Quantitative analysis of costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone in rat plasma by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry

Integrated Solid-Phase Extraction, Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry, and Multidimensional Data-Mining Techniques to Unravel the Metabolic Network of Dehydrocostus Lactone in Rats

Dehydrocostus lactone (DL) is among the representative ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with excellent anticancer, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, an advanced strategy based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was integrated to comprehensively explore the metabolic fate of DL in rats. First, prior to data collection, all biological samples (plasma, urine, and feces) were concentrated and purified using solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-treatment technology. Then, during data collection, in the full-scan (FS) data-dependent acquisition mode, FS-ddMS² was intelligently combined with FS-parent ion list (PIL)-dynamic exclusion (DE) means for targeted monitoring and deeper capture of more low-abundance ions of interest. After data acquisition, data-mining techniques such as high-resolution extracted ion chromatograms (HREICs), multiple mass defect filters (MMDFs), diagnostic product ions (DPIs), and neutral loss fragments (NLFs) were incorporated to extensively screen and profile all the metabolites in multiple dimensions. As a result, a total of 71 metabolites of DL (parent drug included) were positively or tentatively identified. The results suggested that DL in vivo mainly underwent hydration, hydroxylation, dihydrodiolation, sulfonation, methylation, dehydrogenation, dehydration, N-acetylcysteine conjugation, cysteine conjugation, glutathione conjugation, glycine conjugation, taurine conjugation, etc. With these inferences, we successfully mapped the "stepwise radiation" metabolic network of DL in rats, where several drug metabolism clusters (DMCs) were discovered. In conclusion, not only did we provide a refined strategy for inhibiting matrix effects and fully screening major-to-trace metabolites, but also give substantial data reference for mechanism investigation, in vivo distribution visualization, and safety evaluation of DL.

The Ameliorative Role of Acacia senegal Gum against the Oxidative Stress and Genotoxicity Induced by the Radiographic Contrast Medium (Ioxitalamate) in Albino Rats

Arabic gum (Acacia senegal, AG) is proven effective antioxidant and cytoprotective agent. The present study was designed to test this notion by investigating the possible role of AG against the radiographic contrast medium (Ioxitalamate, Telebrix-35^®, TBX)-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity. Albino rats were divided into four groups and supplied with either; distilled water, daily 10% (w/v) AG, an intravenous dose of TBX (1600 mg I/kg b.wt) and co-administration of TBX and AG. Rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected to assess the genotoxicity employing the peripheral blood leucocytes fluorescent double staining; namely the acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining and alkaline comet assay. Further, chromosomal analyses were done in bone marrow cells. Serum urea and creatinine levels, in addition to malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels in kidney tissues were measured. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS-MS) was performed to identify the chemical composition of AG extract. Kidney functions, single/double-stranded DNA damage, chromosomal aberrations, mitotic index, MDA and NO levels were significantly (p < 0.001) increased in TBX-treated group compared to the control and AG-treated one. Meanwhile, CAT and GSH activities were significantly diminished and the AG supplementation significantly (p < 0.001) ameliorated these effects compared with the control and AG-treated groups. Five compounds have been identified using GNPS networking including 7,3′,4′-Trihydroxyisoflavone, Noscapine, Tetrahydropapaveroline, Costunolide, Hesperidin. In conclusion, results of the present study suggest that AG exerted a protective role against TBX-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity which may be attributed to the active metabolites in the gum.

Costunolide-A Bioactive Sesquiterpene Lactone with Diverse Therapeutic Potential

Sesquiterpene lactones constitute a major class of bioactive natural products. One of the naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactones is costunolide, which has been extensively investigated for a wide range of biological activities. Multiple lines of preclinical studies have reported that the compound possesses antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, bone remodeling, neuroprotective, hair growth promoting, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties. Many of these bioactivities are supported by mechanistic details, such as the modulation of various intracellular signaling pathways involved in precipitating tissue inflammation, tumor growth and progression, bone loss, and neurodegeneration. The key molecular targets of costunolide include, but are not limited to, intracellular kinases, such as mitogen-activated protein kinases, Akt kinase, telomerase, cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases, and redox-regulated transcription factors, such as nuclear factor-kappaB, signal transducer and activator of transcription, activator protein-1. The compound also diminished the production and/expression of proinflammatory mediators, such as cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, nitric oxide, prostaglandins, and cytokines. This review provides an overview of the therapeutic potential of costunolide in the management of various diseases and their underlying mechanisms.

Antiparasitic activity of chicory (Cichorium intybus) and its natural bioactive compounds in livestock: a review

Increasing drug resistance in gastrointestinal (GI) parasites of livestock and concerns about chemical residues in animal products and the environment are driving the development of alternative control strategies that are less reliant on the use of synthetic drugs. An increasingly investigated approach is the use of bioactive forages with antiparasitic properties as part of the animal's diet (nutraceuticals) or as potential sources of novel, natural parasiticides. Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a multi-purpose crop and one of the most promising bioactive forages in temperate regions, and numerous in vivo trials have explored its potential against parasitic nematodes in livestock. However, it is unclear whether chicory can induce a direct and broad activity against various GI parasites in different livestock species, and the levels of chicory in the diet that are required to exert an efficient antiparasitic effect. Moreover, the mechanisms leading to the reported parasiticidal activity of chicory are still largely unknown, and its bioactive phytochemicals have only recently been investigated. In this review, we summarise the progress in the study of the antiparasitic activity of chicory and its natural bioactive compounds against GI parasites in livestock, through examination of the published literature. The available evidence indicates that feeding chicory can reduce faecal egg counts and/or worm burdens of abomasal nematodes, but not infections with intestinal worms, in ruminants. Highly chicory-rich diets (≥ 70% of chicory dry matter in the diet) may be necessary to directly affect abomasal parasitism. Chicory is known to synthesise several bioactive compounds with potential antiparasitic activity, but most research has been devoted to the role of sesquiterpene lactones (SL). Recent in vitro studies have confirmed direct and potent activity of SL-rich extracts from chicory against different GI helminths of livestock. Chicory SL have also been reported to exhibit antimalarial properties and its potential antiprotozoal activity in livestock remains to be evaluated. Furthermore, the detailed identification of the main antiparasitic metabolites of chicory and their pharmacokinetics need further confirmation. Research gaps and perspectives on the potential use of chicory as a nutraceutical forage and a source of bioactive compounds for parasite control in livestock are discussed.

