Comprehensive overview of different medicinal parts from Morus alba L.: chemical compositions and pharmacological activities.

Morus alba L., a common traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with a centuries-old medicinal history, owned various medicinal parts like Mori folium, Mori ramulus, Mori cortex and Mori fructus. Different medical parts exhibit distinct modern pharmacological effects. Mori folium exhibited analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic action and lipid-regulation effects. Mori ramulus owned anti-bacterial, anti-asthmatic and diuretic activities. Mori cortex showed counteraction action of pain, inflammatory, bacterial, and platelet aggregation. Mori fructus could decompose fat, lower blood lipids and prevent vascular sclerosis. The main chemical components in Morus alba L. covered flavonoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and amino acids. This article comprehensively analyzed the recent literature related to chemical components and pharmacological actions of M. alba L., summarizing 198 of ingredients and described the modern activities of different extracts and the bioactive constituents in the four parts from M. alba L. These results fully demonstrated the medicinal value of M. alba L., provided valuable references for further comprehensive development, and layed the foundation for the utilization of M. alba L.

[Changes in fingerprint and chromaticity values of Mori Cortex during stir-frying process].

This study aims to reveal the dynamics of the HPLC fingerprint, chromaticity values, and main chemical components of Mori Cortex during the stir-frying process. The fingerprints of raw and processed products of Mori Cortex were established. The content of mulberroside A, oxyresveratrol, kuwanon G, and kuwanon H in the samples and the chromaticity values of the samples were determined. Furthermore, the similarity evaluation of fingerprints and the correlation analysis between fingerprints and chromaticity values were carried out. The results showed that the fingerprints of raw and processed products of Mori Cortex had high similarity, and the overall changes in the content of the main chemical components in the stir-frying process were similar. According to the experience, when the stir-frying is moderate, the total chromaticity value difference |ΔE~*_(ab)| is above 1.5. With the extension of stir-frying time, the L~* and E~*_(ab) values keep decreasing, and the a~* value keeps increasing. The results of the correlation analysis between fingerprints and chromaticity values showed that peaks 1(5-hydroxy maltol), 2(mulberroside A), 3, 4, 6, 7, 11(oxyresveratrol), 14, 17(kuwanon G), and 18(kuwanon H) had significant correlations with the chromaticity values. Quantitative analysis of the four components with higher content showed that the content of the four components decreased to varying degrees when the stir-frying was excessive. In addition, 5-hydroxy maltol was produced after stir-frying of Mori Cortex, and the fingerprint and chromaticity values showed regular changes during the stir-frying process. The chromaticity can be included in the evaluation of the stir-frying process of Mori Cortex, which provides a reference for standardizing the quality of stir-fried Mori Cortex.

Caries prevention mechanism of the Xinjiang Mori Cortex based on network pharmacology and its effect on the main cariogenic bacteria / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@#To investigate the potential caries prevention mechanism of the Xinjiang Mori cortex and to analyze its effect on the main cariogenic bacteria.@*Methods@#The active components of the Xinjiang Mori cortex and the main targets were predicted and screened using the TCMSP database. The GeneCards, DisGENET and TTD databases were used to obtain caries-related targets. The common targets were derived, and core genes were screened. The enrichment analysis was performed using the DAVID data platform. Molecular docking was performed using AutoDock software. In in vitro antibacterial experiments, first, the 50% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the Xinjiang Mori Cortex extract against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis and Actinomyces viscosus were determined and the growth curves were measured. The effects of the Xinjiang Mori Cortex extract on acid production, polysaccharide production and adhesion ability of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis and Actinomyces viscosus in the planktonic state were determined. The 50% minimum biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC50) and 50% minimum biofilm reduction concentration (MBRC50) were determined by crystal violet staining, and biofilm morphology was visualized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).@*Results@#The main active components of the Xinjiang Mori cortex included quercetin, kaempferol, and β-sitosterol. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) could be the most important targets of the Xinjiang Mori cortex for the prevention of dental caries. The enrichment analysis results showed that Mori cortex extract may have effects on the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway. The antibacterial experiment results showed that the MIC50 values of Xinjiang Mori Cortex extract against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis and Actinomyces viscosus were 0.5, 0.5 and 0.25 mg/mL, respectively, and the MBCs were 4.0, 2.0 and 1.0 mg/mL, respectively. The inhibitory effect of Xinjiang Mori Cortex extract on the acid production, polysaccharide production and adhesion ability of three major cariogenic bacteria in the planktonic state was stronger than that of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The MBIC50 was 1.0, 1.0, and 0.5 mg/mL, and the MBRC50 was 4.0, 4.0, and 2.0 mg/mL. SEM observation showed that the amount of biofilm formation decreased with the drug concentration compared with the control group.@*Conclusion@#Xinjiang Mori cortex extract can prevent caries through quercetin, kaempferol, and β-sitosterol active ingredients, TNF、IL-6、IL-1β key targets and multiple pathways and inhibit the growth, acid production, polysaccharide production, and adhesion ability of three major cariogenic bacteria in the planktonic state and has some inhibitory effect on corticogenic biofilm formation.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of four major compounds after oral administration of Mori Cortex total flavonoid extract in normal and diabetic rats.

