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The primary processed product of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (P. ginseng) is red ginseng. As technology advances, new products of red ginseng have arisen. Red ginseng products, e.g., traditional red ginseng, sun ginseng, black ginseng, fermented red ginseng, and puffed red ginseng, are commonly used in herbal medicine. Ginsenosides are the major secondary metabolites of P. ginseng. The constituents of P. ginseng are significantly changed during processing, and several pharmacological activities of red ginseng products are dramatically increased compared to white ginseng. In this paper, we aimed to review the ginsenosides and pharmacological activities of various red ginseng products, the transformation law of ginsenosides in processing, and some clinical trials of red ginseng products. This article will help to highlight the diverse pharmacological properties of red ginseng products and aid in the future development of red ginseng industrialization.

Abstract Background Paeoniae Radix Alba, the root of the plant Paeonia lactiflora Pall, is a common blood-enriching drug in traditional Chinese medicine. Its effectiveness in the clinical treatment of anaemia is remarkable, but its potential pharmacologic mechanism has not been clarified. Methods In this study, the potential pharmacologic mechanism of Paeoniae Radix Alba in the treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia was preliminarily elucidated through systematic and comprehensive network pharmacology. Results Specifically, we obtained 15 candidate active ingredients from among 146 chemical components in Paeoniae Radix Alba. The ingredients were predicted to target 77 genes associated with iron-deficiency anaemia. In-depth analyses of these targets revealed that they were mostly associated with energy metabolism, cell proliferation, and stress responses, suggesting that Paeoniae Radix Alba helps alleviate iron-deficiency anaemia by affecting these processes. In addition, we conducted a core target analysis and a cluster analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. The results showed that four pathways, the p53 signalling pathway, the IL-17 signalling pathway, the TNF signalling pathway and the AGE-RAGE signalling pathway in diabetic complications, may be major pathways associated with the ameliorative effects of Paeoniae Radix Alba on iron-deficiency anaemia. Moreover, molecular docking verified the credibility of the network for molecular target prediction. Conclusions Overall, this study predicted the functional ingredients in Paeoniae Radix Alba and their targets and uncovered the mechanism of action of this drug, providing new insights for advanced research on Paeoniae Radix Alba and other traditional Chinese medicines.

A simple, fast, and reliable method was established for simultaneous determination of 43 pesticides in Schizonepeta tenuifolia. The samples were prepared using solid-phase extraction (SPE) method. Pesticides were extracted from Schizonepeta tenuifolia using acetonitrile, cleaned with Pesticarb/NH2, and eluted by mixed solvents of acetonitrile and toluene (3 : 1, v/v). Selected pesticides were identified using DB-35MS capillary column and detected by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Samples were quantified by external standard method. Recoveries for the majority of pesticides at spike levels of 0.2, 0.5, and 1 mg kg−1 ranged between 70 and 120% (except for Chlorothalonil, Thiamethoxam, and Dicofol), and the relative standard deviations (RSDs n = 6) were 1.32%–13.91%. Limits of detection (LODs) were 0.0011–0.0135 mg kg−1, whereas limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.0038–0.0451 mg kg−1. The satisfactory accuracy and precision, in combination with a good separation and few interferences, have demonstrated the strong potential of this technique for its application in Schizonepeta tenuifolia analysis.

Chrysophanol (1,8-dihydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone) is a free anthraquinone compound and a secondary metabolite of medicinal plant rhubarb. Chrysophanol has been reported to have both protective and curative activity against Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schlechtend.:Fr.) Pollacci, the causal agent of cucumber powdery mildew. In this paper the ultrastructure of powdery mildew on cucumber leaves was studied using electron microscopy after the leaves were treated with chrysophanol. Results showed that preventive treatments with chrysophanol affected fungal development, including spore germination, appressorial formation, and penetration. In the curative treatment, chrysophanol affected fungal survival, resulting in broken cell wall of germ tubes, swelling and collapse of hyphal tips, hyphal malformation, delayed and reduced sporulation. The morphological changes induced by chrysophanol at the ultrastructural level were reflected by haustorium deformation, vacuolization, abortion, and necrosis. Host cell walls infected or adjacent to haustoria were thickened. All these morphological changes of S. fuliginea further confirmed the fungicidal activity of chrysophanol on powdery mildew of cucumber.

Polygonati Rhizoma(PR), listed as a top-grade medicine, was recorded first in the Mingyi Bielu written by TAO Hongjing. It is a good medicine through the ages to tonify Qi and nourish Yin, strengthen spleen and kidney. PR has a long history of processing and has a variety of processing methods and technologies. Steaming and stewing are the main processing methods. There are many different excipients used in processing PR, such as wine, honey, black beans, and multiple excipients. At present, there are three plant varieties of PR recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, including Polygonatum sibiricum, P. kingianum and P. cyrtonema, collectively called medicinal PR. Medicinal PR has a wide range of chemical components, mainly including polysaccharides, steroidal saponins, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids and alkaloids etc. It also has a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as anti-oxidation, anti-osteoporosis and anti-tumor effects. In this paper, we review the historical evolution, chemical components, pharmacological effects, and the effects of processing on ingredients and pharmacological effects of PR. We also analyze the limitations of the current research on PR, and put forward the prospects on the scientific connotation of processing, quality improvement, process innovation and new product development of PR for further researches.