Palmatine hydrochloride mediated photodynamic inactivation of breast cancer MCF-7 cells: Effectiveness and mechanism of action

Study on the bioactive components of Banxia Xiexin Decoction with different decocting methods and its effects on ulcerative colitis rats from the perspective of phase states

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Banxia Xiexin Decoction (BXD) is one of the seven classic prescriptions of the special decoction method (SDM) of "removing dregs and decocting again", which has been widely used in inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the impacts of SDM have not been fully investigated, either on the components or on the biological effects.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the rational of SDM traditionally recorded about BXD, re-decoction after dreg-removal, by comparing with the contemporary general decoction method (GDM) from the perspective of phase states, in the bioactive components from the perspective of phase states, and their corresponding pharmacodynamic effects on a particular UC rat model.

METHODS

The BXD decoctions were respectively obtained by SDM and GDM, together with the different samples with different decocting time. The phase state samples (true solution, colloidal phase, and precipitated phase), were also obtained after a series of separation process and characterized. The multi-components in the in-process decoctions, original decoctions and phase state samples were quantitatively determined. HPLC fingerprint spectrum of the samples were also detected and compared with chemometrics analysis. A rat model of ulcerative colitis with cold-heat complex syndrome was established, on which the pharmacodynamic effects of different phases of SDM-made BXD were investigated.

RESULTS

The results showed that the contents of eight marker components in SDM-made decoction were significantly higher than those in GDM-made decoction. Compared with the precipitated phases and true solutions, the colloidal phase was confirmed to obtain absolutely higher contents of the components (except berberine). The analysis on HPLC fingerprints also revealed that the profiles of colloidal phase showed the majority of the characteristics of original decoctions, when compared with the other phases. The results showed the BXD group, precipitated phase group and colloidal phase group had certain therapeutic effects on the ulcerative colitis rats with cold-heat complex syndrome, among which the original decoction group showed optimal effects, followed by the colloidal phase.

CONCLUSION

The study has provided the experimental evidence of the bioactive components and pharmacodynamic effects on the rational of SDM, as originally recorded about the classic prescription, which might provide useful idea for the interpretation on medicinal properties of TCM compound prescriptions, and contemporary TCM innovative drug developments.

Berberis vulgaris L. Root Extract as a Multi-Target Chemopreventive Agent against Colon Cancer Causing Apoptosis in Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines

Berberis vulgaris L. (Berberidaceae) is a shrub that has been widely used in European folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. The purpose of our study was to elucidate the mechanisms of the chemopreventive action of the plant's methanolic root extract (BVR) against colon cancer cells. Studies were conducted in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (LS180 and HT-29) and control colon epithelial CCD841 CoN cells. According to the MTT assay, after 48 h of cell exposure, the IC50 values were as follows: 4.3, 46.1, and 50.2 µg/mL for the LS180, HT-29, and CCD841 CoN cells, respectively, showing the greater sensitivity of the cancer cells to BVR. The Cell Death Detection ELISAPLUS kit demonstrated that BVR induced programmed cell death only against HT-29 cells. Nuclear double staining revealed the great proapoptotic BVR properties in HT-29 cells and subtle effect in LS180 cells. RT-qPCR with the relative quantification method showed significant changes in the expression of genes related to apoptosis in both the LS180 and HT-29 cells. The genes BCL2L1 (126.86-421.43%), BCL2L2 (240-286.02%), CASP3 (177.19-247.83%), and CASP9 (157.99-243.75%) had a significantly elevated expression, while BCL2 (25-52.03%) had a reduced expression compared to the untreated control. Furthermore, in a panel of antioxidant tests, BVR showed positive effects (63.93 ± 0.01, 122.92 ± 0.01, and 220.29 ± 0.02 mg Trolox equivalents (TE)/g in the DPPH•, ABTS•+, and ORAC assays, respectively). In the lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition test, BVR revealed 62.60 ± 0.87% of enzyme inhibition. The chemical composition of BVR was determined using a UHPLC-UV-CAD-MS/MS analysis and confirmed the presence of several known alkaloids, including berberine, as well as other alkaloids and two derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic and sinapic acid hexosides). The results are very promising and encourage the use of BVR as a comprehensive chemopreventive agent (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-apoptotic) in colorectal cancer, and were widely discussed alongside data from the literature.

Reverse predictive analysis of Rhizoma Pinelliae and Rhizoma Coptidis on differential miRNA target genes in lung adenocarcinoma

To use bioinformatics and network analysis to reveal the mechanism of "Rhizoma Pinelliae-Rhizoma Coptidis" herb pair in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma. The target and pathway of "Rhizoma Pinelliae-Rhizoma Coptidis" herb pair in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma were explored by online databases and network analysis tools, and the potential biomarkers of "Rhizoma Pinelliae-Rhizoma Coptidis" herb pair in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma were predicted in reverse. A total of 59 traditional Chinese medicine compounds and 510 drug targets were screened in this study. A total of 25 micro-RNAs and 15,323 disease targets were obtained through GEO2R software analysis. In the end, 294 therapeutic targets and 47 core targets were obtained. A total of 186 gene ontology enrichment assays were obtained, and core therapeutic targets play multiple roles in biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular composition. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the core targets were mainly enriched in cancer-related pathways, immune-related pathways, endocrine-related pathways, etc, among which the non-small cell lung cancer pathway was the most significant core pathway. Molecular docking shows that the compound and the target have good binding ability. "Rhizoma Pinelliae-Rhizoma Coptidis" herb pair plays a mechanism of action in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma through multiple targets and pathways. miR-5703, miR-3125, miR-652-5P, and miR-513c-5p may be new biomarkers for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Development of Biotechnological Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy: Cancer Research and Treatment-From Benchtop to Clinical Practice

