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Agrimonia pilosa is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant, commonly known as agrimony or hairy agrimony. The dried aerial parts of this species have been widely used for the treatment of acute diarrhea, hemostasis, and other inflammation-related diseases. However, information on the in vivo metabolism of A. pilosa constituents is limited. In this study, the phytochemical profile of A. pilosa was investigated using HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with a nontargeted diagnostic ion network analysis strategy. An information-dependent acquisition method with multiple filters was utilized to screen possible prototypes and metabolites in complex biological matrices. Furthermore, various data-processing techniques were applied to analyze possible prototypes and their metabolites in rat plasma, feces, and urine following oral administration of A. pilosa extract. A total of 62 compounds, which belonged to five main structural classes (21 phenols, 22 flavonoids, 6 coumarins, 3 triterpenes, and 10 organic acids), were tentatively identified in A. pilosa. In addition, using our proposed stepwise method, 32 prototypes and 69 metabolites were detected in rat plasma, feces, and urine. The main metabolic pathways after the oral administration of A. pilosa extract were revealed to include methylation, dihydroxylation, demethylation, hydrolysis, sulfation, and glucuronidation. This comprehensive in vivo and in vitro identification of the possible active components in A. pilosa could provide a basis for understanding its various pharmacological activities.

The air in the Lombardy region, Italy, is one of the most polluted in Europe because of limited air circulation and high emission levels. There is a large scientific consensus that the agricultural sector has a significant impact on air quality. To support studies quantifying the role of the agricultural and livestock sectors on the Lombardy air quality, this paper presents a harmonised dataset containing daily values of air quality, weather, emissions, livestock, and land and soil use in the years 2016–2021, for the Lombardy region. The daily scale is obtained by averaging hourly data and interpolating other variables. In fact, the pollutant data come from the European Environmental Agency and the Lombardy Regional Environment Protection Agency, weather and emissions data from the European Copernicus programme, livestock data from the Italian zootechnical registry, and land and soil use data from the CORINE Land Cover project. The resulting dataset is designed to be used as is by those using air quality data for research.

Plants of the genus

Thirteen lignans were isolated from 60% ethanol extract of Agrimonia pilosa by column chromatography over silica gel, ODS, and MCI and preparative high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Their chemical structures were identified by physiochemical properties and spectral data as(7S,8S)-threo-4,7,9,9'-tetrahydroxy-3,3',5'-trimethoxy-8-O-4'-neolignan(1),(+)-4,9,9'-trihydroxy-3-methoxy-3',7-epoxy-8,4'-oxyneolignan(2), dihydrodehydro-diconiferyl alcohol(3), 4,9,9'-trihydroxy-3,3',5-trimethoxy-4',7-epoxy-8,5'-neolignan(4),(-)-secoisolariciresinol(5), 4,7,9,9'-tetrahydroxy-3,3',5'-trimethoxy-8-O-4'-neolignan(6),(+)-isolariciresinol(7), 4,7,9,9'-tetrahydroxy-3,3'-dimethoxy-8-O-4'-neolignan(8), burselignan(9),(-)-evofolin B(10), icariol A2(11), ciwujiatone(12), and(+)-4″,4-dihydroxy-3,3',3″,3,5,5'-hexamethoxy-7,9';7',9-diepoxy-4,8″;4',8-bisoxy-8,8'-dineolignan-7″,7,9″,9-tetraol(13). Compound 1 was a new compound, and compounds 1-13 were isolated from Agrimonia plant for the first time. This study can enrich the chemical components in A. pilosa and provide material conditions for the follow-up study of its biological activity and the elucidation of its pharmacodynamic substances.

Active ingredients derived from natural sources are widely utilized in many industries. Cosmetic active ingredients are largely derived from various plants. In this study, we examined whether a mixture of plant extracts obtained from agrimonia, houttuynia, licorice, peony, and phellodendron (hereafter AHLPP), which are well-known for their effects on skin, could affect skin barrier function, inflammation, and aging in human skin cells. We also determined whether AHLPP extracts sterilized using γ-irradiation (to avoid preservatives) retained their skin cell regulating activity. The AHLPP mixture could downregulate representative pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL 1-β and IL 7. Procollagen peptide synthesis was also increased by AHLPP treatment along with mRNA upregulation of barrier proteins such as filaggrin and desmoplakin. The AHLPP mixture showed an anti-aging effect by significantly upregulating telomerase activity in human keratinocytes. We further observed TERT upregulation and CDKN1B downregulation, implying a weakening of pro-aging signal transduction. Co-cultivation of a hydrogel polymer containing the AHLPP mixture with human skin cells showed an alteration in skin-significant genes such as FLG, which encodes filaggrin. Thus, the AHLPP mixture with or without γ-irradiation can be utilized for skin protection as it alters the expression of some significant genes in human skin cells.

