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.

Total Glucosides of Paeony Regulate Immune Imbalance Mediated by Dermal Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Psoriasis Mice / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the therapeutic effects of total glucosides of paeony (TGP) on psoriasis based on the immunomodulatory effect of dermal mesenchymal stem cells (DMSCs).@*METHODS@#A total of 30 male BALB/c mice were divided into 6 groups (n=5 in each) by a random number table method, including control, psoriasis model (model, 5% imiquimod cream 42 mg/d), low-, medium- and high-dose TGP (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, L, M-, and H-TGP, respectively), and positive control group (2.5 mg/kg acitretin). After 14 days of continuous administration, the skin's histopathological changes, apoptosis, secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and proportion of regulatory T cells (Treg) and T helper cell 17 (Th17) were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. DMSCs were further isolated from the skin tissues of normal and psoriatic mice, and the cell morphology, phenotype, and cycle were observed. Furthermore, TGP was used to treat psoriatic DMSCs to analyze the effects on the DMSCs immune regulation.@*RESULTS@#TGP alleviated skin pathological injury, reduced epidermis layer thickness, inhibited apoptosis, and regulated the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and the proportion of Treg and Th17 in the skin tissues of psoriatic mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). There was no significant difference in cell morphology and phenotype between control and psoriatic DMSCs (P>0.05), however, more psoriatic DMSCs remained in G0/G1 phase compared with the normal DMSCs (P<0.01). TGP treatment of psoriatic DMSCs significantly increased cell viability, decreased apoptosis, relieved inflammatory response, and inhibited the expression of toll-like receptor 4 and P65 (P<0.05 or P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#TGP may exert a good therapeutic effect on psoriasis by regulating the immune imbalance of DMSCs.

Medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine compounds for pain / 中国中药杂志

The present study collected data on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) compounds effective in relieving pain from the patent database of the State Intellectual Property Office(SIPO), sorted out the TCM compounds against pain in patents, and analyzed the medication rules to provide references for the research and development of new TCM drugs against pain. The data were subjected to frequency statistics, association rules, cluster analysis, and complex network analysis by IBM SPSS Modeler 18.3 and SPSS Statistical 26.0. The results showed that among the 101 oral prescriptions included in the statistics, the top 5 drugs were Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and among the 49 external prescriptions included in the statistics, the top 5 drugs were Myrrha, Olibanum, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, Borneolum Syntheticum, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma. Whether oral or external prescriptions, the drugs were mainly warm in nature, and bitter, pungent, and sweet in flavor. According to TCM complex network analysis, the core drugs were Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma in oral prescriptions, and Olibanum, Myrrha, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, and Angelicae Sinensis Radix in external prescriptions. Overall, the therapeutic principles of oral prescriptions were mainly replenishing Qi, nourishing blood, and promoting Qi and blood circulation, while those of external prescriptions were activating blood, resolving stasis, promoting Qi flow, and relieving pain on the basis of the oral prescriptions. In the future research and development of TCM compounds against pain, the prescriptions should be modified with mind-tranquilizing and depression-relieving drugs. With the modernization of TCM, the development of new pain-relieving TCM compound patents based on ancient methods and clinical experience adhering to the guidance of TCM treatment based on syndrome differentiation can meet the new demand for pain treatment in the current society and give full play to the advantages of TCM in pain treatment.

Analysis and evaluation on Paeoniae Radix Alba from different cultivars by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and HPLC / 中国中药杂志