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive therapeutic approach that has been applied in studies for the treatment of various diseases. In this context, PDT has been suggested as a new therapy or adjuvant therapy to traditional cancer therapy. The mode of action of PDT consists of the generation of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the administration of a compound called photosensitizer (PS), a light source, and molecular oxygen (³O₂). This combination generates controlled photochemical reactions (photodynamic mechanisms) that produce ROS, such as singlet oxygen (¹O₂), which can induce apoptosis and/or cell death induced by necrosis, degeneration of the tumor vasculature, stimulation of the antitumor immune response, and induction of inflammatory reactions in the illuminated region. However, the traditional compounds used in PDT limit its application. In this context, compounds of biotechnological origin with photosensitizing activity in association with nanotechnology are being used in PDT, aiming at its application in several types of cancer but with less toxicity toward neighboring tissues and better absorption of light for more aggressive types of cancer. In this review, we present studies involving innovatively developed PS that aimed to improve the efficiency of PDT in cancer treatment. Specifically, we focused on the clinical translation and application of PS of natural origin on cancer.

Experimental Conditions That Influence the Utility of 2′7′-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein Diacetate (DCFH2-DA) as a Fluorogenic Biosensor for Mitochondrial Redox Status

Oxidative stress has been causally linked to various diseases. Electron transport chain (ETC) inhibitors such as rotenone and antimycin A are frequently used in model systems to study oxidative stress. Oxidative stress that is provoked by ETC inhibitors can be visualized using the fluorogenic probe 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein-diacetate (DCFH₂-DA). Non-fluorescent DCFH₂-DA crosses the plasma membrane, is deacetylated to 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCFH₂) by esterases, and is oxidized to its fluorescent form 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) by intracellular ROS. DCF fluorescence can, therefore, be used as a semi-quantitative measure of general oxidative stress. However, the use of DCFH₂-DA is complicated by various protocol-related factors that mediate DCFH₂-to-DCF conversion independently of the degree of oxidative stress. This study therefore analyzed the influence of ancillary factors on DCF formation in the context of ETC inhibitors. It was found that ETC inhibitors trigger DCF formation in cell-free experiments when they are co-dissolved with DCFH₂-DA. Moreover, the extent of DCF formation depended on the type of culture medium that was used, the pH of the assay system, the presence of fetal calf serum, and the final DCFH₂-DA solvent concentration. Conclusively, experiments with DCFH₂-DA should not discount the influence of protocol-related factors such as medium and mitochondrial inhibitors (and possibly other compounds) on the DCFH₂-DA-DCF reaction and proper controls should always be built into the assay protocol.

Bioactive components of Banxia Xiexin Decoction for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases based on flavor-oriented analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Banxia Xiexin Decoction (BXD) was first recorded in a Chinese medical classic, Treatise on Febrile Diseases and Miscellaneous Diseases, which was written in the Eastern Han dynasty of China. This ancient prescription consists of seven kinds of Chinese herbal medicine, namely, Pinellia ternata, Rhizoma Coptidis, Radix scutellariae, Rhizoma Zingiberis, Ginseng, Jujube, and Radix Glycyrrhizaepreparata. In clinic practice, its original application in China mainly has focused on the treatment of chronic gastritis for several hundred years. BXD is also effective in treating other gastrointestinal diseases (GIDs) in modern medical application. Despite available literature support and clinical experience, the treatment mechanisms or their relationships with the bioactive compounds in BXD responsible for its pharmacological actions, still need further explorations in more diversified channels. According to the analysis based on the five-flavor theory of TCM, BXD is traditionally viewed as the most representative prescription for pungent-dispersion, bitter-purgation and sweet-tonification. Consequently, based on the flavor-oriented analysis, the compositive herbs in BXD can be divided into three flavor groups, namely, the pungent, bitter, and sweet groups, each of which has specific active ingredients that are possibly relevant to GID treatment.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This paper summarized recent literatures on BXD and its bioactive components used in GID treatment, and provided the pharmacological or chemical basis for the further exploration of the ancient prescription and the relative components.

METHOD

ology: Relevant literature was collected from various electronic databases such as Pubmed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Citations were based on peer-reviewed articles published in English or Chinese during the last decade.

RESULTS

Multiple components were found in the pungent, bitter, and sweet groups in BXD. The corresponding bioactive components include gingerol, shogaol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol in the pungent group; berberine, palmatine, coptisine, baicalein, and baicalin in the bitter group; and ginsenosides, polysaccharides, liquiritin, and glycyrrhetinic acid in the sweet group. These components have been found directly or indirectly responsible for the remarkable effects of BXD on GID.

