Project description:Two kinds of peony roots--white peony root (WPR) and red peony root (RPR)--are used for different remedies in traditional Chinese medicine; however, most of them are derived from the same botanical origin, Paeonia lactiflora. The difference between WPR and RPR has been debated for a long time. This study attempted to clarify the genetic and chemical characteristics of WPR and RPR in order to provide a scientific dataset for their identification and effective use. The nucleotide sequence of nrDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the contents of 8 main bioactive constituents were analyzed from specimens of P. lactiflora, P. veitchii and two related species as well as crude drug samples of WPR, RPR and peony root produced in Japan. Of the samples derived from P. lactiflora, the WPR produced in the southern parts of China and the RPR produced in the northern parts of China were clearly divided into two subgroups within the P. lactiflora group based on similarity of the ITS sequences. The nucleotides at positions 69, 458 and 523 upstream of the ITS sequence served as molecular markers to discriminate between WPR and RPR. Quantitative analysis indicated that the RPR samples obviously contained a higher content of paeoniflorin and paeonol, but a lower content of albiflorin than the WPR produced in the southern parts of China and peony root produced in Japan. The WPR available from Chinese markets was usually processed by sulfur fumigation, which resulted in an extremely low content of paeoniflorin. This study indicated that WPR and RPR were not only geographically isolated, but also genetically and chemically separated. The ITS sequence provided a genetic index for their identification.
Project description:Paeonia lactiflflora Pall. has a long edible and medicinal history because of the very high content of biologically active compounds. However, little information is available about the metabolic basis of pharmacological values of P. lactiflora flowers. In this study, we investigated metabolites in the different parts of P. lactiflora flowers, including petal, stamen petaloid tissue and stamen, by widely targeted metabolomics approach. A total of 1102 metabolites were identified, among which 313 and 410 metabolites showed differential accumulation in comparison groups of petal vs. stamen petaloid tissue and stamen vs. stamen petaloid tissue. Differential accumulated metabolites analysis and KEGG pathway analysis showed that the flavonoids were the most critical differential metabolites. Furthermore, difference accumulation of flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins and alkaloids might lead to the differences in antioxidant activities and tyrosinase inhibition effects. Indeed, stamen petaloid tissue displayed better antioxidant and anti-melanin production activities than petal and stamen through experimental verification. These results not only expand our understanding of metabolites in P. lactiflora flowers, but also reveal that the stamen petaloid tissues of P. lactiflora hold the great potential as promising ingredients for pharmaceuticals, functional foods and skincare products.
Project description:Although various physiological activities of compounds obtained from Paeonia lactiflora have been reported, the effects of P. lactiflora extract (PLE) on early atherosclerosis remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo antiatherosclerosis and in vitro antioxidant effects of PLE and its compounds. PLE suppresses the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced capacity of THP-1 cells to adhere to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 expression, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling in HUVECs. PLE also suppresses TNF-α-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 from cytosol as well as the enhanced TNFA and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) mRNA expression in HUVECs. We identified and quantified the following PLE compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection: methyl gallate, oxypaeoniflorin, catechin, albiflorin, paeoniflorin, benzoic acid, benzoylpaeoniflorin, and paeonol. Among these, methyl gallate had the strongest inhibitory effect on monocyte adherence to TNF-α-induced HUVECs and the VCAM-1 expression. Reverse transcriptase real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that PLE compounds had a dissimilar inhibition effect on TNF-α-induced mRNA expression levels of CCL2, TNFA, and IL6 in HUVECs. Except for paeonol, the compounds inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced reactive oxygen species production in RAW264.7 cells. In vivo, oral administration of PLE improved TNF-α-induced macrophage infiltration to the vascular endothelium and expression of VCAM-1, as well as IL6 and TNFA gene expression in the main artery of mice. PLE could be useful as a nutraceutical material against early atherosclerosis via the combined effects of its components.
