Characterization of Sesquiterpene Dimers from the Flowers of Inula japonica and the Structural Revisions of Related Compounds.

Sesquiterpene dimers are mainly found in the Asteraceae family. However, conflicting reports on the structures of these compounds can be found in the literature. Herein, we describe ten sesquiterpene dimers isolated from the flowers of Inula japonica, including configurational revisions of japonicone H (1-1), japonicone D (2-1), inulanolide A (4-1), japonicone X (5-1), and inulanolide F (5-2) to compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5, respectively. Five new related metabolites (3 and 6-9) are also described. Application of GIAO NMR/DP4+ analyses and ECD/OR calculations enabled us to revise the absolute configurations of an additional 13 sesquiterpene dimers isolated from plants of the genus Inula. Compounds 1, 2, 4, and 6 exhibited inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide activated RAW264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 4.07-10.00 µM.

An innovative extraction strategy for herbal medicine by adopting p-sulphonatocalix[6]/[8]arenes.

INTRODUCTION: Alkaloids exist in various herbal medicine widely and exhibit diverse biological and pharmacological activities. p-Sulphonatocalix[6]arenes (SC6A) and p-sulphonatocalix[8]arenes (SC8A) are water-soluble supramolecular macrocycles and are applied to the extraction of alkaloids from herbal products. OBJECTIVE: In this study, an innovative method of SC6A/SC8A assisted extraction of the alkaloids from herbs was established. METHODS: SC6A and SC8A were designed to extract 27 alkaloids from seven herbal medicines. Based on the significant solubilisation and extraction effect, Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix (Fangji, FJ) was selected to obtain the optimal extraction process by adopting single factor test and orthogonal experiment. Then, the alkaloids and SC6A/SC8A were separated by one-step alkalisation and SCnA were reused. The host-guest complexes between alkaloids and SCnA were determined by competitive fluorescence titration, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H-NMR) analysis. RESULTS: The optimum condition for SC6A assisted extraction was 5:1:80 (g/g/mL) for herbs/SC6A/solution ratio, 355-250 µm particle size and ultrasonicate 0.5 h, whilst 10:1:40 (g/g/mL) for herbs/SC8A/solution ratio, 355-250 µm particle size and ultrasonicate 0.5 h for SC8A assisted extraction. The total yield of alkaloids (fangchinoline and tetrandrine) from FJ was increased by 4.87 times and 5.97 times with SC6A and SC8A. Moreover, a good reusability of SC6A/SC8A was achieved by alkalisation dissociation. Host-guest complexes were determined by competitive fluorescence titration at a molar ratio of 1:1 between most alkaloids (25/27, except evodiamine and rutaecarpine) and SC6A/SC8A. The complex structure was proved by DSC, FTIR and 1 H-NMR analysis. CONCLUSION: The study provided an effective eco-friendly and energy-saving extraction method of alkaloids from herbal medicine.

An eco-friendly extraction and purification method of nuciferine from Folium nelumbinis with p-sulfonatocalix[6]arenes.

INTRODUCTION: Folium nelumbinis is used as vegetable, functional food and herbal medicine in Asia. p-Sulfonatocalix[6]arene (SC6A) is a water-soluble supramolecular macrocycle and has never been applied to the extraction of herbal products. OBJECTIVE: In this study, SC6A-assisted extraction of nuciferine from Folium nelumbinis has been carried out to develop an eco-friendly extraction process with high extraction efficacy and easy operation. METHODS: Single-factor experiments were adopted to obtain the optimal conditions for the SC6A-assisted extraction of nuciferine from Folium nelumbinis, and then nuciferine and SC6A were separated easily by one-step alkalization. The host-guest complexes between nuciferine and SC6A were analyzed by competitive fluorescence titration, DSC, FT-IR and 1 H-NMR. RESULTS: The optimal SC6A/Folium nelumbinis/solution ratio for extraction was 0.4:1:20 (g/g/mL), with a granulometric fraction below 180 µm and an extraction time of 1 h with soaking. The purity and recovery of nuciferine extracted with SC6A were increased 29.24 and 35.73 times compared with extraction with aqueous solution, respectively. Moreover, a good reusability of SC6A in the extraction of nuciferine was demonstrated. Competitive fluorescence titration, DSC, FT-IR and 1 H-NMR characterization indicated that SC6A could form host-guest complexes with nuciferine at a ratio of 1:1. CONCLUSION: The study provided an eco-friendly, safe and effective nuciferine extraction method, which can be used for the development of nutrition supplements containing nuciferine.

