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Zhenmiao Qin,1 Feng Chen,1,2 Demei Chen,1 Yong Wang,1,2 Yinfeng Tan,1,2 Junfeng Ban3 1School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China; 2Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of R&D of Tropical Herbs, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China; 3Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Background: Triamcinolone acetonide (TAA) is an effective and the most commonly used corticosteroid hormone for the treatment of hypertrophic scars (HSs). However, the clinically used dosage has poor tissue permeability and injection safety. By contrast, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have the advantage of high affinity for the skin.Materials and methods: This article describes the preparation of TAA-LNPs using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) as a carrier material, which have good biocompatibility and biodegradability. Based on a systematic investigation of its physicochemical properties, a rabbit ear HSs model was established to evaluate the percutaneous permeability of TAA-LNPs in scar tissue in vitro as well as to assess its curative effect and skin irritation. Results: The results showed that the TAA-LNPs formed uniform and round particles under fluoroscopy and had a complex structure in which a nanoparticle core was surrounded by multiple vesicles. The particles were 232.2±8.2 nm in size, and the complimentary potential was -42.16 mV. The encapsulation efficiency was 85.24%, which is greater than that of other common liposomes and nanoparticles. A test of in vitro scar tissue permeability showed that penetration into scar tissue was twofold and 40-fold higher for TAA-LNPs than for common liposome and commercial suspensions, respectively. The concentration of the absorbed drug effectively inhibited fibroblast proliferation, achieved a therapeutic effect in HSs, and did not stimulate intact or damaged skin. Conclusion: The preparation of TAA into LNPs for transdermal administration can enhance transdermal permeation performance and the safety of this drug, which is beneficial for the treatment of HSs. Keywords: lipid nanoparticles, transdermal permeation, triamcinolone acetonide, hypertrophic scars

