Saussureae Involucratae Herba (Snow Lotus): Review of Chemical Compositions and Pharmacological Properties

Nose of dog, eye of elk, and wolf's liver: exploring the interconnectedness of Indigenous health and foraging among the Dukha reindeer herders of Mongolia

Recent studies show that Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of Indigenous Peoples' food systems and the transfer of that knowledge to their children are critical to physical and mental health, promote the transfer of language and culture, and further resilience. The aim of this exploratory, medical ecological study was to document TEK about foraging and plant use among the Dukha, a small, semi-nomadic reindeer herding community in Northern Mongolia. Field research was conducted at multiple remote camps in 2019 and 2023. Methods included semi-structured, open-ended interviews (N = 16), photo identification, and participant observation (N = 34 families). Study Informants identified 27 foraged plants. Results placed Dukha foraging practices within a framework illustrating the interconnectedness of their worldview and cultural norms, including the physical and spiritual aspects of the landscape, with health, illness, and curing. Dukha curative knowledge of the flora aligns with both Traditional Mongolian Medicine (TMM) and scientific studies on healing and preventative care. Through foraging and plant use, the Dukha balance relationships with the land and spirits, benefit from better nutrition and physical activity, utilise healing qualities of indigenous flora, and foster the intergenerational transfer of language and traditional knowledge.

Spectral characterization of the impact of modifiers and different prepare temperatures on snow lotus medicinal residue-biochar and dissolved organic matter

This study involved the production of 20 biochar samples derived from secondary medicinal residues of Snow Lotus Oral Liquid, processed within the temperature range of 200-600 °C. Additionally, four medicinal residues, including dissolved organic matter (DOM), from 24 samples obtained using the shaking method, served as the primary source material. The investigation focused on two key factors: the modifier and preparation temperature. These factors were examined to elucidate the spectral characteristics and chemical properties of the pharmaceutical residues, biochar, and DOM. To analyze the alterations in the spectral attributes of biochar and medicinal residues, we employed near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) in conjunction with Fourier-infrared one-dimensional and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. These findings revealed that modifiers enhanced the aromaticity of biochar, and the influence of preparation temperature on biochar was diminished. This observation indicates the stability of the aromatic functional group structure. Comparative analysis indicated that Na2CO3 had a more pronounced structural effect on biochar, which is consistent with its adsorption properties. Furthermore, we utilized the fluorescence indices from UV-visible spectroscopy and excitation-emission-matrix spectra with the PARAFAC model to elucidate the characteristics of the fluorescence components in the DOM released from the samples. The results demonstrated that the DOM released from biochar primarily originated externally. Aromaticity reduction and increased decay will enhance the ability of the biochar to bind pollutants. Those results confirmed the link between the substantial increase in the adsorption performance of the high-temperature modified charcoal in the previous study and the structural changes in the biochar. We investigated the structural changes of biochar and derivative DOM in the presence of two perturbing factors, modifier and preparation temperature. Suitable modifiers were selected. Preparation for the study of adsorption properties of snow lotus medicinal residues.

Evidence-Based Dampness-Heat ZHENG (Syndrome) in Cancer: Current Progress toward Establishing Relevant Animal Model with Pancreatic Tumor

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases affecting the health of human beings. With limited therapeutic options available, complementary and alternative medicine has been widely adopted in cancer management and is increasingly becoming accepted by both patients and healthcare workers alike. Chinese medicine characterized by its unique diagnostic and treatment system is the most widely applied complementary and alternative medicine. It emphasizes symptoms and ZHENG (syndrome)-based treatment combined with contemporary disease diagnosis and further stratifies patients into individualized medicine subgroups. As a representative cancer with the highest degree of malignancy, pancreatic cancer is traditionally classified into the "amassment and accumulation". Emerging perspectives define the core pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer as "dampness-heat" and the respective treatment "clearing heat and resolving dampness" has been demonstrated to prolong survival in pancreatic cancer patients, as has been observed in many other cancers. This clinical advantage encourages an exploration of the essence of dampness-heat ZHENG (DHZ) in cancer and investigation into underlying mechanisms of action of herbal formulations against dampness-heat. However, at present, there is a lack of understanding of the molecular characteristics of DHZ in cancer and no standardized and widely accepted animal model to study this core syndrome in vivo. The shortage of animal models limits the ability to uncover the antitumor mechanisms of herbal medicines and to assess the safety profile of the natural products derived from them. This review summarizes the current research on DHZ in cancer in terms of the clinical aspects, molecular landscape, and animal models. This study aims to provide comprehensive insight that can be used for the establishment of a future standardized ZHENG-based cancer animal model.

