Maximizing crustaceans (shrimp, crab, and lobster) by-products value for optimum valorization practices: A comparative review of their active ingredients, extraction, bioprocesses and applications.

BACKGROUND: The processing of the three major crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, and crab) is associated with inevitable by-products, high waste disposal costs, environmental and human health issues, loss of multiple biomaterials (chitin, protein hydrolysates, lipids, astaxanthin and minerals). Nowadays, these bioresources are underutilized owing to the lack of effective and standardized technologies to convert these materials into valued industrial forms. AIM OF REVIEW: This review aims to provide a holistic overview of the various bioactive ingredients and applications within major crustaceans by-products. This review aims to compare various extraction methods in crustaceans by-products, which will aid identify a more workable platform to minimize waste disposal and maximize its value for best valorization practices. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW: The fully integrated applications (agriculture, food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paper industries, etc.) of multiple biomaterials from crustaceans by-products are presented. The pros and cons of the various extraction methods, including chemical (acid and alkali), bioprocesses (enzymatic or fermentation), physical (microwave, ultrasound, hot water and carbonic acid process), solvent (ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, EDTA) and electrochemistry are detailed. The rapid development of corresponding biotechnological attempts present a simple, fast, effective, clean, and controllable bioprocess for the comprehensive utilization of crustacean waste that has yet to be applied at an industrial level. One feasible way for best valorization practices is to combine innovative extraction techniques with industrially applicable technologies to efficiently recover these valuable components.

Anesthetic Effect of Dezocine Combined with Propofol in Laparoscopic Surgery and Its Influence on T Cells and Inflammatory Factors in Patients.

Objective: To investigate the anesthetic effects of combining dezocine with propofol during laparoscopic surgeries, particularly its impact on T cells and inflammation. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 80 patients undergoing laparoscopy at the Third Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University from January 1, 2021, to August 1, 2022. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 40 each using the random number table method. The combined group received 0.1mg/kg dezocine and 2.5 mg/kg propofol, while the control group received only 2.5 mg/kg propofol. Postoperative levels of NK cells, T cells, TNF-α, and IL-1ß were analyzed. Results: Postoperative recovery times, including spontaneous breathing, eye-opening, verbal response, extubation, and orientation, were notably shorter in the combined group compared to the control. While both groups showed an increase in TNF-α and IL-1ß levels post-surgery, the combined group had significantly lower levels at specific timepoints (T1, T2). This group also showed elevated levels of NK cells, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+. Additionally, the combined group reported significantly less pain and had fewer patients with a low body condition score after extubation. No significant difference was observed in postoperative adverse reactions between the groups. Conclusions: Combining dezocine with propofol offers superior anesthesia for laparoscopic procedures. This combination not only enhances recovery speed and reduces postoperative pain but also maintains high safety standards.

Natural Sesquiterpene Lactone as Source of Discovery of Novel Fungicidal Candidates: Structural Modification and Antifungal Activity Evaluation of Xanthatin Derived from Xanthium strumarium L.

As part of our ongoing efforts to discover novel agricultural fungicidal candidates from natural sesquiterpene lactones, in the present work, sixty-three xanthatin-based derivatives containing a arylpyrazole, arylimine, thio-acylamino, oxime, oxime ether, or oxime ester moiety were synthesized. Their structures were well characterized by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry, while the absolute configurations of compounds 5' and 6a were further determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Meanwhile, the antifungal activities of the prepared compounds against several phytopathogenic fungi were investigated using the spore germination method and the mycelium growth rate method in vitro. The bioassay results illustrated that compounds 5, 5', and 15 exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against the tested fungal spores and displayed remarkable inhibitory effects on fungal mycelia. Compounds 5 and 5' exhibited more potent inhibitory activity (IC50 = 1.1 and 24.8 µg/mL, respectively) against the spore of Botrytis cinerea than their precursor xanthatin (IC50 = 37.6 µg/mL), wherein the antifungal activity of compound 5 was 34-fold higher than that of xanthatin and 71-fold higher than that of the positive control, difenoconazole (IC50 = 78.5 µg/mL). Notably, compound 6'a also demonstrated broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against the four tested fungal spores. Meanwhile, compounds 2, 5, 8, and 15 showed prominent inhibitory activity against the mycelia of Cytospora mandshurica with the EC50 values of 2.3, 11.7, 11.1, and 3.0 µg/mL, respectively, whereas the EC50 value of xanthatin was 14.8 µg/mL. Additionally, compounds 5' and 15 exhibited good in vivo therapeutic and protective effects against B. cinerea with values of 55.4 and 62.8%, respectively. The preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis revealed that the introduction of oxime, oxime ether, or oxime ester structural fragment at the C-4 position of xanthatin or the introduction of a chlorine atom at the C-3 position of xanthatin might be significantly beneficial to antifungal activity. In conclusion, the comprehensive investigation indicated that partial xanthatin-based derivatives from this study could be considered for further exploration as potential lead structures toward developing novel fungicidal candidates for crop protection.

