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Three pairs of novel enantiomeric 8-O-4′ type neolignans (1a/1b−3a/3b), together with seven known analogues (4−10), were isolated from the whole plants of Saussurea medusa. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data analysis and electric circular dichroism (ECD) calculations after chiral separations. All compounds were obtained from S. medusa for the first time, and compounds 1−3 and 5−10 had never been obtained from the genus Saussurea previously. The anti-inflammatory activities of the compounds were evaluated by determining their inhibitory activities on the production of NO and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Compounds (+)-1a, (−)-1b and 5−7 inhibited NO production and had IC50 values ranging from 14.3 ± 1.6 to 41.4 ± 3.1 μM. Compound 7 induced a dose-dependent reduction in the expression of iNOS in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Molecular docking experiments showed that all active compounds exhibited excellent docking scores (<−7.0 kcal/mol) with iNOS. Therefore, compounds (+)-1a, (−)-1b and 5−7 isolated from the whole plants of S. medusa may have therapeutic potential in inflammatory diseases.

A novel integrated surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor that combines an optical waveguide platform and an ultra-thin spectrometer is proposed. The core of the proposed method is a special-shaped optical waveguide structure that employs a wedge-shaped incident surface, which changes the position of the total reflection of the incident light on the sagittal plane without affecting the direction of propagation on the tangential plane. The parameters of the sensing module with the integrated SPR sensor and spectrometer module were designed and optimized to achieve higher performance in a compact optical waveguide platform. An experimental system was built based on the theoretical model, and the spectral sensitivity of the system was analyzed before sample detection, and the results showed that the spectral resolution in the working range could reach 9.9 nm. The refractive index sensitivity of this novel SPR sensor was 3186 nm/RIU with good stability by detecting different concentrations of sodium chloride samples. This new structure does not require an external spectrometer, thereby enabling an increase in the compactness of the SPR sensing system. The proposed method can provide a novel idea for the miniaturization of SPR sensors.

Ten diphenyl ethers (DPEs), including nine undescribed analogs named betaethrins A-I, were isolated from the desert plant endophytic fungus Phoma betae A.B. Frank (Didymellaceae). Their structures were determined mainly by NMR, HR-ESI-MS spectral and X-ray diffraction experiments. Betaethrins D-I possessed different fatty acid chains connected with the B-ring, which was the first report in all DPEs. The shielding effect of the B-ring on H-6 (A-ring) in methyl barceloneate, betaethrin A and betaethrins D-F (asterric acid analogs) was first observed and analyzed, which could differentiate the 1 H-NMR chemical shift values of H-4/H-6 without the assistance of 3-OH. An empirical rule was then suggested: the steric hindrance between the A- and B-rings in asterric acid analogs might prevent these two aromatic rings from rotating freely, which led to the 1 H-NMR chemical shift value of H-6 being in the high field zone due to the shielding effect of the B-ring on H-6. Based on the empirical rule, the chemical shift values of the A-ring in methyl barceloneate were revised. The possible biosynthesis of these isolates was postulated. Betaethrin H showed moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cell lines. Betaethrins A-F, H and I displayed strong antioxidant activities. These results further implied that endophytic fungi from unique environments, such as desert plants, with few chemical studies are an important resource of undescribed and bioactive metabolites., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patterns of liver energy metabolism significantly differ from birth to adult in cattle undergoing change of rumen rumination. However, the genes involve in hepatic energy metabolism during bovine development and how regulate are still unclear. Methods: In this study, 0-day-old newborn calves (0W) and 9-week-old weaned calves (9W) were used to investigate differences in liver glucose metabolism at these stages of calf development. We did this primarily through the quantitation of energy metabolism indicators, then sequencing the liver transcriptome for each group of claves. Results: The transcriptome results showed 979 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), enriched in animal organ development, catabolic process, transmembrane transport. SLC16A1 involved in that and was locked to investigate. We explored the effects of SLC16A1 on glucose and lactate flux in vitro . We identified and verified its target, miR-22-3p, through bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, this study found that miR-22-3p decreased cell activity by negatively regulating the SLC16A1 . Importantly, our result showed the insulin-induced SLC16A1 mRNA expression decreased, regulated by promoter activity rather than miR-22-3p. Conclusions: Our study illustrates the role of SLC16A1 in the liver mediated metabolism of developing calves. These data enrich our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of liver mediated glucose metabolism in developing cattle., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Xue, Song, Yan, Sun, Wang, Fu, Cai, Xu, Sun, Wang and Li.)

