Phytochemistry, pharmacological properties and pharmacokinetics of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium: A systematic review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP), known as Chen Pi in China, is the most commonly used medicine for regulating qi. As a traditional medicine, CRP has been extensively used in the clinical treatment of nausea, vomiting, cough and phlegm for thousands of years. It is mainly distributed in Guangdong, Sichuan, Fujian and Zhejiang in China. Due to its high frequency of use, many scholars have conducted a lot of research on it and the related chemical constituents it contains. In this review, the research progress on phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicology of CRP are summarized. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The review aims to sort out the methods of extraction and purification, pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics and toxicology of the chemical constituents in CRP, in order to elaborate the future research directions and challenges for the study of CRP and related chemical constituents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Valid and comprehensive relevant information was collected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Web of Science, PubMed and so on. RESULTS: CRP contains a variety of compounds, of which terpenes, flavonoids and alkaloids are the main components, and they are also the primary bioactive components that play a pharmacological role. Flavonoids and terpenes are extracted and purified by aqueous and alcoholic extraction methods, assisted by ultrasonic and microwave extraction, in order to achieve higher yields with less resources. Pharmacological studies have shown that CRP possesses a variety of highly active chemical components and a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, therapeutic for cardiovascular-related disorders, antioxidant, antibacterial, and neuroprotective effects. CONCLUSIONS: There is a diversity in the chemical compositions of CRP, which have multiple biological activities and promising applications. However, the pharmacological activities of CRP are mainly dependent on the action of its chemical components, but the relationship between the structure of chemical components and the biological effects has not been thoroughly investigated, and therefore, the structure-activity relationship is an issue that needs to be elucidated urgently. In addition, the pharmacokinetic studies of the relevant components can be further deepened and the correlation studies between pharmacological effects and syndromes of TCM can be expanded to ensure the effectiveness and rationality of CRP for human use.

Antidepressant and anxiolytic potential of Citrus reticulata Blanco essential oil: a network pharmacology and animal model study.

Background: Citrus reticulata Blanco essential oil (CBEO) has attracted increasing attention as a potential treatment for depression and anxiety in recent years. However, there is limited evidence regarding the active compounds responsible for its therapeutic effects. In addition, substantial amounts of CBEO and prolonged therapy are often required. This study aims to investigate the rapid acting antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of CBEO, identify the underlying composition as well as optimize its dosage and duration. Methods: CBEO composition was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the corresponding targets were obtained from the SwissTargetPrediction database. Depression-related targets were collected from DisGeNET, GeneCards, Therapeutic Target Database, and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. Subsequently, the overlap between CBEO and depression targets was utilized to build a network diagram depicting the relationship between the active ingredients and targets using Cytoscape software. The STRING database facilitated the construction of a protein-protein interaction network, and the Ma'ayan Laboratory Enrichment tool was employed for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Wiki pathway analyses. Molecular docking was conducted using AutoDock Vina and Discovery Studio Visualizer. Topological analysis predicted the main antidepressant active ingredients in CBEO. A mixture of these compounds was prepared based on their relative GC-MS ratios. Tail suspension test, elevated plus maze, corticosterone-induced PC12 cells, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 cells were used to validate the antidepressant and anxiolytic potential of CBEO and CBEO's main bioactive constituents. Results: CBEO contains 18 components that target 121 proteins. We identified 595 targets associated with depression; among them, 29 targets were located between essential oils and depression. Topological results revealed that linalool, p-cymene, α-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol were the major active compounds of CBEO in the management of depression. GO analysis identified G protein-coupled opioid receptor activity, phospholipase C-activating G protein-coupled receptor, and neuron projections that were mostly related to molecular functions, cellular components, and biological processes. Neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, chemical carcinogenesis, and calcium signaling pathways were the major pathways identified in KEGG analysis. Molecular docking showed that the main bioactive ingredients of CBEO had favorable binding affinities for Protein-Protein Interaction's hub proteins, including OPRM1, PTGS2, ESR1, SLC6A4, DRD2, and NR3C1. These five compounds were then mixed at 0.8:5:0.6:2:1 (w/w) ratio to form a CBEO antidepressant active compound mixture. An acute intranasal treatment of CBEO (25 mg/kg) only demonstrated an antidepressant effect, whereas the main bioactive compounds combination (12.5 mg/kg) illustrated both antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in mice. Linalool, p-cymene, and terpinene-4-ol exhibited neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammation in the in vitro study, while these effects were not observed for α-terpinene and α-terpineol. Conclusion: Linalool, p-cymene, α-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol cymene might be mainly contributing to CBEO's antidepressant effect by regulating neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, neuron projection, and receptor signaling pathway. A mixture of these compounds showed rapid antidepressant potential via intranasal administration, which was comparable to that of CBEO. The mixture also exhibited an anxiolytic effect while not seen in CBEO.

