[Research status of Bovis Calculus and relevant Chinese patent medicines based on bibliometric analysis].

With scarce resources, natural Bovis Calculus is expensive and hard to meet clinical demand. At the moment, four kinds of Bovis Calculus are available on the market: the natural product, in vitro cultured product, synthesized product, and the product formed in cow after manual intervention. In this study, papers on the four kinds of Bovis Calculus products and relevant Chinese patent medicines were searched from Web of Science, PubMed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI). CiteSpace, citexs AI, and CNKI were employed for bibliometric analysis and knowledge map analysis. On this basis, the status, trend, and focuses of research on Bovis Calculus and relevant Chinese patent medicines were summarized. The results suggested overall slow development in the research on Bovis Calculus and relevant Chinese patent medicines with three typical growth stages. It is consistent with the development of Bovis Calculus substitutes and the national policy for the development of traditional Chinese medicine. At the moment, the research on Bovis Calculus and relevant Chinese patent medicines has been on the rise. In recent years, there has been an explosion of research on them, particularly the quality control of Bovis Calculus and the Chinese patent medicines, the pharmacological efficacy of Chinese patent medicines, such as Angong Niuhuang Pills, and the comparison of the quality of various Bovis Calculus products. However, there is a paucity of research on the pharmacological efficacy and the mechanism of Bovis Calculus. This medicinal and the relevant Chinese patent medicines have been studied from diverse perspectives and China becomes outstanding in this research field. However, it is still necessary to reveal the chemical composition, pharmacological efficacy, and mechanism through multi-dimensional deep research.

[DNA methylation diversity analysis of Lycium barbarum samples from different cultivation areas based on MSAP].

Obvious epigenetic differentiation occurred on Lycium barbarum in different cultivation areas in China. To investigate the difference and change rule of DNA methylation level and pattern of L. barbarum from different cultivation areas in China, the present study employed fluorescence-assisted methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism(MSAP) to analyze the methylation level and polymorphism of 53 genomic DNA samples from Yinchuan Plain in Ningxia, Bayannur city in Inner Mongolia, Jingyuan county and Yumen city in Gansu, Delingha city in Qinghai, and Jinghe county in Xinjiang. The MSAP technical system suitable for the methylation analysis of L. barbarum genomic DNA was established and ten pairs of selective primers were selected. Among amplified 5'-CCGG-3' methylated sites, there were 35.85% full-methylated sites and 39.88% hemi-methylated sites, showing a high degree of epigenetic differentiation. Stoichiometric analysis showed that the ecological environment was the main factor affecting the epigenetic characteristics of L. barbarum, followed by cultivated varieties. Precipitation, air temperature, and soil pH were the main ecological factors affecting DNA methylation in different areas. This study provided a theoretical basis for the analysis of the epigenetic mechanism of L. barbarum to adapt to the diffe-rent ecological environments and research ideas for the introduction, cultivation, and germplasm traceability of L. barbarum.

[Analysis of water-soluble nutrients in Lycium barbarum leaves and differences between different producing areas].

This study is to clarify the composition and content differences of water-soluble nutrients in Lycium barbarum leaves(LBLs) from different areas. The total polysaccharides, free monosaccharides and oligosaccharides, nucleosides and amino acids in 35 batches of LBLs were analyzed with use of spectrophotometry, HPLC-ELSD and UPLC-MS/MS. The results showed that LBLs contained abundant polysaccharides, fructose, glucose, sucrose and maltose, with an average contents of 39.07, 12.69, 8.99, 17.44, 8.32 mg·g~(-1), respectively. Besides, eight nucleosides and twelve amino acids were detected in LBLs, and their average total contents were 54.95, 336.9 µg·g~(-1). Principal component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares discrimination analysis(PLS-DA) of carbohydrate, nucleoside and amino acid showed that the water-soluble nutrients of the samples from Qinghai Province were significantly different from those from other areas mainly in asparagine, proline, glutamine, sucrose, adenine and guanosine. In this study, the compositions and contents of water-soluble nutrients in LBLs were preliminarily clarified, which provided basis for further development and utilization of LBLs resoures.

Analysis of phenolic acids and flavonoids in leaves of Lycium barbarum from different habitats by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry.

