International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Medicinal Plants as a Source of Novel Drug Products

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Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal plants are well-known to have various therapeutic values that can be used for treatment of many ailments, resulting from their content in bioactive phytochemicals with several biological properties. Many cardiovascular drugs such as reserpine, digoxin, and deslanoside are isolated and developed from plants. Natural products have always been a major source for drug development in cancer therapy. A considerable portion of anticancer drugs currently used in the clinic are of natural origin, e.g. Vinca alkaloids, taxanes and others. Some medicinal plants have demonstrated their action on the immune system, more research is still needed to learn more about the different properties and mechanisms involved in acting on the immune system. This special issue aims to give an overview of the latest progress in the field of medicinal plant research, and molecular pharmacology of plant extracts from cellular and molecular pharmacology to demonstrate the full potential of medicinal plants. Original research papers and review articles on these different areas are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Chang Gue Son
Guest Editor

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Keywords

medicinal plants
drug development
molecular pharmacology

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Research

12 pages, 4109 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Mixture of Cervus elaphus sibiricus and Glycine max (L.) Merrill Inhibits Ovariectomy-Induced Bone Loss Via Regulation of Osteogenic Molecules in a Mouse Model

by Dong-Cheol Baek, Seung-Ju Hwang, **-Seok Lee, **g-Hua Wang, Chang-Gue Son and Eun-Jung Lee

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(5), 4876; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054876 - 2 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1587

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a metabolic skeletal disease characterized by lowered bone mineral density and quality, which lead to an increased risk of fracture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-osteoporosis effects of a mixture (called BPX) of Cervus elaphus sibiricus and Glycine max (L.) Merrill and its underlying mechanisms using an ovariectomized (OVX) mouse model. BALB/c female mice (7 weeks old) were ovariectomized. From 12 weeks of ovariectomy, mice were administered BPX (600 mg/kg) mixed in a chow diet for 20 weeks. Changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone volume (BV), histological findings, osteogenic markers in serum, and bone formation-related molecules were analyzed. Ovariectomy notably decreased the BMD and BV scores, while these were significantly attenuated by BPX treatment in the whole body, femur, and tibia. These anti-osteoporosis effects of BPX were supported by the histological findings for bone microstructure from H&E staining, increased activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), but a lowered activity of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in the femur, along with other parameters in the serum, including TRAP, calcium (Ca), osteocalcin (OC), and ALP. These pharmacological actions of BPX were explained by the regulation of key molecules in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. The present results provide experimental evidence for the clinical relevance and pharmaceutical potential of BPX as a candidate for anti-osteoporosis treatment, especially under postmenopausal conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medicinal Plants as a Source of Novel Drug Products)

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14 pages, 3881 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ginseng Sprouts Attenuate Mortality and Systemic Inflammation by Modulating TLR4/NF-κB Signaling in an LPS-Induced Mouse Model of Sepsis

by Seung-Ju Hwang, **g-Hua Wang, **-Seok Lee, Ji-Yun Kang, Dong-Cheol Baek, Geon-Ho Kim, Yo-Chan Ahn and Chang-Gue Son

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1583; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021583 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2232

Abstract

Sepsis leads to multi-organ failure due to aggressive systemic inflammation, which is one of the main causes of death clinically. This study aimed to evaluate whether ginseng sprout extracts (GSE) can rescue sepsis and explore its underlying mechanisms. C57BL/6J male mice (n = 15/group) were pre-administered with GSE (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, p.o) for 5 days, and a single injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 30 mg/kg, i.p) was administered to construct a sepsis model. Additionally, RAW264.7 cells were treated with LPS with/without GSE/its main components (Rd and Re) to explain the mechanisms corresponding to the animal-derived effects. LPS injection led to the death of all mice within 38 h, while GSE pretreatment delayed the time to death. GSE pretreatment also notably ameliorated LPS-induced systemic inflammation such as histological destruction in both the lung and liver, along with reductions in inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, in both tissues and serum. Additionally, GSE markedly diminished the drastic secretion of nitric oxide (NO) by suppressing the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) in both tissues. Similar changes in TNF-α, IL-1β, NO, iNOS, and COX2 were observed in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and protein expression data and nuclear translocation assays suggested GSE could modulate LPS-binding protein (LBP), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and NF-κB. Ginsenoside Rd could be a major active component in GSE that produces the anti-sepsis effects. Our data support that ginseng sprouts could be used as an herbal resource to reduce the risk of sepsis. The corresponding mechanisms may involve TLR4/NF-κB signaling and a potentially active component. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medicinal Plants as a Source of Novel Drug Products)

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