Serum metabonomics study on antidiabetic effects of fenugreek flavonoids in streptozotocin-induced rats

Antidiabetic potential of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum): A magic herb for diabetes mellitus

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a widely grown dietary herb in Asia, and its seeds are traditionally used for several diseases, including diabetes. The seeds and leaves possess a variety of compounds that play an important role in regulating their hypoglycemic effect. However, so far, no extensive systematic review exists on its antidiabetic effect, highlighting the molecular mechanisms and isolated compounds. The purpose of this review is to summarize the preclinical and clinical antidiabetic properties of fenugreek and its isolated compounds by focusing on underlying mechanisms. PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus databases were searched to retrieve articles until June, 2024. Preclinical studies demonstrated that the antidiabetic effect of fenugreek was mostly associated with enhanced glucose transporter type-4 (GLUT4) translocation and hexokinase activity, decreased glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities, inhibited α-amylase and maltase activities, protected β cells, and increased insulin release. Furthermore, few studies have reported its role as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) modulator, 5'-AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) activator, and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitor. Further clinical trials showed that fenugreek seeds improved blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles. This study highlights significant evidence of the antidiabetic effect of fenugreek and its isolated compounds; therefore, it could be a potential therapy for diabetes.

Phenolic Profiling, In Vitro Antiglycation, Antioxidant Activities, and Antidiabetic Effect of Algerian Trigonella Foenum-Graecum L. in Rats Administered a β-Cell Toxicant

This study sought to quantitatively assess individual and total polyphenols, mineral composition, antioxidant and antiglycation activities of Algerian fenugreek seeds (AFS) as well as the antidiabetic effect of its supplementation on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Forty rats were divided into four groups (i) non diabetic rats, (ii) non diabetic rats +10 % AFS, (iii) diabetic rats, (iv) diabetic rats +10 % AFS. Flame-SAA analysis revealed a rich content in micro-elements, HPLC DAD-FLD analysis revealed twenty components with rutin and ferulic acid being the major compounds in AFS hydro-methanolic extract while spectrophotometric assays scrutinized moderate contents in total phenolics and flavonoids. The extract was potent in scavenging ABTS⋅+ and DPPH+ (42.06±2.14 and 55.84±4.14 mg TE/g), reducing Fe3+ and Mo6+ (35.12±2.45 and 29.89±3.12 mg TE/g) and inhibiting AGEs (IC50=1.03±0.02 mg/ml). In vivo, 10 %AFS- supplemented diet (w/w) was found to elicit a significant reduction in glycemia (66.74 %), TNF α (9.4 %), IL-6 (23.74 %), CRP (31.10 %), liver enzymes, lipid peroxidation (MDA) (47.24 %;30 %), protein carbonyl (PCO) (28.35 %; 27.15 %), improvement in insulin level (79.74 %), reduced glutathione amount (GSH) (41.01 %; 16.55 %), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (45.80 %; 56.37 %), catalase (CAT) (24.44 %; 35.42 %) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) (22.78 %; 22.90 %) activities, in liver and pancreas respectively, along with a rejuvenation of hepatic and pancreatic histological features. These outcomes disclosed that AFS is endowed with biologically effective components which could be decent applicant to attain the objective of mitigating glycation, oxidative stress and diabetes-related complications.

Current perspectives on fenugreek bioactive compounds and their potential impact on human health: A review of recent insights into functional foods and other high value applications

Despite long-standing uses in several food and medicine traditions, the full potential of the leguminous crop fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) remains to be realized in the modern diet. Not only its seeds, which are highly prized for their culinary and medicinal properties, but also its leaves and stems abound in phytochemicals with high nutritional and health promoting attributes. Fenugreek dual food-medicine applications and reported metabolic activities include hypoglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, and antinociceptive effects, with potential organ-protective effects at the cardiovascular, digestive, hepatic, endocrine, and central nervous system levels. Effectiveness in alleviating certain inflammatory skin conditions and dysfunctions of the reproductive system was also suggested. As a food ingredient, fenugreek can enhance the sensory, nutritional, and nutraceutical qualities of a wide variety of foods. Its high nutritive density can assist with the design of dietary items that meet the demand for novelty, variety, and healthier foods. Its seeds provide essential protective nutrients and other bioactive compounds, notably galactomannans, flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, alkaloids, and essential oils, whose health benefits, alone or in conjunction with other bioactives, are only beginning to be tapped into in the food industries. This review summarizes the current state of evidence on fenugreek potential for functional food development, focusing on the nutrients and non-nutrient bioactive components of interest from a dietary perspective, and their applications for enhancing the functional and nutraceutical value of foods and beverages. New developments, safety, clinical evidence, presumed mechanisms of action, and future perspectives are discussed. HIGHLIGHTS: Fenugreek seeds and leaves have long-standing uses in the food-medicine continuum. Fenugreek phytochemicals exert broad-spectrum biological and pharmacological activities. They show high preventive and nutraceutical potential against common chronic diseases. Current evidence supports multiple mechanisms of action mediated by distinct bioactives. Opportunities for fenugreek-based functional foods and nutraceuticals are expanding.

