Gastrodia elata polysaccharide alleviates Parkinson's disease via inhibiting apoptotic and inflammatory signaling pathways and modulating the gut microbiota.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common, chronic, and progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system for which there is no effective treatment. Gastrodia elata is a well-known food and medicine homologous resource with neuroprotective potential. Gastrodia elata polysaccharide (GEP), which is a highly active and safe component in Gastrodia elata, is an important ingredient in the development of functional products. In this study, GEP was administered to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mice over 3 weeks to investigate its neuroprotective effects. The results showed that GEP significantly alleviated the motor dysfunction of PD mice, inhibited the accumulation of α-synuclein, and reduced the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. Moreover, GEP increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and decreased the cleaved-caspase-3 level, suggesting that GEP may ameliorate PD by preventing MPTP-induced mitochondrial apoptosis. GEP also significantly inhibited the increase of GFAP and decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in the brain of PD mice, which may be the result of the inhibition of neuroinflammation by the inactivation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effects of GEP involve the gut-brain axis, as it has been shown that GEP regulated the dysbiosis of PD-related gut microbiota such as Akkermansia, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Faecalibacterium, increased the content of microbial metabolites SCFAs in the colon and increased the level of occludin that repairs the intestinal barrier of PD mice. In conclusion, this study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the development and application of functional products with GEP from the perspective of neuroprotective effects.

[Quality evaluation and multi-spectral identification of origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos based on grey correlation-TOPSIS method].

The grey correlation-TOPSIS method was used to evaluate the quality of the origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, and the Fourier transform near-infrared(NIR) and mid-infrared(MIR) spectroscopy was applied to establish the identification model of origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos by combining chemometrics and spectral fusion strategies. The content of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, secoxyloganin, isoquercitrin, isochlorogenic acid B, isochlorogenic acid A, and isochlorogenic acid C in six origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), and their quality was evaluated by the grey correlation-TOPSIS method. The Fourier transform NIR and MIR spectra of six origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos(Lonicera japonica, L. macranthoides, L. hypoglauca, L. fulvotomentosa, L. confuse, and L. similis) were collected. At the same time, principal component analysis(PCA), support vector machine(SVM), and spectral data fusion technology were combined to determine the optimal identification method for the origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. There were differences in the quality of the origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. Specifically, there were significant differences between L. japonica and the other five origin herbs(P<0.01). The quality of L. similis was significantly different from that of L. fulvotomentosa, L. macranthoides, and L. hypoglauca(P=0.008, 0.027, 0.01), and there were also significant differences in the quality of L. hypoglauca and L. confuse(P=0.001). The PCA and SVM 2D models based on a single spectrum could not be used for the effective identification of the origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. The data fusion combined with the SVM model further improved the identification accuracy, and the identification accuracy of the mid-level data fusion reached 100%. Therefore, the grey correlation-TOPSIS method can be used to evaluate the quality of the origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. Based on the infrared spectral data fusion strategy and SVM chemometric model, it can accurately identify the origin herbs of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, which can provide a new method for the origin identification of medicinal materials of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos.

Effects of Native Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Isolated on Root Biomass and Secondary Metabolites of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMFs) are a group of soil-dwelling fungi that form symbiotic associations with plants, to mediate the secondary metabolism and production of active ingredients in aromatic and medicinal plants. Currently, there is little research on Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. inoculation with native AMFs and the concomitant effects on growth and secondary metabolites. In this study, S. miltiorrhiza was treated with eight AMFs, i.e., Glomus formosanum; Gl. tenebrosum; Septoglomus constrictum; Funneliformis geosporum; Rhizophagus manihotis; Ambispora gerdemanii; Acaulospora laevis; Ac. tuberculata, to investigate the influence of AMF inoculation on biomass and secondary production under greenhouse conditions in S. miltiorrhiza roots. The results showed that mycorrhiza formation rates were between 54.83 and 86.10%. Apart from Ac. laevis and Gl. tenebrosum treatment, the roots biomass of the other treatment groups was effectively increased, and the fresh and dry weight of the plant inoculated with Fu. geosporum were increased by 86.76 and 86.95%, respectively. Specifically, AMF treatments also impacted on phenolic acids production; inoculation with both Fu. geosporum or Ac. laevis significantly reduced total phenolic acids, whereas the other treatments effectively increased these levels, of which Gl. formosanum generated significant levels. Most AMF-plant symbiotic experiments facilitated phenolic acid accumulation in the secondary metabolites of S. miltiorrhiza (except Ac. laevis). This study showed that most native AMFs inoculation with S. miltiorrhiza promoted roots growth and increased secondary metabolites production (especially phenolic acids). Going forward, inoculation of native AMF is a promising method to improve the quality and yield of S. miltiorrhiza and should be considered during production.

