Andrographis Herba, the aerial part of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees (Acanthaceae), has a wide geographic distribution and has been used for the treatment of fever, cold, inflammation, and other infectious diseases. In markets, sellers and buyers commonly inadvertently confuse with related species. In addition, most Chinese medicinal herbs are subjected to traditional processing procedures, such as steaming and boiling, before they are sold at dispensaries; therefore, it is very difficult to identify Andrographis Herba when it is processed into Chinese medicines. The identification of species and processed medicinal materials is a growing issue in the marketplace. However, conventional methods of identification have limitations, while DNA barcoding has received considerable attention as a new potential means to identify species and processed medicinal materials. In this study, 17 standard reference materials of A. paniculata, 2 standard decoctions, 27 commercial products and two adulterants were collected. Based on the ITS2 sequence, it could successfully identify A. paniculata and adulterants. Moreover, a nucleotide signature consisting of 71 bp was designed, this sequence is highly conserved and specific within A. paniculata while divergent among other species. Then, we used these new primers to amplify the nucleotide signature region from processed materials. In conclusion, the DNA barcoding method developed in the present study for authenticating A. paniculata is rapid and cost-effective. It can be used in the future to guarantee the quality of Andrographis Herba of each regulatory link for clinical use.
Andrographis ; Andrographis paniculata ; DNA Primers ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Aims: Andrographis paniculata (AP), a medicinal herb was selected to investigate the antifungal activity on selected dermatophyte fungi. The phytochemical screening was also carried out to evaluate its chemical constituents. Methodology and results: The potato dextrose agar (PDA) incorporated with aqueous, ethanol and methanol AP extracts at concentrations 0.99% (v/v), 1.96% (v/v) and 7.41% (v/v) were used for selected fungi culturing; Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. interdigitale, Microsporum fulvum, M. nanum, M. gypseum, M. canis, Fusarium solani and Aspergillus fumigatus. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, saponins and tannins in the ethanol extract and flavonoids alone in both aqueous and methanol extracts. Studies on antifungal effects indicated that the ethanol extract significantly increased the mycelial inhibition percentage of all tested fungi, especially at a concentration of 7.41% (v/v). All ethanol AP extract concentrations inhibited M. gypseum and M. canis (p<0.05) with at least 36.00% mycelial inhibition. In aqueous AP extract, it significantly increased the mycelial inhibition of T. mentagrophytes, T. interdigitale and M. gypseum (p<0.05), while the methanol AP extract significantly inhibited all fungi at a concentration of 7.41% (v/v) except for T. rubrum, M. gypseum and F. solani (p<0.05). No spore sedimentation was recorded for the fungal spores of T. rubrum, M. nanum, T. mentagrophytes, M. gypseum and T. interdigitale at 7.41% (v/v) ethanol AP. Conclusion, significance and impact of study It is concluded that the ethanol AP extract contained phytochemical constituents and showed the highest antifungal activity. In addition, this extract has a great potential to treat dermatophytes effectively.
Antifungal Agents ; Phytochemicals ; Andrographis paniculata ; Dermatomycoses

Three kinds of excipients were selected to investigate the anti-bitterness effect on the extremely bitter characteristics of Andrographis Herba decoction, and the optimal combined anti-bitterness formula was obtained. The preparation principle of different excipients was clarified by virtual screening and experimental verification to explore the advantages of the three kinds of excipients in the combined anti-bitterness effect. Sensory evaluation showed that mPEG_(2000)-PLLA_(2000), γ-cyclodextrin(γ-CD), and aspartame all had good anti-bitterness effect, which reduced the bitterness intensity of Andrographis Herba decoction by 0.5, 6, and 3 points, respectively. The anti-bitterness effect was superior when 0.15% mPEG_(2000)-PLLA_(2000), 1.60% γ-CD, and 0.04% aspartame were combined, and the taste score of the Andrographis Herba decoction decreased from 8 points(severe bitterness) to 1 point(almost no bitterness). Quantum chemistry calculations showed that mPEG_(2000)-PLLA_(2000) reduced the electrostatic potential of bitter groups, which spontaneously combined with it and formed a physical barrier, hindering the binding of bitter components to receptors. The interaction between γ-CD and bitter components was studied. It was found that the surface area and free energy of γ-CD decreased and the dipole moment increased, indicating that γ-CD included bitter components and self-assembled to form supramolecules. Molecular docking showed that hydroxy at position 14 and carbonyl at position 16 of andrographolide, and hydroxy at position 3 and 4, carbonyl at position 14, and five-membered lactone ring of dehydrated andrographolide were possibly the main bitter groups. The binding free energies of aspartame to bitter receptors TAS2 R10, TAS2 R14, and TAS2 R46 were-3.21,-1.55, and-2.52 kcal·mol~(-1), respectively, indicating that aspartame competed to inhibit the binding of bitter groups to bitter receptors. The results of content determination showed that the free amounts of andrographolide and dehydrated andrographolide in Andrographis Herba decoction were 0.23% and 0.28% respectively, while after adding flavor masking excipients, the dissociation amount of andrographolide and dehydrated andrographolide in the decoction decreased to 0.13% and 0.20%, respectively. The above results show that mPEG_(2000)-PLLA_(2000) involves some bitter components into it through micellar self-assembly to reconcile the entrance bitterness, and γ-CD includes the remaining bitter components in the real solution to control the main bitter taste. Aspartame further competes to inhibit the combination of bitter components and bitter receptors, and improves the taste to be sweet. Multi-excipients combined with anti-bitterness strategy significantly reduces the free concentration of bitter substances in Andrographis Herba decoction, and optimizes the taste of the decoction.
Andrographis ; Taste ; Aspartame ; Excipients ; Molecular Docking Simulation

