Systems Pharmacology Based Strategy for Q-Markers Discovery of HuangQin Decoction to Attenuate Intestinal Damage

A mathematical multiple-dimensional strategy for Q-markers identification based on "five principles": Tianshu Capsule for migraine treatment as an example

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Quality control is a critical element for Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Due to the varied chemical components, mechanisms of action, and pharmacological functions in TCM, ensuring quality is more challenging compared to chemical drugs. Then, the concept of quality markers (Q-markers) was proposed and ideal Q-markers for TCM prescriptions need to compliant with "five principles", including pharmacological effectiveness, specificity, transfer and traceability, measurability, and prescription compatibility.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To establish a mathematical multiple-dimensional "spider-web" strategy and identify the Q-markers of Tianshu capsule (TSC), a Chinese patent medicine for the treatment of migraine, following the "five principles" rules.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Q-marker candidates of TSC were firstly screened according to the HPLC fingerprints. Their contents in 10 batches of TSC and stabilities under high temperature, high humidity and in work solutions were determined quantitatively by HPLC-UV (measurability). Their existences in Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, TSC, rat plasma and brain samples were investigated using HPLC-Q-TOF/MS (transfer and traceability). Their anti-migraine efficacies were evaluated by network pharmacology and mice hot-plate analgesia test; and their relationships with the property (flavor) of Gastrodiae Rhizoma or Chuanxiong Rhizoma were studied by molecular docking (effectiveness). Their contributions were defined based on their herb source according to the compatibility theories of Da Chuan Xiong Fang (compatibility). Their biosynthetic pathways were studied, and their frequencies detected in different plant families were calculated (specificity). Finally, an eight dimensional "spider-web" mode was developed for 10 components, and the regression area (RA) and the coefficient variation (CV) of each candidate were calculated after data normalization.

RESULTS

Ten components including gastrodin, parishin E, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, senkyunolide I, H, A, Z-ligustilide and levistilide A were selected and evaluated as the Q-marker candidates. The results showed that gastrodin, senkyunolide I, and senkyunolide A had the higher RA and lower CV than other compounds with the established "spider-web" mode, indicating that they could be used as the Q-markers of TSC.

CONCLUSION

The multi-dimensional "spider-web" mode based on "five principles" was firstly applied to identify the Q-markers of TSC, and it can be used as a practical strategy to discover Q-markers of other compounded prescriptions.

Three bioactive compounds from Huangqin decoction ameliorate Irinotecan-induced diarrhea via dual-targeting of Escherichia coli and bacterial β-glucuronidase

Irinotecan (CPT-11) is a commonly prescribed chemotherapeutic for the treatment of colon cancer. Unfortunately, acute and delayed diarrhea are prominent side effects of CPT-11 use, and this limits its therapeutic potential. The curative effect of Huangqin decoction (HQD) on chemotherapy-induced diarrhea has been proven. This study investigated the efficacy of the components of HQD (baicalein, baicalin, and paeoniflorin) on CPT-11-induced diarrhea and their underlying mechanisms. Baicalein was found to be the most effective component in improving CPT-11-induced enterotoxicity by intestinal permeability test, ELISA, fluorescence co-localization, and IHC. The combination of baicalin, baicalin and paeoniflorin can obtain similar therapeutic effect to that of HQD. Mendelian randomization analysis, 16 s rRNA sequencing, and fluorescence imaging revealed that baicalein and baicalin significantly inhibited β-glucuronidase (β-GUS) activity. Bacterial abundance analysis and scanning electron microscopy showed that baicalein inhibited the proliferation of Escherichia coli by destroying its cell wall. The molecular dynamics and site-directed mutagenesis results revealed the structural basis for the inhibition of β-GUS by baicalein and baicalin. The results above provide a new idea for the development of drug therapy for adjuvant chemotherapy and theoretical guidance for the optimization of molecular structure targeting β-GUS.

