A Review on Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Clinical Application of Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr

Tinospora sinensis (T. sinensis), whose Tibetan name is "Lezhe", as a traditional medicine, is widely distributed in China, India and Sri Lanka. It is used for the treatment of rheumatic arthralgia, sciatica, lumbar muscle strain and bruises. Research over the previous decades indicated that T. sinensis mainly contains terpenes, lignans, alkaloids, phenol glycosides and other chemical components. A wide range of pharmacologic activities such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immunosuppressive, anti-aging, anti-radiation, anti-leishmania and liver protection have been reported. However, the scholar's research on the pharmacodynamic material basis of T. sinensis is relatively weak. Data regarding many aspects such as links between the traditional uses and bioactivities, pharmacokinetics, and quality control standard of active compositions is still limited and need more attention. This review reports a total of 241 compounds, the ethnopharmacology and clinical application of T. sinensis, covering the literature which were searched by multiple databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, CNKI and other literature sources from 1996 to date, with a view to provide a systematic and insightful reference and lays a foundation and inspiration for the application and further in-depth research of T. sinensis resources.

Constituents of Tinospora sinensis and their nitric oxide inhibitory activities

One new phenylpropanoid glycoside, tinosinen A (1) and 13 known compounds, tinosinen (2), citrusin B (3), picraquassioside C (4), erythro-guaiacylglycerol-β-O-4'-coniferyl alcohol (5), erythro-guaiacylglycerol-8-O-4'-(sinapyl alcohol) ether (6), erythro-syringylglycerol-8-O-4'-(sinapyl alcohol) ether (7), seco-isolariciresinol 9-O-D-β-glucopyranoside (8), tinosposide A (9), pinoresinol-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (10), syringaresinol-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (11), pinoresinol (12), syringaresinol (13), and lirioresino-β-dimethyl ether (14) were isolated from the stems of Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr. Their structures were established by detailed spectroscopic studies and comparisons with those reported in the literature. Compound 13 showed significant inhibitory NO production (IC₅₀ value of 38.53 ± 1.90 μM) in RAW264.7 macrophages, LPS-stimulated. Compounds 3-7, 11, 12, and 14 inhibited NO production with IC₅₀ values ranging from 38.53 to 99.07 μM.

Probing PXR activation and modulation of CYP3A4 by Tinospora crispa and Tinospora sinensis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The two Tinospora species, T. crispa and T. sinensis, native to Southeast Asia, are integral components of various traditional preparations with structure-function claims to treat various disorders, including diabetes and inflammation.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To assure the safety of the botanicals finished products, herb-drug interaction potential of T. crispa and T. sinensis was investigated by testing their extracts and compounds for in vitro activation of the pregnane X-receptor (PXR) and the modulation of CYP3A4 isozyme, selectively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of sixteen fully characterized phytochemicals from T. crispa and T. sinensis were evaluated for PXR activation by luciferase reporter gene assay. CYP3A4 inhibition studies were carried out for eleven compounds. In addition, docking studies were performed to elucidate the possible binding modes to the PXR by the compounds using computational methods.

RESULTS

Significant activation of PXR (2-fold) was observed for both extracts and non-polar fractions of T. crispa. Among the pure compounds, columbin showed highest activation of PXR (3-fold), which was comparable with the positive control, rifampicin. Vital interactions were predicted with docking simulation of PXR-columbin complex with critical amino acid residues (Trp-299) that are known for the activation of PXR. The methanolic extracts of T. crispa and T. sinensis also showed considerable CYP3A4 inhibition.

CONCLUSION

T. crispa and T. sinensis, both demonstrated the potential to mediate herb-drug interaction through PXR activation and inhibition of CYP3A4 isozyme. Moreover, the elucidation of the potential to induce herb-drug interaction, by the phytochemicals of these Tinospora plants, thereby supports the need for further investigation to establish the clinical relevancy of these constituents for possible adverse interactions with pharmaceutical drugs.

