scholarly journals Study on Active Components of Cuscuta chinensis Promoting Neural Stem Cell Proliferation: Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (21) ◽  
pp. 6634
Author(s):  
Hanze Wang ◽  
Xiaomeng Hou ◽  
Bingqi Li ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
Qiang Li ◽  
...  

Neural stem cells (NSCs) exist in the central nervous system of adult animals and capable of self-replication. NSCs have two basic functions, namely the proliferation ability and the potential for multi-directional differentiation. In this study, based on the bioassay-guided fractionation, we aim to screen active components in Cuscuta chinensis to promote the proliferation of NSCs. CCK-8 assays were used as an active detection method to track the active components. On the basis of isolating active fraction and monomer compounds, the structures of these were identified by LC-MS and (1H, 13C) NMR. Moreover, active components were verified by pharmacodynamics and network pharmacology. The system solvent extraction method combined with the traditional isolation method were used to ensure that the fraction TSZE-EA-G6 of Cuscuta chinensis exhibited the highest activity. Seven chemical components were identified from the TSZE-EA-G6 fraction by UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS technology, which were 4-O-p-coumarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, 5-O-p-coumarinic acid, hyperoside, astragalin, isochlorogenic acid C, and quercetin-3-O-galactose-7-O-glucoside. Using different chromatographic techniques, five compounds were isolated in TSZE-EA-G6 and identified as kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside (astragalin), quercetin-3-O-galactoside (hyperoside), chlorogenic acid, and sucrose. The activity study of these five compounds showed that the proliferation rate of kaempferol had the highest effects; at a certain concentration (25 μg/mL, 3.12 μg/mL), the proliferation rate could reach 87.44% and 59.59%, respectively. Furthermore, research results using network pharmacology techniques verified that kaempferol had an activity of promoting NSCs proliferation and the activity of flavonoid aglycones might be greater than that of flavonoid glycosides. In conclusion, this research shows that kaempferol is the active component in Cuscuta chinensis to promote the proliferation of NSCs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2110167
Author(s):  
Xing-Pan Wu ◽  
Tian-Shun Wang ◽  
Zi-Xin Yuan ◽  
Yan-Fang Yang ◽  
He-Zhen Wu

Objective To explore the anti-COVID-19 active components and mechanism of Compound Houttuynia mixture by using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Methods First, the main chemical components of Compound Houttuynia mixture were obtained by using the TCMSP database and referring to relevant chemical composition literature. The components were screened for OB ≥30% and DL ≥0.18 as the threshold values. Then Swiss Target Prediction database was used to predict the target of the active components and map the targets of COVID-19 obtained through GeneCards database to obtain the gene pool of the potential target of COVID-19 resistance of the active components of Compound Houttuynia mixture. Next, DAVID database was used for GO enrichment and KEGG pathway annotation of targets function. Cytoscape 3.8.0 software was used to construct a “components-targets-pathways” network. Then String database was used to construct a “protein-protein interaction” network. Finally, the core targets, SARS-COV-2 3 Cl, ACE2 and the core active components of Compound Houttuyna Mixture were imported into the Discovery Studio 2016 Client database for molecular docking verification. Results Eighty-two active compounds, including Xylostosidine, Arctiin, ZINC12153652 and ZINC338038, were screened from Compound Houttuyniae mixture. The key targets involved 128 targets, including MAPK1, MAPK3, MAPK8, MAPK14, TP53, TNF, and IL6. The HIF-1 signaling, VEGF signaling, TNF signaling and another 127 signaling pathways associated with COVID-19 were affected ( P < 0.05). From the results of molecular docking, the binding ability between the selected active components and the core targets was strong. Conclusion Through the combination of network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, this study revealed that the therapeutic effect of Compound Houttuynia mixture on COVID-19 was realized through multiple components, multiple targets and multiple pathways, which provided a certain scientific basis of the clinical application of Compound Houttuynia mixture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Li Han ◽  
Ying Han

