Antidepressant activities and regulative effects on serotonin transporter of Nardostachys jatamansi DC

Nardosinone relieves metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and promotes energy metabolism through targeting CYP2D6

BACKGROUND

Nardosinone, a major extract of Rhizoma nardostachyos, plays a vital role in sedation, neural stem cell proliferation, and protection of the heart muscle. However, the huge potential of nardosinone in regulating lipid metabolism and gut microbiota has not been reported, and its potential mechanism has not been studied.

PURPOSE

To explore the regulation of nardosinone on liver lipid metabolism and gut microbiota.

METHODS

In this study, the role of nardosinone in lipid metabolism was investigated in vitro and in vivo by adding it to mouse feed and HepG2 cell culture medium. And 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to explore its regulatory effect on gut microbiota.

RESULTS

Results showed that nardosinone could improve HFD-induced liver injury and abnormal lipid metabolism by promoting mitochondrial energy metabolism in hepatocytes, alleviating oxidative stress damage, and regulating the composition of the gut microbiota. Mechanistically, combined with network pharmacology and reverse docking analysis, it was predicted that CYP2D6 was the target of nardosinone, and the binding was verified by cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA).

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights a novel mechanism function of nardosinone in regulating lipid metabolism and gut microbiota. It also predicts and validates CYP2D6 as a previously unknown regulatory target, which provides new possibilities for the application of nardosinone and the treatment of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease.

Nardostachys jatamansi: Phytochemistry, ethnomedicinal uses, and pharmacological activities: A comprehensive review

A member of the Valerianacae family, Nardostachys jatamansi is the smallest, most primitive, perennial, dwarf, hairy, rhizomatous, herbaceous species. It has an enlarged antiquity of usage as ayurvedic medicine, homeopathic medicine, ethnomedicine, and the Indian system of medicine, and is now used in the modern medicine industry. In the ayurvedic medical system, the rhizomes of the plant are used as a bitter tonic, stimulant, antispasmodic, epileptic treatment, and for hysteria. Pharmacological reports on Nardostachys jatamansi revealed its antifungal activity, hepatoprotective activity, central nervous system activity, anticonvulsant activity, neuroprotective activity, antiparkinson's activity, antioxidant activity, antidiabetic activity, tranquilizing activity, antiestrogenic activity furthermore, Jatamansone has also been linked to anti-hypertensive, anti-arrhythmic, anti-asthmatic, nematicidal, and antibacterial effects. This review article's objective is to go over traditional uses, Phytochemistry, Ethnomedicinal Importance, pharmacological activities, precise procedures for variety improvement, protection, and appropriate utilization, and recognize prospects for Nardostachys jatamansi.

Nardosinone suppresses monoiodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis in rats: The key role of the miR-218-5p/NUMB axis

Nardosinone is a bioactive compound with a sesquiterpenoid structure isolated from Nardostachys jatamansi. The compound has shown treatment effects against skeletal disorders. In the current study, the effects of nardosinone on osteoarthritis (OA) were first assessed and the mechanism underlying the effects was explored by detecting changes in the miR-218-5p/NUMB axis. The miR, as a potential target mediating the effects of nardosinone on OA, was first determined with microarray and RT-qPCR detections. Then, OA symptoms were induced in rats using monoiodoacetate (MIA) and treated with nardosinone. The anti-OA effects of nardosinone were assessed via the detection of the histological structure and inflammation. The role of miR-218-5p was delineated by modulating its levels in OA-affected rats. Based on the results of microarray and RT-qPCR detections, miR-218-5p was selected as the therapeutic target for nardosinone. The induction of OA resulted in tissue destruction and the production of cytokines in rat joint tissues, which was associated with the up-regulation of miR-218-5p and the downregulation of NUMB. For OA-affected rats treated with nardosinone, the joint structure was improved and the inflammatory response was suppressed, along with the restored expression levels of miR-218-5p and NUMB. The re-induced level of miR-218-5p compromised the anti-OA effects of nardosinone, indicating that the inhibition of the miR played an indispensable role in the anti-OA function of nardosinone. Collectively, the findings of our study demonstrated that nardosinone exerts treatment effects against OA by modulating the miR-218-5p/NUMB axis. Future studies will provide more detailed information on the interaction between nardosinone and miR in the attenuation of OA.

