Analyzing Active Constituents and Optimal Steaming Conditions Related to the Hematopoietic Effect of Steamed Panax notoginseng by Network Pharmacology Coupled with Response Surface Methodology

Changes in chemical components and hepatoprotective effect of red Panax notoginseng processed by aspartic acid impregnation treatment

BACKGROUND

Red Panax notoginseng (RPN) is one of the major processed products of P. notoginseng (PN), with more effective biological activities. However, the traditional processing method of RPN has some disadvantages, such as low conversion rate of ginsenosides and long processing time.

RESULTS

In this work, we developed a green, safe, and efficient approach for RPN processing by aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment. Our results showed that the optimized temperature, steaming time, and concentration of aspartic acid were 120 °C, 1 h, and 3% respectively. The original ginsenosides in PN treated by aspartic acid (Asp-PN) were completely converted to rare saponins at 120 °C within just 1 h. The concentration of the rare ginsenosides in Asp-PN was two times higher than that in untreated RPN. In addition, we examined the protective effect of RPN and Asp-PN on acetaminophen-induced liver injury in a mouse model. The results showed that Asp-PN has significantly more potent hepatoprotective action than the RPN. The hepatoprotection of Asp-PN in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity may be due to its anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory activities.

CONCLUSION

These results indicated that aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment may provide an effective method to shorten the steaming time, improve the conversion rate of ginsenosides, and enhance hepatoprotective activity of RPN. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparison of the components of fresh Panax notoginseng processed by different methods and their anti-anemia effects on cyclophosphamide-treated mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The traditional Chinese herb Panax notoginseng (PN) tonifies blood, and its main active ingredient is saponin. PN is processed by different methods, resulting in different compositions and effects.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To investigate changes in the microstructure and composition of fresh PN processed by different techniques and the anti-anemia effects on tumor-bearing BALB/c mice after chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (CTX).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fresh PN was processed by hot-air drying (raw PN, RPN), steamed at 120 °C for 5 h (steamed PN, SPN), or fried at 130 °C, 160 °C, or 200 °C for 8 min (fried PN, FPN1, FPN2, or FPN3, respectively); then, the microstructures were compared with 3D optical microscopy, quasi-targeted metabolites were detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS), and saponins were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). An anemic mouse model was established by subcutaneous H22 cell injection and treatment with CTX. The antianemia effects of PN after processing via three methods were investigated by measuring peripheral blood parameters, performing HE staining and measuring cell proliferation via immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

3D optical profiling revealed that the surface roughness of the SPN and FPN was greater than that of the other materials. Quasi-targeted metabolomics revealed that SPN and FPN had more differentially abundant metabolites whose abundance increased, while SPN had greater amounts of terpenoids and flavones. Analysis of the composition and content of the targeted saponins revealed that the contents of rare saponins (ginsenoside Rh1, 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, Rh4, Rk3, Rg5) were greater in the SPN. In animal experiments, the RBC, WBC, HGB and HCT levels in peripheral blood were increased by SPN and FPN. HE staining and immunofluorescence showed that H-SPN and M-FPN promoted bone marrow and spleen cell proliferation.

CONCLUSION

The microstructure and components of fresh PN differed after processing via different methods. SPN and FPN ameliorated CTX-induced anemia in mice, but the effects of PN processed by these two methods did not differ.

Optimization of Extraction Conditions for Water-Soluble Polysaccharides from the Roots of Adenophora tetraphylla (Thunb.) Fisch. and Its Effects on Glucose Consumption on HepG2 Cells