Introduction: In addition to the mycotoxin swainsonine, the locoweed endophytic fungus Alternaria oxytropis (Pleosporaceae) also produces a series of rarely reported, highly oxygenated bicyclic guaiane sesquiterpenoids. Few investigations on the electrospray tandem mass fragmentation pattern of this sesquiterpenoid have been reported., Objectives: We aimed to analyze and detect new guaiane sesquiterpenoid analogues from crude extracts of the locoweed endophytic fungus A. oxytropis by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS experiments., Materials and Methods: Oxytropiols A-J (1-10) and the extract of the locoweed endophytic fungus A. oxytropis were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS in positive mode., Results: Typical neutral losses, McLafferty rearrangement, 1,2-rearrangement, and 1,3-rearrangement were considered to be the main fragmentation patterns for the [M + H] + /[M + Na] + ions of 1-10 by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS experiments, and possible fragmentation pathways of 1-10 were suggested. A unique and undescribed analogue named oxytropiol K (11) was found in the extract based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis. Compound 11 was isolated and elucidated by NMR spectrometry, and its UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis was consistent with the fragmentation pathways of 1-10., Conclusion: The results further support that UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS is a powerful and sensitive tool for the characterization of known compounds (dereplication) and the detection of new analogues from crude extracts and imply that the locoweed endophytic fungus A. oxytropis, with few chemical investigations, is an important resource for undescribed metabolites., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of oral manifestations in a group of allogenic liver, kidney or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients and patients, and analyze the possible oral manifestations associated with the use of 4 immunosuppressive drugs., Methods: One hundred and eighteen patients submitted to liver, kidney and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation who used tacrolimus， sirolimus，cyclosporine or mycophenolate mofetil were enrolled. Through a questionnaire survey and oral examination, their oral manifestations were recorded, and the possible statistical associations with immunosuppressive drugs were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 software package., Results: The prevalence of oral lichenoid lesions and cheilitis for the group of patients using tacrolimus after transplantation was significantly lower than the group of patients who did not used the agent(P＜0.01). The prevalence of oral lichenoid lesions for the group of patients who used cyclosporine was significantly higher than the group of patients who did not used the drug(P＜0.05), and the prevalence of cheilitis for the group of patients who used cyclosporine was significantly higher than the group of patients who did not used the drug(P＜0.01). The prevalence of oral lichenoid lesions and cheilitis for the group of patients who used tacrolimus was significantly lower than the group of patients who used cyclosporine(P＜0.01). The group of patients who used mycophenolate mofetil after transplantation had a significantly lower prevalence of dry mouth than the group of patients who did not used the drug(P＜0.01). The prevalence of oral manifestations in patients with sirolimus after transplantation was not significantly reduced., Conclusions: The use of tacrolimus improved the symptoms of oral lichenoid lesions and cheilitis and the effect was better than cyclosporine after transplantation. The use of mycophenolate mofetil improved dry mouth after organ transplantation.

Seco -sativene sesquiterpenoids are an important member of phytotoxins and plant growth regulators isolated from a narrow spectrum of fungi. In this report, eight seco -sativene sesquiterpenoids ( 1 - 8 ) were first analyzed using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique in positive mode, from which their mass fragmentation pathways were suggested. McLafferty rearrangement, 1,3-rearrangement, and neutral losses were considered to be the main fragmentation patterns for the [M+1] + ions of 1 - 8 . According to the structural features (of different substitutes at C-1, C-2, and C-13) in compounds 1 - 8 , five subtypes (A-E) of seco -sativene were suggested, from which subtypes A, B/D, and E possessed the diagnostic daughter ions at m / z 175, 189, and 203, respectively, whereas subtype C had the characteristic daughter ion at m / z 187 in the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS profiles. Based on the fragmentation patterns of 1 - 8 , several known compounds ( 1 - 8 ) and two new analogues ( 9 and 10 ) were detected in the extract of plant pathogen fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis, of which 1 , 2 , 9 , and 10 were then isolated and elucidated by NMR spectra. The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS spectra of these two new compounds ( 9 and 10 ) were consistent with the fragmentation mechanisms of 1 - 8 . Compound 1 displayed moderate antioxidant activities with IC 50 of 0.90 and 1.97 mM for DPPH and ABTS + scavenging capacity, respectively. The results demonstrated that seco -sativene sesquiterpenoids with the same subtypes possessed the same diagnostic daughter ions in the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS profiles, which could contribute to structural characterization of seco -sativene sesquiterpenoids. Our results also further supported that UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS is a powerful and sensitive tool for dereplication and detection of new analogues from crude extracts of different biological origins., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Yang, Li, Li, Tan, Yao, Niu, Deng, Guo and Ding.)

