Tumor chemoprevention and treatment are two approaches aimed at improving the survival of patients with cancers. An ideal anti-tumor drug is that which not only kills tumor cells but also alleviates tumor-causing risk factors, such as precancerous lesions, and prevents tumor recurrence. Chinese herbal monomers are considered to be ideal treatment agents due to their multi-target effects. Astragaloside has been shown to possess tumor chemoprevention, direct anti-tumor, and chemotherapeutic drug sensitization effects. In this paper, we review the effects of astragaloside on tumor prevention and treatment and provide directions for further research.
Humans ; Chemoprevention ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Neoplasms/prevention & control* ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology*

Panax notoginseng contains triterpene saponins, flavonoids, amino acids, polysaccharides, volatile oil and other active components, which have the effects of promoting blood circulation, stopping bleeding, removing blood stasis, etc. This study summarized the herbal research, chemical constituents and main pharmacological activities of P. notoginseng, and based on the theory of Q-markers of traditional Chinese medicine, predicted and analyzed the Q-markers of P. notoginseng from the aspects of plant kinship, efficacy, drug properties, measurability of chemical components, etc. It was found that ginsenosides Rg_1, Re, and Rb_1 with specific content ratio, ginsenosides Rb_2, Rb_3, Rc, Rd, Rh_2, and Rg_3, notoginseng R_1, dencichine and quercetin could be used as potential Q-markers of P. notoginseng, which facilitated the formulation of quality standards reflecting the efficacy of P. notoginseng.
Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Ginsenosides/analysis* ; Saponins/analysis* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Panax/chemistry*

It is generally believed that high-quality Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots possess specific morphological characteristics, being red, robust, and long with strong odor. However, the scientific connotation of these characteristics has not been elucidated. According to the theory of "quality evaluation through morphological identification", we studied the correlations between appearance traits(the RGB value of root surface, root length, root diameter, dry weight, and ratio of phloem to xylem) and content of main chemical components(volatile oils, total saponins, total flavonoids, total polysaccharides, and seven saikosaponins) of B. scorzonerifolium roots. Epson Scanner and ImageJ were used to scan the root samples and measure the appearance traits. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry and HPLC were employed to determine the content of chemical components. The correlation, regression, and cluster analyses were performed to study the correlations between the appearance traits and the content of chemical components. The results showed that the content of volatile oils and saikosaponins were significantly correlated with RGB value, root length, and root diameter, indicating that within a certain range, the roots being redder, longer, and thicker had higher content of volatile oils and saikosaponins. According to the appearance traits and chemical component content, the 14 samples from different producing areas were classified into four grades, and the differences in morphological traits and chemical component content were consistent among different grades. The findings in this study demonstrate that appearance traits(RGB value, root length, and root diameter) can be used to evaluate the quality of B. scorzonerifolium roots. Meanwhile, this study lays a foundation for establishing an objective quality evaluation method for B. scorzonerifolium roots.
Bupleurum/chemistry* ; Saponins/analysis* ; Oleanolic Acid/analysis* ; Oils, Volatile/analysis* ; Plant Roots/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate toxicity of raw extract of Panax notoginseng (rPN) and decocted extract of PN (dPN) by a toxicological assay using zebrafish larvae, and explore the mechanism by RNA sequencing assay. METHODS: Zebrafish larvae was used to evaluate acute toxicity of PN in two forms: rPN and dPN. Three doses (0.5, 1.5, and 5.0 µ g/mL) of dPN were used to treat zebrafishes for evaluating the developmental toxicity. Behavior abnormalities, body weight, body length and number of vertebral roots were used as specific phenotypic endpoints. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) assay was applied to clarify the mechanism of acute toxicity, followed by real time PCR (qPCR) for verification. High performance liquid chromatography analysis was performed to determine the chemoprofile of this herb. RESULTS: The acute toxicity result showed that rPN exerted higher acute toxicity than dPN in inducing death of larval zebrafishes (P<0.01). After daily oral intake for 21 days, dPN at doses of 0.5, 1.5 and 5.0 µ g/mL decreased the body weight, body length, and vertebral number of larval zebrafishes, indicating developmental toxicity of dPN. No other adverse outcome was observed during the experimental period. RNA-seq data revealed 38 genes differentially expressed in dPN-treated zebrafishes, of which carboxypeptidase A1 (cpa1) and opioid growth factor receptor-like 2 (ogfrl2) were identified as functional genes in regulating body development of zebrafishes. qPCR data showed that dPN significantly down-regulated the mRNA expressions of cpa1 and ogfrl2 (both P<0.01), verifying cpa1 and ogfrl2 as target genes for dPN. CONCLUSION This report uncovers the developmental toxicity of dPN, suggesting potential risk of its clinical application in children.
Animals ; Zebrafish/genetics* ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Larva ; Sequence Analysis, RNA

