Chinese herb ultrafine powder supplementation improves egg nutritional value and quality in laying hens.

This study evaluates the effects of dietary Chinese herb ultrafine powder (CHUP) supplementation in late-phase laying hens on the quality and nutritional values of eggs. A total of 576 Xinyang black-feather laying hens (300-day-old) were randomly allocated into eight groups for a 120-day feeding trial. Each group contained eight replicates with nine hens per replicate. The experimental groups included the control (basal diet) and different levels of CHUP groups (details in 'Materials and methods'). The results showed that the eggshell strength was increased (p < 0.05) in the L, LF, L-LF, L-T, and LF-T groups on day 60 of the trial. In addition, the plasma estradiol level in the L-LF, LF-T, and L-LF-T groups and unsaturated fatty acids concentrations in egg yolk of the CHUP groups (except LF-T group) were increased, whereas total cholesterol (T, L-LF, L-T, and L-LF-T groups) in egg yolk and the atherogenicity (T, L-T, and L-LF-T groups) and thrombogenicity (T, L-LF, L-T, and L-LF-T groups) indexes were decreased (p < 0.05) on day 60 of the trial compared with the control group. Moreover, bitter amino acids in egg albumen were decreased (p < 0.05) in the L-LF group on day 60 and the L-LF-T group on day 120 of the trial. Collectively, these findings indicate that dietary CHUP supplementation could improve eggshell quality and increase plasma reproductive hormone, fatty acid and amino acid composition, and nutritional values of eggs, especially L-LF and L-LF-T.

Toxicity study of compound granules of Hedyotis diffusa: Acute toxicity and long-term toxicity.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The clinical efficacy of the hospital preparation compound granules of Hedyotis diffusa (CGHD), which is composed of Hedyotis diffusa Willd, Smilax china L., Solanum lyratum Thunb., has accumulated a good reputation over the past decades. However, because it is a hospital preparation, few researchers have paid attention to it, resulting in a lack of systematic basic research studies. Thus, it is not clear whether there are safety concerns that restrict its clinical application, and toxicological evaluation of CGHD is needed. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of CGHD by conducting acute toxicity and long-term toxicity experiments, with the objective of providing evidence for its clinical safety and a theoretical foundation for its clinical application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: KM mice were selected for the acute toxicity experiment and were administered water or CGHD-E 3 times within 24 h. The reactions of the animals to CGHD treatment were observed and recorded within 1 h after administration and then once a day for 14 consecutive days. SD rats were selected to conduct the long-term toxicity experiment. The drug-treated groups were administered different doses of CGHD-E, which were equivalent to 10 times, 20 times and 50 times the clinical dose in humans. The rats were administered the drug for 28 consecutive days. After 28 days, the animals were sacrificed, and routine blood tests, blood coagulation function analysis, liver and kidney function tests, and glycolipid metabolism related tests were conducted. The major organs of the rats were collected to calculate organ coefficients and perform hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. RESULTS: In the CGHD-E acute toxicity experiment, the drug-treated groups did not show adverse reactions or poisoning symptoms, and the maximum tolerated dose of CGHD-E in mice was greater than 45.072 g/kg. In the long-term toxicity experiment, drug-treated rats generally exhibited a good condition, but continuous administration decreased on body weight and food intake, especially in male rats. Coagulation function alterations and the impact on the liver during long-term drug administration were also assessed, which should be emphasized in clinical applications. No significant toxic effects were observed according to routine blood tests or test of liver and kidney function, glucose and lipid metabolism, or ion metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that CGHD was nontoxic or had low toxicity, providing not only a scientific basis for its clinical application, determining the appropriate clinical dose and monitoring clinical toxicity but also theoretical support for subsequent clinical drug trials.

Screening study on significant Chinese herb for anti-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by combining clinical experience prescriptions and molecular dynamics simulation technologies.

Various techniques such as data mining, network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were used in this study to screen and validate effective herbal medicines for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and to reveal their mechanisms of action at the molecular level. The use of this approach will provide new tools and ideas for future drug screening, especially for the application of herbal medicines in the treatment of complex diseases. Among them, the five identified core targets, including IL6, TP53, AKT1, VEGFA, and TNF, as well as a series of major active compounds, will be important references for future anti-IPF drug development. This information will accelerate the discovery and development of relevant drugs. Meanwhile, this study further confirmed the potential value of four Chinese herbal medicines, including Gancao, Danshen, Huangqin, and Sanqi, in the treatment of IPF. This will promote more clinical trials and practices to confirm and optimise the application of these herbs. Finally, this study is an important theoretical guide to enhance the advantages of Chinese herbal medicines in the prevention and treatment of major and difficult diseases, as well as to understand and utilise the potential efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines. This will further promote the scientific research and clinical application of herbal medicines and provide more possibilities for future disease treatmentCommunicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Extraction optimisation and compositional characterisation of total flavonoids from the Chinese herb tulip: a natural source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.

