Antitumor Effects of Paeoniflorin on Hippo Signaling Pathway in Gastric Cancer Cells

Synthesis, Antioxidant Activity, and Molecular Docking of Novel Paeoniflorin Derivatives

Paeoniflorin (PF) is one of the active constituents of the traditional Chinese medicine Paeoniae Radix Rubra and has been actively explored in the pharmaceutical area due to its numerous pharmacological effects. However, severe difficulties such as limited bioavailability and low permeability limit its utilization. Therefore, this study developed and synthesized 25 derivatives of PF, characterized them by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HR-MS, and evaluated their antioxidant activity. Firstly, the antioxidant capacity of PF derivatives was investigated through DPPH radical scavenging experiment, ABTS radical scavenging experiment, reducing ability experiment, and O2 .- radical scavenging experiment. PC12 cells are routinely used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of medicines, therefore we utilize it to establish a cellular model of oxidative stress. Among all derivatives, compound 22 demonstrates high DPPH radical scavenging capacity, ABTS radical scavenging ability, reduction ability, and O2 .- radical scavenging ability. The results of cell tests reveal that compound 22 has a non-toxic effect on PC12 cells and a protective effect on H2O2-induced oxidative stress models. This might be due to the introduction of 2, 5-difluorobenzene sulfonate group in PF, which helps in scavenging free radicals under oxidative stress. Western blot and molecular docking indicated that compound 22 may exert antioxidant activity by activating Nrf2 protein expression. As noted in the study, compound 22 has the potential to be a novel antioxidant.

Exploring molecular targets in cancer: Unveiling the anticancer potential of Paeoniflorin through a comprehensive analysis of diverse signaling pathways and recent advances

Tumors have posed significant threats to human health for over 250 years, emerging as the foremost cause of death. While chemotherapeutic drugs are effective in treating tumors, their side effects can sometimes be challenging to manage during therapy. Nonetheless, there is growing interest in exploring natural compounds as alternatives, which potentially achieve therapeutic outcomes comparable to conventional chemotherapeutics with fewer adverse effects. Paeoniflorin (PF), a monoterpene glycoside derived from the root of Paeonia lactiflora, has garnered significant attention lately due to its promising anti-cancer properties. This review offers an updated outline of the molecular mechanisms underlying PF's anti-tumor function, with a focus on its modulation of various signaling pathways. PF exerts its anti-tumor activity by regulating crucial cellular processes including apoptosis, angiogenesis, proliferation, and metastasis. We explored the multifaceted impact of PF while modulating through signaling pathways, encompassing nuclear factor kappa B, NOTCH, caspase cascade, transforming growth factor-β, NEDD4, P53/14-3-3, STAT 3, MAPK, MMP-9, and SKP2 signaling pathways, highlighting its versatility in targeting diverse malignancies. Furthermore, we discuss future research directions aimed at exploring innovative and targeted cancer therapies facilitated by PF.

Paeoniflorin alleviates depression by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome via promoting mitochondrial autophagy

Depression ranks among the most common neuropsychiatric disorders globally. Current studies examining the roles of inflammation and mitochondrial autophagy in the antidepressant efficacy of paeoniflorin (PF) are sparse. This study aimed to elucidate PF's antidepressant mechanism by promoting autophagy and inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation using chronic unpredictable mild stimulation (CUMS)-induced C57BL/6 mouse models in vivo and corticosterone (CORT)-induced HT22 cell models in vitro. Results demonstrated that PF enhanced the viability of HT22 cells following CORT exposure, restored mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation, increased LC3 fluorescence intensity, and suppressed inflammatory cytokine secretion and inflammation activation. Additionally, PF ameliorated depressive behaviors induced by CUMS and improved damage in hippocampal neurons. It also reduced the expression of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and the assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Moreover, PF upregulated the expression of autophagy-related proteins in the hippocampus, facilitating the clearance of damaged mitochondria and enhancing autophagy. The role of autophagy in PF's antidepressant effects was further confirmed through the use of the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), which reduced the efficacy of PF. In conclusion, PF effectively improved depressive behaviors in CUMS-induced mice and reduced NLRP3-mediated inflammation both in vivo and in vitro, likely via the induction of autophagy.

Genus Paeonia monoterpene glycosides: A systematic review on their pharmacological activities and molecular mechanisms

BACKGROUND

Genus Paeonia, which is the main source of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Paeoniae Radix Rubra (Chishao in Chinese), Paeoniae Radix Alba (Baishao in Chinese) and Moutan Cortex (Mudanpi in Chinese), is rich in active pharmaceutical ingredient such as monoterpenoid glycosides (MPGs). MPGs from Paeonia have extensive pharmacological effects, but the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of MPGs has not been comprehensively reviewed.

