Research advances on extracellular vesicles-based regulation by traditional Chinese medicines and the relationship with TCM "Qi" / 药学学报

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an important type of active microvesicles. EVs encapsulate and transfer functional substances such as miRNAs, transcription factors and proteins, which are important vectors for cell communication and organ dialogue. In recent years, studies have shown that quite a number of Chinese medicinal herbs have the pharmacological effect of regulating EVs, and play a unique trans-organ and remote role in the treatment of diseases. Some Chinese medicinal herbs also contain plant-derived EVs themselves, which can be directly involved in the treatment of diseases. As one of the core theories of raditional Chinese medicines (TCM), Qi plays a variety of important roles in the physiological and pathological processes of human body and pharmacology. However, the scientific connotation of Qi′s role and the potential material carrier are still unclear. The latest research suggests that the effect of EVs is potentially related to that of Qi. Therefore, this paper reviews the effect of Qi nourishing Chinese medicinal herbs in regulating EVs in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, nervous system diseases, liver diseases, renal diseases, malignant tumors and other diseases in recent years. EVs may play an important role in the pharmacological effect of some Chinese medicinal herbs in the treatment of diseases as an intermediary substance. EVs have the characteristics of long-distance transportation, which is consistent with the movement of Qi in TCM. EVs carry a variety of functional molecules, which is consistent with the function of Qi. As the potential material basis of Qi in TCM, the function of EVs is worth further study.

Textual Research on Tibetan Medicinal Herb Lamiophlomis Herba / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Lamiophlomis Herba， one of the medicinal herbs commonly used by the Tibetan ethnic minority， has the effect of activating blood， stopping bleeding， dispelling wind， and relieving pain and is frequently used to treat trauma， traumatic bleeding， rheumatic arthralgia， and dampness and dampness-heat. By a review of ancient Tibetan medicine classics， materia medica classics， and modern literature， this paper systematically analyzed the name， nature， taste， original plant， medicinal part， harvest， processing， efficacy， and indications of Lamiophlomis Herba. The textual research showed that Lamiophlomis Herba was first recorded in the Somaratsa （《月王药诊》） in the middle of the eighth century. This medicinal herb was mainly recorded with a plain and warm nature and a sweet， bitter， and astringent taste. The herb was recorded as non-toxic in other books except the Tibetan Medicinal Plants in Gannan of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau （《青藏高原甘南藏药植物志》）. In the books of the past dynasties， the aboveground part of Lomiophlomis rotatd was used as medicine. In addition， there were also records of using the whole herbs of Ajuga ovalifolia， A. ovalifolia var. calantha， and Oreosolen wattii as the medicine. In ancient times， the herb was mainly harvested before Frost's Descent in the 8th-9th months of the lunar calendar， while it was mainly harvested during the flowering-fruiting stage in autumn in modern times. Due to the decreased reserve of Lamiophlomis Herba， the medicinal part evolved from whole herb or fresh leaves to the aboveground part. According to the ancient and modern records， this herb mainly has the functions of nourishing bone and marrow， eliminating dampness and dampness-heat， stopping bleeding， and relieving pain. In ancient times， it was used for treating parasitic diseases， menostaxis， spermatorrhea， diarrhea， and nourishing the body. This paper aims to provide a basis for further development and study of Lamiophlomis Herba through the textual research.

Properties of new exotic traditional Chinese medicinal Vernonia amygdalina leaves:a literature research / 中国中药杂志

