Study on the potential of Sanghuangporus sanghuang and its components as COVID-19 spike protein receptor binding domain inhibitors

Distinguishing Sanghuangporus from sanghuang-related fungi: a comparative and phylogenetic analysis based on mitogenomes

The Chinese medicinal fungi "Sanghuang" have been long recognized for their significant and valued medicinal properties, as documented in ancient medical literature. However, in traditional folk medicine, various macrofungi sharing similar appearance, habitat, and therapeutic effects with Sanghuang were erroneously used. These Sanghuang-like fungi mainly belong to the Porodaedalea, Phellinus, and Inonotus genera within the Hymenochaetaceae family. Despite the establishment of the Sanghuangporus genus and the identification of multiple species, the emerging taxonomic references based on morphological, ITS, and mycelial structural features have been inadequate to differentiate Sanghuangporus and Sanghuang-like fungi. To address this limitation, this study presents the first comparative and phylogenetic analysis of Sanghuang-related fungi based on mitogenomes. Our results show that Sanghuangporus species show marked convergence in mitochondrial genomic features and form a distinct monophyletic group based on phylogenetic analyses of five datasets. These results not only deepen our understanding of Sanghuang-like fungi but also offer novel insights into their mitochondrial composition and phylogeny, thereby providing new research tools for distinguishing members of the Sanghuangporus genus. KEY POINTS: • Sanghuangporus, Inonotus, and Porodaedalea are monophyly in sanghuang-like species. • Mitogenome-based analysis exhibits high resolution in sanghuang-like genus. • The mitogenomes provide strong evidence for reclassifying Phellinus gilvus S12 as Sanghuangporus vaninii.

The Antiviral Potential of Perilla frutescens: Advances and Perspectives

Viruses pose a significant threat to human health, causing widespread diseases and impacting the global economy. Perilla frutescens, a traditional medicine and food homologous plant, is well known for its antiviral properties. This systematic review examines the antiviral potential of Perilla frutescens, including its antiviral activity, chemical structure and pharmacological parameters. Utilizing bioinformatics analysis, we revealed the correlation between Perilla frutescens and antiviral activity, identified overlaps between Perilla frutescens target genes and virus-related genes, and explored related signaling pathways. Moreover, a classified summary of the active components of Perilla frutescens, focusing on compounds associated with antiviral activity, provides important clues for optimizing the antiviral drug development of Perilla frutescens. Our findings indicate that Perilla frutescens showed a strong antiviral effect, and its active ingredients can effectively inhibit the replication and spread of a variety of viruses in this review. The antiviral mechanisms of Perilla frutescens may involve several pathways, including enhanced immune function, modulation of inflammatory responses, and inhibition of key enzyme activities such as viral replicase. These results underscore the potential antiviral application of Perilla frutescens as a natural plant and provide important implications for the development of new antiviral drugs.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Viral Activity of Sweet Potato Trypsin Inhibitor via Downregulation of TMPRSS2 Activity and ACE2 Expression In Vitro and In Vivo

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic. Known as COVID-19, it has affected billions of people worldwide, claiming millions of lives and posing a continuing threat to humanity. This is considered one of the most extensive pandemics ever recorded in human history, causing significant losses to both life and economies globally. However, the available evidence is currently insufficient to establish the effectiveness and safety of antiviral drugs or vaccines. The entry of the virus into host cells involves binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a cell surface receptor, via its spike protein. Meanwhile, transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), a host surface protease, cleaves and activates the virus's S protein, thus promoting viral infection. Plant protease inhibitors play a crucial role in protecting plants against insects and/or microorganisms. The major storage proteins in sweet potato roots include sweet potato trypsin inhibitor (SWTI), which accounts for approximately 60% of the total water-soluble protein and has been found to possess a variety of health-promoting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, ACE-inhibitory, and anticancer functions. Our study found that SWTI caused a significant reduction in the expression of the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 proteins, without any adverse effects on cells. Therefore, our findings suggest that the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 axis can be targeted via SWTI to potentially inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Research on the Interaction Mechanism and Structural Changes in Human Serum Albumin with Hispidin Using Spectroscopy and Molecular Docking

The interaction between human serum albumin (HSA) and hispidin, a polyketide abundantly present in both edible and therapeutic mushrooms, was explored through multispectral methods, hydrophobic probe assays, location competition trials, and molecular docking simulations. The results of fluorescence quenching analysis showed that hispidin quenched the fluorescence of HSA by binding to it via a static mechanism. The binding of hispidin and HSA was validated further by synchronous fluorescence, three-dimensional fluorescence, and UV/vis spectroscopy analysis. The apparent binding constant (Ka) at different temperatures, the binding site number (n), the quenching constants (Ksv), the dimolecular quenching rate constants (Kq), and the thermodynamic parameters (∆G, ∆H, and ∆S) were calculated. Among these parameters, ∆H and ∆S were determined to be 98.75 kJ/mol and 426.29 J/(mol·K), respectively, both exhibiting positive values. This observation suggested a predominant contribution of hydrophobic forces in the interaction between hispidin and HSA. By employing detergents (SDS and urea) and hydrophobic probes (ANS), it became feasible to quantify alterations in Ka and surface hydrophobicity, respectively. These measurements confirmed the pivotal role of hydrophobic forces in steering the interaction between hispidin and HSA. Site competition experiments showed that there was an interaction between hispidin and HSA molecules at site I, which situates the IIA domains of HSA, which was further confirmed by the molecular docking simulation.

