Can vitamin B6 alleviate the adverse reactions of quadruple anti-Helicobacter pylori regimen? : randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin B6 is an essential water-soluble vitamin for humans. It is often used to prevent a variety of neuropathies, relieve vomiting, and relieve symptoms such as hand and foot neuritis. AIM: To evaluate whether vitamin B6 can alleviate the adverse reactions caused by the quadruple anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment regimen containing minocycline and metronidazole. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 280 patients with H. pylori infection were randomly placed into one of two treatment groups-the conventional treatment group and the vitamin B6 supplement treatment group-for 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was the total incidence of adverse reactions up to 2 weeks after treatment initiation. The study was designed according to CONSORT Medicinal Interventions. And it was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry under the number ChiCTR2100053833. RESULTS: In terms of efficacy, vitamin B6 does not affect the efficacy of conventional regimen. In the vitamin B6 supplement treatment group, the incidence of adverse reactions was 56.92%, which was significantly lower than the 74.62% observed in the conventional treatment group. In addition, the severity of adverse reactions was also significantly reduced. The proportion of moderate to severe central nervous system symptoms decreased from 58.7 to 14.63%. And, the proportion of moderate to severe gastrointestinal reactions decreased from 33.33 to 0%. We speculate that the mechanism of vitamin B6 of reducing adverse reaction may be related to the production of GABA in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin B6 can alleviate adverse reactions of the quadruple anti-H. pylori regimen containing minocycline and metronidazole.

Trends in parthenolide research over the past two decades: A bibliometric analysis.

Parthenolide (PTL) is a new compound extracted from traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years, it has been proven to play an undeniable role in tumors, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory diseases. Similarly, an increasing number of experiments have also confirmed the biological mechanism of PTL in these diseases. In order to better understand the development trend and potential hot spots of PTL in cancer and other diseases, we conducted a detailed bibliometric analysis. The purpose of presenting this bibliometric analysis was to highlight and inform researchers of the important research directions, co-occurrence relationships and research status in this field. Publications related to PTL research from 2002 to 2022 were extracted on the web of science core collection (WoSCC) platform. CiteSpace, VOSviewers and R package "bibliometrix" were applied to build relevant network diagrams. The bibliometric analysis was presented in terms of performance analysis (including publication statistics, top publishing countries, top publishing institutions, publishing journals and co-cited journals, authors and co-cited authors, co-cited references statistics, citation bursts statistics, keyword statistics and trend topic statistics) and science mapping (including citations by country, citations by institution, citations by journal, citations by author, co-citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence). The detailed discussion of the results explained the focus and latest trends from the bibliometric analysis. Finally, the current status and shortcomings of the research field on PTLwere clearly pointed out for reference by scholars.

The traditional Chinese medicine and non-small cell lung cancer: from a gut microbiome perspective.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most serious diseases affecting human health today, and current research is focusing on gut flora. There is a correlation between intestinal flora imbalance and lung cancer, but the specific mechanism is not clear. Based on the "lung and large intestine being interior-exteriorly related" and the "lung-intestinal axis" theory. Here, based on the theoretical comparisons of Chinese and western medicine, we summarized the regulation of intestinal flora in NSCLC by active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese herbal compounds and their intervention effects, which is conducive to providing new strategies and ideas for clinical prevention and treatment of NSCLC.

[Mechanism of Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules in clearing heat and removing food stagnation in suckling rats with fever and food accumulation based on metabolomics].

Children's fever is often accompanied by food accumulation. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that removing food stagnation while clearing heat of children can effectively avoid heat damage. To systematically evaluate the efficacy of Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules(XRCQ) in clearing heat and removing food accumulation and explore its potential mechanism, this study combined suckling SD rats fed with high-sugar and high-fat diet with injection of carrageenan to induce rat model of fever and food accumulation. This study provided references for the study on the pharmacodynamics and mechanism of XRCQ. The results showed that XRCQ effectively reduced the rectal temperature of suckling rats, improved the inflammatory environment such as the content of interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), interleukin-2(IL-2), interferon-γ(IFN-γ), white blood cells, and monocytes. XRCQ also effectively repaired intestinal injury and enhanced intestinal propulsion function. According to the confirmation of its efficacy of clearing heat, the thermolytic mechanism of XRCQ was further explored by non-targeted and targeted metabolomics methods based on LTQ-Orbitrap MS/MS and UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS. Non-target metabolomics analysis of brain tissue samples was performed by QI software combined with SIMCA-P software, and 22 endogenous metabolites that could be significantly regulated were screened out. MetaboAnalyst pathway enrichment results showed that the intervention mechanism was mainly focused on tyrosine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, inositol phosphate metabolism, and other pathways. At the same time, the results of targeted metabolomics of brain tissue samples showed that XRCQ changed the vitality of digestive system, and inhibited abnormal energy metabolism and inflammatory response, playing a role in clearing heat and removing food stagnation from multiple levels.

Chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activities of Castanopsis honey.

Castanopsis is diffusely spread in tropical and subtropical regions and is an important nectar source plant in China. The Castanopsis honey (CH) is characterized by its bitter taste. However, its composition and functions remain unclear. In this study, the physicochemical parameters, chemical composition, and antioxidant capacity of CH were comprehensively investigated, with the anti-inflammatory effects of the Castanopsis honey extract (CHE) evaluated based on the RAW 264.7 cell inflammatory model. The results revealed a high level of quality in CH based on the quality standards. Among a total of 84 compounds identified in CH, 5 high response compounds and 29 phenols were further quantified by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. The high content of phenylethylamine (117.58 ± 64.81 mg kg-1) was identified as a potential marker of CH. Furthermore, the CH showed evident antioxidant activities, and the anti-inflammatory activities of CHE were observed to inhibit the release of nitric oxide (NO) and reduce the content of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and improve the content of interleukin-10 (IL-10) by regulating the NF-κB pathway. Our study indicates that CH has sound physicochemical properties and biological activities with a high level of quality, providing strong experimental evidence to support the further economic and agricultural development and application of CH.

[Effect of electroacupuncture of "Tianshu"(ST25) at different frequencies on electromyography and immunoactivity of SP and VIP of colon in rats with slow transit constipation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of bilateral "Tianshu"(ST25) at different frequencies on the first black stool discharge time, colonic electromyography (EMG) and immunoactivity of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and substance P (SP) in the colon tissue in rats with slow transit constipation (STC), so as to choose a better stimulating frequency in the treatment of STC. METHODS: A total of 50 male Wistar rats were randomized into control, model, 2 Hz-EA, 100 Hz- EA, and 2 Hz/100 Hz-EA groups, with 10 rats in each group. The STC model was established by intraperitoneal injection of compound diphenoxylate suspension fluid (10 mg/kg). EA was applied to bilateral ST25 for 30 min, once a day for 14 consecutive days. The discharge time for the first black stool was recorded after gavage of mixed suspension fluid of active carbon (2 mL) for assessing the gastrointestinal motility. The colonic EMG was recorded by using a pair of silver electrodes and bioelectric amplifier. The expression of SP and VIP in the colonic tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Following mode-ling, the colonic EMG amplitude, the discharge time for the first black stool and VIP immunoactivity were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the EMG frequency and SP immunoactivity were significantly decreased （P<0.01） in the model group compared with the control group. Compared with the model group, the increase of the discharge time for the first black stool, EMG amplitude and VIP immunoactivity, the decrease of EMG frequency and SP immunoactivity were reversed in the 3 EA groups (P<0.01, P<0.05). The therapeutic effect of 100 Hz-EA was notably weaker than that of both 2 Hz-EA and 2 Hz/100 Hz-EA in up-regulating EMG frequency and SP immunoactivity and in down-regulating the discharge time for the first black stool, EMG amplitude and VIP immunoactivity (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was no significant difference between the 2 Hz/100 Hz-EA and 2 Hz-EA groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: EA can accelerate colonic EMG activities, which may be associated with its functions in down-regulating VIP immunoactivity and up-regulating SP immunoactivity in the colonic tissues. The therapeutic effects of 2 Hz/100 Hz-EA and 2 Hz-EA are better than that of 100 Hz-EA.

Highly Soluble and Stable, High Release Rate Nanocellulose Codrug Delivery System of Curcumin and AuNPs for Dual Chemo-Photothermal Therapy.

