The mechanism research of Xiaoyan Lidan formula for the intervention of chronic intrahepatic cholestasis based on metabolomics combined with molecular docking analysis / 药学学报

In this study, the mechanism of Xiaoyan Lidan formula (XYLDF) against 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-collidine (DDC)-induced chronic intrahepatic cholestasis (CIHC) in mice was investigated based on metabolomics, molecular docking and pharmacological methods. In the pharmacodynamics study, a dosage of 5 g·kg-1 (clinical equivalent) XYLDF was administered in DDC-induced mice, then the effect of XYLDF against CIHC was evaluated by measuring the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) as well as total bilirubin (TBIL) in serum and observing liver histopathological changes. All experiments were approved by the Ethical Committee Experimental Animal Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (ZYD-2021-001). The serum metabolites of mice in each group were detected and identified based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry, and the relevant biological pathways and molecular key targets were further enriched. Molecular docking technology was used to further evaluate the binding activity of the main active ingredients of XYLDF with potential targets. Subsequently, the in vitro experiment was conducted for the validation of the vital target. The results showed that compared with the model group, XYLDF significantly decreased the levels of ALT, AST, AKP and TBIL in the serum of CIHC mice, as well as alleviated inflammatory infiltration and hepatocyte necrosis in liver tissue. According to the metabonomic study, a total of 35 differential metabolites was identified as biomarkers associated with cholestasis, 12 of which were significantly recovered by XYLDF treatment. These biomarkers were involved in the pathways of primary bile acid biosynthesis and linoleic metabolism, which are closely related to the mechanism of XYLDF against CIHC. Protein-protein interaction network indicated that cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) are significant potential targets with good binding properties with six major active ingredients of XYLDF. Furthermore, it was found that 4-methoxy-5-hydroxycanthin-6-one, dehydroandrographolide and isodocarpin, three of the main active components in XYLDF, markedly induced the expression of CYP3A4 mRNA in vitro. This study revealed that XYLDF mainly mediates the biosynthesis of bile acids in CIHC mice to improve liver tissue lesions and bile efflux disorders, among which, CYP3A4 is the key target in the protection of XYLDF against CIHC. This research provides a reference for further elucidation of the pharmacological mechanism of XYLDF.

Analysis of projects funded by NSFC in field of Chinese medicine toxicology from 2012 to 2021 / 中国中药杂志

This study mainly introduced the research on Chinese medicine toxicology funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC) in 2012-2021 and analyzed the research content. Furthermore, key research topics and characteristic research projects were discussed, such as the toxicity mechanism, relationship between toxicity and efficacy, toxicity-alleviating mechanisms, and new technology and methods. The review suggested that researchers should gain an in-depth understanding of the "toxicity" of Chinese me-dicine, turned to characteristic research topics, and build a toxicological research paradigm suited to the characteristics of Chinese medicine in project application.

Analysis of research status based on projects in pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicine funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China / 中国中药杂志

The pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicine is a subject that studies the dynamic changes of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of complex components of traditional Chinese medicine, which is an important method for elucidating the pharmacodynamic material basis, action characteristics, and compatibility mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine. However, given on the fact that traditional Chinese medicine is a multi-dimensional and complex system with multiple components, multiple pathways, multiple targets, and an unclear pharmacodynamic material basis, the research on the pharmacokinetics of traditio-nal Chinese medicine has become a scientific and technological problem. Although the pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicine has achieved remarkable development with the emergence of new theories, methods and technologies, there are still some problems in the application of the research direction of the pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicine judging from the current application of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Therefore, this article discussed the current research status on pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicines by analyzing the projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in the past 5 years from 2016 to 2020, mainly including the application and funding analysis, main research contents of the projects in pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicines. And the research hotspots, difficulties and deficiencies were focused in order to provide certain reference for researchers engaged in pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicine.

Analysis of projects funded by NSFC in field of Chinese materia medica quality evaluation in recent five years / 中草药

The paper reviewed the funding situation of Chinese materia medica quality evaluation projects in Medical Science Department, National Natural Science Foundation of China in recent five years. The research progress and achievements of some funded projects were summarized from the perspectives of research approach, new technique and innovation of Chinese materia medica quality evaluation. The types of projects funded and supportive organizations were analyzed, and the problems of the applications have been also summarized so as to provide the reference for the subsequent applicants.

A new diterpenoid alkaloid isolated from Delphinium caeruleum / 中国天然药物

The present study was designed to determine the chemical constituents of Delphinium caeruleum Jacq. ex Camb.. The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by column chromatography with silica gel, ODS, and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were elucidated by IR, MS, and NMR. Ten compounds were obtained and identified as caerudelphinine A (1), lycoctonine (2), talitine B (3), talitine A (4), talitine C (5), tatsienine-V (6), d-magnoflorine (7), 2-trimethyl-ammonio-3-(3-indolyl) propionate (8), vakhmatine (9), and delatisine (10). Compound 1 was a new lycoctonine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloid, and compounds 4-10 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Interaction of phenylethanoid glycosides and calf thymus DNA / 中国中药杂志

In physiological condition, the interaction of acteoside and forsythoside B with calf thymus DNA using neutral red (NR) as a fluorescence probe were investigated by fluorescence, UV-visible spectrophotometry, viscosity, DNA melting techniques, and molecular docking. It is observed that acteoside and forsythoside B can react with DNA. The major mode of recognition between drug and DNA is groove binding by hydrogen bonds, and the interaction of acteoside with DNA is stronger than that of forsythoside B.

