Informal E-waste dismantling activities accelerated the releasing of liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in Pakistan: Occurrence, distribution, and exposure assessment.

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are emerging contaminants characterized by their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity. They have been observed in several environmental matrices associated with electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling activities, particularly in China. However, there is currently no information on the pollution caused by LCMs in other developing countries, such as Pakistan. In this study, we collected soil samples (n = 59) from e-waste dismantling areas with different functions in Pakistan for quantification analysis of 52 target LCMs. Thirty out of 52 LCMs were detected in the soil samples, with the concentrations ranging from 2.14 to 191 ng/g (median: 16.3 ng/g), suggesting widespread contamination by these emerging contaminants. Fluorinated LCMs (median: 10.4 ng/g, range: 1.27-116 ng/g) were frequently detected and their levels were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of non-fluorinated LCMs (median: 6.11 ng/g, range: not detected (ND)-76.7 ng/g). The concentrations and profiles of the observed LCMs in the soil samples from the four functional areas varied. The informal dismantling of e-waste poses a potential exposure risk to adults and infants, with median estimated daily intake (EDI, ng/kg bw/day) values of 0.0420 and 0.1013, respectively. Calculation of the hazard quotient (HQ) suggested that some LCMs (e.g., ETFMBC (1.374) and EDFPB (1.257)) may pose potential health risks to occupational workers and their families. Considering the widespread contamination and risks associated with LCMs, we strongly recommend enhancing e-waste management and regulation in Pakistan.

Comparative Toxicological Effects of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Its Alternative 6:2 Chlorinated Polyfluorinated Ether Sulfonate on Earthworms.

High levels of 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (F-53B), which is a substitute for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), are detected in various environmental matrices, wildlife, and humans. Chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate has received increased attention due to its potential risk to ecosystems. However, its toxicity in the soil organisms remains unclear. In the present study, a comparative investigation was conducted on the toxicities of 6:2 Chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (F-53B) and PFOS to the earthworm Eisenia. fetida. F-53B was significantly more acutely toxic to earthworms than PFOS, with median lethal concentrations of 1.43 and 1.83 mmol/kg dry soil (~816 and 984 mg/kg dry soil), respectively. Although both F-53B and PFOS, at 0.4 mmol/kg dry soil (=228 and 215 mg/kg dry soil) caused oxidative stress in earthworms, as evidenced by increased superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities as well as malondialdehyde level, the stress caused by F-53B was higher than that caused by PFOS. In transcriptomic and metabolomic studies, negative effects of PFOS and F-53B were observed on several metabolic processes in earthworms, including protein digestion and amino acid absorption, lipid metabolism, and the immune response. Compared with PFOS, F-53B exhibited a weaker disruption of lipid metabolism, comparable potency for toxicity to the immune response, and a stronger potency in extracellular matrix destruction along with apoptosis and ferroptosis induction. Hence, our data suggest that F-53B is more toxic than PFOS to earthworms. The findings provide some new insights into the potential toxicity of F-53B to soil organisms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:170-181. © 2023 SETAC.

Bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation of tumorigenic role of PPIA in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor with high incidence rate and mortality. Due to the lack of effective diagnostic indicators, most patients are diagnosed in late stage and have a poor prognosis. An increasing number of studies have proved that Peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA) can play an oncogene role in various cancer types. However, the precise mechanism of PPIA in GC is still unclear. Herein, we analyzed the mRNA levels of PPIA in pan-cancer. The prognostic value of PPIA on GC was also evaluated using multiple databases. Additionally, the relationship between PPIA expression and clinical factors in GC was also examined. We further confirmed that PPIA expression was not affected by genetic alteration and DNA methylation. Moreover, the upstream regulator miRNA and lncRNA of PPIA were identified, which suggested that LINC10232/miRNA-204-5p/PPIA axis might act as a potential biological pathway in GC. Finally, this study revealed that PPIA was negatively correlated with immune checkpoint expression, immune cell biomarkers, and immune cell infiltration in GC.