In this study, total flavonoids from the Chinese herb tulip were extracted by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), their main components were analysed and confirmed, and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated. The results showed that the extraction rate of total flavonoids from the Chinese herb tulip reached 390.77 ± 3.88 mg·g-1 after optimisation by one-factor test and response surface methodology. 23 compounds were identified in the solution of total flavonoids from the Chinese herb tulip, including 18 flavonoids such as Hyperoside, Quercetin, Astilbin, etc., and the effects of total flavonoids of the Chinese herb tulip (TFT) on ABTS+ radicals, DPPH radicals, and superoxide anion with a good scavenging rate, good total reducing power, and total antioxidant capacity. Secondly, TFT showed good inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).

Neuropharmacological potential of honokiol and its derivatives from Chinese herb Magnolia species: understandings from therapeutic viewpoint.

Honokiol is a neolignan biphenol found in aerial parts of the Magnolia plant species. The Magnolia plant species traditionally belong to China and have been used for centuries to treat many pathological conditions. Honokiol mitigates the severity of several pathological conditions and has the potential to work as an anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, anticancer, antioxidant, and neurotherapeutic agent. It has a long history of being employed in the healthcare practices of Southeast Asia, but in recent years, a greater scope of research has been conducted on it. Plenty of experimental evidence suggests it could be beneficial as a neuroprotective bioactive molecule. Honokiol has several pharmacological effects, leading to its exploration as a potential therapy for neurological diseases (NDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), cerebral ischemia, anxiety, depression, spinal cord injury, and so on. So, based on the previous experimentation reports, our goal is to discuss the neuroprotective properties of honokiol. Besides, honokiol derivatives have been highlighted recently as possible therapeutic options for NDs. So, this review focuses on honokiol's neurotherapeutic actions and toxicological profile to determine their safety and potential use in neurotherapeutics.

Relationship among Chinese herb polysaccharide (CHP), gut microbiota, and chronic diarrhea and impact of CHP on chronic diarrhea.

Chronic diarrhea, including diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), osmotic diarrhea, bile acid diarrhea, and antibiotic-associated diarrhea, is a common problem which is highly associated with disorders of the gut microbiota composition such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and so on. A growing number of studies have supported the view that Chinese herbal formula alleviates the symptoms of diarrhea by modulating the fecal microbiota. Chinese herbal polysaccharides (CHPs) are natural polymers composed of monosaccharides that are widely found in Chinese herbs and function as important active ingredients. Commensal gut microbiota has an extensive capacity to utilize CHPs and play a vital role in degrading polysaccharides into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Many CHPs, as prebiotics, have an antidiarrheal role to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibit the colonization of pathogenic bacteria. This review systematically summarizes the relationship among gut microbiota, chronic diarrhea, and CHPs as well as recent progress on the impacts of CHPs on the gut microbiota and recent advances on the possible role of CHPs in chronic diarrhea.

Therapeutic role of Wuda granule in gastrointestinal motility disorder through promoting gastrointestinal motility and decreasing inflammatory level.

