20 potentially new compounds and 11 new bioactive constituents found in Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma utilizing HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn

INTRODUCTION

Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma (SGR) is rich in chemical constituents with a variety of pharmacological activities. However, in-depth research has yet to be conducted on the chemical and pharmacodynamic constituents of SGR.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the chemical constituents of SGR were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the pharmacodynamic compounds responsible for the medicinal effects of SGR were elucidated through a literature review.

RESULTS

In total, 20 potentially new compounds, including 16 flavonoids (C19, C20, and C27-C40) and four phenylpropanoids (C107, C112, C113, and C118), together with 161 known ones were identified in the ethanol extract of SGR using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 25 of them were unequivocally identified by comparison with reference compounds. Moreover, 17 known constituents of them were identified in the plants of genus Smilax for the first time, and 16 were identified in the plant Smilax glabra Roxb. for the first time. Of 161 known compounds, 84 constituents (including isomers) have been reported to have 17 types of pharmacological activities, covering all known pharmacological activities of SGR; among these 84 bioactive constituents, six were found in the plants of genus Smilax for the first time and five were found in S. glabra for the first time, which are new bioactive constituents found in the plants of genus Smilax and the plant S. glabra, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results provide further information on the chemical composition of SGR, laying the foundation for the elucidation of the pharmacodynamic substances of SGR.

Effect of Smilax spp. and Phellinus linteus combination on cytotoxicity and cell proliferation of breast cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Although the prevalence of breast cancer (BC) has been reduced in recent years, proficient therapeutic regimens should be further investigated with the aim of further reducing the mortality rate. To obtain more effective treatment, the present study aimed to observe the effects of PL synergistically combined with Smilax corbularia and S. glabra extracts (PSS) on BC cell lines, MCF7, T47D, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468.

METHODS

The half-maximal inhibition (IC₅₀) concentrations of PSS and PL were determined in a dose- and time-dependent manner using MTT assay. The activity of PSS and PL on anti-BC proliferation was evaluated using BrdU assay, and colony formation assay. Moreover, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis induction as a result of PSS and PL exposure were investigated using propidium iodide (PI) staining and co-staining of annexin V DY634 and PI combined flow cytometric analysis, respectively. Finally, changes in the mRNA expression of genes involved in proliferative and apoptotic pathways (MKI67, HER2, EGFR, MDM2, TNFα, PI3KCA, KRAS, BAX, and CASP8) were explored using RT-qPCR following PSS and PL treatment.

RESULTS

The PSS and PL extracts exhibited significant potential in BC cytotoxicity which were in were in dose- and time-dependent response. This inhibition of cell growth was due to the suppression of cell proliferation, the cell cycle arrest, and the induction of apoptosis. Additionally, an investigation of the underlying molecular mechanism revealed that PSS and PL are involved in downregulation of the MKI67, HER2, EGFR, MDM2, TNFα, and PI3KCA expression.

CONCLUSIONS

This present study has suggested that PSS and PL possess anti-BC proliferative activity mediated via the downregulation of genes participating in the relevant pathways. PSS or PL may be combined with other agents to alleviate the adverse side effects resulted from conventional chemotherapeutic drugs.

Structural characterization and anti-inflammatory activity of a novel neutral polysaccharide isolated from Smilax glabra Roxb

Crude polysaccharides isolated from Smilax glabra were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using mice ear swelling animal experiments, during which the neutral polysaccharide S1 was identified. The structural characteristics and anti-inflammatory effects of the anti-inflammatory S1 polysaccharide were then investigated. The results showed that S1 was mainly composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, and mannose. The structure of the main chain consisted of →6)-α-Galp-(1 → 6)-β-Galp-(1 → 4)-α-Xylp-(1 → 6)-β-Galp-(1→, with branched chains comprising α-Araf-(1 → 4)-α → Manp-(1 → and β-Rhap-(1 → 4)-α-Glcp-(1 → units. Furthermore, S1 did not have a triple helix conformation. S1 could inhibit NO secretion, reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6 and TNF-α), and significantly reduce LPS-stimulated inflammatory damage in RAW 264.7 cells by inhibiting activation of the NF-κB (p65) pathway. These results shed light on the possibility of S1 to be developed as a novel anti-inflammatory drug for therapeutic purposes.

