Exploring the biological diversity and source species of medicinal horseflies through metabarcoding.

Horseflies from the Tabanidae family play a significant role in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various health conditions, including coronary heart disease, stroke, headaches, liver cirrhosis, psoriasis, and hepatic carcinoma. There are 27 species of Tabaninae (Tabanidae) used as medicine, and they showed high morphological similarities with those for which medicinal properties have not been reported. Nonetheless, there have been reports suggesting that medicinal crude drugs sometimes contain irrelevant or false species, impacting the drug's efficacy. In this current study, we collected 14 batches, totaling 13,528 individuals, from various provinces in China. Instead of "classic" DNA barcoding strategy, we employed a high-throughput metabarcoding approach to assess the biological composition of crude drug mixtures derived from horseflies. Our analysis identified 40 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) with similarity percentages ranging from 92% to 100% with 12 previously reported species. Species delimitation methods revealed the presence of 11 Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs), with ten belonging to the Tabanus genus and one to Hybomitra. Tabanus sp6 displayed the highest relative abundance, and its ASVs showed close resemblance to Tabanus pleski. Our investigations revealed that the medicinal batches were biologically composed of 6 to 12 species. Some batches contained ASVs that closely resembled species previously associated with false Tabanus species. In conclusion, our findings offer valuable insights into the biological composition of crude drugs derived from horseflies and have the potential to enhance the quality of these traditional medicines.

A review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and the analytical methods of the genus Nardostachys.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The plants of the genus Nardostachys (Caprifoliaceae) have been used for a long history in different cultural systems of medicine, including Chinese, Ayurvedic, Korean folk medicine and Islamic, for treatments of disorders in nervous, digestive, cardiovascular and integumentary systems. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aims to provide comprehensive information on Nardostachys plants including botany update, traditional uses, data mining of uses in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and current Chinese medicinal patents, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, toxicity and analytical method studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studies of the genus Nardostachys were collected via Google Scholar and Baidu Scholar, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Wiley Online Library, ACS Publications, NLM/NCBI, Web of Science, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, EMBASE, Huabeing database and Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource Network and libraries. Some local books, PhD or MS's dissertations were also included. The literatures cited in this review covered the period from 1962 to March 2021. The Plant List and Kew Herbarium Catalogue databases were used to authenticate the scientific name. RESULTS: Botany description of Nardostachys genus is updated. Analysis of the literatures indicates that Nardostachys species are valuable herbs with therapeutic potentials for various disorders. Data mining on ancient TCM prescriptions and current Chinese medicinal patents containing Nardostachys revealed its common compatibility with other herbs in China. Phytochemical studies identified terpenoids and phenolic compounds as the main constituents in the genus Nardostachys and sesquiterpenoids as the major bioactive components. Experimental studies demonstrated that crude extracts, major fractions and the main constituents from Nardostachys species mainly exhibited pharmacological activities on nervous, digestive, cardiovascular and skin systems. Further, in vivo and in vitro toxicological studies demonstrated that Nardostachys plants showed either no or low toxicities, except at high doses. Finally, methods of qualitative and quantitative analyses on chemical constituents of genus Nardostachys were summarized, including TLC/HPTLC, GC and HPLC/UPLC methods, combined with common detectors including PDA, DAD and MS. CONCLUSIONS: This review summarizes the progress on phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and analytical methods of the genus Nardostachys. Studies demonstrate traditional uses of the genus Nardostachys, and reveal novel bioactive effects for clinical uses. These achievements expand our knowledge on the genus Nardostachys and its clinical value.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Rhodiola rosea L.: A review.

Rhodiola rosea L., a worldwide botanical adaptogen, has been confirmed to possess protective effects of inflammatory injury for many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, sepsis, and cancer. This paper is to review the recent clinical and experimental researches about the anti-inflammatory effects and the related mechanisms of Rhodiola rosea L. extracts, preparations, and the active compounds. From the collected information reviewed, this paper will provide the theoretical basis for its clinical application, and provide the evidences or guidance for future studies and medicinal exploitations of Rhodiola rosea L.

Correlation between Quality and Geographical Origins of Cortex Periplocae, Based on the Qualitative and Quantitative Determination of Chemical Markers Combined with Chemical Pattern Recognition.

