Effect of Non-Volatile Constituents of Elsholtzia ciliata (Thunb.) Hyl. from Southern Vietnam on Reactive Oxygen Species and Nitric Oxide Release in Macrophages

Rapid characterization of non-volatile phenolic compounds reveals the reliable chemical markers for authentication of traditional Chinese medicine Xiang-ru among confusing Elsholtzia species

The aerial parts of Mosla chinensis Maxim. and Mosla chinensis cv. 'Jiangxiangru' (MCJ) are widely utilized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), known collectively as Xiang-ru. However, due to clinical effectiveness concerns and frequent misidentification, the original plants have increasingly been substituted by various species within the genera Elsholtzia and Mosla. The challenge in distinguishing between these genera arises from their similar morphological and metabolic profiles. To address this issue, our study introduced a rapid method for metabolic characterization, employing high-resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Through detailed biosynthetic and chemometric analyses, we pinpointed five phenolic compounds-salviaflaside, cynaroside, scutellarein-7-O-D-glucoside, rutin, and vicenin-2-among 203 identified compounds, as reliable chemical markers for distinguishing Xiang-ru from closely related Elsholtzia species. This methodology holds promise for broad application in the analysis of plant aerial parts, especially in verifying the authenticity of aromatic traditional medicinal plants. Our findings underscore the importance of non-volatile compounds as dependable chemical markers in the authentication process of aromatic traditional medicinal plants.

Moslosooflavone protects against brain injury induced by hypobaric hypoxic via suppressing oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, energy metabolism disorder, and apoptosis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the protect effect of moslosooflavone against brain injury induced by hypobaric hypoxia (HH) in mice.

METHODS

Protective effects of moslosooflavone in oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, energy metabolism disorder, and apoptosis were studied in HH-induced brain damage mice. The pathological morphology in the cortex of mice was determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The related protein expressions were detected by western blot.

KEY FINDINGS

Moslosooflavone improved HH-induced brain histopathological changes, reduced the contents of ROS and MDA, and elevated the levels of antioxidant enzymes and GSH in HH-exposed brains of mice. Moslosooflavone also markedly enhanced the ATPase activities and PK, ATP contents, while reducing LDH activity and the LD, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 contents HH-exposed brains of mice. In addition, moslosooflavone notably decreased the expression of HIF-1α, VEGF, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 dramatically increasing the expression of Bcl-2, Nrf2, and HO‑1 in HH-exposed brains of mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our current studies indicate that moslosooflavone protects HH-induced brain injury possibly through alleviating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, maintaining the balance of energy metabolism, and inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Properties of the Subfamily Nepetoideae (Lamiaceae) in Inflammatory Diseases

Nepetoideae is the most diverse subfamily of Lamiaceae, and some species are well known for their culinary and medicinal uses. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the therapeutic properties of the species of this group regarding inflammatory illnesses. This study aims to collect information on traditional uses through ethnobotanical, pharmacological, and phytochemical information of the subfamily Nepetoideae related to inflammatory diseases. UNAM electronic resources were used to obtain the information. The analysis of the most relevant literature was compiled and organised in tables. From this, about 106 species of the subfamily are traditionally recognised to alleviate chronic pain associated with inflammation. Pharmacological studies have been carried out in vitro and in vivo on approximately 308 species belonging to the genera Salvia, Ocimum, Thymus, Mentha, Origanum, Lavandula, and Melissa. Phytochemical and pharmacological evaluations have been performed and mostly prepared as essential oil or high polarity extracts, whose secondary metabolites are mainly of a phenolic nature. Other interesting and explored metabolites are diterpenes from the abietane, clerodane, and kaurane type; however, they have only been described in some species of the genera Salvia and Isodon. This review reveals that the Nepetoideae subfamily is an important source for therapeutics of the inflammatory process.

The anti-leukemic activity of a luteolin-apigenin enriched fraction from an edible and ethnomedicinal plant, Elsholtzia stachyodes, is exerted through an ER stress/autophagy/cell cycle arrest/ apoptotic cell death signaling axis

BACKGROUND

Elsholtzia is a genus in the family Lamiaceae, and some species in this genus are commonly used for food and in ethnomedicinal formulations by some ethnic groups of China and Thailand. Despite their apparent utility, few studies have been conducted to evaluate their potential as sources of medicinally active agents.

PURPOSE

We aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity of ethanolic extracts from three selected edible plant species of the genus Elsholtzia and the most promising extract was further characterized for the bioactive constituents and signaling mechanisms associated with the anti-leukemic activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ethanolic extracts were screened for cytotoxicity using flow cytometry. HPLC and LC-MS were used to analyze the chemical constituents of the most potent fraction from E. stachyodes. The relevant mechanism of action was assessed by western blot and multispectral imaging flow cytometry (MIFC).

RESULTS

The most potent anti-leukemic activity was observed with the ethanolic extract from E. stachyodes. Luteolin and apigenin were characterized as the major constituents in the fraction from E. stachyodes. Mechanistically, the luteolin-apigenin enriched fraction (LAEF) induced the UPR, increased autophagic flux, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death. LAEF showed significantly less cytotoxicity towards peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as compared to leukemia cell lines.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first to report E. stachyodes as a new source of luteolin and apigenin which are capable of triggering leukemic cell death. This could lead to a novel strategy against leukemia using ethnomedicinal plant extracts as an alternative or supplemental anti-cancer agent.

