Anti-osteoporotic effects of Yi Mai Jian on bone metabolism of ovariectomized rats

Yi Mai Jian herbal formula (YMJ) is formulated with Eucommiae Folium, Astragali Radix, Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, and Elaeagnus Fructus to improve bone function in traditional Chinese medicine. The anti-osteoporotic effects of YMJ in bone metabolism were evaluated in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The skeletal structure of the femur and vertebrae was analyzed after treating OVX rats with YMJ for 114 days. The results showed that YMJ significantly increased the bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular number (Tb. N) of the femur and 5th lumbar vertebrae and reduced trabecular separation (Tb. Sp). Moreover, trabecular bone volume/total tissue volume (BV/TV), bone stiffness, and maximum femur load were significantly increased. The serum concentrations of NTX1 and PYD were significantly decreased. According to these results, YMJ could ameliorate osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. Eucommiae Folium and Elaeagnus Fructus inhibited osteoclast differentiation, Ligustri Lucidi Fructus inhibited calcium reabsorption, Astragali Radix stimulated osteoblast proliferation, and Astragali Radix and Eucommiae Folium stimulated mineralization. Therefore, the combination of the four herbs into one formula, YMJ, could alleviate bone remodeling caused by low estrogen levels. We suggest that YMJ could be a healthy food candidate for preventing post-menopausal osteoporosis.

An evaluation of Astragali Radix with different growth patterns and years, based on a new multidimensional comparison method

Introduction

With the depletion of wild Astragali Radix (WA) resources, imitated-wild Astragali Radix (IWA) and cultivated Astragali Radix (CA) have become the main products of Astragali Radix. However, the quality differences of three growth patterns (WA, IWA, CA) and different growth years of Astragali Radix have not been fully characterized, leading to a lack of necessary scientific evidence for their use as substitutes for WA.

Methods

We innovatively proposed a multidimensional evaluation method that encompassed traits, microstructure, cell wall components, saccharides, and pharmacodynamic compounds, to comprehensively explain the quality variances among different growth patterns and years of Astragali Radix.

Results and discussion

Our study showed that the quality of IWA and WA was comparatively similar, including evaluation indicators such as apparent color, sectional structure and odor, thickness of phellem, diameter and number of vessels, morphology of phloem and xylem, and the levels and ratios of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, sucrose, starch, water-soluble polysaccharides, total-saponins. However, the content of sucrose, starch and sorbose in CA was significantly higher than WA, and the diameter and number of vessels, total-flavonoids content were lower than WA, indicating significant quality differences between CA and WA. Hence, we suggest that IWA should be used as a substitute for WA instead of CA. As for the planting years of IWA, our results indicated that IWA aged 1-32 years could be divided into three stages according to their quality change: rapid growth period (1-5 years), stable growth period (6-20 years), and elderly growth period (25-32 years). Among these, 6-20 years old IWA exhibited consistent multidimensional comparative results, showcasing elevated levels of key active components such as water-soluble polysaccharides, flavonoids, and saponins. Considering both the quality and cultivation expenses of IWA, we recommend a cultivation duration of 6-8 years for growers. In conclusion, we established a novel multidimensional evaluation method to systematically characterize the quality of Astragali Radix, and provided a new scientific perspective for the artificial cultivation and quality assurance of Astragali Radix.

Mechanism of herb pair containing Astragali Radix and Spatholobi Caulis in the treatment of myelosuppression based on network pharmacology and experimental investigation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Astragali Radix and Spatholobi Caulis herb pair (ARSC) is one of the most commonly used herbal combinations for bone marrow suppression. According to traditional Chinese medicine, Astragali Radix strengthens the spleen and replenishes qi, while Spatholobi Caulis is a hematinic agent that promotes blood circulation and enrichment. The compatibility of the two helps the body to tonify the spleen and kidneys and compensate for visceral deficiencies. However, the multi-target mechanism of ARSC in bone marrow suppression has remained largely unknown.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to explore the key targets and signaling pathways of the traditional Chinese herbal pair ARSC for the treatment of bone marrow suppression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The active components of ARSC and targets for myelosuppression were screened using network databases. Cytoscape 3.8.0 was used to construct compound-target, compound-disease-target and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Go-function and pathway enrichment analyses were performed to explore the potential mechanism. In vivo animal experiments were conducted to verify the molecular mechanisms.

RESULTS

The 36 active compounds were identified from the ARSC, and a total of 108 genes involved in myelosuppression were screened. VEGFA, IL6, TNF, JUN, STAT3, PTGS2, CASP3 and MMP9 genes were identified as potential drug targets in the PPI network analyzed by CytoHubba. Enrichment analysis indicated that ARSC may treat myelosuppression through various biological processes, such as apoptosis, TNF-α signaling pathway via NF-κB, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, IL6/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway, P53 signaling pathway and G2/M checkpoint signaling pathway. The results of the experiment showed that the aqueous extract of ARSC significantly alleviated myelosuppression, reduced the apoptosis rate of bone marrow cells, upregulated the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and VEGF, and promoted NF-κB phosphorylation in myelosuppressed mice.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the active components and relevant mechanisms of ARSC in the treatment of myelosuppression. Our findings predicted that ARSC could treat bone marrow suppression through multiple components, multiple targets and multiple pathways. Pharmacological experiments showed that ARSC alleviated fluorouracil-induced myelosuppression by reducing the apoptosis rate of bone marrow cells and regulating the TNF-α/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Extract of Astragali Radix and Solanum nigrum Linne regulates microglia and macrophage polarization and inhibits the growth and infiltration of C6 glioblastoma

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The polarization of glioma-associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs) affects the growth and infiltration of glioma. Astragali Radix (AR) and Solanum nigrum L. (SN) are traditional antitumor combinations in Chinese herbal medicine, but their roles and mechanisms against glioma are not yet clear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The effects of AR and SN compound (ARSN) on the polarization of GAMs and glioma cells in vitro and in vivo were studied, providing new ideas for the treatment of glioma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The UPLC-QTOF-MS method was used to examine the quality of ARSN extracts. The effects of ARSN on proliferation, migration and apoptosis of C6 cells were investigated using CCK-8 assay, colony-forming assay, wound healing assay and flow cytometry. The impact of ARSN on the polarization of GAMs was verified by PCR, ELISA, and flow cytometry. In addition, a rat glioma model was established to assess the effects of ARSN on glioma growth, infiltration, and polarization of GAMs.

RESULTS

In vitro experiments, ARSN can effectively inhibit the proliferation and migration of C6 cells and promote apoptosis. In the rat orthotopic tumor model, ARSN also effectively inhibited tumor growth and infiltration. The SN part of ARSN has strong cytotoxicity. Meanwhile the AR part can effectively inhibit the M2 polarization of GAMs and chemokine production induced by tumor, promote the M1 phenotype of GAMs, and regulate the tumor immune microenvironment to indirectly kill glioma.

CONCLUSIONS

ARSN inhibited glioma growth both in vitro and in vivo. SN takes effect through direct cytotoxicity, while AR works by regulating GAMs polarization. ARSN extracts can be used as a potential agent for glioma treatment.

[Research progress in Astragali Radix and its active ingredients in treatment of lung cancer]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and its effective treatment is a difficult medical problem. Lung cancer belongs to the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) disease categories of lung accumulation, lung amassment, and overstrain cough. Rich theoretical basis and practical experience have been accumulated in the TCM treatment of lung cancer. Astragali Radix is one of the representatives of Qi-tonifying drugs. It mainly treat the lung cancer with the syndrome of Qi deficiency and pathogen stagnation, following the principle of reinforcing healthy Qi and eliminating patgogenic Qi. Astragali Radix exerts a variety of pharmacological activities in the treatment of lung cancer, including inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and promoting tumor cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor invasion and migration, regulating the tumor microenvironment, suppressing tumor angiogenesis, modulating autophagy, inducing macrophage polarization, enhancing immunity, inhibiting immune escape, and reversing cisplatin resistance. The active ingredients of Astragali Radix in treating lung cancer include polysaccharides, saponins, and flavonoids. This study reviewed the pharmacological activities and active ingredients of Astragali Radix in the treatment of lung cancer, providing a basis for the development and utilization of Astragali Radix resources and active ingredients and the research and development of anti-tumor drugs.

Pharmacological potential of Astragali Radix for the treatment of kidney diseases

BACKGROUND

With the increasing prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, the incidence of kidney diseases is also increasing, resulting in a serious public burden. Conventional treatments for kidney diseases have unsatisfactory effects and are associated with adverse reactions. Traditional Chinese medicines have good curative effects and advantages over conventional treatments for preventing and treating kidney diseases. Astragali Radix is a Chinese herbal medicine widely used to treat kidney diseases.

PURPOSE

To review the potential applications and molecular mechanisms underlying the renal protective effects of Astragali Radix and its components and to provide direction and reference for new therapeutic strategies and future research and development of Astragali Radix.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched using keywords, including "Astragali Radix," "Astragalus," "Astragaloside IV" (AS-IV), "Astragali Radix polysaccharide" (APS), and "kidney diseases." Reports on the effects of Astragali Radix and its components on kidney diseases were identified and reviewed.

