The effects of acteoside on locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury - The role of autophagy and apoptosis signaling pathway

In the current study, we investigated the effects of acteoside as a phenylpropanoid glycoside on interaction with neurons to assesses locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats by focusing on evaluating the factors involved in autophagy, apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress processes. 49 Spargue-Dawley rats were prepared and divided into seven healthy and SCI groups receiving different concentrations of acteoside. After 28 days of disease induction and treatment with acteoside, a BBB score test was used to evaluate locomotor activity. Then, by preparing spinal cord cell homogenates, the expression levels of MAP1LC3A, MAP-2, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Nrf2, Keap-1, Caspase 3 (Casp3), Bax, Bcl-2, TNF-a, IL-1B, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. Improvement of locomotor activity in SCI rats receiving acteoside was observed two weeks after the beginning of the experiment and continued until the fourth week. Both MAP1LC3A and MAP-2 were significantly up-regulated in SCI rats treated with acteoside compared to untreated SCI rats, and GFAP levels were significantly decreased in these animals. Pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Casp3 and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 were down-regulated and up-regulated, respectively, in SCI rats receiving acteoside. In addition, a significant downregulation of iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-1β and a decrease in contents of both ROS and MDA as well as increases in Nrf2 and Keap-1 were seen in rats receiving acteoside. Furthermore, acteoside strongly interacted with MAP1LC3A, TNF-α, and Casp3 targets with binding affinities of -8.3 kcal/mol, -8.3 kcal/mol, and -8.5 kcal/mol, respectively, determined by molecular docking studies. In general, it can be concluded that acteoside has protective effects in SCI and can be considered as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of this disease. However, more studies, especially clinical studies, are needed in this field.

[Role of mitochondrial autophagy and the curative effect of rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules on nucleos(t)ide drug-induced renal injury]

Objective: To study the curative effect of rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules and the role of mitochondrial autophagy on nucleos(t)ide drug-induced renal injury. Methods: Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) was used to construct a hepatitis B virus (HBV) transgenic mouse model for renal injury. Renal function was measured in each group at one and two weeks of modeling. Mitochondrial autophagy indicators were measured at two weeks of modeling in renal tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was used to detect mitochondrial autophagy phenomena in renal tissue. The model was established for two weeks. Mouse with renal injury were treated with rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules or isotonic saline for eight weeks by intragastric administration. Renal function was measured. Renal tissue morphology was observed. Mitochondrial autophagy indicators were detected in renal tissue. The protective effect of different concentrations of verbascoside (the main active ingredient of rehmannia glutinosa capsule) was observed on HK-2 cell damage induced by ADV. HK-2 cells were divided into control, ADV, and ADV plus verbascoside groups. The effects of verbascoside at different times and concentrations were observed on the HK-2 mitochondrial autophagy indicators. Fifty patients with chronic hepatitis B were collected who presented with renal injury after treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs. The random number method was used to divide 29 cases into a control group that received conventional treatment. The treatment group of 21 cases was treated with rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules on the basis of the control group. Serum creatinine (Scr) and urinary protein were detected at eight weeks.The χ(2) test or t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Compared with the control group, two weeks of modeling in the ADV group induced renal function injury in HBV mice. The expression of autophagy indicators was higher in the renal tissue of the ADV group than that of the control group. Transmission electron microscopy had revealed mitochondrial autophagy in the renal tissue of the ADV group. Compared with the control group, the renal function of HBV mice treated with rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules improved for two months, and the expressions of autophagy indicators were down-regulated.Verbascoside promoted proliferation in ADV-damaged HK-2 cells, and the expression of autophagy indicators was down-regulated compared with the ADV alone group. In 50 patients with renal function injury, the urinary protein improvement was significantly superior in the treatment group than that in the control group, with eighteen and three cases being effective and ineffective in the treatment group and 12 and 17 cases being effective and ineffective in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (χ(2) = 9.975 0, P = 0.001 6). Serum creatinine was decreased in the treatment group compared with the control group, with 11 and 10 cases being effective and ineffective in the treatment group and 12 and 17 cases being effective and ineffective in the control group, with no statistically significant difference (χ(2) = 0.593 5, P = 0.441 1). Conclusion: Rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsule can improve the nucleos(t)ide drug-induced renal function injury in chronic hepatitis B, possibly playing a role via inhibiting PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitochondrial autophagy.

Acteoside alleviates blood-brain barrier damage induced by ischemic stroke through inhibiting microglia HMGB1/TLR4/NLRP3 signaling

Ischemic stroke (IS) can cause severe harm, inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and pyroptotic death. IS treatment efficacy remains limited, and microglia are important regulators of IS-related blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. It is thus vital that new therapeutic agents capable of targeting microglia be identified to treat IS-related damage to the BBB. Acteoside (ACT), which is a compound derived from Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight., offers promising bioactivity, but its ability to protect against central nervous system injury remains to be documented. To clarify the protective benefits and mechanisms through which ACT can protect against damage to the BBB, a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model system was herein employed. These in vivo analyses demonstrated that ACT was able to significantly reduce cerebral infarct size while improving their neurological scores and altering neurotrophic and inflammatory factor release. RNA sequencing and molecular docking studies highlighted the ability of ACT to exert its protective benefits via the HMGB1/TLR4/NLRP3 axis. Western immunoblotting and immunofluorescent staining for tight junction proteins additionally confirmed the ability of ACT to preserve BBB integrity. The underlying mechanisms were then explored with an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model in vitro with BV2 cells. This strategy thus confirmed that the ability of ACT to suppress microglial inflammatory and pyroptotic activity was HMGB1/TLR4/NLRP3 pathway-dependent. These data thus offer novel evidence that ACT can protect against IS-related damage to the BBB through the abrogation of inflammatory and pyroptotic activity, underscoring its promise as a novel lead compound for the therapeutic treatment of IS.

Anti-inflammatory activity of verbascoside- and isoverbascoside-rich Lamiales medicinal plants

Verbascoside and isoverbascoside are two active phenylethanoid glycosides mainly found in plants of the order Lamiales. This study analyzes the verbascoside and isoverbascoside levels and the total phenolic contents in the water and ethanolic extracts of 20 medicinal plants of the order Lamiales commonly used in Thailand. The related bioactivities, including the antioxidant activity via the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reduction activity potential assays and anti-tyrosinase and -inflammatory activities via the cyclooxygenase and nitric oxide assays are also investigated. The extracts of several plant species, including Barleria prionitis, B. lupulina, Rhinacanthus nasutus, Orthosiphon aristatus, and Nicoteba betonica, exhibit high verbascoside and isoverbascoside content levels. The correlation analysis between the bioactive activities and the active compounds demonstrates a significant association between the verbascoside level in the water extracts and both the DPPH antioxidant activity and the nitric oxide level in the anti-inflammatory assays. This study provides the first report on the verbascoside and isoverbascoside quantification of several plant samples. The findings provide valuable insights for future research on lesser-studied plants possessing high verbascoside and isoverbascoside levels, which exhibit promising anti-inflammatory activities.

Altered metabolic profiles and targets relevant to the protective effect of acteoside on diabetic nephropathy in db/db mice based on metabolomics and network pharmacology studies

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) was a major cause of end-stage renal failure and a common microvascular complication in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Acteoside (ACT) was the main ingredient extracted from the leaves of Rehmannia glutinosa, which had the functions of entering the lung, moisturizing the skin and relieving itching, nourishing yin and tonifying the kidney, cooling blood, and stopping bleeding. ACT had attracted worldwide interest because of its therapeutic effects on DM and its complications.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To clarify the metabolic profiles and targets of ACT in db/db mice based on metabolomics and network pharmacology studies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Db/db mice were used to observe the biochemical indices and histopathological changes in the kidney to evaluate the pharmacological effects of ACT on DN. Untargeted metabolomics studies were performed to investigate by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS on urine, serum, and kidney samples. The key targets and pathways were analyzed by network pharmacology. For the pathways enriched by untargeted metabolomics, targeted metabolomics by UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS was performed in kidney samples for validation. Sensitive biomarkers in kidney samples were evaluated. The effect of ACT on the improvement of DN from the perspective of metabolism of small molecules in vivo was described.

RESULTS

ACT could delay the progression of DN and improve the degree of histopathological damage to the kidney. The pathways were focused on amino acid metabolism by untargeted metabolomics. Through network pharmacology analysis, the effect pathways were related to signal transduction, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid metabolism and mainly affected the endocrine and immune systems. Amino acid metabolism was disturbed in the kidney of db/db mice, which could be callback by ACT, such as tryptophan, glutamine, cysteine, leucine, threonine, proline, phenylalanine, histidine, serine, arginine, asparagine by targeted metabolomics.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, this study provided strong support for ACT on DN treatment in clinics. Meanwhile, the Rehmannia glutinosa was used fully to raise the income level of farmers economically, while achieving the social benefit of empowering rural revitalization.

Isolation and structure elucidation of the compounds from Teucrium hyrcanicum L. and the investigation of cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity, and protective effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

Teucrium hyrcanicum L. (family Lamiaceae) is widely distributed in the North and Northwest of Iran. It has been used in the form of tea, tonic, and tincture for the treatment of various diseases such as cough, rheumatism, and fever.

