Experimental study of cardioprotective effects of Cinnamomi Ramulus and Cinnamomi Cortex formula granules on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats based on efficacy of "warming and coordinating heart Yang" / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to parallelly investigate the cardioprotective activity of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules(CRFG) and Cinnamomi Cortex formula granules(CCFG) against acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury(MI/RI) and the underlying mechanism based on the efficacy of "warming and coordinating the heart Yang". Ninety male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, CRFG low and high-dose(0.5 and 1.0 g·kg~(-1)) groups, and CCFG low and high-dose(0.5 and 1.0 g·kg~(-1)) groups, with 15 rats in each group. The sham group and the model group were given equal volumes of normal saline by gavage. Before modeling, the drug was given by gavage once a day for 7 consecutive days. One hour after the last administration, the MI/RI rat model was established by ligating the left anterior descending artery(LAD) for 30 min ischemia followed by 2 h reperfusion except the sham group. The sham group underwent the same procedures without LAD ligation. Heart function, cardiac infarct size, cardiac patho-logy, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, cardiac injury enzymes, and inflammatory cytokines were determined to assess the protective effects of CRFG and CCFG against MI/RI. The gene expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain protein 3(NLRP3) inflammasome, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD(ASC), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(caspase-1), Gasdermin-D(GSDMD), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), and interleukin-18(IL-18) were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). The protein expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, and N-GSDMD were determined by Western blot. The results showed that both CRFG and CCFG pretreatments significantly improved cardiac function, decreased the cardiac infarct size, inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and reduced the content of lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase MB isoenzyme(CK-MB), aspartate transaminase(AST), and cardiac troponin Ⅰ(cTnⅠ). In addition, CRFG and CCFG pretreatments significantly decreased the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in serum. RT-PCR results showed that CRFG and CCFG pretreatment down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, and downstream pyroptosis-related effector substances including GSDMD, IL-18, and IL-1β in cardiac tissues. Western blot revealed that CRFG and CCFG pretreatments significantly decreased the protein expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, and N-GSDMD in cardiac tissues. In conclusion, CRFG and CCFG pretreatments have obvious cardioprotective effects on MI/RI in rats, and the under-lying mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway to reduce the cardiac inflammatory response.

Equivalence of combined decoction and mixed single decoctions of Gegen Qinlian Decoction in alleviating chemotherapy-associated diarrhea / 中国中药杂志

This study compared the chemical profiles, component content, dry paste yield, and pharmacological effects of samples obtained from the mixed single decoctions and the combined decoction of Gegen Qinlian Decoction(GQD), aiming to provide an experimental foundation for evaluating the equivalence of the two decocting methods and the suitability of TCM formula granules in clinical application. The same decoction process was used to prepare the combined decoction and mixed single decoctions of GQD. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS) was employed to compare the chemical profiles between the two groups. High-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to compare the content of nine characteristic components between the two groups. Then, a delayed diarrhea mouse model induced by irinotecan was established to compare the pharmacological effects of the two groups on chemotherapy-induced diarrhea. The UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS in ESI~+ and ESI~- modes identified 59 chemical components in the compound decoction and mixed single decoctions, which showed no obvious differences in component species. The content of baicalin and wogonoside was higher in the compound decoction, while that of puerarin, daidzein-8-C-apiosylglucoside, berberine, epiberberine, wogonin, glycyrrhizic acid, and daidzein was higher in the mixed single decoctions. Further statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in the content of the nine characteristic components between the compound decoction and the mixed single decoctions. The dry paste yield had no significant difference between the two groups. Compared with the model group, both compound decoction and mixed single decoctions alleviated the weight loss and reduced diarrhea index in mice. Both of them lowered the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2), intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), interleukin-10(IL-10), malondialdehyde(MDA), and nitric oxide(NO) in the colon tissue. Furthermore, they significantly increased the levels of glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase(SOD). Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining showed that colon tissue cells were tightly arranged with clear nuclei in both groups without obvious difference. The compound decoction and mixed single decoctions showed no significant differences in chemical component species, content of nine characteristic components, dry paste yield, or the pharmacological effects on alleviating chemotherapy-induced diarrhea. The findings provide a reference for evaluating the flexibility and superiority of combined or single decocting method in the preparation of TCM decoctions or formula granules.

