Determination of the antidiabetic chemical basis of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex by integrating hepatic disposition in vivo and hepatic gluconeogenese inhibition in vitro

Biological Importance of Phellodendrine in Traditional and Modern Medicines: An Update on Therapeutic Potential in Medicine

BACKGROUND

Herbal medicines have been used for the preparation of numerous pharmaceutical products for the treatment of human disorders. Plant-derived products have been used in medicine, nutraceuticals, perfumery, beverages, and cosmetics industries for different purposes. Herbal medicines are mainly derived from different parts of plant materials. Phellodendron bark has been widely known as one of the fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine. Phellodendron bark contains phellodendrine as a main active phytochemical. Phellodendrine ((7S,13aS)-3,10-dimethoxy-7-methyl-6,8,13,13atetrahydro-5H-isoquinolino[2,1-b]isoquinolin-7- ium-2,11-diol), is a quaternary ammonium alkaloid.

METHODS

This present study aimed to investigate the biological potential and therapeutic effectiveness of phellodendrine in medicine through scientific data analysis of different research works on phellodendrine. The therapeutic value of phellodendrine was analyzed in the present work through scientific data available in Google, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. All the scientific data on phellodendrine were collected from these databases using the terms herbal drugs and phellodendrine. Pharmacological and analytical data of phellodendrine were analyzed in the present work in order to know the medicinal importance of phellodendrine.

RESULTS

Scientific data analysis of phellodendrine in the present work signified the biological importance of phellodendrine in medicine. Phellodendrine has numerous beneficial aspects in medicine due to its potential benefits in ulcerative colitis, inflammation, pancreatic cancer, nephritis, immune response, acetylcholinesterase activity, psoriasis, arthritis, atopic dermatitis, and oxidative stress. However, it also has significant effects on eicosanoid generation, neuraminidase-1, inflammasome generation, cytochrome p450, taste receptors, and hepatic gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, scientific data has indicated the presence of phellodendrine in different natural sources, including Phellodendri cortex. Analytical data on phellodendrines has signified their importance in the isolation and separation of pure phytochemicals in medicine. Pharmacokinetic parameters have highlighted the tissue distribution of phellodendrine in different tissue of human beings and higher animals.

CONCLUSION

In the present work, scientific data analysis has indicated the biological importance, pharmacological activities, and analytical aspects of phellodendrine in medicine.

San-Huang-Chai-Zhu Formula Ameliorates Liver Injury in Intrahepatic Cholestasis through Suppressing SIRT1/PGC-1α-Regulated Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress

Background

Chinese herbal formulae possess promising applications in treating intrahepatic cholestasis.

Objective

Our study aims to explore the protective effect of the San-Huang-Chai-Zhu formula (SHCZF) on liver injury in intrahepatic cholestasis (IC) and investigate the underlying mechanism related to mitochondrial oxidative stress.

Methods

An IC rat model was established by α-naphthyl isothiocyanate induction. Hepatic histomorphology was observed through hematoxylin and eosin staining. Levels of biochemical indexes of hepatic function and oxidative stress were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cell apoptosis in liver tissues was detected by the TUNEL assay. The mRNA expression of mtDNA, SIRT1, and PGC-1α was measured by qRT-PCR, and the protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, SIRT1, and PGC-1α was determined by Western blotting.

Results

SHCZF treatment attenuated liver injury in IC. Levels of hepatic function parameters were decreased after SHCZF administration. In addition, the decreased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the increased levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in hepatic mitochondria confirmed that SHCZF could attenuate oxidative stress in IC. SHCZF treatment also reduced the apoptosis in the liver tissues of IC rats. Furthermore, SHCZF administration upregulated the expression of mtDNA, SIRT1, and PGC-1α in IC.

Conclusions

SHCZF exerts a protective effect on liver injury in IC via alleviating SIRT1/PGC-1α-regulated mitochondrial oxidative stress.

Intestinal Glucuronidation, Prior to Hepatic Glucuronidation, Plays an Important Role in the Low Circulating Levels of Calycosin

Calycosin is a dietary flavonoid with favorable activities, which seems to be inconsistent with its low circulating levels in vivo. To address this issue, we developed a strategy to understand calycosin distribution by integrating qualitative and quantitative analyses of calycosin and its metabolites in portal vein plasma, the liver, and systemic plasma after oral administration to rats. Consequently, 21 metabolites were characterized in total, including the first report of a reductive biotransformation and 14 new metabolites. Compared with the low levels of calycosin, calycosin glucuronides were predominant in circulation, and both the hepatic and intestinal regions contributed to the high exposure of these calycosin glucuronides. However, intestinal glucuronidation, prior to hepatic glucuronidation, plays a key role in the low circulating levels of calycosin.

Structural elucidation and anti-diabetic osteoporotic activity of an arabinogalactan from Phellodendron chinense Schneid

Phellodendron chinense Schneid. was widely used as a medicinal herb for the treatment of diabetic osteoporosis in China. In this study, an arabinogalactan, named as PPCP-1, was isolated from the bark of Phellodendron chinense Schneid., and purified by DEAE-cellulose DE52 and Sephacryl S-200 HR column chromatography. The structure of PPCP-1 was characterized as a repeating unit consisting of →3)-β-d-Galp-(1→, →3,6)-β-d-Galp-(1→, →5)-α-l-Araf-(1→, →4)-α-d-Glcp-(1→, →3)-α-d-Glcp-(1→, →4)-α-d-Manp-(1→ with branches of →5)-α-l-Araf-(1→, →3,5)-α-l-Araf-(1→ and terminal α-l-Araf. Pharmacologically, the oral administration of PPCP-1 preserved osteoporosis associated with hyperglycemia by inhibiting α-glucosidase activity, improving glucose tolerance, decreasing the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), as well as down-regulating the expression of receptor for AGEs in tibias of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Collectively, the present study suggested that the arabinogalactan PPCP-1 from Phellodendron chinense Schneid. might potentially be used as functional foods for bone health and/or developed for drug discovery for alleviating diabetic osteoporosis.

Systematic investigation on the anti-rheumatoid arthritis material basis and mechanism of Juan Bi Tang. Part 1: Integrating metabolic profiles and network pharmacology

Previously, our cooperative team confirmed the chemical composition and anti-rheumatoid arthritis (RA) efficacy of Juanbi-Tang (JBT), a clinically and historically used traditional Chinese medicine formula, in two model animals. In this study, we developed an in vivo-in silico strategy to elucidate the anti-RA material basis and mechanism of JBT. With the aid of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF), the metabolic profiles were investigated in normal and collagen-induced arthritis RA rats following oral administration of JBT. Based on the absorbed constituents in RA rats, network pharmacology was employed to predict the anti-RA mechanisms, followed by molecular docking validation. Consequently, there were 18 absorbed compounds with 6 chemical structures, which were absolutely identified by matching with standard compounds in plasma, and 17 generated metabolites involved of 7 biotransformation pathways, including glucuronidation, sulfation, hydroxylation, deglycosylation, methylation, taurine, and glycine conjugation. Moreover, RA disease affected the absorption and metabolism of the constituents in JBT, given the undetected 2 absorbed compounds and 4 metabolites in RA rats. The analysis of network pharmacology indicated that those absorbed compounds in JBT may fight against RA through the MAPK, FoxO, and Rap1 pathways. Molecular docking also validated these results. Overall, this is the first study to describe the metabolic profiles of JBT-treated healthy and RA rats, and it provides a possible anti-RA mechanism through multiple absorbed compounds and targets by network pharmacology.