Targeted metabolomics profiling in pregnancy associated with vitamin D deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is common in pregnancy, however, its effects has not been fully elucidated. Here, we conducted targeted metabolomics profiling to study the relationship. METHODS: This study enrolled 111 pregnant women, including sufficient group (n = 9), inadequate group (n = 49) and deficient group (n = 53). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS)-based targeted metabonomics were used to characterize metabolite profiles associated with vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy. RESULTS: Many metabolites decreased in the inadequate and deficient group, including lipids, amino acids and others. The lipid species included fatty acyls (FA 14:3, FA 26:0; O), glycerolipids (MG 18:2), glycerophospholipids (LPG 20:5, PE-Cer 40:1; O2, PG 29:0), sterol lipids (CE 20:5, ST 28:0; O4, ST 28:1; O4). Decreased amino acids included aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine) and branched-chain amino acids (valine, isoleucine, leucine), proline, methionine, arginine, lysine, alanine, L-kynurenine,5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, allysine. CONCLUSIONS: This targeted metabolomics profiling indicated that vitamin D supplementation can significantly affect lipids and amino acids metabolism in pregnancy.

Expression of PCT, BNP and Inflammatory Factors in Children with Kawasaki Disease and Their Correlation with Coronary Artery Lesions.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD), as one of the most common vascular diseases in children, will cause the risk of coronary artery lesions (CAL) without treatment. This study is to explore the expression of procalcitonin (PCT), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in children with KD and their correlation with CAL. Methods: 86 KD children in Baoding Hospital of Beijing Children's Hospital were selected as the study subjects from January 2020 to June 2021. According to whether CAL occurred, they were divided into the CAL group (n=30) and NCAL group (n=56). The clinical data of the two groups were collected from the medical record system. The levels of PCT and BNP were detected by chemiluminescence microparticle assay, the CRP level was detected by immunoturbidimetry, and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by flow immunofluorescence method. The relationship of PCT, BNP, and inflammatory factors with CAL in KD children was explored by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The comparative result of clinical data showed no overt difference in gender, disease types, age and blood routine indexes between the two groups, except for coronary artery diameter (P >.05). The levels of PCT, BNP, CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 in CAL group were (1.70±0.39) µg/L, (289.21±29.78) ng/L, (83.16±17.35) mg/L, (9.38±1.23) pg/mL and (59.97±0.97) ng/mL, respectively. The levels of PCT, BNP, CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 in NCAL group were (1.04±0.18) µg/L, (170.85±23.58) ng/L, (69.70±16.64) mg/L, (6.32±0.73) pg/mL and (44.16±11.97) ng/mL, respectively. The levels of each index in the CAL group were notably higher than in the NCAL group (P < .001). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that PCT, BNP, CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 were positively correlated with CAL in KD children (r=0.829, 0.865, 0.823, 0.894, 0.784, P < .001). Conclusion: The increase of PCT, BNP, and inflammatory factors has a certain warning effect on CAL in KD children. In clinical practice, health care professionals should strengthen the detection of PCT, BNP and inflammatory factors in KD children, carry out early monitoring of CAL in children with high expression of biomarkers, and formulate personalized preventive intervention based on the disease progress, so as to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, due to the limitations of research conditions and methods, the sample size of this study is small, which may affect the reliability and representativeness of the conclusion. In order to provide a new direction for the clinical prevention and treatment of the disease, future work will improve the research design, expand the sample size, and carry out more in-depth exploration on the prediction of CAL in KD children.

[Chemical constituents from stems and leaves of Cratoxylum cochinchinense and their inhibitory effects on proliferation of synoviocytes in vitro].