Capsaicin on stem cell proliferation and fate determination - a novel perspective.

Capsaicin (CAP), a member of the vanilloid family, is the main active component of chili peppers, which has been widely explored for its various pharmacological effects and influence on cell physiology, such as axonal growth and apoptosis of tumor cells. In particular, CAP plays a crucial role in determining the proliferation and fate specification of stem cells by modulating a variety of signaling pathways, such as PPARγ, C/EBPα and Notch signaling. Since CAP-mediated processes are complex and multifactorial, we hope to achieve a better understanding of these processes and their implications in clinical applications. This review aims to shed light on the influences and mechanisms of CAP on the actions of various stem cells in adults and discusses the role of CAP in the different process of stem cell behaviors, including proliferation and differentiation. Our purpose is to provide certain prospects for the application of CAP and stem cell therapy in treating diseases.

Simultaneous determination of five isoflavones in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS: Comparative pharmacokinetic characteristics of Puerariae lobatae radix in normal and type 2 diabetic rats.

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein, 3'-hydroxy puerarin, and genistein in rat plasma after oral administration of Puerariae lobatae radix extract. The method of protein precipitation with acetonitrile was used for sample preparation. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column with the mobile phases of acetonitrile/water containing 0.1% formic acid. The analytes were detected by mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization source operating in the negative ion mode. The linearity, precision, accuracy, dilution reliability, recovery, matrix effects, and stability of the method were within acceptable ranges. The developed method was successfully used to compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics of five analytes in normal and type 2 diabetics rats after oral administration of Puerariae lobatae radix extract. Several pharmacokinetic alterations were observed and this might be caused by the pathological state of type 2 diabetes.

Rapid characterization of the absorbed chemical constituents of Tangzhiqing formula following oral administration using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS.

Tangzhiqing formula, a Chinese herbal formula, is used for the treatment of type II diabetes and prediabetes. Although its effectiveness has been certified by clinical use, its absorbed chemical constituents are not comprehensively represented. Thence, in order to reveal potential bioactive components and metabolism of Tangzhiqing formula, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry method was developed. A total of 86 absorbed components, including 38 prototype compounds and 48 metabolites, were identified in rat plasma, urine, and feces after oral administration of Tangzhiqing formula. This was the first systematic study on the chemical constituents and metabolic profiling of Tangzhiqing formula. The results indicated that alkaloids and flavonoids were main absorbed components, and glucuronidation and sulfation were the major metabolites. Moreover we concluded that alkaloids and flavonoids first underwent demethylation and hydrolysis reactions before biotransformed to phase II metabolites. This study provided valuable data for safety estimation of Tangzhiqing formula, which will be advantageous for clinical application.

[Chemistry and biology research on bitter-taste Chinese materia medica with function of regulating glycolipid metabolism].

The bitter taste is one of the important properties among five flavors of Chinese materia medica (CMM), characterized by downbearing and discharging, drying dampness, and consolidating Yin. In common CMM, bitter-taste CMM accounts for a large proportion, indicating the importance of it. Through the efficacy of clearing away heat and dampness, reducing fire and removing toxin, bitter-taste CMM has achieved good results in treating diabetes in clinical application, proving their definite therapeutic effect on regulating glucose and lipid metabolism (main features of diabetes). At present, there are many reports about the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of CMM on diabetes, but there are few reviews on the chemistry and biology of bitter-taste CMM. This study summarized the properties and compatibility characteristics of bitter-taste CMM for treating diabetes, and mainly analyzed the chemistry and biology basis of bitter-taste CMM with function of regulating glycolipid metabolism, laying foundation for further researches on properties theory of CMM.

Metabolic profiling of quercetin in rats using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Quercetin, a kind of major flavonoid found in many traditional chinese medicines, is an effective substance for treatments such as lowering blood lipids. However, the studies on quercetin have been mainly focused on its pharmacological effect; the treatment of diseases on a material basis, particularly the metabolites derived from quercetin in vivo, has not been evaluated. In this study, we determined the levels, distributions and types of quercetin's metabolites in plasma, urine, feces and bile of rats after a single oral administration of quercetin at a dose of 80 mg/kg, using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). A total of 36 metabolites of quercetin were identified, including 11 metabolites in plasma, 34 metabolites in urine, 12 metabolites in feces and 21 metabolites in bile. The results showed that phase I metabolites were reduction metabolites and phase II metabolites mainly included glucuronidation, sulfation and methylation metabolites. These results provide important information on the metabolism of quercetin, which will be helpful for its further development and utilization.

