New eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes from Synotis solidaginea.

Eleven new highly oxygenated eremophilane-type sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the whole plant of Synotis solidaginea, including two pairs of C-8 S/R epimers. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis and the absolute configurations of 1 and 9 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography using Cu Kα radiation. All the isolates were tested for the inhibition of LPS-stimulated NO production in macrophage-like mouse monocytic leukemia RAW264.7 cells. Compound 1 exhibited weak inhibitory effects with an IC50 of 71.2 µM.

Anti-Inflammatory and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Triterpenoid with Diverse Carbon Skeletons from the Fruits of Rosa roxburghii.

The fruits of Rosa roxburghii Tratt. are edible nutritional food with high medicinal value and have been traditionally used as Chinese folk medicine for a long time. In this study, 26 triterpenoids including four new pentacyclic triterpenoids, roxbuterpenes A-D (1, 4, 5, and 24), along with 22 known analogues (2, 3, 6-23, 25, and 26), were isolated from the fruits of R. roxburghii. Their chemical structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses (including IR, HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopy). The absolute configuration of roxbuterpene A (1) was determined by an X-ray crystallographic analysis. This is the first report of the crystal structure of 5/6/6/6/6-fused system pentacyclic triterpenoid. Notably, roxbuterpenes A and B (1 and 4) possessed the A-ring contracted triterpenoid and nortriterpenoid skeletons with a rare 5/6/6/6/6-fused system, respectively. Compounds 1-7, 11, 13-15, 18-20, 24, and 25 exhibited moderate or potent inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase. Compounds 2, 4, 6, 11, and 14 showed strong activities against α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 8.4 ± 1.6, 7.3 ± 2.2, 13.6 ± 1.4, 0.9 ± 0.4, and 12.5 ± 2.4 µM, respectively (positive control acarbose, 10.1 ± 0.8 µM). Compounds 13, 14, and 16 moderately inhibited the release of NO (nitric oxide) with IC50 values ranging from 25.1 ± 2.0 to 51.4 ± 3.1 µM. Furthermore, the expressions of TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) and IL-6 (interleukin-6) were detected by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and compounds 13, 14, and 16 exhibited moderate inhibitory effects on TNF-α and IL-6 release in a dose-dependent manner ranging from 12.5 to 50 µM.

Construction of a clinical prediction model for the impact of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes in poor ovarian response (POR) patients based on a patient registry research platform. / åŸºäºŽç— ä¾‹æ³¨å†Œç™»è®°ç ”ç©¶å¹³å°æž„å»ºé’ˆç¸å¯¹åµå·¢ä½Žååº”æ‚£è€ å¦Šå¨ ç»“å±€çš„ä¸´åºŠé¢„æµ‹æ¨¡åž‹.

OBJECTIVES: To construct a clinical prediction model for the impact of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes in poor ovarian response (POR) patients, providing insights and methods for predicting pregnancy outcomes in POR patients undergoing acupuncture treatment. METHODS: Clinical data of 268 POR patients (2 cases were eliminated) primarily treated with "thirteen needle acupuncture for Tiaojing Cuyun (regulating menstruation and promoting pregnancy)" was collected from the international patient registry platform of acupuncture moxibustion (IPRPAM) from September 19, 2017 to April 30, 2023, involving 24 clinical centers including Acupuncture-Moxibustion Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. LASSO and univariate Cox regression were used to screen factors influencing pregnancy outcomes, and a multivariate Cox regression model was established based on the screening results. The best model was selected using the Akaike information criterion (AIC), and a nomogram for clinical pregnancy prediction was constructed. The prediction model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves, and internal validation was performed using the Bootstrap method. RESULTS: (1) Age, level of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and total treatment numbers of acupuncture were independent predictors of pregnancy outcomes in POR patients receiving acupuncture (P<0.05). (2) The AIC value of the best subset-Cox multivariate model (560.6) was the smallest, indicating it as the optimal model. (3) The areas under curve (AUCs) of the clinical prediction model after 6, 12, 24, and 36 months treatment were 0.627, 0.719, 0.770, and 0.766, respectively, and in the validation group, they were 0.620, 0.704, 0.759, and 0.765, indicating good discrimination and repeatability of the prediction model. (4) The calibration curve showed that the prediction curve of the clinical prediction model was close to the ideal model's prediction curve, indicating good calibration of the prediction model. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical prediction model for the impact of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes in POR patients based on the IPRPAM platform has good clinical application value and provides insights into predicting pregnancy outcomes in POR patients undergoing acupuncture treatment.