Introduction: Previous studies indicated that Wuda Granule (WDG) has been applied in the treatment of gastrointestinal motility disorder (GMD), but the effect and underlying mechanisms is yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to explore the mechanism and pharmacological effect of WDG for GMD via network analysis, verification of animal experiments and clinical experiments. Methods: The chemical components of WDG were identified from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP, http://lsp.nwu.edu.cn/index.php), and the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM, http://www.tcmip.cn/ETCM/index.php/Home/Index/) according to oral bioavailability (OB) ≥ 20% and drug-likeness (DL) ≥ 0.10. The targets of WDG compounds were retrieved from the Swiss Target Prediction database (http://www.swisstargetprediction.ch/) and targets related to GMD were retrieved from GeneCards database (https://www.genecards.org/). Network analysis were performed to screen the key active compounds of WDG and its hub targets. Then the pharmacological effect of WDG were verified via vivo experiments in rats and clinical experiments. Results: The results showed that 117 effective active compounds of WDG were screened and 494 targets of WDG compounds targeting GMD were selected. These targets were involved in the biological process of inflammatory regulation and the regulation of gastrointestinal motility. The mechanism was mainly involved in the regulation of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and Rap1 signaling pathway. In addition, molecular docking analysis suggested that eight key active compounds of WDG may be mainly responsible for the effect of WDG on GMD by targeting HARS, AKT, and PIK3CA, respectively. Animal experiments and clinical trials both suggested that WDG could exert therapeutical effect on GMD via inhibiting inflammation and promoting gastrointestinal motility, it could also improve digestive function of patients with laparoscopic colorectal cancer after surgery. Conclusion: This study was the first to demonstrate that WDG improved GMD mainly via inhibiting inflammatory level and promoting gastrointestinal motility, providing new insights for the understanding of WDG for GMD, inspiration for future research and reference for clinical strategy in terms of the treatment of GMD.

The application and mechanism of Chinese medicine in the upstream treatment of atrial fibrillation.

Upstream treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF, for short) is a new approach to the prevention and treatment of AF with non-antiarrhythmic drugs, which is essentially primary and secondary prevention of AF. The former refers to the prevention of AF by controlling risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure before AF occurs, and the latter mainly refers to targeting ion channels, inflammation, oxidative stress, and other pathways to reduce or reverse atrial electrical and structural remodeling, reduction of AF load, and reduction of the chance of AF occurrence or progression. More and more studies have shown that many traditional Chinese medicines, active ingredients of Chinese medicines, and Chinese herbal formulas have definite effects on the upstream treatment of AF, but their mechanisms of action are different. Therefore, we summarized the relevant literature on the application and mechanisms of Chinese medicine on the upstream treatment of AF in recent years, hoping to be helpful for subsequent studies.

Dietary supplementation with Chinese herb ultrafine powder improves intestinal morphology and physical barrier function by altering jejunal microbiota in laying hens.

Introduction: Chinese medicinal herbs play important roles in anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. However, the effects of Chinese herb ultrafine powder (CHUP) on laying hens still need to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary CHUP supplementation on jejunal morphology, physical barrier function, and microbiota in laying hens. Methods: A total of 576 Xinyang black-feather laying hens (300 days old) were randomly assigned into eight groups, with eight replicates per group and nine hens per replicate. The hens were fed a basal diet (control group) and a basal diet supplemented with 0.5% Leonuri herba (LH group), 0.25% Ligustri lucidi fructus (LF group), 0.25% Taraxaci herba (TH group), 0.5% LH + 0.25% LF (LH-LF group), 0.5% LH + 0.25% TH (LH-TH group), 0.25% LF + 0.25% TH (LF-TH group), and 0.5% LH + 0.25% LF + 0.25% TH (LH-LF-TH group), respectively, for 120 days. Results: The results showed that dietary LH-LF and LH-LF-TH supplementation increased (p < 0.05) the jejunal villus height to crypt depth ratio of laying hens. Dietary LF-TH supplementation up-regulated jejunal claudin-5 expression, while LH supplementation up-regulated jejunal claudin-1 expression and increased the jejunal abundances of potentially beneficial bacteria related to short-chain fatty acids and bacteriocins production, such as Blautia, Carnobacterium, Clostridiales, and Erysipelotrichales (p < 0.05). In addition, dietary LH supplementation enriched (p < 0.05) the tetracycline biosynthesis, butirosin/neomycin biosynthesis, and D-arginine/D-ornithine metabolism, whereas steroid biosynthesis and limonene/pinene degradation were enriched (p < 0.05) in the LH-LF and LH-LF-TH groups. Moreover, Spearman's correlation analysis revealed the potential correlation between the abundance of the jejunal microbiota and jejunal morphology and the physical barrier function of laying hens. Discussion: Collectively, these findings suggest that dietary CHUP supplementation could enhance the beneficial bacteria abundance, physical barrier function, and metabolic function associated with short-chain fatty acids and bacteriocins production. Moreover, combined supplementation of dietary CHUP showed better effects than the sole CHUP supplementation.

Corrigendum: A biophoton method for identifying the quality states of fresh Chinese herbs.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1140117.].

Identification of Antibacterial Components and Modes in the Methanol-Phase Extract from a Herbal Plant Potentilla kleiniana Wight et Arn.

