Search

In this study, we have selected the papers in the chemometric field that were published between 2001 and 2015 in the six journals (Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems, Journal of Chemometrics, Analytica Chimica Acta , Analytical Chemistry , Talanta and Journal of Chromatography A) to investigate the collaboration patterns and network. We reveal and visualize the collaboration patterns, publication trends, and research hotspots on chemometrics based on the datasets. The central chemometricians are then determined under different indexes. Finally, we discover that the largest component of the network is clustered into the "Big Europe" and "China-Changsha" community. The rest components in the network are also identified and explained. The results show the features of the collaboration patterns and network in chemometric research and present a new way to explore the zeitgeist in the area. • This paper researches the evolving collaboration patterns and network among chemometricians quantitatively. • We discuss the results on the publication and coauthor patterns, and most central authors, hot research topics. • The major components in the network can be interpreted by their geographical distributions. • The largest component of the network could be clustered into the "Big Europe" and "China Changsha" community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver, a single species of Eucommia genus belonging to the Eucommiaceae family, is an endemic in China and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for nearly two thousand years. Records from different historical periods highlight E. ulmoides and its officinal botanical parts, usefulness in adaptation to disease and its central role in Chinese medicine theory. There are also historical collection documents for minorities in China. Tearing the leaves, bark and fruit produces strands of latex; a description of E. ulmoides's morphological features is recorded in this paper. This review summarizes 204 natural compounds isolated from this plant, which are divided into seven categories: lignans, iridoids, flavonoids, phenols, steroids, terpenes and others. These components possess wide-ranging pharmacological efficacies, such as antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemia, anti-oxidative, anti-osteoporosis, antitumor, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective activities. This review aims to provide a reference for extensive researches of E. ulmoides crude drugs, especially for quality control, biosynthesis and structure modification of active ingredients and pharmacological mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As chromatographic techniques have advanced, many articles that analyze the constituting compounds of medicinal materials have been published in relation to Northeast Asian traditional medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TM-MC was launched in 2015, providing information about the chemical compounds in medicinal materials from chromatographic articles in PubMed. Since 2015, through continuous curation efforts, we have now released TM-MC 2.0 with significant improvements to the quantity and quality of the data (https://tm-mc.kr). Description: TM-MC 2.0 contains 635 medicinal materials, 34,107 chemical compounds (21,306 identified and de-duplicated), 13,992 targets, 27,997 diseases, and 5,075 prescriptions (2,393 de-duplicated by name). The database provides the largest number of identified compounds for medicinal materials listed in the pharmacopoeia compared to all TCM databases. In particular, marker compounds of medicinal materials and many newly discovered compounds were added through the manual curation of recent chromatographic articles. Conclusion: TM-MC 2.0 provides the largest collection of information about the chemical compounds of the medicinal materials listed in the Korean, Chinese, and Japanese pharmacopoeias. Our database can be utilized for network pharmacology in traditional medicine and for the compound screening of medicinal materials for modern drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phytochemical investigation of the EtOH extract from the aerial parts ofViburnum betulifoliumBatal. afforded four new tetrahydrofuran lignans, betulifolium A-D (1,2,4, and5), together with two known compounds vibsanol-9′-al (3) and sarcomeginal (6). This paper deals with the isolation and structure elucidation of the new compounds on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including 1D NMR, 2D NMR analyses and HR-ESI-MS data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this paper is to develop a rapid and highly sensitive quantitative HPLC fingerprint method with multiple indicators by using the Compound Chinese Medicine Wuwei Changyanning granule and 5 herbs in the prescription. The quantitative fingerprint chromatogram with multiple indicators was investigated. ?)6 compositions included rutin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, atractylenolide ?, pachymic acid and apigenin, which originated from 5 herbs respectively, were selected as quantitative compositions, and their contents were determined using HPLC from 11 batches granules and the corresponding 5 medicinal materials. ii) The precision, stability and repeatability of fingerprinting were investigated. In addition, common peaks number, the percentage of non-common peaks and similarity were also studied. Among them, 21 common peaks in the granule could find the source of peaks from the 5 herbs, among of 10 peaks from Niuerfeng, 9 peaks from Laliao, 3 peaks from Baishu, 3 peaks from Fuling and 5 peaks from Guanghuoxiang. The results showed that the identification method of fingerprinting was reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in surface soils of Datuo karst Tiankeng (large sinkholes) in South China with the use of a gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) system. This paper provides data on the levels and distribution of PAHs from the top to the bottom of the Datuo karst Tiankeng. The results showed that the sum of the 16 EPA priority PAHs from the sampled locations from top to bottom had a relative increment in PAHs concentration. ∑PAHs ranged from 16.93 ng/g to 68.07 ng/g with a mean concentration of 42.15 ng/g. The correlated results showed the bottom of the large sinkhole, which accounts for the higher