UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and HPTLC Method for Quantitative Estimation of Cytotoxic Glycosides and Aglycone in Bioactivity Guided Fractions of Solanum nigrum L

Solanum nigrum L. berries extract ameliorated the alcoholic liver injury by regulating gut microbiota, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress

Solanum nigrum L. (SN) berry is an edible berry containing abundant polyphenols and bioactive compounds, which possess antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. However, the effects of SN on alcohol-induced biochemical changes in the enterohepatic axis remain unclear. In the current study, a chronic ethanol-fed mice ALD model was used to test the protective mechanisms of SN berries. Microbiota composition was determined via 16S rRNA sequencing, we found that SN berries extract (SNE) improved intestinal imbalance by reducing the Firmicutes to Bacteroides ratio, restoring the abundance of Akkermansia microbiota, and reducing the abundance of Allobaculum and Shigella. SNE restored the intestinal short-chain fatty acids content. In addition, liver transcriptome data analysis revealed that SNE primarily affected the genes involved in lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses. Furthermore, SNE ameliorated hepatic steatosis in alcohol-fed mice by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α). SNE reduced the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor-88 (MyD88) nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), which can indicate that SNE mainly adjusted LPS/TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway to reduce liver inflammation. SNE enhanced hepatic antioxidant capacity by regulating NRF2-related protein expression. SNE alleviates alcoholic liver injury by regulating of gut microbiota, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress. This study may provide a reference for the development and utilization of SN resources.

HPTLC Stability Indicating Analytical Method of Andrographolide and 5-fluorouracil with Network Pharmacology Analysis against Cancer

BACKGROUND

Herbal drugs when used in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs can reduce the side effects and increase the efficacy by acting on multiple targets. Andrographolide (AG), a diterpene lactone isolated from Andrographis paniculata Nees, is a bioactive compound with anticancer potential, and 5-fluorouracil (FU), a pyrimidine analogue, is used in the treatment of cancer. Both drugs are used to formulate combination nanoformulation to increase absorption, thereby increasing their oral bioavailability.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to develop and validate stability indicating simultaneous HPTLC method for quantification of FU and AG in combination nanoformulation along with in silico docking and network pharmacology analysis to understand the interaction between the drugs and cancer targets.

METHODS

Chromatographic separation was performed using mobile phase chloroform: methanol: formic acid (9: 0.5: 0.5, v/v/v) on HPTLC silica plates 60 F254 as a stationary phase using UV-Vis detector and HPTLC scanner at 254 nm. Further, in silico docking analysis was performed to predict the binding affinity of AG and FU with different proteins and network pharmacology to find out the exact biomolecular relationship of AG and FU in alleviating cancer.

RESULTS

The data from the calibration curve showed a good linear regression relationship with r² = 0.9981 (FU) and r² = 0.9977 (AG) in the concentration range of 0.1-2.0 μg/mL. The developed method was validated according to the ICH guidelines. Stability studies showed changes in peak patterns and areas. Bioinformatic and network pharmacology analyses of AG and FU with target proteins and genes associated with cancer play a multimechanistic role in alleviating cancer.

CONCLUSION

The developed method has been concluded to be robust, simple, precise, reproducible, accurate, and stability indicating for simultaneous quantification of AG and FU, and the molecular interaction studies have further indicated that the combination nanoformulation of AG and FU could be effective against cancer.

TLC-MS-Bioautographic Identification of Antityrosinase Compounds and Preparation of a Topical Gel Formulation from a Bioactive Fraction of an RSM-Optimized Alcoholic Extract of Rubia Cordifolia L. stem

BACKGROUND

Rubia cordifolia L., Rubiaceae, is globally reported to treat skin-related problems. The study aimed to assess the antityrosinase potential of Rubia cordifolia (ARC) and the development of gel formulation.

METHODS

The AutoDock Vina (version V.1.2.0) program package was used for molecular docking to check for the binding affinity of ligands with protein. Response surface methodology (RSM) software was used to optimize extraction parameters for an alcoholic extract of Rubia cordifolia (ARC). The developed HPTLC method for the quantification of purpurin in ARC was validated as per the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. A bioautographic study for the evaluation of antityrosinase effects was performed; an anthraquinone-enriched fraction (AEF)-loaded gel formulation developed and evaluated physicochemically which could be used to reduce skin pigmentation.

RESULTS

Purpurin showed optimum binding affinity (-7.4 kcal/mol) with the molecular target (tyrosinase) when compared to that of standard kojic acid (-5.3 kcal/mol). Quantification of purpurin in ARC, optimized by RSM software, was validated and physiologically significant results were observed for the antityrosinase potential of an AEF, along with TLC-MS-bioautographic identification for antityrosinase compounds: purpurin (m/z 256.21) and ellagic acid (m/z 302.19). Evaluation of an AEF-loaded gel formulation by in vitro and ex vivo permeation studies was performed.

CONCLUSION

ARC extraction parameters optimized by RSM, and a bioautographic study helped identify antityrosinase compounds. The development of a gel formulation could be a cost-effective option for the treatment of depigmentation in the future.

