Curcumae Radix: A Review of Traditional Use, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Quality Control.

Curcumae Radix (CuR) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used in China for more than 1,000 years. It has the traditional efficacy of activating blood and relieving pain, promoting qi and relieving depression, clearing heart and cooling blood, and promoting gallbladder and removing jaundice. Based on this, many domestic and foreign scholars have conducted systematic studies on its chemical composition, pharmacological effects, toxicity and quality control. Currently, 250 compounds, mainly including terpenoids and curcuminoids, have been isolated and identified from CuR, which has pharmacological activities, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, antidepressant, hepatoprotective, hemostatic, hematopoietic, and treatment of diabetes mellitus. In modern clinical practice, CuR is widely used in the treatment of tumors, breast hyperplasia, hepatitis, and stroke. However, the generation of toxicity and clinical application of CuR and Caryophylli Flos, the determination of the concoction process of artifacts, the determination of specific Quality Marker, and the establishment of the quality control system of CuR, are problems that need to be solved urgently at present.

Astragali Radix: comprehensive review of its botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical application.

Astragali Radix (A. Radix) is the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus (Bge) Hsiao or Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge., belonging to the family Leguminosae, which is mainly distributed in China. A. Radix has been consumed as a tonic in China for more than 2000 years because of its medicinal effects of invigorating the spleen and replenishing qi. Currently, more than 400 natural compounds have been isolated and identified from A. Radix, mainly including saponins, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, and others. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that A. Radix has anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-atherosclerotic, cardioprotective, anti-hypertensive, and anti-aging effects. It has been clinically used in the treatment of tumors, cardiovascular diseases, and cerebrovascular complications associated with diabetes with few side effects and high safety. This paper reviewed the progress of research on its chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, clinical applications, developing applications, and toxicology, which provides a basis for the better development and utilization of A. Radix.

Effects of zinc oxide nanocomposites on microorganism growth and protection of physicochemical quality during maize storage.

Maize moldy and spoilage due to microbial growth is a significant challenge in grain storage. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a zinc oxide nanocomposite, ZnO@mSiO2, prepared in our previous research, in inhibiting mold growth and preserving maize cell quality. The results demonstrated that ZnO@mSiO2 could effectively inhibit the growth of dominant microorganism, Aspergillus flavus, Talaromyces variabilis, Penicillium citrinum and Fusarium graminearum, in maize storage. Aspergillus flavus was selected as the model fungus, ZnO@mSiO2 effectively disrupted fungal hyphae structure, leading to reduced hyphal mass and inhibited spore germination. The inhibitory effect of ZnO@mSiO2 on mold growth was concentration-dependent. However, the ZnO@mSiO2 at an appropriate concentration (not exceeding 3.0 g/kg) preserved the integrity of maize cell membranes and enhancing the antioxidant activity within maize cells. The findings highlight the potential of ZnO@mSiO2 as an effective protectant to inhibit mold growth and preserve maize quality during storage.

Novel insights into the effects of 5-hydroxymethfurural on genomic instability and phenotypic evolution using a yeast model.

5-Hydroxymethfurural (5-HMF) is naturally found in a variety of foods and beverages and represents a main inhibitor in the lignocellulosic hydrolysates used for fermentation. This study investigated the impact of 5-HMF on the genomic stability and phenotypic plasticity of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using next-generation sequencing technology, we examined the genomic alterations of diploid S. cerevisiae isolates that were subcultured on a medium containing 1.2 g/L 5-HMF. We found that in 5-HMF-treated cells, the rates of chromosome aneuploidy, large deletions/duplications, and loss of heterozygosity were elevated compared with that in untreated cells. 5-HMF exposure had a mild impact on the rate of point mutations but altered the mutation spectrum. Contrary to what was observed in untreated cells, more monosomy than trisomy occurred in 5-HMF-treated cells. The aneuploidy mutant with monosomic chromosome IX was more resistant to 5-HMF than the diploid parent strain because of the enhanced activity of alcohol dehydrogenase. Finally, we found that overexpression of ADH6 and ZWF1 effectively stabilized the yeast genome under 5-HMF stress. Our findings not only elucidated the global effect of 5-HMF on the genomic integrity of yeast but also provided novel insights into how chromosomal instability drives the environmental adaptability of eukaryotic cells.IMPORTANCESingle-cell microorganisms are exposed to a range of stressors in both natural and industrial settings. This study investigated the effects of 5-hydroxymethfurural (5-HMF), a major inhibitor found in baked foods and lignocellulosic hydrolysates, on the chromosomal instability of yeast. We examined the mechanisms leading to the distinct patterns of 5-HMF-induced genomic alterations and discovered that chromosomal loss, typically viewed as detrimental to cell growth under most conditions, can contribute to yeast tolerance to 5-HMF. Our results increased the understanding of how specific stressors stimulate genomic plasticity and environmental adaptation in yeast.