Natural products as pharmacological modulators of mitochondrial dysfunctions for the treatment of diabetes and its complications: An update since 2010

Diabetes, characterized as a well-known chronic metabolic syndrome, with its associated complications pose a substantial and escalating health and healthcare challenge on a global scale. Current strategies addressing diabetes are mainly symptomatic and there are fewer available curative pharmaceuticals for diabetic complications. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify novel pharmacological targets and agents. The impaired mitochondria have been associated with the etiology of diabetes and its complications, and the intervention of mitochondrial dysfunction represents an attractive breakthrough point for the treatments of diabetes and its complications. Natural products (NPs), with multicenter characteristics, multi-pharmacological activities and lower toxicity, have been caught attentions as the modulators of mitochondrial functions in the therapeutical filed of diabetes and its complications. This review mainly summarizes the recent progresses on the potential of 39 NPs and 2 plant-extracted mixtures to improve mitochondrial dysfunction against diabetes and its complications. It is expected that this work may be useful to accelerate the development of innovative drugs originated from NPs and improve upcoming therapeutics in diabetes and its complications.

Integration of systematic review, lipidomics with experiment verification reveals abnormal sphingolipids facilitate diabetic retinopathy by inducing oxidative stress on RMECs

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the potential biomarkers in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) into diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODS

Systematic review of diabetic metabolomics was used to screen the differential metabolites and related pathways during the development of DM. Non-targeted lipidomics of rat plasma was performed to explore the differential metabolites in the development of DM into DR in vivo. To verify the effects of differential metabolites in inducing retinal microvascular endothelial cells (RMECs) injury by increasing oxidative stress, high glucose medium containing differential metabolites was used to induce rat RMECs injury and cell viability, malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were evaluated in vitro. Network pharmacology was performed to explore the potential mechanism of differential metabolites in inducing DR.

RESULTS

Through the systematic review, 148 differential metabolites were obtained and the sphingolipid metabolic pathway attracted our attention. Plasma non-targeted lipidomics found that sphingolipids were accompanied by the development of DM into DR. In vitro experiments showed sphinganine and sphingosine-1-phosphate aggravated rat RMECs injury induced by high glucose, further increased MDA and ROS levels, and further decreased SOD activities and MMP. Network pharmacology revealed sphinganine and sphingosine-1-phosphate may induce DR by regulating the AGE-RAGE and HIF-1 signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Integrated systematic review, lipidomics and experiment verification reveal that abnormal sphingolipid metabolism facilitates DR by inducing oxidative stress on RMECs. Our study could provide the experimental basis for finding potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of DR.

Pterostilbene could alleviate diabetic cognitive impairment by suppressing TLR4/NF-кB pathway through microbiota-gut-brain axis