Elsholtzia ciliata (Thunb.) Hyland: A Review of Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

In this paper, the confusion of the sources of medicinal materials was briefly expounded, and the differences among the varieties were pointed out. At the same time, the chemical components and pharmacological properties of Elsholtzia ciliata (Thunb.) Hyland (E. ciliata) were reviewed. The structures of 352 compounds that have been identified are listed. These mainly include flavonoids, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, and other chemical components. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, insecticidal, antiviral, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, analgesic, antiarrhythmic, antitumor, antiacetylcholinesterase, and immunoregulator activities. At present, there are many researches using essential oil and alcohol extract, and the researches on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and other pharmacological activities are relatively mature. This paper aims to summarize the existing research, update the research progress regarding the phytochemicals and pharmacology of E. ciliate, and to provide convenience for subsequent research.

In Silico Insights on the Pro-Inflammatory Potential of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and the Prospective Anti-Inflammatory Capacity of Andrographis paniculata Phytocompounds

Inflammation linked to various diseases is the biological response to certain stimuli. The pro-inflammatory potential of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as potential inducers of inflammation bound to the Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) and the anti-inflammatory capacity of A. paniculata (AP) phytocompounds as prospective inhibitors of the Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) p50 transcription factor are investigated via in silico techniques. The molecular docking of the PAHs and AP phytocompounds is performed in AutoDock Vina by calculating their binding energies. The molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) of the apo and ligand-bound complex of the top binding ligands were performed in CABS-flex. The agonists, which included the PAHs indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (IP), and dibenz(a,h)anthracene (DahA), had the highest binding energies of −10 kcal/mol and −9.2 kcal/mol, respectively. The most stable antagonists in the binding site with binding energies to the NF-κB p50 were the AP phytocompounds with −5.6 kcal/mol for ergosterol peroxide and −5.3 kcal/mol for 14-deoxy-14,15-dehydroandrographolide. The MDS of the apo human TLR4 and PAH-bound TLR4, and the apo p50 and the AP phytocompound-bound NF-κB p50 showed minimal fluctuations. These results reveal that IP and DahA are significant inducers of inflammation, whereas ergosterol peroxide and 14-deoxy-14,15-dehydroandrographolide are inhibitors of the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, the study theorizes that any inflammatory activity induced by PAH can be potentially inhibited by A. paniculata phytocompounds.

Elsholtzia rugulosa: Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant, Anti-Alzheimer's Disease, Antidiabetic, Antibacterial, Cytotoxic and Hepatoprotective Activities

Elsholtzia rugulosa Hemsl., a species of the Labiatae family, has a long history of use as a honey plant, herbal tea, and folk medicine in China. However, little is known about its composition and biological activities. The present study aimed to investigate the total phenol and flavonoid contents, phytochemical composition, and multiple biological activities of this plant. The total flavonoid content of the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) was higher than those of the petroleum ether fraction (PEF), n-butanol fraction (NBF), and water fraction (WF). The EAF also had much stronger antioxidant, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities than the PEF, NBF, and WF. More importantly, the IC₅₀ values of the EAF and NBF against α-glucosidase were much lower than that of the positive control acarbose, indicating their potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The isolation of the EAF led to the acquisition of 9 compounds, four of which (β-daucosterol, methyl rosmarinate, betulinic acid, and oleanolic acid) possessed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Maltol 6'-O-(5-O-p-coumaroyl)-β-D-apiofuranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside and rosmarinic acid were the major phenolic compounds in the EAF according to the HPLC-DAD analysis. All these findings indicate that the EAF, NBF, and some isolated compounds have the potential to be developed as antidiabetic drugs. Moreover, the dual inhibition of AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) of certain fractions indicates their potential in the development of anti-Alzheimer's disease drugs. The present study provides a new understanding of the phytochemistry and bioactivity of E. rugulosa.

HPLC/HR-MS-Based Metabolite Profiling and Chemometrics: A Powerful Approach to Identify Bioactive Compounds from Abarema cochliacarpos

Despite its importance as a medicinal plant, there is a lack of studies that assessed the chemical composition of A. cochliacarpos extracts. Herein, we used a metabolite profiling approach and chemometrics as a powerful strategy to correlate the chemical composition with the antioxidant activity of A. cochliacarpos extracts. Extracts obtained with ethyl acetate showed greater antioxidant activity and higher total phenolic content than extracts obtained with hexane. The chemical composition was assessed by HPLC/HR-MS and it encompassed fatty alcohols, terpenoids, phenolic derivatives, lipids, carotenoid-like compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids, polyketides, and glycerophospholipids. Chemometrics successfully differentiated not only the chemical composition of extracts in response to the nature of the extraction solvent and the botanical part used during extraction but also it allowed us to associate the chemical composition with the antioxidant activity of the extracts, which might be particularly helpful for drug discovery and development programs.