The leaves of Vernonia amygdalina Delile of the family Asteraceae(also known as "bitter leaf"), rich in biological activities, are used as both medicine and food for a long time in West tropical Africa. They have been introduced into Southeast Asia and Fujian and Guangdong provinces of China in recent years. However, little is known about the properties of the plant in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), which limits its combination with other Chinese medicinal herbs. In this study, 473 articles on V. amygdalina leaves were selected from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data and VIP to summarize their components, pharmacological effects and clinical research. V. amygdalina leaves presented anti-microbial, hypoglycemic, anti-hypertensive, lipid-lowering, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other pharmacological effects. On the basis of the theory of TCM properties, the leaves were inferred to be cold in property and bitter and sweet in flavor, acting on spleen, liver, stomach and large intestine and with the functions of clearing heat, drying dampness, purging fire, removing toxin, killing insects and preventing attack of malaria. They can be used to treat dampness-heat diarrhea, interior heat and diabetes, malaria, insect accumulation and eczema(5-10 g dry leaves by decoction per day and an appropriate amount of crushed fresh leaves applying to the affected area for external use). Due to the lack of TCM properties, V. amygdalina leaves are rarely used medicinally in China. The determination of medicinal properties of the leaves is conducive to the introduction of new exotic medicinal herbs and the development of new TCM resources, which facilitated further clinical application and research and development of Chinese medicinal herbs.

Genome structure and variation of Reynoutria japonica Houtt. chloroplast genome / 生物工程学报

Reynoutria japonica Houtt., belonging to Polygoneae of Polygonaceae, is a Chinese medicinal herb with the functions of draining dampness and relieving jaundice, clearing heat and detoxifying, dispersing blood stasis and relieving pain, and relieving cough and resolving phlegm. In this study, we carried out high-throughput sequencing for the chloroplast genome sequences of five cultivars of R. japonica and analyzed the genome structure and variations. The chloroplast genomes of the five R. japonica cultivars had two sizes (163 376 bp and 163 371 bp) and a typical circular tetrad structure composed of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85 784 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18 616 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (IRa/IRb) which are spaced apart. A total of 161 genes were obtained by annotation, which consisted of 106 protein-coding genes, 10 rRNA-coding genes, and 45 tRNA-coding genes. The total GC content was 36.7%. Specifically, the GC content in the LSC, SSC, and IR regions were 34.8%, 30.7%, and 42.7%, respectively. Comparison of the whole chloroplast genome among the five cultivars showed that trnk-UUU, rpoC1, petD, rpl16, ndhA, and rpl12 in coding regions had sequence variations. In the phylogenetic tree constructed for the 11 samples of Polygoneae, the five cultivars of R. japonica clustered into one clade near the root and was a sister group of Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.).

Large-scale advances in SSR markers with high-throughput sequencing in Euphorbia fischeriana Steud

BACKGROUND: Euphorbia fischeriana Steud is a very important medicinal herb and has significant medical value for healing cancer, edema and tuberculosis in China. The lack of molecular markers for Euphorbia fischeriana Steud is a dominant barrier to genetic research. For the purpose of developing many simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers, we completed transcriptome analysis with the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. RESULTS: Approximately 9.1 million clean reads were acquired and then assembled into approximately 186.3 thousand nonredundant unigenes, 53,146 of which were SSR-containing unigenes. A total of 76,193 SSR loci were identified. Of these SSR loci, 28,491 were detected at the terminal position of ESTs, which made it difficult to design SSR primers for these SSR-containing sequences, and the residual SSRs were thus used to design primer pairs. Analyzing the results of these markers revealed that the mononucleotide motif A/T (44,067, 57.83% of all SSRs) was the most abundant, followed by the dinucleotide type AG/CT (9430, 12.38%). Using 100 randomly selected primer pairs, 77 primers were successfully amplified in Euphorbia fischeriana Steud, and 79 were successfully amplified in three other related species. The markers developed displayed relatively high quality and cross-species transferability. CONCLUSIONS: The large number of EST-SSRs exploited successfully in Euphorbia fischeriana Steud for the first time could provide genetic information for research on linkage maps, variety identification, genetic diversity analysis, and molecular marker-assisted breeding.

