Modern Pharmacological Research Research Articles

Research Progress on the Treatment of Vascular Vertigo with Active Ingredients of Pueraria Lobata

Vascular vertigo is a common disease among middle-aged and elderly patients with vertigo, caused by cerebrovascular diseases, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Its pathogenesis is diverse, and there is still a lack of clear and effective therapeutic drugs in clinical practice. Pueraria lobata, as a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine for treating brain diseases, is widely used in clinical practice and has great development prospects. By summarizing the network pharmacology and clinical medication rules of vascular vertigo, it was found that Pueraria lobata is a high-frequency single traditional Chinese medicine for treating this disease. Modern pharmacological research has found that the main components of Pueraria lobata, such as isoflavones, triterpenes, coumarins, and alkaline compounds, can all play a preventive and therapeutic role in vascular dizziness. This article summarizes the published domestic and foreign papers and experiments, and takes the pathogenesis of vascular vertigo and the pharmacological characteristics of Pueraria lobata as a breakthrough point. Through sorting, it was found that Pueraria lobata exerts pharmacological effects in improving vascular endothelial function, regulating lipid metabolism, anticoagulation and antithrombotic effects, inhibiting oxidative stress, and regulating inflammatory reactions, and has significant effects on the clinical treatment of vascular vertigo.

Research Progress on the Pharmacological Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine Danshen in the Treatment of Cerebral Ischemic Stroke

Cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) is an acute cerebrovascular disease characterized by focal neurological deficits. Many modern scholars believe that the pathogenesis of CIS is related to factors such as endothelial injury, oxidative stress imbalance, neuroinflammation, cell apoptosis and autophagy, calcium overload, and excessive accumulation of oxygen free radicals. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the pathogenesis of CIS is obstructed meridians, phlegm and blood stasis, and obstruction of the brain and orifices. Danshen, as a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice, has the effects of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, unblocking meridians and relieving pain, clearing the heart and eliminating restlessness, cooling blood and eliminating carbuncle. In addition, modern pharmacological research has found that the specific pharmacological components of Salvia miltiorrhiza include tanshinone, salvianolic acid, shikimic acid, danshensu, protocatechualdehyde, etc. It has antioxidant stress, regulation of cell autophagy, anti-inflammatory factors, antiplatelet aggregation, and protection of vascular endothelium. This article aims to analyze and summarize the pharmacological mechanism of salvia miltiorrhiza in treating CIS, providing scientific basis for clinical application of salvia miltiorrhiza in treating CIS.

Ginsenoside Rg3 Improved Age-Related Macular Degeneration Through Inhibiting ROS-Mediated Mitochondrion-Dependent Apoptosis In Vivo and In Vitro.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is marked by a progressive loss of central vision and is the third leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The exact mechanisms driving the progression of this macular degenerative condition remain elusive, and as of now, there are no available preventative measures for dry AMD. According to ancient records, ginseng affects the eyes by brightening them and enhancing wisdom. Modern pharmacological research shows that the active ingredients in ginseng, ginsenosides, may be used to prevent or improve eye diseases that threaten vision. Some articles have reported that ginsenoside Rg3 can treat diabetic retinopathy in mice, but no reports exist on its effects and mechanisms in AMD. Therefore, the role and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg3 in AMD warrant further study. This study aims to investigate the effects of Rg3 on AMD and its underlying molecular mechanisms. We established a mouse model of AMD to examine the impact of ginsenoside Rg3 on NaIO3-induced apoptosis in the retina and to explore the related intrinsic mechanisms. The in vivo results indicated that ginsenoside Rg3 prevents NaIO3-induced apoptosis in retinal pigment epithelial cells by inhibiting reactive oxygen species production and preventing the reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, we assessed the levels of protein expression within the apoptosis pathway. Ginsenoside Rg3 decreased the expression of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9 proteins. Additionally, it increased the expression of Bcl-2 by decreasing P-JNK levels. Moreover, our in vivo results showed that ginsenoside Rg3 enhanced retinal structure, increased the relative thickness of the retina, and decreased the extent of disorganization in both the inner and outer nuclear layers. Ginsenoside Rg3 may safeguard the retina against NaIO3-induced cell apoptosis by attenuating reactive-oxygen-species-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, in which the JNK signaling pathway is also involved. These findings suggest that ginsenoside Rg3 has the potential to prevent or attenuate the progression of AMD and other retinal pathologies associated with NaIO3-mediated apoptosis.

