In vivo evaluation of efficacy and safety of Coagulansin-A in treating arthritis

The current study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of Coag-A through in vivo analysis in CFA induced mice model. Treatment of CFA induced arthritis in mice with Coagulansin-A (10 mg/kg i.p. daily for 28 days), a withanolide obtained from Withania coagulans, as well as standard drug treatment with Dexamethasone (5 mg/kg i.p) was provided. The effect of Coag-A on body weight, relative organ weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, survival rate, oxidative stress markers, and antioxidant enzymes was evaluated. The liver and kidney histopathology were also assessed to ascertain its safety profile. Treatment of arthritic mice with Coag-A considerably improved body weight, relative organ weight of liver, kidney, and spleen, ameliorated hematology and serum biochemistry, and increased survival and antioxidant potential. Coag-A was found to be safer with fewer adverse effects showing hepato-protective, nephroprotective, and anti-inflammatory effect. It also significantly (p < 0.001) improved histopathology of CFA-induced mice when compared with Dexa. In conclusion, compared to dexamethasone, Coag-A has demonstrated a greater therapeutic benefit and fewer side effects in the treatment of arthritis against the CFA-induced model.

Development of bile acid activated receptors hybrid molecules for the treatment of inflammatory and metabolic disorders

The farnesoid-x-receptor (FXR) and the G protein bile acid activated receptor (GPBAR)1 are two bile acid activated receptors highly expressed in entero-hepatic, immune, adipose and cardiovascular tissues. FXR and GPBAR1 are clinically validated targets in the treatment of metabolic disorders and FXR agonists are currently trialled in patients with non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH). Results of these trials, however, have raised concerns over safety and efficacy of selective FXR ligands suggesting that the development of novel agent designed to impact on multiple targets might have utility in the treatment of complex, multigenic, disorders. Harnessing on FXR and GPBAR1 agonists, several novel hybrid molecules have been developed, including dual FXR and GPBAR1 agonists and antagonists, while exploiting the flexibility of FXR agonists toward other nuclear receptors, dual FXR and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors (PPARs) and liver-X-receptors (LXRs) and Pregnane-X-receptor (PXR) agonists have been reported. In addition, modifications of FXR agonists has led to the discovery of dual FXR agonists and fatty acid binding protein (FABP)1 and Leukotriene B4 hydrolase (LTB4H) inhibitors. The GPBAR1 binding site has also proven flexible to accommodate hybrid molecules functioning as GPBAR1 agonist and cysteinyl leukotriene receptor (CYSLTR)1 antagonists, as well as dual GPBAR1 agonists and retinoid-related orphan receptor (ROR)γt antagonists, dual GPBAR1 agonist and LXR antagonists and dual GPBAR1 agonists endowed with inhibitory activity on dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4). In this review we have revised the current landscape of FXR and GPBAR1 based hybrid agents focusing on their utility in the treatment of metabolic associated liver disorders.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling to study the hepatoprotective effect of Perilla Folium on the acute hepatic injury rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Perilla Folium (PF), is a traditional medicinal material with the homology of medicine and food in China and has been widely used due to its rich nutritional content and medicinal value. The hepatoprotective effects of PF extract include their protection against acute hepatic injury, tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP) induced oxidative damage, and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and D-galactosamine (D-GalN) induced hepatic injury have been well studied. However, there are few reports on the pharmacokinetics studies of PF extract in acute hepatic injury model rats, and the anti-hepatic injury activity of PF is still unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The differences in the plasma pharmacokinetic of 21 active compounds between the normal and model groups were compared， and established pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) modeling was to analyze the hepatoprotective effects of PF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The acute hepatic injury model was induced with an intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and D-galactosamine (D-GalN), and the plasma pharmacokinetics of 21 active compounds of PF were analyzed in the normal and model groups using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The correlation between plasma components and hepatoprotective effects indicators (the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH)) in the model group was also investigated and established a Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) correlation analysis of the hepatoprotective effects of PF.

RESULTS

The results revealed that organic acid compounds possessed the characteristics of faster absorption, shorter peak time and slower metabolism, while the flavonoid compounds had slower absorption and longer peak time, and the pharmacokinetics of various components were significantly affected after modeling. The results of PK/PD modeling analysis demonstrated that the plasma drug concentration of each component existed a good correlation with the three AST, ALT, and LDH, and the lag time of the efficacy of each component is relatively long.

CONCLUSIONS

The plasma drug concentration of each component existed a good correlation with the three AST, ALT, and LDH, and the lag time of the efficacy of each component is relatively long in vivo.

