The structural characteristics, antioxidant and hepatoprotection activities of polysaccharides from Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. leaves

Integrating network pharmacology and experimental verification to explore the mucosal protective effect of Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. Leaf Granule on ulcerative colitis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. Leaf Granule (COG) is a commonly used clinical preparation of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cold, but there are folk reports that it can treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, the mechanism of COG in the treatment of ulcerative colitis with diarrhea as the main symptom needs to be studied.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Combined network pharmacology and experimental validation to explore the mechanism of COG in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, the main components of COG were characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS); subsequently, a network pharmacology approach was used to screen the effective chemical components and action targets of COG to construct a target network of COG for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). The protein-protein interaction network (PPI) and literature reports were combined to identify the potential targets of COG for the treatment of UC. Finally, the predicted results of network pharmacology were validated by animal and cellular experiments.

RESULTS

19 components of COG were characterized by LC-MS, among which 10 bioactive components could act on 377 potential targets of UC. Key therapeutic targets were collected, including SRC, HSP90AA1, PIK3RI, MAPK1 and ESR1. KEGG results are enriched in pathways related to oxidative stress. Molecular docking analysis showed good binding activity of main components and target genes. Animal experiments showed that COG significantly relieved the colitis symptoms in mice, regulated the Treg/Th17 balance, and promoted the secretion of IL-10 and IL-4, along with the inhibition of IL-1β and TNF-α. Additionally, COG reduced the apoptosis of colon epithelial cells, and significantly improved the levels of SOD, MAO, GSH-px, and inhibited MDA, iNOS, eNOS in colon. Also, it increased the expression of tight junction proteins such as ZO-1, Claudin1, Occludin and E-cadherin. In vitro experiments, COG inhibited the oxidative stress and inflammatory injury of HCT116 cells induced by LPS.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining network pharmacology and in vitro and in vivo experiments, COG was verified to have a good protective effect in UC, which may be related to enhancing antioxidation in colon tissues.

Effect of natural polysaccharides on alcoholic liver disease: A review

In this study, we systematically collected relevant literature in the past five years on the intervention of natural polysaccharides in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and reviewed the pharmacological activities and potential mechanisms of action. Natural polysaccharides are effective in preventing liver tissue degeneration, inhibiting the alcohol-induced expression of inflammatory factors, inactivation of antioxidant enzymes, and abnormal hepatic lipid deposition. Natural polysaccharides regulate the expression of proteins, such as tight junction proteins, production of small molecule metabolites, and balance of intestinal flora in the intestinal tract to alleviate ALD. Natural polysaccharides also exert therapeutic effects by modulating inflammatory, oxidative, lipid metabolism, and other pathways in the liver. Natural polysaccharides also inhibit alcohol-induced intestinal abnormalities by regulating intestinal flora and feeding back into the liver via the gut-liver axis. However, existing research on natural polysaccharides has many shortcomings: for example, most of the natural polysaccharides for testing are total polysaccharides or crude polysaccharides, progress in research on in vivo metabolic processes and mechanisms is slow, and the degree of industrialisation is insufficient. Finally, we discuss the difficulties in studying natural polysaccharides and future directions to provide a theoretical basis for their development and application.

Metabolic profiling of Chimonanthus grammatus via UHPLC-HRMS-MS with computer-assisted structure elucidation and its antimicrobial activity

Chimonanthus grammatus is used as Hakka traditional herb to treat cold, flu, etc. So far, the phytochemistry and antimicrobial compounds have not been well investigated. In this study, the orbitrap-ion trap MS was used to characterize its metabolites, combined with a computer-assisted structure elucidation method, and the antimicrobial activities were assessed by a broth dilution method against 21 human pathogens, as well as the bioassay-guided purification work to clarify its main antimicrobial compounds. A total of 83 compounds were identified with their fragmentation patterns, including terpenoids, coumarins, flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, and others. The plant extracts can strongly inhibit the growth of three Gram-positive and four Gram-negative bacteria, and nine active compounds were bioassay-guided isolated, including homalomenol C, jasmonic acid, isofraxidin, quercitrin, stigmasta-7,22-diene-3β,5α,6α-triol, quercetin, 4-hydroxy-1,10-secocadin-5-ene-1,10-dione, kaempferol, and E-4-(4,8-dimethylnona-3,7-dienyl)furan-2(5H)-one. Among them, isofraxidin, kaempferol, and quercitrin showed significant activity against planktonic Staphylococcus aureus (IC₅₀ = 13.51, 18.08 and 15.86 µg/ml). Moreover, their antibiofilm activities of S. aureus (BIC₅₀ = 15.43, 17.31, 18.86 µg/ml; BEC₅₀ = 45.86, ≥62.50, and 57.62 µg/ml) are higher than ciprofloxacin. The results demonstrated that the isolated antimicrobial compounds played the key role of this herb in combating microbes and provided benefits for its development and quality control, and the computer-assisted structure elucidation method was a powerful tool for chemical analysis, especially for distinguishing isomers with similar structures, which can be used for other complex samples.