Comparative stress response assessment of PFOS and its alternatives, F-53B and OBS, in wheat: An insight of toxic mechanisms and relative magnitudes.

Emerging alternatives to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), including 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (F-53B) and p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzene sulfonate (OBS), have been widely detected in the real environment as PFOS restriction. However, the toxicity in plants and the underlying mechanism of F-53B and OBS remain scarce, especially compared to PFOS. PFOS and their emerging alternatives pose significant potential risks to food, especially for crops, safety and human health with the great convenience of high chemical stability. Germination toxicity, oxidative stress biomarkers, and metabolomics were used to compare the relative magnitudes of toxicity of PFOS and its alternatives in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). PFOS, F-53B, and OBS inhibited wheat germination compared to the control group, with germination inhibition rates of 45.6%, 53.5%, and 64.3% at 400 µM PFOS, F-53B, and OBS exposure, respectively. Moreover, oxidative stress biomarker changes were observed in PFOS, F-53B, and OBS, with OBS being more pronounced. The chlorophyll concentrations in wheat shoots increased, and the anthocyanin concentration decreased along with the increased exposure concentration. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased in wheat root but decreased in the shoot. Peroxidase (POD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration increased, whereas catalase (CAT) activity decreased. Regarding metabolomics, PFOS, F-53B, and OBS exposure (10 µM) significantly altered 85, 133, and 134 metabolites, respectively. According to KEGG enrichment analysis, F-53B specifically affects lipid metabolism, whereas OBS causes an imbalance in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. These findings suggested that PFOS, F-53B, and OBS have distinct toxic mechanisms. Thus, our results indicated that the relative size of the toxicity in wheat is as follows: OBS > F-53B > PFOS, and this finding provides a new reference basis for the phytotoxicity assessment of F-53B and OBS.

p85S6K sustains synaptic GluA1 to ameliorate cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) is a serine-threonine kinase that has two main isoforms: p70S6K (70-kDa isoform) and p85S6K (85-kDa isoform). p70S6K, with its upstream mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), has been shown to be involved in learning and memory and participate in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the function of p85S6K has long been neglected due to its high similarity to p70S6k. The role of p85S6K in learning and memory is still largely unknown. METHODS: We fractionated the postsynaptic densities to illustrate the differential distribution of p85S6K and p70S6K. Coimmunoprecipitation was performed to unveil interactions between p85S6K and the GluA1 subunit of AMPA receptor. The roles of p85S6K in synaptic targeting of GluA1 and learning and memory were evaluated by specific knockdown or overexpression of p85S6K followed by a broad range of methodologies including immunofluorescence, Western blot, in situ proximity ligation assay, morphological staining and behavioral examination. Further, the expression level of p85S6K was measured in brains from AD patients and AD model mice. RESULTS: p85S6K, but not p70S6K, was enriched in the postsynaptic densities. Moreover, knockdown of p85S6K resulted in defective spatial and recognition memory. In addition, p85S6K could interact with the GluA1 subunit of AMPA receptor through synapse-associated protein 97 and A-kinase anchoring protein 79/150. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that p85S6K could directly phosphorylate GluA1 at Ser845 and increase the amount of GluA1 in synapses, thus sustaining synaptic function and spine densities. Moreover, p85S6K was found to be specifically decreased in the synaptosomal compartment in the brains of AD patients and AD mice. Overexpression of p85S6K ameliorated the synaptic deficits and cognitive impairment in transgenic AD model mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results strongly imply a significant role for p85S6K in maintaining synaptic and cognitive function by interacting with GluA1. The findings provide an insight into the rational targeting of p85S6K as a therapeutic potential for AD.

Interaction between ß-lactam antibiotic and phosphorus-accumulating organisms.

