Investigation of a Medical Plant for Hepatic Diseases with Secoiridoids Using HPLC and FT-IR Spectroscopy for a Case of Gentiana rigescens

Vibrational Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometrics in Authentication of Functional Foods

Many foods have both edible and medical importance and are appreciated as functional foods, preventing diseases. However, due to unscrupulous vendors and imperfect market supervision mechanisms, curative foods are prone to adulteration or some other events that harm the interests of consumers. However, traditional analytical methods are unsuitable and expensive for a broad and complex application. Therefore, people urgently need a fast, efficient, and accurate detection method to protect self-interests. Recently, the study of target samples by vibration spectrum shows strong qualitative and quantitative ability. The model established by platform technology combined with the stoichiometric analysis method can obtain better parameters, which it has good robustness and can detect functional food efficiently, quickly and nondestructive. The review compared and prospect five different vibrational spectroscopic techniques (near-infrared, Fourier transform infrared, Raman, hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy and Terahertz spectroscopy). In order to better solve some of the actual situations faced by certification, we explore and through relevant research and investigation to appropriately highlight the applicability and importance of technology combined with chemometrics in functional food authentication. There are four categories of authentication discussed: functional food authenticated in source, processing method, fraud and ingredient ratio. This paper provides an innovative process for the authentication of functional food, which has a meaningful reference value for future review or scientific research of relevant departments.

Chemical Profile, Cytotoxic Activity and Oxidative Stress Reduction of Different Syringa vulgaris L. Extracts

Syringa vulgaris L. (common lilac) is one of the most popular ornamental species, but also a promising not comprehensively studied source of bioactive compounds with important therapeutic potential. Our study was designed to characterize the chemical composition and to assess the antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of ethanolic extracts obtained from S. vulgaris L. flowers, leaves, bark, and fruit. The chemical profile of the ethanolic extracts was investigated using chromatographic (HPLC-DAD-ESI⁺, GC-MS) and spectral (UV-Vis, FT-IR) methods, while the protective effect against free radicals was evaluated in vitro by different chemical assays (DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC). The cytotoxic activity was tested on two tumoral cell lines, HeLa, B16F10, using the MTT assay. Significant amounts of free or glycosylated chemical components belonging to various therapeutically important structural classes, such as phenyl-propanoids (syringin, acteoside, echinacoside), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol derivatives) and secoiridoids (secologanoside, oleuropein, 10-hydroxy oleuropein, demethyloleuropein, syringalactone A, nuzhenide, lingstroside) were obtained for the flowers, leaves and bark extracts, respectively. Furthermore, MTT tests pointed out a significant cytotoxic potential expressed in a non-dose-dependent manner toward the tumoral lines. The performed methods underlined that S. vulgaris extracts, in particular belonging to flowers and leaves, represent valuable sources of compounds with antioxidant and antitumoral potential.

Hepatoprotective effect of gentiopicroside in combination with leflunomide and/or methotrexate in arthritic rats

AIMS

This study aimed to examine whether gentiopicroside (GPS) could exert hepatoprotective effects on leflunomide (LEF)- and/or methotrexate (MTX)-treated arthritic rats through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways.

MAIN METHODS

We observed the external symptoms of joints, analysed serum indicators, measured haematological parameters and mRNA levels, and performed HE staining.

KEY FINDINGS

LEF and/or MTX combined with GPS ameliorated oxidative stress by increasing the mRNA levels of the antioxidant gene Nrf2, GCLC, HO-1, and NQO1, increasing the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT), reducing the oxidant substance malondialdehyde (MDA), reducing the inflammatory response by decreasing the mRNA levels of NF-κB, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and inhibiting the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-6, IL-1β and reducing C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as alleviating the external symptoms of arthritis.

SIGNIFICANCE

These results show that GPS plays an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory role in LEF- and/or MTX-treated arthritic rats by affecting the Nrf2 and NF-κB signalling pathways, thus exerting hepatoprotective effects.