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By consulting ancient herbal books and modern literature， this paper systematically sorted out and researched the processing history， relevant processing norms in recent years， modern processing technology， chemical composition changes of processed products and their pharmacological mechanism of Scutellariae Radix， in order to provide a basis for the further development of Scutellariae Radix decoction pieces. According to the textual research of ancient books， there were many kinds of processing auxiliary materials of Scutellariae Radix， such as wine， vinegar， salt， honey， pig bile and so on， among which the wine processing was the most diverse and detailed， and the processed products such as raw products， stir-fried products， wine-processed products， fried charcoal products were still in use. The modern processing techniques of Scutellariae Radix mainly focus on the processing aspects of softening and slicing， wine processing and charcoal frying， and the research methods are relatively unified. At present， it is found that the changed chemical constituents of Scutellariae Radix after processing are flavonoids， polysaccharides， volatile oils and trace elements， etc. Pharmacological effects of processed products are hemostasis， antibacterial， anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， analgesic and antipyretic， treatment of lung diseases， treatment of colitis， etc. However， in the studies of Scutellariae Radix processing， there is a lack of research on the structural changes of chemical components caused by processing and a comprehensive comparative study on the pharmacological effects of various processed products. Based on this， it is suggested to carry out systematic research on the processing technology to processing mechanism， further explore the relationship between the change rule of material basis and pharmacological action before and after processing of Scutellariae Radix， and deepen the exploration of molecular mechanism and clinical application of processed products of Scutellariae Radix， in order to clarify the scientific connotation of the processing mechanism of Scutellariae Radix， and lay a foundation for the subsequent expansion of the application of Scutellariae Radix decoction pieces and the formulation of processing standards.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the material basis of homologous and heterogeneous effect of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus（AFI） and Aurantii Fructus（AF） based on the total statistical moment analysis and molecular connectivity index（MCI）. MethodRelevant literature at home and abroad and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform（TCMSP） were consulted to establish the chemical composition database of AFI and AF， and set up their fingerprints by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography（UPLC）， and the total statistical moments and similarity parameters of the fingerprint were calculated. According to MCI， all components of AFI and AF were divided into different component groups， the average values of 0-8th order（0χ-8χ） MCI of the common component groups of AFI and AF were calculated. ResultThe values of total zero-order moment（AUCT） of AFI and AF were （10.57±2.45）×106， （5.09±0.89）×106 μV·s， the values of total first-order moment（MCRTT） were （11.57±1.58）， （12.10±1.29） min， the values of total second-order moments（VCRTT） were（24.49±2.30）， （26.49±2.54） min2， respectively. It showed that qualitative and quantitative parameters of AFI and AF were significantly different. The components with high similarity such as neohesperidin， hesperidin and narirutin were screened as the common potential pharmacodynamic components of AFI and AF. The non-common components of AFI， such as alysifolinone and imperatorin， and the non-common components of AF， such as neoeriocitrin and isosakuranin， with high similarity were screened out as potential heterogeneous components of AFI and AF. The composition groups of AFI and AF were classified into six categories， and the similarities between the composition groups of AFI and AF and the total constituents were 0.872-0.979 and 0.918-0.997， the average values of 0χ-8χ MCI of alkaloids in AFI and AF were 3.65 and 3.14， the average values of 0χ-8χ MCI of flavonoids were 8.47 and 8.47， the average values of 0χ-8χ MCI of volatile oils were 2.71 and 3.48， respectively. It showed that there were some differences in MCI of chemical constituents（groups） between AFI and AF. ConclusionThe chemical constituents（groups） of AFI and AF not only differ in content and species， but also in structural characteristics and structure-activity relationship， which can provide a basis for further explaining the scientific connotation of homologous and heterogeneous effect of AFI and AF.
