[Discussion on reference sample research of traditional Chinese medicine compound preparations developed from catalogued ancient classical prescriptions].

The concept of reference sample was put forward in the Guidance on CMC of Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound Preparations Developed from Catalogued Ancient Classical Prescriptions(Interim). The research on reference sample is a key link in the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) compound prescriptions from catalogued ancient classical prescriptions(known as Category 3.1 TCM). This paper discusses the content of research on reference sample by analyzing the characteristics of Category 3.1 TCM and the purpose of research on reference sample. Furthermore, suggestions on the research of reference sample are proposed according to the development and evaluation practice of Category 3.1 TCM and research achievements of TCM regulatory science, aiming to provide reference for colleagues in this industry.

[Research progress and maturity assessment of continuous manufacturing of traditional Chinese medicine].

The pharmaceutical manufacturing model is gradually changing from intermittent manufacturing to continuous manufacturing and intelligent manufacturing. This paper briefly reviewed the supervision and research progress in continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing in China and abroad and described the definition and advantages of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing. The continuous manufacturing of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) at the current stage was summarized in the following three terms: the enhancement of the continuity of intermittent manufacturing operations, the integration of continuous equipment to improve physical continuity between units, and the application of advanced process control strategies to improve process continuity. To achieve continuous manufacturing of TCM, the corresponding key technologies, such as material property characterization, process modeling and simulation, process analysis technology, and system integration, were analyzed from the process and equipment, respectively. It was proposed that the continuous manufacturing equipment system should have the characteristics of high speed, high response, and high reliability, "three high(H~3)" for short. Considering the characteristics and current situation of TCM manufacturing, based on the two dimensions of product quality control and production efficiency, a maturity assessment model for continuous manufacturing of TCM, consisting of operation continuity, equipment continuity, process continuity, and quality control continuity, was proposed to provide references for the application of continuous manufacturing technology for TCM. The implementation of continuous manufacturing or the application of key continuous manufacturing technologies in TCM can help to systematically integrate advanced pharmaceutical technology elements and promote the uniformity of TCM quality and the improvement of production efficiency.

One-Pot Fabrication of Hierarchically Bicontinuous Polystyrene Monoliths with Homogeneous Skeletons and Glycopolymer Surfaces.

The hierarchically bicontinuous polystyrene monoliths (HBPMs) with homogeneous skeletons and glycopolymer surfaces are fabricated for the first time based on the medium internal phase emulsion (MIPE) templating method via activator generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP). The synergistic self-assembly of amphiphilic diblock glycopolymer (ADG) and Pluronic F127 (PF127) at the oil/water interface via hydrogen bonding interaction contributes to the formation of bicontinuous MIPE with deformed neighboring water droplets, resulting in the highly interconnected HBPM after polymerization. There is a bimodal pore size distribution in the HBPM, that is, through pores (150-5000 nm) and mesopores (10-150 nm). The HBPMs as prepared show excellent biocompatibility, homogeneous skeletons, strong mechanical strength, and high bed permeability, overcoming the practical limitations of the second generation of polystyrene (PS) monoliths. Glycoprotein concanavalin A (Con A) can be easily and quickly separated by the HBPM in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) mode. These results suggest the HBPMs have great potentials in catalysis, separations, and biomedical applications.

[Formulation of technical guidelines in line with characteristics and principles of traditional Chinese medicine changes to improve quality of such preparations--interpretation of Technical guidelines for the study of pharmaceutical changes in traditional Chinese medicines].

