Functional keystone taxa promote N and P removal of the constructed wetland to mitigate agricultural nonpoint source pollution.

Characterized by irregular spatial and temporal variations of pollutant loading and complex occurrence mechanisms, agricultural nonpoint source pollution (ANPSP) has always been a great challenge in field restoration worldwide. Returning farmlands to wetlands (RFWs) as an ecological restoration mode among various constructed wetlands was selected to manage ANPSP in this study. Triarrhena lutarioriparia, Nelumbo nucifera and Zizania latifolia monocultures were designed and the water pollutants was monitored. N. nucifera and Z. latifolia could reach the highest TN (53.28 %) and TP (53.22 %) removal efficiency, respectively. By 16s high-throughput sequencing of rhizosphere bacteria, 45 functional species were the main contributors for efficient N and P removal, and 38 functional keystone taxa (FKT) were found with significant ecological niche roles and metabolic functions. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the microbial driving N and P removal mechanism in response to ANPSP treated by field scale RFWs.

Dynamic Variation of Amino Acid Contents and Identification of Sterols in Xinyang Mao Jian Green Tea.

As important biomolecules in Camellia sinensis L., amino acids (AAs) are considered to contribute to the overall green tea sensory quality and undergo dynamic changes during growth. However, limited by analytical capacity, detailed AAs composition in different growth stages remains unclear. To address this question, we analyzed the dynamic changes of 23 AAs during leaf growth in Xinyang Mao Jian (XYMJ) green tea. Using amino acid analyzer, we demonstrated that most AAs are abundant on Pure Brightness Day and Grain Rain Day. After Grain Rain, 23 AAs decreased significantly. Further analysis shows that theanine has a high level on the day before Spring Equinox and Grain Rain, accounting for 44-61% of the total free AAs content in tea leaves. Glu, Pro, and Asp are the second most abundant AAs. Additionally, spinasterol and 22,23-dihydrospinasterol are first purified and identified in ethanol extract of XYMJ by silica gel column chromatography method. This study reveals the relationship between plucking days and the dynamic changes of AAs during the growth stage and proves the rationality of the traditional plucking days of XYMJ green tea.

Revealing the developmental dynamics in male strobilus transcriptome of Gnetum luofuense using nanopore sequencing technology.

Gnetum is a pantropical distributed gymnosperm genus. As being dioecious, Gnetum species apply female and male strobili to attract and provide nutrition to insect pollinators. Due to its unique gross morphology, a Gnetum male strobilus receives much attention in previous taxonomic and evolutionary studies. However, underlying molecular mechanisms that control male strobilus development and pollination adaptation have not been well studied. In the present study, nine full-length transcriptomes were sequenced from three developmental stages of the G. luofuense male strobili using Oxford Nanopore Technologies. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and RT-qPCR analysis were performed. Our results show that a total of 3138 transcription factors and 466 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were identified, and differentially expressed lncRNAs and TFs reveal a dynamic pattern during the male strobilus development. Our results show that MADS-box and Aux/IAA TFs were differentially expressed at the three developmental stages, suggesting their important roles in the regulation of male strobilus development of G. luofuense. Results of WGCNA analysis and annotation of differentially expressed transcripts corroborate that the male strobilus development of G. luofuense is closely linked to plant hormone changes, photosynthesis, pollination drop secretion and reproductive organ defense. Our results provide a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive organ evolution and pollination biology in Gnetum.

Naturally Occurring Cinnamic Acid Sugar Ester Derivatives.

Cinnamic acid sugar ester derivatives (CASEDs) are a class of natural product with one or several phenylacrylic moieties linked with the non-anomeric carbon of a glycosyl skeleton part through ester bonds. Their notable anti-depressant and brains protective activities have made them a topic of great interest over the past several decades. In particular the compound 3',6-disinapoylsucrose, the index component of Yuanzhi (a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM), presents antidepressant effects at a molecular level, and has become a hotspot of research on new lead drug compounds. Several other similar cinnamic acid sugar ester derivatives are reported in traditional medicine as compounds to calm the nerves and display anti-depression and neuroprotective activity. Interestingly, more than one third of CASEDs are distributed in the family Polygalaceae. This overview discusses the isolation of cinnamic acid sugar ester derivatives from plants, together with a systematic discussion of their distribution, chemical structures and properties and pharmacological activities, with the hope of providing references for natural product researchers and draw attention to these interesting compounds.

Phytochemistry, Bioactivity and Potential Impact on Health of Juglans: the Original Plant of Walnut.

Walnuts are seeds with a hard shell from the genus Juglans (J. mandshurica, J. regia, J. sinensis, J. cathayensis, J. nigra and J. sigillata). Walnuts can nourish brain cells to improve human memory. Other parts of the plant are also employed as traditional Chinese medicines. Modern research on Juglans species has been mostly focused on the above-mentioned species, the seeds of which are all called walnuts. Juglans species have diverse chemical constituents, including diarylheptanoids, quinones, polyphenols, flavones and terpenes. The diarylheptanoids and quinones have notable antitumor activity, supplying new lead compounds for preparing antitumor drugs. The potent pain-relieving, antioxidant, antibacterial and antitumor activities of these plants are significant. In the review, comprehensive information on the nutritional characteristics, traditional functions, chemical constituents, and biological activities of the Juglans species, together with the seeds used as walnuts is provided to explore their potential and to advance research.

Two Traditional Chinese Medicines Curcumae Radix and Curcumae Rhizoma: An Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology Review.

