Anthelmintic activity of the crude extracts, fractions, and osthole from Radix angelicae pubescentis against Dactylogyrus intermedius in goldfish (Carassius auratus) in vivo

Synthesis of osthol-based botanical fungicides and their antifungal application in crop protection

Plant pathogenic fungi decrease the quality and productivity of plant production. The botanical fungicides have better biocompatibility and rapid biodegradation, little or no cross resistance, and the structural diversity, and thus are beneficial to deal with plant fungal diseases. Osthole has been widely used as the commercial botanical fungicide against powdery mildew in China. In this article, a series of osthole derivatives were synthesized, which respectively contain different substituents on the benzene ring, at the C8-position and pyrone ring. All the target compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal activity against resistant phytopathogenic fungi. Colletotrichum fragariae, Strawberry Botrytis Cinerea, Kiwifruit Botrytis Cinerea, Kiwifruit brown Rots, which are common in fruit fungal diseases. The compound C₄ was identified as the most promising candidate with the EC₅₀ values at 38.7 µg/mL against Colletotrichum Fragariae, 14.5 µg/mL against Strawberry Botrytis Cinerea and 24.3 µg/mL against Kiwifruit Botrytis Cinerea, respectively, whereas the antifungal activity against resistant phytopathogenic fungi. of osthole is too low to be used (EC₅₀ > 400 ppm). The results of mycelial relative conductivity determination, PI uptake and fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that the cell membrane of fungi is the key action site of C₄. Besides, C₄ has the potent inhibitory activity against both of plant and human pathogenic bacteria. Our studies showed that C₄ was worthy for further attention as a promising botanical fungicide candidate in crop protection.

Construction of oxime ester derivatives of osthole from Cnidium monnieri, and evaluation of their agricultural activities and control efficiency

BACKGROUND

In order to discover natural-product-based pesticidal candidates, a series of coumarin-like derivatives containing oxime ester fragments at the C-8 position were prepared by structural modification of osthole, a natural plant product isolated from Cnidium monnieri. Their pesticidal activities were evaluated against two typically fruit trees/crop-threatening agricultural pests, Mythimna separata Walker and Tetranychus cinnabarinus Boisduval.

RESULTS

Osthole was regioselectively oxidized by selenium dioxide to give the E-isomer, (2'E)-3'-formaldehydylosthole (2). Four key steric structures of 2, (2'E, 4'E)-(o-chloropyrid-3-ylcarbonyl)oximinylosthole (4o), (2'E, 4'E)-(styrylcarbonyl)oximinylosthole (4t), and (2'E, 4'E)-(acetyl)oximinylosthole (4w) were undoubtedly confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Against T. cinnabarinus, it is noteworthy that (2'E, 4'E)-(p-chlorophenylcarbonyl)oximinylosthole (4c) exhibited over three-fold more potent acaricidal activity of the precursor osthole, with especially good control efficiency observed in the glasshouse. Against M. separata, compounds 4c and (2'E, 4'E)-(p-nitrophenylcarbonyl)oximinylosthole (4f) showed the most pronounced growth inhibitory activity. The relationships between their structures and agricultural activities also were studied.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that compound 4c could be further structurally modified as pesticidal agents. It will lay the foundation for future application of osthole derivatives as pesticides. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Systematic analysis of the metabolites of Angelicae Pubescentis Radix by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with metabonomics approaches after oral administration to rats

Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (APR) is a typical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has been widely used to treat rheumatism and headache diseases in China. This research aimed to illustrate the metabolites of APR in vivo to lay a foundation for the clinics application. A UPLC-Q-TOF-MS method combined with metabonomics approaches is used to address this objective. The separation was achieved on an Agilent SB-C18 column (1.8 μm, 2.1 × 50 mm) with a gradient elution system (ACN and 0.1 % formic acid-water). An electrospray ionization (ESI) was used for mass spectrometer and operated in a full-scan mode at m/z 100 - 800. The data were collected in the positive ion mode and analyzed by the Masslynx 4.1 and SIMCA 13.0 software. Furthermore, an orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) using SIMCA 13.0 software was applied to investigate the differences between the blank and drug groups in bio-samples of rats (plasma, urine, feces). Totally 213 compounds including 41 prototype ingredients, 107 phase I and 65 phase II metabolites were detected, according to the MS and MS/MS data. Among them, 134 metabolites are potential new compounds.