In leading the high-quality development of Chinese medicine preparations, it is an important link to formulate the scientific, reasonable, and feasible guidelines for the change of Chinese medicines in accordance with the change characteristics and principles of the Chinese medicines is an important work to promote the Technical guidelines for the study of pharmaceutical changes in traditional Chinese medicines was formed by a broad consensus based on the characteristics and research results of the pharmaceutical changes in Traditional Chinese Medicines(TCM)with the principles of science and risk management. This guideline has clarified the basic principles and requirements for the evaluation of changes in TCM, specified the research and verification work of common change scenarios, defined the boundaries of changes in TCM, and proposed to encourage the use of new technologies, new methods, and new excipients that meet product characteristics. It will definitely promote the quality improvement and the secondary development of TCM. In this article, the revision background and main content of the guideline were introduced, and the main features of the Guideline were analyzed, in order to provide references for the industry.

Mesorhizobium carbonis sp. nov., isolated from coal bed water.

A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, motile, short rod-shaped bacterium, designated as B2.3T, was isolated from coal bed water collected from Jincheng, Shanxi Province, China. The strain was able to grow at 10-40 °C (optimum 28-30 °C), pH 4.0-10.0 (optimum 7.0), and in the presence of 0-5.0% NaCl (optimum 3.0%, w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA and concatenated housekeeping gene recA, atpD and glnA sequences showed strain B2.3T belongs to the genus Mesorhizobium, with Mesorhizobium oceanicum B7T as the closely related type strain. Strain B2.3T exhibited ANI value of 77.5% and GGDC value of 21.5% to M. oceanicum B7T. The major fatty acids were identified as summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c) and 11-methyl C18:1ω7c. The major polar lipids were found to consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and an unidentified aminophospholipid. The predominant ubiquinone was identified as Quinone 10. Phenotypic and biochemical analysis results indicated that strain B2.3T can be distinguished from closely related type strains. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain B2.3T is concluded to represent a novel species in the genus Mesorhizobium, for which the name Mesorhizobium carbonis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is B2.3T (=CGMCC 1.15730T = KCTC 52461T).

An injectable collagen peptide-based hydrogel with desirable antibacterial, self-healing and wound-healing properties based on multiple-dynamic crosslinking.

Conventional collagen-based hydrogels as wound dressing materials are usually lack of antibacterial activity and easily broken when encountering external forces. In this work, we developed a collagen peptide-based hydrogel as a wound dressing, which was composed of adipic acid dihydrazide functionalized collagen peptide (Col-ADH), oxidized dextran (ODex), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and borax via multiple-dynamic reversible bonds (acylhydrazone, amine, borate ester and hydrogen bonds). The injectable hydrogel exhibited satisfactory self-healing ability, antibacterial activity, mechanical strength, as well as good biocompatibility and biodegradability. In vivo experiments demonstrated the rapid hemostasis, accelerated cell migration, and promoted wound healing capacities of the hydrogel. These results indicate that the multifunctional collagen peptide-based hydrogel has great potentials in the field of wound dressings.

Sub-50 nm core-shell nanoparticles with the pH-responsive squeezing release effect for targeting therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The development of drug delivery systems with high drug loading capacity, low leakage at physiological pH, and rapid release at the lesion sites remains an ongoing challenge. In this work, core-shell poly(6-O-methacryloyl-D-galactose)@poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) (PMADGal@PtBMA) nanoparticles (NPs) of sub-50 nm are facilely synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) soap-free emulsion polymerization with the assistance of 12-crown-4. A hydrophilic poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) core can then be revealed after deprotection of the tert-butyl groups, which is negatively charged and can adsorb nearly 100% of incubated doxorubicin (DOX) from a solution at pH 7.4. The physical shrinkage of PMAA chains below pH 6.0 endows the core with the squeezing effect, therefore realizing rapid drug release. It is demonstrated that the DOX release rate of PMADGal@PMAA NPs at pH 5 was 4 times that at pH 7.4. Cellular uptake experiments confirm the high targeting ability of the galactose modified PMADGal shell to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. The fluorescence intensity of DOX in HepG2 cells is 4.86 times that of HeLa cells after 3 h incubation. Moreover, 20% cross-linked NPs show the highest uptake efficiency by HepG2 cells due to their moderate surface charge, size and hardness. In summary, both the core and the shell of PMADGal@PMAA NPs promise the rapid site-specific release of DOX in HepG2 cells. This work provides a facile and an effective strategy to synthesize core-shell NPs for hepatocellular carcinoma targeting therapy.