A study on the correlation between MTHFR and folic acid combined with trace elements for the prevention of fetal malformations in the first trimester of pregnancy.

This study aims to elucidate and examine the intricate interrelation between 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), combined folic acid (FA), and trace element supplementation as a preventive strategy against fetal malformations during the inaugural trimester of pregnancy. Eighty pregnant women selected from our hospital's early obstetrics department from May 2021 to August 2021. Pregnant women are divided into the MTHFR combined group, FA, and trace element group. Comparing the basic data of patients, analyzing adverse reactions in pregnant women, and total birth risk situation, detecting MTHFR gene polymorphisms, and analyzing the correlation between MTHFR and FA in the prevention of fetal malformations in early pregnancy. Compared with the north, the southern region is more prone to FA deficiency. MTHFR degree of the MTHFR combined group was positively correlated with fetal malformations. The deformity rate was negatively correlated with FA and trace elements. Pregnant women in the first trimester may have fetal malformations, and the malformation rate is negatively correlated with FA and positively correlated with MTHFR level. Importantly, the inverse relationship between FA supplementation and malformation incidence underscores its significance as a preventive measure.

Cherry leaf decoction inhibits NMDAR expression and thereby ameliorates CUMS- induced depression-like behaviors through downregulation of α2δ-1.

Depression is a complex and prevalent mental illness. Cherry leaf is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, which has confirmed to exert a certain antidepressant effect, but its potential neural regulation mechanism is not clear. This paper aims to investigate the improved action of cherry leaf decoction (CLD) on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rats and its potential neural regulation mechanism by verifying the role and function of NMDAR regulatory target α2δ-1 in depression due to CUMS. Male SD rats were subjected to random stressors persisting for 5 weeks to establish the CUMS depression rat model. CLD could effectively alleviate depression-like behaviors of CUMS rats in behavioral tests including sucrose preference test, forced swimming test, tail suspension test and open field test. After the administration of the CLD, the expression of corticotropic-releasing hormone (CRH) in the hypothalamus was inhibited. Moreover, the levels of CRH, adrenal cortical hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) in serum also decreased significantly. CUMS upregulated the expressions of α2δ-1, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 1 (NR1), NR2A and NR2B, and enhanced the binding ability to of α2δ-1 and NR1, which were reversed by CLD. The results demonstrated that CLD could ameliorate depression-like behaviors due to CUMS, which was related to the fact that CLD down-regulated α2δ-1 level and interfered with α2δ-1 binding to NR1, thereby reducing NMDAR expression and ultimately inhibiting HPA axis activity.

[Medicinal plant resources in Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China and Mongolia: a comparative study].

Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China and Mongolia are the primary regions where Chinese and Mongolian medicine and its medicinal plant resources are distributed. In this study, 133 families, 586 genera, and 1 497 species of medicinal plants in Inner Mongolia as well as 62 families, 261 genera, and 467 species of medicinal plants in Mongolia were collected through field investigation, specimen collection and identification, and literature research. And the species, geographic distribution, and influencing factors of the above medicinal plants were analyzed. The results revealed that there were more plant species utilized for medicinal reasons in Inner Mongolia than in Mongolia. Hotspots emerged in Hulunbuir, Chifeng, and Tongliao of Inner Mongolia, while there were several hotspots in Eastern province, Sukhbaatar province, Gobi Altai province, Bayankhongor province, Middle Gobi province, Kobdo province, South Gobi province, and Central province of Mongolia. The interplay of elevation and climate made a non-significant overall contribution to the diversity of plant types in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. The contribution of each factor increased significantly when the vegetation types of Inner Mongolia and Mongolia were broadly divided into forest, grassland and desert. Thus, the distribution of medicinal plant resources and vegetation cover were jointly influenced by a variety of natural factors such as topography, climate and interactions between species, and these factors contributed to and constrained each other. This study provided reference for sustainable development and rational exploitation of medicinal plant resources in future.