HIGHLIGHTS

A TLC-MS-Bioautography-based Identification of Antityrosinase Compounds and development of AEF-loaded Topical Gel formulation from a Bioactive Fraction of an RSM-Optimized Alcoholic Extract of Rubia Cordifolia L. stem, which could help with promising results in reducing skin pigmentation and maintaining even tone.

Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology in the Exploration of the Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Approach of Traditional Medicinal Plants

Metabolomic is generally characterized as a comprehensive and the most copious analytical technique for the identification of targeted and untargeted metabolite diversity in a biological system. Recently, it has exponentially been used for phytochemical analysis and variability among plant metabolites, followed by chemometric analysis. Network pharmacology analysis is a computational technique used for the determination of multi-mechanistic and therapeutic evaluation of chemicals via interaction with the genomes involved in targeted or untargeted diseases. In considering the facts, the present review aims to explore the role of metabolomics and network pharmacology in the scientific validation of therapeutic claims as well as to evaluate the multi-targeted therapeutic approach of traditional Indian medicinal plants. The data was collected from different electronic scientific databases such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, ACS publication, PubMed, Springer, etc., using different keywords such as metabolomics, techniques used in metabolomics, chemometric analysis, a bioinformatic tool for drug discovery and development, network pharmacology, methodology and its role in biological evaluation of chemicals, etc. The screened articles were gathered and evaluated by different experts for their exclusion and inclusion in the final draft of the manuscript. The review findings suggest that metabolomics is one of the recent most precious and effective techniques for metabolite identification in the plant matrix. Various chemometric techniques are copiously used for metabolites discrimination analysis hence validating the unique characteristic of herbal medicines and their derived products concerning their authenticity. Network pharmacology remains the only option for the unique and effective analysis of hundreds of chemicals or metabolites via genomic interaction and thus validating the multi-mechanistic and therapeutic approach to explore the pharmacological aspects of herbal medicines for the management of the disease.

Exploration of Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl. against Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis and Assessment of Its Immunomodulatory and Anti-Inflammatory Potential

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), being a dairy-borne pathogen, resistant of pasteurization and other sterilization techniques, is a major cause for development of inflammatory bowel disorders such as Johne's disease (JD) in dairy animals and Crohn's Disease (CD) in humans, for which no therapy is available to date. In the absence of effective therapy or a vaccine, management of CD has been accomplished by removal of the affected intestines. However, usually, even after removal of 2/3 of the intestine, CD reoccurs. Hence, there exists a need to develop an alternative therapy for such infection. The potential of herbals remains unexplored against MAP and related infections. Therefore, the conducted study is a novel initiative for the evaluation of anti-mycobacterial activity of bioactive extracts of Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl. against MAP infection. The said plant was authenticated according to the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the extracts were done using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Preliminary in vitro pharmacological assessments revealed the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory potential of the extracts. REMA assay was conducted to determine their anti-MAP activity along with determination of the best active extract. The hydro-alcoholic extract showed the best inhibition of MAP, providing a potential ray of hope against this emerging major pathogen of animals, and associated with Crohn's disease and other autoimmune disorders in human beings.

Metabolomic Profiling and Identification of Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Compounds from Leaves of Different Varieties of Morus alba Linn Grown in Kashmir

Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is commonly cultivated in Asian countries as a traditional medicine and food supplement. Four Kashmiri Morus alba varieties (Zagtul, Chtattatual, Chattatual Zaingir, and Brentul Kashmir) were evaluated for their proximate composition, mineral content, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant potential, and antihyperglycemic activity. Furthermore, TLC-MS-bioautography was used for the identification of antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds in the best active extract. Lastly, UPLC-MS was employed for metabolomic profiling of the best variety of M. alba. Among all the varieties, the Zagtul variety was found to have the highest phenolic (71.10 ± 0.44 mg GAE/g DW) and flavonoid (53.22 ± 0.69 mg rutin/g DW) content. The highest antioxidant potential (DPPH) with an IC₅₀ value of 107.88 ± 3.8 μg/mL was recorded for the Zagtul variety. Similarly, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition for antidiabetic potential with IC₅₀ 74.76 ± 6.76 and 109.19 ± 5.78 μg/mL, respectively, was recorded in Zagtul variety. TLC-MS-bioautography for identification of bioactive compounds revealed the presence of chlorogenic acid for antioxidant potential and 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) and syringic acid for antidiabetic potential. Further, bioactive compounds responsible for diverse functions of M. alba were confirmed by UPLC-MS in both negative and positive modes. However, major compounds in the Zagtul variety were identified as chlorogenic acid, moracin N, gallic acid, ferulic acid, morin, 1-deoxynojirimycin, and syringic acid. Hence, based on our findings, it can be concluded that M. alba leaves can be consumed as a promising dietary supplement and can be formulated as phytopharmaceutical for the management of various metabolic disorders.

