Effect of Alpinia officinarum Hance alcohol extracts on primary dysmenorrheal

Comparisons of pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of six major bioactive components of the herbal pair Alpinia officinarum-Cyperus rotundus in normal and primary dysmenorrhea rats

The Liangfu formula, as described in 'Liangfang Jiye', is well-known for its efficacy in treating stomach pain, abdominal pain, and dysmenorrhea. This research aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of 5-hydroxy-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone (DPHA), Galangin, Kaempferide, 5-Hydroxy-1,7-diphenyl-3-heptanone (DPHC), α-Cyperone, and Nootkatone in vivo using an LC-MS/MS method. The method successfully separated the six active components and internal standards (Chrysin and Yakuchinone-A) on an XB-C18 column with a mobile phase of 0.2 ‰ formic acid water-acetonitrile. It demonstrated good linearity with a correlation coefficient (r2) ≥ 0.9911 and a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 5-80 ng/mL for the different components. Precision, accuracy, matrix effects, and recovery rates were within acceptable ranges. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed significant differences in parameters between primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and normal rats (especially AUC, Tmax, and CLz/F). Tissue distribution showed that the six active components of the herbal pair Alpinia officinarum Hance-Cyperus rotundus L. (HPAC) extract was primarily distributed in the liver, lung, and kidney. This study offers valuable insights into the potential mechanisms of action and drug development for treating PD.

Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction, Structural Characteristics, and Antioxidant Activities of Polysaccharides from Alpinia officinarum Hance

Alpinia officinarum Hance, a well known agricultural product in the Lei Zhou peninsula, is generally rich in polysaccharides. In order to enhance the use of A. officinarum Hance polysaccharides (AOP) in functional food, AOP was extracted using an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method, and the ultrasonic extraction parameters of AOP was optimized. Furthermore, this study investigated the physicochemical and antioxidant activities of AOPs. In addition, the structural properties were preliminarily determined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high performance size exclusion chromatography, and a Zetasizer. Ultimately, this study explored the mechanism underlying the antioxidant activities of AOP. The results showed that the optimal ultrasonic-assisted extraction parameters were as follows: ultrasonic time, 6 min; ratio of water to material, 12 mL/g; and ultrasonic power, 380 W. Under these conditions, the maximum yield of AOPs was 5.72%, indicating that ultrasonic-assisted extraction technology is suitable for extracting AOPs due to the reduced time and water usage. Additionally, AOPs were purified using graded alcohol precipitation, resulting in three fractions (AOP30, AOP50, and AOP70). AOP30 had the lowest molecular weight of 11.07 kDa and mainly consisted of glucose (89.88%). The half inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of AOP30 and AOP70 was lower than that of AOP50 in the ability to scavenge the ABTS radical, while a reverse trend was observed in reducing ferric ions. Notably, the antioxidant activities of AOPs were highly correlated with their polydispersity index (Mw/Mn) and Zeta potential. AOP30, a negatively charged acidic polysaccharide fraction, exhibited electron donating capacities. Additionally, it displayed strong antioxidant abilities through scavenging 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) radicals and reducing ferric ions. In conclusion, the present study suggests that AOP30 could be developed as an antioxidant ingredient for the food industry.

Phloroglucinol inhibits oxytocin-induced contraction in rat gastric circular muscle and uterine smooth muscle

Phloroglucinol is commonly used to alleviate dysmenorrhoea and stomach cramps. However, there is little evidence of phloroglucinol in the mechanism of primary dysmenorrhoea (PD) development. In this study, a PD rat model was established. The effects of phloroglucinol on the contraction of rat gastric circular muscle and uterine smooth muscle induced by oxytocin (OT) were investigated. The writhing response, and levels of oestradiol (E2), prostaglandin e2 (PGE2), and prostaglandin f2α (PGF2α) were determined. The protein and mRNA levels of OT receptor (OTR) were detected. OT showed a significant promoting effect on gastric circular muscle and uterine smooth muscle contraction. However, phloroglucinol strongly inhibited the contraction induced by 10^-6mol/L of OT. We also found that phloroglucinol reduced writhing response and attenuated uterine damage. Compared to the blank group, E2 and PGF2α were significantly increased, but PGE2 was significantly decreased in the PD model group. Phloroglucinol was found to reverse the changes of E2, PGF2α and PGE2. Moreover, phloroglucinol reduced the protein and mRNA levels of OTR. In conclusion, phloroglucinol could attenuate PD and inhibit the contraction of rat gastric circular muscle and uterine smooth muscle induced by OT. The mechanism might be related with the regulation of OTR expression.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Phloroglucinol is commonly used to alleviate dysmenorrhoea and stomach cramps. However, there is little evidence of phloroglucinol in the mechanism of primary dysmenorrhoea (PD) development.What do the results of this study add? Phloroglucinol could attenuate PD and inhibit the contraction of rat gastric circular muscle and uterine smooth muscle induced by OT. The underlying mechanisms of phloroglucinol for PD treatment may be associated with OTR.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? These findings provide novel ideas for the role of phloroglucinol in PD development.

