Identification of polyphenolic composition in the fruits of Rubus chingii Hu and its antioxidant and antiproliferative activity on human bladder cancer T24 cells

Phenolic acids from medicinal and edible homologous plants: a potential anti-inflammatory agent for inflammatory diseases

Inflammation has been shown to trigger a wide range of chronic diseases, particularly inflammatory diseases. As a result, the focus of research has been on anti-inflammatory drugs and foods. In recent years, the field of medicinal and edible homology (MEH) has developed rapidly in both medical and food sciences, with 95% of MEH being associated with plants. Phenolic acids are a crucial group of natural bioactive substances found in medicinal and edible homologous plants (MEHPs). Their anti-inflammatory activity is significant as they play a vital role in treating several inflammatory diseases. These compounds possess enormous potential for developing anti-inflammatory drugs and functional foods. However, their development is far from satisfactory due to their diverse structure and intricate anti-inflammatory mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the various types, structures, and distribution of MEHP phenolic acids that have been identified as of 2023. We also analyze their anti-inflammatory activity and molecular mechanisms in inflammatory diseases through NF-κB, MAPK, NLRP3, Nrf2, TLRs, and IL-17 pathways. Additionally, we investigate their impact on regulating the composition of the gut microbiota and immune responses. This analysis lays the groundwork for further exploration of the anti-inflammatory structure-activity relationship of MEHP phenolic acids, aiming to inspire structural optimization and deepen our understanding of their mechanism, and provides valuable insights for future research and development in this field.

Untapped potential of non-conventional rubus species: bioactivity, nutrition, and livelihood opportunities

Rubus species holds promise as a valuable source of polyphenols and bioactive compounds, offering significant potential as functional food ingredients with both nutraceutical and pharmaceutical benefits. However, many edible species within this genus remain under-explored and their importance is largely unrecognized. This review aims to provide an overview of the nutritional and bioactive components of both explored and under-explored Rubus species, highlighting their potential health advantages, value addition, and recent advancements. The economic exploitation of Rubus is currently limited to a few cultivated species, while numerous non-conventional and wild edible species are overlooked. Recognizing the economic and nutritional significance of exploited Rubus species, it is imperative to explore the untapped potential of these underutilized plants. By doing so, these species can be preserved from endangerment and contribute to nutritional and livelihood security for communities having access to them. This review emphasizes the importance of understanding the exceptional characteristics of Rubus species as "superfoods" and encourages the promotion and cultivation of these unexplored species. By expanding the cultivation and utilization of under-explored Rubus species, we can unlock their full potential and support sustainable nutritional and economic benefits.

Ethnopharmacology of Rubus idaeus Linnaeus: A critical review on ethnobotany, processing methods, phytochemicals, pharmacology and quality control

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Rubus idaeus Linnaeus (RI) is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been widely used in China for a long time to reinforce the kidney, nourish the liver, improve vision, and arrest polyuria.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This work aims to evaluate the recent progress of the chemical composition, pharmacological activity, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and quality control and of Rubus idaeus, which focuses on the insufficiency of existing research and will shed light on future studies of Rubus idaeus.

METHODS

Literatures about "Rubus idaeus","Red raspberry" and "Fupenzi"are retrieved by browsing the database, such as Web of Science (http://www.webofknowledge.com/wos), Pubmed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/), CNKI (http://www.cnki.net/), and Wanfang Data (http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn). In addition, related textbooks and digital documents are interrogated to provide a holistic and critical review of the topic. The period of the literature covered from 1981 to 2022.

RESULTS

Approximately 194 compounds have been isolated from Rubus idaeus, which is rich in phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, and fatty acids. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that Rubus idaeus exhibits many pharmacological activities, including hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic, anti-Alzheimer effect, anti-osteoporosis, hepatoprotective, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, anti-bacteria and skin care, etc. However, it is worth noting that most of the research is not associated with the conventional effect, such as reducing urination and treating opacity of the cornea.

CONCLUSION

The effectiveness of Rubus idaeus has been proved by its long-term clinical application. The research on the pharmacological activity of Rubus idaeus has flourished. In many pharmacological experiments, only the high-dose group can achieve the corresponding efficacy, so the efficacy of Rubus idaeus needs to be further interrogated. Meanwhile, the relationship between pharmacological activity and specific compounds of Rubus idaeus has not been clarified yet. Last but not least, studies involving toxicology and pharmacokinetics are very limited. Knowledge of bioavailability and toxicological behavior of Rubus idaeus can help understand the herb's pharmacodynamic and safety profile.