Preparation and characterization of zein-lecithin-total flavonoids from Smilax glabra complex nanoparticles and the study of their antioxidant activity on HepG2 cells

Total flavonoids from Smilax glabra (TFSG) exhibit several biological activities; however, their poor stability limits their application. In this work, zein-lecithin-TFSG complex nanoparticles (Z-L-TFSG NPs) were prepared using the anti-solvent coprecipitation technique. The prepared Z-L-TFSG NPs were spherical with an encapsulation efficiency of 98.0%. Differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and morphology tests revealed that the TFSG were successfully encapsulated by Z-L NPs. Z-L-TFSG NPs showed superior stability and better controlled release characteristics in simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The encapsulation of TFSG by Z-L NPs could improve their antioxidant capacity in vitro. Moreover, Z-L-TFSG NPs could enhance the protective effects of TFSG against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage to HepG2 cells. The results indicated that the Z-L self-assembled NPs could serve as a promising drug delivery system through the integrated encapsulation of multiple flavonoids.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Six Flavonoids from Smilax glabra Roxb

This study aimed to isolate, prepare and identify the main flavonoids from a standardized Smilax glabra flavonoids extract (SGF) using preparative HPLC, MS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR, determine the contents of these flavonoids using UPLC, then compare their pharmacological activities in vitro. We obtained six flavonoids from SGF: astilbin (18.10%), neoastilbin (11.04%), isoastilbin (5.03%), neoisoastilbin (4.09%), engeletin (2.58%) and (−)-epicatechin (1.77%). The antioxidant activity of six flavonoids were evaluated by determining the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2′-Azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS⁺) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). In addition, the anti-inflammatory activity of six flavonoids were evaluated by determining the production of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6), nitric oxide (NO) using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and the NF-κB p65 expression using Western blotting in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that (−)-epicatechin, astilbin, neoastilbin, isoastilbin and neoisoastilbin had strong antioxidant activities, not only in DPPH and ABTS⁺ radicals scavenging capacities, but in FRAP system. Furthermore, all the six flavonoids could significantly inhibit the secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, NO (p < 0.01) and the protein expression of NF-κB p-p65 (p < 0.01) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. This study preliminarily verified the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of six flavonoids in S. glabra.

Discovery of the active compounds of Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma by utilizing the relationship between the individual differences in blood drug concentration and the pharmacological effect in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

This study addresses the rapid discovery of the active compounds (the original constituents and/or metabolites) of a traditional Chinese drug, Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma (SGR).

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to develop a new method to find out the active compounds of traditional drugs in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A method was established to discover and identify the potential active compounds in drug-containing plasma from rats that were orally administered SGR extract, utilizing the relationship between the individual differences in blood drug concentrations in the rats and the resulting differences in pharmacological effect, and the method was denoted as the RID-PE method. For this method, we used high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector combined with electrospray ionization ion trap time-of-flight multistage mass spectrometry (LC-MSⁿ) to identify the compounds (the original constituents and metabolites) and to determine the peak areas of the compounds in drug-containing plasma following SGR treatment. The anti-inflammatory effect of SGR was evaluated using a carrageenan-induced inflammatory rat model. According to the percent inhibition of paw edema in each model rat (14 rats total) orally administered SGR extract, the plasma samples from the rats were sorted and divided into 7 groups. Each group consisted of two plasma samples, and their percent inhibition of paw edema were similar to each other. We performed an LC-MSⁿ analysis on 3 plasma groups, which showed large differences in the inhibition rates, with percent inhibitions of 92.7%, 72.4% and 38.4%. The correlation coefficients (r) between the peak area of each compound and the pharmacological effect (inhibition ratio) of SGR in the three groups were analyzed using SPSS software. When the correlation coefficients of the compounds are greater than 0.8 (0.8 < r ≤1), these compounds are strongly and positively correlated with anti-inflammatory activity, making them potential anti-inflammatory active compounds.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight potential anti-inflammatory compounds (0.8 < r ≤ 1) from SGR were discovered in model rat plasma using the RID-PE method, 47 of which were considered to be new potentially anti-inflammatory compounds. Among these compounds, four original constituents and 5 isomers of potential anti-inflammatory metabolites were validated to have significant anti-inflammatory effects, and they included astilbin, syringic acid, catechin, coumalic acid, resveratrol-3'-O-glucuronide (RG, isomer of M2 or M3), 3'-O-methyl-(+)-epicatechin-4'-O-glucuronide (CA-1, isomer of M16), 4'-O-methyl-(+)-epicatechin-3'-O-glucuronide (CA-2, isomer of M16), 4'-O-methyl-(+)-epicatechin-7-O-glucuronide (CA-3, isomer of M16) and 3'-O-methyl-(+)-epicatechin-7-O-glucuronide (CA-4, isomer of M16). In addition, four isomers (CA-1-CA-4) were reported to have anti-inflammatory effects for the first time, and CA-3 was a new compound.