Diabetic cognitive impairment (DCI) is a serious neurodegenerative disorder caused by diabetes, with chronic inflammation being a crucial factor in its pathogenesis. Pterostilbene is a well-known natural stilbene derivative that has excellent anti-inflammatory activity, suggesting its potential medicinal advantages for treating DCI. Therefore, this study is to explore the beneficial effects of pterostilbene for improving cognitive dysfunction in DCI mice. A diabetic model was induced by a high-fat diet plus streptozotocin (40 mg·kg-1 ) for consecutive 5 days. After the animals were confirmed to be in a diabetic state, they were treated with pterostilbene (20 or 60 mg·kg-1 , i.g.) for 10 weeks. Pharmacological evaluation showed pterostilbene could ameliorate cognitive dysfunction, regulate glycolipid metabolism disorders, improve neuronal damage, and reduce the accumulation of β-amyloid in DCI mice. Pterostilbene alleviated neuroinflammation by suppressing oxidative stress and carbonyl stress damage, astrocyte and microglia activation, and dopaminergic neuronal loss. Further investigations showed that pterostilbene reduced the level of lipopolysaccharide, modulated colon and brain TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways, and decreased the release of inflammatory factors, which in turn inhibited intestinal inflammation and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, pterostilbene could also improve the homeostasis of intestinal microbiota, increase the levels of short-chain fatty acids and their receptors, and suppress the loss of intestinal tight junction proteins. In addition, the results of plasma non-targeted metabolomics revealed that pterostilbene could modulate differential metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with inflammation, thereby suppressing systemic inflammation in DCI mice. Collectively, our study found for the first time that pterostilbene could alleviate diabetic cognitive dysfunction by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, which may be one of the potential mechanisms for its neuroprotective effects.

Comparative study of the chemical composition of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. essential oil

Fenugreek is a well-known aromatic plant. Its leaves and seeds are commonly used for their many health benefits and the species is cultivated worldwide. For the first time, essential oils (EOs) from seeds of the Bulgarian and Indian populations were obtained by secondary distillation of hydrolat to extract the residual essential oil therein. They were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and the chemical composition of the two samples was compared. Thirty-six compounds were identified and although the results showed some differences in the component composition of the two essential oils, the major constituents identified in both oils were cubenol, γ-n-amylbutyrolactone and palmitic acid. Moreover, oxygenated sesquiterpenes were the predominant fraction in Bulgarian and Indian seeds oils. Information is limited regarding menthol and γ-n-amylbutyrolactone, which were found in the present study in both oils. The performed analysis confirmed the presence of phytol in fenugreek seeds regardless of the extraction method of the essential oil.

Phenolipid JE improves metabolic profile and inhibits gluconeogenesis via modulating AKT-mediated insulin signaling in STZ-induced diabetic mice

Phenolipids are characteristic phytochemicals of Syzygium genus. However, the antidiabetic potential and underlying molecular mechanism of these components are not fully elucidated. Herein, we studied the anti-diabetic effects of jambone E (JE), a phenolipid from S. cumini, with in vitro and in vivo models. Data from current study showed that JE enhanced glucose consumption and uptake, promoted glycogen synthesis, and suppressed gluconeogenesis in insulin resistant (IR)-HepG2 cells and primary mouse hepatocytes. JE also attenuated streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in type 1 diabetic (T1D) mice. Eleven metabolites (e.g. trimethylamine n-oxide, 4-pyridoxic acid, phosphatidylinositol 39:4, phenaceturic acid, and hippuric acid) were identified as potential serum biomarkers for JE's antidiabetic effects by an untargeted metabolomics approach. The further molecular mechanistic study revealed that JE up-regulated phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B (AKT), glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta, and forkhead box O1 (FoxO1), promoted nuclear exclusion of FoxO1 whilst decreased gene expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose 6-phosphatase in IR-HepG2 cells and T1D mice. Our data suggested that JE might be a potent activator for AKT-mediated insulin signaling pathway, which was confirmed by the usage of AKT inhibitor and AKT-target siRNA interference, as well as the cellular thermal shift assay. Findings from the current study shed light on the anti-diabetic effects of phenolipids in the Syzygium species, which supports the use of medicinal plants in the Syzygium genus for potential pharmaceutical applications.

Serum metabolome alterations in patients with early nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND

Although metabolomic analysis for patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was a promising approach to identify novel biomarkers as targets for the diagnosis of NAFLD, the serum metabolomics profile of early-stage NAFLD patients from central China remain unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to explore the metabolic characteristics of patients with early-stage NAFLD based on the ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technology, to identify differential metabolites and perform functional analysis, and especially, to establish a novel early NAFLD clinical diagnostic tool.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls, serum metabolite species increased significantly in early stage NAFLD patients. Expression of 88 metabolites including 1-naphthylmethanol, rosavin, and theophylline were up-regulated in early NAFLD, while 68 metabolites including 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine (24:1(15Z)) were down-regulated. The early NAFLD classifier achieved a strong diagnostic efficiency in the discovery phases (80.99%) and was successfully verified in the validation phases (75.23%).

