[Effect of lime water processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum on toxic component lectin protein].

The present study investigated the effect of immersion in the excipient lime water on the toxic component lectin protein and explained the scientific connotation of lime water detoxication during the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum. Western blot was used to investigate the effects of immersion in lime water with different pH(pH 10, 11, and 12.4), saturated sodium hydroxide, and sodium bicarbonate solution on the content of lectin protein. The protein compositions of the supernatant and the precipitate after immersing lectin protein in lime water of different pH were determined by the SDS-PAGE method combined with the silver staining technique. The MALDI-TOF-MS/MS technique was used to detect the molecular weight distribution of peptide fragments in the supernatant and precipitate after immersing lectin protein in lime water of different pH, and circular dichroism spectroscopy was used to detect the ratio changes in the secondary structure of lectin protein during the immersion. The results showed that immersion in lime water at pH>12 and saturated sodium hydroxide solution could significantly reduce the content of lectin protein, while immersion in lime water at pH<12 and sodium bicarbonate solution had no significant effect on lectin protein content. The corresponding lectin protein bands and molecular ion peaks were not detected at the 12 kDa position in the supernatant and precipitate after immersing the lectin protein in lime water at pH>12, which was attributed to the fact that lime water immersion at pH>12 could significantly change the ratio of the secondary structure of lectin protein, resulting in irreversible denaturation, while lime water immersion at pH<12 did not change the ratio of the secondary structure of lectin protein. Therefore, pH>12 was the key condition for the detoxication of lime water during the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum. Lime water immersion at pH>12 could cause irreversible denaturation of lectin protein, resulting in a significant decrease in the inflammatory toxicity of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum, which played a key role in detoxification.

Chitosan Spraying Enhances the Growth, Photosynthesis, and Resistance of Continuous Pinellia ternata and Promotes Its Yield and Quality.

The continuous cropping obstacle has become the key factor that seriously restricts the growth, yield, and quality of Pinellia ternata. In this study, the effects of chitosan on the growth, photosynthesis, resistance, yield, and quality of the continuous cropping of P. ternata were investigated by two field spraying methods. The results indicate that continuous cropping significantly (p < 0.05) raised the inverted seedling rate of P. ternata and inhibited its growth, yield, and quality. Spraying of 0.5~1.0% chitosan effectively increased the leaf area and plant height of continuous P. ternata, and reduced its inverted seedling rate. Meanwhile, 0.5~1.0% chitosan spraying could notably increase its photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr), and decrease its soluble sugar, proline (Pro), and malonaldehyde (MDA) contents, as well as promoting its superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities. Additionally, 0.5~1.0% chitosan spraying could also effectively enhance its yield and quality. This finding highlights that chitosan can be proposed as an alternative and practicable mitigator for alleviating the continuous cropping obstacle of P. ternata.

Bacillus cereus WL08 immobilized on tobacco stem charcoal eliminates butylated hydroxytoluene in soils and alleviates the continuous cropping obstacle of Pinellia ternata.

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), as an emerging contaminant in ecosystems, has potential influences on animals, aquatic organisms, and public health, and has been proven to be a major allelochemical of Pinellia ternata. In this study, Bacillus cereus WL08 was used to rapidly degrade BHT in liquid culture. Strain WL08 immobilized on tobacco stem charcoal (TSC) particles notably accelerated BHT removal in contract to its free cells, and exhibited excellent reutilization and storage capacities. The optimal removal parameters of TSC WL08 were ascertained to be pH 7.0, 30 °C, 50 mg L-1 BHT and 0.14 mg L-1 TSC WL08. Moreover, TSC WL08 significantly accelerated the degradation of 50 mg L-1 BHT in sterile and non-sterile soils compared to that of free WL08 or natural dissipation, and notably shortened their half-lives by 2.47- or 362.14- fold, and 2.20- or 14.99- fold, respectively. Simultaneously, TSC WL08 was introduced into the continuous cropping soils of P. ternata, which accelerated the elimination of allelochemical BHT, and notably enhanced the photosynthesis, growth, yield, and quality of P. ternata. This study provides new insights and strategies for the rapid in situ remediation of BHT-polluted soils and effective alleviation of P. ternata cropping obstacles.

