Journal of ethnopharmacology最新文献

{"title":"Corrigendum to \"Network pharmacology combined with transcriptomics reveals that formononetin, a biologically component of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, inhibits the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to improve chronic renal failure\" [J. Ethnopharmacol. 338 (Pt 1), 10 February 2025,119041].","authors":"Hongyu Luo, Shuxian Yang, Peng Deng, Yongbo Peng, Zhiwei Chen, Congwen Yang, Meng Wang, Renjie Qin, Lin Yuan, Xin Chen, Dandan Wang, Xuekuan Huang, Jianwei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119421","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119421","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119421"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143364911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A newly discovered bioactive equivalence of combinatorial components of Angong Niuhuang pills improves ischemic stroke via the PI3K/AKT axis.","authors":"Xin Zhang, Fenghua Qi, Wen Gao, Yi Li, Hua Yang, Ping Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119453","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119453","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Angong Niuhuang pill (ANP) is effective in preventing and treating ischemic stroke, however, the pharmacodynamic substances and mechanism of ANP have not been scientifically clarified.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>This study aims to identify the bioactive equivalence of combinatorial components (BECCs) of ANP for the treatment of ischemic stroke, and discusse the underlying mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Network pharmacology was performed to screen key compounds and predict potential pathways. The effect of BECCs on ischemic stroke were screened and verified in ponatinib-induced zebrafish model and mice middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. Finally, the mechanism of BECCs was preliminarily investigated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Through network pharmacology, the degree values of each component in ANP were determined, and five candidate BECCs were obtained by combining the content of the components in the original prescription. The BECCs V has the same efficacy as the original formula in reducing the movement disorder and neuronal injury of zebrafish cerebral ischemia models and lowering the neurologic deficits and cerebral infarction volume of mouse MCAO models. Mechanistically, BECCs V blocked neuronal autophagy through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (AKT)/ mammalian aimed of rapamycin (mTOR) axis, inhibited microglial inflammatory activation through the PI3K/AKT/ hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) axis, protected microvascular endothelial function through the PI3K/AKT/ forkhead box O3 (FoxO3a) axis, thereby improving ischemic cerebral injury.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The newly discovered BECCs V clarified the composition of ANP for the treatment of ischemic stroke, and its efficacy was verified in zebrafish and mice in vivo. Mechanistically, ANP and BECCs V ameliorate ischemic brain injury through the PI3K/AKT pathway, which was confirmed in cells in vitro.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119453"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of tissue distribution, PK-PD modeling and metabolomics reveals inflammatory-immune response alterations in Gaultheria leucocarpa var. yunnanensis alleviating rheumatoid arthritis.","authors":"Xiuhuan Wang, Jiamu Ma, Jianling Yao, Mingxia Li, Feng Zhang, Wei Liu, Mengyu Sun, Letian Ying, Yuqing Yang, Yu Cao, Yunzi Liu, Yongqi Yang, Gaimei She","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119452","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119452","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ethnopharmacological relevance: &lt;/strong&gt;Gaultheria leucocarpa var. yunnanensis, a distinguished member of the Gaultheria Kalm ex L. in the Ericaceae family, has been traditionally employed in the southwestern regions of China for the efficacious treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The anti-RA fraction (ARF) derived from Gaultheria leucocarpa var. yunnanensis has been previously demonstrated to effectively alleviate RA in vivo and in vitro.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim of the study: &lt;/strong&gt;This research endeavor is dedicated to surveying the pharmacokinetic (PK) processes of ARF within plasma and tissues, profiling its metabolites in vivo, discerning the material foundation of its therapeutic efficacy, and delineating its anti-RA mechanisms.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials and methods: &lt;/strong&gt;The prototype components and metabolites of ARF in plasma and seven tissues of RA rats were analyzed by LC-MS&lt;sup&gt;n&lt;/sup&gt;. Advanced LC-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD methodologies were developed to investigate the plasma PK profiles and tissue distribution characteristics of MSTG-A, MSTG-B, and Gaultherin in both RA model rats and healthy controls. A panel of four cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-2) was selected as pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers and quantified using ELISA. The PK, PD, and PK-PD modeling of ARF were skillfully constructed by combining WinNonlin with Matlab software, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the interrelationships between components and effect markers. A non-targeted plasma metabolomics approach employing LC-QE-MS was utilized to insight into the underlying mechanisms of ARF alleviating RA.