Efficacy and safety of selenium or vitamin E administration alone or in combination in ICU patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Micronutrient administration that contributes to antioxidant defense has been extensively studied in critically ill patients, but consensus remains elusive. Selenium and vitamin E are two important micronutrients that have synergistic antioxidant effects. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of selenium or vitamin E administration alone and the combination of both on clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized in the ICU. METHODS: After electronic searches on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), SinoMed, VIP database and Wanfang data, initially 1767 papers were found, and 30 interventional studies were included in this analysis. We assessed the risk-difference between treatment and control (standard treatment) groups by pooling available data on length of stay (ICU length of stay and hospital length of stay), mortality (ICU mortality, hospital mortality, 28-day mortality, 6-month mortality and all-cause mortality), duration of mechanical ventilation, adverse events and new infections. RESULTS: By analyzing the included studies, we found no significant effect of selenium administration alone on mortality, mechanical ventilation duration, or adverse events in ICU patients. However, after excluding studies with high heterogeneity, the meta-analysis showed that selenium alone reduced the length of hospital stay (MD: -1.38; 95% CI: -2.52, -0.23; I-square: 0%). Vitamin E administration alone had no significant effect on mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, or adverse events in ICU patients. However, after excluding studies with high heterogeneity, the meta-analysis showed that vitamin E alone could reduce the length of ICU stay (MD: -1.27; 95% CI: -1.86, -0.67; I-square: 16%). Combined administration of selenium and vitamin E had no significant effect on primary outcomes in ICU patients. CONCLUSIONS: Selenium administration alone may shorten the length of hospital stay, while vitamin E alone may reduce the length of ICU stay. The putative synergistic beneficial effect of combined administration of selenium and vitamin E in ICU patients has not been observed, but more clinical studies are pending to confirm it further.

Genus Gelsemium and its Endophytic Fungi - Comprehensive Review of their Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology.

BACKGROUND: The use of ethnic medicinal plants has revitalized wide popularity in Africa, Asia, and most of the world because of the energy consumption barriers increase of synthetic drugs. Gelsemium is a traditional genus of plants with famous cultural and medicinal significance in Southeast Asia and North America. Three species are reported from the genus Gelsemium, including Gelsemium elegans (Gardn. & Camp.) Benth., Gelsemium sempervirens (L.) J.St.-Hil., and Gelsemium rankinii Small. Among them, G. elegans is well known for its toxicity and is used as a traditional remedy for skin problems, neuralgia, fractures, and cancer. The first record of the toxic medicine G. elegans is the Chinese herbal medicine classically known as Shen-Nong Ben-Cao Jing. In the legend, the Shennong emperor was poisoned by G. elegans, hence, it is also wellknown as Duan Chang Cao in China. In addition, G. sempervirens tincture is also used in the treatment of inflammation of the spinalcolumn, and diminishes blood to the cerebrospinal centers. INTRODUCTION: This review aims to provide up-to-date information on Gelsemium and its endophytic fungi on their traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. Mechanism studies regarding the detoxification profile of Gelsemium are also reviewed. METHODS: For this updated review, the literature survey and search were performed on the scientific databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley, China CNKI, Web of Science, SciFinder, and Google Scholar using the relevant keywords. RESULTS: The plants of the genus Gelsemium are all reported as rich sources of monoterpene indole alkaloids. Previous phytochemical studies published more than 200 alkaloids from Gelsemium and its endophytic fungi, which have attracted considerable attention from pharmaceutists and phytochemists due to their diverse and complex structures. The bioactivities of Gelsemium phytoconstituents studied using various chemical methods are summarized and described herein. Considering the huge influence of Gelsemium regarding its traditional applications, the activities of isolated compounds were focused on the anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antianxiety, immunostimulatory, and immunosuppressive properties, which provide evidence supporting the ethnopharmacological effectiveness of the genus Gelsemium. Unlike all previous reviews of genus Gelsemium, to the best of our knowledge, the recently reported natural products from its endophytic fungi are first time summarized in this review. CONCLUSION: It is clearly suggested from the literature information that the structures and biological activities of Gelsemium have a wide range of attraction from folk to the community of scholars. However, as a highly toxic genus, the work on the detoxification mechanism and toxicology of Gelsemium is urgently needed before entering clinical research. It is noteworthy that the discussion about the relationship between structural and biological activities are a valuable topic of expectation, while the structural modification for active or toxic components may shed light on toxicological breakthrough. Besides the compounds from the plants of genus Gelsemium, the recently reported natural products from its endophytic fungi may provide a supplement for its ethnomedicinal uses and ethnological validity.