The root of Adenophora tetraphylla (Thunb.) Fisch. is a common Chinese materia medica and the polysaccharides which have been isolated from the plant are important active components for medicinal purposes. The objective of the current study was to optimize the extraction parameters and evaluate the glucose consumption activity for Adenophorae root polysaccharides (ARPs). The optimization of ARP extraction was evaluated with preliminary experiments and using response surface methodology (RSM). The conditions investigated were 35-45 °C extraction temperature, 20-30 (v/w) water-to-solid ratio, and 3-5 h extraction time. The antidiabetic effects of ARPs for the glucose consumption activity were evaluated in HepG2 cells. The statistical analyses of the experiments indicated that temperature, water-to-solid ratio, and extraction time significantly affected ARP yield (p < 0.01). The correlation analysis revealed that the experimental data were well-aligned with a quadratic polynomial model, as evidenced by the mathematical regression model's fit. The optimal conditions for maximum ARP yield were 45 °C extraction temperature and 28.47:1 (mL/g) water-to-solid ratio with a 4.60 h extraction time. Extracts from these conditions showed significant activity of promoting cell proliferation from 11.26% (p < 0.001) to 32.47% (p < 0.001) at a dose of 50 μg/mL to 800 μg/mL and increasing glucose consumption to 75.86% (p < 0.001) at 250 μg/mL on HepG2 cells. This study provides a sustainable alternative for the industry since it allowed simplified handling and a specific quantity of ARPs. Furthermore, ARPs might directly stimulate the glucose consumption in the liver and showed no cytotoxicity; therefore, ARPs probably could be taken as a potential natural source of antidiabetic materials.

Homotherapy for heteropathy of Alzheimer's disease and anemia through reducing the expression of toll-like receptor and TNF by steamed Panax notoginseng

BACKGROUND

One of the effects of Steamed Panax notoginsen (SPN) is to replenish blood, which is mostly used to treat anemia in clinic. SPN has the effect of treating anemia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in clinical and basic research. In traditional Chinese medicine, anemia and AD have the same characteristics, and their symptoms are qi and blood deficiency.

METHODS

First, data analysis was carried out through network pharmacology to predict the action targets of SPN homotherapy in the treatment of AD and anemia. Specifically, TCMSP and relevant literature were used to screen the main active ingredients of Panax notoginseng, and SuperPred was used to predict the action targets of the active ingredients. Disease targets related to AD and anemia were collected through Genecards database, and STRING and protein interaction (PPI) was used for enrichment analysis, Analyze the characteristics of the active ingredient target network on the Cytascape 3.9.0 platform, and use Metascape to enrich the gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway Enrichment (KEGG pathway). Then Drosophila was used as the AD animal model, and the effects of SPN on the climbing ability, olfactory memory and brain Aβ, with rats as anemia animal models, the improvement effect of SPN on blood routine and organ index of rats with blood deficiency induced by CTX and APH was analyzed to further explain the therapeutic effect of SPN on these two diseases. Finally, the regulatory effect of SPN on the key active target of allotherapy for AD and anemia was verified by PCR.

RESULTS

After the screening, 17 active components and 92 action targets of SPN were obtained. The degree values of components and the first 15 targets are NFKB1, IL10, PIK3CA, PTGS2, SRC, ECFR, CASP3, MTOR, IL1B, ESR1, AKT1, HSP90AA1, IL6, TNF, and Toll-like receptor, it is mainly related to inflammatory response, immune regulation and antioxidation. SPN improved the climbing ability, olfactory memory ability, and Aβ42 content in the brain of Aβ flies, and significantly reduced the expression of TNF and Toll-like receptor in the brain after treatment. SPN can significantly improve the blood routine index and organ index of anemia rats, and also significantly reduce the expression of TNF and Toll-like receptor in the brain after treatment.

CONCLUSION

SPN can regulate the expression of TNF and Toll-like receptor to achieve the same treatment of AD and anemia.

Optimization of Extraction and Separation Process of Notoginsenoside Fc from Panax notoginseng Leaves

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the optimal conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of Notoginsenoside Fc (Fc) from panax notoginseng leaves. The experiment utilized a Box-Behnken design (BBD) and separation conditions were optimized. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: extraction time = 1.5 h, ethanol concentration = 86%, liquid-to-solid ratio = 19:1. The experimentally obtained values were in accordance with the values predicted by the RSM model. We determined that the RSM model was able to successfully simulate the optimal extraction of Fc from the leaves. Further, Fc was enriched from Panax notoginseng through nine macroporous resins, and HPD-100 macroporous resins were selected for preliminary enrichment of Fc due to its economic costs and benefits. Subsequently, octadecyl silane (ODS) column chromatography was used to improve the purity of Fc to over 90% after separation by ODS column chromatography. Fc with a purity greater than 95% can be obtained by recrystallization. This is the first study that has focused on the extraction and enrichment of Fc from Panax notoginseng leaves using macroporous resin combined with ODS column chromatography, which provides the possibility for further application of Fc.

