Simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal: What have we done so far and how do we need to do in the future?

Nitrogen and phosphorus contamination in wastewater is a serious environmental concern and poses a global threat to sustainable development. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the studies on simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal (SNPR) during 1986-2022 (538 publications) was conducted using bibliometrics, which showed that simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal (SNDPR) is the most promising process. To better understand SNDPR, the dissolved oxygen, carbon to nitrogen ratio, carbon source type, sludge retention time, Cu2+ and Fe3+, pH, salinity, electron acceptor type of denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating organisms (DPAOs), temperature, and other influencing factors were analyzed. Currently, SNDPR has been successfully implemented in activated sludge systems, aerobic granular sludge systems, biofilm systems, and constructed wetlands; sequential batch mode of operation is a common means to achieve this process. SNDPR exhibits a significant potential for phosphorus recovery. Future research needs to focus on: (1) balancing the competitiveness between denitrifying glycogen-accumulating organisms (DGAOs) and DPAOs, and countermeasures to deal with the effects of adverse conditions on SNDPR performance; (2) achieving SNDPR in continuous flow operation; and (3) maximizing the recovery of P during SNDPR to achieve resource sustainability. Overall, this study provides systematic and valuable information for deeper insights into SNDPR, which can help in further research.

A novel cross-flow honeycomb bionic carrier promotes simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal in IFAS system: Performance, mechanism and keystone species.

Simultaneously achieving efficient nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal without adding external carbon source is vital for carbon-neutral wastewater treatment. In this study, a novel cross-flow honeycomb bionic microbial carrier (CF) was developed to improve the efficiency of simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and P removal (SNDPR) in an integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) system. A parallel laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor with the commercialized microbial carriers (CM) (CM-IFAS) was performed as the comparative system for over 233 d The results demonstrated that CF-IFAS exhibited a more consistent N removal efficiency and better performance than CM-IFAS. In the CF-IFAS, the highest N and P removal efficiencies were 95.40% and 100%, respectively. Typical cycle analysis revealed that nitrate was primarily removed by the denitrifying glycogen-accumulating organisms in the CF-IFAS and by denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms in the CM-IFAS. The neutral community model showed that the microbial community assembly in both the reactors was driven by deterministic selection rather than stochastic factors. Compared to those in CM-IFAS, the microorganisms in CF-IFAS were more closely related to each other and had more keystone species: norank_f_norank_o_norank_c_OM190, SM1A02, Defluviicoccus, norank_f_ Saprospiraceae, and norank_f_Rhodocyclaceae. The absolute contents of the genes associated with N removal (bacterial amoA, archaeal amoA, NarG, NapA, NirS, and NirK) were higher in CF-IFAS than in CM-IFAS; the N cycle activity was also stronger in the CF-IFAS. Overall, the microecological environment differed between both systems. This study provides novel insights into the potential of bionic carriers to improve SNDPR performance by shaping microbial communities, thereby providing scientific guidance for practical engineering.

Enhancement of biotransformation of ginsenosides in white ginseng roots by aerobic co-cultivation of Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma reesei.

In the present work, the biotransformation of ginsenosides in white ginseng roots was innovatively investigated using the aerobic fermentation by the co-cultivation of Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma reesei. It is found that in the co-cultivation mode, the optimal nitrogen source was corn steep liquor, and the loading of ginseng powder and inoculation proportion of B. subtilis and T. reesei were 15 g/L and 1:4, respectively. The total ginsenoside yield and production of minor ginsenosides in the co-cultivation mode obviously enhanced in comparison to the monoculture mode. Meanwhile, the maximal total ginsenoside yield of 21.79% and high hydrolase activities were achieved using the staged inoculation at the inoculation proportion of 1:4 in the co-cultivation mode, the production of minor ginsenosides such as Rg3 and Rh1, Rh2 was significantly strengthened, and the pharmacological activities of the fermented solution obviously improved. The enhancement of ginsenoside transformation can be mainly attributed to hydrolysis of the produced hydrolases and metabolism of two probiotics. This result clearly reveals that using the staged inoculation in co-cultivation fermentation mode was favor of the ginsenoside biotransformation in ginseng due to non-synchronous cell growth and different metabolic pathways of both probiotics. This work can provide a novel method for enhancing ginsenoside transformation of ginseng.Key points• Co-cultivation fermentation significantly promoted ginsenoside biotransformation.• The staged inoculation in co-culture mode was an optimal operation method.• The pharmacological activity of the co-cultured solution was significantly enhanced.