METHODS

In this study, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of methanol extract and different fractions of T. hyrcanicum were measured. Furthermore, the potential ability of T. hyrcanicum to protect against H2O2-induced oxidative stress was tested on the NIH3T3 cell line. Then, the isolation and structure elucidation of the compounds were performed on the most potent fractions. Finally, the quantification of isolated compounds in methanol extract (ME) was done by the HPLC method. Isolated phytochemicals were assessed for the cytotoxic and antioxidant activities.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the methanol fraction (MF) had the highest amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents (69.36 mg GAE/g extract and 68.95 mg QE/g extract). The highest radical scavenging activities were observed from MF and ME (IC50 44.32 and 61.12 μg.ml-1, respectively). The best cytotoxicity was obtained by ethyl acetate fraction (EF) against A431 and MCF7 cell lines (IC50 values of 235.4and 326.6 μg.ml-1, respectively). The pretreatment with MF exerts the highest reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) formation (IC50 2.51 μM, p < 0.001) compared to the H2O2 group (5.77 μM). Also, MF significantly inhibited H2O2-induced Glutathione (GSH) oxidation (p < 0.001). Furthermore, two phenolic compounds, acteoside and quercetin, were isolated and identified in MF and EF, respectively. The IC50 values of acteoside and quercetin in the DPPH assay were 7.19 and 5.56 µg.ml-1, respectively. Both quercetin and acteoside significantly reduced the MDA formation and inhibited GSH oxidation, which was comparable with BHA (as a standard antioxidant) (p < 0.05). Acteoside demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against all tested cell lines (IC50 = 32 to 145 μg.ml-1). The HPLC quantification of isolated compounds revealed that the quantity of acteoside and quercetin in ME were 93.31 and 16.87 μg.mg-1, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The isolated compounds (quercetin and acteoside) had significant antioxidant activities and revealed a protective effect on H2O2-induced oxidative stress which was comparable with BHA.

Progress of research into the pharmacological effect and clinical application of the traditional Chinese medicine Rehmanniae Radix

The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Rehmanniae Radix (RR) refers to the fresh or dried root tuber of the plant Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch of the family Scrophulariaceae. As a traditional Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), it possesses multiple effects, including analgesia, sedation, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, anti-tumor, immunomodulation, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular regulation, and nerve damage repair, and it has been widely used in clinical practice. In recent years, scientists have extensively studied the active components and pharmacological effects of RR. Active ingredients mainly include iridoid glycosides (such as catalpol and aucuboside), phenylpropanoid glycosides (such as acteoside), other saccharides, and unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, the Chinese patent medicine (CPM) and Chinese decoction related to RR have also become major research subjects for TCM practitioners; one example is the Bolus of Six Drugs, which includes Rehmannia, Lily Bulb and Rehmannia Decoction, and Siwu Decoction. This article reviews recent literature on RR; summarizes the studies on its chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, and clinical applications; and analyzes the progress and limitations of current investigations to provide reference for further exploration and development of RR.

Acteoside protects podocyte against apoptosis through regulating AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway in db/db mice

BACKGROUND

Podocyte apoptosis is one of the important pathological mechanisms of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Acteoside (Act), a major active component of Rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside, has a strong renoprotective action. Our study aims to demonstrate Act's renoprotective actions in db/db mice.

METHODS

We adopted C57BLKS/J db/db mice as DKD animal models. After 8 weeks of Act administration, the 24-hour urine albumin, renal function index, and blood lipid levels were quantified using matching kits. Renal pathology was evaluated by HE and PAS staining. The podocyte damage and apoptosis-related signaling pathway were observed by using immunohistochemistry, western blot, and TUNEL staining.

RESULTS

The albuminuria of db/db mice was reduced from 391 ug/24 h to 152 ug/24 h, and renal pathology changes were alleviated after Act administration. The western blot and immunohistochemistry showed that Act treatment upregulated the synaptopodin and podocin expression compared with db/db mice, while the TUNEL staining indicated podocyte apoptosis was inhibited. The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) level was upregulated in the Act group, but cleaved caspase-3 and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) expression declined, while the protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (AKT/GSK-3β) signaling pathway was repressed.

CONCLUSIONS

By inhibiting the AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway, Act protected podocytes from apoptosis, decreasing the urine albumin of db/db mice and delaying the course of DKD.

Molecularly imprinted composite membranes with interleaved imprinted network structure for highly selective separation of acteoside

Acteoside (ACT) is one of the phenylethanoid glycosides in Cistanche tubulosa. The ACT molecules have high medicinal value, but the content of ACT is scarce. Therefore, it is imperative to develop the ACT-based molecularly imprinted composite membranes (A-MICMs) with highly selective separation of ACT. In this study, the amine-polyhedral oligomeric sesquisiloxanes (NH2-POSS) were uniformly introduced into polydopamine modified polyvinylidene fluoride (pDA@PVDF) membranes to fabricate NH2-POSS-pDA@PVDF. Then, the ACT-imprinted layers were synthesized on the surface of NH2-POSS-pDA@PVDF to obtain A-MICMs. The results showed that the optimal conditions were 180 mg DA, 12 h DA self-polymerization time, 400 mg NH2-POSS and 10 h washing time for the synthesis of A-MICMs. The results of adsorption isotherm experiments showed that there was a single layer adsorbate analyte on the A-MICMs. The results of adsorption kinetic experiments showed that chemisorption mechanism played a major function in the adsorption process of A-MICMs for ACT. The A-MICMs exhibited the maximum rebinding capacity of 98.37 mg⋅g-1, an excellent rebinding selectivity of 4.63, and the permselectivity of 7.02. The same A-MICMs kept 95.99% of the maximum rebinding capacity for ACT after 5 adsorption-desorption cycles. The designed A-MICMs with the interleaved imprinted network structure have a potential to be applied to the highly selective separation of bioactive components from natural products.

Discovery and evaluation of active compounds from Xuanfei Baidu formula against COVID-19 via SARS-CoV-2 Mpro

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is still a widespread concern. As one of the effective traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulae, Xuanfei Baidu formula (XFBD) shows significant efficacy for treatment of COVID-19 patients. However, its antiviral active compounds and mechanism are still unclear.

PURPOSE

In this study, we explored the bioactive compounds of XFBD and its antiviral mechanism by integrating computational analysis and experimental testing.

METHODS

Focusing on the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^pro), as a key target in virus transcription and replication, the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay was built to screen out satisfactory natural inhibitors in XFBD. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) were undertaken to verify the binding affinity of ligand-M^pro. Omicron BA.1.1 and BA.2.3 variants were used to evaluate the antiviral activity of the focused compounds in non-cytotoxicity concentrations. For introducing the molecular mechanism, computational modeling and NMR spectra were employed to characterize the ligand-binding modes and identify the ligand-binding site on M^pro.

RESULTS

From a library of 83 natural compounds, acteoside, licochalcone B, licochalcone D, linoleic acid, and physcion showed the satisfactory inhibition effects on M^pro with IC₅₀ ranging from 1.93 to 42.96 µM, which were further verified by SPR. Showing the excellent binding affinity, acteoside was witnessed to gain valuable insights into the thermodynamic signatures by ITC and presented antiviral activity on Omicron BA.1.1 and BA.2.3 variants in vitro. The results revealed that acteoside inhibited M^pro via forming the hydrogen bond between 7-H of acteoside and M^pro.

CONCLUSION

Acteoside is regarded as a representative active natural compound in XFBD to inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2, which provides the antiviral evidence and some insights into the identification of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro natural inhibitors.

Acteoside improves adipocyte browning by CDK6-mediated mTORC1-TFEB pathway

Adipocyte browning increases energy expenditure by thermogenesis, which has been considered a potential strategy against obesity and its related metabolic diseases. Phytochemicals derived from natural products with the ability to improve adipocyte thermogenesis have aroused extensive attention. Acteoside (Act), a phenylethanoid glycoside, exists in various medicinal or edible plants and has been shown to regulate metabolic disorders. Here, the browning effect of Act was evaluated by stimulating beige cell differentiation from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) in the inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) and 3 T3-L1 preadipocytes, and by converting the iWAT-SVF derived mature white adipocytes. Act improves adipocyte browning by differentiation of the stem/progenitors into beige cells and by direct conversion of mature white adipocytes into beige cells. Mechanistically, Act inhibited CDK6 and mTOR, and consequently relieved phosphorylation of the transcription factor EB (TFEB) and increased its nuclear retention, leading to induction of PGC-1α, a driver of mitochondrial biogenesis, and UCP1-dependent browning. These data thus unveil a CDK6-mTORC1-TFEB pathway that regulates Act-induced adipocyte browning.

Acteoside inhibits high glucose-induced oxidative stress injury in RPE cells and the outer retina through the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway

Diabetes retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells exposed to a high glucose environment experience a series of functional damages, which is an important factor in promoting the progression of DR. Acteoside (ACT) has strong antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties, but the mechanism of ACT in DR is not completely clear. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore whether ACT inhibits the damage to RPE cells in a high glucose environment through antioxidative effects to alleviate the DR process. The DR in vitro cell model was constructed by treating RPE cells with high glucose, and the DR in vivo animal model was constructed by injecting streptozotocin (STZ) into the peritoneal cavity of mice to induce diabetes. The proliferation and apoptosis of RPE cells were detected by CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The expression changes in Nrf2, Keap1, NQO1 and HO-1 were evaluated by qRT‒PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. The MDA, SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC contents were detected by kits. The changes in ROS and nuclear translocation of Nrf2 were observed by immunofluorescence assays. HE staining was used to measure the thickness of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) of the retina, and TUNEL staining was used to detect the number of apoptotic cells in the retinas of mice. In the present study, ACT effectively ameliorated outer retina damage in diabetic mice. In high glucose (HG)-induced RPE cells, ACT treatment had the following effects: improved proliferation, decreased apoptosis, inhibited Keap1 expression, promoted the nuclear translocation and expression of Nrf2, upregulated NQO1 and HO-1 (the target genes of Nrf2) expression, decreased ROS concentration, and increased the levels of the SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC antioxidant indicators. However, knockdown of Nrf2 reversed the above phenomena, which indicated that the protective function of ACT in HG-induced RPE cells are closely related to Nrf2. In summary, the present study demonstrated that HG-induced oxidative stress injury is inhibited by ACT in RPE cells and the outer retina through the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway.

