Determination of six polyynes in Oplopanax horridus and Oplopanax elatus using polyethylene glycol modified reversed migration microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography

Synergistic activity of the combination of falcarindiol and itraconazole in vitro against dermatophytes

Previous studies have shown that natural polyacetylene alcohols, such as falcarindiol (FADOH), have good antifungal effects on plant fungi. While its effect on fungi that infect humans remains to be explored. In our study, checkerboard microdilution, drop-plate assay, and time-growth method were employed to analyze the interactions between FADOH and itraconazole (ITC) in vitro against dermatophytes, including 12 Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum), 12 Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes), and 6 Microsporum canis (M. canis). The results showed that the combination of FADOH and ITC exhibited synergistic and additive activity against 86.7% of all tested dermatophytes. FADOH had an excellent synergistic effect on ITC against T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes; the synergistic rates were 66.7% and 58.3%, respectively. On the contrary, FADOH combined with ITC showed poor synergistic inhibitory activity (16.7%) against M. canis. Moreover, the additive rates of these two drugs against T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and M. canis were 25%, 41.7%, and 33.3%, respectively. No antagonistic interactions were observed. The drop-plate assay and time-growth curves confirmed that the combination of FADOH and ITC had a potent synergistic antifungal effect. The in vitro synergistic effect of FADOH and ITC against dermatophytes is reported here for the first time. Our findings suggest the potential use of FADOH as an effective antifungal drug in the combined therapy of dermatophytoses caused especially by T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes.

Chemical profiling of root bark extract from Oplopanax elatus and its in vitro biotransformation by human intestinal microbiota

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai, in the Araliaceae family, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat diseases as an adaptogen for thousands of years. This study established an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) method to identify chemical components and biotransformation metabolites of root bark extract from O. elatus. A total of 18 compounds were characterized in O. elatus extract, and 62 metabolites by human intestinal microbiota were detected. Two polyynes, falcarindiol and oplopandiol were recognized as the main components of O. elatus, whose metabolites are further illustrated. Several metabolic pathways were proposed to generate the detected metabolites, including methylation, hydrogenation, demethylation, dehydroxylation, and hydroxylation. These findings indicated that intestinal microbiota might play an essential role in mediating the bioactivity of O. elatus.

Chemo-Preventive Potential of Falcarindiol-Enriched Fraction from Oplopanax elatus on Colorectal Cancer Interfered by Human Gut Microbiota

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai is an oriental herb, the polyyne-enriched fraction of which (PEFO) showed anticolorectal cancer (anti-CRC) effects. Other concomitant components, which are inevitably bio-transformed by gut microbiota after oral administration, might be interfere with the pharmacodynamics of polyynes. However, the influence of human gut microbiota on molecules from O. elatus possessing anticancer activity are yet unknown. In this study, the compounds in PEFO and PEFO incubated with human gut microbiota were analyzed and tentatively identified by HPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS. Two main polyynes ((3[Formula: see text]8[Formula: see text]-falcarindiol and oplopandiol) were not significantly decomposed, but some new unknown molecules were discovered during incubation. However, the antiproliferative effects of PEFO incubated with human gut microbiota for 72 h (PEFO I) were much lower than that of PEFO on HCT-116, SW-480, and HT-29 cells. Furthermore, PEFO possessed better anti-CRC activity in vivo, and significantly induced apoptosis of the CRC cells, which was associated with activation of caspase-3 according to the Western-blot results ([Formula: see text]). These results suggest anticolorectal cancer activity of polyynes might be antagonized by some bio-converted metabolites after incubation with human gut microbiota. Therefore, it might be better for CRC prevention if the polyynes could be orally administrated as purified compounds.

