Vasorelaxant Activities and its Underlying Mechanisms of Magnolia Volatile Oil on Rat Thoracic Aorta Based on Network Pharmacology

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Improves Blood Pressure via Endothelial Pathway: In Silico, Ex Vivo, and In Vivo Evidence

Systemic hypertension, a common metabolic disorder, poses significant health risks despite the availability of antihypertensive drugs. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis has garnered increasing attention for its perceived efficacy and safety, though its mechanisms of action and the bioactive compounds responsible for its antihypertensive effects remain elusive. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the antihypertensive activity of N. arbor-tristis leaves in rats and explore associated mechanism through in silico, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies. The methanolic extract of N. arbor-tristis leaves (MENAT) was fractionated and subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening, including total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid content (Aluminum chloride method), and total alkaloid content (spectrometric method). Antioxidant studies were conducted using DPPH, FRAP, and H2O2 assays. The most promising fraction (WNAT) was analyzed using LC-MS, and the identified compounds were used for molecular docking studies against cGMP and eNOS. Further, aortic ring assays were conducted to assess ex vivo vasorelaxant activity (rat aortic strip assay) and the underlying mechanisms of WNAT. Later, in vivo studies using a DOCA-salt-induced hypertension model in Wistar rats, along with molecular analyses (RT-PCR), were performed to validate the antihypertensive claims of N. arbor-tristis. In vitro studies demonstrated that the water extract of N. arbor-tristis leaves (WNAT) exhibited strong antioxidant activity and contained key phytochemicals. LC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 19 major compounds, including betulinic acid and arbortristosides. Molecular docking studies indicated that arborside C exhibited a strong affinity for both eNOS and cGMP. Ex vivo studies involving rat aortic strips showed that WNAT induced vasodilatory activity, which is associated with parasympathetic and nitric oxide-related pathways. In vivo experiments further supported WNAT's antihypertensive properties through improvements via amelioration of rat blood pressure and histological features, biochemical markers, morphometric parameters, and gene expression in hypertensive rats. In conclusion, WNAT effectively lowers blood pressure through modulation of the endothelial pathway and warrants further studies to attain its clinical utility in hypertensive subjects.

Exploring the chemical composition, medicinal benefits, and antioxidant activity of Plumula nelumbinis essential oil from different habitats in China

Plumula nelumbinis, a widely used traditional Chinese medicine known for its calming and nerve-soothing properties, contains essential oil as a primary component. However, research on P. nelumbinis essential oil (PNEO) is limited. This study aimed to investigate PNEO components, network target analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, and antioxidant activity of P. nelumbinis from ten different habitats. GC-MS analysis identified 14 compounds in the essential oil, with CP12 (β-Sitosterol) having the highest concentration. Five compounds were identified for the first time in P. nelumbinis, with three of them reported for the first time in the Nelumbo. Network target analysis revealed 185 potential targets for 11 compounds and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that PNEO was mainly located in the plasma membrane and could regulate a variety of molecular functions. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the essential oil was primarily enriched in pathways related to cancer and the nervous system. PNEO demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, with N8 (Fujiannanping) showing the highest ABTS scavenging capacity and N7 (Hunanxiangtan) showing the highest DPPH radical scavenging capacity. Cell experiments showed that CP4, CP5 and CP10 had protective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative damage. The study suggests that P. nelumbinis from different regions may have slightly different pharmacological effects due to the presence of unique compounds, and further research is necessary to explore the potential therapeutic benefits of PNEO.

Improved effect of fresh ginseng paste (radix ginseng-ziziphus jujube) on hyperuricemia based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Background: Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a metabolic disease caused by reduced excretion or increased production of uric acid. This research aims to study the practical components, active targets, and potential mechanism of the "Radix ginseng (RG)-Ziziphus jujube (ZJ)" herb pair through molecular docking, network pharmacology, and animal experiments. Methods: The potential targets of "Radix ginseng (RG)-Ziziphus jujube (ZJ)" herb pair were obtained from the TCMSP database. The therapeutic targets of HUA were acquired from the GendCards, OMIM, PharmGkb, and TTD databases. Protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed in the STRING 11.0 database. The David database was used for enrichment analysis. Molecular Docking was finished by the AutoDock Vina. And we employed Radix ginseng and Ziziphus jujube as raw materials, which would develop a new functional food fresh ginseng paste (FGP) after boiling. In addition, benzbromarone (Ben) (7.8 mg/kg) and allopurinol (All) (5 mg/kg) were used as positive drugs to evaluate the hyperuricemia induced by FGP (400 and 800 mg/kg) potassium oxazine (PO) (100 mg/kg) and hypoxanthine (HX) (500 mg/kg) on mice. Results: The results showed that 25 targets in the "RG-ZJ" herb pair interacted with hyperuricemia. Then protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed that TNF, IL-1β, and VEGFA were core genes. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and IL-17 signaling pathway were mainly involved. Meantime, animal experiments showed that FGP could improve the HUA status of mice by reducing serum UA BUN, XO, and liver XO levels (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Furthermore, we analyzed the main ingredients of FGP by HPLC. We found that the main ingredients of FGP had solid binding activity to the core target of HUA by molecular docking. Conclusion: This study explored the active ingredients and targets of the "RG-ZJ" herb pair on HUA through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments. It revealed the improvement of FGP in mice with HUA.