PURPOSE

MPGs compounds are one of the main chemical components of the genus Paeonia, with a wide variety of compounds and strong pharmacological activities, and the structure of the mother nucleus-pinane skeleton is similar to that of a cage. The purpose of this review is to summarize the pharmacological activity and mechanism of action of MPGs from 2012 to 2023, providing reference direction for the development and utilization of Paeonia resources and preclinical research.

METHODS

Keywords and phrases are widely used in database searches, such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and X-Mol to search for citations related to the new compounds, extensive pharmacological research and molecular mechanisms of MPGs compounds of genus Paeonia.

RESULTS

Modern research confirms that MPGs are the main compounds in Paeonia that exert pharmacological effects. MPGs with extensive pharmacological characteristics are mainly concentrated in two categories: paeoniflorin derivatives and albiflflorin derivatives among MPGs, which contains 32 compounds. Among them, 5 components including paeoniflorin, albiflorin, oxypaeoniflorin, 6'-O-galloylpaeoniflorin and paeoniflorigenone have been extensively studied, while the other 28 components have only been confirmed to have a certain degree of anti-inflammatory and anticomplementary effects. Studies of pharmacological effects are widely involved in nervous system, endocrine system, digestive system, immune system, etc., and some studies have identified clear mechanisms. MPGs exert pharmacological activity through multilateral mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, inhibition of cell apoptosis, regulation of brain gut axis, regulation of gut microbiota and downregulation of mitochondrial apoptosis, etc. CONCLUSION: This systematic review delved into the pharmacological effects and related molecular mechanisms of MPGs. However, there are still some compounds in MPGs whose pharmacological effects and pharmacological mechanisms have not been clarified. In addition, extensive clinical randomized trials are needed to verify the efficacy and dosage of MPGs.

The Role and Mechanism of Paeoniae Radix Alba in Tumor Therapy

Tumors have a huge impact on human life and are now the main cause of disease-related deaths. The main means of treatment are surgery and radiotherapy, but they are more damaging to the organism and have a poor postoperative prognosis. Therefore, we urgently need safe and effective drugs to treat tumors. In recent years, Chinese herbal medicines have been widely used in tumor therapy as complementary and alternative therapies. Medicinal and edible herbs are popular and have become a hot topic of research, which not only have excellent pharmacological effects and activities, but also have almost no side effects. Therefore, as a typical medicine and food homology, some components of Paeoniae Radix Alba (PRA, called Baishao in China) have been shown to have good efficacy and safety against cancer. Numerous studies have also shown that Paeoniae Radix Alba and its active ingredients treat cancer through various pathways and are also one of the important components of many antitumor herbal compound formulas. In this paper, we reviewed the literature on the intervention of Paeoniae Radix Alba in tumors and its mechanism of action in recent years and found that there is a large amount of literature on its effect on total glucosides of paeony (TGP) and paeoniflorin (PF), as well as an in-depth discussion of the mechanism of action of Paeoniae Radix Alba and its main constituents, with a view to promote the clinical development and application of Paeoniae Radix Alba in the field of antitumor management.

Integrated Metabolomics Approach Reveals the Dynamic Variations of Metabolites and Bioactivities in Paeonia ostii 'Feng Dan' Leaves during Development

Paeonia ostii 'Feng Dan' is widely cultivated in China for its ornamental, medicinal, and edible properties. The whole plant of tree peony is rich in bioactive substances, while the comprehensive understanding of metabolites in the leaves is limited. In this study, an untargeted metabolomics strategy based on UPLC-ESI-TOF-MS was conducted to analyze the dynamic variations of bioactive metabolites in P. ostii 'Feng Dan' leaves during development. A total of 321 metabolites were rapidly annotated based on the GNPS platform, in-house database, and publications. To accurately quantify the selected metabolites, a targeted method of HPLC-ESI-QQQ-MS was used. Albiflorin, paeoniflorin, pentagalloylglucose, luteolin 7-glucoside, and benzoylpaeoniflorin were recognized as the dominant bioactive compounds with significant content variations during leaf development. Metabolite variations during the development of P. ostii 'Feng Dan' leaves are greatly attributed to the variations in antioxidant activities. Among all tested bacteria, the leaf extract exhibited exceptional inhibitory effects against Streptococcus hemolytis-β. This research firstly provides new insights into tree peony leaves during development. The stages of S1-S2 may be the most promising harvesting time for potential use in food or pharmaceutical purposes.

