disease patients. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chemical composition analysis of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels and its four processed products by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry combining with nontargeted metabolomics.

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. has been used for women to enrich the blood, prevent and treat blood deficiency syndrome in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. Wine-processed Angelica sinensis, soil-processed Angelica sinensis, oil-processed Angelica sinensis, and charred-processed Angelica sinensis are the most significant four processed products used in Chinese clinic. However, there have been few studies aimed at comparing their chemical differences. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry combining with nontargeted metabolomics was applied to investigate the diversity of processed products of Angelica sinensis. A total of 74 compounds with the variable importance in the projection value more than 1.5 and P less than 0.05 in ANOVA were highlighted as the compounds that contribute most to the discrimination of Angelica sinensis and four processed products. The results showed the metabolic changes between Angelica sinensis and its four processed products, there were 19 metabolites, 3 metabolites, 6 metabolites, and 45 metabolites were tentatively assigned in soil-processed Angelica sinensis, wine-processed Angelica sinensis, oil-processed Angelica sinensis, and charred-processed Angelica sinensis, respectively. These results suggested that the proposed metabolomics approach was useful for the quality evaluation and control of processed products of Angelica sinensis.

Comparison of the Saponins in Three Processed American Ginseng Products by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Orbitrap Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Multivariate Statistical Analysis.

A method with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography Quadrupole-Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS) was applied for the quality evaluation of different processing and drying of American ginseng, including natural drying (ND), steam drying (SD), and vacuum freeze-drying (VFD). A total of 51 saponins were successfully identified in three processed products. Three processed American ginseng products were well-differentiated in orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The S-plot also identified the marker compounds in each product, while the major ginsenosides of ND (malonyl (M)-Rd, M-Rb1, Rg1), SD (20 (S)-Rg3, 20 (S)-Rg2), and VFD (M-Rd, M-Rb1) were found. The results indicate that the method by vacuum freeze-drying can retain the content of rare ginsenosides and malonyl-ginsenosides. The marker compounds selected will benefit the holistic evaluation of related American ginseng products.

Spectrum-effect relationship between ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprints and antioxidant activities of Lophatherum gracile Brongn.

Lophatherum gracile Brongn. is a medicinal and edible plant resource as well as a natural additive in the functional food market. To better understand its characteristics and efficacy, a method combining chromatographic fingerprints and antioxidant activity was proposed. A total of 21 common peaks were confirmed from liquid chromatography fingerprints and were identified as 14 flavonoids and 7 phenolic acids by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry (Q-Orbitrap/MS). Their antioxidant activities were evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH), 2,2'-diazide-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The results showed that all of the test samples had moderate to high antioxidant effects, with IC50 values ranging from 5.2 to 16.1 mg/ml and 1.2 to 2.8 mg/ml for DPPH and ABTS assays, and the FeSO4 concentrations of 1.84-4.20 mmol/L for the FRAP assay. The spectrum-effect relationship between UHPLC fingerprints and antioxidant activity was investigated through Pearson correlation analysis and Grey relational analysis (GRA) to identify the antioxidant constitutes in Lophatherum gracile Brongn. The results showed that 11 compounds were greatly associated with the antioxidant activity with a correlation degree >0.80, which can be used as the quality marker of Lophatherum gracile Brongn.

Chemical composition analysis of Schisandra chinensis fructus and its three processed products using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS-based metabolomics approach.

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS)-based metabolomics method was applied to investigate the chemome diversity of Schisandra chinensis fructus (SF) and its processed products, including vinegar-processed Schisandra (VS), wine-processed Schisandra (WS), and honey-processed Schisandra (HS). A clear classification among four Schisandra products was observed in the score plot of the partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model, then 28 marker compounds were selected and identified. The content of most marker compounds in VS and WS was increased compared with that in SF, and the lowest content was observed in HS, then the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was performed to confirm the change trends. These results suggested the chemical composition variation occurs in different Schisandra products, and the marker compounds selected in this study will be useful for the quality evaluation of Schisandra products.

The study of Raddeanin A cerebrovascular endothelial cell trafficking through P-glycoprotein.

