Xiao-Jie Gu

Anemone medicinal plants: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biology

The Ranunculaceae genus Anemone (order Ranunculales), comprising more than 150 species, mostly herbs, has long been used in folk medicine and worldwide ethnomedicine. Various medicinal compounds have been found in Anemone plants, especially triterpenoid saponins, some of which have shown anti-cancer activities. Some Anemone compounds and extracts display immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. More than 50 species have ethnopharmacological uses, which provide clues for modern drug discovery. Anemone compounds exert anticancer and other bioactivities via multiple pathways. However, a comprehensive review of the Anemone medicinal resources is lacking. We here summarize the ethnomedical knowledge and recent progress on the chemical and pharmacological diversity of Anemone medicinal plants, as well as the emerging molecular mechanisms and functions of these medicinal compounds. The phylogenetic relationships of Anemone species were reconstructed based on nuclear ITS and chloroplast markers. The molecular phylogeny is largely congruent with the morphology-based classification. Commonly used medicinal herbs are distributed in each subgenus and section, and chemical and biological studies of more unexplored taxa are warranted. Gene expression profiling and relevant “omics” platforms could reveal differential effects of phytometabolites. Genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics should be highlighted in deciphering novel therapeutic mechanisms and utilities of Anemone phytometabolites.

Phytochemical and biological research of Cannabis pharmaceutical resources

Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) is the source of several pharmaceutical benzylisoquinoline alkaloids including morphine, codeine, and sanguinarine. Moreover, other Papaver species also contain compounds with medicinal implications, such as alkaloid, essential oil, flavonoid, triterpenoid, steroid, and phenylpropanoid. Compared to Chelidonieae, Papaver has distinct and more diverse alkaloids. Papaver compounds display antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic effects, antimicrobial and antiparasitic activities, anti-inflammatory activity, effect on nervous system, and other effects. Meconopsis , according to the molecular phylogenetic analysis, should belong to Papaver and thus might be treated as a subgenus (except M. cambrica ). Transcriptomic studies help decipher the alkaloid biosynthesis pathway, while metabolomics platform is a powerful tool in developing innovative drugs based on at least 149 Papaver species.

Chemical and biological studies of Cimicifugeae pharmaceutical resources

Cimicifugeae is a botanical source of various pharmaceutically active components, especially cycloartane-type tetracyclic triterpenoid saponins, and their health-promoting and therapeutic values have been corroborated by long-term use in folk medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Increasing interest in Cimicifugeae pharmaceutical resources has led to further discoveries of triterpenoid saponins, phenolic compounds, chromones, and many other compounds in various Cimicifugeae species and to investigations on their chemotaxonomies, molecular phylogenies, and bioactivities. In continuation with our pharmacophylogenetic studies, we summarize the research progress in phytochemistry, chemotaxonomy, molecular biology, and phylogeny of Cimicifugeae, especially Cimicifuga and Actaea , and their relevance to therapeutic efficacy. More triterpenoid saponins have been found in various species, among which the cimigenol type (type A) is predominant. The versatile bioactivities of saponins and extracts, as well as those of phenolics and other ingredients, are summarized and discussed. Compared to other medicinal plants, Cimicifugeae has unique effects on menopausal symptoms and female reproductive system, osteoprotective effects, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities, and anticancer activity. The morphology-based five-genus classification of Cimicifugeae is largely supported by molecular phylogeny. Molecular phylogeny based on nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences tends to classify Cimicifuga , Souliea , and Actaea into the separate genus. It is indispensable to integrate the emerging omic technologies into Cimicifugeae research for both the sustainable utilization of Cimicifugeae pharmaceutical resources and finding novel compounds with potential clinical utility and less adverse effects.

High-throughput sequencing in medicinal plant transcriptome studies

Two alternative approaches, RNA-Seq and digital gene expression (DGE), to the medicinal plant transcriptome analysis are sequence-based and have become increasingly popular due to rapid developments in the high-throughput sequencing technologies. Among the high-throughput sequencing techniques, the 454 pyrosequencing and Illumina sequencing platforms are the first commercially available and relatively mature ones and thus widely used in various fields of medicinal plant transcriptome research. Metabolic pathway analysis of medicinal plants and molecular marker mining for the molecular breeding can be facilitated and accelerated by the smart use of RNA-Seq. DGE provides novel insights into the biochemical mechanisms in the medicinal plants. This review illustrates the great potential of high-throughput sequencing in the fields that are closely related to the drug discovery, drug development, and large-scale production of plant natural products and envisions its future development and applications in the medicinal plant transcriptome study.

Chemotaxonomy: a phylogeny-based approach

This chapter summarizes the chemotaxonomic study of medicinal plants and focuses on the chemical classification, as well as its relationship with morphology-based taxonomy and molecular biology classification. Both primary metabolites and secondary metabolites (SMs) are used as chemotaxonomic markers. Fatty acid, alkane, and alkyne are most commonly used primary metabolites. In comparison, more categories of SM are used in chemotaxonomy, such as essential oil and volatile terpene, diterpene, triterpene/saponin, alkaloid, flavonoid, lignin, and phenolics. The combined use of various classification methods could provide most robust taxonomy system. Developing metabolomics and cheminformatics tools, as well as constructing relevant databases, is highlighted in the new trend of chemotaxonomy. Due to the short supply of plant-based drugs in the current market, the medicinal plant classification studies should highlight combining pharmacological research to expand the herbal drug sources.