Reverse predictive analysis of Rhizoma Pinelliae and Rhizoma Coptidis on differential miRNA target genes in lung adenocarcinoma.

To use bioinformatics and network analysis to reveal the mechanism of "Rhizoma Pinelliae-Rhizoma Coptidis" herb pair in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma. The target and pathway of "Rhizoma Pinelliae-Rhizoma Coptidis" herb pair in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma were explored by online databases and network analysis tools, and the potential biomarkers of "Rhizoma Pinelliae-Rhizoma Coptidis" herb pair in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma were predicted in reverse. A total of 59 traditional Chinese medicine compounds and 510 drug targets were screened in this study. A total of 25 micro-RNAs and 15,323 disease targets were obtained through GEO2R software analysis. In the end, 294 therapeutic targets and 47 core targets were obtained. A total of 186 gene ontology enrichment assays were obtained, and core therapeutic targets play multiple roles in biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular composition. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the core targets were mainly enriched in cancer-related pathways, immune-related pathways, endocrine-related pathways, etc, among which the non-small cell lung cancer pathway was the most significant core pathway. Molecular docking shows that the compound and the target have good binding ability. "Rhizoma Pinelliae-Rhizoma Coptidis" herb pair plays a mechanism of action in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma through multiple targets and pathways. miR-5703, miR-3125, miR-652-5P, and miR-513c-5p may be new biomarkers for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Diversity, antibacterial and phytotoxic activities of culturable endophytic fungi from Pinellia pedatisecta and Pinellia ternata.

BACKGROUND: Endophytic fungi of medicinal plants, as special microorganisms, are important sources of antibacterial compounds. However, the diversity and antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi from Pinellia Tenore have not been systematically studied. RESULTS: A total of 77 fungi were isolated from roots, stems, leaves, and tubers of Pinellia ternata and P. pedatisecta. All fungi were belonged to five classes and twenty-five different genera. Biological activities tests indicated that 21 extracts of endophytic fungi exhibited antibacterial activities against at least one of the tested bacteria, and 22 fermentation broth of endophytic fungi showed strong phytotoxic activity against Echinochloa crusgalli with the inhibition rate of 100%. Furthermore, four compounds, including alternariol monomethyl ether (1), alternariol (2), dehydroaltenusin (3) and altertoxin II (4), and three compounds, including terreic acid (5), terremutin (6), citrinin (7), were isolated from Alternaria angustiovoidea PT09 of P. ternata and Aspergillus floccosus PP39 of P. pedatisecta, respectively. Compound 5 exhibited strong antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Micrococcus tetragenus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae with the inhibition zone diameter (IZD) of 36.0, 31.0, 33.7, 40.2 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 1.56, 3.13, 1.56, 1.56 µg/mL respectively, which were better than or equal to those of positive gentamicin sulfate. The metabolite 7 also exhibited strong antibacterial activity against P. syringae pv. actinidiae with the IZD of 26.0 mm and MIC value of 6.25 µg/mL. In addition, the compound 7 had potent phytotoxic activity against E. crusgalli with the inhibition rate of 73.4% at the concentration of 100 µg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Hence, this study showed that endophytic fungi of P. ternata and P. pedatisecta held promise for the development of new antibiotic and herbicide resources.

Intercropping of Pinellia ternata (herbal plant) with Sedum alfredii (Cd-hyperaccumulator) to reduce soil cadmium (Cd) absorption and improve yield.

