Social participation, subjective well-being, and cognitive function as serial mediators between tooth loss and functional limitations in older Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: Although tooth loss appears to be related to functional limitations, the mechanisms that underpin this relationship are unknown. We sought to address this knowledge gap by examining a multiple mediation hypothesis whereby tooth loss is predicted to indirectly affect functional limitations through social participation, subjective well-being, and cognitive function. METHODS: This study included 7,629 Chinese adults from the 2017/2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey wave. The serial mediation effects were examined using Model 6 in the Hayes' PROCESS macro for SPSS. RESULTS: Tooth loss was significantly related to functional limitations. There was a direct (ß = - 0.0308; 95% CI, - 0.0131 to - 0.0036) and indirect (ß = - 0.0068; 95% CI, - 0.0096 to - 0.0041) association between tooth loss and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) limitations, but only an indirect correlation with activities of daily living (ADL) limitations (ß = - 0.0188; 95% CI, - 0.0259 to - 0.0121). Social participation, subjective well-being, and cognitive function serially mediated the relationship between tooth loss and ADL/IADL limitations. CONCLUSION: The association between tooth loss and functional limitations is serially mediated by social participation, subjective well-being, and cognitive function. Our findings underscore the necessity of considering psychological and social factors as integrated healthcare approaches for the functional health of older adults.

Laser Acupuncture Analgesia on Postpartum Low Back Pain: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Unresolved postpartum LBP may affect women...s physical and psychological health. AIM: To investigate the analgesic effects of laser acupuncture therapy (LAT) for postpartum LBP. METHOD: Postpartum women with LBP were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group from November 2017 to July 2018. The participants in the intervention group received LAT and standard care. The participants in the control group received only standard care. The primary outcome was the Visual Analogue Scale for LBP. Secondary outcomes were limitation of daily activities and physical activity; perceived stress scale; and salivary cortisol values. RESULTS: In all, 106 participants were recruited and assigned to the intervention group or the control group. As compared with the control group, the participants in the LAT group had significantly lower intensity of LBP (mean ± SD: 1.21 ± 0.99 vs 3.25 ± 1.14; p < .001), limitations of daily activities (mean ± SD: 3.17 ± 2.09 vs 10.40 ± 4.72; p < .001) and physical activity (mean ± SD: 3.04 ± 2.17 vs 9.79 ± 4.71; p < .001), perceived stress (mean ± SD: 26.13 ± 3.97 vs 28.85 ± 4.26; p = .001), and salivary cortisol levels (mean ± SD: 0.194 ± 0.131 vs 0.280 ± 0.234; p = .02) post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: For postpartum LBP, LAT combined with standard care had greater analgesic efficacy, lower perceived stress, lower limitations of daily activities and physical activity, and lower salivary cortisol levels than standard care alone.

[Spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome model in rats treated by Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium based on metabolomics].

The present study analyzed the effect of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium on endogenous metabolites in spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome by metabolomics, and explored the underlying mechanism of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium in the treatment of spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome.The model of spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome was induced in rats by the multi-factor modeling method.The intervention effects of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium on rats with spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome were preliminarily evaluated by observing the pathological changes of rat liver tissues and measuring the plasma content of pathological and biochemical indexes such as triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C).Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of AQP2 in the kidney, AQP3 in the colon, and AQP5 in the submandibular gland, and the effect of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium on aquaporin expression in rats with spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome was evaluated.Furthermore, UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS was used to analyze the metabolic profiles of rat plasma samples.Multiple methods, such as principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were used for pattern recognition.Differential metabolites were screened out by t-test and variable importance in projection(VIP), followed by pathway analysis based on MetaboAnalyst 5.0.As revealed by experimental results, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium could improve the pathological changes of liver tissues, increase the levels of HDL-C in the plasma, reduce the levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C, and enhance the expression of AQP2 in the kidney, AQP3 in the colon, and AQP5 in the submandibular gland of rats with spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome.In addition, 87 differential metabolites of spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome were screened out by UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS(the levels of 39 metabolites increased significantly and the levels of 48 metabolites decreased significantly), with the representatives of glycine, L-isoleucine, N-acetyl-L-tyrosine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, and trigonelline.The differential metabolites were mainly enriched in the pathways of steroid hormone biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, and purine metabolism.This study distinguished and revealed the characteristic metabolic pattern of spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome by metabolomics.The preliminary construction of the OPLS-DA model provides an objective basis for the differentiation of spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness syndrome in traditional Chinese medi-cine(TCM), as well as ideas and methods for exploring the biological basis of TCM syndrome from the molecular level and the overall level.

