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Clinopodium chinense, a traditional folk medicinal herb, has been used to treat abnormal uterine bleeding(AUB) for many years. Saponins and flavonoids are the main active components in C. chinense. To study the pharmacokine-tics of multiple components from the total extract of C. chinense(TEC), we established a sensitive and rapid method of ultra-perfor-mance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) for simultaneous determination of five compounds in the plasma of AUB rats. After validation, the AUB model was established with SD female rats which got pregnant on the same day by gavage with mifepristone(12.4 mg·kg~(-1)) and misoprostol(130 μg·kg~(-1)). The established method was applied to the detection of hesperidin, naringenin, apigenin, saikosaponin a, and buddlejasaponin Ⅳb in AUB rats after the administration of TEC. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.0. The five compounds showed good linear relationship within the detection range. The specificity, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effect, and stability of the method all matched the requirements of biolo-gical sample detection. The above 5 compounds were detected in the plasma of AUB rats after the administration of TEC. The C_(max) va-lues of hesperidin, naringenin, apigenin, saikosaponin a, and clinoposide A were 701.6, 429.5, 860.7, 75.1, and 304.1 ng·mL~(-1), respectively. All the compounds owned short half-life and quick elimination rate in vivo, and the large apparent volume of distribution indicated that they were widely distributed in tissues. Being rapid, accurate, and sensitive, this method is suitable for the pharmacokinetic study of extracts of Chinese herbal medicines and provides a reference for the study of pharmacodynamic material basis of C. chinense in treating AUB.

This study aims to explore the anti-inflammatory and hemostatic effects of the total extract of Clinopodium chinense(TEC), total saponins of C. chinense(TSC), and total flavonoids of C. chinense(TFC) in female rats with abnormal uterine bleeding(AUB), and the possible mechanism. Mifepristone(i.g., 12.4 mg·kg~(-1)) and misoprostol(i.g., 130 μg·kg~(-1)) were used to induce AUB in SD female rats conceiving on the same day. Then the AUB rats were randomized into model group, TEC group, TSC group, TFC group, Yimucao Granules(LG) group, and estradiol valerate(EV) group, with 8 rats in each group. Another 8 non-pregnant female rats were selected as normal group. During the experiment, each group was given the corresponding drug by gavage once a day for 7 days. After the administration, blood and uterine tissue were collected. The uterine bleeding volume was measured by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and the pathological changes of endometrium were observed based on hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. In addition, the microvessel density of endometrium was determined by immunohistochemistry, and the content of thromboxane B2(TXB2), 6-keto-PGF_(1α), interleukin-6(IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in plasma and levels of lutenizing hormone(LH), follicle stimulating hormone(FSH), estradiol(E_2), and progesterone in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The mRNA and protein expression of estrogenreceptor α(ERα), progesterone receptor(PR), matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-2, MMP-9, and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in uterine tissue was determined by Western blot. Compared with the model group, TEC, TSC, and TFC can reduce uterine bleeding volume, alleviate the pathological damage of endometrium, and increase the microvessel density in endometrium. Moreover, TEC and TSC can significantly raise plasma TXB2 level and ratio of TXB2 to 6-keto-PGF_(1α), and TEC and TFC can significantly reduce the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α. In addition, TEC significantly elevated serum progesterone level and TFC significantly increased serum levels of E_2, FSH, and LH. TSC can significantly raise serum progesterone and FSH levels. In addition, TEC can significantly down-regulate the protein expression of PR, MMP-2, and VEGF and TSC significantly reduced the expression of MMP-9. TFC significantly decreased the expression of PR, MMP-9, and VEGF, and up-regulated the expression of ERα. In conclusion, TEC, TSC, and TFC all show therapeutic effects on AUB, particularly TEC. TSC exerts the effects by enhancing the coagulation function and promoting endometrial repair, and TFC by regulating estrogen levels and reducing inflammatory response. This study reveals the mechanism of C. chinense against AUB and also explains the holistic characteristics of Chinese medicine.

The present study investigated the effect of extract of Poria cocos polysaccharides(PCP) on cytochrome P450 2 E1(CYP2 E1) and nuclear factor κB(NF-κB) inflammatory signaling pathways in alcoholic liver disease(ALD) mice and explored its protective effect and mechanism. Sixty male C57 BL/6 N mice of SPF grade were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a positive drug group(bifendate, 200 mg·kg~(-1)), and high-(200 mg·kg~(-1)) and low-dose(50 mg·kg~(-1)) PCP groups. Gao-binge mo-del was induced and the mice in each group were treated correspondingly. Liver morphological and pathological changes were observed and organ index was calculated. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) were detected. Malondialdehyde(MDA) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) in liver tissues were detected by assay kits. The levels of interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were detected by ELISA. The activation of macrophages was observed by immunofluorescence staining and protein expression of CYP2 E1, Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), NF-κB p65, and phosphorylated NF-κB p65(p-NF-κB p65) were analyzed by Western blot. The ALD model was properly induced. Compared with the model group, the PCP groups significantly improved the pathological injury of liver tissues. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention showed decreased macrophages in liver tissues. Additionally, the PCP groups showed reduced ALT, AST, MDA, IL-6, and TNF-α(Plt;0.05), and potentiated activity of SOD(Plt;0.01). PCP extract has the protective effect against alcoholic liver injury in mice, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the regulation of the expression of CYP2 E1 and inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory injury, thereby inhibiting the development of ALD.

Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is a Chinese herbal medicine that promotes blood circulation to remove blood stasis, nourishes blood to tranquilize the mind, and cools blood to disperse carbuncles. Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma has microcirculation-improving, blood vessel-dilating, atherosclerosis-preventing, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and blood pressure-and blood lipid-lowering activities. As research progresses, the chemical composition, pharmacological effect, and clinical application of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma have attracted much attention. We reviewed the research progress in this field. Based on the concept of quality marker(Q-marker) in traditional Chinese medicine, the Q-markers of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma were predicted and analyzed from the aspects of quality transfer, traceability, ingredient specificity, association between ingredients and pharmacological effects, ingredient predictability, and compounding environment. This review provides a scientific basis for the quality control of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its preparations.

Wuzi-Yanzong-Wan (WZYZW) is a classic prescription for male infertility. Our previous investigation has demonstrated that it can inhibit sperm apoptosis via affecting mitochondria, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The purpose of the present study was to explore the actions of WZYZW on mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) in mouse spermatocyte cell line (GC-2 cells) opened by atractyloside (ATR). At first, WZYZW-medicated serum was prepared from rats following oral administration of WZYZW for 7 days. GC-2 cells were divided into control group, model group, positive group, as well as 5%, 10%, 15% WZYZW-medicated serum group. Cyclosporine A (CsA) was used as a positive control. 50 μmol·L

Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, mainly contains triterpenoids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, coumarins and volatile oils with many pharmacological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, immune regulatory and anti-fibrotic effects. The widespread applications of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in food, medicine and chemical industries make its demand increase gradually. Therefore, the quality guarantee of the medicinal is of great value. Starting from the elaboration of chemical components and pharmacological effects of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and the introduction to the concept of quality marker(Q-marker), this study analyzed the Q-markers of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma from the aspects of plant phylogene-tics, chemical component specificity, traditional efficacy, traditional medicinal properties, absorbed components, different processing methods and so on, which provides reference for quality evaluation, development and utilization of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.

Relationships among Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.) Haraldson., F. multiflora var. angulata (S. Y. Liu) H. J. Yan, Z. J. Fang & Shi Xiao Yu., and F. multiflora var. ciliinervis (Nakai) Yonekura & H. Ohashi. were determined based on macroscopic and microscopic morphology, molecular phylogeny, and chemical analysis. The macroscopic and microscopic morphologies of root tubers or rhizomes, stems, and leaves were compared among the three taxa. The content of 11 chemical components (catechin, polydatin, stilbene glucoside, emodin, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, rhein, chrysophanol, aloe-emodin, quercetin, physcion, and resveratrol) in the three taxa was determined by HPLC, and the chemical diversity was further evaluated by principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses. Molecular phylogenies were mapped using two chloroplast markers (matK and the psbA-trnH intergenic region) and a nuclear ribosomal marker [internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region]. Analyses of macroscopic and microscopic morphological characteristics revealed that the subterranean organs of F. multiflora and F. multiflora var. angulata are root tubers, whereas those of F. multiflora var. ciliinervis are rhizomes. In the phylogenetic trees, F. multiflora and F. multiflora var. angulata were clustered into a clade based on the combine matK + psbA-trnH sequence, with neighbour-joining, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference bootstrap support values of 99, 85, and 0.99, respectively. In addition, there were obvious differences in the chemical compositions of F. multiflora, F. multiflora var. angulata and F. multiflora var. ciliinervis. The root tubers of F. multiflora contain higher levels of stilbene glucoside and catechin, but lower levels of polydatin and anthraquinone compounds. In contrast to F. multiflora, the rhizomes of F. multiflora var. ciliinervis contain higher levels of polydatin and anthraquinone compounds, but lack stilbene glucoside. The content of all 11 assessed components was lower in F. multiflora var. angulata than in F. multiflora and F. multiflora var. cillinervis. Principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses revealed that F. multiflora and F. multiflora var. angulata individuals were clustered into a single clade, whereas F. multiflora var. ciliinervis individuals were clustered into a single clade separate from that containing F. multiflora and F. multiflora var. angulata individuals. On the basis of the results of our morphological, molecular phylogeny, and chemical analyses, we tentatively conclude that F. multiflora var. ciliinervis is an independent species, whereas F. multiflora var. angulata should be considered as a variety of F. multiflora.

This study is to improve the quality standard and supply the scientific basis for Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and its raw processed products. Steroidal saponin including timosaponin BⅡ, timosaponin AⅢ and flavonoids including neomangiferin and mangiferin were selected as the indicative components. Silica gel G thin layer chromatography(TLC) and polyamide TLC were used to detect the two types of compounds, respectively. The contents of timosaponin BⅡ and timosaponin AⅢ were determined by HPLC-ELSD and the content of neomangiferin, mangiferin and isomangiferin were determined by HPLC-UV. Moisture, total ash and acid insoluble ash were determined according to Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2015 edition). And 80% ethanol was selected as the solvent and the content determination of total extract were determined. The fingerprints of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and its raw processed products were established by HPLC-UV and HPLC-ELSD. The results showed that the methods of TLC and HPLC have been successfully stablished. There are 2 and 3 peaks which have been identified by HPLC-ELSD and HPLC-UV, respectively. The HPLC fingerprint methods are specific and can be used to identify and quality control for Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and its raw processed products in the mass. Comparing to Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2015 edition), the TLC identification and content determination were revised and the total extract determination and HPLC fingerprints were added in the present study. Our results can be used as the scientific basis of quqlity control for Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and its raw processed products.