A comparative study on the antipyretic effect and underlying mechanisms of different bile-fermented Arisaemas

Ethnopharmacological relevanceCattle bile Arisaema (CBA) and Pig bile Arisaema (PBA) are both processed products fermented from Arisaema erubescens (Wall.) Schott and animal bile, which are recorded in China Pharmacopoeia. Traditionally, bile Arisaema was often used for clearing heat and eliminating phlegm, calming wind and calming panic. Modern pharmacological researches suggest that both two drugs exert an antipyretic effect, while there is lack of the systematical and comparative evidence on underlying mechanism. Aim of the studyTo comprehensively clarify the differences and underlying mechanisms of antipyretic effect of the two drugs. MethodsIn this study, an accurate and reliable detection method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-TQ MS) for comparing the content difference of bile acids from the two drugs was successfully established and applied. Besides, a dry yeast-induced fever rat model was established, and rectal temperature and content of pyrogenic cytokines were conducted to evaluate the antipyretic effect of CBA and PBA. Serum and hypothalamus untargeted metabolomics analysis based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technology were performed for elucidating the changes of metabolic profile. ResultsThe results indicated that CBA and PBA both exerted a significantly antipyretic effect, but CBA showed the characteristic of quicker onset and longer duration than that of PBA. The ELISA and western blotting analysis exhibited that the underlying antipyretic mechanism of the two drugs was closely associated with inhibiting inflammation through regulating TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, the metabolism pathway analysis revealed that lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism were greatly disturbed, which showed a certain correlation with antipyretic effect of two drugs. ConclusionCollectively, our results delineate a potential mechanism of two different bile Arisaemas against febrile via regulating metabolic disorders and targeting inhibition of inflammation for the improvement of fever symptom of the body. Notably, our current study suggested that CBA might be a better choice for suppressing fever clinically.

Mushroom alkaloids as nutraceuticals, bioactive and medicinal properties: a preliminary review

Mushroom alkaloids are quite interesting due to their distinct secondary metabolites. Alkaloids are a class of secondary metabolites that are found in different types of organisms. The primary focus of this study is the alkaloids that were taken out of the mushrooms. Mainly the mushrooms alkaloids are classified as 2 groups like indoles and isoxazoles. In the present paper 68 distinct alkaloids produced from mushrooms were attempted to be listed under 24 distinct groups; i.e. 24 alkaloids were kept under Indole group, 5 different alkaloids were kept under ? - carboline group and pyrroloquinoline group, 4 different alkaloids were kept under pyrrole group, and 3 different alkaloids were mentioned under quinoline groups. Mushrooms were used as food in many parts of the world. The alkaloids obtained from mushrooms showing different bioactivities like antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-obesity, anti - ageing, nematicidal, helmintic, against cardiovascular disease and as antiasthmatic agent. Mushrooms were widely used in the traditional medicine of many countries like china, India, Taiwan, Japan etc. these mushrooms became great resources for many groups of alkaloids with bioactivities which should be useful in present day modern clinical and pharmacological research. The present review aims at listing the applications of mushroom alkaloids in different fields like medicine, health science, pharmacy etc.

