Research

16 pages, 20593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Protective Effect of Baicalin on Chlorpyrifos-Induced Liver Injury and Its Mechanism

by Ruibing Wang, Ke Zhang, Kaiyue Liu, Hongyan Pei, Kun Shi, Zhongmei He, Ying Zong and Rui Du

Molecules 2023, 28(23), 7771; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28237771 - 25 Nov 2023

Viewed by 749

Abstract

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) plays a vital role in the control of various pests in agriculture and household life, even though some studies have indicated that CPF residues pose a significant risk to human health. Baicalin (BA) is a flavonoid drug with an obvious effect [...] Read more.

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) plays a vital role in the control of various pests in agriculture and household life, even though some studies have indicated that CPF residues pose a significant risk to human health. Baicalin (BA) is a flavonoid drug with an obvious effect on the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. In this study, the protective effect of BA in vitro and in vivo was investigated by establishing a CPF-induced AML12 cell damage model and a CPF-induced Kunming female mouse liver injury model. The AML12 cell damage model indicated that BA had a good positive regulatory effect on various inflammatory factors, redox indexes, and abnormal apoptosis factors induced by CPF. The liver injury model of female mice in Kunming showed that BA significantly improved the liver function indexes, inflammatory response, and fibrosis of mice. In addition, BA alleviated CPF-induced AML12 cell damage and Kunming female mouse liver injury by enhancing autophagy and regulating apoptosis pathways through Western blotting. Collectively, these data suggest that the potential mechanism of BA is a multi-target and multi-channel treatment for chlorpyrifos-induced liver injury. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Action of Natural Medicines)

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12 pages, 1818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neuroprotective Iridoids and Lignans from Valeriana amurensis

by Minhui Ye, Xiaoju Lin, Qiuhong Wang, Bingyou Yang and Changfu Wang

Molecules 2023, 28(15), 5793; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28155793 - 01 Aug 2023

Viewed by 869

Abstract

Valeriana amurensis (V. amurensis) is widely distributed in Northeast China. In addition to medicines, it has also been used to prepare food, wine, tobacco, cosmetics, perfume, and functional foods. Other studies have investigated the neuroprotective effects of V. amurensis extract. As [...] Read more.

Valeriana amurensis (V. amurensis) is widely distributed in Northeast China. In addition to medicines, it has also been used to prepare food, wine, tobacco, cosmetics, perfume, and functional foods. Other studies have investigated the neuroprotective effects of V. amurensis extract. As the therapeutic basis, the active constituents should be further evaluated. In this paper, six new compounds (1–6) were isolated, including five iridoids (Xiecaoiridoidside A–E) and one bisepoxylignan (Xiecaolignanside A), as well as six known compounds (7–12). The neuroprotective effects of 1–12 were also investigated with amyloid β protein 1−42 (Aβ_1-42)-induced injury to rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. As a result, iridoids 1 and 2 and lignans 6, 8, and 9 could markedly maintain the cells’ viability by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Action of Natural Medicines)

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14 pages, 3601 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salvianolic Acid A Improves Rat Kidney Injury by Regulating MAPKs and TGF-β1/Smads Signaling Pathways

by Hai-Yang Diao, Wei Zhu, Jie Liu, Sheng Yin, Jin-Hui Wang and Chun-Li Li

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3630; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28083630 - 21 Apr 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1489

Abstract

Salvianolic acid A (SAA) is one of the major components in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., with various pharmacological activities, and is likely to be a promising agent for the treatment of kidney diseases. The purpose of this study was to explore the protective [...] Read more.

Salvianolic acid A (SAA) is one of the major components in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., with various pharmacological activities, and is likely to be a promising agent for the treatment of kidney diseases. The purpose of this study was to explore the protective effect and mechanisms of SAA on kidney disease. In this study, the improvement effects of SAA (10, 20, 40 mg/kg, i.g.) on kidney injury rats were investigated by detecting the levels of KIM-1, NGAL in serum and UP in the urine of AKI model rats established with gentamicin, as well as the levels of SCr and UREA in serum and IL-6, IL-12, MDA and T-SOD in the kidneys of CKD model rats established with 5/6 nephrectomy. HE and Masson staining were used to observe the histopathological changes in the kidney. Network pharmacology and Western blotting were used to explore the mechanism of SAA in improving kidney injury. The results showed that SAA improved kidney function in kidney injury rats by reducing the kidney index and pathological injury by HE and Masson staining, reducing the levels of KIM-1, NGAL and UP in AKI rats and UREA, SCr and UP in CKD rats, as well as exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects by inhibiting the release of IL-6 and IL-12, reducing MDA and increasing T-SOD. Western blotting results showed that SAA significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2, p38, JNK and smad2/3, and the expression of TLR-4 and smad7. In conclusion, SAA plays a significant role in improving kidney injury in rats and the mechanism may be achieved by regulating the MAPKs and TGF-β1/smads signaling pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Action of Natural Medicines)

