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Mountain Zizania latifolia is produced at scale in China, and the edible swollen culm is exported to many countries, but little attention has been paid to its functional components. In this work, microwave-assisted enzymatic extraction (MAEE) is used for the first time to extract polysaccharides from mountain Z. latifolia swollen culm (PMZL). MAEE conditions optimized by Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology were as follows: 2.4% cellulase, microwaving for 6.0 min at 607 W, with a liquid-to-solid ratio of 63:1 ml g

This study revealed the huge capability of mosquitoes in harboring a rich diversity of RNA viruses, although relevant studies have characterized the intensively unparalleled diversity of RNA viruses previously. Furthermore, our findings showed discernible differences not only in viromic structure between mosquito genera and even between mosquito species within the same genus but also in the genetic diversity and abundance of Wolbachia between different mosquito populations.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an essential cause of labor loss and disability for people worldwide. Acanthopanax senticosus polysaccharide (ASPS) is one of the most important active components from A. senticosus, which exhibits various pharmacological activities such as antioxidation and immunomodulation. However, no studies have reported the application of ASPS in treating RA. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effect of ASPS on RA and reveal its underlying mechanism. The potential therapeutic effect of ASPS against RA is initially verified in this study using the collagen-induced arthritis model. Moreover, the protective benefits of ASPS are transmitted through the fecal microbiota and blocked by simultaneous antibiotic cocktail treatment, indicating that gut microbiota may be correlated with ASPS. The 16S rRNA sequencing using feces samples and untargeted UPLC-MS metabolomics using serum samples further reveal that ASPS reprograms the arthritic progression triggered dysbiosis, enhances the expression of γ-glutamylcysteine (GGC) synthetase, and enriches the serum concentration of GGC. Furthermore, metabolites GGC is found to be able to effectively interrupt NLRP3 inflammasome activation via inhibiting ASC nucleation and therefore attenuate inflammatory arthritis. Taken together, this work highlights ASPS's therapeutic potential against RA, which mainly exhibits its effects via modulating gut microbiota and regulating GGC production.

Eupatorium japonicum Thunb and Foeniculum vulgare are two of the most widely used folk herbs and constituents in many traditional Chinese herbal formulas. Nonetheless, little toxicological and safety information associated with following daily repeated exposure is obtained according to previous research. The present study was performed to assess the toxicity of ethanol extract from Eupatorium japonicum Thunb and Foeniculum vulgare (EFE) in male rats administered by dietary oral gavage at target doses of 0.39, 0.78, and 1.56 g/kg body weight/day for 90 days. There were no significant adverse effects on clinical signs, body weight, food conversion efficiency, and vital hematological indices. However, some hematology and biochemical indices such as WCV, MCH, MCHC, LY, MPV, T-CHO, as well as TG revealed significant changes in Sprague–Dawley rats and organ weights in lung and spleen showed diminished in male rats. Necropsy and histopathology findings suggested that no significant differences in absolute weights were found in all organs except lung and spleen, and no treatment-related alteration was identified in any organs. All results obtained in the present study indicated that the proper use of EFE in traditional medicine at oral dosages up to 1.56 g/kg/day body weight may harbor no prolonged toxicity to rats. However, further studies of EFE are still necessary to assess its oral safety in patients.

Fourteen glaucocalyxin A biotinylated derivatives, one glaucocalyxin C biotinylated derivative, and two oridonin biotinylated derivatives were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed from 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS data. The derivatives were evaluated for cytotoxic activities against lung (A549), cervical cancer cell line HeLa derivative (KB), multidrug-resistant KB subline (KB-VIN), triple-negative breast (MDA-MB-231), and estrogen receptor-positive breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines.[Formula: see text].

