Overview of Salvia miltiorrhiza as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Various Diseases: An Update on Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action

Effects of Tongluo Jiedu prescription on immune function and oxidative stress in patients with oral cancer

BACKGROUND

Oral cancer, which is caused by mucous membrane variation, represents a prevalent malignant tumor in the oral and maxillofacial region, posing a significant threat to patients’ lives and safety. While surgical intervention stands as a cornerstone treatment for oral cancer patients, it carries the risk of incomplete treatment or high rates of postoperative recurrence. Hence, a multifaceted approach incorporating diverse treatment modalities is essential to enhance patient prognosis.

AIM

To analyze the application effect of Tongluo Jiedu prescription as adjuvant therapy and its influence on patient prognosis in patients with oral cancer.

METHODS

Eighty oral cancer patients in our hospital were selected and divided into the observation group and control group by a random number table. The control group was treated with continuous arterial infusion chemotherapy of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. The observation group was additionally given Tongluo Jiadu prescription. The inflammatory stress level, peripheral blood T-cell subsets, and immune function of the two groups were subsequently observed. SPSS 21.0 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The observation group demonstrated lower levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein, and a higher level of tumor necrosis factor in comparison to the control group. After treatment, the immune function in the observation group was significantly better than in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Tongluo Jiedu prescription can improve the immune function and oxidative stress level of patients with oral cancer and accelerate the recovery process.

Salvianolic acid extract prevents Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides-induced acute liver injury by modulating bile acid metabolism

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides (TWP) tablet is the most widely used traditional Chinese medicine preparation for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the hepatotoxicity often limits its widespread application. In traditional use, Salvia miltiorrhiza has cardioprotective and hepatoprotective effects. Salvianolic acid extract (SA) is a hydrophilic component of Salvia miltiorrhiza and has significant antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To investigate the protective effects of SA on the TWP-induced acute liver injury in rats and to explore the related mechanisms by integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

SA and TWP extracts were identified by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. SA (200 mg/kg) was administered for consecutive 7 days. On day 7, TWP (360 mg/kg) was administered by gavage to induce the acute liver injury in rats. Serum biochemical assay and H&E staining were used to evaluate liver damage. Liver metabolomics and transcriptomics were used to explore the potential mechanisms, and further molecular biological experiments such as qPCR and IHC were utilized to validate the relevant signaling pathways.

RESULTS

SA can prevent liver injury symptoms caused by TWP, such as elevated liver index, elevated ALT and AST, and pathological changes in liver tissue. Liver metabolomics studies showed that TWP can significantly alter the content of individual bile acid in the liver and SA had the most significant impact on the biosynthetic pathway of bile acids. The transcriptomics results of the liver indicated that the genes changed in the SA + TWP group were mainly involved in sterol metabolism, lipid regulation and bile acid homeostasis pathways. The gene expression of Nr1h4, which encodes farnesoid X receptor (FXR), an important regulator of bile acid homeostasis, was significantly changed. Further studies confirmed that SA can prevent the downregulation of FXR and its downstream signaling induced by TWP, thereby regulating bile acid metabolism, ultimately preventing acute liver injury caused by TWP.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that SA could protect the liver from TWP-induced hepatic injury by modulation of the bile acid metabolic pathway. SA may provide a new strategy for the protection against TWP-induced acute liver injury.

Metabolomics analysis reveals the effects of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge extract on ameliorating acute myocardial ischemia in rats induced by isoproterenol

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM) is a widespread herbal therapy for myocardial ischemia (MI). Nevertheless, the therapeutic signaling networks of SM extract on MI is yet unknown. Emerging evidences suggested that alterations in cardiac metabolite influences host metabolism and accelerates MI progression. Herein, we employed an isoproterenol (ISO)-induced acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) rat model to confirm the pharmacological effects of SM extract (0.8, 0.9, 1.8 g/kg/day) via assessment of the histopathological alterations that occur within the heart tissue and associated cytokines; we also examined the underlying SM extract-mediated signaling networks using untargeted metabolomics. The results indicated that 25 compounds with a relative content higher than 1 % in SM aqueous extract were identified using LC-MS/MS analysis, which included salvianolic acid B, lithospermic acid, salvianolic acid A, and caffeic acid as main components. An in vivo experiment showed that pretreatment with SM extract attenuated ISO-induced myocardial injury, shown as decreased myocardial ischemic size, transformed electrocardiographic, histopathological, and serum biochemical aberrations, reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, inhibited oxidative stress (OS), and reversed the trepidations of the cardiac tissue metabolic profiles. Metabolomics analysis shows that the levels of 24 differential metabolites (DMs) approached the same value as controls after SM extract therapy, which were primarily involved in histidine; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate; glycerophospholipid; and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolisms through metabolic pathway analysis. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the levels of modulatory effects of SM extract on the inflammation and OS were related to alterations in endogenous metabolites. Overall, SM extract demonstrated significant cardioprotective effects in an ISO-induced AMI rat model, alleviating myocardial injury, inflammation and oxidative stress, with metabolomics analysis indicating potential therapeutic pathways for myocardial ischemia.

Integration of network pharmacology and serum medicinal chemistry to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms of QiZhuYangGan Decoction in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Qizhuyanggan Decoction (QZD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is frequently utilized in clinical practice for managing hepatic fibrosis. However, the specific target and mechanism of action of QZD for hepatic fibrosis treatment remain unknown.

AIM OF THE STUDY

By combining network pharmacology, serum medicinal chemistry, and experimental validation methods, our study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of QZD on hepatic fibrosis, the anti-hepatic fibrosis active ingredients, and the possible mechanism of anti-hepatic fibrosis action.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of QZD on hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4 in SD rats, as well as its mechanism of action. The rats were anesthetized intraperitoneally using 3% pentobarbital and were executed after asphyxiation with high concentrations of carbon dioxide. Several techniques were employed to evaluate the efficacy of QZD, including ELISA, Western blot, HYP reagent assay, and various pathological examinations such as HE, Masson, Sirius Red staining, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Additionally, serum biochemical assays were conducted to assess the effect of QZD on liver injury. Network pharmacology, UPLC, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation were utilized to explore the mechanism of QZD in treating hepatic fibrosis. Finally, experimental validation was performed through ELISA, IHC, RT-qPCR, and Western blot analysis.