Theacrine, a Potent Antidepressant Purine Alkaloid from a Special Chinese Tea, Promotes Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Stressed Mice.

Daily intake of tea has been known to relate to a low risk of depression. In this study, we report that a special variety of tea in China, Camellia assamica var. kucha (kucha), possesses antidepressant effects but with less adverse effects as compared to traditional tea Camellia sinensis. This action of kucha is related to its high amount of theacrine, a purine alkaloid structurally similar to caffeine. We investigated the antidepressant-like effects and mechanisms of theacrine in chronic water immersion restraint stress and chronic unpredictable mild stress mice models. PC12 cells and primary hippocampal neural stem cells were treated with stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) to reveal the potential antidepression mechanism of theacrine from the perspective of adult hippocampus neurogenesis. Results of behavioral and neurotransmitter analysis showed that intragastric administration of theacrine significantly counteracted chronic stress-induced depression-like disorders and abnormal 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) metabolism with less central excitability. Further investigation from both in vivo and in vitro experiments indicated that the antidepressant mechanism of theacrine was associated with promoting adult hippocampal neurogenesis, via the modulation of the phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4)/cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/cAMP response-element binding (CREB)/brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) pathway. Collectively, our findings could promote the prevalence of kucha as a common beverage with uses for health care and contribute to the development of theacrine as a potential novel antidepressant medicine.

Identification and characterization of N9-methyltransferase involved in converting caffeine into non-stimulatory theacrine in tea.

Caffeine is a major component of xanthine alkaloids and commonly consumed in many popular beverages. Due to its occasional side effects, reduction of caffeine in a natural way is of great importance and economic significance. Recent studies reveal that caffeine can be converted into non-stimulatory theacrine in the rare tea plant Camellia assamica var. kucha (Kucha), which involves oxidation at the C8 and methylation at the N9 positions of caffeine. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we identify the theacrine synthase CkTcS from Kucha, which possesses novel N9-methyltransferase activity using 1,3,7-trimethyluric acid but not caffeine as a substrate, confirming that C8 oxidation takes place prior to N9-methylation. The crystal structure of the CkTcS complex reveals the key residues that are required for the N9-methylation, providing insights into how caffeine N-methyltransferases in tea plants have evolved to catalyze regioselective N-methylation through fine tuning of their active sites. These results may guide the future development of decaffeinated drinks.

Immunomodulatory Effect of Lentinan on Aberrant T Subsets and Cytokines Profile in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

As a purified active component from traditional Chinese medicine, lentinan administration can be applied as beneficial chemo-immunotherapy for anti-tumor. In this study, the immunomodulatory effects of lentinan on aberrant T subsets and cytokines profile were evaluated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Of all NSCLC patients treated with NP chemotherapeutic protocol (combination of vinorelbin and cisplatin), 73 cases were recruited in this retrospective cohort trial study, of which 38 cases received additional lentinan. The changes of aberrant T subsets and cytokines profile were compared between two groups (chemotherapy in combination with lentinan vs. conserved single chemotherapy) by flow cytometry and molecular biology. Higher subset ratio of CD3+CD8+ cytotoxic T cells was confirmed in the peripheral blood of NSCLC patients. Chemo-immunotherapy of lentinan resulted in a significant increase of CD3 + CD56+ NKT cells (15.7 ± 3.1%), compared with 8.6 ± 1.4% of NKT cells in single chemotherapy group, and up-regulated CD3+CD8+ and CD3+CD4+ subsets as well, but caused the decrease of CD4+CD25+ Tregs induction, accompanied by significant alleviation of IL-10 and TGF-ß1, and elevation of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-12 (P < 0.05). It could be confirmed that lentinan could not only enhance the cellular immunity and promote the beneficial of anti-tumor by associated immunotherapy, but also had the ability to inhibit the expansion of immune suppressive Tregs in the NSCLC patients, in whom there was a raised Tregs induction compared to health control. Lentinan-based chemo-immunotherapy is a promising strategy for anti-tumor via enhancing the proliferation of cytotoxic T cells, followed by the elevation of inflammatory chemokines/cytokines. Meanwhile, the percentage of CD4+ CD25+ Tregs is down-regulated, leading to a shift in the inflammatory status from Th2 to Th1 in NSCLC patients treated with lentinan.

