Chinese Medicine for Treatment of COVID-19: A Review of Potential Pharmacological Components and Mechanisms.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infectious respiratory disease that has been prevalent since December 2019. Chinese medicine (CM) has demonstrated its unique advantages in the fight against COVID-19 in the areas of disease prevention, improvement of clinical symptoms, and control of disease progression. This review summarized the relevant material components of CM in the treatment of COVID-19 by searching the relevant literature and reports on CM in the treatment of COVID-19 and combining with the physiological and pathological characteristics of the novel coronavirus. On the basis of sorting out experimental methods in vivo and in vitro, the mechanism of herb action was further clarified in terms of inhibiting virus invasion and replication and improving related complications. The aim of the article is to explore the strengths and characteristics of CM in the treatment of COVID-19, and to provide a basis for the research and scientific, standardized treatment of COVID-19 with CM.

Novel Multitarget ACE Inhibitory Peptides from Bovine Colostrum Immunoglobulin G: Cellular Transport, Efficacy in Regulating Endothelial Dysfunction, and Network Pharmacology Studies.

In this study, we used traditional laboratory methods, bioinformatics, and cellular models to screen novel ACE inhibitory (ACEI) peptides with strong ACEI activity, moderate absorption rates, and multiple targets from bovine colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG). The purified fraction of the compound proteinase hydrolysate of IgG showed good ACEI activity. After nano-UPLC-MS/MS identification and in silico analysis, eight peptides were synthesized and verified. Among them, SFYPDY, TSFYPDY, FSWF, WYQQVPGSGL, and GVHTFP were identified as ACEI peptides, as they exhibited strong ACEI activity (with IC50 values of 104.7, 80.0, 121.2, 39.8, and 86.3 µM, respectively). They displayed good stability in an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion assay. In a Caco-2 monolayer model, SFYPDY, FSWF, and WYQQVPGSGL exhibited better absorption rates and lower IC50 values than the other peptides and were thereby identified as novel ACEI peptides. Subsequently, in a H2O2-induced endothelial dysfunction (ED) model based on HUVECs, SFYPDY, FSWF, and WYQQVPGSGL regulated ED by reducing apoptosis and ROS accumulation while upregulating NOS3 mRNA expression. Network pharmacology analysis and RT-qPCR confirmed that they regulated multiple targets. Overall, our results suggest that SFYPDY, FSWF, and WYQQVPGSGL can serve as novel multitarget ACEI peptides.

Potential anticancer activities of securinine and its molecular targets.

BACKGROUND: Securinine is an alkaloid identified from the roots and leaves of the shrub Flueggea suffruticosa (Pall.) Baill. The molecular structure of securinine consists of four rings, including three chiral centers. It has been suggested that securinine can be chemically synthesized from tyrosine and lysine. Securinine has long been used to treat central nervous system diseases. In recent years, more and more evidence shows that securinine also has anticancer activity, which has not been systematically discussed and analyzed. PURPOSE: This study aims to propose an overall framework to describe the molecular targets of securinine in different signal pathways, and discuss the current status and prospects of each pathway, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the development securinine as an effective anticancer drug. METHODS: The research databases on the anticancer activity of securinine from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect to 2021 were systematically searched. This paper follows the Preferred Reporting Items and Meta-Analysis guidelines. RESULTS: Securinine has the ability to kill a variety of human cancer cells, including, leukemia as well as prostate, cervical, breast, lung, and colon cancer cells. It can regulate the signal pathways of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin, Wnt and Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription, promote cancer cell apoptosis and autophagy, and inhibit cancer cell metastasis. Securinine also has the activity of inducing leukemia cell differentiation. CONCLUSION: Although there has been some experimental evidence indicating the anticancer effect of securinine and its possible pharmacology, in order to design more effective anticancer drugs, it is necessary to study the synergy of intracellular signaling pathways. More in vivo experiments and even clinical studies are needed, and the synergy between securinine and other drugs is also worth studying.