Technology and principle of improving solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules based on powder modification / 中国中药杂志

The powder modification technology was used to improve the powder properties and microstructure of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder, thereby solving the problem of poor solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules. The influence of modifier dosage and grinding time on the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder was investigated with the solubility as the evaluation index, and the optimal modification process was selected. The particle size, fluidity, specific surface area, and other powder properties of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder before and after modification were compared. At the same time, the changes in the microstructure before and after modification was observed by scanning electron microscope, and the modification principle was explored by combining with multi-light scatterer. The results showed that after adding lactose for powder modification, the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder was significantly improved. The volume of insoluble substance in the liquid of modified Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder obtained by the optimal modification process was reduced from 3.8 mL to 0 mL, and the particles obtained by dry granulation of the modified powder could be completely dissolved within 2 min after being exposed to water, without affecting the content of its indicator components adenosine and allantoin. After modification, the particle size of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder decreased significantly, d_(0.9) decreased from(77.55±4.57) μm to(37.91±0.42) μm, the specific surface area and porosity increased, and the hydrophilicity improved. The main mechanism of improving the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules was the destruction of the "coating membrane" structure on the surface of starch granules and the dispersion of water-soluble excipients. This study introduced powder modification technology to solve the solubility problem of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules, which provided data support for the improvement of product quality and technical references for the improvement of solubility of other similar varieties.

Cause Analysis and Solution Strategy of Poor Solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma Formula Granules / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules are made from decoction pieces by decocting， extracting， separating， concentrating， drying and granulating， which have the advantages of simple dispensing， convenient use and easy to take without decoction. However， because Dioscoreae Rhizoma is rich in starch and mucus components， its extract powder and formula granules are poorly soluble and difficult to dissolve or disperse completely within 5 min， and the insoluble material is difficult to dissolve completely even after 24 h in water， which affects the quality evaluation of the formula granules and medication psychology of patients. Therefore， by studying the dissolution process and mechanism of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract and its formula granules， it was found that the special chemical composition of Dioscoreae Rhizoma， the denaturation of starch and its compounding with protein and other substances during the high temperature extraction process， and the contraction of coating membrane during the spray drying process were combined to form the special microstructure of coating membrane covering starch granules， and it is the root cause of poor solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules. Based on the research on the structure， property and function of the powder， this paper proposed a technical strategy to improve the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules by powder modification process， and experimentally demonstrated that the modified Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules could completely dissolve within 2 min， which solved the technical problem and could provide reference for the improvement of solubility of other similar varieties， and promote the high-quality development of traditional Chinese medicine formula granule industry.

Quality study of Perillae caulis formula granules based on standard decotion / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To establish the quality evaluation method of Perillae caulis formula granules based on the three kind of quality indexes of standard decoction. Methods:Eighteen batches of Perillae caulis were collected from different habitats according to different technical requirements, eighteen batches of standard decoction and three batches of formula granules were prepared and the paste-forming rates were calculated. The content of Caffeic acid and Rosmarinic acid were determined and calculated by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC). Then the fingerprints of standard decoction of and formula granules of Perillae caulis were established by UPLC . The similarity values of fingerprints between formula granules and standard decoction were calculated. Results:The average paste-forming rate of standard decoction was (7.16±1.97)%. The paste-forming rates of three batches of formula granules were 5.52%, 5.25% and 5.34%, respectively. The average content of Caffeic acid and Rosmarinic acid in standard decoction was (12.06±3.37)mg/g. The contents of three batches of formula granules were 5.52, 5.82, 5.77 mg/g, respectively. Seven common fingerprint peaks were identified in the fingerprints of standard decoction and formula granules, three of which were identified as Caffeic acid, N-Feruloyl Octopus amine and Rosmarinic acid by comparison of reference substance. The fingerprints similarity of Perillae caulis dispensing granules and standard decoction were 1.000, 0.995 and 0.997, respectively. Conclusions:The quality indexes of three batches of formulation granules are consistent with standard decoction. This method can provide basis for the establishment of quality standard of Perillae caulis dispensing granules.