A water‐soluble polysaccharide (APP‐AW) was isolated from Agrimonia pilosa and prepared to three sulphated derivatives (S1, S2 and S3). The results showed that pre‐treatment with APP‐AW, S1, S2 and S3 each at the concentration of 50 μg/mL for 48 hours was able to prevent cytotoxicity induced by 1 μmol/L dexamethasone (Dex) in MC3T3‐E1 cells via inhibition of apoptosis, which is in line with the findings in flow cytometry analysis. Meanwhile, the decreased ALP activity, collagen content, mineralization, BMP2, Runx2, OSX and OCN protein expression in DEX‐treated MC3T3‐E1 cells were reversed by the addition of APP‐AW, S1, S2 and S3. Moreover, APP‐AW, S1, S2 and S3 rescued DEX‐induced increase of Bax, cytochrome c and caspase‐3 and decrease of Bcl‐2, Wnt3, β‐catenin and c‐Myc protein expression in MC3T3‐E1 cells. Our findings suggest that pre‐treatment with APP‐AW, S1, S2 and S3 could significantly protect MC3T3‐E1 cells against Dex‐induced cell injury via inhibiting apoptosis and activating Wnt/β‐Catenin signalling pathway, thus application of these polysaccharides may be a promising alternative strategy for steroid‐induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH) therapy.

Agrimonia pilosa var. nepalensis (D. Don) Nakai is an herbaceous species of Rosaceae distributed in China. It has ornamental and ecological values. Lack of genetic background seriously hinders its ...

Influenza A virus (IAV) continues to threaten human health. To date, two classes of antiviral drugs have been approved to treat IAV infection, but the continuous emergence of the drug-resistant IAV mutant reinforces the need to develop new antiviral drugs. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-IAV activity of an aqueous mixture of Agrimonia pilosa and Galla rhois extracts (APRG64). We demonstrated that APRG64 significantly reduced the IAV-induced cytopathic effect, the transcription/expression of viral proteins, and the production of infectious viral particles. Among nine major components of APRG64, apigenin was identified as the main ingredient responsible for the anti-IAV activity. Interestingly, APRG64 and apigenin inhibited the cell attachment and entry of virus and polymerase activity. Importantly, intranasal administration of APRG64 or apigenin strongly reduced viral loads in the lungs of IAV-infected mice. Furthermore, oral administration of APRG64 significantly reduced the level of viral RNAs and the expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the lungs, which protected mice from IAV-induced mortality. In conclusion, APRG64 could be an attractive antiviral drug to treat IAV infection.

Agrimonia eupatoria L., a plant which belongs to the Rosaceae family, is widespread in temperate regions, particularly throughout the northern hemisphere. In folk medicine, this plant species has been used for its astringent, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hypotensive properties as well as in gastrointestinal disorders. As these biological properties have been linked to its phenolic composition, this plant species could be an interesting source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential.The aim of the present review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific literature on A. eupatoria, particularly in regard to its ethnobotanics and ethnomedicinal uses, phenolic composition and biological and pharmacological activities.Literature was retrieved from several bibliographic sources, namely PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar, since the first report on A. eupatoria in 1993.Regarding the phytochemical composition, A. eupatoria is rich in phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins. The most commonly reported compounds are astragalin, cynaroside, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, isovitexin, rutin, catechin, procyanidin B3 and agrimoniin. In terms of bioactivity, extracts or fractions obtained from this plant species have shown antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties, among others. So far, two clinical studies with the infusion of A. eupatoria have shown hepatoprotective properties as well as a protective role in cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders and diabetes.In this review, an integrative perspective on ethnomedicinal use, phenolic composition and pharmacological activity of A. eupatoria has been provided. As can be seen, this plant species exhibits several potential applications, including those beyond its traditional ethnomedicinal uses, as the safety of its consumption has been shown clinically. There still is limited pharmacological evidence that corroborates the ethnomedicinal uses of this plant species as well as regarding the specific bioactive compounds.

