[Epidemic trends and predictive analysis of other infectious diarrhea in Jiangxi Province, 2017-2022].

Objective: To analyze epidemic trends of other infectious diarrhea in Jiangxi Province from 2017 to 2022, and explore the application of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model in the prediction of the incidence of other infectious diarrhea in Jiangxi Province, providing reference for the prediction and prevention and control of other infectious diarrhea. Methods: To conduct a descriptive epidemiological analysis of other infectious diarrhea cases in Jiangxi Province from 2017 to 2022, and establish an ARIMA model to predict the number of other infectious diarrhea cases in 2023. Results: From 2017 to 2022, Jiangxi Province reported 204 842 cases of other infectious diarrhea. The annual average reported incidence rate was 74.32/100 000. The cases were reported in each age group with obvious seasonal characteristics of the main peak. There were two peak periods of incidence in winter and spring (from January to March) and in summer and autumn (from July to September) and the peak value was higher in winter and spring. All parameters of the model ARIMA (0,1,2)(2,1,0)12 and ARIMA (1,0,0)(2,1,0)12 were statistically significant (P<0.05), and the minimum values of Bayesian information criterion were 13.83 and 9.12, respectively. The residual series were all white noise (P>0.05); The predicted value of the model is in good agreement with the actual value, and the predicted trend is consistent with the actual trend. The model has a good prediction effect. Conclusions: The other infectious diarrhea occurred in 2017-2022 was still the first case of notifiable disease in Jiangxi Province. The prevention and control situation cannot be ignored. Disease monitoring and health education for families of children under 3 years of age and scattered children among key populations for prevention and control should be strengthened during the epidemic season. The ARIMA model can be used for short-term prediction and trend analysis of other infectious diarrhea outbreaks in Jiangxi Province.

Effect of LGR4 on synovial cells and inflammatory factors in rats with traumatic osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Traumatic arthritis is one of the most common diseases in orthopedics. LGR4 is involved in bone formation and bone development. However, the role of LGR4 in synovial cells of rats with traumatic osteoarthritis has not been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the control group and model group. The Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) were used to analyze the expression of LGR4 in synovial tissue and synovial fluid. Synovial cells were isolated and cultured, followed by transfection of LGR4-pcDNA3.1 plasmid into cells. Cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT and EdU assay, and the Caspase-3 activity was assessed using the Caspase-3 activity kit. The secretion of the inflammatory factors interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was detected by ELISA. NF-κB signaling pathway changes were evaluated by the Western blot. RESULTS: In the model group, LGR4 mRNA expression in synovial tissue was significantly decreased, and the secretion of LGR4 in the synovial fluid was significantly decreased compared with the control group (p<0.05). LGR4 protein expression in the synovial membrane in the model group tissue was reduced. The transfection of LGR4-pcDNA3.1 plasmid into synovial cells promoted the LGR4 expression, inhibited the proliferation of synoviocytes, increased the Caspase-3 activity, the secretion of IL-1, TNF-α, and IL-6, as well as the decreased expression of NF-κB with a statistical significance, compared with the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: LGR4 expression is reduced in the rat model of traumatic osteoarthritis. The upregulation of LGR4 expression can inhibit the secretion of the inflammatory factors and inhibit the proliferation of the synovial cells by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway, which may alleviate the development of the joint inflammation.

Qualitative analysis and enantiospecific determination of angular-type pyranocoumarins in Peucedani Radix using achiral and chiral liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

Angular-type pyranocoumarins (APs), the derivatives of khellactone, are widely documented as the main active constituents in Peucedani Radix (Chinese name: Qian-hu). Owing to the natural occurrence of chiral centers, enantiomers of APs are extensively distributed in the original plant, and enantioselective performances have been definitely demonstrated for these enantiomers. In current study, the chemical characterization of the major and minor APs in Peucedani Radix was performed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and hybrid ion trap-orbitrap mass spectrometry. On the other hand, a heart-cut two-dimensional achiral-chiral liquid chromatography combining triple quadropole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry system (2D LC-MS/MS) was developed for simultaneous enantiospecific quantification of eighteen coumarins, including seven pairs of enantiomers. Eleven APs (1-11) were recruited to propose UV absorption characteristics and electrospray ionization fragmentation patterns of APs. A total of 42 components were categorized into APs based on their UV spectral properties and identified according to the proposed mass fragmentation pathways, while two linear-type furanocoumarins (12-13) were unambiguously assigned by further purification. A Capcell core RP-C18 column was employed in the primary LC dimension to achieve efficient racemic separation for the main chemical constituents (1-9 and 12-13) in Peucedani Radix, while a Chiralpak AD-RH column was utilized in the secondary dimension to contribute enantioselective separation for seven enantiomerically enriched components (1, 3 and 5-9). Collectively, the results provided the chemical evidences for revealing the material basis of the therapeutic effects of Peucedani Radix, and the developed 2D LC-MS/MS system in the present study is expected to be an ideal tool for the quality control of Peucedani Radix as well as a reliable technique for complex matrices containing both achiral and chiral components.

Matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) mediates MHC class I polypeptide-related sequence A (MICA) shedding in renal cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: The MHC class i chain-related molecule A (MICA) is a ligand for the natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D) immunoreceptor activation. The engagement of tumor cell surface MICA to NKG2D stimulates the NK and T cell antitumor immunity. Shedding of MICA by tumor cells facilitates tumor immune evasion, which might partially contribute to tumor progression. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Inmunohistochemistry was performed on both normal and neoplastic renal tissue. Human renal carcinoma cell lines 786-0 and ACHIN were transfected and target sequences to silence human MMP2 by shRNA expression were established. The degree of MICA shedding was measured and quantitative real-time PCR and Western-blot analysis were performed. RESULTS: The membrane type matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) mediated the MICA shedding, which was blocked by suppression of MMP2 expression. Concomitantly, MMP2 over-expression enhanced the MICA shedding, indicating that MMP2 was involved in the renal cell carcinoma-associated proteolytic release of soluble MICA (sMICA), which facilitated the tumor immune escape. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that MMP2 might be a new potential target for tumor immune therapy. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which tumors shed MICA could be of a great importance for cancer treatment in order to reinforce the NK and T cell antitumor immunity.

A tensile deformation model for in-situ dendrite/metallic glass matrix composites.

In-situ dendrite/metallic glass matrix composites (MGMCs) with a composition of Ti46Zr20V12Cu5Be17 exhibit ultimate tensile strength of 1510 MPa and fracture strain of about 7.6%. A tensile deformation model is established, based on the five-stage classification: (1) elastic-elastic, (2) elastic-plastic, (3) plastic-plastic (yield platform), (4) plastic-plastic (work hardening), and (5) plastic-plastic (softening) stages, analogous to the tensile behavior of common carbon steels. The constitutive relations strongly elucidate the tensile deformation mechanism. In parallel, the simulation results by a finite-element method (FEM) are in good agreement with the experimental findings and theoretical calculations. The present study gives a mathematical model to clarify the work-hardening behavior of dendrites and softening of the amorphous matrix. Furthermore, the model can be employed to simulate the tensile behavior of in-situ dendrite/MGMCs.

GATA-3 is down-regulated in patients with clear cell renal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: GATA-3 is a transcription factor involved in human growth and development. Recent studies found its association with breast cancer, however, its expression profile in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been investigated. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study included 35 patients submitted to radical nephrectomy with confirmed pathological diagnosis of RCC. Normal control kidney tissues were obtained from 25 living kidney donors and tissues were biopsied before implantation. The majority of RCC samples were diagnosed as clear cell renal cell carcinoma (94.3%) except for 1 case of papillary RCC and 1 case of collecting duct carcinoma. GATA-3 expression was evaluated by quantitative PCR and Western blotting (WB) in RCC samples and normal kidneys respectively, immunohistochemical staining was performed as well. Meanwhile, the GATA-3 expression in two cancer cell lines (786-O, ACHN) and normal kidney epithelial cells (HK-2) was detected by PCR and WB. In addition, renal cancer cells and HK-2 cells were cultivated and detected by confocal microscopy for the exact intra-cellular localization of GATA-3. RESULTS: Data showed a significant down-regulation of GATA-3 expression present in neoplastic tissues compared with normal tissues; similarly, GATA-3 was significantly attenuated in all renal cancer cell lines compared with normal HK-2 cells. Confocal displayed a strong cytoplasmic immno-fluorescence activity of GATA-3 with peri-nuclear zone in HK-2, whereas the intensity in cancer cells was markedly weaker than that of HK-2. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our present study clarifies that the aberrant expression profile of GATA-3 in human RCC is possibly involved with tumorigenesis, and the complicated mechanism is worthy of further investigation.

