Study on the Sleep-Improvement Effects of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni in Drosophila melanogaster and Targeted Screening to Identify Its Active Components and Mechanism

Study on the mechanism of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in sedation and tranquillising mind

This study analysed the pharmacological mechanism of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in sedation and tranquillising mind using network pharmacology methods. The findings of this study aimed to serve as a reference for the development of novel drugs and the clinical expansion and application of traditional Chinese medicine formulas. The chemical constituents and therapeutic targets of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen were acquired from TCMSP, HERB, and ETCM databases. Active components were identified using ADME criteria, while the primary targets associated with sedation and mental tranquillity were obtained from GENECARDS, OMIM, and DRUGBANK databases. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was conducted using the STRING platform to investigate potential functional protein modules by the network. The METASCAPE platform was employed for the study of the "component-target" and its associated biological processes and pathways. Subsequently, the "component-target" network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.1 software. Finally, the validation of molecular docking was conducted through AUTODOCK. The findings revealed that Quercetin, Atropine, Dauricine, (S)-Coclaurine, and other active ingredients were identified as the core constituents of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen. Additionally, PTGS2, PTGS1, MAOB, GABRA1, SLC6A2, ADRB2, CHRM1, HTR2A, and other targets were identified as the core targets. The results of the molecular docking analysis demonstrated that Quercetin, Atropine, Dauricine, and (S)-Coclaurine exhibited binding solid affinity towards PTGS2 and PTGS1. The predominant biological pathways associated with sedation and tranquilisation primarily involved Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and activation of receptors involved in chemical carcinogenesis. This study provided initial findings on the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanism underlying the sedative and tranquillising effects of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen. These findings had the potential to serve as a foundation for the future development and utilisation of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen.

Effects of Dendropanax morbiferus Leaf Extract on Sleep Parameters in Invertebrate and Vertebrate Models

Dendropanax morbiferus is highly valued in traditional medicine and has been used to alleviate the symptoms of numerous diseases owing to its excellent antioxidant activity. This study aimed to evaluate the sleep promotion and related signaling pathways of D. morbiferus extract (DE) via behavioral analysis, molecular biological techniques, and electrophysiological measurements in invertebrate and vertebrate models. In Drosophila, the group treated with 4% DE experienced decreased subjective nighttime movement and sleep bout and increased total sleeping time. Moreover, substantial changes in locomotor activity, including distance moved, velocity, and movement, were confirmed in the 4% DE-treated group. Compared to Drosophila in which insomnia and oxidative stress were induced by exposure to 0.1% caffeine, the DE-treated group improved sleep-related parameters to the level of the normal group. In the Drosophila model, exposure to 4% DE upregulated the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-related receptors and serotonin receptor (5-HT1A), along with the expression of antioxidant-related factors, glutathione, and catalase. In the pentobarbital-induced sleep test using ICR mice, the duration of sleep was markedly increased by high concentration of DE. In addition, through the electroencephalography analysis of SD-rats, a significant increase in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep and delta waves was confirmed with high concentrations of DE administration. The increase in sleep time and improvement in sleep quality were confirmed to be related to the expression of altered GABA receptors and the enhancement of the contents of the neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin (5-HT) because of high DE administration. High-dose administration of DE also increased the expression of antioxidant-related factors in the brain and significantly decreased malondialdehyde content. Taken together, DE induced improvements in sleep quantity and quality by regulating neurotransmitter content and related receptor expression, along with high antioxidant activity, and may have a therapeutic effect on sleep disorders.

Study on the material basis and mechanism of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni on sleep-improvement using Drosophila activity monitoring, metabolomic, targeted screening and transcriptomic

Daylily (Hemerocallis citrina Baroni, HC) is an edible plant and is traditionally considered with potential to improve sleep. Herein, based on the Drosophila activity monitoring, metabolome, targeted screening and transcriptome, the material basis and mechanism of HC on sleep-improvement was investigated. The results showed that the aqueous extracts of HC (HAE) as well as the ethanol extracts (HEE) all prolonged the total sleep time of insomnia fruit flies, especially HEE-60 and HEE-95 exhibited more significant effects. In addition, 539 of 728 found metabolites were screened as potential sleep-improved metabolites, and quercetin, linoleic acid, phenethyl caffeate, L-methionine and γ-aminobutyric acid were considered as core active metabolites. Meanwhile, 368 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were revealed by transcriptomics analysis, and the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction was deduced as the main pathway by KEGG pathway enrichment. Furthermore, nine DEGs located in this pathway, namely betaTry, deltaTry, gammaTry, epsilonTry, etaTry, iotaTry, lambdaTry, kappaTry and CG30031 were proven being up-regulated. All these results contribute to the development of HC-related functional foods.

Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva Linn.) flowers improve sleep quality in human and reduce nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production in macrophages

The flowers of daylily (Hemerocallis fulva Linn.) have been used as vegetable and medicinal herb for thousands of years in Taiwan and eastern Asia. Daylily flowers have been demonstrated to exert several biomedical properties. In this study, we provided the evidences show that daylily flowers exert anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and improved the sleep quality in vivo. We demonstrated that adult volunteers received water extract of daylily flowers improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning, while sleep latency was reduced, compared to the adult volunteers received water. In addition, we demonstrated that aqueous and ethanol extracts of daylily flowers inhibited nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages. Furthermore, the quantitative high performance liquid chromatography-based analysis showed the rutin content of the aqueous extract, ethanolic extract, ethyl acetate fractions of ethanolic extract, and water fractions of ethanolic extract were 7.27, 23.30, 14.71, and 57.43 ppm, respectively. These results indicate that daylily flowers have the potential to be a nutraceutical for improving inflammatory-related diseases and sleep quality in the future.

Polysaccharides from Hemerocallis citrina Baroni Inhibit the Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Regulating the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Hemerocallis citrina Baroni is an edible plant with anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and anticancer activities. However, studies on H. citrina polysaccharides are limited. In this study, a polysaccharide named HcBPS2 was isolated and purified from H. citrina. Monosaccharide component analysis showed that HcBPS2 was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, mannose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid. Notably, HcBPS2 significantly inhibited human hepatoma cell proliferation, but had little effect on human normal liver cells (HL-7702). Mechanism investigations indicated HcBPS2 suppressed human hepatoma cell growth through the induction of G2/M phase arrest and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in human hepatoma cells. In addition, the data revealed that HcBPS2 treatment led to the inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which then gave rise to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human hepatoma cancer cells. Collectively, these findings suggested that HcBPS2 may serve as a therapeutic agent against liver cancer.

Freeze-dried powder of daylily bud improves bromocriptine-induced lactation disorder in rats via JAK2/STAT5 pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Milk deficiency is a prevalent problem in the world. Daylily (Hemerocallis citrina Borani), called the Chinese mother flower, is a traditional vegetable and is believed to possess a galactagogue effect in China. Flavonoids and phenols are considered as the active ingredients of daylily to promote lactation and improve depression.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to investigate the prolactin effects of freeze-dried powder of flower buds of H. citrina Baroni in rat and its action mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The chemical constituents of flower buds of H. citrina Baroni treated by different drying techniques were analyzed by ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model induced by bromocriptine was used to evaluate the effect of freeze-dried powder of daylily buds on promoting lactation. Network pharmacology method, ELISA, qPCR, and Western blot were used to clarify the action mechanisms.

RESULTS

We detected 657 compounds in daylily buds. The relative contents of total flavonoids and phenols in freeze-dried samples were higher than those in dried ones. Bromocriptine, as a dopamine receptor agonist, can significantly inhibit prolactin in rats. Daylily buds can restore the levels of prolactin, progesterone and estradiol depressed by bromocriptine, effectively improve the milk production of the rat, and promote the repair of rat mammary gland tissue. We analyzed the relationship between the chemical components of daylily buds and the genes related to lactation with network pharmacology method, revealing that flavonoids and phenols may be the active components that promoted milk production via JAK2/STAT5 pathway, which was confirmed by the results of qPCR and Western blot. Daylily buds can increase the mRNA expression of PRLR, CSN2, LALBA and FASN and the protein expression of PRLR, JAK2 and STAT5.

CONCLUSION

Daylily buds can improve the insufficient lactation of rats induced by bromocriptine through PRLR/JAK2/STAT5 pathway, and the freeze-dried processing method may better retain the active components of flavonoids and phenols that promote milk in daylily.

Study on Anti-Constipation Effects of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni through a Novel Strategy of Network Pharmacology Screening

Daylily (Hemerocallis citrina Baroni) is an edible plant widely distributed worldwide, especially in Asia. It has traditionally been considered a potential anti-constipation vegetable. This study aimed to investigate the anti-constipation effects of daylily from the perspective of gastro-intestinal transit, defecation parameters, short-chain organic acids, gut microbiome, transcriptomes and network pharmacology. The results show that dried daylily (DHC) intake accelerated the defecation frequency of mice, while it did not significantly alter the levels of short-chain organic acids in the cecum. The 16S rRNA sequencing showed that DHC elevated the abundance of Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium and Flavonifractor, while it reduced the level of pathogens (such as Helicobacter and Vibrio). Furthermore, a transcriptomics analysis revealed 736 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after DHC treatment, which are mainly enriched in the olfactory transduction pathway. The integration of transcriptomes and network pharmacology revealed seven overlapping targets (Alb, Drd2, Igf2, Pon1, Tshr, Mc2r and Nalcn). A qPCR analysis further showed that DHC reduced the expression of Alb, Pon1 and Cnr1 in the colon of constipated mice. Our findings provide a novel insight into the anti-constipation effects of DHC.

