Opposite trends of glycosides and alkaloids in Dendrobium nobile of different age based on UPLC-Q/TOF-MS combined with multivariate statistical analyses.

Introduction: Alkaloids and glycosides are the active ingredients of the herb Dendrobium nobile, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. The pharmacological effects of alkaloids include neuroprotective effects and regulatory effects on glucose and lipid metabolism, while glycosides improve the immune system. The pharmacological activities of the above chemical components are significantly different.

Identification of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Plants by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are considered as the major constituents that cause hepatoxicity in plants. PAs can be found in about 3%-5% of the world's flowering plants. Nowadays, the identification method of PAs by separation and preparation was too slow and lacked effective power.

Zuotai (β-HgS)-containing 70 Wei Zhen-Zhu-Wan differs from mercury chloride and methylmercury on hepatic cytochrome P450 in mice.

Zuotai (mainly β-HgS)-containing 70 Wei-Zhen-Zhu-Wan (70W, ) is a famous Tibetan medicine for treating cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases.  We have shown that 70W protected against CCl hepatotoxicity.  CCl is metabolized via cytochrome P450 (CYP) to produce reactive metabolites.

Detection of chlorite, chlorate and perchlorate in ozonated saline.

Medical ozone is used to treat various diseases, including numerous pathologies associated with chronic pain. Chronic pain may be treated by systemic administration of ozone, with ozonated autohemotherapy (OAH) being the commonly used method. In the clinic, intravenous infusion of ozonized saline has been used to treat various diseases.

Sodium ferulate inhibits myocardial hypertrophy induced by abdominal coarctation in rats: Involvement of cardiac PKC and MAPK signaling pathways.

Sodium ferulate (SF) is the sodium salt of ferulic acid which is an active ingredient of Radix Angelica Sinensis and Ligusticum chuanxiong hort. Here, we investigated SF inhibition in a rat model of myocardial hypertrophy induced by coarctation of the abdominal aorta. Following coarctation, rats were given SF (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg/day) for 25 consecutive days.

Dendrobium nobile Lindl. Alkaloids Decreases the Level of Intracellular β-Amyloid by Improving Impaired Autolysosomal Proteolysis in APP/PS1 Mice.

As the major degradation pathway for long-lived proteins and organelles, macroautophagy is a decisive factor for the survival and longevity of cells. The existing evidence indicates that the disruption of substrate proteolysis in autolysosomes is the main mechanism underlying autophagy failure in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, the restoration of normal lysosomal proteolysis and autophagy efficiency is a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of AD.

Protective effects of Lindl. alkaloids on amyloid beta (25-35)-induced neuronal injury.

Lindl. alkaloids (DNLA), the active ingredients of a traditional Chinese medicine , have been shown to have anti-oxidative effects, anti-inflammatory action, and protective effect on neurons against oxygen-glucose deprivation. However, it is not clear whether DNLA reduces amyloid-beta (Aβ)-induced neuronal injury.

Dendrobium nobile Lindl alkaloid, a novel autophagy inducer, protects against axonal degeneration induced by Aβ in hippocampus neurons in vitro.

Aims: Axonal degeneration is a pathological symbol in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which can be triggered by amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide deposition. Growing evidence indicates that deficit of autophagy eventually leads to the axonal degeneration. Our previous studies have shown that Dendrobium nobile Lindl alkaloid (DNLA) had protective effect on neuron impairment in vivo and in vitro; however, the underlying mechanisms is still unclear.

Dendrobium alkaloids prevent Aβ-induced neuronal and synaptic loss via promoting neurotrophic factors expression in mice.

Background: Neuronal and synaptic loss is the most important risk factor for cognitive impairment. Inhibiting neuronal apoptosis and preventing synaptic loss are promising therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we investigate the protective effects of Dendrobium alkaloids (DNLA), a Chinese medicinal herb extract, on β-amyloid peptide segment 25-35 (Aβ)-induced neuron and synaptic loss in mice.

Characterization of nuciferine metabolism by P450 enzymes and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases in liver microsomes from humans and animals.

Aim: to characterize the metabolism of nuciferine by P450 enzymes and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) in liver microsomes from humans and several other animals including rats, mice, dogs, rabbits and monkeys.

Methods: nuciferine was incubated with both human and animal liver microsomal fractions containing P450 or UGT reaction components. Ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to separate and identify nuciferine metabolites.

Glucuronidation, a new metabolic pathway for pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) possess significant hepatotoxicity to humans and animals after metabolic activation by liver P450 enzymes. Metabolism pathways of PAs have been studied for several decades, including metabolic activation, hydroxylation, N-oxidation, and hydrolysis. However, the glucuronidation of intact PAs has not been investigated, although glucuronidation plays an important role in the elimination and detoxication of xenobiotics.

Identification of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isozyme involved in senecionine glucuronidation in human liver microsomes.

Senecionine (SEN) is a representative of the hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Although phase I metabolism for cytochrome P450-mediated metabolic activation of SEN was investigated extensively, phase II metabolism for glucuronidation of this compound has not been investigated until now. In our present study, one unique glucuronidation product of SEN in human liver microsomes (HLMs) was identified as SEN N-glucuronide using an authentically synthesized product for which the structure was identified via (1)H and (13)C NMR analysis.

Characterization of cardamonin metabolism by P450 in different species via HPLC-ESI-ion trap and UPLC-ESI-quadrupole mass spectrometry.

Aim: To characterize the metabolism of cardamonin by the P450 enzymes in human and animal liver microsomes.

Methods: Cardamonin was incubated with both human and animal liver microsomal incubation systems containing P450 reaction factors. High performance liquid chromatography coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry was used to identify the metabolites.