Traditional Chinese Medicine of Angelicae Pubescentis Radix: A Review of Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics

Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (APR) is a widely used antirheumatic Chinese medicinal herb known as "Duhuo" in China. It has the effects of dispelling wind and removing dampness, diffusing impediment, and relieving pain, and is mainly indicated for rheumatic arthritis with pain in the lower back and knees, and headache. To the best of our knowledge, an attempt is made to provide an up-to-date review on these aspects based on published materials, including ancient and modern books; Master's and doctoral theses; monographs on medicinal plants; the pharmacopoeia of different countries, websites for publication of patent and electronic databases, such as SCI finder, PubMed, Web of Science, ACS, Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, Taylor, CNKI, and Google Scholar. APR, which has a good clinical effect, has been used for traditional Chinese medicine more than 2000 years. Since 1957, a variety of chemical constituents have been reported from the medicinal plants of this herb, mostly coumarins and volatile oil. In the past 30 years, numerous studies have shown that the extracts and compounds isolated from APR showed effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions, also showing well effects on central nervous system, effects on cardiovascular system and deworming activity. In addition, we also present and discuss the botany, traditional medicinal use, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, quality control, future trends and prospects of APR. All this information suggest that future research of APR should be supplemented in the area of pharmacology and toxicology to provide further insight on the clinical use and quality control.

Separation and Enrichment of Three Coumarins from Angelicae Pubescentis Radix by Macroporous Resin with Preparative HPLC and Evaluation of Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity

In order to enrich and separate three coumarins (columbianetin acetate, osthole and columbianadin) from Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (APR), an efficient method was established by combining macroporous resins (MARs) with preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC). Five different macroporous resins (D101, AB-8, DA-201, HP-20 and GDX-201) were used to assess the adsorption and desorption characteristics of three coumarins. The result demonstrated that HP-20 resin possessed the best adsorption and desorption capacities for these three coumarins. Moreover, the adsorption dynamics profiles of three coumarins were well fitted to the pseudo second order equation (R² > 0.99) for the HP-20 resin. The adsorption process was described by the three isotherms models including Langmuir (R² > 0.98, 0.046 ≤ R_L ≤ 0.103), Freundlich (R² > 0.99, 0.2748 ≤ 1/n ≤ 0.3103) and Dubinin Radushkevich (R² > 0.97). The contents of columbianetin acetate, osthole and columbianadin in the product were increased 10.69-fold, 19.98-fold and 19.68-fold after enrichment, respectively. Three coumarins were further purified by PHPLC and the purities of them reached above 98%. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory effects of these three coumarins were assessed by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. It was found that the production of NO and MCP-1 was obviously inhibited by three coumarins. Columbianetin acetate, osthole and columbianadin could be used as potentially natural anti-inflammatory ingredients in pharmaceutical products. It was concluded that the new method combining MARs with PHPLC was efficient and economical for enlarging scale separation and enrichment of columbianetin acetate, osthole and columbianadin with anti-inflammatory effect from the APR extract.

Parasite Dispersal From the Ornamental Goldfish Trade

Goldfish, Carassius auratus Linnaeus, 1758, are immensely popular ornamental cyprinid fish, traded in more than 100 countries. For more than 500 years, human translocation has facilitated the spread of goldfish globally, which has enabled numerous and repeated introductions of parasite taxa that infect them. The parasite fauna assemblage of goldfish is generally well documented, but few studies provide evidence of parasite coinvasion following the release of goldfish. This review provides a comprehensive synopsis of parasites that infect goldfish in farmed, aquarium-held, native, and invasive populations globally and summarises evidence for the cointroduction and coinvasion of goldfish parasites. More than 113 species infect goldfish in their native range, of which 26 species have probably coinvaded with the international trade of goldfish. Of these, Schyzocotyle acheilognathi (Cestoda: Bothriocephalidae), Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ciliophora: Ichthyophthiriidae), Argulus japonicus (Crustacea: Argulidae), Lernaea cyprinacea (Crustacea: Ergasilidae), Dactylogyrus anchoratus, Dactylogyrus vastator and Dactylogyrus formosus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) are common to invasive goldfish populations in more than four countries and are considered a high risk of continued spread. Coinvasive parasites include species with direct and complex life cycles, which have successfully colonised new environments through utilisation of either new native hosts or suitable invasive hosts. Specifically, I. multifiliis, A. japonicus and L. cyprinacea can cause harm to farmed freshwater fish species and are important parasites to consider for biosecurity. These species may threaten other aquatic animal industries given their low host specificity and adaptable life histories. Future attention to biosecurity, management and border detection methods could limit the continued spread of exotic parasites from the ornamental trade of goldfish.

