Mechanism of action of Coptis chinensis in the treatment of dental caries based on network pharmacology and experimental validation / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective:To explore the mechanism of action of Coptis chinensis in the treatment of dental caries using a network pharmacology approach and animal experiments. Methods:The active ingredients of C. chinensis and their targets were screened by the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database and analysis platform, and the targets were searched online through the GeneCards database. The intersecting targets of C. chinensis and dental caries were screened at Venny 2.1, and the intersection targets were analyzed online for protein-protein interaction analysis and gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomics (KEGG) enrichment. Then, Cytoscape was used to create a "component-target-pathway" network diagram. Rats were randomly divided into the model group and the C. chinensis group to establish a rat model of dental caries. Rats in the model group were repeatedly rubbed with a cotton ball soaked in 150 μl of 0.9% NaCl solution for 5 min, and rats in the C. chinensis group were repeatedly rubbed with a cotton ball soaked in C. chinensis (5.8 mg of C. chinensis in 150 μl of 0.9% NaCl solution) for 5 min. The two groups of rats were treated once a week for four consecutive weeks. The number of Streptococcus mutans colonies was counted, and serum serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (AKT1), JUN, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) were detected by enzyme immunoassay. Results:A total of 11 active ingredients in C. chinensis were found, which regulate multiple molecular pathways by intervening in 54 targets, thereby treating dental caries. Quercetin, berberine, flavodoxin, berberine infusion, and tetrahydroberberine were the core components, and AKT1, JUN, IL-6, TNF, and Bcl-2 were the core targets. GO analysis showed that BP mainly included cytokine activity, signaling receptor activator activity, signaling receptor modulator activity, cytokine receptor binding, and receptor ligand activity, etc.; and CC mainly included the response to lipopolysaccharides, the response to bacterial molecules, cellular responses to lipids, inflammatory responses, and negative regulation of cell population proliferation; MF mainly includes membrane rafts, membrane microregions, extracellular matrix, external encapsulated structures, and plasma membrane protein complexes, etc. KEGG analysis showed that advanced glycosylation end product-receptor for advanced glycosylation end products (AGE-RAGE), TNF, IL-17, Toll-like receptor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathways have been associated with C. chinensis treatment. The results of animal experiments showed that serum Bcl-2 protein expression increased and serum AKT1, JUN, IL-6, TNF, and other proteins decreased after the C. chinensis treatment. Conclusions:C. chinensis can be involved in regulating the targets of dental caries through multiple pathways, with good therapeutic effects and a wide range of mechanisms of action, and is expected to be an important component in the development of proprietary Chinese medicines for the treatment of dental caries.

Effect of moxibustion on plaque psoriasis complicated with obesity / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical efficacy of moxibustion combined with coptis chinensis ointment sealing on plaque psoriasis complicated with obesity.@*METHODS@#A total of 52 patients of plaque psoriasis complicated with obesity were randomized into an observation group (26 cases) and a control group (26 cases, 2 cases dropped off). Coptis chinensis ointment sealing was adopted in the control group. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, moxibustion was applied at ashi point (area of local target lesions), Zhongwan (CV 12) and bilateral Zusanli (ST 36), Fenglong (ST 40), Quchi (LI 11), Tianshu (ST 25), Shangjuxu (ST 37) in the observation group. The treatment was given 30 min each time, once a day for 4 weeks in both groups. The psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score, obesity related indexes (body mass, waist circumference, body mass index [BMI]), triglyceride, cholesterol, uric acid and plasma glucose were compared before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the PASI scores were decreased compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), and the PASI score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05); the body mass, waist circumference, BMI, triglyceride, cholesterol, uric acid and plasma glucose were decreased compared with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.01, P<0.05), the triglyceride and cholesterol in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 53.8% (14/26) in the observation group, which was superior to 20.8% (5/24) in the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion combined with coptis chinensis ointment sealing can effectively improve the clinical symptoms in patients of plaque psoriasis complicated with obesity.

