Insecticidal and Repellent Effects of the Essential Oils Extract from Zanthoxylum myriacanthum against Three Storage Pests.

The co-storage of two or more Chinese herbal medicines can effectively prevent the herbs from the damage by pests. Thus, it is important to protect herbs and crops to study Chinese herbal medicines and their medicinal components against storage pests. This study aimed to assess the insecticidal activities and repellent effect of essential oils (EOs) extracted from fruits at different periods from Zanthoxylum myriacanthum Wall. ex Hook. f. (1 h, 2 h, 3-5 h and 5-7 h), and their major compounds against three kinds of pests (Tribolium castaneum, Lasioderma serricorne, and Liposcelis bostrychophila). The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis revealed homomyrtenol (22.56 %, 28.01 %, 28.48 % and 28.41 %, respectively) and p-cymene (30.58 %, 13.95 %, 24.97 % and 6.85 %, respectively) were the common major compounds of the EOs at 1 h, 2 h, 3-5 h, and 5-7 h. m-Cymene contents in EOs of fruits, 1 h, 2 h and 3-5 h were 3.85 %, 0.95 %, 6.71 %, and 6.15 %, respectively. According to Principal component analysis (PCA), the composition of fruits' EO was significantly different from other EOs due to the different collection times. The bio-assays showed that EOs and major compounds were toxic to all three pests, but the fumigation effect on L. bostrychophila was not noticeable. EOs extracted at different times had a repellent effect on the three pests at the highest concentration (78.63 nL/cm2 ), but the attractive effects of the EOs of 3-5 h, 5-7 h, and p-cymene were observed at the low concentrations (3.15, 0.63 and 0.13 nL/cm2 ). Our results suggest that Z. myriacanthum have the potential to be developed as biological insecticides.

Analysis of international competitiveness of the China's licorice industry from the perspective of global trade.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Licorice is a multi-purpose plant raw material, which is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry and food industry, cosmetic industry, etc. It has a wide application in various countries and regions around the world. AIM OF STUDY: This paper studied the trade situation of licorice-related products among major countries and regions in the world, providing a practical reference for the sustainable development of the global licorice industry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The licorice trade data of licorice-related products came from the United Nations Commodity Trade Database and China Customs data. We analyzed the world's major trading countries by using international market share (IMS), trade competitiveness index (TC), average export price (AEP) and average import price (AIP), and analyzed global trade flows with chord diameter. RESULTS: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Iran mainly export licorice raw materials and low value-added products. China is both a producer and a consumer of licorice raw materials and licorice products. The processing trade of the licorice industry in China has advantages, and the structure of import and export trade has been continuously improved. The United States, France, Germany and other developed countries are still important consumers who rely on the intellectual property rights and brand advantages of licorice products, which have stronger global trade radiation capacity. CONCLUSIONS: China's trade structure has been optimized and its industrial competitiveness has been enhanced. China's experience can be used for reference by other countries, especially those with rich licorice resources among the SCO members.

[Meta-analysis of Shenqi Jiangtang Granules combined with western medicine on adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus].

The present study evaluated the effect of Shenqi Jiangtang Granules(SJG) combined with western medicine on the adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM). PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP were searched for clinical randomized controlled trials(RCTs) of SJG combined with western medicine against GDM. The included RCTs were assessed for risks using the assessment criteria recommended by the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 12.0 and RevMan 5.3. Nineteen RCTs were included, with 1 647 patients involved, including 824 cases treated with western medicine alone, and 823 cases treated with SJG combined with western medicine. The course of treatment ranged from 2 to 12 weeks. As revealed by Meta-analysis results, compared with western medicine treatment alone, SJG combined with western medicine could reduce the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage(OR=0.23, 95%CI[0.10, 0.53], P=0.000 6), gestational hypertension(OR=0.24, 95%CI[0.13, 0.45], P<0.000 01), polyhydramnios(OR=0.24, 95%CI[0.12, 0.45], P<0.000 1), premature rupture of membranes(OR=0.20, 95%CI[0.09, 0.45], P<0.000 1), cesarean section(OR=0.40, 95%CI[0.29, 0.55], P<0.000 01), macrosomia(OR=0.19, 95%CI[0.08, 0.47], P<0.000 3), neonatal asphyxia(OR=0.22, 95%CI[0.12, 0.40], P<0.000 01), premature delivery(OR=0.19, 95%CI[0.12, 0.30], P<0.000 01), proteinuria(OR=0.19, 95%CI[0.06, 0.58], P=0.004) and hypoglycemia(OR=0.28, 95%CI[0.16, 0.50], P<0.000 1). The funnel plots and Egger's test showed that except macrosomia, there was no significant publication bias in the results of other indicators. Therefore, as indicated by the findings, SJG combined with western medicine can reduce the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients. However, due to the uneven quality of the included trials, the clinical application of this protocol requires caution.

