Search

Obesity is a multifactorial chronic metabolic disease with multiple complications. Crataegus pinnatifida (CP) and Wolfiporia extensa (WE) are traditional functional foods with improving metabolic health properties. This study demonstrated the effect of CP and WE combination on ameliorating obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Moreover, the CP-WE food pair ameliorated HFD-induced metabolic disorders, including glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and hepatic steatosis. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and analysis revealed that CP combined with WE reshaped the composition of gut microbiota in HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed a substantial association between the obesity-related parameters and the shifts in predominant bacterial genera influenced by the food pair intervention. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the CP-WE food pair ameliorated HFD-induced obesity and reshaped gut microbiota composition, providing a promising approach to combat obesity through specific food combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Crataegus pinnatifida polysaccharide (CPP) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. The findings demonstrated that CPP improved free fatty acid (FFA)-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells and effectively reduced liver steatosis and epididymal fat weight in NAFLD mice, as well as decreased serum levels of TG, TC, AST, ALT, and LDL-C. Furthermore, CPP exhibited inhibitory effects on the expression of fatty acid synthesis genes FASN and ACC while activating the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes CPT1A and PPARa. Additionally, CPP reversed disturbances in intestinal microbiota composition caused by HFD consumption. CPP decreased the firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, increased Akkermansia abundance, and elevated levels of total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content specifically butyric acid and acetic acid. Our results concluded that CPPmay intervene in the development of NAFLD by regulating of intes-tinal microbiota imbalance and SCFAs production. Our study highlights that CPP has a potential to modulate lipid-related pathways via alterations to gut microbiome composition thereby ex-erting inhibitory effects on obesity and NAFLD development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Crataegus Extract Mixture (CEM) is a combination of extracts from Crataegus pinnatifida leaves and Citrus unshiu peels, well-known herbs used for treating obesity and dyslipidemia. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a CEM on the body fat and lipid profiles in overweight adults. A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial was conducted on 105 subjects aged 20–60 years with body mass indexes between 25 and 30 kg/m2. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive either a high dose of the CEM (400 mg tid), a low dose of the CEM (280 mg tid), or a placebo. Body fat was evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and anthropometric measurements. The blood lipid and adipokine profiles were measured before and after the administration. After 12 weeks, the reductions in the fat percentages measured by DXA and BIA were significantly greater in the CEM groups than in the placebo group. The CEM also significantly decreased the body weights, body mass indexes, and blood leptin levels. An additional per-protocol analysis revealed that the high dose of the CEM also lowered the blood levels of triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. No adverse events occurred after the CEM treatment. Our results suggest that CEMs are safe and effective for reducing the body fat and body weight and regulating the blood lipid and leptin levels in overweight or mildly obese individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was to investigate the effect of Astragali Radix, Chinese yam and Crataegus pinnatifida on growth performance, hair quality, fecal characteristics, serum antioxidant, immune indexes and gut microbiota of kittens. Eighteen kittens aged 45 to 60 days were randomly divided into three groups with six in each group and one kitten in each replicate. The kittens in blank control group (group H) was fed with the basic kitten diet, the kittens in experimental control group (group R) was fed with the commercial kitten diet, and experimental group (group T) was 0.2% Astragali Radix, 0.2% Chinese yam, 0.2% Crataegus pinnatifida in the basic kitten diet. The experiment lasted for 30 d. The results showed that the average daily gain of kittens in group T was higher than that in group H and group R, and the feed to gain ratio was lower than that in group H (P>0.05). The kittens in group T fur scale thickness and the degree of adhesion were higher. The serum GSH-Px activity of group T was significantly higher than that of group R (P<0.05). The fecal score of group T was higher than that of group H and group R (P>0.05), and the intestinal flora richness was higher and the flora structure was more similar. The experiment indicates that Astragali Radix, Chinese yam and Crataegus pinnatifida can raise kittens grow performance, excrement characters, hair quality, oxidation resistance and immunity, can optimize the structure of intestinal flora, thus more conducive to the healthy growth of kittens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a multifactorial chronic metabolic disease with multiple complications. Crataegus pinnatifida (CP) and Wolfiporia extensa (WE) are traditional functional foods with improving metabolic health properties. This study demonstrated the effect of CP and WE combination on ameliorating obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Moreover, the CP-WE food pair ameliorated HFD-induced metabolic disorders, including glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and hepatic steatosis. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and analysis revealed that CP combined with WE reshaped the composition of gut microbiota in HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed a substantial association between the obesity-related parameters and the shifts in predominant bacterial genera influenced by the food pair intervention. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the CP-WE food pair ameliorated HFD-induced obesity and reshaped gut microbiota composition, providing a promising approach to combat obesity through specific food combinations.

To investigate the extraction effect of total flavonoids from Crataegus pinnatifida by using ultrasonic-assisted deep eutectic solvents, and optimize the extraction parameters. Firstly, ten kinds of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) composed with different components were prepared for extracting total flavonoids of C. pinnatifida, and the DESs with the highest yield were selected. Then, water content and the proportion of each component contained in DESs were screened on the basis of the single factor experiments. Meanwhile, the response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize extraction temperature, liquid-solid ratio and ultrasonic time, and obtain the extraction parameters. As results, glycerol/choline chloride (molar ratio 3:1) DESs containing 50% water was chosen as the optimal extraction solvent, and the optimum extraction parameters were as follow: Ultrasonic time (21 min), liquid-solid ratio (42 mL/g) and extraction temperature (72 ℃). Under the above extraction condition, the yield of total flavonoids, rutin, vitexin, hyperoside, quercetin in DESs extract were 7.72%, 0.24%, 0.33%, 0.18% and 0.27%, respectively, which were superior to the traditional alcohol extraction method. The DPPH radical scavenging rate of DESs extract at 0.1 mg/mL was 86%. Compared with methanol extract, the antioxidant activity of DESs extract was enhanced. Therefore, ultrasonic-assisted deep eutectic solvents extraction method could effectively improve the yield of total flavonoids from C. pinnatifida, and would provide the scientific evidence for the resource development and utilization of C. pinnatifida.