Biochemical analyzers are vital instruments that utilize the principle of photoelectric colorimetry to quantify a specific chemical composition in body fluids. This analysis provides critical data for the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and overall health status of various diseases in clinical practice. However, the performance of a biochemical analyzer can vary significantly between different brands or over time within the same brand. Therefore, it is imperative to regularly assess the performance of the analyzer to ensure consistent results for longitudinal studies and to maintain day-to-day data consistency. Additionally, when multiple analyzers are utilized, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of each instrument to ensure accurate results across multiple platforms. In this study, we developed and verified an experimental evaluation scheme for the analytical performance of the instrument, chemometrics for biochemical analyzers, utilizing national reference materials and patient sera as the experimental subjects. We evaluated the performance of the optical system, temperature control system, sample-adding system, and detection system to confirm the feasibility of this scheme. We also compared the analytical performance of different brands of biochemical analyzers for routine biochemical tests, such as liver function, kidney function, ion, blood lipids, blood glucose, and myocardial enzyme spectrum. Using the AU 5400 as a control and the ADVIA 2400 as the comparison system, the relative variation in inter-instrument comparison data was found to be acceptable at the clinical medicine decision level. In conclusion, the performance of a biochemical analyzer can vary significantly between different brands or over time within the same brand. Regular evaluations are necessary to ensure accurate and consistent results across different analyzers. This study provides a feasible scheme for evaluating the analytical performance of biochemical analyzers that can be used to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the results of different brands of automatic chemical analyzers in the laboratory., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Xuedong Song, Shouxia Li, Zhimei Qin, Dingli Chen, Lili Guo, Cairu Liu reports financial support was provided by Handan Central Hospital. Xuedong Song reports a relationship with Handan Science and Technology Bureau that includes: funding grants., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: To understand the risk factors of asthma, we combined genome-wide association study (GWAS) risk loci and clinical data in predicting asthma using machine-learning approaches., Methods: A case-control study with 123 asthmatics and 100 controls was conducted in the Zhuang population in Guangxi. GWAS risk loci were detected using polymerase chain reaction, and clinical data were collected. Machine-learning approaches were used to identify the major factors that contribute to asthma., Results: A total of 14 GWAS risk loci with clinical data were analyzed on the basis of 10 times the 10-fold cross-validation for all machine-learning models. Using GWAS risk loci or clinical data, the best performances exhibited area under the curve (AUC) values of 64.3% and 71.4%, respectively. Combining GWAS risk loci and clinical data, the XGBoost established the best model with an AUC of 79.7%, indicating that the combination of genetics and clinical data can enable improved performance. We then sorted the importance of features and found the top six risk factors for predicting asthma to be rs3117098, rs7775228, family history, rs2305480, rs4833095, and body mass index., Conclusion: Asthma-prediction models based on GWAS risk loci and clinical data can accurately predict asthma, and thus provide insights into the disease pathogenesis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Six undescribed meleagrin analogues, isomeleagrin, meleagrin F, meleagrin G, methylmeleagrin G, isomethylmeleagrin G and meleagrin H, were isolated from the endophytic fungus Penicillium commune, which was obtained from the fresh leaves of a toxic medicinal plant, Tylophora ovata. The structures of these analogues were elucidated through extensive spectroscopic data analysis, and their absolute configurations were characterized by calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Structurally, meleagrin F features an undescribed skeleton with an aniline moiety, which is linked to meleagrin through a C-C bond at C8-C26. Connecting N19-C3' through the C-N bond in meleagrin G, methylmeleagrin G, isomethylmeleagrin G and meleagrin H was rare for amino acid condensation. The cytotoxicity activity of these undescribed compounds was evaluated, and isomeleagrin exhibited a selective cytotoxicity activity against HGC27 cells with an IC 50 value of 2.01 μM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Although gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a common chronic disease in clinical practice, has been widely studied, its potential adverse impact on patients is still a significant clinical concern. It is necessary to understand the pathogenesis of the disease and choose appropriate treatment according to its mechanism. The pathogenesis of GERD is diverse and complex. As the traditional treatment methods are expensive and ineffective in alleviating symptoms in some patients, new treatment options need to be explored. Our previous study suggested that the activation of nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-κB) in esophageal mucosa may be related to the injury of epithelial barrier function caused by reflux. Based on the literature and our previous study results, it is speculated that inhibition of NF-κB activation may block the insult of GERD on the esophageal mucosal barrier. NF-κB may play an important role in the development of GERD. This article reviews the pathogenesis of GERD and the relationship between NF-κB and GERD, in order to provide new strategies for the treatment of GERD., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: There is no conflict of interest in this article., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Six new secondary metabolites, including two new nor-triterpenes ( 1 and 2 ), one new sesquiterpene ( 4 ), two new α -pyrone derivatives ( 6 and 7 ), and one new natural product ( 5 ) along with two known compounds ( 3 and 8 ) were isolated from an endophytic fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides obtained from a toxic medicinal plant Tylophora ovata . Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analyses, while their absolute configurations were determined by CD and X-ray diffraction analyses. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of these compounds were evaluated.