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By reviewing the relevant literature of ancient herbal works and modern codices， this paper sorted out the historical evolution and developmental venation of processing of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma. On this basis， the modern research of processed products of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma was used as the breakthrough point to analyze the literature in terms of processing technology， chemical composition changes and changes in pharmacological effects before and after processing. According to the research status of processing of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma， some existing problems were analyzed in this paper， such as not many ancient processing methods used in modern time， lack of standardized research on processing technology. And saponins， polysaccharides， amino acids， flavonoids and other chemical components in Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma may change to different degrees before and after processing， which was the main reason for the difference of efficacy before and after processing. However， the current research on the pharmacological effects of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma mainly focuses on raw products， resulting in a lack of in-depth research on the transformation mechanism of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in processing difference， and the scientific connotation of "Shengxiao Shubu" has not been clearly elaborated， which is not conducive to the standardized clinical use of drugs. Therefore， it is necessary to further analyze the material basis of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and its processed products， and to explore the change rule of chemical components before and after processing and its correlation with pharmacodynamic activity， so as to clarify the processing mechanism for providing scientific basis for its standardized processing， quality control and clinical rational use.
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Qingyan Dropping Pills have the effects of relieving wind and heat, detoxifying, and promoting the pharynx. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicines to treat acute and chronic pharyngitis, as well as sore throats and dry throats caused by surgery. Recently, many studies have shown that Qingyan Dropping Pills have certain effects on bacteriostasis, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral activities. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic enters the post-epidemic era, the regular use of drugs for COVID-19 pandemic symptoms has become a new trend. Therefore, there is a good market prospect to explore and develop Chinese patent medicines with antiviral effects. A preliminary study on the herbal formula and material basis of Qingyan Dropping Pills revealed that they have potential for antiviral applications. In this paper, the research on the quality study and antiviral effect of Qingyan Dropping Pills was reviewed, and the research direction of its secondary development was discussed to provide ideas and references for the new use of old traditional Chinese medicines.
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To study the material basis of cold and hot properties of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) in Lamiaceae and to establish a cold and hot properties identification model, a database of material components of TCMs in Lamiaceae was established. A three-level classification system of material components was used to obtain the material basis of cold and hot properties of the Lamiaceae family by using data mining methods such as frequency analysis, association rule analysis, logistic regression, and feature selection. Several identification models were established to recognize the cold and hot properties. The chi-square test results showed that the material composition ratios of cold and hot properties were significantly different at the first-level, second-level, and third-level classification (P < 0.05), and the differences varied as the levels of substance classification changed. The average coefficients of variation were 42.30%, 79.07%, and 91.51% at the first-level, second-level, and third-level classification levels, respectively. In other words, in terms of the percentage differences in material composition ratio, the first-level was smaller than the second-level, and the second-level was smaller than the third-level. The results of the association rule analysis showed that under the third-level classification, there were many effective association rules, and 27 core groups and 34 specific groups of chemical components were obtained based on these rules. 15 decisive groups were obtained from the feature selection results. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to successfully establish a cold and hot properties identification model with an overall accuracy of 89%. The material basis of cold and hot properties of TCMs in Lamiaceae is different and intersect with each other. Twenty-seven groups of chemical components, such as bicyclic diterpenes, are the core groups of cold and hot properties, of which 15 groups are the decisive groups. The cold and hot properties are often characterized by the interaction of multiple classes of substances, and a single class of substances often cannot be used to characterize the properties. The organic combination of multiple classes of substances is the material basis of cold and hot properties.
