Critical review on the research of chemical structure, bioactivities, and mechanism of actions of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide.

Dendrobium officinale (Tie-Pi-Shi-Hu) is a precious traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The principal active components are polysaccharides (DOP), which have a high potency in therapeutic applications. However, limitations in structure analysis and underlying mechanism investigation impede its further research. This review systemically and critically summarises current understanding in both areas, and points out the influence of starch impurities and the role of gut microbiota in DOP research. As challenges faced in studying natural polysaccharide investigations are common, this review contributes to a broader understanding of polysaccharides beyond DOP.

Acute myocardial necrosis caused by aconitine poisoning: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Herbal medicine has a long history of use in the prevention and treatment of disease and is becoming increasingly popular globally. However, there are also widespread concerns about its safety. Among them, the cardiotoxicity of aconitine has been described. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a 61-year-old male with aconitine poisoning presenting with malignant arrhythmia and severe cardiogenic shock, which was successfully managed with aggressive advanced life support and heart transplantation. CONCLUSION: This is the first case wherein in vivo cardiac pathology was obtained, confirming that aconitine caused acute myocardial necrosis.

Recent advances in qualitative and quantitative analysis of polysaccharides in natural medicines: A critical review.

Polysaccharides from natural medicines, being safe and effective natural mixtures, show great potential to be developed into botanical drugs. However, there is yet one polysaccharide-based case that has fulfilled the Botanical Guidance definition of a botanical drug product. One of the reasons is the analytical methods commonly used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of polysaccharides fall far behind the quality control criteria of botanical drugs. Here we systemically reviewed the recent advances in analytical methods. A critical evaluation of the strength and weaknesses of these methods was provided, together with possible solutions to the difficulties. Mass spectrometry with or without robust chromatographic separation was increasingly employed. And scientists have made significant progress in simplifying polysaccharide quantification by depolymerizing it into oligosaccharides. This oligosaccharides-based strategy is promising for qualitative and quantitative analysis of polysaccharides. And continuous efforts are still needed to develop a standardized quality control method that is specific, accurate, repeatable, and applicable for analyzing individual components in natural medicine formulas.

Assessing alterations of water level due to environmental water allocation at multiple temporal scales and its impact on water quality in Baiyangdian Lake, China.

Lakes in arid/semiarid regions face problems of insufficient inflow and degradation of water quality, which threaten the health of the lake ecosystem. Baiyangdian Lake (BYDL), the largest lake in the North China Plain, is confronted with such challenges. The objective of this study was to improve understanding of how changes in water level influence water quality in the BYDL at different temporal scales, especially related to implementations of intermittent environmental water allocation activities in the past two decades, by using data on monthly lake water level, climate factors of precipitation and temperature, and lake water quality. The Mann-Kendall method and continuous wavelet analysis revealed that the lake water level shows a significant decreasing trend after 1967, and the period of 16-year was identified as the principal period for 1950-2018. Based on cross-wavelet transform and wavelet coherence analysis, the periodic agreement and coherence between water level and climatic factors decreased after 1997, when environmental water allocations started, indicating that the influences of climatic factors, i.e., precipitation and temperature, became weak. By utilizing the cross-wavelet transform and wavelet coherence analysis methods, the relationships between lake water level and water quality parameters of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were investigated. We found that the change in source and amount of environmental water allocation is one possible reason for the temporal evolution in joint variability between lake water level and water quality. Meanwhile, a dilution effect of freshwater allocated to BYDL was detected in the time-frequency domain. However, the result also indicates that the driving mechanism of water quality is complex due to the combined impacts of water allocation, nonpoint source pollution in the rainy season, and nutrient release from lake sediment. Our findings improve the general understanding of changes in water level in lakes located in arid and semiarid regions under climate change and intensive human activities, and also provide valuable knowledge for decision making in aquatic ecosystem restoration of BYDL and other similar lakes.

Discovery of novel SecA inhibitors against "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" through virtual screening and biological evaluation.

"Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" (Ca. L. asiaticus) is the causal agent of Huanglongbing disease of citrus and current study focuses on the discovery of novel small-molecule inhibitors against SecA protein of Ca. L. asiaticus. In this study, homologous modeling was used to construct the three-dimensional structure of SecA. Then, molecular docking-based virtual screening and two rounds of in vitro bacteriostatic experiments were utilized to identify novel small-molecule inhibitors of SecA. Encouragingly, 93 compounds were obtained and two of them (P684-2850, P684-3808) showed strong antimicrobial activities against Liberibacter crescens BT-1 in bacteriostatic experiments. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to explore the binding modes of the receptor-ligand complexes. Results in MD simulations showed that compound P684-3808 was relatively stable during simulation, while compound P684-2850 left the binding pocket. Compound P684-3808 might be suitable as a lead compound for further development of antimicrobial compounds against SecA of Ca. L. asiaticus.

Ginseng ameliorates exercise-induced fatigue potentially by regulating the gut microbiota.

The therapeutic effects of water extract of ginseng (WEG) on exercise-induced fatigue (EF) have been reported in several previous studies, but the molecular mechanisms involved remain unexplored. In this study, the anti-EF effects of WEG were studied, and the potential mechanisms were discussed. We characterized the chemical components of WEG by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD), and then examined the anti-EF effects of WEG on a rat model of weight-loaded swimming with a focus on endogenous metabolism and gut microbiota. WEG contains abundant (90.15%, w/w) saccharides and ginsenosides with structurally diverse glycosyls. WEG taken orally showed strong anti-EF effects by ameliorating energy metabolism abnormality, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory response, disorders in the metabolism of bile acid, amino acid, fatty acid and lipid, as well as the gut microbiota dysbiosis. Given that gut microbiota is significantly associated with energy expenditure, systemic inflammation and host metabolism, these findings suggest a potential central role of the gut microbiota in mediating the anti-EF effect of WEG. That is, the saccharides and ginsenosides in WEG serve as energy substrates for specific intestinal bacteria, thereby beneficially regulating the gut microbiota, and the reshaped gut microbial ecosystem then triggers several molecular and cellular signaling pathways (e.g. butyrate or TGR5 signals) to achieve the therapeutic effects on EF. The outcomes highlighted here enable deeper insight into how WEG overcomes EF.

Rubinoboletus ballouii polysaccharides exhibited immunostimulatory activities through toll-like receptor-4 via NF-κB pathway.

The biological activities of water-soluble components of edible mushroom Rubinoboletus ballouii (RB) were seldom reported. Polysaccharides of RB (RBP) were prepared and well-characterized using chemical analyses. The immunomodulatory properties of RBP were investigated using human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC) in vitro, and cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressive mouse model. Results showed that RBP was found to contain 80.6% (w/w) of neutral sugars including D-fucose, D-mannose, D-glucose and D-galactose (1.7:1.4:1.0:1.8), and 12.5% (w/w) of proteins, which composed of glutamine, threonine, serine, etc. RBP could promote the maturation of moDC and increase the secretion of IL-12p40, IL-10, and TNF-α. Furthermore, the stimulation of IL-12p40 production was inhibited by pretreatment with toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 blocker or NF-κB pathway blocker, suggesting that the activation of moDC by RBP was mediated through NF-κB pathway via TLR-4 receptor. On the other hand, in CTX-treated mice, RBP restored the loss of CD34bright CD45dim hematopoietic stem cells and increased IL-2 production in sera and splenocytes culture supernatant, as well as up-regulated the percentage of CD4+ T helper lymphocyte in mice splenocytes. These findings strongly suggested that RBP are the active ingredients of RB responsible for its immunostimulatory actions and deserved to be further investigated as cancer supplements.

An oligosaccharide-marker approach to quantify specific polysaccharides in herbal formula by LC-qTOF-MS: Danggui Buxue Tang, a case study.

