Cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects of botanical drugs derived from the indigenous cultivated medicinal plant Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis.

Background: Cancer is one of the top two leading causes of death worldwide. Ethnobotanical research, it is one of methods, which is able to discover effective anticancer drugs based on "prototype" of indigenous people's historical experiences and practices. The rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (Franch.) Hand.-Mazz. have been used as botanical drugs to treat cancer by Yi, Bai, Dai, and Naxi ethnic groups in Yunnan, China, where this species is widely cultivated in a large scale in Yunnan. Materials and methods: To identify the substances of anticancer activities based on indigenous medicine knowledge, chromatography was performed to separate saponins from the rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, followed by spectroscopy to determine the structure of six isolated saponins. The cytotoxicity of five extracts and six pure compounds were evaluated by MTS method. Quantitative determination of total saponins of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis was analyzed by HPLC. Cell cycle assay, apoptosis assay, and mitochondrial membrane potential were used to evaluate the pro-apoptotic activity in vitro. Results: Five extracts and six pure saponins showed significant inhibitory cytotoxic activities of three human liver cancer cell lines (SMMC-7721, HepG2, and SK-HEP-1) and one non-small-cell lung cancer cell line (A549). The contents of Paris saponins I, II, and VII were 6.96% in the rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, much higher than Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards (0.6%). Six saponins induced significant apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in three human cancer cell lines (A549, SMMC-7721, and HepG2), which was associated with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Conclusion: The result of this study support that cultivated P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis could be a substitute for wild resource as an anticancer medicine based on indigenous medicine knowledge.

Traditional processing increases biological activities of Dendrobium offificinale Kimura et. Migo in Southeast Yunnan, China.

The orchid Dendrobium officinale grows throughout southeast China and southeast Asian countries and is used to treat inflammation and diabetes in traditional Chinese medicine. Tie pi feng dou is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine made from the dried D. officinale stems. Processing alters the physicochemical properties of TPFD; however, it is unclear how processing affects the quality and medicinal value of this plant. Here, we analyzed and compared the chemical composition of fresh stems of D. officinale and TPFD and explored possible explanations for the enhanced medicinal efficacy of processed D. officinale stems using qualitative and quantitative methods. To identify the components of FSD and TPFD, we used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry in negative and positive ion modes and interpreted the data using the Human Metabolome Database and multivariate statistical analysis. We detected 23,709 peaks and identified 2352 metabolites; 370 of these metabolites were differentially abundant between FSD and TPFD (245 more abundant in TPFD than in FSD, and 125 less abundant), including organooxygen compounds, prenol lipids, flavonoids, carboxylic acids and their derivatives, and fatty acyls. Of these, 43 chemical markers clearly distinguished between FSD and TPFD samples, as confirmed using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. A pharmacological activity analysis showed that, compared with FSD, TPFD had significantly higher levels of some metabolites with anti-inflammatory activity, consistent with its use to treat inflammation. In addition to revealing the basis of the medicinal efficacy of TPFD, this study supports the benefits of the traditional usage of D. officinale.

The research trend on arsenic pollution in freshwater: a bibliometric review.

We conducted a quantitative and qualitative bibliometric analysis based on 8740 research articles from the Web of Science Core Collection published in the last 20 years (2000-2020) for a better understanding of the research progress and development trend of arsenic pollution in freshwater (FAP). The results showed a significant increase in the number of publications from 2007 to 2020, especially after 2015. Four of the top 10 productive authors are from China. Two of the top three research institutions are from China, and the publications of Chinese Academy of Sciences accounted for 5.40% of the total. China is also the center of the national cooperation network, indicating a greater influence of China in this scientific research field. The top three journals included Science of the Total Environmental, Environmental Science Technology, and Journal of Hazardous Materials. Besides arsenic, the high-frequency keywords in this field included adsorption, contamination, groundwater, removal, detection, and geochemistry. The researchers mainly focused on the groundwater environment, as well as the pollution hazards of arsenic in water bodies, remediation techniques, detection, migration, and transformation. Studies should pay more attention to the application and development of phytoremediation technology in the field of FAP in the future.

Antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of traditional fermented Rosa from Dali Bai communities, Northwest Yunnan, China.

Traditional fermented Rosa (TFR) is a typical food and medical product among the Dali Bai people, and its popularity is growing. A few studies have looked into TFR's medicinal advantages, linked germplasm resources, traditional processing procedures, and functional food qualities. Our goal was to look into Rosa's traditional processing, examine the dominant strains in TFR, and prove how these strains affected antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. We used a snowball selection strategy to pick 371 informants for a semi-structured interview, supplemented with direct observations and sample collection. A microbial strain was isolated and identified from a TFR sample collected in the field. We synthesized TFR in the lab using the traditional way. Both of 2, 2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibitory properties of the fermented solution of Rosa 'Dianhong' have been tested in this study. Altogether 15 species belonging to the genus Rosa, which are utilized in herbal medicine and fermented foods. Rosa 'Dianhong' was the Bai community's principal species with considerable cultural value and consumption. Raw Rosa petals included 15 major flavonoids and phenols, which were identified as TFR's active components. TFR-1 was discovered to be the dominating microbial strain in TFR, increasing total phenolic and flavonoid content in the fermented solution of Rosa 'Dianhong' by 0.45 mg GAE/ml and 0.60 mg RE/ml, respectively, after 30 days. TFR-1 also exhibited promising activity in terms of DPPH free radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibition. TFR showed potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenger properties and is beneficial in skincare and nutrition, according to the findings. TFR's medicinal and edible properties suggest that it could be used as a cosmetic or nutraceutical product.

Microbial transformation of diosgenin to diosgenone by Wickerhamomyces anomalus JQ-1 obtained from Naxi traditional Jiu Qu.

Diosgenone [(20S,22R,25R)-spirost-4-en-3-one, C27H40O3] has been considered as a potential therapeutic alternative remedy for malaria. An efficient and economical approach of microbial transformation with diosgenin to diosgenone by the yeast strain Wickerhamomyces anomalus JQ-1 from Naxi traditional Jiu Qu was developed in this study. Chromatographic analysis confirmed that 85% of 0.1 mM diosgenin was transformed to diosgenone within 72 h. This research demonstrates that diosgenin could be converted to diosgenone through two-step pathway including 3ß-hydroxyl oxidation and double bond isomerization rather than through one-step pathway, which prompted a further inference that the oxidation activity in W. anomalus JQ-1 has the same function with the Oppenauer-type oxidation which can convert diosgenin into diosgenone. Gaining specific functional strains from traditional fermented products will be a potential direction and ethnobotanical researches could provide helps with discovery and utilization of microbial resources.

Skincare plants of the Naxi of NW Yunnan, China.

The Naxi of Northwest Yunnan, China use medicinal plants to treat skin conditions related to traditional lifestyles in extreme environments. However, modernization endangers both the medicinal plants used to treat skin conditions and traditional knowledge. Therefore, investigation and documentation of the medicinal plants used and associated traditional knowledge is necessary. In this study, we conducted an ethnobotanical survey in 12 Naxi communities in Northwest Yunnan. For this purpose, we used semi-structured surveys to interview 840 informants from Naxi communities. We used informant consensus factor and use frequency as quantitative indices to evaluate the importance of medicinal plant species. A total of 161 medicinal plant species belonging to 69 families were documented. The highest informant consensus factor (ICF) values were recorded for skin nourishing (ICF = 0.849), frostbite and chapped skin (ICF = 0.833). These skin treatments are highly related to the environment and lifestyle of Naxi communities. The main active compounds of plants used to treat skin conditions in Naxi communities are known to have skin-treating properties. This study reveals that the skin conditions treated by the Naxi are associated with traditional medicine culture and social economic development. In addition, this study uses ethnobotanical indices to explain how skin condition treatments are linked to the natural environment of Naxi communities.

Indigenous knowledge of dye-yielding plants among Bai communities in Dali, Northwest Yunnan, China.

