[Textual research of Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Spica].

Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Spica are well-known Chinese herbal medicines for wind dispersing and exterior releasing. Through textual research on Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Spica, the discrimination of their medicinal parts in history was clarified, and the processing, the property(nature and flavor), meridian tropism, functions, indications, usage, dosage, and the selection of decoction pieces were compared to provide the basis for clinical application. As a result, the whole herb of Schizonepeta tenuifolia was used as medicine in the early records. The aerial part and the dried spike of S. tenuifolia were used as medicines separately in the Song Dynasty, which was recorded in the Atlas of Materia Medica(Ben Cao Tu Jing). Some ancient classics emphasized that only the dried spike could be used as medicine. The separation of Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Spica meets the different needs of clinical medication and supports the concept of rational development and utilization of Chinese medicine resources. About ten processing methods for Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Spica have been recorded since ancient times, and raw and charred drugs were the major products. Raw Schizonepetae Herba is required to be used in sections, whereas raw Schizonepetae Spica in clean preparation. Both charred products should avoid scorching. Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Spica are similar in the property(pungent, bitter, and warm), meridian tropism(lung and liver meridians, as well as qi and blood aspects), and functions(releasing exterior, dispersing wind, regulating and stopping blood, promoting eruption, dispelling sores, promoting digestion, eliminating alcohol effect, etc.), but Schizonepetae Spica is superior in efficacy. For Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Spica in traditional Chinese medicinal prescriptions, the raw and charred products are similar in usage and dosage, while their focuses in clinical compatibility vary. The raw and charred products of Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Spica are widely applied clinically. Decoction pieces of different specifications can result in different efficacies and clinical applications, so medication should be performed with caution.

Simultaneous quantitative analysis of nine constituents in six Chinese medicinal materials from Citrus genus by high-performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry combined with chemometric methods.

In this study, we aim to determine the chemical constituents of six Chinese medicinal materials from the Citrus genus using high-performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Eight flavonoids and one coumarin were identified and further quantified as marker substances by high-performance liquid chromatography method. The separation was performed on an Agilent TC-C18 column with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phase under gradient elution. The analytical method was fully validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, intra- and inter-day precision and repeatability, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, and recovery. It was subsequently applied to evaluate the quality of 103 batches of the Chinese medicinal materials from the Citrus genus. In addition, the principal constituent analysis was used to compare the samples of different species from the Citrus genus leading to successful classification of the samples in accordance with their origins. It was found that the contents of nine constituents varied greatly in different ripening stages and varieties of the samples from the Citrus genus. In addition, neoeriocitrin and 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin were determined as two unique constituents of 'Zhiqiao' and 'Foshou', respectively. In conclusion, this study provides a chemical basis for quality control of Chinese medicinal materials from the Citrus genus.

The Potential Transformation Mechanisms of the Marker Components of Schizonepetae Spica and Its Charred Product.

Schizonepetae Spica (SS) is commonly used for treating colds, fevers, bloody stool and metrorrhagia in China. To treat colds and fevers, traditional Chinese medicine doctors often use raw SS, while to treat bloody stool and metrorrhagia, they usually use Schizonepetae Spica Carbonisata (SSC; raw SS processed by stir-frying until carbonization). However, there have been limited investigations designed to uncover the mechanism of stir-fry processing. In the present study, a method combining gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the comprehensive analysis of the chemical profiles of SS and SSC samples. Principal component analysis of the GC-MS data demonstrated that there were 16 significant differences in volatile compounds between the SS and SSC samples. The simultaneous quantification of six nonvolatile compounds was also established based on HPLC, and remarkable differences were found between the two products. These changes were probably responsible for the various pharmacological effects of SS and SSC as well as the observed hepatotoxicity. Finally, the mechanisms could be rationalized by deducing possible reactions involved in the transformation of these marker components. This work reports a new strategy to reveal the chemical transformation of SS during stir-fry processing.

[Recent advances on genuineness evaluation of Lingnan herbal drugs].

