Lignans are the main active components of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus for liver disease treatment:a review

As a traditional Chinese herbal medicine,Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus(SC)has been used in medicine and food industry due to its health care and therapeutic effects.Over the past 20 years,the use of SC and its active ingredient lignans in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases has been increasing,and their hepatoprotective effects has increased the interest of the public and academia.Therefore,in the present work,we first determined the effectiveness of SC in the treatment of liver diseases such as metabolic associated fatty liver disease,alcoholic liver disease,cholestatic liver disease and acute liver injury.Subsequently,the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of lignans,the active components of SC,for liver disease treatment were comprehensively summarized for the first time.The results showed that the lignans in SC could achieve hepatoprotective effects by regulating lipid metabolism,anti-fibrosis,anti-inflammation,anti-oxidation,anti-tumor and regulating bile acid metabolism.The mechanism mainly involved adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase,endoplasmic reticulum stress,sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c,autophagy,transforming growth factor-β,mitogen-activated protein kinase,microRNA,nuclear factor kappa-B,nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2,heat shock proteins and pregnane X receptor signaling pathways.These results can lay a scientific foundation for the development of hepatoprotective drugs or functional foods from SC/lignans.

How Schisandrae Fructus Benefits the Body: Mechanisms in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Modern Medicine

Schisandrae chinensis Fructus (SF) is a commonly used herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to TCM theory, SF can invigorate Qi in the liver and other visceral organs through the meridian system. Furthermore, the liver’s pivotal role in regulating the functions of various visceral organs helps explain how SF can promote holistic health benefits. The main active ingredient of SF, schisandrin B (Sch B), has been found to improve mitochondrial ATP production and enhance glutathione redox status in multiple organs. This could account for the overall protective effects of Sch B on organs. Due to its stronger impact on liver function, the positive influence of Sch B on different organs may be facilitated by signal molecules originating from the liver.

Pharmacological effects of Schisandra Chinensis Fructus polysaccharide on intestinal protection

Schisandra Chinensis Fructus(SCF)is the fruit of Schisandra chinensis(Turcz.)Baill.,a perennial vine.It was first recorded in Shen Nong′s herbal classic and has a long application history.Studies have shown that SCF has anti-inflammatory,protective liver,antioxidant,antibacterial and other pharmacological effects.Ancient prescriptions are commonly used in the treatment of chronic diarrhea and other intestinal diseases and diabetes.Modern clinical pharmacology features of SCF polysaccharide(SCFP)in diabetes,liver diseases,enteritis and other aspects have achieved excellent results.Gut is an important digestive organ of human body,but intestinal diseases are varied,including Crohn′s disease,ulcerative colitis,intestinal flora imbalance,etc..It is a chronic and non-specific inflammatory disease.The disease is persisted for a long time and the incidence rate is expected to rise.Most of the symptoms are recurrent diarrhea,bloody stool and abdominal pain.It is considered by the World Health Organization as a refractory disease.At present,there is little possibility of complete cure,which is closely related to complex environmental factors,eating habits and heredity.In recent years,clinical studies have found that SCFP has a variety of pharmacological effects on intestinal protection.①Reduce inflammatory factors:intestinal mucositis is a common adverse reaction in patients with chemotherapy.The development of mucositis is related to pro-inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),IL^(-1)β,Interferon-γ(IFN-γ).SCFP can significantly reduce IL-6 TNF-α,IL^(-1)β,and IL-8,as well as the accumulation of T cells in the process of resisting apoptosis,reduce the inflammatory reaction and protect the damage to villi and crypts,improve the symptoms of small intestinal mucositis caused by weight loss and diarrhea.②Promote immunoglobulin A secretion:intestinal mucosal immunity is the first line of defense of the body′s immune system.Its main antibody is secretory immunoglobulin A,which can destroy and phagocytize microorganisms,bacteria and viruses.SCFP can improve intestinal immunity by increasing the number and activity of T lymphocytes,promoting the secretion of secretory immunoglobulin A,and affecting the activity of a variety of cytokines.③Regulation of intestinal flora:the flora in the intestine has the functions of auxiliary nutrient absorption,biological antagonism and immune regulation,and can form a natural barrier for the host's intestine.When the human intestinal flora is disordered,probiotics will be greatly reduced,harmful bacteria will proliferate and destroy the intestinal environment.Under these conditions,the intake of SCFP significantly increased the number of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacillus,and significantly decreased the number of conditional pathogens such as enterococcus and escherichia coli,indicating that SCFP can indeed regulate the intestinal disorder caused by lincomycin hydrochloride to a certain extent. This may be because beneficial bacteria in the intestine metabolize polysaccharides produce short chain fatty acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid, which reduces the pH value in the intestine and inhibits the growth of enterococcus and Escherichia coli. In conclusion, SCFP can treat and protect intestinal diseases to a certain extent, which provides a favorable basis for the treatment of intestinal diseases.