Objective Existing studies have shown that the incidence of hypomagnesemia may be as high as 60%. However, the correlation between hypomagnesia and sepsis mortality remains elusive. The current study evaluated the effect of hypomagnesemia on the prognosis of patients with sepsis in ICU. Methods It was a retrospective cohort study based on an online database named MIMIC III. A total of 1448 sepsis patients with serum magnesium were admitted to the database, among which 645 patients were screened out. Results At 28 days, 99 patients (30.84%) in the hypomagnesemia group and 123 patients (38.0%) (P = 0.06) in the non-hypomagnesemia group died. There was no correlation between hypomagnesemia and 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis (HR = 1.07; P = 0.87, 95% CI). However, the duration of mechanical ventilation (P

Eight new compounds (1-8), along with three known related compounds (9-11) were isolated from the leaves of Sauropus spatulifolius Beille. Their structures and configurations were elucidated by means of spectrometric and the modified Mosher's method. Among the new compounds, compounds 1 and 2 were identified as ethyl 3, 6-anhydro-2-deoxy-β-D-arabino-hexofuranoside (1) and ethyl 3, 6-anhydro-2-deoxy- hexofuranoside (2). Compounds 3-5 were the 2-acetylpyrrole derivatives and identified as 2-(2-acetyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-4-hydroxybutyric acid (3), methyl 4-(2-acetyl-lH-pyrrol- 1-yl) butanoate (4) and 1, 4-bis (2-acetyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl) butane (5), respectively. Compound 6 was elucidated as 7-megastigmane-3, 8, 9-triol. Compounds 7, 8 were identified as kaempferol-3-O-2-deoxy-β-D-glucoside (7) and kaempferol-3-O-β-D- glucopyranosyl-(1-6)-2-deoxy-β-D-glucoside (8). In addition, the cytotoxic activities of all the compounds were also evaluated, where compounds 3, 5, 7, 9\10 and 11 exhibited the magnificent inhibition activity on lung fibroblast differentiation induced by TGF-β1with low toxicity against the RLE-6TN cell.

Fatty liver is associated with intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and low-grade chronic inflammation. Herein we report the interaction of the flavonoid extract from Smilax glabra Roxb. (FSGR) with gut microbiota. Then, FSGR's function of modulating microbiota in a rat model of high-fat diet (HFD) induced fatty liver has been explored. These investigations indicated that the main compound in FSGR, such as astilbin and its isomers, could be metabolized to aglycone, while further splitting resulted in some phenolic acid compounds through a redox reaction. The data obtained clearly showed that FSGR not only alleviated the steatosis degree of liver cells and modulated the contents of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestinal tract, but also reversed gut dysbiosis induced by HFD as prognosticated by the decreased ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) and altered gene expression. The results demonstrated that FSGR probably could be used as a prebiotic agent to impede gut dysbiosis and fatty liver-related metabolic disorders.

Eupatorium japonicum Thunb and Foeniculum vulgare are two of the most widely used folk herbs and constituents in many traditional Chinese herbal formulas. Nonetheless, little toxicological and safety information associated with following daily repeated exposure is obtained according to previous research. The present study was performed to assess the toxicity of ethanol extract from Eupatorium japonicum Thunb and Foeniculum vulgare (EFE) in male rats administered by dietary oral gavage at target doses of 0.39, 0.78, and 1.56 g/kg body weight/day for 90 days. There were no significant adverse effects on clinical signs, body weight, food conversion efficiency, and vital hematological indices. However, some hematology and biochemical indices such as WCV, MCH, MCHC, LY, MPV, T-CHO, as well as TG revealed significant changes in Sprague–Dawley rats and organ weights in lung and spleen showed diminished in male rats. Necropsy and histopathology findings suggested that no significant differences in absolute weights were found in all organs except lung and spleen, and no treatment-related alteration was identified in any organs. All results obtained in the present study indicated that the proper use of EFE in traditional medicine at oral dosages up to 1.56 g/kg/day body weight may harbor no prolonged toxicity to rats. However, further studies of EFE are still necessary to assess its oral safety in patients.

