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Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Oct 2021The present study investigated the protective and treatment effects of different ginseng fractions against L-NAME-induced renal toxicity in rats. The data obtained... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
The present study investigated the protective and treatment effects of different ginseng fractions against L-NAME-induced renal toxicity in rats. The data obtained demonstrated that L-NAME significantly increased creatinine, urea, KIM-1, and lipocalin-2 levels in serum; and also increased renal MDA and eNOS levels compared with the control group. Three bioactive fractions were newly extracted from ginseng, analyzed by GC-MS analysis, and were examined for antimicrobial, prebiotic, and histological activities. All ginseng fractions improved such histological changes, as reflected by significant reductions in creatinine, urea, KIM-1, and LCN-2 levels in serum, and renal MDA and eNOS contents in tissue homogenate. The water ginseng fraction (WGF) has the highest prebiotic index of 4.7 toward Lactobacillus reuteri, and can improve the renal functions more than butanol ginseng fraction (BGF) and ethanol ginseng fraction (EGF). These three ginseng fractions significantly reversed L-NAME-induced depletion in the TNF-α gene expression level. Interestingly, WGF was able to improve the renal functions more than BGF and EGF. L-NAME led to alterations in the histological structure and functions of renal tissue of rats and ginseng supplementation could offer greater protection against these changes. Moreover, the WGF exhibited superior renoprotection properties when compared with the other two fractions: BGF and EGF, and the reference drug losartan.
Topics: Animals; Butanols; Disease Models, Animal; Ethanol; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Gene Expression Regulation; Hypertension; Losartan; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; Panax; Plant Extracts; Rats; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Water
PubMed: 34411920
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111978 -
Genomics Nov 2020The saponins found in Panax japonicus, a traditional medicinal herb in Asia, exhibit high degrees of structural and functional similarity. In this study, metabolite...
The saponins found in Panax japonicus, a traditional medicinal herb in Asia, exhibit high degrees of structural and functional similarity. In this study, metabolite analysis revealed that oleanolic acid-type and dammarane-type saponins were distributed unevenly in three tissues (rhizome_Y, rhizome_O, and secRoot) of P. japonicus. Single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and next generation sequencing (NGS) data revealed distinct and tissue-specific transcriptomic patterns relating to the production of these two types of saponins. In the co-expression network and hierarchical clustering analyses, one 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) and two 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) etc. transcripts were found to be key genes associated with the biosynthesis of oleanolic acid and dammarane-type saponins in P. japonicus, respectively. In addition, cytochrome p450 (CYP) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) family proteins that serve as regulators of saponin biosynthesis-related genes were also found to exhibit tissue-specific expression patterns. Together these results offer a comprehensive metabolomic and transcriptomic overview of P. japonicus.
Topics: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gene Regulatory Networks; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Oleanolic Acid; Panax; Plant Roots; Rhizome; Saponins; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Triterpenes; Dammaranes
PubMed: 32653517
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.06.045 -
Journal of the American Heart... Feb 2022Background People with diabetes are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases. Lipotoxicity plays a key role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. saponin...
Background People with diabetes are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases. Lipotoxicity plays a key role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. saponin (PNS) has been used to treat diabetes and obesity. However, the role of PNS in diabetic cardiomyopathy remains unclear. Methods and Results Diabetic db/db mice received high-dose (200 mg/kg per day) or medium-dose (100 mg/kg per day) PNS by gavage for 12 weeks until week 36. Lipid accumulation and cardiac function in diabetic mice were detected and possible mechanisms involved were explored. PNS significantly improved body weight, body fat content, serum lipids, adipocytokines, and antioxidative function in db/db mice. Lipid accumulation in adipose tissue, liver, and heart were also alleviated by PNS treatment. Cardiac function and mitochondrial structure were also improved by PNS. H9c2 cells were treated with palmitate acid, and PNS pretreatment reduced lipid accumulation, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, as well as improved mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate. Levels of proteins and expression of genes related to glucose and lipid metabolism, antioxidative function, and mitochondrial dynamics were also improved by PNS administration. Conclusions PNS attenuated heart dysfunction in diabetic mice by reducing lipotoxicity as well as modulating oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function.
Topics: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids; Mice; Panax notoginseng; Saponins
PubMed: 35112884
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.023540 -
Complementary Therapies in Clinical... Aug 2022This systematic review aimed to update the evidence of ginseng on menopausal women's health care. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
This systematic review aimed to update the evidence of ginseng on menopausal women's health care.
METHODS
We searched six databases (PubMed, AMED, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, RISS, and KoreaMed) from their inception to April 2022 and included all placebo-controlled RCTs comparing any type of ginseng in menopausal women. The methodological quality of all studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0.