In this study, an established ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) method was combined with multivariate statistical analysis to investigate the commonality and difference of main chemical components in the medicinal parts of Paeonia lactiflora from different cultivars; in addition, a high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) method was established to simultaneously determine the content of eight active components in Paeoniae Radix Alba. Non-targeted analysis was carried out by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18)(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) column with a gradient elution of 0.1% aqueous formic acid(A)-acetonitrile(B) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.2 mL·min~(-1). The column temperature was 30 ℃, and an electrospray ionization source was used to acquire mass spectrometry data in positive and negative ion modes. According to the accurate molecular weight and fragment ion information provided by multi-stage mass spectrometry and by comparison with reference substances and literature reports, thirty-six identical components were identified in Paeoniae Radix Alba from different cultivars with positive and negative ion modes. In the negative ion mode, two groups of samples were well separated; specifically, seventeen components with significant differences in content were screened and identified, and one component unique in "Bobaishao" was obtained. Quantitative analysis was conducted by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) on an Agilent HC-C_(18)(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) column with a gradient elution of 0.1% aqueous phosphoric acid(A)-acetonitrile(B) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min~(-1). The column temperature was 30 ℃ and the detection wavelength was at 230 nm. An HPLC method was developed for the simultaneous determination of eight active components(gallic acid, oxypaeoniflorin, catechin, albiflorin, paeoniflorin, galloylpaeoniflorin, 1,2,3,4,6-O-pentagalloylglucose, benzoyl-paeoniflorin) in Paeoniae Radix Albaa from different cultivars. Satisfactory linearity was achieved within the investigated linear ranges and with fine coefficients(r>0.999 0), and the methodological investigation showed that the method had good precision, repeatability and stability. The mean recoveries were 90.61% to 101.7% with RSD of 0.12% to 3.6%(n=6). UPLC-Q-OF-MS provided a rapid and efficient qualitative analytical method for the identification of the chemical components in Paeoniae Radix Alba, and the developed HPLC method was simple, rapid and accurate, which could provide a scientific basis for the evaluation of the germplasm resources and herbal quality of Paeoniae Radix Alba from different cultivars.

Anti-anger Effects of Herbal Medicine: A Mini-Review of Rat Studies / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the available data on the anti-anger effects of herbal medicines (HMs) as well as their underlying mechanisms in rat models.@*METHODS@#From 6 electronic databases [PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), and Research Information Sharing Service (RISS)], relevant animal experiments were searched by using "anger," "rats," and "animal" as search keywords. The last search was conducted on November 22, 2019, and all experiments involving rat models of anger and treatment using HMs published until the date of the search were considered.@*RESULTS@#A total of 24 studies with 16 kinds of HMs were included. Most studies have used the "tail irritating method" and "social isolation and resident intruder" method to establish anger models. According to the included studies, the therapeutic mechanisms of HMs for anger regulation and important herbs by their frequency and/or preclinical evidence mainly incladed regulation of hemorheology (Bupleuri Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Glycyrrhizae Radix), regulation of sex hormones (Bupleuri Radix, Cyperi Rhizoma, and Paeoniae Radix Alba), regulation of neurotransmitters (Cyperi Rhizoma), regulation of anger-related genes (Bupleuri Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, and Paeoniae Radix Alba), and other effects. Overall, Liver (Gan) qi-smoothing herbs including Bupleuri Radix and Cyperi Rhizoma were the most frequently used.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This review found the frequent methods to establish an anger model, and major mechanisms of anti-anger effects of HMs. Interestingly, some Liver qi-smoothing herbs have been frequently used to investigate the anti-anger effects of HM. These findings provide insight into the role and relevance of HMs in the field of anger management.

Quality value transfer of substance benchmarks in Sanpian Decoction / 中国中药杂志

According to the polarity of different components in Sanpian Decoction, two fingerprints were established. Then the substance benchmark freeze-dried powder of 15 batches of Sanpian Decoction was prepared, followed by the determination of the fingerprints, index component content, and dry extract rates, the identification of attribution of characteristic peaks, and the calculation of similarities between these fingerprints and the reference(R), the content and transfer rate ranges of ferulic acid, sinapine thiocyanate, liquiritin, and glycyrrhizic acid, and the dry extract rate range. The results showed that the similarities of 15 batches of the substance benchmark fingerprints with R were all greater than 0.900.Further summarization of the characteristic peaks revealed that there were a total of 20 characteristic peaks in fingerprint 1, among which, eight were from Sinapis Semen, four from Paeoniae Radix Alba, six from Chuanxiong Rhizoma, and two from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. A total of 16 characteristic peaks were observed in fingerprint 2, including one from Sinapis Semen, three from Paeoniae Radix Alba, eight from Chuanxiong Rhizoma, and four from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. The average dry extract rate of 15 batches of substance benchmarks was 18.25%, with a dry extract rate range of 16.28%-20.76%. The index component content and transfer rate ranges were listed as follows: 0.15%-0.18% and 38.81%-58.05% for ferulic acid; 0.26%-0.42% and 36.51%-51.02% for sinapine thiocyanate; 0.09%-0.15% and 48.80%-76.61% for liquiritin; 0.13%-0.24% and 23.45%-35.61% for glycyrrhizic acid. The fingerprint, dry extract rate, and index component content determination was combined for analyzing the quality value transfer of substance benchmarks in the classic prescription Sanpian Decoction.The established quality evaluation method for the substance benchmarks was stable and feasible, which has provided a basis for the quality control of Sanpian Decoction and the follow-up development of related preparations.

