Polyhydroxylated steroidal glycosides from Paris polyphylla

Antitumor activity and mechanistic study of steroidal saponins from the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis

Through phytochemical analysis of the large roots of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis, three previously undescribed steroidal saponins (Polypharsis A-C, 1-3) and four known steroidal saponins (4-7) were isolated. The structures of 1-3 were elucidated by 1D/2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, acid hydrolysis and ECD calculations. The cytotoxic activity tests of seven compounds against three tumor cell lines (HepG2, MCF-7, and A549) were conducted. Among them, compounds 6 and 7 belong to the protodioscin class of compounds. Compound 6 exhibits significant inhibition of HepG2 cell growth with an IC50 value of 7.53 ± 2.07 μM, comparable to that of Doxorubicin (6.82 ± 1.59 μM). Compound 7 shows a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of the MCF-7 cell line with an IC50 value of 0.69 ± 0.26 μM, which is more potent than Doxorubicin (5.56 ± 0.08 μM). Subsequently, the antitumor efficacy of compound 6 against HepG2 cells and compound 7 against MCF-7 cells was investigated through in vitro experiments, and their respective mechanisms of action were further predicted using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Naturally Occurring Polyhydroxylated Spirostanol Saponins, A Review of the Classification, Sources, Biosynthesis, Biological Activities, and Toxicity

Polyhydroxylated spirostanol saponins, characterized by three or more hydroxy substitutions in the aglycone, have various interesting biological activities. In the present study, "steroids", "saponins", "polyhydroxylated", "spirostanol saponins", and "steroidal saponins" were used as search terms to screen the literature. Cited references were collected between 1950 and 2023 from the Web of Science, SciFinder, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI). A total of 407 polyhydroxylated spirostanol saponins were included in this review. These saponins were classified into three types, α, β, and γ. Polyhydroxylated spirostanol saponins have potential benefits, primarily anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitory activities. These compounds were found in 11 plant families and 36 genera. The top three families containing the most saponins were Asparagaceae, Melanthiaceae, and Amaryllidaceae, and the top five genera were Trillium, Helleborus, Allium, Dracaena, and Paris. The top five plants were Trillium tschonoskii Maxim., Ypsilandra thibetica Franch., Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (Franch.)Hand.-Mazz., Helleborus thibetanus Franch., and Helleborus foetidus L. On the basis of their diverse biological activities, these saponins and related plant resources are worthy of further development and utilization.

The role of Rhizoma Paridis saponins on anti-cancer: The potential mechanism and molecular targets

Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation, leading to excessive growth and invasion that can spread to other parts of the body. Traditional Chinese medicine has made new advancements in the treatment of cancer, providing new perspectives and directions for cancer treatment. Rhizoma Paridis is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine with documented anti-cancer effects dating back to ancient times. Modern research has shown that Rhizoma Paridis saponins (RPS) have various pharmacological activities. RPS can inhibit cancer in multiple ways, such as suppressing tumor growth, inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting cell apoptosis, enhancing cell autophagy, inducing ferroptosis, reducing inflammation, inhibiting angiogenesis, as well as inhibiting metastasis and invasion, and these findings demonstrate the potent anti-cancer activity of RPS. Polyphyllin I, polyphyllin II, polyphyllin VI, and polyphyllin VII have been widely reported as the main active ingredients with anti-cancer properties. Polyphyllin D, polyphyllin E, and polyphyllin G have also been confirmed to possess strong anti-cancer activity in recent years. Therefore, this review dives deep into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer effects of RPS to serve as a valuable reference for future scientific research and their potential applications in cancer treatment.