A Review of Extraction and Purification, Biological Properties, Structure-Activity Relationships and Future Prospects of Schisandrin C: A Major Active Constituent of Schisandra Chinensis.

Since ancient times, China has used natural medicine as the primary way to combat diseases and has a rich arsenal of natural medicines. With the progress of the times, the extraction of bioactive molecules from natural drugs has become the new development direction for natural medicines. Among the numerous natural drugs, Schisandrin C (Sch C), derived from Schisandra Chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. It has excellent potential for development and has been shown to possess various pharmacological properties, including hepatoprotective, antitumor and anti-inflammatory activities. Based on the biological properties of hepatoprotection, scholars have explored Sch C and its synthetic products in depth; some studies have shown that pentosidine has the effect of improving the symptoms of liver fibrosis and reducing the concentration of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the serum of rats, which is an essential inspiration for the development of anti-liver fibrosis drugs. But more in vivo and ex vivo studies still need to be included. This paper focuses on Sch C's extraction and synthesis, biological activities and drug development progress. The future application prospects of Sch C are discussed to perfect its development work further.

Nitrogen transformation and its microbial mechanism under co-composting of biogas slurry with garden waste.

Large amount of garden waste is consecutively produced in China every year. The composting with urea and microbial inoculum makes it possible to dispose garden waste in large quantities. However, composting accompanies with serious nitrogen loss and environmental problems. The biogas slurry contains considerable nitrogen nutrients and microorganisms, which theoretically could be used as alternative to urea and bacteria to reduce nitrogen loss, respectively. We set up three treatments of biogas slurry + garden waste (GB), biogas slurry + garden waste + urea (GBU), and biogas slurry + garden waste + urea + microbial inoculum (GBUM) to investigate the decomposition, nitrogen conversion and nitrogen loss in the co-composting process. The results showed that the high tempe-rature period of GB treatment was longer and more stable compared to that of GBU and GBUM treatments. The pH and EC value of GB treatment would benefit composting process and generated products with the highest germination index (GI) (221.8%). In addition, NH3 and N2O emission rates in the GB treatment were 2.59 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 3.65 µg·kg-1·d-1, respectively, being 99.0% and 50.0% lower than that in the GBU treatment and 99.4% and 40.7% lower than that in the GBUM treatment. The results of δ18O vs. δ15NSP dual isotopocule plots approach analysis showed that the GB and GBU treatments were dominated by denitrification, and that the contribution of denitrification was higher in the GB treatment. In contrast, the GBUM treatment was dominated by nitrification. The degree of N2O reduction in GB treatment (83.7%) was higher than the other two treatments. It was clear that GB treatment had the best maturity and lowest nitrogen loss in all treatments by enhancing the N2O reduction process during denitrification to reduce N2O emission. In conclusion, the biogas slurry and garden wastes could be directly co-composted without the limitation of C/N and microbial addition. The co-composting method could protect the environment and save resources leading to the recycling of waste in actual production.