Clerodane furanoditerpenoids from the stems of Tinospora sinensis

One new clerodane-type furanoditerpenoid tinosinoid A (1) and nine new nor-clerodane analogs tinosinoids B-J (2-10) have been isolated from the stems of Tinospora sinensis. The structures of the new compounds with absolute configurations have been elucidated by spectroscopic means, including MS, NMR and ECD techniques, as well as chemical correlation. Compound 1 is a rare sulfur-containing clerodane diterpenoid incorporating a 2-mercaptoethanol unit via a thioether bond, while compounds 4/5 and 9 represent two pairs of unusual equilibrium regioisomers through an interesting intramolecular transesterification. Our bioassays established that 1 and 8 displayed moderate antiproliferative effects against two human tumor cell lines, and 9 and 10 showed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. A kinetics study revealed that compound 10 was a noncompetitive α-glucosidase inhibitor, and its possible binding mode to the enzyme was further probed by molecular docking experiments.

Diterpenoid glucosides with cystathionine γ-lyase inhibitory activity from Tinospora sinensis

Fifteen previously undescribed nor-clerodane diterpenoid glucosides tinosinesides C-Q (1-15), along with four known analogues (16-19), were isolated from the stems of Tinospora sinensis. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic means, and their absolute configurations were established on the basis of time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) based electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation and chemical methods. All the isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), a natural enzyme responsible for the synthesis of H₂S. Compounds 4 and 5 represent rare examples of natural CSE inhibitors and the possible binding mode to CSE was further probed by molecular docking experiment.

Lignans with NO inhibitory activity from Tinospora sinensis

Two new lignan glucosides, tinsinlignans A and B (1 and 2), two new oxyneolignans, tinsinlignans C and D (3 and 4), along with one known analogue (5), were isolated from the stems of Tinospora sinensis. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated based on analysis of spectroscopic data, and the absolute configuration of 1 was determined through electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation based on the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). Compounds 1-4 were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in murine RAW264.7 macrophage cells and compounds 1 and 2 exhibited moderate inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values of 18.5 ± 2.0 and 28.8 ± 1.2 μmol·L^-1, respectively.

Network pharmacology-based strategy to investigate pharmacological mechanisms of Tinospora sinensis for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr. belongs to the family Menispermaceae. It is called LeZhe and is widely used as a kind of folk medicine especially in the Tibetan Plateau of China. T. sinensis has the functions of clearing away heat and detoxification, dispelling wind and dredging collaterals, calming and soothing the nerves. T. sinensis is an effective medicine for the prevention and treatment of aging diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the Tibetan Plateau of China, whereas its material basis and underlying mechanisms are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the material basis and potential mechanisms of T. sinensis in the treatment of AD by using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, targets were collected from DrugBank database, Therapeutic Target Database (TTD) and literatures reports for the treatment of AD. Compounds were searched by literatures and systematic separation from T. sinensis. The molecular docking experiment was carried out by using Autodock Vina software to screen the bioactive compounds in T. sinensis and target proteins for AD. Then, the "compound-target network" was constructed by Cytoscape software. The drug-like properties of the active compounds were analyzed by pKCSM performs, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) target pathway enrichment analysis was carried out by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Furthermore, the protective effect of neurons of two active compounds were verified with the injury cell model of PC12 and primary hippocampus neurons induced by Aβ_25-35. Finally, the key proteins of related pathways were quantitatively analyzed with Western blot method.

RESULTS

In total, 105 compounds and 38 targets have been screened. The main active compounds contained berberine, which belongs to alkaloids, Aurantiamide acetate, N-P-coumaroyltyramine, which belongs to amides, Trans-syringin and 3-demethyl-phillyrin, which belongs to phenylpropanoids. The targets covered inflammation-related proteins, including Protein kinase B (AKT), Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Tyrosine-protein kinase JAK1 (JAK1), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), Neuronal NOS (NOS1), and cholinergic function-related proteins, including α4-Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α4 nAChR), Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1 (Muscarnic M1). Inflammation and cholinergic dysfunction were the center of the network and occupy a dominant position. And the results of enrichment analysis shown the pathways mainly contained phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) signal pathway, neurotrophic factors (NTFs) signal pathway, Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signal pathway, mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) signal pathway, Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signal pathway, insulin resistance (IR). The results of in vitro assays showed that the tested compounds could significantly improve the survival rate and inhibit the apoptosis of PC12 cells and primary hippocampal neurons injured by Aβ_25-35. Western blot results showed that T. sinensis had a significant effect on the expression of protein PI3K and Akt.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that T. sinensis could prevent and treat AD through a multi-compound-multi-target-multi-pathway regulatory network. Our work also expected to provide new ideas and theoretical bases for searching for the active compounds in T. sinensis and potential mechanism in the prevention and treatment of AD by the network pharmacology and molecular docking. The results of in vitro assay and in vivo assay supported the results of molecular docking.