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Tongxie Yaofang， also known as Baizhu Shaoyaosan， was first recorded in Danxi's Experiential Therapy （《丹溪心法》） by ZHU Danxi in the Yuan dynasty. It is composed of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma， Paeoniae Radix Alba， Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， and Saposhnikoviae Radix， and serves as the representative prescription for the treatment of painful diarrhea. It has the functions of tonifying the spleen， emolliating the liver， relieving pain， and checking diarrhea， and is mainly used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome （IBS） and ulcerative colitis （UC）. In addition， it is effective in treating gastrointestinal disorders with mental and psychological abnormalities， as well as obstinate anorexia in children， depression syndrome， and respiratory diseases. Experimental research and clinical practice have shown that Tongxie Yaofang has multi-component， multi-pathway， and multi-target characteristics in the treatment of diseases. The mechanism of Tongxie Yaofang in treating diseases is mainly attributed to anti-inflammation， immune function regulation， intestinal hypersensitivity improvement， emotion regulation， etc. Monoterpene glycosides， flavonoids， chromones， lactones， and other components contained play an important therapeutic role. The research on the systems biology of Tongxie Yaofang， such as metabolomics， proteomics， and network pharmacology， provides a scientific basis for clarifying its mechanism of action and expanding its clinical application. However， there are still some problems to be solved， such as difficulty in combining diseases and syndromes and lack of in-depth systematic research. Through the retrieval and collation of relevant literature， this paper systematically reviewed the material basis， pharmacological effects， and systems biology research of Tongxie Yaofang， aiming to lay a foundation for in-depth research on its mechanism in treating diseases and rational application in clinical practice.
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OBJECTIVE To compare characteristic chromatogram and the contents of multiple indicator components of Morus alba decoction powder and decoction at different decoction time， and to provide experimental basis for the development of M. alba decoction. METHODS Taking decoction powder and decoction at different decoction time as subject， HPLC characteristic chromatogram of 2 kinds of samples were established with Similarity Evaluation Software System of TCM Chromatographic Fingerprint （2012 version）， and similarity evaluation was performed. The contents of mulberroside A， geniposide， berberine， baicalin， quercetin and luteolin in decoction powder and decoction were determined by HPLC. The contents of each indicator component and the change of total content were as the evaluation indexes to compare the difference between the two substances during decoction. RESULTS The similarities of characteristic chromatogram of the two substances ranged from 0.943 to 1.000 and 0.975 to 0.998 at different decoction time， respectively. Six indicator components of the decoction powder dissolved faster and had higher contents. The contents of each indicator component in the decoction powder when decocting at 20 minutes was 1.1-1.5 times of the decoction when decocting at 50 min， and the total content in the decoction powder was 1.2 times of the decoction. CONCLUSIONS Compared with decoction， M. alba decoction powder has the advantages of shortening the decoction time and saving traditional Chinese medicine resources. The results of this study lay a research foundation for “Zungu” to develop its preparation.
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OBJECTIVE To analyze the odor composition changes of two kinds of traditional Chinese medicine sachet （children type and adults type） with different placement time by using ultra-fast gasphase electronic nose technology. METHODS The change rule of sachet components at different storage times was analyzed by gas chromatography. At the same time， the qualitative results were obtained by combining electronic nose with Arochembase database. Discriminant factor analysis was used to analyze the overall odor composition differences of the two sachet samples. RESULTS A total of 10 odor compositions were identified in children-type sachet， including α-pinene and β-pinene as the functional index compositions； five odor compositions of children-type sachet disappeared after 0.25 days， and most of them disappeared after 7 days； the cumulative contribution rate of discriminant factor analysis was 99.225%. A total of 8 odor compositions were identified in adult-type sachets， including α-pinene and α-phellandrene as the functional index compositions； four odor components disappeared after the adult-type sachet was placed for 0.25 days； after 15 days of placement， the peak 6-8 disappeared， and the intensity of peak 5 decreased by 34.3% compared with 0 day of placement； the cumulative contribution rate of discriminant factor analysis was 91.965%. CONCLUSIONS With the extension of storage time， the smell and composition of the two traditional Chinese medicine sachets are decreasing. It is recommended that the use time of children-type sachet is 7 days， and that of adult-type sachet is 15 days.
