[Prediction of global potential growth areas for Panax ginseng based on GMPGIS system and MaxEnt model].

The suitable habitat for the endangered and valuable medicinal herb Panax ginseng is gradually decreasing. It is crucial to investigate its suitable growing areas in China for global protection and sustainable utilization of P. ginseng. In this study, 371 distribution points of P. ginseng were collected, and 21 environmental factors were used as ecological indicators. The geographic information system for global medicinal plants(GMPGIS) system, MaxEnt model, and Thiessen polygon method were used to analyze the potential suitable areas for P. ginseng globally. The results showed that the key environmental variables affecting P. ginseng were precipitation in the hottest quarter(Bio18) and the coefficient of temperature seasonality(Bio4). The suitable habitats for P. ginseng were mostly located in the "One Belt, One Road" countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and Russia. The highly suitable habitats were mainly distributed along mountain ranges in southeastern Shandong, southern Shanxi and Shaanxi, northern Jiangsu, and northwestern Henan of China. Data analysis indicated that the current P. ginseng planting sites were all in high suitability zones, and the Thiessen polygon results showed that the geographic locations of P. ginseng production companies were unbalanced and urgently needed optimization. This study provides data support for P. ginseng planting site selection, scientific introduction, production layout, and long-term development planning.

Identification of a secondary Q-marker in high-quality ecotypes of Carthamus tinctorius L. and exploration of the target preference.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) has the efficacy for promoting blood circulation and preventing cardiovascular and Alzheimer's diseases and is thus a valuable medicinal and functional food plant. However, how to evaluate high-quality safflower is still a problem. To differentiate intraspecies ecotypes and illustrate the mechanisms of differential metabolites of C. tinctorius from different regions, this study combined the widely targeted metabolome, weighted network pharmacology, and molecular docking to filter bioactive compounds and predict the target preference. The results indicated that kaempferol is suitable as a secondary Q-marker to differentiate intraspecies ecotypes. In secondary metabolites, the average content of kaempferol and its derivates in C. tinctorius from Sichuan is three times that of other areas, which have the potential for the targeted medicine of CA2 and TNF. In volatile metabolites, isoaromadendrene epoxide has the potential as a specifically targeted medicine of RXRA. The change of the target preference could be the reason for the difference in drug efficacy among different varieties of C. tinctorius. It is reasonable that Sichuan was recognized as a high-quality ecotype producing region of C. tinctorius in China, which promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis. This study provides an innovative method to differentiate intraspecies ecotypes and explore their target preference.

Gallic Acid: A Potential Anti-Cancer Agent.

Cancer is one of the most devastating diseases worldwide and definitive therapeutics for treating cancer are not yet available despite extensive research efforts. The key challenges include limiting factors connected with traditional chemotherapeutics, primarily drug resistance, low response rates, and adverse side-effects. Therefore, there is a high demand for novel anti-cancer drugs that are both potent and safe for cancer prevention and treatment. Gallic acid (GA), a natural botanic phenolic compound, can mediate various therapeutic properties that are involved in anti-inflammation, anti-obesity, and anti-cancer activities. More recently, GA has been shown to exert anti-cancer activities via several biological pathways that include migration, metastasis, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, angiogenesis, and oncogene expression. This review discusses two aspects, one is the anti-cancer potential of GA against different types of cancer and the underlying molecular mechanisms, the other is the bibliometric analysis of GA in cancer and tumor research. The results indicated that lung cancer, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, and colon adenocarcinoma may become a hot topic in further research. Overall, this review provides evidence that GA represents a promising novel, potent, and safe anti-cancer drug candidate for treating cancer.