Mechanism of Magnolia Volatile Oil in the Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis Based on GC-MS, Network Pharmacology, and Molecular Docking

Objective

Magnoliae officinalis cortex (MOC) is one of the most frequently used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP). Magnolia volatile oil (MVO) is considered to be one of the main active ingredients in MOC for AP treatment. However, the underlying mechanism of MVO in AP therapy is unknown.

Methods

An integrated strategy of gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS), network pharmacology, and molecular docking simulation was employed to predict underlying mechanism of MVO in AP treatment. First, the compounds of MVO were identified by GC-MS, and the targets of the identified characteristic compounds were collected from several databases, as well as AP-related targets. Next, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were carried out to obtain the mechanism. Moreover, the binding activity between core therapeutic targets and their corresponding compounds was evaluated by molecular docking simulation.

Results

GC-MS results showed a total of 35 compounds that appeared in at least 18 out of 20 chromatograms were considered as characteristic compounds of MVO, and 33 compounds of those were identified. Network analysis demonstrated that 33 compounds regulated 142 AP-related targets. Of those, 8 compounds (α-eudesmol, γ-eudesmol, (-)-terpinen-4-ol, terpineol, hinesol, linalool, borneol, and β-eudesmol) and 8 targets (TNF, IL-1β, PPARγ, PPARα, PTGS2, NCOA1, CNR1, and ESR1) have a close relationship with AP treatment and were recognized as the key active compounds and the core therapeutic targets, respectively. The 142 targets were involved in both inflammation and calcium overload-related biological pathways, such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, estrogen, MAPK, and calcium signaling pathway. Moreover, molecular docking simulation indicated that the 8 core therapeutic targets strongly interacted with their corresponding compounds.

Conclusions

In summary, the present study elucidated that the efficacy of MVO in AP treatment might be attributed to anti-inflammation and inhibition of calcium overload through multicomponents and multitargets.

Exploring the Molecular Mechanism of Tong Xie Yao Fang in Treating Ulcerative Colitis Using Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of action of Tong Xie Yao Fang (TXYF) against ulcerative colitis (UC) by employing a network pharmacology approach. Methods. The network pharmacology approach, including screening of the active ingredients and targets, construction of the active ingredient-drug target network, the active ingredient-diseasetarget network, the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, enrichment analyses, molecular docking, and targets validation, was used to explore the mechanisms of TXYF against UC. Results. 34 active ingredients and 129 and 772 targets of TXYF and UC, respectively, were identified. The intersection of the active ingredient-drug target network, the active ingredient-disease target network, and the PPI network suggested that kaempferol, beta-sitosterol, wogonin, and naringenin were the core ingredients and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) was the core target. Enrichment analyses showed that regulation of exogenous protein binding and other functions were of great significance. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathway, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway were important pathways. Results of molecular docking indicated that the core ingredients and the target molecule had strong binding affinities. We have validated the high levels of expression of PTGS2 in UC by analyzing three additional datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Conclusions. There are multiple ingredients, targets, and pathways involved in TXYF’s effectiveness against UC, and these findings will promote further research and clinical applications.

Comparative pharmacokinetic analysis of raw and steamed Panax notoginseng roots in rats by UPLC-MS/MS for simultaneously quantifying seven saponins

CONTEXT

After being steamed, the restorative effects of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (Araliaceae) will be strengthened. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the pharmacokinetics of ginsenosides Rg₁, Rb₁, Rd, Re, Rg₅, Rk₁, notoginsenoside R₁ (GRg₁, GRb₁, GRd, GRe, GRg₅, GRk₁ and NGR₁) in the raw and steam-processed P. notoginseng (RPN and SPN).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The pharmacokinetics of seven components after oral administration of SPN and RPN extracts (1.0 g/kg) were investigated, respectively, in SD rats (two groups, n = 6) using UPLC-MS/MS.