Exploration of optimal preparation strategy of Chenpi (pericarps of Citrus reticulata Blanco) flavouring essence with great application potential in sugar and salt-reduced foods.

To obtain flavouring essence with application potential in sugar and salt-reduced foods, the optimal strategy for extraction and microencapsulation of essential oil (EO) from Chenpi was investigated. UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and liquid-liquid-extraction-GC-MS confirmed the selectivity for volatiles ranked in hydrodistillation > supercritical fluid extraction > solvent extraction. The aroma characteristic of Chenpi EO was distinguished by 33 key volatiles (screened out via headspace-SPME-GC-MS) and quantitative descriptive analysis. EO extracted by supercritical fluid extraction was preferred for preserving the original aroma of Chenpi and displaying more fruity, honey and floral. Chenpi flavouring essence with superior encapsulation efficiency, particle size, water dispersibility, and thermostability was obtained through optimally microencapsulating EO with gum arabic and maltodextrin (1:1) by high-pressure homogenization coupled with spray drying. Chenpi flavouring essence was able to reduce the usage of sugar and salt by 20 % via enhancing flavour perception of sweetness and saltiness. This study first developed a flavouring essence promisingly effective in both sugar and salt-reduced foods.

Comparative study on comprehensive quality of Xinhui chenpi by two main plant propagation techniques.

Xinhui chenpi (XHCP), the sun-dried peel of the mandarin orange, Citrus reticulata "Chachi," is the most famous crude drug, as well as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking. The main cultivation methods of XHCP are cutting and grafting, but it is generally considered that the quality of XHCP after cutting is superior to that obtained from plants propagated by graftings, which had a negative impact on the marketing of the finished product. In our study, a total of 25 samples of XHCP obtained from plants cultivated by either traditional methods (i.e., from cuttings) or by grafting were collected to compare the contents of four types of metabolites (essential oils, flavonoids, synephrine, and total polysaccharides) as well as antioxidant activity. The results revealed that the quality of XHCP did not decline after cutting, and marked individual differences between XHCP samples, even when prepared from plants grown in the same way. In general, grafting had no significant effect on the most essential oils components, total polysaccharides, synephrine, total flavonoids, total polymethoxylated flavones, hesperidin, nobiletin, tangeretin content, and antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, five volatile compounds can be used as potential chemical markers (p < 0.05) to distinguish between cutting XHCP and grafted XHCP, while four volatile compounds showed high content in grafted XHCP. Our study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for XHCP breeding and cultivation, and thereby further standardize the market of XHCP.

Classification of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Chenpi) age using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (PCR) is used in food and medical herbal formula, and its quality is determined by its age. Raman spectroscopy is a laser technology for molecular fingerprinting. The feasibility of using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to determine the PCR age was investigated. The Raman peaks were acquired using a Raman spectrometer with a 785 nm diode laser and were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) followed by linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA). There were six major peaks at 600, 730, 990, 1370, 1607, and 1742 cm-1 in the SERS spectra, and their intensity, especially the peak at 1607 cm-1, was inversely correlated with the PCR age. The different ages of PCR could be correctly classified with over 90 % accuracy by using PCA-LDA based on the SERS spectra. In conclusion, a Raman spectrometer may be used as a novel method to identify the age of PCR products.