Two new saponins from the rhizomes of Paris yunnanensis Franch

The phytochemical investigation on the rhizomes of Paris yunnanensis Franch. resulted in the discovery and characterisation of six compounds, including two new saponins named parisyunnanosides M-N (1-2), and four known ones (3-6). The structures of isolated compounds were determined by spectroscopic data analysis and chemical methods. Compound 2 is a pregnane-type saponin with a special α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid moiety at C-17, which is first discovered in genus Paris. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds was assessed in vitro. The results demonstrated that compounds 3 and 4 could significantly inhibit the production of NO which was induced by LPS in RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values of 0.67 ± 0.17 μM and 0.85 ± 0.12 μM, respectively.

Polyhydroxylated Spirostanol Saponins from the Rhizomes of Paris dulongensis

Three new polyhydroxylated spirostanol steroidal saponins, dulongenosides B-D (2-4), along with 14 known compounds, dulongenoside A (1), padelaoside B (5), parisyunnanoside G (6), polyphyllin D (7), ophiopogonin C' (8), formosanin C (9), dioscin (10), paris saponin VII (11), paris H (12), parisyunnanoside I (13), protodioscin (14), proprotogracillin (15), crustecdysone (16), and stigmasterol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (17), were isolated from the rhizomes of Paris dulongensis (Melanthiaceae). Their chemical structures were elucidated based on extensive analyses of NMR and MS data and acidic hydrolyses. The isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxicity to five human cancer cell lines (HL-60, SW480, MDA-MB-231, A549, and A549/Taxol) and the normal human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B by the MTS test. Compounds 7-12 and 14 showed cytotoxic activity, with IC50 values ranging from 0.20 to 4.35 μM. Proprotogracillin selectively inhibited A549 (IC50=0.58 μM) and A549/Taxol (IC50=0.74 μM) cells, with no significant cytotoxic activity against HL-60, SW480, MDA-MB-231, or BEAS-2B cells, with IC50 values greater than 40 μM.

Steroidal saponins from rhizome of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis and their anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic effects

Five undescribed compounds, including two cholestane glycosides parispolyosides A and E, and three spirostanol glycosides parispolyosides B-D, were isolated from rhizome of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis (Franch.) Hara, together with twenty-one known steroidal saponins. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR, as well as HR-ESI-MS spectroscopic data. Two of these compounds demonstrated potent inhibitory effect on NO production stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in raw 264.7 cells with IC50 values of 61.35 μM and 37.23 μM. Four compounds exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against HepG2 cells with IC50 values ranging from 9.43 to 24.54 μM. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the potential mechanism of NO inhibition by the active compounds was associated with the interactions with iNOS protein.

Steroidal saponins from the roots of Paris verticillata and their anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities

Thirteen previously undescribed steroidal saponins, named parisverticilloside A-M (1-13) and twenty known steroidal saponins (14-33) were isolated from ethanol extract of the roots of Paris verticillata. Their structures were identified by a series of spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, optical rotatory dispersion and chemical processes. The anti-proliferative activities of all compounds against LN229, HepG2, MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cell lines were evaluated using the CCK8 assay with cisplatin or capecitabine as the positive control. The anti-inflammatory activities of all compounds were measured by inhibition of LPS-induced NO release from BV2 cell lines, with dexamethasone as the positive control.

Analysis of the heavy metal contents' effect on steroidal saponins and the anti-breast cancer activity of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis

Background: P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, as a near-threatened and ethnic medicine in China, used to be a key ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of traumatic injuries, sore throat, snakebites, and convulsions for thousands of years. However, there were no reports on the inverse relationship between the contents of heavy metals and saponins and its anti-breast cancer pharmacological activity in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Methods: The present study aimed to reveal the characteristics of heavy metal contents and saponins and its anti-breast cancer pharmacological activity and their interrelationships in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from different production areas. The contents of heavy metal and steroidal saponins in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the high-performance liquid chromatography technique, respectively. The Pearson correlation was used to study the correlation between saponins and heavy metals. 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cells were selected and cultivated for antitumor studies in vitro. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Hoechst staining, and flow cytometry analysis were used for the examination of the proliferation and apoptosis of 4T1 tumor cells. Mouse breast cancer 4T1 cells were subcutaneously injected into BALB/c mice to construct a tumor model to explore the in vivo inhibitory effect on breast cancer. TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry were used for the examination of the effect of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from different origins on cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis induction in 4T1 tumor mice. Results: Heavy metal contents were highly correlated with the content of steroidal saponins. The overall content of 10 metals in the three producing origins was of the order C3 >C2 >C1. The total content of eight steroidal saponins in the extracts of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from three different origins was C1 >C2 >C3. The Pearson correlation study showed that in all of the heavy metals, the contents of Cd and Ba were positively correlated with the main steroidal saponins in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, while Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Zn, As, Hg, and Pb showed a negative correlation. In vitro experiments showed that the extracts of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from three origins could inhibit the proliferation and induce cell apoptosis of 4T1 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, especially in the C1 origin. In vivo experiments showed that the extract of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from the three origins could inhibit the growth of tumors and induce the apoptosis of tumor cells. In the three origins, C1 origin had the lowest total heavy metal level but the highest total steroidal saponin level. Therefore, it showed a better effect in reducing the expression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and Kiel 67 (Ki67) and increasing the expression of p53 in tumor tissues compared to the other origins. In conclusion, in the three origins, C1 origin exhibits antitumor pharmacological effects in vivo and in vitro which are better than those in the other origins. Conclusion: In this study, we found that with the increase of the heavy metal content, the content of steroid saponins and anti-breast cancer activity decreased. The results showed that the high content of the total heavy metals may not be conducive to the accumulation of steroidal saponins in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis and lead to the low anti-breast cancer activity. The results of this study suggest that the content of heavy metals should be controlled in the artificial cultivation process of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis.

Paris saponins Ⅶ inhibits glycolysis of ovarian cancer via the RORC/ACK1 signaling pathway

Rhizoma Paridis is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used for treatment of malignant tumors. Paris saponins Ⅶ (PSⅦ) is one of the components of Rhizoma Paridis, but the role of PSⅦ in glucose metabolism in ovarian cancer remains elucidated. A series of experiments in the current study demonstrated that PSⅦ inhibites glycolysis and promotes cell apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Expression levels of glycolysis-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins were significantly altered by upon treatment with PSⅦ, as determined from western blot analyses. Mechanistically, PSⅦ exerted its anti-tumor effects by targeting the RORC/ACK1 signaling pathway. These findings indicate that PSⅦ inhibits glycolysis-induced cell proliferation and apoptosis through the RORC/ACK1 pathway, supporting its potential development as a candidate chemotherapeutic agent for ovarian cancer.

Cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects of botanical drugs derived from the indigenous cultivated medicinal plant Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis

Background: Cancer is one of the top two leading causes of death worldwide. Ethnobotanical research, it is one of methods, which is able to discover effective anticancer drugs based on "prototype" of indigenous people's historical experiences and practices. The rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (Franch.) Hand.-Mazz. have been used as botanical drugs to treat cancer by Yi, Bai, Dai, and Naxi ethnic groups in Yunnan, China, where this species is widely cultivated in a large scale in Yunnan. Materials and methods: To identify the substances of anticancer activities based on indigenous medicine knowledge, chromatography was performed to separate saponins from the rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, followed by spectroscopy to determine the structure of six isolated saponins. The cytotoxicity of five extracts and six pure compounds were evaluated by MTS method. Quantitative determination of total saponins of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis was analyzed by HPLC. Cell cycle assay, apoptosis assay, and mitochondrial membrane potential were used to evaluate the pro-apoptotic activity in vitro. Results: Five extracts and six pure saponins showed significant inhibitory cytotoxic activities of three human liver cancer cell lines (SMMC-7721, HepG2, and SK-HEP-1) and one non-small-cell lung cancer cell line (A549). The contents of Paris saponins I, II, and VII were 6.96% in the rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, much higher than Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards (0.6%). Six saponins induced significant apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in three human cancer cell lines (A549, SMMC-7721, and HepG2), which was associated with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Conclusion: The result of this study support that cultivated P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis could be a substitute for wild resource as an anticancer medicine based on indigenous medicine knowledge.