Anti-tumor Mechanism of Camellia nitidissima Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Background: Modern pharmacological research indicated that Camellia nitidissima (CAM) had significant anti-tumor activity, but the investigation of its mechanism was still lacking. Objective: The multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway mechanism of CAM against tumor was investigated based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Methods: The active ingredients and targets of CAM were selected through a literature search, Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and PharmMapper database, and tumor-related targets were selected by GeneCards database, then to obtain the anti-tumor related targets of CAM. The protein interaction relationship was obtained through STRING database, protein-protein interaction network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software, and enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG was conducted. AutoDock Tools 1.5.6 software was used to verify the molecular docking between the key ingredients and the key targets. Results: Catechin, epicatechin and luteolin were identified as the key anti-tumor related ingredients, and ESR1, EGFR, MAPK8, MAPK10, AR, PGR, F2 and PIK3CG were identified as the key targets. The GO entries mainly involved metabolic process, cellular process, response to stimulus, organelle, cytosol, etc. The KEGG enrichment showed that the key pathways included pathways in cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, estrogen signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, etc. KEGG pathway maps indicated that the anti-tumor effect of CAM may be mainly achieved by intervening related targets in the following pathways: AR-HSP/AR-AR/PSA/proliferation and evading apoptosis; F2/GPCR/…/ROCK/tissue invasion and metastasis; F2/GPCR/…/Raf/MAPK signaling pathway/proliferation and sustained angiogenesis; EGFR/PI3K-Akt signaling pathway/proliferation, evading apoptosis and sustained angiogenesis; EGFR/Grb2/…/Raf/MAPK signaling pathway/proliferation and sustained angiogenesis; ER/Estrogen signaling pathway/proliferation; PR/PR-COR/Wnts-RANKL/proliferation; oxidative stress (.O₂-, .OH, H₂O₂)/KEAP1/NRF2/.../proliferation and evading apoptosis. The results of molecular docking showed that the key active ingredients had a good binding activity with each key target. Conclusion: It was predicted that the main active ingredients of CAM could bind to tumor-related targets, such as receptor and coagulation-promoting factor, scavenge free radicals, and then interfere with the occurrence and development of tumors.

A Comprehensive Review of Traditional Medicinal Uses, Geographical Distribution, Botanical Characterization, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of Aralia continentalis Kitag.

Aralia continentalis Kitag. (A. continentalis) holds significant medicinal value among the Aralia genus. It has traditionally been employed in ethnomedicine to address a wide range of conditions, including wind-cold-dampness arthralgia; rheumatic pain in the waist and lower extremities; lumbar muscular strain; injuries resulting from falls, fractures, contusions, and strains; headache; toothache; and abscesses. Modern pharmacological research has validated its therapeutic potential, encompassing anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, insecticidal, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, and cytotoxic properties, among other pharmacological effects. To compile comprehensive knowledge on A. continentalis, a rigorous literature search was undertaken utilizing databases like SciFinder, PubMed, and Web of Science. This review seeks to delve into the plant's traditional applications, geographical distribution, botanical characteristics, phytochemistry, and pharmacology. The objective is to lay a foundation and propose novel research directions for exploring the plant's potential applications. Currently, one hundred and fifty-nine compounds have been isolated and identified from A. continentalis, encompassing diterpenoids, steroids, triterpenoids, volatile components, phenolics, vitamins, trace elements, and other compounds. Notably, diterpenoids, steroids, triterpenoids, volatile components, and phenolics have exhibited pronounced pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities. However, despite the extensive research conducted, further studies are imperative to unravel new components and mechanisms of action, necessitating more in-depth investigations. This comprehensive exploration could pave the way for advancing and harnessing the potential of A. continentalis.

Pharmacological actions of the bioactive compounds of Epimedium on the male reproductive system: current status and future perspective.