RESULTS

The main components of Astragali Radix with kidney-protective properties include AS-IV, APS, calycosin, formononetin, and hederagenin. Astragali Radix and its active components have potential pharmacological effects for the treatment of kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury, diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive renal damage, chronic glomerulonephritis, and kidney stones. The pharmacological effects of Astragali Radix are manifested through the inhibition of inflammation, oxidative stress, fibrosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, and ferroptosis, as well as the regulation of autophagy.

CONCLUSION

Astragali Radix is a promising drug candidate for treating kidney diseases. However, current research is limited to animal and cell studies, underscoring the need for further verifications using high-quality clinical data.

Efficacy and Possible Mechanisms of Astragali Radix and its Ingredients in Animal Models of Osteoporosis: A Preclinical Review and Metaanalysis

BACKGROUND

Astragali Radix (AR) has a long history as a traditional Chinese medicine for anti-osteoporosis (OP) treatment. The aim of the study was to explore the effect and optimal regimens of AR and its main ingredients (IAR) in OP treatment.

METHODS

Eligible animal studies were searched in seven databases (PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, SciELO Citation Index, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang). The primary outcomes were bone metabolic indices. The secondary outcome measure was the anti-OP mechanism of IAR.

RESULTS

21 studies were enrolled in the study. The primary findings of the present article illustrated that IAR could significantly increase the bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume over the total volume, trabecular number, trabecular thickness, bone maximum load and serum calcium, while trabecular separation and serum C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen were remarkably decreased (P < 0.05). In subgroup analysis, the BMD in the long treatment group (≥ 10 weeks) showed better effect size than the short treatment group (< 10 weeks) (P < 0.05). Modeling methods and animal sex were factors affecting serum alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest the possibility of developing IAR as a drug for the treatment of OP. IAR with longer treatment time may achieve better effects regardless of animal strain and age.

The Beneficial Effects of Dietary Astragali Radix Are Related to the Regulation of Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolites

Astragali Radix (AR) or its extract has been used as an herbal medicine and dietary supplement in China, Europe, and the United States. The gut microbiota could provide new insights for exploring dietary supplements' underlying mechanism on organisms. However, no reports have focused on the regulatory effect of AR on the gut microbiota as a dietary supplement. In this study, healthy ICR mice of either sex were divided into AR and control (CON) groups and given AR water extract (4.55 mg/kg·day-1) or saline by gavage for 14 days, respectively. Then 16S rRNA gene sequencing and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry-based fecal metabolomics were integrated to investigate the benefits of dietary AR. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was also introduced to investigate the metabolites with highly synergistic changes. AR supplementation influenced the structure of intestinal microflora, especially enriching short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria g_Coprobacillus, g_Prevotella, and g_Parabacteroides. AR also significantly altered the fecal metabolome, mainly related to amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and bile acid (BA) metabolism. Moreover, the increased secondary BAs and BA-sulfates might closely relate to intestinal microflora. These findings provide valuable insights for future research of dietary AR as a functional food.

Study of the Mechanism of Astragali Radix in Treating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Renal Protection Based on Enzyme Activity, Network Pharmacology, and Experimental Verification

Astragali Radix (AR) is a common Chinese medicine and food. This article aims to reveal the active role of AR in treating Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its renal protective mechanism. The hypoglycemic active fraction was screened by α-glucosidase and identified by UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS spectrometry. The targets and KEGG pathway were determined through the application of network pharmacology methodology. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation technology were used for virtual verification. Subsequently, a mouse model of T2DM was established, and the blood glucose and renal function indexes of the mice after administration were analyzed to further prove the pharmacodynamic effect and mechanism of AR in the treatment of T2DM. HA was determined as the best hypoglycemic active fraction by the α-glucosidase method, with a total of 23 compounds identified. The main active components, such as calycoside-7-O-β-D-glucoside, methylnisoline, and formononetin, were revealed by network pharmacology. In addition, the core targets and the pathway have also been determined. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation techniques have verified that components and targets can be well combined. In vivo studies have shown that AR can reduce blood sugar levels in model mice, enhance the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of kidney tissue, and alleviate kidney damage in mice. And it also has regulatory effects on proteins such as RAGE, PI3K, and AKT. AR has a good therapeutic effect on T2DM and can repair disease-induced renal injury by regulating the RAGE/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. This study provides ideas for the development of new drugs or dietary interventions for the treatment of T2DM.

The antihyperuricemia activity of Astragali Radix through regulating the expression of uric acid transporters via PI3K/Akt signalling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Astragali Radix (AR) is the dry root of the leguminous plants Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Beg. var. mongholicus (Beg) Hsiao, and Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bge., being used as a medicinal and edible resource. AR is used in traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions to treat hyperuricemia, but this particular effect is rarely reported, and the associated mechanism of action is still need to be elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To research the uric acid (UA)-lowering activity and mechanism of AR and the representative compounds through the constructed hyperuricemia mouse and cellular models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In our study, the chemical profile of AR was analysed by UHPLC-QE-MS, as well as the mechanism of action of AR and the representative compounds on hyperuricemia was studied through the constructed hyperuricemia mouse and cellular models.

RESULTS

The main compounds in AR were terpenoids, flavonoids and alkaloids. Mice group treated with the highest AR dosage showed significantly lower (p < 0.0001) serum uric acid (208 ± 9 μmol/L) than the control group (317 ± 11 μmol/L). Furthermore, UA increased in a dose-dependence manner in urine and faeces. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen standards, as well as xanthine oxidase in mice liver, decreased (p < 0.05) in all cases, indicating that AR could relieve acute hyperuricemia. UA reabsorption protein (URAT1 and GLUT9) was down-regulated in AR administration groups, while the secretory protein (ABCG2) was up-regulated, indicating that AR could promote the excretion of UA by regulating UA transporters via PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

CONCLUSION

This study validated the activity, and revealed the mechanism of AR in reducing UA, which provided experimental and clinical basis for the treatment of hyperuricemia with it.

Establishment of a multicomponent quality control method and the transfer characteristics of five markers from Qidongning Formula to rat tissues by HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicine compound preparations have become an increasingly utilized strategy for tumour treatment. Qidongning Formula (QDN) is a kind of antitumour compound preparation used in hospitals, and it can inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells. However, due to the complexity of botanical drugs, the quality evaluation of QDN is inconsistent, affecting clinical efficacy and posing potential safety risks for clinical application. Additionally, tissue distribution is an integral part of the drug development process. Methods: To study the distribution characteristics of markers in compound preparations and rat tissues, a novel HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS quantitative analytical method was established to determine five markers in QDN simultaneously, and the method was verified. Results and discussion: The analytical results showed that the contents of salidroside (51.6 ± 5.75 μg/g), calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (94.2 ± 15.4 μg/g), specnuezhenide (371 ± 72.5 μg/g), formononetin (23.8 ± 5.39 μg/g), and polyphyllin I (87.7 ± 10.6 μg/g) were stable in different batches of QDN. After intragastric administration (13.5 g/kg) in rats for 1 h, four markers in the QDN, except polyphyllin I, were distributed in most tissues. QDN was distributed chiefly in the stomach and small intestine, followed by the liver or kidney. The study also found that specnuezhenide had the highest concentration in both QDN and rat tissues (102 ± 22.1 μg/g in the stomach), while formononetin had the highest transfer rate (0.351%) from QDN to rat intestines. The above research lays a quality research foundation for the antitumour application of QDN and provides a scientific reference for the quality control of Chinese medicine compound preparations.

[Chemical composition analysis and value evaluation of stems and leaves of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus]

This study aimed to provide data support for resource utilization of the stems and leaves of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus(SLAM) by analyzing and evaluating the chemical constituents. The crude protein, crude fiber, and soluble saccharide of SLAM were analyzed by Kjeldahl method, filtration method, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry, respectively. The nucleosides, amino acids, flavonoids, and saponins of SLAM were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(UPLC-TQ-MS). Combined with principal component analysis(PCA), the quality difference of resource components of SLAM was comprehensively evaluated. The results showed that the average content of crude protein, crude fiber, total polysaccharide, and redu-cing sugar in SLAM was 5.11%, 30.33%, 11.03 mg·g~(-1), and 31.90 mg·g~(-1), respectively. Six nucleosides, 15 amino acids, 22 flavonoids, and one saponin were detected, with an average content of 1.49 mg·g~(-1), 6.00 mg·g~(-1), 1.86 mg·g~(-1), and 35.67 μg·g~(-1), respectively. The content of various types of chemical components in SLAM differed greatly in different harvesting periods and growing years. The results of PCA showed that the quality of SLAM produced in Ningxia was superior. The results can provide references for the utilization of SLAM.

