Bioactivity-guided fractionation and analysis of compounds with anti-influenza virus activity from Gardenia jasminoides ellis

Effects of geniposide on innate immunity and antiviral activity of Scyllaparamamosain

In this study, we examined the impact of geniposide on the innate immunity of the mud crab Scylla paramamosain, specifically in relation to WSSV infection. Through the use of in vitro cell culture experiments, we assessed the effects of geniposide on various parameters of hemocyte activity in S. paramamosain. Our findings revealed that high doses of geniposide inhibited hemocyte growth, with an optimal dose of 100 mg/kg determined. Additionally, we observed that geniposide increased the total hemocyte counts in S. paramamosain following WSSV infection. Geniposide also enhanced the enzymatic activities in hemolymph following treatment. The enzymes affected by geniposide encompassed ACP (acid phosphatase), POD (phenol oxidase catalase), PO (phenoloxidase), SOD (superoxide dismutase), CAT (catalase), and LZM (lysozyme). Furthermore, the activities of ACP, POD, PO, and LZM were also observed to increase subsequent to infection with WSSV. Notably, geniposide was found to enhance the phagocytosis of V. alginolyticus within the hemocytes. Geniposide can reduce hemocyte apoptosis rates after treatment, as well as hemocytes infected with WSSV. Furthermore, geniposide treatment significantly up-regulated the expression level of Myosin, but expression levels of Astakine, C-type lectin (CTL), STAT, JAK, proPO, minichromosome maintenance protein (MCM7), caspase-3 and crustin were down-regulated in the hemocytes. Additionally, geniposide treatment inhibited WSSV replication in hemocytes of S. paramamosain, and enhanced the survival rates of mud crabs following WSSV infection. These experimental results provide evidence that geniposide can improve the immune response by regulating humoral immunity and cellular immunity, and enhance pathogen resistance in S. paramamosain.

Wenqingyin suppresses ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced liver injury by activating the Nrf2-mediated signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Wenqingyin (WQY) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula used to treat various inflammatory diseases. However, its protective activity against ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced liver injury and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine the therapeutic efficacy and potential mechanism of action of WQY in sepsis-induced liver injury both in vivo and in vitro.

METHODS

In vivo: Lipopolysaccharide was intraperitoneally injected into nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) knockout (Nrf2^-/-) and wild-type mice to construct a septic liver injury mouse model. Experimental mice were intraperitoneally injected with ferroptosis-1 and intragastrically administered WQY. In vitro: LO2 hepatocytes were stimulated with erastin to activate ferroptosis and later treated with varying concentrations of WQY and an Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385). Pathological damage was evaluated following hematoxylin and eosin staining. Lipid peroxidation levels were assessed using malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione, as well as reactive oxygen species fluorescent probes. JC-1 staining was performed to evaluate the mitochondrial membrane potential damage. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay were performed to detect the related gene and protein levels. The levels of inflammatory factors were measured using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits.

RESULTS

In vivo, sepsis-induced liver injury activated ferroptosis in mouse liver tissue. Fer-1 and WQY attenuated septic liver injury, which was associated with increased Nrf2 expression. Deletion of the Nrf2 gene led to aggravation of septic liver injury. The effect of WQY on the attenuation of septic liver injury was partially abolished by the knockdown of Nrf2. In vitro, erastin-induced ferroptosis resulted in decreased hepatocyte viability, lipid peroxidation, and mitochondrial membrane potential damage. WQY protected hepatocytes from erastin-induced ferroptosis by activating Nrf2. The attenuation effect of ferroptosis in hepatocytes by WQY was partially abolished by the inhibition of Nrf2.

CONCLUSION

Ferroptosis has a critical role in the development of sepsis-mediated liver injury. Inhibition of ferroptosis is a possible novel treatment strategy for alleviating septic liver injury. WQY attenuates sepsis-mediated liver injury by suppressing ferroptosis in hepatocytes, which is related to its ability to activate Nrf2.