Introduction: Mori Cortex has been used in traditional Chinese Medicine as an antidiabetic agent. The aim of this study was to establish a UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of morin, morusin, umbelliferone and mulberroside A in rat plasma and investigate the pharmacokinetics differences between normal and diabetic rats following oral administration of Mori Cortex total flavonoid extract. Methods: Samples were pre-treated by protein precipitation and genkwanin was used as internal standard. Chromatographic separation was performed using a Hypersil GOLD C18 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 3 µm). The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and water (containing 0.1% formic acid) in gradient mode at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. The transitions of m/z 300.9→107.1, m/z 419.3→297.1, m/z 160.9→77.0, m/z 567.1→243.2 and m/z 283.1→268.2 were selected for morin, morusin, umbelliferone, mulberroside A and internal standard, respectively. Results: The intra- and inter-day precision for analytes were less than 12.5% and the accuracy ranged from -8.1% to 3.5%. The extraction recovery was >88.5% and no obvious matrix effect was observed. The AUC (0-t) and C max of morin were 501.3 ± 115.5 ng/mL*h and 127.8 ± 56.0 ng/mL in normal rats and 717.3 ± 117.4 ng/ml*h and 218.6 ± 33.5 ng/ml in diabetic rats. Meanwhile, the AUC (0-t) and C max of morusin were 116.4 ± 38.2 ng/ml*h and 16.8 ± 10.1 ng/mL in normal rats and 325.0 ± 87.6 ng/mL*h and 39.2 ± 5.9 ng/ml in diabetic rats. For umbelliferone and mulberroside A, the AUC (0-t) and C max also increased significantly in diabetic rats (p < 0.05). Discussion: The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study in normal and diabetic rats.

Quality Evaluation of Mori Cortex from Different Producing Areas Based on Entropy Weight-TOPSIS Method / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the quality of Mori Cortex from different producing areas by the entropy weight-technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution（TOPSIS）， and to provide a new evaluation method for the quality control of Mori Cortex. MethodAccording to the five key indexes of color， thickness， texture， powdery and cortex remain， a subjective scoring table was designed to evaluate the appearance of Mori Cortex. High performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the fingerprint and the contents of multiple components（mulberroside A， chlorogenic acid， oxyresveratrol， mulberroside C， sanggenone D， sanggenone C， morusin）， and chemometrics was used to explore the differential components of Mori Cortex from different habitats. On this basis， TOPSIS was used to comprehensively evaluate the quality of Mori Cortex from different habitats， and SPSS 22.0 software was used to carry out bivariate correlation analysis between thickness and appearance color with contents of seven components of Mori Cortex. ResultThose with lighter color， thicker root bark， tougher texture， sufficient powder and less cortex remain scored higher， and the top five were all from Anhui. The established fingerprint and determination methods were stable and reliable. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） screened three components with the variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1（mulberroside A， sanggenone D， sanggenone C）， which made an important contribution to the difference in the origin of Mori Cortex. Correlation analysis showed that there was a significantly positive correlation between mulberroside C with lightness value（L*） and total chromaticity value（E*ab） and mulberroside A with yellow-blue value（b*）（P<0.05， P<0.01）， a significantly negative correlation between sanggenone C with b* and between morusin with L*（P<0.05， P<0.01）. And there was a significantly negative correlation between mulberroside A， chlorogenic acid， and morusin with thickness（P<0.01）， a clearly negative correlation between sanggenone D with thickness（P<0.05）， a significantly positive correlation between sanggenone C with thickness（P<0.01）. TOPSIS comprehensive scores showed that the samples from Anhui had a good score and ranked high. ConclusionThere are great differences in the quality of Mori Cortex from different habitats， and those with the close habitats show similar characteristics in appearance and component content， and lighter color and less cortex were positively correlated with the quality. Among them， the quality of Mori Cortex from Anhui is relatively good.