Study on the Biotransformation and Activities of Astragalosides from Astragali Radix In Vitro and In Vivo

Astragalosides (AGs), as one of the main active ingredients in Astragali Radix (AR), have a series of biological activities. Previous studies have only qualitatively identified the metabolites of AGs in AR, resulting in a lack of quantification. In the present study, the original material was selected from 12 origins based on the levels of 4 AGs by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The prototype components and metabolites of total AGs (TAGs) in feces, urine, and plasma samples of rats were thoroughly screened and characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). The fermentation reaction and metabolites were verified by human fecal TAG fermentation in vitro. The metabolites of AG I, II, and IV transformed by human feces at different times were identified using UHPLC-HRMS, and the partial metabolites were quantified by HPLC. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the metabolites were evaluated based on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. In total, 13 AGs and 170 metabolites were identified in TAGs as well as in the plasma, urine, and feces of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by UHPLC-HRMS, including 28, 36, and 170 metabolites in the plasma, urine, and feces, respectively. The metabolites included the products of deglycosylation, demethylation, hydroxylation, glucuronidation, sulfation, and cysteine-binding reactions. Moreover, the TAG fermentation results in vitro showed great similarity. The human fecal incubation experiments for AG I, II, and IV demonstrated that the metabolic reaction of TAGs mainly occurred in intestinal feces and that deglycosylation, demethylation, and hydroxylation were the main pathways of their metabolism. HPLC quantitative analysis of the transformation solution at different time points showed that AGs were transformed into secondary glycosides [cycloastragenol-6-glucoside (CAG-6-glucoside)] and aglycones [cycloastragenol (CAG)] through a deglycosylation reaction. Analysis of the pharmacological activity showed that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the metabolites were associated with the levels of the corresponding aglycones. Further, metabolic profiles of the TAGs were constructed. Overall, this study revealed the metabolic process of AGs in the intestine, providing guidance for the metabolism and pharmacological effects of other saponins.

Astragalus improves intestinal barrier function and immunity by acting on intestinal microbiota to treat T2DM: a research review

Diabetes is a significant chronic endocrine/metabolism disorder that can result in a number of life-threatening consequences. According to research, the gut microbiota is strongly linked to the development of diabetes, making it a viable target for diabetes treatment. The intestinal microbiota affects intestinal barrier function, organism immunity, and thus glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism. According to research, a disruption in the intestinal microbiota causes a decrease in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), alters the metabolism of bile acids (BAs), branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and endotoxin secretion, resulting in insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and the progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Astragali Radix is a medicinal herb of the same genus as food that has been extensively researched for treating diabetes mellitus with promising results in recent years. Polysaccharides, saponins, flavonoids, and other components are important. Among them, Astragaloside has a role in protecting the cellular integrity of the pancreas and liver, can leading to alleviation of insulin resistance and reducing blood glucose and triglyceride (TC) levels; The primary impact of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) on diabetes is a decrease in insulin resistance, encouragement of islet cell proliferation, and suppression of islet β cell death; Astragali Radix flavonoids are known to enhance immunity, anti-inflammatory, regulate glucose metabolism and control the progression of diabetes. This study summarizes recent studies on Astragali Radix and its group formulations in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus by modulating the intestinal microbiota.

Neuroprotective effect of Astragali Radix on cerebral infarction based on proteomics

Objective: Astragali Radix (AR, Huangqi in Chinese) has a neuroprotective effect on cerebral infarction (CI). In order to explore the biological basis and therapeutic mechanism of AR in CI, a double-blind randomized controlled trial was established in this study, and proteomics analysis was carried out on serum samples of patients. Methods: The patients were divided into the AR group (n = 35) and the control group (n = 30). The curative effect was evaluated by the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score and clinical indicators, and the serum of the two groups was analyzed by proteomics. Based on bioinformatics analysis methods, the changes in differential proteins between two groups of samples were explored, and the key proteins were validated through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The results of this study showed that the scores of deficiency of vital energy (DVE), blood stasis (BS), and NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) decreased significantly (p < 0.05), while the scores of the Barthel Index (BI) increased, indicating that AR could significantly improve the symptoms of CI patients. In addition, we found that compared with the control group, AR upregulated 43 proteins and downregulated 20 proteins, especially focusing on anti-atherosclerosis and neuroprotective effects. Moreover, ELISA indicated the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, VCAM-1, MCP-1, and ICAM-1 were significantly decreased in the serum of the AR group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study found that AR can significantly recover the clinical symptoms of CI. Serum proteomics research results show that AR may act on IL-6, TNF-α, VCAM-1, MCP-1, and ICAM-1, and play anti-atherosclerosis and neuroprotective roles. Clinical Trial Registration: [clinicaltrials.gov], identifier [NCT02846207].

Pseudotargeted metabolomics-based random forest model for tracking plant species from herbal products

BACKGROUND

The "one-to-multiple" phenomenon is prevalent in medicinal herbs. Accurate species identification is critical to ensure the safety and efficacy of herbal products but is extremely challenging due to their complex matrices and diverse compositions.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to identify the determinable chemicalome of herbs and develop a reasonable strategy to track their relevant species from herbal products.

METHODS

Take Astragali Radix-the typical "one to multiple" herb, as a case. An in-house database-driven identification of the potentially bioactive chemicalome (saponins and flavonoids) in AR was performed. Furthermore, a pseudotargeted metabolomics method was first developed and validated to obtain high-quality semi-quantitative data. Then based on the data matrix, the random forest algorithm was trained to predict Astragali Radix species from commercial products.

RESULTS

The pseudotargeted metabolomics method was first developed and validated to obtain high-quality semi-quantitative data (including 56 saponins and 49 flavonoids) from 26 batches of AR. Then the random forest algorithm was well-trained by importing the valid data matrix and showed high performance in predicting Astragalus species from ten commercial products.

CONCLUSION

This strategy could learn species-special combination features for accurate herbal species tracing and could be expected to promote the traceability of herbal materials in herbal products, contributing to manufacturing standardization.

A specific SNP-based multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous identification of two biological ingredients for the Chinese patent medicine, Danggui Buxue pill

Background: An increasing number of Chinese patent medicines (CPM) have been widely used in East Asian and North American countries, and the safety and efficacy of CPM have highly attracted public attention. However, it is difficult to supervise the authenticity of multiple biological ingredients within CPM based on microscopic inspection and physical and chemical detection. The raw materials may have similar characteristics of tissue structures and ergastic substances or similar chemical composition and contents when substitutes and/or adulterants are added. DNA molecular markers have been used to distinguish the biological ingredients within CPM based on conventional PCR assay. However, it was proved to be time- and labor-consuming and reagent-wasting, as multiple PCR amplification strategies were required for identifying the complex species composition within CPM. Here, we took the CPM (Danggui Buxue pill) as an example and aimed to establish a specific SNP-based multiplex PCR assay and simultaneously determine the authenticity of the two biological ingredients (Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Astragali Radix) within this CPM. Methods: We, respectively, designed the species-specific primers based on highly variable nrITS for discriminating Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Astragali Radix from their common substitutes and adulterants. The specificity of the primers was checked through conventional PCR assay and multiplex PCR assay. Furthermore, we used a handcrafted Danggui Buxue pill sample (DGBXP) to optimize annealing temperatures for the primers with multiplex PCR, and the sensitivity was also assessed. Finally, fourteen batches of commercial Danggui Buxue pills were used to verify the stability and practicability of the established multiplex PCR assay. Results: Two pairs of highly species-specific primers for amplifying Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Astragali Radix were screened, and our established multiplex PCR assay showed high specificity and sensitivity (lowest detection concentration: 4.0 × 10^-3 ng/μL) at an optimal annealing temperature of 65°C. The method could simultaneously identify both biological ingredients within the Danggui Buxue pill. Conclusion: The specific SNP-based multiplex PCR provided a simple, time-, and labor-saving method for the simultaneous identification of the two biological ingredients within Danggui Buxue pills. This study was expected to provide a novel qualitative quality control strategy for CPM.

Quality assessment of Astragali Radix based on pseudo-targeted metabolomics and chemometric approach

Astragali Radix is widely used because of its dual use in medicine and food, and its quality evaluation is of great importance. In this study, a pseudo-targeted metabolomics approach based on scheduled multiple reaction monitoring was developed, and a total of 114 compounds with good linearity, sensitivity and reproducibility were selected for relative quantification, and the chemical differences between Astragali Radix of different growth patterns were further compared by chemometric analysis. With the help of multivariate and univariate analysis, 26 differential compounds between wild/semi-wild Astragali Radix and cultivated Astragali Radix were determined. Then 5 marker compounds were screened out by lasso regression, and further verified by systematic clustering, random forest, support vector machine, and logistic regression. In addition, malonyl-substituted flavonoids showed relatively higher content in wild/semi-wild Astragali Radix. Thus, the malonyl-substitution was the characteristic for flavonoids in wild/semi-wild Astragali Radix. In conclusion, the application of pseudo-targeted metabolomics and various statistical methods could offer multi-dimensional information for the holistic quality evaluation of Astragali Radix. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Astragaloside IV: A promising natural neuroprotective agent for neurological disorders

Neurological disorders are characterized by high morbidity, disability, and mortality rates, which seriously threaten human health. However, clinically satisfactory agents for treatment are still currently lacking. Therefore, finding neuroprotective agents with minimum side effects and better efficacy is a challenge. Chinese herbal medicine, particularly natural preparations extracted from herbs or plants, has become an unparalleled resource for discovering new agent candidates. Astragali Radix is an important Qi tonic drug in traditional Chinese medicine and has a long medicinal history. As a natural medicine, it has a good prevention and treatment effect on neurological disorders. Here, the role and mechanism of astragaloside IV in the treatment of neurological disorders were evaluated and discussed through previous research results. Related information from major scientific databases, such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Embase, BIOSIS Previews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Library, covering between 2001 and 2021 was compiled, using "Astragaloside IV" and "Neurological disorders," "Astragaloside IV," and "Neurodegenerative diseases" as reference terms. By summarizing previous research results, we found that astragaloside IV may play a neuroprotective role through various mechanisms: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic protection of nerve cells and regulation of nerve growth factor, as well as by inhibiting neurodegeneration and promoting nerve regeneration. Astragaloside IV is a promising natural neuroprotective agent. By determining its pharmacological mechanism, astragaloside IV may be a new candidate drug for the treatment of neurological disorders.

