Species Of Medicinal Herbs Research Articles

Issues and options of sustainable management of Himalayan medicinal herbs

Nepal hosts a wide range of NTFPs and bio-diversity including over 700 species of medicinal herbs. NTFPs are an important part of the Nepalese economy, both locally as well as nationally. Recent studies indicate that several commercially valuable species are being over used and degraded (Edward 1996; Malla et al. 1995; Hertog 1995; Karki 1996; Sharma, 1996) due to higher demand as raw materials for herbal industries in India and other countries. As a result of pre-mature harvesting, over-exploitation and haphazard collection of NTFPs, the productive potential of the whole forest ecosystem is undermined. The damage is particularly serious in termsof pressure on the few species identified for trade, as well as pre-mature harvesting, physical damage, and haphazard collection.
 This indicates a need to assess the reasons behind unsustainable practices, and identify options for sustainable management. Based on the recently collected field data from the western Himalayan region (Humla and Dolpa districts), the paper analyzes dynamics of unsustainable harvesting and management practices of NTFPs, with particular reference to Jatamansi (Nardostachysgrandiflora), Kutki (Picmrhiza scrophulariiflora) and Sugandhawal (Valeriana jatainansi). Key variables within institutional, economic, natural/physical, and policy aspects are considered for analysis. Finally, potential actions that can be taken to improve harvesting practices are also suggested.

Ethnobotanical Study for Hypertension Treatment: An Ethnobotanical Study of Abadeh, South Iran

Introduction: High blood pressure plays an important role in the occurrence of fatal heart diseases. Medicinal plants are an important source for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including high blood pressure. Hence, the purpose of this investigation was to conduct an ethnobotanical study about medicinal plants used for the management of hypertension in Abadeh, South Iran. Methods: This study was performed in Abadeh, South Iran. Ethnobotanical evidence was obtained through interviews and questionnaires among 12 traditional healers. Demographic information was also received from traditional healers. Ultimately, the information was analyzed by Excel. Results: We highlighted that six species of medicinal herbs from four families were administrated for controlling hypertension. On the other hand, we found that Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Liliaceae, and Brassicaceae families were the most important families used for the management of hypertension, respectively. In addition, it has been concluded that flowers, leaves, roots, aerial parts, onion bulbs, flowering branches, and petals were recommended parts of these medicinal plants for the treatment of hypertension. Furthermore, the results of this study indicated that all of the mentioned medicinal plants were consumed as a decoction for the treatment of hypertension. Conclusion: The mentioned medicinal plants showed beneficial effects against hypertension. Therefore, additional investigations about the therapeutic role of phytochemical constituents presented in these medicinal plants could increase the acceptance of the use of these herbs.

The Effect of Phytocompounds of Medicinal Plants on Coronavirus (2019-NCOV) Infection.

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory infection and it can spread from animal to person, person to person through coughing or physical contact. Recent studies revealed that the genome sequence of this pandemic disease is very similar to that of SARS-CoV, thus, there are not yet effective treatments that target the 2019-nCoV virus. Medicinal plants present a potential solution to resolve the drug problem. In fact, the bioactive compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, monoterpenes, and phenylpropanoids, derived from several herbs such as Eucalyptus globulus, Mentha spicata, Nigella sativa, Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus capitatus and Zingiber officinale could be used to develop formal drugs against several diseases with no or minimal side effects. In this paper, we describe the potential antiviral properties of several medicinal plants against Coronaviridae family viruses such as SARS, MERS, and IBV. Besides, we review various species of medicinal herbs and their derived phytochemical compounds in terms of their immunomodulatory bioactivities and antiviral activity.

