Traditional Chinese medicine and mitophagy: A novel approach for cardiovascular disease management.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, imposing an enormous economic burden on individuals and human society. Laboratory studies have identified several drugs that target mitophagy for the prevention and treatment of CVD. Only a few of these drugs have been successful in clinical trials, and most studies have been limited to animal and cellular models. Furthermore, conventional drugs used to treat CVD, such as antiplatelet agents, statins, and diuretics, often result in adverse effects on patients' cardiovascular, metabolic, and respiratory systems. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has gained significant attention for its unique theoretical basis and clinical efficacy in treating CVD. PURPOSE: This paper systematically summarizes all the herbal compounds, extracts, and active monomers used to target mitophagy for the treatment of CVD in the last five years. It provides valuable information for researchers in the field of basic cardiovascular research, pharmacologists, and clinicians developing herbal medicines with fewer side effects, as well as a useful reference for future mitophagy research. METHODS: The search terms "cardiovascular disease," "mitophagy," "herbal preparations," "active monomers," and "cardiac disease pathogenesis" in combination with "natural products" and "diseases" were used to search for studies published in the past five years until January 2024. RESULTS: Studies have shown that mitophagy plays a significant role in the progression and development of CVD, such as atherosclerosis (AS), heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmia. Herbal compound preparations, crude extracts, and active monomers have shown potential as effective treatments for these conditions. These substances protect cardiomyocytes by inducing mitophagy, scavenging damaged mitochondria, and maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. They display notable efficacy in combating CVD. CONCLUSION: TCM (including herbal compound preparations, extracts, and active monomers) can treat CVD through various pharmacological mechanisms and signaling pathways by inducing mitophagy. They represent a hotspot for future cardiovascular basic research and a promising candidate for the development of future cardiovascular drugs with fewer side effects and better therapeutic efficacy.

Natural products derived from herbs as promising source for diarrhea predominant-irritable bowel syndrome via gut microbiota-serotonin pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, with diarrhea predominant IBS (IBS-D) as the most common subtype. Increasing evidence reported that the gut microbiota-mediated serotonin pathway plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IBS-D. In this study, potential herbal medicine, plant extracts and its monomers that can be employed as the candidate molecules for IBS-D through gut microbiota-mediated serotonin pathway were reviewed. KEY FINDINGS: The bacteria indigenous to gut microbiota regulates serotonin pathway, mainly increasing tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and decreasing serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT), by activating cyclooxygenase/prostaglandin E2 (COX/PGE2) signaling. It further accelerated gastrointestinal motility and visceral hyperalgesia. Herbal medicine prescription including Tongxie yaofang and Shugan decoction, as well as some monomers of flavonoid and polyphenol compounds can be regarded as the potential agents for IBS-D. The predominate mechanisms were related to regulating serotonin pathway by driving on the specific bacterial abundance (such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes). However, there are few reports on which specific bacteria species play a regulatory role in serotonin pathway, and most of these effective agents were only evidenced by preclinical studies. We hope this review will provide some useful directions for the treatment strategy of IBS-D.

UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS Combined with Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and Animal Verification Reveals the Mechanism of Insomnia Treatment by Shen Qi Wu Wei Zi Capsules.

BACKGROUND: Shen Qi Wu Wei Zi capsules (SQWWZ) are often used to treat insomnia; however, the potential therapeutic mechanism is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of the Shen Qi Wu Wei Zi capsules on insomnia. METHODS: The components of SQWWZ were identified using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique in conjunction with relevant literature. Insomnia-related targets were searched in the Gene- Cards and DisGeNET databases, and the intersection targets were obtained using a Venn diagram. A component-target-insomnia network diagram was constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software. Core targets underwent GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Molecular docking techniques were employed to verify the key proteins involved in the pathway and their corresponding compounds. Insomnia was induced in SD rats through the intraperitoneal injection of pchlorophenylalanine (DL-4-chlorophenylalanine, PCPA). The rats were treated orally with SQWWZ, and the serum levels of 5-HT and GABA in each group were determined using ELISA. Histological analysis of hippocampal tissue sections from the rats was performed using HE staining. RESULTS: Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and reviewing relevant literature, we identified 49 components of SQWWZ. Additionally, we obtained 1,043 drug targets and 367 insomnia-related targets. Among these, 82 targets were found to be common to both drug and insomnia targets. Following drug administration, rats in the treatment group exhibited a significant increase in the serum levels of 5-HT and GABA. Moreover, histological analysis using HE staining revealed neatly arranged hippocampal neuronal cells in the treated rats. CONCLUSION: The active components of SQWWZ had good inhibition of insomnia. This study provides a reference and guidance for the in-depth study of SQWWZ for the treatment of insomnia.

