Benzyl-isoquinoline alkaloids rich extract of Coptis teeta Wall., exhibit potential efficacy in calcium-oxalate and uric-acid linked metabolic disorders

Coptis teeta Wall., an endangered but valuable medicinal species having various folklore uses in Indian and Chinese Traditional system of medicine. Its distribution is restricted to India, China and Tibet. In India, C. teeta is traditionally used in joint disorders, urinary infections and inflammatory diseases, however the scientific validation is missing. Thus, the present study aims to validate the anti-lithiatic and anti-gout activity of C. teeta rhizome extract (CTME) through in-vitro biological assays. The metabolic fingerprinting of CTME through reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (RP-HPLC-PDA) showed the presence of five benzyl-isoquinoline alkaloids, namely berberine (2.59%), coptisine (0.746%) jatrorrhizine (0.133%), palmatine (0.03%) and tetrahydropalmatine (0.003%). The anti-gout potency analysed via in-vitro xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition assay, followed by HPTLC (High performance thin layer chromatography) mediated bio-autographic inhibition of XOD signifies that CTME exhibit strong inhibition of XOD (IC50: 3.014 μg/ml), insignificantly different (p > 0.05) from allopurinol (IC50: 2.47 μg/ml). The XOD bioautographic assay advocates that the efficacy is primarily due to berberine and coptisine alkaloids. The CTME has significant anti-lithiatic activity, and thereby limiting the progression of crystal nidus formation, mediated via inhibition of calcium oxalate crystals nucleation and aggregation. Additionally, the extract also exhibits potential effect on inhibition of oxidative stress associated inflammation, which plays crucial role in alleviating urolithiasis and gouty conditions. Validating the traditional claims of C. teeta will not only confirm its medicinal benefits for targeted pathological conditions but also enhance its industrial demand.

A strategy for quality evaluation of complex herbal preparations based on multi-color scale and efficacy-oriented high-performance thin-layer chromatography characteristic fingerprint combined with chemometric method: Sanwujiao Pills as an example

To rapidly evaluate the quality of complex herbal preparations, a new strategy was proposed based on multi-color scale and efficacy-oriented high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) characteristic fingerprint combined with chemometric method. Firstly, effective components were screened through high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and evaporative light-scattering (HPLC-UV-ELSD), using multi-wavelength fusion combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques. Subsequently, guided by the effective components, the targeted HPTLC characteristic fingerprint was established by multi-color scale scanning. Finally, combined with the chemometric method, the consistency of the preparation quality was evaluated, the marker components leading to quality differences were screened, and the quality control limit was established. Sanwujiao Pills (SWJPs) is a herbal preparation composed of six herbs for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Through this strategy, four HPTLC characteristic fingerprints were established, they were derived from five herbs and guided by eight effective components in SWJPs. Through similarity, clustering heatmap, principal component analysis (PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), the quality distinctions among the 12 batches of SWJPs were determined. These batches were categorized into two groups based on their production time, and eight components affecting the quality of the preparation were identified. Meanwhile, the quality control threshold for SWJPs was determined based on Hotelling's T2 and DModX methods. This strategy aims to rapidly evaluate the quality of complex herbal preparations by HPTLC and extends the application of HPTLC fingerprint chromatography for identifying herbal medicine species and activity-related quality detection. The proposed strategy is also helpful for the quality control of other complex herbal preparations.

Validated High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method and Stability Study of Linalool in the Volatile Oil of the Rhizomes of Homalomena aromatica Schott

Homalomena aromatica is a herb of tremendous ethnomedicinal importance to various communities residing in northeast India. In this study, a high-performance thin-layer chromatography-based densitometric method was developed for identification, quantification and stability study of linalool. Mass spectrometry was hyphenated to HPTLC for streamlining the method. The stability of linalool was studied by analyzing the effect of acid, base, UV, sunlight, thermal stress and H2O2 on linalool. The chromatographic plates were developed to a height of 70 mm in toluene:ethyl acetate solvent system at a ratio of 9.5:0.5 and visualized with p-anisaldehyde reagent. The developed method was found to be precise, accurate and reproducible according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines, and compact bands of linalool were observed at Rf of 0.351 ± 0.001. The content of linalool in the volatile oil of H. aromatica was found to be 58% v/v. By application of the hyphenated MS technique, linalool was identified at m/z 137, (M + H)+. It was observed that acidic pH has the highest effect on linalool with a percentage degradation of 65. The developed method can be used in the analysis and quality control of herbal materials and volatile oils containing linalool and quality control of rhizomes of H. aromatica.

