Discovery and proteomics analysis of effective compounds in Valeriana jatamansi jones for the treatment of anxiety

Isochlorogenic acid A ameliorated lead-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice by inhibiting ferroptosis-mediated neuroinflammation via the BDNF/Nrf2/GPX4 pathways

Lead (Pb) is a common environmental neurotoxicant that causes behavioral impairments in both rodents and humans. Isochlorogenic acid A (ICAA), a phenolic acid found in a variety of natural sources such as tea, fruits, vegetables, coffee, plant-based food products, and various medicinal plants, exerts multiple effects, including protective effects on the lungs, livers, and intestines. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of ICAA against Pb-induced neurotoxicity in ICR mice. The results indicate that ICAA attenuates Pb-induced anxiety-like behaviors. ICAA reduced neuroinflammation, ferroptosis, and oxidative stress caused by Pb. ICAA successfully mitigated the Pb-induced deficits in the cholinergic system in the brain through the reduction of ACH levels and the enhancement of AChE and BChE activities. ICAA significantly reduced the levels of ferrous iron and MDA in the brain and prevented decreases in GSH, SOD, and GPx activity. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that ICAA attenuated ferroptosis and upregulated GPx4 expression in the context of Pb-induced nerve damage. Additionally, ICAA downregulated TNF-α and IL-6 expression while concurrently enhancing the activations of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, BDNF, and CREB in the brains of mice. The inhibition of BDNF, Nrf2 and GPx4 reversed the protective effects of ICAA on Pb-induced ferroptosis in nerve cells. In general, ICAA ameliorates Pb-induced neuroinflammation, ferroptosis, oxidative stress, and anxiety-like behaviors through the activation of the BDNF/Nrf2/GPx4 pathways.

Evaluation of the Effects of Instant Cascara Beverage on the Brain-Gut Axis of Healthy Male and Female Rats

Instant cascara (IC) is a sustainable beverage obtained from dried coffee cherry pulp, rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. The present research aimed to determine the effects of IC on general health and brain-gut axis parameters of healthy female and male rats. Wistar rats were exposed to IC (10 mg/mL) in their drinking water for 3 weeks. Body weight and solid and liquid intakes were monitored as indicators of food safety. Gastrointestinal transit was radiographically evaluated one day (acute) and 3 weeks (chronic) after the start of IC exposure. Locomotor activity, anxiety, and anhedonia of the animals after 3 weeks of treatment was also studied. Overall, compared to water-exposed animals, IC significantly increased food intake in males (p < 0.0001) and liquid intake in females (p < 0.05) without changes in body weight in either case. IC did not significantly modify gastrointestinal motility parameters after its acute or repeated intake and did not cause any significant behavioral alterations in males or females (p > 0.05). In conclusion, repeated intake of IC at the studied concentration did not negatively affect brain-gut axis functions of healthy male and female rats. Anxiety behavior, diarrhea, constipation, abnormal weight modifications, or other typical effects of toxicity were not observed in animals treated with the new powdered beverage, suggesting its food safety under the studied conditions.

Therapeutic Effects of Valeriana jatamansi on Ulcerative Colitis: Insights into Mechanisms of Action through Metabolomics and Microbiome Analysis

Ulcerative colitis (UC), belonging to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, which has not been completely cured in patients so far. Valeriana jatamansi is a Chinese medicine used clinically to treat "diarrhea," which is closely related to UC. This study was to elucidate the therapeutic effects of V. jatamansi extract (VJE) on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced UC in mice and its underlying mechanism. In this work, VJE effectively ameliorates the symptoms and histopathological scores and reduces the production of inflammatory factors in UC mice. The colon untargeted metabolomics analysis and 16S rDNA sequencing showed remarkable differences in colon metabolite profiles and intestinal microbiome composition between the control and DSS groups, and VJE intervention can reduce these differences. Thirty-two biomarkers were found and modulated the primary pathways including pyrimidine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism. Meanwhile, twelve significant taxa of gut microbiota were found. Moreover, there is a close relationship between endogenous metabolites and intestinal flora. These findings suggested that VJE ameliorates UC by inhibiting inflammatory factors, recovering intestinal maladjustment, and regulating the interaction between intestinal microbiota and host metabolites. Therefore, the intervention of V. jatamansi is a potential therapeutic treatment for UC.