Galactosylated Core-Shell Nanoparticles with pH/GSH Dual Sensitivity for Targeting Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Galactosylated core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters of sub-50 nm were fabricated in one pot by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) soap-free emulsion polymerization. Their galactosylated shells and acidic cores endow them with high targeting and drug loading efficiencies, respectively. Morever, the physical shrinkage and cleavage of the disulfide cross-linked NPs can realize the rapid release of loaded doxorubicin (DOX) under pH 5.0 and reduced glutathione (GSH) conditions. The combination of these excellent properties resulted in an even lower IC50 of DOX-loaded NPs than free DOX, demonstrating that this platform would be promising in targeting the therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Retraction of "Thermoresponsive Gigaporous Microspheres Facilitate the Efficient Refolding of Recombinant Nitrilase Inclusion Bodies".

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00432.].

In-situ grafting temperature-responsive hydrogel as a bifunctional solid-phase microextraction coating for tunable extraction of biomacromolecules.

A temperature-responsive solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coating was prepared via in-situ atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. By controlling the temperature of solution below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the coating, it can switch between hydrophilic and hydrophobic, thus providing a convenient approach for the selective extraction of analytes with different polarities. The average extraction amount of temperature-responsive coating for polar analytes is about 1.5-fold to that of non-polar ones below LCST, and vice versa. Effective extraction of three biomacromolecules was also obtained by controlling the temperature below or above LCST. The adsorption capacity of the coating for the hydrophilic biomacromolecules at 15 °C is 1.5-2 folds that of 50 °C, whereas the adsorption capacity of the coating to BSA at 50 °C is about 3 folds that of 15 °C. This approach holds great promise for SPME because it provides a simple strategy to prepare bifunctional coatings for various applications.

Cytotoxic triterpenoid glycosides from leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus.

Three previously undescribed dammarane triterpenoid glycosides (1-3) along with five known analogues (4-8) were isolated from the leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus. Their structures and configurations were determined on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, chemical hydrolysis and DFT GIAO 13C NMR calculation. All the isolates were evaluated cytotoxic activities against seven human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, PC-3, Du145, NCI-H1975, PC-9, SKVO3 and HepG2). Moreover, compound 4 showed a wide spectrum of cytotoxicity against human cancer cells with IC50 values ranging from 11.31 to 29.51 µM.

Cyclic bisbibenzyls induce growth arrest and apoptosis of human prostate cancer PC3 cells.

AIM: To investigate the cytotoxic effects of four cyclic bisbibenzyls, Riccardin C (Ric), Pakyonol (Pak), Marchantin M (Mar), and Plagiochin E (Pla) against chemoresistant prostate cancer PC3 cells. METHODS: Cell growth was assayed by MTT method, and apoptotic related protein Bcl-2 and Bax, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were examined by Western blotting. Cell cycle and apoptosis of PC3 cells were evaluated with flow cytometry and morphologic examinations. RESULTS: The four compounds inhibited proliferation and elicited cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner with IC(50) values of 3.22 micromol/L for Ric, 7.98 micromol/L for Pak, 5.45 micromol/L for Mar, and 5.99 micromol/L for Pla, respectively. Furthermore, exposed to these chemicals caused a decrease in the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and an increase in proapoptotic Bax expression. PARP cleavage and caspase-3 activity were also observed. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that cyclic bisbibenzyls could be used for the development of novel therapeutic chemicals against prostate cancer.

Thermoresponsive Gigaporous Microspheres Facilitate the Efficient Refolding of Recombinant Nitrilase Inclusion Bodies.

