[Hepatotoxicity and mechanism of Rhododendri Mollis Flos based on zebrafish model].

This study used the zebrafish model to explore the hepatotoxicity of Rhododendri Mollis Flos(RMF). The mortality was calculated according to the number of the survival of zebrafish larvae 4 days after fertilization under different concentration of RMF, and the dose-toxicity curve was fitted to preliminarily evaluate the toxicity of RMF. The liver phenotypes under the sublethal concentration of RMF in the treatment group and the blank control group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and acridine orange(AO) staining. Meanwhile, the activities of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) were determined to confirm the hepatotoxicity of RMF. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(real-time PCR) and Western blot were used to determine the expressions of genes and proteins in zebrafish larvae. Gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry(GC-TOF-MS) was used to conduct untargeted metabolomics testing to explore the mechanism. The results showed that the toxicity of RMF to zebrafish larvae was dose-dependent, with 1 100 µg·mL~(-1) of the absolute lethal concentration and 448 µg·mL~(-1) of sublethal concentration. The hepatocyte apoptosis and degeneration appeared in the zebrafish larvae under the sublethal concentration of RMF. The content of ALT and AST in zebrafish larvae at the end of the experiment was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Under the sublethal concentration, the expressions of genes and proteins related to apoptosis in zebrafish larvae were significantly increased as compared with the blank control group. The results of untargeted metabolomics showed that the important metabolites related to the he-patotoxicity of RMF were mainly enriched in alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and other pathways. In conclusion, it is inferred that RMF has certain hepatotoxicity to zebrafish larvae, and its mechanism may be related to apoptosis.

[Anti-tumor and analgesic activity evaluation and mechanism of Compound Kushen Injection].

This study aims to evaluate the anti-tumor and analgesic activities of Compound Kushen Injection(CKI) based on zebrafish model in vivo and investigate the anti-tumor mechanism. To be specific, zebrafish tumor xenotransplantation model was established by microinjection of murine LPC H12 cells into yolk sac. Then the high-dose CKI(H-CKI), medium-dose CKI(M-CKI), low-dose CKI(L-CKI) groups, and the model group were set. The anti-tumor activity of CKI was evaluated with the tumor area growth fold and integral absorbance(IA) growth fold 72 h after administration. The peripheral pain and central pain in zebrafish were respectively induced with acetic acid(AA) and phorbol myristate acetate(PMA). Zebralab ViewPoint system was employed to monitor behavioral trajectory of zebrafish, and movement times, movement time, movement distance, and movement velocity were used to evaluate the analgesic activity of CKI. Finally, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related B lymphocyte tumor-2(Bcl-2) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3 K)/protein kinase B(Akt or PKB) pathway-related genes, for the verification of the anti-tumor mechanism. Compared with the model group, M-CKI and H-CKI significantly reduced the growth folds of tumor area and IA, relief the peripheral pain and central pain. The mechanism was that CKI can up-regulate the expression of cysteine aspartic acid specific protease-3(caspase-3, Casp3) and caspase-9(Casp9), down-regulate the expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3 K) and Akt, and significantly reduce the expression of Bcl-2, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α), and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF). In conclusion, CKI has significant inhibitory effect on tumor growth and pain, which is related to the PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway. The pathway mediates cell apoptosis, suppresses tumor growth, and alleviates tumor pain.

[Identification of geographical origins of Cordyceps based on data of amino acids with self-organizing map neural network].

In this study, data of amino acids of Cordyceps samples from Qinghai and Tibet was analyzed with self-organizing map neural network. A model of XY-Fused network was established with the content of 8 major amino acids and total amino acids for the identification of geographical origins of Cordyceps from Qinghai and Tibet. It had the prediction accuracy of 83.3% for the test set. In addition, data mining indicated that methionine was a special kind of amino acid in Cordyceps which could serve as a marker to identify its geographical origins. On this basis, the content ratio of methionine to total amino acids was proposed to be a quantifiable indicator to distinguish Cordyceps from Qinghai and Tibet.

[Overview of metalomics research and its application prospect in mineral Chinese medicine research].