Curcumae Rhizoma, known as Ezhu (Chinese: ), and Curcumae Radix, known as Yujin (Chinese: ), are different plant parts coming from three same species according to China Pharmacopoeia. Actually, they are used in different ways in TCM clinical treatment. Curcumae Rhizoma is mainly used as antitumor drug, while Curcumae Radix has been used as antidepressant and cholagogue. Curcumae Rhizoma and Curcumae Radix are confused in variety and source, even in clinical trials by some nonprofessional workers. So it is important for us to make them clear. This review is aimed at summarizing the ethnopharmacology, phytochemical, and pharmacological differences between Curcumae Radix and Curcumae Rhizoma by SciFinder, CNKI, and so on, to use them exactly and clearly. Further studies on Curcumae Rhizoma and Curcumae Radix can lead to the development of new drugs and therapeutics for various diseases on the basis of the TCM theory.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidative and Anticancer Activities of the Essential Oil: Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma, a Traditional Herb Pair.

As a classical herb pair in clinics of traditional Chinese medicine, Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma (HP CR-SR) is used for activating blood circulation to remove blood stasis. The essential components in HP CR-SR and its single herbs were comparatively analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data. 66, 22, and 54 components in volatile oils of Curcumae Rhizoma, Sparganii Rhizoma, and HP CR-SR were identified, and total contents accounted for 75.416%, 91.857%, and 79.553% respectively. The thirty-eight components were found in HP CR-SR, and not detected in single herbs Curcumae Rhizoma and Sparganii Rhizoma. The highest radical trapping action was seen by an essential oil of HP CR-SR (IC50 = 0.59 ± 0.04 mg/mL). Furthermore, the HP CR-SR essential oil showed more remarkable cytotoxicity on tumor cell lines than that of the single herbs Curcumae Rhizoma and Sparganii Rhizoma in a dose-dependent manner: IC50 values showing 32.32 ± 5.31 µg/mL (HeLa), 34.76 ± 1.82 µg/mL (BGC823), 74.84 ± 1.66 µg/mL (MCF-7), 66.12 ± 11.23 µg/mL (SKOV3), and 708.24 ± 943.91 µg/mL (A549), respectively. In summary, the essential oil of HP CR-SR is different from any one of Curcumae Rhizoma and Sparganii Rhizoma, nor simply their superposition, and HP CR-SR oil presented more remarkable anticancer and antioxidant activities compared with Curcumae Rhizoma and Sparganii Rhizoma oils.

Spectrum-effect relationships as a systematic approach to traditional chinese medicine research: current status and future perspectives.

Component fingerprints are a recognized method used worldwide to evaluate the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). To foster the strengths and circumvent the weaknesses of the fingerprint technique in TCM, spectrum-effect relationships would complementarily clarify the nature of pharmacodynamic effects in the practice of TCM. The application of the spectrum-effect relationship method is crucial for understanding and interpreting TCM development, especially in the view of the trends towards TCM modernization and standardization. The basic requirement for using this method is in-depth knowledge of the active material basis and mechanisms of action. It is a novel and effective approach to study TCMs and great progress has been made, but to make it more accurate for TCM research purposes, more efforts are needed. In this review, the authors summarize the current knowledge about the spectrum-effect relationship method, including the fingerprint methods, pharmacodynamics studies and the methods of establishing relationships between the fingerprints and pharmacodynamics. Some speculation regarding future perspectives for spectrum-effect relationship approaches in TCM modernization and standardization are also proposed.

[Five-year therapeutic experience of sorafenib for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the tolerability and safety of sorafenib for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: Among 63 cases of advanced renal cell carcinoma, there were 45 males and 18 females with a median age of 57 years. And 48 patients had recurrence or metastasis after nephrectomy. And cytokine therapy was offered for 36 of them before recurrence or metastasis. Postoperative recurrence or metastasis occurred <1 year (n = 11) and ≥ 1 year (n = 37). And 15 cases of primary non-resectable renal lesions received biopsy. The pathological types were clear cell carcinoma (n = 49) and papillary carcinoma (n = 14). The pre-dosing Karnofsky performance scores were all ≥ 70 points. Sorafenib was used as a first-line single drug at 400 mg twice daily until disease progression or an onset of intolerable adverse reactions. RESULTS: Follow-ups ended in February 2013. The median follow-up period was 20 (6-42) months. Twenty-four patients died. The outcomes were complete remission (n = 2), partial remission (n = 8), stable disease (n = 30) and disease progression (n = 23). The overall objective response rate was 15.9% (10/63) and disease control rate 63.5% (40/63) . Hand-foot skin reaction (70.0%), alopecia (62.5%), rash (52.5%), diarrhea (37.5%), loss of appetite (32.5%) and fatigue (27.5%) were noted. Most adverse reactions occurred at 2-4 weeks and subsided after symptomatic measures. And medication was not disrupted. CONCLUSION: Sorafenib has a high disease control rate for advanced renal cell carcinoma. And its adverse reactions are generally mild and similar to those reported in the literature. It has excellent profiles of tolerability and safety.

The anti-rheumatoid arthritis property of the folk medicine Dianbaizhu (Gaultheria leucocarpa var. yunnanensis, Ericaceae).

The Chinese folk medicine Dianbaizhu, consisting of Gaultheria species, is widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by several minority nationalities. The species and plant parts of this genus used as Dianbaizhu in clinical application are confused. In order to elucidate the species and the medicinal parts, as well as to ascertain the effective components and the probable optimal source of Dianbaizhu, the different plant parts and polarity fractions of its mainstream species, G. leucocarpa var. yunnanensis were investigated. The inhibition of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor produced in macrophage J774 were used to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of those samples. G. leucocarpa var. yunnanensis may be the preferred species for anti-RA effect. The underground parts of this taxon showed the best anti-inflammatory and anti-RA activities; the n-butanol and water fractions of the underground parts may be the most anti-RA active.