Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Huanglian-Houpo Decoction Based on Berberine Hydrochloride and Magnolol Against H1N1 Influenza Virus

A Comprehensive Review of Coptidis Rhizoma and Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex Drug Pair and Their Chemical Composition, Pharmacological Effects and Pharmacokinetics Analysis

Herbal pairs are unique combinations of two relatively fixed herbs that are used in clinical practice. This is the most fundamental and straightforward form of multiple herbal treatment that aims to attain specific efficacy through unique methods. Coptidis Rhizoma ("Huanglian" in Chinese) and Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex ("Houpo" in Chinese) which are commonly used in combination and could also be used as important components of other prescriptions to treat damp-heat dysentery, splenic and stomach disorders, and qi stagnation in clinical practice. However, there is currently no summary on the compatibility of Huanglian and Houpo about traditional use, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activity. It was found the combination or separate extraction of the two drugs may affect the main active components, and new components may be produced after the combined extraction. At the same time, Huanglian and Houpo herb pair exhibited antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and other pharmacological effects. At present, research mainly focuses on the indicator components of Huanglian and Houpo, such as berberine, magnolol, and magnolol. The models used for pharmacological validation are limited, mainly including ulcerative colitis, pneumonia, bacterial infections, etc. In order to verify the pharmacological activity of the combination of Huanglian and Houpo, it is necessary to try more in vitro and in vivo models. It's still need to study the compatibility mechanism of the Huanglian and Houpo drug pair, including but not limited to the interactions between different components and the impact of compatibility on efficacy, bioequivalence studies, and the impact of different dosage forms on pharmacokinetics in the future. It's believed that the systematic review provided comprehensive information for the study of Huanglian-Houpo drug pair, which will help highlight the importance of the Huanglian-Houpo herb pair and provide some clues for future research on this herb pair.

Berberine and magnolol exert cooperative effects on ulcerative colitis in mice by self-assembling into carrier-free nanostructures

The risk of ulcerative colitis (UC) is increasing worldwide with limited success using classical drugs, which has underscored the development of novel agents. Recently, carrier-free molecular assembly has been proven to be an effective drug delivery system, but it has yet to be examined for UC drug development using phytochemicals. Based on traditional Chinese medicine compatibility and potential medicinal uses, a pair of natural compounds, berberine (BBR) and magnolol (MAG), were found to self-assemble into nanostructures in aqueous solutions. Spectral analysis revealed that the assembly mechanisms of BBR and MAG were mediated through charge interactions and π-π stacking. Pharmacokinetic studies and animal imaging showed that BBR-MAG self-assembly (BM) effectively promoted the oral bioavailability and biodistribution of BBR in the colon. BM exhibited superior effects in regulating inflammatory factors, maintaining colon barrier integrity, and regulating gut microbiota in a dextran sulfate sodium salt-induced colitis mouse model. Additionally, no apparent signs of toxicity were observed, suggesting that BM has a favorable safety profile. This study presents a new strategy for UC management and highlights the cooperative effects of combined phytochemicals.

A breakthrough in phytochemical profiling: ultra-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy platform for detecting bioactive components in medicinal and edible plants

A perennial challenge in harnessing the rich biological activity of medicinal and edible plants is the accurate identification and sensitive detection of their active compounds. In this study, an innovative, ultra-sensitive detection platform for plant chemical profiling is created using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology. The platform uses silver nanoparticles as the enhancing substrate, excess sodium borohydride prevents substrate oxidation, and methanol enables the tested molecules to be better adsorbed onto the silver nanoparticles. Subsequently, nanoparticle aggregation to form stable "hot spots" is induced by Ca2+, and the Raman signal of the target molecule is strongly enhanced. At the same time, deuterated methanol was used as the internal standard for quantitative determination. The method has excellent reproducibility, RSD ≤ 1.79%, and the enhancement factor of this method for the detection of active ingredients in the medicinal plant Coptis chinensis was 1.24 × 109, with detection limits as low as 3 fM. The platform successfully compared the alkaloid distribution in different parts of Coptis chinensis: root > leaf > stem, and the difference in content between different batches of Coptis chinensis decoction was successfully evaluated. The analytical technology adopted by the platform can speed up the determination of Coptis chinensis and reduce the cost of analysis, not only making better use of these valuable resources but also promoting development and innovation in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This study provides a new method for the development, evaluation, and comprehensive utilization of both medicinal and edible plants. It is expected that this method will be extended to the modern rapid detection of other medicinal and edible plants and will provide technical support for the vigorous development of the medicinal and edible plants industry.

