Seven compounds from Portulaca oleracea L. and their anticholinesterase activities

Two new alkaloids from Portulaca oleracea L. and their anti-inflammatory and anticholinesterase activities

Two new alkaloids identified as 2-(((S,Z)-1-(1H-azirin-1-yl)-5-methylhex-1-en-3-yl)oxy)-6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-3,4,5-triol and (S,Z)-1-(1H-azirin-1-yl)-5-methylhex-1-en-3-ol, named olerazirin A (1), olerazirin B (2), together with five known alkaloids, identified as cyclo (L-Val-L-Ala) (3), cyclo-(glycyl-L-leucine) (4), cyclo-(Gly-Phe) (5), cyclo (Ser-Phe) (6), (3S,6S)-3-[(1R)-1-hydroxyethyl]-6-(phenyl-methyl)-2,5-piperazinedione (7) were obtained from Portulaca oleracea L. using a range of chromatographic techniques, 1D and 2D NMR, and high-resolution electrospray ionisation time-of-flight mass spectroscopic methods, in which the compounds 3-7 were isolated from P. oleracea for the first time. In addition, the results showed that the compounds 1 and 2 have anti-inflammatory activities and compounds 1-3 and 5-7 exhibit the anticholinesterase activities.

Characterization, multivariate analysis and bioactivity evaluation of coumarins in the bark of Fraxinus mandshurica

The bark of Fraxinus mandshurica is a traditional folk herb used to clear heat and dry dampness. To investigate the differences in coumarins content in the bark of F. mandshurica, 24 batches of samples from four origins were collected and analyzed. Eight coumarins were obtained by traditional natural product extraction, isolation and identification techniques and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (HPLC-DAD). The quantitative results showed that the overall content of compound 30 (Fraxinol) was higher at 100.23 mg/g, while the overall content of compound 23 (Cichoriin) was lower, which may be related to environmental factors in different regions. The method validation showed that the linear range of the eight standards was between 10 and 2500 μg/mL with correlation coefficient (R2) values >0.9991; the relative standard deviation (RSD, %) values of intra-day precision were between 0.35 and 1.38, while the RSD values of inter-day precision were between 0. 29-1.78; the RSD (%) values for the reproducibility experiments ranged from 0.29 to 1.87, while the RSD (%) values for the stability experiments ranged from 0.22 to 2.33; the spiked recovery of the samples ranged from 98.65 to 101.34%, and the RSD (%) values ranged from 0.22 to 1.96. The method validation results showed that the instrument used for the analysis had good precision, the reproducibility and stability of the samples were good, and the accuracy of the experimental method was high. In addition, a total of 54 chemical components were identified from F. mandshurica bark by ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS). Based on this, fingerprinting, heatmap and multivariate analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), were established for 24 batches of samples, and four marker compounds that could be used to distinguish different origins of F. mandshurica were screened. To further investigate the bioactivities of the eight coumarins, in vitro enzyme activity inhibition studies were performed, and the results showed that they all exhibited different degrees of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase and α-glucosidase, thus having potential applications in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, blemish whitening and anti-diabetes, and becoming a new source of natural enzyme activity inhibitors. This study established an identification and evaluation method applicable to plants of different origins, which provides a strong reference for quality control, origin evaluation and clinical application of traditional medicinal plants.

Isolation and characterization of dihydrohomoisoflavonoids from Portulaca oleracea L

Eight pairs of dihydrohomoisoflavonoids (1-8), including four pairs of enantiomeric aglycones [(R,S)-portulacanones B (1) and C (2) and (R,S)-oleracones C (3) and Q (4)] and four pairs of epimeric glycosides [portulacasides A-D and epiportulacasides A-D (5-8)], were obtained from Portulaca oleracea L. Among them, (R,S)-oleracone Q (4) and four pairs of epimeric glycosides (5-8) were reported for the first time. The 50% EtOH fraction from the 70% EtOH extract prevented HepG2 human liver cancer cell damage induced by N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (APAP), and the cell survival rate was 62.3%. Portulacaside B (6a), which was isolated from the 50% EtOH fraction, exhibited hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. The compound increased the survival rate of APAP-damaged HepG2 human liver cancer cells from 40.0% to 51.2% and reduced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, resulting in an inhibitory rate of 46.8%.

A review on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and potential uses of Portulaca oleracea L

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Portulaca oleracea L. (PO), popularly known as purslane, has been documented in ethnopharmacology in various countries and regions. Traditional application records indicated that PO might be used extensively to treat the common cold, dysentery, urinary tract infections, coughing, eye infections, skin problems, gynecological diseases, and pediatric illnesses.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This paper includes a systematic review of the traditional usage, phytochemicals, pharmacological activity, and potential uses of PO to provide an overview of the research for further exploitation of PO resources.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This article uses "Portulaca oleracea L." and "purslane" as the keywords and collects relevant information on PO from different databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Springer, Science Direct, ACS, Wiley, CNKI, Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar, and ancient meteria medica.