Determination of Five Coumarins in Angelicae Pubescentis Radix from Different Origins by HPTLC-Scanning

The HPTLC method is widely used in the field of quality evaluation and component analysis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This work developed an HPTLC method to determine the five effective components of osthole, columbianadin, isoimperatorin, oxypeucedanin, and imperatorin in Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (APR) from twelve different origins, and the quality difference was analyzed by comprehensive factor analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed that the calibration curves of five components exhibited good linearity within the linear ranges (0.8-4.0 μg). The RSD of precision was 1.06%-1.21%, and the repeatability and stability tests were good. The results of cluster analysis showed that the APR from 12 different areas was divided into two categories, and at the same time, it was found that the quality of Dazhou in Sichuan and Huating in Gansu was better than in other areas. In this study, a simple, rapid, and efficient method for quality evaluation of TCM was established by the HPTLC method.

Apoptosis Induction, a Sharp Edge of Berberine to Exert Anti-Cancer Effects, Focus on Breast, Lung, and Liver Cancer

Cancer is the leading cause of death and one of the greatest barriers to increased life expectancy worldwide. Currently, chemotherapy with synthetic drugs remains one of the predominant ways for cancer treatment, which may lead to drug resistance and normal organ damage. Increasing researches have suggested that apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, is a promising way for cancer therapy. Furthermore, natural products are important sources for finding new drugs with high availability, low cost and low toxicity. As a well-known isoquinoline alkaloid, accumulating evidence has revealed that berberine (BBR) exerts potential pro-apoptotic effects on multiple cancers, including breast, lung, liver, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers. The related potential signal pathways are AMP-activated protein kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and protein kinase B pathways. In this review, we provide a timely and comprehensive summary of the detailed molecular mechanisms of BBR in treating three types of cancer (breast, lung and liver cancer) by inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, we also discuss the existing challenges and strategies to improve BBR’s bioavailability. Hopefully, this review provides valuable information for the comprehension of BBR in treating three types of cancer and highlight the pro-apoptotic effects of BBR, which would be beneficial for the further development of this natural compound as an effective clinical drug for treating cancers.

Elucidation of Chemical Interactions between Crude Drugs Using Quantitative Thin-Layer Chromatography Analysis

To elucidate the interactions between crude drugs in Kampo medicines (traditional Japanese medicines), it is important to determine the content of the constituents in a cost-effective and simple manner. In this study, we quantified the constituents in crude drug extracts using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), an inexpensive and simple analytical method, to elucidate the chemical interactions between crude drugs. We focused on five crude drugs, for which quantitative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods are stipulated in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia XVIII (JP XVIII) and compared the analytical data of HPLC and TLC, confirming that the TLC results corresponded with the HPLC data and satisfied the criteria of JP XVIII. (Z)-ligustilide, a major constituent in Japanese Angelica Root, for which a method of quantification has not been stipulated in JP XVIII, was also quantitatively analyzed using HPLC and TLC. Furthermore, Japanese Angelica Root was combined with 26 crude drugs to observe the variation in the (Z)-ligustilide content from each combination by TLC. The results revealed that combinations with Phellodendron Bark, Citrus Unshiu Peel, Scutellaria Root, Coptis Rhizome, Gardenia Fruit, and Peony Root increased the (Z)-ligustilide content. Quantifying the constituents in crude drug extracts using the inexpensive and simple TLC method can contribute to elucidating interactions between crude drugs in Kampo medicines, as proposed by the herbal-pair theory.

