Indirect identification of antioxidants in Polygalae Radix through their reaction with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and subsequent HPLC–ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS

Jiawei Kongsheng Zhenzhong Pill: marker compounds, absorption into the serum (rat), and Q-markers identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS

Background: The Jiawei Kongsheng Zhenzhong pill (JKZP), a Chinese herbal prescription comprised of eight Chinese crude drugs, has been historically employed to treat neurological and psychological disorders. Nevertheless, the ambiguous material basis severely hindered its progress and application. Purpose: The current study aimed to establish a rapid analytical method for identifying the chemical components of the JKZP aqueous extract and the components absorbed into the rat serum to investigate the quality markers (Q-markers) responsible for the neuroprotective effects of JKZP. Methods: The qualitative detection of the chemical components, prototype components, and metabolites of the aqueous extracts of JKZP, as well as the serum samples of rats that were administered the drug, was performed using the ultra-performance liquid chromatography- quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technology. This analysis combined information from literature reports and database comparisons. Moreover, the study was conducted to anticipate the potential Q-markers for the neuroprotective effects of JKZP based on the "five principles" of Q-marker determination. Results: A total of 67 compounds and 111 serum components (comprising 33 prototypes and 78 metabolites) were detected and identified. Combining the principles of quality transmission and traceability, compound compatibility environment, component specificity, effectiveness, and measurability, the study predicted that five key compounds, namely, senkyunolide H, danshensu, echinacoside, loganin, and 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose, may serve as potential pharmacological bases for the neuroprotective effects of JKZP. Conclusion: To summarize, the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique can be employed to rapidly and accurately identify compounds in JKZP. Five active compounds have been predicted to be the Q-markers for the neuroprotective effects of JKZP. This discovery serves as a reference for improving quality, advancing further research and development, and utilizing Chinese herbal prescriptions.

Potential Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Polyphenolic Compounds from Cirsium japonicum Extract

Cirsium japonicum is a medicinal plant that has been used due to its beneficial properties. However, extensive information regarding its therapeutic potential is scarce in the scientific literature. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of polyphenols derived from the Cirsium japonicum extracts (CJE) was systematically analyzed. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with mass spectrometry (MS) was used to examine the compounds in CJE. A total of six peaks of polyphenol compounds were identified in the extract, and their MS data were also confirmed. These bioactive compounds were subjected to ultrafiltration with LC analysis to assess their potential for targeting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and DPPH. The outcomes showed which primary compounds had the highest affinity for binding both COX2 and DPPH. This suggests that components that showed excellent binding ability to DPPH and COX2 can be considered significant active substances. Additionally, in vitro analysis of CJE was carried out in macrophage cells after inducing inflammation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). As a result, it downregulated the expression of two critical pro-inflammatory cytokines, COX2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In addition, we found a solid binding ability through the molecular docking analysis of the selected compounds with inflammatory mediators. In conclusion, we identified polyphenolic compounds in CJE extract and confirmed their potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. These results may provide primary data for the application of CJE in the food and pharmaceutical industries with further analysis.

Research on the quality markers of antioxidant activity of Kai-Xin-San based on the spectrum-effect relationship