Simultaneous determination of umbelliferone and scopoletin in Tibetan medicine Saussurea laniceps and traditional Chinese medicine Radix angelicae pubescentis using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence coupled with second-order calibration method

A chemometrics-assisted excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence method is presented for simultaneous determination of umbelliferone and scopoletin in Tibetan medicine Saussurea laniceps (SL) and traditional Chinese medicine Radix angelicae pubescentis (RAP). Using the strategy of combining EEM fluorescence data with second-order calibration method based on the alternating trilinear decomposition (ATLD) algorithm, the simultaneous quantification of umbelliferone and scopoletin in the two different complex systems was achieved successfully, even in the presence of potential interferents. The pretreatment is simple due to the "second-order advantage" and the use of "mathematical separation" instead of awkward "physical or chemical separation". Satisfactory results have been achieved with the limits of detection (LODs) of umbelliferone and scopoletin being 0.06ngmL(-1) and 0.16ngmL(-1), respectively. The average spike recoveries of umbelliferone and scopoletin are 98.8±4.3% and 102.5±3.3%, respectively. Besides, HPLC-DAD method was used to further validate the presented strategy, and t-test indicates that prediction results of the two methods have no significant differences. Satisfactory experimental results imply that our method is fast, low-cost and sensitive when compared with HPLC-DAD method.

Anti-Leishmania Activity of Osthole

BACKGROUND

Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is occasionally highly resistant to pentavalent antimonials, the gold standard in pharmacotherapy of CL. Since there is no effective vaccine, the discovery of natural antileishmanial products as complementary therapeutic agents could be used to improve the current regimens.

OBJECTIVE

In this study in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activities of osthole, a natural coumarin known to possess antibacterial and parasiticidal activities are evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Leishmania major infected J774.A1 macrophages were treated with increasing concentrations of osthole. CL lesions of BALB/c mice were treated topically with 0.2% osthole.

RESULTS

Osthole exhibited dose-dependent leishmanicidal activity against intracellular amastigotes with IC50 value of 14.95 μg/ml. Treatment of CL lesions in BALB/c mice with osthole significantly declined lesion progression compared to untreated mice (P < 0.05), however did not result in recovery.

CONCLUSION

Osthole demonstrated remarkable leishmanicidal activity in vitro. Higher concentrations of osthole may demonstrate the therapeutic property in vivo.

SUMMARY

In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activities of osthole, a pernylated coumarin extracted from Prangos asperula Boiss., are studied against Leishmania major.

Osthole: A Review on Its Bioactivities, Pharmacological Properties, and Potential as Alternative Medicine

This paper reviews the latest understanding of biological and pharmacological properties of osthole (7-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one), a natural product found in several medicinal plants such as Cnidium monnieri and Angelica pubescens. In vitro and in vivo experimental results have revealed that osthole demonstrates multiple pharmacological actions including neuroprotective, osteogenic, immunomodulatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, and antimicrobial activities. In addition, pharmacokinetic studies showed osthole uptake and utilization are fast and efficient in body. Moreover, the mechanisms of multiple pharmacological activities of osthole are very likely related to the modulatory effect on cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cGMP) level, though some mechanisms remain unclear. This review aims to summarize the pharmacological properties of osthole and give an overview of the underlying mechanisms, which showcase its potential as a multitarget alternative medicine.

An Improved LC-MS/MS Method for Simultaneous Determination of the Eleven Bioactive Constituents for Quality Control of Radix Angelicae Pubescentis and Its Related Preparations

An improved LC-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous determination of eleven bioactive constituents of Radix Angelicae Pubescentis and its related preparations. It was the first report on the quantification of bioactive constituents in different preparations of Radix Angelicae Pubescentis by LC-MS/MS analytical method. These samples were separated with an Agilent Zorbax Extend reversed-phase C18 column (1.8 μm, 4.6 × 100 mm) by linear gradient elution using aqueous ammonium acetate and acetonitrile as mobile phase. The flow rate was 0.3 mL min(-1). The eleven bioactive constituents showed good regression (R > 0.990) within test ranges and the recoveries were in the range of 87.1-110%. The limit of detections and quantifications for most of the major constituents were less than 0.5 and 1.0 ng mL(-1), respectively. All results indicated that the developed method could be readily utilized as a suitable quality control method for Radix Angelicae Pubescentis and related preparations.

Phytotherapy as an alternative for treating fish disease

Intensification of livestock rearing often promotes an increase in inappropriate practices that disregard care for the environment, animal health, and workers' health. Intensive fish farming systems are often associated with higher stocking density and massive use of artificial feed. Currently, outbreaks of parasitic, bacterial, and fungal diseases act as major limiting factors for fish farming, meaning that producers have to make use of massive amounts of antibiotics, disinfectants, and pesticides in order to control mortality and avoid huge economic losses. Because of adverse effects on the aquatic environment, terrestrial organisms, and human health (both fish handlers and consumers), this therapy has been criticized. Use of herbal medicines within animal production has shown promise, in that it is natural and biodegradable and has antimicrobial activity against various pathogens, including those relating to fish. Recently, researchers have reported promising effects from many herbal medicines for treating parasitic diseases caused by protozoa and metazoa, and broad activity against bacteria and fungi. This review addresses the current issues regarding indiscriminate use of chemicals and antibiotics in aquaculture and discusses the main findings and methodologies of the latest research on herbal medicines to stimulate and accelerate research in this field, especially in developing countries.