[Screening and Research Cyathula officinalis in Cold Hardy Physiological Characteristics].

Objective: To explore the mechanism in cold-resistant of Cyathula officinalis seedlings,in order to provide a theoretical basis for variety breeding and resistance cultivation of Cyathula officinalis. Methods: Collected the materials in main producing areas of Cyathula officinalis,and the Cyathula officinalis growing into seedling with five pairs of leaves were used to research. The seeds were deal with low temperature stress,and the seedlings of morphological and physiological indicators of Cyathula officinalis were measured,membership function method and low temperature variation index were used to screen and evaluate the cold-tolerance of the Cyathula officinalis. Results: Soluble sugar,proline,soluble protein,fresh weight,plant height can be used as the evaluation indexes of cold-resistant Cyathula officinalis. The red and white Cyathula officinalis from Baoxing county in Chongxing village and the white Cyathula officinalis from Hanyuan county all had a good cold-resistance. Conclusion: The cold-resistant in Cyathula officinalis are different in different areas, and cold tolerance is positively correlated with the content of osmotic adjustment substance of Cyathula officinalis seedlings.

[Anti-dementia effect of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablet based on urinary metabonomics].

Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablet (TLXNET) is a patented prescription, which comes from modified Xionggui decoction and can improve cognitive function. However, its effect on the urine metabolites and anti-dementia mechanism in the dementia model rats induced by hippocampal injection with Aß25-35 remains unclear. The experiment focused on the changes in trajectory and inter-relationship among the urinary metabolite of rats in the blank group, Aß25-35 hippocampal injection dementia model group and the TLXNET intervention group, in order to determine theirs characteristic metabolic markers and explain the anti-dementia effect of TLX-NET base on the change of metabolic trajectory of these bio-markers. According to the experimental results, 5, 6-indolequinone, 4-hydroxyphenyl pyruvic acid (4-HPPA), cortisol and 3-thiosulfate lactic were preliminarily identified as the characteristic metabolic markers. They mainly participate in dopamine system, glucocorticoids and energy metabolic pathways. TLXNET can apparently downregulate the disturbances of metabolic trajectory of the four bio-markers. The experiment indicates that the dementia model induced by injecting Aß25-3 into hippocampus has its characteristic endogenous metabolic markers in urine, and ELXNET can ameliorate dementia by down-regulating the disturbances of metabolic trajectory.

[Effect of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets on learning and memory dysfunction in rats with chronic cerebral ischemia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets on learning and memory capacity and expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in hippocampus of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia-induced learning and memory dysfunction model. METHOD: The 2-VO method was used to establish sd rat model learning and memory dysfunction induced by chronic cerebral ischemia. The 50 rats in the successfully established model were randomly divided into the model control group, the Dihydroergotoxine Mesylate tablets group (0.7 mg x kg(-1), Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets high dose (7.56 g x kg(-1)), middle dose (3.78 g x kg(-1)) and low dose (1.59 g x kg(-1)) groups and the sham operation group (n = 10) as the control group. The groups were orally given 10 ml x kg(-1) x d(-1) drugs for consecutively 90 days. On the 86th day, Morris water maze was adopted for them. On the 90th day, a leaning and memory capacity test was held. The brain tissues were fixed with 10% formaldehyde and observed for pathomorphism after routine slide preparation and staining. The expression of hippocampal Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase was detected with immunohistochemistry and image quantitative analysis. RESULT: Compared with the model group, all of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets groups showed significant decrease in the escape latency at the 5th day in the Morris water maze, and notable increase in the frequency of the first quadrant dwell, the frequency passing the escape platform and the frequency entering effective area (p < 0.05). According to the pathomorphological detection, the control group showed a significantly higher pathological score than the sham operation group (p < 0.01), the middle dose group showed a significantly lower pathological score than the model group (p < 0.05). According to the immunohistochemistical detection, the model control group showed a remarkably lower mean OD value of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase than the sham operation group (p < 0.05), high and middle dose groups showed a significantly higher mean od value than the model control group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets can improve the learning and memory capacity, reduce pathological changes of hippocampal tissues of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia-induced learning and memory dysfunction model, and promote the expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in hippocampus.