BACKGROUND: Bai people in the Dali Prefecture of Northwest Yunnan, China, have a long history of using plant extracts to dye their traditional costumes and maintain this culture for posterity. However, the development of modern technology, while vastly improving the dyeing efficiency, is also replacing indigenous knowledge which threatens the indigenous practice, causing the latter disappearing gradually. This study sought to examine the indigenous knowledge of plants used for textile dyeing in Bai communities, so as to provide a foundation for their sustainable development. METHODS: We conducted a semi-structured interview among 344 informants (above age 36) selected through a snowball sampling method. Free lists and participant observation were used as supplementary methods for the interviews. Three quantitative indicators (informant consensus factor [ICF], use frequency, and cultural importance index [CI]) were used to evaluate the indigenous knowledge of the dye-yielding plants. RESULTS: Twenty-three species belonging to 19 plant taxonomic families were used for dye by Bai communities. We summarized them into four life forms, eight used parts, five colors, three processing methods, and four dyeing methods. Among them, Strobilanthes cusia (Nees) O. Kuntze was the most traditional dyeing plant and has an important cultural value. Location, age, and gender were found to have a significant effect on indigenous knowledge, and the dyeing knowledge was dynamic and influenced by social factors. CONCLUSIONS: Diverse plant resources and rich indigenous knowledge of textile dyeing persist at settlements of Bai communities in Dali Prefecture. However, high labor costs and thinning market of traditional products that use plant dye cause repulsion toward traditional practice. To that, a good income in other profession attracts indigenous people to shift from their tradition of making plant-based dye and associated cultural systems at risk of extinction. More research for market development for products that use plant-based dye is necessary for the conservation of this valuable knowledge and biodiversity protection in Bai communities.

Ultrasonic micro-motor with multilayer piezoelectric ceramic and chamfered driving tips.

In this study, an oblate-type ultrasonic micro-motor with multilayer piezoelectric ceramic and chamfered driving tips was proposed and experimentally researched. The micro-motor works based on the standing-wave principle and has a higher rotary speed than the traditional standing-wave one in principle, reaching a rotary speed of 2100 r/min in this study at the voltage of 20 Vp-p. When the micro-motor rotates, single phase alternating current is required, namely, V=Asinωt, and exchanging the signal wire and ground wire will not change the rotary direction of the motor, which reinforces the safety and the compaction of this motor. The ratio of the maximum displacement value of the speed feeding direction and the preload direction is approximately 4, showing a characteristic of high speed and low ability to load.

Development of an ultrasonic linear motor with ultra-positioning capability and four driving feet.

This paper presents a novel linear piezoelectric motor which is suitable for rapid ultra-precision positioning. The finite element analysis (FEA) was applied for optimal design and further analysis, then experiments were conducted to investigate its performance. By changing the input signal, the proposed motor was found capable of working in the fast driving mode as well as in the precision positioning mode. When working in the fast driving mode, the motor acts as an ultrasonic motor with maximum no-load speed up to 181.2mm/s and maximum thrust of 1.7N at 200Vp-p. Also, when working in precision positioning mode, the motor can be regarded as a flexible hinge piezoelectric actuator with arbitrary motion in the range of 8µm. The measurable minimum output displacement was found to be 0.08µm, but theoretically, can be even smaller. More importantly, the motor can be quickly and accurately positioned in a large stroke.

Comparative homegarden medical ethnobotany of Naxi healers and farmers in Northwestern Yunnan, China.