This study aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive, and specific LC-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of nootkatone in rat plasma. α-Cyperone was chosen as the internal standard (IS). The plasma was processed using a one-step acetonitrile protein precipitation method. Chromatographic separation of nootkatone was achieved on a Phenomenex Kinetex XB-C18 column (2.10 × 50 mm, 2.6 μm) at 35°C with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water under a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.35 mL/min. An electrospray ionization source was applied and operated in positive ion and multiple reaction monitoring modes. Nootkatone and IS were quantified using the transitions of m/z 219.200 → 163.110 and m/z 219.200 → 111.000, respectively. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 10-2000 ng/mL (r = 0.9943). The lower limit of quantification was 10 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precision (relative standard deviation) ranged from 2.56% to 8.41%, with the accuracy values ranging from 98.9% to 99.17% for four different concentration levels. The matrix effect and extraction recovery were within acceptable limits. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of nootkatone in rats after oral and intravenous administration at three dosages. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated, showing low bioavailability of nootkatone., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Oat ( Avena sativa ) is extensively planted as a fodder crop on the vast ranges of northern and northwestern China, and it has become an important supplementary feed for grazing livestock (Yang et al. 2010). Microdochium nivale has been reported associated with seedling blight in many temperate regions (Imathiu et al. 2010) and the damage can result in serious loss of oat production. In August 2018, a serious seedling blight of oat (cv. Baiyan 7; about 30-day-old) was observed in the field in Shandan County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province (38.22° N, 101.22° E). More than 20% of oat plants were severely affected. Symptoms included leaf chlorosis and wilt. The root systems of infected plants were black and severely rotted, often with only a small amount of fine root remaining after removal from the soil. Twenty isolations were made from blackened roots on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and five isolations (TM-1, TM-2, TM-3, TM-4 and TM-5) were further purified by a single-spore method (Choi et al. 1999). Each isolate was identical based on preliminary molecular analyses of their DNA sequences of ITS by blast in the NCBI GenBank. The representative isolate TM-2 was selected for sequencing of the RNA polymerase II subunit ( RPB2 ) gene. The isolated colonies were grown on PDA and formed colonies of approximately 62 mm (diameter) in 5 days at 25 ± 1 °C. Colonies exhibited entire margins, the color varied from white to pale yellow, and the sparse aerial mycelium were villous-floccose and cottony. The conidia were falcate, straight to curved, apex pointed or obtuse to subacute, lacking basal differentiation, 0-3-septate, most one-septate, 2.2 to 3.1 × 12.3 to 22.6μm (av.= 2.8 ×17.6; n =50). These morphological characteristics were consistent with previous descriptions of Microdochium (Zhang et al. 2010). Molecular identity was confirmed by sequencing partial sequences of ITS gene (ITS1 and ITS4 primers) (White et al. 1990) and RPB2 regions (RPB2-5f2 and RPB2-7cr) (O'Donnell et al. 2010). Sequences were deposited in GenBank under accessions MN428647 ( RPB2 ) and MN428646 (ITS). Blast search revealed that both of the ITS and RPB2 sequences to be 99% similar to the corresponding sequences of M. nivale (CBS 116205) accession numbers KP859008.1 and KP859117.1. For pathogenicity tests, millet seed-based inoculum of M. nivale was prepared using a modified procedure of Fang et al. (2011). Three-week-old healthy oat seedlings of cv. Baiyan 7 were transplanted into potting mix containing millet seed-based inoculum of M. nivale at a rate of 3%. Control seedlings for comparison were transplanted into pots containing uninoculated potting mix. After 10 days, all the inoculated plants had developed seedling blight symptoms and that were similar to those observed in the field; while control plants remained healthy. The pathogen was reisolated from inoculated plants and identified as M. nivale based on morphological characteristics and the molecular methods described above. To our knowledge, this is the first report of seedling blight of oat caused by M. nivale in China.

Objective: It is crucially important to discover the relationships between genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer. Thus, we proposed a combined bioinformatics method integrating Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC), Lasso, and causal inference method (IDA) to identify the potential miRNA targets for stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) using Borda count election., Materials and Methods: Firstly, the ensemble method integrating PCC, IDA, and Lasso was used to predict miRNA targets. Subsequently, to validate the performance ability of this ensemble method, comparisons between verified database and predicted miRNA targets were implemented. Pathway analysis for target genes in the top 1000 miRNA-mRNA interactions was implemented to discover significant pathways. Finally, the top 10 target genes were identified based on predicted times > 3., Results: The ensemble approach was confirmed to be a feasible method to predict miRNA targets The 527 target genes of the top 1000 miRNA-mRNA interactions were enriched in 21 pathways. Of note, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) was the most significant one. The top 10 target genes were identified based on predicted times > 3, such as GABRA3, CSAG1 and PTPN7. These targets were all predicted by 4 times. Moreover, GABRA3 and CSAG1 were simultaneously targeted by miRNA-105-1, miRNA-105-2, and miRNA-767. Significantly, among these top 10 targets, PTPN7 and GABRA3-miRNA interactions owned the highest correlation with 691., Conclusion: The combined bioinformatics method integrating PCC, IDA, and Lasso might be a valuable method for miRNA target prediction, and dys-regulated expression of miRNAs and their potential targets might be prominently involved in the pathogenesis of STAD.

The aim of the present study was to identify differential pathways in uterine leiomyomata (UL) using a novel method based on protein-protein interaction networks and pathway analysis. The pathway networks were constructed by examining the intersections of the Reactome database and the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/proteins (STRING) protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. The Objective network was defined as the differential expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the interactions identified by STRING. Topological centrality (degree) analysis was performed for the Objective network to explore the hub genes and hub networks. Subsequent to isolating the intersections between the Pathway and Objective networks, randomization tests were conducted to identify the differential pathways. There were 559,598 interactions in the Pathway networks. A total of 657 genes with 3,835 interactions were mapped in the Objective network, which included 20 hub genes. It was identified that 358 pathways demonstrated interaction with the Objective network, such as Signal Transduction, Immune System and Signaling by G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). By accessing the randomization tests, P-values of these pathways were close to 0, which indicated that they were significantly different. The present study successfully identified differential pathways (such as signal transduction, immune system and signaling by GPCR) in UL, which may be potential biomarkers in the detection and treatment of UL.

