Biotechnological production of diterpenoid lactones from cell and organ cultures of Andrographis paniculata

Anti-inflammatory effect and pharmacokinetics of dehydroandrographolide, an active component of Andrographis paniculata, on Poly(I:C)-induced acute lung injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common and critical respiratory disorder caused by various factors, with viral infection being the leading contributor. Dehydroandrographolide (DAP), a constituent of the Chinese herbal plant Andrographis paniculata, exhibits a range of activities including anti-inflammatory, in vitro antiviral and immune-enhancing effects. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects and pharmacokinetics (PK) profile of DAP in ALI mice induced by intratracheal instillation of Poly(I:C) (PIC). The results showed that oral administration of DAP (10-40 mg/kg) effectively suppressed the increase in lung wet-dry weight ratio, total cells, total protein content, accumulation of immune cells, inflammatory cytokines and neutrophil elastase levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of PIC-treated mice. DAP concentrations, determined by an LC-MS/MS method, in plasma after receiving DAP (20 mg/kg) were unchanged compared to those in normal mice. However, DAP concentrations and relative PK parameters in the lungs were significantly altered in PIC-treated mice, exhibiting a relatively higher maximum concentration, larger AUC, and longer elimination half-life than those in the lungs of normal mice. These results demonstrated that DAP could improve lung edema and inflammation in ALI mice, and suggested that lung injury might influence the PK properties of DAP, leading to increased lung distribution and residence. Our study provides evidence that DAP displays significant anti-inflammatory activity against viral lung injury and is more likely to distribute to damaged lung tissue.

Isolation, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of NAC Transcription Factor from Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees and Their Role in Andrographolide Production

Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees is an important medicinal plant known for its bioactive compound andrographolide. NAC transcription factors (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) play a crucial role in secondary metabolite production, stress responses, and plant development through hormonal signaling. In this study, a putative partial transcript of three NAC family genes (ApNAC83, ApNAC21 22 and ApNAC02) was used to isolate full length genes using RACE. Bioinformatics analyses such as protein structure prediction, cis-acting regulatory elements, and gene ontology analysis were performed. Based on in silico predictions, the diterpenoid profiling of the plant's leaves (five-week-old) and the real-time PCR-based expression analysis of isolated NAC genes under abscisic acid (ABA) treatment were performed. Additionally, the expression analysis of isolated NAC genes under MeJA treatment and transient expression in Nicotiana tabacum was performed. Full-length sequences of three members of the NAC transcription factor family, ApNAC83 (1102 bp), ApNAC21 22 (996 bp), and ApNAC02 (1011 bp), were isolated and subjected to the promoter and gene ontology analysis, which indicated their role in transcriptional regulation, DNA binding, ABA-activated signaling, and stress management. It was observed that ABA treatment leads to a higher accumulation of andrographolide and 14-deoxyandrographolide content, along with the upregulation of ApNAC02 (9.6-fold) and the downregulation of ApNAC83 and ApNAC21 22 in the leaves. With methyl jasmonate treatment, ApNAC21 22 expression decreased, while ApNAC02 increased (1.9-fold), with no significant change being observed in ApNAC83. The transient expression of the isolated NAC genes in a heterologous system (Nicotiana benthamiana) demonstrated their functional transcriptional activity, leading to the upregulation of the NtHMGR gene, which is related to the terpene pathway in tobacco. The expression analysis and heterologous expression of ApNAC21 22 and ApNAC02 indicated their role in andrographolide biosynthesis.

Andrographis paniculata and Andrographolide - A Snapshot on Recent Advances in Nano Drug Delivery Systems against Cancer

Cancer is one of the deadliest illnesses of the 21st century. Chemotherapy and radiation therapies both have considerable side effects. Antitumor antibiotics are one of them. Coughs, common colds, fevers, laryngitis, and infectious disorders have all been treated with Andrographis paniculata for centuries. Extracts of Andrographis effectively treat various ailments, as well as cancer. The most active molecule in Andrographis paniculata is andrographolide a, diterpene, and lactone. Andrographis paniculata and its derivatives have long been used to treat various ailments. Anti-inflammatory and cancerfighting characteristics have been observed in Andrographolide. Andrographolide, a diterpene lactone separated from Andrographis paniculata, has also been shown to have important criticalessential biological protective properties. It has also been suggested that it could be used to treat major human diseases like-rheumatoid like rheumatoid, colitis, and Parkinsons disease. This summary aims to highlight Andrographolide as a promising cancer treatment option. Several databases were searched for andrographolides cytotoxic/anti-cancer effects in pre-clinical and clinical research to serve this purpose. Several studies have shown that Andrographolide is helpful in cancer medication, as detailed in this review.