Hyperglycemia has deleterious effects on pancreatic β-cells, causing dysfunction and insulin resistance that lead to diabetes mellitus (DM). The possible causes of injury can be caused by glucose- or fructose-induced oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) fruit has been widely used as a hypolipidemic agent in traditional herbal medicine. The study aimed to investigate whether high fructose-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction could be reversed through amelioration of ER stress by the treatment of polyphenol-enriched extract (PEHE) from hawthorn fruit. The extract was partitioned using ethyl acetate as a solvent from crude water extract (WE) of hawthorn fruits, followed by column fractionation. The results showed that the contents of total polyphenols, flavonoids and triterpenoids in PEHE could be enhanced by 2.2-, 7.7- and 1.1-fold, respectively, in comparison to the original obtained WE from hawthorn fruit. In ER stress studies, a sharp increase in the inhibitory activity on the gene expression levels of GRP79, ATF6, IRE1α and CHOP involved in ER stress was evident when dosages of PEHE at 50–100 μg/mL were used against high-fructose (150 mM)-treated cells. HPLC–MS/MS analysis showed that polyphenols and flavonoids collectively accounted for 87.03% of the total content of PEHE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Crataegus pinnatifida, functional food has been used in traditional Chinese medicine due to its significant pharmacological effects on various metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, as well as anti-cancer and anti-viral properties. Despite numerous studies reporting its anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) activity, there is currently no research on the potential of its extract or constituents to inhibit β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1). Methods: The study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the methanolic extract of C. pinnatifida and its solvent-soluble fractions on cholinesterase and β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1). Following a bioassay-guided isolation, we identified several compounds, including two triterpenoids [corosolic acid (1), euscaphic acid (2)], β-sitosterol glucoside (3), three flavonoids [astragalin (4), hyperoside (5), isovitexin (6)], and four phenolic acid derivatives [gentisic acid (7), protocatechuic acid (8), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (9), p-coumaric acid (10)] from EtOAc fraction. Additionally, two triterpenoids (3-epicorosolic acid (11) and ursolic acid (12)) and β-sitosterol (13) were isolated from the CH2Cl2 fraction, while isoorientin (14) and hymenoside X (15) were isolated from n-BuOH fraction. Notably, compounds 2, 7, 10, and 14 were reported for the first time from the fruit of C. pinnatifida. Results: We observed that 3-epicorosolic acid (11) exhibited promising inhibitory activity against BACE1 with IC50 values of 40.12 ± 1.72 µM. Hyperoside (5) showed moderate activity with IC50 values of 98.50 ± 4.20 µM, while corosolic acid (1) and astragalin (4) displayed mild BACE1 inhibitory activity, with IC50 values of 179.55 ± 1.57 and 192.30 ± 5.14 µM, respectively. We also investigated the structure activity relationship of ursane-type triterpenoids based on in vitro and in silico results, which revealed that the hydroxyl groups position of the triterpenes have a significant impact on their potency. Our findings suggest that α‑hydroxyl group at the C-2 and C-3 positions and the absence of α‑hydroxyl group at the C-19 position are essential for BACE1 inhibitory activity. Conclusions: This study highlights the significance of the configuration and position of hydroxyl groups and their impact on BACE1 inhibitory activity. The findings of this study could be leveraged to develop novel therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease.

A Crataegus Extract Mixture (CEM) is a combination of extracts from Crataegus pinnatifida leaves and Citrus unshiu peels, well-known herbs used for treating obesity and dyslipidemia. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a CEM on the body fat and lipid profiles in overweight adults. A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial was conducted on 105 subjects aged 20–60 years with body mass indexes between 25 and 30 kg/m2. Eligible subjects were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive either a high dose of the CEM (400 mg tid), a low dose of the CEM (280 mg tid), or a placebo. Body fat was evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and anthropometric measurements. The blood lipid and adipokine profiles were measured before and after the administration. After 12 weeks, the reductions in the fat percentages measured by DXA and BIA were significantly greater in the CEM groups than in the placebo group. The CEM also significantly decreased the body weights, body mass indexes, and blood leptin levels. An additional per-protocol analysis revealed that the high dose of the CEM also lowered the blood levels of triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. No adverse events occurred after the CEM treatment. Our results suggest that CEMs are safe and effective for reducing the body fat and body weight and regulating the blood lipid and leptin levels in overweight or mildly obese individuals.

Objectives Crataegus pinnatifida (C. pinnatifida), including C. pinnatifida Bge. and its variant C. pinnatifida Bge. var. major N, E. Br. has traditionally been used as a homologous plant for traditional medicine and food in ethnic medical systems in China. Crataegus pinnatifida , especially its fruit, has been used for more than 2000 years to treat indigestion, stagnation of meat, hyperlipidemia, blood stasis, heart tingling, sores, etc. This review aimed to provide a systematic summary on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical applications of C. pinnatifida. Key findings This plant contains flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, organic acids, saccharides and essential oils. Experimental studies showed that it has hypolipidemic, antimyocardial, anti-ischemia, antithrombotic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic neuroprotective activity, etc. Importantly, it has good effects in treating diseases of the digestive system and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. Summary There is convincing evidence from both in vitro and in vivo studies supporting the traditional uses of C. pinnatifida. However, multitarget network pharmacology and molecular docking technology should be used to study the interaction between the active ingredients and targets of C. pinnatifida. Furthermore, exploring the synergy of C. pinnatifida with other Chinese medicines to provide new understanding of complex diseases may be a promising strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,2-diarylpropanes are a kind of abundant natural products formed by radical coupling. On account of molecular flexibility, it was challenged in the identifications of relative and absolute configurations of the 1,2-diarylpropanes. In this research, fourteen pairs of enantiomeric 1,2-diarylpropanes (1a / 1b - 14a / 14b), comprising twelve previously undescribed pairs (1a / 1b - 4a / 4b , 6a / 6b - 10a / 10b , and 12a / 12b - 14a / 14b), were isolated from the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida. Their structures were determined through multiple NMR spectral analyses, empirical NMR rules, X-ray crystallography, and the comparison of experimental ECD spectra with calculated data. In addition, the analysis of ECD spectra revealed that substituent effects could generate an inverted chiroptical response, exhibiting in mirror-image ECD signals. This phenomenon was investigated by conformational analysis, molecular orbital analysis, the transition density matrix and hole/electron distributions. Moreover, a potential experimental rule was proposed for the rapid determination of the absolute configurations of the 1,2-diarylpropanes. [Display omitted] • Twelve undescribed pairs of enantiomeric 1,2-diarylpropanes were isolated. • The phenomenon of ECD inversion was investigated. • A rule was proposed for the determination of the absolute configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperglycemia has deleterious effects on pancreatic β-cells, causing dysfunction and insulin resistance that lead to diabetes mellitus (DM). The possible causes of injury can be caused by glucose- or fructose-induced oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) fruit has been widely used as a hypolipidemic agent in traditional herbal medicine. The study aimed to investigate whether high fructose-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction could be reversed through amelioration of ER stress by the treatment of polyphenol-enriched extract (PEHE) from hawthorn fruit. The extract was partitioned using ethyl acetate as a solvent from crude water extract (WE) of hawthorn fruits, followed by column fractionation. The results showed that the contents of total polyphenols, flavonoids and triterpenoids in PEHE could be enhanced by 2.2-, 7.7- and 1.1-fold, respectively, in comparison to the original obtained WE from hawthorn fruit. In ER stress studies, a sharp increase in the inhibitory activity on the gene expression levels of GRP79, ATF6, IRE1α and CHOP involved in ER stress was evident when dosages of PEHE at 50–100 μg/mL were used against high-fructose (150 mM)-treated cells. HPLC–MS/MS analysis showed that polyphenols and flavonoids collectively accounted for 87.03% of the total content of PEHE.

