Two new compounds from the seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica

Spectrum-effect relationship between ultra-performance liquid chromatography fingerprints and melanogenic effect of Vernonia anthelmintica effective part

The fingerprint of Vernonia anthelmintica effective part (VAEP) from 15 different producing areas was established, followed by cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The relationship between the fingerprint and the melanogenesis-promoting activity of VAEP was then analyzed using the grey correlation degree and the orthogonal partial least square method. The characteristic peaks reflecting the pharmacodynamic effect of VAEP were identified as vernodalin, 3,5-O-dicaffeoyl quinic acid (3,5-diCQA), and butin. Based on the distribution characteristics of these components in plants from different habitats and the verification of results from the spectrum-effect relationship, vernodalin and 3,5-diCQA can be used as characteristic components for quality control and pharmacodynamic assessment of V. anthelmintica products. This research establishes a theoretical foundation for planting areas and provides a scientific evaluation of the melanogenesis-promoting effect of V. anthelmintica.

Baccharoides anthelmintica (L.) Moench: A Review on Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemical, Pharmacological and Toxicological Profile

Baccharoides anthelmintica (L.) Moench is a popular medicinal plant with a long history of use in several traditional remedies to cure a variety of diseases including; its effect on the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, metabolism, kidneys, gynecology, skin diseases, and general health. The present review aims to provide the latest, organized information on toxicological, pharmacological, phytochemical, and ethnomedicinal applications of Baccharoides anthelmintica. For this; several well-known searchable websites (search engines) like; Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus-Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, Springer, and DOAJ, were used to empirically investigate the knowledge of this useful medicinal plant. Based on previous studies, the pharmacological action of B. anthelmintica is due to various secondary metabolites including alkaloids, terpenoids, lignans, steroids, and other phytoconstituents. Hence, the present study recorded 225 phytochemicals obtained from different parts of the plant, where the steroids and derivatives (48), terpenes and sesquiterpenes (46), flavonoids and derivatives (41), fatty acids and derivatives (40), phenolic acids (12), triterpenes (11), chalcones (06), diterpenes (01) and miscellaneous (20) were reported. The present review also covered the pharmacological importance, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic action, liver disease, anticancer potential, anti-HIV, antiosteoporotic action, antitoxic action, skin disorder, wound healing and immunomodulatory activity, systemic infection, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases etc. The review concluded that B. anthelmintica has several pharmacological activities, which were due to the presence of secondary metabolites present in it, and thus indicates the importance of medicinal value of this plant. Hence, B. anthelmintica may be a good source for developing a lead molecule in the process of new drug discovery and development. More study is required to determine the pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, long-term toxicology testing, safe dosage, and possible interactions with other herbs/drugs.

The Use of Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of Vitiligo: An Updated Review

Vitiligo is a chronic disease of unknown etiology that causes progressive cutaneous depigmentation. Current pharmacological treatments have limited success and present significant risks. Many efforts have been made in recent years to explore new anti-vitiligo therapeutic strategies, including herbal-based therapies. The objective of the present review is to provide an updated overview on the most frequently used medicinal plants in the treatment of vitiligo. A bibliographical search was carried out in scientific databases Pubmed, Scifinder, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Medline up to October 2021 using the descriptors vitiligo, herbal, medicinal plants, and alternative therapies. In our search, the highest number of published studies comprise plants commonly used in traditional herbal medicine, highlighting the usefulness of ethnopharmacology in the discovery of new therapeutic agents. The review outlines current understanding and provides an insight into the role of psoralens and khellin (photosensitizing agents obtained from plants such as Cullen corylifolium or Ammi visnaga). The paper also describes other traditional herbs such as Ginkgo biloba, Phlebodium aureum, Piper nigrum, Picrorhiza kurroa, and Baccharoides anthelmintica that can likewise act as potential therapeutical agents. Based on our findings, photosensitizing agents in combination with phototherapy, the association of oral Phebodium aureum with phototherapies as well as oral G. biloba in monotherapy showed greater scientific evidence as therapeutic options. The research results emphasize that further investigation in this area is merited. More long-term follow up clinical trials and higher quality randomized trials are needed.

Oxygen heterocyclic Diels-Alder-Type sesquiterpenoid dimers from Vernonia anthelmintica

Eleven undescribed oxygen heterocyclic Diels-Alder-Type sesquiterpenoid dimers, vernodalidimer I-K and M-T, along with a known one, vernodalidimer B were isolated from the seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica. The structures of them were elucidated based on 1D, 2D-NMR experiments and HRESIMS. The absolute configurations of vernodalidimer I-K and M-T were determined by comparison of their experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. Cytotoxicity of the isolates against HCT-15, PC-3, A549, and HeLa cell lines were tested. Vernodalidimer K and Q exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against HCT-15 cell line with IC₅₀ values of 9.8 ± 5.4 μM and 9.4 ± 1.3 μM, respectively.

Plant-Derived Compounds as Promising Therapeutics for Vitiligo

Vitiligo is the most common depigmenting disorder characterized by white patches in the skin. The pathogenetic origin of vitiligo revolves around autoimmune destruction of melanocytes in which, for instance, oxidative stress is responsible for melanocyte molecular, organelle dysfunction and melanocyte specific antigen exposure as well as melanocyte cell death and thus serves as an important contributor for vitiligo progression. In recent years, natural products have shown a wide range of pharmacological bioactivities against many skin diseases, and this review focuses on the effects and mechanisms of natural compounds against vitiligo models. It is showed that some natural compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, glycosides and coumarins have a protective role in melanocytes and thereby arrest the depigmentation, and, additionally, Nrf2/HO-1, MAPK, JAK/STAT, cAMP/PKA, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways were reported to be implicated in these protective effects. This review discusses the great potential of plant derived natural products as anti-vitiligo agents, as well as the future directions to explore.

The Great Capacity on Promoting Melanogenesis of Three Compatible Components in Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd

To investigate a possible methodology of exploiting herbal medicine and design polytherapy for the treatment of skin depigmentation disorder, we have made use of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd., a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has been proven to be effective in treating vitiligo. Here, we report that the extract of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd. effectively enhances melanogenesis responses in B16F10. In its compound library, we found three ingredients (butin, caffeic acid and luteolin) also have the activity of promoting melanogenesis in vivo and in vitro. They can reduce the accumulation of ROS induced by hydrogen peroxide and inflammatory response induced by sublethal concentrations of copper sulfate in wild type and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled leukocytes zebrafish larvae. The overall objective of the present study aims to identify which compatibility proportions of the medicines may be more effective in promoting pigmentation. We utilized the D-optimal response surface methodology to optimize the ratio among three molecules. Combining three indicators of promoting melanogenesis, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities, we get the best effect of butin, caffeic acid and luteolin at the ratio (butin:caffeic acid:luteolin = 7.38:28.30:64.32) on zebrafish. Moreover, the effect of melanin content recovery in the best combination is stronger than that of the monomer, which suggests that the three compounds have a synergistic effect on inducing melanogenesis. After simply verifying the result, we performed in situ hybridization on whole-mount zebrafish embryos to further explore the effects of multi-drugs combination on the proliferation and differentiation of melanocytes and the expression of genes (tyr, mitfa, dct, kit) related to melanin synthesis. In conclusion, the above three compatible compounds can significantly enhance melanogenesis and improve depigmentation in vivo.

Quantitative Determination of Marker Compounds and Fingerprint Analysis of the Seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica

In traditional Chinese medicine, the seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd. have been widely used for treatment of cough, skin diseases, diarrhea, fever, schistosomiasis, amoebic dysentery, and gastrointestinal problems, especially in the treatment of vitiligo for thousands of years in China. In this study, an effective, reliable, and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method was developed for quantitative analysis of 3 marker bioactive compounds and chemical fingerprint of the seeds of V. anthelmintica. Data corresponding to common peak areas and HPLC chromatographic fingerprints were analyzed by exploratory hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) to extract information of the most significant variables contributing to characterization and classification of the analyzed samples. Based on variety and origin, the high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method validated the chemical fingerprint results used to screen the in vitro antioxidant activity of V. anthelmintica. The results show that the developed method has potential application values for the quality consistency evaluation and identification of similar instant V. anthelmintica samples. When considered collectively, this research results provide a scientific basis for the improvement of standardization and specification of V. anthelmintica medicinal materials and provide a pathway for the development and utilization of references for the identification of V. anthelmintica herbs.

Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd.: An ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd. (Asteraceae; Purple Fleabane) has a long history of traditional use for the management of several disorders related to skin, central nervous system, kidney, gynecology, gastrointestinal, metabolism, and general health. The review aims to provide updated systematic information on ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological uses, toxicity studies, and patented formulations of V. anthelmintica. This review will not only help to identify the research gaps but also provide information to the scientific community for future research requisites.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Empirical searches were conducted on the medicinal plant via significant search engines like Google Scholar, Scopus-Elsevier, Medline, SciFinder, Web of Science, Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ) from inception until June 2018. Besides, references from local literature, books, and non-English journals were also included.

RESULTS

Scientific reports revealed that V. anthelmintica is a popular medicinal plant used in local and traditional medicine to manage various disorders. Phytochemical studies have identified 193 chemical constituents amongst which steroids form the most abundant class, followed by terpenes. Crude extracts and isolated compounds exhibited various pharmacological activities such as anti-vitiligo, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antipsoriatic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, immunomodulatory and also helped in managing pulmonary fibrosis and promoting the synthesis of estrogen. Approximately 45 chemical constituents were found to be biologically active. There are only three toxicity reports and 37 patents available on V. anthelmintica.

CONCLUSION

The review suggests that V. anthelmintica act as a promising source for drug development. The potential uses of V. anthelmintica are owing to the presence of phenolic acids, steroids, fatty acids, and terpenes in its composition. However, further studies are needed to explore the exact mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, chronic toxicological studies, safe dose consumption, and possible interactions with other herbs.

Biological Activity of Endophytic Fungi from the Roots of the Medicinal Plant Vernonia anthelmintica

Endophytic fungi were first isolated from the fresh root of the Chinese medicinal plant Vernonia anthelmintica collected from the Hotan Prefecture within the Xinjiang Autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China. This plant has been used in Uyghur traditional medicine to treat vitiligo, a skin condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment. In total, fifteen fungal strains were isolated. Among these, four endophytic fungi were identified by their DNA sequences and registered to GenBank with accession numbers. The isolates were identified as Schizophyllum commune XJA1, Talaromyces sp. XJA4, Aspergillus sp. XJA6, Aspergillus terreus XJA8. Ethyl acetate extracts of all fungal strains were used to quantify melanin content and to identify in vitro biological activity assays including antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, antidiabetic and tyrosinase activity on B16 cells. Among the extracts of all four identified strains, the ethyl acetate extract of the Aspergillus sp. XJA6 was chosen for further characterization because it presented the highest biological activity against these tests. In addition, twenty four volatile compounds from the petroleum ether fraction were characterized by GC–MS.

Secondary metabolites produced by endophytic Pantoea ananatis derived from roots of Baccharoides anthelmintica and their effect on melanin synthesis in murine B16 cells

Five indole derivatives, 1H-indol-7-ol (1), tryptophol (2), 3-indolepropionic acid (3), tryptophan (4), 3,3-di(1H-indol-3-yl)propane-1,2-diol (5) and two diketopiperazines, cyclo(L-Pro-L-Tyr) (6), cyclo[L-(4-hydroxyprolinyl)-L-leucine (7) along with one dihydrocinnamic acid (8) were isolated from Pantoea ananatis VERA8, that endophytic bacteria derived from Baccharoides anthelmintica roots. This is a first report towards an isolation of endophytic strains (funji or bacteria) from the B. anthelmintica herb. The synergetic properties of the total extract compositions, as well as effects of the pure isolated secondary metabolites evaluated on their melanin synthesis in murine B16 cells towards for vitiligo treatment.

Antipsoriatic effect of fatty acid enriched fraction of Vernonia anthelmintica Willd. fruits

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Vernonia anthelmintica has been utilized conventionally as an ingredient in Ayurveda and traditional Uighur medicine for management of various skin ailments, and scientific data's have substantiated its use in treating vitiligo, dermatosis and leucoderma. The present investigation was focused to evaluate the antipsoriatic activity of V. anthelmintica fruit extracts and fractions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ointment containing dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) extracts at topical dose of 2.5% and 5% (w/w) was evaluated using mouse tail model of psoriasis. Bioactivity-guided fractionation (F₁-F₇) of most active extract was carried out and fractions were again subjected to mouse tail model. Further the activity of bioactive fraction was confirmed in HaCaT (human keratinocyte) cell line using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and its chemical characterization was done via gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

RESULTS

The dichloromethane extract (5%, w/w) showed statistically significant (* p < 0.05) antipsoriatic activity (66.97 ± 2.68%) with respect to control (25.45 ± 1.80%) and equivalent to that of the standard drug, retino-A 0.05%, (72.47 ± 2.14%) in terms of degree of orthokeratosis, whereas methanol extract (5%, w/w) showed significant (* p < 0.05) differentiation (45.86 ± 2.02%) in comparison to the control group. Out of all fractions, F₆ showed statistically significant (* p < 0.05) antipsoriatic activity (69.27 ± 2.76%) with respect to control and equivalent to that of the standard. F₆ (15.6-1000 µg/ml) showed dose-dependent inhibition of HaCaT cell lines proliferation which suggests keratinocyte modulating activity of V. anthelmintica. Chemical characterization of F₆ revealed that essential fatty acids (i.e., linoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid and stearic acid) formed the bulk of bioactive fraction.

CONCLUSION

Ameliorative effect of V. anthelmintica in psoriasis might be attributed to the presence of essential fatty acids and thus corroborates its traditional use in the treatment of skin ailments.

Potential anti-vitiligo properties of cynarine extracted from Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd

Vitiligo is a depigmentation disorder of the skin. It is primarily caused by the destruction of melanocytes or obstruction of the melanin synthesis pathway. Melanin is a type of skin pigment that determines skin color. The seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd (Kaliziri) are used for treating skin diseases including vitiligo in traditional Uyghur medicine. 1,5‑Dicaffeoylquinic acid (1,5‑diCQA) is a natural polyphenolic compound widely distributed in plants and extracted from Kaliziri seeds. Therefore, in the present study, the effect of 1,5‑diCQA on melanin synthesis in B16 cell was evaluated, and its molecular mechanism was explored. The results indicated that 1,5‑diCQA treatment of B16 cells stimulated an increase of intracellular melanin level and tyrosinase (TYR) activity without cytotoxicity. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction results also indicated that 1,5‑diCQA may markedly improve the protein expression and RNA transcription of microphthalmia‑associated transcription factor (MITF), melanogenic enzyme Tyr, tyrosinase‑related protein 1 (TRP 1) and tyrosinase‑related protein 2 (TRP 2). Additional results identified that 1,5‑diCQA may promote the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen‑activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK. Notably, the increased levels of intracellular melanin synthesis and tyrosinase expression induced by 1,5‑diCQA treatment were significantly attenuated by the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H‑89. Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentration and phosphorylation of cAMP‑response element binding protein was increased following 1,5‑diCQA treatment. These results indicated that 1,5‑diCQA stimulated melanogenesis via the MAPK and cAMP/PKA signaling pathways in B16 cells, which has potential therapeutic implications for vitiligo.

Network pharmacological mechanisms of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) in the treatment of vitiligo: Isorhamnetin induction of melanogenesis via up-regulation of melanin-biosynthetic genes

Background

Vitiligo is a long-term skin disease characterized by the loss of pigment in the skin. The current therapeutic approaches are limited. Although the anti-vitiligo mechanisms of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) remain ambiguous, the herb has been broadly used in Uyghur hospitals to treat vitiligo. The overall objective of the present study aims to identify the potential lead compounds from Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) in the treatment of vitiligo via an oral route as well as the melanogenic mechanisms in the systematic approaches in silico of admetSAR and substructure-drug-target network-based inference (SDTNBI).

Results

The results showed that the top 5 active compounds with a relatively higher bioavailability that interacted with 23 therapeutic targets were identified in Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) using admetSAR and SDTNBI methods. Among these compounds, Isorhamnetin and Kaempferide, which are methyl-flavonoids, performed 1st and 2nd. Isorhamnetin and Kaempferide significantly increased the expression of melanin-biosynthetic genes (MC1R, MITF, TYR, TYRP1 and DCT) and the tyrosinase activity in B16F10 cells. Isorhamnetin and Kaempferide significantly increased the mRNA-expression of melanin-biosynthetic genes (MC1R, MITF, TYR, TYRP1 and DCT), the protein level of MITF and the tyrosinase activity. Based on the SDTNBI method and experimental verification, Isorhamnetin and Kaempferide effectively increased melanogenesis by targeting the MC1R-MITF signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway (PPARA, PPARD, PPARG), arachidonic acid metabolism pathway (ALOX12, ALOX15, CBR1) and serotonergic synapses (ALOX12, ALOX15) in the treatment of vitiligo from a network perspective.

Conclusion

We identified the melanogenic activity of the methyl-flavonoids Isorhamnetin and Kaempferide, which were successfully predicted in a network pharmacological analysis of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) by admetSAR and SDTNBI methods.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12918-017-0486-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Occurrences, biosynthesis and properties of aurones as high-end evolutionary products

Recent years have witnessed a considerable renewed interest for the uncommon flavonoid class of aurones. The characterization of two major biosynthetic machineries involved in their biosynthesis in flowers has encouraged the revival of phytochemical studies and identification of original structures, a process started almost seventy-five years ago. This review draws up an exhaustive map of natural occurrences of aurones their biosynthetic pathways and roles, with the aim to link their original structural properties among flavonoids to their place in evolution and the selective advantages they bring to some of the most advanced taxa in the plant kingdom.

Upregulation of Melanogenesis and Tyrosinase Activity: Potential Agents for Vitiligo

Melanin, the compound primarily responsible in humans for hair, eye and skin pigmentation, is produced by melanocytes through a complicated process called melanogenesis that is catalyzed by tyrosinase and other tyrosinase-related proteins. The abnormal loss of melanin causes dermatological problems such as vitiligo. Hence the regulation of melanogenesis and tyrosinase activity is very important for treating hypopigmentary disorders. Many melanogenesis stimulators have been discovered during the past decade. This article reviews recent advances in research on extracts and active ingredients of plants, synthesized compounds with stimulating effect on melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity, as well as their influence on the expression of related proteins and possible signaling pathways for the design and development of novel anti-vitiligo agents.