Polysaccharides have broad bioactivities and are major components of water decoction of herb formulae. However, the quality control of polysaccharides remains a challenge. Oligosaccharide-fragment approach has been considered in elucidating chemical structures of polysaccharides, but never been used for quantitation. Using reference chemicals and a real sample Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) in this study, an oligosaccharide-marker approach was established to quantify specific polysaccharides. Firstly, linear relationships between parent polysaccharides and hydrolysis-produced daughter oligosaccharides were verified using reference polysaccharides. Then in case of DBT, two fluorescence-labeled oligosaccharides with high specificity to individual parent polysaccharides were selected as markers. They were easily isolated and identified. Their potential in quantification of parent polysaccharides were satisfactorily validated in terms of linearity (r≥0.99), repeatability (RSD ≤ 8.4 %), and spike recovery (≥80 %). This method could be a promising approach for quality assessment of polysaccharides in herbal formulae.

Difficulties in research of Chinese medicine polysaccharides.

Polysaccharides from Chinese medicines are attracting increasing attention to their wide range of valuable biological activities. As these polysaccharides are mostly from edible materials, their safety can be greatly ensured. Therefore, the Chinese medicine polysaccharides have been the focus of research and development of new drugs and health products. However, there are rarely successful cases. Here, based on the authors' own research experience, the difficulties and challenges in chemical analysis and mechanism study of Chinese medicine polysaccharides are discussed, in the hope of eliciting more innovative ideas and solutions.

GSP-2, a polysaccharide extracted from Ganoderma sinense, is a novel toll-like receptor 4 agonist.

Ganoderma sinense is a Chinese unique medicinal fungus that has been used in folk medicine for thousands of years. Polysaccharides are considered to be biologically active ingredients due to their immune-modulating functions. Previously we found that GSP-2, a new polysaccharide isolated from Ganoderma sinense, exerts an immunomodulatory effect in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate how GSP-2 triggers immunologic responses and the implicated signaling pathways. GSP-2 effects were investigated both in a macrophagic cell line, RAW264.7, and in primary macrophages. Moreover, the molecular basis of GSP-2 recognition by immune cells, and the consequent activation of signaling cascades, were explored by employing recombinant human HEK293-TLR-Blue clones, individually overexpressing various Toll-like receptors. GSP-2 dose-dependently induced the overexpression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) but did not affect the expression of other TLRs. Moreover, GSP-2 induced TNFα secretion in primary macrophages from wild-type, but not TLR4-knockout mice. In addition, GSP-2 upregulated TLR4 protein expression and activated the MAPK pathway in RAW246.7 macrophages. Finally, GSP-2 induced the production of the cytokines TNFα, IL1ß, and IL6. Our data demonstrated that GSP-2 was specifically recognized by TLR4, promoting cytokine secretion and immune modulation in macrophages.

Oligosaccharide-marker approach for qualitative and quantitative analysis of specific polysaccharide in herb formula by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry: Dendrobium officinale, a case study.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of polysaccharides in herb formula remain challenge due to the limited choices of analytical methods concerning the intrinsic characteristics of large molecular mass. Herein, an oligosaccharide-marker approach was newly developed for quality assessment of polysaccharides in herbal materials, using Dendrobium officinale as a case study. This method involved partial acid hydrolysis of D. officinale polysaccharide (DOP) followed by p-aminobenzoic ethyl ester (ABEE) derivatization. Two ABEE-labeled oligosaccharides namely, Te-Man-ABEE and Pen-Man-ABEE, were selected as chemical markers due to their high specificity in herb formula. The linear relationship between the content of these two markers and the content of DOP was then successfully established respectively. The linear relationship was further transformed to that between peak area of chemical markers and DOP content so that chemical markers were not necessary to be isolated for analysis. This linear relationship was systemically validated in terms of precision and accuracy. The results showed that these two oligosaccharide-markers presented a good linear relationship with DOP (R2 ≥ 0.997) in the range of 0.68-16.02 µg. These markers also demonstrated satisfactory precision (RSD < 7.0%), and recovery (91.41%-118.30%) in real sample determination. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the results given by the two chemical markers as the RSD values were not more than 7.0%. While concerning the results given by the oligosaccharide-markers and the previously-published polysaccharide marker, the RSD value was not more than 6.4%. These suggest that the oligosaccharide-marker approach is a simple, quick, and reliable method to qualitatively and quantitatively determine of specific polysaccharide in herb formula.