The neuroprotective mechanisms of Crataegus pinnatifida extracts and crataegolic acid were studied using paraquat induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells. C. pinnatifida extracts were prepared using hexane, ethyl acetate, and 95% ethanol. Additionally, crataegolic acid (also known as maslinic acid) was found in C. pinnatifida extracts. Assessment methods included the examinations of cytotoxicity, intracellular reactive oxygen species and calcium changes, activity of caspase-3 and a-synuclein, apoptotic cell death, and the expression levels of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and BCL2-associated X (Bax) proteins to investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of C. pinnatifida extracts and its active component, crataegolic acid. The three extracts and crataegolic acid exhibited potent neuroprotective actions against paraquat induced PC12 cell apoptosis at 5--20 μg/mL and 80--100 μM concentrations, respectively. The key protective mechanisms included decreasing cell apoptosis, upregulating Bcl-2 protein levels, and downregulating Bax protein levels. The 95% ethanol extract also decreased paraquat induced reactive oxygen species production, calcium overloading, and caspase-3 and a-synuclein activities. The beneficial effects of these extracts could be explained by the active component, crataegolic acid that also inhibited paraquat-induced apoptosis through the suppression of reactive oxygen species generation and the caspase-3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical investigations of the 75% EtOH extract from the fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida led to the isolation of three undescribed naturally occurring sesquineolignans with two 8-O-4'-type neolignan moieties, cratapinnatifidas A-C (1–3). Their chemical structures were elucidated by the comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (HRESIMS, 1D and 2D-NMR). In the bioactivity assay, their cytotoxic activities against two human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B) were evaluated and no significant activity was seen with IC50 values ranging from 12.5 to 50.0 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we discovered a new fermentation broth that can prevent and regulate alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and intestinal flora, which fermented the mixture of Pueraria lobata, Lonicera japonica, and Crataegus pinnatifida by Lactobacillus rhamnosus 217-1. The contents of polyphenols, puerarin, total isoflavones, and amino acids were significantly increased. Animal experiments showed that the fermentation broth could improve the liver indexes of ALD mice model, increase the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione in liver tissue, and reduce the level of malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, the fermentation broth can reduce the levels of serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS), inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Importantly, intestinal flora analysis showed that the fermentation broth could increase the abundance of Lactobacillales and reduce the production of Gram-negative bacteria, thereby reducing the abnormal increase in bacterial diversity caused by alcohol. In conclusion, we may have discovered a new functional food raw material with great application potential. The above findings indicate that the fermentation broth can actively regulate the intestinal flora and improve liver inflammation. The underlying mechanism might be that the fermentation broth could enhance intestinal permeability and reduce the inflammatory signals and LPS transmitted through the gut-liver axis, thereby reducing the oxidative stress and inflammation of the liver caused by alcohol.

