CsCuAO1 Associated with CsAMADH1 Confers Drought Tolerance by Modulating GABA Levels in Tea Plants.

Our previous study showed that COPPER-CONTAINING AMINE OXIDASE (CuAO) and AMINOALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE (AMADH) could regulate the accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in tea through the polyamine degradation pathway. However, their biological function in drought tolerance has not been determined. In this study, Camellia sinensis (Cs) CsCuAO1 associated with CsAMADH1 conferred drought tolerance, which modulated GABA levels in tea plants. The results showed that exogenous GABA spraying effectively alleviated the drought-induced physical damage. Arabidopsis lines overexpressing CsCuAO1 and CsAMADH1 exhibited enhanced resistance to drought, which promoted the synthesis of GABA and putrescine by stimulating reactive oxygen species' scavenging capacity and stomatal movement. However, the suppression of CsCuAO1 or CsAMADH1 in tea plants resulted in increased sensitivity to drought treatment. Moreover, co-overexpressing plants increased GABA accumulation both in an Agrobacterium-mediated Nicotiana benthamiana transient assay and transgenic Arabidopsis plants. In addition, a GABA transporter gene, CsGAT1, was identified, whose expression was strongly correlated with GABA accumulation levels in different tissues under drought stress. Taken together, CsCuAO1 and CsAMADH1 were involved in the response to drought stress through a dynamic GABA-putrescine balance. Our data will contribute to the characterization of GABA's biological functions in response to environmental stresses in plants.

Comparing iodized oil with polyvinyl alcohol for portal vein embolization in promoting liver remnant increase before partial hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: To compare the efficacy and safety of iodized oil versus polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles in portal vein embolization (PVE) before partial hepatectomy. METHODS: From October 2016 to December 2021, 86 patients who planned to undergo hepatectomy after PVE were enrolled, including 61 patients post-PVE with PVA particles + coils and 25 patients post-PVE with iodized oil + coils. All patients underwent CT examination before and 2-3 weeks after PVE to evaluate the future liver remnant (FLR). The intercohort comparison included the degree of liver volume growth, changes in laboratory data, and adverse events. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the resection rate between the iodized oil group and the PVA particle group (68 % vs. 70 %, p = 0.822). In terms of the degree of hypertrophy (9.52 % ± 13.47 vs. 4.03 % ± 10.55, p = 0.047) and kinetic growth rate (4.07 % ± 5.4 vs. 1.55 % ± 4.63, p = 0.032), the iodized oil group was superior to the PVA group. The PVE operation time in the PVA particle group was shorter than that in the iodized oil group (121. 72 min ± 34.45 vs. 156. 2 min ± 71.58, p = 0.029). There was no significant difference in the degree of hypertrophy between the high bilirubin group and the control group (5.32 % ± 9.21 vs. 6.1 % ± 14.79, p = 0.764). Only 1 patient had a major complication. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with PVA particles, iodized oil PVE can significantly increase liver volume and the degree of hypertrophy without any significant difference in safety.

Novel one-pot strategy for fabrication of a pH-Responsive bone-targeted drug self-frame delivery system for treatment of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic metabolic orthopedic disorder prevalent in elderly people, that is characterized by a decrease in bone mass. Although many therapeutics have been adopted for OP treatment, many of them are still not well satisfied clinical requirements and therefore development of novel therapeutics is of great significance. In this work, a novel bone-targeting drug self-frame delivery system (DSFDS) with high drug loading efficiency and pH responsive drug release was fabricated by condensation of curcumin (Cur), amino group terminated polyethylene glycol (NH2-PEG), and alendronate (ALN) using hexachlorocyclotriphosphonitrile (HCCP) as the linker. The final product named as HCCP-Cur-PEG-ALN (HCPA NPs) displayed excellent water dispersity with small size (181.9 â€‹± â€‹25.9 â€‹nm). Furthermore, the drug loading capacity of Cur can reach 25.8%, and Cur can be released from HCPA NPs under acidic environment. Owing to the introduction of ALN, HCPA NPs exhibited strong binding to HAp in vitro and excellent bone-targeting effect in vivo. Results from cellular and biochemical analyses revealed that HCPA NPs could effectively inhibit the formation and differentiation function of osteoclasts. More importantly, we also demonstrated that HCPA NPs could effectively reduce bone loss in OVX mice with low toxicity to major organs. The above results clearly demonstrated that HCPA NPs are promising for OP treatment. Given the simplicity and well designability of fabrication strategy, explicit therapy efficacy and low toxicity of HCPA NPs, we believe that this work should be of great interest for fabrication of various DSFDS to deal with many diseases.

