Schisandraceae triterpenoids: A review of phytochemistry, bioactivities and synthesis

Discovery of lignans as the effective inhibitors of CES1A alleviate lipid droplets formation

ER carboxylesterase 1A (CES1A) is an important metabolic enzyme involved in lipid metabolism. Targeting the CES1A is a promising approach for diseases associated with disorders of lipid metabolism therapy. In this study, screening of 26 natural lignans, three of them were found displaying potent inhibition on CES1A and high specificity over other serine hydrolases. Inhibition kinetic analyses demonstrated that Schisandrin C and Anwuligan were mixed-type inhibitors, while Magnolol acts as a competitive inhibitor. Further investigation showed that they were cell permeable and exhibited minimal cytotoxicity and mitochondrial toxicity, as well as capable of inhibiting intracellular CES1A in living cells. Further investigation found that three Schisandras decreased the number of lipid droplets (LDs) in free fatty acid (FFA)-treated HepG2 cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that Schisandrin C is a potent and highly selective inhibitor of CES1A, which can be served as a promising lead compound.

Discovery of undescribed schinortriterpenoids from Schisandra chinensis by molecular networking and their neuroprotective effects

The dried, ripe fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill has significant nutritional as well as medicinal value and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Schinortriterpenoids (SNTs) are a distinct class of highly oxygenated and rearranged terpenoids exclusively derived from plants belonging to the Schisandraceae family. In this study, nine previously undescribed (1-9) and 20 known SNTs (10-29) were isolated from a Schisandra chinensis extract using the molecular networking technique. The structures of these compounds were elucidated using NMR, HR-ESI-MS, X-ray diffraction analysis, and quantum chemical calculations. Compounds 8, 11, 16, 18, and 24 exhibited significant anti-neuroinflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated microglial BV-2 cells, with IC50 values of 3.28 ± 0.86, 0.63 ± 0.32, 1.57 ± 0.27, 1.55 ± 0.50, and 1.86 ± 0.41 μM, respectively. Notably, the anti-neuroinflammatory activity of compound 11 was associated with the inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signalling pathway.

Three new schinortriterpenoids from the leaves of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill

Three undescribed schinortriterpenoids, schinensilactones D-F (1-3), together with five known ones, namely, wuweizidilactone A (4), wuweizidilactone C (5), wuweizidilactone F (6), wuweizidilactone J (7) and wuweizidilactone N (8), were isolated from the leaves of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. The structures of new compounds were established by analysis of their spectroscopic data including MS, IR, 1D- and 2D-NMR spectra. The absolute configuration of 1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. All compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced injury in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell lines. Cell viability was remarkably reduced to 52.33% in H2O2-treated cells. Compounds 5-7 exhibited moderate neuroprotective activities at 50 μM, with cell viability of 64.84%, 67.34% and 63.73%, respectively.

GSTD1 Mediates the Tolerance to Abamectin and Beta-Cypermethrin in the Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a class of detoxifying enzymes in the second stage of insect metabolism and plays a key role in insecticide resistance. In this study, based on the transcriptome sequences of S. frugiperda, the full-length cDNA of SfGSTD1 was cloned and characterized. The temporal and spatial expression pattern showed that SfGSTD1 was highly expressed in Malpighian tubules, which are key excretion organs. Knocking down SfGSTD1 reduced S. frugiperd tolerance to abamectin and beta-cypermethrin. The overexpression of SfGSTD1 enhanced the viability of Sf9 cell under abamectin and beta-cypermethrin treatment. Furthermore, SfGSTD1 was overexpressed in Drosophila melanogaster using the GAL4/UAS binary expression system, and this overexpression strain was also less susceptible to abamectin and beta-cypermethrin. The enzyme activity of recombinant SfGSTD1 could also be significantly inhibited by abamectin and beta-cypermethrin. Taken together, our findings indicate that SfGSTD1 might be involved in the tolerance of abamectin and beta-cypermethrin in S. frugiperda. And these results provide theoretical foundations for understanding the resistance mechanism of S. frugiperda to abamectin and beta-cypermethrin.

Lignans of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill inhibits Parkinson's disease progression through mediated neuroinflammation-TRPV1 expression in microglia

BACKGROUND

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (S. chinensis), a member of the Magnoliaceae family, is renowned for its distinctive medicinal attributes and is commonly employed in the treatment of disorders affecting the CNS.

PURPOSE

The potential therapeutic effects of a lignan-enriched extract derived from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (LSC) on PD is assessed, which focuses on its mechanisms of action in addressing neuroinflammation.

METHODS

The LSC has been obtained by purifying the ethyl alcohol extract of S. chinensis. The Orbitrap-MS method has been employed to analyze the chemical composition of the LSC. In LPS-induced BV2 cells, LSC-induced changes in M1/M2 type inflammatory cytokines have been examined using the Griess reaction, Elisa, JC-1, flow cytometry, IF, and WB methods. A model of PD has been established by treatment of MPTP in C57BL/6 mice. The effect of LSC on behavioral changes, inflammatory factor levels, expression of TH and IBA-1, and production of autophagy in the midbrain has been investigated by TEM, immunohistochemistry, Elisa, and WB.