RESULT

Liver histopathology showed that QZD reduced inflammation and inhibited collagen production, and QZD significantly reduced HA and LN content to treat hepatic fibrosis. Serum biochemical analysis showed that QZD improved liver injury. Network pharmacology combined with UPLC screened six active ingredients and obtained 87 targets for the intersection of active ingredients and diseases. The enrichment analysis results indicated that the PI3K/AKT pathway might be the mechanism of action of QZD in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis, and counteracting the inflammatory response might be one of the pathways of action of QZD. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations showed that the active ingredient had good binding properties with PI3K, AKT, and mTOR proteins. Western blot, ELISA, PCR, and IHC results indicated that QZD may treat hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and suppressing M1 macrophage polarization, while also promoting M2 macrophage polarization.

CONCLUSIONS

QZD may be effective in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and M1 macrophage polarization, while promoting M2 macrophage polarization. This provides a strong basis for the clinical application of QZD.

TMT-based proteomics analysis identifies the interventional mechanisms of Qijia Rougan decoction in improving hepatic fibrosis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Qijia Rougan decoction (QJ), consisting of eight herbs and two animal drugs, is an effective traditional Chinese medicine with hepatoprotective and antifibrotic effects. However, its underlying action mechanism remains unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the mechanism underlying the treatment of liver fibrosis in rats by QJ.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rats with fibrosis were constructed using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The QJ was orally administered to fibrotic rats. Hepatic pathological changes were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining. The differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in QJ were analyzed using quantitative proteomics. Subsequently, the underlying mechanisms in liver fibrosis after QJ treatment were validated using Western blotting.

RESULTS

The QJ markedly improved liver function and attenuated fibrotic progression. Based on the tandem mass-tag based (TMT) proteomics, we identified 818 common DEPs between QJ vs Model and Model vs Control, including 296 upregulated and 522 downregulated DEPs, which mostly participate in metabolic pathways, oxidation-reduction reactions, and collagen biosynthetic processes. In addition, we found that QJ reduced hepatocellular death by inhibiting the expression of caspase proteins, repressing pro-apoptotic proteins, and promoting anti-apoptotic proteins. We further demonstrated that QJ suppressed the Akt/mTOR pathway.

CONCLUSION

QJ exerted hepatoprotective effects in CCl4-induced rats through multi-pathway regulation. This study provides protein information on liver fibrosis treated with QJ.

Identification and characterization of a novel tyrosine aminotransferase gene (SmTAT3-2) promotes the biosynthesis of phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge

Rosmarinic acid (RA) and salvianolic acid B (SAB) are main phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge have been widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases due to their excellent pharmacological activity. RA is a precursor of SAB, and tyrosine transaminase (TAT, EC 2.6.1.5) is a crucial rate-limiting enzyme in their metabolism pathway. This study identified a novel TAT gene, SmTAT3-2, and found that it is a new transcript derived from unconventional splicing of SmTAT3. We used different substrates for enzymatic reaction with SmTAT1, SmTAT3 and SmTAT3-2. Subcellular localization of SmTAT1 and SmTAT3-2 was completed based on submicroscopic techniques. In addition, they were overexpressed and CRISPR/Cas9 gene edited in hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza. Revealed SmTAT3-2 and SmTAT1 showed a stronger affinity for L-tyrosine than SmTAT3, localized in the cytoplasm, and promoted the synthesis of phenolic acid. In overexpressed SmTAT3-2 hairy roots, the content of RA and SAB was significantly increased by 2.53 and 3.38 fold, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of overexpressed SmTAT1 strain compared with EV strain. These findings provide a valuable key enzyme gene for the phenolic acids metabolism pathway and offer a theoretical basis for the clinical application.

Bioactive components and molecular mechanisms of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge in promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM) is an outstanding herbal medicine with various traditional effects, especially promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis. It has been widely used for centuries to treat blood stasis syndrome (BSS)-related diseases. BSS is one of the basic pathological syndromes of diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in traditional East Asian medicine, which is characterized by disturbance of blood circulation. However, the bioactive components and mechanisms of SM in the treatment of BSS have not been systematically reviewed. Therefore, this article outlines the anti-BSS effects of bioactive components of SM, concentrating on the molecular mechanisms.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

To summarize the bioactive components of SM against BSS and highlight its potential targets and signaling pathways, hoping to provide a modern biomedical perspective to understand the efficacy of SM on enhancing blood circulation to remove blood stasis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed to retrieve articles published in the last two decades on bioactive components of SM used for BSS treatment from the online electronic medical literature database (PubMed).

RESULTS

Phenolic acids and tanshinones in SM are the main bioactive components in the treatment of BSS, including but not limited to salvianolic acid B, tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid A, cryptotanshinone, Danshensu, dihydrotanshinone, rosmarinic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, and caffeic acid. They protect vascular endothelial cells by alleviating oxidative stress and inflammatory damage and regulating of NO/ET-1 levels. They also enhance anticoagulant and fibrinolytic capacity, inhibit platelet activation and aggregation, and dilate blood vessels. Moreover, lowering blood lipids and improving blood rheological properties may be the underlying mechanisms of their anti-BSS. More notably, these compounds play an anti-BSS role by mediating multiple signaling pathways such as Nrf2/HO-1, TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB, PI3K/Akt/eNOS, MAPKs (p38, ERK, and JNK), and Ca2+/K+ channels.

CONCLUSIONS

Both phenolic acids and tanshinones in SM may act synergistically to target different signaling pathways to achieve the effect of promoting blood circulation.

Salvianolic acid F suppresses KRAS-dependent lung cancer cell growth through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

KRAS mutation is a common driver of NSCLC, and there is a high proportion of lung cancer patients with KRAS G12C and G12D mutation. KRAS was previously considered an "undruggable" target, but the first KRAS G12C mutation-targeted drug AMG510, entered the market in 2021. However, treatments for G12D mutant tumors remain to be discovered. Salvianolic acid F (SalF), a monomer derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM), and KRAS had high binding affinity, especially for KRAS G12D. There is an urgent need to investigate effective and safe novel targeted therapies against KRAS G12D-driven NSCLC.

METHODS

To evaluate the anticancer effect of SalF, we used KRAS-overexpressing lung cancer cells in vitro, a subcutaneous transplant tumor model, and KRAS G12D mice model in vivo. Then, the binding effect of SalF and KRAS was investigated using molecular docking, proteolytic assays and protein thermal shift assays. More critically, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the lung was investigated utilizing RT-qPCR and Western Blotting.

RESULTS

This is the first study to evaluate the anticancer effect of SalF on KRAS-overexpressing lung cancer cells or KRAS G12D lung tumors in vivo. We demonstrated that SalF inhibits OE-KRAS A549 cell migration, proliferation and promotes apoptosis in vitro. In addition, we used a subcutaneous transplant tumor model to show that SalF suppresses the growth of lung cancer cells in vivo. Interestingly, our group found that SalF was strongly bound to G12D and could decrease the stability and promoted the degradation of the KRAS G12D mutant through molecular docking, proteolytic assays and protein thermal shift assays. Further research demonstrated that in the KrasG12D mice model, after SalF treatment, the number and size of mouse lung tumors were significantly reduced. More importantly, SalF can promote apoptosis by inhibiting downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activation.

