Study on antidepressant activity of sesquiterpenoids from ginseng root

Effects of Platycodins Folium on Depression in Mice Based on a UPLC-Q/TOF-MS Serum Assay and Hippocampus Metabolomics

Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as depression, is a state characterized by low mood and aversion to activity. Platycodins Folium (PF) is the dried leaf of Platycodon grandiflorum, with anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. Our previous research suggested that PF was rich in flavonoids, phenols, organic acids, triterpenoid saponins, coumarins and terpenoids. This study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effect of PF using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depressive mice. Several behavior tests (sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST)) and biochemical parameters (IL-6, TNF-α and SOD levels) were used to evaluate the antidepressive effect of PF on LPS-induced depression model. Furthermore, a UPLC-Q/TOF-MS-based metabolomics approach was applied to explore the latent mechanism of PF in attenuating depression. As a result, a total of 21 and 11 metabolites that potentially contribute to MDD progress and PF treatment were identified in serum and hippocampus, respectively. The analysis of metabolic pathways revealed that lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism and inositol phosphate metabolism were disturbed in a model of mice undergoing MDD and PF treatment. These results help us to understand the pathogenesis of depression in depth, and to discover targets for clinical diagnosis and treatment. They also provide the possibility of developing PF into an anti-depressantive agent.

Study on the simultaneous degradation of five pesticides by Paenibacillus polymyxa from Panax ginseng and the characteristics of their products

The quality and safety of ginseng products were seriously affected due to the slow metabolism and long-term residual pesticides in ginseng. Microbial degradation is an effective method to degrade pesticide residues. In this study, ginseng endophytic Paenibacillus polymyxa was used to degrade pesticide residues. A method of simultaneous determination of fluazinam, BHC, PCNB, chlorpyrifos and DDT in ginseng roots and ginseng stems and leaves by GC was established. The sample was extracted with n-hexane and purified by Florisil solid phase extraction column. The limit of quantitation was 0.01 μg mL^-1, the linear relationship was good (r ≥ 0.9901). 7 days after inoculated with P. polymyxa, the degradation rates of fluazinam, BHC, PCNB, chlorpyrifos, and DDT in the medium were 94.77%, 70.34%, 77.92%, 78.30%, 66.70%, respectively (P < 0.05). The safety of 5 pesticide degradation products was investigated by GC-MS. The results showed that after 7 days degradation, the main degradation products were alkanes, which are non-toxic and can't cause secondary pollution to the environment. The actual degradation results were verified by field experiments. The results indicated that after sprayed 5 times with P. polymyxa, the degradation rates of fluazinam, BHC, PCNB, chlorpyrifos and DDT in the ginseng roots were 66.07%, 46.24%, 21.05%, 72.40%, 54.21%, respectively (P < 0.05). The degradation rates in ginseng stems and leaves were 74.18%, 55.61%, 73.65%, 58.13%, 46.91%, respectively (P < 0.05). The results indicated that Paenibacillus polymyxa was an effective degradation strain of 5 pesticides.

Active ginseng components in cognitive impairment: Therapeutic potential and prospects for delivery and clinical study

Cognitive impairment is a state that affects thinking, communication, understanding, and memory, and is very common in various neurological disorders. Among many factors, age-related cognitive decline is an important area in mental health research. Research to find therapeutic medications or supplements to treat cognitive deficits and maintain cognitive health has been ongoing. Ginseng and its active components may have played a role in treating chronic disorders. Numerous preclinical studies have confirmed that ginseng and its active components such as ginsenosides, gintonin, and compound K are pharmacologically efficacious in different models of and are linked to cognitive impairment. Among their several roles, they act as an anti-neuroinflammatory and help fight against oxidative stress and modulate the cholinergic signal. These roles may be involved in enhancing cognition and attenuating impairment. There have been some clinical studies on the activity of ginseng in cognitive impairment, but many ginseng species and active compounds remain to be investigated. In addition, new formulations of active ginseng components such as nanoparticles and liposomes could be used for preclinical and clinical models of cognitive impairment. Here, we discuss the therapeutic potential of active ginseng components in cognitive impairment and their chemistry and pharmacokinetics and consider prospects for their delivery and clinical study with respect to cognitive impairment.