Paeoniflorin Induces ER Stress-Mediated Apoptotic Cell Death by Generating Nox4-Derived ROS under Radiation in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the most prevalent cancer types worldwide, and its resistance to cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, has made treating it a major challenge. Paeoniflorin (PF) is one potential pharmacological treatment derived from paeony root. However, in cancer, the molecular mechanisms and biological functions of PF are still unclear. In the present study, we found that PF exerts anti-tumor effects in vivo and in vitro and induces apoptotic cell death through ER stress, calcium (Ca2+), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) release in gastric cancer cells. However, ROS inhibition by DPI and NAC blocks cell death and the PERK signaling pathway via the reduction of Nox4. Moreover, PF triggers a synergistic inhibitory effect of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process under radiation exposure in radiation-resistant gastric cancer cells. These findings indicate that PF-induced Ca2+ and ROS release overcomes radioresistance via ER stress and induces cell death under radiation in gastric cancer cells. Therefore, PF, in combination with radiation, may be a powerful strategy for gastric cancer therapy.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of 12 major active components in normal and chronic gastritis rats after oral administration of Weikangling capsules

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Weikangling Capsules (WKLCs) have been used in the clinic for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders for more than 30 years. However, the pharmacokinetic characteristics and tissue distribution of its major bioactive components in rats under different physiological and pathological conditions are unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, we aimed to clarify the differences in pharmacokinetic parameters and tissue distribution of the major active components in WKLCs under physiological and pathological states.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Normal and ethanol-induced chronic gastritis rats received 2.16 g/kg WKLCs by gavage, and urine, feces, plasma, and tissue (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, and small intestine) samples were obtained. The active components in urine, feces and plasma were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). A rapid and sensitive analytical method, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole linear ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS), was established and validated to clarify and compare the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of the major active components in normal and chronic gastritis rats.

RESULTS

A total of 36 chemical components in the feces, urine, and plasma of chronic gastritis rats were identified by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Among them, 20 were the prototype components of WKLCs, and 16 were metabolites. The pharmacokinetic characteristics and tissue distribution of 12 prototype components were successfully analyzed by UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic results showed that the C_max, AUC_0-t, and AUC_0-∞ of paeoniflorin, glycyrrhizic acid, and glycyrrhetinic acid were distinctly higher than those of the other components in normal and chronic gastritis rats. Compared to normal rats, the C_max, AUC_0-t, and AUC_0-∞ of albiflorin, liquiritin apioside, liquiritin, isoliquiritin, ononin, isoliquiritigenin, dactylorhin A, and glycyrrhizic acid were significantly increased in chronic gastritis rats (P < 0.05), while the C_max, AUC_0-t and AUC_0-∞ of militarine and liquiritigenin had significantly lower decreases in chronic gastritis rats (P < 0.05). The results of the tissue distribution showed that the 12 components were widely distributed in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, and small intestine of rats, of which the liver, kidney, stomach, and small intestine were the main accumulative organs. Compared with normal rats, the concentrations of 12 components in the liver, kidney, stomach, and small intestine of chronic gastritis rats were widely higher than those of normal rats at the same time points.

CONCLUSION

The pharmacokinetic characteristics and tissue distribution of 12 active components of WKLCs were comprehensively characterized and elucidated in normal and chronic gastritis rats. These findings laid a solid foundation for revealing the pharmacodynamic material basis of WKLCs in treating gastrointestinal disorders.

Natural products targeting signaling pathways associated with regulated cell death in gastric cancer: Recent advances and perspectives

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most serious gastrointestinal malignancies with high morbidity and mortality. The complexity of GC process lies in the multi-phenotypic linkage regulation, in which regulatory cell death (RCD) is the core link, which largely dominates the fate of GC cells and becomes a key determinant of GC development and prognosis. In recent years, increasing evidence has been reported that natural products can prevent and inhibit the development of GC by regulating RCDs, showing great therapeutic potential. In order to further clarify its key regulatory characteristics, this review focused on specific expressions of RCDs, combined with a variety of signaling pathways and their crosstalk characteristics, sorted out the key targets and action rules of natural products targeting RCD. It is highlighted that a variety of core biological pathways and core targets are involved in the decision of GC cell fate, including the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, MAPK-related signaling pathways, p53 signaling pathway, ER stress, Caspase-8, gasdermin D (GSDMD), and so on. Moreover, natural products target the crosstalk of different RCDs by modulating above signaling pathways. Taken together, these findings suggest that targeting various RCDs in GC with natural products is a promising strategy, providing a reference for further clarifying the molecular mechanism of natural products treating GC, which warrants further investigations in this area.