Analysis on Technical Problems and Countermeasures of Standard Formulation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Granules / 中国实验方剂学杂志

After the completion of the pilot work of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules （TCMFGs）， the national and provincial medical products administrations have published and implemented about 440 varieties of TCMFGs standards. Based on the previous work， this paper analyzed technical problems encountered in the review and evaluation of Shandong TCMFGs standards， mainly involving the executive standards and distinguishing technologies of raw materials， the adding process of excipients in the procedure item， the rationality of quality control methods， the information content and reproducibility of characteristic chromatograms， the nomenclature and accessibility of reference materials， etc. The common problems such as the coverage of standards， specification differences， and the integrity of quality control items of current TCMFGs standards were discussed deeply. It is proposed to promote the upgrading of provincial standards to national standards， accelerate the research and development of reference materials， advocate the use of high-quality raw materials， explore the evaluation methods of high-quality products， and strengthen the quality supervision of the whole process. Suggestions of this paper is hoped to provide references for the formulation of national and provincial TCMFGs standards， promote the continuous improvement of TCMFGs standard system， and ensure the healthy and orderly development of the TCMFGs industry.

Fingerprint Establishment and Content Determination of 3 Components in Fritillaria thunbergii Formula Granules / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To establish the fingerprint of Fritillariae thunbergii formula granules and determine the contents of 3 components. METHODS ：HPLC method was used. Using peiminine as reference ，HPLC fingerprints of 13 batches of F. thunbergii formula granules were drawn with Similarity Evaluation System of TCM Chromatogram Fingerprint （2012 edition）. Similarity evaluation and common peak identification were conducted. The contents of peimisine ，peimine and peiminine in F. thunbergii formula granules were determined by the same HPLC method. The quality difference of samples were compared among different manufacturers. RESULTS ：There were 5 common peaks in 13 batches of F. thunbergii formula granules ，and the similarity was 0.669-0.971. Three common peaks of peimisine ，peimine and peiminine were identified. The linear ranges of peimisine ，peimine and peiminine were 30.00-180.00 μg/mL（r＝0.999 9），79.58-477.50 μg/mL（r＝0.999 6）and 97.33-584.00 μg/mL（r＝0.999 4）， respectively. RSDs of precision ，stability（24 h）and reproducibility tests were all lower than 3％. The average recoveries were 95.82％（RSD＝1.17％，n＝6），99.00％（RSD＝1.96％，n＝6）and 95.39％（RSD＝2.00％，n＝6），respectively. In the 13 batches of samples ，the content of peimisine ，peimine and peiminine were 0.17-1.02 mg/g，0.52-2.26 mg/g，and 0.70-3.50 mg/g， respectively. Their average total content was 3.62 mg/g. The average total content of manufacturer C and A was higher （5.02 mg/g and 4.61 mg/g），followed by manufacturer E and B （3.48 mg/g and 3.02 mg/g）；the lowest was manufacturer D（only 1.87 mg/g）. CONCLUSIONS：Established fingerpri nt and content determination method is simple ，feasible and reproducible ，which can be used for the quality evaluation of F. thunbergii formula granules. There are some differences in content among different manufacturers.

Correlation study on non-volatile ingredients of Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules and traditional herbal pieces by UPLC-MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

To establish the method for determining non-volatile ingredients of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, rosmarinic acid, ferulic acid, rutin, luteoloside, isoquercitrin, hesperidin, diosmin, diosmetin, luteolin, acacetin and linarin in Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules and traditional herbal pieces by UPLC-MS/MS, and analyze the correlation of non-volatile ingredients in Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules and traditional herbal pieces. Shim-pack GIST C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 2 μm) was adopted with acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase for gradient elution at the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1). The column temperature was set at 35 ℃. The quantitative analysis was performed using the electrospray ionization source and the multiple reaction monitoring. The linear relationship, resolution, repeatability and recovery of the 16 chemical components all met the requirements. The 16 non-volatile ingredients in traditional herbal pieces of Menthae Haplocalycis Herba could be tracked in formula granules. There were certain differences of the 16 chemical components among Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules of different manufacturers and traditional herbal pieces of different producing areas. The UPLC-MS/MS method was simple, rapid and accurate, and could be used for the quality control of non-volatile ingredients in Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules and traditional herbal pieces.

