Enrichment and purification of total flavonoids from Cortex Juglandis Mandshuricae extracts and their suppressive effect on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury in Mice

Uncovering the protective mechanism of Pien-Tze-Huang in rat with alcoholic liver injury based on cytokines analysis and untargeted metabonomics

Pien-Tze-Huang (PTH) is a well-known traditional Chinese patent medicine with excellent liver-protection effect. However, the mechanism of hepatoprotective action has not yet been entirely elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of protective effect of PTH on alcohol-induced liver injury in rats using cytokine analysis and untargeted metabolomics approaches. An alcoholic liver disease (ALD) model with SD rats was established, and PTH was administered according to the prescribed dose. The hepatoprotective effect of PTH was evaluated by pathological observation of liver tissue and changes in biochemical index activity and cytokines in serum. Serum samples were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF/MS), and differentially expressed metabolites were screened by multivariate statistical analysis. KEGG combined with metabolic pathway analysis were used to evaluate the underlying metabolic pathways. Results showed liver histopathology injury was attenuated. The levels of IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB were significantly decreased in rats intervened with PTH groups, suggesting that it may alleviate inflammation via suppressing the inflammatory cytokines signaling pathway. Eighty differentially expressed metabolites were found and identified. Pathway analysis indicated that the hepatoprotective effects of PTH occurred through the regulation of inflammatory cytokines signaling pathway, primary bile acid biosynthesis, vitamin B6 metabolism pathway, cholesterol metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism. PTH showed favorable hepatoprotective effect through multiple pathways. This study has great importance in fully revealing the mechanism of hepatoprotective action and can help improve the clinical application of PTH.

Study on mechanism of action of total flavonoids from Cortex Juglandis Mandshuricae against alcoholic liver disease based on "gut-liver axis"

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects and molecular mechanisms of total flavonoids from Cortex Juglandis Mandshuricae (TFC) on preventing alcohol-induced chronic liver injury and regulating gut microbiota in mice. The results showed that oral administration of TFC significantly attenuated alcoholic liver injury in mice. TFC improved lipid accumulation in mice with chronic alcoholic liver injury through activation of the AMPK/PPARα pathway. In addition, TFC maintained the integrity of the intestinal barrier in alcoholic mice, reducing endotoxin leakage from the intestine and further inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway. More importantly, TFC regulated the intestinal microbiota composition and certain bacteria, including Akkermansia muciniphila, Lactobacillus and others. At the same time, reduced levels of short-chain fatty acids due to alcohol consumption were restored. In summary, TFC upregulated AMPK/PPARα signaling pathway to improve hepatic fat accumulation and oxidative stress; TFC positively regulated intestinal flora composition to reduce intestinal disorders caused by alcohol consumption, and further inhibited alcohol-induced inflammatory responses through the intestinal-liver axis. The above findings may be the mechanism of TFC's pharmacological effects against alcoholic liver injury.

Purification and Identification of Flavonoid Molecules from Rosa setate x Rosa rugosa Waste Extracts and Evaluation of Antioxidant, Antiproliferative and Antimicrobial Activities

Rosa setate x Rosa rugosa is widely used in the essential oil industry and generates large amounts of waste annually. The purpose of this research is the recycling of bioactive flavonoids from rose waste biomass to develop high-value products. Resin screening and adsorption/desorption dynamic analysis showed that HP20 resin was suitable to purify the flavonoids from R. setate x R. rugosa waste extracts. Under the optimal enrichment process, the product had a 10.7-fold higher purity of flavonoids with a satisfactory recovery of 82.02%. In total, 14 flavonoids were identified in the sample after purification by UHPLC-QTOF-MS. Moreover, the DPPH and ABTS assays revealed that the flavonoids-purified extracts exhibited higher antioxidant activities than the crude extracts. Meanwhile, the purified extracts presented stronger antiproliferative activity against HepG2, Caco-2, MCF-7 and A549 cell lines. The bacteriostatic effects of the purified extracts against four bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa)) and yeast (Candida albicans (C. albicans)) were stronger compared with the crude extracts. It was concluded that flavonoids-enriched extracts from R. setate x R. rugosa waste had the potential to be applied in functional food and pharmaceutical industries.

Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical applications of Cortex Juglandis Mandshuricae: A comprehensive review

ETHNOPHARMALOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cortex Juglandis Mandshuricae (CJM) is the dry branch or stem bark of the Juglans mandshurica Maxim. and is widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine in Asia and Africa. Its use was first recorded in Kaibao Bencao.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present review provides a deeper insight, better awareness and detailed knowledge of phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control, along with clinical applications of Cortex Juglandis Mandshuricae.

METHODS

The relevant information of Cortex Juglandis Mandshuricae was obtained from several databases including Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI. The medical books, PhD and MSc dissertations in Chinese were also used to perform this work.

RESULTS

CJM has been traditionally used against a wide range of diseases, including dysentery, acute conjunctivitis, bacterial infections, and cancer. A total of 249 compounds have been isolated from CJM; they mainly include quinones and their derivatives, flavonoids, tannins, diarylheptanoids, triterpenoids, coumarins, phenylpropanoids, and volatile oils. These compounds exert anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, bacteriostatic, anti-complement, immunomodulatory, anti-parasitic activities. Specifically, the effects of juglone, alkaloids and unsaturated fatty acid CJM components against hepatic cancer occur through exertion of apoptosis through a mitochondria-dependent pathway. In addition, taxifolin and several tannins have been found to have anti-HIV activity, and (±)-juglanaloid A and (±)-juglanaloid B target Alzheimer disease. Quality control is monitored through identification of juglone, quercetin, and volatile oils. A clinical preparation of CJM, Compound Muji Granules, is used in the treatment of various liver diseases with good therapeutic effect.

CONCLUSION

While CJM has been used extensively as a folk medicine, the relationships between structure and activity remain unclear. More in vivo models are needed to study the pharmacological mechanisms of action and to assess potential toxic components, in addition to which the evidence used to demonstrate the quality standards of medicinal materials is clearly inadequate. Therefore, more in-depth research is needed to provide a reasonable scientific basis improve its clinical utilization.

Effects of fermentation treatments on Polygonatum odoratum flavones' antioxidant activities

The main aim of this study is to analyze antioxidant properties of Polygonatum odoratum fermented with bacteria, fungi and yeast. Antioxidant activities (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and anti-lipid peroxidation abilities) were assessed in samples of flavones isolated from fermented P. odoratum (Mill.) druce samples. Fermentations using Lactobacillus, yeast and Aspergillus were investigated. Results showed that the antioxidant ability of Polygonatum odoratum flavones was decreased by the fermentation of Lactobacillus and yeast. Aspergillus niger fermentation improved the antioxidant ability of P. odoratum flavones. In this study, effective antioxidant activity was achieved in flavones fermented with Aspergillus niger than yeast and Lactobacillus species.

Inhibitory effects of Humulus japonicus extract against hepatic injury in a diabetic rat model

Chronic diabetes mellitus (DM) can cause liver dysfunction and other complications. As Humulus japonicus is known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects, we sought to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of H. japonicus extract (HJE) on a DM model. HJE reduced aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and direct bilirubin levels and restored albumin activities relative to those found in the DM model. The abnormal levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein in DM returned to normal levels after HJE treatment. DM-induced inflammation of the liver was ameliorated by HJE through reduction of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and cyclooxygenase-2 levels. HJE treatment downregulated malondialdehyde levels that were increased by DM. However, the downregulated superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels in DM were increased by HJE. Histological studies showed that HJE improves the liver tissue damage caused by DM. Collectively, our findings suggest that HJE may improve liver damage in DM and exhibit an inhibitory effect on hepatic injury through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative actions.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-021-00924-w.