Ultrasound-synergized electrostatic field extraction of total flavonoids from Hemerocallis citrina baroni.

The total flavonoids from Hemerocallis citrina baroni are regarded as a green and natural health care product with many beneficial impacts on human health. In this study, ultrasound-synergized electrostatic field extraction (UEE) of the total flavonoids (TF) from H. citrina was investigated. Significant independent variables of the extraction, including the electrostatic field, ultrasonic power, ethanol concentration and extraction time, were optimized using the Box-Behnken (BB) method, and the optimal extraction conditions were obtained by response surface methodology (RSM). The extraction yield using UEE was compared with the yields obtained using only ultrasound extraction (UE) and water bath extraction (WE), using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The best extraction yield of 1.536% using UEE was achieved under the following optimal conditions: electrostatic field of 7kV, ultrasonic power of 500W, ethanol concentration of 70% and extraction time of 20min. The optimal solid-liquid ratio (1:25g/mL) and extraction temperature (55°C) were determined by single factor experiments. Compared to other extraction methods, UEE not only increases the extraction yield of TF but also exhibits an excellent antioxidant activity in assays of the scavenging capacity for DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals. The availability of the UEE method can be supported by the ultrasonic cavitation effect, which plays the most important role in the UEE method. The electrostatic field can be regarded as a random disturbance for sonication, which can strengthen the cavitation effect and increase the cavitation yield. Moreover, the amount of iodine release in potassium iodide solution well validated the synergetic effect between the ultrasound and electrostatic field.

Ultrasound-Enhanced Subcritical CO2 Extraction of Lutein from Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

Lutein is an important pigment of Chlorella pyrenoidosa with many beneficial functions in human health. The main purpose of this study was to extract lutein from C. pyrenoidosa using ultrasound-enhanced subcritical CO2 extraction (USCCE). Effects of operating conditions on the extraction, including extraction pretreatment, temperature, pressure, time, CO2 flow rate, and ultrasonic power, were investigated, and an orthogonal experiment was designed to study the effects of extraction pressure, temperature, cosolvent amount, and time on the extraction yields. The USCCE method was compared with other extraction methods in terms of the yields of lutein and the microstructure of C. pyrenoidosa powder by scanning electron microscopy. A maximal extraction yield of 124.01 mg lutein/100 g crude material was achieved under optimal conditions of extraction temperature at 27 °C, extraction pressure at 21 MPa, cosolvent amount at 1.5 mL/g ethanol, and ultrasound power at 1000 W. Compared to other methods, USCCE could significantly increase the lutein extraction yield at lower extraction temperature and pressure. Furthermore, the kinetic models of USCCE and subcritical CO2 extraction (SCCE) of lutein from C. pyrenoidosa were set as E = 130.64 × (1 - e(-0.6599t)) and E = 101.82 × (1 - e(-0.5683t)), respectively. The differences of parameters in the kinetic models indicate that ultrasound was able to enhance the extraction process of SCCE.

[Evaluation of zinc deficiency tolerance in different kinds of apple rootstocks].

The objective of this study was to screen and evaluate the zinc deficiency tolerance among eight apple rootstocks, i.e., Malus baccata, M. rockii, M. xiaojinensis, M. sikkimensis, M. sieversii, M. robusta, M. hupehensis and Malus 'Flame'. The experiment took these 8 kinds of root-stocks as the research materials to observe and analyze the index of the rootstock's height, dry biomass, root architecture and zinc concentration, and with help of the fuzzy membership function to work out a comprehensive evaluation on their zinc deficiency tolerance. The result showed that several obvious zinc deficiency symptoms were observed in three kinds of rootstocks (M. rockii, M. sikkimensis and M. sieversii), such as dwarfed plant and newborn small leaves, while such symptoms were not obvious in M. xiaojinensis and M. 'Flame'. The plant biomass, height and zinc accumulation of aerial part greatly decreased under zinc deficiency stress, while smaller reduction was observed in M. xiaojinensis than in other rootstocks. M. xiaojinensis and M. baccata had higher zinc concentrations in leaves than others. According to the fuzzy membership function and cluster analysis, the resistance of the eight apple rootstocks to zinc deficiency was ranked: M. xiaojinensis was the highest one; M. 'Flame' was the second; M. baccata, M. sikkimensis, M. robusta and M. hupehensis were rather weaker; M. rockii and M. sieversii demonstrated the highest sensitivity to zinc deficiency.

