Rooibos Flavonoids,Aspalathin, Isoorientin,and Orientin Ameliorate Antimycin A-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction by Improving Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in Cultured Skeletal Muscle Cells

The current study investigated the physiological effects of flavonoids found in daily consumed rooibos tea, aspalathin, isoorientin, and orientin on improving processes involved in mitochondrial function in C2C12 myotubes. To achieve this, C2C12 myotubes were exposed to a mitochondrial channel blocker, antimycin A (6.25 µM), for 12 h to induce mitochondrial dysfunction. Thereafter, cells were treated with aspalathin, isoorientin, and orientin (10 µM) for 4 h, while metformin (1 µM) and insulin (1 µM) were used as comparators. Relevant bioassays and real-time PCR were conducted to assess the impact of treatment compounds on some markers of mitochondrial function. Our results showed that antimycin A induced alterations in the mitochondrial respiration process and mRNA levels of genes involved in energy production. In fact, aspalathin, isoorientin, and orientin reversed such effects leading to the reduced production of intracellular reactive oxygen species. These flavonoids further enhanced the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial function, such as Ucp 2, Complex 1/3, Sirt 1, Nrf 1, and Tfam. Overall, the current study showed that dietary flavonoids, aspalathin, isoorientin, and orientin, have the potential to be as effective as established pharmacological drugs such as metformin and insulin in protecting against mitochondrial dysfunction in a preclinical setting; however, such information should be confirmed in well-established in vivo disease models.     

Orientin Improves Substrate Utilization and the Expression of Major Genes Involved in Insulin Signaling and Energy Regulation in Cultured Insulin-Resistant Liver Cells

Our group has progressively reported on the impact of bioactive compounds found in rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and their capacity to modulate glucose homeostasis to improve metabolic function in experimental models of type 2 diabetes. In the current study, we investigated how the dietary flavone, orientin, modulates the essential genes involved in energy regulation to enhance substrate metabolism. We used a well-established hepatic insulin resistance model of exposing C3A liver cells to a high concentration of palmitate (0.75 mM) for 16 hrs. These insulin-resistant liver cells were treated with orientin (10 µM) for 3 h to assess the therapeutic effect of orientin. In addition to assessing the rate of metabolic activity, end point measurements assessed include the uptake or utilization of glucose and palmitate, as well as the expression of genes involved in insulin signaling and regulating cellular energy homeostasis. Our results showed that orientin effectively improved metabolic activity, mainly by maintaining substrate utilization which was marked by enhanced glucose and palmitate uptake by liver cells subjected to insulin resistance. Interestingly, these effects can be explained by the improvement in the expression of genes involved in glucose transport (Glut2), insulin signaling (Irs1 and Pi3k), and energy regulation (Ampk and Cpt1). These preliminary findings lay an important foundation for future research to determine the bioactive properties of orientin against dyslipidemia or insulin resistance in reliable and well-established models of type 2 diabetes.     

Pharmacokinetic study of three active flavonoid glycosides in rat after intravenous administration of Trollius ledebourii extract by liquid chromatography

A selective and sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of orientin-2'-O-beta-L-galactopyranosyl (OGA), orientin and vitexin in rat plasma. Blood samples were collected via the fossa orbitalis vein at time intervals after intravenous administration and the concentrations of the three ingredients in plasma were analyzed by HPLC after the plasma protein had been precipitated directly with methanol. OGA, orientin and vitexin were successfully separated using a C18 column with gradient elution composed of acetonitrile and 0.1% acetic acid and were detected at the detection wavelength of 348 nm. Calibration curves of OGA, orientin and vitexin were generated over the range 0.315-161, 0.326-167 and 0.215-110 microg/mL, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precisions (relative standard deviation) for the analysis of the three analytes were between 1.68 and 8.43% with accuracies (relative error) below 8.55%. The mean extraction recoveries were between 70.35 and 86.42%. The developed method was suitable for simultaneous determination of these three active flavonoid glycosides in rat plasma and was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of glycosides from Trollius ledebourii in rats.     

金莲花抑菌抗病毒活性成分的初步研究

用柱层析等色谱分离手段从金莲花中得到3个纯化合物,通过UV、IR、1H-NMR等现代波谱技术分别鉴定为原金莲酸、牡荆甙和荭草甙.对上述化合物和所提取的总黄酮样品进行抑菌、抗病毒活性研究.结果表明,总黄酮、牡荆甙和荭草甙对金黄色葡萄球菌和表皮葡萄球菌有很好的抑制效果,并对副流感病毒有强的抑制作用.该项研究是由本实验室首次报道.     

Comparative pharmacokinetics study of orientin in rat plasma by UHPLC‐MS/MS after intravenous administration of single orientin and Trollius chinensis Bunge extract

Orientin showed a broad array of biological activities, and it is the major bioactive compound in the Trollius chinensis Bunge. The aim of this study was to investigate the comparative pharmacokinetics of orientin after intravenous administration of single orientin and T. chinensis Bunge extract. Sample preparation involved a simple one‐step deproteinization procedure with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters BEH C₁₈ column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water containing 0.1% formic acid in an isocratic elution way. The detection was accomplished in multiple reaction monitoring mode with positive electrospray ionization. The pharmacokinetic properties of orientin were compared after intravenous administrations of pure orientin and T. chinensis Bunge extract to rats with approximately the same dosage of 10 mg/kg. The results of the study indicate that the pharmacokinetics of orientin in rat plasma show significant differences between two groups. This is useful for the clinical uses of therapeutic dosing of orientin and T. chinensis Bunge.     

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Phytochemical Components of Clinacanthus nutans

Recent studies on the ethnomedicinal use of Clinacanthus nutans suggest promising anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorigenic, and antiviral properties for this plant. Extraction of the leaves with polar and nonpolar solvents has yielded many C-glycosyl flavones, including schaftoside, isoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, and vitexin. Aside from studies with different extracts, there is increasing interest to understand the properties of these components, especially regarding their ability to exert anti-inflammatory effects on cells and tissues. A major focus for this review is to obtain information on the effects of C. nutans extracts and its phytochemical components on inflammatory signaling pathways in the peripheral and central nervous system. Particular emphasis is placed on their role to target the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-NF-kB pathway and pro-inflammatory cytokines, the antioxidant defense pathway involving nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1); and the phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) pathway linking to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and production of eicosanoids. The ability to provide a better understanding of the molecular targets and mechanism of action of C. nutans extracts and their phytochemical components should encourage future studies to develop new therapeutic strategies for better use of this herb to combat inflammatory diseases.