Trichosanhemiketal A and B: Two 13,14-seco-13,14-epoxyporiferastanes from the root of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim

Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction alleviates acute lung injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is a prevalent critical respiratory disorder caused mostly by infection and other factors. However, effective drug therapies are currently lacking. Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction (XCD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, is commonly employed to treat lung diseases. It has been recommended by Chinese health authorities as one of the TCM prescriptions for COVID-19. Nonetheless, its underlying mechanism for the treatment of ALI has not been fully understood.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study aims to investigate the therapeutic effect of XCD on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced ALI in mice and explore its anti-inflammatory mechanism involving pyroptosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was employed to identify the active compounds of XCD, and quantitative analysis of the main compounds was conducted. Male C57BL/6J mice were given different doses of XCD (4.5 and 9.0 g/kg/day) or dexamethasone (5 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage for 5 consecutive days. Subsequently, ALI was induced by injecting LPS (20 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 2 h after the last administration, and serum and lung tissues were collected 8 h later. J774A.1 cells were pretreated with different doses of XCD (100, 200, 400 μg/ml) for 12 h, then incubated with LPS (1 μg/ml) for 4 h and ATP (1 mM) for 2 h to induce pyroptosis. Supernatant and cells were collected. Moreover, J774A.1 cells were transfected with an NLRP3 overexpression plasmid for 24 h, followed by subsequent experiments with XCD (400 μg/ml). Lung histopathological changes were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. To assess the efficacy of XCD on ALI/ARDS, the levels of inflammatory factors, chemokines, and proteins associated with NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway were evaluated.

RESULTS

XCD was found to ameliorate lung inflammation injury in ALI mice, and reduce the protein expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in both mouse serum and J774A.1 cell supernatant. Meanwhile, XCD significantly decreased the mRNA levels of IL-1β, pro-IL-1β, CXCL1, CXCL10, TNF-α, NLRP3, NF-κB P65, and the protein expression of NLRP3, Cleaved-Caspase1, and GSDMD-N in the lung and J774A.1 cells. These effects were consistent with the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950. Furthermore, overexpression of NLRP3 reversed the anti-inflammatory effect of XCD.

CONCLUSION

The therapeutic mechanism of XCD in ALI treatment may involve alleviating inflammatory responses in lung tissues by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in macrophages.

Efficacy analysis and research progress of complementary and alternative medicines in the adjuvant treatment of COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted human lifestyles around the world, causing huge distress in terms of public health systems, emergency response capacity and economic development. The causative agent of COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is associated with respiratory involvement, cardiovascular-related diseases, and ultimately causes multiple organ failure and death in severely affected individuals. Thus, effective prevention or early treatment of COVID-19 is critical. An effective vaccine offers a way out of the pandemic for governments, the scientific community and people worldwide, but we still lack effective drug therapies, including treatments for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. This had led to a high global demand for many complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs). Moreover, many healthcare providers are now requesting information about CAMs that prevent, relieve, or treat the symptoms of COVID-19 and even alleviate vaccine-related side effects. Experts and scholars must therefore become familiar with the use of CAMs in COVID-19, current research directions and effectiveness of CAMs for COVID-19. This narrative review updates the current status and research worldwide on the use of CAMs for COVID-19. The review provides reliable evidence on theoretical viewpoints and therapeutic efficacies of CAM combinations, and evidence in support of the therapeutic strategy of Taiwan Chingguan Erhau (NRICM102) against moderate-to-severe novel coronavirus infectious disease in Taiwan.

Chinese herbal prescriptions for COVID-19 management: Special reference to Taiwan Chingguan Yihau (NRICM101)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As at June 2022, increasing numbers of newly diagnosed COVID-19-associated pneumonia cases worldwide have attracted close attention from the international community. The present review analyzes and summarizes the treatment of COVID-19 with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A systematic analysis of the efficacies and benefits of TCM for the treatment of COVID-19 was performed, and the mechanisms underlying such treatment are summarized. This analysis of the literature highlights the potential of TCM to prevent and treat COVID-19 via antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities, with evidence showing that many TCM components act upon multiple targets and pathways. Famous TCM formulas include Qing-Fei-Pai-Du-Tang (QFPDT), Lianhuaqingwen Capsule (LHC), Taiwan Chingguan Yihau (NRICM101), and Jing Si herbal drink (JSHD). In particular, the botanical preparation NRICM101 was developed in 2020 for use in viral respiratory tract infections and is recommended for treating non-severe and mild COVID-19 infections. NRICM101 has been adopted for use in Taiwan for the clinical treatment of COVID-19. The common components and active ingredients of 10 TCM preparations have been analyzed for the most promising substances. This review aims to provide reliable evidence demonstrating the therapeutic efficacy of TCM substances in support of their further development against novel coronavirus infectious diseases in Taiwan.

Remediation and Micro-Ecological Regulation of Cadmium and Arsenic Co-Contaminated Soils by Rotation of High-Biomass Crops and Sedum alfredii Hance: A Field Study

