Anti-inflammatory monoterpenes from morinda (Morinda officinalis How.)

Morinda (Morinda officinalis How.) is widely consumed as a functional food owing to its potential to promote health. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory phytochemicals of morinda and isolated 30 monoterpenes, including 6 undescribed iridoids (1, 6, 9-11 and 25), 2 undescribed acyclic monoterpenoids (28, 29), a known acyclic monoterpenoid and 21 known iridoids. Their chemical and stereo-structures were elucidated based on HR-ESI-MS, NMR, 13C-NMR calculations, ECD data and ECD calculations. Notably, compounds 11, 12 and 20 exerted pronounced inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with IC50 values of 28.51 ± 1.70, 25.45 ± 4.17 and 29.17 ± 3.71 μM respectively (indomethacin, IC50 of 33.68 ± 2.19 μM). The same compounds exert anti-inflammatory effects by blocking nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κ-B, and down-regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 at mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that moderate consumption of morinda helps prevent and reduce the occurrence of inflammatory-related diseases.

Anti-inflammatory naphthoates and anthraquinones from the roots of Morinda officinalis

Morinda (Morinda officinalis) is widely consumed as a health-care herb in Asia and reported to possess various biological activities. In this study, anti-inflammatory phytochemicals were investigated and two pairs of new methyl-2-naphthoate enantiomers (1a/1b, 2a/2b), one new anthraquinone (3), three new natural unknown anthraquinones (5-6, 23), and eighteen known anthraquinones were isolated and elucidated from the roots of morinda. Anti-inflammatory activities of the isolated compounds were assessed in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compounds 2b and 19 significantly inhibited the production of NO with IC₅₀ values of 34.32 ± 4.87 and 17.17 ± 4.13 μM (indomethacin, IC₅₀ 26.71 ± 6.32 μM), and they were further corroborated via immunoblotting, quantitative real-time PCR and immunofluorescence staining assays. They could dose-dependent suppress lipopolysaccharide-stimulated pro-inflammatory factors (COX-2 and iNOS) production and block nuclear translocation of NF-κB. The results implied that reasonable consumption of morinda may be beneficial for preventing and reducing the occurrence of inflammatory-associated diseases.

Network pharmacology-based investigation on the mechanisms of action of Morinda officinalis How. in the treatment of osteoporosis

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease that leads to a high risk for bone fractures. Morinda officinalis How. has been used as osteoporosis treatment in China. However, its mechanism of action as an anti-osteoporotic herb remains unknown.

METHODS

A network pharmacology approach was applied to explore the potential mechanisms of action of M. officinalis in osteoporosis treatment. The active compounds of M. officinalis and their potential osteoporosis-related targets were retrieved from TCMSP, TCMID, SwissTargetPrediction, DrugBank, DisGeNET, GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD databases. A protein-protein interaction network was built to analyze the target interactions. The Metascape database was used to carry out GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis. Moreover, interactions between active compounds and potential targets were investigated through molecular docking.

RESULTS

A total of 17 active compounds and 93 anti-osteoporosis targets of M. officinalis were selected for analysis. The GO enrichment analysis results indicated that the anti-osteoporosis targets of M. officinalis mainly play a role in the response to steroid hormone. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that M. officinalis prevents osteoporosis through the ovarian steroidogenesis signaling pathway. Moreover, the molecular docking results indicated that bioactive compounds (morindon, ohioensin A, and physcion) demonstrated a good binding ability with IGF1R, INSR, ESR1, and MMP9.

CONCLUSION

M. officinalis contains potential anti-osteoporotic active compounds. These compounds function by regulating the proteins implicated in ovarian steroidogenesis-related pathways that are crucial in estrogen biosynthesis. Our study provides new insights into the development of a natural therapy for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Morinda officinalis How. - A comprehensive review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The medicinal plant Morinda officinalisHow. (MO) and its root have long been used in traditional medicines in China and northeast Asia as tonics for nourishing the kidney, strengthening the bone and enhancing immunofunction in the treatment of impotence, osteoporosis, depression and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and dermatitis.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to sum up updated and comprehensive information about traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of MO and provide insights into potential opportunities for future research and development of this plant.

METHODS

A bibliographic investigation was performed by analyzing the information available on MO in the internationally accepted scientific databases including Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Yahoo, Ph.D. and M.Sc. dissertations in Chinese. Information was also obtained from some local and foreign books on ethnobotany and ethnomedicines.

RESULTS

The literature supported the ethnomedicinal uses of MO as recorded in China for various purposes. The ethnomedical uses of MO have been recorded in many regions of China. More than 100 chemical compounds have been isolated from this plant, and the major constituents have been found to be polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, anthraquinones and iridoid glycosides. Crude extracts and pure compounds of this plant are used as effective agents in the treatment of depression, osteoporosis, fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, and infertility due to their anti-depressant, anti-osteoporosis, pro-fertility, anti-radiation, anti-Alzheimer disease, anti-rheumatoid, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, cardiovascularprotective, anti-oxidation, immune-regulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities. Pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated that the main components of MO including monotropein and deacetyl asperulosidic acid are distributed in various organs and tissues. The investigation on acute toxicity and genotoxicity indicated that MO is nontoxic. There have no reports on significant adverse effect at a normal dose in clinical application, but MO at dose of more than 1000mg/kg may cause irritability, insomnia and unpleasant sensations in individual cases.

CONCLUSION

MO has emerged as a good source of traditional medicines. Some uses of this plant in traditional medicines have been validated by pharmacological investigations. However, the molecular mechanism, structure-activity relationship, and potential synergistic and antagonistic effects of its multi-components such as polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, anthraquinones and iridoid glycosides need to be further elucidated, and the structural feature of polysaccharides also need to be further clarified. Sophisticated analytical technologies should be developed to comprehensively evaluate the quality of MO based on HPLC-fingerprint and content determination of the active constituents, knowing that these investigations will help further utilize this plant.