CONCLUSION

This review provided some valuable reference to further clarify BXD treatment for GID and their possible material basis, based on the perspective of the flavor-oriented analysis.

Peanut Rotation and Flooding Induce Rhizobacteriome Variation With Opposing Influences on the Growth and Medicinal Yield of Corydalis yanhusuo

Corydalis yanhusuo, a precious herb of the Papaveraceae family, is widely used in multiple traditional Chinese medicines for the treatment of many painful conditions, and its medicinal part is the dried tuber. Yet how to improve this plant's medicinal yield as well as its economic efficiency remains a key problem in its cultivation. The planting of C. yanhusuo in rotation with peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) aims to improve land utilization efficiency, but the total production of tubers is severely reduced relative to fields without rotation. However, an increased yield was observed in C. yanhusuo plants grown in previously flooded fields (HR field) compared to the ones grown in the fields that had been used to cultivate peanut (PL field) or in fields without rotation or flooding (N field). Based on these phenomena, in this study, we explored the potential factors responsible for the altered growth/yield of C. yanhusuo under different field conditions. Soil physicochemical properties and the diversity and community of rhizobacteriome of C. yanhusuo were both analyzed. By testing several soil physicochemical properties, we found that the cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), and pH value differed significantly among these three types of fields. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed stark differences in the composition, diversity, and potential functions of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere of C. yanhusuo plants grown in field with the peanut rotation or flooding. Notably, the Acidobacteria were enriched in the HR field, while Actinobacteria were enriched in the PL field. More importantly, further analysis showed that changed soil physicochemical properties could be one reason for why the rhizospheric bacterial community has changed; hence, soil physicochemical properties might also be affecting plant performance indirectly by regulating the rhizospheric bacterial community. The RDA analysis distinguished CEC as the most important soil physicochemical property influencing the structure and composition of the C. yanhusuo rhizobacteriome. In summary, our results suggest peanut rotation- and flooding-induced soil physicochemical properties changes would further impact the rhizobacteriome of C. yanhusuo albeit differentially, culminating in opposite effects upon the plant growth and medicinal yield of C. yanhusuo.

Palmatine, a Bioactive Protoberberine Alkaloid Isolated from Berberis cretica, Inhibits the Growth of Human Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Cells and Acts Synergistically and Additively with Doxorubicin

Palmatine (PLT) is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid that belongs to the class of protoberberines and exhibits a wide spectrum of pharmacological and biological properties, including anti-cancer activity. The aim of our study was to isolate PLT from the roots of Berberis cretica and investigate its cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects in vitro alone and in combination with doxorubicine (DOX) using human ER⁺/HER2⁻ breast cancer cell lines. The alkaloid was purified by column chromatography filled with silica gel NP and Sephadex LH-20 resin developed in the mixture of methanol: water (50:50 v/v) that provided high-purity alkaloid for bioactivity studies. The purity of the alkaloid was confirmed by high resolution mass measurement and MS/MS fragmentation analysis in the HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-based analysis. It was found that PLT treatment inhibited the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner as demonstrated by MTT and BrdU assays. PLT showed a quite similar growth inhibition on breast cancer cells with IC₅₀ values ranging from 5.126 to 5.805 µg/mL. In contrast, growth of normal human breast epithelial cells was not affected by PLT. The growth inhibitory activity of PLT was related to the induction of apoptosis, as determined by Annexin V/PI staining. Moreover, PLT sensitized breast cancer cells to DOX. Isobolographic analysis revealed synergistic and additive interactions between studied agents. Our studies suggest that PLT can be a potential candidate agent for preventing and treating breast cancer.

Plasma membrane permeabilization to explain erythrosine B phototoxicity on in vitro breast cancer cell models

Lipid oxidation is ubiquitous in cell life under oxygen and essential for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of carcinomas. However, the mechanisms underlying lipid oxidation in rather complex systems such as plasma membranes remain elusive. Herein, Langmuir monolayers were assembled with the lipid extract of glandular breast cancer (MCF7) cells and used to probe the molecular interactions allowing adsorption of the photosensitizer (PS) erythrosine B and subsequent photooxidation outcomes. Surface pressure (π) versus area (cm²/mL) isotherms of MCF7 lipid extract shifted to larger areas upon erythrosine incorporation, driven by secondary interactions that affected the orientation of the carbonyl groups and lipid chain organization. Light-irradiation increased the surface area of the MCF7 lipid extract monolayer containing erythrosine owing to the lipid hydroperoxidation, which may further undergo decomposition, resulting in the chain cleavage of phospholipids and membrane permeabilization. Incorporation of erythrosine by MCF7 cells induced slight toxic effects on in vitro assays, differently of the severe phototoxicity caused by light-irradiation, which significantly decreased cell viability by more than 75% at 2.5 × 10^-6 mol/L of erythrosine incubated for 3 and 24 h, reaching nearly 90% at 48 h of incubation. The origin of the phototoxic effects is in the rupture of the plasma membrane shown by the frontal (FSC) and side (SSC) light scattering of flow cytometry. Consistent with hydroperoxide decomposition, membrane permeabilization was also confirmed by cleaved lipids detected in mass spectrometry and subsidizes the necrotic pathway of cell death.