CONCLUSION

SalF activated apoptosis signaling pathways, suppressed anti-apoptotic genes, and inhibited lung cancer cell growth. These datas suggested that SalF could effectively inhibit the growth of lung tumors with KRAS G12D mutation. SalF may be a novel inhibitor against KRAS G12D, providing a strong theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of lung cancer with KRAS mutations.

Expression Patterns and Functional Analysis of Three SmTAT Genes Encoding Tyrosine Aminotransferases in Salvia miltiorrhiza

Tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT, E.C. 2.6.1.5) is a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent aminotransferase that is widely found in living organisms. It catalyzes the transfer of the amino group on tyrosine to α-ketoglutarate to produce 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid (4-HPP) and is the first enzyme for tyrosine degradation. Three SmTATs have been identified in the genome of Salvia miltiorrhiza (a model medicinal plant), but their information is very limited. Here, the expression profiles of the three SmTAT genes (SmTAT1, SmTAT2, and SmTAT3) were studied. All three genes expressed in different tissues and responded to methyl jasmonate stimuli. SmTAT proteins are localized in the cytoplasm. The recombinant SmTATs were subjected to in vitro biochemical properties. All three recombinant enzymes had TAT activities and SmTAT1 had the highest catalytic activity for tyrosine, followed by SmTAT3. Also, SmTAT1 preferred the direction of tyrosine deamination to 4-HPP, while SmTAT2 preferred transamination of 4-HPP to tyrosine. In parallel, transient overexpression of SmTATs in tobacco leaves revealed that all three SmTAT proteins catalyzed tyrosine to 4-HPP in vivo, with SmTAT1 exhibiting the highest enzymatic activity. Overall, our results lay a foundation for the production of tyrosine-derived secondary metabolites via metabolic engineering or synthetic biology in the future.

Tanshinone IIA inhibits cardiomyocyte pyroptosis through TLR4/NF-κB p65 pathway after acute myocardial infarction

Background: Tanshinone IIA, derived from Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge), constitutes a significant component of this traditional Chinese medicine. Numerous studies have reported positive outcomes regarding its influence on cardiac function. However, a comprehensive comprehension of the intricate mechanisms responsible for its cardioprotective effects is still lacking. Methods: A rat model of heart failure (HF) induced by acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was established via ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Rats received oral administration of tanshinone IIA (1.5 mg/kg) and captopril (10 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. Cardiac function was assessed through various evaluations. Histological changes in myocardial tissue were observed using staining techniques, including Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE), Masson, and transmission electron microscopy. Tunel staining was used to detect cell apoptosis. Serum levels of NT-pro-BNP, IL-1β, and IL-18 were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB p65, and pyroptosis-related proteins were determined via western blotting (WB). H9C2 cardiomyocytes underwent hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) to simulate ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, and cell viability and apoptosis were assessed post treatment with different tanshinone IIA concentrations (0.05 μg/ml, 0.1 μg/ml). ELISA measured IL-1β, IL-18, and LDH expression in the cell supernatant, while WB analysis evaluated TLR4, NF-κB p65, and pyroptosis-related protein levels. NF-κB p65 protein nuclear translocation was observed using laser confocal microscopy. Results: Tanshinone IIA treatment exhibited enhanced cardiac function, mitigated histological cardiac tissue damage, lowered serum levels of NT-pro-BNP, IL-1β, and IL-18, and suppressed myocardial cell apoptosis. Moreover, tanshinone IIA downregulated the expression of TLR4, NF-κB p65, IL-1β, pro-IL-1β, NLRP3, Caspase-1, and GSDMD-N pyroptosis-related proteins in myocardial tissue. Additionally, it bolstered H/R H9C2 cardiomyocyte viability, curbed cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and reduced the levels of TLR4, NF-κB p65, IL-1β, pro-IL-1β, NLRP3, Caspase-1, and GSDMD-N pyroptosis-related proteins in H/R H9C2 cells. Furthermore, it hindered NF-κB p65 protein nuclear translocation. Conclusion: These findings indicate that tanshinone IIA enhances cardiac function and alleviates myocardial injury in HF rats following AMI. Moreover, tanshinone IIA demonstrates potential suppression of cardiomyocyte pyroptosis. These effects likely arise from the inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway, presenting a promising therapeutic target.

New Synthesized Activating Transcription Factor 3 Inducer SW20.1 Suppresses Resistin-Induced Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity is an emerging concern globally with increasing prevalence. Obesity is associated with many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and cancer. Thus, effective new antiobesity drugs should be urgently developed. We synthesized SW20.1, a compound that induces activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression. The results of Oil Red O staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that SW20.1 was more effective in reducing lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes than the previously synthesized ST32db, and that it inhibited the expression of the genes involved in adipogenesis and lipogenesis. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay indicated that SW20.1 inhibited adipogenesis and lipogenesis by binding to the upstream promoter region of resistin at two sites (-2861/-2854 and -241/-234). In mice, the intraperitoneal administration of SW20.1 reduced body weight, white adipocyte weight in different regions, serum cholesterol levels, adipogenesis-related gene expression, hepatic steatosis, and serum resistin levels. Overall, SW20.1 exerts antiobesity effects by inhibiting resistin through the ATF3 pathway. Our study results indicate that SW20.1 is a promising therapeutic drug for diet-induced obesity.

Salvianolic Acid B Inhibits Ferroptosis and Apoptosis during Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via Decreasing the Ubiquitin-Proteasome Degradation of GPX4 and the ROS-JNK/MAPK Pathways

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) is related to ferroptosis and apoptosis elicited by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this research, we investigated the protective effect of salvianolic acid B (SAB) as a natural antioxidant on ferroptosis and apoptosis in the MIRI process, and discussed the protective mechanism inhibiting ubiquitin-proteasome degradation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) apoptosis signal pathway. We observed that ferroptosis and apoptosis occurred in the MIRI rat model in vivo and the H9c2 cardiomyocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) damage model in vitro. SAB can alleviate tissue damage related to ROS, ferroptosis and apoptosis. Ubiquitin-proteasome degradation of GPX4 occurred in H/R models, and SAB reduced the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation of GPX4. SAB downregulates JNK phosphorylation and the expression of BCL2-Associated X (Bax)/B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Caspase-3 to inhibit apoptosis. The role of GPX4 in the cardioprotection of SAB was further verified by the elimination effect of the GPX4 inhibitor RAS-selective lethal 3 (RSL3). This research shows that SAB may be used as a myocardial protective agent against oxidative stress, ferroptosis and apoptosis, and has potential clinical application prospects.