Quality value transfer of material benchmark of Guizhi Jia Gegen Decoction / 中国中药杂志

A total of 15 batches of the substance reference of Guizhi Jia Gegen Decoction(GZGGD) were prepared and the characteristic fingerprints of them were established. Furthermore, the similarity of the fingerprints and peak attributes were explored. The extraction rate, and the content and the transfer rate ranges of the index components, puerarin, paeoniflorin, liquiritin, and ammonium glycyrrhizate were determined for the analysis of the quality value transfer. The result demonstrated that the fingerprints of the 15 batches of the samples showed high similarity(>0.99). A total of 15 characteristic peaks were identified from the fingerprints, with 10 for Puerariae Lobatae Radix, 1 for Cinnamomi Ramulus, 2 for Paeoniae Radix Alba, and 2 for Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. The content of puerarin was 11.05-18.35 mg·g~(-1) and the average transfer rate was 21.27%-39.49%. The corresponding figures were 7.95-10.90 mg·g~(-1) and 23.28%-43.23% for paeoniflorin, 3.25-4.95 mg·g~(-1) and 32.31%-61.27% for ammonium glycyrrhizate, and 3.65-5.80 mg·g~(-1) and 14.57%-27.05% for liquiritin. The extraction rate of the 15 batches of samples was in the range of 16.85%-21.78%. In this paper, the quality value transfer of the substance reference of GZGGD was analyzed based on characteristic fingerprint, content of index components, and the extraction rate. This study is expected to lay a basis for the quality control and further development of GZGGD.

Applying Biomod2 for modeling of species suitable habitats:a case study of Paeonia lactiflora in China / 中国中药杂志

Paeonia lactiflora is an important medicinal resource in China. It is of great significance for the protection and cultivation of P. lactiflora resources to find the suitable habitats. The study was based on the information of 98 distribution sites and the data of 20 current environmental factors of wild P. lactiflora in China. According to the correlation and importance of environmental factors, we selected the main environmental factors affecting the potential suitable habitats. Then, BCC-CSM2-MR model was employed to predict the distribution range and center change of potential suitable habitat of wild P. lactiflora in the climate scenarios of SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 during 2021-2100. The ensemble model combined with GBM, GLM, MaxEnt, and RF showed improved prediction accuracy, with TSS=0.85 and AUC=0.95. Among the 20 environmental factors, annual mean temperature, monthly mean diurnal range of temperature, temperature seasonality, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the driest quarter, and elevation were the main factors that affected the suitable habitat distribution of P. lactiflora. At present, the potential suitable habitats of wild P. lactiflora is mainly distributed in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong, Gansu, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Ningxia, and concentrated in the northeastern Inner Mongolia, central Heilongjiang, and northern Jilin. Under future climate conditions, the highly sui-table area of wild P. lactiflora will shrink, and the potential suitable habitat will mainly be lost to different degrees. However, in the SSP5-8.5 scenario, the low suitable area of wild P. lactiflora will partially increase in the highlands and mountains in western China including Xinjiang, Tibet, and Qinghai during 2061-2100. The distribution center of wild P. lactiflora migrated first to the northeast and then to the southwest. The total suitable habitats were stable and kept in the high-latitude zones. The prediction of the potential geo-graphical distribution of P. lactiflora is of great significance to the habitat protection and standardized cultivation of this plant in the future.

