Pentacyclic Triterpenoid Saponins, Poterinasides A-J, from Silverweed Cinquefoil Roots Promising Hepatoprotective and Anti-inflammatory Agents

Biological activities of benzofurans from the fruits of Psoralea corylifolia L. and their mechanism based on network pharmacology and biological verification

Fourteen benzofuran compounds were identified in the fruits of Psoralea corylifolia L., with four previously undescribed compounds (4, 9-11) being discovered. Their chemical structures were definitively determined through comprehensive spectral data analysis. The compounds were investigated for their antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties, revealing that benzofuran compounds exhibit significant anti-inflammatory effects. Compound 2 demonstrated the most potent anti-inflammatory effect, surpassing that of the positive control drug. The potential anti-inflammatory mechanism of 2 was extensively explored through network pharmacology research. Subsequent validation of the selected targets via Western blot analysis confirmed that 2 exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by activating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. These findings offer a novel perspective on the development of benzofuran glycoside compounds and Psoralea fructus.

A systematic review on botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Potentilla anserina L

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Potentilla Anserina Linnaeus, a traditional Chinese herb with ethnic characteristics, is considered a superior material by the people of Qinghai and Tibet. Traditionally, it has been used to invigorate the spleen, quench thirst, tonify the blood, astringing to stop bleeding, and relieve diarrhea. This is the reason for its frequent usage in treating spleen deficiency, diarrhea, and various bleeding disorders. At the same time, P. anserina is often consumed as food by the Tibetan people to obtain nourishment and health benefits.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

The present review provides a systematic description of P. anserina, covering its botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemical constituents, and various pharmacological activities of extracts. This overview aims to provide insights into research directions and potential applications of P. anserina.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Information on P. anserina was gathered through various sources, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Elsevier, CNKI, and Web of Science. In addition, information was available from native texts and prominent ethnopharmacologists.

RESULTS

So far, 154 different chemical substances have been isolated and identified from P. anserina, with tannins, flavonoids, and triterpenes accounting for the majority. Polysaccharides and triterpenes are the main material components responsible for the pharmacological activity of P. anserina. Research shows that P. anserina exhibits rich pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, antiviral, blood tonic, immune regulation, cardiovascular system treatment, diabetes treatment, and liver protection.

CONCLUSIONS

Some traditional applications of P. anserina have been confirmed. However, due to incomplete evaluation indicators and other reasons, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to clarify its pharmacological evaluation, which remains a focus of future research. Additionally, we recommend that future studies concentrate on the quality control and safety evaluation of P. anserina to address research gaps and offer theoretical support for the plant's potential functions and clinical applications.

Effect of Glycone Diversity on the Interaction of Triterpenoid Saponins and Lipid Bilayers

Triterpenoid saponins are organic compounds widely available in the plant kingdom. These molecules have received extensive attention due to their antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Recent studies identified the antibacterial activity of saponins closely relates to their interaction with bacterial membrane lipids; however, molecular details of this interaction remain unclear. Increased understanding of the mechanisms to disrupt bacterial lipid bilayers can help to mitigate development of antibiotic resistance. Here, we examined the effect of chemical structure and deprotonation states of saponin on its interaction with a bacterial membrane model using molecular dynamics simulations. We run multiple simulations with a ternary lipid mixture of POPE/POPG/DPPG (80/15/5 mol %) and different saponin molecules. While all saponin structures can permanently bind the membrane, their location and orientation inside the bilayer depend on the sugar chains attached to their backbone. Similarly, cluster formation and stability also depend on the chemical structure of the saponin molecule. Deprotonation site affects interactions with the bilayer by modulating hydrophilicity of the molecules. At the low concentrations simulated in this work, there is no statistically significant change in the membrane properties upon saponin(s) binding, but the molecules do preferentially partition to POPE lipid environment.

Antichilblain Components in Eggplant Based on Network Pharmacology and Biological Evaluation

Eggplant, the fruit of Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae), is applied externally to relieve the symptoms of chilblains in the folk in East Asia. However, the mechanisms and biological ingredients are not clear. A network pharmacology approach was used to shed light on the mechanisms of eggplant against chilblains, which illustrated that anti-inflammation and antioxidation are mainly involved in the curative effects. Bioassay-guided assays led to the isolation of 44 ingredients (1-44), including two new natural compounds (1-2) and 42 known compounds. Thirteen compounds (3-15) were first reported from the Solanum genus. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of all isolates were evaluated, and the results showed that 11 compounds have anti-inflammatory activity and 27 have antioxidant activity. Fatty acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, saponins, and lignans from eggplant have certain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These results provide a scientific basis for eggplant to treat chilblains.

