Ineffectiveness of Skin Tests in Predicting Allergic Reactions Induced by Chinese Herbal Injections / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate whether skin tests are suitable to predict the allergy reactions induced by Chinese herbal injections (CHIs).@*METHODS@#The skin tests including skin prick tests (SPT), intradermal tests (IDT) and provocation tests including subcutaneous tests and intravenous tests were administered to 249 healthy subjects and 180 allergic patients for 3 CHIs, including ginkgolide injection, diterpene ginkgolide meglumine injection and Salvianolate lyophilized injection. The results of the provocation tests were used as the "gold standard" to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the skin tests.@*RESULTS@#The results did not show any significant differences between the healthy and allergy groups in both skin tests and provocation tests (P>0.05). The specificities of SPT and IDT were 0.976 and 0.797, respectively, and the sensitivities of both SPT and IDT were 0.@*CONCLUSION@#Skin tests are insufficient to predict the likelihood of allergic reactions resulting from CHIs. (ChiCTR-CPC-15006921).

Modern research progress of traditional Chinese medicine Paeoniae Radix Alba and prediction of its Q-markers / 中国中药杂志

Paeoniae Radix Alba is the dried root of Paeonia lactiflora, which was first recorded in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and listed as the top grade. It is a common blood-tonifying herb, and its chemical components are mainly monoterpenes and their glycosides, triterpenes, flavonoids and so on. Modern research has demonstrated that Paeoniae Radix Alba has the activities of anti-inflammation, pain easing, liver protection, and anti-oxidation, and thus it is widely used in clinical practice and has broad development prospects. In this paper, the research progress on the chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and quality control of Paeoniae Radix Alba were summarized. On this basis, the Q-markers of Paeoniae Radix Alba were predicted from the aspects of mass transfer and traceability, chemical composition specificity, and availability and measurability of chemical components, which will provide a scientific basis for the quality evaluation of Paeoniae Radix Alba.

Investigation of the metabolites of five major constituents from Berberis amurensis in normal and pseudo germ-free rats / 中国天然药物

Berberis amurensis (Berberidaceae) is a traditional Chinese medicine, which is often used to treat hypertension, inflammation, dysentery and enteritis. It contains alkaloids, mainly including berberine, berbamine, magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine and palmatine. Berberis amurensis extracts (BAEs) is often orally taken. Oral herbs might be metabolized by intestinal bacteria in the small intestine. However, the interaction between the herb and the gut microbiota is still unknown. In the current study, UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with Metabolitepilot and Peakview software was used to identify the metabolites of BAEs in anti-biotic cocktail induced pseudo germ-free rats and normal rats. As a result, a total of 46 metabolites in normal rats were detected and its main metabolic pathways include demethylation, dehydrogenation, methylation, hydroxylation, sulfation and glucuronidation. Only 29 metabolites existed in pseudo germ-free rats. Dehydrogenated metabolites (M29, M30, M34 and M36), methylated metabolites (M33, M41 and M46) and other metabolites were not detected in pseudo germ-free rats. The result implied that the intestinal bacteria have an influence on the metabolism of BAEs. Furthermore, this investigation might contribute to the understanding of the metabolism of BAEs, and further promote its clinical application.

Overview on development of ASEAN traditional and herbal medicines / 中草药·英文版

Traditional medicine is an important and often underestimated part of health services. In some countries, it has a long history of use in health maintenance and in disease prevention and treatment, particularly for disease. WHO has always emphasized the important role of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine in human healthcare. In this review article, the author provided some information from the following five aspects: (1) Development basis of China ASEAN traditional medicine and herbal medicine; (2) The development and afficacy of traditional medicine theory system; (3) Industry development and regulation management of traditional medicine and herbal medicine products; (4) China-ASEAN traditional medicine exchanges and cooperation to promote traditional medicine cooperation and medicine trade, and (5) Strengthening academic and industrial cooperation and promoting the healthy development of traditional medicine and herbal medicine. It is believed that the information will have certain reference value for readers in studies on traditional and herbal medicines.