Background. Herba Sarcandrae is used in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine to deal with gastric cancer. However, there are few studies on its precise mechanism. Method. In this study, a network pharmacological approach was utilized to construct a molecular/target/pathway molecular regulatory network for the anti-gastric-cancer effect of Herba Sarcandrae. The active components of Herba Sarcandrae and their potential mechanisms were explored. Chemical components of the Herba Sarcandrae were identified through a database, and they were evaluated and screened based on oral bioavailability and drug similarity. Results. Genes related to gastric cancer were found in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and gene targets related to anti-gastric-cancer were chosen by comparison. Using annotation, visualization, and a comprehensive discovery database, the function and related pathways of target genes were analyzed and screened. Cytoscape software was utilized to construct a component/target/pathway network for the antitumor effect of Herba Sarcandrae. Finally, 6 drug ingredients and 29 target genes related to gastric cancer were detected. IL-17 signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and other signaling pathways were significantly enriched. Many signaling pathways that directly act on tumors and indirect pathways inhibit the development of gastric cancer. Conclusion. This study provides a scientific basis for further elucidating the mechanism of the anti-gastric-cancer effect of Herba Sarcandrae.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-40
Author(s):  
Jia Li ◽  
Xinchang Qi ◽  
Yajuan Sun ◽  
Yingyu Zhang ◽  
Jiajun Chen

Aim and Objective: Effective components and the mechanism of action of Zhichan powder for the treatment of Parkinson's disease were researched at a systematic level. Materials and Methods: Screening of active components in Zhichan powder for the treatment of Parkinson's disease was conducted using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, and a medicine-target-disease network was established with computational network pharmacology. Results: By using network pharmacology methods, we identified 18 major active components in Zhichan powder through screening, indicating a connection between chemical components of this Traditional Chinese Medicine and Parkinson’s disease-related targets. Conclusion: The medicine-target-disease system of Zhichan powder established by network pharmacology permitted visualization of clustering and differences among chemical components in this prescription, as well as the complex mechanism of molecular activities among those effective components, relevant targets, pathways, and the disease. Thus, our results provide a new perspective and method for revealing the mechanism of action of Traditional Chinese Medicine prescriptions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2199171
Author(s):  
ZiXin Yuan ◽  
Can Zeng ◽  
Bing Yu ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
TianShun Wang ◽  
...  

To investigate the mechanism of action of components of Yinma Jiedu granules in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using network pharmacology and molecular docking. The main chemical components of Yinma Jiedu granules were collected in the literature and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform database. Using the SwissTargetPrediction database, the targets of the active component were identified and further correlated to the targets of COVID-19 through the GeneCards database. The overlapping targets of Yinma Jiedu granules components and COVID-19 were identified as the research target. Using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery database to carry out the target gene function Gene Ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway annotation and Cytoscape 3.6.1 software was used to construct a “component-target-pathway” network. The protein-protein interaction network was built using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database. Using Discovery Studio 2016 Client software to study the virtual docking of key protein and active components. One hundred active components were screened from the Yinma Jiedu Granules that involved 67 targets, including mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3), epidermal growth factor receptor, tumor necrosis factor, tumor protein 53, and MAPK1. These targets affected 109 signaling pathways including hypoxia-inducible factor-1, apoptosis, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that the screened active components have a strong binding ability to the key targets. In this study, through network pharmacology and molecular docking, we justified the multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathways of Yinma Jiedu Granules in the treatment of COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin-Zhou Huang ◽  
Hui Chen ◽  
Yu-Ming Wang ◽  
Xi-He Zhang ◽  
Ke-Bin Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Drynaria Fortunei and Cuscuta Chinensis are among the most used traditional Chinese medicine herbal prescriptions and have a significant therapeutic effect on osteoarthritis. However, the purpose of this study intends to elaborate the molecular mechanism of action through network pharmacology. The active ingredients of TCM and the potential targets for the treatment of osteoarthritis were selected through the TCMSP, OMIM and Genecards. Results: The 27 components and 85/117 targets of Drynaria Fortunei and/or Cuscuta Chinensis were identified for osteoarthritis. Pharmacological and PPI network analysis identified top 3 active components (kaempferol, luteolin, and quercetin) and core proteins (IL6, AKT1, and VEGFA). GO and KEGG analysis identified the top 3 functions (cytokine and cell/nuclear receptor) and pathways (PI3K-Akt, TNF and IL-17). Molecular docking showed strong binding ability between quercetin-AKT1 and luteolin-IL6/VEGFA. Interaction analysis mapped the quercetin-AKT1 and luteolin-IL6/VEGFA binding to specific hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds. Conclusions: The main active components, common target proteins, functional activities, and signaling pathways of TCM Drynaria Fortunei and Cuscuta Chinensis for the treatment of osteoarthritis were identified by Network pharmacology. We found, for the first time, that drynariae rhizoma and cuscuta chinensis suppress osteoarthritis by quercetin-AKT1/IL6 and luteolin-VEGFA direct binding. Our findings have significant implication for our understanding of the molecular mechanism of action in the treatment of osteoarthritis and future development of osteoarthritis treatment using quercetin and luteolin.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijun Wang ◽  
Ruoming Wu ◽  
Dong Xie ◽  
Liqin Ding ◽  
Xing Lv ◽  
...  