The risk of cancer increases with aging due to the accumulation of cellular deterioration that can spread to other organs through the blood and lymphatic vessels. Therefore, the inhibition of metastasis is a major concern for the treatment of cancer. Several synthetic drugs have been developed for the treatment of various cancers. However, these drugs are effective; nonspecific action and side effects on the normal human cells limit their wide acceptance, thus demanding some potential alternative. Hence, the present study emphasizes investigating the effect of a methanolic extract of Agrimonia Pilosa (APLME) on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in human fibroblast sarcoma cells. The action of APLME on MMP-2 and MMP-9 was investigated using gelatin zymography. APLME suppressed the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in PMA (phorbol myristate acetate)-treated HT1080 cells. In addition, western blot analysis and immunofluorescence were performed to investigate the effect of APLME on the expression of the proteins that are the major proteins involved in cell invasion and metastasis. APLME treatment inhibited the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in addition to the activations of JNK, ERK, and AKT-1. Furthermore, APLME was observed to suppress cell invasion related to metastasis using cell invasion assay. Therefore, the above findings indicate that APLME inhibits the expression activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 via inactivation of ERK and JNK in addition to AKT-1, leading to inhibiting cell invasion. Therefore, these results indicate that APLME may be used as a candidate substance for inhibiting cell invasion. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Cancer increases the cell invasion to other organs through the blood and lymphatic vessels. Cancer cells deplete the nutrients and create new blood vessels that infiltrate and metastasize to other tissues. Therefore, this present study examined the effect of Agrimonia Pilosa on cell invasion. It was found that Agrimonia Pilosa methanolic extract inhibited the invasion of cancer cells through the inactivation of ERK and JNK. In addition, APLME reduced the activation and protein expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in addition to AKT-1. Thus, APLME can be utilized as a potential alternative therapeutic agent for inhibiting metastasis.

In this study, one homogeneous polysaccharide (APP-AW), with an average molecular weight of 9550 Da, was purified from Agrimonia pilosa. Analysis by gas chromatography (GC), methylation, UV, Infrared spectra (IR), 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy indicated that APP-AW was a β-(1 → 3)- d -glucan. The effect of APP-AW on dexamethasone (Dex)-induced apoptosis in osteoblasts was also examined. Pretreatment of APP-AW (100 μg/ml) significantly attenuated cell loss and apoptosis induced by Dex (1 μM) in osteoblasts as determined by MTT, Annexin V-FITC/ propidium iodide (PI) and Transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining assay. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that APP-AW might be an alternative therapeutics for the treatment of SANFH via reducing Dex‑induced bone cellular apoptosis.

Compared with the numerous natural enemies against insect pests that have been identified, the commercialization of natural biological control resources remains very limited. To increase the use of natural enemies for biological control, determining how to improve the low efficacy, slow speed, and high cost of natural enemies is very important. Mediterranean species of The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodoidea), increasingly threatens many crops in China, and control primarily depends on chemical insecticides. Here, the effect of ethanol extracts from two plants, Agrimonia pilosa (Ledeb) (Rosales: Rosaceae) and Melia azedarach (Linn) (Meliaceae: Melia), on predominant natural enemies of B. tabaci was investigated using a leaf dipping or spraying method. The results showed that the ethanol extract of A. pilosa significantly improved the infectivity of the fungus Isaria javanica (Friedrichs & Bally) (Ascomycota: Hypocreales), and the mortality of whiteflies caused by the combination of fungus (105 spores/mL) with the extract of A. pilosa (2 mg/mL dried powder of A. pilosa containing 0.0942 mg/mL total polyphenols) was 81.6%, which was significantly higher than that caused by the fungus only. However, the ethanol extract of M. azedarach had no effect on fungus infectivity. Additionally, insecticide tolerance of the predator Pardosa pseudoannulata was also significantly improved by the extract of A. pilosa. The longevity of the parasitoid Encarsia formosa was not affected by the extracts. These findings indicate that the extract of A. pilosa played a dual role that included improving pathogenic fungi infectivity and insecticidal tolerance of a predator and thus could be a synergist in the biological control of B. tabaci.

