Investigation of Effect of Different Processed Products of Atractylodes chinensis Rhizoma on Rats with Spleen Deficiency Based on Pharmacodynamics and Metabolomics / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo clarify the differences in the efficacy and mechanism of different processed products of Atractylodes chinensis rhizoma by the pharmacodynamics and metabolomics studies of raw， bran-fried and rice water-processed products on rats with spleen deficiency. MethodSixty male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， raw product group（3.75 g·kg-1）， bran-fried product group（3.75 g·kg-1）， rice water-processed product group（3.75 g·kg-1） and Shenling Baizhusan group（6.7 g·kg-1）， with 10 rats in each group. The method of excessive fatigue+improper diet was used to establish a spleen deficiency model in rats. After the end of modeling， except for the blank and model groups， each dosing group was given the corresponding drug suspension， the immune organ coefficients of each group of rats were examined， the levels of interleukin-6（IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， immunoglobulin G（IgG）， amylase（AMS）， motilin（MTL）， gastrin（GAS）， Na+-K+-adenosine triphosphatase（ATPase）， aquaporin 2（AQP2）， AQP3 and AQP8 in rats were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） combined with orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to search for biomarkers in the plasma samples of spleen-deficient rats by using two criteria［P<0.05 and variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1］， and to compare the different modulatory effects of the three decoction pieces on the splenic-deficient biomarkers， and metabolic pathway analysis was conducted through the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） database. ResultCompared with the blank group， the thymus index and spleen index of rats in the model group were significantly decreased（P<0.05）， the levels of IL-6， TNF-α， IgG and AQP2 were significantly increased（P<0.05）， the levels of AMS， GAS， MTL， AQP3， AQP8 and Na+-K+-ATPase were significantly decreased（P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， raw products， bran-fried products and rice water-processed products all increased thymus index and spleen index（P<0.05）， decreased IL-6， TNF-α， IgG and AQP2 levels（P<0.05）， and increased AMS， GAS， MTL， AQP3， AQP8 and Na+-K+-ATPase levels to different degrees. A total of 176 differential metabolites were screened in the model group compared with the blank group， of which 75， 72 and 84 biomarkers were called back by the raw products， bran-fried products and rice water-processed products， respectively（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Raw products of A. chinensis rhizoma mainly affected glycine， serine and threonine metabolism. Bran-fried products mainly affected alanine， aspartate and glutamate metabolism， D-arginine and D-ornithine metabolism. Rice water-processed products mainly affected glycine， serine and threonine metabolism， alanine， aspartate and glutamate metabolism， citrate cycle， thiamine metabolism， D-arginine and D-ornithine metabolism. ConclusionRaw products， bran-fried products and rice water-processed products of A. chinensis rhizoma all have good spleen strengthening effects， among which the effects of bran-fried products and rice water-processed products were stronger. Meanwhile， raw products has the strongest dryness， followed by bran-fried products， and the weakest dryness of rice water-processed products. The three decoction pieces are able to significantly modulate metabolic abnormalities in spleen-deficient rats， and the mechanism may be related to amino acid metabolism such as glycine， serine and threonine metabolism as well as alanine， aspartate and glutamate metabolism.

Effect of fried sunflower oil intake on mandibular biomechanical competence of growing rats / Efecto del consumo de aceite de girasol termooxidado sobre la competencia biomecánica de la mandíbula, en animales en crecimiento

ABSTRACT Previous studies by us demonstrated that the consumption of thermally oxidized oil diet adversely affects body growth, lipid metabolism, bone mass and femur biomechanical competence. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a diet containing fried sunflower oil on the mandible of growing rats. Materials and Method: Male Wistar rats (21±1 day old) (n=21) were assigned at weaning to one of three diets for 8 weeks: a control diet (C), a diet containing sunflower oil (SFO) or a diet containing sunflower oil that had been repeatedly heated (SFOx); both SFO and SFOx were mixed with commercial rat chow at 13% (w/w). The consistency and viscosity of the 3 diets were similar. Zoometrics and food intake were recorded weekly. At wk=8, mandibular growth was assessed by measurements of anatomical points of cleaned bones, and mandible biomechanical competence was assessed to estimate the structural properties of the bone. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS v. 20.0. Results: Rats fed SFOx diet attained the lowest final body weight (P=0.0074), mandibular weight (P=0.0001) and mandibular /length (P=0.0002). Load bearing capacity (Wf;N), load of yielding (Wy;N) and stiffness (Wy/dy;N/mm) of the mandible were negatively affected by both sunflower oil diets (fresh and fried) (P=0.001; P=0.002; P=0.003, respectively) though SFOx induced the most significant reduction in Wy/dy (C:44.4(5.4) > SFO:36.1(2.1) > SFOx: 26.3(3.7) N/ mm; P=0.003). The deleterious effect of SFOx on mandibular growth was more accentuated on the posterior part of the bone (C:11.4(0.3)=SFO:11.2(0.2)>SFOx: 10.7(0.2) mm; p=0.0005); the anterior/ posterior ratio (C:1.25(0.02)=SFO:1.27(0.02)<SFOx:1.32(0.03); p=0.0001) indicated that SFOx induced mandibular deformation. Conclusion: Consumption of SFOx diet during growth could affect mandibular morphometric properties and biomechanical competence, in terms of bone stiffness.

