Spectrum-effect relationships as a systematic approach to traditional chinese medicine research: current status and future perspectives

Exploring anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-related quality markers of Artemisia absinthium L. based on spectrum-effect relationship

INTRODUCTION

Artemisia absinthium L. is a well-known medicinal, aromatic, and edible plant with important medicinal and economic properties and a long history of use in treating liver inflammation and other diseases; however, there has been insufficient progress in quality control.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the quality markers for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of A. absinthium based on spectrum-effect relationship analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighteen batches of A. absinthium from different origins were used. Chemical fingerprints were obtained by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The chemical compositions were identified by quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 and 15-lipoxygenase in vitro and inhibition of nitric oxide release in lipopolysaccharide-induced BV-2 cells. Antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. The relationship between bioactivity and chemical fingerprints was then analyzed using chemometrics including gray relational analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares analysis.

RESULTS

Different batches of A. absinthium extracts possessed significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities to varying degrees. Eighty compounds were identified from A. absinthium, and 12 main common peaks were obtained from the UPLC fingerprints. P3 (chlorogenic acid), P5 (isochlorogenic acid A), and P6 (isochlorogenic acid C) were screened as the most promising active compounds by correlation analysis and further validated for their remarkable anti-inflammatory effects.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to screen the quality markers of A. absinthium by establishing the spectrum-effect relationship, which can provide a reference for the development of quality standards and further research on A. absinthium.

Investigation of the material basis and mechanism of Lizhong decoction in ameliorating ulcerative colitis based on spectrum-effect relationship and network pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Lizhong decoction (LZD), a classical herbal prescription recorded by Zhang Zhongjing in Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, has been extensively used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical practice for thousands of years. However, its material basis and underlying mechanism are not yet clear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to explore the material basis and potential mechanism of LZD against UC based on the spectrum-effect relationship and network pharmacology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, LZD was extracted by a systematic solvent extraction method into four parts. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technique was used to identify the compounds from different polar parts, and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model was used to evaluate the efficacy of each fraction. Then, the spectrum-effect analyses of compounds and efficacy indicators were established via grey relational analysis (GRA), bivariate correlation analysis (BCA) and partial least squares regression (PLSR). Finally, the potential mechanism of LZD for UC therapy was explored by network pharmacology, and the results were further verified by molecular docking and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS

66 chemical components of LZD were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology. The pharmacodynamic results showed that extraction parts of LZD had different therapeutic effects on UC, among which ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts had significant anti-colitis effects, which might be the main effective fractions of LZD. Furthermore, the spectrum-effect analyses indicated that 21 active ingredients such as liquiritin apioside, neolicuroside, formononetin, ginsenoside Rg1, 6-gingesulfonic acid, licoricesaponin A3, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid were the main material basis for LZD improving UC. Based on the above results, network pharmacology suggested that the amelioration of LZD on UC might be closely related to the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Additionally, molecular docking technology and RT-qPCR further verified that LZD could markedly inhibit the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our study first identified the chemical compositions of LZD by using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Furthermore, the material basis and potential mechanism of LZD in improving UC were comprehensively elucidated via spectrum-effect relationships, network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification. The proposed strategy provided a systematic approach for exploring how herbal medicines worked. More importantly, it laid the solid foundation for further clinical application and rational development of LZD.

Screening and verification of hemostatic effective components group of Panax Notoginseng based on spectrum-effect relationships

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Panax Notoginseng (PN) can disperse blood stasis, hemostasis, and detumescence analgesic, which can be used for hemoptysis, hematemesis and another traumatic bleeding, and it is known as "A miracle hemostatic medicine". Studies show that the chemical composition of PN is relatively comprehensive, however, its hemostatic active ingredients have not been fully clarified.

AIM OF STUDY

This study aimed to clarify the hemostatic effective components group (HECG) of PN, provide a foundation for the assessment of PN's quality and its comprehensive development, and for further studies on the pharmacodynamic material basis of other Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

UPLC-MS was used to establish the fingerprint and identify the common peaks in 44 batches of PN extracts (PNE). In addition, the plasma recalcification time and in vitro coagulation time were measured. For spectrum-effect analysis, bivariate correlation analysis (BCA) and partial least squares regression analysis (PLSR) were used to screen the hemostasis candidate active monomers of PN. The monomers were prepared by combining several preparative chromatography techniques. The efficacy was verified by plasma recalcification time, in vitro coagulation time, and a rat model of gastric hemorrhage.

RESULTS

A total of 30 common peaks and hemostatic efficacy indexes of 44 batches of PNE were obtained. A total of 18 components were positively correlated with the comprehensive coagulation index by two statistical methods. Six and eleven monomers were obtained respectively by chromatographic preparation and procurement, and one monomer was eliminated due to preparation difficulty and other reasons. Seven active monomers with direct hemostatic effect and one active monomer with synergistic hemostatic effect were screened through plasma recalcification time, and their combinations were used as candidate HECG for hemostatic effect verification. The results of in vitro experiments showed that plasma recalcification time and in vitro coagulation time were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the HECG group, compared to the PNE group. The results of in vivo experiment also indicated that the hemostatic effect of HECG was comparable to that of PNE and PN powder.

CONCLUSION

The composition and efficacy of the HECG of PN were screened and verified using the spectral correlation method and in vivo and in vitro efficacy verification; the HECG included Dencichine, Ginsenoside Rg1, Ginsenoside Rd, Ginsenoside Rh1, Ginsenoside F1, Notoginsenoside R1, Notoginsenoside Ft1 and Notoginsenoside Fe. These results laid a foundation for the quality evaluation of PN and provided a reference for the basic research of pharmacodynamic material basis of other TCMs.

Components study on gastroprotective effect and holistic mechanism of the herbal pair Alpinia officinarum - Cyperus rotundus based on spectrum-effect relationship and integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The herbal pair Alpinia officinarum-Cyperus rotundus (HPAC) has an extended history of use in the treatment of gastric ulcers, and its curative effect is definite.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the material basis and holistic mechanism of HPAC on ethanol-induced gastric ulcers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three chemometrics, GRA, OPLS, and BCA, were used to construct the spectrum-effect relationship between the HPLC fingerprints of HPAC extracts and the bioactivity indices (cell viability; the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2, and PGE2; and wound healing rate) against GES-1 cell damage to screen the bioactive ingredients. The bioactive components were isolated and validated in vitro. Simultaneously, the effects of HPAC with concentrated bioactive ingredients was tested on ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in vivo, and the mechanism was investigated using transcriptomics and metabolomics. The mechanism was further validated by Western blotting. Finally, the contents of the main components of HPAC were determined before and after compatibility.

RESULTS

Twelve bioactive components were screened, and the structures of nine compounds were confirmed. An in vitro verification test showed that DPHA and galangin could protect GES-1 cells from injury, and that their content increased after compatibility. The CH2Cl2 fraction of HPAC (HP-CH2Cl2) can protect mice from ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury by reducing hemorrhage and decreasing inflammatory cell infiltration. Western blot analysis indicated that this fraction may up-regulate TRPV1 protein and down-regulate PI3K and AKT proteins.

CONCLUSIONS

DPHA and galangin may be the bioactive components against ethanol-induced GES-1 cell injury. HP-CH2Cl2 may exert gastroprotective effects by regulating PI3K, AKT and TRPV1 proteins.