Natural product honokiol exhibits antiviral effects against Micropterus salmoides rhabdovirus (MSRV) both in vitro and in vivo

Micropterus salmoides rhabdovirus (MSRV) is a formidable pathogen, presenting a grave menace to juvenile largemouth bass. This viral infection frequently leads to epidemic outbreaks, resulting in substantial economic losses within the aquaculture industry. Unfortunately, at present, there are no commercially available vaccines or pharmaceutical treatments to combat this threat. In order to address the urgent need for therapeutic strategy to resist MSRV infection, the antiviral activity of natural product honokiol against MSRV was explored in this study. Firstly, cellular morphology was directly observed in an inverted microscope when treated with honokiol after MSRV infection. The results clarified that honokiol significantly lessened cytopathic effect (CPE) induced by MSRV and protected the integrity of GCO cells. Furthermore, the viral nucleic acid expression (G gene) was detected by reverse transcription real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and the results indicated that honokiol significantly decreased the viral loads of MSRV in a concentration-dependent manner, and honokiol showed a high antiviral activity with IC50 of 2.92 μM. Besides, honokiol significantly decreased the viral titre and suppressed apoptosis caused by MSRV. Mechanistically, honokiol primarily inhibited the initial replication of MSRV and discharge of progeny virus to exert anti-MSRV activity. More importantly, in vivo experiments suggested that honokiol (40 mg/kg) expressed a fine antiviral activity against MSRV when administrated with intraperitoneal injection, which led to a notable 40% improvement in the survival rate among infected largemouth bass. In addition, it also resulted in significant reduction in the viral nucleic acid expression within liver, spleen and kidney at 2, 4 and 6 days following infection. What is more, 100 mg/kg honokiol with oral administration also showed certain antiviral efficacy in MSRV-infected largemouth bass via improving the survival rate by 10.0%, and decreasing significantly the viral nucleic acid expression in liver, spleen and kidney of largemouth bass on day 2. In summary, natural product honokiol is a good candidate to resist MSRV infection and has promising application prospects in aquaculture.

Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation of Qingwen Baidu Decoction Therapeutic Potential in COVID-19-related Lung Injury

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a lifethreatening disease worldwide due to its high infection and serious outcomes resulting from acute lung injury. Qingwen Baidu decoction (QBD), a well-known herbal prescription, has shown significant efficacy in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019. Hence, this study aims to uncover the molecular mechanism of QBD in treating COVID-19-related lung injury.

METHODS

Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database (TCMSP), DrugBanks database, and Chinese Knowledge Infrastructure Project (CNKI) were used to retrieve the active ingredients of QBD. Drug and disease targets were collected using UniProt and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man databases (OMIM). The core targets of QBD for pneumonia were analyzed by the Protein-Protein Interaction Network (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) to reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms. The analysis of key targets using molecular docking and animal experiments was also validated.

RESULTS

A compound-direct-acting target network mainly containing 171 compounds and 110 corresponding direct targets was constructed. The key targets included STAT3, c-JUN, TNF-α, MAPK3, MAPK1, FOS, PPARG, MAPK8, IFNG, NFκB1, etc. Moreover, 117 signaling pathways mainly involved in cytokine storm, inflammatory response, immune stress, oxidative stress and glucose metabolism were found by KEGG. The molecular docking results showed that the quercetin, alanine, and kaempferol in QBD demonstrated the strongest affinity to STAT3, c- JUN, and TNF-α. Experimental results displayed that QBD could effectively reduce the pathological damage to lung tissue by LPS and significantly alleviate the expression levels of the three key targets, thus playing a potential therapeutic role in COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

QBD might be a promising therapeutic agent for COVID-19 via ameliorating STAT3-related signals.

Oral administration of Huanglian-Houpo herbal nanoemulsion loading multiple phytochemicals for ulcerative colitis therapy in mice

How to achieve stable co-delivery of multiple phytochemicals is a common problem. This study focuses on the development, optimization and characterization of Huanglian-HouPo extract nanoemulsion (HLHPEN), with multiple components co-delivery, to enhance the anti-ulcerative colitis (UC) effects. The formulation of HLHPEN was optimized by pseudo-ternary phase diagram combined with Box-Behnken design. The physicochemical properties of HLHPEN were characterized, and its anti-UC activity was evaluated in DSS-induced UC mice model. Based on preparation process optimization, the herbal nanoemulsion HLHPEN was obtained, with the droplet size, PDI value, encapsulation efficiency (EE) for 6 phytochemicals (berberine, epiberberine, coptisine, bamatine, magnolol and honokiol) of 65.21 ± 0.82 nm, 0.182 ± 0.016, and 90.71 ± 0.21%, respectively. The TEM morphology of HLHPEN shows the nearly spheroidal shape of particles. The optimized HLHPEN showed a brownish yellow milky single-phase and optimal physical stability at 25 °C for 90 days. HLHPEN exhibited the good particle stability and gradual release of phytochemicals in SGF and SIF, to resist the destruction of simulated stomach and small intestine environment. Importantly, the oral administration of HLHPEN significantly restored the shrunk colon tissue length and reduced body weight, ameliorated DAI value and colon histological pathology, decreased the levels of inflammatory factors in DSS-induced UC mice model. These results demonstrated that HLHPEN had a significant therapeutic effect on DSS-induced UC mice, as a potential alternative UC therapeutic agent.