Research progress of berberine mediated photodynamic therapy

Berberine (BBR) is a plant secondary metabolite that has been used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the last few decades. The present review aimed to discuss the research progress of BBR-mediated photodynamic actions. The following key words were searched in several databases: 'Berberine' combined with 'photodynamic therapy', 'sonodynamic therapy (SDT)', 'ultraviolet', 'reactive oxygen' and 'singlet oxygen'. The results demonstrated that both type I and type II reactions participated in the photodynamic progression of BBR derivatives. In addition, the photochemical characteristics of BBR derivatives were affected by the polarity, pH and O2 content of solvents. DNA binding increases the lifespan of the photoexcited BBR state and generation of singlet oxygen (1O2). The chemical properties of substituents in different positions of the BBR skeleton are pivotal for its photochemical properties, particularly the methylenedioxy group at the C-2 and C-3 positions. BBR is a promising agent for mediating both PDT- and SDT-treated diseases, particularly in tumors. However, further studies are required to validate their biological effects. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of BBR-PDT remain unclear and warrant further investigation. The structural modification and targeted delivery of BBR have made it possible to broaden its applications; however, experimental verification is required. Overall, BBR acts as a sensitizer for PDT and has promising development prospects.

The potential of photodynamic therapy in current breast cancer treatment methodologies

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) has been known for over a hundred years, and currently gaining in acceptance as an alternative cancer treatment. Light delivery is still a difficult problem in deep cancer treatment with PDT. Only near-infrared light in the 700-1100 nm range can penetrate deeply into the tissue because most tissue chromophores, including oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, melanin and fat, poorly absorb in the near infrared window. The light sources used in PDT are lasers, arc lamps, light-emitting diodes and fluorescent lamps. PDT has been used for many different clinical applications. PDT may be excellent alternative in the treatment and diagnosis of breast cancer compared to the conventional surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The basic elements of PDT are an appropriate photosensitizer (PS), oxygen, and light. The effectiveness of photodynamic therapy depends on the induction of photocytotoxic reactions, which are the result of light activation of PS), pre-administered to the body. The condition for initiating PDT processes is light absorption by PS and subsequent localized generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. This study is a review of empirical research aimed at improving the therapy and diagnosis of breast cancer using PDT based on the physicochemical differences in healthy and diseased tissues and the tissues undergoing treatment.

Biologically active isoquinoline alkaloids covering 2014-2018

Isoquinoline alkaloids, an important class of N-based heterocyclic compounds, have attracted considerable attention from researchers worldwide since the early 19th century. Over the past 200 years, many compounds from this class were isolated, and most of them and their analogs possess various bioactivities. In this review, we survey the updated literature on bioactive alkaloids and highlight research achievements of this alkaloid class during the period of 2014-2018. We reviewed over 400 molecules with a broad range of bioactivities, including antitumor, antidiabetic and its complications, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and other activities. This review should provide new indications or directions for the discovery of new and better drugs from the original naturally occurring isoquinoline alkaloids.

Photodynamic therapy regulates fate of cancer stem cells through reactive oxygen species

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective and promising cancer treatment. PDT directly generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) through photochemical reactions. This oxygen-dependent exogenous ROS has anti-cancer stem cell (CSC) effect. In addition, PDT may also increase ROS production by altering metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress, or potential of mitochondrial membrane. It is known that the half-life of ROS in PDT is short, with high reactivity and limited diffusion distance. Therefore, the main targeting position of PDT is often the subcellular localization of photosensitizers, which is helpful for us to explain how PDT affects CSC characteristics, including differentiation, self-renewal, apoptosis, autophagy, and immunogenicity. Broadly speaking, excess ROS will damage the redox system and cause oxidative damage to molecules such as DNA, change mitochondrial permeability, activate unfolded protein response, autophagy, and CSC resting state. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanism by which ROS affect CSCs is beneficial to improve the efficiency of PDT and prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis. In this article, we review the effects of two types of photochemical reactions on PDT, the metabolic processes, and the biological effects of ROS in different subcellular locations on CSCs.

Palmatine induces G2/M phase arrest and mitochondrial-associated pathway apoptosis in colon cancer cells by targeting AURKA

Studies have shown that palmatine (PAL) has anti-cancer effects. However, the activity and potential mechanisms of PAL against colorectal cancer remain elusive. The results showed that PAL significantly inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo without significant effect on non-tumorigenic colon cells. Target prediction and clinical sample database analysis suggested that PAL may contribute to colon cancer cells phase arrest and apoptosis by targeting aurora kinase A (AURKA). Inhibition and overexpression of AURKA proved that PAL induces G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in colon cancer cells by targeting AURKA. Moreover, PAL promoted intracellular Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). PAL reduced the levels of AURKA, Bcl-xl and Bcl2 proteins, and promoted the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins P53, P73, Caspase3 and Caspase9, as well as the increase of cytochrome c (cyt. c) in cell lysates in vitro and in vivo. Together, our study confirmed that PAL induced G2/M phase arrest and mitochondrial-associated pathway apoptosis in colon cancer cells by targeting AURKA. PAL may provide a novel solution for the treatment of colon cancer by serving as a new AURKA inhibitor.

