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Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (AP), as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used for thousands of years in China. In this paper, the botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, analytical methods, quality control, pharmacological effects, and toxicity of AP were reviewed. It can provide a reference for the further research and lay a foundation...
Citations
... Clinical statistical studies have shown that DXHP is one of the most frequently used Chinese medicine pairs in the treatment of OA [23]. In modern pharmacological research, the active ingredients in DH are linked to antioxidant, antiinfammatory, and analgesic efects [24], while the active components of XD purportedly protect against bone loss, promote cartilage formation, and improve bone metabolism [25]. In addition, the pharmacological compatibility mechanism of DXHP is similarly refected in the TCM theory. ...
Background:
A major contributor to older disability is osteoarthritis. Radix Angelicae Biseratae (known as Duhuo in China, DH, the dried rhizome of Angelica pubescens) and Dipsaci Radix (known as Xuduan in China, XD, the dried rhizome of Dipsacus asper Wall) herb pair (DXHP) is widely used to treat osteoarthritis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms still have not been revealed. This research aimed to illustrate the therapeutic mechanism of DXHP against osteoarthritis through the techniques of network pharmacology and molecular docking.
Methods:
Gene targets for osteoarthritis and active ingredients for DXHP were screened based on the pharmacology public database and the gene-disease target database. The software program Cytoscape was used to visualize the active chemical target-disease gene network. The STRING biological information website was used to investigate protein interactions. On the Metascape bioinformatics website, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were carried out. The molecular docking of the important chemicals and primary targets identified by the aforementioned screening was performed using Autodock software.
Results:
Twenty-six active substances from the DXHP that had strong connections to 138 osteoarthritis-related targets were screened out. According to network analysis, TNF, GAPDH, IL-6, AKT-1, IL-1B, and VEGFA are prospective therapeutic targets, while osthole, cauloside A, ammidin, angelicone, beta-sitosterol, and asperosaponin VI may be significant active components. 1705 biological processes (BP), 155 molecular functions (MF), and 89 cellular components (CC) were identified by GO analysis. KEGG analysis indicated that IL-17, NF-kappa B, HIF-1, MAPK, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways are potentially involved. Molecular docking showed that cauloside A, osthole, and β-sitosterol have excellent binding activity with main targets.
Conclusions:
This study comprehensively illuminated the active ingredients, potential targets, primary pharmacological effects, and relevant mechanisms of the DXHP in the treatment of OA. These findings provide fresh thoughts into the therapeutic mechanisms of the main active ingredients of DXHP and provide a reference for further exploration and clinical applications of DXHP.
... f. biserrata Shan et Yuan. It has the functions of removing wind and dehumidification and relieving paralytic pain [13]. Clinically, it has a good clinical effect on arthritis [14]. ...
... Clinically, it has a good clinical effect on arthritis [14]. In addition, modern pharmacological studies have shown that APR also has anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, sedative, hypnotic, and neuroprotective effects [15] and contains a variety of chemical components, such as coumarins, phenolic acids, terpenoids, volatile oils, and polysaccharides [13]. Among them, coumarin compounds are one of the main active ingredients of APR to play an antiarthritic role [16][17][18]. ...
... In addition, some studies have shown that phenolic acid compounds also have a certain anti-inflammatory effect [19]. However, the current research study on the antiarthritic effect of APR is limited to the level of pharmacodynamics and pharmacodynamic material basis, and there are few pharmacokinetic studies of its active components, and most of the pharmacokinetic studies of APR have been conducted in normal experimental animals [13,15,20,21]. For example, Qian et al. used HPLC-DAD to determine columbianetin in normal rat plasma [22]. ...
An ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was established to simultaneously determine 14 compounds of Angelicae pubescentis Radix (APR) in normal and arthritis rat plasma in which chloramphenicol and daidzein were used as the internal standards. After protein precipitation with acetonitrile, separation was carried out on a Thermo Hypersil GOLD C18 column using gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid aqueous and acetonitrile consisting as the mobile phase at a flowing rate of 0.3 mL/min. A Thermo TSQ QUANTIS triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to detect 14 compounds in positive/negative ion exchange mode and this study was the first to investigate the pharmacokinetic changes of the active compounds in rats under the pathological state of arthritis. The method was verified and the results showed that the intra- and interday precision, accuracy, matrix effect, and extraction recovery were all acceptable, and the analytes were stable under different storage conditions. In addition, the pharmacokinetic behaviors of the 14 compounds were significantly different in model rats compared with normal rats. This indicated that the pharmacokinetic behavior of drugs will vary with the pathological state of the body, which suggested that individualized and reasonable drug administration plans should be formulated for different pathological states in clinical practice. This study provided a scientific basis and data support for better understanding the pharmacodynamic substance basis and clinical application of APR against arthritis.
A new coumarin glucoside named angelol A-3'-β-D-glucoside and four known compounds (2-5) were isolated from the root of Angelica pubescens. Their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods involving HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was confirmed by the CD experiment. All compounds were tested for nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activity in vitro. The results showed that all compounds exhibited weak to moderate inhibition activities of NO production except compound 5.
Ethnopharmacological relevance:
Qiguiyin, a hospital preparation of traditional Chinese medicinal formula, is a combination of Astragalus hamosus L., Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Lonicera sempervirens L., Artemisia annua L., and Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc. at a ratio of 12:3:3:2:2. It has been used to treat severe pneumonia caused by drug-resistant bacteria in clinical practice, while studies on its toxicological safety are rare in the literature.
Aim of the study:
In the present study, we aimed to develop a new application of Qiguiyin according to the general research routine of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and the toxicological effects of the Qiguiyin formula at the treatment phase and recovery phase were also evaluated.
Materials and methods:
The rats were administered with the Qiguiyin formula at 10, 30, and 50 times of the corresponding dosage in humans for 13 consecutive weeks. During 13 weeks of the treatment phase and 4 weeks of the recovery phase, the general signs of toxicity and mortality were monitored daily, and the body weight and food consumption were determined every week. Moreover, the hematology, biochemistry, urine, organ weights, and histopathology were analyzed, and the reproductive system was examined at the end of the treatment phase or recovery phase, respectively.
Results:
The toxicological results showed no deaths and no changes in general behavior. Moreover, there was no clinically significant effect of the Qiguiyin formula on body weight or food consumption in rats. Although the Qiguiyin formula resulted in some changes in hematological, biochemical, and urinary indexes, these alterations were not related to the treatment because they remained within normal ranges throughout the 17 weeks. Besides, the main organs were not affected basically. All the above-mentioned results showed no gender difference. Furthermore, a clinical dosage of 50 times of the Qiguiyin formula did not affect the reproductive system of female rats, while it could lead to atrophied seminiferous tubules in two out of 10 male rats. However, such abnormality could not be found at the end of the recovery phase.
Conclusions:
Overall, the Qiguiyin formula could be used safely. The administration at doses of less than 1000 g/day for 13 weeks showed no distinct toxicity or side effects.