Silicon as a potential limiting factor for phosphorus availability in paddy soils.

Rice cultivation requires high amounts of phosphorus (P). However, significant amounts of P fertilizer additions may be retained by iron (Fe) oxides and are thus unavailable for plants. At the same time, rice cultivation has a high demand for silicic acid (Si), reducing Si availability after short duration of rice cultivation. By studying a paddy chronosequence with rice cultivation up to 2000 years, we show that Si limitation, observed as early as a few decades of rice cultivation, is limiting P availability along the paddy soils chronosequence. Using near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) in a scanning transmission (soft) X-ray microscope (STXM) we show release of available P was linked to a Si-induced change in speciation of Fe-phases in soil particles and competition of Si with P for binding sites. Hence, low Si availability is limiting P availability in paddy soils. We propose that proper management of Si availability is a promising tool to improve the P supply of paddy plants.

Acupuncture Analgesia in Patients With Traumatic Rib Fractures: A Randomized-Controlled Trial.

Pain management for traumatic rib fracture is important to prevent complications and reduce associated comorbidities. This trial investigated the analgesic efficacy of acupuncture on traumatic rib fracture. Patients with traumatic rib fracture were randomly assigned to traditional acupuncture (TA), laser acupuncture (LA) or sham laser acupuncture (SLA) groups in a 1:1:1 ratio. The intervention was performed on days 1 to 3 after treatment allocation. The acupoints included bilateral LI4 (Hegu), SJ6 (Zhigou), ST36 (Zusanli) and GB34 (Yanglingquan). The primary outcome was Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores for pain after the intervention. Secondary outcomes included sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) lung volume, stress responses, the use of analgesics, and associated complications. Data were analyzed via one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Scheffé's post hoc testing or chi-squared testing. Of the 120 study participants, 109 completed all interventions and measurements. The primary outcomes, which indicated average pain intensity levels and pain while deep breathing, were both significantly lower in the TA and LA groups than in the SLA group after 2 treatments. No between-group differences were observed in SMI lung volume, stress response, analgesics use or associated complications. These findings suggest that TA and LA are safe and effective analgesic modalities for pain management for traumatic rib fracture. Clinical Trial Registration: [ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT03822273].

The effects of electroacupuncture and laser acupuncture therapy for patients with major trauma: A study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Major trauma is the leading cause of death in the young population. The inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses are associated with posttraumatic morbidity and mortality; however, it is not fully clear how to reestablish the homeostasis in patients with major trauma. METHODS: This study will be a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, partially double-blinded, three-armed trial. One hundred eighty participants diagnosed with major trauma will be randomly assigned to an electroacupuncture (EA), a laser acupuncture (LA), or a sham laser acupuncture group in a 1:1:1 ratio. All participants will undergo EA, LA, or sham laser acupuncture intervention once a day on 5 acupoints (LI4, PC6, ST36, SP6, and EX-HN1) for 14 consecutive days after enrollment. The primary outcome measure will be the length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes will be inflammatory mediators, including serum C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1ß, and IL-10. Clinical outcomes will be numeric rating scale scores for pain, sequential organ failure assessment, ICU length of stay, 30-day mortality, and WHO Disability Assessment Schedule. Data will be analyzed by chi-square test or t test for pairwise comparisons, as well as one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Tukey method between groups. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this protocol is to investigate the clinical effects of EA and LA on major trauma. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04970433. Registered on July 21, 2021.

Transcriptomic and Lipidomic Analysis of Lipids in Forsythia suspensa.