Background/Aims: The prevalence of hyperlipidemia is increasing rapidly. The role of Coreopsis tinctoria (CT) in amending lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemia patients has not been reported. This study aims to evaluate the role of CT in altering lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemia patients and to explore the possible mechanisms mediated by gut microbiota in hyperlipidemia mice models. Methods: A retrospective analysis in 40 hyperlipidemia patients was conducted, in which 20 patients took fenofibrate and another 20 patients normatively drank water with CT. Hyperlipidemia mice models were also established. Blood biochemical tests were performed using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Liver histopathology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ileocecal samples were collected from mice, and bacterial DNA was extracted and sequenced by MiSeq sequencing. Bacterial composition and differences were analyzed. Results: In hyperlipidemia patients, CT was associated with decreased triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels without liver injury. The experimental hyperlipidemia model also verified a similar result. Gut microbial richness and diversity were significantly decreased in hyperlipidemic mice, but increased after CT treatment. Bacterial communities were significantly differentiated between normal controls and hyperlipidemic mice. CT administration improved gut microbiota composition to an approximately normal status. Meanwhile, CT administration attenuated bacterial alterations at the class, order, family, and genus levels in hyperlipidemic mice. Importantly, the genera Barnesiella, Lactobacillus, and Helicobacter achieved high discriminatory power in hyperlipidemic mice relative to normal controls. Conclusions: CT can modulate blood lipid metabolism with improvement of liver function by decreasing LDL and improving gut microbiota compositions. These findings may provide novel therapeutic strategies for patients with hyperlipidemia.

It is a great challenge to explore a feasible inner factor that dominates the ligament/pore size of nanoporous metals (NPMs). Herein, the controllable nanoporous copper (NPC) ribbons synthesized by free-dealloying as-spun Cu50-xZr50Mx (x = 0 and 2.5 at.%; M = Al, Nb, Ag) metallic glasses (MGs). From insightfully understanding the correlation of the ligament sizes of NPC, the surface diffusivity of Cu atoms as well as the corrosion potential of additional elements (Al, Nb, Ag), it is firstly unveiled that the corrosion potential of additional elements in the examined etching media could be an inner factor for influencing the pore/ligament size of NPMs. The new findings rooting in the inherent nature of additional elements makes the design of NPMs with useful pore size much more feasible than ever. For further application of NPC with tunable ligament size, the suitable pore structure of NPC is effective in improving the dispersion of MnO2 nanoflakes or nanoflowers to form 3D porous MnO2@NPC composite electrodes. Density functional theory (DFT) further proves that the interaction of NPC and MnO2 results in the modification of the electronic structure and subsequently the improvement of the electrochemical performance. The NPC-supported MnO2 electrode presents much enhanced specific capacitance and cycling stability as compared to the MnO2 nanoparticles. At last, three symmetric supercapacitor (SC) devices connected in series could power up a green LED bulb for more than 55 min.

The decoction of Pteris multifida had been applied to attenuate symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia in Chinese folk medicine. In this study, the total flavonoid extract of Pteris multifida was processed at first. High performance liquor chromatography and tandem mass spectrometer assay revealed 10 flavonoids as key constituents of this extract. After 60-day administration, the total flavonoid extract (180 mg/kg, i. g.) decreased the prostate index in mice of benign prostatic hyperplasia apparently. Immunohistochemical assay revealed inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor expression, together with activation of transforming growth factor-beta 1 expression in the prostatic samples after administration of the extract. A 90-day subchronic toxicity test was further undertaken in male Sprague-Dawley rats, and the no-observed-adverse-effect level for the extract was 200 mg/kg body weight/day. These results revealed that the total flavonoid extract of Pteris multifida exhibited positive effect with safety, which might be applied in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

An array of oleanolic acid-type saponins based on β-hederin has been synthesized in a linear or one-pot manner. The cell viability assays indicate that synthetic saponins show antiproliferation activities in three cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 2.4-15.1 μM and hederacolchiside A1 being the most potent. The results demonstrate that the type of terminal monosaccharides and linkage position have apparent effects on cytotoxicities and selectivities of these saponins against cancer cell lines tested. This study is helpful for future development of more potent anticancer leads.