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13 pages, 1992 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Effective Chromatography Process for Simultaneous Purification and Separation of Total Lignans and Flavonoids from Valeriana amurensis

by Manli Zhang, Bingyou Yang, Minhui Ye, Jianqing Chen, Yan Liu and Changfu Wang

Molecules 2022, 27(23), 8598; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27238598 - 06 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1206

Abstract

An effective chromatography process was developed and validated for simultaneous purification and separation of total lignans and flavonoids from Valeriana amurensis. The total lignans and flavonoids in Valeriana amurensis extract were prepurified with macroporous resin column chromatography, and the conditions were optimized [...] Read more.

An effective chromatography process was developed and validated for simultaneous purification and separation of total lignans and flavonoids from Valeriana amurensis. The total lignans and flavonoids in Valeriana amurensis extract were prepurified with macroporous resin column chromatography, and the conditions were optimized as follows: 40 mg/mL Valeriana amurensis extract (2.0 g) solution was loaded onto an AB-8 resin column with a diameter-to-height ratio of 1:7, followed by adsorption for 6 h; then, the column was eluted successively with 5 BV water and 10% and 50% ethanol at a flow rate 2 BV/h. The obtained 50% ethanol fraction was further repurified and separated by polyamide resin column chromatography to obtain the total lignans and flavonoids, respectively. The chromatography conditions were optimized as follows: a 50% ethanol fraction (1.0 g) was mixed with 1.0 g polyamide resin and loaded onto a polyamide resin (60–100 mesh) column with a diameter-to-height ratio of 1:3; then, the column was eluted successively with 6 BV water and 40% and 80% ethanol at a flow rate of 4 BV/h. The total lignans and flavonoids were obtained from water and 80% ethanol fraction, respectively. The content and recovery of standard compounds in total lignans and flavonoids were analyzed with HPLC-PDA, and the feasibility of the process was confirmed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Action of Natural Medicines)

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21 pages, 5229 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyze the Effect of Steaming on the Chemical Constituents, Defecation and Liver Injury of Polygonum Multiflorum Radix (Heshouwu) by Multiple Analysis Techniques Combined with Multivariate Statistics

by Xiaolei Du, Lili Xu, Zhe Zhang, Yang Wang, Huifen Li, Weiliang Cui and Huibin Lin

Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6284; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27196284 - 23 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1382

Abstract

Steaming is a characteristic pharmaceutical skill in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Polygonum multiflorum radix (PM) and its steamed products have been used in Asia for centuries. Raw Polygonum multiflorum radix (RPM) is commonly used to promote defecation but can exert toxicity, especially in [...] Read more.

Steaming is a characteristic pharmaceutical skill in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Polygonum multiflorum radix (PM) and its steamed products have been used in Asia for centuries. Raw Polygonum multiflorum radix (RPM) is commonly used to promote defecation but can exert toxicity, especially in liver injury. However, RPM can be made converted into Polygoni multiflori radix praeparata (PMP) by steaming; this is considered a good method to reduce defecation and liver injury caused by PM in Asia. The chemical constituents of TCM are the key to its action. We systematically analyzed the effect of steaming on PM constituents, defecation, and liver injury. We identified 13 main constituents from PM and PMP; the results showed that after being steamed, two constituents (TSG, catechin) had decreased, six constituents (such as procyanidin B1 or B2) had disappeared, four constituents (such as emodin, physcion) had increased, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside remained unchanged in PMP. Pharmacological experiments showed that PM could promote defecation; however, there were no obvious effects in response to PMP. Only a high dose of PM for 14 days caused some degree of liver injury, although this injury disappeared after 14 days of drug withdrawal. Network pharmacology and molecular docking studies showed that TSG, emodin and physcion were the most effective in promoting defecation and causing liver injury. Collectively, our findings show that steaming can reduce the effect of PM on promoting defecation and reducing liver injury. TSG may be one of the important constituents in PM that can promote defecation and cause liver injury. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Action of Natural Medicines)

