Metabolomics approach reveals annual metabolic variation in roots of Cyathula officinalis Kuan based on gas chromatography-mass spectrum

A case study of the Ancientbiotics collaboration

Interdisciplinary collaboration is regarded as a desirable way of researching and, in some instances, even a requirement for academic teams and funding proposals. This paper explores the possibilities, but also the problems, of collaboration between different disciplines through a case study of the Ancientbiotics team. This team explores the potential of natural products contained in historical medical recipes. The search for clinically useful natural products in unusual places, such as historical medical practices, is a well-established endeavor in the scientific disciplines. The Ancientbiotics collaboration, largely based across UK institutions, takes this path a step forward in combining modern scientific knowledge of natural products with expertise from humanities to identify ingredient combinations. After 7 years of practice, the research has produced a variety of outcomes. This perspective will explore how the team worked within an interdisciplinary framework to advance investigation and application of historical medical recipes.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Cyathula officinalis and comparative analysis with four related species

Cyathula officinalis is a medicinal and edible herb, which can remove blood stasis, stimulate menstrual flow, and ease joint movement. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of Cyathula officinalis was sequenced, assembled, and analyzed. Compared with the chloroplast genomes of Cyathula capitata, Achyranthes bidentata, Achyranthes longifolianine and Achyranthes aspera, the basic characteristics, codon usage bias, repeat sequences, simple sequence repeats, and phylogenetic tree were analyzed. In addition, according to nucleotide diversity analysis and sequence alignment, DNA barcoding and allele-specific PCR primers were designed to identify and distinguish Cyathula officinalis from its fake drugs, which has effectively practical significance for the authentication of "Chuan Niuxi" crude drug in the market.

Differential Analysis of Mycelial Proteins and Metabolites From Rigidoporus Microporus During In Vitro Interaction With Hevea Brasiliensis

Rigidoporus microporus is the fungus accountable for the white root rot disease that is detrimental to the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis. The pathogenicity mechanism of R. microporus and the identity of the fungal proteins and metabolites involved during the infection process remain unclear. In this study, the protein and metabolite profiles of two R. microporus isolates, Segamat (SEG) and Ayer Molek (AM), were investigated during an in vitro interaction with H. brasiliensis. The isolates were used to inoculate H. brasiliensis clone RRIM 2025, and mycelia adhering to the roots of the plant were collected for analysis. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images acquired confirms the hyphae attachment and colonization of the mycelia on the root of the H. brasiliensis clones after 4 days of inoculation. The protein samples were subjected to 2-DE analysis and analyzed using MALDI-ToF MS/MS, while the metabolites were extracted using methanol and analyzed using LC/MS-QTOF. Based on the differential analyses, upregulation of proteins that are essential for fungal evolution such as malate dehydrogenase, fructose 1,6-biphosphate aldolase, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase hints an indirect role in fungal pathogenicity, while metabolomic analysis suggests an increase in acidic compounds which may lead to increased cell wall degrading enzyme activity. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that the carbohydrate and amino acid metabolisms were prominently affected in response to the fungal pathogenicity. In addition to that, other pathways that were significantly affected include "Protein Ubiquitination Pathway," Unfolded Protein Response," "HIFα Signaling," and "Sirtuin Signaling Pathway." The identification of responsive proteins and metabolites from this study promotes a better understanding of mechanisms underlying R. microporus pathogenesis and provides a list of potential biological markers for early recognition of the white root rot disease.

Herb-induced Liver Injury in Asia and Current Role of RUCAM for Causality Assessment in 11,160 Published Cases

Herb-induced liver injuries (HILI) by traditional herbal medicines are particular challenges in Asian countries, with issues over the best approach to establish causality. The aim of the current analysis was to provide an overview on how causality was assessed in HILI cases from Asian countries and whether the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) was the preferred diagnostic algorithm, as shown before in worldwide evaluated cases of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Using the PubMed database, publications in English language were preferred to allow for reevaluation by peers. Overall 11,160 HILI cases have assessed causality using RUCAM and were published by first authors working in Asian countries. With 21 evaluable reports, most publications came from mainland China, with Hong Kong and Taiwan, followed by Korea (n=15), Singapore (n=2), and Japan (n=1), while other Asian countries were not contributory. Most publications provided case and RUCAM data of good quality. For better presentation of future cases, however, the following recommendations are given: (1) preference of prospective study design with use of the updated RUCAM version; (2) clear separation of HILI cohorts from those of other herbal products or DILI; (3) case series for epidemiology studies should contain many essential data, possibly also as supplementary material; (4) otherwise, preference of single case reports providing individual case data and RUCAM-based causality gradings, and applying liver test threshold values; and (5) publication in English language journals. In conclusion, China and Korea are top in presenting RUCAM-based HILI cases, other Asian countries are encouraged to follow.

Review of traditional uses, botany, chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of Radix Cyathulae

Cyathulae Radix (CR), also known as "Chuanniux" is a well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has been used in China for thousands of years. The present work reviewed advances in traditional uses, origin, chemical constituents, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity studies of CR. This work aims to provide more up-to-date references for modern study and application of this plant. Furthermore, the possible trends and perspectives for future research of this plant are also discussed. In China, the roots of CR have been widely used in clinical practice to treat orthopedic, gynecological, and urologic diseases. Currently, over 59 compounds have been isolated and identified from CR, including alkaloids and flavonoids. The extracts and compounds from CR have many pharmacological activities both in vivo and in vitro. They provide beneficial effects on the hematological system and anti-inflammatory properties. However, few studies have investigated the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of CR. Further studies should be undertaken to investigate the clinical effects, toxic constituents, and pharmacokinetics of CR; perform quality evaluation; and establish quality criteria for processed C. officinalis. Furthermore, studying the changes of raw and processed CR and the variety of this plant between different cultivated areas and cultivars will be interesting.

Application of metabolomics in toxicity evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have a long history of use because of its potential complementary therapy and fewer adverse effects. However, the toxicity and safety issues of TCM have drawn considerable attention in the past two decades. Metabolomics is an “omics” approach that aims to comprehensively analyze all metabolites in biological samples. In agreement with the holistic concept of TCM, metabolomics has shown great potential in efficacy and toxicity evaluation of TCM. Recently, a large amount of metabolomic researches have been devoted to exploring the mechanism of toxicity induced by TCM, such as hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity. In this paper, the application of metabolomics in toxicity evaluation of bioactive compounds, TCM extracts and TCM prescriptions are reviewed, and the potential problems and further perspectives for application of metabolomics in toxicological studies are also discussed.