Research and application of model fruit fly in prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders by traditional Chinese medicine and natural compounds: a review / 中国中药杂志

As an important model animal, fruit fly is characterized by outstanding genetic characteristics, relatively perfect nervous system, rapid reproduction, and low cost. Thus, it has been applied in the research on neuropsychiatric disorders in recent years, showing great potential in life science. The incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders has been on the rise, and the disorders have high disability rate and low case fatality rate. The global drug demand for such diseases is second only to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. At the moment, the demand of the drugs for the diseases have been rising, and it is an urgent task to develop related drugs. However, the research and development of the drugs are time-intensive and have a high failure rate. A suitable animal model can help shorten the time for drug screening and development, thereby reducing the cost and failure rate. This study reviews the application of fruit flies in several common neuropsychiatric disorders, which is expected to provide new ideas for the research and application of the model animals in traditional Chinese medicine.

Study of brain distribution of Ephedra alkaloids based on UHPLC-QTOF-MSE and UHPLC-MS/MS method / 药学学报

Using ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with mass spectrum (MS) technology, a method has been established for separation and analysis of alkaloid isomers. Alkaloids in Ephedra sinica transitionally crossed blood brain barrier (BBB) and the distribution were investigated. The concentrations of Ephedra alkaloids in rat central nervous system (CNS) were determined to acquire the distribution characteristics and differences in cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, striatum, medulla oblongata and hypothalamus. It was founded that pseudoephedrine, norephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, methylephedrine (methylpseudoephedrine) were able to cross BBB fast via gastro-intestinal tract after administrated with Ephedra sinica. Cortex and hippocampus was the main distribution region, followed by hypothalamus, striatum and cerebellum, in which medulla oblongata had the least. The distribution of various alkaloids, as AUC0-t, brain/AUC0-t, blood was ephedrine > methylephedrine > demethyl ephedrine. Alkaloids in Ephedra sinica crossed BBB rapidly, showing the regional distribution tendency in central nervous system, and the distribution was diversity. This group of data provides distribution of bioactive constituents of Ephedra in CNS.

Rapid identification of the different constituents in Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis before and after processing by UHPLC-QTOF/MSE combining with metabonomics / 药学学报

This study was performed to use UHPLC-QTOF/MSE technology to rapidly search and identify variations of chemical ingredients between Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis and its processed products. The present study provides a basis for the study of Chinese herbal medicine processing with a focus on the impact of processing on chemical components. Using a time-dependent data scan mode (MSE) couple with metabolomics technology, we acquired accurate data and identified the potential chemical markers. A total of 12 chemical markers were identified in the crude, vinegar-processed and wine-processed Schisandra chinensis fruit; The results showed that the levels of 6-O-benzoylgomisin O, schisantherin B, schisantherin C, schisantherin D and neokadsuranic acid are the highest in crude Schisandra chinensis fruit; thelevels of schizandrin A, schizandrin B, schizandrin C, gomisin D and gomisin T are the highest in wine-processed Schisandra chinensis fruit; the levels ofschisantherin A and schisandrin are the highest in vinegar-processed Schisandra chinensis fruit. There were significant changes of chemical components between Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis and their processed products, and these findings may offer a reasonable explanation for variation of efficacy and clinical applications in the processed products of Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis.

Intestinal absorption of pulchinenosides from Pulsatilla chinensis in rats / 中国中药杂志

HPLC-ELSD was applied to explore the absorption mechanism of pulchinenosides (B3, BD, B7, B10, B11) in rats. The experimental results showed that the absorption rate constant, Ka value (B3, BD) and Permeability coefficient, Peff value (B3, B7) displayed significant difference (P <0.05) in various intestinal segments, The Ka value and Peff value of PRS was different from each other with the highest absorption in duodenum (duodenum > jejunum > colon > ileum); The PRS displayed excessive satuation as the concentration increased over 0.05-2.5 g · L(-1). There were no obvious linear correlations between Peff values and concentrations in duodenum (0.6007 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.7727); Ka and Peff value declined when the PRS was perfused with P-glycoprotein promoter digoxin, on the other hand, inclined when perfused with P-glycoprotein inhibitor verapamil with significant difference among PRS B3, BD, B7, B11 (P <0.05). All the above results demonstrated that B3, BD, B7 were greatly influenced by absorption sites, duodenum was the main absorption site; PRS didn't entirely transported in a concentration dependent manner, and the transporter-protein involved the transportation, so the intestinal absorption of the five pulchinenosides was not entirely passive diffusion; and PRS might be the substrates of P-glycoprotein.

Study on intestinal absorption of formononetin in Millettia nitita var. hirsutissima in rats / 中国中药杂志

To use the single-pass intestine perfusion (SPIP) model and HPLC to determine the concentration of formononetin, the effect of quality concentrations of formononetin, different intestinal segments and P-glycoprotein inhibitor on intestinal absorption of formononetin, in order to observe the intestinal absorption mechanism of formononetin from Millettia nitita var. hirsutissima in rats. The experimental results showed that the qulaity concentration of formononetin in the perfusate had no significant effect on the absorption rate constant (K(a)) and the apparent absorption coefficient (P(app)); K(a) and P(app) of formononetin in duodenum, jejunum and ileum showed no significant difference. However, K(a) was significantly higher than that in colon (P < 0.05), with significant difference between that in intestinum tenue and colon. P-glycoprotein inhibitor verapamil showed significant difference in K(a) and P(app) in intestinal segments (P < 0.05). This indicated that the absorption mechanism of formononein in rat intestinal tracts passive diffusion, without any saturated absorption. Formononein is absorbed well in all intestines. Their absorption windows were mainly concentrated in the intestinum tenue, without specific absorption sites. Formononein may be the substrate of P-glycoprotein.