Cause of Death in Patients with Oropharyngeal Carcinoma by Human Papillomavirus Status: Comparative Data Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) has increased in recent decades, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main cause of OPSCC. The data regarding causes of death (CODs) are vitally important in informing follow-up strategies and revising treatment strategies to deal with any possible preventable treatment-related COD. However, limited studies have assessed the competing COD by HPV status in patients with OPSCC. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to analyze the distribution of the competing COD according to HPV status in OPSCC. METHODS: We retrospectively included stage I-IVB patients with OPSCC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2010 and 2015. The association between HPV status and head and neck cancer-specific mortality (HNCSM), second primary cancer mortality (SPCM), and noncancer-caused mortality (NCCM) were analyzed. The chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Fine and Gray model were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: We included 5852 patients in this study and 73.2% (n=4283) of them had HPV-related tumors. A total of 1537 (26.3%) patients died, including 789 (51.3%), 333 (21.7%), and 415 (27%) patients who died from head and neck cancer, second cancer, and noncancer causes, respectively. The 5-year HNCSM, SPCM, NCCM, and overall mortality were 14.7%, 6.5%, 7.7%, and 26.4%, respectively. Those with HPV-positive disease had a lower cumulative incidence of HNCSM (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] 0.362, 95% CI 0.315-0.417; P<.001), SPCM (sHR 0.400, 95% CI 0.321-0.496; P<.001), and NCCM (sHR 0.460, 95% CI 0.378-0.560; P<.001) than those with HPV-negative disease. The 5-year risk of HNCSM was 26.9% and 10.7% in those with HPV-negative and HPV-positive disease, respectively (P<.001). The 5-year risk of SPCM was 12.4% and 4.6% in those with HPV-negative and HPV-positive disease, respectively (P<.001). The 5-year risk of NCCM of death was 13.7% and 5.8% in those with HPV-negative and HPV-positive disease, respectively (P<.001). Using the Fine and Gray competing-risks model, our results show that those with HPV-negative tumors had a significantly higher risk of HNCSM (P<.001), SPCM (P<.001), and NCCM (P<.001) than those with HPV-negative tumors. CONCLUSIONS: HPV-positive OPSCC has a lower NCSM, SPCM, and NCCM as compared to those with HPV-negative OPSCC. HPV positivity is a favorable prognostic factor in the context of overcoming cancer as well as in terms of reducing the risk of other CODs in OPSCC. Our finding supports the need to tailor patient follow-up based on the HPV status of patients with OPSCC.

[Phenolic derivatives from root bark of Schisandra sphenanthera].

This paper aimed to study the chemical constituents from the root bark of Schisandra sphenanthera. Silica, Sephadex LH-20 and RP-HPLC were used to separate and purify the 80% ethanol extract of S. sphenanthera. Eleven compounds were identified by ~1H-NMR, ~(13)C-NMR, ESI-MS, etc., which were 2-[2-hydroxy-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methoxyphenyl]-propane-1,3-diol(1), threo-7-methoxyguaiacylglycerol(2),4-O-(2-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethylethyl)-dihydroconiferylalcohol(3), morusin(4), sanggenol A(5), sanggenon I(6), sanggenon N(7), leachianone G(8),(+)-catechin(9), epicatechin(10), and 7,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone(11). Among them, compound 1 was a new compound, and compounds 2-9 were isolated from S. sphenanthera for the first time. Compounds 2-11 were subjected to cell viability assay, and the results revealed that compounds 4 and 5 had potential cytotoxicity, and compound 4 also had potential antiviral activity.

Heterodimers with a cucurbitane-type triterpenoid skeleton from the branches of Elaeocarpus dubius.

Four undescribed and two known cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, including two heterodimers, elaeocarpudubins A and B, were isolated from the branches of Elaeocarpus dubius (Elaeocarpaceae). The chemical structures of these undescribed isolates were determined by analyses of 1D and 2D NMR and MS data, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and chemical transformation. Biogenetically, elaeocarpudubins A and B might be derived from cucurbitacin F through Michael addition with vitamin C and (-)-catechin, respectively. These six isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against human leukemia HL-60, human lung adenocarcinoma A549, human hepatoma SMMC-7721, human breast cancer MCF-7, human colon cancer SW480, and paclitaxel-resistant A549 (A549/Taxol) cell lines, for their antioxidant properties using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, and for their differentiation effects on nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated neurite outgrowth in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Cucurbitacins F (IC50 of 4.98-38.11 µM) and D (IC50 of 0.03-4.40 µM) showed growth-inhibitory activities against these six cancer cell lines. Elaeocarpudubin B (IC50 of 61.04 µM) and elaeocarpudoside B (IC50 of 6.93 µM) showed antioxidant activities. Elaeocarpudubin B and elaeocarpudoside B also showed neurite outgrowth-promoting activities in PC12 cells at a concentration of 10 µM.

Optical properties of sedimentary dissolved organic matter in intertidal zones along the coast of China: Influence of anthropogenic activities.