Discovery of bioactive-chemical Q-markers of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus leaves: An integrated strategy of plant metabolomics, fingerprint and spectrum-efficacy relationship research

An integrated bioactive-chemical quality markers (Q-markers) discovery strategy, which was based on the LC-MS plant metabolomics, HPLC fingerprint as well as the chemical spectrum-efficacy relationships, was designed to develop a methodology for accurate and comprehensive evaluation of the quality of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus leaves (ASL). Firstly, a high resolution and sensitivity UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS method was used for plant metabolomics analysis to obtain component characterization and screen potential chemical markers that differentiate between different harvesting periods. A total of 53 chemical components were identified, and 8 potential chemical markers were discovered, such as sucrose, maltol and phenylalanine. Secondly, a selective HPLC fingerprint analysis of ASL and its pancreatic lipase activity assay method was successfully investigated in vitro. In the study of chemical spectrum-efficacy relationships, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and hyperoside were screened and showed the inhibited pancreatic lipase activity with IC50 values, 0.16 ± 0.01, 0.13 ± 0.01, 0.31 ± 0.01, and 0.44 ± 0.02 mg/mL, respectively, which indicated the above four constituents were selected as the bioactive-chemical Q-markers of ASL. Finally, an accurate and reliable quantitative HPLC assay was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of four bioactive-chemical Q-markers in ASL, and their content levels in ASL varied widely in different harvesting periods. The systematic and efficient screening strategy for bioactive-chemical Q-markers in this study, based on " LC-MS plant metabolomics, HPLC fingerprint, and spectrum-efficacy relationships," could have effectively improved the quality assessment level of ASL.

Interpretation of the anti-influenza active ingredients and potential mechanisms of Ge Gen Decoction based on spectrum-effect relationships and network analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ge Gen Decoction (GGD) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription that originated in the ancient Chinese medical book "Treatise on Febrile Diseases". The prescription consists of 7 herbs: Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, Ephedra sinica Stapf, Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J.Presl, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Zingiber officinale Rosc., and Ziziphus jujuba Mill. It can alleviate high fever and soreness in the neck and shoulders caused by exogenous wind chill and is widely used in both China and Japan. Currently, GGD is primarily utilized for treating flu and the common cold. GGD has been reported to show significant anti-influenza A virus (IAV) activity both in vitro and in vivo. However, the active ingredients responsible for its anti-influenza properties have not been elucidated, and the mechanisms underlying its anti-influenza effects require further research.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to investigate the active ingredients and molecular mechanisms of GGD in treating influenza.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HPLC chromatograms were established for GGD water and different polar extracts. The effect of different GGD extracts on pulmonary virus titers and TNFα expression was assessed through RT-PCR analysis. Spectrum-effect relationships between chromatographic peaks of GGD and its virus inhibition rate and TNFα inhibition rate were investigated using partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis. HPLC-Q-TOF-MS was utilized to identify the constituents absorbed into the blood after oral administration of GGD. Network analysis of the absorbed forms of active ingredients was conducted to predict the potential mechanisms of GGD. Subsequently, total SOD activity, CAT and HO-1 expression and Nrf2 nuclear translocation were then analyzed. Finally, the impact of interfering with HO-1 expression on the anti-IAV activity of GGD was examined.

RESULTS

The study identified 11 anti-influenza active ingredients in GGD, which are daidzein, ononin, genistin, daidzin, 3'-methoxypuerarin, puerarin, pseudoephedrine, paeoniflorin, pormononetin-7-xylosyl-glucoside, penistein-7-O-apiosyl-glucoside, and ephedrine. Network analysis revealed various biological activities of GGD, including responses to ROS and oxidative stress. GGD also involves multiple antiviral pathways, such as hepatitis B, IAV, and Toll-like receptor pathways. Experimental assays demonstrated that GGD possesses independent antioxidant activity both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, GGD inhibits the increase in intracellular ROS induced by IAV. In vivo, it reduces MDA levels and increases total pulmonary SOD activity. Applying siRNA and flow cytometry analysis revealed that GGD alleviates IAV-induced oxidative burst by promoting the expression of HO-1 and CAT. Western blot analysis revealed that GGD effectively promotes Nrf2 nuclear translocation and enhances Nrf2 expression. Furthermore, this study found that the enhancement of HO-1 expression by GGD contributed to its anti-IAV activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The study identified the active ingredients of GGD against influenza and demonstrated the beneficial role of GGD's antioxidant activity in treating flu. The antioxidant activity of GGD is associated with the promotion of Nrf2 nuclear translocation and the upregulation of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, HO-1, and CAT. Overall, this study provides evidence supporting the use of GGD as an adjunctive or complementary therapy for influenza.

Study on the substance basis of the efficacy of eucommiae cortex before and after salt processing for the treatment of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome based on the spectrum-effect relationship

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome (KYDS) is one of the common diseases of the elderly and closely related to the ageing of the body, it has a major impact on the quality of life of the patient. Eucommiae Cortex (EC) is the dried bark of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Which has the effect of tonifying the liver and kidneys, strengthening the muscles and bones. In Traditional Chinese Medicine clinics, EC is commonly used in the treatment of KYDS, but the material basis for the improvement of its efficacy in treating KYDS after salt processing remains unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to find the main active ingredients that could improve the treatment of KYDS efficacy of EC after salt processing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Firstly, the fingerprints of raw and salt-processed EC were established to determine the common components by using HPLC, and then an experimental study on the treatment of KYDS efficacy was carried out to compare the difference in the efficacy between raw and salt-processed EC. Thirdly, the spectrum-effect relationship of chemical components and pharmacodynamic indexes was established by using Grey Relational Analysis and Entropy Method. Finally, the network pharmacology and molecular docking technique was used to verify the kidney tonifying effect of the active ingredients of EC.

RESULTS

According to the results of the analysis of hormonal index levels on the hypothalamic-pituitary-target gland axis and the extent of renal lesions, the therapeutic effect of EC on KYDS was mainly reflected in the regulation of the Adrenocorticotropic hormone, Corticosterone in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and Tri-iodothyronine, Tetra-iodothyronine in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, moreover the therapeutic effect of salt-processed EC was stronger than that of raw EC. The pharmacologically active ingredients that improved its treatment of KYDS efficacy after salt processing were peak 1 (geniposidic acid), peak 2 (chlorogenic acid), peak 5 (geniposide), peak 6 (genipin), peak 7 (pinoresinol diglucoside) and peak 11 (hyperoside). Meanwhile, the results of network pharmacology and molecular docking showed that the 6 active ingredients could exert kidney tonic effects through multiple signaling pathways by acting on core targets such as AKT1 and PTGS2.

CONCLUSION

As far as we known, this was the first time to establish and compare the spectrum-effect relationship between raw and salt-processed EC, which laid the foundation for the pharmacokinetics studies of EC and provided a reference for future EC studies.

Spectrum-effect relationship analysis based on HPLC-FT-ICR-MS and multivariate statistical analysis to reveal the pharmacodynamic substances of Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan decoction on Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) threatens elderly human health and still lacks effective treatment. Our previous work showed that LGZGD possessed a neuroprotective effect on the Aβ25-35-induced neurotoxicity in differentiated PC12 cells, indicating that LGZGD may be a potential drug for treatment of AD. However, its pharmacodynamic substances which show anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant stress activities are still unrevealed. This research aims to reveal the pharmacodynamic substances of LGZGD on Aβ25-35-induced PC12 cell model of AD based on a spectrum-effect relationship study by using HPLC-FT-ICR-MS method and multivariate statistical analysis. Firstly, the chemical composition spectra of different combinations of LGZGD were recorded by HPLC-FT-ICR MS. Subsequently, Aβ25-35-induced PC12 cell model of AD was established and pharmacodynamic experiments were conducted to evaluate their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities, respectively. Finally, the potential pharmacodynamic substances were screened out through spectrum-effect relationship study accompanied by multivariate statistical analysis including bivariate correlation analysis (BCA), grey relational analysis (GRA), principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares regression analysis (PLSR). As a result, a total of 96 chemical consistents in different combinations of LGZGD were discovered. Among them, 7 components such as isoglabrolide, licorice saponin E2, licorice saponin N2 and licoisoflavanone were directly linked with the anti-inflammatory effects, and 14 constituents such as tumulosic acid, polyporenic acid C, dehydrotumulosic acid, dehydropachymic acid, and pachymic acid were directly correlated with the anti-oxidative stress activities. In conclusion, we combined the HPLC-FT-ICR-MS spectra with pharmacodynamic indicators to develop the spectrum-effect relationships of LGZGD for the first time, and successfully revealed its potential pharmacodynamic substances in the treatment of AD from the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways in the cell model.