RESULTS
We included 15 RCTs with our inclusion criteria. The majority of studies considered bias a concern. Ginseng reduced menopausal symptoms in three studies (n = 515; standardized mean difference (SMD): -0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.73 to -0.07, P = 0.02) and lowed hot flashes (n = 515; SMD: -0.34, 95% CI: -0.66 to -0.01, P = 0.04). The meta-analysis of three other studies failed to show that ginseng was beneficial for sexual function (n = 491; SMD: 0.31, 95% CI: -0.30 to 0.92, P = 0.32). Three RCTs showed positive effects of ginseng on the quality of life score (n = 515, SMD: -0.31, 95% CI: -0.61 to -0.01, P = 0.05). In two studies, ginseng failed to produce significant effects on the vaginal maturation index and vaginal pH. Another three RCTs failed to demonstrate a beneficial effect of Korean red ginseng (KRG) on endometrial thickness.
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrated that ginseng can significantly reduce hot flashes, menopausal symptoms, and quality of life in menopausal women. In contrast, neither KRG nor ginseng appeared to have any direct effect on sexual dysfunction, hormones or biomarkers, or endometrial thickness. More rigorous RCTs are needed to overcome the current limitations.
Topics: Female; Hot Flashes; Humans; Menopause; Panax; Quality of Life; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Women's Health
PubMed: 35691259
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101615 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2020Bioactive C and C acetylenic oxylipins have shown to contribute to the cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and potential anticancer properties of terrestrial plants. These... (Review)
Review
Bioactive C and C acetylenic oxylipins have shown to contribute to the cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and potential anticancer properties of terrestrial plants. These acetylenic oxylipins are widely distributed in plants belonging to the families Apiaceae, Araliaceae, and Asteraceae, and have shown to induce cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis of cancer cells in vitro and to exert a chemopreventive effect on cancer development in vivo. The triple bond functionality of these oxylipins transform them into highly alkylating compounds being reactive to proteins and other biomolecules. This enables them to induce the formation of anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective phase 2 enzymes via activation of the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway, inhibition of proinflammatory peptides and proteins, and/or induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress, which, to some extent, may explain their chemopreventive effects. In addition, these acetylenic oxylipins have shown to act as ligands for the nuclear receptor PPARγ, which play a central role in growth, differentiation, and apoptosis of cancer cells. Bioactive C and C acetylenic oxylipins appeartherefore, to constitute a group of promising lead compounds for the development of anticancer drugs. In this review, the cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of C and C acetylenic oxylipins from terrestrial plants are presented and their possible mechanisms of action and structural requirements for optimal cytotoxicity are discussed.
Topics: Alkylating Agents; Alkynes; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Caco-2 Cells; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line, Tumor; Diet; Drug Design; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Ligands; Mice; Neoplasms; Oxylipins; Panax; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; RAW 264.7 Cells; Signal Transduction; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 32486470
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112568 -
BMC Plant Biology Mar 2020Panax notoginseng is a medicinally important Chinese herb with a long history of cultivation and clinical application. The planting area is mainly distributed in Wenshan...
BACKGROUND
Panax notoginseng is a medicinally important Chinese herb with a long history of cultivation and clinical application. The planting area is mainly distributed in Wenshan Prefecture, where the quality and safety of P. notoginseng have been threatened by high concentration of arsenic (As) from the soil. The roles of phosphate (Pi) transporters involved in Pi acquisition and arsenate (AsV) tolerance were still unclear in this species.
RESULTS
In this study, two open reading frames (ORFs) of PnPht1;1 and PnPht1;2 separated from P. notoginseng were cloned based on RNA-seq, which encoded 527 and 541 amino acids, respectively. The results of relative expression levels showed that both genes responded to the Pi deficiency or As exposure, and were highly upregulated. Heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae MB192 revealed that PnPht1;1 and PnPht1;2 performed optimally in complementing the yeast Pi-transport defect, particularly in PnPht1;2. Cells expressing PnPht1;2 had a stronger AsV tolerance than PnPht1;1-expressing cells, and accumulated less As in cells under a high-Pi concentration. Combining with the result of plasma membrane localization, these data confirmed that transporters PnPht1;1 and PnPht1;2 were putative high-affinity H/HPO symporters, mediating the uptake of Pi and AsV.
