Search

Background Human olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) gene is a secreted glycoprotein more commonly known as the anti-apoptotic molecule GW112. OLFM4 is found to be frequently up-regulated in many types of human tumors including gastric cancer and it was believed to play significant role in the progression of gastric cancer. Although the function of OLFM4 has been indicated in many studies, recent evidence strongly suggests a cell or tissue type-dependent role of OLFM4 in cell growth and apoptosis. The aim of this study is to examine the role of gastric cancer-specific expression of OLFM4 in cell growth and apoptosis resistance. Methods OLFM4 expression was eliminated by RNA interference in SGC-7901 and MKN45 cells. Cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, cell cycle and apoptosis were characterized in vitro. Tumorigenicity was analyzed in vivo. The apoptosis and caspase-3 activation in response to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF α) were assessed in the presence or absence of caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk. Results The elimination of OLFM4 protein by RNA interference in SGC-7901 and MKN45 cells significantly inhibits tumorigenicity both in vitro and in vivo by induction of cell G1 arrest (all P < 0.01). OLFM4 knockdown did not trigger obvious cell apoptosis but increased H2O2 or TNF α-induced apoptosis and caspase-3 activity (all P < 0.01). Treatment of Z-VAD-fmk attenuated caspase-3 activity and significantly reversed the H2O2 or TNF α-induced apoptosis in OLFM4 knockdown cells (all P < 0.01). Conclusion Our study suggests that depletion of OLFM4 significantly inhibits tumorigenicity of the gastric cancer SGC-7901 and MKN45 cells. Blocking OLFM4 expression can sensitize gastric cancer cells to H2O2 or TNF α treatment by increasing caspase-3 dependent apoptosis. A combination strategy based on OLFM4 inhibition and anticancer drugs treatment may provide therapeutic potential in gastric cancer intervention.

UNLABELLED To determine the contents of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 in Nelumbinis Semen using on-line post-column photochemical derivatization-HPLC-FLD method and verify the method by LC-MS method. METHOD The samples were extracted with MeOH-H2O (80: 20) and purified with inmunoaffinity column, aflatoxins were analyzed by HPLC-FLD with post-column photochemical derivatizaton. The positive samples were further confirmed by LC-MS/MS. RESULT On optimum conditions, aflatoxin B1, G1 ranging 0.3-30 mg x L(-1) showed a good linear relationship with aflatoxin B2, G2 ranging 0.09-9.0 mg x L(-1) with r >0.999 9. The recoveries ranged between 86.7% and 99.1%, with RSDs all bellow 4.87%. LOD of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 were 0.08, 0.03, 0.10, 0.03 microg x kg(-1), respectively. Among 20 Nelumbinis Semen samples, 14 were found to contain aflatoxin B1 ranging from 0.40 to 586 microg x kg(-1). The total content of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 were between 0.40 and 602.5 microg x kg(-1). By LC-MS/MS method, the same fragment ions were founded in samples and the control group at the same retention times, ruling out the possibility of false positive samples. CONCLUSION The method is simple, highly sensitive and reproducible for the determination of aflatoxins in Nelumbinis Semen.

A sensitive, reproducible and accurate gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) method was developed for simultaneous determination of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) and related products after immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up and pre-column derivatization with N-heptafluoro-butyryl imidazole (HFBI). Then, gas chromatography-spectrometry spectrometer (GC-MS) was applied to confirm the positive results and interfering peaks. The limits of detection (LODs) for T-2 and HT-2 toxins were 1.88 and 0.47ng/g, and the recoveries for different CHMs ranged from 89.2% to 99.1% with relative standard deviation (RSD)