RESUMEN En estudios previos hemos demostrado los efectos adversos del consumo de una dieta rica en aceite termooxidado sobre el crecimiento corporal, el metabolismo de los lípidos, la masa ósea y la competencia biomecánica del fémur. Objetivo: El objetivo de este trabajo fue investigar el efecto de una dieta rica en aceite de girasol termooxidado (AGX) sobre los parámetros morfométricos y biomecánicos de la mandíbula de rata en crecimiento. Materiales y Método: Ratas macho Wistar de 22±1 días de edad (n=21) recibieron durante 8 semanas una de 3 dietas: control (C); dieta comercial, una dieta suplementada con aceite de girasol (AG) y una dieta suplementada con AGX. La consistencia y la viscosidad de las dietas fueron similares. Los parámetros zoométricos y el consumo de dieta se registraron semanalmente. A T=8, los animales se eutanasiaron y se obtuvieron las hemimandíbulas. El crecimiento mandibular se estimó por medidas morfométricas entre puntos anatómicos y las propiedades estructurales por biomecánica. El análisis estadístico se realizó por SPSS v. 20.0. Resultados: Las ratas alimentadas con AGX presentaron menor peso corporal final (p=0.0074), peso mandibular (p=0.0001) y longitud mandibular (p=0.0002). Las propiedades estructurales de la mandíbula, Wf (p=0.001), Wy (p=0.002) y Wy/dy (p=0.003), se vieron afectadas negativamente en ratas alimentadas con AG o AGX, respecto a C; pero la rigidez ósea (Wy/dy) en AGX fue significativamente menor (C:44.4(5.4) > SFO:36.1(2.1) > SFOx: 26.3(3.7) N/mm; p=0.003). El efecto deletéreo del AGX sobre el crecimiento mandibular fue más acentuado en la región posterior (C:11.4(0.3)=SFO:11.2(0.2)>SFOx: 10.7(0.2) mm; p=0.0005). La relación anterior/posterior (C=1.25 (0.02); AG= 1.27(0.02) y AGX=1.32(0.03), p=0.001) indica que AGX indujo deformación mandibular. Conclusiones: El efecto adverso del consumo de una dieta rica en AGX durante el crecimiento podría afectar los parámetros morfométricos y la biomecánica ósea en términos de rigidez ósea.

Frailty as a predictor of outcome in heart failure in the elderly: An observational study at a tertiary care center

Introduction: Heart failure is the leading contributor to global morbidity and mortality. Frailty is an emerging prognostic factor in heart failure. There is little data on the prognostic role of frailty in patients admitted for acute heart failure as most studies have been done on stable heart failure patients. Methodology: The study included elderly (age ≥60 years) patients admitted with acute heart failure at a tertiary care center in India. Patients with dementia, cognitive impairment, and documented terminal illness were excluded. The sample size was 85 patients. Frailty assessment was done using short performance physical battery (SPPB) and Fried phenotype scales and follow‑up data was collected at 3 months postdischarge telephonically. The primary objective of the study was to determine the proportion of frailty in elderly in‑hospital heart failure patients. The secondary objectives were to see the agreement between the frailty assessment tools used (SPPB and Fried phenotype). Results: Eighty seven patients were included in the study. The majority were male (n = 45) and had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (n = 56). Coronary artery disease (CAD) (n = 60) was the most common cause of heart failure. Eighty-two patients had at least one comorbidity. The proportion of frailty as per the SPPB was 43.67%, and as per the Fried phenotype was 68.9%. A total of 4 deaths and 15 re-admissions occurred during the follow-up period of 3 months. The majority belonged to the frail category as per both the frailty scales (P < 0.001 for SPPB, P = 0.087 for Fried phenotype). Fleiss’s kappa coefficient for agreement between the scales was 0.373 (SE = 0.106, P < 0.001), which signifies that there was a fair agreement between the two scales. The Spearman Rank correlation coefficient was −0.691 (P < 0.01) between the two scales. Hence, the SPPB score inversely correlated with the Fried phenotype. Conclusion: Frailty is largely prevalent in elderly heart failure patients. It can be used to predict poor outcomes in these patients. Clinicians should identify these high-risk patients at the time of discharge from their facility and consider interventions (tailored rehabilitation programs) to minimize the adverse outcomes.