concentrations, probably acts like a trap for the PAHs. Thus, the low evaporation rate at the bottom may play a key role in controlling the high concentration of PAHs at the bottom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the rapid development of the cosmetic industry, cosmetic safety has become the focus of consumers' attention. However, in order to achieve the desired effects in the short term, the illegal addition of hormones in cosmetics has emerged frequently, which could induce skin problems and even skin cancer after long-term use. Therefore, it is of great significance to master the illegal addition in cosmetics and effectively detect the hormones that may exist in cosmetics. In this review, we analyze the illegally added hormone types, detection values, and cosmetic types, as well as discuss the hormone risks in cosmetics for human beings, according to the data in unqualified cosmetics in China from 2017 to 2022. Results showed that although the frequency of adding hormones in cosmetics has declined, hormones are still the main prohibited substances in illegal cosmetics, especially facial masks. Because of the complex composition and the low concentration of hormones in cosmetics, it is necessary to combine efficient sample preparation technology with instrumental analysis. In order to give the readers a comprehensive overview of hormone analytical technologies in cosmetics, we summarize the advanced sample preparation techniques and commonly used detection techniques of hormones in cosmetics in the last decade (2012–2022). We found that ultrasound-assisted extraction, solid phase extraction, and microextraction coupled with chromatographic analysis are still the most widely used analytical technologies for hormones in cosmetics. Through the investigation of market status, the summary of sample pretreatment and detection technologies, as well as the discussion of their development trends in the future, our purpose is to provide a reference for the supervision of illegal hormone residues in cosmetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rabdosia rubescens is a traditional herbal medicine, commonly known as an anti-cancer plant. A large number of literatures have reported that the diterpenoids in R. rubescens have strong anti-tumor effects. The purpose of this study was to isolate the anti-cancer active ingredients from R rubescens, identify their structures by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and establish high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of content of the oridonin and the ponicidin in R. rubescens. Materials and Methods: The anti-cancer components of R. rubescens were isolated using silica gel column chromatography, and their structures were identified by NMR technology. HPLC method was established for the determination of the content of the oridonin and the ponicidin in R. rubescens collected from July to October in Taihang Mountain, China. Results: Two anti-cancer components—the oridonin and the ponicidin—were isolated and identified. HPLC methods for the determination of the oridonin and the ponicidin were established. This method could be used to complete the chromatographic analysis of the oridonin and the ponicidin within 10 min, and the chromatographic peaks of each component reached the baseline separation. The contents of the oridonin and the ponicidin in the whole grass of R. rubescens collected from July to October were 0.469%, 0.618%, 0.625%, 0.448% and 0.124%, 0.203%, 0.216%, 0.127%, respectively. The results showed that August to September was the best harvest time, and the contents of the oridonin and the ponicidin were the highest during this time. The specific harvest time was determined by the climate and precipitation of the year. Conclusion: The HPLC method established in this study was simple, rapid, accurate, reliable, and reproducible, which provided a reference for drug application and resource utilization of R. rubescens and could be used for quantitative analysis of anti-cancer active ingredients in R. rubescens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new dinor-eudesmane sesquiterpenoids, named multistalin A (1), and multistalin B (2), together with three sesquiterpene glycosides (3–5), and a norlabdane-type diterpene (6) were isolated from the root extract of Chloranthus multistachys Pei. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including 1D, 2D NMR techniques and HR-ESI-MS. In addition, the cytotoxicity activities of the isolated compounds against selected cancer cells (Hela and A-549) were evaluated by MTT assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation on the 95% alcohol extract of the aerial part of Inula japonica led to the isolation of three new compounds, inulanolides F-G (1-2) and 17α-carboxaldehyde-ent-kaur-18-oic acid (3), together with four known compounds (4–7). The structures of new compounds were elucidated by using spectroscopic data. Most of the isolated compounds showed significant anti-inflammatory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patrinia scabra Bunge is a well-known herbal medicine for its favorable treatment on inflammatory diseases owing to its effective ingredients, in which iridoid glycoside plays an extremely significant role. This article aimed to improve the content of total iridoid glycosides in crude extract through a series optimization of extraction procedure. Moreover, considering that both pain and inflammation are two correlated responses triggered in response to injury, irritants or pathogen, the article investigated the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of P. scabra to screen out the active fraction. Method: P. scabra was extracted by ultrasonic-microwave synergistic extraction (UMSE) to obtain total iridoid glycosides (PSI), during which a series of conditions were investigated based on single-factor experiments. The extraction process was further optimized by a reliable statistical method of response surface methodology (RSM). The elution fractions of P. scabra extract were prepared by macroporous resin column chromatography. Through the various animal experiment including acetic acid-induced writhing test, formalin induced licking and flinching, carrageenan-induced mice paw oedema test and xylene-induced ear edema in mice, the active fractions with favorable analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect were reasonably screen out. Results: The content of PSI could reach up to 81.42 ± 0.31 mg/g under the optimum conditions as follows: ethanol concentration of 52%, material-to-liquid ratio of 1:18 g/mL, microwave power at 610 W and extraction time of 45 min. After gradient elution by the macroporous resin, the content of PSI increased significantly. Compared with other concentrations of elution liquid, the content of PSI in 30 and 50% ethanol eluate was increased to reach 497.65 and 506.90 mg/g, respectively. Owing to the pharmacology experiment, it was reasonably revealed that 30 and 50% ethanol elution fractions of P. scabra could relieve pain centrally and peripherally, exhibiting good analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Conclusion: Patrinia scabra possessed rich iridoids and exhibited significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation on the 80% EtOH extract of the whole plants of Zephyranthes grandiflora afforded three new 4a-epi-plicamine-type alkaloids, zephyranthines A-C (1-3). Structural elucidation of all the compounds were performed by spectral methods such as 1D and 2D (1H-1H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to high resolution mass spectrometry. All the alkaloids were in vitro evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against six glioma cell lines (CHG-5, SH-SY5Y, SHG-44, U251, U343, and GL15). Alkaloids 2 and 3 exhibited significant cytotoxic activities against all tested cell lines with IC50 values of less than 20 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Arctiin, an important lignan compound in Fructus Arctii, has been reported to possess various kinds of bioactivities. Previous studies on the pharmacokinetic of arctiin after oral administration showed that it had a rapid absorption phase followed by a sharp but lasting disappearance. To gain deep insight into the action mechanism of arctiin, the excretion and metabolism of arctiin in vivo should be further studied. In this paper, three metabolites were isolated and identified in rat feces as (−)-enterolactone (M-1), (−)-arctigenin (M-2) and [(2R,3R)-2-(3′-hydroxybenzyl)-3-(3″,4″-dimethoxybenzyl)-butyrolactone] (M-3). Based on the structures of three metabolites, possible metabolic pathways of arctiin in rats are proposed. At the same time, the cumulative excretion rate of arctiin and its metabolites in rat urine and feces were determined, indicating that arctiin was excreted 19.84% in urine and 1.80% in feces, respectively, enterolactone, the most main metabolite, was excreted 35.80% in feces. These results provide very important information for understanding the metabolism and excretion of arctiin in vivo and speculating its action mechanism, they can provide useful information and reference for further metabolic investigations on arctiin in humans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Oxadiargyl is a commonly used herbicide in China. We developed a simple, fast, and high-throughput method employing gas chromatography with electron capture detector to determine oxadiargyl residues in food samples (rice, straws) and environmental samples (soil, water). Samples were prepared by a modified QuEChERS procedure. In this method, acetonitrile was used as the extracting solvent. The purifying step was omitted when the chromatographic conditions were optimized. Recoveries ranged from 82.9 to 112.0% for oxadiargyl in all samples, with relative standard deviation values lower than 6.2% at 0.01 mg/kg fortified concentration level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes an improved quality assessment method for Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii (the rhizome and root of Notopterygium incisum Ting ex H.T. Chang or Notopterygium forbesii Boiss). The method was established by using fingerprinting and quantitation of marker compounds (isoimperatorin, notopterol and bergapten) in this herbal medicine. The authentication of Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii using high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting was achieved by comparing the colors and R f values of the bands in TLC fingerprints with those of the marker compounds. The HPLC fingerprints of 16 batches of herbal samples from different regions of China showed similar chromatographic patterns. Five peaks were selected as characteristic peaks, and three of these were identified by using LC–MS–MS techniques. The relative retention times of these characteristic peaks in the HPLC fingerprint were established as an important parameter for identification of Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii. Finally, the pharmacologically active marker compounds isoimperatorin, notopterol and bergapten in this herb were quantitatively determined using a validated reverse-phase HPLC method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Strawberries are widely cultivated and highly consumed globally, but pests and diseases can severely affect yields. Phenamacril and difenoconazole are high-efficacy pesticides and the mixture of these two pesticides offers a satisfactory option for disease control. In this study, an optimised QuEChERS method combined with dispersive solid-phase extraction purification before injection for simultaneously determining the residues of phenamacril–difenoconazole mixture on strawberries was developed and validated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS). Average recoveries of phenamacril and difenoconazole in the strawberry matrices ranged from 100% to 104% and 99% to 104%, with relative standard deviations of 2.6%–5.3% and 2.2%–5.5%, respectively. The degradation half-lives of phenamacril and difenoconazole were 3.5–6.6 days and 2.2–3.4 days on strawberries, respectively. Final residues of phenamacril and difenoconazole on strawberries at eight different cultivation regions were 0.033–0.66 mg kg−1 and <0.02–0.089 mg kg−1 after spraying at the maximum dosage recommended by the company of 300 mg a.i. kg−1 twice, respectively. Overall, this study is the first report of phenamacril and difenoconazole residue analysis in strawberries. Therefore, it could provide the reference data for safe management and proper use of phenamacril and difenoconazole in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new homo-aro-cholestane glycoside parispolyside H, along with nine