Forsythiae Fructus (Lianqiao in Chinese) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. The lipid components in Forsythiae Fructus are the basis of plant growth and active metabolism. Samples were collected at two growth stages for a comprehensive study. Transcriptome and lipidomics were performed by using the RNA-seq and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS techniques separately. For the first time, it was reported that there were 5802 lipid components in Lianqiao comprised of 31.7% glycerolipids, 16.57% phospholipids, 13.18% sphingolipids, and 10.54% fatty acids. Lipid components such as terpenes and flavonoids have pharmacological activity, but their content was low. Among these lipids which were isolated from Forsythiae Fructus, 139 showed significant differences from the May and July harvest periods. The lipids of natural products are mainly concentrated in pregnenolones and polyvinyl lipids. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 92,294 unigenes, and 1533 of these were differentially expressed. There were 551 differential genes enriched in 119 KEGG pathways. The de novo synthesis pathways of terpenoids and flavonoids were explored. Combined with the results of lipidomics and transcriptomics, it is hypothesized that in the synthesis of abscisic acid, a terpenoid, may be under the dynamic regulation of genes EC: 1.1.1.288, EC: 1.14.14.137 and EC: 1.13.11.51 in balanced state. In the synthesis of gibberellin, GA20-oxidase (GA20ox, EC: 1.14.11.12), and GA3-oxidase (GA3ox, EC: 1.14.11.15) catalyze the production of active GAs, and EC: 1.14.11.13 is the metabolic enzymes of active GAs. In the synthesis of flavonoids, MF (multifunctional), PAL (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase), CHS (chalcone synthase), ANS (anthocyanidin synthase), FLS (flavonol synthase) are all key enzymes. The results of the present study provide valuable reference information for further research on the metabolic pathways of the secondary metabolites of Forsythia suspensa.

Symptoms Based on Deficiency Syndrome in Traditional Chinese Medicine Might Be Predictor of Frailty in Elderly Community Dwellers.

BACKGROUND: The most widely used frailty phenotype and frailty indexes are either time-consuming or complicated, thus restricting their generalization in clinical practice; and therefore, an easier and faster screening tool is needed to be developed. OBJECTIVE: To select sensitive symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and study whether they can improve the risk prediction of frailty. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study enrolling 2249 Chinese elderly community dwellers. Data were collected via face-to-face inquiries, anthropometric measurements, laboratory tests, and community health files. Frailty was the main outcome measure, and it was evaluated by Fried's frailty phenotype (FP). The ordinal logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with frailty. The risk assessment plot was used to compare the discriminative ability for frailty among models with and without TCM symptoms. RESULTS: The identified sensitive influential factors for frailty included age, education level, dietary habits, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, cerebral infarction, osteoporosis, cold limbs, lethargy and laziness in speaking and moving, weakness of lower limbs, slow movement, dry mouth and throat, and glazed expression. The risk prediction for "frailty cumulative components ≥1" was not significantly increased, while for "frailty cumulative components ≥2", a new model developed with the above selected TCM symptoms had a higher AUC than the baseline model without it (0.79 VS 0.81, P=0.002). And the NRI and IDI for the new model were 41.4% (P=0.016) and 0.024% (P=0.041), respectively. CONCLUSION: This research might provide an easier and faster way for early identification and risk prediction of frailty in elderly community dwellers.

Recent research progress of Cirsium medicinal plants in China.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The species of the genus Cirsium have been used as traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. It is believed that Cirsium has the efficacies of cooling blood and stopping bleeding, dispelling blood stasis, detoxifying and eliminating carbuncle. At present, they are mainly used in treatment of the hemoptysis, hematemesis, hemoptysis, hematuria, traumatic bleeding and Henoch-Schonlein purpura. They are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. AIM: This paper systematically collated the classification, traditional use, pharmacological action, phytochemistry and clinical application of Cirsium plants in the past ten years, intending to provide a critical appraisal of current knowledge for future in-depth study and rational development and utilization of Cirsium plants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This paper searched various databases (SciFinder, Science Direct, CNKI, Wiley online library, Spring Link, Web of Science, PubMed, Wanfang Data, Weipu Data), Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 Edition, Chinese Flora, Chinese Materia Medica and some local books on ethnopharmacology. RESULTS: More than ten species of Cirsium have been used as folk medicine, and modern pharmacological studies have shown that Cirsium has the effects of protecting liver, antioxidation, anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, antibacterial, etc. More than 200 chemical constituents such as flavonoids, triterpenes, sterols, phenylpropanoids have been isolated from Cirsium. Some ingredients show a wide variety of bioactivities including hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor and other activities. At present, Cirsium medicinal plants, as traditional Chinese medicine, were mainly used to treat nephritis, Henoch-Schonlein purpura and hemorrhage, although some species used in folk lack of quality control systems. CONCLUSION: Cirsium plants are a safe and effective medicine for cooling blood and hemostasis. Recent studies on pharmacology and phytochemistry also provide solid scientific evidences for the traditional application of this genus. It also shows significant hepatoprotective activity and may be a potential clinical candidate for the treatment of liver disease. However, the qualitative and quantitative analysis, pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics and mechanism of action also need in-depth study.