Induction and evaluation of colchitetraploids of two species of Tinospora Miers, 1851

Autotetraploidy, both natural and/or induced, has potential for genetic improvement of various crop species including that of medicinal importance. Tinospora cordifolia (Willdenow, 1806) Miers, 1851 ex Hooker et Thomson, 1855 and T. sinensis (Loureiro, 1790) Merrill, 1934 are two diploid species, which are dioecious, deciduous and climbing shrubs with high medicinal importance. Among the three methods used for induction of polyploidy by colchicine treatment, it was cotton swab method which successfully induced the polyploidy in both species. The morphological and cytogenetical features of the synthetic tetraploids were compared with their diploid counterparts. The tetraploids were morphologically distinct from diploid plants. They exhibited larger organs, such as stem, leaves, inflorescence, fruits, flowers and seeds. The tetraploids were characterized by the presence of low quadrivalent frequency and high bivalent average. Unequal distribution of chromosomes at anaphase I was found in 60% cells. The present study provides important information on the superiority of autotetraploids as compared to diploid counterparts in both species.

Undescribed phenylpropanoid and a dimeric sesquiterpenoid possessing a rare cyclobutane ring from Tinospora sinensis

A rare dimeric sesquiterpenoid (tinosposinoside, 1) and a phenylpropanoid (cordifolioside C, 2), two undescribed metabolites, were isolated from the methanolic extract of the stems of Tinospora sinensis together with thirteen known compounds. This is the second example of a sesquiterpene dimer where two monomers linked together through a cyclobutane ring, possibly generated through [2 + 2] cycloaddition. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by NMR and mass techniques.

Protective efficacy of Tinospora sinensis against streptozotocin induced pancreatic islet cell injuries of diabetic rats and its correlation to its phytochemical profiles

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tinospora sinensis Lour. (Merr.) belongs to the family Menispermaceae and its stem extract have been used traditionally in broad aspects of therapeutic remedies including debility, dyspepsia, fever, jaundice, ulcer, bronchitis, urinary disease, skin disease, liver disease and diabetes.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of the study was to evaluate the protective effects of methanol extract of stem of Tinospora sinensis (METS) on streptozotocin induced pancreatic islet cell injuries of diabetic rats and its correlation to its phytochemical profiles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A high-performance liquid chromatography technique (HPLC) was used to identify and quantify the major phytochemicals present in the METS. Diabetic rats were administered with METS at a dose of (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg respectively orally) and standard drug Metformin (300 mg/kg) was given orally to group serving positive control. Effect of the METS on glucose homeostasis, oxidative stress, antioxidant status, histopathology of pancreas and also on intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis, cell cycle of pancreatic islet cells were studied in diabetic rats.

RESULTS

The major phytochemicals identified and quantified by HPLC in the extract were berberine, caffeic acid, myricetin and ferulic acid. This result showed that methanol extract exhibited good antioxidant effect. The methanol extract of the plant prevented the diabetogenic effect of STZ and significantly lowered the fasting blood glucose level, glycated haemoglobin and increased insulin and C-peptide level in treated rats. METS reduced apoptosis of STZ treated islet cells by significantly decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL6), intracellular ROS generation, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide (NO) production and increasing mitochondrial membrane potential and sub-G₀ peak area, enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants.

