[Establishment of a quantitative method for GC analysis of polyoxyethylene (35) castor oil in microemulsion extracts].

With the continuous exploration of microemulsions as solvents for traditional Chinese medicine extraction, polyoxyethy-lene(35) castor oil(CrEL), a commonly used surfactant, is being utilized by researchers. However, the problem of detecting residues of this surfactant in microemulsion extracts has greatly hampered the further development of microemulsion solvents. Based on the chemical structures of the components in CrEL and the content determination method of castor oil in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(Vol. Ⅳ), this study employed gas chromatography(GC) and single-factor experiments to optimize the preparation method of methyl ricinoleate from CrEL. The conversion coefficient between the two was validated, and the optimal sample preparation method was used to process microemulsion extracts of Zexie Decoction from three batches. The content of methyl ricinoleate generated was determined, and the content of CrEL in the microemulsion extracts of Zexie Decoction was calculated using the above conversion coefficient. The results showed that the optimal preparation method for CrEL was determined. Specifically, 10 mL of 1 mol·L~(-1) KOH-methanol solution was heated at 60 ℃ for 15 min in a water bath. Subsequently, 10 mL of boron trifluoride etherate-methanol(1∶3) solution was heated at 60 ℃ for 15 min in a water bath, followed by extraction with n-hexane twice. CrEL could stably produce 20.84% methyl ricinoleate. According to this conversion coefficient, the average mass concentration of CrEL in the three batches of Zexie Decoction microemulsion extracts was 11.94 mg·mL~(-1), which was not significantly different from the CrEL mass concentration of 11.57 mg·mL~(-1) during microemulsion formulation, indicating that the established content determination method of this study was highly accurate, sensitive, and repeatable. It can be used for subsequent research on microemulsion extracts of Zexie Decoction and provide a reference for quality control of other drug formulations containing CrEL.

[Optimization of extraction process of Congrong Shujing Granules based on AHP-CRITIC analysis].

The index weight coefficients were determined by comparing the analytic hierarchy process(AHP), the criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation(CRITIC), and the AHP-CRITIC mixed weighting method. The comprehensive scores of index components(echinacoside, salvianolic acid B, paeoniflorin, and ointment yield) of each group in the orthogonal test were compared to optimize the extraction process of Congrong Shujing Granules. The results showed that the AHP-CRITIC mixed weighting method scientifically optimized the extraction process. To be specific, the decoction pieces should be added with the 6-fold amount of water and extracted twice, 1 h each time. After three verification tests, the average mass fractions of echinacoside, salvianolic acid B, and paeoniflorin were 0.72, 9.34, and 5.92 mg·g~(-1), respectively, and the average ointment yield was 47.18%. As verified by the AHP-CRITIC mixed weighting method and the orthogonal test, the optimized extraction process of Congrong Shujing Granules was stable and feasible and could be applied to industrial production.

[Preparation of paclitaxel-loaded and folic acid-modified poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nano-micelles and in vitro anticancer effect on cervical cancer HeLa cells].

The paclitaxel-loaded and folic acid-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nano-micelles(PTX@FA-PLGA-NMs) were prepared by the emulsion solvent evaporation method, and the parameters of paclitaxel-loaded nano-micelles were optimized with the particle size and PDI as evaluation indexes. The morphology of the nano-micelles was observed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM), and the stability, drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were systematically investigated. In vitro experiments were performed to study the cytotoxic effects of nano-micelles, apoptosis, and cellular uptake. Under the optimal parameters, the nano-micelles showed the particle size of(125.3±1.2) nm, the PDI of 0.086±0.026, the zeta potential of(-20.0±3.8) mV, the drug loading of 7.2%±0.75%, and the encapsulation efficiency of 50.7%±1.0%. The nano-micelles were in regular spherical shape as observed by TEM. The blank FA-PLGA-NMs exhibited almost no inhibitory effect on the proliferation and growth of tumor cells, while the drug-loaded nano-micelles and free PTX exhibited significant inhibitory effects. The IC_(50) of PTX@FA-PLGA-NMs and PTX was 0.56 µg·mL~(-1) and 0.66 µg·mL~(-1), respectively. The paclitaxel-loaded nano-micelles were potent in inhibiting cell migration as assessed by the scratch assay. PTX@FA-PLGA-NMs had good pro-apoptotic effect on cervical cancer HeLa cells and significantly promoted the uptake of HeLa cells. The results of in vitro experiments suggested that PTX@FA-PLGA-NMs could target and treat cervical cancer HeLa cells. Therefore, as nanodrug carriers, PTX@FA-PLGA-NMs with anti-cancer activity are a promising nano-system for improving the-rapeutic effects on tumors.

