Edible Herbal Medicine Research Articles

Induction of Antioxidant Protein HO-1 Through Nrf2-ARE Signaling Due to Pteryxin in Peucedanum Japonicum Thunb in RAW264.7 Macrophage Cells.

This study focused on exploring the nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2) active compound to avoid oxidative stress related to various diseases, such as obesity and diabetes mellitus. The activity of the Nrf2-ARE (antioxidant response element) signaling was evaluated by a reporter assay involving over five hundred various edible medicinal herbs, and the highest Nrf2 activity was found in the ethanol extract of Peucedanum japonicum leaves. The active compound in the extract was isolated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the chemical structure was identical to pteryxin based on 1H, 13C-NMR spectra and liquid chromatography/time-of-fright mass spectrometer (LC/TOF/MS). From the pteryxin, the transcription factor Nrf2 was accumulated in the nucleus and resulted in the expression of the antioxidant protein, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). In addition, the Nrf2 activity involving HO-1 expression due to coumarin derivatives was evaluated together with pteryxin. This suggested that the electrophilicity, due to the α,β-carbonyl and/or substituted acyl groups in the molecule, modulates the cysteine residue in Keap1 via the Michel reaction, at which point the Nrf2 is dissociated from the Keap1. These results suggest that pteryxin will be a useful agent for developing functional foods.

Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

Lonicerae japonicae flos (called Jinyinhua, JYH in Chinese), flowers or flower buds of Lonicera japonica Thunberg, is an extremely used traditional edible-medicinal herb. Pharmacological studies have already proved JYH ideal clinical therapeutic effects on inflammation and infectious diseases and prominent effects on multiple targets in vitro and in vivo, such as pro-inflammatory protein inducible nitric oxide synthase, toll-like receptor 4, interleukin-1 receptor. JYH and Lonicerae flos [called Shanyinhua, SYH in Chinese, flowers or flower buds of Lonicera hypoglauca Miquel, Lonicera confusa De Candolle or Lonicera macrantha (D.Don) Spreng] which belongs to the same family of JYH were once recorded as same herb in multiple versions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP). However, they were listed as two different herbs in 2005 Edition ChP, leading to endless controversy since they have close proximity on plant species, appearances and functions, together with traditional applications. In the past decades, there has no literature regarding to systematical comparison on the similarity concerning research achievements of the two herbs. This review comprehensively presents similarities and differences between JYH and SYH retrospectively, particularly proposing them the marked differences in botanies, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities which can be used as evidence of separate list of JYH and SYH. Furthermore, deficiencies on present studies have also been discussed so as to further research could use for reference.

A systematic review on the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Chuanxiong)

Chuanxiong Rhizome (called Chuanxiong, CX in Chinese), the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, is an extremely common traditional edible-medicinal herb. As a widely used ethnomedicine in Asia including China, Japan and Korea, CX possesses ideal therapeutic effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and is also used as a major ingredient in soups for regular consumption to benefit health. Based on the traditional perception, amounts of investigations on different aspects have been done for CX in the past decades. However, no literature systematic review about these achievements have been compiled. Herein, the aim of this review is to present the up-to-date information on the ethnobotany, ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemicals, pharmacological activities, toxicology of this plant to identify their therapeutic potential and directs future research opportunities. So far, about 174 compounds has been isolated and identified from CX, in which phthalides and alkaloids would be the main bioactive ingredients for its pharmacological properties, such as anti-cerebral ischemia, anti-myocardial ischemia, blood vessel protection, anti-thrombotic, anti-hypertensive, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-asthma effects. Even so, due to the incomplete standardized planting, unstable herbal quality, and outdated preparation techniques, the industrial progress of CX is still less developed.