Can Natural Products Targeting EMT Serve as the Future Anticancer Therapeutics?

Cancer is the leading cause of death and has remained a big challenge for the scientific community. Because of the growing concerns, new therapeutic regimens are highly demanded to decrease the global burden. Despite advancements in chemotherapy, drug resistance is still a major hurdle to successful treatment. The primary challenge should be identifying and developing appropriate therapeutics for cancer patients to improve their survival. Multiple pathways are dysregulated in cancers, including disturbance in cellular metabolism, cell cycle, apoptosis, or epigenetic alterations. Over the last two decades, natural products have been a major research interest due to their therapeutic potential in various ailments. Natural compounds seem to be an alternative option for cancer management. Natural substances derived from plants and marine sources have been shown to have anti-cancer activity in preclinical settings. They might be proved as a sword to kill cancerous cells. The present review attempted to consolidate the available information on natural compounds derived from plants and marine sources and their anti-cancer potential underlying EMT mechanisms.

The multifaceted mechanisms of Paeoniflorin in the treatment of tumors: State-of-the-Art

Paeoniflorin is a water-soluble monoterpenoid glycoside that can be derived from multiple herbaceous plants, such as Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Paeonia suffruticosa and Cimicifugae Foetidae. Multiple studies have suggested that Paeoniflorin possesses an excellent anti-tumor effect in variety of tumors, including liver cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer and bladder cancer. It can induce cell apoptosis, inhibit proliferation, invasion and metastasis via different molecular mechanisms, which are mainly involved in nuclear transcription factor kappα (NF-κB), B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) family, MicroRNA, neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated protein 4(NEDD4) signaling pathway, transcription activating factor (STAT3), p21, p53/14-3-3 signaling pathway, transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)/Smads signaling pathway, Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and Notch-1. Current studies on anti-tumor effect and mechanism of action of Paeoniflorin remain unclear. Therefore, this study reviews the research progress in the anti-tumor effect and mechanism of Paeoniflorin in an attempt to provide a new thought and theoretical basis for further development and clinical application of Paeoniflorin.

Natural Compounds Targeting Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts against Digestive System Tumor Progression: Therapeutic Insights

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are critical for cancer occurrence and progression in the tumor microenvironment (TME), due to their versatile roles in extracellular matrix remodeling, tumor–stroma crosstalk, immunomodulation, and angiogenesis. CAFs are the most abundant stromal component in the TME and undergo epigenetic modification and abnormal signaling cascade activation, such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and Wnt pathways that maintain the distinct phenotype of CAFs, which differs from normal fibroblasts. CAFs have been considered therapeutic targets due to their putative oncogenic functions. Current digestive system cancer treatment strategies often result in lower survival outcomes and fail to prevent cancer progression; therefore, comprehensive characterization of the tumor-promoting and -restraining CAF activities might facilitate the design of new therapeutic approaches. In this review, we summarize the enormous literature on natural compounds that mediate the crosstalk of CAFs with digestive system cancer cells, discuss how the biology and the multifaceted functions of CAFs contribute to cancer progression, and finally, pave the way for CAF-related antitumor therapies.

The regulatory networks of the Hippo signaling pathway in cancer development

The Hippo signaling pathway is a relatively young tumor-related signaling pathway. Although it was discovered lately, research on it developed rapidly. The Hippo signaling pathway is closely relevant to the occurrence and development of tumors and the maintenance of organ size and other biological processes. This manuscript focuses on YAP, the core molecule of the Hippo signaling pathway, and discussion the upstream and downstream regulatory networks of the Hippo signaling pathway during tumorigenesis and development. It also summarizes the relevant drugs involved in this signaling pathway, which may be helpful to the development of targeted drugs for cancer therapy.

Research Progress on Natural Product Ingredients' Therapeutic Effects on Parkinson's Disease by Regulating Autophagy

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged and older adults. Abnormal proteins such as α-synuclein are essential factors in PD's pathogenesis. Autophagy is the main participant in the clearance of abnormal proteins. The overactive or low function of autophagy leads to autophagy stress. Not only is it difficult to clear abnormal proteins but also it can cause damage to neurons. In this article, the effects of natural products ingredients, such as salidroside, paeoniflorin, curcumin, resveratrol, corynoxine, and baicalein, on regulating autophagy and protecting neurons were discussed in detail to provide a reference for the research and development of drugs for the treatment of PD.