An integrated strategy for the discovery of quality marker of Dactylicapnos scandens based on phytochemical analysis, network pharmacology and activity screening

Dactylicapnos scandens (D. scandens) is an ethnic medicine commonly used for the treatment of analgesia. In this study, an integrated strategy was proposed for the quality evaluation of D. scandens based on "phytochemistry-network pharmacology-effectiveness-specificity" to discover and determine the quality marker (Q-marker) related to analgesia. First, phytochemical analysis was conducted using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and a self-built compound library, and 19 components were identified in D. scandens extracts. Next, the "compounds-targets" network was constructed to predict the relevant targets and compounds related to analgesia. Then, the analgesic activity of related compounds was verified through dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) assays on D2 and Mu receptors, and 5 components showed D2 antagonistic activity with IC50 values of 39.2 ± 14.7 µM, 5.46 ± 0.37 µM, 17.5 ± 1.61 µM, 7.89 ± 0.79 µM and 3.29 ± 0.73 µM, respectively. Subsequently, nine ingredients were selected as Q-markers in consideration of specificity, effectiveness and measurability, and their content was measured in 12 batches of D. scandens. Furthermore, the hierarchical cluster analysis and heatmap results indicated that the selected Q-marker could be used to discriminate D. scandens and that the content of Q-marker varied greatly in different batches. Our study shows that this strategy provides a useful method to discover the potential Q-markers of traditional Chinese medicine and offers a practical workflow for exploring the quality consistency of medicinal materials.

Quality evaluation methods of chinese medicine based on scientific supervision: recent research progress and prospects

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is increasingly getting attention worldwide, as it has played a very satisfactory role in treating COVID-19 during these past 3 years, and the Chinese government highly supports the development of TCM. The therapeutical theory and efficacies of Chinese medicine (CM) involve the safety, effectiveness and quality evaluation of CM, which requires a standard sound system. Constructing a scientific and reasonable CM quality and safety evaluation system, and establishing high-quality standards are the key cores to promote the high-quality development of CM. Through the traditional quality control methods of CM, the progress of the Q-marker research and development system proposed in recent years, this paper integrated the research ideas and methods of CM quality control and identified effective quality parameters. In addition, we also applied these effective quality parameters to create a new and supervision model for the quality control of CM. In conclusion, this review summarizes the methods and standards of quality control research used in recent years, and provides references to the quality control of CM and how researchers conduct quality control experiments.

A mechanism of Sijunzi decoction on improving intestinal injury with spleen deficiency syndrome and the rationality of its compatibility

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Sijunzi Decoction (SJZD) is a renowned formula for the treatment of spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Its non-polysaccharides (NPS) component, dominated by various compounds of SJZD, has shown the remarkable efficacy in SDS, especially in gastrointestinal injury. However, the principle of compatibility of SJZD and the micro-mechanism of effect on SDS are still unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To elucidate the scientific implications of SJZD compatibility and its micro-mechanism in the treatment of SDS-induced intestinal injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, the chemical composition of NPS in SJZD and incomplete SJZD (iSJZD, including SJZD-R, SJZD-A, SJZD-P, SJZD-G) were comprehensively analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS, and comparing their chemical composition by multivariate statistical analysis to reveal the effect of a single herb on SJZD compatibility. Second, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to uncover the micro-mechanisms of potential active compounds in SJZD for the treatment of SDS, and develop an active component combination (ACC) by accurate quantification. Subsequently, the action of the potential active compounds and ACC was verified through in vivo and in vitro.

RESULTS

A total of 112, 77, 93, 87, and 67 compounds were detected in NPS of SJZD, SJZD-R, SJZD-A, SJZD-P, and SJZD-G, respectively. Changes in the chemical components of SJZD_NPS and iSJZD_NPS revealed that RG and RAM, as well as RAM and Poria significantly affected the dissolution of each other's chemical components, and the co-decoction of four herbs promoted the dissolution of the active compounds and inhibited toxic compounds. Furthermore, network pharmacology showed that 274 compounds of 15 categories in SJZD_NPS acted on the 186 key targets to treat SDS by inhibiting inflammation, enhancing immunity, and regulating gastrointestinal function and metabolism. Finally, through in vitro experiments, six compounds among 18 potential compounds were verified to markedly repair intestinal epithelium injury by modulating the FAK/PI3K/Akt or LCK/Ras/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. It is worth mentioning that ACC, composed of 11 compounds accurately quantified, demonstrated significant in vivo treatment effects on intestinal damage with SDS similar to NPS or SJZD.

CONCLUSIONS

This study elucidates the scientific evidence of the "Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi" and "detoxification and synergistic" in the decocting process of SJZD. An ACC, the active component of SJZD, ameliorate SDS-induced intestinal injury by the FAK/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which provides a strategy for screening alternatives to effective combinations of TCMs.

