Weed Suppression and Molecular Mechanisms of Isochlorogenic Acid A Isolated from Artemisia argyi Extract via an Activity-Guided Method

Review of Allelopathy in Green Tides: The Case of Ulva prolifera in the South Yellow Sea

The proliferation of large green macroalgae in marine environments has led to the occurrence of green tides, particularly in the South Yellow Sea region of China, where Ulva prolifera has been identified as the primary species responsible for the world's largest green tide events. Allelopathy among plants is a critical factor influencing the dynamics of green tides. This review synthesizes previous research on allelopathic interactions within green tides, categorizing four extensively studied allelochemicals: fatty acids, aldehydes, phenols, and terpenes. The mechanisms by which these compounds regulate the physiological processes of green tide algae are examined in depth. Additionally, recent advancements in the rapid detection of allelochemicals are summarized, and their potential applications in monitoring green tide events are discussed. The integration of advanced monitoring technologies, such as satellite observation and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, with allelopathic substance detection is also explored. This combined approach addresses gaps in understanding the dynamic processes of green tide formation and provides a more comprehensive insight into the mechanisms driving these phenomena. The findings and new perspectives presented in this review aim to offer valuable insights and inspiration for researchers and policymakers.

Insecticidal Activity and Molecular Target by Morphological Analysis, RNAseq, and Molecular Docking of the Aryltetralin Lignan Lactone Helioxanthin, Isolated from Taiwania flousiana Gaussen

Botanical insecticides are considered an environmentally friendly approach to insect control because they are easily biodegraded and cause less environmental pollution compared to traditional chemical pesticides. In this study, we reported the insecticidal activities of the ingredients from Taiwania flousiana Gaussen (T. flousiana). Five compounds, namely helioxanthin (C1), taiwanin E (C2), taiwanin H (C3), 7,4'-dimethylamentoflavone (C4), and 7,7″-di-O-methylamentoflavone (C5), were isolated and tested against the second, third, and fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. Our results indicated that all five compounds showed insecticidal activities, and helioxanthin, which is an aryltetralin lignan lactone, was the most effective with LC50 values of 0.60, 2.82, and 3.12 mg/L, respectively, 48 h after application, with its activity against the second instar larvae similar to that of pyrethrin and better than that of rotenone. Further studies found that helioxanthin accumulated in the gastric cecum and the midgut and caused swelling of mitochondria with shallow matrices and fewer or disappeared crista. Additionally, our molecular mechanisms studies indicated that the significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly associated with mitochondria and the cuticle, among which the voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) gene was the most down-regulated by helioxanthin, and VDAC is the potential target of helioxanthin by binding to specific amino acid residues (His 122 and Glu 147) via hydrogen bonds. We conclude that aryltetralin lignan lactone is a potential class of novel insecticides by targeting VDAC.

The water-soluble subfraction from Artemisia argyi alleviates LPS-induced inflammatory responses via multiple pathways and targets in vitro and in vivo

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Artemisia argyi has been used medicinally and eaten for more than 2000 years in China. It is widely reported in treating inflammatory diseases such as eczema, dermatitis, arthritis, allergic asthma and colitis. Although several studies claim that its volatile oil and organic reagent extracts have certain anti-inflammatory effects, the water-soluble fractions and molecular mechanisms have not been studied.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the therapeutic effect of A. argyi water extract (AAWE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses and to identify the most effective water-soluble subfractions. Moreover, the relevant pharmacological and molecular mechanisms by which the active subfraction mitigates inflammation were further investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Firstly, RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with LPS were treated with AAWE (50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) or the water-soluble subfractions separated by D101 macroporous resin (AAWE1-AAWE4, 100 μg/mL), and NO production and mRNA levels of inflammatory genes were evaluated to determine the most effective water-soluble subfractions. Secondly, the chemical components of the active subfraction (AAWE4) were analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS. Thirdly, transcriptome and network pharmacology analysis, RT-qPCR and Western blotting assays were conducted to explore the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism and active compounds of AAWE4. Subsequently, the binding ability of the potential active components in AAWE4 to the core targets was further determined by molecular docking. Eventually, the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of AAWE4 (1.17, 2.34 and 4.68 g/kg, administered per day for 7 d) was evaluated in mice with LPS-induced systemic inflammation.

RESULTS

In this study, AAWE showed excellent anti-inflammatory effects, and its water-soluble subfraction AAWE4 exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on NO concentration and inflammatory gene mRNA expression after LPS stimulation, indicating that it was the most effective subfraction. Thereafter, four main compounds in AAWE4 were confirmed or tentatively identified by UPLC-QTOF-MS, including three flavonoid glycosides and one phenolic acid. Furthermore, the transcriptome and network pharmacology analysis showed that AAWE4 inhibited inflammation via multiple pathways and multiple targets. Based on the RT-qPCR and Western blotting results, AAWE4 downregulated not only the p38, PI3K, CCL5, MMP9, AP-1, and BCL3 mRNA expression levels activated by LPS but also their upstream and downstream protein expression levels and protein phosphorylation (p-AKT/AKT, p-p38/p38, p-ERK/ERK, p-JNK/JNK). Moreover, four identified compounds (isochlorogenic acid A, vicenin-2, schaftoside and isoschaftoside) could significantly inhibit NO content and the overexpression of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS and COX-2 mRNA induced by LPS, and the molecular docking confirmed the high binding activity of four active compounds with selected core targets (p38, AKT1, MMP9, and CCL5). In addition, the mRNA expression and immunohistochemical analysis showed that AAWE44 could inhibit lung inflammation via multiple pathways and multiple targets in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that the water-soluble subfraction AAWE4 from A. argyi ameliorated the inflammation caused by LPS through multiple pathways and multiple targets in vitro and in vivo, providing scientific support for the medicinal use of A. argyi. Importantly, it shows that the A. argyi subfraction AAWE4 can be developed as an anti-inflammatory drug.

