The hydro-alcoholic extracts of Sardinian wild thistles (Onopordum spp.) inhibit TNFα-induced IL-8 secretion and NF-κB pathway in human gastric epithelial AGS cells

Characterization, mechanism and in vivo validation of Helicobacter pylori antagonism by probiotics screened from infants' feces and oral cavity

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a major cause of chronic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric carcinoma. Antibiotics, the conventional regimen for eliminating H. pylori, cause severe bacterial resistance, gut dysbiosis and hepatic insufficiency. Here, fifty lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were initially screened out of 266 strains obtained from infants' feces and oral cavity. The antagonistic properties of these 50 strains against H. pylori were investigated. Based on eight metrics combined with principal component analysis, three LAB with probiotic function and excellent anti-H. pylori capacity were affirmed. Combining dynamics test, metabolite assays, adhesion assays, co-cultivation experiments, and SEM and TEM observations, LAB were found to antagonize H. pylori by causing coccoid conversion and intercellular adhesion. Furthermore, it was found that LAB antagonized H. pylori by four pathways, i.e., production of anti-H. pylori substances, inhibition of H. pylori colonization, enhancement of the gastric mucosal barrier, and anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, animal model experiments verified that the final screened superior strain L. salivarius NCUH062003 had anti-H. pylori activity in vivo. LAB also reduced IL-8 secretion, ultimately alleviating the inflammatory response of gastric mucosa. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) data showed that the NCUH062003 genome contained the secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene cluster T3PKS. Furthermore, NCUH062003 had a strong energy metabolism and substance transport capacity, and produced a small molecule heat stable peptide (SHSP, 4.1-6.5 kDa). Meanwhile, LAB proved to be safe through antibiotic susceptibility testing and CARD database comparisons.

Promising inhibition of diabetes-related enzymes and antioxidant properties of Ptilostemon casabonae leaves extract

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a progressive metabolic disorder of glucose metabolism. One of the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of T2D is reducing postprandial hyperglycaemia through inhibition of the digestive enzymes α-glucosidase and α-amylase. In this context, aimed at identifying natural products endowed with anti-T2D potential, we focused on Ptilostemon casabonae (L.) Greuter, a species belonging to Asteraceae family. Enzymatic inhibition, antioxidant activity, phenolic composition and cellular assays were performed. This study revealed that the P. casabonae hydroalcoholic extract exerts a potent inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase. This activity is supported by an antioxidant effect, preventing ROS formation in a stressed cellular system. HPLC-PDA-MS/MS analysis, revealed a complex polyphenolic fraction. Among the tested pure compounds, 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, apigenin and rutin displayed good α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Our study suggested new potential of P. casabonae encouraging us to further testing the possible therapeutic potential of this extract.

Ovotransferrin Inhibits TNF-α Induced Inflammatory Response in Gastric Epithelial Cells via MAPK and NF-κB Pathway

Ovotransferrin (OVT) has been confirmed to have anti-inflammatory activity. However, its effect and mechanism on gastric inflammation are unclear. In this study, the effect and mechanism of the OVT on the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) induced inflammatory response in gastric epithelial cells (GES-1) were investigated. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of inflammation cytokines, followed by RNA sequencing to explore the potential pathways of its anti-inflammatory effect, and then it was validated by Western blotting and pathways inhibitors. Results showed that the OVT at concentrations of 50-400 μg/mL displayed nontoxicity against GES-1 cells. Additionally, 100 μg/mL of OVT obviously reduced the secretion of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, and TNF-α by 63.02% (630.09/1703.98), 35.53% (935.81/1451.43), and 36.19% (964.60/1511.63), respectively. The results of RNA sequencing exhibited that the OVT significantly influences the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cell (NF-κB) pathways, which was verified by the levels of p-IKK, p-IκB, p-P65, p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-P38 protein. IL-8 contents released by GES-1 cells after incubation with inhibitors of NF-κB and MAPK pathways further confirmed that OVT hindered activation of these two pathways. Collectively, these results suggested that OVT was a natural protein with the potential to treat gastric inflammation.