CONCLUSIONS

The RID-PE method can be used to discover and identify the active constituents and metabolites of SGR systematically and in vivo. Furthermore, these findings enhance our understanding of the metabolism and effective forms of SGR.

Evaluation of anticancer effects of a pharmaceutically viable extract of a traditional polyherbal mixture against non-small-cell lung cancer cells

OBJECTIVE

The present work tested organic solvents to prepare an extract with anticancer properties from a polyherbal mixture containing Nigella sativa (seeds), Hemidesmus indicus (roots) and Smilax glabra (rhizomes). We evaluate anticancer effects in non-small-cell lung cancer cells (NCI-H292), and discuss optimization for pharmaceutical use in the context of efficacy, yield and toxicity.

METHODS

Using different organic solvents, six extracts were prepared from the polyherbal mixture. Based on the cytotoxic effects of these extracts on NCI-H292 cells and normal lung cells (MRC-5), as evaluated by the sulphorhodamine B assay, the total ethyl acetate (T-EA) extract was selected for further analysis. The possible anticancer mechanisms were assessed by evaluating the extract's effects on apoptosis (through fluorescent microscopic analysis, DNA fragmentation analysis, caspase 3/7 assay and analysis of expression levels of apoptosis-related genes p53, Bax, survivin, Hsp70 and Hsp90), colony formation and antioxidant activity.

RESULTS

The extract had cytotoxic effects against NCI-H292 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Significant antioxidant activity and inhibition of colony formation were also observed. The expression level of caspase 3/7 significantly (P < 0.001) increased in NCI-H292 cells treated with 50 μg/mL of the extract. The same dosage led to a significant increase in expression levels of Bax and p53 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 respectively), accompanied by a significant decrease (P < 0.0001) in survivin, Hsp70 and Hsp90.

CONCLUSION

T-EA extract of the above polyherbal mixture has cytotoxicity against NCI-H292 cells via induction of apoptosis, antioxidant effects and inhibition of colony formation.

Gold nanoparticles synthesized with Smilax glabra rhizome modulates the anti-obesity parameters in high-fat diet and streptozotocin induced obese diabetes rat model

Diabetes is a major emerging health consequence across the world which directly associated with the obesity. Contemporary anti-diabetic drugs have numeral limitations, and investigation of herbal remedies for diabetes give novel guide for the expansion of new drugs that can be used as harmonizing to present anti-diabetic allopathic medications. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of 21 nm have been formerly well portrayed in vitro for their capability to intend active uptake in cell. Our present study was dealing with the synthesis of gold nanoparticles by means of Smilax glabra rhizome amend the anti-obesity constraints in high-fat diet by streptozotocin provoked obese diabetes in rat model. Characterization studies like UV -Spectroscopy, XRD analysis, SEM, TEM microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, and FT-IR investigation confirms the availability of dimension, shape and size. Biochemical parameters like blood glucose and insulin sufferance and its release, lipid profile, aterogenic & coronary index, liver markers, inflammatory markers, hormones like leptin, resistin, adiponectin indicates the therapeutic effect of gold nanoparticles harvested from Smilax glabra on obese and diabetic rats. Histopathological examinations displayed the disturbed internal structures of obese and diabetic rats liver and heart tissues. Whereas, treatment with gold nanoparticles synthesized from Smilax glabra restored the internal membrane, nuclei and cytoplasm. All these findings confirmed the anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effect of synthesized gold nanoparticles from Smilax glabra.

The anti-hyperuricemic effect of four astilbin stereoisomers in Smilax glabra on hyperuricemic mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Smilax glabra Roxb. (SG), a Chinese medicinal herb which called "tufuling", is believed to be effective in treating hyperuricemia and gout symptoms. But the active substance and pharmacological mechanism of reducing uric acid remain unknown. This study aimed to obtain the total flavonoids including four astilbin stereoisomers and to examine their effects on reducing uric acid content in hyperuricemic mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The total flavonoids of S. glabra (TFSG) were purified and then analysed by HPLC-PDA-MS. The effect of TFSG on the content of serum uric acid (S_UA), Serum creatinine (S_Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and the activities of xanthine oxidase (XOD) in hyperuricemic mouse model induced by potassium oxonate were examined. Western blot and PCR method were also used to investigate whether TFSG have effect on renal transport protein organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1), organic cation/carnitine transporter 2 (OCTN2) and their mRNA in hypeuricemic mice.

