The Effect of Prim-O-Glucosylcimifugin on Tryptase-Induced Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction in Caco-2 Cells

Fermentation enhances the amelioration effect of bee pollen on Caco-2 monolayer epithelial barrier dysfunction based on NF-κB-mediated MLCK-MLC signaling pathway

Intestinal barrier integrity is essential for normal nutrient digestion and absorption and disease resistance. This study aims to investigate how fermentation affects the ameliorative effect of bee pollen on the intestinal barrier dysfunction stimulated by interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor (IFN-γ/TNF-α) cytokines. The results indicated that fermentation enhances the alleviating effect of bee pollen on intestinal barrier dysfunction (including elevated trans epithelial electrical resistance and decreased paracellular permeability). In addition, fermented bee pollen (FBP) significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the secretion levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-1β and expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 protein in intestinal barrier cells. Furthermore, fermentation improved the ability of bee pollen to up-regulate the expression of tight junction proteins including zonula occludens (ZO)-1, occluding, and claudin-1. Notably, FBP showed stronger ability to inhibit the expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) mediated myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and myosin light chain (MLC) signaling pathway associated with phosphorylated proteins. Overall, our results indicated that fermentation enhances the protective effect of bee pollen on the intestinal barrier, and FBP has promising potential to be used as a novel functional food to protect the intestinal barrier.

Deciphering chemical and metabolite profiling of Chang-Kang-Fang by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and its potential active components identification

Chang-Kang-Fang (CKF) formula, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescription, has been widely used for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, its potential material basis and underlying mechanism remain elusive. Therefore, this study employed an integrated approach that combined ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) with network pharmacology to systematically characterize the phytochemical components and metabolites of CKF, as well as elucidating its underlying mechanism. Through this comprehensive analysis, a total of 150 components were identified or tentatively characterized within the CKF formula. Notably, six N-acetyldopamine oligomers from CicadaePeriostracum and eight resin glycosides from Cuscutae Semen were characterized in this formula for the first time. Meanwhile, 149 xenobiotics (58 prototypes and 91 metabolites) were detected in plasma, urine, feces, brain, and intestinal contents, and the in vivo metabolic pathways of resin glycosides were elaborated for the first time. Furthermore, network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed that alkaloids, flavonoids, chromones, monoterpenes, N-acetyldopamine dimers, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, and Cus-3/isomer might be responsible for the beneficial effects of CKF in treating IBS, and CASP8, MARK14, PIK3C, PIK3R1, TLR4, and TNF may be its potential targets. These discoveries offer a comprehensive understanding of the potential material basis and clarify the underlying mechanism of the CKF formula in treating IBS, facilitating the broader application of CKF in the field of medicine.

Protective Effect of Prim-O-Glucosylcimifugin on Ulcerative Colitis and Its Mechanism

Intestinal epithelial immune dysfunction or imbalance in the homeostasis of intestinal flora can lead to the occurrence or exacerbation of ulcerative colitis (UC). Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (POG) is an extract of Chinese traditional medicine (TCM) Saposhnikov, which has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. The present work discussed how the POG alternated ulcerative colitis (UC) along with its underlying mechanism. This was clarified by performing animal studies in a mice model, wherein UC was induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). In vivo studies have found that POG increased clinical score, colonic length, and weight of mice in the ulcerative colitis model. It repaired the pathological injury of an intestinal mucosa within mice while inhibiting the inflammatory factor levels such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. Meanwhile, by16SrDNA sequencing analysis, it was found that POG regulated the richness of intestinal microbiota structure and repaired the intestinal immune barrier by upregulating the expression levels of tight junction proteins Occludin, Claudin-3, and ZO-1. To further confirm the above results, we found in in vitro studies that POG also protected lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced RAW264.7 cells. POG dramatically suppressed inflammatory factor production (including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) within LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells by inhibiting the activation of ERK1/2, AKT, JNK1/2, IκB-α, P38, and P65 phosphorylation. In conclusion, POG plays a protective role against UC by inhibiting the activation of pro-inflammatory signaling pathways MAPK, AKT, and NF-κB; repairing the integrity of the intestinal barrier; and regulating the diversity and abundance of intestinal flora.