A new cycloheptane derivative from the fungus Penicillium crustosum JT-8

A new highly oxygenated cycloheptane derivative crustane (1), along with fourteen known compounds (2-15) were isolated from Penicillium crustosum JT-8. The structure of compound 1 was determined by extensive spectroscopic data, DP4+ probability analyses and dimolybdenum CD method. Compound 1 exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC of 4.0 μg/mL.

Therapeutic effects on cancer of the active ingredients in rhizoma paridis

Cancer is a major threat to human health, with high mortality and a low cure rate, continuously challenging public health worldwide. Extensive clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for patients with poor outcomes of radiotherapy and chemotherapy provides a new direction in anticancer therapy. Anticancer mechanisms of the active ingredients in TCM have also been extensively studied in the medical field. As a type of TCM against cancer, Rhizoma Paridis (Chinese name: Chonglou) has important antitumor effects in clinical application. The main active ingredients of Rhizoma Paridis (e.g., total saponins, polyphyllin I, polyphyllin II, polyphyllin VI, and polyphyllin VII) have shown strong antitumor activities in various cancers, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and gastric cancer. Rhizoma Paridis also has low concentrations of certain other active ingredients with antitumor effects, such as saponins polyphyllin E, polyphyllin H, Paris polyphylla-22, gracillin, and formosanin-C. Many researchers have studied the anticancer mechanism of Rhizoma Paridis and its active ingredients. This review article describes research progress regarding the molecular mechanism and antitumor effects of the active ingredients in Rhizoma Paridis, suggesting that various active ingredients in Rhizoma Paridis may be potentially therapeutic against cancer.

Steroid glycosides isolated from Paris polyphylla var. chinensis aerial parts and paris saponin II induces G1/S-phase MCF-7 cell cycle arrest

In our previous research on Vietnamese medicinal plants, we found that the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis exhibited cytotoxic effects in vitro in the MCF-7 human cancer cell line. Here, we used combined chromatographic separations to isolate six compounds including a new steroid glycoside, paripoloside A (3), and five known compounds, from the butanol extract of the aerial parts of P. polyphylla. We unambiguously elucidated their structures based on spectroscopic data (proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance, heteronuclear single quantum coherence, heteronuclear multiple bond correlation, correlation spectroscopy, and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy data), and chemical reactions. Among the isolated compounds, paris saponin II (PSII) had the strongest cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Interestingly, PSII significantly increased the expression of p53, p21, p27, and Bax protein levels and significantly suppressed the expression of cyclin D1 and retinoblastoma protein. These data suggest that PSII may induce G1/S phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis pathway development in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the MCF-7 breast cancer cells mechanism of PSII was also investigated using molecular docking. Together, our results demonstrate that isolated compounds from P. polyphylla are promising candidates as breast cancer inhibitors.

Bioactive secondary metabolites in Paris polyphylla Sm. and their biological activities: A review

Paris polyphylla Sm. is an important medicinal plant used to treat a variety of diseases through traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Tibetan traditional medicines, Chinese traditional medicines, and others around the world. The IUCN red list has designated it as "vulnerable" due to a decline in wild population by over-exploitation, habitat degradation, illegal collection for trade and traditional use. This review paper aims to summarize the bioactive secondary metabolites in Paris polyphylla. Paris saponins or steroidal saponins are the main bioactive chemical constituents from this plant that account for more than 80% of the total compounds. For instance, polyphyllin D, diosgenin, paris saponins I, II, VI, VII, and H are steroidal saponins having anticancer activity comparable to synthetic anticancer medicines. Antioxidant, anticancer, anti-leishmaniasis, antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antityrosinase, and antiviral effects of extracts and pure compounds were also demonstrated in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, this review summarizes the bioactive components from the P. polyphylla which will be useful to researchers and scientists, and for the development of potential drugs.

