Uncovering the pharmacological mechanism of motherwort (Leonurus japonicus Houtt.) for treating menstrual disorders: A systems pharmacology approach

Curative effect of motherwort combined with ethinylestradiol-cyproterone acetate on dysfunctional uterine bleeding

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the curative effect of motherwort combined with ethinylestradiol-cyproterone acetate (EE/CPA) on dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB).

METHODS

Atotal of 68 patients with DUB were divided into a single medication group (treated with EE/CPA) and a combination medication group(treated with motherwort and EE/CPA). The clinical efficacy, uterine hemodynamic parameters, sex hormone levels, coagulation index levels, blood routine test levels, and adverse reactions of patients were evaluated.

RESULTS

After three months of treatment, total treatment response rate of the combination medication group was significantly higher than that of the single medication group. Decreased uterine volume, endometrial thickness and resistance index (RI), increased pulsatility index(PI), average flow rate, and uterine artery blood flow, as well asreduced follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH),estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen (FIB), thrombin time(TT), platelet count (PLT), red blood cell (RBC), and hemoglobin (Hb)levels were witnessed in patients of the two groups. In thecombination medication group, there exhibited reduced uterine volume, endometrial thickness and RI, elevated PI, average flow rate, and uterine artery blood flow, reduced P, E2, FSH, LH, aPTT, PT, FIB, TT,PLT, RBC, and Hb levels in comparison to the single medication group.

CONCLUSION

The combination of motherwort and EE/CPA is clinically effective in the treatment of DUB.

De novo chromosome-level genome assembly of Chinese motherwort (Leonurus japonicus)

Chinese motherwort (Leonurus japonicus), a member of Lamiaceae family, is a commonly used medicinal herb for treating obstetrical and gynecological diseases, producing over 280 officinal natural products. Due to limited genomic resources, little progress has been made in deciphering the biosynthetic pathway of valuable natural products in L. japonicus. Here, we de novo assembled the L. japonicus genome using high-coverage ONT long reads and Hi-C reads. The chromosome-level genome assembly contained ten chromosomes representing 99.29% of 489.34 Mb genomic sequence with a contig and scaffold N50 of 7.27 Mb and 50.86 Mb, respectively. Genome validations revealed BUSCO and LAI score of 99.2% and 21.99, respectively, suggesting high quality of genome assembly. Using transcriptomic data from various tissues, 22,531 protein-coding genes were annotated. Phylogenomic analysis of 13 angiosperm plants suggested L. japonicus had 58 expanded gene families functionally enriched in specialized metabolism such as diterpenoid biosynthesis. The genome assembly, annotation, and sequencing data provide resources for the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways behind natural products of pharmaceutical applications in L. japonicus.

Rapid classification and identification of chemical constituents in Leonurus japonicus Houtt based on UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS combined with data post-processing techniques

Leonurus japonicus Houtt (LJH) is a bulk medicinal material commonly used in clinical practice, but its complex constituents have not been completely understood, posing challenges to pharmacology, pharmacokinetic research, and scientific and rational drug use. As a result, it is critical to develop an efficient and accurate method for classifying and identifying the chemical composition of LJH. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole electrostatic field-orbital trap high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS) was successfully established, along with two data post-processing techniques, characteristic fragmentations (CFs) and neutral losses (NLs), to quickly classify and identify the chemical constituents in LJH. As a result, 44 constituents of LJH were identified, including four alkaloids, 20 flavonoids, two phenylpropanoids, 17 organic acids, and one amino acid. The method in this paper enables classification and identification of chemical compositions rapidly, providing a scientific foundation for further research on the effective and toxic substances of LJH.

The effectiveness of motherwort injection in preventing postabortion hemorrhage after induced abortion: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Unintended pregnancy is a problem that women encounter throughout their reproductive age. Excessive and prolonged uterine bleeding is one of the most common and critical adverse reactions of induced abortion, for it increases the risk of anemia and intrauterine infection. To provide reliable clinical evidence, we performed a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the hemostatic effect of motherwort in postabortion.

METHODS

This review protocol has been registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews. The statement of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols will be used as guidelines for reporting present review protocol. Original clinical randomized controlled trials assessing the beneficial effects and safety of motherwort on induced abortion will be included. Databases searched include China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, Wanfang Database, China Biological Medicine Database, PubMed, and EMBASE Database and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Cochrane collaboration tool is used to assess the risk of bias of included randomized controlled trials. All calculations are carried out with Stata 11.0 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, United Kingdom).

RESULTS

This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a detailed summary of the current evidence related to the efficacy of motherwort injection preventing postabortion hemorrhage after induced abortion.

CONCLUSION

This evidence will be useful to practitioners, patients, and health policy-makers regarding the use of motherwort injection in induced abortion.

Mechanisms of Cynarine for treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on the integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking and cell experiment

BACKGROUND

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a chronic Liver Disease prevalent all over the world. It has become more and more common in Japan, China and most western developed countries. The global prevalence rate is 25.24%, and the trend is increasing year by year. Related studies have shown that Cynarine has certain liver protection, lipid lowering and immune intervention effects. So, this study to systematically predict and analyze the mechanism of Cynarine in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) based on the integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cell experiment.

