Integrated assessment of medicinal rhubarb by combination of delayed luminescence and HPLC fingerprint with emphasized on bioactivities based quality control.

BACKGROUND: To promote herbal medicine depends largely on its quality. Chromatographic fingerprint is a frequent approach for quality assessment of herbs however with challenges on robust and reproducibility. To develop rapid, cheap and comprehensive measurements as complementary tools for herbal quality control are still urgently needed. Moreover, biological activities are essential for herbal quality, and should be taken into consideration with emphasized in quality control. METHODS: In this research, HPLC fingerprint and delayed luminescence (DL, a rapid and systematic tool) were used to measure the rhubarb samples of multiple species. Statistics were explored to classify these rhubarb samples using data obtained from two analytic methods. In addition, DL properties were linked to specific chemical components which may reflect bioactivities of rhubarb using Spearman's rank correlation. Moreover, mice model was used to evaluate the cathartic effect between rhubarb samples stratifying by two analytic methods. RESULTS: We found that there was no significant difference of chemical fingerprints and DL signals among the different species of medicinal rhubarb. However, our results show a high similarity between HPLC fingerprint analysis and DL measurements in classification of these rhubarb samples into two sub-groups. In addition, the two sub-groups of rhubarb samples that may have different cathartic activities. CONCLUSION: This approach provides new leads for development of herbal quality assessment based on bioactivity. In conclusion, integrated assessment by measuring HPLC fingerprint and DL with emphasized on bioactivity may provide novel strategy for herbal quality control.

A comparative study of aged and contemporary Chinese herbal materials by using delayed luminescence technique.

BACKGROUND: Investigation of aged Chinese herbal materials will help us to understand their use and sources in ancient time and broaden the historical perspective of Chinese material medica. To reach this aim, the basic understanding of aged herbal materials, including physical and chemical characters, is of great importance. Delayed luminescence (DL) technique was developed as a rapid, direct, systemic, objective and sample loss-free tool to characterize the properties of Chinese herbal materials. In this study, we measured DL values in aged Chinese herbal materials that were transported from Asia to Europe during the 20th century and stored in Naturalis Biodiversity Center and the Utrecht University museum, and compared these with modern material of the same species. METHODS: A hyperbolic function was used to extract four properties from the DL curves of Chinese herbal material from 1900, the 1950s and recently harvested products. Statistical tools, including the Student's t test, One-way analysis of variance and Principal Component Analysis, were used to differentiate the DL properties of aged and contemporary collections of Glycyrrhiza spp. Curcuma aromatica Salisb., Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Alpinia officinarum Hance and Acorus calamus L. RESULTS: Our results showed that DL properties were significantly different between historical and contemporary Chinese herbal materials. Changes in DL values were species-dependent: the effects of storage time of DL properties were specific for each species. These outcomes help us not only in the identification of historical Chinese medicine products but also provides valuable data of the effect of storage time on herbal materials. CONCLUSION: The simple, direct, rapid, and inexpensive measurements offered by DL provide a novel tool to assess the taxonomic identity of Chinese and other herbal materials and assess the differences in chemical properties with increasing storage time. Our results contribute to the further development of novel digital tools for the quality control of herbal materials.

Application of delayed luminescence measurements for the identification of herbal materials: a step toward rapid quality control.

BACKGROUND: Herbal materials are widely used as medicinal products, dietary supplements, food, and spices. With increased consumption, the safety, quality, and efficacy of herbal materials are becoming more relevant. The authenticity of herbal materials plays an important role in herbal quality control, and there is an urgent need to develop a simple, direct, objective, rapid, and inexpensive measurement tool for the identification of herbal materials for the purpose of quality control. METHODS: Delayed luminescence (DL) was used to measure authentic and counterfeit herbal materials. A hyperbolic function was used to extract four properties from the DL curves of the herbal materials. Statistical tools, including Student's t test and Principal Component Analysis, were used to differentiate authentic and counterfeit herbal materials based on the DL properties. RESULTS: Our results showed that authentic and counterfeit herbal materials could be identified based on the DL properties as follows: (a) authentic versus counterfeit materials; (b) authentic versus adulterated materials; (c) authentic versus sulfur-fumigated materials; as well as (d) authentic versus dyed materials. CONCLUSION: The simple, direct, rapid, and inexpensive measurements offered by DL potentially offer a novel technique for the identification of Chinese herbal materials. However, the establishment of a valid database will be the next step toward the possible application of this technique, which would contribute significantly to the development of a novel digital tool for the quality control of herbal materials.