Bio-inspired Fabrication of Complex Hierarchical Structure in Silicon.

In this paper, we developed a top-down method to fabricate complex three dimensional silicon structure, which was inspired by the hierarchical micro/nanostructure of the Morpho butterfly scales. The fabrication procedure includes photolithography, metal masking, and both dry and wet etching techniques. First, microscale photoresist grating pattern was formed on the silicon (111) wafer. Trenches with controllable rippled structures on the sidewalls were etched by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching Bosch process. Then, Cr film was angled deposited on the bottom of the ripples by electron beam evaporation, followed by anisotropic wet etching of the silicon. The simple fabrication method results in large scale hierarchical structure on a silicon wafer. The fabricated Si structure has multiple layers with uniform thickness of hundreds nanometers. We conducted both light reflection and heat transfer experiments on this structure. They exhibited excellent antireflection performance for polarized ultraviolet, visible and near infrared wavelengths. And the heat flux of the structure was significantly enhanced. As such, we believe that these bio-inspired hierarchical silicon structure will have promising applications in photovoltaics, sensor technology and photonic crystal devices.

Triglyceride accumulation: inhibitory effects of tangzhiqing formula.

CONTEXT: The tangzhiqing formula (TZQ-F) is a traditional antidiabetic prescription that includes red peony root, mulberry leaf, lotus leaf, danshen root, and hawthorn leaf. The research team's previous study showed that the TZQ-F had beneficial effects on abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at investigating TZQ-F's mechanism of lipid metabolism to evaluate its inhibitory effect on triglyceride (TG) accumulation. DESIGN: This study included both an in vivo and an in vitro component. For the in vivo study, C57BL/6 mice were used as the normal control group, and KK-A(y) mice were divided into five groups: (1) model control group, (2) positive control group (10 mg/kg/d rosiglitazone), (3) 500 mg/kg/d TZQ-F treated KK-A(y) mice, (4) 200 mg/kg/d TZQ-F treated KK-A(y) mice, and (5) 100 mg/kg/d TZQ-F treated KK-A(y) mice. For the in vitro study, 3T3-L1 cells were divided into the following: (A) red peony total saponins, (B) danshen total polyphenols, (C) lotus leaf total flavonoids, (D) lotus leaf total alkaloids, (E) mulberry leaf total flavonoids, (F) mulberry leaf total alkaloids, (G) mulberry leaf polysaccharide, and (H) hawthorn leaf total flavonoids, and (I) tangzhiqing formula, including a normal group (NG) and a model control group (CG). SETTING: This study occurred at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TUTCM), Tianjin, China. INTERVENTION: TZQ-F, suspended either in a 5% acacia solution and a vehicle (5% acacia solution) were given orally to the KK-A(y) mice once/d (16:00-17:00) for 4 wk. OUTCOME MEASURES: RT-PCR and a Western blot analysis were used to detect gene and protein expression respectively. RESULTS: The in vivo study showed that TZQ-F significantly reduced body weight without changing food intake in KK-A(y) mice and significantly decreased the levels of serum glucose (GLU), triglycerides (TG), and free fatty acids (FFA). TZQ-F significantly increased expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphorylation of AMPK in the liver and muscle tissues of the KK-A(y) mice. TZQ-F significantly decreased expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty-acid synthase (FAS), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the liver and muscles. It also significantly decreased expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) while it significantly increased expression of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4). The in vitro study showed that TZQ-F significantly suppressed the accumulation of TG and FFA in mature adipocytes and similarly increased expression of AMPK and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-α (PPAR-α) and phosphorylation of AMPK, while it decreased expression of ACC, FAS, HSL, and SREBP-1c. CONCLUSIONS: The findings partly clarified the inhibitory effects of TZQ-F on TG accumulation related to the AMPK signaling pathway.

[In vitro transdermal behavior of effective constituents in Chonghe gel].