Compounds isolated from Epimedium include the total flavonoids of Epimedium, icariin, and its metabolites (icaritin, icariside I, and icariside II), which have similar molecular structures. Modern pharmacological research and clinical practice have proved that Epimedium and its active components have a wide range of pharmacological effects, especially in improving sexual function, hormone regulation, anti-osteoporosis, immune function regulation, anti-oxidation, and anti-tumor activity. To date, we still need a comprehensive source of knowledge about the pharmacological effects of Epimedium and its bioactive compounds on the male reproductive system. However, their actions in other tissues have been reviewed in recent years. This review critically focuses on the Epimedium, its bioactive compounds, and the biochemical and molecular mechanisms that modulate vital pathways associated with the male reproductive system. Such intrinsic knowledge will significantly further studies on the Epimedium and its bioactive compounds that protect the male reproductive system and provide some guidances for clinical treatment of related male reproductive disorders.

Coronary heart disease: innovative understanding from traditional Chinese medicine and treatment by classic formulas

Coronary heart disease is a common cardiovascular disease, attacking about 11.4 million patients in China. With increasing prevalence and mortality year by year, coronary heart disease has become a major factor threatening human health and public health. Although primary and secondary prevention, intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting and other interventions have reduced the death rate, there are drug(aspirin) resistance, secondary nitroglycerin failure, post-intervention fatigue, chest tightness, and an-xiety, and complication with a high risk of bleeding, which have become the key clinical and scientific issues needed to be resolved. Coronary heart disease belongs to the category of chest impediment and heart pain in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The TCM etiology of this disease includes external contraction of cold, emotional disorders, constitutional insufficiency, physical weakness, and labor injury, which are closely related to sympathetic nerve activity, state of cardiac and psychological diseases, family history, and cardiovascular metabolic disorders in modern medicine. The TCM causes of coronary heart disease include Qi depression, phlegm turbidity, blood stasis, fire-heat, cold congealing, and healthy Qi deficiency, which are associated with emotional factors such as anxiety and depression, abnormal lipid metabolism, abnormalities in blood circulation and coagulation, inflammatory responses, hyperactive immune responses, and heart failure, chronic wasting disease, or aging, respectively. Accordingly, the patients with Qi depression should be treated with Chaihu Longgu Muli Decoction, and those with phlegm turbidity should be treated with Wendan Decoction and Gualou Xiebai Banxia Decoction. Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction and Guizhi Fuling Pills are recommended for blood stasis, Xiaoxianxiong Decoction and Sanhuang Xiexin Decoction for fire-heat, Zhishi Xiebai Guizhi Decoction for cold congealing, and Renshen Decoction for healthy Qi deficiency. Due to the changes in the spectrum of diseases from ancient to modern times as well as the differences in physical constitution, the key cause of coronary heart disease has evolved from the chest Yang deficiency and cold congealing to Qi depression, phlegm turbidity, phlegm combined with stasis, and fire-heat, showing a shift from cold to heat and from deficiency to excess. The combination of classic formulas presents a pattern. That is, the core formula-syndrome correspondence of a disease often fixedly appears with other formula-syndrome correspondence, which may be related to the development of the pathophysiological mechanism of the disease. In the clinical application of modern pharmacological results, the research team has formulated the clinical principle of pathogenesis corresponding to pathological changes and medicinal nature corresponding pharmacological effects. The modern pharmacological research on classic formulas is conducive to targeted treatment. Moreover, classic formulas help to ameliorate aspirin resistance, clopidogrel resistance, post-intervention anxiety, and high risk of bleeding and address the lack of effective blockade of critical lesions in the coronary artery and the progression of post-infarction heart failure. The innovative understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of co-ronary heart disease helps to improve the clinical efficacy of TCM and the clinical system for treating coronary heart disease with classic formulas.

Current research status and prospects of ginseng's regulatory effect on immune dysfunction caused by "acute deficiency syndrome" of sepsis

Sepsis is a prevalent critical illness observed in emergency intensive care unit (ICU), characterized by life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by infection-induced inflammatory immune disorders in the body. The suppression of immune function plays a crucial role in the development and progression of sepsis. Traditional Chinese medicine theory of "acute deficiency syndrome" in sepsis shares similarities with the concept of "immunosuppression". According to this theory, ginseng is frequently utilized in clinical treatment of sepsis due to its ability to invigorate vitality and strengthen the body, playing a crucial role in tonifying deficiency and improving the overall health of patients. This paper provides a detailed discussion of the pathophysiological mechanisms of sepsis immune dysfunction and its correlation with "acute deficiency syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine. It summarizes the current state of modern pharmacological research on ginseng's impact on the body's immune function, discusses relevant research progress and shortcomings regarding ginseng's therapeutic effects on immunosuppression in sepsis, and proposes future research directions.

