Classification of diterpenoid alkaloids from Aconitum kusnezoffii Reichb. by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based on molecular networking

Kemin capsule ameliorates post-infectious cough by modulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and TRPA1/TRPV1 channels

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Kemin capsule (KMC), as an innovative traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has shown excellent efficacy in treating PIC in China. The post-infectious cough (PIC) is a common condition in pediatrics, and the inflammatory responses to PIC are intricately linked to the immune mechanisms of the host. However, the precise mechanisms involved remain uncertain.

AIM OF STUDY

The objective of this research is to investigate the mechanisms by which KMC treats PIC using a combination of UPLC-MS, bioinformatics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. The study's findings will be corroborated through in vitro and in vivo experiments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study identified the main components of KMC using UPLC-MS. The mechanism by which these capsules treat PIC was explored through transcriptomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. PIC model in Balb/c mice was induced with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at a titer of 10^5.5 TCID50/mL. From day 14 post-infection, the mice were orally administered the capsules at doses of 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 g/kg for two weeks. Cough was stimulated with capsaicin at 10^-4 mol/mL, and the effects on PIC mice were measured by cough frequency, latency, ELISA, and H&E staining. Expression levels of transient receptor potential (TRP) channel proteins and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were analyzed using RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and western blot (WB). The effect of KMC on A549 cells proliferation in vitro was also assessed.

RESULTS

The therapeutic efficacy of KMC is potentially exerted through its inherent bioactive constituents, including deoxyandrographolide, quercetin, and chryseriol. These compounds are hypothesized to modulate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and influence the function of TRP channel proteins, consequently mitigating the pathological state associated with PIC. In vivo experiments have demonstrated that KMC significantly reduces the frequency of coughs and extends the cough latency period in mice with PIC. KMC mitigates airway inflammation by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. The expression or phosphorylation levels of key regulators in the PI3K/AKT/TRP axis in mouse lung tissue, including PI3K, AKT, NF-κB p65, TLR4, STAT3, TRPV1, TRPA1 were significantly reduced.

CONCLUSION

KMC exerts its therapeutic effect on PIC by dampening the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and the activity of TRPA1 and TRPV1 ion channels.

Development of an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of crassicauline A, fuziline, karacoline, and songorine in rat plasma and application in their pharmacokinetics

In this paper, an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for quantifying the levels of crassicauline A, fuziline, karacoline, and songorine in rat plasma. After processing the rat plasma, the proteins in the plasma were separated by extracting the analytes with acetonitrile-methanol (9:1, v/v). The chromatographic column used was the UPLC HSS T3 column, and the mobile phase (methanol-water with 0.1% formic acid) under a gradient elution profile was used to separate the four compounds, with elution times for each analyte being less than 5 min. Electrospray ionization in positive-ion mode and operating in multiple reaction monitoring mode was used for quantitative analysis. Crassicauline A, fuziline, karacoline, and songorine were administered to 48 rats (n = 6 per group) orally (5 mg/kg) and intravenously (0.5 mg/kg). The standard curves demonstrated excellent linearity in the range of 1-2500 ng/mL, wherein all r values were greater than 0.99. The UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of crassicauline A, fuziline, karacoline, and songorine in rat plasma was successfully applied in determining their pharmacokinetics parameters, from which their oral bioavailabilities were calculated to be 18.7%, 4.3%, 6.0%, and 8.4%, respectively.

A review on efforts for improvement in medicinally important chemical constituents inAconitum through biotechnological interventions

The genus Aconitum belongs to the family Ranunculaceae, is endowed with more than 350 species on the earth. Medicinally important aconitine type of diterpenoid alkaloids are the characteristic compounds in most of the Aconitum species. The present review endeavored the major research carried out in the field of genetic resource characterization, pharmacological properties, phytochemistry, major factors influencing quantity, biosynthetic pathways and processing methods for recovery of active ingredients, variety improvement, propagation methods, and important metabolite production through cell/organ culture of various Aconitum species. More than 450 derivatives of aconitine-type C19 and C20-diterpenoid alkaloids along with a few other non-alkaloidal compounds, such as phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and fatty acids, have been identified in the genus. A few Aconitum species and their common diterpenoid alkaloid compounds are also well characterized for analgesic, inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. However, the different isolated compound needs to be validated for supporting other traditional therapeutical uses of the plant species. Aconitine alkaloids shared common biosynthesis pathway, but their diversification mechanism remains unexplored in the genus. Furthermore, the process needs to be developed on secondary metabolite recovery, mass-scale propagation methods, and agro-technologies for maintaining the quality of products. Many species are losing their existence in nature due to over-exploitation or anthropogenic factors; thus, temporal monitoring of the population status in its habitat, and suitable management programs for ascertaining conservation needs to be developed.

The chemistry and activity-orientedcharacterization of isoflavones difference between roots of Pueraria lobata and P. thomsonii guided by feature-based molecular networking

Isoflavones are important chemical components in Pueraria species with various biological activities. This study proposed an integrated strategy combining feature-based molecular networking (FBMN), chemometrics and activity evaluation for isoflavone analysis in the roots of P. lobate (PLR) and P. thomsonii (PTR). Based on the strategy, a total of 68 isoflavones were annotated in the two Pueraria species, and 11 significant difference isoflavones between PLR and PTR were identified by chemometric methods. Additionally, the correlation coefficient between the characteristic isoflavones and hypoglycemic activity were calculated, and 7 isoflavones were further confirmed as bioactive marker compounds. This approach provided guidance for the discovery of active markers among different products.

Targeted isolation and identification of bioactive pyrrolidine alkaloids from Codonopsis pilosula using characteristic fragmentation-assisted mass spectral networking

Codonopsis pilosula (CP), a well-known food medicine homology plant, is commonly used in many countries. In our preliminary study, a series of pyrrolidine alkaloids with high MS responses were detected as characteristic absorbed constituents in rat plasma after oral administration of CP extract. However, their structures were unclear due to the presence of various isomers and the lack of reference standards. In the present study, an MS-guided targeted isolation of pyrrolidine alkaloids of CP extract was performed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS). For data analysis under fast data directed acquisition mode (Fast-DDA), an effective approach named characteristic fragmentation-assisted mass spectral networking was successfully applied to discover new pyrrolidine alkaloids with high MS response in CP extract. As a result, seven new pyrrolizidine alkaloids [codonopyrrolidiums C-I (3-9)], together with two known ones (1 and 2), were isolated and identified by NMR spectral analysis. Among them, codonopyrrolidium B (1), codonopyrrolidium D (4) and codonopyrrolidium E (5) were evaluated for lipid-lowering activity, and they could improve high fructose-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. In addition, the characteristic MS/MS fragmentation patterns of these pyrrolizidine alkaloids were investigated, and 17 pyrrolidine alkaloids were identified. This approach could accelerate novel natural products discovery and characterize a class of natural products with MS/MS fragmentation patterns from similar chemical scaffolds. The research also provides a chemical basis for revealingin vivo effective substances in CP.