Supermolecules as a quality markers of herbal medicinal products

Herbal medicines have greatly contributed to human health worldwide for thousands of years. In particular, traditional Chinese medicine plays an essential role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. With the exponentially increasing use and global attention to herbal medicinal products (HMPs), efficacy and safety have become major public concerns in many countries. In general, the quantification and qualification of quality markers (Q-markers) is the most common way to solve this issue. In the last few decades, small molecules, including flavonoids, terpenes, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, phenols, and glycosides have been extensively investigated as Q-markers for HMP quality control. With the development of biotechnology in the last decade, scientists have begun to explore HMPs macromolecules, including polysaccharides and DNA, for their establishment as Q-markers. In recent years, supermolecules with stronger biological activities have been found in HMPs. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current Q-markers for HMP quality control; in particular, the possibility of using supermolecules as Q-markers based on structure and activity was discussed.

The systematic characterization of multiple components and metabolic profiling of bioactive constituents in Yaobitong capsule by UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS

Yaobitong capsule is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine prescription (TCMP), which can effectively treat lumbar disc herniation clinically. However, the effective substances in Yaobitong capsule are still unclear due to a lack of metabolic studies. This poses a huge obstacle preventing the clinical safety assessment and quality control of Yaobitong capsule. In order to explore the metabolic landscape of the multiple components of Yaobitong capsule, this paper proposed a rapid and high-throughput UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS method for carrying out a systematic study, including analyzing the chemical ingredients in vitro and studying the metabolic processes in rat urine, feces, and bile after the oral administration of Yaobitong capsule. A total of 90 Yaobitong-capsule-related chemical components were characterized or tentatively identified in extract solution based on the retention behaviors, measured mass values, and fragmentation patterns. Furthermore, 49 related metabolites were detected in urine, feces, and bile samples. All metabolites were also identified with the help of the Sciex OS tool from these biological samples. The results revealed that triterpenoid saponins, alkaloids, monoterpene glycosides, and phthalides were the main chemical components of Yaobitong capsule. In addition, glucuronidation, hydroxylation, sulfation, and N-acetylcysteine conjugation were the main metabolic reactions in rats after the oral administration of Yaobitong capsule. The results indicated that the established method for multicomponent metabolism identification was appropriate, and the metabolic profiling of Yaobitong capsule provides abundant material for a wide range of further research; this is of significance for carrying out studies of pharmacodynamic mechanisms.

An integrated approach to discriminate the quality markers of Traditional Chinese medicine preparation based on multi-dimensional characteristic network: Shenqi Jiangtang Granule as a case

BACKGROUND

Due to the complexity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the current quality evaluation of TCM are difficult to associate with clinical efficacy. Shenqi Jiangtang Granule (SJG), a classical TCM formula, is proven as a therapy for treatment of type II diabetes mellitus (DM) and complications while the substantial basis of the therapeutic effects is not clear.

PURPOSE

The present study proposed an integrated approach to discriminate the quality markers (Q-markers) based on multi-dimensional characteristic network for quality control of TCM.

METHODS

The multi-dimensional characteristic network was established by "Spider-web" mode, which was comprehensively integrating "compatibility-content-activity- efficiency-stability" of the candidate ingredients. The activity dimension was evaluated by the inhibitory activity of SJG on α-glucosidase and aldose reductase. The efficacy dimension was assessed through the association between the compounds and the target pathway of diabetic nephropathy (DN) based on integrated pharmacology platform. Each dimension for the feature network was quantified by multivariate statistical analysis, and regression area of the candidate compounds was constructed in the network. Finally, the candidate compounds were sorted comprehensively by the regression area.

RESULTS

A total of 30 chemical compounds with effective hypoglycemic activity were identified as the potential Q-markers. From the data analysis, three dimensions of activity, efficacy and content performed a greater impact on the regression area of the characteristic network. Among these compounds, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rd, ginsenoside Rg_1, calycosin, ginsenoside Rb₁, formononetin, astragaloside IV, ginsenoside Rf, ginsenoside Rc, notoginsenoside Fe, schisandrol A, gomisin D were screened out as the candidate Q-markers of SJG.

CONCLUSION

The multi-dimensional characteristic network integrating compatibility, content, activity, efficiency and stability is efficient to discriminate the potential Q-markers of TCM prescription. Our results demonstrated that 12 candidate compounds from Panax Ginseng, Radix Astragali and Schisandrae Chinensis might select as Q-markers for qualitative evaluation of SJG.