The Development of a Personalized Symptom Management Mobile Health Application for Persons Living with HIV in China.

Persons living with HIV (PLWH) continuously experience symptom burdens. Their symptom prevalence and severity are also quite different. Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) offer exceptional opportunities for using personalized interventions when and where PLWH are needed. This study aimed to demonstrate the development process of the symptom management (SM) app and the structure and content of it. Our research team systematically searched for evidence-based resources and summarized up-to-date evidence for symptom management and health education. Our multidisciplinary research team that included physicians, nurses, software engineers, and nursing professors, evaluated the structure and content of the drafted app. Both quantitative data and qualitative results were collected at a group discussion meeting. Quantitative data were scores of sufficient evidence, situational suitability, practicability, cost-effectiveness, and understandability (ranged from one to four) for 119 items of the app contents, including the health tracking module, the self-assessment module, coping strategies for 18 symptoms (80 items), medication management, complementary therapy, diet management, exercise, relaxation techniques, and the obtaining support module. The SM app was comprised of eight modules and provided several personalized symptom management functions, including assessing symptoms and receiving different symptom management strategies, tracking health indicators, and communicating with medical staff. The SM app was a promising and flexible tool for HIV symptom management. It provided PLWH with personalized symptom management strategies and facilitated the case management for medical staff. Future studies are needed to further test the app's usability among PLWH users and its effects on symptom management.

Effect of laser acupuncture on adhesive small bowel obstruction: A prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) is one of the most common complications and is a major cause of re-admission after intra-abdominal surgery. The initial management of patients with ASBO is nonoperative treatment such as nil per os and decompression using a nasogastric tube. However, the ideal management of ASBO remains controversial. METHODS: This study will be a prospective, single-center, double-blind randomized controlled trial. Ninety two participants diagnosed with ASBO will be randomly assigned to either the verum or the sham laser acupuncture (SLA) group in a 1:1 ratio. All participants will undergo laser acupuncture (LA) or SLA once a day on 6 acupoints (LI4, PC6, ST25, ST36, CV4 and CV12) for 6 consecutive days after enrollment. The primary outcome measure will be the success rate of conservative treatment for ASBO. Secondary outcomes will be time to oral intake and length of hospital stay. The serum levels of lipase, amylase, cortisol, motilin, ghrelin, and intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) will also be measured before intervention, on day 4, and on the day of discharge, respectively. Data will be analyzed by Chi-Squared test or t test between 2 groups. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this protocol is to investigate the clinical efficacy of LA on ASBO. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04318821. Registered on 24 March 2020.

A review of complementary therapies with medicinal plants for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a progressive, prolonged, and often irreversible side effect of many chemotherapeutic agents. The development of neuropathic pain is still poorly managed by clinically available drugs at present. METHODS: In this mini-review, we summarized the current knowledge of pathobiology for CIPN, and selected evidence on the application of complementary therapies in experimental studies. RESULTS: Medicinal plants are considered to be the most common complementary therapy modalities for CIPN. Therefore, we identified ten medicinal herbal extracts as well as their phytochemicals, and three herbal formulas. Multiple complementary therapies have been used and studied for decades, and their effects against CIPN are focus on anti-oxidative activity. However, there is still controversial due to the diverse manifestations of different antineoplastic agents and complex drug interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Novel therapies or drugs that have proven to be effective in animals require further investigation, so confirmation of their efficacy and safety will require time.

Study on anti-hyperuricemia effects and active ingredients of traditional Tibetan medicine TongFengTangSan (TFTS) by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