Multi‐element determination in Schisandra chinensis fructus by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and the study of element transfer rules from herbs to decoctions

AbstractSchisandra chinensis (S. chinensis) fructus (SCF), an important medical and edible herbal medicine, is widely distributed in Northern China, Korea and Japan. The quality control of SCF is becoming more important with the increasing consumption of the fruit as dietary supplement. In the present study, we aim to investigate the heavy metal residues in SCF as well as the transfer rules of heavy metals from raw SCF to the processed SCF. Different batches of SCF were investigated, including three harvest periods of SCF. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry combined with microwave digestion was applied for the determination of 12 elements in SCF. Besides, certified national level standard reference material CRM Astragalus (GBW 10028, GSB‐19) was used to assess the accuracy of the method. The results showed that, the contents of lead (prophase), mercury (prophase and metaphase) and cadmium (metaphase and anaphase) in SCF exceeded the limits set by Green Trade Standards of Importing & Exporting Medicinal Plants & Preparations. Besides, the contents of the most elements in prophase were significantly higher than that in metaphase and anaphase (p<0.05). In addition, the contents of the elements were reduced after extracting, and the transfer ratios of lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and copper were all below 30%. In conclusion, the results indicated that extracting as well as processing can reduce the intake of heavy metals, and that metaphase and anaphase are more suitable harvest times than prophase for SCF.

Protective Effects of Ethanolic Extracts from Artichoke, an Edible Herbal Medicine, against Acute Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice.

Oxidative stress and inflammation are well-documented pathological factors in alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) is a healthy food and folk medicine with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the preventive effects of ethanolic extract from artichoke against acute alcohol-induced liver injury in mice. Male Institute of Cancer Research mice were treated with an ethanolic extract of artichoke (0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 g/kg body weight) by gavage once daily. Up to 40% alcohol (12 mL/kg body weight) was administered orally 1 h after artichoke treatment. All mice were fed for 10 consecutive days. Results showed that artichoke extract significantly prevented elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and malondialdehyde. Meanwhile, the decreased levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione were elevated by artichoke administration. Histopathological examination showed that artichoke attenuated degeneration, inflammatory infiltration and necrosis of hepatocytes. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that expression levels of toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in liver tissues were significantly suppressed by artichoke treatment. Results obtained demonstrated that artichoke extract exhibited significant preventive protective effect against acute alcohol-induced liver injury. This finding is mainly attributed to its ability to attenuate oxidative stress and suppress the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway. To the best of our knowledge, the underlying mechanisms of artichoke on acute ALD have been rarely reported.

Feasibility Assessment Upon Applications of Bioenergy-steered Biorefinery with Supplementation of Extracts of Chinese Medicinal Herbs

For thousands of years, toxicity risk assessment on Chinese medicinal herbs showed that they are generally regarded as safe at appropriate dosages. Literature revealed that medical mechanism for human health could be associated with abundant compositions of antioxidants (e.g., polyphenolics and flavonoids). As a matter of fact, some studies disclosed such bioelectrochemical characteristics also strongly depended upon contents of antioxidants. That is, Chinese medicinal herbs contained significant amounts of electron transfer (ET)-associated antioxidants for myriads of uses. As prior studies revealed, decolorized intermediates owned promising ET capabilities; however, such intermediates were originally obtained from artificially synthesized chemicals and could not be considered as environmentally friendly. Thus, using edible medicinal herbs for bioenergy and/or biorefinery applications would be inevitable. This first-attempt study explored technical feasibility using microbial fuel cell-aided wastewater treatment (e.g., the association of antioxidants and dye decolorization and power generation) as evaluation platform. The findings indicated that some Chinese medicinal herbs apparently showed electrochemical capabilities not only antioxdidant activities, but also ET characteristics for sustainable development. In addition, ET capabilities were strongly affected by pH, temperature, dosage and method of extraction. Moreover, extracts of medicinal herbs owned moderate ET capabilities relatively less than tea extracts for bioenergy applications not only in bioremediation, but also functional foods.