A Bridge of Light: Toward Chinese and Western Medicine Perspectives Through Ultraweak Photon Emissions.

The gap between Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (CM) is closely related to the diversity in culture, philosophy, and scientific developments. Although numerous studies have evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture, the gap in explanatory disease models has not been bridged so far. Developments in research of ultraweak photon emission (UPE) and organized dynamics of metabolism and its relationship with technological advances in metabolomics have created the conditions to bring the basics of the medicines of the West and East together which might open the avenue for a scientific dialogue. The paper discusses (1) the UPE in relation to Qi energy, meridians and acupuncture points in CM, (2) the biochemical explanation of photon emission of living systems in Western biomedicine, and (3) the progress in research on the large-scale organization and dynamics of the metabolic network including photon metabolism.

Role of amino acids in rheumatoid arthritis studied by metabolomics.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex, chronic autoimmune disease characterized by various inflammatory symptoms, including joint swelling, joint pain, and both structural and functional joint damage. The most commonly used animal model for studying RA is mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA); the wide use of this model is due primarily to many similarities with RA in human patients. Metabolomics is used increasingly in biological studies for diagnosing disease and for predicting and evaluating drug interventions, as a large number of disease-associated metabolites can be analyzed and interpreted from a biological perspective. AIM: To profile free amino acids and their biogenic metabolites in CIA mice plasma. METHOD: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry coupled with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used for metabolomics study. RESULTS: Profile of 45 amine metabolites, including free amino acids and their biogenic metabolites in plasma was obtained from CIA mice. We found that the plasma levels of 20 amine metabolites were significantly decreased in the CIA group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a disordered amine response is linked to RA-associated muscle wasting and energy expenditure.

Application of delayed luminescence method on measuring of the processing of Chinese herbal materials.

BACKGROUND: Based on the principle of tradition Chinese medicine, the processing refers to various techniques that alter the overall properties of herbal materials to meet the requirements of therapeutic applications. However, the standards of quality control and scientific standard operation protocol for processing manufacturing are largely unknown and there is a huge demand for the development of scientific tools for evaluating the quality during and after the processing. The key challenge in evidence-based medicine is to characterize the processing of herbal materials from system-based perspective. METHODS: Delayed luminescence (DL) as a rapid, direct, systemic tool was used to characterize the properties of raw and processed materials of Rehmanniae radix and Ginseng radix et rhizome. Hyperbolic function was used to extract four parameters from DL curves of herbal materials. Statistical tools, including one-way analysis of variance and principal component analysis, were used to differentiate raw and processed herbal materials. RESULTS: Our results showed DL properties were able to reliably identify raw and processed materials of Rehmanniae radix and Ginseng radix et rhizoma, respectively. In addition, the results indicated that after four cycles of processing for Rehmanniae radix, there was no much significant change in DL parameters which resembles the results obtained from chemical analyses (after five cycles) using 1HNMR and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in previous studies. CONCLUSION: DL may serve as a fast, robust and sensitive tool for evaluating processing on herbs and may be used as part of a comprehensive platform for assessing the quality of herbal materials.

Application of Spontaneous Photon Emission in the Growth Ages and Varieties Screening of Fresh Chinese Herbal Medicines.

Ultraweak photon emission emitted by all living organisms has been confirmed to be a noninvasive indicator for their physiological and pathological characteristics. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of spontaneous photon emission (SPE) and the contents of specific active compounds of roots and flowers buds of several fresh Chinese herbal medicines (natural medicines) with different growth ages and varieties. The results revealed that the contents of specific active compounds from same species herbs with different growth ages and varieties were significantly different, and this difference could be reflected by their SPE. Because the contents of specific bioactive constituents in Chinese herbs are closely related to their quality and curative effect, the SPE measurement technique may contribute to the quality control of Chinese herbal medicine in the future.

Characterization of the therapeutic properties of Chinese herbal materials by measuring delayed luminescence and dendritic cell-based immunomodulatory response.

Based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory, the Chinese pharmacopeia assigns a therapeutic description of "taste" to all herbs; thus, an herb's "taste" is valued in traditional Chinese medicine as a major ethnopharmacological category and reflects the herb's therapeutic properties. These properties guide the practitioner with respect to preparing a specific herbal formula in order to provide each patient with a personalized intervention. The key challenge in evidence-based medicine is to characterize herbal therapeutic properties from a multi-target, multi-dimensional systems pharmacology perspective. Here, we used delayed luminescence (DL, the slowly decaying emission of photons following excitation with light) as a rapid, direct, highly sensitive indicator to characterize the properties of herbal medicines. The DL parameters were able to reliably identify a specific category of herbal materials with the so-called "sweet" taste. To support the DL results and provide biological relevance to the DL results, we used a murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cell-based assay to examine the immunomodulatory effects of herbal extracts from various "taste" categories. Our results indicate that DL may serve as a robust and sensitive tool for evaluating the therapeutic properties of herbs based on the traditional Chinese medicine classification of "taste". Thus, DL provides a promising technological platform for investigating the properties of Chinese herbal medicines both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Measuring ultra-weak photon emission as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for detecting early-stage type 2 diabetes: A step toward personalized medicine.