As one of the natural triterpenoids isolated from Anemone Raddeana Regel, Raddeanin A (RA) has been confirmed to possess therapeutic effects against multiple tumorigeneses, especially for the onset of glioblastoma and growth in human brains. However, the mechanism by which this happens remains poorly understood in terms of the vascular endothelium trafficking routine of RA through the brain-blood barrier (BBB). To seek such answers, human brain microenvironment endothelial cells (HBMECs) were used to stimulate the microenvironment in vitro, and to explore the intracellular accumulation of RA. The results of this experiment illustrated that RA has a relative moderate transport affinity for such cells. The kinetic parameter Km was 37.01 ± 2.116 µM and Vmax was 9.412 ± 0.1375 nM/min/mg of protein. Interestingly, protein downregulation of P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1/MDR1) significantly activated RA transmembrane activity, which proves that P-gp is responsible for RA cellular trafficking. In addition, the selective non-specific inhibitor, LY335979 increased either RA or the classical substrate of P-gp, digoxin, intracellular accumulation by restricting the transporter's function but without jeopardizing cytomembrane proteins. Moreover, a decrease in the expression or activity of P-gp triggered RA drug resistance to HBMECs. In summary, our data showed that both the expression and function of P-gp are all necessary for RA transmembrane trafficking through cerebrovascular endothelial cells. This study provides significant evidence for the presence of a connection between RA transport and P-gp variation during drug BBB penetration. It is also suggesting some vital guidance on the RA pharmacodynamic effect in human brains.

Correction to: Comparison of the acute toxicity, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities and chemical composition changes in Rhizoma anemones Raddeanae caused by vinegar processing.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Comparison of the acute toxicity, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities and chemical composition changes in Rhizoma anemones Raddeanae caused by vinegar processing.

BACKGROUND: As the dry rhizome of Anemone raddeana Regel, Rhizoma Anemones Raddeanae (RAR), which belongs to Ranunculaceae, is usually used to treat wind and cold symptoms, hand-foot disease and spasms, joint pain and ulcer pain in China. It is well known that the efficacy of RAR can be distinctly enhanced by processing with vinegar due to the reduced toxicity and side effects. However, the entry of vinegar into liver channels can cause a series of problems. In this paper, the differences in the acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects between RAR and vinegar-processed RAR were compared in detail. The changes in the chemical compositions between RAR and vinegar-processed RAR were investigated, and the mechanism of vinegar processing was also explored. METHODS: Acute toxicity experiments were used to examine the toxicity of vinegar-processed RAR. A series of studies, such as the writhing reaction, ear swelling experiment, complete Freund's adjuvant-induced rat foot swelling experiment and cotton granuloma, in experimental mice was conducted to observe the anti-inflammatory effect of vinegar-processed RAR. The inflammatory cytokines of model rats were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time of Flight mass spectrometer Detector (LC-Q-TOF) was used to analyse the chemical compositions of the RARs before and after vinegar processing. RESULTS: Neither obvious changes in mice nor death phenomena were observed as the amount of vinegar-processed RAR in crude drug was set at 2.1 g/kg. Vinegar-processed RAR could significantly prolong the latency, reduce the writhing reaction time to reduce the severity of ear swelling and foot swelling, and remarkably inhibit the secretion of Interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) proinflammatory cytokines. The content of twelve saponins (e.g., Eleutheroside K) in RAR was decreased after vinegar processing, but six other types (e.g., RDA) were increased. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed that vinegar processing could not only improve the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of RAR but also reduce its own toxicity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Synergy of Raddeanin A and cisplatin induced therapeutic effect enhancement in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Cisplatin is a main compound for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) chemotherapies, but it has certain cytotoxicity during applications. To release that, combining with other drugs are being as a regular plan in clinic. In our present study, we are focusing on one of active monomers extracted from Anemone Raddeana Regel, Raddeanin A (RA), which is on behalf of the same character like cisplatin in the tumor remedies. In order to investigate whether combination usage of RA and cisplatin can be priority to the later drug's effect development and its toxicity reduction in HCC, both of two drugs were treated 24 h or 48 h in QGY-7703 cells for estimating their abilities in tumor cell proliferation inhibition. Results show RA makes synergistic functions with cisplatin after measuring and analyzing their combination index (CI) values. Meanwhile it can strengthen cisplatin's effect through arresting the tumor cells in G0/G1 cycle and further promoting their apoptosis. Interestingly, the molecule signals correlated to tumor cell apoptosis containing both of p53 and bax are simultaneously activated, but bcl-2 and survivin are all depressed in mRNA level. Meanwhile, combining usage with RA can even raise the intracellular productions of reactive oxygen species (ROS). All these consequences reflect RA plays an important role in enhancing the therapeutic effect of cisplatin in HCC. This finding may guide for the drug usage of cisplatin in clinic practice.

Sulfated modification of the water-soluble polysaccharides from Polyporus albicans mycelia and its potential biological activities.

In this study, three chemically sulfated polysaccharides (SPAPs) were derived from one water-soluble polysaccharide (PAP) of Polyporus albicans mycelia by chlorosulfonic acid-pyridine method. The effects of polysaccharides on the immune function were examined after the mice were intragastrical administrated with polysaccharides at three doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg body weight for 7 days. The results showed that both the lymphocytes proliferation and macrophage function were significantly enhanced by SPAP in all groups along with the increase of the substitution degree and dose (P<0.01). It indicated that SPAP could be a potential immunostimulants used in the food and pharmaceutical industry.