[Advances in nutritional support therapy for stroke prevention and treatment].

As a serious disease of death and disability, stroke constitutes a serious threat to human health. Because of stroke patients often have high-risk factors of malnutrition such as dysphagia and autonomic eating disorder, the hospitalization time, mortality and disability rate of stroke patients increases. Nutritional therapy can effectively improve the malnutrition of patients, which are of great significance for the treatment and rehabilitation of stroke and the prevention of its complications. Nutrients are important components of nutrition therapy, and different ways of nutrition therapy directly affect the effect of treatment. This article summarizes effects of nutrients and different nutritional treatments on stroke prevention, morbidity and treatment, and provides a theoretical basis and new thinking for further reducing the incidence rate of stroke, improving the quality of life in patients and reducing the financial burden of society and family.

Association between Depressive Symptoms and Supplemental intake of Calcium and Vitamin D in Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: We explored the associations between depressive symptoms and supplemental calcium and vitamin D intake in older adults. DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: 8,527 older adults aged ≥60 years from Zhejiang Major Public Health Surveillance Program (ZPHS) without depressive symptoms at baseline survey. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were divided into non-supplementation, calcium (Ca), vitamin D, and calcium plus vitamin D (CaD) groups based on their supplemental intake during the past year. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between depressive symptoms and supplemental intake. RESULTS: When compared to the non-supplementation group, the Ca group exhibited a significant odds ratio (OR) of 0.731 (95% CI: 0.552-0.967, P=0.028). After adjusting for age, sex, and Ca food sources, the OR was even smaller for the CaD group (OR: 0.326; 95% CI: 0.119-0.889, P=0.029). Additionally, our results indicated that taking Ca supplements ≥4 days/week yielded a significant OR of 0.690 (95% CI: 0.492-0.968) after full adjustment. Taking CaD supplements ≥4 days/week yielded a significant OR of 0.282 (95% CI: 0.089-0.898) after adjusting for age, sex, and Ca food sources. CONCLUSIONS: Supplemental intake of Ca or CaD ≥4 days/week can decrease the risk of depressive symptoms in older adults, although CaD supplements may be more effective.

[Pharmacognostical identification of antelope horn(Cornu Saigae Tataricae) and its adulterants].

OBJECTIVE: To provide appropriate information and scientific basis for identifying antelope horn (Saiga tatarica) contained in traditional Chinese patent medicines, and formulate relevant quality criteria through experiments. METHOD: Conducting comparative identification of macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of antelope horn(Saige tatarica) and its adulterants (Procapra gutturosa, Pantholops hodgsoni, Ovis ammon and Capra hircus) and giving a comparative table and an indented key to the main characteristics. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: There are remarkable differences between the authentic product and adulterants in both macroscopic and microscopic characteristics.

[Determination of esculetin in semen Euphorbiae lathyridis L. by TLCS and comparison on the quality in different areas].

A TLC-densitometric method for the determination of oesculetin in Semen Euphorbia lathyridis (Euphorbiae lathyrdis) was established, and esculetin content in Semen Euphorbia lathyridis from three different producing areas (Zhengzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing) was determined. The method is accurate, sensitive and simple. The recovery is 98.63% and the coefficient of variation is 1.59% (n = 5). The esculetin average contents in the three samples are 0.3013%, 0.2046% and 0.2094% respectively.