A review of the research progress on Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit.: Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and quality control.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. is a well-known perennial herb that is used in traditional medicine in China, Japan and Korea. It's drawing worldwide interests in medicinal applications owing such as anti-diarrhea, lipid-lowering, anti-tumor, anti-cough, expectorant, anti-gastric ulcer, etc. Aim of the study: This review aims to provide useful information on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and quality control of Pinellia ternata to help increase its efficiency. In addition, this review will discuss the future research trends and development prospects of this plant. Materials and methods: Data was obtained through a systematic search of published literature and online databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, and Sci-Finder. The botanical names were confirmed using the World Flora Online and chemical structures were drawn using the ChemBio Draw Ultra Version 19.0 Software. Results: Pinellia ternata is distributed in regions of China and other areas. Pinellia ternata and its compound preparations can be used for cough, vomiting, gastric ulcer and other diseases. Approximately 212 chemical constituents have been isolated from Pinellia ternata, including alkaloids, volatile oils, amino acids, organic acids, flavonoids, cerebrosides, phenylpropanoids and other compounds. Considerable pharmacological experiments in vitro and in vivo have demonstrated that Pinellia ternata possessed antitumor effect, antitussive effects, antiasthmatic effects, increasing resistance to gastric ulcer, and antidiarrheal effect. However, these extracts can also lead to various toxicities such as irritant toxicity, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and embryonic toxicity. Considerable experiments have demonstrated that different processing methods and suitable compatibility with other herbs can effectively reduce the toxicities and increase the efficiency of Pinellia ternata. Conclusions: Pinellia ternata is an ancient herbal medicine with a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities that has been used for thousands of years in China. Future studies should perform an in-depth analyses of the pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of toxicity of Pinellia ternata. Quality standards should be developed to correspond to the various application methods to ensure the efficacy of drugs in actual treatment.

Revealing the mechanisms of Arisaema cum Bile on allergic asthma with systematic pharmacology approach-experimental validation.

Arisaema cum Bile (Dan Nanxing in Chinese, DNX) have been employed to treat allergic asthma. However, the active components and its mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, the systematic pharmacology approach-experimental validation was performed in this study. Each 5, 6, and 10 compounds of DNX were obtained by HPLC analysis, TCMSP, and literature report, respectively. A total of 379 targets on all these compounds were acquired from Swiss Target Prediction, and 1973 targets on allergic asthma were predicated. The KEGG enrichment analysis was performed. Furthermore, a rat model of allergic asthma was established and DNX (450 mg/kg, p.o.) was given for 2 weeks. DNX treatment prevented OVA-induced pathological changes in lung cell of irregular arrange and necrotic bronchial epithelial. It also decreased inflammatory cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 of serum and BALF, and increased IL-12 and IFN-γ. The main MAPK signaling pathway predicted by KEGG enrichment was verified, as indicated by the decreased protein expression of JNK (p < 0.05 & p < 0.01), ERK (p < 0.05), and p38 MAPK (p < 0.01) in lung tissue. These findings indicated that DNX attenuated OVA-induced allergic asthma mainly by decreasing the MAPK signaling pathway.

Gastrodia elata BI.:A Comprehensive Review of Its Traditional Use, Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Pharmacokinetics.

Materials and Methods: This article collects information from relevant documents, including scientific papers, books, and dissertations concerning Gastrodia elata BI. Results: To date, research on Gastrodia elata BI. has identified about 100 active compounds. Many compounds in Gastrodia elata BI. have biological activities, such as sedation and hypnosis, anticonvulsion, improvement of learning and memory, protection of neurons, antidepressive effects, lowering of blood pressure, promotion of angiogenesis, protection of cardiomyocytes, antiplatelet aggregation, anti-inflammatory activity, and amelioration of labor pains. Conclusion: Although many traditional uses of this plant have been confirmed, it is necessary to continue to study the relationship between its structure and function, clarify the mechanisms of pharmacological effects, and explore new clinical applications so as to better delineate the quality control standards for Gastrodia elata BI.

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based lipidomics reveals key lipid molecules as potential therapeutic targets of Polygonum cuspidatum against hyperlipidemia in a hamster model.