Hepatoprotective effect of galangin on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity via the LKB1/AMPK pathway

To investigate the protective effects of galangin on liver toxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in mice. Mouse hepatotoxicity model was established by intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of 10 ml/kg body weight CCl4 that diluted with corn oil to a proportion of 1:500 on Kunming mice. The mice were randomly divided into five groups named control group, model group, and 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg galangin group. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were analyzed by ELISA. Liver histopathological examination was observed via optical microscopy. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and glutathion (GSSG) were analyzed to assess oxidative stress. Finally, western blot assay was carried out to analyse the expression levels of total AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), phospho-AMPK (p-AMPK), total liver kinase B1 (LKB1), and phospho-LKB1 (p-LKB1). Compared with the control group, in the model group, the levels of AST, ALT, MDA, and GSSG increased significantly ( p < 0.01); the activity of SOD and GSH decreased significantly ( p < 0.01); and the histopathological examination revealed liver necrosis. However, treatment with galangin (5 and 10 mg/kg) significantly reversed these CCl4-induced liver damage indicators. Furthermore, treatment with galangin (10 mg/kg) significantly increased the p-AMPK and p-LKB1 expression levels ( p < 0.01). This study supports the hepatoprotective effect of galangin against hepatotoxicity, perhaps occurring mainly through the LKB1/AMPK-mediated pathway.

Efficient enrichment of total flavonoids from Pteris ensiformis Burm. extracts by macroporous adsorption resins and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant and antiproliferative activities

The aim of this work is to develop an efficient and economical method for the enrichment of total flavonoids from Pteris ensiformis Burm. extracts. Resin screening, adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms and thermodynamics were successively researched prior to the dynamic adsorption and desorption tests. NKA-II resin was chosen as the best adsorbent, and the adsorption data were best described by the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and Langmuir isotherm model. The optimum enrichment conditions were as follows: for adsorption the total flavonoids concentration, flow rate and volume of sample were 1.84 mg/mL, 2 BV/h and 5 BV, respectively, and for desorption the flavonoids-loaded NKA-II resin column was desorbed by 7 BV of 50% ethanol at a rate of 2 BV/h. The product had a 6.63-fold higher total flavonoids content than crude extracts, and the recovery yield of total flavonoids was 80.65%. Furthermore, flavonoids-enriched extracts exhibited higher in vitro scavenging activity against superoxide anion radical and hydroxyl radical than crude extracts. In addition, higher antiproliferative activity of flavonoids-enriched extracts against MCF-7 and HepG-2 cell lines was also found as compared to the crude extracts. The developed method is appropriate for large-scale enrichment of total flavonoids from Pteris ensiformis Burm. extracts in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Anti-inflammatory and nephroprotective activity of Juglans mollis against renal ischemia-reperfusion damage in a Wistar rat model

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress and the inflammatory process are involved in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Juglans mollis has been reported as having antioxidant activity, which could attenuate the damage caused by I/R. We evaluated whether a methanolic extract of Juglans mollis (JM) exhibits nephroprotective activity in a Wistar rat model of I/R injury.

METHODS

Four groups of six rats were used: Sham, I/R, JM, and JM + I/R. Two groups were dosed with JM (300 mg/kg) for 7 days before I/R. I/R injury was induced by clamping the renal hilums for 45 min and then reperfusing the kidneys for 15 h. Blood samples were taken to evaluate the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α).

RESULTS

The levels of creatinine, ALT, MDA, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were lower in JM + I/R than in I/R rats, whereas SOD level only was higher in JM + I/R than in Sham rats. No biochemical or histological damage was observed in JM rats compared with Sham rats; however, less histological damage was observed in JM + I/R rats compared with I/R rats.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first report of nephroprotective activity of J. mollis against damage induced by I/R. This activity may be related to decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and modulation of oxidative stress markers (SOD and MDA) observed in the present study.