The mediating effect of somatic symptom disorder between psychological factors and quality of life among Chinese breast cancer patients.

Objective: We conducted this cross-sectional study to explore the mediating and predicting role of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) between psychological measures and quality of life (QOL) among Chinese breast cancer patients. Methods: Breast cancer patients were recruited from three clinics in Beijing. Screening tools included the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), the Health Anxiety Scale (Whiteley Index-8, WI-8), the Somatic Symptom Disorder B-Criteria Scale (SSD-12), the Fear of Cancer Recurrence scale (FCR-4), the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ-8), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). Chi-square tests, nonparametric tests, mediating effect analysis, and linear regression analysis were used for the data analysis. Results: Among the 264 participants, 25.0% were screened positive for SSD. The patients with screened positive SSD had a lower performance status, and a greater number of patients with screened positive SSD received traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (p < 0.05). Strong mediating effects of SSD were found between psychological measures and QOL among patients with breast cancer after adjusting for sociodemographic variables as covariates (p < 0.001). The range of the percentage mediating effects was 25.67% (independent variable = PHQ-9) to 34.68% (independent variable = WI-8). Screened positive SSD predicted low QOL in physical (B = -0.476, p < 0.001), social (B = -0.163, p < 0.001), emotional (B = -0.304, p < 0.001), and functional (B = -0.283, p < 0.001) well-being, as well as substantial concerns caused by breast cancer (B = -0.354, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Screened positive SSD had strong mediating effects between psychological factors and quality of life among breast cancer patients. Additionally, screened positive SSD was a significant predictor of lower QOL among breast cancer patients. Effective psychosocial interventions for improving QOL should consider the prevention and treatment of SSD or integrated SSD caring dimensions for breast cancer patients.

Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets enhance the tolerance of Torreya grandis to Pb stress.

As a 2D nanomaterial, MXene (Ti3C2Tx) has shown enormous potential for use in fields such as biomedical and environmental pollution. However, the utilization of MXene materials in plants has received little attention thus far. The efficient use of MXene materials in agriculture and forestry is first highlighted in this study. Phenotypic and physiological analyses indicated that MXene application significantly enhanced the tolerance of Torreya grandis to Pb stress by reducing Pb accumulation. Furthermore, we illustrated two independent mechanisms of MXene material in reducing Pb accumulation in T. grandis: 1) MXene converted the available form of Pb into stable forms via its strong Pb adsorption ability, resulting in a decrease of the available form of Pb in soils, and 2) MXene application obviously increased the cell wall pectin content to restrict more Pb in the cell wall by regulating the expression of pectin synthesis/metabolism-related genes (TgPLL2, TgPLL11, TgPG5, TgPG30, TgGAUT3 and TgGAUT12) in T. grandis roots. Overall, this finding provides insight into the application of MXene material in modern agriculture and forestry, which will facilitate the rapid development of nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture and forestry.