OBJECTIVE To develop a method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2 and ochratoxin A in Glycyrrhiza uralensis by HPLC-FLD after immunoaffinity column with online post-column photochemical derivatization. METHOD Sample was extracted with MeOH: H2O (80:20) and cleaned up by immunoaffinity column. The toxins were separated by reversed-phase HPLC and the mobile phase was consisted of methanol and 0.5% acetic acid solution with gradient elution. The determination was carried out by fluorescence detector after photochemical derivatization. RESULT The detection limits of aflatoxin G2, G1, B2, B1 and ochratoxin A were 0.02, 0.06, 0.015, 0.03 and 0.25 microg x kg(-1), respectively. The recoveries of analytes were from 76.0% to 103% and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were below 13%. CONCLUSION The method is a simple, accurate and can be used to determine the contents of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2 and ochratoxin A in G. uralensis simultaneously.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of patulin producing strains on the different Chinese medicinal materials and the toxin biosynthesis mechanism. METHOD: Microbiology and HPLC analytical methods were adopted in this paper. RESULT: It was showed that the materials rich in starch and other polysaccharides were easily polluted by the patulin producing strain. This strain grew well and produced more toxins under 25 degrees C, 95% moisture content and bulk package. And the effect of low illumination intensity on the strain growth and toxin biosynthesis was not notable. Sample stability, precision, repeatability and rate of recovery were studied. HPLC analytic method was established and it revealed that the test method was suitable. CONCLUSION: The pollution of Chinese medicinal materials by toxin producing microbes will be effectively controlled through establishing the suitable storage methods. So the study on the growing characteristics and toxin biosynthesis mechanism of toxin producing strains will be an important practical significance for controlling the toxin pollution of herbal medicines and contribute to establish the evaluation system of Chinese medicine safety.

OBJECTIVE To establish a rapid determination method of pinoresinol diglucoside in Eucommiae unloads by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). METHOD Forty-one samples of E. unloads were collected from three different producing areas and their main component, namely pinoresinol diglucoside, was determined by HPLC. Corresponding data of samples were collected from 12 000 to 4 000 cm(-1) by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The spectral pretreatment was optimized by OPUS software and the calibration equations between the content of pinoresinol diglucoside and spectrum data were constructed by partial least squares regression. RESULT Available information could be extracted from spectra in the range from 7 502 to 4 597.6 cm(-1) after corrected by applying second derivative transformation and subtract a linear correction. Cross validation was used to prevent over-fitting. Good correlation existed between pinoresinol diglucoside content and NIR spectra ( R2 = 0.926 4, SEC = 0.029 and SEP = 0.066 2). CONCLUSION NIRS calibration equations developed in this study could be applied to the rapid analysis of the pinoresinol diglucoside content.

Objective To determine the fungal populations in seven ochratoxin A contaminated root herbs in Jiangxi province, and investigate the mycoflora associated with mycotoxin contamination in the root herbs. Method Single spore isolation was used to obtain the strains from root herb's surface. Fungi were identified according to morphology and molecular evidence. Result Seventeen fungal species belonged to six isolated genera, nine species of Penicillium, three species of Aspergillus, two species of Fusarium and three other species were identified. Conclusion Fungal contamination of root herbs demands urgent attention, ochratoxin A producing fungi possess specific distribution on herbs.

The Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe multiresidue method (QuEChERS) has been validated for the extraction of 15 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in completely different matrices of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The method employed a rapid, simple and cost-effective procedure. The spiking levels for the recovery experiments were 0.1, 0.5 and 2.0 mg kg(-1). Mean recoveries mostly ranged between 76.0% and 114.0% (96.0% on average), and relative standard deviations (RSD) were generally below 10% (4.72% on average). Based on these results, the methodology has been proven to be highly efficient and robust and thus suitable for monitoring the MRL compliance of a wide range of commodity. The contamination status of 15 OCPs on 80 different TCMs marketed in China, and a total of 400 samples were also performed using a previously validated method. 15 OCPs were benzene hexachloride (BHC, including α-BHC, β-BHC, γ-BHC, δ-BHC), hexachlorobenzene, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, p, p'-DDE, p, p'-DDD, o, p'-DDT, p, p'-DDT, mirex, endrin, dieldrin. This study indicates that the proposed method is useful for analyzing OCPs in TCM.