The objective of the present study is to identify significant genes and pathways associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by systematically tracking the dysregulated modules of re-weighted protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Firstly, normal and HCC PPI networks were inferred and re-weighted based on Pearson correlation coefficient. Next, modules in the PPI networks were explored by a clique-merging algorithm, and disrupted modules were identified utilizing a maximum weight bipartite matching in non-increasing order. Then, the gene compositions of the disrupted modules were studied and compared with differentially expressed (DE) genes, and pathway enrichment analysis for these genes was performed based on Expression Analysis Systematic Explorer. Finally, validations of significant genes in HCC were conducted using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. The present study evaluated 394 disrupted module pairs, which comprised 236 dysregulated genes. When the dysregulated genes were compared with 211 DE genes, a total of 26 common genes [including phospholipase C beta 1 , cytochrome P450 ( CYP ) 2C8 and CYP2B6 ] were obtained. Furthermore, 6 of these 26 common genes were validated by RT-qPCR. Pathway enrichment analysis of dysregulated genes demonstrated that neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, purine and drug metabolism, and metabolism of xenobiotics mediated by CYP were significantly disrupted pathways. In conclusion, the present study greatly improved the understanding of HCC in a systematic manner and provided potential biomarkers for early detection and novel therapeutic methods.

Official guidelines group together all cases of solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without macroscopic vascular invasion, regardless of tumor size. Here, we examined whether this is justified based on overall survival (OS) after hepatic resection (HR). Patients with newly diagnosed solitary HCC treated by initial HR from January 2004 to October 2013 were classified into six groups based on tumor size (in 2-cm increments). Combining adjacent categories with similar OS led to three groups: ≤5 cm (n = 426), >5 and ≤8 cm (n = 229), and >8 cm (n = 202). Among all patients, median survival time was 62 months, and OS was 95 % at 1 year, 73 % at 3 years, and 54 % at 5 years. Patients in the ≤5 cm group showed significantly higher OS (P < 0.001) and lower tumor recurrence (P = 0.004) than those in the >5 and ≤8 cm group, who in turn showed significantly higher OS (P = 0.003) and lower tumor recurrence (P = 0.021) than those in the >8 cm group. Our results suggest that patients with solitary HCC should be subclassified based on tumor size for more accurate prognosis. We propose defining solitary HCC tumors >5 and ≤8 cm as "large" and tumors >8 cm as "huge".

The objective of this paper was to identify hub genes and pathways associated with retinoblastoma using centrality analysis of the co-expression network and pathway-enrichment analysis. The co-expression network of retinoblastoma was constructed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) based on differentially expressed (DE) genes, and clusters were obtained through the molecular complex detection (MCODE) algorithm. Degree centrality analysis of the co-expression network was performed to explore hub genes present in retinoblastoma. Pathway-enrichment analysis was performed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Validation of hub gene expression in retinoblastoma was performed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. The co-expression network based on 221 DE genes between retinoblastoma and normal controls consisted of 210 nodes and 3965 edges, and 5 clusters of the network were evaluated. By assessing the centrality analysis of the co-expression network, 21 hub genes were identified, such as SNORD115-41, RASSF2, and SNORD115-44. According to RT-PCR analysis, 16 of the 21 hub genes were differently expressed, including RASSF2 and CDCA7, and 5 were not differently expressed in retinoblastoma compared to normal controls. Pathway analysis showed that genes in 2 clusters were enriched in 3 pathways: purine metabolism, p53 signaling pathway, and melanogenesis. In this study, we successfully identified 16 hub genes and 3 pathways associated with retinoblastoma, which may be potential biomarkers for early detection and therapy for retinoblastoma.