The chemical constituents from the stems and leaves of Cratoxylum cochinchinense were isolated and purified using silica gel, ODS gel, and Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, as well as preparative HPLC. The chemical structures of all isolated compounds were identified on the basis of their physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analyses, and the comparison of their physicochemical and spectroscopic data with the reported data in literature. As a result, 21 compounds were isolated from the 90% ethanol extract of the stems and leaves of C. cochinchinense, which were identified as cratocochine(1), 1-hydroxy-3,7-dimethoxyxanthone(2), 1-hydroxy-5,6,7-trimethoxyxanthone(3), ferrxanthone(4), 3,6-dihydroxy-1,5-dimethoxyxanthone(5), 3,6-dihydroxy-1,7-dimethoxyxanthone(6), 1,2,5-trihydroxy-6,8-dimethoxyxanthone(7), securixanthone G(8), gentisein(9), 3,7-dihydroxy-1-methoxyxanthone(10), pancixanthone B(11), garcimangosxanthone A(12), pruniflorone L(13), 9-hydroxy alabaxanthone(14), cochinchinone A(15), luteolin(16), 3,5'-dimethoxy-4',7-epoxy-8,3'-neolignane-5,9,9'-triol(17), N-benzyl-9-oxo-10E,12E-octadecadienamide(18), 15-hydroxy-7,13E-labdadiene(19), stigmasta-4,22-dien-3-one(20), and stigmast-5-en-3ß-ol(21). Among these isolates, compound 1 was a new xanthone, compounds 2-5, 7, 8, 12, and 16-21 were isolated from the Cratoxylum plant for the first time, and compounds 11 and 13 were obtained from C. cochinchinense for the first time. Furthermore, all isolated compounds 1-21 were appraised for their anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities by MTS method through measuring their anti-proliferative effect on synoviocytes in vitro. As a result, xanthones 1-15 displayed notable anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, which showed inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MH7A synoviocytes with the IC_(50) values ranging from(8.98±0.12) to(228.68±0.32) µmol·L~(-1).

[Chemical constituents from fruits of Morinda citrifolia and their inhibitory effects on proliferation of synoviocytes in vitro].

The chemical constituents from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia were systematically explored by chromatographic fractionation methods including silica gel, octadecylsilyl(ODS) gel, Sephadex LH-20 gel, and preparative high performance liquid chromatography(pre-HPLC). The chemical structures of all isolated compounds were identified on the basis of their physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analyses, as well as the comparisons of their physicochemical and spectroscopic data with the reported data in literature. As a result, 22 isolated compounds from the 90% ethanol extract of the fruits of M. citrifolia were identified, which were moricitritone(1), 2'-deoxythymidine(2), cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Tyr)(3), methyl-5-hydroxy-2-pyridinecarboxylate(4), methyl pyroglutamate(5), bisbenzopyran(6), epipinoresinol(7), 3, 3'-bisdemethyl pinoresinol(8), 3, 3'-bisdemethyltanegool(9), trimesic acid(10), crypticin B(11), kojic acid(12), vanillic acid(13), protocatechoic acid(14), 5-hydroxymethyl furfural(15), blumenol A(16), 1-O-(9Z, 12Z-octadecadienoyl) glycerol(17), mucic acid dimethylester(18), methyl 2-O-ß-D-glucopyranosylbenzoate(19), 2-phenylethyl-O-ß-D-glucoside(20), scopoletin(21), and quercetin(22). Among them, compound 1 was a new pyrone derivative, compounds 2, 4-7, 10-12, and 17 were isolated from the plants belonging to Morinda genus for the first time, and compound 18 was obtained from M. citrifolia for the first time. Moreover, on the basis of testing the activities of all isolated compounds on inhibiting the proliferation of synovial fibroblasts in vitro by MTS assay, the anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities of all isolated compounds were initially evaluated. The results showed that compounds 1-6, 9, 19, and 20 exhibited remarkable anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, which displayed the inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MH7A synovial fibroblast cells with the IC_(50) values in the range of(3.69±0.08) to(168.96±0.98) µmol·L~(-1).

Anthraquinones with potential antiproliferative activities from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia.

The phytochemical investigation on the fruits of Morinda citrifolia led to the isolation and characterization of a new anthraquinone, moricitrifone (1), along with seven known anthraquinones (2-8). The chemical structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive spectral analyses. The known compounds (2-8) were identified by comparing their spectral data with those reported in the literature. The antiproliferative activities of all isolated anthraquinones (1-8) against five human cancer cell lines: HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7 and SW480 were evaluated in vitro. Compounds 1-8 exhibited remarkable antiproliferative activities with IC50 values ranging from 0.26 ± 0.05 to 16.58 ± 0.18 µM, which were comparable to those of doxorubicin.

[Difference in volatile components of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos of different origins: based on GC-MS and multivariate statistical analysis].