Research Progress on the Treatment of Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis Type Hand-foot Syndrome by Buyang Huanwu Decoction

Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is one of the common adverse reactions in the treatment of malignant tumors, and its incidence is gradually increasing with the widespread use of antitumor drugs. HFS seriously affects patients' daily social and life, and even leads to drug dosage reduction or early discontinuation of medication, which delays treatment. Modern medicine has not yet fully clarified the understanding of its etiology and pathogenesis, the lack of uniform standards for the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy, and the poor effect of targeted systemic therapy. Chinese medicine classifies HFS into the category of "blood paralysis", and considers that the disease is located in the hands and feet, with deficiency as the main cause, and the deficiency as the underlying cause, and the mixture of deficiency and reality. BHD is from the book "Reform and Error Correction of Medical Forests" written by Qing Dynasty physician Wang Qingren, which has the effects of tonifying qi, activating blood and clearing collaterals. The formula is rigorous and well formulated, and is now widely used in all kinds of diseases with qi deficiency and blood stasis, with remarkable results. In recent years, with the rapid development of modern pharmacology, the research on the microscopic mechanism of action of BHD has been developing and deepening, which provides new ideas for the treatment of the disease. In this paper, we review BHD in HFS in the treatment of malignant tumors from the aspects of its formula and modern pharmacological research, with a view to providing clinical basis and reference for the future treatment of HFS of qi deficiency and blood stasis type by BHD.

Dendrobium officinale flos water extract ameliorates ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury via inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation.

Dendrobium officinale flos (DOF), a novel food raw material, is used in Chinese folk medicine to nourish the stomach. However, there is still no available study to evaluate the effects of DOF on animal models of acute gastric injury and its mechanism by modern pharmacological research. Herein, we characterized the major components of an aqueous extract of DOF and assessed its potential ameliorative effects in a rat model of acute gastric mucosal injury. The DOF water extract showed significant protective effects on the gastric mucosa and exhibited excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Acute gastric injury rat models induced by ethanol (6 mL kg-1) were pretreated with different doses of DOF water extract (50-100 mg kg-1 day-1), and the biological effects of DOF extract in gastric tissues were evaluated. DOF extract alleviated the symptoms of ethanol-stimulated acute gastric mucosal injury, as evidenced by a significant reduction in gastric injury index and the degree of gastric pathological changes. Additionally, treatment with DOF extract upregulated mucin expression in the gastric mucosa, attenuated oxidative stress, decreased the release of inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-6), suppressed the expression of key proinflammatory enzymes (COX-2 and iNOS), reduced the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and p65 NF-κB and increased the level of PGE2 in gastric tissues. DOF exerts protective effects against ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury, mainly by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Screening of potential α-glucosidase inhibitors from astragalus membranaceus by affinity ultrafiltration screening coupled with UPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS method

Astragalus membranaceus is a traditional Chinese medicine with multiple pharmacological activities. Modern pharmacological research has found that Astragalus membranaceus extract has an inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase, however, which component can inhibit the activity of α-glucosidase and its degree of inhibition are unknown. To address this issue, this study used affinity ultrafiltration screening combined with UPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS technology to screen α-glucosidase inhibitors in Astragalus membranaceus. Using affinity ultrafiltration technology, we obtained the active components, and using UPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS technology, we quickly analyzed and identified them. As a result, a total of 8 ingredients were selected as α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Research Progress on the Basic Pharmacodynamic Substance and Mechanism of <i>Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus</i> in Relieving Anxiety