The increase in bacterial resistance and the decline in the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents are challenging issues for the control of infectious diseases. Traditional Chinese herbal plants are potential sources of new or alternative medicine. Here, we identified antimicrobial components and action modes of the methanol-phase extract from an edible herb Potentilla kleiniana Wight et Arn, which had a 68.18% inhibition rate against 22 species of common pathogenic bacteria. The extract was purified using preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (Prep-HPLC), and three separated fragments (Fragments 1-3) were obtained. Fragment 1 significantly elevated cell surface hydrophobicity and membrane permeability but reduced membrane fluidity, disrupting the cell integrity of the Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens tested (p < 0.05). Sixty-six compounds in Fragment 1 were identified using Ultra-HPLC and mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). The identified oxymorphone (6.29%) and rutin (6.29%) were predominant in Fragment 1. Multiple cellular metabolic pathways were altered by Fragment 1, such as the repressed ABC transporters, protein translation, and energy supply in two representative Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains (p < 0.05). Overall, this study demonstrates that Fragment 1 from P. kleiniana Wight et Arn is a promising candidate for antibacterial medicine and food preservatives.

Matured compost amendment improves compost nutrient content by changing the bacterial community during the composting of Chinese herb residues.

Composting is a sustainable strategy to deal with organic waste. Our research aimed to study the influence of an amendment of 10% matured compost (MC) during Chinese herb residue (CHR) compost. Here, a 60-day CHR compost was performed, and MC application was able to reduce the nitrogen loss and enhance the humic acid accumulation during the composting as compared with the non-inoculated control (NC), by 25 and 19%, respectively. Furthermore, the matured compost amendment improved the diversity of the bacterial community, increased the complexity of the co-occurrence network, and changed the keystone and module hub bacteria during composting. The increased abundance levels of Thermopolyspora, Thermobispora, and Thermosporomyces, which were significantly higher in MC than in NC, may contribute to the degradation of cellulose and the formation of humic acid. Overall, this study extends our understanding of the effects of matured compost reflux on compost quality and the bacterial community.

A biophoton method for identifying the quality states of fresh Chinese herbs.

Introduction: The quality of Chinese herbs is the basis for ensuring their safety and efficacy. However, the quality evaluation system is imperfect. In particular, there is a lack of quality evaluation methods for fresh Chinese herbs during growth. The biophoton is a common phenomenon and provides complete information about the interior of the living system, which is consistent with the holistic concept of traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, we aim to correlate the biophoton characteristics with the quality states to find the biophoton parameters that can characterize the quality states of fresh Chinese herbs. Methods: The biophoton characteristics of motherwort and safflower were measured and characterized by the counts per second (CPS) in the steady state and the initial intensity (I0) and coherent time (T) of delayed luminescence. The active ingredient content was measured by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The pigment content of motherwort leaves was measured by UV spectrophotometry. The t-test and correlation analysis were performed on the experimental results. Results: The CPS and I0 of motherwort and I0 of safflower showed a significant downward trend during the growth process, and their active ingredient content showed a trend that increased and then decreased. The CPS, I0, and the content of active ingredients and pigments in a healthy state were significantly higher than those in a poor state, while T showed the opposite results. The CPS and I0 were all significantly and positively correlated with the content of active ingredients and pigments, while the T of motherwort showed the opposite results. Conclusion: It is feasible to identify the quality states of fresh Chinese herbs by using their biophoton characteristics. Both CPS and I0 have better correlations with the quality states and can be considered characteristic parameters of the quality of fresh Chinese herbs.

Network pharmacology, a promising approach to reveal the pharmacology mechanism of Chinese medicine formula.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Network pharmacology is a new discipline based on systems biology theory, biological system network analysis, and multi-target drug molecule design specific signal node selection. The mechanism of action of TCM formula has the characteristics of multiple targets and levels. The mechanism is similar to the integrity, systematization and comprehensiveness of network pharmacology, so network pharmacology is suitable for the study of the pharmacological mechanism of Chinese medicine compounds. AIM OF THE STUDY: The paper summarizes the present application status and existing problems of network pharmacology in the field of Chinese medicine formula, and formulates the research ideas, up-to-date key technology and application method and strategy of network pharmacology. Its purpose is to provide guidance and reference for using network pharmacology to reveal the modern scientific connotation of Chinese medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literatures in this review were searched in PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar using the keywords "traditional Chinese medicine", "Chinese herb medicine" and "network pharmacology". The literature cited in this review dates from 2002 to 2022. RESULTS: Using network pharmacology methods to predict the basis and mechanism of pharmacodynamic substances of traditional Chinese medicines has become a trend. CONCLUSION: Network pharmacology is a promising approach to reveal the pharmacology mechanism of Chinese medicine formula.