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos(LJF), a bulk medicinal material, has long been used in clinical settings. The main/Dao-di production areas are Shandong, Henan, and Hebei. However, no systematic study on the difference in volatile components of LJF from different areas is available at the moment. In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) was used to detect the volatile components in 30 batches of LJF from 3 main production areas. Based on the relative odor activity value(ROAV), the key aroma components were analyzed. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed to analyze the differential components and characteristic aroma components in the samples from the 3 areas. Finally, 113 volatiles were identified from the samples, which were mainly alcohols, esters, acids, aldehydes, ketones, and alkenes. Among the common components of the three areas, linalool, myristic acid, and α-linolenic acid methyl ester had high content. A total of 15 key and 9 modifying aroma components in LJF were determined based on ROAV. The 15 differential components can be used for origin identification. Among them,(E, E)-2,4-decadienal and hexanal contributed a lot to the aroma of LJF from Henan and α-nerol was a characteristic aroma component of LJF in Hebei. In addition, lauryl aldehyde was a biomarker of LJF from Shandong. This study can provide a reference for the origin identification and quality evaluation of LJF.

[Chemical constituents from Artocarpus incisus and their inhibitory effects on proliferation of synoviocytes in vitro].

The chemical constituents from the branches and leaves of Artocarpus incisus were isolated and purified via silica gel, ODS, and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography as well as preparative HPLC. The chemical structures of all isolated compounds were identified in the light of their physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analyses, and comparisons of their physicochemical and spectroscopic data with the reported data in literature. As a result, 20 compounds were isolated and characterized from the 90% ethanol extract of the branches and leaves of A. incisus, which were identified as tephrosin(1), 6-hydroxy-6 a, 12 a-dehydrodeguelin(2), sarcolobin(3), lupiwighteone(4), 12-deoxo-12α-methoxyelliptone(5), 6 aα,12 aα-12 a-hydroxyelliptone(6), homopterocarpin(7), 3-hydroxy-8,9-dimethoxypterocarpan(8), pterocarpin(9), maackiain(10), medicarpin(11), calycosin(12), genistein(13), formononetin(14), 5-hydroxy-4',7-dimethoxy isoflavone(15), liquiritigenin(16), 4(15)-eudesmene-1ß,7α-diol(17), ent-4(15)-eudesmene-1ß,6α-diol(18), 1α-hydroxyisodauc-4-en-15-al(19), and guaianediol(20). Except compounds 13 and 16, all other compounds were isolated from the Artocarpus plants for the first time. Additionally, using MTS assay, compounds 1-20 were eva-luated for their anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities by measuring their anti-proliferative effects on synoviocytes in vitro. As a consequence, compounds 1-16 showed notable anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, which displayed inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MH7 A synovial fibroblast cells, with the IC_(50) values in range of(9.86±0.09)-(218.07±1.96) µmol·L~(-1).

[Advantages and disadvantages of production quality of Fufang Danshen Prescription based on high-quality Chinese patent medicine evaluation criteria].

The big brand of Chinese patent medicine, Fufang Danshen Prescription(FDP), effective in promoting blood circulation, resolving blood stasis, regulating qi, and relieving pain, is wide in clinical application and diverse in dosage forms and products, but its quality and price are uneven, which causes problems for doctors and patients. To clarify the key links and weakness of quality control leading to the quality difference of FDP products, the present study carried out a comprehensive evaluation of the whole production cycle of FDP based on the "high-quality Chinese patent medicine evaluation criteria" and analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of production and quality of different FDP products according to scores. The results showed that the scores of various products in the "raw materials selection" varied greatly. The highest score(S1) and the lowest score(S2) differed by more than 3 times, indicating that different manufacturers had inconsistent requirements for the selection of raw materials, leading to fundamental differences in the quality of raw materials. The scores in the "production process" varied slightly, with an average score of 66.8%. The manufacturer S8 obtained the highest score(84.0%), which indicated the emergence of intelligent manufacturing production. The scores(with the average score of 44.0%) in the "quality control" were lower than those of the previous two items, which was attributed to the fact that most FDP products only met the "qualified" benchmark required by the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and their consistency and high quality were both uncontrollable. The scores in the "post-marketing research" were the lowest(with an average score of 28.5%), and most manufacturers were scored 0, which reflected little attention paid. Only a few brand manufacturers were scored acceptably and they were willing to carry out relevant research on post-marketing evaluation. The evaluation results demonstrated the key links and weakness leading to the production and quality differences of FDP from different manufacturers. It is expected to improve the quality of FDP, promote the formation of the "high quality and good price" mechanism, and provide information for the centralized procurement of governments.

