Characterization of metabolic fate of phellodendrine and its potential pharmacological mechanism against diabetes mellitus by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-coupled time-of-flight mass spectrometry and network pharmacology

Chemical profiling and quantification of Yihuang decoction by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and a diode array detector

Yihuang decoction (YHD) is one of the most famous formulas in tradition Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been clinically used for treatment of vaginitis, pelvic inflammation and other gynecological diseases for hundreds of years. However, its chemical composition remains unclear. In this study, high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was employed for its chemical profiling investigation. As a result, 90 components were chemically defined, including 23 alkaloids, 14 organic acids, 3 phenylethanoid glycosides, 4 iridoid glycosides, 5 terpenoid lactones, 10 flavonoids, 8 nucleobases and nucleosides, 12 amino acids, and 11 other compounds. In addition, 8 representative compounds (acteoside, allantoin, berberine, 4-O-feruloylquinic acid, 5-O-feruloylquinic acid, gallic acid, geniposidic acid, and phellodendrine) were simultaneously determined in 10 batches of YHD samples by HPLC with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). For all the analytes, their calibration curves showed good linearity (R² >0.9990) within the test ranges. RSDs of precision, repeatability and stability test were all below 3.50%. The overall recoveries ranged from 93.63% to 105.02%, with RSDs less than 3.50%. This study is supposed to exhibit a comprehensive chemical profiling of YHD and to provide some strong basis for quality control and even for action mechanism of this ancient classical prescription.

Methodology of network pharmacology for research on Chinese herbal medicine against COVID-19: A review

Traditional Chinese medicine, as a complementary and alternative medicine, has been practiced for thousands of years in China and possesses remarkable clinical efficacy. Thus, systematic analysis and examination of the mechanistic links between Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and the complex human body can benefit contemporary understandings by carrying out qualitative and quantitative analysis. With increasing attention, the approach of network pharmacology has begun to unveil the mystery of CHM by constructing the heterogeneous network relationship of "herb-compound-target-pathway," which corresponds to the holistic mechanisms of CHM. By integrating computational techniques into network pharmacology, the efficiency and accuracy of active compound screening and target fishing have been improved at an unprecedented pace. This review dissects the core innovations to the network pharmacology approach that were developed in the years since 2015 and highlights how this tool has been applied to understanding the coronavirus disease 2019 and refining the clinical use of CHM to combat it.

Utilizing network pharmacology and experimental validation to investigate the underlying mechanism of phellodendrine on inflammation

Background

Phellodendrine, one of the characteristic and important active components of Cortex phellodendri, has been proven to show anti-inflammatory effects. However, the underlying mechanism of phellodendrine on inflammation remains largely unclear.

Aim of the study

In this study, network pharmacology and experimental validation were used to explore the underlying mechanism of phellodendrine on inflammation.

Materials and Methods

PubChem and SwissADME database were used to evaluate the drug-likeness and other characteristics of phellodendrine. The targets of phellodendrine for the treatment of inflammation were analyzed with multiple databases. Other extensive analyses including protein-protein interaction, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment were accomplished with the STRING database, Cytoscape software, and DAVID database. Moreover, the effect of phellodendrine on anti-inflammation was proven in RAW264.7.

Results

The network pharmacology results indicated that phellodendrine had drug potential. Phellodendrine acted directly on 12 targets, including PTGS1, PTGS2, HTR1A, and PIK3CA, and then regulated cAMP, estrogen, TNF, serotonergic synapse, and other signaling pathways to exert anti-inflammatory effects. The experimental results showed that phellodendrine reduced the levels of IL-6 compared with the LPS group in 24 h and changed the mRNA expression of PTGS1, PTGS2, HSP90ab1, AKT1, HTR1A, PI3CA, and F10.

Conclusion

Our research preliminarily uncovered the therapeutic mechanisms of phellodendrine on inflammation with multiple targets and pathways. Phellodendrine may be a potential treatment for inflammation-related diseases related to the cAMP and TNF signaling pathways.