Hyperuricemia is the result of increased production and/or underexcretion of uric acid. Hyperuricemia has been epidemiologically associated with multiple comorbidities, including metabolic syndrome, gout with long-term systemic inflammation, chronic kidney disease, urolithiasis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, dyslipidemia, diabetes/insulin resistance and increased oxidative stress. Dysregulation of xanthine oxidoreductase (XOD), the enzyme that catalyzes uric acid biosynthesis primarily in the liver, and urate transporters that reabsorb urate in the renal proximal tubules (URAT1, GLUT9, OAT4 and OAT10) and secrete urate (ABCG2, OAT1, OAT3, NPT1, and NPT4) in the renal tubules and intestine, is a major cause of hyperuricemia, along with variations in the genes encoding these proteins. The first-line therapeutic drugs used to lower serum uric acid levels include XOD inhibitors that limit uric acid biosynthesis and uricosurics that decrease urate reabsorption in the renal proximal tubules and increase urate excretion into the urine and intestine via urate transporters. However, long-term use of high doses of these drugs induces acute kidney disease, chronic kidney disease and liver toxicity. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new nephroprotective drugs with improved safety profiles and tolerance. The current systematic review summarizes the characteristics of major urate transporters, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia, and the regulation of uric acid biosynthesis and transport. Most importantly, this review highlights the potential mechanisms of action of some naturally occurring bioactive compounds with antihyperuricemic and nephroprotective potential isolated from various medicinal plants.

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Dioscin is a typical saponin with multiple pharmacological activities. The past few years have seen an emerging interest in and growing research on this pleiotropic saponin. Here, we review the emerging pharmacological activities reported recently, with foci on its antitumor, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and tissue-protective properties. The potential use of dioscin in therapies of diverse clinical disorders is also discussed.

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Ethnopharmacology relevance Dioscin, a spirostane glycoside, the rhizoma of Dioscorea septemloba (Diocoreacea) is used for diuresis, rheumatism, and joints pain. Given the poor solubility and stability of Dioscin, we proposed a hypothesis that Dioscin's metabolite(s) are the active substance(s) in vivo to contribute to the reducing effects on serum uric acid levels. Aim of the study The aim of this study is to identify the active metabolite(s) of Dioscin in vivo and to explore the mechanism of its antihyperuricemic activity. Materials and methods After oral administration of Dioscin in potassium oxonate (PO) induced hyperuricemia rats and adenine-PO induced hyperuricemia mice models, serum uric acid and creatinine levels, clearance of uric acid and creatinine, fractional excretion of uric acid, and renal pathological lesions were determined were used to evaluate the antihyperuricemic effects. Renal glucose transporter-9 (GLUT-9) and organic anion transporter-1 (OAT-1) expressions were analyzed by western blotting method. Renal uric acid excretion was evaluated using stably urate transporter-1 (URAT-1) transfected human epithelial kidney cell line. Intestinal uric acid excretion was evaluated by measuring the transcellular transport of uric acid in HCT116 cells. Results In hyperuricemia rats, both 25 and 50mg/kg of oral Dioscin decreased serum uric acid levels over 4h. In the hyperuricemia mice, two weeks treatment of Dioscin significantly decreased serum uric acid and creatinine levels, increased clearance of uric acid and creatinine, increased fractional excretion of uric acid, and reduced renal pathological lesions caused by hyperuricemia. In addition, renal GLUT -9 was significantly down-regulated and OAT-1 was up-regulated in Dioscin treated hyperuricemia mice. Dioscin's metabolite Tigogenin significantly inhibited uric acid re-absorption via URAT1 from 10 to 100μM. Diosgenin and Tigogenin increased uric acid excretion via ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2). Conclusion Decreasing effect of Dioscin on serum uric acid level and enhancing effect on urate excretion were confirmed in hyperuricemia animal models. Tigogenin, a metabolite of Dioscin, was identified as an active substance with antihyperuricemic activity in vivo, through inhibition of URAT1 and promotion of ABCG2.

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Osteoporosis is a major health hazard and is a disease of old age; it is a silent epidemic affecting more than 200 million people worldwide in recent years. Based on a large number of chemical and pharmacological research many plants and their compounds have been shown to possess antiosteoporosis activity. This paper reviews the medicinal plants displaying antiosteoporosis properties including their origin, active constituents, and pharmacological data. The plants reported here are the ones which are commonly used in traditional medical systems and have demonstrated clinical effectiveness against osteoporosis. Although many plants have the potential to prevent and treat osteoporosis, so far, only a fraction of these plants have been thoroughly investigated for their physiological and pharmacological properties including their mechanism of action. An attempt should be made to highlight plant species with possible antiosteoporosis properties and they should be investigated further to help with future drug development for treating this disease.

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A water extract of the rhizomes of Dioscorea spongiosa, which showed antiosteoporotic activity, was examined, and four new pregnane glycosides, named spongipregnolosides A-D (1-4), and two new cholestane glycosides, named spongiosides A (5) and B (6), were isolated together with 15 known glycosides. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Among the isolated compounds, spongioside A (5), hypoglaucin G (7), methylprotodioscin (8), and (R)-oct-1-en-3-yl O-alpha-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->6)-alpha-d-glucopyranoside (9) showed potent inhibition against bone resorption induced by parathyroid hormone in a bone organ culture system.

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