In this work, we discovered a new fermentation broth that can prevent and regulate alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and intestinal flora, which fermented the mixture of Pueraria lobata , Lonicera japonica , and Crataegus pinnatifida by Lactobacillus rhamnosus 217-1. The contents of polyphenols, puerarin, total isoflavones, and amino acids were significantly increased. Animal experiments showed that the fermentation broth could improve the liver indexes of ALD mice model, increase the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione in liver tissue, and reduce the level of malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, the fermentation broth can reduce the levels of serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS), inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Importantly, intestinal flora analysis showed that the fermentation broth could increase the abundance of Lactobacillales and reduce the production of Gram-negative bacteria, thereby reducing the abnormal increase in bacterial diversity caused by alcohol. In conclusion, we may have discovered a new functional food raw material with great application potential. The above findings indicate that the fermentation broth can actively regulate the intestinal flora and improve liver inflammation. The underlying mechanism might be that the fermentation broth could enhance intestinal permeability and reduce the inflammatory signals and LPS transmitted through the gut-liver axis, thereby reducing the oxidative stress and inflammation of the liver caused by alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: The chloroplast genomes of the five Crataegus species were shown to have a conserved genome structure. Complete chloroplast genome sequences were more suitable than highly variable regions for the identification and phylogenetic analysis of Crataegus species. Hawthorn, which is commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine, is one of the most popular sour fruits and has high economic value. Crataegus pinnatifida var. pinnatifida and C. pinnatifida var. major are frequently adulterated with other Crataegus species on the herbal medicine market. However, most Crataegus plants are difficult to identify using traditional morphological methods. Here, we compared five Crataegus chloroplast (CP) genomes comprising two newly sequenced (i.e., C. pinnatifida var. pinnatifida and C. pinnatifida var. major) and three previously published CP genomes. The CP genomes of the five Crataegus species had a conserved genome structure, gene content and codon usage. The total length of the CP genomes was 159,654–159,865 bp. A total of 129–130 genes, including 84–85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes, were annotated. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 96–103 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 48–70 long repeats in the five CP genomes. Combining the results of mVISTA and nucleotide diversity, five highly variable regions were screened for species identification and relationship studies. Maximum likelihood trees were constructed on the basis of complete CP genome sequences and highly variable regions. The results showed that the former had higher discriminatory power for Crataegus species, indicating that the complete CP genome could be used as a super-barcode to accurately authenticate the five Crataegus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new dineolignan, crataeguslignan A (1), along with one known dineolignan (2) were isolated from the fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. Its chemical structure was identified by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. All the isolated compounds were investigated with regard to their Aβ1–42 inhibition activity. Among them, 1 displayed the most potent Aβ1–42 inhibitory ability with the inhibition rate of 85.2% at the concentration of 20 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, alginate (AG) based edible films incorporated with Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) berry extract (HBE) at the concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4% (v/v) were developed and their physical, mechanical and antimicrobial properties were investigated. The results showed that the addition of HBE from 0 to 4% (v/v) enhanced the film thickness and water solubility, while reducing the moisture content of the films. The film containing 4% (v/v) HBE exhibited the highest water solubility (77.60%) and the lowest moisture content (14.54%). The colour profile analysis revealed that the presence of HBE increased the opacity, yellow and red intensity of the films. The incorporation of HBE produced films with reduced tensile strength (TS) and enhanced elongation at break (EB%). However, at 4% (v/v) HBE, the EB% of film decreased (from 43.57% to 27.67%) due to the high content of HBE. The inhibition zones against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus increased (p < 0.05) by increasing the HBE from 0 to 2% (v/v). No significant differences (p > 0.05) in inhibition zones were observed between films containing from 2 to 4% (v/v) HBE against both bacteria. Therefore, the AG-HBE film with 2% (v/v) HBE was considered as the optimal film due to its good TS (14.47 MPa) and EB% (41.13%), as well as its antibacterial properties. In conclusion, the alginate film incorporated with HBE has potential to be used in the active secondary food packaging application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crataegus pinnatifida , commonly known as hawthorn, is a plant species with a long history of medicinal use in traditional Chinese medicine. Hawthorn polysaccharides (HP) have gained worldwide attention due to their decent biological activities and potential health benefits. Their excellent antioxidant activity, antitumor activity, immunomodulatory activity, hypoglycemic effect and hypolipidemic effects, intestinal microbiota modulatory activity makes them valuable in the field of ethnopharmacological research. The purpose of the current review is to provide a systematic and comprehensive summary of the latest literatures and put forward the future perspectives on hawthorn polysaccharides in the context of its extraction, purification, structural characteristics and bioactivities. Furthermore, the underlying structure-bioactivity relationship of hawthorn polysaccharides was also explored and discussed. The current review would provide the important research underpinnings and the update the information for future development and application of hawthorn polysaccharides in the pharmaceutical and functional food industries. We use Google Scholar, CNKI, PubMed, Springer, Elsevier, Wiley, Web of Science and other online databases to search and obtain the literature on extraction, isolation, structural analysis and the biological activity of hawthorn polysaccharides published before October 2023. The key words are "extraction", "isolation and purification", "bioactivities", and " Crataegus pinnatifida polysaccharides ". Crataegus pinnatifida has been widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, digestive disorders, inflammatory and oxidative stress in traditional Chinese medicine. Polysaccharides are the key active components of Crataegus pinnatifida which have gained widespread attention. The structure and bioactivity of polysaccharides from Crataegus pinnatifida varies in terms of raw materials, extraction methods and purification techniques. Crataegus pinnatifida polysaccharides possess diverse bioactivities, including antitumor, immunomodulatory, hypoglycemic activity, cardioprotective and antioxidant activities, among others. These biological properties can not only lay firm foundation for the treatment of diverse diseases, but also provide a theoretical basis for the in-depth study of the structure-activity relationship. In addition, the underlying structure-activity relationship is also explored and discussed, and further research and development of hawthorn polysaccharides are also prospected. As a natural compound, hawthorn polysaccharides has garnered significant attention and held immense research potential. Hawthorn polysaccharides can be obtained through different extraction methods, including hot water extraction method, ultrasonic extraction method and enzymatic extraction method etc. The structures of hawthorn polysaccharides have also been characterized and reported in numerous studies. Moreover, hawthorn polysaccharides exhibit a wide range of bioactivities, such as the antioxidant activity, the antitumor activity, the immunomodulatory activity, the hypoglycemic effect and the hypolipidemic effect, as well as the intestinal microbiota modulatory activity. These diverse bioactivities contribute to the growing interest in hawthorn polysaccharides and its potential applications. Hawthorn polysaccharides has promising application prospects in various industries, including functional food, pharmaceuticals and biomedical research. Therefore, it is imperative to fully explore and harness the potential of hawthorn polysaccharides in the food and medicine fields. [Display omitted] • This review summarized the recent advances of hawthorn polysaccharide (HP). • The structural features and multiple bioactivities of HP were summarized. • Potential structure-bioactivity relationship of HP is explored and discussed. • Future perspectives and challenges of HP were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome is described as a group of risk factors in which at least three unhealthy medical conditions, including obesity, high blood sugar, hypertension or dyslipidemia occur simultaneously in a patient. These conditions raise the risk for diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Many recent studies have focused on herbal remedies and their pharmacological effects on metabolic syndrome. Crataegus pinnatifida or Chinese hawthorn has been widely used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. Its leaves, fruits and seeds have various active substances such as, flavonoids, triterpenic acids and sesquiterpenes, which through different mechanisms can be beneficial in metabolic syndrome. Flavonoids found in the leaves of hawthorn can significantly reduce atherosclerotic lesion areas, the fruit extracts contain two triterpenic acids (oleanolic acid and ursolic acid), that have the ability to inhibit the acyl-coA-cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) enzyme and as a result reduce very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Another example regards a sesquiterpene found in the seeds of C. pinnatifida, which exhibits the ability to inhibit platelet aggregation, thus showing antithrombotic activity. Various studies have shown that C. pinnatifida can have beneficial effects on controlling and treating high blood sugar, dyslipidemia, obesity and atherosclerosis. The aim of this review is to highlight the interesting effects of C. pinnatifida on metabolic syndrome.

To analyze and compare the volatile components in raw Crataegus pinnatifida and its processed products (i.e., its fried and charred products), headspace solid phase microextraction together with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used. Area normalization was used to calculate the relative contents of volatile components as percentages. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. In total, 76 components were detected, among which 72 components were identified. Thirty-four peaks were detected and 29 components were identified from raw C. pinnatifida, accounting for 98.35% of the volatile components present. In the fried products, 41 peaks were detected and 33 components were identified. These accounted for 97.15% of the volatile components present. Lastly, 48 peaks were detected and 36 components were identified from the charred products, accounting for 84.78% of the volatile components present. There are five common volatile components in the three products, but the contents of these components are different in the products. Meanwhile, the PCA comprehensive scores of the three products varied significantly. Raw and fried products scored higher than charred products. The composition and content of volatile components in C. pinnatifida have changed considerably after processing, and the medicinal value of fried C. pinnatifida is relatively high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Crataegus pinnatifida polysaccharide (CPP) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. The findings demonstrated that CPP improved free fatty acid (FFA)-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells and effectively reduced liver steatosis and epididymal fat weight in NAFLD mice, as well as decreased serum levels of TG, TC, AST, ALT, and LDL-C. Furthermore, CPP exhibited inhibitory effects on the expression of fatty acid synthesis genes FASN and ACC while activating the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes CPT1A and PPARα. Additionally, CPP reversed disturbances in intestinal microbiota composition caused by HFD consumption. CPP decreased the firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, increased Akkermansia abundance, and elevated levels of total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content specifically butyric acid and acetic acid. Our results concluded that CPP may intervene in the development of NAFLD by regulating of intes-tinal microbiota imbalance and SCFAs production. Our study highlights that CPP has a potential to modulate lipid-related pathways via alterations to gut microbiome composition thereby ex-erting inhibitory effects on obesity and NAFLD development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hao, Yang, Yin, Wang, Ling, Zhu, Yu, Chen, Yuan, Quan, Xu, Zhang, Zhao, Zhang, Song, Xu, Qin, Wu, Shu and Wei.)

