Phytochemical Constituents, Folk Medicinal Uses, and Biological Activities of Genus Angelica: A Review

Randomized controlled trial of bushen yinao pill combined with conventional therapy on intestinal flora imbalance and cognitive function improvement in older patients with Alzheimer's disease

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the Bushen Yinao Pill, combined with standard therapy, on gut flora imbalances, inflammatory markers, and cognitive function in older patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODS

A total of 136 AD patients treated at the Department of Neurology from August 2022 to September 2023 were randomly assigned to two groups: 68 patients received standard treatment (control group, CTG), and 68 patients received the Bushen Yinao Pill plus standard treatment (intervention group, ITG). Outcomes included TCM syndrome scores, gut microbiota composition, inflammatory markers, cognitive function, overall efficacy, and safety.

RESULTS

ITG showed significant reductions in syndrome scores as compared to CTG after treatment (P < 0.05). The ITG also showed significant increases in beneficial bacteria and decreases in harmful bacteria compared to the CTG (P < 0.05). Inflammatory markers (Aβ, IL-6, TNF-α) were reduced, and cognitive function improved more significantly in the ITG (P < 0.05). The effective rate was higher in the ITG, with no significant difference in adverse reactions between the groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The Bushen Yinao Pill, when combined with standard therapy, effectively regulates gut microbiota, reduces inflammatory markers, and enhances cognitive function in AD patients, showing a favorable safety profile. Further research is recommended to validate these findings in diverse populations.

Angelicae dahuricae radix alleviates simulated microgravity induced bone loss by promoting osteoblast differentiation

Bone loss caused by long-duration spaceflight seriously affects the skeletal health of astronauts. There are many shortcomings in currently available treatments for weightlessness-induced bone loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preventive effect of Angelica dahuricae Radix (AR) on simulated microgravity-induced bone loss. Here, we established a hind limb unloading (HLU) mouse model and treated HLU mice with AR (2 g/kg) for 4 weeks. Results indicated that AR significantly inhibited simulated microgravity-induced bone loss. In addition, the components in AR were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS; results showed that a total of 224 compounds were detected in AR, which mainly contained 7 classes of components. Moreover, the network pharmacological predictions suggested that active ingredients of AR might act on PTGS2 to prevent bone loss. These results elucidate the efficacy of AR in preventing microgravity-induced bone loss and its potential for use in protecting the bone health of astronauts.

Chemistry, Pharmacology and Therapeutic Potential of Decursin: A Promising Natural Lead for New Drug Discovery and Development

Decursin is a pyranocoumarin compounds which are rare secondary metabolic plant products, isolated from the roots of Angelica gigas (A. gigas). The native Korean species Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) is widely used as a remedy for a variety of medical conditions including hematopoiesis, improving women's circulation, as sedatives, analgesics and tonic. It is unique because of the presence of substantial amounts of pyranocoumarins including decursin, decursinol, and decursinol angelate. In this review, we provide a comprehensive insight into the distribution, morphology, and chemical composition of A. gigas. A detailed discussion regarding the biological applications of decursin based on the literature retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar from 2000 to the present has been discussed. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that decursin has potential neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-melanogenic, anti-angiogenic, antioxidant, and anti-visceral properties. Mechanistic findings establish its significance in regulating important signalling pathways, triggering apoptosis, and preventing metastasis in different cancer types. The review additionally addressed the isolation methods, biosynthesis, physiochemical characteristics, toxicity and pharmacokinetic profile of decursin. The present state of clinical studies including A. gigas is investigated, emphasizing its advancements and possibilities in the field of translational medicine.

The Profile and Content of Polyphenolic Compounds and Antioxidant and Anti-Glycation Properties of Root Extracts of Selected Medicinal Herbs

The objective of our study was to analyse the extracts from six medicinal herb roots (marshmallow, dandelion, liquorice, angelica, burdock, and comfrey) in terms of antioxidant capacity (ABTS, DPPH) and inhibition of advanced glycation end product (AGEs) formation. The quantification of phenolic acids and flavonoids was analysed using the UHPLC-DAD-MS method. Fifteen polyphenolic compounds were detected in the studied herbs. The higher number of polyphenols were found in marshmallows (ten polyphenols), while the lowest was in comfrey (five compounds). Liquorice root revealed the highest individual phenolic concentration (382 µg/g dm) with the higher contribution of kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside. Comfrey root extract was characterised by the most abundant TPC (Total Phenolic Content) value (29.79 mg GAE/ g dm). Burdock and comfrey showed the strongest anti-AGE activity studies with the BDA-GLU model. Burdock root was also characterised by the highest anti-AGE activity in the BSA-MGO model. The highest antioxidant capacity was determined by ABTS (72.12 µmol TE/g dw) and DPPH (143.01 µmol TE/g dw) assays for comfrey extract. The p-coumaric acid content was significantly correlated with anti-AGE activity determined by the BSA-MGO model. This research sheds new light on the bioactivity of root herbs, explaining the role of p-coumaric acid in preventing diabetes.

