Profiling the chemical properties of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and its flavonoids through comprehensive LC-MS/MS to evaluate their anti-motion sickness effect.

Foeniculum vulgare Mill. is a medicinal and food homologous plant, and it has various biological activities. Yet, no research has explored its anti-motion sickness effects. Chemical properties of fennel extracts (FvE) and flavonoids (Fvf) were analyzed based on UPLC-QTRAP-MS to elucidate its potential anti-motion sickness components in the present study. The mice models of motion sickness were stimulated by biaxial rotational acceleration. Behavioral experiments such as motion sickness index and open field test and the measurement of neurotransmitters were used to evaluate the efficacy of compounds on motion sickness. Results showed that FvE contains terpenes, alkaloids, flavonoids, etc. Eight flavonoids including quercetin-3ß-D-glucoside, rutin, hyperoside, quercetin, miquelianin, trifolin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol were identified in the purified Fvf. FvE and Fvf significantly reduced the motion sickness index of mice by 53.2% and 48.9%, respectively. Fvf also significantly alleviated the anxious behavior of mice after rotational stimulation. Among the eight flavonoids, isorhamnetin had the highest oral bioavailability and moderate drug-likeness index and thus speculated to be the bioactive compound in fennel for its anti-motion sickness effect. It reduced the release of 5-HT and Ach to alleviate the motion sickness response and improve the work completing ability of mice and nervous system dysfunction after rotational stimulation. This study provided in-depth understanding of the anti-motion sickness bioactive chemical properties of fennel and its flavonoids, which will contribute to the new development and utilization of fennel.

Magnetic/Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-67 Nanocomposite for Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction of Five Flavonoid Components from Chinese Herb Dicranopteris pedata.

A magnetically functionalized Fe3O4@ZIF-67 metal-organic framework (MOF) was prepared by electrostatic self-assembly using magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles as the core and ZIF-67 as the shell. The composite was characterized by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier- transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements. Magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) was performed on five flavonoids from Dicranopteris pedata using Fe3O4@ZIF-67 as an adsorbent. The developed MSPE method was combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection to preconcentrate and separate five flavonoids (rutin, quercitrin, kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside, quercetin, and kaempferol) from Dicranopteris pedata. The factors affecting the extraction, such as the amount of Fe3O4@ZIF-67 adsorbent, salt ion concentration in the sample solution, vortex time, type and amount of desorbing solvent, concentration of formic acid to acidify the desorbing solvent, and acetonitrile ratio, were optimized. The developed method showed good linearity over the concentration range of 1.09-70.0 µg∙mL-1 for the five flavonoids, with R2 values between 0.9901 and 0.9945. The limits of detection and average recoveries for the five flavonoids were in the ranges of 39.5-56.2 ng∙mL-1 and 92.2-100.7%, respectively. The method presented herein is simple, efficient, and sensitive; it can be used for enrichment analysis of the five flavonoids in Dicranopteris pedata.

Determining three isoflavones from Pueraria lobata using magnetic ZIF-8 nanoparticle-based solid-phase extraction and pressurized capillary electrochromatography.

In this study, magnetic functionalized ZIF-8 nanoparticles were prepared by electrostatic self-assembly using magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles as cores and ZIF-8 as shells. ZIF-8 was used as the adsorbent to efficiently extract and sensitively analyze isoflavones due to its positive charge and strong adsorption capacity. Prepared samples were investigated by SEM and TEM, BET and ζ-potential analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, powder XRD, and vibrating sample magnetism (VSM) experiments. The synthesized ZIF-8 has a dodecahedral structure that adsorbs well. Magnetic functionalized ZIF-8/Fe3O4 @SiO2 nanoparticles were prepared as a new SPE adsorbent, and a magnetic ZIF-8-pressurized capillary electrochromatography (pCEC) method was developed to separate and detect puerarin, daidzin, and daidzein (isoflavones) from Pueraria lobata by optimizing the extraction conditions, including adsorbent dosage, salt concentration, extraction time, desorption conditions, and other parameters. The developed method exhibited good linearities in the 50-2000 µg/mL concentration range for the three isoflavones, with coefficients of determination of 0.9934-0.9962. The limits of detection (LODs) for puerarin, daidzin, and daidzein were determined to be 0.02, 0.03, and 0.03 µg/mL, respectively. All analytes showed average recoveries in the 98.5-100.3% range, with relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 6) of less than 4.0%. The developed method is convenient, enriches effectively, and shows good applications prospects for separating and analyzing components in Chinese herbal medicines.

Biochemical analysis reveals the systematic response of motion sickness mice to ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract's amelioration effect.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: As a common medicinal and edible plant, Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) is often used for the prevention of motion sickness. However, the mechanism of its anti-motion sickness remains to be elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore novel treatment for motion sickness with less side effects, anti-motion sickness effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract (GE) and the possible molecular mechanisms were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-motion sickness effect of ginger was evaluated through mice animal experimental models. Components of ginger that might contribute to the anti-motion sickness effect were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Subsequently, biochemical analysis integrated with serum metabolomic profiling were performed to reveal the systematic response of motion sickness mice to ginger extract's amelioration effect. RESULTS: Exhaustive swimming time of mice in the GE group reached 8.9 min, which was 52.2% longer than that in the model group. Motion sickness index scores and time taken traversing balance beam of mice in the GE group were decreased by 53.2% and 38.5%, respectively. LC-MS/MS analysis suggested that various active ingredients in GE, such as gingerol, ginger oil and terpenoids, might contribute to its appealing anti-motion sickness activity. Biochemical analysis revealed that GE can relieve motion sickness through reducing histamine and acetylcholine release in vestibular system, regulating fatty acid oxidation, sugar metabolism and bile acid metabolism in mice. CONCLUSION: Gavage of mice with GE can effectively relieve the symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, improve the balance and coordination ability and ameliorate the ability to complete complex work after rotation stimulation. GE has attractive potential for development and utilization as novel anti-motion sickness food or drugs.