Analysis of projects funded by NSFC in field of pharmacology of traditional Chinese medicine between 2010 to 2013 fiscal years / 中国中药杂志

Projects which supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in discipline of pharmacology of Chinese medicine between 2010 to 2013 financial years were reviewed. Based on these research items, new features and problems were summarized in this field.

Simultaneous determination of 4 alkaloids and a flavonoid in Picrasmae Ramulus et Folium by RP-HPLC / 中国中药杂志

A RP-HPLC method was developed to evaluate the quality of Picrasmae Ramulus et Folium by simultaneous determination of five constituents including 1-hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline (1), 1-methoxicabony-beta-carboline (2), 4-methoxy-5-hydroxy-canthin-6-one (3), 4, 5-dimethoxy-canthin-6-one (4) and maackiain (5) in Picrasmae Ramulus et Folium. The samples were separated on a Kromasil RP-C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column eluted with acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid as mobile phases in gradient mode. The detection wavelength was set at 254 nm. The calibration curves and linearity of the above five standards were determined as (1) Y = 6 525.6X + 37.25 (0.009-1.780 microg, r = 0.996 8), (2) Y = 3 662.3X + 41.55 (0.005-0.920 microg, r = 0.999 5), (3) Y = 3763.1X + 146.87 (0.015-3.060 microg, r = 0.999 0), (4) Y = 2 174.1X + 21.52 (0.003-0.620 microg, r = 0.999 5), and (5) Y = 276.25X + 7.65 (0.010-1.960 microg, r = 0.998 9), respectively. The method is simple and repeatable, and can be used for the quality assessment of Picrasmae Ramulus et Folium.

A new triterpenoid glycoside from the roots of Ilex asprella / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To study the chemical constituents of the roots of Ilex asprella Champ. ex Benth.@*METHODS@#Compounds were isolated by silica gel, ODS, and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectroscopic analysis.@*RESULTS@#Four triterpenoid glycosides were isolated and identified as (3β)-19-hydroxy-28-oxours-12-en-3-yl β-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid n-butyl ester (1), ilexasoside A (2), monepaloside F (3), and ilexoside A (4).@*CONCLUSION@#Compound 1 is a new triterpenoid glycoside, and compounds 3 and 4 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Triterpenes from Callicarpa integerrima Champ / 药学学报

A new triterpenoid saponin and fourteen known triterpenoids were isolated from the methanol extract of the stems and leaves of Callicarpa integerrima Champ, which is used in Chinese folk medicine for stopping bleeding, expelling the wind, dissipating stagnation, and treating scrofula, by using various chromatographies, such as silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and RP-C18 column chromatography. Their structures were identified as a new compound 2alpha, 3beta, 19alpha, 23-tetrahydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), together with fourteen known compounds: oleanolic acid (2), 3-acetyl oleanolic acid (3), 3beta-O-acetyl ursolic acid (4), 2alpha-hydroxy-ursolic acid (5), 2alpha, 3beta, 19alpha, 23-tetrahydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (6), alpha-amyrin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), pomolic acid (8), betulinic acid (9), ursolic acid (10), 2alpha, 3beta, 19alpha, 23-tetrahydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (arjungenin) (11), 2alpha-hydroxy-oleanolic acid (12), hederagenin (13), 2alpha, 19alpha-dihydroxy-ursolic acid (14) and pruvuloside A (15), by the spectroscopic techniques of NMR, HMBC, IR and MS, separately. All these compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time, and compounds 3, 4 and 15 were isolated from genus Callicarpa L. for the first time.

Simultaneous determination of seven flavonoids in Nervilia fordii with HPLC / 药学学报

The study is to develop an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of rhamnazin (1), rhamnocitrin (2), rhamnetin (3), rhamnazin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), rhamnazin-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), rhamnazin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (6), and rhamnocitrin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7) in Nervilia fordii. The separation was performed on a Kromasil C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) with 0.4% phosphoric acid-acetonitrile as the mobile phase in a gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). The detect wavelength was set at 256 nm, and the column temperature was set at 40 degrees C. There were good linear relationships between the logarithm values of concentrations and those of the peak areas of seven flavonoids (1-7) in the range of 0.55-70.00 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.9997), 0.86-110.00 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.9997), 0.39-50.00 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.999 7), 0.55-70.00 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.999 5), 1.33-170.00 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.9998), 1.33-170.00 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.9998), 0.16-20.00 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.9995), respectively. The recoveries of the seven flavonoids were between 97.19%-99.45%, the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were between 0.91%-2.69%. The established method is rapid, accurate with high repeatability, which could provide scientific evidence for the quality control of Nervilia fordii.

Protective effect of Isodon lophanthoides var. gerardianus on acute hepatic injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effects of Isodon lophanthoides var. gerardianus (ILVG) aqueous extract on the acute hepatic injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Sixty rats were allocated into control group, model group, low, middle and high dosage group and Bifendate group randomly. At the test group, rats received either ILVG aqueous extract (15, 7.5, 3.75 g x kg(-1)) or Bifendate (45 mg x kg(-1)) by gastric perfusion daily for 10 consecutive days. In 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th days, 10% CCl4 (2 mL x kg(-1)) was given to rats by intraperitoneal (ip) injection. The rats were killed 24 h after the last adminiction with drug, the levels of ALT, AST, ALP and total bilirubin in serum were analyzed, the body weight, liver weight, spleen weight and thymus weight of each rat were measured, and the hepatic tissue pathology was observed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>ILVG could decrease the ALT, AST, ALP and T-Bil in serum, restrain the enlargement of liver and the shrinkage of thymus, and reduce the necrosis in pathological observation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ILVG aqueous extract possesses the effects of protecting on the acute hepatic injury induced by CCl4 in rats.</p>