The use of medicinal plants for the treatment of psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that presents as scaly patches on the skin that affects about 3% of the world's population. Adherence to treatment and discrimination against people are common problems, adversely impacts quality of life. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the use of medicinal plants as therapeutic adjuvants in the treatment of plaque psoriasis through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in patients with plaque psoriasis was carried out, comparing the efficacy of herbal treatments alone or in association with other therapies. The search was performed in the databases of The Cochrane Library, Lilacs, Medline via PubMed and Embase, only including studies published from 2016 to 2020.The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) in patients with plaque psoriasis was carried out, comparing the efficacy of herbal treatments alone or in association with other therapies. We comprehensively searched the MEDLINE, Embase, Lilacs and Cochrane Library databases, only including studies published from 2016 to 2020. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Results: Out of 2,268 articles evaluated, only seven RCT were eligible for final analysis. Five of these studies evidenced low risk of bias and a high level of evidence. Limitations: Few RCT of medicinal plants. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that medicinal plants may be used as topical or oral products, either alone or combined with other forms of treatment. These products have the potential to greatly improve the quality of life of the patient

Preparation and evaluation of Indigo Naturalis dry suspension based on powder surface modification / 药学学报

A dry suspension of Indigo Naturalis (IN) based on lactose-IN composite particles was designed by powder modification technology to meet the clinical needs of IN. The contact angle was used as an evaluation index to investigate the effects of the type of modifier lactose, the amount of lactose, and the co-grinding time of lactose and IN on the hydrophilicity of IN. The difference between IN before and after modification was compared through physical properties such as particle size and scanning electron microscope, as well as hydrophilic properties such as surface free energy and multiple light scattering. The optimal process of lactose-IN composite particles is as follows: after lactose is ground alone for 2 minutes, it is co-ground with IN at a ratio of 1∶1 for 6 minutes. The results of the investigation of powder properties show that the particle size d0.9 of IN is reduced from 112.75 μm to 87.30 μm after modification. The BET and Langmuir specific surface areas decreased by 8.661 m2·g-1 and 12.512 m2·g-1, respectively. SEM shows that lactose is attached to the surface of modified IN (MIN); surface element analysis shows that Si, Ca, and Mg elements of MIN are smaller than IN, and O elements are larger. The infrared spectrum shows that the MIN possesses the characteristic peaks of both IN and lactose. Compared MIN with IN, the contact angle and the non-polar surface free energy decreased by 35.1° and 9.975 mJ·m-2, respectively; the polar surface free energy and the surface free energy increased by 36.956 and 26.950 mJ·m-2, respectively. The results of multiple light scattering showed that the light transmittance of MIN was 35% lower than that of IN, and the backscattered light intensity was increased by about 25%. Only one excipient was used to successfully prepare IN dry suspension with good wettability and suspending property, which provided a basis for the development of new preparations of IN.

Quality evaluation of Indigo Naturalis based on multi-component quantification combined with chemometrics / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of Indigo Naturalis， and to provide reference for the quality control of Indigo Naturalis. METHODS UPLC-MS/MS method was used to determine the contents of 6 indole alkaloids （indigo， indirubin， isatin， tryptanthrin， indole and indole-3-carboxaldehyde） in Indigo Naturalis from different origins. Cluster analysis， principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis （PLS-DA） were used to evaluate the quality of Indigo Naturalis from different origins. RESULTS The contents of indigo， indirubin， isatin， tryptanthrin， indole and indole-3-carboxaldehyde in Indigo Naturalis from different origins were 20 320.83-26 585.01， 1 327.69-3 102.25， 141.69-894.50， 2.17-5.27， 2.14-5.93 and 1.69-4.34 μg/g， respectively. The Indigo Naturalis from different areas were clustered into two categories by cluster analysis. Samples S1， S2， S4， S6， S7， S9 and S10 were clustered into category Ⅰ， and samples S3， S5， S8， S11 and S12 were clustered into category Ⅱ. Indigo Naturalis from different origins was evaluated with 3 principal components. The results showed that category Ⅰ sample scored higher and had better quality， while category Ⅱ sample scored lower and had worse quality. PLS-DA showed that indigo， indirubin， tryptanthrin and isatin were the main substances that reflected the quality difference of Indigo Naturalis. CONCLUSIONS The quality of Indigo Naturalis from different origins is different， and the quality of Indigo Naturalis of different batches from the same area is not stable. The quality evaluation method of Indigo Naturalis established in this paper is stable and reliable， which can provide a basis for the quality control of Indigo Naturalis.