Traditional Chinese medicinal plants (TCMPs), commonly used as spices, additives or foods, are also widely used in China to prevent and cure human disease. Due to their provenance, TCMPs may be contaminated by various fungal species, including ochratoxigenic fungi, during growth, collection, transportation and, especially, storage. A reliable method for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in TCMPs of different origins was developed to monitor OTA levels in China. Analyses involved the extraction of OTA by methanol/water, immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up and HPLC quantification with fluorescence detection (FLD). Positive results were further confirmed by LC-ESI-MS/MS. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.3 microg kg(-1), based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 : 1. Among the total of 57 TCMPs samples collected from six different areas, 31 were visibly moldy due to inappropriate storage; 26 sample, purchased from local TCMPs markets, were not visibly moldy. The results showed that 23 of the visibly moldy samples and two of the not visibly moldy were contaminated with OTA at levels ranging 1.2-158.7 and 2.5-5.6 microg kg(-1), respectively. This is the first report of the natural occurrence of OTA in TCMPs.

To provide scientific basis for the utilization and development of Herba Justiciae by setting up the quality control specification of Herba Justiciae.Moisture and ash were determined by aquametry and method of ash determination. And the bioactive constituents were analyzed by HPLC.The contents of total ash, acid-insoluble ash, and moisture of 28 samples from different origins were determined. The quantitative analysis of chinensinaphthol methyl ether by HPLC were preformed, respectively.The established method can be used for the quality control of Herba Justiciae.

Covering: 2005 to 2008Lignans are a class of secondary metabolites derived from the oxidative dimerization of two phenylpropanoid units. This review covers the source, chemistry and bioactivities of natural lignans, and highlights the total syntheses of some lignans and asymmetric syntheses of their motifs.

HPLC fingerprints were developed for the quality evaluation of Justicia procumbens and its compound preparation, Jian-er syrup, together with the simultaneous quantification of eight arylnaphthalide lignans (6'-hydroxy justicidin B, 6'-hydroxy justicidin A, 6'-hydroxy justicidin C, justicidin B, chinensinaphthol methyl ether, justicidin C, taiwanin C, and neojusticin A). Samples were separated with a Shiseido Capcell Pak C(18) reversed-phase column (250×4.6 mm id, 5 μm) using acetonitrile and water as the mobile phase. The column temperature was maintained at 35°C and the wavelength of detector was set at 256 nm. For fingerprint analysis, 17 peaks were selected as the characteristic peaks for the evaluation of the similarities among different J. procumbens samples collected in different places. The structures of lignans were confirmed by diagnostic fragments in the positive ESI-MS(n) . The new method was successfully applied for the chromatographic fingerprint analysis and simultaneous determination of eight lignans in its compound preparation, Jian-er syrup. All the results indicated that HPLC fingerprint assay in combination with multi-marker determination afforded a useful method for the quality control of J. procumbens and its compound preparation, Jian-er syrup.

To investigate the chemical constituents of the roots of Flemingia philippinensis.Silica gel, ODS silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography were employed for the isolation and purification. The structures were identified on the basis of spectral data (MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR) and chemical evidence.Seven compounds were isolated from the 75% ethanolic extract of the roots of F. philippinensis and identified as follows: flemiphilippinin D (1), dorsmanins I (2), osajin (3), eriosematin (4), lupinalbin A (5), genistein (6) and 3'-O-methylorobol (7).The compounds 2, 3 and 4 were isolated from the genus Flemingia for the first time. The compounds 2 and 4 were obtained from the Flemingia philippinensis for the first time.

Two new prenylated isoflavones, named flemiphilippinins E and F, were isolated from the roots of Flemingia philippinensis, together with six known ones. The structures of the above compounds were established by spectroscopic methods. Flemiphilippinins E and F were identified as 5,4′-dihydroxy-8-(3,3-dimethylallyl)-6″,6″-dimethyl-5″-(1,1-dimethylallyl) pyrano(2″,3″:7,6)isoflavone and 5,4′-dihydroxy-4″,4″,5″-trimethyl-4″,5″-dihydrofurano(2″,3″:7,8) isoflavone, respectively, by a combination of HR-EI-MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY spectra. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Jian-er syrup is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal preparation refined from two herbs, Metaplexis japonica (Thunb.) Makino and Justicia procumbens L. A new lignan, named 6'-hydroxy-Justicidin B, was isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the Jian-er syrup and its structure was established on the basis of spectral analysis. The content of 6'-hydroxy-Justicidin B in the Jian-er syrup was determined by RP-HPLC for the first time. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent Zorbax SB-C-18 column (150 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 mu m) at 25 degrees C and the mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile and water (31:69 v/v) detected at 256 nm at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. This method was validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection, limit of quantitation and solution stability. It can be used to control the quality of this preparation effectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