Development of Citrus-Based Functional Jelly and an Investigation of Its Anti-Obesity and Antioxidant Properties.

Intervention with natural products is becoming a promising obesity control strategy as healthy eating becomes increasingly popular. The present study aimed to prepare a citrus-based functional jelly (CFJ) from citrus by-products and investigate its bioactive effects in mice. The results of the CFJ preparation showed that the optimal formula of CFJ was 29.12%, 20%, and 3.61% for chenpi, orange juice, and pectin, respectively. The optimized CFJ can be personalized and designed with jelly shapes using 3D food printing technology. The evaluation of the biological activity of the CFJ showed that it was low in calories, with a total phenolic content of 12.44 ± 0.26 mg GAE/g. Moreover, the CFJ has a good free radical scavenging ability for ABTS. The results of the mouse experiments showed that the CFJ significantly suppressed the body weight gain and fat deposits with a dose-dependent effect, compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, the activities of the antioxidant-related enzymes (CAT and SOD) of the mice were also enhanced after a supplementation with the CFJ. In short, the CFJ is a functional snack enriched in phenolic substances with low-calorie, antioxidant and anti-obesity properties. This work promotes the utilization of citrus by-products and the healthy development of its processing industry.

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi): A multi-efficacy pericarp in treating cardiovascular diseases.

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP) has been utilized as a versatile medicinal herb with wide cardiovascular benefits in Asian nations for centuries. Accumulating evidence suggests that CRP and its components are effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, arrhythmia, cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and hypertension. Studies show that the two most bioactive components of CRP are flavonoids and volatile oils. The cardiovascular protective effects of CRP have attracted considerable research interest due to its hypolipidemic, antiplatelet activity, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Hereby, we provide a rigorous and up-to-date overview of the cardiovascular protective properties and the potential molecular targets of CRP, and finally highlight the pharmacokinetics and the therapeutic potential of the main pharmacologically active components of CRP to treat CVDs.

Development of Functional Kiwifruit Jelly with chenpi (FKJ) by 3D Food Printing Technology and Its Anti-Obesity and Antioxidant Potentials.

With the growing popularity of the concept of healthy diet, modern obesity treatment is gradually shifting from surgical or pharmacological treatment to nutritional intervention. As a safe and effective measure, natural product interventions are a potential strategy of obesity management. The present study aimed to develop a kind of functional food rich in bioactive compounds (chenpi, kiwifruit, and pectin as raw materials) and investigate their bioactive effects on a mouse model. For development of functional kiwifruit jelly with chenpi (FKJ), the results of single-factor and response surface experiments showed that the optimized formulation was composed of a 30.26% addition of chenpi, 35% addition of kiwifruit juice, and 2.88% addition of pectin. The FKJ obtained with the optimal formulation could be used as a 3D printing raw material to print the desired food shapes successfully. For bioactivity evaluation of FKJ, the results with a mouse model showed that the food intake, liver weight, and adipose tissue weight were significantly decreased after administration of FKJ with dose-dependent effect compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the serum levels of several inflammatory factors (TG, IL-6, and TNF-α) were decreased and the activities of several antioxidant-related enzymes (SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT) were increased. In short, a functional kiwifruit jelly with chenpi was developed in this study. It is a functional snack food rich in active phenolic compounds, low in calories, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, and prevents fat accumulation. FKJ could well meet the needs of modern people for nutrition and health and also promote the processing and utilization of natural products, and has good development prospects in the functional food industry.

Effects of Different Treatment Methods of Dried Citrus Peel (Chenpi) on Intestinal Microflora and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Healthy Mice.