Multi-factorial investigation of the effect of biochar of the secondary medicinal residue of snow lotus on the adsorption of two azo dyes, methyl red and methyl orange

Azo dye residues pollute water, which are difficult to decompose, and posing a major threat to the ecological environment. The residues of Chinese medicine still have many possibilities for use after its medicinal value has been brought into play. In this study, secondary residue biochar activation (Na2 CO3 -modified, SBA) and secondary residue biochar (unmodified, SBC) were prepared from the secondary residue of snow lotus at 200-600°C. Surface features were obtained by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N2 method and combined with scanning electron microscopy, and their structures were analyzed by x-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier infrared and near-infrared spectroscopy. The effects of five factors, including initial concentration, contact time and adsorption temperature and so forth, on the adsorption of methyl red (MR) and methyl orange (MO) solutions were investigated. Results showed that the biochar yield, specific surface area, and pore size increased after modification. modification promoted the formation of the internal structure aromatization and oxygen-containing functional groups. Adsorption experiments showed that the surroundings pH = 8, the dyes adsorption concentration of 8 mg/L, adsorption temperature of 20-40°C and time of about 1 h were more stable. Under the condition, the removal of MO by SBA could reach approximately 60%-80% (480-640 mg/g), while the removal of MR could reach more than 90% (>720 mg/g).The charcoal prepared and modified under high temperature conditions was more effective for MO adsorption, while MR relied on low temperature effectively. This study provides a new choice of adsorbent for MR and MO and finds a new direction for the utilization of snow lotus residues.

Comparison of Differences in Chemical Composition and Related Antioxidant Activity of Snow Lotus from Different Origins

The snow lotus is an endangered traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Saussurea involucrata, Saussurea laniceps, and Saussurea medusa, the three main snow lotus species (five herbs and two S. involucrata cell cultures), were selected for this study. Snow lotus (XLs) was extracted using 75 % (v/v) ethanol. Two reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector methods were developed and validated for the determination of 10 representative components in XLs. The antioxidant efficacy of XLs and their components was investigated using DPPH, ABTS free radical scavenging, and ROS inhibition experiments. The results showed that the IC₅₀ for DPPH scavenging ranged from 0.06-0.29 mg/mL for XLs and from 0.13-0.63 mg/mL for ABTS, and could downregulate ROS to varying degrees. The results of the antioxidant activity showed that rutin, quercetin, and isochlorogenic acid A contributed to the antioxidant capacity of XLs. The high content and activity of the cell cultures indicate that they can serve as an effective alternative to snow lotus, thus providing a theoretical basis for the selection of herbs and cell cultures to fulfil various needs.

Saussurea involucrata oral liquid regulates gut microbiota and serum metabolism during alleviation of collagen‐induced arthritis in rats