known compounds, were isolated from 75% ethanolic extract of the rhizome of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basic of analysis of detailed spectroscopic and physicochemical properties. In addition, the isolated compounds (1, 6-9) were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against HepG2 human liver cancer cell lines. Among them, four known compounds (6-9) showed cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from 0.41 to 3.6 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new compounds, namely massonside C (1), massonianoside F (2), and 3, 8-dimethyl- herbacetin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), together with five known compounds (4–8), were isolated from the fresh needles of Pinus massoniana. Their structures were established by 1D, 2D NMR, HRMS and comparison with the literature data. The absolute configuration of 1 was confirmed by a combination of X-ray single crystal analysis. All isolated compounds were evaluated for the protective effect of human umbilical vein endothelial cells against oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the efficiency of different separation techniques for extracting synovial tissue-derived exosomes. Methods: The synovial tissue discarded during knee arthroscopy or total knee arthroplasty surgery was collected from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Ultracentrifugation (UC), filtration combined with size exclusion chromatography (SECF), and 8% polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used to extract synovial tissue-derived exosomes. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracer analysis (NTA), and Western Blot (WB) were used to detect the morphology, particle size, and biomarker proteins (CD9, CD63, Flotillin-1, and calnexin) of exosomes. Results: The extracts of enriched round and discoid vesicles were successfully extracted with UC, SECF, and PEG. The results of TEM have shown that all three extraction methods can extract circular or elliptical vesicles with disc- and cup-shaped structures from the synovial tissue, with the diameter is about 30–150 nm. NTA suggested the main peaks of three groups of exosomes are around 100–120 nm, and the concentration of the three groups of exosomes was greater than 1 × 1010/ml. The results of WB showed that three positive protein markers (CD9, CD63, and Flotillin-1) were highly expressed in the suspension extracted by the three methods and low in the synovial tissue. However, the negative protein (calnexin) was highly expressed in synovial tissues and PEG group, while low in UC and SECF group. Conclusion: Morphology, particle size, and labeled protein marker detection confirmed that UC, SECF, and PEG can extract exosomes derived from synovial tissue; UC and SECF are more recommended for the extraction of synovial tissue-derived exosomes, which provides a methodological basis for studying the function and mechanism of synovial tissue exosomes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the important contribution of nitrous acid (HONO) to OH radicals in the atmosphere, various technologies have been developed to measure HONO. Among them, wet-denuder–ion-chromatography (WD/IC) is a widely used measurement method. Here, we found interferences with HONO measurements by WD/IC based on a comparison study of concurrent observations of HONO concentrations using a WD/IC instrument (Monitor for AeRosols and Gases in ambient Air, MARGA) and long-path absorption photometer (LOPAP) at the Station for Observing Regional Processes of the Earth System (SORPES) in eastern China. The measurement deviation of the HONO concentration with the MARGA instrument, as a typical instrument for WD/IC, is affected by two factors. One is the change in denuder pH influenced by acidic and alkaline gases in the ambient atmosphere, which can affect the absorption efficiency of HONO by the wet denuder to underestimate the HONO concentration by up to 200 % at the lowest pH. The other is the reaction of NO2 oxidizing SO2 to form HONO in the denuder solution to overestimate the HONO concentration, which can be increased by to 400 % in denuder solutions with the highest pH values due to ambient NH3. These processes are in particularly important in polluted east China, which suffers from high concentrations of SO2 , NH3 , and NO2. The overestimation induced by the reaction of NO2 and SO2 is expected to be of growing importance with the potentially increased denuder pH due to the decrease in SO2. We further established a method to correct the HONO data measured by a WD/IC instrument such as the MARGA. In case a large amount WD/IC-technique-based instruments are deployed with the main target of monitoring the water-soluble composition of PM 2.5 , our study can help to obtain a long-term multi-sites database of HONO to assess the role of HONO in atmospheric chemistry and air pollution in east China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new diphenyl ethers (1-3), together with four known isopentylated diphenyl ethers derivatives (4-7), were isolated from the fermentation products of an endophytic fungus Phomopsis fukushii. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated for their anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (anti-MRSA) activity. The results revealed that compounds 1 and 2 showed strong inhibitions with inhibition zone diameters (IZD) of 20.2 ± 2.5 mm and 17.9 ± 2.2 mm, respectively. Compound 3 also showed good inhibition with IZD 15.2 ± 1.8 mm. The IZD data of compound 1 is close to that of positive control with IZD 21.9 ± 2.1 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new prenylated chalcones hedysarumines C-G (1-5), along with eight known chalcones (6-13) all of which were isolated from the genus Hedysarum for the first time, were isolated from the roots of Hedysarum gmelinii by chromatographic methods. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic techniques. The isolated chalcones (2-13) and previously isolated prenylated chalcones (14-16) were evaluated for antiproliferative activity against five human cancer cell lines (HepG2, A549, Du145, BGC823, and HCT116) and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Compounds 5, 10, and 15 inhibited NO production induced by lipopolysaccharide in BV-2 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 3.25 to 8.48 μM. Compounds 4 and 11 showed moderate antiproliferative activity to selective human cancer cell lines, with the IC50 values of 4 and 11 against A549 cell line being 7.79 and 9.67 μM, respectively, and the IC50 value of 11 against HCT116 cell line being 8.85 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new steroidal glycosides (named fibrophiopogonins A, B), along with one known glycoside, were isolated from the fibrous roots of Ophiopogon japonicus (Liliaceae). Comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including 2D NMR spectroscopy, and the results of acid hydrolysis allowed the chemical structure of the compounds to be assigned as 26-[(O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-D-glucopyranosyl)]-barogenin- 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside and (25R)-26-[(O- β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl)]- 3β,22α,26- trihydroxyfurost- 5-ene-3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside. This is the first isolation of a cholestane glycoside with disaccharide moiety from a Ophiopogon species. The cytotoxic activities of 1~3 against A375 and MCF-7 cells are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Binax NOW rapid immunochromatographic membrane test (ICT), a rapid method for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen, has been used widely in Europe and America, but rarely in China. Objective: Our aim is to evaluate the utility of the ICT among adult patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in China. Methods: Adult patients with CAP were prospectively recruited from 12 general hospitals. ICT tests were done in all patients and clinical data were recorded. Qualified sputum culture was used as the standard for determining the diagnostic usefulness of ICT test. Result: Thousand hundred fifty four CAP patients were enrolled in analysis, with median (IQR) age of 48 (35) years. 276 (23.9%) patients had underling diseases, 770 (66.7%) had received antibiotics before ICT test. Overall, the positive rate of ICT test was 3.3%, with sensitivity and specificity 57.9% and 96.6%, respectively. Disease severity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), increased age; respiratory rate (RR), neutrophil ratio, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), procalcitonin (PCT) and the decreased oxygenation index were associated with positive results of ICT tests. Patients with BUN >7 mmol/L, CURB‐65 3‐5, PCT > 2ng/mL were the top three groups with highest positive rate of ICT test (22.6%, 22.2% and 21.1% respectively). Conclusion: ICT test has a moderate sensitivity and high specificity in adults with CAP in China. Patients classified as sever pneumonia, or those with BUN > 7 mmol/L, or PCT > 2 ng/mL are more likely to have positive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menthae Haplocalycis herba, one kind of Chinese edible herbs, has been widely utilized for the clinical use in China for thousands of years. Over the last decades, studies on chemical constituents of Menthae Haplocalycis herba have been widely performed. However, less attention has been paid to non-volatile components which are also responsible for its medical efficacy than the volatile constituents. Therefore, a rapid and sensitive method was developed for the comprehensive identification of the non-volatile constituents in Menthae Haplocalycis herba using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap). Separation was performed with Acquity UPLC® BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) with 0.2% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile as the mobile phase under gradient conditions. Based on the accurate mass measurement (<5 ppm), MS/MS fragmentation patterns and different chromatographic behaviors, a total of 64 compounds were unambiguously or tentatively characterized, including 30 flavonoids, 20 phenolic acids, 12 terpenoids and two phenylpropanoids. Finally, target isolation of three compounds named Acacetin, Rosmarinic acid and Clemastanin A (first isolated from Menthae Haplocalycis herba) were performed based on the obtained results, which further confirmed the deduction of fragmentation patterns and identified the compounds profile in Menthae Haplocalycis herba. Our research firstly systematically elucidated the non-volatile components of Menthae Haplocalycis herba, which laid the foundation for further pharmacological and metabolic studies. Meanwhile, our established method was useful and efficient to screen and identify targeted constituents from traditional Chinese medicine extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutypellol A (1), the first norsesquiterpenoid of sequicarene family, as well as eutypellol B (2), a rare 7-methyl oxidized 2-carene derivative, and one new natural product 2-(2-hydroxy-4-methylcyclohex-3-enyl)propanoic acid (3), along with eight known terpenoids, were isolated from the marine sediment-derived fungusEutypella scopariaFS46 collected from the South China Sea. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compounds1–3were evaluated for their antibacterial activities againstStaphylococcus aureusand cytotoxic activities against MCF-7, NCI-H460, and SF-268 tumor cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Ophiopogon japonicas (L.f) Ker-Gawl has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine to cure acute and chronic inflammation and cardiovascular diseases including thrombotic diseases for thousands of years. Previous phytochemical studies showed that O. japonicus contained compounds with anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of this study was to identify and isolate compounds with anti-inflammatory activity from the rhizome of O. japonicas. Methods: Compounds were isolated by various column chromatography and their structures were identified in terms of nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (NMR) and mass spectrum (MS). To measure the anti-inflammatory effects of thirteen compounds in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, we used the following methods: cell viability assay, nitric oxide assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative real-time PCR analysis and western blotting analysis. Results: One new and twelve known compounds (mainly homoisoflavonoids) were extracted from O. japonicas, in which 4'-O-Demethylophiopogonanone E (10) was considered as a new compound, additionally, compounds 4-O-(2-Hydroxy-1- hydroxymethylethyl)-dihydroconiferyl alcohol (2) and 5,7-dihydroxy-6-methyl-3-(2', 4'-dihydroxybenzyl) chroman-4-one (12) were isolated from the rhizome of O. japonicas for the first time. The isolated compounds Oleic acid (3), Palmitic acid (4), desmethylisoophiopogonone B [5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4'-hydroxybenzyl)-8- methyl- chromone] (5), 5,7-dihydroxy- 6-methyl-3-(4'-hydroxybenzyl) chromone (7) and 10 significantly suppressed the production of NO in LPS-induced RAW 264. 