Current Status and Research Trends of Panax Between 1900-2019: A Bibliometric Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status and further development of Panax genus and 6 important individual species including P. notoginseng, P. quinquefolium, P. vietnamensis, P. japonicus, P. stipuleanatus and P. zingiberensis. METHODS: The bibliometric analysis was based on the Web of Science core database platform from Thomson Reuters. Totally, 7,574 records of scientific research of Panax species published from 1900-2019 were analyzed. The statistical and visualization analysis was performed by CiteSpace and HistCite software. RESULTS: The academic research of Panax species increase promptly. Plant science is the main research field while research and experimental medicine and agricultural engineering will be the further development tendency. Particularly, the discrimination research of P. notoginseng will be the research tendency among Panax species, especially diversity research. In addition, P. vietnamensis deserves more attention in the genus Panax. CONCLUSION: This research provides a reference for further research of the genus and individual species.

Fighting climate change: soil bacteria communities and topography play a role in plant colonization of desert areas.

Global warming has exacerbated desertification in arid regions. Exploring the environmental variables and microbial communities that drive the dynamics of geographic patterns of desert crops is important for large-scale standardization of crops that can control desertification. Here, predictions based on future climate data from CMIP6 show that a steady expand in the suitable production areas for three desert plants (Cistanche deserticola, Cynomorium songaricum and Cistanche salsa) under global warming, demonstrating their high adaptability to future climate change. We examined the biogeography of three desert plant soil bacteria communities and assessed the environmental factors affecting the community assembly process. The α-diversity significantly decreased along elevated latitudes, indicating that the soil bacterial communities of the three species have latitude diversity patterns. The neutral community model evaluated 66.6% of the explained variance of the bacterial community in the soil of desert plants and Modified Stochasticity Ratio <0.5, suggesting that deterministic processes dominate the assembly of bacterial communities in three desert plants. Moreover, topography (longitude, elevation) and precipitation as well as key OTUs (OTU4911: Streptomyces eurythermus and OTU4672: Streptomyces flaveus) drive the colonization of three desert plants. This research offers a promising solution for desert management in arid areas under global warming.

Ankylosing spondylitis coexists with rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren's syndrome: a case report with literature review.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and Sjögren's syndrome (SS) are the most common rheumatic diseases. However, a coexistence of AS and RA or SS in the same patient is rare. What' s more, the case of AS coexists with RA, and SS is not be found yet. Here, we present a 65-year-old male patient who develop typical clinical symptoms of AS, RA, and SS successively (such as inflammatory low back pain, symmetrical small joint swelling and pain, and severe dryness of mouth and eyes) and was finally diagnosed with AS coexisting with RA and SS.

Revealing the Impact of the Environment on Cistanche salsa: From Global Ecological Regionalization to Soil Microbial Community Characteristics.

To understand the regulatory relationship between the environment and Cistanche salsa, here we integrated the macro- and microdimension methods. From a macroperspective, the MaxEnt model indicated that countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, such as China, Egypt, and Libya, were particularly suitable for growth of C. salsa from ancient times (Last Glacial Maximum and mid-Holocene) to the future (2050 and 2070). The Jackknife test revealed that precipitation is an important ecological factor that affects C. salsa's distribution. From a microperspective, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data showed that the soil microbial communities of three ecotypes (desert-steppe, grassland, and gravel-desert) were significantly different (p < 0.001). Core microbiome analysis demonstrated that the bacterial genera Arthrobacter, Sphingomonas, and Bacillus were enriched core taxa of C. salsa. LEfSe and random forest were used to excavate the Gillisia (desert-steppe), Flavisolibacter (grassland), and Variibacter (gravel-desert) as biomarkers that can distinguish among microbial communities from the three ecotypes. The prediction profile showed that the metabolic function of the microbial community was enriched in metabolic pathways and environmental information processing. Correlation analyses revealed that the altitude, precipitation of the warmest quarter (bio18), mean diurnal range (bio2), and mean temperature of the warmest quarter (bio10) were important ecological factors that affect the composition of soil microbial communities. This work provided new insights into the regulatory relationship among the suitable distribution of C. salsa, soil microbial communities, and ecological drivers. Moreover, it deepened the understanding of the interaction between desert plants and ecological factors in arid environments.

Regulatory relationship between quality variation and environment of Cistanche deserticola in three ecotypes based on soil microbiome analysis.