ß-Lactam antibiotics have been widely used in clinic due to strong antibacterial activity with mild adverse side effects and have been detected in the environment. In the enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process, phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) play a major role. In this study, amoxicillin, aztreonam, and cefoperazone are the selected antibiotics that applied in investigating the interaction mechanism of ß-lactam antibiotics and PAO. The effects of ß-lactam antibiotics on PAOs were analyzed comprehensively from the aspects of antibiotic impacts on phosphorus removal rate, intracellular polymer, their toxicity to PAOs, and PAO impacts on the fate of ß-lactam antibiotics. It was found that the phosphorus removal rate of PAO increased by 19.21% and 15.75%, respectively at 10 mg/L amoxicillin and aztreonam, while cefoperazone had certain inhibition effect on phosphorus removal efficiency. Quantitative analysis shows that in the aerobic stage, three kinds of ß-lactam antibiotics could promote the synthesis of polyphosphates (poly-P). The degradation rates of three antibiotics were as follows: amoxicillin > aztreonam > cefoperazone. The fate characteristics of antibiotics provide a theoretical basis for environmental risk assessment. The toxic effects of three antibiotics were as follows: cefoperazone > aztreonam > amoxicillin according to the bacteriostatic test. It provided a scientific theoretical basis for systematically evaluating the biological toxicity of antibiotic pollutants.

Preparation of biocompatible molecularly imprinted film on biowaste-derived magnetic pomegranate rind carbon for protein recognition in biological sample.

Nowadays, the research on the recognition and separation of proteins has attracted extensive attention in the fields of materials science, bioengineering and life science. Protein imprinted polymers are ideal recognition materials, due to its high selectivity, good stability, easy preparation, and low cost. Herein, novel surface imprinting biowaste-derived molecularly imprinted polymers (BD-MIPs) were synthesized for specific recognition and purification of lysozyme (Lyz). This is the first time that magnetic pomegranate rind-derived carbon was used as a carrier to immobilize Lyz. Then, with the self-polymerization of dopamine, a large number of biocompatible recognition sites were generated under mild conditions. The physical/chemical properties and surface morphologies of the synthetic BD-MIPs were characterized, indicating that the imprinted film was successfully synthesized, and the BD-MIPs had good thermal stability and magnetic property. To investigate the recognition performance of BD-MIPs, four adsorption experiments were performed. The results show that BD-MIPs had a high adsorption capacity of 301.87 mg g-1, fast equilibrium time within 40 min, satisfactory selectivity and good reusability for Lyz. Furthermore, the practicability of BD-MIPs was confirmed by the isolation of Lyz from a biological sample. The good adsorption capacity and gentle one-step preparation make the BD-MIPs attractive for Lyz recognition, which shows potential values in basic biomedical research, industrial protein purification and clinical diagnostics.

Assessment of culturable airborne bacteria of indoor environments in classrooms, dormitories and dining hall at university: a case study in China.

University students' health may be adversely affected by exposure to indoor bacterial contaminants on their campuses. This study aims (1) to quantify culturable bacterial concentrations in three indoor environments at a university, (2) to investigate the influence of meteorological factors and gender, to assess the relationship between indoor and outdoor, and (3) to estimate the bacterial dose for university students in different indoor environments. Airborne bacteria samples were collected in 12 classrooms, in 12 living rooms and four bathrooms in two dormitory buildings, and in a dining hall. The results showed that the microenvironment in the female dormitory had the highest mean bacterial concentration (2847 CFU/m3), whereas the lowest mean bacterial concentration was observed in classrooms (162 CFU/m3). Indoor bacterial concentrations in male dormitories were significantly lower than in female dormitories probably because of crowding and increased ventilation. Outdoor weather conditions were associated with the indoor concentrations with regard to insufficient ventilation and varying outdoor concentration. The occupants' activity level was also more closely related to the indoor bacteria concentration in the residential setting. Students experienced about four times higher dose of airborne bacteria in the dormitories than in the classrooms and dining hall.

Metabolic Profiling of Saponin-Rich Ophiopogon japonicus Roots Based on 1H NMR and HPTLC Platforms.

