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Ma B, Wang S, Li H, Wang Q, Hong Y, Bao YM, Liu H, Li M, Zhao Y, Guo LP. Combining metabolomics and transcriptomics to reveal the potential medicinal value of rare species Glycyrrhiza squamulose. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30868. [PMID: 38803917 PMCID: PMC11128877 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Licorice is a well-known Chinese medicinal plant that is widely used to treat multiple diseases and process food; however, wild licorice is now facing depletion. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify and protect licorice germplasm diversity. In this study, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were conducted to investigate the biodiversity and potential medicinal value of the rare wild Glycyrrhiza squamulose. A total of 182 differentially accumulated metabolites and 395 differentially expressed genes were identified by comparing Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza squamulose. The molecular weights of the chemical component of G. squamulose were comparable with those of G. uralensis, suggesting that G. squamulose may have medicinal value. Differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), mainly flavonoids such as kaempferol-3-O-galactoside, kaempferol-3-O-(6"malonyl) glucoside, and hispidulin-7-O-glucoside, showed potential vitality in G. squamulose. Comparative transcriptomics with G. uralensis showed that among the 395 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 69 were enriched in the isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathway. Multiomics analysis showed that the distinction in flavonoid biosynthesis between G. squamulose and G. uralensis was strongly associated with the expression levels of IF7GT and CYP93C. In addition to identifying similarities and differences between G. squamulose and G. uralensis, this study provides a theoretical basis to protect and investigate rare species such as G. squamulose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Ma
- Institute of Forestry and Grassland Ecology, Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, 75000, China
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Siru Wang
- Department of Resources Science of Traditional Chinese Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Haonan Li
- Department of Resources Science of Traditional Chinese Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Qinyue Wang
- Department of Resources Science of Traditional Chinese Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yaqi Hong
- Department of Resources Science of Traditional Chinese Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yang-mei Bao
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Liu
- Institute of Forestry and Grassland Ecology, Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, 75000, China
| | - Ming Li
- Institute of Forestry and Grassland Ecology, Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, 75000, China
| | - Yucheng Zhao
- Department of Resources Science of Traditional Chinese Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
- Medical Botanical Garden, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Lan-ping Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
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Zhu W, Wang M, Jin L, Yang B, Bai B, Mutsinze RN, Zuo W, Chattipakorn N, Huh JY, Liang G, Wang Y. Licochalcone A protects against LPS-induced inflammation and acute lung injury by directly binding with myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2). Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:1114-1131. [PMID: 36480410 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a challenging clinical syndrome that leads to various respiratory sequelae and even high mortality in patients with severe disease. The novel pharmacological strategies and therapeutic drugs are urgently needed. Natural products have played a fundamental role and provided an abundant pool in drug discovery. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH A compound library containing 160 natural products was used to screen potential anti-inflammatory compounds. Mice with LPS-induced ALI was then used to verify the preventive and therapeutic effects of the selected compounds. KEY RESULTS Licochalcone A was discovered from the anti-inflammatory screening of natural products in macrophages. A qPCR array validated the inflammation-regulatory effects of licochalcone A and indicated that the potential targets of licochalcone A may be the upstream proteins in LPS pro-inflammatory signalling. Further studies showed that licochalcone A directly binds to myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2), an assistant protein of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), to block both LPS-induced TRIF- and MYD88-dependent pathways. LEU61 and PHE151 in MD2 protein are the two key residues that contribute to the binding of MD2 to licochalcone A. In vivo, licochalcone A treatment alleviated ALI in LPS-challenged mice through significantly reducing immunocyte infiltration, suppressing activation of TLR4 pathway and inflammatory cytokine induction. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS In summary, our study identified MD2 as a direct target of licochalcone A for its anti-inflammatory activity and suggested that licochalcone A might serve as a novel MD2 inhibitor and a potential drug for developing ALI/ARDS therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Zhu
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Minxiu Wang
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Leiming Jin
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Bin Yang
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Bin Bai
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Rumbidzai Natasha Mutsinze
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wei Zuo