Protective Effects of Zhi Ciweipi Water Extracts on Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt⁃Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. However, its exact pathogenesis is not fully understood. Zhi Ciweipi (ZCWP), as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has demonstrated suitable anti-inflammatory effects in the treatment of patients with bloody stool and hemorrhoids. However, its therapeutic effects on ulcerative colitis have yet to be investigated in depth. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of the aqueous extract of ZCWP against dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice and its possible mechanism of action. Successful simulation of ulcerative colitis was achieved by providing mice with drinking water containing 3% DSS. The HE staining results revealed that the aqueous extract of ZCWP could significantly reduce DSS-induced colonic injuries. Transcriptome sequencing analysis identified 10 key inflammation-related genes (IL⁃6, IL⁃1β, CSF2, TNF, IL10, IFN⁃γ, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL9, CXCL10), all of which were significantly downregulated (P<0. 05) in response to treatment with the aqueous extract of ZCWP according to qRT-PCR and Western blotting analyses. The immunofluorescence results further indicated that the aqueous extract of ZCWP was able to reduce the DSS-induced increase in the proportion of M1-type macrophages in the colon. Using single-cell sequencing, we thoroughly investigated the signaling relationships between different cell types, which revealed particularly strong communication between M1-type macrophages and fibroblasts. Subsequent qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses verified that the aqueous extract of ZCWP significantly downregulated the expression of DSS-induced fibrosis-related genes in colonic tissues (P<0. 05). In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the aqueous extract of prepared ZCWP exerts a protective effect against DSS-induced ulcerative colitis by inhibiting M1-type macrophage polarization, downregulating the expression of inflammatory factors, and preventing strong communication between M1-type macrophages and fibroblasts. These findings not only reveal the therapeutic mechanism by which ZCWP aqueous extract treats colitis, but also provide a new theoretical basis for its application in clinical practice.

Analysis of Effect of Characteristic Processing with Rice-washed Water on Volatile Components in Raw and Bran-fried Products of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma by HS-GC-MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveBy comparing the differences in composition and content of volatile components between Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma（AMR）and bleaching AMR， bran-fried AMR and bran-fried bleaching AMR， the effect of processing with rice-washed water on the volatile components in AMR and bran-fried AMR were investigated. MethodHeadspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-GC-MS）was used to determine the volatile components in raw products， bran-fried products and their processed products with rice-washed water. GC conditions were programmed temperature（starting temperature of 50 ℃， rising to 140 ℃ at 10 ℃·min-1， maintained for 5 min， then rising to 210 ℃ at 4 ℃·min-1）， splitting ratio of 10∶1， high purity helium as the carrier gas and a solvent delay time of 3 min. MS conditions were an electron bombardment ion source（EI） with an electron collision energy of 70 eV， ion source temperature of 230 ℃， and the detection range of m/z 20-650. The relative contents of the components were determined by the peak area normalization method， the obtained sample data were subjected to principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） by SIMCA 14.1 software， and the differential components of AMR and bleaching AMR， and bran-fried AMR and bran-fried bleaching AMR were screened according to variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1 and P<0.05. ResultA total of 71 volatile components were identified， including 53 in AMR， 50 in bleaching AMR， 51 in bran-fried AMR， and 44 in bran-fried bleaching AMR. OPLS-DA results showed that there were significant differences between AMR and bleaching AMR， bran-fried AMR and bran-fried bleaching AMR， but not between AMR samples from different origins. The compound composition of AMR and bleaching AMR， bran-fried AMR and bran-fried bleaching AMR did not change， but the contents of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes changed significantly. ConclusionSignificant changes in the contents of volatile components were observed in AMR and bleaching AMR， bran-fried AMR and bran-fried bleaching AMR， among them， 1，2-dimethyl-4-methylidenecyclopentene， 9，10-dehydro-isolongifolene， γ-elemene， zingiberene， atractylone， silphinene， modhephene and （1S，4S，4aS）-1-isopropyl-4，7-dimethyl-1，2，3，4，4a，5-hexahydronaphthalene can be used as candidate differential markers of volatile components of AMR before and after processing with rice-washed water.

Toxicity attenuation processing technology and mechanism of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction / 中国中药杂志

This study explored toxicity attenuation processing technology of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction for the first time, and further explored its detoxification mechanism. Nine processed products of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction were prepared by orthogonal experiment with three factors and three levels. Based on the decrease in the content of the main hepatotoxic component diosbulbin B before and after processing of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae by high-performance liquid chromatography, the toxicity attenuation technology was preliminarily screened out. On this basis, the raw and representative processed products of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae were given to mice by gavage with 2 g·kg~(-1)(equival to clinical equivalent dose) for 21 d. The serum and liver tissues were collected after the last administration for 24 h. The serum biochemical indexes reflecting liver function and liver histopathology were combined to further screen out and verify the proces-sing technology. Then, the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant indexes of liver tissue were detected by kit method, and the expressions of NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) and glutamate-cysteine ligase(GCLM) in mice liver were detected by Western blot to further explore detoxification mechanism. The results showed that the processed products of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction reduced the content of diosbulbin B and improved the liver injury induced by Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bul-biferae to varying degrees, and the processing technology of A_2B_2C_3 reduced the excessive levels of alanine transaminase(ALT) and aspartate transaminase(AST) induced by raw Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae by 50.2% and 42.4%, respectively(P<0.01, P<0.01). The processed products of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction reversed the decrease protein expression levels of NQO1 and GCLM in the liver of mice induced by raw Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae to varying degrees(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and it also reversed the increasing level of malondialdehyde(MDA) and the decreasing levels of glutathione(GSH), glutathione peroxidase(GPX), and glutathione S-transferase(GST) in the liver of mice(P<0.05 or P<0.01). In summary, this study shows that the optimal toxicity attenuation processing technology of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae stir-fried with Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction is A_2B_2C_3, that is, 10% of Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction is used for moistening Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae and processed at 130 ℃ for 11 min. The detoxification mechanism involves enhancing the expression levels of NQO1 and GCLM antio-xidant proteins and related antioxidant enzymes in the liver.