Soil contamination by cadmium (Cd) is of global concern, threatening not only crop production, but also supply of herbal medicine. Research studies usually grow crops with Sedum alfredii (a Cd-hyperaccumulator). However, intercropping herbal plants with S. alfredii and their interactions with hydro-chemical properties of soil are rarely considered. This study examines the growth of a herbal plant, Pinellia ternata, intercropped with S. alfredii in Cd-contaminated soil. Plant characteristics were assessed, especially biomass and Cd content of bulbil (yield and quality of P. ternata). Soil hydro-chemical properties including water retention, Cd content and organic matter were determined with statistical analyses. At low soil-Cd contamination (0.6 µg/g), bulbil biomass of intercropped P. ternata (PSL) was almost double compared with monoculture of P. ternata (PL), which is barely significant (p ≈ 0.05). The corm biomass of PSL was also significantly greater than that of PL (p < 0.05). Although soil-Cd contamination became more severe by increasing to 3 µg/g, the bulbil biomass in the intercrop was not significantly different from PL (p > 0.05). That said, it is evidenced that the yield of intercropped P. ternata was improved in Cd-contaminated soil. Such improvement was mainly attributed to reduced soil-Cd content and enhanced soil-water retention which was governed by plant roots and soil organic matters. The soil-water retention was first identified as a critical parameter in promoting plant growth under intercropping. More importantly, the bulbil-Cd content of P. ternata in PSL was significantly reduced (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that the newly proposed intercrop is feasible to improve yield of herbal plants, and at the same time reduce heavy metal absorption and accumulation in medicinal organs, especially for P. ternata. This is anticipated to reduce the human health risk imposed by ingestion of Chinese herbal plants.

[Preparation of monoclonal antibodies against Pinellia ternata lectin protein and establishment of double-antibody sandwich ELISA].

To determine the content of endogenous toxic substance Pinellia ternata lectin(PTL) protein in Pinelliae Rhizoma and the related processed products, this study prepared specific monoclonal antibodies against PTL by hybridoma cell technology, and established a quantitative double-antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for PTL antigen. The detection conditions were 2.5 µg·mL~(-1) working concentration of the captured antibody and 1∶450 of the dilution multiple of detected antibody. The coating condition was staying overnight at 4 ℃. The blocking time and incubation times of antigen and detected antibody were all 90 minutes. The incubation time of horseradish peroxidase conjugated streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase(SA-HRP) was 15 minutes. The quantitative limit of the method for PTL antigen was 0.375 ng·mL~(-1). The linear range was 75.000-4 800.000 pg·mL~(-1), and R~2=0.997 1. The recovery rate was 90.0%-110.0%, and the variation coefficients of intra-test and inter-test precision were 2.0%-3.0% and 2.0%-8.5%.The content of PTL in three batches of Pinelliae Rhizoma and the related processed products was determined by the method, and the average content of PTL in Pinelliae Rhizoma was 35.42 mg·g~(-1). The average content of PTL in Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine, Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum, and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Zingibere Et Alumine were 1.15 mg·g~(-1), 16.53 µg·g~(-1), and 122.63 ng·g~(-1), respectively, indicating that the content of PTL decreased significantly after processing. The quantitative double-antibody sandwich ELISA for PTL antigen established in this paper had good linearity, sensitive response, and high accuracy, which provided a simple and effective monitoring method for the detection of PTL content in the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma.

[Identification, biological characteristics, and control of pathogen causing southern blight of Pinellia ternata].

In summer in 2020, Pinellia ternata in many planting areas in Hubei suffered from serious southern blight, as manifested by the yellowing and wilted leaves and rotten tubers. This study aims to identify the pathogen, clarify the biological characteristics of the pathogen, and screen fungicides. To be specific, the pathogen was isolated, purified, and identified, and the pathogenicity was detected according to the Koch's postulates. Moreover, the biological characteristics of the pathogen were analyzed. Furthermore, PDA plates and seedlings were used to determine the most effective fungicides. The results showed that the mycelia of the pathogen were white and villous with silk luster, which produced a large number of white to black brown sclerotia. The pathogen was identified as Athelia rolfsii by morphological observation and molecular identification based on LSU and TEF gene sequences. The optimum growth conditions for A. rolfsii were 30 ℃ and pH 5-8, and the optimum conditions for the germination of sclerotia were 25 ℃ and pH 7-9. Bacillus subtilis, difenoconazole, and flusilazole were identified as effective fungicides with PDA, and their half maximal effective concentration(EC_(50)) was all less than 5 mg·L~(-1). The effective fungicides screened with the seedlings were hymexazol and difenoconazole. Based on the screening experiments, difenoconazole can be used as the main agent for the prevention and treatment of southern blight.