7 cells. Especially compound 10 showed the strongest effect against the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and IL-6 with the IC50 value of 32.5 ± 3.5 μg/mL and 13.4 ± 2.3 μg/mL, respectively. Further analysis elucidated that the anti-inflammatory activity of compound 10 might be exerted through inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK in MAPK signaling pathways to decrease NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines production. Conclusions: Our results indicated that 4'-O-Demethylophiopogonanone E can be considered as a potential source of therapeutic medicine for inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current study was carried out to provide a reference for monitory of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in feed ingredients and complete feeds were collected from different Province in China from 2013 to 2015. Methods: A total of 443 feed ingredients, including 220 corn, 24 wheat, 24 domestic distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS), 55 bran, 20 wheat shorts and red dog, 37 imported DDGS, 34 corn germ meal and 29 soybean meal as well as 127 complete feeds including 25 pig complete feed (powder), 90 pig complete feed (pellet), six duck complete feed and six cattle complete feed were randomly collected from different Province in China, respectively, by high-performance chromatography in combined with UV or fluorescence analysis. Results: The incidence rates of AFB1, ZEN and DON contamination of feed ingredients and complete feeds were 80.8, 92.3 and 93.9 %, respectively. The percentage of positive samples for DON ranged from 66.7 to 100 %. Domestic DDGS and imported DDGS presented the most serious contamination AFB1, ZEN and DON contamination levels of feeds ranged from 61.5 to 100 %, indicated that serious contamination over the studied 3-year period. Conclusion: The current data provide clear evidence that AFB1, ZEN and DON contamination of feed ingredients and complete feeds in different Province in China is serious and differs over past 3-year. The use of corn, domestic DDGS, imported DDGS and corn germ meal, which may be contaminated with these three mycotoxins, as animal feed may triggered a health risk for animal. Feeds are most contaminated with DON followed by ZEN and AFB1. Mycotoxins contamination in feed ingredients and complete feeds should be monitored routinely in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five diarylpentanol derivatives including two new compounds stellerasme A (1), stellerasme B (2) were isolated from the aerial parts ofStelleropsis tianschanica. Their structures were elucidated by various spectroscopic techniques (UV, IR, MS, CD, 1D and 2D NMR). All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity activity against HeLa and KB cell lines, and compound1showed selective activities against HeLa cell line with an IC50value of 7.4 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Two new triterpenoids, 2α,3β,16α,19α,23-pentahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (1) and 2α,3α,11α,21α,23-pentahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (2), were isolated from the aerial parts ofCallicarpa kwangtungensis. Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D analyses, as well as MS and IR spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Conclusion: The c.235delC of GJB2 gene is the hotspot mutation of the hearing loss population in the Silk Road region of China. It is high time that some active interventions (such as hearing aids or cochlear implant) are provided to improve their language ability and quality of life. Objectives: The first gene to be identified for humans with nonsyndromic hearing loss was GJB2 gene. We investigated the prevalence of GJB2 mutations in the Silk Road region of China to study the mutation spectrum in this area. Methods: Bidirectional sequencing was carried out for all PCR products of samples. The statistical analysis was carried out using SAS 9.0.1 software. Results: Pathogenic mutations were identified in 243 of 2398 patients, including 168 homozygous mutations and 75 compound heterozygous mutations. Three variants (c.225G>T, c.521G>A, and c.557C>T) are novel mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since human infection with the novel H7N9 avian influenza virus was identified in China in March 2013, the relatively high mortality rate and possibility of human-to-human transmission have highlighted the urgent need for sensitive and specific assays for diagnosis of H7N9 infection. Methodology/Principal Findings: We developed a rapid diagnostic test for the novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus using anti-hemagglutinin (HA) monoclonal antibodies specifically targeting H7 in an immunochromatographic assay system. The assay limit of detection was 103.5 pfu/ml or 103TCID50 of H7N9 virus. The assay specifically detected H7N9 viral isolates and recombinant HA proteins of H7 subtypes including H7N7 and H7N9, but did not react with non-H7 subtypes including H1N1, H3N2, H5N1, H5N9, and H9N2. The detection sensitivity was 59.4% (19/32) for H7N9 patients confirmed by RT-PCR. Moreover, the highest sensitivity of 61.5% (16/26) was obtained when testing H7N9 positive sputum samples while 35.7% (5/14) of nasopharyngeal swabs and 20% (2/10) of fecal samples tested positive. No false positive detection was found when testing 180 H7N9 negative samples. Conclusions/Significance: Our novel rapid assay can specifically detect H7 HA antigen, facilitating rapid diagnosis for prevention and control of the on-going H7N9 epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Part of quercetin flows into the colon after escaping the absorption of the small intestine and will be degraded by colonic microbiota. The catabolites in the colon