Protective effects of Moutan Cortex polysaccharides components on renal injury in diabetic nephropathy rats / 中国中药杂志

This study investigated the protective effects of Moutan Cortex polysaccharides components(MCPC) on the renal tissues of diabetic nephropathy(DN) rats and explored their regulation effect on inflammatory response and oxidative stress. The DN rat model was induced by high-glucose and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin(STZ), and then the rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, positive group and MCPC high(120 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), low(60 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) dose groups. After 12 weeks treatment, blood was taken from the orbit of the rats, and then they were sacrificed before the kidney tissues were collected. The serum and tissues were detected for related biochemical indicators and pathological changes of the kidney. Immunohistochemical methods were used to determine the expression of FN and ColⅣ in the kidney tissue of DN rats. Compared with the model group, blood glucose, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and 24 h urine protein in the MCPC high-dose group were significantly reduced(P<0.01). The results of HE, PAS, Masson staining showed that glomerular basement membrane thickening, Bowman's capsule narrowing and inflammatory cell infiltration in DN rats were improved in the MCPC high-dose group; the activity of T-SOD and GSH-Px in serum significantly increased(P<0.001), and the expression level of FN significantly decreased(P<0.001). The high-dose MCPC treatment could effectively inhibit the abnormal expression of Col Ⅳ(P<0.001) and significantly reduce the levels of AGEs and RAGE in serum(P<0.001), the content of VCAM-1 and IL-1β in serum(P<0.001), and the levels of IL-1β mRNA in kidney tissue(P<0.001), but failed to effectively reduce VCAM-1 mRNA levels in kidney tissues. The high-dose MCPC could significantly improve pathological injury of renal tissue and related renal indicators in DN rats, and achieve renal protection in DN rats mainly by regulating oxidative stress and inflammatory factors.

Bioactive neolignans and lignans from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国天然药物

Two new neolignans and one new lignan (1-3) were obtained from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora. Their structures were unambiguously elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compound 1 was a racemic mixture and successfully resolved into the anticipated enantiomers via chiral-phase HPLC. Compound 3 demonstrated moderate inhibitory activity against human carboxylesterase 2A1 (hCES2A1) with an IC50 value of 7.28 ± 0.94 μmol·-1.

Mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix Rubra drug pair on intervention of cerebral ischemia based on network pharmacology-molecular docking / 中国中药杂志

Cerebral ischemia is one of the most common diseases in China, and the drug pair of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Paeoniae Radix Rubra can intervene in cerebral ischemia to reduce the inflammatory response of cerebral ischemia and apoptosis. To reveal the intervention mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix Rubra drug pair on cerebral ischemia systematically, computer network pharmacology technology was used in this paper to predict the target and signaling pathway of the drug pair on the intervention of cerebral ischemia, and then the molecular docking technology was used to further analyze the mechanism of the intervention. The target results were then verified by the rat cerebral ischemia model. The target network results showed that the active compounds of Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix Rubra for cerebral ischemic disease contained 30 compounds, 38 targets and 9 pathways. The main compounds included phenolic acids in Chuanxiong Rhizoma and monoterpene glycosides in Paeoniae Radix Rubra. The key targets involved mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1), steroid receptor coactivator(SRC), epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), mitogen-activated protein kinase 14(MAPK14), caspase-3(CASP3), caspase-7(CASP7), estrogen receptor 1(ESR1), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 8(MAPK8), etc. The target gene functions were biased towards protein kinase activity, protein autophosphorylation, peptidyl-serine phosphorylation and protein serine/threonine kinase activity, etc. The important KEGG pathways involved Ras signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway and VEGF signaling pathway. Molecular docking results showed that catechin, oxypaeoniflorin, albiflorin, paeoniflorin and benzoylpaeoniflorin had strong binding ability with MAPK1, SRC, EGFR, MAPK14 and CASP7. MCAO rat experimental results showed that Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix Rubra significantly improved the cerebral ischemia injury and interstitial edema, and significantly reduced the activation of caspase-7 and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. The Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix Rubra drug pair alleviated cerebral ischemia injury through a network model of multi-phenotype intervention by promoting cell proliferation and differentiation, reducing inflammatory factor expression, protecting nerve cells from death and figh-ting against neuronal cell apoptosis, with its action signaling pathway most related to Ras signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway and VEGF signaling pathway. This study provides the basis for clinical intervention of Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix Rubra drug pair on cerebral ischemia, and also provides ideas for the modernization of drug pairs.