Parisvaniosides A-E, five new steroidal saponins from Paris vaniotii

The species of Paris genus is a prolific source of structurally diverse steroidal saponins responsible for multivarious biological properties. The first phytochemical investigation on the steroidal saponin constituents from the rhizomes of Paris vaniotii Lévl. led to the discovery and structural characterization of four new spirostanol saponins, named parisvaniosides A-D (1-4), and one new furostanol glycoside, named parisvanioside E (5), along with eleven known analogues (6-16). Their structures were unambiguously established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison with the reported spectroscopic data. Compound 1 is a rare spirostanol saponin sharing with a C-9/C-11 double bond and a peroxy group located between C-5 and C-8 of the aglycone, whereas 3 and 4 are unusual C-27 steroidal sapoins with hydroxyl/methoxyl at both C-5 and C-6. Furthermore, 5 is the first furostanol saponin with a unique aglycone featuring two trisubstituted double bonds in ring B. All isolated saponins were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory effects on a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production model in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Steroidal saponins with cytotoxic activity from the stems and leaves of Paris fargesii

The stems and leaves of P. fargesii are rich in steroidal glycosides, some of which display significant cytotoxic activity.

The traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of Paris L. (Liliaceae): A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Paris L. (Liliaceae) consisted of 33 species, of which the study focused on Paris polyphylla Smith, P. polyphylla var. chinensis (Franch.) Hara, and P. polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis (Franch.) Hand. -Mazz. Due of course to the good effects of analgesia and hemostasis, it was traditionally used to treat trauma by folk herbalists.

AIM OF THIS REVIEW

This study summarized the traditional uses, distributions, phytochemical components, pharmacological properties, and toxicity evaluation of the genus Paris, and reviewed the economic value of cultivate P. polyphylla. This aim was that of providing a new and comprehensive recognition of these medicinal plants for the further utilization of Paris plants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literature about traditional and folk uses of genus Paris was obtained from Duxiu Search, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The other literature about genus Paris was searched online on Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, Scifinder database, and Springer research. The Scientific Database of China Plant Species (DCP) (http://db.kib.ac.cn/Default.aspx) databases were used to check the scientific names and provide species, varieties, and distribution of genus Paris. The botany studies information of genus Paris was available online from Plant Plus of China (www.iplant.cn). All the molecular structures of chemical compounds displayed in the text were produced by ChemBioDraw Ultra 14.0.

RESULTS

The plants of genus Paris, containing about 33 species and 15 varieties, are mainly distributed in Southwest China (Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou provinces). More than 320 chemical components have been isolated from genus Paris since 2020, including steroidal saponins, C-21 steroids, phytosterols, insect hormones, pentacyclic triterpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds. Arrays of pharmacological investigations revealed that compounds and extracts of Paris species possess a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antifungal, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory activities. The studies about toxicity evaluation suggested that Rhizome Paridis had slight liver toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

The dried rhizomes of P. polyphylla, P. polyphylla var. chinensis, and P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were used to treat wound, bleeding, and stomachache, etc. in folk medicine. Phytochemistry researches showed that different species had pretty similarities especially in terms of chemical constituents. Pharmacological studies witnessed that Rhizome Paridis has various activities. Among these activities, steroidal saponins were the main active ingredients. Furthermore, an important aspect responsible for increasing interest in genus Paris is the use of antifertility-nonhormonal contraceptives by women. Also, the development of TCM (Traditional Chinese medicine) planting industry can improve the income of ethnic minorities and promote economic development.

Anti-angiogenesis and anti-metastasis effects of Polyphyllin VII on Hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo

Background

Polyphyllin VII (PP7), a steroidal saponin from P. polyphylla has been found to exert strong anticancer activity. Little is known about the anti-angiogenesis and anti-metastasis properties of PP7. In this study, the anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic effects of PP7 on HCC and the molecular mechanisms were evaluated.

