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Planta Med 2022; 88(01): 43-52
DOI: 10.1055/a-1248-2626
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers

Screening of Bufadienolides from Toad Venom Identifies Gammabufotalin as a Potential Anti-inflammatory Agent

Yuanru Zheng‡
1   Third Level Research Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
2   Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Lijuan Deng‡
3   Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Huihui Cao‡
1   Third Level Research Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
2   Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Nishan Xu
1   Third Level Research Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
2   Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Dongmei Zhang
4   Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Haiyan Tian
4   Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Baojing Li
5   College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, P. R. China
,
Zibin Lu
1   Third Level Research Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
2   Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Wencai Ye
4   Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Linzhong Yu
1   Third Level Research Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
2   Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Chunlin Fan
4   Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
,
Junshan Liu
1   Third Level Research Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
2   Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, Guangzhou, P. R. China
› Author AffiliationsSupported by: the Guangzhou Education Bureau University Scientific Research project 201831845
Supported by: the Guangdong Province Universities and Colleges Pearl River Scholar Funded Scheme GDHVPS2018
Supported by: the Applied Basic Research Programs of Yunnan Province for Youths No.2017FD110
Supported by: the National Science Foundation of China 81973544
Supported by: the National Science Foundation of China 81730110
Supported by: the National Science Foundation of China 81903886
Supported by: Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CACM 2019-QNRC2-C14
› Further Information
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Abstract

Toad venom (Chansu) is used in the treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases in China and East/Southeast Asian countries. However, the anti-inflammatory components of toad venom have not yet been systematically evaluated and clearly defined. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of toad venom and identify new anti-inflammatory ingredients, we used zebrafish, an alternative drug screening model, to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of 14 bufadienolides previously isolated from toad venom. Most of the bufadienolides were found to exert significant anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide-, CuSO4-, or tail transection-induced zebrafish inflammatory models. Moreover, gammabufotalin (

6) inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation by suppressing the myeloid differentiation primary response 88/nuclear factor-kappa B and STAT3 signal pathways. This study confirms the potential of zebrafish in drug screening, clarifies the anti-inflammatory effects of bufadienolides from toad venom, and indicates that gammabufotalin may be developed as a novel therapeutic agent for inflammatory diseases in the future.

Key words

bufadienolides - gammabufotalin - bufonidae - Bufo gargarizans - anti-inflammation - zebrafish - Danio rerio


Publication History

Received: 01 February 2020

Accepted after revision: 23 August 2020

Article published online:
13 October 2020

© 2020. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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