Rotation of high-biomass crops and hyperaccumulators is considered to be an effective, safe and economical method for the remediation of medium-mild heavy metal contaminated soil, but the present studies pay more attention to the removal efficiency rather than changes in soil micro-ecology. In order to explore the remediation effect of hyperaccumulators rotated with high-biomass crops on Cd and As co-contaminated soil, Cd hyperaccumulator ecotype (HE) Sedum alfredii Hance and crops were selected to construct a field experiment, five rotation modes including Sedum alfredii Hance-Oryza sativa L. (SP), Sedum alfredii Hance-Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (SS), Sedum alfredii Hance-Zea mays L. (SM), Sedum alfredii Hance-Hibiscus cannabinus L. (SK), Sedum alfredii Hance-Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (ST), and investigated the effects of these modes on the removal efficiency, soil physiochemical properties and micro-ecological effects (soil nutrients, enzyme activities and microbial diversity) through a field experiment. The results showed that total soil Cd from the five rotation modes (SP, SS, SM, SK and ST) decreased by 25.1%, 20.3%, 34.5%, 6.3% and 74.3%, respectively, and total soil As decreased by 42.9%, 19.8%, 39.7%, 39.7% and 45.7%, respectively. The rotation significantly increased soil organic matter by 47.39–82.28%, effectively regulated soil pH value and cation exchange capacity. The rotation modes also significantly increased soil alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen by 9.09–50.91%, but decreased soil available phosphorus and rapidly available potassium. Except for urease, the soil enzyme activities increased overall. The Alpha diversity increased, and soil microbial structure optimized after rotation. ST mode was the most effective remediation mode, which not only reduces the content of Cd and As in the soil, but also effectively regulates the soil micro-ecology. The results from this study have shown that it is feasible to apply Sedum alfredii Hance and the high-biomass rotation method for the remediation of Cd and As co-contaminated soil.

Xinglou Chengqi Decoction improves neurological function in experimental stroke mice as evidenced by gut microbiota analysis and network pharmacology

The current study was designed to explore the brain protection mechanism of Xinglou Chengqi Decoction (XCD) based on gut microbiota analysis and network pharmacology. A transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of mice was established, followed by behavioral evaluation, TTC and TUNEL staining. Additionally, to investigate the effects of gut microbiota on neurological function after stroke, C57BL/6 mice were treated with anti-biotic cocktails 14 days prior to ischemic stroke (IS) to deplete the gut microbiota. High-throughput 16S rDNA gene sequencing, metabonomics technique, and flow multifactor technology were used to analyze bacterial communities, SCFAs and inflammatory cytokines respectively. Finally, as a supplement, network pharmacology and molecular docking were applied to fully explore the multicomponent-multitarget-multichannel mechanism of XCD in treating IS, implicated in ADME screening, target identification, network analysis, functional annotation, and pathway enrichment analysis. We found that XCD effectively improved neurological function, relieved cerebral infarction and decreased the neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, XCD promoted the release of anti-inflammatory factor like IL-10, while down-regulating pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-17A, and IL-22. Furthermore, XCD significantly increased the levels of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyric acid. The mechanism might be related to the regulation of SCFAs-producing bacteria like Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia, and bacteria that regulate inflammation like Paraprevotella, Roseburia, Streptophyta and Enterococcu. Finally, in the network pharmacological analysis, 51 active compounds in XCD and 44 intersection targets of IS and XCD were selected. As a validation, components in XCD docked well with key targets. It was obviously that biological processes were mainly involved in the regulation of apoptotic process, inflammatory response, response to fatty acid, and regulation of establishment of endothelial barrier in GO enrichment. XCD can improve neurological function in experimental stroke mice, partly due to the regulation of gut microbiota. Besises, XCD has the characteristic of "multi-component, multi-target and multi-channel" in the treatment of IS revealed by network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Network Pharmacology Analysis of the Therapeutic Mechanisms Underlying Beimu-Gualou Formula Activity against Bronchiectasis with In Silico Molecular Docking Validation

BACKGROUND

The classical Chinese herbal prescription Beimu-Gualou formula (BMGLF) has been diffusely applied to the treatment of respiratory diseases, including bronchiectasis. Although concerning bronchiectasis the effects and mechanisms of action of the BMGLF constituents have been partially elucidated, it remains to be determined how the formula in its entirety exerts therapeutic effects.

METHODS

In this study, the multitarget mechanisms of BMGLF against bronchiectasis were predicted with network pharmacology analysis. Using prepared data, a drug-target interaction network was established and subsequently the core therapeutic targets of BMGLF were identified. Furthermore, the biological function and pathway enrichment of potential targets were analyzed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and pivotal signaling pathways of BMGLF. Finally, virtual molecular docking was performed to assess the affinities of compounds for the candidate targets.

RESULTS

The therapeutic action of BMGLF against bronchiectasis involves 18 core target proteins, including the aforementioned candidates (i.e., ALB, ICAM1, IL10, and MAPK1), which are assumed to be related to biological processes such as drug response, cellular response to lipopolysaccharide, immune response, and positive regulation of NF-κB activity in bronchiectasis. Among the top 20 signaling pathways identified, mechanisms of action appear to be primarily related to Chagas disease, allograft rejection, hepatitis B, and inflammatory bowel disease.

CONCLUSION

In summary, using a network pharmacology approach, we initially predicted the complex regulatory profile of BMGLF against bronchiectasis in which multilink suppression of immune/inflammatory responses plays an essential role. These results may provide a basis for novel pharmacotherapeutic approaches for bronchiectasis.

The influence of the extraction method on bioactivity of the root of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum is traditionally used as a folk medicine and functional food in China. Its extracts have been confirmed to have many bioactivities. However, the effect of extracting temperature on its bioactivity has not been reported. In this research, the total flavonoids content (TFC), total polyphenol content (TPC), antiproliferative, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanol extracts and water extracts (extracted at 55, 70, 85, and 100°C) were observed. The results indicated that ethanol extracts showed better antioxidant activity with DPPH EC50 of 504.1 ± 3.8 μg/ml and ABTS EC50 of 851.4 ± 3.9 μg/ml. A better antiproliferative activity on HepG2, PC12, Caco-2, and Hela cells was observed on ethanol extracts. The results of anti-inflammatory activities also indicated that all of the extracts can reduce the NO production of LPS-stimulated macrophage with dose-independent manner. In summary, the results showed that the antiproliferative, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of water extracts decreased with the increasing temperature to some extent.