Insights into dynamic evolution of glucuronofucogalactoglucan from water extract of Agrocybe cylindracea during maturation.

This study explored the physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of Agrocybe cylindracea polysaccharides at four developmental stages, as well as their dynamic evolution during maturation. Results showed that the polysaccharides from A. cylindracea water extract exhibited similar structural characteristics across all four maturity stages, despite a significant reduction in yields. Four water-soluble heteroglycans, including one high molecular weight (ACPM-Et50-I) and three low molecular weight (ACPM-Et50-II, ACPM-Et60, ACPM-Et80), were isolated from A. cylindracea at each maturity stage. ACPM-Et50-I was identified as branched heterogalactans, while ACPM-Et60 and ACPM-Et80 were branched heteroglucans. However, ACPM-Et50-II was characterized as a branched glucuronofucogalactoglucan at the tide-turning stage but a glucuronofucoglucogalactan at the pileus expansion stage due to the increase of its α-(1 â†’ 6)-D-Galp. In general, although the structural skeletons of most A. cylindracea heteroglycans were similar during maturation as shown by their highly consistent glycosyl linkages, there were still differences in the distribution of some heteroglucans. This work has for the first time reported a glucuronofucogalactoglucan in A. cylindracea and its dynamic evolution during maturation, which may facilitate the potential application of A. cylindracea in food and biomedicine industries.

The alleviatory effects of koumine on MSU-induced gouty arthritis via the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

The aim of this study was to validate the preventive effects of koumine (KM), a monoterpene indole alkaloid, on gouty arthritis (GA) and to explore its possible mechanisms. C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally administered KM (0.8, 2.4 or 7.2 mg/kg), colchicine (3.0 mg/kg) or sterile saline. One hour later, a monosodium urate (MSU) suspension was injected into the right hind paws of the mice to establish an acute gout model. Inflammation symptoms were evaluated at 0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h, and the mechanical withdrawal threshold was evaluated at 0, 6 and 24 h. After 24 h, the mice were euthanized, and the joint tissue, kidney and blood were collected for subsequent experiments. Histological examination and antioxidant enzyme, kidney index and serum uric acid (UA) measurements were taken. The expression levels of the signalling pathway components were determined. KM effectively alleviated the symptoms of redness, swelling and pain; counteracted inflammatory cell infiltration; and increased antioxidant enzyme levels, reduced kidney index and serum UA levels through regulating UA excretion in MSU-induced mice. The expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) signalling pathway proteins and mRNA were reduced in the KM group. These results suggest that KM may be effective in alleviating GA through the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

A network meta-analysis comparative the efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium channel blockers in hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Currently, most studies primarily focus on directly comparing the efficacy and safety of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs), the two major classes of antihypertensive drugs. Moreover, the majority of studies are based on randomized controlled trials and traditional meta-analyses, with few exploring the efficacy and safety comparisons among various members of ACEIs and CCBs. METHODS: ACEIs and CCB were searched for in randomized controlled trials in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, China Biology Medicine Disc (Si-noMed), PubMed, EMbase, and Cochrane Library databases. The search can be conducted till November 2022. Stata software (version 16.0) and R 4.1.3 was used for statistical analysis and graphics plotting, applying mvmeta, gemtc, and its packages. Meta-regression analysis was used to explore the inconsistencies of the studies. RESULTS: In 73 trials involving 33 different drugs, a total of 9176 hypertensive patients were included in the analysis, with 4623 in the intervention group and 4553 in the control group. The results of the analysis showed that, according to the SUCRA ranking, felodipine (MD = -12.34, 95% CI: -17.8 to -6.82) was the drug most likely to be the best intervention for systolic blood pressure, while nitrendipine (MD = -8.01, 95% CI: -11.71 to -4.18) was the drug most likely to be the best intervention for diastolic blood pressure. Regarding adverse drug reactions, nifedipine (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.14-0.74) was the drug most likely to be the safest. CONCLUSION: The research findings indicate that nifedipine is the optimal intervention for reducing systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients, nitrendipine is the optimal intervention for reducing diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients, and felodipine is the optimal intervention for safety.

Changes of the Physicochemical Properties and Structural Characteristics of Alkali-Extracted Polysaccharides from Agrocybe cylindracea Across the Growth Process.