Molecular diversity analysis of Tetradium ruticarpum (WuZhuYu) in China based on inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers.

"Wu zhu yu", which is obtained from the dried unripe fruits of Tetradium ruticarpum (A. Jussieu) T. G. Hartley, has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of headaches, abdominal colic, and hypertension for thousands of years. The present study was designed to assess the molecular genetic diversity among 25 collected accessions of T. ruticarpum (Wu zhu yu in Chinese) from different areas of China, based on inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Thirteen ISSR primers generated 151 amplification bands, of which 130 were polymorphic. Out of 165 bands that were amplified using 10 iPBS primers, 152 were polymorphic. The iPBS markers displayed a higher proportion of polymorphic loci (PPL = 92.5%) than the ISSR markers (PPL = 84.9%). The results showed that T. ruticarpum possessed high loci polymorphism and genetic differentiation occurred in this plant. The combined data of iPBS and ISSR markers scored on 25 accessions produced five clusters that approximately matched the geographic distribution of the species. The results indicated that both iPBS and ISSR markers were reliable and effective tools for analyzing the genetic diversity in T. ruticarpum.

Effects of ethanol extract of Bombax ceiba leaves and its main constituent mangiferin on diabetic nephropathy in mice.

The present study was designed to explore the mechanism by which ethanol extract of Bombax ceiba leaves (BCE) and its main constituent mangiferin (MGF) affect diabetic nephropathy by combating oxidative stress. Oral administration of BCE and MGF to normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice were carried out. Fasting blood glucose, 24-h urinary albumin, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen were tested, histopathology, and immunohistochemical analysis of kidney tissues were performed. Moreover, mesangial cells were treated with BCE and MGF for 48 h with or without 25 mmol·L-1 of glucose. Immunofluorescence, Western blot and apoptosis analyses were used to investigate their regulation of oxidative stress and mitochondrial function. BCE and MGF ameliorated biochemical parameters and restored STZ-induced renal injury in the model mice. In vitro study showed that high glucose stimulation increased oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in mesangial cells. BCE and MGF limited mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) collapse by inhibiting Nox4, mitochondrially bound hexokinase II dissociation, and subsequent ROS production, which effectively reduced oxidative stress, cleaved caspase-3 expression and cell apoptosis. Our work indicated that BCE and MGF had protective effects on diabetic caused kidney injury and prevented oxidative stress in mesangial cells by regulation of hexokinase II binding and Nox4 oxidase signaling.

The effect of cupping therapy for low back pain: A meta-analysis based on existing randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: LBP is one of the most common symptoms with high prevalence throughout the world. Conflicting conclusions exist in RCTs on cupping for LBP. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects and safety of cupping for the patients with LBP. METHODS: Pubmed, Cochrane Library databases, and Embase database were electronically researched. RCTs reporting the cupping for the patients with LBP were included. The meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager software (version 5.3, Nordic Cochrane Centre). The primary outcome was VAS scores. The secondary outcomes included ODI scores, MPPI scores and complications. RESULTS: Six RCTs were included in this synthesized analysis. The results showed that cupping therapy was superior to the control management with respect to VAS scores (SMD: -0.73, [95% CI: -1.42 to -0.04]; P= 0.04), and ODI scores (SMD: -3.64, [95% CI: -5.85 to -1.42]; P= 0.001). There was no statistical significant difference as regard to MPPI scores. No serious adverse event was reported in the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: Cupping therapy can significantly decrease the VAS scores and ODI scores for patients with LBP compared to the control management. High heterogeneity and risk of bias existing in studies limit the authenticity of the findings.

Antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects of standard ethanol extract of Bombax ceiba leaves in high-fat-diet- and streptozotocin-induced Type 2 diabetic rats.

