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Abstract Prenylated flavonoids have been demonstrated to possess diverse bioactivities including antitumor effects. One new, daphnegiravone D (1), and four known (2–5) prenylated flavonoids were isolated from Daphne giraldii. Their cytotoxic activities revealed that daphnegiravone D markedly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells, but had no apparent cytotoxicity on human normal cells. Mechanistically, daphnegiravone D induced G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis, reduced the expression of cyclin E1, CDK2 and CDK4, and promoted the cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP in Hep3B and HepG2 cells. Meanwhile, daphnegiravone D increased the level of phosphorylated p38 and attenuated phosphorylated JNK. Further studies indicated that SB203580 partially reversed daphnegiravone D-induced G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis. The addition of SP600125 to both cell lines increased the cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP, but did not affect the G0/G1 arrest. Besides, in vivo studies demonstrated that daphnegiravone D obviously inhibited tumor growth in a nude mouse xenograft model through suppressing the proliferation of tumor cells, without significant effect on body weight or pathology characteristics. Taken together, the new compound selectively inhibited the proliferation of hepatoma cells via p38 and JNK MAPK pathways, suggesting its potential as a novel natural anti-hepatocellular carcinoma agent.

Viburnum dilatatum (jiami in Chinese), belonging to the Caprifollaceae family, is widely distributed in Japan and China. Phytochemical investigations of Viburnum dilatatum (V. dilatatum) have resulted in the isolation of triterpenoids, phenolic glycosides essential oil, norisoprenoids, etc. Research results have shown that the chemical constituents of V. dilatatum possess various pharmacological activities, including antihyperglycemic, antioxidant activity and antiulcer effects. This study reviewed the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of V. dilatatum to provide practical and useful information for further research and development of this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephantopus tomentosus, belonging to the genus Elephantopus, is widely distributed in the coastal areas of southern China and tropical regions, used locally as traditional folk medicine. Previous phytochemistry studies on Elephantopus tomentosus led to the isolation of sesquiterpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids and other compounds. Research has shown that these compounds possess multiple biological activities, which have attracted great attention of researchers worldwide. This study reviews the chemical constituents and biological activities of the Elephantopus tomentosus in order to better explore and utilize Elephantopus tomentosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloranthus japonicus Sieb., belonging to the Chloranthaceae family, is a perennial herb widely distributed in East Asia, including China, Japan and Korea. Previous phytochemical studies have revealed the presence of a variety of secondary metabolites, such as terpenoids, phenylpropanoids and phenolic derivatives. Among them, sesquiterpenes and dimers, as the main chemical constituents and research focus in this plant, have a variety of biological activities. This review mainly focuses on the research progress of pharmacological activity of sesquiterpenes in this plant, which will lay the foundation for the development and utilization of its medicinal value in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piper nigrum L., belonging to Piper genus of the Piperaceae family, is a medicinal and edible plant. Studies have shown that there are many chemical constituents in this plant, including alkaloids, lignans, steroids and other compounds. In addition, some chemical components of P. nigrum have potential values to treat cancer, inflammation and other diseases. Research progress on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of P. nigrum was reviewed in this study to better explore its potential medicinal value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viburnum awabuki (V. awabuki), belonging to the Viburnum genus, is an ideal tree species for landscaping. Phytochemical investigations of the V. awabuki have resulted in the isolation and identification of coumarins, lignans, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and triterpenes. It has been reported that the extracts of V. awabuki have multiple pharmacological activities, including antitumor, anti-oxidant, plant growth inhibitory and neurite outgrowth-promoting activities. The research progress on the chemical constituents of V. awabuki and pharmacological activities were summarized in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors that seriously affect women's physical and mental health and even endanger their lives. Establishing a primary prevention program for BCa remains a challenge. Traditional Chinese medicine, Scutellariae Radix (SR), has been used to treat BCa while its pharmacological mechanism is still unclear. This study aims to reveal the pharmacological mechanism of SR in the treatment of BCa. Chemical constituents of SR were obtained and the targets of the compound were identified via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP). GeneCards and DrugBank databases were used to collect