Ideally, metabolomics should deal with all the metabolites that are found within cells and biological systems. The most common technologies for metabolomics include mass spectrometry, and in most cases, hyphenated to chromatographic separations (liquid chromatography- or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. However, limitations such as low sensitivity and highly congested spectra in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and relatively low signal reproducibility in mass spectrometry impede the progression of these techniques from being universal metabolomics tools. These disadvantages are more notorious in studies of certain plant secondary metabolites, such as saponins, which are difficult to analyse, but have a great biological importance in organisms. In this study, high-performance thin-layer chromatography was used as a supplementary tool for metabolomics. A method consisting of coupling 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-performance thin-layer chromatography was applied to distinguish between Ophiopogon japonicus roots that were collected from two growth locations and were of different ages. The results allowed the root samples from the two growth locations to be clearly distinguished. The difficulties encountered in the identification of the marker compounds by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was overcome using high-performance thin-layer chromatography to separate and isolate the compounds. The saponins, ophiojaponin C or ophiopogonin D, were found to be marker metabolites in the root samples and proved to be greatly influenced by plant growth location, but barely by age variation. The procedure used in this study is fully described with the purpose of making a valuable contribution to the quality control of saponin-rich herbal drugs using high-performance thin-layer chromatography as a supplementary analytical tool for metabolomics research.

M1 Muscarinic Receptor Activation Rescues ß-Amyloid-Induced Cognitive Impairment through AMPA Receptor GluA1 Subunit.

M1 muscarinic receptors have long been identified as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our previous study has shown that M1 receptors promote membrane insertion and synaptic delivery of AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit. In this study, we sought to determine whether activation of M1 receptor would rescue the cognitive impairment in AD model mice through modulation of GluA1 subunit. For the mice injected with aggregated ß-amyloid (Aß) fragments to impair learning and memory, activation of M1 receptors could rescue it by reducing the latency to find the platform and spending more time in the target quadrant in the probe test in the Morris water maze. However, such an effect was ablated in mice with Ser845 residue of GluA1 mutated to alanine. Furthermore, the activation of M1 receptors enhanced the expression of GluA1 and its phosphorylation at Ser845 and drove GluA1 to incorporate with PSD95, a postsynaptic marker, in the hippocampi from Aß-injected wild type mice but not from the mutant mice. Moreover, for 9-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic AD model mice, which may resemble the late AD, M1 receptor activation could not improve the cognitive impairment significantly. In addition, the enhancement of GluA1 expression and its phosphorylation at Ser845 were not observed in their hippocampi. Taken together, the study indicated that M1 receptor activation rescued the cognitive deficit through modulating the trafficking of GluA1-containing AMPA receptors and the therapeutics targeting M1 receptors should aim at mild AD or even pre-AD.

M1 muscarinic receptors regulate the phosphorylation of AMPA receptor subunit GluA1 via a signaling pathway linking cAMP-PKA and PI3K-Akt.

M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are highly expressed in key areas that control cognition, such as the cortex and hippocampus, representing one potential therapeutic target for cognitive dysfunctions of Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. We have reported that M1 receptors facilitate cognition by promoting membrane insertion of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor AMPA receptor subunit 1 (GluA1) through phosphorylation at Ser845. However, the signaling pathway is still unclear. Here we showed that adenylyl cyclase inhibitor 2',5'-dideoxyadenosine and PKA inhibitor KT5720 inhibited enhancement of phosphorylation of Ser845 and membrane insertion of GluA1 induced by M1 receptor activation. Furthermore, PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and protein kinase B (Akt) inhibitor IV blocked the effects of M1 receptors as well. Remarkably, the increase of the activity of PI3K-Akt signaling induced by M1 receptor activation could be abolished by cAMP-PKA inhibitors. Moreover, inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1, an important downstream effector of PI3K-Akt, by short-term application of rapamycin attenuated the effects of M1 receptors on GluA1. Furthermore, such effect was unrelated to possible protein synthesis promoted by mTOR. Taken together, these data demonstrate that M1 receptor activation induces membrane insertion of GluA1 via a signaling linking cAMP-PKA and PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathways but is irrelevant to protein synthesis.-Zhao, L.-X., Ge, Y.-H., Li, J.-B., Xiong, C.-H., Law, P.-Y., Xu, J.-R., Qiu, Y., Chen, H.-Z. M1 muscarinic receptors regulate the phosphorylation of AMPA receptor subunit GluA1 via a signaling pathway linking cAMP-PKA and PI3K-Akt.

