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Cynanchum belongs to the Apocynaceae family and is a morphologically diverse genus that includes around 200 shrub or perennial herb species. Despite the utilization of CPGs, few molecular phylogenetic studies have endeavored to elucidate infrafamilial relationships within Cynanchum through extensive taxon sampling. In this research, we constructed a phylogeny and estimated divergence time based on the chloroplast genomes (CPGs) of nine Cynanchum species. We sequenced and annotated nine chloroplast (CP) genomes in this study. The comparative analysis of these genomes from these Cynanchum species revealed a typical quadripartite structure, with a total sequence length ranging from 158,283 to 161,241 base pairs (bp). The CP genome (CPG) was highly conserved and moderately differentiated. Through annotation, we identified a total of 129–132 genes. Analysis of the boundaries of inverted repeat (IR) regions showed consistent positioning: the rps19 gene was located in the IRb region, varying from 46 to 50 bp. IRb/SSC junctions were located between the trnN and ndhF genes. We did not detect major expansions or contractions in the IR region or rearrangements or insertions in the CPGs of the nine Cynanchum species. The results of SSR analysis revealed a variation in the number of SSRs, ranging from 112 to 150. In five types of SSRs, the largest number was mononucleotide repeats, and the smallest number was hexanucleotide repeats. The number of long repeats in the cp genomes of nine Cynanchum species was from 35 to 80. In nine species of Cynanchum, the GC3s values ranged from 26.80% to 27.00%, indicating a strong bias towards A/U-ending codons. Comparative analyses revealed four hotspot regions in the CPG, ndhA-ndhH, trnI-GAU-rrn16, psbI-trnS-GCU, and rps7-ndhB, which could potentially serve as molecular markers. In addition, phylogenetic tree construction based on the CPG indicated that the nine Cynanchum species formed a monophyletic group. Molecular dating suggested that Cynanchum diverged from its sister genus approximately 18.87 million years ago (Mya) and species diversification within the Cynanchum species primarily occurred during the recent Miocene epoch. The divergence time estimation presented in this study will facilitate future research on Cynanchum, aid in species differentiation, and facilitate diverse investigations into this economically and ecologically important genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The roots of the plant Cynanchum otophyllum C. K. Schneid (Apocynaceae), known as Qingyangshen in Chinese, are used for a long time as a traditional medicine by different ethnic communities in the Yunnan province (China). The multiple properties and applications of this herbal medicine have been analyzed. C. otophyllum is a perennial herbal liana, nonedible, and generally wild harvested. A cultivation method has been proposed to increase the fruit set level. Qingyangshen is used essentially to treat epilepsy, rheumatism, or other inflammatory diseases. The plant can be found also in diverse polyherbal preparations used in cosmetic or as food supplement (detox products), and in phyto-preparations claimed to reduce hair loss. The plant is a rich reservoir of C-21 steroidal glycosides. Many bioactive compounds have been isolated from this plant and some of them have been pharmacologically characterized, such as otophyllosides, cynotophyllosides, cynanotins, cynotogenins, cynanchins, all briefly evocated here. The plant presents also interesting features in other domains. In particular, leave extracts of C. otophyllum C. K. Schneid contain proteases which are exploited for the local preparation of a cheese-like milk cake. Qingyangshen herbal preparation can be useful to treat epilepsy and inflammation. It has applications beyond medicine in the cosmetic and food industry.

The climbing plant Cynanchum rostellatum (Turcz.) Liede & Khanum is widely distributed throughout Korea and Northeast Asia as a member of the Apocynaceae family. Although this plant has a high value in medicinal and industrial purposes, genetic research on this plant is insufficient. This study announces the complete plastid genome (plastome) sequence of C. rostellatum with 663× mean coverage, which was assembled using 763 Mbp short-read data generated by the Illumina HiSeq X platform. The C. rostellatum plastome was 158,018 bp in length and displayed the typical quadripartite structure composed of the large single-copy (LSC) region (89,058 bp), the small single-copy (SSC) region (18,718 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (25,116 bp). A total of 129 genes have been annotated, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and eight ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the genus Cynanchum including 12 Cynanchum plastome sequences, was monophyletic and was located within the sub-family Asclepiadoideae. Two C. rostellatum plastomes, including the plastome assembled in this study, formed a subclade and were sister to the C. thesioides plastome, whereas the other C. rostellatum, which was previously reported one, was located within the clade of C. wilfordii and C. bungei.