BCa's related target genes. Disease-compound common target protein interaction network was established by using the STRING database. The network diagrams of the active componentaction target and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed by Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to further explore the BCa mechanism and therapeutic effect of SR. As a result, 121 active compounds were obtained. The Venn diagram results showed that SR and BCa had 57 intersection targets, the more frequently targeted ones are TP53, JUN, CCND1, AKT1, which could affect biological processes such as response to steroid hormone and positive regulation of cell death. KEGG analysis revealed that these targets were related to IL-17 signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study preliminarily verified the target and mode of action of SR in the treatment of BCa, laying a foundation for further research on its mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litsea lancilimba Merr. is a Cinnamomum plant of Lauraceae. Phytochemical investigations of the Litsea lancilimba Merr. have resulted in the isolation of Volatile oil, flavonoid glycosides, tannins, alkaloids, lignans, organic acids and so on. Studies have showed that volatile oil is the main chemical component. Recent trials have demonstrated the efficacy of Litsea lancilimba Merr. in strengthening the function of stomach. The fruits have also been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory and bacteriostatic activities. This review deals mainly with the chemical structure and biological activities of Litsea lancilimba Merr. oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Levl.) Hutch. (THH), which belongs to Tripterygium genus of Celastraceae family, is widely used as the common Chinese herbal medicine. It has been reported that the chemical constituents of T. hypoglaucum include monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, sesquiterpene alkaloids, flavonoids, anthraquinone derivatives, et al. These compounds showed a wide range of bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immunosuppressive, anti-HIV, anti-fertility and insecticidal activities. In this paper, we summarized the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of T. hypoglaucum to provide a reference for its further research and developement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the dried seeds of Crotalaria pallida. The structures of all compounds were identified through the analysis of spectral data. All compounds were isolated for the first time from Crotalaria genus. Compounds 1-5 were evaluated for their antioxidant abilities by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays. Results showed that compounds 1-5 had moderate antioxidant activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. Despite a great deal of research on this disease, there is still no definitive treatment plan. Literature investigations have shown that Piper nigrum L. has a protective effect on the nerve center. Therefore, network pharmacology was used in this study to investigate the therapeutic potential of P. nigrum for PD. As a result, six active alkaloid ingredients and four potential targets were obtained. This study laid the foundation for finding the lead compounds from P. nigrum to treat PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the sixth most common malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Numerous Chinese herbs have been used to prevent and treat HCC. Periploca forrestii Schltr., belonging to the family of Asclepiadaceae, has been reported to have strong inhibitory efficacy against various types of cancer cells, but the mechanism is unclear. Hence, we utilized the compound-disease target network based on the network pharmacology analysis to find out the active ingredients from P. forrestii and the potential target proteins involved in hepatocellular carcinoma. The results showed that the most effective compounds in this plant might be caffeoylquinic acids and the most potential target might be GMP synthase [glutamine-hydrolyzing] (PDB: 2vxo). This study is of great significance to the further research of P. forrestii and provides a novel treatment strategy for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit of Camptotheca acuminate is used as a traditional Chinese medicine. Eight compounds were isolated from the fruit of Camptotheca acuminate for the first time, including (+)-(S)-abscisic acid (1), blumenol A (2), (E)-3-hydroxymegastigm-7-en-9- one (3), (-)-(3R)-3,5-dimethyl-8-methoxy-3,4-dihydroisocoumarin (4), (-)-(3R)-8-methoxy-3-methyl-3,4-dihydro-1H-isochromen-1-one (5), neocnidilide (6), (35)-butylphthalide (7) and senkyunolide I (8). Their structures were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic methods, including HRESIMS and 1D NMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camptotheca acuminate belongs to Nyssaceae family and has been used as traditional Chinese medicine for several years. A number of compounds with anti-tumor activities have been isolated from C. acuminate. However, the targets of some compounds have not been determined. In this study, network pharmacology methods were used to analyze 74 compounds from C. acuminate and 49 target proteins of liver cancer. The results showed that the target with the largest number of directed edges was Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase (1d3g). The compound docked with 1d3g best was AL.23 (19-O-methyangustoline). The results of this study provide further insight into the role of network pharmacology as an effective tool to illuminate the research on liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periploca forrestii Schltr. belonging to the family of Apocynaceae, is one of the "three treasures of Miao medicine", which was utilized by the Miao people in China for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, fractures and wound. Phytochemical investigations have discovered that the main constituents of Periploca forrestii were steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids and their glycosides, flavanols, quinones and phenylpropanoids. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that it possesses a wide range of biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatoid arthritis, anticancer, immunosuppressive, neuroprotective and other properties. This paper summarized the primary chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Periploca forrestii, hoping to provide a reference for its further development and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daphne plants, belonging to Thymelaeaceae, have been used as traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Previous studies suggested that they exerted anti-tumor activities and reported a number of compounds with anti-tumor activities, isolated from the genus Daphne. However, the targets of these compounds have not been determined yet. In this study, network pharmacology was used to analyze 128 terpenoid compounds from the genus Daphne and 49 target proteins of liver cancer. The results suggested that the target with the most number of directed edges was 5yz0. The compound which docked with 5yz0 best is AR.DT.25 (acutilobin D), and the compounds with total docking score greater than 10 were almost all Daphnane diterpenoids. The network pharmacology results predicted that the 5yz0 protein was one of the potential targets of the terpenoids from the genus Daphne and then suggested several new targets and compounds for further liver cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight compounds (1-8) were isolated from Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, including four lignans, three phenylpropanoids and a simple aromatic compound, their structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and mass spectrometry data. Among them, compounds 1, 3, 5 and 8 were first obtained from this genus. In addition, free radical scavenging ability of compounds 1-8 were evaluated using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays and the results showed that compound 2 exhibited potent antioxidant activity in DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays and compound 7 showed the highest value of FRAP radical scavenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation of peanut testa (the seed coat of Arachis hypogaea L.) led to the isolation of eight phenolic compounds, including caffeic acid (1), methyl caffeate (2), ethyl caffeate (3), methyl protocatechuate (4), ethyl protocatechuate (5), butyl protocatechuate (6), (E)-p-hydroxycinnamic acid methyl ester (7), and resveratrol (8). The structures of the compounds were elucidated through spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with the previously reported literature. Among them, compounds 2, 3, 5, and 6 were obtained from Arachis hypogaea L. for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight compounds, (+)-syringaresinol (1), apigenin (2), 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydxyphenylpropanol (3), 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzoic acid (4), ferulaic acid (5), trans-p-hydroxycinnamic methyl ester (6), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenz-oic acid (7) and p-methoxy benzoic acid (8) were isolated from the 70% ethanol extract of the whole herb of Elephantopus scaber L. The structures of all compounds were identified by spectral data analysis. All compounds were obtained for the first time from Elephantopus scaber L.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phytochemical investigation of 80% EtOH exact of Isatis indigotica Fortune leaves yielded ten lignans (1-10), including six furofurans lignans (1-6), one arylnaphthalenes lignans (7) and three tetrahydrofurans lignans (8-10). Their structures were determined by HRESIMS spectroscopic data and extensive NMR analyses. Among them, compounds 6, 9 and 10 were isolated from the genus of Isatis for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with global deterioration of intellectual function, including memory, learning, orientation, language, comprehension and judgment. Given the prevalence of AD and the lack of effective long-term therapies, there is a pressing need to discover viable leads that can be developed into clinically approved drugs with disease-modifying effects. The analysis of current reported literatures confirms the importance of Patrinia villosa J. as candidate against AD. Hence, the compound-disease target network based on the methods of network pharmacology prediction was established in this paper. The aim is to explore potential compounds with marked effect on AD in P. villosa. The result showed that the most effective compound in this plant might be threo-(7R,8R)-guaiacyl-glycerol-ß-O-4'-dihydroconiferyl ether, and the most potential target might be Maltose-binding periplasmic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephantopus scaber L., belonging to Elephantopus plant of Compositae, is widely used as the common Chinese herbal medicine in folk. According to the phytochemical investigations, E. scaber is used to treat several cancers, anemia and diarrhea on account of the property of the complex components and multi-targets. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of herb remain unclear. In this report, network pharmacology method is used to analyze the relation among the small-molecule compounds of E. scaber, target proteins, biological pathways and liver cancer. The potential active compounds from the E. scaber, potential target proteins and the key pathways were predicted by network pharmacology models. We believe that our present study is useful to find novel lead compounds for liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isatis indigotica Fortune, belonging to Isatis genus of Cruciferae family, is widely used as a common Chinese herbal medicine in folk. As a traditional medicinal agent, a wide spectrum of chemical constituents have been isolated from the leaves, including alkaloids, flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, organic acids and glycosides. The research shows that the leaves had multiple activities and good development prospect, which has attracted a wide range of attention. Hence, this article is presented as a review concentrating on chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of the leaves of I. indigotica Fort., aiming at supporting practical and useful information for the further research and development of this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer has been the most common cancer in the world for several decades, and it was also the most common cause of death from cancer. Despite the several advances in the last few years into treatment of lung cancer, the survival remains extremely low. There is an urgent need to discover viable leads that can be developed into new clinically therapeutic drugs with good treatment effects. The analysis of current reported literatures suggest that natural products possess strong inhibitory efficacy against lung cancer. The plants of Croton genus belonging to Euphorbiaceae family, are widely used as herbal medicine in the folk. Which are reported to have abilities to treat several cancer cell lines especially lung cancer, a successive study was carried out to identify selective anticancer agents from these plants specie. Herein we employed a network pharmacological approach to understand its multi-therapeutics potentiality in Croton genus against lung cancer. In total, the database of the compound was established based on the methods of network pharmacology prediction and the compound-disease target network was constructed. We believed that our study would provide important clues for finding novel drug inhibitors for lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcandra glabra (Thunb.) Nakai., belonging to Chloranthaceae genus of Sarcandra family, is widely used as the common Chinese herbal medicine in folk. As a traditional medicinal agent, a wide spectrum of chemical constituents have been isolated from the S.glabra, including sesquiterpenoids, triperpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, phenolic acids and volatile oil. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that S.glabra has many biological activities such as anti-cancer, hepatoprotective activity, anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic activities. For the further development of this plant, the primary chemical constitutions of S.glabra and their activities have been summarized in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver cancer is a common malignant tumor, which is one of the most common causes of cancer related deaths worldwide, specially, in China. Piper longum Linn. is a traditional Chinese medicine that is used to treat and prevent diseases in clinical practice, however, the active ingredients and potential targets of its action against liver cancer remain unclear. In this study, network pharmacology approach was used to identify active ingredients and the major targets of Piper longum against liver cancer. In addition, the key pathways were also predicted on the network pharmacology level, which might be beneficial to the chemical basis and pharmacological studies of this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephantopus scaber L. belongs to Elephantopus plant of Compositae, is widely used as the common Chinese herbal medicine in folk. Phytochemical investigations of the E. scaber have resulted in the isolation of triterpennoids, sesquiterpene lactones, sesquiterpene phenols, steroids, flavones, anthraquinones, peptides, lipid compounds and aryl compounds. It possesses the effects of antibacterial, clearing away heat and detoxification, detumescence and diuresis, and is used for treating lung cancer, cervical cancer, liver cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, breast cancer, anemia and diarrhea. The research progress in the chemical constituents of E. scaber and pharmacological effects are reviewed for better explore and utilize the E. scaber resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piper longum Linn. is a native of the Indo-Malaya region, belongs to the family Piperaceae. It is a slender aromatic climber widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions. As a traditional ethnic drug, P. longum contains various chemical constituents such as alkaloids, volatile oil and lignans. The extract of P. longum