Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2024 Oct 22;736:150862. doi: 
10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150862. Online ahead of print.

CRISPR/Cas9 targeted editing of UDP-rhamnose: Rhamnosyltransferase gene 
decreases its functions in acteoside biosynthesis and pest resistance in 
Rehmarmia glutinosa.

Zhou Y(1), Shao L(2).

Author information:
(1)College of Tea (PU'ER), West Yunnan University of Applied Sciences, Yunnan, 
China; College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Henan, China. 
Electronic address: yqzhou@htu.edu.cn.
(2)State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Henan Key Laboratory of Plant Stress 
Biology, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China. Electronic address: 
shaoluying@henu.edu.cn.

UDP-rhamnose: rhamnosyltransferases (URTs)in Rehmarmia glutinosa 
(RgURT1-RgURT4)may catalyze two key downstream steps of acteoside biosynthesis. 
Moreover, they were identified from Rehmarmia glutinosa and preliminarily 
characterized, but their bioinformatics analysis and functions remain to be 
further explored. The present study mainly focused on investigating their 
bioinformatics function prediction, genotype-dependent expression, and roles for 
acteoside biosynthesis and pest resistance with CRISPR/Cas9 technology.Some key 
findings were as follows:they had a low identity but a typical PSPG box of 
rhamnosyltransferases, belonging to Glycosyltansferase-GTB type superfamily; 
They could be expressed depending on genotype,but RgURT4 expression is the 
highest; Based on RgURT4, two sgRNAs were designed and cloned into 
pBWA(V)HS-zmpl vector to construct a pBWA(V)HS-Cas9-RgURT vector. It was 
transferred to Rehmarmia glutinosa using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation 
so that hygromycin-resistant R. glutinosa plants were obtained. Sequencing 
indicated that CRISPR/Cas9 targeted editing resulted in base replacements in 
RgURT4,while its expression was decreased among these edited plants; A few of 
them had yellower leaves with white dots, lower acteoside and a little higher 
decaffeoylacteoside than WTs; Tetranychus cinnbarinus among them was observed by 
stereomicroscope. The results demonstrated that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated RgURT4 
editing reduced the acteoside content and pest resistance but 
decaffeoylacteoside content of Rehmarmia glutinosa. This study will contribute 
to the function analyses of rhamnosyltransferases gene and downstream steps of 
acteoside biosynthesis as well as its CRISPR-Cas9-based molecular breeding.

Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150862
PMID: 39471682

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors 
declare that they have no competing interests.


2. Talanta. 2024 Oct 10;282:127029. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.127029. Online 
ahead of print.

Integration WGCNA with LC-MS data for evaluating the processing status and 
transformation rules of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus: A novel strategy for evaluating 
the processing technology of traditional Chinese medicines.

Zhang X(1), Li J(1), Zhang L(1), Wu X(1), Wang Y(1), Zhang L(1), Zhou Y(1), Han 
L(2), Wang L(3), Liu E(4).

Author information:
(1)State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin Key 
Laboratory of TCM Chemistry and Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional 
Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.
(2)State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin Key 
Laboratory of TCM Chemistry and Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional 
Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Haihe Laboratory of Modern Chinese 
Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.
(3)State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin Key 
Laboratory of TCM Chemistry and Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional 
Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Haihe Laboratory of Modern Chinese 
Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China. Electronic address: wangliming_111@163.com.
(4)State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin Key 
Laboratory of TCM Chemistry and Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional 
Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Haihe Laboratory of Modern Chinese 
Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China. Electronic address: Liuwei628@hotmail.com.

Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (LLF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat 
hepatopathy and osteopathy. Wine-processed LLF (WLLF) was much more widely used 
than raw LLF (RLLF) in clinical practice, however, there is no consensus on 
processing time. To investigate the processing status of WLLF and transformation 
rules during processing, a UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS method combined with 
data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode was firstly established and 227 
compounds were identified or tentatively identified. Subsequently, a novel 
strategy using integration weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) 
with LC-MS data was proposed. A total of 73 differential metabolites were 
screened out between RLLF and WLLF (wine steaming for 18 h). Meanwhile, the 
concentration of 11 differential compounds for WLLF was quantified. Finally, 
correlations between compounds were analyzed by WGCNA and the top five compounds 
negatively correlated with salidroside were validated, revealing that G13, 
specnuezhenide, oleuropein, acteoside, and neonuzhenide could be transformed 
into salidroside and its analogues during processing, respectively. The results 
indicated that our proposed strategy could be effectively employed to evaluate 
the processing status of TCMs.

Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.127029
PMID: 39418977

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors 
declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal 
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this 
paper.


3. Nat Prod Res. 2024 Oct 9:1-9. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2406990. Online ahead
 of print.

In vivo hypotensive effect of a chemically characterised extract from the leaves 
of Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E.Br.

Ramos AC(1), Ramos CC(1), Antunes F(2), Oliveira RR(1).

