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Pogostemon cablin Benth (PCB) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for treatment of many ailments for several centuries. In presently, the chemical profiling and quality control study of PCB has mainly concentrated on the volatile fractions. However, the non-volatile chemical profile of PCB was still unclear. In this study, 73 non-volatile constituents (i.e., 33 flavonoids, 21 organic acids, 9 phenylpropanoids, 4 sesquiterpenes, 3 alkaloids, and 3 other types of compounds) were identified and characterized in PCB using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadruple time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Meanwhile, to assess PCB samples, an established HPLC-Q-TOF-MS fingerprint was combined with multivariate statistical analysis that included similarity analysis (SA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The PCB samples could be classified into two groups (herbal decoction pieces and processed medicinal materials), and acteoside, isoacteoside, 4′,6-Dihydroxy-5,7-dimethoxyflavone, pachypodol and pogostone were screened as the potential chemical markers that attributed classification. In addition, nine representative components (pachypodol, vicenin-2, apigenin, rhamnocitrin, acteoside, isoacteoside, chlorogenic acid, azelaic acid and pogostone) in PCB were simultaneously determined by using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS). This study is the first to describe the chemical profile of PCB using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, which would improve our understanding of the substance basis of PCB and is helpful to the PCB further quality evaluation. [Display omitted] • The non-volatile chemical profile of Pogostemon cablin Benth (PCB) was revealed for the first time using HPLC-Q-TOF-MS. • An established HPLC-Q-TOF-MS fingerprint of PCB combined with the multivariate statistical analysis used to assess PCB samples. • A quick and sensitive UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS method was established and used to simultaneously quantify nine representative components in the PCB samples. • Five components were screened and identified as the potential chemical markers for the classification of herbal decoction pieces and processed medicinal materials of PCB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a severe complication that affects the central nervous system and is a leading cause of increased morbidity and mortality in intensive care units. Psoralidin (PSO), a coumarin compound isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Psoralea corylifolia L. , can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and has various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and anti-depression. This study aims to explore whether PSO alleviates SAE and delve into the underlying mechanisms. We found that PSO treatment significantly reduced sepsis scores, aspartate transaminase (AST) and aspartate transaminase (LDH), while increased anal temperature and neurological scores in CLP-injured mice. Moreover, PSO treatment ameliorated sepsis-associated cognitive impairment, mood, anxiety disorders, inhibited inflammatory responses, as well as attenuated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). These results were also validated in vitro experiments, PSO treatment reduced ROS, inflammation response, and attenuated ERS in LPS-injured N2a cells. Importantly, tunicamycin (TUN), as ERS agonist, significantly reversed the protective effect of PSO on LPS-injured N2a cells, as evidenced by increased expression levels of IL-6, NLRP3, CHOP, and ATF6. Likewise, ATF6 overexpression also reversed the protective effect of PSO. In conclusion, these results confirmed that PSO has a protective effect on SAE, which was largely attributed to neuroinflammation and ERS. These findings provide new insights into the neuroprotective role of PSO and suggest that PSO is a new therapeutic intervention of SAE. [Display omitted] • Psoralidin treatment ameliorated sepsis-associated cognitive impairment, mood, anxiety disorders, inhibited inflammatory responses, as well as improved endoplasmic reticulum stress. • Tunicamycin, as endoplasmic reticulum stress agonist, significantly reversed the protective effect of psoralidin on LPS-injured N2a cells. • Psoralidin has a protective effect on sepsis-associated encephalopathy, which was largely attributed to neuroinflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrosis-related diseases (FRD) include conditions like myocardial fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, renal fibrosis, and others. The impact of fibrosis can be severe, causing organ dysfunction, reduced functionality, and even organ failure, leading to significant health issues. Currently, there is a lack of effective modern anti-fibrosis drugs in clinical practice. However, Chinese medicine has a certain beneficial effect on the treatment of such diseases. Angelica sinensis , with its considerable medicinal value, has garnered attention for its anti-fibrosis properties in recent investigations. In the past few years, there has been a growing number of experimental inquiries into the impact of angelica polysaccharide (ASP), angelica water extract, angelica injection, and angelica compound preparation on fibrosis-associated ailments, piquing the interest of researchers. This paper aims to consolidate recent advances in the study of Angelica sinensis for the treatment of fibrosis-related disorders, offering insights for prospective investigations. Literature retrieval included core electronic databases, including Baidu Literature, CNKI, Google-Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science. The applied search utilized specified keywords to extract relevant information on the pharmacological and phytochemical attributes of plants. The investigation revealed that Angelica sinensis has the potential to impede the advancement of fibrotic diseases by modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, immune responses, and metabolism. ASP, Angelica sinensis extract, Angelica sinensis injection, and Angelica sinensis compound preparation were extensively examined and discussed. These constituents demonstrated significant anti-fibrosis activity. In essence, this review seeks to gain a profound understanding of the role of