Methods

Effect of PP7 on angiogenesis was assessed by tube formation assay and applied a transgenic Tg(fli1:EGFP) zebrafish model. Effects of PP7 on tumor metastasis and invasion were examined in cell migration and invasion assay, zebrafish tumor xenograft models and lung metastasis mouse models. The protein levels were examined by Western blotting.

Results

PP7 significantly decreased the tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, the number and length of ISVs and SIVs of transgenic zebrafish, and the metastasis and invasion of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic effects of PP7 in HepG2 cells were attributable, at least partially, to downregulated NF-κB/MMP-9/VEGF signaling pathway.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that PP7 possesses strong anti-angiogenesis and anti-metastasis activities, suggesting that PP7 could be a potential candidate agent for HCC treatment.

Recent advances in steroidal saponins biosynthesis and in vitro production

Steroidal saponins exhibited numerous pharmacological activities due to the modification of their backbone by different cytochrome P450s (P450) and UDP glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Plant-derived steroidal saponins are not sufficient for utilizing them for commercial purpose so in vitro production of saponin by tissue culture, root culture, embryo culture, etc, is necessary for its large-scale production. Saponin glycosides are the important class of plant secondary metabolites, which consists of either steroidal or terpenoidal backbone. Due to the existence of a wide range of medicinal properties, saponin glycosides are pharmacologically very important. This review is focused on important medicinal properties of steroidal saponin, its occurrence, and biosynthesis. In addition to this, some recently identified plants containing steroidal saponins in different parts were summarized. The high throughput transcriptome sequencing approach elaborates our understanding related to the secondary metabolic pathway and its regulation even in the absence of adequate genomic information of non-model plants. The aim of this review is to encapsulate the information related to applications of steroidal saponin and its biosynthetic enzymes specially P450s and UGTs that are involved at later stage modifications of saponin backbone. Lastly, we discussed the in vitro production of steroidal saponin as the plant-based production of saponin is time-consuming and yield a limited amount of saponins. A large amount of plant material has been used to increase the production of steroidal saponin by employing in vitro culture technique, which has received a lot of attention in past two decades and provides a way to conserve medicinal plants as well as to escape them for being endangered.

Untiring Researches for Alternative Resources of Rhizoma Paridis

Rhizoma Paridis (RP, ), a traditional Chinese medicine, is the rhizoma of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (PPY) or P. polyphylla var. chinensis which are widely used as important raw materials for several Chinese patent drugs. However, the wild resources of these herbs have become less and less due to their slow-growing characteristics and previously excessive excavation. This review covers untiring investigations on alternative resources of RP by our research group over the past decades, including non-medicinal parts of PPY as well as other plants of Liliaceae and Liliflorae families. The arial parts of PPY and the whole plants of Trillium kamtschaticum might be alternative resources for RP based on the fact that they shared the same or similar saponins and bioactivities.

Small Molecule Accurate Recognition Technology (SMART) to Enhance Natural Products Research

Various algorithms comparing 2D NMR spectra have been explored for their ability to dereplicate natural products as well as determine molecular structures. However, spectroscopic artefacts, solvent effects, and the interactive effect of functional group(s) on chemical shifts combine to hinder their effectiveness. Here, we leveraged Non-Uniform Sampling (NUS) 2D NMR techniques and deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to create a tool, SMART, that can assist in natural products discovery efforts. First, an NUS heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR pulse sequence was adapted to a state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument, and data reconstruction methods were optimized, and second, a deep CNN with contrastive loss was trained on a database containing over 2,054 HSQC spectra as the training set. To demonstrate the utility of SMART, several newly isolated compounds were automatically located with their known analogues in the embedded clustering space, thereby streamlining the discovery pipeline for new natural products.

Novel cytotoxic steroidal saponins from the roots of Liriope muscari (Decne.) L.H. Bailey

Novel steroidal saponins from the roots of Liriope muscari (Decne.) L. H. Bailey with cytotoxic activities.