Phytochemical and biological research of Chelidonieae pharmaceutical resources

The tribe Chelidonieae of family Papaveraceae is a botanical source of various medicinal components, which has been commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for many centuries. Increasing interest in Chelidonieae pharmaceutical resources has led to additional discoveries of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, and many other compounds in various Chelidonieae species and to investigations on their chemotaxonomy, molecular phylogeny, and pharmacology. In continuation with our studies on Chelidonieae pharmacophylogeny, we review the phytochemistry, pharmacology, chemotaxonomy, and molecular phylogeny of Chelidonieae and their relevance to drug efficacy. Literature search is used to characterize the global scientific endeavor in the versatile technologies being used. The most remarkable pharmacological effect of both Chelidonieae compounds and extracts is the anticancer activity. The congruence between chemotaxonomy and molecular phylogeny is revealed and the evolution of plant alkaloid biosynthesis discussed. There is a lack of genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic studies of Chelidonieae. For both the sustainable utilization of Chelidonieae pharmaceutical resources and finding novel compounds with potential clinical utility, systems biology and omics technologies will play an increasingly important role in future medicinal research involving bioactive compounds of Chelidonieae.

Potentilla and Rubus medicinal plants: potential non-Camellia tea resources

Potentilla and Rubus plants of the family Rosaceae are broadly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and contain abundant secondary metabolites, especially various types of phenolic compounds and terpenoids. Some plants in these two genera are used as non- Camellia herbal tea in folk medicine, while others are also found to have multiple medicinal and food values. Polyphenols of Potentilla and Rubus have drawn increasing attention due to their potent antioxidant properties and their noticeable effects in the prevention of various oxidative stress-associated diseases such as cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. In the past few years, the identification and development of phenolic and other components or extracts from various plants of Potentilla and Rubus have become a major concern. In this review, we provide an updated and comprehensive overview on phytochemical ingredients and their bioactivities and molecular pharmacognosy of Potentilla and Rubus . The antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities of various components and extracts are summarized. Cardio-, neuro-, and hepatoprotective effects are discussed. These studies, as well as progress in molecular pharmacognosy, provide hints for sustainable exploitation and conservation of Potentilla and Rubus non- Camellia tea resources.

Phytochemistry and biology of Ilex pharmaceutical resources

Ilex is a botanical source for various health-promoting and pharmaceutically active components, which has been commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine and food for thousands of years. Increasing interest in Ilex pharmaceutical and food resources has led to additional discoveries of terpenoids, saponins, polyphenols (especially flavonoids), glycosides, and many other compounds in various Ilex species and to investigations on their chemotaxonomy, molecular phylogeny, and pharmacology. In continuation with our studies on Ilex pharmacophylogeny, we summarize the phytochemistry, chemotaxonomy, molecular biology, and phylogeny of Ilex and their relevance to health-promoting and therapeutic efficacy. Effects on lipid metabolism and cardiovascular disease, antidiabetic and antiobesity effects, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, antimicrobial effects, effects on the nervous system, and anticancer activity are highlighted. The similarity and dissimilarity between I. paraguariensis , the source plant of mate tea, and the source plants of large-leaved Kudingcha (e.g., I. kudingcha and I. latifolia ) are revealed and discussed. It is indispensable to integrate the emerging omic technologies into non- Camellia tea studies for both the sustainable utilization of Ilex pharmaceutical and food resources and finding novel compounds with potential health and clinical utility.

Chemical and biological studies of Aconitum pharmaceutical resources

Aconitum is a botanical source of various pharmaceutically active components, especially diterpenoid alkaloids, which have been commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Increasing interest in Aconitum pharmaceutical resources has led to further discoveries of diterpenoid alkaloids, polysaccharides, flavonoids, and many other compounds in various Aconitum species and to investigations on their chemotaxonomy, molecular phylogeny, and pharmacology. In continuation with our studies on Aconitum pharmacophylogeny, we summarize the phytochemistry, chemotaxonomy, molecular biology, and phylogeny of Aconitum and their relevance to therapeutic efficacy and toxicity. More diterpenoid alkaloids have been found in various species, among which the aconitine type (type III) is predominant. The versatile bioactivities of alkaloids and extracts, as well as those of polysaccharides and other ingredients, are summarized and discussed. Anticancer activity, effects on cardiovascular and nervous systems, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, effects on energy metabolism, and antimicrobial and pesticidal activities are highlighted. The morphology-based 11-series classification of section Aconitum , subgenus Aconitum , is not supported by chemotaxonomy and molecular phylogeny. Molecular phylogeny based on nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences divided the nine morphologically similar series into two clusters, which is bolstered by the chemotaxonomic data. It is indispensable to integrate the emerging omic technologies into Aconitum studies for both the sustainable utilization of Aconitum pharmaceutical resources and finding novel compounds with potential clinical utility and less toxicity.

Phytochemical and biological research of Polygoneae medicinal resources

Abstract This chapter synthesizes current knowledge on phytochemistry, bioactivity, molecular phylogeny, and omics of Polygoneae medicinal resources. Many species in the seven genera of Polygoneae are traditional and popular medicinal herbs. Anthraquinones and stilbenes are characteristic medicinal compounds of Polygoneae, while other useful constituents, such as alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, volatile oils, tannins, resins, coumarins, and lignans, have also been isolated from Polygoneae species. Among versatile bioactivities of Polygoneae compounds, their effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems and their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, insecticidal, anticancer, and antioxidant activities are highlighted. Interspecific hybridization and the following polyploidization play a major role in Polygoneae diversification. Nuclear ITS and chloroplast DNA sequences are retrieved to resolve the interspecific relationship and reassign some taxa to the appropriate genus. Omics study of Polygoneae is at the budding stage, which will revolutionize the sustainable utilization of Polygoneae medicinal resources.