Analysis of the molecular mechanism of Indigo Naturalis in the treatment of ulcerative colitis based on GEO Chip and network pharmacology / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:The mechanism of Indigo Naturalis in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) was predicted by GEO chip combined with network pharmacology, and preliminarily verified by molecular docking. Methods:The main active components and targets of Indigo Naturalis were obtained by searching TCMSP, SymMap database, SwissTargetPrediction and Pharmmapper. The UC disease targets were obtained from DrugBank database, OMIM database, TTD database, Disgenet database and GEO gene chips. Venn diagram was used to show drug-disease common targets. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of intersection targets was analyzed by String platform, and Cytoscape 3.8.2 software was used to construct the PPI network of components and disease targets. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed on the core targets. AutoDock Vina 1.2.1 was used for molecular docking, and the results were visualized by Discovery studio Visualizer. Results:A total of 10 active components and 184 compound targets of IN-UC, of which 42 were core targets, were enriched and analyzed by GO and KEGG. The therapeutic effect of Indigo Naturalis on UC may involve activation of various process, such as reactive oxygen species metabolism, heme binding, protein phosphatase binding, secretory granule exocytosis, cytoplasmic vesicles, cell focal adhesion and cell substrate connection, and regulates PI3K/Akt signal pathway, human cytomegalovirus infection signal pathway, EB virus infection signal pathway HF1 signaling pathway and insulin resistance signaling pathway to treat UC. Conlusion:Indigo Naturalis has the characteristics of multi-component, multi target and multi pathway in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Through PTGS2, CAT and other core targets, it can regulate PI3K/Akt signal pathway, human giant cell signal pathway, HIF-1 signal pathway to play a therapeutic role.

Indigo Carmine Hemodynamic Studies to Treat Vasoplegia Induced by Compound 48/80 in a Swine Model of Anaphylaxis

Abstract Introduction: There are many reasons to believe that the nitric oxide/guanosine 3'5' - cyclic monophosphate (or NO/cGMP) pathway on vasoplegic states is underestimated. To study indigo carmine (IC) as an alternative to methylene blue was the investigation rationale. Methods: The IC (3mg/kg intravenous infusion) study protocol included five experimental groups; 1) Control group — saline was injected at 0 and 10 minutes; 2) IC group — IC was injected at 0 and saline at 10 minutes; 3) compound 48/80 (C48/80) group — C48/80 was injected at 0 minute and saline at 10 minutes; 4) C48/80 + IC group — C48/80 was injected at 0 minute and IC at 10 minutes; and 5) IC + C48/80 group — IC was injected at 0 minute and C48/80 at 10 minutes. The studies were carried out by registering and measuring hemodynamic and blood gasometric parameters, including continuous cardiac output. Results: 1) The effects of the drugs (IC and C48/80) were more evident in the first 20 minutes of recording; 2) hypotensive responses were more pronounced in the C48/80 groups; 3) IC isolated or applied before C48/80 caused transient pulmonary hypertension; and 4) after the first 20 minutes, the pressure responses showed stability with apparent hypotension more pronounced in the C48/80 groups. Clinical observations showed significant hemodynamic instability and catastrophic anaphylactic reactions (agitation, pulmonary hypertension, severe bronchospasm, urticaria, high-intensity cyanosis, violent gastric hypersecretion, and ascites). Conclusion: A global results analysis showed differences between groups only in the first 20 minutes of the experiments.

Safety and efficacy of Compound Huangdai Tablets combined with all-trans retinoic acid for treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia: Clinical evidence and potential mechanisms / 中草药·英文版