Spectrum-Effect Relationship in Chinese Herbal Medicine: Current Status and Future Perspectives

The quality of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) directly impacts clinical efficacy and safety. Fingerprint technology is an internationally recognized method for evaluating the quality of CHM. However, the existing quality evaluation models based on fingerprint technology have blocked the ability to assess the internal quality of CHM and cannot comprehensively reflect the correlation between pharmacodynamic information and active constituents. Through mathematical methods, a connection between the "Spectrum" (fingerprint) and the "Effect" (pharmacodynamic data) was established to conduct a spectrum-effect relationship (SER) of CHM to unravel the active component information associated with the pharmacodynamic activity. Consequently, SER can efficiently address the limitations of the segmentation of chemical components and pharmacodynamic effect in CHM and further improve the quality evaluation of CHM. This review focuses on the recent research progress of SER in the field of CHM, including the establishment of fingerprint, the selection of data analysis methods, and their recent applications in the field of CHM. Various advanced fingerprint techniques are introduced, followed by the data analysis methods used in recent years are summarized. Finally, the applications of SER based on different research subjects are described in detail. In addition, the advantages of combining SER with other data are discussed through practical applications, and the research on SER is summarized and prospected. This review proves the validity and development potential of the SER and provides a reference for the development and application of quality evaluation methods for CHM.

Chemical index components and quality control of Traditional Chinese Medicine: "Never change a winning team"? -A case study of volatile oil from Bupleuri radix

Chemical index components, especially those defined as quality control (QC) markers through spectrum-effect relationship approach, are commonly suggested and adopted as indicator for quality control of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs). However, are chemical index components and quality control of TCMs "never change a winning team"? In this study, under the ponderation of the applicability of QC markers strategy, spectrum-effect relationship and OPLS-DA between GC×GC-MS fingerprint and inhibitory effect on the expression of extracellular secretory TNF-α of volatile oil from Bupleuri radix (BVO) was studied with the purpose of discovery of QC markers and establish a bioactive compounds-based QC method. 290 compounds of BVO were identified by GC×GC-MS. Besides, BVO had significant inhibitory effects on the expression of extracellular secretory TNF-α in a dose-dependent manner. The potency of different batches of BVOs could be distinguished with this bioassay-based method, which has been validated in terms of intermediate precision, repeatability, linearity, range and credibility tests. The QC markers of BVO were investigated by Spearman's correlation test and OPLS-DA. It is regrettable that there were no ideal QC markers of BVO could be found. In conclusion, quality control method relayed on chemical QC markers is not feasible for TCMs with complex composition but lack of ingredients that dominate in content, just like BVO. Alternatively, a bioassay-based method established in our study is suitable for quality control of BVO.

Spectrum-Effect Relationships as an Effective Approach for Quality Control of Natural Products: A Review

As natural products with biological activity, the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) is the key to their clinical application. Fingerprints based on the types and contents of chemical components in TCM are an internationally recognized quality evaluation method but ignore the correlation between chemical components and efficacy. Through chemometric methods, the fingerprints represented by the chemical components of TCM were correlated with its pharmacodynamic activity results to obtain the spectrum-effect relationships of TCM, which can reveal the pharmacodynamic components information related to the pharmacodynamic activity and solve the limitations of segmentation of chemical components and pharmacodynamic research in TCM. In the 20th anniversary of the proposed spectrum-effect relationships, this paper reviews its research progress in the field of TCM, including the establishment of fingerprints, pharmacodynamic evaluation methods, chemometric methods and their practical applications in the field of TCM. Furthermore, the new strategy of spectrum-effect relationships research in recent years was also discussed, and the application prospects of this technology were discussed.

Identification of anti-photoaging components of Olea europaea leaves based on spectrum-effect relationship

In this study, to identify bioactive components of Olea europaea leaves extract (OLE), chemometrics analyses including bivariate correlation analysis and partial least squares regression were used to establish the relationships between the chromatograms and anti-photoaging effect of OLE samples. Firstly, the fingerprint of olive leaves extract was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Photoaging models of HaCaT cells were established by UVB irradiation. The photoaging resistance of OLE was evaluated by cell viability using the MTT assay. Chemometrics analyses showed that compounds 14, 19, 20, 24, 26, and 28 might be the major anti-photoaging components of OLE. Furthermore, after separation by HSCCC and NMR identification, compound 19 is luteoloside and compound 24 is oleuropein. Oleuropein and luteoloside were docked with collagenase (MMP-1), stromelysin (MMP-3), and gelatinase (MMP-9), respectively. The results showed that oleuropein and luteoloside inhibited their activity by directly interacting with MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9, thereby exhibiting anti-photoaging activity. The current bioassay and spectrum-effect relationships are proper for associating sample quality with the active ingredient, and our finding would provide foundation and further understanding of the quality evaluation and quality control of Olea europaea.

Quality monitoring of Shenmai injection by HPLC pharmacodynamic fingerprinting

A probable problem of disconnection between chemical fingerprints and drug effects for TCMs would be contrary to the original intention of fingerprint research, and limits the development and application of fingerprints. In this study, Shenmai injection, as a treatment dosage form of coronary heart disease, shock, and viral myocarditis clinically, was applied as the research object. The fingerprint of Shenmai injection was constructed, and the pharmacodynamic test of antioxidant effect was carried out to obtain quantitative characteristics and pharmacodynamic data. On this basis, a monitoring model based on the HPLC pharmacodynamic fingerprint was established to evaluate the quality of Shenmai injections from different batches and different manufacturers. Results showed that the optimized HPLC method had good repeatability, precision, and stability. A total of 28 characteristic peaks were identified to provide more chemical information. Furthermore, 13 ginsenosides and notoginsenoside have been selected as characteristic components of LC/MS fingerprint method. 8 peaks closely related to antioxidant properties by multiple linear regression method, which were identified as Rg1, Re, Rf, Rb1, and some other ginsenosides using MS analysis. The monitoring model based on HPLC pharmacodynamic fingerprint could successfully identify quality differences for Shenmai injections. Based on the case study of Shenmai injection, the novel and practical fingerprint analytical strategy could be further applied to monitor or predict the quality of TCMs.

Efficacy identification and active compounds screening of topically administration of Scutellaria Radix in oral ulcer

Scutellaria Radix (SR) is often added to various preparations for the treatment of oral ulcer, but its own efficacy and active compounds are still unknown while topically administration for oral ulcer, bring obstacles in further research. We expected to demonstrate the anti-oral ulcer effect of SR and find out its hallmark compounds, so as to provide reference for its material basis research. In this study, in vivo and in vitro models were used to prove the efficacy of SR, and spectrum-effect analysis was used to figure out the active compounds. In oral ulcer rats, SR significantly reduced TNF-α and IL-8 level, raised IL-2 level in both serum and mucosa, enhanced SOD activity and decreased MDA level of serum, reduced inflammatory reaction and showed good therapeutic effect. As for in vitro models, SR increased the survival rates of H₂O₂ damaged HOK, inhibited the release of IL-1β and NO of LPS induced HOK and LPS induced RAW 264.7, demonstrating good efficacy on oral ulcer. Subsequently, fingerprints and cellular pharmacodynamic data for 18 batches of SR were acquired, and spectrum-effect analysis were carried out by grey correlation analysis (GRA), partial least squares regression (PLSR) and "spider-web" mode. Five potential compounds were screened out and validated by comparing with SR activity, and baicalin, baicalein, and wogonoside were finally identified as active compounds of SR. These results explained the material basis of SR in treating oral ulcer and provided a scientific evidence for the clinical application of SR in oral administration.

Discovery of Hepatotoxic Equivalent Markers and Mechanism of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. by Metabolomics Coupled with Molecular Docking

Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (PMT), a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine for treating diseases such as poisoning and white hair, has attracted constant attention due to the frequent occurrence of liver injury incidents. To date, its hepatotoxic equivalent markers (HEMs) and potential hepatotoxic mechanisms are still unclear. In order to clarify the HEMs of PMT and further explore the potential mechanisms of hepatotoxicity, firstly, the chemical constituents in PMT extract were globally characterized, and the fingerprints of PMT extracts were established along with the detection of their hepatotoxicity in vivo. Then, the correlations between hepatotoxic features and component contents were modeled by chemometrics to screen HEMs of PMT, which were then further evaluated. Finally, the hepatotoxic mechanisms of PMT were investigated using liver metabolomics and molecular docking. The results show that the chemical combination of 2,3,5,4-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG) and emodin-8-O-glucoside (EG) was discovered as the HEMs of PMT through pre-screening and verifying process. Liver metabolomics revealed that PMT caused liver injury by interfering with purine metabolism, which might be related to mitochondrial function disorder and oxidative injury via the up-regulations of xanthosine and xanthine, and the down-regulation of 5' nucleotidase (NT5E) and adenylate kinase 2 (AK2). This study not only found that the HEMs of PMT were TSG and EG, but also clarified that PMT might affect purine metabolism to induce liver injury, which contributed to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of PMT hepatotoxicity.