Screening of plant extracts for anthelmintic activity against Dactylogyrus intermedius (Monogenea) in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

With the aim of finding natural anthelmintic agents against Dactylogyrus intermedius (Monogenea) in goldfish (Carassius auratus), 26 plants were screened for antiparasitic properties using in vivo anthelmintic efficacy assay. The results showed that Caesalpinia sappan, Lysima chiachristinae, Cuscuta chinensis, Artemisia argyi, and Eupatorium fortunei were found to have 100% anthelmintic efficacy at 125, 150, 225, 300, and 500 mg L(-1) after 48 h of exposure. Crude extract of the five plants were further partitioned with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water to obtain anthelmintically active fractions with various polarity. Among these fractions tested, the ethyl acetate extract of L. chiachristinae was found to be the most effective with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) value of 5.1 mg/L after 48 h of exposure. This was followed by ethyl acetate extract of C. chinensis (48 h-EC50 = 8.5 mg L(-1)), chloroform extracts of C. sappan (48 h-EC50 = 15.6 mg L(-1)), methanol extract of C. chinensis (48 h-EC50 = 15.9 mg L(-1)), and chloroform and petroleum ether extract of L. chiachristinae (EC50 values of 17.2 and 21.1 mg/L, respectively), suggesting that these plants, as well as the active fractions, provide potential sources of botanic drugs for the control of D. intermedius in aquaculture.

Larvicidal activity of Cnidium monnieri fruit coumarins and structurally related compounds against insecticide-susceptible and insecticide-resistant Culex pipiens pallens and Aedes aegypti

BACKGROUND

An assessment was made of the toxicity of imperatorin and osthole identified in Cnidium monnieri fruit, 11 related compounds and five insecticides to larvae from insecticide-susceptible Culex pipiens pallens (KS-CP strain) and Aedes aegypti and wild C.p. pallens (YS-CP colony) using a direct-contact mortality bioassay. Results were compared with those of the conventional larvicide temephos.

RESULTS

Imperatorin (LC(50) = 3.14 and 2.88 mg L(-1) ) was 1.9-, 3.7- and 4.2-fold and 2.4-, 4.5- and 4.6-fold more toxic than isopimpinellin, isoimperatorin and osthole against susceptible C. p. pallens and A. aegypti larvae respectively. Overall, all of the compounds were less toxic than temephos (0.011 and 0.019 mg L(-1) ). The toxicity of these compounds was virtually identical against larvae from the two Culex strains, even though YS-CP larvae were resistant to fenthion (resistance ratio RR = 390), deltamethrin (RR = 164), cyfluthrin (RR = 14) and temephos (RR = 14). This finding indicates that the coumarins and the insecticides do not share a common mode of action. The structure-activity relationship indicates that the chemical structure and alkoxy substitution and length of the alkoxyl side chain at the C8 position are essential for imparting toxicity.

CONCLUSION

The C. monnieri fruit-derived coumarins and the related coumarins described merit further study as potential insecticides or lead molecules for the control of insecticide-resistant mosquito populations.

Surface features of the monogenean gill parasites Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae and Pseudodactylogyrus bini from the European eel Anguilla anguilla in Egypt

In the present study, scanning electron microscopy is used to demonstrate the surface features of Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae Yin and Sproston (1948) Gussev, 1965 and Pseudodactylogyrus bini Kikuchi (1929) Gussev, 1965 from the European eel Anguilla anguilla. Specimens of the eel A. anguilla were collected from the River Nile, near Mansoura, Dakahlia Province, Egypt. Morphologically, P. anguillae could be distinguished from P. bini based on the total length, the shape and size of the haptor, and the constriction between the haptor and body proper. The general body tegument and the haptoral tegument of both species are microvillous. Possible functions of the microvilli associated with the tegument covering the anterior adhesive areas are discussed. The region of the body proper just anterior to the haptor of P. anguillae, appears to be highly folded and provided with many projections forming scale-like structures. Many surface ciliary sensilla presumed to be sensory structures are found on the tegument of the anterior adhesive area of P. anguillae. Secretory bodies and mucus-like substances are recorded on the tegument covering the anterior adhesive areas of P. anguillae and the haptor of P. bini. The possible role of these secretions in the attachment of the anterior adhesive areas and the posterior attachment haptor to the host tissues are also discussed.