Chenpi is a kind of dried citrus peel from Citrus reticulata, and it is often used as traditional Chinese medicine to treat dyspepsia and respiratory tract inflammation. In this study, to determine which way of chenpi treatment plays a better effect on the prevention of obesity in healthy mice, we conducted 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing for intestinal microbiota and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detector (GC/MSD) analysis for short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) of female rats fed with either chenpi decoction or chenpi powder-based diet (n = 10 per group) for 3 weeks. Chenpi powder (CP) group significantly reduced abdominal adipose tissues, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and the serum level of total triacylglycerol (TG). At a deeper level, chenpi powder has a better tendency to increase the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes. It alters the Muribaculaceae and Muribaculum in intestinal microbiota, though it is not significant. The concentrations of acetic acid, valeric acid, and butyric acid increased slightly but not significantly in the CP group. Chenpi decoction just reduced perirenal adipose tissues, but it shows better antioxidant activity. It has little effect on intestinal microbiota. No differences were found for SCFAs in the chenpi decoction (CD) group. The results indicated that chenpi powder has a better effect in preventing obesity in mice. It can provide a basis for the development of functional products related to chenpi powder.

The mechanism and candidate compounds of aged citrus peel (chenpi) preventing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its progression to lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important risk factor for developing lung cancer. Aged citrus peel (chenpi) has been used as a dietary supplement for respiratory diseases in China. OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism and candidate compounds of chenpi preventing COPD and its progression to lung cancer. METHODS: The active components and potential targets of chenpi were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. Disease-associated targets of COPD and lung cancer were collected in the Gene Cards and TTD database. The component-target network and PPI network were constructed using the Cytoscape 3.8.0 software. David database was used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. The main active components were verified by using the autodock Vina 1.1.2 software. Mouse lung cancer with COPD was induced by cigarette smoking (CS) combined with urethane injection to confirm preventing the effect of hesperetin (the candidate compound of chenpi) on COPD progression to lung cancer and its underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: The network analysis revealed that the key active components of chenpi (nobiletin, naringenin, hesperetin) regulate five core targets (AKT1, TP53, IL6, VEGFA, MMP9). In addition, 103 potential pathways of chenpi were identified. Chenpi can prevent COPD and its progression to lung cancer by getting involved in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway. Molecular docking indicated that hesperetin had better binding activity for core targets. In mouse lung cancer with COPD, treatment with hesperetin dose-dependently improved not only lung tissue injury in COPD but also carcinoma lesions in lung cancer. Meanwhile, hesperetin could suppress the protein expression of AKT1, IL6, VEGFA, MMP9 and up-regulate the protein expression of TP53, and thus reduced the risk of COPD progression to lung cancer. CONCLUSION: Hesperetin is a candidate compound of chenpi that helps in preventing COPD and its progression to lung cancer by regulating AKT1, IL6, VEGFA, MMP9 and TP53.

Protective effects of dried mature Citrus unshiu peel (Chenpi) and hesperidin on aspirin-induced oxidative damage.

Here we investigated the inhibitory effects in rats of mature Citrus unshiu peel (Chenpi) and its component hesperidin on aspirin-induced oxidative damage. The content of hesperidin in Chenpi extract was approximately 11.4%. Wistar rats were orally administered Chenpi extract or hesperidin (20 mg/kg body weight) and then were orally administered aspirin (200 mg/kg body weight) to induce oxidative damage to the stomach, liver, and kidneys. Such damage was evaluated using the formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase-modified comet assay. We also measured the amount of the oxidative marker 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxodG) in the stomach. Aspirin-induced damage to the gastric mucosa was evaluated using a bleeding score. Chenpi extract and hesperidin significantly inhibited aspirin-induced oxidative DNA damage. The bleeding score of the aspirin-induced gastric mucosa was significantly reduced by treatment with Chenpi extract and hesperidin. To investigate the effects of Chenpi extract and hesperidin on the analgesic effect of aspirin on ddY mice, we employed the acetic acid-induced writhing response test. Chenpi extract and hesperidin did not significantly affect the analgesic effect of aspirin. These results suggest that Chenpi extract and hesperidin significantly inhibit aspirin-induced gastric mucosal damage.

Systems Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Explore the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Citrus Peel (Chenpi) for Treating Complicated Diseases.