Angelica sinensis in treating fiber-related diseases. Organ fibrosis manifests in nearly all tissues and organs, posing a critical challenge to global public health due to its widespread occurrence, challenging early diagnosis, and unfavorable prognosis. Despite its prevalence, therapeutic options are limited, and their efficacy is constrained. Over the past few years, numerous studies have explored the protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine on organ fibrosis, with Angelica sinensis standing out as a multifunctional natural remedy. This paper provides a review of organ fibrosis pathogenesis and summarizes the recent two decades' progress in treating fibrosis in various organs such as the liver, lung, kidney, and heart. The review highlights the modulation of relevant signaling pathways through multiple targets and channels by the effective components of Angelica sinensis , whether used as a single medicine or in compound prescriptions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is a common pathological manifestation of many cardiovascular diseases at a certain stage, with excessive accumulation of collagen fibers, excessive increase in collagen content, and a significant increase in collagen volume as the main pathological changes. There are currently no effective drugs for the treatment of myocardial fibrosis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the main component of the medical practice used for more than 5000 years, especially in China, often exerts a wider action spectrum than previously attempted options in treating human diseases. In recent times, the great potential of TCM in the treatment of MF has received much attention. Especially many experimental studies on the treatment of MF by Astragalus mongholicus Bunge have been conducted, and the effect is remarkable, which may provide more comprehensive database and theoretical support for the application of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge in the treatment of MF and could be considered a promising candidate drug for preventing MF. This review summarizes the chemical components of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge extrac t, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge single prescription, and Astragalus mongholicus Bunge compound preparation in the treatment of MF, and provides comprehensive information and a reliable basis for the exploration of new treatment strategies of botanical drugs in the therapy of MF. The literature information was obtained from the scientific databases on ethnobotany and ethnomedicines (up to August 2022), mainly from the PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases. The experimental studies on the anti-myocardial fibrosis role of the effective active components of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and the utility of its compound preparation and the involved mechanisms were identified. The search keywords for such work included: "myocardial fibrosis" or "Cardiac fibrosis ", and " Astragalus mongholicus Bunge", "extract," or "herb". Several studies have shown that the effective active components of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and its formulas, particularly Astragaloside IV, Astragalus polysaccharide, total saponins of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, triterpenoid saponins of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, and cycloastragenol, exhibit potential benefits against MF, the mechanisms of which appear to involve the regulation of inflammation, oxidant stress, and pro-fibrotic signaling pathways, etc. Conclusion : These research works have shown the therapeutic benefits of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge in the treatment of MF. However, further research should be undertaken to clarify the unconfirmed chemical composition and regulatory mechanisms, conduct standard clinical trials, and evaluate the possible side effects. The insights in the present review provided rich ideas for developing new anti-MF drugs. Myocardial fibrosis (MF) with excessive accumulation of collagen fibers, excessive increase in collagen content, and a significant increase in collagen volume as the main pathological changes is a common pathological manifestation of many cardiovascular diseases at a certain stage, which seriously affects cardiac function. At present, there is still a lack of effective drugs for the treatment of MF. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the main component of the medical practice used for more than 5000 years especially in China, often exerts wider action spectrum than previously attempted options in treating human diseases. In recent times, the great potential of TCM in the treatment of MF has received much attention. Especially many experimental studies on the treatment of MF by Astragalus mongholicus Bunge have been conducted, and the effect is remarkable, which may provide more comprehensive data base and theoretical support for the application of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge in the treatment of MF and could be considered a promising candidate drug for preventing MF. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: In traditional Chinese medicines, Cortex Dictamni is prescribed for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases such as acute rheumatoid arthritis, skin inflammation and jaundice. Aim of the study: This study was designed to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of Cortex Dictamni on treatment of hepatic fibrosis and its possible mechanisms. Materials and methods: The in vivo effect of Cortex Dictamni extract (CDE) was evaluated by measuring histological changes and collagen content in CCl4-indcued hepatic fibrosis mice. Viability, apoptosis and protein expression of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) were analyzed by MTT, Annexin V staining and Western blot respectively. Results: CDE alleviated CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice and showed a much stronger inhibition of cell viability in activated HSC cell line HSC-T6 than that in normal hepatocyte L02 cells. Furthermore, CDE induced apoptosis of HSC-T6 cells associated with increased expressions of cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-3. Interestingly, CDE activated STAT1 in HSC-T6 cells and the effect of CDE on apoptosis of HSC-T6 cells could be neutralized using JAK/STAT1 signaling inhibitor AG490. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CDE possesses anti-fibrosis activity with selectively induction of activated HSC apoptosis via activating STAT1, which might be a novel strategy for hepatic fibrosis therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Guchang Zhixie Wan (GC) is a traditional Chinese patent medicine used in the treatment of colitis in clinical trials. Though the notable effect of GC on colitis, the concrete mechanism of GC remain elusive. Emerging evidence showed that the imbalances of inflammatory cytokines and gut microbiota were both closely related to the initiation and progression of colitis. To elucidate the relationship between the protective effects of GC on colitis and gut microbiota. Male Kunming (KM) mice were enrolled in our work to establish colitis model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). The colitis mice were randomly divided into different groups and treated orally with 125 mg/kg of sulfasalazine (positive control) and 25, 50, 100 mg/kg of GC for 7 days, respectively. Inflammation cytokines of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-11, IL-12 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA analysis and the histological changes were detected by H&E staining. Gut microbiota diversity was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. Metagenomes analysis were also conducted to reflect the protective effects of GC on colitis. The results of CAS (Clinical Activity Score) confirmed the protective effects of GC on colitis. After administration of GC, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-11, IL-12 and TNF-α were all decreased while the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 was slightly increased, indicating that GC could down regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. H&E staining revealed that GC could improve the histopathological structure of the colon tissue. The results of 16S rDNA sequences analysis showed that GC could decrease the relative abundance of Turicibacter and increase the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005. GC greatly improve the health condition of colitis mice induced by DSS through improving the imbalances of inflammatory cytokines and gut microbiota. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Patchouli alcohol effectively ameliorated intestinal mucositis induced by 5-fluorouracil. • Patchouli alcohol maintained intestinal mucosal barrier via suppressing TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. • Patchouli alcohol participated in regulation of the microbiota structure. • Patchouli alcohol prevented the interaction between inflammatory cytokines and parts of microbiota. Intestinal mucositis causes great suffering to cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Owing to the uncertain side effects of anticancer drugs to attenuate patients' intestinal mucositis, many studies focused on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Patchouli alcohol (PA) is an active compound extracted from Pogostemon cablin , and has potent gastrointestinal protective effect. However, whether PA has an effect on intestinal mucositis is still unknown. Therefore, we established a rat model of intestinal mucositis via intraperitoneal injection of 5-fluorouracil, and intragastrically administrated PA (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) to evaluate the effect of PA on intestinal mucositis. The routine observation (body weight, food intake, and diarrhea) in rats was used to detect whether PA had an effect on intestinal mucositis. Levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and MPO), mucosal barrier proteins (zonula occludens -1 (ZO-1), claudin-1, occludin, myosin light chain (MLC), and mucin-2) and intestinal microbiota were determined to elucidate the underlying mechanism of PA action on intestinal mucositis in rats. The results showed that PA could effectively improve body weight, food intake, and diarrhea in intestinal mucositis rats, preliminary confirming PA efficacy. Further experiments revealed that PA not only decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and MPO but also increased the level of IL-10 significantly. In addition, the expression of mucosal barrier proteins and microbiota community were also improved after PA treatment in diseased rats. Hence, PA may prevent the development and progression of intestinal mucositis by improving inflammation, protecting mucosal barrier, and regulating intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• APS relieves LPS-induced injury in ATDC5 cells; • APS down-regulates miR-92a expression; • KLF4 is a target gene of miR-92a; • Protective effects of APS are attenuated by KLF4 siRNA. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory and anti-aging activities. This study aimed to explore the effect and associated mechanisms of APS on LPS-induced injury in ATDC5 cells, to evaluate the potential of APS for use as an adjuvant therapy for osteoarthritis (OA). ATDC5 cells were pre-treated with APS and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell viability, ROS generation as well as the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS and Cox-2 were evaluated by performing CCK8 assay, ROS detection, ELISA, western blot and qRT-PCR. The expression of NF-κB and p38MAPK signal pathways related proteins and KLF4 was measured through western blot. LPS increased the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α, elevated the expression of Cox-2, iNOS and increased ROS generation. APS treatment significantly alleviated LPS-induced damage in ATDC5 cells. Besides, miR-92a was down-regulated while KLF4 was up-regulated by APS. At the same time, the targeting relationship between miR-92a and KLF4 was demonstrated. The inhibitory effects of APS on LPS-induced injury in ATDC5 cells were attenuated by the combination of KLF4 siRNA. In addition, LPS induced NF-κB and p38MAPK signal pathways were decreased by APS treatment. Also, the inhibitory effect of APS on NF-κB and p38MAPK signal pathways was reversed by KLF4 siRNA. The present study reveals that APS protects ATDC5 cells against LPS induced-injury by regulation of miR-92a/KLF4 axis and suppressing NF-κB and p38MAPK signal pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]