Mucuna pruriens, an ancient Indian herbal medicine containing levodopa, is widely used for Parkinson's disease. In order to simultaneously determine levodopa and 1,1-dimethyl-3-carboxy-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (MD01) in rat plasma, an improved LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for a pharmacokinetic study in rats orally administered levodopa or Mucuna pruriens extract (MPE). Elimination of matrix effect and improvement of extraction recovery were achieved through systematic optimization of reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction chromatographic conditions together with sample clean-up procedures. A satisfactory chromatographic performance was obtained with a Thermo Aquasil C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 3 µm) using acetonitrile and water containing 0.2% formic acid as mobile phases. Futhermore, sodium metabisulfite and formic acid were used as stabilizers in neat solutions as well as rat plasma. The method was validated in a dynamic range of 20.0-10,000 ng/mL for levodopa and MD01; the intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were acceptable. The method was successfully utilized to determine the levodopa level in plasma samples of rats administered levodopa or MPE. Pharmacokinetic results showed that an increase in the AUC of levodopa was observed in rats following oral administration of multiple doses of MPE. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

MR dampers have been proposed for the control of cable vibration of cable-stayed bridge in recent years due to their high performance and low energy consumption. However, the highly nonlinear feature of MR dampers makes them difficult to be designed with efficient semi-active control algorithms. Simulation study has previously been carried out on the cable-MR damper system using a semi-active control algorithm derived based on the universal design curve of dampers and a bilinear mechanical model of the MR damper. This paper aims to verify the effectiveness of the MR damper for mitigating cable vibration through a full-scale experimental test, using the same semi-active control strategy as in the simulation study. A long stay cable fabricated for a real bridge was set-up with the MR damper installed. The cable was excited under both free and forced vibrations. Different test scenarios were considered where the MR damper was tuned as passive damper with minimum or maximum input current, or the input current of the damper was changed according to the proposed semi-active control algorithm. The effectiveness of the MR damper for controlling the cable vibration was assessed through computing the damping ratio of the cable for free vibration and the root mean square value of acceleration of the cable for forced vibration.

Acid hydrolysis mechanisms of orientin-2″- O -galactopyranoside (OGA), orientin and other flavone C -glycosides in the trollflowers ( Trollius chinensis Bunge) were studied in this report for the first time. Hydrolysis parameters including temperature, acidity, solvent and reaction time were comprehensively investigated. OGA could be hydrolyzed to orientin, followed by an isomerization to isoorientin via a reversible Wessely–Moser rearrangement reaction under stronger acidic conditions. A first-order kinetic model fitted the hydrolysis process of OGA well. Under the optimal hydrolysis conditions of 80 °C, 1.0 mol/L H + and 7 h reaction time, about 77% OGA was transformed to orientin with no detectable isoorientin. These results could be helpful for better understanding of the acid hydrolysis kinetics of flavone C -glycosides, as well as the preparation of these valuable components under controlled acid hydrolysis conditions.

To produce monolithic nanoporous Cu (NPC) ribbons with good mechanical integrity, we investigate chemical dealloying behavior of an amorphous Cu52.5Hf40Al7.5 alloy with good mechanical properties by immersion in 0.5 M HF solution for different times. With the design concept of adding ductile amorphous supporter to NPC ribbons, an amorphous alloy-containing interlayer with a certain thickness is successfully fabricated in the NPC ribbon by controlling dealloying time to ensure the good bendability of the dealloyed product. New electrochemical properties of the obtained NPC ribbon are further developed. The current signal and the specific capacitance of the NPC-supported MnO2 composite electrode are remarkably enhanced as compared to those of pure MnO2 powders. NPC substrate with large specific surface areas and excellent electrical conductivity can effectively promote the morphological change of MnO2 from globular particles to nanoflakes for larger specific surface area and improve the utilization of MnO2 surface active sites, which reveal new electrochemical properties of NPC in a potential application for supercapacitor composite electrodes.