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In recent years， neurotoxicity caused by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has frequently occurred and has become one of the important factors restricting the development and application of TCM. TCM contains active components and its dosage-effect relationship is the key to determine its pharmacological activity and toxic effects. Among them， the endogenous toxic components include alkaloids， glycosides， diterpenoids， animal and plant toxic proteins and heavy metals， and so on； exogenous toxic components mainly refer to some harmful elements and pesticide residues during the cultivation， processing， transportation and storage of medicinal materials that are not synthesized by themselves. Effect on the processes such as oxidative stress， inflammation， ion exchange， and energy metabolism may be important mechanisms of TCM-induced neurotoxicity. Neural cells， myelin cells， axons and neurotransmitter systems are common targets of TCM-induced neurotoxicity. In the future， we can use modern research methods and big data mining means to establish a safety evaluation mode of “toxic symptoms-poisoning dose-toxic original agent-detoxification scheme” with the basic component group of toxic substances as the core， so as to provide support for development and clinical intervention of neurotoxic traditional Chinese medicine.
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Pharmacodynamics material basis and effective mechanisms are the two main issues to decipher the mechnisms of action of Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of diseases. TCMs, in "multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway" paradigm, show satisfactory clinical results in complex diseases. New ideas and methods are urgently needed to explain the complex interactions between TCMs and diseases. Network pharmacology (NP) provides a novel paradigm to uncover and visualize the underlying interaction networks of TCMs against multifactorial diseases. The development and application of NP has promoted the safety, efficacy, and mechanism investigations of TCMs, which then reinforces the credibility and popularity of TCMs. The current organ-centricity of medicine and the "one disease-one target-one drug" dogma obstruct the understanding of complex diseases and the development of effective drugs. Therefore, more attentions should be paid to shift from "phenotype and symptom" to "endotype and cause" in understanding and redefining current diseases. In the past two decades, with the advent of advanced and intelligent technologies (such as metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, single-cell omics, and artificial intelligence), NP has been improved and deeply implemented, and presented its great value and potential as the next drug-discovery paradigm. NP is developed to cure causal mechanisms instead of treating symptoms. This review briefly summarizes the recent research progress on NP application in TCMs for efficacy research, mechanism elucidation, target prediction, safety evaluation, drug repurposing, and drug design.
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology , Network Pharmacology , Artificial Intelligence , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , MetabolomicsABSTRACT
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Qianjin Wenwu decoction (QWD), a well-known traditional Korean medicine, has been used for the treatment of DKD, with satisfactory therapeutic effects. This study was designed to investigate the active components and mechanisms of action of QWD in the treatment of DKD. The results demonstrated that a total of 13 active components in five types were found in QWD, including flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, phenylpropionic acids, saponins, coumarins, and lignins. Two key proteins, TGF-β1 and TIMP-1, were identified as the target proteins through molecular docking. Furthermore, QWD significantly suppressed Scr and BUN levels which increased after unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) and Masson staining results demonstrated that QWD significantly alleviated renal interstitial fibrosis in UUO mice. We also found that QWD promoted ECM degradation by regulating MMP-9/TIMP-1 homeostasis to improve renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and interfere with the expression and activity of TGF- β1 in DKD treatment. These findings explain the underlying mechanism of QWD for the treatment of DKD, and also provide methodological reference for investigating the mechanism of traditional medicine in the treatment of DKD.
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Rats , Mice , Animals , Ureteral Obstruction/metabolism , Kidney/metabolism , Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1/metabolism , Molecular Docking Simulation , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Kidney Diseases/drug therapy , Extracellular Matrix/metabolism , Flavonoids/metabolism , FibrosisABSTRACT
Prunus mume is an edible and medicinal material, and Mume Fructus is its processed product, which was first recorded in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica(Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing). It is an effective drug for stopping diarrhea with astringents and promoting fluid production to quiet ascaris. By consulting the ancient herbal works of the past dynasties, modern codes, and other rela-ted literature, this paper sorted out the medicinal evolution of Mume Fructus, examined the ancient efficacy of Mume Fructus and the main indications, and summarized the inclusion of Mume Fructus in national and provincial standards. It is recorded in the ancient herbal works of the past dynasties that Mume Fructus can be processed by various methods such as roasting, stir-frying or micro-frying, stir-frying with charcoal, single steaming, steaming with wine, and steaming after soaking in wine or vinegar, and prepared into pills, powders, and ointments, which are used in the treatment of fatigue, diabetes, malaria, dysentery, ascariasis, and other diseases. Mume Fructus has been included in nine editions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia and 19 provincial and municipal preparation specifications. The processing method of Mume Fructus is determined, namely, clean P. mume should be softened by moistening in water or steaming and pitted. By reviewing the effects of processing on its chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and its modern clinical application, this paper identified the following issues. The ancient application methods of Mume Fructus are diverse but less commonly used in modern times, there is a lack of standardized research on the processing, and the research on the changes caused by the difference in Mume Fructus before and after processing is not deep. Therefore, it is necessary to further investigate the change pattern of its chemical composition before and after processing and its correlation between its medicinal activity to standardize the processing technology and provide a solid basis for the use of Mume Fructus in parts and its quality control.