CONCLUSIONS

These results advance our understanding about the composition and biological functions of serum metabolites of early NAFLD. In addition, serum metabolic markers can serve as an efficient diagnostic tool for the early-stage NAFLD.

Innovative Application of Metabolomics on Bioactive Ingredients of Foods

Metabolomics, as a new omics technology, has been widely accepted by researchers and has shown great potential in the field of nutrition and health in recent years. This review briefly introduces the process of metabolomics analysis, including sample preparation and extraction, derivatization, separation and detection, and data processing. This paper focuses on the application of metabolomics in food-derived bioactive ingredients. For example, metabolomics techniques are used to analyze metabolites in food to find bioactive substances or new metabolites in food materials. Moreover, bioactive substances have been tested in vitro and in vivo, as well as in humans, to investigate the changes of metabolites and the underlying metabolic pathways, among which metabolomics is used to find potential biomarkers and targets. Metabolomics provides a new approach for the prevention and regulation of chronic diseases and the study of the underlying mechanisms. It also provides strong support for the development of functional food or drugs. Although metabolomics has some limitations such as low sensitivity, poor repeatability, and limited detection range, it is developing rapidly in general, and also in the field of nutrition and health. At the end of this paper, we put forward our own insights on the development prospects of metabolomics in the application of bioactive ingredients in food.

A SERS Platform for Rapid Detection of Drug Resistance of Non-Candida albicans Using Fe3O4@PEI and Triangular Silver Nanoplates

Purpose

Candida infection has a high mortality rate, and the increasing prevalence of non-Candida albicans drug resistance in recent years poses a potential threat to human health. Non-Candida albicans has long culture cycles, and its firm cell walls making it difficult to isolate DNA for sequencing.

Materials and Methods

Fe₃O₄@PEI (PEI, polyvinyl imine) was mixed with clinical samples to form Fe₃O₄@PEI@non-Candida albicans and enriched them with magnets. Triangular silver nanoplates enhanced the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal. SERS was used to detect the fingerprint spectrum of non-Candida albicans. Then, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to analyze the drug resistance of non-Candida albicans.

Results

SERS combined with OPLS-DA could well analyze the drug resistance of non-Candida albicans. Through 10-fold-cross validation, the accuracy of training and test data is greater than 99%, indicating that the model has good classification ability. We used SERS for the first time to detect the drug resistance of non-Candida albicans directly.

Conclusion

This approach can be utilized without causing damage to the cell wall and can be accomplished in as little as 90 minutes. It can provide timely guidance for the treatment of patients with good clinical application potential.

Flavonoids from Lycium barbarum Leaves Exhibit Anti-Aging Effects through the Redox-Modulation

Lycium barbarum leaves are a kind of vegetable, and modern nutrition studies have found that they have an anti-aging function. Our study aims to investigate the anti-aging effects of Lycium barbarum leaf flavonoid (LBLF) extracts and its underlying molecular mechanism. LBLFs were purified using D101 and polyamide resin, characterized by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, and administered to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and Caenorhabditis elegans. Appropriate enrichment conditions were optimized through dynamic adsorption and desorption experiments, the content of flavonoids reached 909.84 mg/g, rutin and kaempferol being the main ones. LBLFs attenuated H₂O₂-induced HUVEC apoptosis, decreased reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde production levels, increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities. Furthermore, pre-treatment with LBLF increased mRNA expression of erythropoietin (EPO) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in HUVECs. Compared with 100 µM rutin monomer, LBLF prolonged the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans, enhanced their mobility in middle life stages and upregulated expression of sod-2, gcs-1 and skn-1 genes, which indicated that the anti-aging effects of LBLF were due to its redox-modulation.

Approaches to Decrease Hyperglycemia by Targeting Impaired Hepatic Glucose Homeostasis Using Medicinal Plants