Discovery, isolation and structural identification of alkaloid glycosides in six traditional Chinese medicine such as Coptis chinensis / 中国中药杂志

Alkaloids are important active ingredients occurring in many traditional Chinese medicines, and alkaloid glycosides are one of their existence forms. The introduction of saccharide units improves the water solubility of alkaloid glycosides thus presenting better biological activity.Because of the low content in plants, alkaloid glycosides have been not comprehensively studied. In this study, ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) was employed to identify and analyze the alkaloid glycosides in Coptis chinensis, Phellodendron chinense, Menispermum dauricum, Sinomenium acutum, Tinospora sagittata and Stephania tetrandra. The results showed that except Tinospora sagittata, the other five herbal medicines contained alkaloid glycosides. Furthermore, the alkaloid glycosides in each herbal medicine were identified based on UV absorption spectra, quasimolecular ion peaks in MS, fragment ions information in the MS/MS, and previous literature reports. A total of 42 alkaloid glycosides were identified. More alkaloid glycosides were identified in C. chinensis and Menispermum dauricum, and eleven in C. chinensis were potential new compounds. Furthermore, the alkaloid glycosides in the water extract of C. chinensis were coarsely se-parated by macroporous adsorption resin, purified by column chromatography with D151 cation exchange resin, ODS and MCI, combined with semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography. Two new alkaloid glycosides were obtained, and their structures were identified by mass spectrometry and NMR data as(S)-7-hydroxy-1-(p-hydroxybenzyl)-2,2-N,N-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and(S)-N-methyltetrahydropalmatubine-9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, respectively. This study is of great significance for enriching the information about the chemical composition and the in-depth development of C. chinensis. Meanwhile, it can provide a reference for rapid identification and isolation of alkaloid glycosides from other Chinese herbal medicines.

Study on pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of Qinglian ningxin capsule in ischemic arrhythmia model rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study th e pharmacodynamics and pha rmacokinetics of Qinglian ningxin capsule in rats with ischemic arrhythmia. METHODS Totally 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group ，model control group ， Qinglian ningxin capsule group （4.00 g/kg），Artemisia annua group（1.43 g/kg），Coptis chinensis group（0.42 g/kg），with 6 rats in each group. Administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically ；model control group and blank control group were given normal saline intragastrically ，once a day ，for consecutive 7 days. After last medication ，except for blank control group，other groups were given Posterior pituitary injection via tail vein （1 u/kg） to induce ischemic arrhythmia model. electrocardiogram changes of rats in each group were recorded. Another 36 rats were randomly divided into Qinglian ningxin capsule model group and Qinglian ningxin capsule control group （4.00 g/kg），A. annua model group and A. annua control group （1.43 g/kg），C. chinensis model group and C. chinensis control group （0.42 g/kg）. After the rats in each model group were injected with Posterior pituitary injection （1 u/kg）via tail vein ，administration groups were given relevant drugs intragastrically ， and control groups were given constant volume of normal saline intragastrically. Blood was taken from the orbit at different time points（0，0.25，0.75，1，2，4，6，8，12 and 24 h）. The concentrations of berberine hydrochloride and artemisinin in plasma were determined by HPLC ，and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by WinNonlin 7.0 software. RESULTS Compared with the model control groups ，Qinglian ningxin capsule could significantly improve the heart rate slowing of rats and redu ced the prolongation of PR interval and QT interval significantly ，and the effects were generally better than those of A. annua group and C. chinensis group（P＜0.05）. Compared with A. annua control group and C. chinensis control group ，cmax，AUC0－t and AUC 0－∞ of berberine hydrochloride and artemisinin were increased significantly in Qinglian ningxin capsule control group，while CL was decreased significantly ；t1/2z of artemisinin was prolonged significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with Qinglian ningxin capsule control group ，cmax（except artemisinin ），AUC0－t，AUC0－∞，MRT0－t and MRT 0－∞（except artemisinin ）of berberine hydrochloride and artemisinin were increased significantly in Qinglian ningxin capsule model group ，while CL was decreased significantly（P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Qinglian ningxin capsule could significantly improve ischemic arrhythmia better than A. annua and C. chinensis ，and can improve the absorption of berberine hydrochloride and artemisinin in model rats and slow down their elimination.