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Compound Huangdai Tablets (Realgar-Indigo Naturalis formula, RIF) combined with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods: This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018108118). The relevant literatures on RIF treatment of APL were systematically searched in the following databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Medical Information System, Chinese Biomedical Database, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and PubMed. The quality of the included studies was evaluated and Review Manager 5.3 software and Stata 13.0 software were used to perform the Meta-analysis. In addition, this study used the method of network pharmacology to conduct a preliminary exploration of the mechanism of RIF on APL. Results: The study included 12 studies involving 775 APL patients. The Meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference (P 0.05) between the RIF group and the arsenic trioxide (ATO) group for primary outcomes, secondary outcomes apart from liver dysfunction. The incidence of liver dysfunction (P = 0.006) in the RIF group were significantly lower than those in the ATO group. In addition, the cost of maintenance therapy in the RIF group was significantly lower (P 0.05) than the ATO group. Besides, the active ingredients in RIF mainly act on targets proteins such as ACHE, NCOA2, RXRA, and then play a role in the treatment of APL through regulating multiple molecular mechanisms, such as TP53 regulates transcription of cell cycle genes, nuclear receptor transcription pathway. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in efficacy of oral RIF combined with ATRA compared with intravenous ATO combined with ATRA for the treatment of APL. The oral RIF exposed patients to less risk, offered more convenience and had lower prices. RIF can treat APL by multi-target and multi-pathway interventions that inducing apoptosis of APL cells and inhibiting the proliferation of APL cells, and so on. Therefore, oral RIF in the treatment of APL is worthy of further research and development.

Preparation of hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis based on polyethylene glycol( PEG) surface film-forming method and evaluation / 中国中药杂志

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) surface film-forming method was used to prepare hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis decoction pieces with stable effect.The preparation process of modified Indigo Naturalis was optimized and its microscopic properties,hydrophilicity,antipyretic efficacy,and safety were systematically evaluated.With equilibrium contact angle as assessment index,the influence of modifier type,modifier dosage,dispersant dosage,and co-grinding time on water solubility of Indigo Naturalis was investigated by single factor test.The results showed that the optimal preparation process was as follows.The 6%PEG6000 is dissolved in 10%anhydrous ethanol solution by sonification and then the mixture is ground with Indigo Naturalis for 2 min.The resultant product is dried on a square tray in an oven at 60℃to remove ethanol and thereby the PEG-modified hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis decoction pieces are yielded.The morphological observation under scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated that the modified Indigo Naturalis had smoother surface than Indigo Naturalis,and energy spectrometer measurement showed that the nitrogen (N),calcium(Ca),oxygen (O),and silicon (Si) on the surface of modified Indigo Naturalis powder were less than those of Indigo Naturalis powder.Modified Indigo Naturalis had the equilibrium contact angle 18.96°smaller,polar component 22.222 m J·m~(-2)more,and nonpolar component 7.277 m J·m~(-2)smaller than the Indigo Naturalis powder.Multiple light scattering technique was employed to evaluate the dispersion in water and the result demonstrated that the transmittance of Indigo Naturalis and modified Indigo Naturalis was about85%and 75%,respectively,suggesting the higher dispersity of modified Indigo Naturalis.The suspension rate of modified Indigo Naturalis in water was determined by reflux treatment.The result showed that 57%of Indigo Naturalis was not wetted after refluxing for1 h,while the modified Indigo Naturalis was all wetted and dispersed into water.The dissolution of indigo and indirubin of modified Indigo Naturalis increased and the process was more stable.Then,rats were randomized into the blank group,model group,acetaminophen group,Indigo Naturalis group,and hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis group.The temperature changes of rats were observed after administration and the concentration of IL-1βand TNF-αin serum and IL-1βand PGE_2in hypothalamus was measured.The results indicated that the temperature of Indigo Naturalis group and hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis group dropped and the IL-1βlevel of the hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis group decreased (P<0.05) as compared with those in the model group.Thus,both Indigo Naturalis and hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis had antipyretic effect,particularly the hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis.The acute toxicity test of hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis verified that it had no toxicity to rats.In this study,the hydrophilic Indigo Naturalis decoction pieces were prepared with the PEG surface film-forming method,and the antipyretic efficacy and safety were evaluated,which expanded the technological means of powder modification for Chinese medicine and provided a method for clinical use of Chinese medicine.