A pilot randomized controlled trial of dual-plasmid HBV DNA vaccine mediated by in vivo electroporation in chronic hepatitis B patients under lamivudine chemotherapy.

A DNA vaccine against the hepatitis B virus (HBV), enhanced by IL-2/IFN-γ fusion protein expression from a plasmid construct and mediated by in vivo electroporation, was evaluated in a total of 39 HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The six of 39 patients with a serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) value of 1-2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) were assigned to the open-label arm (Group01) receiving vaccine monotherapy; the remaining 33 patients with an ALT of more than two times ULN were enroled to the randomized and controlled arm (Group02) receiving lamivudine (LAM) monotherapy (LAM+placebo) or combined therapy (LAM+DNA vaccine) in 1:2 ratio. In Group01, a significant elevation of HBV-specific IFN-γ-secreting T-cell counts in comparison with baseline was observed. In Group02, the proportion of patients with HBV DNA suppression was higher with LAM+DNA vaccine than with LAM monotherapy at each visit time point after the final injection of DNA vaccine at week 36, revealing a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.03) at week 60. The incidence of dual-site mutations of rtM204/I/S+rtL180M was significantly lower (P = 0.03) with an identified lower virological breakthrough (VBT) rate (P = 0.03) in patients receiving LAM+DNA vaccine than LAM monotherapy, accompanied with a significant higher positive T-cell response rate in patients receiving LAM+DNA vaccine (P = 0.03). In conclusion, this study provides evidence that HBV DNA vaccination is safe and immunologically effective, and that the HBV-specific T-cell responses induced by DNA vaccination under LAM chemotherapy showed a correlation with the suppression of viral replication in patients with CHB.

Separation of cis- and trans-Asarone from Acorus tatarinowii by Preparative Gas Chromatography.

A preparative gas chromatography (pGC) method was developed for the separation of isomers (cis- and trans-asarone) from essential oil of Acorus tatarinowii. The oil was primarily fractionated by silica gel chromatography using different ratios of petroleum ether and ethyl acetate as gradient elution solvents. And then the fraction that contains mixture of the isomers was further separated by pGC. The compounds were separated on a stainless steel column packed with 10% OV-101 (3 m × 6 mm, i.d.), and then the effluent was split into two gas flows. One percent of the effluent passed to the flame ionization detector (FID) for detection and the remaining 99% was directed to the fraction collector. Two isomers were collected after 90 single injections (5 uL) with the yield of 178 mg and 82 mg, respectively. Furthermore, the structures of the obtained compounds were identified as cis- and trans-asarone by (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectra, respectively.

Fractionation of volatile constituents from curcuma rhizome by preparative gas chromatography.

A preparative gas chromatography (pGC) method was developed for the separation of volatile components from the methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome. The compounds were separated on a stainless steel column packed with 10% OV-101 (3 m × 6 mm, i.d.), and then, the effluent was split into two gas flows. One percent of the effluent passed to the flame ionization detector (FID) for detection and the remaining 99% were directed to the fraction collector. Five volatile compounds were collected from the methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome (5 g/mL) after 83 single injections (20 uL) with the yield of 5.1-46.2 mg. Furthermore, the structures of the obtained compounds were identified as ß-elemene, curzerene, curzerenone, curcumenol, and curcumenone by MS and NMR spectra, respectively.

Determination of nucleotides, nucleosides and their transformation products in Cordyceps by ion-pairing reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