"Da-Huang" (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, medicinal rhubarb), a famous and important Traditional Chinese Medicine, has often been confused with the adulterant species in the same genus, Rheum. Through sequencing the trnL (UAA)/trnF (GAA) regions of chloroplast DNA of thirteen species of Rheum (three medicinal rhubarb species and ten adulterant ones), a molecular marker of the medicinal species was found. A pair of PCR primers based on the sequences, was thus designed, which amplified a highly specific DNA fragment in medicinal rhubarb exclusively, and absent in the adulterants at all under an optimized PCR condition.

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) infected with toxigenic fungi have become an increasingly outstanding problem for human health. The existing reports mainly focused on the detection methods of mycotoxins in TCMs, however, the effect of mycotoxin production on the inherent quality of TCMs has not been investigated and elucidated so far. In this study, sterilized Glycyrrhiza uralensis was inoculated and incubated with Aspergillus carbonarius for some days to investigate the effect of ochratoxin A (OTA) accumulation on the inherent quality of G. uralensis by determining the content changes of OTA and five active components (liquiritin apioside, liquiritin, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid, and glycyrrhetinic acid). The results showed that consecutive incubation of G. uralensis with A. carbonarius within 30 days led to the production and accumulation of OTA, and the content reduction of five active components. A negative correlation was illustrated between the contents of OTA and active components.

An effective, convenient method for the circularization of oligonucleotides has been developed. This procedure involved preparation of an oligonucleotide with backbone-linked 5'- and 3'-terminal hexamethylenethiol groups, followed by oxidation of the thiol groups with air of oxygen to produce the corresponding circular sequence bridged via a bis(hexamethylene)-disulfide moiety. The method has been applied to the circularization of oligodeoxynucleotide sequences of varying lengths (5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 bases), and the circularization process was highly efficient as shown by HPLC or gel electrophoresis of the crude reaction mixtures. Competing reactions such as dimerization were not significant except for the longer sequences (30 and 40 bases). The circularization of an eight base RNA sequence was also accomplished, as well as hexa-ethylene glycol bridged poly-T sequences capable of triplex formation.

We report the results of a selection for single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide ligands to the serine protease thrombin using recently developed methods. This selection yielded a family of DNA sequences that conform to a consensus structure comprised of a unimolecular quadruplex motif and complementary flanking sequences capable of forming an additional Watson-Crick duplex motif. This novel quadruplex/duplex structure was not reported in a previous selection for DNA molecules which bind to thrombin [Bock et al. (1992) Nature 355, 564-566]. All quadruplex/duplex molecules tested bound to thrombin with higher affinity than quadruplex structures lacking the duplex structure. However, binding affinities did not always correlate with inhibitory potency since some molecules with high affinity were not potent inhibitors in vitro. 1H NMR spectroscopy studies demonstrated that the complementarity of bases in the duplex portion of a selected sequence allows it to form multimolecular structures. Constraining these molecules to the unimolecular quadruplex/duplex structure by bridging the 5' and 3' ends of the duplex motif with either triethylene glycol or disulfide bonds improved their thrombin inhibitory activity. All bridged quadruplex/duplex molecules were more potent inhibitors than molecules with only a quadruplex motif. Bridging the ends of these structures not only increased thrombin inhibition but also improved resistance to nucleases in serum more than 40-fold over the unbridged quadruplex. In addition, we have found that both the length and sequence of the duplex motif are important for inhibition.