The Identification of SQS/SQE/OSC Gene Families in Regulating the Biosynthesis of Triterpenes in Potentilla anserina

The tuberous roots of Potentilla anserina (Pan) are an edible and medicinal resource in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. The triterpenoids from tuberous roots have shown promising anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we carried out phylogenetic analysis of squalene synthases (SQSs), squalene epoxidases (SQEs), and oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) in the pathway of triterpenes. In total, 6, 26, and 20 genes of SQSs, SQEs, and OSCs were retrieved from the genome of Pan, respectively. Moreover, 6 SQSs and 25 SQEs genes expressed in two sub-genomes (A and B) of Pan. SQSs were not expanded after whole-genome duplication (WGD), and the duplicated genes were detected in SQEs. Twenty OSCs were divided into two clades of cycloartenol synthases (CASs) and β-amyrin synthases (β-ASs) by a phylogenetic tree, characterized with gene duplication and evolutionary divergence. We speculated that β-ASs and CASs may participate in triterpenes synthesis. The data presented act as valuable references for future studies on the triterpene synthetic pathway of Pan.

Discovery, Preliminary Structure-Activity Relationship, and Evaluation of Oleanane-Type Saponins from Pulsatilla chinensis for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

To discover ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment agents, 28 oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins (1-28) including three new saponins, pulsatillosides P-R (1-3), were isolated from Pulsatilla chinensis. The isolated saponins could observably ameliorate UC by improving the intestinal epithelial cell barrier and intestinal flora in vivo. The structure-activity relationship indicated that the oligosaccharide chain at C-28 was essential for their anti-UC activities; the methyl group at the C-23 site of triterpene saponins showed important effects on anti-UC efficacy; the chain length of oligosaccharides at position C-28 had little effect on their anti-UC activities. In vivo investigation of representative saponins 1 and 13 further confirmed that 23-methyl-3,28-bisdesmosidic oleanane-type saponins inhibited the TNFα-NFκB-MLCK axis to improve the intestinal epithelial cell barrier of the colon in UC mice. These findings revealed the potential of 23-methyl-3,28-bisdesmosidic oleanane-type saponins from P. chinensis as promising candidates for the treatment of UC.

Phytochemical Analysis, Anti-inflammatory, and Anticancer Activities of the Halophyte Herb Bassia indica

Bassia indica (Wight) A.J. Scott, family Amaranthaceae, is a halophyte herb growing in extreme environments and hence deemed as a potential economic source of bioactive chemicals with functional properties. In our study, 25 compounds were obtained from B. indica. We aimed to assess the inhibitory effect of the methanol extract of B. indica and its isolated compounds on COX-2 and cytotoxicity activity against MCF-7, OVK-18, HepG2, and HCT116 tumor cells. Among the isolates, the triterpene oleanane saponin (23) displayed promising anti-inflammatory activity with an IC50 = 3.05 ± 0.15 μg/mL. Additionally, N- trans-feruloyl tyramine (11) exhibited significant cytotoxicity to OVK-18 with IC50 = 1.74 ± 1.56 μg/mL, whereas 6,7-dihydroxy coumarin (7) exhibited potent inhibition against the MCF-7 cell line with IC50 = 1.47 ± 0.22 μg/mL. Interestingly, compounds 1 and 25 exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity against HepG2 and HCT116 cells with IC50 < 0.1 μg/mL, while compounds 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9 exerted potent cytotoxicity against HepG2. Finally, B. indica is a potential source of candidate compounds for the development of anti-inflammatory and antitumor therapies.

3′-[4-({[3β,28-Bis(acetyloxy)lup-20(29)-en-30-yl]oxy}carbonyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl]-3′-deoxythymidine

The reaction of the azidothymidine (AZT) with the 30-propynoylated derivative of 3,28-O,O′-diacetylbetulin gave a 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole. The chemical structure of new derivative was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HR-MS. The triterpene-AZT conjugate was tested against a human cancer cell lines such as glioblastoma (SNB-19), amelanotic melanoma (C-32), ovarian adenocarcinoma (SKOV-3) and breast cancer (T47D, and MCF-7). 3′-[4-({[3β,28-Bis(acetyloxy)lup-20(29)-en-30-yl]oxy}carbonyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl]-3′-deoxythymidine shown significant activity against MCF-7 cells, with an IC50 value of 4.37 µM.