The tea-like beverage Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Stevia) is popular in China because it reduces blood glucose and has a sweet taste. In this work, a comprehensive quality assessment of Stevia led to the discovery of five phenylethanoid glycosides, namely steviophethanoside (1), cuchiloside (2), salidroside (3), icariside D (4), and tyrosol (5). Of them, compound 1 is a novel compound. Mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy were employed to confirm the absolute configuration. A hydrolytic step with 4 N TFA at 95 °C for 4 h was used to confirm the monosaccharides. In addition, Discovery Studio 4.0 was used to predict the ADME and toxicity activity of compound 1. The results suggested that compound 1 was biocompatible and had poor toxicity, which was verified by rat INS-1 islet β cells through an MTT assay. Meanwhile, a significant stimulatory effect on INS-1 cells was observed, which indicated a hypoglycemic effect of compound 1. This is the first report that describes a natural, novel, and hypoglycemic phenylethanoid glycoside in Stevia.

Two new schisdilactone-type compounds, respectively, named schisdilactone H (1) and schisdilactone I (2), were isolated from the stems of Schisandra chinensis. The structures and absolute configurations of these new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis as well as time-dependent density functional theory electronic circular dichroism calculations.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of TMF (5,7,3’,4’-tetramethoxyflavone) in treating osteoarthritis (OA) using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Materials and Methods: Databases including SwissTargetPrediction, BATMAN-TCM, PharmMapper, TargetNet, SuperPred, and SEA were utilized to screen the targets of TMF. “OA” was used as the disease keyword to predict OA-related genes through GeneCards, Therapeutic Target Database, PharmGKB, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, and Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. The Venn diagram was employed to identify the intersection of predicted targets between TMF and OA as potential targets for TMF in treating OA. The intersection targets were input into the STRING 12.0 online database to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and identify core targets. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the Metascape V3.5 online database platform. Finally, molecular docking between TMF and core targets was conducted using AutoDockTools 1.5.6. Results: A total of 228 intersection targets for TMF treating OA were obtained, and PPI network analysis identified 5 core targets: STAT3, SRC, CTNNB1, EGFR, and AKT1. GO enrichment analysis yielded 2736 results, while KEGG analysis identified 203 pathways. Most elated GO and KEGG items of TMF in treating OA may include hormonal responses, antiviral and anticancer effects, anti-inflammation, phosphorus metabolism, phosphate metabolism, nitrogen compound responses, cancer-related pathways, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. Molecular docking revealed good binding affinities between TMF and all core targets except STAT3. Conclusion: TMF might act on multiple targets and activate diverse pathways to intervene in OA, revealing the molecular processes involved in TMF treatment of OA.