Differences in chemical components in processing of dried ginger-steamed, sand-fried, and rice swill water-bleached Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata pieces in "Jianchang" faction based on UPLC-MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

This study compared the changes in chemical components during the processing of different types of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata(ALRP) in "Jianchang" faction, i.e., dried ginger-steamed ALRP pieces(Yin-FP), sand-fried ALRP pieces(Yang-FP), and rice swill water-bleached ALRP pieces(DFP), and provided a scientific basis for the mechanism in toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement from a compositional perspective. Samples were collected during the processing of the three types of ALRP pieces, yielding raw ALRP pieces, water-bleached Yin-FP, ginger juice-moistened Yin-FP, steamed Yin-FP, water-bleached Yang-FP, sand-fried Yang-FP, water-bleached DFP, rice swill water-bleached DFP, and roasted DFP. Aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine, benzoylhypaconine, aconine, mesaconine, hypaconine, salsolinol, fuziline, and higenamine in the extracts were determined by UPLC-MS/MS, and then content analysis and cluster heatmap analysis were performed on 11 sets of samples. During the processing of the three types of ALRP pieces, bleaching significantly reduced the content of 12 alkaloids; steaming, stir-frying, and roasting significantly reduced the content of diester-type alkaloids(aconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine) and significantly increased the content of monoester-type alkaloids(benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine, and benzoylhypaconine) and aminoalcohol-type alkaloids(aconine, mesaconine, and hypaconine). During the processing of Yin-FP, the diester-type alkaloids continuously decreased, while the monoester-type and aminoalcohol-type alkaloids showed an initial decrease followed by an increase. During the processing of Yin-FP, Yang-FP, and DFP, the diester-type alkaloids continuously decreased, while the monoester-type and aminoalcohol-type alkaloids showed an initial decrease followed by an increase. Steamed Yin-FP showed a higher increase in content than fried Yang-FP and roasted DFP. Comprehensive analysis of content differences in toxic and therapeutic components in three ALRP pieces suggests that the distinctive processing methods in "Jianchang" faction can indeed achieve detoxification and efficacy enhancement on ALRP. This study provides references for understanding the mechanisms of action of the three processing methods.

Quality evaluation of Plantago asiatica and fried Plantago asiatica based on fingerprint and analysis of chemical pattern recognition / 中国药房

OBJECTIV E To establish the method for evaluating the quality o f Plantago asi atica and fried P. asiatica . METHODS The fingerprints of 15 batches of P. asiatica and 15 batches of fried P. asiatica were established by HPLC. The common peaks were identified with the Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprinting of TCM （2012 edition）， and similarity evaluation was performed. Analysis of chemical pattern recognition was performed by using SPSS 25.0 and SIMCA-P 14.1 software（cluster analysis ，principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares regression analysis ）. The markers which affected the difference in the quality between P. asiatica and fried P. asiatica were screened with variable importance projection（VIP）value greater than 1. RESULTS There were 18 common peaks in the fingerprints of 15 batches of P. asiatica and 13 common peaks in the fingerprints of 15 batches of fried P. asiatica . A total of 8 common peaks were found in both of them. Their similarities were greater than 0.920. Two common peaks were identified as geniposidic acid ，acteoside. The results of cluster analysis showed that when the spacing was 10，the 30 batches of samples could be clustered into three categories ，with S 1-S5 as one，S16-S20 as one ，S6-S15 and S 21-S30 as one . The results of the pri ncipal component analysis showed that the cumulative variance contribution rate of the first two principal components was 82.575％ . The results of the orthogonal partial least squares regression analysis showed that the VIP values of the three common peaks were greater than 1，namely peak E（acteoside）， peak D （geniposidic acid ） and peak G. CONCLUSIONS Established fingerprints are stable ，simple sina.com and rapid. It can be used for the quality evaluation of P. asiatica and fried P. asiatica ，by combining with analysis of chemical pattern recognition. Acteoside ，geniposidic acid and the component represented by peak G may be the markers affecting the difference in quality of P. asiatica and fried P. asiatica .