A review of lignans from genus Kadsura and their spectrum characteristics / 中草药·英文版

Kadsura belongs to the Schisandroideae subfamily of Magnoliaceae. Plants from genus Kadsura are widely distributed in the South and Southwest of China. The plants of the genus are widely used as folk medicine for a long time in history, with the functions of relieving pain, promoting ‘qi’ circulation, activating blood resolve stasis, and applications in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and gastroenteric disorders. Lignans are the primary characteristic constituents with various biological activities of plants from genus Kadsura. This paper summarized 81 lignans isolated from the plants of genus Kadsura over the past eight years (from 2014 to 2021), which belong to five types: dibenzocyclooctadienes, spirobenzofuranoid dibenzocyclooctadienes, aryltetralins, diarylbutanes and tetrahydrofurans. Each type of these lignans possess typical characteristics in proton magnetic resonance (

Attach importance to research and development of Chinese materia medica based on prevention and control needs of SARS-CoV-2 infection / 中草药

In the first 20 years of the new century, two times of coronavirus “visiting” China has become a public health emergency, which has attracted great attention at home and abroad. At the critical time of epidemic prevention and control in SARS-CoV-2 infection, the excellent achievements of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) show the advantages and contributions of TCM. In view of the complexity of the symptoms of patients with coronavirus infection, the diversity of organ and tissue damage and functional damage or failure, how to adapt to the needs of clinical prevention and treatment is not only a problem of modern medicine, but also a problem of TCM. In this review article, the authors combed the research of TCM prescription and single medicine after understanding the cause of coronavirus infection and pathogenicity and multiple organ dysfunction and failure caused by coronavirus. Based on the emphasis on the TCM scientific research and application, the TCM therapeutic effect on SARS-CoV-2 infection is discussed. The framework of new drug research and development based on possible “target” is proposed, and we put forward the ideas for researching new TCM products through the expanding molecular mechanism of infection.

Collaborative innovation boosting the safe and rational use of traditional Chinese medicines / 中国中药杂志

As entering a new era,our country has introduced a series of favorable policies,which may provide the powerful and new momentum for the development of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM). However,more and more attentions have been paid to the safety and effectiveness of TCM. Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f. is one of Chinese herbs with clinical efficacy and safety risk. In recent years,accumulating groups have carried out a series of exploratory studies on the clinical rational use of T. wilfordii-related preparations. Considering this situation,the goal of this special issue is to bring together a collection of original research and review articles addressing the expanding field of T. wilfordii. The special issue covers the clinical application,pharmacodynamics,toxicology,pharmacodynamics,resource identification and molecular pharmacognosy of T. wilfordii-related preparations. It focuses on the multi-disciplinary collaborative innovation,and may provide a stimulating resource for the fascinating subject of the safe and rational use of TCM,as well as have important practical significance and promotion value for the healthy development of TCM industry.

Discovery and Application of Quality Marker of Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Integrative Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Quality marker(Q-marker) is a new concept and pattern for quality control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),which will lead the development direction for quality control of TCM.Among them,how to characterize the overall quality attribute of TCM and its biological effect,is a critical scientific problem in the study of Q-marker.In this paper,integrated pharmacology is utilized to screen out and confirm the Q-marker from the complex system of TCM,so as to solve the critical scientific problem.System biology in vivo is firstly applied to establish the correlation of chemical fingerprints of TCM,their metabolic fingerprints,network targets,biological effects and efficacy of TCM,which is used to preliminary screen out Q-marker of TCM.Following that,a pharmacological method in vitro,including intestinal absorption in vitro coupled with bioactivity assessment,is employed to simultaneously determine the absorbed doses of TCM and evaluate their biological activity.Furthermore,data mining is utilized to establish the exact quantitative mathematic model between Q-marker of TCM and bioactivity.Meanwhile,two representative examples,including Yuanhu Zhitong tablets,Xinsuning capsules,are introduced to identify Q-marker of TCM and establish their quality standards related with bioactivity,which will be beneficial to improve the level of quality control of TCM and ensure the effectiveness and safety of clinical applications.

A smart near-infrared spectroscopy evaluation system for quality management of Chinese medicinal materials based on quality markers / 药学学报

The quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the lifeline for TCM industry. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has provided new means for the quality management of Chinese medicinal materials (CMM). In this paper, we take the quality marker (Q-marker) as a breakthrough point, focused on the research strategy from chemical markers to Q-markers, picked up the characteristics of the Q-markers from the near infrared spectrum (NIRS), and explored the feasibility of establishing the NIRS assay based on Q-marker. After integrated the biological activity detection and artificial neural network algorithm, we try to establish the relationship between the spectral properties of NIRS and specific efficacy of the CMM. Finally, the bottlenecks will be solved that related to the transmission and traceability of quality attributes in the process of TCM production, quantity change, overall quality management and so on. This system is going to improve TCM quantity scientific and intelligent supervision, and promote the upgrading of traditional TCM industry.

A hypothesis on the Q-markers based on characteristics of opposite-effect of herbs: an example of Sanqi / 药学学报

The quality definition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a hot area in modern research of TCM. In recent years, the characteristics of one herb with multiple effects have been widely accepted and studied. The typical opposite-effect of herbs is considered as a special part of one herb with multiple effects, and was summarized in this paper. Sanqi was used as an example of opposite-effect herbs for developing the strategies and approaches on the Q-markers. The traditional opposite-effect should be studied by modern pharmacological research methods. The correlation of the chemical components with the opposite effects should be established in order to verify the material basis and evaluate the mechanism including targets and pathways. The unique characteristics of chemical components should be analyzed and defined. Finally, the Q-markers of the opposite effect herb will be confirmed. This paper provides a useful reference for the precise quality control of herbal opposite-effects.