Discovery of potential hypoglycemic metabolites in Cassiae Semen by coupling UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS combined plant metabolomics and spectrum-effect relationship analyses

Cassiae Semen (CS) is consumed as fried tea or medicinal food in Asian areas. Its two commercial forms, namely raw and fried CS, exert different clinical applications, in which fried CS is commonly applied as a functional tea for losing weight. To prevent confusion in the use of the two forms of CS, a comprehensive strategy by combining plant metabolomics and spectrum-effect relationship analyses was developed for the fast and efficient discrimination of raw and fried CS, and further for the discovery of the potential hypoglycemic metabolites of CS to control its quality. First, the plant metabolic profiling of raw and processed samples was performed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. A total of 1111 differential metabolites were found to well distinguish the raw and fried CS after analyzing by MPP software. Subsequently, α-glucosidase inhibition of raw and fried CS was investigated. As a result, fried CS demonstrated much stronger α-glucosidase inhibition activity than the raw sample. By analyzing the spectrum-effect relationship with GRA, BCA, and PLSR, 14 potential hypoglycemic-related compounds were discovered. As anticipated, they were also found as the differential metabolites of the raw and fried samples with a potential hypoglycemic effect, which might be beneficial for the quality control of CS tea. Additionally, molecular docking analysis was conducted to reveal the underlying inhibition mechanisms of the four most critical constituents, including physcion, chrysoobtusin, aurantio-obtusin, and obtusifolin. This study provides a powerful tool for the discrimination of processed samples and fast screening of the active constituents in complex natural products on a high-throughput basis.

Discovering a Multi-Component Combination against Vascular Dementia from Danshen-Honghua Herbal Pair by Spectrum-Effect Relationship Analysis

The Danshen-Honghua (DH) herbal pair exhibits a synergistic effect in protecting the cerebrovascular system from ischemia/reperfusion injury, but the therapeutic effect on vascular dementia (VaD) has not been clarified, and the main active ingredient group has not been clarified. In this work, the chemical constituents in DH herbal pair extract were characterized by UHPLC-QTOF MS, and a total of 72 compounds were identified. Moreover, the DH herbal pair alleviated phenylhydrazine (PHZ)-induced thrombosis and improved bisphenol F (BPF)- and ponatinib-induced brain injury in zebrafish. Furthermore, the spectrum-effect relationship between the fingerprint of the DH herbal pair and the antithrombotic and neuroprotective efficacy was analyzed, and 11 chemical components were screened out as the multi-component combination (MCC) against VaD. Among them, the two compounds with the highest content were salvianolic acid B (17.31 ± 0.20 mg/g) and hydroxysafflor yellow A (15.85 ± 0.19 mg/g). Finally, we combined these 11 candidate compounds as the MCC and found that it could improve thrombosis and neuronal injury in three zebrafish models and rat bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) model, which had similar efficacy compared to the DH herbal pair. This study provides research ideas for the treatment of VaD and the clinical application of the DH herbal pair.

Steamed Panax notoginseng and its Saponins Inhibit the Migration and Induce the Apoptosis of Neutrophils in a Zebrafish Tail-Fin Amputation Model

Panax notoginseng (PN) is a Chinese medicinal herb that is traditionally used to treat inflammation and immune-related diseases. Its major active constituents are saponins, the types and levels of which can be changed in the process of steaming. These differences in saponins are causally relevant to the differences in the therapeutic efficacies of raw and steamed PN. In this study, we have prepared the extracts of steamed PN (SPNE) with 70% ethanol and investigated their immunomodulatory effect using a zebrafish tail-fin amputation model. A fingerprint-effect relationship analysis was performed to uncover active constituents of SPNE samples related to the inhibitory effect on neutrophil number. The results showed that SPNE significantly inhibited the neutrophil number at the amputation site of zebrafish larvae. And SPNE extracts steamed at higher temperatures and for longer time periods showed a stronger inhibitory effect. Ginsenosides Rh1, Rk3, Rh4, 20(S)-Rg3, and 20(R)-Rg3, of which the levels were increased along with the duration of steaming, were found to be the major active constituents contributing to the neutrophil-inhibiting effect of SPNE. By additionally investigating the number of neutrophils in the entire tail of zebrafish larvae and performing TUNEL assays, we found that the decreased number of neutrophils at the amputation site was due to both the inhibition of their migration and apoptosis-inducing effects of the ginsenosides in SPNE on neutrophils. Among them, Rh1 and 20(R)-Rg3 did not affect the number of neutrophils at the entire tail, suggesting that they only inhibit the migration of neutrophils. In contrast, ginsenosides Rk3, Rh4, 20(S)-Rg3, and SPNE did not only inhibit the migration of neutrophils but also promoted neutrophilic cell death. In conclusion, this study sheds light on how SPNE, in particular the ginsenosides it contains, plays a role in immune modulation.

Screening of hypoglycemic components in Platycladi Cacumen by phytochemical investigation, spectrum-effect relationship, and chemometric methods

In this work, the hypoglycemic components in Platycladi Cacumen, an essential traditional Chinese medicine, were evaluated by combining phytochemical investigation, spectrum-effect relationship analysis, and chemometric methods. The phytochemical studies on Platycladi Cacumen extract lead to the isolation of 21 potential bioactive compounds. The chromatographic fingerprints of Platycladi Cacumen samples were established by high-performance liquid chromatography. The hypoglycemic effects of Platycladi Cacumen samples were further evaluated by inhibition of α-glucosidase and detected by the high-performance liquid chromatography method. The spectrum-effect relationship study by bivariate correlations analysis and orthogonal partial least squares regression revealed that myricitrin (P9), quercitrin (P13), afzelin (P18), and amentoflavone (P24) were more relevant to the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The results of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of 21 isolated compounds and molecular docking studies also indicated these flavonoids had potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Collectively, the present study established the spectrum-effect relationship mode of Platycladi Cacumen and discovered the major hypoglycemic components, which provides a feasible method for screening bioactive components.

Screening out key compounds of Glechomae Herba for antiurolithic activity and quality control based on spectrum-effect relationships coupled with UPLC-QDA

Glechomae Herba (GH) has been widely used in the treatment of urolithiasis, especially kidney stones, in China and Southeast Asia. Pharmacological studies have suggested that the antioxidant property of GH contributes to its anticalculus effect. CaSR is one of the main locations of kidney stones, and the mechanism of action of CaSR inhibitors in the treatment of kidney stones is similar to that of GH. However, until now, the antiurolithic chemical compounds in GH and their interaction with CaSR remain unknown. In our study, we revealed the interaction between the active compounds in GH and the active compounds in CaSR inhibitors by using spectrum-effect relationship analysis, pharmacodynamics, and molecular docking techniques. The results showed ten common peaks from the fingerprints of GH extracts from different regions. Pharmacological experiments showed that GH could significantly treat renal tissue lesions. Chlorogenic acid (CA), rosmarinic acid (RA), P5, luteolin, apigenin, and P9 were screened after the analysis of spectrum-effect relationships. In vitro validation experiments showed that all the screened compounds had inhibitory effects on the development of kidney stones in our model. The molecular docking results showed that the above compounds could be docked with CaSR in a natural state, and the docking score was less than 7. This work constructs a general model for the combination of UPLC-QDA and antiurolithic drugs, studies the spectrum-effect relationship of GH, and provides a new possibility for the development of new antiurolithic drugs.

