Antidepressants amitriptyline, fluoxetine, and traditional Chinese medicine Xiaoyaosan caused alterations in gut DNA virome composition and function in rats exposed chronic unpredictable mild stress.

Background: In clinical practice, antidepressant drugs are widely used to treat depression. Previous studies have attention to the impact of antidepressants on the bacterial microbiome, while the role of these drugs in the gut virome is still unclear. Methods: In this study, we estimated the effects of antidepressant amitriptyline (Ami), fluoxetine (Flu), and traditional Chinese medicine Xiaoyaosan (XYS) administration on gut viral composition and function in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression rat model based on shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Results: The results showed that treatment with Ami, Flu, and XYS significantly changed the gut viral composition compared with the CUMS-induced rats. At the family level, the abundance of f_unclassified_Caudovirales in CUMS rats was remarkably lower than in the HC rats, nevertheless, XYS significantly recovered the abundance of Caudovirales. Meanwhile, the abundance of Podoviridae was expanded in CUMS rats compared with the HC rats, and the profile was then significantly reduced after XYS treatment. Furthermore, both antidepressants and XYS increased the abundance of Siphoviridae compared with the CUMS rats, but only Ami treatments had significant differences. Subsequent function annotation further implied that Ami, Flu, and XYS showed to involve an alteration of the diverse viral functions, such as carbohydrate metabolism, xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism, community-prokaryotes, translation, and neurodegenerative disease. Additionally, the co-occurrence network displayed that there are complex interactions between viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) represented by temperate phages and the majority of bacterial genera in the intestine ecosystem. Conclusion: Our study proved for the first time that depression is characterized by massive alterations and functional distortion of the gut viruses, and after oral administration of Ami, Flu, and XYS could affect disordered gut virome, which could be a novel target in depression.

Five new verrucosidin derivatives from Penicillium polonicum, a deep-sea cold-seep sediment isolated fungus.

Five new verrucosidin derivatives, poloncosidins G-K (1-5), were isolated from the deep sea cold-seep sediment-derived fungus Penicillium polonicum CS-252. Their planar structures were elucidated by discreet analysis of the NMR spectroscopic and HRESIMS spectrometric data. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-5 were deduced from the combination of the modified Mosher's method and quantum chemical calculations of their ECD and NMR (with DP4+ probability analysis) data. The antimicrobial activities against several human- and aquatic-pathogenic bacteria of all the isolated compounds were evaluated and the structure-bioactivity relationship was briefly discussed.

The calcium-mediated homogalacturonan pectin complexation in cell walls contributes the firmness increase in loquat fruit during postharvest storage.

INTRODUCTION: Postharvest textural changes in fruit are mainly divided into softening and lignification. Loquat fruit could have severe lignification with increased firmness during postharvest storage. Pectin is mainly associated with the postharvest softening of fruit, but some studies also found that pectin could be involved in strengthening the mechanical properties of the plant. OBJECTIVES: This study focused on characterizing the dynamics of pectin and its complexation in the cell wall of lignified loquat fruit during postharvest storage, and how these changes could influence fruit firmness. METHODS: The homogalacturonan (HG) pectin in the cell wall of loquat fruit was identified using monoclonal antibodies. An oligogalacturonide (OG) probe was used to label the egg-box structure formed by Ca2+ cross-linking with low-methylesterified HG. An exogenous injection was used to verify the role of egg-box structures in the firmness increase in loquat fruit. RESULTS: The JIM5 antibody revealed that low-methylesterified HG accumulated in the tricellular junctions and middle lamella of loquat fruit that had severe lignification symptoms. The pectin methylesterase (PME) activity increased during the early stages of storage at 0 °C, and the calcium-pectate content and flesh firmness constantly increased during storage. The OG probe demonstrated the accumulation of egg-box structures at the cellular level. The exogenous injection of PME and Ca2+ into the loquat flesh led to an increase in firmness with more low-methylesterified HG and egg-box structure signals. CONCLUSION: PME-mediated demethylesterification generated large amounts of low-methylesterified HG in the cell wall. This low-methylesterified HG further cross-linked with Ca2+ to form egg-box structures. The pectin-involved complexations then contributed to the increased firmness in loquat fruit. Overall, besides being involved in fruit softening, pectin could also be involved in strengthening the mechanical properties of postharvest fruit. This study provides new ideas for obtaining a better texture of postharvest loquat fruits based on pectin regulation.

