Abstract
Cynanchum acutum L. is a climbing vine that belongs to the family Apocynaceae. Using different chromatographic techniques, seven compounds were isolated from the methanolic extract of the plant. The isolated compounds include six flavonoid compounds identified as rutin (1), quercetin-3-O-neohesperidoside (2), quercetin-3-O-β-galactoside (3), isoquercitrin (4), quercetin (5), and kaempferol 3-O-β-glucoside (6), in addition to a coumarin, scopoletin (7). The structures of the compounds were elucidated based on 1D NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS), and by comparison with data reported in the literature. The first five compounds were selected for in vivo investigation of their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. All tested compounds significantly reduced oxidative stress and increased erythrocyte lysate levels of antioxidant enzymes, along with the amelioration of the serum levels of inflammatory markers. Upregulation of miR-146a expression and downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) expression were detected in the liver and adipose tissue of rats treated with the isolated flavonoids. Results from the biological investigation and those from the validated molecular modeling approach on two biological targets of the NF-κB pathway managed to highlight the superior anti-inflammatory activity of quercetin-3-O-galactoside (3) and quercetin (5), as compared to other bioactive metabolites.
Highlights
The compounds were identified as rutin 1 [41], quercetin-3-Oneohesperidoside 2, quercetin-3-O-β-galactoside 3 [19], isoquercitrin 4 [41], quercetin 5 [41], kaempferol 3-O-β-glucoside 6 [42], and scopoletin 7 [20].The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated based on spectroscopic data, and by comparison with data reported in the literature (Supplementary Figures S1–S23)
The findings of the current study showed that the induction of T2DM in experimental rats by high fat diet (HFD) + STZ (30 mg/kg) led to a significant increase in % body weight, adipose tissue index, liver index, liver enzymes, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin resistance, TG, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and a significant decrease in insulin sensitivity and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C)
Ethyl acetate fraction of C. acutum excreted the best anti-hyperglycemic effect in rats with T2DM. Rats that received this fraction exhibited the lowest FBG, fasting plasma insulin, HOMA-IR, TG, LDL-C, and the highest HDL-C levels compared to the groups that received the crude extract and all other fractions
Summary
The Cynanchum genus previously belonged to Asclepiadaceae, but is classified under the Apocynaceae. The dried whole plant of C. paniculatum was reported to possess potent anti-inflammatory activity [4]. Cynanchum acutum L. is a climbing vine that is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. It commonly grows in Egypt and is known among natives as olliq, modeid, or libbein [8,9]. The alcoholic extract of the leaves of C. acutum was reported to have insecticidal [10], antidiabetic [11], antioxidant [11], antibacterial [12], anticancer [13], anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic [12] effects. The extract had a protective role against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats [14]
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