Synthesis, Antiproliferative Activity and Molecular Docking Analysis of Both Enantiomerically Pure Decursin Derivatives as Anticancer Agents

Using (S)-decursinol isolated from root of Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN), we semi-synthesized and evaluated a series of both enantiomerically pure decursin derivatives for their antiproliferative activities against A549 human lung cancer cells. All synthesized compounds showed a broad spectrum of inhibitory activities against the growth of A549 cells. Especially, compound (S)-2d with (E)-(furan-3-yl)acryloyl group showed the most potent activity (IC50: 14.03 µM) against A549 cancer cells as compared with the reference compound, decursin (IC50: 43.55 µM) and its enantiomer, (R)-2d (IC50: 151.59 µM). Western blotting assays indicated that (S)-2d more strongly inhibited Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription activation 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation than decursin in a dose-dependent manner, while having no effect on CXCR7 overexpression and total STAT3 level. In addition, (S)-2d induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and subsequent apoptotic cell death in A549 cancer cells. Our combined analysis of molecular docking studies and biological data suggests that the inhibition of JAK1 with (S)-2d resulted in loss of STAT3 phosphorylation and inhibition of cell growth in A549 cancer cells. These overall results strongly suggest that (S)-2d (MRC-D-004) as a novel JAK1 inhibitor may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of A549 human lung cancers by targeting the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Essential Oil Constituents as Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Agents: An Insight through Microglia Modulation

Microglia are key players in the brain's innate immune response, contributing to homeostatic and reparative functions but also to inflammatory and underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Targeting microglia and modulating their function may have therapeutic potential for mitigating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The anti-inflammatory properties of essential oils suggest that some of their components may be useful in regulating microglial function and microglial-associated neuroinflammation. This study, starting from the ethnopharmacological premises of the therapeutic benefits of aromatic plants, assessed the evidence for the essential oil modulation of microglia, investigating their potential pharmacological mechanisms. Current knowledge of the phytoconstituents, safety of essential oil components, and anti-inflammatory and potential neuroprotective effects were reviewed. This review encompasses essential oils of Thymus spp., Artemisia spp., Ziziphora clinopodioides, Valeriana jatamansi, Acorus spp., and others as well as some of their components including 1,8-cineole, β-caryophyllene, β-patchoulene, carvacrol, β-ionone, eugenol, geraniol, menthol, linalool, thymol, α-asarone, and α-thujone. Essential oils that target PPAR/PI3K-Akt/MAPK signalling pathways could supplement other approaches to modulate microglial-associated inflammation to treat neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in cases where reactive microglia play a part in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration.

Variation of the essential oil components of Citrus aurantium leaves upon using different distillation techniques and evaluation of their antioxidant, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective effect against Alzheimer's disease

Citrus fruit essential oil is considered one of the widely studied essential oils while its leaves attract less attention although being rich in nearly the same composition as the peel and flowers. The leaves of bitter orange or sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) were extracted using three different techniques namely; hydrodistillation (HD), steam distillation (SD), and microwave-assisted distillation (MV) to compare their chemical composition. The three essential oil samples were analyzed through GC/FID and GC/MS analyses. The samples were tested in vitro using different antioxidant techniques (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, PBD, and MCA), neuroprotective enzyme inhibitory activities (acetylcholine and butyl choline enzymes), and antidiabetic activities (α-amylase and α-glucosidase). The results showed that thirty-five volatile ingredients were detected and quantified. Monoterpenes represented the most abundant class in the three essential oils followed by sesquiterpenes. C. aurantium essential oil carried potential antioxidant activity where SD exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, with values arranged in the following order: FRAP (200.43 mg TE/g), CUPRAC (138.69 mg TE/g), ABTS (129.49 mg TE/g), and DPPH (51.67 mg TE/g). SD essential oil also presented the most potent α-amylase (0.32) inhibition while the MV essential oil showed the highest α-glucosidase inhibition (2.73 mmol ACAE/g), followed by HD (2.53 mmol ACAE/g), and SD (2.46 mmol ACAE/g). The SD essential oil exhibited the highest BChE and AChE inhibitory activities (3.73 and 2.06 mg GALAE/g), respectively). Thus, bitter orange essential oil can act as a potential source of potent antioxidant, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective activities for future drug leads.