METHODS

We performed Heatmap and Venn diagram analyses to identify genes and targets in Cynarine treat NAFLD. The network of Cynarine-therapeutic targets and the protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed. We used gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses to visualize associated functional pathways. The Sybyl tool was used to dock the Cynarine with key therapeutic targets molecularly. Finally, cell experiments were applied to validate the role of Cynarine in the treatment of NAFLD.

RESULTS

The Cynarine could act on 48 targets of NAFLD, and the role of CASP3, TP53, MMP9, ELANE, NOTCH1 were more important. The PPI network showed that immune and inflammation-related targets played a pivotal role. The KEGG analysis found that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, cell cycle and MAPK signaling pathway may be the main pathways for Cynarine to prevent and treat NAFLD. Molecular docking studies confirmed that Cynarine has good binding activity with therapeutic targets. Cynarine reduced the fat deposition ability of NAFLD model cells, and effectively reduced the levels of ALT and AST released by liver cells due to excessive lipid accumulation. We also found that Cynarine inhibited the expression of AKT1 and MAPK1.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that Cynarine could significantly reduce the fat deposition ability of NAFLD model cells, which may be closely related to the effective regulation of AKT1 and MAPK1 expression by Cynarine.

Correlation between quality and geographical origins of Leonuri Herba revealed by the qualitative fingerprint profiling and quantitative determination of chemical components

Background

Leonuri Herba (Yimucao) is a very common Chinese herbs for treating menstrual and maternal diseases for thousands of years in China. However, the herb collected in different origins was easily found in the markets which induce the unstable quality for clinic use. In this study, a comprehensive strategy of using multiple chromatographic analysis and chemometric analysis was firstly investigated for chemical discrimination of Leonuri Herba from different geographical origins.

Methods

UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS was applied to identify the peaks of Leonuri Herba and chemical fingerprints were established in 30 batches from different geographical origins. Meanwhile, dissimilarities of chemical compositions among different origins were further investigated by principal component analysis and cluster analysis. And a quantitative UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS approach were established to investigate the potential marker for quality control of Leonuri Herba.

Results

A total of 49 chromatographic peaks of Leonuri Herba were identified by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Leonuri Herba were classified into four categories, and eight major compounds detected could be used as chemical markers for discrimination. Also, the eight components, including leonurine, 4',5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone, rutin, hyperoside, apigenin, quercetin, kaempferol and salicylic acid, were simultaneously quantified using the extracting ion mode of UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS.

Conclusion

The current strategy not only clearly expounded the correlation between quality and geographical origins of Leonuri Herba, but also provided a fast, accurate and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative method for assessing the quality of Leonuri Herba.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13020-022-00592-w.

Isolation of three glucaric acids from Leonurus japonicus Houtt. by using high-speed countercurrent chromatography combined with semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography

The isomerism of glucaric acids and the complexity of composition of Leonurus. japonicus Houtt. increased the difficulty of the separation of glucaric acids from the herb. In the present study, three glucaric acids were isolated from Leonurus japonicus Houtt. by using high-speed countercurrent chromatography combined with semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Cation exchange resin chromatography was applied to remove the alkaloids and enrich the glucaric acid fractions. Preliminary separation of glucaric acids extract by high-speed countercurrent chromatography was carried out at 45℃ by using an optimized solvent system of ethyl acetate/n-butanol/formic acid/water (1:1:0.01:2, v/v/v/v) with satisfied stationary phase retention and separation factor. The semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography was used for further separation and purification of the target fractions, and three monomeric compounds were obtained with the purities of 90.0%, 91.0%, and 95.3%. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and MS were employed to identify their structures, which were assigned as 2-syringyl glucaric acid, 2,4-disyringyl glucaric acid, and 3,4-disyringyl glucaric acid, respectively, and 2,4-disyringyl glucaric acid was reported for the first time. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Herbal Medicines Used for Women’s Menstruation Diseases in Different Areas of the World

Aims: This review aims to compare the use of herbal medicine used to treat women’s menstruation and the prevalence of menstrual diseases in different regions, which reveal the use of herbal medicine globally and provide scientific guidance for improving women’s health.

Materials and Methods: The information available on herbal medicines for women between the years 2000 and 2021 was systematically collected via the library and electronic search systems such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science as well as secondary resources including books and conference proceedings.

Results: Totally, 571 ethnic medicines commonly used for women’s menstruation health in Asia, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and America were accounted. Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Ginger), Ruta graveolens L. (Common rue), Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Angelica sinensis), Foeniculum vulgare Mill (Fennel), Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Catharanthus roseus) and other medicines which have obvious advantages and long-term usage are utilized in the treatment of menstrual diseases. Family Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, Fabaceae, and Zingiberaceae are the most common medicinal plant families used for such treatments. In many instances, the application of fresh parts of plants was observed because of the healers’ belief regarding the higher efficiency of the medicine made from fresh plants. Edible plants are used in a wide range of countries.

Conclusion: Women’s menstruation health is directly related to their health condition. Traditional medicines of most ethnic groups have contributed to women’s health care and treatment of gynecological diseases. Practitioners in this field have gained elaborate experience in treatments and medication, and assembled a large number of effective drugs and prescriptions. These experiences have also been inherited and developed by modern clinical application and scientific research. However, the basic research on these drugs is not sufficient, the knowledge of drug use has not been fully popularized, the advantages of drugs have not been fully utilized, and the guiding potential to modern drug research continues to be insufficient. As such, it is necessary to further promote and make a significant contribution to women’s health.