Vacciniumchaozhouense (Ericaceae), a new species from East Guangdong, China.

Vacciniumchaozhouense (Ericaceae), a new species from East Guangdong Province, China is described and illustrated. This new species is morphologically similar to V.wrightii by having flowers with persistent and leaf-like bracts, long pedicels, and white spherical-urceolate corollas, but is distinguished by having glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface of the leaf blade, shorter pedicels, sparsely pilose corolla ridges, and anther thecae longer than the tubules. A key to the new species and morphologically similar species is also provided.

Role of gut microbiota via the gut-liver-brain axis in digestive diseases.

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional information interaction system between the central nervous system (CNS) and the gastrointestinal tract, in which gut microbiota plays a key role. The gut microbiota forms a complex network with the enteric nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, and the neuroendocrine and neuroimmunity of the CNS, which is called the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Due to the close anatomical and functional interaction of the gut-liver axis, the microbiota-gut-liver-brain axis has attracted increased attention in recent years. The microbiota-gut-liver-brain axis mediates the occurrence and development of many diseases, and it offers a direction for the research of disease treatment. In this review, we mainly discuss the role of the gut microbiota in the irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, functional dyspepsia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy via the gut-liver-brain axis, and the focus is to clarify the potential mechanisms and treatment of digestive diseases based on the further understanding of the microbiota-gut- liver-brain axis.

[Ethyl Acetate-Soluble Chemical Constituents from Callicarpa kwangtungensis (II)].

OBJECTIVE: To study the ethyl acetate-soluble chemical constituents of Callicarpa kwangtungensis. METHODS: The chemical constituents were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and MPLC. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of special analysis. RESULTS: Eleven compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble part of Callicarpa kwangtungensis, whose structures were elucidated as 4-methoxybenzoic acid (1), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2), 4-hydroxy cinnamic acid(3), phenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (5), 2α,3ß,22ß,23-tetrahydroxyursolic-12-en-28-oic acid (6), 2α,3ß,6ß,19α-tetrahydroxy-urs-12-en-28-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (7), 2ß,3ß,6ß,16α-tetrahydroxy-olean-12-en-28-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (8), (3S, 6E, 10R)-10-ß-D-glucopyranosyloxy-3,11-dihydroxy-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-1,6-diene (9), icariside C5(10), and (2E, 6E)-10-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-1, 11-dihydroxy-3, 7, 11-trimethyldodeca-2,6-diene (11). CONCLUSION: Compounds 4 - 11are isolated from Callicarpa genus for the first time, compounds 1 - 3 are isolated from this plant for the first time.