Fructus aurantii, the dried, immature fruit of Citrus aurantium L. and its cultivated varieties (Family Rutaceae), is one of the commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs in which flavonoids are considered as the major bioactive constituent. In this study, reverse phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo diode array detector (UPLC–PDA) method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of six flavonoids, namely narirutin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, nobiletin, and tangeretin in Fructus aurantii. The analysis was performed on a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) with 1% aqueous acetic acid-acetonitrile gradient elution. The runtime was as short as 8 min. The method was validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, stability, and accuracy. It was found that all calibration curves showed good linearity (r2 > 0.9991) within the test ranges. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were all lower than 35 and 107 ng mL−1. The overall relative standard deviations (RSDs) for intra- and inter-day repeatability were less than 2.94% and 2.74%, respectively. The sample was stable for at least 48 h. The recoveries were 95.33–103.78%. The newly proposed method was found to be simple, rapid, and reproducible for quantitative analysis of six flavonoids in ten samples from different origins. In addition, the samples were also analyzed on an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-Q-TOF-MS) system to confirm the identification results.

Abstract 3684 In vivo platelet consumption is thought to be due to two kinetically distinct types of process: random processes, such as hemostasis and/or immune-mediated clearance, and lifespan-dependent apoptosis. The Mills Dornhorst equation, which has been used to model platelet consumption, has several theoretical and practical drawbacks: 1) It assumes apoptosis is instantaneous, an assumption at odds with the lack of linearity that in vivo platelet consumption data shows at late points in the population lifespan; 2) It does not allow an explicit solution for the random consumption rate constant; and 3) It cannot be applied to in vivo platelet consumption data generated with allogeneic platelets. While a recent alternative model (Dowling et al., Blood. 2010 Jun 7. [Epub ahead of print]) offers a solution to the first of these problems, it does not address the others – and its application to platelet consumption data requires the estimation of a large number of kinetic modeling parameters (seven). Here we use a simpler numerical analysis model to quantify random and lifespan-dependent platelet consumption processes in normal and thrombocytopenic (WASP(-)) mice. Increased platelet turnover is thought to contribute the thrombocytopenia of WAS. Numerical analysis is a well established algorithm-based alternative to the use of analytic models such as the Dornhorst equation. Our model applies three parameter values (a random consumption rate constant, a “nominal lifespan”, and a random apoptosis rate constant) to a matrix comprising a series of platelet cohorts (in columns) which are sequentially produced and fractionally consumed in a series of time intervals (rows). Cohorts are consumed at a random (exponential) rate until they reach their nominal lifespan, after which they are consumed at a rate equal to the sum of the first rate and a random apoptosis rate. The summed cohort values achieved after equilibration of production and consumption comprise the population platelet count. Continued platelet consumption (after production is halted) then serves to model in vivo platelet consumption data, a process which takes into account consumption rate-dependent variation in the starting population's age distribution. A least squares fitting procedure is used to find parameter values which best fit observed platelet consumption data obtained with fluorescently tagged WT platelets in WT recipients, and WASP(-) platelets in WASP(-) recipients. Comparison of the resultant absolute random platelet consumption rate to known thresholds for thrombocytpenia-induced hemorrhage allows estimation of the effects of platelet preparation and labeling on the observed consumption rate (the “preparation lesion”). Inferred platelet lifespan distributions are in turn used to model the consumption of WT platelets in WASP(-) recipients, and of WASP(-) platelets in WT recipients. This type of comparison is not feasible with the MIlls-Dornhorst model. Our findings suggest that rapid random in vivo consumption due to an intrinsic (“cis”) platelet defect contributes significantly to the thrombocytopenia of murine WAS. Platelet production is increased in WASP(-) mice, but not as much as would be expected from the increased number of megakaryocytes in bone marrow and spleen. This result supports the idea that thrombopoiesis per megakaryocyte is inhibited by WASP deficiency. No significant “trans” effect of host WASP deficiency on the consumption rate of transfused WT platelets is seen, the differing appearances of raw platelet consumption data notwithstanding. However, the method also allows quantification of a significant “cis/trans” contribution of host WASP deficiency to the rapid consumption of WASP(-) platelets. The mechanism for the cis/trans effect is unknown. Application of this numerical analysis method to clinical platelet consumption data for thrombocytopenias of unknown etiology should allow quantification of the separate contributions of impaired platelet production and accelerated platelet consumption in such cases. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Covering: 2005 to 2008Lignans are a class of secondary metabolites derived from the oxidative dimerization of two phenylpropanoid units. This review covers the source, chemistry and bioactivities of natural lignans, and highlights the total syntheses of some lignans and asymmetric syntheses of their motifs.