Discrimination of Baphicacanthis Cusiae Rhizoma et radix and its adulterant species and establishment of an assay method for quality control

BACKGROUND

Baphicacanthis Cusiae Rhizoma et Radix, commonly known as Nan-Ban-Lan-Gen (NBLG), is an essential traditional Chinese medicine that possesses diverse bioactivities, particularly noteworthy for its antiviral properties. Although NBLG has been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as an independent Chinese medicine, the establishment of a comprehensive quality standard for NBLG remains elusive. The absence of assay for marker compound in its quality standards has led to the lack of corresponding quality control measures for NBLG-containing preparations, and its discrimination from adulterant species in the market which thereby can significantly impact the efficacy and safety of NBLG-containing products.

METHODS

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS) was employed for comprehensive profiling of the chemical constituents of NBLG, the stem of Baphicacanthus cusia (Nees) Bremek (NBLJ), and the roots of Isatis indigotica Fort. (Bei-Ban-Lan-Gen, BBLG). Additionally, multivariate analysis was conducted to compare the chemical components of NBLG with those of NBLJ and BBLG. Furthermore, we established an optimized and validated HPLC method to obtain the fingerprint of NBLG and quantify the content of 2-benzoxazolinone and acteoside in the samples.

RESULTS

A total of 73 compounds belonging to six classes were assigned in NBLG, with alkaloids being the most abundant and diverse species. High compositional similarities with significant differences in content were observed between NBLG and NBLJ. Moreover, the chemical profile of BBLG markedly differed from that of NBLG. An informative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint of NBLG comprising seven characteristic peaks that can be used for quality assessment was established. Notably, we propose a quality control standard for NBLG, stipulating that the limit of content in dry weight for both 2-benzoxazolinone and acteoside should not be less than 0.010%.

CONCLUSION

This study provides the most comprehensive chemical information to date on NBLG, offering valuable insights into its authentication and quality control. Our findings highlight the importance of comprehensive chemical profiling to differentiate potential substitutions and adulterations of herbal medicines, particularly when the original source is scarce or unavailable. These results can aid in the development of quality control measures for NBLG-containing preparations, ensuring their safety and efficacy.

Molecular Identification of UDP-Sugar Dependent Glycosyltransferase and Acyltransferase Involved in the Phenylethanoid Glycoside Biosynthesis Induced by Methyl Jasmonate in Sesamum indicum L

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) plant contains large amounts of acteoside, a typical phenylethanoid glycoside (PhG) that exhibits various pharmacological activities. Although there is increasing interest in the biosynthesis of PhGs for improving their production, the pathway remains to be clarified. In this study, we established sesame-cultured cells and performed transcriptome analysis of methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-treated cultured cells to identify enzyme genes responsible for glucosylation and acylation in acteoside biosynthesis. Among the genes annotated as UDP-sugar dependent glycosyltransferase (UGT) and acyltransferase (AT), 34 genes and one gene, respectively, were up-regulated by MeJA in accordance with acteoside accumulation. Based on phylogenetic analysis, five UGT genes (SiUGT1-5) and one AT gene (SiAT1) were selected as candidate genes involved in acteoside biosynthesis. Additionally, two AT genes (SiAT2-3) were selected based on sequence identity. Enzyme assays using recombinant SiUGT proteins revealed that SiUGT1, named UGT85AF10, had the highest glucosyltransferase activity among the five candidates against hydroxytyrosol to produce hydroxytyrosol 1-O-glucoside. SiUGT1 also exhibited glucosyltransferase activity against tyrosol to produce salidroside (tyrosol 1-O-glucoside). SiUGT2, named UGT85AF11, had similar activity against hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol. Enzyme assay using the recombinant SiATs indicated that SiAT1 and SiAT2 had activity transferring the caffeoyl group to hydroxytyrosol 1-O-glucoside and salidroside (tyrosol 1-O-glucoside) but not to decaffeoylacteoside. The caffeoyl group was attached mainly at the 4-positon of glucose of hydroxytyrosol 1-O-glucoside, followed by attachment at the 6-position and the 3-position of glucose. Based on our results, we propose an acteoside biosynthetic pathway induced by MeJA treatment in sesame.

Acteoside palliates d-galactose induced cognitive impairment by regulating intestinal homeostasis

Acteoside, an important phenylethanol glycoside, is the main active component in Osmanthus fragrans flower. Our previous study found that acteoside showed high antiaging effect but its absorption rate was low. We speculated acteoside palliated aging-related cognitive impairment before being absorbed, that was intestinal homeostasis underlie the antiaging effect of acteoside. In this study, acteoside was confirmed to palliate cognitive impairment in d-galactose induced aging mice. Acteoside treatment dramatically reduced oxidative stress, alleviated intestinal inflammation, restored intestinal mucosal barrier, rebuilt gut microbiome structure and upregulated gut microbiome metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and amino acids (AAs). Furthermore, antibiotic treatment revealed that the antiaging ability of acteoside was abolished in microbiota depleted mice, which offered direct evidence for the essential role of gut microbiota in the attenuation of cognitive impairment of acteoside. Together, our study indicated that acteoside palliated cognitive impairment by regulating intestinal homeostasisand acteoside intake might be a promising nutritional intervention in prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

Studies on the metabolism and mechanism of acteoside in treating chronic glomerulonephritis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Acteoside (ACT) is the main ingredient derived from the leaves of Rehmannia glutinosa (Dihuangye). Dihuangye has the function of clearing heat, replenishing qi and activating blood, nourishing yin and tonifying kidney in traditional Chinese medicine. Recent studies have demonstrated that Dihuangye can be used to treat nephritis and ACT is a promising antinephritic agent.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To clarify the metabolites of ACT in biological samples and investigate the renoprotective effect and mechanism of ACT in rats with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the biotransformation of ACT in rat biological samples was clarified by quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. The metabolites were validated by urine samples in nephropathy model rats. The effect of ACT and its metabolites was evaluated by glomerular podocyte injury due to high glucose. Based on an analysis of the ingredients in vivo, the potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of CGN were investigated by using network pharmacological analysis and molecular docking. Then, the renoprotective effect and mechanism of ACT were determined in rats in a passive Heymann nephritis (PHN) model.

RESULTS

A total of 49 metabolites of ACT were detected and identified. Meanwhile, 21 metabolites were detected in nephropathy model rats. ACT was absorbed rapidly and transferred from the kidney, and the metabolites were eliminated via urine. The whole process lasted approximately 8 h. ACT had a significant protective effect on glomerular podocytes damaged by high glucose and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid might be the main metabolite of ACT underlying its functions in vivo. The network pharmacology and molecular docking results showed 84 ACT-CGN targets, among which MAPK1, HRAS, AKT1, EGFR, and others were a highly correlated. In the PHN rat model, ACT significantly reduced the 24-h urine protein and serum creatinine concentrations, suppressed the leukocyte CD18 expression levels, decreased the serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels and tended to reduce serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels. ACT significantly reduced the platelet aggregation rate and inhibited the proliferative activity of splenic lymphocytes in response to the mitogen concanavalin A. Meanwhile, ACT inhibited transforming growth factor-β and fibronectin expression in renal tissues and dose-dependently inhibited TNF-α and IL-6 production in RAW264.7 mouse macrophages at doses ranging from 1.8 to 1330 μg/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

ACT had therapeutic effects on PHN rats, and its mechanism might be related to the inhibition of intercellular or intercellular-matrix adhesion, suppression of inflammatory response, regulation of immune function, improvement of tissue hemodynamics and hemorheology, and relief of fibrotic lesions.

Acteoside alleviates UUO-induced inflammation and fibrosis by regulating the HMGN1/TLR4/TREM1 signaling pathway

PURPOSE

Acteoside (Act), a phenylethanoid compound that was first isolated from mullein, has been widely used for the investigation of anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effect. However, the mechanism of Act against unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-mediated renal injury is largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of Act on UUO rats and possible mechanisms.

METHODS

A total of 20 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided randomly into three groups (n ≥ 6): (i) sham-operated group (Sham); (ii) UUO group (UUO+Saline); and (iii) UUO + Act 40 mg/kg/day, (UUO+Act); Continuous gavage administration for 2 weeks postoperatively, while the rats in Sham and UUO+saline groups were given equal amounts of saline. All rats were sacrificed after 14 days, the urine and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis, the renal tissues were collected for pathological staining and immunohistochemistry. Correlations between individual proteins were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The results of renal function indexes and histopathological staining showed that Act could improve renal function by reducing serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and urine protein at the same time, Act could alleviate renal inflammation and fibrosis. In addition, the results of immunohistochemistry showed that Act could reduce the expression of inflammation and kidney injury-related proteins F4/80, Mcp-1, KIM-1 proteins, as well as the expression of fibrosis-related protein α-SMA and β-catenin. More importantly, Act can also reduce the expression of HMGN1, TLR4 and TREM-1 proteins.

CONCLUSION

These data demonstrate that Act can ameliorate UUO-induced renal inflammation and fibrosis in rats probably through triggering HMGN1/TLR4/TREM-1 pathway.

Phytochemistry and Polypharmacological Potential of Colebrookea oppositifolia Smith

BACKGROUND

Colebrookea oppositifolia Smith. is a valuable traditional therapeutic plant belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is a dense and wool-like shrub that is mostly found in subtropical regions of some countries of Asia, such as China and India. It has been widely used for the mitigation of nervous system disorders like epilepsy. The active constituents of the plant have exhibited antioxidant, anti-microbial, and antifungal properties, which are considered due to the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids as chief chemical constituents. Flavonoids like quercetin, landenein, chrysin, and 5, 6, 7-trimethoxy flavones cause protein denaturation of the microbial cell wall.