The climbing plant Cynanchum rostellatum (Turcz.) Liede & Khanum is widely distributed throughout Korea and Northeast Asia as a member of the Apocynaceae family. Although this plant has a high value in medicinal and industrial purposes, genetic research on this plant is insufficient. This study announces the complete plastid genome (plastome) sequence of C. rostellatum with 663× mean coverage, which was assembled using 763 Mbp short-read data generated by the Illumina HiSeq X platform. The C. rostellatum plastome was 158,018 bp in length and displayed the typical quadripartite structure composed of the large single-copy (LSC) region (89,058 bp), the small single-copy (SSC) region (18,718 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (25,116 bp). A total of 129 genes have been annotated, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and eight ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the genus Cynanchum including 12 Cynanchum plastome sequences, was monophyletic and was located within the sub-family Asclepiadoideae. Two C. rostellatum plastomes, including the plastome assembled in this study, formed a subclade and were sister to the C. thesioides plastome, whereas the other C. rostellatum, which was previously reported one, was located within the clade of C. wilfordii and C. bungei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is focused on the biology and ecology of Danaus chrysippus on Rodos Island, Greece, contributing on the knowledge of its life cycle in nature throughout the autumn - early winter breeding period, which is described and illustrated here for the first time for the country. Distribution range, habitat requirements and larval hostplant preferences, which are closely related with specific microclimatic conditions and the availability of milkweed resources in the region, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First investigation of the GLP-1 secretagogue activity of 16 pregnane derivatives. • Otophylloside A, wilfosides C1N and C3N double GLP-1 secretion in STC-1 cells. • First attempts of structure-GLP-1 secretagogue activity relationships. • The nature of the sugar chain at C-3 and ester moiety at C-12 are key elements. In our continued efforts to explore the antidiabetic potential of pregnanes from Apocynaceae, especially from the Asclepiadoideae subfamily, sixteen derivatives 1 - 16 previously isolated from various Cynanchum species, have been evaluated for their ability to increase glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) release in a cell assay. As a result, otophylloside A (2), wilfoside C1N (13), and wilfoside C3N (16) were found to stimulate significantly the secretion of GLP-1, doubling the extracellular content of this incretin. Caudatin 3- O -β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-cymaropyranoside (6) was also bioactive, but to a lesser extent (133 % of secretion compared to control cells). This study confirms the potential of certain pregnane derivatives from subfamily Asclepiadoideae to stimulate the release of GLP-1, reduced in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, this study outlines some putative structure-activity relationships: the nature of the sugar chain at C-3, as well as the ester moiety at C-12 position appear to be key elements to stimulate GLP-1 secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight (CA) is experiencing challenges with continuous cropping obstacle (CCO) due to soil-borne fungal pathogens. The leaf litter from CA is regularly incorporated into the soil after root harvesting, but the impact of this practice on pathogen outbreaks remains uncertain. In this study, a fungal strain D1, identified as Fusarium solani, was isolated and confirmed as a potential factor in CCO. Both leave extract (LE) and root extract (RE) were found to inhibit seed germination and the activities of plant defense-related enzymes. The combinations of extracts and D1 exacerbated these negative effects. Beyond promoting the proliferation of D1 in soil, the extracts also enhanced the hypha weight, spore number, and spore germination rate of D1. Compared to RE, LE exhibited a greater degree of promotion in the activities of pathogenesis-related enzymes in D1. Additionally, caffeic acid and ferulic acid were identified as potential active compounds. LE, particularly in combination with D1, induced a shift in the composition of fungal communities rather than bacterial communities. These findings indicate that the water extract of leaf litter stimulated the growth and proliferation of fungal strain D1, thereby augmenting its pathogenicity toward CA and ultimately contributing to the CCO process., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.)

Abstract Prof. Zhou Jun, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences (1999), is a phytochemist and medicinal chemist of China. He is one of the pioneers of Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS and a major founder of the State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China. The chemical compositions of some TCM from genus of Dioscorea, Aconitum, Panax, Paris, Cynanchum, Gastrodia, Dendrobium etc. and family Asclepiadaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Hypoxidaceae etc. have been explored by Prof. Zhou′s team as steroids, triterpenoids, alkaloids, cyclic peptides and phenols etc., which revealed the main active composition of those TCM such as Panax notoginseng, Paris yunnanensis and Gastrodia elata.