The environment affects the composition and function of soil microbiome, which indirectly influences the quality of plants. In this study, 16S amplicon sequencing was used to reveal the differences in soil microbial community composition of Cistanche deserticola in three ecotypes (saline-alkali land, grassland and sandy land). Through the correlation analysis of microbial community abundance, phenylethanoid glycoside contents and ecological factors, the regulatory relationship between microbial community and the quality variation of C. deserticola was expounded. The metabolic function profile of soil microbiome was predicted using Tax4Fun. Data showed that the soil microbial communities of the three ecotypes were significantly different (AMOVA, P < 0.001), and the alpha diversity of grassland soil microbial community was the highest. Core microbiome analysis demonstrated that the soil microbial communities of C. deserticola were mostly have drought, salt tolerance, alkali resistance and stress resistance, such as Micrococcales and Bacillales. The biomarkers, namely, Oceanospirillales (saline-alkali land), Sphingomonadales (grassland) and Propionibacteriales (sandy land), which can distinguish three ecotype microbial communities, were excavated through LEfSe and random forest. Correlation analysis results demonstrated that 2'-acetylacteoside is positively correlated with Oceanospirillales in saline-alkali land soil. The metabolic function profiles displayed highly enriched metabolism (carbohydrate and amino acid metabolisms) and environmental information processing (membrane transport and signal transduction) pathways. Overall, the composition and function of soil microbiomes were found to be important factors to the quality variation of C. deserticola in different ecotypes. This work provided new insight into the regulatory relationship amongst the environment, soil microbial community and plant quality variation.

Metabolome and transcriptome profiling reveals quality variation and underlying regulation of three ecotypes for Cistanche deserticola.

Cistanche deserticola is a plant used both as food and medicine. We are interested in understanding how C. deserticola responds to environmental conditions. Samples were collected from three ecotypes grown in saline-alkali land, grassland and sandy land. Transcriptome and metabolome analysis were performed by using RNA-seq and LC-ESI-MS/MS. Among 578 metabolites identified, 218, 209 and 215 compounds were found differentially produced among the three ecotypes. Particularly, 2'-acetylacteoside, belonging to phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) is the most significantly differentially produced with a VIP > 0.5 and fold change > 2, representing a potential chemical marker to distinguish the three ecotypes. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 52,043 unigenes, and 947, 632 and 97 of them were found differentially expressed among the three ecotypes. Analysis of the correlation between the metabolome profiles and transcriptome profiles among three ecotypes identified that the 12 key genes related to PhGs biosynthesis were differentially expressed. Particularly, the expression of PAL, ALDH and GOT genes were significantly up-regulated in saline-alkali land compared to the other two. In summary, we found PhGs content was higher in saline-alkali land compared with other ecotypes. This is likely due to the up-regulation of the PhGs biosynthetic genes in response to the saline-alkali conditions.

Prediction of the globally ecological suitability of Panax quinquefolius by the geographic information system for global medicinal plants (GMPGIS).

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a well-known Asian traditional herbal medicine with a large market demand. The plant is native to eastern North America, and its main producing areas worldwide are decreasing due to continuous cropping obstacles and environmental changes. Therefore, the identification of maximum similarities of new ecological distribution of P. quinquefolius, and prediction of its response to climate change in the future are necessary for plant introduction and cultivation. In this study, the areas with potential ecological suitability for P. quinquefolius were predicted using the geographic information system for global medicinal plants (GMPGIS) based on 476 occurrence points and 19 bioclimatic variables. The results indicate that the new ecologically suitable areas for P. quinquefolius are East Asia and the mid-eastern Europe, which are mainly distributed in China, Russia, Japan, Ukraine, Belarus, North Korean, South Korea, andRomania. Under global climate change scenarios, the suitable planting areas for P. quinquefolius would be increased by 9.16%-30.97%, and expandingnorth and west over the current ecologically suitable areas by 2070. The potential increased areas that are ecologically suitable include northern Canada, Eastern Europe, and the Lesser Khingan Mountains of China, and reduced regions are mainly in central China, the southern U.S., and southern Europe. Jackknife tests indicate that the precipitation of the warmest quarter was the important climatic factor controlling the distribution of P. quinquefolius. Our findings can be used as auseful guide for P. quinquefolius introduction and cultivation in ecologically suitable areas.