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP), also known as Chenpi in Chinese, is the dry mature peel of Citrus reticulata Blanco or its cultivated varieties. CRP as the health-care food and dietary supplement has been widely used in various diseases. However, the potential pharmacological mechanisms of CRP to predict and treat various diseases have not yet been fully elucidated. A systems pharmacology-based approach is developed by integrating absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion screening, multiple target fishing, network pharmacology, as well as pathway analysis to comprehensively dissect the potential mechanism of CRP for therapy of various diseases. The results showed that 39 bioactive components and 121 potential protein targets were identified from CRP. The 121 targets are closely related to various diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, etc. These targets are further mapped to compound-target, target-disease, and target-pathway networks to clarify the therapeutic mechanism of CRP at the system level. The current study sheds light on a promising way for promoting the discovery of new botanical drugs.

Modulation effect of chenpi extract on gut microbiota in high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mice.

The current study employed high-fat diet (HFD) induced murine model to assess the relationship between the lipid-lowering effect of aged citrus peel (chenpi) extract and the alterations of gut microbiota. The results showed that intake of chenpi extract for 12 week dose-dependently suppressed HFD-induced body weight, food intake, Lee's index, together with decreased the level of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Moreover, chenpi extract administration up-regulated the abundance and diversity of fecal microbiota and down-regulated the ratio of Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes, which was characterized by the lower family of Lachnospiraceae, Helicobacteraceae, and Desulfovibrionaceae, and higher family of Bacteroidales_S24-7, Bacteroidaceae, Rikenellaceae, and Ruminococcaceae. Consistently, at the genus levels, chenpi extract treatment reversed the expansions of Helicobacter, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006, and Desulfovibrio, while increased the abundance of Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and Alistipes (belonging to Rikenellaceae family), Anaerotruncus and Odoribacter (belonging to Ruminococcaceae family), which were significantly negatively correlated with the levels of the serum lipid parameters. In conclusion, our findings indicated that anti-obesity ability of chenpi extract might be related to the improvement of gut microbiota imbalance. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: With the improvement of living standards, the incidence of metabolic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes has increased significantly, and it has become a public health problem that seriously affects the health of the people. Chenpi contains a large amount of active ingredients, flavonoids, and other compounds, which can promote the absorption of the digestive system and have good effects on diseases such as the cardiovascular system. Our previous study has confirmed that the chenpi extract effectively regulated the glucose and lipid metabolism disorder induced by high-fat diet. However, it is not clear whether the effect is closely related to the improvement of gut microbiota. Accordingly, our result would provide a theoretical basis for future research on the relationship between obesity, chenpi extract, and gut microbiota, and support additional understanding of its potential anti-obesity effects.

Analysis of pesticide residues in commercially available chenpi using a modified QuEChERS method and GC-MS/MS determination.

To ensure the safety of the commercially available chenpi, a convenient and fast analytical method was developed for the determination of 133 pesticide residues in chenpi using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). In this study, different extraction solvents, redissolution solvents and adsorbents were tested according to the recovery and purification effect to obtain a modified QuEChERS method. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile. During the clean-up step, octadecyl-modified silica (C18) and graphitized carbon black (GCB) were selected, and aminopropyl (NH2) was used instead of primary secondary amine (PSA) because of its weaker ion exchange capacity which had little effect on the recovery of ditalimfos. Samples were quantified by matrix-matched calibration with internal standards. All pesticides showed good linearity in the respective range, both with values of r 2 > 0.99. The average recoveries of the pesticides spiked samples ranged from 70.0% to 112.2% with the RSDs of 0.2%-14.4%. The modified QuEChERS method was validated and applied to twenty real samples. Five pesticides were found in eight batches, but no pesticide exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRL, MRL reference to European commission).

Analysis of pesticide residues in commercially available chenpi using a modified QuEChERS method and GC-MS/MS determination / 药物分析学报

To ensure the safety of the commercially available chenpi, a convenient and fast analytical method was developed for the determination of 133 pesticide residues in chenpi using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). In this study, different extraction solvents, redissolution solvents and adsorbents were tested according to the recovery and purification effect to obtain a modified QuEChERS method. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile. During the clean-up step, octadecyl-modified silica (C18) and graphitized carbon black (GCB) were selected, and aminopropyl (NH2) was used instead of primary secondary amine (PSA) because of its weaker ion exchange capacity which had little effect on the recovery of ditalimfos. Samples were quantified by matrix-matched calibration with internal stan-dards. All pesticides showed good linearity in the respective range, both with values of r2 >0.99. The average recoveries of the pesticides spiked samples ranged from 70.0％ to 112.2％ with the RSDs of 0.2％–14.4％. The modified QuEChERS method was validated and applied to twenty real samples. Five pesticides were found in eight batches, but no pesticide exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRL, MRL reference to European commission).