LC-MS/MS combined with blood-brain dual channel microdialysis for simultaneous determination of active components of astragali radix-safflower combination and neurotransmitters in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury: Application in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study

BACKGROUND

Astragali Radix-Safflower combination (ARSC) is widely utilized in clinic to treat cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CI/RI). Whereas, there is no in-depth research of the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) analysis of ARSC after intragastric administration in rats with CI/RI.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this research is to investigate the PK characteristics of eight active ingredients (astragaloside IV, calycosin, calycosin-7-O-β-glucoside, formononetin, ononin, hydroxysafflor yellow A, syringin and vernine) of ARSC, and the regulation of neurotransmitters disorders, revealing the pharmacodynamic substance basis and the mechanism of ARSC in treating CI/RI from the molecular level.

METHODS

We established a new method which based on blood-brain dual channel microdialysis (MD) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to continuously gather, and determine the components of ARSC and neurotransmitters related to CI/RI in vivo. The collected data were analyzed by sigmoid-E_max function. The neurotransmitters primarily regulated in CI/RI rat were discussed by principal component analysis and the compound most associated with total pharmacodynamics was chosen by partial least squares regression.

RESULTS

The validated LC-MS/MS method had specificity and selectivity to simultaneously analyze the concentration of eight active components of ARSC extract and five neurotransmitters of CI/RI rats. The recovery rates of brain MD probe and blood MD probe were stable within six hours. The MD probes recovery rates decreased with the increase of flow rates, but the solution concentration had little effect on the probes recovery rates. It was feasible to correct the recovery rates of probes in vivo by using reverse dialysis method. All eight active ingredients of ARSC could pass across the blood brain barrier after CI/RI. ARSC regulated the release of glutamate (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and aspartic acid (Asp). Notably, astragaloside IV and hydroxysafflor yellow A might have better regulatory effect on neurotransmitters in comparison with other six measured components of ARSC, and Glu was the neurotransmitter mainly regulated in CI/RI rats.

CONCLUSION

The ARSC was able to treat CI/RI through ameliorating neurotransmitters disorders. There was a hysteresis between the peaked drug concentration and maximum therapeutic effect of ARSC. The drug effective concentrations range of ASIV, calycosin, calycosin-7-O-β-glucoside, syringin and vernine in blood microdialysate and calycosin, syringin, vernine in brain microdialysate were narrow, which need be paid attention in clinical use.

Astragali Radix-Codonopsis Radix-Jujubae Fructus water extracts ameliorate exercise-induced fatigue in mice via modulating gut microbiota and its metabolites

BACKGROUD

Astragali Radix (AR) and Codonopsis Radix (CR) are widely used as the tonic herbal medicine with efficacy of tonifying qi in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which showed significant antifatigue activities. In this study, AR and CR were combined, with Jujubae Fructus (JF) further added to improve the taste, to afford the ACJ extracts in the ratio of 2:1:2.

RESULTS

The results showed that ACJ water extract exhibited antifatigue effect by the weight-loaded exhaustive swimming test in mice. The untargeted fecal metabolomic approach and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that ACJ could improve exercise performance by regulating changes of gut metabolites and microbiota to alleviate fatigue. Four pathways were determined as the key pathways relating with its antifatigue effect, which included sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis and d-arginine and d-ornithine metabolism. Correlation analysis showed the complex association among bacteria, metabolites and phenotypes.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this study revealed new perspectives to study the antifatigue mechanism of ACJ extracts from the gut microbiota, which provided the basis for further functional food development. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Investigating the inter-individual variability of Astragali Radix against cisplatin-induced liver injury via 16S rRNA gene sequencing and LC/MS-based metabolomics

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin (CDDP), one of the widely used chemotherapeutic drugs, can induce a series of side effects, such as hepatotoxicity and gastrointestinal toxicity. Astragali Radix (AR) is widely used as the tonic herbal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, there was no report about the hepatoprotective effect of AR against the cisplatin-induced hepatic damage.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and potential mechanism of AR water extract against the cisplatin-induced liver injury.

METHODS

Cisplatin was utilized to induce the liver injury using ICR mice, and the protective effect of AR was evaluated by serum biochemistry indices and liver histopathology. Then UHPLC Q-TOF-MS/MS-based untargeted serum metabolomics approach combined with 16S rRNA-based microbiota analysis was used to explore the underlying biomarkers and mechanism about the liver-protective effect of AR.

RESULTS

AR could decrease the serum AST and ALT, ameliorate hepatic pathological damages caused by cisplatin. Serum metabolomics indicated AR could regulate the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid metabolism, purine metabolism, and fatty acid biosynthesis. In addition, 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that AR could regulate cisplatin-induced gut microbiota disorder, especially the inflammation-related bacteria (p_Deferribacteres, g_Enterococcus, and g_Alistipes, etc.), and the short chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria (g_Alloprevotella, g_Intestinimoas, and g_Flavonifractor). Moreover, 7 mice (AR-7) showed better liver protective effect than the other 3 mice (AR-3), and their regulatory effect on the gut microbiota and serum metabolites were also different, indicating the presence of inter-individual variability for the liver protective effect of AR.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the protective effect and the potential mechanisms of AR against cisplatin-induced liver injury, and found that inter-individual variability of the liver protective effect of AR was related to the host microbiome and metabolome. These findings provided new insight into the health effect of dietary AR as a functional food for cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Exposure assessment and risk-based limit levels evaluation of ochratoxin A in Astragali Radix in China

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin found in a variety of foods and herbal medicines, and several governmental bodies around the world have set maximum allowable levels of OTA in different foods and herbal medicines. This study aims to evaluate the health risk of OTA in Astragali Radix (AR) in China, and to evaluate the effects of different limit levels on the risk control of OTA in AR. The concentrations of OTA in 187 samples of AR were investigated, and 61 (32.6%) samples were positive. The mean, 50th and 95th percentile values of OTA in positive samples were 56.2, 5.1 and 304.5 μg/kg, respectively. A margin of exposure (MOE) approach was applied to assess the risk. Considering other food sources, long-term consumers have a relatively high risk of OTA exposure due to the ingestion of AR. Theoretical limit levels of OTA in AR were evaluated from two dimensions by weighing the costs and the benefits. The results indicated that the limit levels that might be applied to the management of OTA contamination in AR in China could be screened out through risk-based evaluation of limit levels.

Colour, chemical compounds, and antioxidant capacity of Astragali Radix based on untargeted metabolomics and targeted quantification

INTRODUCTION

Astragali Radix has been used for over 2000 years in traditional Chinese medicine. Its secondary xylem "Jinjing" and secondary phloem "Yulan" are important for evaluating the quality of the Daodi medicinal material in China. However, its systematic characterisation has not been conducted.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the colour, chemical compounds, and antioxidant capacity of the secondary xylem and phloem of Astragali Radix on the basis of untargeted metabolomics, broadening the application scope of Astragali Radix in food and pharmaceutical industries.

METHODS

The L*, a*, and b* of the secondary xylem and phloem were measured by colorimetry, and the chemical compounds were identified and quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-evaporative light scattering detection. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays were conducted to evaluate their antioxidant capacity.

RESULTS

Thirty-one compounds were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The secondary xylem exhibited high parameter b*, flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity, while the secondary phloem was rich in astragalosides. The colour parameters of well-defined type A significantly varied from those of the other types. Well-defined type A also exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and flavonoid content, followed by middle type A-like, middle type B-like, and yellow shading type B.

CONCLUSION

The colour parameters, chemical compounds, and antioxidant capacity among the different transverse sections of secondary xylem and phloem varied. The yellow colour of secondary xylem was correlated to high flavonoid content and antioxidant activity, and well-defined type A of Astragali Radix had better quality than other types.

[Research progress on Astragali Radix and prediction of its quality markers (Q-markers)]

Astragali Radix, a medicinal herb for invigorating Qi, has anti-aging, anti-tumor, immunoregulatory, blood sugar-and lipid-lowering, anti-fibrosis, anti-radiation and other pharmacological effects. This article reviewed the studies about the chemical components and pharmacological effects of Astragali Radix. According to the theory of quality markers(Q-markers) of Chinese medicinal materials, we predicted the Q-markers of Astragali Radix from traditional efficacy, chemical component validity, measurability, plant phylogeny, and pharmacokinetis. The results showed that total polysaccharides, flavonoids(e.g., calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, formononetin, calycosin, quercetin, and ononin), and saponins(e.g., astragalosides Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ) can be taken as the main Q-markers. This review lays a foundation for regulating the quality research and standard establishment of Astragali Radix, and benefits the control and quality supervision of the production process of Astragali Radix and its related products.