To study the residue and dietary risk of propiconazole in Panax notoginseng and the effects on physiological and bioche-mical properties of P. notoginseng, we conducted foliar spraying of propiconazole on P. notoginseng in pot experiments. The physiolo-gical and biochemical properties studied included leaf damage, osmoregulatory substance content, antioxidant enzyme system, non-enzymatic system, and saponin content in the main root. The results showed that at the same application concentration, the residual amount of propiconazole in each part of P. notoginseng increased with the increase in the times of application and decreased with the extension of harvest interval. After one-time application of propiconazole according to the recommended dose(132 g·hm~(-2)) for P. ginseng, the half-life was 11.37-13.67 days. After 1-2 times of application in P. notoginseng, propiconazole had a low risk of dietary intake and safety threat to the population. The propiconazole treatment at the recommended concentration and above significantly increased the malondialdehyde(MDA) content, relative conductivity, and osmoregulatory substances and caused the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in P. notoginseng leaves. The propiconazole treatment at half(66 g·hm~(-2)) of the recommended dose for P. ginseng significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD), peroxidase(POD), and catalase(CAT) in P. notoginseng leaves. The propiconazole treatment at 132 g·hm~(-2) above inhibited the activities of glutathione reductase(GR) and glutathione S-transferase(GST), thereby reducing glutathione(GSH) content. Proconazole treatment changed the proportion of 5 main saponins in the main root of P. notoginseng. The treatment with 66 g·hm~(-2) propiconazole promoted the accumulation of saponins, while that with 132 g·hm~(-2) and above propiconazole significantly inhibited the accumulation of saponins. In summary, using propiconazole at 132 g·hm~(-2) to prevent and treat P. notoginseng diseases will cause stress on P. notoginseng, while propiconazole treatment at 66 g·hm~(-2) will not cause stress on P. notoginseng but promote the accumulation of saponins. The effect of propiconazole on P. notoginseng diseases remains to be studied.
Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Panax ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Glutathione ; Risk Assessment

With the improvement of living standards and changes in working style, the prevalence of abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism in humans is increasing in modern society. Clinically, the related indicators are often improved by changing the lifestyle and/or taking hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering drugs, but there are no therapeutic drugs for disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism at present. Hepatitis C virus core protein binding protein 6(HCBP6) is a newly discovered target that can regulate triglyceride and cholesterol content according to level oscillations in the body, thereby regulating abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. Relevant studies have shown that ginsenoside Rh_2 can significantly up-regulate the expression of HCBP6, but there are few studies on the effect of Chinese herbal medicines on HCBP6. Moreover, the three-dimensional structural information of HCBP6 has not been determined and the discovery of potential active components acting on HCBP6 is not rapidly advanced. Therefore, the total saponins of eight Chinese herbal medicines commonly used to regulate abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism were selected as the research objects to observe their effect on the expression of HCBP6. Then, the three-dimensional structure of HCBP6 was predicted, followed by molecular docking with saponins in eight Chinese herbal medicines to quickly find potential active components. The results showed that all total saponins tended to up-regulate HCBP6 mRNA and protein expression, where gypenosides showed the optimum effect on up-regulating HCBP6 mRNA and ginsenosides showed the optimum effect on up-regulating HCBP6 protein expression. Reliable protein structures were obtained after the prediction of protein structures using the Robetta website and the evaluation of the predicted structures by SAVES. The saponins from the website and literature were also collected and docked with the predicted protein, and the saponin components were found to have good binding activity to the HCBP6 protein. The results of the study are expected to provide ideas and methods for the discovery of new drugs from Chinese herbal medicines to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism.
Humans ; Glucose ; Lipid Metabolism ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ginsenosides ; Proteins ; Saponins ; RNA, Messenger

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and reveal the underlying mechanism of the effect of total saponins from Dioscoreae nipponica Makino (TSDN) on the arachidonic acid pathway in monosodium urate (MSU) crystal-induced M1-polarized macrophages. METHODS: M1 polarization of RAW264.7 cells were induced by 1 µ g/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide method was then used to screen the concentration of TSDN. MSU (500 µ g/mL) was used to induce the gouty arthritis model. Afterwards, 10 µ g/L TSDN and 8 µ mol/L celecoxib, which was used as a positive control, were added to the above LPS and MSU-induced cells for 24 h. The mRNA and protein expressions of cyclooxygenase (COX) 2, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), microsomal prostaglandin E synthase derived eicosanoids (mPGES)-1, leukotriene B (LTB)4, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4A, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂) were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to test the contents of M1 markers, including inducible nitric oxid synthase (NOS) 2, CD80, and CD86. RESULTS: TSDN inhibited the proliferation of M1 macrophages and decreased both the mRNA and protein expressions of COX2, 5-LOX, CYP4A, LTB4, and PGE₂ (P<0.01) while increased the mRNA and protein expression of mPGES-1 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). TSDN could also significantly decrease the contents of NOS2, CD80, and CD86 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION TSDN has an anti-inflammation effect on gouty arthritis in an in vitro model by regulating arachidonic acid signaling pathway.
Uric Acid/metabolism* ; Arachidonic Acid/metabolism* ; Dioscorea ; Arthritis, Gouty ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Macrophages ; Signal Transduction ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism*

