Degradation Kinetics of 6‴-p-Coumaroylspinosin and Identification of Its Metabolites by Rat Intestinal Flora

Spatial distribution of metabolites in processing Ziziphi Spinosae Semen as revealed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS) is the first choice for the treatment of insomnia. This research aimed to reveal the spatial distribution of identifying quality markers of ZSS and to illustrate the metabolite quality characteristics of this herbal medicine. Here, we performed a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) in situ to detect and image 33 metabolites in ZSS, including three saponins, six flavonoids, four alkaloids, eight fatty acids, and 12 amino acids. The MALDI images of the metabolites clearly showed the heterogeneous spatial distribution in different regions of ZSS tissues, such as the cotyledon, endosperm, and radicle. The distribution area of two saponins, six flavonoids, and three alkaloids increased significantly after the fried processing of ZSS. Based on the ion images, samples with different processing technologies were distinguished unambiguously by the pattern recognition method of orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA). Simultaneously, 23 major influencing components exerting higher ion intensities were identified as the potential quality markers of ZSS. Results obtained in the current research demonstrate that the processing of ZSS changes its content and distribution of the medicinal components. The analysis of MALDI-MSI provides a novel MS-based molecular imaging approach to investigate and monitor traditional medicinal plants.

Spinosin inhibits activated hepatic stellate cell to attenuate liver fibrosis by targeting Nur77/ASK1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway

AIM

Liver fibrosis remains a great challenge in the world. Spinosin (SPI), a natural flavonoid-C-glycoside, possesses various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory and anti-myocardial fibrosis effects. In this study, we investigate whether SPI can be a potential lead for the treatment of liver fibrosis and explore whether the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77, a negative regulator of liver fibrosis development, plays a critical role in SPI's action.

METHODS

A dual luciferase reporter system of α-SMA was established to evaluate the effect of SPI on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in LX2 and HSC-T6 cells. A mouse model of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis was used to test the efficacy of SPI against liver fibrosis. The expression levels of Nur77, inflammatory cytokines and collagen were determined by Western blotting and qPCR. Potential kinase pathways involved were also analyzed. The affinity of Nur77 with SPI was documented by fluorescence titration.

RESULTS

SPI can strongly suppress TGF-β1-mediated activation of both LX2 and HSC-T6 cells in a dose-dependent manner. SPI increases the expression of Nur77 and reduces TGF-β1-mediated phosphorylation levels of ASK1 and p38 MAPK, which can be reversed by knocking out of Nur77. SPI strongly inhibits collagen deposition (COLA1) and reduces inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1β), which is followed by improved liver function in the CCl4-induced mouse model. SPI can directly bind to R515 and R563 in the Nur77-LBD pocket with a Kd of 2.14 μM.

CONCLUSION

Spinosin is the major pharmacological active component of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa which has been frequently prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine. We demonstrate here for the first time that spinosin is a new therapeutic lead for treatment of liver fibrosis by targeting Nur77 and blocking the ASK1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of spinosin: A mini review

Spinosin, a natural flavone-C-glycoside that is mainly isolated from the seeds of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa. It exerts the effects to ameliorate the neurological disorders, such as hypnosis effects, improvement of cognitive function, sedation effects, and anxiolytic effects, as well as anti-melanogenic effect, cardioprotective effects, and anti-cancer activity. However, the insufficient basic research, unclear mechanisms, and poor bioavailability may limit the prospects of spinosin in clinical utilization. In this review, we comprehensively summarized the latest information on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and NMR characteristic of spinosin, to evaluate its potential therapeutic for clinical application, hoping to provide some rational perspective for the innovative agent development and usage of spinosin in future.

Wild Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa): A Review of Its Phytonutrients, Health Benefits, Metabolism, and Applications

Wild jujube, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou, as a food and health supplement worldwide, has rich nutritional value. It contains nutrients such as nucleosides, amino acids, polysaccharides, and fatty oils. The fruits, seeds, and leaves of wild jujube can all be used for food, medicine, or health care purposes. Among these, the fruits play many roles, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory functions, and can be used as a natural nutritional supplement to prevent aging. Simultaneously, the mature seed of wild jujube exhibits beneficial effects on central nervous system diseases and is often used for the treatment of insomnia and as a functional food for improving sleep quality and enhancing learning and memory. This review presents an overview of research progress relevant to the phytonutrients, biological functions, metabolism of bioactive compounds, and applications of wild jujube and aims to provide a scientific reference for the development and utilization of this plant.