Potential anti-cancer activities and mechanisms of costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone

Costunolide (CE) and dehydrocostuslactone (DE) are derived from many species of medicinal plants, such as Saussurea lappa Decne and Laurus nobilis L. They have been reported for their wide spectrum of biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiulcer, and anthelmintic activities. In recent years, they have caused extensive interest in researchers due to their potential anti-cancer activities for various types of cancer, and their anti-cancer mechanisms, including causing cell cycle arrest, inducing apoptosis and differentiation, promoting the aggregation of microtubule protein, inhibiting the activity of telomerase, inhibiting metastasis and invasion, reversing multidrug resistance, restraining angiogenesis has been studied. This review will summarize anti-cancer activities and associated molecular mechanisms of these two compounds for the purpose of promoting their research and application.

Estimation of Costunolide and Dehydrocostus Lactone in Saussurea lappa and its Polyherbal Formulations followed by their Stability Studies Using HPLC-DAD

BACKGROUND

Saussurea lappa is one of the popular Ayurvedic herb; costunolide and dehydrocostus lactones are well-known sesquiterpene lactones contained in many plants used as popular herbs, such as S. lappa, and have been considered as potential candidates for the treatment of various types of tumor.

OBJECTIVE

The present study was used for the quantification of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone in S. lappa and its polyherbal formulations, stability studies of markers and characterization of their degradants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HPLC analysis was performed on Waters NOVAPAK HR C18 column (300 mm × 3.9 mm i.d., 6 μm) using isocratic elution with acetonitrile and water (60:40% v/v).

RESULTS

The calibration curves of both analytes showed good linearity within the established range 5-100 μg/ml. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 1.5 and 4.6 μg/ml for costunolide and 1.3 and 4.0 μg/ml for dehydrocostus lactone, respectively. Good results were achieved with respect to repeatability (%RSD < 2.0) and recovery (99.3-101.8%).

CONCLUSION

The method was found to be precise, accurate, specific, and was successfully used for analyzing costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone in S. lappa and its polyherbal formulations. The developed method was found to be suitable for stability studies of markers and characterization of their degradation products.

Study on the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone in rats by HPLC-UV and UPLC-Q-TOF/MS

A method based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection was developed for studying the pharmacokinetics of costunolide (Cos) and dehydrocostus lactone (Dehy) in rats after intravenous (i.v.) administration. Following i.v. administration, the maximum plasma concentrations of Cos and Dehy were observed to be 12.29 ± 1.47 and 5.79 ± 0.13 µg/mL, respectively. The bioavailability of Cos was larger than that of Dehy; however, the clearance and the volume of distribution of Dehy were much larger than those of Cos. An ultraperformance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry system with automated MS(E) (E represents collision energy) data analysis software (MetaboLynx(TM)) was used to analyze and identify the metabolites of Cos and Dehy in vivo. Four metabolites of Cos and six metabolites of Dehy were discovered from the plasma, urine and feces of rats. The main metabolic pathway of Cos was phase II biotransformation, but the main metabolic pathways of Dehy was phase І biotransformation. Two sequential desaturations and N-acetylcysteine conjugation were the common metabolic pathways of Cos and Dehy in rats. This information may be useful for the further development of the two drug candidates.

Pharmacokinetic study on costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone after oral administration of traditional medicine Aucklandia lappa Decne. by LC/MS/MS

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Radix Aucklandiae (RA), a well known traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used for treating various problems in digestive system. A selective and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry method was first developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone in rat plasma with diazepam as internal standard after oral administration of RA extraction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Plasma samples were extracted via solid-phase extraction and detected by multiple-reaction monitoring mode under positive electrospray. Chromatographic separation was accomplished on an Agilent C18 column (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 5 µm), with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile (1:1) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min.

RESULTS

The quantification was performed using the transitions of m/z 233/187 for costunolide, m/z 231/185 for dehydrocostuslactone and m/z 285/193 for diazepam, respectively. Calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 0.7-769.7 ng/mL for costunolide and 0.9-956.0 ng/mL for dehydrocostuslactone. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (RSD%) for two compounds was less than 8.76% and 9.70% and the accuracy (RE%) range from 6.14% to 5.35%. The time to reach the maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) was 10.46 h for costunolide, 12.39 h dehydrocostuslactone. The elimination half-time (t1/2) of costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone was 5.54 ± 0.81 and 4.32 ± 0.71 (h). The AUC of costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone was 308.83 and 7884.51 respectively (ngh/mL).

CONCLUSIONS

It was the first report for the study of pharmacokinetic profile of costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone in rat plasma after oral administration of RA extract. These results provided a meaningful basis for better understanding the absorption of traditional medicine, RA, and provide useful scientific data for clinical application.