Antipyretic activity and potential mechanism of Indigo Naturalis on 2,4-dinitrophenol-induced fever rat model / 中国中药杂志

As an effective antipyretic medicine,Indigo Naturalis has a long history of application in the field of Chinese medicine.The content of organics,mainly indigo and indirubin,is about 10%. However,the active ingredients and mechanism of its antipyretic effect have not yet been fully elucidated. In view of this,they were investigated in this study with the rectal temperature change as an indicator and 2,4-dinitrophenol-induced fever rats as subjects. The content of PGE2 and c AMP in the hypothalamus and the serum levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 were determined by ELISA. Moreover,the plasma samples of fever rats were analyzed by metabonomics in combination with UPLC-Q-TOF-MS for the exploration of potential biomarkers and the discussion on the antipyretic mechanism of Indigo Naturalis and its active ingredients. The results showed that the rising trend of rectal temperature in rats was suppressed 0. 5 h after the treatment with Indigo Naturalis,organic matter,indigo or indirubin as compared with the rats of model group( P < 0. 05),among which Indigo Naturalis and organic matter had better antipyretic effect. ELISA results showed that organic matter and indigo can inhibit the expression of PGE2 and c AMP( P<0. 01),while Indigo Naturalis and organic matter were effective in curbing the increase in TNF-α( P<0. 05). A total of 21 endogenous metabolites were identified from the plasma samples of the Indigo Naturalis,organic matter,indigo and indirubin groups,which were mainly involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism.

Key to Indigo Naturalis' oral effectiveness: in vivo and in vitro verification of bile action / 中国中药杂志

Indigo Naturalis( IN) is mainly composed of 10% organic matter and 90% inorganic matter,with a poor wettability and strong hydrophobicity. Indigo,indirubin and effective ingredients are almost insoluble in water. And how it exerts its effect after oral administration still needs to be revealed. For this reason,this study put forward the hypothesis that " Indigo Naturalis forms a slightly soluble calcium carbonate carrier in a strong acid environment of gastric fluid,and organic substances are solubilized in the bile environment of intestinal fluid",and then verified the hypothesis. First,the dissolution apparatus was used to simulate the change process of IN in different digestive fluid,and the effects of low-dose and normal bile on the dissolution of inorganic substances and the release of organic substances were compared. After the surface morphology and element changes of IN in different digestive fluid were observed,it was found that bile is the key to promoting the dissolution of organic and inorganic substances in IN. Furthermore,the rat fever model induced by 2,4-dinitrophenol was used to study the antipyretic effect of IN in normal rats and bile duct ligation rats. It was found that the antipyretic effect of IN on normal rats was better than that of bile duct ligation rats. The above results indicated that after oral administration of IN,the calcium carbonate carrier was transformed into a slightly soluble state in acidic gastric fluid,and a small amount of organic matter was released. When IN entered the intestinal fluid mixed with bile,the carrier dissolved in a large amount,and indigo and indirubin were dissolved in a large amount,so as to absorb the blood and exert the effect. This study has a certain significance for guiding clinical application of IN. For patients with insufficient bile secretion( such as bile duct resection),oral administration with IN may not be effective and shall be paid attention.

Changes in forms of Indigo Naturalis slices in ancient and modern times: a systematic study on quality of purified Indigo Naturalis and crude Indigo Naturalis / 中国中药杂志

Indigo Naturalis has a long history of medicinal use with particularity and complexity in its processing. Before the Ming dynasty,Indigo Naturalis was extracted from the top layer of zymotic fluid,called " purified Indigo Naturalis". In modern processing,the precipitate " crude Indigo Naturalis" is dried to produce Indigo Naturalis after impurity removal. The form of Indigo Naturalis slices has undergone significant changes in ancient and modern times. In view of this,the quality comparison between crude Indigo Naturalis and purified Indigo Naturalis was conducted in this study with modern analytical techniques. Firstly,chemical composition was analyzed with UPLC-Q-TOF-MS,and the chemical composition of scent with HS-SPME/GC-MS/MS. The content of indigo,indirubin,total ash,and water-soluble extract was determined as well as the inorganic composition in crude Indigo Naturalis and purified Indigo Naturalis. Then,their microscopic morphology was observed and the surface element composition was investigated. Finally,the antipyretic activities of crude Indigo Naturalis and purified Indigo Naturalis were compared in the fever rat model induced by lipopolysaccharide and 2,4-dinitrophenol. The results demonstrated that the purified Indigo Naturalis had a faster and more lasting antipyretic effect,while the crude Indigo Naturalis had almost no antipyretic effect. This study is of great significance to the research on processing technology of Indigo Naturalis and provides reference for the formulation of its quality standards,production specifications and calibration procedures.