Crataegus pinnatifida is used to treat various diseases, including indigestion, congestive heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and myocardial dysfunction. We evaluated antioxidant and anti-α-glucosidase activities of various solvent extracts and major bioactive components from the fruit of C. pinnatifida. Ethyl acetate extracts showed potent antioxidant activities with IC50 values of 23.26 ± 1.97 and 50.73 ± 8.03 μg/mL, respectively, in DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. Acetone extract exhibited significant anti-α-glucosidase activity with IC50 values of 42.35 ± 2.48 μg/mL. HPLC analysis was used to examine and compare the content of active components in various solvent extracts. We isolated four active compounds and evaluated their antioxidant and anti-α-glucosidase properties. Among the isolated compounds, chlorogenic acid and hyperoside showed potential antioxidant activities in ABTS and superoxide radical scavenging assays. Moreover, hyperoside also displayed stronger anti-α-glucosidase activity than other isolates. The molecular docking model and the hydrophilic interactive mode of anti-α-glucosidase assay revealed that hyperoside might have a higher antagonistic effect than positive control acarbose. The present study suggests that C. pinnatifida and its active extracts and components are worth further investigation and might be expectantly developed as the candidates for the treatment or prevention of oxidative stress-related diseases and hyperglycemia.

In order to evaluate the release of phenolics and the changes in antioxidant activities, fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida were subjected to in vitro digestion including simulated oral, gastric, small/large intestine digestion. Results showed that totally 37.41 ± 3.09 and 31.51 ± 2.35 mg GAE/g fruit, DW of phenolics were released for Shanlihong and Dajinxing, respectively, and the phenolics released were mainly flavonoids. Catechin, chlorogenic acid, procyanidine B2, epicatechin, paracoumaric acid, hyperoside and isoquercitrin were identified in the soluble fractions by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results indicated that procyanidine B2, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid and catechin are four major released antioxidants. Oxygen radical absorption capacity and rapid peroxyl radical scavenging capacity were significantly positive-correlated with the release amount of total phenolics or flavonoids, demonstrating the major roles of phenolics and flavonoids in antioxidant activities. Our results implied that Shanlihong and Dajinxing could be considered as good sources of natural antioxidants.

A glucose rich heteroglycan named HAW1-2 was isolated and purified from fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida by hot-water extraction, ethanol precipitation, DEAE-cellulose anion exchange and gel permeation chromatography. HAW1-2 was proved as a homogenous polysaccharide with a molecular weight (Mw) of 8.94 kDa. Monosaccharide composition results indicated that HAW1-2 was composed of arabinose, galactose and glucose. Methylation analysis and NMR spectrum showed that HAW1-2 contained →4)-β- d -Glc p -(1→, →4)-β- d -Gal p -(1→, α-L-Ara f -(1→, →5)-α-L-Ara f -(1→, β- d -Glc p -(1→ and →4,6)-β- d -Glc p -(1→. Bioactivity test showed that HAW1-2 could significantly promote the growth of Bacteroides thetaiotamicron (BT), Bacteroides ovatus (BO) and Bifidobacterium longum (BL), which showed competition with the Bacteroides spp. under co-culture. Interestingly, Bacteroides spp. generated more acetic acids and propionic acids while BL only generated acetic acids. These results imply that polysaccharide HAW1-2 may be useful for human by modulating intestinal bacteria and producing short chain fatty acids. • A novel polysaccharide, HAW1-2 was characterized from Crataegus pinnatifida. • HAW1-2 mainly contained glucose with a little galactose and arabinose. • HAW1-2 could promote the growth of B. thetaiotaomicron , B. ovatus , and B. longum. • B. longum gain a competition edge over Bacteroides spp. on HAW1-2. • Bacteroides spp. could produce short chain fatty acids by degrading HAW1-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four pairs of neolignan enantiomers (±)- 1 − (±)- 4 with a distinctive isochroman moiety, including seven undescribed compounds, were isolated and identified from the fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida. Structural characterization of these compounds was established through comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, as well as quantum chemical calculations of ECD and NMR data. The preliminary bioassay displayed that compounds (+) -2 and (±) -3 exerted protective activities against H 2 O 2 -induced human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells compared with the positive control. These bioactive compounds could be potential candidates for further pharmaceutical applications. Four pairs of neolignan enantiomers with a distinctive isochroman moiety, including seven undescribed compounds (±)- 1 − (±)- 3 and (−)- 4 , were isolated from Crataegus pinnatifida. Some of them exerted potential protective activities against H 2 O 2 -induced SH-SY5Y cells. [Display omitted] • Four pairs of neolignan enantiomers were isolated from Crataegus pinnatifida. • All isolates were separated by chiral resolution. • All isolates possess a distinctive isochroman unit. • (+) -2 and (±) -3 exerted protective activity against H 2 O 2 -induced SH-SY5Y cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aims to optimize the extraction conditions of polysaccharides and flavonoids from a polyherbal preparation consisting of three kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs, Codonopsis pilosula, Crataegus pinnatifida, and Lycium barbarum, and evaluation of its immunomodulatory activity in immunosuppressed mice. Materials and Methods: An orthogonal design (L9 [3]4) was constructed to achieve the optimal extraction conditions. The immunomodulatory action of the polyherbal preparation was studied at three doses of 10, 20, and 40 mL/kg/day orally by measuring splenocyte proliferation in mice model of cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression. Results: The chosen parameters, including the ratio of solvent-to-raw material, duration of extraction, and extraction times, were the fundamental variables that influenced the extract yields. The highest yield of total polysaccharides content was 54.3 mg/mL when the ratio of solvent-to-raw material, duration of extraction, and number of extractions were 12:1, 1.5 h, and 3, respectively. The maximum extraction yield of the flavonoids was 3.5 mg/mL when the ratio of solvent-to-raw material was 12:1, the extraction time was 2 h, and the number of extractions was 3. The prescription screening showed that the impact of the polyherbal preparation on the splenocyte proliferation capacity was more pronounced than its disassembled components. Oral administration of the polyherbal preparation could significantly increase the concanavalin A-stimulated mouse spleen cells proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These findings suggested that the polyherbal preparation possesses potential for augmenting the immune activity due to the polysaccharide and flavonoid content in these herbal medicines.