Isolation of two rare N-glycosides from Ginkgo biloba and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Two rare N-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-1H-indole-3-acetic acid conjugates, N-[2-(1-ß-D-glucopyranosyl)-1H-indol-3-yl)acetyl]-L-glutamic acid (1) and N-[2-(1-ß-D-glucopyranosyl)-1H-indol-3-yl)acetyl]-L-aspartic acid (2) were isolated from Ginkgo biloba. The structures were elucidated by analyses of HRMS and NMR spectroscopic data. In addition, a simplified and efficient synthetic route for compounds 1 and 2 is also disclosed to determine the absolute configurations of them. This concise syntheses of compounds 1 and 2 may facilitate studies of the biology of this type alkaloids. Compounds 1 and 2 were also tested for their cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities. The biological evaluation showed that compounds 1 and 2 led to the decrease of interleukin (IL)-6, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 at mRNA level in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells.

Diuretic Effect and Metabolomics Analysis of Crude and Salt-Processed Plantaginis Semen.

Plantaginis Semen (PS) is well recognized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and health products. Crude PS (CPS) and salt-processed CPS (SPS) are the two most commonly used decoction pieces of PS, and are included in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Although they all have multiple effects, the mechanisms for treating diseases are different and remain unclear, the processing mechanism of SPS is also indeterminate, which hinders their clinical application to a certain extent. In order to solve these problems and further develop PS in the clinical application. Here, we used saline-loaded model rats for experiments, and utilized an integrated approach consisting of pharmacological methods and metabolomics, which could assess the diuretic impact of CPS and SPS ethanol extracts on saline-loaded rats and elucidate the underlying mechanism. The results showed that CPS and SPS both produced increased urine volume excretion and urine electrolyte excretion, but the levels of aldosterone (ALD) and aquaporin 2 (AQP2) were decreased. And 30 differential metabolites such as linoleic acid, lysoPC(O-18:0), sphingosine-1-phosphate, lysoPC(18:0) were found, mainly involving three metabolic pathways. In conclusion, CPS and SPS both have a diuretic effect, and that of SPS is better. This work investigated the possible diuretic mechanisms of CPS and SPS which may also be the mechanism of PS for anti-hypertension. In addition, a holistic approach provided novel and helpful insights into the underlying processing mechanisms of TCM.

[Exploration of objective quality evaluation parameter of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces].

To establish a quality constant evaluation system of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces,in order to provide reference for regulating the market circulation of this decoction pieces. A total of 18 batches of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces were collected from different pharmaceutical factories,and the morphological parameters of each sample were tested. The content of alisol B 23-acetate in Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces was determined by HPLC in the 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia,and the parameters such as quality constant and relative quality constant were calculated. The quality constant range of 18 batches of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces was 0. 390-2. 076. If 18 batches of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces were divided into 3 grades,taking 80% of the maximum quality constant as first grade,50% to 80% as second grade,and the rest as third grade,then the quality constant of firstgrade samples was ≥1. 66,the quality constant of second-grade samples was ≥1. 04 and <1. 66,and the quality constant of third-grade samples was <1. 04. The established quality constant evaluation method is objective and feasible,which can be used to classify the grade of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces and provide a reference method to control the quality of this decoction pieces.

Identification of a novel strain, Streptomyces blastmyceticus JZB130180, and evaluation of its biocontrol efficacy against Monilinia fructicola.