By using multivariate statistical analysis to evaluate essential quality, and provide scientific basis for their comprehensive utilization, we established an UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method for the fast, precise, efficient determination of 21 kinds of amino acids and 10 kinds of nucleosides in different species of Dendrobium. The analysis was performed on a Waters XBridge Amide column(2.1 mm×100 mm,3.5 μm) with elution by mobile phase of 0.2% formic acid in water-0.2% formic acid in acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.2 mL·min~(-1) with the column temperature at 30 ℃. The target compounds were analyzed by the positive ion multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) mode. The comprehensive evaluation of different species of Dendrobium was carried out by PCA and TOPSIS analysis. All 21 kinds of amino acids and 10 nucleosides showed good linearity among certain concentration range(rgt;0.999), the RSDs of the stability, precision, and repeatability tests were less than 3.0%. The recovery rate was in the range from 93.31% to 107.5%, and RSD was in the range of 1.1%-3.7%. The comprehensive evaluation index obtained with PCA showed that D. huoshanense was significantly higher than others regarding amino acids and D. officinale has higher nucleosides than other species. The biggest C_i difference of TOPSIS was 68.7%, and comprehensive evaluation showed that D. huoshanense produced the highest comprehensive quality. The method is precise, fast and efficient and can provide reliable basis for further researches and intrinsic quality control of Dendrobium.

Using the 260 geographical distribution records of Polygonatum cyrtonema in China, combined with 53 environmental factors, the maximum entropy modeling(MaxEnt) was used to study the ecological factors affecting the suitability distribution of P. cyrtonema. The ArcGIS software was used to predict the potential distribution of the population of P. cyrtonema. The dominant factors were chosen by using the Jackknife test and the Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC) curve was used to evaluate the simulation. The results showed that high value of area under curve(AUC) denoted good results, which significantly differed from random predictions. Based on the evaluation criterion, the accuracies of the predictions of P. cyrtonema potential distribution in the current periods were excellent. The main environmental factors affecting the suitable growth of P. cyrtonema were the monthly precipitation, the wettest monthly precipitation, the annual average temperature range and the precipitation of November, March, February, April, May and October. There are 9 environmental factors in soil type. The potential fitness of P. cyrtonema in China is high, mainly concentra-ted in Hunan, western Hubei, Guangdong, northeastern Guangxi, southeastern Guizhou, Jiangxi, southwestern Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, southwestern Henan and Chongqing. The growth distribution of the potential distribution area of P. cyrtonema was divided, and the zoning map of the growth suitability of P. cyrtonema was formed. Through the comparative analysis of the potential distribution range based on MaxEnt and the distribution range of literature records, the understanding of the distribution range of P. cyrtonema was expanded.

Polygonatum cyrtonema belongs to the plant family Liliaceae, and its dried rhizome is one of the sources of Chinese traditional medicine of Polygonati Rhizoma. It possesses the dual function as both medicine and food. Its main chemical components are polysaccharides and saponins. In order to understand the biosynthesis pathway of polysaccharides and diosgenin in P. cyrtonema, the corresponding transcriptomic data were obtained by extracting and sequencing the RNA of four parts of P. cyrtonema, namely, leaves, stems, rhizomes and roots. By adopting BGISEQ-500 sequencing platform, 42.03 Gb data were retrieved. Subsequently, the de novo assembly was carried out by Trinity software to obtain 137 233 transcripts, of which 68.13% of unigenes were annotated in seven databases including KEGG, GO, NR, NT, SwissProt, Pfam and KOG. Transcripts that may be involved in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides and diosgenin were analyzed by data mining. With help of qPCR, we validated expression data of four genes that were possibly involved in the biosynthesis of target metabolites. This experiment provides data for the study of biosynthetic pathways of P. cyrtonema secondary metabolites and the clarification of related structural gene functions.

Platelet microparticles (PMPs) are membrane particles derived from the platelet membrane that enter into the blood circulation. We sought to explore the therapeutic effects of Tao-Hong-Si-Wu Decoction (THSWD) on angiogenesis in a rat model of cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R). The protective effect of THSWD on I/R rats was observed morphologically by immunohistochemical expression of VEGF and CD34, along with immunofluorescence results of co-expression of BrdU and vWF. Then, PMPs from different groups of rats were extracted, and cytokine array analysis was used to screen for angiogenesis associated proteins. The results showed that THSWD can promote the expression of VEGF, CD34, BrdU and vWF. Cytokine array analysis revealed the changes in the expression of 29 related angiogenic proteins in the total protein of PMPs, which involved the Notch signalling pathway. Compared with model group, the expression levels of NICD and Hes-1 in the THSWD group were significantly increased. In the context of I/R, the angiogenesis-related proteins of PMPs are different. THSWD may involve the promotion of activation of the Notch signalling pathway to achieve therapeutic effects on cerebral ischaemia.

