Herpetrione, a New Type of PPARα Ligand as a Therapeutic Strategy Against Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Progress based on a multi-omics research strategy in the biosynthesis and modernization of active ingredients of Herpetospermum pedunculosum seeds

Herpetospermum pedunculosum seeds also known as Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall. is the mature seed of the Herpetospermum pedunculosum(Ser.) C. B. Clarke,Cucurbitaceae. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that H. pedunculosum has hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-gout and antibacterial pharmacological activities. The biologically active chemical components include lignin compounds such as Herpetin, Herpetetrone, Herpetoriol and so on. The natural product displays considerable skeletal diversity and structural complexity, offering significant opportunities for novel drug discovery. Based on the multi-omics research strategy and the 'gene-protein-metabolite' research framework, the biosynthetic pathway of terpenoids and lignans in H. pedunculosum has has been elucidated at multiple levels. These approaches provide comprehensive genetic information for cloning and identification of pertinent enzyme genes. Furthermore, the application of multi-omics integrative approaches provides a scientific means to elucidate entire secondary metabolic pathways. We investigated the biosynthetic pathways of lignin and terpene components in H. pedunculosum and conducted bioinformatics analysis of the crucial enzyme genes involved in the biosynthetic process using genomic and transcriptomic data. We identified candidate genes for six key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway. This review reports on the current literature on pharmacological investigations of H. pedunculosum, proposing its potential as an antidiabetic agent. Moreover, we conclude, for the first time, the identification of key enzyme genes potentially involved in the biosynthesis of active compounds in H. pedunculosum. This review provides a scientific foundation for the discovery of novel therapeutic agents from natural sources.

Cathelicidin-HG Alleviates Sepsis-Induced Platelet Dysfunction by Inhibiting GPVI-Mediated Platelet Activation

Platelet activation contributes to sepsis development, leading to microthrombosis and increased inflammation, which results in disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ dysfunction. Although Cathelicidin can alleviate sepsis, its role in sepsis regulation remains largely unexplored. In this study, we identified Cath-HG, a novel Cathelicidin from Hylarana guentheri skin, and analyzed its structure using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The modulatory effect of Cath-HG on the symptoms of mice with sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture was evaluated in vivo, and the platelet count, degree of organ damage, and microthrombosis were measured. The antiplatelet aggregation activity of Cath-HG was studied in vitro, and its target was verified. Finally, we further investigated whether Cath-HG could regulate thrombosis in vivo in a FeCl3 injury-induced carotid artery model. The results showed that Cath-HG exhibited an α-helical structure in sodium dodecyl sulfate solution and effectively reduced organ inflammation and damage, improving survival in septic mice. It alleviated sepsis-induced thrombocytopenia and microthrombosis. In vitro, Cath-HG specifically inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation and modulated glycoprotein VI (GPVI) signaling pathways. Dot blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and pull-down experiments confirmed GPVI as the target of Cath-HG. Molecular docking and amino acid residue truncations/mutations identified crucial sites of Cath-HG. These findings suggest that GPVI represents a promising therapeutic target for sepsis, and Cath-HG may serve as a potential treatment for sepsis-related thrombocytopenia and thrombotic events. Additionally, identifying Cath-HG as a GPVI inhibitor provides insights for developing novel antithrombotic therapies targeting platelet activation mediated by GPVI.

PPARs as Key Transcription Regulators at the Crossroads of Metabolism and Inflammation

The metabolic and immune systems are complex networks of organs, cells, and proteins that are involved in the extraction of energy from food; this is to run complex cellular processes and defend the body against infections while protecting its own tissues, respectively [...].

Total cucurbitacins from Herpetospermum pedunculosum pericarp do better than Hu-lu-su-pian (HLSP) in its safety and hepatoprotective efficacy

The pericarp of Herpetospermum pedunculosum (HPP) has traditionally been used for treating jaundice and hepatitis. However, the specific hepatoprotective components and their safety/efficacy profiles remain unclear. This study aimed to characterize the total cucurbitacins (TCs) extracted from HPP and evaluate their hepatoprotective potential. As a reference, Hu-lu-su-pian (HLSP), a known hepatoprotective drug containing cucurbitacins, was used for comparison of chemical composition, effects, and safety. Molecular networking based on UHPLC-MS/MS identified cucurbitacin B, isocucurbitacin B, and cucurbitacin E as the major components in TCs, comprising 70.3%, 26.1%, and 3.6% as determined by RP-HPLC, respectively. TCs treatment significantly reversed CCl4-induced metabolic changes associated with liver damage in a dose-dependent manner, impacting pathways including energy metabolism, oxidative stress and phenylalanine metabolism, and showed superior efficacy to HLSP. Safety evaluation also showed that TCs were safe, with higher LD50 and no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) values than HLSP. The median lethal dose (LD50) and NOAEL values of TCs were 36.21 and 15 mg/kg body weight (BW), respectively, while the LD50 of HLSP was 14 mg/kg BW. In summary, TCs extracted from HPP demonstrated promising potential as a natural hepatoprotective agent, warranting further investigation into synergistic effects of individual cucurbitacin components.