Peach brown rot, caused by Monilinia fructicola, is one of the most serious peach diseases. A strain belonging to the Actinomycetales, named Streptomyces blastmyceticus JZB130180, was found to have a strong inhibitory effect on M. fructicola in confrontation culture. Following the inoculation of peaches in vitro, it was revealed that the fermentation broth of S. blastmyceticus JZB130180 had a significant inhibitory effect on disease development by M. fructicola. The fermentation broth of S. blastmyceticus JZB130180 had an EC50 (concentration for 50% of maximal effect) of 38.3 µg/mL against M. fructicola, as determined in an indoor toxicity test. Analysis of the physicochemical properties of the fermentation broth revealed that it was tolerant of acid and alkaline conditions, temperature, and ultraviolet radiation. In addition, chitinase, cellulase, and protease were also found to be secreted by the strain. The results of this study suggest that S. blastmyceticus JZB130180 may be used for the biocontrol of peach brown rot.

[Simultaneous determination of seven alkaloids and three flavonoids in Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma by HPLC].

In this study, an HPLC method was developed for simultaneous determination of seven alkaloids (cytosine, oxymatrine, N-oxysophocarpine, N-methylcytisine, sophoranol, matrine, and sophocarpine) and three flavonoids (trifolirhizin, fermononetin, and maackiain) from different samples of Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma. Samples were analyzed on a Welch XtimateTM C18 column (4. 6 mm× 250 mm, 5 µm) eluted with the mobile phase of acetonitrile (A) and 0.01 mol•L⁻¹ ammonium acetate solution (pH 8.0) (B) in a linear gradient mode as follows: 0-20 min,4%-14% A;20-30 min,14%-25% A;30-45 min,25%-40% A;45-65 min,40%-55% A;65-75 min,55% A. The flow rate of the mobile phase, the column temperature, and the PDA detector wavelength were set at 1.0 mL•min⁻¹, 30 ℃, and 225 nm, respectively. For the method validation, these ten compounds showed good separation and satisfactory linearity (r≥0.999 7) within the concentration ranges tested. The mean recoveries were in the range of 98.60% to 102.6% with the RSD (n=6) between 0.60% and 3.7%. This method was proved to be simple, accurate and repeatable. The quantitative results showed that there were significant differences in the contents of seven alkaloids and three flavonoids among the different samples. This result revealed that the quality of Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma varied widely. This method could be used for the simultaneous determination of the multi-ingredients from Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma, which might provide scientific evidences to evaluate/control the quality of Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma, comprehensively.

Candida pruni sp. nov. is a new yeast species with antagonistic potential against brown rot of peaches.

Brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. is among the most important postharvest diseases of commercially grown stone fruits, and application of antagonistic yeasts to control brown rot is one promising strategy alternative to chemical fungicides. In this research, new yeast strains were isolated and tested for their activity against peach brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola. Three yeast strains were originally isolated from the surface of plums (cv Chinese Angelino) collected in the north of China. In artificially wounded inoculation tests, the yeast reduced the brown rot incidence to 20 %. The population of the yeast within inoculated wounds on peaches significantly increased at 25 °C from an initial level of 5.0×10(6) to 4.45×10(7) CFU per wound after 1 day. The antagonistic strains were belonging to a new species of the genus Candida by sequence comparisons of 26 S rDNA D1/D2 domain and internal transcribed spacer region. The strains are most closely related to C. asparagi, C. musae and C. fructus on the basis of the phylogenetic trees based on the D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA. However, the strains are notably different from C. asparagi, C. musae and C. fructus, in morphological and physiological characteristics. Therefore, the name Candida pruni is proposed for the novel species, with sp-Quan (=CBS12814T=KCTC 27526T=GCMC 6582T) as the type strain. Our study showed that Candida pruni is a novel yeast species with potential biocontrol against brown rot caused by M. fructicola on peaches.

Mitochondrial protection and anti-aging activity of Astragalus polysaccharides and their potential mechanism.

