• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.11-18
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• 2015

Objectives: Systems biology is a novel subject in the field of life science that aims at a systems' level understanding of biological systems. Because of the significant progress in high-throughput technologies and molecular biology, systems biology occupies an important place in research during the post-genome era. Methods: The characteristics of systems biology and its applicability to traditional medicine research have been discussed from three points of view: data and databases, network analysis and inference, and modeling and systems prediction. Results: The existing databases are mostly associated with medicinal herbs and their activities, but new databases reflecting clinical situations and platforms to extract, visualize and analyze data easily need to be constructed. Network pharmacology is a key element of systems biology, so addressing the multi-component, multi-target aspect of pharmacology is important. Studies of network pharmacology highlight the drug target network and network target. Mathematical modeling and simulation are just in their infancy, but mathematical modeling of dynamic biological processes is a central aspect of systems biology. Computational simulations allow structured systems and their functional properties to be understood and the effects of herbal medicines in clinical situations to be predicted. Conclusion: Systems biology based on a holistic approach is a pivotal research methodology for understanding the mechanisms of traditional medicine. If systems biology is to be incorporated into traditional medicine, computational technologies and holistic insights need to be integrated.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.465-472
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• 2021

Background: Ginseng can help regulate brain excitability, promote learning and memory, and resist cerebral ischemia in the central nervous system. Ginsenosides are the major effective compounds of Ginseng, but their protein targets in the brain have not been determined. Methods: We screened proteins that interact with the main components of ginseng (ginsenosides) by affinity chromatography and identified the 14-3-3 ζ protein as a potential target of ginsenosides in brain tissues. Results: Biolayer interferometry (BLI) analysis showed that 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), a ginseng saponin metabolite, exhibited the highest direct interaction to the 14-3-3 ζ protein. Subsequently, BLI kinetics analysis and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assay showed that PPD specifically bound to the 14-3-3 ζ protein. The cocrystal structure of the 14-3-3 ζ protein-PPD complex showed that the main interactions occurred between the residues R56, R127, and Y128 of the 14-3-3 ζ protein and a portion of PPD. Moreover, mutating any of the above residues resulted in a significant decrease of affinity between PPD and the 14-3-3 ζ protein. Conclusion: Our results indicate the 14-3-3 ζ protein is the target of PPD, a ginsenoside metabolite. Crystallographic and mutagenesis studies suggest a direct interaction between PPD and the 14-3-3 ζ protein. This finding can help in the development of small-molecular compounds that bind to the 14-3-3 ζ protein on the basis of the structure of dammarane-type triterpenoid.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.750-758
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• 2022

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional condition between normality and dementia. Ginseng is known to have effects on attenuating cognitive deficits in neurogenerative diseases. Ginsenosides are the main bioactive component of ginseng, and their protein targets have not been fully understood. Furthermore, no thorough analysis is reported in ginsenoside-related protein targets in MCI. Methods: The candidate protein targets of ginsenosides in brain tissues were identified by drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) coupled with label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Network pharmacology approach was used to collect the therapeutic targets for MCI. Based on the above-mentioned overlapping targets, we built up a proteineprotein interaction (PPI) network in STRING database and conducted gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Finally, we assessed the effects of ginseng total saponins (GTS) and different ginsenosides on mitochondrial function by measuring the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex and performing molecular docking. Results: We screened 2526 MCI-related protein targets by databases and 349 ginsenoside-related protein targets by DARTS. On the basis of these 81 overlapping genes, enrichment analysis showed the mitochondria played an important role in GTS-mediated MCI pharmacological process. Mitochondrial function analysis showed GTS, protopanaxatriol (PPT), and Rd increased the activities of complex I in a dose-dependent manner. Molecular docking also predicted the docking pockets between PPT or Rd and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I. Conclusion: This study indicated that ginsenosides might alleviate MCI by targeting respiratory chain complex I and regulating mitochondrial function, supporting ginseng's therapeutic application in cognitive deficits.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 2023