Aims: Acne is a common skin disease among teenagers and also affects other ages. It occurs when the oil and dead skin cells plug into the hair follicles and causing pimples or whitehead. Although antibiotics have been used for many years in treating acne, the widespread use of it has led to the development of bacterial resistant, which resulted in unsuccessful treatment. Thus, in this study, Andrographis paniculata (AP) herbal formulation gel is proposed in order to determine its effectiveness in treating acne. Three different methodologies were used to compare the antimicrobial effect of A. paniculata herbal gel against acne-associated pathogens. Methodology and results: Well diffusion, disc diffusion and broth dilution methods were applied to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of AP herbal gel at concentrations of 1.5% (w/w), 2.5% (w/w) and 5.0% (w/w) onto selected pathogens associated with acne which consisted of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Propionibacterium acnes and Candida albicans. Among the three methods, broth dilution showed the best antimicrobial effect towards all microorganisms used. AP herbal gel at concentration 2.5% (w/w) showed the optimum antimicrobial effect of S. aureus and C. albicans, while 5.0% (w/w) exhibited the best antimicrobial activities for P. acnes and S. epidermidis. Conclusion, significance and impact of study Broth dilution method appears to be a reliable method for the determination of antimicrobial effects for the pathogens tested. In addition, AP herbal formulation gel has great potential to treat acne effectively.
Anti-Infective Agents ; Andrographis paniculata ; Acne Vulgaris--microbiology

In the present study, two new diterpenoid lactones, 3-deoxy-andrographoside (1) and 14-deoxy-15-methoxy-andrographolide (2), were isolated from the aerial parts of Andrographis paniculata. Their structures were elucidated by combination of NMR, MS, and chemical methods. The configurations of 1 and 2 were established based on the analysis of ROESY data and single crystal X-ray diffraction experiment.
Andrographis ; chemistry ; Diterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Lactones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

In order to reveal genetic diversity of domestic Andrographis paniculata and its impact on quality, genetic backgrounds of 103 samples from 7 provinces in China were analyzed using SRAP marker and SNP marker. Genetic structures of the A. paniculata populations were estimated with Powermarker V 3.25 and Mega 6.0 software, and polymorphic SNPs were identified with CodonCode Aligner software. The results showed that the genetic distances of domestic A. paniculata germplasm ranged from 0. 01 to 0.09, and no polymorphic SNPs were discovered in coding sequence fragments of ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase. A. paniculata germplasm from various regions in China had poor genetic diversity. This phenomenon was closely related to strict self-fertilization and earlier introduction from the same origin. Therefore, genetic background had little impact on variable qualities of A. paniculata in domestic market. Mutation breeding, polyploid breeding and molecular breeding were proposed as promising strategies in germplasm innovation.
Andrographis ; classification ; genetics ; China ; Genetic Variation ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

To investigate the effect of Polygonum multiflorum-Andrographis paniculata intercropping system on rhizosphere soil actinomycetes of P. multiflorum, the community structure and diversity of soil actinomycetes were studied by using the original soil as the control group and the rhizosphere soil actinomycetes communities of P. multiflorum under monoculture and intercropping systems as the experimental group. In this study 655 221 effective sequences were obtained with an average length of 408 bp. OTU coverage and rarefaction curve showed that the sequencing could represent the real situation of soil actinomycetes. According to the results of alpha diversity analysis, the diversity soil actinomycetes varied as follows: original soil>intercropping soil>monoculture soil. The soil actinomycetes community structure and the relative abundance of dominant genera were significantly changed by both monoculture and intercropping, especially monoculture. OTU clustering and PCA analysis of soil samples showed that all the soil samples were divided into three distinct groups and the original soil was more similar to intercropping soil. In addition, intercropping increased the relative abundance of some beneficial actinomyces, such as Kitasatospora and Mycobacterium, which was beneficial to maintain soil health and reduce the occurrence of soil-borne diseases. The results show that, P. multiflorum-A. paniculata intercropping reduced the change of community structure and the decrease of diversity of soil actinomycetes caused by P. multiflorum monoculture, and made the actinomycete community in rhizosphere soil of P. multiflorum close to the original soil.
Actinobacteria ; Actinomyces ; Agriculture ; Andrographis ; Fallopia multiflora ; Rhizosphere ; Soil ; Soil Microbiology