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology , Materia Medica/analysis , Fruit/chemistry , Quality Control , Prunus/chemistry , Medicine, Chinese TraditionalABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo rapidly identify the chemical constituents in Tongxie Yaofang decoction by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap-electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS）. MethodChromatographic conditions were ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 μm）， mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（A）-acetonitrile（B） for gradient elution （0-4 min， 5%-15%B； 4-10 min， 15%-25%B； 10-15 min， 25%-60%B； 15-20 min， 60%-90%B； 20-25 min， 90%-100%B； 25-27 min， 100%B； 27-30 min， 100%-5%B； 30-32 min， 5%B）， flow rate of 0.3 mL·min-1， column temperature at 35 ℃ and injection volume of 3 μL. UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS was equipped with an electrospray ionization（ESI）， the MS and MS/MS data were collected in positive and negative ion modes， and detection range was m/z 100-1 250. Combining the reference substance， chemical databases and related literature information， TraceFinder 4.1 and Xcalibur 2.1 were used to identify the chemical constituents of Tongxie Yaofang decoction. ResultA total of 90 compounds， mainly including flavonoids， coumarins， monoterpene glycosides， chromones and lactones， were identified from Tongxie Yaofang decoction. By attributing the sources of Chinese medicines for all identified compounds， 9 of them were found to be derived from Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma， 21 from Paeoniae Radix Alba， 24 from Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， 29 from Saposhnikoviae Radix， and 7 from at least two Chinese medicines. ConclusionThe method can effectively， quickly and comprehensively identify the chemical components of Tongxie Yaofang decoction， and clarify the chemical composition. These identified compounds cover the main active ingredients of the four herbs with high abundance， which indicates that the extraction method and the ratio of the medicinal materials of Tongxie Yaofang are scientific， and can provide a reference for the research on the material basis and quality evaluation of this famous classical formula.
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The pharmacodynamic substance of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important basis for its mechanism and quality control, and also a key scientific issue for the inheritance and development of TCM. However, the complex characteristics of multi-component, multi-target and integrity of TCM, as well as the limitations of modern scientific research technical methods, have brought great challenges to the research. The interactions between Chinese medicine and intestinal flora provide us with a new idea. Based on the effective role of TCM and the hypothesis of correlation between intestinal flora and disease, the research on the material basis and mechanism of action of TCM based on intestinal metabolomics mostly explored the relationship between microflora and host phenotype, gradually deepening, and finally focused on the relationship between intestinal strains and molecular levels. This paper summarized the research ideas and key technologies of this model, in order to provide reference for the application of this model.