Principal Component Analysis to Assess the Changes of Yield and Quality in Pinellia ternata at Different Stages after Brassinolide Treatments.

Brassinolide (BR) is the "sixth class" plant hormone, which plays an important role in various physiological and biochemical processes of plants. The wide variety of functions of Pinellia ternata means that there is huge demand for it and thus it is in short supply. This paper mainly assessed the changes of yield and quality in P. ternata at different stages after BR treatments by principal component analysis, in order to improve the yield and quality of P. ternata and at the same time determine the best harvest time. The results showed that the tuber yield of P. ternata was significantly increased by BR treatments at different stages (except for the 15th day). After the 15th, 45th, 60th, 75th, 90th, and 105th day of treatments, the tuber yield of P. ternata reached peak values at 0.10 (0.65 g), 0.50 (1.97 g), 0.50 (1.98 g), 1.00 (2.37 g), 1.00 (2.84 g), and 2.00 mg/L (3.76 g) BR treatment, respectively. The optimal harvest time was the 75th day after 0.10, 0.50, and 1.00 mg/L BR treatments, which not only significantly improved the yield of P. ternata, but also retained high level of total alkaloids in the tubers (20.89, 5.37, and 13.44%) and bulbils (9.74, 20.42, and 13.62%), high total flavone content in the tubers (17.66, 16.26, and 12.74%) and bulbils (52.63, 12.79, and 38.69%), and high ß-sitosterol content in the tubers (25.26, 16.65, and 0.62%) of P. ternata, compared with the control, respectively.

Large-scale analysis of protein crotonylation reveals its diverse functions in Pinellia ternata.

BACKGROUND: Pinellia ternata is an important traditional medicine in China, and its growth is regulated by the transcriptome or proteome. Lysine crotonylation, a newly identified and important type of posttranslational modification, plays a key role in many aspects of cell metabolism. However, little is known about its functions in Pinellia ternata. RESULTS: In this study, we generated a global crotonylome analysis of Pinellia ternata and examined its overlap with lysine succinylation. A total of 2106 crotonylated sites matched on 1006 proteins overlapping in three independent tests were identified, and we found three specific amino acids surrounding crotonylation sites in Pinellia ternata: KcrF, K***Y**Kcr and Kcr****R. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses showed that two crucial alkaloid biosynthesis-related enzymes and many stress-related proteins were also highly crotonylated. Furthermore, several enzymes participating in carbohydrate metabolism pathways were found to exhibit both lysine crotonylation and succinylation modifications. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that lysine crotonylation performs important functions in many biological processes in Pinellia ternata, especially in the biosynthesis of alkaloids, and some metabolic pathways are simultaneously regulated by lysine crotonylation and succinylation.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals an Essential Role of Exogenous Brassinolide on the Alkaloid Biosynthesis Pathway in Pinellia Ternata.

Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Druce is a traditional medicinal plant containing a variety of alkaloids, which are important active ingredients. Brassinolide (BR) is a plant hormone that regulates plant response to environmental stress and promotes the accumulation of secondary metabolites in plants. However, the regulatory mechanism of BR-induced alkaloid accumulation in P. ternata is not clear. In this study, we investigated the effects of BR and BR biosynthesis inhibitor (propiconazole, Pcz) treatments on alkaloid biosynthesis in the bulbil of P. ternata. The results showed that total alkaloid content and bulbil yield was enhanced by 90.87% and 29.67% under BR treatment, respectively, compared to the control. We identified 818 (476 up-regulated and 342 down-regulated) and 697 (389 up-regulated and 308 down-regulated) DEGs in the BR-treated and Pcz-treated groups, respectively. Through this annotated data and the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), the expression patterns of unigenes involved in the ephedrine alkaloid, tropane, piperidine, pyridine alkaloid, indole alkaloid, and isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis were observed under BR and Pcz treatments. We identified 11, 8, 2, and 13 unigenes in the ephedrine alkaloid, tropane, piperidine, and pyridine alkaloid, indole alkaloid, and isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis, respectively. The expression levels of these unigenes were increased by BR treatment and were decreased by Pcz treatment, compared to the control. The results provided molecular insight into the study of the molecular mechanism of BR-promoted alkaloid biosynthesis.