[Exploration on mechanism of anti-influenza virus activity of genus Paeonia based on network pharmacology].

This paper aimed to investigate the anti-influenza virus activity of the genus Paeonia, screen potential anti-influenza virus compounds and predict targets of anti-influenza virus to explore the mechanism of anti-influenza virus activity. First of all, a total of 301 compounds of the genus Paeonia were summarized from the literatures in recent ten years. The candidate active ingredients from the genus Paeonia were identified by database such as PubChem and Chemical Book. The ligands were constructed by ChemDraw, Avogadro and Discovery Studio Visualizer. Secondly, 23 potential anti-influenza virus targets were developed by combining the target database and the literatures. Uniprot database was used to find the anti-influenza virus targets, and RCSB was used to identify targets associated with anti-influenza virus activity as docked receptor proteins. QuickVina 2.0 software was used for molecular docking. Finally, the Cytoscape 3.5.1 software was used to map the potential activity compounds of the genus Paeonia against influenza virus and the anti-influenza virus target network. Uniprot online database was used to analyze the target GO enrichment and KEGG metabolic pathways. The results showed that 74 compounds of the genus Paeonia had anti-influenza virus effect and 18 potential anti-influenza virus targets were screened. GO analysis concluded that the mechanism of the genus Paeonia anti-influenza virus is consistent with the mechanism of NA anti-influenza virus in order to stop the sprouting, dispersion and diffusion of virus and reduce the ability of virus to infect, so that the infection can be restricted so as to achieve the anti-influenza virus effect.

Comparison of the impact of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F and Methotrexate treatment on radiological progression in active rheumatoid arthritis: 2-year follow up of a randomized, non-blinded, controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) alone or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) has been shown to be more effective than MTX monotherapy in controlling the manifestations in subjects with disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-naïve active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over a 6-month period. The long-term impact of these therapies on disease activity and radiographic progression in RA has not been examined. METHODS: Patients with DMARD-naïve RA enrolled in the "Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F with methotrexate in the Treatment of Active Rheumatoid Arthritis" (TRIFRA) study were randomly allocated into three arms with TwHF or MTX or the two in combination. Clinical indexes and radiographic data at baseline and year 2 was collected and compared using an intent-to-treat (ITT) and a per-protocol (PP) analysis. Two radiologists blinded to the treatment scored the images independently. RESULTS: Of 207 subjects 109 completed the 2-year follow up. The number of subjects withdrawing from the study and the number adhering to the initial regimens were similar among the three groups (p > = 0.05). In the ITT analysis, proportions of patients reaching American College of Rheumatology 50% (ACR50) response criteria were 46.4%, 58.0% and 50.7% in the MTX, TwHF and MTX + TwHF groups (TwHF vs MTX monotherapy, p = 0.004). Similar patterns were found in ACR20, ACR70, Clinical Disease Activity Index good responses, European League Against Rheumatism good response, remission rate and low disease activity rate at year 2. The results of the PP analysis agreed with those in the ITT analysis. The changes in total Sharp scores and joint erosion and joint space narrowing during the 2 years were associated with changes in disease activity measured by the 28-joint count Disease Activity Score and were comparable among the three groups (p > 0.05). Adverse events were similar in the three treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: During the 2-year therapy period, TwHF monotherapy was not inferior to MTX monotherapy in controlling disease activity and retarding radiological progression in patients with active RA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This is a follow-up study. Original trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01613079 . Registered on 4 June 2012.

[Exploration on antibacterial activity and mechanism of flowers and leaves from Paeonia rockii based on network pharmacology].