An updated review on phytochemistry and molecular targets of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha)

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal belongs to the nightshade family Solanaceae and is commonly known as Ashwagandha. It is pharmacologically a significant medicinal plant of the Indian sub-continent, used in Ayurvedic and indigenous systems of medicine for more than 3,000 years. It is a rich reservoir of pharmaceutically bioactive constituents known as withanolides (a group of 300 naturally occurring C-28 steroidal lactones with an ergostane-based skeleton). Most of the biological activities of W. somnifera have been attributed to two key withanolides, namely, withaferin-A and withanolide-D. In addition, bioactive constituents such as withanosides, sitoindosides, steroidal lactones, and alkaloids are also present with a broad spectrum of therapeutic potential. Several research groups worldwide have discovered various molecular targets of W. somnifera, such as inhibiting the activation of nuclear factor kappa-B and promoting apoptosis of cancer cells. It also enhances dopaminergic D2 receptor activity (relief in Parkinson’s disease). The active principles such as sitoindosides VII-X and withaferin-A possess free radical properties. Withanolide-D increases the radio sensitivity of human cancer cells via inhibiting deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage to non-homologous end-joining repair (NHEJ) pathways. Withanolide-V may serve as a potential inhibitor against the main protease (Mpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to combat COVID. The molecular docking studies revealed that the withanolide-A inhibits acetyl-cholinesterase in the brain, which could be a potential drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Besides, withanolide-A reduces the expression of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, which is responsible for memory loss in epileptic rats. This review demonstrates that W. somnifera is a rich source of withanolides and other bioactive constituents, which can be used as a safe drug for various chronic diseases due to the minimal side effects in various pre-clinical studies. These results are interesting and signify that more clinical trials should be conducted to prove the efficacy and other potential therapeutic effects in human settings.

Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Three Bioactive Diterpenoids of Rabdosia serra Extract in Normal and Con A-Induced Liver Injury Rats Using UPLC-MS/MS

Rabdosia serra (Maxim.) Hara (R. serra), one of the source plants of “Xihuangcao”, has been widely used as a Chinese folk herb with the concomitant function of both medicine and foodstuff for the prevention and treatment of liver disease. Diterpenoids were considered as the major bioactive components in R. serra, responsible for their effect on hepatoprotection in previous phytochemical and pharmacological studies, while few comparative pharmacokinetic studies have been conducted under the physiological and pathological conditions. To reveal the difference in the pharmacokinetics process of R. serra extract (RSE) in normal and Con A-induced liver injury rats, a rapid ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method (total running time: 5 min) was established to simultaneously determine three bioactive diterpenoids (enmein, epinodosin, and isodocarpin) in rat plasma. The results showed significant differences in the pharmacokinetic properties of three analytes between the physiological and pathological states. Compared with normal rats, the AUC of the three analytes was remarkably higher in liver injury rats, while the T_max, T_1/2, and MRT were shortened. It indicated that RSE has higher exposure and quicker elimination in liver injury rats than that in normal rats. Our results suggested that the pharmacokinetics of hepatoprotective medications was affected by liver injury, which prospected to provide essential information for guiding the healthcare and clinical application of R. serra in pathological states.

Withaferin A alleviates ethanol-induced liver injury by inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis

Withaferin A (WA) is a natural steroidal compound with reported hepatoprotective activities against various liver diseases. Whether WA has therapeutic effects on alcoholic liver disease has not been explored. A binge alcoholic liver injury model was employed by feeding C57BL/6J mice an ethanol (EtOH) diet for 10 days followed by an acute dose of EtOH to mimic clinical acute-upon-chronic liver injury. In this binge model, WA significantly reduced the binge EtOH-induced increase of serum aminotransaminase levels and decreased hepatic lipid accumulation. Mechanistically, WA decreased levels of hepatic lipogenesis gene mRNAs in vivo, including Srebp1c, Fasn, Acc1 and Fabp1. In EtOH-treated primary hepatocytes in vitro, WA decreased lipid accumulation by lowering the expression of the lipogenesis gene mRNAs Fasn and Acc1 as well as decreasing hepatocyte death. In the established binge alcoholic liver injury model, WA therapeutically reduced the EtOH-induced increase of serum aminotransaminase levels as well as hepatic lipid accumulation. These results demonstrate that WA reduces EtOH-induced liver injury by inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis, suggesting a potential therapeutic option for treating alcoholic liver injury.