Comparison of the chemical consituents and immunomodulatory activity of ophiopogonis radix from two different producing areas

Phylogeography of cultivated and wild ophiopogon japonicus based on chloroplast DNA: exploration of the origin and sustainable cultivation

BACKGROUND

Ophiopogon japonicus, mainly planted in Sichuan (CMD) and Zhejiang (ZMD) province in China, has a lengthy cultivation history. During the long period of domestication, the genetic diversity of cultivated O. japonicus has substantially declined, which will affect the population continuity and evolutionary potential of this species. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the phylogeography of cultivated O. japonicus to establish a theoretical basis for the utilization and conservation of the genetic resources of O. japonicus.

RESULT

The genetic diversity and population structure of 266 O. japonicus individual plants from 23 sampling sites were analyzed based on 4 chloroplast DNA sequences (atpB-rbcL, rpl16, psbA-trnH and rpl20-5'rps12) to identify the effects of domestication on genetic diversity of cultivars and determine their geographic origins. The results showed that cultivated O. japonicus and wild O. japonicus had 4 and 15 haplotypes respectively. The genetic diversity of two cultivars (H_d = 0.35700, π = 0.06667) was much lower than that of the wild populations (H_d = 0.76200, π = 0.20378), and the level of genetic diversity in CMD (H_d = 0.01900, π = 0.00125) was lower than that in ZMD (H_d = 0.06900, π = 0.01096). There was significant difference in genetic differentiation between the cultivated and the wild (F_ST = 0.82044), especially between the two cultivars (F_ST = 0.98254). This species showed a pronounced phylogeographical structure (N_ST > G_ST, P < 0.05). The phylogenetic tree showed that the genetic difference between CMD and ZMD was not enough to distinguish the cultivars between the two producing areas by using O. amblyphyllus Wang et Dai as an outgroup. In addition, both CMD and ZMD have a closer relationship with wild populations in Sichuan than that in Zhejiang. The results of the TCS network and species distribution model suggested that the wild population TQ located in Sichuan province could serve as the ancestor of cultivated O. japonicus, which was supported by RASP analysis.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that cultivated O. japonicus has experienced dramatic loss of genetic diversity under anthropogenic influence. The genetic differentiation between CMD and ZMD is likely to be influenced by founder effect and strong artificial selection for plant traits. It appears that wild populations in Sichuan area are involved in the origin of not only CMD but also ZMD. In addition, we also raise some suggestions for planning scientific strategies for resource conservation of O. japonicus based on its genetic diversity and population structure.

Comparison of Ophiopogon japonicus and Liriope spicata var. prolifera from Different Origins Based on Multi-Component Quantification and Anticancer Activity

The tuberous root of Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker-Gawl. is a well-known Chinese medicine also called Maidong (MD) in Chinese. It could be divided into "Chuanmaidong" (CMD) and "Zhemaidong" (ZMD), according to the geographic origins. Meanwhile, the root of Liriope spicata (Thunb.) Lour. var. prolifera Y. T. Ma (SMD) is occasionally used as a substitute for MD in the market. In this study, a reliable pressurized liquid extraction and HPLC-DAD-ELSD method was developed for the simultaneous determination of nine chemical components, including four steroidal saponins (ophiopojaponin C, ophiopogonin D, liriopesides B and ophiopogonin D'), four homoisoflavonoids (methylophiopogonone A, methylophiopogonone B, methylophiopogonanone A and methylophiopogonanone B) and one sapogenin (ruscogenin) in CMD, ZMD and SMD. The method was validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, repeatability and accuracy, and then applied to the real samples from different origins. The results indicated that there were significant differences in the contents of the investigated compounds in CMD, ZMD and SMD. Ruscogenin was not detected in all the samples, and liriopesides B was only found in SMD samples. CMD contained higher ophiopogonin D and ophiopogonin D', while the other compounds were more abundant in ZMD. Moreover, the anticancer effects of the herbal extracts and selected components against A2780 human ovarian cancer cells were also compared. CMD and ZMD showed similar cytotoxic effects, which were stronger than those of SMD. The effects of MD may be due to the significant anticancer potential of ophiopognin D' and homoisoflavonoids. These results suggested that there were great differences in the chemical composition and pharmacological activity among CMD, ZMD and SMD; thus, their origins should be carefully considered in clinical application.