Polygonum cuspidatum is a homology of traditional medicine and functional food widely distributed around the world. Our previous study on the hyperlipidemic animal model demonstrated that Polygonum cuspidatum was effective in ameliorating hyperlipidemia, which is characterized by lipid disorders. Herein, the regulatory effect of Polygonum cuspidatum on lipid metabolism needs to be known if its hypolipidemic mechanism is desired to clarify. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based lipidomic strategy was first applied to investigate the lipidomic patterns of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic hamsters when treated with Polygonum cuspidatum. The results showed that Polygonum cuspidatum improved the lipidomic profile of hyperlipidemia. A total of 65 differential lipids related to the hypolipidemic effect of Polygonum cuspidatum were screened out and identified, and these differential lipids covered various categories, such as phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, triacylglycerols, sphingomyelins and so on. Orally administrated Polygonum cuspidatum restored these differential lipids back to normal or nearly normal levels. This study adopted lipidomics to reveal the key lipid molecules as potential therapeutic targets of Polygonum cuspidatum against hyperlipidemia, which would provide a scientific basis for its clinical application.

The effect of integrated health care in patients with hypertension and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of studies show that integrated health care provides comprehensive and continuous care to patients with hypertension or diabetes. However, there is still no consensus about the effect of integrated health care on patients with hypertension or diabetes. The objective of this study was to verify the effectiveness of integrated health care for patients with hypertension or diabetes by using a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: The study searched multiple English and Chinese electronic databases. The search period was from database inception to 31 October 2020. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted after assessing the risk of bias of each study. RESULTS: Sixteen studies that involved 5231 patients were included in this study. The results of the systematic review revealed that systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI) and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) are commonly used indicators for patients with hypertension or diabetes. Individual models and group- and disease-specific models are the most commonly used models of integrated health care. All the studies were from high-income and middle-income countries. Meta-analysis showed that integrated health care significantly improved SBP, DBP and HbA1c but not BMI. A comparison of interventions lasting 6 and 12 months for diabetes was conducted, and HbA1c was decreased after 12 months. The changes in SBP and DBP were statistically significant after using group- and disease-specific model but not individual models. HbA1c was significantly improved after using group- and disease-specific models and individual models. CONCLUSION: Integrated health care is a useful tool for disease management, and individual models and group- and disease-specific models are the most commonly used models in integrated health care. Group- and disease-specific models are more effective than individual models in the disease management of hypertension patients. The duration of intervention should be considered in the disease management of patients with diabetes, and interventions longer than 12 months are recommended. The income level may affect the model of integrated health care in selecting which disease to intervene, but this point still needs support from more studies.

Botanical, Traditional Use, Phytochemical, and Toxicological of Arisaematis rhizoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review is a collection of all possible studies on AR, published in scientific journals, papers, and books. Using the papers related to Arisaematis, such as ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library, Springer Link, Web of Science, CNKI, and WanFang Database. In this paper, the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of AR were reviewed. Finally, the existing problems and research directions of the research on AR are discussed. RESULTS: Ninety-eight chemical constituents were isolated from AR. AR has a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as the effects on the central nervous system and cardiovascular system. It also has anti-tumor, sedative, analgesic, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antiarrhythmic, anticoagulant, and other effects. It is also considered an effective drug for in vitro and in vivo validation. CONCLUSIONS: AR is an excellent traditional medicinal plant in China. Pharmacological studies support the traditional use of AR and may verify the folk use of AR in the treatment of different diseases. The anti-tumor effect of AR has been widely concerned by scholars at home and abroad. It has become a hot spot in recent years and has made great contributions to the survival and development of human beings. Although it has a high value of comprehensive utilization, its development and utilization are far from enough. Therefore, the comprehensive development of AR is worthy of further analysis.

Molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction of Chikusetsu saponin IVa from Panacis majoris Rhizoma.

As the main active component of Panacis majoris Rhizoma, Chikusetsu saponin IVa has the activity of anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory pain, and so on. Obtaining high purity Chikusetsu saponin IVa by simple purification steps is a prerequisite for its deep development. In this paper, the separation and purification of Chikusetsu saponin IVa were studied by molecular imprinting technique. By ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry and computer molecular simulation, it was concluded that water-soluble 3-(2-carboxyethyl)-1-vinylimidazolium bromide ionic liquid was the best functional monomer compared with acrylic acid and acrylamide. The molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared by precipitation polymerization at 60℃ with Chikusetsu saponin IVa as template molecule, 3-(2-carboxyethyl)-1-vinylimidazolium bromide as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker, 2, 2'-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator, and ethanol as porogen. The properties of molecularly imprinted polymers were studied by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The maximum adsorption capacity was 171.33 mg/g, and the imprinting factor was 2.6. Finally, the polymers can be successfully used in the purification of Chikusetsu saponin IVa from Panacis majoris Rhizoma through a simple procedure, the content was significantly increased. The recoveries of the spiked samples for the CS-IVa ranged from 94.05 to 99.95% with relative standard deviation values lower than 2.67%. The results showed that the polymers demonstrated good adsorption capacity for Chikusetsu saponin IVa. Meanwhile, the polymers showed great stability and reusability during the application.