Some polyphenols derived from plants may ameliorate hyperlipidemic fatty livers; therefore, we hypothesized that polyphenol-rich Chrysanthemum morifolium extract (CME) may exert an inhibitory effect on the formation of hyperlipidemic fatty livers in mice. This study aimed to examine the effects of CME on lipids in blood and liver and on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α-mediated gene expression. Mice with hyperlipidemic fatty livers induced by orally administering high-fat milk via gavage and being simultaneously treated with 75 to 300 mg/kg CME for 6 weeks. After CME addition, the serum total cholesterol levels and hepatic weight coefficients decreased, but no significant reduction in the serum triacylglycerol levels were observed. It is important to note that CME might decrease hepatic lipid accumulation, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, and fatty acid synthase expression and increase hepatic PPARα, lipoprotein lipase, and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase expression. However, the expected reduction in hepatic diacylglycerol acyltransferase mRNA expression was not observed. These findings demonstrate that polyphenol-rich CME may prevent hyperlipidemic fatty liver in mice, and its mechanisms may be related to the modulation of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, FAS, lipoprotein lipase, and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase 1 expression through the PPARα-mediated pathway.

Purpose: To study the effect of Ginkgo biloba preparation on senile dementia and the mechanism of its action. Methods: Sprague Dawley (SD) rat model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion was produced by vascular occlusion (2-VO). The rats were administered Ginkgo biloba preparation via intra-gastric route 4 h after the operation, and then at 7:30 am every day at a dose of 100 mg/kg per day (0.5 mL/100 g, per day) for 28 days. One group of untreated model rats, and a reference group served as controls. Garcia composite score was used to evaluate the recovery of neurological function in the rats after operation. Morris water maze test was conducted to assess learning and memory abilities. Western blot was used to measure protein expressions of BACE1, TRP1 and RAGE. Serum levels of inflammatory factors IL1, IL6 and TNF were assayed by ELISA. Results: Garcia composite score showed that the neurological function of the SD rats was significantly impaired by the blockage of blood flow to the bilateral common carotid artery. However, neurological function was gradually recovered by treatment with Ginkgo biloba preparation. The escape latency and swimming distance of the rats were significantly shortened, and the number of platform crossings was gradually increased by the Ginkgo biloba preparation. With time, there was no significant difference in swimming speed between the groups. Western blot data showed that expression of BACE1, TRP1 and RAGE gradually decreased. Results from ELISA indicate that with time, Ginkgo biloba preparation decreased the expressions of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF in the reference group. Conclusion: The preventive and therapeutic effects of Ginkgo biloba preparation extract on senile dementia may be related to its inhibition of neuro-inflammatory reaction. Keywords: Alzheimer disease, Neuro-inflammatory reactions, Ginkgo biloba preparation

Gardenia fruits contain valuable natural food colorants including crocins (gardenia yellow) and geniposide. In this study, a process for the enrichment of crocins and geniposide simultaneously from gardenia fruits was developed using macroporous resin and RP chromatography. The performance of eight different types of macroporous resins was evaluated. Static absorption/desorption experiments revealed that LX60 possessed optimal separating capacity. Further dynamic absorption/desorption experiments on LX60 columns were conducted to obtain the optimal parameters. After one run treatment with LX60, the content of crocin-1 in gardenia yellow reached 29.6%, while geniposide in another fraction reached 83.4%. An extract of crocins was obtained from gardenia yellow in a second-stage separation using RP medium-pressure LC, with its color value to be 756 and the content of crocin-1 reaching 60.8%. The separation process was highly efficient, low cost, and compact, which may be informative for purifications of other natural products from complex plant extracts.

Four nimbolinin-type limonoids, 12 α / β -1- O -tigloyl-1- O -deacetyl-nimbolinin B ( 1 ), 1-deacetylnimbolinin B ( 2 ), nimbolinin B ( 3 ) and nimbolinin A ( 4 ), were isolated from the fruits of Melia toosendan . 1 was a new compound and existed as a mixture of a pair of tautomers, 12 α - ( 1a ) and 12 β - ( 1b ). The structures of both tautomers were fully determined by extensive spectroscopic methods including UV, IR, NMR and ESI-MS. Tautomeric behaviors and their relative molar ratios in compounds 1–4 were further investigated using optical rotation, TLC, 1 H NMR and HPLC. Equilibrium equation of nimbolinin was proposed accordingly, with 12 α - and 12 β -isomers interchanging via a 12-hemiacetal intermediate.