Saussurea involucrata oral liquid (SIOL) can clinically relieve symptoms, such as joint pain and swelling, and morning stiffness, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanism of action remains unclear. This study used a combination of gut microbiota and serum metabolomics analysis to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of SIOL intervention on rats with RA induced by type II bovine collagen and Freund's complete adjuvant. Results showed that SIOL treatment consequently improved the degree of ankle joint swelling, joint histopathological changes, joint pathological score, and expression of serum-related inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α) in RA model rats. 16 S rRNA sequencing results showed that SIOL increased the relative richness of the Lactobacillus and Bacteroides genus and decreased the relative richness of Romboutsia, Alloprevotella, Blautia, and Helicobacter genus. Serum nontargeted metabolomic results indicated that SIOL could regulate metabolites related to metabolic pathways, such as glycine, serine, threonine, galactose, cysteine, and methionine metabolism. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the regulatory effects of SIOL on the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, phenylalanine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism pathways were correlated with changes in the richness of the Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, Bacteroides, and Alloprevotella genus in the gut microbiome. In conclusion, this study revealed the ameliorative effects of SIOL on RA and suggested that the therapeutic effects of SIOL on RA may be related to the regulation of the community richness of the Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, Bacteroides, and Alloprevotella genus, thereby improving the TCA cycle; phenylalanine metabolism; phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism-related pathways.

Pharmaceutical Potential of High-Altitude Plants for Fatigue-Related Disorders: A Review

Natural plants from plateaus have been the richest source of secondary metabolites extensively used in traditional and modern health care systems. They were submitted to years of natural selection, co-evolved within that habitat, and show significant anti-fatigue-related pharmacological effects. However, currently, no review on high-altitude plants with anti-fatigue related properties has been published yet. This study summarized several Chinese traditional high-altitude plants, including Rhodiola rosea L., Crocus sativus L., Lepidium meyenii W., Hippophaerhamnoides L., which are widely used in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and surrounding mountains, as well as herbal markets in the plains. Based on phytopharmacology studies, deeper questions can be further revealed regarding how these plants regulate fatigue and related mental or physical disease conditions. Many active derivatives in high-altitude medical plants show therapeutic potential for the management of fatigue and related disorders. Therefore, high-altitude plants significantly relieve central or peripheral fatigue by acting as neuroprotective agents, energy supplements, metabolism regulators, antioxidant, and inflammatory response inhibitors. Their applications on the highland or flatland and prospects in natural medicine are further forecast, which may open treatments to reduce or prevent fatigue-related disorders in populations with sub-optimal health.

Metabolites Analysis of Anti-Myocardial Ischemia Active Components of Saussurea involucrata Based on Gut Microbiota-Drug Interaction

Saussurea involucrata has been reported to have potential therapeutic effects against myocardial ischemia. The pharmacological effects of oral natural medicines may be influenced by the participation of gut microbiota. In this study, we aimed to investigate the bidirectional regulation of gut microbiota and the main components of Saussurea involucrata. We first established a quantitative method for the four main components (chlorogenic acid, syringin, acanthoside B, rutin) which were chosen by fingerprint using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and found that gut microbiota has a strong metabolic effect on them. Meanwhile, we identified five major rat gut microbiota metabolites (M1-M5) using liquid chromatography tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/MSⁿ-IT-TOF). The metabolic properties of metabolites in vitro were preliminarily elucidated by LC-MS/MS for the first time. These five metabolites of Saussurea involucrata may all have potential contributions to the treatment of myocardial ischemia. Furthermore, the four main components (10 μg/mL) can significantly stimulate intestinal bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids in vitro, respectively, which can further contribute to the effect in myocardial ischemia. In this study, the therapeutic effect against myocardial ischemia of Saussurea involucrata was first reported to be related to the intestinal flora, which can be useful in understanding the effective substances of Saussurea involucrata.

Cardiac senescence is alleviated by the natural flavone acacetin via enhancing mitophagy