A new rust genus, Quasipucciniastrum, typified by Q. agrimoniae sp. nov., is proposed based on distinct morphological characters and phylogenetic placement. This genus is characterised by its uredinial ostiolar peridial cells with rough surface and sessile, multicellular teliospores with apparently thickened apical wall. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S nrRNA gene (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) rDNA revealed that this genus is sister to the genus Cronartium (Cronartiaceae), but morphologically it is distinct from Cronartium in the sessile teliospores that are divided by vertical septa. Morphologically, Quasipucciniastrum should be compared to Pucciniastrum (Pucciniastraceae) in its multicellular teliospores, but they were phylogenetically distant.

The polyphenolic-polysaccharide complex was isolated from the dried aerial parts of the medicinal plant Agrimonia eupatoria L. using a multi-step process involving the degreasing of the plant material by extraction with organic solvents, followed by extraction with hot alkali, neutralization, further separation with organic solvents and dialysis. The complex was homogeneous with a molecular weight of about 55 × 103 g/mol and consisted mainly of carbohydrates and polyphenols matrix, composed of lignin-related units, with the dominance of dimethoxyphenyl structures. The carbohydrate moiety consists mostly of arabinogalactan associated with highly esterified rhamnogalacturonan. In vitro anticoagulant studies revealed the ability of the A. eupatoria complex to inhibit plasma clot formation, mainly in the intrinsic pathway of the blood coagulation cascade. Further studies on the mechanisms of this anticoagulant activity revealed that the isolate was primarily an indirect inhibitor of thrombin, mediated by antithrombin or by heparin cofactor II. Such mechanism of action is characteristic for highly sulfated glycosaminoglycans.

Previous studies reported that Agrimonia pilosa (AP) Ledeb possessed diverse biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor activities. However, the effect of AP on ulcerative colitis (UC) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect and mechanisms of AP on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. The potential constituents of AP were investigated by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). A total of 13 compounds were recognized by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS chromatogram. Furthermore, a network pharmacology approach revealed that there are 297 candidate targets of UC and 549 common targets for the 13 active ingredients of AP. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that AP might have a protective effect on UC through the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor signaling pathways. Subsequent experimental validation in a DSS-induced colitis model revealed that AP alleviated the severity of DSS-induced colitis, reduced the production of proinflammatory factors, and protected against the loss of intestinal integrity. Moreover, AP inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. In conclusion, AP ameliorated DSS-induced colitis through suppressing the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Agrimonia eupatoria L. is an herb of the Rosaceae family, widely used in traditional (folk) medicine for its beneficial effects. Its water extracts (infusions and decoctions) are used in the treatment of airway and urinary system diseases, digestive tract diseases, and chronic wounds. Phytochemical analyses of Agrimonia eupatoria L. identified a variety of bioactive compounds including tannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids and volatile oils possessing antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antimicrobial activities. The authors review the available literature sources examining and discussing the therapeutic and pharmacological effects of Agrimonia eupatoria L. at the molecular level in vitro and in vivo.

Wounds display particular vulnerability to microbial invasion and infections by pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, to reduce the risk of wound infections, researchers have expended considerable energy on developing advanced therapeutic dressings, such as electrospun membranes containing antimicrobial agents. Among the most used antimicrobial agents, medicinal plant extracts demonstrate considerable potential for clinical use, due primarily to their efficacy allied to relatively low incidence of adverse side-effects. In this context, the present work aimed to develop a unique dual-layer composite material with enhanced antibacterial activity derived from a coating layer of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and Chitosan (CS) containing Agrimonia eupatoria L. (AG). This novel material has properties that facilitate it being electrospun above a conventional cotton gauze bandage pre-treated with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy free radical (TEMPO). The produced dual-layer composite material demonstrated features attractive in production of wound dressings, specifically, wettability, porosity, and swelling capacity. Moreover, antibacterial assays showed that AG-incorporated into PVA_CS&rsquo, s coating layer could effectively inhibit Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) growth. Equally important, the cytotoxic profile of the dual-layer material in normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells demonstrated biocompatibility. In summary, these data provide initial confidence that the TEMPO-oxidized cotton/PVA_CS dressing material containing AG extract demonstrates adequate mechanical attributes for use as a wound dressing and represents a promising approach to prevention of bacterial wound contamination.

