Spinosin inhibits activated hepatic stellate cell to attenuate liver fibrosis by targeting Nur77/ASK1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

AIM: Liver fibrosis remains a great challenge in the world. Spinosin (SPI), a natural flavonoid-C-glycoside, possesses various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory and anti-myocardial fibrosis effects. In this study, we investigate whether SPI can be a potential lead for the treatment of liver fibrosis and explore whether the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77, a negative regulator of liver fibrosis development, plays a critical role in SPI's action. METHODS: A dual luciferase reporter system of α-SMA was established to evaluate the effect of SPI on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in LX2 and HSC-T6 cells. A mouse model of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis was used to test the efficacy of SPI against liver fibrosis. The expression levels of Nur77, inflammatory cytokines and collagen were determined by Western blotting and qPCR. Potential kinase pathways involved were also analyzed. The affinity of Nur77 with SPI was documented by fluorescence titration. RESULTS: SPI can strongly suppress TGF-ß1-mediated activation of both LX2 and HSC-T6 cells in a dose-dependent manner. SPI increases the expression of Nur77 and reduces TGF-ß1-mediated phosphorylation levels of ASK1 and p38 MAPK, which can be reversed by knocking out of Nur77. SPI strongly inhibits collagen deposition (COLA1) and reduces inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1ß), which is followed by improved liver function in the CCl4-induced mouse model. SPI can directly bind to R515 and R563 in the Nur77-LBD pocket with a Kd of 2.14 µM. CONCLUSION: Spinosin is the major pharmacological active component of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa which has been frequently prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine. We demonstrate here for the first time that spinosin is a new therapeutic lead for treatment of liver fibrosis by targeting Nur77 and blocking the ASK1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Preliminary Construction of Evaluation Index System for Traditional Chinese Medicine Medicated Diet based on Delphi Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo build an evaluation index system for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） medicated diet， promoting the scientific and standardized development of medicated diet in TCM. MethodsThe framework of the evaluation index system was constructed through literature review and Delphi expert consultation method. The analytic hierarchy process was used to construct a hierarchical structure model. Pairwise comparisons between the indicators were conducted using the Saaty 1-9 scale method， and the weight of each indicator was calculated using Yaahp 10.3. ResultsThe response rates for the two rounds of expert consultation were 93.33% and 100%， respectively. The Kendall's W coefficients for the first-level and second-level indicators in the second round were 0.270 and 0.281， respectively （both P＜0.001）. Finally， an evaluation index system for TCM medicated diet therapy was constructed， consisting of 6 primary indicators and 27 secondary indicators. The weightings of the primary indicators were as follows： sensory appearance （0.1843）， health value （0.3569）， ingredient compatibility （0.1271）， packaging （0.0370）， production and preparation （0.1005）， and reliability （0.1940）. ConclusionA comprehensive and universally applicable evaluation index system for TCM medicated diet has been developed， taking into conside-rations of color， taste， appearance， efficacy， preparation， quality and others. This system can provide valuable reference for the evaluation of the value of medicated diet as well as its development.

