LC-MS analysis of Myrica rubra extract and its hypotensive effects via the inhibition of GLUT 1 and activation of the NO/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway

Dihydromyricetin protects against high glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction: Role of HIF-1α/ROR2/NF-κB

OBJECTIVES

Dihydromyricetin (DHM), a natural flavonoid isolated from vine tea with anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated for its ability to prevent vascular endothelial dysfunction caused by hyperglycaemia.

METHODS

Vasoconstrictor (phenylephrine-PE) and vasodilator (acetylcholine-ACh) responses were monitored for female rat aorta rings maintained in a bioassay organ bath for 3 h at 37 °C in either low (LG: 10 mM) or high (HG: 40 mM, to mimic hyperglycaemia) glucose-Krebs buffer in the absence or presence of 50 µM DHM. Tissues recovered from the organ bath at 3 h were fixed and analyzed for morphological changes and their expression of eNOS, iNOS, HIF-1α, GLUT1, ROR2 tyrosine kinase, NF-κB, TNF-α, Bax, Bcl2, caspase-3, and forindices of increased oxidative stress.

KEY FINDINGS

HG-incubated tissues showed increased PE-stimulated contractile response and decreased ACh-mediated endothelial vasodilation. DHM prevented both of these changes. Besides, HG incubation increased the immunoreactivity to iNOS, HIF-1α, GLUT1, ROR2, NF-κB, TNF-α, Bax, and active caspase-3, and decreased the expression of eNOS and Bcl2. Hyperglycaemia-like conditions also increased the indices of oxidative/nitrosative stress. These HG-induced changes, which were accompanied by an increase in tissue adventitial thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration, were all prevented by DHM.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrate an anti-inflammatory protective action of DHM to preserve vascular function in the setting of hyperglycaemia.

Identification of metabolites in plasma related to different biological activities of Panax ginseng and American ginseng

RATIONALE

Panax ginseng (PG) and American ginseng (AMG) are both medicinal plants of the Panax genus in the Acanthopanax family. Although PG and AMG have similar components of ginsenosides, there are many differences of their bioactivities. In this study, the biochemical mechanisms of different bioactivities of PG and AMG were explored by researching the differential metabolites in plasma after administration of each of PG and AMG.

METHODS

In order to explore the material basis of differential bioactivities, two groups of mice were administrated orally with PG and AMG, and the method of metabolomics was used to identify the differential metabolites in plasma. Then network pharmacology was used based on the differential metabolites. Afterward, the metabolite-target-pathway network of PG and AMG was constructed; thus the pathways related to different bioactivities were analyzed.

RESULTS

Through principal component analysis and orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis, there were 10 differential metabolites identified in the PG group and 8 differential metabolites identified in the AMG group. Based on network pharmacology, the differential metabolites were classified and related to differential bioactivities of PG and AMG. In the PG group, there were 6 metabolites related to aphrodisiac effect and exciting the nervous system, and 5 metabolites associated with raised blood pressure. In the AMG group, 5 metabolites were classified as having the effect of inhibiting the nervous system, and 6 metabolites were related to antihypertensive effect.

CONCLUSIONS

This study explored the material basis of the differential biological activities between PG and AMG, which is significant for the research of PG and AMG use and to promote human health.

Comprehensive Profiling of Phenolic Compounds in White and Red Chinese Bayberries (Morella rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) and Their Developmental Variations Using Tandem Mass Spectral Molecular Networking

Chemical structural characterization of phenolic compounds from the red ("Biqi") and white ("Shuijing") bayberries was carried out in the present study. With the aid of Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS), 18 flavonoid glycosides and 13 proanthocyanidins (PACs) in bayberry extracts were tentatively identified. Three cyanidin-3-glucoside derivatives (cyanidin-acetylapiosyl-glucoside, catechin-cyanidin-3-glucoside, and gallocatechin-cyanidin-3-glucoside), two quercetin derivatives (quercetin-3-arabinoside and quercetin-3-glucuronide), patuletin-7-glucoside, and individual PACs consisting of (epi)catechin or (epi)gallocatechin units were reported for the first time in bayberry fruits. In addition, "Biqi" exhibited a considerable increase of flavonoid glycoside content together with a dramatic decrease in the content of PACs in mature fruits, while "Shuijing" showed a decrease in levels of PACs but failed to accumulate flavonoid glycosides during fruit development.

Identification of New Targets and the Virtual Screening of Lignans against Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the progressive disturbance in cognition and affects approximately 36 million people, worldwide. However, the drugs used to treat this disease are only moderately effective and do not alter the course of the neurodegenerative process. This is because the pathogenesis of AD is mainly associated with oxidative stress, and current drugs only target two enzymes involved in neurotransmission. Therefore, the present study sought to identify potential multitarget compounds for enzymes that are directly or indirectly involved in the oxidative pathway, with minimal side effects, for AD treatment. A set of 159 lignans were submitted to studies of QSAR and molecular docking. A combined analysis was performed, based on ligand and structure, followed by the prediction of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties. The results showed that the combined analysis was able to select 139 potentially active and multitarget lignans targeting two or more enzymes, among them are c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK-3), protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 1 (NOX1), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), cycloxygenase 2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The authors conclude that compounds (06) austrobailignan 6, (11) anolignan c, (19) 7-epi-virolin, (64) 6-[(2R,3R,4R,5R)-3,4-dimethyl-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)oxolan-2-yl]-4-methoxy-1,3-benzodioxole, (116) ococymosin, and (135) mappiodoinin b have probabilities that confer neuroprotection and antioxidant activity and represent potential alternative AD treatment drugs or prototypes for the development of new drugs with anti-AD properties.

Kaempferol separated from Camellia oleifera meal by high-speed countercurrent chromatography for antibacterial application

Natural biologically active substances have received continuous attention for the potentially beneficial health properties against chronic diseases. In this study, bacteriostatic active substance from Camellia oleifera meal, which is a major by-product of the Camellia oil processing industry, were extracted with continuous phase change extraction (CPCE) method and separated by HSCCC. Compared with traditional extraction methods, CPCE possessed higher extraction efficiency. Two main substances were separated and purified (above 90.0%). The structure of them were further identified by UV, LC-ESI-MS-MS, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR as flavonoids F2 kaempferol 3-O-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)]-β-d-glucopyranoside and J2 kaempferol 3-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)]-β-d-glucopyranoside for the first time in C. Oleifera meal. The results of antibacterial activity measurement showed that both compounds have excellent antibacterial activity. And the antibacterial stability of F2 were finally confirmed: F2 showed broad spectrum antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteriditis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus nigricans. Besides, F2 exhibited relatively high stable property even at high temperature, acid and metal ion solutions. The findings of this work suggest the possibility of employing C. oleifera meal as an attractive source of health-promoting compounds, and at the same time facilitate its high-value reuse and reduction of environmental burden.