Determination of Two Synthetic Pigments in Lifei Tablets by HPLC and LC-MS/MS Spectrometry

[Objectives]To identify stained Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in Lifei Tablets with carmine and acid red 73 as target substances.[Methods]High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)was used to analyze the 70%methanol extract of the drug.The HPLC was equipped with an Inertstain-C_(18)(250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm)chromatographic column.The mobile phase was acetonitrile-5 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution,gradient elution:volume flow rate of 1.0 mL/min,column temperature of 30℃,detection wavelength of 509 nm.LC-MS/MS was equipped with a Waters-C_(18)(2.1 mm×150 mm,1.7μm)chromatographic column,the mobile phase was methanol-0.1%formic acid solution(containing 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate),gradient elution;the volume flow rate was 0.3 mL/min;ESI ion source,positive ion mode,full scan of primary and secondary mass spectrometry.[Results]Carmine and acid red 73 showed good linear relationship in HPLC and LC-MS/MS,with r greater than 0.995.The sample recovery and RSD values of HPLC and LC-MS/MS met the requirements.The RSD of the results determined by HPLC and LC-MS/MS was not greater than 5.0%.Both methods had good compatibility and could be used for the examination of carmine and acid red 73 in Lifei Tablets.[Conclusions]The method is reliable and reproducible and can be used to identify stained Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in Lifei Tablets.

GSZ Formula Enhances Sleep Quality:Exploring Its Active Ingredients and Mechanism Using a Network Medicine Approach

Background:Sleep is essential for maintaining human health,and insomnia is a widespread problem.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been used for centuries to treat sleep disorders,with fewer reported side effects compared to conventional treatments.Objective:This study seeks to investigate the sleep-promoting effects of the GSZ formula,which comprisesγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA),Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus(Wuweizi in Chinese),and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(Suanzaoren in Chinese).In addition,this study aims to explore the active ingredients and potential mechanisms underlying the sleep-enhancing effects of the formula.Methods:The impact of GSZ on sleep was evaluated using two models,the complete sleep model and the sub-threshold sleep model.Mice were randomly divided into five groups and orally administered GSZ solution(0.33 g/kg/day or 0.99 g/kg/day),positive drug diazepam(2.50 mg/kg)or a control solution for 30 days.Hypno-sis model was established in mice using pentobarbital sodium.Sleep duration and incidence were measured by recording when the righting reflex of mice disappeared for more than 1 min.GABA and dopamine(DA)levels in mouse brain tissue were measured using ELISA kits.The ingredients of the GSZ formula were identified using mass spectrometry,and the targets of these ingredients and disease-related genes were retrieved from public databases.A network medicine approach was used to calculate the shortest path between ingredient targets and disease-related proteins.The expression levels of potential proteins,such as Akt,p-Akt,GSK-3β,and p-GSK-3β,were analyzed using Western blotting based on the predicted results.Results:GSZ significantly prolonged sleep duration and enhanced the sleep rate in mice(P<0.05).Furthermore,it elevated GABA levels and reduced DA levels in the mouse brain(P<0.05).Network medicine analysis suggested that GABA,stearic acid,genistin,and coumestrol may be the most crucial active ingredients for sleep improve-ment.Western blotting analysis demonstrated that GSZ modulated the protein expression levels of p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β(P<0.05).Conclusion:Our study demonstrated that the GSZ formula could improve sleep,with key ingredients likely being GABA,stearic acid,genistin,and coumestrol.The mechanism might involve the regulation of the Akt/GSK-3βpathway,as revealed by the network medicine analysis and experimental validation.Our current new findings shed light on the potential mechanisms underlying the sleep-enhancing effects of the GSZ formula,which could provide experimental evidence to develop innovative treatments for insomnia.

Simultaneous qualitative identification of all medicinal herbs in Zaoren Anshen capsule by thin-layer chromatography

The holistic characterization and quality control of all the medicinal herbs of proprietary Chinese medicines(PCMs)are of great significance to ensure their safety,efficacy,and consistency.Thin-layer chromatography(TLC),a simple and classic approach for qualitatively characterizing and examining quality markers of natural products,has been widely used in the characterization and quality control of traditional Chinese medicines.Zaoren Anshen(ZRAS)capsule,prepared from three medicinal herbs of fried Ziziphi Spinosae Semen,Salvia Miltiorrhiza Radix et Rhizoma,and vinegar-processed Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus,is a famous PCM in China for the treatment of insomnia,amnesia,and dizziness in clinical practice.However,no effective method is available so far for simultaneous identification and examination of all the three medicinal herbs of ZRAS capsule.In the present study,we developed a TLC method via twice-development and visualization by UV light or chromogenic agent,which could be used for simultaneous qualitative identification of all the three medicinal herbs of ZRAS capsule in one plate.Moreover,the sample preparation method was optimized.The developed TLC method was rapid,simple,low-cost,and effective,and thus it could be used for quality control of ZRAS capsule.