Quality Evaluation of Corydalis yanhusuo by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Fingerprinting Coupled with Multicomponent Quantitative Analysis

Corydalis Rhizoma is the tuber of Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang, which has been long used in traditional Chinese medicine. Herein, the quality of C. yanhusuo samples collected from 23 regions of three provinces in China is evaluated through high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprinting coupled with similarity, hierarchical clustering, and principal component analyses. Sample similarities are evaluated according to the State Food and Drug Administration requirements by selection of 18 characteristic chromatographic fingerprint peaks and are found to vary between 0.455 and 0.999. Moreover, common patterns of a typical local variety of C. yanhusuo sourced in the Panan County are established. The obtained results show that the combination of quantitative analysis and chromatographic fingerprint analysis can be readily utilized for quality control purposes, offering a comprehensive strategy for quality evaluation of C. yanhusuo and related products.

The effects of photodynamic therapy on leukemia cells mediated by KillerRed, a genetically encoded fluorescent protein photosensitizer

BACKGROUND

Leukemia is a cancer of blood and bone marrow cells, causing about 300,000 deaths worldwide. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising alternative for the treatment of malignant tumors. KillerRed is a genetically encoded red fluorescent protein photosensitizer (PS). In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of KillerRed-mediated PDT on chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells, acute monocytic leukemia NB4 cells, and acute monocytic leukemia THP1 cells.

METHODS

KillerRed was expressed in Escherichia coli cells, purified by Q-Sepharose column, and confirmed by western-blotting. The PDT effect on cell proliferation was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Cell apoptosis was determined by PE Annexin V/7-AAD staining and flow cytometry. The distribution of KillerRed in leukemia cells was detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and western-blotting. The ROS generation was measured by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Pure KillerRed was obtained with a yield of about 37 mg per liter of bacterial cells. KillerRed photodynamic inactivated the leukemia cells in a concentration-dependent manner, but exhibited no obvious dark toxicity. PDT mediated by KillerRed could also induce apoptotic response (mainly early apoptosis) in the three cell lines. The CLSM imaging indicated that KillerRed was distributed within the cytoplasm and nuclei of leukemia cells, causing damages to the cytoplasm and leaving the nuclear envelope intact during light irradiation. KillerRed distributed both in the cytosol and nuclei was confirmed by western blotting, and ROS significantly increased in PDT treated cells compared to the cells treated with KillerRed alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Our studies demonstrated that KillerRed-mediated PDT could effectively inactivate K562, NB4, and THP1 leukemia cells and trigger cell apoptosis, and it has potential to be used individually or complementally, in the treatment of leukemia.

Palmatine: A review of pharmacological properties and pharmacokinetics

The aim of this review is to collect together the results of the numerous studies over the last two decades on the pharmacological properties of palmatine published in scientific databases like Scopus and PubMed, which are scattered across different publications. Palmatine, an isoquinoline alkaloid from the class of protoberberines, is a yellow compound present in the extracts from different representatives of Berberidaceae, Papaveraceae, Ranunculaceae, and Menispermaceae. It has been extensively used in traditional medicine of Asia in the treatment of jaundice, liver-related diseases, hypertension, inflammation, and dysentery. New findings describe its possible applications in the treatment of civilization diseases like central nervous system-related problems. This review intends to let this alkaloid come out from the shade of a more frequently described alkaloid: berberine. The toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and biological activities of this protoberberine alkaloid will be developed in this work.

Palmatine inhibits Zika virus infection by disrupting virus binding, entry, and stability

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging vector-borne virus that is associated with severe congenital cerebral anomalies in fetuses and paralytic Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. In the current global health crisis, there are no vaccines or therapeutics available for the treatment of ZIKV infection. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of the protoberberine alkaloid, palmatine, in inhibiting ZIKV and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Palmatine was shown to bind to restricted viruses, inhibit ZIKV infection, and resist ZIKV-induced cytopathic effects. Palmatine was also shown to inhibit JEV infection in multiple cell lines. Overall, the effects of palmatine in disrupting ZIKV binding, entry, and stability indicate that this small molecule would be a good starting point for the development of treatments aimed at inhibiting ZIKV infection.

Effects of palmatine hydrochloride mediated photodynamic therapy on oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignant tumor, accounting for about 7% of all malignant tumors. Palmatine hydrochloride (PaH) is the alkaloid constituent of Fibraurea tinctoria Lour. The present study aims to investigate the antitumor effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with PaH (PaH-PDT) on human OSCC cell lines both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicate that PaH-PDT exhibited a potent phototoxic effect in cell proliferation and produced cell apoptosis. PaH-PDT increased the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase and decreased the CDK2 and Cyclin E1 protein level. In addition, PaH-PDT markedly increased the generation of intracellular ROS, which can be suppressed using the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Furthermore, PaH-PDT increased the expression of p53 protein in vitro and in vivo. In vivo experiments revealed that the PaH-PDT resulted in an effective inhibition of tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. Moreover, no obvious signs of side effects or a drop in body weight was observed. These results suggested that PaH was a promising sensitizer that can be combined with light to produce significant anti-tumor effects in oral squamous cell carcinoma via enhanced ROS production and up-regulated expression of p53.