Chinese medicine is the traditional treasure of China nation. As the basis of Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) plays an important part for the development of Chinese medicine. Genuine medicinal materials with special characteristics of TCM growing in special ecological environment, is recognized as the high quality medicine. Research on genuineness evaluation of TCM is the key to ensure its clinical applications, efficacy and the process of modernization and internationalization for Chinese medicine. Lingnan region of China is situated in the tropical and subtropical zones, where there are rich geothermal and hydrothermal resources. The superior natural and geographic environment of Lingnan has given birth to a variety of native herbal drugs. And treating and preventing diseases with Lingnan herbal drugs has a long story. This study mainly evaluated the genuineness of Lingnan herbal drugs from the aspects of ecological factor, thegenetic information, the history, the culture, the clinical efficacy and the processing, and proposed a new idea to investigate the genuineness of TCM, aiming to provide a scientific basis for genuineness evaluation.

Blood-supplementing effect of low molecular weight peptides of E-Jiao on chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression: evaluation of pharmacological activity and identification of bioactive peptides released in vivo.

Background: Equus asinus L. [Equidae; Asini Corri Colla] (donkey-hide gelatin, E-Jiao) is a traditional Chinese medicine renowned for its exceptional blood-supplementing effect. However, the specific components that contribute to its efficacy remain elusive. This study aimed to demonstrate that peptides are responsible for E-Jiao's blood-supplementing effect and to explore the specific peptides contributing to its efficacy. Methods: The low molecular weight peptides of E-Jiao (LMEJ) were obtained using an in vitro digestion method. LMEJ and peptides in the rat bloodstream were characterized by peptidomics analysis. The blood-supplementing effect of LMEJ was assessed using blood-deficient zebrafish and mouse models. The effect of the peptides detected in rat blood was evaluated using the same zebrafish model, and network pharmacology analysis was performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Results: A total of 660 unique peptides were identified within LMEJ. Both E-Jiao and LMEJ significantly alleviated myelosuppression in mice but only LMEJ attenuated myelosuppression in zebrafish. After the administration of E-Jiao to rats, 67 E-Jiao-derived peptides were detected in the bloodstream, 41 of which were identical to those identified in LMEJ. Out of these 41 peptides, five were synthesized. Subsequent verification of their effects revealed that two of them were able to alleviate myelosuppression in zebrafish. Network pharmacology study suggested that E-Jiao may exert a blood-supplementing effect by regulating signaling pathways such as JAK-STAT, IL-17 and others. These results indicated that peptides are at least partially responsible for E-Jiao's efficacy. Conclusion: This study provides a crucial foundation for further exploration of the bioactive components of E-Jiao.

Molecular Identification of Commercial Fish Maws by DNA Sequencing of 16S rRNA and Cytochrome c Oxidase I Genes.

ABSTRACT: Fish maws (dried swim bladders) have long been used for medicinal tonics and as a valuable food resource in Southeast Asia. However, it is difficult to identify the original species of fish maws sold in markets due to a lack of taxonomic characteristics. In the present study, 37 kinds of commercial fish maws from various medicinal material markets were examined, and gene sequences were successfully obtained from ca. 95% of the samples. Partial sequences of the 16S rRNA gene and cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene were obtained and used to investigate the origin of these commercial fish maws. Thirty-five specimens belonged to nine species: five croakers and four noncroakers. All species identification was supported by both high homogeneity (98 to 100%) and clear clustering with low within-group Kimura two-parameter divergence scores (0 to 0.04 for 16S rRNA and 0 to 0.07 for COI) and high between-group divergence scores (0.07 to 0.15 for 16S rRNA and 0.11 to 0.24 for COI). Croakers were the predominant species, accounting for 74% of the total fish maw specimens. The large demand for croakers has put some species at the risk of extinction due to overfishing. As a valuable food, fish maw has progressively become more popular and has been used as a substitute for shark fin. The identification results allowed us to learn more about the fish species available on the fish maw market and provided an indicator for possible control of threatened or endangered fish species. A probable correlation between the molecular characteristics and morphological features of fish maws was also found and could provide both consumers and merchants with an important reference for identifying the origin of fish maws.