In vitro antimalarial activity evaluation of two ethnomedicinal plants against chloroquine sensitive and resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum

Background

In this study, we selected two medicinal plants Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr. and Artemisia nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp. on the basis of their traditional use in the treatment of fever associated with malaria in Assam (India) and evaluated their antimalarial potential against Plasmodium falciparum strains.

Methods

The properly processed plant parts of C. maxima (Burm.) Merr. and A. nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp. were extracted with different solvents from nonpolar to polar by cold maceration technique. After that antimalarial activities of the extracts were evaluated against both chloroquine sensitive (3D7) and resistant (RKL-9) strains of P. falciparum using Giemsa staining light microscopy technique. The most active extract(s) was further screened for cytotoxicity potential against murine macrophage RAW264.7 cell line using MTT assay. Then preliminary phytochemical screening and qualitative fingerprint analysis of the active extract(s) were done to check the presence of different secondary metabolites.

Results

From the in vitro study, the hydro-alcoholic extract of C. maxima (Burm.) Merr. and methanol extract of A. nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp. were found to be the most active against both 3D7 and RKL-9 strains. In the cytotoxicity study, the CC50 values of the active extracts were found to be > 100 μg/ml, which suggested the safety of the extracts. Then phytochemical and fingerprint analysis revealed the presence of various important plant secondary metabolites in both the extracts.

Conclusion

The findings of this study confirmed the presence of antimalarial potential of hydro-alcoholic extract of C. maxima (Burm.) Merr. and methanol extract of A. nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp without having any toxic effect. Both the extracts showed IC50 values below 5 μg/ml against 3D7 and RKL-9 strains.

An insight into the medicinal attributes of berberine derivatives: A review

In the last few decades, traditional natural products have been the center of attention for the scientific community and exploration of their therapeutic abilities is proceeding perpetually. Berberine, with remarkable therapeutic diversity, is a plant derived isoquinoline alkaloid which is widely used as a traditional medicine in China. Berberine has been tackled as a fascinating pharmacophore to make great contributions to the discovery and development of new therapeutic agents against variegated diseases. Despite its tremendous therapeutic potential, clinical utility of this alkaloid was significantly compromised due to undesirable pharmacokinetic properties. To overcome this limitation, several structural modifications were performed on this scaffold to improve its therapeutic efficacy. The collective efforts of the community have achieved the tremendous advancements, bringing berberine to clinical use and discovering new therapeutic opportunities by structural modifications on the berberine scaffold. In this review, recent advancements in the medicinal chemistry of berberine and its derivatives in the last few years (2016-2020) have been compiled to represent inclusive data associated with various biological activities of this alkaloid. The comprehensive structure-activity relationship studies along with molecular modelling and mechanistic studies have also been summarized. This article would be highly helpful for the scientific community to get better insight into medicinal research of berberine and become a compelling guide for the rational design of berberine based compounds.

Bioinformatics analysis of endophytic bacteria related to berberine in the Chinese medicinal plant Coptis teeta Wall

Endophytic microorganisms absorb nutrients and prevent pathogen damage, supporting healthy plant growth. However, the relationship between endophytic bacteria and berberine synthesis in the medicinal plant Coptis teeta Wall. remains unclear. Herein, we explored the community composition of endophytic bacteria related to berberine in roots, stems, and leaves of wild-type and cultivated C. teeta. Endophytic bacterial communities were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, and berberine content in roots was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the major phyla, and Mycobacterium, Salmonella, Nocardioides, Burkholderia-Paraburkholderia, and Rhizobium were the dominant genera in root, stem, and leaf tissues. Root berberine content was positively correlated with total N, total P, total K, and available K in rhizosphere soil. In addition, root berberine content was positively correlated with Microbacterium and norank_f_7B-8, whereas soil total K was positively correlated with Microbacterium and Burkholderia-Paraburkholderia in roots. Our results demonstrated a clear correlation between dominant endophytic bacteria and berberine synthesis in C. teeta. The findings are useful for the promotion of berberine production in C. teeta via manipulation of endophytic bacteria.