A Nanotechnological Approach to Exploit and Enhance the Bioactivity of an Extract from Onopordum illyricum L. Leaves

Plant-derived products have been used for preventive and curative purposes from the ancient era to the present day. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of either multicomponent-based extracts, enriched fractions, or isolated bioactives. However, they often display low solubility and bioavailability, chemical instability, poor absorption, and even toxicity, which restrict application in therapy. The use of drug delivery systems, especially nanocarriers, can overcome these physicochemical and pharmacokinetic limitations. In this study, an extract from Onopordum illyricum leaves was produced by maceration in 80% ethanol, characterized by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and formulated in phospholipid vesicles with the aim of exploiting and possibly enhancing its bioactivity for skin delivery. The results showed that phenolic compounds were abundantly present in the extract, especially hydroxycinnamic acid and flavonol derivatives. The extract-loaded vesicles showed small size (<100 nm), high entrapment efficiency (even >90% for most phenolic compounds), and good long-term stability. Moreover, the extract-loaded vesicles exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, as demonstrated by colorimetric assays and by enhanced reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in cultured skin cells. Hence, our findings support the key role of nanotechnological approaches to promote the potential of plant extracts and strengthen their application in therapy.

Free Amino Acids and Biogenic Amines Profiling and Variation in Wild and Sub-Endemic Cardueae Species from Sardinia and Corse

The cardueae are a common species in the Mediterranean area where they grow spontaneously and are traditionally employed as food and for health purposes. In this work, five Cardueae, including two sub-endemic species (four Carduus and three Ptilostemon casabonae (L.) Greuter samples from different locations) were collected from Sardinia and the Corse islands. All the considered plants are characteristic of the area, in particular the sub-endemic species C. cephalanthus and P. casabonae. This work aims to obtain, for the first time, the amino compounds profile (primary metabolites) of these little-studied species to detect for any similarities and differences among the different samples using statistical analyses. A recently developed method was employed, where diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate (DEEMM) derivatives are detected in a neutral loss scan mode using high performance liquid chromatography in tandem with a mass spectrometry technique. In total, 42 amino compounds were detected, of which 33 were fully identified and semi-quantified. Overall, the results show that DEEMM-derivatized amino compounds are qualitatively similar among the considered samples. Nonetheless, a discrimination at the genus level is possible. This work adds more information regarding the phytochemical composition regarding the primary metabolites of the considered samples, their discriminations and the search for compounds with potential health benefits.

Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antibacterial Properties of an Achillea millefolium L. Extract and Its Fractions Obtained by Supercritical Anti-Solvent Fractionation against Helicobacter pylori

The main objective of this work is to evaluate the potential utility of an Achillea millefolium extract (yarrow extract, YE) in the control of H. pylori infection. The supercritical anti-solvent fractionation (SAF) process of YE allowed the obtaining of two different fractions: yarrow’s precipitated fraction (YPF), enriched in most polar phenolic compounds (luteolin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin, and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid), and yarrow’s separator fraction (YSF), enriched in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, mainly containing camphor, artemisia ketone, and borneol. YE was effective in reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in human gastric AGS cells by 16% to 29%, depending on the H. pylori strain. YPF had the highest inhibitory activity (38–40%) for ROS production. YE modulated the inflammatory response in AGS gastric cells, decreasing IL-8 production by 53% to 64%. This IL-8 inhibition also showed a strain-dependent character. YPF and YSF exhibited similar behavior, reducing IL-8 production, suggesting that both phenolic compounds and essential oils could contribute to IL-8 inhibition. YSF showed the highest antibacterial activity against H. pylori (6.3–7.1 log CFU reduction, depending on the strain) and lower MIC (0.08 mg/mL). Results obtained have shown that YE and SAF fractions (YPF and YSF) were effective as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial agents regardless of the H. pylori strain characteristics.

