Phenolic compounds from the leaves of Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N.E.Br. And their lipid-lowering effects

An Interpretable Screening Approach Derived Through XGBoost Regression for the Discovery of Hypolipidemic Contributors in Chinese Hawthorn Leaf and its Counterfeit Malus Doumeri Leaf

The active ingredient group is a prominent feature reflecting the inherent characteristics of plant-based functional foods. Chinese hawthorn leaf (CHL), a tea substitute possessing intrinsic nutritional properties in anti-hyperlipidemia, was first found to be adulterated with Malus doumeri leaf (MDL) owing to similar commercial labels. In this context, the above-mentioned two contrasting species were explored through phytochemical profiling and activity assessment. The amelioration effect of CHL on free fatty acids-elicited lipid deposition in HepG2 cells was significantly better than that of MDL. Molecular networking-based metabolic profiles identified 68 and 67 components in CHL and MDL, with 33 shared components. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm with outstanding performance was selected to screen candidate components contributing to hypolipidemic activity, and the output was later interpreted by Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) method. Twelve and eight components were separately screened as hyperlipidemic inhibitors in CHL and MDL, while only four constituents were shared. The bioactivity evaluation of selected ingredients and combinations further confirmed their anti-hyperlipidemia capacity. These findings emphasized the feasibility of filtering bioactivity-related compounds using interpretable machine learning approaches and illustrated that related species may contain different hypolipidemic contributors, even if shared constituents existed.

Efficacy of Crataegus Extract Mixture on Body Fat and Lipid Profiles in Overweight Adults: A 12-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

A Crataegus Extract Mixture (CEM) is a combination of extracts from Crataegus pinnatifida leaves and Citrus unshiu peels, well-known herbs used for treating obesity and dyslipidemia. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a CEM on the body fat and lipid profiles in overweight adults. A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial was conducted on 105 subjects aged 20-60 years with body mass indexes between 25 and 30 kg/m2. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive either a high dose of the CEM (400 mg tid), a low dose of the CEM (280 mg tid), or a placebo. Body fat was evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and anthropometric measurements. The blood lipid and adipokine profiles were measured before and after the administration. After 12 weeks, the reductions in the fat percentages measured by DXA and BIA were significantly greater in the CEM groups than in the placebo group. The CEM also significantly decreased the body weights, body mass indexes, and blood leptin levels. An additional per-protocol analysis revealed that the high dose of the CEM also lowered the blood levels of triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. No adverse events occurred after the CEM treatment. Our results suggest that CEMs are safe and effective for reducing the body fat and body weight and regulating the blood lipid and leptin levels in overweight or mildly obese individuals.

Bio-Actives from Natural Products with Potential Cardioprotective Properties: Isolation, Identification, and Pharmacological Actions of Apigenin, Quercetin, and Silibinin

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. As a result, pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions modifying risk factors for CVDs are a top priority of scientific research. Non-pharmaceutical therapeutical approaches, including herbal supplements, have gained growing interest from researchers as part of the therapeutic strategies for primary or secondary prevention of CVDs. Several experimental studies have supported the potential effects of apigenin, quercetin, and silibinin as beneficial supplements in cohorts at risk of CVDs. Accordingly, this comprehensive review focused critically on the cardioprotective effects/mechanisms of the abovementioned three bio-active compounds from natural products. For this purpose, we have included in vitro, preclinical, and clinical studies associated with atherosclerosis and a wide variety of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, cardiac injury, and metabolic syndrome). In addition, we attempted to summarize and categorize the laboratory methods for their isolation and identification from plant extracts. This review unveiled many uncertainties which are still unexplored, such as the extrapolation of experimental results to clinical practice, mainly due to the small clinical studies, heterogeneous doses, divergent constituents, and the absence of pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic analyses.

The complete chloroplast genome of Crataegus scabrifolia (Franch.) Rehd (Rosaceae), a medicinal and edible plant in Southwest China

Crataegus scabrifolia (Franch.) Rehd is a medicinal and edible plant in Southwest China. The chloroplast genome of C. scabrifolia was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology, and its genetic relationship to related species was discussed. The chloroplast genome is 159,637 bp long, with two inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,384 bp each) that separate a large single-copy (LSC) region (87,730 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (19,139 bp). A total of 127 genes were annotated, including 83 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 36 tRNA genes. The phylogenetic tree shows that C. hupehensis is closely related to C. scabrifolia with strong bootstrap support.

The Hypolipidemic Effect of Hawthorn Leaf Flavonoids through Modulating Lipid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota in Hyperlipidemic Rats

Objective. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential mechanisms of the lipid-regulating effects and the effect on modulating the gut microbiota of hawthorn leaf flavonoids (HLF) in the high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Methods. The hypolipidemic effect of HLF was investigated in the high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. The action targets of HLF in the treatment of hyperlipidemia were predicted by network pharmacology and KEGG enrichment bubble diagram, which were verified by the test of western blotting. Meanwhile, we used 16S rRNA sequencing to evaluate the effects of HLF on the microbes. Results. The results of animal experiments showed that HLF could reduce the body weight and regulate the levels of serum lipid in high-fat diet (HFD) rats. Meanwhile, for the related targets of cholesterol metabolism, HLF could significantly upregulate the expression of LDLR, NR1H3, and ABCG5/ABCG8; reduce the expression of PCSK9; and increase the level of CYP7A1 in the intestinal tissue, whereas cholesterol biosynthetic protein expressions including HMGCR and SCAP were lowered by HLF. In addition, HLF increased the activities of plasma SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px and decreased the levels of Casp 1, NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α, improving the degree of hepatocyte steatosis and inflammatory infiltration of rats. Notably, HLF significantly regulated the relative abundance of major bacteria such as g_Lactobacillus, g_Anaerostipes, g_[Eubacterium]_hallii_group, g_Fusicatenibacter, g_Akkermansia, and g_Collinsella. Synchronously, we found that HLF could regulate the disorder of plasma HEPC and TFR levels caused by HFD. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that HLF can regulate metabolic hyperlipidemia syndromes and modulate the relative abundance of major bacteria, which illustrated that it might be associated with the modulation of gut microbiota composition and metabolites.

Metabolomic and Microbial Remodeling by Shanmei Capsule Improves Hyperlipidemia in High Fat Food-Induced Mice

Hyperlipidemia refers to a chronic disease caused by systemic metabolic disorder, and its pathophysiology is very complex. Shanmei capsule (SM) is a famous preparation with a long tradition of use for anti-hyperlipidemia treatment in China. However, the regulation mechanism of SM on hyperlipidemia has not been elucidated so far. In this study, a combination of UPLC-Q-TOF/MS techniques and 16S rDNA gene sequencing was performed to investigate the effects of SM treatment on plasma metabolism-mediated change and intestinal homeostasis. The results indicated that SM potently ameliorated high-fat diet-induced glucose and lipid metabolic disorders and reduced the histopathological injury. Pathway analysis indicated that alterations of differential metabolites were mainly involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism, linolenic acid metabolism, α-linoleic acid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism. These changes were accompanied by a significant perturbation of intestinal microbiota characterized by marked increased microbial richness and changed microbiota composition. There were many genera illustrating strong correlations with hyperlipidemia-related markers (e.g., weight gains, GLU, and total cholesterol), including the Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group and the Lachnospiraceae NK4B4 group. Overall, this study initially confirmed that hyperlipidemia is associated with metabolic disturbance and intestinal microbiota disorders, and SM can be employed to help decrease hyperlipidemia risk, including improving the abnormal metabolic profile and maintaining the gut microbial environment.