Multimodal integrated strategy for the discovery and identification of quality markers in traditional Chinese medicine

With the modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the requirement for quality control has increased. The quality marker (Q-marker) is an important standard in this field and has been implemented with remarkable success in recent years. However, the establishment of Q-markers remains fragmented and the process lacks systematicity, resulting in inconsistent quality control and insufficient correlation with clinical efficacy and safety of TCM. This review introduces four multimodal integrated approaches that contribute to the discovery of more comprehensive and accurate Q-markers, thus aiding in the establishment of new quality control patterns based on the characteristics and principles of TCM. These include the whole-process quality control strategy, chemical-activity-based screening method, efficacy, safety, and consistent combination strategy, and TCM theory-guided approach. Furthermore, methodologies and representative examples of these strategies are described, and important future directions and questions in this field are also proposed.

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Four multimodal integrated strategies were introduced to establish Q-markers.

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Quality control of TCM should focus on the entire process chain.

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The identification of Q-markers needs to be guided by TCM theory.

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Ensuring efficacy, safety, and consistency is an essential goal of Q-markers.

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Multidisciplinary techniques are the driving force for improving Q-markers.

Material Basis Elucidation and Quantification of Dandelion through Spectrum-Effect Relationship Study between UHPLC Fingerprint and Antioxidant Activity via Multivariate Statistical Analysis

The excessive expression of reactive oxygen species is closely connected to many diseases. Considerable studies have demonstrated dandelion as well as its ingredients exhibited antioxidant activity. However, specific material basis reflecting the antioxidant activity has not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, a spectrum–effect relationship study on dandelion between fingerprinting and antioxidant activity was analyzed in detail, while a UHPLC quantification method developed and completely validated for simultaneous determination of active ingredients in dandelion. With the establishment of dandelion fingerprints of different regions, 24 common peaks were characterized. The classic FRAP method and ABTS methods were then used to detect their antioxidant activity. Partial least squares regression analysis, bivariate correlation analysis and grey correlation method were used to accomplish the spectrum–effect relationship. Eventually, the ingredients with antioxidant activity which could be considered as candidate quality markers of dandelion were discovered through spectrum–effect relationship analysis. The six compounds including caftaric acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, chicoric acid, isochlorogenic acid A, and isochlorogenic acid C were quantitatively determined. The developed UHPLC assay method was accurate, precise, and reliable. The study has elucidated the antioxidant material basis of dandelion and provided a scientific basis for the quality control of dandelion.

A Strategy for Screening the Lipid-Lowering Components in Alismatis Rhizoma Decoction Based on Spectrum-Effect Analysis

Alismatis Rhizoma decoction (ARD), comprised of Alisma plantago-aquatica subsp. orientale (Sam.) Sam and Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. at a ratio of 5 : 2, is a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula with successful clinical hypolipidemic effect. This paper aimed to explore the major bioactive compounds and potential mechanism of ARD in the treatment of hyperlipidemia on the basis of spectrum-effect analysis and molecular docking. Nine ARD samples with varying ratios of the constituent herbs were prepared and analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS to obtain the chemical spectra. Then, the lipid-lowering ability of the nine samples was tested in an oleic acid-induced lipid accumulation model in human hepatoma cells (HepG₂). Grey relational analysis and partial least squares regression analysis were then performed to determine the correlation between the chemical spectrums and lipid-lowering efficacies of ARD. The potential mechanisms of the effective compounds were investigated by docking with the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) protein. The results indicated that alisol B 23-acetate, alisol C 23-acetate, and alisol B appeared to be the core effective components on hyperlipidemia in ARD. Molecular docking further demonstrated that all three compounds could bind to FXR and were potential FXR agonists for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. This study elucidated the effective components and potential molecular mechanism of action of ARD for treating hyperlipidemia from a perspective of different compatibility, providing a new and feasible reference for the research of TCM formulas such as ARD.

Multi-parametric cellular imaging coupled with multi-component quantitative profiling for screening of hepatotoxic equivalent markers from Psoraleae Fructus

BACKGROUND

The hepatotoxicity of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is an important reason for its restrictive application. Psoraleae Fructus (PF), a commonly used CHM for treatment of osteoporosis and vitiligo etc., has caused serious concern due to the frequent occurrence of liver injury incidents. To date, its hepatotoxic equivalent markers (HEMs) and potential mechanisms are still unclear.

PURPOSE

To discover and validate the HEMs of PF and further explore the potential mechanisms of hepatotoxicity.

METHODS

Multi-parametric cellular imaging was performed by high content screening, and multi-component quantitative profiling was conducted by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry. The correlations between hepatotoxic features and component contents were modeled by chemometrics including partial least square regression, back propagation-artificial neural network, and hierarchical cluster analysis. Then the candidate HEMs of PF were screened out and subjected to hepatotoxic equivalence assessment in primary hepatocytes, zebrafish, and mice, and the hepatotoxic mechanisms of PF were investigated.

RESULTS

The chemical combination of psoralen and isopsoralen was discovered as the HEMs of PF through pre-screening and verifying process. PF was demonstrated to induce oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study not only provides a rational strategy for screening HEMs from CHMs like PF, but also contributes to understanding the underlying mechanisms of PF hepatotoxicity.

An integrated approach to uncover anti-tumor active materials of Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma based on spectrum-effect relationship, molecular docking, and ADME evaluation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma (CR-SR), an ancient and classical herbal couple, has been extensively used for tumor treatment in clinic of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs).

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study aimed to uncover the anti-tumor active materials of CR-SR water decoction (CR:SR = 1:1) via an integrated approach of spectrum-effect relationship, molecular docking, and ADME evaluation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The anti-tumor activities toward A549, HepG2, Hela, BGC-823, and MCF-7 cells of the different polar elution fractions (DPEFs) of CR, SR, and CR-SR were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Likewise, the DPEFs' combinations of CR and SR were also tested. The chemical fingerprints of these fractions were profiled by HPLC. Meanwhile, HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS was applied for the identification of chemical components. The main effect-related compounds were screened out by spectrum-effect relationship and molecular docking method. The oral bioavailability and druggability of these active components were subsequently evaluated. Finally, five monomeric compounds were validated experimentally using HepG2 cells.

RESULTS

The 80% ethanol elution fraction of CR, SR, and CR-SR showed strong anti-tumor effects toward five cells. Also, the combinations with the 80% ethanol elution fraction of CR and SR showed stronger tumor inhibition effects among the DPEFs' combinations of CR and SR. By spectrum-effect relationship, HPLC-MS, and molecular docking analysis, 24 main effect-related compounds seemed to have potential anti-tumor effects. ADME evaluation showed rutin performed low oral bioavailability and druggability. Therefore, we suppose that 23 compounds (including 4 unknown compounds) are the primary anti-tumor active components of CR-SR water decoction. Among them, zederone, curcumol, chlorogenic acid, calycosin, and curcumenol were validated successfully with good tumor inhibition effects.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, this study demonstrated that the multi-components of CR-SR contribute to its anti-tumor effects. It established a rapid and useful strategy to explore the active material basis of traditional Chinese herbal couples with a multi-technology integrated approach in practice, including chromatography, mass spectrometry, machine algorithm models, online databases, and in vitro cell experiments.

Effects of a Chlorogenic Acid-Containing Herbal Medicine (LASNB) on Colon Cancer

Background

Plant polyphenols, which contain phenolic acids such as chlorogenic acid (CGA), can be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer and have gained increasing attention in recent years. In this study, we explored a novel CGA-containing herbal medicine named LAS^NB, which was extracted from Lonicera japonica Thunb., Agrimonia eupatoria L., and Scutellaria barbata D.Don.

Methods

CGA in LAS^NB was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The biological functions and molecular mechanisms of LAS^NB were investigated in colon cancer cell lines (HCT116, HCT15, and CT26), a normal colon cell line (NCM460), and a CT26 xenograft model. To assess safety, hematological toxicity and pathology of the liver, kidney, and lung were evaluated.