This paper aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of flowers and leaves from Paeonia rockii, screen antibacterial compounds and predict targets of antibacterial to explore its multi-component, multi-target antibacterial mechanism. In this study, minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) of seven strains of Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis， Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were determined by microdilution method. Uniprot databases was used to find the antibacterial targets, and RCSB was used to identify targets associated with antimicrobial activity as docked receptor proteins. The candidate active ingredients from flowers and leaves of P. rockii were identified by database such as PubChem. The ligands were constructed by ChemDraw, Avogadro and Discovery Studio Visualizer. QuickVina 2.0 software was used to molecular docking. Besides, the Cytoscape 3.5.1 software was used to construct activity compounds of flowers and leaves from P. rockii ingredients-targets network, and Uniprot software was used to analyze gene ontology and KEGG pathway. In vitro antibacterial experiments found antibacterial effect of the flowers and leaves from P. rockii, especially methanol extraction of flowers has the strongest antibacterial effect. The network pharmacology indicated that total 29 activity ingredients and their 18 targets were screened in flowers and leaves from P. rockii. Comparison of the active ingredients and the number of antimicrobial target networks, it is predicted that the antibacterial components are mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids and main mechanism of antibacterial is to inhibit the synthesis of bacterial proteins. In this study, potential antibacterial activity of flowers and leaves from P. rockii has be found by antibacterial experiments in vitro and network pharmacology screening. And this study provides new clues for further basic study on the antibacterial agents of flowers and leaves from P. rockii.

Chemotaxis of Vδ2 T cells to the joints contributes to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the role of Vδ2 T cells in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with RA, 21 patients with osteoarthritis and 21 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. All patients with RA fulfilled the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria for RA. Peripheral Vδ2T population, chemokine receptor expression and proinflammatory cytokine secretion were quantified by flow cytometry. The infiltration of Vδ2 T cells within the synovium was examined by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. The effect of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 on Vδ2 T migration was determined by flow cytometry and transwell migration assay. RESULTS: Peripheral Vδ2T cells, but not Vδ1 T cells, were significantly lower in patients with RA, which was negatively correlated with disease activity gauged by Disease Activity Score in 28 joints. Vδ2 T cells from RA accumulated in the synovium and produced high levels of proinflammatory cytokines including interferon-γ and IL-17. Phenotypically, Vδ2 T cells from RA showed elevated chemotaxis potential and expressed high levels of chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3, which was driven by increased serum TNF-α through nuclear factor kappa B signalling. In vivo, TNF-α neutralising therapy dramatically downregulated CCR5 and CXCR3 on Vδ2 T cells and repopulated the peripheral Vδ2 T cells in patients with RA. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of TNF-α promoted CCR5 and CXCR3 expression in Vδ2 T cells from RA, which potentially infiltrated into the synovium and played crucial roles in the pathogenesis of RA. Targeting Vδ2 T cells might be a potential approach for RA.

Survey of traditional Dai medicine reveals species confusion and potential safety concerns: a case study on Radix Clerodendri Japonicum.

The adulteration of herbal products is a threat to consumer safety. In the present study, we surveyed the species composition of commercial Radix Clerodendri Japonicum products using DNA barcoding as a supervisory method. A reference database for plant-material DNA-barcode was successfully constructed with 48 voucher samples from 12 Clerodendrum species. The database was used to identify 27 Radix Clerodendri Japonicum decoction piece samples purchased from drug stores and hospitals. The DNA sequencing results revealed that only 1 decoction piece (3.70%) was authentic C. japonicum, as recorded in the Dai Pharmacopeia, whereas the other samples were all adulterants, indicating a potential safety issue. The results indicate that decoction pieces that are available in the market have complex origins and that DNA barcoding is a suitable tool for regulation of Dai medicines.

Azoxystrobin Induces Apoptosis of Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma KYSE-150 Cells through Triggering of the Mitochondrial Pathway.

