A review on the extraction and separation of andrographolide from Andrographis paniculata:extraction selectivity,current challenges and strategies

Andrographolide is the main active ingredient of Andrographis paniculata(Burm.f.)Nees,known as“natural antibiotic”.Here,for the purpose of discovering a more efficient,low-cost extraction and separation method,the research status of andrographolide was reviewed.At present,researches only take extraction rate as the only index to optimize extraction parameters,but ignores the importance of extraction selectivity.It is usually meaningless to blindly pursue the extraction rate without considering the difficulty and cost of subsequent separation.So,factors affecting extraction selectivity such as solvent choice,temperature and physicochemical effects caused by extraction technique itself,are first discussed.Different extraction techniques for andrographolide were discussed by comparing the selectivity,efficiency and cost of extraction.The separation procedures of andrographolide such as decolorization,impurity removal,crystallization,membrane separation,solid-phase extraction and partition chromatography and their challenges and possible strategies are also discussed.It is hoped that this review can provide guidance for researchers who are committed to advancing the field of andrographolide extraction and purification.

Inflammatory microenvironment and expression of chemokines in hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM:To study the inflammatory microenvironment and expression of chemokines in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in nude mice.METHODS:CBRH-7919 HCC cells were injected into the subcutaneous region of nude mice.Beginning two weeks after the challenge,tumor growth was measured every week for six weeks.The stromal microenvironment and inflammatory cell infiltration was assessed by immunohistochemistry in paired tumor and adjacent peritumoral samples,and macrophage phenotype was assessed using double-stain immunohistochemistry incorporating expression of an intracellular enzyme.A chemokine PCR array,comprised of 98 genes,was used to screen differential gene expressions,which were validated by Western blotting.Additionally,expression of identified chemokines was knocked-down by RNA interference,and the effect on tumor growth was assessed.RESULTS:Inflammatory cell infiltrates are a key feature of adjacent peritumoral tissues with increased macrophage,neutrophil,and T cell(specifically helperand activated subsets)infiltration.Macrophages within adjacent peritumoral tissues express inducible nitric oxide synthase,suggestive of a proinflammatory phenotype.Fifty-one genes were identified in tumor tissues during the progression period,including 50that were overexpressed(including CXCL1,CXCL2 and CXCL3)and three that were underexpressed(CXCR1,Ifg and Actb).RNA interference of CXCL1 in the CBRH-7919 cells decreased the growth of tumors in nude mice and inhibited expression of CXCL2,CXCL3and interleukin-1βprotein.CONCLUSION:These findings suggest that CXCL1plays a critical role in tumor growth and may serve as a potential molecular target for use in HCC therapy.

Influence of semisolid forging ratio on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti14 alloy

The present work is focused on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti14 alloy with different semisolid deformation ratios during forging tests. The results revealed that the forging ratio had a significant effect on the precipitation of the alloy. Fewer plate-shaped Ti2Cu tended to precipitate on grain boundaries with higher forging ratios, and finally the plate-shaped Ti2Cu formed precipitate-free zones along grain boundaries with a forging ratio of 75%. The precipitation on grain boundaries was found to be controlled by a peritectic reaction. Large forging ratios accelerated the extrusion of liquid and resulted in less liquid along the prior grain boundaries, which reduced the peritectic precipitation in this region and formed precipitate-free zones during re-solidification. In addition, increasing the forging ratio could accelerate dynamic recrystallization, which is favorable for improving the semisolid formability. The tensile ductility increased with increasing forging ratio, and a mixed fracture mode, involving both cleavage and dimple fracture, was observed after forging with a forging ratio of 75%, which along grain boundaries during semisolid processing. is attributed to the presence of precipitate-free zones formed

Preparation and characterization of resistant starch type 3 from yam and its effect on the gut microbiota

Background:Yam(Dioscorea opposita Thunb.)has been consumed as a food and used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.Resistant starch(RS)3 is of particular interest because it is heat-resistant,safe and non-toxic,and retains good nutritional benefits;it is therefore used in a wide range of traditional and emerging foods as a heat-stable prebiotic ingredient.In our previous study,we found that yam RS includes strong lipid-lowering and anti-constipation activities.Methods:Yam RS3 was prepared by autoclaving-retrogradation and pullulanase debranching to yield autoclaving-retrogradation yam RS and pullulanase debranching yam RS,respectively.First,the physicochemical properties of both RS3s were analyzed.Second,the structures of the RS3s were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray powder diffraction,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.Finally,the regulatory effects of the RS3s on the gut microbiota were evaluated using an in vitro fecal fermentation model.Results:The RS content of the RS3s decreased after processing,but was higher in pullulanase debranching yam RS(35.67%)than in autoclaving-retrogradation yam RS(28.71%).Compared with native yam starch,RS3s lost their original granular shapes and instead exhibited irregularly shapes with continuous phases.The crystalline structure of the RS3s was completely altered,with pullulanase debranching yam RS exhibiting B-type patterns.Both RS3s,and especially pullulanase debranching yam RS,promoted a significant increase in short chain fatty acid content after in vitro fermentation(all P<0.05).Moreover,pullulanase debranching yam RS significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Escherichia and Shigella(all P<0.05).Conclusion:Our findings show that yam RS3s can regulate the composition of the gut microbiota and promote the production of short chain fatty acid,especially butyric acid.Pullulanase debranching was a more effective method for producing functional yam RS3.