OBJECTIVES

To comprehend and assemble the fragmented pieces of evidence presented on the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of the plant to reconnoiter its therapeutic perspective and forthcoming research opportunities.

METHODS

The available information on Colebrookea oppositifolia has been established by electronically searching peer-reviewed literature from PubMed, Google Scholar, Springer, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct over the earlier few years.

RESULTS

The plant has been greatly used for the preparation of many herbal medicines which are used for treating traumatic injuries, fever, rheumatoid arthritis, headache, and gastric problems. From the aerial parts of the plant, a phenylethanoid glycoside named acteoside has been isolated and evaluated for its therapeutic potential viz. immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, analgesic, anti-tumour, antispasmodic, antioxidant, antibacterial, free radical scavenger, and improving sexual function. Acteoside showed neuroprotective activities against Aβ-peptide, which is neurotoxic and causes apoptosis. The petroleum ether extract of the plant leaves offers many active compounds like sitosterol, n-triacontane, hydroxydotriacontyl ferulate, acetyl alcohol, and 3,7,4,2-tetramethoxyflavones which have shown hepatoprotective potential.

CONCLUSION

The plant should be evaluated further for the estimation of some other health benefits. The consequences of restricted pharmacological screening and reported phytomolecules of Colebrookea oppositifolia Smith. advocate that there is still an exigent requisite for in-depth pharmacological studies of the plant.

Salsolinol Induces Parkinson's Disease Through Activating NLRP3-Dependent Pyroptosis and the Neuroprotective Effect of Acteoside

Endogenous neurotoxin 1-methyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroiso-quinoline (Salsolinol, SAL) is a dopamine metabolite that is toxic to dopaminergic neurons in vitro and in vivo, and is involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the molecular mechanism by which SAL induces neurotoxicity in PD remains challenging for future investigations. This study found that SAL induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and mice. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were used to detect differentially expressed genes in SAL-treated SH-SY5Y cells. We found that NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3)-dependent pyroptosis was enriched by SAL, which was validated by in vitro and in vivo SAL models. Further, NLRP3 inflammasome-related genes (ASC, NLRP3, active caspase 1, IL-1β, and IL-18) were increased at the mRNA and protein level. Acteoside mitigates SAL-induced neurotoxicity by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-related pyroptosis in in vitro and in vivo PD models. In summary, the present study suggests for the first time that NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis plays a role in the pathogenesis of SAL-induced PD, and acteoside mitigates SAL-induced pyroptosis-dependent neurotoxicity in in vitro and in vivo PD models. The present results demonstrated a new mechanism whereby SAL mediates neurotoxicity by activating NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis, further highlighting SAL-induced pyroptosis-dependent neurotoxicity as a potential therapeutic target in PD.

Duranta erecta Linn: A critical review on phytochemistry, traditional uses, pharmacology, and toxicity from phytopharmaceutical perspective

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Duranta erecta Linn. belonging to the Verbenaceae family is widely used in the traditional systems of medicines practiced in Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Brazil. The ethnomedicinal application as vermifuge, febrifuge, diuretic, anti-parasitic, and anti-malarial are well documented. D. erecta is also a significant source of phenylethanoid glycoside known as acteoside-a drug in clinical trials for IgA nephropathy patients.

AIM OF THIS REVIEW

This review aims to critically highlight the existing studies on D. erecta, including its botanical authentication, geographical distribution, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties. Critical discussion is focused on the overview and gap in knowledge for future research. Additionally, the clinical significance of its major secondary metabolite, i.e., acteoside, has also been discussed with emphasis on biosynthesis, distribution, pre-clinical, and clinical outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Professional research data from 1963 to 2021 appeared in scholarly journals, and books were retrieved from scientific database platforms viz. Sci-Finder, PubMed, CNKI, Science Direct, Web of Science, Wiley, Google Scholar, Taylor and Francis, Springer, and Scopus. The chemical structures for all the phytomolecules were validated using Sci-finder and first-hand references. While plant name and synonyms were corroborated by "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org).

RESULTS

D. erecta and its key metabolite acteoside display various biological actions like antimalarial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, antinephritic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and antiviral properties. Acteoside literature analysis shows its presence in different stages of clinical trials for anti-nephritic, hepatoprotective, and osteoarthritic activity. The phytochemical review of D. erecta exhibited 64 compounds that have been isolated and identified from D. erecta, such as iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, phenolics, terpenoids, and saponins. The other significant secondary metabolites responsible for its medicinal properties are acteoside, durantol, pectolinaringenin, repenins, scutellarein, and repennoside.

CONCLUSION

Duranta erecta is one of the Verbenaceae plants, widely used in ethnomedicines having various phytochemicals with understandable pharmacological actions mainly confined at the crude extract level. However, further bioactivity-guided or fingerprint-assisted studies are required to validate the ethnomedicinal uses, concerning cellular and molecular mechanisms, quality standardization, and safety with respect to its bioactive constituent(s). Therefore, the present review identified the gap in the research on scientific validation of Duranta based ethnomedicines and may provide critical information for the development of phytopharmaceuticals/Phyto-cosmeceuticals.

The pharmacokinetic property and pharmacological activity of acteoside: A review

Acteoside (AC), a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from many dicotyledonous plants, has been demonstrated various pharmacological activities, including anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, neuroprotection, cardiovascular protection, anti-diabetes, bone and cartilage protection, hepatoprotection, and anti-microorganism. However, AC has a poor bioavailability, which can be potentially improved by different strategies. The health-promoting characteristics of AC can be attributed to its mediation in many signaling pathways, such as MAPK, NF-κB, PI3K/AKT, TGFβ/Smad, and AMPK/mTOR. Interestingly, docking simulation study indicates that AC can be an effective candidate to inhibit the activity of SARS-CoV2 main protease and protect against COVID-19. Many clinical trials for AC have been investigated, and it shows great potentials in drug development.

A novel PHD2 inhibitor acteoside from Cistanche tubulosa induces skeletal muscle mitophagy to improve cancer-related fatigue

OBJECTIVE

To study whether ACT exerts anti-fatigue activity against CRF by inducing skeletal muscle mitophagy via suppressing PHD2 to upregulate the HIF-1α/BNIP3 signaling pathway.

METHODS

In this study, the molecular docking virtual screening technique was used to screen active components in Cistanche tubulosa that act as potential PHD2 inhibitors; the preliminary verification was carried out by Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology. BALB/c mice were treated with Paclitaxel (PTX, 10 mg/kg) and ACT (50, 100 mg/kg) alone or in combination for 20 days. Fatigue-related behaviors, energy metabolism and skeletal muscle mitochondria were assessed. Murine C2C12 myoblast was cultured and differentiated; then, a C26 tumor cell-conditioned medium was added to induce cachexia. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial microstructure and function, autophagy, PHD2/HIF-1 and PINK1/Parkin signal pathway proteins were analyzed. Then, interfering RNA technology was used to silence PHD2 and observe the efficacy of ACT.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that ACT exerted good binding activity with PHD2; ACT administration ameliorated PTX-induced muscle fatigue-like behavior via improving muscle quality and mitochondria function, increasing mitophagy, upregulating COXIV, CytoC, PINK1, Parkin, HIF-1α and BNIP3 expression and inhibiting p62, LC3B, PHD2 and Beclin-1 expression. The protective effect of ACT disappeared after transfection with the PHD2 gene knockdown plasmid Egln-1-RNAi.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that ACT can improve CRF by promoting mitophagy via suppression of PHD2 to remove dysfunctional mitochondria, demonstrating that ACT has huge prospects for clinical application in CRF treatment.

Acteoside exerts immunomodulatory effects on dendritic cells via aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation and ameliorates Th2-mediated allergic asthma by inducing Foxp3+ regulatory T cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that play a key role in directing T-cell responses and are involved in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma. Acteoside, an active phenylethanoid glycoside, is widely distributed in many medicinal plants. Herein, we explored the immunomodulatory effects of acteoside on bone marrow-derived DCs in vitro, and further investigated the immunosuppressive ability of acteoside to manipulate T helper type 2 (Th2)-mediated allergic asthma in mice. Following lipopolysaccharide activation, 50 μM of acteoside significantly reduced the production of proinflammatory mediators, including interleukin (IL)-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, whereas it enhanced secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, by DCs. However, these effects of acteoside on DCs were reversed by pretreatment with CH223191, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) antagonist. Additionally, coculture of acteoside-treated DCs with CD4⁺ T cells promoted the generation of forkhead box P3-positive (Foxp3⁺) regulatory T cells (Tregs) via AhR activation. Using a murine asthma model, our results demonstrated that oral administration of 50 mg/kg of acteoside decreased levels of Th2-type cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, whereas the level of IL-10 and the frequency of CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ Tregs were augmented. Moreover, acteoside treatment markedly inhibited the elevated serum level of ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin E, attenuated the development of airway hyperresponsiveness, and reduced inflammatory cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Additionally, histological results reveled that acteoside ameliorated pulmonary inflammation in asthmatic mice. Taken together, these results indicated that acteoside exhibits immunomodulatory effects on DCs and plays an anti-inflammatory role in the treatment of allergic asthma.