Background: Kai-Xin-San (KXS) is one of the classic famous traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for amnesia, which has been applied for thousands of years. Modern pharmacological research has found that KXS has significant therapeutic efficacy on nervous system diseases, which is related to its antioxidant activity. However, the antioxidant material basis and quality markers (Q-makers) of KXS have not been studied. Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the Q-makers of antioxidant activity of KXS based on spectrum-effect relationship. Methods: Specifically, the metabolites in KXS extracts were identified by UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS. The fingerprint profile of KXS extracts were established by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and seven common peaks were identified. Meanwhile, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test was used to evaluate the free radical scavenging ability of KXS. The spectrum-effect relationship between its HPLC fingerprint and DPPH free radical scavenging activity was preliminarily examined by the Pearson correlation analysis, grey relation analysis (GRA), and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA). Further, the antioxidant effect of KXS and its Q-makers were validated through human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells experiment. Results: The results showed that 103 metabolites were identified from KXS, and the similarity values between HPLC fingerprint of twelve batches of KXS were greater than 0.900. At the same time, the results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that the peaks 8, 1, 14, 17, 18, 24, 16, 21, 15, 13, 6, 5, and 3 from KXS were positively correlated with the scavenging activity values of DPPH. Combined with the results of GRA and OPLS-DA, peaks 1, 3, 5 (Sibiricose A6), 6, 13 (Ginsenoside Rg1), 15, and 24 in the fingerprints were screen out as the potential Q-makers of KXS for antioxidant effect. Besides, the results of CCK-8 assay showed that KXS and its Q-makers remarkably reduced the oxidative damage of SH-SY5Y cells caused by H2O2. However, the antioxidant activity of KXS was decreased significantly after Q-makers were knocked out. Conclusion: In conclusion, the metabolites in KXS were successfully identified by UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS, and the Q-makers of KXS for antioxidant effect was analyzed based on the spectrum-effect relationship. These results are beneficial to clarify the antioxidant material basis of KXS and provide the quality control standards for new KXS products development.

Antidepressant Mechanism of Kaixinsan and Its Active Compounds Based on Upregulation of Antioxidant Thioredoxin

Objectives

Kaixinsan (KXS), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of depression. The present study applied a network pharmacology approach to dig out the new targets and mechanism of action of KXS and the active compounds in the treatment of depression.

Methods

A network pharmacology approach based on public databases including ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) evaluation, targets prediction, construction of networks, and molecule docking was used and validated the predicted new antioxidant targets and mechanisms in vitro. Based on an in vitro experiment, we verified the AKT1/Nrf2 pathway related to the thioredoxin (Trx) antioxidant mechanism.

Results

The present study sorted 31 pharmacologically active components (kaempferol, ginsenoside rh2, ginsenoside rh4, stigmasterol, etc.) through the ADME algorithm from KXS. 136 potential molecular targets (AKT1, TNF, IL-1b, JUN, ESR1, NOS3, etc.) were predicted, of which there were 69 targets clearly related to depression. By compound-depression targets (C-DTs) network constructed, and protein-protein interaction networks (PPI) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyzed, we identified active compounds mediating depression-related targets to exert synergism on the predictive AKT1/Nrf2 pathway related to thioredoxin (Trx) antioxidant mechanism and other inflammation-related signaling pathways as well as neurotransmitter related signaling pathways. In the H₂O₂ induced SH-SY5Y cell damage model, this showed kaempferol and ginsenoside rh2 could enhance the activity of the Trx system by upregulation of AKT1 to activate Nrf2 in vitro.

Conclusions

Taken together, by comprehensive systems pharmacology approach analysis, we found that KXS and its active compounds might exhibit antioxidant effects by stimulating the AKT1/Nrf2 pathway in the treatment of depression, which might shed new light on innovative therapeutic tactics for the new aspects for depression in traditional Chinese medicine in future studies.

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Active Components and Antioxidant Activity from Polygala tenuifolia: A Comparative Study of the Response Surface Methodology and Least Squares Support Vector Machine

Dried roots of Polygala tenuifolia (YuanZhi in Chinese) are widely used in Chinese herbal medicine. These components in YuanZhi have significant anti-oxidation properties owing to high levels of 3,6'-disinapoylsucrose (DISS) and Polygalaxanthone III (PolyIII). In order to efficiently extract natural medicines, response surface methodology (RSM) and least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) were used for the modeling and optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of DISS and PolyIII together to determine the antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained from YuanZhi. For the optimal combination of the comprehensive yield of DISS and PolyIII (Y), the Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to improve extraction time (X₁), extraction temperature (X₂), liquid-solid ratio (X₃), and ethanol concentration (X₄). The optimal process parameters were determined to be as follows: extraction time, 93 min; liquid-solid ratio, 40 mL/g; extraction temperature, 48 °C; and ethanol concentration, 67%. With these conditions, the predictive optimal combination comprehensive evaluation value is 13.0217. It was clear that the LS-SVM model had higher accuracy in predictive and optimization capabilities, with higher antioxidant activity and lower relative deviations values, than did RSM. Hence, the LS-SVM model proved to be more effective for the analysis and improvement of the extraction process.

