Morphological, molecular, and biological characterization of bulb rot pathogens in stored Lanzhou lily and the in vitro antifungal efficacy of three plant essential oils.

Lanzhou lily (Lilium davidii var. willmottiae) is an exclusive sweet lily variety indigenous to China, which is susceptible to bulbous rot caused by fungal infection during storage. This experiment tests the pathogenicity of the pure culture isolated from the diseased tissue was confirmed in accordance with Koch's postulates, and the pathomycetes were identified based on their morphological and molecular characteristics. Furthermore, the biological characteristics of the pathogens were investigated, followed by an evaluation of the antifungal effects of three plant essential oils against them. The results showed that two strains of fungi were isolated from Lanzhou lily rot, which were identified as Fusarium oxysporum Schl. and Aspergillus sydowii (Bain. Et sart.). In addition, the pathogenicity of these two strains of fungi was demonstrated that only F. oxysporum induced rot with similar symptoms during the post-harvest storage period. The biological characteristics of F. oxysporum indicated the potato maltose agar and lily dextrose agar were identified as the most suitable media. Sucrose was determined to be the optimal carbon source, while ammonium nitrate was found to be the best nitrogen source for the growth of F. oxysporum. Mycelial growth and sporulation of F. oxysporum occurred at an optimum pH value of 6. Total darkness facilitated mycelial growth and conidial germination. The ideal temperature for growth was found to be 28°C, while relative humidity did not significantly impact mycelial growth; however, a relative humidity of 55% was most favorable for spore production. Among the three essential oils tested, cinnamon essential oil displayed superior antifungal efficacy against F. oxysporum, whereas angelica essential oil and tea tree essential oil also exhibited moderate inhibitory effects against this pathogen. This research provides valuable theoretical insights for disease control during the storage and transportation of Lanzhou lily.

Effect of shenmai injection on anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Shenmai injection is a classic herbal prescription, and is often recommended for the treatment of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. However, the efficacy and safety of Shenmai injection for the treatment of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity have not been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of eight literature databases and two clinical trial registries, retrieving all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to the treatment of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity with Shenmai injection from the establishment of the databases to July 1, 2023. Data analysis was performed using the Meta package in RStudio and RevMan 5.4. The GRADE pro3.6.1 software was utilized for assessing the quality of evidence. RESULTS: A total of 16 RCTs including 2140 patients were included in this study. Meta-analysis showed that Shenmai injection had an advantage in improving ST-T segment changes (RR = 0.28; 95 % CI, 0.20 to 0.39; P < 0.0001) (P < 0.01), creatine kinase isoenzyme (SMD = -3.49; 95 % CI, -5.24 to -1.74; P < 0.0001), Prolonged QT interval (RR = 0.46; 95 % CI, 0.28 to 0.75; P = 0.0018), Low QRS Voltage (RR = 0.44; 95 % CI, 0.27 to 0.71; P = 0.0007), sinus tachycardia (RR = 0.41; 95 % CI, 0.28 to 0.60; P < 0.0001), atrial premature beats (RR = 0.55; 95 % CI, 0.35 to 0.87; P = 0.01), Premature Ventricular Contractions (RR = 0.39; 95 % CI, 0.26 to 0.59; P < 0.0001) and creatine kinase (SMD = -1.43; 95 % CI, -2.57 to -0.29; P < 0.0001) in patients with anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. advantage, which was supported by sensitivity analyses, but not in improving left ventricular ejection fraction (MD = 16.01; 95 % CI, -3.10 to 35.12; P = 0.10) and atrioventricular block (RR = 0.49; 95 % CI, 0.24 to 1.03; P = 0.06). The literature included in the study did not refer to data regarding the safety aspects of Shenmai injection, so we do not yet know the safety of Shenmai injection. The results of subgroup analyses suggested that heterogeneity was not related to the administered dose and chemotherapy regimen. The publication bias test showed no publication bias. The quality of evidence for the results ranged from "very low" to "moderate." CONCLUSION: This study suggests that Shenmai injection is effective in treating anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and is a potential treatment for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. However, due to the poor methodological quality of the included RCTs, we recommend rigorous, high-quality, large-sample trials to confirm our findings.

