Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and hemostatic activities of Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L.) merr

Multifunctional chitosan-based hydrogel wound dressing loaded with Acanthopanax senticosus and Osmundastrum cinnamomeum: Preparation, characterization and coagulation mechanism

Considerable potential exists for the development of natural polymer hydrogels that possess notable antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, along with excellent biocompatibility and mechanical attributes, to expedite the healing of skin wounds. Recent endeavors have focused on formulating an optimal hydrogel dressing for wound hemostasis and repair. In this pursuit, we have crafted a composite hydrogel using carboxymethyl chitosan and alginic acid, cross-linked with EDC/NHS, and enriched with extracts from Acanthopanax senticosus and Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. This synthesized hydrogel showcases commendable features, including significant swelling capacity (135 ± 3.6%), proficient water retention (94.421 ± 0.154%), and effective water vapor permeability (5845.011 ± 467.799 g/m2/d). Moreover, our drug-loaded hydrogels (CMCS/SA/AS/OC) have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in accelerating wound healing in both in vivo and in vitro models. On the 7th day, the wound healing rate reached 94.905% ± 0.498%, and by the 14th day, the wound was nearly fully healed (98.08% ± 0.323%) with the emergence of hair coverage. Furthermore, these hydrogels exhibited remarkable hemostatic properties, the platelet activity was 89.37% ± 1.29% and the platelet adhesion rate was 66.36% ± 1.42%. In order to elucidate the coagulation mechanism of the Acanthopanax senticosus and Osmundastrum cinnamomeum extracts, a network pharmacology approach was carried out. 41 active compounds and 107 potential therapeutic targets associated with these extracts were identified, revealing a total of 132 coagulation pathways. Platelet activation and complement and coagulation cascades pathways showed the highest levels of enrichment by KEGG analysis, serving as potential mechanisms through which the active components in AS/OC may facilitate coagulation by targeting relevant factors. In summary, our study has successfully developed an innovative drug-loaded hydrogel that not only enhances wound hemostasis and healing but also provides insights into the underlying mechanisms through network pharmacology. This work establishes a robust theoretical foundation for the medical application of our hydrogel.

Dynamic changes in marker components during the stir-frying of Pharbitidis Semen, and network analysis of its potential effects on nephritis

Introduction: Pharbitidis Semen (PS) has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat several diseases such as nephritis. PS is usually stir-fried to enhance its therapeutic efficacy before use in clinical practice. However, the changes in phenolic acids during stir-frying and the mechanisms of their therapeutic effects on nephritis are still unclear.

Methods: Here, we studied the processing-induced chemical changes and elucidated the mechanism of PS in the treatment of nephritis. We determined the levels of the 7 phenolic acids in raw PS (RPS) and stir-fried PS (SPS) using high-performance liquid chromatography, analyzed the dynamic compositional changes during stir-frying, and used network analysis and molecular docking to predict and verify compound targets and pathways corresponding to nephritis.

Results: The dynamic changes in the 7 phenolic acids in PS during stir-frying are suggestive of a transesterification reaction. Pathway analysis revealed that the targets of nephritis were mainly enriched in the AGE-RAGE, hypoxia-inducible factor-1, interleukin-17, and tumor necrosis factor signaling pathways among others. Molecular docking results showed that the 7 phenolic acids had good binding ability with the key nephritic targets.

Discussion: The potential pharmaceutical basis, targets, and mechanisms of PS in treating nephritis were explored. Our findings provide a scientific basis for the clinical use of PS in treating nephritis.

Chemical profile and antioxidant activity of bidirectional metabolites from Tremella fuciformis and Acanthopanax trifoliatus as assessed using response surface methodology

This study aimed to establish a bidirectional fermentation system using Tremella fuciformis and Acanthopanax trifoliatus to promote the transformation and utilization of the synthesized antioxidant metabolites from fermentation supernatant. The effect of fermentation conditions on the total phenolic content was investigated using response surface methodology in terms of three factors, including temperature (22–28°C), pH (6–8), and inoculum size (2–8%, v/v). The optimized fermentation parameters were: 28°C, pH 8, and an inoculum size of 2%, which led to a maximum total phenolic content of 314.79 ± 6.89 μg/mL in the fermentation supernatant after 24 h culture. The content of total flavonoids and polysaccharides reached 78.65 ± 0.82 μg/mL and 9358.08 ± 122.96 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, ABTS+, DPPH⋅, and ⋅OH clearance rates reached 95.09, 88.85, and 85.36% at 24 h under optimized conditions, respectively. The content of total phenolics, flavonoids and polysaccharides in the optimized fermentation supernatant of T. fuciformis–Acanthopanax trifoliatus increased by 0.88 ± 0.04, 0.09 ± 0.02, and 33.84 ± 1.85 times that of aqueous extracts from A. trifoliatus, respectively. Simultaneously, 0.30 ± 0.00, 0.26 ± 0.01, and 1.19 ± 0.12 times increase of antioxidant activity against ABTS+, DPPH⋅, and ⋅OH clearance rates were observed, respectively. Additionally, the metabolite composition changes caused by fermentation were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) based on untargeted metabolomics and the phytochemical profile of fermentation supernatant differentiated significantly based on unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) during fermentation from 24 to 96 h. Furthermore, a significant increase in antioxidant phenolic and flavonoid compounds, such as ellagic acid, vanillin, luteolin, kaempferol, myricetin, isorhamnetin, and (+)-gallocatechin, was observed after fermentation. Thus, these results indicated that the fermentation broth of T. fuciformis and A. trifoliatus had significant antioxidant activity, and may have potential application for health products such as functional beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical raw materials.