Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(8):561-562. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60493-5
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.)
2002 (v1, n1) to Present ISSN: 1671-8925
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Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(8):563-575. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60401-7
Viruses, the smallest microorganisms, continue to present an escalating threat to human health, being the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Over the decades, although significant progress has been made in the development of therapies and vaccines against viral diseases, the need for effective antiviral interventions remains urgent. This urgency stems from the lack of effective vaccines, the severe side effects associated with current drugs, and the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains. Natural plants, particularly traditionally-used herbs, are often considered an excellent source of medicinal drugs with potent antiviral efficacy, as well as a substantial safety profile. Scutellaria baicalensis, a traditional Chinese medicine, has garnered considerable attention due to its extensive investigation across diverse therapeutic areas and its demonstrated efficacy in both preclinical and clinical trials. In this review, we mainly focused on the potential antiviral activities of ingredients in Scutellaria baicalensis, shedding light on their underlying mechanisms of action and therapeutic applications in the treatment of viral infections.
Humans ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; Virus Diseases/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional
Humans ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; Virus Diseases/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(8):576-588. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60463-7
Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is characterized by diffuse alveolar injury primarily caused by an excessive inflammatory response. Regrettably, the lack of effective pharmacotherapy currently available contributes to the high mortality rate in patients with this condition. Xuebijing (XBJ), a traditional Chinese medicine recognized for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, exhibits promise as a potential therapeutic agent for ALI/ARDS. This study aimed to explore the preventive effects of XBJ on ALI and its underlying mechanism. To this end, we established an LPS-induced ALI model and treated ALI mice with XBJ. Our results demonstrated that pre-treatment with XBJ significantly alleviated lung inflammation and increased the survival rate of ALI mice by 37.5%. Moreover, XBJ substantially suppressed the production of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the lung tissue. Subsequently, we performed a network pharmacology analysis and identified identified 109 potential target genes of XBJ that were mainly involved in multiple signaling pathways related to programmed cell death and anti-inflammatory responses. Furthermore, we found that XBJ exerted its inhibitory effect on gasdermin-E-mediated pyroptosis of lung cells by suppressing TNF-α production. Therefore, this study not only establishes the preventive efficacy of XBJ in ALI but also reveals its role in protecting alveolar epithelial cells against gasdermin-E-mediated pyroptosis by reducing TNF-α release.
Animals ; Mice ; Alveolar Epithelial Cells ; Pyroptosis ; Gasdermins ; Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Acute Lung Injury/drug therapy* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Animals ; Mice ; Alveolar Epithelial Cells ; Pyroptosis ; Gasdermins ; Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Acute Lung Injury/drug therapy* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(8):589-598. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60413-3
Total glucosides of Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae (RSG) are selective immunosuppressants that exhibit primary efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis through targeted inhibition of activated T cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential application of RSG in the treatment of psoriasis and elucidate its mechanism of action and material basis. Our findings revealed significant improvements upon administration of RSG in an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis model. These improvements were characterized by a remarkable increase in the number of tail scales in mice and a substantial amelioration of skin erythema, ulceration, and flaking. By transcriptome sequencing and T-cell flow sorting assay, we identified notable effects of RSG on the modulation of various cellular processes. Specifically, RSG prominently down-regulated the Th17/Treg ratio in damaged skin tissues and reduced the proportion of G2 phase cells. Furthermore, RSG exhibited a stimulatory effect on the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells. Of particular interest, we discovered that β-sitosterol, sitostenone, stigmasterol, smiglanin, and cinchonain Ib displayed potent inhibitory effects on the IL-17-mediated inflammatory response in HaCaT cells. In summary, our study highlights the therapeutic potential of RSG in the treatment of psoriasis, attributed to its ability to regulate the Th17/Treg balance. These findings contribute to the development of new indications for RSG and provide a solid theoretical foundation for further exploration in this field.
Animals ; Mice ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biological Assay ; Glucosides/pharmacology*
Animals ; Mice ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biological Assay ; Glucosides/pharmacology*
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(8):599-609. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60395-4
Gypenosides, structurally analogous to ginsenosides and derived from a sustainable source, are recognized as the principal active compounds found in Gynostemma pentaphyllum, a Chinese medicinal plant used in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome. By bioactive tracking isolation of the plants collected from different regions across China, we obtained four new gypenosides (1-4), together with nine known gypenosides (5-13), from the methanol extract of the plant. The structures of new gypenosides were elucidated by one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, complemented by chemical degradation experiments. Through comprehensive evaluation involving COL1A1 promoter assays and PP2Cα activity assays, we established a definitive structure-activity relationship for these dammarane-type triterpenoids, affirming the indispensability of the C-3 saccharide chain and C-17 lactone ring in effectively impeding extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition within hepatic stellate cells. Further in vivo study on the CCl4-induced liver damage mouse model corroborated that compound 5 significantly ameliorated the process of hepatic fibrosis by oral administration. These results underscore the potential of dammarane-type triterpenoids as prospective anti-fibrotic leads and highlight their prevalence as key molecular frameworks in the therapeutic intervention of chronic hepatic disorders.
Animals ; Mice ; Gynostemma ; Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Ginsenosides ; Extracellular Matrix ; Dammaranes
Animals ; Mice ; Gynostemma ; Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Ginsenosides ; Extracellular Matrix ; Dammaranes
2,3-Seco and 3-nor guaianolides fromAchillea alpina with antidiabetic activity.