Secondary metabolites of endophyte fungi Xylaria sp. from Coptis chinensis / 中国中药杂志

Two new polyketides, lasobutone A(1) and lasobutone B(2), along with three known compounds, guignardianone C(3), guignardic acid(4), and 4-hydroxy-17R-methylincisterol(5), were isolated from the endophytic fungi Xylaria sp. by silica gel, MCI, and preparative HPLC, which was separated from the Chinese medicinal material Coptis chinensis and cultivated through solid fermentation with rice. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, such as MS, NMR, IR, UV, and ECD. Compounds 2 and 4 showed inhibitory activities against the nitric oxide(NO) production in the LPS-induced macrophage RAW264.7 with IC_(50) values of 58.7 and 42.5 μmol·L~(-1) respectively, while compound 5 exhibited cytotoxic activities against HT-29 with IC_(50) value of 14.3 μmol·L~(-1).

Comparison of chemical components between aerial and underground parts of Coptis chinensis based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E technology / 中国中药杂志

The ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E) technology was employed to compare the chemical components between the aerial and underground parts of Coptis chinensis samples from different batches. According to the retention time, molecular ion peak, and LC-MS~E fragment information of the reference substances and available literature, we identified a total of 40 components. Thirty-three and 31 compounds were respectively identified in the underground part(taproots) and the aerial part(stems and leaves) of C. chinensis. Among them, 24 compounds, including alkaloids(e.g., berberine and jatrorrhizine) and phenolic acids(e.g., chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and tanshinol), were common in the two parts. In addition, differential components were also identified, such as magnoline glucoside in the underground part and(±) lariciresionol-4-β-D-glucopyranoside in the aerial part. The analysis of fragmentation pathways based on spectra of reference substances indicated the differences among samples of different batches. Furthermore, we performed the principal component analysis(PCA) for the peak areas of C. chinensis in different batches. The results showed that the underground part and the aerial part were clearly clustered into two groups, indicating that the chemical components contained in the two parts were different. Furthermore, the results of partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) identified 31 differential compounds(VIP value>1) between the underground part and the aerial part, mainly including alkaloids, phenolic acids, lignans, and flavonoids. This study proves that C. chinensis possesses great development potential with multiple available compounds in stems and leaves. Moreover, it sheds light on for the development and utilization of non-medicinal organs of C. chinensis and other Chinese medicinal herbs.

A new polyketide of endophytic fungi Aspergillus sp. ZJ-58 from Coptis chinensis / 中国中药杂志

A new polyketide, coptaspin A(1), along with two known compounds 4-acetyl-3,4-dihydro-6,8-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-5-methylisocoumarin(2), and cytochalasin Z_(12)(3), was isolated from the endophytic fungi Aspergillus sp. ZJ-58, which was isolated from the genuine medicinal plant Coptis chinensis in Chongqing after solid-state fermentation on rice and silica gel, MCI, and HPLC-based separation. Their structures were elucidated by MS, NMR, IR, UV, and ECD. The newly isolated compound 1 showed moderate inhibitory activities against LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 macrophages with the IC_(50) value of 58.7 μmol·L~(-1), suggesting its potential anti-inflammatory activity.

Optimization ratio between Coptis chinensis and cinnamo of Jiaotai pill plus benzodiazepines for insomnia in China:a network meta-analysis / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To explore the efficacy of Jiaotai pill (JTW) and JTW modified prescriptions (JTW+) plus benzodiazepines (BDZ) for insomnia in China by systematic review and network meta-analysis, especially optimization ratio (m:n) between Coptis chinensis and Cinnamo. METHODS Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding JTW and JTW++BDZ for insomina were comprehensively searched in CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and PubMed, Cochrane Library, OVID, Embase databases from their inception to December 2017. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane collab?oration's tool and Jadad scale. Systematic review and network meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the relative risk (RR) plus 95％confidence interval (95％CI) or prediction interval (95％PrI), and draw surface under the cumulative rank?ing curves (SUCRA) by Stata 14.0 and RevMan 5.0 software. RESULTS A total of 13 RCTs (1 RCT was omitted by sen?sitivity analysis) with 1040 patients were included. Overall heterogeneity was acceptable, except publication bias. Based on classical meta-analysis, JTW and JTWm:n++BDZ, such as JTW2:1++BDZ, JTW5:1++BDZ, JTW6:1++BDZ, JTW10:1++BDZ, had more efficacy than BDZ. Based on network meta-analysis, JTW and JTWm:n++BDZ, such as JTW2:1++BDZ, JTW6:1++BDZ, JTW10:1++BDZ, had more efficacy than BDZ; meanwhile, SUCRA showed the best rank of JTW/JTW+ (BDZ<JTWm:n++BDZ<JTW) for insomina, as same as that of JTWm:n+(BDZ<JTW5:1++BDZ<JTW10:1++BDZ<JTW2:1++BDZ<JTW6:1++BDZ). CONCLUSION Based on the existing clinical evidence, JTW has efficacy for insomnia, but the optimization ratio between Coptis chinensis and cinnamo of JTWm:n++BDZ for insomnia needs more supports.