In order to assist the refolding of recombinant nitrilase inclusion bodies, a series of thermoresponsive media were prepared by grafting poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-butyl-methacrylate) [P(NIPAM-co-BMA)] brushes onto PS microspheres with various particles and pore sizes via an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. The effects of particle sizes, pore sizes, and brush grafting amounts of thermoresponsive microspheres on nitrilase refolding were investigated preliminarily. The results showed that the PS-P(NIPAM-co-BMA) microspheres with the medium particle size (74 µm), gigapore size (320 nm), and high grafting amount (35.6 mg/m2) were the most effective candidates. The final nitrilase activity yield could be up to 84.5% with a high initial protein concentration (1 mg/mL) at 30 °C, which was 52.5% higher than that of a simple dilution refolding method at the initial protein concentration (0.1 mg/mL). After the refolding process, the PS-P(NIPAM-co-BMA) microspheres can be easily separated by self-precipitation, and the activity yield of nitrilase still reached 74.5% after being reused for five batches. These results indicated that the thermoresponsive gigaporous medium was an ideal alternative as an artificial chaperone.

Biocatalytic production of acyclic bis[bibenzyls] from dihydroresveratrol by crude Momordica charantia peroxidase.

Biotransformation of dihydroresveratrol by crude Momordica charantia peroxidase provided six new acyclic bis[bibenzyls] 1-6. Their structures were established on the basis of NMR and MS analyses as C-C, C-O-C, and C-CH(2)-C dimers of dihydroresveratrol. Compounds 1-6 were tested for antiproliferative activity against human prostate cancer PC3 cell line in vitro, and 2 and 6 were found to be more potent than the parent compound.

Marchantin C, a macrocyclic bisbibenzyl, induces apoptosis of human glioma A172 cells.

Macrocyclic bisbibenzyls, a class of characteristic components derived from liverworts, are attracting more and more attention because of their wide range of biological significance, including anti-bacterial, anti-fungus, anti-oxidation and cytotoxicity. Herein, we investigated the pro-apoptotic effect of marchantin C on human glioma A 172 cells. The results demonstrated that marchantin C conferred dose-dependent inhibitory effects onto cell growth, viability and colony formation ability of A 172 cells. Morphological observation and DNA laddering assay showed that marchantin C-treated A172 cells displayed outstanding apoptosis characteristics, such as nuclear fragmentation, the appearance of membrane-enclosed apoptotic bodies and DNA laddering fragment. Moreover, flow cytometric detection of phosphatidylserine externalization indicated that marchantin C-induced apoptosis occurred in a dose-dependent manner. RT-PCR and western blot assay further substantiated that marchantin C, as a promising pro-apoptotic agent, had strong effects to induce A172 cell apoptosis, suggesting that the action was achieved through up-regulating Bax and down-regulating Bcl-2.

ent-kaurane diterpenoids from the liverwort Jungermannia atrobrunnea.

Three new rearranged ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids (1-3) and seven new ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids (4-10) have been isolated from the liverwort Jungermannia atrobrunnea. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic techniques and X-ray crystallographic analysis. The absolute configurations of these compounds were clarified by CD spectroscopic studies. Compound 1 is the first example of a rearranged ent-kaurane diterpenoid possessing a peroxide bridge.

Swollen Micelles for the Preparation of Gated, Squeezable, pH-Responsive Drug Carriers.