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi): Botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of a frequently used traditional Chinese medicine.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Rutaceae, CRP), commonly called as Chenpi () in Chinese, is most frequently used as a qi-regulating drug in thousands of Chinese medicine prescriptions. CRP is found mainly in major citrus-producing areas such as the Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Fujian, and Zhejiang Provinces of China. Since thousands of years in China, CRP has been used widely in clinical practice to treat nausea, vomiting, indigestion, anepithymia, diarrhea, cough, expectoration, and so on. Currently, CRP is listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. The present paper reviews the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control, and toxicology of CRP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information on CRP was gathered from various sources including the books on traditional Chinese herbal medicine; scientific databases including Elsevier, PubMed, and ScienceDirect; Baidu Scholar; CNKI; and others and from different professional websites. RESULTS: Approximately 140 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from CRP. Among them, volatile oils and flavonoids are generally considered as the main bioactive and characteristic ingredients. CRP possesses wide pharmacological effects such as having a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular, digestive, and respiratory systems, antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties; and a protective effect on the liver and nerve. Moreover, hesperidin is chosen as an indicator in the quantitative determination of CRP, and the quantity of aflatoxin in CRP must not exceed the standard limit mentioned in the pharmacopoeia. CONCLUSIONS: In brief, CRP has a warming nature, and hence, it can be used in harmony with a lot of medicines. CRP not only exhibits its effects individually but also aids other medicines exhibit a better effect. CRP can be consumed with tea, food, alcohol, and medicine. Irrespective of the form it is being consumed, CRP not only shows a synergistic effect but also has strengths on its own. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that CRP has marked bioactivities, especially on the diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems. The bioactivities of CRP are useful for its clinical application and provide prospects for the development of drugs as well as food and health products for people. Although CRP is a commonly used drug in the traditional Chinese herbal prescription, there is an urgent need for further research on its synergistic effect with other herbs based on the compatibility theory of TCM, which would further increase our understanding on the compatibility theory of TCM.

Characteristics and intestinal immunomodulating activities of water-soluble pectic polysaccharides from Chenpi with different storage periods.

BACKGROUND: The traditional view considers that Chenpi (dried citrus peel) stored over the long-term has better health efficacies compared to fresh Chenpi, although the detailed mechanism responsible for this remains obscure. RESULTS: The three water-soluble pectic polysaccharides (CPP1, CPP5 and CPP10) were obtained from 1-, 5- and 10-year Chenpi, respectively, and their physicochemical characteristics and intestinal immunomodulating activities were investigated and compared. The results obtained showed that CPP5 and CPP10 demonstrated a lower dynamic viscosity and degree of methylesterification, as well as a higher molecular heterogeneity, compared to CPP1. Monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that CPP1 was composed of arabinose, galacturonic acid and galactose, and a small amount of rhamnose; however, CPP5 and CPP10 consisted of arabinose, galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose and xylose, and a small amount of rhamnose. With the extension of storage period of Chenpi, the content of soluble conjugate phenolic acids increased in the pectic polysaccharide. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the pectic polysaccharides extracted from the 5-year and 10-year Chenpi could significantly enhance the proliferation of bone marrow cells via activating the Peyer's patch cells in vitro. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the differences in the pectic polysaccharides from Chenpi with different storage periods and also confirms that the pectic polysaccharides extracted from Chenpi stored over the long-term had more significant intestinal activities compared to that obtained from the fresh Chenpi. This phenomenon might partly explain why the Chenpi stored over the long-term has better healthcare effects. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comprehensive monitoring of charge analysis and research of active pharmaceutical ingredients in Shedan-Chenpi tablet by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective The monitoring of the feeding situation of active pharmaceutical ingredient in Shendan-Chenpi tablet by HPLC-MS/MS,and the content of sodium taurocholate and hesperidin.Methods Using ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm)Column temperature 40 ℃, Mobile phase with acetonitrile-10 mmol/sodium acetate solution, using gradient elution program. Active ingredients were separated by HPLC, and the Electrospray Ionization Mass (ESI) source was applied and operated in the negative ion mode, and reactions ion monitoring mode(MRM) for quantitative analysis were selected. Results The proprietary Chinese medicine is judged by the prescription feeding process, through analysis and contrast of the medicinal materials, reference substance of primary mass spectrogram, secondary mass spectrogram of peak. The aurocholic acid sodium and hesperidin had a good linear relationship in 0.242×10-2-1.45×10-2μg(r=0.996 0), 0.688×10-2-10.30×10-2μg(r=0.999 2), and the precision test were 0.78% and 1.56%, and the recovery rate were 102%-103%,96%-109%. Conclusions The method was simple, accurate and reliable, high sensitive and fast. The comprehensive monitoring was applied to the Shedan-Chenpi tablet in feeding analysis and quality.