Analysis on Material Basis and Mechanism Difference of Antibacterial Effect of Coptis chinensis and Its Flower Stalk Based on Secondary Metabolites and Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the difference in antibacterial mechanism between <italic>Coptis chinensis</italic> and<italic> </italic>its<italic> </italic>flower stalk based on secondary metabolites and network pharmacology. Method:Based on the ultraperformance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry（UPLC-MS/MS） detection platform，the secondary metabolites database of <italic>C. chinensis</italic> and its flower stalk（MWDB） was built. The common database of metabolites information and the multivariate statistical analysis were used to study the differences of secondary metabolites between <italic>C. chinensis</italic> and its flower stalk and screen out 18 metabolites of<italic> </italic>the<italic> </italic>flower stalk and 11 metabolites of <italic>C. chinensis</italic> with a high content. BATMAN-TCM database was used to obtain the targets of component action，and their corresponding genes were inquired in the UniProt database. GeneCards was retrieved for antimicrobial genes，and the intersection genes of components and antimicrobials were obtained on Venny platform. Through DAVID gene ontology（GO） enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes（KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis，the mechanism of its action was predicted，and the results were visualized through histogram and advanced bubble diagram drawn by GraphPad Prism software and OmicShare database. The protein-protein interaction（PPI） network was constructed by STRING， database and the component-target-pathway network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.7.2 software. The antibacterial differences were compared based on the results of network pharmacology analysis. Result:Through network pharmacology，the antibacterial active components of <italic>C. chinensis</italic> were 5 fewer than that of the flower stalk，55 more antibacterial targets than that of the flower stalk； quercetin and berberine were predicted to be the common components of the antagonistic action of <italic>C. chinensis </italic>and the flower stalk. Key genes involved in antimicrobial action were p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase 14（MAPK14），catalase（CAT）； malaria and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway were different key pathways involved in antimicrobial activity. Conclusion:<italic>C. chinensis </italic>and the flower stalk mainly exert the antibacterial effect in a multi-target and multi-pathway manner，which can offer new ideas and clues for the study of antibacterial mechanism of<italic> C. chinensis</italic> and the flower stalk，and provide a new development direction for the comprehensive development and rational application of the flower stalk resources.

Identification of Chemical Constituents in Coptis chinensis Inflorescence by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS） was developed to analyze and identify the chemical constituents in <italic>Coptis chinensis</italic> inflorescence. Method:The chromatographic separation was performed on ACQUITY UPLC BEH C₁₈ column （2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 μm） with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution （A）-acetonitrile （B） for gradient elution （0-15 min， 10%-22%B； 15-20 min， 22%B； 20-25 min， 22%-44%B； 25-35 min， 44%-50%B； 35-40 min， 50%-60%B； 40-55 min， 60%-85%B）， the flow rate was 0.15 mL·min^-1， the injection volume was 3 μL and the column temperature was 30 ℃. HRMS was equipped with electrospray ionization （ESI） and scanned in positive and negative ion modes by means of full scan/data dependent secondary scan （Full MS/dd-MS²）. Compound Discoverer 3.0 software combined with mzCloud， mzVault， ChemSpider databases and HRMS database of components in traditional Chinese medicine were used to analyze and identify the collected data by HRMS， based on accurate relative molecular mass， retention time and characteristic ion fragmentation of the compounds， as well as literature information and relevant reference materials. Result:A total of 51 chemical constituents were identified in <italic>C</italic>.<italic> chinensis</italic> inflorescence， including 16 alkaloids， 14 flavonoids， 7 phenylpropanoids， 7 organic acids and 7 others. Among them， 10 components ［berberine， palmatine， coptidine， rutin， quercetin， isoquercitrin， chlorogenic acid， cryptochlorogenic acid，<italic> D</italic>-（-） quinic acid and <italic>D</italic>-proline］ were unambiguously identified by comparing with reference standards. Conclusion:The established UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS can be used to accurately analyze and identify chemical constituents of <italic>C. chinensis</italic> inflorescence. A total of 41 chemical constituents are reported from <italic>C. chinensis</italic> inflorescence for the first time and 6 alkaloids are found from the <italic>C. chinensis</italic> for the first time. These findings can provide methodological reference and experimental basis for the basic research of quality evaluation and efficacy materials of <italic>C. chinensis</italic> inflorescence， and lay a foundation for its further development and utilization.