Protective Effects of Sesquiterpenoids from the Root of Panax ginseng on Fulminant Liver Injury Induced by Lipopolysaccharide/d-Galactosamine

It is reported that sesquiterpenoids from Panax ginseng (SPG) possess various pharmacological activities, for example, antidepressant, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the hepatoprotective effects of SPG (2.5 and 10 mg/kg, i.g.) on fulminant liver injury induced by d-galactosamine (d-GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and discuss its mechanisms of action. After 24 h of d-GalN (400 mg/kg, i.p.) and LPS (25 μg/kg, i.p.) exposure, the serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) level, hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH), and hepatic tissue histology were measured. Expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Moreover, the nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell (NF-κB), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), sirtuin type 1 (Sirt 1), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) were determined by western blotting. The results indicated that SPG evidently restrained the increase of serum ALT and AST levels induced by d-GalN/LPS. SPG obviously downregulated TNF-α and IL-1β levels and their mRNA expression in liver. In addition, d-GalN/LPS injection induced severe oxidative stress in liver by boosting the MDA level as well as decreasing CAT, GSH, and SOD capacities, and SPG reversed these changes. Meanwhile, SPG inhibited NF-κB activation induced by d-GalN/LPS and upregulated Sirt 1, Nrf2, and HO-1 expression levels. Therefore, SPG might protect against the fulminant liver injury induced by d-GalN/LPS via inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress. The protective effect of SPG on fulminant liver injury induced by d-GalN/LPS might be mediated by the Sirt 1/Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathway. All of these results implied that SPG might be a promising food additive and therapeutic agent for fulminant liver injury.

Sesquiterpenoids from the Root of Panax ginseng Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Depressive-Like Behavior through the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/Tropomyosin-Related Kinase B and Sirtuin Type 1/Nuclear Factor-κB Signaling Pathways

The previous study indicated sesquiterpenoids from the root of Panax ginseng (SPG) exhibited a significant antidepressant-like effect, which might be mediated by the modification of the dopaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic systems. This study was to investigate antidepressant effects and mechanisms on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression-like behavior of SPG. In the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST), SPG (0.25 and 1 mg/kg, i.g.) and fluoxetine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) effectively reduced the immobility time. SPG treatment significantly reduced serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α and increased suppressed superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the hippocampus. In addition, SPG effectively upregulated the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), and sirtuin type 1 (Sirt 1) expression in the hippocampus and downregulated the inhibitor of κB-α (IκB-α) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) phosphorylation. These results suggested that SPG exhibited an antidepressant-like effect through the BDNF/TrkB and Sirt 1/NF-κB signaling pathways.

The effect of beta-sitosterol and its derivatives on depression by the modification of 5-HT, DA and GABA-ergic systems in mice

Beta-sitosterol belongs to the group of phytosterols, which are active trace components existing in natural plants, known as the "key of life", and have a steroid nucleus structure similar to cholesterol. Due to the insolubility issue of beta-sitosterol, most pharmacological studies and clinical applications are limited. Therefore, the modification of beta-sitosterol into its derivatives to enhance its pharmacologic activity is viable. In this study, 4 kinds of new beta-sitosterol derivative were obtained by an esterification reaction with beta-sitosterol, organic acids, EDCI and DMAP in dichloromethane. The chemical structures were defined by IR and NMR. Beta-sitosterol and its derivatives were used to carry out antidepressant research in the tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST) in mice. Additionally, the roles of different parts of the central nervous system (CNS) in the antidepressant-like effect of Sit-S, which is one of the beta-sitosterol derivatives, were also investigated. The results showed that the derivatives exhibited a stronger antidepressant activity than beta-sitosterol. Among the derivatives, administration of Sit-S (4 mg kg^-1) gave the lowest immobility time in the TST, demonstrating that Sit-S exhibited the strongest antidepressant-like activity. The study into the roles of different parts of the CNS in the antidepressant-like effect of Sit-S showed that agomelatine (40 mg kg^-1), haloperidol (0.2 mg kg^-1) and bicuculline (4 mg kg^-1) reversed the antidepressant effect of Sit-S (4 mg kg^-1). This study confirmed the conclusions that beta-sitosterol derivatives broaden the pharmacological effects of beta-sitosterol, Sit-S (4 mg kg^-1) exhibits antidepressant-like effects, and this antidepressant-like effect on male adult mice is mediated by the 5-HT, DA and GABA-ergic systems.