Comparisons of the anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and hemostatic activities and chemical profiles of raw and charred Schizonepetae Spica.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: A common view in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory is that "processing can alter the efficacy of crude drugs". The clinical usage of some processed products may have already changed greatly over time during the development of modern scientific analysis. Therefore, the view of "processing can alter the efficacy of crude drugs" should be confirmed by comparative studies. Schizonepetae Spica (SS), a Chinese medicinal herb, is the dried spike of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq. It is available in two forms: raw products and charred products (Schizonepetae Spica Carbonisata, SSC; raw SS processed by stir-frying until carbonization). Raw SS is commonly used to treat TCM symptoms that resemble common cold, fever, respiratory tract infection and allergic dermatitis, while SSC has long been used as a remedy for TCM symptoms that resemble bloody stool and metrorrhagia. AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to examine whether stir-fry processing alters the anti-inflammatory, antiviral and hemostatic activities of SS and explore the chemical profile behind the potential changes in medicinal properties caused by stir-fry processing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used cell models to examine the anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects of raw SS and SSC. The bleeding time of the tail bleeding model and clotting time of the capillary method in mice were used to compare the hemostasis properties of raw SS and SSC. The chemical profiles of SS and SSC were compared using a method combining gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/Q-TOF-MS) analysis. RESULTS: The anti-inflammatory effects of SSC were less potent than those of raw SS. Both raw SS and SSC effectively inhibited viral infection in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 96.30 and 9.73 µg/mL and selectivity index (SI) values of >1.56 and 7.78, respectively. Interestingly, SSC showed more potent antiviral activities than raw SS. Intragastric administration of raw SS and SSC to mice demonstrated that the hemostatic effects of SSC were more potent than those of raw SS. By comparing the volatile chemical profiles of SSC, we found that twenty-nine constituents disappeared and that fifty-four new constituents were formed while the relative contents of five other components decreased and three other components increased. Additionally, the nonvolatile chemical profiles of raw SS and SSC differed, with thirty-two lower peaks and seven higher peaks in SSC than in SS. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that raw SS and SSC support traditional practice for the clinical applications of these two products except for raw SS used for the treatment of viral infection. It is a fascinating challenge to form SSCs with both traditional hemostatic activities and antiviral properties after stir-fry processing. In addition, the volatile and nonvolatile chemical constituents of raw SS changed dramatically during processing. Further studies are warranted to explore whether the change in chemical constituents is in accordance with the purpose of processing.

Color discrimination and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry fingerprint based on chemometrics analysis for the quality evaluation of Schizonepetae Spica.

Schizonepetae Spica (SS), the dried spike of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq., is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. According to the color of persistent calyx, SS is categorized into two classes: the yellowish-green-type and the brownish-type. Based on the chemometrics analysis of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), a novel model of identifying and evaluating the quality of SS in different colors was constructed for the first time in this work. 20 batches SS samples of different colors were collected and used to extract essential oils. The average essential oils yield of SS in yellowish-green color was significantly higher than that of SS in brownish color from the same origin (p<0.05). The GC-MS fingerprints of 20 batches SS samples whose correlation coefficients were over 0.964 demonstrated SS samples were consistent to some extent in spite of slightly different chemical indexes. A total of 39 common volatiles compounds were identified. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) were developed to distinguish SS samples characterized by different colors. Consistent results were obtained to show that SS samples could be successfully grouped according to their color. Finally, 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-3,6-dimethyl-benzofuran and pulegone were detected as the key variables for discriminating SS samples of different colors and for quality control. The obtained results proved that SS of good quality were often yellowish-green and those of poor quality were often brownish.

The scientific elucidation of daodi medicinal materials.

Daodi medicinal materials (DMMs), with unique characteristics and specific ecological growing environments, are recognized as high-quality medicinal products of Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs). The quality evaluation of CMMs is fundamental for standardization. The concept and application of DMMs have a long history as described in records in ancient books and rooted in practice and experience over generations. DMM is the specific term for pure, superior medicinal herbs with the following characteristics: optimum harvest season (reflecting the appropriate developmental stage of the plant), scrupulous processing, traditional preparation technology, etc. As DMM and high-quality medicinal products are traditionally thought to be closely related, modern scientific studies that confirm the association of these products are described. This article aims to clarify the scientific elucidation of DMMs.