Anti-Cancer Effects of a New Herbal Medicine PSY by Inhibiting the STAT3 Signaling Pathway in Colorectal Cancer Cells and Its Phytochemical Analysis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an inflammation-associated common cancer worldwide. Paejang-san and Mori Cortex Radicis have been traditionally used for treating intestinal inflammatory diseases in Korea and China. In the present study, we developed a new herbal formula as an alternative to CRC treatments, which is composed of two main components of Paejangsan (Patriniae Radix (Paejang in Korean) and Coix Seed (Yiyiin in Korean)), and Mori Cortex Radicis (Sangbekpi in Korean) based on the addition and subtraction theory in traditional medicine, hence the name PSY, and explored the potential therapeutic effects of the new formula PSY in human CRC cells by analyzing viability, cell cycle and apoptosis. We found that PSY ethanol extract (EtOH-Ex), but not water extract, significantly suppressed the viability of human CRC cells, and synergistically decreased the cell proliferation compared to each treatment of Patriniae Radix and Coix Seed extract (PY) or Mori Cortex Radicis extract (S), suggesting the combination of PY and S in a 10-to-3 ratio for the formula PSY. PSY EtOH-Ex in the combination ratio reduced cell viability but induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M and sub-G1 phases as well as apoptosis in CRC cells. In addition, the experimental results of Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining and reporter assays showed that PSY also inhibited STAT3 by reducing its phosphorylation and nuclear localization, which resulted in lowering STAT3-mediated transcriptional activation. In addition, PSY regulated upstream signaling molecules of STAT3 by inactivating JAK2 and Src and increasing SHP1. Moreover, the chemical profiles of PSY from UPLC-ESI-QTOF MS/MS analysis revealed 38 phytochemicals, including seven organic acids, eight iridoids, two lignans, twelve prenylflavonoids, eight fatty acids, and one carbohydrate. Furthermore, 21 potentially bioactive compounds were highly enriched in the PSY EtOH-Ex compared to the water extract. Together, these results indicate that PSY suppresses the proliferation of CRC cells by inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway, suggesting PSY as a potential therapeutic agent for treating CRC and 21 EtOH-Ex-enriched phytochemicals as anti-cancer drug candidates which may act by inhibiting STAT3.

[Quality evaluation methods and quality transfer law of Mori Cortex, fried Mori Cortex and its standard decoction].

This study aims to establish a method for the component content determination and fingerprint evaluation of Mori Cortex, fried Mori Cortex and its standard decoction, and to reveal the quality transfer law among the three based on transfer rate, extraction rate, and fingerprint similarity.Fifteen representative batches of Mori Cortex decoction pieces were collected to prepare fried Mori Cortex and its standard decoction.UPLC-PDA was employed to establish the content determination method and fingerprint.The established UPLC method and fingerprint could be applied to the detection of Mori Cortex, fried Mori Cortex and its standard decoction.The UPLC fingerprints of the 15 batches of Mori Cortex and fried Mori Cortex had good similarity(>0.9) and the same common peaks.However, only one characteristic peak(mulberroside A) could be observed in the fingerprint of fried Mori Cortex standard decoction, which indicated that the corresponding components of other common peaks in the fingerprint of Mori Cortex had low content in the water extract.The extraction rates of mulberroside A from Mori Cortex, fried Mori Cortex and its standard decoction were 1.49%-2.00%, 1.62%-2.27% and 0.75%-1.29%, respectively.Mulberroside A showed the transfer rate of 103.7%-116.3% from Mori Cortex to fried Mori Cortex and 45.7%-56.9% from fried Mori Cortex to its standard decoction.The extraction rates of the 15 batches of fried Mori Cortex standard decoctions were 14.7%-19.5%.All the above indicators were within±30% of the mean value.This study established a method for the determination of mulberroside A content and fingerprint of Mori Cortex, fried Mori Cortex and its standard decoction, and clarified the quality transfer law among the three.It established the method for quality evaluation of Mori Cortex and fried Mori Cortex and can provide reference for the whole-process quality control in the preparation of the agents containing fried Mori Cortex.

[Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Morus alba].

Morus alba, a traditional economic crop, is also a significant medicinal plant. The branches(Mori Ramulus), leaves(Mori Folium), roots and barks(Mori Cortex), and fruits(Mori Fructus) of M. alba are rich in chemical components, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, flavanols, anthocyanins, benzofurans, phenolic acids, and polysaccharides, and possess hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, liver protective, immunoregulatory, and other pharmacological activities. This study analyzed the sources, classification, and functions of the main chemical components in M. alba and systematically summarized the latest research results of essential active components in M. alba and their pharmacological effects to provide references for in-depth research and further development as well as utilization of active components in M. alba.

Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Morus alba / 中国中药杂志

Morus alba, a traditional economic crop, is also a significant medicinal plant. The branches(Mori Ramulus), leaves(Mori Folium), roots and barks(Mori Cortex), and fruits(Mori Fructus) of M. alba are rich in chemical components, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, flavanols, anthocyanins, benzofurans, phenolic acids, and polysaccharides, and possess hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, liver protective, immunoregulatory, and other pharmacological activities. This study analyzed the sources, classification, and functions of the main chemical components in M. alba and systematically summarized the latest research results of essential active components in M. alba and their pharmacological effects to provide references for in-depth research and further development as well as utilization of active components in M. alba.

Herbal Textual Research on Mori in Famous Classical Formulas / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Through consulting the ancient herbs， medical books and modern literature， this paper made textual research on the name， origin， producing area， quality evaluation， collection and processing of medicinal materials of Sang （Mori Folium， Mori Cortex， Mori Ramulus， Mori Fructus） in famous classical formulas， in order to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing medicinal materials of Sang. According to the research， Mori Folium and Mori Cortex were first used as medicines in Shengnong Bencaojing ， Mori Ramulus was first used as medicine in Jinxiaofang， and Mori Fructus was first used as medicine in Xinxiu Bencao. Before the Tang dynasty， there were Nyusang and Shansang. Since Tang dynasty， there were many sources of medicinal materials of Sang， including Baisang （Morus alba）， Jisang （M. australis）， Shansang （M. mongolica）， etc. According to textual research， the mainstream varieties were M. australis， M. alba and their cultivated varieties. In modern times， according to the relevant information and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia， M. alba is the original base. In ancient times， the origin of mulberry changed with the development of sericulture， mulberry has been widely planted since the Song dynasty. In the Ming and Qing dynasties， mulberry has been planted most in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In modern times， they are mainly produced in Jiangsu， Zhejiang， Anhui， Hunan and other places. In recent years， due to the related policies and strategies such as "moving silkworms from east to west"， the center of silkworm breeding has gradually transferred to the west. As for the quality evaluation and harvesting and processing of mulberry medicinal materials， Most of the ancient and modern records of Mori Folium are the same. They are harvested after frost， and dried after removing impurities. The quality is better when the leaves are large and thick， yellowish green， holding prickly hands and undergoing frost. The harvesting period of Mori Cortex is slightly different in ancient and modern records. Ancient books record that it can be harvested all the year round， but in modern times， it is mostly harvested from late autumn to the next spring. The processing methods include removing soil and fibrous roots， scraping off yellow-brown rough skin， peeling off white skin and drying in the sun. The quality is better when they are white， thick， flexible， free of rough skin and full of powder. There are few records about the collection， processing and quality evaluation of Mori Ramulus and Mori Fructus in ancient Chinese herbal books. According to modern literature， Mori Ramulus is usually collected in late spring and early summer， with leaves removed， slightly dried， sliced while fresh， and dried in the sun. The best quality of Mori Ramulus is fine and tender with the yellow and white section. Mori Fructus is harvested from April to June when the fruit turns red， and dried in the sun， or slightly steamed and dried in the sun， and it is better to be big， dark purple， oily and thick. There are many processing methods of mulberry medicinal materials. Ancient books record stir frying， baking， burning and steaming of Mori Folium， in modern times， there is honey-roasted method， but most of them are used as raw products. In ancient materia medica， Mori Cortex has firing method， baking method， stir-frying method， honey-fried method， etc. In modern times， there are stir-fried and honey-fried methods， and most of them are used as raw products. Ancient books record that Mori Ramulus has cutting and frying methods， while modern ones have cutting， frying， wine-processed and bran-processed methods. Processing methods of Mori Fructus are consistent in ancient and modern times， and they are mostly dried after being cleaned or steamed. Based on the research results， it is suggested that M. alba should be selected as mulberry medicinal materials in the famous classical formulas， and appropriate medicinal parts and processing methods can be selected according to the indications of the famous classical formulas.

