Caspase Activation and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase/Akt Inhibition Were Involved in Luteolin-Induced Apoptosis in Lewis Lung Carcinoma Cells

Integrating chemical profiling and network pharmacology analysis based on anti-inflammatory effects for quality control of Scutellaria barbata

INTRODUCTION

With the wide application of Scutellaria barbata D. Don for hepatitis and mastitis, its quality control issues have also received increasing attention. Based on the multi-component and multi-target characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, there is an urgent need to establish a quality evaluation system.

OBJECTIVES

This study intends to integrate the "quality-activity-quantification" strategy and establish an activity-related quality control method to ensure the safety and effectiveness of S. barbata.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/IM-QTOF-MS) was used to characterize the chemical components of S. barbata, and network pharmacological analysis was carried out on the identified components. The index components were determined on the basis of comprehensive activity prediction results and content information. At the same time, the contents of 16 batches of S. barbata from different origins were determined.

RESULTS

A total of 94 compounds were identified according to mass spectrometric data, 12 of which were isolated and structure-confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance technology. Network pharmacological analysis was applied to predict their key targets and the major pathways mediating their anti-inflammatory effects. On the basis of comprehensive activity prediction and content information, five components were chosen as crucial quality indicators of S. barbata, including scutellarin, scutellarein, luteolin, apigenin, and hispidulin.

CONCLUSION

In this study, 16 different S. barbata batches were compared, and five quality indicators were determined on the basis of qualitative and activity results. The present study provides useful information for evaluating the quality of S. barbata in different areas, and also provides a new basis for the development of quality evaluation methods.

From Scutellaria barbata to BZL101 in Cancer Patients: Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Clinical Evidence

Scutellaria barbata D.Don is a popular Chinese medicinal plant documented to treat cancer patients in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A botanical new investigational drug for breast cancer BZL101 (FDA IDN# 59521) was previously developed in the United States from the aqueous extract of the aerial parts from S. barbata. The early phase 1A and 1B clinical trials show its favorable toxicity profiles, good clinical tolerance, and promising efficacy for patients with metastatic breast cancer. To further evidence the phytopharmacology research, drug development, and anticancer use of this herb, a systematic literature review was performed herein on the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and specifically anticancer clinical evidence. A systematic review of the literature on phytochemical and pharmacological properties of the plant related to cancer treatment employed several web-based scientific databases including Wanfang (Chinese), Pubmed, Web of Science, and Elsevier. Key words included Scutellaria barbata, Ban Zhi Lian, cancer, and tumor. Based on critical quality criteria, only 8 out of 69 reports related to clinical studies of cancer patients in China. This review covered the available literature up to July 2019. The anticancer effects of S. barbata can be explained by the presence of various flavonoids and diterpenoids alkaloids. The underlying mechanisms are primarily summarized as cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-modulated cell cycle arrest and mitochondria-mediated apoptotic death. The highly cancer-cell selective cytotoxicity and detoxifying effects of S. barbata contribute to a favorable clinical profile and enhanced quality of life for the cancer patient, thereby demanding further study as an adjuvant or alternative to conventional chemotherapy. The phytochemical and pharmacological studies reviewed strongly underpin a fundamental understanding of the anticancer activity of S. barbata and support ongoing clinical trials. The further safety verification and clinical trials are expected to progress S. barbata-based development to finally transform the traditional TCM herb S. barbata to the valuable anticancer drug.

Low-dose diet supplement of a natural flavonoid, luteolin, ameliorates diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice

SCOPE

Mast cells play important roles in diet-induced obesity and diabetes, and some synthetic mast cell stabilizers can improve related metabolic disturbances in mice. Luteolin (LU) is a potent natural mast cell stabilizer. However, a direct correlation between LU and these common metabolic diseases is not established.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Male C57BL/6 mice were fed low-fat diet, high-fat diet (HFD), HFD with 0.002 and 0.01% LU for 12 wk, respectively. Dietary LU suppressed HFD-induced body weight gain, fat deposition, and adipocyte hypertrophy. Meanwhile, glucose intolerance and insulin sensitivity was also improved. Interestingly, dietary LU ameliorated angiogenesis and associated cell apoptosis and cathepsin activity in epididymis adipose tissues, which is a critical mechanism that mast cells are involved in diet-induced obesity and diabetes. Further, we showed dietary LU reduced mast cell and macrophage infiltrations and inflammatory cytokine levels in epididymis adipose tissues. Finally, LU inhibited mast cell-derived IL-6 expression, which is a key cytokine that contributes to mast cell-associated metabolic derangements, and protein kinase C activator phorbol myristoyl acetate reversed the inhibitory effects.

CONCLUSIONS

As a natural flavonoid, low-dose diet supplement of LU ameliorates diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice, suggesting a new therapeutic and interventional approach for these diseases.

New therapeutic aspects of flavones: the anticancer properties of Scutellaria and its main active constituents Wogonin, Baicalein and Baicalin

Traditional Chinese medicines have been recently recognized as a new source of anticancer drugs and new chemotherapy adjuvant to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy and to ameliorate the side effects of cancer chemotherapies however their healing mechanisms are still largely unknown. Scutellaria baicalensis is one of the most popular and multi-purpose herb used in China traditionally for treatment of inflammation, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and bacterial and viral infections. Accumulating evidence demonstrate that Scutellaria also possesses potent anticancer activities. The bioactive components of Scutellaria have been confirmed to be flavones. The major constituents of Scutellaria baicalensis are Wogonin, Baicalein and Baicalin. These phytochemicals are not only cytostatic but also cytotoxic to various human tumor cell lines in vitro and inhibit tumor growth in vivo. Most importantly, they show almost no or minor toxicity to normal epithelial and normal peripheral blood and myeloid cells. The antitumor functions of these flavones are largely due to their abilities to scavenge oxidative radicals, to attenuate NF-kappaB activity, to inhibit several genes important for regulation of the cell cycle, to suppress COX-2 gene expression and to prevent viral infections. The tumor-selectivity of Wogonin has recently been demonstrated to be due to its ability to differentially modulate the oxidation-reduction status of malignant vs. normal lymphocytic cells and to preferentially induce phospholipase C gamma 1, a key enzyme involved in Ca(2+) signaling, through H(2)O(2) signaling in malignant lymphocytes. This review is aimed to summarize the research results obtained since the last 20 years and to highlight the recently discovered molecular mechanisms.