Berberine promotes the degradation of phenylacetic acid to prevent thrombosis by modulating gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Berberine is the main bioactive constituent of Coptis chinensis, a quaternary ammonium alkaloid. While berberine's cardiovascular benefits are well-documented, its impact on thrombosis remains not fully understood. PURPOSE: This study investigates the potential of intestinal microbiota as a novel target for preventing thrombosis, with a focus on berberine, a natural compound known for its effectiveness in managing cardiovascular conditions. METHODS: Intraperitoneal injection of carrageenan induces the secretion of chemical mediators such as histamine and serotonin from mast cells to promote thrombosis. This model can directly and visually observe the progression of thrombosis in a time-dependent manner. Thrombosis was induced by intravenous injection of 1 % carrageenan solution (20 mg/kg) to all mice except the vehicle control group. Quantitative analysis of gut microbiota metabolites through LC/MS. Then, the gut microbiota of mice was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing to assess the changes. Finally, the effects of gut microbiota on thrombosis were explored by fecal microbiota transplantation. RESULTS: Our research shows that berberine inhibits thrombosis by altering intestinal microbiota composition and related metabolites. Notably, berberine curtails the biosynthesis of phenylacetylglycine, a thrombosis-promoting coproduct of the host-intestinal microbiota, by promoting phenylacetic acid degradation. This research underscores the significance of phenylacetylglycine as a thrombosis-promoting risk factor, as evidenced by the ability of intraperitoneal phenylacetylglycine injection to reverse berberine's efficacy. Fecal microbiota transplantation experiment confirms the crucial role of intestinal microbiota in thrombus formation. CONCLUSION: Initiating our investigation from the perspective of the gut microbiota, we have, for the first time, unveiled that berberine inhibits thrombus formation by promoting the degradation of phenylacetic acid, consequently suppressing the biosynthesis of PAG. This discovery further substantiates the intricate interplay between the gut microbiota and thrombosis. Our study advances the understanding that intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in thrombosis development and highlights berberine-mediated intestinal microbiota modulation as a promising therapeutic approach for thrombosis prevention.

The Impact of Various Organic Phosphorus Carriers on the Uptake and Use Efficiency in Barley.

Organic phosphorus (OP) is an essential component of the soil P cycle, which contributes to barley nutrition after its mineralization into inorganic phosphorus (Pi). However, the dynamics of OP utilization in the barley rhizosphere remain unclear. In this study, phytin was screened out from six OP carriers, which could reflect the difference in OP utilization between a P-inefficient genotype Baudin and a P-efficient genotype CN4027. The phosphorus utilization efficiency (PUE), root morphological traits, and expression of genes associated with P utilization were assessed under P deficiency or phytin treatments. P deficiency resulted in a greater root surface area and thicker roots. In barley fed with phytin as a P carrier, the APase activities of CN4027 were 2-3-fold lower than those of Baudin, while the phytase activities of CN4027 were 2-3-fold higher than those of Baudin. The PUE in CN4027 was mainly enhanced by activating phytase to improve the root absorption and utilization of Pi resulting from OP mineralization, while the PUE in Baudin was mainly enhanced by activating APase to improve the shoot reuse capacity. A phosphate transporter gene HvPHT1;8 regulated P transport from the roots to the shoots, while a purple acid phosphatase (PAP) family gene HvPAPhy_b contributed to the reuse of P in barley.

Multifunctional all-in-one adhesive hydrogel for the treatment of perianal infectious wounds.

Postoperative wound of perianal infectious disease represents a common but unique refractory wound in clinical practice. The reasons that hinder the wound healing process include not only the severe bacterial infection of the wound itself and the narrow and deep shape of the wound, but also its frequent bacterial contact. Therefore, the development of biofunctional dressings to aid in therapy is essential. In this study, we synthesized a new type of dressing comprising a hydrogel host based on the Schiff base principle and catechol groups between polydopamine, oxidized dextran, and quaternized chitosan, and then loaded it with traditional Chinese medicine molecules. These formed an integrated hydrogel for accelerated wound repair in a perianal infection model. The prepared hydrogels exhibited excellent wet tissue adhesion, antifouling, morphological variability, suitable swelling properties, and complete degradability, as well as remarkable contact antibacterial ability and the ability to rapidly scavenge free radicals. Hemostatic experiments showed excellent hemostatic properties, as the integrated hydrogel could instantly gel to seal the hemorrhage. Hemocompatibility and in vitro cell experiments showed that the integrated hydrogel had good biosafety and significantly promoted cell proliferation, which in turn accelerated the repair of infected whole cortexes in rats. A histomorphological evaluation showed that the integrated hydrogel promoted the recovery of normal anatomical tissue in rats by promoting the formation of collagen fibers and inhibiting inflammation. The results showed that this multifunctional integrated hydrogel has great potential for the treatment of continuously infected skin regeneration, providing a promising therapeutic strategy for postoperative wound healing in perianal infectious diseases.