Background: Human skin undergoes distinct changes throughout the aging process, based on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In a process called photoaging, UVB irradiation leads to upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-1, which then causes collagen degradation and premature aging. Mixtures of medicinal plants have traditionally been used as drugs in oriental medicine. Based on the previously reported antioxidant properties of Panax ginseng Meyer and Crataegus pinnatifida, we hypothesized that the mixture of P. ginseng Meyer and C. pinnatifida (GC) would have protective effects against skin aging. Methods: Anti-aging activity was examined both in human dermal fibroblasts under UVB irradiation by using Western blot analysis and in healthy human skin by examining noninvasive measurements. Results: In vitro studies showed that GC improved procollagen type I expression and diminished matrix metalloproteinase-1 secretion. Based on noninvasive measurements, skin roughness values, including total roughness (R1), maximum roughness (R2), smoothness depth and average roughness (R3), and global photodamage scores were improved by GC application. Moreover, GC ameliorated the high values of smoothness depth (R4), which means that GC reduced loss of skin moisture. Conclusion: These results suggest that GC can prevent aging by inhibiting wrinkle formation and increasing moisture in the human skin.

Two new sesquineolignans, hawthornsesquinins K and L (1 and 2), were isolated from the seeds of Crataegus pinnatifida. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses, including 1D, 2D NMR and HRESIMS data. All isolated compounds were tested for their β-amyloid aggregation inhibitory activity and neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced damage in SH-SY5Y cells. The results indicated that compound 1 showed prominent inhibition of Aβ1–42 aggregation and significant neuroprotective effect on H2O2-induced cellular damage in SH-SY5Y cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Crataegus pinnatifida is widely used as functional food and traditional medicine in China for various applications. Polysaccharides may contribute to health benefits, such as modulating human gut microbiota (HGM). To investigate structure features of polysaccharides from this plant, fruits of C. pinnatifida were extracted with boiling water, yielding crude polysaccharides HAW. A novel polysaccharide, named HAW1-1, was pooled by DEAE Sepharose™ Fast Flow column and further purified by Sephacryl S-100 HR column. The molecular weight of HAW1-1 was 42.35 kDa. The carbohydrate content of HAW1-1 was 99.42% and no protein was detected. The monosaccharide analysis showed this polysaccharide was only composed of glucose. According to the partial acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis and NMR spectra, the backbone of HAW1-1 was consisted of 1,4-linked α-D-glucan and 1,4,6-linked α-D-glucan. The side chains were composed of 1,6-linked α-D-glucan and terminal-linked α-D-glucan. The bioactivity tests showed that HAW1-1 could promote the growth of three species of intestinal Bacteroides and produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The results suggested that HAW1-1 might be a potential prebiotic candidate to maintain intestinal homeostasis and improve human gut health. Highlights • A novel glucan, HAW1-1 was extracted from the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida. • The backbone of the polysaccharide was 1,4-linked and 1,4,6-linked α-D-glucan. • The branches had 1,6-linked α-D-glucan and terminal-linked α-D-glucan. • HAW1-1 could promote growth of intestinal Bacteroides. • HAW1-1 could also be used by the Bacteroides to produce short-chain fatty acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome is described as a group of risk factors in which at least three unhealthy medical conditions, including obesity, high blood sugar, hypertension or dyslipidemia occur simultaneously in a patient. These conditions raise the risk for diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Many recent studies have focused on herbal remedies and their pharmacological effects on metabolic syndrome. Crataegus pinnatifida or Chinese hawthorn has been widely used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. Its leaves, fruits and seeds have various active substances such as, flavonoids, triterpenic acids and sesquiterpenes, which through different mechanisms can be beneficial in metabolic syndrome. Flavonoids found in the leaves of hawthorn can significantly reduce atherosclerotic lesion areas, the fruit extracts contain two triterpenic acids (oleanolic acid and ursolic acid), that have the ability to inhibit the acyl-coA-cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) enzyme and as a result reduce very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Another example regards a sesquiterpene found in the seeds of C. pinnatifida, which exhibits the ability to inhibit platelet aggregation, thus showing antithrombotic activity. Various studies have shown that C. pinnatifida can have beneficial effects on controlling and treating high blood sugar, dyslipidemia, obesity and atherosclerosis. The aim of this review is to highlight the interesting effects of C. pinnatifida on metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Three pairs of benzofuran neolignan enantiomers were isolated from C. pinnatifida. • Enantiomers were separated successfully by chiral chromatographic column. • Calculated methods were used to determine the absolute configurations. • Enantiomers 1a and 1b displayed enantioselective neuroprotective activities. Abstract Three pairs of enantiomeric dihydrobenzofuran neolignans (1a / 1b - 3a / 3b) including four new compounds (1a / 1b and 2a / 2b) were isolated from the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida. Their structures including the absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison between the experimental measurements of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and the calculated ECD spectra. Additionally, all the enantiomeric neolignans were investigated for their neuroprotective activities against H 2 O 2 -induced cell injury in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. It was found that enantiomers 1a and 1b displayed different degrees of neuroprotective activities, and the results showed enantioselectivity, in which that 1b exhibited noticeable neuroprotective activity, while its enantiomer 1a only exhibited obvious protective effect at lower concentration. Further study demonstrated that the potential protective activities of compounds appeared to be mediated via suppressing cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The investigation of the ethanol extract of the seeds of Crataegus pinnatifida led to the isolation of seven new 8- O -4′ type sesquineolignans crasesquineolignan A–G (1 – 7), along with a reported analogue, leptolepisol B (8). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated based on complex analysis of their MS, 1D and 2D NMR data. All the isolated compounds were tested for their neuroprotective effects against the damage of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells induced by H 2 O 2 , and most of them showed significant neuroprotective activity. Among them, compound 4 (77.58%) showed the best protective effect, even better than the positive control (69.26%) at 25 μM. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research article investigates the one-pot synthesis of gold and silver chloride nanoparticles functionalized by fruit extract of Crataegus pinnatifida as reducing and stabilizing agents and their possible roles as novel anti-inflammatory agents. Hawthorn (C. pinnatifida) fruits are increasingly popular as raw materials for functional foods and anti-inflammatory potential agents because of abundant flavonoids. The reduction of auric chloride and silver nitrate by the aqueous fruit extract led to the formation of gold and silver chloride nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were further characterized by field emission transmission electron microscopy indicated that CP-AuNps and CP-AgClNps were hexagonal and cubic shape, respectively. According to X-ray diffraction results, the average crystallite sizes of CP-AuNps and CP-AgClNps were 14.20 nm and 24.80 nm. The biosynthesized CP-AgClNps served as efficient antimicrobial agents against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, CP-AuNps and CP-AgClNps enhanced the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the fruit extract. Lastly, MTT assay of nanoparticles demonstrated low toxicity in murine macrophage (RAW264.7). Biosynthesized nanoparticles also reduced the production of the inflammatory cytokines including nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells. Altogether, these findings suggest that CP-AuNps and CP-AgClNps can be used as novel drug carriers or biosensors with intrinsic anti-inflammatory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Brewing is the property of China Brewing Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