Aqueous extract of danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge) protects ovariectomized rats fed with high-fat diet from endothelial dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women. Danshen, the dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has been used clinically in China to treat CVD and dyslipidemia in postmenopausal women, and its major active ingredients have been found to have an estrogenic effect. The aim of this study was to elucidate the underlying mechanism of danshen's protective effects on vascular function in an ovariectomized (OVX) hyperlipidemic rat model. METHODS: Thirty-five 6-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham-operated rats with low-fat control diet + vehicle, sham-operated rats with high-fat diet (HFD) + vehicle, OVX rats with HFD + vehicle, OVX rats with HFD + 17ß-estradiol (1 mg kg d, PO), and OVX rats with HFD + danshen aqueous extract (600 mg kg d, PO). After 12 weeks of treatment, gains in body weight and serum lipid profile levels in rats were measured and histological examination of livers was carried out. Vascular function was evaluated by measuring relaxation responses. Molecular mechanisms were also analyzed in isolated aorta. RESULTS: Treatment with danshen aqueous extract reduced body weight gain, improved serum lipid profiles, and prevented formation of fatty liver induced by HFD and OVX. In addition, danshen could increase endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation and displayed vasoprotection in OVX rats fed with HFD, primarily by stimulating nitric oxide (NO) production, up-regulating the mRNA expression of endothelial NO synthase, and down-regulating the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor α, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in the isolated aortas. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude for the first time that danshen aqueous extract could protect OVX rats fed with HFD from endothelial dysfunction. Its effect may be related to its abilities to normalize serum lipid profiles and enhance NO availability in the vascular system. Our findings indicate that danshen aqueous extract could be a promising natural supplement for postmenopausal women for preventing CVD.

[Comparison on extraction of volatile oils from Lithospermum erythrorhizon by different methods].

OBJECTIVE: To extract the volatile oils from Lithospermum erythrorhizon via ultrasound-enhanced sub-critical water extraction (USWE) and compare with ultrasound-enhanced solvent extraction (USE) and steam distillation extraction (SD). METHODS: The extraction yield of the volatile oils, the containing components of extract, the effect of scanvenging activities on free radical DPPH and reducing activities as well as the inhibitory on escherichia coli and staphylococcus aureus were investigated. RESULTS: The extraction yield of volatile oils by USWE, USE and SD were 2.39%, 1.93% and 0.62%, respectively, the extracts by three methods all contained six major components, but the extracts by SD and USE contained more impurities. The inhibitory effect on escherichia coli and staphylococcus aureus of the extract by SD and its reducing action were the best,but those by USWE were the worst. CONCLUSION: the extraction yield of volatile oils by USWE is the highest, and it contains less impurities based on the worst in reducing power and inhibitory effects.

Identifying splicing sites in eukaryotic RNA: support vector machine approach.

We introduce a new method for splicing sites prediction based on the theory of support vector machines (SVM). The SVM represents a new approach to supervised pattern classification and has been successfully applied to a wide range of pattern recognition problems. In the process of splicing sites prediction, the statistical information of RNA secondary structure in the vicinity of splice sites, e.g. donor and acceptor sites, is introduced in order to compare recognition ratio of true positive and true negative. From the results of comparison, addition of structural information has brought no significant benefit for the recognition of splice sites and had even lowered the rate of recognition. Our results suggest that, through three cross validation, the SVM method can achieve a good performance for splice sites identification.