The pharmacodynamic active components study of Tibetan medicine Gentianopsis paludosa on ulcerative colitis fibrosis

Natural compound fraxinellone ameliorates intestinal fibrosis in mice via direct intervention of HSP47-collagen interaction in the epithelium

Intestinal fibrosis is a common complication of inflammatory bowel disease. There is still a lack of effective drugs for the prevention or treatment of intestinal fibrosis. Heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) plays a key role in the development of intestinal fibrosis. In this study we investigated the therapeutic potential and underlying mechanisms of fraxinellone, a degraded limonoid isolated from the root bark of Dictamnus dasycarpus, in the treatment of intestinal fibrosis. Intestinal fibrosis was induced in mice by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) treatment. DDS-treated mice were administered fraxinellone (7.5, 15, 30 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) for 45 days. We showed that fraxinellone administration dose-dependently alleviated DSS-induced intestinal impairments, and reduced the production of intestinal fibrosis biomarkers such as α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), collagen I, hydroxyproline, fibronectin and laminin, and cytokines such as TGF-β, TNF-α and IL-β. We then established in vitro intestinal fibrosis cell models in SW480 and HT-29 cells, and demonstrated that treatment with fraxinellone (3, 10, 30 μM) significantly relieved TGF-β-induced fibrosis responses by inhibiting the TGF-β/Smad2/3 signaling pathway. Molecular docking suggested that the fraxinellone might disrupt the interaction between HSP47 and collagen, which was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation experiments. SPR analysis showed that fraxinellone had a high affinity for HSP47 with a Kd value of 3.542 × 10-5 M. This study provides a new example of HSP47-collagen intervention by a natural compound and has important implications for the clinical treatment of inflammation-induced issue fibrosis.

Desmethylbellidifolin Attenuates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis: Impact on Intestinal Barrier, Intestinal Inflammation and Gut Microbiota

Ulcerative colitis has been recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly disturbing the colon and rectum. Clinically, the aminosalicylates, steroids, immunosuppressants, and biological drugs are generally used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis at different stages of disease progression. However, the therapeutic efficacy of these drugs does not satisfy the patients due to the frequent drug resistance. Herein, we reported the anti-ulcerative colitis activity of desmethylbellidifolin, a xanthone isolated from Gentianella acuta, in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice. C57BL/6 mice were treated with 2% dextran sulfate sodium in drinking water to induce acute colitis. Desmethylbellidifolin or balsalazide sodium was orally administrated once a day. Biological samples were collected for immunohistological analysis, intestinal barrier function evaluation, cytokine measurement, and gut microbiota analysis. The results revealed that desmethylbellidifolin alleviated colon shortening and body weight loss in dextran sulfate sodium-induced mice. The disease activity index was also lowered by desmethylbellidifolin after 9 days of treatment. Furthermore, desmethylbellidifolin remarkably ameliorated colonic inflammation through suppressing the expression of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. The intestinal epithelial barrier was strengthened by desmethylbellidifolin through increasing levels of occludin, ZO-1, and claudins. In addition, desmethylbellidifolin modulated the gut dysbiosis induced by dextran sulfate sodium. These findings suggested that desmethylbellidifolin effectively improved experimental ulcerative colitis, at least partly, through maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines, and modulating dysregulated gut microbiota.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Gentianopsis grandis (Harry Sm.) Ma (Gentianaceae) and phylogenetic analysis

The high-throughput sequencing technology was used to sequence and assemble the chloroplast genome of Gentianopsis grandis, and we analyzed its structural characteristics and phylogenetic relationships. The complete chloroplast genome of G. grandis was 151,271 bp in length, consisting of a large single copy (LSC) region of 82,572 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 17,907 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 25,396 bp. The annotation contained a total of 114 unique genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, four rRNA genes, and two pseudogenes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated the genus Gentianopsis was closely related to Halenia and Swertia.

Preparative separation of gallic acid from Fallopia aubertii using middle-pressure chromatogram isolated gel coupled with reversed-phase chromatography with hydrophilic groups

Fallopia aubertii (L. Henry) Holub is a traditional Tibetan medicine to treat gout, but the research on its chemical composition is limited, probably due to the complex purification process.

The complete chloroplast genome of Tibetan medicine Gentianopsis paludosa

Gentianopsis paludosa (Mum.) Ma is an important species in Tibetan folk medicine, but its wild populations are shrinking roughly due to the increasing demand for it. Gentianopsis paludosa is presently at risk of over-exploitation, so it needs urgent conservation. Here, we report the complete sequence of the chloroplast genome of G. paludosa. The genome was 51,121 bp in length with 129 genes comprising 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The overall GC content of G. paludosa chloroplast genome was is 36.67%. The phylogenomic analysis suggested that G. paludosa forms a clade with species in Halenia and Swertia, indicating that the G. paludosa is more closely related to Halenia and Swertia than that of Gentiana.