Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with a complex etiology, characterized by intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction. Platycodon grandiflorus polysaccharides (PGP), the primary component of Platycodon grandiflorus, and hesperidin (Hesp), a prominent active component in Citrus aurantium L. (CAL), have both demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism of the synergistic effect of PGP combined with Hesp on UC, focusing on the coordinated interaction between the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways. A mouse model of UC induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and a cell model using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7/IEC6 cells were employed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of PGP combined with Hesp on UC and its potential mechanism of action. The results indicated that compared to the effects of either drug alone, the combination of PGP and Hesp significantly modulated inflammatory factor levels, inhibited oxidative stress, regulated colonic mucosal immunity, suppressed apoptosis, and restored intestinal barrier function in vitro and in vivo. Further in vitro studies revealed that PGP significantly inhibited the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, while Hesp significantly inhibited the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. The use of inhibitors and activators targeting both pathways validated the synergistic effects of PGP combined with Hesp on the PI3K/AKT and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways. These findings suggest that PGP combined with Hesp exhibits a synergistic effect on DSS-induced colitis, potentially mediated through the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/PI3K/AKT and interleukin-6 (IL-6)/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways.
Animals ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/genetics* ; Janus Kinase 2/genetics* ; Polysaccharides/administration & dosage* ; Colitis, Ulcerative/chemically induced* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; Drug Synergism ; Male ; Hesperidin/administration & dosage* ; Platycodon/chemistry* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Disease Models, Animal ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

To providing evidence about nitrogen adequate application of Platycodon grandiflorum, the pot culture experiment was conducted to study the effect of nitrogen on the growth, physiological metabolism and the quality of P. grandiflorum. The activity of NR, GS and SOD, POD and CAT were determined. And the nitrate and ammonium nitrogen content, photosynthetic characteristics, active components of P. grandiflorum were determined. The results showed that the nitrate nitrogen content and P. biomass reached its maximum value, when NH4(+)-N/NO3(-) -N was 0: 100, the activity of NR. The activity of GS was the highest at the NH4(+) -N/NO3(-) -N ratio of 25:75 and ammonium nitrogen content was the highest at 75:25. The activity of SOD decreased and then increased with the increasing of NO3(-) -N. At the NH4(+) -N/NO3(-) -N ratio of 25: 75, the activity of CAT had its maximum value and the content of MDA had the minimum value. At the same time, the content of platycodon D was the highest at this treatment. The studies had shown that different nitrogen forms and ratio had a significant effect on the characteristics of photosynthetic physiology, nitrogen metabolism and resistance adjustment, growth and the quality of P. grandiflorum. The NH4(+) -N/NO3(-) -N ratio of 25: 75 was a suitable ratio of nitrogen forms for the growth of P. Grandiflorum and accumulating the content of platycodon D.
Ammonium Compounds ; metabolism ; Biomass ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; metabolism ; Nitrates ; metabolism ; Photosynthesis ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism

AIMS: To develop an HPLC-MS/MS method for the quantification of platycodin D (PD) in rat plasma, and to acquire the main pharmacokinetic parameters of PD after oral administration of pure PD or of Platycodi Radix extract (PRE) containing PD. METHOD: Plasma samples were pretreated with solid-phase extraction using an Oasis® HLB SPE cartridge. Madecassoside was used as the internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was achieved on an ODS column (100 mm × 2.1 mm i.d., 3.5 μm) with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/water (30 : 70, V/V) containing 0.1 mmol·L(-1) ammonium acetate at a flow rate of 0.25 mL·min(-1). The detection was performed on a triple quadruple tandem mass spectrometer using an electrospray ionization (ESI) source with a chromatographic run time of 3.0 min. The detection was operated by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of the transitions of m/z 1 223.6→469.2 for PD and of m/z 973.6→469.2 for madecassoside (IS), respectively. RESULTS: The calibration curve was linear from 5 to 2 000 ng·mL(-1) (r(2) >0.99) with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 5 ng·mL(-1). The intra- and inter-day precision (relative standard deviation, RSD) values were below 15% and the accuracy (relative error, RE) was from -15% to +15% at three quality control (QC) levels. Plasma concentrations of PD were determined for 24 h after i.v. administration of PD, and oral administration of PD and PRE, respectively. The absolute oral bioavailability of PD in rats was found to be (0.48 ± 0.19)% when administered PD, and to be (1.81 ± 0.89)% when administered PRE. CONCLUSION The developed HPLC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to assess the pharmacokinetic parameters and oral bioavailability of PD in rats after administration of PD and Platycodi Radix extract.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Biological Availability ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Saponins ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Triterpenes ; blood ; pharmacokinetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the synergistic anti-inflammatory effect of Radix Platycodon in combination with herbs for cleaning-heat and detoxification and its mechanism for Fel-targeting.