Recent studies indicate that mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis are potential chemotherapeutic target for the treatment of esophageal cancer. Azoxystrobin (AZOX), a methoxyacrylate derived from the naturally occurring strobilurins, is a known fungicide acting as a ubiquinol oxidation (Qo) inhibitor of mitochondrial respiratory complex III. In this study, the effects of AZOX on human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma KYSE-150 cells were examined and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. AZOX exhibited inhibitory effects on the proliferation of KYSE-150 cells with inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) of 2.42 µg/ml by 48 h treatment. Flow cytometry assessment revealed that the inhibitory effect of AZOX on KYSE-150 cell proliferation occurred with cell cycle arrest at S phase and increased cell apoptosis in time-dependent and dose-dependent manners. Cleaved poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), caspase-3 and caspase-9 were increased significantly by AZOX. It is worth noted that the Bcl-2/Bax ratios were decreased because of the down-regulated Bcl-2 and up-regulated Bax expression level. Meanwhile, the cytochrome c release was increased by AZOX in KYSE-150 cells. AZOX-induced cytochrome c expression and caspase-3 activation was significantly blocked by Bax Channel Blocker. Intragastric administration of AZOX effectively decreased the tumor size generated by subcutaneous inoculation of KYSE-150 cells in nude mice. Consistently, decreased Bcl-2 expression, increased cytochrome c and PARP level, and activated caspase-3 and caspase-9 were observed in the tumor samples. These results indicate that AZOX can effectively induce esophageal cancer cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis, suggesting AZOX or its derivatives may be developed as potential chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Screening for Neuraminidase Inhibitory Activity in Traditional Chinese Medicines Used to Treat Influenza.

OBJECTIVE: To screen for influenza virus neuraminidase inhibition and to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of influenza using traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). In this study, 421 crude extracts (solubilized with petroleum ether, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and aqueous solvents) were obtained from 113 TCM. The medicine extracts were then reacted with oseltamivir, using 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-α-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid (MUNANA) as the substrate, to determine influenza virus neuraminidase activity using a standard fluorimetric assay. It was found that Chinese medicine extracts from Pyrola calliantha, Cynanchum wilfordii, Balanophora involucrata and Paeonia delavayi significantly inhibited neuraminidase activity at a concentration of 40 µg/mL. Dose-dependent inhibitory assays also revealed significant inhibition. The IC50 range of the TCM extracts for influenza virus neuraminidase was approximately 12.66-34.85 µg/mL, respectively. Some Chinese medicines have clear anti-influenza viral effects that may play an important role in the treatment of influenza through the inhibition of viral neuraminidase. The results of this study demonstrated that plant medicines can serve as a useful source of neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors and further investigation into the pharmacologic activities of these extracts is warranted.

Angelica sinensis in China-A review of botanical profile, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and chemical analysis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, known as Dang Gui (in Chinese), is a traditional medicinal and edible plant that has long been used for tonifying, replenishing, and invigorating blood as well as relieving pain, lubricating the intestines, and treating female irregular menstruation and amenorrhea. A. sinensis has also been used as a health product and become increasingly popular in China, Japan, and Korea. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This paper aims to provide a systemic review of traditional uses of A. sinensis and its recent advances in the fields of phytochemistry, analytical methods and toxicology. In addition, possible trends, therapeutic potentials, and perspectives for future research of this plant are also briefly discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An extensive review of the literature was conducted, and electronic databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Reaxys were used to assemble the data. Ethnopharmacological literature and digitalised sources of academic libraries were also systematically searched. In addition, information was obtained from local books and The Plant List (TPL, www.theplantlist.org). RESULT: This study reviews the progress in chemical analysis of A. sinensis and its preparations. Previously and newly established methods, including spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC), and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis (NMR), are summarized. Moreover, identified bioactive components such as polysaccharides, ligustilide and ferulic acid were reviewed, along with analytical methods for quantitative and qualitative determination of target analytes, and fingerprinting authentication, quality evaluation of A. sinensis, and toxicology and pharmacodynamic studies. Scientific reports on crude extracts and pure compounds and formulations revealed a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory activity, antifibrotic action, antispasmodic activity, antioxidant activities, and neuroprotective action, as well as cardio- and cerebrovascular effects. CONCLUSIONS: Within the published scientific literature are numerous reports regarding analytical methods that use various chromatographic and spectrophotometric technologies to monitor various types of components with different physicochemical properties simultaneously. This review discusses the reasonable selection of marker compounds based on high concentrations, analytical methods, and commercial availabilities with the goal of developing quick, accurate, and applicable analytical approaches for quality evaluation and establishing harmonised criteria for the analysis of A. sinensis and its finished products. Compounds isolated from A. sinensis are abundant sources of chemical diversity, from which we can discover active molecules. Thus, more studies on the pharmacological mechanisms of the predominant active compounds of A. sinensis are needed. In addition, given that A. sinensis is one of the most popular traditional herbal medicines, its main therapeutic aspects, toxicity, and adverse effects warrant further investigation in the future.