Composition and Insecticidal Activity of Elsholtzia kachinensis Prain, a Traditional Vegetable and Herbal Medicine.

In recent years, secondary metabolites of plants have attracted researchers' interest as a substitute for synthetic insecticides with many advantages. Elsholtzia kachinensis is an annual herb with medicinal and edible value. In this study, the essential oil (EO) of the aerial part of E. kachinensis was extracted by hydrodistillation, and GC-MS analysed essential oil components. The results show that carvone and dehydroelsholtzia ketone are the main components of the essential oil, accounting for 32.298% and 31.540%, respectively. EO, carvone and dehydroelsholtzia ketone are used to determine the effects against stored-product insects Lasioderma serricorne, Tribolium castaneum, Sitophilus oryzae and Liposcelis bostrychophila. The essential oil showed the most vital contact and fumigation toxicity to L. serricorne, of which LD50 and LC50 values were 3.85 µg/adult and 7.74 mg/L air, respectively. S. oryzae did not show repellent activity, but the repellent rate of the other three species reached 90% under EO treatment at a concentration of 78.63 nL/cm2. Therefore, the essential oil of E. kachinensis has an insecticidal effect and has the potential to be developed as a new eco-friendly insecticide.

Effect of entecavir plus Ganshuang granule on fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of entecavir plus Ganshuang granule (, GSG) on advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. METHODS: One hundred thirty-five patients were randomly assigned to one of two cohorts: GSG cohort (n = 69) or placebo cohort (n = 66). The GSG cohort received entecavir plus GSG and the placebo cohort received entecavir plus placebo for 48 weeks. Liver biopsy was performed at baseline and between weeks 44 and 48 during this placebo-controlled trial. We assessed histological improvement (greater than a two-point decrease using the Knodell in fl ammatory score and no worsening of the Ishak fibrosis score) and fibrosis regression (a decrease of at least one point in the Ishak fibrosis score). RESULTS: There were 95.7% of patients (66/69) in the GSG cohort and 66.7% (44/66) of patients in the placebo cohort who showed necroin fl ammation improvement. The mean reduction in the Knodell necroinflammatory score was 5.1 and 2.6, respectively. There were 89.9% (62/69) of patients in the GSG cohort and 31.8% (21/66) of patients in the placebo cohort who showed at least a one-point improvement in the Ishak fibrosis score. The mean reduction in the Ishak fibrosis score was 1.7 and 0.4, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis B showed more improvement in liver histology in a shorter time after treatment with entecavir plus GSG compared with entecavir plus placebo.

Discovery of 5-(pyridin-3-yl)-1H-indole-4,7-diones as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors.

Early studies demonstrated that over expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) in tumor microenvironment results in tumor immune escape. Herein, in order to simplify the structure of two kinds of IDO1 inhibitors from marine alkaloid, Exiguamine A and Tsitsikammamines, we designed, synthesized a series of 1H-indole-4,7-dione derivatives and evaluated their inhibitory activity in IDO1 enzyme and in IFN-γ stimulated Hela cells in vitro. The structure-activity relationship demonstrated that 5-(pyridin-3-yl)-1H-indole-4,7-dione is a promising scaffold for IDO1 inhibitors and most compounds with this core showed moderate inhibition potency at micromole level. Our further enzyme kinetics experiments reveal that these new developed compounds might act as reversible competitive inhibitors of IDO1.