Wei-Fu-Chun (WFC) tablet is a commercial medicinal product approved by China Food and Drug Administration, which is made of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey., Citrus aurantium L., and Isodon amethystoides (Benth.). WFC has been popularly used for the treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) in clinical practice. In this study, a UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS method in both positive and negative ion mode was employed to rapidly survey the major constituents of WFC. 178 compounds including diterpenoids, triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, saponins, phenylpropanoids, lignans, coumarins, organic acids, fatty acids, quinones, and sterols, were identified by comparing their retention times, accurate mass within 5 ppm error, and MS fragmentation ions. In addition, 77 absorbed parent molecules and nine metabolites in rat serum were rapidly characterized by UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS. The network pharmacology method was used to predict the active components, corresponding therapeutic targets, and related pathways of WFC in the treatment of PLGC. Based on the main compounds in WFC and their metabolites in rat plasma and existing databases, 13 active components, 48 therapeutic targets, and 61 pathways were found to treat PLGC. The results of PLGC experiment in rats showed that WFC could improve the weight of PLGC rats and the histopathological changes of gastric mucosa partly by inhibiting Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway to increase pepsin secretion. This study offers an applicable approach to identify chemical components, absorbed compounds, and metabolic compounds in WFC, and provides a method to explore bioactive ingredients and action mechanisms of WFC.


Author(s):  
Ying Zhu ◽  
Jieru Yu ◽  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Yuqian Feng ◽  
Kaibo Guo ◽  
...  

The role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains controversial, and its active components and potential targets are still unclear. This study mainly aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of TCM in mCRC treatment through meta-analysis and explore the effective components and potential targets based on the network pharmacology method. We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CBM, WanFang, and CNKI database for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the treatment of mCRC patients with and without TCM. A meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4 was conducted. In total, 25 clinical trials were analyzed, and the result demonstrated that TCM was closely correlated with the improved OS (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.52–0.76; [Formula: see text] < 0.00001) and PFS (HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.61–0.88; [Formula: see text] = 0.0010). Then, high-frequency Chinese herbs from the prescriptions extracted from the trails included in the OS meta-analysis were counted to construct a core-effective prescription. The TCMSP database was used to retrieve the active chemical components and predict herb targets. The Genecards, OMIM, Disgenet, DrugBank, and TTD database were searched for colorectal cancer targets. R-package was used to construct the Component-Target (C-T) network based on the intersection genes. Further, we extracted hub genes from C-T network and performed functional enrichment and pathway analysis. Finally, the C-T network showed 120 herb and disease co-target genes, and the most important top 10 active components were: Quercetin, Luteolin, Wogonin, Kaempferol, Nobiletin, Baicalein, Licochalcone A, Naringenin, Isorhamnetin, and Acacetin. The first 20 hub genes were extracted: CDKN1A, CDK1, CDK2, E2F1, CDK4, PCNA, RB1, CCNA2, MAPK3, CCND1, CCNB1, JUN, MAPK1, RELA, FOS, MAPK8, STAT3, MAPK14, NR3C1, and MYC. Thus, effective Chinese herb components may inhibit the mCRC by targeting multiple biological processes of the above hub genes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjia Zhao ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
Yuanhao Wu

