We examined the application of six different resins with the aim of selecting a macroporous resin suitable for purifying Acanthopanax senticosus total flavonoids (ASTFs) from Acanthopanax senticosus crude extract (EAS) by comparing their adsorption/desorption capacities, which led to the selection of HPD-600. Research on the adsorption mechanism showed that the adsorption process had pseudo-second-order kinetics and fit the Freundlich adsorption model. Moreover, the analysis of thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. The optimal conditions for purification of ASTFs were determined as sample pH of 3, 60% ethanol concentration, and 3 BV·h⁻¹ flow rate, for both adsorption and desorption, using volumes of 2.5 and 4 BV, respectively. The application of macroporous resin HPD-600 to enrich ASTFs resulted in an increase in the purity of total flavonoids, from 28.79% to 50.57%. Additionally, the antioxidant capacity of ASTFs was higher than that of EAS, but both were lower than that of L-ascorbic acid. The changes in ASTFs compositions were determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS), with the results illustrating that the levels of seven major flavonoids of ASTFs were increased compared to that in the crude extract.

In recent years, green extraction of bioactive compounds from herbal medicines has generated widespread interest. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have widely replaced traditional organic solvents in the extraction process. In this study, the efficiencies of eight DESs in extracting flavonoids from Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) were compared. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the independent variable including ultrasonic power, water content, solid-liquid ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction time. DES composed of glycerol and levulinic acid (1:1) was chosen as the most suitable extraction medium. Optimal conditions were ultrasonic power of 500 W, water content of 28%, solid-liquid ratio of 1:18 g·mL⁻¹, extraction temperature of 55 °C, and extraction time of 73 min. The extraction yield of total flavonoids reached 23.928 ± 0.071 mg·g⁻¹, which was 40.7% higher compared with ultrasonic-assisted ethanol extraction. Macroporous resin (D-101, HPD-600, S-8 and AB-8) was used to recover flavonoids from extracts. The AB-8 resin showed higher adsorption/desorption performance, with a recovery rate of total flavonoids of up to 71.56 ± 0.256%. In addition, DES solvent could efficiently be reused twice. In summary, ultrasonic-assisted DES combined with the macroporous resin enrichment method is exceptionally effective in recovering flavonoids from AS, and provides a promising environmentally friendly and recyclable strategy for flavonoid extraction from natural plant sources.

In order to improve the aqueous solubility and enhance the bioavailability of Hyperoside (Hyp), three inclusion complexes (ICs) of Hyp with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (2H-β-CD), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (M-β-CD) were prepared using the ultrasonic method. The characterization of the inclusion complexes (ICs) was achieved using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR). The effects of the ICs on the solubility and antioxidant activity of Hyp were investigated. A Job’s plot revealed that the Hyp formed ICs with three kinds of cyclodextrin (CD), all at a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. The FTIR, SEM, XRPD, TLC, and ¹H NMR results confirmed the formation of inclusion complexes. The water solubility of the IC of Hyp with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin was enhanced 9-fold compared to the solubility of the original Hyp. The antioxidant activity tests showed that the inclusion complexes had higher antioxidant activities compared to free Hyp in vitro and the H₂O₂–RAW264.7 cell model. Therefore, encapsulation with CDs can not only improve Hyp’s water solubility but can also enhance its biological activity, which provides useful information for the potential application of complexation with Hyp in a clinical context.

Flavonoids are one of the important active ingredients from Acanthopanax senticosus, with a variety of biological functions, such as antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The aim of this work was to investigate enzyme-assisted ultrasonic extraction of A. senticosus flavonoids and their enrichment and antioxidant properties. We found that the optimal extraction process after Box–Behnken response surface optimization had the following parameters: a 3:2 ratio of cellulase to pectinase, enzyme mixture amount of 6960 U g⁻¹, enzyme treatment time of 59.80 min; temperature of 53.70 °C, and pH value of 6.05. The yield of total flavonoids reached 36.95 ± 0.05 mg g⁻¹. The results for different polar solvent enrichments showed that the highest flavonoid (61.0 ± 0.344 mg g⁻¹), polyphenol (24.93 ± 0.234 mg g⁻¹), and saponin (17.80 ± 0.586 mg g⁻¹) contents were observed in the 1-butanol fraction, and the highest polysaccharide content (20.04 ± 0.783 mg g⁻¹) was in the water fraction. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the antioxidant potential of the extract was related to the higher amount of flavonoids and phenolics in the extract. We thus found an effective A. senticosus flavonoid extraction and enrichment procedure, which can serve as a reference method.

The redox reaction is a normal process of biological metabolism in the body that leads to the production of free radicals. Under conditions such as pathogenic infection, stress, and drug exposure, free radicals can exceed normal levels, causing protein denaturation, DNA damage, and the oxidation of the cell membrane, which, in turn, causes inflammation. Acanthopanax senticosus (A. senticosus) flavonoids are the main bioactive ingredients with antioxidant function. H₂O₂-treated RAW 264.7 cells and DSS-induced colitis in mice were used to evaluate the antioxidant properties of A. senticosus flavonoids. The results show that A. senticosus flavonoids can significantly downregulate the levels of ROS and MDA in H₂O₂-treated RAW 264.7 cells and increase the levels of CAT, SOD, and GPx. A. senticosus flavonoids can also increase the body weights of DSS-induced colitis mice, increase the DAI index, and ameliorate the shortening of the colon. ELISA experiments confirmed that A. senticosus flavonoids could reduce the level of MDA in the mouse serum and increase the levels of SOD, CAT, and GPx. Histopathology showed that the tissue pathological changes in the A. senticosus flavonoid group were significantly lower than those in the DSS group. The Western blot experiments showed that the antioxidant capacity of A. senticosus flavonoids was accomplished through the Nrf2 pathway. In conclusion, A. senticosus flavonoids can relieve oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro and protect cells or tissues from oxidative damage.

An inclusion complex formation with cyclodextrin is a promising method to improve the bioavailability of water-insoluble drugs. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of Hyperoside-2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex in rats were evaluated. Compared with Hyperoside, the results showed that maximum plasma concentration and AUC0-t indexes of Hyperoside inclusion complex in rat plasma were increased, the value of half-life time was prolonged, and the value of apparent clearance was decreased, which proved that Hyperoside complexed with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin could improve its bioavailability and increase its blood concentration. Secondly, the therapeutic effect of Hyperoside before and after complexing was further compared through the dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice. The experimental results showed that under the same dose, the Hyperoside inclusion complex had a better therapeutic effect, which could significantly increase the body weight of mice, improve the disease activity index, alleviate colon shortening, improve pathological colon changes, and have a better protective effect on colitis mice. According to 16S rDNA sequencing analyses, Hyperoside-2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin may have an anti-inflammatory effect by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria (e.g. Firmicuria) and decreasing the proportion of harmful bacteria (e.g. Bacteroidetes) to balance the colon’s microbiota.