Molecular identification and alkaloids content of endangered Chinese medicinal plant Coptis chinensis var. brevisepala / 中国中药杂志

According to the records of Chinese materia medica,Coptis chinensis var. brevisepala is an authentic Chinese medicinal plant highly recommended by ancient physicians since its rhizome is like a string of beads and has a good medicinal value. However,its medicinal components and values remain to be studied as it is endangered because of overexploitation. Therefore,this study aims to quantitatively determine its effective components based on UPLC-QTOF-MS,and to compare the contents of isoquinoline alkaloids in C.chinensis var. brevisepala with those in other Coptis species. Meanwhile,molecular methods accurately identified 12 batches of C. chinensis var. brevisepala,9 batches of C. chinensis,4 batches of C. deltoidea,and 1 batch of C. teeta. Gradient elution was performed with Waters CORTECS C18 column( 4. 6 mm× 150 mm,2. 7 μm) and the mobile phase acetonitrile-water with 0. 4% formic acid. Mass spectrometry was conducted in ESI positive mode. The quantitative results showed that 8 main alkaloids had a good linear relationship within the concentration range( R~2>0. 996),with the recovery rate of 95. 18%-105. 0% and the RSD of 0. 28%-3. 7%. Compared with that of other Coptis species,the rhizome of C. chinensis var. brevisepala had the highest contents of berberine and columbamine. The total content of the 8 alkaloids in C. chinensis var. brevisepala was similar to that in C. chinensis but higher than that of the other two species. PCA was performed to compare the alkaloids among the 4 species. Besides,the 8 alkaloids were evaluated in different parts of C. chinensis var. brevisepala. The results indicate that this method is reliable and efficient and can provide a reference for the quality research.

Establishment of HPLC Fingerprint of Coptis chinensis Inflorescence and Its Spectrum-effect Relationship with Antioxidant and Antibacterial Effects / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To establish HPLC fingerprint of Coptis chinensis inflorescence，and study its spectrum-effect relationship with antioxidant and antibacterial effects. METHODS ：Taking 14 batches of C. chinensis inflorescence from different producing areas as the object ，HPLC method was adopted. The determination was performed on Supersil C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile- 0.1％ phosphoric acid solution（gradient elution ）at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 25 ℃. The detection wavelength was set at 329 nm，and sample size was 10 μL. The fingerprints of 14 batches of C. chinensis inflorescence were established by Similarity Evaluation System of TCM Fingerprint （2012 A edition ），and the similarity evaluation and common peak identification were carried out. Taking DPPH free radical scavenging rate and hydroxyl radical scavenging rate as antioxidant effects index ，relative antibacterial activity （Escherichia coli ）as antibacterial effect index ， SPSS 21.0 software was adopted to analyze the Pearson correlation between common peaks of C. chinensis inflorescence and above efficacy indexes ；their spectrum-effect relationship was established and validated. RESULTS ：A total of 7 common peaks were obtained in HPLC fingerprint of C. chinensis inflorescence，and the similarity was no less than 0.916. No. 5 peak was identified as berberine hydrochloride. Seven common peaks were positively correlated with DPPH free radical scavenging rate ；No. 1-3，4，6，7 peaks were positively correlated with hydroxyl radical scavenging rate ，while No. 5 peak was negatively correlated with hydroxyl radical scavenging rate. There was a positive correlation between No. 5 peak and antibacterial activity in vitro . After validation ， relative error between the predicted values and the measured values of DPPH free radical scavenging rate ，hydroxyl radical scavenging rate and relative antibacterial activity was 0.92％- 14.5％ . CONLUSIONS ：The established spectrum-effect relationship model can be used to evaluate antioxidant andantibacterial effects of C. chinensis inflorescence. The chemical components represented by No. 1，2，3，4，6，7 peaks are the material basis of antioxidant effect of C. chinensis inflorescence， and berberine hydrochloride is the material basis of antibacterial effect.