Dose Optimization of Anxiolytic Compounds Group in Valeriana jatamansi Jones and Mechanism Exploration by Integrating Network Pharmacology and Metabolomics Analysis

Anxiety disorder impacts the quality of life of the patients. The 95% ethanol extract of rhizomes and roots of Valeriana jatamansi Jones (Zhi zhu xiang, ZZX) has previously been shown to be effective for the treatment of anxiety disorder. In this study, the dose ratio of each component of the anxiolytic compounds group (ACG) in a 95% ethanol extract of ZZX was optimized by a uniform design experiment and mathematical modeling. The anxiolytic effect of ACG was verified by behavioral experiments and biochemical index measurement. Network pharmacology was used to determine potential action targets, as well as predict biological processes and signaling pathways, which were then verified by molecular docking analysis. Metabolomics was then used to screen and analyze metabolites in the rat hippocampus before and after the administration of ZZX-ACG. Finally, the results of metabolomics and network pharmacology were integrated to clarify the anti-anxiety mechanism of the ACG. The optimal dose ratio of ACG in 95% ethanol extract of ZZX was obtained, and our results suggest that ACG may regulate ALB, AKT1, PTGS2, CYP3A4, ESR1, CASP3, CYP2B6, EGFR, SRC, MMP9, IGF1, and MAPK8, as well as the prolactin signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, and arachidonic acid metabolism pathway, thus affecting the brain neurotransmitters and HPA axis hormone levels to play an anxiolytic role, directly or indirectly.

Caffeoylquinic acids: chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity

Caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs) are specialized plant metabolites we encounter in our daily life. Humans consume CQAs in mg-to-gram quantities through dietary consumption of plant products. CQAs are considered beneficial for human health, mainly due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Recently, new biosynthetic pathways via a peroxidase-type p-coumaric acid 3-hydroxylase enzyme were discovered. More recently, a new GDSL lipase-like enzyme able to transform monoCQAs into diCQA was identified in Ipomoea batatas. CQAs were recently linked to memory improvement; they seem to be strong indirect antioxidants via Nrf2 activation. However, there is a prevalent confusion in the designation and nomenclature of different CQA isomers. Such inconsistencies are critical and complicate bioactivity assessment since different isomers differ in bioactivity and potency. A detailed explanation regarding the origin of such confusion is provided, and a recommendation to unify nomenclature is suggested. Furthermore, for studies on CQA bioactivity, plant-based laboratory animal diets contain CQAs, which makes it difficult to include proper control groups for comparison. Therefore, a synthetic diet free of CQAs is advised to avoid interferences since some CQAs may produce bioactivity even at nanomolar levels. Biotransformation of CQAs by gut microbiota, the discovery of new enzymatic biosynthetic and metabolic pathways, dietary assessment, and assessment of biological properties with potential for drug development are areas of active, ongoing research. This review is focused on the chemistry, biosynthesis, occurrence, analytical challenges, and bioactivity recently reported for mono-, di-, tri-, and tetraCQAs.

Identification of Components in Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus from Different Origins via UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS

To systematically analyze the chemical constituents of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus (CSF) from different origins, an efficient approach based on ultraperformance liquid chromatography plus Q-Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS) detection for the discrimination of chemical components from of 15 batches of CSF from four main origins was used in this research. Through parent peaks, fragment peaks, fragmentation characteristics, and comparative analysis with the literature and reference standards, a total of 77 components from the methanol extracts including 18 coumarins, 24 flavonoids, seven organic acids, three limonoids, and 25 other compounds were detected and identified. Among them, 15 components have not been reported previously in the CSF. Notably, the stachydrine peak initially showed a higher content in the total ion current chromatogram. Overall, CSF produced in the Zhejiang province contained a richer variety of chemical compositions. These observations provided a theoretical basis for the further quality assessment and application of CSF.