RESULTS

The approach elicited good linear regression (r² > 0.991). The accuracy, precision and stability were all within ± 15%. The extraction recoveries and matrix effects were 75.0-100.8% and 85.1-110.3%, respectively. Compared with the RPN group, AUC_0-t of GRg₁ (176.63 ± 42.49 ng/h/mL), GRb₁ (5094.06 ± 1453.14 ng/h/mL), GRd (1396.89 ± 595.14 ng/h/mL), and NGR₁ (135.95 ± 54.32 ng/h/mL), along with C_max of GRg₁ (17.41 ± 5.43 ng/mL), GRb₁ (361.48 ± 165.57 ng/mL), GRd (62.47 ± 33.65 ng/mL) and NGR₁ (23.97 ± 16.77 ng/mL) decreased remarkably with oral administration of the SPN extracts, while GRe showed no significantly difference. Of note, GRg₅ and GRk₁ could not be detected in the plasma.

CONCLUSIONS

Influence of the processing reduced the systemic exposure levels to GRg₁, GRb₁, GRd and NGR₁. It is the first report of comparative pharmacokinetic study of multiple saponins analysis after oral administration of RPN and SPN extract, which might be helpful for further studies on its steam-processing mechanism.

Integrating network pharmacology and in vitro model to investigate hippocampal neurotoxicity induced by atrazine

Atrazine (ATR), a commonly applied herbicide in agriculture, has been found to cause hippocampal injury in rodents. However, the underlying toxicological targets and mechanisms are unclear. In this study, network pharmacology analysis and in vitro model were integrated to investigate the effect and mechanism of ATR-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity. In total, 71 targets of hippocampal neurotoxicity induced by ATR were predicted. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment (KEGG) enrichment analysis suggested that these targets were related to multiple GO terms and signaling pathways. To further investigate the underlying mechanisms, the top 10 hub targets were screened and included tumor protein p53 (Tp53), caspase 3 (Casp3), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (Ptgs2), cAMP-responsive element-binding protein 1 (Creb1), estrogen receptor 1 (Esr1), Jun proto-oncogene (Jun), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), catalase (Cat), sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) and Fos proto-oncogene (Fos). Moreover, the cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay showed that ATR had time and dose-dependent cytotoxicity on H19-7 cells. TUNEL staining revealed that ATR increased the apoptotic ratio. In addition, Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results indicated that the mRNA expression levels of all hub targets showed significant changes, except Esr1 and Jun. Our study demonstrated that ATR mainly acted on multiple targets and signaling pathways to exert its hippocampal neurotoxicity. These results provided initial evidence for the further exploration of the toxicological mechanism of ATR.

The effect and mechanism of cypermethrin-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity as determined by network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation

Cypermethrin (CMN) is a widely used artificial synthetic pesticide that causes neurotoxicity in the hippocampus. However, the underlying toxicological targets and mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, network pharmacology analysis and in vitro models were integrated to investigate the effect and mechanism of CMN-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity. A total of 88 targets of CMN-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity were predicted. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment (KEGG) analyses suggested that these targets were related to multiple GO terms and signaling pathways. To further investigate underlying mechanism, the top 10 hub targets (Akt1, Tnf, Ptgs2, Casp3, Igf1, Sirt1, Jun, Cat, Il10, and Bcl2l1) were screened. Furthermore, cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays demonstrated that CMN was toxic to HT22 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining revealed that treatment with CMN increased the proportion of apoptotic cells. In addition, the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results indicated that CMN altered the mRNA expression levels of most of the hub targets, with the exceptions of Igf1 and Jun. The results demonstrated that multiple targets and signaling pathways were involved in CMN-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity. These findings provided reference values for subsequent studies of the toxicological mechanism of CMN.