Author information:
(1)Laboratório de Ciências Químicas, Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia, 
Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, 
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
(2)Laboratório de Clínica e Cirurgia Animal, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias 
Agropecuárias, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos 
dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

Lippia alba (erva-cidreira) is often mentioned in Brazilian ethnopharmacological 
studies. Although its leaves have been used to treat hypertension, few studies 
have evaluated its hypotensive effects. This work aimed to evaluate the 
haemodynamic effects of Lippia alba methanolic extract and to characterise its 
chemical composition. Normotensive rats received an intravenous injection of L. 
alba extract. Systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressures, and 
electrocardiographic data were analysed.1H-qNMR and LC-MS were used to assess 
the chemical composition. L. alba extract had significant hypotensive effects on 
systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure. Acteoside was identified as 
major compound (292.6 ± 2.7 mg/g). Sixty-one other compounds were tentatively 
identified, mainly phenylethanoids, flavonoids, and iridoids. L. alba extract 
reduces systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressure, and appears to be 
associated with a reduction in heart rate. Acteoside, a known hypotensive 
compound, may be responsible for these effects, but other structurally similar 
minority compounds may also contribute.

DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2406990
PMID: 39381914


4. Chem Biodivers. 2024 Oct 4:e202401564. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202401564. Online
ahead  of print.

Unraveling the Dual Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms of Acteoside: 
Computational Insights and Experimental Validation.

Muhtar E(1), Ylham G(1), Tiemuer A(2), Edirs S(3).

Author information:
(1)Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Institute of Agro-products Storage 
and Processing, department of Functional Foods and Nutritional Supplements, 291 
Nanchang South Road, Shayibake District, Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonom, 
Urumqi, CHINA.
(2)Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Institute of Agro-products Storage 
and Processing, department of Functional Foods and Nutritional Supplements, 291 
Nanchang South Road, Shayibake District, Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonom, 
urumuqi, CHINA.
(3)Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Institute of Agro-products Storage 
and Processing, department of Functional Foods and Nutritional Supplements, 291 
Nanchang South Road, Shayibake District, Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonom, 
830091, Urumuqi,China, CHINA.

Acteoside (ACT) is one of the primary bioactive ingredients in Cistanche 
tubulosa (Schenk). Its remarkable efficacy in treating immune-related and 
inflammatory disorders has garnered significant interest among scientific 
circles. However, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of ACT and its 
underlying molecular mechanisms require further investigation. In this study, 
pharmacophore-based reverse docking and molecular dynamics simulations 
identified potential anti-inflammatory targets in silico. Studies conducted in 
vitro with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells validated the 
anti-inflammatory properties of ACT. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and 
lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays indicated ACT's non-toxic and 
growth-promoting effects on cells. ACT significantly reduced nitric oxide (NO) 
and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and restored levels of antioxidant 
enzymes. It also decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines. Western blotting assays 
indicated that ACT inhibited p38, TNF-α, PI3K/AKT, and NF-κB signaling pathways. 
These findings underscore ACT's ability to mitigate acute inflammation in 
RAW264.7 cells by modulating key signaling pathways and provide the scientific 
basis for enhancing the medicinal value of ACT and future drug development.

© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.

DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202401564
PMID: 39365024


5. Chin J Nat Med. 2024 Sep;22(9):769-784. doi: 10.1016/S1875-5364(24)60719-3.

Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata aqueous extract improves hepatic 
ischemia/reperfusion injury by restoring intracellular iron homeostasis.

Zhang Y(1), Jia K(1), Li Y(2), Ma Z(1), Fan G(2), Luo R(1), Li Y(1), Yang Y(2), 
Li F(2), Liu R(2), Liu J(1), Li X(3).

Author information:
(1)School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 
100029, China.
(2)School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 
Beijing 100029, China.
(3)School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 
100029, China. Electronic address: xiaojiaoyang.li@bucm.edu.cn.

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a common pathophysiological 
condition occurring during or after liver resection and transplantation, leading 
to hepatic viability impairment and functional deterioration. Recently, 
ferroptosis, a newly recognized form of programmed cell death, has been 
implicated in IRI. Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (RRP), extensively used in 
Chinese herbal medicine for its hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and 
antioxidant properties, presents a potential therapeutic approach. However, the 
mechanisms by which RRP mitigates HIRI, particularly through the regulation of 
ferroptosis, remain unclear. In this study, we developed a HIRI mouse model and 
monocrotaline (MCT)- and erastin-induced in vitro hepatocyte injury models. We 
conducted whole-genome transcriptome analysis to elucidate the protective 
effects and mechanisms of RRP on HIRI. The RRP aqueous extract was characterized 
by the presence of acteoside, rehmannioside D, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. Our 
results demonstrate that the RRP aqueous extract ameliorated oxidative stress, 
reduced intracellular iron accumulation, and attenuated HIRI-induced liver 
damage. Additionally, RRP significantly inhibited hepatocyte death by restoring 
intracellular iron homeostasis both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, the 
RRP aqueous extract reduced intrahepatocellular iron accumulation by inhibiting 
ZIP14-mediated iron uptake, promoting hepcidin- and ferroportin-mediated iron 
efflux, and ameliorating mitochondrial iron aggregation through upregulation of 
Cisd1 expression. Moreover, siRNA-mediated inhibition of hamp synergistically 
enhanced the RRP aqueous extract's inhibitory effect on ferroptosis. In 
conclusion, our study elucidates the mechanisms by which RRP aqueous extracts 
alleviate HIRI, highlighting the restoration of iron metabolic balance. These 
findings position RRP as a promising candidate for clinical intervention in HIRI 
treatment.

Copyright © 2024 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All 
rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/S1875-5364(24)60719-3
PMID: 39326972 [Indexed for MEDLINE]