Understanding the mechanistic potential of plant based phytochemicals in management of postmenopausal osteoporosis

Postmenopausal osteoporosis, an epidemic disorder is defined as a loss in bone mineral density and a greater possibility of fractures in older women. It is a multifactorial disease under the control of various genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. Insufficiency of estrogen hormone, leads to postmenopausal osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), despite being the most effective treatment, it is associated with the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disorders. This review seeks to compile the most recent information on medicinal plants and natural compounds used to treat and prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis. Furthermore, the origin, chemical constituents and the molecular mechanisms responsible for this therapeutic and preventive effect are also discussed. Literature research was conducted using PubMed, Science direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Different plant extracts and pure compounds exerts their antiosteoporotic activity by inhibition of RANKL and upregulation of OPG. RANKL signaling regulates osteoclast formation, characterized by increased bone turnover and osteoprotegrin is a decoy receptor for RANKL thereby preventing bone loss from excessive resorption. In addition, this review also includes the chemical structure of bioactive compounds acting on NFκB, TNF α, RUNX2. In conclusion, we propose that postmenopausal osteoporosis could be prevented or treated with herbal products.

The SmNPR4-SmTGA5 module regulates SA-mediated phenolic acid biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots

Phenolic acids are the main bioactive compounds in Salvia miltiorrhiza, which can be increased by salicylic acid (SA) elicitation. However, the specific molecular mechanism remains unclear. The nonexpresser of PR genes 1 (NPR1) and its family members are essential components of the SA signaling pathway. Here, we report an NPR protein, SmNPR4, that showed strong expression in hairy root after SA treatment, acting as a negative moderator of SA-induced phenolic acid biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza (S. miltiorrhiza). Moreover, a basic leucine zipper family transcription factor SmTGA5 was identified and was found to interact with SmNPR4. SmTGA5 activates the expression of phenolic acid biosynthesis gene SmTAT1 through binding to the as-1 element. Finally, a series of biochemical assays and dual gene overexpression analysis demonstrated that the SmNPR4 significantly inhibited the function of SmTGA5, and SA can alleviate the inhibitory effect of SmNPR4 on SmTGA5. Overall, our results reveal the molecular mechanism of salicylic acid regulating phenolic acid biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza and provide new insights for SA signaling to regulate secondary metabolic biosynthesis.

Plants-based medicine implication in the evolution of chronic liver diseases

Hepatic disorders are considered major health problems, due to their high incidence, increased risk of chronicling or death and the costs involved in therapies. A large number of patients with chronic liver diseases use herbal medicines and dietary supplements in parallel with allopathic treatment. The current review provides a thorough analysis of the studies conducted on the most important species of medicinal plants used in this disease, bioactive compounds and on the activity of herbal medicines in the evolution of chronic liver diseases. However, a negative aspect is that there is frequently a lack of comprehensive data on the progression of the illness and the living standards of patients who are affected when evaluating the effects of these phytocomponents on the evolution of chronic liver disease, the patients' health, and their quality of life. It is essential to take this impairment into account when evaluating the long-term effects of herbal treatments on the health of individuals who suffer from liver illness. Bioactive phytocomponents may be a suitable source for the development of novel medications due to the correlation between traditional uses and medical advances. Additional high-quality preclinical examinations utilizing cutting-edge approaches are needed to assess safety and effectiveness and to detect, categorize, and standardize the active substances and their formulations for the most suitable therapeutic management of liver illnesses.

Epigenetic compounds targeting pharmacological target lysine specific demethylase 1 and its impact on immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for treatment of tumor recurrence and resistance

It has been proven that metastatic recurrence and therapeutic resistance are linked. Due to the variability of individuals and tumors, as well as the tumor's versatility in avoiding therapies, therapy resistance is more difficult to treat. Therapy resistance has significantly restricted the clinical feasibility and efficacy of tumor therapy, despite the discovery of novel compounds and therapy combinations with increasing efficacy. In several tumors, lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) has been associated to metastatic recurrence and therapeutic resistance. For researchers to better comprehend how LSD1-mediated tumor therapy resistance occurs and how to overcome it in various tumors, this study focused on the role of LSD1 in tumor recurrence and therapeutic resistance. The importance of therapeutically targeted LSD1 was also discussed. Most gene pathway signatures are related to LSD1 inhibitor sensitivity. However, some gene pathway signatures, especially in AML, negatively correlate with LSD1 inhibitor sensitivity, but targeting LSD1 makes the therapy-resistant tumor sensitive to physiological doses of conventional therapy. We propose that combining LSD1 inhibitor with traditional tumor therapy can help patients attain a complete response and prevent cancer relapse.

Tanshinone IIA ameliorates chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression-like behavior and cognitive impairment in rats through the BDNF/TrkB/GAT1 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Depression is a common disorder with a complex pathogenesis. Tanshinone IIA (TAN IIA) is a botanical agent with neuroprotective and antidepressant properties.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effects of TAN IIA on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression-like behavior and cognitive impairment in rats.

METHODS

Rats were exposed to CUMS for 4 weeks, followed by the oral administration of TAN IIA, Deanxit (DEAN), or normal saline for an additional 4 weeks. The control rats were fed with regular chow and administered with normal saline for 4 weeks. Behavioral tests were performed to assess the effects of TAN IIA on depression-like behavior and cognitive impairment in rats with CUMS. The morphology of dendrites was analyzed by Golgi staining. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to determine protein localization.

RESULTS

TAN IIA treatment ameliorated CUMS-induced depression-like behavior and cognitive impairment in rats. TAN IIA treatment also reversed the effects of CUMS on dendritic complexity and the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Rats with CUMS showed decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), upregulated expression of GABA transporter 1 (GAT1), and reduced expression of synaptic proteins in the hippocampus, while TAN IIA treatment significantly diminished the effects of CUMS exposure. In addition, GAT1 was colocalized with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B.

CONCLUSION

TAN IIA ameliorates CUMS-induced depression-like behavior and cognitive impairment in rats by regulating the BDNF/TrkB/GAT1 signaling pathway, suggesting that TAN IIA may be a candidate drug for the treatment of depression.

Tanshinone I inhibits doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by regulating Nrf2 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a powerful anti-tumor anthracycline drug. However, its clinical use is limited due to the side effect of cardiotoxicity. Tanshinone I (Tan I) is one of the major tanshinones isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza. Studies have shown that Tan I is effective in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, the potential effects of Tan I against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) have yet to be explored.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore whether Tan I can protect against DIC and to reveal whether Tan I can exert anti-oxidative effect by regulating nuclear erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway.