Simultaneous Extraction and Determination of Characteristic Steroidal Saponins and Homoisoflavonoids in Zhejiang Ophiopogon japonicus

Zhejiang Ophiopogonjaponicus (ZOJ) is a specific variety of Ophiopogon japonicus with characteristic steroidal saponins and homoisoflavonoids, which are also main pharmacodynamic constituents with clinical effects, including curing inflammation and cardiovascular diseases. However, few analysis methods were applied to simultaneously and quantitatively determine two kinds of its constituents, and hazardous organic solvents are mostly used for extraction. In this study, a new validated simultaneous extraction and determination method for four characteristic steroidal saponins and homoisoflavonoids in ZOJ was established by ionic liquid–ultrasonic extraction (IL-UAE) combined with HPLC-DAD-ELSD analysis, which can be used for the quality control of ZOJ. Chromatographic separation was performed with a DAD wavelength at 296 nm, and the ELSD parameters of the drift tube temperature (DTT), atomizer temperature (AT), and nitrogen gas pressure (NGP) were set at 20% heating power, 70 °C, and 25 psi, respectively. The optimal IL-UAE conditions were 1 mol/L [Bmim]CF₃SO₃ aqueous solution, a liquid–material ratio of 40 mL/g, and an ultrasonic time of 60 min. The proposed method is reliable, reproducible, and accurate, which were verified with real sample assays. Consequently, this work will be helpful for the quality control of ZOJ. It can also present a promising reference for the simultaneous extraction and determination of different kinds of constituents in other medicinal plants.

Cell metabolomics study on the anticancer effects of Ophiopogon japonicus against lung cancer cells using UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis

Ophiopogon japonicus (OJ) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has been used for thousands of years. Recently, the anticancer effects of OJ have been reported in multiple types of cancer, particularly in lung cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In present study, the effects of OJ against NCI-H1299 human lung cancer cells were investigated, and the underlying mechanisms were explored using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS)-based cell metabolomics. As a result, OJ inhibited the proliferation, induced the apoptosis and suppressed the migration of NCI-H1299 cells. A total of 22 differential metabolites responsible for the effects of OJ were screened and annotated based on the LC-MS-based cell metabolomics approach. The altered metabolites were involved in three metabolic pathways, including glycerophospholipid metabolism, ether lipid metabolism and glutathione metabolism. These results showed that cell metabolomics-based strategies are promising tools to discover the action mechanisms of OJ against lung cancer cells.

Investigation of the effective components inhibited macrophage foam cell formation in Ophiopogonis Radix

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ophiopogonis Radix, the commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in clinic for treating cardiovascular diseases, is returned to the stomach, lung and heart meridian. It is reported to nourish yin, moisten lung and is used to treat heart yin deficiency syndromes and asthenia of heart and lung, which indicated that Ophiopogonis Radix may have a protective effect on heart disorders. Atherosclerosisis is an important process in the development of cardiovascular diseases and abnormal lipid deposition induced macrophage foam cells is its crucial foundation. Our previous study showed the extract of Ophiopogonis Radix (EOR) ameliorates atherosclerosis in vitro. However, it may protect against cardiovascular diseases through inhibiting macrophage foam cell formation and its potential effective components and mechanisms are still unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Our study aimed to investigate the effect of Ophiopogonis Radix on macrophage foam cell formation and its potential active constituents and mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ox-LDL induced macrophage cells were employed to evaluate the effect of Ophiopogonis Radix on macrophage foam cell formation. Then the potential active constituents inhibited formation of macrophage foam cells were screened by biospecific cell extraction and its underlying mechanisms were also explored by Western blot.