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Realizing eco-friendly, long-term, and low-risk aphid control on Lycium barbarum (medicinal cash crop) using a Cynanchum komarovii extracts and eucalyptus oil-loaded microcapsules (EOMCs) formulation compositions is viable. In this study, the aim is to optimize the composition of Cynanchum komarovii extracts and EOMCs formulation for effective control of aphids, the release of EOMCs was controlled by changing the cross-linking degree of the shell to match the aphid control characteristics of Cynanchum komarovii extracts. Four types of polyamines were used as cross-linking agents for the preparation of EOMCs by interfacial polymerization. The bioactivity, wettability, and field application efficacy of Cynanchum komarovii extracts and different EOMCs formulation compositions were evaluated. These EOMCs exhibited an encapsulation efficiency exceeding 85 %. The control efficiency of the formulation compositions of microcapsules with a moderate release rate and Cynanchum komarovii extracts on aphids remained at 62.86 %, while the control efficiency of the combination of microcapsules with the fastest and slowest rates with Cynanchum komarovii extracts was only 48.62 % and 57.11 %, respectively. The formulation compositions of Cynanchum komarovii extracts with all four types of EOMCs were found to be safe for Chinese wolfberry plants. Overall, by selecting appropriate polyamines during fabrication, the release rate can be effectively controlled to achieve sustainable and low-risk aphid control in Lycium barbarum through compounding with selected microcapsules., Competing Interests: 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., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a disorder caused by abnormal gut-brain axis regulation and is highly prevalent in China. Cynanchum auriculatum (CA) is often used to treat FD in the ethnic minority areas of Guizhou. Although several CA-based products are currently available in the market, it is unclear which components of CA are efficacious and what their oral absorption mechanism is., Aim of the Study: This study aimed to screen anti-FD components of CA based on the spectrum-effect relationship. In addition, the study evaluated the intestinal absorption mechanism of these components using transporter inhibitors., Materials and Methods: The fingerprinting of compounds from CA extract and plasma after oral administration was conducted using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The intestinal contractile parameters were then measured in vitro using the BL-420F Biofunctional Experiment System. Multivariate statistical analysis of the result of spectrum-effect relationship assessment was used to elucidate the correlation between prominent peaks of CA-containing plasma and intestinal contractile activity. The effect of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter inhibitors, such as the P-gp inhibitor verapamil, the MRR inhibitor indomethacin, and the BCRP inhibitor Ko143, on the directional transport of the predicted active ingredients was assessed in vivo., Results: Twenty chromatographic peaks were identified in the CA extract. Of these, three were C 21 steroids, four were organic acids, and one was a coumarin, and acetophenone by comparing with reference compounds. Additionally, it is discovered that there are totally 39 migratory components in CA-containing plasma, which was found to significantly promote the contractility of the isolated duodenum. Moreover, multivariate analysis of the spectrum-effect relationship demonstrated that 16 characteristic peaks (3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 21, m1-m4, m7, m15, and m24) in CA-containing plasma were significantly associated with the anti-FD effect. These compounds included seven prototype compounds, i.e., cynanoneside A, syringic acid, deacylmetaplexigenin, ferulic acid, scopoletin, baishouwubenzophenone, and qingyangshengenin. The inhibition of ABC transporters demonstrated that the inhibitors verapamil and Ko143 significantly increased (P < 0.05) the uptake of scopoletin and qingyangshengenin. Thus, these compounds may be substrates for P-gp and BCRP., Conclusions: The potential anti-FD components of CA and the effect of ABC transporter inhibitors on these active components were preliminarily clarified. These findings lay a foundation for subsequent in vivo studies., Competing Interests: 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., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel actinobacterial strain, SB3-54 T was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Cynanchum wilfodill, Jaecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea. Cells of strain SB3-54 T were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, and flagellated which formed pale yellow colonies on Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar. Growth occurred at 15-30 °C (optimum 25 °C), pH 5-8 (optimum pH 7), and 0-2.5% NaCl (optimum 0%). Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses showed that strain SB3-54 T formed a separate lineage in the genus Jatrophihabitans with Jatrophihabitans telluris N237 T . Strain SB3-54 T was positive for catalase activity. Genomic analysis showed that SB3-54 T has plant-beneficial function contributing (referred to as PBFC) genes such as root colonization and plant protection from oxidative stress. Furthermore, genome of SB3-54 T contained gene clusters related to cytokinin biosynthesis, auxin response, tryptophan biosynthesis, siderophore biosynthesis and bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems. Strain SB3-54 T contained iso-C 16:0 as the major fatty acid and MK-9(H 4 ) and MK-9(H 6 ) as the predominant quinones. The organism had meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid in the peptidoglycan. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol polymannosides, two unidentified aminoglycophospholipids and three unidentified phospholipids. Based on phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain SB3-54 T represents a novel species of the genus Jatrophihabitans. The type strain is SB3-54 T (= KCTC 49134 T  = NBRC 114108 T )., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

In east Asia, "Baishouwu" has been used as an herbal drug and functional dietary supplement for hundreds of years. Actually, "Baishouwu" is the common name of the roots of Cynanchum auriculatum, Cynanchum bungei, and Cynanchum wilfordii. In the present study, roots of these three specie were extracted and then fractionated using petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA), and water. DPPH scavenging experiments revealed high antioxidant activity of DCM and EA fractions of C. bungei and the EA fraction of C. wilfordii. Treatments with these three fractions significantly reduced malondialdehyde content in heat‐stressed Daphnia magna, validating in vivo antioxidant activity. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometer (GC‐MS) analyses demonstrated that the chemical components of fractions extracted from C. bungei, C. bungei, and C. wilfordii were different. Further determination of total phenol and total flavonoids contents showed that DCM and EA fractions of C. bungei and EA fraction of C. wilfordii had much higher contents of total phenol and total flavonoids, which might be the reason to explain their strong antioxidant activity. Overall, the present study suggested that these three plants have different chemical components and biological activities. They could not be used as the same drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cynanchum komarovii (CK), the northwest Chinese region's common medicinal herb, was traditionally utilized to treat arthritis, toothache, bald sores and cholecystitis. Various forms of arthritis can be treated with CK, based on "Medicinal Plants of Chinese Desert Areas". However, the exact mechanism of action in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is uncertain., Aim of the Study: To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effects of CK extracts on RA and to preliminarily investigate its anti-RA mechanism of action., Materials and Methods: The main components of CK extract were analyzed by HPLC method. The effects of CK on the proliferation and apoptosis of human rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (HFLS-RA) cells and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in HFLS-RA cells were evaluated by CCK8 assay, flow cytometry and WB assay. To verify the anti-RA effect of CK extracts in vivo, a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model was established. The rats were divided into six groups: normal group, model group, CK high-dose group (1000 mg/kg, CK-H), CK medium-dose group (500 mg/kg, CK-M), CK low-dose group (250 mg/kg, CK-L) and methotrexate-positive drug group (MTX); the drug was administered continuously for 28 days. Body weight changes, joint swelling, arthritis index, bone density, ankle lesions, immune organ index, splenic lesions and inflammatory factor expression were used to evaluate the in vivo anti-RA activity of the extract., Results: The findings of in vitro experiments showed that 10% CK-containing serum decreased the expression level of Bcl-2, increased the expression levels of Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 in synovial cells, and prevented TNF-α induced aberrant proliferation and apoptotic antagonism in HFLS-RA cells. According to in vivo studies, CK extract at doses above 250 mg/kg was effective in controlling the levels of inflammatory factors, lowering the arthritis index, and improving foot swelling in CIA rats. When administered at doses up to 1000 mg/kg, CK extract significantly improved synovial lesions, increased bone density, and decreased abnormally elevated immune organ index in CIA rats., Conclusions: CK has significant anti-RA activity, and its anti-RA mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the expression levels of apoptosis related proteins and the promotion of apoptosis in synovial cells., Competing Interests: 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., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cynanchum paniculatum (Bunge) Kitag. ex H. Hara (Asclepiadaceae) have been traditionally used in East Asia as analgesic or antiviral agents. Interestingly, some Chinese and Korean traditional medicinal books reported that the use of C. paniculatum in the treatment of psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions., Aim of the Study: In this study, we aimed to investigate whether C. paniculatum could improve sensorimotor gating disruption in mice with MK-801-induced schizophrenia-like behaviors. We also aimed to identify the active component of C. paniculatum that could potentially serve as a treatment for schizophrenia and found that paeonol, the major constituent compound of C. paniculatum, showed potential as a treatment for schizophrenia., Materials and Methods: To assess the effect of paeonol on mice with MK-801-induced schizophrenia-like behaviors, we carried out a series of behavioral tests related with symptoms of schizophrenia. In addition, we utilized Western blotting and ELISA techniques to investigate the antipsychotic actions of paeonol., Result: C. paniculatum extract (100 or 300 mg/kg) and paenol (10 or 30 mg/kg) significantly reversed MK-801-induced prepulse deficits in acoustic startle response test. In addition, paeonol (10 or 30 mg/kg) attenuated social novelty preference and novel object recognition memory on MK-801-induced schizophrenia-like behaviour in mice. Furthermore, the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, Akt, GSK3β and NF-κB, as well as related pro-inflammatory cytokine, such as IL-1β and TNF-α, were significantly reversed by the administration of paeonol (10 or 30 mg/kg) in the prefrontal cortex of MK-801-treated mice., Conclusions: Collectively, these data show that paeonol can potentially be used as an agent for treating sensorimotor gating deficits, negative symptoms, and cognitive deficits, such as those observed in schizophrenia with few adverse effects., Competing Interests: 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., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Prof. Zhou Jun, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences (1999), is a phytochemist and medicinal chemist of China. He is one of the pioneers of Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS and a major founder of the State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China. The chemical compositions of some TCM from genus of Dioscorea, Aconitum, Panax, Paris, Cynanchum, Gastrodia, Dendrobium etc. and family Asclepiadaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Hypoxidaceae etc. have been explored by Prof. Zhou′s team as steroids, triterpenoids, alkaloids, cyclic peptides and phenols etc., which revealed the main active composition of those TCM such as Panax notoginseng, Paris yunnanensis and Gastrodia elata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynanchum is a large genus with some important medicinal species in China. The medicinal species in Cynanchum are easily confused, leading to potential safety risks. In this study, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) barcode was used to discriminate themedicinal plants in Cynanchum. The identifying capability of ITS2 was assessed using the specific genetic divergence, BLAST1, neighbor-joining (NJ) tree, maximum-likelihood (ML) tree, and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) methods. Results indicated that the intra-specific genetic divergences of Cynanchum species were lower than their inter-specific genetic divergences. Of the 87 samples from 17 species, ITS2 showed a high identification efficiency of 90.8 and 87.4% at the species level through BLAST1 and the nearest distance methods. NJ tree and ML tree also demonstrated the suitability of ITS2 to differentiate Cynanchum species. Meanwhile, a stable SNP was found, and it could accurately authenticate Cynanchum paniculatum and Cynanchum atratum. Furthermore, we collected 64 commercial samples from three commonly used herbal medicines and evaluated the capability of ITS2 to survey their authentication. Of these samples, Cynanchi Atrati Radix et Rhizoma (Baiwei) showed a potential safety problem, and all the 11 test samples were adulterants. In conclusion, ITS2 can distinguish medicinal species in Cynanchum effectively, and its application could greatly improve the identification efficiency and accuracy of commercial herbal medicines in this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crude polysaccharides CAPS and CAP of Cynanchum Auriculatum, which were prepared by degrading starch by single-enzymatic method (α-amylase) and double-enzymatic method (α-amylase and glucoamylase) respectively, were compared. CAP had good water solubility and higher non-starch polysaccharide content. A homogeneous neutral polysaccharide CAP-W, with the degree of acetylation about 17 %, was obtained from CAP by anion exchange column chromatography. Its detailed structure was identified by various methods. CAP-W, with the weight average molecular weight of 8.4 kDa, was composed of mannose, glucose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose in a molar ratio of 1.27:1.00:0.25:0.10:1.16. The backbone included β-1,4-Manp, β-1,4,6-Manp, β-1,4-Glcp and β-1,4,6-Glcp residues, with branches at the O-6 position of β-1,4,6-Manp and β-1,4,6-Glcp residues, consisting of α-T-Araf, α-1,5-Araf, α-1,2,5-Araf, α-1,3,5-Araf, T-Xylp,1,4-Xylp, β-T-Manp and β-T-Galp residues. In vitro immunological experiments suggested that CAP-W improved the phagocytic ability