Objectives: To investigate whether the differences between the circulating Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates and the used vaccine might account for the current ND outbreaks in vaccinated poultry flocks., Results: A reverse genetics system using prevalent genotype VIId isolate SG10 was constructed and a mutant virus, named aSG10, was developed by changing the virulent F protein cleavage site motif "(112)RRQKR↓F(117)" into an avirulent motif "(112)GRQGR↓L(117)". The attenuated pathogenicity of aSG10 was confirmed from the mean death time and intracerebral pathogenicity index. aSG10 and LaSota both protected vaccinated birds from death after challenge with highly virulent genotype VII NDV, strain SG10. However, aSG10 significantly reduced the challenge virus shedding from the vaccinated birds compared to LaSota vaccine. We also generated a recombinant virus, aSG10-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), which expresses EGFP. aSG10-EGFP stably expressed EGFP for at least 10 passages., Conclusions: The mutant, aSG10, can be safely used as a vaccine vector and is a potential vaccine candidate in increasing the protective efficacy for the control of current ND epidemic in China.

Background: Galangin (3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) is present in high concentrations in herbal medicine such as Alpinia officinarum Hance. Galangin shows multifaceted in vitro and in vivo biological activities. The number and position of hydroxyl groups in this molecule play an important role in these biological activities. However, these hydroxyl groups undergo glucuronidation and sulfation in in vitro assay system. However, the systemic exposure to galangin after dosing in animals and/or humans remains largely unknown. Thus it is not clear whether the galangin exists in the body at concentrations high enough for the biological effects. Furthermore, the metabolite identification and the corresponding plasma pharmacokinetics need to be characterized., Results: Two LC-MS/MS methods were developed and validated and successfully applied to analyze the parent drug molecules and aglycones liberated from plasma samples via β-glucuronidase hydrolysis. Our major findings were as follows: (1) The routes of administration showed significant influences on the systemic exposure of galangin and its metabolites. (2) Galangin was preferentially glucuronidated after p.o. dosing but sulfated after i.v. medication. (3) Kaempferol conjugates were detected demonstrating that oxidation reaction occurred; however, both glucuronidation and sulfation were more efficient. (4) Oral bioavailability of free parent galangin was very low., Conclusions: Systemic exposure to galangin and its metabolites was different in rat plasma between oral and intravenous administration. Further research is needed to characterize the structures of galangin conjugates and to evaluate the biological activities of these metabolites. Graphical abstractGalangin was preferentially glucuronidated after p.o. dosing but sulfated after i.v. medication.

For over three decades, there has been a continuing panzootic caused by a virulent variant avian paramyxovirus type 1 strain, the so-called pigeon paramyxovirus type 1. It is found primarily in racing pigeons, but it has also spread to wild birds and poultry. In this study, two pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 strains, SD12 and BJ13, obtained from diseased pigeons in China, were characterized. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete sequences allowed characterization of both strains as genotype VI, class II. Further phylogenetic analysis of a 374-nucleotide section of the fusion gene showed that SD12 fell into lineage VIbii-d and BJ13 into VIbii-f. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cleavage site of the fusion protein confirmed that both isolates contained the virulent motif (112)K/RRQKR↓F(117) at the cleavage site. Nevertheless, the values of intracerebral pathogenicity indices showed the SD12 isolate to be a velogenic strain and BJ13 isolate to be a mesogenic strain. The SD12 isolate was further investigated via clinical observation, RNA detection, histopathology and viral serology in experimentally infected 3-week-old chickens. It showed a mild pathological phenotype in chickens, with viral replication restricted to a few tissues. The molecular mechanism for the SD12 isolate to have a virulent motif but low levels of virulence for chickens requires further study.