The current study was performed to investigate mitochondrial protection and anti-aging activity of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and the potential underlying mechanism. Lipid peroxidation of liver and brain mitochondria was induced by Fe(2+)-Vit C in vitro. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) colorimetry was used to measure the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Mouse liver mitochondrial permeability transition (PT) was induced by calcium overload in vitro and spectrophotometry was used to measure it. The scavenging activities of APS on superoxide anion (O(2) (•-)) and hydroxyl radical (•OH), which were produced by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-N-Methylphenazonium methyl sulfate (PMS) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-Fe(2+) system respectively, were measured by 4-nitrobluetetrazolium chloride (NBT) reduction and Fenton reaction colorimetry respectively. The Na(2)S(2)O(3) titration method was used to measure the scavenging activities of APS on H(2)O(2). APS could inhibit TBARS production, protect mitochondria from PT, and scavenge O(2) (•-), •OH and H(2)O(2) significantly in a concentration-dependent manner respectively. The back of the neck of mice was injected subcutaneously with D-galactose to induce aging at a dose of 100 mg/kg/d for seven weeks. Moreover, the activities of catalase (CAT), surperoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and anti-hydroxyl radical which were assayed by using commercial monitoring kits were increased significantly in vivo by APS. According to this research, APS protects mitochondria by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting mitochondrial PT and increasing the activities of antioxidases. Therefore, APS has the effect of promoting health.

Identification of an antifungal metabolite produced by a potential biocontrol Actinomyces strain A01 / Identificação de um metabólito antifúngico produzido pela cepa Actinomyces A01

Actinomyces strain A01 was isolated from soil of a vegetable field in the suburb of Beijing, China. According to the morphological, cultural, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, strain A01 was identified as Streptomyces lydicus. In the antimicrobial spectrum test strain A01 presented a stable and strong inhibitory activity against several plant pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea, Monilinia laxa, etc. However, no antibacterial activity was found. In pot experiments in greenhouse, the development of tomato gray mold was markedly suppressed by treatment with the fermentation broth of the strain A01, and the control efficacy was higher than those of Pyrimethanil and Polyoxin. A main antifungal compound (purity 99.503 percent) was obtained from the fermentation broth of strain A01 using column chromatography and HPLC. The chemical structural analysis with UV, IR, MS, and NMR confirmed that the compound produced by the strain A01 is natamycin, a polyene antibiotic produced by S. chattanovgensis, S. natalensis, and S. gilvosporeus, widely used as a natural biological preservative for food according to previous reports. The present study revealed a new producing strain of natamycin and its potential application as a biological control agent for fungal plant diseases.

A cepa Actinomyces A01 foi isolada do solo de um campo agrícola no subúrbio de Beijing, China. De acordo com as características morfológicas, culturais, fisiológicas e bioquímicas, e análise da sequência 16S rDNA , a cepa A01 foi identificada como Streptomyces lydicus. Nos testes de espectro antimicrobiano, a cepa A01 apresentou atividade inibitória intensa e estável contra vários fungos patogênicos para plantas, como Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea, Monilia laxa, etc. Entretanto, não foi encontrada atividade antibacteriana. Em experimentos em estufas, o desenvolvimento do fungo cinza do tomate foi fortemente inibido pelo tratamento com o caldo de fermentação da cepa A01, com eficiência superior à do pyremethanil e polyoxin. Por cromatografia em coluna e HPLC, obteve-se um composto fúngico (pureza 99,503 por cento), cuja análise estrutural por UV, IR, MS e NMR revelou ser natamicina, um antibiótico polienico produzido por S. chattanovgensis, S. natalensis e S.gilvosporeus, empregado como conservador biológico natural em alimentos. O presente estudo relata a detecção de uma nova cepa produtora de natamicina e sua aplicação potencial como um agente de controle biológico de doenças fúngicas em plantas.

Study on the Relationship between Lipoprotein(a) Receptor and LDL Receptor.

Lp(a) receptor and LDL receptor on rhesus monkey liver cellular membrane were studied by Western blotting, to investigate whether Lp(a) and LDL metabolize through the same route. The experiment demonstrated Lp(a) receptor ( 300kD) and LDL receptor ( 185kD) to be different kinds of receptors. The result reveals that Lp(a) has its own metabolic pathway.