QUANTITATIVE INDICATORS OF THE MEDICINAL HERBS GROWTH AND YIELD ON AN EXPERIMENTAL PLANTATION IN NORTHERN KAZAKHSTAN

Climate change, man-made and anthropogenic factors have negatively affected the flora, therefore, the reserves of wild-growing grasses in nature are sharply reduced. For this reason, the mass cultivation of medicinal herbs on plantations is becoming an important task.
 Aim of research – development of an environmentally friendly and rational technology for growing medicinal herbs on plantations in the northern region of Kazakhstan.
 Materials and methods. The research was carried out in the Akmola region, the following species of medicinal herbs were selected as the objects of research: Echinacea purpurea Moench, Salvia officinalis, Origani vulgaris, Népeta catária, Adónis aestivális, Ínula helénium, Thymus serpyllum. Nitrogen fertilizers were used for the growth of the medicinal herbs, while the soils on the control plots did not contain any fertilizers.
 Results. It was found that the use of fertilizers increased the number of seedlings in all studied plants by 6.3 – 62.8% compared to the control. The increase in plant’s growth, development and height was observed in Breckland thyme, catnip, and summer Adonis. The rest of the medicinal herbs growth and height were smaller than that of the control. The crop yield of catnip, oregano, sage, Breckland thyme and summer Adonis in the experimental plot was higher by 1.7-35.8 than that of the control. It has been determined that purple coneflower and elfdock are best grown without addition of plant growth substances.
 Conclusion. The application of fertilizers to the soil has a positive effect on the growth of the studied species of medicinal plants, except for purple coneflower and elfdock.

NUTRITIONAL AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS OF ANDROGRAPHIS LAWSONII GAMBLE

Objective: Andrographis lawsonii Gamble is a medicinal herb species, Endemic to India: Karnataka (Dakshina kannada or south Canara district), Kerala (Palakkad district), and Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts). The Andrographis is a large genus of the family Acanthaceae. This study focused to check the preliminary phytochemical nutritive analysis, leaf stem and root and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis leaf methanol extract. Methods: The plant samples were subjected to Soxhlet extraction for phytochemical analysis and further experimental studies. The test on phytochemical studies indicated the presence of alkaloids, saponins, glycosides, and flavonoids glycosides within the plant parts, respectively. The estimation of carbohydrate protein starch methanol leaves extracts to have high activity compared to others. Results: Preliminary phytochemical and Nutritional analysis in A. lawonii. Nutritional analysis in carbohydrate protein and starch content was found to be high in leaf methanol extract. Highly medicinal compound analysis in this GC-MS Analysis 50 compound present in methanol leaf extract. Conclusion: The leaf methanol extract of A. lawsonii has exhibited remarkable preliminary phytochemical analysis and nutritional analysis GC-MS analysis to the medicinal plant.

A comprehensive analysis of 201 pesticides for different herbal species-ready application using gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry coupled with QuEChERs

Developing an analysis of multi-pesticide residues for different herbal species-ready applications is a challenge. In the present work, a comprehensive analysis was proposed for rapid detection of 201 pesticides in various medicinal herbs. Samples were extracted and cleaned up with a high throughput pretreatment approach (modified QuEChERS), and then detected by gas chromatograph coupled to an electron impact ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (GC-EI-MS/MS). The clean-up procedure has been optimized using four types of representative medicinal herbs with different primary or secondary metabolites. Moreover, a mixture of analyte protectants (APs) was to improve the peak shape and intensity of some compounds. The performance of the method was validated according to the European Union SANTE/11813/2017 regulatory guidelines. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was determined to be ≤10 ng mL−1, and the recovery was between 70.0%–120.0%, with ≤20% RSD for the majority of pesticides. Sixty samples belonging to different species of medicinal herbs (such radix, flos, cortex, fructus, and seeds) were analyzed to evaluate the applicability of the optimized method. High frequency of chlorpyrifos was found in Citri reticulatae pericarpium, Crataegi fructus and Cuscutae semen samples.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Bupleurum chinense DC. (Apiaceae)

Bupleurum chinense DC. is a traditional medicinal herb species widely distributed in most provinces of China. In this study, we constructed and annotated a complete circular chloroplast (cp) genome of B. chinense. The cp genome of B. chinense is 155,545 bp in length, including two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,305 bp, separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,430 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,505 bp. The GC content of whole cp genome is 37.68%. The genome contains 113 different genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. A maximum-likelihood phylogenomic analysis showed that Bupleurum formed a monophyletic group, and was sister to other groups of Apiaceae.

Diversity and distribution of medicinal plants in the Universitas Sumatera Utara Arboretum of Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract. Rahmawaty, Samosir JB, Batubara R, Rauf A. 2019. Diversity and distribution of medicinal plants in the Universitas Sumatera Utara Arboretum of Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 1457-1465. The plants found in Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) Arboretum has the potential to be utilized by the local community to meet their food and medicinal needs. The objectives of this study were to calculate the species diversity, to find out the various parts of plants utilized for medicinal purposes and to map the distribution of medicinal plants in the arboretum. Survey and interview methods were used to collect data. The species diversity was determined using Shannon-Wiener index. Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to map the distribution of medicinal plants. The results showed that there were 17 species of medicinal herbs, 21 species of trees and 12 species of poles in the arboretum. The diversity was classified as moderate based on the calculated value. The most predominant part of plants utilized for medicinal purposes were leaves. The distribution of medicinal plants was mostly clustered and uneven. The condition indicates still there is scope for additional planting of medicinal species to increase the diversity of species, especially in the western and the northern part of the arboretum.