The leaves of Lycium barbarum (LLB) have been utilized as crude drugs and functional tea for human health in China and Southeast Asia for thousands of years. To control its quality, a rapid and sensitive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method was established and validated for the first time for simultaneous determination of 10 phenolic acids and flavonoids (including neochlorogenic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rutin and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside) in LLB. The separation was performed on an Acquity UPLC C18 chromatographic column (100 × 2.1 mm internal diameter, 1.7 µm particle size) with 0.1% formic acid in water (A)-acetonitrile (B) as the mobile phase under gradient elution. Multiple reaction monitoring mode was adopted to simultaneously monitor the target components. The developed method was fully validated in terms of linearity (r2  ≥ 0.9860), precision (RSD ≤ 6.58%), repeatability (RSD ≤ 6.60%), stability (RSD ≤ 6.17%), recovery (95.56-108.06%, RSD ≤ 4.64%) and limit of detection (0.021-0.664 ng/mL) and limit of quantitation (0.069-2.210 ng/mL), and then successfully applied to evaluate the quality of 64 batches of LLB collected from 41 producing areas in four different provinces of China. The results showed that the LLB, especially collected from Inner Mongolia regions, were rich in the phenolic acids and flavonoids. Rutin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and chlorogenic acid are the predominant compounds contained in LLB. The above findings will provide helpful information for the effective utilization of LLB.

[Ecology suitability study of Trollius chinensis].

Based on the distribution information of 110 samples and 55 environmental factors, Maxent model was used to predict the ecology suitability regions of Trollius chinensis. The study aims at providing theory basis for the cultivation of T. chinensis. The results showed that the Maxent model prediction result was good (AUC>0.9) and the main factors effecting the ecology suitability regions of T. chinensis were precipitation in July, standard deviation of seasonal variation of temperature, annual mean temperature, precipitation in August and altitude. The ecology suitable regions of T. chinensis mainly concentrated in Shanxi, Hebei, east of Inner Mongolia, west of Jilin and Liaoning, north of Shaanxi, south of Ningxia, east and south of Gansu, and east of Qinghai. The results indicated that except for traditional distribution regions, north of Shaanxi, south of Ningxia, east and south of Gansu, and east of Qinghai could selected as the regions for cultivation of T. chinensis. It provides theory basis for selecting suitable regions to cultivate T. chinensis.

[Ecology suitability study of Ephedra intermedia].

The study aims at predicting ecological suitability of Ephedra intermedia in China by using maximum entropy Maxent model combined with GIS, and finding the main ecological factors affecting the distribution of E. intermedia suitability in appropriate growth area. Thirty-eight collected samples of E. intermedia and E. intermedia and 116 distribution information from CVH information using ArcGIS technology were analyzed. MaxEnt model was applied to forecast the E. intermedia in our country's ecology. E. intermedia MaxEnt ROC curve model training data and testing data sets the AUC value was 0.986 and 0.958, respectively, which were greater than 0.9, tending to be 1.The calculated E. intermedia habitat suitability by the model showed a high accuracy and credibility, which indicated that MaxEnt model could well predict the potential distribution area of E. intermedia in China.

[Production regionalization study of Isatidis Radix].

In this research, we collected information of eighty nine sampling points of Isatidis Radix nationwide through data query and field survey, and the medicinal component contents of samples were determined by HPLC. By using Maxent Model and ArcGIS, along with ecological factor data, the national habitat suitability distribution of Isatidis Radix was predicted. R-language was adopted to establish a model of the relationship between the medicinal component contents and ecological factors. The medicinal quality was divided by ArcGIS grid computing. The results indicated that the three main ecological factors affecting the distribution of Isatidis Radix were precipitation in the driest season, mean annual temperature and mean temperature in the wet season. The suitable cultivation region of Isatidis Radix is mainly distributed in the north of China, but the medicinal quality is quite different, Isatidis Radix in Xinjiang province has higher medicinal quality. This study provides a reference for rational selection of planting areas of Isatidis Radix.

[Ecology suitability study of Chinese materia medica Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix].

