A multivariate analysis on the comparison of raw notoginseng (Sanqi) and its granule products by thin-layer chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography

Background: Granule products produced from medicinal herbs are gaining popularity. However, there have been few studies comparing the quality or efficacy of granules with those of herbal formulations. This study aims to compare commercially available notoginseng (Sanqi in Chinese) in both raw and granule forms by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (UPLC-PDA) using multivariate analysis. Methods: Aqueous extracts of the raw herb (collected from six different sources in China) and granule products (purchased in China, Taiwan and Australia) were re-extracted with methanol to remove water-soluble excipients. Five compounds (ginsenosides Rg1, Rg2, Rd and Rb1 and notoginsenoside NR1) in the methanolic extracts were quantified by TLC and UPLC-PDA. Multivariate statistical analysis using hierarchical component analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the similarities between the granule products and raw herbs. A 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay was used to measure the antioxidant capacities of the extracts. Results: HCA and PCA of the TLC analysis clustered the granule products into one group. By UPLC analysis, the raw herbs and two of the granule products (G7 and G12) were allocated into Group 1 and the rest of the granule products into Group 2. The contents of the five marker compounds in Group 1 were higher than Group 2 and also exhibited stronger ABTS activity (P = 0.005). By Pearson correlation, the contents of the five compounds in the samples were positively and significantly correlated to their antioxidant activities. Conclusions: UPLC was more efficient than TLC for the simultaneous determination of the five major compounds in Sanqi products in terms of linearity, higher sensitivity and repeatability. The statistical analysis of the samples by HCA and PCA revealed that the contents of the marker compounds were significantly higher in the raw herb group than the granule group

A comparative study of Salvia miltiorrhiza Radix & Rhizoma raw material and granule products using chromatographic analysis and antioxidant activity

Objective: Granules of herbal extracts are a popular medicinal preparation consumed in traditional Chinese medicine clinical practice. However, their quality and efficacy evaluation are lacking. This study aimed to compare the quality and anti-oxidant activity of Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Radix & Rhizoma) granule extracts with their herbal extracts. Methods: Chromatographic method was used to determine the content of 7 marker compounds in the water extracts of the herb compared to that of 12 granule extracts. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) and principal component analysis (PCA) distinguished the herbal and granule extracts based on the content of the marker compounds. The antioxidant activities of herbal and granule extracts were evaluated by 2, 2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), organic chemical compound 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Results: The herbal extracts group showed significantly higher contents of salvianolic acid B, sodium danshensu and cryptotanshinone compared with that of the granule group. This corresponded to significantly higher ABTS, DPPH and FRAP (P < .05) activities of the herbal extracts. The AHC and PCA analysis distinguished granule extracts from most herbal extracts predominantly by the content of salvianolic acid B. Conclusion: The results confirm the need for the assessment of granule products so that healthcare practitioners and consumers are better informed of their quality and efficacy

Chromatographic, Chemometric and Antioxidant Assessment of the Equivalence of Granules and Herbal Materials of Angelicae sinensis Radix.

Background: Granules are a popular way of administrating herbal decoctions. However, there are no standardised quality control methods for granules, with few studies comparing the granules to traditional herbal decoctions. This study developed a multi-analytical platform to compare the quality of granule products to herb/decoction pieces of Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Danggui). Methods: A validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA) method quantitatively compared the aqueous extracts. Hierarchical agglomerative clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) clustered the samples according to three chemical compounds: ferulic acid, caffeic acid and Z-ligustilide. Ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity (DPPH) assessed the antioxidant activity of the samples. Results: HCA and PCA allocated the samples into two main groups: granule products and herb/decoction pieces. Greater differentiation between the samples was obtained with three chemical markers compared to using one marker. The herb/decoction pieces group showed comparatively higher extraction yields and significantly higher DPPH and FRAP (p < 0.05), which was positively correlated to caffeic acid and ferulic acid, respectively. Conclusions: The results confirm the need for the quality assessment of granule products using more than one chemical marker for widespread practitioner and consumer use

Polysaccharide Peptide Extract From <i>Coriolus versicolor</i> Increased T_max of Tamoxifen and Maintained Biochemical Serum Parameters, With No Change in the Metabolism of Tamoxifen in the Rat.

Background: Polysaccharide peptide (PSP) extract of Coriolus versicolor (L.) Quél. (1886) (Trametes; Polyporaceae) is increasingly used in cancer to support the immune system. However, its interaction with tamoxifen is unknown. Aim of the study: To investigate the effect of a PSP extract on the pharmacokinetics, biochemical parameters, and depletion of tamoxifen. Methods: The pharmacokinetic and biochemical parameters of tamoxifen (20 mg/mL oral single dose and repeated dosing for 12 days) was investigated in female Sprague Dawley rats with or without PSP (340 mg/kg orally for 7 days) (n = 5 per group). Tamoxifen (5 µM) depletion rate with PSP (10–100 μg/mL) was measured in female rat hepatic microsomes in vitro. Results: Compared to tamoxifen alone, the time to reach maximum concentration (Tmax) significantly increased by 228% (4.15 ± 1.15 versus 13.6 ± 2.71 h) in the single tamoxifen dose with PSP and 93% (6 ± 2.17 versus 11.6 ± 0.4 h) in the repeated tamoxifen dosing with PSP (p 0.05). PSP extract did not significantly alter in vitro intrinsic clearance of tamoxifen compared to tamoxifen control. Conclusion: With the increased use of PSP as an adjunct therapy, this study highlights the importance of clinician’s knowledge of its interaction with tamoxifen to avoid compromising clinical actions and enhancing clinical therapy

Synergistic Effects of Danshen (Salvia Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) and Sanqi (Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma) Combination in Angiogenesis Behavior in EAhy 926 Cells.

