Effect of Protoberberine-Rich Fraction of Chelidonium majus L. on Endometriosis Regression

Abstract

Endometriosis is a gynecological disease defined by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. To date, the effective treatment of this disease is still based on invasive surgery or laparoscopy. Chelidonium majus L. (Papaveraceae) belongs to medicinal, latex-bearing plants. Extracts from the plant are a rich source of pharmacologically active agents. Protoberberine compounds derived from C. majus possess anticancer and antiproliferative activities. In the present study of a rat model of endometriosis, we investigated the influence of the plant protoberberine-rich fraction (BBR) obtained from the medicinal plant C. majus on the development of endometriosis. To understand of BBR therapeutic potential for endometriosis, metabolomics has been applied to study. BBR was prepared from an ethanolic extract of dry plants C. majus. Rats (n = 16) with confirmed endometriosis were treated with BBR administered orally (1 g/kg) for 14 days. Blood serum samples were collected from all of the animals and metabolites were studied using the NMR method. The metabolomic pattern was compared before and after the protoberberine treatment. The performed analysis showed significant changes in the concentrations of metabolites that are involved in energy homeostasis, including glucose, glutamine, and lactate. Histopathological studies showed no recurrence of endometriosis loci after treatment with BBR. The results of the study found that BBR treatment prevents the recurrence of endometriosis in rats. Moreover, metabolomics profiling can be applied to better understand the mechanisms of action of these protoberberine secondary plant metabolites. Our findings provide new insights into the pharmaceutical activity of natural protoberberine plant compounds.

Indian Medicinal Plants for the Management of Endometriosis: A Comprehensive Review on their phytopharmacology

“…By interfering with these signaling pathways, berberine may help regulate cellular processes and inhibit the growth and invasiveness of endometriotic lesions (Z. Gaurav et al, 2020;Gautam, 2022;Gu & Zhou, 2021;Warowicka et al, 2021;Zhou & Zhou, 2011).…”

New Understanding of Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Endometriosis

“…Microbiota and associated factors seem important for the G-E origin and the growth of endometriosis [ 6 ]. This could explain the effect of food intake [ 28 , 29 , 30 ] and exercise [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ] on endometriosis and of food supplements such as berberine [ 38 , 39 ], NAC [ 40 ], zinc [ 36 , 37 ] and gluten-free diet [ 41 ].…”

The impact of herbal medicine in regulating intestinal flora on female reproductive disorders

“…Berberine indirectly improved IR, regulated hormone secretion and increased ovulation and conception rates in PCOS patients mainly by reducing the relative abundance of polysaccharide flora, increasing the relative abundance of SCFAs producing flora and reducing endotoxemia (Wang T. et al, 2017). Additionally, berberine inhibited the relapse of EMs by affecting the concentration of metabolites involved in energy homeostasis such as glucose, glutamine and lactate (Warowicka et al, 2021). Several studies have suggested that the mechanism of action of berberine in reducing HA and hyperinsulinemia in PCOS model rats may be related to the promotion of SCFAs production by inhibiting the LPS/NF-κB signaling pathway, increasing the relative abundance of beneficial intestinal bacteria and decreasing the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria Shen et al, 2021).…”