Swertia mussotii prevents high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats by inhibiting expression the TLR4/MyD88 and the phosphorylation of NF-κB.

CONTEXT: Swertia mussotii Franch. (Gentianaceae) is a source of the traditional Tibetan medicine, ZangYinChen, and is used to treat chronic hepatitis and many types of jaundice. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the therapeutic effects and mechanism of S. mussotii on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in diet-induced hypercholesterolaemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After a week of adaptive feeding, 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: (1) Control, (2) Control-S, (3) Model, and (4) Model-S. During the 12 experimental weeks, we established the Model using a high-fat diet. Control-S and Model-S were given 1.0 g/kg S. mussotii water extract via gavage starting in the fifth week until the end of experiment. RESULTS: When compared with Model rats, the S. mussotii water extract led to a reduction in high-density lipoproteins (43.9%) and albumin (13.9%) and a decrease in total cholesterol (54.0%), triglyceride (45.6%), low-density lipoproteins (8.6%), aspartate aminotransferase (11.0%), alanine aminotransferase (15.5%), alkaline phosphatase (19.1%), total protein (6.4%), and glucose (20.8%) in serum. A reduction in three cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNFα) was detected. Histopathological examination showed that liver steatosis was significantly relieved in S. mussotii-treated high-fat diet rats. S. mussotii also caused a downregulation in the expression of TLR4 (43.2%), MyD88 (33.3%), and a decrease in phosphorylation of NF-κB. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that S. mussotii may act as a potential anti-inflammation drug via inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Further in vivo and in vitro studies are needed to validate its potential in clinical medicine.

[Reason analysis of inadaptability and its correction research on the authenticity identification model of West Lake Longjing tea based on LVF micro-NIR spectrometer].

In the present paper, the micro-NIR spectrometer with the splitter of linear variable filter was used to develop the recognition models of the West Lake Longjing tea and the ordinary flat tea of the year 2012 and 2013. The NIR spectral data of different years and different storage times were decomposed by PCA algorithm. The PLS-DA models were developed by the representative samples selected by the mathematical characteristics of PCA-scores' distribution in order to analyze the reason for the inadaptability of the models according to mathematical principles and find out the solution for its correction. Being examined by the external validation set, the adaptability of the authenticity identification model was enhanced effectively. The result of this research indicated that, for the West Lake Longjing tea and the ordinary flat tea, the correct recognition rate of the model developed by all different-year samples' NIR spectral data would be enhanced effectively. The model developed by the NIR spectral data of different storage time samples indicated that the physicochemical properties of the ordinary flat tea have changed remarkably after cryopreservation for 3 months, while the physicochemical properties of the West Lake Longjing tea are relatively stable. The model adaptabilities for different years and different storage times were studied according to the mathematical perspective of the principal component characteristics of spectral data. After the authenticity identification model of West Lake Longjing tea was developed, the prediction accuracy was enhanced effectively. This research would provide reference for not only the application of NIR spectroscopy in quality grading and safety of agricultural products, but also the enhancement of the prediction accuracy of the NIR grading models for agricultural products.