The mechanism and clinical effectiveness of the six-step Chinese Daoyin technique on hemiplegic patients with drop-foot

Objective: The aim of this study was to improve the Chinese Daoyin technique (physical and breathing exercises), which is an ancient rehabilitation method, to elevate its effect and to standardize its operational procedure. Methods: Based on the ancient Chinese Daoyin technique, a six-step method was developed including: 1) motion imagination and imitation;2) mental and breathing regulation;3) target point determination;4) motion percussion;5) motion persistence;6) relaxation. Sixty drop-foot patients who suffered from hemiparesis after a stroke were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group. Functional evaluation including Fugl-Meyer assessment score, Lovett manual muscle test (MMT), active range of motion of the ankle joint and electromyography were performed before and after the training course. The data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS 12.0. Results: The differences between the two groups were significant. The effectiveness of the six-step group was significantly better than the effectiveness of the control group. Conclusion: The six-step method of the Chinese Daoyin technique is an effective rehabilitation training method for drop-foot in stroke patients with hemiparesis.

Physical properties of WSTi3515S burn-resistant titanium alloy

Development of burn-resistant titanium alloys is the most direct way of mitigating the ignition and propagation of titanium fires in jet engines. WSTi3515S alloy（Ti–35V–15Cr–0.3Si–0.1C） is a new high alloying beta type burn-resistant titanium alloy, belonging to Ti–V–Cr type alloys which have been made significant progress in engineering technology in the past 5 years. The physical properties of WSTi3515S burn-resistant titanium alloy such as the elastic properties and thermal properties were measured and analyzed in different conditions. The results show that both the Young＇s modulus and shear modulus of WSTi3515S alloy decrease slightly with the temperature increasing at the tested temperature range. The Poisson＇s ratio of WSTi3515S alloy is around 0.36. However, the thermal properties such as the specific heat, thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion increase with the temperature increasing, which results from the strengthening of lattice heat vibration at elevated temperature. And the room temperature density of WSTi3515S alloy is 5.295 gácm^（-3）.

Constitutive equation and hot processing maps of Al-5Ti-1B master alloy

The isothermal compression tests of A1-5Ti- 1B master alloy were conducted on the thermal mechanical simulator Gleeble-1500D at the deformation temperature range of 300-450 ℃,the strain rate range of 0.01- 10.00 s^-l, and the engineering strain of 50 %. The effects of deformation temperatures and strain rates on the flow stress were analyzed by the true stress-true strain curves. The result indicates that the flow stress increases with the increase of strain rate, while it decreases with the increase of temperature. The hot deformation activation energy of A1-5Ti-IB master alloy is calculated to be 250.9 kJ.mol^-1, and the constitutive equation is established as ε=1.97 x lO^19[sinh（O.O15δ）^11.14exp（-250.9/RT）, and the validity of this constitutive equation is verified. Based on dynamic material model （DMM） criterion, the hot processing map of AI-5Ti-1B master alloy is obtained. The optimum hot extrusion conditions are determined as deformation temperature of 400℃ and strain rate of 1.00 s^-1, and the flow instability only appears at the temperature range of 300-340℃ at the base of the hot processing map.

Dynamic Proteome Changes of Shigella flexneri 2a During Transition from Exponential Growth to Stationary Phase

Shigella flexneri is an infectious pathogen that causes dysentery to human, which remains a serious threat to public health, particularly in developing countries. In this study, the global protein expression patterns of S. flexneri during transition from exponential growth to stationary phase in vitro were analyzed by using 2-D PAGE combined with MALDI-TOF MS. In a time-course experiment with five time points, the relative abundance of 49 protein spots varied significantly. Interestingly, a putative outer membrane protein YciD （OmpW） was almost not detected in the exponential growth phase but became one of the most abundant proteins in the whole stationary-phase proteome. Some proteins regulated by the global regulator FNR were also significantly induced （such as AnsB, AspA, FrdAB, and KatG） or repressed （such as AceEF, OmpX, SodA, and SucAB） during the growth phase transition. These proteins may be the key effectors of the bacterial cell cycle or play important roles in the cellular maintenance and stress responses. Our expression profile data provide valuable information for the study of bacterial physiology and form the basis for future proteomic analyses of this pathogen.