Polysaccharides derived from Agrocybe cylindracea have been demonstrated to exhibit various bioactivities. However, studies on their structural characteristics during the growth process are limited. This study aimed to compare the physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of alkali-extracted polysaccharides from A. cylindracea fruiting bodies (JACP) across four growth stages. Results showed that the extraction yields and protein levels of JACP declined along with the growth of A. cylindracea, while the contents of neutral sugar and glucose increased significantly. However, JACP exhibited structural characteristics similar to those across the four stages. Four polysaccharide subfractions were isolated from each growth stage, including JACP-Et30, JACP-Et50, JACP-Et60, and JACP-Et70. JACP-Et30 from the four stages and JACP-Et50 from the initial three stages were identified as heteroglucans with ß-1,3-d-Glcp and ß-1,6-d-Glcp residues as main chains, respectively. However, other subfractions were considered as ß-1,6-d-glucans containing minor glucuronic acid. These subfractions were predominantly replaced by Glcp residues at the O-3 and O-6 positions. Overall, while JACP exhibited variable physicochemical properties, its structural characteristics remained stable during the growth process, offering new insights into its potential applications in the food and medicinal industries.

Alpine Rhododendron population contractions lead to spatial distribution mismatch with their pollinators under climate change.

The effect of global climate change on plant-pollinator interaction is not limited to changes in phenology and richness within communities but also includes the spatial mismatch caused by the inconsistency of geographical distribution changes. Subsequently, the pollinator interaction network may be remodeled or even disrupted. In this study, we simulated the suitable habitat niche of 15 Rhododendron species and their eight pollinator species as well as their overlapping versus geographical mismatch under the current and three future climate change scenarios in 2090s, using MaxEnt. Results showed that the suitable habitat of all Rhododendron species would decrease in 2090s. In particular, 10, 8, and 13 Rhododendron-pollinator assemblages would have a reduced spatial match region under the climate change scenarios, mainly due to the contraction of the suitable habitat of Rhododendron species. The results provide novel insights into the response of plant-pollinator interactions to global warming, useful to prioritize conservation actions of alpine plant ecosystems.

Easily applicable predictive score for MPR based on parameters before neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in operable NSCLC: a single-center, ambispective, observational study.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) is promising for resectable nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but predictive biomarkers are still lacking. The authors aimed to develop a model based on pretreatment parameters to predict major pathological response (MPR) for such an approach. METHODS: The authors enrolled operable NSCLC treated with NACI between March 2020 and May 2023 and then collected baseline clinical-pathology data and routine laboratory examinations before treatment. The efficacy and safety data of this cohort was reported and variables were screened by Logistic and Lasso regression and nomogram was developed. In addition, receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to assess its power. Finally, internal cross-validation and external validation was performed to assess the power of the model. RESULTS: In total, 206 eligible patients were recruited in this study and 53.4% (110/206) patients achieved MPR. Using multivariate analysis, the predictive model was constructed by seven variables, prothrombin time (PT), neutrophil percentage (NEUT%), large platelet ratio (P-LCR), eosinophil percentage (EOS%), smoking, pathological type, and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression finally. The model had good discrimination, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.775, 0.746, and 0.835 for all datasets, cross-validation, and external validation, respectively. The calibration curves showed good consistency, and decision curve analysis indicated its potential value in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: This real world study revealed favorable efficacy in operable NSCLC treated with NACI. The proposed model based on multiple clinically accessible parameters could effectively predict MPR probability and could be a powerful tool in personalized medication.

Research on the deformation laws of buildings adjacent to shield tunnels in clay strata.

Earth pressure shields are widely used in tunnel construction due to their low environmental impact and mechanized operations. However, ensuring the stability of the excavation surface during the construction process is crucial. Any instability in the excavation surface can lead to soil destruction, such as body collapse or surface uplift. Additionally, the tunneling process can cause deformation disturbances to nearby buildings. In the case of Beijing Metro Line 17, detailed survey data and construction monitoring data were collected through field surveys and tests. The study combined theoretical analysis and numerical simulations to investigate the impact of shield tunneling in clay layers on neighboring buildings. The focus was on analyzing the physical deformation and the response law of influencing factors, such as stratum parameters and engineering effects on surface settlement, building inclination, and distortion. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis of the deformation impact was conducted, and corresponding measures for deformation control were proposed.

Comparison of perventricular and percutaneous ultrasound-guided device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects.

Background: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects (PmVSD) is a minimally invasive recent treatment approach. Perventricular PmVSD device closure is an emerging radiation-free intervention, yet it comes with certain limitations. No studies compared both of these treatment approaches. Methods: We performed a retrospective institutional data comparison of percutaneous (PCP Group, n = 138) and perventricular (PVP Group, n = 67) ultrasound-guided device closure procedures in 205 patients with PmVSD between March 2017 and December 2022. Results: Patients of the PCP and PVP groups had a median age of 4.9 years (IQR, 3.1-14.0) and 5.3 years (IQR, 3.4-13.1) respectively. The median PmVSD diameter in the PCP Group was 4.0 mm (IQR, 3.3-5.3) and 5.2 mm (IQR, 4.0-7.0) in the PVP Group (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in success rates between the PCP and PVP Groups (intention-to-treat population, 88.4% vs. 92.5%, p = 0.36; as-treated population, 88.4% vs. 89.3%, p = 0.84). 5/8 failed percutaneous cases that were shifted to the perventricular approach were successful. Compared to the PVP Group, patients of the PCP group experienced a significant decrease in ventilation time, drainage volume, and postoperative hospital stay (p < 0.001). The median follow-up period was 24 months (IQR, 6-42) for the PCP group and 61 months (IQR, 53-65) for the PVP group. The overall severe adverse event rate was 0% in the PCP group and 3.0% in the PVP group. Conclusions: Perventricular and percutaneous ultrasound-guided device closure of PmVSD are both effective and safe treatment options. The percutaneous approach offers less trauma and faster recovery and may be the preferred approach in selected patients.

Evaluation of the "Relative Ordered Structure of Hericium erinaceus Polysaccharide" from Different Origins: Based on Similarity and Dissimilarity.

Polysaccharides are organic compounds widely distributed in nature, but structural order and disorder remain a formidable problem. In this study, based on the theoretical framework of the "relative ordered structure of polysaccharide" proposed in our previous work, the structural order of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharides from different regions was evaluated by FT-IR, methylation analysis, and 1H NMR spectroscopy combined with chemometric methods. The results of principal component analysis and heatmap cluster analysis revealed that 18-subfractions exhibit four different structural types with representative glycoside linkage types: fucogalactoglucan, glucofucogalactan, fucoglucan, and glucan. The main chain of heteroglucans often consists of ß-(1 → 6)-Glcp, ß-(1 → 4)-Glcp, and ß-(1 → 3)-Glcp residues, which are predominantly substituted at the O-3 and O-6 positions. The main chain structure of heterogalactans is α-(1 → 6)-Galp residues, which may be replaced by Fucp and Galp residues at O-2. Overall, our findings demonstrate the validity of the "relative ordered structure of polysaccharide" in Hericium erectus polysaccharides and simplify the complexity of polysaccharide structures.

Blinding assessment in clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine: Exploratory principles and protocol.

As one of the key components of clinical trials, blinding, if successfully implemented, can help to mitigate the risks of implementation bias and measurement bias, consequently improving the validity and reliability of the trial results. However, successful blinding in clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is hard to achieve, and the evaluation of blinding success through blinding assessment lacks established guidelines. Taking into account the challenges associated with blinding in the TCM field, here we present a framework for assessing blinding. Further, this study proposes a blinding assessment protocol for TCM clinical trials, building upon the framework and the existing methods. An assessment report checklist and an approach for evaluating the assessment results are presented based on the proposed protocol. It is anticipated that these improvements to blinding assessment will generate greater awareness among researchers, facilitate the standardization of blinding, and augment the blinding effectiveness. The use of this blinding assessment may further advance the quality and precision of TCM clinical trials and improve the accuracy of the trial results. The blinding assessment protocol will undergo continued optimization and refinement, drawing upon expert consensus and experience derived from clinical trials. Please cite this article as: Wang XC, Liu XY, Shi KL, Meng QG, Yu YF, Wang SY, Wang J, Qu C, Lei C, Yu XP. Blinding assessment in clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine: Exploratory principles and protocol. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 528-536.

Exploring the partial degradation of polysaccharides: Structure, mechanism, bioactivities, and perspectives.

Polysaccharides are promising biomolecules with lowtoxicity and diverse bioactivities in food processing and clinical drug development. However, an essential prerequisite for their applications is the fine structure characterization. Due to the complexity of polysaccharide structure, partial degradation is a powerful tool for fine structure analysis, which can effectively provide valid information on the structure of backbone and branching glycosidic fragments of complex polysaccharides. This review aims to conclude current methods of partial degradation employed for polysaccharide structural characterization, discuss the molecular mechanisms, and describe the molecular structure and solution properties of degraded polysaccharides. In addition, the effects of polysaccharide degradation on the conformational relationships between the molecular structure and bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antitumor, and immunomodulatory activities, are also discussed. Finally, we summarize the prospects and current challenges for the partial degradation of polysaccharides. This review will be of great value for the scientific elucidation of polysaccharide fine structures and potential applications.

Gene co-expression networks unravel the molecular responses of freshwater hydrophytes to combined stress of salinity and cadmium.

Salinization in freshwater lakes is becoming a serious global environmental problem, especially in lakes of plateaus such as south-western plateau of China. However, limited information is available about the molecular response of freshwater hydrophytes to salinity under multiple stress. In the present study, a weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) was used to identify the modules of co-expressed genes in the physiological and biochemical indicators of Pistia stratiotes to determine its molecular response to salinity (NaCl) alone and when combined with cadmium (Cd). The physiological and biochemical indicators showed that P. stratiotes improved its salt tolerance by enhancing photosynthetic abilities, reducing oxidative stress, and inducing osmoprotectant generation. Morever, addition of NaCl reduced the Cd accumulation in P. stratiotes. Transcriptome and WGCNA analysis revealed that the pathways of alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, ribosomal, flavonoid biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were significantly enriched in both treatments. Genes associated with photosynthesis-antenna proteins, nitrogen metabolism, and the acid cycle pathways were only expressed under salinity stress alone, while the proteasome pathway was only significantly enriched in the combined salinity and Cd treatment. Our findings provide novel insights into the effects of salinization on aquatic plants in freshwater ecosystems and the management of aquatic ecosystems under global change.

Network Analysis of Anxiety Symptoms in Front-Line Medical Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: This research analyses the relations between anxiety symptoms from the network perspective to deepen the understanding of anxiety in front-line medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic and can also provide a reference for determining potential goals of clinical interventions. METHODS: A convenience sampling was adopted, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) was administered to front-line medical staff through online platforms. A regularized partial correlation network of anxiety was constructed and then we evaluated its accuracy and stability. The expected influence and predictability were used to describe the relative importance and the controllability, using community detection to explore community structure. The gender-based differences and the directed acyclic graph were implemented. RESULTS: The connections between A1 "Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge" and A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying", A6 "Becoming easily annoyed or irritable" and A7 "Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen", etc., were relatively strong; A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" and A3 "Worrying too much about different things" had the highest expected influence, and A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" had the highest predictability. The community detection identified two communities. The results of the gender network comparison showed the overall intensity of the anxiety network in women was higher than that in men; DAG indicated that A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" had the highest probabilistic priority; the lines from A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" to A1 "Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge" and A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" to A7 "Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen" represented the most important arrows. CONCLUSION: There exist broad interconnections among anxiety symptoms of front-line medical staff on the GAD-7. A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" might be the core symptom and a potential effective intervention target. It was possible to bring an optimal result for the entire GAD symptom network by interfering with A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying". GAD may have two "subsystems". The modes of interconnection among anxiety may be consistent between genders.

Grafting Polymerization of Long-Chain Hydrophobic Acrylic Monomer onto Lignin and Its Application in Poly(Lactic Acid)-Based Wholly Green UV Barrier Composite Films.

The development of low-cost and high-performance bio-based composites derived from forestry waste lignin and polylactic acid has emerged as a topic of central attention. However, the weak compatibility between lignin and polylactic acid often resulted in high brittleness of the composites. Graft copolymerization is not only the most effective way to modify lignin but also can significantly improve the compatibility of lignin and polylactic acid. In this study, bio-based monomer lauryl methacrylate was grafted onto lignin by feasible radical polymerization to prepare lignin graft copolymers with excellent thermal stability and hydrophobicity, which are expected to improve the compatibility with polylactic acid. Wholly bio-based composites were prepared by compounding this graft copolymer with polylactic acid. The results showed that the crystallization ability of the composite was improved, and the highest crystallinity was increased from 6.42% to 17.46%. With addition of LG-g-PLMA lower than 9%, the thermal stability of the composites was slightly improved. At 5% copolymer addition, the elongation at break and tensile toughness of the composites increased by 42% and 36%, respectively. Observation of the frozen fracture surface of the composite by SEM found that wire drawing and ductile deformation appeared when a small amount of LG-g-PLMA was added. The thus prepared composites also showed excellent UV barrier properties. This approach provides a new idea for the high-value application of lignin.

Polylactic Acid/Lignin Composites: A Review.

With the gradual depletion of petroleum resources and the increasing global awareness of environmental protection, biodegradable plastics are receiving more and more attention as a green substitute for traditional petroleum-based plastics. Poly (lactic acid) is considered to be the most promising biodegradable material because of its excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and good processability. However, the brittleness and high cost limit its application in more fields. Lignin, as the second largest renewable biopolymer in nature after cellulose, is not only rich in reserves and low in cost, but it also has an excellent UV barrier, antioxidant activity, and rigidity. The molecular structure of lignin contains a large number of functional groups, which are easy to endow with new functions by chemical modification. Currently, lignin is mostly treated as waste in industry, and the value-added utilization is insufficient. The combination of lignin and poly (lactic acid) can on the one hand solve the problems of the high cost of PLA and less efficient utilization of lignin; on the other hand, the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass in compounding with biodegradable synthetic polymers is expected to afford high-performance wholly green polymer composites. This mini-review summarizes the latest research achievements of poly (lactic acid)/lignin composites. Emphasis was put on the influence of lignin on the mechanical properties of its composite with poly (lactic acid), as well as the compatibility of the two components. Future research on these green composites is also prospected.

Enhancing Hydrophobicity and Oxygen Barrier of Xylan/PVOH Composite Film by 1,2,3,4-Butane Tetracarboxylic Acid Crosslinking.

Hemicellulose has potential advantages in food packaging because of its abundant reserves, degradability and regeneration. However, compared with fossil-derived plastic films, hemicellulose-based films show inferior hydrophobicity and barrier properties because of their low degree of polymerization and strong hydrophilicity. Focusing on such issues, this work covers the modification of a xylan/polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) film using 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) as esterifying agent. The thus prepared composite film was more compact owing to the esterification reaction with xylan and PVOH forming a crosslinked network structure and reducing the distance between molecular chains. The results showed that BTCA had a positive effect on the oxygen barrier, hydrophobicity and mechanical properties of the composite film. The tensile strength of the xylan/PVOH composite film with 10% BTCA content increased from 11.19 MPa to 13.99 MPa. A 20% BTCA loading resulted in an increase in the contact angle of the composite film from 87.1° to 108.2°, and a decrease in the oxygen permeability from 2.11 to 0.43 (cm3·µm)/(m2·d·kPa), corresponding to increase in the contact angle by 24% and a decrease in oxygen permeability by 80%. The overall performance enhancement indicates the potential application of such composites as food packaging.

[Optimization of parameters for stir-frying of Kansui Radix with vinegar based on conversion of toxic components].

This study aims to optimize the parameters for stir-frying of Kansui Radix with vinegar based on the conversion of representative toxic diterpenes, which is expected to serve as a reference for the standardized production of Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar. To be specific, the toxic components [3-O-(2'E,4'Z-decadienoyl)-20-O-acetylingenol(3-O-EZ), kansuiphorin C(KPC)] in Kansui Radix and the products(ingenol, 20-deoxyingenol) after the stir-frying with vinegar were selected. The toxicity to intestine and water-draining activity were evaluated with NCM460(normal human colon mucosal epithelial cell line) and HT-29(a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line). An HPLC method was then developed to assess the conversion of toxic components. On this basis, temperature, time, and amount of vinegar for the processing of Kansui Radix were optimized with the Box-Behnken design and the content of ingenol and 20-deoxyingenol as evaluation index. The results showed that after the stir-frying of Kansui Radix with vinegar, 3-O-EZ and KPC were first converted to monoester 3-O-(2'E,4'Z-decadienoyl)ingenol(3-EZ) and 5-O-benzoyl-20-deoxyingenol(5-O-Ben) and finally to almost non-toxic ingenol and 20-deoxyingenol, respectively. Meanwhile, the water-draining activity was retained. Six compounds had a good linear relationship with the peak area in the corresponding concentration ranges(R~2≥0.999 8), and the average recovery fell in the range of 98.20%-102.3%(RSD≤2.4%). The content of representative diterpenes and intermediate products was 14.78%-24.67% lower in the Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar than in the Kansui Radix, while the content of the conversed products was 14.37%-71.37% higher. Among the process parameters, temperature had significant influence on the total content of products, followed by time. The optimal parameters were 210 ℃, 15 min, and 30% vinegar. The relative error between the experimental results and the predicted values was 1.68%, indicating that the process was stable and reproducible. The strategy of screening optimal parameters for stir-frying of Kansui Radix with vinegar based on the transformation of toxic components can help improve the production stability, reduce the toxicity, and ensure the efficacy of Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar, which can serve as a reference for the process optimization of similar toxic Chinese medicinals.

Seed morphology of Hypericum (Hypericaceae) in China and its taxonomic significance.

The seed morphology of 40 taxa within the genus Hypericum (Hypericaceae) from China, representing 9 sections of the genus, was examined using both Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy to evaluate the taxonomic relevance of macro- and micro-morphological features. Details articulating variation in seed size, color, shape, appendages, and seed coat ornamentation are described, illustrated, and compared, and their taxonomic importance is discussed. Seeds were generally brown in color and cylindric-ellipsoid to prolonged cylindric in shape. Seed size displayed wide variation, ranging from 0.37-1.91 mm in length and 0.12-0.75 mm in width. Seed appendages were observed as a characteristic morphological feature. Seed surface ornamentation has high phenotypic plasticity, and four types (reticulate, foveolate, papillose, and ribbed) can be recognized. In general, seed color and shape have limited taxonomic significance. However, some other features represent informative characters that can be used efficiently in distinguishing the studied taxa at the section and/or species levels. The findings illustrate that considerable taxonomic knowledge can be obtained by investigating the seed features of Hypericum, and the use of Scanning Electron Microscopy can reveal inconspicuous morphological affinities among species and play a role in taxonomic and systematic studies of the genus Hypericum. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Macro- and micro-morphological features of seeds of 40 Hypericum taxa from China were examined using Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy, providing the first broad study regarding seed morphology for Hypericum from China. Details and variations of seed size, shape, color, surface ornamentation, and appendages are fully presented. Seed features and their variation have important taxonomic significance at the section and/or species levels within Hypericum.

[Jujubae Fructus alleviates intestinal injury caused by toxic medicinals in Shizao Decoction based on correlation between intestinal flora and host metabolism].

Genkwa Fols, Kansui Radix, and Euphorbiae Pekinensis Radix in Shizao Decoction(SZD) are toxic to intestinal tract. Jujubae Fructus in this prescription can alleviate the toxicity, but the mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the mechanism. To be specific, 40 normal Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were classified into the normal group, high-dose and low-dose SZD groups, and high-dose and low-dose SZD without Jujubae Fructus(SZD-JF) groups. The SZD groups were given(ig) SZD, while SZD-JF groups received the decoction without Jujubae Fructus. The variation of body weight and spleen index were recorded. The patho-logical changes of intestinal tissue were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. The content of malondialdehyde(MDA) and glutathione(GSH) and activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) in intestinal tissue were measured to evaluate the intestinal injury. Fresh feces of rats were collected to detect intestinal flora structure by 16S ribosomal RNA gene(16S rDNA) sequencing technology. The content of fecal short chain fatty acids and fecal metabolites was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer(GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer ultra-fast liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer(UFLC-Q-TOF-MS), separately. Spearman's correlation analysis was employed to analyze the differential bacteria genera and differential metabolites. RESULTS:: showed that high-dose and low-dose SZD-JF groups had high content of MDA in intestinal tissue, low GSH content and SOD activity, short intestinal villi(P<0.05), low diversity and abundance of intestinal flora, variation in the intestinal flora structure, and low content of short chain fatty acids(P<0.05) compared with the normal group. Compared with high-dose and low-dose SZD-JF groups, high-dose and low-dose SZD groups displayed low content of MDA in intestinal tissue, high GSH content and SOD activity, recovery of the length of intestinal villi, increased abundance and diversity of intestinal flora, alleviation of dysbacteria, and recovery of the content of short chain fatty acids(P<0.05). According to the variation of intestinal flora and fecal metabolites after the addition of Jujubae Fructus, 6 differential bacterial genera(Lactobacillus, Butyricimonas, Clostridia＿UCG-014, Prevotella, Escherichia-Shigella, Alistipes),4 differential short chain fatty acids(such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid) and 18 differential metabolites(such as urolithin A, lithocholic acid, and creatinine) were screened out. Beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus were in positive correlation with butyric acid and urolithin A(P<0.05). The pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia-Shigella were in negative correlation with propionic acid and urolithin A(P<0.05). In summary, SZD-JF caused obvious intestinal injury to normal rats, which could lead to intestinal flora disorder. The addition of Jujubae Fructus can alleviate the disorder and relieve the injury by regulating intestinal flora and the metabolites. This study discusses the effect of Jujubae Fructus in relieving the intestinal injury caused by SZD and the mechanism from the perspective of intestinal flora-host metabolism, which is expected to serve as a reference for clinical application of this prescription.