Avens Root (Geum Urbanum L.) Extract Discovered by Target-Based Screening Exhibits Antidiabetic Activity in the Hen's Egg Test Model and Drosophila melanogaster

Medicinal plant extracts are becoming increasingly important as an alternative for traditional drugs against diabetes mellitus (DM). For this reason, we initialized a target-based screening of 111 root extracts from an open access plant extract library (PECKISH) by ascertaining their in-vitro inhibitory efficacy on α-glucosidase. The two most active extracts Geum urbanum L. (roseroot) and Rhodiola rosea L. (avens root) were further tested for their antidiabetic activities in terms of their impact on different regulatory key points of glucose homeostasis. To this end, various enzyme- and cell culture-based in-vitro assays were employed including the determination of sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) activity in Caco-2 monolayers by Ussing chambers and of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation in a GFP-reporter cell line. Subsequently, the antidiabetic potential of the root extracts were further evaluated in in-vivo models, namely hen’s eggs test and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Avens root extract was found to be a more potent inhibitor of the enzymes α-glucosidase and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) than roseroot extract. Most importantly, only avens root extract exhibited antidiabetic activity in the two in-vivo models eliciting a reduced blood glucose level in the in-ovo model and a decline of the triglyceride level in a dietary starch-induced D. melanogaster obesity model. Analyses of the polyphenolic composition of the avens root extract by HPLC revealed a high content of ellagic acid and its derivatives as well as ellagitannins such as pedunculagin, stenophyllanin, stachyurin, casuarinin and gemin A. In conclusion, avens root extract represents a promising medicinal plant that should be considered in further in-vivo studies on hyperglycemia in laboratory rodents and humans.

Administration of Donor-Derived Nonexpanded Adipose Stromal Vascular Fraction Attenuates Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Donation After Cardiac Death Rat Renal Transplantation

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) has become a potential source for transplantation organs. However, ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) induced by cardiac arrest has limited the use of DCD organs. Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) without the culturing step has been proposed as a safer and easier source for stem cell therapy, which has emerged as an attractive technology that could facilitate the recovery of renal function and structure from acute kidney injury induced by IRI after DCD renal transplantation. In this study, freshly isolated donor-derived SVF was identified and then delivered intra-arterially into the grafts in DCD rat renal transplantation. Administration of freshly isolated donor-derived SVF could significantly alleviate the IRI of renal grafts and enhance graft reparation by promoting graft cell proliferation and microvascularization in DCD renal transplantation. Moreover, results revealed that the oxidative stress in grafts was significantly alleviated with SVF treatment, and this might be attributed to the overexpression of antioxidative molecules including nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2, superoxide dismutase-1, and heme oxygenase-1. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that the administration of freshly isolated donor-derived nonexpanded adipose SVF could attenuate IRI and protect the grafts after DCD rat renal transplantation.

Protective effects of aqueous extract from Gei Herba on blood-deficiency mice: insights gained by a metabolomic approach

With increasing tumor incidence, anemia (categorized as a blood deficiency in traditional Chinese medicine) caused by chemotherapy has become a major side effect worldwide. Gei Herba, a traditional Miao nation herb, has a prominent effect on the treatment of blood deficiency (BD). However, its application is limited owing to little fundamental research. Therefore, a GC-MS metabolomic approach was used to study the protective effect of aqueous extract from Gei Herba (AEG) on BD mice and its putative mechanism. In this study, 32 male mice were divided into four groups: a control group, a BD model group, and two groups subjected to AEG treatment at a daily dose of 0.15 or 0.30 g kg⁻¹ for 8 d. After AEG treatment, the HGB and HCT levels in the blood of BD mice were significantly increased, the activity of superoxide dismutase was increased, and the histomorphology of the liver was improved. Furthermore, compared with those in the model group, the levels of eight significant metabolites [phosphoric acid, glycine, l-proline, ribitol, (Z,Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, oleic acid, uridine and 4B2H-carbamic acid] in the liver were significantly changed by AEG. The findings of this study provide sound evidence regarding the protective effects of AEG in BD mice from both classical and metabolomic perspectives. The mechanisms of action of AEG could be related to regulation of linoleic acid metabolism and that of glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism.

The protective effect and mechanism of Gei Herba in BD mice were revealed by classical and metabolomic perspectives.