Evidence-Based Immunotherapeutic Effects of Herbal Compounds on Humoral Immunity: Ancient and New Approaches / 中国结合医学杂志

The human immune system represents a dynamic multiscale system with high complexity in biology. Humoral immunity, as the main branch of adaptive immunity, is characterized by differentiated stages of the B lymphocytes, producing the final product of antibodies that has a diversity of the tuning mechanisms within genetic and epigenetic levels in confrontation with environmental exposures. Disorders because of disturbed humoral immunity are linked with dysregulation of feedback-regulated signaling and the dynamic of immune components that determine the overall response. Food products, mainly herbal components have a significant role in tailoring the immune system micro-ecosystem which can diversify the adaptive nature of humoral immunity. Herein, we review the current evidence-based approaches for the impact of medicinal herbs on humoral immunity signaling and antibody production with a focus on immunotherapeutic applications.

Chinese Medicine Involving Triple Rehabilitation Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis in 696 Outpatients: A Multi-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the effects of Chinese medicine (CM) involving triple rehabilitation therapy on the progression of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).@*METHODS@#A total of 722 patients recruited from 38 community health service centers located in China from March 2013 to March 2017 were randomly divided into treatment and control groups equally, using a cluster randomization design. Health education combined with CM involving triple rehabilitation therapy for KOA (electro-acupuncture, Chinese medicinal herb fumigating-washing, and traditional exercises) was administered in the treatment group while conventional rehabilitation therapy (physical factor therapy, joint movement training, and muscle strength training) was administered in the control group. Patients with a visual analog scale (VAS) scores ≽4 were treated with dispersible meloxicam tablets (7.5 mg, once daily). The Lequesne index scores, VAS scores, range of motion (ROM), lower limb muscle strength, knee joint circumference, quantitative scores of KOA symptoms, and the short-form 36 item health survey questionnaire (SF-36) scores were measured for each patient at 5 checkpoints (before treatment, at the 2nd week and the 4th week during the 4-week treatment period, at 1 month and 3 months after end of treatment), and adverse reactions were observed also.@*RESULTS@#A total of 696 patients completed the entire process, with 351 in the treatment group and 345 in the control group. At all treatment checkpoints, the treatment group demonstrated better outcomes than the control group with regard to the total Lequesne index scores, effective rate and improvement rate of the total Lequesne index scores, VAS scores, lower limb muscle strength, knee circumference, quantitative scores of KOA symptoms, and SF-36 scores as well (P<0.05 or P<0.01). No adverse reactions were encountered in this study.@*CONCLUSIONS@#CM involving triple rehabilitation therapy can alleviate KOA-related pain and swelling, improve lower limb muscle strength, promote flexion and activity of the knee and improve the quality of life in patients undergoing KOA. It is suitable for patients with early or mid-stage KOA. (Registration No. ChiCTR-TRC-12002538).

Medicinal Herbs Effective Against Atherosclerosis: Classification According to Mechanism of Action

Atherosclerosis is a widespread and chronic progressive arterial disease that has been regarded as one of the major causes of death worldwide. It is caused by the deposition of cholesterol, fats, and other substances in the tunica intima which leads to narrowing of the blood vessels, loss of elasticity, and arterial wall thickening, thus causing difficulty in blood flow. Natural products have been used as one of the most important strategies for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases for a long time. In recent decades, as interests in natural products including medicinal herbs have increased, many studies regarding natural compounds that are effective against atherosclerosis have been conducted. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief over-view of the natural compounds that have been used for the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis, and their mechanisms of action based on recent research.

Quality evaluation of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma decoction / 中国中药杂志

Decoction of single medicinal herb is a reference for the standardization of different dosage forms of Chinese medicine and it provides a new direction for solving the problems existing in the quality of Chinese medicinal granules such as no uniform dosage form and no clear quality standard. In this paper, the quality evaluation method of standard decoction of rhubarb was established to provide reference for the quality control of common dosage forms such as clinical decoction and formula granule. 10 batches of representative Rhei Radix et Rhizoma were collected to establish UPLC fingerprints were established. The chemical structures of main peaks were identified with ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and the main components in the decoction were Anthraquinones. The extraction ratio of the standard decoction was (28.1±3.8)% and the transfer rate was (19.9±6.3)%. The method for the quality evaluation of standard decoction of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma was established in this study, providing reference for the quality control method of terminal products from decoction of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma.

