Metabolomics study of early metabolic changes in hepatic HepaRG cells in response to rosemary diterpenes exposure

Toxicity and safety of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): a comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) contains alkaloids, phenolic acids, saponins, tannins, diterpenes, flavonoids, and essential oils and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. While rosemary is generally considered safe for consumption and topical application, allergic reactions and dermatitis have been reported in some individuals. This paper provides an in-depth review of the current studies on rosemary toxicity, shedding light on its potential adverse effects and underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were used to perform extensive research from the inception of these databases until February 2024.

RESULTS

The toxicological effects explored include affecting several organs such as the liver and kidney by causing atrophic and degenerative changes, increasing blood urea nitrogen (BUN), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and reducing total serum protein levels. Rosemary may induce reproductive toxicity by decreasing spermatogenesis in the testes, testosterone, sperm density, and motility. It might also trigger genotoxicity and anomalies in fetuses by increasing cytoplasmic membrane shrinkage, the formation of apoptotic bodies, internucleosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation, and DNA ladder formation.

CONCLUSION

While rosemary is considered safe for food preservation, caution is warranted regarding chronic and high doses due to potential adverse effects on the kidneys, liver, reproductive system, and teratology. Additionally, it underscores the significance of considering drug interactions. The article also highlights the importance of considering toxicological data in realistic exposure situations and discusses the relevance of these findings for human health. Hence, further research is recommended to enhance our understanding of the toxicity profile associated with rosemary.

Comprehensive Analysis of Fecal Microbiome and Metabolomics in Hepatic Fibrosis Rats Reveal Hepatoprotective Effects of Yinchen Wuling Powder From the Host-Microbial Metabolic Axis

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a typical consequence in the development of multiple chronic liver diseases, which is intimately related to the composition and metabolic status of gut microbiota. A myriad of evidence has indicated that traditional Chinese medicine can treat HF by regulating gut microbiota. Yinchen Wuling powder (YCWLP) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine prescription, which has been used to relieve liver diseases for thousands of years. YCWLP has demonstrated protective function on HF, but its effect on the alterations of gut microbiota is still unclear, and its explicit therapeutic mechanism also needs to be further elucidated. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and fecal metabolomics analysis were combined to investigate the influence of YCWLP on gut microbiota in HF rats and the interactions between gut microbiota and host metabolism. The results showed that YCWLP treatment significantly improved the disorder of multiple organ indices, HF-related cytokines and plasma LPS induced by HF. Masson's trichrome stainings also showed that YCWLP treatment could significantly alleviate the severity of HF in rats. Additionally, YCWLP could reverse the significant changes in the abundance of certain genera closely related to HF phenotype, including Barnesiella [Ruminococcus] and Christensenella. Meanwhile, YCWLP significantly increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium, Coprococcus and Anaerostipes, which are closely related to butyrate production. Metabolomics and Spearman's correlation analysis showed that YCWLP could regulate the disorder of arginine biosynthesis, sphingolipid metabolism and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism in HF rats, and these regulations were intimately related to Barnesiella, [Ruminococcus], Christensenella, Coprococcus and Anaerostipes. By explaining the biological significance of the above results, we concluded that YCWLP might ameliorate HF by regulating the imbalance of gut microbiota, increasing the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria to reduce ammonia production, promote ammonia degradation, and regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune function.

Analytical techniques for metabolomic studies: a review

Metabolomics is the comprehensive study of small-molecule metabolites. Obtaining a wide coverage of the metabolome is challenging because of the broad range of physicochemical properties of the small molecules. To study the compounds of interest spectroscopic (NMR), spectrometric (MS) and separation techniques (LC, GC, supercritical fluid chromatography, CE) are used. The choice for a given technique is influenced by the sample matrix, the concentration and properties of the metabolites, and the amount of sample. This review discusses the most commonly used analytical techniques for metabolomic studies, including their advantages, drawbacks and some applications.

Metabolomics Study of Metabolic Changes in Renal Cells in Response to High-Glucose Exposure Based on Liquid or Gas Chromatography Coupled With Mass Spectrometry

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious microvascular complications and the leading causes of death in diabetes mellitus (DM). To find biomarkers for prognosing the occurrence and development of DN has significant clinical value for its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. In this study, a non-targeted cell metabolomics–based ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was developed and performed the dynamic metabolic profiles of rat renal cells including renal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E) and glomerular mesangial cells (HBZY-1) in response to high glucose at time points of 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, and 48 h. Some potential biomarkers were then verified using clinical plasma samples collected from 55 healthy volunteers, 103 DM patients, and 57 DN patients. Statistical methods, such as principal component analysis and partial least squares to latent structure-discriminant analysis were recruited for data analyses. As a result, palmitic acid and linoleic acid (all-cis-9,12) were the potential indicators for the occurrence and development of DN, and valine, leucine, and isoleucine could be used as the prospective biomarkers for DM. In addition, rise and fall of leucine and isoleucine levels in plasma could be used for prognosing DN in DM patients. Through this study, we established a novel non-targeted cell dynamic metabolomics platform and identified potential biomarkers that may be applied for the diagnosis and prognosis of DM and DN.