In this paper, first, we introduce a new concept, called the norm-to-weak continuous semigroup in a Banach space, and give a technical theorem to verify this notion of continuity. Then we establish a general method which is necessary and sufficient to obtain the existence of the global attractor for this kind of semigroup. As an application, we obtain the existence of the global attractor for a nonlinear reaction–diffusion equation with a polynomial growth nonlinearity of arbitrary order and with some weak derivatives in the inhomogeneous term, the global attractors are obtained in L p ( Ω ) , H 0 1 ( Ω ) and H 2 ( Ω ) ∩ H 0 1 ( Ω ) , respectively. A new a priori estimate method, called asymptotic a priori estimate, has been introduced. Since the solutions of the equation has no higher regularity and the semigroup associated the solutions is not continuous in L p ( Ω ) , H 0 1 ( Ω ) and H 2 ( Ω ) ∩ H 0 1 ( Ω ) , the results in this part are new and appear to be optimal.

Background Borreliosis is highly prevalent in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. However, little is known about the presence of Borrelia pathogens in tick species in this region, in addition Borrelia pathogens have not been isolated from domestic animals. Methods We collected adult ticks from domestic animals at 19 sampling sites in 14 counties in northern Xinjiang from 2012 to 2014. Ticks were identified to species by morphology and were molecularly analysed by sequences of mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene; 4–8 ticks of each species at every sampling site were sequenced. 112 live adult ticks were selected for each species in every county, and were used to culture Borrelia pathogens; the genotypes were then determined by sequences of the 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer and the outer surface protein A (ospA) gene. Results A total of 5257 adult ticks, belonging to four genera and seven species, were collected. Compared with three decades ago, the abundance of the five common tick species during the peak ixodid tick season has changed. Certain tick species, such as Rhipicephalus turanicus (Rh. turanicus), was found at Jimusaer, Yining, Fukang, and Chabuchaer Counties for the first time. Additionally, the sequence analyses showed that the Hyalomma asiaticum (Hy. asiaticum), Haemaphysalis punctata (Ha. punctata), and Dermacentor marginatus (D. marginatus) that were collected from different sampling sites (≥3 sites) shared identical 16S rDNA sequences respectively. For the tick species that were collected from the same county, such as Hy. asiaticum from Shihezi County and Rh. turanicus from Yining County, their 16S rDNA sequences showed genetic diversity. In addition, sixteen Borrelia isolates were found in Hy. asiaticum, Ha. punctata, D. marginatus and Rh. turanicus, which infested cattle, sheep, horse and camel in Yining, Chabuchaer, Shihezi and Shawan Counties. All of the isolates were genetically identified as B. Burgdorferi sensu stricto. Conclusions Warmer and wetter climate may have contributed to the altered distribution and abundance of the five most common ticks in northern Xinjiang. The genetic analyses showed that certain tick species, such as Hy. asiaticum or Rh. turanicus, exhibit genetic commonness or diversity. Additionally, this study is the first to isolate B. burgdorferi sensu stricto in Hy. asiaticum asiaticum, H. punctata, D. nuttalli and D. marginatus ticks from domestic animals. These ticks may transmit borreliosis among livestock. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1021-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The presence of mycotoxins in herbal medicines is an established problem throughout the entire world. The sensitive and accurate analysis of mycotoxin in complicated matrices (e.g., herbs) typically involves challenging sample pretreatment procedures and an efficient detection instrument. However, although numerous reviews have been published regarding the occurrence of mycotoxins in herbal medicines, few of them provided a detailed summary of related analytical methods for mycotoxin determination. This review focuses on analytical techniques including sampling, extraction, cleanup, and detection for mycotoxin determination in herbal medicines established within the past ten years. Dedicated sections of this article address the significant developments in sample preparation, and highlight the importance of this procedure in the analytical technology. This review also summarizes conventional chromatographic techniques for mycotoxin qualification or quantitation, as well as recent studies regarding the development and application of screening assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, lateral flow immunoassays, aptamer-based lateral flow assays, and cytometric bead arrays. The present work provides a good insight regarding the advanced research that has been done and closes with an indication of future demand for the emerging technologies.