Background The content of medicinal bioactive constituents in huangqi is affected by plant age. In this study, we devised a quick and convenient method for determining the age of huangqi, which was cultivated in Hunyuan County (Shanxi Province). Methods 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 growth years huangqi had 38 samples, all samples were collected separately. The growth rings in these samples were observed after making paraffin section and freehand-section. The relationship between growth rings and its growth years was analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software. Histochemical localization of total flavones and saponins in huangqi was determined by color reactions. The concentration of four flavonoids and two saponins in the roots of huangqi of different ages and different organizational structure (normal roots and rotten heart roots) were determined by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ELSD. The results were analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software. Results All huangqi samples had clear growth rings, and the statistical result about growth rings (X) and growth years (Y) showed significant correlation (r = 1, P = 0.000). The calibration curves of these six ingredients showed good linearity respectively, with significant correlation. All relative standard deviations (RSDs) of precision, recovery, repeatability, and stability experiments were less than 2%. Roots of 5-year-old plants contained the highest concentrations of total flavonoids and saponins. Saponin concentrations increased toward the center of the roots, whereas the four flavonoids showed an opposite trend in tissue distribution. Conclusion The growth year of huangqi (Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province) could be determined soon and conveniently by naked eyes after staining phloroglucinol-HCl solution on freehand section. The content of saponins and flavonoids in rotten heart root and the surrounding normal tissues were affected by the formation and the extent of rotten heart.

Books on Chinese herbal medicines have shown that Dendrobium has the effect of nourishing Yin and reinforcing Yin,usually used for constipation induced by spleen Yin deficiency in clinical application. D. huoshanense,as an independent species among many species of Dendrobium,has no experimental studies about its effects on spleen Yin deficiency-type constipation. The purpose of this experiment was to illustrate the therapeutic effect of D. huoshanense on the constipation of spleen Yin deficiency type in rats,investigate its preliminary mechanism,and compare it with the D. officinale and D. nobile contained in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia to clarify its characteristics. The spleen Yin deficiency model was replicated in 70 rats by the composite factor method,and then the model rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: model group,Liuwei Dihuang Pills group( LWDHP),D. huoshanense high( DHS-H),medium( DHS-M),low( DHS-L) dose groups,D. nobile group( DNS),and D. officinale group( DOS),and another 10 rats were used as normal group( Normal). After 7 continuous days of administration,the fecal water content and intestine propulsion rate of each group were detected. HE staining was used to observe the pathological damage of ileum and colon in each group. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect aquaporin 3( AQP3) expressions,while the expression levels of the somatostatin( SS) and motilin( MTL) in the ileum of each group were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that as compared with the model group,the rats in each drug-administered group had increased number of fecal pellets,increased fecal water content,and the increased intestinal propulsion rate( P0. 01),while the pathological damage of the ileum and colon was significantly reduced; the expression of AQP3 protein was significantly decreased( P0. 01); the level of MTL was significantly increased and the level of SS was decreased( P0. 01). All DHS groups showed a good dose-effect relationship,and the same dose treatment effect was equivalent to that of DOS,but it was superior to DNS. Therefore,DHS has a significant therapeutic effect on constipation of spleen Yin deficiency type,and its mechanism may be related to intestinal motility and water-liquid metabolism,with a good therapeutic effect.

A chemical investigation of the fibrous roots of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. led to the isolation of four benzophenones, including one new compound (1) and three known ones (2&ndash, 4). Comprehensive 1D, 2D NMR and HRESIMS data established the structures of the isolated compounds. The absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the calculated optical rotation (OR) with experimental data. All the isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxicities on hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B). Compound 1 showed strong cytotoxicity against HepG2 and Hep3B cells, with IC50 values at 153.1 and 180.6 nM. Through MTT assay, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis, compound 1 demonstrated the ability to stimulate apoptosis via the NF-&kappa, B signaling pathway in HepG2 cells. These benzophenones are potential lead compounds for the development of better treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma.

A chemical investigation of the fibrous roots of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. led to the isolation of four benzophenones, including one new compound (1) and three known ones (2–4). Comprehensive 1D, 2D NMR and HRESIMS data established the structures of the isolated compounds. The absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the calculated optical rotation (OR) with experimental data. All the isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxicities on hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B). Compound 1 showed strong cytotoxicity against HepG2 and Hep3B cells, with IC50 values at 153.1 and 180.6 nM. Through MTT assay, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis, compound 1 demonstrated the ability to stimulate apoptosis via the NF-κB signaling pathway in HepG2 cells. These benzophenones are potential lead compounds for the development of better treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma.