partially determine the physiological activity of quercetin. Methods: Seven gut bacteria isolated from human feces were utilized to in vitro ferment quercetin. Their catabolites were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, and the antioxidant activities of their fermented broths were compared with that of quercetin. Results: One metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, was produced by both C. perfringens and B. fragilis transforming quercetin. No other metabolites were detected in the other fermented broths. The antioxidant activities of all strains fermenting quercetin reached the highest values at the concentration of 1 mg/mL quercetin in broth; the fermented products of C. perfringens and B. fragilis presented stronger activities than those of other strains at most concentrations of quercetin in broth. Additionally, all of the fermented broths presented a decline of the antioxidant activities compared to quercetin. Therefore, the antioxidant activity of quercetin will be lost when it reaches the human colon because of the gut bacterial fermentation. Conclusions: This is the first study to report that quercetin can be degraded by C. perfringens and B. fragilis and transformed to the same metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and that antioxidant activities decline when quercetin is fermented by seven gut bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new compounds, 4′-(4,5-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)methyl-phenol (1), (3′-hydroxybutan-2′-yl)5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylate (2), and atroviridetide (3), have been isolated from the marine-derived fungus Trichoderma atroviride G 20-12. Their structures were determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Malaria has been recognized as a human disease for thousands of years and remains one of the most common diseases affecting humans worldwide. Therefore, a method for rapidly detecting Plasmodium falciparum is necessary and useful. We have developed Wondfo rapid diagnostic kit based on nano-gold immunochromatography assay for the detection of P. falciparum in patient specimen. In the present study, we demonstrated the sensitivity and specificity of the rapid diagnostic kit in which nano-gold labeling techniques and the monoclonal antibodies against histidine-rich protein-2 of P. falciparum were used to establish two-antibody sandwich immunochromatographic assay for detecting P. falciparum. By using microscopic examination of blood smears as control, the sensitivity, specificity, and feasibility of Wondfo rapid diagnostic kit was determined in the prompt and accurate diagnosis of malaria. In this study, 1,558 blood samples were collected from outpatient clinics in China and detected by both Wondfo kit and microscopic examination. The Wondfo kit did not show cross-reaction with microfilaria, Toxoplasma gondii, and other parasites in the blood. The patient samples positive for rheumatoid factor, HIV, tuberculosis, and syphilis did not show false positivity when testing with Wondfo kit. The detection sensitivity and specificity of Wondfo rapid diagnostic kit were 95.49% and 99.53%, respectively. These results indicate that our rapid diagnostic assay may be useful for detecting P. falciparum in patient specimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new triterpenoid glycosides, mimengosides H (1) and I (2), were isolated from the fruits of Buddleja lindleyana Fort. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods. Neuroprotective effects of these isolates against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells were evaluated. Pretreatment with compound 1 had potential protective effect in a concentration range from 0.1 to 1 μmol l− 1. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Two new triterpene saponins, ilekudinchosides F (1) and G (2), along with three known saponins were isolated from the leaves of Ilex kudingcha C. J. Tseng. The new compounds were characterized as 3β,19α-dihydroxy-12α-ethoxy-urs-13(18)-ene-28,20β-lactone-3-O-[β-d-glucopyranosyl(1 → 3)]-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl(1 → 2)]-α-l-arabinopyranoside (1) and 3β,19α-dihydroxy-12α-methoxy-urs-13(18)-ene-28,20β-lactone-3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl(1 → 2)]-α-l-arabinopyranoside (2). The new structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-TOF-MS, and CD spectrometry, and the known compounds were identified by the comparison of their NMR and HR-TOF-MS data with those reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel spinosin derivative, 6‴-(4‴′-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-vanilloyl spinosin (1) was isolated from the methanol extract of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae, together with five known flavonoids, swertish (2), spinosin (3), 6‴-feruloylspinosin (4), isospinosin (5) and kaempferol 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-O-[O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (6), and two alkanoids, zizyphusine (7) and 6-(2′,3′-dihydroxyl-4′-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydro-furan-1′-yl)-cyclopentene[c]pyrrole-1,3-diol (8). The structure of compound 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic methods including UV, IR, ESI-TOF-MS, 1D, and 2D NMR techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Chemical examination of the methanolic extract from the stem bark of Daphne feddei led to the isolation of three new dicoumarin glucosides (1–3), and eight known coumarins, dicoumarins and dicoumarin glucosides. Their structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of spectral data and comparison with the literature values. All compounds were tested for inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, and compounds 4 and 5 showed potent inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 0.161 and 0.127 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new bisamide N1-acetyl-N7-phenylacetyl cadaverine (1) and a series of diketopiperazines including a new diketopiperazine cyclo(2-hydroxy-Pro-R-Leu) (2), together with a new natural product cyclo(4-hydroxy-S-Pro-S-Trp) (3) and two known leucine-based diketopiperazines cyclo(4-hydroxy-R-Pro-S-Leu) (4) and cyclo (S-Pro-R-Leu) (5), were isolated from ethyl acetate extract of a fermentation broth of a marine-derived