Polygala saponins inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation via SHP-2-Mediated mitophagy

Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its mediated neuroinflammation are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, while mitophagy negatively regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation. SHP-2, a protein-tyrosine phosphatase, is critical for NLRP3 inflammasome regulation and inflammatory responses. In this study, we investigated whether triterpenoid saponins in Radix Polygalae inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome via mitophagy induction. First, we isolated the active fraction (polygala saponins (PSS)) and identified 17 saponins by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection and tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-Q/TOF-MS). In microglial BV-2 cells, PSS induced mitophagy as evidenced by increased co-localization of LC3 and mitochondria, as well as an increased number of autophagic vacuoles surrounding the mitochondria. Furthermore, the mechanistic study found that PSS activated the AMPK/mTOR and PINK1/parkin signaling pathways via the upregulation of SHP-2. In Aβ(1-42)-, A53T-α-synuclein-, or Q74-induced BV-2 cells, PSS significantly inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which was attenuated by bafilomycin A1 (an autophagy inhibitor) and SHP099 (an SHP-2 inhibitor). In addition, the co-localization of LC3 and ASC revealed that PSS promoted the autophagic degradation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Moreover, PSS decreased apoptosis in conditioned medium-induced PC-12 cells. In APP/PS1 mice, PSS improved cognitive function, ameliorated Aβ pathology, and inhibited neuronal death. Collectively, the present study, for the first time, shows that PSS inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome via SHP-2-mediated mitophagy in vitro and in vivo, which strongly suggests the therapeutic potential of PSS in various neurodegenerative diseases.

3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose attenuates Aβ1-42 - induced neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans by enhancing antioxidation and regulating autophagy

The aggregation of β‐amyloid (Aβ) has the neurotoxicity, which is thought to play critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inhibiting Aβ deposition and neurotoxicity has been considered as an important strategy for AD treatment. 3,6'‐Disinapoyl sucrose (DISS), one of the oligosaccharide esters derived from traditional Chinese medicine Polygalae Radix, possesses antioxidative activity, neuroprotective effect and anti‐depressive activity. This study was to explore whether DISS could attenuate the pathological changes of Aβ_1‐42 transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The results showed that DISS (5 and 50 μM) treatment significantly prolonged the life span, increased the number of egg‐laying, reduced paralysis rate, decreased the levels of lipofuscin and ROS and attenuated Aβ deposition in Aβ_1‐42 transgenic C. elegans. Gene analysis showed that DISS could up‐regulate the mRNA expression of sod‐3, gst‐4, daf‐16, bec‐1 and lgg‐1, while down‐regulate the mRNA expression of daf‐2 and daf‐15 in Aβ_1‐42 transgenic C. elegans. These results suggested that DISS has the protective effect against Aβ_1‐42‐induced pathological damages and prolongs the life span of C. elegans, which may be related to the reduction of Aβ deposition and neurotoxicity by regulating expression of genes related to antioxidation and autophagy.

Anastatin Derivatives Alleviate Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via Antioxidative Properties

(±)-Anastatins A and B are flavonoids isolated from Anastatica hierochuntica. In a previous study, twenty-four di- and tri-substituted novel derivatives of anastatins were designed and their preliminary antioxidant activities were evaluated. In the present study, the protective effect of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and the systematic antioxidant capacity of 24 derivatives were further studied. Compound 13 was the most potent among all the compounds studied, which increased the survival of H9c2 cells to 80.82%. The antioxidant capability of compound 13 was evaluated in ferric reducing antioxidant power, 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assays. It was observed that compound 13 significantly reduced infarcted areas and improved histopathological and electrocardiogram changes in rats with myocardial I/R injury. Moreover, compound 13 decreased the leakage rates of serum lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, and malonyldialdehyde from rat myocardial tissues and increased the level of glutathione and superoxide dismutase activities following myocardial I/R injury in rats. Taken together, we concluded that compound 13 had potent cardioprotective effects against myocardial I/R injury both in vitro and in vivo owing to its extensive antioxidant activities.