The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes is estimated to reach 4.4% by 2030, placing a significant burden on our healthcare system. Therefore, the ability to identify patients in early stages of the disease is essential for both prevention and effective management, and diagnostic methods based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may be suitable for identifying patients with early-stage type 2 diabetes. Here, a panel of three physicians trained in TCM classified 44 pre-diabetic subjects into three syndrome subtypes using TCM-based diagnostics. In addition, ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) was measured at four anatomical sites in each subject. Ten properties encompassing 40 parameters were then extracted from the UPE time series. Statistical analyses, including multinomial logistic regression, were performed using the results of each parameter measured at the four sites. Sixteen UPE parameters were then selected and used to discriminate between the three subtypes of pre-diabetic subjects. Next, Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to quantify the correlation between the 16 UPE parameters and the TCM-based diagnoses. The resulting correlation networks accurately reflected the differences between the three syndrome subtypes. These results suggest that UPE is a suitable tool for detecting subtypes in early-stage type 2 diabetes. In addition, our results provide evidence that TCM may represent an important step toward personalized medicine.

Spectral Analysis of Chinese Medicinal Herbs Based on Delayed Luminescence.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a critical role in healthcare; however, it lacks scientific evidence to support the multidimensional therapeutic effects. These effects are based on experience, and, to date, there is no advanced tool to evaluate these experience based effects. In the current study, Chinese herbal materials classified with different cold and heat therapeutic properties, based on Chinese medicine principles, were investigated using spectral distribution, as well as the decay probability distribution based on delayed luminescence (DL). A detection system based on ultraweak biophoton emission was developed to determine the DL decay kinetics of the cold and heat properties of Chinese herbal materials. We constructed a mathematical model to fit the experimental data and characterize the properties of Chinese medicinal herbs with different parameters. The results demonstrated that this method has good reproducibility. Moreover, there is a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the spectral distribution and the decay probability distribution of Chinese herbal materials with cold and heat properties. This approach takes advantage of the comprehensive nature of DL compared with more reductionist approaches and is more consistent with TCM principles, in which the core comprises holistic views.

Effects of growth altitude on chemical constituents and delayed luminescence properties in medicinal rhubarb.

To improve the quality control of herbal drugs, there has been a major shift from evaluating individual chemicals to evaluating multiple-constituent chemicals, given the multi-pharmacology nature of herbal drugs. Therefore, rapid, systematic assays are needed in order to assess the quality of medicinal herbs using a comprehensive, integrated approach. Light-induced delayed luminescence (DL) is used to measure decaying long-term ultra-weak photon emissions following excitation with light. DL is considered to be a sensitive indicator for characterizing the properties of biological systems and herbal medicines with various therapeutic properties. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of using DL as a novel quality-assessment tool using rhubarb material as a model system, and to establish the correlation between DL parameters and the chemical constituents of rhubarb. Raw roots and rhizomes were collected from rhubarb (Rheum palmatum L.) at various elevations in western China. HPLC analysis was used to identify fourteen bioactive constituents. Five DL parameters were calculated from the DL decay curves of the rhubarb samples. Statistical tools, including principal component analysis, were used to classify the rhubarb samples using data obtained using two different assays. Finally, Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated to quantify the correlation between the bioactive compounds and corresponding DL parameters. We found that both the chemical analysis and DL measurements reflect variations in the quality of rhubarb due to environment factor. The DL parameters were correlated significantly with the bioactive chemical constituents. Our results indicate that DL is a promising tool for evaluating multiple constituents and for assessing the therapeutic properties of herbal medicines. Thus, DL may be used as part of a comprehensive system for assessing the quality and/or therapeutic properties of herbal medicines.

A Chinese literature overview on ultra-weak photon emission as promising technology for studying system-based diagnostics.