CONCLUSION
PnPht1;1 and PnPht1;2 encoded functional plasma membrane-localized transporter proteins that mediated a putative high-affinity Pi/H symport activity. Expression of PnPht1;1 or PnPht1;2 in mutant strains could enhance the uptake of Pi and AsV, that is probably responsible for the As accumulation in the roots of P. notoginseng.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Arsenates; Panax notoginseng; Phosphate Transport Proteins; Phosphates; Phylogeny; Plant Proteins; Sequence Alignment
PubMed: 32197586
DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-2316-7 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2020Ginseng is one of the most widely consumed herbs in the world and plays an important role in counteracting fatigue and alleviating stress. The main active substances of... (Review)
Review
Ginseng is one of the most widely consumed herbs in the world and plays an important role in counteracting fatigue and alleviating stress. The main active substances of ginseng are its ginsenosides. Ocotillol-type triterpenoid is a remarkably effective ginsenoside from Vietnamese ginseng that has received attention because of its potential antibacterial, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, among others. The semisynthesis, modification and biological activities of ocotillol-type compounds have been extensively studied in recent years. The aim of this review is to summarize semisynthesis, modification and pharmacological activities of ocotillol-type compounds. The structure-activity relationship studies of these compounds were reported. This summary should prove useful information for drug exploration of ocotillol-type derivatives.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Ginsenosides; Humans; Panax; Triterpenes
PubMed: 33260848
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235562 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2023(Burk.) F. H. is a genuine medicinal material in Yunnan Province. As accessories, leaves mainly contain protopanaxadiol saponins. The preliminary findings have...
(Burk.) F. H. is a genuine medicinal material in Yunnan Province. As accessories, leaves mainly contain protopanaxadiol saponins. The preliminary findings have indicated that leaves contribute to its significant pharmacological effects and have been administrated to tranquilize and treat cancer and nerve injury. Saponins from leaves were isolated and purified by different chromatographic methods, and the structures of - were elucidated mainly through comprehensive analyses of spectroscopic data. Moreover, the SH-SY5Y cells protection bioactivities of all isolated compounds were tested by establishing L-glutamate models for nerve cell injury. As a result, twenty-two saponins, including eight dammarane saponins, namely notoginsenosides SL-SL (-), were identified as new compounds, together with fourteen known compounds, namely notoginsenoside NL-A (), ginsenoside Rc (), gypenoside IX (), gypenoside XVII (), notoginsenoside Fc (), quinquenoside L (), notoginsenoside NL-B (), notoginsenoside NL-C (), notoginsenoside NL-H (), notoginsenoside NL-H (), vina-ginsenoside R (), ginsenoside II (), majoroside F (), and notoginsenoside LK (). Among them, notoginsenoside SL (), notoginsenoside SL (), notoginsenoside NL-A (), and ginsenoside Rc () showed slight protective effects against L-glutamate-induced nerve cell injury (30 µM).
Topics: Humans; Panax notoginseng; Glutamic Acid; Neuroblastoma; China; Ginsenosides; Saponins; Plant Leaves; Panax
PubMed: 36903439
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052194 -
Journal of Nanobiotechnology Feb 2024Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is closely linked to the homeostasis of the intestinal environment, and exosomes can be used to treat IBD due to their high...
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is closely linked to the homeostasis of the intestinal environment, and exosomes can be used to treat IBD due to their high biocompatibility and ability to be effectively absorbed by the intestinal tract. However, Ginseng-derived nanoparticles (GDNPs) have not been studied in this context and their mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we investigated GDNPs ability to mediate intercellular communication in a complex inflammatory microenvironment in order to treat IBD. We found that GDNPs scavenge reactive oxygen species from immune cells and intestinal epithelial cells, inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, promote the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells, as well as enhancing the diversity of the intestinal flora. GDNPs significantly stabilise the intestinal barrier thereby promoting tissue repair. Overall, we proved that GDNPs can ameliorate inflammation and oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro, acting on the TLR4/MAPK and p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathways, and exerting an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. GDNPs mitigated IBD in mice by reducing inflammatory factors and improving the intestinal environment. This study offers new evidence of the potential therapeutic effects of GDNPs in the context of IBD, providing the conceptual ground for an alternative therapeutic strategy.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1; Nanoparticles; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Panax; Toll-Like Receptor 4
PubMed: 38302938
DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02313-x -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2023(Burk) F. H. Chen is a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plant. However, flower (PNF) is rarely used. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the...
(Burk) F. H. Chen is a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plant. However, flower (PNF) is rarely used. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the main saponins and the anti-inflammatory bioactivity of PNF saponins (PNFS). We explored the regulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), a key mediator of inflammatory pathways, in human keratinocyte cells treated with PNFS. A cell model of UVB-irradiation-induced inflammation was established to determine the influence of PNFS on inflammatory factors and their relationship with LL-37 expression. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting analysis were used to detect the production of inflammatory factors and LL37. Finally, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was employed to quantify the main active components (ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, and notoginsenoside R1) in PNF. The results show that PNFS substantially inhibited COX-2 activity and downregulated the production of inflammatory factors, indicating that they can be used to reduce skin inflammation. PNFS also increased the expression of LL-37. The contents of ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, and Rd in PNF were much higher than those of Rg1, and notoginsenoside R1. This paper provides data in support of the application of PNF in cosmetics.
Topics: Humans; Ginsenosides; Saponins; Panax notoginseng; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Cyclooxygenase 2; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Liquid; Flowers; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Inflammation; Panax
PubMed: 36903661
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052416