Anticancer effects of acteoside: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic status

Cancer, the uncontrolled proliferation and metastasis of abnormal cells, is a major public health issue worldwide. To date, several natural compounds have been reported with their efficacy in the treatment of different types of cancer. Chemotherapeutic agents are used in cancer treatment and prevention, among other aspects. Acteoside is a phenylethanoid glycoside, first isolated from Verbascum sinuatum, which has demonstrated multiple effects, including antioxidant, anti-epileptic, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antihypertensive, and anti-leishmanial properties. This review gathered, analyzed, and summarized the literature on acteoside and its anticancer properties. All the available information about this compound and its role in different types of cancer was collected using different scientific search engines, including PubMed, Scopus, Springer Link, Wiley Online, Web of Science, Scifinder, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Acteoside is found in a variety of plants and has been shown to have anticancer activity in many experimental models through oxidative stress, apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, anti-invasion, anti-metastasis, synergism with other agents, and anti-proliferative effects through modulation of several pathways. In conclusion, acteoside exhibited potent anticancer activity against different cancer cell lines through modulating several cancer signaling pathways in different non- and pre-clinical experimental models and thus could be a strong candidate for further clinical studies.

Mesoporous polystyrene-based microspheres with polar functional surface groups synthesized from double emulsion for selective isolation of acetoside

In this study, a series of the functionalized mesoporous polystyrene-based microspheres (FMPMs) with different functional comonomers (acrylamide, AM; ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, EGDMA; hydroxyethyl methacrylate, HEMA) and ratios of styrene (St) to divinylbenzene (DVB) were designed and synthesized by a double emulsion interface polymerization method. Among them, St and DVB existed in the oil phase, forming the skeleton structure of FMPMs. AM, EGDMA or HEMA in the water phase formed functional layers on the inner and outer surfaces of FMPMs. The experimental results indicated that the optimal functional comonomers and the ratio of St to DVB were AM (provided the hydrophilic -CONH₂ groups) and 1:1, respectively. Thus, A-FMPMs-2 exhibited the highest adsorption capacity of 108.95 ± 8.13 mg/g and the selectivity of 5.14 ± 0.17. These results were attributed to the hydrophilic -CONH₂ groups on A-FMPMs-2, and these groups were beneficial to ACT molecules diffusion driven by concentration gradient, improving the adsorption performance. Furthermore, hydrophilic -CONH₂ groups on the inner and outer surfaces of A-FMPMs-2 acted as hydrophilic sites that had a high-affinity interaction with ACT molecules, thus increasing the adsorption selectivity. In addition, A-FMPMs-2 had the highest specific surface area and largest pore volume, resulting in the highest adsorption capacity and adsorption selectivity. Therefore, the development of adsorbents with adjustable pore structure and a large number of hydrophilic sites will provide a new strategy for selective separation of bioactive components from natural products.

In Silico Analysis of Cissus rotundifolia Constituents as Human Neutrophil Elastase (HNE), Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP 2 and MMP 9), and Tyrosinase Inhibitors

Cissus rotundifolia has been reported to possess various biological activities such as anti-diabetic, anti-fertility, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-malarial, anti-osteoporotic, and anti-parasitic activities. Therefore in the present study, eleven selected constituents of Cissus rotundifolia which includes aconitic acid, astragalin, acteoside, aliospiroside A, beta amyrin, bergenin, formononetin, gallic acid, isovitexin, isoorientin, and isoquercitrin were studied on the docking behavior of human neutrophil elastase (HNE), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP 2 and MMP 9), and tyrosinase by using PatchDock method. Furthermore, molecular physicochemical, bioactivity score/drug-likeness, ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), and toxicity analyses were also carried out using Molinspiration, Swiss ADME, and ProTox-II methods, respectively. The molecular physicochemical investigation showed that three ligands such as acteoside, aliospiroside A, and isoorientin have three violations for Lipinski's rule of five. Similarly, ADME analysis one ligand (formononetin) predicated to have high blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability effect. The docking studies showed that isovitexin exhibited the highest atomic contact energy (-341.61 kcal/mol) for human neutrophil elastase (HNE), more over alliospiroside A has shown maximum atomic contact energy for both matrix metalloproteinases (MMP 2 [-618.00 kcal/mol] and MMP 9 [-634.73 kcal/mol]). Furthermore, isoquercitrin has exhibited the highest atomic contact energy (-145.70 kcal/mol) for tyrosinase. Thus, the present investigation outcome provides new knowledge in understanding eleven Cissus rotundifolia constituents as possible novel inhibitors against HNE, MMP 2, MMP 9, and tyrosinase.

Pharmacologic approaches to prevent skeletal muscle atrophy after spinal cord injury

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a hallmark of severe spinal cord injury (SCI) that is precipitated by the neural insult and paralysis. Additionally, other factors may influence muscle loss, including systemic inflammation, low testosterone, low insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, and high-dose glucocorticoid treatment. The signaling cascades that drive SCI-induced muscle loss are common among most forms of disuse atrophy and include ubiquitin-proteasome signaling and others. However, differing magnitudes and patterns of atrophic signals exist after SCI versus other disuse conditions and are accompanied by endogenous inhibition of IGF-1/PI3K/Akt signaling, which combine to produce exceedingly rapid atrophy. Several well-established anabolic agents, including androgens and myostatin inhibitors, display diminished ability to prevent SCI-induced atrophy, while ursolic acid and β2-agonists more effectively attenuate muscle loss. Strategies combining physical rehabilitation regimens to reload the paralyzed limbs with drugs targeting the underlying molecular pathways hold the greatest potential to improve muscle recovery after severe SCI.

Acteoside isolated from Colebrookea oppositifolia attenuates I/R brain injury in Wistar rats via modulation of HIF-1α, NF-κB, and VEGF pathways

AIMS

The objective of this study was to assess the anti-stroke activity of acteoside isolated from methanolic root extract of C. oppositifolia METHODS: Ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) brain injury was induced in Wistar rats to assess the anti-stroke activity of acteoside. Rats were pretreated with acteoside (10, 25 & 50 mg/kg, p.o.) before the induction of I/R injury. Parameters such as neurological, motor-cognitive functions were evaluated along with morphological (brain volume, infarct size), biochemical (SOD, Catalase, GSH, lipid peroxidation, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, ICAM-1, HIF-1α, VEGF, and NF-κB), histopathological, and gene expression studies (HIF-1α, VEGF) were performed to study the protective effect of acteoside against I/R induced brain injury.

RESULTS

I/R injury caused significant deterioration of neurological (p < 0.01), motor (p < 0.01) and cognitive (p < 0.01) functions, associated with increase in the brain volume (p < 0.01), and infarct size (p < 0.01); increase in the levels of MDA, TNF-α, IL-6, ICAM-1, HIF-1α, VEGF, and NF-κB along with significant decrease in SOD, catalase, GSH, and IL-10 (p < 0.01 for all parameters) compared to Sham control group. Histology of brain tissue of disease control group exhibited significant vascular changes, neutrophil infiltration, cerebral oedema, and necrosis of the neuronal cells. Further, the gene-expression studies showed significant increase in the HIF-1α (p < 0.01) and VEGF (p < 0.01) mRNA levels in the I/R control compared to Sham control. Interestingly, the acteoside (10, 25 & 50 mg/kg) has prevented the neurological, motor and cognitive dysfunctions, along with inhibiting the morphological, biochemical, histological and gene expression changes induced by I/R-injury (p < 0.05 for 10 mg; p < 0.01 for 25 & 50 mg/kg of acteoside for all the parameters).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that acteoside possess potent anti-stroke activity through modulation of HIF-1α, NF-κB, and VEGF pathway along with its potent antioxidant activity.

Inhibitory activity of acteoside in melanoma via regulation of the ERβ-Ras/Raf1-STAT3 pathway

BACKGROUND

Melanoma is an aggressive cancer with a rapidly increasing incidence rate worldwide. Acteoside has been shown to have antitumor effects in multiple human cancers; however, the underlying function and mechanisms of acteoside in melanoma remain unclear.

PURPOSE

This study explored the inhibitory effect of acteoside on melanoma and the possible mechanisms.

METHODS

Acteoside (15 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg) was administered to mice daily for 21 days. ICI182,780 (0.5 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected 30 min before acteoside administration three times a week to evaluate whether the effects elicited by acteoside were mediated via the estrogen receptor. Tumor growth and metabolism, cardiac function, ROS and apoptosis levels in the spleen, serum inflammatory factors, and immune cells in the spleen were monitored. STAT3, p-STAT3, CD31, and survivin levels in tumor tissues were measured via immunofluorescence. Ras, Raf1, STAT3, p-STAT3, Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9 levels in tumor tissues were determined via Western Blotting.

RESULTS

The results showed that acteoside inhibited melanoma growth, alleviated inflammation levels in mice, attenuated ROS and apoptosis levels in the spleen, downregulated the levels of CD31, survivin, Ras, Raf1, p-STAT3, and Bcl-2, and upregulated the levels of ERβ, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9. Moreover, the effect of acteoside was blocked by ICI182,780.

CONCLUSION

Acteoside may promote the apoptosis of tumor cells by regulating the ERβ-Ras/Raf1-STAT3 signaling axis, thus inhibiting the occurrence and development of melanoma.