Quality evaluation of medicinal herb decoction--Forsythiae Fructus / 中国中药杂志

To establish the quality control methods for the standard decoction of Forsythiae Fructus. Twelve batches of representative Forsythiae Fructus were collected to prepare standard decoction of Forsythiae Fructus, and then the parameters such as extraction ratio, transfer rate of the index components and pH value of the solution were calculated to evaluate the stability of the process. The simultaneous determination method of target components and fingerprint method were established, and ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to identify the main common peaks in the fingerprint to clarify the main chemical constituents in the decoction. The similarities of the fingerprints of standard decoction of Forsythiae Fructus were more than 0.9. The average extraction ratio of the standard decoction of Forsythiae Fructus was (15.53±6.27)%, and the transfer rate of forsythiaside A was(38.0±10.2)%. The method for evaluating the quality of standard decoction of Forsythiae Fructus was presented, providing reference for the quality control of products stemmed from the water extract of Forsythiae Fructus, with high similarity and uniform quality.

Quality evaluation of decoction of single medicinal herb--a case of Lonicerae Japinicae Flos / 中国中药杂志

Decoction of single medicinal herb is a reference for the standardization of different dosage form of Chinese medicine and it provides a new direction for solving the problems existing in the quality of Chinese medicinal granules such no uniform dosage forms and no clear quality standard. There are few reports on the idea, method and preparation of single herb standard decoction. Our country is in urgent need of that information in order to improve the consistency and stability of traditional Chinese medicine products. Here, Lonicerae Japinicae Flos was selected as an example to elucidate the preparation and quality evaluation of Chinese single herbal medicine decoction. Twelve batches of representative Lonicerae Japinicae Flos were collected, UPLC fingerprints were established, and the chemical structures of main peaks were identified with UPLC-QTOF-MS and standard compounds. The main components in the decoction are organic acids and iridoids. The extract rate of the standard decoction was (34.2±2.9)% and the transfer rate is (78.6±8.4)% in the form of chlorogenic acid, within the range of 75%-125% of mean. This paper established a method for the quality evaluation of standard decoction of Lonicerae Japinicae Flos and provided reference for the quality control method of terminal products from decoction of Lonicerae Japinicae Flos.

In vitro propagation of the Garden Heliotrope, Valeriana officinalis L.: Influence of pre-chilling and light on seed germination.

Valeriana officinalis is an important medicinal herb commonly found in Kashmir valley. This study forms an important preliminary step for in-vitro micro propagation of V. officinalis from breaking the seed dormancy, inducing rapid seed germination and its subsequent micro propagation. We investigated the influence of pretreatment of V. officinalis seeds with reduced temperature and light on seed germination and in-vitro propagation. Culture of explants from cultivated seeds have demonstrated its potential for in vitro propagation and plantlet regeneration. Individual as well as combinations of treatments such as temperature and light availability influenced the germination of seeds variedly. Unchilled seeds of V. officinalis were given dip in GA3 (200 ppm) for 24, 48 and 120 h. Seeds treated with GA3 for 24 h and kept in darkness showed the best results, i.e. 48%. Seeds pretreated with GA3 for 120 h and incubated in dark showed 40% germination. Pre-chilling up to 72 h and kept in light showed maximum germination of 60% followed by 40% kept in darkness. Pre-chilling for 48 h resulted in 40 and 25% seed germination in light and darkness, respectively. GA3 pre-treatment for 72 h and 24 h pre chilling were most effective in inducing seed germination. Maximum shoot response was obtained on MS enriched with BAP (1mg/L) + IAA (0.1mg/L) combinations using shoot tips as explants. Multiple shoot regeneration from shoot apices was recorded on BAP (1mg/L) and BAP (1mg/L) + IAA (0.1mg/L).

