A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous quantitation of five components of Ixeris sonchifoliain (Bge.) Hance in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Therapeutic Potential of Luteolin on Cancer

Cancer is a global concern, as the rate of incidence is increasing each year. The challenges related to the current chemotherapy drugs, such as the concerns related to toxicity, turn to cancer therapeutic research to discover alternative therapy strategies that are less toxic to normal cells. Among those studies, the use of flavonoids—natural compounds produced by plants as secondary metabolites for cancer therapy—has been a hot topic in cancer treatment. Luteolin, a flavonoid that has been present in many fruits, vegetables, and herbs, has been identified to exhibit numerous biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties. The anticancer property of Luteolin has been extensively researched in many cancer types and has been related to its ability to inhibit tumor growth by targeting cellular processes such as apoptosis, angiogenesis, migration, and cell cycle progression. It achieves this by interacting with various signaling pathways and proteins. In the current review, the molecular targets of Luteolin as it exerts its anticancer properties, the combination therapy that includes Luteolin with other flavonoids or chemotherapeutic drugs, and the nanodelivery strategies for Luteolin are described for several cancer types.

Three new sesquiterpenes from Ixeris sonchifolia

Two new guaiacene-type sesquiterpenes 13α-dihydroixerin acid, ixerin acid and one new secoguaiacene-type sesquiterpene secoixerin Z, along with four known compounds, were separated from ethanol extract of Ixeris sonchifolia. The structures were determined based on the detailed spectroscopic and physicochemical methods. The cytotoxic activity of the isolates was tested against A549 cells. Among them, compound 3 exhibited potent cytotoxicity against A549 cells with the IC₅₀ of 5.6 ± 0.9 µM.

Can Antioxidants Reduce the Toxicity of Bisphenol?

BPA is still the subject of extensive research due to its widespread use, despite its significant toxicity resulting not only from its negative impact on the endocrine system but also from disrupting the organism’s oxidative homeostasis. At the molecular level, bisphenol A (BPA) causes an increased production of ROS and hence a change in the redox balance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and modulation of cell signaling pathways. Importantly, these changes accumulate in animals and humans, and BPA toxicity may be aggravated by poor diet, metabolic disorders, and coexisting diseases. Accordingly, approaches using antioxidants to counteract the negative effects of BPA are being considered. The preliminary results that are described in this paper are promising, however, it should be emphasized that further studies are required to determine the optimal dosage and treatment regimen to counteract BPA toxicity. It also seems necessary to have a more holistic approach showing, on the one hand, the influence of BPA on the overall human metabolism and, on the other hand, the influence of antioxidants in doses that are acceptable with the diet on BPA toxicity. This is due in part to the fact that in many cases, the positive effect of antioxidants in in vitro studies is not confirmed by clinical studies. For this reason, further research into the molecular mechanisms of BPA activity is also recommended.

Dietary Luteolin: A Narrative Review Focusing on Its Pharmacokinetic Properties and Effects on Glycolipid Metabolism

Luteolin, a flavone subclass of flavonoids, is commonly found in food plants and has multiple biological activities. Recently, evidence is growing with regard to the potential of luteolin intake to beneficially affect glycolipid metabolism disorders (GLMDs), particularly insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity. The aim of this contribution is to provide an overview of recent advances in identifying and understanding the pharmacokinetic properties (absorption, metabolism, and bioavailability) of luteolin, its regulatory effects on glycolipid metabolism, and the underlying mechanisms of action of luteolin in the brain, liver, adipose tissues, and other tissues/organs. Collectively, luteolin or its principal metabolites may contribute to counteracting GLMDs, especially for human obesity and diabetes.

Simultaneous Determination of Five Phenolic Acids and Four Flavonoid Glycosides in Rat Plasma Using HPLC-MS/MS and Its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study after a Single Intravenous Administration of Kudiezi Injection

This study has developed a reliable and precise high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of five phenolic acids and four flavonoid glycosides in rat plasma after a single intravenous administration of Kudiezi injection (KI). Chromatographic separation was carried out on an Ultimate^®XB-C₁₈ column (4.6 × 100 mm, 3.5 μm) using a gradient elution program with a mobile phase consisting of water containing 0.5% acetic acid and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. Detection was performed on a triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry using multiple reaction monitoring in negative electrospray ionization mode. The calibration curves of all analytes showed good linearity (R² > 0.990). The results of selectivity, intra-day and inter-day precisions, extraction recoveries, matrix effects and stability were satisfactory. Pharmacokinetic parameters showed that luteolin-7-O-β-d-gentiobioside, luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucuronide, luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucoside and apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucuronide were eliminated quickly (0.07 h < t_1/2 < 0.66 h), whereas 5-caffeoylquinic acid, caftaric acid, chlorogenic acid, 4-caffeoylquinic acid and caffeic acid were eliminated relatively slowly (2.22 h < t_1/2 < 6.09 h) in rat blood. The pharmacokinetic results would be valuable to identify bioactive constituents, elucidate mechanisms of pharmacological actions or adverse drug reactions and guide the rational clinical use of KI.