Prescriptions with Mori Cortex in Treatment of Respiratory Diseases： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Mori Cortex is sweet and pungent in taste， cold in nature， and has the tropism to the lung meridian. It has the functions of purging the lung and relieving asthma and can treat oliguria and edema， being one of the commonly used herbal medicines in clinical practice. The prescriptions with Mori Cortex， such as Sangbaipi Tang， Qingjin Huatanfang， and Qingfei Huatantang， are widely used in clinical practice. The main active components in Mori Cortex are the material basis for its efficacy. Owing to the mature methods for the identification of pharmacodynamic substances in Chinese herbal medicines， the research on the chemical components of Mori Cortex has been in-depth and systematic. This article reviews the recent studies about the chemical components and pharmacological effects of Mori Cortex， as well as the treatment of respiratory diseases by the prescriptions with Mori Cortex. On this basis， the effect and mechanism of Mori Cortex and related prescriptions in the treatment of respiratory diseases are summarized. Furthermore， this article analyzes the formulation compatibility and commonly used dosages of Mori Cortex-related prescriptions in clinical practice. It provides reference for the clinical application of Mori Cortex and related prescriptions in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

Prescriptions with Mori Cortex in Treatment of Respiratory Diseases： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Mori Cortex is sweet and pungent in taste， cold in nature， and has the tropism to the lung meridian. It has the functions of purging the lung and relieving asthma and can treat oliguria and edema， being one of the commonly used herbal medicines in clinical practice. The prescriptions with Mori Cortex， such as Sangbaipi Tang， Qingjin Huatanfang， and Qingfei Huatantang， are widely used in clinical practice. The main active components in Mori Cortex are the material basis for its efficacy. Owing to the mature methods for the identification of pharmacodynamic substances in Chinese herbal medicines， the research on the chemical components of Mori Cortex has been in-depth and systematic. This article reviews the recent studies about the chemical components and pharmacological effects of Mori Cortex， as well as the treatment of respiratory diseases by the prescriptions with Mori Cortex. On this basis， the effect and mechanism of Mori Cortex and related prescriptions in the treatment of respiratory diseases are summarized. Furthermore， this article analyzes the formulation compatibility and commonly used dosages of Mori Cortex-related prescriptions in clinical practice. It provides reference for the clinical application of Mori Cortex and related prescriptions in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

Phenolic Compounds from Mori Cortex Ameliorate Sodium Oleate-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Fibrosis in NRK-52e Cells through CD36.

Lipid deposition in the kidney can cause serious damage to the kidney, and there is an obvious epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis in the late stage. To investigate the interventional effects and mechanisms of phenolic compounds from Mori Cortex on the EMT and fibrosis induced by sodium oleate-induced lipid deposition in renal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52e cells), and the role played by CD36 in the adjustment process, NRK-52e cells induced by 200 µmol/L sodium oleate were given 10 µmoL/L moracin-P-2″-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (Y-1), moracin-P-3'-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (Y-2), moracin-P-3'-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (Y-3), and moracin-P-3'-O-[ß-glucopyranoside-(1→2)arabinopyranoside] (Y-4), and Oil Red O staining was used to detect lipid deposition. A Western blot was used to detect lipid deposition-related protein CD36, inflammation-related protein (p-NF-κB-P65, NF-κB-P65, IL-1ß), oxidative stress-related protein (NOX1, Nrf2, Keap1), EMT-related proteins (CD31, α-SMA), and fibrosis-related proteins (TGF-ß, ZEB1, Snail1). A qRT-PCR test detected inflammation, EMT, and fibrosis-related gene mRNA levels. The TNF-α levels were detected by ELISA, and the colorimetric method was used to detects SOD and MDA levels. The ROS was measured by flow cytometry. A high-content imaging analysis system was applied to observe EMT and fibrosis-related proteins. At the same time, the experiment silenced CD36 and compared the difference between before and after drug treatment, then used molecular docking technology to predict the potential binding site of the active compounds with CD36. The research results show that sodium oleate can induce lipid deposition, inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis in NRK-52e cells. Y-1 and Y-2 could significantly ameliorate the damage caused by sodium oleate, and Y-2 had a better ameliorating effect, while there was no significant change in Y-3 or Y-4. The amelioration effect of Y-1 and Y-2 disappeared after silencing CD36. Molecular docking technology showed that the Y-1 and Y-2 had hydrogen bonds to CD36 and that, compared with Y-1, Y-2 requires less binding energy. In summary, moracin-P-2″-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside and moracin-P-3'-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside from Mori Cortex ameliorated lipid deposition, EMT, and fibrosis induced by sodium oleate in NRK-52e cells through CD36.