Project description:Paeonia lactiflora is a commercial crop with horticultural and medicinal value. Although interactions between plants and microbes are increasingly evident and considered to be drivers of ecosystem service, the regulatory relationship between microbial communities and the growth and root metabolites of P. lactiflora is less well known. Here, soil metabolomics indicated that carbohydrates and organic acids were enriched in the rhizosphere (RS) with higher diversity. Moreover, the variation of root-associated microbiotas between the bulk soil (BS) and the RS of P. lactiflora was investigated via 16S rRNA and internally transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicon sequencing. The RS displayed a low-diversity community dominated by copiotrophs, whereas the BS showed an oligotroph-dominated, high-diversity community. Hierarchical partitioning showed that cation exchange capacity (CEC) was the main factor affecting microbial community diversity. The null model and the dispersion niche continuum index (DNCI) suggested that stochastic processes (dispersal limitation) dominated the community assembly of both the RS and BS. The bacterial-fungal interkingdom networks illustrated that the RS possessed more complex and stable co-occurrence patterns. Meanwhile, positive link numbers and positive cohesion results revealed more cooperative relationships among microbes in the RS. Additionally, random forest model prediction and two partial least-squares path model (PLS-PM) analyses showed that the P. lactiflora root secondary metabolites were comprehensively impacted by soil water content (SWC), mean annual precipitation (MAP), pH (abiotic), and Alternaria (biotic). Collectively, this study provides a theoretical basis for screening the microbiome associated with the active components of P. lactiflora. IMPORTANCE Determining the taxonomic and functional components of the rhizosphere microbiome, as well as how they differ from those of the bulk soil microbiome, is critical for manipulating them to improve plant growth performance and increase agricultural yields. Soil metabolic profiles can help enhance the understanding of rhizosphere exudates. Here, we explored the regulatory relationship across environmental variables (root-associated microbial communities and soil metabolism) in the accumulation of secondary metabolites of P. lactiflora. Overall, this work improves our knowledge of how the rhizosphere affects soil and microbial communities. These observations improve the understanding of plant-microbiome interactions and introduce new horizons for synthetic community investigations as well as the creation of microbiome technologies for agricultural sustainability.
Project description:Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are responsible for more than half of all cases of the common cold and cost billions of USD annually in medical visits and missed school and work. An assessment was made of the antiviral activities and mechanisms of action of paeonol (PA) and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranose (PGG) from Paeonia lactiflora root toward HRV-2 and HRV-4 in MRC5 cells using a tetrazolium method and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results were compared with those of a reference control ribavirin. Based on 50% inhibitory concentration values, PGG was 13.4 and 18.0 times more active toward HRV-2 (17.89 μM) and HRV-4 (17.33 μM) in MRC5 cells, respectively, than ribavirin. The constituents had relatively high selective index values (3.3->8.5). The 100 μg/mL PA and 20 μg/mL PGG did not interact with the HRV-4 particles. These constituents inhibited HRV-4 infection only when they were added during the virus inoculation (0 h), the adsorption period of HRVs, but not after 1 h or later. Moreover, the RNA replication levels of HRVs were remarkably reduced in the MRC5 cultures treated with these constituents. These findings suggest that PGG and PA may block or reduce the entry of the viruses into the cells to protect the cells from the virus destruction and abate virus replication, which may play an important role in interfering with expressions of rhinovirus receptors (intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and low-density lipoprotein receptor), inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor, interferon beta, and IL-1β), and Toll-like receptor, which resulted in diminishing symptoms induced by HRV. Global efforts to reduce the level of synthetic drugs justify further studies on P. lactiflora root-derived materials as potential anti-HRV products or lead molecules for the prevention or treatment of HRV.