The potential protective effect of two actinomycete extracts against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective effect of two extracts derived from two soil actinomycete strains, designated S19 and G30, against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in male rats. Sixty-four male rats were divided into four groups of 16 rats per group. The first group was a control group given corn oil and the nutritive medium which is composed of a mixture of the two used media. The second group received CCl₄ only, the third group was administered CCl₄ and the extract S19, and the fourth group was administered CCl₄ and the extract G30. The results were taken after a treatment period of 8 weeks. Our data demonstrated that the two actinomycete extracts significantly (P < 0.01) lowered the CCl₄-induced elevation of serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) after 8 weeks of treatment. The extract S19 had no effect on serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and total bilirubin, whereas the extract G30 significantly decreased (P < 0.01) the elevated levels of these parameters in the serum, especially after 4 weeks of treatment. The levels of hepatic glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), peroxidase (Px), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increased (P < 0.01), while those of malondialdehyde (MDA) markedly decreased in rats treated with the two extracts. Furthermore, histopathological lesions in the liver, including necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, hydropic degeneration, and congestion of the central vein, were partially reversed by treatment with the two microbial extracts. Our results provided evidence for the protective effect of the two used actinomycete extracts against CCl₄-induced liver damage occurred through the reduction of oxidative stress and improvement of antioxidant defense markers.

Enrichment of total flavones and licochalcone A from licorice residues and its hypoglycemic activity

Industrial processing of glycyrrhizic leads to a lot of residues which are usually threw away randomly or used as feed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to study licorice residues as a source of bioactive compounds with potentially applications. In this study, the enrichment and purification of total flavones from the licorice residues was achieved by using macroporous resins. The performances and separation characteristics of four selected macroporous resins with different chemical and physical properties were investigated. HPD-100 resin was the most effective, the content of total flavones increased from 50.94% in the original extract to 82.98% in the 80% ethanol fraction (a 1.63-fold increase). Further purification treatment by polyamide resin, licochalcone A with a purity of 80.28% was obtained in a 45% ethanol fraction, and a higher purity (>85%) of licochalcone A can be obtained by single crystallization operation. And hypoglycemic effect of the total flavones from licorice residues on high fat diet and STZ induced diabetic c57 mice was preliminary investigated. The results showed: the fasting blood glucose of mice in the low and medium dose total flavones group decreased significantly. The proposed technique is uncomplicated, easily managed, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly and is proper for both large-scale licorice residues application and waste management.

Enrichment and Purification of Total Ginkgo Flavonoid O-Glycosides from Ginkgo Biloba Extract with Macroporous Resin and Evaluation of Anti-Inflammation Activities In Vitro

In the present study, the performance and separation characteristics of six macroporous resins for the enrichment and purification of total ginkgo flavonoid O-glycosides (TGFs) (quercetin (I), kaempferol (II), isorhamnetin (III)) from Ginkgo Biloba extracts (EGB) are evaluated. The adsorption and desorption properties of TGFs are studied on macroporous resins, including D101, D201, AB-8, HPD400, D301, and D311. Along with the results, AB-8 resin exhibits the best adsorption and desorption capacity for these three ginkgo flavonoid O-glycosides among the six resins. Adsorption isotherms are created on AB-8 resin and fit well to the Langmuir (R² > 0.96) and Freundlich (R² > 0.92, 0.3 < 1/n < 0.7) models. After the treatment with gradient elution on AB-8 resin packed chromatography column, the contents of the three main ginkgo flavonoid O-glycosides (I, II, and III) increase from 8.93%, 9.88%, and 6.11% in the extracts to 30.12%, 35.21%, and 14.14%, respectively, in the product. The recoveries of compounds I, II, and III are 88.76%, 93.78%, and 60.90%, respectively. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory effects of TGFs are evaluated in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and the result demonstrates that TGFs could significantly inhibit LPS-induced NO release in vitro in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control group. These findings suggest that TGFs could potentially be natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients that could be used in pharmaceutical products and functional food additives.