Oxymatrine suppresses colorectal cancer progression by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation through mitophagy induction in vitro and in vivo.

Chinese herb Radix sophorae tonkinensis extract oxymatrine shows anticancer effects. This study evaluated the role of oxymatrine in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying molecular events in vitro and in vivo. CRC cells were treated with different doses of oxymatrine to assess cell viability, reactive oxygen species production, gene expression, and gene alterations. Meanwhile, mouse xenograft and liver metastasis models were used to assess the effects of oxymatrine using histology examination, transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot, respectively. Our results showed that oxymatrine treatment triggered CRC cell mitophagy to inhibit CRC cell growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. At the gene level, oxymatrine inhibited LRPPRC to promote Parkin translocation into the mitochondria and reduce the mitophagy-activated NLRP3 inflammasome. Thus, oxymatrine had an anticancer activity through LRPPRC inhibition, mitophagy induction, and NLRP3 inflammasome suppression in the CRC cell xenograft and liver metastasis models. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the oxymatrine anti- CRC activity through its unique role in regulating CRC cell mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome levels in vitro and in vivo.

Scutellaria polysaccharide mediates the immunity and antioxidant capacity of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii).

The giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is a commercially valuable freshwater crustacean species that frequently appears a death affected by various diseases, resulting in substantial economic losses. Improving the survival rate of M. rosenbergii is a hot and essential issue for feeding the prawns. Scutellaria polysaccharide (SPS) extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis (a Chinese medicinal herb) is conducive to the survival rate of organisms by enhancing immunity and antioxidant ability. In this study, M. rosenbergii was fed 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg of SPS. The immunity and antioxidant capacity of M. rosenbergii were tested by mRNA levels and enzyme activities of related genes. The mRNA expressions of NF-κB, Toll-R, and proPO (participating in the immune response) in the heart, muscle, and hepatopancreas were decreased after four weeks of SPS feeding (P < 0.05). This indicated that long-term feeding of SPS could regulate the immune responses of M. rosenbergii tissues. The activity levels of antioxidant biomarkers, alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and acid phosphatase (ACP) had significant increases in hemocytes (P < 0.05). Moreover, catalase (CAT) activities in the muscle and hepatopancreas, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in all tissues, significantly decreased after four weeks of culture (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that long-term feeding of SPS could improve the antioxidant capacity of M. rosenbergii. In summary, SPS was conducive to regulating the immune capacity and enhancing the antioxidant capacity of M. rosenbergii. These results provide a theoretical basis for supporting SPS addition to the feed of M. rosenbergii.

Nephrotoxicity assessment of Esculentoside A using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids.

Drug-induced nephrotoxicity is a leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). A major obstacle in predicting AKI is the lack of a comprehensive experimental model that mimics stable and physiologically relevant kidney functions and accurately reflects the changes a drug induces. Organoids derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are promising models because of their reproducibility and similarity to the in vivo conditions. In this study, Esculentoside A, the triterpene saponin with the highest concentration isolated from the root of Phytolacca acinose Roxb., was used to induce kidney injury models in vivo and kidney organoids. Esculentoside A induced AKI in mice, together with pathological changes and enhanced apoptosis. Moreover, Esculentoside A damaged podocytes and proximal tubular endothelial cells in kidney organoids in a similar way as in vivo. We also found that treatment with 60 µM Esculentoside A induced the known biomarkers of kidney damage and inflammatory cytokines (such as kidney injury molecule (KIM-1), ß2-microglobulin (ß2-M), and cystatin C (CysC)) in the organoids, in which activation of Cleaved Caspase-3 was involved, possibly due to lowered mitochondrial membrane potential. In summary, this study strongly suggests using kidney organoids as a reliable platform to assess Chinese medicine-induced nephrotoxicity.

Advances for pharmacological activities of Polygonum cuspidatum - A review.

