Effects of Cynanchum wilfordii on osteoporosis with inhibition of bone resorption and induction of bone formation

Jatrophihabitans cynanchi sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere soil of Cynanchum wilfordii

A novel actinobacterial strain, SB3-54T was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Cynanchum wilfodill, Jaecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea. Cells of strain SB3-54T were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, and flagellated which formed pale yellow colonies on Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar. Growth occurred at 15-30 °C (optimum 25 °C), pH 5-8 (optimum pH 7), and 0-2.5% NaCl (optimum 0%). Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses showed that strain SB3-54T formed a separate lineage in the genus Jatrophihabitans with Jatrophihabitans telluris N237T. Strain SB3-54T was positive for catalase activity. Genomic analysis showed that SB3-54T has plant-beneficial function contributing (referred to as PBFC) genes such as root colonization and plant protection from oxidative stress. Furthermore, genome of SB3-54T contained gene clusters related to cytokinin biosynthesis, auxin response, tryptophan biosynthesis, siderophore biosynthesis and bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems. Strain SB3-54T contained iso-C16:0 as the major fatty acid and MK-9(H4) and MK-9(H6) as the predominant quinones. The organism had meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid in the peptidoglycan. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol polymannosides, two unidentified aminoglycophospholipids and three unidentified phospholipids. Based on phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain SB3-54T represents a novel species of the genus Jatrophihabitans. The type strain is SB3-54T (= KCTC 49134T = NBRC 114108T).

Proliferation and Metabolic Profiling of Cynanchum wilfordii Adventitious Roots Using Explants from Different Cultivation Methods

Cynanchum wilfordii root is used in traditional herbal medicine owing to its various pharmacological activities. However, C. wilfordii roots are misused owing to their morphological similarities with C. auriculatum. Adventitious root (AR) culture can prevent such misuse, and the selection of plant materials is an important procedure for producing high-quality ARs. This study aimed to compare the proliferation and metabolic profiles of C. wilfordii ARs in two types of explants from different cultivation methods (either cultivated in open field (ECF) or cultivated on a heap of C. wilfordii (ECH)). After 4 weeks of culture, the proliferation rate and number and length of secondary ARs were determined, and 3/4 Murashige and Skoog (MS) salt medium, 4.92 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and 5% sucrose were suggested as the best proliferation conditions for ARs originating from both ECF and ECH. Through metabolic profiling, ARs from ECH were found to show higher accumulation patterns for flavonoids, polysaccharides, hydroxyacetophenones, aromatic amino acids, and mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which were ascribed to the activation of flavonoid biosynthesis, the phenylpropanoid pathway, and fatty acid desaturase, stimulated by abiotic stresses. In contrast, ARs from ECF had higher levels of TCA cycle intermediates, amino acids in the aspartate-glutamate pathway, and saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, indicating energy metabolism and plant development. Overall, the current study provided information on the optimal conditions for inducing C. wilfordii ARs with higher amounts of bioactive compounds.

Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight., Cynanchum bungei Decne. and Cynanchum wilfordii (Maxim.) Hemsl.: Current Research and Prospects

Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight. (CA), Cynanchum bungei Decne. (CB) and Cynanchum wilfordii (Maxim.) Hemsl. (CW) are three close species belonging to the Asclepiadaceous family, and their dry roots as the bioactive part have been revealed to exhibit anti-tumor, neuroprotection, organ protection, reducing liver lipid and blood lipid, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and other activities. Until 2021, phytochemistry investigations have uncovered 232 compounds isolated from three species, which could be classified into C21-steroids, acetophenones, terpenoids, and alkaloids. In this review, the morphology characteristics, species identification, and the relationship of botany, extraction, and the separation of chemical constituents, along with the molecular mechanism and pharmacokinetics of bioactive constituents of three species, are summarized for the first time, and their phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical safety are also updated. Moreover, the direction and limitation of current research on three species is also discussed.

Nocardioides cynanchi sp. nov., isolated from soil of rhizosphere of Cynanchum wilfordii

A novel actinobacterial strain, SB3-45^T, was isolated from soil of Cynanchum wilfordii rhizosphere, Jaecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea. Strain SB3-45^T, was Gram-stain-positive, aerobic and coccoid to short rod-shaped bacterium. Growth occurred at 4-37 °C (optimum 28 °C), pH 5-8 (optimum pH 7) and 0-2.5 % NaCl (optimum 0%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain SB3-45^T belonged to the genus Nocardioides and was closely related to Nocardioides opuntiae OS-21^T (96.2%) and Nocardioides panacihumi Gsoil 616^T (95.9%). ll-DAP as the diamino acid in the peptidoglycan and the menaquinone MK-8(H₄) as the predominant isoprenoid quinone were detected. The polar lipids of strain SB3-45^T were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and unidentified phospholipid. The major cellular fatty acids (>5%) of strain SB3-45^T were iso-C_16 : 0, C_18 : 1 ω9c and C_17 : 0. Based on phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain SB3-45^T represents a novel species of the genus Nocardioides, for which the name Nocardioides cynanchi sp.nov. is proposed. The type strain is SB3-45^T (=KCTC 49133^T=NBRC 114107^T).

Mitochondrial plastid DNA can cause DNA barcoding paradox in plants

The transfer of ancestral plastid genomes into mitochondrial genomes to generate mitochondrial plastid DNA (MTPT) is known to occur in plants, but its impacts on mitochondrial genome complexity and the potential for causing a false-positive DNA barcoding paradox have been underestimated. Here, we assembled the organelle genomes of Cynanchum wilfordii and C. auriculatum, which are indigenous medicinal herbs in Korea and China, respectively. In both species, it is estimated that 35% of the ancestral plastid genomes were transferred to mitochondrial genomes over the past 10 million years and remain conserved in these genomes. Some plastid barcoding markers co-amplified the conserved MTPTs and caused a barcoding paradox, resulting in mis-authentication of botanical ingredients and/or taxonomic mis-positioning. We identified dynamic and lineage-specific MTPTs that have contributed to mitochondrial genome complexity and might cause a putative barcoding paradox across 81 plant species. We suggest that a DNA barcoding guidelines should be developed involving the use of multiple markers to help regulate economically motivated adulteration.

Cynanchum wilfordii Etanolic Extract Controls Blood Cholesterol: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Trial

We evaluated the effects of Cynanchum wilfordii (CW) ethanolic extract on blood cholesterol levels in adults with high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel trial, 84 subjects were recruited. Participants were randomly divided into two groups with a low-dose (300 mg/d) or high-dose (600 mg/d) of CW. Levels of very low-density lipoprotein (p = 0.022) and triglycerides (p = 0.022) were significantly lower in the low-dose CW group than in the placebo group after 8 weeks. In a subgroup of participants with LDL-C≥ 150 mg/dL (n = 33), there was a significant decrease in total cholesterol (low-dose, p = 0.012; high-dose, p = 0.021), apolipoprotein B (low-dose, p = 0.022; high-dose, p = 0.016), and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (low-dose, p = 0.037; high-dose, p = 0.016) after 8 weeks of CW. The correlation between changes in total cholesterol and baseline LDL-C levels was significant in the groups that received both doses of CW (low-dose, p = 0.010; high-dose, p = 0.015). These results show that the CW ethanolic extract can regulate blood cholesterol in subjects with LDL-C≥ 150 mg/dL.