The present study aimed at exploring the therapeutic potential of standard extract of Bombax ceiba L. leaves (BCE) in type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM). Oral administration of BCE at doses of 70, 140, and 280 mg·kg-1, to the normal rats and the high-fat-diet- and streptozotocin-induced T2DM rats were carried out. Effects of BCE on blood glucose, body weight, and a range of serum biochemical parameters were tested, and histopathological observation of pancreatic tissues was also performed. HPLC-ESI-Q/TOF-MS/MS analysis indicated that the chemical composition of BCE mainly contained mangiferin, isoorientin, vitexin, isomangiferin, isovitexin, quercetin hexoside, 2'-trans-O-cumaroyl mangiferin, and nigricanside. BCE caused a significant decrease in the concentrations of fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, serum insulin, and malondialdehyde, and increases in oral glucose tolerance, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and superoxide dismutase in the T2DM model rats. Moreover, considerable pancreatic ß-cells protection effect and stimulation of insulin secretion from the remaining pancreatic ß-cells could be observed after BCE treatment. The results indicated that BCE exhibited an excellent hypoglycemic activity, and alleviated dyslipidemia which is associated with T2DM. Antioxidant activity and protecting pancreatic ß-cells are the possible mechanisms involved in anti-diabetic activity of BCE.

[Determination of mycotoxins in pu-erh tea, black tea, and green tea samples].

To establish a robust method for the determination of mycotoxins in tea samples, and to provide means for the quality and safety control of tea products. Samples of 20 tea products acquired from international market were extracted by organic solvents (acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid) or hot water, respectively. The extracts were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS.A good linear regression was achieved in a range of 39.1 to 5 000 ng•L⁻¹ for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), 117 to 15 000 ng•L⁻¹ for aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), 2.44 to 313 ng•L⁻¹ for fumonisin B1 (FB1), fumonisinB2 (FB2) and fumonisin B3 (FB3), and 3 125 to 5 000 ng•L⁻¹ for deoxynivalenol, with recovery rates between 85.7% and 99.6%. The coefficient of the linear equation for all standards was greater than 0.999 0, and the RSD value was less than 10%. Mycotoxins were detected in several tea samples using the two extraction methods but with different outcomes. The levels of mycotoxins detected ranging from 0.15 to 7.31 µg•kg⁻¹ were well below the State or US FDA regulation limits of mycotoxins in food products. Both methods are simple, accurate, and sensitive, and thus, suitable for the quantitative determination of mycotoxins in different food products. The method with the 80 ℃ hot-water extraction is more appropriate to determine the trace amounts of mycotoxins in tea leaves that are likely to be present in brewed tea liquor, while organic solvent method is more suitable for the detection of mycotoxins in ingestible foods.

[Identification of six species of medicinal Diospyros plants based on leaf macro- and micro-morphology].

To establish a method for the identification of five species and one variety of medicinal plants from Diospyros, their leaf veins, epidermis, anatomic and powder characters were observed and compared with macro-morphological and microscopic methods. The results indicated the differences of secondary and tertiary veins among those Diospyros species. The single cell non-glandular hair and glandular hair exist in most species' epidermis while stone cells were only found in the leaf powders of two species. Through the study, the main differences of leaf macro- and micro-morphology of these species were obtained and practical keys were also established, which can provide scientific base not only for identification of these species during their vegetative stages, but also for accuracy authentication of the source of Kaki Folium.

Chemical Constituents of Pyrrosia calvata.

A novel flavanone glycoside, 3',5',5,7-tetrahydroxy-6-C-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-flavanone (1), along with 16 known compounds, (R/S)-eriodictyol-8-C-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnosyl (1''' --> 3''')-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), hemipholin (4), 4ß-carboxymethyl-(-)-epicatechin methyl ester (5), kaempferol (6), quercetin (7), mangiferin (8), chlorogenic acid (9), 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid (10), 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid (11), 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (12), 1-O-caffeoyl glycoside (13), 4-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-caffeic acid (14), 3'-O-methyleplcatechin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (15), hop-22(29)-en-30-ol (16) and diploptene (17), were isolated from the whole plant of Pyrrosia calvata (Backer) Ching. Among them, compounds 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 13 and 14 were isolated from the family Polypodiaceae for the first time, and compound 5 has not been recorded previously from the genus Pyrrosia.

Vitamin D deficiency contributes to the reduction and impaired function of naïve CD45RA⁺ regulatory T cell in chronic heart failure.