Microbial community structure and transformation of indoles in soaking and fermentation of Indigo Naturalis / 中国中药杂志

The soaking and fermentation of Baphicacanthus cusia( Nees),the important intermediate link of Indigo Naturalis processing,facilitates the synthesis of indigo and indirubin precursors and the dissolution of endogenous enzymes and other effective components,while the role of microorganisms in the fermentation is ignored. The present study investigated the changes of microbial community structure in Indigo Naturalis processing based on 16 S amplicon sequencing and bioinformatics. Meanwhile,the contents of indigo,indirubin,isatin,tryptanthrin,indole glycoside,etc. were determined to explore the correlation between the microorganisms and the alterations of the main components. As demonstrated by the results,the microbial diversity decreased gradually with the fermentation,which bottomed out after the addition of lime. Proteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,and Firmicutes were the main dominant communities in the fermentation. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria declined gradually with the prolongation of fermentation time,and to the lowest level after the addition of lime. The relative abundance of Firmicutes increased,and that of Bacteroidetes decreased first and then increased. The contents of effective substances in Indigo Naturalis also showed different variation tendencies. As fermentation went on,indole glycoside decreased gradually; indigo first increased and then decreased; indirubin and isatin first decreased and then increased; tryptanthrin gradually increased. Those changes were presumedly related to the roles of microorganisms in the synthesis of different components. This study preliminarily clarified the important role of microorganisms in the soaking and fermentation and provided a scientific basis for the control of Indigo Naturalis processing and the preparation of high-quality Indigo Naturalis.

Challenges and strategies of high-quality development of Indigo Naturalis industry / 中国中药杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) processing is a traditional pharmaceutical technology unique to China,which is an important means to ensure the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication. As China' s intangible cultural heritage,it contains a wealth of wisdom. With the evolution and optimization of processing methods,Indigo Naturalis,an ancient dye,has gradually become an effective medicine for the treatment of high fever in children,colitis,psoriasis,and leukemia. However,the quality of Indigo Naturalis pieces is difficult to be fundamentally improved due to the unique traditional processing method,complex technology,unclear principle,and outdated equipment. After spending 20 years in exploring the inheritance,innovation,and transformation of ancient lawtheory-principle-technology-equipment-quality control in Indigo Naturalis processing,our research group has basically expounded the processing principle and realized the modern expression and industrial transformation of traditional technology. As China enters a new era,the TCM industry has begun to undergo the high-quality transformation. It is urgent to carry out new excavations and improve the processing,quality,and clinical application of Indigo Naturalis pieces,to better inherit and innovate traditional processing technologies and meet people's demand for high-quality TCM health services.

Use of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium in a Semibatch Reactor for Removal of Indigo Carmine from Synthetic Textile Wastewater

Abstract The textile industry demonstrates a polluting potential from the planting of cotton to the release of wastewater. The presence of dyes in water bodies decreases the passage of sun rays and directly affects the photosynthetic organisms and the ecosystem. Fungi have potential in the treatment of wastewater containing dyes with complex organic structures due to enzymes that they produce. This study evaluated the use of Phanerochaete chrisosporium in the treatment of synthetic effluent from textile industry containing indigo carmine (20 mg/L). The fungus was immobilized in a semibatch reactor. Glucose was the cosubstrate employed in the experiment and it was used in the system at 1g/L at the beginning of the process and 0.5 g /L after 24 hours of reaction. Average dye removal was 84±10% and chemical oxygen demand removal was 79±14%. For nitrogen compounds, the removal efficiencies were 87±11%, 81±11% and 91±9% for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, respectively. The pH of the medium remained in the acidic range (2.57 to 5.00) throughout the process, with the lowest values recorded in the effluent of each cycle, justified by the release of organic acids from fungi metabolism. There was contamination of the medium by bacteria (710,000 CFU/mL), but the colonies count showed a predominance of fungi (1,365,000 CFU/mL). With the use of the semibatch system after reading of glucose it was observed that the efficiency of dye removal evolved from 72±17% to 84±10%, producing a final effluent with 3.35±1.99 mg/L of indigo, which proves that treatment configuration analyzed is satisfactory for dye removal.