Complementary and alternative medicine for functional dyspepsia: An Asian perspective.

A considerable number of Asian patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) are searching for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) because they are unsatisfied with conventional medical treatment. However, no article has focused on CAM for FD from Asian perspective. In Asian countries, many traditional herbal formulas, including Banha-sasim-tang, Soyo-san, Sihosogan-san, Yukgunja-tang, and Pyeongwi-san, are used in patients with FD. In the few blinded and placebo-controlled studies conducted, the weak evidence regarding the effectiveness of herbal prescriptions in patients with FD did not allow any conclusions to be made. The clinical efficacy and safety of STW-5 were proven in several prospective randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews. Hence, it was recently approved as a therapeutic option for the treatment of FD. Peppermint and caraway, FDgard, black seed oil, and Jollab have been used in patients with FD, but there is limited evidence supporting their use. Reviews of acupuncture in patients with FD showed inconsistent results: a Cochrane review reported a negative result, while other meta-analyses reported positive results. Psychotherapy, including hypnotherapy, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, may be used in patients with FD, although it is only supported by weak evidence. Therefore, well-planned, large-scale studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of CAM in treating FD, especially in Asian countries.

A review of traditional and current processing methods used to decrease the toxicity of the rhizome of Pinellia ternata in traditional Chinese medicine.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The rhizome of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit, called Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR) and Banxia in Chinese, is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the functions of "removing dampness-phlegm" and "downbear counterflow and check vomiting". PR has potential toxic effects that can be detoxified by Fuzhi processing (repeated processing using one or multiple adjuvants) with specific adjuvants. AIM OF THE STUDY: This paper aims to provide a summary of traditional and current processing methods used to detoxify PR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The available references of the processing methods of PR from the classic books of Materia Medica, literature, online databases and masters or doctoral theses are collected and summarized. We also discussed the possible processing mechanisms of how we can achieve a safer and effective application of PR via these processing methods. RESULTS: PR cannot be administered orally before processing. PR contains nucleoside alkaloids, cerebrosides, fatty acids, lectin, polysaccharides, and calcium oxalate crystals. To date, although the active substances of PR are still unclear, the toxic components are almost completely clarified as needle-like calcium oxalate crystals (NCOCs) and lectin proteins. Furthermore, the toxic effects of PR include causing death in animals, inflammation, conjunctival irritation, pregnancy toxicity, teratogenicity, visceral toxicity, aphonia and vomiting. From ancient times to now, Fuzhi methods have remained the predominant method for PR processing, and the main adjuvants used are ginger juice, alum, licorice and lime. In addition, detoxification mechanisms are related to removing or damaging the NCOC and lectin in PR based on processing with adjuvants. Currently, Fuzhi processing has been greatly improved, and novel processing technologies with novel adjuvants have been used for PR processing. However, there are still some flaws in PR processing, which should be urgently solved in the future, and clarifying the characteristic bioactive compounds in PR corresponding to its function or effects is the most important step for PR processing. CONCLUSION: Our present paper reviewed the previous literature regarding all aspects of the processing of PR, and this paper will be helpful for achieving a safer and effective application of PR and its processed products and will also be beneficial for the further optimization of processing technology and clinical medication safety of PR.

[Irritant toxicity and lectin content of different processed products of Pinelliae Rhizoma].

