Down regulation of gene related sex hormone synthesis pathway in mouse testes by miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol

Phytochemical characterization of Typha domingensis and the assessment of therapeutic potential using in vitro and in vivo biological activities and in silico studies

Typha domingensis, a medicinal plant with significant traditional importance for curing various human diseases, has potentially bioactive compounds but was less explored previously. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the therapeutic potential of T. domingensis by evaluating the phytochemical profile through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques and its biological activities (in vitro and in vivo) from the methanolic extract derived from the entire plant (TDME). The secondary metabolite profile of TDME regulated by reverse phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (RP-UHPLC-MS) revealed some bioactive compounds by -ve and +ve modes of ionization. The HPLC quantification study showed the precise quantity of polyphenols (p-coumaric acid, 207.47; gallic acid, 96.25; and kaempferol, 95.78 μg/g extract). The enzyme inhibition assays revealed the IC50 of TDME as 44.75 ± 0.51, 52.71 ± 0.01, and 67.19 ± 0.68 µgmL-1, which were significant compared to their respective standards (indomethacin, 18.03 ± 0.12; quercetin, 4.11 ± 0.01; and thiourea, 8.97 ± 0.11) for lipoxygenase, α-glucosidase, and urease, respectively. Safety was assessed by in vitro hemolysis (4.25% ± 0.16% compared to triton × 100, 93.51% ± 0.36%), which was further confirmed (up to 10 g/kg) by an in vivo model of rats. TDME demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) potential in analgesic activity by hot plate and tail immersion tests and anti-inflammatory activity by the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model. Pain latency decreased significantly, and the anti-inflammatory effect increased in a dose-dependent way. Additionally, in silico molecular docking revealed that 1,3,4,5-tetracaffeoylquinic acid and formononetin 7-O-glucoside-6″-O-malonate possibly contribute to enzyme inhibitory activities due to their higher binding affinities compared to standard inhibitors. An in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicological study also predicted the pharmacokinetics and safety of the chosen compounds identified from TDME. To sum up, it was shown that TDME contains bioactive chemicals and has strong biological activities. The current investigations on T. domingensis could be extended to explore its potential applications in nutraceutical industries and encourage the isolation of novel molecules with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

Impact of Drug Metabolism/Pharmacokinetics and their Relevance Upon Traditional Medicine-based Cardiovascular Drug Research

BACKGROUND

The representative cardiovascular herbs, i.e. Panax, Ligusticum, Carthamus, and Pueraria plants, are traditionally and globally used in the prevention and treatment of various cardiovascular diseases. Modern phytochemical studies have found many medicinal compounds from these plants, and their unique pharmacological activities are being revealed. However, there are few reviews that systematically summarize the current trends of Drug Metabolism/Pharmacokinetic (DMPK) investigations of cardiovascular herbs.

METHODS

Here, the latest understanding, as well as the knowledge gaps of the DMPK issues in drug development and clinical usage of cardiovascular herbal compounds, was highlighted.

RESULTS

The complicated herb-herb interactions of cardiovascular Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herb pair/formula significantly impact the PK/pharmacodynamic performance of compounds thereof, which may inspire researchers to develop a novel herbal formula for the optimized outcome of different cardiovascular diseases. While the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADME/T) of some compounds has been deciphered, DMPK studies should be extended to more cardiovascular compounds of different medicinal parts, species (including animals), and formulations, and could be streamlined by versatile omics platforms and computational analyses.

CONCLUSION

In the context of systems pharmacology, the DMPK knowledge base is expected to translate bench findings to clinical applications, as well as foster cardiovascular drug discovery and development.

Effects of MCLR exposure on sex hormone synthesis and reproduction-related genes expression of testis in male Rana nigromaculata

Microcystin-leucine-arginine (MCLR) is the most popular and toxic variant among microcystins, which can cause severe reproductive toxicity to animals. However, the mechanisms of reproductive toxicity induced by MCLR in amphibians are still not entirely clear. In the current study, toxicity mechanisms of MCLR on the reproductive system of male Rana nigromaculata followed by low concentration (0, 0.1, 1, and 10 μg/L) and short-term (0, 7, and 14 days) MCLR exposure were shown. It was observed that MCLR could be bioaccumulated in the testes of male frogs, and the theoretical bioaccumulation factor values were 0.24 and 0.19 exposed to 1 μg/L and 10 μg/L MCLR for 14 days, respectively. MCLR exposure significantly decreased testosterone (T) concentrations and increased estradiol (E2) concentrations exposed to 1 and 10 μg/L MCLR for 14 days. The mRNA levels of HSD17B3 were downregulated, and HSD17B1 and CYP19A1 mRNA expression levels were upregulated, respectively. Only 10 μg/L MCLR group showed significant induction of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content. Moreover, AR and ESR1 mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated exposed to 1 and 10 μg/L MCLR for 14 days, respectively. Our results suggested that low-concentration MCLR induced transcription changes of CYP19A1, HSD17B3, and HSD17B1 led to endocrine disorders, and caused interference of spermatogenesis by the decrease of T and abnormal gene expressions of AR and ESR1 in the testes of R. nigromaculata.