Combining network pharmacology with chromatographic fingerprinting and multi-component quantitative analysis for the quality evaluation of Astragali Radix

Nowadays, the cultivated variant and adulterant of Astragali Radix (AR) have flooded the market, causing the quality of AR to be challenging to distinguish. To address this issue, we combined network pharmacology with chromatographic fingerprinting and multi-component quantitative analysis for the quality evaluation of AR. Specifically, through network pharmacology, a complete understanding of the active components and pharmacological activities of AR was established. In addition, the establishment of the fingerprint profiles and multi-component quantitation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is convenient and comprehensive, which can more fully reflect the overall situation of the distribution of various chemical components. To evaluate and differentiate AR from different origins, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed. The result showed that AR acts synergistically through multiple targets and pathways. And the content of chemical components in AR from different origins varied significantly. Combining network pharmacology and multi-component quantification results, astragaloside II, astragaloside IV and formononetin can be used as quality markers for quality control of AR. This study provides a comprehensive and reliable strategy for the quality evaluation of AR and identifies its quality markers to ensure the quality of the herb.

[Determination of eight active components of Bufei Huoxue Capsules in rat plasma and their pharmacokinetics by UHPLC-MS/MS]

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS) method was established to investigate the pharmacokinetic behaviors of psoralenoside, isopsoralenoside, calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, psoralen, isopsoralen, methylnissolin, and neobavaisoflavone in rat plasma after oral administration of Bufei Huoxue Capsules. After SD rats were administered with Bufei Huoxue Capsules suspension by gavage, blood samples were collected from the inner canthus at different time points. After protein precipitation, plasma samples were separated on ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm). The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile(A) and water(B) containing 0.1% formic acid in gradient elution. The positive and negative ions were measured simultaneously in the multi-reaction monitoring(MRM) mode. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and fitted by DAS 3.2.8. Psoralenoside, isopsoralenoside, calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, psoralen, isopsoralen, methylnissolin, and neobavaisoflavone were detected in the rat plasma after drug administration, with AUC_(0-t) of(3 357±1 348),(3 555±1 696),(3.03±0.88),(2.21±0.33),(1 787±522),(2 295±539),(5.69±1.41) and(3.40±0.75) μg·L~(-1)·h, and T_(max) of(1.56±0.62),(1.40±0.70),(0.21±0.05),(0.25±0.12),(0.26±0.11),(0.34±0.29),(0.74±0.59), and 0.25 h. The method is proved specific and repeatable and is suitable for the determination of psoralenoside, isopsoralenoside, calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, pso-ralen, isopsoralen, methylnissolin, and neobavaisoflavone in the rat plasma, which can be applied to pharmacokinetic study.

[Effect of Astragali Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma compatibility combined with 5-fluorouracil on Th17/Treg balance and tumor-related mRNA and protein expression in orthotopic xenograft model mice of CT26.WT colorectal carcinoma]

Astragali Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma(AR-CR) is a combination commonly used in the clinical treatment of tumors. Based on the T helper 17(Th17)/regulatory T cell(Treg) balance, the present study explored the possible mechanism of AR-CR combined with 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) on the tumor growth of orthotopic xenograft model mice of colorectal carcinoma. Ninety male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into nine groups, i.e., a blank group, a model group, a 5-FU group, high-, medium-, and low-dose AR-CR(2∶1) groups, and high-, medium-, and low-dose AR-CR+5-FU groups, with 10 mice in each group. The orthotopic xenograft model of CT26.WT colorectal carcinoma was induced in mice except those in the blank group. Twenty-four hours after the ope-ration, mice in the blank group and the model group received normal saline by gavage(10 mL·kg~(-1), once per day), and those in the 5-FU group received 5-FU by intraperitoneal injection(25 mg·kg~(-1), once every other day). Mice in the AR-CR groups received AR and CR decoctions by gavage(12, 6, and 3 g·kg~(-1), once a day) and those in the combination groups received AR and CR decoctions and 5-FU(doses and administration methods were the same as above). After intervention for three weeks, all mice were sacrificed and tumor tissues were collected. The tumor mass was weighed and the average tumor weight was calculated. The changing trend of Th17/Treg(%) in the CD4~+T lymphocytes of the spleen tissues of the mice in each group was detected. The mRNA expression in the blood and protein expression in the tumor tissues of transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interferon-γ(IFN-γ), Smad4, N-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase-7(MMP-7) were detected. The experimental results revealed that compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention showed reduced tumor mass(P&lt;0.01), decreased CD4~+IL-17~+ in the spleen tissues to varying degrees(P&lt;0.001), and increased proportion of CD4~+Foxp3~+(P&lt;0.001 or P&lt;0.05), indicating that Th17/Treg maintained dynamic balance, and the effect of the combination groups was predominant. Additionally, the mRNA expression in the blood and protein expression in the tumor tissues of TGF-β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, Smad4, N-cadherin, and MMP-7 declined to varying degrees in a dose-dependent manner(P&lt;0.01 or P&lt;0.001). The AR-CR combined with 5-FU can inhibit the tumor growth of orthotopic xenograft model mice of CT26.WT colorectal carcinoma. The mechanism may be related to maintenance of Th17/Treg dynamic balance in the body and down-regulation of TGF-β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, Smad4, N-cadherin, and MMP-7 expression.

[Effect of active component compound of Epimedii Folium,Astragali Radix,and Puerariae Lobatae Radix on expression of ADAM17 in HT22 cells by mediating hepcidin]

Alzheimer's disease(AD) patients in China have been surging, and the resultant medical burden and care demand have a huge impact on the development of individuals, families, and the society. The active component compound of Epimedii Folium, Astragali Radix, and Puerariae Lobatae Radix(YHG) can regulate the expression of iron metabolism-related proteins to inhibit brain iron overload and relieve hypofunction of central nervous system in AD patients. Hepcidin is an important target regulating iron metabolism. This study investigated the effect of YHG on the expression of a disintegrin and metalloprotease-17(ADAM17), a key enzyme in the hydrolysis of β amyloid precursor protein(APP) in HT22 cells, by mediating hepcidin. To be specific, HT22 cells were cultured in vitro, followed by liposome-mediated siRNA transfection to silence the expression of hepcidin. Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to examine the silencing result and the effect of YHG on hepcidin in AD cell model. HT22 cells were randomized into 7 groups: control group, Aβ25-35 induction(Aβ) group, hepcidin-siRNA(siRNA) group, Aβ25-35 + hepcidin-siRNA(Aβ + siRNA) group, Aβ25-35+YHG(Aβ+YHG) group, hepcidin-siRNA+YHG(siRNA+YHG) group, Aβ25-35+hepcidin-siRNA+YHG(Aβ+siRNA+YHG) group. The expression of ADAM17 mRNA in cells was detected by real-time PCR, and the expression of ADAM17 protein by immunofluorescence and Western blot. Immunofluorescence showed that the ADAM17 protein expression was lower in the Aβ group, siRNA group, and Aβ+siRNA group than in the control group(P&lt;0.05) and the expression was lower in the Aβ+siRNA group(P&lt;0.05) and higher in the Aβ+YHG group(P&lt;0.05) than in the Aβ group. Moreover, the ADAM17 protein expression was lower in the Aβ+siRNA group(P&lt;0.05) and higher in the siRNA+YHG group(P&lt; 0.05) than in the siRNA group. The expression was higher in the Aβ+siRNA+YHG group than in the Aβ+siRNA group(P&lt;0.05). The results of Western blot and real-time PCR were consistent with those of immunofluorescence. The experiment showed that YHG induced hepcidin to up-regulate the expression of ADAM17 in AD cell model and promote the activation of non-starch metabolic pathways, which might be the internal mechanism of YHG in preventing and treating AD.

Study of the Unique Characteristics of Multi-Elements of the Wild Astragali Radix from Shanxi Province by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

BACKGROUND

Astragali Radix (AR) is widely used because of its dual use in medicine and food. Wild Astragali Radix from Hunyuan county of Shanxi Province in China is accepted as a geo-authentic medicine with high quality and good medicinal effects. Multi-elements of Astragali Radix partially reflect its efficacy and safety. However, there is no systemic research about the elemental analysis of geo-authentic Astragali Radix until now.

OBJECTIVE

In this paper, multi-elemental profiling of Astragali Radix from Gansu, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces in China was implemented.

METHODS

A microwave digestion coupled with ICP-MS, principle component analysis and partial-least square-discriminate analysis were used for the analysis of unique elemental accumulation ability of Shanxi wild-type.

RESULTS

For 53 stably detected elements, the contents of most elements (Ba, Cs, Ga, La, Pr and so on) were significantly higher while some others (Cd, Cu, P, W and Zn) were significantly lower in wild Astragali Radix from Shanxi than those of the samples from Gansu, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi provinces and the cultivated samples from Shanxi. After binary logistic regression, combinational variable Ba-P was found to be a good marker to identify wild Astragali Radix of Shanxi Province from the samples with other origins, and the total positive prediction probability of the test samples from both market and their original field could reach 93.8% through external validation using the model.

CONCLUSIONS

Multi-elemental analysis coupled with PCA, PLS-DA, nonparametric analysis and binary logistic regression can be a good tool for the identification of wild Astragali Radix from Shanxi Province.