Quercetin is the Active Component of Yang-Yin-Qing-Fei-Tang to Induce Apoptosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Yang-Yin-Qing-Fei-Tang (YYQFT) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema, bronchitis, cytomegaloviral pneumonia, but the mechanisms of the medicine are not clear. This study aimed to identify the active components of YYQFT and elucidate the underlying mechanism on non-small cell lung cancer. First, YYQFT was extracted with different solvents, and then the most effective extract was determined by assessing their effects on non-small cell lung cancer cell growth. Second, several active compounds from YYQFT were identified, and quercetin was the one of the important active ingredients. Subsequently, the in vivo antitumor activity of quercetin was confirmed in a lung cancer xenograft model in mice. 200 µ g/mL quercetin significantly reduced tumor volume without affecting body weight of the mice. Furthermore, induction of apoptosis by quercetin was detected in tumor tissues treated with quercetin. Multiple apoptosis related genes including p53, Bax and Fas were upregulated by quercetin in tumor tissue and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 was increased accordingly. Our results demonstrated that quercetin, as the main effective component of the YYQFT, has potent inhibitory activity on non-small cell lung cancer by regulating the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2.

Correlation between macroscopic characteristics and tissue-specific chemical profiling of the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

BACKGROUND: Macroscopic identification has been widely used as a convenient method for herbal authentication and quality assessment. However, sensory evaluation heavily relied on personal experience and lacked enough evidence-based validations. PURPOSE: We aim to reveal the correlation between macroscopic characteristics and tissue-specific chemical composition of the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SMR), and then develop a rapid method for quality assessment. METHODS: Thirty-two batches of SMR were collected and evaluated. The outer-surface color and diameter as the representative tissue features of SMR were selected as the macroscopic indexes. SMR were then divided into three parts along transverse section as outer bark, middle part and central part, to explore the spatial distribution of chemicals. Outer-surface color information was converted into RGB values, while the diameter data were expressed by mean distance, respectively. Thirteen major components including eight salvianolic acids and five tanshinones in each part were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Finally, several mathematical models were established and optimized to evaluate the correlation between outer-surface color, size and chemical distribution. RESULT: All five tanshinones mainly distributed in the outer bark while salvianolic acids were averagely existed among three parts. Correlational studies revealed that the surface color depth was significantly and positively correlated with tanshinone contents in the outer bark, while the size showed poor correlation in any chemicals. A color-oriented model was thus developed for the prediction of tanshinone contents in SMR, and a 9 × 9 standard color chart was created for easily use. CONCLUSION: This study contributes an alternative method for macroscopic features-based quality evaluation of herbs, and also complements some scientific data for traditional knowledge.

Anti-Tumor Effects of Paeoniflorin on Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in China, and the development of effective drugs is urgently needed. Here, we report on Paeoniflorin (PF), a product isolated from the roots of the peony plant, as a possible candidate because of its anti-tumor effects on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of PF in human colorectal cancer (CRC). MATERIAL AND METHODS Cell proliferation, wound healing, and Transwell assays were used to analyze the effects of PF on in vitro cell migration and invasion of HCT116 and SW480, 2 colorectal cancer cell lines. The tumor xenograft model was used to verify the anti-metastasis effects of PF in vivo. The RNA and protein levels of epithelia-cadherin (E-cadherin), Vimentin, and histone deacetylase2 (HDAC2) were measured by qPCR and Western blot analysis to explore the mechanism involved. RESULTS Our results showed that PF inhibited colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion and suppressed the metastatic potential of the cancer cells in vivo. Moreover, PF significantly decreased the expression of HDAC2 and Vimentin, while increasing the expression of E-cadherin. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that PF inhibits colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion ability and reverses the EMT process, through inhibiting the expression of HDAC2, and then affects the expression level of E-cadherin and Vimentin at the cell level. Our results were also verified in the tumor xenograft model. This indicates that PF may be a candidate for colorectal cancer treatment.

Quality assessment of Penthorum chinense Pursh through multicomponent qualification and fingerprint, chemometric, and antihepatocarcinoma analyses.