A four-component combination derived from Huang-Qin Decoction significantly enhances anticancer activity of irinotecan

Huang-Qin Decoction (HQD) is a classic prescription for diarrhea in Chinese medicine treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated that HQD and its modified formulation PHY906 could ameliorate irinotecan (CPT-11) induced gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity and enhance its anticancer therapeutic efficacy. Nevertheless, which constituents in HQD are effective is still unclear so far. The study aims to screen out the key bioactive components combination from HQD that could enhance the anticancer effect of CPT-11. First, the potential bioactive constituents were obtained through system pharmacology strategy. Then the bioactivity of each constituent was investigated synthetically from the aspects of NCM460 cell migration, TNF-α release of THP-1-derived macrophage and MTT assay in HCT116 cell. The contribution of each constituent in HQD was evaluated using the bioactive index E_i, which taken the content and bioactivity into comprehensive consideration. And then, the most contributing constituents were selected out to form a key-component combination. At last, the bioefficacy of the key-component combination was validated in vitro and in vivo. As a result, a key-component combination (HB4) consisting of four compounds baicalin, baicalein, glycyrrhizic acid and wogonin was screened out. In vitro assessment indicated that HB4 could enhance the effect of CPT-11 on inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis in HCT116. Furthermore, the in vivo study confirmed that HB4 and HQD have similar pharmacological activity and could both enhance the antitumor effect of CPT-11 in HCT116 xenograft model. Meanwhile, HB4 could also reduce the CPT-11 induced GI toxicity.

Chemical profile and potential mechanisms of Huo-Tan-Chu-Shi decoction in the treatment of coronary heart disease by UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS in combination with network pharmacology analysis and experimental verification

Huo-Tan-Chu-Shi Decoction (HTCSD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription within Guangdong Provincial TCM Hospital (the largest TCM hospital in China), is used for effective clinical treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) caused by phlegm-dampness syndrome with high incidence in the hot and humid climate of Lingnan region. However, its chemical components responsible for the therapeutic effects remain unclear, which restricts its application and further development. Hence, a detailed workflow, combing with UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS, network pharmacology analysis and experimental verification, was proposed and applied to characterize the chemical profile and potential mechanism of HTCSD against CHD. As a result, a total of 130 components from all six composed herbal medicines were characterized in a rapid and sensitive manner through UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS, of which 33 compounds were unambiguously confirmed with reference standards. Consequently, based on the integrated pharmacology network of "herbs-chemicals-targets-pathways-therapeutic effects", four chemicals (magnoflorine, menisperine, 13-hydroxyberberine, luteolin) with four CHD related targets (SRC, MAPK1, EGFR and AKT1) were considered as the key components and targets of HTCSD in the treatment of CHD. Furthermore, the effect of HTCSD was confirmed in animal experiments by enhancing the phosphorylation of MAPK, and the published literature and molecular binding results suggested that magnoflorine and luteolin tended to be the critical compounds involved in the process. Taken together, the characterization of chemical profile combined with network pharmacology analysis and experimental verification not only provided an efficient insight into the overall chemical profile of HTCSD but also revealed the potential pharmacological components and mechanisms of HTCSD against CHD, which laid a necessary chemical and biological basis for the discovery of in vivo bioactive components and the further revelation of functionary mechanism.

Network Patterns of Herbal Combinations in Traditional Chinese Clinical Prescriptions

As a well-established multidrug combinations schema, traditional Chinese medicine (herbal prescription) has been used for thousands of years in real-world clinical settings. This paper uses a complex network approach to investigate the regularities underlying multidrug combinations in herbal prescriptions. Using five collected large-scale real-world clinical herbal prescription datasets, we construct five weighted herbal combination networks with herb as nodes and herbal combinational use in herbal prescription as links. We found that the weight distribution of herbal combinations displays a clear power law, which means that most herb pairs were used in low frequency and some herb pairs were used in very high frequency. Furthermore, we found that it displays a clear linear negative correlation between the clustering coefficients and the degree of nodes in the herbal combination network (HCNet). This indicates that hierarchical properties exist in the HCNet. Finally, we investigate the molecular network interaction patterns between herb related target modules (i.e., subnetworks) in herbal prescriptions using a network-based approach and further explore the correlation between the distribution of herb combinations and prescriptions. We found that the more the hierarchical prescription, the better the corresponding effect. The results also reflected a well-recognized principle called “Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi” in TCM formula theories. This also gives references for multidrug combination development in the field of network pharmacology and provides the guideline for the clinical use of combination therapy for chronic diseases.

