Quantitative analysis of the profiles of twelve major compounds in Gentiana straminea Maxim. Roots by LC-MS/MS in an extensive germplasm survey in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

Bioactivities of morroniside: A comprehensive review of pharmacological properties and molecular mechanisms

Morroniside (MOR) is an iridoid glycoside and the main active principle of the medicinal plant, Cornus officinalis Sieb. This phytochemical is associated with numerous health benefits due to its antioxidant properties. The primary objective of the present study was to assess the pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms of MOR, utilizing published data obtained from literature databases. Data collection involved accessing various sources, including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and SpringerLink. Our findings demonstrate that MOR can be utilized for the treatment of several diseases and disorders, as numerous studies have revealed its significant therapeutic activities. These activities encompass anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, lipid-lowering capability, anticancer, trichogenic, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, osteoprotective, renoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. MOR has also shown promising benefits against various neurological ailments, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, cerebral ischemia, and neuropathic pain. Considering these therapeutic features, MOR holds promise as a lead compound for the treatment of various ailments and disorders. However, further comprehensive preclinical and clinical trials are required to establish MOR as an effective and reliable therapeutic agent.

A Study of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma Class Differences Based on Chemical Composition and Core Efficacy

(1) Background: Establishment of a method for evaluating Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma (GRR) classes based on chemical composition and core efficacy; (2) Methods: Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to determine the chemical constituents of GRR-first class (GF) and GRR-second class (GS). The cell viability, liver function, oxidative stress enzyme activity, and inflammatory factor levels of GF and GS on H2O2-induced HepG2 cells were determined with CCK-8, ELISA, and biochemical methods, and the antioxidant activity of the two was evaluated using bioefficacy; ELISA, biochemical methods, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method, and Western blot (WB) were used to determine the liver function, oxidative stress enzyme activity, inflammatory factor levels, and expression of related genes and proteins in mice with acute liver injury (ALI) model induced with 0.3% CCl4 olive oil solution after gavage administration; (3) Results: GF and GS had the same types of components, but the cyclic enol ether terpenes such as morinlon goside c, loganin, gentiopicroside, and swertiamarin differed significantly between the two; the effect of GF on CCl4-induced acute hepatic injury in C57BL/6 mice was stronger compared to GS. It helped alleviate weight loss, increase hepatic and splenic indices, improve hepatic lobular structure and hepatocyte status, inhibit collagen deposition, enhance oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory-related genes and protein expression, and decrease apoptotic genes and proteins more significantly than GS; (4) Conclusions: In this study, we established a GRR class evaluation method combining chemical composition and core medicinal effects, which can rapidly determine the differential composition of GF and GS, detect the quality of GRR through antioxidant bioefficacy, and validate it with in vivo experiments, which provides references for the evaluation of the class of GRR and the rational use of medication in the clinic.

Gentiopicroside-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Inhibit TNF-α-Induced Proliferation and Inflammatory Response in HaCaT Keratinocytes and Ameliorate Imiquimod-Induced Dermatitis Lesions in Mice

Purpose

In this study, we aimed to report the biological characteristics of the first successful synthesis of gentiopicroside-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and to evaluate the therapeutic effects and preliminary mechanisms of gentiopicrin-loaded chitosan on psoriasis-like cell and mouse models.

Methods

Gentiopicroside-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CHI-GEN) were prepared, and their biological characteristics were evaluated. HaCaT keratinocytes were stimulated with TNF-α to establish a psoriatic keratinocyte model. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to measure cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. mRNA levels of K17, VEGF A, and IL-6 and IL-23A were detected using qRT-PCR. These tests were used to preliminarily assess the effects of CHI-GEN on keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation. Imiquimod was used to construct a psoriasis-like mice model. The severity of psoriasis was scored based on the psoriasis area severity index (PASI), H&E staining was used to observe the histological changes and the level of inflammation and cell proliferation of skin lesions was evaluated by measuring the mRNA levels of K17, IL-23A, and IL-17A using qRT-PCR.

Results

The average particle size of CHI-GEN nanoparticles was approximately 100 nm, and the zeta potential was 2.69 ± 0.87 mV. The cumulative release was 67.2% in solutions of pH 5.5 at 24 h. GEN reduced TNF-α-induced excessive proliferation of HaCaT keratinocytes and downregulated mRNA levels of K17, VEGF A, and inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-23A, which was more obvious in the CHI-GEN treatment group. Additionally, CHI-GEN significantly improved the severity of skin lesions in psoriasis-like mice and downregulated the mRNA expressions of IL-6, IL-23A, and IL-17A in mice skin lesions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we successfully prepared gentiopicrin-chitosan nanoparticles. Our results show that these nanoparticles have anti-psoriasis activity, inhibits keratinocyte proliferation and improves symptoms in psoriasis model mice and can be used to develop an effective strategy for the treatment of psoriasis.