Prevention, treatment and potential mechanism of herbal medicine for Corona viruses: A review.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) virus has become the greatest global public health crisis in recent years,and the COVID-19 epidemic is still continuing. However, due to the lack of effectivetherapeutic drugs, the treatment of corona viruses is facing huge challenges. In thiscontext, countries with a tradition of using herbal medicine such as China have beenwidely using herbal medicine for prevention and nonspecific treatment of corona virusesand achieved good responses. In this review, we will introduce the application of herbalmedicine in the treatment of corona virus patients in China and other countries, andreview the progress of related molecular mechanisms and antiviral activity ingredients ofherbal medicine, in order to provide a reference for herbal medicine in the treatment ofcorona viruses. We found that herbal medicines are used in the prevention and fightagainst COVID-19 in countries on all continents. In China, herbal medicine has beenreported to relieve some of the clinical symptoms of mild patients and shorten the length of hospital stay. However, as most herbal medicines for the clinical treatment of COVID-19still lack rigorous clinical trials, the clinical and economic value of herbal medicines in theprevention and treatment of COVID-19 has not been fully evaluated. Future work basedon large-scale randomized, double-blind clinical trials to evaluate herbal medicines andtheir active ingredients in the treatment of new COVID-19 will be very meaningful.

Water migration and kinetics of Arecae Semen during moistening process / 中国中药杂志

In this study, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance(LF-NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) were employed to analyze the water distribution, status, and migration in the moistening process of Arecae Semen. Peleg model was adopted to study the water absorption kinetics of Arecae Semen moistened at different water temperatures(10, 30, and 50 ℃). The Arecae Semen samples soaked at different water temperatures all contained four water states: binding water T_(21), non-flowing water T_(22), free water T_(23), and unbound water T_(24). Non-flowing water had the largest increase in peak area during the moistening process, followed by free water. The peak areas of non-flowing water, free water, and total water were correlated with the water content(P<0.01). Therefore, LF-NMR can quickly and non-destructively predict the water content of Arecae Semen during moistening. The peak area of non-flowing water and the content of free water were correlated with the content of arecoline in the soaking solution(P<0.01), which indicated that the faster flow of non-flowing water and more free water corresponded to more arecoline dissolved. The MRI images showed that the water migration pathway varied at different soaking temperatures, and the moistening degree obtained by this means was consistent with that obtained based on traditional experience. The rate constant K_1 fitted by Peleg model decreased with the increase in water temperature, while the capacity constant K_2 showed an opposite trend. The Arrhenius equation fitting of K_1 with temperature showed that the activation energy of Arecae Semen in the moistening process was 32.98 kJ·mol~(-1). LF-NMR/MRI can be used to analyze the water status and content and determine the end moisturing point of Arecae Semen. Peleg model can accurately describe the water absorption properties of Arecae Semen in the moistening process. The findings of this study can guide the moistening optimization and mechanism research of other seed Chinese medicinal materials.

Bioassay-Guided Isolation of Broad-Spectrum Fungicidal Active Compound from Artemisia ordosica.

To avoid the widespread resistance of commercial fungicides, new broad-spectrum botanical fungicides need to be developed. In previous bioactive screening assays, extracts of Artemisia ordosica Krasch. (A. ordosica) had highly antifungal activities, but the responsible phytochemicals were unidentified. In this study, active compounds of A. ordosica extracts were identified using a bioassay-guided method, and antifungal assays were performed in vitro and in vivo. The bioactive compounds were dissolved in petroleum ether, and the best antifungal fraction contained four compounds: trans-dehydromatricaria ester (TDDE), 7, 4-demetylnringenin, capillarin, and stearic acid. Among them, TDDE exhibited the highest antifungal activity against six pathogenic fungi and five bacteria. It exhibited significant fungicidal activity against Thanatephorus cucumeris and Botrytis cinerea with EC50 values of 0.464 µg/mL and 1.4 µg/mL, respectively. The living tissue bioassay results showed that the relative protection effects (RPE) of TDDE on tomato leaves, tomato fruit, and strawberry leaves infected with B. cinerea reached 76.78%, 86.2%, and 80.89%, respectively. In pot experiments, the RPE on tomato and strawberry plants infected with B. cinerea reached 84.11% and 96.37%, respectively. Morphological and physiological examination showed that TDDE had significant inhibitory effects on mycelial growth, including increased top offshoot, contorted hyphal tips, and extravasated cytochylema. Meanwhile, bactericidal activities of TDDE were significantly higher than kanamycin and streptomycin in five bacteria, and the plant tissue experiments further demonstrated that it had an 88.31% RPE on walnut leaves infected with Xanthomonas campestris pv. jugiandis, 72.18% RPE on potato infected with Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora, and 82.50% RPE on kiwifruit branches infected with Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. The active compounds isolated from A. ordosica in this study show great potential value for developing broad-spectrum fungicides, and also provide an important way to identify and isolate new bioactive products from medicinal plants.