A novel coumarin, (+)-3'-angeloxyloxy-4'-keto-3',4'-dihydroseselin, isolated from Bupleurum malconense (Chaihu) inhibited NF-κB activity.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to identify the major anti-inflammatory components in the petroleum ether extract of Bupleurum malconense (Chaihu), by bioassay-guided fractionation, and to investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of active components in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophage RAW-Blue cells. METHODS: A QUANTI-Blue assay was used to guide fractionation of B. malconense root extract. The petroleum ether extract which exerted significant secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) inhibition effect was purified by silica gel column chromatography and assisted with reverse phase HPLC. The major bioactive compound which significantly inhibited SEAP activity was obtained and its anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-induced RAW-Blue cells were measured by the overproduction of NO (Griess method), gene expression of Il-1ß, Tnf-α and iNos (real-time PCR). In parallel, protein expressions of COX-2, iNOS and IκB-α were determined by western blot. RESULTS: In bioassay-guided fractionation using LPS-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW-Blue cells, (+)-3'-angeloxyloxy-4'-keto-3',4'-dihydroseselin (Pd-Ib) was identified by MS and NMR spectral analyses. Pd-Ib (5, 10, 20 µg/mL) suppressed the gene expression of Il-1ß (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001 for three respective concentrations), Tnf-α (P = 0.006, P = 0.001, P < 0.0001 for three respective concentrations) and iNos (P = 0.009, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001 for three respective concentrations) in LPS-stimulated macrophages. The production of cyclooxygenase-2 (P = 0.019, P = 0.002, P < 0.0001), iNOS (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001 for three respective concentrations) and NO (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001 for three respective concentrations) significantly decreased when macrophages were treated with Pd-Ib (5, 10, 20 µg/mL) in the presence of LPS. Pd-Ib (5, 10, 20 µg/mL) suppressed the nuclear activation of NF-κB while it up-regulated the IκB-α level (P = 0.028, P = 0.013, P = 0.005 for three respective concentrations) in LPS-stimulated macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Pd-Ib isolated from B. malconense suppressed LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages by inhibiting NF-κB activity and reducing the expression of iNOS, COX-2 as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines.

[Resource surveys and suitability of origin for genuine medicinal materials, Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus in Inner Mongolia, China.] / å† è’™å¤åœ°åŒºé“åœ°è¯æè’™å¤é»„èŠªèµ„æºè°ƒæŸ¥åŠäº§åœ°é€‚å®œæ€§.

In order to explore the ecological factors affecting the growth of Astragalu smembranaceus var. mongholicus, we investigated the resource distribution, habitat characteristics and growth conditions of wild and cultivated A. membranaceus var. mongholicus by fixed-plot observation, survey method, and literature. These data were analyzed by traditional Chinese medicine GIS-2 (TCMGS-2) to obtain the most suitable areas of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus within Inner Mongolia. The results showed that the production areas of cultivated A. membranaceus var. mongholicus were mainly located in Wuchuan County, Guyang County and other 15 counties, which were cha-racterized by the altitude higher than 1000 m, with soil type of sand, gravel and calcareous clay. The wild A. membranaceus var. mongholicus was distributed mainly in the eastern Inner Mongolia and germinated in sunny place, which preferred to the cold dry climate and sandy loam soil or gra-vel but avoided damp heavy clay soils. There are 43 counties of 94460.30 km2 for wild A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, and 32 counties of 76013.93 km2 for cultivated one within Inner Mongolia, with a similarity coefficient of ecological factors greater than 95%.