Reinforcement effects of Boschniakia rossica on discrimination learning in cholinergic lesions of rats

The genus Boschniakia in China: An ethnopharmacological and phytochemical review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

As a group of important medicine plants, Boschniakia rossica (Cham. et Schltdl) Fedtsch. and B. himalaica Hook．f．et Thoms, which are the only two species in the genus Boschniakia (Orobanchaceae), have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for their multiple therapeutic uses related to enhanced renal function, erectile dysfunction, defaecate and hepatoprotective. Additionally, the two species are also used as dietary supplements in wine, cosmetics, and other healthy food.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

By providing comprehensive information and data of genus Boschniakia on botany, traditional medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological research and toxicology, this review aims to summary the group of natural compounds from Boschniakia discovered so far. The other aims are to reference research findings of their biological activities and functions in medicine, physiology, and cell biology to highlight the compound candidates which can be used for further drug discovery in several pharmaceutical areas including antioxidation, anticancer, anti-inflammation, anti-senile, and immunology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All of the available information on B. rossica and B. himalaica was collected from the electronic resources (such as PubMed, SciFinder Scholar, CNKI, TPL (www.theplantlist.org), Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, and Web of Science).

RESULTS

After a comprehensive analysis of the literatures from available online sources, the results show that both species of genus Boschniakia are valuable and popular herbal medicines with potentials to cure various ailments. The phytochemical studies revealed that the chemical compositions of this genus were mainly iridoid glycosides and phenylpropanoid glycosides. To date, 112 compounds have been isolated from the genus, while their crude extracts and purified compounds have been found to possess a wide range of biological activities including anti-senile, antitumor and anticancer, anti-inflammatory, protecting liver, boost memory, anti-oxidation, anti-lipid peroxidative, and antiviral activities.

CONCLUSIONS

The existing traditional uses of the genus Boschniakia have been evaluated, and the properties of the genus are summarized based on botany, phytochemistry, pharmacological research, and toxicology. This review aims to introduce the utilization and application of the genus Boschniakia to modern drug discovery, traditional medicinal plant utilization, herbal species conservation, and the development of medicinal and health-maintaining products.

Rossicaside B protects against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in mice

The protective effect of rossicaside B, the major phenylpropanoid glycoside from Boschniakia rossica, on CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity and the mechanisms underlying its protective effect were investigated. The mice were administered orally with rossicaside B (100 or 200 mg/kg of body weight) 48, 24 and 1 hr before CCl(4) (0.5 ml/kg of body weight) administration. The CCl(4) challenge caused a marked increase in the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and propagated lipid peroxidation with a concomitant reduction in reduced glutathione (GSH) and antioxidative enzyme activities in the liver. The administration of rossicaside B to CCl(4)-treated mice not only decreased the serum toxicity marker enzymes and TNF-alpha but also reduced hepatic oxidative stress, as demonstrated by decreased lipid hydroperoxide and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance concentrations, combined with elevated GSH content and antioxidative enzyme activities in the liver tissues. Furthermore, the contents of hepatic nitrite, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were elevated after CCl(4) treatment while the cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1)-specific monooxygenase activity was suppressed. Rossicaside B treatment inhibited the formation of liver nitrite, reduced the over-expression of iNOS and COX-2 proteins, but increased the CYP2E1 function compared with the CCl(4)-treated mice. However, the protein expression of HO-1 was further elevated by rossicaside B treatment. The results demonstrate that rossicaside B provides a protective action on CCl(4)-induced acute hepatic injury, which may be related to its antioxidative activity, suppressed inflammatory responses, induced HO-1 expression and improved CYP2E1 function in the liver.

Rossicasins A, B and Rosicaside F, Three New Phenylpropanoid Glycosides from Boschniakia rossica

Three phenylpropanoid glycosides have been isolated, together with the known phenylpropanoid glycosides rossicaside A (4), B (5), E (6), and trans-p-coumaryl alcohol 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->3)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), and an acylated oligosaccharide beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->3)-(4-O-trans-caffeoyl)-D-glucopyranose) (8), from the aqueous extract of Boschniakia rossica (CHAM. et SCHLECH.) FEDTSCH. et FLEROV. Spectroscopic evidence led to the assignments of their structures as trans-p-coumaryl-(6'-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl)-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), trans-p-coumaryl-(6'-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2) and 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-R,S-2-ethoxy-ethyl-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->3)(4-O-trans-caffeoyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), designated as rossicasin A, rossicasin B, and rossicaside F, respectively. Compound 7 was identified from the degradation reaction and this is the first isolation from a natural source.

Treatment of pig serum-induced rat liver fibrosis with Boschniakia rossica, oxymatrine and interferon-α

AIM: To investigate the effect of Boschniakia rossica (BR), oxymatrine (OM) and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) 1b on the therapy of rat liver fibrosis and its mechanism.

METHODS: By establishing a rat model of pig serum-induced liver fibrosis, liver/weight index and serum alanine transaminase (ALT) were observed to investigate the therapeutic effect of BR,OM and IFN-α. Radioimmunoassay was utilized to measure procollagen type III (PCIII) and collagen type IV (CIV). RT-PCR was used to assay the expression of liver transforming growth factor- beta 1 (TGF-β1) mRNA. Immunohistochemistry of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and pathologic changes of liver tissues were also under investigation.

RESULTS: Serum PCIII and CIV in BR, OM and IFN-α groups were significantly declined compared with those in model group, and their RT-PCR revealed that TGF-β1 mRNA expression was also reduced more than that in model group. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that α-SMA also declined more than that in model group. Serum ALT in IFN-α, control and model groups was within normal level. Serum ALT in BR group had no significant difference from those of IFN-α, control and model groups. Serum ALT in OM group was significantly higher than those in BR, IFN-α, model, and control groups.

CONCLUSION: BR, OM and IFN-α can prevent pig serum-induced liver rat fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells and synthesizing collagen. OM has hepatotoxicity to rat liver fibrosis induced by pig serum.

Iridoid compounds from Boschniakia rossica

Four iridoid compounds were isolated from methanol extract of Boschniakia rossica by repeated column chromatography. Their structures were determined as boschnaloside (1), boschnarol (2), bosnarol methylether (3), and 7-deoxy 8-epiloganic acid (4), respectively. Compound 2, 3, and 4 were isolated for the first time from this plant.