An ion-pairing reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (IP-RP-LC-MS) was developed for the determination of nucleotides, nucleosides and their transformation products in Cordyceps. Perfluorinated carboxylic acid, namely pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PDFOA, 0.25mM), was used as volatile ion-paring agent and a reversed-phase column (Agilent ZORBAX SB-Aq column) was used for the separation of three nucleotides namely uridine-5'-monophosphate (UMP, 0.638-10.200microg/mL), adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP, 0.24-7.80microg/mL) and guanosine-5'-monophosphate (GMP, 0.42-13.50microg/mL), seven nucleosides including adenosine (0.55-8.85microg/mL), guanosine (0.42-6.75microg/mL), uridine (0.33-10.50micro/mL), inosine (0.21-6.60microg/mL), cytidine (0.48-15.30microg/mL), thymidine (0.20-6.30microg/mL) and cordycepin (0.09-1.50microg/mL), as well as six nucleobases, adenine (0.22-6.90microg/mL), guanine (0.26-4.20microg/mL), uracil (0.38-12.15microg/mL), hypoxanthine (0.13-4.20microg/mL), cytosine (0.39-12.45microg/mL) and thymine (0.26-8.25microg/mL) with 5-chlorocytosine arabinoside as the internal standard. The overall LODs and LOQs were between 0.01-0.16microg/mL and 0.04-0.41microg/mL for the 16 analytes, respectively. The contents of 16 investigated compounds in natural and cultured Cordyceps were also determined and compared after validation of the developed IP-RP-LC-MS method. The transformations of nucleotides and nucleosides in Cordyceps were evaluated based on the quantification of the investigated compounds in three extracts, including boiling water extraction (BWE), 24h ambient temperature water immersion (ATWE) and 56h ATWE extracts. Two transformation pathways including UMP-->uridine-->uracil and GMP-->guanosine-->guanine were proposed in both natural Cordyceps sinensis and cultured Cordyceps militaris. The pathway of AMP-->adenosine-->inosine-->hypoxanthine was proposed in natural C. sinensis, while AMP-->adenosine-->adenine in cultured C. militaris. However, the transformation of nucleotides and nucleosides was not found in commercial cultured C. sinensis.

A rapid method for simultaneous determination of 14 phenolic compounds in Radix Puerariae using microwave-assisted extraction and ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-TOF-MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 14 phenolic compounds in the root of Pueraria lobata (Wild.) Ohwi and Pueraria thomsonii Benth. Operational conditions of MAE were optimized by central composite design (CCD). The optimized result was 65% ethanol as extraction solvent, 17mL of extraction volume, 100 degrees C of extraction temperature and 2min of hold time. A Zorbax SB C(18) (50mmx4.6mm I.D., 1.8microm) and gradient elution were used during the analysis. The chromatographic peaks of 14 investigated compounds in samples were successfully identified by comparing their retention time, UV spectra and TOF mass data with the reference substances. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r>0.9997) within the test ranges. The intra-day and inter-day variations were less than 1.77% and 2.88%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the investigated compounds in 10 samples of Radix Puerariae Lobatae and Radix Puerariae Thomsonii, respectively. The result indicated that MAE and UHPLC-DAD-TOF-MS system might provide a rapid method for the quality control of Radix Puerariae.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and the nucleosides assessment of fungal strains isolated from natural Cordyceps sinensis.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were applied to investigate genetic and chemical variations of 2 natural C. sinensis, 16 fungal strains isolated from C. sinensis, and 2 fungal strains of C. militaris. Five of the 68 arbitrary decamer primers were available for discrimination of the investigated samples. As a result, 20 investigated samples were divided into three main clusters according to the genetic distance, and some fungal strains isolated from natural C. sinensis were obviously different. But according to the contents of nucleosides, including uracil, uridine, hypoxanthine, inosine, guanosine, adenosine, adenine, and cordycepin, natural and cultured Cordyceps were in two individual sub-groups, which suggested that chemical characteristics among cultured mycelia of different fungal strains isolated from natural C. sinensis were similar, but they were different from natural one.

Analysis of sterols and fatty acids in natural and cultured Cordyceps by one-step derivatization followed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Ten free fatty acids namely lauric acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitoleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, docosanoic acid and lignoceric acid and four free sterols including ergosterol, cholesterol, campesterol and beta-sitosterol in natural (wild) Cordyceps sinensis, Cordyceps liangshanensis and Cordyceps gunnii, as well as cultured C. sinensis and Cordyceps militaris were first determined using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatization and GC-MS analysis. The conditions such as the amount of reagent, temperature and time for TMS derivatization of analytes were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, all calibration curves showed good linearity within the tested ranges. The intra- and inter-day variations for 14 investigated compounds were less than 3.4% and 5.2%, respectively. The results showed that palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid and ergosterol are main components in natural and cultured Cordyceps which could be discriminated by hierarchical clustering analysis based on the contents of 14 investigated compounds or the 4 fatty acids, where the contents of palmitic acid and oleic acid in natural Cordyceps are significantly higher than those in the cultured ones.