In order to understand the function of GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase(GMPP) function and its regulation in polysaccharide biosynthesis mechanism in Dendrobium. D. huoshanense was used to clone GMPP gene. GMPP gene expression in D. huoshanense,D. officinale and D. moniliforme was also determined by qPCR. The results showed that the length of D. huoshanense GMPP gene c DNA sequence is 1 867 bp,containing 1 245 bp open reading frame(ORF),encoding 415 amino acids. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that D. huoshanense,D. officinale and D. moniliforme are closely related with GMPP taken into consideration. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that GMPP sequence similarity among the three species reached as high as 99%. qPCR results indicated that GMPP genes was highly expressed in stem of D. huoshanense compared with its leaf,flower and root. According to GMPP gene expression profile in D. huoshanense,D. officinale and D. moniliforme grown in Huoshan area,it was clear that GMPP in D. huoshanense showed the highest expression level. Furthermore,our findings of GMPP gene expression profile will facilitate future researches into its polysaccharide biosynthetic mechanism.

MicroRNA sequencing (miRNA‑seq) was performed in the present study to investigate miRNA expression profiles in infarcted brain areas following focal cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. In total, 20 miRNAs were identified to be upregulated and 17 to be downregulated in the infarct area. The expression levels of six differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs), miR‑211‑5p, miR‑183‑5p, miR‑10b‑3p, miR‑182, miR‑217‑5p and miR‑96‑5p, were examined by reverse transcription‑​quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, a miRNA‑mRNA network was constructed. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed to investigate the functions of the mRNAs targeted by these DEmiRs. The present study aimed to investigate the association between miRNAs and cerebral ischemia to provide potential insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying ischemic stroke.

Five new natural compounds (1–5) along with four known ones, involving dibenzo-α-pyrone derivatives, a benzo-γ-pyrone derivative and an amide-type compound were obtained from Alternaria alternata, an endophyte isolated from Paeonia lactiflora. The structures of these isolates were elucidated by intensive analysis of spectroscopic data including NMR, HRMS (ESI and EI), UV and IR spectra. Compounds (1–4) were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against five selected human tumourtumour cell lines (A-549, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, KB and KB-VIN), and compound 3 exhibited activities against MDA-MB-231and MCF-7 with IC50 values of 20.1 μM and 32.2 μM.

Our investigations indicate that Wuqinxi in Singapore has now been studied and is mainly promoted through performing exercises, exchanges and competition. The Singapore government has regarded for Qigong for many years, and thus helps Chinese Wuqinxi developed a successful foundation in Singapore. Besides, this research promptes that the Wuqinxi practitioners are mostly women who are around the age of 20 - 40 and their occupations are mainly workman, civil servants and self-employment. Most of them learn Wuqinxi through Wuqinxi exercises classes or in the Wushu clubs. In Singapore, people improve their health through learning and practice Wuqinxi which cater the demand for municipal and have been promoted and advocated by levels of government departments. It is encouraging that the data indicate that 75.7% of the Wuqinxi practitioners practice 1 - 3 times per week. The data seem to indicate that China Wu-qinxi will well developed in Singapore. However, The main obstacles affecting the promotion of Wuqinxi in Singapore are the lack of professional action coaches and theoretical education of sports action.

Background: Wuqinxi is a traditional medicinal exercise that is widely practiced in China now. Because of its obvious medical rehabilitation, Wuqinxi has been used in the physical education for more than 1.2 million people in at least 24 Chinese Medicine university campuses in China for many years. This investigation aimed to evaluate whether Wuqinxi has the positive effect on physical improvements for female college students. Methods: Infrared scanners were used for real-time monitoring of body calorie dynamics; the electromyography (EMG) was used to detect the iEMG on biceps, brachioradialis, quadriceps, and gastrocnemius; beside, the physical health elements, heart rate and cardiopulmonary function were also taken within the scope of our investigation and records. Results: Wuqinxi exercise can improve the body function through making the abdominal muscles, back muscles and limbs strength exercise more effectively; Wuqinxi exercise had also made the athletes better control their muscles to have a good way to contraction and keeping balance; Moreover, the performances of speed of 800 m run, setting flexion, set-ups and grip strength had a comprehensive promotion for each of the participants including long-time practitioners and short-term practitioners. Conclusions: Therefore, the new gymnastics derived from ancient Chinese Wuqinxi exercise can improve the physical health of female college students so that it can be used as part of the development of higher education's health quality in the future.

Dendrobium huoshanense has long been used to treat various diseases in oriental medicine. In order to study its gene expression profile, transcripts involved in the biosynthesis of precursors of polysaccharides, as well as mechanisms underlining morphological differences between wild and cultivated plants, three organs of both wild type and cultivated D. huoshanense were collected and sequenced by Illumina HiSeq4000 platform, yielding 919,409,540 raw reads in FASTQ format. After Trinity de novo assembly and quality control, 241,242 nonredundant contigs with the average length of 967.5 bp were generated. qRT-PCR experiment on the selected transcripts showed the transcriptomic data were reliable. BLASTx was conducted against NR, SwissProt, String, Pfam, and KEGG. Gene ontology annotation revealed more than 40,000 contigs assigned to catalytic activity and metabolic process, suggesting its dynamic physiological activities. By searching KEGG pathway, six genes potentially involved in mannose biosynthetic pathway were retrieved. Gene expression analysis for stems between wild and cultivated D. huoshanense resulted in 956 genes differentially expressed. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) analysis revealed 143 SSRs with the unit size of 4 and 3,437 SSRs the size of 3. The obtained SSRs are the potential molecular markers for discriminating distinct cultivars of D. huoshanense.