Mori Cortex Radicis extract inhibits human norovirus surrogate in simulated digestive conditions.

Norovirus is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis globally, resulting in enormous health and societal costs. In this study, the antiviral activities of Mori Cortex Radicis (MCR) extract and its bioactive flavonoids, morusin and kuwanon G, were tested against murine norovirus (MNV), a human norovirus surrogate, using plaque assay. The antiviral activity was confirmed in simulated digestive conditions, including simulated saliva fluid (SSF), simulated gastric fluid (SGF), and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). Pre-treatment of MNV with MCR extract at 1000 µg/mL showed antiviral activity with a 1.1-log reduction. Morusin and kuwanon G also demonstrated a 1.0-log and 0.6-log reductions of MNV titers, respectively, at 100 µM. MCR extract at a concentration of 2 mg/mL in SSF, SGF, and SIF markedly reduced MNV titers by 1.8, 1.9, and 1.5 logs, respectively. Therefore, these data suggest that MCR extract can be used to control norovirus infectivity.

[Systematic analysis on chemical constituents of Mori Cortex, mulberry root bark and its phellem layer based on HPLC-ESI-MS].

In this study, HPLC-ESI-MS and HPLC methods were established to explore the differences in the main chemical components and content of Mori Cortex with(mulberry root bark) and without(Mori Cortex) the phellem layer from both qualitative and quantitative aspects. The HPLC-ESI-MS method was used for quality analysis in positive and negative ion modes, and 33 compounds were identified in mulberry root bark, 22 compounds in Mori Cortex, and 26 compounds in phellem layer; mulberry root bark and Mori Cortex shared 22 components, and mulberry root bark has 11 unique compounds; Mori Cortex and its phellem layer shared 15 components, while Mori Cortex has 7 unique compounds. HPLC method was used to simultaneously determine 7 major constituents, including mulberroside A, chlorogenic acid, dihydromorin, oxyresveratrol, moracin O, kuwanon G, and kuwanon H, and the developed method showed good linearity(r>0.998 9) within the concentration range and the recoveries varied from 99.88% to 103.0%, and the RSD was 1.7%-2.9%. The HPLC results showed that the contents of the 7 compounds have great differences in 13 batches samples, compared with mulberry root bark, the contents of mulberroside A, chlorogenic acid, dihydromorin and moracin O of Mori Cortex were increased, while the contents of oxyresveratrol, kuwanon G and kuwanon H were decreased after peeling process. These results can provide a basis for the rationality and quality control of Mori Cortex required to remove the phellem layer.

