Efficacy of extracts from Datura Metel L. for Psoriasis: a meta-analysis of case series and single-arm studies.

BACKGROUND: Datura Metel L. has been used to treat psoriasis in China for a long time. The effect of extracts from Datura Metel L. for Psoriasis has not been previously confirmed. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of extracts from Datura Metel L. for patients with psoriasis. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and other databases were searched from database inception until to September 1, 2021. A quality assessment and data extraction were performed by 2 independent reviews. We used a random-effects meta-analysis model to estimate the pooled curative effect, pooled odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Nine studies were included in Meta-analysis, including a total number of 1778 patients with psoriasis. The case cure rate of Datura Metel L. intravenous therapy was 0.48 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.62) and of Datura Metel L. oral therapy was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.68), respectively. The case effective rate of Datura Metel L. intravenous therapy was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.97) and of Datura Metel L. oral therapy was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.99), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The extracts from Datura Metel L. showed the potential to treat psoriasis, and intravenous therapy might be a promising treatment to cure psoriasis, which is likely affected by selection and publication bias, still need more high quality clinical studies.

Novel sulfur isotope analyses constrain sulfurized porewater fluxes as a minor component of marine dissolved organic matter.

Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a major reservoir that links global carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. DOM is also important for marine sulfur biogeochemistry as the largest water column reservoir of organic sulfur. Dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) can originate from phytoplankton-derived biomolecules in the surface ocean or from abiotically "sulfurized" organic matter diffusing from sulfidic sediments. These sources differ in 34S/32S isotope ratios (δ34S values), with phytoplankton-produced DOS tracking marine sulfate (21‰) and sulfurized DOS mirroring sedimentary porewater sulfide (∼0 to -10‰). We measured the δ34S values of solid-phase extracted (SPE) DOM from marine water columns and porewater from sulfidic sediments. Marine DOMSPE δ34S values ranged from 14.9‰ to 19.9‰ and C:S ratios from 153 to 303, with lower δ34S values corresponding to higher C:S ratios. Marine DOMSPE samples showed consistent trends with depth: δ34S values decreased, C:S ratios increased, and δ13C values were constant. Porewater DOMSPE was 34S-depleted (∼-0.6‰) and sulfur-rich (C:S ∼37) compared with water column samples. We interpret these trends as reflecting at most 20% (and on average ∼8%) contribution of abiotic sulfurized sources to marine DOSSPE and conclude that sulfurized porewater is not a main component of oceanic DOS and DOM. We hypothesize that heterogeneity in δ34S values and C:S ratios reflects the combination of sulfurized porewater inputs and preferential microbial scavenging of sulfur relative to carbon without isotope fractionation. Our findings strengthen links between oceanic sulfur and carbon cycling, supporting a realization that organic sulfur, not just sulfate, is important to marine biogeochemistry.

Gene Mining and Sequence Analysis of Purine Nucleosidase Based on RNA-Seq.

Caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) is one of the most valued fungal Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and it contains plenty of active ingredients such as adenosine. Adenosine is considered as a biologically effective ingredient that has a variety of anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities. In order to further elucidate the mechanism of purine nucleosidase (PN) in adenosine biosynthesis, a gene encoding PN was successfully mined and further analyzed based on the RNA-Seq database of caterpillar fungus. The full-length cDNA of PN was 855 bp, which encoded 284 amino acids. BLAST analysis showed the highest homology of 85.06% with nucleoside hydrolase in NCBI. ProtProm analysis showed that the relative molecular weight was 30.69 kDa and the isoelectric point was 11.55. The secondary structure of PN was predicted by Predict Protein; the results showed that alpha helix structure accounted for 28.17%, strand structure accounted for 11.97%, and loop structure accounted for 59.86%. Moreover, PN gene was further cloned from transcriptome and detected by agarose gel electrophoresis for verification. This study provides more sufficient scientific basis and new ideas for the genetic regulation of adenosine biosynthesis in fungal TCM.