Size-tunable Au@Ag nanoparticles for colorimetric and SERS dual-mode sensing of palmatine in traditional Chinese medicine

Palmatine is a protoberberine alkaloid separated from several plants and application as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent in the therapy of gastrointestinal and genitourinary disorder. Thus, the fast quantification of palmatine is important in clinic medical assays. Herein, we report simple, fast and sensitive colorimetric visualization and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) dual-mode detection of palmatine basing on bimetallic size tunable silver shell capped gold nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs). Interesting, the best signals output for dual-mode sensing of palmatine were both 5 nm Ag shell thickness of Au@Ag NPs. Meanwhile, we found that the addition of NaHSO₄ significantly improves the aggregating sensitivity of Au@Ag NPs to trace palmatine. Upon exposure to 0.1 μM level palmatine, NaHSO₄-optimized Au@Ag NPs solution exhibits a highly sensitive color change from orange to green and rapid aggregation kinetics within the initial 5 min, which can directly be seen with the naked eye and monitored by UV-vis absorbance spectra. In addition, we measured palmatine by SERS with the excellent enhancement effect of Au@Ag NPs for further increase the sensitivity and selectivity. More importantly, other protoberberine alkaloids do not interfere with this dual-mode sensor due to the different interaction force between Au@Ag NPs and these alkaloids, and the applicability of the sensor is well demonstrated in real samples with satisfactory results. This provide a fast and simple assay for the rapid detection of palmatine in traditional Chinese medicine, the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.13 μM by the naked eye and 0.10 μM by UV-vis spectroscopy. Therefore, the size-tunable of NaHSO₄-optimized Au@Ag NPs can be used not only as a naked-eye sensor of palmatine, but also as a highly selective SERS probe.

Palmatine from Unexplored Rutidea parviflora Showed Cytotoxicity and Induction of Apoptosis in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells

Ovarian cancer ranks amongst the deadliest cancers in the gynaecological category of cancers. This research work aims to evaluate in vitro anti-ovarian cancer activities and identify phytochemical constituents of a rarely explored plant species—Rutidea parviflora DC. The aqueous and organic extracts of the plant were evaluated for cytotoxicity using sulforhodamine B assay in four ovarian cancer cell lines and an immortalized human ovarian epithelial (HOE) cell line. The bioactive compounds were isolated and characterized by gas/liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Caspase 3/7 activity assay, western blotting and flow cytometry were carried out to assess apoptotic effects of active compounds. The extracts/fractions of R. parviflora showed promising anti-ovarian cancer activities in ovarian cancer cell lines. A principal cytotoxic alkaloid was identified as palmatine whose IC₅₀ was determined as 5.5–7.9 µM. Palmatine was relatively selective towards cancer cells as it was less cytotoxic toward HOE cells, also demonstrating interestingly absence of cross-resistance in cisplatin-resistant A2780 cells. Palmatine further induced apoptosis by increasing caspase 3/7 activity, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase cleavage, and annexin V and propidium iodide staining in OVCAR-4 cancer cells. Our studies warranted further investigation of palmatine and R. parviflora extracts in preclinical models of ovarian cancer.

Raman spectrum spectral imaging revealing the molecular mechanism of Berberine-induced Jurkat cell apoptosis and the receptor-mediated Berberine delivery system

Berberine (BBR), a traditional Chinese herb extract medicine, reveals some anticancer effects in leukemia, but it remains controversial about the molecular mechanism of BBR-induced leukemia cell apoptosis. In this study, combining Raman spectrum and spectral imaging, both the biochemical changes of BBR-induced Jurkat cell apoptosis and the precise distribution of BBR in single cell are presented. In contrast, we also show the corresponding results of Jatrorrhizine (JTZ) and Palmatine (PMT), two structural analogues of BBR. It is found that all three structural analogues can induce cell apoptosis by breaking DNA and the main action sites are located in phosphate backbone and base pair groups, but their action on cell cycle are different, in which BBR leads to the S phase arrest while JTZ and PMT are on the G2 phase arrest. Moreover, from the Raman spectra of DNA treated with different drugs, we find that the content of phosphate backbone and base pair groups in BBR-treated DNA are larger than those in JTZ or PMT. And this result reflects the strong capability of BBR breaking DNA backbone relative to JTZ or PMT, suggesting that the existence of methylene-dioxy on the 2, 3 units of A ring on the quinoline ring can greatly enhance the capability of BBR breaking DNA backbone, so the action effect of BBR-induced Jurkat cell apoptosis is better than those of PMT or JTZ. Further, by using Raman spectral imaging approach, we achieve the precise distribution of BBR in single cell, it is found that the receptor-mediated BBR targeting delivery based single-wall carbon nanotube and folic acid (SWNT/FA) reveals excellent performance in BBR targeting delivery relative to the conventional BBR diffusion approach. Importantly, these results demonstrate that Raman spectrum and spectral imaging should be a powerful tool to study the molecular mechanism of drug-induced cell apoptosis and evaluate the efficiency of drug delivery system.

Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Simultaneous Determination and Pharmacokinetic Study of Fourteen Alkaloid Components in Dog Plasma after Oral Administration of Corydalis bungeana Turcz Extract

A rapid and sensitive Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of fourteen alkaloids in beagle dog plasma after a single oral dose of the Corydalis bungeana Turcz (C. bungeana) extract selected bifendate as the internal standard (IS). The plasma samples were preprocessed by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with aether before separation on an Agilent SB-C₁₈ column (1.8 µm, 150 × 2.1 mm) using a gradient elution program. The mobile phase consists of 0.2% acetic acid and acetonitrile at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. In the positive ion mode, the analytes were detected by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The results indicated that calibration curves for fourteen analytes have good linearity (R² = 0.9904). The lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) of fourteen alkaloids and IS were all over 4.87 ng/mL and the matrix effects ranged from 94.08% to 102.76%. The mean extraction recoveries of Quality control samples at low (LQC), medium (MQC) and high (HQC) and IS were all more than 78.03%. The intra- and inter-day precision (R.S.D.%) also met the criterion, at the same time the deviation of assay accuracies (R.E) ranged from −13.70% to 14.40%. The T_max values of fourteen alkaloids were no more than 1 h. The range of C_max was from 74.16 ± 8.71 to 2256 ± 255.9 ng/mL. The assay was validated in the light of the regulatory bioanalytical guidelines and proved acceptable, which was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of these compounds in beagle dogs after oral administration of Corydalis bungeana Turcz extract.

Development and Validation of a HPLC-ESI-MS/MS Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Fourteen Alkaloids in Mouse Plasma after Oral Administration of the Extract of Corydalis yanhusuo Tuber: Application to Pharmacokinetic Study

The tuber of Corydalis yanhusuo is a famous traditional Chinese medicine and found to have potent pharmacological effects, such as antinociceptive, antitumor, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-depressive activities. Although there are several methods to be developed for the analysis and detection of the bioactive ingredients’ alkaloids, so far, only few prominent alkaloids could be quantified, and in vitro and in vivo changes of comprehensive alkaloids after oral administration are still little known. In this study, we first developed a simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method to quantify the comprehensive alkaloids of extracts of C. yanhusuo in mouse plasma, using nitidine chloride as an internal standard. As results, at least fourteen alkaloids, including an aporphine (oxoglaucine), a protopine (protopine), five tertiary alkaloids (corydaline, tetrahydroberberine, tetrahydropalmatine, tetrahydrocolumbamine, and tetrahydrocoptisine) and seven quaternary alkaloids (columbamine, palmatine, berberine, epiberberine, coptisine, jatrorrhizine, and dehydrocorydaline) could be well quantified simultaneously in mouse plasma. The lower limits of quantification were greater than, or equal to, 0.67 ng/mL, and the average matrix effects ranged from 96.4% to 114.3%. The mean extraction recoveries of quality control samples were over 71.40%, and the precision and accuracy were within the acceptable limits. All the analytes were shown to be stable under different storage conditions. Then the established method was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of these alkaloids after oral administration of the extract of Corydalis yanhusuo in mice. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first document to report the comprehensive and simultaneous analyses of alkaloids of C. yanhusuo in mouse plasma. It was efficient and useful for comprehensive pharmacokinetic and metabolomic analyses of these complex alkaloids after drug administration.

Studies on the Dual Cytotoxicity and Antioxidant Properties of Berberis vulgaris Extracts and Its Main Constituent Berberine

The present study attempts to investigate the cytotoxic activity of ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the Moroccan Berberis vulgaris and its major component berberine, together with exploring their antioxidant properties. It also consists of studying the combination effect of berberine and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, against the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7). Using the MTT assay, we report a differential cytotoxic effect of ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts since the ethanol extract is more cytotoxic than the ethyl acetate one, with IC₅₀ = 3.54 μg/mL and 596.71 μg/mL, respectively. Interestingly, no cytotoxic effect was observed against normal cells. Furthermore, these extracts showed a remarkable antioxidant activity as measured by the DPPH free radicals scavenging assay. In fact, the IC₅₀ values are 69.65 μg/mL and 77.75 μg/mL for the ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. In addition, several concentrations of berberine, when combined with the NO donor used at IC₃₀, induced a synergistic cytotoxic activity at concentrations ranging from 8.40 μM to 33.60 μM, as revealed by the combination index values, using the Chou–Talalay method. However, at the other concentrations tested, an antagonistic effect was observed. The observed cytotoxicity was related to apoptosis induction as demonstrated by the annexin-V-streptavidin FITC-staining analysis.

