A novel homogeneous polysaccharide named GEP-1 was isolated and purified from Gastrodia elata (G. elata) by hot-water extraction, ethanol precipitation, and membrane separator. GEP-1, which has a molecular weight of 20.1 kDa, contains a polysaccharide framework comprised of only glucose. Methylation and NMR analysis showed that GEP-1 contained 1,3,6-linked-α-Glcp, 1,4-linked-α-Glcp, 1,4-linked-β-Glcp and 1,4,6-linked-α-Glcp. Interestingly, GEP-1 contained citric acid and repeating p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol as one branch. Furthermore, a bioactivity test showed that GEP-1 could significantly promote the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (L.paracasei) strains. These results implied that GEP-1 might be useful for human by modulating gut microbiota.

Uncaria alkaloids are the major bioactive chemicals found in the Uncaria genus, which have a long history of clinical application in treating cardiovascular and mental diseases in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, there are gaps in understanding the multiple targets, pathways, and biological activities of Uncaria alkaloids. By constructing the interactions among drug-targets-diseases, network pharmacology provides a systemic methodology and a novel perspective to present the intricate connections among drugs, potential targets, and related pathways. It is a valuable tool for studying TCM drugs with multiple indications, and how these multi-indication drugs are affected by complex interactions in the biological system. To better understand the mechanisms and targets of Uncaria alkaloids, we built an integrated analytical platform based on network pharmacology, including target prediction, protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, topology analysis, gene enrichment analysis, and molecular docking. Using this platform, we revealed the underlying mechanisms of Uncaria alkaloids’ anti-hypertensive effects and explored the possible application of Uncaria alkaloids in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. These results were further evaluated and refined using biological experiments. Our study provides a novel strategy for understanding the holistic pharmacology of TCM, as well as for exploring the multi-indication properties of TCM beyond its traditional applications.

A homogeneous polysaccharide coded as CPP−1 was extracted and purified from the root of Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. by water extraction, ethanol precipitation, and column chromatography. Its structure was analyzed by HPGPC-ELSD, HPLC, GC-MS, FT-IR, and NMR techniques. The results indicated that CPP−1 was composed of mannose (Man), glucose (Glc), galactose (Gal), and arabinose (Ara) at a molar ratio of 5.86 : 51.69 : 34.34 : 8.08. The methylation analysis revealed that the main glycosidic linkage types of CPP−1 were (1→)-linked-Glc residue, (1→3)-linked-Glc residues, (1→4)-linked-Gal residue, (1→2,3,4)-linked-Glc residue, (1→)-linked-Man residue, (1→3,4)-linked-Glc residue, and (1→)-linked-Ara residue. In vivo efficacy trial illustrated that CPP−1 supplements could alleviate HFD-induced mice obesity significantly, as well as improve obesity-induced disorders of glucose metabolism, alleviate insulin resistance, and improve the effects of lipid metabolism. The findings indicate that this polysaccharide has the potential for the treatment of obesity.

Nearly 5% of the Shenqi Fuzheng Injection’s dry weight comes from the secondary metabolites of Radix codonopsis and Radix astragali. However, the chemical composition of these metabolites is still vague, which hinders the authentication of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (SFI). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with a charged aerosol detector was used to achieve the profiling of these secondary metabolites in SFI in a single chromatogram. The chemical information in the chromatographic profile was characterized by ion mobility and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Polygonal mass defect filtering (PMDF) combined with Kendrick mass defect filtering (KMDF) was performed to screen potential secondary metabolites. A total of 223 secondary metabolites were characterized from the SFI fingerprints, including 58 flavonoids, 71 saponins, 50 alkaloids, 30 polyene and polycynes, and 14 other compounds. Among them, 106 components, mainly flavonoids and saponins, are contributed by Radix astragali, while 54 components, mainly alkaloids and polyene and polycynes, are contributed by Radix codonopsis, with 33 components coming from both herbs. There were 64 components characterized using the KMDF method, which increased the number of characterized components in SFI by 28.70%. This study provides a solid foundation for the authentification of SFIs and the analysis of its chemical composition.