Pharmaceutical important phenolic compounds overproduction and gene expression analysis in Dracocephalum kotschyi hairy roots elicited by SiO2 nanoparticles

Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss. is one of the important threatened traditional species of medicinal herbs; last pharmaceutical research has shown that rosmarinic acid (RA) and methoxylated flavonoids, particularly, xanthomicrol and cirsimaritin of this plant have anti-cancer, anti-spasm and anti-platelet properties. In this study, Hairy roots were derived from four-week-old leaves inoculated with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain ATCC15834. The influence of various silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) concentrations at two exposure time (24 and 48 h) on growth, antioxidant enzyme capacity, total phenols and flavonoids content (TPC and TFC) and some biochemical traits were investigated. The expression of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (pal) and rosmarinic acid synthase (ras) genes expression in RA biosynthetic pathway were quantified. The biomass of cultures has substantially by elicitation raised in comparison with control. The activity of antioxidant enzymes, TPC and TFC were impressed by the concentration and duration of treatment. The high RA content (1016.6 μg/g FW) with 8.26-fold increase compared to control, was observed in hairy roots culture elicited with SiO2 NPs (100 mg/L) after 48 h exposure time. The pal and ras genes expression rate in this elicitor concentration and exposure time enhanced notably. Anticancer flavonoids including xanthomicrol, cirsimaritin and isokaempferide showed 13, 13.42 and 10-fold increases compared to the control respectively. Stimulation of D. kotschyi hairy roots by SiO2 NPs caused huge increase in induction and production of important pharmaceutical compounds such as rosmarinic acid and xantomicrol.

GC Analysis of Invitro Developed Shoots of Stevia Rebaudiana Through Rapid Tissue Culture

Stevia rebudiana, commonly known as stevia, is an economically important sweetening medicinal herb species from the family Asteraceae. Micropropagation of Stevia is needed for multiplication in large amount to meet the industrial demand along with supplementation for high content of medically important secondary metabolites in shortest possible timing.So this study is carried out to develop rapid micro propagation of Stevia rebudiana by using indirect organogenesis where leafs and nodal segment explants were inoculated on Eleven MS media for callus induction with different concentration of auxin and cytokines. MS media supplemented with IBA (0 to 3.5mg), IAA (0 to 3mg/l), Kinetin (0 to 3mg/l) and TDZ (0 to 3mg/l) in different concentration and combination were tested. MS medium with 1mg/l Kinetin and 3mg/l IAA showed 100% of callus induction from leaf explants in 17 days of culturing. Calli were cultured on regeneration media and 4-5 micro shoots were regenerated on MS medium supplemented with Kinetin (1mg/L) IBA (3mg/L) (1.5mg/l) BAP in 15-20 days of incubation. These shoots were further subculture to develop into plantlet. One year old shoot from the field,which is the most desired commercial state and two months old tissue cultured shoots which is in well developed form were analyzed for phytochemicals by GC analysis and we found that the two month old tissue cultured shoots has 56 compounds and 86 compounds detected in 1 year field grown shoots of Stevia rebaudiana. So we found that in the present study the optimized tissue culture conditions are producing quality rich material which could be used by pharma or herbal industry for developing any products.

Evaluation of four medicinal herb species under conditions of water-deficit stress

Abilities of four commercial herb species namely, Chlorophytum borivilianum, Stevia rebaudiana, Withania somnifera, and Andrographis paniculata were tested for relative drought tolerance under poly house conditions. The findings based on the quantum of data collected for growth, yield of economic parts and physiological traits reveal differential relative potential to sustain performance and cope with the conditions of water stress. Comparative performance of four herb species under stress (50% water deficit) for stress duration of 10, 20 and 30 days revealed significant adverse effects of water-deficit stress as well as stress durations. Out of the four herb species studied, adverse impact of 50% water deficit up to 30 days of stress on growth, yield, rate of photosynthesis, canopy temperature depression and chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) ratio was significantly higher in S. rebaudiana and A. paniculata in comparison to C. borivilianum and W. somnifera. In this study, C. borivilianum and W. somnifera have exhibited greater relative drought tolerance as compared to A. paniculata and S. rebaudiana.