Herbal pair Huangqin-Baishao: mechanisms underlying inflammatory bowel disease by combined system pharmacology and cell experiment approach

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a severe digestive system condition, characterized by chronic and relapsing inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Huangqin, HQ) and Paeonia lactiflora Pall (Baishao, BS) from a typical herbal synergic pair in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for IBD treatments. However, the mechanisms of action for the synergy are still unclear. Therefore, this paper aimed to predict the anti-IBD targets and the main active ingredients of the HQ-BS herbal pair.

METHODS

A systems pharmacology approach was used to identify the bioactive compounds and to delineate the molecular targets and potential pathways of HQ-BS herbal pair. Then, the characteristics of the candidates were analyzed according to their oral bioavailability and drug-likeness indices. Finally, gene enrichment analysis with DAVID Bioinformatics Resources was performed to identify the potential pathways associated with the candidate targets.

RESULTS

The results showed that, a total of 38 active compounds were obtained from HQ-BS herbal pair, and 54 targets associated with IBD were identified. Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment analysis yielded the top 20 significant results with 54 targets. Furthermore, the integrated IBD pathway revealed that the HQ-BS herbal pair probably acted in patients with IBD through multiple mechanisms of regulation of the nitric oxide biosynthetic process and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, cell experiments were carried out to verify that the HQ-BS herbal pair and their Q-markers could attenuate the levels of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated THP-1-derived macrophage inflammation. In particular, the crude materials exerted a much better anti-inflammatory effect than their Q-markers, which might be due to their synergistic effect.

CONCLUSION

This study provides novel insight into the molecular pathways involved in the mechanisms of the HQ-BS herbal pair acting on IBD.

Validation of in-vitro bioassay methods: Application in herbal drug research

This present review described the validation method of in-vitro bioassay for its application in herbal drug research. Seven sequencing steps that can be taken for performing a valid bioassay include: literature survey, sample stability evaluation, Biosystem performance testing, Sample performance evaluation, determination of 50% effective concentration or cytotoxic concentrations, selective index evaluation, and determination of accurate relative potency of sample. Detailed methods and acceptance criteria for each step are described herein. Method calculations of the relative potency of sample using European Pharmacopeia 10.0, 5.3 (2020) were recommended instead of using United States Pharmacopeia 42 (2019). For having reliable data and conclusions, all methods (chemical and bioassay) need to be first validated before any data collection. Absence of any validation method may results in incorrect conclusions and bias.

Network Pharmacology and Bioactive Equivalence Assessment Integrated Strategy Driven Q-markers Discovery for Da-Cheng-Qi Decoction to Attenuate Intestinal Obstruction

BACKGROUND

Intestinal obstruction (IO) is a kind of acute abdomen with high morbidity and mortality. Patients suffer from poor quality of life and tremendous financial pressure. Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQD), a classical purgation prescription, has clinically been proven to be an effective treatment for IO.

PURPOSE

Network pharmacology integrated with bioactive equivalence assessment was used to discover the quality marker (Q-marker) of DCQD against IO.

METHODS

As there is hardly any targets recorded in database, thus the collection of IO targets was conducted by searching those of alternative diseases which have similar pathological symptoms with IO. In order to improve the reliability of the obtained targets, IO metabolomics data was introduced. Active compounds combination (ACC) was focused as potential Q-markers via component-target network analysis and function query from the identified components corresponding to the common targets. Bioequivalence between ACC and DCQD was assessed from the aspects of intestine motility (somatostatin secretion), inflammation (IL-6 secretion) and injury (wound healing assay) in vitro and was further validated in ileus rat model. PPI network analysis of core targets followed by gene pedigree classification and experimental validation confirmed the potential intervention pathway.

RESULTS

A combination of 11 ingredients, including emodin, physcion, aloe-emodin, rhein, chrysophanol, gallic acid, magnolol, honokiol, naringenin, tangeretin, and nobiletin was finally confirmed bioequivalence with DQCD to some extent and could serve as Q-markers for DCQD to attenuate IO. PI3K/AKT was verified as a possible affected pathway that DCQD exerted the effectiveness against IO.