Metallomics is a frontier interdisciplinary subject at its vigorous development stage. Its goal is to systematically study the content, distribution, chemical species, structural characteristics and functions of metal elements in biological system. It is also a comprehensive discipline to study the existing state and function of free or complex metal elements in life. Metallomics is an ideal tool to study the biological behavior of inorganic elements, which can be used to solve many problems in the research of mineral Chinese medicine(MCM). It provides a strong theoretical basis and technical support for the research of MCM. Its theory and methods provide re-ference and enlightenment for the in-depth study of MCM, and also provide new ideas and open up new ways for the research of MCM. The application of metallomics theory and methods in the research of MCM is of great significance to reveal the material basis and mec-hanism of MCM, promote the process of basic research on MCM, fully exploit and utilize medicinal mineral resources and carry forward the traditional MCM treasure in China. In this paper, we introduced the concept, academic development, research content and research methods of metallomics, and discussed the application prospects of metallomics in the analysis of inorganic element composition characteristics and quality control, material basis and mechanism of MCM, so as to provide reference for further researches on MCM.

[Study on liver diseases with zebrafish as an important tool].

With the increasing incidence of hepatobiliary diseases, it is particularly important to understand the role of molecular, cellular and physiological factors in the clinical diagnosis and treatment with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in the development of liver disease. Appropriate animal models can help us identify the possible mechanisms of relevant diseases. Danio rerio(zebrafish) model was traditionally used to study embryonic development, and has been gradually used in screening and evaluation of liver diseases and relevant drug in recent years. Zebrafish embryos develop rapidly and the digestive organs of 5-day-old juvenile fish are all mature. At this stage, they may develop hepatobiliary diseases induced by developmental defects or compounds. Zebrafish liver is similar to human liver in cell composition, function, signal transduction, response to injury and cell process mediating liver disease. Furthermore, due to the high conservation of genes and proteins between humans and zebrafish, zebrafish becomes an alternative system for studying basic mechanisms of liver disease. Therefore, genetic screening could be performed to identify new genes involving specific disease processes, and chemical screening could be made for drugs in specific processes. This paper briefly introduced the experimental properties of zebrafish as model system, emphasized the study progress of zebrafish models for pathological mechanism of liver diseases, especially fatty liver, and drug screening and evaluation, so as to provide ideas and techniques for the future liver toxicity assessment of TCM.

Effect of cultivation ages on anti-inflammatory activity of a new type of red ginseng.

Ginseng has been widely applied in clinical practice, but the cultivation age cannot be ignored as it influences the quality of ginseng and its products. In this work, different cultivation ages of fresh ginseng (FG) from four to seven years were analysed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Principal component analysis and supervised orthogonal partial least squared discrimination analysis, which belong to the normal method of multivariate statistical analysis, were applied to discover the characteristic components of FG at different cultivation ages. The components of new type of red ginseng (NRG) derived from FG at different cultivation ages were compared by HPLC analysis. The pharmacological anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by ELISA and qPCR. The result showed that the characteristic components of both 6- and 7-year-old ginseng were ginsenoside Rb1, mal-ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rc, mal-ginsenoside Rc, mal-ginsenoside Rb1 isomer, and mal-ginsenoside Rb2. Moreover, the characteristic components of both 4- and 5-year-old ginseng were ADP-glucose and 3-hydroxyhexanoyl CoA. In addition, 6-year-old NRG has higher rare ginsenosides than 4-year-old NRG, which possesses great anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. The results reveal the ginsenoside transformation law of NRG processing and suggest that the cultivation age of FG influences the content of ginsenosides in NRG. Therefore, 6-year-old ginseng is more suitable for red ginseng processing and clinical use.