METHODSForty Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (8 per group): the sham-operated group, model group, Radix Platycodon group, Flos Lonicera and Fructus Forsythia (LF) group, and Radix Platycodon, Flos Lonicera and Fructus Forsythia combination (PLF) group, using a random number table. A rat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) model was established by passive smoking and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The treatments started from the 15th day of passive smoking for a total duration of 14 days. At the end of the treatment, changes in the following measurements were determined: lung histopathology, inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and interleukin IL-1β (IL-1β) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and mRNA expression of endogenous active substance intestinal trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) in the lung tissue.

RESULTSLight microscopy showed that compared with the sham-operated group, rats in the COPD model group had disrupted alveolar structure, collapsed local alveoli, significantly widened or even fused alveolar septa, and massive infiltration of inflammatory cells in the alveolar wall and interstitium. In addition, significant bronchial epithelium hyperplasia, partially shed epithelia, and marked inflammatory cell infiltration in the bronchial wall and its surrounding tissues were noticed. Electron microscopy showed that rats in the model group had degeneration of alveolar type II epithelial cell; reduction, breakage or even loss of cell surface microvilli; swollen mitochondria with disappearing cristae and vacuole-like structure; and, increased secondary lysosomes in alveolar macrophages. The TNF-α, TGF-β and IL-1β levels and white blood cell (WBC) count in BALF were significantly increased (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) and TFF3 mRNA expression in the lung tissue was significantly reduced (P < 0.01). After treatment, the pathological morphology of lung injury was less severe in all three treatment groups. In addition, TGF-β and IL-1β and WBC count in BALF were decreased (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and TFF3 mRNA expression in the lung tissue was significantly increased in the PLF group (P < 0.01). Compared with the LF group, the IL-1β in BALF was significantly decreased P < 0.05), and TFF3 mRNA expression was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the PLF group.

CONCLUSIONSRadix Platycodon synergizes with herbs for cleaning-heat and detoxification in reducing inflammatory injury in a rat model of COPD. The synergistic anti-inflammatory effect is reflected in the improvement in pathological changes and in the reduction of IL-1β levels in BALF. The mechanism of such synergistic action may be related to its effect on maintaining the TFF3 mRNA expression and Fel-targeting function.

Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; chemistry ; cytology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Synergism ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron ; Neuropeptides ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; Plant Preparations ; therapeutic use ; Platycodon ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; drug therapy ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Trefoil Factor-3

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of chlorpromazine combined with Platycodon grandiflorum on the striatal extracellular dopamine level in rats and to research the interaction and the mechanism of action after combining traditional Chinese medicine with western medicine.

METHODTwenty four rats were randomly assigned into four groups: the control group, Platycodon group, chlorpromazine group and chlorpromazined combined with P. grandiflorum group. The level of dopamine in CSF microdialysis samples was detected with high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detector after administration for 10 days.

RESULTThe CSF level of DA (1.52 +/- 0.34) microg x L(-1) was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in chlorpromazine combined with P. grandiflorum group than that in the chlorpromazine group (1.25 +/- 0.22) microg x L(-1) (P < 0.05) and that in the normal control (1.06 +/- 0.24) microg x L(-1) (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe combining utilization of P. grandiflorum and chlorpromazine may increase the DA concentration of monoamine neurotransmitters, which results in under the therapeutic effect is maintained, the dosage of chlorpromazine used to individuals are decreased and the incidence rate of the adverse reactions of chlorpromazine will descend.

Animals ; Chlorpromazine ; chemistry ; Corpus Striatum ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Male ; Microdialysis ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo establish a method for analyzing amorphous organic compound components of space Platycodon grandflorum rapidly.

METHODFTIR was applied for measuring and comparing P. grandflorum of comparison group,the ground group and the 4" generation of space group.