Acteoside Presents Protective Effects on Cerebral Ischemia/reperfusion Injury Through Targeting CCL2, CXCL10, and ICAM1

The objective of this study is to investigate the roles of acteoside (ACT) in cells with oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R)-induced injury and the underlying mechanisms. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion were identified using GSE61616 data set. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment with the DEGs and the prediction of ACT's targets were conducted using The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. The OGD/R model was established with bEnd.3 cells. Following that, bEnd.3 cells were treated by distinct concentrations of ACT and IL-10. The proliferation and apoptosis of cells were analyzed by cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Western blot was used to check involved proteins. Herein, we identified CCL2, CXCL10, and ICAM1 as the targets of ACT, which were upregulated in tissues of MACO rats and cells with OGD/R-induced injury. ACT promoted the proliferation but reduce the apoptosis of cells with OGD/R-induced injury. Moreover, these effects of ACT were enhanced by IL-10. After being treated with ACT, IL-10, or ACT together with IL-10, the levels of CCL2, CXCL10, and ICAM1 were all decreased, whereas p-Stat3 was raised in cells with OGD/R-induced injury, while Stat3 expression presented no significant difference among groups. ACT protected cells against OGD/R-induced injury through regulating the IL-10/Stat3 signaling, indicating that ACT might be an effective therapy drug to lower cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Acteoside exerts neuroprotection effects in the model of Parkinson's disease via inducing autophagy: Network pharmacology and experimental study

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. At present, the incidence rate of PD is increasing worldwide, there is no effective cure available so far, and currently using drugs are still limited in efficacy due to serious side effects. Acteoside (ACT) is an active ingredient of many valuable medicinal plants, possesses potential therapeutic effects on many pathological conditions. In this study, we dissected the neuroprotection effects of ACT on PD and its potential molecular mechanism in our PD model pathology based on network pharmacology prediction and experimental assays. Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that ACT has 381 potential targets; among them 78 putative targets associated with PD were closely related to cellular autophagy and apoptotic processes. Our experimental results showed that ACT exerted significant neuroprotection effects on Rotenone (ROT) -induced injury of neuronal cells and Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster). Meanwhile, ACT treatment induced autophagy in both neuronal cell lines and fat bodies of D. melanogaster. Furthermore, ACT treatment decreased ROT induced apoptotic rate and reactive oxygen species production, increased mitochondrial membrane potentials in neuronal cells, and promoted clearance of α-synuclein (SNCA) aggregations in SNCA overexpressed cell model through the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Interestingly, ACT treatment significantly enhanced mitophagy and protected cell injury in neuronal cells. Taken together, ACT may represent a potent stimulator of mitophagy pathway, thereby exerts preventive and therapeutic effects against neurodegenerative diseases such as PD by clearing pathogenic proteins and impaired cellular organelles like damaged mitochondria in neurons.

Natural P-gp inhibitor EGCG improves the acteoside absorption in Caco-2 cell monolayers and increases the oral bioavailability of acteoside in rats

Acteoside is one of the most widespread phenylethanoid glycosides with pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, neuroprotective property, etc. However, its bioavailability is poor due to the low absorption and P-gp efflux. This study aimed to select food derived P-gp inhibitors for promoting the acteoside absorption and investigate whether the inhibitors could increase the bioavailability and stability of acteoside. Results showed that EGCG and quercetin significantly decreased the BL-to-AP efflux and promoted the AP-to-BL influx of acteoside across Caco-2 monolayers with optimum concentrations of 320 μM EGCG or 240 μM quercetin adding to 320 μM acteoside. EGCG increased the bioavailability of acteoside to 1.43-fold, but quercetin had no such effect. Further study showed that EGCG and quercetin had no effects on the storage and digestion stability of acteoside. This work revealed that EGCG could improve the acteoside absorption across the Caco-2 monolayers and enhance the bioavailability of acteoside in rats.

Molecular modeling study of tectoquinone and acteoside from Tectona grandis linn: a new SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor against COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has drastically changed the lifestyle of people around the globe. Due to the lack of specific and effective antiviral drugs, transmission of the disease increases exponentially and makes it more serious and harder to control. Drugs that were assumed to be effective against COVID-19 have failed in various stages of clinical trials and this made the scientific community more disappointed. But, the race of researchers for developing new and effective antiviral to stop the disease progression still continues and our work is one among them. This study is an attempt to analyze the action of Tectoquinone and Acteoside; an important phytocompound, on SARS-CoV2 viral protease via in silico approach. The compounds were selected on the basis of their molecular docking values and they were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations about 50 ns to determine the stability and the thermodynamic feasibility between the target and the ligands. Binding energies like hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions of the complexes were determined after MD simulations. The Pharmacokinetics and drug likeness evaluation of the compounds provide a strong evidence for the use of these compounds in developing drugs for clinical trials. Thus, the current study reveals the potential phytoconstituents present in Tectona grandis Linn to inhibit COVID-19 viral protease and thereby act as a lead therapeutic agent.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Acteoside as a potential therapeutic option for primary hepatocellular carcinoma: a preclinical study

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with characteristics of poor prognosis, high morbidity and mortality worldwide. In particular, only a few systemic treatment options are available for advanced HCC patients, and include sorafenib and the recently described atezolizumab plus bevacizumab regimen as possible first-line treatments. We here propose acteoside, a phenylethanoid glycoside widely distributed in many medicinal plants as a potential candidate against advanced HCC.

Methods

Cell proliferation, colony formation and migration were analyzed in the three human HCC cell lines BEL7404, HLF and JHH-7. Angiogenesis assay was performed using HUVESs. The BEL7404 or JHH-7 xenograft nude mice model was established to analyze the possible antitumor effects of acteoside. qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to reveal the potential antitumor mechanisms of acteoside.

Results

Acteoside inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation and migration in all the three human HCC cell lines BEL7404, HLF and JHH-7. The prohibition of angiogenesis by acteoside was revealed by the inhibition of tube formation and cell migration of HUVECs. The combination of acteoside and sorafenib produced stronger inhibition of cell colony formation and migration of the HCC cells as well as of angiogenesis of HUVECs. The in vivo antitumor efficacy of acteoside was further demonstrated in BEL7404 or JHH-7 xenograft nude mice model, with an enhancement when combined with sorafenib in inhibiting the growth of JHH-7 xenograft. Further treatment of JHH-7 cells with acteoside revealed an increase in the level of tumor suppressor protein p53 as well as a decrease of kallikrein-related peptidase (KLK1, 2, 4, 9 and 10) gene level with no significant changes of the rest of KLK1–15 genes.

Conclusions

Acteoside exerts an antitumor effect possibly through its up-regulation of p53 levels as well as inhibition of KLK expression and angiogenesis. Acteoside could be useful as an adjunct in the treatment of advanced HCC in the clinic.

Acteoside Isolated from Colebrookea oppositifolia Smith Attenuates Epilepsy in Mice Via Modulation of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Pathways

The present study was aimed to evaluate the anticonvulsant activity of acteoside and explore its mechanism of action. Initially, the acteoside was evaluated in maximal electroshock (MES) and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsions, and later it was evaluated against N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-induced mortality in Swiss albino mice. Based on the response in these models, further evaluations were performed to explore the mechanism of action. In the results, the acteoside (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg) has shown significant anticonvulsant activity in the PTZ model (p < 0.01 for all doses); however, there was no protection observed in MES and NMDA models. Therefore, further mechanism-based studies were performed on the PTZ model, and the outcomes have revealed that there was a significant reduction in GABA (p < 0.01 for both regions) and elevation of glutamate (p < 0.01 for both regions) in the cortex and hippocampus regions of PTZ-treated animals. Further, the antioxidant levels (SOD, catalase, GPx, GR, GSH, LPO) were altered significantly (p < 0.01 for all parameters), with reduced GABA_A mRNA levels (p < 0.01) in the PTZ control compared with the normal control. Interestingly, co-administration of acteoside (25 mg/kg) (p < 0.01 for all parameters) has restored all the PTZ-induced alterations compared to PTZ-control. Moreover, the anti-PTZ action of acteoside was completely blocked in the presence of flumazenil, and thus confirmed the GABAergic mechanism behind the anticonvulsant activity of acteoside. Besides, actophotometer and rotarod tests have confirmed that the acteoside is free from central side effects like motor incoordination and locomotor deficits.

Establishment of the concurrent experimental model of osteoporosis combined with Alzheimer's disease in rat and the dual-effects of echinacoside and acteoside from Cistanche tubulosa

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cistanche tubulosa is a precious traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely used in the treatment of osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease. Echinacoside and acteoside are the main active constituents in Cistanche tubulosa that have the pharmacological activities with research value. It has been reported that echinacoside and acteoside could improve the learning and memory ability, promote the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast.

AIM OF STUDY

Echinacoside and acteoside from Cistanche tubulosa have shown significant activities of anti-osteoporosis and anti-Alzheimer's disease, while these effects have not been studied concurrently in a rat model. The aim of this study was to establish and verify the model of osteoporosis combined with Alzheimer's disease in rat, and to investigate the double effects of echinacoside and acteoside on this concurrent model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three model groups of ovariectomy (OVX), sham surgery with D-galactose and AlCl₃ (D), ovariectomy with D-galactose and AlCl₃ (OVX + D) were set at the same time. The rats in drug treatment groups were ovariectomized. While conducting the intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose and intragastric administration of AlCl₃ in the rats of drug treatment groups, the rats were orally administered echinacoside (90 mg/kg/d), acteoside (90 mg/kg/d) and the positive control drugs of estradiol valerate (0.6 mg/kg/d), donepezil HCl (0.8 mg/kg/d), respectively. After the drug treatment of 8 weeks, Morris Water Maze (MWM) test for 6 days was firstly performed. The rats were then sacrificed to harvest the blood, uteri, femora, tibiae and brain tissues. The serum was used for biochemical tests. The uteri were used for histomorphometry. The right femora were used for Micro-CT and histomorphometry, respectively. The right tibiae were used for biomechanical test. The hippocampus collected on ice box was used for biochemical tests. The brain collected by perfusion was used for histomorphometry.

RESULTS

Compared with Sham group, OVX + D group could significantly reduce the learning and memory ability by causing oxidative damage, impairing neurons in hippocampus and affecting the hydrolysis and synthesis of acetylcholine. Meanwhile, the activities of BALP and TRAP in OVX + D group increased significantly (P < 0.001) as compared to Sham group. In addition, compared with Sham group, the mean bone mineral density obviously decreased (P < 0.05), the trabecular bone mass and microarchitecture were also destroyed significantly in OVX + D group. Furthermore, the maximum load and maximum stress significantly reduced (P < 0.01) and the energy absorption also decreased greatly as compared to Sham group. After administrated with echinacoside and acteoside, the typical pathological features of osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease were ameliorated.