A pilot pharmacokinetic study of miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol on rabbit sera using polyclonal antibody-based icELISA analysis

Miroestrol (ME) and deoxymiroestrol (DME) are the most potent phytoestrogens and bioactive markers in Pueraria candollei var. mirifica tuberous roots. To understand their pharmacokinetic profiles, a pharmacokinetic study of ME and DME, at 0.43 and 0.21 mg per kg body weight, respectively, in three rabbits was performed after orally administering a single dose of P. candollei var. mirifica enriched fraction extract. Two established polyclonal antibody-based indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were validated to determine ME and DME in rabbit sera. In rabbits, the area under the 0- to 48-hr concentration-time curve of ME and DME were 854.92 and 1,692.84 ng·h/ml, respectively. The maximum concentration of ME was measured 1 hr after administration as 69.62 ± 8.28 ng/ml, and the maximum concentration of DME was measured at 3 hr as 81.8 ± 5.43 ng/ml. These results provide an initial approach for designing and studying the relationship between the ME and DME levels and their therapeutic effects based on their pharmacokinetic profiles.

Determination of Miroestrol and Isomiroestrol From Pueraria mirifica (White Kwao Krua) in Dietary Supplements by LC-MS-MS and LC-Q-Orbitrap/MS

The purpose of this study is to develop LC-MS-MS and LC-Q-Orbitrap/MS method for the analysis of the components of Pueraria mirifica, which are illegal additives in dietary supplements. Blank samples and samples spiked with miroestrol and isomiroestrol were used for the initial development and validation studies. Specificity, linearity, limit of quantification (LOQ), limit of detection (LOD), accuracy, precision, recovery and stability were employed as the validation parameters. The LODs of miroestrol and isomiroestrol were found to be 4.17 and 0.84 ng/mL, respectively, whereas their LOQs were 12.50 and 2.52 ng/mL, respectively. The determination coefficient was over 0.999, intra- and inter-day precisions were 0.8-6.9 and 1.9-9.8%, respectively, and intra and inter-day accuracies were 82.1-103.7 and 85.0-109.7%, respectively. The mean recoveries of the targeted compounds from the dietary supplements ranged from 86.9 to 108.9%. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for recovery were <5.8%. On the other hand, the RSD of stability was <11.0%. Eight dietary supplements were tested using the newly developed and validated method, out of which six were found to be adulterated samples.

Suppression of BSEP and MRP2 in mouse liver by miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol isolated from Pueraria candollei

Miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol are highly active phytoestrogens isolated from the tuberous root of Pueraria candollei var. mirifica (Leguminosae). Modulatory effects of miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol on the mRNAs of BSEP and MRP2 genes involved in bile salt transportation, in C57BL/6 mice were investigated. In contrast to estradiol, miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol suppressed the expression of BSEP and MRP2 mRNA in both male and female mice. The results suggest for the first time that the use of miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol-containing products as alternative medicines or health supplements should be concerned according to their effects on key genes that regulate the bile salt export pump, which could result in the risk of hepatotoxicity and intrahepatic cholestasis.

Medical applications of phytoestrogens from the Thai herb Pueraria mirifica

Pueraria mirifica Airy Shaw et Suvatabandhu is a medicinal plant endemic to Thailand. It has been used in Thai folklore medicine for its rejuvenating qualities in aged women and men for nearly one hundred years. Indeed, it has been claimed that P. mirifica contains active phytoestrogens (plant substances with estrogen-like activity). Using high performance liquid chromatography, at least 17 phytoestrogens, mainly isoflavones, have been isolated. Thus, fairly considerable scientific researches, both in vitro in cell lines and in vivo in various species of animals including humans, have been conducted to date to address its estrogenic activity on the reproductive organs, bones, cardiovascular diseases and other climacteric related symptoms. The antioxidative capacity and antiproliferative effect on tumor cell lines have also been assessed. In general, P. mirifica could be applicable for preventing, or as a therapeutic for, the symptoms related to estrogen deficiency in menopausal women as well as in andropausal men. However, the optimal doses for each desirable effect and the balance to avoid undesired side effects need to be calculated before use.