Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Polygonatum kingianum processed by the traditional method of "Nine Cycles of Steaming and Sun-Drying".

Polygonatum kingianum Coll. et (Hemsl) is a famous Chinese traditional food and medicine analogous plant. The rhizome of P. kingianum showed a decrease in levels of alkaloids, amino acids and derivatives, terpenoids, and an increase in organic acid and saccharides when it was processed by the traditional method of "Nine Cycles of Steaming and Sun-Drying". The relative content of 341 metabolites were increased (fold change, FC > 2; variable importance in projection, VIP > 1 and P-value, P < 0.05); while 456 metabolites were decreased (FC < 0.5, VIP > 1, and P < 0.05). The changes in chemical components result in a decrease in numb taste and an increase in sweetness. The increased antioxidant activity was observed in the processed samples. Together, this work has advanced the mechanism of reducing numb taste and enhancing antioxidant activity in the resource plants, such as P. kingianum, processed by the traditional method.

Cats in Palace Museum: A narrative of cultural heritage and empathy of youth.

While research in heritage tourism tends to focus on cultural and anthropogenic motivations and drivers, this paper seeks to examine how social-media narration amidst a broader backdrop context in Chinese mass culture creates, perpetuates, and reinforce feline-focused narratives and practices among social media young followers. Drawing on text and image-based analyses of postings of cat sightings within the official Palace Museum account on a key Chinese microblog, this study reveals the application of three vital narrative strategies at work and corresponding empathic responses: ambassadorial, bounded, and broadcast. The Palace Museum has achieved an enhancement of interaction and emotional exchange between the heritage of Palace Museum and youths and generated a process from attention to emotional engagement and eventually to emotional identification on the part of youths in their attitude toward the heritage of Palace Museum through the workings of three key narrative strategies on Chinese social media. In doing so, this research illuminates the potential of social media-based narratives and charismatic animals in the revitalization of cultural heritage sites and the contributions of setting narrative strategies in engaging the younger audiences while also revitalizing the cultural heritage of the Palace Museum.

[Study on Flavanoids Constituents of Swertia binchuanensis].

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Swertia binchuanensis. Methods: The constituents were separated and purifyed by conventional methods. Their structures were identified on the basis of spectral analysis such as 1H-NMR,13C-NMR. Results: Seven compounds were isolated and identified as 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-1, 4, 8-trihydroxy-6-methoxyxanhone（ Ⅰ）, erythrocentaurin（ Ⅱ）,1-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-4, 8-dihydroxy-6-methoxyxanthone（ Ⅲ）, maslinic acid（ Ⅳ）,1-hydroxy-3, 7-dimethoxyxanthone（ Ⅴ）,1, 8-dihydroxy-3, 5-dimethoxyxanthone（ Ⅵ）,1, 7-dihydroxy-3, 4, 8-termethoxyxanthone（ Ⅶ）. Conclusion: All compounds were isolated from Swertia binchuanensis for the first time.