Effect of propofol on twitch diaphragmatic pressure evoked by cervical magnetic stimulation in patients.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated the inhibitory effect of propofol on diaphragmatic contractility in laboratory animals, but there have been few studies in humans. We have investigated the effect of a single bolus injection of propofol on twitch diaphragmatic pressure (TwPdi) evoked by cervical supramaximal magnetic stimulation, and its impact on diaphragmatic contractility. METHODS: In 16 patients scheduled for elective operation, TwPdi was evoked bilaterally at the cervical phrenic nerves with supramaximal magnetic stimulations using a 140 mm diameter magnetic coil. Changes of TwPdi were monitored dynamically before and during general anaesthesia induced by single bolus of propofol 2 mg kg (-1). During the study, all patients breathed 100% oxygen by a face mask, maintaining Sp(O(2)) > or = 99% and PE'(CO(2)) 4.6-5.2 kPa. RESULTS: TwPdi declined after administration of propofol with gradual recovery. Compared with baseline [20.6 (6.0) cm H(2)O], TwPdi decreased by 23.3% (P<0.001) to [15.8 (6.4) cm H(2)O]. When the patients regained awareness, TwPdi returned to [19.1 (6.1) cm H(2)O], close to baseline (P=0.063). The time from starting the propofol infusion to the lowest TwPdi was [240 (86) s]. Total time course of stimulation lasted [363 (89) s]. CONCLUSIONS: A single bolus propofol depressed TwPdi evoked by cervical magnetic stimulation, demonstrating inhibitory effects of propofol on diaphragmatic contractility in patients during general anaesthesia.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of four species of Curcuma rhizomes using twice development thin layer chromatography.

The rhizomes of Curcuma phaeocaulis, Curcuma kwangsiensis, Curcuma wenyujin and Curcuma longa are used as Ezhu or Jianghuang in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time. Due to their similar morphological characters, it is difficult to distinguish their origins of raw materials used in clinic. In this study, a simple, rapid and reliable twice development TLC method was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the four species of Curcuma rhizomes. The chromatography was performed on silica gel 60F(254) plate with chloroform-methanol-formic acid (80:4:0.8, v/v/v) and petroleum ether-ethyl acetate (90:10, v/v) as mobile phase for twice development. The TLC markers were colorized with 1% vanillin-H(2)SO(4) solution. The four species of Curcuma were easily discriminated based on their characteristic TLC profiles, and simultaneous quantification of eight compounds, including bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycurcumin, curcumine, curcumenol, curcumol, curdione, furanodienone and curzerene, in Curcuma were also performed densitometrically at lambda(scan)=518nm and lambda(reference)=800 nm. The investigated compounds had good linearity (r(2)>0.9905) within test ranges. Therefore, the developed TLC method can be used for quality control of Curcuma rhizomes.

Effects of sample preparation methods on the quantification of nucleosides in natural and cultured Cordyceps.

Sample preparation is the first and very important step, which can greatly influence the repeatability and accuracy of the analysis. To date, several sample preparation methods with different solvents have been used for quantitative determination of nucleosides in Cordyceps, but their data are greatly various. In this study, five nucleosides, including adenosine, guanosine, inosine, uridine and cordycepin, in Cordyceps were determined using three extraction methods i.e. organic solvent pressurized liquid extraction, boiling water extraction and ambient temperature water extraction and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection (DAD). The similar results were obtained when organic solvent pressurized liquid extraction and boiling water extraction were applied. However, the amounts of nucleosides in natural C. sinensis and cultured C. militaris extracted with ambient temperature water were greatly increased except those of adenosine in natural C. sinensis and cordycepin in cultured C. militaris. In addition, the amount of investigated nucleosides in cultured C. sinensis had no obvious variation among the three extraction methods. The results suggest that sample preparation has significant effect on the quantification of nucleosides in Cordyceps.

Determination of purine and pyrimidine bases in natural and cultured Cordyceps using optimum acid hydrolysis followed by high performance liquid chromatography.

