Terminalia chebula Retz., known for its dried fruit, namely Chebulae Fructus, is a medicinal plant with a long-standing global reputation, which was initially recognized for its therapeutic properties during the Jin Dynasty. This review consolidates current knowledge on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics of Chebulae Fructus, highlighting its clinical significance and the promising therapeutic potential of its compounds. To date, studies have identified approximately 149 compounds within the plant, including tannins, phenolic acids, lignans, triterpenes, flavonoids, and volatiles. These compounds confer a broad spectrum of biological activities in vitro and in vivo, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticancer, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, neuroprotective, and anti-diabetic, some of which are already integrated into clinical practice. However, despite substantial advancements, considerable gaps remain in understanding the complete mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and safety profiles of its extracts and compounds. This paper advocates for enhanced focus on these areas to fully elucidate the therapeutic capacities and facilitate the clinical application of Chebulae Fructus. This comprehensive analysis not only reinforces the ethnopharmacological significance of Chebulae Fructus but also lays a foundation for future pharmacological explorations.

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides Oliv.) is an important medicinal plant, and its barks, male flowers, leaves, and fruits have high value of utilization. The seed meal of E. ulmoides Oliv. is the waste residue produced after oil extraction from seeds of E. ulmoides Oliv. Though the seed meal of E. ulmoides Oliv. is an ideal feed additive, its medicinal value is far from being developed and utilized. We identified six natural iridoid compounds from the seed meal of E. ulmoides Oliv., namely geniposidic acid (GPA), scyphiphin D (SD), ulmoidoside A (UA), ulmoidoside B (UB), ulmoidoside C (UC), and ulmoidoside D (UD). Six natural iridoid compounds were validated to have anti-inflammatory activities. Hence, six compounds were quantified at the optimum extracting conditions in the seed meal of E. ulmoides Oliv. by an established ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method. Some interesting conversion phenomena of six tested compounds were uncovered by a systematic study of stability performed under different temperatures and pH levels. GPA was certified to be stable. SD, UA, and UC were only hydrolyzed under strong alkaline solution. UB and UD were affected by high temperature, alkaline, and strong acid conditions. Our findings reveal the active compounds and explore the quantitative analysis of the tested compounds, contributing to rational utilization for the seeds residues of E. ulmoides Oliv.

Background: The global outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has raised significant public health concerns. Qingyan Dropping Pills (QDP), as a recommended drug, is issued by the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China for the treatment of COVID-19. However, its bioactive compounds and their mechanisms of action remain largely unidentified. In this study, the integration of computational and experimental approaches was performed to identify the bioactive compounds in QDP and elucidate its mechanisms against COVID-19. Methods: Utilizing UPLC-Q/TOF-MS, the chemical compounds of QDP were delineated, followed by network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S ^pro ), main protease (M ^pro ), and papain-like protease (PL ^pro ). To validate the inhibitory activity of these compounds, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays were employed. The antivival efficacy was tested in Vero E6 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5 variant. Moreover, anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated via the measurement of inflammatory markers, including nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β ), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- α ). Results: Among the 48 identified compounds, 33 demonstrated potential antiviral activity against COVID-19. Notably, Hamamelitannin (HAM), corilagin (COR), and rhoifolin (RHO) effectively interacted with S ^pro , M ^pro and PL ^pro in silico . In SPR assays, the equilibrium dissociation constant ( K _D ) for COR and RHO ranged from 4.515 × 10 ⁻⁸ M to 7.718 × 10 ⁻⁶ M, while HAM showed strong binding affinity to S ^pro ( K _D = 9.33 × 10 ⁻⁸ M) but weaker affinity for M ^pro and PL ^pro . In FRET assays, COR and RHO inhibited M ^pro with IC ₅₀ valuse of 0.73 μM and 21.61 μM, respectively. Additionally, COR proved effective against the Omicron BA.5 variant. The compounds COR, HAM, RHO, isoliquiritin (ISO), glycocholic acid (GLYCH), and gallic acid (GAL) displayed significant anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the crucial inflammatory factors, indicating their dual therapeutic potential in managing COVID-19. Conclusion: Our study focused on Chinese patent medicine QDP to highlight the anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anti-inflammatory bioactives, providing evidence and insights into its clinical practice in the treatment of COVID-19.