RESULTS

PO is a member of the Portulacaceae family and is grown worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that purslane has the effect of improving eyesight, eliminating evil qi, quenching thirst, purgation, diuresis, hemostasis, regulating qi, promoting hair growth, detoxifying, and avoiding epidemic qi. Recent phytochemical investigations have shown that PO is a rich source of flavonoids, homoisoflavonoids, alkaloids, organic acids, esters, lignans, terpenoids, catecholamines, sterols, and cerebrosides. The purslane extracts or compounds have exhibited numerous biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer, renoprotective, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, metabolic, muscle relaxant, anti-asthmatic and anti-osteoporosis properties. The significant omega-3 fatty acids, vital amino acids, minerals, and vitamins found in purslane also provide nutritional benefits. Purslane as a food/feed additive in the food industry and animal husbandry has caused concern. Its global wide distribution and tolerance to abiotic stress characteristics make it in the future sustainable development of agriculture a certain position.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on traditional usage, phytochemicals, and pharmacological activity, PO is a potential medicinal and edible plant with diverse pharmacological effects. Due to purslane's various advantages, it may have vast application potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries and animal husbandry.

Portulaca oleracea L. extract relieve mice liver fibrosis by inhibiting TLR-4/NF-κB, Bcl-2/Bax and TGF-β1/Smad2 signalling transduction

Portulaca oleracea L. are annual herb, which has various pharmacological effects including hepatoprotective property. However, the effect of Portulaca oleracea L. (POL-1) in mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis and its mechanism of action have not been clarified. POL-1 ameliorated the CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice, as shown by decreased collagen deposition and the decreased expression of liver fibrosis marker collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) mRNA. In addition, treatment with POL-1 suppressed the proliferation of activated human hepatic stellate cell line (LX-2). POL-1 inhibited the oxidative stress and inflammation in fibrotic livers of mice. Mechanistically, POL-1 inhibited the CCl4-induced expression of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κBp65) p65, Bcl2-associated X (Bax), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic 2 (Smad2) proteins, upregulated B-cell lymphoma -2 (Bcl-2) proteins in livers of mice. These findings suggested that POL-1 attenuated liver fibrosis.

Glycosides from the leaves of Fraxinus Hubeiensis

Fraxinus hubeiensis is a plant endemic to China and widely used as folk medicine to treat various diseases. However, its chemical constituents have never been reported sufficiently. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the phytochemical constituents and biological activities of F. hubeiensis leaves. Hence, combined column chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques were used to identify and characterize the secondary metabolites such as a pair of 3-keto-glycoside epimers (1) and (2), along with five known compounds (3 ~ 7). The results of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity exhibited that 1 and 2 had moderate activity with IC50 values of 359.50 and 468.43 µM, respectively, compared to a positive control acarbose with the IC50 value of 164.08 µM. However, Compounds 1-6 were shown to be inactive against the tested microbes.

Nephroprotective plant species used in traditional Mayan Medicine for renal-associated diseases

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The prevalence of kidney disease has increased rapidly in recent years and has emerged as one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Natural products have been suggested as valuable nephroprotective agents due to their multi-target and synergistic effects on modulating important proteins involved in kidney injury. There is a large number of plant species that have been used traditionally for kidney-related conditions in Mesoamerican medicine by different cultural groups that could provide a valuable source of nephroprotective therapeutic candidates and could lead to potential drug discovery.

AIM OF REVIEW

This review aims to provide an overview of the currently known efficacy of plant species used traditionally in Mesoamerica by Mayan groups to treat kidney-related conditions and to analyze the phytochemical, pharmacological, molecular, toxicological, and clinical evidence to contribute to public health efforts and for directing future research.

METHODS

Primary sources of plant use reports for traditional kidney-related disorders in Mesoamerica were searched systematically from library catalogs, theses, and scientific databases (PubMed, Google Scholar; and Science Direct), and were filtered according to usage frequency in Mayan groups and plant endemism. The database of traditional plants was further analyzed based on associations with published reports of the phytochemical, pharmacological, molecular, toxicological, and clinical evidence.