A phytochemistry of the whole plant of Agrimonia pilosa led to the discovery of two new nortriterpenoids, agrimonorterpenes A and B (1 and 2), together with one known triterpenoid fupenzic acid (3) and seven known sesquiterpenoids (4-10). The new structures were determined as 19α-hydroxy-2-oxo-nor-A (3)-urs-11,12-dien-28-oic acid (1) and 2, 19β-dihydroxy-3-oxo-23-noroleana-1, 4, 12-trien-28-oic acid (2) by the spectroscopic data of UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR. Notably, the structure of 1 possessed a rare five-membered A- ring. And this is the first time to discover the sesquiterpenoids (4-10) from A. pilosa. Compound 3 displayed the selective cytotoxicity against HCT116, BGC823, and HepG2 cell lines with the IC

Cancer recurrence poses a significant challenge. At the cellular level, recurrence takes place as a result of reactivation of dormant cancer cells residing at G

Functional beverages constitute the rapidly increasing part of the functional food section and represent an area with a wide range of products including herbal-based beverages. We carried out screening investigations of the extracts of 85 Rosaceous tea plants. Among the extracts analyzed Agrimonia asiatica herb extract demonstrated the highest inhibitory activity against the enzyme &alpha, glucosidase (20.29 &micro, g/mL). As a result of chromato-mass-spectrometric profiling of A. asiatica herb with high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array and electrospray triple quadrupole mass-spectrometric detection (HPLC-PDA-ESI-tQ-MS) 60 compounds were identified, including catechins, ellagitannins, flavones, flavonols, gallotannins, hydroxycinnamates, procyanidins, most for the very first time. The analysis of the seasonal variation of metabolites in A. asiatica herb demonstrated that the phenolic content was highest in summer samples and lower in spring and autumn. HPLC activity-based profiling was utilized to identify compounds of A. asiatica herb with the maximal &alpha, glucosidase inhibitory activity. The most pronounced inhibition of &alpha, glucosidase was observed for agrimoniin, while less significant results of inhibition were revealed for ellagic acid and isoquercitrin. The evaluation of phenolic content in A. asiatica herbal teas with the subsequent determination of &alpha, glucosidase inhibiting potential was discovered. Maximum inhibition of &alpha, glucosidase was observed for hot infusion (75.33 &micro, g/mL) and the minimum for 30 min decoction (159.14 &micro, g/mL). Our study demonstrated that A. asiatica herbal tea is a prospective functional beverage in which dietary intake may help to reduce blood glucose.

A pilot study on the ethanol extracts of

Agrimonia pilosa L. (AP) showed potent &alpha, glucosidase inhibitory (AGI) activity, but it is uncertain what phytochemicals play a key factor. The phytochemical study of AP based on AGI activity led to the isolation of four isocoumarins, agrimonolide (1), agrimonolide-6-O-&beta, d-glucopyranoside (2), desmethylagrimonolide (3), desmethylagrimonolide-6-O-&beta, d-glucopyranoside (4), and four flavonoids, luteolin (5), quercetin (6), vitexin (7), and isovitexin (8). The four isocoumarins were isolated as &alpha, glucosidase inhibitors for the first time. Isocoumarins, compound 1 (agrimonolide) and 3 (desmethylagrimonolide) showed strong &alpha, glucosidase inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 24.2 and 37.4 &micro, M, respectively. Meanwhile, isocoumarin and flavonoid glycosides showed weak AGI activity. In the kinetic analysis, isocoumarins, compounds 1 and 3 showed non-competitive inhibition, whereas flavonoid, compound 6 showed competitive inhibition.