HbA1c comparison and diagnostic efficacy analysis of multi center different glycosylated hemoglobin detection systems / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: Compare and analyze the results of the domestic Lanyi AH600 glycated hemoglobin analyzer and other different detection systems to understand the comparability of the detection results of different detectors, and establish the best cut point of Lanyi AH600 determination of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the diagnosis of diabetes. Methods: Multi center cohort study was adopted. The clinical laboratory departments of 18 medical institutions independently collected test samples from their respective hospitals from March to April 2022, and independently completed comparative analysis of the evaluated instrument (Lanyi AH600) and the reference instrument HbA1c. The reference instruments include four different brands of glycosylated hemoglobin meters, including Arkray, Bio-Rad, DOSOH, and Huizhong. Scatter plot was used to calculate the correlation between the results of different detection systems, and the regression equation was calculated. The consistency analysis between the results of different detection systems was evaluated by Bland Altman method. Consistency judgment principles: (1) When the 95% limits of agreement (95% LoA) of the measurement difference was within 0.4% HbA1c and the measurement score was≥80 points, the comparison consistency was good; (2) When the measurement difference of 95% LoA exceeded 0.4% HbA1c, and the measurement score was≥80 points, the comparison consistency was relatively good; (3) The measurement score was less than 80 points, the comparison consistency was poor. The difference between the results of different detection systems was tested by paired sample T test or Wilcoxon paired sign rank sum test; The best cut-off point of diabetes was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results: The correlation coefficient R2 of results between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument in 16 hospitals is≥0.99; The Bland Altman consistency analysis showed that the difference of 95% LoA in Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Jiangsu Province (reference instrument: Arkray HA8180) was -0.486%-0.325%, and the measurement score was 94.6 points (473/500); The difference of 95% LoA in the Tibetan Traditional Medical Hospital of TAR (reference instrument: Bio-Rad Variant II) was -0.727%-0.612%, and the measurement score was 89.8 points; The difference of 95% LoA in the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT) was -0.231%-0.461%, and the measurement score was 96.6 points; The difference of 95% LoA in the Taihe Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT) was -0.469%-0.479%, and the measurement score was 91.9 points. The other 14 hospitals, Lanyi AH600, were compared with 4 reference instrument brands, the difference of 95% LoA was less than 0.4% HbA1c, and the scores were all greater than 95 points. The results of paired sample T test or Wilcoxon paired sign rank sum test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument Arkray HA8180 (Z=1.665,P=0.096), with no statistical difference. The mean difference between the measured values of the two instruments was 0.004%. The comparison data of Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument of all other institutions had significant differences (all P<0.001), however, it was necessary to consider whether it was within the clinical acceptable range in combination with the results of the Bland-Altman consistency analysis. The ROC curve of HbA1c detected by Lanyi AH600 in 985 patients with diabetes and 3 423 patients with non-diabetes was analyzed, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.877, the standard error was 0.007, and the 95% confidence interval 95%CI was (0.864, 0.891), which was statistically significant (P<0.001). The maximum value of Youden index was 0.634, and the corresponding HbA1c cut point was 6.235%. The sensitivity and specificity of diabetes diagnosis were 76.2% and 87.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Among the hospitals and instruments currently included in this study, among these four hospitals included Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Jiangsu Province (reference instrument: Arkray HA8180), Tibetan Traditional Medical Hospital of TAR (reference instrument: Bio-Rad Variant Ⅱ), the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT), and the Taihe Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT), the comparison between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instruments showed relatively good consistency, while the other 14 hospitals involved four different brands of reference instruments: Arkray, Bio-Rad, DOSOH, and Huizhong, Lanyi AH600 had good consistency with its comparison. The best cut point of the domestic Lanyi AH600 for detecting HbA1c in the diagnosis of diabetes is 6.235%.

Identification of Human Body Fluid Stains and Non-Biological Stains by Three-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To establish a rapid and nondestructive identification method for human body fluid stains and non-biological stains using three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy.@*METHODS@#The collected three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum data of human saliva, 3% blood, coffee and Fanta® stains were processed with dimensionality reduction. After wavelet transform, spectral denoising and feature extraction, the classification formula was established. The Fisher discriminant was used for spectrum matching and recognition to establish the analysis method to distinguish stain types.@*RESULTS@#According to the results of data training and comparison, all the recognition accuracies of Fanta®, coffee, saliva and blood were more than 91.39%. Among them, saliva reached 100% recognition accuracy.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy is a potential method for rapid and nondestructive identification of biological and non-biological stains.

Current status and prospect of composite nano-phototherapy agents in the phototherapy for breast cancer treatment / 中国药房

As an adjuvant alternative therapy， phototherapy is widely used for early diagnosis and late treatment of breast cancer due to its non-invasive treatment characteristics. But the application of phototherapeutic agents has been limited in the clinic due to poor hydrophobicity and tissue targeting， low photostability， and obvious toxic side effects in vivo. With the development of nanotechnology， new composite nano-phototherapy agents have emerged. This paper summarizes the latest developments and findings of new composite nano-phototherapy agents for phototherapy in the field of breast cancer treatment in the past 5 years. With the development of multifunctional nanomaterials in the field of breast cancer imaging diagnosis and treatment， the modified phototherapy agent achieved further development respectively from improving light response to improve the light thermal conversion or increasing the generation of reactive oxygen species， targeting tumor microenvironment， immune cells and cancer cell surface receptors to achieve drug controllable response release， using biomimetic materials and endogenous substances to improve biocompatibility. Although phototherapeutic agents exhibit high cell-killing rates in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer models and effectively inhibit their recurrence and metastasis， problems remain regarding the safety and compatibility of synergistic therapy. Future studies can not only improve the existing effects of phototherapeutic agents， but also develop oral drugs with more convenient routes based on immunotherapy to amplify the immune response and resist breast cancer through multiple routes.