Study on Improvement Effects and Its Mechanism of Guiyuan Decoction Formula Granules on Model Mice with Decreased Ovarian Reserve / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To study the improvement eff ects and its mech anism of Guiyuan decoction formula granules （GDFG） on model mice with decreased ovarian reserve （DOR）. METHODS ：Totally 42 female ICR mice whith with normal estrous cycle were randomly divided into control group ，model group ，estradiol valerate group （positive control ，0.15 mg/kg）and GDFG low-dose，medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.75，1.49，2.98 g/kg），with 7 mice in each group. Except for control group ，other groups were given cisplatin （3 mg/kg）intraperitoneally to establish DOR model. After modeling ，administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically；model group and control group were given normal saline intragastrically ，once a day ，for consecutive 4 weeks. After last administration ，ELISA assay was used to measure the serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）and follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）in mice. Histopathological morphology of ovarian was observed by HE staining. Protein distribution of AMH receptor Ⅱ（AMHRⅡ）and Smad 4 in ovarian tissue were observed by immunohistochemistry. Protein expression of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4 were detected by Western blot assay. RESULTS ：Compared with control group ，theserum level of AMH ，the expression of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4 protein in ovarian tissue in model group were significantly decreased （P＜0.01），while the FSH level in serum was significantly increased （P＜0.01）；follicles were crumpled and lost nucleus ，ovarian interstitial were fibrosis ，luteum were loose ； AMHRⅡ and Smad 4 protein in ovarian tissue were mainly distributed in the follicle membrane and ovarian interstitial. Compared with model group ，the serum level of AMH ，the expression of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4 protein in ovarian tissue was increased significantly in GDFG groups （P＜0.01），while the serum level of FSH was decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）；in ovarian tissue ，follicles at all levels could be found and follicle morphology was improved ，and no obvious nuclear loss and cumulus formation were found ；AMHRⅡ and Smad 4 protein were mainly distributed in the follicular nucleus （except for GDFG high-dose group) and the granular cell membrane （mainly distributed in the sinus follicles of GDFG medium-dose group ）；they were slightly distributed around the mature follicular nucleus or in corpus luteum. CONCLUSIONS ：GDFG can improve ovarian function of DOR model mice. The mechanism may be related with promoting serum level of AMH ，protein expression of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4，improving the distribution of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4 protein in ovarian granulosa cell membrane and follicular nucleus ， reducing FSH levels.

Discussion on relevant issues of uniform standards for varieties of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules / 中草药

By referring to Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 edition and relevant literatures, combining the Technical Requirements for Quality Control and Standard Formulation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Granules (Draft for Comments) issued by China Pharmacopoeia Committee in 2016, and considering the actual production situation of formula granules, the specificity of quality standards, the selection of quantitative detection indexes, index component transfer rate and other aspects in the Publicity of Uniform Standards for Trial Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Granules were comprehensively discussed. According to the results of the discussion, relevant suggestions are put forward for the development and improvement of the quality standard of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules, which provides reference for promoting the healthy development of formula granule industry.

Quality analysis of Moutan Cortex Formula Granules based on structural characteristics of genuine components / 中国中药杂志

To evaluate the quality of Moutan Cortex Formula Granules from different manufacturers based on the structural characteristics of the genuine components of Moutan Cortex. High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprint analysis method of Moutan Cortex Formula Granules was established to characterize the elements of the structural characteristics for genuine Moutan Cortex. Nineteen common peaks were determined and the similarity between the Moutan Cortex Formula Granules of each batch and the control fingerprint was 0.856-0.981. The results showed that there were differences in the internal quality of Moutan Cortex Formula Granules from three manufacturers. The contents of components as well as inter-component and intra-component quantity ratio for Moutan Cortex Formula Granules from different manufacturers were analyzed. It was found that the inter-component quantity ratio of G1 and G2 produced by manufacturer A was close to that of G4 produced by manufacturer B; the inter-component quantity ratio of G3 from manufacturer B was close to that of G7 from manufacturer C; and the inter-component ratios of samples G5, G6, G8-G11 produced by manufacturer C were closer to each other. The results of the study guided by the theory of "component structure" provide a new analytical method and basis for the quality evaluation of Moutan Cortex Formula Granules.