In this study, Andrographis paniculata seedlings were used as experimental materials to study the effects of salicylic acid(SA) on the growth and effective component accumulation of A. paniculata under NaCl stress. The results showed that with the increase of NaCl concentration, the growth of A. paniculata seedlings was significantly inhibited, and the content of carotene and carotenoid decreased. The activity of antioxidant enzyme was enhanced. At the same time, the contents of proline, proline and soluble protein were on the rise. The contents of andrographolide, new andrographolide and deoxyandrographolide showed an upward trend, while deoxyandrographolide showed a downward trend. Treatment with 100 mmol·L~(-1) NaCl+5 mg·L~(-1) SA showed a significant increase in antioxidant enzyme activity in A. paniculata leaves. Treatment with 100 mmol·L~(-1) NaCl+10 mg·L~(-1) SA showed significant changes in soluble protein and proline content in A. paniculata leaves, while MDA content in A. paniculata leaves significantly decreased. 10 mg·L~(-1) SA had the best effect on the growth of A. paniculata seedlings under salt stress. Under the treatment of 50 mmol·L~(-1) NaCl+10 mg·L~(-1) SA, fresh weight, dry weight and leaf dry weight of A. paniculata seedlings reached the highest level, which were 1.02, 1.09 and 1.11 times of those in the control group, respectively. The concentrations of NaCl and 10 mg·L~(-1) SA were significantly higher than those of the control group. Four key enzyme genes of A. paniculata diterpene lactone synthesis pathway were selected to explore the molecular mechanism of salicylic acid to alleviate salt stress. With the increase of salt stress, the relative expressions of HMGR, GGPS and ApCPS were up-regulated, indicating that salt stress may enhance the synthesis of A. paniculata diterpene lactone through MVA pathway. SA can effectively promote the growth and development of A. paniculata under salt stress, improve its osmotic regulation and antioxidant capacity, improve its salt tolerance, and alleviate the effects of salt stress on A. paniculata.
Andrographis ; Plant Leaves ; Salicylic Acid ; Salt Tolerance ; Seedlings/genetics*

Andrographis Herba is a commonly used plant medicine, and has been recorded in pharmacopeias of different countries. However, there are some differences in the quality standards. Based on this, this paper compare the quality standards of Andrographis Herba between Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards, United States Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia and Indian Pharmacopoeia, including origin, botanical characteristics, identification(microscopic identification and chromatographic identification), content determination, specific test(such as impurities, loss on drying, extractives, pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and other items) and storage requirements, so as to provide a reference for studying international quality standards of Andrographis.
Andrographis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Materia Medica ; Reference Standards

To solve the problems of the poor resolution of chromatographic separation,the weak durability of the relative correction factors,and the low accuracy of content determination results in the quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker( QAMS) method with andrographolide as the internal reference substance in the existing research of Andrographis Herba,a new QAMS method using dehydroandrographolide as the internal reference substance was established for the first time in this study. This new method can be used to simultaneously determine four diterpene lactones,including andrographolide( A),neoandrographolide( B),14-deoxyandrographolide( C),and dehydroandrographolide( S) through the optimization of chromatographic conditions and systematic investigation of methodology. At the present HPLC chromatographic conditions,four components could be well separated( R > 1. 5),and the methodology validations could satisfy the requirement of quantitative analysis. The relative correction factors( RCFs) of fA/S,fB/S,fC/S were determined as 0. 65,0. 54,0. 78,respectively. The relative standard deviations( RSDs) of their RCFs ranged between 1. 3%-5. 1%,0. 25%-0. 33%,0. 070%-0. 15%,0. 070%-0. 22%,respectively with three brands of HPLC instruments,five brands of C18 column,different flow rates( 0. 9,1. 0,1. 1 m L·min~(-1)),and different column temperatures( 25,30,35 ℃),indicating good durability of the RCFs. The relative retention value( RRV) method was used to locate the chromatographic peak of the components to be determined.The RRVs of rA/S,rB/S,and rC/Swere 0. 44,0. 86,0. 97,respectively. The RSDs of the RRVs ranged between 0. 030%-1. 6% with different HPLC instruments and columns,showing accurate peak location. The present QAMS method and the external standard method( ESM)were both used to determine the contents of four diterpene lactones from Andrographis Herba( 6 batches of medicinal materials and 18 batches of cut crude drugs). The relative errors of the determined content results between two methods were less than 2. 0%. It demonstrated that there was no significant difference in content results between these two methods,indicating good accuracy of the present QAMS method. Therefore,in this study,an accurate and highly durable QAMS method using dehydroandrographolide as the internal reference substance was established for simultaneous determination of four diterpene lactones. This method could be used to effectively control the quality of Andrographis Herba and provide technical basis for the formulation of traditional Chinese medicine industry standard and improvement of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard of Andrographis Herba.
Andrographis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Diterpenes ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Quality Control