Chonghe gel originated from the Chinese ancient prescription, can be used for the treatment of diabetic foot. This experiment was to study the transdermal absorbability of paeoniflorin and osthole in Chonghe gel . Franz diffusing cells method was adopted for the in vitro model of rat belly skins. Paeoniflorin and osthole in the receiving liquid, skins and gel were determined by HPLC. The receiving liquid were screened, and Chonghe gel and Chonghe ointment were compared by transdermal absorbability. Result showed that ethanol-normal saline (2: 8) solution was the appropriate receiving liquid. The penetration rates of paeoniflorin and osthole were 78.07, 7.08 microg x cm(-2) x h(-1). respectively. In 24 h, the accumulated penetration rates were (31.51 +/- 1.33)%, (12.38 +/- 1.28)%, respectively. The retention rates of paeoniflorin and osthole in skin were (0.92 +/- 0.45)%, (4.81 +/- 1.03) %, respectively. The retention of osthole in skins was a drug reservoir. Transdermal behavior of effective constituents in Chonghe gel was more efficient than that in ointment. In vitro, the transdermal behavior of paeoniflorin in Chonghe gel was close to a Weibull process, while the behavior of osthole was close to Higuchi process.

23-O-acetylshengmanol-3-O-α-L-arabinoside alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury through inhibiting IκB/NF-κB and MAPK/AP-1 signaling pathways.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cimicifuga foetida L. is a well-established traditional Chinese medicine with heat-clearing and detoxifying effects and has good therapeutic effect on oral mucosal ulcer and pharyngitis. The rhizome of this herb is rich in triterpenoid glycosides, including 23-O-acetylshengmanol-3-o-α-L-arabinoside (DA). AIM OF THE STUDY: Whether and how DA attenuates acute lung injury (ALI) are unclear. Accordingly, we focused on its anti-inflammatory effects and underlying molecular mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated ALI mice and RAW264.7 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The model of ALI mice was established by exposed intratracheal instillation of LPS. Lung pathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Pulmonary function was assessed by whole-body plethysmography. Total protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was detected by bicinchoninic acid method. Wet/dry lung ratio was used to evaluate the degree of pulmonary edema in mice. The levels of pro-inflammatory mediators were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relative expression of pro-inflammatory gene mRNA was examined by RT-qPCR. The expression of inflammatory-related proteins was detected by Western blot. RAW264.7 cells were used to test the anti-inflammatory effects of DA in vitro. Cytotoxicity was assessed using a MTT assay. Nitric oxide production was measured by Griess assay. The production and expression of inflammatory mediators and the protein levels of inflammatory signaling molecules in the NF-κB and MAPK pathways were measured. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining was used to analyze the expression of p-IκBα, p-ERK, and p-p38 in lung macrophages and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 and AP-1 in cells. RESULTS: DA evidently alleviated histopathological changes and ameliorated pulmonary edema. Moreover, DA could reduce excessive inflammatory reaction in lung tissue as manifested by the reduction of proinflammatory mediators (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, iNOS, and COX-2) in BALF, serum, and lung tissues. Further, DA inhibited the activation of the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway in the lung. DA reduced the production and expression of the proinflammatory mediators above in RAW264.7 cells. Mechanistically, DA remarkably blocked the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65, suppressed IκBα phosphorylation, and markedly reduced the nuclear translocation of AP-1 and the phosphorylation of ERK and p38. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrated that DA exerts anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated ALI mice and macrophages by downregulating the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway in lung tissue and the IκB/NF-κB and MAPKs/AP-1 pathways in macrophages, suggesting that DA may be promising in ALI treatment.

Comparative evaluation of the association among enumeration methods and production of enterotoxins in food-derived Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcal food poisoning is one of the most common foodborne diseases worldwide; it results from the ingestion of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) in food, mainly Staphylococcus aureus. This study investigated the statistical relationships among morphological enumerations of food-derived S. aureus and production of SEs using different methodologies. Food samples naturally contaminated with coagulase-positive S. aureus were submitted for enumeration on Baird-Parker (BP) agar, Rabbit Plasma Fibrinogen agar (RPFA), and Petrifilm Staph Express count system (STX), and the morphologically typical colonies were isolated for VIDAS and real-time (RT) PCR tests. RPFA and STX displayed better performance for the enumeration of SE-positive S. aureus when compared with BP, including higher frequencies of SE-positive isolates and better correlation indices between typical and SE-positive counts. Among all the evaluated culture media, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was shown on the frequencies of typical colonies that carried 11 individual se genes. In addition, results for SE identification between VIDAS and RT-PCR assay were unparalleled. These data will be valuable for the selection of methods for inspection of food-derived S. aureus.