To present the possibilities pertaining to linking ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) with Chinese medicine-based diagnostics principles, we conducted a review of Chinese literature regarding UPE with respect to a systems view of diagnostics. Data were summarized from human clinical studies and animal models published from 1979 through 1998. The research fields can be categorized as follows: (1) human physiological states measured using UPE; (2) characteristics of human UPE in relation to various pathological states; and (3) the relationship between diagnosis (e.g., Chinese syndromes) and the dynamics of UPE in animal models. We conclude that UPE has clear potential in terms of understanding the systems view on health and disease as described using Chinese medicine-based diagnostics, particularly from a biochemistry-based regulatory perspective. Linking UPE with metabolomics can further bridge biochemistry-based Western diagnostics with the phenomenology-based Chinese diagnostics, thus opening new avenues for studying systems diagnostics in the early stage of disease, for prevention-based strategies, as well as for systems-based intervention in chronic disease.

Delayed luminescence: an experimental protocol for Chinese herbal medicines.

In Chinese medicine, raw herbal materials are used in processed and unprocessed forms aiming to meet the different requirements of clinical practice. To assure the chemical quality and therapeutic properties of the herbs, fast and integrated systematic assays are required. So far, such assays have not been established. Delayed luminescence (DL) refers to a decaying long-term ultraweak photon emission after exposure to light. Its decay kinetics under certain conditions may be a sensitive indicator reflecting the internal structural and chemical/physiological state of a biological system. DL measurements have been used in many applications for quality control. However, relatively little research has been reported on dried plant material such as Chinese herbs. The objective of the present study is to establish a protocol for direct and rapid DL measurements of dried Chinese herbal materials, including the determination of the dependence on: (a) the optimal excitation time utilizing a white light source; (b) the optimal size of the grinded herbal particle; and (c) the humidity conditions before and during measurement. Results indicate that stable and reproducible curves of DL photon emission depend mainly on the water content of herbal materials. To investigate the application of the established DL measurement protocol, non-processed and processed Aconitum (Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.), wild and cultivated rhubarb (Rheum palmatum L.) and ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A.Mey) of different ages were measured using DL. The results suggest that DL technology is a potential tool for assessment of dried Chinese herb qualities. The results warrant a further exploration of this technique in relation to therapeutic properties of the herbs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Classification of Chinese herbs based on the cluster analysis of delayed luminescence.

Traditional Chinese material medica are an important component of the Chinese pharmacopeia. According to the traditional Chinese medicinal concept, Chinese herbal medicines are classified into different categories based on their therapeutic effects, however, the bioactive principles cannot be solely explained by chemical analysis. The aim of this study is to classify different Chinese herbs based on their therapeutic effects by using delayed luminescence (DL). The DL of 56 Chinese herbs was measured using an ultra-sensitive luminescence detection system. The different DL parameters were used to classify Chinese herbs according to a hierarchical cluster analysis. The samples were divided into two groups based on their DL kinetic parameters. Interestingly, the DL classification results were quite consistent with classification according to the Chinese medicinal concepts of 'cold' and 'heat' properties. In this paper, we show for the first time that by using DL technology, it is possible to classify Chinese herbs according to the Chinese medicinal concept and it may even be possible to predict their therapeutic properties.

Correlation between the different therapeutic properties of Chinese medicinal herbs and delayed luminescence.

In the practice and principle of Chinese medicine, herbal materials are classified according to their therapeutic properties. 'Cold' and 'heat' are the most important classes of Chinese medicinal herbs according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this work, delayed luminescence (DL) was measured for different samples of Chinese medicinal herbs using a sensitive photon multiplier detection system. A comparison of DL parameters, including mean intensity and statistic entropy, was undertaken to discriminate between the 'cold' and 'heat' properties of Chinese medicinal herbs. The results suggest that there are significant differences in mean intensity and statistic entropy and using this method combined with statistical analysis may provide novel parameters for the characterization of Chinese medicinal herbs in relation to their energetic properties.

Health status and fatigue of postpartum anemic women: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of postpartum anemia is high. Current therapy consists of iron supplementation or blood transfusions, based on the assumption that these treatments improve health status (HS) and reduce fatigue. The aim of this study was to compare HS and fatigue in postpartum women with and without anemia. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective cohort study was performed in The Netherlands between April 2008 and August 2010 and involved 112 anemic (hemoglobin [Hb]<10.5g/dL) and 108 non-anemic (Hb≥10.5g/dL) women. The anemic women received oral iron supplementation. Within 48h and 5 weeks after delivery, HS was measured using the 36 item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and fatigue was measured using the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS). ANOVA for repeated measures was used to compare HS and fatigue scores among groups and across time. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding variables, there were no differences in any of the HS and fatigue scores. HS and fatigue seem to be more influenced by a complicated delivery than by anemia. HS and fatigue scores significantly improved over time in all women. CONCLUSION: HS and fatigue were not different among women with and without postpartum anemia.