Association of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with incident chronic kidney disease: pooled analysis of 19 cohorts.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prospective associations of circulating levels of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) biomarkers (including plant derived α linolenic acid and seafood derived eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid) with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). DESIGN: Pooled analysis. DATA SOURCES: A consortium of 19 studies from 12 countries identified up to May 2020. STUDY SELECTION: Prospective studies with measured n-3 PUFA biomarker data and incident CKD based on estimated glomerular filtration rate. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Each participating cohort conducted de novo analysis with prespecified and consistent exposures, outcomes, covariates, and models. The results were pooled across cohorts using inverse variance weighted meta-analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome of incident CKD was defined as new onset estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. In a sensitivity analysis, incident CKD was defined as new onset estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and <75% of baseline rate. RESULTS: 25 570 participants were included in the primary outcome analysis and 4944 (19.3%) developed incident CKD during follow-up (weighted median 11.3 years). In multivariable adjusted models, higher levels of total seafood n-3 PUFAs were associated with a lower incident CKD risk (relative risk per interquintile range 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.86 to 0.98; P=0.009, I2=9.9%). In categorical analyses, participants with total seafood n-3 PUFA level in the highest fifth had 13% lower risk of incident CKD compared with those in the lowest fifth (0.87, 0.80 to 0.96; P=0.005, I2=0.0%). Plant derived α linolenic acid levels were not associated with incident CKD (1.00, 0.94 to 1.06; P=0.94, I2=5.8%). Similar results were obtained in the sensitivity analysis. The association appeared consistent across subgroups by age (≥60 v <60 years), estimated glomerular filtration rate (60-89 v ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2), hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Higher seafood derived n-3 PUFA levels were associated with lower risk of incident CKD, although this association was not found for plant derived n-3 PUFAs. These results support a favourable role for seafood derived n-3 PUFAs in preventing CKD.

Facile synthesis of curcumin-containing poly(amidoamine) dendrimers as pH-responsive delivery system for osteoporosis treatment.

Osteoporosis is an age-related metabolic disease of bone, resulting in bone pain and even bone fragility and brittle fracture. Inhibiting overactive osteoclasts while promoting osteoblast activity is an ideal way to treat osteoporosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that natural compounds, such as curcumin (Cur) have dual roles both in promoting bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption, making them promising candidates for osteoporosis treatment. However, their poor water solubility, high dosage of curative effect and significant toxicity to other organs have largely limited their clinical translations. In this study, a novel method was reported to conjugate Cur and poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (PAD) using hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) as the linkage through a one-pot reaction, forming stable and uniform Cur loaded nanospheres (HCCP-Cur-PAD, HCP NPs). Owing to the hydrophilicity of PAD and hydrophobicity of Cur, HCP NPs can self-assemble into nanoparticles with particle size of 138.8 ± 78.7 nm and display excellent water dispersity. The loading capacity of Cur can reach 27.2% and it can be released from HCP NPs with pH-responsiveness. In vitro experimental results demonstrated that the HCP NPs entered lysosomes by endocytosis and proved dual anti-osteoporosis effects of inhibiting osteoclasts and promoting osteoblasts.

Discovery of potent human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitors based on a benzophenone scaffold.