RESULT

Total flavonoids were obtained from EtOAc soluble portion of S. glabra. Four compounds were identified as neoastilbin, astilbin, neoisoastilbin and isoastilbin, which accounted for 55.6% of total flavonoids. TFSG could significantly reduce the serum uric acid content in hyperuricemic mouse (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). The activities of hepatic XOD have been reduced in hyperuricemic mouse administered with 125 mg/kg TFSG (p < 0.05). The expressions of renal OAT1, OCTN2 and their mRNA have been up-regulated in hyperuricemic mice administered with TFSG (250, 125 mg/kg) (p < 0.01or p < 0.05). TFSG (62.5 mg/kg) could also elevated the expression of renal OCTN2 (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

A novel and simple method for preparative separation of astilbin stereoisomers from S. glabra was developed. It was the first time to obtain total flavonoids (including four marker compounds) of S. glabra, and the total content was up to 55.6%. The results suggested TFSG has significant effect on reducing uric acid in hyperuricemic mice by inhibiting the XOD activities and up-regulating the expression of OAT1, OCTN2 and their mRNA in kidney tissue.

Rapid discrimination of raw and sulfur-fumigated Smilax glabra based on chemical profiles by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS coupled with multivariate statistical analysis

Smilax glabra (SG) is commonly used as a traditional edible herb in eastern Asia. Recently, sulfur-fumigation has been frequently used in order to obtain better color and a longer storage lifetime. However, the chemical alterations caused by this process remain unknown. The aim of this research was to explore potential chemical differences between non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated SG samples. A novel approach was developed by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) with principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial squared discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Fifty-eight compounds were unambiguously characterized or tentatively identified in the chemical profiles for the first time. Six newly generated sulfur-containing compounds, namely glucosyringic acid sulfate, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfite, 3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfite, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfate, 3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfate and astilbin sulfate, were screened out to be the most characteristic markers for distinguishing non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated SG. This newly proposed approach can not only be applied for exploring chemical markers but can also be used to investigate the chemical transformation mechanism associated with sulfur for other edible herbs.

Distinguishing Smilax glabra and Smilax china rhizomes by flow-injection mass spectrometry combined with principal component analysis

Flow-injection mass spectrometry (FIMS) coupled with a chemometric method is proposed in this study to profile and distinguish between rhizomes of Smilax glabra (S. glabra) and Smilax china (S. china). The proposed method employed an electrospray-time-of-flight MS. The MS fingerprints were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) with the aid of SIMCA software. Findings showed that the two kinds of samples perfectly fell into their own classes. Further predictive study showed desirable predictability and the tested samples were successfully and reliably identified. The study demonstrated that the proposed method could serve as a powerful tool for distinguishing between S. glabra and S. china.

Separation of Seven Polyphenols from the Rhizome of Smilax glabra by Offline Two Dimension Recycling HSCCC with Extrusion Mode

An offline two-dimensional recycling high-speed countercurrent chromatography (2D R-HSCCC) strategy with extrusion mode was developed for isolating polyphenols from the rhizome of Smilax glabra. Firstly, the ethyl acetate extract was divided into two fractions, Fr.1 and Fr.2, by silica gel column chromatography. Then, HSCCC was applied to separate polyphenols from the two fractions using a solvent system consisting of petroleum ether–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (1:3:0.5:5, v/v). Fifty milligrams of Fr.1 was separated by conventional HSCCC, yielding 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid (1, 15.8 mg) and taxifolin (2, 4.8 mg). Offline 2D R-HSCCC with extrusion mode was used to separate Fr.2, and astilbin (4, 37.3 mg), neoisoastilbin (5, 8.8 mg), engeletin (7, 7.9 mg), and a mixture of two polyphenols were obtained from 100 mg of Fr.2. The mixture of two polyphenols was further separated by pre-HPLC, yielding neoastilbin (3, 15.2 mg) and isoastilbin (6, 9.9 mg). The purities of these seven compounds were all over 96.0%. Their structures were identified by MS and NMR. The results demonstrated that the strategy based on offline 2D R-HSCCC with extrusion mode was a powerful tool to separate the main compounds from the rhizome of Smilax glabra and valued for the preparative separation compounds with broad K-values and similar structures.