Combined magnetic porous molecularly imprinted polymers and deep eutectic solvents for efficient and selective extraction of aristolochic acid I and II from rat urine.

Aristolochia and related plants contain nephrotoxins and mutagens in the form of aristolochic acids (AAs). However, there is still lack of a fast and specific method for monitoring AAs in biological samples. Herein, we synthesized a hybrid magnetic mesoporous carbon-molecularly imprinted polymers (MMC@MIPs) as a novel magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbent for selective recognition of aristolochic acid I and II from rat urine samples. The choline chloride/glycol-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) and indomethacin were used as the eluent and dummy template molecule accordingly. The morphology, structure property and surface groups of the prepared materials were investigated in sequence, and the optimum conditions of the MMC@MIPs-MSPE procedure were also optimized well. Results showed that the proposed method had a relatively satisfactory recovery (86.7-94.3%), with low standard deviation (<4.85%) and acceptable correlation coefficients (0.991-0.996). Overall, this work not only provides an inexpensive and eco-friendly method to fabricate MMC@MIPs, but also develops a highly promising approach for the detection of aristolochic acid I and II in biological samples.

Hybrid-type carbon microcoil-chitosan composite for selective extraction of aristolochic acid I from Aristolochiaceae medicinal plants.

Aristolochic acid I is a nephrotoxic compound widely existing in many kinds of traditional Chinese medicines, especially in Aristolochiaceae medicinal plants. In this study, chitosan modified carbon microcoils were designed and prepared for the selective separation of aristolochic acid I from medicinal herbs. Successful modification of carbon microcoils was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transfer infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analyses. The effects of adsorption conditions were investigated and it was determined that the adsorption of aristolochic acid I was controlled by pH. Adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and selectivity tests were performed to evaluate the adsorption capacity and selectivity of the modified carbon microcoils. The chitosan modified carbon microcoils exhibited excellent binding ability (77.72 mg g-1) and satisfactory selectivity. Finally, this material was used in solid phase extraction combined with HPLC to enrich and detect aristolochic acid I from medicinal plants. The detector response for aristolochic acid I was linear from 0.5 to 150 mg L-1, and the recoveries of aristolochic acid I ranged from 73.61 to 77.73% with the relative standard deviations of less than 5%. Thus, chitosan modified carbon microcoils were ideal adsorbents for the selective extraction of aristolochic acid I from Aristolochiaceae plants.

Fabrication of a novel magnetic mesoporous molecularly imprinted polymer based on pericarpium granati-derived carrier for selective absorption of bromelain.

Bromelain, a cysteine endopeptidase enzyme of great commercial value, has been widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Conventional methods for purification of bromelain are still limited by a low binding efficiency, time-consuming process, and expensive equipment. Therefore, for selective absorption of bromelain, we developed a facile and effective method to fabricate magnetic mesoporous molecularly imprinted polymers using pericarpium granati-derived carbon as the carrier for the first time. The characterizations of the imprinted polymers indicated that a polydopamine layer was coated on the surface of the carrier and the crystallinity of the carrier did not change. The obtained imprinted polymers exhibited favourable saturation magnetization, a high adsorption capacity of 135.96 mg g-1, a fast equilibrium time, and satisfactory reusability. The imprinted polymers were prepared by an eco-friendly method and exhibited rapid separation and good adsorption performance, thus making the method applicable to biomacromolecular separation, proteomic analysis, and biomedical research.