of macrophages, stimulated the release of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 from RAW264.7 cells, promoted the expression of NF-κB and caused nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All the authors confirm that there are no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cynanchum wilfordii and Humulus lupulus L. have been used for their various pharmacological properties in South Korea as a traditional medicine or health functional food, respectively, and their intake may relieve menopausal symptoms. The purpose of current study was to determine the effect of compound of Cynanchum wilfordii and Humulus lupulus L. (CWHL) in menopausal symptoms of ovariectomized (OVX) mice. OVX mice received CWHL or caudatin (an active ingredient of CWHL) once daily for 7 weeks. Values for hypothalamic serotonin (5-HT), dopamine, norepinephrine, estrogen receptor (ER)-β, 5-HT1A, and 5-HT2A were significantly enhanced, while value for hypothalamic monoamine oxidase A was reduced in CWHL and caudatin groups compared with the OVX group. CWHL and caudatin significantly reduced tail skin temperature and rectal temperature of OVX mice through partial recovering of the levels of serum estrogen, nitric oxide, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and receptor-activator of the NF-κB ligand (RANKL). Moreover, CWHL and caudatin improved bone mineral density via decreasing levels of serum RANKL, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, and collagen type 1 cross-linked N-telopeptide and improving levels of serum alkaline phosphatase, osteoprotegerin, and osteocalcin compared with the OVX group without adverse effects such as dyslipidemia. CWHL increased uterine ER-β levels but did not change uterus and vaginal weights. Taken together, the results indicate that CWHL may relieve menopausal symptoms by controlling depression-, hot flashes-, and osteoporosis-associated biomarkers. Therefore, we propose that CWHL might be a safe and potential candidate for management of menopause as a health functional food., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society for Reproductive Investigation.)

Cynanchum sarcomedium Meve & Liede is a member of Apocynaceae, seen in dry and rocky areas. The present study highlights the cytotoxic potential of C. sarcomedium mediated by apoptosis on cells of Allium cepa and human red blood cells (RBCs). Cytogenetic changes in A. cepa and in situ visualization of cell death were revealed through acetocarmine and Evans blue staining techniques. Quantitative estimation of cell death was carried out at 600 nm in a spectrophotometer. Membrane characteristics of RBC in response to the treatment were evaluated by May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cell membrane damage is a major factor for assessing apoptosis which is observed in the present study (90.91 %). Cell shrinkage, cytoplasmic fragmentation, condensed chromatin and presence of apoptotic bodies were the common cytological changes in A. cepa associated with apoptosis. Blebs in RBC evidenced by SEM revealed the membrane damage potential of the plant. Results obtained hereby suggest that the plant is an effective source to be used in toxicological studies and anti-cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynanchum is one of the most important genera in Asclepiadaceae family, which has long been known for its therapeutic effects. In this genus, 16 species are of high medicinal value. The extracts of the root and/or rhizome parts have been applied in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) for the prevention and treatment of various illnesses for centuries. C 21 steroids, as the typical constituents of Cynanchum species, possess a variety of structures and pharmacological activities. This review summarizes the comprehensive information on phytochemistry and pharmacology of C 21 steroid constituents from Cynanchum plants, based on reports published between 2007 and 2015. Our aim is to provide a rationale for their therapeutic application, and to discuss the future trends in research and development of these compounds. A total of 172 newly identified compounds are reviewed according to their structural classifications. Their in vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies are also reviewed and discussed, focusing on antitumor, antidepressant, antifungal, antitaging, Na + /K + -ATPase inhibitory, appetite suppressing and antiviral activities. Future research efforts should concentrate on in vitro and in vivo biological studies and structure activity relationship of various C 21 steroid constituents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynanchum pachyphyllum fue colectado en las inmediaciones del Lago Puelo (Chubut, Argentina). Esta especie, conocida hasta el presente sólo para el sur de Chile, es citada por primera vez para la Argentina. Se adjunta una descripción y una ilustración, además de una clave para identificar las especies patagónicas afines.Cynanchum pachyphyllum was collected near Lago Puelo (Chubut, Argentina). This species, known from Southern Chile, is reported for the first time for Argentina. A description and an illustration is provided, as well as a key to the related Patagonian species.