Critical Problems Stalling Progress in Natural Bioactive Polysaccharide Research and Development.

Natural polysaccharides are attracting increasing attention from food and pharmaceutical industries for their wide range of valuable biological activities. However, the poor repeatability of the methods used in sample preparation and chemical characterization is hampering both research and product development. The unstandardized quality, in turn, undermines efforts to understand the mechanism by which they work via oral dose, which is essential to realize the full beneficial potential of polysaccharides. Some scientists believe polysaccharides work by direct gut absorption; however, increasing evidence points to the gut microbiome and intestinal Peyer's patches as holding the keys to how they work.

A modified formulation of Huanglian-Jie-Du-Tang reduces memory impairments and ß-amyloid plaques in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder typified by progressive deterioration of memory and the appearance of ß-amyloid peptide (Aß)-rich senile plaques. Recently we have identified a novel function of a patented formulation of modified Huanglian-Jie-Tu-Tang (HLJDT-M), a Chinese herbal medicine, in treating AD in in vitro studies (US patent No. 9,375,457). HLJDT-M is a formulation composed of Rhizoma Coptitis, Cortex Phellodendri and Fructus Gardeniae without Radix Scutellariae. Here, we assessed the efficacy of HLJDT-M on a triple transgenic mouse model of AD (3XTg-AD). Oral administration of HLJDT-M ameliorated the cognitive dysfunction of 3XTg-AD mice and lessened the plaque burden. In addition, biochemical assays revealed a significant decrease in levels of detergent-soluble and acid-soluble Aß via decreasing the levels of full length amyloid-ß precursor protein (FL-APP) and C-terminal fragments of APP (CTFs) in brain lysates of HLJDT-M-treated mice. HLJDT-M treatment also significantly reduced the levels of FL-APP and CTFs in N2a/SweAPP cells. In contrast, treatment using the classical formula HLJDT did not reduce the memory impairment of 3XTg-AD mice and, rather, increased the Aß/Fl-APP/CTFs in both animal and cell culture studies. Altogether, our study indicates that HLJDT-M is a promising herbal formulation to prevent and/or cure AD.

Cinnamon induces browning in subcutaneous adipocytes.

Browning is the process of increasing the number of brite cells, which helps to increase energy expenditure and reduce obesity. Consumption of natural and non-toxic herbal extracts that possess the browning effect is an attractive anti-obesity strategy. In this study, we examined the browning effect of cinnamon extract. We found that cinnamon extract (CE) induced typical brown adipocyte multiocular phenotype in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The treatment also increased brown adipocytes markers and reduced white adipocytes markers in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In ex vivo studies, we found that CE increased brown adipocytes markers in the subcutaneous adipocytes isolated from db/db mice and diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice. However, CE did not significantly affect UCP1 expression in the adipocytes isolated from perinephric adipose tissue and epididymal adipose tissue. ß3-adernergic receptor (ß3-AR) antagonist reduced the CE-enhanced UCP1 expression, suggesting an involvement of the ß3-AR activity. Oral administration of CE significantly increased UCP1 expression in the subcutaneous adipose tissue in vivo and reduced the body weight of the DIO mice. Taken together, our data suggest that CE has a browning effect in subcutaneous adipocytes. Our study suggests a natural non-toxic herbal remedy to reduce obesity.

Anti-Fatigue Effects of the Unique Polysaccharide Marker of Dendrobium officinale on BALB/c Mice.