Discrimination of volatiles in herbal formula Baizhu Shaoyao San before and after processing using needle trap device with multivariate data analysis.

To characterize the chemical differences of volatile components between crude and processed Baizhu Shaoyao San (BSS), a classical Chinese herbal formula that is widely applied in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, we developed a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-based needle trap device combined with multivariate data analysis to globally profile volatile components and rapidly identify differentiating chemical markers. Using a triple-bed needle packed with Carbopack X, DVB and Carboxen 1000 sorbents, we identified 121 and 123 compounds, respectively, in crude and processed BSS. According to the results of principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis, crude and processed BSS were successfully distinguished into two groups with good fitting and predicting parameters. Furthermore, 21 compounds were identified and adopted as potential markers that could be employed to quickly differentiate these two types of samples using S-PLOT and variable importance in projection analyses. The established method can be applied to explain the chemical transformation of Chinese medicine processing in BSS and further control the quality and understand the processing mechanism of Chinese herbal formulae. Besides, the triple-bed needle selected and optimized in this study can provide a valuable reference for other plant researches with similar components. Furthermore, the systematic research on compound identification and marker discrimination of the complex components in crude and processed BSS could work as an example for other similar studies, such as composition changes in one plant during different growth periods, botanical characters of different medicinal parts in same kind of medicinal herbs and quality identification of one species of medicinal herb from different regions.

Prospects of medicinal herbs management in reclaimed minelands of Ukraine

The rocks of Nikopol manganese ore basin are represented with Neogenic and Paleogenic sediments. After realization of the stage of mine-technical reclamation loess-like and red-brown loams appear on the dump surface. Taking into biological specialty of most species of medicinal herbs, it can be assuming, some of them need culture on the humus rich soil to form the feedstock of stable quality, others can be successfully grown on pour leached soils, generally known as loess-like loams coming on the surface. Numerous types of medicinal herbs were tested in situ on the reclaimed mine land. From the comparison of the results with the defined permissible concentration limits, it was concluded that the levels of trace element contents in the locally available medicinal plants under investigation fall around the permissible range except for German chamomile ( Matricaria chamomilla ) , Dwarf everlast ( Helichrysum arenarium ), Motherwort ( Leonurus cardiac ) and St John's-wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) with regard to its extremely high Cu and Mn content.

Leachates of medicinal herbs inhibit the decomposition rate of Catalpa fargesii Bur. litter

ABSTRACTSecondary metabolites in the leachates of medicinal herbs inhibit forest litter decomposition, affecting interspecific relationships and nutrient cycling in the silvi-medicinal system. In this study, a typical forest species in the Qinling Mountains area, Catalpa fargesii Bur., and nine species of common understory medicinal herbs were used as example species. A litter decomposition experiment was carried out by treating the C. fargesii litter with stem and leaf leachates (simulated using water extracts) from the medicinal herbs to investigate the effects on forest litter decomposition, nutrient release and soil enzyme activity. Lachates from Mentha haplocalyx Briq., Houttuynia cordata Thunb., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino and Prunella vulgaris L. exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the decomposition and nutrient release of C. fargesii litter and on the activities of related soil enzymes. Consequently, it is suggested that plantation of these four medicinal herb species should be avoided under C. fargesii forests or interplanting density must be low to reduce inhibitory effects on litter decomposition and nutrient release.

Study of Traditional Uses of Medicinal Plants (Herbs) of Hilly Areas of Lekhnath Municipality

The present work is based on the exploration of traditional use medicinal plants ethonobotanically, of Lekhnath Municipliaty, Kaski. A general survey and study of medicinal plants, particularly wild and cultivated herbs was conducted from 1st Oct. 2012 to 30th Apr. 2013.This paper deals about 24 species of medicinal herbs belong to 21 families. Included families are Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae (4), Cannabinaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Commelinaceae, Crassulaceae, Cyperaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Labiatae, Leguminosae, liliaceae, Malvaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Oxalidaceae, Primulaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Trapaceae, Urticaceae and Zingiberaceae.This result was based on survey carried out consulting participatory techniques to collect detailed information about collection and utilization of traditional medicinal plants at that area. Important information and other details about the respective plants were collected by discussion with native inhaler, traditional medicine practitioners and villagers. Showing them the sample of the plants. Janapriya Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Vol. 2, No.1 (December 2013), page: 82-89