Streptomyces sp. Their structures were elucidated by the interpretation of spectroscopic analysis. The antitumor activities of compounds 1–3 against HL-60 cell lines were tested by MTT assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new triterpenoid glycosides, named puberosides C-E (1-3), were isolated from the water-soluble fraction of Glochidion puberum (Linn.) Hutch. Their structures were determined as 3α-[(O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]-22α-trans-cinnamoyl-olean-12-ene-16α,28-diol, 3α-[(O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]-22α-cis-cinnamoyl-olean-12-ene-16α,28-diol, and 3α-[(O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-22α-benzoyloxy-olean-12-ene-16α,28-diol by the combination of 1D, 2D NMR, and MS spectral analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The screening of several Chinese medicinal plants for insecticidal principles showed that essential oil of Rhododendron anthopogonoides flowering aerial parts possessed significant toxicity against maize weevils, Sitophilus zeamais. A total of 37 components were identified in the essential oil and the main constituents of the essential oil were 4-phenyl-2-butanone (27.22%), nerolidol (8.08%), 1,4-cineole (7.85%), caryophyllene (7.63%) and γ-elemene (6.10%), followed by α-farnesene (4.40%) and spathulenol (4.19%). Repeated bioactivity-directed chromatographic separation on silica gel columns led us to isolate three compounds, namely 4-phenyl-2-butanone, 1,4-cineole, and nerolidol. 4-Phenyl-2-butanone shows pronounced contact toxicity against S. zeamais (LD50 = 6.98 μg/adult) and was more toxic than either 1,4-cineole or nerolidol (LD50 = 50.86 μg/adult and 29.30 μg/adult, respectively) against the maize weevils, while the crude essential oil had a LD50 value of 11.67 μg/adult. 4-Phenyl-2-butanone and 1,4-cineole also possessed strong fumigant toxicity against the adults of S. zeamais (LC50 = 3.80 mg/L and 21.43 mg/L) while the crude essential oil had a LC50 value of 9.66 mg/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycoris longituba is one of the species belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family. Despite its limited distribution, endemic to central eastern China, this species displays an exceptionally wide diversity of flower colors from purple, red, orange, to yellow, in nature. We study the natural variation of floral color in L. longituba by testing the components of water-soluble vacuolar pigments - anthocyanins - in its petals using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Four anthocyanins were identified, cyanidin-3-sophoroside (Cy3So), cyanidin-3-xylosylglucoside (Cy3XyGlc), cyanidin-3-sambubioside (Cy3Sa), and pelargonidin-3-xylosylglucoside (Pg3XyGlc), which occur at various amounts in L. longituba petals of different colors. A multivariate analysis was used to explore the relationship between pigments and flower color. Anthocyanins have been thought to play a major role in acting as a UV screen that protects the plant's DNA from sunlight damage and attracting insects for the purpose of pollination. Thus, knowledge about the content and type of anthocyanins determining the petal coloration of Lycoris longituba will help to study the adaptive evolution of flowers and provide useful information for the ornamental breeding of this species [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new C21 steroidal glycosides with a new aglycone of amplexicogenin B were isolated from Cynanchum amplexicaule Sieb. et Zucc. Their structures were elucidated as amplexicogenin B-3-O-β-d-cymaropyranoside (1), amplexicogenin B-3-O-β-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-l-cymaropyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-cymaropyranoside (2) by means of spectral and chemical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new compounds including one flavonol glycoside, irisdichotin A (1), and two flavanonol glycosides, irisdichotins B (2) and C (3), were isolated from the rhizomes of Iris dichotoma Pall. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new staurosporine analog, 10'-{5''-[(methoxycarbonyl)amino]-2''-methyl}-phenylaminocarbonylstaurosporine (1), together with staurosporine (2), was obtained from the culture broth of Actinomycetes Streptomyces sp. (172614). Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis including UV, MS, NMR, and CD spectra. Pharmacological experiments revealed that 1 and 2 showed significant cytotoxicity against human colon tumor cell HCT-116. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans, schinegllignans A and B (1 and 2), together with 11 known (3-13) were isolated from the fruit of Schisandra neglecta. Their structures and stereochemistries were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS techniques. Compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for their anti-HIV activities, and they showed moderate anti-HIV-1 activities with therapeutic index values of 18.5 and 24.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new C-glycosylflavones, named 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-6-methoxy-8-C-β-D-gluco-pyranosyl flavonoside (1), 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-6,7-dimethoxy-8-C-[β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl flavonoside (2), together with nine known compounds (3-11), were isolated from 50% acetone extract of Boea hygrometrica (Bunge.) R.Br. Their structures were established by spectroscopic techniques including MS, IR, UV, and 2D NMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new phenolic compounds, eurycorymboside A (1), eurycorymboside B (6), and eurycorymbic acid (8), were isolated from the stem part of Eurycorymbus cavaleriei (Sapindaceae) along with five known phenolic compounds, glucosyringic acid (2), vanillic acid 4-O-β-d-glucoside (3), koaburaside (4), tachioside (5), and 4-hydroxy-3,5-bis(3-methyl-2-butenyl)benzaldehyde (7). The structures were established on the basis of spectral analysis. The antioxidant activities of compounds 1-6 were evaluated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-free radical scavenging assay. Compound 4 exhibited antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 9.0 μM. Compound 4 also showed weak inhibitory activity against influenza A neuraminidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]