The present study aims to investigate the correlation between irritant toxicity variation and lectin content variation during the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma products and to explore the feasibility of Western blot as a method for the detection of lectin. We processed Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine, Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum, and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatumcum Zingibere et Alumine to different degrees and then analyzed their irritant toxicity via Draize rabbit eye test. Western blot was employed to determine the lectin content in Pinelliae Rhizoma products processed with different methods. The correlation between toxicity variation and lectin content variation was then analyzed. Different decoction pieces of Pinelliae Rhizoma were collected for the determination of lectin content. The three processed products of Pinelliae Rhizoma showed gradually decreased toxicity and lectin content as the processing continued. The decreasing trend of lectin content was consistent with that of irritant toxicity during processing, which indicated that the change in lectin content could reflect the trend of irritant toxicity. No band of lectin appeared in the Western blot of processed products of Pinelliae Rhizoma, which suggested that western blotting can be used for the detection of toxic lectin in the processed products of Pinelliae Rhizoma. Lectin should not be detected in the Pinelliae Rhizoma products processed according to the methods in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

[Medication law and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases: based on traditional Chinese medicine theory of cold pestilence].

Epidemic diseases have caused huge harm to the society. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has made great contributions to the prevention and treatment of them. It is of great reference value for fighting diseases and developing drugs to explore the medication law and mechanism of TCM under TCM theory. In this study, the relationship between the TCM theory of cold pestilence and modern epidemic diseases was investigated. Particularly, the the relationship of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19), severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS), and influenza A(H1 N1) with the cold pestilence was identified and analyzed. The roles of TCM theory of cold pestilence in preventing and treating modern epidemic diseases were discussed. Then, through data mining and textual research, prescriptions for the treatment of cold pestilence were collected from major databases and relevant ancient books, and their medication laws were examined through analysis of high-frequency medicinals and medicinal pairs, association rules analysis, and cluster analysis. For example, the prescriptions with high confidence levels were identified: "Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Bupleuri Radix-Paeoniae Radix Alba" "Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Pinelliae Rhizoma-Bupleuri Radix", and TCM treatment methods with them were analyzed by clustering analysis to yield the medicinal combinations: "Zingiberis Rhizoma-Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma" "Poria-Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma" "Cinnamomi Ramulus-Asari Radix et Rhizoma" "Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium-Perillae Folium" "Pinelliae Rhizoma-Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex-Atractylodis Rhizoma" "Paeoniae Radix Alba-Angelicae Sinensis Radix-Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Bupleuri Radix-Scutellariae Radix-Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens" "Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum-Gypsum Fibrosum" "Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix-Angelicae Dahuricae Radix-Platycodonis Radix-Saposhnikoviae Radix". Then, according to the medication law for cold pestilence, the antiviral active components of medium-frequency and high-frequency medicinals were retrieved. It was found that these components exerted the antiviral effect by inhibiting virus replication, regulating virus proteins and antiviral signals, and suppressing protease activity. Based on network pharmacology, the mechanisms of the medicinals against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV), 2019 novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV), and H1 N1 virus were explored. It was determined that the key targets were tumor necrosis factor(TNF), endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA), serum creatinine(SRC), epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9), mitogen-activated protein kinase 14(MAPK14), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2), which were involved the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) pathway, advanced glycation end-products(AGE)-receptor for AGE(RAGE) pathway, COVID-19 pathway, and mTOR pathway. This paper elucidated the medication law and mechanism of TCM for the prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases under the guidance of TCM theory of cold pestilence, in order to build a bridge between the theory and modern epidemic diseases and provide reference TCM methods for the prevention and treatment of modern epidemic diseases and ideas for the application of data mining to TCM treatment of modern diseases.

Identification of Pinelliae Rhizoma and its counterfeit species based on enzymatic signature peptides from toxic proteins.

