Identification of Constituents Affecting the Secretion of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in LPS-Induced U937 Cells by UHPLC-HRMS-Based Metabolic Profiling of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulation Huangqi Jianzhong Tang

Abstract

Within non-communicable diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions represent one of the biggest challenges for modern medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been practiced over centuries and has accumulated tremendous empirical knowledge on the treatment of such diseases. Huangqi Jianzhong Tang (HQJZT) is a famous TCM herbal formula composed of Radix Astragali, Ramulus Cinnamomi, Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae Praeparata cum Melle, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens, Fructus Jujubae and Saccharum Granorum (maltose), which has been used for the treatment of various chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases. However, there is insufficient knowledge about its active constituents and the mechanisms responsible for its effects. The present study aimed at identifying constituents contributing to the bioactivity of HQJZT by combining in vitro cytokine production assays and LC-MS metabolomics techniques. From the HQJZT decoction as well as from its single herbal components, extracts of different polarities were prepared. Phytochemical composition of the extracts was analyzed by means of UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. The inhibitory effects of the extracts on TNF-α, IL-1β and IFN-γ production were studied in U937 cells. Phytochemical and pharmacological bioactivity data were correlated by orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) in order to identify those HQJZT constituents which may be relevant for the observed pharmacological activities. The investigations resulted in the identification of 16 HQJZT constituents, which are likely to contribute to the activities observed in U937 cells. Seven of them, namely calycosin, formononetin, astragaloside I, liquiritigenin, 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, paeoniflorin and albiflorin were unambiguously identified. The predicted results were verified by testing these compounds in the same pharmacological assays as for the extracts. In conclusion, the anti-inflammatory activity of HQJZT could be substantiated by in vitro pharmacological screening, and the predicted activities of the OPLS-DA hits could be partially verified. Moreover, the benefits and limitations of MVDA for prediction pharmacologically active compounds contributing to the activity of a TCM mixture could be detected.

Antiarrhythmic Mechanisms of Chinese Herbal Medicine Dingji Fumai Decoction

“…In our future report, we aim to show the multi-ion channel mechanism of DFD. In addition, with the development of mass spectrometry, multiple constituents of the components of DFD have been analyzed and characterized in recent years [29][30][31][32][33][34]. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the components of DFD have anti-inflammatory [35][36][37][38][39], antioxidative stress [40][41][42], and myocardial protection [42][43][44][45] effects.…”

Traditional Chinese medicine formula T33 inhibits the proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells by inducing autophagy

“…T33 is a traditional Chinese formula that consists of five traditional Chinese medicines including Gansui (Kansui Radix), Zhigancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle), Baishao (Paeoniae Radix Alba), Jiangbanxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Zingibere et Alumine), and Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma). 21 , 27 , 28 T33 were provided by DeYi Chinese Medicine Clinic (Changhua, Taiwan). Briefly, a total of 32 g mixture of Gansui, Dahuang, Baishao, Jiangbanxia, and Zhigancao was mixed in a ratio of 3:2:12:6:9.…”

An Ethnopharmaceutical Study on the Hypolipidemic Formulae in Taiwan Issued by Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacies

“…Anti-oxidation Sil and Chakraborti, 2016;Carnovali et al, 2019;Cheng et al, 2020a;Alzahrani et al, 2020;Baek et al, 2020; 7. Anti-inflammation Carnovali et al, 2019;Nöst et al, 2019;Cheng et al, 2020a;Alzahrani et al, 2020;Baek et al, 2020) 8. Osteoporosis (Rho et al, 2017;Carnovali et al, 2019;Carnovali et al, 2020) 9.…”