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12 pages, 1173 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inositol Derivatives with Anti-Inflammatory Activity from Leaves of Solanum capsicoides Allioni

by Yan Liu, Xin Meng, Han Wang, Yan Sun, Si-Yi Wang, Yi-Kai Jiang, Adnan Mohammed Algradi, Anam Naseem, Hai-Xue Kuang and Bing-You Yang

Molecules 2022, 27(18), 6063; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27186063 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1182

Abstract

Eight new inositol derivatives, solsurinositols A–H (1–8), were isolated from the 70% EtOH extract of the leaves of Solanum capsicoides Allioni. Careful isolation by silica gel column chromatography followed by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) allowed us to obtain [...] Read more.

Eight new inositol derivatives, solsurinositols A–H (1–8), were isolated from the 70% EtOH extract of the leaves of Solanum capsicoides Allioni. Careful isolation by silica gel column chromatography followed by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) allowed us to obtain analytically pure compounds 1–8. They shared the same relative stereochemistry on the ring but have different acyl groups attached to various hydroxyl groups. This was the first time that inositol derivatives have been isolated from this plant. The chemical structures of compounds 1–8 were characterized by extensive 1D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and 2D NMR and mass analyses. Meanwhile, the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of all compounds was determined using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 microglia, and among the isolates, compounds 5 (IC₅₀ = 11.21 ± 0.14 µM) and 7 (IC₅₀ = 14.5 ± 1.22 µM) were shown to have potential anti-inflammatory activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Action of Natural Medicines)

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22 pages, 1434 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mass Defect Filtering-Oriented Identification of Resin Glycosides from Root of Convolvulus scammonia Based on Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer

by Qiang Yin, Rahima Abdulla, Gulmira Kahar, Haji Akber Aisa, Chunting Li and Xuelei Xin

Molecules 2022, 27(11), 3638; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27113638 - 06 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1720

Abstract

This work aimed to develop and evaluate a post-acquisition data processing strategy, referred to as a mass defect filter (MDF), for rapid target the resin glycosides in root of Convolvulus scammonia by setting mass rang and mass defect range from high-resolution MS data. [...] Read more.

This work aimed to develop and evaluate a post-acquisition data processing strategy, referred to as a mass defect filter (MDF), for rapid target the resin glycosides in root of Convolvulus scammonia by setting mass rang and mass defect range from high-resolution MS data. The full-scan mass data were acquired by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive Plus hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer that featured high resolution, mass accuracy, and sensitivity. To screen resin glycosides, three parent filter m/z 871, m/z 853, and m/z 869 combined with diagnostic fragment ions (DFIs) approach were applied to remove the interference from complex herbal extract. The targeted components were characterized based on detailed fragment ions. Using this approach, 80 targeted components, including 22 glycosidic acids and 58 resin glycosides were tentatively identified. The present results suggested that the proposed MDF strategy would be adaptable to the analysis of complex system in relevant filed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Action of Natural Medicines)

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12 pages, 2466 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Chemical Constituents of Diaphragma Juglandis Fructus and Their Inhibitory Effect on α-Glucosidase Activity

by Jinyan Tan, Yangang Cheng, Shihui Wang, Jianli Li, Haiqin Ren, Yuanbiao Qiao, Qingshan Li and Yingli Wang

Molecules 2022, 27(10), 3045; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27103045 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1700

Abstract

In our current investigation, 37 constituents (1–37), including 11 megastigmanes (1–11), 17 flavonoids (12–28) and 9 phenylpropanoids (29–37), were isolated from a 70%-EtOH extract of Diaphragma juglandis [...] Read more.

In our current investigation, 37 constituents (1–37), including 11 megastigmanes (1–11), 17 flavonoids (12–28) and 9 phenylpropanoids (29–37), were isolated from a 70%-EtOH extract of Diaphragma juglandis Fructus. Among them, compounds 1–3, 12 and 29 were new compounds and their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical evidence and meticulous spectroscopic analysis (NMR, HRESIMS and CD). Compounds 13, 16, 21 and 28 showed moderate inhibitory effect on α-glycosidase inhibitory activities, with IC₅₀ values being in the range of 29.47–54.82 µM and stronger than the positive control (acarbose, 60.01 ± 4.82 µM). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Action of Natural Medicines)

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