The Impact of Cultural Creative Product Design for Sport Events on the Residents' Fitness.

Cultural and creative product design of sports events is an important part of sports industry, which can improve the economic benefits of sports industry. Based on this background, this paper puts forward a regression analysis method to deeply analyze the design of cultural and creative products in sports events, aiming at driving the healthy development of residents and improving their health levels. First of all, 620 residents were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group to compare natural characteristics, historical characteristics, folk crafts, regional culture, and other indicators. Then, find out the factors with significant differences, and carry out regression analysis to provide corresponding measures for the design of cultural and creative products in sports events. The results show that the main influencing factors of creative product design are natural characteristics, historical characteristics, folk crafts, regional culture, and promotion effect, and each index has a significant impact on residents' fitness, and there are significant differences. Therefore, all regions should improve the design level of sports events, bring through the development of residents' fitness industry, and effectively guide residents' fitness.

Metal-organic framework on porous TiO2 thin film-coated alumina beads for fractional distillation of plant essential oils.

Fractionation of essential oils is technically challenging due to enormous scaffold diversities and structural complexities as well as difficulties in the implementation of the fractionation in the gas phase. Packing beads with multi-dimensional hierarchical nanostructures have been developed herein to pack fractional columns for atmospheric distillations. Activated alumina beads were coated with a porous TiO2 thin film. Growth of Cu-BTC (benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) crystals in resultant porous surfaces leads to the generation of new nanopores and increased metal centers for differential coordination with diverse components of essential oils. The TiO2 thin film is not only an integral part of the composites but also induces the oriented growth of Cu-BTC metal organic framework (MOF) crystals through coordinative interactions. These Al2O3@TiO2@Cu-BTC MOF beads show very strong absorptive capability for major components of essential oils, except for a single cyclic ether eucalyptol with steric hindrances. The eucalyptol was fractionated by using the column packed with those modified alumina beads from raw materials of Artemisia argyi, and Rosmarinus officinalis with high purities up to 96% and 93%, respectively.

The Preventive Value of Acupoint Sensitization for Patients with Stable Angina Pectoris: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Positive-Controlled, Multicentre Trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupoint sensitization is considered an important factor in the efficacy of acupoint therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acupressure in the prevention of stable angina pectoris using acupoints with different pressure-pain sensitivities. METHODS: A total of 202 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to a high-sensitivity group (HSG) (n = 109) in which patients received acupressure at the five acupoints with the highest sensitivity to pain and a low-sensitivity group (LSG) (n = 93) in which patients received acupressure at the five acupoints with the lowest sensitivity to pain. The duration of acupressure treatment was 4 weeks, and the patients were evaluated at baseline, week 4, and week 8. The primary outcome was a change in the frequency of angina attacks from baseline. The secondary outcomes included nitroglycerin consumption, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification, and the Seattle Angina Questionnaire score. Adverse events such as bleeding and subcutaneous haemorrhage were recorded in both groups. RESULTS: The effect of acupressure compared with baseline on the prevention of angina pectoris in HSG was better than that in LSG at week 4 (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.691 and 95% confidence interval (CI): [0.569, 0.839]) and week 8 (IRR: 0.692 and 95% CI: [0.569, 0.839]). No significant difference between groups was found in the frequency of nitroglycerin consumption at week 4 (odds ratio (OR) = 0.863 and 95% CI: [0.147, 5.077]) or week 8 (OR = 1.426 and 95% CI: [0.211, 9.661]). Two themes in the questionnaire showed significantly different changes from baseline between the two groups. Scores on the angina frequency (AF) subscale had changed more from the baseline in the HSG at week 8 than in the LSG (mean difference (MD) = 3.807 and 95% CI: [0.673, 6.942]). Scores on the treatment satisfaction (TS) subscale had also changed more in the HSG than in the LSG at week 4 (MD = 3.651 and 95% CI: [0.327, 7.327]) and week 8 (MD = 4.220 and 95% CI: [0.347, 7.346]). One patient in the LSG reported bruising at the acupoint. No unexpected safety problems arose. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that acupressure at acupoints with high sensitivity to pain may effectively reduce the frequency of stable angina pectoris episodes. This trial is registered with NCT03975140.

[Chemical constituents from Clausena excavata and their inhibitory activities against proliferation of synoviocytes].

