Simultaneous determination of baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, wogonin, scutellarin, berberine, coptisine, ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside Re of Banxia xiexin decoction in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Protective Application of Chinese Herbal Compounds and Formulae in Intestinal Inflammation in Humans and Animals

Intestinal inflammation is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder with uncertain pathophysiology and causation that has significantly impacted both the physical and mental health of both people and animals. An increasing body of research has demonstrated the critical role of cellular signaling pathways in initiating and managing intestinal inflammation. This review focuses on the interactions of three cellular signaling pathways (TLR4/NF-κB, PI3K-AKT, MAPKs) with immunity and gut microbiota to explain the possible pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation. Traditional medicinal drugs frequently have drawbacks and negative side effects. This paper also summarizes the pharmacological mechanism and application of Chinese herbal compounds (Berberine, Sanguinarine, Astragalus polysaccharide, Curcumin, and Cannabinoids) and formulae (Wumei Wan, Gegen-Qinlian decoction, Banxia xiexin decoction) against intestinal inflammation. We show that the herbal compounds and formulae may influence the interactions among cell signaling pathways, immune function, and gut microbiota in humans and animals, exerting their immunomodulatory capacity and anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. This demonstrates their strong potential to improve gut inflammation. We aim to promote herbal medicine and apply it to multispecies animals to achieve better health.

Baicalin-Current Trends in Detection Methods and Health-Promoting Properties

Baicalin (7-D-glucuronic acid-5,6-dihydroxyflavone) belongs to natural flavonoids extracted from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis, the plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has been proven that baicalin has various pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, and anti-apoptotic ones. However, it is essential not only to determine the medical usefulness of baicalin, but also to find and develop the most effective methods for its extraction and detection. Therefore, the aim of this review was to summarize the current methods of detection and identification of baicalin and to present the medical applications of baicalin and the underlying mechanisms of its action. Based on the review of the latest literature, it can be concluded that liquid chromatography alone or together with mass spectrometry is the most commonly used method for the determination of baicalin. Recently, also new electrochemical methods have been established, e.g., biosensors with fluorescence, which have better detection limits, sensitivity, and selectivity.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of four major flavonoids in normal and chronic gastritis rats after oral administration of different combinations of Banxia Xiexin Decoction

Chronic gastritis (CG) has become a major threat to human health. Banxia Xiexin Decoction (BXXXD) has been used clinically to treat gastritis by acting on the spleen and stomach for thousands of years. Baicalin, wogonoside, liquiritin and liquiritigenin, are the main bioactive flavonoids of BXXXD. A rapid, sensitive and selective HPLC-TQ-MS/MS method was developed to simultaneously quantify the four flavonoids in rat plasma in this study. With salidroside as internal standard (IS), plasma samples were extracted and separated on a Welch HPLC XB-C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.8 μm) using gradient elution. An optimized gradient of mobile phase consisted of water (containing 0.1% formic acid) (A) and methanol (B) was used. Detection was implemented in MRM mode with an electrospray negative ionization source. Comparative pharmacokinetics of four analytes in normal and CG rats after oral administration of BXXXD or its different compatibilities were firstly investigated. Results indicated that the pharmacokinetic behaviors of analytes were obviously changed in CG rats. From the comparison between the whole prescription group and the compatibility groups, it was found that the pharmacokinetic behavior of analytes also changed to some extent. The pharmacokinetic alterations of analytes might be due to the pathological conditions of CG.

Liver-Targeted Nanoparticles Facilitate the Bioavailability and Anti-HBV Efficacy of Baicalin In Vitro and In Vivo

The anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) efficacy of baicalin (BA) is mediated by HBV-related hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNFs). However, this efficacy is severely limited by the low bioavailability of BA. Therefore, a novel liver-targeted BA liposome was constructed to promote the bioavailability and antiviral ability of BA. The results showed that apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1)–modified liposomes (BAA1) significantly enhanced BA’s cellular uptake and specific distribution in the liver. Furthermore, the substantial inhibitory effects of BAA1 on HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV RNA, and HBV DNA were assessed in HB-infected cells and mice. Western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, and transcriptomics analysis further revealed that the enhanced anti-HBV efficacy of BAA1 was attributed to the interaction between hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNFs) and estrogen receptors (ERs). Based on the findings, we propose that the ApoA1-modified liposomes aid BA in inhibiting HBV transcription and replication by augmenting its bioavailability and the HNFs–ERs axis.