Quality markers of Baizhu dispensing granules based on multi-component qualitative and quantitative analysis combined with network pharmacology and chemometric analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The dispensing granules of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) is an innovative form of medicinal material for TCMs decoction, which is gradually recognized in the clinic due to being suitable for production on a large scale and convenient to take for patients. However, the quality control of TCMs dispensing granules is being challenged, because they contain too many unrevealed hydrophilic components.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Here, the dispensing granules produced from the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala (Baizhu dispensing granules), were explored as a case to explore the quality markers correlated to the clinical efficacy of TCMs dispensing granules by a comprehensive strategy of integrating chemical profiling, network pharmacology, and chemometric analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, the chemical profiling of Baizhu dispensing granules was characterized by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). Subsequently, the potential active components responsible for the efficacy of Baizhu dispensing granules were screened via network pharmacology, and the ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA) method was developed for quantitative analysis of the potential active components in 26 batches of Baizhu dispensing granules. Finally, the quality markers of Baizhu dispensing granules were deciphered based on content variations of potential active components and chemometric analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 69 components were identified from Baizhu dispensing granules. Network pharmacology analysis further revealed that eight of them including five caffeoylquinic acids (31, 32, 36, 42, 44) and three sesquiterpenoids (63, 67, 76) were intimately connected to the core targets of dyspepsia, enteritis, gastritis and immunity. The contents of eight components differed greatly among 26 batches of Baizhu dispensing granules. Chlorogenic acid (31), cryptochlorogenic acid (32) and atractylenolide III (63) have higher concentrations and make great contributions to distinguish different batches of the Baizhu dispensing granules based on principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA), and could be used as the quality markers of Baizhu dispensing granules.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study defined the quality markers of Baizhu dispensing granules, which will benefit further investigation on the quality evaluation of TCMs dispensing granules containing Baizhu. The strategy used in this study will be helpful for discovering the quality markers of other TCMs dispensing granules.

The effects of ellagic acid and other pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) derivatives on human gastric cancer AGS cells

Although surgery with or without (neo)adjuvant chemo/radiotherapy, as the standard treatments, can be suitable therapeutic strategies for gastric cancer, side effects and drug resistance are two main treatment obstacles. It has been discovered that pomegranate and its natural derivatives, especially ellagic acid (EA), offer significant anti-cancer effects while causing trivial side effects. In this study, we aimed to explore the anti-cancer effects of EA on a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS) as well as in immunocompromised mice bearing human gastric tumors, for the first time. HPLC was used for determining EA in samples. MTT assay, apoptosis and scratch assay, gelatin zymography, and quantitative RT-PCR were used to determine the anti-cancer properties of different concentrations of pomegranate fruit juice, pomegranate peel extract, and EA. Furthermore, the effects of these compounds were investigated on immunosuppressed C57BL/6 mice carrying human gastric cancer tumors. EA could inhibit the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells. It also had significant effects on reducing both expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Further, it was demonstrated that with alterations in the expression of genes involved in apoptosis and inflammation including P53, BAX, APAF1, BCL2, iNOS, NF-κB, IL-8, and TNF-α, EA treatment led to increased cancer cell death and reduced inflammation. Furthermore, its use in mice bearing gastric tumors resulted in a significant reduction in tumor volume without any obvious side effects. Ellagic acid exhibited anti-cancer effects on gastric adenocarcinoma, and can be considered as a safe anti-cancer agent for further preclinical studies on this cancer.

Pharmacological Effects of Agastache rugosa against Gastritis Using a Network Pharmacology Approach

Agastache rugosa is used as a Korean traditional medicine to treat gastric diseases. However, the active ingredients and pharmacological targets of A. rugosa are unknown. In this study, we aimed to reveal the pharmacological effects of A. rugosa on gastritis by combining a mice model and a network pharmacology method. The macrophage and gastritis-induced models were used to evaluate the pharmacological effects of A. rugosa. The results show that A. rugosa relieved mucosal damage induced by HCl/EtOH in vivo. Network analysis identified 99 components in A. rugosa; six components were selected through systematic screening, and five components were linked to 45 gastritis-related genes. The main components were acacetin and luteolin, and the identified core genes were AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor alpha (NFKBIA), and mitogen-activated protein kinase-3 (MAPK3) etc. in this network. The network of components, target genes, protein–protein interactions, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway was closely connected with chemokines and with phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt (PI3K/AKT), tumor-necrosis-factor alpha (TNFα), mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear factor kappa B, and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. In conclusion, A. rugosa exerts gastro-protective effects through a multi-compound and multi-pathway regulatory network and holds potential for treating inflammatory gastric diseases.