Liver plays a pivotal role in maintaining blood glucose levels through complex processes which involve the disposal, storage, and endogenous production of this carbohydrate. Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating hepatic glucose production and glucose storage as glycogen, thus abnormalities in its function lead to hyperglycemia in obese or diabetic patients because of higher production rates and lower capacity to store glucose. In this context, two different but complementary therapeutic approaches can be highlighted to avoid the hyperglycemia generated by the hepatic insulin resistance: 1) enhancing insulin function by inhibiting the protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, one of the main enzymes that disrupt the insulin signal, and 2) direct regulation of key enzymes involved in hepatic glucose production and glycogen synthesis/breakdown. It is recognized that medicinal plants are a valuable source of molecules with special properties and a wide range of scaffolds that can improve hepatic glucose metabolism. Some molecules, especially phenolic compounds and terpenoids, exhibit a powerful inhibitory capacity on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B and decrease the expression or activity of the key enzymes involved in the gluconeogenic pathway, such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase or glucose 6-phosphatase. This review shed light on the progress made in the past 7 years in medicinal plants capable of improving hepatic glucose homeostasis through the two proposed approaches. We suggest that Coreopsis tinctoria, Lithocarpus polystachyus, and Panax ginseng can be good candidates for developing herbal medicines or phytomedicines that target inhibition of hepatic glucose output as they can modulate the activity of PTP-1B, the expression of gluconeogenic enzymes, and the glycogen content.

Anti-Hyperglycemic Effects of Refined Fractions from Cyclocarya paliurus Leaves on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

To identify the chemical components responsible for the anti-hyperglycemic effect of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinsk (Juglandaceae) leaves, an ethanol extract (CPE) and a water extract (CPW) of C. paliurus leaves, as well as their total flavonoids (CPF), triterpenoids (CPT) and crude polysaccharides (CPP), were prepared and assessed on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. After being orally administrated once a day for 24 days, CPF (300 mg/kg), CPP (180 mg/kg), or CPF+CPP (300 mg/kg CPF + 180 mg/kg CPP) treatment reversed STZ-induced body weight and muscle mass losses. The glucose tolerance tests and insulin tolerance tests suggested that CPF, CPP, and CPF+CPP showed anti-hyperglycemic effect in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Furthermore, CPF enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in MIN6 cells and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes. CPF and CPP suppressed inflammatory cytokine levels in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Additionally, CPF and CPP improved STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy assessed by H&E staining, blood urea nitrogen content, and urine creatinine level. The molecular networking and Emperor analysis results indicated that CPF showed potential anti-hyperglycemic effects, and HPLC–MS/MS analysis indicated that CPF contains 3 phenolic acids and 9 flavonoids. In contrast, CPT (650 mg/kg) and CPC (300 mg/kg CPF + 180 mg/kg CPP + 650 mg/kg CPT) did not show anti-hyperglycemic effect. Taken together, polysaccharides and flavonoids are responsible for the anti-hyperglycemic effect of C. paliurus leaves, and the clinical application of C. paliurus need to be refined.

Study of Zuojin Pill in Treating Chronic Atrophic Gastritis by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS Based on Serum and Urine Metabolomics Combined with Network Pharmacology

Zuojin Pill (ZJP) is widely used for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, while its specific mechanism has not been systematically investigated. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism of ZJP in chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) through UPLC-Q-TOF/MS-based metabolomics combined with network pharmacology. ZJP and omeprazole significantly reduce contents of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and iNOS and improve pathological characteristics. Metabolomic results indicated that the therapeutic effects of ZJP were mainly related to ten metabolites, namely, choline, L-threonine, hydroxypyruvic acid, creatine, taurine, succinic acid, cis-aconitic acid, citric acid, succinic acid semialdehyde, and uric acid. Pathway analysis showed that the treatment of CAG by ZJP was associated with taurine and hypotaurine metabolism; glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; glycerophospholipid metabolism; citrate cycle (TCA cycle), alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; butanoate metabolism; and purine metabolism. Validation of metabolic markers and key targets of network pharmacology through RT-PCR analysis showed that ZJP significantly downregulated a series of inflammatory markers, such as MAPK1, PKIA, RB1, SCN5A, RXRA, E2F1, PTGS1, IGF2, ADRB1, ADRA1B, PTGS2, and GABRA1. This study was the first to use a combination of metabolomics and network pharmacology to clarify the therapeutic effects of ZJP on CAG and the regulation of multiple metabolic pathways.