Abstract Background:Gout is a crystalline-related arthropathy aroused by monosodium urate aggradation, which directly have a bearing on the disturbance of purine excretory and/or hyperuricemia, and seriously affects human health. In China, Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma (DH) and Smilacis Glabrae Rhixoma (SG) are widely used as medicinal pairs to prevent and treat gout. However, there is still a lack of research on the mechanism of DS (DH and SG). The aim of this study is to identify the absorbable components, potential targets and related therapeutic pathways of DS by means of network pharmacology.Material/Methods:We searched the effective chemical components of DS from TCMSP database, and explored the target of DS from GeneCards, a Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechANism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM) and STITCH database. Databases such as Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Therapeutic Target Database (TTD) and Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase (PharmGkb) were used to query treatment targets for gout. Cytoscape software was applied to build the network map, KEGG database was applied to analyze the pathway of action, and finally a multi-component-multi-target-multi-channel DS treatment gout network was formed.Results: We found 16 active components, 24 KEGG metabolic pathways and 47 common targets of DS. The herb couple DS shares 9 targets with gout, including NOD like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), Steryl-sulfatase (STS), Ephrin type-B receptor 2 (EPHB2), 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase catalytic subunit alpha-1 (PRKAA1), ROS Proto-Oncogene 1, Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (ROS1), Solute carrier family 22 member 12 (SLC22A12), Phospholipid-transporting ATPase IB (ATP8A2), Interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) and P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2RX7), which may be the key point of DS in the treatment of gout.Conclusions:In this study, we tried to explain the mechanism of DS in the prevention and treatment of gout by using the network pharmacological method and provided an alternative way to study the effect of this Chinese medicine pair.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Xinxin Chen ◽  
Junmao Li ◽  
Renyikun Yuan ◽  
Youqiong Zhuo ◽  
Yangling Chen ◽  
...  

Ilicis Rotundae Cortex (IRC) consists of the bark of Ilex rotunda Thunb, and its chemical constituents mainly include flavonoid glycosides, phenols, and triterpenoid saponins. In this study, a preliminary analysis was performed to identify and obtain the chemical components from IRC to better control the quality of the medicinal materials and provide a chemical basis for the study of the efficacy of the active components. Simple and efficient sample pretreatment and ultrasonic-assisted extraction methods were used to analyze the mass spectrum fragments and fracture modes in the anion mode by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Using a two-step strategy, the neutral loss, diagnostic ions, and characteristic fragments were studied to screen diverse skeletons and substitutions, and the possible compounds were identified by comparison with databases. The representative compounds were compared with the standard, and the mass spectrogram was found to match perfectly. Thus, our findings reveal that this method is feasible and reliable and can be used to analyze the chemical components of IRC. We identified 105 compounds, including 22 triterpenoid saponins, 15 chlorogenic acids, 33 phenylpropanoids and phenylpropanosides, 3 iridoids, 1 flavonoid, 10 lignans, 12 glycosides, and 9 other compounds. This method lays the foundation for further elucidating the pharmacodynamics of IRC and provides a practical method for the identification of IRC.


Author(s):  
Gulinigaer Anwaier ◽  
Cong Wen ◽  
Yi-ni Caoili ◽  
Rong Qi

: As a medicinal fungus, Inonotus obliquus (IO) has been widely used in the treatment of cancer and digestive system diseases. Despite the progress that has been made in the studies of IO and its active compounds, their applications in other important clinical diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, which are major global issues with limited treatment strategies, are seldom reported. This review summarizes the separation and purification methods of chemical components of IO, the advances in their applications, and research progress on the pharmacological effects and related mechanisms of IO in disease prevention. This review will help researchers and clinicians to further understand the pharmacological functions and mechanisms of IO and its active components, which may extend their medical applications in the prevention and treatment of other diseases in addition to tumors and digestive system diseases in the near future.


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