Integrated strategy of LC-MS and network pharmacology for predicting active constituents and pharmacological mechanisms of Ranunculus japonicus Thunb. for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ranunculus japonicus Thunb. (short for R. japonicus) is a topically applied herb with the activities of removing jaundice, nebula and edema, preventing malaria, stopping asthma, promoting diuresis and relieving pain. It was firstly recorded in Zhouhou Beiji Fang and has been used for the treatment of malaria, ulcers, carbuncle, jaundice, migraine, stomachache, toothache and arthritis for over 1800 years. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to uncover the potentially effective components of R. japonicus and the pharmacological mechanisms against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by combing LC-MS and network pharmacology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, the chemical constituents of R. japonicus were qualitatively identified by UPLC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap MS. Then we performed target prediction by PharmMapper, protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis via String, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis by DAVID and constructed the compound-target-pathway network using Cytoscape. Thirdly, crucial compounds in the network were quantitatively analyzed to achieve quality control of R. japonicus. Finally, the pharmacological activities of R. japonicus and two potentially bioactive ingredients were validated in RA-FLSs (Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes) in vitro. RESULTS: Overall fifty-four ingredients of R. japonicus were identified and forty-five components were firstly discovered in R. japonicus. Among them, twenty-seven validated compounds were predicted to act on twenty-five RA-related targets and they might exhibit therapeutic effects against RA via positive regulation of cell migration, etc. Nine potentially bioactive components of R. japonicus which played important roles in the compound-target-pathway network were simultaneously quantified by an optimized UPLC-ESI-Triple Quad method. In vitro, compared to control group, R. japonicus extract, berberine and yangonin significantly inhibited the migration capacity of RA-FLSs after 24 h treatment. CONCLUSION: This study clarified that R. japonicus and the bioactive ingredients berberine and yangonin might exert therapeutic actions for RA via suppressing the aggressive phenotypes of RA-FLSs through combined LC-MS technology and network pharmacology tools for the first time. The present research provided deeper understanding into the chemical profiling, pharmacological activities and quality control of R. japonicus and offered reference for further scientific research and clinical use of R. japonicus in treating RA.

Integrated UPLC-MS and Network Pharmacology Approach to Explore the Active Components and the Potential Mechanism of Yiqi Huoxue Decoction for Treating Nephrotic Syndrome.

Background: Yiqi Huoxue Decoction (YQHXD) is a traditional Chinese medicine that promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, facilitates diuresis, and alleviates edema. It is composed of 10 herbal medicines and has extensive application in treating nephrotic syndrome (NS). However, the active components and the potential mechanism of YQHXD for treating NS remain unclear. Methods: We set up a sensitive and rapid method based on Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatograph-Mass (UPLC-MS) to identify the compounds in YQHXD and constituents absorbed into the blood. Disease genes were collected through GeneCards, DisGeNET, and OMIM database. Genes of compounds absorbed into blood were predicted by the TCMSP database. We constructed Disease-Drug-Ingredient-Gene (DDIG) network using Cytoscape, established a Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using String, Gene biological process (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was performed using DAVID. Cellular experiments were performed to validate the results of network pharmacology. Result: A total of 233 compounds in YQHXD and 50 constituents absorbed into the blood of rats were identified. The 36 core targets in the PPI network were clustered in the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-RAC serine/threonine-protein kinase (PI3K-AKT) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathways. Luteolin, Wogonin, Formononetin, and Calycosin were top-ranking components as potentially active compounds. Conclusion: The results of our studies show that YQHXD is able to enhance renal function, alleviate podocyte injury, and improve adriamycin nephrotic syndrome.

[Study on quality status of mineral medicine Calamina].