Activatable Immunoprotease Nanorestimulator for Second Near-Infrared Photothermal Immunotherapy of Cancer.

Photothermal immunotherapy is a combinational cancer therapy modality, wherein the photothermal process can noninvasively ablate cancer and efficiently trigger cancer immunogenic cell death to ignite antitumor immunity. However, cancer cells can resist the cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated antitumor effect via expressing serine protease inhibitory proteins (serpins) to deactivate proteolytic immunoproteases. Herein, we report a smart polymer nanoagonist (SPND) with second near-infrared (NIR-II) phototherapeutic ablation and tumor-specific immunoprotease granzyme B (GrB) restimulation for cancer photothermal immunotherapy. SPND has a semiconducting polymer backbone grafted with a small-molecule inhibitor of serpinB9 (Sb9i) via a glutathione (GSH)-cleavable linker. Once in the tumor, Sb9i can be specifically liberated from SPND to inhibit serpinB9, restimulating the activity of GrB to enhance cancer immunotherapy. Moreover, SPND induces photothermal therapy for direct tumor ablation and immunogenic cancer cell death (ICD) under NIR-II photoirradiation. Therefore, such a smart nanoagonist represents a way toward combination photothermal immunotherapy (PTI).

Fish Oil in Glaucoma Treatment: From Biological Functions to Clinical Potential.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide, and multiple risk factors influence its pathogenesis and progression, including age, increased intraocular pressure (IOP), low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, and ocular blood flow deficits. IOP-lowering therapy is currently the most effective way to control glaucoma progression; however, due to insufficient response and persistent retinal neural degeneration, the result may not always be satisfactory. In recent decades, fish oil, an omega-3 dietary supplement, is reported to be beneficial to glaucoma patients, but its efficiency and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Intriguingly, glaucoma patients have lower omega-3 fatty acid blood levels, especially docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Dietary omega-3 supplementation in patients may normalize levels of fatty acid and, thereby, enhance their effects. Therefore, fish oil may serve as an area of new focus for glaucoma treatment studies. In this review, the study summarizes the roles of active ingredients in fish oil in delaying glaucoma development, including lowering IOP, regulating blood supply, alleviating inflammation, and diminishing oxidative stress, with a view to promoting the development of the clinical management of glaucoma.

Near-Infrared Photodynamic Chemiluminescent Probes for Cancer Therapy and Metastasis Detection.

There is growing interest in the development of chemiluminescence (CL) probes for phototheranostics because of their minimized tissue autofluorescence. However, due to a lack of near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing chemiluminophores, current probes for NIR CL-guided phototherapy are based on nanoparticles made up of multiple components. We report bright unimolecular chemiluminophores with NIR absorptions and emissions, long CL half-lives and ideal photodynamic efficiency. One luminophore is modified into an activatable probe, DBPOL , with a turn-on CL signal and photodynamic activity that are specific to a cancer biomarker. The highly sensitive DBPOL allows CL-guided photodynamic therapy which completely inhibits tumor growth and lung metastasis in mouse models, and can be applied for noninvasive monitoring of lung metastasis. We provide molecular guidelines for NIR-absorbing CL probes for imaging-guided phototherapy.

[Chemical constituents in Dolomiaea plants and their pharmacological activities: a review].

Dolomiaea plants are perennial herbs in the Asteraceae family with a long medicinal history. They are rich in chemical constituents, mainly including sesquiterpenes, phenylpropanoids, triterpenes, and steroids. The extracts and chemical constituents of Dolomiaea plants have various pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, anti-gastric ulcer, hepatoprotective and choleretic effects. However, there are few reports on Dolomiaea plants. This study systematically reviewed the research progress on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Dolomiaea plants to provide references for the further development and research of Dolomiaea plants.

Structural Elucidation and Cytotoxic Activity of New Monoterpenoid Indoles from Gelsemium elegans.

Two new monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, gelselegandines F (1) and G (2), were isolated from the aerial parts of Gelsemium elegans. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic techniques and quantum chemical calculations. The ECD calculations were conducted at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level and NMR calculations were carried out using the Gauge-Including Atomic Orbitals (GIAO) method. Structurally, the two new compounds possessed rare, cage-like, monoterpenoid indole skeletons. All isolated compounds and the total alkaloids extract were tested for cytotoxicity against four different tumor cell lines. The total alkaloids extract of G. elegans exhibited significant antitumor activity with IC50 values ranging from 32.63 to 82.24 ug/mL. In order to discover anticancer leads from the active extraction, both new indole compounds (1-2) were then screened for cytotoxicity. Interestingly, compound 2 showed moderate cytotoxicity against K562 leukemia cells with an IC50 value of 57.02 uM.