Anxiety disorder resulting from the interaction of psychological factors-caused anxiety and mood disorder symptoms is one of the clinical mental diseases. Excessive worry, nervousness and fear often bring about several negative outcomes, and seriously impact the physical, mental, and social functioning of patients. What’s worse, with poor treatment, anxiety disorder may develop into mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia. The treatment of anxiety has mainly recourse to drug therapy and psychotherapy; however, Western drug therapy represented by 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor often causes evident adverse effects, including nausea and constipation, as well as poor long-term medication compliance of patients. Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus can sooth the liver and regulate qi, which can be applied to alleviate anxiety disorder as an ancillary drug. Modern pharmacological research revealed that bergamot volatile oil, also known as bergamot essential oil (BEO), is the main active chemical component of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus for anti-anxiety. BEO has been confirmed to exert an anti-anxiety effect through modulating neuronendocrine-immune network, including immunoregulation, suppression of hyperactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, enhancement of function of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, modulation of neurotransmitter, and promotion of neurotrophic effect. The study discusses the current research status regarding the application of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus for anti-anxiety in recent years, and deeply probes into the mechanism of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus playing an anti-anxiety role via neuronendocrine-immune network, in an effort to provide references to clinical treatment of anxiety disorder and new ideas for developing drugs targeting anxiety disorders.

A Review of a Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula for Treating Insomnia with Depression: Wendan Decoction

Background: The relationship between insomnia and depression is complex and two-way. Long-term insomnia may cause, maintain, and aggravate depression, and with the development of the disease, depression patients will also experience insomnia symptoms. Oral medication is currently the main treatment for insomnia with depression (ID). Drugs such as Estazolam have good anti-anxiety and insomnia effects, high safety, and relatively small side effects. They are widely used in the treatment of ID in clinics, but some patients still have adverse reactions or low efficacy when taking Estazolam and other drugs. In recent years, Chinese herbal medicine and TCM prescriptions for the treatment of mental illness have been more and more accepted and studied by international scholars. The efficacy of Wendan Decoction (WDD) has been tested by ancient China for nearly 1,400 years, and with the development of modern pharmacological research, it is widely used in the treatment of insomnia and depression. Purpose: Therefore, based on the understanding of ID in TCM, this article discusses the pharmacodynamic effect of WDD, and based on existing clinical and experimental studies, comprehensively analyzes the clinical observation, mechanism of action, and pharmacological effect of WDD in the treatment of ID, to provide more clinical experience and experimental theoretical support for WDD in the treatment of ID. Methods: Retrieve Chinese and English literature on the treatment of ID with WDD from databases such as Web of Science, etc. Conclusion: WDD has good therapeutic effects on ID.

