Network pharmacology-based study on compounds from Camptotheca acuminate inhibiting liver cancer cells

Camptotheca acuminate belongs to Nyssaceae family and has been used as traditional Chinese medicine for several years.A number of compounds with anti-tumor activities have been isolated from C.acuminate.However,the targets of some compounds have not been determined.In this study,network pharmacology methods were used to analyze 74 compounds from C.acuminate and 49 target proteins of liver cancer.The results showed that the target with the largest number of directed edges was Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase(1d3g).The compound docked with 1d3g best was AL.23(19-O-methyangustoline).The results of this study provide further insight into the role of network pharmacology as an effective tool to illuminate the research on liver cancer.

Isolation and structural elucidation of the compounds from the fruits of Camptotheca acuminate

The fruit of Camptotheca acuminate is used as a traditional Chinese medicine.Eight compounds were isolated from the fruit of Camptotheca acuminate for the first time,including(+)-(S)-abscisic acid(1),blumenol A(2),(E)-3-hydroxymegastigm-7-en-9-one(3),(-)-(3R)-3,5-dimethyl-8-methoxy-3,4-dihydroisocoumarin(4),(-)-(3R)-8-methoxy-3-methyl-3,4-dihydro-1H-isochromen-1-one(5),neocnidilide(6),(3S)-butylphthalide(7)and senkyunolide I(8).Their structures were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic methods,including HRESIMS and 1D NMR.

Structure-based identification and pathway elucidation of flavonoids in Camptotheca acuminate

Flavonoid metabolism in Camptotheca acuminate remained an untapped area for years.A tandem MS approach was used and focused on the mining and characterizing of flavonoids in mature C.acuminate.Fifteen new flavonoids and forty-three known flavonoids,including fifteen flavone analogs,sixteen flavonol analogs,seven flavanone analogs,six chalcone analogs,four xanthone analogs,ten flavane analogs were mined and identified based on their MS/MS fragments.Fifty-three of them were firstly characterized in C.acuminate.Eight biosynthetic precursors for these flavonoids were also identified.We constructed a specific metabolic map for flavonoids according to their relative contents in the flowers,fruits,stems,and leaves of C.acuminate.Furthermore,the most probable genes involved in chalcone biosynthesis,flavonoid hydroxylation,methylation,and glycosylation were further mined and fished in the gene reservoir of C.acuminate according to their conserved domains and co-expression analysis.These findings enable us to acquire a better understanding of versatile flavonoid metabolism in C.acuminate.

CO_2, H_2O exchange and stomatal regulation of regenerated Camptotheca acuminata plantlets during ex vitro acclimatization

For finding the changes in CO2, H20 exchange and their stomatal regulation during ex vitro acclimatization of regenerated Camptotheca acuminata plantlets, the net photosynthesis rate （Pn）, respiration rate （Ro）, light compensation point （Lc） and light saturation point （Ls）, transpiration rate （Tr）, stomatal conductance （gs） and water use efficiency（WUE） were measured during 37 days of ex vitro acclimatization. The results showed that Pn sharply increased until 29 days, then slightly decreased. A substantial decrease in Lc and a substantial increase of Ls in the former two weeks were observed, indicating the light regime enlargement for effective leaf photosynthesis. Tr and gs abruptly decreased during the first week then linearly increased until 29days ex vitro acclimatization, reflecting the strong regulation effect of stomata on water changes of ex vitro acclimating plantlets. Stomatal regulation effect on CO2 exchange was different from that on water exchange, i.e. P, was almost independent of gs during the first week, while P. was significantly correlated with gs thereafter （i.e. dual patterns）. Different from dual patterns of gs-Pn relation, the Tr monotonously linearly increased with gs. Furthermore, WUE was almost independent on gs during the first week, while a marked decreasing tendency with gs was found thereafter. At the beginning of the acclimatization, WUE was mainly determined by photosynthetic capacity, while transpiration becomes a main determinant factor for WUE from 7 to 37 days＇ acclimatization.