A strategy for rapid discovery of traceable chemical markers in herbal products using MZmine 2 data processing toolbox: A case of Jing Liqueur.

Objective: The quality evaluation of herbal products remains a big challenge. Traceable markers are the core concept of the authentication of herbal products. However, the discovery of traceable markers is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The aim of this study is to develop a convenient approach to rapidly screen the traceable markers for herbal product authentication. Methods: Commercial Jing Liqueur and its 22 species of herbal ingredients were analyzed using HPLC-QTOF-MS and GC-MS to characterize nonvolatile and volatile chemicals. The acquired data were imported into MZmine 2 software for mass detection, chromatogram building, deconvolution and alignment. The aligned data were exported into a csv file and then traceable markers were selected using the built-in filter function in Excel. Finally, the traceable markers were identified by searching against online databases or publications, some of which were confirmed by reference standards. Results: A total of 288 chemical features transferred from herbal materials to Jing Liqueur product were rapidly screened out. Among them, 52 markers detected by HPLC-QTOF-MS were annotated, while nine volatile markers detected by GC-MS were annotated. Moreover, 30 of these markers were confirmed by comparing with reference standards. A chemical fingerprint consisting of traceable markers was finally generated to ensure the authentication and quality consistency of Jing Liqueur. Conclusion: A strategy for rapid discovery of traceable markers in herbal products using MZmine 2 software was developed.

Comparison of ASSR, ABR and 40 Hz AERP Response Thresholds at Different Frequencies and Their Forensic Applications.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between the frequency characteristics and response threshold of auditory steady-state response (ASSR), auditory brainstem response (ABR) and 40 Hz auditory event related potential (40 Hz AERP), and their application values in forensic medicine. METHODS: Thirty volunteers with normal hearing (60 ears) were selected to perform pure tone audiometry (PTA) threshold and ASSR, ABR and 40 Hz AERP response threshold tests in the standard sound insulation shielding room, and the results were statistically analyzed by SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS: At 0.5 kHz and 1.0 kHz frequencies, the correlation between 40 Hz AERP response threshold and PTA threshold was good, which was better than that of ASSR and ABR response threshold. At 2.0 kHz and 4.0 kHz frequencies, the correlation between ASSR and ABR response thresholds and PTA threshold was good, which was better than that of 40 Hz AERP response threshold. CONCLUSIONS: To evaluate the hearing at 0.5 kHz and 1.0 kHz frequencies, it is recommended to use 40 Hz AERP and ASSR to comprehensively assess the PTA threshold of the subjects. To evaluate the hearing at 2.0 kHz and 4.0 kHz frequencies, ABR and ASSR are recommended to assess the PTA threshold of subjects comprehensively. The combination of ASSR, ABR and 40 Hz AERP can improve the accuracy of hearing function evaluation.

Anti-TMV activity and mode of action of three alkaloids isolated from Chelidonium majus.

BACKGROUND: Plant viral diseases are difficult to control and have caused serious damage to the agricultural industry. Recently, botanical biopesticides characterized by environment friendly, safe to non-target organism and not as susceptible to produce drug resistance, have exhibited great potential to be developed as antiviral agents. To screen the natural products with antiviral effect, three alkaloids possessed anti-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) activity were isolated from Chelidonium majus and the modes of action were investigated. RESULT: The anti-TMV effect of crude extracts at 10 mg mL-1 was 51.73%. Bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation of the compounds with anti-TMV activity were performed on the methanol extract of C. majus yielding three bioactive alkaloids namely: chelerythrine (1), chelidonine (2), and sanguinarine (3). The results of bioassay showed that chelerythrine exhibited great inactivation, proliferation inhibition and protection effects against TMV at 0.5 mg mL-1 with the efficiency of 72.67%, 77.52% and 59.34%, respectively. Chelidonine at 0.1 mg mL-1 can provide 54.90% and 64.45% inhibitions on TMV through inducing resistance in two kinds of tobacco. Sanguinarine showed a weaker protection for resisting TMV in comparison to chelerythrine and chelidonine. CONCLUSION: Chelerythrine and chelidonine displayed significant inhibitions on TMV with different modes of action. These results provided important evidence that the extracts in C. majus might be a potential source of new drugs in controlling virus disease agriculturally.