Zizyphi Spinosae Semen: a natural herb resource for treating neurological disorders

Neurological disorders generally have the characteristics of occult onset and progressive development, which can do some serious damage to human body in the aging process. It is worth noting that traditional medicine can potentially prevent and treat such diseases. Zizyphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), the seeds of Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa it has a long clinical history for sleep regulation. In recent years, ZSS has been proved to exhibit various types of neuroprotective activity, such as sleep improvement, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, memory improvement and etc. It has become a popular natural product due to its many inherently available compounds that demonstrate medicinal and pharmacological importance. This paper reviews the main components and their metabolic transformation processes, highlights the various neurofunctional regulation activities and their mechanisms of ZSS, providing a theoretical basis for further research and clinical application of this natural medicine.

Efficacy of the Jingxin Zhidong Formula for Tic Disorders: A Randomized, Double Blind, Double Dummy, Parallel Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The Jingxin Zhidong formula (JXZDF), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used to treat tic disorder (TD) in China. However, its efficacy has not yet been evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of JXZDF and aripiprazole in patients with TD.

METHODS

In this randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel controlled trial, 120 patients with TD, aged 6-16 years were randomly assigned to receive either JXZDF (n = 60, 17.6 g/day) or aripiprazole (n = 60, 10 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was measured using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). Adverse events were assessed using the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale.

RESULTS

JXZDF produced greater improvements than aripiprazole in the following YGTSS subscale scores at the endpoint: total tic scores (P = 0.004, 95% CI: 1.085-3.494) and total motor scores (P = 0.004, 95% CI: 0.313-1.739). The difference in rate between the groups was no significant (χ² = 0.702, degrees of freedom = 1, P = 0.402). The overall incidence of adverse events was significantly lower in the JXZDF group than in the aripiprazole group (0% vs 6.67%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

JXZDF had a better safety profile than aripiprazole, and it was not inferior in terms of clinical efficacy. JXZDF warrants consideration as a potential treatment option for TD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

CHiCTR, ChiCTR2000039601 (Registered November 2, 2020).

Systematically characterization of in vivo substances of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in rats by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry analysis

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), the seeds of Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa, is widely used in China or other Asian countries for the treatment of insomnia and palpitation. In our previous work, chemical constituents in ZSS were profiled by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q-TOF MS). Notably, characterization of substances in vivo was of great importance to reveal the therapy basis or mechanism in further work. Till now, there were few reports about in vivo substances' investigation of ZSS. In the present study, an integrated strategy contained represented compounds and diagnostic ions extraction was applied to characterize metabolism feature of ZSS in rats based on UHPLC/Q-TOF MS method. First, the metabolic information of four compounds (spinosin, isovitexin, jujuboside B, betulinic acid) featuring three representative chemical structures (flavonoids, saponins, terpenes) in ZSS was conducted, and their metabolism features were summarized, especially for flavonoid C-glycosides. Second, the absorbed compounds and representative compounds-related metabolites were quickly screened out; during this time, the diagnostic ions were sorted out. Last, with the help of diagnostic ions and summarized metabolic reactions, other metabolites were characterized. As a result, a total of 151 xenobiotics (58 prototypes and 93 metabolites) were identified or tentatively characterized in rats after ingestion of ZSS. Among them, 16 substances were presented in plasma, 114 in urine, 51 in bile, and 120 in feces, respectively. Hydrogenation, hydrolysis, and glucuronidation were the major metabolic reactions of ZSS in rats. The present study provided meaningful data for further pharmacological mechanism research or pharmacokinetics evaluation of ZSS.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of six major compounds in normal and insomnia rats after oral administration of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen aqueous extract

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), a traditional Chinese medicine, is used in clinics for the treatment of insomnia in China and other Asian countries. Herein, we described for the first time a comparative pharmacokinetics study of the six major compounds of ZSS in normal control (NC) and para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA)-induced insomnia model (IM) rats that were orally administered the aqueous extract of ZSS. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole orbitrap mass (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of coclaurine, magnoflorine, spinosin, 6‴-feruloylspinosin, jujuboside A (JuA), and jujuboside B (JuB) in ZSS in rat plasma. The established approach was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study. The systemic exposures of spinosin and 6‴-feruloylspinosin were decreased in the IM group compared to the NC group, while plasma clearance (CL) was significantly increased. The T_max values of JuA and JuB in IM rats were significantly lower than those in NC rats. The T_1/2 of JuA in the IM group was significantly accelerated. The pharmacokinetic parameters of coclaurine and magnoflorine were not evidently affected between the two groups. These results indicate that the pathological state of insomnia altered the plasma pharmacokinetics of spinosin, 6‴-feruloylspinosin, JuA, and JuB in the ZSS aqueous extract, providing an experimental basis for the role of ZSS in insomnia treatment. The comparative pharmacokinetics-based UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS using full-scan mode can therefore provide a reliable and suitable means for the screening of potentially effective substances applied as quality markers of ZSS.

