Pharmacognosy

CONTEXT: Yi-Shen-Hua-Shi (YSHS) is a traditional Chinese medicine that treats chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, its efficacy in reducing proteinuria and underlying mechanisms is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This single-center randomized controlled trial explored whether YSHS could improve proteinuria and modulate the gut microbiota. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 120 CKD patients were enrolled and randomized to receive the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor plus YSHS ( n  = 56) or RAAS inhibitor ( n  = 47) alone for 4 months, and 103 patients completed the study...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Successful use of herbal medicine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) creates opportunities for alternative therapies. Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid (YZOL) is an herbal preparation known for its potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties in traditional use. However, the pharmacological mechanism of YZOL for treating RA remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of YZOL in the treatment of RA and to explore its potential mechanisms through omics analysis...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Radix Chimonanthi Pracecocis(RCP), also known as Tiekuaizi, widely used by the Miao community in Guizhou, exhibits diverse biological activities and holds promise for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). However, there is a lack of contemporary pharmacological research in this area. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This study aims to explore the potential of targets and mechanisms of RCP in the treatment of OA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical components of RCP were identified using UPLC-MS/MS, and active components were determined based on the Lipinski rule...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ginkgo biloba is a traditional Chinese medicine extracted from the Ginkgophyta and is commonly used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in China. Clinical trials have demonstrated the clinical benefits of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) preparations for patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP). AIM OF THE STUDY: The efficacy of different GBE preparations in treating UAP may vary, leading to a lack of guidance for physicians when choosing GBE preparations...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Schisandra sphenanthera (Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils.) is the dried mature fruit of Schisandra sphenanthera, a plant in the Magnoliaceae family. It was used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in the Jade Fluid Decoction and the Xiaoke pills, which were recorded in ancient books. However, its mechanism of action in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was unclear and needs further study. AIM OF THE STUDY: This research aimed to investigate the chemical composition and lignan content of Schisandra sphenanthera petroleum ether parts (SPEP) and to evaluate the effects of SPEP on sweet taste receptors (STRs) and intestinal flora in rats on a high-fat diet (HFD)...

ETHNO-PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Globally, the prevalence of sickle cell disease is on the rise, with developing countries experiencing particularly alarming mortality rate compared to developed nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) have acknowledged sickle cell disease as a significant global public health concern. Unfortunately, a cure for this condition is yet to be discovered, and existing allopathic treatments, while offering relief, come with serious side effects...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is a popular beverage consumed all over the world due to its health benefits. Many of these beneficial effects of green tea are attributed to polyphenols, particularly catechins. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study focuses on underlying anti-platelet aggregation, anti-thrombotic, and anti-lipidemic molecular mechanisms of green tea in South Indian smokers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected 120 South Indian male volunteers for this study to collect the blood and categorised them into four groups; control group individuals (Controls), smokers, healthy control individuals consuming green tea, and smokers consuming green tea...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Phlomis crinita Cav. (Lamiaceae), locally known as "El Khayata" or "Kayat El Adjarah", is traditionally used in Algeria for its wound-healing properties. AIM OF THE STUDY: Investigate, for the first time, the phytochemical profile, safety, antioxidant and wound-healing activities of the flowering tops methanolic extract of P. crinita (PCME) collected from Bouira Province in the North of Algeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preliminary phytochemical assays were carried out on PCME to quantify the main classes of bioactive compounds, such as total phenols, flavonoids, and tannins...

HEADINGS ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (RRP), a staple in traditional Chinese medicine, is derived from Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch and is renowned for its wound-healing properties. Despite its clinical prevalence, the molecular mechanisms underlying RRP's wound-healing effects have not been fully elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY: This research endeavored to delineate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of RRP on wound healing, utilizing a zebrafish model...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The dried rhizome of Paris polyphylla Sm. is extensively used by traditional healers in India, China, and Vietnam to treat skin inflammation, cut wounds, uterine and traumatic bleeding, and cancer. AIM OF THE STUDY: The traditional use of P. polyphylla rhizomes for treating wounds and bleeding has been reported previously. However, the potential of P. polyphylla in the treatment of diabetic wounds has not yet been explored. Our present study focused on the investigation of the wound-healing activity of P...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Xihuang pills, a time-honored Chinese compound formula with a history spanning thousands of years, have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in treating various cancers, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer. Clinical applications over the years have established their effectiveness. Several scholars conducting experimental studies have elucidated the potent tumor-suppressing effects of Xihuang pills. While the inhibition of tumor vascular development and prevention of tumor cell invasion and metastasis have been well-explored mechanisms, the impact on the tumor immune microenvironment has received less attention...

Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the main Cannabis sativa bioactive compounds, is utilized in the treatment of major epileptic syndromes. Its efficacy can be attributed to a multimodal mechanism of action that includes, as potential targets, several types of ion channels. In the brain, CBD reduces the firing frequency in rat hippocampal neurons, partly prolonging the duration of action potentials, suggesting a potential blockade of voltage-operated K+ channels. We postulate that this effect might involve the inhibition of the large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+ -operated K+ channel (BK channel), which plays a role in the neuronal action potential's repolarization...

The first total synthesis of bipenicilisorin ( 1 ) isolated from Penicillium chrysogenum SCSIO 41001 via its monomer natural product, penicilisorin ( 2 ), was achieved. Penicilisorin was synthesized in four steps from a o -bromobenzaldehyde derivative via the Pd-catalyzed one-pot fluorocarbonylation/lactonization/β-elimination cascade reaction. Iodination of penicilisorin gave 7-iodopenicilisorin which was dimerized by Pd-catalyzed homodimerization to provide (±)-bipenicilisorin. The unknown absolute configuration of naturally occurring (+)-bipenicilisorin was examined by optical resolution of the (±)-synthetic bipenicilisorin and a comparison of experimental and theoretical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Da-Chai-Hu-Tang (DCHT), a Chinese traditional herbal compound, has been utilized for the treatment of Hepatic diseases in China for over 1,800 years. The DCHT formula contains eight herbals: Bupleurum chinense DC. (chaihu), Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (huangqin), Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (baishao), Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino (banxia), Rheum officinale Baill. (dahuang), Citrus × aurantium L. (zhishi), Zingiber officinale Roscoe (shengjiang), Ziziphus jujuba Mill...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide and interact closely with each other. Danhong Injection (DHI) is a widely used preparation for the co-treatment of brain and heart diseases (CTBH). However, the underlying molecular endotype mechanisms of DHI in the CTBH remain unclear. AIM OF THIS STUDY: To elucidate the underlying endotype mechanisms of DHI in the CTBH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we proposed a modular-based disease and drug-integrated analysis (MDDIA) strategy for elucidating the systematic CTBH mechanisms of DHI using high-throughput transcriptome-wide sequencing datasets of DHI in the treatment of patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and cerebral infarction (CI)...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tabebuia impetiginosa (Bignoniaceae) was traditionally used for memory enhancement and central nervous system (CNS) stimulation. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to create a metabolic profile of the ethyl acetate fraction of T. impetiginosa (TEF) and investigate for the first time its neuroprotective potential on cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced chemobrain, validating its traditional use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Metabolite profiling of TEF was performed using Liquid Chromatography coupled with Quadrupole Time of Flight-Mass/Mass Spectrometry (LC-qTOF-MS/M)...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gentiana radix (GR) and wine-processed Gentiana radix (WGR) are commonly used in folk medicine for the treatment of bile or liver disorders, including jaundice, hepatitis, swelling or inflammation for thousands of years. However, the therapeutic effects of gentian root (GR) and wine-made gentian root (WGR) treatment on damp-heat jaundice syndrome (DHJS) have not been studied in animal experiments. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of GR and WGR on DHJS in rats...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Xiaoer-Feire-Qing granules (XEFRQ) has been used to treat pyretic pulmonary syndrome (PPS) in children for many years. The function of the lungs is considered to be closely related to the large intestine in TCM. PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the effects of XEFRQ on PPS and the underlying mechanisms via network pharmacology and animal experiments. METHODS: The TCMSP platform was used to identify the ingredients and potential targets of XEFRQ...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Leonurus japonicus Houtt (L. japonicus, Chinese motherwort), known as Yi Mu Cao which means "good for women", has long been widely used in China and other Asian countries to alleviate gynecological disorders, often characterized by estrogen dysregulation. It has been used for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine disorder in women but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study was designed to investigate the effect and mechanism of flavonoid luteolin and its analog luteolin-7-methylether contained in L...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with extremely high mortality. The tumor microenvironment is the "soil" of its occurrence and development, and the inflammatory microenvironment is an important part of the "soil". Bile acid is closely related to the occurrence of HCC. Bile acid metabolism disorder is not only directly involved in the occurrence and development of HCC but also affects the inflammatory microenvironment of HCC. Yinchenhao decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, can regulate bile acid metabolism and may affect the inflammatory microenvironment of HCC...