The chemical constituents from the stems and leaves of Clausena excavata were isolated and purified by column chromatography with silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and RP-HPLC. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analysis, as well as the comparisons with the data reported in literature. Nineteen compounds were isolated from the 90% ethanol extract of the stems and leaves of C. excavata, which were identified as methyl orsellinate(1), syringaresinol(2), lenisin A(3), scopoletin(4), osthenol(5), N-benzoyltyrarnine methyl ether(6), N-p-coumaroyltyramine(7), aurantiamide acetate(8), 1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde(9), furostifoline(10), clausenalansine E(11), 3-formylcarbazole(12), clausine L(13), clausine E(14), methyl carbazole-3-carboxylate(15), glycosinin(16), murrayafoline A(17), clausine H(18) and 2,7-dihydroxy-3-formyl-1-(3'-methyl-2'-butenyl)carbazole(19). Among these isolated compounds, compounds 1-11 were isolated from C. excavata for the first time, and compounds 1, 2 and 10 were isolated from the genus Clausena for the first time. In addition, this study evaluated the anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities of compounds 1-19 by measuring their anti-proliferative effects on synoviocytes in vitro according to MTS method. Compounds 10-19 displayed remarkable anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, which exhibited the inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MH7 A synovial fibroblast cells with the IC_(50) values ranging from(27.63±0.18) to(235.67±2.16) µmol·L~(-1).

Metabolic profiling in early pregnancy and associated factors of folate supplementation: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy generally alters the balance of maternal metabolism, but the molecular profiles in early pregnancy and associated factors of folate supplementation in pregnant women remains incompletely understood. METHODS: Untargeted metabonomics based on high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry integrated with multivariate metabolic pathway analysis were applied to characterize metabolite profiles and associated factors of folate supplements in early pregnancy. The metabolic baseline of early pregnancy was determined by metabolic analysis of 510 serum samples from 131 non-pregnant and 379 pregnant healthy Chinese women. The pathophysiology of adaptive reactions and metabolic challenges induced by folate supplementation in early pregnancy was further compared between pregnant women with (n = 168) and without (n = 184) folate supplements. RESULTS: Compared with non-pregnant participants, 106 metabolites, majority of which are related to amino acids and lysophosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylcholine, and 13 metabolic pathways were significantly changed in early pregnancy. The supplementation of folate in early pregnancy induced marked changes in N-acyl ethanolamine 22:0, N-acyl taurine 18:2, glycerophosphoserine 44:1 and 8,11,14-eicosatrienoate, proline, and aminoimidazole ribotide levels. CONCLUSIONS: During early pregnancy, the metabolism of amino acids significantly changes to meet the physiological requirements of pregnant women. Folate intake may change glucose and lipid metabolism. These findings provide a comprehensive landscape for understanding the basic characteristics and gestational metabolic networks of early pregnancy and folate supplementation. This study provides a basis for further research into the relationship between metabolic markers and pregnancy diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study protocol was registered on www.ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03651934, on August 29, 2018 (prior to recruitment).

Associations of Serum Selenium Levels in the First Trimester of Pregnancy with the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Preterm Birth: a Preliminary Cohort Study.

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may have lower serum selenium levels than healthy controls, which may be associated with preterm birth. We explored the association of serum selenium levels in early pregnancy with the risk of GDM and preterm birth among Chinese women. We included 398 women with a singleton pregnancy, who were followed up prospectively from the first prenatal visit until delivery. Serum selenium levels were measured in the first trimester. After delivery, data concerning mothers and their children were sourced from medical records by researchers who were blind to the participants' selenium status. Of the 398 women, 71 (17.8%) had GDM, 21(5.3%) had preterm birth, and 266 (66.8%) had selenium deficiency (serum selenium < 70 µg/L). Women in the upper three quartiles of serum selenium level did not have a significantly lower risk of GDM or preterm birth than those in the lowest quartile after adjustment for covariates (all p > 0.05). When serum selenium levels were classified as normal or deficient, the risk of GDM or preterm birth among women with normal serum selenium levels was still not lower than that of women with deficient serum selenium levels after adjustment for covariates (all p > 0.05). Although selenium deficiency was common in the Chinese women in our cohort, our results indicate that low serum selenium level during early pregnancy may not be a strong predictor of the risk of GDM and preterm birth. However, our sample size was small, and future studies with larger populations are warranted.