Analysis, purification, and characterization of AFB 1 degraded products are vital steps for elucidation of the photocatalytic mechanism. In this report, the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique was first coupled with purification and NMR spectral approaches to analyze and characterize degraded products of AFB 1 photocatalyzed under UV irradiation. A total of seventeen degraded products were characterized based on the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis, in which seven ones (1-7) including four (stereo) isomers (1,2, 5, and 6) were purified and elucidated by NMR experiments. According to the structural features of AFB 1 and degraded products (1-7), the possible photocatalytic mechanisms were suggested. Furthermore, AFB 1 and degraded products (1-7) were evaluated against different cell lines. The results indicated that the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique combined with purification, NMR spectral experiments, and biological tests was an applicable integrated approach for analysis, characterization, and toxic evaluation of degraded products of AFB 1 , which could be used to evaluate other mycotoxin degradation processes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wang, Song, Yang, Zhou, Zhao, Qin, Guo and Ding.)

Two polycyclic heteroarene derivatives, namely, V-1 and V-2 , with a diphenanthro[9,10- b :9',10'-d]thiophene (DPT) core tethered with two diphenylaminophenyl or diphenylamino groups were first synthesized and used as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) in perovskite solar cell (PSC) fabrication. The novel HTMs exhibit appropriate energy-level alignment with the perovskite so as to ensure efficient hole transfer from the perovskite to HTMs. V-2 with the diphenylamino substituent on DPT exhibited impressive photovoltaic performance with a power conversion efficiency of 19.32%, which was higher than that of V-1 (18.60%) and the benchmark 2,2',7,7'-tetrakis-( N , N -di- p -methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD) (17.99%), presumably because of a better hole extraction, higher hole mobility, and excellent film-forming ability, which were supported by steady-state photoluminescence (PL), time-resolved PL, the hole mobility experiment, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy measurements. Meanwhile, V-2 -based PSCs exhibited better long-term durability than that with V-1 and the state-of-the-art spiro-OMeTAD, which is ascribable to the excellent surface morphology and hydrophobicity of the film. This systematic study suggests that DPT-based molecules are good potential candidates as HTMs for achieving high-performance PSCs.