Comprehensive Quality Assessment of Kaixin Powder by HPLC-DAD Quantification and HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS Confirmation

Kaixin Powder (KXP) is a classic formula for treating morbid forgetfulness in ancient China. To guarantee the efficacy and safety of KXP, a simple and accurate HPLC-DAD method has been established and validated for the quantitative analysis of seven bioactive compounds in KXP. Dehydrotumulosic acid (DTU) and dehydrotrametenolic acid (DTR) were quantified in KXP for the first time. Good chromatographic separation was conducted on a Kromasil 100-5 C₁₈ column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) by gradient elution using mobile phases containing acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution at different detection wavelengths. The calibration curves of each compound showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.9990), and the LOD and LOQ were in the ranges of 0.01-0.10 and 0.03-0.40 μg/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of intra-day and inter-day precisions were in the ranges of 0.45-1.74% and 0.56-2.32%, respectively. All recoveries were in the range of 93.6-105.5% with an RSD no more than 2.77%. These quantification results of seven compounds determined in the samples were further confirmed by HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. This study provides a useful and simple method for analyzing the major bioactive compounds and improves the quality assessment research of KXP.

Chemical Profiling and Antioxidant Evaluation of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. "Zhongjiang" by HPLC-ESI-MS Combined with DPPH Assay

Paeonia lactiflora Pall. "Zhongjiang" is one of the four major medicinal P. lactiflora plants in China. In this research, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detector (DAD)-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method was established to identify various components in the extracts of P. lactiflora "Zhongjiang" (root extract or RE, stem and leaf extract or SLE and flower extract or FE). A total of 40 compounds, including 19 monoterpenoid glycosides, five tannins, 10 phenolic acids and their esters, and six other compounds, were determined or temporarily inferred from RE (35 species), SLE (20 species) and FE (15 species). Antioxidant evaluation indicates among the monomer compounds, catechin, gallic acid and ethyl gallate showed strong antioxidant activity close to vitamin C, ascorbic acid (Vc). Paeoniflorin, albiflorin, benzoylpaeoniflorin and 6'-O-benzoylalbiflorin had certain antioxidant activities, which were much lower than Vc. Furthermore, 19, 15 and 15 antioxidant-reactive components were screened from RE, SLE and FE by using the 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-HPLC test results. Results indicated that the ethanol extracts of P. lactiflora "Zhongjiang" had strong antioxidant activity, and the antioxidant active material basis was mainly composed of phenolic acids and gallic acid tannins. The main components of P. lactiflora "Zhongjiang", monoterpenoid glycosides, had weak antioxidant capacity. Paeonia lactiflora stems, leaves and flowers were good sources of antioxidants.

Protective Effects and Mechanism of Radix Polygalae Against Neurological Diseases as Well as Effective Substance

Radix Polygalae (also known as Yuanzhi in China) is the dried rhizome of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. or Polygala sibirica L., which is a famous Chinese herb and has been widely used for centuries in traditional medicines including expectorants, tonics, tranquilizers, antipsychotic, and so on. This article reviews the neuroprotective effects of Radix Polygalae in preclinical models of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, especially anxiety, depression, declining cognition, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). The chemical composition of Radix Polygalae as well as the underlying mechanisms of action were also reviewed. We found that Radix Polygalae possesses a broad range of beneficial effects on the abovementioned conditions. The multifold mechanisms of action include several properties such as antioxidant and associated apoptotic effects; anti-inflammatory and associated apoptotic effects; neurogenesis, regeneration, differentiation, and neuronal plasticity improvement; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) regulation; neurotransmitter release; and receptor activation (A_2AR, NMDA-R, and GluR). Nevertheless, the detailed mechanisms underlying this array of pharmacological effects observed in vitro and in vivo still need further investigation to attain a coherent neuroprotective profile.