Quercetin Supplement to Aspirin Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Pre-eclampsia-Like Impairments in Rats Through the NLRP3 Inflammasome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Aspirin is a common drug for the treatment of pre-eclampsia. We aimed to explore whether quercetin as a supplement to aspirin could enhance the therapeutic outcome in pre-eclampsia rat models. We further aimed to evaluate the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome as a potential pre-eclampsia-related molecular mechanism, which can be affected by quercetin treatment. METHODS: Rat pre-eclampsia models were established using an intravenous lipopolysaccharide injection after gestation. Rats were treated with aspirin and quercetin at 6-18 days after pregnancy. On day 20, blood, fetus, and placenta were harvested. Blood pressure and the level of proteinuria were measured every 4 days. Fetal outcomes were analyzed by pup body weight. Serum soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, PIGF, interleukin-6, and interleukin-10 levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Caspase-1, NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain, and p-caspase-1 levels in the placenta were assessed using western blot or quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. RESULTS: Pre-eclampsia rat models showed a pronounced increase in systolic blood pressure and proteinuria after 4 days of pregnancy, while aspirin, quercetin, and aspirin/quercetin combinatory treatment significantly attenuated the blood pressure and proteinuria abnormalities. Notably, the aspirin/quercetin combinatory treatment showed the highest efficacy in attenuating pre-eclampsia-like symptoms. Placental caspase-1 and NLRP3 levels also showed the greatest attenuation in pre-eclampsia rats after aspirin/quercetin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggested that quercetin supplementation to aspirin is more effective in attenuating symptoms of pre-eclampsia and improving pregnancy outcomes compared with quercetin or aspirin alone. Quercetin can ameliorate placental NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which might serve as an underlying mechanism for its therapeutic efficacies in pre-eclampsia.

Mechanism of Lycopodii herba for RA-ILD using integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which highly increases the morbidity and mortality of RA. Lycopodii herba (SJC) has been used as a widespread traditional Chinese medicine to treat RA and the related complications for more than 500 years. However, its therapeutic effect on RA-ILD and related mechanisms are not clear. The purpose of this work was to confirm the efficacy of SJC for RA-ILD and clarify its mechanism. In this study, we first determined the efficacy of SJC on RA-ILD. Then, 15 potential biomarkers of SJC were identified by metabolomics in rat serum, which were mainly associated with ether lipid metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism. 21 pathways were related to SJC by network pharmacology. Combined with the results of metabolomics and network pharmacology and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) validation, the mechanism of SJC for RA-ILD may be related to the Ras signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway by regulating the expression of PLA2G1B and PI3KCA. This work preliminary confirmed the preventive and therapeutic effects of SJC on RA-ILD and elucidated the mechanism from the metabolic perspective.

Polarity-Specific Profiling of Metabolites in Single Cells by Probe Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry.

Sensitive analysis of metabolites in a single cell is of fundamental significance for the better understanding of biological variability, differential susceptibility in disease therapy, and cell-to-cell heterogeneity as well. Herein, polarity-specific profiling of metabolites in a single cell was implemented by probe electrophoresis mass spectrometry (PEMS), which combined electrophoresis sampling of metabolites from a single cell and nanoelectrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (nanoESI-MS) analysis of the sampled metabolites. Enhanced extraction of either negatively or positively charged metabolites from a single cell was achieved by applying a DC voltage offset of +2.0 and -2.0 V to the probe, respectively. The experimental data demonstrated that PEMS features high throughput (≥200 peaks) and high sensitivity (≥10-times signal enhancement for [Choline + H]+, [Glutamine + H]+, [Arginine + H]+, etc.) in comparison with direct nanoESI-MS analysis. The biological effects of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) and γ-radiation on Allium cepa cells were investigated by PEMS, which revealed that CdSe QDs lead to the increase of intracellular amines while γ-radiation causes the decrease of intracellular acids. Therefore, this work provides an alternative platform to probe novel insights of cells by sensitive analysis of polarity-specific metabolites in a single cell.

Synthesis and in vitro antifungal activity of new Michael-type amino derivatives of xanthatin, a natural sesquiterpene lactone from Xanthium strumarium L.

Structural optimization using plant secondary metabolites as templates is one of the important approach to discover pesticide molecules with novel skeletons. Xanthatin, a natural sesquiterpene lactone isolated from the Xanthium plants (Family: Compositae), exhibits important biological properties. In this work, a series of Michael-type amino derivatives were prepared from xanthatin and their structures were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HR-MS, and their antifungal activities against several phytopathogenic fungi were evaluated according to the spore germination method and mycelium growth rate method in vitro. The results illustrated that compounds 2g (IC50 = 78.91 µg/mL) and 2o (IC50 = 64.51 µg/mL) exhibited more promising inhibition activity against spores of F. solani than precursor xanthatin, compounds 2g, 2l, and 2r exhibited remarkable antifungal effect on C. mandshurica with the average inhibition rates (AIRs) >90%, whereas the AIR of xanthatin was only 59.34%. Meanwhile, the preliminary structure-activity relationships suggested that the amino containing 2-methoxyethyl or 4-chlorophenylmethyl group appended in the C-13 position of xanthatin could yield potential compounds against fungal spores, and the exocyclic double bond of xanthatin is essential to maintain its mycelial growth inhibitory activity. Therefore, the aforementioned findings indicate that partial xanthatin amino-derivatives could be considered for further exploration as the potential lead structures toward development of the new environmentally friendly fungicidal candidates for sustainable crop protection.

