[Detection of Hawthorn Fruit Defects Using Hyperspectral Imaging].

Hyperspectral imaging technology covered the range of 380-1000 nm was employed to detect defects (bruise and insect damage) of hawthorn fruit. A total of 134 samples were collected, which included damage fruit of 46, pest fruit of 30, injure and pest fruit of 10 and intact fruit of 48. Because calyx · s⁻¹ tem-end and bruise/insect damage regions offered a similar appearance characteristic in RGB images, which could produce easily confusion between them. Hence, five types of defects including bruise, insect damage, sound, calyx, and stem-end were collected from 230 hawthorn fruits. After acquiring hyperspectral images of hawthorn fruits, the spectral data were extracted from region of interest (ROI). Then, several pretreatment methods of standard normalized variate (SNV), savitzky golay (SG), median filter (MF) and multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) were used and partial least squares method(PLS) model was carried out to obtain the better performance. Accordingly to their results, SNV pretreatment methods assessed by PLS was viewed as best pretreatment method. Lastly, SNV was chosen as the pretreatment method. Spectral features of five different regions were combined with Regression coefficients(RCs) of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model was used to identify the important wavelengths and ten wavebands at 483, 563, 645, 671, 686, 722, 777, 819, 837 and 942 nm were selected from all of the wavebands. Using Kennard-Stone algorithm, all kinds of samples were randomly divided into training set (173) and test set (57) according to the proportion of 3:1. And then, least squares-support vector machine (LS-SVM) discriminate model was established by using the selected wavebands. The results showed that the discriminate accuracy of the method was 91.23%. In the other hand, images at ten important wavebands were executed to Principal component analysis (PCA). Using "Sobel" operator and region growing algrorithm "Regiongrow", the edge and defect feature of 86 Hawthorn could be recognized. Lastly, the detect precision of bruised, insect damage and two-defect samples is 95.65%, 86.67% and 100%, respectively. This investigation demonstrated that hyperspectral imaging technology could detect the defects of bruise, insect damage, calyx, and stem-end in hawthorn fruit in qualitative analysis and feature detection which provided a theoretical reference for the defects nondestructive detection of hawthorn fruit.

Chinese herbal medicine liu jun zi tang and xiang sha liu jun zi tang for functional dyspepsia: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives. To assess the efficacy and safety of Liu Jun Zi Tang (LJZT) and Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang (XSLJZT) for treating functional dyspepsia. Methods. Literature searches were carried out on Medline database, Cochrane Library, CNKI database, Chinese Biomedical Literature database, Wanfang database, and VIP database up to July 2012. Hand search for further references was conducted. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were performed according to the Cochrane standards. Results. Fifteen publications in total were suitable for inclusion. There was evidence that LJZT compared with prokinetic drugs increased symptom improvement (odds ratio 1.96, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.36). There was also evidence that XSLJZT compared with prokinetic drugs increased symptom improvement (odds ratio 2.63, 95% CI 1.72 to 4.03). No adverse events were reported in LJZT or XSLJZT group in any of these randomized controlled trials. Conclusion. LJZT and XSLJZT might be more effective compared with prokinetic drugs in the treatment of functional dyspepsia, and no side effects are identified in the included trials. However, due to poor methodological quality in the majority of included studies, the potential benefit from LJZT and XSLJZT need to be confirmed in rigorously designed, multicentre, and large-scale trials.

Anti-fatigue activity of polysaccharides extract from Radix Rehmanniae Preparata.

The anti-fatigue effects of the Radix Rehmanniae Preparata polysaccharides (RRPP) were studied in mice. The RRPP were orally administered at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg for 4 weeks and the anti-fatigue activity was evaluated using a weight-loaded swimming test, along with the determination of serum urea nitrogen (SUN), hepatic glycogen and blood lactic acid (BLA) contents. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the body weight of mice in the three RRPP groups compared with the negative control group during initial, intermediate and terminal stages in the experiment (p>0.05). The ratio of exhausting swimming time was obviously increased 31.48% (p<0.05) and 61.51% (p<0.01) in the middle-dose group and the high-dose RRPP group, respectively. The BLA and SUN levels were decreased in middle-dose and high-dose RRPP groups (p<0.01). Hepatic glycogen level was increased in three RRPP treated groups (p<0.01). Therefore, RRPP may be responsible for the pharmacological effect of anti-fatigue of Radix Rehmanniae Preparata. The mechanism was related to the increase of the storage of hepatic glycogen and the decrease of the accumulation of SUN and BLA.

Gu Ling Pian, a traditional Chinese medicine, regulates function and OPG/RANKL synthesis of osteoblasts via the p38 MAPK pathway.

Osteoporosis is a common disease that makes bones prone to fracture and can affect both men and women. Many traditional Chinese medicine formulations have the potential effect of preventing osteoporosis. Gu Ling Pian (GLP), a traditional Chinese medicine formulation, comprised of tonifying kidney herbal medicines, has been demonstrated to prevent osteoporosis by increasing bone mineral density, however the exact mechanism has not yet been elucidated. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK), and RANK ligand (RANKL) play critical roles in bone remodelling by regulating the function of osteoclasts. In this study, we investigated the effect of GLP on osteoblasts, namely MG-63 cells. The cell proliferation and differentiation, synthesis of OPG/RANKL and p38 expression were tested on MG-63 cells exposed to serum from rats fed with GLP or not. The results showed that GLP significantly promoted MG-63 cell proliferation and differentiation. Upregulation of OPG and down-regulation of RANKL at the protein and mRNA level were observed in GLP serum treated MG-63 cells using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Further, treatment with GLP serum increased the level of p38 phosphorylation but did not affect the total p38 expression. These effects can be blocked by the p38 specific inhibitor SB203580. The results indicate that GLP can effectively promote the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and regulate their OPG/RANKL expression, while the effects may be mediated via the p38 MAPK pathway. The findings suggest that GLP induces bone formation and may be beneficial for patients with osteoporosis.

[Effects of kidney-tonifying Chinese herbal drugs on human osteoblast Ca2+ intake and mineralization in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of kidney-tonifying Chinese herbal drugs on Ca2+ intake and mineralization of human osteoblasts in vitro. METHODS: Human osteoblasts were isolated from the iliac trabecular bone followed by purification and culture at 37 degrees Celsius with 5% CO2. The cells were identified by cell morphology, calcium nodule formation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay. The third passage of the cultured osteoblasts were treated with 10% scrum from rat fed with the decoction of the kidney-tonifying Chinese herbal drugs of different concentrations for 30 min, 3 d and 28 d, respectively. The cells treated with 10% rat serum without the drugs served as the control. Flow cytometry was used to observe the changes in cell proliferation and intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and von Kossa staining employed for quantification of the mineral nodules. RESULTS: The osteoblasts obtained were positive for ALP staining and could form calcium nodules in vitro. Flow cytometry showed that the drugs at different concentrations all increased Ca2+ influx, as compared with the control cells. The drugs also increased the relative proliferation index of the osteoblasts, and high concentration of the drugs resulted in greater number of the mineral nodules in the osteoblasts (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The kidney-tonifying Chinese herbal drugs may increase Ca2+ influx and stimulate proliferation and differentiation of adult osteoblasts in vitro.