Screening of multiple pesticide residues in Jinyinhua Formula Granules / 中国中药杂志

To evaluate the pesticide residue risk of Jinyinhua Formula Granules( made from Lonicerae Japonicae Flos) used in the market preliminarily,20 samples of Jinyinhua Formula Granules from 5 manufactures were collected randomly through the national evaluative sampling test program. Totally 262 pesticides( involving 270 chemical monomers) with monitoring significance to traditional Chinese medicinal materials were detected. Samples were extracted by high speed homogenate with acetonitrile as solvent. And their residues were analyzed by GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS in MRM mode. No less than 2 groups of characteristic ion pairs were adopted for qualitative detection,and the calibration curve method was used for quantitative detection. The results showed that 20 pesticides were detected in 20 batches of Jinyinhua Formula Granules,with an average of about 9 pesticides detected in every batch,but no restricted pesticide was detected. The detected pesticides were all at the trace level,which was far lower than the limit of the general food standard. Therefore,the safety risk was low in Jinyinhua Formula Granules. In this study,a screening method for pesticide residues in Jinyinhua Formula Granules was established for the first time. The method was accurate and rapid,and the detection indicators were highly targeted. The results could provide theoretical reference for the prevention and control of pesticide safety risks in Jinyinhua Formula Granules and even traditional Chinese medicine formula granules.

Research on standard decoction of ginger juice Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex / 中草药

Objective To study the dry extract rate, determination and transfer rate of maker compounds, and fingerprint of standard decoction of ginger juice Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex (GJMOC) and provide a reference for the preparation and quality assessment of its dispensing granules by establishing 16 batches of standard decoction of GJMOC. Methods A total of 16 batches of GJMOC standard decoctions were prepared following literature requirements. The quantitative analysis method of magnolol and honokiol was according to Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition). The transfer rate of total magnolol and honokiol and extraction rate were calculated. the pH value was determined and HPLC fingerprint was established under a flow rate of 1 mL/min and eluted with a mobile phase of acetonitrile (A)-0.1% phosphoric acid solution (B) in a gradient mode (0-15 min, 12%-16% A; 15-30 min, 16%-28% A; 30-42 min, 28%-74% A; 42-55 min, 74%-80% A). The column temperature was set at 40℃ and the detection wavelength was 294 nm. Results By measuring the of 16 batches of standard decoction, the transfer rate of the sum of magnolol and honokiol ranged from 6.5% to 12.0%, the extraction rate was at a range of 3.41% to 7.14% and pH value was 4.63 to 5.43. The Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2012A) was used to analyze and compare the fingerprints, and seven common peaks were determined and four were identified including magnoloside B (peak 1), magnoloside A (peak 2), honokiol (peak 6), and magnolol (peak 7). The similarity among 16 batches of standard decoction of GJMOC was evaluated, and the similarity was all greater than 0.69. Moreover, this study established an HPLC fingerprint analysis method of GJMOC standard decoction. Conclusion The preparation method established in this study is stable and feasible, and the analysis method shows good precision, stability, and repeatability in fingerprint analysis and it is suitable for evaluating the quality of standard decoction of GJMOC.

Study on Quality Standard for Tussilago farfara Formula Granules / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To provide reference for the establishment of quality standard of Tussilago farfara formula granules. METHODS： TLC method was used for qualitative identification of tussilagone in T. farfara formula granules. The content of tussilagone in T. farfara formula granule was determined by HPLC. The determination was performed on a Thermo ODS Hypersil C18 column with the mobile phase consisted of methanol-water （85 ∶ 15， V/V） at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 220 nm， the column temperature was 25 ℃. Sample size was 20 μL.  RESULTS： TLC spots of tussilagone were clear and well-separated， without interference from negative control. The linear range of tussilagone was 1.39-27.75 μg/mL （r＝0.999 9）. The limits of quantification and detection were 0.153 87 and 0.051 42 μg/mL， respectively. RSDs of precision， stability and reproducibility tests were lower than 2％. The recoveries were 97.12％-103.96％ （RSD＝2.60％， n＝6）. CONCLUSIONS： The method is simple， accurate and reproducible， and suitable for quality control of T. farfara formula granules.

