Processing Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex with ginger juice: process optimization based on AHP-CRITIC weighting method and composition changes after processing / 中国中药杂志

The weight coefficients of appearance traits, extract yield of standard decoction, and total content of honokiol and magnolol were determined by analytic hierarchy process(AHP), criteria importance though intercrieria correlation(CRITIC), and AHP-CRITIC weighting method, and the comprehensive scores were calculated. The effects of ginger juice dosage, moistening time, proces-sing temperature, and processing time on the quality of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex(MOC) were investigated, and Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the process parameters. To reveal the processing mechanism, MOC, ginger juice-processed Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex(GMOC), and water-processed Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex(WMOC) were compared. The results showed that the weight coefficients of the appearance traits, extract yield of standard decoction, and total content of honokiol and magnolol determined by AHP-CRITIC weighting method were 0.134, 0.287, and 0.579, respectively. The optimal processing parameters of GMOC were ginger juice dosage of 8%, moistening time of 120 min, and processing at 100 ℃ for 7 min. The content of syringoside and magnolflorine in MOC decreased after processing, and the content of honokiol and magnolol followed the trend of GMOC>MOC>WMOC, which suggested that the change in clinical efficacy of MOC after processing was associated with the changes of chemical composition. The optimized processing technology is stable and feasible and provides references for the modern production and processing of MOC.

Antiemetic activity of effective extract and bioactive compounds in ginger / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the antiemetic effect of the active extract (ginger ether extract, GEE) and its bioactive compounds in ginger, the pica vomiting model in rats and the gastric emptying model in mice were used to observe the antiemetic effect of GEE in cisplatin-induced pica and gastric emptying, and the main components in GEE were detected by RP-HPLC; in vitro, the antagonist effect of GEE and the four components in it were explored by the contraction of guinea-pig ileum induced by SR57227A and carbachol. The results showed that the amount of Kaolin ingested by rats were declined significantly in all the three groups of GEE (25,50,100 mg•kg⁻¹) (P<0.01), while cisplatin-induced gastric emptying in mice was also suppressed in all the three groups (P<0.01), and 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol,10-gingerol and 6-shogaol were found mainly in GEE by RP-HPLC; the maximum contraction of isolated guinea-pig ileum could be reduced by addition of GEE (2.3, 4.6, 11.5 mg•L⁻¹), 6-gingerol,8-gingerol,10-gingerol or 6-shogaol (1, 2, 5 μmol•L⁻¹) when the concentration of SR5727A was 1×10⁻⁵ mol•L⁻¹ and that of carbachol was 1×10⁻⁴ mol•L⁻¹ (P<0.05, P<0.01). In conclusion, 5-HT3 and M3 receptors could be antagonized by GEE and its bioactive compounds 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol and 6-shogaol, which may be correlated with the antiemetic mechanism of ginger maybe related to it.

Process mechanism of Atractylodes macrocephala and conversion of sesquiterpenes / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To research the process mechanism of Atractylodes macrocephala and conversion of sesquiterpenes from it.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The contents of atractylenolide I, II and III in the different processed herbal medicines were determined by HPLC. The conversion of the sesquiterpenes was proved by the separation of oxides of atractylone.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The contents of atractylenolide I and III increased after frying, and at high temperature the content of atract ylenolide III decreased. After oxidation, atractylone converted to atractylenolide I, III and biatractylenolide, and atractylenolide III converted to atractylenolide II after dehydration when heated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Atractylone can convert to atractylenolides during process of A. macrocephala, and the contents of each component are related to the level of process.</p>

Study on irritation of calcium oxalate crystal in raw Pinellia ternata / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Confirm the irritation of needle-like calcium oxalate crystals in raw Pinellia ternata.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Comparing the irritations of raw P. ternate containing calcium oxalate crystals, the raw P. ternate no containing calcium oxalate crystals, the pure needle-like calcium oxalate crystals isolated from raw P. ternata, the extracts of water and various solvents from raw P. ternate. by using the model of rabbits' eyes. Studying the quantity effect relationship of different concentration suspensions of needle-like calcium oxalate crystal isolated from raw P. ternate on rabbits' eyes. Observing the shape and appearance of calcium oxalate crystals in raw P. ternate and raw India Madder Root by the electro microscope and comparing their irritation degrees with the same contents of calcium oxalate crystals.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Calcium oxalate crystals in raw P. ternata showed very strong irritation property. Under the same content of calcium oxalate crystals, the irritation of raw P. ternata and pure needle-like calcium oxalate crystals isolated from raw P. ternate had no significant difference. The concentrations of needle-like calcium oxalate crystals were do relative to the degree of irritation on rabbits' eyes and they showed undoubted quantity-effect relationship.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Calcium oxalate crystal is the irritation component in raw P. ternata.</p>

The potential role of nuclear matrix attachment regions (MARs) in regulation of gene expression / 生物工程学报

Gene transfer technology is being used to enhance agronomic performance or improve quality traits in a wide variety of crop species. However, it is sometimes severely handicapped by difficulty in obtaining material in which transgene expression is predictable and stable over many generations. Because integration seemed to occur randomly in the plant genome, it was thought that some transgenes would be integrated in a relatively uncondensed, transcriptionally active chromatin environment, while others in a condensed, transcriptionally inert chromatin structure. Nuclear matrix attachment regions (MARs) are defined as DNA sequences that bind preferentially to the proteins of the nuclear matrix. They typically are localized at the borders of gene domains, implicating them in the formation of individual loops of higher order chromatin structure and transcription regulation. When MARs are positioned on either side of a transgene their presence usually results in higher and more stable espression in transgenic plants, most likely by minimizing gene silencing. In this review, we focus mainly on novel findings and our observations concerning the function of MARs in transcription regulation. Our objective is not only to summarize the current data and present several possible models to explain MAR effects on the transcription regulation, but also to point out some open questions involving the utilization of MARs in constructing high efficient expression vectors.

Distinctive compound in Rhizome of Pinellia ternata / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To look for and determine the distinctive compound in Pinellia ternata.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>With TLC, HPLC, the distinctive compound was found and obtained by using the method of HPLC preparation. Its structure was elucidated by spectral analysis and physico-chemical properties.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The compound was identified as inosine.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Inosine is the distinctive compound in Rhizome of P. ternata, and it was isolated from Banxia for the first time.</p>