An efficient method combined with fingerprint and chemometric analyses was developed to evaluate the quality of the traditional Chinese medicine plant Penthorum chinense Pursh. Nine samples were collected from different regions during different harvest periods, and 17 components in the form of extracts were simultaneously examined to assess quality by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The hepatoprotective effects of components were investigated by assessing the inhibition of SMMC-7721 cell growth. The results indicated that the quality control method was accurate, stable, and reliable, and the hierarchical heat-map cluster and the principle component analyses confirmed that the classification of all nine samples was consistent. Quercetin and ellagitannins including pinocembrin-7-O-[3''-O-galloyl-4'',6''-hexahydroxydiphenoyl]-ß-glucose (PGHG), thonningianin A, thonningianin B, and other flavonoids were abundant in the extracts, and significantly contributed to the hepatoprotective effects.

[Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to bone and joint tuberculosis in Chinese Han population].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene Apa I polymorphism and the susceptibility to bone and joint tuberculosis in Chinese Han population. METHODS: Between May, 2015 and June, 2016, 100 patients with bone and joint tuberculosis and 100 healthy volunteers were recruited concomitantly in Heyuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Vitamin D receptor gene Apa I polymorphisms in these subjects were analyzed using SNaPshot. RESULT: The genotype frequencies of Apa I-AA, Apa I-Aa and Apa I-aa were 51%, 41%, and 8% in the case group and 33%, 55%, and 12% in the control group, respectively, showing significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05). The genotype of Apa I-AA was significantly higher in the case group with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.073 (95% CI: 1.142-3.763). CONCLUSION: The Apa I polymorphisms of the VDR gene are associated with the susceptibility to bone and joint tuberculosis in Chinese Han population, and individuals with a Apa I-AA genotype are at greater risks to develop bone and joint tuberculosis.

Optimization of critical medium components for enhancing antibacterial thiopeptide nocathiacin I production with significantly improved quality.

Nocathiacin I, a glycosylated thiopeptide antibiotic, displays excellent antibacterial activities against multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens. Previously, a novel nocathiacin I formulation for intravenous administration has been successfully developed and its aqueous solubility is greatly enhanced for clinical application. The purpose of the present study was to increase the fermentation titer of nocathiacin I and reduce or eliminate analogous impurities by screening the medium ingredients using response surface methodology. After a sysmatic optimization, a water-soluble medium containing quality-controllable components was developed and validated, resulting in an increase in the production of nocathiacin I from 150 to 405.8 mg·L-1 at 150-L scale. Meanwhile, the analogous impurities existed in reported processes were greatly reduced or eliminated. Using optimized medium for fermentation, nocathiacin I with pharmaceutically acceptable quality was easily obtained with a recovery of 67%. In conclusion, the results from the present study offer a practical and efficient fermentation process for the production of nocathiacin I as a therapeutic agent.

[Effect and safety evaluation of catgut implantation at acupoint for levels of bone metabolism and free radicals in postmenopausal women].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect and safety evaluation of catgut implantation at acupoint and drugs for levels of bone metabolism and free radicals in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Sixty-five postmenopausal women were randomly divided into an acupoint catgut implantation group (33 cases) and a medication group (32 cases). Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Shenshu (BL 23) and Guanyuan (CV 4) were used as main points combined with adjunct points according to syndrome differentiation in the acupoint catgut implantation group, once two weeks. The medication group was treated with oral administration of 2 pills of Fu fuchun capsule, once a day. Three months constitute one course in the both groups. The scores of the symptoms and signs were evaluated, and elbow vein blood was drawn to detect the correlative index on the beginning and the ending day of the treatment respectively. The safety of catgut implantation at acupoint was evaluated after one course of treatment. Besides, the sex hormone test in ovulatory period was detected in twenty-eight normal women in reproductive age with regular menstrual cycle. RESULTS: 1) The total effective rate of the acupoint catgut implantation group was 93.9% (31/33), and that of the medication group was 96.9% (31/32), there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The contents of bone gla protein (BGP), calcitonin (CT), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in the both groups had significant differences after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01); 2) The content of estradiol (E2) in serum in the both groups was decreased more obviously than those of normal women in reproductive age (both P<0.001). The content of E2 in the both groups was obviously increased after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), this function in the acupoint catgut implantation group was weaker than that of the medication group (P<0.05), while the incidence rate of adverse effect in the acupoint catgut implantation group was lower than that of the medication group (P<0.05); 3) There were significant differences of the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) before and after treatment in the acupoint catgut implantation group, the level of SOD was obviously increased after treatment (P<0.01), while the level of MDA decreased obviously (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Catgut implantation at acupoint can improve the low level of estrogen of postmenopausal women, with good safety. It can regulate the levels of bone metabolism and free radicals of postmenopausal women, so it is very meaningful to prevent and treat postmenopausal degenerative diseases including the osteoporosis and to delay the process of apolexis.