Potential Natural Products Against Respiratory Viruses: A Perspective to Develop Anti-COVID-19 Medicines

The emergence of viral pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus (CoV), known as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), resulted in a contagious acute respiratory infectious disease in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Its alarmingly quick transmission to many countries across the world and a considerable percentage of morbidity and mortality made the World Health Organization recognize it as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The perceived risk of infection has led many research groups to study COVID-19 from different aspects. In this literature review, the phylogenetics and taxonomy of COVID-19 coronavirus, epidemiology, and respiratory viruses similar to COVID-19 and their mode of action are documented in an approach to understand the behavior of the current virus. Moreover, we suggest targeting the receptors of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 such as ACE2 and other proteins including 3CLpro and PLpro for improving antiviral activity and immune response against COVID-19 disease. Additionally, since phytochemicals play an essential role in complementary therapies for viral infections, we summarized different bioactive natural products against the mentioned respiratory viruses with a focus on influenza A, SARS-CoV, MERS, and COVID-19.Based on current literature, 130 compounds have antiviral potential, and of these, 94 metabolites demonstrated bioactivity against coronaviruses. Interestingly, these are classified in different groups of natural products, including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and others. Most of these compounds comprise flavonoid skeletons. Based on our survey, xanthoangelol E (88), isolated from Angelica keiskei (Miq.) Koidz showed inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV PLpro with the best IC50 value of 1.2 μM. Additionally, hispidulin (3), quercetin (6), rutin (8), saikosaponin D (36), glycyrrhizin (47), and hesperetin (55) had remarkable antiviral potential against different viral infections. Among these compounds, quercetin (6) exhibited antiviral activities against influenza A, SARS-CoV, and COVID-19 and this seems to be a highly promising compound. In addition, our report discusses the obstacles and future perspectives to highlight the importance of developing screening programs to investigate potential natural medicines against COVID-19.

Preventive Effects of Gardenia jasminoides on Cerulein-Induced Chronic Pancreatitis

Our previous report revealed that Gardenia jasminoides (GJ) has protective effects against acute pancreatitis. So, we examined whether aqueous extract of GJ has anti-inflammation and antifibrotic effects even against cerulein-induced chronic pancreatitis (CP). CP was induced in mice by an intraperitoneal injection of a stable cholecystokinin (CCK) analogue, cerulein, six times a day, four days per week for three weeks. GJ extract (0.1 or 1[Formula: see text]g/kg) or saline (control group) were intraperitoneally injected 1[Formula: see text]h before first cerulein injection. After three weeks of stimulation, the pancreas was harvested for the examination of several fibrotic parameters. In addition, pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) were isolated using gradient methods to examine the antifibrogenic effects of GJ. In the cerulein-induced CP mice, the histological features of the pancreas showed severe tissue damage such as enlarged interstitial spaces, inflammatory cell infiltrate and glandular atrophy, and tissue fibrosis. However, treatment of GJ reduced the severity of CP such as pancreatic edema and inflammatory cell infiltration. Furthermore, treatment of GJ increased pancreatic acinar cell survival, and reduced pancreatic fibrosis and activation of PSC in vivo and in vitro. In addition, GJ treatment inhibited the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) in the PSCs. These results suggest that GJ attenuated the severity of CP and the pancreatic fibrosis by inhibiting JNK and ERK activation during CP.

Antiviral activity of iridoid glycosides extracted from Fructus Gardeniae against influenza A virus by PACT-dependent suppression of viral RNA replication

Epidemic and pandemic influenza A virus (IAV) poses a significant threat to human populations worldwide. Iridoid glycosides are principal bioactive components from the Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis fruit that exhibit antiviral activity against several strains of IAV. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effect of Fructus Gardeniae iridoid glycoside extracts (IGEs) against IAV by cytopathogenic effect(CPE), MTT and a plaque formation assay in vitro and examined the reduction in the pulmonary index (PI), restoration of body weight, reduction in mortality and increases in survival time in vivo. As a host factor, PACT provides protection against the pathogenic influenza A virus by interacting with IAV polymerase and activating the IFN-I response. To verify the whether IGEs suppress IAV replication in a PACT-dependent manner, IAV RNA replication, expression of PACT and the phosphorylation of eIF2α in A549 cells were detected; the levels of IFNβ, PACT and PKR in mouse lung tissues were determined; and the activity of IAV polymerase was evaluated in PACT-compromised cells. The results indicated that IGEs sufficiently alleviated cell damage and suppressed IAV replication in vitro, protecting mice from IAV-induced injury and lethal IAV infection. These anti-IAV effects might be related to disrupted interplay between IVA polymerase and PACT and/or prevention of a PACT-dependent overactivated IFN-I antiviral response. Taken together, our findings reveal a new facet of the mechanisms by which IGEs fight the influenza A virus in a PACT-dependent manner.