Pharmacological Properties of Ginsenoside Re

Ginsenoside Re is a protopanaxatriol-type saponin extracted from the berry, leaf, stem, flower bud, and root of Panax ginseng. In recent years, ginsenoside Re (Re) has been attracting attention as a dietary phytochemical. In this review, studies on Re were compiled by searching a combination of keywords, namely “pharmacology,” “pharmacokinetics,” and “toxicology,” in the Google Scholar, NCBI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The aim of this review was to provide an exhaustive overview of the pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of Re, focusing on clinical evidence that has shown effectiveness in specific diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, nervous system diseases, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Re is also known to eliminate virus, enhance the immune response, improve osteoporosis, improve skin barrier function, enhance intracellular anti-oxidant actions, regulate cholesterol metabolism, alleviate allergic responses, increase sperm motility, reduce erectile dysfunction, promote cyclic growth of hair follicles, and reduce gastrointestinal motility dysfunction. Furthermore, this review provides data on pharmacokinetic parameters and toxicological factors to examine the safety profile of Re. Such data will provide a theoretical basis and reference for Re-related studies and future applications.

One facile fluorescence strategy for sensitive determination of baicalein using trypsin-templated copper nanoclusters

Herein, we established a fluorescent detection platform for baicalein (Bai) based on copper nanoclusters, which were prepared by using copper sulfate as the precursor, trypsin (Tryp) as the template and hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent. The entire preparation and testing process were rapid, facile and green. Many characterization methods, such as UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), fluorescence lifetime, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), were applied for the analysis of trypsin-templated copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs@Tryp). The Cu NCs@Tryp released green fluorescence at maximum emission wavelength of 457 nm under maximum excitation wavelength of 377 nm. More importantly, the fluorescence of Cu NCs@Tryp was efficiently quenched by Bai. According to this phenomenon, a facile, rapid and selective turn-off fluorescence probe for Bai sensing was developed. Under the optimized testing conditions, the ln(F₀/F) value and concentration of Bai displayed excellent linear relationship changing from 0.5 to 60 μM (R² = 0.9969), and the detection limit was 0.078 μM. Furthermore, the Cu NCs@Tryp has been successfully employed to measure the amount of Bai in bovine serum samples with satisfactory recoveries.

Effects of Zuojin Pill (Rhizoma Coptidis and Fructus Evodiae preparation) on the pharmacokinetics and side effects of venlafaxine in humans

Venlafaxine (VEN), a first-line antidepressant, and Zuojin Pill (ZJP), a common herbal medicine consisting of Rhizoma Coptidis and Fructus Evodiae, are high likely co-administered in China. ZJP could significantly inhibit VEN pharmacokinetics in vitro and in rats through suppression of CYP2D6 activity. To date, however, no clinical study has demonstrated the clinical relevance. Here, the VEN pharmacokinetics at a single dose of VEN with or without co-administration of ZJP was compared. ZJP had a weak HDI on the pharmacokinetics of VEN. The geometric means of C_max and AUC_0-∞ of VEN increased by 36.7% and 34.6%, respectively, and the corresponding 90% CIs of geometric mean ratios (GMRs) exceed outside bioequivalent range of 0.80-1.25. However, the corresponding 90% CIs of GMRs of these parameters for ODV were within the range. Since ODV exposure (AUC), approximately 3.4-fold higher than that of VEN, hardly changed, the systemic exposure of VEN active moiety (VEN + ODV) with ZJP increased slightly (≤ 8.5%) compared with that of VEN alone. In addition, the incidence of VEN-related side effects, especially gastrointestinal relevance, were significantly reduced with ZJP. Therefore, rational concomitant use of VEN and ZJP might have low risk of HDI and be promising in clinical practice.

Simultaneous determination of asarinin, β-eudesmol, and wogonin in rats using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to pharmacokinetic studies following administration of standards and Gumiganghwal-tang

Asarinin, β-eudesmol, and wogonin have common antiangiogenic activities and have the potential for use in chemotherapy. Besides, they are multivalent substances that are combined in various herbal medicines. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for simultaneous analysis of asarinin, β-eudesmol, and wogonin, which are representative pharmacological components of Asarum heterotropoides, Atractylodes lancea, and Scutellaria baicalensis, respectively, in rat biosamples using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The three components were separated using 5 mm aqueous ammonium acetate containing 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile as a mobile phase, equipped with a KINETEX core-shell C₁₈ column. The analysis was quantitated on a triple-quadrupole mass-spectrometer employing electrospray ionization, and operated in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The chromatograms showed high resolution, sensitivity, and selectivity with no interference with plasma, urine, and feces constituents. The developed analytical method satisfied international guidance criteria and could be successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic (PK) studies evaluating oral bioavailability of asarinin, β-eudesmol, and wogonin after oral and intravenous administration and their urinary and fecal excretion ratios after oral administration to rats. Furthermore, the analysis was extended to PK studies following oral administration of Gumiganghwal-tang. This study was the first simultaneous analysis of the aforesaid three constituents in rat plasma, urine, and feces that also determined their PK parameters.