This paper is aimed to predict ecology suitability distribution of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix and search the main ecological factors affecting the suitability distribution. The 313 distribution information about G. macrophylla, 186 distribution information about G. straminea, 343 distribution information about G. dauricaand 131 distribution information about G. crasicaulis were collected though investigation and network sharing platform data . The ecology suitable distribution factors for production Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix was analyzed respectively by the software of ArcGIS and MaxEnt with 55 environmental factors. The result of MaxEnt prediction was very well (AUC was above 0.9). The results of predominant factors analysis showed that precipitation and altitude were all the major factors impacting the ecology suitable of Getiana Macrophylla Radix production. G. macrophylla ecology suitable region was mainly concentrated in south of Gansu, Shanxi, central of Shaanxi and east of Qinghai provinces. G. straminea ecology suitable region was mainly concentrated in southwest of Gansu, east of Qinghai, north and northwest of Sichuan, east of Xizang province. G. daurica ecology suitable region was mainly concentrated in south and southwest of Gansu, east of Qinghai, Shanxi and north of Shaanxi province. G. crasicaulis ecology suitable region was mainly concentrated in Sichuan and north of Yunnan, east of Xizang, south of Gansu and east of Qinghai province. The ecological suitability distribution result of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix was consistent with each species actual distribution. The study could provide reference for the collection and protection of wild resources, meanwhile, provide the basis for the selection of cultivation area of Gentiana Macrophylla Radix.

[Analysis of commercial specifications and grades of wild and cultivated Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix based on multi-indicative constituents].

The study is aimed to analyze the commercial specifications and grades of wild and cultivated Gentianae Macrophllae Radix based on multi-indicative constituents. The seven kinds of main chemical components containing in Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix were determined by UPLC, and then the quality levels of chemical component of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix were clustered and classified by modern statistical methods (canonical correspondence analysis, Fisher discriminant analysis and so on). The quality indices were selected and their correlations were analyzed. Lastly, comprehensively quantitative grade division for quality under different commodity-specifications and different grades of same commodity-specifications of wild and planting were divided. The results provide a basis for a reasonable division of specification and grade of the commodity of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix. The range of quality evaluation of main index components (gentiopicrin, loganin acid and swertiamarin) was proposed, and the Herbal Quality Index (HQI) was introduced. The rank discriminant function was established based on the quality by Fisher discriminant analysis. According to the analysis, the quality of wild and cultivated Luobojiao, one of the commercial specification of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix was the best, Mahuajiao, the other commercial specification, was average , Xiaoqinjiao was inferior. Among grades, the quality of first-class cultivated Luobojiao was the worst, of second class secondary, and the third class the best; The quality of the first-class of wild Luobojiao was secondary, and the second-class the best; The quality of the second-class of Mahuajiao was secondary, and the first-class was the best; the quality of first-class Xiaoqinjiao was secondary, and the second-class was the better one between the two grades, but not obvious significantly. The method provides a new idea and method for evaluation of comprehensively quantitative on the quality of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix.

[Production suitability regionalization study of Pinus massoniana].

The distribution, yield and sample information data of Pinus massoniana was obtained by document literature and sample investigation. Based on sample data from 12 provinces including 414 sample plots and environment factors in China,the distribution regionalization of P. massoniana was predicted by using Maxent and spatial analysis function of ArcGIS. The results showed that the northernmost distribution of P. massoniana was 33.5 degrees north latitude, and it mainly distributed in the southeast in China. Based on plant age, plant height, yield per plant and other growth index from 414 sample plots, combined vegetation form and other data, the growth regionalization of P. massoniana was carried out by using SPSS and related functions of ArcGIS. The results showed that Fujian, Guizhou and Guangxi had a lager distribution area of P. massoniana, meanwhile, it had a relatively higher yield of fresh pine needles. The relational model between environmental factors and shikimic acid,and procyanidin, and the total lignans was constructed by using SPSS regression analysis method. Then the spatial calculation function of ArcGIS was used tocarry out the quality regionalization of P. massoniana based on the relational model. The results showed that east of Sichuan, Guizhou, Chongqing had a good pine needles quality. Based on the distribution, growth and quality regionalization, the production suitability regionalization of P. massoniana was carried out. The results showed that the optimal planting base region mainly distributed in east of Sichuan, middle and east of Guizhou, and east of Guangxi.

[Quality regionalization study on Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix].

The 79 samples of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix were collected based on the distributed information by document literature. Based on sample information, and using the regression model of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix index component and environmental factors, and combined with the prediction results of ecological suitability by MaxEnt and principal component analysis results of index component, the space distribution of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix was estimated with the spatial analysis function of ArcGIS. The results showed that it had a higher comprehensive quality in south of Shaanxi, south of Gansu, middle of Sichuan and southeast of Xizang. The study results were coinciding with the producing regions of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix. It can provide reference for Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix resource conservation, development and utilization.