HIGHLIGHTS

An ICP-MS method was developed and validated for multi-elements. Fifty-three elements in Astragali Radix from differential origins were compared. The wild Astragali Radix from Shanxi had unique elemental characteristics. Combinational variable Ba-P is a good marker to identify wild-type from Shanxi.

The potential mechanism of Astragali Radix in the treatment of children with nephrotic syndrome

BACKGROUND

The molecular mechanism of Astragali Radix in the treatment of children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) is unclear. This study aimed to use network pharmacology to explore this potential mechanism.

METHODS

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was used to identify the main active ingredients of Astragali Radix. The PharmMapper, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), and GeneCards databases were then used to identify the active ingredients of Astragali Radix. The String database and Cytoscape software were used to construct the protein-protein network. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed using DAVID Database.

RESULTS

In the TCMSP Database, a total of 20 chemical constituents of Astragali Radix were screened. After removing the duplicates and false positive genes, 394 targets of these active ingredients were obtained from PharmMapper. By comparing the NS-related genes in the GeneCards and OMIM Databases, a total of 39 potential NS-related targets were ultimately identified. The protein-protein-interaction network included 39 nodes and 366 edges. The top 5 proteins were albumin (ALB), serine/threonine kinase (AKT1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9). The GO analysis showed that the target genes were mainly involved in biological processes (e.g., signal transduction, the positive regulation of cell proliferation, and the positive regulation of migration). The cellular components included a plasma membrane, extracellular exosome, and extracellular space. The molecular functions included protein binding, zinc-ion binding, protein tyrosine kinase activity, and enzyme binding. The KEGG analysis showed that the treatment of NS by Astragali Radix mainly involved pathways in cancer, proteoglycans in cancer, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway, the rennin-angiotensin-system (Ras) signaling pathways, and Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO) signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study, the network pharmacology method was used to explore the potential targets and pathways of Astragali Radix in the treatment of NS. We also provided future research directions for the treatment of NS with a complex pathogenesis.

[Prediction of Q-markers of Astragali Radix based on network pharmacology and fingerprint]

Astragali Radix is one of the most commonly used medicinal materials. In recent years, its cultivated varieties and a variety of adulterants have flooded the market, which makes its quality uneven, and the development of quality control methods has become a research hotspot. Therefore, figuring out the quality markers of Astragali Radix is of great significance for its comprehensive evaluation. In this study, the fingerprints of 15 batches of Astragali Radix were established by HPLC, and the main components causing intergroup differences were screened out by PLS-DA. On the basis of literature review and network pharmacology analysis, the targets and pathways of active ingredients were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction, PubChem Compound and other databases, and then the &quot;component-target-pathway&quot; network was constructed with Cytoscape 3.7.1 for the prediction of potential quality markers. Twenty-eight common peaks were identified in the established fingerprint, and three differential components were selected as potential quality markers for Astragali Radix, which were astragaloside Ⅳ, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside and ononin. The proposed method based on HPLC fingerprint of Astragali Radix is convenient and feasible, facilitating the improvement in its quality control.

Astragaloside IV Suppresses Hepatic Proliferation in Regenerating Rat Liver after 70% Partial Hepatectomy via Down-Regulation of Cell Cycle Pathway and DNA Replication

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is one of the major bio-active ingredients of huang qi which is the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus (a traditional Chinese medicinal plant). The pharmacological effects of AS-IV, including anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic effects have been actively studied, however, the effects of AS-IV on liver regeneration have not yet been fully described. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the effects of AS-IV on regenerating liver after 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) in rats. Differentially expressed mRNAs, proliferative marker and growth factors were analyzed. AS-IV (10 mg/kg) was administrated orally 2 h before surgery. We found 20 core genes showed effects of AS-IV, many of which were involved with functions related to DNA replication during cell division. AS-IV down-regulates MAPK signaling, PI3/Akt signaling, and cell cycle pathway. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and cyclin D1 expression were also decreased by AS-IV administration. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1, growth regulation signal) was slightly increased. In short, AS-IV down-regulated proliferative signals and genes related to DNA replication. In conclusion, AS-IV showed anti-proliferative activity in regenerating liver tissue after 70% PHx.

[Research progress of Astragali Radix fermentation]

Astragali Radix is one of traditional Chinese medicines with effects in invigorating Qi for consolidating superficies, inducing diuresis to alleviate edema, promoting pus discharge and tissue regeneration. In recent years, the traditional Chinese medicine fermentation technology has received extensive attentions due to its high efficiency and safety. The pharmacological functions of traditional Chinese medicines could be further enhanced after microbial fermentation, which has a broad development prospects. In this paper, we summarized relevant literatures of Astragali Radix fermentation in such aspects as fermentation strains, fermentation forms, process optimization, active ingredients and pharmacological effects, in the expectation of providing a reference for development and utilization of Astragali Radix.

[Evaluation of Astragali Radix quality grade based on appearance characteristics and internal ingredients]

This study is to provide the basis of establishing a quality evaluation system, based on the differences in appearance and internal components of Astragali Radix from different sources. The diameter of 18 batches of Astragali Radix, the content of alcohol(water) extract and 7 kinds of flavonoids were determined. The peak area ratio of flavonoid aglycon to aglycone was calculated. PCA and CA were carried out by synthesizing various indexes. The results of PCA and CA showed that Astragali Radix was obviously clustered into three types. Alcohol extract, formononetin/formosan glycosides,(pilose isoflavones+astragalus flavonoid A)/pilose isoflavone glucoside are the most significant differences in the variable importance projection index(VIP) of Astragali Radix. Combining the diameter, alcohol(water) extract, flavonoid aglycon to aglycone peak area ratio can provide an analysis method for the establishment of the grade evaluation system of Astragali Radix.

[Optimization of determination of astragaloside Ⅳ in Astragali Radix by continuous single-factor method]

This paper aims to solve the problems of complicated-unstable test solution preparation process and insufficient extraction of the active ingredient astragaloside Ⅳ in the legal method for the determination of astragaloside Ⅳ in Astragali Radix. The continuous single-factor analysis of seven main factors affecting the content of astragaloside Ⅳ was carried out by HPLC-ELSD, and then the pre-paration method of test solution was optimized. This optimized method exhibited excellent performance in precision, repeatability and stability. The average recovery rate of astragaloside Ⅳ was 99.65% with RSD 2.2%. Astragaloside Ⅳ showed a good linearity between the logarithm of peak area and the logarithm of injection quantity in the range of 0.46-9.1 μg(r=0.999 6). The contents of astragaloside Ⅳ in 29 batches of Astragali Radix were determined by the new and the legal methods. The results showed that the average content of astragaloside Ⅳ in these Astragali Radix samples determined by the former method was 1.458 times than that of the latter one, indicating the new method was simple, reliable and more adequate to extract target compound. According to the results, it is suggested to improve the content standard of astragaloside Ⅳ in Astragali Radix in the new edition of Chinese Pharmacopeia.

Phytochemistry and cardiovascular protective effects of Huang-Qi (Astragali Radix)

Huang-Qi (Astragali Radix) is an herbal tonic widely used in China and many other countries. It is derived from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus and A. membranaceus var. mongholicus and shows potent cardiovascular protective effects. In this article, we comprehensively reviewed 189 small molecules isolated from the two Astragalus species and discussed the interspecies chemical differences. Moreover, we summarized the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action of Huang-Qi and its major bioactive compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This review covers 171 references published between February 1983 and March 2020.

Exploring the In Vivo Existence Forms (23 Original Constituents and 147 Metabolites) of Astragali Radix Total Flavonoids and Their Distributions in Rats Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn

Astragali Radix total flavonoids (ARTF) is one of the main bioactive components of Astragali Radix (AR), and has many pharmacological effects. However, its metabolism and effective forms remains unclear. The HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSⁿ technique was used to screen and tentatively identify the in vivo original constituents and metabolites of ARTF and to clarify their distribution in rats after oral administration. In addition, modern chromatographic methods were used to isolate the main metabolites from rat urine and NMR spectroscopy was used to elucidate their structures. As a result, 170 compounds (23 original constituents and 147 metabolites) were tentatively identified as forms existing in vivo, 13 of which have the same pharmacological effect with ARTF. Among 170 compounds, three were newly detected original constituents in vivo and 89 were new metabolites of ARTF, from which 12 metabolites were regarded as new compounds. Nineteen original constituents and 65 metabolites were detected in 10 organs. Four metabolites were isolated and identified from rat urine, including a new compound (calycoisn-3'-O-glucuronide methyl ester), a firstly-isolated metabolite (astraisoflavan-7-O-glucoside-2'-O-glucuronide), and two known metabolites (daidzein-7-O-sulfate and calycosin-3'-O-glucuronide). The original constituents and metabolites existing in vivo may be material basis for ARTF efficacy, and these findings are helpful for further clarifying the effective forms of ARTF.

Uncovering the mechanism of Astragali Radix against nephrotic syndrome by intergrating lipidomics and network pharmacology

BACKGROUND

Astragali Radix (AR), a common Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is commonly used for treating nephrotic syndrome (NS) in China. At present, the research on the efficacy of AR against NS is relative clearly, but there are fewer researches on the mechanism.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of AR in an adriamycin-induced nephropathy rat model, as well as investigate the possible mechanisms of action and potential lipid biomarkers.