RESULTS

The extract of Ophiopogonis Radix was found to significantly inhibit macrophage foam cell formation, evidenced by the decrease of TG and TC and Oil Red O staining analysis in macrophage cells, which indicated that EOR reduced the formation of macrophage foam cells. At the same time, EOR was showed to increase antioxidant capacity in macrophage cells. After treatment with EOR, two potential active components interacted with macrophage foam cells specifically were identified to inhibit macrophage foam cell formation including methylophiopogonanone A and methylophiopogonanone B. Methylophiopogonanone A was then proved to decrease the expression of CD36, Lox-1 and SREBP2, increase the expression of ABCA1 obviously, while the expression of ABCG1 and SREBP1 had no changes.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, Ophiopogonis Radix was found to protect against atherosclerosis through suppressing ox-LDL induced macrophage foam cell formation and two potential compounds were identified by biospecific cell extraction including methylophiopogonanone A and methylophiopogonanone B. Moreover, methylophiopogonanone A was proved to inhibit foam cells through reducing uptake, synthesis and increasing efflux, which may provide guidance and reference for application of Ophiopogonis Radix and investigation of the effective components of TCMs.

Future Directions for the Discovery of Natural Product-Derived Immunomodulating Drugs

Drug discovery from natural sources is going through a renaissance, having spent many decades in the shadow of synthetic molecule drug discovery, despite the fact that natural product-derived compounds occupy a much greater chemical space than those created through synthetic chemistry methods. With this new era comes new possibilities, not least the novel targets that have emerged in recent times and the development of state-of-the-art technologies that can be applied to drug discovery from natural sources. Although progress has been made with some immunomodulating drugs, there remains a pressing need for new agents that can be used to treat the wide variety of conditions that arise from disruption, or over-activation, of the immune system; natural products may therefore be key in filling this gap. Recognising that, at present, there is no authoritative article that details the current state-of-the-art of the immunomodulatory activity of natural products, this in-depth review has arisen from a joint effort between the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Natural Products and Immunopharmacology, with contributions from a Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation number of world-leading researchers in the field of natural product drug discovery, to provide a "position statement" on what natural products has to offer in the search for new immunomodulatory argents. To this end, we provide a historical look at previous discoveries of naturally occurring immunomodulators, present a picture of the current status of the field and provide insight into the future opportunities and challenges for the discovery of new drugs to treat immune-related diseases.

Chromatographic Fingerprinting Based on Column Switching Technology for Quality Evaluation of Tianmeng Oral Liquid

Separation power was limited when the conventional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting method based on a single column was used to analyze very complex traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations. In this research, a novel HPLC fingerprinting method based on column switching technology by using a single pump was established for evaluating the quality of Tianmeng oral liquid (TMOL). Twelve batches of TMOL samples were used for constructing HPLC fingerprints. Compared with the 16 common peaks in fingerprinting with a single column, 25 common peaks were achieved with two columns connected through a six-way valve. The similarity analysis combined with bootstrap method was applied to determine the similarity threshold, which was 0.992 to distinguish expired samples and unexpired samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) were also applied to classify the TMOL samples, and results revealed that expired and unexpired samples are classified into two categories. The HPLC fingerprinting based on column switching technology with better separation power and higher peak capacity could characterize chemical composition information more comprehensively, providing an effective and alternative method to control and evaluate the quality of TMOL, which would offer a valuable reference for other TCM preparations.