Xanthoceras sorbifolium seeds have a wide range of applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. To compare and analyze the chemical compositions of different parts of X. sorbifolium seeds and explore the potential value and research prospects of non-medicinal parts, this study used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) to detect the chemical composition of various parts of the seeds. A total of 82 components were preliminary identified from X. sorbifolium seeds, including 5 amino acids, 4 polyphenols, 3 phenylpropionic acids, 7 organic acids, 15 flavonoids, 6 glycosides, and 23 saponins. Mass spectrometry molecular networking(MN) analysis was conducted on the results from different parts of the seeds, revealing significant differences in the components of the seed kernel, seed coat, and seed shell. The saponins and flavonoids in the seed kernel were superior in terms of variety and content to those in the seed coat and shell. Based on the chromatographic peaks of different parts from multiple batches of samples, multivariate statistical analysis was carried out. Four differential components were determined using HPLC, and the average content of these components in the seed kernel, seed coat, and seed shell were as follows: 0.183 6, 0.887 4, and 1.440 1 mg·g~(-1) for fraxin; 0.035 8, 0.124 1, and 0.044 5 mg·g~(-1) for catechin; 0.032 9, 0.072 0, and 0.221 5 mg·g~(-1) for fraxetin; 0.435 9, 2.114 7, and 0.259 7 mg·g~(-1) for epicatechin. The results showed that catechin and fraxetin had relatively low content in all parts, while fraxin had higher content in the seed coat and seed shell, and epicatechin had higher content in the seed kernel and seed coat. Therefore, the seed coat and seed shell possess certain development value. This study provides rapid analysis and comparison of the chemical compositions of different parts of X. sorbifolium seeds, which offers an experimental basis for the research and clinical application of medicinal substances in X. sorbifolium seeds.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Catechin/analysis* ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Saponins/analysis*

This study aimed to provide data support for resource utilization of the stems and leaves of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus(SLAM) by analyzing and evaluating the chemical constituents. The crude protein, crude fiber, and soluble saccharide of SLAM were analyzed by Kjeldahl method, filtration method, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry, respectively. The nucleosides, amino acids, flavonoids, and saponins of SLAM were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(UPLC-TQ-MS). Combined with principal component analysis(PCA), the quality difference of resource components of SLAM was comprehensively evaluated. The results showed that the average content of crude protein, crude fiber, total polysaccharide, and redu-cing sugar in SLAM was 5.11%, 30.33%, 11.03 mg·g~(-1), and 31.90 mg·g~(-1), respectively. Six nucleosides, 15 amino acids, 22 flavonoids, and one saponin were detected, with an average content of 1.49 mg·g~(-1), 6.00 mg·g~(-1), 1.86 mg·g~(-1), and 35.67 μg·g~(-1), respectively. The content of various types of chemical components in SLAM differed greatly in different harvesting periods and growing years. The results of PCA showed that the quality of SLAM produced in Ningxia was superior. The results can provide references for the utilization of SLAM.
Astragalus propinquus/chemistry* ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Amino Acids ; Saponins/analysis*

The traditional Chinese medicine Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem., also known as Aralia mandshurica, has the effect of "tonifying Qi and calming the mind, strengthening the essence and tonifying the kidneys, and dispelling wind and invigorating blood circulation". It is used in the treatment of neurasthenia, Yang deficiency and Qi deficiency, kidney Qi deficiency, spleen Yang deficiency, water-dampness stagnation, thirst, and bruises. Aralia elata saponins are the main components for the pharmacological effects. From the perspective of modern pharmacological science, Aralia elata has a wide range of effects, including anti-myocardial ischaemia and alleviation of secondary myocardium ischemic reperfusion injury by regulating ionic homeostasis, anti-tumor activity by inhibiting proliferation, promoting apoptosis and enhancing immunity, hypoglycemia and lipid lowering effects by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, and hepato-protective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory/analgesic effects. The studies on pharmacological mechanisms of Aralia elata will be conducive to its development and application in the future. This article reviews the research progress of Aralia elata domestically and internationally in the last two decades and proposes new directions for further research.
Aralia ; Yang Deficiency ; Apoptosis ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Myocardial Ischemia