Study on the Improvement of Quality Standard for Citrus reticulatae Formula Granules / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To optimize and improve the quality standard for Citrus reticulata formula granules. METHODS： Totally 13 batches of C. Reticulata formula granules from 4 different manufacturers were used as trial samples， and qualitative identification of hesperidin and nobiletin in the samples were carried out by TLC according to the method of 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia （part Ⅳ）. The quantitative analysis of naringin， hesperidin， hesperetin， nobiletin and tangeretin in C. reticulatae formula granules were conducted by UPLC[The determination was performed on Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.2％ phosphoric acid aqueous solution （gradient elution）. The detection wavelength was set at 283 nm， and sample size was 3 μL]. RESULTS： The results of TLC showed that in the chromatograms of samples， same color spots were shown in the corresponding positions of the chromatogram of reference substance. The results of UPLC showed， that the linear range of naringin， hesperidin， hesperetin， nobiletin and tangeretin were 0.64-6.44， 15.78-157.80， 0.17-1.66， 2.08-20.85 and 2.04-20.43 μg/mL， respectively （all r≥0.999 2）； the limits of detection were 0.03， 0.33， 0.10， 0.20 and 0.06       μg/mL； the limits of quantitation were 0.07， 1.34， 0.20， 0.60 and 0.22 μg/mL. The average recoveries were 99.4％， 99.6％， 99.7％， 99.7％ and 99.7％ （n＝9）； RSDs of precision （n＝6）， stability （n＝7） and reproducibility （n＝6） tests were all≤2.03％； naringin was detected in only 3 batches of samples from one manufacturer （the content ranged from 0.067 3 to 0.069.6    mg/g）， while the other 4 components were detected in 13 batches of samples （the contents of them ranged 0.646 5-1.728 0，   0.102 6-0.290 5， 0.023 1-0.689 8， 0.018 2-0.270 7 mg/g）. CONCLUSIONS： In this study， the quality standard of C. reticulata formula granules was improved by qualitative and quantitative methods， and the contents of hesperidin， hesperetin， nobiletin and tangeretin were not less than 0.60， 0.10， 0.02 and 0.01 mg/g， respectively.

Quality evaluation of Moutan Cortex Formula Granules / 中国中药杂志

A scientific and perfect quality evaluation system for Moutan Cortex Formula Granules was established,including content determination method,characteristic chromatogram method and mass spectrometry method. The content of paeoniflorin and paeonol in Moutan Cortex Formula Granules was determined by high performance liquid chromatography( HPLC),and the average content was 1. 72% and 1. 42%,respectively. The characteristic chromatogram was used to characterize Moutan Cortex Formula Granules,which contained 7 characteristic peaks,namely gallic acid,p-hydroxybenzoic acid,oxypaeoniflorin,paeoniflorin,tetragalloyl glucose,1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose and paeonol. A total of 40 compounds in Moutan Cortex Formula Granules,including gallic acids,paeoniflorins,paeonols,flavonoids and benzoic acids,were identified by mass spectrometry. In this study,a variety of analytical methods were used to evaluate the quality system of Moutan Cortex Formula Granules,which could play a positive role in improving the level of quality evaluation and process quality control.

Application of fingerprint technology in quality evaluation and process control of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules / 中国中药杂志

The fingerprint technology could reflect the internal chemical characteristics of Chinese herbal medicine or preparation, which has the characteristics of "wholeness" and "fuzziness". It is suitable for evaluating the quality of intermediate and finished products in the production process of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules. In this paper, the applications of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC) and infrared spectrum (IR) fingerprint technology in the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules were reviewed, and their advantages and disadvantages were analyzed. The aim of this article is to enhance the combined application of various fingerprint technologies in traditional Chinese medicine formula granules. It could provide technical reference for realizing the stability of production process and improving the overall quality of formula granules.