Agrimonia asiatica is a perennial plant with deep green color and covered with soft hairs and has a slightly aromatic odor. This genus Agrimonia has been used in traditional medicines of China, Greece, and European countries. It was mainly used as a haemostatic, a tonic for asthenia, and an astringent for diarrhea. Agrimony is part of the division Magnoliophyta; class is represented by order Rosales, family Rosaceae, of the genus Agrimonia. Family Rosaceae—or pink eels—is one of the largest families of flowering plants, including about 100 genera and 3000 species. Rosaceae is common in almost all areas of the globe where flowering plants can grow, but most of them are concentrated in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Phytochemical investigation on ethanolic extract of A. asiatica led to isolation of four flavonoid derivatives (kaempferol-3-glycoside, quercetin-3-O-α-arabinofuranosyl-β-D-galactopyranoside, 3-O-kaempherol 2,3-di-O-acetyl-4-O-(cis-p-coumaroyl)-6-O-(trans-p-coumaroyl)-β-D-glucosopyranoside, and catechin) alongside of sucrose. All the extracts, fractions, and isolated compounds were tested for antimicrobial and antiplasmodial activities. We also studied the chemical composition of essential oil obtained from the aerial part of A. asiatica. The essential oil constituents from the aerial part of A. asiatica were obtained using a steam-distillation method in wild growing conditions in Kazakhstan. The essential oil extracted from the aerial part of the plant was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and its major components amounting to 100% were found to be β-selinene (36.370%), α-panasinsene (21.720%), hexadecanoic acid (7.839%), and 1,2-nonadiene (6.199%). Neither the extract nor the isolated compounds showed antimicrobial and antiplasmodial activities.

Background Because antibiotic use in livestock is assumed to contribute to the emerging public health crisis of antibiotic resistance, alternatives are required. Phytogenic additives are extensively studied due to their antibiotic properties. Components of Agrimonia species have been reported as candidate antimicrobials that possess antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. We studied the impact of Agrimonia procera (AP) on the growth of selected strains of gut bacteria, the effect of AP on the mRNA abundance of genes involved in inflammation and bacterial defense in a colon carcinoma cell line, the effect of AP in piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharides, and the effect of AP on the growth performance of healthy piglets. Results The in vitro growth rate of different bacteria strains was negatively affected by AP, especially in Pediococcus pentosaceus and all tested E. coli strains. Stimulation of Caco-2 cells with TNFα resulted in elevated mRNA expression of CXCL1, IL-8 and GPX2. After pretreatment of cells with AP, stimulation of Caco-2 cells with TNFα still resulted in elevated mRNA expression of CXCL1 and IL-8 at all measured points in time. However, mRNA expression in AP-pretreated cells was lower after 6 h and 24 h. In addition, expression of DEFB1 and GPX2 was significantly elevated after TNFα stimulation. In vivo, application of lipopolysaccharides induced significantly increased animal body temperatures. Piglets pretreated with AP prior to lipopolysaccharide application showed a faster and larger increase in body temperature than controls. In addition, piglets pretreated with AP appeared to release more TNFα than controls. In healthy piglets, AP treatment had no impact on growth performance parameters. Fecal dry matter and total plasma antioxidant capacity tended to be higher in piglets treated with AP than in control piglets (P = 0.055 and P = 0.087, respectively). Conclusions AP has antimicrobial effects in vitro and stimulated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in Caco-2 cells. The additive had no effect on growth in healthy piglets but increased the immune response in LPS-treated animals. In addition, AP appeared to have antioxidative effects in vivo. Therefore, AP merits testing as a future alternative to antibiotics in animal husbandry.

Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb has been previously reported to produce an anti-nociceptive effect in ICR mice in both tail-flick and hot-plate tests. Studies have shown that Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, also renowned in traditional Chinese medicine, is an effective anti-inflammatory treatment. Among the extraction solvents investigated, a 50% ethanol (EtOH) extract of A. pilosa produced the highest anti-nociceptive effect in monosodium uric acid-induced gout pain models and the greatest yield. The 80% EtOH extract of S. miltiorrhiza moderately inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide release from RAW 264.7 murine macrophages and exhibited outstanding yield. The mixture of optimized A. pilosa and S. miltiorrhiza extracts were evaluated for enhanced anti-nociceptive effects in gout arthritis treatment. To control extract quality, four marker compounds were determined using an HPLC-DAD method. A 1:1 mixture of A. pilosa 50 and S. miltiorrhiza 80% EtOH extracts of produced better results than when the extracts were administered individually.