Study on the molecular mechanism of Linggui Zhugan Decoction in treating hypertension and obesity based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To explore the material basis and mechanism of Linggui Zhugan Decoction in treating hypertension and obesity by means of network pharmacology and molecular docking technique.Methods:The TCMSP was retrieved and the main active components and action targets of Linggui Zhugan Decoction were screened. The GeneCards, OMIM, TTD, DisGeNET and DrugBank databases were used to screen disease-related targets of hypertension and obesity. The Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to draw Chinese materia medica-composition-intersection target-disease network diagram. The STRING 11.5 database was used to draw PPI network. The cytoNCA plug-in was used to screen core active components and targets. The bioenrichment analysis of GO and KEGG was carried out in the R4.1.2, and the Chinese materia medica-intersection target-path diagram was drawn, and the core active components and core targets were docked in PyMOL and AutoDockTools 1.5.7.Results:A total of 102 potentially active components and 62 intersection targets were obtained, and 8 active components and 7 core targets were screened. Enrichment analysis showed that the key targets were mainly enriched through the signaling pathways of fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, lipid and atherosclerosis, and AGE-RAGE, which were involved in biological processes such as the response to nutritional levels and the regulation of small molecule metabolism. Molecular docking showed that there were 37 groups with addinity < -7 kcal/mol.Conclusion:The main active components of Linggui Zhugan Decoction are quercetin, kaempferol and naringenin, which may play a role in fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis pathway and AGE-RAGE signal pathway through AKT1, EGFR, IL1B and other targets.

Study on the application of model transfer technology in the extraction process of Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike oral liquid / 药学学报

The modernization and development of traditional Chinese medicine has led to higher standards for the quality of traditional Chinese medicine products. The extraction process is a crucial component of traditional Chinese medicine production, and it directly impacts the final quality of the product. However, the currently relied upon methods for quality assurance of the extraction process, such as simple wet chemical analysis, have several limitations, including time consumption and labor intensity, and do not offer precise control of the extraction process. As a result, there is significant value in incorporating near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the production process of traditional Chinese medicine to improve the quality control of the final products. In this study, we focused on the extraction process of Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike oral liquid (XXZOL), using near-infrared spectra collected by both a Fourier transform near-infrared spectrometer and a portable near-infrared spectrometer. We used the concentration of synephrine, a quality control index component specified by the pharmacopoeia, to achieve rapid and accurate detection in the extraction process. Moreover, we developed a model transfer method to facilitate the transfer of models between the two types of near-infrared spectrometers (analytical grade and portable), thus resolving the low resolution, poor performance, and insufficient prediction accuracy issues of portable instruments. Our findings enable the rapid screening and quality analysis of XXZOL onsite, which is significant for quality monitoring during the traditional Chinese medicine production process.

Preliminary study on the material basis for expectorant and cough relief effects of the fruits of Phellodendron chinense var. glabriusulum Schneid / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To explore the material basis and mechanism of expectorant and cough relief effects of the fruits of Phellodendron chinense var. glabriusulum Schneid. METHODS The expectorant and cough relief effects of volatile oil and water decoction of the fruits of P. chinense var. glabriusulum Schneid. were studied by ammonia water cough induction and drug expectorant model mice experiments； GC-MS and UPLC-MS technologies were used to identify its volatile oils and non-volatile components of the fruits of P. chinense var. glabriusulum Schneid. The active ingredients， core targets and pathways of expectoration and cough relief were analyzed by network pharmacology. RESULTS The volatile oil （0.8， 0.2 g/kg， calculated by volatile oil） and water decoction （12， 3 g/kg， calculated by crude drug） of the fruits of P. chinense var. glabriusulum Schneid. both had obvious expectorant and cough relief effects， and showed obvious dose-dependent relationship. A total of 38 volatile oil components were identified from the medicinal herbs， and the relative percentage contents of 8 components were greater than 1%， such as α -pinene， myrcene， β -caryophyllene， germanene D， isospathulenol； a total of 69 non-volatile oil components were identified， mainly including phenolic compounds， alkaloids， and flavonoids. The active ingredients screened from the identified components included 13 compounds such as α-pinene， myrcene， chlorogenic acid， luteolin， berberine. There were a total of 55 intersection targets with diseases， and the core targets were tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）， serine/threonine kinase proteins （AKT1） and Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）. The molecular docking results showed that the active ingredients and the core targets had good binding ability. GO functional analysis found that the targets were significantly enriched in biological processes such as the reaction affecting lipopolysaccharides， the positive regulation of peptidyl serine phosphorylation， and the positive regulation of the biosynthesis process of nitric oxide. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis found that the targets were significantly enriched in the signaling pathways such as cancer， non-small cell lung cancer， proteoglycans in cancer. CONCLUSIONS Fruits of P. chinense var. glabriusulum Schneid. have obvious expectorant and cough relief effects， and its material basis may be α-pinene， myrcene， chlorogenic acid， luteolin， berberine， etc.， and mainly act on TNF， EGFR， VEGFA， AKT1， TLR4 and its significantly enriched signaling pathway.