Effect of water extract and distillate from the mixture of black goat meat and medicinal herb on osteoblast proliferation and osteoclast formation / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: The effects of water extract and distillate from the mixture of black goat meat and medicinal herb on MG-63 osteoblast proliferation and mouse bone marrow derived osteoclast formation were investigated. METHODS: Proximate composition, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), mineral content, free amino acid composition and free fatty acid composition in black goat meat were determined. Water extract and distillate were prepared with three groups; goat meat only (BG-E, BG-D), six herbs added group (BG-E6, BG-D6), and eight herbs added group (BG-E8, BG-D8). Osteoblast proliferation, mineralization and calcium uptake activity of MG-63 cells were measured and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase activity of osteoclasts was analyzed. RESULTS: Black goat meat had remarkably low fat and high level of calcium. Glutamic acid was the most abundant amino acid. Herbs added extract groups (BG-E6 and BG-E8) showed increased MG-63 cell proliferation in a concentration dependent manner, while all the distillates did not show the effect. All extracts and distillates showed significantly increased osteoblast mineralization depending on the concentration. In particular, herb added extract, BG-E6, increased 170.3% of control and the distillate of BG-D and BG-D6 increased up to 168.5% and 159.8%, respectively. Calcium uptake activities of all water extracts showed remarkable increase of BG-E6 and BG-E8 up to 615.5% and 628.1% of control, respectively. Ditillates had no effect except BG-D6. All water extracts significantly reduced the activity of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in osteoclasts derived from mouse bone marrow. CONCLUSION: Combination of black goat meat and medicinal herb increased the MG-63 cell proliferation and effectively inhibited osteoclast differentiation in both water extracts and distillate of them, which implies that they could be used as potent functional food materials for bone health.

Thoughts on the Construction and Sustainable Development and Utilization of Germplasm Resources of Chinese Medicinal Herbs / 中国中医药信息杂志

This article analyzed the construction, experience and enlightenment of agriculture and forestry germplasm resources and TCM production and marketing bases based on current situation of construction of germplasm resources of Chinese medicinal herbs and market demand for high-quality Chinese medicinal herbs. It proposed that systems should be established first;plans should be improved;work division should be scientific;staple Chinese medicinal herbs demanded by the society should be set as focus;species should be set as basic units. Germplasm resource collection, quality identification and improved variety breeding should be carried out simultaneously, with a purpose to provide references for the construction and exploitation and utilization of TCM germplasm resources.

Analysis on Clinical Adverse Drug Reaction of Tonic Chinese Medicinal Herbs Based on Literature / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To analyze the occurrence of clinical adverse drug reaction (ADR) of tonic Chinese medicinal herbs. Methods Articles about ADR of tonic Chinese medicinal herbs reported from January 1990 to February 2014 were collected from databases of CNKI, VIP, CBM, Pubmed and Embase according to incorporation and exclusion standard. Metrology analysis was also conducted. Results Totally 378 effective articles showed tonic Chinese medicinal herbs most likely to induce ADR were as follows:individual Chinese medicinal herbs including Polygoni Multiflori Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus and Astragali Radix;injection containing Shenmai Injection, Shengmai Injection and Acanthopanax Injection;other herbal preparation covering Polygoni Multiflori tablets. The most common ADR involved the damage on skin tissue, nervous system and digestive system, with prominent relevant clinical symptoms such as itching, skin rash, dizziness, unconsciousness, nausea, vomiting, and liver dysfunction. Conclusion Correct understanding adverse reaction of tonic Chinese medicinal herbs will be conducive to rational drug use and avoiding risk.

A Single Medicine for a Disease: Simple Formula of Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine, It's Compilation and Succession / 의사학

