Improvement of Total Flavonoids from Dracocephalum moldavica L. in Rats with Chronic Mountain Sickness through 1H-NMR Metabonomics

Abstract

Background. We analyzed the effects of total flavonoids from Dracocephalum moldavica L. (D. moldavica L.) on improving chronic mountain sickness (CMS) in rats using the NMR hydrogen spectrum (1H-NMR) metabonomics technology. Method. We extracted the total flavonoids of D. moldavica L with 60% ethanol reflux. A CMS model was established with 48 Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats, which were then randomly divided into six groups (n = 8): control group (normal saline, 0.4 mL/100 g/d, ig); model group (normal saline, 0.4 mL/100 g/d, ig); nifedipine group (nifedipine tablets, 2.7 mg/kg/d, ig); and high-, middle-, and low-dose groups of total flavonoids from D. moldavica L. (DML.H, DML.M, and DML.L, receiving total flavonoids from D. moldavica L. at 400, 200, and 100 mg/kg/d, ig, respectively). The sera of the rats in all the groups were determined, and NMR hydrogen spectrum metabolomics was analyzed. The serum contents of apolipoproteins A1 (Apo-A1) and E (Apo-E) were determined, and histopathological changes in the brain tissue of each group were observed. Results. Serum tests showed that total flavonoids from D. moldavica L. significantly increased the Apo-A1 and Apo-E levels in rats with CMS ( P < 0.05 ). The results of serum metabonomics showed that total flavonoids from D. moldavica L can alleviate amino acid, energy, and lipid metabolism disorders in rats with CMS. Pathohistological examination of brain tissue showed that these flavonoids improved pathological changes, such as meningeal vasodilation, hyperemia, edema of brain parenchyma, inflammatory cell infiltration, increase in perivascular space, and increase in pyramidal cells. Conclusion. Total flavonoids from D. moldavica L. have potential therapeutic effects on CMS. The possible mechanism is the reduction of oxidative damage through the alleviation of metabolism disorder.

The potential of the gut microbiome for identifying Alzheimer’s disease diagnostic biomarkers and future therapies

“…The approved anti-AD drugs by the FDA are relatively specific to a single target, like anti-amyloid drugs, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and NMDA antagonists. The difference is that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics ( Maimaiti et al, 2021 ). Some herbal medicines improve AD by modulating the GM and endogenous metabolites ( Lu et al, 2019 ; Liu Y. et al, 2019 ), such as GuanXinNing ingredients, which exert an anti-AD effect by regulating Akkermansia and the dgA-11_gut_group and ameliorating GM dysbiosis ( Zhang F. et al, 2021 ).…”

GuanXinNing Tablet Attenuates Alzheimer’s Disease via Improving Gut Microbiota, Host Metabolites, and Neuronal Apoptosis in Rabbits

“…Twenty-four endogenous metabolites were identified by analyzing the characteristics of the spectra and combining them with the NMR data available in the literature and the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB, http://www.hmdb.ca/ ) [ 10 ]. The typical 1 H-NMR spectrum of each group and metabolites identified are shown in Figure 7 .…”

“…Therefore, gut microbiota and host metabolism may be potential targets for AD treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the characteristics of multiple ingredients, targets, and pathways [ 10 ]. As previously reported, some traditional Chinese herbs ameliorate AD by regulating the gut microbiota and endogenous metabolites, suggesting that TCM may exert a significant effect on modulating gut microbiota and host metabolites [ 11 , 12 ].…”

Selection of Reference Genes for Expression Normalization by RT-qPCR in Dracocephalum moldavica L.

“…Furthermore, the visually appealing light lavender flowers and attractive shape of D. moldavica make it suitable for horticultural and landscaping purposes. Current research on D. moldavica primarily focuses on analyzing its medicinal components and their pharmacological effects [ 1 , 4 , 7 ]. There is a scarcity of studies exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis pathway of important components in volatile oils or the formation of drought tolerance due to insufficient genetic information obtained through DNA or RNA sequencing.…”