The effect of vitamin D pertinent to cardiovascular health on the heart itself is considered to shift toward an anti-inflammatory response in chronic heart failure (CHF); however, its underlying mechanism is not completely understood. In this study, we demonstrated that plasma 25(OH)D level, negatively associated with NT-ProBNP, correlated with the decreased Treg in CHF compared to the patients with other cardiovascular diseases and healthy and older donors. Naïve Treg cell (CD4(+)CD45RA(+)Foxp3(lo)T) subset, rather than whole Treg cells, contributes to the reduction of Treg in CHF. 1,25(OH)2D treatment maintained partial expression of CD45RA on CD4(+)T cell after αCD3/CD28 monoclonal antibodies activation and ameliorated the impaired CD4(+)CD45RA(+)T cell function from CHF patients through upregulating Foxp3 expression and IL-10 secretion in vitro. Low level of vitamin D receptor (VDR) was detected in CD4(+)CD45RA(+)T cell of CHF than control, while 1,25(OH)2D treatment increased the VDR expression to exert its immunosuppression on T cell. The results of this study might provide tangible evidence to our knowledge of the impact of vitamin D supplementation on naïve Tregs, which may offer new means of preventing and treating CHF.

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. bark aqueous extract inhibits osteoarthritis in a rat model of osteoarthritis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. bark (EU) is a common traditional Chinese herbal medicine for treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), but its therapeutic effect on OA and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully clarified. Our previous study showed that Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. bark aqueous extract (EUE) had a protective effect on cartilage, and this study was aimed to investigate the anti-osteoarthritis effect and mechanisms of EUE in a rat model of osteoarthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two 5-week-old specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats which were randomized into four even groups (n=8). Group A received sham operation while the OA model was established using the modified Hulth technique in groups B, C and D. For eight weeks after operation, in addition to routine feeding, group A received gavage with deionized water, group B with deionized water, group C with 1.35 g/kg/day EUE, and group D with 2.7 g/kg/day EUE. Eight weeks postoperatively, all of the animals were euthanized for radiological, gross and histopathological observations to evaluate the effect of EUE on OA and to determine its potential mechanisms. RESULTS: Radiological and histopathological observations showed that the articular degenerative changes were significantly more alleviated in groups C and D than in group B, while there were no obviously degenerative manifestations in group A. Mankin׳s scores in groups C and D were significantly lower than in group B (P<0.01). The severity of OA was significantly less in group D than in group C (P<0.01). The IL-1ß and IL-6 contents in serum and MMP-3 secretion in articular cartilage were significantly lower in groups C and D than those in group B (P<0.01), and significantly lower in group D than those in group C (P<0.01). Compared with group B, phosphorylated Akt was significantly down-regulated in groups C and D. CONCLUSIONS: EUE may inhibit the progression of osteoarthritis by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway to delay cartilage degeneration, reduce inflammatory cytokines and prevent MMP-3 secretion. Therefore, EU is a potential therapeutic agent for OA, but its efficacy is limited.

[Chemical constituents from rhizomes of Iris germanica].

Twenty-one compounds were isolated from the rhizomes of Iris germanica by various chromatographic techniques such as silica gel, ODS and Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. Their structures were established on basis of physical properties, MS and NMR spectroscopic data Their structures were identified as ombuin (1), 5, 3, 3'-trihydroxy-7, 4'-dimethoxyflavanone (2), naringenin (3), cirsiliol-4'-glucoside (4), 3beta, 4'-dihydroxy-7,3'-dimethoxyflavonone-5-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), genistein (6), irilin D (7), muningin (8), 5, 7, 4'-trihydroxy-6, 3', 5'-trimethoxyisoflavone (9), tectorigenin (10), irigenin (11), tectoridin (12), iridin (13), mangiferin (14), irisxanthone (15), pyroglutamic acid (16), 2, 4', 6-trihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (17), apocynin (18), androsin (19), beta-sitosterol (20), and daucosterol (21). Among them, compounds 1-9, 16, 17 were obtained from this plant for the first time, compounds 8 and 9 were separated from Iris species for the first time, compounds 1, 4, and 17 were obtained from the family for the first time.

Phenolic metabolite profiles and antioxidants assay of three Iridaceae medicinal plants for traditional Chinese medicine "She-gan" by on-line HPLC-DAD coupled with chemiluminescence (CL) and ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS.