Blocking the de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidine by inhibiting human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (hDHODH) is an effective way to suppress the proliferation of cancer cells and activated lymphocytes. Herein, eighteen teriflunomide derivatives and four ASLAN003 derivatives were designed and synthesized as novel hDHODH inhibitors based on a benzophenone scaffold. The optimal compound 7d showed a potent hDHODH inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 10.9 nM, and displayed promising antiproliferative activities against multiple human cancer cells with IC50 values of 0.1-0.8 µM. Supplementation of exogenous uridine rescued the cell viability of 7d-treated Raji and HCT116 cells. Meanwhile, 7d significantly induced cell cycle S-phase arrest in Raji and HCT116 cells. Furthermore, 7d exhibited favorable safety profiles in mice and displayed effective antitumor activities with tumor growth inhibition (TGI) rates of 58.3% and 42.1% at an oral dosage of 30 mg/kg in Raji and HCT116 cells xenograft models, respectively. Taken together, these findings provide a promising hDHODH inhibitor 7d with potential activities against some tumors.

Response of soil microbial community to plant composition changes in broad-leaved forests of the karst area in Mid-Subtropical China.

The rapid growth and expansion ofCryptomeria japonica (Thunb. ex L. f.) D. Don in karst area strongly affects plant composition of native deciduous broad-leaved forest, which seriously threat ecosystem function and service. Given the importance of soil microorganisms in regulating nutrients cycling and plant species coexistence, understanding soil microbial attributes and their relationships with soil and vegetation features in forests harboring different C. japonica abundance will help understanding the drivers of ecosystem function changes. Here we examined the diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities and their correlations with plant diversity as well as soil physicochemical properties in karst broad-leaved forests with different relative abundances of C. japonica (i.e., a high, moderate, low and no proportion level with a stem density of 1,487, 538, 156 and 0 plant/hm2, respectively) in Mid-Subtropical China. We found that soil pH decreased while soil water content (SWC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) tended to increase with the increase in C. japonica abundance. In contrast, soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) content declined by 26.1%∼49.3% under the high level of C. japonica abundance. A gradual decrease in relative abundance of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi while a pronounced increase in relative abundance of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were observed with increase of C. japonica abundance. Alternations in bacterial composition were closely related to changes in AP and AK, while the change of fungal structure was mainly related to SWC, soil organic carbon (SOC) and pH, indicating that bacterial community was sensitive to declines in soil available nutrients and fungal structure was sensitive to changes in soil physicochemical properties (i.e., pH and SWC) and organic carbon resource. Understory plants had the highest α-diversity in forest containing moderate abundance of C. japonica, which might be related to the high bacterial diversity. Our findings suggest conservation of soil bacterial and fungal taxa that are responsible for nutrients availability and carbon sequestration is of great significance for improving the resistance of natural deciduous broad-leaved forests to the rapid spread of C. japonica in karst areas. Moreover, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are potential indicators for soil properties changes, which should be taken into consideration in karst forest managements.

Consumption of miRNA-Mediated Insect-Resistant Transgenic Rice Pollen Does Not Harm Apis mellifera Adults.

RNAi-based insect-resistant genetically engineered (IRGE) crops represent a promising approach for pest management by suppressing gene expressions or translation. A developed microRNA-mediated IRGE rice line expressing endogenous Chilo suppressalis Csu-novel-260 shows significant resistance to target pests. The nontarget insect Apis mellifera is an important pollinator used as a surrogate species for the ecological risk assessment of IRGE plants. To simulate a worst-case scenario, the full-length C. suppressalis and A. mellifera disembodied (dib) cDNAs were cloned. The dib 3'-untranslated regions shared 58.06% nucleotide sequence similarity between C. suppressalis and A. mellifera. No potential Csu-novel-260 binding site in Amdib was detected through the bioinformatics analysis. A dietary RNAi toxicity assay of the impacts of ingested Csu-novel-260 on A. mellifera adults showed that the survival rates of RNAi-treated A. mellifera did not significantly differ from those in the blank control (CK) and negative control (NC) treatments. The Csu-novel-260 uptake by A. mellifera peaked at 8 days postfeeding and then gradually decreased. The Amdib expression was not affected by the RNAi assay days or treatments. These results suggest that A. mellifera adults are not susceptible to high doses of Csu-novel-260 in the dietary RNAi assay and that the impact of miRNA-mediated IRGE plants on A. mellifera is negligible.