An application of p-sulfonatocalix[6]arenes to attenuate cardiotoxicity of mitoxantrone in vitro: preparation, characterization and evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, p-sulfonatocalix[6]arenes (SCA6) was proposed to construct a host-guest complexation to carry mitoxantrone (MIT) to maintain its anti-proliferation effect on HepG2 cells as well as to attenuate cardiotoxicity on H9C2 cells as a nano-size drug delivery system. METHODS: SCA6 binding to MIT evidenced through competitive fluorescence titration method. The complex was characterized using UV-visible, Fourier transform infrared, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopies and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The cytotoxicity was examined by a cell counting kit-8 assay on six cells. High content analysis, cell apoptosis and cell cycle experiments were measured to investigate the mechanism of detoxification in H9C2. KEY FINDINGS: The host-guest complexation was formed with a stoichiometry ratio of 1:1. Cytotoxicity study demonstrated that MIT/SCA6 complex could improve the cell viability on H9C2, MCF-7, A549, Hek293 and L02 cells and remained cytotoxicity effect on HepG2 cells. High content analysis showed that MIT/SCA6 complex could enhance the cell viability, mitochondrial mass and mitochondrial membrane potential and ameliorate the nuclear swelling on H9C2 cells. Moreover, the complex were arrested in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and same with MIT, while the detoxication was attributed to reducing early apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: The host-guest complexation between SCA6 and MIT had the ability to attenuate cardiotoxicity and provided a potential strategy for the application of soluble calixarenes in chemotherapy.

Lingguizhugan decoction dynamically regulates MAPKs and AKT signaling pathways to retrogress the pathological progression of cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a grave health concern, with high morbidity and mortality, calling for the urgent need for new and alternative pharmacotherapies. Lingguizhugan decoction (LD) is a classic Chinese formula clinically used to treat HF. However, the underlying mechanisms involved are not fully elucidated. PURPOSE: Based on that, this study aims to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of LD on HF. METHODS: After confirming the therapeutic benefits of LD in transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced HF mice, network pharmacology and transcriptomic analyzes were utilized to predict the potential molecular targets and pathways of LD treatment in failing hearts, which were evaluated at 3 and 9 w after TAC. UHPLC-QE-MS analysis was utilized to detect bioactive ingredients from LD and plasma of LD-treated rats. RESULTS: Our results showed that LD markedly alleviated cardiac dysfunction via down-regulating CH-related genes and proteins expression in TAC mice. Significantly, cardiac hypertrophy signaling, including AKT and MAPKs signaling pathways, were identified, suggesting the pathways as likely regulatory targets for LD treatment. LD inhibited p38 and ERK phosphorylated expression levels, with the latter effect likely dependent on regulation of AMPK. Interestingly, LD exerted a dual modulatory role in the AKT-GSK3ß/mTOR/P70S6K signaling pathway's regulation, which was characterized by stimulatory activity at 3 w and inhibitory effects at 9 w. Finally, 15 bioactive compounds detected from plasma were predicted as the potential regulators of the AKT-GSK3ß/mTOR and MAPKs signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: Our study shows LD's therapeutic efficacy in failing hearts, signifies LD as HF medication that acts dynamically by balancing AKT-GSK3ß/mTOR/P70S6K and MAPKs pathways, and reveals possible bioactive compounds responsible for LD effects on HF.

Sanye Tablet Ameliorates Insulin Resistance and Dysregulated Lipid Metabolism in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