Protective effect of coix seed seedling extract on 60 Co-γ radiation-induced oxidative stress in mice.

Exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) can cause oxidative damage to human body, leading to various diseases and even death. In this study, the potential radioprotective effect of coix seed seedling extract (CSS-E) was studied through a model of 60 Co-γ radiation-induced oxidative stress in mice. Overall radioprotective effect of CSS-E against radiation-induced damage was evaluated by biochemical analysis and histopathological analysis. The results showed that CSS-E could significantly reduce the IR-induced damage to the hematopoietic system. CSS-E-M (200 mg/kg BW) pretreatment could increase the activities of superoxide dismutase in serum, liver, and spleen increased by 31.68%, 45.10%, and 56.67%, respectively, and the glutathione peroxidase levels in serum, liver, and spleen of mice were improved by 19.17%, 41.97%, and 130.56%, respectively. Meanwhile, the glutathione levels of serum, liver, and spleen in CSS-E-M group were increased by 17.10%, 35.06%, and 40.71%, respectively. The contents of MDA in different tissues and serum could be reduced by CSS-E-M treatment to the normal level. Moreover, CSS-E could markedly reduce the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in radiation mice, among which CSS-E-M group showed maximum restoration with decreased AST and ALT levels by 20.13% and 32.76% as compared against IR group. In conclusion, these results indicated that CSS-E could be used as a potential natural radioprotectant against IR-induced damage.

Wound-healing activity of glycoproteins from white jade snail (Achatina fulica) on experimentally burned mice.

Burns are a global public health problem and the treatment of burn wounds is a major medical and economic issue. White jade snails (Achatina fulica) are now widely distributed in Asia, and they have been used to treat burns in folk medicine of China. In this study, the glycoproteins from white jade snails were investigated and their effect on burn healing was evaluated by a mouse burn model. The results showed that the snail mucus was mainly composed of proteins and polysaccharides, and it had good adhesion. The main component of snail mucus was glycoprotein from the results of DEAE Sepharose FF ion exchange chromatography. The 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging effect of 1 mg/mL snail mucus reached 13.77%. The wound healing rate of the snail mucus group was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.0001). Histopathological results showed that mice in the snail mucus group had a faster healing than that of the control group. The biochemical analysis was in agreement with the histopathological findings. These results suggested that glycoproteins from snail mucus showed effective wound healing activities in the skin of experimentally burned mice.

Anti-fatigue activity of hemp leaves water extract and the related biochemical changes in mice.

To explore novel sources of anti-fatigue drugs and food, the anti-fatigue activity of hemp leaves water extract (HLWE) was investigated through exhaustive swimming tests of mice. The median exhaustion swimming time of mice gavaged with HLWE reached 55.4 min, which was 156.8% and 87.8% longer than that of the control group and Rhodiola group, respectively. Then, several biochemical parameters related to fatigue were determined to explore the possible anti-fatigue reasons. The blood lactic acid concentration of mice in HLWE group was 0.76 mmol/L, which was 24.8% lower than that in the control group. Compared with the control group, the glutathione peroxidases activity of mice in HLWE group increased by 296.2%. Based on the results, HLWE exhibited outstanding anti-fatigue activity through reducing the accumulation of lactic acid and improving the activities of defense antioxidant enzymes. It shows appealing potential for development and utilization as novel anti-fatigue food or drugs.

Comparative study on the bioactive components and in vitro biological activities of three green seedlings.

To explore functional food ingredients from green seedlings, the bioactive components (phenolic compounds and γ-aminobutyric acid) and antioxidant activities (DPPH radical scavenging ability, ABTS radical scavenging ability and reducing power) of three green seedlings, including coix seed seedling (CSS), highland barely seedling (HBS) and naked oats seedling (NOS) cultivars were respectively measured and deeply compared. Results indicated that CSS showed the highest contents of the total polyphenol (183.35 mg/100 g), total flavonoid (348.68 mg/100 g), and γ-aminobutyric acid (54.17 mg/100 g). As expected, CSS also exerted the highest level of antioxidant activity, followed by HBS and NOS. Moreover, CSS possessed the potential of stimulating immune responses, including promoting proliferation and strengthening phagocytosis function of RAW264.7 cells. Taken together, all results suggested that the three green seedlings, especially CSS could be used as natural ingredients for functional food.

[Mining analysis on composition and medication of menstruation prescriptions in Fu Qingzhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology].

In this paper, menstruation prescriptions were selected from "Fu Qingzhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology" and analyzed by using GRI algorithm, correlation analysis, hierarchical clustering method through SPSS, Clementine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) inheritance auxiliary systems, in order to screen out 15 menopathy prescriptions, which involve 45 traditional Chinese medicine herbs. In the study, blood-tonifying and qi-tonifying herbs were found to be frequent in the prescriptions. The most frequent single herb was white paeony root, accounting for 9.6% in the total number of prescriptions; The most frequent herb pairs were white paeony root-radix rehmanniae preparata and paeony root-angelica sinensis. Among Fu Shan's menopathy prescriptions, 61 herbal pairs showed a correlation coefficient exceeding 0.05, which evolved into 16 pairs of core combinations. The analysis showed that menopathy prescriptions in volume 1 of "Fu Qingzhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology" focused on tonic traditional Chinese medicines involving liver, spleen and kidney and were adjusted according to changes in qi, blood, cold, hot and wet, which could provide a specific reference for further studies on Fu Shan's academic thoughts and traditional Chinese medicine clinical treatment of menopathy.