METHODS

DIC models were established in vivo by intravenous injection of DOX. Echocardiography was used to monitor the cardiac function of mice. Transmission electron microscopy was used to assess mitochondrial damage. Oxidative stress was measured by dihydroethidium (DHE) staining and western blotting. The accumulation and nuclear translocation of Nrf2 was detected by immunofluorescence. H9C2 cellular DIC model was established in vitro to explore the pharmacological mechanism. Nrf2 small interfering (si)-RNA was applied to H9C2 cells to explore whether Tan I exerted protective effect against DIC through Nrf2 signaling pathway. The protective effects of Tan I on mitochondrial function and mitochondrial membrane permeability were measured by MitoSOX™ Red and JC-1 staining assays, respectively.

RESULTS

In vivo experiments revealed that Tan I could improve cardiac function and protect against DOX-induced myocardial structural damages in mice models. The oxidative stress induced by DOX was suppressed and apoptosis was mitigated by Tan I treatment. Tan I protected against DOX-induced mitochondrial structural damage. Meanwhile, key proteins in Nrf2 pathways were upregulated by Tan I treatment. In vitro studies showed that Tan I attenuated DOX-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cultured H9C2 cells, reduced apoptotic rates, protected mitochondrial functions and up-regulated Nrf2 signaling pathway. Tan I promoted accumulation and nuclear translocation of Nrf2 protein. In addition, interference of Nrf2 abrogated the anti-oxidative effects of Tan I and reversed the expressions of key proteins in Nrf2 pathway. The protective effects of Tan I on mitochondrial integrity was also mitigated by Nrf2 interference.

CONCLUSION

Tan I could reduce oxidative stress and protect against DIC through regulating Nrf2 signaling pathway. Nrf2 is a potential target and Tan I is a novel candidate agent for the treatment of DIC.

Network Pharmacology of Ginseng (Part III): Antitumor Potential of a Fixed Combination of Red Ginseng and Red Sage as Determined by Transcriptomics

Background: This study aimed to assess the effect of a fixed combination of Red Ginseng and Red Sage (RG–RS) on the gene expression of neuronal cells to evaluate the potential impacts on cellular functions and predict its relevance in the treatment of stress and aging-related diseases and disorders. Methods: Gene expression profiling was conducted by transcriptome-wide mRNA microarray analyses of murine HT22 hippocampal cell culture after treatment with RG–RS preparation. Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) was performed with datasets of significantly upregulated or downregulated genes and the expected effects on the physiological and cellular function and the diseases were identified. Results: RG–RS deregulates 1028 genes associated with cancer and 139 with metastasis, suggesting a predicted decrease in tumorigenesis, the proliferation of tumor cells, tumor growth, metastasis, and an increase in apoptosis and autophagy by their effects on the various signaling and metabolic pathways, including the inhibition of Warburg’s aerobic glycolysis, estrogen-mediated S-phase entry signaling, osteoarthritis signaling, and the super-pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis. Conclusion: The results of this study provide evidence of the potential efficacy of the fixed combination of Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mey.) and Red Sage/Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge) in cancer. Further clinical and experimental studies are required to assess the efficacy and safety of RG–RS in preventing the progression of cancer, osteoarthritis, and other aging-related diseases.

An optimized herbal combination for the treatment of liver fibrosis: Hub genes, bioactive ingredients, and molecular mechanisms

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and it is associated with long-term adverse outcomes and mortality. As a primary resource for complementary and alternative medicine, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has accumulated a large number of effective formulas for the treatment of liver fibrosis in clinical practice. However, studies on how to systematically optimize TCM formulas are still lacking.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

To provide a methodological reference for the systematic optimization of TCM formulae against liver fibrosis and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms; To provide an efficient method for searching for lead compounds from natural sources and developing from herbal medicines; To enable clinicians and patients to make more reasonable choices and promote the effective treatment toward those patients with liver fibrosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

TCM formulas related to treating liver fibrosis were collected from the Web of Science, PubMed, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang, and the Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP). Furthermore, the TCM compatibility patterns were mined using association analysis. The core TCM combinations were found by designing an optimized formulas algorithm. Finally, the hub target proteins, potential molecular mechanisms, and active compounds were explored through integrative pharmacology and docking-based inverse virtual screening (IVS) approaches.

RESULTS

We found that the herbs for reinforcing deficiency, activating blood, removing blood stasis, and clearing heat were the basis of TCM formulae patterns. Furthermore, the combination of Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge; Chinese salvia/Danshen), Astragali Radix (Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge; Astragalus/Huangqi), and Radix Bupleuri (Bupleurum chinense DC.; Bupleurum/Chaihu) was identified as core groups. A total of six targets (TNF, STAT3, EGFR, IL2, ICAM1, PTGS2) play a pivotal role in TCM-mediated liver fibrosis inhibition. (-)-Cryptotanshinone, Tanshinaldehyde, Ononin, Thymol, Daidzein, and Formononetin were identified as active compounds in TCM. And mechanistically, TCM could affect the development of liver fibrosis by regulating inflammation, immunity, angiogenesis, antioxidants, and involvement in TNF, MicroRNAs, Jak-STAT, NF-kappa B, and C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that key components had good potential to bind to the target genes.

CONCLUSION

In summary, this study provides a methodological reference for the systematic optimization of TCM formulae and exploration of underlying molecular mechanisms.

CXCR1 and its downstream NF-κB inflammation signaling pathway as a key target of Guanxinning injection for myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury

Guanxinning Injection (GXNI) is used clinically to treat cardiac injury, but its active components and mode of action remains unclear. Therefore, a myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) model-based integrated strategy including function evaluation, RNA-seq analysis, molecular docking, and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) was employed to elucidate the effect and mechanism of GXNI and its main ingredient on cardiac injury. These results revealed that GXNI significantly improved cardiac dysfunction and myocardial injury in I/R mice. RNA-seq analysis clarified that CXCR1-mediated interleukin-8 pathway played a critical role in MIRI. Molecular docking screening identified danshensu (DSS) as the major active components of GXNI targeting CXCR1 protein, which was confirmed in an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-induced cardiomyocytes damage model showing that GXNI and DSS reduced the protein expression of CXCR1 and its downstream NF-κB, COX-2, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. CETSA and isothermal dose-response fingerprint curves confirmed that DSS combined with CXCR1 in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, GXNI and DSS significantly decreased the expression levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α and the number of neutrophils in post I/R myocardial tissue. In conclusion, this study revealed that GXNI and its active components DSS exert inhibitory effects on inflammatory factor release and leukocyte infiltration to improve I/R-induced myocardial injury by down-regulating CXCR1-NF-κB-COX-2/ICAM-1/VCAM-1 pathway.