An integrated strategy for quality control of the multi-origins herb medicine of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix based on UPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD

Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, the dried root of Gentiana macrophylla Pall., Gentiana crassicaulis Duthie ex Burk., Gentiana straminea Maxim., or Gentiana dahurica Fisch., is a traditional Chinese medicine with multi-origins and some adulterants. Liquid chromatography coupled to electrostatic orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Orbitrap-MS) was used to search the different components of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix of the four species. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with fingerprint analysis, principal components analysis (PCA), and partial least-squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) was also utilized to distinguish them and their adulterants based on the critical components identified by LC-MS. A single standard to determine the multi-components (SSDMC) method was established for the determination of the critical markers. A total of 93 compounds were identified from Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, including 58 common ones. Their HPLC fingerprints show a significant difference with the adulterants. In addition, PCA and PLS-DA could make a distinction among the four species. Loganic acid, 6'-O-β-d-glucosylgentiopicroside, swertiamarine, gentiopicroside, and sweroside were identified as the critical markers and then quantified by the SSDMC method. The developed strategy is powerful for the quality control and authentication of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix.

Therapeutic potential of plant iridoids in depression: a review

CONTEXT

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by low mood, reduced interest, impaired cognitive function, and vegetative symptoms such as sleep disturbances or poor appetite. Iridoids are the active constituents in several Chinese classical antidepressant formulae such as Yueju Pill, Zhi-Zi-Hou-Po Decoction, Zhi-Zi-Chi Decoction, and Baihe Dihuang Decoction. Parallel to their wide usages, iridoids are considered potential lead compounds for the treatment of neurological diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The review summarizes the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms of iridoids in the prevention or treatment of depression and contributes to identifying research gaps in iridoids as potential antidepressant medication.

METHODS

The following key phrases were sought in PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) without time limitation to search all relevant articles with in vivo or in vitro experimental studies as comprehensively as possible: ('iridoid' or 'seciridoid' or 'depression'). This review extracted the experimental data on the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanism of plant-derived iridoids for depression.

RESULTS

Plant iridoids (i.e., catalpol, geniposide, loganin), and secoiridoids (i.e., morroniside, gentiopicroside, oleuropein, swertiamarin), all showed significant improvement effects on depression.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Iridoids exert antidepressant effects by elevating monoamine neurotransmitters, reducing pro-inflammatory factors, inhibiting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity, increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptors, and elevating intestinal microbial abundance. Further detailed studies on the pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and key molecular targets of iridoids are also required in future research, ultimately to provide improvements to current antidepressant medications.

Enhanced Identification of Ginsenosides Simultaneously from Seven Panax Herbal Extracts by Data-Dependent Acquisition Including a Preferred Precursor Ions List Derived from an In-House Programmed Virtual Library

Data-dependent acquisition (DDA) is widely utilized for metabolite identification in natural product research and food science, which, however, can suffer from low coverage. A potential solution to improve DDA coverage is to include the precursor ions list (PIL). Here, we aimed to construct a PIL-containing DDA strategy based on an in-house library of ginsenosides (VLG) and identify ginsenosides simultaneously from seven Panax herbal extracts. VLG, combined with mass defect filtering, could efficiently screen the ginsenoside precursors and elaborate the separate PIL involved in DDA for each ginseng extract. Consequently, we could characterize 500 ginsenosides, including 176 ones with unknown masses. Using the Panax ginseng extract, the superiority of this strategy was embodied in targeting more known ginsenoside masses and newly acquiring the MS² spectra of 13 components. Conclusively, knowledge-based large-scale molecular prediction and PIL-DDA can represent a powerful targeted/untargeted strategy beneficial to novel natural compound discovery.

Effective Parts of Gentiana straminea Maxim Attenuates Hypoxia-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis

Hypoxia occurs in physiological situations and several pathological situations, inducing oxidative stress. G straminea Maxim (G.s Maxim) is a traditional Tibetan medicine that exerts several biological effects. This study focused on the protective effects of G.s Maxim in hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. We found that G.s Maxim significantly increased survival and reduced oxidative stress in hypoxic mice. Various extraction parts of G.s Maxim showed antioxidant activity and significantly improved survival in hypoxia-injured PC12 cells. G.s Maxim reduced hypoxia-induced cell apoptosis and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase. Hypoxic cells had increased malondialdehyde levels but reduced superoxide dismutase activity and G.s Maxim reversed these effects. Moreover, G.s Maxim suppressed hypoxia-induced apoptosis by inducing protein expression of B cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 and reducing the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, Bcl-2-associated X, and nuclear factor-k-gene binding. These findings suggest that G.s Maxim attenuates hypoxia-induced injury associated with oxidative stress and apoptosis.