Mechanisms of antiviral action and toxicities of ipecac alkaloids: Emetine and dehydroemetine exhibit anti-coronaviral activities at non-cardiotoxic concentrations.

The emergence of highly infectious pathogens with their potential for triggering global pandemics necessitate the development of effective treatment strategies, including broad-spectrum antiviral therapies to safeguard human health. This study investigates the antiviral activity of emetine, dehydroemetine (DHE), and congeneric compounds against SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43, and evaluates their impact on the host cell. Concurrently, we assess the potential cardiotoxicity of these ipecac alkaloids. Significantly, our data reveal that emetine and the (-)-R,S isomer of 2,3-dehydroemetine (designated in this paper as DHE4) reduce viral growth at nanomolar concentrations (i.e., IC50 ∼ 50-100 nM), paralleling those required for inhibition of protein synthesis, while calcium channel blocking activity occurs at elevated concentrations (i.e., IC50 ∼ 40-60 µM). Our findings suggest that the antiviral mechanisms primarily involve disruption of host cell protein synthesis and is demonstrably stereoisomer specific. The prospect of a therapeutic window in which emetine or DHE4 inhibit viral propagation without cardiotoxicity renders these alkaloids viable candidates in strategies worthy of clinical investigation.

Non-Targeted Analytical Technology in Herbal Medicines: Applications, Challenges, and Perspectives.

Herbal medicines (HMs) have been utilized to prevent and treat human ailments for thousands of years. Especially, HMs have recently played a crucial role in the treatment of COVID-19 in China. However, HMs are susceptible to various factors during harvesting, processing, and marketing, affecting their clinical efficacy. Therefore, it is necessary to conclude a rapid and effective method to study HMs so that they can be used in the clinical setting with maximum medicinal value. Non-targeted analytical technology is a reliable analytical method for studying HMs because of its unique advantages in analyzing unknown components. Based on the extensive literature, the paper summarizes the benefits, limitations, and applicability of non-targeted analytical technology. Moreover, the article describes the application of non-targeted analytical technology in HMs from four aspects: structure analysis, authentication, real-time monitoring, and quality assessment. Finally, the review has prospected the development trend and challenges of non-targeted analytical technology. It can assist HMs industry researchers and engineers select non-targeted analytical technology to analyze HMs' quality and authenticity.

Validation of a Short-Form Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Instrument in China.

The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) developed by Baer and colleagues has been widely used owing to its satisfactory psychometric properties. Because there was not yet a short-form version of the FFMQ (SF-FFMQ) that could be utilized in work settings available in China, we developed a Chinese SF-FFMQ. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a five-factor structure of our Chinese SF-FFMQ in two Chinese samples (Sample 1, N = 535; Sample 2, N = 391). The internal consistencies of the facets and the whole scale were acceptable. The predictive validity of this questionnaire was affirmed. Overall, the mindfulness facets correlated with related constructs including depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, employee life well-being, employee workplace well-being, and employee psychological well-being. In sample 2, which consisted of participants employed by local companies, we found that mindfulness mediated a positive relationship between servant leadership and employees' satisfaction with work-family balance. In conclusion, our Chinese SF-FFMQ was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool and our results support its use in both research and practice in clinical and work settings in China.

Sixty-one cases of angina pectoris due to coronary heart disease treated by external use of the paste of nitrum and realgar powder on zhiyang (GV 9).

In order to inquire into the therapeutic effects of Xiao Shi Xiong Huang San (the Nitrum and Realgar Powder), one of the Dunhuang Prescription, on angina pectoris due to coronary heart disease (APCHD), the authors have treated 61 cases of APCHD by externally applying paste of the powder on Zhiyang (GV 9), with another 30 cases of APCHD treated with the nitroglycerin paste on Zhiyang as the controls. The results showed that the total effective rate was 82% and markedly effective rate 31.2% in the treatment group (the Paste of Nitrum and Realgar Powder), and the total effective rate was 46.6% and markedly effective rate 23.2% in the control group (the nitroglycerin paste). The difference in therapeutic effects between the two groups was very significant (P<0.01), indicating that the therapeutic effect of the former was significantly superior to that of the latter.