Optimization of smashing tissue and ultrasonic extraction of tanshinones and their neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting parthanatos

A green smashing tissue and ultrasonic (STU) extraction method, which combines smashing tissue and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, was developed for the first time. The extraction of tanshinones from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM) was taken as an example to discuss the practicability of this method. Taking the total yield of eight tanshinones as an evaluation index, response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) models were used to optimize the extraction parameters, and these two models were also compared by investigating the extract yield of tanshinones and the antioxidant activity of the obtained SM extract. The optimal STU conditions by ANN were as follows: an ethanol concentration of 73%, a liquid/solid ratio of 30 mL g^-1, a smashing tissue time of 97 s and an ultrasonic time of 40 min. Under these optimal conditions, the yield of the eight components was 0.30% ± 0.12, which was greater than 0.28% ± 0.03 optimized by RSM. The IC₅₀ values of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) of the obtained extract were 55.25 ± 3.72 μg mL^-1 and 67.33 ± 2.62 μg mL^-1, respectively, which were better than those of 75.49 ± 4.33 μg mL^-1 and 112.10 ± 5.98 μg mL^-1, respectively, optimized by RSM. Furthermore, the SM extract was found to exert neuroprotective effects by inhibiting parthanatos in middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R)-induced rats. The results supported the use of the SM extract, which was obtained by STU, as a potential product in the cosmetics, medicine, and food industries.

Salvianolic Acid A Protects against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Inhibiting Neutrophil NETosis

Salvianolic acid A (SAA) is one of bioactive polyphenol extracted from a Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), which was widely used to treat cardiovascular disease in traditional Chinese medicine. SAA has been reported to be protective in cardiovascular disease and ischemia injury, with anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effect, but its role in acute lung injury (ALI) is still unknown. In this study, we sought to investigate the therapeutic effects of SAA in a murine model of lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced ALI. The optimal dose of SAA was determined by comparing the attenuation of lung injury score after administration of SAA at three different doses (low, 5 mg/kg; medium, 10 mg/kg; and, high 15 mg/kg). Dexamethasone (DEX) was used as a positive control for SAA. Here, we showed that the therapeutic effect of SAA (10 mg/kg) against LPS-induced pathologic injury in the lungs was comparable to DEX. SAA and DEX attenuated the increased W/D ratio and the protein level, counts of total cells and neutrophils, and cytokine levels in the BALF of ALI mice similarly. The oxidative stress was also relieved by SAA and DEX according to the superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde. NET level in the lungs was elevated in the injured lung while SAA and DEX reduced it significantly. LPS induced phosphorylation of Src, Raf, MEK, and ERK in the lungs, which was inhibited by SAA and DEX. NET level and phosphorylation level of Src/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway in the neutrophils from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients were also inhibited by SAA and DEX in vitro, but the YEEI peptide reversed the protective effect of SAA completely. The inhibition of NET release by SAA was also reversed by YEEI peptide in LPS-challenged neutrophils from healthy volunteers. Our data demonstrated that SAA ameliorated ALI via attenuating inflammation, oxidative stress, and neutrophil NETosis. The mechanism of such protective effect might involve the inhibition of Src activation.

Development of a highly efficient virus-free regeneration system of Salvia miltiorrhiza from Sichuan using apical meristem as explants

BCAKGROUND

The dry root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza are used to treat cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, and thoracic obstruction over 2000 years in Asian countries. For high quality, Sichuan Zhongjiang is regarded as the genuine producing area of S. miltiorrhiza. Given its abnormal pollen development, S. miltiorrhiza from Sichuan (S.m.-SC) relies on root reproduction and zymad accumulation; part of diseased plants present typical viral disease symptoms and seed quality degeneration. This study aim to detected unknown viruses from mosaic-diseased plants and establish a highly efficient virus-free regeneration system to recover germplasm properties.

RESULTS

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were detected from mosaic-diseased plants. Primary apical meristem with two phyllo podium in 0.15-0.5 mm peeled from diseased plants were achieved 73.33% virus-free rate. The results showed that the medium containing MS, 0.5 mg/L 6-BA, 0.1 mg/L NAA, 0.1 mg/L GA₃, 30 g/L sucrose and 7.5 g/L agar can achieve embryonic-tissue (apical meristem, petiole and leaf callus) high efficient organogenesis. For callus induction, the optimal condition was detected on the medium containing MS, 2 mg/L TDZ, 0.1 mg/L NAA by using secondary petiole of virus-free plants under 24 h dark/d condition for 21 d. The optimal system for root induction was the nutrient solution with 1/2 MS supplemented with 1 mg/L NAA. After transplant, the detection of agronomic metric and salvianolic acid B content confirmed the great germplasm properties of S.m.-SC virus-free plants.

CONCLUSIONS

A highly efficient virus-free regeneration system of S.m.-SC was established based on the detected viruses to recover superior seed quality. The proposed system laid support to control disease spread, recover good germplasm properties in S.m.-SC.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Extract and Individual Synthesized Component Derivatives Induce Activating-Transcription-Factor-3-Mediated Anti-Obesity Effects and Attenuate Obesity-Induced Metabolic Disorder by Suppressing C/EBPα in High-Fat-Induced Obese Mice

Pharmacological studies indicate that Salvia miltiorrhiza extract (SME) can improve cardiac and blood vessel function. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the effects (exerted through epigenetic regulation) of SME and newly derived single compounds, with the exception of tanshinone IIA and IB, on obesity-induced metabolic disorders. In this study, we administered SME or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as controls to male C57BL/J6 mice after they were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks. SME treatment significantly reduced body weight, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride levels, insulin resistance, and adipogenesis/lipogenesis gene expression in treated mice compared with controls. Transcriptome array analysis revealed that the expression of numerous transcriptional factors, including activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) and C/EBPα homologous protein (CHOP), was significantly higher in the SME group. ST32db, a novel synthetic derivative similar in structure to compounds from S. miltiorrhiza extract, ameliorates obesity and obesity-induced metabolic syndrome in HFD-fed wild-type mice but not ATF3^−/− mice. ST32db treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes suppresses lipogenesis/adipogenesis through the ATF3 pathway to directly inhibit C/EBPα expression and indirectly inhibit the CHOP pathway. Overall, ST32db, a single compound modified from S. miltiorrhiza extract, has anti-obesity effects through ATF3-mediated C/EBPα downregulation and the CHOP pathway. Thus, SME and ST32db may reduce obesity and diabetes in mice, indicating the potential of both SME and ST32db as therapeutic drugs for the treatment of obesity-induced metabolic syndrome.