Progress in studies and control strategies for diseases of Coptis chinensis / 中国中药杂志

Coptis chinensis is one of bulk traditional herbal medicines in China. In recent years, the occurrence of various diseases has caused great yield loss and quality reduction of C. chinensis, which has become an important threat of herbal medicine industry. Here we reviewed the symptoms, pathogens, epidemiology and control methods of 6 common diseases of C. chinensis including root rot, southern blight, violet root rot, leaf spot, powdery mildew, and anthracnose. This review aims at providing guidance for the disease diagnostic, pathogen identification, and control strategies of the diseases on C. chinensis, and facilitate the growth of traditional medicine industry.

Variation in physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure in rhizosphere soil of Coptis chinensis tow cropping modes / 中国中药杂志

The natural forest and artificial shed are the main cropping modes of Coptis chinensis. This study is aimed to reveal the rhizosphere soil bacterial community structure difference between under tow C. chinensis cropping modes-natural forest and artificial shed, and to assist us to completely understand soil quality condition,and provide theoretical guidance for soil improvement and C. chinensis planting. The rhizosphere soil samples of 1-5-year-old C. chinensis under tow cropping modes-natural forest and artificial shed were collected. Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the alpha diversity, community composition, community structure of soil bacteria under the tow cropping modes,and the effects of soil nutriment indices on soil bacterial community structure. Through the analysis of species number, Shannon, Chao1 index and ACE index of bacterial community, it was found that the bacterial diversity of 1-year-old C. chinensis soil under natural forest cropping mode was significantly lower than that under artificial shed cropping mode, and the diversity of bacterial communities in soil of 2-5-years old C. chinensis were not significant different between two cropping modes. A total of 53 phyla,60 classes,140 orders and 266 families were detected in the rhizosphere soil of C. chinensis under the cropping modes of natural forest, respectively. The rhizosphere soil of C. chinensis under the cropping modes of artificial shed included 54 phyla,65 classes,140 orders and 264 families, respectively. Under the two cropping modes, the top 10 dominant species of bacterial community abundance are the same, they are Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria,Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, Verrucomicrobia, Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes and Cyanobacteria, but there are differences in the abundance sequence. The top 10 dominant species of bacterial community abundance accounted for 74.36% to 74.30% of the total bacteria, and 3.15% to 3.92% of the bacteria are unclassified. The results of Metastat analysis showed that the abundance of Gemmatimonadetes in the rhizosphere soil of C. chinensis under the cropping modes the artificial shed was significantly higher than that under the natural forest cropping mode(P<0.05). MRPP analysis of community structure differences showed that under tow cropping modes, there were significant differences in the bacterial community structure of 1-4-year-old soil bacteria, among which the difference between 1-year-old soil samples was the largest. With the increase of cropping years, the difference gradually decreases, and there is no significant difference in the bacterial community structure between 5-year-old soil samples. RDA analysis and correlation analysis of bacterial community structure and soil physical and chemical properties showed that the order of environmental factors on the rhizosphere soil bacteria of Coptis chinensis was: pH>available P> total P> total K>bulk density>total N>available N>organic matter. The results are helpful to understand the soil health of C. chinensis and provide scientific basis and theoretical guidance for soil improvement and C. chinensis planting.

Quality Evaluation of Inflorescence of Coptis chinensis with Different Altitude ，Growth Years and Drying Pro- cessing Methods Based on Comprehensive Score and Cluster Analysis / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To evaluate the quality of inflorescence of Coptis chinensis from different altitude with different growth years and drying processing methods ，and to provide reference for its utilization and quality control. METHODS ：The contents of total flavonoids and berberine hydrochloride in 24 batches of inflorescence of C. chinensis （S1-S24）from different altitude with different growth years and drying processing methods were determined by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC. Using the contents of total flavonoids and berberine hydrochloride as indexes ，and taking the short drying time as the best ，the weight ratios of total flavonoids content ，berberine hydrochloride content and standardized value of drying time were 30，40 and 30，respectively；comprehensive score was calculated ，then the quality of 24 batches of samples was evaluated. Using the contents of total flavonoids and berberine hydrochloride as variables ，systematic cluster analysis was performed for 24 batches of samples by using SPSS 19.0 statistical software. RESULTS ：For inflorescence of C. chinensis with altitude about 1 200 m and the growing years of 4 years and above ，the higher the comprehensive score （84-94 score）and the better the quality were. The comprehensive score of inflorescence of C. chinensis procesed by gradient drying method was generally higher than samples processed by other methods. Results of cluster analysis showed that S 1-S4，S9，S10，S13-S18 were clustered into one category ，and other 12 batches were clustered into one category ， which were basically consistent with the results of comprehensive scoring method. CONCLUSIONS：Different altitude ，different growth years and different drying processing methods have certain effects on the quality of inflorescence of C. chinensis ，among which the samples processed by gradient drying method with growth altitude of 1 200 m，growth years of 4 years and above are the best.