O estudo teórico do desempenho dos polímeros condutores dos corantes azoicos na detecção eletroquímica de indigo-carmim / The theoretical study of the function of conducting polymers of the azo-dyes in the electrochemical detection of indigo-carmine

RESUMO O desempenho dos polímeros condutores dos corantes azoicos durante a detecção eletroquímica de indigo-carmim foi investigado do ponto de vista teórico, sendo o modelo, correspondente ao caso, descrito e analisado mediante a teoria de estabilidade lineal e da análise de bifiircações. Foi mostrado que o sistema eletroanalítico depende fortemente do pH, pois as concentrações excessivas dos prótons levam à ineficiência eletroanalítica, haja vista o bloqueio dos centros ativos da reação. No entretanto, malgrado o supracitado, os polímeros dos corantes azoicos são modificadores eficientes para determinação do indigo-carmim. A possibilidade das instabilidades oscilatória e monotônica também foi verificada.

SUMMARY The function of the conducting polymers of azo-dyes during the indigo-carmine electrochemical detection has been investigated from the theoretical point of view. The correspondent model has been described and analyzed by means of linear stability theory and bifurcation analysis. It has been shown that the electroanalytical system depends strongly on pH, as the excessive protons concentrations drive the system to the electroanalytical inefficiency, as they block the reaction active sites. Nevertheless, despite of the mentioned, the azo-dyes conducting polymers are efficient modifiers for indigo-carmine electrochemical determination. The possibility of oscillatory and monotonic instabilities has also been verified.

Exploring material basis and mechanism of Lianhua Qingwen Prescription against coronavirus based on network pharmacology / 中草药

Objective: To explore the active compounds and mechanism of Lianhua Qingwen Prescription for the treatment of coronavirus, and provide a reference for the treatment of COVID-19. Methods: With the help of TCMSP, Batman, Swiss Target Prediction and other databases, the chemical constituents and targets of Lianhua Qingwen Prescription were retrieved. Coronavirus disease targets were screened by GeneCards. Cytoscape software was used to construct a “drug-component-target-disease” interaction network map and potential target interactions, and the action mechanism was predicted through enrichment analysis. The main active ingredients of Lianhua Qingwen Prescription were verified by molecular docking with Mpro and ACE2. Results: A total of 100 active ingredients, 636 drug targets, and 347 disease targets were excavated, and 67 drug-disease common targets were obtained. The key targets involved PTGS2, IL6, CASP3, MAPK1, EGFR, ACE2, etc. A total of 1 946 entries were obtained by GO enrichment analysis, which mainly involved T cell activation, viral receptors, and inflammatory responses. KEGG pathway enrichment screened 166 signaling pathways, including renin-angiotensin system, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway and so on. The molecular docking results showed that kaempferol, quercetin and luteolin had good binding ability with Mpro; And glycyrrhetinic acid, stigmasterol, indigo had good binding ability with ACE2. Conclusion: Lianhua Qingwen Prescription acts on coronavirus through multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. The main components have good binding ability with Mpro and ACE2, so as to have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19.

Evaluation of Indigo carmine on hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effects of treatment with Indigo Carmine (IC) on rat livers subjected to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods The animals were subdivided into 4 groups: 1.SHAM group(SH) - saline; 2.SHAM group with IC-2mg/Kg(SHIC); 3.IR group - rats submitted to ischemia and reperfusion with saline(IR); 4.IR group with IC-2mg/Kg(IRIC). The IR protocol consists of liver exposure and administration of drug or saline intravenously, followed by 60 minutes of ischemia and 15 of reperfusion. Liver samples were collected for biochemical analysis. Results State 3 of mitochondrial respiration showed a significant worsening of the IRIC group in relation to all others. State 4 showed a difference between IRIC and SHIC. The Respiratory Control Ratio showed statistical decrease in IR and IRIC versus Sham. The osmotic swelling showed significant difference between SHxIR; SHICxIRIC and SHxIRIC. There was a significant increase in ALT in the IRIC group in relation to all the others. Concerning the nitrate dosage, there was a decrease in the group treated with IC(IRxIRIC). There was no difference regarding the dosage of Malondialdehyde. Conclusion IC was not able to protect mitochondria from IR injury and proved to be a potentiating agent, acting in synergy with the IR injury promoting damage to the hepatocyte membranes.