Inflammatory Studies of Dehydroandrographolide: Isolation, Spectroscopy, Biological Activity, and Theoretical Modeling

Dehydroandrographolide (DA) was isolated and experimentally characterized utilizing FT-IR, UV-Vis, and NMR spectroscopy techniques along with detailed theoretical modelled at the DFT/B3LYP-D3BJ/6-311 + + G(d,p) level of theory. Substantially, molecular electronic property investigations in the gaseous phase alongside five different solvents (ethanol, methanol, water, acetonitrile and DMSO) were comprehensively reported and compared with the experimental results. The globally harmonized scale (GHS), which is used to identify and label chemicals, was also utilized to demonstrate that the lead compound predicted an LD50 of 1190 mg/kg. This finding implies that consumers can safely consume the lead molecule. Notable impacts on hepatotoxicity, cytotoxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity were likewise found to be minimal to nonexistent for the compound. Additionally, in order to account for the biological performance of the studied compound, in-silico molecular docking simulation analysis was examined against different anti-inflammatory target of enzymes (3PGH, 4COX, and 6COX). From the examination, it can be inferred that DA@3PGH, DA@4COX, and DA@6COX, respectively, showed significant negative binding affinities of -7.2 kcal/mol, -8.0 kcal/mol, and - 6.9 kcal/mol. Thus, the high mean binding affinity in contrast to conventional drugs further reinforces these results as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Identification of Andrographolide as an Agonist of Bile Acid TGR5 Receptor in a Cell Line to Demonstrate the Reduction in Hyperglycemia in Type-1 Diabetic Rats

Andrographolide (ADG) is contained in bitter plants, and its effects are widely thought to be associated with taste receptors. The current study used animal studies and cell lines to investigate the role of ADG in diabetic models. The Takeda G-protein-coupled receptor (TGR5) was directly influenced by ADG, and this boosted GLP-1 synthesis in CHO-K1 cells transfected with the TGR5 gene. However, this was not seen in TGR5-mutant cells. The human intestinal L-cell line NCI-H716 showed an increase in GLP-1 production in response to ADG. In NCI-H716 cells, the TGR5 inhibitor triamterene reduced the effects of ADG, including the rise in TGR5 mRNA levels that ADG caused. Additionally, as with the antihyperglycemic impact in type-1 diabetic rats, the increase in plasma-active GLP-1 level caused by ADG was enhanced by a DPP-4 inhibitor. The recovery of the hypoglycemic effect in diabetic rats and the increase in plasma GLP-1 caused by ADG were both suppressed by TGR5 blockers. As a result, after activating TGR5, ADG may boost GLP-1 synthesis in diabetic rats, enhancing glucose homeostasis. In Min-6 cells, a pancreatic cell line grown in culture, ADG-induced insulin secretion was also examined. Blocking GLP-1 receptors had little impact, suggesting that ADG directly affects TGR5 activity in Min-6 cells. A TGR5 mRNA level experiment in Min-6 cells further confirmed that TGR5 is activated by ADG. The current study revealed a novel finding suggesting that ADG may activate TGR5 in diabetic rats in a way that results in enhanced insulin and GLP-1 production, which may be helpful for future research and therapies.

Anthraquinone Production from Cell and Organ Cultures of Rubia Species: An Overview

The Rubia genus includes major groups of medicinal plants such as Rubia cordifolia, Rubia tinctorum, and Rubia akane. They contain anthraquinones (AQs), particularly alizarin and purpurin, which have pharmacological effects that are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, hemostatic, antibacterial, and more. Alizarin and purpurin have been utilized as natural dyes for cotton, silk, and wool fabrics since the dawn of time. These substances have been used in the cosmetics and food industries to color products. The amount of AQs in different Rubia species is minimal. In order to produce these compounds, researchers have established cell and organ cultures. Investigations have been conducted into numerous chemical and physical parameters that affect the biomass and accumulation of secondary metabolites in a cell, callus, hairy root, and adventitious root suspension cultures. This article offers numerous techniques and approaches used to produce biomass and secondary metabolites from the Rubia species. Additionally, it has been emphasized that cells can be grown in bioreactor cultures to produce AQs.

A New Source of Diterpene Lactones From Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees—Two Endophytic Fungi of Colletotrichum sp. With Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities

Endophytic fungi of medicinal plants are abundant, and their metabolites often have antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumor effects and can produce secondary metabolites identical or similar to those of their hosts, which can mitigate the problem of insufficient supply of medicinal plants. In this study, we screened endophytic fungi for strains that produce the same diterpene lactones as Andrographis paniculata based on their biological activity. Firstly, the dominant group of endophytic fungi of Andrographis paniculata was screened and pathogenicity was studied using Koch’s rule. Secondly, DPPH, ABTS, OH, PTIO radical scavenging, and FRAP assays were used to detect the antioxidant activity of the extracellular extracts of the strains, and total phenol and total flavonoid contents of the strains with high antioxidant capacity were determined. S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa were used to determine the antibacterial activity of the mycelial extracts of the strains. Finally, the secondary metabolites of the mycelial extracts of the strains were examined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that 32 strains of Andrographis paniculata were relatively isolated > 70% and non-pathogenic. Extracellular extracts of strains AP-1 and AP-4 showed vigorous antioxidant activity, and AP-4, AP-12, AP-47, and AP-48 showed antibacterial activity against four strains of bacteria. The HPLC results indicated that the mycelial extracts of AP-4 and AP-12 contained diterpene lactones. The two endophytic fungi were recognized as Colletotrichum sp. The study successfully obtained diterpene lactones from the endophytic fungus of Andrographis paniculata and confirmed the feasibility of using endophytic fungal strains to produce active substances consistent with the host. It was also useful for exploring endophytic fungi and medicinal plants. The relationship provides theoretical guidance.