Isochaetoglobosin D b is a new chaetoglobosin possessing a unique 3,4-substituted pyrrole ring isolated and named by Qiu et al. , and it is different from any one of the 14 sub-types in the macrocyclic ring of chaetoglobosins classified in our previous work. Its chemical shift values, coupling constants and biosynthetic consideration implied that the proposed structure of isochaetoglobosin D b was incorrect. In this report, based on detailed NMR data analysis together with biosynthetic consideration, the structure of isochaetoglobosin D b is suggested to be revised to that of penochalasin C. The NMR spectra of penochalasin C measured in the same solvent (DMSO- d 6 ) as that of isochaetoglobosin D b supported the above conclusion. The results imply that reasonable biosynthetic consideration could complement spectroscopic structural determination, and also support that the 1 H-NMR rule of chaetoglobosin summarized in our previous work can provide help for dereplication and rectification., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A series of seco -sativene sesquiterpenoids ( 1 - 11 ) including two new natural products ( 2 and 3 ), four new analogues ( 4 - 7 ), and six known analogues, helminthosporic acid ( 1 ), drechslerine A ( 8 ), drechslerine B ( 9 ), helminthosporol ( 10 ), helminthosporal acid ( 11 ), and isosativenediol ( 12 ), were purified from the endophytic fungus Cochliobolus sativus isolated from a desert plant, Artemisia desertorum . The stereochemistry of helminthosporic acid ( 1 ) was established for the first time by X-ray diffraction, and the structures including relative and absolute configurations of these new compounds were determined by NMR and CD spectra together with biosynthetic considerations. Compounds 5 - 7 are the first seco -sativene sesquiterpenoids possessing a glucose group on C-15, C-15, and C-14, respectively. Compounds 1 , 7 , 9 , and 11 displayed strong phytotoxic effects on corn leaves by producing visible lesions, and helminthosporic acid ( 1 ) was shown to promote division of leaves and roots of Arabidopsis thaliana with a dose-dependent relationship.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the severity and status of oral mucosa and periodontal status in early and late stage after receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT)., Methods: This study enrolled patients submitted to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Through a survey questionnaire, clinical examination, we collected clinical data from 108 HSCT recipients and divided them into 2 groups: transplantation time less than 1 year and more than 1 year. The oral mucosal and periodontal status were recorded and statistically analyzed with SPSS 21.0 software package., Results: The incidence of oral features after HSCT was 78.95%. The incidence of mild symptoms with HSCT less than 1year (n=32) and HSCT more than 1 year (n=43) was 59.38% and 18.60%, respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups (P=0.001).The percent of lichenoid/hyperkeratotic plaques was 31.25% and 60.47%, respectively. The lichenoid/hyperkeratotic plaques were significantly different between the two groups (P=0.012). The detection rate of shallow and moderate pockets was 49.38% and 40.74%, respectively. Visual plaque, calculus and bleeding on probing were 62.96%, 64.20% and 50.62%, respectively., Conclusions: The incidence of periodontal and mucosal lesions after HSCT is high. The mild symptoms of oral graft versus host disease in early stage are identified obviously, mainly like lichenoid/hyperkeratotic plaques in late stage.

Objective: To study the mechanism of interleukin 7/interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7/IL-7R) in promoting cell proliferation and inducing lymphangiogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in vivo and in vitro., Methods: Immunohistochemical study for IL-7, IL-7R, cyclin D1 and vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D) was carried out in NSCLC tissues from 95 patients. The relationship between IL-7/IL-7R expression and various parameters was analyzed. The mechanism of IL-7/IL-7R in promoting cell proliferation and inducing lymphangiogenesis was studied by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, reverse transcriptase-PCR, Western blot, co-immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation and nude mice experiments with xenograft tumors., Results: IL-7 (63.2%, 60/95), IL-7R (61.1%, 58/95), cyclin D1 (52.6%, 50/95) and VEGF-D (58.9%, 56/95) showed that high level of expression in NSCLC. IL-7/IL-7R over-expression correlated with cyclin D1 expression (P < 0.01, P < 0.01), VEGF-D expression (P < 0.01, P < 0.01), increased lymphovascular density (P = 0.005, P = 0.013), advanced clinical stage (P = 0.008, P = 0.005) and presence of lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). IL-7/IL-7R could promote proliferation of A549 cell, increase cyclin D1 and VEGF-D expression, and enhance c-Fos/c-Jun expression and phosphorylation, resulting in formation of heterodimer. Furthermore, IL-7/IL-7R could induce binding of c-Fos/c-Jun to cyclin D1/VEGF-D promoters and regulate their transcription. IL-7/IL-7R could also promote proliferation and lymphangiogenesis of lung cancer xenograft tumors., Conclusions: IL-7/IL-7R promotes c-Fos/c-Jun expression and activity in NSCLC. This further facilitates cyclin D1 expression and accelerates proliferation of cells and VEGF-D-induced lymphovascular formation.