Application of Bioaccessibility in Health Risk Assessment of Cd in Traditional Chinese Medicines / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and apply the bioaccessibility of Cd in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) to human health risk assessment, and provide reference for the formulation of limit standards. METHODS: The contents of Cd in Coptis chinensis Franch., Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Lindera aggregate (Sims) Kosterm., and Curcuma kwangsiensis S.G. Lee et C.F. Liang were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The bioaccessibility of Cd in TCMs was investigated by in vitro physiologically based extraction test(PBET) digestion method. And the target hazard quotient (THQ) was applied to assess the health risks of Cd contents. RESULTS: The bioaccessibility of Cd for Coptis chinensis Franch., Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Lindera aggregate (Sims) Kosterm., and Curcuma kwangsiensis S.G. Lee et C.F. Liang was 49.0%, 40.0%, 44.9% and 65.7%, respectively. The results of risk assessment showed that before extraction, THQ values of Cd for Coptis chinensis Franch., Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Lindera aggregate (Sims) Kosterm., and Curcuma kwangsiensis S.G. Lee et C.F. Liang were 1.895, 1.045, 1.446 and 1.653, respectively; after extraction, THQ values of Cd for the four types of TCMs were 0.929, 0.418, 0.649 and 1.077, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cd in the four types of TCMs cannot be completely absorbed in the artificial gastrointestinal phase, and the risks of Cd are reduced after extraction. Except THQ for Curcuma kwangsiensis S.G. Lee et C.F. Liang, the THQ values are below the value of 1, indicating very low health risks for the other three types of TCMs after extraction. In this study, the bioaccessibility of heavy metals in TCMs is applied to the health risk assessment model in order to provide a scientific basis for objectively evaluating the health risks of heavy metals in TCMs and formulating a scientific and reasonable heavy metal limit standards.

Variation in fungal community structures in rhizosphere soil of Coptis chinensis with cropping mode under natural forest and artificial shed / 中国中药杂志

This study is aimed to reveal the rhizosphere soil fungal community structure difference of Coptis chinensis cropping between natural forest and artificial shed modes, and provide theoretical guidance for soil improvement and C. chinensis planting. The rhizosphere soil samples of 1-5-year-old C. chinensis under natural forest and artificial shed modes were collected. Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the community structure and diversity of soil fungi under the tow cropping modes,and the effects of soil nutriment indices on soil fungal community structure. The results suggested that the abundance and diversity of fungal communities in soil of 2-5-year-old C. chinensis were not significant different in both two cropping modes, but it was significantly higher than that in the 1-year-old C. chinensis. Comparing soil samples from the same year-old C. chinensis under the two cropping modes, it was found that there was no significant difference in the abundance and diversity of fungal communities. The fungal community of the rhizosphere soil was different in composition and abundance between tow cropping modes, and between different planting years. The 17 phyla,59 classes and 155 orders,and 17 phyla,59 classes and 157 orders were detected in the rhizosphere soil of C. chinensis under the cropping modes of natural forest and the artificial shed, respectively. Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota were dominant phyla in rhizosphere soil, and the average abundance of the 3 phyla accounted for 74.36% and 74.30% of the total fungi. The results of analysis of similarities showed that there were significant differences in the fungal community structure of 1-year-old and 2-year-old C. chinensis soil fungi, and there was no significant difference in the community structure of 3-5-year-old samples. Under the natural forest cropping mode, there were significant differences among the samples of different years. Under the artificial shed cropping, there were significant differences in fungal community structure between 1-year-old and 3-5-year-old C. chinensis soil, and between 2-year-old and 3-5-year-old C. chinensis soil. The results of canonical correlation analysis showed that soil pH and soil organic matter content were the main factors affecting the soil fungal community structure. Soil organic matter content was positively correlated with Basidiomycota and Cryptomycota, pH was negatively correlated with Basidiomycota and C. ryptomycota. The planting of C. chinensis has promoted the diversity and abundance of rhizosphere fungal community significantly. For the same year-old C. chinensis soil, abundance of fungal community was no significant difference between two cropping modes. There are significant differences in the rhizosphere soil fungal community structure between tow cropping modes in the first two years of planting. Through the interaction between the rhizosphere and the soil and the continuous selection of the rhizosphere to the fungal community, the fungal community structure tended to be the same between the two cropping modes in rhizosphere soil of 3-5-year old C. chinensis. The soil pH and orga-nic matter content were the main factors affecting the change of fungal community structure.