The intertidal zone, due to its location in the transition zone of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, is seriously disturbed by anthropogenic activities such as fuel combustion and industrial production, causing significant increase in dissolved organic matter (DOM). However, the distribution and properties of DOM in intertidal sediments at the large scale and their correlations with local socio-economic indicators remain unclear. In this study, we collected sediment samples from 13 intertidal zones across 11 coastal provinces in China and analyzed optical properties and compositions of sedimentary DOM. The results showed that the physico-chemical properties of sediment, such as pH and texture, affected the content of organic matter, thereby influencing the concentration of sedimentary DOM indirectly. The contents of fulvic acid- and protein-like components were relatively higher than humic acid-like component at all sampling sites. Moreover, urbanization could lead to the release of aromatic and humified organic matters into intertidal zones. Unlike coal, oil consumption exhibited positive correlation with SUVA254, indicating that the combustion of oil released more aromatic compounds. These findings revealed the impact of anthropogenic activities on sedimentary DOM and provided theoretical basis for predicting and regulating intertidal carbon sink.

PD-L1 upregulation promotes drug-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting vimentin degradation.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease with high mortality and limited therapeutic options. The immune checkpoint PD1/PD-L1 axis is related to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, and upregulated expression levels of PD-L1 have been demonstrated in IPF patients. However, the mechanism of PD-L1 in pulmonary fibrosis is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated upregulated expression of PD-L1 in fibrotic lung tissues and sera of IPF patients. Bleomycin (BLM) treatment induced PD-L1 upregulation, EMT (Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition) and fibrosis-like morphology changes in human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpiCs). Silencing PD-L1 attenuated BLM-induced EMT and fibrosis-like morphology changes in HPAEpiCs. In addition, we identified that PD-L1 directly binds to vimentin and inhibits vimentin ubiquitination, thereby increasing vimentin levels in HPAEpiCs. Silencing of vimentin inhibited BLM- and PD-L1-induced fibrosis in HPAEpiCs. The correlation between PD-L1 and EMT or vimentin expression was further confirmed in clinical samples and animal models. Finally, we used BLM- and paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis animal models to confirm the anti-pulmonary fibrosis effects of PD-L1 silencing. Taken together, our findings suggest that upregulated PD-L1 stimulates EMT of alveolar epithelial cells by increasing vimentin levels by inhibiting vimentin ubiquitination, thereby contributing to pulmonary fibrosis.

[Chemical constituents of Helleborus thibetanus].

The chemical constituents of Helleborus thibetanus were isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, and semi-preparative RP-HPLC, and the structures of all compounds were identified by modern spectrographic technology(MS, NMR). The MTT method was used to measure the cytotoxicity of compounds 1-8. Twelve compounds were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of H. thibetanus and were identified as(25R)-22ß,25-expoxy-26-[(O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-1ß,3ß-dihydroxyfurosta-5-en(1), ß-sitosterol myristate(2), ß-sitosterol lactate(3), ß-sitosterol 3-O-ß-D-glucopyrannoside(4), 4,6,8-trihydroxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one(5), 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene(6), 7,8-dimethylbenzo pteridine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione(7), 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid(8), p-hydroxy cinnamic acid(9), lauric acid(10), n-butyl α-L-arabinofuranoside(11) and methyl-α-D-fructofuranoside(12), respectively. Among them, compound 1 is a new compound and named thibetanoside L; compounds 2, 5-8, 11 are first isolated from the family Ranunculaceae; compound 12 is isolated from the genus Helleborus for the first time. The results of MTT assay showed that the IC_(50) values of compounds 1-8 against HepG2 and HCT116 cells were greater than 100 µmol·L~(-1).

A comprehensive review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Reynoutria genus.

OBJECTIVES: The genus Reynoutria belonging to the family Polygonaceae is widely distributed in the north temperate zone and used in folk medicine. It is administered as a sedative, tonic and digestive, also as a treatment for canities and alopecia. Herein, we reported a review on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology reported from 1985 up to early 2022. All the information and studies concerning Reynoutria plants were summarized from the library and digital databases (e.g. ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Medline PubMed, Google Scholar, and CNKI). KEY FINDINGS: A total of 185 articles on the genus Reynoutria have been collected. The phytochemical investigations of Reynoutria species revealed the presence of more than 277 chemical components, including stilbenoids, quinones, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phospholipids, lactones, phenolics and phenolic acids. Moreover, the compounds isolated from the genus Reynoutria possess a wide spectrum of pharmacology such as anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anticancer, neuroprotective, anti-virus and heart protection. SUMMARY: In this paper, the traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of genus Reynoutria were reviewed. As a source of traditional folk medicine, the Reynoutria genus have high medicinal value and they are widely used in medicine. Therefore, we hope our review can help genus Reynoutria get better development and utilization.