Project description:High-resolution atmospheric-pressure scanning microprobe matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (AP-SMALDI MSI) at 10 μm pixel size was performed to unravel the spatio-chemical distribution of major secondary metabolites in the root of Paeonia lactiflora. The spatial distributions of two major classes of bioactive components, gallotannins and monoterpene glucosides, were investigated and visualized at the cellular level in tissue sections of P. lactiflora roots. Accordingly, other primary and secondary metabolites were imaged, including amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids and monoterpenes, indicating the capability of untargeted localization of metabolites by using high-resolution MSI platform. The employed AP-SMALDI MSI system provides significant technological advancement in the visualization of individual molecular species at the cellular level. In contrast to previous histochemical studies of tannins using unspecific staining reagents, individual gallotannin species were accurately localized and unequivocally discriminated from other phenolic components in the root tissues. High-quality ion images were obtained, providing significant clues for understanding the biosynthetic pathway of gallotannins and monoterpene glucosides and possibly helping to decipher the role of tannins in xylem cells differentiation and in the defence mechanisms of plants, as well as to investigate the interrelationship between tannins and lignins.
Project description:BackgroundPaeonia lactiflora Pall. (PLP) is a plant with excellent ornamental and therapeutic value that can be utilized in traditional Chinese medicine as Paeoniae Radix Alba (PRA) and Paeoniae Radix Rubra (PRR). PRA must undergo the "peeling" process, which involves removing the cork and a portion of the phloem. PLP's biological function is strongly linked to its secondary metabolites, and the distribution of metabolites in different regions of the PLP rhizome causes changes in efficacy when PLP is processed into various therapeutic compounds.MethodsThe metabolites of the cork (cor), phloem (phl), and xylem (xyl) were examined in the roots of PLP using a metabolomics approach based on UPLC-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap-MS/MS (UPLC-MS/MS), and the differential metabolites were evaluated using multivariate analysis.ResultsSignificant changes were observed among the cor, phl, and xyl samples. In both positive and negative ion modes, a total of 15,429 peaks were detected and 7366 metabolites were identified. A total of 525 cor-phl differential metabolites, 452 cor-xyl differential metabolites, and 328 phl-xyl differential metabolites were evaluated. Flavonoids, monoterpene glycosides, fatty acids, sugar derivatives, and carbohydrates were among the top 50 dissimilar chemicals. The key divergent metabolic pathways include linoleic acid metabolism, galactose metabolism, ABC transporters, arginine biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis.ConclusionThe cor, phl, and xyl of PLP roots exhibit significantly different metabolite types and metabolic pathways; therefore, "peeling" may impact the pharmaceutical effect of PLP. This study represents the first metabolomics analysis of the PLP rhizome, laying the groundwork for the isolation and identification of PLP pharmacological activity, as well as the quality evaluation and efficacy exploration of PLP.
Project description:Background: The phytochemical composition, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial activities of a methanol extract from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Ge), a 50% ethanol (in water) extract from Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (Pe), and a 96% ethanol extract from Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. (Ue) were investigated. Methods: The phytochemical profiles of the extracts were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radicals and reducing ferric complexes, and the total phenolic content was tested with the Folin⁻Ciocalteu method. Cytotoxicity was determined with a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Antimicrobial activity of the three plant extracts was investigated against six bacterial strains with the broth microdilution method. Results: Only Pe showed high antioxidant activities compared to the positive controls ascorbic acid and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in DPPH assay; and generally the antioxidant activity order was ascorbic acid or EGCG > Pe > Ue > Ge. The three plant extracts did not show strong cytotoxicity against RAW 264.7 cells after 24 h treatment with IC50 values above 60.53 ± 4.03 μg/mL. Ue was not toxic against the six tested bacterial strains, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values above 5 mg/mL. Ge showed medium antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter bohemicus, Kocuria kristinae, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus auricularis, and Bacillus megaterium with MICs between 0.31 and 1.25 mg/mL. Pe inhibited the growth of Acinetobacter bohemicus, Micrococcus luteus, and Bacillus megaterium at a MIC of 0.08 mg/mL. Conclusions: The three extracts were low-cytotoxic, but Pe exhibited effective DPPH radical scavenging ability and good antibacterial activity; Ue did not show antioxidant or antibacterial activity; Ge had no antioxidant potential, but medium antibacterial ability against five bacteria strains. Pe and Ge could be further studied for their potential to be developed as antioxidant or antibacterial candidates.