Investigation of the Potential Mechanism of Alpinia officinarum Hance in Improving Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Objective

We used network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cellular analysis to explore the pharmacodynamic components and action mechanism of Alpinia officinarum Hance (A. officinarum) in improving type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to predict the potential targets and mechanism of A. officinarum toward improving T2DM. The first 9 core targets and potential active compounds were docked using Discovery Studio 2019. Finally, IR-HepG2 cells and qPCR were applied to determine the mRNA expression of the top 6 core targets of the PPI network.

Results

A total of 29 active ingredients and 607 targets of A. officinarum were obtained. T2DM-related targets overlapped with 176 targets. The core targets of the PPI network were identified as AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), an activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), tumor protein p53 (TP53), SRC proto-oncogene, nonreceptor tyrosine kinase (SRC), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), albumin (ALB), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG). A. officinarum performs an antidiabetic role via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, the HIF-1 signaling pathway, the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, and others, according to GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Molecular docking revealed that the binding ability of diarylheptanoid active components in A. officinarum to core target protein was higher than that of flavonoids. The cell experiments confirmed that the A. officinarum extracts improved the glucose uptake of IR-HepG2 cells and AKT expression while inhibiting the STAT3, TNF, TP53, SRC, and EGFR mRNA expression.

Conclusion

A. officinarum Hance improves T2DM by acting on numerous components, multiple targets, and several pathways. Our results lay the groundwork for the subsequent research and broaden the clinical application of A. officinarum Hance.

Alpinia officinarum Rhizome ameliorates the UVB induced photoaging through attenuating the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK

Background

Chronic ultraviolet (UV) exposure is one of the major external factors in skin aging, and repetitive UVB exposure induces extracellular matrix (ECM) damage as well as metabolic disease. Alpinia officinarum Rhizome (AOR) is a medicinal plant that has been traditionally used for treating rheumatism and whooping cough. However, the antiphotoaging effects of AOR remain unclear. We investigated the protective effects of water extracts of AOR (WEAOR) in terms of UVB-mediated ECM damage, wrinkle formation, inflammatory responses, and intracellular signaling on hairless mice and NIH-3T3 skin fibroblast cells.

Methods

WEAOR was administered to UVB-irradiated hairless mice. Wrinkle formation was assessed using the replica assay, epidermal changes through H&E staining, and collagen contents in mice skin through Masson’s trichrome staining. The expression of procollagen type-1 (COL1A1), metalloproteinase-1a (MMP-1a), and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-3) in hairless mice skin and NIH-3T3 cells was investigated through qRT-PCR. The effects of WEAOR or signaling inhibitors on UVB-induced expression of intracellular mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were estimated by Western blotting and qRT-PCR, respectively.

Results

Topical WEAOR significantly attenuated the UVB-induced wrinkle formation and epidermal thickening in the skin of hairless mice. WEAOR treatment also attenuated the UVB-induced expression of MMP-1a and COL1A1 and recovered the reduction of collagen content in mouse skin. These effects were confirmed in NIH-3T3 skin fibroblast cells. WEAOR treatment restored the UVB-induced COL1A1 and MMP-1a gene expression and attenuated the UVB-induced expression of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-3 in NIH-3T3 cells. Notably, WEAOR attenuated UVB-induced phosphorylation of AKT and ERK, but not that of p38 and JNK in NIH-3T3 cells. In addition, the administration of AKT and ERK inhibitors restored the UVB-induced expression of MMP-1a and COL1A1 to an equal extent as WEAOR in NIH-3T3 cells.

