[Research progress in Astragali Radix and its active ingredients in treatment of lung cancer].

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and its effective treatment is a difficult medical problem. Lung cancer belongs to the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) disease categories of lung accumulation, lung amassment, and overstrain cough. Rich theoretical basis and practical experience have been accumulated in the TCM treatment of lung cancer. Astragali Radix is one of the representatives of Qi-tonifying drugs. It mainly treat the lung cancer with the syndrome of Qi deficiency and pathogen stagnation, following the principle of reinforcing healthy Qi and eliminating patgogenic Qi. Astragali Radix exerts a variety of pharmacological activities in the treatment of lung cancer, including inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and promoting tumor cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor invasion and migration, regulating the tumor microenvironment, suppressing tumor angiogenesis, modulating autophagy, inducing macrophage polarization, enhancing immunity, inhibiting immune escape, and reversing cisplatin resistance. The active ingredients of Astragali Radix in treating lung cancer include polysaccharides, saponins, and flavonoids. This study reviewed the pharmacological activities and active ingredients of Astragali Radix in the treatment of lung cancer, providing a basis for the development and utilization of Astragali Radix resources and active ingredients and the research and development of anti-tumor drugs.

Extraction, Composition, and Antioxidant Activity of Flavonoids from Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge Leaves.

BACKGROUND: Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge leaves (XLs) are valuable resources rich in phytochemicals, especially in flavonoids, but they are rarely exploited and utilized. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to reduce the waste of XLs resources (usually used as agricultural waste) and extract the high added value of active ingredients from XLs. METHODS: The extraction of flavonoids from XLs using ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) was reported. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to adopt different ultrasonic conditions such as ethanol concentration, liquid:solid ratio, and ultrasonic power. In addition, the chemical structures were identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and HPLC. RESULTS: Response surface analysis indicated the optimal level of ethanol concentration, liquid:solid ratio, and ultrasonic power as 71.49%, 13.87 mL/g, and 157.49 W respectively for the maximum response of total flavonoids (5.52 ± 0.23%), which fitted well with the predicted value (5.68 ± 0.17%). In addition, the extracts from XLs exhibited potent antioxidant activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) ammonium salt (ABTS). CONCLUSION: The potent antioxidant activity of flavonoids from XLs is beneficial for their application in the food and drug industry, which will facilitate the rise of the added value of the flavonoids from XLs. HIGHLIGHTS: Myricetin, rutin, and epicatechin, which may be responsible for the antioxidant activity of the extracts from XLs, were confirmed by UPLC-MS/MS and HPLC analysis. The extracted flavonoids can be used as a natural antioxidant additive to food products.

Intermolecular C-H Aminocyanation of Indoles via Copper-iodine Cocatalyzed Tandem C-N/C-C Bond Formation.

An efficient copper-iodine cocatalyzed intermolecular C-H aminocyanation of indoles with a broad substrate scope has been developed for the first time. This method enables highly step-economic access to 2-amino-3-cyanoindoles in moderate to good yields and provides a complementary strategy for the regioselective difunctionalization of carbon═carbon double bonds of interest in organic synthesis and related areas. Mechanistic studies suggest that these transformations are initiated by iodine-mediated C2-H amination with azoles, followed by copper-catalyzed C3-H cyanation with ethyl cyanoformate.

Effects of dexmedetomidine on cardiac electrophysiology in patients undergoing general anesthesia during perioperative period: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine has controversial influence on cardiac electrophysiology. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of dexmedetomidine on perioperative cardiac electrophysiology in patients undergoing general anesthesia. METHODS: Eighty-one patients were randomly divided into four groups: groups D1, D2, D3 receiving dexmedetomidine 1, 1, 0.5 µg/kg over 10 min and 1, 0.5, 0.5 µg/kg/h continuous infusion respectively, and control group (group C) receiving normal saline. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms were recorded at the time before dexmedetomidine/normal saline infusion (T1), loading dose finish (T2), surgery ending (T6), 1 h (T7) after entering PACU, 24 h (T8), 48 h (T9), 72 h (T10) and 1 month (T11) postoperatively. Cardiac circulation efficiency (CCE) were also recorded. RESULTS: Compared with group C, QTc were significantly increased at T2 in groups D1 and D2 while decreased at T7 and T8 in group D3 (P < 0.05), iCEB were decreased at T8 (P < 0.05). Compared with group D1, QTc at T2, T6, T7, T9 and T10 and iCEB at T8 were decreased, and CCE at T2-T4 were increased in group D3 significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with group D2, QTc at T2 and iCEB at T8 were decreased and CCE at T2 and T3 were increased in group D3 significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dexmedetomidine at a loading dose of 0.5 µg/kg and a maintenance dose of 0.5 µg/kg/h can maintain stability of cardiac electrophysiology during perioperative period and has no significant adverse effects on CCE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04577430 (Date of registration: 06/10/2020).

[Identification of Volatile Chemical Constituents from Hui Formula "Ha Hei Lili" by GC-MS].

OBJECTIVE: The volatile components of the Hui formula "Ha Hei Lili" were extracted by steam distillation extraction (SD) and supercritical CO2 fluid extraction, and the structures were analyzed and identified by GC-MS. METHODS: The GC-MS conditions were set as follows: Rxi-5Sil MS quartz capillary column (30 m x 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm), the initial temperature of 50 degrees C to keep 1 min, to 10 degrees C/min heating to 120 degrees C, maintained 3 min, then to 3 degrees C/min heating to 200 degrees C, maintained 3 min, and then to 5 degreesC/min heating to 290 degrees C, maintained until completion of analysis; helium as the carrier gas, column flow rate 1.0 ml/min, split ratio 25: 1, inlet temperature 250 degrees C, EI ionization source 70 eV, ion source temperature 230 degrees C, scan range of m/z 35 - 500. RESULTS: Yield of volatile oil were 0.21% and 5.44% extracted by SD and SFE methods, respectively; and for SD method, 36 kinds of compounds were identified, accounted for 87.02% of total mass of volatile oil; for SFE method, 38 kinds of constituents were identified, accounted for 97.47% of total mass of volatile oil. CONCLUSION: The type of constituents contained in the volatile oil extracted by SD and SFE methods are totally different; and GC-MS can be used to identify the structures and relative content of volatile components, the results of this study can provide an experimental basis for development and utilization of Hui formula "Ha Hei Lili".