Curative Effect Observation of Ju-Hong Tan-Ke Liquid in Treatment of Patients with Anemofrigid (or Mixing with Damp) Cough / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This study was aimed to observe the clinical efficacy of Ju-Hong Tan-Ke (JHTK) liquid in the treatment of patients with anemofrigid (or mixing with damp) cough.A total of 70 patients with anemofrigid (or mixing with damp) cough admitted to Chinese medicine clinic in our hospital were selected and randomly divided into the treatment group (n =50) and the control group (n =20).Patients in the treatment group were treated with 2 JHTK liquid (Guangzhou Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.,20 ml),3 times a day.Two She-Dan Chen-Pi (SDCP) liquid (20 ml) was used in the control group,3 times a day.The treatment course was 1 week.Differences of the clinical efficacy of cough and expectoration symptoms between two groups after treatment were compared.The effect of JHTK liquid on different degrees of cough and expectoration was also compared.The results showed that the total effective rate of cough in the treatment group was 92.00％,which was obviously higher than 70.00％ of the control group with statistical difference (P＜ 0.05).The total effective rate of expectoration symptoms in the treatment group was 94.00％,which was obviously higher than 75.00％ of the control group with statistical difference (P＜0.05).The curative effects of JHTK liquid in the treatment of mild,moderate and severe cough were 90.00％,93.75％,and 87.50％,respectively.The curative effects of JHTK liquid on mild,moderate and severe expectoration were 100％,96.77％,and 80.00％,respectively.It was concluded that JHTK liquid can effectively improve cough and expectoration symptoms of patients with anemofrigid (or mixing with damp) cough,especially the clinical curative effect of mild and moderate cough with expectoration was obviously and the effect of severe cough and expectoration was excellent.Its curative effect was superior to SDCP liquid,which is worthy of clinical application.

Prevention of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes with Aged Citrus Peel (Chenpi) Extract.

Chenpi is the dry peel of the plant Citrus reticulata Blanco after an aging processing. It has been used as an antidigestive and anti-inflammatory traditional medicine, as well as culinary seasoning and dietary supplement, in China. However, its efficacy and underlying scientific mechanism have not been sufficiently investigated. Chenpi is uniquely enriched with a high content of 5-demethylated polymethoxyflavones (5-OH PMFs). The effect of chenpi extract on improving metabolic features was examined using high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity/diabetes mouse model. Oral administration of 0.25 and 0.5% chenpi extract in food over 15 weeks markedly prevented HFD-induced obesity, hepatic steatosis, and diabetic symptoms. The beneficial effect is associated with 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in adipose tissue. Our results indicate that 5-OH PMFs-enriched chenpi extract is effective in preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes, and its effect might be related to improvement in lipid metabolism associated with activation of the AMPK pathway.