M1 muscarinic receptor facilitates cognitive function by interplay with AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit.

M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M1 mAChRs) are the most abundant muscarinic receptors in the hippocampus and have been shown to have procognitive effects. AMPA receptors (AMPARs), an important subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors, are key components in neurocognitive networks. However, the role of AMPARs in procognitive effects of M1 mAChRs and how M1 mAChRs affect the function of AMPARs remain poorly understood. Here, we found that basal expression of GluA1, a subunit of AMPARs, and its phosphorylation at Ser845 were maintained by M1 mAChR activity. Activation of M1 mAChRs promoted membrane insertion of GluA1, especially to postsynaptic densities. Impairment of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory by antagonism of M1 mAChRs paralleled the reduction of GluA1 expression, and improvement of learning and memory by activation of M1 mAChRs was accompanied by the synaptic insertion of GluA1 and its increased phosphorylation at Ser845. Furthermore, abrogation of phosphorylation of Ser845 residue of GluA1 ablated M1 mAChR-mediated improvement of learning and memory. Taken together, these results show a functional correlation of M1 mAChRs and GluA1 and the essential role of GluA1 in M1 mAChR-mediated cognitive improvement.-Zhao, L.-X., Ge, Y.-H., Xiong, C.-H., Tang, L., Yan, Y.-H., Law, P.-Y., Qiu, Y., Chen, H.-Z. M1 muscarinic receptor facilitates cognitive function by interplay with AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit.

Investigation of species and environmental effects on rhubarb roots metabolome using 1H NMR combined with high performance thin layer chromatography.

INTRODUCTION: The pharmacological activities of medicinal plants are reported to be due to a wide range of metabolites, therein, the concentrations of which are greatly affected by many genetic and/or environmental factors. In this context, a metabolomics approach has been applied to reveal these relationships. The investigation of such complex networks that involve the correlation between multiple biotic and abiotic factors and the metabolome, requires the input of information acquired by more than one analytical platform. Thus, development of new metabolomics techniques or hyphenations is continuously needed. OBJECTIVES: Feasibility of high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) were investigated as a supplementary tool for medicinal plants metabolomics supporting 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. METHOD: The overall metabolic difference of plant material collected from two species (Rheum palmatum and Rheum tanguticum) in different geographical locations and altitudes were analyzed by 1H NMR- and HPTLC-based metabolic profiling. Both NMR and HPTLC data were submitted to multivariate data analysis including principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least square analysis. RESULTS: The NMR and HPTLC profiles showed that while chemical variations of rhubarb are in some degree affected by all the factors tested in this study, the most influential factor was altitude of growth. The metabolites responsible for altitude differentiation were chrysophanol, emodin and sennoside A, whereas aloe emodin, catechin, and rhein were the key species-specific markers. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated the potential of HTPLC as a supporting tool for metabolomics due to its high profiling capacity of targeted metabolic groups and preparative capability.

On-Line two dimensional liquid chromatography based on skeleton type molecularly imprinted column for selective determination of sulfonylurea additive in Chinese patent medicines or functional foods.

Substandard and counterfeit anti-diabetic medicines directly influence the health and impose a great danger to individual patients and to public health. Counterfeiting has become a serious and underreported problem in the pharmaceutical industry. There are a large number of counterfeit medicines flooded in anti-diabetic markets which effect human health directly and indirectly. Therefore, some novel analytical techniques are necessary to be established for detecting these counterfeit drugs. In this study, a novel skeleton type molecularly imprinted column was successfully prepared. Based on the column, a simple, fast and reliable two-dimensional chromatography analytical system was established for selective determination of the illegal sulfonylurea additive in traditional Chinese patent medicines and functional foods. The developed method was validated. The linearitiesof the method were tested with calibration curves using ten calibration points in the concentration range of 0.25-12.5µg/g. The LODs were 0.0125µg/g and 0.01µg/g for tolbutamide and glibenclamide respectively. The five batches of Chinese patent medicines and dietary supplements obtained from different markets and online websites were tested by the validated method. With good retention time and spectral confirmation, chemical anti-diabetic substances were identified and quantified in traditional Chinese medicine and in dietary supplements.