[Effect of tongluo xingnao effervescent tablet on learning and memory of AD rats and expression of insulin-degrading enzyme in hippocampus].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablet on learning and memory of dementia rats induced by injection of Abeta25-35 in hippocampus and expression of insulin-degrading enzyme in hippocampus, in order to provide basis for preventing and treating senile dementia. METHOD: The dementia rat model was established by injecting Abeta25-35 in hippocampus. The rats were divided into the model control group, the Aricept (1.4 mg x kg(-1)) group, and Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablet high dose (7.56 g x kg(-1)), middle dose (3.78 g x kg(-1)) and low dose (1.59 g x kg(-1)) groups. A sham operation group was established by injecting normal saline in hippocampus. The rats were orally given drugs for 90 days, once a day. Their learning and memory were tested by using Morris water maze. Immunohistochemistry and image analysis were utilized for a quantitative analysis on the expression of insulin-degrading enzyme in hippocampus. RESULT: Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablet could significantly shorten the escape latency of rats in the directional navigation test, prolong the retention time in the first quadrant dwell, decrease the retention time in the third quadrant dwell, increase the frequency of crossing the platform, show a more notable statistical significance than the model control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, it could also remarkably increase the average optical density of insulin-degrading enzyme in hippocampus, promote the expression of insulin-degrading enzyme in hippocampus, and show a more notable statistical significance than the model control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablet has the effects of improving learning and memory capacity of AD rats and promoting the expression of insulin-degrading enzyme in hippocampus. Its effect in promoting intelligence will be related to increased insulin-degrading enzyme in hippocampus.

[Diversity study of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of Coptis deltoidea].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the resources and distribution of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in rhizosphere of Coptis deltoidea. METHODS: The colonization situation of AMF of Coptis deltoidea were detected by acid fuchsin staining and then calculated the colonization rate. AMF fungal spores were obtained by Wet-screening method and then classified and identified by their morphological characteristics and histochemical staining method. RESULTS: Coptis deltoidea and AMF could engender the mycorrhiza. Colonization rates were different in different producing areas and ranged from 23. 3% to 34.4%. Thirty species of AMF belonging in 6 genera were found, including 17 species of the Acaulospora, 7 of the Glomus, 2 of the Gigaspora, 1 of the Entrophospora, 1 of the Paraglomus and 2 of the Archaeospora were isolated from rhizosphere of Coptis deltoidea. Acaulospora and Glomus were the dominant genera and the AMF species of genuine producing regions in Hongya county was the most diversiform among the six areas. CONCLUSION: Coptis deltoidea is a kind of nutrition type of mycorrhiza plant. The rich diversity of AMF of Coptis deltoidea in producing areas make the AMF is a biological resource of significant application prospects in enlarging yield and non-pollution production.

[HPLC fingerprint of Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the HPLC fingerprint of Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati (Polygonum cuspidatum). METHOD: The HPLC separation was carried with Diamonsil C18 column and eluted with a gradient from methanol and 0.1% phosphoric acid, the detection wavelength was at 230 nm and recording 70 min. The similarity of chromatograms was compared by mean of the software from Zhongnan University. RESULT: The constituents of P. cuspidatum were well separated by HPLC, and the similarity was above 0.80. CONCLUSION: The method can be used for the study of fingerprints of Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati.