Nicotinate-curcumin improves NASH by inhibiting the AKR1B10/ACCα-mediated triglyceride synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a prevalent chronic liver condition. However, the potential therapeutic benefits and underlying mechanism of nicotinate-curcumin (NC) in the treatment of NASH remain uncertain. METHODS: A rat model of NASH induced by a high-fat and high-fructose diet was treated with nicotinate-curcumin (NC, 20, 40 mg·kg- 1), curcumin (Cur, 40 mg·kg- 1) and metformin (Met, 50 mg·kg- 1) for a duration of 4 weeks. The interaction between NASH, Cur and Aldo-Keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) was filter and analyzed using network pharmacology. The interaction of Cur, NC and AKR1B10 was analyzed using molecular docking techniques, and the binding energy of Cur and NC with AKR1B10 was compared. HepG2 cells were induced by Ox-LDL (25 µg·ml- 1, 24 h) in high glucose medium. NC (20µM, 40µM), Cur (40µM) Met (150µM) and epalrestat (Epa, 75µM) were administered individually. The activities of ALT, AST, ALP and the levels of LDL, HDL, TG, TC and FFA in serum were quantified using a chemiluminescence assay. Based on the changes in the above indicators, score according to NAS standards. The activities of Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA were measured using an ELISA assay. And the expression and cellular localization of AKR1B10 and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCα) in HepG2 cells were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: The results of the animal experiments demonstrated that NASH rat model induced by a high-fat and high-fructose diet exhibited pronounced dysfunction in liver function and lipid metabolism. Additionally, there was a significant increase in serum levels of FFA and TG, as well as elevated expression of AKR1B10 and ACCα, and heightened activity of Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA in liver tissue. The administration of NC showed to enhance liver function in rats with NASH, leading to reductions in ALT, AST and ALP levels, and decrease in blood lipid and significant inhibition of FFA and TG synthesis in the liver. Network pharmacological analysis identified AKR1B10 and ACCα as potential targets for NASH treatment. Molecular docking studies revealed that both Cur and NC are capable of binding to AKR1B10, with NC exhibiting a stronger binding energy to AKR1B10. Western blot analysis demonstrated an upregulation in the expression of AKR1B10 and ACCα in the liver tissue of NASH rats, accompanied by elevated Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA activity, and increased levels of FFA and TG. The results of the HepG2 cell experiments induced by Ox-LDL suggest that NC significantly inhibited the expression and co-localization of AKR1B10 and ACCα, while also reduced levels of TC and LDL-C and increased level of HDL-C. These effects are accompanied by a decrease in the activities of ACCα and Malonyl-CoA, and levels of FFA and TG. Furthermore, the impact of NC appears to be more pronounced compared to Cur. CONCLUSION: NC could effectively treat NASH and improve liver function and lipid metabolism disorder. The mechanism of NC is related to the inhibition of AKR1B10/ACCα pathway and FFA/TG synthesis of liver.

Green and Efficient Extraction of Phenolic Components from Plants with Supramolecular Solvents: Experimental and Theoretical Studies.

The supramolecular solvent (SUPRAS) has garnered significant attention as an innovative, efficient, and environmentally friendly solvent for the effective extraction and separation of bioactive compounds from natural resources. However, research on the use of a SUPRAS for the extraction of phenolic compounds from plants, which are highly valued in food products due to their exceptional antioxidant properties, remains scarce. The present study developed a green, ultra-sound-assisted SUPRAS method for the simultaneous determination of three phenolic acids in Prunella vulgaris using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The experimental parameters were meticulously optimized. The efficiency and antioxidant properties of the phenolic compounds obtained using different extraction methods were also compared. Under optimal conditions, the extraction efficiency of the SUPRAS, prepared with octanoic acid reverse micelles dispersed in ethanol-water, significantly exceeded that of conventional organic solvents. Moreover, the SUPRAS method demonstrated greater antioxidant capacity. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images revealed the spherical droplet structure of the SUPRAS, characterized by a well-defined circular fluorescence position, which coincided with the position of the phenolic acids. The phenolic acids were encapsulated within the SUPRAS droplets, indicating their efficient extraction capacity. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations combined with CLSM supported the proposed method's mechanism and theoretically demonstrated the superior extraction performance of the SUPRAS. In contrast to conventional methods, the higher extraction efficiency of the SUPRAS can be attributed to the larger solvent contact surface area, the formation of more types of hydrogen bonds between the extractants and the supramolecular solvents, and stronger, more stable interaction forces. The results of the theoretical studies corroborate the experimental outcomes.

[Analysis of differential metabolites of spikes of Prunella vulgaris at different stages based on UPLC-MS/MS].

Prunella vulgaris, aptly named for its withering at the summer solstice, displays significant variation in quality arising from differing harvest time. However, research on the chemical composition changes of its spikes at various stages is limited, and the specific metabolites remain unclear. In order to elucidate the metabolites and metabolic pathways of the spikes of P. vulgaris, the current study deployed ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) and targeted metabolomics to characterize the compound variability in the spikes of P. vulgaris across different periods. Multivariate statistical techniques such as principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were used to identify the differences in metabolites, and relevant metabolic pathways were analyzed. A total of 602 metabolites were identified by metabolomics, of which organic acids and their derivatives were the most abundant, followed by flavonoids. Multiple differential metabolites, including p-hydroxybenzoic acids and gallic acids were identified based on variable importance in projection(VIP)>1 and P<0.05. The results of enrichment analysis suggested that isoflavonoids biosynthesis, aminobenzoate degradation, benzoate degradation, anthocyanins biosynthesis, metabolic pathways, microbial metabolism in different environments, secondary plant metabolite biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and phenylpropanoid synthesis were the main metabolic pathways. These results intend to elucidate the dynamic changes of differential metabolites of P. vulgaris and provide a theoretical basis for further study of the harvesting mechanism of spikes of P. vulgaris.

[Quality analysis of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma].

Rosae Radix et Rhizoma is a herbal medicine in a variety of famous Chinese patent medicines, while the quality standard for this medicine remains to be developed due to the insufficient research on the quality of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma from different sources. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyzed the components in Rosae Radix et Rhizoma of different sources from the aspects of extract, component category content, identification based on thin-lay chromatography, active component content determination, and fingerprint, so as to improve the quality control. The results showed that the content of chemical components varied in the samples of different sources, while there was little difference in the chemical composition among the samples. The content of components in the roots of Rosa laevigata was higher than that in the other two species, and the content of components in the roots was higher than that in the stems. The fingerprints of triterpenoids and non-triterpenoids were established, and the content of five main triterpenoids including multiflorin, rosamultin, myrianthic acid, rosolic acid, and tormentic acid in Rosae Radix et Rhizoma was determined. The results were consistent with those of major component categories. In conclusion, the quality of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma is associated with the plant species, producing area, and medicinal parts. The method established in this study lays a foundation for improving the quality standard of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma and provides data support for the rational use of the stem.

Preparation and Characterization of Polysaccharides from Turpiniae Folium and Its Antioxidative, Anti-Inflammatory Activities and Antiproliferative Effect on VSMCs.

Turpiniae Folium, the dried leaves of Turpinia arguta Seem., is a kind of historic traditional Chinese medicine. Here, based on our previous study, we extracted the Turpiniae Folium polysaccharides (TFP) and isolated three polysaccharide fractions from TFP. Then, TFP and one of the major polysaccharide fractions (TFP-1a) were identified through HPLC, HPGPC, and ATR-FTIR. Furthermore, the evaluations of their antioxidative, anti-inflammatory activities and inhibitory effect on angiotensin II-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSCMs) proliferation in vitro were conducted. Both TFP and TFP-1a showed strong hydroxyl radical scavenging, DPPH radical scavenging, and Fe2+ chelating activities, and exerted strong anti-inflammatory activity. Moreover, TFP and TFP-1a also possessed a strong inhibitory effect on Ang II-induced VSCMs proliferation. On these premises, we inferred that TFP and TFP-1a could be potential and promising natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and implicated to treat cardiovascular disease.

Discrimination and Prediction of Lonicerae japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos and Their Related Prescriptions by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Multivariate Statistical Analysis.

LJF and LF are commonly used in Chinese patent drugs. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, LJF and LF once belonged to the same source. However, since 2005, the two species have been listed separately. Therefore, they are often misused, and medicinal materials are indiscriminately put in their related prescriptions in China. In this work, firstly, we established a model for discriminating LJF and LF using ATR-FTIR combined with multivariate statistical analysis. The spectra data were further preprocessed and combined with spectral filter transformations and normalization methods. These pretreated data were used to establish pattern recognition models with PLS-DA, RF, and SVM. Results demonstrated that the RF model was the optimal model, and the overall classification accuracy for LJF and LF samples reached 98.86%. Then, the established model was applied in the discrimination of their related prescriptions. Interestingly, the results show good accuracy and applicability. The RF model for discriminating the related prescriptions containing LJF or LF had an accuracy of 100%. Our results suggest that this method is a rapid and effective tool for the successful discrimination of LJF and LF and their related prescriptions.

[Differences of flavor compounds in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos based on headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy].

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos, as traditional Chinese medicinal and edible food, are widely used in medicine, food, health products, and other industries. However, there is no comprehensive study on the differences of flavor compounds in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos. This study applied headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry(HS-GC-IMS) to analyze the differences of flavor compounds in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos. The differential biomarkers were confirmed by multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that there were significant differences in the forty-seven flavor compounds in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos. The differential markers were ethyl acetate, propyl alcohol, 1-octanol, 1-hexanol, hexanal, and(Z)-2-hexen-1-ol. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the above markers were involved in the biosynthesis of major secondary metabolism, sulfate metabolism pathways, and formation of other flavor compounds. This study provides important references for the evaluation of flavor compounds of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos and the development of medicinal and edible products.

Adaptive Evolution of Chalcone Isomerase Superfamily in Fagaceae.

Chalcone Isomerase (CHI) catalyzes the biosynthesis of flavonoids and secondary metabolism in plants. Currently, there is no systematic analysis of CHIs gene family in Fagaceae which is available. In this study, twenty-two CHI proteins were identified in five species of the Fagaceae family. The CHI superfamily in Fagaceae can be classified into three subfamilies and five groups using phylogenetic analysis, analysis of physicochemical properties, and structural prediction. Results indicated that serine (Ser) and isoleucine (Ile) residues determine the substrate preferred by active Type I Fagaceae CHI, and the chalcone isomerase-like (CHIL) of Fagaceae had active site residues. Adaptive analysis of CHIs showed that CHIs are subject to selection pressure. The active CHI gene of Fagaceae was located in the cytoplasm, and it had the typical gene structure of CHI and contains four exons. All the twenty-two identified CHIs had the conserved domain motif 3, and the different groups had their own structural characteristics. In the process of fatty acid binding protein (FAP) evolution to CHIL and CHI, the physical and chemical properties of proteins also had significant differences in addition to changes in protein functions.

The therapeutic effects of Prunella vulgaris against fluoride-induced oxidative damage by using the metabolomics method.

Fluoride is considered as one of the most ubiquitous environmental pollutants. Numerous studies have linked reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent oxidative damage with fluoride intoxication, which could be prevented by antioxidants. However, the metabolomic changes induced by ROS disruptions in fluoride intoxication are yet unknown. The present study aimed to provide novel mechanistic insights into the fluoride-induced oxidative damage and to investigate the potential protective effects of ethanolic extract of Prunella vulgaris (natural antioxidant, PV) against fluoride-induced oxidative damage. The serum biochemical indicators related to fluoride-induced oxidative damage, such as lipid peroxidation parameter, inflammation and marker enzymes in the liver increased significantly in the fluoride-treated group, while antioxidant enzymes were decreased. However, PV treatment restored the level of these biochemical indicators, indicating satisfactory antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective potential of PV. The metabolomics analysis in the serum was performed by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy, whereas the fluoride treatment caused severe metabolic disorders in rats, which could be improved by PV. The differential metabolites screened by multivariate analysis after fluoride and PV treatment, were organic acids, fatty acids, and lipids. These differential metabolites represented disorders of glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism and the citrate cycle (TCA) according to metabolic pathway analysis in fluoride treatment rats. Interestingly, the result of metabolic pathway analysis of post-treatment with PV was consistent with that of fluoride treatment, indicating that the energy metabolism plays a major role in the progress of fluoride-induced oxidative damage, as well as the therapeutic effect of PV. These findings provided a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism underlying metabolic disorders of fluoride toxicity and the effect of PV.

[Metabolic mechanism of Prunella vulgaris in treatment of ethanol-induced oxidative stress in rats based on metabonomics].

Prunella vulgaris(PV) is an edible and traditional medicinal herb which has a wide range application in fighting inflammation and oxidative stress, and protecting liver. Now it has been used to treat various types of liver diseases and has significant clinical efficacy. This study aims to investigate the effects of PV on ethanol-induced oxidative stress injury in rats and its metabolic mechanism. The rats were divided into control group, model group, PV group, and VC group. The liver protection of PV was identified by measuring pharmacological indexes such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The metabolic mechanism of long-term ethanol exposure and the metabolic regulation mechanism of PV treatment were studied by LS-MS metabonomics. The pharmacological investigation indicated that ethanol could significantly decrease the contents of SOD, GSH-Px, CAT and other antioxidant enzymes in liver and increase the content of MDA. At the same time, PV could significantly reduce the contents of inflammatory factors(TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß) and liver function markers(ALT, AST, ALP) in serum. What's more, long-term ethanol exposure could significantly cause liver injury, while PV could protect liver. Metabolomics based on multiple statistical analyses showed that long-term ethanol exposure could cause significant metabolic disorder, and fatty acids, phospholipids, carnitines and sterols were the main biomarkers. Meanwhile, pathway analysis and enrichment analysis showed that the ß oxidation of branched fatty acids was the main influencing pathway. Also, PV could improve metabolic disorder of liver injury induced by ethanol, and amino acids, fatty acids, and phospholi-pids were the main biomarkers in PV treatment. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that PV mainly regulated metabolic disorder of ethanol-induced liver injury through phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthetic pathways. This study could provide a new perspective on the hepatoprotective effect of natural medicines, such as PV.

[Research progress of tannins in traditional Chinese medicines in recent ten years].

In this paper, the newly isolated tannins were sorted after a review of the literature concerning tannins in recent 10 years, and their research progress was summarized in terms of extraction, isolation, pharmacological activity and metabolism. Hydrolysable tannins and condensed tannins are the main structural types. Modern research shows that tannins have many pharmacological effects, such as bacteriostasis, antioxidation, antitumor, antivirus and blood glucose reduction, and have broad development prospects. They are usually extracted by water, ethanol and acetone and isolated and purified by macroporous resin and gel column chromatography. The packings commonly adopted for the column chromatography mainly included Sephadex LH-20, Diaion HP-20, MCI-gel CHP-20 and Toyopearl HW-40. Modern analytical techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(NMR), fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry(FAB-MS) and circular dichroism(CD) are generally used for the structural identification of tannins. Howe-ver, their isolation, purification and structural identification are still challenging. It is necessary to use a variety of high-throughput screening methods to explore their pharmacological activities and to explore the material basis responsible for their functions through experiments in vivo.

[Mechanisms of Fuke Qianjin Capsules in treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease based on GC-MS metabolomics].

Pelvic inflammatory disease( PID) rat model was induced by the mixture of Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus,and Streptococcus hemolytic-ß． Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry( GC-MS) based metabolic profiling method was combined with multivariate statistical analysis,such as PCA,PLS-DA and OPLS-DA to analyze endogenous small molecule metabolites in serum of rats after treatment of Fuke Qianjin Capsules. The results showed that Fuke Qianjin Capsules could significantly improve the inflammatory pathological characteristics and tissue damages in model rats. Based on the principle of VIP>1 and P<0. 05,a total of 6 different metabolic biomarkers were identified,including L-valine,L-isoleucine,L-threonine,butanedioic acid,serine and D-glucose,respectively.The contents of these six different metabolites were significantly reversed after administration. Further analysis of the metabolite pathways through KEGG database showed that Fuke Qianjin Capsules achieved the effect possibly through glycine,serine and threonine metabolism,aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis and valine,leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis. Therefore,this study came to the conclusion that Fuke Qianjin Capsules can be used in the treatment of mixed bacteria induced pelvic inflammatory disease possibly by regulating amino acid and its derivative metabolism.

[Developing spectrum-toxicity relationship with rough set theory for hepatotoxicity material basis of Polygonum multiflorum].

Idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of Polygonum multiflorum has attracted a great attention in the world. The most toxic part of idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity was screened by MTT assay and flow cytometry, which was the 50% ethanol elute by macroporous adsorptive resins from alcohol-extraction of P. multiflorum. The fingerprints were collected by HPLC from 50% ethanol elute of crude and processed P. multiflorum from different habitats, then 14 common peaks were determined. Spectrum-toxicity relationship was analyzed by rough set theory(RST). Two main chemical components were predicted for idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity, in which TSG was the greater contributor. Idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of TSG was tested in vitro, and the results indicated that TSG was the most important constituent contributed to idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of P. multiflorum. The study showed the discovery of the main chemical components for idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity, and RST was effective for analyzing the spectrum-toxicity relationship, which could be a new method used in the effective/toxic constituents field of traditional Chinese medicine.

4-Bromophenylhydrazinyl benzenesulfonylphenylureas as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase inhibitors with in vivo target inhibition and anti-tumor efficacy.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase is a heme-containing enzyme implicated in the down regulation of the anti-tumor immune response, and considered a promising anti-cancer drug target. Several pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Merck, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, are known to be in pursuit of IDO inhibitors, and Incyte recently reported good results in the phase II clinical trial of the IDO inhibitor Epacadostat. In previous work, we developed a series of IDO inhibitors based on a sulfonylhydrazide core structure, and explored how they could serve as potent IDO inhibitors with good drug profiles. Herein, we disclose the development of the 4-bromophenylhydrazinyl benzenesulfonylphenylurea 5k, a potent IDO inhibitor which demonstrated 25% tumor growth inhibition in a murine CT26 syngeneic model on day 18 with 100 mg/kg oral administration twice daily, and a 30% reduction in tumor weight. Pharmacodynamic testing of 5k found it to cause a 25% and 21% reduction in kyn/trp ratio at the plasma and tumor, respectively. In the CT26 tumor model, 5k was found to slightly increase the percentage of CD3+ T cells and lymphocyte responsiveness, indicating that 5k may have potential in modulating anti-tumor immunity. These data suggest 5k to be worthy of further investigation in the development of anti-tumor drugs.

[Extraction of flavonoids in Prunella vulgaris based on deep eutectic solvent method：application of new green solvent].

Flavonoids have attracted much attention due to their good anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation and anti-tumor effects. At present, the extraction of flavonoids is mainly based on organic solvent, while the researches on the use of green and safe solvents are quite limited. Therefore, in the present study, different types of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were applied to investigate their effect on extraction of flavonoids and optimize the process, also investigate the recovery efficiency of DESs and evaluate the recovery method for total flavonoids. The extraction yield of the total flavonoids acted as the comprehensive evaluation indexes, and a central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to further optimize the alcohol-based DES extraction conditions. The results showed that the optimized extraction conditions were as follows: water-DES ratio of 27%, solid-liquid ratio of 15 mL·g⁻¹, extraction temperature of 83 °C and extraction time of 42 min in ChCl-glycerol at 1:4 ratio. Under these conditions, the mean experimental value of the extraction yield (75.05 mg·g⁻¹) corresponded well with the predicted value (77.86 mg·g⁻¹). Moreover, these experimental results showed more advantages such as in higher efficiency, economy and environmental protection as compared with previously reported conventional extraction methods. In addition，the recovery yield of the total flavonoids from the DESs extraction solution achieved 97.88% by using AB-8 macroporous resin, and 88.12% desorption ratio can be achieved by 100% ethanol with 5 times resin content. After the above treated DESs were collected, the extraction yield with the same method reached 95.23%, indicating that the method of macroporous resin can be used for efficient and simple recovery and reuse. This study suggests that DESs can be used as a kind of sustainable and efficient natural extraction solvents for extraction of flavonoids from Prunella vulgaris.

[Analysis on multiple pharmaceutical ingredients and antioxidant capacities of Prunellae Spica based on multivariate statistical analysis].

Prunellae Spica is a perennial edible and medicinal plant, rich in antioxidant substances. Total flavonoids (TFC), Phenolics (TPC), triterpenoids (TSC), polysaccharides (PC) and their antioxidant capacities (by the FRAP, DPPH and ABTS⁺ methods) of ethyl acetate fraction, n-butanol fraction and other fractions of aqueous extract from Prunellae Spica were investigated in this study. Then the multivariate statistical method was adopted to analyze the relationship between the multiple pharmaceutical ingredients and antioxidant capacities of Prunellae Spica. The results showed that ethyl acetate fraction had relatively high concentration of TFC (0.61±0.10) g·g⁻¹DW, TPC (0.52±0.09) g·g⁻¹DW, and TSC (0.21±0.03) g·g⁻¹DW, with high scavenging capacity of DPPH (3.1±0.38) mmol·L⁻¹·g⁻¹DW and FRAP (2.56±0.35) mmol·L⁻¹·g⁻¹DW. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) results indicated the information from chemical compositions and antioxidant capacity can represent the "differences" of different fractions. Canonical correlation analysis (CCorA) revealed a high positive correlation between the amounts of multiple chemical compositions and the antioxidant capacities (r=0.970 0), and the first canonical variate had been reached. Moreover, ABTS⁺ method showed a low response to the compositions of different fractions, so this method may not be suitable for evaluation of Prunellae Spica antioxidant capacities, while DPPH evaluation method was more suitable for TSC and TPC. The results of this study have important reference significance for the evaluation method on antioxidant activity of Prunellae Spica in the field of food or medicine as well as for the development of related extracts.

[Application of random forest algorithm in fingerprint of Chinese medicine: different brands of Xiasangju granules as example].

To establish a random forest algorithm for identifying and classifying different brands of Xiasangju granules, and provide effective reference for identifying multi-index complex fingerprint. HPLC method was used to collect the fingerprint of 83 batches of Xiasangju granules from different manufacturers. The classification of Xiasangju granules samples based on chromatographic fingerprints was identified by chemometric methods including principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) and random forest analysis (RF). The superiority of the above three chemometric methods was compared. The results showed that the fingerprints of 83 batches of Xiasangju granules were established in this study. PCA could only explicate 56.52% variance contribution rate and could not completely classify the samples; PLS-DA analysis was superior to PCA, explicating 63.43% variance contribution rate and could obtain certain separation; RF could well classify the samples into 3 types, and the predication accuracy of the proposed method was 96.5%. Therefore, The results indicate that RF combined with HPLC fingerprint could effectively construct traditional Chinese medicine quality control and analysis system.

[Analyzing crude/processed root of Polygonum multiflorum from different habitats by UPLC fingerprint and mode identification methods].

To establish a content determination method for 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy stilbene-2-O-ß-D-glucoside (TSG) of the crude/processed root of Polygonum multiflorum from different habitats in China and set up the fingerprint by using UPLC. Various samples were pretreated by macro-porous resin. Then UPLC analysis was performed on Waters ACQUITY UPLC@BEH C18 chromatographic column (2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.7 µm) at (25±5) ℃. A binary gradient elution system was composed of acetonitrile (phase A) and 0.5% acetic acid solution (phase B). Detection was performed at the wavelength of 254 nm, and the mobile flow rate was set at 0.3 mL•min⁻¹. Results showed that the yield of extraction of the 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy stilbene-2-O-ß-D-glucoside from root of P. multiflorum was all over 25.0% after macro-porous resin separation; an exclusive UPLC fingerprint method of the crude/processed root of P. multiflorum from different habitats was successfully set up and 17 chromatographic peaks were calibrated. Cluster analysis can not entirely distinguish the crude one from the processed one, while principal component analysis absolutely can. 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy stilbene-2-O-ß-D-glucoside is the composition that has largest differences in variable importance in projection (VIP) between crude and processed root of P. multiflorum. The separating method can gain high-purity 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy stilbene-2-O-ß-D-glucoside, and the determination method is simple, sensitive, reliable and can be used in fast identifying the crude/processed root of P. multiflorum or as a method for overall quality control of root of P. multiflorum.

[Advance on chemical compounds of Tibetan medicinal plants of Aconitum genus].

It was estimated that about 60 species and 15 varieties of genus Aconitum are distributed in China.These plants contain various kinds of chemical compounds, and the main compounds are diterpenoid alkaloids. In addition, there are flavonoids, phenolic acid and others.So far, phytochemical studies showed 339 compounds.This paper summarized the chemical compounds to provide the theoretical basis for the use of Tibetan medicinal plants of Aconitum genus.

[HPLC specific chromatograms of Xingnaojing injection].

To establish and analyze the HPLC specific chromatograms of Xingnaojing injection manufactured by different factories. The separation was performed on a Thermo BDS Hypersil C18 column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm), with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-0.02% formic acid aqueous solution for gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 mL•min⁻¹, and the column temperature was 35 ℃. The detection wavelength was set at 254 nm, and the sample size was 20 µL. Eleven chromatographic peaks were identified as characteristic peaks of HPLC specific chromatograms of Xingnaojing injection, after analyzing 29 batches of Xingnaojing injection samples. Compared with the reference substances, seven of them were identified as eucarvone, camphor, curcumenone, curcumenol, curdione, curzerenone and germacrone, respectively. HPLC specific chromatograms of Xingnaojing injection manufactured by three factories could be easily classified into three categories after investigation with computer-aided similarity evaluation system combined with principal component analysis. The established HPLC specific chromatograms provide a basis for scientific evaluation and effective control of the quality of Xingnaojing injection.