Evaluation of the chemical composition, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of distillate and residue fractions of sweet basil essential oil.

In this study, the chemical composition and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L. Lamiaceae family) were evaluated. Sweet basil is a food-related plant that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Sweet basil crude oil was processed via molecular distillation and further characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to screen for new compounds. The GC-MS analysis identified thirty-eight compounds. The major constituents of the residue fraction were estragole (17.06%), methyl eugenol (11.35%) and linoleic acid (11.40%), while the distillate fraction primarily contained methyl eugenol (16.96%), α-cadinol (16.24%) and α-bergamotene (11.92%). The antioxidant (DPPH and ABTS assays) and anti-inflammatory (in Raw264.7 cells) activities were evaluated. The residue fraction markedly scavenged the DPPH (IC50 = 1.092 ± 0.066 mg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 = 0.707 ± 0.042 mg/mL) radicals. Meanwhile, the distillate fraction distinctly suppressed the production of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-ß, IL-6) and their gene expression in LPS-induced Raw264.7 cells and suppressed NO and iNOS in an in vitro model when compared with the crude oil. In conclusion, the fractions obtained from sweet basil crude oil showed different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and they could be used as an effective source of natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents after molecular distillation. Thus, the properties of essential oils in natural herbal medicines may be maximized to provide a valuable therapeutic strategy for treating various disorders caused by extreme oxidative stress.

Selective analysis of aristolochic acid I in herbal medicines by dummy molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction and HPLC.

In this study, surface molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared as the selective sorbents for separation of aristolochic acid I in herbal medicine extracts by a facile approach. A less toxic dummy template, ofloxacin, was used to create specific molecule recognition sites for aristolochic acid I in the synthesized polymers. The polymers were characterized by Fourier-transfer infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption test. The adsorption capacity was calculated using adsorption kinetics, selectivity, and recycling experiments. The obtained polymers exhibited high thermostability, fast equilibrium time, and excellent binding ability. Subsequently, the polymers applied as the solid-phase extraction absorbent was proposed and used for the enrichment and analysis of aristolochic acid I in herbal plants. The result showed that the aristolochic acid I was enriched up to 16 times after analysis by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The good linearity for aristolochic acid I was obtained in the range of 0.1-200 µg/mL (R2  = 0.9987). The recovery and precision values were obtained (64.94-77.73%, RSDs% ≤ 0.8%, n = 3) at three spiked concentration levels. This work provided a promising method for selective enrichment, extraction, and purification of aristolochic acid I from complex herbal plants.

Enrichment of total steroidal saponins from the extracts of Trillium tschonoskii Maxim by macroporous resin and the simultaneous determination of eight steroidal saponins in the final product by HPLC.

An effective and simple method was established for the separation and enrichment of steroidal saponins from Trillium tschonoskii Maxim. The adsorption and desorption properties of seven macroporous resins were investigated. Among the tested resins, AB-8 resin showed the best adsorption and desorption capacities. The adsorption of steroidal saponins on AB-8 at 25°C was quite consistent with both the Freundlich isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. By optimizing the dynamic adsorption and desorption parameters, the content of steroidal saponins increased from 5.20% in the crude extracts to 51.93% in the final product, with a recovery yield of 86.67%. Furthermore, by scale-up separation, the concentration and recovery of total steroidal saponins were 43.8 and 85.5%, respectively, which suggested that AB-8 resin had great industrial and pharmaceutical potential because of its high efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In addition, a high-performance liquid chromatography method for the simultaneous determination of eight steroidal saponins was established for the first time, which was employed to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the final product. Based on the methodological validation results, the high-performance liquid chromatography method can be widely applied to the quality control of steroidal saponins from Trillium tschonoskii Maxim due to its excellent accuracy, stability, and repeatability.