Metabolism of Du Zhong Formula in rats using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.

Du Zhong Formula (DZF), a traditional Chinese medicine formula derived from BeiJiQianJinYaoFang, is used to treat kidney deficiency and lumbago. In this study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) technique combined with pattern recognition analysis was applied for analysis of metabolic profiles of the bioactive components of the DZF in rat biological samples. In this experiment, a total of 73 compounds, including 53 prototype components and 20 metabolites, were identified tentatively in vivo compared with blank urine, plasma, feces, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The prototype ingredients in DZF include terpenoids, gingerols, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, phenanthrenes, bibenzyls, organic acids, and other ingredients. The metabolic pathways of DZF involved reduction, demethylation, hydroxylation, desugarization, deoxygenation, glucuronidation, sulfation, and methylation. The proposed method could develop an integrated template approach to analyze screening and identification of the bioactive components in plasma, urine, feces, and CSF after oral administration of herb medicines. Additionally, this investigation might provide helpful chemical information for further pharmacology and activity mechanism of DZF.

The plant hormone abscisic acid stimulates megakaryocyte differentiation from human iPSCs in vitro.

In the clinic, the supply of platelets is frequently insufficient to meet transfusion needs. To address this issue, many scientists have established the derivation of functional platelets from CD34+ cells or human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). However, the yield of platelets is still far below what is required. Here we found that the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) could increase the generation of megakaryocytes (MKs) and platelets from human induced PSCs (hiPSCs). During platelet derivation, ABA treatment promoted the generation of CD34+/CD45+ HPCs and CD41+ MKs on day 14 and then increased CD41+/CD42b+ MKs and platelets on day 19. Moreover, we found ABA-mediated activation of Akt and ERK1/2 signal pathway through receptors LANCL2 and GRP78 in a PKA-dependent manner on CD34+/CD45+ cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that ABA treatment can promote CD34+/CD45+ HPC proliferation and CD41+ MK differentiation.

Shengmai Yin formula exerts cardioprotective effects on rats with chronic heart failure via regulating Linoleic Acid metabolism.

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Shengmai Yin(SMY) on rats with chronic heart failure(CHF).Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish a CHF animal model via ligation of the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery and exhaustive swimming.Echocardiography, serum biochemical indicators and histopathology were used to evaluate the pharmacodynamics of SMY in CHF rats.UPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis based on serum was performed to identify the potential metabolites in the pathological process of CHF. Metabolic pathway analysis was carried out to elucidate the metabolic network associated with SMY treatment of CHF.Moreover,quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting (WB), and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to measure the RNA and protein expression levels in related pathways. Results revealed that SMY significantly restored the cardiac function of CHF rats, reduced the serum biochemical indicators, and alleviated cardiac histological damage. Metabolomics analysis shows that the therapeutic effect of SMY for CHF involves 14 biomarkers and 8 metabolic pathways, especially linoleic acid pathway, to be influenced, which implied the potential mechanism of SMY in treating CHF. Two key indicators Lipoxygenase arachidonic acid 15 lipoxygenase (ALOX15) and Cytochrome P450 1A2(CYP1A2) of linoleic acid metabolism pathway were verified by RT-PCR, WB and ELISA. Verification result showed that compared with the model group, expression levels of ALOX15 and CYP1A2 in SMY group were lower. In conclusion, SMY has cardioprotective effect on chronic heart failure rats, and its mechanism may be related to linoleic acid metabolism pathway.

Effect of photodynamic treatments on quality and antioxidant properties of fresh-cut potatoes.

