Matrine-imprinted monolithic stationary phase for extraction and purification of matrine from Sophorae flavescentis Ait

Separation Methods of Phenolic Compounds from Plant Extract as Antioxidant Agents Candidate

In recent years, discovering new drug candidates has become a top priority in research. Natural products have proven to be a promising source for such discoveries as many researchers have successfully isolated bioactive compounds with various activities that show potential as drug candidates. Among these compounds, phenolic compounds have been frequently isolated due to their many biological activities, including their role as antioxidants, making them candidates for treating diseases related to oxidative stress. The isolation method is essential, and researchers have sought to find effective procedures that maximize the purity and yield of bioactive compounds. This review aims to provide information on the isolation or separation methods for phenolic compounds with antioxidant activities using column chromatography, medium-pressure liquid chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, counter-current chromatography, hydrophilic interaction chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography, molecularly imprinted technologies, and high-performance thin layer chromatography. For isolation or purification, the molecularly imprinted technologies represent a more accessible and more efficient procedure because they can be applied directly to the extract to reduce the complicated isolation process. However, it still requires further development and refinement.

Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: An Update on Their Use in the Separation of Active Compounds from Natural Products

During the last few years, separation techniques using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have been developed, making breakthroughs using magnetic properties. Compared to conventional MIPs, magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) have advantages in sample pretreatment due to their high specificity and selectivity towards analytes as a result of their larger specific surface areas and highly accessible specific binding sites. The techniques of isolation of active compounds from natural products usually require very long process times and low compound yields. When MMIPs are used in sample separation as Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) sorbents, the MMIPs are introduced into the dissolved sample and spread evenly, and they form bonds between the analyte and the MMIPs, which are then separated from the sample matrix using an external magnetic field. This process of separating analytes from the sample matrix makes the separation technique with MMIPs very simple and easy. This review discusses how to synthesize MMIPs, which factors must be considered in their synthesis, and their application in the separation of active compounds from natural products. MMIPs with magnetic core-shells made by co-precipitation can be a good choice for further development due to the high synthesis yield. Further optimization of the factors affecting the size and distribution of magnetic core-shell particles can obtain higher synthesis yields of MMIPs with higher adsorption capacity and selectivity. Thus, they can isolate target compounds from natural plants in high yields and purity.

Matrine is a novel inhibitor of the TMEM16A chloride channel with antilung adenocarcinoma effects

Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) are ion channels with key roles in physiological processes. They are abnormally expressed in various cancers, including esophageal squamous cell cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. The CaCC component TMEM16A/ANO1 was recently shown to be overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma cells and may serve as a tumorigenic protein. In this study, we determined that matrine is a potent TMEM16A inhibitor that exerts anti-lung adenocarcinoma effects. Patch clamp experiments showed that matrine inhibited TMEM16A current in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC ₅₀ of 27.94 ± 4.78 μM. Molecular simulation and site-directed mutation experiments demonstrated that the matrine-sensitive sites of the TMEM16A channel involve the amino acids Y355, F411, and F415. Results of cell viability and wound healing assays showed that matrine significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of LA795 cells, which exhibit high TMEM16A expression. In contrast, matrine has only weak inhibitory effect on CCD-19Lu and HeLa cells lacking TMEM16A expression. Matrine-induced effects on the proliferation and migration of LA795 cells were abrogated upon shRNA-mediated TMEM16A knockdown in LA795 cells. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that matrine dramatically inhibited the growth of lung adenocarcinoma xenograft tumors in mice but did not affect mouse body weight. Collectively, these data indicate that matrine is an effective and safe TMEM16A inhibitor and that TMEM16A is the target of matrine anti-lung adenocarcinoma activity. These findings provide new insight for the development of novel treatments for lung adenocarcinoma.

Matrine exerts inhibitory effects in melanoma through the regulation of miR-19b-3p/PTEN

Matrine, one of the main alkaloid components extracted from the traditional Chinese herb, Sophora flavescens Ait, has various pharmacological effects, and has been reported to exert antitumor activity in melanoma. In the current study, the molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of matrine were investigated in melanoma cell line. It was initially confirmed that matrine inhibited proliferation, invasion and induced apoptosis in human A375 and SK-MEL-2 melanoma cell lines in vitro. Subsequently, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis demonstrated that the expression of microRNA (miR)-19b-3p was significantly increased in melanoma cells and was downregulated by treatment with matrine. Furthermore, downregulated miR-19b-3p exerted effects similar to 500 µg/ml matrine on cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) mRNA was identified as a direct target of miR-19b-3p through bioinformatics analysis and a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Additionally, western blotting and RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that the expression of PTEN protein and mRNA were increased by the treatment with matrine. Furthermore, silencing of PTEN expression reversed the effects of matrine and miR-19b-3p downregulation in A375 and SK-MEL-2 cells. Taken together, the results indicated that matrine may suppress cell proliferation and invasion and induce cell apoptosis partially via miR-19b-3p targeting of PTEN.