Separation of three chromones from Saposhnikovia divaricata using macroporous resins followed by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography

Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, and 5-O-methylvisamminoside are three major chromone derivatives of Saposhnikovia divaricata that have many pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. In the present work, an effective method for the simultaneous separation of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, and 5-O-methylvisamminoside with high purities was established using HPD-300 resin coupled with preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The adsorption kinetics curves of the three compounds on the HPD-300 resin were studied and found to fit well according to the pseudo-second-order equation. The adsorption isotherm results indicated that the adsorption process of the three compounds was exothermic. After a one-run treatment with the resin, the contents of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, and 5-O-methylvisamminoside increased from 0.29, 0.06, and 0.37% to 13.07, 2.83, and 16.91% with recovery yields of 76.38, 78.25, and 76.73%, respectively. Finally, the purities of the three compounds were found to reach more than 95% after further separation using preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The method developed in this study was effective and could simultaneously separate three chromones from Saposhnikovia divaricate. The experimental results also showed that the HPD-300 resin is suitable for the separation of chromone derivatives.

Integrating multiple-chromatographic approaches to evaluate chemical consistency of Chang-Kang-Fang preparations from mixed-herb decoction and combined single-herb decoction

Chang-Kang-Fang formula (CKF), a multi-herbs traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription for treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), has been clinically applied in the traditional form of mixed-herb decoction (MHD), or in the modern form of combined single-herb decoction (cSHD, so called dispensing granule decoction) in the near decades, but the chemical consistency between the MHD and cSHD is still unknown. Herein, a new strategy by integrating multiple-chromatographic approaches to characterize both polysaccharides and small molecules was developed to compare the chemical consistency between MHD and cSHD. Sixteen small molecules were simultaneously qualified and quantified by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS, the molecular weight distribution of polysaccharides was characterized by HPGPC-ELSD, while the monosaccharide composition and total saccharides content were determined by HPLC-PDA and UV-VIS, respectively. It was found that the molecular weight range and monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides, as well as the composition of small molecules, were identical between MHD and cSHD. However, the contents of berberine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, albiflorin and paeoniflorin in MHD were significantly lower than those in cSHD, whereas the content of polysaccharides in MHD was higher than that in cSHD, indicating that there is a significant difference in the quality between MHD and cSHD, in particular for the relative contents of major small molecules and polysaccharides. Whether or not these quality variations affect the efficacy and safety of CKF deserves further investigation.

Hesperidin ameliorates insulin resistance by regulating the IRS1-GLUT2 pathway via TLR4 in HepG2 cells

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect and mechanism of hesperidin (HES) on insulin resistance (IR) in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2 cells). HepG2 cells were induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a model of IR and treated with HES at three dosages. Next, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), the glucose content, and glucose uptake were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, glucose oxidase-peroxidase method (GOD-POD), or (2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose) (2-NBDG). Moreover, the protein expression of toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4), insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) in HepG2 cells treated with HES were assessed via western blotting analysis. In addition, GLUT2 protein expression exposed to HES was detected following treatment with TLR4 inhibitor (HTA125). Our results demonstrated that HES decreased the levels of TNF-α and IL-6, attenuated the glucose content in culture medium and increased glucose uptake in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells in vitro. Moreover, HES upregulated the expression of IRS1 and GLUT2 protein and downregulated the protein expression of TLR4 and NF-κB in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. The expression of GLUT2 protein had no significant changes when treated with HES after blockade of TLR4. HES attenuated IR in LPS-inducedinsulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Therefore, regulating the IRS1-GLUT2 pathway via TLR4 represents a potential mechanism of HES on IR in HepG2 cells.

Investigation on Spectrum-Effect Correlation between Constituents Absorbed into Blood and Bioactivities of Baizhu Shaoyao San before and after Processing on Ulcerative Colitis Rats by UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS Coupled with Gray Correlation Analysis

Baizhu Shaoyao San (BSS) is a crucial traditional Chinese medicinal formula widely applied for the treatment of painful diarrhea, diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and some other gastrointestinal diseases. Corresponding to the clinical medication, the three medicinal herbs (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium) included in BSS should be processed using some specific methods of stir-frying. To find the underlying correlations between serum chemical profiles and curative effects of crude and processed BSS on ulcerative colitis rats, and further explore for the effective material basis of processing, an UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS technique coupled with gray correlation analysis (GCA) was developed. A total of 134 compounds were identified in rat sera after oral administration of BSS, among which 24 compounds were prototypes and 110 compounds were metabolites. Meanwhile, an ulcerative colitis model was established in rats by enema with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, and the pharmacodynamic indicators for drug efficacies were evaluated as well. According to the results, processed BSS showed better efficacy than crude BSS. The top 10 potential effective components with high degree of correlation were identified based on GCA results, which were thought to be the crucial compounds that contributed to the enhancement of therapeutic effects in BSS after processing.