Orphan Nuclear Receptor Nur77 Mediates the Lethal Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Therapeutic Efficacy of Cryptomeridiol in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly possesses chronical elevation of IRE1α-ASK1 signaling. Orphan nuclear receptor Nur77, a promising therapeutic target in various cancer types, is frequently silenced in HCC. In this study, we show that cryptomeridiol (Bkh126), a naturally occurring sesquiterpenoid derivative isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Magnolia officinalis, has therapeutic efficacy in HCC by aggravating the pre-activated UPR and activating the silenced Nur77. Mechanistically, Nur77 is induced to sense IRE1α-ASK1-JNK signaling and translocate to the mitochondria, which leads to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm). The Bkh126-induced aggravation of ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction result in increased cytotoxic product of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The in vivo anti-HCC activity of Bkh126 is superior to that of sorafenib, currently used to treat advanced HCC. Our study shows that Bkh126 induces Nur77 to connect ER stress to mitochondria-mediated cell killing. The identification of Nur77 as a molecular target of Bhk126 provides a basis for improving the leads for the further development of anti-HCC drugs.

Animal Models of Gastric Ulcer Based on Characteristics of Clinical Symptoms in Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine：A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

In recent years， with the changes of people's life rhythm and living environment， the incidence of gastric ulcer has shown an increasing trend year by year， and the affected population has become younger and younger. In order to further explore the pathogenesis of gastric ulcer and its diagnosis and treatment methods， a variety of animal models of gastric ulcer have been established clinically， such as stress type， chemical factor type， pyloric ligation type， helicobacter infection type and disease-syndrome combination type. The authors intend to summarize the modeling methods and advantages and disadvantages of existing models on the basis of reviewing the etiology， pathogenesis and diagnostic criteria of gastric ulcers. It was found that the non-injurious stress method （restraint stress， restraint immersion stress and restraint freezing stress， etc.）+traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome modeling， acetic acid gavage method+TCM syndrome modeling were ideal choices for replicating animal models of acute and chronic gastric ulcer. At the same time， the analysis of the coincidence degree between each gastric ulcer model and the clinical disease characteristics of Chinese and western medicine showed that the coincidence degree of western medicine diagnostic criteria was higher than that of TCM diagnostic criteria. The successful judgment of the model was also based on western medicine diagnosis. In short， the model is insufficient in depth and breadth. It only detects a few core indicators and main indicators， ignoring the impact of secondary indicators on the diagnosis of the disease. There is also a big gap between the disease-syndrome combination model and the TCM clinical syndromes of this disease. Therefore， the depth and width of the model evaluation criteria should be strengthened， and the evaluation system of the disease-symptom combination model should be improved， in order to provide a more accurate reference for the replication of gastric ulcer models， and to replicate animal models of gastric ulcer with high coincidence degree of Chinese and western medicine for research purposes.