Natural variations in pH levels of tissues in the body make it an attractive stimuli to trigger drug release from a delivery vehicle. A number of such carriers have been developed but achieving high drug loading combined with low leakage at physiological pH and tunable controlled release at the site of action is an ongoing challenge. Here we report a novel strategy for the synthesis of entirely hydrophilic stimuli-responsive nanocarriers with high passive loading efficiency of doxorubicin (DOX), which show good stability at pH 7 and rapid tunable drug release at intracellular pH. The particles (Dh = 120-150 nm), are prepared by cross-linking the core of swollen micelles of the triblock copolymer poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-b-N,N'-di(methylamino)ethyl methacrylate-b-tert-butyl methacrylate] (poly(PEGMEM A)-b- PDMAEMA-b-PtBMA)). After subsequent deprotection of the tert-butyl groups a hydrophilic poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) core is revealed. Due to the negative charge in the acidic core the particles absorb 100% of the DOX from solution at pH 7 at up to 50 wt % DOX/polymer, making them extremely simple to load. Unlike other systems, the DMAEMA "gating" shell ensures low drug leakage at pH 7, whereas physical shrinkage of the MAA core allows rapid release below pH 6. The particles deliver DOX with high efficiency to human pancreatic cancer AsPC-1 cell lines, even lowering the IC50 of DOX. As the particles are stable as a dry powder and can be loaded with any mixture of positively charged drugs without complex synthetic or purification steps, we propose they will find use in a range of delivery applications.

Inherently fluorescent polystyrene microspheres for coating, sensing and cellular imaging.

Commercially available polystyrene (PS) fluorescent microspheres are widely used in biological field for tracing, in vivo imaging and calibration of flow cytometry, among other applications. However, these particles do suffer from some drawbacks such as the leakage and photobleaching of organic dyes within them. In the present study, inherently fluorescent properties of PS based microspheres have been explored for the first time. Here we find that a simple chloromethylation reaction endows the polystyrene particles with inherent fluorescence without any subsequent conjugation of an external fluorophore. A possible mechanism for fluorescence is elucidated by synthesizing and investigating p-ethylbenzyl chloride, a compound with similar structure. Significantly, no photobleaching or leaking issues were observed owing to the stable structure of the microspheres. Chloromethylated PS (CMPS) microspheres can keep their perpetual blue fluorescence even in dry powder state making them attractive as a potential coating material. Furthermore, the chloromethyl groups on CMPS microspheres make them very convenient for further functionalization. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafted microspheres showed good biocompatibility and negligible cytotoxicity, and could be used to image intracellular Fe3+ due to the selective fluorescence quenching effect of aqueous Fe3+ in cytoplasm.

Antifungal bis[bibenzyls] from the Chinese liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L.

Bioassay-guided separation of the antifungal constituents of the Chinese liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L. (Marchantiaceae) led to the isolation of seven bis[bibenzyl]-type macrocycles. On the basis of NMR and MS analyses, the three new compounds plagiochin E (1), 13,13'-O-isoproylidenericcardin D (4), and riccardin H (7) were identified, together with four known compounds: marchantin E (2), neomarchantin A (3), marchantin A (5), and marchantin B (6). Their antifungal activities against Candida albicans were determined by TLC bioautography.

Thermo- and pH-responsive polymer brushes-grafted gigaporous polystyrene microspheres as a high-speed protein chromatography matrix.

Dual thermo- and pH-responsive chromatography has been proposed using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-butyl methacrylate-co-N,N-dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide) (P(NIPAM-co-BMA-co-DMAPAAM)) brushes grafted gigaporous polystyrene microspheres (GPM) as matrix. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator was first coupled onto GPM through Friedel-Crafts acylation with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide. The dual-responsive polymer brushes were then grafted onto GPM via surface-initiated ATRP. The surface composition, gigaporous structure, protein adsorption and dual-responsive chromatographic properties of the matrix (GPM-P(NIPAM-co-BMA-co-DMAPAAM) were characterized in detail. Results showed that GPM were successfully grafted with thermoresponsive cationic polymer brushes and that the gigaporous structure was well maintained. A column packed with GPM-P(NIPAM-co-BMA-co-DMAPAAM presented low backpressure, good permeability and appreciable thermo-responsibility. By changing pH of the mobile phase and temperature of the column in turn, the column can separate three model proteins at the mobile phase velocity up to 2528cmh(-1). A separation mechanism of this matrix was also proposed. All results indicate that the dual thermo- and pH-responsive chromatography matrix has great potentials in 'green' high-speed protein chromatography.