Effect of 'hand and foot acupuncture with twelve needles' on hemiplegia patients with 'qi deficiency and blood stasis' syndrome in the convalescent stage of Ischaemic stroke: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hemiplegia is a common sequela after stroke, and acupuncture is one of the most common physical therapies used to treat hemiplegia during the recovery stage after ischaemic stroke. 'Hand and foot acupuncture with twelve needles' is an acupuncture treatment performed after stroke. The principal objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of 'hand and foot acupuncture with twelve needles' for hemiplegia in the convalescent stage of ischaemic stroke. METHODS: This is the protocol for a randomised, controlled clinical trial with two groups: a 'hand and foot acupuncture with twelve needles' group and a routine acupuncture group. A total of 208 participants will be randomly assigned to two different groups in a 1:1 ratio and will undergo conventional rehabilitation. Limb function will be evaluated by the simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment scale, Barthel Index, modified Ashworth scale and National Institute of Health stroke scale. The participants will be evaluated at baseline (on the day of enrolment) and followed up at 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months and 3 months after enrolment. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will provide evidence on the effectiveness of 'hand and foot acupuncture with twelve needles' in the treatment of limb dysfunction that can be used for future evaluations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chictr.org.cn ChiCTR1900021774 . Registered on 8 March 2019.

[Effects of emodin on lipid accumulation and inflammation in hepatocytes].

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of emodin on lipid accumulation and inflammation in hepatocytes. The cell morphology was observed by microscopy. LDH release was detected by the kit. Levels of intracellular lipid droplets were observed by oil red O staining. The contents of TC and TG in cells were detected by the kit. Western blot was used to determine protein expressions of FASN,SREBF2,APOB,IL-6 and p-NF-κB in hepatocytes. The results showed that the levels of L02 cell LDH were significantly increased after being treated with emodin,and the cells showed shrinkage,volume reduction,decrease in quantity with the increase of dose. Red lipid droplets were observed in L02 hepatocytes. Intracellular TC and TG contents of L02 cell increased in a concentrationdependent manner,with significant differences between medium and high-dose groups( P < 0. 05). Protein expressions of FASN,SREBF2,IL-6 and p-NF-κB were significantly higher than those of the control group,and the expression level of APOB was significantly lower than that of the control group( P<0. 05). In conclusion,emodin could induce lipid accumulation and inflammatory damage in hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner,which in turn could damage liver cells. This process was related to the up-regulation of FASN,SREBF2,IL-6,p-NF-κB,as well as the down-regulation of the protein expression of APOB.

New Health Care Reform and Impoverishment among Chronic Households in China: A Random-Intercept Approach.

High out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for chronic disease care often contribute directly to household poverty. Although previous studies have explored the determinants of impoverishment in China, few published studies have compared levels of impoverishment before and after the New Health Care Reform (NHCR) in households with members with chronic diseases (hereafter referred to as chronic households). Our study explored this using data from the fourth and fifth National Health Service Surveys conducted in Shaanxi Province. In total, 1938 households in 2008 and 7700 households in 2013 were included in the analysis. Rates of impoverishment were measured using a method proposed by the World Health Organization. Multilevel logistic modeling was used to explore the influence of the NHCR on household impoverishment. Our study found that the influence of NHCR on impoverishment varied by residential location. After the reform, in rural areas, there was a significant decline in impoverishment, although the impoverishment rate remained high. There was little change in urban areas. In addition, impoverishment in the poorest households did not decline after the NHCR. Our findings are important for policy makers in particular for evaluating reform effectiveness, informing directions for health policy improvement, and highlighting achievements in the efforts to alleviate the economic burden of households that have members with chronic diseases.

Emodin induces liver injury by inhibiting the key enzymes of FADH/NADPH transport in rat liver.

Emodin is a natural anthraquinone derivative that occurs in many Chinese medicinal herbs. It might induce liver damage, but the mechanism is not clear. In this research, seven groups of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with three doses of emodin were used. The liver injury was examined by analyzing biochemical indexes and histopathology. Altered proteins between the control group (CG) and the liver injury group were determined by proteomic technology. The results showed that emodin causes liver injury in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In the high-dosage 1-week group (HG1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was downregulated, and the activity of malate dehydrogenase (MDH) was inhibited by emodin. These might cause the inhibition of FADH or NADH/NADPH transport from the cytoplasm to mitochondria. The WB results showed that the inhibition of FADH/NADPH transport induced a high activity of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and the expressions of cytochrome c (Cyt C), caspase-9 and caspase-3 were high in HG1, which might lead to mitochondrial apoptosis pathway activation. In addition, whatever the HG1 or low-dose group (LG), the effects of emodin on mitochondria were observed. Overall, for the first time, we showed that emodin inhibited proton transport and induced the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, which might be the reason for liver injury.