Antidepressant mechanism of Shugan Lipi recipe in regulating tryptophan metabolism and its common pharmacodynamic substances / 中国中药杂志

This article is to explore the antidepressant mechanism of Shugan Lipi recipe in regulating tryptophan metabolism,and to find out their common pharmacodynamic substances. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology was used to establish fingerprints of Shugan Lipi recipe,and 124 components were identified. The depressed mouse model was replicated by triple-one multiple stress method. Chaihu Shugan Powder,Sini Powder and Xiaoyao Powder were administered in groups to observe the changes in body weight and behavior of the mice. The results showed that compared with the model group,the body weight,sucrose preference percentage and autonomous activity behavior of each administration group were improved. Among them,the effect of Chaihu Shugan Powder was better than that of Sini Powder and Xiaoyao Powder. LC-MS/MS method was used to determine the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine( 5-HT),kynurenine( KYN) and tryptophan( TPP) in blood,liver,brain,colon and other tissues,as well as TDO enzyme activity in liver. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the protein and gene expression of TDO enzyme,respectively. It was found that the three prescriptions increased the ratio of 5-HT/KYN in different degrees,decreased the ratio of KYN/TRP in liver,colon and brain,and decreased the expression level and activity of TDO enzyme in liver. The order of their ability to regulate tryptophan metabolism was Chaihu Shugan Powder>Sini Powder>Xiaoyao Powder. In addition,the correlation between the chromatographic peaks in the fingerprints of Shugan Lipi recipes and the pharmacodynamic indexes of tryptophan metabolism was analyzed by the grey relation analysis. The grey relation analysis found that the chemical components with the highest correlation with tryptophan metabolism were mainly from Paeoniae Radix Alba,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Aurantii Fructus Immaturus and Aurantii Fructus. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to analyze the migration components in the plasma of mice after administration of Shugan Lipi recipe,and to verify the common pharmacodynamic substances of Shugan Lipi recipe. The migration of these detected components in plasma was studied,and a total of 18 prototype components and 36 metabolites were identified. Therefore,it was believed that Chaihu Shugan Powder,Sini Powder and Xiaoyao Powder could play an antidepressant role by reducing the expression of TDO enzyme in the liver and regulating the metabolism of tryptophan.The components contained in Paeoniae Radix Alba,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Aurantii Fructus Immaturus and Aurantii Fructus were the common pharmacodynamic substances of Shugan Lipi recipe,which played an important role in regulating tryptophan metabolism.

A new phenolic acid ester from solid culture of Colletotrichum capsici, an endophytic fungus from Paeonia lactiflora / 中国中药杂志

A new phenolic acid ester, 4'-hydroxyphenylethyl 4,8(R)-dihydroxyphenylpropionate(1), was isolated from an endophytic fungus Colletotrichum capsici of Paeonia lactiflora roots, along with eight known phenolic derivatives, tyrosol(2), 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl acetate(3), methyl p-hydroxyphenylacetate(4), methyl m-hydroxyphenylacetate(5), 4-(4-hydroxyphene-thoxy)-4-oxobutanoic acid(6), 4-hydroxyphenethyl methyl succinate(7), trichodenol B(8) and 4-hydroxyphenethyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetate(9). Their structures were identified by a combination of high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet(UV) spectroscopy and electronic circular dichroism(ECD) spectroscopy. Compounds 2-9 were isolated from this fungus for the first time.