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The quantity and diversity of identified prototypical components and metabolites of ARF in model rat plasma increased over time. The spleen exhibited the highest number of metabolites and prototypical compounds of ARF. The UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD method were developed and validated for the quantification of three chemical markers in rat plasma and tissues, respectively. Three effective components (MSTG-B, MSTG-A, and Gautherin) demonstrated linear dynamics in plasma and tissues at an oral dosage of 3 g/kg ARF. The PK-PD models involving three components and four inflammatory cytokines aligned with the one company model, demonstrating a linear correlation through compartmental modeling and curve fitting analysis. Significant variations were identified in the concentrations of various amino acids and lipid metabolites among the CON, ARF, and MTX groups in comparison to the MOD group, which are intricately linked to the inflammation-immunity response.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The three components displayed favorable bioavailability and were rapidly eliminated in RA rats, collectively exerting an anti-RA effect. The mechanism by which ARF mitigates RA is associated with the modulation of inflammation-immunity related metabolic pathways. The spleen may serve as the target tissue for ARF attenuating RA. These fi","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119452"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Huachansu Injection induces ferroptosis in multiple myeloma through NRF2/HO-1 signaling pathway.","authors":"Jing Yang, Fengnan Wang, Zhongxiao Hu, Xixi Liu, Weiguang Zhang, Chencheng Li, Wanxia Wang, Jianati Reaila, Xiaoli Zhang, Guangrong Zhu, Fang Tian, Biqing Chen, Xuejue Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119454","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Multiple myeloma (MM) is a common hematologic malignancy. Huachansu (HCS) is extracted from the skin of Bufo bufo gargarizans, known for its well-established and multi-target anti-tumor effect. It has been reported to be effective in treating patients with multiple myeloma but its underlying mechanism remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>This study aims to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms in which HCS induces cell death of MM.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay. The effect of HCS on the gene expression of MM were screened by transcriptome sequencing and validated by quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence. The ferroptosis phenotype were evaluated by measuring iron ion concentration, lipid peroxidation degree in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduced glutathione (GSH) level. Flow cytometry was adopted to measure intracellular ROS and PGSK levels. The ability of ferroptosis inhibitors to reverse these effects was also assessed. The treatment effect and ferroptosis induction of HCS on MM in vivo were explored on a xenograft nude mice model, with mitochondrial damage observed by transmission electron microscopy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HCS modulated the NRF2/HO-1 pathway, upregulating PRP and ZIP8, leading to Fe²⁺ accumulation and PGSK elevation, while increasing ROS and MDA levels and reducing GSH content. These effects were significantly reversed by the ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostin-1. HCS induced MM cell ferroptosis through the NRF2/HO-1 pathway in vivo, inhibiting MM progression similarly to the positive control drug bortezomib.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results indicate that HCS can induce ferroptosis in MM cells via the NRF2/HO-1 pathway, thereby controlling MM progression. Our study provides a solid theoretical basis for the clinical use of HCS in treating MM. Additionally, it suggests an innovative treatment alternative based on natural medicine, proposing the combined use of HCS and chemotherapy drugs as a new therapeutic avenue for MM.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119454"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sini decoction alleviates LPS-induced sepsis partly via restoration of metabolic impairments in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal microenvironment.","authors":"Yan Qiao, Yang Zhang, Xin Ding, Ya Zhang, Xuemei Su, Lei Zhang, Hongrui Ma, Junli Liang, Qian Zhou, Guangguo Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119456","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119456","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a vital role in the protection against sepsis. Sini decoction (SND) could improve HPA axis function.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>This work aimed to explore the effective mechanism of SND against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis in rats from the metabolic regulation of the HPA axis microenvironment.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We evaluated the multiorgan injury-associated enzymatic indicators and histopathological changes as well as the ultrastructural changes in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland associated with LPS-induced sepsis. Serum inflammatory cytokines, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) were determined by ELISA. The target tissues metabolomics of the HPA axis (hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland), based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOFMS), were conducted to dissect the metabolic network regulated by SND. Western blotting was further used to validate the key metabolic pathways. In addition, the absorbed chemical constituents in serum and cerebrospinal fluid were identified by UHPLC-Q-TOFMS combined with solid-phase extraction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Forty and twenty-three components of SND were absorbed into the serum and cerebrospinal fluid, respectively. SND could decrease multiorgan injury-associated indicators, including serum creatine kinase, urea nitrogen, creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase, inhibit inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, regulate the serum levels of CRH, ACTH and CORT in LPS-induced septic rats, and alleviate the sepsis-induced morphological changes in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney and HPA tissues. SND had the ability to regulate the unbalanced glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid β-oxidation, fatty acid amide metabolism, tryptophan metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism to improve the LPS-induced sepsis. The results of western blotting analysis demonstrated that SND could decrease the expressions of LPCAT1 and IDO1 and increase the expressions of CPT1A and FAAH1 to regulate the above metabolic disorders.