This study evaluated the feasibility of curcumin based photodynamic sterilization technology (PDT) applied to fresh-cut potato slices. Potato samples with 30 µmol L-1 curcumin solution were exposed to 420 nm light emitting diodes (LED) at a total dose of 0.7 kJ cm-2. Results showed that PDT inactivated 2.43 log CFU mL-1 of Escherichia coli (BL 21) and 3.18 log CFU mL-1 of Staphylococcus aureus and maintained the color, texture, weight as well as total solid content of treated potatoes. Additionally, loss of phenols and flavonoids was significantly prevented, increasing the total antioxidant capacity. This was attributed to changes in enzyme activity that PDT decreased the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) by 59.7% and 47.8% and increased the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). Therefore, curcumin-based PDT has the potential to maintain the commercial quality of producing and achieving microbiological safety.

Screen the Effective Components of Lycopodii herba on Rheumatoid Arthritis with the Aid of Spectrum-Effect Relationship and Uncover its Potential Mechanism.

Lycopodii herba (SJC), a traditional Chinese medicine, has the effect of dispelling wind and eliminating dampness (a therapeutic principle and method of traditional Chinese medicine for rheumatoid arthritis), relaxing tendon and activating collaterals. However, the major effective components and its therapeutic mechanism were unclear. In this study, different SJC samples with slightly different compositions were prepared by extracting with different concentrations of ethanol. Then, the therapeutic effects on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of different SJC samples were evaluated. Finally, the spectrum-effect relationship between UPLC-Q-TOF/MS fingerprints and the effect of RA was explored to screen the effective components. Western blotting was used to study the potential mechanism. The volume of hind paw and the level of RF, TNF-α, and IL-1ß were lower after administrating with different SJC samples, compared with the model group. Histopathological findings also confirmed that SJC could relieve the symptoms of RA. Combined with identification of the components in plasm from SJC, lycojaponicumin C, des-N-methyl-α-obscurine, 8ß-acetoxy-12ß-hydroxy-lycopodine or 8ß-acetoxy-11α-hydroxy-lycopodine or 8ß-hydroxy-11α-acetoxylycopodine were considered to be the major effective components. The mechanism may be related to AChE/NF-κB signaling pathway. This work provides a general method to screen the potential effective components of herb medicines and would be benefit to understand the mechanism of SJC for the treatment of RA.

Natural product-based semisynthesis and biological evaluation of thiol/amino-Michael adducts of xanthatin derived from Xanthium strumarium as potential pesticidal agents.

Xanthatin, a natural sesquiterpene lactone, occurs as one of the major constituents of Xanthium plants (Compositae) and exhibits many important biological properties. To discover natural products-based pesticides, forty-nine Michael-type thiol/amino adducts of xanthatin were synthesized and characterized, while their pesticidal activities were investigated. Among them, compounds 2c, 2h, 2i, and 2t exhibited more potent antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea (IC50 = 0.96, 0.38, 6.33, and 7.21 µg/mL, respectively) than xanthatin and the two commercial fungicides. Compounds 2t and 2u displayed broad-spectrum and excellent antifungal effects against all tested phytopathogenic fungi, while their IC50 values ranged from 7.21 to 75.88 µg/mL. Compounds 2a, 2f, 2l, 2m, 2v, 7c, 7e, 7h, 7i, and 7j showed moderate larvicidal activity against Plutella xylostella Linnaeus. Furthermore, compounds 2b, 7g, and 7h demonstrated significant ovicidal activity against P. xylostella with the LC50 values of 14.04, 10.00, and 11.95 mg/L, respectively. These findings suggest that thiol/amino appended in the C-13 position of xanthatin may improve antifungal and ovicidal activities for the derivatives. It was also noticed that the exocyclic double bond of xanthatin is crucial for its larvicidal activity. This work also provides some important hints for further design, synthesis, and structural modification of the xanthanolides sesquiterpene lactones toward development of the new environmentally friendly pesticides for sustainable agricultural production.

Enhancement of adaptive immune responses of aged mice by dietary intake of ß-glucans, with special emphasis on anti-aging activity.

The naturally occurring polysaccharide, ß-1,3-glucans, a well-known immunostimulant, has been highly valued for many years for their health-promoting and anti-aging properties, but its mode of action is poorly understood. In this study, we first showed that oral administration of ß-1,3-glucans did not affect the general condition and physiology of male mice throughout the trial period. We then showed that dietary intake of ß-1,3-glucans induced a significant increase in T helper cells (CD4+) in young, middle-aged and aged male mice. We also showed that ß-1,3-glucans supplementation considerably increased the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response, a T cell-mediated immune response, in young and aged mice. In addition, we found that ß-1,3-glucans supplementation remarkably promoted the production of total anti-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) immunoglobulin G (IgG), anti-KLH IgG1, and anti-KLH IgG2a in young and aged mice without disturbing immune homeostasis. These data together indicate that oral administration of ß-1,3-glucans enhanced the adaptive immune responses of aged mice without disturbing their general condition and physiology, supporting the idea that ß-1,3-glucans are capable of counteracting the immunosenescence in mice. They also suggest that ß-1,3-glucans can be clinically useful to help the elderly generate an improved response to vaccine with stronger humoral and cell-mediated immune responses.

Identification and Analysis of Chemical Constituents and Rat Serum Metabolites in Lycopodium clavatum Using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS Combined with Multiple Data-Processing Approaches.

Lycopodium clavatum is a dry whole grass of Lycopodium japonicum Thunb.; it has been extensively used to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial actions and inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity. However, it lacks further compounds research of Lycopodium clavatum in vivo and in vitro. In this work, a rapid method was established using the ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) combined with multiple data-processing approaches for compounds analysis of Lycopodium clavatum in vitro and in vivo. Finally, 30 peaks were characterized in 75% ethanol extract of Lycopodium clavatum and 17 peaks were characterized in rat plasma that including 12 prototype compounds and 5 metabolites. Methylation and demethylation are the main transformation reactions of Lycopodium clavatum in rat serum. This work could be helpful for understanding the complex compounds of Lycopodium clavatum and further analyzing the pharmacological studies of active compounds.

Application of GC/MS-Based Metabonomic Profiling in Studying the Therapeutic Effects of Aconitum carmichaeli with Ampelopsis japonica Extract on Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Rats.

Aconitum carmichaeli with Ampelopsis japonica (AA) is a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula. There are a lot of examples showing that AA can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but its mechanism of action is still not completely clear. In this research, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) was chosen as a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model. Rats of treated groups were continuously administered Aconitum carmichaeli (AC), Ampelopsis japonica (AJ) and Aconitum carmichaeli + Ampelopsis japonica (AA) orally once a day from the day after the onset of arthritis (day 7) until day 42. The results showed that AA not only significantly reduced paw swelling, but also improved the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in serum. GC-MS-based urine metabonomics was established to analysis metabolic profiles and 21 biomarkers of RA rats were identified by the Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) methods. The prediction rate of the SVM method for the 21 biomarkers was 100%. Twenty of 21 biomarkers, including D-galactose, inositol and glycerol, gradually returned to normal levels after administration of AA. Metabolomic Pathway Analysis (MetPA) generated three related metabolic pathways-galactose metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism and inositol phosphate metabolism-which explain the mechanism of AA treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This research provides a better understanding of the therapeutic effects and possible therapeutic mechanism of action of a complex TCM (AA) on rheumatoid arthritis.

Ameliorative effects of pre-eclampsia by quercetin supplement to aspirin in a rat model induced by L-NAME.

As an inflammatory disease, pre-eclampsia is correlated with elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and maternal endothelial dysfunction. Aspirin plays an important role in the prevention and therapy of pre-eclampsia. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid which has anti-oxidant and reno-protective abilities. We aimed to figure out the effects of quercetin supplement to aspirin on the therapy against pre-eclampsia. Female pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups according to the drug treatment. Aspirin [1.5 mg/kg body weight (BW)] or quercetin (2 mg/kg BW) treatment was administered from gestational day (GD) 4 to GD19. Rat model of pre-eclampsia was induced by NG-nitro-Larginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME). In pre-eclampsia rats induced by L-NAME, systolic blood pressures (SBP), proteinuria, malonyldialdehyde (MDA), and inflammatory cytokines levels were decreased by the treatment of quercetin supplement to aspirin. In the uterus, quercetin supplement to aspirin prevented the expression of VEGF and sFlt-1 mRNA. The treatment of quercetin supplement to aspirin rescued the declined survival rate and weight of pups caused by L-NAME-induced pre-eclampsia. Based on our study, compared with the treatment of aspirin alone, quercetin supplement to aspirin enhanced the therapeutic effects of aspirin on pre-eclampsia rats induced by L-NAME.