Metabolomics research on the hepatoprotective effect of cultured bear bile powder in α-naphthylisothiocyanate-induced cholestatic mice

Natural bear bile powder (NBBP) is a famous traditional medicine and has been widely used in clinic. However, access to the sources of bear bile is restricted; hence, it is essential to discover new substitutes for NBBP. Cultured bear bile powder (CBBP) is transformed from chicken bile and contains main ingredients as to NBBP. In the present study, the effect and potential mechanism of action of CBBP on cholestatic liver injury in-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced mouse model was explored using metabolomics. CBBP treatment ameliorated impaired hepatic dysfunction and tissue damage that induced by ANIT. Metabolomics showed there were 28 different metabolites induced by ANIT as compared with control mice, and 18 of which was reversed by CBBP. Pathway analysis revealed that those 18 metabolites are mainly involved in bile acid (BA) biosynthesis and D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism. Further LC-MS/MS analysis showed that CBBP and NBBP both reduced serum and liver levels of BAs, but increased their biliary levels. Additionally, CBBP and NBBP upregulated expression of BA efflux transporters, Mrp2, Mrp3, and Mrp4, and metabolic enzymes, Cyp2b10 and Ugt1a1 of liver tissue of cholestatic mice, increased the BA excretion and metabolism. Moreover, CBBP and NBBP treatment upregulated GCLc/GCLm expression, and restored glutathione metabolism. In conclusion, the protective effects of CBBP against cholestatic liver injury were similar to those of NBBP. Mechanistically, both CBBP and NBBP reversed the disruption in homeostasis of BAs and glutathione, alleviating damage to hepatocytes.

Metabolomics combined with network pharmacology exploration reveals the modulatory properties of Astragali Radix extract in the treatment of liver fibrosis

Background

Astragali Radix (AR) is widely-used for improving liver fibrosis, but, the mechanism of action has not been systematically explained. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of AR intervention in liver fibrosis based on comprehensive metabolomics combined with network pharmacology approach.

Materials and methods

UPLC–Q-TOF/MS based metabolomics technique was used to explore the specific metabolites and possible pathways of AR affecting the pathological process of liver fibrosis. Network pharmacology analysis was introduced to explore the key targets of AR regarding the mechanisms on liver fibrosis.

Results

AR significantly reduced the levels of ALT, AST and AKP in serum, and improved pathological characteristics. Metabolomics analysis showed that the therapeutic effect of AR was mainly related to the regulation of nine metabolites, including sphingosine, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1a, LysoPC (O-18:0), 3-dehydrosphinganine, 5,6-epoxy-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid, leukotriene C4, taurochenodesoxycholic acid, LysoPC (18:1 (9Z)) and 2-acetyl-1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Pathway analysis indicated that the treatment of AR on liver fibrosis was related to arachidonic acid metabolism, ether lipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. Validation of the key targets by network pharmacology analysis of potential metabolic markers showed that AR significantly down-regulated the expression of CYP1B1 and up-regulated the expression of CYP1A2 and PCYT1A.

Conclusion

Metabolomics combined with network pharmacology was used for the first time to clarify that the treatment of AR on liver fibrosis, which is related to the regulation of arachidonic acid metabolism and ether lipid metabolism by modulating the expression of CYP1A2, CYP1B1 and PCYT1A. And the integrated approach can provide new strategies and ideas for the study of molecular mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of liver fibrosis.

An integrated serum and urinary metabonomic research of Rhizoma Curcumae-Rhizoma Sparganii drug pair in hysteromyoma rats based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Rhizoma Curcumae and Rhizoma Sparganii (RCRS), a celebrated traditional Chinese medicine drug pair, has been used to treat hysteromyoma (HY).

AIM OF THE STUDY

We aimed to identify the endogenous biomarkers of RCRS against HY.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HY rat model was established by injecting intramuscularly estradiol benzoate and progesterone injection from inner thigh in sequence. Body weight, uterus morphological indexes, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining experiments were used to evaluate the efficacy of RCRS (The rats were treated with RCRS extract, which was made by soxhlet reflux method. The rats were administrated intragastrically with 2 mL of RCRS extract). UPLC-Q-TOF-MS based metabonomics was adopted to analyze the serum and urine biomarkers from HY rats before and after RCRS treatment. Principle component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were utilized to identify differences of metabolic profiles in rats among the four groups.

RESULTS

16 potential biomarkers from serum and 18 potential biomarkers from urine in both positive and negative mass spectrometry detection modes were identified, primarily related to Linoleic acid metabolism and Glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. RCRS drug pair has therapeutic effects on rats with HY via the regulation of multiple metabolic pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a useful method to get insight into the integrated metabonomic mechanism of RCRS drug pair on HY rats.