Role of Puerariae Lobatae Radix in Gegen Decoction for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the characteristic role of Puerariae Lobatae Radix(PLR) in Gegen Decoction for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea(PD). Estrogen(E_2) was combined with oxytocin to establish a mouse model of PD. The mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a Gegen Decoction group, a PLR-free Gegen Decoction group, a PLR group, and a positive drug group(ibuprofen). Writhing response times and writhing incubation of mice in each group were tested by behavio-ral assessment, and the serum levels of prostaglandin F_(2α)(PGF_(2α)), prostaglandin E_2(PGE_2), E_2, and progesterone(PROG) were detected by ELISA kits. Western blot method was adopted to detect cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) and estrogen receptor alpha(ER_α) expression levels in uterine tissues. Doppler ultrasound was employed to detect changes in uterine artery blood flow in mice, including peak systolic blood flow velocity(maximum velocity), end-diastolic velocity(minimum velocity), peak systolic blood flow velocity/end-diastolic velocity(S/D), pulsatility index(PI), and resistive index(RI). Histopathological changes in the uterus were detected by HE staining. Based on the oxytocin-induced isolated uterine contraction model, the effects of Gegen Decoction, PLR-free Gegen Decoction, and PLR on the amplitude, frequency, and activity of isolated uterine contraction were compared to investigate the role of PLR in Gegen Decoction for the treatment of PD. The results showed that compared with the Gegen Decoction group, the PLR-free Gegen Decoction improved the indicators of PD except for E_2 content, ER_α expression, and uterine artery blood flow. PLR could significantly down-regulate the serum content of E_2 and the protein expression of uterine ER_α, and improve the uterine artery blood flow. The data suggested that PLR, as the sovereign drug of Gegen Decoction, might function in Gegen Decoction for the treatment of PD by mediating E_(2 )and improving the uterine artery blood flow.

A strategy for rapid discovery of traceable chemical markers in herbal products using MZmine 2 data processing toolbox: A case of Jing Liqueur / 中草药·英文版

Objective: The quality evaluation of herbal products remains a big challenge. Traceable markers are the core concept of the authentication of herbal products. However, the discovery of traceable markers is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The aim of this study is to develop a convenient approach to rapidly screen the traceable markers for herbal product authentication. Methods: Commercial Jing Liqueur and its 22 species of herbal ingredients were analyzed using HPLC-QTOF-MS and GC–MS to characterize nonvolatile and volatile chemicals. The acquired data were imported into MZmine 2 software for mass detection, chromatogram building, deconvolution and alignment. The aligned data were exported into a csv file and then traceable markers were selected using the built-in filter function in Excel. Finally, the traceable markers were identified by searching against online databases or publications, some of which were confirmed by reference standards. Results: A total of 288 chemical features transferred from herbal materials to Jing Liqueur product were rapidly screened out. Among them, 52 markers detected by HPLC-QTOF-MS were annotated, while nine volatile markers detected by GC–MS were annotated. Moreover, 30 of these markers were confirmed by comparing with reference standards. A chemical fingerprint consisting of traceable markers was finally generated to ensure the authentication and quality consistency of Jing Liqueur. Conclusion: A strategy for rapid discovery of traceable markers in herbal products using MZmine 2 software was developed.