Results

LAS^NB suppressed HCT116, HCT15, and CT26 colon cancer progression by inhibiting proliferation capacity, promoting cell apoptosis, and suppressing cell migration both in vitro and in vivo. Investigation into the underlying molecular mechanism indicated that LAS^NB suppressed the activation of receptor tyrosine kinase- (RTK-) MEK-ERK and NF-κB pathways. With regard to safety, slight interstitial vascular congestion in the lung was observed, but no severe pathological or hematological toxicity was detected.

Conclusions

We found that LAS^NB suppressed the progression of colon cancer via the RTK-MEK-ERK and NF-κB pathways, with no severe toxicity observed. Therefore, LAS^NB has the potential to be used as a supplementary herbal medicine for the treatment of colon cancer.

Anaphylaxis effect and substance basis of honeysuckle extract

Objective

To explore the anaphylaxis effect and anaphylaxis substances of honeysuckle.

Methods

Rat peritoneal mast cells (PMC) were separated and purified, the cells were incubated with compound 48/80 (0.02 g/L), physiological saline and honeysuckle extract (120 g/L) at 37 °C for 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min. Degranulation were observed by optical microscope and transmission electron microscope. Annexin V positive cell rate was detected by flow cytometry to reflect the degranulation rate of PMC. SD rats were supplied with honeysuckle extract by intravenous injection at a dose of 2.25 g/L. After administration, different parameters were analyzed, including the symptoms, histamine (HIS) and tryptase (MCT) levels, which were determined to explore the effect of anaphylaxis. Regression analysis was used to calculate the relationships between the peaks and the pharmacological effects to explore potentially anaphylactoid components.

Results

The percentage of Annxin V positive cells and the degranulation ratio were markedly elevated in PMC treated with honeysuckle extract for more than 15 min (P < 0.05). HIS and MCT level were significantly elevated after injection of honeysuckle extract for more than 15 min. Morphology of PMC and systemic symptoms were also changed compared with the controlled group (P < 0.05). Regression analysis was used to calculate the relationship between peaks and pharmacological effects, and to determine peaks 7, 10 and 13 as possible anaphylactoid ingredients.

Conclusion

This study established a prospective method to clarify the anaphylactoid components of honeysuckle extract, which would provide guidance for screening anaphylactoid components in traditional Chinese medicine injections containing honeysuckle in the prescription.

Spectrum-effect relationship between high-performance thin-layer chromatography data and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of celery seed extract

Celery seeds are medicinal herbs used for the prevention and treatment of gout as these have the ability to inhibit the activity of xanthine oxidase and reduce the concentration of serum uric acid. In this study, the relationship between xanthine oxidase inhibitory effects and high-performance thin-layer chromatography data of celery seed extracts was established using multilayer neural network (MNN) in combination with principal component analysis (PCA). The constructed MNN-PCA model was stable and had accurate prediction ability with coefficient of determination = 0.9998, leave-one-out coefficient = 0.7371, root mean square error = 0.0025, and mean absolute deviation = 0.0019 for the training set and coefficient of determination = 0.8124, root mean square error = 0.0784, and mean absolute deviation = 0.0645 for the test set. This model can be used to identify the main compounds related to the xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect of celery seed extract. These results can be applied not only to celery extract but also to other herbal medicines.

Identification of compounds with antipyretic effects and anti-endotoxin activity in different species of Lonicera japonica using spectrum-effect correlation

Liquid chromatography (LC) is a common and straight forward approach used in the evaluation of the quality of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs). Quality control is a critical step when systematically assessing the efficacy of TCMs. In the present study, the spectrum-effect correlation method was used to identify pharmacologically active substances. The aim of the present study was to investigate the underlying correlations between common chemical compounds with antipyretic effects and the anti-endotoxin activity of Lonicera japonica. The common chemical constituents of Lonicera japonica were analyzed using LC, and the antipyretic effects and anti-endotoxin activity were determined using ELISAs. Combining the results of bivariate and principal component analysis methods, eight active constituents were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The results of these analyses indicated that neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acids A, B and C served a synergistic role with respect to antipyretic effects and anti-endotoxin activity. The present study lays a foundation for the future clinical use of Lonicera japonica.

Quality Assessment of Sitopaladi Churna Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Multivariate Analysis

"Sitopaladi churna," a well-known formulation of Ayurveda, is prescribed to treat the disease like Bronchitis, Pneumonia, allergic conditions, viral infection of the respiratory tract and as a natural antioxidant. A novel method based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled to photodiode array detector was established and validated for sitopaladi churna. Here, HPLC fingerprints data obtained for 28 samples including standard sample were then treated to chemometric analysis like principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis for further analysis to evaluate the differences in market samples of sitopaladi churna. Additionally, one major marker compound, piperine was quantified and it also facilitated for relative retention time. The simulative mean spectrum was also generated. The validation results showed that the developed method was simple, precise and stable. Thus, the developed chromatographic method adjoined with multivariate analysis can be used as an efficient and practical approach for quality assessment of sitopaladi churna.

A multi-strategy platform for quality control and Q-markers screen of Chaiqin chengqi decoction

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disorder of the pancreas that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Chaiqin chengqi decoction (CQCQD) has been proven clinically to be an effective treatment for AP for decades in West China Hospital. Quality control for CQCQD containing many hundreds of characteristic phytochemicals poses a challenge for developing robust quality assessment metrics.

PURPOSE

To evaluate quality consistency of CQCQD with a multi-strategy based analytical method, identify potential quality-markers (Q-markers) based on drug properties and effect characteristics, and endeavor to establish CQCQD as a globally-accepted medicine.

METHODS

A typical analysis of constitutive medicinal plant materials was performed following the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The extraction process was optimized through an orthogonal array (L₉(3⁴)) to evaluate three levels of liquid to solid ratio, soaking time, duration of extraction, and the number of extractions. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) fingerprinting combined with absolute quantitation of multi chemical marker compounds, coupled with similarity, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and principal component analyses (PCA) were performed to evaluate 10 batches of CQCQD. On the basis of systematic analysis of fundamental features of CQCQD in treating AP, the potential Q-marker screen was proposed through detection of quality transfer and efficacy for chemical markers. UHPLC coupled with quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry were used to determine compounds in medicinal materials, decoctions and plasma. Network pharmacology and taurolithocholic acid 3-sulfate induced pancreatic acinar cell death were used to evaluate the correlation between chemical markers and anti-pancreatitis activity. A cerulein induced AP murine model was used to validate quality assessed CQCQD batches at clinically-equivalent dose. The effective content of chemical markers was predicted using linear regression analysis on quantitative information between validated batches and the other batches.

RESULTS

The chemical markers and other physical and chemical indices in the original materials met Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards. A total of 22 co-existing fingerprint peaks were selected and the similarity varied between 0.946 and 0.990. Batch D10 possessed the highest similarity index. HCA classified the 10 batches into 2 main groups: 7 batches represented by D10 and 3 batches represented by D1. During the initial Q-marker screen stage, 22 compounds were detected in both plant materials and decoctions, while 13 compounds were identified in plasma. Network pharmacology predicted the potential targets and pathway of AP related to the 22 compounds. All 10 batches showed reduced necrosis below 60% with the best effect achieved by D10 (~40%). The spectrum-efficacy relationship analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis indicated that emodin, rhein, aloe emodin, geniposide, hesperridin, chrysin, syringin, synephrine, geniposidic acid, magnolol, physcion, sinensetin, and baicalein showed positive correlation with pancreatic acinar cell death protection. Similar to the in vitro evaluation, batch D10 significantly reduced total histopathological scores and biochemical severity indices at a clinically-equivalent dose but batch D1 did not. The content of naringin, narirutin and baicalin in batches D1, D5 and D9 consistently exceeds the upper limit of the predicted value. Eight markers whose lower limit is predicted to be close to 0 contributed less to the material basis for AP protection.

CONCLUSION

Despite qualified materials used for CQCQD preparation, the clinical effect depends on appropriate content range of Q-markers. Emodin, rhein, aloe emodin, magnolol, hesperidin, synephrine, baicalein, and geniposide are considered as vital Q-markers in the primary screen. This study proposed a feasible platform for producing highly consistent batches of CQCQD in future study.