Analysis of Chemical Composition Variations in Plantaginis Semen at Different Frying Time Based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MSE / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveIn order to explore the changes of chemical constituents in Plantaginis Semen before and after stir-frying， ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF/MSE） was used to rapidly identify and semi-quantitatively analyze the differential components in Plantaginis Semen processed at different stir-frying time. MethodWaters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column （2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.8 μm） was employed with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution （A）-acetonitrile （B） for gradient elution （0-1 min， 5%-10%B； 1-2 min， 10%-15%B； 2-10 min， 15%-20%B； 10-12 min， 20%-40%B； 12-13 min， 40%-100%B； 13-14 min， 100%-5%B； 14-15 min， 5%B）， the flow rate was 0.3 mL·min-1， the column temperature was 40 ℃， and the injection volume was 3 μL. Electrospray ionization （ESI） was applied for mass spectrometric analysis under positive and negative ion modes， and the scanning range was m/z 50-1 500. MarkerLynx 4.1 software was used to find the differential compounds， and the intensity of each ion peak in samples with different stir-frying time was compared to study the content variations of these compounds. ResultA total of 20 components with potential significant differences were found， among which 17 were identified and 3 were unknown， mainly including phenylethanoid glycosides， iridoid glycosides， alkaloids and others. After processing， the peak intensities of 7 compounds， such as sucrose， geniposidic acid， verbascoside and plantagoguanidinic acid A， in Plantaginis Semen decreased. The peak intensities of orobanchoside， dianthoside and plantain D increased first and then decreased during the stir-frying process. The peak intensities of 10 compounds （decaffeoylacteoside， calceolarioside A， isoacteoside， etc.） increased， and 9 of them were newly generated components. ConclusionThe content and composition of the chemical components in Plantaginis Semen changed significantly after stir-frying， which may be related to the reduction of laxative effect and the enhancement of antidiarrheal and diuretic activities of Plantaginis Semen after stir-frying.

Effect of Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar on fecal metabolomics in Walker-256 rats with ascites / 中国中药杂志

Utilizing metabolomics technology, this study explored the change of fecal endogenous metabolites in Walker-256 rats with malignant ascites after the administration with Kansui Radix(KR) stir-fried with vinegar(VKR), sought the potential biomarkers in feces which were related to the treatment of malignant ascites by VKR and revealed the biological mechanism of water-expelling effect of VKR. Ultra-fast liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UFLC-Q-TOF-MS) was employed to detect the feces of rats in all groups. Principle component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) were conducted to achieve pattern recognition. Combining t-test and variable importance in the projection(VIP) enabled the screening of potential biomarkers for the malignant ascites. Metabolic pathway analysis was accomplished with MetaboAnalyst. Correlation analysis was finally conducted integrating the sequencing data of gut microbiota to elucidate the mechanism underlying the water-expelling effect of VKR. The results showed that both KR and VKR could restore the abnormal metabolism of model rats to some extent, with VKR being inferior to KR in the regulation. Eleven potential biomarkers were identified to be correlated with the malignant ascites and five metabolic pathways were then enriched. Four kinds of gut microbiota were significantly related to the potential biomarkers. The water-expelling effect of VKR may be associated with the regulation of phenylalanine metabolism, biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, tryptophan metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol(GPI)-anchor biosynthesis. This study can provide a scientific basis for comprehensive understandings of the interaction between gut microbiota and host which has relation to the water-expelling effect of VKR and guide the reasonable clinical application of VKR.

Chemical ingredient groups B and C in Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar affect diversity of gut microbiota in rat model of malignant ascites induced by Walker-256 cells / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the effects of chemical ingredient groups B and C in Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar on the diversity of gut microbiota in the rat model of malignant ascites, identify the key differential microbial taxa, and reveal the biological mechanism of water-expelling effect of the two chemical ingredient groups. The rat model of malignant ascites induced by Walker-256 cells was established, and phenolphthalein was used as the positive drug. The rats were orally administrated with corresponding agents for consecutive 7 days. On day 6, fresh feces samples were collected from the rats, and 16 S rDNA high-throughput sequencing and GC-MS were employed to determine the composition of gut microbiota and the content of short-chain fatty acids, respectively. On day 7, serum and intestinal tissue samples were collected for the determination of related indicators. Compared with the control group, the model group showed decreased feces volume and urine volume(P<0.01), increased volume of ascites and levels of Na~+, K~+, and Cl~- in urine(P<0.01), down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of intestinal AQP8(P<0.01), lowered abundance of beneficial Lactobacillus(P<0.01) while risen abundance of potential pathogenic Lachnospiraceae and Anaeroplasma(P<0.01), and reduced content of short-chain fatty acids(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, administration with chemical ingredient groups B and C alleviated all the above indicators(P<0.01). In conclusion, chemical ingredient groups B and C in Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar could alleviate the disordered gut microbiota in rats with malignant ascites to expel water through increasing the abundance of beneficial Lactobacillus and reducing the abundance of harmful Lachnospiraceae and Anaeroplasma. This study can provide a reference for the reasonable clinical application of Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar.