[UPLC Fingerprint of Gentiana officinalis Root].

Objective: To establish UPLC fingerprints of Gentiana officinalis root and Gentiana macrophylla root,and to evaluate the similarity of the fingerprints,in order to provide theoretical basis for the quality control of Gentiana officinalis root. Methods: The separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC~BEH C18column( 50 mm × 2. 1 mm,1. 7 µm) through a gradient elution of methanol-0. 04% aqueous phosphoric at a flow rate of 0. 3 m L/min. The detection wavelength was 242 nm, and the column temperature was set at30 ℃. Similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of TCM( Version 2004 A) was used to analyze the fingerprints. Results: 13 common peaks were selected as the fingerprint peaks from 13 batches of Gentiana officinalis root samples, with the similarities between 0. 976 to 0. 997, and Gentiana macrophylla root used for fingerprint applicability test has high similarity( 0. 998) with Gentiana officinalis root. Conclusion: This method with good precision and reliability should be used for the quality control of Gentiana officinalis root.

Antibacterial Activity of Plants in Cirsium: A Comprehensive Review.

As ethnic medicine, the whole grass of plants in Cirsium was used as antimicrobial. This review focuses on the antimicrobial activity of plants in Cirsium, including antimicrobial components, against different types of microbes and bacteriostatic mechanism. The results showed that the main antimicrobial activity components in Cirsium plants were flavonoids, triterpenoids and phenolic acids, and the antimicrobial ability varied according to the species and the content of chemicals. Among them, phenolic acids showed a strong antibacterial ability against Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecium. The antibacterial mechanisms include: (1) damaging the cell membrane, cell walls, mitochondria and nucleus of bacteria; (2) inhibiting the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids; (3) suppressing the synthesis of enzymes for tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways and glycolysis, and then killing the bacteria via inhibition of energy production. Totally, most research results on antimicrobial activity of Cirsium plants are reported based on in vitro assays. The evidence from clinical data and comprehensive evaluation are needed.

Geographical discrimination of Flos Trollii by GC-MS and UHPLC-HRMS-based untargeted metabolomics combined with chemometrics.

For centuries, Flos Trollii has been consumed as functional tea and a folk medicine in China's north and northwest zones. The quality of Flos Trollii highly depends on the producing zones. Unfortunately, few studies have been reported on the geographical discrimination of Flos Trollii. This work comprehensively investigated Flos Trollii compounds with an integration strategy combining gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) with chemometrics to explore the differences between Flos Trollii obtained from various origins of China. About 71 volatile and 22 involatile markers were identified with GC-MS and UHPLC-HRMS, respectively. Geographical discrimination models were synthetically investigated based on the identified markers. The results indicated that the UHPLC-HRMS coupled with the fisher discrimination model provided the best prediction capability (>97%). This study provides a new solution for Flos Trollii discrimination.

Lycium barbarum L. leaves ameliorate type 2 diabetes in rats by modulating metabolic profiles and gut microbiota composition.

The leaf of Lycium barbarum L. (LLB) has been widely used as a tea, vegetable, and herb in China and Southeast Asia for centuries; this is because of the hypoglycemic effect it has, but the mechanism behind this effect is still unclear. In this study, a type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) rat model, induced by a high-fat diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) injections, was adopted. The biochemical index was determined and the histopathological and metabolomics analyses of serum and urine and 16S rDNA sequencing of the gut microbiota were performed. We evaluated the hypoglycemic effects and the mechanism of action of the water extract from LLB, which contained neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin (up to 6.06%). The relationships between biochemical indexes, serum and urine metabolites, and gut microbiota were analyzed. The results showed that the LLB extract could noticeably modulate the levels of blood glucose and lipids in diabetic rats as well as repair injuries in livers, kidneys and pancreas. The changes in serum and urine metabolites caused by T2DM were reversed after the administration of LLB; these changes were found to mainly be correlated with the following pathways: nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and purine metabolism. Sequencing of the 16S rDNA from fecal samples showed that the LLB extract could reverse the gut microbiota dysbiosis that T2DM had induced. Therefore, we conclude that T2DM, which altered the metabolic profiles and gut microbiota, could be alleviated effectively using the LLB extract.