Anticoagulant active ingredients identification of total saponin extraction of different Panax medicinal plants based on grey relational analysis combined with UPLC-MS and molecular docking

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In traditional use, Panax medicinal plants (ginseng, red ginseng, notoginseng, Panax japonicus, and Panacis majoris rhizoma) have different bioactivities from each other, even under different dosages, but their chemical compositions are very similar; so the question is, what is the primary effective substance induced the different efficacy, and how to identify them from a group of chemical constituents?

AIM OF THE STUDY

The goal of this research was to provide a strategy to determine the effective substance in Panax genus medicinal plants responsible for the anticoagulant response.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This research used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) to analyze the saponin chemical compositions of different concentration ethanol extraction of notoginseng and the ginseng genus medical plant 75% ethanol extraction (Panax ginseng, red ginseng, Panax japonicus, Panacis majoris rhizome), and used four coagulation factors (PT, TT, APTT, Fib) to evaluate the anticoagulant activity of the extracts. Grey correlation analysis was applied to establish the spectral effect relationship and give the anticoagulant potency of different saponins. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were adopted to clarify and verify the possible mechanisms of anticoagulant action.

RESULTS

The results showed that the blood physiological regulation activities of Panax medicinal plants were different according to the solvent concentration, processing, species and dosage. Overall, the most suitable solvent for extraction of SQ was 75% ethanol; At low dosage (10-100 mg/mL), the anticoagulant effect of Panax medical plants was: ZJS > ZZS > SQ > RS > HS, and at high doses (100-1000 mg/mL) was: SQ > ZJS > ZZS > RS > HS. GRA and molecular docking results showed the contribution of some components (NG-R2, NG-Fc/G-Ra1/G-Ra2, G-Rc, G-Rk3, and G-Rh4) to the whole anticoagulant activity of the drug were increased, while the effect of CS-IVa was just decreased with the increase of dosage; the anticoagulant effect of G-Rg3 (the main anticoagulant component) is mainly related to the targets F2, AR, RHO, ACR, MB, GZMB, B2M, CA2, CAT, and PAPOLA.

CONCLUSION

This study determined the effective substance of anti-coagulation of ginseng genus herbal medicines and the regulation of different anticoagulant effects of TCM by changing various influencing conditions, including processing method, extraction method, and dose. It also provided an effective strategy for effective substances identification of multicomponent, multifunction, and multipurpose herbal medicine.

Anti-Hepatoma Compound Determination by the Method of Spectrum Effect Relationship, Component Knock-Out, and UPLC-MS2 in Scheflera heptaphylla (L.)Frodin Harms and Its Mechanism

Scheflera heptaphylla (L.)Frodin, a kind of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is commonly used in anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-viral, anti-tumor, and hemostasis. This study aimed to determine the anti-hepatoma components and its mechanism from the leaves of S. heptaphylla. The spectrum-effect relationships were analyzed by the method of Partial least squares, indicating that P1, P2, and P10 were positively correlated to inhibitory activity of Huh7 cells. Whereas others were negatively correlated. The technologies of component knock-out and UPLC-MS² were used to determine compounds as 3,4-Dicaffeoylquinic acid (P6), 3,5-Dicaffeoylquinic acid (P7), 3α-Hydroxy-lup-20(29)-ene-23,28-dioic acid (P10, named Compound A). The results forecasted that Compound A had the best correlation with inhibitory activity. The effects of Compound A on the activities of human hepatoma cells (Huh7, SMMC-7721, HepG 2) and normal hepatocytes (L0-2, Chang liver) were evaluated. Cell apoptosis was observed with inverted microscope and flow cytometer. In addition, the proteins, related to apoptosis, were detected by Western blot. The results showed that Compound A (400 nM) could significantly inhibit the activity of three hepatoma cells (P < 0.001) with slight toxicity to normal hepatocytes, and the IC₅₀ values were 285.3 and 315.1 nM, respectively, which were consistent with the prediction of spectrum-effect relationships. After treatment with Compound A, the number of hepatoma cells decreased significantly. And the apoptosis rate of Huh7 cells increased significantly (P < 0.001) in Compound A (200, 400 nM) groups, SMMC-7721 and HepG 2 were directly necrotic. Compound A groups could significantly improve the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) (P < 0.05, P < 0.001) in Huh7 with no effect on normal hepatocytes. The content of apoptotic protein (Bax and Bim) in mitochondria was significantly increased in Compound A groups (P < 0.001). On the contrary, the content of anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-xL and Mcl-1) decreased significantly (P < 0.001). These results demonstrated that Compound A was the main anti-hepatoma active component in the S. heptaphylla leaves. It achieved the effect of promoting apoptosis of Huh7 cells by regulating the levels of ROS and Bcl-2 family protein in mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

miR-421 up-regulation by the oleanolic acid derivative K73-03 regulates epigenetically SPINK1 transcription in pancreatic cancer cells leading to metabolic changes and enhanced apoptosis

SPINK1 overexpression promotes cancer cell aggressiveness and confers chemo-resistance to multiple drugs in pancreatic cancer. Oleanolic acid (OA) derivatives possess active effects against different cancers. Here we report the effect of K73-03, a new novel OA derivative, against pancreatic cancer through mitochondrial dysfunction via miR-421/SPINK1 regulation. We examined the binding ability of miR-421 with SPINK1-3'UTR Luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, miR-421/SPINK1 expressions in pancreatic cancer, with or without K73-03 treatment, were evaluated. Cells viability, migration, autophagy, mitochondrial function and apoptosis were examined with or without K73-03 treatment. We established that the K73-03 effect on the miR-421 that plays a crucial role in the regulation of SPINK1 in pancreatic cancer. Our findings indicated that K73-03 inhibited the mitochondrial function that led to inducing autophagy and apoptosis through epigenetic SPINK1 down-regulation via miR-421 up-regulation in pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, the inhibition of miR-421 expression in pancreatic cancer cells abolished the efficacy of K73-03 against SPINK1 oncogenic properties. We found an interesting finding that the interaction between miR-421 and SPINK1 is related to mitochondrial function through the effect of K73-03. Further, SPINK1 appear to be the molecular targets of K73-03 especially more than gemcitabine.

Antitumor effects of aconitine in A2780 cells via estrogen receptor β‑mediated apoptosis, DNA damage and migration

Ovarian cancer (OVCA) is the deadliest type of malignant gynecological disease, and previous studies have demonstrated that estrogen receptor β (ERβ) serves important roles in this disease. Aconitine, a toxin produced by the Aconitum plant, displays potent effects against cancers. The aim of the study was to investigate the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of aconitum on OVCA. In the present study, the activity of aconitine in the human OVCA A2780 cell line was investigated. The results revealed that aconitine suppressed cell viability, colony formation and motility. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, mitochondria membrane potential and comet assays showed that aconitine induced mitochondria apoptosis and DNA damage in A2780 cells. Investigation of the mechanism revealed that a high expression of ERβ and prolyl hydroxylase 2 was detected after aconitine treatment, and aconitine significantly suppressed the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α to activate ERβ signaling. Moreover, the expression levels of p53, Bax, apoptotic peptidase activating factor 1, cytochrome C, cleaved caspase-3/9 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase were upregulated, and the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and phosphorylated ATM serine/threonine kinase were downregulated by aconitine. Interestingly, aconitine also markedly downregulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9, which are associated with tumor invasion. In addition, a molecular docking assay revealed that aconitine exerted strong affinity towards ERβ mainly through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic effects. Collectively, these results suggested that aconitine suppressed OVCA cell growth by adjusting ERβ-mediated apoptosis, DNA damage and migration, which should be considered a potential option for the future treatment of OVCA.