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>SND could alleviate LPS-induced sepsis partly via restoration of metabolic impairments in the HPA axis microenvironment, which provided important insights to future work to ascertain the mechanisms undergoing the HPA axis response to SND against sepsis.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119456"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Melezitose inhibited glycolytic pathway and enhances anti-Crohn's disease activity via binding to PGK1.","authors":"Miaomiao Zhang, Jianing Ma, Shulipan Mulati, Junmin Chang, Weiyi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119443","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119443","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ethnopharmacology relevance: &lt;/strong&gt;Alhagi honey is a light yellow sugar granule formed by concentrating the liquid secreted by Alhagi branches and leaves. It is a traditional Uygur medicine often used to treat abdominal pain, diarrhea, dysentery, and other conditions. Modern research has indicated that the main active components of Alhagi honey are oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Our previous research had identified that the extract of Alhagi honey exhibits good anti-inflammatory pharmacological activity, however, its efficacy against Crohn's disease (CD) remains to be elucidated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim of the study: &lt;/strong&gt;To determine the efficacy of the extract of Alhagi honey in CD and to explore its potential targets and mechanisms.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials and methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Mel (melitriose) is extracted from dried Alhagi honey. In vivo, 2.5% 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS, At a dosage of 100 mg/kg) is used as an enema to induce CD-like changes in the rat colon. Over the subsequent fortnight, the modeled rats were treated with Mel via gavage. The histopathological alterations and repair ability of colonic injury in the colon tissue were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson's trichrome, and immunofluorescence staining. Additionally, the amelioration of inflammatory responses in the colon was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The reparative capacity of Mel on inflammation was evaluated by inducing inflammation in RAW264.7 cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The Drug Affinity Responsive Target Stability (DARTS) experiment was used to explore the relevant targets of action. Furthermore, network pharmacology was used to investigate the mechanism of action of Mel, to further validate its effects at the cellular level.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;In the CD rat model, treatment with Mel significantly improved colonic mucosal damage and inflammatory infiltration. It also demonstrated a reduced collagen fiber deposition, thereby ameliorating fibrotic changes in colonic tissue. Furthermore, Mel decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and increased the expression of anti-inflammatory factors in colonic tissue and cell supernatants. Further research confirmed that Mel influences the glycolytic pathway by binding to phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and suppressing its activity, leading to reduced production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and its metabolites, 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PG), 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG); thus, playing a role in anti-inflammation and promotion of repair. This mechanism was further validated using the PGK1 inhibitor NG52, which also demonstrated a reduction in the production of ATP, 2-PG, and 3-PG.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;This study revealed that Mel exerts its anti-inflammatory and reparative capabilities in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the activity of the key glycolytic enzyme PGK1, leading to reduced production of ATP and its pro","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119443"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of single-cell RNA sequencing and network pharmacology to elucidate the effect of Yantiao Formula on alleviating ALI by regulating the polarization of alveolar macrophages.","authors":"Deng Liu, Yifei Zhang, Bufan Bai, Xudong Xiong, Qianmei Zhou, Rong Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119436","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119436","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has a high mortality rate and often occurs in sepsis. Yantiao Formula (YTF) is used effectively in clinic but its mechanism in the treatment of ALI induced by sepsis remains unelucidated.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>This study aims to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of YTF in the treatment of sepsis- induced ALI.