Dendrobium officinale extract shows potent anti-fatigue effects; however, the active substance responsible for these effects remains undetermined. A glucomannan with a huge molecular size of 730 kDa, called DOP, was identified as the unique authentication marker of this expensive herb. DOP exhibited immunomodulating effects on macrophages and lymphocytes in our previous study. Clinical reports also showed that people with fatigue syndrome have a disturbed immune system. Because DOP is the unique and dominant component of D. officinale, we hypothesize that DOP may also have anti-fatigue activity. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-fatigue activity of DOP on BALB/c mice, with Rhodiola rosea extract as a positive control. DOP and Rhodiola rosea extract were orally administered at doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, respectively, for four weeks, and the anti-fatigue activity of DOP on BALB/c mice was evaluated using the weight-loaded swimming test. The contents of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CK), triglyceride (TG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), lactic acid (LD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in serum, glycogen of liver and gastrocnemius muscle were also determined. Their effects on variability of T cells and B cells were determined by using tetrazolium compound (MTS) method. The weight-loaded swimming exercise caused fatigue syndrome, mainly including the decreases of serum SOD/GSH-Px and gastrocnemius glycogen, as well as the increases of LDH, BUN, MDA, CK, TG, and LD in serum. All of these indicators of fatigue were inhibited to a certain extent by both DOP and Rhodiola rosea extract; however, the effects of DOP were much stronger than those of Rhodiola rosea extract. Compared to the positive control, mice dosed with DOP showed increases in endurance, body weight, and food intake. Furthermore, DOP-feeding mice significantly increased the cell variability of T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes, compared with that of mice in control group. This study indicates that the unique and dominant polysaccharide DOP of D. officinale has stronger anti-fatigue activity than Rhodiola rosea extract. As such, DOP has promising potential for pharmaceutical development into health products to reduce fatigue.

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis of 32 Chemical Ingredients of a Chinese Patented Drug Sanhuang Tablet.

Sanhuang Tablet (SHT) is a Chinese patented drug commonly used for the treatment of inflammations of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. It contains a special medicinal composition including the single compound berberine hydrochloride, extracts of Scutellariae Radix and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, as well as the powder of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. Despite advances in analytical techniques, quantitative evaluation of a Chinese patented drug like SHT remains a challenge due to the complexity of its chemical profile. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to simultaneously quantify 29 non-sugar small molecule components of SHT (11 flavonoids, two isoflavonoids, one flavanone, five anthraquinones, two dianthranones, five alkaloids, two organic acids and one stilbene). Three major saccharide components, namely fructose, glucose, and sucrose, were also quantitatively determined using high performance liquid chromatography-charged aerosol detector (HPLC-CAD) on an Asahipak NH2P-50 4E amino column. The established methods were validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, and stability, and then successfully applied to analyze 27 batches of commercial SHT products. A total of up to 57.61% (w/w) of SHT could be quantified, in which the contents of the determined non-saccharide small molecules varied from 5.91% to 16.83% (w/w) and three saccharides accounted for 4.41% to 48.05% (w/w). The results showed that the quality of the commercial products was inconsistent, and only four of those met Chinese Pharmacopoeia criteria.

Citricoccus lacusdiani sp. nov., an actinobacterium promoting Microcystis growth with limited soluble phosphorus.

A novel actinobacterium, designated strain JXJ CY 21T, was isolated from the culture mass of Microcystis sp. FACHB-905 collected from Lake Dianchi, South-west China. Polyphasic taxonomic study revealed that the isolate should be a member of the genus Citricoccus. Comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain JXJ CY 21T with the available sequences in the GenBank database showed that the strain is closely related to Citricoccus zhacaiensis FS24T (97.8 % similarity), Citricoccus parietis 02-Je-010T (97.7 %), Citricoccus terreus V3M1T (97.6 %), Citricoccus nitrophenolicus PNP1T (97.2 %), Citricoccus alkalitolerans YIM 70010T (97.2 %) and Citricoccus muralis 4-0T (97.0 %). The DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain JXJ CY 21T and the related type strains C. zhacaiensis FS24T and C. parietis 02-Je-010T were 16.0 ± 2.6 and 5.4 ± 1.7 %, respectively. The peptidoglycan in the cell wall was A4α type containing lysine-glutamic acid-glycine. The major respiratory menaquinone was found to be MK-8 (H2) (98.5 %), while the major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0, iso-C15:0 and iso-C14:0. The polar lipids detected were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified phospholipid and an unidentified glycolipid. The DNA G + C content was determined to be 62.7 mol%. Strain JXJ CY 21T can solubilize both insoluble inorganic and organic phosphates up to 24.7 and 1.7 mg/l respectively. This property of the novel actinobacterium acts as a modulator for enhancement of growth of Microcystis sp. FACHB-905 in the lake ecosystem where the amount of soluble phosphate is limited. On the basis of the above taxonomic data, strain JXJ CY 21T represents a novel species of the genus Citricoccus, for which the name Citricoccus lacusdiani sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JXJ CY 21T (=KCTC 29653T = DSM 29160T).