Quality assessment of Cortex Periplocae remains a challenge, due to its complex chemical profile. This study aims to investigate the chemical components of Cortex Periplocae, including its non-volatile and volatile constituents, via liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) assays. The established strategy manifested that Cortex Periplocae from different producing areas was determined by identifying 27 chemical markers with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS), including four main groups of cardiac glycosides, organic acids, aldehydes, and oligosaccharides. These groups' variable importance in the projection (VIP) were greater than 1. Simultaneously, the samples were divided into four categories, combined with multivariate statistical analysis. In addition, in order to further understand the difference in the content of samples from different producing areas, nine chemical markers of Cortex Periplocae from 14 different producing areas were determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), and results indicated that the main effective constituents of Cortex Periplocae varied with places of origin. Furthermore, in GC-MS analysis, samples were divided into three groups with multivariate statistical analysis; in addition, 22 differential components whose VIP were greater than 1 were identified, which were principally volatile oils and fatty acids. Finally, the relative contents of seven main volatile constituents were obtained, which varied extremely with the producing areas. The results showed that the LC-MS/MS and GC-MS assays, combined with multivariate statistical analysis for Cortex Periplocae, provided a comprehensive and effective means for its quality evaluation.

Dihydrophenanthrenes from Juncus effusus as Inhibitors of OAT1 and OAT3.

Organic anion transporters 1 (OAT1) and 3 (OAT3) play important roles in the renal elimination of a range of substrate molecules. Little is known about natural products that can modulate OAT1 and OAT3 activities. The medullae of Juncus effusus is often used for the treatment of dysuria in traditional Chinese medicine. To study the interactions of phytochemicals in J. effusus with human OAT1 and OAT3, a bioactivity guided phytochemical investigation led to seven new phenanthrenoids along with nine known compounds, including eight phenanthrenoids and a benzophenone from the dichloromethane soluble fraction of a methanol extract of the medullae of J. effusus. The structures were established by physical data analysis, including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and 1D and 2D NMR. The compounds were evaluated for inhibition of OAT1 and OAT3 in vitro. Compounds 10 and 16 were inhibitors for OAT1, and compounds 1-3, 10, and 16 were inhibitors for OAT3 with IC50 values less than 5.0 µM. Dihydrophenanthrene 1 markedly altered the pharmacokinetic parameters of the diuretic drug furosemide, a known substrate of both OAT1 and OAT3, in vivo.

A Simple and Rapid UPLC-PDA Method for Quality Control of Nardostachys jatamansi.

Nardostachys jatamansi is a well-documented herbal agent used to treat digestive and neuropsychiatric disorders in oriental medicinal systems. However, few simple, rapid, and comprehensive methods were reported for quality assessment and control of N. jatamansi. Herein, a UPLC with photodiode array detection method was developed for both fingerprint investigation of N. jatamansi and simultaneous quantitative analysis of the six serotonin transporter modulatory constituents in N. jatamansi. For chromatographic fingerprinting, 24 common peaks were selected as characteristic peaks to assess the consistency of N. jatamansi samples from different retail sources. Six of the common peaks (5, 7, 12: , and 16:  - 18: ) were identified as desoxo-narchinol A, buddleoside, isonardosinone, nardosinone, kanshone H, and (-)-aristolone, respectively, by phytochemical investigation. Five of the six compounds significantly either enhanced or inhibited serotonin transporter activity, while (-)-aristolone (18: ) didn't show any serotonin transporter activity. In quantitative analysis, the six compounds showed good linearity (r > 0.999) within test ranges. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, was in the range of 0.25 - 2.77%, and the recovery of the method was in the range of 92 - 105%. The UPLC-photodiode array detection-based fingerprint analysis and quantitative methods reported here could be used for routine quality control of N. jatamansi.

Novel serotonin transporter regulators: Natural aristolane- and nardosinane- types of sesquiterpenoids from Nardostachys chinensis Batal.

Serotonin transporter (SERT) is a classic target of drug discovery for neuropsychiatric and digestive disorders, and against those disorders, plants of Nardostachys genus have been valued for centuries in the systems of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic and Unani. Herein, chemical investigation on the roots and rhizomes of Nardostachys chinensis Batal. led to the isolation of forty sesquiterpenoids including six new aristolane-type sesquiterpenoids and six new nardosinane-type sesquiterprenoids. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, combined with analyses of circular dichroism and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. To explore natural product scaffolds with SERT regulating activity, a high-content assay for measurement of SERT function in vitro was conducted to evaluate the SERT regulating properties of these isolates. In conclusion, eleven compounds could be potential natural product scaffolds for developing drug candidates targeting SERT. Among which, kanshone C of aristolane-type sesquiterpenoid inhibited SERT most strongly, while desoxo-nachinol A of nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoid instead enhanced SERT potently.

Chemical Constituents from the Flowers of Wild Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis.