Conclusions

The antiphotoaging properties of WEAOR were first evaluated in this study. Our results suggest that WEAOR may be a potential antiphotoaging agent that ameliorates UVB-induced photoaging processes via the AKT and ERK signaling pathways.

DPHB, a diarylheptane from Alpinia officinarum Hance, ameliorates insulin resistance: A network pharmacology and in vitro study

(4E)-7-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenylhept-4-en-3-one (DPHB) derived from A. officinarum Hance has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-insulin resistance (IR) effects. We explored the molecular mechanism of DPHB ameliorating IR through network pharmacological prediction and in vitro analysis. The PI3K/AKT and TNF signaling pathways are the core pathways for DPHB to exert anti-IR, and the key proteins of this pathway were confirmed by molecular docking. In the IR-3T3-L1 adipocyte model, DPHB significantly promoted glucose uptake and the glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) translocation. In addition, DPHB significantly improved lipid accumulation, triglyceride content, and the mRNA expression of key adipokines [such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-gamma (PPARγ), CCAAT enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1)]. DPHB inhibited the protein expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB (NF-kB), as well as promoted the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), phosphorylated PI3K, and phosphorylated AKT. More interestingly, validation of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 revealed that these changes were dependent on the activation of PI3K. Our cumulative findings thereby validate the potential of DPHB to alleviate and treat IR and the related diseases by regulating the PI3K/AKT and TNF-α signaling pathways.

UPLC-G2Si-HDMS Untargeted Metabolomics for Identification of Yunnan Baiyao's Metabolic Target in Promoting Blood Circulation and Removing Blood Stasis

Yunnan Baiyao is a famous Chinese patent medicine in Yunnan Province. However, its mechanism for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis is not fully explained. Our study used metabonomics technology to reveal the regulatory effect of Yunnan Baiyao on small molecular metabolites in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and exploring the related urine biomarkers. The coagulation function, blood rheology, and pathological results demonstrated that after Yunnan Baiyao treatment, the pathological indexes in rats with epinephrine hydrochloride-induced blood stasis syndrome improved and returned to normal levels. This is the basis for the effectiveness of Yunnan Baiyao. UPLC-G2Si-HDMS was used in combination with multivariate statistical analysis to conduct metabonomic analysis of urine samples. Finally, using mass spectrometry technology, 28 urine biomarkers were identified, clarifying the relevant metabolic pathways that play a vital role in the Yunnan Baiyao treatment. These were used as the target for Yunnan Baiyao to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. This study showed that metabolomics strategies provide opportunities and conditions for a deep and systematic understanding of the mechanism of action of prescriptions.

Vasodilatory Effect of Alpinia officinarum Extract in Rat Mesenteric Arteries

Background: Alpinia officinarum (A. officinarum) is known to exhibit a beneficial effect for anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-hyperlipidemic effects. However, no sufficient research data are available on the cardiovascular effect of A. officinarum. Thus, in this study, we investigate whether A. officinarum extract has direct effects on vascular reactivity. Methods: To examine whether A. officinarum extract affects vascular functionality, we measured isometric tension in rat mesenteric resistance arteries using a wire myograph. After arteries were pre-contracted with high-K⁺ (70 mM), phenylephrine (5 µM), or U46619 (1 µM), A. officinarum extract was treated. Results: A. officinarum extract induced vasodilation in a concentration-dependent manner, and this effect was endothelium independent. To further investigate the mechanism, we incubated arteries in a Ca²⁺-free and high-K⁺ solution, followed by the cumulative addition of CaCl₂ (0.01–2.5 mM) with or without A. officinarum extract (30 µg/mL). Pre-treatment of A. officinarum extract reduced the contractile responses induced by cumulative administration of Ca²⁺, which suggests that extracellular Ca²⁺ influx was inhibited by the treatment of A. officinarum extract. These results were associated with a reduction in phosphorylated MLC₂₀ in VSMCs treated with A. officinarum extract. Furthermore, eucalyptol, an active compound of A. officinarum extract, had a similar effect as A. officinarum extract, which causes vasodilation in mesenteric resistance arteries. Conclusion: A. officinarum extract and its active compound eucalyptol induce concentration-dependent vasodilation in mesenteric resistance arteries. These results suggest that administration of A. officinarum extract could exert beneficial effects to treat high blood pressure.