Effect Mechanism of Total Flavonoid of Mori Cortex Combined with Total Saponins of Anemarrhenar Rhizoma on Hyperlipidemia Rats with Osteoporosis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the improvement effect of total flavonoids of Mori Cortex combined with total saponins of Anemarrhena Asphodeloide on hyperlipidemia rats with osteoporosis and its possible mechanism. Method:The 40 SPF male SD rats were adaptively fed for 7 days， and then randomly divided into normal group， model group， calcitriol group （45 ng·kg^-1）， total flavonoids of Mori Cortex and total saponins of Anemarrhena Asphodeloide 1∶2 group （0.6 g·kg^-1+0.4 g·kg^-1） and 2∶1 group （1.2 g·kg^-1+0.2 g·kg^-1）. Except for the normal group， rats in the other groups were fed with high fat for 9 weeks， the normal group and the model grouotal flavonoids of total flavonoids of Mori Cortex and total saponins of Anemarrhena Asphodeloip were given normal saline by gavage， and the other groups were given corresponding drugs by gavage， after 12 weeks of administration， except for the normal group ， the other groups were given intramuscular injection of glucocorticoids at the same time. After 22 weeks of administration， the weight of rats with total flavonoids from Mori Cortex combined with total saponins of Anemarrhena Asphodeloide was measured. Serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， low density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， osteocalcin （BGP） and bone alkaline phosphatase （BALP） were determined by biochemical assay. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining to observe the pathological changes of rat tibia. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the expression levels of peroxisomal proliferators activate the receptor gamma（PPAR<italic>γ</italic>） and Runt-related transcription factor 2 （Runx2） mRNA in rat bone tissue， immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of PPAR<italic>γ</italic> and Runx2 in rats. Result:Compared with normal group， the body mass of rats in model group was significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the contents of TC， TG， and LDL-C in the serum were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with model group， the body weight of rats in thet total flavonoids of Mori Cortex and total saponins of Anemarrhena Asphodeloide 1∶2 group and 2∶1 group were significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the contents of TC， TG， and LDL-C in the serum were significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the content of BGP and BALP increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. HE staining results showed that compared with the normal group， the tibia fat vacuoles of the model group increased， and the number of osteoblasts decreased， compared with the model group， the total flavonoids of the Mori Cortex and the flavonoids-total saponins of Anemarrhena Asphodeloide 1∶2 group and 2∶1 group decreased in tibia fat vacuoles and increased the number of osteoblasts， the results of immunofluorescence and Real-time PCR showed that， compared with normal group， the expression of Runx2 in the model group decreased and the expression of PPAR<italic>γ</italic> increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with model group， the total flavonoids of Mori Cortex-total saponins 1∶2 group and the total flavonoids of Mori Cortex-total saponins 2∶1 Group up-regulated the expression of Runx2 and down-regulated the expression of PPAR<italic>γ </italic>（<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:The total flavonoids of Mori Cortex combined with the total saponins of Anemarrhena Asphodeloide up-regulated Runx2 and down-regulated the expression of PPAR<italic>γ</italic> mRNA and protein， thereby affecting the metabolism of TG and TC in the blood， achieving a therapeutic effect on osteoporosis， provides experimental basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia with osteoporosis.

Systematic analysis on chemical constituents of Mori Cortex, mulberry root bark and its phellem layer based on HPLC-ESI-MS / 中国中药杂志

In this study, HPLC-ESI-MS and HPLC methods were established to explore the differences in the main chemical components and content of Mori Cortex with(mulberry root bark) and without(Mori Cortex) the phellem layer from both qualitative and quantitative aspects. The HPLC-ESI-MS method was used for quality analysis in positive and negative ion modes, and 33 compounds were identified in mulberry root bark, 22 compounds in Mori Cortex, and 26 compounds in phellem layer; mulberry root bark and Mori Cortex shared 22 components, and mulberry root bark has 11 unique compounds; Mori Cortex and its phellem layer shared 15 components, while Mori Cortex has 7 unique compounds. HPLC method was used to simultaneously determine 7 major constituents, including mulberroside A, chlorogenic acid, dihydromorin, oxyresveratrol, moracin O, kuwanon G, and kuwanon H, and the developed method showed good linearity(r>0.998 9) within the concentration range and the recoveries varied from 99.88% to 103.0%, and the RSD was 1.7%-2.9%. The HPLC results showed that the contents of the 7 compounds have great differences in 13 batches samples, compared with mulberry root bark, the contents of mulberroside A, chlorogenic acid, dihydromorin and moracin O of Mori Cortex were increased, while the contents of oxyresveratrol, kuwanon G and kuwanon H were decreased after peeling process. These results can provide a basis for the rationality and quality control of Mori Cortex required to remove the phellem layer.

