Screening and quantification of TNF-α ligand from Angelicae Pubescentis Radix by biosensor and UPLC-MS/MS

Rapid screening and in vivo target occupancy quantitative evaluation of xanthine oxidase inhibitors based on drug-target binding kinetics research strategy: A case study of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat

Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. is a kind of food and drug dual-use traditional Chinese medicine possessing multiple pharmacological and biochemical benefits. In our study, a rapid and high-throughput method based on Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor technology was developed and verified for screening potential xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitors exemplarily in the Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. Coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS), 14 XOD-binders were identified. In the SPR-based biosensor and molecular docking analysis, most compounds exhibited a strong affinity and binding kinetic property (association rate constant, K_on and dissociation rate constant, K_off) for XOD and could be regarded as potential inhibitors. More importantly, to further accurately assess target occupancy of candidate compounds in vivo, a mathematical model was established and verified involving three crucial intrinsic kinetic processes (Pharmacokinetics, Binding kinetic and Target kinetic). Overall, the proposed screening and assessment strategy could be proved an effective theoretical basis for further pharmacodynamic evaluation.

Comparison of Pharmacokinetic Profiles of 14 Major Bioactive Components in Normal and Arthritic Model Rats after Oral Administration of Angelicae pubescentis Radix by UPLC-MS/MS

An ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was established to simultaneously determine 14 compounds of Angelicae pubescentis Radix (APR) in normal and arthritis rat plasma in which chloramphenicol and daidzein were used as the internal standards. After protein precipitation with acetonitrile, separation was carried out on a Thermo Hypersil GOLD C₁₈ column using gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid aqueous and acetonitrile consisting as the mobile phase at a flowing rate of 0.3 mL/min. A Thermo TSQ QUANTIS triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to detect 14 compounds in positive/negative ion exchange mode and this study was the first to investigate the pharmacokinetic changes of the active compounds in rats under the pathological state of arthritis. The method was verified and the results showed that the intra- and interday precision, accuracy, matrix effect, and extraction recovery were all acceptable, and the analytes were stable under different storage conditions. In addition, the pharmacokinetic behaviors of the 14 compounds were significantly different in model rats compared with normal rats. This indicated that the pharmacokinetic behavior of drugs will vary with the pathological state of the body, which suggested that individualized and reasonable drug administration plans should be formulated for different pathological states in clinical practice. This study provided a scientific basis and data support for better understanding the pharmacodynamic substance basis and clinical application of APR against arthritis.

Caffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity

Caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs) are specialized plant metabolites we encounter in our daily life. Humans consume CQAs in mg-to-gram quantities through dietary consumption of plant products. CQAs are considered beneficial for human health, mainly due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Recently, new biosynthetic pathways via a peroxidase-type p-coumaric acid 3-hydroxylase enzyme were discovered. More recently, a new GDSL lipase-like enzyme able to transform monoCQAs into diCQA was identified in Ipomoea batatas. CQAs were recently linked to memory improvement; they seem to be strong indirect antioxidants via Nrf2 activation. However, there is a prevalent confusion in the designation and nomenclature of different CQA isomers. Such inconsistencies are critical and complicate bioactivity assessment since different isomers differ in bioactivity and potency. A detailed explanation regarding the origin of such confusion is provided, and a recommendation to unify nomenclature is suggested. Furthermore, for studies on CQA bioactivity, plant-based laboratory animal diets contain CQAs, which makes it difficult to include proper control groups for comparison. Therefore, a synthetic diet free of CQAs is advised to avoid interferences since some CQAs may produce bioactivity even at nanomolar levels. Biotransformation of CQAs by gut microbiota, the discovery of new enzymatic biosynthetic and metabolic pathways, dietary assessment, and assessment of biological properties with potential for drug development are areas of active, ongoing research. This review is focused on the chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity recently reported for mono-, di-, tri-, and tetraCQAs.

Integrated Systems Pharmacology and Surface Plasmon Resonance Approaches to Reveal the Synergistic Effect of Multiple Components of Gu-Ben-Ke-Chuan Decoction on Chronic Bronchitis

Introduction

Gu-Ben-Ke-Chuan (GBKC) decoction, a well-known prescription composed of seven herbs, has been widely used for treating chronic bronchitis (CB). However, the pharmacological constituents of GBKC and the underlying mechanisms by which these components act on CB remain unclear.

Methods

Ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap–Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap) was first employed to rapidly identify compounds from GBKC. Thereafter, network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses were performed to identify the potential active constituents, candidate targets, and major pathways. Finally, the affinities between the key compounds and targets were verified via surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of GBKC was verified using an LPS-induced inflammatory cell model based on the predicted results.

Results

A total of 53 major compounds were identified in the GBKC decoction. After network pharmacology-based virtual screening, 141 major targets and 39 main compounds were identified to be effective in the treatment of CB. The major targets were highly enriched in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway, suggesting that GBKC could attenuate the inflammatory response in patients with CB. Furthermore, molecular docking results indicated that 20 pairs of components and target proteins relevant to the TNF pathway exhibited notable interactions. Among them, eight compound-target pairs exhibited good affinity as per SPR analysis. In addition, the production of interleukin 6 and TNF-α in LPS-induced MH-S cells was suppressed after GBKC treatment.

Conclusion

This study successfully clarified the mechanism of action of GBKC against CB, which demonstrated that the integrated strategy described above is reliable for identifying the active compounds and mechanisms responsible for the pharmacological activities of GBKC decoction.