Natural product-based pharmacological studies for neurological disorders

Central nervous system (CNS) disorders and diseases are expected to rise sharply in the coming years, partly because of the world's aging population. Medicines for the treatment of the CNS have not been successfully made. Inadequate knowledge about the brain, pharmacokinetic and dynamic errors in preclinical studies, challenges with clinical trial design, complexity and variety of human brain illnesses, and variations in species are some potential scenarios. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are multifaceted and lack identifiable etiological components, and the drugs developed to treat them did not meet the requirements of those who anticipated treatments. Therefore, there is a great demand for safe and effective natural therapeutic adjuvants. For the treatment of NDDs and other memory-related problems, many herbal and natural items have been used in the Ayurvedic medical system. Anxiety, depression, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases (AD), as well as a plethora of other neuropsychiatric disorders, may benefit from the use of plant and food-derived chemicals that have antidepressant or antiepileptic properties. We have summarized the present level of knowledge about natural products based on topological evidence, bioinformatics analysis, and translational research in this review. We have also highlighted some clinical research or investigation that will help us select natural products for the treatment of neurological conditions. In the present review, we have explored the potential efficacy of phytoconstituents against neurological diseases. Various evidence-based studies and extensive recent investigations have been included, which will help pharmacologists reduce the progression of neuronal disease.

Potential Anti-Tumor Activity of Nardoguaianone L Isolated from Nardostachys jatamansi DC. in SW1990 Cells

Natural products (NPs) were a rich source of diverse bioactive molecules. Most anti-tumor agents were built on natural scaffolds. Nardostachys jatamansi DC. was an important plant used to process the traditional Chinese herbal medicines “gansong”. Pancreatic cancer was the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. Hence, there was an urgent need to develop novel agents for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. In this paper, nardoguaianone L (G-6) is isolated from N. jatamansi, which inhibited SW1990 cells colony formation and cell migration, and induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we analyzed the differential expression proteins after treatment with G-6 in SW1990 cells by using iTRAQ/TMT-based quantitative proteomics technology, and the results showed that G-6 regulated 143 proteins’ differential expression by GO annotation, including biological process, cellular component, and molecular function. Meanwhile, KEGG enrichment found that with Human T-cell leukemia virus, one infection was the most highly enhanced pathway. Furthermore, the MET/PTEN/TGF-β pathway was identified as a significant pathway that had important biological functions, including cell migration and motility by PPI network analysis in SW1990 cells. Taken together, our study found that G-6 is a potential anti-pancreatic cancer agent with regulation of MET/PTEN/TGF-β pathway.

Aristolone in Nardostachys jatamansi DC. induces mesenteric vasodilation and ameliorates hypertension via activation of the KATP channel and PDK1-Akt-eNOS pathway

BACKGROUND

Nardostachys jatamansi DC. is a common medicinal herb used to treat cardiovascular diseases, particularly hypertension. Previously, our lab characterized the chemical compounds of N. jatamansi. However, the bioactive compounds of N. jatamansi and their mechanisms of action on blood pressure and blood vessels are unknown.

PURPOSE

The vasorelaxant effects of the methanolic extract (MeOH ext.) of the roots and rhizomes of N. jatamansi, its main compounds, and their underlying mode of action, were investigated.

METHODS

The main compounds of N. jatamansi were isolated and identified using UHPLC-TOF MS. The antihypertensive effect of N. jatamansi extracts and (-)-aristolone were determined using spontaneously hypertensive rats. The extracts, fractions, and compounds were also evaluated for their vasorelaxant effects on U46619 contractile responses in isolated thoracic aortic and mesenteric arterial rings. The endothelial-dependent relaxation, as well as the regulatory pathways and targets of (-)-aristolone, were studied in-vitro and ex-vivo. Molecular docking and biophysical characterization (Surface plasmon resonance) studies were utilized to investigate the molecular interaction between (-)-aristolone and the target protein.

RESULTS

MeOH ext. (200 mg/kg) reduces the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. MeOH ext. and its ethyl acetate fraction (EtOAc Fr.), but not the H₂O fraction, had a significant relaxing effect on the thoracic aorta. (-)-aristolone and kanshone H from EtOAc Fr. induced vasorelaxation of the thoracic aorta and mesenteric artery. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells, (-)-aristolone treatment upregulated phosphorylation of Akt (T308) and eNOS. Molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance experiments revealed an interaction between (-)-aristolone and phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), an upstream protein kinase that phosphorylates Akt at T308. Treatment with PDK1 inhibitor PHT-427 and eNOS inhibitor L-NAME consistently inhibited (-)-aristolone-induced vasorelaxation. In addition, K_ATP channel inhibitor glibenclamide dramatically inhibited the vasorelaxant effects of (-)-aristolone and kanshone H in the endothelium-denuded thoracic aorta. Finally, (-)-aristolone lowers hypertensive rats' systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

The extracts of N. jatamansi promote vasorelaxation and alleviate hypertension. The essential chemicals responsible for producing vasorelaxation effects are (-)-aristolone and kanshone H, which activate the PDK1-Akt-eNOS-NO relaxing pathway and stimulate the opening of the K_ATP channel. These findings point to N. jatamansi and aristolone as possible antihypertensive agents.