METHODS

In this work, a rat model of NS was established by two injections of ADR (3.5 + 1 mg/kg) into the tail vein. The potential metabolites and targets involved in the anti-NS effects of AR were predicted by lipidomics coupled with the network pharmacology approach, and the crucial metabolite and protein were further validated by western blotting and ELISA.

RESULTS

The results showed that 22 metabolites such as l-carnitine, LysoPC (20:3), and SM (d18:1/16:0) were associated with renal injury. Moreover, SMPD1, CPT1A and LCAT were predicted as lipids linked targets of AR against NS, whilst glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid and fatty acids metabolism were involved as key pathways of AR against NS. Besides, AR could play a critical role in NS by improving oxidative stress, inhibiting apoptosis and reducing inflammation. Interestingly, our results indicated that key metabolite l-carnitine and target CPT1 were one of the important metabolites and targets for AR to exert anti-NS effects.

CONCLUSION

In summary, this study offered a new understanding of the protection mechanism of AR against NS by network pharmacology and lipidomic method.

[Exploration of potential efficacy markers of Astragali Radix for invigorating Qi based on systematic traditional Chinese medicine]

Astragali Radix is the elixir for invigorating Qi, with the effects of invigorating Qi, promoting Yang and nourishing the body. With the deepening researches on the chemical constituents of Astragali Radix, it is used more extensively in clinical application. Based on systematic traditional Chinese medicine theory, in this paper, we characterized the effect of Astragali Radix on invigo-rating Qi from the molecular level, and explored the markers of Astragali Radix on invigorating Qi. Through TCMSP and ChEMBL databases, the active components-targets database of Astragali Radix was constructed to clarify the targets(elements) involved in Astragali Radix's Qi invigorating efficacy system. According to the relationship between the targets, the protein interaction network was constructed, and the network modules(structure) were divided according to the theoretic clustering algorithm molecular complex detection(MCODE), and the boundary of the Qi invigorating efficacy system was defined by the pharmacological function of Astragali Radix. The active components of Astragali Radix for invigorating Qi were characterized from the aspects of composition, target and efficacy. The results showed that eight key components of Astragali Radix, such as hederagenin, quercetin, calycosin, formononetin, jaranol, isorhamnetin, astragalosideⅢ, and 9,10-dimethoxypterocarpan-3-O-β-D-glucoside, could act on eight functional modules composed of 17 key targets, and participate in G-protein coupled receptor protein signaling pathway, regulation of lipid metabolic process, positive regulation of nitrogen compound metabolic process, positive regulation of programmed cell death, fatty acid metabolic process and other biological processes to produce pharmacological effects such as regulating immune function, strengthening heart, protecting myocardial cells, improving material metabolism, and antioxidation effects, thus playing the role of invigorating Qi. Based on the systematic Chinese medicine theory, this study explored the effective markers of Astragali Radix at the level of molecular network, which provided new ideas for the interpretation of the effective substance basis of systematic traditional Chinese medicine and the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine. In the future, it can focus on the compatibility research of these components, and then carry out more in-depth studies on the efficacy of Astragali Radix in invigorating Qi, and strengthen the development of the corresponding pharmacological mechanism and related preparations.

[Interaction between homologous functional food Astragali Radix and intestinal flora]

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the treasure of our culture, and TCM theory is the core of traditional Chinese medicine. Many of its concepts can be unified and balanced with modern functional food ideas. Even in ancient days, people had already found that medicine and food have the same source. Nowadays, homology between drug and food has been accepted widely. Astragali Radix and some other herbs have been used both as food and medicine, with a variety of bio-active substances, so such herbs can be used as characteristics resources to be developed into functional food. It's a combination of traditional medicine and modern ideas. Flavonoids, polysaccharides and saponins, the main compositions of Astragali Radix, can keep intestinal microenvironment homeostasis and human health by influencing the population structure, metabolism and intestinal cell function of intestinal flora. On the other hand, intestinal flora is also involved in the absorption, metabolism, transformation and other steps of these active ingredients in the body, which has an impact on their effectiveness and improves their bioavailability, playing an essential role in the relevant mechanism of their effectiveness. In this paper, we summarize the interaction between the above three functional ingredients in Astragali Radix and intestinal flora, sum up the interaction between these three functional ingredients of other homologous drugs and intestinal flora, provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism and application of functional food materials, and propose some suggestions and prospects for their future development.

[Optimization of analysis methods for Astragali Radix and quality evaluation of standard decoction of Astragali Radix]

Astragali Radix is commonly used as bulk medicinal materials. Chinese Pharmacopoeia contains about 150 compound preparations of Astragali Radix, but the sample preparation method under the determination of Astragali Radix content in Chinese Pharmacopoeia is tedious and time-consuming, not convenient for the test of a large number of samples. Therefore, it is of great significance to simplify the sample preparation method and improve the practicability of the method for the quality control of Astragali Radix and its preparations. In this study, ultrasonic extraction method was used instead of heated reflux extraction, and solid phase extraction method was used to enrich and prepare the samples. A set of practical quality evaluation method was established for Astragali Radix slices and standard decoction, greatly shortening the sample preparation time and improving the accuracy of the method. The results of Astragali Radix standard decoction analysis showed that the transfer rate of calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucospyranoside,(96.5±28.7)%, had great variation, which was found to be related to the conversion of mulberry isoflavone glucoside into calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucospyranoside during the preparation of standard decoction. The transfer rates were(59.4±14.4)% and(101.3±12.3)% for calycosin and astragaloside Ⅳ respectively, which were relatively stable. Therefore, it is suggested that Astragali Radix slices and water decoction preparations should be evaluated by using calycosin and astragaloside Ⅳ as the quality evaluation index. The results provide a scientific and practical method for quality control of Astragali Radix slices and its standard decoction, and also provide scientific evidence for quality evaluation of the preparations.

Potential quality evaluation approach for the absolute growth years' wild and transplanted Astragali Radix based on anti-heart failure efficacy

The quality of Astragali Radix (AR) was closely related to the growth period. However, the current commodity grades of AR were only divided by diameter but not directly related to the growth period, which leads to the contradiction between the grade standard and the quality evaluation index. Therefore, solving this problem will be the key for the quality evaluation of AR. The present study established a potential quality evaluation approach for the absolute growth years' wild Astragali Radix (WAR) and transplanted Astragali Radix (TAR) based on the chemical components and anti-heart failure efficacy through adopting a bare-handed sections approach to rapidly identify the growth years of WAR. In this study, the absolute growth years of WAR were obtained by identifying the growth rings of 1-6 growth years root through the methods. The contents of flavonoids and saponins in 2-6 growth years' WAR were determined by HPLC-UV-ELSD. The contents of 12 chemical components and the anti-fatigue failure effects of WAR (4-year-old) and TAR were compared on rat models of heart failure induced by doxorubicin. Meanwhile, NMR-based untargeted metabolomics studies were performed to investigate the regulative effects of WAR and TAR. The result shows that the numbers of growth rings were consistent with the actual growth periods of AR. The HPLC-UV-ELSD determination indicated that the content of total flavonoids in WAR was significantly higher than that in TAR. Pharmacodynamics analysis revealed that the effects of WAR on cardiac function parameters (EF, FS and LVIDs), contents of serum CK and BNP were superior to those of TAR. 13 metabolites of heart were identified that had a higher rate of change in WAR group than TAR. Overall, a rapid identification method for the growth years of WAR was established, and the fact that WAR were significantly better than TAR in the heart failure rats was first proved in the paper. This study provided a scientific basis for establishing a novel commodity specification and grade of AR for clinical rational drug use.

Network pharmacology research of Astragali Radix in treating chronic atrophic gastritis rats based on mitochondrial metabonomics

Astragali Radix (HuangQi), one important traditional Chinese herb, is used for treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG). To comprehensively evaluate its regulation on CAG, a mitochondria-specific metabonomics was applied to reveal its action on energy metabolism based on ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole - Exactive mass spectrometry. 16 related metabolites from mitochondria samples were served as potential biomarkers of CAG. Nine out of them were significantly regulated by HuangQi. Combining with network pharmacology, three active components from HuangQi and 3 mitochondrial metabolites exerted better docking abilities with 56 predicted targeted proteins based on SystemsDock, which were involved into multiple biological abnormities including mitochondrion dysfunction. The results demonstrated that mitochondrial energy metabolism played crucial role contributing to HuangQi against CAG, which was one important mechanism of HuangQi.

Discovery of chemical markers for identifying species, growth mode and production area of Astragali Radix by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

BACKGROUND

Astragali Radix (AR) is a well-known Chinese herbal medicine. The quality of AR can be affected by many factors such as species, growth mode and production area, but there are still no chemical markers to distinguish it.

PURPOSE

To explore chemical markers for improving the quality assessment of AR and discover chemical markers for identifying species, growth mode and production area of AR.

METHODS

A highly sensitive, efficient and accurate method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS) for simultaneous quantitative determination of 14 major chemical components (five flavonoids and nine triterpene saponins) in 94 batches of AR from China, Republic of Korea and Germany was developed for the first time. To explore chemical markers and assess changes in the contents of 14 compounds in the 94 batches of AR samples from different regions, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed.