CONCLUSIONS

The model of osteoporosis combined with Alzheimer's disease in rat was feasible and successfully established. Echinacoside and acteoside also showed some significant effects on this concurrent model, and they could be potential candidates from Cistanche tubulosa with double effects for further study.

Acteoside ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis through inhibiting peroxynitrite-mediated mitophagy activation

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease in central nervous system (CNS) with limited therapeutic drugs. In the present study, we explored the anti-inflammatory/neuroprotective properties of Acteoside (AC), an active compound from medicinal herb Radix Rehmanniae (RR), and neuroprotective effects of AC on MS pathology by using an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. We tested the hypothesis that AC could alleviate EAE pathogenesis through inhibiting inflammation and ONOO^--mediated mitophagy activation in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that AC treatment effectively ameliorated neurological deficit score and postponed disease onset in the EAE mice. AC treatment inhibited inflammation/demyelination, alleviated peripheral activation and CNS infiltration of encephalitogenic CD4⁺ T cells and CD11b⁺ activated microglia/macrophages in the spinal cord of EAE mice. Meanwhile, AC treatment reduced ONOO^- production, down-regulated the expression of iNOS and NADPH oxidases, and inhibited neuronal apoptotic cell death and mitochondrial damage in the spinal cords of the EAE mice. Furthermore, AC treatment decreased the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I in mitochondrial fraction, and inhibited the translocation of Drp1 to the mitochondria. In vitro studies further proved that AC possessed strong ONOO^- scavenging capability and protected the neuronal cells from nitrative cytotoxicity via suppressing ONOO^--mediated excessive mitophagy. Taken together, Acteoside could be a potential therapeutic agent for multiple sclerosis treatment. The suppression of ONOO^--induced excessive mitophagy activation could be one of the critical mechanisms contributing to its anti-inflammatory and anti-demyelinating properties.

Acteoside inhibits inflammatory response via JAK/STAT signaling pathway in osteoarthritic rats

BACKGROUND

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative disease of synovial joints caused by inflammation. Acteoside (ACT), a major component and lipase inhibitor from the Chinese tea Ligustrum purpurascens kudingcha, has been reported to regulate the inflammation and immune response. The study aims to investigate the effects of ACT on inflammatory responses and joint protection in OA rats.

METHODS

Cell proliferation was examined by MTT and colony formation assay. Apoptosis was analyzed using flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. ELISA was employed to examine the concentration of inflammatory cytokines. OA rat model was established by surgery stimulation.

RESULTS

ACT treatment significantly inhibited the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines induced by IL-1β in primary chondrocytes, including IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ. ACT stimulation also enhanced the cell proliferation, while inhibited cell apoptosis in IL-1β-treated chondrocytes. Consistently, ACT treatment led to downregulation of cleaved-caspase-3 and apoptosis regulator Bax, and upregulation of Bcl-2. Furthermore, ACT treatment inhibited IL-1β-induced activation of JAK/STAT pathway. The results were confirmed in surgery-induced OA rat model. Moreover, ACT treatment significantly inhibited synovial inflammation and articular chondrocyte apoptosis in OA rats.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that ACT has the potential therapeutic effect on OA through inhibiting the inflammatory responses via inactivating JAK/STAT signaling pathway.

Crosstalk among polyamines, phytohormones, hydrogen peroxide, and phenylethanoid glycosides responses in Scrophularia striata to Cd stress

Plants respond to Cadmium (Cd) as a hazardous heavy metal through various mechanisms depending on their available metabolite resources. In this research, the physiological and signaling pathways mediating the responses to Cd stress in Scrophularia striata seedlings were characterized after they were exposed to different Cd concentrations at different time periods. The results showed that the polyamines (PAs), Abscisic acid (ABA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) contents were significantly enhanced at 48 h. Moreover, the enzyme activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL) as regulator enzymes in the phenylpropanoid pathway was increased, related to the reinforcement of phenolic compounds such as phenylethanoid glycosides (as a special compound of this plant). This metabolic profiling indicates that the signal transduction of Cd stress increased the activity of different enzymes (PAL and TAL) by regulating the PAs metabolism, the modulation of ABA, and the H₂O₂ content. As a result, it caused the accumulation of phenolic compounds, especially echinacoside and acteoside, both of which are required to improve the response of Cd stress in S. striata.

Acteoside inhibits autophagic apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells to rescue glaucoma-induced optic atrophy

BACKGROUND

Glaucoma is the world's second biggest cause of blindness, and patients progressively lose their eyesight. The current clinical treatment for glaucoma involves controlling intraocular pressure with drugs or surgery; however, some patients still progressively lose their eyesight. This treatment is also similar to the treatment of traumatic optic neuropathy. Thus, saving retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from apoptosis is essential.

METHODS

The role of Acteoside on autophagy modulation in the 661 W cell line.

RESULTS

In this study, we first find that Acteoside inhibits autophagy, Rapamycin alleviates this inhibition and the PI3K inhibitor, 3-MA or LY294002, synergistically promotes it. In a mechanistic study, we find that Optineurin (OPTN) mediates Acteoside regulation of autophagy. OPTN overexpression or knockdown activates or inhibits autophagy, respectively. OPTN is inhibited by autophagy inhibitors, such as Acteoside and 3-MA and is promoted by the autophagy activator, Rapamycin. Meanwhile, PI3K and AKT are elevated by Acteoside and 3-MA and inhibited by Rapamycin. Finally, we find that Acteoside inhibits apoptosis in parallel to autophagy and that this inhibition is also mediated by OPTN.

CONCLUSION

In summary, we conclude that Acteoside inhibits autophagy-induced apoptosis in RGCs through the OPTN and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and glaucoma patients may benefit from Acteoside treatment alone or in combination with other autophagy inhibitors.

Acteoside relieves mesangial cell injury by regulating Th22 cell chemotaxis and proliferation in IgA nephropathy

The existing therapies of IgA nephropathy are unsatisfying. Acteoside, the main component of Rehmannia glutinosa with anti-inflammatory and anti-immune effects, can improve urinary protein excretion and immune disorder. Th22 cell is involved in IgA nephropathy progression. This study was determined to explore the effect of acteoside on mesangial injury underlying Th22 cell disorder in IgA nephropathy. Serum Th22 cells and urine total protein of patients with IgA nephropathy were measured before and after six months treatment of Rehmannia glutinosa acteoside or valsartan. Chemotactic assay and co-culture assay were performed to investigate the effect of acteoside on Th22 cell chemotaxis and differentiation. The expression of CCL20, CCL22 and CCL27 were analyzed. To explore the effect of acteoside on mesangial cell injury induced by inflammation, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β1 were tested. Results showed that the proteinuria and Th22 lymphocytosis of patients with IgA nephropathy significantly improved after combination treatment of Rehmannia glutinosa acteoside and valsartan, compared with valsartan monotherapy. In vitro study further demonstrated that acteoside inhibit Th22 cell chemotaxis by suppressing the production of Th22 cell attractive chemokines, i.e., CCL20, CCL22 and CCL27. In addition, acteoside inhibited the Th22 cell proliferation. Co-culture assay proved that acteoside could relieve the overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and prevent the synthesis of TGF-β1. TGF-β1 level in mesangial cells was positively correlated with the Th22 cell. This research demonstrated that acteoside can alleviate mesangial cell inflammatory injury by modulating Th22 lymphocytes chemotaxis and proliferation.

Acteoside protects against 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic neuron damage via Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway

Acteoside has been reported to have antioxidant and neuroprotective effect, which is a promising therapeutic way in prevention and treatment of Parkinson's disease. The present study was aimed to understand the neuroprotective effect of acteoside and to elucidate its underlying mechanism. 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced neural damage in zebrafish model was used to study the protective effect of acteoside on Parkinson's disease (PD). Locomotion behavioral test showed that acteoside could prevent 6-OHDA-stimulated movement disorders. Anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) whole-mount immunostaining analysis showed that acteoside could prevent 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic neuron death. In addition, pretreatment with acteoside could upregulate antioxidative enzymes by activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in zebrafish. Meanwhile, acteoside was found to be distributed in the brain after intraperitoneal injection into the adult zebrafish, indicating that this compound could penetrate the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). This study demonstrated that acteoside could penetrate BBB and have potential therapeutic value for PD by activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway and attenuating the oxidative stress.

Cistanches Herba: An overview of its chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics property

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cistanches Herba is an Orobanchaceae parasitic plant. As a commonly used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), its traditional functions include treating kidney deficiency, impotence, female infertility and senile constipation. Chemical analysis of Cistanches Herba revealed that phenylethanoid glycosides, iridoids, lignans, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides were the main constituents. Pharmacological studies demonstrated that Cistanches Herba exhibited neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, hormonal balancing, anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotection, anti-oxidative, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-tumor effects, etc. The aim of this review is to provide updated, comprehensive and categorized information on the phytochemistry, pharmacological research and pharmacokinetics studies of the major constituents of Cistanches Herba.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literature search was conducted by systematic searching multiple electronic databases including SciFinder, ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar and CNKI. Information was also collected from journals, local magazines, books, monographs.

RESULTS

To date, more than 100 compounds have been isolated from this genus, include phenylethanoid glycosides, carbohydrates, lignans, iridoids, etc. The crude extracts and isolated compounds have exhibited a wide range of in vitro and in vivo pharmacologic effects, such as neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotection, anti-oxidative, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor effects. The phenylethanoid glycosides, echinacoside and acteoside have attracted the most attention for their significantly neuropharmacology effects. Pharmacokinetic studies of echinacoside and acteoside also have also been summarized.