Assessing the Effects of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme on Alleviating the Health Payment-Induced Poverty in Shaanxi Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Disease has become one of the key causes of falling into poverty in rural China. The poor households are even more likely to suffer. The New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) has been implemented to provide rural residents financial protection against health risks. This study aims to assess the effect of the NCMS on alleviating health payment-induced poverty in the Shaanxi Province of China. METHODS: The data was drawn from the 5th National Health Service Survey of Shaanxi Province, conducted in 2013. In total, 41,037 individuals covered by NCMS were selected. Poverty headcount ratio (HCR), poverty gap and mean positive poverty gap were used for measuring the incidence, depth and intensity of poverty, respectively. The differences on poverty measures pre- and post- insurance reimbursement indicate the effectiveness of alleviating health payment-induced poverty under NCMS. RESULTS: For the general insured, 5.81% of households fell below the national poverty line owing to the health payment; this HCR dropped to 4.84% after insurance reimbursement. The poverty HCRs for the insured that had hospitalization in the past year dropped from 7.50% to 2.09% after reimbursement. With the NCMS compensation, the poverty gap declined from 42.90 Yuan to 34.49 Yuan (19.60% decreased) for the general insured and from 57.48 Yuan to 10.01 Yuan (82.59% decreased) for the hospital admission insured. The mean positive poverty gap declined 3.56% and 37.40% for two samples, respectively. CONCLUSION: The NCMS could alleviate the health payment-induced poverty. The effectiveness of alleviating health payment-induced poverty is greater for hospital admission insured than for general insured, mainly because NCMS compensates for serious diseases. Our study suggests that a more comprehensive insurance benefit package design could further improve the effectiveness of poverty alleviation.

Efficacy and safety of lanthanum carbonate versus calcium-based phosphate binders in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: We conducted this review to assess the relative efficacy and safety of lanthanum carbonate versus calcium-based phosphate binders in chronic kidney disease. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register of Controlled Trials and Chinese Biological Medical Database for randomized controlled trials comparing lanthanum carbonate with calcium-based phosphate binders in adult patients with chronic kidney disease. Study quality was assessed using the criteria outlined in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of intervention. Meta-analysis was conducted by reviewer manager software, version 5.3. RESULTS: Eleven trials with 1,501 participants were included. Lanthanum carbonate appeared to be associated with a significant reduction in progression of vascular calcification and a beneficial effect on bone outcomes without aluminum-like toxicity. Lanthanum carbonate achieved similar proportions of phosphate-controlled patients (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.27-1.44) with lower incidence of hypercalcemia (RR 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.35) in comparison with calcium-based phosphate binders. Lanthanum carbonate was associated with significantly lower serum calcium, similar serum Ca × P product and higher serum iPTH compared with calcium salts in patients with chronic kidney disease. CONCLUSION: Lanthanum carbonate could delay the progression of vascular calcification and benefit chronic kidney disease patients on bone outcomes. Lanthanum carbonate could achieve similar proportion of phosphate-controlled patients as calcium-based phosphate binders with lower incidence of hypercalcemia.

Antimicrobial resistance of Shigella spp. from humans in Shanghai, China, 2004-2011.

A retrospective study conducted on patients with diarrhea in Shanghai, China from 2004-2011, indicated that of 77,600 samples collected, 1,635 (2.1%) tested positive for Shigella. Species isolated included S. sonnei (1,066, 65.1%), S. flexneri (569, 34.7%), and S. boydii (3, 0.2%). Most of the Shigella isolates were found to be resistant to streptomycin (98.7%), trimethoprim (98.0%), ampicillin (92.1%), and nalidixic acid (91.7%). Additionally, many isolates were resistant to tetracycline (86.9%), trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole (80.1%), sulfisoxazole (76.8%) and gentamicin (55.5%). Approximately 80% of the isolates were resistant to at least eight antimicrobial agents, 14% to at least ten antimicrobials tested and 10 isolates to fourteen antimicrobials, including sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides and ß-lactamases. Importantly, co-resistance to fluoroquinolones and the third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins was also identified. The high levels of resistance to antimicrobial agents commonly used in clinical medicine presents a great challenge to treating patients with shigellosis.