Anti-anaphylactic potential of benzoylpaeoniflorin through inhibiting HDC and MAPKs from Paeonia lactiflora / 中国天然药物

Guided by cell-based anti-anaphylactic assay, eighteen cage-like monoterpenoid glycosides (1-18) were obtained from the bioactive fraction of P. lactiflora extract. Among these, compounds 1, 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, and 17 significantly reduced the release rate of β-HEX and HIS without or with less cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the most potent inhibitor benzoylpaeoniflorin (5) was selected as the prioritized compound for the study of action of mechanism, and its anti-anaphylactic activity was medicated by dual-inhibiting HDC and MAPK signal pathway. Moreover, molecular docking simulation explained that benzoylpaeoniflorin (5) blocked the conversion of L-histidine to HIS by occupying the HDC active site. Finally, in vivo on PCA using BALB/c mice, benzoylpaeoniflorin (5) suppressed the IgE-mediated PCA reaction in antigen-challenged mice. These findings indicated that cage-like monoterpenoid glycosides, especially benzoylpaeoniflorin (5), mainly contribute to the anti-anaphylactic activity of P. lactiflora by dual-inhibiting HDC and MAPK signal pathway. Therefore, benzoylpaeoniflorin (5) may be considered as a novel drug candidate for the treatment of anaphylactic diseases.

Pharmacological effects of Huangqin Decoction prepared from roots of multi-originated peony on ulcerative colitis in mice:a comparative study / 中国中药杂志

Huangqin Decoction(HQD) is a classic prescription for treating dysentery in the Treatise on Cold Damage and now is mainly used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC). Since there are no requirements on specific Paeonia species, both Paeoniae Radix Alba(white peony root, WPR) and Paeoniae Radix Rubra(red peony root, RPR) are clinically used in HQD now. Although the two types of peony roots are close in origin and similar in primary components, the medicinal properties and efficacies are different. Furthermore, the systematic comparative analysis on the efficacy differences in treating UC of HQD with the roots of multi-originated peony has been seldom reported. This study compared and evaluated the pharmacological effects of HQD prepared from the roots of multi-originated peony, including WPR, RPR-l(derived from P. lactiflora), and RPR-v(derived from P. veitchii) based on the mouse model of UC induced by dextran sodium sulfate(DSS) by animal behaviors, pathological section(colon), and cytokine expression(IL-1β and IL-6), aiming to provide evidence for the identification of the original resource of peony root in HQD. The results indicated that all HQD samples prepared from WPR, RPR-l, and RPR-v could improve the symptoms of UC. Compared with the HQD-WPR, HQD-RPR-l and HQD-RPR-v were significantly different in weight loss, colon length, and disease activity index(DAI) score, but there was no significant difference between HQD-RPR-l and HQD-RPR-v. Moreover, HQD-RPR-v exhibited the most significant improvement in the pathological morphology of colonic tissue and mucosal defects. According to the previous comparative analysis of chemical profiling and content distribution of HQD prepared from the roots of multi-originated peony, RPR-v in HQD was potent in protecting against UC, which was presumedly attributed to a large number of monoterpene glycosides and galloyl glucoses. This study provided a scientific basis for the determination of peony root in HQD and its clinical medication.

Modern research progress of traditional Chinese medicine Paeoniae Radix Alba and prediction of its Q-markers / 中国中药杂志

Paeoniae Radix Alba is the dried root of Paeonia lactiflora, which was first recorded in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and listed as the top grade. It is a common blood-tonifying herb, and its chemical components are mainly monoterpenes and their glycosides, triterpenes, flavonoids and so on. Modern research has demonstrated that Paeoniae Radix Alba has the activities of anti-inflammation, pain easing, liver protection, and anti-oxidation, and thus it is widely used in clinical practice and has broad development prospects. In this paper, the research progress on the chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and quality control of Paeoniae Radix Alba were summarized. On this basis, the Q-markers of Paeoniae Radix Alba were predicted from the aspects of mass transfer and traceability, chemical composition specificity, and availability and measurability of chemical components, which will provide a scientific basis for the quality evaluation of Paeoniae Radix Alba.

Analysis on ingredients and metabolites of Gegen Decoction absorbed into blood based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS / 中国中药杂志

This study analyzed the plasma components of Gegen Decoction(GGD) by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS), which is expected to serve as a reference for exploring the pharmacodynamic substances of GGD. Female Wistar rats were given(ig) GGD and then plasma samples were collected and analyzed by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The results showed that 42 chemical components were identified: 25 prototypes(14 from Puerariae Lobatae Radix, 6 from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, 3 from Paeoniae Radix Alba, and 2 from Ephedrae Herba) and 17 metabolites(from isoflavonoids in Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma). UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS was employed to achieve rapid analysis of plasma components of GGD, laying a basis for elucidating the therapeutic material basis and mechanism of GGD.