Construction of SLC16A1/3 Targeted Gallic Acid-Iron-Embelin Nanoparticles for Regulating Glycolysis and Redox Pathways in Cervical Cancer

SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 (SLC16A1/3) are highly expressed in cervical cancers and associated with the malignant biological behavior of cancer. SLC16A1/3 is the critical hub for regulating the internal and external environment, glycolysis, and redox homeostasis in cervical cancer cells. Inhibiting SLC16A1/3 provides a new thought to eliminate cervical cancer effectively. There are few reports on effective treatment strategies to eliminate cervical cancer by simultaneously targeting SLC16A1/3. GEO database analysis and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction experiment were used to confirm the high expression of SLC16A1/3. The potential inhibitor of SLC16A1/3 was screened from Siwu Decoction by using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. The mRNA levels and protein levels of SLC16A1/3 in SiHa and HeLa cells treated by Embelin (EMB) were clarified, respectively. Furthermore, the Gallic acid-iron (GA-Fe) drug delivery system was used to improve its anti-cancer performance. Compared with normal cervical cells, SLC16A1/3 mRNA was over-expressed in SiHa and HeLa cells. Through the analysis of Siwu Decoction, a simultaneously targeted SLC16A1/3 inhibitor EMB was discovered. It was found for the first time that EMB promoted lactic acid accumulation and further induced redox dyshomeostasis and glycolysis disorder by simultaneously inhibiting SLC16A1/3. The gallic acid-iron-Embelin (GA-Fe@EMB) drug delivery system delivered EMB, which had a synergistic anti-cervical cancer effect. Under the irradiation of a near-infrared laser, the GA-Fe@EMB could elevate the temperature of the tumor area effectively. Subsequently, EMB was released and mediated the lactic acid accumulation and the GA-Fe nanoparticle synergistic Fenton reaction to promote ROS accumulation, thereby increasing the lethality of the nanoparticles on cervical cancer cells. GA-Fe@EMB can target cervical cancer marker SLC16A1/3 to regulate glycolysis and redox pathways, synergistically with photothermal therapy, which provides a new avenue for the synergistic treatment of malignant cervical cancer.

Research progress on the effect of traditional Chinese medicine on the activation of PRRs-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit influenza pneumonia

Influenza pneumonia has challenged public health and social development. One of the hallmarks of severe influenza pneumonia is overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which result from the continuous activation of intracellular signaling pathways, such as the NF-κB pathway, mediated by the interplay between viruses and host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). It has been reported that traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) can not only inhibit viral replication and inflammatory responses but also affect the expression of key components of PRRs and NF-κB signaling pathways. However, whether the antiviral and anti-inflammatory roles of TCM are related with its effects on NF-κB signaling pathway activated by PRRs remains unclear. Here, we reviewed the mechanism of PRRs-mediated activation of NF-κB signaling pathway following influenza virus infection and summarized the influence of anti-influenza TCMs on inflammatory responses and the PRRs/NF-κB signaling pathway, so as to provide better understanding of the mode of action of TCMs in the treatment of influenza pneumonia.

Sulfation and Its Effect on the Bioactivity of Magnolol, the Main Active Ingredient of Magnolia Officinalis

Magnolol, the main active ingredient of Magnolia officinalis, has been reported to display anti-inflammatory activity. Sulfation plays an important role in the metabolism of magnolol. The magnolol sulfated metabolite was identified by the ultra-performance liquid chromatography to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and a proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). The magnolol sulfation activity of seven major recombinant sulfotransferases (SULTs) isoforms (SULT1A1*1, SULT1A1*2, SULT1A2, SULT1A3, SULT1B1, SULT1E1, and SULT2A1) was analyzed. The metabolic profile of magnolol was investigated in liver S9 fractions from human (HLS9), rat (RLS9), and mouse (MLS9). The anti-inflammatory effects of magnolol and its sulfated metabolite were evaluated in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Magnolol was metabolized into a mono-sulfated metabolite by SULTs. Of the seven recombinant SULT isoforms examined, SULT1B1 exhibited the highest magnolol sulfation activity. In liver S9 fractions from different species, the CLint value of magnolol sulfation in HLS9 (0.96 µL/min/mg) was similar to that in RLS9 (0.99 µL/min/mg) but significantly higher than that in MLS9 (0.30 µL/min/mg). Magnolol and its sulfated metabolite both significantly downregulated the production of inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) stimulated by LPS (p < 0.001). These results indicated that SULT1B1 was the major enzyme responsible for the sulfation of magnolol and that the magnolol sulfated metabolite exhibited potential anti-inflammatory effects.