Comprehensive Evaluation and Application of Experimental Sources of Variation in Gut Microbiome Sequencing Studies / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Gut microbiome sequencing studies have great potential to translate microbial analysis outcomes into human health research. Sequencing strategies of 16S amplicon and whole-metagenome shotgun (WMS) are two main methods in microbiome research with respective advantages. However, how sample heterogeneity, sequencers and library preparation protocols affect the sequencing reproducibility of gut microbiome needs further investigation. This study aims to provide a reference for the selection of sequencing technologies by comparing differences in microbial composition from different sampling sites. The results of three widely adopted sequencers showed that the technical repetition correlation (r= 0. 94) was high in WMS method, while the biological repetition correlation (r = 0. 69) was low. Bray-Curtis distance identified that dissimilarity from biological replicates was larger than that of technical replicates (P<0. 001). In addition, dissimilarity and specific taxonomic profiles were observed between 16S and WMS datasets. Our results imply that homogenization is a necessary step before sample DNA extraction. The sequencers contributed less to taxonomic variation than the library preparation protocols. We developed an empirical Bayes approach that " borrowed information" in calculations and analyzed batch effect parameters using standardized data and prior distributions of (non-) parameters, which may improve population comparability between 16S and WMS and provide a basis for further application to fusion analysis of published 16S and microbial datasets.

Status of Polygonati Rhizome industry and suggestion for its sustainable development / 中国中药杂志

Field surveys and literatures show that Polygonati Rhizome (Huangjing) was firstly recorded in Shen Nong&s Herbal Classic, and widely used as a medicinal and edible plant. It has a long history of cultivation, and the researches on chemistry have made some progress. The future development is prospected on health market. But the Polygonati Rhizome industry has faced a lot of problems, including the resource depletion, unstable quality, low-tech in cultivation and germplasm confusion, unclear of functional composition, decentralized, small scaled and primary processing products. The suggestion for sustainable development are listed below. First, the relevant researches should focused on material basis and biological mechanism of core effects. To speed up the selection and breeding of improved varieties, ensure the supply of high-quality seedlings and eliminate the unauthentic species are the most important measures. Secondly, to strengthen the conservation and rational use of wild resources, break through the key technologies of high-quality artificial cultivation on light regulation, site control, density control and precision harvesting are also very important. Thirdly, to reveal the toxicity-reducing-and-efficacy-enhancing mechanism of processing, optimize the parameters and setup the standard operating procedure are indispensable. Fourthly, that full advantage of the root, leaf, flower and fruit resources should be strengthened for enlarged health products based on the development of exact functional factors. Above all, Polygonati Rhizome could be a growing market in the future driven by the technological innovation, cultural creativity, integration of three industries, brand strategy and internet+technique.

Effects of storage time on magnolol and honokiol contents in bark of Magnolia officinalis / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To reveal the relationship between the storage time of the bark of Magnolia officinalis and the content of phenols in it, and lay a theoretical foundation for the harvest, processing, management and storage.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The contents of magnolol and honokoiol in 15 bark samples, collected from the main producing areas in China, were determined in the time of freshly harvest and 3 and 10 years after respectively by HPLC method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>It showed that within a certain period of time, bark storage was favorable to conversion and accumulation of phenols, that the content of magnolol tended to increase from year 0 to year 3, then followed by slight decrease with years on account of volatilization of phenols, but was still higher when the bark was stored for 10 years than that that when the bark was freshly harvested, and the content of honokoiol still tended to increase when the bark had been stored for 10 years.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The phenols in bark of M. officinalis is quite stable and the bark can be stored for 10 years or longer.</p>

Observation on effect of pifubing xuedu pill combined with diyin tablet in treatment of psoriasis / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effect of Pifubing Xuedu Pill (PXDP) combined with Diyin Tablet (DYT) in treating patients with psoriasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients were divided into 2 groups by randomized controlled method. DYT was orally taken by all patients, while XDP was given additionally to patients in the treated group, the medication was continued for 1 month. The therapeutic effect, toxic and adverse reaction were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the treated group, 7 patients were cured, 11 basically cured, 4 markedly effective, 7 improved, and 1 ineffective, with the clinical cured rate of 60.0% and the total effective rate 73.3%. In the control group, 3 were cured, 4 basically cured, 9 markedly effective, 10 improved, and 4 ineffective, with the clinical cured rate of 23.3% and the total effective rate 53.3%. No significant difference was shown in comparison of the total effective rate between the two groups (chi2 = 0.27, P > 0.05), however, significant difference was shown in comparison of the clinical cured rate (chi2 = 6.48, P < 0.05) between them. The toxic and adverse reaction in the treated group was obviously lower than those in the control group (t = 5.27, P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DYT combined with PXDP in treating psoriasis shows better therapeutic effect, with quicker initiation, lesser toxic and adverse reaction, and higher efficacy than using DYT alone.</p>