The dynamic changes and mechanisms of Rehmanniae radix processing based on Maillard reaction

Background:Traditional Chinese medicines are usually processed before they are used for clinical treatment.This is done in a way associated with the Maillard reaction.Methods:Based on the Maillard reaction,this paper analyzed the degree of processing of rehmannia root(Rehmanniae radix)relative to the dynamic variation rules of Maillard reaction index parameters,including pH,A420,amino acids,and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural.Furthermore,this study introduced thermal analysis techniques and pyrolysis kinetics to assess the influence of the correlation between processing raw rehmannia root and the Maillard reaction during carbonization.It then went through the whole process of transforming the raw material to end-product in order to explain the scientific connotation of processing it.Results:The results showed that each time rehmannia root was processed,its pH value and amino acid content decreased,while the A420 value and 5-HMF increased.Processing with wine shows a significant difference in these experimental indexes.The position and intensity of the maximum thermal weight loss rate peak of processed rehmannia root at different degrees of processing are different.Comprehensive quantitative 221±0.2°C for processed rehmannia root carbonization was the processing temperature limit.Moreover,the kinetic solution verified that the activation energy corresponding to the carbonization temperature was close to the maximum value of the activation energy of the whole carbonization process,and the optimal mechanism function was g(α)=((1−α)−1/3−1)2.Conclusion:The Maillard reaction occurred during the processing of rehmannia root mixed with carbonization.With each increase of the number of steaming and drying cycles involved in the processing,the level of Maillard reaction increased significantly.The wine-steaming method had a significant effect on the quality of the processed product.

Effects of processing technology on essential oil and pharmacological action of frankincense

Background:According to the traditional Chinese medicine theory,the common processing methods for Ruxiang(frankincense)include stir-frying processing and vinegar processing.Methods:With network pharmacology and thermal analysis methods,we selected and identified the main and irritating ingredients,established the pyrolysis characteristic parameters for identifying frankincense quality,quantified the starting and optimum temperature limits for processing frankincense,and analyzed the influences of processing adjuvants(vinegar)on combustion pyrolysis characteristics of frankincense.By applying Fourier transformation infrared spectrometry,high performance liquid chromatography,gas chromatography and UV-visible spectrometry,we evaluated the processing technology developed in our study of frankincense and its processed products.Results:Based on network pharmacology,we can find that the classical compounds of essential oil are the main pharmacodynamics components of frankincense possessing the anti-inflammatory,analgesia,anti-tumor,anti-ulcer and ant-inflammatory bowel disease effects.The pyrolysis combustion rate peaks of frankincense at 285.27±7.05℃and 476.99±13.46℃were the characteristic peaks used to identify frankincense quality.The specific temperature of slow-fire processing,including the vinegar processing and stir-frying processing,was 148.72±5.09℃.Heating for 5.67±0.98 min after reaching processing temperature was needed for processing frankincense with vinegar.The kinetics analysis showed that both frankincense and its vinegar mixture exhibited good linear relationships.The feasibility and practicability for our processing technology were verified through the determination of medicinal compounds by Fourier transformation infrared spectrometry,high performance liquid chromatography,gas chromatography and UV.Conclusion:Frankincense essential oils were the main active components of frankincense,which also can be taken as the internal chemical control indexes to judge the quality control and to optimize the processing technology of frankincense.The pyrolysis combustion rate peaks of frankincense at 285.27±7.05℃and 476.99±13.46℃were the characteristic peaks that can be used to identify frankincense quality.The optimum processing conditions of vinegar-processed frankincense with were as follows:with vinegar,20%;heating temperature,148.72±5.09℃;and heating time,5.67±0.98 min.Under these conditions,frankincense essential oil could cause a moderate effect on combustion pyrolysis characteristics to exert its corresponding pharmacological effects.

Investigation of the processing technology and mechanism of Kansui radix by licorice based on response surface methodology and integrative pharmacology

Background:The herbs should be processed by different methods before use,and the efficacy and toxicity of Chinese herbal medicines may change,which may enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity after processing.Gansui(Kansui radix)is a common clinical herbal medicine,and there are considerable changes in its toxicity and efficacy after processing.Gaocao(Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizome)has a detoxifying effect.Methods:Using the contents of euphorbiadienol and the alcohol-soluble extract of Glycyrrhizae radix-processed Kansui radix as evaluation indexes,response surface methodology was used to optimize the processing technology of Kansui radix by exploring the effects of Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma-addition amount,frying temperature,and frying time on the processing technology of Kansui radix.Meanwhile,response surface software was used to analyze experimental data to determine the processing parameters of Kansui radix by Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma.Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine is used to analysis the potential ingredients of Kansui radix and verify the potential ingredients by western blotting.Results:The technology of Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma-processed Kansui radix was optimized for the Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma-addition amount of 27%,frying temperature of 180℃,and frying time of 11 min.The network pharmacology analysis revealed that Kansui radix could cause kidney,liver,and heart injury by the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Kansui radix at high or low dose could decrease the ratio of p-AKT/AKT while Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma-processed Kansui could increase it.Conclusion:The model established by response surface methodology is relatively accurate and can predict the contents of euphorbiadienol and alcohol extract of processed Kansui radix.The toxic effects and its mechanism of action of Kansui radix and processed Kansui radix on kidney,liver,and heart,from the perspective of systems biology,have provided scientific evidence to its clinical application.

Optimization and pharmacodynamic evaluation of stir-frying with bran for Tangshen processing

Background:Traditional Chinese medicine requires special processing before it can be effectively used for clinical treatment of diseases.In particular,Tangshen stir-fried with wheat bran smoke has been found to enhance the function of the stomach and spleen.However,there is limited research on the technology and pharmacodynamic effects of Tangshen fried with bran.Therefore,the objective of this article is to optimize the method of stir-frying with bran for Tangshen processing and to compare the anti-fatigue and hypoxia-resistance effects of Tangshen before and after bran-frying.Methods:The response surface methodology was utilized to optimize the frying temperature,frying time,and the bran-to-Tangshen ratio,using lobetyolin as the indicator.The swimming time of mice and the levels of blood urea nitrogen,lactate dehydrogenase,and blood glucose in fatigued mice were compared before and after Tangshen was fried with bran.Additionally,the hypoxic resistance ability of Tangshen before and after bran-frying was determined through normobaric hypoxia test and sodium nitrite poisoning test.Results:The optimal bran-frying conditions for Tangshen processing were determined as:frying temperature of 167°C,frying time of 2.67 min,and the bran-to-Tangshen ratio of 50:100.Pharmacodynamic analysis results indicated that Tangshen significantly increased the GLU content(P<0.01)and significantly reduced the LDH content(P<0.01)both before and after bran-frying.While both traditional and new bran-frying methods significantly increased the content of muscle glycogen(P<0.05),the optimized method in this study also significantly elevated the content of liver glycogen(P<0.05).The traditional method significantly prolonged the survival time of mice from sodium nitrite poisoning(P<0.05).Conclusion:The response surface model proved to be highly effective in optimizing the stir-frying process with bran for Tangshen processing.The results of this study indicate that Tangshen possesses anti-fatigue and hypoxia-resistance effects both before and after bran-frying,with bran-fried Tangshen exhibiting significantly stronger effects.