Holistic Evaluation of Quality Consistency of Ixeris sonchifolia (Bunge) Hance Injectables by Quantitative Fingerprinting in Combination with Antioxidant Activity and Chemometric Methods

A widely used herbal medicine, Ixeris sonchifolia (Bge.) Hance Injectable (ISHI) was investigated for quality consistency. Characteristic fingerprints of 23 batches of the ISHI samples were generated at five wavelengths and evaluated by the systematic quantitative fingerprint method (SQFM) as well as simultaneous analysis of the content of seven marker compounds. Chemometric methods, i.e., support vector machine (SVM) and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to assist in fingerprint evaluation of the ISHI samples. Qualitative classification of the ISHI samples by SVM was consistent with PCA, and in agreement with the quantitative evaluation by SQFM. In addition, the antioxidant activities of the ISHI samples were determined by both the off-line and on-line DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryldrazyl) radical scavenging assays. A fingerprint–efficacy relationship linking the chemical components and in vitro antioxidant activity was established and validated using the partial least squares (PLS) and orthogonal projection to latent structures (OPLS) models; and the online DPPH assay further revealed those components that had position contribution to the total antioxidant activity. Therefore, the combined use of the chemometric methods, quantitative fingerprint evaluation by SQFM, and multiple marker compound analysis in conjunction with the assay of antioxidant activity provides a powerful and holistic approach to evaluate quality consistency of herbal medicines and their preparations.

Absorption and Metabolism of Luteolin and Its Glycosides from the Extract of Chrysanthemum morifolium Flowers in Rats and Caco-2 Cells

To elucidate the bioavailability of luteolin and its glycosides in Chrysanthemum morifolium flowers, the absorption and metabolism of luteolin from them was investigated in rats and Caco-2 cells using HPLC and LC-MS. After oral administration of C. morifolium extract (1.7 g/kg body weight (bw), equivalent to 22.8 and 58.3 μmol/kg bw of luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside, respectively) to rats, luteolin and its glycosides were quickly absorbed and luteolin, luteolin monoglucoside, and luteolin monoglucuronide were detected in the plasma. Their levels were highest at 1 h after administration (0.76 ± 0.27 μM). These compounds were also detected in media on the basolateral side from Caco-2 cells treated with the C. morifolium extract. These results suggest that luteolin and luteolin monoglucoside are rapidly absorbed after administration of C. morifolium flower extract and that luteolin, luteolin monoglucoside, and luteolin monoglucuronide may circulate in humans.

Development of an LC-MS/MS method for determining the pharmacokinetics of clonidine following oral administration of Zhenju antihypertensive compound

Zhenju antihypertensive compound (ZJAHC) is a combined Chinese-Western medicine formula including clonidine (CLO), hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), rutin, Chrysanthemum indicum extract and pearl powder. Compared with CLO preparations, ZJAHC shows improved activities and decreased adverse effects. It is believed that the side effects of CLO are caused by its high peak plasma concentration. Hence, study of the influence of ZJAHC on the pharmacokinetic behaviors of clonidine seems essential. In present study, the plasma concentrations of CLO were determined with a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. The MS/MS transitions monitored for clonidine and internal standard were 230.2 → 213.1 and 152.2 → 110.2, respectively. The analyte was quantified in a single run within 3 min. The pharmacokinetic study showed that the area under the plasma concentration-time curve of CLO in ZJAHC (60 µg/kg CLO) was similar to that of CLO-HCT-high (120 µg/kg CLO) but the peak concentration was much lower than that in CLO-HCT-high. ZJAHC could enhance the bioavailability without greatly increasing peak concentration of clonidine. This comprehensive effect of enhancing the bioavailability and avoiding the high peak plasma concentration for CLO might mainly result from the co-contribution of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), while the effect of TCM was stronger than that of Western medicine.