Hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects of green tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.) calyxes' extracts

Esculeogenin A, a Glycan from Tomato, Alleviates Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats through Hypolipidemic, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Effects

This study examined the preventative effects of esculeogenin A (ESGA), a newly discovered glycan from tomato, on liver damage and hepatic steatosis in high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed male rats. The animals were divided into six groups (each of eight rats): a control group fed a normal diet, control + ESGA (200 mg/kg), HFD, and HFD + ESAG in 3 doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg). Feeding and treatments were conducted for 12 weeks. Treatment with ESGA did not affect gains in the body or fat weight nor increases in fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR or serum levels of free fatty acids (FFAs), tumor-necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 (IL-6). On the contrary, it significantly reduced the serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total triglycerides (TGs), cholesterol (CHOL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in the HFD-fed rats. In addition, it improved the liver structure, attenuating the increase in fat vacuoles; reduced levels of TGs and CHOL, and the mRNA levels of SREBP1 and acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC); and upregulated the mRNA levels of proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) in HFD-fed rats. These effects were concomitant with increases in the mRNA, cytoplasmic, and nuclear levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO); a reduction in the nuclear activity of nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-κB); and inhibition of the activity of nuclear factor kappa B kinase subunit beta (IKKβ). All of these effects were dose-dependent effects in which a normal liver structure and normal levels of all measured parameters were seen in HFD + ESGA (200 mg/kg)-treated rats. In conclusion, ESGA prevents NAFLD in HFD-fed rats by attenuating hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation by acting locally on Nrf2, NF-κB, SREBP1, and PPARα transcription factors.

Bio-guided isolation of potential anti-inflammatory constituents of some endophytes isolated from the leaves of ground cherry (Physalis pruinosa L.) via ex-vivo and in-silico studies

BACKGROUND

Due to the extensive potential of previously studied endophytes in addition to plants belonging to genus Physalis as a source of anti-inflammatory constituents, the present study aimed at isolation for the first time some endophytic fungi from the medicinal plant Physalis pruinosa.

METHODS

The endophytic fungi were isolated from the fresh leaves of P. pruinosa then purified and identified by both morphological and molecular methods. Comparative evaluation of the cytotoxic and ex vivo anti-inflammatory activity in addition to gene expression of the three pro-inflammatory indicators (TNF-α, IL-1β and INF-γ) was performed in WBCs treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for the identified endophytes, isolated compounds and the standard anti-inflammatory drug (piroxicam). For prediction of the binding mode of the top-scoring constituents-targets complexes, the Schrödinger Maestro 11.8 package (LLC, New York, NY) was employed in the docking study.

RESULTS

A total of 50 endophytic fungal isolates were separated from P. pruinosa leaves. Selection of six representative isolates was performed for further bioactivity screening based on their morphological characters, which were then identified as Stemphylium simmonsii MN401378, Stemphylium sp. MT084051, Alternaria infectoria MT573465, Alternaria alternata MZ066724, Alternaria alternata MN615420 and Fusarium equiseti MK968015. It could be observed that A. alternata MN615420 extract was the most potent anti-inflammatory candidate with a significant downregulation of TNF-α. Moreover, six secondary metabolites, alternariol monomethyl ether (1), 3'-hydroxyalternariol monomethyl ether (2), alternariol (3), α-acetylorcinol (4), tenuazonic acid (5) and allo-tenuazonic acid (6) were isolated from the most potent candidate (A. alternata MN615420). Among the tested isolated compounds, 3'-hydroxyalternariol monomethyl ether showed the highest anti-inflammatory potential with the most considerable reductions in the level of INF-γ and IL-1β. Meanwhile, alternariol monomethyl ether was the most potent TNF-α inhibitor. The energy values for the protein (IL-1β, TNF-α and INF-γ)-ligand interaction for the best conformation of the isolated compounds were estimated using molecular docking analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained suggested alternariol derivatives may serve as naturally occurring potent anti-inflammatory candidates. This study opens new avenues for the design and development of innovative anti-inflammatory drugs that specifically target INF-γ, IL-1β and INF-γ.

Integrated serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology analyses reveal the bioactive metabolites and potential functional mechanism of ground cherry (Physalis pruinosa L.) in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Different Physalis plants have been widely employed in traditional medicine for management of diabetes mellitus. Previous studies with respect to the in vivo antidiabetic activity of Physalis plants illustrated that they improved glucose and lipid metabolism in streptozotocin (STZ) -induced diabetic rats yet the mechanism of action of bioactive constituents of the different organs of Physalis plants on diabetes remains obscure.

AIM OF STUDY

Our objective is to study the effects of the different organs of ground cherry (P. pruinosa) on diabetes in rat models and elucidate their mechanism of actions through serum pharmacochemistry combined to network pharmacology analyses and in-vivo testing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Characterization of the constituents in the drug-dosed serum samples relative to the blank serum after treatment with different extracts was performed by UPLC -MS/MS technique. The absorbed metabolites where then subjected to network pharmacology analysis to construct an interaction network linking "compound-target-pathway". In vivo verification was implemented to determine a hypothesized mechanism of action on a STZ and high fat diet induced type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) model based on functional and enrichment analyses of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome and Gene Ontology.

RESULTS

Identification of a total of 73 compounds (22 prototypes and 51 metabolites) derived from P. pruinosa extracts was achieved through comparison of the serum samples collected from diabetic control group and extracts treated groups. The identified compounds were found to belong to different classes according to their structural type including withanolides, physalins and flavonoids. The absorbed compounds in the analyzed serum samples were considered as the potential bioactive components. The component-target network was found to have 23 nodes with 17 target genes including MAPK8, CYP1A1 and CYP1B1. Quercetin and withaferin A were found to possess the highest combined score in the C-T network. Integrated serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology analyses revealed the enrichment of leaves extract with the active constituents, which can be utilized in T2DM treatment. In the top KEGG pathways, lipid and atherosclerosis metabolic pathways in addition to T2DM pathways were found to be highly prioritized. The diabetic rats, which received leaves extract exhibited a substantial increment in GLUT2, INSR, IRS-1, PI₃K-p85 and AKT-ser473 proteins by 105%, 142%, 109%, 81% and 73%, respectively relative to the untreated diabetic group. The immunoblotting performed for MAPK and ERK1/2 part of the inflammatory pathway studied in STZ induced diabetic rats revealed that leaves, calyces and stems extracts resulted in a substantial diminish in p38-MAPK, ERK 1/2, NF-κB, and TNF-α. Histopathological examination revealed that the hepatic histoarchitecture was substantially improved in the leaves, stems, and clayces-treated rats in comparison with untreated diabetic rats. Further, pancreatic injuries, which induced by STZ were dramatically altered by the treatment with P. pruinosa leaves, calyces and stems extracts. β-cells in diabetic rats received leaves extract disclosed moderate insulin immunostaining with a notable increase in the mean insulin area%.

CONCLUSIONS

The study in hand offers a comprehensive study to clarify the bioactive metabolites of the different organs of P. pruinosa. The basic pharmacological effects and underlying mechanism of actions in the management of STZ and high fat diet induced T2DM were specifically covered in this paper.