As a natural antitumor drug, curcumin (CUR) has received increasing attention from researchers and patients due to its various medicinal properties. However, currently CUR is still restricted due to its low and stand-alone therapeutic effects that seriously limit its clinical application. Here, by using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as a nanocarrier to load CUR and AuNPs simultaneously, we developed a hybrid nanoparticle as a codrug delivery system to enhance the low and stand-alone therapeutic effects of CUR. Aided with the encapsulation of ß-cyclodextrin (ßCD), both the solubility and the stability of CUR are greatly enhanced (solubility increased from 0.89 to 131.7 µg/mL). Owing to the unique rod-like morphology of CNCs, the system exhibits an outstanding loading capacity of 31.4 µg/mg. Under the heat effects of coloaded AuNPs, the system demonstrates a high release rate of 77.63%. Finally, with CNC as a bridge nanocarrier, all aforementioned functions were integrated into one hybrid nanoparticle. The all-in-one integration ensures CUR to have enhanced therapeutic effects and enables the delivery system to exhibit combined chemo-photothermal therapy outcomes. This work presents a significant step toward CUR's clinical application and provides a new strategy for effective and integrative treatment of tumor disease.

Two types of O-methyltransferase are involved in biosynthesis of anticancer methoxylated 4'-deoxyflavones in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi.

The medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is rich in specialized 4'-deoxyflavones, which are reported to have many health-promoting properties. We assayed Scutellaria flavones with different methoxyl groups on human cancer cell lines and found that polymethoxylated 4'-deoxyflavones, like skullcapflavone I and tenaxin I have stronger ability to induce apoptosis compared to unmethylated baicalein, showing that methoxylation enhances bioactivity as well as the physical properties of specialized flavones, while having no side-effects on healthy cells. We investigated the formation of methoxylated flavones and found that two O-methyltransferase (OMT) families are active in the roots of S. baicalensis. The Type II OMTs, SbPFOMT2 and SbPFOMT5, decorate one of two adjacent hydroxyl groups on flavones and are responsible for methylation on the C6, 8 and 3'-hydroxyl positions, to form oroxylin A, tenaxin II and chrysoeriol respectively. The Type I OMTs, SbFOMT3, SbFOMT5 and SbFOMT6 account mainly for C7-methoxylation of flavones, but SbFOMT5 can also methylate baicalein on its C5 and C6-hydroxyl positions. The dimethoxylated flavone, skullcapflavone I (found naturally in roots of S. baicalensis) can be produced in yeast by co-expressing SbPFOMT5 plus SbFOMT6 when the appropriately hydroxylated 4'-deoxyflavone substrates are supplied in the medium. Co-expression of SbPFOMT5 plus SbFOMT5 in yeast produced tenaxin I, also found in Scutellaria roots. This work showed that both type I and type II OMT enzymes are involved in biosynthesis of methoxylated flavones in S. baicalensis.

[Identification of chemical constituents of Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules based on UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS and network pharmacology analysis].

This study aimed to qualitatively analyze the chemical components in Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules(XRCQ) by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS and identify its material basis. The absorbed components in plasma were combined for exploring the potential action mechanism by integrated network pharmacology. ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 µm) column and mobile phase system of 0.1% formic acid solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) were used for gradient elution, followed by high resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in both positive and negative ion scanning modes. According to the precise relative molecular mass and MS/MS fragment ions, a total of 124 chemical components were identified in XRCQ by the comparison with references and literature reports, among which 29 compounds were completely confirmed by comparison with reference substances. Then, the main absorbed components of XRCQ in plasma were also analyzed and clarified by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS. BATMAN-TCM and SwissTargetPrediction were used for target prediction of absorbed components in plasma. Following the plotting of association network with Cytoscape 3.8.2, the core targets were subjected to GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and a component-target-pathway network was constructed. A total of eight main targets of XRCQ against fever in children were obtained together with eight absorbed components in plasma, including glycyrhydinic acid, hesperidin, emodin, reticuline, daidzein, magnolignan C, magnolignan A, and magnolaldehyde D. It was inferred that XRCQ might improve alimentary system abnormality, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and endocrine disorder through tumor necrosis factor, PI3 K-AKT, and other signaling pathways. The present study comprehensively expounded the chemical profiles of XRCQ and the main absorbed components in plasma and predicted the potential mechanism of XRCQ based on integrated network pharmacology, which has provided certain theoretical reference for the clinical application of XRCQ.