The concept, core theory and research methods of Chinesemedicine quality markers / 药学学报

Q-marker is a new concept of quality control for traditional Chinese medicine. Since its introduction in 2016, it has received extensive support and participation from researchers and manufactures of the entire industry. In order to establishing the research level of quality markers, normative research model, we review the proposed core theory and research methods of Chinese medicine quality markers. The definition and scientific connotation of Chinese medicine quality markers are analyzed. The core theories and research methods of quality markers are summarized from five aspects: "effectiveness", "specificity", "transfer and traceability", "compatibility environment" and "measurability" of quality markers. This paper aims to provide useful theoretical and methodological guidance for studying Chinese medicine quality markers.

Discovery and Development of Artemisinin and Related Compounds / 中草药·英文版

Artemisinin is isolated from the plant Artemisia annua, sweet wormwood, an herb employed in traditional Chinese medicine. Prof. You-you Tu discovered artemisinin in the 1960s, so she was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Artemisinin and its semi-synthetic derivatives are a group of drugs that possess the most rapid action of all current drugs against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In this review, the author investigated history on discovery of artemisinin, ethnopharmacology of Artemisia plants, chemistry and pharmacological activities of the relative compounds, and introduced Tu and other Chinese and world scientists' contribution, development of artemisinin and the related compounds and registered and marketed artemisinin drugs in China, UK, and USA. The author also recalled the studies on the mechanism of action of artemisinins and artemisinin combination therapies and summed up the resistance issues. In Current Recommendations and the Global Plan for Insecticide Resistance Management in Malaria Vectors (GPIRM), that the WHO prevents the development and manages the spread of insecticide resistance is summarized in the technical basis for coordinated action against insecticide resistance: preserving the effectiveness of modern malaria vector control. Prof. Tu re-emphasized the artemisinin resistant on five principles to the WHO. She called on the world's scientists to pay attention to the study of drug resistance, and hopes scientists to contribute to break resistance of artemisinins.

Construction of traceability system of Chinese materia medica product quality based on quality marker of Chinese materia medica / 中草药

In the development process of quality markers of Chinese materia medica (CMM) from the concept to the theory of the development process, quality markers of CMM have attracted the national CMM research and industry attention. Focusing on the factors that affect the quality of CMM, the author analyzed the markers which affect the quality to identify the quality markers, analyzed the comprehensive information, performed risk assessment, and identified and controlled all factors that affect the product quality. Especially the author presented the concept on whole process of quality control, standards and control research to build a full range of traceable control to build a new system, product quality traceability system, to ensure the quality of CMM products and industrial process control. The system will have a new impact on the healthy development of traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Recognizing healthy development of Chinese medicine industry from resources-quality-quality markers of Chinese medicine / 中草药

Chinese medicine resources are the basis of the sustainable development of the health of Chinese medicine, and also the material basis for the sustainable development of Chinese medicine industry. Geoherbs are produced in the specific natural conditions, the ecological environment in the area of medicine. The quality of the medicinal materials is closely related to the characteristics of regional, diversity, variability, and humanity. It determines the particularity and regularity of the development of Chinese medicine resources. The effectiveness and safety of Chinese medicine are the core problems of the quality of Chinese medicine. However, the current Chinese medicine quality issues, quality evaluation, and control methods still exist and cannot objectively reflect the Chinese medicine problems in quality, quality standard in the determination and identification of components is not related with the effectiveness and safety. According to the relevance of the chemical constituents in Chinese medicines and plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis for reaction in herbs, herbal extracts, or compound preparation, and effects on the quality of medicinal materials, the author reiterated markers for defining the quality of traditional Chinese medicine basic conditions. Focus on the material foundation of characteristic, difference, and dynamic change in whole process and quality transfer and traceability, the author believes that to establish quality markers of drug industry chain whole process control system, is conducive to the establishment of a full Chinese medicine quality control and quality traceability system.

A new concept on quality marker of chinese materia medica: quality control for chinese medicinal products / 中草药

To promote the healthy development of pharmaceutical industry, improve the quality standard system, core of national pharmacopoeia standards, and product quality standards of Chinese materia medica (CMM), we analyzed the existing quality assessment methods and problems on the proposed new concept on Chinese medicine quality markers. On this basis, the factors affecting the quality of CMM and secondary metabolites, herbal product quality and quality standards and regulatory problems in the quality of the material basis of CMM to determine the definition of quality markers of CMM, and research methods in terms of quality evaluation of applications to discuss with colleagues. For a common goal, we would like to respond to this concept can lead counterparts.