Changes of volatile components and their content determination of Olibanum after processing / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To analyze the changes of volatile co mponents in Olibanum and its processed products ，and to determine the contents of 4 components as octyl acetate. METHODS The volatile oil of Olibanum ，fried Olibanum and Olibanum stir-baked with vinegar were extracted. The components of volatile components were identified by GC-MS. The structure identification and data analysis of the chemical components with similarity ≥80％ were performed by using Xcalibur 4.0 software and NIST 2.0 mass spectrum database. The peak area normalization method was used to calculate the relative content of each component. GC method was adopted to simultaneously determine and compare the contents of limonene ，octyl acetate ，linalool and n-octanol in volatile components of Olibanum and its processed products. RESULTS Thirteen components were identified from volatile components of Olibanum ，fried Olibanum and Olibanum stir-baked with vinegar ，mainly including alcohols ，olefins and esters；among them ，relative contents of octyl acetate in Olibanum ，fried Olibanum and Olibanum stir-baked with vinegar were higher，which were 23.86％ ，37.80％ and 53.86％ respectively. The linear ranges of limonene ，octyl acetate ，linalool and n-octanol were 0.006 6-0.066 4，0.179 2 -1.792 0，0.003 7-0.037 0 and 0.032 8-0.328 0（r＞0.999 5）respectively；RSDs of precision，repeatability and stability （24 h）tests were all less than 2％；average recoveries were 98.56％，100.02％，99.13％ and 98.66％，respectively（RSD≤2.16，n＝6）. Average contents of 4 components in Olibanum were 0.15％，16.27％，0.36％ and 2.26％，while those of fried Olibanum were 0.85％，17.58％，0.66％ and 3.47％，respectively；those of Olibanum stir-baked with vinegar were 0.50％，19.75％，0.58％ and 3.34％，respectively. Compared with Olibanum ，average contents of octyl acetate ， linalool，n-octanol and limonene in volatile components of fried Olibanum and Olibanum stir-baked with vinegar were increased significantly（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with fried Olibanum ，average contents of limonene ，linalool and n-octanol were decreased significantly ，while those of octyl acetate were increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS After fried and stir-baked with vinegar ，the volatile components in Olibanum are similar ，but the relative contents are different ，and the contents of octyl acetate and other components are increased.

Variations of Chemical Components in Inula japonica by UPLC-MS/MS before and after Honey-frying / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To compare the c hemical components differences of Inula japonica before and after honey-frying. METHODS：UPLC-MS/MS method was adopted. The determination was performed on Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of 0.1％ formic acid-acetonitrile （gradient elution ）at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 30 ℃，and sample size was 5 µL. The electrospray ion source was scanned by positive ion mode. The first order mass spectrometry scanning range was m/z 70-1 050，the second order mass spectrometry scanning range was m/z 50-1 050， and the normalized collision energy was 40，60 eV ；mass spectrum type was the peak figure ，the flow rate of sheath gas was 35 arb，the auxiliary airflow speed was 10 arb，the spray voltage was 3.80 kV，the S-lens voltage was 50 V，the heating temperature was 350 ℃，and the capillary temperature was 350 ℃. The components were identified by Qual Browser 4.1.39.1 software， referring to the online high-resolution database mzCloud and local database OTCML of high-resolution mass spectrometry of TCM ， and combined with relevant literature. The principal component analysis （PCA）and orthogonal partial least squared-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA）of I. japonica before and after honey-fried were performed by using SIMCA 14.1 statistical software ，and variable importance projection （VIP）value greater than 1 was used as the standard to screen the differential components before and after honey-frying. RESULTS ：A total of 29 common chemical components were identified from I. japonica and honey-fried I. japonica，including 5 phenolic acids as 1-caffeoylquinic acid ，chlorogenic acid and 3，5-dicaffeoylquinic acid ，12 flavonoids as quercetin，luteolin and evamectin ，as well as 12 sesquiterpene lactones as 1-O-acetylinula diester ，inula bicolor lactone B and 1-O-acetyl-6-O-isobutyryl inulin. The results of PCA showed that I. japonica and honey-fried I. japonica were located on both sides of the score diagram respectively. The results of OPLS-DA showed that the VIP values of 7 components were greater than 1，which were peak 19（britanin），peak 6（quercetagitrin），peak 1（1-caffeoylquinic acid ），peak 21（vitexicarpin），peak 20（tomentosin）， peak 13（spinacetin）and peak 3（daphnetin）. CONCLUSIONS ：After honey-fried ，the content of chemical components of I. japonica changed and decreased to a certain extent. Britanin ，quercetagitrin，1-caffeoylquinic acid ，tomentosin，vitexicarpin， spinacetin and daphnetin may be the differential components of I. japonica and honey-fried I. japonica .