A randomized controlled trial examining the addition of folic acid to iron supplementation in the treatment of postpartum anemia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of adding folic acid to oral iron supplementation in postpartum women with anemia. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Netherlands between April 8, 2008, and August 31, 2010. A total of 112 postpartum women with anemia (hemoglobin <10.5 g/dL) were randomly allocated to receive 600 mg/day ferrous fumarate plus 1mg/day folic acid (FFFA group) or 600/day ferrous fumarate alone (FF group) for 4 weeks. Primary outcome measures were hemoglobin and health status. Secondary outcome measures were fatigue, compliance, and adverse reactions. RESULTS: No between-group differences were observed in hemoglobin and health status after treatment, and no differences were found in fatigue scores. Approximately 75% of all women reported having at least one symptom resulting from ferrous fumarate use. Constipation caused by ferrous fumarate was significantly associated with non-compliance (P=0.014). CONCLUSION: The addition of folic acid to iron supplementation is not beneficial in women with postpartum anemia, as it has no effect on hematologic or health status parameters. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: CCMO website NL21797.028.08 and Netherlands Trial Register NTR2232.

Human ultraweak photon emission and the yin yang concept of Chinese medicine.

The relationship between connective tissue and meridian function is discussed in terms of energy transmission. The network of hydrogen-bonded water molecules interspersed within the collagen fibrillar matrix is especially significant for both the sensitivity of connective tissue to weak signals of mechanical pressure, heat, or electricity and the electrical intercommunication that may correlate with the meridian acupuncture system. Special electromagnetic properties of connective tissue have similar collective properties of ultraweak photon emission. A relationship between ultraweak photon emission and yin yang dynamics is based on three types of ultraweak photon emission studies, focusing on diurnal and annual dynamics, diseased states, and acupuncture points. A novel concept explains the functional (health) integrity of physiologic systems in relation to the left-right balance in ultraweak photon emission by pointing to, (1) balanced corticoneuromusculoskeletal activities and triboluminescent aspects of ultraweak photon emission by skeletal structures, and (2) local fine-tuning in oxygen supply and the formation of radical oxygen species. This approach offers testable hypotheses for further validation utilizing a combination of human photon recording techniques and specialized metabolomics for the estimation of organ-specific oxidative states.

Biophoton detection and low-intensity light therapy: a potential clinical partnership.

Low-intensity light therapy (LILT) is showing promise in the treatment of a wide variety of medical conditions. Concurrently, our knowledge of LILT mechanisms continues to expand. We are now aware of LILT's potential to induce cellular effects through, for example, accelerated ATP production and the mitigation of oxidative stress. In clinical use, however, it is often difficult to predict patient response to LILT. It appears that cellular reduction/oxidation (redox) state may play a central role in determining sensitivity to LILT and may help explain variability in patient responsiveness. In LILT, conditions associated with elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, e.g. diabetic hyperglycemia, demonstrate increased sensitivity to LILT. Consequently, assessment of tissue redox conditions in vivo may prove helpful in identifying responsive tissues. A noninvasive redox measure may be useful in advancing investigation in LILT and may one day be helpful in better identifying responsive patients. The detection of biophotons, the production of which is associated with cellular redox state and the generation of ROS, represents just such an opportunity. In this review, we will present the case for pursuing further investigation into the potential clinical partnership between biophoton detection and LILT.

Quantum squeezed state analysis of spontaneous ultra weak light photon emission of practitioners of meditation and control subjects.

Research on human ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) has suggested a typical human emission anatomic percentage distribution pattern. It was demonstrated that emission intensities are lower in long-term practitioners of meditation as compared to control subjects. The percent contribution of emission from different anatomic locations was not significantly different for meditation practitioners and control subjects. Recently, a procedure was developed to analyze the fluctuations in the signals by measuring probabilities of detecting different numbers of photons in a bin and correct these for background noise. The procedure was tested utilizing the signal from three different body locations of a single subject, demonstrating that probabilities have non-classical features and are well described by the signal in a coherent state from the three body sites. The values indicate that the quantum state of photon emitted by the subject could be a coherent state in the subject being investigated. The objective in the present study was to systematically quantify, in subjects with long-term meditation experience and subjects without this experience, the photon count distribution of 12 different locations. Data show a variation in quantum state parameters within each individual subject as well as variation in quantum state parameters between the groups.