Medicinal Plant Research 2024, Vol.14, No.5, 245-258 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 247 The study of Ma et al. (2022) demonstrates the stability of six iridoid compounds under varying temperature and pH conditions. The compounds remain relatively stable at lower temperatures (20 °C to 60 °C), showing minimal degradation. However, as the pH becomes more alkaline (pH 10 and 12), the degradation significantly increases, particularly for the trimer and tetramer compounds. This suggests that higher pH levels have a profound impact on the stability of these iridoids, making them less stable in basic environments while maintaining better stability at neutral and acidic pH. Temperature does not appear to significantly affect degradation under these conditions. The content of bioactive compounds can vary significantly based on the habitat and processing methods. For example, stir-frying with salt-water enhances the extraction of chlorogenic acid, while carbonizing leads to a significant loss of major components. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been used to classify different parts of E. ulmoides based on their chemical compositions, highlighting the distinct profiles of bark, leaves, and male flowers (Yan et al., 2018). The phytochemical composition of E. ulmoides is rich and varied, with advanced analytical methods enabling detailed qualitative and quantitative assessments. These findings support the plant's extensive use in traditional medicine and its potential for further pharmacological and commercial applications. 3 Bioactive Compounds and Their Pharmacological Effects 3.1 Antioxidant properties E. ulmoides exhibits significant antioxidant properties, primarily attributed to its rich content of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, iridoids, and phenols. Studies have shown that dietary supplementation with E. ulmoides leaf extracts (ELE) enhances antioxidant capacity in various models. For instance, in weaned piglets, ELE supplementation increased serum and liver total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) levels, indicating improved antioxidant status (Ding et al., 2020). Additionally, the leaves of E. ulmoides contain compounds like quercetin and kaempferol, which have demonstrated potent soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activity, contributing to their antioxidant effects. The antioxidant properties of E. ulmoides are further supported by its ability to upregulate the expression of antioxidant genes such as CAT and SOD in genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT), enhancing their resistance to oxidative stress (Huang et al., 2022). 3.2 Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects E. ulmoides has been traditionally used for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Modern pharmacological research has identified several bioactive compounds responsible for these effects. For example, the male flowers of E. ulmoides contain asperuloside, which has been shown to delay muscle aging by improving mitochondrial function and reducing inflammation through the DAF-16 mediated pathway (Chen et al., 2023). Furthermore, extracts from E. ulmoides leaves have demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway, reducing the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells (Wang et al., 2019). These findings are corroborated by another study where compounds isolated from E. ulmoides leaves, including quercetin and kaempferol, exhibited potent NF-κB inhibitory effects, further validating their anti-inflammatory potential (Bai et al., 2015). 3.3 Cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits E. ulmoides has been extensively studied for its cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits. The bark extract of E. ulmoides has been shown to reduce blood pressure and inflammation in high-salt diet and N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) induced hypertensive mice (Figure 3). This effect is partly mediated by the regulation of gut microbiota, particularly the enrichment of the Parabacteroides strain, which exerts anti-hypertensive effects by reducing inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17A (Yan et al., 2022). Additionally, E. ulmoides has been reported to possess antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities, making it beneficial for managing diabetes and obesity (Huang et al., 2021). The leaves of E. ulmoides also contain bioactive compounds that improve lipid metabolism and immune function, as evidenced by their positive effects on milk quality and biochemical properties in dairy cows (Teng et al., 2021). These multifaceted benefits highlight the potential of E. ulmoides as a therapeutic agent for cardiovascular and metabolic health.
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