Huangqin-Huanglian Decoction Protects Liver against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in High Fat-diet Mice.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the advantage of low toxicity of natural ingredients, multiple targets and effects, and low medication costs. It has unique advantages for metabolic and chronic diseases. Huangqin-Huanglian decoction (HQHLD) is composed of Scutellariae Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, Rehmanniae Radix, and Gentianae Radix Et Rhozima; it has great potential for the treatment of NAFLD with the modern pharmacological research and TCM theory, but there is still a relative lack of research on the potential targets and pharmacological effects of HQHLD. In this work, we have used network pharmacology to predict the targets and signaling pathways of HQHLD, and validated NAFLD-related targets using the HFD model in order to explore more therapeutic drugs and methods for NAFLD. We collected the HQHLD ingredients and NAFLD targets through TCMSP, ETCM, DisGeNET, HGMD, MalaCards, OMIM, and TTD, built ingredients-target networks by Cytoscape, and screened key ingredients in HQHLD. DAVID and Metascape databases were used for GO functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, respectively. Molecular docking of the key ingredients and key targets was performed by AutoDock. We verified the effect of HQHLD on high-fat diet (HFD) mice by measuring the weight, liver weight index, and the level of TG, TC, LDL-C, and HDLC. HE staining and oil-red staining were performed to detect the damage and fat accumulation in the liver. The changes in INSR, PPAR-α, PPAR-γ, TNF-α, and caspase3 were experimented with WB. With the network pharmacology analysis, we found quercetin, baicalein, sitosterol, wogonin, oroxylin-A, glycyrrhizin, hydroberberine, berberine, sesamin, and carotene to be the main ingredients in HQHLD. According to KEGG pathway analysis, INSR, AKT, JNK1, PPAR-α, PPAR-γ, and the other 16 targets are the main targets of HQHLD in the treatment of NAFLD. We took HFD mice as the in vivo model of NAFLD. Our results showed that HQHLD could reduce liver weight, and TG and LDL-C levels, and increase HDL-C level in serum. By HE and oil red staining, we found that HQHLD could protect the morphology of hepatocytes and reduce fat in the liver. We also found HQHLD to protect the liver by increasing the expression of INSR and PPAR-α, and reducing the expression of PPAR-γ, TNF-α, and caspase3 in the liver. In conclusion, our study has firstly studied the main ingredients and key targets of HQHDL in treating NAFLD by network pharmacology analysis, and preliminarily confirmed that HQHLD could alleviate NAFLD in a multi-target way by lowering fatty acids, and decreasing insulin resistance, inflammation, and apoptosis in the liver.

The Pharmacological Effects and Potential Applications of Limonene From Citrus Plants: A Review

The citrus plant is the general term for Citrus, Fortunella, and Poncirus, which includes oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, and citrons. Not only does it contain a variety of delicious fruits, but it is also an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. Citrus plant peels are rich in essential oils, the primary active component of which is limonene. Modern pharmacological research has revealed that limonene has many pharmacological effects, including antibacterial, anticancer, analgesic, immune regulation, neuroprotection, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, and the treatment of metabolic diseases. It finds widespread application in a variety of industries, including cosmetics, food, personal care, medicine, pesticides, and others. This article reviews the pharmacological effects of limonene from citrus plants to build a scientific basis for future limonene research and application and also to lay the groundwork for developing functional foods for the prevention and management of linked disorders.

Study on the immune-enhancing and inhabiting transmissible gastroenteritis virus effects of polysaccharides from Cimicifuga rhizoma

Cimicifugae rhizoma is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine in China, and modern pharmacological research showed that it has obvious antiviral activity. Many polysaccharides have been proved to have immune enhancement and antiviral activity, but there are few studies on the biological activity of Cimicifuga rhizoma polysaccharide (CRP). The aim was to explore the character of CRP and its effects on improving immune activity and inhibiting transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV). The monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, fourier transform infrared spectra and electron microscopy analysis of CRP was measured. The effect of CRP on immune activity in lymphocytes and RAW264.7 cells were studied by colorimetry, FITC-OVA fluorescent staining and ELISA. The effect of CRP on TGEV-infected PK-15 cells was determined using Real-time PCR, Hoechst fluorescence staining, trypan blue staining, acridine orange staining, Annexin V-FITC/PI fluorescent staining, DCFH-DA loading probe, and JC-1 staining. Network pharmacology was used to predict the targets of CRP in enhancing immunity and anti-TGEV, and molecular docking was used to further analyze the binding mode between CPR and core targets. The results showed that CRP was mainly composed of glucose and galactose, and its molecular weight was 64.28 kDa. The content of iNOS and NO in CRP group were significantly higher than the control group. CRP (125 and 62.5 μg/mL) could significantly enhance the phagocytic capacity of RAW264.7 cells, and imprive the content of IL-1β content compared with control group. 250 μg/mL of CRP possessed the significant inhibitory effect on TGEV, which could significantly reduce the apoptosis compared to TGVE group and inhibit the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential compared to TGVE group. The mRNA expression of TGEV N gene in CRP groups was significantly lower than TGEV group. PPI showed that the core targets of immune-enhancing were AKT1, MMP9, HSP90AA1, etc., and the core targets of TGE were CASP3, MMP9, EGFR, etc. Molecular docking show that CRP has binding potential with target. These results indicated that CRP possessed the better immune enhancement effect and anti-TGEV activity.

