Lin Hou

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major cause of drug development failure and post-marketing restrictions. To date, over 1,000 drugs have been reported to cause liver damage, such as acetaminophen, isoniazid, methotrexate, triptolide and so on. However, there are currently no effective therapies for DILI. Plant-derived natural products including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, and glycosides have been used for the treatment of DILI due to their low toxicity and strong bioactivity. These anti-DILI compounds involve multiple mechanisms, such as reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, restoring mitochondrial function, and suppressing apoptosis. This review primarily summarizes the recent advances over the past 5 years in the therapeutic potential of natural products against a range of commonly used hepatotoxic drugs rather than focusing on a specific hepatotoxic agent. The insights will provide a cue for further research and promote the development of novel and effective drugs for treating DILI.

Hericium erinaceus, an edible fungus belonging to the family Odontaceae, is predominantly found in Western Europe, North America, and East Asia. In China, it primarily thrives in the mountainous and forested regions in the northeast, north, and southwest. Historically, Hericium erinaceus has served as a medicinal and nutritional entity. Its mycelia and fruiting bodies are the products of its vegetative growth stage and reproductive growth stage, respectively. The principal active components are different Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides (HEPs), which are a group of polysaccharides primarily composed of galactose, glucose, and a small amount of mannose and fucose. An extremely small number of HEPs contain fructose, glucuronic acid, xylose, arabinose, and other components. The common extraction method employed is water extraction followed by alcohol precipitation. HEPs exhibit a diverse array of biological activities, including immune enhancement, anti-tumor effects, anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant capabilities, and antiviral functions. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the extraction, separation, purification, structural analysis, biological activity, and toxicity assessments of HEPs. Additionally, it discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with scientific research and practical applications in this field.

The recent 2014–2016 West African Ebola virus epidemic underscores the need for the development of novel anti-Ebola therapeutics, due to the high mortality rates of Ebola virus infections and the lack of FDA-approved vaccine or therapy that is available for the prevention and treatment. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) represent a huge reservoir of bioactive chemicals and many TCMs have been shown to have antiviral activities. 373 extracts from 128 TCMs were evaluated using a high throughput assay to screen for inhibitors of Ebola virus cell entry. Extract of Rhodiola rosea displayed specific and potent inhibition against cell entry of both Ebola virus and Marburg virus. In addition, twenty commercial compounds that were isolated from Rhodiola rosea were evaluated using the pseudotyped Ebola virus entry assay, and it was found that ellagic acid and gallic acid, which are two structurally related compounds, are the most effective ones. The activity of the extract and the two pure compounds were validated using infectious Ebola virus. The time-of-addition experiments suggest that, mechanistically, the Rhodiola rosea extract and the effective compounds act at an early step in the infection cycle following initial cell attachment, but prior to viral/cell membrane fusion. Our findings provide evidence that Rhodiola rosea has potent anti-filovirus properties that may be developed as a novel anti-Ebola treatment.