Analysis of Effect of Realgar with Different Compatibility Proportions on Transitional Constituents of Indigo Naturalis in Rat Serum Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of different dose of Realgar compatible with Indigo Naturalis on the transitional constituents of Indigo Naturalis in rat serum based on the compatibility of Qinghuangsan.Method:Indigo Naturalis test solution, the drug-containing serum of three different proportions of Qinghuangsan (10 g of Indigo Naturalis compatible with 52.5, 105, 210 mg of Realgar for group A, B and C, respectively) and blank serum were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, in combination with the chemical components identified in Indigo Naturalis test solution, the differences of transitional constituents of Indigo Naturalis in rat serum from the group A, B and C were analyzed. HL-60 cells (human leukemia cells) were treated with the three groups of Qinghuangsan drug-containing serum and the effect of drug-containing serum on the activity of HL-60 cells was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay.Result:A total of 19, 22, 25 of transitional constituents were detected in Qinghuangsan drug-containing serum from group A, B and C, respectively. The three groups of drug-containing serum all contained 5 prototype components from Indigo Naturalis test solution, including tryptanthrin, indigo, indirubin, 2-aminobenzoic acid and N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine, respectively. The results of CCK-8 assay showed that Qinghuangsan drug-containing serum of group C had the strongest inhibitory effect on HL-60 cells.Conclusion:After fixed Indigo Naturalis dose, with the increase of Realgar dose, the transitional constituents in rat serum increase and the inhibitory effect on HL-60 cells also gradually enhances, which indicates that Realgar may promote the absorption of active components in Indigo Naturali in vivo, thus enhance the efficacy, further explains the compatibility law and pharmacodynamic material basis of different proportions of Realgar and Indigo Naturalis.

HPLC-DAD Characteristic Chromatogram of Baphicacanthis Cusiae Rhizoma et Radix / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To establish the characteristic chromatogram of Baphicacanthis Cusiae Rhizoma et Radix and its decoction pieces by HPLC for the identification of authentic and counterfeit products. METHODS: High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used with Agilent Zorbax C18(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase was acetonitrile-water with gradient elution. The detector was a secondary tube array (DAD). The column temperature was maintained at 35 ℃, the flow rate was 1.0 mL•min-1, and the injection volume was 10 μL. RESULTS: Fifteen batches of genuine crude drug and twelve batches of genuine decoction pieces were determined. Five common peaks were found, among which three peaks were 2-benzoxazolinone, indigo and indirubin. CONCLUSION: The established characteristic chromatogram of Baphicacanthis Cusiae Rhizoma et Radix can effectively distinguish the authentic from the counterfeit. The methodological demonstration shows that the method is accurate, stable and reproducible.

Discussion on source, preparation and quality of Indigo Naturalis / 中国中药杂志

For the discussion of the source, preparation and quality problems of Indigo Naturalis, the historical tradition and reality were summarized by literature survey and producing area investigation. Besides some quality problems, potential safety hazards were found out in some samples from market tested. Because lime could not be dislodged enough from Indigo Naturalis in the process of purification, the samples of Indigo Naturalis contained too much lime and showed strong alkalinity. It was suggested that the quality standard of Indigo Naturalis should be revised and revised and some detection projects and methods should be added into the standard. In addition, we suggested that the production access of Indigo Naturalis should be further defined.

Correlation Between Effective Components Content and Color Values of Indigo Naturalis Basde on Chromatometry / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To study the correlation between the color of Indigo Naturalis (powder and it's extracting solution) and effective components (indigo and indirubin) content. Method: The contents of indigo and indirubin in 27 batches of Indigo Naturalis were determined by HPLC,and the chromaticity values L*,a* and b* of powder and extracting solution were determined by color colorimeter. SPSS 20.0 software was used to analyze the correlation and multiple linear regression between the content of active components and the chromaticity values of Indigo Naturalis. Result: By visual observing the appearance of the powder,we find that,as the powder color deepened,the brightness values (L*) of the powder and extract were decreased,while the red-green value (a*) were increased. The correlation analysis showed that the contents of indigo were negatively correlated with the brightness value (L*) of the powder(Pa*)(PL*) of powder and extract (Pa*) (PConclusion: The darker the powder color of Indigo Naturalis,the higher the content of indigo and indirubin. The L* and a* values of indigo powder were more correlated with indigo and indirubin content than with the extracting solution. The color of powder was significantly correlated with the content of indigo and indirubin,which provided reference for rapid identification of Indigo Naturalis. The method of measuring the color of Indigo Naturalis by color colorimeter is stable,scientific and reliable.