Guignardones P-S, New Meroterpenoids from the Endophytic Fungus Guignardia mangiferae A348 Derived from the Medicinal Plant Smilax glabra

Four new meroterpenoids, guignardones P-S (1-4), and three known analogues (5-7) were isolated from the endophytic fungal strain Guignardia mangiferae A348. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on SF-268, MCF-7, and NCI-H460 human cancer cell lines. Compounds 2 and 4 exhibited weak inhibitions of cell proliferation against MCF-7 cell line.

Medicinal effect and its JP2/RyR2-based mechanism of Smilax glabra flavonoids on angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy model of cardiomyocytes

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Rhizome and root of Smilax glabra Roxb (Liliaceae family) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) named Tu-fu-ling (TFL) for cardiac disease therapy. The TFL flavonoids (TFLF) has been extracted and proven to possess the anti-cardiac hypertrophy effect in our previous reports. Such effect could be mediated by the modulation of intracellular Ca(2+) flux in myocardial cells, in which junctophilin-2 (JP2) and ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) play an important role. However, its mechanism of the anti-cardiac hypertrophy effect remains unclarified.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

2μmol/L Ang II was applied to induce hypertrophy model of rat primary cardiomyocytes. After treatment of TFLF at 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0mg/ml, the cell size was microscopic measured, and the protein and mRNA expressions of JP2 and RyR2 in cardiomyocytes were estimated by immunofluorescence imaging, ELISA and real-time PCR assay.

RESULTS

Obvious hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes was induced by Ang II but reversed by TFLF from 0.5 to 1.0mg/ml. The protein and mRNA expressions of JP2 and RyR2 in cardiomyocytes were also inhibited by Ang II but restored by TFLF at its dose range. Such effect of TFLF was exerted at a dose dependent manner, which was even better than that of verapamil.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings may evidence the correlation between JP2/RyR2 and myocardiac hypertrophy, and indicate the JP2/RyR2-mediated anti-hypertrophy mechanism of TFLF for the first time. It deserves to be developed as a promising TCM candidate of new drug for myocardial hypertrophy treatment.

A comparison of the cytotoxic potential of standardized aqueous and ethanolic extracts of a polyherbal mixture comprised of Nigella sativa (seeds), Hemidesmus indicus (roots) and Smilax glabra (rhizome)

BACKGROUND

A decoction (hot-water extract) comprised of Nigella sativa (seeds), Hemidesmus indicus (roots), and Smilax glabra (rhizome) has been reported to prevent chemically-induced hepatocarcinogenic changes in rats and to exert significant cytotoxic effects on human hepatoma (HepG2) cells. However, the decoction used in previous studies to determine cytotoxicity was not standardized. Further, during preparation of pharmaceuticals for clinical use, it is more convenient to use an ethanolic extract. Therefore this study was carried out to (a) develop standardized aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the plant mixture (N. sativa, H. indicus, and S. glabra) used in the preparation of the original decoction, and (b) compare the cytotoxic effects of these two extracts by evaluating cytotoxicity to the human hepatoma (HepG2) cell line.

METHODS

Aqueous and ethanolic extracts have been standardized by evaluating organoleptic characters, physicochemical properties, qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical constituents, and analysis of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) profiles. Cytotoxic potentials of the above standardized extracts were compared by evaluating their effects on the survival and overall cell activity of HepG2 cells by use of the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2yl) -2, 5 - biphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assays.

RESULTS

Results from MTT and SRB assays demonstrated that both extracts exerted strong dose-dependent in vitro cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. The standardized aqueous extract showed a marginally (though significantly, P<0.05) higher cyotoxic potential than the ethanolic extract. Thymoquinone, an already known cytotoxic compound isolated from N. sativa seeds was only observed in the standardized ethanolic extract. Thus, compounds other than thymoquinone appear to mediate the cytotoxicity of the standardized aqueous extract of this poly-herbal preparation.

CONCLUSION

It may be concluded that results obtained in the present study could be used as a diagnostic tool for the correct identification of these aqueous or ethanolic extracts and would be useful for the preparation of a standardized pharmaceutical product that may be used in the future for clinical therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.