Background: This study investigated the combination effects of the Danshen and Sanqi herb pair on angiogenesis in vitro. Methods: Nine combination ratios of Danshen-Sanqi extracts (DS-SQ) were screened for their angiogenic effects in the human vascular endothelial EAhy 926 cell line via cell proliferation, cell migration and tube formation activities against the damage to the cells exerted by DL-homocysteine (Hcy) and adenosine (Ado). The type of interaction (synergistic, antagonistic, additive) between Danshen and Sanqi was analyzed using combination index (CI) and isobologram models. The angiogenic activities of key bioactive compounds from Danshen and Sanqi were tested in the same models. Results: DS-SQ ratios of 2:8 and 3:7 (50-300 µg/mL) potentiated angiogenic synergistic effects (CI < 1) in all three assays. The observed wound healing effects of DS-SQ 2:8 was significantly attenuated by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinases (PI3K), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) inhibitors which inferred the potential mechanistic pathways. Out of all the tested compounds, Notoginsenoside R1 from Sanqi exhibited the most potent bioactivity in cell proliferation assay. Conclusions: This study provides scientific evidence to support the traditional use of the Danshen-Sanqi combination for vascular disease, in particular through their synergistic interactions on previously unexamined angiogenic pathways

Synergistic Effects of Danshen (Salvia Miltiorrhiza Radix et Rhizoma) and Sanqi (Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma) Combination in Inhibiting Inflammation Mediators in RAW264.7 Cells

Background: This study investigated the combination effects of the Danshen and Sanqi herb pair on angiogenesis in vitro. Methods: Nine combination ratios of Danshen-Sanqi extracts (DS-SQ) were screened for their angiogenic effects in the human vascular endothelial EAhy 926 cell line via cell proliferation, cell migration and tube formation activities against the damage to the cells exerted by DL-homocysteine (Hcy) and adenosine (Ado). The type of interaction (synergistic, antagonistic, additive) between Danshen and Sanqi was analyzed using combination index (CI) and isobologram models. The angiogenic activities of key bioactive compounds from Danshen and Sanqi were tested in the same models. Results: DS-SQ ratios of 2:8 and 3:7 (50–300 µg/mL) potentiated angiogenic synergistic effects (CI < 1) in all three assays. The observed wound healing effects of DS-SQ 2:8 was significantly attenuated by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinases (PI3K), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) inhibitors which inferred the potential mechanistic pathways. Out of all the tested compounds, Notoginsenoside R1 from Sanqi exhibited the most potent bioactivity in cell proliferation assay. Conclusions: This study provides scientific evidence to support the traditional use of the Danshen-Sanqi combination for vascular disease, in particular through their synergistic interactions on previously unexamined angiogenic pathways

Efficacy of medicinal cannabis for appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Anorexia (loss of appetite) is a prevalent and distressing symptom in people with cancer, with limited effective interventions. Medicinal cannabis has shown promise in improving appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer. AIM: To assess the efficacy of medicinal cannabis for improving appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer, considering measures and outcomes, interventions and toxicity. DESIGN: Systematic review with narrative approach to synthesis and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, CENTRAL), websites and trials registries were searched from inception to February 2021. Included studies were randomised controlled trials (RCT) in English peer-reviewed journals comparing medicinal cannabis with placebo and/or another intervention. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RESULTS: Five studies were included that compared medicinal cannabis interventions (dronabinol, nabilone and cannabis extract) either with placebo (n = 4) or megestrol acetate (n = 1). Measures and trial endpoints varied, but efficacy was demonstrated in one trial only, in which dronabinol significantly improved chemosensory perception and other secondary outcomes (taste of food, premeal appetite, proportion of calories consumed as protein) compared with placebo. Cannabis interventions were generally well tolerated across studies, regardless of the product or dose, although the comprehensive measurement of toxicities was limited. CONCLUSION: Evidence from RCTs that medicinal cannabis increases appetite in people with cancer is limited. Measures, outcomes and interventions were variable, and toxicities have not been comprehensively evaluated. Future research should carefully consider biological mechanisms to guide more nuanced selection of endpoints and interventions, including product, dose and administration

Appetite-Related Distress Is Burdensome in the Last Sixty Days of Life of People Receiving Palliative Care: A National Longitudinal Consecutive Cohort Study.

Background: People with life-limiting illnesses experience a range of distressing symptoms. Appetite-related symptoms are common, but studies have found varied prevalence and the distress caused has had limited quantification. Objectives: To examine the clinicodemographic factors and trajectory of appetite-related distress in the last 60 days of life. Design/Setting/Subjects: Consecutive cohort of 109,385 patients (359,038 data points) using specialist palliative care services in the Australian Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC). Measurements: Patient-reported appetite-related distress using the PCOC Symptom Assessment Scale. Results: Diagnoses included cancer (75%), end-stage organ failure (11%), neurodegenerative disease (4%), dementia (3%), and other noncancer (7%). Fifty-eight percent reported some degree of appetite-related distress at least once in the last 60 days of life. Daily mean distress scores did not vary greatly by diagnosis and the distributions of symptom severity were not linked with performance status. There was a sharp decline in mean distress for all diagnostic groups around 7-10 days before death. Moderate to severe distress was associated with nausea-, bowel-, pain-, and breathing-related distress, controlling for key baseline factors. Conclusion: Appetite-related distress is prevalent and burdensome in the 60 days before death and is strongly associated with distress from other cardinal symptoms