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis of SQ Injection Using Multiple Chromatographic Technologies.

Quality control of Chinese medicine injections remains a challenge due to our poor knowledge of their complex chemical profile. This study aims to investigate the chemical composition of one of the best-selling injections, Shenqi Fuzheng (SQ) injection (SQI), via a full component quantitative analysis. A total of 15 representative small molecular components of SQI were simultaneously determined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS); saccharide composition of SQI was also quantitatively determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) on an amino column before and after acid hydrolysis. The existence of polysaccharides was also examined on a gel permeation chromatography column. The method was well validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy and stability, and was successfully applied to analyze 13 SQI samples. The results demonstrate that up to 94.69% (w/w) of this injection product are quantitatively determined, in which small molecules and monosaccharide/sucrose account for 0.18%-0.21%, and 53.49%-58.2%, respectively. The quantitative information contributes to accumulating scientific evidence to better understand the therapy efficacy and safety of complex Chinese medicine injections.

Comprehensive quantitative analysis of Chinese patent drug YinHuang drop pill by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry.

YinHuang drop pill (YHDP) is a new preparation, derived from the traditional YinHuang (YH) decoction. Since drop pills are one of the newly developed forms of Chinese patent drugs, not much research has been done regarding the quality and efficacy. This study aims to establish a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the chemical profile of YHDP. ultra high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was used to identify 34 non-sugar small molecules including 15 flavonoids, 9 phenolic acids, 5 saponins, 1 iridoid, and 4 iridoid glycosides in YHDP samples, and 26 of them were quantitatively determined. Sugar composition of YHDP in terms of fructose, glucose and sucrose was examined via a high performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector on an amide column (HPLC-NH2P-ELSD). Macromolecules were examined by high performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with ELSD (HPGPC-ELSD). The content of the drop pill's skeleton component PEG-4000 was also quantified via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detector (UHPLC-CAD). The results showed that up to 73% (w/w) of YHDP could be quantitatively determined. Small molecules accounted for approximately 5%, PEG-4000 represented 68%, while no sugars or macromolecules were found. Furthermore, YHDP showed no significant differences in terms of daily dosage, compared to YinHuang granules and YinHuang oral liquid; however, it has a higher small molecules content compared to YinHuang lozenge.

Astragalus membranaceus: A Review of its Protection Against Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Cancers.

Astragalus membranaceus is a major medicinal herb commonly used in many herbal formulations in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat a wide variety of diseases and body disorders. Among its diversified clinical applications, the potential use of this herb and its chemical constituents in treatments of inflammatory diseases and cancers has been actively investigated in recent years. Astragalus-based treatments have demonstrated significant amelioration of the toxicity induced by other concurrently administered orthodox drugs (e.g., immunosuppressants and cancer chemotherapeutics). The major components of Astragalus membranaceus are polysaccharides, flavonoids, and saponins. Contemporary use of Astragalus membranaceus mainly focuses on its immunomodulating, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory, as well as anticancer effects. In this paper, we summarize the properties of Astragalus membranaceus and its major constituents in the biological system based on experimental and clinical studies. The antitumorigenic mechanisms of a novel Astragalus saponins extract called AST in treating various gastrointestinal cancers are highlighted. We discuss in detail how the Astragalus herb and AST influence the immune system, modulate various cancer signaling pathways, and interact with specific transcription molecules during protection against gastrointestinal inflammation and cancers. This information could help clinicians and scientists develop novel target-specific and effective therapeutic agents that are deprived of major systemic side effects, so as to establish a better treatment regimen in the battle against inflammatory diseases and cancers of the gut.