Identification of Ophiopogonis Radix from different producing areas by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry analysis

Ophiopogonis Radix can be divided into Zhemaidong (ZMD) and Chuanmaidong (CMD). The main planting areas of ZMD are Cixi City and Sanmen county. The quality and price of Ophiopogonis Radix from different producing areas are different. In this study, the headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) method is used to rapidly identify ZMD and CMD. The method is also used to identify ZMD from Cixi and Sanmen by analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A total of 58 VOCs was obtained from ZMD samples with more abundant signals of which 41 were identified. The peak intensities of all VOCs in ZMD and CMD, Cixi and Sanmen data were averaged and then those VOCs whose peak intensities were distributed outside of mean ± 2 standard deviation (μ ± 2σ) were selected as characteristic markers. We selected 14 characteristic markers to establish the characteristic fingerprint of ZMD and CMD, among the 14 VOCs, ZMD contained more eucalyptus oil compounds than CMD, CMD contained more volatile aldehydes than ZMD. We selected 12 characteristic markers for the establishment of the characteristic fingerprint of ZMD from Cixi and Sanmen. The principal component analysis (PCA) results indicated that both ZMD and CMD or ZMD from Cixi and Sanmen could be effectively divided. The ZMD and CMD as well as ZMD from Cixi and Sanmen were evaluated by partial least squares regression-discriminants analysis (PLS-DA) resulting to be excellent chemical descriptors for sample discrimination. One hundred percent classification rates for both PLS-DA calibration and prediction models were obtained. These results provided a reference for the traceability of species and origin and market standard of Ophiopogonis Radix. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Ophiopogonis Radix can be divided into Zhejiang Ophiopogonis Radix (ZMD) and Sichuan Ophiopogonis Radix (CMD). As far as ZMD is concerned, its producing areas mainly include the traditional planting areas (Cixi City) and new growth areas (Sanmen county). In this paper, the HS-GC-IMS method was adopted to analyze VOCs in Ophiopogonis Radix from different producing areas and then we screen out the respective characteristic VOCs of ZMD and CMD as well as ZMD from Cixi and Sanmen. These characteristic VOCs can effectively identify ZMD and CMD as well as ZMD from Cixi City and Sanmen country to provide a scientific basis for the origin identification of Ophiopogonis Radix.

Identification of changes in volatile organic compounds in Ophiopogonis Radix containing spoiled products in different proportions by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry

Ophiopogonis Radix is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine as well as a type of functional food. Because Ophiopogonis Radix grows in the ground, it is often damaged by worms during planting or broken when people try to dig them out, which leads to the containments of spoiled products of different proportion in Ophiopogonis Radix. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Ophiopogonis Radix, which involves spoiled products in different proportions, were analyzed by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). Finally, a total of 87 VOCs were discovered after analysis, and 14 of them were chose to established characteristic fingerprints. Twelve of the 14 characteristic compounds were be recognized by a built-in database. The results showed that the content of hexanol, ethanol, methanol, (E)-2-hexenal, and hexanal was in inverse proportion with the containing of spoiled products, so they may be characteristic VOCs of fresh Ophiopogonis Radix,; and the content of 3-methy-1-butanol, furfural, 5-methylfural, phenylacetaldehyde, 2-methylbutanoic acid, 2-butanone, and 2-acetylfuran are proportional to the containing of spoiled products, so they may be the characteristic of VOCs of spoiled Ophiopogonis Radix. The signal peak intensities of the 14 characteristic VOCs were used as the variables of principal component analysis (PCA). The result shows that the fresh Ophiopogonis Radix and the spoiled Ophiopogonis Radix could be clearly differentiated, and the different proportions of spoiled products were grouped into separate categories, respectively. The larger the proportion of spoiled products, the greater the difference between the sample and fresh Ophiopogonis Radix. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Ophiopogonis Radix is a kind of commonly used traditional Chinese medicine and functional food. In the actual use of Ophiopogonis Radix, the damage caused by worms during planting and the breakage during being dug out often lead to Ophiopogonis Radix containing spoiled products in the market. The existence of spoiled products greatly affects the quality and safety of Ophiopogonis Radix. Due to the difference in flavor between fresh Ophiopogonis Radix and spoiled products, the present study used HS-GC-IMS method to analyze the VOCs in fresh Ophiopogonis Radix and Ophiopogonis Radix containing spoiled products of different proportions and screened out the characteristic VOCs of fresh Ophiopogonis Radix and spoiled Ophiopogonis Radix. The results provide scientific basis for quality control of Ophiopogonis Radix.