RESULTS

The most reported kidney-related conditions used traditionally in Mayan medicine involve reducing renal damage (a cultural interpretation that considers an inflammatory or infectious condition), cleaning or purifying the blood and kidney, reducing kidney pain, and eliminating kidney stones. A total of 208 plants used for kidney-related problems by 10 Mayan groups were found, representing 143 native species, where only 42 have reported pharmacological activity against kidney damage, mainly approached by in vitro and in vivo models of chemical- or drug-induced nephrotoxicity, diabetes nephropathy, and renal injury produced by hypertension. Nephroprotective effects are mainly mediated by reducing oxidative stress, inflammatory response, fibrosis mechanisms, and apoptosis in the kidney. The most common nephroprotective compounds associated with traditional Mayan medicine were flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic acids. The most widely studied traditional plants in terms of pharmacological evidence, bioactive compounds, and mechanisms of action, are Annona muricata L., Carica papaya L., Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., Lantana camara L., Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw., Tagetes erecta L., and Zea mays L. Most of the plant species with reported pharmacological activity against kidney damage were considered safe in toxicological studies.

CONCLUSION

Available pharmacological reports suggest that several herbs used in traditional Mayan medicine for renal-associated diseases may have nephroprotective effects and consistent pharmacological evidence, nephroprotective compounds, and mechanisms of action in different models of kidney injury. However, more research is required to fully understand the potential of traditional Mayan medicine in drug discovery given the limited ethnobotanical studies and data available for most species with regards to identification on bioactive components, pharmacological mechanisms, and the scarce number of clinical studies.

A new alkaloid from Portulaca oleracea L. and its anti-inflammatory activity

A new alkaloid, identified as (E)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(pyridazin-3-yl)-acrylaldehyde, named oleradazine, was isolated from Portulaca oleracea L., and the structure was elucidated using spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic and UHPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS methods. In addition, the compound was used to investigate its anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. It was suggested that the oleradazine can significantly inhibit the inflammatory factors, interleukin 1β and nitric oxide in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Non-Alkaloid Cholinesterase Inhibitory Compounds from Natural Sources

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder of different brain regions accompanied by distresses and affecting more than 25 million people in the world. This progressive brain deterioration affects the central nervous system and has negative impacts on a patient’s daily activities such as memory impairment. The most important challenge concerning AD is the development of new drugs for long-term treatment or prevention, with lesser side effects and greater efficiency as cholinesterases inhibitors and the ability to remove amyloid-beta(Aβ) deposits and other related AD neuropathologies. Natural sources provide promising alternatives to synthetic cholinesterase inhibitors and many have been reported for alkaloids while neglecting other classes with potential cholinesterase inhibition. This review summarizes information about the therapeutic potential of small natural molecules from medicinal herbs, belonging to terpenoids, coumarins, and phenolic compounds, and others, which have gained special attention due to their specific modes of action and their advantages of low toxicity and high efficiency in the treatment of AD. Some show superior drug-like features in comparison to synthetic cholinesterase inhibitors. We expect that the listed phytoconstituents in this review will serve as promising tools and chemical scaffolds for the discovery of new potent therapeutic leads for the amelioration and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Artemisia scoparia and Metabolic Health: Untapped Potential of an Ancient Remedy for Modern Use

Botanicals have a long history of medicinal use for a multitude of ailments, and many modern pharmaceuticals were originally isolated from plants or derived from phytochemicals. Among these, artemisinin, first isolated from Artemisia annua, is the foundation for standard anti-malarial therapies. Plants of the genus Artemisia are among the most common herbal remedies across Asia and Central Europe. The species Artemisia scoparia (SCOPA) is widely used in traditional folk medicine for various liver diseases and inflammatory conditions, as well as for infections, fever, pain, cancer, and diabetes. Modern in vivo and in vitro studies have now investigated SCOPA's effects on these pathologies and its ability to mitigate hepatotoxicity, oxidative stress, obesity, diabetes, and other disease states. This review focuses on the effects of SCOPA that are particularly relevant to metabolic health. Indeed, in recent years, an ethanolic extract of SCOPA has been shown to enhance differentiation of cultured adipocytes and to share some properties of thiazolidinediones (TZDs), a class of insulin-sensitizing agonists of the adipogenic transcription factor PPARγ. In a mouse model of diet-induced obesity, SCOPA diet supplementation lowered fasting insulin and glucose levels, while inducing metabolically favorable changes in adipose tissue and liver. These observations are consistent with many lines of evidence from various tissues and cell types known to contribute to metabolic homeostasis, including immune cells, hepatocytes, and pancreatic beta-cells. Compounds belonging to several classes of phytochemicals have been implicated in these effects, and we provide an overview of these bioactives. The ongoing global epidemics of obesity and metabolic disease clearly require novel therapeutic approaches. While the mechanisms involved in SCOPA's effects on metabolic, anti-inflammatory, and oxidative stress pathways are not fully characterized, current data support further investigation of this plant and its bioactives as potential therapeutic agents in obesity-related metabolic dysfunction and many other conditions.