Rod-like goethite/parabutlerite nanocomposites were synthesized, and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The diameter of the obtained nanocomposites was less than 4 nm. Several experiments were performed to investigate the removal properties towards As(V) ions, including adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherm, influences of solution pH and some coexisting anions, and regeneration of the adsorbent. The maximal adsorption capacity was 37.09 mg g−1 at pH 7.0. In addition, the as-prepared nanocomposites could be readily regenerated using NaOH solution and be repeatedly used. The As(V) removal mechanism was revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in detail.

Epoxy ether type and isophthalene type saponin are the main saponins of Bupleurum chinense. However,due to the difference of their UV spectrum,there is no quantitative method for simultaneous determination of these two kinds of saponins. In this paper,a dual-wavelength high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was developed for simultaneous determination of five saponins in epoxidized ether(saikosaponin a,c,d) and isosorbide type(saikosaponin b1,b2). The mobile phase was eluted with acetonitrile-water(0.1% phosphoric acid) gradient at a column temperature of 30 °C and a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min⁻¹. The detection wavelengths were 208 nm for saikosaponins a,c, and d, and 254 nm for saikosaponins b₁ and b₂. The results showed that the separation of five kinds of saikosaponin was good, with the linear range of 9.70-1 935.00(

Based on the "Zhong Guo Ben Cao Yao Ji Kao", Chinese herbalists in past dynasties were counted and analyzed by their living period,numbers and native places. Combined with GIS, the geographical distribution and the formation causes of the four distribution centers of herbalists in past dynasties were discussed. The results showed that, there was a greater difference between the numbers of herbalists in different periods of time, which achieved to the peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition, the distribution of herbalists in past dynasties characterized east more and west less, forming the distribution areas centered by Huizhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou. Besides, the geographical distributions of Chinese herbalists showed an obvious southward trend since the Song Dynasty.

Background: The accurate identification of botanical origin in commercial products is important to ensure food authenticity and safety for consumers. The Dendrobium species have long been commercialised as functional food supplements and herbal medicines in Asia. Three valuable Dendrobium species, namely Dendrobium officinale, D. huoshanense and D. moniliforme, are often mutually adulterated in trade products in pursuit of higher profit.; Results: In this paper, a rapid and reliable semi-quantitative method for identifying the botanical origin of Dendrobium products in terminal markets was developed using high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis with specific primer pairs to target the trnL-F region. The HRM analysis method detected amounts of D. moniliforme adulterants as low as 1% in D. huoshanense or D. officinale products.; Conclusion: The results have demonstrated that HRM analysis is a fast and effective tool for the differentiation of these Dendrobium species both for their authenticity as well as for the semi-quantitative determination of the purity of their processed products. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Goethite (α-FeOOH) with high content of surface hydroxyl groups was synthesized by using a simple sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) assisted solution method. The presence of SDS can increase the surface area and the contents of surface hydroxyl groups. The adsorption properties towards arsenate (As(V)) ions were investigated, including adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherm, influences of pH and coexisting anions, and regeneration of the adsorbent. The maximal adsorption capacity was 60.6 mg g−1 at pH 7.0, which is about three times larger than the ones synthesized in pure water, and also is favorable compared to those reported in the literature using other adsorbents. The coexisting of phosphate and carbonate inhibited the As(V) removal especially at high concentrations. The as-prepared α-FeOOH could be readily regenerated using NaOH solution and be repeatedly used in the field of water purification. In addition, the removal mechanism was revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the zeta potential study. The point of zero charge (pHPZC) of the α-FeOOH is 6.35. At high solution pH, the ion-exchange between the surface hydroxyl groups and As(V) ions dominates in the adsorption of As(V). Around the pHPZC, the hydrogen bonding also contributes to the As(V) removal. When the solution pH is lower than pHPZC, the electrostatic attraction plays key roles in As(V) removal.

Paclitaxel (PTX) loaded multilayered liposomes were prepared using layer-by-layer assembly in an effort to improve the stabilization of the liposomal compositions for PTX delivery. Stearyl amine was used to provide positive charge to the PTX-liposomes, and subsequently coated with anionic polyacrylic acid (PAA) followed by cationic chitosan. Various process variables were optimized and the optimum formulation was found to have particle size of 215 ± 17 nm, zeta potential of +27.9 ± 3.4 mV and encapsulation efficiency of 70.93 ± 2.39%. The lyophilized chitosan-PAA-PTX-liposomes formulation was stable in simulated gastrointestinal fluids and at different environmental conditions (4 °C and 25 °C). In vitro drug release experiments demonstrated that chitosan-PAA-PTX-liposomes formulation exhibited obvious sustained release behaviors compared to PTX-liposomes. Furthermore, chitosan-PAA-PTX-liposomes formulation revealed enhanced PTX induced cytotoxicity in human cervical cancer cell culture experiments compared to PTX-liposomes. In conclusion, the approach presented herein will provide a promising solution for PTX delivery.

Unbranched and branched carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition from methane at 900 °C over a Cu/MgO catalyst. Morphology and structure of the CNTs were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The effect of methane flow rate on the CNT growth was investigated. The results suggest that the products were transformed from unbranched to branched CNTs with an increase in methane flow rate. The simplicity and controllability of such a preparation technique make it a promising method to synthesize different carbon nanotube structures.