Ameliorative effects and possible molecular mechanisms of action of fibrauretine from Fibraurea recisa Pierre on d-galactose/AlCl3-mediated Alzheimer's disease

Fibrauretine is one of the main active ingredients from the rattan stems of Fibraurea recisa Pierre It exhibits a series of significant pharmacological effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential anti Alzheimer's disease (AD) effects of fibrauretine on a d-galactose/AlCl₃-induced mouse model, and the underlying mechanisms of action were further investigated for the first time. Our results showed that pretreatment with fibrauretine significantly improved the ability of spatial short-term working memory in the model mice during the Y-maze test, as well as the abilities of spatial learning and memory during the Morris water maze. The levels of brain tissue amyloid (Aβ), P-Tau, Tau and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) were evidently increased in d-galactose/AlCl₃-intoxicated mice, and these effects were reversed by fibrauretine. In contrast, a significant increase in the levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach) and choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) was observed in the fibrauretine-treated groups compared with the model group. Neuronal oxidative stress, evidenced by increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels and a decline in glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, was significantly alleviated by fibrauretine pretreatment. The suppression of the neuroinflammatory response by fibrauretine was realized not only by the decrease in the levels of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the brain tissues and by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) but also by the protein expression levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which were measured by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. In addition, the protein expression levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-33 (IL-33) and ST2 in the brain tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the effects of western blotting demonstrated that the administration of fibrauretine significantly suppressed the protein expression levels of caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, and Bax and increased the protein expression levels of Bcl-2, and the results of the H&E and TUNEL assay all suggested the inhibition of apoptosis in the neurons. The results clearly suggest that the underlying molecular mechanisms of action of the fibrauretine-mediated alleviation of d-galactose/AlCl₃-induced Alzheimer's disease may involve antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects.

Fibrauretine from Fibraurea recisa Pierre exhibits ameliorative effects on d-galactose/AlCl₃-induced Alzheimer's disease. Its mechanism may involve its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects.

Evaluation of Apoptosis and Autophagy Inducing Potential of Berberis aristata, Azadirachta indica, and Their Synergistic Combinations in Parental and Resistant Human Osteosarcoma Cells

Cancer is a multifactorial disease and hence can be effectively overcome by a multi-constituently therapeutic strategy. Medicinal plant extracts represent a perfect example of such stratagem. However, minimal studies have been done till date that portray the effect of extraction techniques on the phyto-constituent profile of plant extracts and its impact on anticancer activity. In the present study, we have evaluated the anticancer potential of methanolic extracts of Berberis aristata root and Azadirachta indica seeds prepared by various extraction techniques in human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells. Soxhlation extract of B. aristata (BAM-SX) and sonication extract of A. indica (AIM-SO) were most effective in inducing apoptosis in parental drug sensitive, as well as resistant cell type developed by repeated drug exposure. Generation of reactive oxygen species and cell cycle arrest preceded caspase-mediated apoptosis in HOS cells. Interestingly, inhibition of autophagy enhanced cell death suggesting the cytoprotective role of autophagy. Combination studies of different methanolic extracts of BAM and AIM were performed, among which, the combination of BAM-SO and AIM-SO (BAAISO) was found to show synergism (IC₅₀ 10.27 µg/ml) followed by combination of BAM-MC and AIM-MC (BAAIMC) with respect to other combinations in the ratio of 1:1. BAAISO also showed synergism when it was added to cisplatin-resistant HOS cells (HCR). Chromatographic profiling of BAM-SX and AIM-SO by high performance thin layer chromatography resulted in identification of berberine (R_f 0.55), palmitine (R_f 0.50) in BAM-SX and azadirachtin A (R_f 0.36), azadirachtin B (R_f 0.56), nimbin (R_f 0.80), and nimbolide (R_f 0.43) in AIM-SO. The cytotoxic sensitivity obtained can be attributed to the above compounds. Our results highlight the importance of extraction technique and subsequent mechanism of action of multi-constituential B. aristata and A. indica against both sensitive and drug refractory HOS cells.

Identification of metabolites of palmatine in rats after oral administration using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Palmatine (PAL), a protopalmatine alkaloid, is an active constituent in a number of medicinal plants. In order to obtain a comprehensive and systematic metabolic profile of PAL, we investigated its metabolites in plasma, liver tissue, bile, urine, and feces samples after intragastrical administration to Sprague-Dawley rats with a dose of 100 mg/kg/day.

METHODS

In this study, a rapid and sensitive method by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/QTOF-MS), and Metabolynx™ software with the mass defect filter (MDF) technique was developed for screening and identification of the metabolites. The structural elucidation of the metabolites was performed by comparing their molecular weights and fragment ions with those of the parent drug.

RESULTS

As a result, a total of 58 metabolites were identified in rat biological samples including 46 metabolites in urine, 18 metabolites in plasma, 34 metabolites in bile, 26 metabolites in liver tissue, and 10 metabolites in feces. Among them, six major metabolites were fully confirmed using reference standards and others were identified by retention time, accurate mass and fragment ions.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that phase I reactions (demethylation and hydroxylation) and phase II reaction (glucuronidation and sulfation) were the main metabolic pathways of PAL in vivo. This research enhances our understanding of metabolism of PAL in rats, and provides useful information on the action mechanism of PAL. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.