The synthesis and brakelike performance of a new molecular system (1) consisting of a pentiptycene rotor and a 2-methyleneindanone brake are reported. The rotation kinetics of the rotor was probed by both variable-temperature (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations, and the switching between the brake-on and brake-off states was conducted by a combination of photochemical and electrochemical isomerization. Because of the greater steric hindrance between the rotor and the brake units in the Z form ((Z)-1) than in the E form ((E)-1), rotation of the rotor is slowed down 500-fold at room temperature (298 K) on going from (E)-1 to (Z)-1, corresponding to the brake-off and brake-on states, respectively. The (E)-1→(Z)-1 photoisomerization in acetonitrile is efficient and reaches an (E)-1/(Z)-1 ratio of 11:89 in the photostationary state upon excitation at 290 nm, attributable to a much larger isomerization quantum efficiency for (E)-1 versus (Z)-1. An efficient (Z)-1→(E)-1 isomerization (96%) was also achieved by electrochemical treatment through the radical anionic intermediates. Consequently, the reversibility of the E-Z switching of 1 is as high as 85%. The repeated E-Z switching of 1 with alternating photochemical and electrochemical treatments is also demonstrated., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: to explore the effect of simvastatin on alveolar epithelial cells and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cigarette smoking-induced emphysema in rats., Methods: twenty-four, 12-week-old healthy male and female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of 6 each: a control (W) group, a smoking (Sm) group, a simvastatin (St) group, and a smoking-simvastatin (SmSt) group. The rats were simultaneously fed, and kept in individual cages for 16 weeks. The VEGF level in lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of each group was measured by ELISA. The expression of VEGF mRNA was determined by RT-PCR. The expressions of VEGF and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were determined by two-step immunohistochemistry assay. One-way ANOVA and LSD-t test were used for statistical analysis., Results: the percentage of PCNA-positively stained alveolar epithelial cells was significantly higher in the SmSt group [(10.3 ± 2.0)%] than in the Sm group [(4.8 ± 0.8)%]. The levels of VEGF in BALF and lung tissue homogenate of the SmSt group [(187 ± 15) ng/L and (6782 ± 50) ng/L] were similar to the W group [(200 ± 20) ng/L and (7558 ± 330) ng/L], but were significantly higher than that in the Sm group [(71 ± 16) ng/L and (4149 ± 110) ng/L]. VEGF expression in alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells of rats in the SmSt group [(67.7 ± 5.0)% and (49.0 ± 3.0)%], was similar to the W group [(68.3 ± 3.3)% and (51.3 ± 2.9)%]. But the level of VEGF expression was significantly increased as compared to that in the Sm group [(27.0 ± 5.9)% and (16.3 ± 2.7)%]. SmSt group vs Sm group t = 1.117 - 12.001, all P < 0.01., Conclusions: simvastatin ameliorated the development of cigarette smoke-induced COPD in rats, partly by promoting alveolar epithelial cell proliferation and up-regulating the expression of VEGF.

Determining the content of Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Mg in Potentilla parvifolia Fisch by atomic absorption spectrometry was studied. Recovery and RSD of the method is 98.3%-103.2% and 1.21%-3.01% respectively, and the method is rapid and precise. The order of the content in Potentilla parvifolia Fisch is Mg>Ca>Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu. There is not a relation between altitude and content. The mean of the content of Mg, Ca and Fe is 5079.641, 2760.188 and 1070.297 mg * kg(-1) respectively. The result of Potentilla parvifolia Fisch can provide theoretical basis for medicine research.

Objective: To compare the plasma proteome among male normotensive, prehypertensive, and hypertensive subjects., Methods: Plasma proteome was analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis combined with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in this case-control study among well matched male normotensive, prehypertensive and hypertensive subjects (n = 26 each)., Results: The results showed that there were 22 differentially expressed protein spots among the protein samples derived from the 3 groups which corresponded to 18 proteins associated with inflammation and immunity, lipid metabolism, transport, coagulation and fibrinolysis, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and antioxidation., Conclusion: Proteins were differentially expressed in male subjects with various blood pressure levels.