Comprehensive evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of Sceptridium ternatum using multiple colorimetric methods and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-high-performance liquid chromatography analysis

Sceptridium ternatum is a medicinal herb with multiple health benefits. However, its antioxidant activity and active components have not been clarified. In this study, the antioxidant capacity of S. ternatum was comprehensively investigated using multiple colorimetric methods and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. First, the phenolic content, flavonoid content, and radical scavenging ability of S. ternatum were parallelly determined using colorimetric methods performed in 96-well microplates. The flavonoid content, rather than the phenolic content, was highly correlated with its antioxidant activity. Sceptridium ternatum was shown to be a rich source of flavonoids, with a highest flavonoid yield of 3.44 ± 0.11 mg/g. Subsequently, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-high-performance liquid chromatography experiment and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry analyses were carried out for rapid screening of the individual antioxidants. A total of 14 O-glycosyl flavonoids with quercetin or kaempferol aglycone have been characterized. Particularly, quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside-7-O-glucoside exhibited the most potent antioxidant ability. Its half-maximal effective concentrations for scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals were 70.55 ± 2.69 and 106.90 ± 1.76 µg/mL, respectively, which were comparable with those of l-ascorbic acid. Our results indicated that the combined colorimetric and chromatographic methods provided a practical strategy for the discovery of bioactive compounds from natural products.

An Off-Line DPPH-GC-MS Coupling Countercurrent Chromatography Method for Screening, Identification, and Separation of Antioxidant Compounds in Essential Oil

Essential oils are an important source of natural antioxidants and multiple methods have been established for evaluation of their overall antioxidant activity, however, the antioxidant activities of their compounds are less investigated. In the present study, the hyphenation of 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) offline and high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) is established for efficient screening, identification, and isolation of antioxidants from essential oils and applied to the essential oil of Curcuma wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling. Five compounds are preliminarily screened as antioxidants using DPPH-GC according to the reduction of GC peak areas of each compound after reaction with DPPH and then identified as eucalyptol (7.66%), camphor (2.34%), δ-elemene (1.15%), β-elemene (7.10%), and curzerene (15.77%) using GC-MS. Moreover, these five compounds are isolated by HSCCC using two solvent systems, n-hexane-acetonitrile-ethanol (5:3:2, v/v) and n-hexane-acetonitrile-acetone (4:3:1, v/v), and subjected to DPPH scavenging assay. Camphor, δ-elemene, and β-elemene show weak DPPH scavenging activity, while curzerene and eucalyptol show moderate DPPH scavenging activity. Notably, a significant synergistic effect on DPPH scavenging is found between curzerene and eucalyptol. The result demonstrated that off-line DPPH-GC-MS coupling CCC is an efficient method for screening, identification, and separation of antioxidant compounds in essential oil

Intestinal Absorption Profile of Three Polygala Oligosaccharide Esters in Polygalae Radix and the Effects of Other Components in Polygalae Radix on Their Absorption

Oligosaccharide esters, which are among the main active components of Polygalae Radix (PR), demonstrate significant pharmacological activities in the human nervous system. In our previous research, some other constituents in PR were able to improve the bioavailability of oligosaccharide esters such as sibiricose A5 (SA5), sibiricose A6 (SA6), and 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose (DISS), but the related components and their underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the intestinal absorptive profile of SA5, SA6, and DISS and the absorptive behavior influenced by the coadministration of polygalaxanthone III and total saponins of PR (TS) using an in vitro everted rat gut sac model, along with the possible mechanisms that may influence absorption. The results showed that TS could significantly enhance the absorption of SA5, SA6, and DISS monomers. Verapamil, a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, was able to elevate the absorption of SA5 and SA6, and an absorption experiment using Rho123 led us to conclude that TS influenced the absorption of SA5 and SA6 in a manner similar to that of a P-glycoprotein inhibitor. Sodium caprate, a paracellular absorption enhancer, was found to increase the absorption of SA5, SA6, and DISS. Results showed that the absorption mechanisms of SA5 and SA6 may combine active transport with paracellular passive penetration, while DISS's absorption was dominated by paracellular passive penetration. However, the relationship between polygala saponins and the absorption of SA5, SA6, and DISS by paracellular passive penetration remain to be examined. This is the direction of our future research.