BACKGROUND: Homegardens are ecologically and culturally important systems for cultivating medicinal plants for wellbeing by healers and farmers in Naxi communities of the Sino Himalayan region. The cultivation of medicinal plants in Naxi communities and associated ethnomedical knowledge base for maintaining and utilizing these resources is at risk with expanded commercialization of natural resources, development policies and rapid socio-economic change in China. Research is needed to understand the medicinal plant species maintained in Naxi homegardens, their use and contribution to community wellbeing, and how these practices and knowledge base varies between Naxi healers and farmers in order to develop plans for biodiversity conservation and preservation of ethnomedical practices. The main objective of this study is to document and compare medicinal plant species in Naxi homegardens and associated ethnomedical knowledge between Naxi healers and farmers. METHODS: Ethnobotanical homegarden surveys were conducted with three Naxi healers and 28 farmer households in two Naxi communities in Lijiang Prefecture in Northwest Yunnan Province of China. Surveys included inventories of medicinal plants in homegardens and semi-structured interviews with homegarden managers to document traditional medicinal uses of inventoried plants. Inventoried plants were classified into 13 'usage categories' of medical condition groupings that impact a system of the body. Finally, plant species richness was calculated for each homegarden and species richness was compared between healers and farmers as well as between study sites using a Least Square Means Tukey HSD function. RESULTS: Ethnobotanical surveys at the study sites found that 13% of households rely exclusively on traditional Naxi medicine, 26% exclusively use Western medicine and 61% use a combination of traditional Naxi and Western medicine. A total of 106 medicinal plants were inventoried in Naxi homegardens representing 50 botanical families. Over 85% of inventoried medicinal plants were herbaceous. The most represented families were Asteraceae (12.8%), Ranunculaceae (8.3%), Apiaceae (8.3%), and Polygonaceae (7.3%). The primary medical functions of inventoried plants were to treat inflammation (73 species), circulatory system disorders (62), nervous system disorders (41), detoxification (39), digestive system disorders (33), muscular-skeletal system disorders (26), genitourinary system disorders (26), skin conditions (23), respiratory systems disorders (22), and cold and flu (20). Local herbal experts maintained greater medicinal plant species richness in their homegardens compared to local farmers as well as had greater knowledge of medicinal functions of plants. Healers maintained medicinal plants primarily for healing while farmer households maintained approximately 90% of the medicinal plants in their homegardens for commercialization and the remaining for household healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of biodiversity and traditional ecological and medical knowledge for human wellbeing and livelihoods in Naxi communities. Conservation efforts and policies are necessary to preserve the ecological and cultural base that maintains medicinal plant use by both healers and farmers in Naxi homegardens of the Sino Himalayan region.

Clewlike ZnV2O4 hollow spheres: nonaqueous sol-gel synthesis, formation mechanism, and lithium storage properties.

Hollow ZnV(2)O(4) microspheres with a clewlike feature were synthesized by reacting zinc nitrate hexahydrate and ammonium metavanadate in benzyl alcohol at 180 degrees C for the first time. GC-MS analysis revealed that the organic reactions that occurred in this study were rather different from those in benzyl alcohol based nonaqueous sol-gel systems with metal alkoxides, acetylacetonates, and acetates as the precursors. Time-dependent experiments revealed that the growth mechanism of the clewlike ZnV(2)O(4) hollow microspheres might involve a unique multistep pathway. First, the generation and self-assembly of ZnO nanosheets into metastable hierarchical microspheres as well as the generation of VO(2) particles took place quickly. Then, clewlike ZnV(2)O(4) hollow spheres were gradually produced by means of a repeating reaction-dissolution (RD) process. In this process, the outside ZnO nanosheets of hierarchical microspheres would first react with neighboring vanadium ions and benzyl alcohol and also serve as the secondary nucleation sites for the subsequently formed ZnV(2)O(4) nanocrystals. With the reaction proceeding, the interior ZnO would dissolve and then spontaneously diffuse outwards to nucleate as ZnO nanocrystals on the preformed ZnV(2)O(4) nanowires. These renascent ZnO nanocrystals would further react with VO(2) and benzyl alcohol, ultimately resulting in the final formation of a hollow spatial structure. The lithium storage ability of clewlike ZnV(2)O(4) hollow microspheres was studied. When cycled at 50 mA g(-1) in the voltage range of 0.01-3 V, this peculiarly structured ZnV(2)O(4) electrode delivered an initial reversible capacity of 548 mAh g(-1) and exhibited almost stable cycling performance to maintain a capacity of 524 mAh g(-1) over 50 cycles. This attractive lithium storage performance suggests that the resulting clewlike ZnV(2)O(4) hollow spheres are promising for lithium-ion batteries.