[Therapeutic mechanism of Psammosilene tunicoides extract on rheumatoid arthritis based on NLRP3 inflammasome].

In this study, we investigated the mechanism of crude extract of Psammosilene tunicoides(CEPT) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) based on the Nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3) inflammasome. The collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) mouse model was established. On day 32 after the primary immunization, according to the arthritis score, the mice were randomly divided into model group, positive control(methotrexate) group, low-and high-dose CEPT groups, and normal group, with 10 mice in each group. According to the administration dose of each group, the mice were continuously administered for 21 days. Every four days during the administration, the paw edema degree, arthritis score, and spleen index of the mice were measured; histopathological examination was performed for the ankles of the mice; the contents of IL-1ß and IL-18 in the serum were determined; the protein expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD(ASC), as well as the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the ankle joints of the mice were detected. The results showed that compared with those in the model group, the mice in the positive control group and CEPT groups had significantly decreased the contents of IL-1ß and IL-18 in the serum and spleen index(P<0.01), significantly lowered arthritis score and degree of paw edema(P<0.01), alleviated arthritic infiltration of the knee, and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 in the ankle joint(P<0.01). These results suggest that P. tunicoides may reduce the paw edema and arthritis score and alleviate the inflammatory response in CIA mice by inhibiting the expression of NLRP3. This study provides a basis for the study of immune regulation of P. tunicoides in RA.

Longitudinal changes in spiritual well-being and associations with emotional distress, pain, and optimism-pessimism: a prospective observational study of terminal cancer patients admitted to a palliative care unit.

PURPOSE: Although spiritual well-being (SWB) is gaining increasing attention within the international palliative care (PC) guidelines, a lack of insight exists into the correlates and course of SWB among cancer patients. We therefore conducted a prospective observational study to capture trend of SWB and to identify their predictors in Chinese inpatients with terminal cancer receiving short-term PC. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted of terminal cancer inpatients in the hospice ward, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University. A total of 108 patients completed self-report questionnaires on Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Numerical Rating Scales, and Life Orientation Scale-Revised anonymously at baseline; SWB, depression, anxiety, and pain were subsequently assessed at 1-week interval. Multilevel regression was used to analyze the temporal course and predictors of SWB. RESULTS: Patients' existential well-being (B = - 0.99, p = 0.008; 95%CI = - 1.72 to - 0.26) and meaning dimension (B = - 0.87, p < 0.001; 95% CI = - 1.29 to - 0.43) significantly decreased after admission to the PC unit, but peace and faith did not change over time. Increases in depression and pain were related to lower existential well-being, particularly in the meaning dimension. Optimism-pessimism moderated the linear trend of existential well-being and meaning domain, such that those with higher optimism and lower pessimism paired with a decrease in outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Terminal cancer patients experienced worsening existential well-being, particularly in the meaning facet while hospitalized, indicating that PC should include content that targets the existential concerns of spirituality in China. These findings also supported the need for an integrated PC to address personality traits and emotional and physical distress in this population.

The Reference Genome Sequence of Scutellaria baicalensis Provides Insights into the Evolution of Wogonin Biosynthesis.

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is important in Chinese traditional medicine where preparations of dried roots, "Huang Qin," are used for liver and lung complaints and as complementary cancer treatments. We report a high-quality reference genome sequence for S. baicalensis where 93% of the 408.14-Mb genome has been assembled into nine pseudochromosomes with a super-N50 of 33.2 Mb. Comparison of this sequence with those of closely related species in the order Lamiales, Sesamum indicum and Salvia splendens, revealed that a specialized metabolic pathway for the synthesis of 4'-deoxyflavone bioactives evolved in the genus Scutellaria. We found that the gene encoding a specific cinnamate coenzyme A ligase likely obtained its new function following recent mutations, and that four genes encoding enzymes in the 4'-deoxyflavone pathway are present as tandem repeats in the genome of S. baicalensis. Further analyses revealed that gene duplications, segmental duplication, gene amplification, and point mutations coupled to gene neo- and subfunctionalizations were involved in the evolution of 4'-deoxyflavone synthesis in the genus Scutellaria. Our study not only provides significant insight into the evolution of specific flavone biosynthetic pathways in the mint family, Lamiaceae, but also will facilitate the development of tools for enhancing bioactive productivity by metabolic engineering in microbes or by molecular breeding in plants. The reference genome of S. baicalensis is also useful for improving the genome assemblies for other members of the mint family and offers an important foundation for decoding the synthetic pathways of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants.