Cardiac senescence is associated with cardiomyopathy which is a degenerative disease in the aging process of the elderly. The present study investigates using multiple experimental approaches whether the natural flavone acacetin could attenuate myocardial senescence in C57/BL6 mice and H9C2 rat cardiac cells induced by D-galactose. We found that the impaired heart function in D-galactose-induced accelerated aging mice was improved by oral acacetin treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Acacetin significantly countered the increased serum advanced glycation end products, the myocardial telomere length shortening, the increased cellular senescence marker proteins p21 and p53, and the reduced mitophagy signaling proteins PINK1/Parkin and Sirt6 expression in aging mice. In H9C2 rat cardiac cells, acacetin alleviated cell senescence induced by D-galactose in a concentration-dependent manner. Acacetin decreased p21 and p53 expression, up-regulated PINK1/Parkin, LC3II/LC3I ratio, pLKB1, pAMPK and Sirt6, and reversed the depolarized mitochondrial membrane potential in aging cardiac cells. Mitophagy inhibition with 3-methyladenine or silencing Sirt6 abolished the protective effects of acacetin against cardiac senescence. Further analysis revealed that acacetin effect on Sirt6 was mediated by Sirt1 activation and increase of NAD+/NADH ratio. These results demonstrate that acacetin significantly inhibits in vivo and in vitro cardiac senescence induced by D-galactose via Sirt1-mediated activation of Sirt6/AMPK signaling pathway, thereby enhancing mitophagy and preserving mitochondrial function, which suggests that acacetin may be a drug candidate for treating cardiovascular disorders related to aging.

Systems Pharmacology-Based Dissection of Anti-Cancer Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Herb Saussurea involucrata

Cancer has the highest mortality in humans worldwide, and the development of effective drugs remains a key issue. Traditional Chinese medicine Saussurea involucrata (SI) exhibits a series of effects, such as anti-cancer, but the action mechanisms are still unclear. Here, systems pharmacology was applied to reveal its anti-cancer mechanism. First, we screened the active compounds of SI. Then, the compound–target network, target–disease network, and target–pathway network were constructed. DAVID was applied for GOBP analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis on cancer-related targets. Seven potential compounds and 187 targets were identified. The target–disease classification network showed that compounds mainly regulated proteins related to cancer, nervous system diseases, and cardiovascular system diseases. Also, SI anti-tumor effect mainly associated with the regulation of NO production, angiogenesis, MAPK, and PKB from GOBP enrichment. Additionally, KEGG pathway enrichment indicated that targets involved in anti-inflammatory action, inhibiting angiogenesis and anti-proliferation or inducing apoptosis. Experimental validation showed that four active compounds could inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in A549 (except for kaempferol), PC-3, and C6 cells. This study not only provides experimental evidence for further research on SI in cancer treatment but also promotes the development of potential drugs of SI in modern medicine.

The anti-UV properties of Saussurea involucrate Matsum. & Koidz. Via regulating PI3K/Akt pathway in B16F10 cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ultra Violet (UV) radiation is the major reason for reactive oxygen species (ROS) forming, skin cell damage, melanin production, and could horribly cause skin cancer. Saussureae Involucratae Herba (SIH) is the aerial part of Saussurea involucrata Matsum. & Koidz. This Material Medica is popular with both in Uyghur and Chinese medicines filed. SIH is one of the famous species of the Asteraceae family and which prescribed for skin protection from UV-induced damage according to China Pharmacopeia (2020). However, the detailed working mechanism involved is still not elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We would like to probe the potential transduction pathway of SIH against UV-induced skin cell damages in cultured B16F10 cells.

METHODS

Western blot, luciferase assay, laser confocal, RT-PCR and flow cytometer were employed here to verify the protective pharmaceutical value of SIH in cultured B16F10 cells after UV pre-treatment.

RESULTS

Our result revealed that SIH attenuates ROS formation after UV-induced damage in B16F10 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the transcriptional and translational anti-oxidative encoding genes were up-regulated under the presence of SIH. Further studies showed that SIH activated transcriptional activity of anti-oxidant response element (ARE). Moreover, we found that SIH dramatically stimulates PI3K/Akt phosphorylation in cultured B16F10 cells, this result was further verified by its specific inhibitors, LY294002 and Tocris.

CONCLUSION

Our findings concluded that SIH protect melanoma cells from UV damages via activating PI3K/Akt signaling and which could provide scientific evidence for anti-UV pharmaceutical values of this herbal extract.