- Affiliated Xiangshan Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Xiangshan First People's Hospital Medical and Health Group), Xiangshan, China
| | - Nipon Chattipakorn
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Joo Young Huh
- College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Guang Liang
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.,Affiliated Xiangshan Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Xiangshan First People's Hospital Medical and Health Group), Xiangshan, China
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Tuli HS, Garg VK, Mehta JK, Kaur G, Mohapatra RK, Dhama K, Sak K, Kumar A, Varol M, Aggarwal D, Anand U, Kaur J, Gillan R, Sethi G, Bishayee A. Licorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra L.)-Derived Phytochemicals Target Multiple Signaling Pathways to Confer Oncopreventive and Oncotherapeutic Effects. Onco Targets Ther 2022; 15:1419-1448. [PMID: 36474507 PMCID: PMC9719702 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s366630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a highly lethal disease, and its incidence has rapidly increased worldwide over the past few decades. Although chemotherapeutics and surgery are widely used in clinical settings, they are often insufficient to provide the cure for cancer patients. Hence, more effective treatment options are highly needed. Although licorice has been used as a medicinal herb since ancient times, the knowledge about molecular mechanisms behind its diverse bioactivities is still rather new. In this review article, different anticancer properties (antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, antimetastatic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects) of various bioactive constituents of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) are thoroughly described. Multiple licorice constituents have been shown to bind to and inhibit the activities of various cellular targets, including B-cell lymphoma 2, cyclin-dependent kinase 2, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinases, mammalian target of rapamycin, nuclear factor-κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, vascular endothelial growth factor, and matrix metalloproteinase-3, resulting in reduced carcinogenesis in several in vitro and in vivo models with no evident toxicity. Emerging evidence is bringing forth licorice as an anticancer agent as well as bottlenecks in its potential clinical application. It is expected that overcoming toxicity-related obstacles by using novel nanotechnological methods might importantly facilitate the use of anticancer properties of licorice-derived phytochemicals in the future. Therefore, anticancer studies with licorice components must be continued. Overall, licorice could be a natural alternative to the present medication for eradicating new emergent illnesses while having just minor side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardeep Singh Tuli
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), Mullana-Ambala, Haryana, India
| | - Vivek Kumar Garg
- Department of Medical Lab Technology, University Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Jinit K Mehta
- Department of Pharmacology, Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ginpreet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ranjan K Mohapatra
- Department of Chemistry, Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar, Odisha, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Ajay Kumar
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Mehmet Varol
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Mugla, Turkey
| | - Diwakar Aggarwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), Mullana-Ambala, Haryana, India
| | - Uttpal Anand
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Jagjit Kaur
- Centre of Excellence in Nanoscale Biophotonics, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ross Gillan
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL, USA
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anupam Bishayee
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL, USA
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Schröder S, Wang M, Sima D, Schröder J, Zhu X, Zheng X, Liu L, Li T, Wang Q, Friedemann T, Liu T, Pan W. Slower progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with external application of a Chinese herbal plaster–The randomized, placebo-controlled triple-blinded ALS-CHEPLA trial. Front Neurol 2022; 13:990802. [PMID: 36324375 PMCID: PMC9620479 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.990802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by gradually increasing damage to the upper and lower motor neurons. However, definitive and efficacious treatment for ALS is not available, and oral intake in ALS patients with bulbar involvement is complicated due to swallowing difficulties. Hypothesis/purpose This study investigated whether the external plaster application of the herbal composition Ji-Wu-Li efficiently slows ALS progression because prior studies obtained promising evidence with oral herbal applications. Study design The randomized, triple-blinded study compared the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the application of Ji-Wu-Li plaster (JWLP) with placebo plaster (PLAP). Methods In total, 120 patients with definite ALS, clinically probable ALS, or clinically probable laboratory-supported ALS were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive JWLP or PLAP. Patients were treated and observed for 20 weeks. The primary outcome was the ALSFRS-R score, while the secondary outcomes were the ALS-SSIT score and weight loss. Results The mean±SD decrease in the ALSFRS-R over 20 weeks differed by 0.84 points in a group comparison (JWLP, −4.44 ± 1.15; PLAP, −5.28 ± 1.98; p = 0.005). The mean increase in the ALS-SSIT over 20 weeks differed by 2.7 points in a group comparison (JWLP, 5.361.15; PLAP, 8.06 ± 1.72; p < 0.001). The