Simultaneous quantification of six indicator compounds in Wen-Qing-Yin by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection

A simple gradient high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method was used to simultaneously to analyze characteristics of six indicator compounds in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation Wen-Qing-Yin (WQY). Separate optimization was performed using a Cosmosil C18 column gradient method with 0.1% formic acid in both mobile phases of aqueous and acetonitrile (ACN), at a flow rate, detection wavelength, and sample volume of 1.8 mL/min, 268 nm, and 10 μL, respectively. The linear regression of six active compounds berberine (BER), baicalin (BAI), ferulic acid (FER), geniposide (GEN), hydorxymethoxylfurfural (HMF), and paeoniflorin (PAE) was produced at the concentration range of 10–2000 μg/mL. The method validation revealed an acceptable precision (intra- and inter-day precision < 3.39% and 4.11%, respectively) and recovery (85.60–110.45% and 86.58–110.90%), a recovery range of 86.61–109.42%, and sensitivity (limit of detection [LOD] and limit of quantification [LOQ] values were in the range of 0.03–3.13, and 0.08–9.38 μg/mL, respectively) while the calibration curves were linear with a correlation coefficient (R²) ranging from 0.9966 to 0.9989. The qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed by direct comparison of the peaks of the WCY extract to retention times of reference standards. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) successfully discriminated four purchased commercial samples of all six indicator constituents, and the present results indicate their comprehensive potential usefulness for qualitative and quantitative analyses of the WQY decoction and its commercial products.

Comparative analysis of sixteen active compounds and antioxidant and anti-influenza properties of Gardenia jasminoides fruits at different times and application to the determination of the appropriate harvest period with hierarchical cluster analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Gardenia jasminoides fruit (GJF) is used as a well-known traditional folk medicine, a food and a natural colorant in Asia with a long history. The herbal medicine has usually been harvested in the autumn from September to November. However, this time span is too long and might result in the quality instability of GJF.

AIM OF STUDY

We aimed to conduct the comprehensive quality evaluation of GJF including the quantitative analysis of the bioactive components and the main bioactivities, and further to determine the most appropriate harvest time of this phytomedicine.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, an UFLC-Q-TRAP-MS/MS method was established to quantify 7 iridoid glycosides (geniposide, geniposidic acid, secoxyloganin, gardenoside, genipin 1-gentiobioside, scandoside methyl ester, and shanzhiside), 7 phenylpropanoid acids (chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, isochlorogenic acid C, and caffeic acid) and 2 carotenoids (crocin-1 and crocin-2) in GJF. With this method, nine samples of GJF harvested at different times were analyzed and compared. These samples were also investigated and compared in terms of their antioxidant activity (DPPH free radical scavenging, ABTS free radical scavenging, ferric-reducing antioxidation) and anti-influenza activity (neuraminidase inhibition), which are closely related to the GJF efficacies. Then, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was separately performed for the quantitative analysis and bioactivity evaluation in vitro.

RESULTS

The HCA results demonstrated that three GJF samples (S5, S6, and S7) were clustered into one group for both quantitative analysis and bioactivity evaluation in vitro; these three samples were found to have the highest standardized scores in both the former (12.775, 12.106, 10.817) and the latter (3.406, 3.374, 3.440). Based on the comprehensive results, the optimum harvest period was confirmed to extend from mid-October to early-November.

CONCLUSIONS

This study firstly validated the use of UFLC-Q-TRAP-MS/MS method for the determination of 16 bioactive components in GJF. It was also the first time that a quantitative analysis and a bioactivity assay in vitro were integrated for the determination of the most appropriate harvest period of GJF. We hope this paper may provide some reference to studies of appropriate harvest periods and even the quality control of TCMs.