Two New Highly Oxygenated Spirostanol Saponins from Paris polyphylla var. stenophylla

Phytochemical investigation of the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. stenophylla led to the isolation of two new highly oxygenated spirostanol saponins, named paristenosides A (1) and B (2), together with seven known compounds. Their structures were established mainly on the base of NMR spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry, as well as chemical methods. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the two new saponins was tested. Two new highly oxygenated spirostanol saponins, paristenosides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. stenophylla. Their structures were established mainly based on NMR spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry, as well as chemical methods.

Steroidal saponins from stems and leaves of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis

Phytochemical investigation of the stems and leaves of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis led to isolation of 12 steroidal saponins, chonglouosides SL-9-SL-20, which had not been described previously, along with 13 known compounds. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Four of the twelve steroidal saponins possessed three steroidal aglycones which have not been reported in nature. Steroidal saponins were also evaluated for their cytotoxicities against two human cancer cell lines (HepG2 and HEK293) and anti-HCV effects. One known steroidal saponin was the most cytotoxic compound overall with IC50 values of 2.9 ± 0.5 μM and 5.0 ± 0.6 μM against HepG2 and HEK293 cell lines, respectively, while none showed anti-HCV activity at a concentration of 20 μM.

Identification and structural elucidation of steroidal saponins from the root of Paris polyphylla by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS

The root of Paris polyphylla (RPP) is widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine for a long time due to the good properties of heat-clearing and detoxicating, detumescence, sedation, acesodyne and haemostasis. To clarify on the bioactive substances and ensure the safety in clinical medication, a feasible and accurate strategy was developed by applying the high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation and quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). Separation was performed an Agilent poroshell 120 EC-C18 column (2.7 × 100 mm, i.d., 2.7 μm) with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile as the mobile phase under gradient conditions. Based on the proposed strategy, 30 constituents, mainly including steroidal saponins, were characterised or tentatively identified, 2 of which were the first to be reported as the potential new steroidal saponins in RPP. In conclusion, the HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS is a feasible and credible technique to separate and identify steroidal saponins from botanical extracts.

The anti-lung cancer activities of steroidal saponins of P. polyphylla Smith var. chinensis (Franch.) Hara through enhanced immunostimulation in experimental Lewis tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice and induction of apoptosis in the A549 cell line

P. polyphylla Smith var. chinensis (Franch.) Hara (PPSCFH) has been used as medicinal Paris for the prevention and treatment of cancers in China for thousands of years. Its main components, steroidal saponins (PRS), have been confirmed to inhibit tumor growth. In the present study, the immunostimulation of PRS was investigated in Lewis bearing-C57BL/6 mice while the induction of apoptosis in A549 cells was also studied. The treatment with PRS (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mg/kg) significantly inhibited tumor, volume, and weight in the C57BL/6 mice. The rates of inhibition of PRS (at 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mg/kg) were 26.49 ± 17.30%, 40.32 ± 18.91% and 54.94 ± 16.48%, respectively. The spleen and thymus indexes were increased remarkably, while the levels of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-10 in serum were decreased according to ELISA assays. For A549 cells, Hoechst 33342 staining and annexin V/PI by flow cytometry showed that PRS (0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 mg/mL) induced nuclear changes of A549 cells with DNA condensation and fragmentations of chromatin, as well as inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, PRS could also attenuate the over-generation of intracellular ROS. Western blotting analysis showed a significant decrease on the expressions of proinflammatory cytokines MCP-1, IL-6 and TGF-β1, as well as cell adhesion molecule ICAM-1, by treatment with PRS. Our results demonstrated that the inhibition of PRS on tumor growth might be associated with the amelioration of inflammation responses, induction of apoptosis, as well as the decrease of ROS. These results suggested that PRS implied a potential therapeutic effect in the lung cancer treatment.