BACKGROUND: Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR), a toxic medication, with long history, is commonly used for eliminating phlegm. Due to the shortage of wild resources and the relative lacking of cultivation technology, it is often confused with its counterfeit species in the market, such as Typhonii Rhizoma (TR), Arisaematis Rhizoma (AR) and tubers of Typhonium flagelliforme (TF) and Pinellia pedatisecta (PP). PURPOSE: It was aimed to screen signature enzymatic peptides from toxic proteins to identify PR and its four counterfeit species. STUDY DESIGN: A comparative proteogenomics strategy based on open-source transcriptome data was applied for screening signature peptides from toxic proteins, which were applied for species authentication of PR and its counterfeit species. METHODS: Firstly, the open-source transcriptome data was used for constructing the annotated protein database, which was used for peptides identification. Secondly, the toxicity of different fractions of PR were evaluated by the rat peritoneal inflammation model. Furthermore, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were used to profile the main proteins bands of five species, whose sequences were identified based on the in-gel digestion experiment by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Finally, the label-free proteomic analysis was performed to character the proteins and screen the signature peptides of five species, which were validated in commercially available products by dynamic multi reaction monitor (DMRM). RESULTS: The results in this study confirmed that protein was the main toxic components of PR. Both Pinellia ternata agglutinin (PTA) and trypsin inhibitor (TI) like proteins are the main proteins, which were characterized by proteomic analysis based on four annotated protein database. Meanwhile, seven signature peptides from toxic proteins were screened and validated with good repeatability and specificity in commercial products. CONCLUSION: Seven signature enzymatic peptides from toxic protein screened by the comparative proteogenomics strategy based on open-source transcriptome data achieved good identification ability of PR and its four counterfeit species.

A comprehensive review on ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological evaluation, and quality control of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pinellia ternata tuber (PTT), the dried tuber of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit., has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine for drying dampness, resolving phlegm, down-bearing counterflow to check vomiting and dissipating masses. Modern pharmacology studies have revealed that PTT has diverse pharmacological effects such as antitussive and expectorant, anti-emetic, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory effect, etc. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive evaluation on ethnopharmacological uses, chemical constituents, pharmacological and toxicological effects, analytical methods and quality control of PTT, which would provide scientific evidence for exploring future therapeutic, and formulating quality and safety criteria of PTT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pertinent information was systematically collected from several electronic scientific databases including Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, Elsevier, Wiley Online Library and China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), as well as the classic Chinese medical books. RESULTS: PTT is reported to be widely used traditionally for the treatment of cough, vomiting, infection, and inflammatory diseases in many southeast Asian countries. Phytochemical studies have revealed the presence of a total of 233 compounds belonging to alkaloids, nucleosides, organic acids, polysaccharides, volatile oils, amino acids, proteins, starches, etc. The extracts and components of PTT have possessed diverse pharmacological activities, such as antitussive, antiemetic, antitumor, antibacterial, and sedative-hypnotic activities. Raw P. ternata tuber (RPTT) with a pungent taste causes acrid irritation of the oral and laryngopharynx mucosa when taken by mistake, while its toxicity and side effects of RPTT can be dramatically reduced with proper processing. Three kinds of processed P. ternata tuber with different processing methods are available and traded in market, as well as applied in clinical treatments. Additionally, although raw or processed PTT have been recorded in several mainstream pharmacopoeias such as Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Japanese Pharmacopoeia, and Korean Pharmacopoeia, the quality items and requirements varies a lot. Therefore, a unified international standard of raw and processed PTT is urgent need to be done. CONCLUSIONS: The ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological and quality evaluation of PTT were highlighted in this review, which provides potential reference information to future investigate and commercially explore for pharmaceutical applications. Nevertheless, an efficient method for chemical profiling is still unavailable to find potent bioactive markers for quality control, and then comprehensive pharmacological effects and mechanisms and toxicological evaluation of PTT require further detailed research to ensure their quality and safety.