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ObjectiveTo analyze the dynamic changes of the main chemical components and color characteristics of Polygoni Multiflori Radix（PMR） during the process of ancient classical nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying， and to explore the correlation between the changes. MethodHigh performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the contents of gallic acid， stilbene glycoside， emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside， physcion-8-O-β-D-glucoside， emodin and physcion in PMR during the process of nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying， and electronic eye technology was used to objectively characterize the color of PMR during the process. Partial least squares（PLS） was used to analyze the correlation between the content of main components and the color characteristics. ResultDuring the nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying process of PMR， the content of gallic acid gradually increased with the increase of steaming and sun-drying times， and the contents of other components showed fluctuating changes， with an overall decreasing trend in the contents of stilbene glycoside， emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside and physcion-8-O-β-D-glucoside， and an overall increasing trend in the contents of emodin and physcion. The results of electronic eye analysis showed that the color of PMR became dark， red and blue in the process of nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying. The results of hierarchical cluster analysis（HCA） and principal component analysis（PCA） of the contents of six main components and the colors showed that the samples steamed and sun-dried for one to four times could be grouped into one category， the other five categories of samples could be grouped into another category. Gallic acid and stilbene glycoside were significantly correlated with the color indexes of PMR during the process of nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying. ConclusionThe general changes of material basis and color characteristics of PMR during the process of ancient classical nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying have certain rules， and the establishment of the correlation model between color and index components can realize the judgment and quality evaluation of processing degree of PMR decoction pieces.
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The medicinal history of Pien Tze Huang is long, and it is the only "double top secret" variety of technology and formula at present. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, detumescence and pain, cooling blood and removing blood stasis. At present, researchers have analyzed and identified some compounds in Pien Tze Huang and its precious medicinal materials, such as Panax notoginseng, calculus bovis, snake gall and musk, and conducted activity screening, pharmacokinetics and pharmacological related studies on these chemical components. It was found that Pien Tze Huang had a significant effect on the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis, ulcer, colon cancer, liver cancer and other diseases. The purpose of this paper is to systematically discuss the research achievements of researchers in recent years on the material basis, pharmacological effects and clinical application of Pien Tze Huang, with a view to providing ideas for the further research of Pien Tze Huang.
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The current study explored the hepatotoxicity among closed-ring genipin, open-ring tautomer of genipin and gardenia blue that generated from genipin and amino acid reaction using HepaRG cells to identify the material basis of genipin-induced hepatotoxicity in vitro. The effects of temperature, pH value and different kinds of amino acids on the chemical structure tautomerism between closed-ring and open-ring tautomer of genipin and the production of gardenia blue were investigated firstly, which aimed to explicit the conditions that could distinguish the closed-ring genipin and its open-ring tautomer, and the conditions generating gardenia blue, which were applied to prepare different kinds of gardenia blue; the CCK-8 kit was employed to analyze the hepatotoxicity of closed-ring genipin, open-ring tautomer of genipin and gardenia blue. From the results, it was found that, the structure transformation from close-ring to open-ring of genipin could be inhibited under the condition with acid environment; being essential groups to generate gardenia blue, the primary amino group and the open-ring tautomer of genipin reacting to generate the dihydropyridine ring was probably the key structure of gardenia blue; the structure characteristics existed apparent distinction at the reactive temperature of 37 ℃ and 80 ℃; compared to the culture condition with pH = 7.4, the concentration of genipin with close-ring in culture medium was significantly increased at pH = 5, but the cell viability did not decreased; the cell toxicity of gardenia blue was apparently lower than open-ring tautomer of genipin, and even some kinds of gardenia blue showed growth promoting effect on HepaRG cells. Here, it was suggested potentially that open-ring tautomer of genipin be the important material basis to induce hepatotoxicity, which could provide a cue and lay a foundation for the elucidation of the underlying mechanism of genipin-induced hepatotoxicity.