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Using ACQUITY UPLC I-Class, the chemical components contained in YTF were characterized. The network pharmacology approach was used to predict the components and targets of YTF for treating sepsis- induce ALI. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to find changes in the lung microenvironment after CLP-induced sepsis. Experimental validation was also performed in vitro and in vivo. Using molecular docking, we speculated on the potential pharmacological substances of YTF.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We detected 596 ingredients in YTF and identified 7 absorbed prototypes in serum. 1031 targets for 596 components were retrieved through TCMSP and SwissTargetPrediction databases. 365 potential targets for YTF and sepsis were identified. We observed that the targets of YTF for sepsis were significantly enriched in TNF and chemokine related pathway using GO and KEGG analysis. It was confirmed that at different time points, different doses of YTF increased the CLP-induced PaO₂, reduced PaCO₂ levels and W/D ratio of lung tissue. CLP- decreased survival rates was also significantly improved by YTF. YTF reversed the increase of IL-6 and IL-1β caused by CLP. Using scRNA-seq analysis, we found that changes in the proportion of cell types and the polarization state of macrophages were evident. Furthermore, the altered levels of biomarkers (M1: IL-1β, iNOS and TNF- α; M2: CD206/ Mrc1 and Arg-1) provided evidence of macrophages polarization. We found that CLP-challenged group presented enhanced iNOS and IL-1β expression and YTF increased CD206 and Arg-1 expression in CLP- induced sepsis using immunohistochemical analysis. Similarly, the same results were validated in LPS- induced ALI in NR8383 cells. The material basis and potential therapeutic targets of YTF were also demonstrated using molecular docking.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>YTF reduced the release of inflammatory factors and attenuated sepsis-induced ALI. The combined application of scRNA-seq, network pharmacology and molecular docking was helpful for revealing the mechanism of YTF, which was related to altering levels of M1 and M2 biomarkers to regulate macrophage polarization. The role of YTF in exerting its effects was closely relevant to the potential binding targets of its absorbed prototypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119436"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143364969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tongxinshu capsules in the treatment of stable angina pectoris due to Qi deficiency and blood stasis in coronary heart disease: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.","authors":"Ziyi Sun, Dongsheng Zhong, Jinju Zhang, Qingqing Wang, Cheng Li, Tianhui Yuan, Xiaohua Dai, Jinlong Duan, Kuiwu Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119437","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tongxinshu (TXS) capsules as an adjunct treatment for stable angina pectoris (SA) with Qi deficiency and blood stasis.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;From September 2020 to January 2024, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in three hospitals in China. A total of 120 patients with Qi deficiency and blood stasis-type SA were randomly assigned to the TXS capsule group or the placebo group (1:1). All patients received standardized Western medication and either TXS capsules or placebo capsules, administered as two capsules three times daily for eight weeks. The primary outcome measure was the angina stability score on the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ). Secondary outcome measures included other SAQ dimensions, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, quality of life assessed by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), echocardiography, serum IL-6, lipid profile, and electrocardiogram changes. SAQ and TCM syndrome scores were measured at weeks 0, 4, and 8, with generalized estimating equations used for comparisons between groups at each time point. Other indices were collected at weeks 0 and 8. Adverse events (AEs) were meticulously recorded throughout the trial.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 114 patients completed the trial, with 58 in the TXS capsule group and 56 in the placebo group. Over time, both groups exhibited significant improvements in angina stability (P &lt; 0.05), with the TXS group showing more pronounced improvements at weeks 4 and 8 compared to the placebo group (P &lt; 0.05). Compared to baseline, both groups showed significant improvements in other SAQ dimensions, TCM syndrome scores, and MLHFQ scores (P &lt; 0.05) after 8 weeks of treatment. Between-group comparisons revealed that the TXS group had superior improvements in physical limitation, treatment satisfaction, and TCM syndrome scores at weeks 4 and 8 (P &lt; 0.05). Angina frequency showed significant improvement only at week 4 (P &lt; 0.05). There was no significant difference in disease perception between the groups (P &gt; 0.05). At week 8, the TXS group demonstrated greater improvements in MLHFQ physical domain, emotional domain, and total scores compared to the placebo group (P &lt; 0.05). No significant differences were found between the groups in other domains (P &gt; 0.05). Additionally, compared to baseline, the placebo group showed reductions in IL-6 and LVFS after treatment (P &lt; 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the groups in routine blood and urine tests, electrolytes, liver and kidney functions, and electrocardiograms post-treatment (P &gt; 0.05). Three AEs were reported in the placebo group, while no AEs occurred in the TXS group, with no statistical difference between groups (P &gt; 0.05).