CONTEXT: Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc (Polygonaceae), the root of which is included in the Chinese Pharmcopoeia under the name 'Huzhang', has a long history as a medicinal plant and vegetable. Polygonum cuspidatum has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of inflammation, hyperlipemia, etc. OBJECTIVE: This article reviews the pharmacological action and the clinical applications of Polygonum cuspidatum and its extracts, whether in vivo or in vitro. We also summarized the main phytochemical constituents and pharmacokinetics of Polygonum cuspidatum and its extracts. METHODS: The data were retrieved from major medical databases, such as CNKI, PubMed, and SinoMed, from 2014 to 2022. Polygonum cuspidatum, pharmacology, toxicity, clinical application, and pharmacokinetics were used as keywords. RESULTS: The rhizomes, leaves, and flowers of Polygonum cuspidatum have different phytochemical constituents. The plant contains flavonoids, anthraquinones, and stilbenes. Polygonum cuspidatum and the extracts have anti-inflammatory, antioxidation, anticancer, heart protection, and other pharmacological effects. It is used in the clinics to treat dizziness, headaches, traumatic injuries, and water and fire burns. CONCLUSIONS: Polygonum cuspidatum has the potential to treat many diseases, such as arthritis, ulcerative colitis, asthma, and cardiac hypertrophy. It has a broad range of medicinal applications, but mainly focused on root medication; its aerial parts should receive more attention. Pharmacokinetics also need to be further investigated.

Characteristics of heavy metal accumulation and risk assessment in understory Panax notoginseng planting system.

Yunnan Province is the main planting area of the precious Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) Panax notoginseng; however, it locates the geological area with high soil heavy metals in China. The frequent land replacement due to continuous cropping obstacles and excessive application of chemicals makes P. notoginseng prone to be contaminated by heavy metals under the farmland P. notoginseng (FPn) planting. To overcome farmland shortage, understory P. notoginseng (UPn) was developed as a new ecological planting model featured by no chemicals input. However, this newly developed planting system requires urgently the soil-plant heavy metal characteristics and risk assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the pollution status of eight heavy metals in the tillage layer (0-20 cm), subsoil layer (20-40 cm) and the plants of UPn in Lancang County, Yunnan Province. Pollution index (Pi) showed that the contamination degree of heavy metals in the tillage layer and subsoil layer was Cd > Pb > Ni > Cu > Zn > Cr > Hg > As and Pb > Cd > Cu > Ni > Cr > Hg > Zn > As, respectively. Potential ecological risk index (PERI) for the tillage layer and subsoil layer was slight and middle, respectively. The exceeding standard rate of Cd, As, Pb, Hg, Cu in the UPn roots was 5.33%, 5.33%, 13.33%, 26.67% and 1.33%, respectively, while only Cd and Hg in the UPn leaves exceeded the standard 10% and 14%, respectively. The enrichment abilities of Cd and Hg in the roots and leaves of UPn were the strongest, while that of Pb was the weakest. The Hazard index (HI) and target hazard quotient (THQ) of eight heavy metals in the roots and leaves of UPn were less than 1.Therefore, our results prove that Upn has no human health risk and provide a scientific basis for the safety evaluation and extension of UPn.

Analysis of the Molecular Mechanism of Huangqi Herb Treating COVID- 19 with Myocardial Injury by Pharmacological Tools, Programming Software and Molecular Docking.

BACKGROUND: Huangqi with the capacity to resist virus and preserve myocardium is a potential herb for treating patients with COVID-19 and related myocardial injury. METHODS: We applied network pharmacology method and programming software including R and Perl to explore the probable mechanism of Huangqi fighting against the disease. Ingredients and target gene names of Huangqi were obtained from TCMSP database. Disease-associated genes were mined by searching GeneCards database. Venny online software was applied to draw Venn diagram of intersection genes. Cytoscape software was used to set up the network of disease, drug, compounds and targets. STRING database was applied to set up protein protein interaction (PPI) network. With intersection genes imported into WEBGESALT database, gene ontology (GO) analysis was completed. An R script basing on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database was applied to obtain KEGG pathways. Finally, we used AutoDockTools 1.5.6 software for molecular docking and PyMOL to visualize the docking details. RESULTS: We obtained 20 active components and 18 potential target genes to construct a network, and found out quercetin and kaempferol were core ingredients. Key targets included EGFR, MAPK8, IL6, CASP3, RELA and PPARG. Huangqi showed its potential to reduce inflammatory response to prevent cytokine storm by inhibiting EGFR, IL6 and MAPK and protect myocardium by inhibiting apoptosis and oxidant stress. Huangqi may also work by adjusting ubiquitin and regulating multiple viral pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Huangqi may play a therapeutic role in treating COVID-19 with myocardial injury by the effects of resisting virus and protecting myocardium concurrently.