mean weight loss over 20 weeks differed by 1.65 kg in a group comparison (JWLP, −3.98 ± 2.61; PLAP, −5.63 ± 3.17; p = 0.002). Local allergic dermatitis suspected as causal to the intervention occurred in 10 of 60 participants in the JWLP group and 9 of 60 participants in the PLAP group. Systemic adverse events were mild, temporary, and considered unrelated to the intervention. Conclusion The JWLP showed clinical efficacy in the progression of ALS, as measured by the ALSFRS-R, ALS-SSIT, and weight loss in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Because skin reactions occurred in both groups, the covering material needs improvement. All of the Ji Wu Li herbal ingredients regulate multiple mechanisms of neurodegeneration in ALS. Hence, JWLP may offer a promising and safe add-on therapy for ALS, particularly in patients with bulbar involvement, but a confirmative long-term multicentre study is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Schröder
- HanseMerkur Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mingzhe Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dandan Sima
- Department of Neurology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Joana Schröder
- HanseMerkur Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuying Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuanlu Zheng
- Department of Neurology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Neurology, Qinghai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Tingying Li
- Department of Neurology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiudong Wang
- Department of Integrative Neurology, Pudong Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Thomas Friedemann
- HanseMerkur Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Thomas Friedemann
| | - Te Liu
- Shanghai Geriatric Institute of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Te Liu
| | - Weidong Pan
- Department of Neurology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Weidong Pan
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Ain NU, Wu S, Li X, Li D, Zhang Z. Isolation, Characterization, Pharmacology and Biopolymer Applications of Licorice Polysaccharides: Review. MATERIALS 2022; 15:ma15103654. [PMID: 35629680 PMCID: PMC9147829 DOI: 10.3390/ma15103654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Licorice is known as "Gan-Cao" in traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), belonging to the genus Glycyrrhiza (Family: Fabaceae/Leguminosae). It has a long medicinal history and wide applications in China. Polysaccharides of licorice (LPs) are one of the key bioactive components. As herbal polysaccharides attracted increasing interest in the past several decades, their extraction, isolation, structural characterization, pharmacological activities, and medicinal application have been explored extensively. It is worth heeding that the method of extraction and purification effects LPs, apart from specie and origin specificity. This review evaluates the method of extraction and purification and demonstrates its performance in gaining specific composition and its structure-activity relationship, which might lead the readers to a fresh horizon for developing advanced treatment strategies. It is recently reported that the conformation of LPs plays a vital role as biopolymers, such as selenized modification, microencapsulation, nanocomposite, liposome formulation, drug/hydrogel combinations, biosensor device, and synergistic effect with a vaccine. In addition, LPs showed a good thermodynamics profile, as these properties enable them to interact with additional supramolecular interaction by chemical modifications or copolymerization. Functional polymers that are responsive to various external stimuli, such as physical, chemical, and biological signals, are a promising study topic. Thus, LPs are emerging as a new biomaterial that can enhance intended formulation along exerting its inherent medicinal effects. It is hoped that this review will provide a basis for the utilization and further developments of licorice polysaccharides in the vast medium.
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Mechanisms of Penetration Enhancement and Transport Utilizing Skin Keratine Liposomes for the Topical Delivery of Licochalcone A. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27082504. [PMID: 35458701 PMCID: PMC9029797 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27082504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Keratin liposomes have emerged as a useful topical drug delivery system given theirenhanced ability to penetrate the skin, making them ideal as topical drug vehicles. However, the mechanisms of the drug penetration enhancement of keratin liposomes have not been clearly elucidated. Therefore, licochalcone A(LA)-loaded skin keratin liposomes (LALs) were prepared to investigate their mechanisms of penetration enhancement on the skin and inB16F10 cells. Skin deposition studies, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), attenuated total reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and skin distribution and intracellular distribution studies were carried out to demonstrate the drug enhancement mechanisms of LALs. We found that the optimal application of LALs enhanced drug permeation via alterations in the components, structure, and thermodynamic properties of the stratum corneum (SC), that is, by enhancing the lipid fluidization, altering the skin keratin, and changing the thermodynamic properties of the SC. Moreover, hair follicles were the main penetration pathways for the LA delivery, which occurred in a time-dependent manner. In the B16F10 cells, the skin keratin liposomes effectively delivered LA into the cytoplasm without cytotoxicity. Thus, LAL nanoparticles are promising topical drug delivery systems for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
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