1
|
Wang Z, Guo S, Cai Y, Yang Q, Wang Y, Yu X, Sun W, Qiu S, Li X, Guo Y, Xie Y, Zhang A, Zheng S. Decoding active compounds and molecular targets of herbal medicine by high-throughput metabolomics technology: A systematic review. Bioorg Chem 2024; 144:107090. [PMID: 38218070 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.107090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Clinical experiences of herbal medicine (HM) have been used to treat a variety of human intractable diseases. As the treatment of diseases using HM is characterized by multi-components and multi-targets, it is difficult to determine the bio-active components, explore the molecular targets and reveal the mechanisms of action. Metabolomics is frequently used to characterize the effect of external disturbances on organisms because of its unique advantages on detecting changes in endogenous small-molecule metabolites. Its systematicity and integrity are consistent with the effective characteristics of HM. After HM intervention, metabolomics can accurately capture and describe the behavior of endogenous metabolites under the disturbance of functional compounds, which will be used to decode the bioactive ingredients of HM and expound the molecular targets. Metabolomics can provide an approach for explaining HM, addressing unclear clinical efficacy and undefined mechanisms of action. In this review, the metabolomics strategy and its applications in HM are systematically introduced, which offers valuable insights for metabolomics methods to characterizing the pharmacological effects and molecular targets of HM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhibo Wang
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China; Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Sifan Guo
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Ying Cai
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China; Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qiang Yang
- Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Xiaodan Yu
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Wanying Sun
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Shi Qiu
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China.
| | - Xiancai Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xingke Road 723, Guangzhou 510650, China.
| | - Yu Guo
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China.
| | - Yiqiang Xie
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China.
| | - Aihua Zhang
- Scientific Experiment Center, Hainan General Hospital, International Advanced Functional Omics Platform, International Joint Research Center on Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Xueyuan Road 3, Haikou 571199, China; Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China.
| | - Shaojiang Zheng
- Medical Research Center of The First Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Women and Children Medical Center, Key Laboratory of Emergency and Trauma of Ministry of Education, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu M, Ma W, He Y, Sun Z, Yang J. Recent Progress in Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics in Major Depressive Disorder Research. Molecules 2023; 28:7430. [PMID: 37959849 PMCID: PMC10647556 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28217430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental illness with a heavy social burden, but its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics is providing new insights into the heterogeneous pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of MDD by revealing multi-parametric biomarker signatures at the metabolite level. In this comprehensive review, recent developments of MS-based metabolomics in MDD research are summarized from the perspective of analytical platforms (liquid chromatography-MS, gas chromatography-MS, supercritical fluid chromatography-MS, etc.), strategies (untargeted, targeted, and pseudotargeted metabolomics), key metabolite changes (monoamine neurotransmitters, amino acids, lipids, etc.), and antidepressant treatments (both western and traditional Chinese medicines). Depression sub-phenotypes, comorbid depression, and multi-omics approaches are also highlighted to stimulate further advances in MS-based metabolomics in the field of MDD research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingxia Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; (M.L.)
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Wen Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yi He
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; (M.L.)
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Zuoli Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; (M.L.)
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; (M.L.)