Polysaccharide from Hemerocallis citrina Borani by subcritical water with different temperatures and investigation of its physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity

Hemerocallis citrina Borani as a low-cost vegetable, has various health benefits. However, the industry of H. citrina Borani is in the state of primary processing, with poor economic benefits. This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties, and the antioxidant activity of H. citrina Borani polysaccharide (HCBP) using subcritical water extraction (SWE) at different temperatures, to expand the value of H. citrina Borani. HCBP mainly composed of nine monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, rhamnose, fucose, mannose, arabinose, xylose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid), among which the content of neutral sugar was higher and uronic acid was lower. HCBP contained glycosidic bond of β-configurations and trace quantities protein. The molecular weight of HCBP decreased with increasing temperature. Shear thinning occurred in HCBP with the increase of shear rate (0.01-1 s^-1), and the apparent viscosity of HCBP decreased at higher temperature (150-160°C) with the increase continuously of shear rate (1-10 s^-1), but almost remained constant at lower temperature (130-140°C). Scanning electron microscope showed that HCBP had rough surface, loose structure, obvious particle gap, and irregular shape. In addition, HCBP extracted at 160°C had strong FRAP activity, and HCBP extracted at 130 and 140°C had better ABTS radical scavenging activity. This study suggests that HCBP extracted by SWE could provide a cheap raw material as food thickening agent and natural antioxidants.

Study and Experimental Validation of the Functional Components and Mechanisms of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni in the Treatment of Lactation Deficiency

The function of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni (daylily) on promoting lactation is reported in several ancient Chinese medicine books. However, nowadays, there is no conclusive data to support this statement. In this study, we investigated the effect of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni extract (HCE) on lactation insufficiency in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) dams and further explored the mechanism and functional components through network pharmacology. The results showed that HCE could increase the offspring’s weight, serum prolactin (PRL), and oxytocin (OT) level of CUMS dams. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that the facilitation of HCE on lactation is the result of the comprehensive action of 62 components on 209 targets and 260 pathways, among this network, quercetin, kaempferol, thymidine, etc., were the vital material basis, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), mitogen activity protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), tumor protein P53 (TP53), etc., were the core targets, and the prolactin signaling pathway was the core pathway. In addition, verification test results showed that HCE regulated the abnormal expression of the prolactin signaling pathway, including STAT3, cyclin D1 (CCND1), MAPK1, MAPK8, nuclear factor NF-kappa-B p105 subunit (NFKB1), and tyrosine-protein kinase (JAK2). In conclusion, HCE exhibited a facilitation of lactation insufficiency, in which quercetin, kaempferol, thymidine, etc., were the most important material basis. The mechanism of this promotional effect is mediated by the prolactin signaling pathway in mammary gland.

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Hemerocallis citrina and the antioxidant activity study

The present study discussed the optimization of the ultrasonic-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from daylily polysaccharides (DPs). The extracted crude polysaccharides were further separated and purified, and the antioxidant activities including 1,1-diphenyl-2-111 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activities of the obtained fractions were also evaluated. The results showed that the optimal ultrasonic-assisted extraction parameters with DPs yield of 15.25 ± 1.13% were water to powder ratio of 25 ml/g, extraction power of 694 W, extraction temperature of 71°C, extraction time of 38 min, and three times extraction. By DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow column, four water-soluble polysaccharide fractions (DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, and DP-4) were successfully obtained. Monosaccharide component analysis showed that the four obtained fractions were all hetero-polysaccharides that mainly contained rhamnose, arabinose, fructose, galactose, glucose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid in different molar ratios. All the four DP fractions did show obvious antioxidant activities in vitro, and the DP-3 component had relatively high ABTS free radical scavenging activity. Overall, our research showed that DPs could provide cheap raw materials for the development of natural antioxidants in medicines, functional foods, and even cosmetics. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This article deals with the optimization of the ultrasonic-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from daylily and its antioxidant activities. The results showed that the optimal ultrasonic-assisted extraction yield of DPs was 15.25 ± 1.13%. By DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow column, four water-soluble polysaccharide fractions were successfully obtained, and all the four DP fractions did show obvious antioxidant activities in vitro. Daylily polysaccharides could provide cheap raw materials for the development of natural antioxidants in medicines, functional foods, and even cosmetics.