Two CYP82D Enzymes Function as Flavone Hydroxylases in the Biosynthesis of Root-Specific 4'-Deoxyflavones in Scutellaria baicalensis.

Baicalein, wogonin, and their glycosides are major bioactive compounds found in the medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. These flavones can induce apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell lines but have no effect on normal cells. Furthermore, they have many additional benefits for human health, such as anti-oxidant, antiviral, and liver-protective properties. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of two CYP450 enzymes, SbCYP82D1.1 and SbCYP82D2, which function as the flavone 6-hydroxylase (F6H) and flavone 8-hydroxylase (F8H), respectively, in S. baicalensis. SbCYP82D1.1 has broad substrate specificity for flavones such as chrysin and apigenin and is responsible for biosynthesis of baicalein and scutellarein in roots and aerial parts of S. baicalensis, respectively. When the expression of SbCYP82D1.1 is knocked down, baicalin and baicalein levels are reduced significantly while chrysin glycosides accumulate in hairy roots. SbCYP82D2 is an F8H with high substrate specificity, accepting only chrysin as its substrate to produce norwogonin, although minor 6-hydroxylation activity can also be detected. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that SbCYP82D2 might have evolved from SbCYP82D1.1 via gene duplication followed by neofunctionalization, whereby the ancestral F6H activity is partially retained in the derived SbCYP82D2.

Identification of a Novel (-)-5-Epieremophilene Synthase from Salvia miltiorrhiza via Transcriptome Mining.

Salvia miltiorrhiza, a medicinal plant in China, has been used for thousands of years to treat coronary heart diseases. Although biosynthesis of tanshinones, a group of diterpenoids in S. miltiorrhiza, has been extensively investigated, to date we know little about the formation of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in this medicinal plant. Here, we report the characterization of three sesquiterpene synthases, named SmSTPS1, SmSTPS2, and SmSTPS3, which catalyzed the formation of a new compound, (-)-5-epieremophilene. Additionally, the (-)-5-epieremophilene biosynthesis activity of SmSTPS1 was confirmed by transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. Despite the similar enzyme activities of SmSTPS1, SmSTPS2, and SmSTPS3, the three (-)-5-epieremophilene synthase genes displayed different spatial expression patterns and responded differently to hormone treatments, implicating their specific roles in plant-environment interactions. Our results provide valuable data to understanding the biosynthesis and composition of terpenes in plant.

Danggui Buxue Extract-Loaded Liposomes in Thermosensitive Gel Enhance In Vivo Dermal Wound Healing via Activation of the VEGF/PI3K/Akt and TGF-ß/Smads Signaling Pathway.

Danggui Buxue extract-loaded liposomes in thermosensitive gel (DBLTG) are a sustained-release local drug delivery system derived from Danggui Buxue decoction, a well-known Chinese herb formula with wound healing potential. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of DBLTG on dorsal full-thickness excisional wounds in rats by measuring the percentage of wound contraction and hydroxyproline content, as well as conducting histological observations and immunohistochemical analysis. We also assessed involvement of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß)/Smads signaling pathways in the wound healing process upon DBLTG treatment via western blot. The results show that DBLTG treatment remarkably accelerates wound closure, enhances hydroxyproline content in wound granulation tissue, promotes cutaneous wound healing by reducing the inflammatory response and improving fresh granulation tissue formation, and significantly increases the density of blood vessels, cells proliferation, and expression of type I and type III collagen. Moreover, DBLTG markedly upregulates the relative protein expression of VEGFA and TGF-ß1 and notably stimulates the phosphorylation of Akt and Smad2/3. In conclusion, DBLTG significantly improved dermal wound healing in rats by stimulating angiogenesis and collagen synthesis; these effects are likely mediated via the VEGF/PI3K/Akt and TGF-ß/Smads signaling pathways, respectively.

Application of porous metal enrichment probe sampling to single cell analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).