Effects and evaluation of different processing and drying methods on components in Paeoniae Radix Alba / 中国中药杂志

The present study evaluates different processing and drying methods and investigates their effects on the chemical components in Paeoniae Radix Alba via content determination. The fresh medicinal materials of Paeoniae Radix Alba collected from Bozhou of Anhui province were processed(boiled and peeled) and dried(hot air-dried, infrared-dried, and microwave-dried) at different temperatures(40, 50, 60 and 70 ℃), and the 11 components(monoterpene glycosides, polyphenols, tannin, and benzoic acid) in Paeoniae Radix Alba were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-TQ-MS). Then the compounds in processed and dried samples were analyzed by partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), and the contribution rates of differential components were evaluated by variable important in projection(VIP). The results indicated that the samples obtained by different processing and drying methods could be distinguished. Albiflorin, gallic acid, 1,2,3,4,6-pentakis-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose, and benzoic acid were the common differential components in boiled Paeoniae Radix Alba. Benzoic acid was the common differential component in peeled Paeoniae Radix Alba. Gallic acid was the common differential component in Paeoniae Radix Alba dried by different methods. The samples could not be distinguished after drying at different temperatures due to the lack of common differential components. This study is expected to provide a reference for the selection of processing and drying methods and the optimization of processing parameters.

Roles of processing and compatibility in antidepression of Sini Powder:a metabonomics study / 中国中药杂志

The antidepressant mechanism of Sini Powder was investigated by metabonomics based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and the roles of processing and compatibility in the antidepression of Sini Powder were discussed in the present study. The chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) model of depression was induced in the model group, the Bupleuri Radix group, the Paeoniae Radix Alba group, the herb-pair group(Bupleuri Radix-Paeoniae Radix Alba), the Sini Powder group, and the vinegar-processed Sini Powder group(Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Radix Alba were vinegar-processed). After the establishment of the model, the rats in each group were continuously administered with corresponding drugs(ig) at a dose of 9.6 g·kg~(-1) for eight days [the rats in the model group and the normal group(without model induction) received the same volume of normal saline at the same time]. Following the last administration, the differential metabolites were identified to analyze metabolic pathways based on the rat plasma samples collected from each group. A total of sixteen potential biomarkers were identified. The metabolites with significant changes were involved in many biological metabolic pathways, such as amino acid metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, glycerol phospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and purine metabolism. After drug intervention, some biomarkers returned to normal levels. Further comparisons of processing and compatibility revealed that the vinegar-processed Sini Powder group had the most total metabolic pathways where differential metabolites were returned to normal. Compared with the individual herbs, the herb-pair significantly improved the recovery of differential metabolites in the pentose phosphate and purine metabolic pathways. Compared with the Sini Powder, the vinegar-processed Sini Powder facilitated the recovery of differential metabolites in the arginine biosynthesis, and pyrimidine and pentose phosphate metabolic pathways. As indicated by the results, Sini Powder may interfere with depression by regulating lipid and nucleotide metabolisms. The processing and compatibility of Chinese herbal medicines can potentiate the intervention on depression by regulating nucleotide, energy, and amino acid metabolisms to a certain extent.

Clinical effect and mechanism of total glucosides of paeony in the adjuvant therapy for children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis: a prospective randomized controlled study / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the clinical effect and mechanism of total glucosides of paeony (TGP) in the adjuvant therapy for children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN).@*METHODS@#Sixty-four HSPN children with moderate proteinuria were divided into a TGP treatment group (@*RESULTS@#Compared with the healthy children before treatment, the children with HSPN had higher proportion of Tfh cells and expression levels of IL-21 and IL-4 (@*CONCLUSIONS@#TGP has a marked clinical effect in the treatment of HSPN and can reduce the inflammatory response of the kidney and exert a protective effect on the kidney by inhibiting the proliferation of Tfh cells and downregulating the expression of IL-21 and IL-4 in plasma.