In this paper, some quality problems of mineral medicine Calamina and calcined Calamina have been discussed after determination and analysis of the quality parameters of a large number of market samples, and the countermeasures are put forward. According to the XRD results, as well as the results of tests included in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2015 edition), the authenticity of Calamina and calcined Calamina samples were identified. The content of zinc oxide in samples were determined by the method of determination in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Individually, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry(ICP-AES) and atomic fluorescence spectrometry(AFS) methods were used for the determination of impurity elements and harmful elements in Calamina and calcined Calamina samples. Four kinds of impurity elements of magnesium(Mg), iron(Fe), aluminum(Al), calcium(Ca) and five harmful elements such as lead(Pb), cadmium(Cd), arsenic(As), copper(Cu), mercury(Hg) were measured. The study showed that: ① Fake Calamina products on the market were overflowing; ② The mineral origin of the mainstream Calamina in the market is inconsistent with that stipulated in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2015 edition); ③ The contents of harmful elements Pb and Cd in Calamina and calcined Calamina are generally higher, while the contents of harmful elements As and Cu in some inferior Calaminae are higher; ④ Parts of calcined Calamina were improperly or inadequately processed. In view of these quality problems, the countermeasures are put forward as follows: ① It is suggested that hydrozincite should be approved as the mineral source of Calamina, and be included by Chinese Pharmacopoeia; ② Strengthen the research on the specificity of Calamina identification methods to improve the quality control level; ③ Strengthen the research on the processing of Calamina, and formulate the limit standards for the content of Pb and Cd in Calamina; ④ Carry out research on the artificial synthesis of Calamina and calcined Calamina, in order to cope with the current shortage of Calamina resources and ensure the sustainable development of Calamina medicinal materials.

[Research progress in mineral Chinese medicine realgar].

Realgar is a mineral traditional medicine with definite efficacy. The function of realgar is detoxicating, insecticiding, eliminating dampness and phlegm, etc. It is widely applied in clinical practice by compatibility medicines. However, the safety and scientificalness of clinical application are questioned because of the toxic effect caused by arsenic compounds. At present, there are still many problems in the research of realgar, which are mainly manifested in three areas: the expression of main components and effective substances are inconsistent; the anti-tumor mechanism is difficult to explain at the molecular level; the mechanism of compatibility is not clear. As a result, realgar and realgar-containing Chinese patent medicines are frequently prohibited from entering the international market, and the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine is also damaged. This paper would analyze the research status of realgar at home and abroad as well as its problems from its main components, effective substances, anti-tumor mechanism and compatibility mechanism. In view of these difficulties, quantum chemical calculation method is proposed to solve them, so as to make up for the shortcomings and limitations of experimental technology and experimental conditions, reduce the cost of realgar research and improve research efficiency. Moreover, it provides inspiration for research of other mineral medicine.

[Toxicity of mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element].

Mineral Chinese medicine is the distinctive part of the Chinese traditional medicine. The mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury elements such as cinnabaris, calomelas and hydrargyri oxydum rubrum are widely applied in the clinical conditions because of their efficacy of sedative, sterilization, removing necrotic tissue and promoting granulation. However, the rationality and security of clinical application are questioned because of the toxic effect caused by mercury compounds. This paper would summarize the efficacy of the mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element, as well as their hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, embryotoxicity, and neurotoxicity effect and mechanisms. Improper usage or high dose of the mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element would cause acute hepatotoxicity. Cinnabaris, calomelas and hydrargyri oxydum rubrum may lead to chronic hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, embryotoxicity and neurotoxicity when they were applied externally to the skin for long-term use. In addition to the accumulation of mercury elements in the tissues and organs, the species and forms of mercury compounds absorbed into the body in different ways, should be also studied in order to understand the toxicity of the mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element. Meanwhile the dose and period of treatment shall be also considered in order to provide the references for rational and safe clinical application of the mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element.

Chemical Comparison of Two Drying Methods of Mountain Cultivated Ginseng by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and Multivariate Statistical Analysis.

In traditional Chinese medicine practice, drying method is an essential factor to influence the components of Chinese medicinal herbs. In this study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-based approach was used to compare the content of chemical compounds of mountain cultivated ginseng that had been natural air dried (LX-P) and vacuum freeze-dried (LX-L). Multivariate statistical analysis such as principal component analysis (PCA) and supervised orthogonal partial least squared discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to select the influential components of different samples. There were 41 ginsenosides unambiguously identified and tentatively assigned in both LX-L and LX-P. The results showed that the characteristic components in LX-P were ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rc, ginsenoside Rg6, dendrolasin, and ginsenoside Rb2. The characteristic components in LX-L were malonyl-ginsenoside Re, malonyl-ginsenoside Rb1, malonyl-ginsenoside Rc, malonyl-ginsenoside Rb1 isomer, malonyl-ginsenoside Rb2, malonyl-ginsenoside Rb3, malonyl-ginsenoside Rd isomer, gypenoside XVII, and notoginsenoside Fe. This is the first time that the differences between LX-L and LX-P have been observed systematically at the chemistry level. It was indicated that vacuum freeze-drying method can improve the content of malonyl-ginsensides in mountain cultivated ginseng.