Protective Effect of Polyphenols, Protein, Peptides, and Polysaccharides on Alcoholic Liver Disease: A Review of Research Status and Molecular Mechanisms

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has emerged as an important public health problem in the world. The polyphenols, protein, peptides, and polysaccharides have attracted attention for prevention or treatment of ALD. Therefore, this paper reviews the pathogenesis of ALD, the relationship between polyphenols, peptides, polysaccharides, and ALD, and expounds the mechanism of gut microbiota on protecting ALD. It is mainly found that the hydroxyl group of polyphenols endows it with antioxidation to protect ALD. The ALD protection of bioactive peptides is related to amino acid composition. The ALD protection of polysaccharides is related to the primary structure. Meanwhile, polyphenols, protein, peptides, and polysaccharides prevent or treat ALD by antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptosis, lipid metabolism, and gut microbiota regulation. This contribution provides updated information on polyphenols, protein, peptides, and polysaccharides in response to ALD, which will not only facilitate the development of novel bioactive components but also the future application of functional food raw materials will be promoted.

Sesquiterpenoids from the leaves of Chimonanthus nitens

Two new sesquiterpenoids (1 and 3), one new natural product (2), and two known compounds (4 and 5) were isolated from the leaves of Chimonanthus nitens. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configuration of compound 3 was determined by the X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. The cytotoxicity of compounds 1-5 was evaluated at three concentrations on two human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231) by MTT assay. As a result, we found that the cytotoxicity was weak even with a concentration of these compounds up to 100 μM.

Extraction, Chemical Composition, and Protective Effect of Essential Oil from Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. Leaves on Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis in Mice

In this study, the essential oil (EO) was extracted by steam distillation from Chimonanthus nitens Oliv, and the extraction process was optimized by response surface methodology. The optimum process conditions are as follows: extraction time of 4.57 h, soaking time of 1.33 h, and solid-liquid ratio of 1 : 21.4. Under these conditions, the theoretical yield of EO is 1.5624%. The EO compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 52 chemical components were detected, among which the content of 3-(4,8-dimethylnona-3,7-dienyl)-furan was the highest, accounting for 21.43% of the total peak area. The EO showed good antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2 ${}^{\prime }$ -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and reducing power. In this study, we observed the protective effect of EO on ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in mice. EO effectively delayed weight loss and reduced DAI score. Histological examination also observed a significant reduction in damage in the EO group. The colon length of mice in DSS group was the shortest, and the colon length of mice in EO treatment group was longer than that in model group, but shorter than that in normal group ( $\text{NOR}:8.17\pm 0.39\text{cm};\text{DSS}:5.57\pm 0.93\text{cm};\text{L}-\text{EO}:6.47\pm 0.78\text{cm};\text{M}-\text{EO}:5.98\pm 0.58\text{cm};\text{and}\text{H}-\text{EO}:6.1\pm 0.52\text{cm}$ ). The GSH activity in the L-EO and SASP groups was significantly higher than that in the DSS group ( $P<0.01$ ). SOD activity in L-EO and M-EO groups was also significantly higher than that in DSS treatment group ( $P<0.01$ ). MDA was decreased in the EO treatment groups and the SASP group (L-EO, H-EO, SASP: $P<0.01$ ; M-EO: $P<0.05$ ). MPO of EO treatment group was lower than that of model group (the L-EO group was not significant, M-EO: $P<0.05$ , H-EO: $P<0.05$ ). This study shows that EO can effectively improve the symptoms of colitis.

Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. Leaf Granule Ameliorates DSS-Induced Acute Colitis Through Treg Cell Improvement, Oxidative Stress Reduction, and Gut Microflora Modulation

The rising incidence of ulcerative colitis has become a new challenge for public health. Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. leaf granule (COG) is a natural medicine used for the treatment of respiratory diseases, which has excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, the therapeutic effect of COG in ulcerative colitis (UC) has not been reported. Here, the experimental colitis was treated with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and COG. After treatment with high (30 g/kg), medium (15 g/kg), and low (7.5 g/kg) doses of COG for 11 consecutive days, the body weight, disease activity index (DAI) score, colon length, colon weight index, and the pathological score of mice were effectively improved. COG significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines in UC mice in vitro and in vivo and restored the secretion levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in the colon. Meanwhile, compared to mice with colitis, COG-treated mice showed lower levels of MDA, MPO, NO, and eNOS and higher levels of GSH-Px and MAO, which indicated that oxidative stress damage in colitic mice was alleviated by COG. Moreover, less Th17 and more Tregs were observed in the COG-treated groups. In addition, COG improved the diversity and relative abundance of gut microflora in the colon of colitic mice, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006 were obviously regulated at the genus level. In summary, COG has a protective effect on DSS-induced experimental colitis, mainly through inhibition of immune-inflammatory responses and oxidative stress and regulation of mTreg cell responses and intestinal flora composition.

