Ping Wang

Background: Honghema is a traditional Chinese medicinal material and is also widely used by ethnic minority communities in Guizhou Province, where it is commonly known as “Reib ndad gunb” and “Uab Detdend”. The botanical origins were the whole plants of Laportea bulbifera (Siebold & Zucc.) Wedd. (L. bulbifera) and Girardinia diversifolia (Link) Friis (G. diversifolia). Due to morphological similarities, Urtica mairei H. Lév. (U. mairei) was often mixed as easily confusable species in actual market circulation. However, systematic research regarding the differences in chemical composition between the two botanical origins, as well as between them and their easily confusable species remain limited. This study aimed to comprehensively characterise the chemical constituents of L. bulbifera, G. diversifolia, and U. mairei, and to identify significantly differential chemical constituents for their discrimination. Methods: Data acquisition was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Multivariate statistical analyses combined with reference standard comparison were performed to investigate the differences in chemical profiles among L. bulbifera, G. diversifolia and U. mairei, identify the key differential constituents leading to the differences, and clarify their relative abundance information. Results: A total of 133, 77, and 59 chemical constituents were identified from L. bulbifera, G. diversifolia, and U. mairei, respectively. These compounds comprised flavonoids, organic acids, carbohydrates, organonitrogen compounds, terpenoids, coumarins, lipids, steroids, and other types of compounds. Flavonoids constituted the highest proportion of the compounds in L. bulbifera, whereas organic acids were the most abundant in G. diversifolia and U. mairei. Through multivariate statistical analysis, 32 inter-group differential components between L. bulbifera and G. diversifolia, 27 between L. bulbifera and U. mairei, and 13 between G. diversifolia and U. mairei were screened and identified. The core components contributing to these differences included Baimaside, Roxburic acid, 1-Galloyl-glucose, Protocatechuic acid 3-glucoside, and Schaftoside. Venn diagram analysis revealed 20 characteristic differential constituents of L. bulbifera, mainly represented by flavonoids; 6 characteristic differential constituents of G. diversifolia, primarily comprising terpenoids and organic acids; and 4 characteristic differential constituents of U. mairei, mainly represented by carbohydrates. Conclusion: Significant differences were observed among the chemical profiles of the three plant species. The method established in this study can effectively identify the chemical compositions of Honghema and its easily confusable species, revealing the key components responsible for the variations in their chemical profiles. This study provides a basis for elucidating the material foundation of Honghema and offers an effective analytical approach and valuable reference data for distinguishing Honghema from its easily confusable species.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius. L) possesses anti-tumor, anti-thrombotic, anti-oxidative, immunoregulatory, and cardio-cerebral protective effects. It is used clinically for the treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular disease in China. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of safflower extract on myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (MIR) injury in a left anterior descending (LAD)-ligated model based on integrative pharmacology study and ultra-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). Safflower (62.5, 125, 250 mg/kg) was administered immediately before reperfusion. Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC)/Evans blue, echocardiography, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ability, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were determined after 24 h of reperfusion. Chemical components were obtained using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to analyze mRNA and protein levels, respectively. Safflower dose-dependently reduced myocardial infarct size, improved cardiac function, decreased LDH levels, and increased SOD levels in C57/BL6 mice. A total of 11 key components and 31 hub targets were filtered based on the network analysis. Comprehensive analysis indicated that safflower alleviated inflammatory effects by downregulating the expression of NFκB1, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-18, TNFα, and MCP-1 and upregulating NFκBia, and markedly increased the expression of phosphorylated PI3K, AKT, PKC, and ERK/2, HIF1α, VEGFA, and BCL2, and decreased the level of BAX and phosphorylated p65. Safflower shows a significant cardioprotective effect by activating multiple inflammation-related signaling pathways, including the NFκB, HIF-1α, MAPK, TNF, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. These findings provide valuable insights into the clinical applications of safflower.