The American journal of Chinese medicine
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Isatis indigotica Fortune is a biennial Chinese woad of the Cruciferae family. It is primarily cultivated in China, where it was a staple in indigo dye manufacture till the end of the 17th century. Today, I. indigotica is used primarily as a therapeutic herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). ⋯ A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, PMC, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases was done for articles on all aspects of the plant, emphasizing those analyzing the bioactivity of constituents of the plant. The various key bioactive compounds of I. indigotica that have been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-allergic properties, along with the protective effects against neuronal injury and bone fracture, will be discussed. Collectively, the review hopes to draw attention to the therapeutic potential of I. indigotica not only as a TCM, but also as a potential source of bioactive compounds for disease management and treatment.
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The development of effective drug-loaded dressings has been considered a hot research topic for biomedical therapeutics, including the use of botanical compounds. For wound healing, adequate dressings can provide a good microenvironment for drug release, such as lidocaine. Biological macromolecular materials such as alginate show excellent properties in wound management. ⋯ Additionally, blood coagulation experiments showed that CPAMs coagulated blood in 60[Formula: see text]s, and the blood liquidity of the CPAMs group was worse than that of the woundplast group. Therefore, the coagulation characteristics of CPAMs were superior to the commonly used woundplast containing lidocaine healing gel. These study outcomes indicated that the CPAMs acted as fast-release dressings for faster pain control and better coagulation properties.
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Stroke has become a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The cellular recycling pathway autophagy has been implicated in ischemia-induced neuronal changes, but whether autophagy plays a beneficial or detrimental role is controversial. Hydroxysafflor Yellow A (HSYA), a popular herbal medicine, is an extract of Carthamus tinctorius and is used to treat ischemic stroke (IS) in China. ⋯ Molecular modeling suggested that HSYA may bind strongly to HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1 but weakly to LC3. In conclusion, HSYA inhibits post-IS autophagy induction in the brain, possibly by suppressing HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3 and Notch1. HSYA may have utility as a post-IS neuroprotective agent.
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a universal and chronic global public health concern and causes multiple complex complications. In order to meet the rapidly growing demand for T2DM treatment, increased research has been focused on hypoglycemic drugs. ⋯ Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have also shown that the extracts of C. paliurus leaves are innocuous and safe. This study aims to provide an up-to-date review of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects against diabetes, toxicology, and clinical studies of C. paliurus leaves, in hopes of promoting a better understanding of their role in the prevention and treatment of T2DM.
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Saponins from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum, an edible medicinal plant, have shown a wide range of beneficial effects on various biological processes. In this study, an animal model was established by a single intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin (20[Formula: see text]mg/kg) for evaluating the protective effects of saponins from the roots of P. grandiflorum (PGS, 15[Formula: see text]mg/kg and 30[Formula: see text]mg/kg) in mice. The results indicated that PGS treatment for 10 days restored the destroyed intestinal mucosal oxidative system, and the loosened junctions of small intestinal villi was significantly improved. ⋯ Also, western blot showed that PGS could effectively prevent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis caused by cisplatin in mice by restoring the activity of PERK (an ER kinase)-eIF2[Formula: see text]-ATF4 signal transduction pathway. Furthermore, molecular docking results of main saponins in PGS suggested a better binding ability with target proteins. In summary, the present work revealed the underlying protective mechanisms of PGS on intestinal injury induced by cisplatin in mice.