Analysis on Evolution of Ancient Documents of Xiehuangsan / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Xiehuangsan， derived from QIAN Yi's Key to Therapeutics of Children's Diseases， consists of 5 medicines， namely Gypsum Fibrosum，Gardeniae Fructus，Saposhnikoviae Radix，Pogostemonis Herba and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. It is used to treat children with spleen heat and tongue scratching. With the clinical use of later generations of physicians，the scope of diseases and syndromes of this prescription was gradually expanded，including aphthous bad breath，dry lips，yellow eyes，and sweet mouth. Modern doctors used this prescription to treat children with anorexia，constipation，allergic purpura，tic disorder， and other diseases. At present，more and more attention has been paid to the research of classical famous prescriptions. At the same time，the application of classical famous prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） must be researched and verified in ancient literature. Therefore，it has become important contents in the study of classic prescriptions that researching the source of prescriptions from the ancient books，combing and analyzing literature，and studying the evolution rules of indications，preparations，methods of administration and taboos.The author searched a variety of ancient Chinese medicine databases and collected the relevant documents related to Xiehuangsan in ancient medical books. A total of 242 pieces of relevant ancient document data were obtained，involving 131 types of ancient Chinese medicine books. Through combing the relevant records of historical documents，this paper analyzes and researches the historical evolution of Xiehuangsan，the source and composition of the prescriptions，the indications，the dosage，the textual research of Chinese herbal medicine and the determination of the basis，and the method of prescription preparation and administration，etc. The historical changes of Xiehuangsan and its internal relations are expected to provide literature references and theoretical basis for the modern development and research of Xiehuangsan.

Construction of pharmacophore model and its application in identification of effective components of Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

The effective material basis of Chinese medicine is the key and difficult point in the quality control and modernization research of Chinese medicine. With the increasing application of pharmacophore-based virtual screening in computer-aided drug design, it is possible to employ this technology in the modernization of Chinese medicine. Based on the systematic research method of the pharmacophore model, the present study systematically reviewed the pharmacophore-based technologies and strategies in the identification of active components in Chinese medicine.

Construction status and development strategy of GAP bases for Chinese herbal medicine / 中国中药杂志

Good agricultural practices(GAP) for Chinese herbal medicine(CHM) is the source of quality control in the production of CHM. To ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of Chinese herbal and natural medicine, the international community has been exploring the implementation of GAP for CHM. The implementation of GAP for CHM has a far-reaching impact, and the scale planting of CHM has been expanding. However, the medicinal materials produced by the GAP bases for CHM still cannot fully meet the market demand, and the output and quality of CHM remain to be improved. This paper summarizes construction status of GAP bases for CHM.The 129 companies that passed the certification during the implementation of GAP for CHM included 196 GAP bases, forming the scale CHM production zone with Sichuan province, Yunnan province, Jilin province, Henan province, and Shandong province as the core.The total area of GAP bases for CHM in China is about 250 000-500 000 Mu(1 Mu≈667 m2), which is still less than 1% of the total production area of CHM. The international agricultural production quality management strategies are all market-oriented behaviors.Drawing on the international good agricultural and collection practice(GACP) and hazard analysis critical control point(HACCP) as well as the relevant policies of Chinese quality management of CHM, we put forward feasible suggestions for the further implementation of GAP for CHM:(1)The market rules and international experience should be followed and employed to promote GAP management of CHM and third-party implementation of GAP certification;(2)The sound development of GAP for CHM should be boosted with the HACCP management system and the revision of GAP for CHM;(3)The implementation of policies and standards should be stepped up to facilitate the building of a whole-course traceability system for the production of CHM with high quality and reasonable prices.

Current status and prospects of implementing GAP in Chinese medicine injection materials / 中国中药杂志

Chinese medicine injections(CMIs) have higher requirements for quality consistency and controllability than other traditional Chinese medicine products. The implementation of Good Agricultural Practice of Medicinal Plants and Animals(GAP) is an important factor that guarantees the quality stability of raw Chinese medicinal materials and affects the quality of CMIs. Through literature review, data research, expert consultation, and statistical analysis, this paper analyzes the current status of GAP management of key CMIs and the impact of GAP management of raw medicinal materials on the quality consistency and controllability of CMIs. Furthermore, it demonstrates the rationality, necessity, and feasibility of the full implementation of GAP on the basis of CMIs safety re-evaluation.

Extraction and separation, structure analysis and biological activity of polysaccharides from Atractylodis Rhizoma / 中国中药杂志

Atractylodis Rhizoma(AR) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material for food and medicine, with the functions of eli-minating dampness, strengthening the spleen, expelling wind evil and dispersing cold. AR contains a variety of compounds, including sesquiterpenoids, alkynes, triterpenoids, aromatic glycosides, polysaccharides and so on. At present, the researches on AR mainly focus on volatile components, with relatively fewer researches on non-volatile components. Polysaccharide from Atractylodis Rhizoma(ARP) is an important material basis among non-volatile components for the efficacy. Due to its many biological activities such as immunomodulatory activity, anti-tumors, anti-virus and anti-oxidation, ARP has certain research value and potential. The diversity of the polysaccharide structure is the basis for biological functions, but it also increases the difficulty of carbohydrate research. The research on the extraction, separation, purification, structure and activity of ARP is in the preliminary exploration stage, still with many shortcomings. Herein, recent advancements in the extraction, purification, structural characteristics and biological activities of ARP were summarized in this article to provide scientific reference for the in-depth systematic research of ARP and the development of AR resources.

Preliminary study on memory function of Sorbus aucuparia suspension cell to biotic stress / 中国中药杂志

Plants have a memory function for the environmental stress they have suffered. When they are subjected to repeated environmental stress, they can quickly and better activate the response and adaptation mechanism to environmental stress, thus realizing long-term stable reproduction. However, most of the relevant studies are applied to crops and Arabidopsis thaliana rather than medicinal plants about the improvement of plant growth status and the effect on phytoalexin biosynthesis. In this study, yeast extract(YE) was used as an elicitor to simulate biotic stress, and the changes in biomass and the content of some secondary metabolites were measured by giving repeated stresses to Sorbus aucuparia suspension cell(SASC). The results showed that the accumulation levels of biomass and some secondary metabolites in SASC subjected to repeated stress are significantly increased at some time points compared with single stress. A phenomenon that SASC can memorize biotic stress is confirmed in this study and influences phytoalexin accumulation in SASC. Furthermore, the work laid the groundwork for research into the transgenerational stress memory mechanism of medicinal plant.

Research progress in mechanism of berberine's antitumor action / 中国中药杂志

Malignant tumor, an important factor threatening human life and health, brings huge economic burden to patients. At present, chemoradiotherapy is still the main treatment method for tumor diseases, but there are also great side effects when it plays a therapeutic role. Traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of tumor diseases has many advantages such as few side effects, improving the physiological state of patients, and slowing down the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Berberine is an effective component of rhizoma coptidis, with a very good antitumor effect. It can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, promote tumor cell apoptosis, inhibit tumor metastasis and angiogenesis, regulate tumor autophagy, reverse multi-drug resistance of tumor, regulate the body immunity, and affect tumor metabolic reprogramming to play its role. Compared with chemical preparations, berberine has a wide range of sources, with high safety and easy access, and has great potential in the prevention and treatment of malignant tumors. In this article, we would mainly review the research progress on the antitumor mechanism of berberine in recent years.

Effects of ecological factors on shape and ginsenoside of Panax ginseng / 中国中药杂志

The ecological environment is closely related to the growth and quality of authentic medicinal materials. Ginseng is very strict with its natural environment and grows mostly in the damp valleys of forests, and the appearance and chemical composition of ginseng under different growth environments are very different. This article reviews the effects of different ecological factors(including light, temperature, altitude, moisture, soil factors, etc.)on the appearance and chemical composition(mainly ginsenosides) of ginseng. Through systematic review, it is found that soil physical factors are the most important ecological factors that affect the appea-rance of ginseng, and soil bulk density plays a key role; temperature affects ginsenosides in ginseng medicinal materials The dominant ecological factors for the accumulation of chemical ingredents; strong light, high altitude, high soil moisture, low soil nutrient and strong acid soil can influence the accumulation of secondary metabolites in ginseng. Environmental stress can also stimulate the formation and accumulation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. Appropriate low temperature stress, high or low water stress, acid or alkali stress can also promote the accumulation of ginsenosides. This article systematically reviews the ecological factors that affect the appearance and chemical composition of ginseng, and clarifies the dominant ecological factors and limiting factors for the formation of ginseng's appearance and quality, as well as beneficial environmental stress factors, in order to provide a theoretical basis for ginseng ecological planting and ginseng quality improvement.