A Polymeric Extracellular Matrix Nanoremodeler for Activatable Cancer Photo-Immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy has shown tremendous potential to train the intrinsic immune system against malignancy in the clinic. However, the extracellular matrix (ECM) in tumor microenvironment is a formidable barrier that not only restricts the penetration of therapeutic drugs but also prevents the infiltration of antitumor immune cells. We herein report a semiconducting polymer-based ECM nanoremodeler (SPNcb) to combine photodynamic antitumor activity with cancer-specific inhibition of collagen-crosslinking enzymes (lysyl oxidase (LOX) family) for activatable cancer photo-immunotherapy. SPNcb is self-assembled from an amphiphilic semiconducting polymer conjugated with a LOX inhibitor (ß-aminopropionitrile, BAPN) via a cancer biomarker (cathepsin B, CatB)-cleavable segment. BAPN can be exclusively activated to inhibit LOX activity in the presence of the tumor-overexpressed CatB, thus blocking collagen crosslinking and decreasing ECM stiffness. Such an ECM nanoremodeler synergizes immunogenic phototherapy and checkpoint blockade immunotherapy to improve the tumor infiltration of cytotoxic T cells, inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis.

Studies on the phytochemical constituents of Smilax elegantissima Gagnep.

Nine compounds were isolated and elucidated from this species, among which, two new compounds (1, 2) and seven known compounds (3-9). Their structures were determined by means of extensively spectroscopic analysis including HR-ESI-MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HSQC and HMBC. The bioactivities evaluation was referred to the cytotoxic assay on four human tumor cell lines of the ethanol extract, different fractions and 6 compounds. The results demonstrated that the dichloromethane fraction showed the strongest cytotoxicity, followed by the ethyl acetate fraction. Compounds 4 and 6 had significant effects on SMMC-7721 and Hela cells.

Complex ecological and socioeconomic impacts on medicinal plant diversity.

Medicinal plant diversity (MPD) is an important component of plant diversity. Over-collection based on medicinal and economic value has the potential to damage the stability of the regional ecosystem. It is important to understand the current distribution of MPD and the factors influencing it. However, it is still unclear whether environmental and socioeconomic conditions have an impact on their distribution. We selected the Inner Mongolia as a representative study area which covers a wide area, accounting for 12.29% of China's national land area and 0.79% of the world's land area. At the same time, the region is a long-standing traditional medicinal area for Mongolians in China. Therefore, the region is significantly influenced by changes in environmental factors and socio-economic factors. We used 9-years field survey of the distribution of medicinal plants in Inner Mongolia for assessing the distribution of MPD as influenced by environmental and socioeconomic activities by combining spatial analyses, species distribution models, and generalized additive models. The results from the spatial analysis show that the western region of Inner Mongolia is the main cold spot area of the MPD, and the central-eastern and northeastern regions of Inner Mongolia are the main hot spot areas of the MPD. At the same time, the distribution of cold spots and hot spots of MPD is more obvious at large spatial scales, and with the refinement of spatial scales, the cold spots in scattered areas are gradually revealed, which is indicative for the conservation and development of MPD at different spatial scales. Under the future climate change of shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP), areas with high habitat suitability for medicinal plants remain mainly dominated by the Yellow River, Yin Mountains, and Greater Khingan Range. Notably, the SSP245 development pathway remains the most significant concern in either long- or short-term development. The nonlinear relationship between the driving factors of MPD at different spatial scales shows that temperature, precipitation and socioeconomic development do have complex effects on MPD. The presence of a certain temperature, altitude, and precipitation range has an optimal facilitation effect on MPD, rather than a single facilitation effect. This complex nonlinear correlation provides a reference for further studies on plant diversity and sustainable development and management. In this study, the spatial distribution of medicinal plant resources and the extent to which they are driven by ecological and socioeconomic factors were analyzed through a macroscopic approach. This provides a reference for larger-scale studies on the environmental and socioeconomic influences on the distribution of plant resources.