Detection and assignment of inorganic aqueous polymers relevant to environmental nanogeoscience by direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Inorganic polymers in aqueous solutions are being proposed as essential components in new theories concerning nonclassical nucleation and growth of nanominerals relevant to environmental nanogeosciences. The study of those complex natural processes requires multi-technique analytical approaches able to characterize the solutions and their constituents (solutes, oligomers, polymers, clusters and nanominerals) from atomic to micrometric scales. A novel analytical approach involving an electrospray ionization source (ESI) coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF/MS) was developed to identify inorganic polymers in aqueous solution. To this end, the presence of initial Al oligomers and their polymerization processes was studied during a nanomineral aqueous synthesis (hydrobasaluminte, Al₄ SO₄ (OH)₁₀ ·12-36H₂ O). Ensuring the feasibility and robustness of the methodology as well as the stability of the polymers under study (avoiding undesirable fragmentation), a meticulous study of the ESI-TOF MS working conditions was performed. Precision of the methodology was evaluated obtaining relative standard deviations below 3.3%. For the first time in the study of inorganic polymers in the earth sciences, the mass accuracy error (ppm) has been reported and the use of significant decimal figures of the m/z signal has been taken into account. Complementary to this, a four-step polymer assignment methodology and a database with the Al^- and Al-SO₄ ^2- polymers assigned were created. Several polymers have been assigned for the first time, including Al (SO₄ )⁺ ·H₂ O, Al₂ O(SO₄ )²⁺ ·H₂ O, Al₅ O₄ (OH)₅ ²⁺ ·2H₂ O, and Al₃ O₅ (OH)^2- ·4H₂ O, among others. The results obtained in the present study help create a foundation to include mass spectrometry as a routine analytical technique to study mineral formation in aqueous solution.

Study on the safety of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow root extract powder (BT-11) in young person aged from 9 to 19 years old

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow root extract (BT-11) has beneficial effects on central nervous system disorders in human. The safety of BT-11 should be elucidated in younger person further.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the safety of BT-11 in human aged from 9 to 19 years old.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The safety was evaluated in randomly assigned subjects who received the test products (61 subjects in BT-11 300 mg daily or 60 subjects in matching placebo) for 12 weeks. Adverse reactions were analyzed by the incidence rate, type, and severity. The clinical examination included hematology and blood chemistry tests, urinalysis, vital signs, body weight, and electrocardiogram (ECG).

RESULTS

Eleven adverse reactions were observed in ten subjects receiving BT-11 while seven adverse reactions in six subjects receiving placebo. There were no statistical differences in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups. Serious adverse reactions such as acute appendicitis and acute viral gastroenteritis were observed in the BT-11 group4 and the placebo group, respectively. However, it was confirmed that they were not associated with the test product. All other adverse reactions observed during the test period were resolved completely without special treatment. No statistical difference was also observed in safety laboratory tests, vital signs, and ECG between two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the safety of BT-11 in the adolescent by showing no apparent adverse reactions related to it.