Mechanism of Dahuang Zhechongwan Against Multiple Organ Fibrosis： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Dahuang Zhechongwan （DHZCW） is a classic prescription from the Jingui Yaolue（《金匮要略》） by ZHANG Zhong-jing，with the effects of tonifying deficiency， relaxing the middle， promoting regeneration， and resolving stasis. It has been widely used in the clinical treatment of various diseases with definite efficacy achieved. The research on multiple organ fibrosis has shown that DHZCW can slow down the development of organ fibrosis in the heart， liver， kidney， lung， etc.， and good results in both clinical practice and experimental research have been obtained. The present study reviewed the previous investigations on the experimental mechanism of DHZCW in the treatment of multiple organ fibrosis and revealed that the pathogenesis was closely related despite different disease sites. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM），these diseases shared a common pathogenesis，which was manifested by deficiency. Long-term diseases led to the formation of "dried blood". From the perspective of modern medicine， the diseases all showed pathological changes in the deposition of extracellular matrix （ECM）， and their occurrence and development were all based on certain effector cells ［such as hepatic stellate cell （HSC） and pancreatic stellate cell （PSC）］， with same cytokines ［such as tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α），interleukin-6 （IL-6），IL-1β，and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）］ and some key pathways ［transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）/Smad， phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， and lipopolysaccharide （LPS） paracrine and autocrine mechanisms］ involved. As a classic prescription for "deficiency-induced dry blood"， DHZCW was effective in treating fibrosis， which was presumedly related to the inhibition of ECM deposition by intervening in the above-mentioned mechanisms， thereby delaying the disease progression. This study is expected to provide literature support to clarify the scientific connotation of DHZCW in the treatment of multiple organ fibrosis and lay a foundation for further experimental and clinical research.

Comparison of ASSR, ABR and 40 Hz AERP Response Thresholds at Different Frequencies and Their Forensic Applications / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the relationship between the frequency characteristics and response threshold of auditory steady-state response (ASSR), auditory brainstem response (ABR) and 40 Hz auditory event related potential (40 Hz AERP), and their application values in forensic medicine.@*METHODS@#Thirty volunteers with normal hearing (60 ears) were selected to perform pure tone audiometry (PTA) threshold and ASSR, ABR and 40 Hz AERP response threshold tests in the standard sound insulation shielding room, and the results were statistically analyzed by SPSS 22.0 software.@*RESULTS@#At 0.5 kHz and 1.0 kHz frequencies, the correlation between 40 Hz AERP response threshold and PTA threshold was good, which was better than that of ASSR and ABR response threshold. At 2.0 kHz and 4.0 kHz frequencies, the correlation between ASSR and ABR response thresholds and PTA threshold was good, which was better than that of 40 Hz AERP response threshold.@*CONCLUSIONS@#To evaluate the hearing at 0.5 kHz and 1.0 kHz frequencies, it is recommended to use 40 Hz AERP and ASSR to comprehensively assess the PTA threshold of the subjects. To evaluate the hearing at 2.0 kHz and 4.0 kHz frequencies, ABR and ASSR are recommended to assess the PTA threshold of subjects comprehensively. The combination of ASSR, ABR and 40 Hz AERP can improve the accuracy of hearing function evaluation.

Impact of traditional Chinese medicine treatment on chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression-like behaviors: intestinal microbiota and gut microbiome function.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis is a recognized contributing factor to many noncommunicable diseases, but more evidence is still needed to illustrate its causative impact on mental and brain health disorders and mechanism(s) for targeted mitigation. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used in the management of neuropsychiatric diseases for many years in China. In this study, a randomized, controlled trial was conducted to examine the impact of stress on gut microbiota dysbiosis and depression, and TCM in alleviating the damage using Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) rats, a well-established rodent model for depression. The behaviors of rats and the profiles of the fecal microbiota were assessed by an array of behavioral tests and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and the intestinal microbial function was assessed by shotgun sequencing-based metagenomic analysis of microbial DNA from fecal samples. Data on brain targeted metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were also discussed. Depressive and anxiety-like behaviors and changes in the fecal microbiota profile were observed in CUMS rats, which were then significantly reversed in CUMS rats that received TCM. Specifically, TCM treatment reduced the levels of Firmicutes, and Ruminococcus, and increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Roseburia, reportedly being associated with relieving psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, the levels of brain metabolites perturbed by CUMS were reversed by TCM treatment, and Spearman's correlation analysis illustrated strong correlation between brain metabolites and perturbed fecal microbiota genera. Finally, the fecal microbiome of CUMS rats was characterized by alterations in amino acid metabolism and evaluation of bile acid biosynthesis, and TCM-treated rats showed elevation of cysteine and methionine metabolism. Overall, these results indicated that administration of the TCM may mitigate CUMS-induced depression-behaviors, and it is correlated with reversing CUMS-induced intestinal microbiota dysbiosis; evidence also supported related changes in brain metabolites. These findings set up the foundation to further reveal the exact causal relationship among the TCM formula, host responses, gut microbiota dysbiosis and the levels of brain metabolites, and enabled scientific interpretation of the therapeutic function of the TCM.