Phellinus linteus mycelia extract in COVID-19 prevention and identification of its key metabolic compounds profiling using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS spectrometry

For centuries, food, herbal medicines, and natural products have been valuable resources for discovering novel antiviral drugs, uncovering new structure-activity relationships, and developing effective strategies to prevent/treat viral infections. One such resource is Phellinus linteus, a mushroom used in folk medicine in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and China. In this rich historical context, the key metabolites of Phellinus linteus mycelia ethanolic extract (GKPL) impacting the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at multiple stages have yet to be explored. Thus, this study systematically identifies and assesses the inhibitory effect of GKPL on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Initially, the concentrations and contact times of GKPL against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus were assessed in HepG2 cells. Subsequently, utilizing the Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry method, potential biomarkers in the fungal extract were discerned. Metabolomic analysis identified 18 compounds in GKPL, with hispidin and hypholomine B present in the highest amounts. These compounds were isolated using chromatographic techniques and further identified through 1D NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometry analysis. Hispidin and hypholomine B were found to inhibit the infection of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus by reducing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene expression in HepG2, thereby decreasing viral entry. Moreover, hispidin and hypholomine B effectively block the spike receptor-binding domain, while hypholomine B, for the first time, showed significant inhibition of 3CL protease. This suggests that GKPL, enriched with hispidin and hypholomine B, has the potential to be used as an active ingredient against SARS-CoV-2.

Determination of Phenolic Acids Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Triple Quadrupole (UHPLC-QqQ) in Fruiting Bodies of Sanghuangporus baumii (Pilát) L.W. Zhou and Y.C. Dai

Sanghuangporus, a medicinal mushroom, has gained significant attention due to its beneficial properties. Phenolic acids are among the major bioactive compounds in Sanghuangporus, known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. To precisely quantify the phenolic acid content, we developed a method utilizing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole (UHPLC-QqQ). This study optimized the UHPLC-QqQ conditions to simultaneously separate and detect eight phenolic acids in Sanghuangporus baumii (Pilát) L.W. Zhou and Y.C. Dai, including chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, and syringic acid. The separation process utilized a ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 column using 0.01% formic acid and 2 mmol/L ammonium formate in water as the aqueous phase and methanol containing 0.01% formic acid and 2 mmol/L ammonium formate as the organic phase. Calibration curves were constructed using standard solutions to quantitatively determine the phenolic acid content. The results showed significant variation in phenolic acid content among S. baumii fruiting bodies, with Protocatechuic acid, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid being the most abundant. This method is valuable for quantifying phenolic acid compounds under different cultivation conditions. It provides excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility for the quantification of phenolic acids in Sanghuangporus, contributing to a better understanding of its chemical composition and potential health benefits. This approach represents a novel technical means for the simultaneous analysis of compound phenolic acids in Sanghuangporus fruiting bodies.

Anisomeles indica Extracts and Their Constituents Suppress the Protein Expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 In Vivo and In Vitro

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), stemming from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had a profound global impact. This highly contagious pneumonia remains a significant ongoing threat. Uncertainties persist about the virus's effects on human health, underscoring the need for treatments and prevention. Current research highlights angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) as key targets against SARS-CoV-2. The virus relies on ACE2 to enter cells and TMPRSS2 to activate its spike protein. Inhibiting ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression can help prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze, a medicinal plant in traditional Chinese medicine, shows various promising pharmacological properties. In this study, ethanolic extracts of A. indica were examined both in vivo (250 and 500 μM) and in vitro (500 μM). Through Western blotting analysis, a significant reduction in the expression levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 proteins was observed in HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma) cells and HEK 293T (human embryonic kidney) cell lines without inducing cellular damage. The principal constituents of A. indica, namely, ovatodiolide (5 and 10 μM), anisomlic acid (5 and 10 μM), and apigenin (12.5 and 25 μM), were also found to produce the same effect. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis of mouse liver, kidney, and lung tissues demonstrated a decrease in ACE2 and TMPRSS2 protein expression levels. Consequently, this article suggests that A. indica and its constituents have the potential to reduce ACE2 and TMPRSS2 protein expression levels, thus aiding in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Evaluation of lung protection of Sanghuangporus sanghuang through TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK, keap1/Nrf2/HO-1, CaMKK/AMPK/Sirt1, and TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling pathways mediating apoptosis and autophagy