Potential Role of Gut Microbiota in Traditional Chinese Medicine against COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads and rages around the world and threatens human life. It is disappointing that there are no specific drugs until now. The combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and western medication seems to be the current more effective treatment strategy for COVID-19 patients in China. In this review, we mainly discussed the relationship between COVID-19 and gut microbiota (GM), as well as the possible impact of TCM combined with western medication on GM in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, aiming to provide references for the possible role of GM in TCM against COVID-19. The available data suggest that GM dysbiosis did occur in COVID-19 patients, and the intervention of GM could ameliorate the clinical condition of COVID-19 patients. In addition, TCMs (e.g., Jinhua Qinggan granule, Lianhua Qingwen capsule, Qingfei Paidu decoction, Shufeng Jiedu capsule, Qingjin Jianghuo decoction, Toujie Quwen granules, and MaxingShigan) have been proven to be safe and effective for the treatment of COVID-19 in Chinese clinic. Among them, Ephedra sinica, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Bupleurum chinense, Lonicera japonica,Scutellaria baicalensi, and Astragalus membranaceus are common herbs and have a certain regulation on GM, immunity, and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Notably, Qingfei Paidu decoction and MaxingShigan have been demonstrated to modulate GM. Finally, the hypothesis of GM-mediated TCM treatment of COVID-19 is proposed, and more clinical trials and basic experiments need to be initiated to confirm this hypothesis.

The therapeutic efficacy of Xuanfei Baidu Formula combined with conventional drug in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new acute espiratory infectious disease that has been in a public health emergency of international concern. In China, the combination of Xuanfei Baidu Formula (XBF) and conventional drug is used in the clinical treatment of patients with new coronary pneumonia, However, there is no comprehensive and systematic evidence on the effectiveness and safety of XBF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We search for research in PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan-fang Database, China Biomedical Database, and Chinese Science Citation Database. For "Xuanfei Baidu Formula" and "COVID-19," we screened suitable articles without language restrictions on keywords, Review Manager 5.3 and STATA 14.2 software was used for the data analysis. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis will evaluate the efficacy and safety of XBF combined with conventional drug in the treatment of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: We will provide evidence of XBF for the treatment on COVID-19 patients. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020120011.

Efficacy and safety of Reyanning mixture combined with conventional Western medicine for treating COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Since its first report in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly emerged as a pandemic affecting nearly all countries worldwide. So far, there is no specific anti-coronavirus therapy approved for the treatment of COVID-19. In China, some traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have been successfully applied to the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and have achieved good clinical results, including the Reyanning mixture, but there is no systematic review about it. This study will systematically evaluate its efficacy and safety in the treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: The following electronic bibliographic databases will be searched to identify relevant studies: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, CBM, and Wanfang databases. We will use the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions to assess the risk of bias. The protocol will be conducted according to the approach and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). Manager 5.3 software and STATA 16.0 software were used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review and pool current clinical outcomes of Reyanning mixture for the treatment of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this review will provide evidence to judge whether Reyanning mixture combined with Conventional Western Medicine is an effective and safe intervention for COVID-19. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020120044.

Traditional Chinese medicine Lianhua Qingwen for treating COVID-19: A protocol for a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2019, it has swept the world with rapid development and is one of the infectious diseases that seriously threatened global public health. Because of the complex pathogenesis, high infectivity, and high fatality rate of COVID-19, there are no effective treatments for this epidemic at present. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long clinical history in the prevention and treatment of such acute infectious diseases. The therapeutic effect of Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) on this new coronary pneumonia has attracted the attention of all walks of life, and relevant research reports continue to appear. Here, we intend to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of LHQW in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We will search each database from the built-in until Dec 2020. The English literature mainly search the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science, while the Chinese literature come from CNKI, VIP, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD), and Wan Fang database. Simultaneously, we will retrieve clinical registration tests. This study only screens the RCT of LHQW against COVID-19 and evaluates its efficacy and safety. We will use the Cochrane Handbook to systematically review interventions to assess the risk of bias. The protocol will be reported according to the approach and preferred report items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA - P). Finally, RevMan software version 5.3 will be used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis aim to review and pool current clinical outcomes of LHQW for treating COVID-19. CONCLUSION: This study will provide further evidence for the efficacy and safety of LHQW in the treatment of COVID-19. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020120043.