Efficacy of Long-term Selenium Supplementation in the Treatment of Chronic Keshan Disease with Congestive Heart Failure.

Few effective treatments for chronic Keshan disease have been available till now. The efficacy of long-term selenium supplementation in the treatment of chronic Keshan disease with congestive heart failure is inconclusive. This study aimed to determine whether selenium supplementation is associated with a decreased risk of cardiac death in chronic Keshan disease with congestive heart failure by ten years of follow-up. A retrospective long-term follow-up analysis was performed on a monitored cohort consisting of 302 chronic Keshan disease patients with a mean age of 40.8±11.4 years. Of the 302 chronic Keshan disease patients, 170 (56.3%) were given selenium supplementation until the end point of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify the independent predictors of cardiac events. Our results showed that during the follow-up, there were 101 deaths of patients with chronic Keshan disease in the selenium supplementation group (101/170, 59.4%) and 98 in non-selenium supplementation group (98/132, 74.2%). Multivariate analyses suggested that selenium supplementation was associated with a decreased risk of cardiac death (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.28-0.53) after adjustment for baseline age, sex, cigarette smoking, family history of Keshan disease, body mass index (BMI), heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities, blood pressure, initial cardiothoracic ratio, left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF) and whole-blood selenium concentration. Our ten-year follow-up analysis indicated that selenium supplementation, specifically combined with the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and beta blocker therapy, improved the survival of patients with chronic Keshan disease with congestive heart failure. BMI, selenium deficiency, male, combined ECG abnormalities, LVEF, and fast heart rate increased the risk of cardiac events.

Effects of Portulaca oleracea L. extract on lipid oxidation and color of pork meat during refrigerated storage.

The study explored the preservation effect of Portulaca oleracea L. extract (POE) on pork meat under refrigerated conditions for 9 days. POE was tested for antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity in vitro and the results showed that POE has strong antioxidant activity and has antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus to some extent. Effect of POE in different levels (0.25%, 0.50% and 1.0%) on quality and shelflife of pork meat storage were evaluated. Results showed that the treatments of POE significantly inhibited microbial growth,delayed lipids oxidation, reduced values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total volatile base­nitrogen (TVB-N), increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and in a dose-dependent manner (P < .05). Concomitantly, 1.0%POE and 0.50%POE treatments had better appearance compared with control after 9 days storage. All results confirmed that POE could effectively maintain the quality of chilled pork compared to control.

Research on extraction process of Digeda-4 flavored decoction based on QbD concept / 中国中药杂志

To establish and validate the design space of the Digeda-4 flavored decoction( DGD-4D) extraction process by using the quality by design( Qb D) concept. With DGD-4D decoction pieces as a model drug,with the transfer rate of aesculin,picroside I,picroside Ⅱ,geniposide and the yield of extract as critical quality attributes( CQAs),the single factor experiment design was used to determine the level of each factor; the Plackett-Burman experiment design was used to select the critical process parameters( CPPs);and the Box-Behnken experiment design was used to optimize the extraction process. The design space of the DGD-4D extraction process was established,and finally,four experimental points were selected to verify the established model. The single factor experiment determined the levels of each factor,including soaking time 60 min and 30 min,water adding volume 12 times and 8 times,extraction time 90 min and 30 min,number of extraction times 3 times and 1 time,as well as extraction temperature 100 ℃ and 90 ℃.By Plackett-Burman experimental design,the DGD-4D water addition,extraction time and number of extraction times were determined to be CPPs. The Box-Behnken experimental variance analysis showed that P of the regression model was less than 0. 01 and the misstated value was more than 0. 01,indicating that the model had good predictive ability,and the operation space of CPPs in the DGD-4D extraction process was determined as follows: the amount of water addition was 10-12 times; extraction time 50-80 min; and number of extraction times was 3 times. The design space of DGD-4D extraction process based on the concept of Qb D is conducive to improving the stability of product quality and laying a foundation for the future development of DGD-4D.