CONCLUSION

For the disease with few recorded targets, searching those of alternative diseases which have similar pathological symptoms could be a feasible and effective approach. The proposed network pharmacology integrated bioactive equivalence evaluation paradigm is efficient to discover Q-marker of herbal formulae.

Analytical strategies for the discovery and validation of quality-markers of traditional Chinese medicine

BACKGROUND

Quality control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the basis of clinical efficacy. Due to the complexity of TCM, it is difficult to unify the quality control, and hinders the further implementation of the quality standardization of TCM. As a new concept, quality-marker (Q-marker) plays a powerful role in promoting the standardization of quality control system of TCM.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

The present review aims to provide reference and scientific basis for further development of Q-marker and assist standardization of quality control of TCM.

METHODS

Extensive search of various documents and electronic databases such as Pubmed, Royal Society of Chemistry, Science Direct, Springer, Web of Science, and Wiley, etc., were used to search scientific contributions. Other online academic libraries, e.g. Google Scholars, Scopus and national pharmacology literature were also been employed to learn more relevant information about Q-marker.

RESULTS

Q-markers play vital role in promoting the standardization of quality control of TCM. The factors that affect the quality of TCM, the advantages and disadvantages of the analytical techniques commonly used in Q-marker research were reviewed, as well as the systematic research strategies, which were verified by practices.

CONCLUSION

The proposal of Q-marker not only provided a new perspective to break through the bottleneck of current quality control, but also can be used in the evaluation of pharmacological efficiency, therapeutic discovery, toxicology, etc. In addition, the Q-marker analysis strategies summarized in this paper is helpful to standardize the quality control of TCM and promote the internationalization of TCM.

Integrated Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology Strategy-Driven Active Traditional Chinese Medicine Ingredients Discovery for the Alleviation of Cisplatin Nephrotoxicity

Renal injury is the main adverse reaction of cisplatin, and many traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) were proven active against renal toxicity. Here, an integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology strategy was proposed to discover active TCM ingredients for the alleviation of cisplatin nephrotoxicity. First, by interrogating the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) we collected targets connected to 149 cisplatin nephrotoxicity-related metabolites. Second, targets of kidney damage were obtained from the Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), PharmGKB, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), and Genetic Association Database (GAD). Common targets of both dysregulated metabolites and kidney damage were then used for TCM active ingredient screening by applying the network pharmacology approach. Eventually, 22 ingredients passed screening criteria, and their antinephrotoxicity activity was assessed in human kidney tubular epithelial (HK2) cells. As a result, 14 ingredients were found to be effective, in which kaempferol showed relatively better activity. Further metabolomics analysis revealed that kaempferol exerted an antinephrotoxicity effect in rats by regulating amino acid, pyrimidine, and purine metabolism as well as lipid metabolism. Collectively, this proposed integrated strategy would promote the transformation of metabolomics research in the field of drug pair discovery for the purpose of reduced toxicity and increased efficiency.

Screening for active constituents in Turkish galls against ulcerative colitis by mass spectrometry guided preparative chromatography strategy: in silico, in vitro and in vivo study

Turkish galls have been reported to exhibit remedial effects in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the active constituents of Turkish galls for the treatment of UC remain unclear. The objective of this study was to screen for anti-inflammatory active constituents and clarify their associated molecular mechanisms. Therefore, systems pharmacology was developed to predict the relationship between constituents and the corresponding targets as well as pathways. In addition, mass spectrometry-guided preparative chromatography technique was used for preparing constituents to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities and the therapeutic efficacy against UC. In silico, active constituents exhibited a remedial effect on UC possibly by regulating multiple pathways and attacking multiple targets, of which those involved mainly in the NF-κB pathway were selected for verification. In vitro, 5 categories of constituents were screened as active constituents by comparing the cytotoxicity and detecting the level of the pro-inflammatory factors of 9 category constituents. In vivo, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC was significantly ameliorated in active constituents-fed mice. The results indicated that the active fraction comprising methyl gallate, digallic acid, di-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose, and tri-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose primarily contributed to the treatment of UC. Moreover, active fraction could also inhibit the phosphorylation level of IKKβ, thus inhibiting the downstream NF-κB signaling pathway. The approach developed in this study not only clarifies the anti-inflammation effect of Turkish galls but also provides a beneficial reference for the discovery of the base material and functional mechanism of this herbal medicine.