Sugar easters and xanthones from the roots of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. and their cytoprotective activity.

Six new sugar esters (1-6), named tenuifolisides F-G (1-2) and tenuifolioses W-Z (3-6), together with 16 known compounds (7-22) were isolated from the roots of Polygala tenuifolia. The chemical structures of the new compounds were elucidated by 1D, 2D NMR and HRESIMS techniques together with chemical methods. All the compounds were evaluated for the cytoprotective activity against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. Compounds 4, 5, 13, 20 and 22 showed strong cytoprotective effect.

Medium-term Clinical Efficacy and Complications of Plasmakinetic Enucleation of the Prostate Versus Transurethral Resection of the Prostate for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To compare surgical characteristics, clinical efficacy, and complications of plasmakinetic enucleation of the prostate (PKEP) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2015 to May 2018, 370 patients underwent TURP were included into the TURP group. Meanwhile, another 370 patients underwent PKEP (matched by age, prostate volume, and duration of BPH) were included into the PKEP group. Then, the differences of surgical characteristics, clinical efficacy, and complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The operative time, intraoperative irrigation volume, postoperative irrigation time and irrigation volume, drop in hemoglobin, blood transfusion, postoperative catheterization time, and hospital stay of the PKEP group were significantly less than those of the TURP group (P <.05). No significant differences were observed in the resected tissue weight, visual analogue scale score, and total cost of hospitalization (P >.05); The quality of life score of the PKEP group was significantly lower than that of the TURP group (P <.05). No significant differences of maximum flow rate, postvoid residual urine, Serum prostate-specific antigen, international prostate symptom score and International Index of Erectile Function score were observed (P >.05); The incidences of urinary tract irritation, massive hemorrhage, secondary hemorrhage, bladder spasm, clot retention, and retrograde ejaculation of the PKEP group were significantly lower than those of the TURP group (P <.05). CONCLUSION: PKEP and TURP are comparable regarding cost burden and clinical efficacy in medium-term follow-up. However, PKEP should be given a priority for BPH treatment because of less complication rate and better safety profile.

Flavor of rapeseed oil: An overview of odorants, analytical techniques, and impact of treatment.

As one of the three major vegetable oils in the world, rapeseed oil is appreciated for its high nutritional value and characteristic flavor. Flavor is an essential attribute, determining rapeseed oil quality and consumer acceptance. The present manuscript provides a systematic literature review of recent advances and knowledge on the flavor of rapeseed oil, which focuses on aroma-active as well as off-flavor compounds, flavor analysis techniques (i.e., extraction, qualitative, quantitative, sensory, and chemometric methods), and effects of treatments (storage, dehulling, roasting, microwave, flavoring with herbs, refining, and oil heating) on flavor from sensory and molecular perspectives. One hundred thirty-seven odorants found in rapeseed oil from literature are listed and possible formation pathways of some key aroma-active compounds are also proposed. Future flavor analysis techniques will evolve toward time-saving, portability, real-time monitoring, and visualization, which aims to obtain a "complete" flavor profile of rapeseed oil. The changes of volatile compounds in rapeseed oil under different treatments are summarized in this view. Studies to elucidate the influence of different treatments on the formation of aroma-active compounds are needed to get a deeper understanding of factors leading to the variations of rapeseed oil flavor.