Effects and mechanisms of nitrogen application on stress resistance of Chinese materia medica / 中国中药杂志

Nitrogen fertilizers play an important role in the regulation of plant stress resistance. Impacts of nitrogen fertilizers on abiotic stress resistance and biotic stress resistance of Chinese materia medica(CMM) were summarized in this study. Adequate nitrogen application improves the abiotic stress resistance and weed resistance of CMM, however adverse effect appears when excess nitrogen is used. Generally, pest resistance decreases along with nitrogen deposition, while effects of nitrogen application on disease resistance vary with different diseases. Mechanisms underlying the impact of nitrogen fertilizers on plant stress resistance were also elucidated in this study from three aspects including physical defense mechanisms, biochemistry mechanisms and molecular defense mechanisms. Nitrogen availability modulates physical barrier of CMM like plant growth, formation of lignin and wax cuticle, and density of stomata. Growth of CMM promoted by nitrogen fertilizer may cause some decrease in pest resistance of CMM due to an increase in hiding places for pest along with plant growth. High ambient humidity caused by excessive plant growth facilitates the growth and development of CMM pathogen. Nitrogen application can also interfere with the accumulation of lignin in CMM which makes CMM more vulnerable to pest and pathogen attack. Stomatal closing delays due to nitrogen application is also a causal factor of increasing pathogen infection after nitrogen deposition. Biochemical defenses of plants are mainly achieved through nutrient elements, secondary metabolites, defense-related enzymes and proteins. Nutritional level of CMM and various antioxidant enzymes and resistance-related protein activities are elevated along with nitrogen deposition. These antioxidant enzymes can reduce the damage of reactive oxygen species content produced by plant in response to adversity and therefore enhance stress resistance of CMM. Researches showed that nitrogen application could also cause an increase in nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites content and a decrease in non-nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites content respectively. Nitrogen-mediated molecular defense mechanisms includes multiple plant hormones and nitric oxide signals. Plant hormones related to plant defense like salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and abscisic acid can be modulated by nitrogen application. Negative effect of nitrogen deposition was found on salicylic acid accumulation and the expression of related plant disease resistance genes. However, jasmonic acid level can be elevated by nitrogen. Nitric oxide signals constitute an important part of nitrogen mediated defense mechanisms. Nitric oxide signaling is related to many aspects of plant immunity. The roles of nitrogen fertilizers in CMM stress resistance are complex and may vary with different CMM varieties and environments. Further studies are urgently needed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how to improve stress resistance of CMM by using fertilizers.

Effects and mechanisms of nitrogen fertilizers on soil and tritrophic interactions in Chinese medicinal plants ecosystem / 中国中药杂志

Nitrogen is one of the most frequently used fertilizers in growth of Chinese medicinal plants(CMP). As in many other ecosystems, CMP ecosystem is also composed of plant-herbivore-natural enemy(tritrophic) interactions. Nitrogen fertilizer influences the growth and reproduction of CMP, and it is also able to heavily shape the ecosystem functions of CMP ecosystem through bottom-up forces. Understanding the specific effects of nitrogen fertilizer towards each trophic level will be beneficial to improve the resistance of CMP to herbivore and enhance the control efficiency of nature enemies to herbivore, and eventually, maximize the yield and quality of CMP. Most papers published on nitrogen use in plants focused mainly on the impact of nitrogen fertilization on CMP yield and quality. Influences of nitrogen application on CMP ecosystem get little attention at present. Therefore, this review summed up the potential effects of nitrogen fertilization on CMP ecosystem from perspectives of soil and tritrophic interactions. First of all, nitrogen fertilizer might decrease soil microbial biomass and altered the community structures of soil bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Negative effects of nitrogen fertilizer were found on biodiversity of soil bacteria and protozoa. Different fungi species respond differently to nitrogen fertili-zers. Nitrogen deposition can also decrease the soil pH. Decreases in soil microbial diversity and soil acidification can cause negative effects on CMP growth. In addition, nitrogen fertilizer could regulate the pest resistance of CMP including constitutive and inducible resistance. Both positive and negative effects of nitrogen application were found on pest resistance of CMP. Moreover, the development and predation of natural enemies were influenced by nitrogen deposition. Nitrogen influences natural enemies in many ways including plant volatiles, plant nutrient and structure and the supplementary food quality. Nectar and honeydew of plants and preys serve as important food source for natural enemies especially in early season when preys are still not available. Finally, the interactions between herbivores and their natural enemies were also shaped by nitrogen fertilizer in many aspects like increasing the nutritional content of prey and changing control efficiency of natural enemies. Some herbivores have evolved a strategy to sequester secondary metabolites which they absorbed from plant during their feeding. Studies showed that sequestration efficiency of secondary metabolites in prey could also be regulated by nitrogen. Parasitic, emergence, reproduction rate and longevity of parasites were found positively correlated with nitrogen deposition. Hopefully this study will shed light on practicable and economical application of nitrogen in cultivation of CMP.