CONCLUSION

The results revealed that the methanol extract of the stem of the plant possesses protective effects against diabetes and associated complications.

leaves extract

Considering the importance of Tinospora sinensis in folklore as immunomodulant, the leaves subjected to cold maceration using ethanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane and then screened for their antitubercular, anticancer and IL-10 expression (HCT-116) properties using luciferase reporter phage, MTT and flow cytometry assay methods, respectively. The results revealed that ethyl acetate and n-hexane extracts demonstrated the promising (p < 0.05) antitubercular activity with inhibition (%) of 92% and 86%, at 100 µg/ml, respectively and the respective IC₅₀ values of 63.99 and 113.7 µg/ml on HeLa and HCT-166 cells. The n-hexane extract demonstrated the significant (p < 0.05) IL-10 expression (44.12 MFU) in HCT-116 cells against the control cells (8.48 MFU). The GC-MS analyses of n-hexane extract showed presence of tembatarine, berberine, cordifoliside E, and magnoflorine as major constituents. Among all extracts, n-hexane leaf extract was found to be potent against inhibition of colon cancer cells (HCT-116) and Mycobacteria, with significant immunostimulant activity.

Rapid Characterization and Identification of Non-Diterpenoid Constituents in Tinospora sinensis by HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MSn

Tinospora sinensis, a kind of Chinese folk medicine, has functions of harmonizing qi and blood, dredging the channels and collaterals, calming and soothing the nerves. In the present study, a method based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap) was developed for the systematical characterization of the non-diterpenoid constituents which possessed remarkable biological activities in T. sinensis, like anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic activity and immunomodulatory activity. Based on the accurate mass measurement (<5 ppm), retention times and MS fragmentation ions, 60 non-diterpenoid constituents were unambiguously or tentatively characterized from T. sinensis extract, including 27 alkaloids, 23 phenylpropanoids, seven sesquiterpenoids and three other constituents. Among them, 13 compounds were tentatively identified as new compounds. Finally, three of the non-diterpenoid constituents were purified and identified, which further confirmed the validity of the results. This study demonstrated that the HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MSn platform was a useful and efficient analytical tool to screen and identify constituents in natural medicine.

Rapid Screening and Identification of Diterpenoids in Tinospora sinensis Based on High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Linear Ion Trap-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

Diterpenoids are considered the major active compounds in Tinospora sinensis in virtue of their special structures and activities. Herein, an analytical method was developed for rapid screening and identification of diterpenoids in T. sinensis using high-performmance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap) in negative ion mode. Two diterpenoid reference standards were first analyzed to obtain their characteristic ESI-MS/MS fragmentation patterns. Then, based on the extracted ion chromatogram (EIC) data-mining method and characteristic fragmentation pathways analysis, diterpenoids in T. sinensis were rapidly screened and identified. After that, an important parameter, Clog P, was adopted to discriminate between the isomers of diterpenoids. As a result, 63 diterpenoids were characterized from the extract of T. sinensis, including 10 diterpenoids and 53 diterpenoid glycosides. Among them, 15 compounds were tentatively identified as new compounds. Finally, target isolation of one diterpenoid glycoside named tinosineside A was performed based on the obtained results, which further confirmed the deduced fragmentation patterns and identified diterpenoid profile in T. sinensis. The results demonstrated that the established method could be a rapid, effective analytical tool for screening and characterization of diterpenoids in the complex systems of natural medicines.

HPLC Estimation of berberine in Tinospora cordifolia and Tinospora sinensis

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the estimation of berberine in the stem of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers. ex Hook.f. and Thoms. and Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merrill is described. The dried stems of T. cordifolia and T. sinensis were defatted with petroleum ether (60-80 degrees ). The marc was dried and further extracted with methanol. The concentration of berberine in methanol extract was determined using a C-18 reverse phase column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile:water (10:90 v/v) at a flow rate of 0.6 ml/min and with UV detection at 266 nm. TLC and HPLC comparison of both the species revealed significant variation in the chemical constitution of the two species. This observation becomes important in the context of the use of T. sinensis in place of the genuine drug T. cordifolia.