Pulsatilloside C from the roots of Pulsatilla chinensis

Pulsatilla chinensis (Bge.) Regel: A Systematic Review on Anticancer of Its Pharmacological Properties, Clinical Researches and Pharmacokinetic Studies

Pulsatilla chinensis (Bge.) Regel (PC) is one of the most commonly used Chinese medicines and has a history of thousands of years. This article reviews the research results of anti-cancer activity and its mechanism of action obtained from experimental, clinical, pharmacokinetic and bioinformatic studies in recent years. A large number of studies have shown that PC exerts had anti-cancer effects on different types of tumor cells by inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell cycle and energy metabolism, inducing autophagy, and inhibiting angiogenesis. The literature has shown that PC can trigger the expression of autophagy-related molecules, activate the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, inhibit the phosphorylation of PI3K downstream factors, down-regulate the expression of glycolysis-related proteins, and regulate a series of cancer-related signal pathways and proteins. The molecular mechanisms involved in PC include signal pathways such as Notch, PI3K/AKT/m TOR, AKT/mTOR, and MEK/ERK. The article also discusses the derivatives of the active ingredients in PC, which greatly improved the anti-cancer effect. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the biological effects and mechanisms of PC against cancer. The analysis of the literature shows that PC can be used as a potential drug candidate for the treatment of cancer.

Pharmacological activities and molecular mechanisms of Pulsatilla saponins

Saponins are found in a variety of higher plants and display a wide range of pharmacological activities, including expectorant, anti-inflammatory, vasoprotective and antimicrobial properties. Pulsatilla chinensis (P. chinensis, Bai Tou Weng, ) has been used medically in China for thousands of years for the treatment of diseases caused by bacteria, and it is rich in triterpenoid saponins. In recent decades, anemoside B4 (Pulchinenoside C) is well studied since it has been used as a quality control marker for P. chinensis. At the same time, more and more other active compounds were found in the genus of Pulsatilla. In this review, we summarize the pharmacological activities of Pulsatilla saponins (PS) and discuss the cellular or molecular mechanisms that mediate their multiple activities, such as inducing cancer cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, and protecting organs via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant measures. We aim to provide comprehensive analysis and summary of research progress and future prospects in this field to facilitate further study and drug discovery of PS.

Manniosides B-F, five new triterpenoid saponins from the leaves of Schefflera mannii (Hook.f.) Harms

Fifteen triterpenoid saponins including five new compounds (Mannioside B: 3β-[(β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]urs-12-en-28-oic acid α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (1), mannioside C: 3β-[(β-d-glucopyranosyl)23-dioxy]urs-12-en-28-oic acid α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (2), mannioside D: 3β,23-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)- β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (3), mannioside E: 3β-hydroxy-23-oxolup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (4) and mannioside F: (22S)-27β-[(β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-22-hydroxyprotosta-12,24-dien-3β-yl β-d-glucopyranoside (5)) were isolated from the leaves of Schefflera mannii (Hook.f.) Harms. Their structures were established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR data, mass spectrometry and chemical methods. The major isolated compounds were tested for their antiproliferative activity on human malignant epithelial (HeLa) cells but were not efficient at the concentration of 33 mM.

Chinese herb medicine against Sortase A catalyzed transformations, a key role in gram-positive bacterial infection progress

Many Gram-positive bacteria can anchor their surface proteins to the cell wall peptidoglycan covalently by a common mechanism with Sortase A (SrtA), thus escaping from the host's identification of immune cells. SrtA can complete this anchoring process by cleaving LPXTG motif conserved among these surface proteins and thus these proteins anchor on the cell wall. Moreover, those SrtA mutants lose this capability to anchor these relative proteins, with these bacteria no longer infectious. Therefore, SrtA inhibitors can be promising anti-infective agents to cure bacterial infections. Chinese herb medicines (CHMs) (chosen from Science Citation Index) have exhibited inhibition on SrtA of Gram-positive pathogens irreversibly or reversibly. In general, CHMs are likely to have important long-term impact as new antibacterial compounds and sought after by academia and the pharmaceutical industry. This review mainly focuses on SrtA inhibitors from CHMs and the potential inhibiting mechanism related to chemical structures of compounds in CHMs.

Rapid Detection and Characterisation of Triterpene Saponins from the Root of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS

INTRODUCTION

Triterpene saponins are the major bioactive components in the root of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel (RPC), and have been reported to possess antitumor and immunological adjuvant activities. However, the isolation, purification and elucidation procedures of triterpene saponins from RPC are difficult and time consuming due to high polarity and structural similarity.

OBJECTIVES

To develop an analytical strategy for discovering and elucidating triterpene saponins in RPC.

METHODS

Methanolic extract of RPC is analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation and quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). The MS and MS/MS experiments are conducted using the negative-ionisation mode, in order to provide molecular-mass information and production spectra for the structural elucidation of compounds.

RESULTS

Based on retention times, accurate mass and mass spectrometric fragmentation, 24 triterpene saponins are identified or tentatively elucidated from RPC, of which nine triterpene saponins were not reported previously.

CONCLUSION

The HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS could be employed as a rapid, effective technique to screen and identify triterpene saponins in RPC without tedious and time-consuming isolation of pure constituents. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antitumor activity of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel saponins in human liver tumor 7402 cells in vitro and in vivo

Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel is a Chinese medicinal herb for "blood-cooling" and detoxification. Now it is used for the treatment of malignant tumor, but the antitumor mechanisms and toxic side effects of P. chinensis are unclear. The present study was undertaken to investigate if P. chinensis saponins (PRS) possesses anticancer effects and toxic side effects in human liver tumor 7402 cells in vitro and vivo. 7402 cells were treated with different concentrations of PRS for 24h. Cell viability was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. The in vivo effect of PRS on 7402 tumor cells transplanted in athymic nude mice was investigated. 15 saponins were isolated and identified from PRS. PRS inhibited the proliferation of human liver tumor 7402 cells in vitro by apoptosis. 19 days after administration of PRS (100, 200mg/kg), the weight of tumor mass was markly decreased in nude mice. The anti-tumor effect of PRS in vivo was associated with a significant increase in the 7402 apoptosis rate. Although PRS inhibited the weight of mice, it showed almost no effect on leukocyte number, liver and spleen weight index. Light microscopic histopathological examination showed that PRS had no specific lesion in organ. These results suggested that P. chinensis saponins exert potential anticancer activity in treating tumors in nude mice and no toxic side effects.

Qualitative and quantitative determination of nine main active constituents in Pulsatilla cernua by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A novel qualitative and quantitative method using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed for simultaneous determination of the nine major active constituents in Pulsatilla cernua (Thunb.) Bercht. et Opiz., namely anemoside A3 (1), anemoside B4 (2), 23-hydroxybetulinic acid (3), cirenshenoside S (4), pulsatilloside B (5), pulsatilloside C (6), oleanolic acid (7), ajugasterone C (8) and β-ecdysterone (9), respectively. A Sapphire C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) and gradient elution were used during the analysis. The identification and quantification of the analytes were achieved on a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning was employed for quantification with switching electrospray ion source polarity between positive and negative modes in a single run. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r(2) > 0.9948) within the test ranges. The intra and interday variations for nine analytes were less than 3.95 and 3.78%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the investigated compounds in 15 batches of natural and cultured samples of P. cernua. The results indicated that the method was simple, rapid, specific and reliable, which is helpful to comprehensive evaluation of quality of P. cernua.

The Anti-tumor Effect of the Light Petroleum Extract from Pulsatilla Chinensis (Bunge) Regel

The crude ethanol extract of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel roots was extracted successively with light petroleum, dichloromethane and n-butanol. The light petroleum fraction (PEF) exhibited potent anti-proliferation activity on HL60 cells with an IC50 value of 14 μg/mL. As a result, ICR mice transplanted with tumor strain S180 were employed for testing the effectiveness of drug administration of PEF. The tumor inhibitory rate was 36.7% at a dose of 20 mg/kg/d, which was higher than the positive control, which produced 31.5% inhibition. However, an unusual phenomenon was observed in that the tumor inhibitory response was reverse dose-dependent since tumor inhibition was only 19.5% at a dose of 180 mg/kg/d. GC-MS revealed that the main components of the PEF were C-19 and C-22 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Previous studies had revealed that polyunsaturated fatty acids exhibit either anti-tumor or tumor promoting activities, and so it is proposed that the effects of PEF on tumor growth is dependent on dosage.

Oleanane saponins from Gymnema sylvestre

Six oleanane-type saponins, along with two known triterpene saponins, were isolated from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre. The structures of the oleanane triterpene glycosides were characterized as longispinogenin 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside, 21 beta-benzoylsitakisogenin 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside, 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester, oleanolic acid 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D- glucopyranoside, 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester and 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester on the basis of hydrolysis and spectral evidence, including 1D- and 2D-NMR (TOCSY, ROESY, HMQC and HMBC) and FABMS analyses.

A new cycloartane saponin from Cimicifuga acerina

A new cycloartane saponin along with two known compounds, cimigenol and cimigenol 3-O-beta-D-xyloside, was isolated from the rhizomes of Cimicifuga acerina (Sieb. et Zucc.) Tanaka (Ranunculaceae). The structure of the new compound was elucidated as 3'-O-acetyl cimigenol 3-O-beta-D-xyloside on the basis of chemical and spectral evidence.