Saikosaponin‑d alleviates carbon‑tetrachloride induced acute hepatocellular injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the HL‑7702 cell line

Saikosaponin‑d (SSd) the primary active component of triterpene saponin derived from Bupleurum falcatum L., possesses anti‑inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The present study aimed to examine the potential therapeutic effects of SSd on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‑induced acute hepatocellular injury in the HL‑7702 cell line and its underlying mechanisms. HL‑7702 cells were treated with SSd at different doses (0.5, 1 or 2 µmol/l). Cell viability was determined using an MTT assay. Injury was assessed by the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). Oxidative stress was assessed using malondialdehyde (MDA) content and total‑superoxide dismutase (T‑SOD) activity. The expression of nucleotide‑binding domain, leucine‑rich‑containing family, pyrin domain‑containing‑3 (NLRP3), apoptosis‑associated speck‑like protein (ASC), caspase‑1 and high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) was assessed by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) and western blot analysis. Interleukin (IL)‑1β and IL‑18 were determined by RT‑qPCR and ELISA. SSd attenuated the inhibition of cell viability and the high AST and ALT levels induced by CCl4 in HL‑7702 cells. Oxidative stress was induced in HL‑7702 cells by CCl4, as demonstrated by the increase of MDA and the decrease of T‑SOD activity. These changes were reversed by SSd. SSd significantly downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, ASC, caspase‑1, IL‑1β, IL‑18 and HMGB1 induced by CCl4. In conclusion SSd alleviated CCl4‑induced acute hepatocellular injury, possibly by inhibiting oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the HL‑7702 cell line.

1H-NMR Based Serum Metabolomics Study to Investigate Hepatoprotective Effect of Qin-Jiao on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Acute Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Gentiana macrophylla Radix, commonly known as Qin-Jiao (QJ), was recorded alone to treat jaundice in Compendium of Materia Medica and has been frequently prescribed for treatment of liver disease in China. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the present work, QJ of 1,2 g/kg or silybin of 40 mg/kg (positive control) was orally given to rats for 7 days to verify the protective effect on acute liver damage induced by tetrachloride (CCl₄). Together with serum biochemistry and histopathological examination, ¹H-NMR based metabolomics work was carried out to investigate the efficacy. It turned out that QJ of 2 g/kg exerted comparable protective effect with positive control and partially recovered disturbed metabolism by CCl₄. Multivariate analysis was conducted and metabolites altered significantly among groups were assigned and discussed, including betaine, glucose, lactate, creatine, and LDL/VLDL. Metabolic regulations involved in QJ or silybin treatment were as follows: tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, synthesis of LDL/VLDL, and gluconeogenesis were enhanced, while betaine metabolism, glycolysis, creatine metabolism, synthesis of ketone bodies, amino acids metabolism, and β-oxidation of fatty acids were suppressed. For the first time hepatoprotective effect of QJ on acute liver damage was revealed by ¹H-NMR based metabolomics, prompting understanding of the underlying mechanism.

Anti-Inflammatory and Antinociceptive Properties of Flavonoids from the Fruits of Black Mulberry (Morus nigra L.)

We analyzed the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of total flavonoids (TF) found in black mulberry fruits. The TF content was 20.9 mg/g (dry weight). Two anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (8.3 mg/g) and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (2.9 mg/g), were identified in the fruits by UPLC. The TF of black mulberry fruits had significant reducing power and radical (OH^-, O2.−, DPPH and ABTS) scavenging activities that was demonstrated in a dose-response curve. The TF had inhibitory activities on xylene-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice. In addition, TF had antinociceptive activities in the two nociceptive phases of formalin test. We used ELISA to detect the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and NO in the serum of mice. These cytokines were significantly inhibited or scavenged by TF (50 and 100 mg/kg). The results demonstrated that TF of black mulberry possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects that might correlate to its antioxidant activities and inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines.