Two new 8-isopentenyl isoflavane derivatives from Astragalus dolichochaete diels

Network pharmacology and molecular docking-based investigation on traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus membranaceus in oral ulcer treatment

To analyze the mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) in molecular level in the oral ulcer (OU) treatment with reference to network pharmacology. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform database was used in screening the AM active components and AM action targets; GeneCards database was used to screen OU targets; the common target were screened by Venny online tool; Cytoscape software was applied to construct the target gene regulation map of AM active components; STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction network and the key targets were screened as per degree value; gene ontology enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment of interactive genes were calculated through David database. There were 17 active ingredients and 429 target spots in Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform database. There are 606 target genes for OU in GeneCards database. There are 67 common targets, including 10 key targets: IL10, IL6, TNF, IL1B, CXCL8, CCL2, TLR4, IL4, ICAM1, and IFNG. It involves 30 gene ontology terms and 20 KEGG signal channels. The molecular docking results showed that quercetin and kaempferol had a good binding activity with IL6, IL1B, TNF, and CCL2. Network pharmacological analysis shows that AM can regulate multiple signal pathways through multiple targets to treat OU.

A review of the botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control of the Astragalus memeranaceus

Astragali Radix (Huangqi) is mainly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, South America, and Africa and rarely in North America and Oceania. It has long been used as an ethnomedicine in the Russian Federation, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, and China. It was first recorded in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing and includes the effects of reinforcing healthy qi, dispelling pathogenic factors, promoting diuresis, reducing swelling, activating blood circulation, and dredging collaterals. This review systematically summarizes the botanical characteristics, phytochemistry, traditional uses, pharmacology, and toxicology of Astragalus to explore the potential of Huangqi and expand its applications. Data were obtained from databases such as PubMed, CNKI, Wan Fang Data, Baidu Scholar, and Google Scholar. The collected material also includes classic works of Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Chinese Medicine Dictionary, and PhD and Master's theses. The pharmacological effects of the isoflavone fraction in Huangqi have been studied extensively; The pharmacological effects of Huangqi isoflavone are mainly reflected in its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, and anti-diabetic properties and its ability to treat several related diseases. Additionally, the medicinal uses, chemical composition, pharmacological activity, toxicology, and quality control of Huangqi require further elucidation. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control of Astragalus to assist future innovative research and to identify and develop new drugs involving Huangqi.

S-3′-hydroxy-7′, 2′, 4′-trimethoxyisoxane, a novel ferroptosis inducer, promotes NSCLC cell death through inhibiting Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

Background: Ferroptosis is a newly discovered and promising non-apoptotic programmed cell death (PCD), and inducing ferroptosis in cancer cells could open up a novel avenue for drug screening and cancer therapy. S-3′-hydroxy-7′, 2′, 4′-trimethoxyisoxane (ShtIX), a new isoflavane compound, has been reported to possess cytotoxicity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this research is to explore the ShtIX-induced cell death form and its underlying molecular mechanism in NSCLC cells.

Methods: Cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and cell death tests were used to assess the ability of ShtIX to kill NSCLC cells. Iron metabolism, Fe²⁺ content, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid peroxide (MDA) level, glutathione (GSH) level, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) level were used to determine ferroptosis caused by ShtIX. We employed western blot, quantitative real-time PCR, and Nrf2 interference in NSCLC cells to investigate the roles of Nrf2/HO-1 in ShtIX-induced ferroptosis. In a xenograft nude mouse model, the anticancer efficacy of ShtIX and the function of ferroptosis were studied.

Results: Our research shows that ShtIX can selectively kill NSCLC cells while sparing normal cells and that ShtIX-induced cell death can be efficiently reversed by the ferroptosis inhibitors and the iron chelator, but not by other cell death inhibitors. After cells were treated with ShtIX, there was an increase in Fe²⁺ content and lipid peroxidation accumulation, as well as a drop in GSH and GPX4 levels, all of which are indicators of ferroptosis. ShtIX also reduced the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1, and genetic Nrf2 silencing in NSCLC enhanced the effect of ShtIX-induced ferroptosis. Additionally, ShtIX retards tumor growth and induced ferroptosis through Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway in the A549 xenograft model, whereas Fer-1 lessens the anticancer effect.

Conclusion: This work provided the evidence that ShtIX caused ferroptosis in NSCLC cells, and inhibiting the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway can considerably exacerbate the effect of ShtIX-induced ferroptosis. The study establishes ShtIX as a promising natural ferroptosis inducer for the treatment of NSCLC.

Do Uncommon Plant Phenolic Compounds Have Uncommon Properties? A Mini Review on Novel Flavonoids

Unique plants and their properties, once considered synonymous to medicine, remain a potent source for new compounds in modern science. Plant polyphenols and natural products continue to be investigated for effective treatments for the most persistent of human ailments. In this review, fifty novel plant phenolic compounds have been compiled and briefly described from the previous five years. Select compounds and notable plant species from genus Morinda and Sophora are further expanded on. Traditional medicine plants often contain rich and diverse mixtures of flavonoids, from which rare compounds should receive attention. The bioactivity of crude plant extracts, purified compounds and mixtures can differ greatly, requiring that these interactions and mechanisms of action be investigated in greater detail. Novel applications of uncommon natural products, namely mimosine and juglone, are explored within this review. The 2019 coronavirus pandemic has resulted in abrupt spike of related scientific publications: speculation is made regarding plant natural products and future of antiviral drug discovery.

Cycloartane triterpenoid saponins from the roots of Astragalus ernestii

A systematic study on chemical constituents of the roots of Astragalus ernestii was performed by silica gel, sephadex LH-20, MCI gel and Rp-18 column chromatography and spectral analysis such as MS, 1D and 2D NMR. As a result, nine cycloartane triterpenoid saponins were obtained from the methanol extract including a new compound asernestioside D (1), along with eight known constituents, 3-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-3β,6a,16β,20(S),24(R),25-hexahydroxycycloartane (2), cycloasgenin C-3-O-β-d-xylopyranoside (3), cycloascidoside (4), cyclosiversigenin-3-O-β-d-xylopyranoside (5), isoastragaloside IV (6), asernestioside A (7), asernestioside B (8), and asernestioside C (9).

Bioactive hydroxypropionylated glucose derivatives from Astragalus bhotanensis

Four previously undescribed hydroxypropionylated d-glucose derivatives, astrabhotins A-D (1-4), along with ten known compounds α-d-glucose (5), β-d-glucose (6), quebrachitol (7), 3-hydroxypropionic acid (8), oleic acid (9), isoliquiritigenin (10), liquiritigenin (11), odoratin (12), 7β-hydroxysitosterol (13) and daucosterol (14), were isolated from the roots of Astragalus bhotanensis. Their structures were elucidated based on the analyses of extensive spectroscopic data and physicochemical properties. Astrabhotin A (1) reduced the writhing response remarkably with 52.5% inhibition by acetic acid induced writhing test. The analgesic effect of 1 was stronger than the standard drug aspirin. In addition, compounds 1 and 3 showed significant antioxidant activities with IC₅₀ values of 9.9 ± 0.2 and 7.9 ± 0.4 μg/mL, and exhibited weak or moderate cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells with IC₅₀ values of 106.6 ± 2.7 and 42.0 ± 0.9 μg/mL, respectively.