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ObjectiveTo explore the material basis of bile-processed Coptidis Rhizoma clearing excessive fire of liver-gallbladder based on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF/MS） metabolomics and molecular docking. MethodUPLC-Q-TOF/MS metabolomics was used to analyze the chemical constituents of Coptidis Rhizoma， water-processed Coptidis Rhizoma and bile-processed Coptidis Rhizoma. Chromatographic separation was achieved with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（A）-acetonitrile（B） as the mobile phase in gradient elution（0-2 min， 5%B； 2-20 min， 5%-65%B； 20-40 min， 65%-10%B； 40-45 min， 10%B； 45-46 min， 10%-95%B； 46-49 min， 95%B）， and electrospray ionization（ESI） was applied and operated in positive and negative ion modes， the acquisition range was m/z 80-1 200. Based on this， partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） and variance analysis were used to screen the differential compounds among the three products of Coptidis Rhizoma. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to verify the degree of association between differential compounds and excessive fire of liver-gallbladder syndrome. ResultA total of 33 chemical constituents were identified， including 2 phenolic acids， 5 binding bile acids and 26 alkaloids. And 16 differential compounds were identified by multivariate statistical analysis， including 11 alkaloids and 5 binding bile acids. Pathway enrichment analysis in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） database yielded 8 pathways related to excessive fire of liver-gallbladder， and the key protein phosphatidylinositol 4，5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha isoform（PIK3CA） was obtained according to the "component-target-pathway" network analysis. Molecular docking results showed that 11 alkaloids had good binding ability with PIK3CA. ConclusionPorcine bile is unique in the processing of bile-processed Coptidis Rhizoma， which can promote the production and dissolution of 11 alkaloids， including berberine and dihydrochelerythrine. Based on the results of molecular docking and reported pharmacological experiments， it can be concluded that 16 different compounds such as berberine， dihydrochelerythrine and taurohyodeoxycholic acid are the material basis of bile-processed Coptidis Rhizoma.
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Gastric cancer （GC） is one of the common malignant tumors， and the incidence and mortality of GC in China rank first in the world. At present， the pathogenesis of GC has not been fully clarified. Although surgery， radiotherapy， chemotherapy， targeted therapy， and immunotherapy have achieved good results in the treatment of GC， there are still many complications， decreased sensitivity， and severe side effects. Banxia Xiexintang， derived from Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases（《伤寒杂病论》）， has been clinically used for more than 2000 years with the effects of combining cold and warm drugs， dissipating mass， and relieving stuffiness， and is a classic prescription for treating digestive tract diseases in later generations. Through clinical observation and experimental research， it is found that Banxia Xiexintang and its single drugs have good effect in preventing and treating GC. Chinese medicine has multi-component and multi-target characteristics and can treat GC through various mechanisms. Therefore， it is necessary to carry out systematic and in-depth research from the aspects of molecular biology and network pharmacology， and comprehensively reveal the mechanism of Banxia Xiexintang in preventing and treating GC. At present， the mechanism of Banxia Xiexintang in treating GC mainly focuses on inducing apoptosis of GC cells， inhibiting proliferation， migration， and invasion of GC cells， protecting peritoneal mesothelial cells， inhibiting peritoneal metastasis of GC cells， regulating GC microenvironment， and inhibiting the malignant transformation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs）. This research group is committed to the prevention and treatment of GC with Banxia Xiexintang， aiming to comprehensively reveal the mechanism of action and the pharmacodynamic material basis of Banxia Xiexintang in the prevention and treatment of GC， and provide an important scientific basis for further clinical application of Banxia Xiexintang. After searching CNKI， PubMed， Wanfang Data， VIP， and other databases， this paper summarized Banxia Xiexintang in the treatment of GC from the aspects of prescription basis， material basis， network pharmacology， clinical and experimental studies， etc.， so as to provide references for further research on pharmacological effect of Banxia Xiexintang and its application in the clinical treatment of GC.
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Decoction is a traditional clinical way of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compound. A series of complex physical and chemical changes are often involved in the process of decoction， which presents a mixed-phase system. In most studies on the TCM compound decoction， it has always focused on the amounts of chemical substances in decoction， while the phase properties and existence forms of these components are neglected. Most of the chemical components exist in the mixed-phase system as molecules， ions or other particles. According to the particle size of the contained particles， the differences among the phases， including true solution phase， colloidal phase， suspended phase and precipitated phase， lead to their differences in pharmaceutical and biological effects. Based on the above research background， this paper takes the phase state differences of decoction as the breakthrough point， and systematically reviews the physicochemical properties， the physical structures of the active components and the biological effects of the decoction caused by the phase state differences. The phase state differences of TCM compound decoction have been found to be closely related to their efficacy， which might be a good perspective to investigate the possible mechanism. It might provide a beneficial reference for the exploration of related basic research on TCM compounds.