The Influence of Lifestyle Variables on Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Primary dysmenorrhea is a common and often debilitating, gynaecological condition.

Objective

To investigate the effects of specific lifestyle variables on the prevalence and severity of primary dysmenorrhea.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study of Jordanian women aged between 18-25 years old utilized a questionnaire as the main instrument of the study.

Results

Primary dysmenorrhea was reported by 660 women out of 1988. It was found that approximately two thirds of them were students. Overall, 54.5% of the participants reported severe dysmenorrhea. A statistically significant correlation was found between severe dysmenorrhea and smoking at p value ˂0.001, sleeping less than 7 hours per 24 hours at p = 0.005, holding a university degree at p = 0.032, non-alcohol consumption at p = 0.044, frequent energy, fizzy, tea, coffee drinks and sugar intake. Interestingly, we found that severe dysmenorrhea was statistically significantly associated with women who never eat meat at p ˂0.001, cereals and fish consumers and with those who take less than 3 servings of fruit or none at all per week at p = 0.006. In addition to the previous variables, water intake of less than 1.0 litre a day, irregular cycles, non-OCP use and positive family history were found significantly associated with severe dysmenorrhea. Severe dysmenorrhea was significantly related to working less hours per week, higher stress level and longer bleeding duration at p = 0.021, 0.017 and 0.008, respectively. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference found between severe dysmenorrhea and the following variables: age, body mass index (BMI), weekly studying hours and age of menarche.

Conclusion

Primary dysmenorrhea is prevalent in the Jordanian population. To overcome severe dysmenorrhea, women should increase their intake of fish and fresh fruits, drinking water and use of oral contraceptive pills. The study concluded that smoking, frequent sugar intake, fizzy drinks, coffee, tea and energy drinks were associated with severe dysmenorrhea. It is also worth mentioning that alcohol consumption had a positive impact on dysmenorrhea.

Trial Registration

Registered in Clinicaltrial.gov (ID: NCT04583943).

Characterization of Alpinia officinarum Hance polysaccharide and its immune modulatory activity in mice

This study aimed to verify the regulating effect of a novel water-soluble polysaccharide (AOHP) extracted from Alpinia officinarum Hance on mouse immunity and to characterize its structure feature. The cellulose...

The Therapeutic Effect of Ge-Gen Decoction on a Rat Model of Primary Dysmenorrhea: Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics and Bioinformatic Analyses

Ge-Gen decoction (GGD) is widely used for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea (PD) in China. However, the mechanisms that underlie this effect are unclear. We investigated the protective mechanism of GGD in a rat model of PD using label-free quantitative proteomics. The model was established by the administration of estradiol benzoate and oxytocin. Thirty rats were divided into three groups (ten rats/group): a control group (normal rats), a model group (PD rats), and a treatment group (PD rats treated with GGD). The serum levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) were measured by ELISA. Nanohigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nano-HPLC-MS/MS) was used to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), and bioinformatics was used to investigate the protein function. Proteomic data were validated by western blot analysis. Oxytocin-induced writhing responses and abnormal serum levels of PGE2 and PGF2α were reversed following the administration of GGD. A total of 379 DEPs were identified; 276 were identified between the control group and the model group, 144 were identified between the model group and the treatment group, and 41 were identified as DEPs that were common to all groups. Bioinformatics revealed that the DEPs between the control group and the model group were mainly associated with cellular component biogenesis and binding processes. The DEPs between the model group and the treatment group were mainly involved in the protein binding and metabolic process. The expression levels of HSP90AB1 and the phosphorylation levels of ERK, JNK, and P-p38 in the uteri of rats in the three groups were consistent with the proteomic findings; MAP kinases (ERK, JNK, and p38) are known to be involved in the production of inflammatory cytokines and oxytocin signaling while HSP90AB1 is known to be associated with estrogen signaling. Collectively, these data indicate that GGD may exert its protective function on PD by regulating the inflammatory response and signaling pathways associated with oxytocin and estrogen.