Sanye Tablet (SYT) is a patent prescription widely used in treating T2D and pre-diabetes, especially T2D comorbid with hypertriglyceridemia, for many years in China. However, the underlying mechanism that accounts for the anti-diabetic potential of SYT by regulating lipid-related intermediates remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of SYT on lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice by means of combining lipidomics and proteomics. The obese mice models were developed via HFD feeding for 20 consecutive weeks. Mice in the treatment group were given metformin and SYT respectively, and the effects of SYT on body weight, blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, fat accumulation in the organs, and pathological changes in the liver were monitored. Lipid metabolism was examined by lipidomics. Further determination of signaling pathways was detected by proteomics. The biological contributions of the compounds detected in SYT's chemical fingerprint were predicted by network pharmacology. SYT treatment reduced body weight, inhibited viscera and hepatic steatosis lipid accumulation, and prevented insulin resistance. Furthermore, it was found that circulatory inflammatory cytokines were reduced by SYT treatment. In addition, lipidomics analysis indicated that SYT targets lipid intermediates, including diacylglycerol (DAG) and Ceramide (Cer). Mechanistically, SYT positively affected these lipid intermediates by suppressing liver lipogenesis via downregulation of SREBP1/ACC and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Our results predicted that astragalin and rosmarinic acid might regulate the JAK-STAT pathway by targeting PIM2 and STAT1, respectively, while paeoniflorin and rosmarinic acid were likely to regulate inflammatory responses by targeting TNFα, IL-6, and IL-4 during T2D. Overall, our study provides supportive evidence for the mechanism of SYT's therapeutic effect on dysregulated lipid metabolism in diabesity.

[Research traditional Chinese medicine properties by detecting rats' monoamine neurotransmitter after given two different traditional Chinese medicine].

OBJECTIVE: To find out the essence of the traditional Chinese medicine properties from detecting the rats' monoamine neurotransmitter after given different traditional Chinese drug. METHOD: The property of rhizome curcumae and radix curcumae is opposite, they were given to rats respectively for one month. Next, HPLC-ECD method was used to detect the rats' monoamine neurotransmitter in different encephalic region. RESULT: Rhizome curcumae can raise the rats' monoamine neurotransmitter, but radix curcumae inhibits the rats' monoamine neurotransmitter. CONCLUSION: There are correlations between the traditional Chinese medicine properties and monoamine neurotransmitter.

Alleviating the Hydrolysis of Carbohydrates, Tangzhiqing (TZQ) Decreased the Postprandial Glycemia in Healthy Volunteers: An Eight-Period Crossover Study.

Tangzhiqing (TZQ), a Chinese herbal medicine, has been widely used to treat diabetes mellitus in China. TZQ works as a potential α-glucosidase inhibitor to reduce the absorption of glucose from dietary carbohydrates. The main aim of this study was to investigate the postprandial glucose-lowering effect of TZQ on the common carbohydrates in healthy humans. Meanwhile, the possible types of the inhibited α-glucosidase enzymes were predicted in this study. Glucose, sucrose, maltose, maltodextrin, and starch were chosen as investigated carbohydrates. The baseline incremental area under the curve (IAUC) and glycemic index (GI) values of the investigated carbohydrates were evaluated. Then, thirty-six subjects were randomly assigned to three groups to assess postprandial hypoglycemic effects of 3-, 6-, and 9-tablet TZQ. The subjects in each group were randomized to eight subgroups. An eight-period, eight-sequence, crossover design was performed to investigate the postprandial glucose-lowering effect of TZQ after drinking each carbohydrate. A significant decrease was observed on the postprandial glucose IAUCs (279.41 ± 111.31 vs. 203.86 ± 61.08) and GIs (124.91 ± 48.54 vs. 91.69 ± 27.47) of maltose after oral administration of 6-tablet TZQ, as well as IAUCs (145.05 ± 55.01 vs. 110.23 ± 57.03) and GIs (84.87 ± 33.40 vs. 65.50 ± 33.89) of sucrose after administration of 3-tablet TZQ. The glucose IAUCs (109.15 ± 55.92 vs. 57.68 ± 46.09) and GIs (49.09 ± 25.15 vs. 25.94 ± 20.73) of starch statistically reduced following the administration of 6-tablet TZQ. The lowering postprandial blood glucose effect of TZQ did not increase proportionally with increasing doses in humans. There were no significant changes in the glucose-lowering effect of glucose and maltodextrin after the administration of 3-, 6-, or 9-tablet TZQ, respectively. TZQ is a potential treatment for postprandial hyperglycemia, which can probably make α-glucosidases inhibit maltase, sucrase, and α-amylase in the digestive organs.

[Current status, problems and countermeasures for properties theory of Chinese medicinal herbs].

This research has analyzed the current status, problems for the properties theory of Chinese medicinal herbs. Proposed that the Chinese medicine literature research is a foundation, the research of properties theory of Chinese medicinal herbs should under the'Chinese medicine theory instruction. It must use the modern scientific method to study and unify the Chinese medicine superiority, establish the standards and reveal the scientific essence of Chinese medicine property.