Free Radical-Scavenging Capacities, Phenolics and Capsaicinoids in Wild Piquin Chili (Capsicum annuum var. Glabriusculum)

The total phenolic compounds content, free radical-scavenging capacity and capsaicinoid content in populations of wild Piquin chili (C. annuum) were studied. Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts from nine ecotypes were evaluated. High contents of phenolic compounds and free radical-scavenging capacities were observed for both extracts; however, the values that were found for the hydroalcoholic phase were substantially higher. LC-MS analysis allowed for the detection of 32 compounds, where apigenin-8-C-glucoside followed by vanillic acid 1-O-β-o-glucopyranosylester (Isomer I or II) and 7-ethoxy-4-methylcoumarin were the most widely distributed; they were found in more than 89% of the ecotypes. The diversity of identified phenolic compounds was different among ecotypes, allowing them to be distinguished by chemical diversity, free radical-scavenging capacities and heat Scoville units. The total capsaicinoid content was higher in Population I (23.5 mg/g DW) than in Populations II and III, which had contents of 15.3 and 10.7 mg/g DW, respectively. This variability could lead to phytochemical exploitation and the conservation of the natural populations of wild chili.

In vitro antioxidant properties of the biflavonoid agathisflavone

Purpose

Free radicals are considered as the causative agents of a variety of acute and chronic pathologies. Natural antioxidants have drawn attention of the researchers in recent years for their ability to scavenge free radicals with minimal or even no side effects. This study evaluates the antioxidant capacity of agathisflavone, a naturally occurring biflavonoid by a number of in vitro methods.

Methods

Agathisflavone was subjected to DPPH, ABTS, OH and NO radical scavenging assay, reducing potential and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) test using trolox as a standard.

Results

Agathisflavone showed concentration-dependent antioxidant activity against all types of free radicals used in this study. The antioxidant capacity, reducing potential and inhibition of lipid peroxidation showed by agathisflavone were comparable to that of trolox.

Conclusion

Agathisflavone exhibited antioxidant capacity, which suggests considering this biflavonoid for the use in the prevention and/or treatment of diseases precipitated by oxidative stress.

Integrated evaluation of HPLC and UV fingerprints for the quality control of Danshen tablet by systematic quantified fingerprint method combined with antioxidant activity

Danshen tablet, which consists of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Borneolum syntheticum, has been widely used in the therapy of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to develop comprehensive evaluation methods for the quality control of Danshen tablet. First, five-wavelength fusion fingerprint was established to avoid one-sidedness of a single wavelength. Then, the ultraviolet spectrum fingerprint was applied to reflect the information of unsaturated bond and conjugated system of chemical substances in Danshen tablet. The similarity analyses of these two fingerprints were performed by systematic quantified fingerprint method in terms of qualitative and quantitative aspects. After that, the evaluation results of high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet fingerprints were integrated by the mean algorithm, which could reduce the error caused by single method. The integrated evaluation results showed that 30 batches of samples were classified into seven grades. Finally, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship was established using an on-line antioxidant system and partial least-squares model to explore the connection between chemical components and antioxidant activities. The methods established in this paper were found suitable for the analysis of Danshen tablet.

A rapid and sensitive UHPLC-FT-ICR MS/MS method for identification of chemical constituents in Rhodiola crenulata extract, rat plasma and rat brain after oral administration

A rapid and sensitive UHPLC-FT-ICR MS/MS method was developed for the first time to analyze the extract of Rhodiola crenulata and the constituents absorbed into rat blood and brain after oral administration. Under the optimized conditions, a total of 64 chemical constituents were identified or tentatively characterized in vitro in 30min, and also 24 and 9 chemical constituents were detected in rat plasma and brain respectively, by comparing the retention time, accurate mass and/or MS/MS data of blank and dosed sample. The results indicated that the developed UHPLC-FT-ICR MS/MS method was suitable for detection and identifying the chemical constituents in Rhodiola crenulata extract, rat plasma and rat brain, and it could be used as a powerful and reliable analytical strategy for rapid identification of chemical constituents in vitro and in vivo for other traditional Chinese herbal medicines (TCMs). Furthermore, the detected chemical constituents in rat brain could be speculated to be the pharmacodynamic substances of Rhodiola crenulata for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and it could also provide useful chemical information for further mass spectrometry imaging and bioactive substances research on Rhodiola crenulata.