Neuroprotective carbazole alkaloids from the stems and leaves of Clausena lenis.

The investigation on the stems and leaves of Clausena lenis led to the isolation of a previously undescribed carbazole alkaloid, clausenalenine A (1), along with seven known analogues (2-8). The structure of 1 was elucidated based on comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and the known compounds were identified by comparisons with data reported in the literatures. All known compounds (2-8) were isolated from C. lenis for the first time. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotective activities against 6-hydroxydopamine induced cell death in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells in vitro. Compounds 1-8 showed significant neuroprotective effects with EC50 values ranging from 0.68 to 18.76 µM.

Limonoids from the Fresh Young Leaves and Buds of Toona sinensis and Their Potential Neuroprotective Effects.

Toona sinensis, popularly known as Chinese toon or Chinese mahogany, is a perennial deciduous arbor belonging to the genus Toona in the Meliaceae family, which is widely distributed and cultivated in eastern and southeastern Asia. Its fresh young leaves and buds have been consumed as a very popular nutritious vegetable in China and confirmed to display a wide variety of biological activities. To investigate the chemical constituents and their potential health benefits from the fresh young leaves and buds of T. sinensis, a phytochemical study on its fresh young leaves and buds was therefore undertaken. In our current investigation, 16 limonoids (1-16), including four new limonoids, toonasinenoids A-D (1-4), and a new naturally occurring limonoid, toonasinenoid E (5), were isolated and characterized from the fresh young leaves and buds of T. sinensis. The chemical structures and absolute configurations of limonoids 1-5 were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic data analyses. All known limonoids (6-16) were identified via comparing their experimental spectral data containing mass spectrometry data, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance data, and optical rotation values to the data reported in the literature. All known limonoids (6-16) were isolated from T. sinensis for the first time. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effects of all isolated limonoids 1-16 against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced cell death in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were assessed in vitro. Limonoids 1-16 exhibited notable neuroprotective activities, with EC50 values in the range from 0.27 ± 0.03 to 17.28 ± 0.16 µM. These results suggest that regular consumption of the fresh young leaves and buds of T. sinensis might prevent the occurrence and development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Moreover, the isolation and characterization of these limonoids that exhibit notable neuroprotective activities from the fresh young leaves and buds of T. sinensis could be very significant for researching and developing new neuroprotective drugs used for the prevention and treatment of PD.

Clinical retrospective study on the efficacy of Qingfei Paidu decoction combined with Western medicine for COVID-19 treatment.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)2 has emerged as a global pandemic. However, as effective treatments for this disease are still unclear, safe and efficient therapies are urgently needed. Qingfei Paidu decoction (QPD)3 is strongly recommended in the Chinese Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Plan (Provisional 6th Edition). However, clinical research data on the effects of QPD on COVID-19 are scarce. Our study aimed to explore the effects of combined treatment with QPD and Western medicine on COVID-19. METHODS: In this study, 63 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were analyzed. During the first 14 days of hospitalization, patients with deteriorating symptoms were administered QPD along with Western medicine therapy (the antiviral medicine selected from interferon, lopinavir, or arbidol). The clinical characteristics and blood laboratory indices (blood routine, inflammatory factors, and multi-organ biochemical indices) were examined, and the total lung severity scores were evaluated in each patient by reviewing chest computed tomography before treatment and at the end of treatment. RESULTS: Before QPD treatment, the combined treatment group showed higher blood C-reactive protein levels and more severe pulmonary inflammation and clinical symptoms than the Western medicine treatment group. Both groups met the discharge criteria after a similar length of hospitalization. At the end of treatment, circulating white blood cells, total lymphocyte count, and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase levels improved dramatically in both groups (P <  0.05). In contrast, C-reactive protein, creatine kinase, creatine kinase-myocardial band, lactate dehydrogenase, and blood urea nitrogen levels were improved only in the combined treatment group (P <  0.05), and C-reactive protein and creatine kinase were the most pronounced (P <  0.01). Compared with baseline, at the end of treatment, the proportion of patients with normal values of C-reactive protein, total lymphocyte count, and lactate dehydrogenase were increased in the combined treatment group (P < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was observed in the Western medicine treatment group (P >  0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of QPD with Western medicine demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects compared with those of only Western medicine in patients with mild and moderate COVID-19; however, neither mortality nor length of hospitalization was affected. Moreover, the combined treatment tended to mitigate the extent of multi-organ impairment. Long-term randomized controlled trials with follow-up evaluations are required to confirm the results presented here.