There is an increasing need for analyzing metabolism in a single cell, which is important to understand the nature of cellular heterogeneity, disease, growth and specialization, etc. However, single cell analysis is often challenging for the traces of samples. In the present study, porous metal enrichment probe sampling combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) has been applied for in situ analysis of live onion epidemic cell. Porous probe, treated by corroding copper wire with HCl, was directly inserted into a single cell to get cell solution. A self-made linear actuator was enough to control the penetration of probe into the target cell accurately. Then samples on the tip of probe were eluted and detected by a commercial MALDI-TOF-MS directly. The formation of porous microstructure on the probe surface increased the adsorptive capacity of cell solution. The sensitivity of porous probe sampling was 6 times higher than uncorroded probes generally. This method provides a sensitive and convenient way for the sampling and detection of single cell solution. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Study of the non-covalent interactions of ginsenosides and lysozyme using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Ginsenosides are an important class of natural products extracted from ginseng that possess various important biological activities. Studies of interactions of ginsenosides with proteins are essential for comprehensive understanding of the biological activities of ginsenosides. In this study, the interactions of ginsenosides with lysozyme were investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). METHODS: Both protopanaxadiol-type and protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides were chosen to explore the interactions of ginsenosides towards lysozyme near the physiological conditions by direct ESI-MS, respectively. Comparative experiments were conducted to confirm the interactions were specific. In addition, the dissociation constants of ginsenoside-lysozyme complexes were determined by a ESI-MS titration strategy. RESULTS: The results showed ginsenosides bound to lysozyme at the stoichiometries of 1:1 and 2:1. The association constants of ginsenosides to lysozyme were in the order of Re>Rd>Rf>Rg2 >Rg3 . According to their structures, the binding affinities associated with the type of aglycone and the type and the number of sugar moieties linked on the aglycone. CONCLUSIONS: It has been demonstrated that ESI-MS is a powerful tool to probe the non-covalent interactions between lysozyme and ginsenosides. These results provide insights into the interaction of ginsenosides with lysozyme at the molecular level. The developed strategy could be applied to determine the interactions of proteins with other natural products.

Similarities between "Big Data" and traditional Chinese medicine information.

In this paper, we analyze the four distinct characteristics of information on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), namely epistemological information, phenomenon information, overall information, and time information. These characteristics bear to some extent strong similarity to the three characteristics of "Big Data", namely integrity data, fuzzy data and correlation data, so the advent of the age of "Big Data" is bound to create good opportunities for the development of TCM informatics and is also be expected to provide methods and techniques for processing and analysis of TCM "comprehensive data".

Isolation and developmental expression analysis of L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase in four Actinidia species.

Myo-inositol (MI) is an important polyol involved in cellular signal transduction, auxin storage, osmotic regulation, and membrane formation. It also serves as a precursor for the production of pinitol, ascorbic acid, and members of the raffinose family. The first committed step for MI formation is catalyzed by L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (MIPS). We isolated MIPS cDNA sequences from Actinidia eriantha, Actinidia rufa, and Actinidia arguta and compared them with that of Actinidia deliciosa. Each comprised 1533 bp, encoding 510 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 56.5 KDa. The MIPS protein was highly conserved in Actinidia, sharing 98.94% identity among species. The MIPS gene was expressed in the flowers, leaves, petioles, and carpopodia. Similarly high levels of expression were detected in the young fruit of all four species. Overall activity of the enzyme was also maximal in young fruit, indicating that this developmental stage is the key point for MI synthesis in Actinidia. Among the four species, A. arguta had the greatest concentration of MI as well as the highest ratios of MI:sucrose and MI:glucose+fructose. This suggests that conversion to MI from carbohydrates was most efficient in A. arguta during early fruit development.

[Current situation and development trend of Chinese medicine information research].

Literature resource service was the main service that Chinese medicine (CM) information offered. But in recent years users have started to request the health information knowledge service. The CM information researches and application service mainly included: (1) the need of strength studies on theory, application of technology, information retrieval, and information standard development; (2) Information studies need to support clinical decision making, new drug research; (3) Quick response based on the network monitoring and support to emergency countermeasures. CM information researches have the following treads: (1) developing the theory system structure of CM information; (2) studying the methodology system of CM information; (3) knowledge discovery and knowledge innovation.