Chuanwu(CW), a famous traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) from the mother roots of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx..(Ranunculaceae), has been used for the treatment of various diseases. Unfortunately, its toxicity is frequently reported because of its narrow therapeutic window. In the present study, a metabolomic method was performed to characterize the phenotypically biochemical perturbations and potential mechanisms of CW-induced toxicity. Meanwhile, the expression level of toxicity biomarkers in the urine were analyzed to evaluate the detoxification by combination with Gancao(Radix Glyeyrrhizae, CG), Baishao(Radix Paeoniae Alba, CS) and Ganjiang(Rhizoma Zingiberis, CJ), which were screened from classical TCM prescriptions. Urinary metabolomics was performed by UPLC-Q-TOF-HDMS, and the mass spectra signals of the detected metabolites were systematically analyzed using pattern recognition methods. As a result, seventeen biomarkers associated with CW toxicity were identified, which were associated with pentose and glucuronate interconversions, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, among others. The expression levels of most toxicity biomarkers were effectively modulated towards the normal range by the compatibility drugs. It indicated that the three compatibility drugs could effectively detoxify CW. In summary, our work demonstrated that metabolomics was vitally significant to evaluation of toxicity and finding detoxification methods for TCM.
Natural products have gained popularity worldwide for promoting healthcare, as well as disease prevention. Alkaloids are important chemical compounds that serve as a rich reservoir for drug discovery. Several alkaloids isolated from natural herbs exhibit antiproliferation, antibacterial, antiviral, insecticidal, and antimetastatic effects on various types of cancers both in vitro and in vivo. This paper focuses on the naturally-derived alkaloids such as berberine, matrine, piperine, fritillarine, and rhynchophylline, etc., and summarizes the action mechanisms of these compounds. Based on the information in the literature that is summarized in this paper, the use of alkaloids as drugs is very promising, but more research and clinical trials are necessary before final recommendations on specific alkaloids can be made. Following this, it is hoped that as a result of this review, there will be a greater awareness of the excellent promise that natural alkaloids show for use in the therapy of diseases.