In this study, I am planning to analyze the contents of Simple formula in Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine (TM), and then find out the historical implication of medical science. Simple formula is a prescription that is consisted of a single or three to four kinds of medicines, and this does not follow typical control principles such as 'sovereign, minister, assistant and courier'. While simple formulas are often built after major formulas, TM placed simple formulas to an end of each classified item. It is difficult to find a similar compilation style as that of Simple formula among similar volumes of medical books during the same period of TM. Thus, it can be assumed that TM included simple formulas for special purposes or reasons which are deemed as an important factor in stipulating the features of TM. The tradition of Simple formula, using medicinal herbs which can be easily acquired and trying to make an effect with a small number of herbs, had existed before Goryeo Dynasty. Introduced by Emergency Prescriptions from the Countryside and Samhwaja's Formulary from the Countryside, the tradition of Simple formula is succeeded by Compendium of Prescriptions from the Countryside, and after a while, it is synthetically arranged and recognized through Simple formula of TM. By analyzing simple formulas of TM, I could find out the followings. First, in simple formulas of TM, in which the components are the number of medicinal herbs, the name of prescription, and their application, should be understood as a simply consisted prescription rather than single medicine formulas. Second, simple formulas of TM are 2,001 in total, and are organized in most items. Third, although simple formulas cite a number of formulary, it shows a high degree of dependence to Classified Emergency Materia Medica. This shows that simple formulas that are structured to use medicine according to symptoms based on the effect of each medicinal herb, without understanding or dialectic process of syndrome differentiation. Fourth, while the part of medicinal herbs, Decoction section, focuses on listing the information of each medicinal herb, simple formulas introduce effect, dose, volume and even a mix with other medicinal herbs and an application of them. Therefore, a simple formula evaluates single medicinal herb as a sort of prescription. Fifth, more than half of 33 kinds of medicinal herbs, which are used more than 11 times in simple formulas of TM, are easy to get around the village, and their Korean names of Materia Medica from the Countryside are possible to be seen in Decoction section. However, the fact that Materia Medica from China such as Coptics chinensis and Realgar is included in simple formulas means that they are not limited to Materia Medica from the Countryside, and some of Materia Medica from China were not difficult to be procured in the time of publication of TM. Specific purpose of publishing simple formulas is not written separately. However, through the king's command of King Seonjo (1552-1608) in introduction, the active containing of folk prescriptions, and the emphasis of medicinal herb's volume using simple formulas, it is assumed that the Chosun government at that time tried to provide friendly and practical medical information with simple formulas, to collect and formulate private medical experiences in order to expand their extension of medical information, and to maximize the effect of treatment. The compilation system like TM was highly regarded but was also the target of criticism. In particular, King Jeongjo (1752-1800) criticized the complicatedness of TM and deleted information related to simple formulas through government compilation medical texts such as Explanation of Subtleties for the People's Longevity, New Edition on Universal Relife. However, simple formulas which were not composed of many medicinal herbs could be useful way for treating people who did not have professional medical knowledge and did not have a large range of herbs. In actuality, Secret Works of Universal Benefit, the representative compilation of civil medicinal text which was published after TM included information related to simple formulas, and in Records for rural life of Chosun gentlemen, the framework of simple formulas of TM was maintained and is filled with a vast amount of information. Furthermore, cases of utilizing simple formulas are included in the U-Jam's miscellaneous writings which is a clinical record. In Simple formulas of TM, private medical experiences at the time of Chosun are written first, then recognized by the experts, and finally returned to the public. Although the purpose and the target of these simple formulas publication are not clearly known, it is easy found, does not require any advanced medical knowledge, and above all, the people must have welcomed to the supply of economic simple formulas. Therefore, simple formulas show an aspect of TM, as a medical book for public.

Research on Quality Evaluation Method of Geo-authentic Medicinal Herb Rhizoma Coptidis for the Reflection of Outstanding Feature of TCM / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This study took geo-authentic medicinal material Rhizoma Coptidis as an example and analyzed soil characteristics of the growing environment of Rhizoma Coptidis . The methods of ISSR, HPLC, 1H-NMR and NIR were respectively used for exploring its genotype and investigating on its chemitype . In the respects of an-ti-endotoxin, anti-bacterial activities and insulin resistance that was related to the treatment of diabetes, the pharmacodynamic type was studied and the relationship was comprehensively analyzed . The quality evaluation of geo-authentic medicinal materials was preliminarily established based on ecotype , genotype chemitype and phar-macodynamic type of Rhizoma Coptidis . Simultaneously, quality standards of Rhizoma Coptidis were set up in combination with genuine character , which provided the scientific basis for establishing Chinese medicine char-acteristic methods of quality evaluation of Rhizoma Coptidis .

Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activities of ethanol extracts of selected traditional Chinese medicinal herbs

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate in vitro antimicrobial activities of selected 58 ethno-medicinal plant extracts with a view to assess their therapeutic potential.@*METHODS@#A total of 58 traditional Chinese medicinal plants were carefully selected based on the literature review and their traditional use. The antimicrobial activities of ethanol extracts of these medicinal plants were tested against fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus), yeast (Candida albicans), gram-negative (Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). The activities were tested at three different concentrations of 1.00, 0.10 and 0.01 mg/mL. The data was analysed using Gene data Screener program.@*RESULTS@#The measured antimicrobial activities indicated that out of the 58 plant extracts, 15 extracts showed anti-fungal activity and 23 extracts exhibited anti-bacterial activity. Eight plant extracts have exhibited both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities. For instance, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonum cuspidatum, Poria cocos and Uncaria rhyncophylla showed activity against both bacterial and fungal strains, indicating their broad spectrum of activity.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The results revealed that the ethanol extracts of 30 plants out of the selected 58 possess significant antimicrobial activities. It is interesting to note that the findings from the current study are consistent with the traditional use. A clear correlation has also been found between the antimicrobial activity and the flavonoid content of the plant extracts which is in agreement with the literature. Hence, the results presented here can be used to guide the selection of potential plant species for the isolation and structure elucidation of novel antimicrobial compounds in order to establish the structure-activity relationship. This in turn is expected to lead the way to the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents for therapeutic use.

Effects of medicinal herb water extracts on expression of hepatic glucokinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA

We studied the anti-diabetic effects of medicinal herb water extracts on expression of hepatic glucokinase (GCK), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) mRNA. The medicinal herbs used for experiments were Cornus officinalis (CO), Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (PSA), Discorea japonica Thunb. (DJ), Rehmannia glutinosa (RG), Lycium chinense (LC), and Pyrus pyrifolia (PP). For GCK mRNA expression, CO, RG, and LC water extracts exhibited a more effective activity than other extracts. Cells treated with RG and LC water extracts showed an increase in expression of PDH mRNA to 191% and 124%, respectively, compared to control. Expression of ACC mRNA was significantly higher in LC water extract. These data indicate that CO, RG, and LC water extracts stimulates expression of hepatic GCK, PDH, and ACC mRNA.

Phytochemistry, traditional uses and cancer chemopreventive activity of Amla (Phyllanthus emblica): The Sustainer.

Ayurveda, which is the oldest health system in the world, appreciates and uses amla to treat a host of diseases and promote positive health. Amla [Emblica officinalis, or emblic myrobalan], is called amalaki in Sanskrit. It is extensively used as a rejuvenator in ayurveda. It is also used widely in combination with other two [chebulic and belleric] myrobalans [fruit-bearing plant species] as triphala. Amla is indeed, the key ingredient in the popular ayurvedic recipe, Chyavanaprasha. More than anything, it may be called as "King of Rasayana" [rejuvenation], owing to its multiple health benefits. Phyllanthus emblica or Indian gooseberry (Amla) possesses a vastethnomedical history and represents a phytochemical reservoir of heuristic medicinal value. It is one of the oldest oriental medicines mentioned in Ayurveda as potential remedy for various ailments. The fruit is rich in quercetin, phyllaemblic compounds, gallic acid, tannins, flavonoids, pectin and vitamin C and also contains various polyphenolic compounds. A wide range of phytochemical components including terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins have been shown to posses’ useful biological activities. Many pharmacological studies have demonstrated the ability of the fruit shows antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antitumour, antigenotoxic, antiinflammatory activities, supporting its traditional uses. In this review, we have focused our interest on phytochemistry, traditional uses, cancer chemopreventive activity of Phyllanthus emblica both in vivo and in vitro. In view of its reported pharmacological properties and relative safety, P. emblica could be a source of therapeutically useful products.