Identification of Novel Iso-Esculeoside B from Tomato Fruits and LC-MS/MS-Based Food Screening for Major Dietary Steroidal Alkaloids Focused on Esculeosides

Plants from the Solanaceae family are known to be sources of several nutritionally relevant steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs). With the aim of quantitatively investigating the occurrence of the main SGA from tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes in various food samples and evaluating their relevance in the human diet, a rapid single-step extraction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed. Over the course of isolating several commercially unavailable SGAs from tomato products to use them as reference standards, a previously unknown derivative was detected, structurally characterized, and identified as a novel isomer of esculeoside B-1 and B-2. After validation of the method, 36 food items exclusively derived from Solanaceae plants were analyzed for their SGA contents and a specific occurrence of each alkaloid in tomato, eggplant, or potato products was revealed. This is the first study reporting quantitative data on the occurrence of esculeoside A, B-1, B-2, and iso-esculeoside B in tomato products obtained by using appropriate reference compounds rather than applying a semi-quantitative approach based on α-tomatine as a reference. Some of the analyzed tomato products contained the esculeosides in concentrations of >500 mg/kg, clearly indicating their relevance in the human diet and the need of investigating their potential bioactivities in the future.

Ameliorative effect of a standardized polyherbal combination in methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity in the rat

Context: Nephrotoxicity is a renal dysfunction that arises from direct exposure to environmental chemicals or as a side effect of therapeutic drugs. Boerhaavia diffusa Linn. (Nyctaginaceae), Rheum emodi Wall. Ex. Meissn. (Polygonaceae), Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Nelumbonaceae) and Crataeva nurvala Buch-Ham. (Capparidaceae) are well-recognized medicinal plants of Indian traditional system of medicine used for kidney disorders.Objectives: The present investigation was undertaken to develop a chromatographically characterized polyherbal combination and to evaluate its nephroprotective activity.Materials and methods: Roots of B. diffusa and R. emodi, flowers of N. nucifera and stem bark of C. nurvala were extracted by decoction using 70% ethanol. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of extraction parameters. Polyherbal combinations with different doses (150-300 mg/kg) were tested against methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats.Results: The optimized extract contained 27% phenols and 15% flavonoids, which showed 75% 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging potential. Based on the retention time of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, 17 out of 122 constituents were found common in all extracts and combinations. Two combinations showed significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) DPPH scavenging potential and xanthine oxidase inhibition. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of the best combination for DPPH scavenging and xanthine oxidase inhibition were 80 and 74 µg/mL, respectively. Treatment of methotrexate-induced nephrotoxic rats with polyherbal combination significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved the kidney function markers, oxidative stress markers and histological parameters.Discussion and conclusion: The developed combination was found to be effective in nephrotoxicity; it can be explored further for the management of drug-induced nephrotoxicity and other chronic kidney diseases.

Bioactivity, Compounds Isolated, Chemical Qualitative, and Quantitative Analysis of Cymbaria daurica Extracts

Cymbaria daurica L. is widely used in traditional Mongolian medicine for the treatment of impetigo, psoriasis, pruritus, fetotoxicity, and diabetes. Therefore, the anti-inflammatory and α-glucosidase-inhibitory activities of four polar C. daurica extracts (water, n-butanol, ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether extract) were preliminarily evaluated to identify the active extracts. We also investigated the chemical composition of the active extracts by phytochemical analysis. The n-butanol and ethyl acetate extracts exhibited significant (p < 0.05) anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells. None of the tested extracts exhibited cytotoxic effects at the effective concentrations. The ethyl acetate extract significantly inhibited α-glucosidase activity, and the inhibition potency was equivalent to that of acarbose (p > 0.05). The n-Butanol extract presented the second highest inhibitory activity. As the n-butanol and ethyl acetate extracts were found to have potent anti-inflammatory and α-glucosidase-inhibitory activities, we separated and identified 10 compounds from the extracts. Among them, vanillic acid, cistanoside F, echinacoside, arenarioside, verbascoside, isoacteoside, and tricin were isolated from C. daurica for the first time. Further, 30 compounds from the n-butanol and ethyl acetate extracts of C. daurica were identified using UHPLC-Q-Exactive. The present study demonstrates for the first time that C. daurica contains phenylethanoid glycosides. In addition, this novel HPLC method was subsequently used for simultaneous identification of five compounds in the n-butanol and ethyl acetate extracts of C. daurica. This study provides a chemical basis for further characterization and utilization of C. daurica, which could be a potential source of novel anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory agents.

Iridoids: Research Advances in Their Phytochemistry, Biological Activities, and Pharmacokinetics

Iridoids are a class of active compounds that widely exist in the plant kingdom. In recent years, with advances in phytochemical research, many compounds with novel structure and outstanding activity have been identified. Iridoid compounds have been confirmed to mainly exist as the prototype and aglycone and Ι and II metabolites, by biological transformation. These metabolites have been shown to have neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities. This review summarizes the new structures and activities of iridoids identified locally and globally, and explains their pharmacokinetics from the aspects of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion according to the differences in their structures, thus providing a theoretical basis for further rational development and utilization of iridoids and their metabolites.