Diterpenoid glucosides with anti-inflammatory activity from Rubi Fructus

For centuries, dried unripe fruits of Rubus chingii Hu (Chinese name "Fu-pen-zi") have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various diseases, commonly associated with kidney deficiency. Rubi Fructus is an edible berry suitable for consumption either directly or in the form of juice and jam. The phytochemical investigation focused on the bioactive non-nutrient ingredient from the fruit of R. chingii, especially diterpenoid compounds. Seven diterpenoid glucosides, including three new (1-3) and four known (4-7) compounds, were obtained from the fruits of R. chingii. The structures along with the absolute configurations of the new compounds were determined by extensive NMR spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 showed anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Further, the preliminary structure-activity relationships of these active compounds have been scientifically evaluated and discussed in this study.

Antibacterial effect of Rubus chingii flower extract against multidrug-resistant bacteria

Rubus chingii is a well reputed member of Chinese traditional medicine system and is used for managing different ailments since historic times. The present report elucidates the growth impeding effect of R. chingii flower extract against multidrug resistant Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The extracts were prepared using standard Soxhlet extraction method using ethanol, methanol and acetone as a solvent. The extracts were further subjected to agar streak method and the stains that showed their sensitivity were further evaluated for minimum inhibitor concentration (MIC) assessment through TCC method. Subsequently the MIC was further used for well diffusion assay. All the strains used in the study showed their sensitivity towards R. chingii flowers extract in respective solvents. Highest antibacterial activity was seen against E. coli. and S. aureus whereas the lowest activity was recorded against K. pneumoniae. Thus the study reported herewith provided an insight into the antibacterial efficacy of R. chingii flower extract against MDR E. coli., S. aureus and K. pneumoniae.

Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effect of Rubus chingii Leaf Extract against Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma A549 Cells

Rubus chingii is a traditional Chinese medicinal herbal that has been used since ancient times for its great dietary and medicinal values. Recent reports have underscored the promising cytotoxic effect of R. chingii extracts against a wide variety of cancer cells. Therefore, in the current study, we aim to explore the anticancer potential of the Rubus chingii ethanolic leaf extract (RcL-EtOH) against non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. RcL-EtOH efficiently exerted a cytotoxic effect against A549 cells in a dose dependent manner, whilst, it exhibited non-significant toxic effects on normal murine macrophage cells, signifying its safety against normal cells. The reduced viability of A549 cells was reaffirmed by the acridine orange/ethidium bromide double staining, which confirmed the induction of apoptosis in RcL-EtOH-treated A549 cells. In addition, RcL-EtOH instigated the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) with mutual escalation in ROS generation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, RcL-EtOH increased caspase-3, caspase-9 levels in A549 cells post-exposure to RcL-EtOH, which was concomitantly followed by altered mRNA expression of apoptotic (anti-apoptotic: Bcl-2, BclXL; pro-apoptotic: Bax, Bad). To sum up, the RcL-EtOH-instigated apoptotic cell death within A549 cells was assumed to be accomplished via targeting mitochondria, triggering increased ROS generation, with subsequent activation of caspase cascade and altering the expression of gene regulating apoptosis. Collectively, RcL-EtOH might represent a plausible therapeutic option for the management of lung cancer.

Rapid Identification of Fupenzi (Rubus chingii Hu) and Its Adulteration by AuNP Visualization

Fupenzi (Rubus chingii Hu) is a dried and immature fruit in East China, which has effects of nourishing kidneys, solidifying essence, and otherwise. Because Fupenzi was often adulterated and replaced with inferior things, this paper had researched Fupenzi and its adulterant raspberry. A new type of visible sensor was constructed by using Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), which was modified by the surface-active agent and combined with the ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrum technology. It was found that the change in particle size after the interaction of AuNPs and adulterants will lead to color change. In this paper, the RGB (red, green, and blue) values of the solution were extracted to correlate the color with the concentration of adulterants, and the relationship between the absorption peak intensity and the concentration of adulterants was established. The results showed that the intensity of an absorption peak is related to adulteration concentration, and the color of the solution changed from red to gray as the particle size changed. The visual sensor constructed based on the above principle is a fast and precise method to detect adulteration with different concentrations, which has a potential application value in real-time and rapid detection of Fupenzi’s quality.

Study on Supergenus Rubus L.: Edible, Medicinal, and Phylogenetic Characterization