Devil's Club Falcarinol-Type Polyacetylenes Inhibit Pancreatic Cancer Cell Proliferation

Natural falcarinol-type (FC-type) polyacetylenes are known to show anticancer activities. We studied the bioactivity of synthetic FC, 1,2-dihydrofalcarinol (FCH) and 3-acetoxyfalcarinol (FCA) and compared them with the natural bioactive polyacetylene [9,17-octadecadiene-12,14-diyne-1,11,16-triol,1-acetate] (DCA) isolated from Devil's club (DC) Oplopanax horridus. Antiproliferation activity of these polyacetylenes, along with DC inner stem bark 70% ethanol and water extracts, was tested on human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines PANC-1 and BxPC-3. Chemically synthesized FC and FCA showed consistent IC₅₀ (50% inhibition concentration) and higher potency than DCA. FC and DCA's mechanism of action investigated by antibody array on apoptosis-associated genes, and cellular features confirmed by microscopy demonstrated that both compounds modulated genes related to pro-apoptosis, antiapoptosis, apoptosis, cell cycle, stress related, and death receptors. FC-type polyacetylenes with a terminal double bond (FC, FCA, and DCA) are potent inhibitors of pancreatic cancer cell proliferation compared to FCH with a terminal single bond. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of FC and FCH in the inner stem bark of DC. For potential applications of FC-type polyacetylenes as anticancer agents, preparing them by chemical synthesis may provide an advantage over the labor intensive extraction process from raw plant material.

Oplopanax horridus: Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Diversity and Structure-Activity Relationship on Anticancer Effects

Oplopanax horridus, well-known as Devil's club, is probably the most important ethnobotanical to most indigenous people living in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Compared with the long history of traditional use and widespread distribution in North America, the study of O. horridus is relatively limited. In the past decade, some exciting advances have been presented on the phytochemistry and pharmacological diversity and structure-activity relationship on anticancer effects of O. horridus. To date, no systematic review has been drafted on the recent advances of O. horridus. In this review, the different phytochemicals in O. horridus are compiled, including purified compounds and volatile components. Animal and in vitro studies are also described and discussed. Especially, the potential structural-activity relationship of polyynes on anticancer effects is highlighted. This review aimed to provide comprehensive and useful information for researching O. horridus and finding potential agents in drug discovery.

Screening and identifying antioxidants from Oplopanax elatus using 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl with off-line two-dimensional HPLC coupled with diode array detection and tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The root of Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai has a well-known history of use for the treatment of diseases such as neurasthenia, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer by the native people in northeast China. It is important to screen and identify the bioactive molecules from its root rapidly. Hereby, an off-line two-dimensional high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry together with 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl was established to screen antioxidants from the root of O. elatus. A Waters cyanogen column (150 × 3.9 mm, id, 4 μm) was used for the first dimensional liquid chromatography, while a Hypersil BDS-C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, id, 5 μm) was installed for the second dimension liquid chromatographic analysis. Twenty-eight compounds had been tentatively identified from the methanol extract of the air-dried root of O. elatus including six polyynes and eight phenolic derivatives were screened with antioxidant activity. The developed method could be expedient for screening and identifying antioxidants from O. elatus.

Microemulsion Electrokinetic Chromatography in Combination with Chemometric Methods to Evaluate the Holistic Quality Consistency and Predict the Antioxidant Activity of Ixeris sonchifolia (Bunge) Hance Injection

In this paper, microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) fingerprints combined with quantification were successfully developed to monitor the holistic quality consistency of Ixeris sonchifolia (Bge.) Hance Injection (ISHI). ISHI is a Chinese traditional patent medicine used for its anti-inflammatory and hemostatic effects. The effects of five crucial experimental variables on MEEKC were optimized by the central composite design. Under the optimized conditions, the MEEKC fingerprints of 28 ISHIs were developed. Quantitative determination of seven marker compounds was employed simultaneously, then 28 batches of samples from two manufacturers were clearly divided into two clusters by the principal component analysis. In fingerprint assessments, a systematic quantitative fingerprint method was established for the holistic quality consistency evaluation of ISHI from qualitative and quantitative perspectives, by which the qualities of 28 samples were well differentiated. In addition, the fingerprint—efficacy relationship between the fingerprints and the antioxidant activities was established utilizing orthogonal projection to latent structures, which provided important medicinal efficacy information for quality control. The present study offered a powerful and holistic approach to evaluating the quality consistency of herbal medicines and their preparations.