Alkaloids in Tibetan Medicine Corydalis conspersa Maxim. and Their Hepatoprotective Effect Against Acute Liver Injury

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the alkaloids of Tibetan medicine Corydalis conspersa Maxim. and their hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury (ALI). The ethanol extract of this herbal medicine was subjected to a phytochemical study. Network pharmacology (NP) and molecular docking were used to predict the active constituents and mechanism of action against ALI. Seven alkaloid components were isolated and identified from this herb medicine, including acetylcorynoline (1, ACE), corynoline (2), scoulerine (3), protopine (4), bulbocapnine (5, BBC), palmatine (6), and isocorydine (7, ISO), among which compounds 1, 3, and 5 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Pharmacological experiments have shown that compounds 1, 5, 7, and the total alkaloids (TTA) of the plant exhibit good improvement effects on CCl4-induced ALI in mice. NP and molecular docking predicted that their mechanism of action may be related to targets such as STAT3, SRC, EGFR, PIK3CA, and HSP90AA1. These research findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of the medicinal value of Tibetan medicine Corydalis conspersa Maxim.