Network pharmacology study of Citrus reticulata and Pinellia ternata in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

It has been recognized that Citrus reticulata and Pinellia ternata have a good therapeutic effect on NSCLC. However, the potential mechanism of C. reticulata and P. ternata in the treatment of NSCLC based on network pharmacology analysis is not clear. The "Drug-Component-Target-Disease" network was constructed by Cytoscape, and the protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING. Our study indicated that 18 active ingredients of C. reticulata and P. Ternata were screened from the TCMSP database, and 56 target genes of C. reticulata and P. Ternata for the treatment of NSCLC were identified, and we constructed the "Drug-Component-Target-Disease" network. In this study, we screened 56 PPI core genes to establish a PPI network. We concluded that the network pharmacology mechanism of the effect of C. reticulata and P. Ternata  on NSCLC may be closely related to the protein expressed by TP53, ESR1, FOS, NCOA3 and MAPK8, and these may play the therapeutic roles by regulating the IL-17 signaling pathway, antigen processing and presentation, microRNAs in cancer and endocrine resistance.

Expression of Pinellia pedatisecta Agglutinin PPA Gene in Transgenic Sugarcane Led to Stomata Patterning Change and Resistance to Sugarcane Woolly Aphid, Ceratovacuna lanigera Zehntner.

The sugarcane woolly aphid is one of the main pests of sugarcane worldwide. The Pinellia pedatisecta agglutinin (PPA) gene has been demonstrated to function towards aphid resistance in other crops. In our study, in order to investigate the PPA function towards aphid control in sugarcane and its underlying mechanism, the PPA gene was overexpressed in a sugarcane Zhongzhe 1 (ZZ1) cultivar in independent transgenic sugarcane lines. It was confirmed in this study that PPA transgenic sugarcane can resist aphids via detecting the aphids' development and tracing the survival number on PPA-transgenic sugarcane lines as well as PPA negative control lines. The mechanism of PPA lectin-associated defense against aphids was preliminarily explored. Stomatal patterning differences of sugarcane leaves between PPA-transgenic sugarcane lines and negative control lines were found. PPA overexpression led to an increase in stomata number and a decrease in stomata size that might have changed the transpiration status, which is critical for aphids' passive feeding. Moreover, the antioxidant enzyme, sugar, tannin and chlorophyll content in sugarcane leaves before and after aphid infestation was determined. The results indicated that PPA overexpression in sugarcane resulted in an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity and tannin content, as well as a reduction in the decline of certain sugars. These together may improve sugarcane resistance against the sugarcane woolly aphid.

Ban-xia-xie-xin-tang ameliorates hepatic steatosis by regulating Cidea and Cidec expression in HFD-fed mice.

BACKGROUND: Ban-xia-xie-xin-tang (BXXXT) has been applied in treating metabolic diseases, such as nonalcohol fatty liver disease, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of BXXXT in treating diabetes mellitus is unknown. PURPOSE: To clarify the underlying molecular mechanism of BXXXT in alleviating hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. METHODS: After 12 weeks of HFD treatment, mice were administered BXXXT for 4 weeks. The main chemical components of BXXXT were identified by UPLC-TQ-MS/MS. Indicators associated with insulin resistance and lipid metabolism were detected. The effect of improving glucose and lipid metabolism between BXXXT and the different components was compared. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by hepatic transcriptomics. Key DEGs and proteins were further detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining. LDs and mitochondria were detected by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: First of all, our data demonstrated that the capacity to improve glucose and lipid metabolism for BXXXT was significantly superior to different components of BXXXT. BXXXT was found to improve HFD-induced insulin resistance. Moreover, BXXXT decreased weight, serum/hepatic triglycerides, total cholesterol, and FFAs to alleviate HFD-induced hepatic steatosis. According to the results of the hepatic transcription, Cidea and Cidec were identified as critical DEGs for promoting LD fusion and reducing FFAs ß-oxidation in mitochondria and peroxisome resulting in hepatic steatosis, which was reversed by BXXXT. CONCLUSION: BXXXT ameliorates HFD-induced hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance by increasing Cidea and Cidec-mediated mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation, which may provide a potential strategy for therapy of NAFLD and T2DM.