Pulchinenoside B4 and B5 (PB4, PB5) are two major triterpenoid saponins existing in the roots of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel. In this study, a systematic preparative process was developed fo...

Peoniflorin (PF) and albiflorin (AF) are two principal components of Paeonia species, which exhibit various biological activities such as improvement of blood circulation and immunoregulating function. To further utilization of waste parts of peony plants, an efficient method for preparative purification of these two ingredients from white peony rhizome was developed based on macroporous resin (MAR) and medium-pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC). The separation characteristics of nine typical MARs were investigated by static adsorption/desorption experiments, and LX38 was revealed as optimal one. Further static experiments with LX38 resin indicated that the adsorbents fitted well to the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Based on the optimal process parameters, a large-scale preparation was successfully applied. After one run treatment with LX38, the contents of PF and AF were increased 15-fold to 24.5 and 16.8% in the refined extract, respectively. Both purified compounds were obtained from refined extract by reversed-phase MPLC at second-stage separation. The process developed is better because of its low cost, high efficiency, and procedural simplicity making it a potential approach for large-scale production of PF and AF for their further applications in functional foods and pharmaceuticals.

Glucomannans from Bletilla striata (bletillan) were used as excipient for controlled deliveries of drugs, genes and tissue engineering. In the present study, a controlled acetylation method was developed to improve water solubility of bletillan 70 (BT) firstly, by reacting with acetic anhydride (AA) in N,N-dimethylformamide solvent. The preparation parameters, such as reaction temperature, reaction time and molar ratio of BT/AA, were optimized based on degrees of acetyl group in addition. IR and (1)H NMR spectra were applied to elucidate the reaction process and substitution pattern, which indicated that the acetylation took place at C-6 and C-2 of the hexose units in a ratio of 2:1, with DS up to 0.83. Relative viscosity analysis revealed that the resulted products had improved water solubilities. This novel method is simple, economic and easily controlled.

Phytochemical investigation of methanol extract from the whole plants of Patrinia scabiosifolia Fisch. resulted in the isolation of three new triterpenoid saponins (1-3) along with twelve known triterpenoids (4-15). The structures of the new compounds were established as 11α, 12α-epoxy-3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-olean-28, 13β-olide (1), 11α, 12α-epoxy-3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-olean-28, 13β-olide (2), and 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3) on the basis of various spectroscopic analyses (including different 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopies and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry) and chemical evidences.

Phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract from the whole plants of Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch. resulted in the isolation of four new triterpenoid saponins (1-4) along with six known compounds (5-10). On the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods, the structures of the new compounds were established as 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-12β,30-dihydroxy-olean-28,13β-olide (1), 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-12β,30-dihydroxy-olean-28,13β-olide (2), 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-12β, 30-dihydroxy-olean-28,13β-olide (3), and 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), respectively. Compounds 1-3 possess a novel 12β,30-dihydroxy-olean-28,13β-lactone aglycone and a 12β-hydroxy substituent that is rarely found in this kind of triterpenoid saponin.

Mucuna pruriens, an ancient Indian herbal medicine containing levodopa, is widely used for Parkinson's disease. In order to simultaneously determine levodopa and 1,1-dimethyl-3-carboxy-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (MD01) in rat plasma, an improved LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for a pharmacokinetic study in rats orally administered levodopa or Mucuna pruriens extract (MPE). Elimination of matrix effect and improvement of extraction recovery were achieved through systematic optimization of reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction chromatographic conditions together with sample clean-up procedures. A satisfactory chromatographic performance was obtained with a Thermo Aquasil C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 3 µm) using acetonitrile and water containing 0.2% formic acid as mobile phases. Futhermore, sodium metabisulfite and formic acid were used as stabilizers in neat solutions as well as rat plasma. The method was validated in a dynamic range of 20.0-10,000 ng/mL for levodopa and MD01; the intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were acceptable. The method was successfully utilized to determine the levodopa level in plasma samples of rats administered levodopa or MPE. Pharmacokinetic results showed that an increase in the AUC of levodopa was observed in rats following oral administration of multiple doses of MPE. Copyright © 2016 John WileySons, Ltd.