Tongmai granules improve rat hippocampal injury by regulating TLR4/MyD88/AP-1 signaling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tongmai granules (TMG) is composed of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., Radix puerariae Lobata., and Ligusticum chuanxiong hort. TMG is mainly used for ischemic cardiovascular, cerebrovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and cerebral ischemia. TMG is a kind of traditional compound granule, which has a protective effect on brain injury. However, the potential protective mechanism of the TMG has not been elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

TMG has a good effect on brain injury, but its brain protective mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to confirm the neuroprotective mechanism of TMG, reveal its target genes and identify the active components of TMG.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the fingerprint of TMG. UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE was used to analyze the base peak intensity (BPI) chromatograms of TMG. TMG was pre-administered for one week, brain injury and edema were induced by injection of glutamate (Glu) into the lateral ventricles of rats. HE staining was used to investigate the pathological damage caused by Glu in the hippocampus of rats, and the RNA-seq was used to analyze the changes of different genes before and after TMG treatment. Finally, changes of related proteins were analyzed by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and other molecular biological methods. Dosage of TMG were set to 0.6 g/kg, 1.2 g/kg and 2.4 g/kg.

RESULTS

We found that TMG contained many active components, including salvianolic acid, puerarin, ferulic acid, etc. TMG could improve cerebral edema and brain injury induced by Glu. After TMG treatment, differential gene analysis showed that differential genes were significantly enriched in toll-like receptor signaling pathway. qRT-PCR validation results were consistent with RNA-Seq analysis results. Combined with Western blot analysis, we found that TMG ultimately regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines by affecting the TLR4/MyD88/AP-1 pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we combined TMG with RNA-seq analysis to demonstrate that TMG may play a neuroprotective role by regulating Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and down-regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokine. TMG may become a kind of traditional Chinese medicine with neuroprotective potential.

Overexpression of SmSCR1 Promotes Tanshinone Accumulation and Hairy Root Growth in Salvia miltiorrhiza

Lipid-soluble tanshinone is one of the main bioactive substances in the medicinal plant Salvia miltiorrhiza, and its medicinal demand is growing rapidly. Yeast extract (YE) modulates the tanshinone biosynthesis, but the underlying regulatory network remains obscure. In this study, a YE-responsive transcriptional factor Scarecrow1 (SCR1) was identified in S. miltiorrhiza from the YE-induced transcriptome dataset. SmSCR1 is located in the nucleus. Overexpression of SmSCR1 in S. miltiorrhiza roots resulted in a significantly higher accumulation of tanshinone than the control, with the highest 1.49-fold increase. We also detected upregulation of tanshinone biosynthetic genes, SmSCR1 and SmHMGR1, and distinct alteration of growth and development of the hairy roots in the overexpression lines compared to the control. An inverse phenotype was observed in SmSCR1-SRDX suppression expression lines. We found that SmSCR1 can bind to the promoter of SmCPS1 to induce its expression. This study provides new insight into the regulatory mechanism on the growth and development of hairy roots, tanshinone accumulation, and the metabolic engineering of bioactive compounds in S. miltiorrhiza.

Unravelling the promise and limitations of CRISPR/Cas system in natural product research: Approaches and challenges

An incredible array of natural products are produced by plants that serve several ecological functions, including protecting them from herbivores and microbes, attracting pollinators, and dispersing seeds. In addition to their obvious medical applications, natural products serve as flavouring agents, fragrances and many other uses by humans. With the increasing demand for natural products and the development of various gene engineering systems, researchers are trying to modify the plant genome to increase the biosynthetic pathway of the compound of interest or blocking the pathway of unwanted compound synthesis. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 has had widespread success in genome editing due to the system's high efficiency, ease of use, and accuracy which revolutionized the genome editing system in living organisms. This article highlights the method of the CRISPR/Cas system, its application in different organisms including microbes, algae, fungi and also higher plants in natural product research, its shortcomings and future prospects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Diversity and function of culturable actinobacteria in the root-associated of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge

The root-associated actinobacteria play important roles in plant growth, nutrient use, and disease resistance due to their functional diversity. Salvia miltiorrhiza is a critical medicinal plant in China. The root actinobacterial community structure has been studied; however, the functions of root-associated actinobacteria of S. miltiorrhiza have not been elucidated. This study aimed to decipher the diversity and function of the culturable root-associated actinobacteria in plant growth using culture-dependent technology and culturable microbe metagenomes. We isolated 369 strains from the root-associated actinobacteria, belonging to four genera, among which Streptomyces was dominant. Besides, the functional prediction revealed some pathways related to plant growth, nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism, and antagonistic pathogens. We systematically described the diversity and functions of the culturable root-associated actinobacteria community. Our results demonstrated that the culturable root-associated actinobacteria of S. miltiorrhiza have rich functionalities, explaining the possible contribution of culturable root-associated actinobacteria to S. miltiorrhiza's growth and development. This study provides new insights into understanding the function of the culturable root-associated actinobacteria and can be used as a knowledge base for plant growth promoters and biological control agent development in agriculture.

Simultaneous Determination of Seven Bioactive Constituents from Salvia miltiorrhiza in Rat Plasma by HPLC-MS/MS: Application to a Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study

The roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) is a precious herbal medicine used to treat cardiovascular diseases. This study establishes a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC-MS/MS) method to quantify seven bioactive constituents from Danshen in rat plasma simultaneously. Chromatographic separation is performed on an Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 column (150 mm × 2.1 mm, 5 μm), utilizing a gradient of acetonitrile and 0.2% formic acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase, at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. We conduct a tandem mass spectrometric detection with electrospray ionization (ESI) interface via multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in both positive and negative ionization mode. Our results show that a linear relationship is established for each analyte of interest over the concentration range of 0.5–300 ng/mL with r ≥ 0.9976. The validated method is successfully used to compare the pharmacokinetic properties of crude and wine-processed Danshen extract orally administered to rats. Cmax of tanshinone IIA, Cmax, and AUC0-t of dihydrotanshinone I decrease significantly (p < 0.05) in the wine-processed group. No significant changes for other compounds are observed. These results might provide meaningful information for the further application of wine-processed Danshen and understanding of wine-processing mechanisms.

Effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza aerial parts on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and digestive enzymes in rabbits

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza (S.m.) aerial parts as an alternative ingredient on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and digestive enzymes in growing rabbits.

Methods

Treatments included five tested diets: a control (basal diet), antibiotic (basal diet +enramycin at 5 mg/kg), and S.m. aerial parts powder added at 3.0%, 6.0%, and 9.0% of feed using 300 growing rabbits.