Rubus L. is one of the most diverse genera belonging to Rosaceae; it consists of more than 700 species with a worldwide distribution. It thus provides an ideal natural "supergenus" for studying the importance of its edible, medicinal, and phylogenetic characteristics for application in our daily lives and fundamental scientific studies. The Rubus genus includes many economically important species, such as blackberry (R. fruticosus L.), red raspberry (R. ideaus L.), black raspberry (R. occidentalis L.), and raspberry (R. chingii Hu), which are widely utilized in the fresh fruit market and the medicinal industry. Although Rubus species have existed in human civilization for hundreds of years, their utilization as fruit and in medicine is still largely inadequate, and many questions on their complex phylogenetic relationships need to be answered. In this review, we briefly summarize the history and progress of studies on Rubus, including its domestication as a source of fresh fruit, its medicinal uses in pharmacology, and its systematic position in the phylogenetic tree. Recent available evidence indicates that (1) thousands of Rubus cultivars were bred via time- and labor-consuming methods from only a few wild species, and new breeding strategies and germplasms were thus limited; (2) many kinds of species in Rubus have been used as medicinal herbs, though only a few species (R. ideaus L., R. chingii Hu, and R. occidentalis L.) have been well studied; (3) the phylogeny of Rubus is very complex, with the main reason for this possibly being the existence of multiple reproductive strategies (apomixis, hybridization, and polyploidization). Our review addresses the utilization of Rubus, summarizing major relevant achievements and proposing core prospects for future application, and thus could serve as a useful roadmap for future elite cultivar breeding and scientific studies.

Gallic Acid Inhibits Bladder Cancer T24 Cell Progression Through Mitochondrial Dysfunction and PI3K/Akt/NF-κB Signaling Suppression

Gallic acid (GA), a hydrolyzable tannin, has a wide range of pharmacological activities. This study revealed that, GA significantly inhibited T24 cells viability in a concentration- and time- dependent manner. The IC₅₀ of GA stimulating T24 cells for 24, 48, and 72 h were 21.73, 18.62, and 11.59 µg/ml respectively, and the inhibition rate was significantly higher than the positive control drug selected for CCK-8 assay. Meanwhile, after GA treatment, the morphology of T24 cells were changed significantly. Moreover, GA significantly inhibited T24 cells proliferation and blocked T24 cells cycle in S phase (p < 0.001). GA induced T24 cells apoptosis (p < 0.001), accompanied by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) depolarization. Western blotting analysis showed that GA significantly increased Cleaved caspase-3, Bax, P53, and Cytochrome C (Cyt-c) proteins expression, and decreased Bcl-2, P-PI3K, P-Akt, P-IκBα, P-IKKα, and P-NF-κB p65 proteins expression in T24 cells (p < 0.05). Real-Time PCR results verified that GA significantly promoted Caspase-3, Bax, P53, and Cyt-c genes expression, and inhibited Bcl-2, PI3K, Akt, and NF-κB p65 genes expression (p < 0.001). However, on the basis of GA (IC₅₀) stimulation, NAC (an oxidative stress inhibitor) pretreatment reversed the apoptotic rate of T24 cells and the expression of Bax, Cleaved caspase-3, P53, Bcl-2 proteins, and the MMP level in T24 cells, as well as the expression of Cyt-c protein in T24 cells mitochondria and cytoplasm. In addition, GA significantly suppressed T24 cells migration and invasion ability with VEGF protein inhibition (p < 0.001). Briefly, GA can inhibit T24 cells proliferation, metastasis and promote apoptosis, and the pro-apoptotic activity is closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling suppression. Our study will help in finding a safe and effective treatment for bladder cancer.

Effect of agricultural practices, conventional vs organic, on the phytochemical composition of 'Kweli' and 'Tulameen' raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.)

Raspberries are rich in polyphenols but the impact of organic versus conventional agricultural practices on their phytochemical composition is not well known. This study aimed to analyse and compare the polyphenol accumulation in raspberries grown under both agricultural practices in the same edaphoclimatic conditions. Two raspberry cultivars 'Kweli' and 'Tulameen' were used. Under organic agricultural practices, the polyphenols levels increased for the 'Kweli' cultivar but decreased for the 'Tulameen' cultivar. 'Tulameen' cultivar grown under conventional agricultural practices contained higher anthocyanins levels than grown under organic agricultural practices while for the 'Kweli' cultivar no significant differences were observed between the two agricultural practices. 'Kweli' cultivar presented a significantly higher amount of ellagitannins and ellagic acid derivatives when compared to the 'Tulameen' cultivar under both agricultural practices. The effect of the agricultural practices on the raspberries' chemical profile was dependent on the cultivar and cannot be generalised.

Rubus chingii Hu: A Review of the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Rubus chingii Hu (R. chingii), referred to as "Fu-Pen-Zi" in Chinese, has great medicinal and dietary values since ancient times. The dried fruits of R. chingii have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of kidney enuresis and urinary frequency for centuries. According to current findings, R. chingii has been reported to contain a variety of chemical constituents, mostly triterpenoids, diterpenoids, flavonoids, and organic acids. These compounds have been demonstrated to be the major bioactive components responsible for pharmacological effects such as anticomplementary, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory functions. Therefore, this review focused on the up-to-date published data of the literature about R. chingii and comprehensively summarized its phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control, and toxicity to provide a beneficial support to its further investigations and applications in medicines and foods.