Platycodon grandiflorum, a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used for coughing and eliminating phlegm to relieve asthma, has gained great attention to its quality evaluation in ancient and modern herbal books. This paper investigated the methods of quality evaluation in the ancient herbal books systematically, and the results showed that there were bitter and sweet P. grandiflorum, south and north P. grandiflorum. Those distributed in east China were called south P. grandiflorum, with bitter taste; and those distributed in north China, northeast China were called north P. grandiflorum, with sweet taste. There was a common sense that P. grandiflorum with a bitter taste had good quality in the ancient herbal books, namely those produced in east China. P. grandiflorum of better quality were characterized by thicker and longer root, white color, solid texture and bitter taste in properties. In addition, the quality of P. grandiflorum was also affected by its germplasm, collecting and processing. This paper summarized the formation and development of the "assessing the quality by distinguishing features of traditional Chinese medicinal materials" views of P. grandiflorum, providing the herbalism basis for its present quality evaluation.

Moutan Cortex is an important traditional Chinese medicine, "Fengdan Pi" was known as Dao-di herbs from the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa cv. Feng Dan for its extracted various active components. However, the genetic basis for their activity is virtually unknown. The transcriptome of the root bark from "Fengdan" was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq 4000 sequencing platform. The clean reads were then de novo assembled into 72 997 unigenes. Among them, the number of unigenes which could been annotated by dataset Nr and GO was 41 139 and 34 592. The 20 016 unigenes could been annotated by KEGG dataset, which were involved in 5 major categories, 34 middle categories, and 352 metabolism pathways. The number of unigenes which were mapped to the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis pathway, terpenoid biosynthesis pathway, alkaloid biosynthesis pathway, and flavonoid biosynthesis pathway was 214, 104, 152, 55 and 36 respectively, suggesting that they are involves in these pathways of pharmaceutically important. Furthermore, there also showed remarkable differences in groups which enrichment ratio of the different expressed gene compared. In addition, a total of 9 939 SSRs were identified from the sequence of 72 997 unigenes. This study not only provides many valuable basal data which was important gene in the synthesis pathway of secondary metabolites with gene searching, but also has important significance to find molecular marker in germplasm for breeding and improvement.

As a kind of famous ornamental flowers, Moutan, known as "the king of flower", mainly originates from various cultivars of Paeonia suffruticosa. Moutan Cortex, a common traditional Chinese medicine, has a long medicinal history for more than 2 000 years. At present, "Fengdanpi", which is the root bark of P. ostii mainly growing in Tongling, Anhui, is a sort of Dao-di herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. However,various editions of Chinese pharmacopoeia has been stipulating that Moutan Cortex originates from the bark root of P. suffruticosa. Textual researches on germplasm of ornamental and medicinal Moutan provided that, Xi'an, Luoyang, Pengcheng, Bozhou, Heze and some other famous cultivation centers had been formed throughout the history. In addition, medicinal practitioners in Song Dynasty had been fully aware of the medicinal differences between ornamental and wild Moutan, and preferred wild single flowers as medicinal Moutan. Moreover, none of cultivation centers of ornamental Moutan were recorded in producing areas of medicinal Moutan. So far, Fengdan and Dianjiang Moutan in Chongqing are single flowers, which is consistent with the ancient herbal books. Therefore, this paper believes that the medicinal and ornamental Moutan are two different germplasm since ancient times. And we proposethat Chinese pharmacopoeia should record P. ostii and the single-flower varieties of P. suffruticosa as the original plants of Moutan Cortex.

"Assessing the quality by distinguishing features of traditional Chinese medicinal materials" is a characteristic quality evaluation system of traditional Chinese medicine, and it is also the basis of "Rating according to characters and setting the price by the grade" on the market. Astragali Radix was regarded as a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and this paper has carried out herbal textual research on the development and formation of the concept, "assessing the quality by distinguishing features of traditional Chinese medicinal materials", of Astragali Radix. The authentic medicine producing areas of Astragalus in China have experienced a great change, Gansu , Sichuan and adjacent areas before the Tang Dynasty; Shanxi during the Tang and Song Dynasty. The concept, "assessing the quality by distinguishing features of traditional Chinese medicinal materials", of Astragali Radix was formed in the Song and Ming Dynasty and still used today, which described as that the shape is "straight as an arrow"; the texture is "soft as cotton"; the section looks like" gold well and jade hurdle"; it was sweet in taste and has beany flavor. The system, "assessing the quality by distinguishing features of traditional Chinese medicinal materials", of Astragali Radix has undergone the adjustments from "true or false" to "good or bad", advance with the times, pick out the advantages from others and absorb the experience of traditional identification actively. Besides, it always returns to laconism from erudition and was summarized highly. Assessing the quality by distinguishing features of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and commodity specifications have the same root, so the former has reference meaning to revise the latter.