[The molecular identification of licorice species and the quality evaluation of licorice slices].

Licorice is one of the most common herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, and classified as top grade in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. There are three different original plants of licorice stipulated in Chinese Pharmacopeia, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., and Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat. However, previous investigation showed that the pharmacodynamic effects of the three licorices were quite different. It is very difficult to identify them by the classical identification methods. In order to establish a fast and effective identification method, we collected 240 licorice plants from 21 populations of 7 provinces, and amplified their ITS and psbA-trnH sequences. ITS sequences with a full length of 616 bp and psbA-trnH sequences with a full length of 389 bp were obtained separately. Using DNAMAN to analyze these sequences, 4 variable sites were found in ITS sequences and 2 ITS haplotypes were determined, and 3 variable sites were found in psbA-trnH sequences and 4 psbA-trnH haplotypes were determined. With the combination analysis of ITS and psbA-trnH sequences, the molecular identification method of original licorice was established. Using this method, 40 samples of licorice slices collected from 4 main herbal material markets in China were identified successfully. Furthermore, the contents of 2 triterpenes, 18α-glycyrrhizic acid and 18ß-glycyrrhizic acid, and 4 flavonoids, liquiritin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritigenin in these licorice pieces were examined by HPLC and the results were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. This study provides a new method in identification of licorice, which may serve as a guideline for quality control of licorice slices.

[The molecular identification of Bupleurum medicinal species and the quality investigation of Bupleuri Radix].

Bupleuri Radix is one of the most frequently used herbal medicines in China with a 2 000-year medicinal history. However, the use of Bupleuri Radix is very confused. Twenty-five species and eight varieties of Bupleurum have been used as Bupleuri Radix in different regions of China. It is very difficult to identify these Bupleurum species using traditional morphological method. In order to establish a fast and effective method to identify these Bupleurum species, we collected 168 Bupleurum medicinal plants from 14 populations of 9 provinces, and amplified their ITS sequences. 168 ITS sequences with a full length of 600-606 bp were obtained. DNAMAN analyzing results showed that 86 variable sites were present in these sequences and 19 haplotypes (TH1-TH19) were determined. After calculating K2P distance and analyzing an NJ tree, we established a molecular identification method based on ITS sequence. Using this method, 52 samples of Bupleuri Radix were identified successfully. Furthermore, we tested saikosaponin a, c, d content in these Bupleuri Radix by HPLC and analyzed the results by ANOVA and LSD T test to evaluate the quality of Bupleuri Radix. This method is significant for effective identification of Bupleurum medicinal plants, and quality control of Bupleuri Radix in the market.

[Advances of toxicity evaluation of cinnabar and compatibility necessity analysis].

Cinnabars are widely used in the clinic and shows unique efficacy, and it has been used in treating diseases for thousands of years either single-use or combination with other traditional Chinese medicines. Cinnabar mainly contains mercury, which displays obvious hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. The safety of cinnabar and its rational use caused extensive attention. However, there are some misunderstanding that cinnabar shows equivalent toxicity to the toxicity of mercury compounds such as mercuric chloride and methylmercury in safety evaluation of cinnabar, which in our view exaggerates the toxicity. For traditional Chinese medicine containing cinnabar, some researchers questioned the medicinal value of cinnabar, and even proposed to remove cinnabar in order to avoid possible poisoning. This review reported adverse events, summarized its toxicity characteristics, mechanism and the medicinal value in preparations of traditional Chinese medicine. The significance of this paper is to further understand the toxicity of cinnabar and reduce its side effect in clinical application, and to provide a scientific basis for reasonable clinical application and a scientific understanding of cinnabar.

[Studies of pattern recognition of fingerprint profile of cattle bile powder and determination of multi-component in it].

