A new and weakly antispasmodic protoberberine alkaloid from Rhizoma Coptidis

Antispasmodic Effect of Alstonia boonei De Wild. and Its Constituents: Ex Vivo and In Silico Approaches

BACKGROUND

Alstonia boonei, belonging to the family Apocynaceae, is one of the best-known medicinal plants in Africa and Asia. Stem back preparations are traditionally used as muscle relaxants. This study investigated the antispasmodic properties of Alstonia boonei Stem back and its constituents.

METHOD

The freeze-dried aqueous Stem back extract of A. boonei, as well as dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate, and aqueous fractions, were evaluated for their antispasmodic effect via the ex vivo method. Two compounds were isolated from the DCM fraction using chromatographic techniques, and their antispasmodic activity was evaluated. An in silico study was conducted by evaluating the interaction of isolated compounds with human PPARgamma-LBD and human carbonic anhydrase isozyme.

RESULTS

The Stem back crude extract, DCM, ethyl acetate, and aqueous fractions showed antispasmodic activity on high-potassium-induced (K+ 80 mM) contractions on isolated rat ileum with IC50 values of 0.03 ± 0.20, 0.02 ± 0.05, 0.03 ± 0.14, and 0.90 ± 0.06 mg/mL, respectively. The isolated compounds from the DCM fraction were β-amyrin and boonein, with only boonein exhibiting antispasmodic activity on both high-potassium-induced (IC50 = 0.09 ± 0.01 µg/mL) and spontaneous (0.29 ± 0.05 µg/mL) contractions. However, β-amyrin had a stronger interaction with the two proteins during the simulation.

CONCLUSION

The isolated compounds boonein and β-amyrin could serve as starting materials for the development of antispasmodic drugs.

Evaluation of raw and processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex using the quality marker analysis strategy by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS and multivariate statistical analysis

Introduction: Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex is a necessary part of healthcare for its significant clinical efficacy. Raw and processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex is both documented in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015). After processing, the therapeutic effects are believed to differ according to traditional Chinese medicine theories. However, the chemical mechanism responsible for this processing, according to traditional Chinese medicine theories, is still not clear. Methods: In this study, the therapeutic effects of various ions were examined based on traditional Chinese medicine theories by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS) coupled with multivariate statistical analysis, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), to comprehensively compare the differences between raw and processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex for the first time. Results: A total of 48 compounds were screened, out and 10 of them simultaneously transformed with significant variation in processed products compared with raw materials. It was illustrated that the contents of berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, magnoflorine, menisperine, phellodendrine, tetrahydrojatrorrhizine, and tetrahydropalmatine decreased, while the compounds of berberrubine and fernloylquinic acid methyl ester newly appeared in processed herbs. This is likely to be related to the conversion of ingredients during processing. Discussion: Altogether, the fact that quality markers have been successfully identified to differentiate processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex from raw materials suggests that this approach could be used for the investigation of chemical transformation mechanisms involved in the processing of herbal medicine.

Isoquinoline alkaloids from the Corydalis tomentella with potential anti-hepatoma and antibacterial activities

Six undescribed isoquinolines, including one rarely reported N-benzyl isoquinoline together with sixteen known ones were isolated from C. tomentella. Their planar structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive analyses of UV, IR, NMR, HRESIMS, DP4+ probability analysis as well as ECD calculations. Biological evaluations revealed that 3,4-2H-tomentelline C (6) showed significant cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ = 7.42 μM) against the HepG2 cell line while (1'R, 2'S)-coptichine B (3) exhibited stronger antibacterial activities.

Photocyclization of coumarinoyl enamides revisited: [2+2+2] cycloreversion/cycloaddition mechanism

The major and minor products for the photocyclization of coumarinoyl enamides were identified.

Coptidis Rhizoma: a comprehensive review of its traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology

CONTEXT

Coptidis rhizome (CR), also known as Huanglian in Chinese, is the rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch., C. deltoidea C.Y. Cheng et Hsiao, or C. teeta Wall (Ranunculaceae). It has been widely used to treat bacillary dysentery, diabetes, pertussis, sore throat, aphtha, and eczema in China.

OBJECTIVES

The present paper reviews the latest advances of CR, focusing on the botany, phytochemistry, traditional usages, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology and toxicology of CR and its future perspectives.

METHODS

Studies from 1985 to 2018 were reviewed from books; PhD. and MSc. dissertations; the state and local drug standards; PubMed; CNKI; Scopus; the Web of Science; and Google Scholar using the keywords Coptis, Coptidis Rhizoma, Huanglian, and goldthread.

RESULTS

Currently, 128 chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from CR. Alkaloids are the characteristic components, together with organic acids, coumarins, phenylpropanoids and quinones. The extracts/compounds isolated from CR cover a wide pharmacological spectrum, including antibacterial, antivirus, antifungal, antidiabetic, anticancer and cardioprotective effects. Berberine is the most important active constituent and the primary toxic component of CR.