TongFengTangSan (TFTS), a traditional Tibetan medicine comprising of Tinospora sinensis (TS), Terminalia chebula Retz (TC) and Trogopterori faeces (TF), is used to treat joint diseases like gout, gout arthritis, swelling, pain etc. Despite the significant therapeutic effects of TFTS, its pharmacological components have not been analyzed so far. Therefore, the chemical composition of the effective part of TFTS was analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). The results show that the ethanol extract (EE) of TFTS was more effective in reducing the serum uric acid (SUA) and XOD (Serum and Liver) levels in a hyperuricemic rats model compared to the TFTS raw powder (RP). UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS identified a total of 106 compounds in the positive and negative ion mode, of which 87 were from TC, 13 from TS and 6 from TF. In addition, 106 compounds contained 57 tannins, 6 triterpenoids, 10 alkaloids, 7 flavonoids, 22 organic acids and 4 phenylpropanoids. The preliminary results indicate that the EE of TFTS includes the active anti hyperuricemic substances. The present study first investigated the efficacy and the active components of TFTS in hyperuricemic treatment, and further summarized the diagnostic ion and neutral loss patterns of MS/MS cracking of tannic compounds. These findings lay the foundation for the further study and clinical application of TFTS.

A High Throughput Three-step Ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method to Study Metabolites of Atractylenolide-III.

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (AMK) is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used in the treatment of various diseases, especially spleen deficiency. As the principle active constituents of AMK, however, the metabolites of Atractylenolide-III (A-lactone-III) have not been identified in rats yet. In this study, a three-step high throughput method based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS-MS was developed to profile and characterize the metabolites of A-lactone-III in rat feces, urine and plasma. The initial step was a full-scan that utilized a multiple mass defect filter (MMDF) combined with dynamic background subtraction (DBS). PeakView®1.2 and Metabolitepilot™1.5 software was then used to obtain data and seek possible metabolites. Finally, MS-MS spectra of the parent drug and possible metabolites were compared by the fragment ion peaks and retention times, which enabled metabolites to be identified. As a result, 53 metabolites were characterized in rats in vivo. The metabolic pathways of A-lactone-III were identified as including methylation, oxidation, hydroxylation, dihydroxylation, hydrogenation, glycosylation, sulfonation, and glucuronide, cysteine and N-acetylcysteine conjugation.

Steroids from herbs of Reineckia carnea and their anticomplement activities.

A new polyhydroxylated pregnane, named lß,2ß,3ß,4ß,5ß,6ß-hexolhydroxy-pregn-16-en-20-one (1), along with nine known (2-10) steroidal saponins were isolated from the whole plant of Reineckia carnea. Structure elucidations of all compounds were established by interpretation of their NMR spectral data, HR-ESI-MS and comparing with literatures. In addition, these compounds were evaluated with anticomplement activity. The result showed that compound 1 exhibited anticomplement effects with the CH50 values of 0.043 mg/mL, but saponins (2-10) showed no inhibition. Interestingly, hydrolysis of steroidal saponins (2-10) resulted in its aglycones (2a-10a) correspondingly which showed anticomplement activity with the CH50 values of 0.049-0.156 mg/mL.

An integrative investigation of the therapeutic mechanism of Ainsliaea fragrans Champ. in cervicitis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry based on a rat plasma metabolomics strategy.

Cervicitis is an extremely common gynecological disease and can be induced by diverse factors such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Mycoplasma genitalium infections. Long-term unhealed cervicitis may lead to a series of diseases including endometritis, salpingitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and chorioamnionitis. However, the pathogenesis of cervicitis remains unknown. Ainsliaea fragrans Champ. (AFC) has been widely used in clinical treatment of cervicitis. In the present study, we performed an integrative investigation involving histopathology analysis and non-target plasma metabolomics analysis in a cervicitis rat model induced by phenol mucilage, using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry approach. Based on the integrative investigation, marked metabolomic differences were identified between the cervicitis and control groups using multivariate analysis. As a result, 32 potential biomarkers were identified in the response to cervicitis, and were involved in arachidonic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. After treatment, a total of 27 potential biomarkers exhibited altered levels in the AFC group compared to the model group, and 12 metabolites including 1-stearoylglycerophosphoinositol, bolasterone, lysoPC(16:0), lysoPC(20:4), lysoPC(P-16:0), lysoPC(P-18:0), lysoPC(P-18:1), stearoylcarnitine, taurine, lysoPC(17:0), 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, and 1-arachidonoylglycerophosphoinositol returned to their normal levels. This study suggested that the therapeutic mechanism of AFC is related to those altered endogenous metabolites.

Application of characteristic ion filtering with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry for rapid detection and identification of chemical profiling in Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.