Terpenoids from Nardostachys jatamansi and their cytotoxic activity against human pancreatic cancer cell lines

Five previously unreported terpenoids, together with fifteen known analogs, were isolated from a methanol extract of the roots and rhizomes of Nardostachys jatamansi. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were elucidated by spectroscopic data and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra analyses, as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction for crystalline compounds. Structurally, (4R,5S,6S,7R)-1(10)-aristolane-8,9-diacid is a novel 8,9-dicarboxylic acid derivative of aristolane-type sesquiterpenoid. (4R,6S,7R,10S)-10-Hydroxyguaia-1(5)-6,7-epoxy-2-one is an undescribed analogue of nardoguaianone K, with a rare 6,7-epoxide group. (4R,5R,6R,8R)-1(10)-Isonardosinone-8-ol-9-one-7,11-lactone is an isonardosinane-type sesquiterpene bearing a γ-lactone ring. Dinardokanshone F is a rare example of a sesquiterpene dimer from N. jatamansi connected by an oxo bridge. The isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against four human pancreatic cancer cell lines (CFPAC-1, PANC-1, CAPAN-2 and SW1990). Compound epoxynardosinone exhibited significant cytotoxicity against CAPAN-2 cell lines with IC₅₀ value of 2.60 ± 1.85 μM. 1-Hydroxylaristolone displayed comparable cytotoxicity on CFPAC-1 cell lines (IC₅₀ 1.12 ± 1.19 μM), compared to Taxol (IC₅₀ 0.32 ± 0.13 μM). 1-Hydroxylaristolone, 1(10)-aristolane-9β-ol, 1(10)-aristolen-2-one, alpinenone, valtrate isovaleroyloxyhydrine and nardostachin displayed stronger cytotoxicity against PANC-1 cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.01 ± 0.01 to 6.50 ± 1.10 μM. 1(10)-Aristolane-9β-ol, 10-hydroxyguaia-1(5)-6,7-epoxy-2-one, nardoguaianone K, nardonoxide, epoxynardosinone, 1(10)-isonardosinone-8-ol-9-one-7,11-lactone, valtrate isovaleroyloxyhydrine and nardostachin showed remarkable cytotoxicity against SW1990 cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.07 ± 0.05 to 4.82 ± 6.96 μM. Furthermore, the primary mechanistic study of nardostachin demonstrated that it induced cell apoptosis via the mitochondria-dependent pathway, and induced SW1900 cell arrest at G2/M phase.

Structures, Occurrences and Biosynthesis of 11,12,13-Tri-nor-Sesquiterpenes, an Intriguing Class of Bioactive Metabolites

The compounds 11,12,13-tri-nor-sesquiterpenes are degraded sesquiterpenoids which have lost the C₃ unit of isopropyl or isopropenyl at C-7 of the sesquiterpene skeleton. The irregular C-backbone originates from the oxidative removal of a C₃ side chain from the C₁₅ sesquiterpene, which arises from farnesyl diphosphate (FDP). The C₁₂-framework is generated, generally, in all families of sesquiterpenes by oxidative cleavage of the C₃ substituent, with the simultaneous introduction of a double bond. This article reviews the isolation, biosynthesis and biological activity of this special class of sesquiterpenes, the 11,12,13-tri-nor-sesquiterpenes.

Natural products for the treatment of stress-induced depression: Pharmacology, mechanism and traditional use

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Depression, one of the most common psychiatric disorders, is the fourth leading cause of long-term disability worldwide. A series of causes triggered depression, including psychological stress and conflict, as well as biological derangement, among which stress has a pivotal role in the development of depression. Traditional herbal medicine has been used for the treatment of various disorders including depression for a long history with multi-targets, multi-levels and multi-ways, attracting great attention from scholars. Recently, natural products have been commercialized as antidepressants which have become increasingly popular in the world health drug markets. Major research contributions in ethnopharmacology have generated and updated vast amount of data associated with natural products in antidepressant-like activity.

AIMS OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to briefly discuss the pathological mechanism, animal models of stress-induced depression, traditional use of herbal medicines and especially recapitulate the natural products with antidepressant activity and their pharmacological functions and mechanism of action, which may contribute to a better understanding of potential therapeutic effects of natural products and the development of promising drugs with high efficacy and low toxicity for the treatment of stress-induced depression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The contents of this review were sourced from electronic databases including PubMed, Sci Finder, Web of Science, Science Direct, Elsevier, Google Scholar, Chinese Knowledge On frastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang, Chinese Scientific and Technological Periodical Database (VIP) and Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM). Additional information was collected from Yao Zhi website (https://db.yaozh.com/). Data were obtained from April 1992 to June 2021. Only English language was applied to the search. The search terms were 'stress-induced depression', 'pathological mechanism' in the title and 'stress', 'depression', 'animal model' and 'natural products' in the whole text.

