Perillanolides A and B, new monoterpene glycosides from the leaves of Perilla frutescens

Review on the pharmacological effects and pharmacokinetics of scutellarein

Scutellarein is a flavonoid from Scutellaria baicalensis  Georgi that has been shown to have a variety of pharmacological activities. This review aims to summarize the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic studies on scutellarein and provide useful information for relevant scholars. Pharmacological studies indicate that scutellarein possesses a diverse range of pharmacological properties, including but not limited to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anticancer, and cardiovascular protective effects. Further investigation reveals that the pharmacological effects of scutellarein are driven by multiple mechanisms. These mechanisms encompass the scavenging of free radicals, inhibition of the activation of inflammatory signaling pathways and expression of inflammatory mediators, inhibition of the activity of crucial viral proteins, suppression of gluconeogenesis, amelioration of insulin resistance, improvement of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, induction of apoptosis in cancer cells, and prevention of myocardial hypertrophy, among others. In summary, these pharmacological studies suggest that scutellarein holds promise for the treatment of various diseases. It is imperative to conduct clinical studies to further elucidate the therapeutic effects of scutellarein. However, it is worth noting that studies on the pharmacokinetics reveal an inhibitory effect of scutellarein on uridine 5'-diphosphate glucuronide transferases and cytochrome P450 enzymes, potentially posing safety risks.

Identification of inhibitors from a functional food-based plant Perillae Folium against hyperuricemia via metabolomics profiling, network pharmacology and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations

Introduction

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a metabolic disorder caused by purine metabolism dysfunction in which the increasing purine levels can be partially attributed to seafood consumption. Perillae Folium (PF), a widely used plant in functional food, has been historically used to mitigate seafood-induced diseases. However, its efficacy against HUA and the underlying mechanism remain unclear.

Methods

A network pharmacology analysis was performed to identify candidate targets and potential mechanisms involved in PF treating HUA. The candidate targets were determined based on TCMSP, SwissTargetPrediction, Open Targets Platform, GeneCards, Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, and DrugBank. The potential mechanisms were predicted via Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia (KEGG) analyses. Molecular docking in AutoDock Vina and PyRx were performed to predict the binding affinity and pose between herbal compounds and HUA-related targets. A chemical structure analysis of PF compounds was performed using OSIRIS DataWarrior and ClassyFire. We then conducted virtual pharmacokinetic and toxicity screening to filter potential inhibitors. We further performed verifications of these inhibitors' roles in HUA through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, text-mining, and untargeted metabolomics analysis.

Results

We obtained 8200 predicted binding results between 328 herbal compounds and 25 potential targets, and xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) exhibited the highest average binding affinity. We screened out five promising ligands (scutellarein, benzyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside, elemol, diisobutyl phthalate, and (3R)-hydroxy-beta-ionone) and performed MD simulations up to 50 ns for XDH complexed to them. The scutellarein-XDH complex exhibited the most satisfactory stability. Furthermore, the text-mining study provided laboratory evidence of scutellarein's function. The metabolomics approach identified 543 compounds and confirmed the presence of scutellarein. Extending MD simulations to 200 ns further indicated the sustained impact of scutellarein on XDH structure.

Conclusion

Our study provides a computational and biomedical basis for PF treating HUA and fully elucidates scutellarein's great potential as an XDH inhibitor at the molecular level, holding promise for future drug design and development.

The Role and Mechanism of Perilla frutescens in Cancer Treatment

Perilla frutescens is an annual herb of the Labiatae family and is widely grown in several countries in Asia. Perilla frutescens is a plant that is used medicinally in its entirety, as seen in its subdivision into perilla seeds, perilla stalks, and perilla leaves, which vary more markedly in their chemical composition. Several studies have shown that Perilla frutescens has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, detoxifying, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective. In the absence of a review of Perilla frutescens for the treatment of cancer. This review provides an overview of the chemical composition and molecular mechanisms of Perilla frutescens for cancer treatment. It was found that the main active components of Perilla frutescens producing cancer therapeutic effects were perilla aldehyde (PAH), rosmarinic acid (Ros A), lignan, and isoestrogen (IK). In addition to these, extracts of the leaves and fruits of Perilla frutescens are also included. Among these, perilla seed oil (PSO) has a preventive effect against colorectal cancer due to the presence of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. This review also provides new ideas and thoughts for scientific innovation and clinical applications related to Perilla frutescens.