[Effect of meliae toosendan fructus on nerves system and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of the ethanol extract of stir-bake to yellowish Meliae Toosendan Fructus on nerve system and its mechanism. METHODS: The effect of the ethanol extract on sensory nerve was carried out through ache models induced by hot board method and radiant heat stimulation method in mice. The thermalgesia liminal value was investigated. The effect of the ethanol extract on the A-delta fiber and C fiber was measured by electrical stimulation procedure. Motor nerve conduction velocity (NCV) was measured by indirect detection method in vivo. The pathology changes of the motor nerve were observed by transmission electron microscope and the silver stain test. RESULTS: The ethanol extract of Meliae Toosendan Fructus could increase the thermalgesia liminal value of mice and reduce the conduction velocity of motor nerves. Meanwhile, pathology results showed the changes of the fiber of motor nerve, including demyelination and the number of Schwann cells dropping. CONCLUSION: The ethanol extract of stir-bake to yellowish Meliae Toosendan Fructus can reduce the pain sensitivity of mice and slow down NCV, which may be related to decreasing of the number of Schwann cells.

Phenolics from Bidens bipinnata and their amylase inhibitory properties.

A new chlorinated flavonoid, 3, 6, 8-trichloro-5, 7, 3', 4'-tetrahydroxyflavone (1), a new biscoumaric acid derivative, 4-O-(2″, 3″-O-diacetyl-6″-O-p-coumaroyl-ß-D-glucopyranosyl)-p-coumaric acid (2), and 8, 3', 4'-trihydroxyflavone-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3) together with twenty-four known compounds (4-27) were isolated from the whole plant of Bidens bipinnata. All chemical structures were established on the basis of UV-, MS- and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ¹H-¹H COSY, HMQC and HMBC) spectroscopic data. Some of the isolated compounds were tested for the inhibition of α-amylase. The result showed that isookanin (6) was a potent inhibitor of α-amylase (IC50=0.447 mg/ml).

Three new compounds from Arnebia euchroma.

A new naphthoquinone dimer, arnebiabinone (1), a new phenolic compound, ethyl 9-(2',5'-dihydroxyphenyl) nonanoate (2), and a new natural product, octyl ferulate (3), were isolated from the EtOH extract of dried roots of Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical reaction and spectral analysis.

Analysis of interaction property of bioactive components in Danggui Buxue Decoction with protein by microdialysis coupled with HPLC-DAD-MS.

Interaction of a commonly used combined prescription of Danggui Buxue Decoction (CPDBD) with protein was studied by microdialysis coupled with HPLC-DAD-MS. Nine compounds in CPDBD were unequivocally identified by comparing with their t(R), MS data and UV spectra with those of reference compounds, and simultaneously quantified. Microdialysis recoveries and binding degrees of 20 compounds in CPDBD with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were determined. Recoveries of microdialysis sampling ranged from 66.9 to 91.5% with RSD below 3.0%, and the binding degrees of those to BSA ranged from 6.3 to 59.8% (0.3mM BSA) and from 6.9 to 86.6% (0.6mM BSA). The results were determined at pH 7.4 and the influence of different pH value was investigated. Furthermore, the binding degrees of eight reference compounds were determined separately under the same conditions, indicating a significant effect of the interaction of compounds with each other on their binding degrees to BSA. By comparing their binding degrees with BSA with those of proven active compounds in CPDBD, i.e. chlorogenic acid (3), ferulic acid (6), ononin (12) and calycosin (16), other five compounds were found to possess potential activities, which were tentatively identified as calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside-6-O-malonate (9), senkyunolide I or H (10), formononetin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside-6-O-malonate (17), and two unknown compounds.