Characterization of metabolites of worenine in rat biological samples using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

The colonic metabolism differences of main alkaloids in normal and colitis mice treated with Coptis chinensis Franch. and Sophora flavescens Ait. herbal pair using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry method combined with chemometrics

Coptis chinensis Franch. and Sophora flavescens Ait. is a herbal pair frequently used in treating ulcerative colitis. However, the bio-disposition profile of the major components in the inflamed gut remains unclear, which is essential to understand the pharmacological material basis of this herb pair. Here we established an integral quantitative and chemometric method to deduce the colonic metabolism differences of this herbal pair in normal and colitis mice. With this LC-MS method, a total of 41 components have been found in the Coptis chinensis Franch. and Sophora flavescens Ait. extract, and 28 metabolites were found in the colon after oral administration. Alkaloid and its phase I metabolites were the main components in the colon of normal and colitis mice. The results of principal component analysis at 6 h after oral administration showed significant colonic metabolism differences between normal and colitis mice. Heamap results showed that colitis induced significant changes in the colonic bio-disposition of this herbal pair extract. In particular, in the context of colitis, the phase I metabolism of berberine, coptisine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine,and epiberberine has been inhibited. These results may provide a basis for understanding the pharmacological material basis of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Sophora flavescens Ait. in treating ulcerative colitis.

Metabolic profiling integrated with pharmacokinetics to reveal the material basis of Xiaokeyinshui extract combination in the treatment of type 2 diabetes in rats

Xiaokeyinshui extract combination (XEC), originating from a traditional Chinese formula Xiaokeyinshui (XKYS) recorded in ancient Bencao, has been reported to exert significant hypoglycemic effects. However, the chemical profiles, metabolic transformation and pharmacokinetic behavior of XEC in vivo were unclear. The research was to investigate the chemical constituents, metabolic profiles and pharmacokinetic behavior of XEC. A UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-HRMS qualification method was developed to identify the chemical constituents in XEC and xenobiotics of XEC in plasma, urine, feces and bile of rats after oral administration. A LC-MS quantification method was established and applied for the pharmacokinetic studies of major active compounds of XEC in normal and T₂DM rats and Coptidis Rhizoma extracts (CRE) in T₂DM rats. Fifty eight compounds in XEC and a total of 152 xenobiotics were identified in T₂DM rats, including 28 prototypes and 124 metabolites. The metabolic pathways were demethylation, demethyleneization, reduction, hydroxylation, hydrolysis and subsequent binding reactions, including glucuronidation, sulfation and methylation. According to the results of chemical constituents and metabolites, 7 ingredients, including berberine, palmatine, coptisine, epiberberine, berberrubine, magnoflorine and aurantio-obtusin were suggested for markers to comparative pharmacokinetics study in normal rats and T₂DM rats. Compared with normal rats, the T_max of berberine, palmatine, coptisine, epiberberine, berberrubine and magnoflorine was significantly longer. The value of C_max for palmatine, coptisine, epiberberine and berberrubine was significantly decreased in XEC T₂DM group. The value of AUC for alkaloids was higher in diabetic rats. After oral CRE, alkaloids including berberine, palmatine, coptisine, epiberberine, berberrubine and magnoflorine could be detected in vivo. Compared with T₂DM rats after oral administration of CRE, the value of T_max and C_max for berberine, palmatine, coptisine, epiberberine, berberrubine and magnoflorine exhibited significant differences in XEC T₂DM group. This research provided an overview of the chemical profiles and metabolic profiling of XEC and elucidated the effect of diabetic state and compatibility on pharmacokinetic behaviors of active components in XEC. This research also can provide the material basis of XEC for subsequent quality control research.

Worenine Prevents Solar Ultraviolet–Induced Sunburn by Inhibiting JNK2

Excessive solar ultraviolet (SUV) radiation often causes dermatitis, photoaging, and even skin cancer. In the pathological processes of SUV-induced sunburn, JNK is activated by phosphorylation, and it in turn phosphorylates its downstream transcription factors, such as ATF2 and c-jun. The transcription factors further regulate the expression of pro-inflammatory genes, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, which ultimately leads to dermatitis. Therefore, inhibiting JNK may be a strategy to prevent dermatitis. In this study, we screened for worenine as a potential drug candidate for inhibiting sunburn. We determined that worenine inhibited the JNK-ATF2/c-jun signaling pathway and the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α in cell culture and in vivo, confirming the role of worenine in inhibiting sunburn. Furthermore, we determined that worenine bound and inhibited JNK2 activity in vitro through the MST, kinase, and in vitro kinase assays. Therefore, worenine might be a promising drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of SUV-induced sunburn.

Laboratory bioassay, greenhouse experiment and 3D-QSAR studies on berberine analogues: a search for new herbicides based on natural products

BACKGROUND

Berberine is a herbicidal chemical that we isolated from Coptis chinensis. In continuation of our program aimed at discovering and developing natural botanical herbicides, we evaluated the herbicidal activities of 39 berberine analogues and developed a three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model.

RESULTS

Among these 39 analogs, the most active compounds were determined to be worenine chloride and coptisine chloride, with median inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀ ) values on all eight tested weed species of < 10 mg L^-1 . As a reference, the IC₅₀ values of berberine on six weed species were < 10 mg L^-1 . Furthermore, the results of a greenhouse experiment showed that at 10 mg L^-1 , and 7 days after treatment, the effects of worenine chloride and coptisine chloride on Lemna minor and Ageratum conyzoides were significantly higher than those of glyphosate and sulcotrione. In the 3D-QSAR analysis, the electrostatic field contour map indicated that introducing an electropositive group in the N-7, C-9 and C-10 positions would potentially improve the inhibition rate. A positively charged nitrogen atom at the N-7 position was important for activity. Replacement of -OCH₃ by -OH at the C-9 and C-10 positions could decrease the inhibitory activity, while the hydrophobic field contour map revealed that the hydrophobicity of the C-10 position was associated with high activity. Moreover, the hydrogen bond acceptor field contour map suggested that the existence of a hydrogen bond acceptor at the C-3 and C-9 positions might affect the inhibition rate.

CONCLUSIONS

3D-QSAR provided meaningful clues to the structural features of berberine analogues that will assist the design of more potent herbicidal compounds in the future. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.