Benzannulated 5,5-spiroketal sesquiterpenes from the roots of Angelica Pubescens

Fabrication of a biochar-doped monolithic adsorbent and its application for the extraction and determination of coumarins from Angelicae Pubescentis Radix

A monolithic adsorbent was designed aiming to the structure of osthole and columbianadin, and fabricated using diallyl phthalate as the monomer and ethylene dimethacrylate as the crosslinker with the addition of bamboo biochar, via polymerization reaction in a stainless-steel tube. The prepared composite adsorbent packed in the tube was used as a solid-phase extraction column for the extraction and determination of two coumarins (osthole and columbianadin) in Angelicae Pubescentis Radix, combing with a C18 analytical column through an HPLC instrument, which show excellent matrix-removal ability and good selectivity to osthole and columbianadin. Furthermore, the present adsorbent shows good applicability, which was used for the extraction of osthole from Duhuo Jisheng Pill. Compared to the commercial C18 and phenyl adsorbent, the present adsorbent own better selectivity and higher resolution. These results attributed to the enhanced specific surface area (141 m2/g) and enriched interaction sites of the resulting composite adsorbent, due to the doping of bamboo biochar, which can produce hydrogen bond, dipole-dipole, π-π and hydrophobic force interactions with the osthole and columbianadin. The methodology validation indicated that the present method showed good precision and good accuracy, and the composite adsorbent showed good preparative repeatability, which can be reused for no less than 100 times with the relative standard deviation ≤4.6 % (n = 100). The present work provided a simple and efficient method for the extraction and determination osthole and columbianadin from Angelicae Pubescentis Radix.

Insight into tetrahydrofuran lignans from Isatis indigotica fortune with neuroprotective and acetylcholinesterase inhibitor activity

Nine tetrahydrofuran lignans, including three undescribed spiro-lignans, were isolated from Isatis indigotica Fortune (Brassicaceae). Extensive spectroscopic analyses achieved the structure elucidation of these tetrahydrofuran lignans, and quantum chemical calculation combined with the MAE_ΔΔδ parameter. Notably, isatispironeols A-B have a unique spiro[dienone-tetrahydrofuran] molecular core. These spiro[dienone-tetrahydrofuran] lignans showed comparable neuroprotective effects as the positive control in the H₂O₂-induced SH-SY5Y cells model. In addition, (-)-(7R,8S,1'R,7'R,8'R)-isatispironeol A possessed more significant AChE inhibitory activity, further interact sites were also predicted by the in silico assay.

Osthole: A potential AMPK agonist that inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation by regulating mitochondrial homeostasis for combating rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND

Osthole (OST), a characteristic coumarin compound in Angelicae pubescentis radix (APR), has shown potent efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but its specific targets and potential mechanism are limited.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the potential targets and molecular mechanisms of OST against RA using computer-assisted techniques in combination with RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) inflammation model and CIA rat model.

METHODS

Network pharmacology and molecular docking were applied to initially predict the potential targets of OST for the treatment of RA. Thereafter, TNFα was used to stimulate FLS to build an in vitro model of inflammation, combined with RNA-seq technology and molecular biology such as qPCR to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and related mechanisms of OST. Finally, the anti-RA effect of OST was demonstrated by establishing a CIA rat model.

RESULTS

The network model results showed that the anti-RA effect of OST was mainly related to its anti-inflammatory effect, and AMPK was identified as a potential target for the potency of OST. In the TNFα-induced FLS cells, OST inhibited the secretion of FLS inflammatory factors, which was attributed to the ability of OST to activate AMPK to inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Further, it was observed that the activation of AMPK by OST facilitated mitochondrial biogenesis, and corrected abnormal mitochondrial dynamics in FLS, which was favoured to the restoration of mitochondrial homeostasis, and further promoted the occurrence of apoptosis and the decrease of ROS in FLS. Consistent with in vivo studies, administration of OST significantly improved joint deformity and toe erythema, reduced arthritis index scores and inhibited synovial inflammation in CIA rats.

CONCLUSION

Our study proposed for the first time that AMPK, served as a potential target of OST, positively participated in the anti-RA therapeutic effect of OST. By regulating mitochondrial homeostasis and function, OST can effectively inhibit the activation of inflammasome and the secretion of inflammatory factors in vitro and in vivo, and finally achieve beneficial effects in the treatment of RA, which provides support and greater possibility to make further efforts on pharmacological research and clinical application of OST.

Clinical evidence construction of East Asian herbal medicine for inflammatory pain in rheumatoid arthritis based on integrative data mining approach

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to a significant social burden. East Asian herbal medicine (EAHM) has long been used to treat RA. Therefore, a systematic study of how EAHM treatments can be developed into new drugs using specific materials is needed.

METHODS

Eleven databases containing literature in English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing EAHM with conventional medicine (CM). A meta-analysis was performed on the variable data to assess their effects on inflammatory pain. Subsequently, we searched for core materials and combinations of core material-based data mining methods.

RESULTS

A total of 186 trials involving 19,716 patients with RA met the inclusion criteria. According to the meta-analysis, EAHM had a significantly superior effect on continuous pain intensity, tender joint count, and response rate. Patients treated with EAHM had a significantly reduced incidence of adverse events compared with those treated with CM. Based on additional analysis of the EAHM formula data included in this meta-analysis, 21 core materials and five core herbal combinations were identified.

CONCLUSION

EAHM remedies for RA have the adequate potential for use as candidate materials for treating inflammatory pain in RA. The candidate core herbs evaluated in this study act on multiple pathways and are expected to provide pain relief, sustained inflammation suppression, immune regulation, and prevention of joint destruction. It seems worthwhile to conduct follow-up research on drug development using the core materials derived from this review.

A novel method for investigating the mechanism of anti-rheumatoid arthritis activity of Angelicae pubescentis Radix by integrating UHPLC-QTOF/MS and network pharmacology

The study aimed to establish a strategy to elucidate the in vivo constituents of Angelicae pubescentis Radix (APR, also known as Duhuo) and reveal the probable mechanisms underlying the anti-rheumatoid arthritis activity of APR. APR, first recorded in Shennong Bencao Jing, is mainly used to treat Bi syndrome. Eleven absorbed components of APR were successfully identified using the Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rat model and the UHPLC-QTOF/MS technique. Two active ingredients (osthole, and columbianadin) and five corresponding targets (PTGS1, PTGS2, RXRA, CCNA2 and ACHE) were found to construct a compound-protein interaction network in RA. In addition, a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathway, which was related to anti-RA activity, was eventually identified by KEGG analysis. Subsequently, molecular docking was performed by establishing a mixed matrix network including the absorbed component, corresponding target, and signaling pathway with two key compounds (osthole and columbianadin) and two important targets (PTGS2 and PTGS1). The result of molecular docking is in agreement with the network pharmacology (NP).

Scalable Biomimetic Syntheses of Paeciloketal B, 1-epi-Paeciloketal B, and Bysspectin A

The first total synthesis of the benzannulated 5,5-spiroketal natural products paeciloketal B and 1-epi-paeciloketal B has been achieved in 10 linear steps employing a biomimetic spiroketalization. This approach also furnished the related natural product bysspectin A from the same putative biosynthetic precursor as the paeciloketals. Alternatively, bysspectin A could be accessed in only six steps using an improved route. This scalable and efficient synthesis affords insight into the biosynthesis of these natural products in nature.