The therapeutic efficacy of Chinese patent medicine combined with routine western medicine in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially fatal disease. clinical practice shows that Chinese Patent Medicine (CPM) has played an important role in the outbreak, Among them, Jinhua Qinggan granules, Lianhua Qingwen capsule, and Xuebiqing injection have an effect in treating COVID-19 patients, but it has not been systematically evaluated for efficacy and safety. We provide a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrieved the database, including the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Database, Wan Fang database, and PubMed. The quality of each study is assessed according to the criteria of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Using Manager 5.3 software and STATA 16.0 software were used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review and pool current clinical outcomes of CPM combined with routine western medicine (RWM) for the treatment of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence of CPM (including Jinhua Qinggan granule, Lianhua Qingwen capsule, and Xuebiqing injection) for the treatment on COVID-19 patients.INPLASY Registration number: INPLASY202050050.

Botanical and Traditional Uses and Phytochemical, Pharmacological, Pharmacokinetic, and Toxicological Characteristics of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen: A Review.

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZS, the seeds of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou) is used as a traditional Chinese medicine referred to as Suan zao ren (). This paper aims to provide a systematic review of its traditional uses and its botanical, phytochemical, pharmacological, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological characteristics. The future development and research prospects for ZS have also been discussed in detail. To date, over 150 compounds have been identified in this plant, including terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, fatty acids, volatile oils, polysaccharides, and others. Both extracts and purified compounds have excellent biological activities, especially sedative and hypnotic effects. Other effects include ameliorating effect of learning and memory, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, blood pressure and lipid lowering, antiaging, and antitumor effects. Thus, this traditional Chinese medicine can be used to treat many diseases such as insomnia, forgetfulness, headaches, and dizziness. Although many of the traditional uses of ZS are well established, the relationship between structure and function still needs to be further studied. In order to better pave the way for research and the establishment of quality control standards for ZS, it will be very important to elucidate its pharmacological mechanisms of action and explore new clinical effects.

[Extraction kinetics of volatile oil from galangal by steam distillation].

To reveal the extraction regularity of volatile oil from galangal by GC-MS analysis. The volatile oil in galangal was extracted by steam distillation. The extract was collected every 30 min, the oil part and the water part were separated. GC-MS was used to analyze the extraction liquid collected at different time periods. A total of 140 volatile components were obtained by GC-MS analysis. Among them, the main components were eucalyptus oil alcohol, alpha-pine oil alcohol and 4-terpene alcohol; 22 special components were dissolved in water, 77 special components were dissolved in oil and 41 components were dissolved in both oil and water. With the increase of specific components in water, the content of Eucalyptus in water increased in a linear manner. The increase of eucalyptus oil further promoted the dissolution or dispersion of alpha PN in water, and the change of specific components in oil was positively correlated with the content of Eucalyptus and alpha-terpilenol in oil. The results of principal component analysis show that the physical and chemical properties of the compounds were important factors affecting the distribution of components. PC1 (molecular weight, melting point, boiling point positive correlation), PC2 (negative correlation of refractive index) and PC3 (positive correlation of water solubility) were the main components that lead to the differences in composition distribution. The process of extracting volatile oil from galangal through steam distillation was affected by the physical and chemical properties of volatile components. Some components were specifically distributed in the fragrance and volatile oil system. The endemic components of aromatic water increased the content of the main components in the water system, which may lead to the "emulsification", reduction of the yield and low quality of the volatile oil.

A novel method for the discrimination of Hawthorn and its processed products using an intelligent sensory system and artificial neural networks.

Hawthorn (CFS) has commonly been applied as an important traditional Chinese medicine and food for thousands of years. The raw material of CFS is commonly processed by stir-frying to obtain yellow (CFY), dark brown (CFD), and carbon dark (CFC) colored products, which are used for different clinical uses. In this study, an intelligent sensory system (ISS) was used to obtain the color, gas, and flavor samples data, which were further employed to develop a novel and accurate method for the identification of CFS and its processed products using principal component analysis. Moreover, this research developed a model of an artificial neural network, which could be used to predict the total organic acid, total flavonoids, citric acid, hyperin, and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural via determination of the color, odor, and taste of a sample. In conclusion, the ISS and the artificial neural network are useful tools for rapid, accurate, and effective discrimination of CFS and its processed products.