Intra-specific variation in the little-known Mediterranean plant Ptilostemon casabonae (L.) Greuter analysed through phytochemical and biomolecular markers

Ptilostemon casabonae (L.) Greuter is a Mediterranean endemism traditionally used for its health-giving properties. Little is known about this species, therefore this study provides additional information about the phytochemical and biomolecular patterns of this plant, to have a combined fingerprint as a taxonomic tool. Several P. casabonae specimens were therefore collected from three different sites, two from Sardinia (Italy) and one from Corsica and the hydroalcoholic extracts of their aerial parts were investigated through HPLC-PDA-MS/MS analysis to study the phenolic composition. Quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, apigenin and diosmetin O-glycosides, and caffeoylquinic acid derivatives were found as main components. Samples from the three sites showed similar phenolic profiles, although statistical analyses highlighted some quantitative differences for several compounds. The biomolecular analysis included amplification and sequencing of ITS, 5S-rRNA-NTS and psbA regions. No difference was found in the nucleotides among the P. casabonae samples from different geographical origins; however, a comparison with other Ptilostemon species sequences from Genbank, revealed an interspecific variability of ITS and psbA regions. The combination of the results of the phytochemical and biomolecular studies provide information on P. casabonae useful to depict this little-known plant, which can also be applied for future investigations and to obtain a fingerprint of it. Moreover, the stability of the phenolic profile within the species affords to identify a set of specialised metabolites useful for its chemotaxonomic characterization. At the same time, the stability of the biomolecular profile of P. casabonae, and the identification of sequences specific for this species, enables to identify useful biomolecular markers to distinguish it unequivocally.

System Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Decode the Synergistic Mechanism of Zhi-zhu Wan for Functional Dyspepsia

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a widely prevalent gastrointestinal disorder throughout the world, whereas the efficacy of current treatment in the Western countries is limited. As the symptom is equivalent to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) term "stuffiness and fullness," FD can be treated with Zhi-zhu Wan (ZZW) which is a kind of Chinese patent medicine. However, the "multi-component" and "multi-target" feature of Chinese patent medicine makes it challenge to elucidate the potential therapeutic mechanisms of ZZW on FD. Presently, a novel system pharmacology model including pharmacokinetic parameters, pharmacological data, and component contribution score (CS) is constructed to decipher the potential therapeutic mechanism of ZZW on FD. Finally, 61 components with favorable pharmacokinetic profiles and biological activities were obtained through ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) screening in silico. The related targets of these components are identified by component targeting process followed by GO analysis and pathway enrichment analysis. And systematic analysis found that through acting on the target related to inflammation, gastrointestinal peristalsis, and mental disorder, ZZW plays a synergistic and complementary effect on FD at the pathway level. Furthermore, the component CS showed that 29 components contributed 90.18% of the total CS values of ZZW for the FD treatment, which suggested that the effective therapeutic effects of ZZW for FD are derived from all active components, not a few components. This study proposes the system pharmacology method and discovers the potent combination therapeutic mechanisms of ZZW for FD. This strategy will provide a reference method for other TCM mechanism research.

Valorizing coffee pulp by-products as anti-inflammatory ingredient of food supplements acting on IL-8 release

Coffee is the second traded food commodity in the world. Beyond roasted seeds, the most part of the original fruit -and in particular pulp- is discarded as waste, with severe environmental and economic consequences in many developing countries. Our research focused on developing an eco-friendly extraction protocol of phytocomplexes from coffee pulp and evaluating their bioactivity and beneficial effects to human health as food supplements. Antioxidant activity assays (Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH assays) were adopted to select the most effective extraction technique and results show antioxidant activity of coffee pulp extracts. After analysis of cytotoxicity on human epithelial gastric cells, measurements of IL-8 release of treated or pre-treated cells were performed. Results showed that the use of soft technical equipment and sustainable solvents (i.e. maceration process, aqueous extraction) can extract phytocomplexes with antioxidant properties. Moreover, IL-8 measurements showed impairment of this chemokine release at concentrations that may be reached in vivo in the gastrointestinal tract, following consumption of reasonable amount of extract. Pre-treatments analysis demonstrated the ability of coffee pulp extracts to prevent IL-8 release by gastric epithelial cells. Chemical evaluation performed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry showed that quinic acid derivatives are abundant in coffee pulp extract together with procyanidins derivatives: those compounds might be responsible for the high biological activity. This evidence supports future applications of coffee pulp extracts as food supplement with high added value, starting from a waste that can be valorized through simple yet efficient extraction methods.