Correlation between Processing Time ，Color and Chemical Composition Content in the Wine-fried Process of Salvia miltiorrhiza / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To e valuate the correlation between processing time ，color and chemical composition content in the wine-fried process of Salvia miltiorrhiza . METHODS ：Wine-fried S. miltiorrhiza with different processing time （7-15 min）was prepared by yellow rice wine. The contents of salvianolic acid B ，tanshinone ⅡA and 5-HMF in raw and wine-fried S. miltiorrhiza were determined by HPLC. The colorimeter was used to determine their chromatic values [red-green axis component （a*）， yellow-blue axis component （b*），lightness（L*）] and calculate the total color difference value （ΔE）. Spearman ’s rho and Kendall ’s Tau-b test were adopted to validate the correlation between processing time ，chromatic value and chemical composition content. RESULTS：The contents of salvianolic acid B ，tanshinone ⅡA and 5-HMF were 17.9-70.6，2.3-3.1，0 mg/g in S. miltiorrhiza decoction pieces ；the contents of them were 14.8-68.4，1.1-3.9，0.7-34.4 mg/g in wine-fried S. miltiorrhiza . The content of salvianolic acid B at first decreased and then increased ，reaching the peak at about 9，11 min，and then gradually decreased ；the content of tanshinone ⅡA increased at first ，reached its peak about 7 min，and then gradually decreased；the content of 5-HMF increased sharply after frying 13 min. The measurement results of chromaticity values were ΔL* －5.369-2.553，Δa* －1.098-0.321， Δb* －1.471- 2.355，ΔE 0.217-5.397. Results of Spearman ’s rho and Kendall ’s Tau-b test showed that ΔE was positively correlated with processing time （the correlation coefficient were 0.517，0.389 respectively）and 5-HMF content （the correlation coefficient were 0.549，0.405 respectively）（both P＜0.01）. The content of tanshinone ⅡA was negatively correlated with Δb（* the correlation coefficient were －0.509，－0.391 respectively），processing time （the corr elation coefficient were －0.556，－0.420 respectively） and 5-HMF content （the correlation coefficient were －0.545，－0.392 respectively）（both P＜0.01）. The content of 5-HMF was positively correlated with the processing time （the correlation coefficient were 0.957，0.870 respectively）（both P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS ：The contents of tanshinone ⅡA and 5-HMF in the process of wine-fried process are significantly related to the time and color. With the increase of processing time and temperature ，its color changes from red 话：0553-3844333。E-mail：liulj1@126.com yellow to yellow green ，and tends to be black in black and white；the content of tanshinone ⅡA is decreased and the content of 5-HMF is increased.

Optimization of the Honey-stir-fired Technology of Chelidonium majus / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To optimize the honey-stir-fried technology of Chelidonium majus . METHODS ：Taking the mass ratio of water to honey ，the ratio of honey water to C. majus ，stir-fired temperature ，stir-fired time as the factors ，the total contents of chelidonine ，coptisine hydrochloride ，sanguinarine，berberine，chelerythrine as response values ，Box-Behnken response surface method was used to optimize the processing technology ，and valifation test was conducted. RESULTS ：The optimum process conditions were as follows the ratio of water to refined honey 1∶1.9（g/g），the ratio of honey water to C. majus 21∶100（g/g）， stir-fried temperature 122 ℃，stir-fried time 10.40 min. After 3 times of validation ，average total contents of 5 components was 10.37 mg/g（RSD＝0.23％），relative error of which with predicted value （10.39 mg/g）was 0.19％. CONCLUSIONS ：The optimized honey-stir-fried technology of C. majus is stable and feasible.

Research on quality difference of standard decoction of raw and fried Paeoniae Radix Alba based on fingerprint and multicomponent determination / 中国中药杂志

The extract rates, multicomponent content and fingerprint were determined in this study to investigate the quality diffe-rence between standard decoction of raw Paeoniae Radix Alba and fried Paeoniae Radix Alba. UPLC fingerprint was established for 17 batches of standard decoction of raw and fried Paeoniae Radix Alba, and the contents of gallic acid, catechin, albiflorin, paeoniflorin and benzoyl paeoniflorin were determined. The peak areas of standard decoction were analyzed by the independent t-test and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. There was no significant difference in extract rates between the standard decoction of raw and fried Paeoniae Radix Alba. After fried processing, the content of albiflorin increased by 0.26%, while the contents of gallic acid, catechin, paeoniflorin and benzoyl paeoniflorin decreased by 13.04%, 27.97%, 10.30% and 18.79% respectively. There were 14 common peaks in the fingerprint of standard decoction of raw Paeoniae Radix Alba, and 16 common peaks in the fried Paeoniae Radix Alba. Peak 1 and peak 3 were new ones after processing, among which the peak 3 was 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The results showed that peak 1, peak 3, peak 11 and peak 15 were the key compounds to distinguish standard decoction of raw and fried Paeoniae Radix Alba. In conclusion, this method is stable and can be used for the study of quantity transfer and quality control in the preparation process of standard decoction, granules and other dosage forms for raw and fried Paeoniae Radix Alba, providing reference for the identification of raw and fried Paeoniae Radix Alba and related preparations.

Processing technology for reducing toxicity of fried Tripterygium wilfordii in Lysimachia christinae decoction / 中国中药杂志