Efficient targeted identification of chemical constituents from traditional Chinese medicine is still a major challenge. In this study, we used a characteristic ion filtering strategy to characterize compounds of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS). By using the ion filtering approach, target constituents of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. were easily tentatively identified from the enormous LC/MS data set. The strategy consisted of the following three steps: 1) To establishing a characteristic ion database by diagnostic product ions or neutral loss fragments; 2) To evaluate the structural information of the compounds by high-resolution diagnostic characteristic ion filtering; 3) To confirm the different classes by chemical profiling according to their MS/MS spectra. In this study, characteristic ions are summarized as five major groups of compounds in Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. In total, 113 compounds were tentatively identified, including 23 potentially novel compounds. The results form a foundation for the quality control and chemical basis of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.

[Study on differences of Ainsliaea fragrans from different sources based on UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and PCA analysis].

A rapid and accurate method of UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis was established for the identification of Ainsliaea fragrans from different origins in this study. The A. fragrans from different producing areas of Jiangxi, Yunnan, Henan and Jiangsu were determined by UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS in the negative ion mode. And the data of the study were analyzed by the Markerview and other software for the PCA and OPLS-DA cluster analysis as well as t test. The results of the principal component analysis(PCA)showed that the main components from different origins were well distinguished. And the results of multivariate statistical showed the differences and similarities between different producing areas. Besides, 40 different compounds were identified in the negative ion mode. This method for identifying A. fragrans from different producing areas has the advantages of rapid accuracy and simplicity, which laid the foundation for the evaluation of the quality of the A. fragrans.

Decreased risk of dementia in migraine patients with traditional Chinese medicine use: a population-based cohort study.

Patients with migraine are reportedly at increased risk of developing dementia. We aimed to investigate the association between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use and dementia risk in migraine patients. This longitudinal cohort study used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 32,386 diagnosed migraine patients aged 20 years and above who received treatment from 1997 to 2010. To balance comparability between TCM users and non-TCM users, we randomly selected equal numbers from each group, and compared subgroups compiled based on combinations of age, sex, index year, and year of migraine diagnosis. All enrollees received follow-up until the end of 2013 to measure dementia incidence. We identified 1,402 TCM users and non-TCM users after frequency matching. A total of 134 subjects were newly diagnosed with dementia during the follow-up period. TCM users were significantly less likely to develop dementia than non-TCM users. The most frequently prescribed formulae and single Chinese herbal products were Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San and Yan-Hu-Suo, respectively. This population-based study revealed a decreased dementia risk in migraine patients with TCM use. These findings may provide a reference for dementia prevention strategies, and help integrate TCM into clinical intervention programs that provide a favorable prognosis for migraine patients.

A robust platform based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography Quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry with a two-step data mining strategy in the investigation, classification, and identification of chlorogenic acids in Ainsliaea fragrans Champ.

The chlorogenic acids are the major bioactive constituents of the whole plant of Ainsliaea fragrans Champ. (Xingxiang Tuerfeng). These compounds are usually present as isomeric forms in Xingxiang Tuerfeng. Therefore, an efficient approach should be developed for the rapid discovery and identification of chlorogenic acids isomers through the fragmentation pathway and rules. In this study, the collision induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID-MS/MS) fragmentation routes of chlorogenic acids were systematically investigated by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS in the negative ion mode using eight chlorogenic acids standards. As a result, diagnostic product ions for rapid discovery and classification of chlorogenic acids isomers were determined according to their MS/MS fragmentation patterns and intensity analysis. Based on these findings, a novel two-step data mining strategy was established. The first key step was to screen different kinds of substitution and the skeleton of the quinic acid using the characteristic product ions and neutral losses. The second key step was to screen and classify different types of chlorogenic acids using their diagnostic product ions. It was apply to the rapid investigation, classification, and identification of chlorogenic acids. And the same carbon skeletons from a complex extract of Ainsliaea fragrans Champ. were effectively identified. 88 constituents, including 14 chlorogenic acids types, were rapidly discovered and identified, and in particular, 12 types of chlorogenic acids, including p-CoQC, FQA, BQC, CQA-Glu, CFQA, p-Co-CQC, di-p-CoQC, BCQA, di-CQA-Glu, PCQA, tri-QCA, and P-di-CQA, were first discovered in Ainsliaea fragrans Champ. In conclusion, UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method together with a systematic two-step data mining strategy was established as a feasible, effective, and rational technique for analyzing chlorogenic acids. Additionally, this study laid a foundation for the study of the active substances and quality control of Ainsliaea fragrans Champ.