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chen C, Tian J, Gao X, Qin X, Du G, Zhou Y. An integrated strategy to study the combination mechanisms of Bupleurum chinense DC and Paeonia lactiflora Pall for treating depression based on correlation analysis between serum chemical components profiles and endogenous metabolites profiles. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 305:116068. [PMID: 36574791 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.116068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Bupleurum chinense DC-Paeonia lactiflora Pall (BCD-PLP) is a common clinical herb pair in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions commonly used to treat depression. However, its combination mechanisms with its anti-depressive effects remain highly unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY Here, an effective strategy has been developed to study the combination mechanisms of Bupleurum chinense DC (BCD) and Paeonia lactiflora Pall (PLP) by integrating serum pharmacochemistry analysis, metabolomics technology, and molecular docking technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS First, the depression model rats were replicated by the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) procedure, and the difference in the chemical composition in vivo before and after the combination of BCD and PLP was analyzed by integrating background subtraction and multivariate statistical analysis techniques. Then, UPLC/HRMS-based serum metabolomics was performed to analyze the synergistic effect on metabolite regulation before and after the combination of BCD and PLP. Further, the correlation analysis between the differential exogenous chemical components and the differential endogenous metabolites before and after the combination was employed to dissect the combination mechanisms from a global perspective of combining metabolomics and serum pharmacochemistry. Finally, the molecular docking between the differential chemical components and the key metabolic enzymes was applied to verify the regulatory effect of the differential exogenous chemical components on the differential endogenous metabolites. RESULTS The serum pharmacochemistry analysis results demonstrated that the combination of BCD and PLP could significantly affect the content of 10 components in BCD (including 5 prototype components were significantly decreased and 5 metabolites were significantly increased) and 8 components in PLP (including 4 prototype components and 3 metabolites were significantly increased, 1 metabolite was significantly decreased), which indicated that the combination could enhance BCD prototype components' metabolism and the absorption of the PLP prototype components. Besides, metabolomics results indicated that the BCD-PLP herb pair group significantly reversed more metabolites (8) than BCD and PLP single herb group (5 & 4) and has a stronger regulatory effect on metabolite disorders caused by CUMS. Furthermore, the correlation analysis results suggested that saikogenin F and saikogenin G were significantly positively correlated with the endogenous metabolite itaconate, an endogenous anti-inflammatory metabolite; and benzoic acid was significantly positively correlated with D-serine, an endogenous metabolite with an antidepressant effect. Finally, the molecular docking results further confirmed that the combination of BCD and PLP could affect the activities of cis-aconitic acid decarboxylase and D-amino acid oxidase by increasing the in vivo concentration of saikogenin F and benzoic acid, which further enhances its anti-inflammatory activity and anti-depressive effect. CONCLUSIONS In this study, an effective strategy has been developed to study the combination mechanisms of BCD and PLP by integrating serum pharmacochemistry analysis, multivariate statistical analysis, metabolomics technology, and molecular docking technology. Based on this strategy, the present study indicated that the combination of BCD and PLP could affect the activities of cis-aconitic acid decarboxylase and D-amino acid oxidase by increasing the concentration of saikogenin F and benzoic acid in vivo, which further enhances its anti-depressive effect. In short, this strategy will provide a reliable method for elucidating the herb-herb compatibility mechanism of TCM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Chen
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China; Key Laboratory of Effective Substances Research and Utilization in TCM of Shanxi Province, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Junshen Tian
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China; Key Laboratory of Effective Substances Research and Utilization in TCM of Shanxi Province, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Xiaoxia Gao
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China; Key Laboratory of Effective Substances Research and Utilization in TCM of Shanxi Province, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Xuemei Qin
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China; Key Laboratory of Effective Substances Research and Utilization in TCM of Shanxi Province, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Guanhua Du
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China; Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, PR China
| | - Yuzhi Zhou
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China; Key Laboratory of Effective Substances Research and Utilization in TCM of Shanxi Province, Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Intervention Effects of Okra Extract on Brain-Gut Peptides and Intestinal Microorganisms in Sleep Deprivation Rats. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:9855411. [PMID: 36193125 PMCID: PMC9526647 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9855411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective Okra, possessing various bioactive components, is used to treat different diseases. This study sought to estimate the intervention effects of okra extract (OE) on brain-gut peptides (BGPs) and intestinal microorganisms in sleep deprivation (SD) rats. Methods SD rat models were established using the modified multiple platform method and then treated with normal saline, diazepam tablets, or different doses of OE. Body weight and average daily water consumption of rats were recorded. Depressive behaviors of rats were assessed by the open field test and sucrose preference test. Serum levels of noradrenaline, melatonin, inflammatory factors (IL-1β/IL-6/TNF-α/IL-4/IL-10), and BGP indexes, including gastrin (GAS), motilin (MTL), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), cholecystokinin (CCK), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were measured by ELISA. Additionally, the DNA relative contents of representative intestinal microorganisms in the collected rat feces were determined using RT-qPCR. Results SD decreased body weight and average daily water consumption and induced depressive behaviors as well as stress and inflammatory responses in rats. SD rats exhibited lowered GAS, MTL, 5-HT, and VIP but elevated CCK and showed diminished DNA relative contents of Bacteroidetes and probiotics (Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli) but increased Clostridium perfringens. OE at different doses ameliorated the depressive behaviors and mitigated the stress and inflammatory responses in SD rats, raised the serum contents of GAS, MTL, 5-HT, and VIP, reduced CCK level, elevated the DNA relative contents of Bacteroidetes and probiotics, but diminished Clostridium perfringens. OE exhibited similar intervention effects to diazepam tablets (positive control). Conclusion OE exerts intervention effects on BGPs and intestinal microorganisms in SD rats.
Collapse
|