Biological Activities and Secondary Metabolites from Sophora tonkinensis and Its Endophytic Fungi.

The roots of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep., a traditional Chinese medicine, is known as Shan Dou Gen in the Miao ethnopharmacy. A large number of previous studies have suggested the usage of S. tonkinensis in the folk treatment of lung, stomach, and throat diseases, and the roots of S. tonkinensis have been produced as Chinese patent medicines to treat related diseases. Existing phytochemical works reported more than 300 compounds from different parts and the endophytic fungi of S. tonkinensis. Some of the isolated extracts and monomer compounds from S. tonkinensis have been proved to exhibit diverse biological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and so on. The research progress on the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of S. tonkinensis have been systematically summarized, which may be useful for its further research.

Two New Phenolic Glycosides with Lactone Structural Units from Leaves of Ardisia crenata Sims with Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities.

Two new lactones, named Ardisicreolides A-B (1-2), together with four known flavonoids, Quercetin (3), Myricetrin (4), Quercitrin (5), Tamarixetin 3-O-rhamnoside (6), were isolated from the ethyl acetate portion of 70% ethanol extracts of dried leaves from Ardisia crenata Sims. These compounds were identified from Ardisia crenata Sims for the first time. The structures of 1-6 were elucidated according to 1D and 2D-NMR methods and together with the published literature. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated for in vitro anti-microbial effect against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeuroginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis. In addition, compounds 1-2 were assessed for anti-inflammatory activity by acting on LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells in vitro. The results showed that only compound 2 exhibited moderate antibacterial activity on Bacillus subtilis. Moreover, compounds 1 and 2 were found to significantly inhibit the production of nitric oxide (NO) and reduce the release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The present data suggest that lactones from the leaves of A. crenata Sims might be used as a potential source of natural anti-inflammatory agents.

New steroidal alkaloids with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects from Veratrum grandiflorum.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: "Li-Lu", the roots and rhizomes of Veratrum grandiflorum (Melianthiaceae), has been historically used as a traditional folk medicine for the treatment of wrist pain, fractures, sores, and inflammation in Yunnan Province, China. However, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic studies of this plant have seldom reported. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties related to the traditional usage of V. grandiflorum both in vitro and in vivo, and further explore the accurate bioactive compounds from the medicinal plant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phytochemical investigation was carried out by chromatographic methods and their structures were established based on extensive spectra and comparison with corresponding data in the reported literatures. Anti-inflammatory activities were assessed by the suppression of lipopolysaccharide-activated inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells in vitro. Furthermore, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects were evaluated based on carrageenan-induced paw edema and acetic acid-stimulated writhing in mice. RESULTS: The methanol extract (ME) of V. grandiflorum significantly alleviated the paw edema caused by carrageenan and the writhing numbers induced by acetic acid. Subsequent phytochemical investigation led to isolated of 21 steroidal alkaloids, including seven new compounds, veragranines C-I (1-7). Anti-inflammatory test indicated that steroidal alkaloids could decrease the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells at a concentration of 5.0 µg/ml in vitro, comparable to DXM. Moreover, five new steroidal alkaloids (2, 4, 5, 6, and 7) and two major steroidal alkaloids (9 and 13) significantly decreased the numbers of writhing in mice at the doses of 0.5 and/or 1.0 mg/kg (p < 0.01/0.05), roughly comparable to Dolantin™ at 10.0 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS: The investigation supported the traditional use of V. grandiflorum and provided new steroidal alkaloids as potent analgesic agents.

[Metabonomics and its application in Chinese medicine processing].

Chinese medicine processing is a procedure to process medicinal materials under the guidance of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theories by using unique methods in China. The medicinal materials can only be used clinically after proper processing. With the development of the modernization of TCM, it is difficult to solve the problems in the inheritance, development, and internationalization of Chinese medicine processing. Metabonomics, a new omics technology developed at the end of the last century, is used to infer the physiological or pathological conditions of the organism with the methods such as NMR and LC-MS via investigating the changes in endogenous small molecule metabolic network after the organism is stimulated by external environment. Metabonomics coincides with the holistic view of TCM because it displays the characteristics of integrity, comprehensiveness, and dynamics, and it has been widely applied in the field of Chinese medicine processing in recent years. This study summarized the application of metabonomics in the processing mechanism and quality control of Chinese medicine processing and prospected the development of this technology in the field of Chinese medicine processing.