Biomechanical Comparison of Lumbar Fixed-Point Oblique Pulling Manipulation and Traditional Oblique Pulling Manipulation in Treating Lumbar Intervertebral Disk Protrusion.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the biomechanical effect of lumbar fixed-point oblique pulling manipulation and traditional oblique pulling manipulation in the treatment of protrusion of lumbar intervertebral disk, and investigate the influence of disk degeneration on the 2 manipulations. METHODS: Three finite element models including 1 normal model, 1 mild degeneration, and 1 moderate degeneration model of L3-S1 were developed to simulate 2 oblique pulling manipulations. The disk protrusion was assumed to be in the left central and subarticular zone of the L4-L5 disk, and manipulations were carried out on the right. A 15-Nm right axial rotation moment and 150-N compressive loading were imposed on the upper endplate of L3 to simulate a traditional oblique pulling manipulation. To simulate lumbar fixed-point oblique pulling manipulation, in addition to a 15-Nm moment and 150-N compressive loading imposed on the L3 upper endplate, a 50-N force was imposed on the right lateral area of the L4 spinous process in a left front direction. The displacement and stress in the left central and subarticular zone of the L4-L5 disk were calculated and compared in the 3 models. RESULTS: The average displacement and stress in the left central and subarticular zone of L4-L5 disk were higher in fixed-point oblique pulling manipulation than those in traditional oblique pulling manipulation (P < .05). In addition, the values of average stress and displacement decreased significantly with the increase of lumbar disk degeneration (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Lumbar fixed-point oblique pulling manipulation showed a better biomechanical effect than traditional oblique pulling manipulation, and lumbar disk degeneration affected the 2 manipulations adversely in the virtual treatment of protrusion of the lumbar intervertebral disk using finite element models.

Therapeutic Effects of Ten Commonly Used Chinese Herbs and Their Bioactive Compounds on Cancers.

Effective cancer therapy is one of the biggest global challenges. Conventional cancer therapies have been at the forefront of combating cancers, but more evidence showed considerable side effects, limiting their use. There are various new therapies in development, but combined approaches for treating cancer are much expected. Natural herbs had been traditionally in use for cancer therapy in most parts of the world. In this review, we have examined ten commonly used Chinese herbs that have, for centuries, shown effectiveness in treating cancers. They demonstrated the abilities to promote the apoptosis of cancer cells, inhibit their metastasis, activate the patient's anticancer immunity, and synergistically increase the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy when used in combination. Clinical experiences had proved that these herbs and their bioactive compounds were effective against a plethora of cancers through a variety of mechanisms, effectively improving patients' quality of life without significant side effects. These advantages indicate that there are huge potentials in the development of Chinese herbs into cancer medicine as part of a promising, holistic cancer treatment modality.

[Determination of common dyes in dyed safflower by near infrared spectroscopy].

Because the red and bright color of corolla is the main indicator for the quality assessment of good safflower,the dyed safflower is sometimes found at the herbal market,what is influence on this herb quality and efficacy. A total of 127 safflower samples was therefore collected from different cultivating areas and herbal markets in China to develop a rapid method to identify the dyed safflower. Near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS) combined with characteristic identification,high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC),principal component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares regression analysis(PLS) were employed to differentiate safflower from dyed safflower samples,and further quantify the levels of the 6 dyes,i.e. tartrazine,carmine,sunset yellow,azorubine,acid red 73 and orange Ⅱ in the dyed safflower. The results indicated that the 50 safflower samples and 77 dyed safflower samples were located at different regions in PCA cluster diagram by NIR spectra. Tartrazine,carmineand and sunset yellow were found in the 77 dyed safflower samples with the amounts of 0. 60-3. 66,0. 11-1. 37,0. 10-0. 71 mg·g-1,respectively. It indicated that the three dyes were the common and main dyes in the dyed safflower. However,azorubine,acid red 73 and orange Ⅱ were not detected in all herb samples. A total of 62 dyed safflower samples were chosen as calibration samples to develop the model for estimating the amount of dyes in dyed safflower. The estimating accuracy was verified by another 15 dyed safflower samples. The values of tartrazine,carmine and sunset yellow in dyed safflower samples were compared between the NIRS and HPLC methods. Each value of mean absolute difference(MAD) was less than 5%. The correlation coefficients of tartrazine,carmineand and sunset yellow were 0. 970,0. 975,0. 971,respectively. It indicated the data quantified by NIRS and HPLC were consistence. It is concluded that NIRS can not only differentiate safflower from dyed safflower,but also quantify the amount of the dyes. NIRS is suitable for rapidly identify the quality of safflower.