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A UPLC-MS method was validated for assaying 6 major compoundsofZSS in rat plasma.

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This is the first report on in vivoZSS extractexposure in normal and insomnia rat.

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The pathological state of insomnia altered rat plasma pharmacokinetic behaviors.

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The findings might provide a means for screening potentially effective substances.

Metabolomics coupled with SystemsDock reveal the protective effect and the potential active components of Naozhenning granule against traumatic brain injury

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Naozhenning granule (NZN), a widely traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription with a long history of clinical, which is mainly used in the treatment of concussion, cerebral post-traumatic syndrome, consists of Di Huang (Radix of Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC.), Dang Gui (Radix of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels), Chen Pi (Pericarpium of Citrus reticulata Blanco), Dan shen (Radix of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge.), Di Long (Pheretima aspergillum (E. Perrier)), Mu Dan Pi (Cortex of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews), Suan Zao Ren (Semen of Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), Chuan Xiong (Rhizoma of Ligusticum striatum DC.), Zhu Ru (Phyllostachys nigra (Lodd. Ex Lindl.) Munro), Bai Zi Ren (Semen of Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco) and Fu Ling (sclerotium of Poria cocos (Schw.)Wolf).

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to unravel the mechanism and material basis of NZN against traumatic brain injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, a ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) based metabolomic approach combined with systemsDock was employed to study the protective effect of NZN against traumatic brain injury using a cerebral concussion rat model. The morris water maze test and biochemical indexes were used to evaluate the efficacy of NZN.

RESULTS

The results of morris water maze test suggested NZN can improve the spatial learning and memory of model rats, and the superoxide dismutas (SOD) and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) level indicated that the effect of NZN was related with the regulation of oxidative stress. Multivariate analysis revealed that the effect of NZN was related with regulation of 18 brain metabolites, and the corresponding metabolic pathways were further revealed by MetPA analysis. 13 serum absorbed components were found to hit the targets both related with the metabolic regulation and cerebral trauma through systemsDock-aided molecular docking experiments, and these compounds might be served as the active compounds in NZN against cerebral trauma.

CONCLUSION

¹H-NMR based metabolomics and molecular docking provided the insights for the synergistic mechanisms and the potential active compounds of NZN in treating cerebral trauma. However, the bioactive compounds and their synergistic effect need to be further validated.

Comparison of the Quenching Effects of Two Main Components of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen on Serum Albumin Fluorescence

Swertisin (6-glucosyl flavonoid) and spinosin (2″-β-O-glucopyranosyl swertisin) are two main components from Ziziphi Spinosae Semen, with anti-anxiety and hypnosis effects. The paper aims to compare the differences between the two compounds binding with serum albumins (BSA and HSA). Swertisin and spinosin statically quench intrinsic fluorescence of serum proteins by binding to proteins to form complexes. The fluorescence quenching rates of BSA induced by swertisin or spinosin are faster than those of HSA resulted by swertisin or spinosin, respectively. Each serum protein has only one binding site respectively accessible to the two compounds. Hydrophobic force and hydrogen bond play the important roles during the biding process of swertisin with proteins, but van der Waals force and hydrogen bond are major driving forces for spinosin binding to proteins. Synchronous fluorescence data show that spinosin binds to BSA and HSA and thus changes Tyr and Trp residue microenvironments, and has a greater effect on the latter. Compared with swertisin, spinosin has a stronger effect on the α-helix of proteins. But the distance between swertisin and proteins is slightly closer than spinosin. These findings will contribute to further understand the reaction of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in the liver phase I oxidation, intestinal hydrolysis and deparaffin metabolism.

Gastrointestinal Absorption and Metabolic Dynamics of Jujuboside A, A Saponin Derived from the Seed of Ziziphus jujuba

Jujuboside A (JuA), an active saponin, is responsible for the anxiolytic and sedative effects of Zizyphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS). In this study, the gastrointestinal absorption and metabolic dynamics of JuA were investigated in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that the bioavailability was 1.32% in rats, indicating only a trace amount of JuA was able to be absorbed. Further investigation revealed that its poor bioavailability was not caused by malabsorption but by the metabolic process. JuA was hydrolyzed largely in the stomach before being absorbed into the different parts of the intestine (especially duodenum and colon), and the gastric environment played a vital role in this process. Furthermore, the metabolites, jujuboside B (JuB) and jujubogenin, exhibited significant effects on the expression and activation of γ-amino-butyric acid A (GABA(A)) receptors. Our findings demonstrate that the metabolites of the saponin, not the original molecule, should be responsible for the specific bioactivities.