Chemical Constituents from the Flowers of Wild Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis

Four new iridoids, 2'-O-(E)-coumaroylshanzhiside (1), 6'-O-(E)-coumaroylshanzhiside (2), 8α-butylgardenoside B (3), 6α-methoxygenipin (4), and one new phenylpropanoid glucoside, 5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenyl β-d-glucopyranoside (5), together with sixteen known compounds, were isolated from the edible flowers of wild Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis. Their chemical structures were characterized by extensive spectroscopic techniques, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and CD experiments. The absolute configurations of the new isolates' sugar moiety were assigned by HPLC analysis of the acid hydrolysates. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of those isolates were preliminarily evaluated by DPPH scavenging experiment. And comparison of ¹ H-NMR spectra for the EtOH extract of G. jasminoides J.Ellis, gardenoside B and geniposide revealed that the flowers of this plant have a considerable content of gardenoside B instead of geniposide in the fruits, indicating different activities and applications in people's daily life.

Geniposide demonstrates anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity against pandemic A/Jiangsu/1/2009 (H1N1) influenza virus infection in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) have been a great threat to human health for centuries, without effective control. Geniposide, a main iridoid glycoside compound extracted from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit, possesses various biological activities including anti-inflammation and anti-virus.

METHODS

Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells were infected with pandemic A/Jiangsu/1/2009 (H1N1) influenza virus in vitro. Cytotoxicity and antiviral activity of geniposide were estimated by MTT assay. The influenza respiratory tract infection murine model was established by intranasal instillation of pandemic A/Jiangsu/1/2009 (H1N1) influenza virus. One day after infection, the mice were administered with geniposide (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg/day) or the neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) peramivir (30 mg/kg/day). Body weight, survival time, viral titre and lung index of the mice were measured. The sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine levels of inflammatory cytokines.

RESULTS

The data showed that geniposide had little cytotoxicity on MDCK cells and protected them from pandemic A/Jiangsu/1/2009 (H1N1) influenza virus-induced cell injury. In the infected mice, geniposide treatment significantly restored the body weights, decreased the mortality, alleviated viral titres and virus-induced lung lesions. Geniposide substantially inhibited the virus-induced alveolar wall changes, alveolar haemorrhage and neutrophil-infiltration in lung tissues. Levels of inflammatory mediators, including tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6 and IL-10 were also markedly altered after treatment with geniposide.

CONCLUSIONS

Our investigation suggested that geniposide effectively inhibited cell damage mediated by pandemic A/Jiangsu/1/2009 (H1N1) influenza virus and mitigated virus-induced acute inflammation.

Study of Separation and Identification of the Active Ingredients in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis Based on a Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography by Coupling Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography and Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography

In this paper, by coupling reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC), a two-dimensional liquid chromatography system was developed for separation and identification of the active ingredients in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (GJE). By applying the semi-preparative C18 column as the first dimension and the core-shell column as the second dimension, a total of 896 peaks of GJE were separated. Among the 896 peaks, 16 active ingredients including geniposide, gardenoside, gardoside, etc. were identified by mass spectrometry analysis. The results indicated that the proposed two-dimensional RPLC/HILIC system was an effective method for the analysis of GJE and might hold a high potential to become a useful tool for analysis of other complex mixtures.

In Vitro Effects of Concomitant Use of Herbal Preparations on Cytochrome P450s Involved in Clozapine Metabolism

Herbal supplements are increasingly used in psychiatric practice. Our epidemiological study has identified several herbal preparations associated with adverse outcomes of antipsychotic therapy. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro effects of four herbal preparations—Radix Rehmanniae (RR), Fructus Schisandrae (FS), Radix Bupleuri (RB) and Fructus Gardeniae (FG)—on cytochrome P450s (CYPs) involved in the metabolism of clozapine in human liver microsomes (HLMs) and recombinant human cytochrome P450 enzymes (rCYPs). N-desmethylclozapine and clozapine N-oxide, two major metabolites of clozapine, were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). FG, RR and RB showed negligible inhibitory effects in both in vitro systems, with estimated half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) and apparent inhibitory constant values (K_i) greater than 1 mg/mL (raw material), suggesting that minimal metabolic interaction occurs when these preparations are used concomitantly with clozapine. The FS extract affected CYP activity with varying potency; its effect on CYP 3A4-catalyzed clozapine oxidation was relatively strong (K_i: 0.11 mg/mL). Overall, the weak-to-moderate inhibitory effect of FS on in vitro clozapine metabolism indicated its potential role in herb-drug interaction in practice.