Prenylated chromones and flavonoids from Artocarpus heterophyllus with their potential antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Two new prenylated chromones, artoheterophines A (1) and B (2), five known prenylated chromones (3-7), as well as five known biogenetically related prenylated flavonoids (8-12) were isolated and characterized from the stems and leaves of A. heterophyllus. Their chemical structures were unambiguously determined through comprehensive spectral data analyses. The antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of all these isolated prenylated chromones and flavonoids were evaluated in vitro. As a result, compounds 1-12 showed notable inhibitory effects against various human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.36 ± 0.02 to 22.09 ± 0.16 µM. Meanwhile, compounds 1-12 exhibited significant inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) production holding IC50 values in the range of 0.48 ± 0.05-19.87 ± 0.21 µM. These research results suggest that the isolation and characterization of these prenylated chromones (1-7) and flavonoids (8-12) holding significant antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities could be significant to the discovery and development of new natural anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory drugs. The findings also provides a phytochemical evidence for further development and utilization of the stems and leaves of A. heterophyllus in health and pharmaceutical products.

Associations Between Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Risk and Folate Status in Early Pregnancy and MTHFR C677T Polymorphisms in Chinese Women.

PURPOSE: Red blood cell (RBC) folate indicates long-term folate intake, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene is the main gene affecting folate status. Increasing evidence suggests an association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and increased folate levels. Whether RBC folate concentrations in the first trimester of pregnancy or polymorphisms of MTHFR C677T (rs1801133) affect GDM risk in Chinese pregnant women remains unknown. Therefore, we analyzed the associations of RBC folate concentrations and rs1801133 polymorphisms with GDM risk among pregnant women in China. METHODS: A total of 366 women with a singleton pregnancy were followed prospectively from their first prenatal visit to delivery. RBC folate concentrations and rs1801133 polymorphisms were assessed during the first trimester of pregnancy. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the odds ratios (ORs) of GDM and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by using the RBC folate concentration quartiles and rs1801133 polymorphisms. RESULTS: Participants with the TT genotype had the highest RBC folate concentrations. Those with heterozygous or homozygous variants did not have a significantly higher risk of GDM than did women with C alleles. After adjustments for covariates, women in the highest quartile for RBC folate concentration had a higher risk of GDM (adjusted OR = 2.473, 95% CI = 1.013-6.037, P = 0.047) than did those in the lowest quartile, but this association was nonsignificant after adjustment for rs1801133 polymorphisms. CONCLUSION: Higher RBC folate, partly caused by MTHFR 677C→T, may be associated with increased GDM risk, even in early pregnancy. Assessing RBC folate status and appropriately supplementing folate during early pregnancy, particularly for patients with MTHFR 677C→T, may prevent GDM. Further studies with larger populations are warranted.

Efficacy and Safety of Jueyin Granules for Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Psoriasis Vulgaris: Protocol for a Multicenter Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Introduction. The etiology and pathogenesis of psoriasis are complex. Blood-heat syndrome is the core pathogenesis of psoriasis. Based on theories of Chinese medicine (CM), heat-clearing and blood-cooling (HCBC) are the primary treatment. Very few studies have investigated the pharmacological mechanism of the CM HCBC method for treating psoriasis. This multicenter randomized controlled trial will focus on treating psoriasis blood-heat syndrome with the HCBC method using Jueyin granules (JYKL). This will be an objective and standardized evaluation of the efficacy, safety, and reproducibility of the HCBC method to obtain objective evidence meeting international standards that aim to establish a clinical standard suitable for the popular application of CM for treating psoriasis. Methods and Analysis. A five-center randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical design will be used in this study. At least 196 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either JYKL or placebo treatment approximately 30 minutes after meals in the morning and evening (one sachet per time, twice daily for 8 consecutive weeks). The study duration will be 17 weeks, including 1 week of screening, 8 weeks of intervention, and 8 weeks of follow-up. The patients will be evaluated every 2 weeks, and the measures will be compared with baseline values. The primary outcome measure will be the psoriasis lesion area severity index. We will also observe the recurrence rate, body surface area, physician global assessment, dermatology life quality index, quality of life index, visual analogue scale score, CM symptom score, combined drug use, and adverse events. This trial is registered with NCT03961230.