Four new iridoids, 2'-O-(E)-coumaroylshanzhiside (1), 6'-O-(E)-coumaroylshanzhiside (2), 8α-butylgardenoside B (3), 6α-methoxygenipin (4), and one new phenylpropanoid glucoside, 5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenyl ß-d-glucopyranoside (5), together with sixteen known compounds, were isolated from the edible flowers of wild Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis. Their chemical structures were characterized by extensive spectroscopic techniques, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and CD experiments. The absolute configurations of the new isolates' sugar moiety were assigned by HPLC analysis of the acid hydrolysates. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of those isolates were preliminarily evaluated by DPPH scavenging experiment. And comparison of 1 H-NMR spectra for the EtOH extract of G. jasminoides J.Ellis, gardenoside B and geniposide revealed that the flowers of this plant have a considerable content of gardenoside B instead of geniposide in the fruits, indicating different activities and applications in people's daily life.

Two new lignan glycosides from the fruits of Pyrus ussuriensis.

Two new lignan glycosides, ussuriensislignan A (1) and ussuriensislignan B (2), together with seventeen known compounds (3-19), were isolated from the fruits of Pyrus ussuriensis. Their structures were determined by various spectroscopic methods. This is the first report of the isolation of lignans (compounds 1-3) from the genus Pyrus, and compounds 3-6, 12-16 were reported from Pyrus for the first time.

Tumoral cytotoxic and antioxidative phenylpropanoid glycosides in Smilax riparia A. DC.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Smilax riparia A. DC., known as "Niu-Wei-Cai" in China, is distributed through the south and middle of China. The roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia have been used not only as traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of bronchitis, lumbago of renal asthenia, traumatic injury, asthenia edema, and cancer but also as edible wild herbs in some areas of China. AIM OF THE STUDY: To identify the phytochemicals in the roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia and to investigate their antioxidant activities and cytotoxicities toward several tumor cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four fractions and five phenylpropanoid glycosides were obtained from roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia under bioassay-guided screenings. The structures of five compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and compared with published data. We evaluated their antioxidant activities and their cytotoxicities on five cancer cell lines: human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), human hepatocellular carcinoma (SMMC-7721), human lung cancer (A-549), human breast cancer (MCF-7), and human colon cancer (SW480). RESULTS: Of the five glycosides, one new compound (3, smilaside P) was isolated from an EtOAc fraction. Compound 1 was cytotoxic toward HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480 (IC50 2.70, 3.80, 11.91, 3.79, and 3.93 µM, respectively). Moreover, compounds 1-3 showed moderate scavenging activities against the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (IC50 339.58, 330.66, 314.49 µM, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Five phenylpropanoid glycosides were reported for the first time from this TCM. Each was studied, as observed here for the first time, in the cytotoxic experiments toward HL-60, SMMC-7721, and SW480 cell lines. Compound 1, bearing three feruloyl groups and three acetyl groups, had the greatest cytotoxicity toward the five tumor cell lines. Compounds 1-3 showed moderate antioxidant activities. All results reflect that compounds 1-3 are cytotoxic for a wide variety of cancer cell lines of differing tissue origins and that the cytotoxicities of these compounds may be related to their antioxidant activities.

[Determination of periplocin in different parts of Periploca sepium].

OBJECTIVE: To determinate the content of periplocin in different parts of Periploca sepium Bunge. METHODS: HPLC were carried out on ODS column, acetonitril: water (27: 73) as mobile phase, detection wavelength at 220nm. RESULTS: The content of periplocin in root bark, stem bark, xylem of root, xylem of stem are 1.03%, 0.65%, 0.26%, 0.39% respectively. No periplocin was detected in leaves and fruit. CONCLUSION: The plant of Periploca sepium Bunge should be multiply utilized.

Fabrication of a one-dimensional array of nanopores horizontally aligned on a Si substrate.

A one-dimensional array of nanopores horizontally aligned on a silicon substrate was successfully fabricated by anodic aluminum oxidation (AAO) using a modified two-step procedure. SEM pictures show clear nanostructures of well-aligned one-dimensional nanopore arrays without cracks at the interfaces of the sandwiched structures. The processes are compatible with the planar silicon integrated circuit processing technology, promising for applications in nanoelectronics. The formation mechanism of a single nanopore array on Si substrates was also discussed.

[Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of essential oil from Cinnamomum migao H. W. Li].

Essential oil from Cinnamomum migao H. W. Li. was extracted by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using carbon dioxide and a two-stage fractional separation system. The experiment was carried out under 306K-333K and 10-30 MPa. The influence of the process parameters were discussed. The GC-MS method was applied to analyze the components of these oils obtained by SFE. The result by SFE was better than that by stream distillation.