RESULTS

Stress-induced depression is related to the monoaminergic system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, neuronal plasticity and a series of inflammatory factors. Four main types of animal models of stress-induced depression were represented. Fifty-eight bioactive phytochemical compounds, fifty-six herb medicines and five formulas from traditional Chinese medicine were highlighted, which exert antidepressant effects by inhibiting monoamine oxidase (MAO) reaction, alleviating dysfunction of the HPA axis and nerve injury, and possessing anti-inflammatory activities.

CONCLUSIONS

Natural products provide a large number of compounds with antidepressant-like effects, and their therapeutic impacts has been highlighted for a long time. This review summarized the pathological mechanism and animal models of stress-induced depression, and the natural products with antidepressant activity in particular, which will shed light on the action mechanism and clinical potential of these compounds. Natural products also have been a vital and promising source for future antidepressant drug discovery.

Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Depression

Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders. Monoamine-based antidepressants were the first drugs developed to treat major depressive disorder. More recently, ketamine and other analogues were introduced as fast-acting antidepressants. Unfortunately, currently available therapeutics are inadequate; lack of efficacy, adverse effects, and risks leave patients with limited treatment options. Efforts are now focused on understanding the etiology of depression and identifying novel targets for pharmacological treatment. In this review, we discuss promising novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Targeting receptors including N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, G-protein-coupled receptor 39, metabotropic glutamate receptors, galanin and opioid receptors has potential antidepressant effects. Compounds targeting biological processes: inflammation, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, and gut microbiota have also shown therapeutic potential. Additionally, natural products including plants, herbs, and fatty acids improved depressive symptoms and behaviors. In this review, a brief history of clinically available antidepressants will be provided, with a primary focus on novel pharmaceutical approaches with promising antidepressant effects in preclinical and clinical studies.

A review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and the analytical methods of the genus Nardostachys

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The plants of the genus Nardostachys (Caprifoliaceae) have been used for a long history in different cultural systems of medicine, including Chinese, Ayurvedic, Korean folk medicine and Islamic, for treatments of disorders in nervous, digestive, cardiovascular and integumentary systems.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to provide comprehensive information on Nardostachys plants including botany update, traditional uses, data mining of uses in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and current Chinese medicinal patents, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, toxicity and analytical method studies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Studies of the genus Nardostachys were collected via Google Scholar and Baidu Scholar, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Wiley Online Library, ACS Publications, NLM/NCBI, Web of Science, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, EMBASE, Huabeing database and Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource Network and libraries. Some local books, PhD or MS's dissertations were also included. The literatures cited in this review covered the period from 1962 to March 2021. The Plant List and Kew Herbarium Catalogue databases were used to authenticate the scientific name.

RESULTS

Botany description of Nardostachys genus is updated. Analysis of the literatures indicates that Nardostachys species are valuable herbs with therapeutic potentials for various disorders. Data mining on ancient TCM prescriptions and current Chinese medicinal patents containing Nardostachys revealed its common compatibility with other herbs in China. Phytochemical studies identified terpenoids and phenolic compounds as the main constituents in the genus Nardostachys and sesquiterpenoids as the major bioactive components. Experimental studies demonstrated that crude extracts, major fractions and the main constituents from Nardostachys species mainly exhibited pharmacological activities on nervous, digestive, cardiovascular and skin systems. Further, in vivo and in vitro toxicological studies demonstrated that Nardostachys plants showed either no or low toxicities, except at high doses. Finally, methods of qualitative and quantitative analyses on chemical constituents of genus Nardostachys were summarized, including TLC/HPTLC, GC and HPLC/UPLC methods, combined with common detectors including PDA, DAD and MS.

CONCLUSIONS

This review summarizes the progress on phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and analytical methods of the genus Nardostachys. Studies demonstrate traditional uses of the genus Nardostachys, and reveal novel bioactive effects for clinical uses. These achievements expand our knowledge on the genus Nardostachys and its clinical value.

A review of nardosinone for pharmacological activities

Nardostachys jatamansi is a natural medicinal plant that is widely used in Asia for the treatment of various neurological and cardiac diseases, and nardosinone is the main active ingredient of N. jatamansi, which has the potential to treat a variety of diseases. Herein, we summarize the reported chemical structure, pharmacokinetics and pharmacological potential of nardosinone, and point out areas for further research. We obtained studies that were related to the chemical structure and pharmacological activities of nardosinone from several databases. Previous studies have shown that nardosinone has anti-inflammatory effects, anti-hypertrophic effect in cardiomyocytes, enhances activity of the nerve growth factor and promotes neural stem cells to proliferate and differentiate. However, the molecular mechanism of how nardosinone promotes proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells, and its role in resisting cardiomyocyte hypertrophy remains unclear and needs to be further studied. Overall, nardosinone has the potential to treat bacterial infections, periodontitis, cardiac diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. However, the gaps found in the literature is the lack of more comprehensive information regarding the pharmacokinetics and toxicology of nardosinone.