A Novel Method to Identify Three Quality Grades of Herbal Medicine Ophiopogonis Radix by Microscopic Quantification

Maidong, the root tuber of Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl., is a commonly used herbal medicine in China. There are three quality grades of Maidong according to traditional opinion and modern research studies: superior quality (Zhe-Maidong), medium quality (Chuan-Maidong), and poorest quality (Chuan-Maidong with paclobutrazol, which is a kind of plant growth regulator). However, no efficient way to distinguish the three quality grades of Maidong exists; thus, the herbal markets and botanical pharmacies are flooded with Chuan-Maidong with paclobutrazol. To ensure the safety and quality of Maidong, a comparative microscopic study was performed on three quality grades of Maidong. The result was to establish a microscopic quantification method based on the area ratio between xylem and pith to distinguish the three quality grades of Maidong. Subsequently, Maidong from regional markets was evaluated by this method. In this study, we developed a novel quantification method to identify the three quality grades of Maidong, which could in turn make efforts on the quality improvement of Maidong. Our study is the first to demonstrate that microscopic technology could be used to distinguish different quality grades of a specific herbal medicine.

Meta-Analysis on the Chinese Herbal Formula Xiaoer-Feike Granules as a Complementary Therapy for Children With Acute Lower Respiratory Infections

Background

Over the past five years the Chinese herbal formula (CHF) medicine, Xiaoer-Feike granules (XFG), has become a widely used adjuvant therapy for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI). Considering the rapid popularization and application of XFG, and the lack of systematic evidence evaluating its effectiveness and safety in treating ALRI, it is necessary to conduct a meta-analysis to determine its benefits for patients.

Methods

This study systematically identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of XFG treatments for ALRI through July 2019 using four English-databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid, and Web of Science) and four Chinese-databases (Sino-med database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP database, and the WANFANG database). We then performed a quality assessment and data analysis with Review Manager 5.3.5 and Stata 15.1.

Results

Twenty-one RCTs involving 3425 patients were randomly divided into an XFG group and a conventional medicine (CM) group. The results showed that the clinical efficacy rate (CER) of the XFG group was significantly higher than that of the CM group (RR=1.17, 95% CI =1.13-1.22, P< 0.00001). In comparison with the CM group, the XFG group had strikingly shortened: resolution time of cough (RTC) (MD = -1.92; 95% CI =-2.33, -1.51, P<0.00001); resolution time of rale (RTR) (MD = -1.68; 95% CI =-2.27, -1.10, P<0.00001); resolution time of fever (RTF) (MD = -1.46; 95% CI =-1.92, -1.00, P<0.00001); resolution time of inflammatory lesions (RTIL) (MD = -2.43, 95% CI =-2.94, -1.93, P< 0.00001); and hospital stays (HS) (MD = -2.26, 95% CI =-3.03, -1.49, P< 0.00001). At the cellular and molecular level, the CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8, IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP levels were significantly improved when CM was complemented with XFG. In addition, no significant difference was observed between the XFG and CM groups in terms of the adverse events (AE) (RR =0.97, 95% CI= 0.61-1.54, P= 0.89).

Conclusions

The findings of this meta-analysis support the use of XFG in the treatment of ALRI. However, these results should be treated with caution due to the significant heterogeneity and publication bias of existing data. Further well-designed and high-quality RCTs are needed to interrogate the efficacy and safety of XFG.

Chemical Comparison of Ophiopogonis radix and Liriopes radix Based on Quantitative Analysis of Multiple Components by HPLC Coupled with Electrospray Ionization Tandem Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

BACKGROUND

Ophiopogonis radix and Liriopes radix are well known for the treatment of dry coughs and phthisis. Liriopes radix is occasionally used as a substitute for Ophiopogonis radix in various prescriptions due to the extremely similar pharmacological activities and clinical efficacies, but they are regarded as two different remedies in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Accordingly, the establishment of a reliable analytical approach for the discrimination and quality evaluation of Ophiopogonis and Liriopes is required.