Protective effect of Aster tataricus extract on NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis of bladder urothelial cells

Aster tataricus L.f. is a traditional Eastern Asian herbal medicine used for the relief of uroschesis‐related illnesses and has been demonstrated clinically to exert satisfied effects. However, the mechanism of its therapeutic action remains unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the protective mechanism of Aster tataricus extract (ATE) on CYP or LPS + ATP‐induced interstitial cystitis (IC), we successfully constructed the induced IC Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rat model and IC human urothelium cell (SV‐HUC‐1) model. The main compounds of ATE were determined by LC‐MS. After intervention, the changes on the bladder wall morphology and inflammation were observed in each group. SV‐HUC1 cell viability was measured by MTT and double stained with Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide (PI). The expression levels of NLRP3, Pro‐caspase‐1, Caspsae‐1 p20, GSDMD, GSDMD‐N and Cleave‐IL‐1β in vivo and in vitro in different groups were detected by Western blotting. ATE significantly alleviated oedema and haemorrhage and reduced the inflammation index and histopathological score in SD rat bladder. The results of cell revealed that ATE could improve cell viability and decrease pyroptosis ratio. The expression of NLRP3 and other pyroptosis‐related protein was remarkably decreased by ATE both in vivo and in vitro. ATE may be used as an inhibitor of NLRP3 in treating IC. The discovery of NLRP3/Caspase‐1/GSDMD‐N as a new protective pathway provides a new direction for protecting cell against IC.

Studies on olive-and silicone-oils-based Janus macroemulsions containing ginger to manage primary dysmenorrheal pain

Ginger (GIN) powder-loaded oil-in-water (o/w) macroemulsions were prepared based on olive-and silicone-oils. The dispersed oil droplets with paired-beans structure were evident and thus the final emulsion can be termed as Janus macroemulsions. The objectives of the present study are (1) to identify the marker compound present in GIN powder via HPLC analysis, (2) to process the GIN powder via anti-solvent precipitation technique, (3) to see the solubility of GIN powder in various single oils or oil combination, (4) to optimize the GIN-loaded o/w macroemulsions using the central composite design (CCD) with respect to mean particle size of dispersed oil droplets and highest percentage drug entrapment efficiency values (DEE) and (5) to evaluate the pain reducing activity of optimized GIN-loaded macroemulsion via in vivo primary dysmenorrhea (PD) mice model. Both predicted and obtained values of percentage DEE (76.29 Vs.76.09) and mean particle size (245.99 Vs. 272.51 μm) were almost the same indicating the CCD statistical design applicability. The optimized Janus macroemulsion was stable at 4 °C for over a period of 90 days. Using the PD mice model, the counting of writhing reaction produced by the tested GIN-loaded macroemulsions at low and high doses did not reveal significant difference in comparison to the positive control (aspirin treated). Only the high dose of GIN-loaded macroemulsion was able to restore the uterine tissue's normal histomorphological structure after the H & E staining. Nevertheless, the paired beans structure should be tested for entrapping the plant-derived drugs having dissimilar physicochemical characteristics but similar therapeutic activity.

A review on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Alpinia officinarum Hance

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Alpinia officinarum Hance is a perennial plant that has been traditionally used for many decades to treat several ailments including inflammation, pain, stomach-ache, cold, amongst others. Pharmacological studies over the years have demonstrated remarkable bioactivities that could be further explored for development of new therapeutic agents against various ailments.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The paper critically reviewed the ethno-medicinal uses, pharmacology, and phytochemistry of A. officinarum.

METHODS

Keywords including A. officinarum and its synonyms were searched using electronic databases including ISI web of knowledge, Science direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google scholar and relevant database for Masters and Doctoral theses.

RESULTS

A. officinarum is prepared in Asia, Turkey, Morocco and Iran as a decoction, infusion or juice as a single preparation or in combination with other herbs, food or drinks for the treatment of general health problems including cold, inflammation, digestive disorders, etc. Pharmacological studies revealed the potent in vitro and in vivo bioactivities of various parts of A. officinarum that include anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, homeostasis, lipid regulation, antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, antiosteoporosis, etc. Over 90 phytochemical constituents have been identified and isolated from A. officinarum comprising vastly of phenolic compounds especially diarylheptanoids isolated from the rhizome and considered the most active bioactive components.

CONCLUSION

In vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed the potency of A. officinarum. However, further studies are required to establish the mechanisms mediating its bioactivities in relation to the medicinal uses as well as investigating any potential toxicity for future clinical studies.