Effects of a Matrine- and Sophoridine-Containing Herbal Compound Medicine (AH-05) on Liver Cancer

Herbal medicine can present an alternative way of treating liver cancer. Here, we explored a matrine- and sophoridine-containing herbal compound medicine (AH-05) extracted from Adenophora capillaris, Sophora flavescens, Astragalus, and other plants. H22 and HepG2 cell models, as well as an H22 xenograft model, were established. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured in vitro, and tumor volume and weight were observed in vivo. The activation of AKT/mTOR and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways in tumor cells and the polarization of CD4/CD8 T cells in the spleen were tested. To assess safety, hematological toxicity and pathology of the liver, kidney, spleen, and intestine were evaluated. AH-05 inhibited cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In vivo, tumor volume and weight were reduced, and the activation of NF-κB p50, NF-κB p65, AKT, p-AKT Ser473, and mTOR was suppressed. In addition, AH-05 promoted CD4+ T cell polarization in the spleen. With regard to safety, slight intestinal mucosa edema was observed, but no severe pathological or hematological toxicity was detected. AH-05 exhibited its therapeutic effects against liver cancer by regulating the AKT/mTOR and NF-κB signaling pathways, and the immune environment, by promoting CD4+ T cell polarization in the spleen. Thus, AH-05 represents a potential supplementary herbal compound medicine for liver cancer.

Study on the Anticancer Effect of an Astragaloside- and Chlorogenic Acid-Containing Herbal Medicine (RLT-03) in Breast Cancer

Background

Although surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapy are widely used in clinical practice for breast cancer treatment, herbal medicines (HMs) are considered as an alternative to palliative treatments because of their coordinated intervention effects and relatively low side effects. Astragaloside (AS) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) are major active ingredients of Radix Astragali and Lonicera japonica, which have shown antitumorigenic properties in certain cancers, but the role of HMs containing both AS and CGA remains unclear in breast cancer. In this study, we explored an AS- and CGA-containing HM (RLT-03) extracted from Radix Astragali, Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Trichosanthin, and Rhizoma imperatae.

Methods

RLT-03 was extracted using water and n-butanol, and the AS and CGA ingredients in RLT-03 were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD). 4T1, EMT6, BT-549, and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were used, and an EMT6 xenograft model was established. Cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were measured in vitro, and tumor volume and weight were observed in vivo. The expression of VEGF, EGF, IL-10, TGF-β, and CD34 and cell apoptosis in tumors were examined.

Results

RLT-03 inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In vivo, tumor volume and weight were reduced, and the expression of VEGF, EGF, IL-10, TGF-β, and CD34 was suppressed in the tumor microenvironment, while cell apoptosis was induced.

Conclusion

RLT-03 exhibited therapeutic effects against breast cancer by regulating the expression of ligands of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and inflammatory factors. Thus, RLT-03 represents a potential supplementary HM that can be used in breast cancer therapy.

Spectrum-effect relationship between fingerprints and hemopoietic effects of small molecular fraction of Polygoni Multiflori radix praeparata

Polygoni multiflori Radix Praeparata (PMRP) is a traditional medicine used for nourishing essence and blood in China. However, it is unclear which PMRP compounds are responsible for its hematopoietic effect. In this study, spectrum-effect relationship was used to discovery potential hematopoietic compounds. The fingerprints of 20 PMRP batches were established by HPLC and the hematopoietic effect was determined using red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet indexes in aplastic anemia model mice. The spectrum-effect relationship between common peaks and hematopoietic efficacy values was established using gray relational analysis and partial least squares analysis. Spectrum-effect relationship results showed that peaks 21 (emodin-8-O-(6´-O-acetyl)-β-D-glucoside), 15 (2, 3, 5, 4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-di-glucoside), 16 (cis-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside), 11 (unknown), 20(unknown, 12 (epicatechin), 29 (carboxyl emodin), and 31 (emodin) in the fingerprints were closely related to the hematopoietic effect. This work successfully established the spectrum-effect relationship between PMRP hematopoietic effect and its fingerprints, which can be used to explain the material basis for the PMRP hematopoietic effect.

Discovering the Major Antitussive, Expectorant, and Anti-Inflammatory Bioactive Constituents in Tussilago Farfara L. Based on the Spectrum-Effect Relationship Combined with Chemometrics

Farfarae Flos (FF) is the dried flower bud of Tussilago farfara L, which has antitussive, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, little research on the main active composition of FF has been reported. The purpose of this study is to find the main active compounds responsible for the three pharmacological effects (i.e., antitussive, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory effects) of Farfarae Flos, based on the spectrum–effect relationship combined with chemometrics. First, this study uses the UPLC-QDA method to establish the chromatography fingerprint of Farfarae Flos, which is combined with chemometrics to analyze 18 batches of samples. Then, we study the antitussive, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory effects of Farfarae Flos. Finally, the spectrum–effect relationship between the fingerprint and the three pharmacological effects are studied by grey correlation analysis and partial least squares regression. The results show that four, four, and three main active constituents were found for the antitussive, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects, respectively. In conclusion, we found the main active compounds corresponding to the main pharmacodynamic effects of Farfarae Flos. To our knowledge, this is the first time that spectrum–effect relationships in FF have been established using both raw and processed samples, which provides an experimental basis for further studies on the pharmacodynamic material basis of Farfarae Flos, as well as providing reference for the comprehensive evaluation of Farfarae Flos quality and the development of substitute resources.

Investigation on Spectrum-Effect Correlation between Constituents Absorbed into Blood and Bioactivities of Baizhu Shaoyao San before and after Processing on Ulcerative Colitis Rats by UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS Coupled with Gray Correlation Analysis

Baizhu Shaoyao San (BSS) is a crucial traditional Chinese medicinal formula widely applied for the treatment of painful diarrhea, diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and some other gastrointestinal diseases. Corresponding to the clinical medication, the three medicinal herbs (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium) included in BSS should be processed using some specific methods of stir-frying. To find the underlying correlations between serum chemical profiles and curative effects of crude and processed BSS on ulcerative colitis rats, and further explore for the effective material basis of processing, an UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS technique coupled with gray correlation analysis (GCA) was developed. A total of 134 compounds were identified in rat sera after oral administration of BSS, among which 24 compounds were prototypes and 110 compounds were metabolites. Meanwhile, an ulcerative colitis model was established in rats by enema with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, and the pharmacodynamic indicators for drug efficacies were evaluated as well. According to the results, processed BSS showed better efficacy than crude BSS. The top 10 potential effective components with high degree of correlation were identified based on GCA results, which were thought to be the crucial compounds that contributed to the enhancement of therapeutic effects in BSS after processing.

Research on correlation of compositions with oestrogenic activity of Cistanche based on LC/Q-TOF-MS/MS technology

LC technology is a recognized method used worldwide to evaluate the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). The quality of TCM has a direct impact on its efficacy. Therefore, in order to thoroughly reveal how TCM exerts its efficacy, first of all, it is necessary to understand the material basis for its efficacy, and then to control the quality of active compounds. The application of the spectrum-effect relationship method is crucial for determining the pharmacological material basis. The goal of this paper was to investigate the underlying correlations between the chemical profiles and oestrogenic activity of Cistanche, to reveal the active compounds. The chemical profiles of Cistanche were recorded using HPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS, and oestrogenic activity was determined by the Uterus growth test and the MTT assay. Then combining the results of bivariate analysis, principal component analysis and gray correlation analysis method, fifteen active compounds were identified. They are 8-epiloganic acid, salidroside, syringalide A 3’-α-l-rhamnopyranoside, cistanoside A, echinacoside, cistanoside F, cistanoside B, cistanoside C, osmanthuside B, acteoside, isoacteoside, tubuloside B, 2’-acetylacteoside, and two unknown compounds. This study lays a foundation for in vivo studies of Cistanche and for the development of its clinical application.

Stability of Alkaloids during Drying Process and Their Effect on Anticoagulating Activity of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis

The drying process of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis (URCU), a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, was studied in a scale dryer in laboratory at 65°C. It was observed that the alkaloids content of URCU firstly showed a tendency of increasing and then decreasing after reaching the peak at the 570th minute in the process of constant temperature drying. Moreover, the coagulation time of rabbit determined by test tubes has been adopted to study the effect imposed by the content of alkaloids on the anticoagulating activity of URCU. In addition, the software of Minitab was also utilized to fit the correlation between the content of alkaloids and the anticoagulating activity of URCU. The results obtained demonstrated that anticoagulant activities were available in both rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline, among which the latter was the stronger one, while procoagulant activity was shown in corynoxeine. The case study can provide a useful reference for the research on drying other Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) and further study on URCU.