OBJECTIVE

To establish a simple, accurate, and reliable method that can simultaneously determine multiple components in Ophiopogonis radix and Liriopes radix. To comprehensively compare the chemical compositions of the two herbs and find markers for discrimination and quality assessments.

METHOD

An HPLC-ESI-triple quadrupole (QQQ)-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous characterization and quantification of chemical components in the two herbs. The results were further analyzed by PLS discriminant analysis to provide more information about the chemical differences, as well as to evaluate the quality of each sample.

RESULTS

A total of 23 compounds have been characterized and quantified in 31 batches of herbs from different geographical regions, among which liriopesides B, sprengerinin A, ophiopogonin B, and ophiopogonanone E contribute mostly. The contents of homoisoflavonoids were much higher in Ophiopogonis radix than in Liriopes radix, but the levels of steroidal saponins followed a contrary trend.

CONCLUSIONS

Simultaneous determination of multiple components by HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS coupled with chemometrics analysis is an acceptable strategy to evaluate and control the quality of Ophiopogonis radix and Liriope radix.

HIGHLIGHTS

Simultaneous determination of 12 steroidal saponins and 11 homoisoflavonoids in both Ophiopogonis radix and Liriope radix by using HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS in positive ion mode, as well as the quality control study.

Microgravity versus Microgravity and Irradiation: Investigating the Change of Neuroendocrine-Immune System and the Antagonistic Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula

During spaceflight, the homeostasis of the living body is threatened with cosmic environment including microgravity and irradiation. Traditional Chinese medicine could ameliorate the internal imbalance during spaceflight, but its mechanism is still unclear. In this article, we compared the difference of neuroendocrine-immune balance between simulated microgravity (S) and simulated microgravity and irradiation (SAI) environment. We also observed the antagonistic effect of SAI using a traditional Chinese medicine formula (TCMF). Wistar rats were, respectively, exposed under S using tail suspending and SAI using tail suspending and ⁶⁰Co-gama irradiation exposure. The SAI rats were intervened with TCMF. The changes of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, splenic T-cell, celiac macrophages, and related cytokines were observed after 21 days. Compared with the normal group, the hyperfunction of HPA axis and celiac macrophages, as well as the hypofunction of splenic T-cells, was observed in both the S and SAI group. Compared with the S group, the levels of plasmatic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), macrophage activity, and serous interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the SAI group were significantly reduced. The dysfunctional targets were mostly reversed in the TCMF group. Both S and SAI could lead to NEI imbalance. Irradiation could aggravate the negative feedback inhibition of HPA axis and macrophages caused by S. TCMF could ameliorate the NEI dysfunction caused by SAI.

Neuroprotective effects of Ginkgo biloba dropping pills in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world; however, it lacks effective and safe treatments. Ginkgo biloba dropping pill (GBDP), a unique Chinese G. biloba leaf extract preparation, exhibits antioxidant and neuroprotective effects and has a potential as an alternative therapy for PD. Thus, the aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of GBDP in in vitro and in vivo PD models and to compare the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of GBDP and the G. biloba extract EGb 761. Using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry, 46 GBDP constituents were identified. Principal component analysis identified differences in the chemical profiles of GBDP and EGb 761. A quantitative analysis of 12 constituents showed that GBDP had higher levels of several flavonoids and terpene trilactones than EGb 761, whereas EGb 761 had higher levels of organic acids. Moreover, we found that GBDP prevented 6-hydroxydopamine-induced dopaminergic neuron loss in zebrafish and improved cognitive impairment and neuronal damage in methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced PD mice. Although similar effects were observed after EGb 761 treatment, the neuroprotective effects were greater after GBDP treatment on several endpoints. In addition, in vitro results suggested that the Akt/GSK3β pathway may be involved in the neuroprotective effects of GBDP. These findings demonstrated that GBDP have potential neuroprotective effects in the treatment of PD.