Efficacy of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. frutescens extract on mild knee joint pain: A randomized controlled trial

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of PE extracts developed for the purpose of relieving pain and improving knee joint function on semi-healthy people with mild knee joint pain.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, two-arm, single-center, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. Individuals with knee joint pain and a visual analogue scale (VAS) score < 50 mm were included in the study, and participants with radiological arthritis were excluded. Participants were administered either PFE or a placebo capsule (700 mg, twice a day) orally for eight weeks. The comparisons of the changed VAS score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) scores between the PFE and placebo groups were primary outcomes, while the five inflammation-related laboratory tests including cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, cyclooxygenase-2, neutrophil and lymphocyte ratio, high sensitive C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were secondary outcomes. Also, a safety assessment was done.

Results: Eighty participants (mean age, 38.4 ± 14.0, male: female, 28:52) were enrolled; 75 completed the trial (PFE 36 and placebo 39). After eight weeks, both VAS and WOMAC scores were reduced in the PFE and placebo groups. The changed scores were significantly higher in the PFE group compared to the placebo group: 19.6 ± 10.9 vs. 6.8 ± 10.5; VAS scores (p < 0.001), and 20.5 ± 14.7 vs. 9.3 ± 16.5; total WOMAC scores (p < 0.01) including the sub-scores for pain, stiffness, and functions. No significant changes were reported in the five inflammation-related laboratory parameters. All adverse events were considered minor and unlikely to result from the intervention.

Conclusion: Eight weeks of PFE intake was more effective than placebo in reducing knee joint pain and improving knee joint function in sub-healthy people with mild knee joint pain, and there were no major safety concerns.

Clinical Trial Registration:https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do?search_lang=E&focus=reset_12&search_page=M&pageSize=10&page=undefined&seq=23101&status=5&seq_group=19745, identifier CRIS: KCT0007219

Perilla frutescens: A Rich Source of Pharmacological Active Compounds

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, an important pharmaceutical and nutraceutical crop, is widely cultivated in East Asian countries. In this review, we present the latest research findings on the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of P. frutescens. Different databases, including PubMed, Scopus, CNKI, Agricola, Scifinder, Embase, ScienceDirect, DOAJ, and Web of Science, were searched to present the best review. In this review, we clearly represent the active constituents responsible for each and every pharmacological activity, plausible mechanism of action, and maximum inhibitory concentrations, as well as IC₅₀ values. Approximately 400 different bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, terpenoids, quinines, phenylpropanoids, polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, coumarins, anthocyanins, carotenoids, neolignans, fatty acids, polycosanols, tocopherols, and sitosterols, have been reported in the leaves, seeds, roots, and aerial parts of P. frutescens. The bioactive constituents of P. frutescens exhibited different enzyme-inhibition properties, including antihyaluronidase effects and aldose reductase inhibitory, α-glucosidase inhibitory, xanthine oxidase inhibitory, and tyrosinase inhibitory properties. P. frutescens showed strong anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, anti-spasmodic, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, insecticidal, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. Hence, the active constituents of P. frutescens used in the treatment of diabetes and diabetic complications (retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy), prevention of hyperuricemia in gout patients, hyper pigmentation, allergic conditions, skin inflammation, skin allergy, atopic dermatitis, periodontosis, androgenic alopecia, gastric inflammation, oesophagitis, carcinogenesis, cardiovascular, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and cerebral ischemic disorders. Furthermore, we revealed the most active constituents and possible mechanisms of the pharmacological properties of P. frutescens.