CONCLUSIONS

As an important herbal medicine in Chinese medicine, CR has the potential to treat various diseases. However, further research should be undertaken to investigate the clinical effects, toxic constituents, target organs and pharmacokinetics, and to establish criteria for quality control, for CR and its related medications. In addition, the active constituents, other than alkaloids, in both raw and processed products of CR should be investigated.

Distribution and chemical forms of cadmium in Coptis chinensis Franch. determined by laser ablation ICP-MS, cell fractionation, and sequential extraction

Coptis chinensis Franch., is a widely used medicinal plant in China. This plant is often contaminated by cadmium (Cd) and render health risk to human consumers. Understanding distribution of Cd and its chemical forms is important to evaluate accumulation of the metal and its detoxification mechanisms in this plant. Since few studies have focused on this aspect, we used laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to spatially locate Cd in rhizome cross-sections, and ICP-MS to analyze the Cd subcellular distribution and the chemical forms of Cd in different tissues. Rhizome bioimaging results showed that Cd was distributed predominantly within the periderm, cortex, pith, and root trace vascular bundle. The LA-ICP-MS results suggested that Ca²⁺ channels might be a pathway for Cd entry into the plant. Subcellular distribution data indicated that most of Cd was associated with the cell wall (41.8-77.1%) and the soluble fraction (14.4-52.7%) in all tissues. Analysis of chemical forms revealed that majority Cd existed in less mobile and less toxic forms in all tissues, and P could convert to insoluble phosphate with Cd to moderate Cd toxicity. The new understanding of Cd accumulation and detoxification might provide novel strategies for reducing the levels of Cd in C. chinensis Franch., thereby mitigating its potential transfer to humans and providing a theoretical basis for evaluating the Cd status in other medicinal plants. Further, our findings might provide a basis for establishing a reasonable Cd limit level of traditional Chinese medicinal materials.

Stabilization of miRNAs in esophageal cancer contributes to radioresistance and limits efficacy of therapy

The five-year survival rate of esophageal cancer patients is less than 20%. This may be due to increased resistance (acquired or intrinsic) of tumor cells to chemo/radiotherapies, often caused by aberrant cell cycle, deregulated apoptosis, increases in growth factor signaling pathways, and/or changes in the proteome network. In addition, deregulation in non-coding RNA-mediated signaling pathways may contribute to resistance to therapies. At the molecular level, these resistance factors have now been linked to various microRNA (miRNAs), which have recently been shown to control cell development, differentiation and neoplasia. The increased stability and dysregulated expression of miRNAs have been associated with increased resistance to various therapies in several cancers, including esophageal cancer. Therefore, miRNAs represent the next generation of molecules with tremendous potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. However, detailed studies on miRNA-based therapeutic interventions are still in their infancy. Hence, in this review, we have summarized the current status of microRNAs in dictating the resistance/sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In addition, we have discussed various strategies to increase radiosensitivity, including targeted therapy, and the use of miRNAs as radiosensitive/radioresistance biomarkers for esophageal cancer in the clinical setting.

Natural Antispasmodics: Source, Stereochemical Configuration, and Biological Activity

Natural products with antispasmodic activity have been used in traditional medicine to alleviate different illnesses since the remote past. We searched the literature and compiled the antispasmodic activity of 248 natural compounds isolated from terrestrial plants. In this review, we summarized all the natural products reported with antispasmodic activity until the end of 2017. We also provided chemical information about their extraction as well as the model used to test their activities. Results showed that members of the Lamiaceae and Asteraceae families had the highest number of isolated compounds with antispasmodic activity. Moreover, monoterpenoids, flavonoids, triterpenes, and alkaloids were the chemical groups with the highest number of antispasmodic compounds. Lastly, a structural comparison of natural versus synthetic compounds was discussed.

Localization and Speciation of Chromium in Coptis chinensis Franch. using Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Technology and Laser Ablation ICP-MS

Coptis chinensis Franch. is one of the most important medicinal plants globally. However, this species contains relatively high concentrations of chromium (Cr) which potentially detrimental to human health. It is important to understand Cr localization and speciation in order to evaluate its accumulation and transportation mechanisms and minimize Cr transfer to humans. As little previous work in this area has been carried out, we utilized synchrotron radiation microscopic X-ray fluorescence (SR-μXRF) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to spatially locate Cr, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) to analyze Cr speciation, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to detect Cr subcellular concentration. Micromapping results showed that Cr was distributed predominantly within the vascular cylinder, the periderm and some outer cortex, and the cortex and some vascular bundles in root, rhizome, and petiole, respectively. XANES data showed that Cr(VI) can be reduced to Cr(III) when grown with Cr(VI), and yielded a novel conclusion that this plant contain elemental chromium. ICP-MS data showed that Cr was primarily compartmentalized in cell walls in all tissues. The new insights on Cr accumulation in C. chinensis Franch. provide a theoretical basis for the evaluation of Cr in other medicinal plants.

Coptidis rhizoma and its main bioactive components: recent advances in chemical investigation, quality evaluation and pharmacological activity

Background

Coptidis rhizoma (CR) is the dried rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch., C. deltoidea C. Y. Cheng et Hsiao or C. teeta Wall. (Ranunculaceae) and is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of various diseases including bacillary dysentery, typhoid, tuberculosis, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, empyrosis, pertussis, and other illnesses.

Methods

A literature survey was conducted via SciFinder, ScieneDirect, PubMed, Springer, and Wiley databases. A total of 139 selected references were classified on the basis of their research scopes, including chemical investigation, quality evaluation and pharmacological studies.

Results

Many types of secondary metabolites including alkaloids, lignans, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, saccharides, and steroids have been isolated from CR. Among them, protoberberine-type alkaloids, such as berberine, palmatine, coptisine, epiberberine, jatrorrhizine, columamine, are the main components of CR. Quantitative determination of these alkaloids is a very important aspect in the quality evaluation of CR. In recent years, with the advances in isolation and detection technologies, many new instruments and methods have been developed for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the main alkaloids from CR. The quality control of CR has provided safety for pharmacological applications. These quality evaluation methods are also frequently employed to screen the active components from CR. Various investigations have shown that CR and its main alkaloids exhibited many powerful pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, hypoglycemic, anti-Alzheimer and hepatoprotective activities.

Conclusion

This review summarizes the recent phytochemical investigations, quality evaluation methods, the biological studies focusing on CR as well as its main alkaloids.

Pharmacokinetics of two alkaloids after oral administration of rhizoma coptidis extract in normal rats and irritable bowel syndrome rats

A comparative pharmacokinetic study of berberine and palmatine after oral administration of Rhizoma Coptidis extract (96 mg/kg, containing berberine 22 mg/kg and palmatine 5 mg/kg based on body weight) was performed in normal and postinflammation irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) rats, induced by intracolonic instillation of acetic acid and restraint stress. Quantification of berberine and palmatine in rat plasma was achieved by using a sensitive and rapid UPLC-MS/MS method. Plasma samples were collected at 13 different time points and the pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed by WinNonlin software. The significant differences in the pharmacokinetic behaviors, such as C_max⁡, AUC_(0–t), V_d/F, and CL/F, of berberine and palmatine were found between normal and PI-IBS model rats. The results indicated that PI-IBS pathological conditions in rats could alter the pharmacokinetic behavior of drug. Preclinical pharmacokinetic studies are usually carried out on healthy animals. However, we should pay more attention to the fact that the change of pharmacokinetic behavior plays an important role on efficacy. It is essential to investigate the pharmacokinetics of the drug in disease status.

Quantitative analysis of flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins of Banxia Xiexin decoction using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Banxia Xiexin decoction (BXD) is an effective Chinese Medicinal Prescription in treating gastroenteritis diseases. In this study an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed to separate and determine 18 major active ingredients of BXD in order to guarantee quality. The separation of ten flavonoids, four alkaloids and four saponins was accomplished on an Acquity BEH C18 (2.1mm×100mm, 1.7μm) column using gradient elution with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid water (A) and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in methanol (B). All the analytes were detected in positive electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry by selective reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. A good linear regression relationship for each analyte was obtained over the range from 2.41-438ng/ml to 20.75-4150ng/ml. The precision was evaluated by intra- and inter-day assays with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 7.7%. The recovery measured at three concentration levels varied from 92.4% to 107.8%. The method sensitivity expressed as LOQ was typically 0.97-4.15ng/ml. The assay was successfully applied for determination of the 18 bioactive compounds in BXD. The results indicated that the new UPLC-MS/MS method was rapid and accurate, and could be reliably utilized as a quality control method for BXD.

A new class of selective and potent 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase inhibitors

We prepared a number of N-phenethyltetrahydroisoquinolines structurally related to protoberberines. They were tested for activity against bacteria, fungi, and human leukemia HL-60 cells and also for inhibition of biosynthesis: ergosterol in yeasts and cholesterol in human cells. In the latter assay panel, several of the compounds were distinguished by a strong and selective inhibition of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (7-DHCR, EC 1.3.1.21), an enzyme responsible for the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol in the last step of cholesterol biosynthesis. In a whole-cell assay, the most active compound 5f showed a much stronger inhibition of overall cholesterol biosynthesis (IC(50) 2.3 nM) than BM 15.766 (IC(50) 500 nM), presently the most selective known inhibitor of 7-DHCR. Since a defect of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase is associated with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS), the potent and selective inhibitors reported here will enable more detailed investigation of the pathogenesis of SLOS.