Genetic Authentication of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis var. grandiflora Nakai by Improved RAPD-Derived DNA Markers

The evergreen shrub, Gardenia jasminoides Ellis var. grandiflora Nakai is one of the most popular garden-plants, with significant ornamental importance. Here, we have cloned improved random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) derived fragments into T-vector, and developed sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. These markers have been deposited in GenBank database with the accession numbers KP641310, KP641311, KP641312 and KP641313 respectively. The BLAST search of database confirmed the novelty of these markers. The four SCAR markers, namely ZZH11, ZZH31, ZZH41 and ZZH51 can specifically recognize the genetic materials of G. jasminoides from other plant species. Moreover, SCAR marker ZZH31 can be used to distinguish G. jasminoides Ellis var. grandiflora Nakai from other G. jasminoides on the market. Together, this study has developed four stably molecular SCAR markers by improved RAPD-derived DNA markers for the genetic identification and authentication, and for ecological conservation of medicinal and ornamental plant G. jasminoides.

The inhibitory effect of iridoid glycoside extracted from Fructus Gardeniae on intracellular acidification and extracellular Ca2+ influx induced by influenza A virus

Influenza is a serious public health problem that causes severe illnesses and deaths for higher risk populations. Iridoid glycoside is one of the main active components from Fructus Gardeniae with antivirus and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The present study was designed to investigate the inhibitory effect of iridoid glycoside extracted from Fructus Gardeniae (IGE) on influenza and explore the potential mechanism of the action. In vitro, IGE exhibited highest activity against influenza virus A/FM1/47 induced visible cytopathic effect (CPE), with half maximal inhibitory concentration and therapeutic index values of 3.15 mg/mL and 11.37, respectively, and the replication of influenza virus A/FM1/47 was inhibited markedly by IGE at the concentrations of 25, 12.5 and 6.25 mg/mL. In vivo, treatment of mice with IGE decreased pulmonary index, viral titers and M2 protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. IGE increased the declining pHi induced by influenza virus significantly at the concentrations of 25 and 12.5 mg/mL 0.5 or 1 h post-infection, respectively. IGE treatment inhibited elevation of [Ca2+]i significantly at the concentrations of 25 and 12.5 mg/mL 0.5, 1 or 24 h post-infection, respectively. In addition, IGE reduced the rate of early-apoptotic cells at the concentrations of 25, 12.5 and 6.25 mg/mL, but showed no apparent effect on the rate of late-apoptotic cells. Our study demonstrates that IGE possesses antiviral activity against influenza A virus, and the antiviral action might be related to the inhibition of intracellular acidification and Ca2+ influx during fusion and uncoating of influenza replication cycle.

Comparative pharmacokinetics study after oral administration of geniposide in normal rats and adjuvant-induced arthritis rats by UPLC-MS/MS

A simple and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method for quantitative analysis of geniposide (GE) in rat plasma was developed, validated and applied to determine the level of GE in rat plasma after oral administration of GE in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) and normal rats. The investigation showed that there were significant differences in the groups between the normal rat and AA rat in pharmacokinetics parameters, such as the area under the time versus drug concentration curve (AUC(0-∞)) (3.77 ± 0.68 versus 2.27 ± 0.42, p < 0.05), the apparent volume of distribution (V) (140.41 ± 2.07 versus 136.51 ± 1.03, p < 0.05), the mean residence time (MRT) (3.98 ± 0.90 versus 3.80 ± 0.50, p < 0.05) and the clearance from the total body (CL) (16.10 ± 2.87 versus 26.44 ± 4.94, p < 0.05). The results indicated that AA could alter the pharmacokinetics of the drug and these experimental findings could be useful for the further study of the clinical applications of GE.

Separation and purification of water-soluble iridoid glucosides by high speed counter-current chromatography combined with macroporous resin column separation

Four iridoid glucosides, shanzhiside methyl ester, phloyoside II, chlorotuberside, and penstemonoside, were isolated and purified from an herbal medicinal plant for the first time by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) using a two-phase solvent system composed of ethyl acetate-n-butanol-water (5:14:12, v/v/v). A total of 37mg of shanzhiside methyl ester, 29mg of phloyoside II, 27mg of chlorotuberside, and 21mg of penstemonoside with the purity of 99.2%, 98.5%, 97.3%, and 99.3%, respectively, were obtained in one-step separation within 4h from 150mg of crude extract. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of separation and purification of iridoid glucosides from natural sources by HSCCC. The chemical structures of all the four compounds were identified by ESI-MS, (1)H NMR, and (13)C NMR.