Simultaneous Determination of 7 Active Components in Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex from Different Sources by HPLC / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To establish a meth od for the simultaneous determination of 7 active components in Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex from different sources in Chongqing area ，so as to provide reference for improving the quality control standards of Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex and comparing the equivalence of their quality. METHODS ：HPLC method was used to determine the contents of neochlorogenic acid ，mulberroside A ，chlorogenic acid ，astragalin，kaempferol，morusin and isoquercetin in 58 batches of Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex. The chromatographic column was Diamonsil C 18 with mobile phase consisted of 0.1％ formic acid solution-acetonitrile （gradient elution ） at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 280 nm，column temperature was 30 ℃，and the injection volume was 10 μL. Using SPSS 22.0 software， independent sample t-test，principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used to analyze the content difference of the above-mentioned 7 active components in Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex. RESULTS ：There was a good linear relationship between the peak area and the concentration of the above 7 active components （r≥0.999 0）. The RSDs of precision ，stability（24 h），repeatability，durability and recovery were less than 3％. The average contents of neochlorogenic acid ，mulberroside A ， chlorogenic acid ， astragalin， kaempferol， morusin and 023-58576130。E-mail：1025473978@qq.com isoquercetin in Mori Australis Cortex were 0.304，22.462， 1.730，1.308，1.593，2.842 and 0.657 mg/g，respectively. Those of Mori Cortex were 0.305，22.995，2.486，2.438， 2.916，4.158 and 1.264 mg/g，respectively. The results of independent sample t-test showed that only the content of kaempferol in the above 7 active components of Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex had significant difference （P＜0.05）. The results of principal component analysis and cluster analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the contents of above 7 active components between Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex. CONCLUSIONS：The established HPLC method is simple ，sensitive and accurate ，which can provide a reference for improving the quality control standard of Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex. Mori Australis Cortex and Mori Cortex have certain quality equivalence in main active components ，and the Mori Australis Cortex from M. australis and M. cathayana can be used as a substitute for the Mori Cortex.

Mori Cortex Radicis Attenuates High Fat Diet-Induced Cognitive Impairment via an IRS/Akt Signaling Pathway.

Present study was conducted to investigate ameliorating effects of Mori Cortex radicis on cognitive impair and neuronal defects in HFD-induced (High Fat Diet-Induced) obese mice. To induce obesity, C57BL/6 mice were fed an HFD for 8 weeks, and then mice were fed the HFD plus Mori Cortex radicis extract (MCR) (100 or 200 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks. Prior to sacrifice, body weights were measured, and Y-maze test and oral glucose tolerance test were performed. Serum lipid metabolic biomarkers (TG, LDL, and HDL/total cholesterol ratio) and antioxidant enzymes (glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase), malondialdehyde (MDA), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels were measured in brain tissues. The expressions of proteins related to insulin signaling (p-IRS, PI3K, p-Akt, and GLUT4) and neuronal protection (p-Tau, Bcl-2, and Bax) were examined. MCR suppressed weight gain, improved serum lipid metabolic biomarker and glucose tolerance, inhibited AChE levels and MDA production, and restored antioxidant enzyme levels in brain tissue. In addition, MCR induced neuronal protective effects by inhibiting p-Tau expression and increasing Bcl-2/Bax ratio, which was attributed to insulin-induced increases in the expressions p-IRS, PI3K, p-Akt, and GLUT4. These indicate MCR may reduce HFD-induced insulin dysfunction and neuronal damage and suggest MCR be considered a functional material for the prevention of T2DM-associated neuronal disease.

Virtual screening of small molecular inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL hydrolase based on high-throughput molecular docking and prediction of Chinese materia medica and its compound against COVID-19 / 中草药

Objective: Based on the systematic pharmacological database of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the analysis platform TCMSP, the computer virtual screening technique was used to screen the small molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL hydrolase from Chinese materia medica (CMM), and speculate the potential anti-COVID-19 novel coronavirus pneumonia TCMs and its compounds. Methods: SARS-CoV-2 3CL hydrolase protein was targeted in this study. Autodock Vina software and Python script were used to realize high-throughput molecular docking. Combined with “ADME-Lipinski” rules, the re-screening was carried out to optimize the active ingredients and speculate the key TCMs and compound prescriptions. Based on the perspective of network pharmacology, a component-target-pathway network was constructed to infer the mechanism of action of core drug pairs. Results: Taking the reference ligand as positive control, 66 natural micromolecule compounds with good pharmacokinetic properties were obtained. Twelve single TCMs, two Chinese medicine pairs of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Mori Cortex and Lonicerae Japonicae Flos-Forsythiae Fructus, and 12 TCM prescriptions including Sangju Drink and modified Sangju Drink and Yinqiao Powder were selected as candidate schemes to fight against novel coronavirus pneumonia. Conclusion: This study is based on high-throughput molecular docking technology to virtually screen small molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL hydrolase of CMM and Chinese medicines, innovatively analyze the potential molecular mechanism in combination with network pharmacology, and provide scientific guidance and theoretical basis for TCM to resist novel coronavirus pneumonia.