Tongqiaozuoxue Decoction, a Traditional Korean Medicine, Improves Hypercoagulation Through Stimulating Adiponectin Expression

The efficacy and safety of traditional medicine could be proved through human trial for a long time, and now it has been required for the scientific evidence of its efficacy and identification of specific functional target. Tongqiaozuoxue Decoction (THD) is a water extract of 8 species of medicinal herb including Cnidium officinale Makino and Prunus persica Batsch, and has been used for the treatment of blood stasis and hypercoagulation in traditional Korean medicine. This study investigated the efficacy of THD and its functional target using animal model. Early vascular model was established through feeding high‐fat diet (HFD, 60% fat) for 12 weeks to C57BL/6 mice; these mice showed the phenotype of obesity, insulin resistance, chronic metabolic inflammation, hyperlipidemia, and prothrombotic state. THD was orally administered for last 4 weeks in a dose of 100mg/kg/day. THD significantly decreased plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) level in serum and adipose tissue (AT) by 30% and 60%, respectively. Also, the plasma activity of tissue‐type plasminogen activator (tPA), the downstream target of PAI‐1, was increased by 2‐fold. Fibrin deposition was notably reduced in AT, demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, adiponectin level was significantly increased both in serum and adipose tissue by 30% and 60%, respectively, although adipose tissue weight or total body weight were not changed by THD. Taken together, these results demonstrated that THD improve hypercoagulation through stimulating adiponectin expression.Support or Funding InformationThis study was supported by the grant of Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine

Evaluation of genetic stability and analysis of phytomedicinal potential in micropropagated plants of Rumex nepalensis – A medicinally important source of pharmaceutical biomolecules

Rumex nepalensis is an important medicinal herb found in high altitude regions of India. It is a rich source of various secondary metabolites and has a widespread use in various herbal preparations. The regeneration efficacy of both direct shoot organogenesis (DSO) and indirect shoot organogenesis (ISO) was experimentally tested and the highest regeneration frequency for DSO and ISO pathways were 87.2% and 91.2% respectively. The best rooting frequency was recorded in half-strength MS medium supplemented with 2mg/l NAA. The plantlets after acclimatization were phenotypically similar to that of the mother plant. The clonal stability of the regenerated plants from both DSO and ISO pathways were determined using Start Codon Targeted Polymorphism (SCoT) and Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker techniques. Although RAPD technique detected lesser degree of variability within the cloned plants (both DSO and ISO), SCoT marker could detect comparatively higher degree of genetic variability thereby proving its efficacy over the conventional molecular markers. Regeneration methodology, plant part and solvent system significantly influenced the levels of various secondary metabolites like phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins. Simultaneously, the antioxidant assays (DPPH and FRAP) detected the antioxidant activity varied tissue specifically and a significant higher value of antioxidant activity was observed within the ISO-derived plants. Higher multiplication rate coupled with enhanced clonal stability and secondary metabolite production recorded in the present report ensure the efficacy of the protocol designed for the micropropagation of this important medicinal herb species.

Abstract 2185: Sann-Joong-Kuey-Jian-Tang can inhibit human breast cancer cells through dural- blocking both the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and Ras/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways

Abstract Sann-Joong-Kuey-Jian-Tang (SJKJT) consists of 17 species of medicinal herbs, is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, and has been used as complementary medication for a number of types of solid cancer in Taiwan. Transmembrane tyrosine kinase has been strongly implicated in the growth, survival, and metastasis of a wide variety of human tumors. The phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathways are two of the most frequently dysregulated kinase cascades in human cancer were well documented. Both pathways represent important signal transduction mechanisms that facilitate the proliferation and survival of cancers driven by growth factor receptors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).The individual downstream components of these signaling cascades either through somatic mutation or epigenetic modification, are also known to be frequently altered in cancer, thus contributing to tumorigenesis and resistance to anticancer therapies. Targeting both the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and Ras/PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathways for suppressing Inhibitor Resistant Cells is necessary. In the present study, the human breast cancer BT-20 and MCF-7 cells were treated with SJKJT in vitro. The cytotoxicity of SJKJT were evaluated by 3–(4,5–dimethylthiazol–2–y1)–2,5–diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The effects of SJKJT on the protein expressions of VEGFR, IGF-IR, PI3K, AKT, mTOR, Ras, Raf, MEK and ERK and β-actin in the BT-20 and MCF-7 cells were examined by western blot analysis. The results showed that SJKJT can induce the proliferation inhibition with time and dose dependent. As a potential mechanism, it was noted that SJKJT treatment significantly inhibited the activity of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and Ras/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways, which played a protective role against the cytotoxicity. In addition, it was demonstrated that SJKJT treatment inhibited the protein expressions of VEGFR, EGFR and IGF-IR significantly. These results suggest that one of the molecular mechanisms for SJKJT to inhibit breast cancer BT-20 and MCF-7 cells maybe through inhibiting the protein expressions of VEGFR, EGFR, IGF-IR and both Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and Ras/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. The use of traditional chinese medicine prescription SJKJT may become a feasible novel therapy option. Further studies are warranted to fully elucidate its mechanisms of action. Citation Format: CHIN CHENG SU. Sann-Joong-Kuey-Jian-Tang can inhibit human breast cancer cells through dural- blocking both the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and Ras/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2185.

Tongqiaohuoxue decoction ameliorates obesity-induced inflammation and the prothrombotic state by regulating adiponectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1

Ethnopharmacological relevanceTongqiaohuoxue decoction (THD), a water extract of a mixture of eight species of medicinal herbs, has been used for the treatment of blood stasis and hypercoagulation in traditional East Asian medicine since 18th century. Aim of the studyTo investigate the in vivo efficacy of THD using high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice with chronic inflammation and a prothrombotic state as an early vascular model. Materials and methodsTHD was prepared by hot water extraction and freeze-drying. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups. Group 1 (NC) mice were fed normal chow. Mice in group 2 (HFD) and 3 (HFD+THD) were fed with HFD for 12 weeks. In addition, Group 3 mice were administered with 100mg/kg body weight THD for 4 weeks after onset of obesity by HFD for 8 weeks. Glucose tolerance tests and histological tissue examinations were performed. The levels of adipokines, inflammatory markers, and prothrombotic markers were assessed. ResultsThe oral administration of THD for 4 weeks had no effect on the liver, adipose tissue, or total body weight when the HFD and HFD+THD groups were compared. Nevertheless, mice treated in THD interestingly showed a significant increase in adiponectin in blood and adipose tissue. To verify the effect of THD on adiponectin, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with THD; it stimulated adiponectin production in a dose-dependent manner. In the HFD+THD group, pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly down-regulated in the blood, adipose tissue, and liver. Insulin resistance was also notably improved by THD. Simultaneously, THD significantly reduced plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels in serum, adipose tissue, and liver. Fibrin deposition and tPA activity, downstream targets of PAI-1, were also notably reduced in the HFD+THD group compared to the HFD group. ConclusionsTHD improved obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance by increasing adiponectin production. Additionally, THD administration exerted an anti-thrombotic effect through the regulation of PAI-1 and fibrinolysis. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a traditional East Asian medicine by providing scientific evidence and suggesting a possible mechanism of action.

Drug discovery of neurodegenerative disease through network pharmacology approach in herbs.

Neurodegenerative diseases, referring to as the progressive loss of structure and function of neurons, constitute one of the major challenges of modern medicine. Traditional Chinese herbs have been used as a major preventive and therapeutic strategy against disease for thousands years. The numerous species of medicinal herbs and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) compound formulas in nervous system disease therapy make it a large chemical resource library for drug discovery. In this work, we collected 7362 kinds of herbs and 58,147 Traditional Chinese medicinal compounds (Tcmcs). The predicted active compounds in herbs have good oral bioavailability and central nervous system (CNS) permeability. The molecular docking and network analysis were employed to analyze the effects of herbs on neurodegenerative diseases. In order to evaluate the predicted efficacy of herbs, automated text mining was utilized to exhaustively search in PubMed by some related keywords. After that, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves was used to estimate the accuracy of predictions. Our study suggested that most herbs were distributed in family of Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae and Apocynaceae. The predictive model yielded good sensitivity and specificity with the AUC values above 0.800. At last, 504 kinds of herbs were obtained by using the optimal cutoff values in ROC curves. These 504 herbs would be the most potential herb resources for neurodegenerative diseases treatment. This study would give us an opportunity to use these herbs as a chemical resource library for drug discovery of anti-neurodegenerative disease.