An on-line analysis method by HPLC-DAD coupled with chemiluminescence (CL) and ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS was established for simultaneous detection and identification of antioxidants in three original plants of traditional Chinese medicine "She-gan". Two new isoflavonoid glycosides, along with 48 known compounds, including isoflavonoid glycosides and their aglycones, xanthones, flavones and other phenolic compounds, were identified or tentatively identified from the rhizomes of three Iridaceae plants, namely, Belamcanda chinensis, Iris tectorum and Iris dichotoma, which were used as "She-gan" in China. Among those compounds, isoflavone glycosides of iristectorigenin A and its isomers exhibited obviously inhibit CL, which suggested their strong free radical scavenging activity. The chemometric methods dealing with the data gained by chromatographic and antioxidant activity profiles exhibited the "similarities" and "differences" of chemical constituents and antioxidant activities for three studied Iridaceae species. The results indicated that the established method might provide for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the herbal medicines.

Dynamic changes of flavonoids contents in the different parts of rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis during the thermal drying process.

The dried rhizome of Belamcanda. chinensis (L.) DC. is an important traditional Chinese medicine. Previous chemical and pharmacological investigations indicated that flavonoids may be responsible for the bioactivity of the herb. In this paper, the effects on the contents of twelve flavonoids in the three subunit parts of the rhizome of B. chinensis during the thermal drying process under treatment temperatures ranging from 40 °C to 120 °C at 10 °C intervals were investigated. The results showed that the content of most of the individual flavonoids except that of tectorigenin in the fresh eldest parts of the rhizome that originate directly from the seedling was higher than those of the other junior parts. The change trends of flavonoids contents were similar for three subunit parts of the rhizome during the drying process under the same treatment temperature. Most of the individual flavonoid contents in the rhizome increased in the early stages of the drying processes and decreased as the process was prolonged. The durations required to reaching the points of the maximal amounts of flavonoids revealed a significant negative correlation with the temperature. The variation of the content of mangiferin, iristectorigenin A, irigenin, irilone and dichotomitin was positively correlated with irisflorentin that is the chemical marker used for the quality control of this herb. Taking into account of the production effectiveness and flavonoid yields, the appropriate drying temperature for this herb was suggested to be 100 °C.

[Chemical constitunents of seeds of Oroxylum indicum].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents in the seeds of Oroxylum indicum. METHOD: Twenty compounds were isolated and purified by silica gel, and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis including NMR and MS. RESULT: Twenty compounds were isolated and identified as oroxin A (1), oroxin B (2), chrysin (3), baicalein (4), quercetin (5), apigenin (6), kaempferol (7), quercetin-3-O-ara-binopyranoside (8), lupeol C9), lup-20 (29)-ene-2alpha,3beta-diol (10), pinosylvin (11), dihydropinosylvin (12), cholest-5-ene-3, 7-diol (13), rengyol (14), isorengyol (15), zarzissine (16), (E) -pinosylvin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (17), adenosine (18), sitosterol (19) and daucosterol (20). CONCLUSION: Compounds 11-13 and 15-18 were obtained from the genus Oroxylum for the first time, and except compound 18, the remaining 6 compounds were obtained from the family Bignoniaceae for the first time.

[Cough-relieving, analgesic and antibiotic effects of durian shell extracts: a study in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cough-relieving, analgesic and antibiotic effects of durian shell extract (DSE) in relieving cough and its analgesic and antibiotic effects. METHODS: The effect of DSE in relieving cough was assessed in mice challenged with ammonia and SO(2) to induce coughing. The analgesic and antibiotic effects of DSE in mice were evaluated by hot plate test and twisting reaction induced by acetic acid, and by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disc-agar diffusion tests, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the mice treated with 300 and 900 mg/kg DSE showed significantly prolonged latency with decreased number of coughing induced by ammonia and SO(2), and the effect was dose-dependent. DSE markedly prolonged the latency and decreased the twisting number of the mice induced by acetic acid without affecting the pain threshold in hot plate test. DSE produced no significant inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, or E. coli, and showed a week inhibition against Bacillus aeruginosus. CONCLUSION: DSE shows obvious effect in relieving cough and produces better analgesic effect against chemical factor-induced pain than against physical agent-induced pain sensation. DSE has a moderate inhibitory effect against Bacillus aeruginosus.