Quality evaluation of Angelica Sinensis Radix dispensing granules by integrating microvascular activity and chemical analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

As a new form of crude slices of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), traditional Chinese medicine dispensing granules (TCMDGs) have been used for clinical formula. It is necessary to evaluate whether the chemical composition and biological activity are consistent among the different batches. Angelica Sinensis Radix (ASR), the root of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, is one of the most frequently used medicinal materials in gynecology, senile and cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, the quality of TCMDGs is examined taking the Angelica Sinensis Radix dispensing granules (ASRDGs) as a typical case.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, integrating bioequivalence and chemical analysis was used to evaluate the quality of dispensing granules taking ASRDGs as a typical case.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

According to the clinical efficacy of ASR, the intestinal absorption liquid of ASRDGs (IAL-ASRDGs) in 15 batches prepared by the everted gut sac (EGS) method was used to evaluate its effects of vasodilatation on isolated vascular rings. Then, the chemical profiling analysis of IAL-ASRDGs from the 15 batches was carried out by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The components in IAL-ASRDGs were identified using mass spectrometry data and the obtained reference standards. Pearson correlation analysis was further performed for the selection of quality control markers based on the extracted ion chromatograms of the identified compounds and vasodilatory activities of different batches of IAL-ASRDGs. Moreover, the selected chemical components in ASRDGs were further verified by vasodilatory activities and quantitatively analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ-MS).

RESULTS

The IAL-ASRDGs showed favorable vasodilatory activities. There were significant differences among the 15 batches. The ranges of maximum vasodilation rate (%) and EC50 were 69.33 ± 7.16 to 19.52 ± 5.05 and 0.07-25.58 g raw materials/mL, respectively. A total of 46 compounds in IAL-ASRDGs were identified based on accurate mass measurements, fragmentation behavior and the reference standards. Among them, 8 compounds including butylidenephthalide, butylphthalide and senkyunolide A showed positive correlation with vasodilatory effect of IAL-ASRDGs. The 8 compounds were further verified, showing obvious vasodilatory activities. The content of the 8 compounds also showed some differences in 15 batches of ASRDGs. Among them, the content of ferulic acid, senkyunolide I and senkyunolide H varied the most in different batches of ASRDGs. By Pearson correlation analysis, the total content of senkyunolides (senkyunolide A, senkyunolide I and senkyunolide H) in ASRDGs was found to reflect the vasodilatory activity of ASRDGs mostly.

CONCLUSION

This study provides new strategies for the quality assessment by bioequivalence and explore the chemical quality control markers for ASRDGs.

Integrating genomic and multiomic data for Angelica sinensis provides insights into the evolution and biosynthesis of pharmaceutically bioactive compounds

Angelica sinensis roots (Angelica roots) are rich in many bioactive compounds, including phthalides, coumarins, lignans, and terpenoids. However, the molecular bases for their biosynthesis are still poorly understood. Here, an improved chromosome-scale genome for A. sinensis var. Qinggui1 is reported, with a size of 2.16 Gb, contig N50 of 4.96 Mb and scaffold N50 of 198.27 Mb, covering 99.8% of the estimated genome. Additionally, by integrating genome sequencing, metabolomic profiling, and transcriptome analysis of normally growing and early-flowering Angelica roots that exhibit dramatically different metabolite profiles, the pathways and critical metabolic genes for the biosynthesis of these major bioactive components in Angelica roots have been deciphered. Multiomic analyses have also revealed the evolution and regulation of key metabolic genes for the biosynthesis of pharmaceutically bioactive components; in particular, TPSs for terpenoid volatiles, ACCs for malonyl CoA, PKSs for phthalide, and PTs for coumarin biosynthesis were expanded in the A. sinensis genome. These findings provide new insights into the biosynthesis of pharmaceutically important compounds in Angelica roots for exploration of synthetic biology and genetic improvement of herbal quality.

Unsaturated Fatty Acids Complex Regulates Inflammatory Cytokine Production through the Hyaluronic Acid Pathway

In this study, we aimed to develop natural and/or functional materials with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We obtained extracts from natural plants through an oil and hot-water extraction process and prepared an extract composite of an effective unsaturated fatty acid complex (EUFOC). Furthermore, the antioxidant effect of the extract complex was evaluated, and the anti-inflammatory effect was explored by assessing its inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production through its HA-promoting effect. We conducted a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay to evaluate the cell viability of the EUFOC, and the results showed that EUFOC was not cytotoxic at the test concentrations. In addition, it showed no endogenous cytotoxicity in HaCaT (human keratinocyte) cells. The EUFOC showed excellent 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl- and superoxide-scavenging abilities. Moreover, it exerted an inhibitory effect on NO production at concentrations that did not inhibit cell viability. The secretion of all the cytokines was increased by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment; however, this was inhibited by the EUFOC in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, hyaluronic acid content was markedly increased by the EUFOC in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the EUFOC has excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and hence, it can be used as a functional material in various fields.