CONCLUSION

Phenylethanoid glycosides have demonstrated wide pharmacological actions and have great clinical value if challenges such as poor bioavailability, fast and extensive metabolism are addressed. Apart from phenylethanoid glycosides, other constituents of Cistanches Herba, their pharmacological activities and underlying mechanisms are also need to be studied further.

Selective cytotoxicity of the herbal substance acteoside against tumor cells and its mechanistic insights

Natural products are characterized by extreme structural diversity and thus they offer a unique source for the identification of novel anti-tumor agents. Herein, we report that the herbal substance acteoside being isolated by advanced phytochemical methods from Lippia citriodora leaves showed enhanced cytotoxicity against metastatic tumor cells; acted in synergy with various cytotoxic agents and it sensitized chemoresistant cancer cells. Acteoside was not toxic in physiological cellular contexts, while it increased oxidative load, affected the activity of proteostatic modules and suppressed matrix metalloproteinases in tumor cell lines. Intraperitoneal or oral (via drinking water) administration of acteoside in a melanoma mouse model upregulated antioxidant responses in the tumors; yet, only intraperitoneal delivery suppressed tumor growth and induced anti-tumor-reactive immune responses. Mass-spectrometry identification/quantitation analyses revealed that intraperitoneal delivery of acteoside resulted in significantly higher, vs. oral administration, concentration of the compound in the plasma and tumors of treated mice, suggesting that its in vivo anti-tumor effect depends on the route of administration and the achieved concentration in the tumor. Finally, molecular modeling studies and enzymatic activity assays showed that acteoside inhibits protein kinase C. Conclusively, acteoside holds promise as a chemical scaffold for the development of novel anti-tumor agents.

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Acteoside was not toxic in physiological cellular or tissue contexts.

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This natural compound modulated antioxidant responses and proteostatic modules.

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Acteoside showed in vitro and in vivo selective cytotoxicity against tumor cells.

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IP administration of acteoside in a mouse tumor model activated immune responses.

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Acteoside inhibited Protein Kinase C.

Application of 1H NMR-based metabolomics for discrimination of different parts and development of a new processing workflow for Cistanche deserticola

Cistanche deserticola (CD) is one of the two authoritative source plants of Cistanches Herba, a well-known medicinal plant. Herein, ¹H NMR spectroscopy was employed to characterize the chemical profile and to distinguish the different parts, as well as to propose a new processing workflow for CD. Signal assignment was achieved by multiple one and two dimensional NMR spectroscopic techniques in combination with available databases and authentic compounds. The upper parts of the plant were distinguished from the lower parts by combining ¹H NMR spectroscopic dataset with multivariate statistical analysis. A new processing method that hyphenated steaming with freeze-drying, was demonstrated to be superior to either steaming coupled with oven-drying or direct freeze-drying via holistic ¹H NMR-based metabolomic characterization. Phenylethanoid glycosides, mainly echinacoside and acteoside, were screened out and confirmed as the chemical markers responsible for exhibiting the superiority of the new processing workflow, whereas serial primary metabolites, especially carbohydrates and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites, were found as the primary molecules governing the discrimination between the upper and lower parts of the plant. Collectively, ¹H NMR spectroscopy was demonstrated as a versatile analytical tool to characterize the chemical profile and to guide the in-depth exploitation of CD by providing comprehensive qualitative and quantitative information.

Chemical Profiling and Assessment of Antineurodegenerative and Antioxidant Properties of Veronica teucrium L. and Veronica jacquinii Baumg

Neuroprotective potential of V. teucrium and V. jacquinii methanol extracts was analyzed. Chemical analysis of investigated extracts showed the presence of phenolic acid derivatives, flavonoids and one secoiridoid. The detected flavonoids derived from flavones (luteolin and isoscutellarein in V. jacquinii; apigenin, isoscutellarein and luteolin in V. teucrium) and flavonol (quercetin in V. jacquinii). Acteoside was the dominant compound in V. jacquinii, while plantamajoside and isoscutellarein 7-O-(6‴-O-acetyl)-β-allosyl (1‴→2‴)-β-glucoside were the major phenolics in V. teucrium. Additionally, the antineurodegenerative activity was tested at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 μg/ml using acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosinase (TYR) assays. The inhibition of both enzymes was achieved with the investigated extracts, ranging from 22.78 to 35.40% for AChE and from 9.57 to 16.38% for TYR. There was no statistical difference between the activities of the analyzed extracts. Our data indicate that V. teucrium and V. jacquinii may have beneficial effects against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Application of a quantitative 1H-NMR (1H-qNMR) method for the determination of geniposidic acid and acteoside in Plantaginis semen

A quantitative ¹H-NMR method (¹H-qNMR) was developed to determine the concentration of acteoside and geniposidic acid in Plantaginis semen, which is an important crude drug for diuretic purposes. The purity of geniposidic acid and acteoside was determined by the ratio of the intensity of the H-3 signal at δ 7.51 ppm or the H-7″ signal at δ 7.58 ppm in methanol-d ₄ to that of a hexamethyldisilane (HMD) signal at 0.04 ppm, respectively. The concentration of HMD was corrected with the International System of Units traceability using potassium hydrogen phthalate of certified reference material grade. The geniposidic acid content in two batches of Plantaginis semen as determined by ¹H-qNMR was found to be 0.84 and 1.00 %, and the acteoside content was determined to be 0.80 and 0.93 %. We demonstrated that this method is useful for the quantitative analysis of geniposidic acid and acteoside in Plantainis semen.

The Osmanthus fragrans flower phenylethanoid glycoside-rich extract: Acute and subchronic toxicity studies

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii (O. fragrans) flower has been consumed as folk medicine for thousands of years. O. fragrans flower extract is a well-characterized phenylethanoid glycoside-rich extract, which has been used as a natural anti-oxidant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of O. fragrans flower phenylethanoid glycoside-rich extract (OFFE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The OFFE was extracted by 80% (v/v) aqueous ethanol with 0.01% sodium isoascorbate (w/v) from the O. fragrans flower and purified on HPD300 resins. The total phenylethanoid glycosides content and individual phenylethanoid glycosides was determined by photocolorimetric method and reversed phase UPLC respectively. An acute oral toxicity study, reverse mutation test, bone marrow cell micronucleus test, and sperm abnormality test as well as a 90-day oral toxicity study were performed on experimental animals.

RESULTS

The total content of phenylethanoid glycosides in OFFE was 73.4g acteoside equivalent per 100g of extract, include acteoside (52.5g per 100g of extract), salidroside (13.8g per 100g of extract), and isoacteoside (2.6g per 100g of extract) and so on. No acute lethal effect at the maximal tested OFFE dose of 10g/kg body weight (bw) in either rats or mice was observed, suggesting that OFFE can be considered nontoxic. No evidence for mutagenicity was detected in any of the three mutagenic tests. Administration at levels of 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00g/kg bw to rats for 90 days failed to induce any significant hematological, clinical, chemical, or histopathological changes. The no-observed adverse-effect-level for OFFE was >2.00g/kg bw for the study on subchronic toxicity.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that consuming OFFE has no adverse effects and poses no health risk in the acute oral toxicity study, subchronic oral toxicity study, and in the micronucleus test, which may provide supportive evidence for the safety of OFFE powder that has been used in medicine as well as in functional foods, and dietary supplements.

Effect of acteoside on the re-localization and abnormal morphology of mitochondria in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of acteoside, an antioxidant, on in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes to improve early parthenogenetic embryonic developmental competence.

METHODS

Porcine immature oocytes (total 770) were cultured in IVM medium with acteoside at various concentrations, 0 (control), 10, 30, and 50 μM. Each group was assessed for maturation and subsequent development rates, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level (15 oocytes per group and four independent experiments performed), ultrastructure observation (15 oocytes per group), mitochondrial activity (30 oocytes per groups and three independent experiments performed), and expression patterns of apoptosis-related genes (100 expended parthenogenetic embryos per group and three independent experiment performed). Main outcome measures were the rates of IVM, blastocyst formation, ROS, mitochondria, and expression of apoptosis-related genes in oocytes treated with acteoside.

RESULT(S)

Addition of acteoside during IVM did not change the maturation efficiency of oocytes but improved the rate of blastocyst formation with significantly decreased ROS level. Moreover, in acteoside-treated oocytes, cytoplasmic maturation was improved with morphologically uniform distribution of mitochondria and lipid droplets in cytoplasm. Acteoside supplementation also increased the mRNA expression levels of antiapoptotic genes and reduced those of pro-apoptotic genes.

CONCLUSION(S)

Acteoside supplementation in IVM medium improves the oocyte quality and subsequent development of pre-implantation embryos that would eventually contribute to produce embryos with high embryonic development competence.

Rational quality assessment procedure for less-investigated herbal medicines: Case of a Congolese antimalarial drug with an analytical report

Herbal medicines are the most globally used type of medical drugs. Their high cultural acceptability is due to the experienced safety and efficiency over centuries of use. Many of them are still phytochemically less-investigated, and are used without standardization or quality control. Choosing SIROP KILMA, an authorized Congolese antimalarial phytomedicine, as a model case, our study describes an interdisciplinary approach for a rational quality assessment of herbal drugs in general. It combines an authentication step of the herbal remedy prior to any fingerprinting, the isolation of the major constituents, the development and validation of an HPLC-DAD analytical method with internal markers, and the application of the method to several batches of the herbal medicine (here KILMA) thus permitting the establishment of a quantitative fingerprint. From the constitutive plants of KILMA, acteoside, isoacteoside, stachannin A, and pectolinarigenin-7-O-glucoside were isolated, and acteoside was used as the prime marker for the validation of an analytical method. This study contributes to the efforts of the WHO for the establishment of standards enabling the analytical evaluation of herbal materials. Moreover, the paper describes the first phytochemical and analytical report on a marketed Congolese phytomedicine.