Artemisia argyi extract subfraction exerts an antifungal effect against dermatophytes by disrupting mitochondrial morphology and function

Artemisia argyi (A. argyi), a plant with a longstanding history as a raw material for traditional medicine and functional diets in Asia, has been used traditionally to bathe and soak feet for its disinfectant and itch-relieving properties. Despite its widespread use, scientific evidence validating the antifungal efficacy of A. argyi water extract (AAWE) against dermatophytes, particularly Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Microsporum gypseum, remains limited. This study aimed to substantiate the scientific basis of the folkloric use of A. argyi by evaluating the antifungal effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms of its active subfraction against dermatophytes. The results indicated that AAWE exhibited excellent antifungal effects against the three aforementioned dermatophyte species. The subfraction AAWE6, isolated using D101 macroporous resin, emerged as the most potent subfraction. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of AAWE6 against T. rubrum, M. gypseum, and T. mentagrophytes were 312.5, 312.5, and 625 μg·mL-1, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results and assays of enzymes linked to cell wall integrity and cell membrane function indicated that AAWE6 could penetrate the external protective barrier of T. rubrum, creating breaches ("small holes"), and disrupt the internal mitochondrial structure ("granary"). Furthermore, transcriptome data, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), and biochemical assays corroborated the severe disruption of mitochondrial function, evidenced by inhibited tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and energy metabolism. Additionally, chemical characterization and molecular docking analyses identified flavonoids, primarily eupatilin (131.16 ± 4.52 mg·g-1) and jaceosidin (4.17 ± 0.18 mg·g-1), as the active components of AAWE6. In conclusion, the subfraction AAWE6 from A. argyi exerts antifungal effects against dermatophytes by disrupting mitochondrial morphology and function. This research validates the traditional use of A. argyi and provides scientific support for its anti-dermatophytic applications, as recognized in the Chinese patent (No. ZL202111161301.9).

Active fractions of golden-flowered tea (Camellia nitidissima Chi) inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor mutated non-small cell lung cancer via multiple pathways and targets in vitro and in vivo

As a medicine-food homology (MFH) plant, golden-flowered tea (Camellia nitidissima Chi, CNC) has many different pharmacologic activities and is known as "the queen of the tea family" and "the Panda of the Plant world". Several studies have revealed the pharmacologic effects of CNC crude extract, including anti-tumor, anti-oxidative and hepatoprotective activity. However, there are few studies on the anti-tumor active fractions and components of CNC, yet the underlying mechanism has not been investigated. Thus, we sought to verify the anti-non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) effects of four active fractions of CNC. Firstly, we determined the pharmacodynamic material basis of the four active fractions of CNC (Camellia. leave. saponins, Camellia. leave. polyphenols, Camellia. flower. saponins, Camellia. flower. polyphenols) by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and confirmed the differences in their specific compound contents. Then, MTT, colony formation assay and EdU incorporation assay confirmed that all fractions of CNC exhibit significant inhibitory on NSCLC, especially the Camellia. leave. saponins (CLS) fraction on EGFR mutated NSCLC cell lines. Moreover, transcriptome analysis revealed that the inhibition of NSCLC cell growth by CLS may be via three pathways, including "Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction," "PI3K-Akt signaling pathway" and "MAPK signaling pathway." Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB) revealed TGFB2, INHBB, PIK3R3, ITGB8, TrkB and CACNA1D as the critical targets for the anti-tumor effects of CLS in vitro. Finally, the xenograft models confirmed that CLS treatment effectively suppressed tumor growth, and the key targets were also verified in vivo. These observations suggest that golden-flowered tea could be developed as a functional tea drink with anti-cancer ability, providing an essential molecular mechanism foundation for MFH medicine treating NSCLC.

Interference of Dihydrocoumarin with Hormone Transduction and Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis Inhibits Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) Root Growth

Botanical compounds with herbicidal activity exhibit safety, low toxicity, and low chances of herbicide resistance development in plants. They have widespread applications in green agricultural production and the development of organic agriculture. In the present study, dihydrocoumarin showed potential as a botanical herbicide, and its phenotypic characteristics and mechanism of action were studied in barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P.Beauv.] seedlings. The results indicated that dihydrocoumarin inhibited the growth of barnyardgrass without causing significant inhibition of rice seedling growth at concentrations ranging between 0.5 and 1.0 g/L. Additionally, dihydrocoumarin treatment could cause oxidative stress in barnyardgrass, disrupt the cell membrane, and reduce the root cell activity, resulting in root cell death. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that dihydrocoumarin could inhibit barnyardgrass normal growth by affecting the signal transduction of plant hormones. The results showed significant differential expression of plant hormone signal transduction genes in barnyardgrass. Additionally, dihydrocoumarin interfered with the expression of numerous phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes in barnyardgrass that affect the production of various vital metabolites. We speculate that the barnyardgrass growth was suppressed by the interaction among hormones and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes, indicating that dihydrocoumarin can be applied as a bioherbicide to control barnyardgrass growth in rice transplanting fields.