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GBDP is composed of 46 constituents.

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Content of 12 constituents were different between GBDP and EGb 761.

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GBDP attenuated neurological deficits in zebrafish and mice PD models.

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GBDP prevented PD through anti-apoptosis and Akt/GSK3β signaling pathways.

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GBDP might be a potential therapeutic agent for PD.

Quality Evaluation of Ophiopogonis Radix from Two Different Producing Areas

Ophiopogonis Radix, also known as Mai-dong in Chinese, was a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and functional health food. Two products of Ophiopogonis Radix are largely produced in the Sichuan and Zhejiang province, which are called “Chuan maidong (CMD)” and “Zhe maidong (ZMD)” respectively. To distinguish and evaluate the quality of CMD and ZMD, an analytical method based on ultra-fast performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was established for simultaneous determination of 32 constituents including 4 steroidal saponins, 3 homisoflavonoids, 15 amino acids, and 10 nucleosides in 27 Mai-dong samples from Sichuan and Zhejiang. Furthermore, principal components analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), t-test, and grey relational analysis (GRA) were applied to discriminate and evaluate the samples from Sichuan and Zhejiang based on the contents of 32 constituents. The results demonstrated that the bioactive constituents in CMD and ZMD were significantly different, and CMD performed better in the quality assessment than ZMD. This study not only provides a basic information for differentiating CMD and ZMD, but offers a new insight into comprehensive evaluation and quality control of Ophiopogonis Radix from two different producing areas.

Chemical analysis, pharmacological activity and process optimization of the proportion of bilobalide and ginkgolides in Ginkgo biloba extract

Variations on the efficacy of commercial Ginkgo biloba preparations have been reported, although all the products follow the same standards. Terpene trilactones (TTLs), including bilobalide (BB) and ginkgolides, are one of the main active components in G. biloba extract and have been received the most attention due to their chemical uniqueness and their importance for quality control. A plenty of studies demonstrated that BB and ginkgolides display differential activities on various biological processes. However, the influence of different ratios of BB and ginkgolides on the efficacy of TTLs has not been detected yet. The aims of this study were: (1) to test whether different ratios of BB and ginkgolides existed in commercial G. biloba preparations; (2) to detect the influence of different ratios of BB and ginkgolides on the in vivo efficacy of TTLs; and (3) to optimize the extraction process of G. biloba to approach the better BB and ginkgolides ratio with the maximum in vivo effects. First, the content and proportion of BB and ginkgolides in various G. biloba preparations were quantified by HPLC-MS analysis. As the results, an obvious fluctuation in the proportion of BB and ginkgolides was observed in the preparations from different commercial suppliers. The ratio was ranged from 0.3 to 0.8. Second, a zebrafish thrombosis model was used to evaluate the antithrombotic effects of different ratios of BB and ginkgolides. The result showed that the proportion of BB and ginkgolides at 1:2 produced the maximum antithrombotic effects. Third, the extraction process of G. biloba was optimized using a design space technique aiming to approach the best BB and ginkgolides ratio obtained from zebrafish experiment. The extraction process was modeled based on the results of Box-Behnken designed experiments. Design space was then calculated using a probability-based method. Within this design space, G. biloba extraction process can be guaranteed to achieve the better BB and ginkgolides ratio with high assurance. Normal operation space for G. biloba extraction process was recommended as ethanol concentration of 50% to 70%, liquid-to-solid ratio of 5.6 mL/g to 7.3 mL/g, and extraction time of 2.2 h to 3.0 h. This work not only suggest that the proportion of BB and ginkgolides should be used as a quality control index in ginkgo preparations besides the content of TTLs, but also provide a way to approach it with the extraction process parameters controlled in the normal operation ranges.

Novel steroidal saponins with cytotoxic activities from the roots of Ophiopogon japonicus (L. f.) Ker-Gawl

Novel cytotoxic steroidal saponins from the roots of Ophiopogon japonicus (L. f.) Ker-Gawl.