Technical specifications for hospital-based intensive monitoring of post-marketing Chinese patent medicine / 中国中药杂志

In 2013,China pharmaceutical regulatory department issued guiduance on postmarketing drug safety monitoring for industry. It aimed to encourage industry to carry out postmarketing drug safety monitoring including hospital-based intensive monitoring of postmarketing Chinese patent medicine. Subsequently,more and more such kind of studies have been performed all over China. However,in view of the current situation in this field,the development of hospital-based intensive monitoring of postmarketing Chinese patent medicine lacks standardization,such as unreasonable design,omission of reports about adverse drug reactions,inadequate process of quality control,non-standardized interpretation of adverse reactions,etc. Therefore,it is necessary to formulate relevant technical specifications to guide this area. The developing of this technical specification refered to the international post-marketing safety monitoring model and advanced design concepts and methods. We developed it under the guidance of relevant laws,regulations and technical documents in China. Meanwhile the characteristics of Chinese patent medicines and the real situation in this area were considered. The aim of this technical specification is to obtain the incidence,type,degree and clinical manifestation of adverse drug reactions of Chinese patent medicines,to find new risk signals of adverse reactions,to identify risk factors,and to provide a basis for the formulation of risk management and control plans. This specification has been approved by China association of Chinese medicine which is numbered T/CACM011-2016.

[Preparation of hispidulin chitosan microsphere and its antiproliferation effect in vitro].

Hispidulin(HPDL) chitosan microspheres were prepared in this study to deliver HPDL to the lesion sitevia intravenous injection, and further evaluate their anticancer effects in vitro and the growth inhibition effect on A549 cells spheroids. HPDL chitosan microspheres were prepared by emulsion crosslinking method with chitosan as a drug carrier and the amount of HPDL was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The morphology of microspheres was observed under laser scanning confocal microscope. Additionally, the drug release amount of targeting microspheres was detected by dialysis method. Furthermore, the anti-proliferative effects against A549 lung cancer cells were tested by sulforhodamine B (SRB) method, and the effects of HPDL chitosan micrpsphereson early apoptosis of A549 cellswere determined by flow cytometry. A549 cells tumor spheroids were developed in vitro and then HPDL chitosan microspheres were added. On the 0, 1, 3, 7 d after adding the drugs, the inverted microscope was used to observe the mythologicaland volume changes of A549 cells spheroids. The encapsulation efficiency of HPDL chitosan microspheres was （75.32±0.52）%, and the drug loading amount was （7.76±0.67）%. Meanwhile, the microspheres were round shaped andhad smooth surface. The HPDL chitosan microspheres exhibited stronger inhibitory effects on A549 lung cancer cells. The results of flow cytometry indicated that, the early apoptosis rate of lung cancer A549 cells was （37.0±0.75）% at 24 h cells culture after drug administration. The volume of tumor spheroid was significantly inhibited, which had been shrunk by (50.09±11.06)% after the treatment by drug-loaded microsphere at day 7 as compared with blank group; meanwhile, the cells surface were obviously lysed. The preparation method in this research was simple and practicable, and the microspheres prepared with this method were round and smooth, with high encapsulation efficiency, which can significantly inhibit proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and induce cell apoptosis, and at the same time can cause lysisand death of A549 cell tumor spheroid.

Current situation and prospect of resource evaluation and sustainable utilization on Bletilla / 中国中药杂志

The plants of Bletilla are one of the groups in Orchidaceae with the highest economic value. As the traditional Chinese medicinal material, Bletillae Rhizoma exhibits excellent efficacy in hemostatic, antibiosis, detumescent, anticancer activities and regenerating tissue to heal wound, which has great development potential. However, Bletillae Rhizoma is mainly collected from wild resources. At present, the quantity of wild resources of Bletilla plants has sharply decreased and is far from meeting the needs. Resource appraisal and breeding and cultivation of excellent germplasms of Bletilla plants are important for scientific utilization of the resources of the genus. This paper reviewed the following researches of Chinese Bletilla resources: species and distribution, genetic diversity, active ingredient evaluation, breeding, as well as seeding production and cultivation techniques. Suggestions were also provided in further researches on the resources evaluation, sustainable development and efficient utilization of Chinese Bletilla plants.