STUDIES ON THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF PULSATILLA CHINENSIS (Ⅱ)

Two new compounds have been isolated from methanol extract of roots of Pulsatilla chinensis(Bunge) Hegel. Their structures were established as 3-oxo-23-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (Ⅱ) and 3-0--L-arabinopyranosyl-3β, 23-dihydroxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (Ⅲ).

Pulsatilla chinensis:phytochemistry,pharmacology and new drug development

Pulsatilla chinensis is a widely used traditional Chinese herb,which contains 56 types of chemical constituents,mainly including triterpenoid saponins,organic acids,coumarins and lignans.The largest portion of the ingredients in Pulsatilla chinensis is the family of triterpenoid saponins,in which anemoside B4 is the major effective compound and indexing component.The main components of Pulsatilla chinensis can metabolize into a vast array of active products in vivo,which play vital roles in its biological activity.Mounting evidence reveals that Pulsatilla chinensis exerts a wide range of therapeutic activities,such as anti-cancer,immunoregulation,anti-inflammation and anti-schistosome,with fewer adverse reactions,via various signaling pathways and multiple targets.It was documented that the active ingredient of Pulsatilla chinensis can lessen the drug resistance and synergize the effects of other natural products including paclitaxel,as well as ameliorate the clinical efficacy of chemical drugs,such as adriamycin.However,Pulsatilla chinensis was also reported to be possibly the main cause of hemolysis and chronic liver injury.The efforts should be made to deeply investigate the pharmacological actions and underlying mechanisms of Pulsatilla chinensis,with a focus on the anti-cancer efficacy,and develop new drugs based on the components of Pulsatilla chinensis for future utilization in the clinical setting.

Protective effects of Pulsatilla chinensis Regel against isoproterenol-induced heart failure in mice

Objective:To study the cardioprotective effect of Baitouwen(Pulsatilla chinensis Regel,PR)in isoproterenol(ISO)induced heart failure in mice,and investigated the molecular targets using network pharmacological prediction and experimental validation.Methods:PR were orally administered to ISO induced HF mice for two weeks.The cardiac function was analyzed by echocardiography.Hematoxylin-eosinstaining(HE)was used to evaluate the pathological changes.The PR targets for HF were predicted by bioinformatics analysis tool(BATMAN-TCM).The expression of atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),brain natriuretic peptide(BNP),and HF related genes Phosphodiesterase(PDEs),were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR or Immunohistochemical staining in heart tissues.Results:Cardiac hypertrophy was observed after ISO treatment,and hypertrophic cardiomyocytes were arranged in disorder.Moreover,the expression of ANP and BNP gene in myocardium were upregulated(P<0.05).Treatment of HF mice with PR aqueous extract improved cardiac function characterized by enhanced ejection fraction(EF)and fraction shortening(FS).Furthermore,PR extract also downregulated the expression of ANP and BNP in the heart tissues.Arrangement of cardiomyocytes was also improved.Furthermore,administration of PR group decreased target genes PDE5 and PDE1C expression in the hearts.In addition,PR treatment also improved myocardial fiber distribution and decreased myocardial thickness in the hearts of HF mice.Conclusion:PR treatment may suppress cardiac hypertrophy and improve myocardial function in HF mice via inhibiting the predicted targets PDE5 expression.These results suggest the potential of using PR in preventing the development of HF.

Advances in anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of Pulsatilla Chinensis saponins and its monomers

As a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Pulsatilla Chinensis(P. Chinensis) is widely used in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Recently, medical research has found that the natural product P. Chinensis saponins and their monomeric compounds extracted from P. Chinensis have a variety of biological activities, especially the triterpenoid saponins, which have significant and broad-spectrum anti-tumor effects. Moreover, its anti-tumor molecular mechanisms include inhibition of the growth and proliferation of tumor cells, repression of the migration, invasion, and metastasis, prevention of tumor cell cycle, regulation of cancer cell energy metabolism, anti-tumor angiogenesis, induction of cancer cell differentiation, apoptosis and autophagy, reversing cancer cell resistance, regulation a variety of related signaling pathways, and improvement of the inflammatory microenvironment of tumor cells. In the present work, we reviewed the related anticancer mechanisms of P. Chinensis saponins and their monomers in different tumors, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the development and clinical application of new anti-tumor drugs of P. Chinensis saponins and their monomeric compounds.