Revealing the mechanism of Dahuang Huanglian Xiexin Decoction attenuates dysbiosis via IL-17 signaling pathway based on network pharmacology and experimental validation

Ethnopharmacological relevanceDahuang Huanglian Xiexin Decoction (XXD), derived from Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Typhoid Fever, has a long history of medicinal use and is widely used for digestive system diseases. It is mainly composed of three natural medicines, including Dahuang (Rheum palmatum L.), Huanglian (Coptis chinensis Franch.), and Huangqin (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi). Modern pharmacological research shows that the active ingredients of XXD can have a positive effect on intestinal flora regulatory effect, but its mechanism of action is unclear. Aims of this studyClarify the effect of XXD on regulating dysbiosis, and elucidate the mechanism of XXD in alleviating dysbiosis based on network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification. MethodsHistopathological observation and intestinal high-throughput sequencing were used to observe the effect. Preliminary prediction of the mechanism of action of XXD in treating dysbiosis through network pharmacology and molecular docking. Finally, the effect of XXD on the IL-17 signaling pathway was verified through in vivo experiments. ResultsHistopathology and high-throughput sequencing of intestinal flora indicated that XXD has a good regulatory effect on bacterial dysbiosis. At the same time, network pharmacology identified a total of 40 active compounds, 14 of which may be key compounds for XXD to treat dysbiosis. In addition, the study also revealed 14 potential key targets as well as the top 5 therapeutic targets: IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, TP53 and PTGS2. GO and KEGG predicted the key pathway for IL-17 signaling pathway to play a role in XXD. In the verification of the prediction results, it was found that the above targets and the IL-17 target showed strong activity in molecular docking. Furthermore, it was found that XXD can reduce the levels of IL-17, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, p53 and COX-2 in serum, while inhibiting the expression of IL-17, IL-17RA, Act-1 and NF-κB protein and the mRNA expression of IL-17, IL-17RA and Act-1 in colon tissue. ConclusionsThis study found that XXD has a good regulatory effect on dysbiosis and its induced symptoms. Network pharmacology was used to predict the key compounds and therapeutic targets of XXD, and preliminary experiments confirmed that XXD may regulate bacterial dysbiosis by inhibiting the IL-17 signaling pathway.

Bajitianwan formula extract ameliorates bone loss induced by iron overload via activating RAGE/PI3K/AKT pathway based on network pharmacology and transcriptomic analysis.

Osteoporosis (OP) is closely related to iron overload. Bajitianwan (BJTW) is a traditional Chinese medicine formulation used for treating senile diseases such as dementia and osteoporosis. Modern pharmacological researches have found that BJTW has beneficial effect on bone loss and memory impairment in aging rats. This paper aimed to explore the role and mechanism of BJTW in ameliorating iron overload-induced bone loss. Furthermore, BJTW effectively improved the bone micro-structure of the femur in mice, and altered bone metabolism biomarkers alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN) in serum, as well as oxidative indexes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver. As for network pharmacology, 73 components collected from BJTW regulated 99 common targets merged in the BJTW and OP. The results of RNA-seq indicated that there were 418 potential targets in BJTW low dose group (BJTW-L) and 347 potential targets in BJTW high dose group (BJTW-H). Intriguingly, both PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and the AGEs-RAGE signaling pathway were contained in the KEGG pathways enrichment results of network pharmacology and transcriptomics, which were considered as the potential mechanism. Additionally, we verified that BJTW regulated the expression of related proteins in RAGE/PI3K-AKT pathways in MC3T3-E1 cells. In summary, BJTW has potent effect on protecting against iron overload-induced OP, and its mechanism may be related to the activation of the RAGE/PI3K-AKT signaling pathways.