[Evaluation of taste changes of Scutellariae Radix before and after wine-frying based on electronic ongue technology and its application in identification of Scutellariae Radix pieces].

Scutellariae Radix(Huangqin) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) used for the treatment of clearing heat in clinical application. It is bitter-cold by using directly, but the bitter-cold property can be relieved after wine-frying. The study of taste changes before and after wine-frying of Scutellariae Radix is of great significance in identifying Scutellariae Radix and wine-processed Scutellariae Radix and clarifying the traditional theory of wine-processing. In this experiment, 10 batches of Scutellariae Radix and wine-processed Scutellariae Radix were prepared. The contents of 5 flavonoids were determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), and principal component analysis(PCA) was performed with 5 flavonoids as variables. As a result, the contents were different in different batches of Scutellariae Radix, but Scutellariae Radix and wine-processed Scutellariae Radix could not be distinguished. Five sensory attributes(sour, salty, fresh, sweet, and bitter) were evaluated by artificial tasting, and the response values of 7 sensors(AHS, AHS, PKS, CTS, NMS, CPS, ANS, SCS) representing the taste of pieces were detected by electronic tongue. The correlation between sensory evaluation and response values of the electronic tongue were analyzed, and the results showed that the sensory evaluation of sour, salty, fresh, sweet, bitter and AHS, CTS, NMS, ANS, SCS sensors had different degrees of correlation, indicating that the electronic tongue technology can be used as an alternative to artificial taste and can serve as a means for quantifying the taste, and it can be used to evaluate the taste of TCM pieces. The taste method was used to analyze the response values of the electronic tongue, and the results showed that the bitterness of wine-processed Scutellariae Radix decreased and the salty taste increased. PCA was used to analyze taste changes before and after wine-processed Scutellariae Radix, and the results showed that taste differences between 2 pieces were divided into 2 categories. PCA loading scattering plots showed that response of saltiness and bitterness were the major factors to affect overall taste in Scutellariae Radix and wine-processed Scutellariae Radix. Based on electronic tongue response values, the Fisher discriminant model for Scutellariae Radix and wine-processed Scutellariae Radix was established, which showed that it could effectively discriminate them with a recognition rate of 100%. The experimental results showed that the electronic tongue combined with multivariate statistical analysis can be used to evaluate taste of TCM, at the same time, it could provide a fast and simple method for identifying different processed products.

[Correlation between color of Scutellariae Radix pieces and content of five flavonoids after softening and cutting by different methods].

Scutellariae Radix is one of the commonly used heat-clearing and damp-drying drugs in clinical practice. Establishment of the quality evaluation system for Scutellariae Radix is of great significance to ensure safety and effectiveness of clinical drug use.Scutellariae Radix pieces were prepared under different processing conditions with 3 softening methods: boiling,atmospheric steaming and pressurized steaming. High performance liquid chromatography( HPLC) method was used to determine the content of five flavonoids in Scutellariae Radix,and L*,a*,b*values representing color chromaticity of Scutellariae Radix powder were measured by colorimeter,then total color value E*was calculated. Simple correlation and canonical correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between color of Scutellariae Radix powder and content of five flavonoids. The results showed that the contents of baicalin and wogonoside were significantly positively correlated with L*,b*and E*values,but negatively correlated with a*value. The contents of wogonin,apigenin,and melaleuca A were positively correlated with a*value,but negatively correlated with L*,b*,and E*values( P<0. 01). There was a significant negative correlation between the content of flavonoid glycosides and flavonoid aglycones( P<0. 01).All of these indicated that the color of Scutellariae Radix powder was significantly correlated with content of five flavonoids. The experiment results proved that when color difference between Huangqin pieces and medicinal materials was kept at ΔL*<6,Δb*<3,ΔE*<6,the total amount of the two glycosides in the pieces was about ±1. 5% of the medicinal materials; in this case,the total amount of the two glycosides was relatively high and stable,indicating that the color of Huangqin decoction pieces is a concrete manifestation of its intrinsic quality,and the chromaticity value detected by colorimeter can be used as a means to quickly evaluate the quality of Scutellariae Radix pieces. The results provide a new detection index for the characteristic quality evaluation system of Scutellariae Radix pieces.