HT048 is a combination composed of Crataegus pinnatifida leaf and Citrus unshiu peel extracts. This study aimed to investigate potential anti-obesity effect of the combination. The 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with different doses of HT048 and triglyceride accumulation, glycerol release and adipogenesis-related genes were analyzed. For in vivo study, male Sprague Dawley rats were divided according to experimental diets: the chow diet group, the high-fat diet (HFD) group, the HFD supplemented with orlistat group, the HFD supplemented with HT048 group (0.2% or 0.4%) for 12 weeks. We measured the body weight, serum lipid levels and the expression of genes involved lipid metabolism. HT048 treatment dose-dependently suppressed adipocyte differentiation and stimulated glycerol release. The expressions of PPARγ and C/EBPα mRNA were decreased by HT048 treatment in adipocytes. HT048 supplementation significantly reduced the body and fat weights in vivo. Serum lipid levels were significantly lower in the HT048 supplemented groups than those of the HFD group. Expression of the hepatic lipogenesis-related genes were decreased and expression of the β-oxidation-related genes were increased in rats fed HT048 compared to that of animals fed HFD. These results suggest that HT048 has a potential benefit in preventing obesity through the inhibition of lipogenesis and adipogenesis.

Hawthorn berry is a common fruit native to Northern China. Its chemical identity of potent antiproliferative and antioxidant constituents was carried out. Fifteen triterpenoids, including 4 novels, were isolated and identified. The new triterpenoids were elucidated to be 3β,6β,18β-trihydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (1), 3β,6β,18β,23-tetrahydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (2), 2α,3β,6β,18β-tetrahydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (3), and 2α,3β,6β,18β,23-pentahydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (4), respectively. Antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of the triterpenoids were evaluated. Compounds 2, 3 and 4 showed high potent inhibitory activity toward the proliferation of HepG2 and MCF-7 cells, with the EC50 values were lower than 5 µM. 1 and 10 also exhibited high antioxidant activity in PSC assay, which were 70 and 28 times higher than ascorbic acid in antioxidant capacity. These results showed the triterpenoids isolated from hawthorn berries have potent antiproliferative and antioxidant activity and may be responsible for the anticancer activities of hawthorn berries.

Hawthorn is becoming increasingly popular as a functional food that has numerous medicinal and nutritional properties. Antithrombotic activity-guided fractionation of hawthorn leaves resulted in the isolation of four new monoterpene glycosides (1–4) and a new phenolic glycoside (10) in addition to 10 known ones (2–9, 11–15). Based on physicochemical properties and spectral data, such as NMR and HRESIMS, the isolated compounds identified as pinnatifidanoside A–E (1–4, 10), byzantionoside B (5), (3S,5R,6R,7E,9R)-3,6-epoxy-7-megastigmen-5, 9-diol-9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), (6S,7Z,9R)-roseoside (7), icariside B6 (8), linalool oxide β-D-glucoside (9), shanyenoside A (11), dihydrocharcone-2′-β-D-glucopyranoside (12), eriodectyol (13), vitexin (14), and 2″-O-rhamnosyl vitexin (15). In vitro and in vivo antithrombotic assays of compounds 1–15 were carried out and found that compounds 7, 13 and 15 exerted potent antithrombotic activity in vitro, which was in agreement with the in vivo results of their antithrombotic activity in a transgenic zebrafish system.