Investigation on the Metabolism of Curcumin and Baicalein in Zebrafish by Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Background:

Curcumin (CUR) and baicalein (BAI) are the main active ingredients in Curcuma longa and Scutellaria baicalensis, which are used together in Jiang-Qin-Si-Wu decoction to treat gynecological diseases. On the other hand, zebrafish, as a metabolic model has become more popular, therefore, the metabolism of CUR and BAI in zebrafish is investigated in the present study.

Methods:

Zebrafish embryos after hatching 48 hours were divided into four experimental groups. The blank group was exposed to 1 mL of ultra-pure water. Three drug-treated groups were exposed to CUR (8 μM, 1 mL), BAI (8 μM, 1 mL), CUR and BAI (8 μM, 2 mL), respectively. After homogenization, they were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/ MS). The structure of the metabolites was determined by comparing their corresponding mass spectra with those of relevant literature. According to the change of metabolite content, the metabolic effect of curcumin and baicalein was explored.

Results:

Five and six metabolites of CUR and BAI in zebrafish were identified by LC-MS/MS, respectively. Their metabolic pathways in zebrafish were glucuronidation and sulfation. Reduction and methylation reactions also occurred for CUR and BAI, respectively. In addition, after combined exposure of both the drugs, CUR reduced the BAI glucuronide metabolites and inhibited the metabolism of BAI in zebrafish, which is consistent with the mammalian metabolism.

Conclusion:

Using LC-MS/MS analysis, zebrafish is a feasible model for drug metabolism study. The results of metabolic study indicated that CUR might affect the therapeutic effect of BAI.

Influence of Zuojin Pill on the Metabolism of Venlafaxine in Vitro and in Rats and Associated Herb-Drug Interaction

Venlafaxine (VEN), a first-line antidepressant, and Zuojin Pill (ZJP), a common Chinese herbal medicine consisting of Rhizoma Coptidis and Fructus Evodiae, have a high likelihood of combination usage in patients with depression with gastrointestinal complications. ZJP exhibits inhibitory effects on recombinant human cytochrome P450 isoenzymes (rhP450s), especially on CYP2D6, whereas VEN undergoes extensive metabolism by CYP2D6. From this perspective, we investigated the influence of ZJP on the metabolism of VEN in vitro and in rats for the first time. In this study, ZJP significantly inhibited the metabolism of VEN in both rat liver microsomes (RLM) and human liver microsomes (HLM); meanwhile, it inhibited the O-demethylation catalytic activity of RLM, HLM, rhCYP2D6*1/*1, and rhCYP2D6*10/*10, primarily through CYP2D6, with IC₅₀ values of 129.9, 30.5, 15.4, and 2.3 μg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of ZJP on hepatic metabolism and pharmacokinetics of VEN could also be observed in the pharmacokinetic study of rats. The area under drug concentration-time curve₀-_{24 hour} of VEN and its major metabolite O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) increased by 39.6% and 22.8%, respectively. The hepatic exposure of ODV decreased by 57.2% 2 hours after administration (P = 0.014). In conclusion, ZJP displayed inhibitory effects on hepatic metabolism and pharmacokinetics of VEN in vitro and in rats mainly through inhibition of CYP2D6 activity. The human pharmacokinetic interaction between ZJP and VEN and its associated clinical significance needed to be seriously considered. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Zuojin Pill, a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine, demonstrates significant inhibitory effects on hepatic metabolism and pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine in vitro and in rats mainly through suppression of CYP2D6 activity. The human pharmacokinetic interaction between Zuojin Pill and venlafaxine and its associated clinical significance needs to be seriously considered.

Coptisine from Coptis chinensis exerts diverse beneficial properties: A concise review

Coptisine is a natural small-molecular compound extracted from Coptis chinensis (CC) with a history of using for thousands of years. This work aimed at summarizing coptisine's activity and providing advice for its clinical use. We analysed the online papers in the database of SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, Google scholar and CNKI by setting keywords as 'coptisine' in combination of 'each pivotal pathway target'. Based on the existing literatures, we find (a) coptisine exerted potential to be an anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, CAD ameliorating or anti-bacterial drug through regulating the signalling transduction of pathways such as NF-κB, MAPK, PI3K/Akt, NLRP3 inflammasome, RANKL/RANK and Beclin 1/Sirt1. However, we also (b) observe that the plasma concentration of coptisine demonstrates obvious non-liner relationship with dosage, and even the highest dosage used in animal study actually cannot reach the minimum concentration level used in cell experiments owing to the poor absorption and low availability of coptisine. We conclude (a) further investigations can focus on coptisine's effect on caspase-1-involved inflammasome assembling and pyroptosis activation, as well as autophagy. (b) Under circumstance of promoting coptisine availability by pursuing nano- or microrods strategies or applying salt-forming process to coptisine, can it be introduced to clinical trial.