Background To identify the chemical structure of Coreopsis tinctoria extracts and their effect and mechanism on reducing blood lipid in hyperlipemia mice. Methods The flavonoids were extracted from Coreopsis tinctoria. The chemical structure was identified by HPLC. 59 mice were divided randomly into 5 groups. (group 1: normal diet control; group 2: hyperlipemia model; group 3: hyperlipemia mice treated with Coreopsis tinctoria, low dose 100 mg/kg; group 4: hyperlipemia mice treated with Coreopsis tinctoria high dose group 200 mg/kg; group 5 hyperlipemia mice treated with Fenofibrate. After 2 week of hyperlipid diet, the treatment of Coreopsis tinctoria and Fenofibrate were given for another 6 weeks with continuous hyperlipid diet. The TC, TG, HDL, histology, adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) expression in different groups were compared. Results Compared with normal diet group, TC, TG in hyperlipemia model group increased ( P

Free dealloying of Cu-Hf-Al metallic glasses in HCl electrolytes are studied in this paper. The results show that the electrolyte concentration and dealloying time strongly influence the type of dealloying products. A superficial dealloying happens in diluted HCl electrolytes while a complete dealloying occurs in concentrated HCl electrolytes. The results present that Cu 2 O microparticles with regular morphology can be tailored on glassy surfaces in 0.05 M HCl solution by controlling the dealloying time. Furthermore, the designable products of nanoporous Cu, Cu 2 O nanoplates and CuO microwires can be fabricated in 1.2 M HCl electrolyte with the dealloying time. Due to a big difference of examined Cu-Hf-Al alloys in the electrolyte concentration and dealloying time, one or mixed dealloying products (Cu, Cu 2 O and CuO), which depend on the progress of relative chemical reactions and the different dealloying route, will finally be produced.

Gardenia fruits contain valuable natural food colorants including crocins (gardenia yellow) and geniposide. In this study, a process for the enrichment of crocins and geniposide simultaneously from gardenia fruits was developed using macroporous resin and RP chromatography. The performance of eight different types of macroporous resins was evaluated. Static absorption/desorption experiments revealed that LX60 possessed optimal separating capacity. Further dynamic absorption/desorption experiments on LX60 columns were conducted to obtain the optimal parameters. After one run treatment with LX60, the content of crocin-1 in gardenia yellow reached 29.6%, while geniposide in another fraction reached 83.4%. An extract of crocins was obtained from gardenia yellow in a second-stage separation using RP medium-pressure LC, with its color value to be 756 and the content of crocin-1 reaching 60.8%. The separation process was highly efficient, low cost, and compact, which may be informative for purifications of other natural products from complex plant extracts.

Phytochemical investigation of ethanol extract from the flowers of Trollius chinensis Bunge resulted in the isolation of two new flavone C-glycosides (1–2), along with 10 known compounds (3–12). The structures of the new compounds were established as 6‴-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl)-2″-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl orientin (1) and 6‴-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl)-2″-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl vitexin (2) on the basis of various spectroscopic analysis (including different 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopies, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry) and chemical evidences. Bioassay showed that eight flavonoids inhibited complement activation on the classic pathway in vitro, with their IC50 values ranging from 0.88 to 4.02 mM, which may contribute to the applications of the herb in treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome, etc.

This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of MR damper for vibration mitigation of stay cable under complex wind excitations. The MR damper, RD-1005-03, provided by Lord Company was used, a semi-active control algorithm based on the universal design curve for linear dampers and the bilinear mechanical model of the MR damper was developed, and simulation study was carried out for the cable-MR damper system. Firstly, fluctuating wind field was generated using the method of weighted amplitude wave superposition (WAWS) and Kaimal spectrum and the time-history sample curve of turbulent wind speed of stay cable was obtained. Then the dynamic response of the cable-MR damper system was computed with the proposed semi-active control algorithm applied for mitigating the vibration of stay cable. Finally, the effectiveness of MR damper for controlling cable vibration was assessed by comparing the dynamic responses of stay cable before and after damper installation.