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;The addition of TXS capsules to conventional Western medication significantly improve","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119437"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143364976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A glucan from Ganoderma lucidum: Structural characterization and the anti-inflammatory effect on Parkinson's disease via regulating dysfunctions of intestinal microecology and inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway","authors":"Li Chen ,&nbsp;Yingjie Ling ,&nbsp;Jiaxin Sun ,&nbsp;Shuo Zhou ,&nbsp;Yao Xiao ,&nbsp;Xinyu Zou ,&nbsp;Xiudong Yang ,&nbsp;Yan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Ethnopharmacological relevance</h3><div><em>Ganoderma lucidum</em> (Curtis) P. Karst (<em>G. lucidum</em>) is a traditional Chinese medicinal fungus, used to exert a beneficial effect on central nervous system, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Polysaccharide is its main active ingredient, but the structural characterization and the mechanisms of the beneficial effect on PD remain to be elucidated.</div></div><div><h3>Aim of the study</h3><div>To obtain a purified <em>G. lucidum</em> polysaccharide and elucidate its structure, investigate the anti-inflammatory effect on PD and explore its potential mechanisms.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>The structure of polysaccharide was analyzed through methylation analysis and NMR analysis. The anti-inflammatory effect on PD were explored in a MPTP-induced mouse model. A comprehensive microbiota-gut-metabolomics analysis was executed and subsequently deliberated, focusing on the regulation of dysfunctions of intestinal microecology. The potential mechanisms were investigated using a LPS-induced Caco-2 cell model.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A purified glucan, GLPZ-2 was obtained. GLPZ-2 was with triple helical structure and its backbone was found to be primarily composed of 1,6-α-D-Glc<em>p</em>, 1,4-α-D-Glc<em>p</em>, 1,4,6-α-D-Glc<em>p</em> and 1,3,6-β-D-Glc<em>p</em>, with branches at the C-3 and C-4 position by t-α-D-Glc<em>p</em>. PD mice experiments showed that GLPZ-2 could improve motor symptoms, reduce pathological damage and decrease brain protein expression of α-Syn, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α. GLPZ-2 also could regulate the gut microbiota and fecal metabolites to restore to normal trend, increase SCFAs content and inhibit TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway in intestine.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>GLPZ-2 exhibits an anti-inflammatory effect on PD, which provide a foundational basis for the application of GLPZ-2 as an effective drug to prevent and delay PD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":"343 ","pages":"Article 119446"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143364910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of the efficacy and potential pharmacological mechanism of Yupingfeng in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis and in silico study.","authors":"Yunpeng Xu, Lei Zhang, Chen Chen, Mingyang Zou, Ke Wang, Xiaoying Liu, Tingyue Kang, Ming Li, Danning Wu, Ziyi Jiang, Jian Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2025.119441","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.119441","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death globally, significantly burdening healthcare and economies. Studies show Yupingfeng (YPF) combined with conventional treatments (CT) can effectively control COPD progression, improving lung function and quality of life.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>This study aims to comprehensively explore the multiple therapeutic effects and potential pharmacological mechanisms of YPF in the treatment of COPD through various approaches, including meta-analysis, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, and CBM databases up to June 2024. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 16.0. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE system. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, and dynamics simulations were employed to explore mechanisms and evaluate the binding of YPF's active components to targets.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The meta-analysis showed that YPF combined with CT significantly improved COPD treatment efficacy compared to CT alone (moderate certainty). Lung function markers, including FEV1% pred (high certainty), FVC (moderate certainty), and FEV1/FVC (high certainty), also improved significantly. Secondary outcomes, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, CAT scores, and inflammatory and immune biomarkers, also showed improvement (low certainty). Network pharmacology identified potential YPF targets, including ESR1, SRC, EP300 and HSP90AA1, possibly involving calcium and cAMP signaling pathways. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations suggested that YPF may exert its effects by stabilizing the binding of isorhamnetin to HSP90AA1.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrates that YPF combined with CT can enhance the treatment efficacy for COPD, improving lung function and quality of life, with strong anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, and good safety. The molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation results suggest that isoflavanone, isorhamnetin, and Atracylentriol may be the active components with strong binding affinity for COPD treatment, with HSP90AA1_isoflavanone showing the best performance in terms of stability and binding energy, second only to the standard ligand, and possibly being one of the key mechanisms of YPF in treating COPD.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"119441"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143364973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}