Research strategies in standard decoction of medicinal slices / 中国中药杂志

This paper discusses the research situation of the standard decoction of medicinal slices at home and abroad. Combined with the experimental data, the author proposes that the standard decoction of medicinal slices is made of single herb using standard process which should be guided by the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, based on clinical practice and referred to modern extraction method with a standard process. And the author also proposes the principles of establishing the specification of process parameters and quality standards and established the basis of drug efficacy material and biological reference. As a standard material and standard system, the standard decoction of medicinal slices can provide standards for clinical medication, standardize the use of the new type of medicinal slices especially for dispensing granules, which were widely used in clinical. It can ensure the accuracy of drugs and consistency of dose, and to solve current supervision difficulties. Moreover the study of standard decoction of medicinal slices will provide the research on dispensing granules, traditional Chinese medicine prescription standard decoction and couplet medicines standard decoction a useful reference.

Network Pharmacology Bridges Traditional Application and Modern Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中草药·英文版

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has developed over thousands of years and has accumulated abundant clinical experience, forming a comprehensive and unique medical system. Emerging evidence has begun to illustrate TCM as an area of important medical rediscoveries. This review article briefly introduced the concept, significance, and technology of network pharmacology based on network biology and systems biology. It focused on the theoretical system and potential prospect of TCM network applied in TCM research and development including predicting new drug targets, action mechanism, new drug discovery; evaluating pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, safety, toxicology, quality control, and bioinformatics of drugs. We also discussed the opportunities and challenges in the development and application of network pharmacology in the modernization of TCM research.

Study on chemistry and biology based on five-tastes and function-efficacy of Chinese materia medica with invigorating blood circulation and eliminating blood stasis / 中草药

According to the current research issues on the drug-properties of Chinese materia medica (CMM), authors presented a research main-line on the "five tastes" (pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) and mode and idea on the "five elements" with "drug-five tastes-substances-effects-function" for studying the function/efficacy in the theory of traditional Chinese medicines. Based on the idea, authors elaborated a "five tastes" starting point in CMM with invigorating blood circulation and eliminating blood stasis to study the relationship between the chemical substances related with " five tastes" and the biological basis to explain the CMM function-efficacy. Authors believe that in the study on the CMM drug property and the scientific connotation with modern scientific and technological means, the "five elements" is the transformation of the bond and to capture the differences between the "five flavors" and function/efficacy is difficult. Thus, the idea would be beneficial to the development of innovative pharmaceutics of CMM.

Analysis and outlook on teaching status of Molecular Pharmacognosy / 中国中药杂志

The teaching status of Molecular Pharmacognosy in 28 institutions in China was investigated by questionnaire and the survey data was analyzed by SPSS. Research contents included course beginning years, majors, class hours, characteristics of the course, teaching ways, the theory and practice contents, evaluation modes, selection of teaching material, teaching achievements, teachers and so on for undergraduates and graduates. Research results showed that with 20 years' development, Molecular Pharmacognosy had been offered for both undergraduate and graduate students in at least 20 colleges and universities and Molecular Pharmacognosy education in China showed good development momentum. At the same time, to promote the development of Molecular Pharmacognosy further, investment for it should be increased and practical teaching condition should be improved.

Inhibitory effect of medicinal plant-derived carboxylic acids on the human transporters hOAT1, hOAT3, hOATP1B1, and hOATP2B1 / 中国天然药物

A significant number of organic carboxylic acids have been shown to influence the absorption and distribution of drugs mediated by organic anion transporters (OATs). In this study, uptake experiments were performed to assess the inhibitory effects of cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, oleanolic acid, deoxycholic acid, and cynarin on hOAT1, hOAT3, hOATP1B1, and hOATP2B1. After a drug-drug interaction (DDI) investigation, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, deoxycholic acid, and cynarin were found and validated to inhibit hOAT1 in a competitive manner, and deoxycholic acid was found to be an inhibitor of all four transporters. The apparent 50% inhibitory concentrations of cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, deoxycholic acid, and cynarin were estimated to be 133.87, 3.69, 90.03 and 6.03 μmol·L(-1) for hOAT1, respectively. The apparent 50% inhibitory concentrations of deoxycholic acid were estimated to be 9.57 μmol·L(-1) for hOAT3, 70.54 μmol·L(-1) for hOATP1B1, and 168.27 μmol·L(-1) for hOATP2B1. Because cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, and cynarin are ingredients of food or food additives, the present study suggests there are new food-drug interactions to be disclosed. In addition, deoxycholic acid may be used as a probe for studying the correlation of OATs and OATPs.