Eight trace elements such as Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, K, Mg and Na in twelve kinds of flower medicines were determined by flame-atomic absorption spectrometry with air-acetylene flame. The flower medicines include Pueraria lobata Ohwi., Gomphrena globosa L., Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., Prunus persica (L.) Batsch., Canna indica L., Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd P. spp, Rosa chinensis Jacq., Celosia cristata L., Sophora japonica L., Saussurea medusa Maxim. , Iris lactea var. chinensis (Fisch.) koidz. and Gentiana straminea Maxim.. All of the flowers were commonly used in Tibetan medicines. Three kinds of the flowers were bought in the market and the others were picked in Qinghai province. These flower medicines were selected, dried and powdered, 4.000 g was weighed accurately with analytical balance, and five portions were used for each kind of sample. The content of eight trace elements in these flower medicines was determined and the difference in the content was observed. The recovery rate obtained by the standard addition method was between 96.76% and 102.93%, and the RSD was between 1.13% and 3.46%, so the accuracy of the method was better and the precision of the method was good. The results of the experiment indicated that the contents of the eight trace elements were rich in the twelve kinds of flower medicines, and the content of three trace elements including K, Mg, Na were more than other trace elements in the twelve flower medicines. There were considerable differences in the content of the eight trace elements in different flower medicines and there were more trace elements in Saussure medusa Maxim., Iris lactea var. chinensis (Fisch.) koidz. Canna indica L. and Celosia cristata L. and less trace elements in Sophora japonica L. and Gentiana straminea Maxim.. The data of the experiment could provide an accurate and credible evidence for the reasonable medicinal use and deeper exploitation of these flower medicines.

Objective: To develvp a RP-HPLC method for the determination of flavonoids in fifteen kinds of flowers such as Iris lacteal pall, prunus persica and rosa chinensis., Method: The contents of quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamntin in fifteen kinds of flowers were extracted with methanol. The analysis was performed on a Kromasil C18 column (4.6 mm x250 mm, 5 microm) with methanol-0.1% phosphoric acid (50:50) as mobile phase., Result: The quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamntin were separated well, and the result shows that the content of quercetin in the Iris lactea Pall was the highest (1.536%), the contene of kaempferol in Persica persice was the highest (0.572%), and the content of isorhamntin in chrysamthemum morifolium was up to 0.290%., Conclusion: The contents of flavonoids in these flowers were by determined RP-HPLC for the first time and the method can be used for quantitative determination of flavonoids in the flowers.

The synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of two N,N-bis(2-pyridyl)amino (dpa)-substituted aromatic systems (Ar-dpa) 1 (Ar = 4,4'-disubstituted trans-stilbene) and 2 (Ar = 1,4-disubstituted benzene) and their ZnCl(2) complexes (1/ZnCl(2) and 2/ZnCl(2)) are reported. The fluoroionophoric behavior of 1-2 in response to Zn(II) in acetonitrile also has been investigated. In addition, compound 3DPA has been prepared and served as a pi-deconjugated model for 1DPA. The observed crystal structures for 1/ZnCl(2) and 2/ZnCl(2) could be divided into two distinct types, the planar and the twisted forms, depending on the aryl-dpa (C(ph)-NC(3)) dihedral angle. The twisted form is more favorable for these complexes unless the arene has a strong "push-pull" character. Nonetheless, the degree of pi-conjugation between the N-pyridyl and the N-aryl group is reduced in both complex forms when compared with the free ligands. Such a Zn(II)-induced pi-deconjugation not only directly affects the internal charge transfer (ICT) fluorescence of the dpa-substituted stilbenes but also facilitates the occurrence of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the stilbene donor to the dpa/Zn(II) acceptor. The PET process is particularly important in accounting for the observed Zn(II)-induced fluorescence quenching for 1DPA as well as 3DPA.

Objective: To determine the effects of Varglaucocalyx on c-fos gene expression during global myocardial ischemia-reperfusion., Method: Forty Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: group N as control; group CN as ischemia-reperfusion control and group XH, XM and XL treated with Varglaucocalyx 5%, 1%, 0.5% respectively prior to ischemia-reperfusion. The isolated rat hearts were perfused in condition of constant temperature and pressure, and then the left ventricular myocardiums were extracted for use. The expression of c-fos protein was detected by immunochemical method. The expression of c-fos protein were quantified by using computer image analysis system., Result: Compared with the values of group N, protein expressions relative area of c-fos gene (PERA) were increased significantly in group CN, XH, XM, XL(P < 0.01), but decreased significantly in group XH, XM, XL, compared with those of group CN (P < 0.05). The PERA of c-fos gene in group XM, XL were significantly lower than in group XH (P < 0.01), and the PERA of c-fos gene in group XM were lower than in group XL(P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Varglaucocalyx can effectively depress the expression of c-fos gene in myocardium which may account for its protection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, and the middle and the low concentrations of Varglaucocalyx are more effective than the high concentrations.