On the basis of the previous work of the research group, the orthogonal design method was further used to optimize the processing technology for reducing toxicity of fried Tripterygium wilfordii in Lysimachia christinae Decoction. A total of 9 processed products of T.wilfordii in L.christinae decoction were prepared by four factors and three levels orthogonal design table. The contents of triptolide in T.wilfordii were determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) before and after processing: 4.27, 3.92, 3.57, 2.75, 2.42, 2.66, 3.51, 1.87, 1.75, 2.03 μg·g~(-1). On this basis, the above processed products were orally given to mice for 28 days. 12 hours after the last administration, food fasting except water was provided, and 24 hours later, the eyeballs were taken for blood and liver tissue. Serum biochemical indexes, liver lipid peroxidation and antioxidant related indexes were detected by kit method. Twenty-eight days after oral administration of raw T.wilfordii, the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), alkaline phosphatase(ALP) and liver malondialdehyde(MDA) in mice increased by 91%(P<0.01), 46%(P<0.05), 73%(P<0.01) and 99%(P<0.01), while the liver antioxidant indexes such as superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione(GSH), glutathione peroxidase(GPX) and glutathione-S transferase(GST) significantly decreased(P<0.01). After administration of the processed products, the above indexes were significantly reversed(P<0.01 or P<0.05). Especially, the processing conditions of A_3B_2C_1D_3 had the best detoxification effect on T.wilfordii, which decreased the high levels of AST, ALT, ALP and MDA by 49%(P<0.01), 32%(P<0.01), 42%(P<0.01), and 17%(P<0.05). Therefore, the best processing conditions for T.wilfordii in L.christinae decoction were A_3B_2C_1D_3, namely "15% mass fraction of L.christinae, 1 h moistening time, 160 ℃ frying temperature, and 9 min frying time".

Quality evaluation of fried Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma pieces by HPLC fingerprint and multicomponent quantitative analysis / 中国中药杂志

To establish the HPLC fingerprint and multi-component determination method of fried Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma pieces. HPLC analysis was performed on Thermo Acclaim ~(TM)120 C_(18) column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm). Acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution was taken as the mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 1 mL·min~(-1),the column temperature was maintained at 30 ℃, and the detection wavelength was 237 nm and 360 nm. The similarity of 15 batches of fried Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma pieces was higher than 0.849, and 17 common peaks were identified. Liquiritin, isoliquiritin apioside, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin and glycyrrhizic acid were identified; among them, the mass fractions of Liquiritin, isoliquiritin apioside, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid were were 0.519%-3.058%, 0.227%-0.389%, 0.070%-0.439%, 0.038%-0.173%, 1.381%-4.252%, respectively. According to the cluster analysis, the 15 batches of decoction pieces were classified into three categories; principal component analysis screened out four principal components, with the cumulative variance contribution rate of 86.630%, indicating that the principal components contained most information of original data. Partial least squares discriminant ana-lysis marked 6 differential components in the decoction pieces. The established fingerprint and multicomponent determination are stable and reliable, and can provide a reference for the quality control of Radix Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizomae and fried Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma pieces.

Establishment of quality evaluation methods for pieces and standard decoction of honey-fried Descurainiae Semen / 中国中药杂志

To establish a content determination method for quality control of the pieces and standard decoction of honey-fried Descurainiae Semen. Standard decoction of honey-fried Descurainiae Semen was prepared with standardized process, and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detector(HPLC-DAD) was used to detect its characteristic fingerprint and determine the content of quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucose-7-O-β-D-gentiobioside. In addition, the transfer rate, dry extract rate and pH value were calculated. The results showed that the established method had a high accuracy. The content of quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucose-7-O-β-D-gentiobioside in 13 batches of standard decoction was 0.03-0.12 mg·mL~(-1); the transfer rate was 13.4%-23.1%; the rate of extracts was 1.9%-5.5%, and the pH was between 5.4-5.9. The similarity coefficients were all greater than 0.85, indicating good homogeneity for the different batches of decoction. There were 7 common peaks in the characteristic chromatogram, one of which was quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucose-7-O-β-D-gentiobioside. In this paper, the established content determination and quality evaluation method for Descurainiae Semen pieces and decoction was simple, rapid and reproducible, providing reference for the quality control of honey-fried Descurainiae Semen pieces, standard decoction and its preparations.

Changes of HPLC Fingerprint and Main Flavonoids Content of Aurantii Fructus Before and After Processing / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To establish HPLC fingerprints of Aurantii Fructus and its processed products, and to quantitatively analyze the contents of four flavonoids in these products. Method::HPLC was employed with Inertsil ODS-3 C18 column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm), the mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1%phosphoric acid aqueous solution for gradient elution, the detection wavelength of 283 nm, and the flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1. HPLC fingerprints of raw products, stir-fried bran products and processing products of Aurantii Fructus were established. Similarity evaluation and cluster analysis were used to analyze the chromatographic data. At the same time, the contents of narirutin, naringin, hesperidin and neohesperidin were determined. Result::HPLC fingerprints of Aurantii Fructus and its processed products were established, taking naringin as the reference peak, 8, 15, 11 common peaks were demarcated for raw products, stir-fried bran products, processing products, respectively, the similarities of fingerprints were >0.95.Contents of the above four flavonoids in raw products were 0.574 7%, 5.986 3%, 0.302 2%and 3.574 7%, respectively. After processing, the contents of these four components in stir-fried bran products turned into 0.948 4%, 5.103 4%, 0.549 3%and 3.533 7%, their contents in processing products turned into 0.605 3%, 4.762 3%, 0.404 7%and 3.264 9%, respectively. Conclusion::The HPLC fingerprint of Aurantii Fructus changes significantly before and after processing. The contents of four flavonoids change to a certain extent before and after processing. The order of contents of narirutin and hesperidin in samples was stir-fried bran products>processing products>raw products, while the order of contents of naringin and neohesperidin was raw products>stir-fried bran products>processing products.