Pharmacokinetics of B-Ring Unsubstituted Flavones

B-ring unsubstituted flavones (of which the most widely known are chrysin, baicalein, wogonin, and oroxylin A) are 2-phenylchromen-4-one molecules of which the B-ring is devoid of any hydroxy, methoxy, or other substituent. They may be found naturally in a number of herbal products used for therapeutic purposes, and several have been designed by researchers and obtained in the laboratory. They have generated interest in the scientific community for their potential use in a variety of pathologies, and understanding their pharmacokinetics is important for a grasp of their optimal use. Based on a comprehensive survey of the relevant literature, this paper examines their absorption (with deglycosylation as a preliminary step) and their fate in the body, from metabolism to excretion. Differences among species (inter-individual) and within the same species (intra-individual) variability have been examined based on the available data, and finally, knowledge gaps and directions of future research are discussed.

Pharmacokinetic interactions and tolerability of berberine chloride with simvastatin and fenofibrate: an open-label, randomized, parallel study in healthy Chinese subjects

Purpose

Fenofibrate (Fbt) is a prodrug that has been used to reduce low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and increase high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. Simvastatin (Svt) is a classic lipid-lowering drug that is widely used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, while berberine chloride (Bbr) is a novel hypolipidemic agent and its blood-lipid-reducing mechanism is distinct from traditional drugs. Currently, drug combination is the trend in treating hyperlipidemia to improve clinical efficacy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate drug interaction from the perspective of pharmacokinetics between Bbr and Fbt/Svt and the tolerability of combined administration in healthy Chinese subjects.

Methods

Healthy subjects (n=60) were randomly allocated to five treatment groups: Bbr alone, Fbt alone, Svt alone, Bbr plus Fbt, and Bbr plus Svt. The experiment was divided into two parts: single-dose administration and multiple-dose administration. Bbr, Fbt, and Svt were taken once every 8 hours, 24 hours, and 24 hours, respectively, over 7 days in the multidose group. Plasma samples were collected and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry was used to detect drug concentrations.

Results

No serious adverse reactions or intolerance were observed throughout the trial. More importantly, the combined-administration groups did not show an increase in incidence of side effects. Coadministration of Fbt and Svt with Bbr had no significant effect on the pharmacokinetic parameters of Bbr, except time to maximum concentration, apparent volume of distribution, and apparent clearance. Concurrent coadministration of Bbr had no obvious impact on the pharmacokinetic behavior of Fbt or Svt. Additionally, there was no significant correlation between sex and pharmacokinetic results.

Conclusion

All treatments were well tolerated. No clinically obvious pharmacokinetic interactions between Bbr and Fbt/Svt were observed with combined administration. The results demonstrated that Bbr can be coadministered safely with Fbt and Svt without dose adjustment.

Pharmacokinetic properties of wogonin and its herb-drug interactions with docetaxel in rats with mammary tumors

Docetaxel, frequently used for the treatment of breast cancer, is mainly metabolized via hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A in humans and is also a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Wogonin has been shown to be able to modulate the activities of CYPs and P-gp, and it could serve as an adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent. However, the impacts of co-administration of wogonin and docetaxel on their pharmacokinetics have not been studied because of a lack of an analytical method for their simultaneous measurement. In the present study, we established an HPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous measurement of wogonin and docetaxel in rat plasma, and it was then utilized to explore the pharmacokinetics of wogonin and the herb-drug interactions between wogonin and docetaxel after their combined administration in rats with mammary tumors. The rats received 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg wogonin via oral administration, with or without docetaxel intravenously administered at 10 mg/kg, and the plasma concentrations of wogonin and docetaxel were measured using the established and validated HPLC-MS/MS method. The Cmax and AUC0-t of wogonin were proportionally increased in the dose range from 10 to 40 mg/kg, suggesting a linear pharmacokinetics of wogonin. Moreover, the Cmax and AUC0-t of docetaxel and the AUC0-t of wogonin were increased after co-administration (p < 0.05), indicating increased in vivo exposures of both wogonin and docetaxel, which might lead to an increase in not only therapeutic but also toxic effects. Thus the alterations of pharmacokinetics should be taken into consideration when wogonin and docetaxel are co-administered.