Semisynthesis of some matrine ether derivatives as insecticidal agents

Compounds 4i and 4k exhibited more potent insecticidal activities than matrine against Plutella xylostella and Mythimna separata. These matrine derivatives may be considered as promising insecticidal candidates.

Synthesis of a temperature-sensitive matrine-imprinted polymer and its potential application for the selective extraction of matrine from radix Sophorae tonkinensis

A temperature-sensitive matrine-imprinted polymer was prepared in chloroform by free-radical cross-linking copolymerization of methacrylic acid at 60 °C in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker, N-isopropyl acrylamide as the temperature-responsive monomer and matrine as the template molecule. Binding experiments and Scatchard analyses revealed that two classes of binding sites were formed on molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) at 50 °C. Additionally, the thermoresponsive MIP was tested for its application as a sorbent material for the selective separation of matrine from Chinese medicinal plant radix Sophorae tonkinensis. It was shown that the thermoresponsive MIP displayed different efficiency in clean-up and enrichments using the SPE protocol at different temperatures.

Molecular imprinting science and technology: a survey of the literature for the years 2004-2011

Herein, we present a survey of the literature covering the development of molecular imprinting science and technology over the years 2004-2011. In total, 3779 references to the original papers, reviews, edited volumes and monographs from this period are included, along with recently identified uncited materials from prior to 2004, which were omitted in the first instalment of this series covering the years 1930-2003. In the presentation of the assembled references, a section presenting reviews and monographs covering the area is followed by sections describing fundamental aspects of molecular imprinting including the development of novel polymer formats. Thereafter, literature describing efforts to apply these polymeric materials to a range of application areas is presented. Current trends and areas of rapid development are discussed.

Targeted extraction of active compounds from natural products by molecularly imprinted polymers

One of the most promising separation techniques that have emerged during the last decade is based on the use of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). MIPs are stable polymers that possess specific cavities designed for a template molecule, endowed with excellent selectivity compared to regular solid phase extraction techniques. Molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) has already shown a high efficiency for the sample preparation from complex matrices. Natural products received huge attention in recent years. Indeed, the application of MISPE for the screening of natural products appears extremely interesting not only for the selective extraction of a target compound but also for the concomitant discovery of new drug candidates, promising sources of therapeutic benefits. In the present review, examples of recognition and separation of active components from natural extracts are emphasized. MIPs are very promising materials to mimic the recognition characteristics exhibited by enzymes or receptors although further developments are necessary to fully exploit their wide potential.

Matrine- and oxymatrine-imprinted monodisperse polymers prepared by precipitation polymerization and their applications for the selective extraction of matrine-type alkaloids from Sophora flavescens Aiton

Matrine (MT)- and oxymatrine (OMT)-imprinted monodisperse polymers have been prepared by precipitation polymerization. The prepared molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for MT and OMT, MIP(MT) and MIP(OMT), were monodispersed microspheres of 3.3 and 3.9 μm in diameter, respectively. Binding experiments and Scatchard analyses revealed that two classes of binding sites were formed on MIP(MT) and MIP(OMT). In addition to shape recognition, ionic and hydrophobic interactions seemed to affect the retention and recognition of MT and OMT on MIP(MT) and MIP(OMT), respectively, in low acetonitrile content, and ionic and hydrophilic interactions affected these properties in high acetonitrile content. MIP(MT) was used to selectively extract MT and sophocarpine (13,14-dehydromatrine) from Sophora flavescens root, while MIP(OMT) was used to extract OMT and oxysophocarpine (13,14-dehydrooxymatrine).

Preparation and characterization of magnetic alginate-chitosan hydrogel beads loaded matrine

The aim of this study was to use alginate-chitosan (Alg-CS) hydrogel beads for developing an oral water-soluble drug delivery system, occupying pH-sensitive property and superparamagnetic. Matrine as a model drug was loaded in Alg-CS hydrogel beads to study the release character of the delivery system. The amount of matrine released from the beads was relatively low in pH 2.5 over 8 h (34.90%), but nearly all of the initial drug content was released in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH 6.8) within 8 h. The results demonstrated that Alg-CS hydrogel beads possess unique pH-dependent swelling behaviors. In addition, the magnetic beads were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometry and vibrating-sample magnetometry. Magnetometer measurements data suggested that Alg-CS beads also had superparamagnetic property as well as fast magnetic response. It can be expected that the beads can deliver and release encapsulated anticancer agent at the tumor by the weak magnetic field, and hence could be potential candidates as an orally administered drug delivery system.