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(8):610-618. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60411-X
In this study, we presented the isolation and characterization of eight novel seco-guaianolide sesquiterpenoids (1-8) and two known guaianolide derivatives (9 and 10), from the aerial part of Achillea alpina L.. Compounds 1-3 were identified as guaianolides bearing an oxygen insertion at the 2, 3 position, while compounds 4-8 belonged to a group of special 3-nor guaianolide sesquiterpenoids. The structural elucidation of 1-8, including their absolute configurations, were accomplished by a combination of spectroscopic data analysis and quantum electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. To evaluate the potential antidiabetic activity of compounds 1-10, we investigated their effects on glucose consumption in palmitic acid (PA)-mediated HepG2-insulin resistance (IR) cells. Among the tested compounds, compound 7 demonstrated the most pronounced ability to reverse IR. Moreover, a mechanistic investigation revealed that compound 7 exerted its antidiabetic effect by reducing the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, which was achieved through the suppression of the NLRP3 pathway.
Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology* ; Circular Dichroism ; Cytokines ; Glucose ; Hep G2 Cells ; Insulin Resistance
Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology* ; Circular Dichroism ; Cytokines ; Glucose ; Hep G2 Cells ; Insulin Resistance
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(8):619-630. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60464-9
Six new ent-abietane diterpenoids, abientaphlogatones A-F (1-6), along with two undescribed ent-abietane diterpenoid glucosides, abientaphlogasides A-B (7-8) and four known analogs were isolated from the aerial parts ofPhlogacanthus curviflorus (P. curviflorus). The structures of these compounds were determined using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, and quantum chemical calculations. Notably, compounds 5 and 6 represented the first reported instances of ent-norabietane diterpenoids from the genus Phlogacanthus. In the β-hematin formation inhibition assay, compounds 2, 4, 7-10, and 12 displayed antimalarial activity, with IC50 values of 12.97-65.01 μmol·L-1. Furthermore, compounds 4, 5, 8, and 10 demonstrated neuroprotective activity in PC12 cell injury models induced by H2O2 and MPP+.
Abietanes/pharmacology* ; Antimalarials ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Biological Assay ; Plant Components, Aerial
Abietanes/pharmacology* ; Antimalarials ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Biological Assay ; Plant Components, Aerial
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(8):631-640. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60396-6
Evaluating the consistency of herb injectable formulations could improve their product quality and clinical safety, particularly concerning the composition and content levels of trace ingredients. Panax notoginseng Saponins Injection (PNSI), widely used in China for treating acute cardiovascular diseases, contains low-abundance (10%-25%) and trace saponins in addition to its five main constituents (notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb1, and ginsenoside Rd). This study aimed to establish a robust analytical method and assess the variability in trace saponin levels within PNSI from different vendors and formulation types. To achieve this, a liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method employing multiple ions monitoring (MIM) was developed. A "post-column valve switching" strategy was implemented to eliminate highly abundant peaks (NR1, Rg1, and Re) at 26 min. A total of 51 saponins in PNSI were quantified or relatively quantified using 18 saponin standards, with digoxin as the internal standard. This study evaluated 119 batches of PNSI from seven vendors, revealing significant variability in trace saponin levels among different vendors and formulation types. These findings highlight the importance of consistent content in low-abundance and trace saponins to ensure product control and clinical safety. Standardization of these ingredients is crucial for maintaining the quality and effectiveness of PNSI in treating acute cardiovascular diseases.
Ginsenosides ; Saponins ; Chemometrics ; Panax notoginseng ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Ginsenosides ; Saponins ; Chemometrics ; Panax notoginseng ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(9):641-642. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60479-0
Therapeutic potential and mechanism of Chinese herbal medicines in treating fibrotic liver disease.
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.).2023;21(9):643-657. doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60443-1
Liver fibrosis is a pathological condition characterized by replacement of normal liver tissue with scar tissue, and also the leading cause of liver-related death worldwide. During the treatment of liver fibrosis, in addition to antiviral therapy or removal of inducers, there remains a lack of specific and effective treatment strategies. For thousands of years, Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) have been widely used to treat liver fibrosis in clinical setting. CHMs are effective for liver fibrosis, though its mechanisms of action are unclear. In recent years, many studies have attempted to determine the possible mechanisms of action of CHMs in treating liver fibrosis. There have been substantial improvements in the experimental investigation of CHMs which have greatly promoted the understanding of anti-liver fibrosis mechanisms. In this review, the role of CHMs in the treatment of liver fibrosis is described, based on studies over the past decade, which has addressed the various mechanisms and signaling pathways that mediate therapeutic efficacy. Among them, inhibition of stellate cell activation is identified as the most common mechanism. This article provides insights into the research direction of CHMs, in order to expand its clinical application range and improve its effectiveness.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Fibrosis ; Liver Diseases/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy*
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Fibrosis ; Liver Diseases/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy*
Country
China
Publisher
中国药科大学; 中国药学会
ElectronicLinks
http://www.cjnmcpu.com/Editor-in-chief
cjnm@cpu.edu.cn
Abbreviation
Vernacular Journal Title
中国天然药物
ISSN
2095-6975
EISSN
Year Approved
2013
Current Indexing Status
Currently Indexed
Start Year
2003
Description
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