has been reported to show various activities like antitumor, antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity. Hence, this paper is presented as a review centered on the main chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of P. longum, aiming at its further development and potential value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using molecular docking and computer network pharmacology, the active ingredients from the anticancer herb medicine, Juglans mandshurica Maxim, and the potential targets related to lung cancer were screened out rapidly. Compounds-targets network of J. mandshurica in lung cancer treatment was constructed based on the network analysis. Additionally, the intermolecular forces between the top ten active compounds and the key target protein were explored. At the systemic level, the active components, potential targets, and interactive relations of J. mandshurica in the treatment of lung cancer were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genkwa flos is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, which exhibits abundant biological activities such as antiinflammatory, analgesic, immunoregulatory activities and anti-rheumatic arthritis activity. Recent pharmacological studies showed that Genkwa flos might also have the antitumor effect. Daphnane-type diterpenoids (DDs) are one of the main anti-tumor constitutions in Genkwa flos. However, the underlying anticancer molecular mechanisms of this type of compounds are still unclear. This review aims to give a systematic summary of DDs from Genkwa flos to better understand the anti-tumor activitiy by focusing on cell arrest, apoptosis, topoisomerase inhibition, melanin inhibition and the reverse of multi-drug-resistance (MDR). In addition, we are also going to make an overview of the mechanisms identified up to now. The significant findings may provide that DDs in Genkwa flos is a promising targeted-cancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plants of Croton genus, belonging to Euphorbiaceae family, are widely used as herbal medicine in the folk. Popular uses include treatment of cancer, HIV, fever, hypertension, inflammation, intestinal worms, malaria, pain, ulcers and weight-loss. Diterpenoids are very common in Croton, corresponding to clerodanes, tiglianes, kauranes, labdanes, cembranes, halimanes, trachylobanes, crotofolanes and sarcopetalanes. There are numerous studies indicated that the main active chemical constituents of Croton were diterpenoids. The plants of Croton genus have been closely watched by researchers due to its multiple activities and good development prospect. To obtain a more comprehensive perspective, it is necessary to publish a review focusing on the "diterpenoids from the genus Croton". This paper is presented as a review concentered on the diterpenoids different core frameworks and its pharmacological effects of Croton genus, which is useful to the further research and development of this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective compounds isolated from Chinese herbs play an important role in the development of new candidate drugs, which can be widely used in the treatment of various diseases. Previous literature has revealed that Stellera chamaejasme L. possesses the activity of inhibiting liver cancer cells. Nevertheless, the interactions between active compounds isolated from this herb and targets related to liver cancer are still not very clear. In this study, we applied network pharmacology-based analysis to figure out these relationships. And eight compounds were predicted to have the most significant activity against liver cancer. At the same time, the binding modes between the top eight candidate compounds and the protein target Glutamine synthetase which is likely to be the most important target associated with liver cancer were identified. It is believed that the study can provide a reference for the discovery of new drug molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a genetically complex neurodegenerative disease and its pathological mechanism has not been fully discovered. In the current study, we have examined the medicinal effect of amide alkaloids of the Piper genus in the treatment of AD using network pharmacology. High-confidence level networks consisting of compound-protein target and protein targetpathway association were developed and the potential active amide alkaloids of the Piper genus, the potential target proteins and the key pathways were predicted by network pharmacology models. Overall, this approach provided a novel strategy to explore the role of amide alkaloids of the Piper genus in the treatment of AD from a holistic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants of the genus Crataegus are widely distributed in North America and China. Edwards et al. reported the phytochemicals and pharmacology of Crataegus species in 2012. From 2012 to 2017, numerous articles have been published on the chemical constituents and pharmacologic effects of the genus Crataegus. To review chemical and pharmacologic advances and discuss the potential prospects for future investigation, the report summarized over 150 compounds isolated from Crataegus species, including flavonoids, triterpenoids, terpenes, lignans, hydroxycinnamic acids and phenols. These compounds exhibited wide range of bioactivities including antoxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-thrombotic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]