Berbamine induces apoptosis in human hepatoma cell line SMMC7721 by loss in mitochondrial transmembrane potential and caspase activation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of berbamine on human hepatoma cell line SMMC7721. METHODS: The effects of 24 h and 48 h incubation with different concentrations (0 to approximately 64 microg/ml) of the berbamine on SMMC7721 cells were evaluated using 3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Hoechst 33258 staining was conducted to distinguish the apoptotic cell, and the appearance of sub-G1 stage was determined by PI (propidium iodide) staining, the percentage of apoptotic cell was determined by flow cytometry following annexin V/PI staining. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the cell cycle distribution and the mitochondrial membrane potential (psi(m)); the expression of activated caspase3 and caspase9 was analyzed by Western-blot. RESULTS: The proliferation of SMMC7721 was decreased after treatment with berbamine in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Berbamine could induce apoptosis in SMMC7721 cells and could cause cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase, to induce loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (psi(m)) and activate caspase3 and caspase9. Berbamine-induced apoptosis could be blocked by the broad caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. CONCLUSION: Berbamine exerts antiproliferative effects on human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC7721 cells. The anticancer activity of berbamine could be attributed partly to its inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in cancer cells through loss in mitochondrial transmembrane potential and caspase activation.

[Control study of therapeutic effects of three phase acupuncture method and routine acupuncture method on periarthritis of shoulder].

OBJECTIVE: To compare therapeutic effects of the three phase acupuncture method and routine acupuncture method on periarthritis of shoulder. METHODS: Randomized, controlled and single blind method was adopted and 70 cases were divided into a three phase acupuncture group and a routine acupuncture group, 35 cases in each group. Same acupoints were selected in the two groups and selection of acupoints, manipulation of the needle and motion in the three phase acupuncture group were conducted by stages. RESULTS: The effective rate was 97.15% in the three phase acupuncture group which was better than 87.10% in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05). After treatment, VAS scores decreased significantly in the two groups (P < 0.01), and there was a significant difference between the two groups in the difference of VAS after treatment (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The three phase acupuncture treatment was superior to the routine acupuncture therapy in therapeutic effect on periarthritis of shoulder.

[Effects of thread embedding therapy on nucleotides and gastrointestinal hormones in the patient of chronic gastritis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe therapeutic effect of thread embedding therapy on chronic gastritis. METHODS: Seventy cases of chronic gastritis were randomly divided into the treatment group (n = 36) treated by thread embedding therapy and the control group (n = 34) by acupuncture. Weishu (BL 21), Zhongwan (CV 12) and Zusanli (ST 36) were selected as main points. And plasma contents of cAMP, cGMP, gastrin and substance P were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 88.89% in the treatment group and 76.47% in the control group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05); there were significant differences before and after treatment in plasma contents of cAMP, cGMP, gastrin and substance P in the two groups (P < 0.01), and the changes of these indexes in the treatment group were significantly superior to the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Thread embedding therapy has a definite therapeutic effect on chronic gastritis and it can adjust nucleotides, gastrin and substance P to improve the functions of the nerve-endocrine-immunity network.

[Summarization of Prof. ZHANG Jia-Wei's experiences on clinical application of Suliao (GV 25)].

Suliao (GV 25) is the 25th acupoint of The Governor Vessel and is mostly used to treat various nasal diseases clinically. In light of the recordation about the therapeutic effect of Suliao (GV 25) in ancient medical books, combining with his own several years' clinical experiences, Prof. ZHANG Jia-Wei enlarges the clinical application of Suliao (GV 25) creatively, and treats hyperkinetic syndrome of childhood, three facial diseases and some diseases of the lower-jiao in combination with the unique flying needling therapy, attaining rapidly therapeutic effect.