Identification of Coptis chinensis root rot disease pathogenic Fusarium spp. fungi / 中国中药杂志

Root rot disease is vital disease of Coptis chinensis, it has bursted in most producing area in recent years, and has caused severe damage. To identify the pathogenic fungi, Fusarium spp. fungi were isolated from rot root, of which the pathogenic fungi were screened with inoculation on C. chinensis root and plant, and identified with molecular and morphological method. The 20 Fusarium spp. fungi were obtained, of which 5 displayed high pathogenicity. It was deduced that F. oxysporum, F. solani and F. tricinctum were the pathogen, possibly pioneer pathogen of C. chinensis root rot disease. Among which F. oxysporum was dominant and deserved to pay more attention. High temperature and high humidity can increase pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. So the global climate warming may lead to temperature rising of C. chinensis producing area and favor the pathogen fungi, which may be one of the main factors leading to bursting of C. chinensis root rot disease. To control the root rot, beside developing and using pesticide, producing base should be moved to a high altitude area.

Study on quality of standard decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma based on traditional decoction process / 中国中药杂志

In order to determine the quality evaluation method for standard decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma,15 batches of standard decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma were prepared by using standardized process. Parameters such as traits,p H value,indicative component content,fingerprint similarity,composition transfer rate and dry extract rate were selected as the indexes for quality evaluation. Similarity evaluation and cluster analysis were performed for HPLC fingerprint of standard decoction,and mathematical model was used to study the correlation between dry extract rate,berberine content,berberine transfer rate in standard decoction and berberine content in decoction pieces. The results showed that the similarity of fingerprints was greater than 0. 99 for these 15 batches of standard decoctions of Coptidis Rhizoma. In cluster analysis,the standard decoctions of Coptidis Rhizoma from 4 producing areas were classified into 3 categories,consistent with the content determination results,indicating that there were quality differences among different producing areas.R2 in three linear regression mathematical models established was all greater than 0. 9,with significant difference. The validation of three batches of data showed that the models had good accuracy. Therefore,this model can be used to predict the quality of standard decoction prepared from different Coptidis Rhizoma pieces. In the standard decoction process established in this study,the integrity of the traditional process was greatly preserved,and the established quality evaluation method could be used to comprehensively examine the quality of the standard decoction,which can provide a demonstration for the related research of water extraction preparation containing Coptidis Rhizoma pieces.

Diversity of culturable fungi isolated from Coptis chinensis rot root in Shizhu city of Chongqing / 中国中药杂志

Root rot disease restricts the Coptis chinensis industry in Shizhu of Sichuan province. To disclose fungi composition and pathogen in rot root,so as to prevent and treat the root rot disease,the C. chinensis rot root of 5 years from 4 areas in Shizhu were collected in 3 seasons respectively. The fungi were isolated and molecularly and morphological identified,followed with population statistics. 437 fungi were isolated,belonging to 5 subphylum,11 classes,16 orders,22 families and 28 genus respectively. There are great difference among the fungi compositions of different area,year and sampling season,while there was no obvious variation rule. Ilyonectria sp.,Pythium sp.,Phoma sp,Trichoderma sp.are dominant genus,while Pythium sp.,Ilyonectria sp.,Phoma sp.,Fusarium sp. may contain root rot pathogen. Antagonistic bacteria may be screened from the strains of Trichoderma sp. isolated.