Alpinia oxyphylla (Yizhi) capsularfruits are commonly used in traditional medicine. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that A. oxyphylla capsularfruits have some beneficial roles. Besides volatile oil, sesquiterpenes, diarylheptanoids and flavonoids are main bioactive constituents occurring in the Yizhi capsularfruits. The representative constituents include tectochrysin, izalpinin, chrysin, apigenin-4',7-dimethylether, kaempferide, yakuchinone A, yakuchinone B, oxyphyllacinol and nootkatone. Their content levels in the fruit and its pharmaceutical preparations have been reported by our group. The nine phytochemicals are also the major components present in the Yizhi alcoholic extracts, which have anti-diarrheal activities. However, the fates of these constituents in the body after oral or intravenous administration remain largely unknown. In the present study, we focus on these phytochemicals albeit other concomitant compounds. The chemicals and their metabolites in rat plasma were identified using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with selected reaction monitoring mode after orally administered Yizhi extract to rats. Rat plasma samples were treated by methanol precipitation, acidic or enzymatic hydrolysis. This target analysis study revealed that: (1) low or trace plasma levels of parent chemicals were measured after p.o. administration of Yizhi extract, Suoquan capsules and pills to rats; (2) flavonoids and diarylheptanoids formed mainly monoglucuronide metabolites; however, diglucuronide metabolites for chrysin, izalpinin and kaempferide were also detected; (3) metabolic reduction of Yizhi diarylheptanoids occurred in rats. Yakuchinone B was reduced to yakuchinone A and then to oxyphyllacinol in a stepwise manner and subsequently glucuronidated by UDP-glucuronosyl transferase. Further research is needed to characterize the UDP-glucuronosyl transferase and reductase involved in the biotransformation of Yizhi chemicals., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plant secondary metabolites are known to not only play a key role in the adaptation of plants to their environment, but also represent an important source of active pharmaceuticals. Alpinia oxyphylla capsular fruits, made up of seeds and pericarps, are commonly used in traditional East Asian medicines. In clinical utilization of these capsular fruits, inconsistent processing approaches (i.e., hulling pericarps or not) are employed, with the potential of leading to differential pharmacological effects. Therefore, an important question arises whether the content levels of pharmacologically active chemicals between the seeds and pericarps of A. oxyphylla are comparable. Nine secondary metabolites present in A. oxyphylla capsular fruits, including flavonoids (e.g., tectochrysin, izalpinin, chrysin, apigenin-4',7-dimethylether and kaempferide), diarylheptanoids (e.g., yakuchinone A and B and oxyphyllacinol) and sesquiterpenes (e.g., nootkatone), were regarded as representative constituents with putative pharmacological activities. This work aimed to investigate the abundance of the nine constituents in the seeds and pericarps of A. oxyphylla. Thirteen batches of A. oxyphylla capsular fruits were gathered from different production regions. Accordingly, an ultra-fast high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated. We found that: (1) the nine secondary metabolites were differentially concentrated in seeds and fruit capsules; (2) nootkatone is predominantly distributed in the seeds; in contrast, the flavonoids and diarylheptanoids are mainly deposited in the capsules; and (3) the content levels of the nine secondary metabolites occurring in the capsules varied greatly among different production regions, although the nootkatone levels in the seeds were comparable among production regions. These results are helpful to evaluating and elucidating pharmacological activities of A. oxyphylla capsular fruits. Additionally, it may be of interest to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the distinct accumulation profiles of these secondary metabolites between seeds and pericarps.

Three cases of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) found in nature had the lentogenic motif (112)G-R-Q-G-R-L(117) in their fusion protein cleavage sites. However, both intracerebral pathogenicity and intravenous pathogenicity indexes showed that these NDV isolates were virulent. In comparison with the LaSota live virus vaccine, these viruses had significant genetic variations in the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase gene.

Thirty Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains isolated from outbreaks in China during 1996 to 2005 were characterized pathotypically and genotypically. All strains except one were velogenic. An analysis of the variable region (nucleotides 47 to 420) of the F gene indicated that 6 isolates belonged to genotype II, 3 to genotype III, 1 (isolated from a pigeon) to genotype VI, and 20 to genotype VII. Isolates belonging to genotype VII were further divided into five subtypes, VIIa, VIIb, VIIc, VIId, and VIIe, and subtype VIId was made up of VIId1 to VIId5. These results showed that genotype VII isolates might have been the most prevalent in China during the past two decades. Genotype VII isolates shared high homology, but the homology was less than that between genotype VII viruses and the vaccine virus LaSota. Among these NDV isolates, 25 isolates had the velogenic motif (112)R/K-R-Q-K/R-R-F(117) that is consistent with results of the biological tests. However, four of five LaSota-type isolates that contained the lentogenic motif (112)G-R-Q-G-R-L(117) were velogenic, except SY/03, in the view of the biological test. The majority of genotype VII isolates had lost one or two N-glycosylation sites. Finally, a cross-protection experiment in which specific-pathogen-free chickens vaccinated with LaSota were challenged by six NDV isolates showed that more than three isolates were antigenic variants that could be responsible for recent outbreaks of Newcastle disease.