An HPLC-ELSD method with good specificity and good accuracy was used for the studies of fingerprint and quantification of multi-components for cattle bile powder. The chromatographic analysis was carried out on a Phenomenex Gemini C18 column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm) with a column temperature of 40 ℃ and a liquid flow-rate of 1.0 mL•min⁻¹ using 10 mmol ammonium acetate solution and acetonitrile as the mobile phase with a linear gradient. An ELSD was used with a nitrogen flow-rate of 2.8 L•h⁻¹, at a drift tube temperature of 110 ℃. The average contents of glycocholic acid, glycodeoxycholic acid, taurocholic acid, taurodeoxycholic acid were (25.2±17.0)%, (4.1±3.4)%, (24.5±20.0)% and (5.2±3.8)% respectively, and the total content of the four bile acids was (59.0±26.0)%. Beyond that, the preprocessing and pattern recognition analysis of the chromatographic fingerprints of samples were applied with chemometric method. The results of this chemometric analysis indicated that the samples from market and self-made samples were different signally, and four regions were noteworthy due to their great impact with poor chromatographic signal. All in one, because this HPLC-ELSD method was simple and accurate, it was suitable for the quality assessment and quality control of cattle bile powder and could be the technological base for its standard perfection.

Metabolomics insights into chronic kidney disease and modulatory effect of rhubarb against tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem worldwide. Rhubarb has been shown to have nephroprotective and anti-fibrotic activities in patients with CKD. However, bioactive fractions and biochemical mechanism of anti-fibrotic properties of rhubarb remain unclear. Here we applied ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry together with univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to investigate the urinary metabolite profile in rats with adenine-induced CKD treated with the petroleum ether (PE)-, ethyl acetate (EA)- and n-butanol (BU)- extracts of rhubarb. Significant differences in renal function, kidney histopathology as well as metabolic profiles were observed between CKD and control rats. Changes in these parameters reflected characteristic phenotypes of CKD rats. We further identified a series of differential urinary metabolites for CKD rats, suggesting metabolic dysfunction in pathway of amino acid, purine, taurine, and choline metabolisms. Treatment with EA, BU and PE extracts of rhubarb improved renal function and histopathological abnormalities including interstitial fibrosis and inflammation, and either fully or partially reversed the abnormalities of the urinary metabolites. Among them, the nephroprotective effect of EA extract was stronger than BU and PE extracts. This work provides important mechanistic insights into the CKD and nephroprotective effects of different rhubarb extract against tubulo-interstitial fibrosis.

Application of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectra (FTIR) Fingerprint in the Quality Control of Mineral Chinese Medicine Limonitum.

In the present paper, the fingerprint of Limonitum (a mineral Chinese medicine) by FTIR was established, and the spectrograms among crude samples, processed one and the adulterant sample were compared. Eighteen batches of Limonitum samples from different production areas were analyzed and the angle cosine value of transmittance (%) of common peaks was calculated to get the similarity of the FTIR fingerprints. The result showed that the similarities and the coefficients of the samples were all more than 0.90. The processed samples revealed significant differences compared with the crude one. This study analyzed the composition characteristics of Limonitum in FTIR fingerprint, and it was simple and fast to distinguish the crude, processed and the counterfeit samples. The FTIR fingerprints provide a new method for evaluating the quality of Limonitum.

New perspectives on dietary-derived treatments and food safety-antinomy in a new era.

Despite the advances in science and technology and wide use of chemical drugs, dietary intervention (or food therapy) remains useful in preventing or treating many human diseases. A huge body of evidence shows that the dietary pattern or habit is also an important contributing factor to the development of chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cancers. In recent years, over-the-counter health foods, nutraceuticals, and plant-derived medicinal products have been gaining popularity all over the world, particularly in developed countries. Unfortunately, owing to the contamination with various harmful substances in foods and the presence of toxic food components, food-borne diseases have also become increasingly problematic. Incidents of food poisonings or tainted food have been increasing worldwide, particularly in China and other developing countries. Therefore, the government should put in a greater effort in enforcing food safety by improving the surveillance mechanism and exerting highest standards of quality control for foods.