The Protective Effects of Three Polysaccharides From Abrus cantoniensis Against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression and Oxidative Damage

This study was designed to systematically elucidate the immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects of three polysaccharide fractions (ACP₆₀, ACP₈₀, and ACP_t2) from Abrus cantoniensis on cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressive mice. The experimental mice were divided into 12 groups, then modeled and administrated with different doses of three polysaccharides (50, 150, 300 mg/kg/day) by gavage. The results showed that ACP could markedly recover the CTX-induced decline in immune organ and hemocytes indexes and promote proliferation of splenocytes, earlap swelling rate, secretion of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6), and immunoglobulin (Ig-M and Ig-G). Additionally, ACP improved the enzymatic activities of T-SOD and GSH-PX greatly, while the level of MDA was significantly decreased in the liver. In particular, ACP_t2 had higher immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities than ACP₆₀ and ACP₈₀. Based on the present findings, ACP could be utilized as an efficacious candidate for immunomodulators and antioxidants, which provide a new application prospect in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Differences of gut microbiota composition in mice supplied with polysaccharides from γ-irradiated and non-irradiated Schizophyllum commune

In this study, polysaccharides from normal (N-SFP) and γ-irradiated (I-SFP) Schizophyllum commune were supplied to Kunming mice for 30 days. The results showed that N-SFP and I-SFP supplementation prevent body weight gain, enhance kidney uric acid metabolism and increase the concentration of SCFAs to a certain extent. Moreover, N-SFP and I-SFP promote the growth of beneficial gut microbiota and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. Compared to N-SFP, I-SFP decreased the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae and Lactobacillaceae, and increased the beneficial gut microbiota, especially the family of Akkermansiaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroidaceae. In total, I-SFP showed better effects than N-SFP in preventing weight gain, and modulating the mice gut microbiota, which suggests that I-SFP could act as a potential health supplement in the prevention of obesity.

Digestive properties and effects of Chimonanthus nitens Oliv polysaccharides on antioxidant effects in vitro and in immunocompromised mice

The study was aimed to investigate the simulated digestion behavior of the bioactive polysaccharides from Chimonanthus nitens Oliv (COP1), antioxidant activity in vitro, and prevention against cyclophosphamide (CP) induced oxidative damage in mice. The results showed that COP1 were 18.843 kDa, and consisted of arabinose (56.6 mol%), galactose (24.9 mol%), xylose (11.1 mol%), and glucose (7.4 mol%). Gastrointestinal digestion significantly improved the radical (DPPH, OH, and ABTS⁺) scavenging activities of COP1. Meanwhile, administration of COP1 (150, 300, and 600 mg/kg, continuous 16 days) prevented hepatotoxicity in CP-induced mice (reducing liver index and transaminase levels, alleviating liver damage). COP1 also attenuated oxidative stress as evident from as shown by reduced levels of MDA and enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, and GSH-Px). In addition, COP1 regulated the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway in CP-treated mice, decreasing the upstream factor Keap1 and increasing the upstream factor Nrf2, which in turn enhanced the expression of downstream factors (NQO1, HO-1, GSH-Px, SOD1, and CAT). COP1 also protected the body from CP-induced oxidative damage by down-regulating Bax and caspase3 in the apoptosis pathway and up-regulating Bcl-2 mRNA levels. Overall, COP1 might be harnessed as an effective natural antioxidant for medical and food industries.

Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. essential oil mitigates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in rats

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. essential oil (named CEO) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in rats. In the present study, 21 compounds were characterized in CEO by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Furthermore, animal data suggested that CEO could protect rats against ALI, as evidence by increasing white blood cell count, reducing immune organ index and improving lung histopathological changes in rats subjected to LPS. Reduction of the levels of IL-1β was also shown during CEO-triggering lung protection in rats. Meanwhile, these protective effects of CEO were accompanied by the attenuation of lipid oxidation, and elevation of antioxidant enzymes, suggesting that enhancement of antioxidant defense was linked to its lung protection. Moreover, a combination with CEO and LPS significantly elevated short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) compared with LPS alone via increasing propionic, i-butyric, butyric and i-valeric acid on LPS-induced ALI in rats. Therefore, our findings indicated that CEO could alleviate LPS-caused ALI in rats by controlling aberrant inflammation, correcting the redox system, and modulating SCFAs in rats.

Simultaneous Determination of Three Coumarins in Rat Plasma by HPLC-MS/MS for Pharmacokinetic Studies Following Oral Administration of Chimonanthi Radix Extract

Chimonanthi Radix (CR) is widely used in the treatment of influenza in China. Extensive studies revealed that the major bioactive constituents of CR were coumarins. However, pharmacokinetic study of coumarins in CR has not been fully studied. The purpose of this study was to establish a convenient and effective high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method that was used to simultaneously determine scopoletin, scopolin and isofraxidin in rat plasma after oral administration of CR extract using xanthotoxin as the internal standard. The chromatographic separation was carried out on a COSMOCORE C18 column (100 × 2 mm, 2.6 μm), using gradient elution with the mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid (A) and acetonitrile (B). Three coumarins and IS were quantified by positive ion electrospray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method was fully validated in terms of specificity, accuracy, precision (intra- and inter-day), matrix effect, recovery as well as the stability of the analytes under various conditions. The results could provide further research foundation for anti-influenza mechanism of three coumarins in CR.