In order to explore the inhibitory effects of Prunus mume, Crataegus pinnatifida and Coptis chinensis on Vibrio parahaemolyticus and its biofilm ii vitro, the agar difusion method was applied. These three Chinese herbal medicines had diferent inhibitory effects on V parahaemolyticus. The inhibition zone of C. pinnatifida to V parahaemolyticus was (15.25 ± 53) mm, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of C. pinnatifida on V parahaemolyticus were both 31.25 mg/mL; the inhibition zone of C. chinensis to V parahaemolyticus was (18.08 ± 0.10) mm, and the MIC and MBC of C. chinensis on V parahaemolyticus were both 15.63 mg/mL; the inhibition zone of P. mume to V. parahaejnplyticus was (28.99 ± 0.47) mm, and the MIC and MBC of P. mume on V. parahaemolyticus were both 7.81 mg/mL. The effects of three traditional Chinese medicines on the biofilm formation of V. parahaemolyticus were tested by MTT colorimetric method using methylthiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT). P. mume, C. pinnatifida and C. chinensis have significant inhibitory effects on V. parahaemolyticus biofilm and their MIC are 7.8.1 mg/mL, 3.125 mg mL, and 62.5 mg mL, respectively (P <0.01). The experimental results are expected to provide certain references for the development of new fishery drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD), as a common neurodegenerative disorder, has brought a heavy economic burden to healthcare system around the world. However, currently there is still lack of effective treatment for PD patients. In this study, we used a docking weighted network pharmacological approach to understand the therapeutic potentiality of C. pinnatifida against PD. Six compounds, namely huangnin A (SMO-13), leptolepisol D (SMO-12), 7',8'-threo-7R,8R-1-[4-[(2-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyl-3- methoxyphenyl)-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]-3-methoxyphenyl]-1,2,3-propanetriol (SMO-4), huangnin B (SMO-14), Crataegusnin A (SMO-1) and erythro-(7S,8R)-guaiacyl-glycerol-β-O-4'-dihydroconiferyl ether (SMO-26) were predicted to have potential binding therapeutics for PD target proteins, and Myeloperoxidase (5mfa), Alpha-synuclein (3q27), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1B (4iar) and Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (1o6l) were found to be the most potential target proteins in terms of docking weighted network pharmacological analysis. We expect that our approach using docking weighted network pharmacological could be applied to predict the pharmacological effectiveness of C. pinnatifida against PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight new phenylpropanoids ( 1a/1b , 2 – 4 , 5a/5b and 6 ) including two pairs of enantiomers ( 1a/1b and 5a/5b ), along with a known analogue ( 7 ) were isolated from the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida . Their structures were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1a/1b and 5a/5b were separated successfully by chiral chromatographic column. The absolute configurations of enantiomers were determined by comparison between the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The in vitro antitumor activities of the isolates were evaluated against two human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and Hep3B cells. Five compounds ( 1a/1b , 2 – 4 ) exhibited more potent cytotoxicity and their structure-activity relationships were also discussed. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining using flow cytometry was carried out to examine cell apoptosis, and the results showed that compounds 3 – 4 with the presence of two methoxy groups substituted at C-3′ significantly induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the release of phenolics and the changes in antioxidant activities, fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida were subjected to in vitro digestion including simulated oral, gastric, small/large intestine digestion. Results showed that totally 37.41 ± 3.09 and 31.51 ± 2.35 mg GAE/g fruit, DW of phenolics were released for Shanlihong and Dajinxing, respectively, and the phenolics released were mainly flavonoids. Catechin, chlorogenic acid, procyanidine B 2 , epicatechin, paracoumaric acid, hyperoside and isoquercitrin were identified in the soluble fractions by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results indicated that procyanidine B 2 , epicatechin, chlorogenic acid and catechin are four major released antioxidants. Oxygen radical absorption capacity and rapid peroxyl radical scavenging capacity were significantly positive-correlated with the release amount of total phenolics or flavonoids, demonstrating the major roles of phenolics and flavonoids in antioxidant activities. Our results implied that Shanlihong and Dajinxing could be considered as good sources of natural antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crataegus pinnatifida is a plant of the Crataegus genus in the Rosaceae family and is commonly used as a food and medicinal resource. Crataegus pinnatifida polysaccharide, as one of the main active ingredients of Crataegus pinnatifida , has a variety of beneficial biological activities, such as antioxidant, hypoglycemic activity, lipid-lowering, intestinal flora regulation, promotion immune regulation, and antitumor activities. However, the extraction methods of Crataegus pinnatifida polysaccharides lack innovation, the primary structure is relatively limited, and the biological activity mechanism needs to be further explored. Therefore, this review summarizes the research status of the extraction, purification, structural characterization, biological activity, and product application of Crataegus pinnatifida polysaccharides. The purpose of this study is to generate support for further development and application of polysaccharides from Crataegus pinnatifida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel polysaccharide (CPP) was isolated from the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida. • The preliminary structural characterization of CPP was conducted for the first time. • CPP could improve the diversity of gut microbiota and the release of immune factors. • CPP had the potential as an immune and a gut microbiota community regulator. Crataegus pinnatifida is a common food in China, Europe and North America. In order to confirm polysaccharide was the material basis for C. pinnatifida to exert immune regulation. A polysaccharide (CPP) with a molecular weight of 13.58 kDa was isolated from C. pinnatifida. The structure of CPP was determined to be a backbone composed of → 3,5)-α- l -Ara f -(1→, with two branches consisting of → 4)-α- d -Gal p -(1 → and → 5)-α- l -Ara f -(1→, with α- l -Ara f and α- d -Man p as the terminal unit. CPP (10 ∼ 500 μg/mL) could promote the secretion of nitric oxide, interleukin-2, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in vitro. CPP could significantly restore the body weight of immunosuppressive mice and improve the immune organ index and interleukin-2, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α secretion. In addition, CPP increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia and decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria at the phylum level. So CPP can regulate the gut microbiota and play an important role in immune regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crataegus pinnatifida (Hawthorn) is widely distributed in China and has a long history of use as a traditional medicine. The fruit of C. pinnatifida has been used for the treatment of cardiodynia, hernia, dyspepsia, postpartum blood stasis, and hemafecia and thus increasing interest in this plant has emerged in recent years. Between 1966 and 2013, numerous articles have been published on the chemical constituents, pharmacology or pharmacologic effects and toxicology of C. pinnatifida. To review the pharmacologic advances and to discuss the potential perspective for future investigation, we have summarized the main literature findings of these publications. So far, over 150 compounds including flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, lignans, hydroxycinnamic acids, organic acids and nitrogen-containing compounds have been isolated and identified from C. pinnatifida. It has been found that these constituents and extracts of C. pinnatifida have broad pharmacological effects with low toxicity on, for example, the cardiovascular, digestive, and endocrine systems, and pathogenic microorganisms, supporting the view that C. pinnatifida has favorable therapeutic effects. Thus, although C. pinnatifida has already been widely used as pharmacological therapy, due to its various active compounds, further research is warranted to develop new drugs.

Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) is an important ornamental and economic horticultural plant. However, the lack of molecular markers has limited the development and utilization of hawthorn germplasm resources. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) derived from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) allow precise and effective cultivar characterization and are routinely used for genetic diversity analysis. Thus, we first reported the development of polymorphic EST-SSR markers in C. pinnatifida with perfect repeats using Illumina RNA-Seq technique. In total, we investigated 14,364 unigenes, from which 5091 EST-SSR loci were mined. Di-nucleotides (2012, 39.52%) were the most abundant SSRs, followed by mono- (1989, 39.07%), and tri-nucleotides (1024, 20.11%). On the basis of these EST-SSRs, a total of 300 primer pairs were designed and used for polymorphism analysis in 70 accessions collected from different geographical regions of China. Of 239 (79.67%) pairs of primer-generated amplification products, 163 (54.33%) pairs of primers showed polymorphism. Finally, 33 primers with high polymorphism were selected for genetic diversity analysis and tested on 70 individuals with low-cost fluorescence-labeled M13 primers using capillary electrophoresis genotyping platform. A total of 108 alleles were amplified by 33 SSR markers, with the number of alleles (Na) ranging from 2 to 14 per locus (mean: 4.939), and the effective number of alleles (Ne) ranging from 1.258 to 3.214 (mean: 2.221). The mean values of gene diversity (He), observed heterozygosity (Ho), and polymorphism information content (PIC) were 0.524 (range 0.205⁻0.689), 0.709 (range 0.132⁻1.000), and 0.450 (range 0.184⁻0.642), respectively. Furthermore, the dendrogram constructed based on the EST-SSR separated the cultivars into two main clusters. In sum, our study was the first comprehensive study on the development and analysis of a large set of SSR markers in hawthorn. The results suggested that the use of NGS techniques for SSR development represented a powerful tool for genetic studies. Additionally, fluorescence-labeled M13 markers proved to be a valuable method for genotyping. All of these EST-SSR markers have agronomic potential and constitute a scientific basis for future studies on the identification, classification, and innovation of hawthorn germplasms.