Phytochemical and phytopharmacological review of Perilla frutescens L. (Labiatae), a traditional edible-medicinal herb in China

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., a worldwide distributed plant, is an important economic crop and with a long cultivation history in China as well as some other countries in Asia. Except for the edible applications, the plant of P. frutescens is also traditionally used as a medicinal herb in China for thousands years. The leaves, seeds and stems of P. frutescens are recommended by the Chinese Pharmacopeia as three medicinal materials for various therapeutic applications. In the past decades, amount investigations have been done about different aspects for P. frutescens. However, no literature review about these works has been compiled. This review aims to present the findings of research conducted up-to-date (2015) on the traditional use, phytochemicals, pharmacological activities and toxicities of P. frutescens to provide scientific evidence for well-understanding and future research of P. frutescens. It was found that more than 100 compounds have been reported for P. frutescens and most of them are contributed to its medical benefits such as anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anticancer, anti-microbial, anti-depressive and anti-cough effects. Toxicology studies have been conducted to evaluate the safety of P. frutescens to provide information on their dosages and usages.

Safety grade of application of traditional Chinese medicines during pregnancy

The efficacy and safety of application of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) during the pregnancy is a hotspot among scholars. However, the traditional pregnancy contraindication content has certain historical limitations, and cannot meet the needs of the current pregnant women for rational drug use. We need to refine and interpret it with modern medical science. In this paper, we summarized the ancient and modern knowledge about pregnancy contradiction and tried to establish a grading safety system, based on the actual clinical practices and thte medication grading concept of western medicines. Specifically speaking, in this paper, we compared the connotations of forbidden/contradiction and cautious use, and focused on the safe herbs that included in the prescriptions for dietary therapy. Meanwhile, in this paper, we summarized the core content of the famous theories of ″You Gu Wu Yun (pregnancy disease)″ and ″Shuai Qi Da Ban Er Zhi (therapy during pregnancy)″, and studied the dangerous and unknown risk of TCMs during pregnancy. At last, a five-grade safety system of TCMs applied on the pregnant women was established, including forbidden, contraindicated, cautious, uncertain and available medicines. We classified medicines with the embryotoxicity (e.g. teratogenic, mutagenic, ageneisa), the traditional toxicity (e.g. abortion), the fierce herbal property (e.g. removing blood stasis, promoting Qi circulation) and reliable edible medicinal herbs. We also place an ″uncertain″ category based on objective reality. Meanwhile, 33 sample TCMs were preliminarily determined. This paper proposed the preference and ideas for the rational herbal use in pregnancy.

한약재 열수추출물의 항산화 활성 및 Xanthine Oxidase 저해 활성

통풍 증상을 개선하고 예방 및 치료에 효과를 확인하여 이를 일상생활에 지장을 주지 않고 장기간 쉽게 복용하기에 적합한 식품 소재를 발굴하기 위하여 한의학 및 식품 관련 서적에서 통풍 개선 및 치료 효과가 있어 널리 사용되고 있는 29가지 식용 가능 한약재를 선별하였다. 각 한약재의 열수 추출액의 총 페놀 함량, DPPH 라디칼 소거능, ABTS 라디칼 소거능, xanthine oxidase 저해능을 측정한 결과, 황금 추출액이 가장 높은 활성을 나타내었다. 이상의 결과는 황금 추출액을 주 소재로 하여 항산화능과 통증 개선에 유용한 식품 개발에 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Isolation and Identification of Antioxidant Compounds from Ligularia fischeri

The plant Ligularia fischeri var. spiciformis Nakai, a well-known edible medicinal herb in Korea, has been used to treat maladies such as jaundice, scarlet fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and hepatic function failure. In this research, 4 major antioxidant compounds were detected from this plant's leaves using an on-line high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-ABTS screening system, which can determine the antioxidant activity based on a decrease in absorbance at 734 nm after postcolumn reaction of HPLC-separated antioxidants with the 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals (ABTS(*)). In order to isolate these active compounds, a preparative HPLC was applied and their chemical structures were identified as 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA), 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,4-DCQA), 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-DCQA), and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4,5-DCQA) by ESI/MS(n) and (1)H NMR. These 4 isomers comprised over 10% of the dried leaves, with 3,5-DCQA being the most abundant compound. The radical scavenging activity of each isomer was also evaluated simultaneously through the on-line HPLC-ABTS method, which showed 94% antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract derived from caffeoylquinic acids. Among these isomers, 3,4-DCQA contained the most strong antioxidant activity while 3,5-DCQA accounted for the highest radical scavenging capacity due to having the highest content.