Results

The diets with S.m. aerial parts addition at 9.0% decreased (p<0.05) feed/gain compared to the control, but there were no differences in feed intake and body weight gain. In contrast with the control, the addition of antibiotic increased (p<0.05) digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, energy, fiber, and ash. The herb addition did not cause differences in the digestibility of most nutrients compared to the antibiotic, but fiber digestibility of the herb at 6.0% and 9.0% was lower (p<0.05) than that of the antibiotic. Moreover, the antibiotic and the herb also similarly increased (p<0.05) the activities of duodenal α-amylase, maltase, lipase, and trypsin, compared to the control, and the herb at 6.0% and 9.0% showed a greater (p<0.05) activity of elastase than the dose 3.0%.

Conclusion

The obtained data indicate that S.m. aerial parts can be a potential forage in rabbit’s diet at 9.0% with a beneficial regulation on nutrition and digestion.

Culture Separation, Identification and Unique Anti-pathogenic Fungi Capacity of Endophytic Fungi from Gucheng Salvia Miltiorrhiza

BACKGROUND

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a medical herb for human disorders including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. However, the interactions between Salvia miltiorrhiza and its endophytes are largely unknown. The current study aimed at identifying its endophytic fungi and examining their inhibitory effects on anti-pathogenic fungus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Distinct species of endophytic fungi were isolated from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza, cultured, sequenced, aiming to predict their taxonomical structures. Meanwhile, extracts from each endophytic fungus fermentations were isolated, compared and evaluated on the inhibitory efficacies on five pathological fungi, Cercospora nicotianae, Phoma arachnidicola, Staphylococcus, Phytophthora eggplant, and Rhizoctonia cerealis.

RESULTS

A total of 34 strains of endophytic fungi were obtained from Salvia miltiorrhiza. Among them, SX19 and C. Gloeosporioids exhibited the most effective inhibitions on five pathogenic fungi.

CONCLUSION

The anti-fungal activities of the endophytic fungus from Salvia miltiorrhiza were confirmed for the first time, and this may benefit crop quality and production in the future.

Ameliorative effects and mechanisms of salvianic acid A on retinal iron overload in vivo and in vitro

Excessive iron can be accumulated in the retina and lead to retinal iron overload. Salvianic acid A (SAA) has a variety of pharmacologic effects, but there is only a limited understanding of its benefits for retinal iron overload. The aim of this study was to examine the protective effects and latent mechanisms of SAA on retinal iron overload. SAA reduced iron in the serum and retina, attenuated pathophysiological changes, and reduced retinal iron deposition in the retinas of iron-overloaded mice. It also reduced intracellular iron in ARPE-19 cells by regulating iron-handling proteins and chelating with iron. It also significantly inhibited cellular oxidative and inflammatory damage by increasing the nuclear translocation of nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) while decreasing nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), protecting the ARPE-19 cells from apoptosis by suppressing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cytochrome c release, caspase activation, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase cleavage. The ability of SAA to inhibit apoptosis, increase nuclear Nrf2 expression, and decrease nuclear NF-κB expression was further confirmed in the retinas of iron-overloaded mice. This study demonstrates that SAA shows significant protective effects against retinal iron overload; its mechanisms might be associated with iron chelation; regulation of iron-handling proteins; and inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) gene family in Salvia miltiorrhiza: identification, expression analysis, and response to drought stress

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins play important roles in plant defense response to drought stress. However, genome-wide identification of the LEA gene family was not revealed in Salvia miltiorrhiza. In this study, 61 SmLEA genes were identified from S. miltiorrhiza and divided into 7 subfamilies according to their conserved domains and phylogenetic relationships. SmLEA genes contained the LEA conserved motifs and few introns. SmLEA genes of the same subfamilies had similar gene structures and predicted subcellular locations. Our results indicated that the promoters of SmLEA genes contained various cis-acting elements associated with abiotic stress response. In addition, RNA-seq and real-time PCR results suggested that SmLEA genes are specifically expressed in different tissue, and most SmLEA genes can be induced by drought stress. These results provide a valuable foundation for future functional investigations of SmLEA genes and drought stress-resistant breeding of S. miltiorrhiza.

Laurus nobilis, Salvia sclarea and Salvia officinalis Essential Oils and Hydrolates: Evaluation of Liquid and Vapor Phase Chemical Composition and Biological Activities

Laurus nobilis, Salvia officinalis and Salvia sclarea essential oils (EOs) and hydrolates (HYs) were investigated to define their chemical compositions and biological properties. Gas-chromatography/Mass-spectrometry (GC/MS) and Headspace-GC/MS (HS-GC/MS) techniques were used to characterize the liquid and vapor phase chemical composition of EOs and HYs. 1,8-Cineole (42.2%, 33.5%) and α-pinene (16.7%, 39.0%) were the main compounds of L. nobilis EO; 1,8-cineole (30.3%, 48.4%) and camphor (17.1%, 8.7%) were for S. officinalis EO; linalyl acetate (62.6%, 30.1%) and linalool (11.1%, 28.9%) were for S. sclarea EO for the liquid and vapor phase, respectively. Chemical profile of HYs was characterized by 1,8-cineole (65.1%, 61.4%) as a main constituent of L. nobilis and S. officinalis HYs, while linalool (89.5%) was the main constituent of S. sclarea HY. The antioxidant activity of EOs and HYs was carried out by DPPH and ABTS assays and antimicrobial properties were also investigated by microdilution and the disc diffusion method for liquid and vapor phase against five different bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 13525 and Acinetobacter bohemicus DSM 102855 among Gram-negative and Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876 and Kocuria marina DSM 16420 among Gram-positive. L. nobilis and S. officinalis EOs demonstrated considerable antibacterial activity, while S. sclarea EO proved to be less effective. Agar diffusion method and vapor phase test showed the EOs activity with the biggest halo inhibition diameters against A. bohemicus and B. cereus. A remarkably high antioxidant activity was determined for L. nobilis showing low EC₅₀ values and also for S. sclarea; good EO results were obtained in both of the used assays. S. officinalis EC₅₀ values were slightly higher to which corresponds to a lower antioxidant activity. Concerning the HYs, the EC₅₀ values for L. nobilis, S. officinalis and S. sclarea were remarkably high corresponding to an extremely low antioxidant activity, as also obtained by expressing the values in Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC).

Annual review of LSD1/KDM1A inhibitors in 2020

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A) has emerged as a promising target for the discovery of specific inhibitors as antitumor drugs. Based on the source of compounds, all LSD1 inhibitors in this review are divided into two categories: natural LSD1 inhibitors and synthetic LSD1 inhibitors. This review highlights the research progress of LSD1 inhibitors with the potential to treat cancer covering articles published in 2020. Design strategies, structure-activity relationships, co-crystal structure analysis and action mechanisms are also highlighted.