RESULTS

LSC has relieved sports injuries and pathological damage, and targeted the TRPV1-AMPK-NLRP3 signaling pathway, which affected neuroinflammation and autophagy in vivo. Furthermore, in vitro investigations demonstrated that LSC has activated M1/M2 transformation, its related inflammatory factors, and protein expressions of the NLRP3-Caspase1 signaling pathway in LPS-BV2 cells. The research notably demonstrated that the LSC promoted autophagy and suppressed inflammation through targeting TRPV1.

CONCLUSION

In the investigation, LSC focused on TRPV1 and controlled neuroinflammation-autophagy by regulating AMPK-NLRP3, which has been proven for the first time. The study has presented molecular data supporting the use of LSC in treating PD and offers references for developing drugs. Remarkably, LSC has the potential to be utilized as a therapeutic or health medication that could significantly decrease PD.

Optimization of the Extraction Process and Biological Activities of Triterpenoids of Schisandra sphenanthera from Different Medicinal Parts and Growth Stages

Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils., as a traditional Chinese medicine, has important medicinal value. In the market, the availability of the fruit of S. sphenanthera mainly relies on wild picking, but many canes and leaves are discarded during wild collection, resulting in a waste of resources. The canes and leaves of S. sphenanthera contain various bioactive ingredients and can be used as spice, tea, and medicine and so present great utilization opportunities. Therefore, it is helpful to explore the effective components and biological activities of the canes and leaves to utilize S. sphenanthera fully. In this study, the response surface method with ultrasound was used to extract the total triterpenoids from the canes and leaves of S. sphenanthera at different stages. The content of total triterpenoids in the leaves at different stages was higher than that in the canes. The total triterpenoids in the canes and leaves had strong antioxidant and antibacterial abilities. At the same time, the antibacterial activity of the total triterpenoids against Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was stronger than that against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This study provides the foundation for the development and utilization of the canes and leaves that would relieve the shortage of fruit resources of S. sphenanthera.

Four new lignans obtained from the leaves of Schisandra cauliflora and their effect on skeletal muscle cell proliferation

Plants of the Schisandra genus are commonly used in folk medicinal remedies. Some Schisandra species and their lignans have been reported to improve muscle strength. In the present study, four new lignans, named schisacaulins A-D, together with three previously described compounds ananonin B, alismoxide, and pregomisin were isolated from the leaves of S. cauliflora. Their chemical structures were determined by extensive analyses of HR-ESI-MS, NMR, and ECD spectra. Schisacaulin D and alismoxide significantly stimulated skeletal muscle cell proliferation by increasing the number of fused myotubes and expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) which may be good candidates for the treatment of sarcopenia.

An analysis of the nutritional effects of Schisandra chinensis components based on mass spectrometry technology

OBJECTIVE

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (S. chinensis) is a Traditional Chinese medicinal herb that can be used both for medicinal purposes and as a food ingredient due to its beneficial properties, and it is enriched with a wide of natural plant nutrients, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, lignans, triterpenes, organic acids, and sugars. At present, there is lack of comprehensive study or systemic characterization of nutritional and active ingredients of S. chinensis using innovative mass spectrometry techniques.

METHODS

The comprehensive review was conducted by searching the PubMed databases for relevant literature of various mass spectrometry techniques employed in the analysis of nutritional components in S. chinensis, as well as their main nutritional effects. The literature search covered the past 5 years until March 15, 2023.

RESULTS

The potential nutritional effects of S. chinensis are discussed, including its ability to enhance immunity, function as an antioxidant, anti-allergen, antidepressant, and anti-anxiety agent, as well as its ability to act as a sedative-hypnotic and improve memory, cognitive function, and metabolic imbalances. Meanwhile, the use of advanced mass spectrometry detection technologies have the potential to enable the discovery of new nutritional components of S. chinensis, and to verify the effects of different extraction methods on these components. The contents of anthocyanins, lignans, organic acids, and polysaccharides, the main nutritional components in S. chinensis, are also closely associated to its quality.

CONCLUSION

This review will provide guidelines for an in-depth study on the nutritional value of S. chinensis and for the development of healthy food products with effective components.

New dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans from Kadsura induta with their anti-inflammatory activity

Five new dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans, named kadsuindutains A-E (1-5), and three known ones schizanrin F (6), schizanrin O (7), and schisantherin J (8) were isolated from the stems of Kadsura induta. Their structures were determined by analyses of HR-ESI-MS, NMR, and ECD spectra. Compounds 1-5 contain a 2',4'-dioxygenated-2',3'-dimethylbutyryl moiety which is rarely reported for dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans. Molecular docking predicted that compounds 1-8 displayed good binding affinity to the active site of iNOS and TNF-α proteins but unstable binding to the active site of COX-2 protein. Additionally, in vitro experiments showed that compounds 1-8 inhibited NO production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values from 10.7 μM to 34.0 μM, compared to the positive control L-NMMA (IC50 = 31.2 μM).