As a famous herbal medicine in China and Asia, ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is also known as the "King of All Herbs" and has long been used in medicine and healthcare. In addition to the obvious biological activities of ginsenosides, ginseng polysaccharides (GPs) exhibit excellent antitumor, antioxidant stress, and immunomodulatory effects. In particular, GPs can exert an antitumor effect and is a potential immunomodulator. However, due to the complexity and diversity in the structures and components of GPs, their specific physicochemical properties, and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this article, we have summarized the factors influencing the antitumor activity of GPs and their mechanism of action, including the stimulation of the immune system, regulation of the gut microbiota, and direct action on tumor cells

• CELLMED
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.16
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• 2011

Diverse medicinal uses of different types of products obtainable from Brassica juncea have been known for centuries. Most such traditionally known uses of the plant have been centered on its seeds and oils obtainable from them. During more recent decades diverse bio-active molecules and their therapeutically interesting pharmacological properties of its green edible leaves have also been described, and they are now often considered to be effective substitutes for other so called "healthy" Brassica vegetables. However, little concentrated effort has yet been made to obtain a pharmacologically better defined phytopharmaceutical from this easily cultivable plant of commercial interest in many underdeveloped and developing countries. The main aim of this overview is to point out some possibilities for designing and developing such products from the plant for combating the rapidly spreading obesity epidemic in the developed countries and some other countries. Efforts to achieve such goals could as well be an economically more feasible, and culturally more acceptable, starting point for better understanding the potential health benefits of other vegetarian foods.

• CELLMED
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.27.1-27.6
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• 2020

Cancer is one of the leading cause of mortality in India as well as worldwide. The management of cancer by conventional therapy has shown life threatening adverse effects. The researchers are now exploring the natural way of treatment. Unani system of medicine have rich literature for cancer and many compound formulations have been described in this system. Unani system of medicine is based on holistic approach and treat human being as a unit with natural herbs, mineral and animal origin drugs. An important compound Unani formulation (CUF) from the literature has been chosen to explore the Unani claim of its anticancer activity. The phytochemical constituents were assessed using standard phytochemical screening method. Antioxidant property of this formulation was assessed by DPPH assay. The DPPH free radical scavenging assay was carried out by colorimetric method and ascorbic acid was taken as a positive control. Three different extracts of CUF on different concentrations were used to screening on human breast cancer (BCC) MCF-7 cell line. For the estimation of in-vitro cytotoxic potency of the investigated extracts was assessed on MTT assay by using trypan blue method and paclitaxel was used as the standard. Hydro-ethanolic (HE) extract showed highest free radical scavenging activity among all extracts. DPPH Assay showed substantial antioxidant activity of these extracts in hydro-ethanol extract at 1㎍ concentration of CUF. The CUF showed antioxidant and anticancer activity. The claim made by Unani physician has been proved.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.203-206
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• 2018

Objectives: There is an increasing number of complex diseases that are progressively more difficult to be controlled using the conventional "single compound, single target" approach as demonstrated in our current modern drug development. TCM might be the new cornerstone of treatment alternative when the current treatment option is no longer as effective or that we have exhausted it as an option. Orthogonal stimulus-response compatibility group study is one of the most frequently employed formulas to produce optimal herbal combination for treatment of multi-syndromic diseases. This approach could solve the relatively low efficacy single drug therapy usage and chronic adverse effects caused by long terms administration of drugs that has been reported in the field of pharmacology and medicine Methods: The present review was based on the Science Direct database search for those related to the TCM and the development of antihypertensive TCM herbal combination using orthogonal stimulus-response compatibility group studies approach. Results: Recent studies have demonstrated that the orthogonal stimulus-response compatibility group study approach was most frequently used to formulate TCM herbal combination based on the TCM principles upon the selection of herbs, and the resulting formulated TCM formula exhibited desired outcomes in treating one of global concerned complex multi-syndromic diseases, the hypertension. These promising therapeutic effects were claimed to have been attributed by the holistic signaling mechanism pathways employed by the crude combination of herbs. Conclusion: The present review could serve as a guide and prove the feasibility of TCM principles to be used for future pharmacological drug research development.