Facile, eco-friendly synthesis of metal nanoparticles has been proposed as a cost effective method. In the present study, we propose the facile synthesis of silver-silver chloride (Ag-AgCl) nanoparticles (NPs) using the medicinally important Agrimonia pilosa plant extract without addition of capping or stabilizing agents. The Ag-AgCl NPs synthesis was observed at 40 °C after 10 min incubation; the synthesis of Ag-AgCl NPs was indicated by color change and confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopic peak at 454 nm. TEM analysis confirmed Ag-AgCl NPs were 10–20 nm in size and spherical, and oval in shape. Elemental composition was determined by energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and crystalline structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Different phytocomponents present in the plant extract were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry, and the interaction of biomolecules in reduction process was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies. The synthesized Ag-AgCl NPs showed significant antibacterial efficiency, analyzed by well diffusion assay against pathogenic bacteria including Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were evaluated by microbroth dilution, and spread plate method, respectively. The possible mechanism of bacterial growth inhibition is due to changes in bacterial cell wall morphology that was studied by FE-SEM analysis.

The species of Agrimonia and Filipendula have been traditionally used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory herbs. This study extends the knowledge on bioactivities of F. palmata, A. eupatoria, A. procera, F. ulmaria and F. vulgaris by comprehensive characterization of their methanolic extracts. Antioxidant properties of extracts were evaluated by DPPH• (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS•+ 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) scavenging and oxygen radical absorbance capacities (ORAC). Genotoxicity of extracts was tested using alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assays in human lymphocytes in vitro and the Ames Salmonella/microsome test. All investigated Agrimonia and Filipendula extracts possessed strong antioxidant activity, which was comparable with that of a standard antioxidant trolox (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid). Thirty five compounds belonging to the classes of phenolic acids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids and ellagitanins were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Agrimonia and Filipendula extracts induced an increase in a DNA damage in the comet assay expressed as mean percentage of DNA in the comet tail. However, these extracts did not produce reverse mutation in bacterial cells in the Ames test and were not genotoxic in the micronucleus test. However, a slight though significant decrease of nuclear division index values was determined. In general, this study proved that Agrimonia and Filipendula species are a good source of bioactive compounds; their extracts may be classified as non-mutagenic and non-clastogenic in vitro under conditions of the current study. Consequently, the plants may be a promising material for nutraceuticals and natural medicines.

Plants of the genus Agrimonia L. perfectly fit the current trends in nutrition and food technology, namely, the need for raw materials with a high content of bioactive natural compounds, including polyphenols, which could be added to food. The composition of polyphenolics, including agrimoniin and flavonoids, in the aerial parts of Agrimonia procera Wallr. (A. procera) and Agrimonia eupatoria L. (A. eupatoria) (Rosaceae) was determined using HPLC-DAD-MS. The polyphenolic content of A. procera was found to be 3.9%, 3.2%, 2.9%, 1.8% and 1.1%, and that of A. eupatoria was determined to be 1.3%, 0.3%, 0.9%, 0.6% and 0.5% in the dry matter of leaves, stems, fruits, seeds and hypanthia, respectively. Except for A. procera hypanthia, agrimoniin was the main polyphenolic compound in the aerial parts of the studied Agrimonia species. Both plants are also a valuable source of flavonoid glycosides, especially apigenin, luteolin and quercetin. The obtained data indicate that both A. procera and A. eupatoria are potentially good sources of polyphenols (albeit significantly different in terms of their qualitative and quantitative composition), and may not only be a medicinal raw material, but also a valuable material for food use such as nutraceuticals or functional food ingredients.

EXTRACTIVE SUBSTANCES FROM AGRIMONIA ASIATICA

Five new dimeric phloroglucinol derivatives, agrimones A − E (1–5), were isolated from the whole plant of Agrimonia pilosa. Their structures including absolute configurations were determined by a series of spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR), complemented with the comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD spectra, and gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) NMR calculations. Notably, compounds 1 and 2 represent a highly oxidized 6/6/6 tricyclic ring skeleton based on the cis-fused paraquinone and chroman. Compounds 1a, 4, and 5 exhibited moderate hepatoprotective activities against APAP-induced HepG2 cell injury at 10 μM.

Graphical abstract, Agrimonia pilosa (AP), Galla rhois (RG), and their mixture (APRG64) strongly inhibited SARS-CoV-2 by interfering with multiple steps of the viral life cycle including viral entry and replication. Furthermore, among 12 components identified in APRG64, three displayed strong antiviral activity, ursolic acid (1), quercetin (7), and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose (12). Molecular docking analysis showed these components to bind potently to the spike receptor-binding-domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 and its variant B.1.1.7. Taken together, these findings indicate APRG64 as a potent drug candidate to treat SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.