As the saying goes, bencao is growing in specific areas. Anhui province is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain. Its north-south direction is longer than the east-west and Anhui is divided into three regions by the Yangtze River and Huaihe. It is important for the land to have plentiful traditional Chinese medicine resources, and it exists profound cultural heritage of Chinese medicine and to cluster the Dao-di herbs with a long history. The vicissitude of historical geography of Anhui province was combed, the historical basis of Anhui short as "Wan" was hackles, the prosperity and decline of Dao-di herbs in Anhui territory was sorted out in this paper. This article holds that the history of Anhui established as a province started in the Qing Dynasty, but the history of Dao-di herbs in Anhui territory has always been the same strain, Bencao can be test clearly and production areas is stable. Despite Anhui Dao-di herbs have changed in the different historical periods, its core varieties and essential elements has been inherited to today. Generally speaking, "Wan medicines" are not only collectively called the current territory of Anhui Dao-di herbs, but also include the historical period of Anhui famous Dao-di herbs.

Anhui is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain, its across warm temperate zone and subtropics. The mountain and water next to each other, which leads to Chinese medicine resources ranked first in East China. The utilization of traditional Chinese medicine resources in Anhui has a long history, which could date back to the publishing time of Ming Yi Bie Lu (Appendant Records of Famous Physicians). And the kinds of traditional Chinese medicine in Song Dynasty ups to 80. There are also some differences in the distribution of various geographical units in terms of the types: Jianghuai hilly region's ups to 64, 25 in Wannan mountainous area, the species in Dabie Mountains and Huaibei plain are 16 and 14 respectively. In addition, the Jianghuai hilly region's and Wannan mountainous area have a long history among of them, which have been reached a peak in the Song Dynasty. The history of native medicinal materials in Anhui recorded in different periods, though combing herbal books. And the results showed that the vast majority of varieties in ancient are the same as modern ones, which provide the historical basis for the rich bulk medicinal materials in Anhui. The distinctions in natural and social environment of different geographical units have effects on the history of the usage of Chinese medicine resources in respective regions. Thus, the variety and distribution of native medicinal materials in Anhui among the Bencao works of different period provides herbalism basis for the protection and utilization of Chinese medicine resources currently.

“Huoshan shihu,” derived from Dendrobium huoshanense, is a well-known, valuable, and rare Daodi herb. Because of its higher price and scarce resources, its related species D. officinale and D. moniliforme are usually presented as “Huoshan shihu” for sale. Fengdou, the processed form of D. huoshanense, its identification is particularly important. To effectively identify Fengdou of D. huoshanense and protect the Daodi herb, the morphological and microscopic characteristics of the stems of three Dendrobium species were examined. The results showed that macroscopic and microscopic features helpful for identification of the three species were the total lengths and internode numbers of stems, diameter and length of each internode, number of vascular bundles, and presence or absence of silica masses. The key features useful for distinguishing between D. huoshanense and its related species, and also between their Fengdou, were the stem lengths and the trends of change in diameter in different internodes. The results of the study indicated that a combination of macroscopic and microscopic identification techniques might conveniently and effectively be applied for identification of Dendrobium species. “Longtou Fengwei” is the main feature of the Daodi herb “Huoshan shihu,” (D. huoshanense Fengdou) and reflects the wisdom behind the protection of Daodi herbs in ancient times.

Based on rDNA ITS sequences of Dendrobium officinale and the other 69 species of Dendrobium, a pair of dismatched allele-specific diagnostic primers, TPSH-AS1F and TPSH-AS1R were designed to authenticate D. officinale from the other species. Thebidirectional PCR amplification were performed using the diagnostic primers with the total DNAs of the original plants or processing products as a template. When the annealing temperature was raised to 60 ℃, only the template DNA of D. officinale could be amplified whereas the diagnostic PCRs of the other Dendrobium species were all negative. Compared with the other authentification methods, the bidirectional PCR amplifications is not only simpler and time-saving but practical and effective.

Herbarium specimens are the basis for the plant classification and indispensable media in teaching, scientific research and resources investigation. They have also played an important role in identifying and producing traditional Chinese medicine. High-quality herbarium specimens shall meet high requirements for integrity, smoothness, color and fabricating efficiency. Therefore, we designed a rapid setting and drying device for herbarium specimens, which could make the herbarium specimens smooth, colorful and not easy to mildew. In this paper, we pointed out the deficiency of traditional methods in making herbarium specimens, and introduced the structure and working principle of the device. Besides, we also discussed the effect of the device in setting and drying herbarium specimens and its application in the fourth national survey of the Chinese material medica resources (CMMR) in Anhui province. As a result, the device provides new ideas for producing herbarium specimens, with a reasonable design, good uniformity, high efficiency, safety and portability, and so is worthy of promotion and application in the national survey of CMMR.

Simple, low-cost and environment-friendly catalysts for synthesizing carbon nanotubes were prepared by simply calcining the mixture of commercial transition metal oxide powders and porous or crystalline MgO at 950 °C. The commercial metal oxide powders, including Fe 2 O 3 , Co 2 O 3 , Ni 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 and Co 3 O 4, were directly used without any pretreatment. Calcination of the MgO supported Fe 2 O 3 catalysts results in the formation of MgFe 2 O 4 /MgO solid solution or the dissolution of metal into MgO lattices. High quality single- and double-walled carbon nanotubes were synthesized by thermal decomposition of methane, and were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The results bring forward an effective way to prepare the catalyst for synthesizing single- and double-walled carbon nanotubes.