Quality consistency evaluation of Fuzi formula granules using determination of multi-component contents by HPLC-MS/MS method / 中国中药杂志

To establish HPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of 14 toxic or active components in Fuzi formula granules, and further analyze the quality consistency of 29 batches of formula granules by considering the cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and other chemometrics methods. Phenomenonex Gemini C18 column (4.6 mm×150 mm, 5 μm) was used with 0.1% formic acid solution (A) -acetonitrile (B) as the mobile phase. The mass spectrum was scanned by ESI⁺ multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The contents of aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, Indaconitine, benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine, benzoylhypaconitine, aconine, fuziline, neoline, talatisamine, songorine, higenamine and salsoline were determined. The results showed that 14 compounds had a good linear relationship within their respective concentration range (R²>0.990 0). The limit of quantification was 2.07-7.71 mg·L⁻¹, and the average recovery was 96.07%-102.2%. The content determination results demonstrated that all batches of Fuzi formula granules had very low hypertoxic ingredients and high safety, while the content of active ingredients was greatly different. CA and PCA results showed that there were significant differences in the formula granules between two manufacturers; even though the different batches of samples from the same manufacturer had certain differences, but the difference in manufacturer A was less than that of B. Further PLS-DA showed that the content of cardiotonic substance salsola in the formula granules from manufacturer A was generally higher, while the contents of analgesic and anti-inflammatory substances benzoylmesaconitine and fuziline were generally lower than those in the products from manufacturer B. In conclusion, the safety of Fuzi formula granules was assured well, but the consistency needed to be improved. We recommend that all manufacturers establish strict standard for decoctions in the production process, and form a unified standard method to produce better Fuzi formula granules.

Research on quality standard of processed Cinnamomi Cortex decoction pieces containing volatile oil / 中国中药杂志

To build the quality standard of processed Cinnamomi Cortex standard decoction and provide quality reference for Cinnamomi Cortex formula granules. Fourteen batches of Cinnamomi Cortex standard decoction pieces were prepared according to the preparation requirements for standard decoction of Chinese herbal medicine containing volatile oil. With cinnamaldehyde as the quantitative index, the transfer rate and extraction rate were calculated; pH value was determined and HPLC fingerprint analysis method was established. By the measurement of 14 batches of standard decoction, the transfer rate ranged from 25.0% to 68.4%; the extraction rate was at a range of 3.7% to 10.1% and pH was 3.72 to 5.48. Then the Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2012A) was used to analyze and compare the fingerprints. Four common peaks were determined and three were identified including coumarin (peak 1), cinnamic acid (peak 2) and cinnamaldehyde (peak 3). Moreover, the similarity was 1.0. This study established an HPLC fingerprint analysis method of processed Cinnamomi Cortex standard decoction. The method showed good precision, stability and repeatability in fingerprint analysis, with significance in identification.

Optimization of dry granulation prescription and technology of Anti-Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Formula Granules based on physical characteristics of raw materials in preparations / 中草药

Objective To optimize the prescription of dry granulation process of Anti-Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Formula Granules. Methods Regarding primary formation rate, friability, and dissolubility and comprehensive in granulation process as indexes, the physical properties of water content, the angle of repose and the degree of compression were investigated to select dry granulation prescription. The technological parameters including horizontal speeds, rotate speed of roller and pressure rollers were screened by L9(34) orthogonal experiment were composed to be optimal technological prescription, and the optimum process was verified. Results The optimum lubricant and accessories ratio were 0.5% magnesium stearate and 20% dextrin respectively. The optimized dry granulation process parameters: horizontal speed 30 r/min, press roll speed 5 r/min and press roll pressure 7 MPa. Conclusion The optimized dry granulation preparation technology is feasible and reasonable, which shows good flakes continuous and granules with color uniformity, suitable rigidity and well formability in dry granulation preparation. After three batches of pilot-scale test, the dry granulation preparation technology is stable and feasible.