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a type of interstitial pneumonia characterized by chronic and progressive fibrosis with an unknown etiology. Previous pharmacological studies have shown that Sanghuangporus sanghuang possesses various beneficial properties including immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antitumor, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. This study used a bleomycin (BLM)-induced IPF mouse model to illustrate the possible benefits of SS in ameliorating IPF. BLM was administered on day 1 to establish a pulmonary fibrosis mouse model, and SS was administered through oral gavage for 21 d. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson's trichrome staining results showed that SS significantly reduced tissue damage and decreased fibrosis expression. We observed that SS treatment resulted in a substantial lowering in the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TGF-β, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 as well as MPO. In addition, we observed a notable increase in glutathione (GSH) levels. Western blot analysis of SS showed that it reduces inflammatory factors (TWEAK, iNOS, and COX-2), MAPK (JNK, p-ERK, and p-38), fibrosis-related molecules (TGF-β, SMAD3, fibronectin, collagen, α-SMA, MMP2, and MMP9), apoptosis (p53, p21, and Bax), and autophagy (Beclin-1, LC3A/B-I/II, and p62), and notably increases caspase 3, Bcl-2, and antioxidant (Catalase, GPx3, and SOD-1) levels. SS alleviates IPF by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK, Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1, CaMKK/AMPK/Sirt1, and TGF-β/SMAD3 pathways. These results suggest that SS has a pharmacological activity that protects the lungs and has the potential to improve pulmonary fibrosis.

Phenolic profile, antioxidation and anti-proliferation activity of phenolic-rich extracts from Sanghuangporusvaninii

In this study, phenolic-rich extracts from Sanghuangporus vaninii (SHE) were prepared, the phenolic profile and main phenolic compound content of SHE were studied by UPLC-Orbitrap-MS, and the antioxidant and antiproliferation activities of SHE were evaluated. The results showed that the total polyphenol content and the total flavonoid content of SHE were 42.420 ± 0.011 mg GAE/g EW and 8.504 ± 0.205 mg RE/g EW, respectively. Moreover, 14 phenolic acids and 8 flavonoids in SHE were identified, among which, the major polyphenols were protocatechualdehyde (394.68 μg/g), protocatechuic acid (196.88 μg/g), caffeic acid (96.11 μg/g), L-phenylalanine (12.72 μg/g) and (+)-taxifolin (8.59 μg/g). SHE showed strong radical scavenging, anti-lipid peroxidation and anti-DNA damage capacity in vitro. SHE could effectively induce HepG2 cell apoptosis via the caspases-dependent mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and arrest the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase. The present study suggested that S. vaninii could be a valuable source of natural antioxidative and antiproliferative ingredients.

Identifying Bioactive Ingredients and Antioxidant Activities of Wild Sanghuangporus Species of Medicinal Fungi

Sanghuangporus refers to a group of rare medicinal fungi with remarkable therapeutic properties. However, current knowledge on the bioactive ingredients and antioxidant activities of different species of this genus is limited. In this study, a total of 15 wild strains from 8 species of Sanghuangporus were selected as the experimental materials for identification of the bioactive components (polysaccharide, polyphenol, flavonoid, triterpenoid, and ascorbic acid) and antioxidant activities (scavenging activities against hydroxyl, superoxide, DPPH, and ABTS radicals; superoxide dismutase activity; and ferric reducing ability of plasma). Notably, individual strains contained different levels of various indicators, among which Sanghuangporus baumii Cui 3573, S. sanghuang Cui 14419 and Cui 14441, S. vaninii Dai 9061, and S. zonatus Dai 10841 displayed the strongest activities. The correlation analysis of bioactive ingredients and antioxidant activities revealed that the antioxidant capacity of Sanghuangporus is mainly associated with the contents of flavonoid and ascorbic acid, followed by polyphenol and triterpenoid, and finally, polysaccharide. Together, the results obtained from the comprehensive and systematic comparative analyses contribute further potential resources and critical guidance for the separation, purification, and further development and utilization of bioactive agents from wild Sanghuangporus species, as well as the optimization of their artificial cultivation conditions.

Uncovering the information immunology journals transmitted for COVID-19: A bibliometric and visualization analysis

BACKGROUND

Since the global epidemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a large number of immunological studies related to COVID-19 have been published in various immunology journals. However, the results from these studies were discrete, and no study summarized the important immunological information about COVID-19 released by these immunology journals. This study aimed to comprehensively summarize the knowledge structure and research hotspots of COVID-19 published in major immunology journals through bibliometrics.

METHODS

Publications on COVID-19 in major immunology journals were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R-bibliometrix were comprehensively used for bibliometric and visual analysis.

RESULTS

1,331 and 5,000 publications of 10 journals with high impact factors and 10 journals with the most papers were included, respectively. The USA, China, England, and Italy made the most significant contributions to these papers. University College London, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Harvard Medical School, University California San Diego, and University of Pennsylvania played a central role in international cooperation in the immunology research field of COVID-19. Yuen Kwok Yung was the most important author in terms of the number of publications and citations, and the H-index. CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES and FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY were the most essential immunology journals. These immunology journals mostly focused on the following topics: "Delta/Omicron variants", "cytokine storm", "neutralization/neutralizing antibody", "T cell", "BNT162b2", "mRNA vaccine", "vaccine effectiveness/safety", and "long COVID".

CONCLUSION

This study systematically uncovered a holistic picture of the current research on COVID-19 published in major immunology journals from the perspective of bibliometrics, which will provide a reference for future research in this field.