A method based on optimum acid hydrolysis followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection was developed for quantitative determination of bio-available nucleosides, present as purine and pyrimidine bases including adenine, cytosine, guanine, hypoxanthine, thymine and uracil, in natural and cultured Cordyceps. It was found that the optimum conditions was hydrolyzing Cordyceps sample in eight folds of pure commercial perchloric acid for 1h at 95-100 degrees C. The determination was achieved by using a Zorbax SB-AQ analytical column (250 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm) at gradient elution with diode-array detection. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r2>0.999) within test ranges. The developed method showed good repeatability for the quantification of six investigated nucleobases in Cordyceps with intra- and inter-day variations of less than 9.0 and 9.1%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to quantify bio-available nucleosides in natural and cultured Cordyceps, which is helpful to control their quality.

Optimization of GC-MS conditions based on resolution and stability of analytes for simultaneous determination of nine sesquiterpenoids in three species of Curcuma rhizomes.

GC-MS is a powerful tool for analysis of volatile oil, and resolutions of analytes were exclusively used as marker for optimization of the conditions. However, volatile oil usually contains heat labile components which may degrade and result in wrong results during GC analysis. In present study, based on both resolutions and stabilities of 11 sesquiterpenoids, GC-MS conditions were optimized for simultaneously quantitative determination of nine compounds including beta-elemene, curzerene, curcumol, isocurcumenol, germacrone, curdione, curcumenol, neocurdione and curcumenone in Ezhu. However, the other two compounds, i.e. furanodienone and furanodiene, were still thermal sensitive and not available for GC analysis. The results showed that both resolutions and stabilities of analytes should be considered for optimization of GC conditions because the properties of most components in volatile oil are unknown. Under optimum conditions, a capillary column (30 m x 0.25 mm i.d.) coated with 0.25 microm film 5% phenyl methyl siloxane was used for separation. Pulsed splitless inlet with temperature of 190 degrees C was selected for sample injection (0.2 microl). The calibration curves of nine sesquiterpenoids showed good linearity (r2>0.9989) within test ranges. The optimized method showed good repeatability for quantification of these nine components in Ezhu with intra- and inter-day variations of less than 1.42% and 2.79%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to quantify 9 sesquiterpenoids in 18 samples of 3 species of Curcuma used as Ezhu.

Quantitative determination of eight components in rhizome (Jianghuang) and tuberous root (Yujin) of Curcuma longa using pressurized liquid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae) is a native plant of southern Asia and is cultivated extensively throughout the warmer parts of the world. Jianghuang and Yujin are rhizome and tuberous root of C. longa, respectively, which were traditionally used as two Chinese medicines. In this paper, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were developed for quantitative determination/estimation of eight characteristic compounds including beta-caryophyllene, ar-curcumene, zingiberene, beta-bisabolene, beta-sesquiphellandrenendrene, ar-turmerone, alpha-turmerone and beta-turmerone in Jianghuang and Yujin. A HP-5MS capillary column (30 m x 0.25 mm i.d.) coated with 0.25 microm film 5% phenyl methyl siloxane was used for separation and selected ion monitoring (SIM) method was used for quantitation. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on characteristics of eight identified peaks in GC-MS profiles showed that 10 samples were divided into two main clusters, Jianghuang and Yujin, respectively. Four components such as ar-curcumene, ar-turmerone, alpha-turmerone and beta-turmerone were optimized as markers for quality control of rhizome (Jianghuang) and tuberous root (Yujin), which are two traditional Chinese medicines, from Curcuma longa.

Optimization and comparison of three methods for extraction of volatile compounds from Cyperus rotundus evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The essential oil of Cyperus rotundus has multiple pharmacological activities. Therefore, the extraction with high yield and quality is very important for preparation of essential oil of C. rotundus. In this paper, three methods, namely hydrodistillation (HD), pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), for extraction of volatile compounds from C. rotundus were optimized and compared by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Among eight identified compounds in C. rotundus, five components including alpha-copaene, cyperene, beta-selinene, beta-cyperone and alpha-cyperone were quantitatively determined or estimated using alpha-cyperone as standard, which showed that PLE had the highest extraction efficiency, while SFE had the best selectivity for extraction of beta-cyperone and alpha-cyperone. The contents of ingredients from C. rotundus extracted with HD, PLE and SFE are significantly different, which suggest that comparison of chemical components and pharmacological activities of different extracts is helpful to elucidate the active components in C. rotundus and control its quality.