Chemical compositions and bioactivities of essential oil from perilla leaf (Perillae Folium) obtained by ultrasonic-assisted hydro-distillation with natural deep eutectic solvents

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) have received considerable attention for green extraction. In this study, ultrasonic-assisted natural deep eutectics were applied for hydrodistillation to extract essential oil from perilla leaves. Compared to hydrodistillation assisted with ultrasound, this novel method effectively raised the yield of perilla leaf EO from 0.21% to 0.69% (choline chloride: malic acid, molar ratio 2:1) and broadened the types of chemical compositions (71 in total), especially aliphatic and aromatic compounds. Stronger antimicrobial and antioxidant activity was confirmed, and phenolics were increased. Additionally, the pH of the final solution was detected. The leaf residues were dried, weighed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy to show the influence of NADESs' strong extractability. This new extraction method may be applicable in edible natural product extraction and provide a reference for further exploration of NADESs.

Rho/ROCK Pathway and Noncoding RNAs: Implications in Ischemic Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury

Ischemic strokes (IS) and spinal cord injuries (SCI) are major causes of disability. RhoA is a small GTPase protein that activates a downstream effector, ROCK. The up-regulation of the RhoA/ROCK pathway contributes to neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, astrogliosis, and axon growth inhibition in IS and SCI. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), were previously considered to be non-functional. However, they have attracted much attention because they play an essential role in regulating gene expression in physiological and pathological conditions. There is growing evidence that ROCK inhibitors, such as fasudil and VX-210, can reduce injury in IS and SCI in animal models and clinical trials. Recently, it has been reported that miRNAs are decreased in IS and SCI, while lncRNAs are increased. Inhibiting the Rho/ROCK pathway with miRNAs alleviates apoptosis, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and axon growth inhibition in IS and SCI. Further studies are required to explore the significance of ncRNAs in IS and SCI and to establish new strategies for preventing and treating these devastating diseases.

Flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyketide antibiotics: Role of glycosylation and biocatalytic tactics in engineering glycosylation

Flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyketides are structurally diverse secondary metabolites used widely as pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Most of these molecules exist in nature as glycosides, in which sugar residues act as a decisive factor in their architectural complexity and bioactivity. Engineering glycosylation through selective trimming or extension of the sugar residues in these molecules is a prerequisite to their commercial production as well to creating novel derivatives with specialized functions. Traditional chemical glycosylation methods are tedious and can offer only limited end-product diversity. New in vitro and in vivo biocatalytic tools have emerged as outstanding platforms for engineering glycosylation in these three classes of secondary metabolites to create a large repertoire of versatile glycoprofiles. As knowledge has increased about secondary metabolite-associated promiscuous glycosyltransferases and sugar biosynthetic machinery, along with phenomenal progress in combinatorial biosynthesis, reliable industrial production of unnatural secondary metabolites has gained momentum in recent years. This review highlights the significant role of sugar residues in naturally occurring flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyketide antibiotics. General biocatalytic tools used to alter the identity and pattern of sugar molecules are described, followed by a detailed illustration of diverse strategies used in the past decade to engineer glycosylation of these valuable metabolites, exemplified with commercialized products and patents. By addressing the challenges involved in current bio catalytic methods and considering the perspectives portrayed in this review, exceptional drugs, flavors, and aromas from these small molecules could come to dominate the natural-product industry.

Isolation, characterization, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of flavonoids from the leaves of Perilla frutescens

Phytochemical investigation of the water extract from the leaves of Perilla frutescens (Lamiaceae) led to the isolation of a new flavanone, a new chalcone, and a new aurone, namely, (2S)-5,7-dimethoxy-8,4'-dihydroxyflavanone (1), 2',4'-dimethoxy-4,5',6'-trihydroxychalcone (2), and (Z)-4,6-dimethoxy-7,4'-dihydroxyaurone (3), respectively. The structures were unambiguously elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. And the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by analysis of electronic circular dichroism spectrum. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on xanthine oxidase in vitro. Among them, 2 showed more potent activity than the positive control allopurinol, a well-known XO inhibitor clinically used for treatment of gout. Lineweaver-Burk transformation of the inhibition kinetics data demonstrated that it was a mixed-type inhibitor.[Formula: see text].