RESULTS

Astragaloside III was not only an important chemical marker for distinguishing two species of AR, i.e.: Astragalus mongholicus and A. membranaceus, but also a potential chemical marker for the classification of cultivated and semi-wild AR. In addition, in the batches of cultivated AR, the content of isoastragaloside II and cyclocephaloside II were greater in batches from the region of Shaanxi Province than that of other Provinces in China, but the content of calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside and astragaloside IV, which are the quality control markers of AR required by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, were higher than that of other Provinces in China. In addition, the content of calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, ononin, calycosin and astragaloside I could be used to identify samples of AR collected from China, Republic of Korea and Germany.

CONCLUSION

This UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS method could be applied to the quantitative evaluation of AR and could be an important and meaningful reference to develop chemical markers for quality control of AR.

[Comparison of 12 constituents of Astragali Radix directionally processed with organic acid by UPLC-MS]

To establish an UPLC-MS method for the simultaneous content determination of 4 saponins and 8 flavonoids, in order to analyze the effect of Astragali Radix directionally processed with organic acid on the content of glycosides and aglycones. The separation was carried out on ACQUITY UPLC HSS T_3(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 μm), the mobile phase was eluted with the mixture of 0.1 mol·L~(-1) formic acid water solution and 0.1 mol·L~(-1) formic acid acetonitril in a gradient mode. The detection wavelength was 260 nm, the flow rate was 0.5 mL·min~(-1), the column temperature was 30 ℃, and the injection volume was 2 μL. Mass spectrometry analysis was performed with an electrospray ionization(ESI) source in a positive ion mode. The 12 constituents showed good linear relations within their own ranges(R~2≥0.999 2),with good average recoveries. The results showed no significant change in saponins but both qualitative and quantitative changes in flavonoids after directional processing of Astragali Radix with organic acid. The established method can provide methodological reference for analyzing the effect of Astragali Radix directionally processed with organic acid on glycosides and aglycones.

Profiling the metabolites of astrapterocarpan in rat hepatic 9000g supernatant

Astrapterocarpan (AP) is a bioactive constituent of Astragali Radix and was selected as a model compound for investigating the in vitro metabolism of pterocarpans in this study. Its in vitro metabolism was conducted by incubation with rat hepatic 9000g supernatant (S9) in the presence of an NADPH-generating system. At first, four compounds were isolated and their structures were elucidated as 6a-hydroxy-AP (M1), astrametabolin I [M2, 1a-hydroxy-9, 10-dimethoxy-pterocarp-1(2), 4-diene-3-one], 9-demethyl-AP (M3, nissolin) and 4-methoxy-astraisoflavan (M4, 7, 2'dihydroxy-4, 3', 4'-trimethoxy-isoflavan) on the basis of NMR data, respectively. Among them, M1, M2 and M4 were new compounds. Next, the metabolite profile of AP in rat hepatic S9 was obtained via HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSⁿ, and 40 new metabolites were tentatively identified. These newly identified metabolites included 9 monohydroxylated metabolites, 1 demethylated metabolite, 7 demethylated and monohydroxylated metabolites, 4 dihydroxylated metabolites, 1 hydration metabolite, 1 didemethylated metabolite, 2 glucosylated metabolites, 1 monohydroxylated and dehydrogenated metabolite, 2 monohydroxylated and demethylated and dehydrogenated metabolites, 2 dimerized metabolites, 3 dimerized and monohydroxylated metabolites, 2 dimerized and didemethylated metabolites, and 5 dimerized and demethylated metabolites. Finally, the major metabolic reactions of AP in rat hepatic S9 were summarized and found to be hydroxylation, demethylation, dimerization, hydration, and dehydrogenation. More importantly, the biotransformation from AP to M2 and the dimerization of AP by incubation with hepatic S9 were reported for the first time. In conclusion, this is the first report on the metabolism of a pure pterocarpan in animal tissues, and these findings will provide a solid basis for further studies on the metabolism of other pterocarpans.

[Mechanism of flavonoid components in Astragali Radix in inhibiting tumor growth and immunoregulation in C57BL/6 tumor bearing mice based on "invigorating Qi for consolidation of exterior"]

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the occurrence and development of tumors is related to the body&apos;s Qi deficiency. &quot; Invigorating Qi for consolidation of exterior&quot; has became an effective way to treat tumors by traditional Chinese medicine. This study is based on the &quot; invigorating Qi for consolidation of exterior&quot; to explore the effect of flavonoid components in Qi-invigorating herbs Astragali Radix( AR) on the growth and immune function of mouse Lewis lung cancer xenografts,and further explore its mechanism of action. In the present study,high performance liquid chromatography was performed to analyze the flavonoid components in AR.The Lewis lung cancer model of C57 BL/6 mice was constructed,and the tumor volume of mice was determined by Visual Sonics Vevo2100 high frequency color ultrasound. The levels of IL~(-1)7 and RORγt in serum and tumor tissues were detected by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. The expression of IRE~(-1)/XBP~(-1) pathway-related proteins in tumor tissues was detected by Western blot. The results revealed that treatment of 5 and 10 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) of flavonoid components in AR significantly inhibited tumor growth of C57 BL/6 tumorbearing mice. The inhibition rates at the dose of 5 and 10 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) of flavonoid components in AR were( 29. 5±4. 4) % and( 43. 4±5. 2) %,respectively. The expression of IL~(-1)7 and RORγt in serum and tumor tissues of Lewis lung cancer mice were decreased,and the spleen index and thymus index were significantly enhanced by the flavonoid components in AR. Flavonoid components in AR could decrease the expression of X-box binding protein 1( XBP1),inositol-requiring enzyme( IRE1) and glucose regulated protein 78 k D( GRP78),and increase the expression of C/EBP homologous protein( CHOP),and the high-dose group is better,suggesting that the anti-lung cancer effect of flavonoid components in AR is related to the regulation of XBP1 mediated ERs. This study provides new evidence that the flavonoid components in AR could inhibit the tumor growth of C57 BL/6 tumor-bearing mice by regulating the body&apos;s immune function through &quot; invigorating Qi for consolidation of exterior&quot;.

Structural Identification and Conversion Analysis of Malonyl Isoflavonoid Glycosides in Astragali Radix by HPLC Coupled with ESI-Q TOF/MS

In this study, four malonyl isoflavonoid glycosides (MIGs), a type of isoflavonoid with poor structural stability, were efficiently isolated and purified from Astragali Radix by a medium pressure ODS C₁₈ column chromatography. The structures of the four compounds were determined on the basis of NMR and literature analysis. Their major diagnostic fragment ions and fragmentation pathways were proposed in ESI/Q-TOF/MS positive mode. Using a target precursor ions scan, a total of 26 isoflavonoid compounds, including eleven malonyl isoflavonoid glycosides coupled with eight related isoflavonoid glycosides and seven aglycones were characterized from the methanolic extract of Astragali Radix. To clarify the relationship of MIGs and the ratio of transformation in Astragali Radix under different extraction conditions, two MIGs (calycosin-7-O-glycoside-6″-O-malonate and formononetin-7-O-glycoside-6″-O-malonate) coupled with related glycosides (calycosin-7-O-glycoside and formononetin-7-O-glycoside) and aglycones (calycosin and formononetin) were detected by a comprehensive HPLC-UV method. Results showed that MIGs could convert into related glycosides under elevated temperature conditions, which was further confirmed by the conversion experiment of MIGs reference compounds. Moreover, the total contents of MIGs and related glycosides displayed no obvious change during the long-duration extraction. These findings indicated that the quality of Astragali Radix could be evaluated efficiently and accurately by using the total content of MIGs and related glycosides as the quality index.

The Efficacy and Safety of Myelophil, an Ethanol Extract Mixture of Astragali Radix and Salviae Radix, for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: There is a strong demand for therapeutics to treat chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), although there are limitations. Myelophil, which is a combination of extracts from Astragali Radix and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, has been clinically used to treat fatigue-related disorders in South Korea. We conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial of Myelophil in patients with CFS and evaluated its efficacy and safety in two hospitals.

Methods: We enrolled 98 participants (M: 38, F: 60) with CFS in a phase 2 trial of oral Myelophil (2 g daily) or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary end point was a change in the Chalder fatigue scale, as scored by a numeric rating scale (NRS). The secondary end points included changes in the visual analogue scale, fatigue severity scale (FSS), and 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). Biomarkers of oxidative stress and cytokines were evaluated by blood tests.

Results: Ninety-seven participants (48 in the Myelophil group and 49 in the placebo group) completed the trial. An analysis of all participants showed that Myelophil slightly improved fatigue symptoms compared with those of the placebo, but this effect was not statistically significant (p > 0.05 for the NRS, VAS, FSS, and SF-36). By contrast, an analysis of the subpopulation (53 participants, M: 24, F: 29) with severe symptoms (≥63, median NRS value of total participants) showed a statistically significant improvement in fatigue symptoms in the Myelophil group compared with the placebo (p < 0.05 for NRS, FSS, and SF-36). There were no significant changes in the biomarkers for oxidative stress and cytokines before or after the treatment. No Myelophil-related adverse response was observed during the trial.

Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that Myelophil can be a therapeutic candidate to manage CFS and provide the rationale for its progression to a phase 3 clinical trial.

Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier KCT0002317.