Hypoglycemic TCM formulas (Huangqi-Gegen drug pair) have the potential as an Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological disorder. There is a considerable unmet medical need among those suffering from it. HYPOTHESIS AND PURPOSE: Given the link between type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and AD, hypoglycemic traditional Chinese medicine formulas (TCMFs) may be a treatment for AD. We investigated the possibility of identifying anti-AD medicines in hypoglycemic TCMFs and presented another option for the screening of AD medications. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Paralysis of the transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) strain CL4176 (caused by amyloid beta (Aß)1-42 aggregates) was used to evaluate the anti-AD effect. The toxicity and neurodegeneration induced by neuronal expression of Aß in the transgenic C. elegans strain CL2355 were determined using a 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) assay. The transgenic Aß-expressing strain CL 2006 and transgenic tau-expressing strain BR5270 were used to explore the effect of TCMFs on protein expression in C. elegans using ELISAs. Then, network pharmacology was used to determine the mechanism of action. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System platform was used to investigate prescription patterns, core drugs, and optimum combinations of hypoglycemic TCMFs for AD. RESULTS: Sixteen hypoglycemic TCMFs prolonged the PT50 (half paralysis time) of the CL4176 strain of C. elegans, reduced the percentage of worms paralyzed. The results of network pharmacology showed that prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) are main targets of hypoglycemic TCMFs. Enriched pathway analysis showed that the cholinergic receptor-related pathway was the core pathway of hypoglycemic TCMFs. According to the "four qi and five flavors" system of TCM theory, the main pharmacological qualities were "cold" and "sweet." Through the analysis by TCMISS, we found that Huangqi-Gegen drug pair as the significant Chinese herbs of hypoglycemic TCMFs. The Huangqi-Gegen pairing had the most robust therapeutic effect when delivered at a 2:1 (v/v) ratio. It reduced the paralysis caused by 5-HT, decreased protein expression of AChE and PTGS2, and reduced Aß deposition in the brain of the CL2006 strain of C. elegans. CONCLUSIONS: Huangqi-Gegen is a promising treatment of AD, and its mechanism may be induced by suppressing the protein production of AChE and PTGS2, reducing 5-HT intake, and then decreasing Aß deposition.

A latent class analysis of depressive symptoms among rural Chinese adolescents and their association with psychological resilience.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the heterogeneity of depressive symptoms, but few studies have focused on the heterogeneity of depressive symptoms among rural Chinese adolescents. In November to December 2022, multistage sampling was employed to administer questionnaires to 1,816 rural adolescents aged 11-19 years from six schools in Henan Province, China. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Chinese version of the Children's Depression Inventory Scale. Latent class analysis (LCA) was utilized to identify subgroups of depressive symptoms. The investigation of subgroup characteristics and associated factors was conducted through χ2 tests, ANOVA, and multinomial logistic regression analyses. The findings revealed a 24.24 % detection rate of depressive symptoms among Chinese rural adolescents. LCA analysis of responses to the 27 items in the Depressive Symptoms Scale led to the classification of depressive symptoms into four subgroups based on severity: "no depressive symptoms group" (22.5 %), a "low depressive symptoms group" (35.7 %), a "transition group" (31.6 %), and a "high depressive symptoms group" (10.2 %). Gender, grade level, academic performance, academic stress, family environment, and level of psychological resilience are associated factors for subgroups of depressive symptoms among rural adolescents. There should be increased training of rural educators to enable early recognition of depressive characteristics and risk factors, facilitating targeted prevention and intervention strategies.

HIF-1α serves as a co-linker between AD and T2DM.

Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related brain deterioration is linked to the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) features hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance. Hypoxia as a common risk factor for both AD and T2DM. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) acts as the main regulator of the hypoxia response and may be a key target in the comorbidity of AD and T2DM. HIF-1α expression is closely related to hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Tissue oxygen consumption disrupts HIF-1α homeostasis, leading to increased reactive oxygen species levels and the inhibition of insulin receptor pathway activity, causing neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, abnormal Aß deposition, and tau hyperphosphorylation. HIF-1α activation also leads to the deposition of Aß by promoting the abnormal shearing of amyloid precursor protein and inhibiting the degradation of Aß, and it promotes tau hyperphosphorylation by activating oxidative stress and the activation of astrocytes, which further exasperates AD. Therefore, we believe that HIF-α has great potential as a target for the treatment of AD. Importantly, the intracellular homeostasis of HIF-1α is a more crucial factor than its expression level.