Comparisons of the Effectiveness and Safety of Tuina, Acupuncture, Traction, and Chinese Herbs for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tuina, acupuncture, traction, and Chinese herbs play an important role in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. However, the comparative effectiveness and safety of the four commonly utilized treatment modalities are still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness and safety of the four interventions for lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials comparing any two of the four interventions in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation were identified using the following databases: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and Wanfang data, and network meta-analysis was performed using STATA 14.0. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-one studies involving a total of 13075 patients were included. In all the outcome measurements, traction demonstrated a worst effectiveness, and Tuina and acupuncture demonstrated a best effectiveness, but no significant differences were found between Tuina and acupuncture. Compared with Tuina or acupuncture, Chinese herbs showed a similar effectiveness in Visual Analogue Score and Japanese Orthopedic Association Scores, but an inferior effectiveness in invalid rate and cure rate. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of lumbar disc herniation, Tuina and acupuncture were superior to traction or Chinese herbs, and the effectiveness of traction was the worst. However, considering the limitations of this review, more high-quality trials, especially those comparing Chinese herbs with the other three interventions, should be carried out in the future to further confirm the current findings.

[Curative effect of ozone hydrotherapy for pemphigus].

OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical curative effects of ozone therapy for pemphigus vulgaris.
 Methods: Ozone hydrotherapy was used as an aid treatment for 32 patients with pemphigus vulgaris. The hydropathic compression of potassium permanganate solution for 34 patients with pemphigus vulgaris served as a control. The main treatment for both groups were glucocorticoids and immune inhibitors. The lesions of patients, bacterial infection, usage of antibiotics, patient's satisfaction, and clinical curative effect were evaluated in the 2 groups.
 Results: There was no significant difference in the curative effect and the average length of staying at hospital between the 2 groups (P>0.05). But rate for the usage of antibiotics was significantly reduced in the group of ozone hydrotherapy (P=0.039). The patients were more satisfied in using ozone hydrotherapy than the potassium permanganate solution after 7-day therapy (P>0.05).
 Conclusion: Ozone hydrotherapy is a safe and effective aid method for pemphigus vulgaris. It can reduce the usage of antibiotics.

Sleep Among Long-Term Care Residents in China: A Narrative Review of Literature.

The objective of this study is to synthesize and evaluate the current body of sleep research among long-term care (LTC) residents in China and provide insights for future research. Systematic searches identified 15 studies that examined sleep in LTC residents in China. Sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality were prevalent in Chinese LTC residents. Eight cross-sectional studies reported that demographics, comorbidities, lifestyle, and environment were associated with sleep quality in Chinese LTC residents. Seven intervention studies, including exercise, traditional Chinese medicine, light therapy, and behavioral interventions resulted in improved sleep quality. Only subjective sleep measures were used in all 15 studies. Some methodological issues were identified in studies, especially those conducted in Mainland China. Sleep research in LTC residents in China is still at the beginning stages. Future studies should consider more rigorous designs and objective sleep measures, and develop target interventions based on factors associated with sleep disturbances.

[GC-MS analysis for volatile components from alpiniae katsumadai semen by three extraction methods].

OBJECTIVE: To analysis the volatile components in Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen. METHODS: The volatile components were extracted from Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen by steam distillation, head space injection and supercritical fluid extraction respectively, and then analyzed by GC-MS combined with Kovat's retention index. RESULTS: The volatile components extracted by steam distillation or head space extraction were found more likely to be terpenoids, whereas components extracted by supercritical fluid extraction were more likely to be alkenes, alcohols and aromatic compounds. CONCLUSION: Different sample pre-treatment methods are focused on different types of volatile components; Identification of the volatile components by GC-MS combined with Kovat's retention index is more accurate and rapid.