m6A RNA Methylation Regulators Contribute to Predict and as a Therapy Target of Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis is difficult to treat. Early diagnosis and finding potential drug therapy targets of pulmonary fibrosis are particularly important. There were still various problems with existing pulmonary fibrosis markers, so it is particularly important to find new biomarkers and drug treatment targets. m6A (N6,2'-O-dimethyladenosine) RNA methylation was the cause of many diseases, and it is regulated by m6A methylation regulators. So, whether RNA methylation regulators can be a diagnostic marker and potential drug therapy target of early pulmonary fibrosis needs to be explored. Materials and Methods: Using GSE110147 and GSE33566 in the GEO database to predict the m6A methylation regulators that may be related to the development of pulmonary fibrosis, we used 10 mg/ml bleomycin to induce mouse pulmonary fibrosis models and human pulmonary fibrosis samples, to confirm whether this indicator can be an early diagnostic marker of pulmonary fibrosis. Results: According to the database prediction results, METTL3 can predict the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis, and the results of MASSON and HE staining show that the fibrosis model of mice is successful, and the fibrosis of human samples is obvious. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of METTL3 was significantly reduced in pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusions: The m6A methylation regulator METTL3 can be considered as an important biomarker for diagnosing pulmonary fibrosis occurrence, furthermore it could be considered as a drug target because of its low expression in pulmonary fibrosis.

The association between the dietary pattern in abdominal obesity based on visceral fat index and dyslipidaemia in the Henan Rural Cohort Study.

The present study aimed to explore the association between dietary patterns in abdominal obesity obtained by reduced-rank regression (RRR) with visceral fat index (VFI) as a dependent variable and dyslipidemia in rural adults in Henan, China. A total of 29538 people aged 18-79 were selected from the Henan Rural Cohort Study. RRR analysis was used to identify dietary patterns; logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic spline regression models were applied to analyze the association between dietary patterns in abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia. VFI was used as a mediator to estimate the mediation effect. The dietary pattern in abdominal obesity was characterized by high carbohydrate and red meat intake and low consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, etc. After full adjustment, the highest quartile of dietary pattern scores was significantly associated with an increased risk of dyslipidemia (OR: 1·33, 95 % CI 1·23-1·44, Ptrend < 0·001), there was a non-linear dose-response relationship between them (Poverall-association < 0·001, Pnon-lin-association = 0·022). The result was similar in dose-response between the dietary pattern scores and VFI. The indirect effect partially mediated by VFI was significant (OR: 1·07, 95 % CI 1·06-1·08). VIF explained approximately 53·3 % of odds of dyslipidemia related to the dietary pattern. Abdominal obesity dietary pattern scores positively affected VFI and dyslipidemia; there was a dose-response in both relationships. Dyslipidemia progression increased with higher abdominal obesity dietary pattern scores. In addition, VFI played a partial mediating role in relationship between abdominal obesity dietary pattern and dyslipidemia.

A new scoring system for coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease.

BACKGROUND: In China, coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) secondary to Kawasaki disease (KD) tend to have an increased occurrence. We hypothesize that Chinese children with KD may possess several unique CAA risks, and the predictive efficacy of multiple scoring systems in Chinese patients are still to be further studied. METHODS: Two hundred and three KD patients were recruited. Using multivariable analysis, independent predictors of CAAs were combined into a scoring system. Subsequently, CAA risks of our patients were evaluated by the newly established scoring system and eight other published scoring systems. RESULTS: Seventeen (8.37%) KD patients were identified as CAAs. The newly established scoring system contained the following 5 independent predictors: days of illness at initial treatment ≥7, redness and swelling of extremities, hematocrit ≤33%, percentage of monocytes ≥8.89%, and procalcitonin ≥0.5 ng/mL. The AUC value of newly established scoring system was 0.685 with a sensitivity of 41.18% and a specificity of 84.41%, higher than Harada score, Egami score, Kobayashi score, Sato score, San Diego score, Formosa score, and Tang score, whereas lower than Hua score. CONCLUSIONS: Days of illness at initial treatment ≥7 and procalcitonin are unique predictors of CAAs in newly established scoring system. Taking into account different identification criteria and analytical methodologies, there is still some heterogeneity among different scoring systems. IMPACT: The newly established scoring system contains the five independent predictors. Days of illness at initial treatment ≥7 and PCT are unique predictors of CAAs in our study, compared with 8 other systems. The AUC value of newly established scoring system is 0.685, similar to Hua score. There is some heterogeneity among different scoring systems.