RESULTSeveral active components (platycodin, polysaccharide etc.) contents of space group are increased obviously.

CONCLUSIONThe major components and the structures remained inextenso,and the effictive component contents are enhanced in the space P. grandiflorum. FTIR is a fast method to analyze the changes of amorphous organic compound components of the space traditional Chinese medicines.

Mutagenesis ; physiology ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; Space Flight ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; methods ; Weightlessness

OBJECTIVETo investigat the effects of Salviae miltiorrhizae and Platycodon grandiflorum in Tianwang Buxin decoction for microcirculation of brain meninx vascullosa in rats.

METHODThe rats were equally and randomly divided into six groups. Control, Tianwang Buxin decoction, P. grandiflorum-absenced Tianwang Buxin decoction, Radix S. miltiorrhizae, Radix S. miltiorrhizae and P. grandiflorum, P. grandiflorum. The effect on brain meninx vascullosa in rats were observed through an inverted microscope, doppler perfusion imager and blood reheology measurement meter.

RESULTThe effect of Tianwang Buxin decoction was best among the six groups in dilatation of the diameter of arterial and venule, and velocity of blood flow. The effect of Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae was postponed and decreased when P. grandflorum was removed of from this prescription. However, it was minimal advance of blood apparent-viscosity for Tianwang Buxin decoction.

CONCLUSIONIt is indeed that P. grandiflorum leads S. miltiorrhizae to main and collaterall channel, goes up like the boat and oar and aims to reinforce affection for the other drugs of Tianwang Buxin decoction to mprove the microcirculation of brain meninx vascullosa of rats.

Animals ; Brain ; blood supply ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Male ; Microcirculation ; drug effects ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of compound decoction on notoginsenosides in Panax notoginseng.

METHODNotoginsenoside R1, Rg1, Re, Rb1 and pH were used as the parameters to investigate the changes on the content of notoginsenosides in different compound extractions by heating for two hours and their correlation with pH.

RESULTWhen the pH values of solution of P. notoginseng with Fructus ligustri, P. notoginseng with Eupolyphaga seu steleophaga, P. notoginseng with Pheretima asiatica, and Zhitangjiang Fang (free of Hirudo) were rept higher than 5.7, the reserved rate (RR) of notoginsenside were higher than 90%; When the pH values of decoetion of P. notoginseng with Salvia miltiorrhiza, P. notoginseng with Paeonia lactiflora, P. notoginseng with Platycodon grandiflorum, P. notoginseng with Arctium lappa were kept 4.5-5.5, their RR of notoginsenside were 60% - 85%; When the pH values of the decotction of P. notoginseng with Hirudo nipponica was decreased to 3.4, its RR of of notoginsenside was 38.4%; When the pH values of Zhitangjiang Fang extraction was regulated by 0.1% NaOH solution to pH 6. 3, and the RR of notoginsenside increased to 97%.

CONCLUSIONThe pH of other Chinese herbal medicines extraction with P. notoginseng compound is a critical effect on the stability and yields of notoginsensides.

Animals ; Arctium ; chemistry ; Cockroaches ; chemistry ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ginsenosides ; analysis ; Hirudo medicinalis ; chemistry ; Hot Temperature ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Ligustrum ; chemistry ; Materia Medica ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Oligochaeta ; chemistry ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Panax ; chemistry ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study quality test, and establish quality classification standard of Platycodon grandiflorum.

METHODThe seed quality and planting quality of P. grandiflorum from different producing areas and in different growing years were measured.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThe range of seed purity, weight per 1000 seeds, seed moisture content,seed viability were determined and the primary seed quality classification standard was established.

Germination ; physiology ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; physiology ; Platycodon ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; physiology ; Quality Control ; Reference Standards ; Seeds ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; physiology ; Water ; analysis ; standards

Platycodon grandiflorum, as the traditional Chinese medicine, has been employed for dispersing the lung and resolving phlegm soothing the throat, and promoting pus discharge in ancient days. Triterpenoids are its main effective constituents which have dominant activities on antitussive, expectorant, antitumor, antioxidant and immune enhancement. This paper has mainly reviewed the progress of P. grandiflorum on the processing in planting area, chemical constituents, quality standard, pharmacological effects and clinical application in recent ten years, which has provided the important references for its further study, exploitation and application.
Animals ; Cough ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Pharyngitis ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; trends ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use