Evaluation of Baishao(Radix Paeoniae Alba)and Chishao(Radix Paeoniae Rubra)from different origins based on characteristic spectra of amino acids

Objective To evaluate the difference between Baishao(Paeoniae Radix Alba,PRA)and Chishao(Paeoniae Radix Rubra,PRR)from different regions based on the characteristic spectra of amino acids(AAs).Methods Fingerprints of the 21 standard AAs were established using O-phthalaldehyde-9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate(OPA-FMOC)pre-column derivation method.The AA components in PRA and PRR were characterized qualitatively and quantitatively,and different AAs were screened using pattern recognition technology.Results Twelve AAs were identified in both PRA and PRR.Meanwhile,aspartic acid,glutamic acid,arginine,alanine,and gamma-aminobutyric acid were screened as characteristic components,and their concentrations could effectively distinguish PRA from PRR.Conclusion The established characterization method,which is based on the characteristic spectra of AAs,is accurate,efficient,and sensitive and can effectively distinguish between PRA and PRR from different producing areas,thus providing a reference for the overall characterization and evaluation of Chinese medicinal materials.

Enhanced identification and localization of metabolites in Scutellariae Radix using ion mobility enabled MALDI-Q-TOF/MS imaging

Unraveling the distribution of metabolites in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)provides direct indications for understanding their regulatory and functional basis,which is of paramount significance for better utilization and quality control of medicinal plants[1].Recently,imaging techniques such as near-infrared spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy,and mass spectrometry(MS)were explored to reveal the spatial context of component accumulation and localization[2,3].

Effects of Radix Puerariae, Radix Rehmanniae and Their Compatibility on Blood Glucose and Blood Lipids in Mice

[Objectives]To explore the effects of the compatibility of Radix Puerariae and Radix Rehmanniae on blood glucose and blood lipids in diabetic mouses.[Methods]Diabetic mouse model was established.The body weight and fasting blood glucose of mice were measured after 7 and 14 d of administration,and the biochemical indicators of blood lipids(TC,HDL-C,and LDL-C)were detected after 14 d of administration.[Results]Compared with the Radix Puerariae group and Radix Rehmanniae group,the compatibility group(1:2)had the best hypoglycemic effect(P<0.05),and TC and LDL-C in the compatibility group(2:1)significantly decreased(P<0.05),while HDL-C in the compatibility group(1:1)significantly increased(P<0.05).[Conclusions]Radix Puerariae,Radix Rehmanniae and their combination can reduce the blood glucose of diabetic mice.The compatibility group(1:2)had a significant hypoglycemic effect(P<0.05),and LDL-C in the compatibility group(2:1)significantly declined,while HDL-C in the compatibility group(1:1)rose significantly.

Puerariae Radix protects against ulcerative colitis in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Ulcerative colitis(UC)is a common inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has long been used in Asia as a treatment for UC and Puerariae Radix(PR)is a reliable anti-diarrheal therapy.The aims of this study were to investigate the protective effect of PR using the dextran sulfate sodium salt(DSS)-induced UC model in mice and identify molecular mechanisms of PR action.The chemical constituents of PR via ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and identified potential PR and UC targets using a network pharmacology(NP)approach were obtained to guide mouse experiments.A total of 180 peaks were identified from PR including 48 flavonoids,46 organic acids,14 amino acids,8 phenols,8 carbohydrates,7 alkaloids,6 coumarins and 43 other constituents.NP results showed that caspase-1 was the most dysregulated of the core genes associated with UC.A PR dose of 0.136 mg/g administered to DSS treated mice reversed weight loss and decreased colon lengths found in UC mice.PR also alleviated intestinal mucosal shedding,inflammatory cell infiltration and mucin loss.PR treatment suppressed upregulation of NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteases-1(caspase-1),apoptosis-associated speck-like(ASC)and gasdermin D(GSDMD)at both the protein and m RNA expression levels.The addition of a small molecule dual-specificity phosphatase inhibitor NSC 95397 inhibited the positive effects of PR.These results indicated that PR exerts a protective effect on DSS-induced colitis by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mice.

Systematic investigation of Radix Salviae for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy disease based on network Pharmacology

BACKGROUND Diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN)is a debilitating complication of diabetes mellitus with limited available treatment options.Radix Salviae,a traditional Chinese herb,has shown promise in treating DPN,but its therapeutic mech-anisms have not been systematically investigated.AIM Radix Salviae(Danshen in pinin),a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),is widely used to treat DPN in China.However,the mechanism through which Radix Salviae treats DPN remains unclear.Therefore,we aimed to explore the mechanism of action of Radix Salviae against DPN using network pharmacology.METHODS The active ingredients and target genes of Radix Salviae were screened using the TCM pharmacology database and analysis platform.The genes associated with DPN were obtained from the Gene Cards and OMIM databases,a drug-com-position-target-disease network was constructed,and a protein–protein inter-action network was subsequently constructed to screen the main targets.Gene Ontology(GO)functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis were performed via the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)using Bioconductor.RESULTS A total of 56 effective components,108 targets and 4581 DPN-related target genes of Radix Salviae were screened.Intervention with Radix Salviae for DPN mainly involved 81 target genes.The top 30 major targets were selected for enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG pathways.CONCLUSION These results suggested that Radix Salviae could treat DPN by regulating the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.Therefore,Danshen may affect DPN by regulating inflammation and apoptosis.

Multi-layered effects of Codonopsis Radix on the immune system

Recent research has highlighted the potential of Codonopsis Radix to modulate the immune system,making it a promising candidate for treating chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases,tumors,and aging.However,because of the complex immune activities of its various components,a comprehensive understanding of Codonopsis Radix immune-regulating properties is still lacking.This knowledge gap hinders its widespread utilization in clinical practice.Therefore,this review aimed to assess the impact of Codonopsis Radix on the immune system and elucidate its underlying mechanisms.Additionally,we compared the immunomodulatory effects of different active ingredients derived from Codonopsis Radix to provide a theoretical basis for future investigations on immunomodulation.

Advances in Research of Anti-tumor Effect of Aconiti Radix

In this paper,the anti-tumor effects of Aconiti Radix were reviewed and summarized,and the clinical feasibility of Aconiti Radix as a potential anti-tumor drug was analyzed,in order to provide a useful reference for the future research and development of new anti-cancer drugs of Aconiti Radix.

Effect of Milk Processed Arnebiae Radix on Body Temperature of Fever Rats

[Objectives]To investigate the synergistic effect of Arnebiae Radix after processing.[Methods]The effects of raw Arnebiae Radix and milk processed Arnebiae Radix on hypothermia in yeast-induced febrile rats were compared.[Results]The processed and unprocessed Arnebiae Radix at high,medium and low doses all had a certain effect on inhibiting the rise of body temperature in rats.The high dose unprocessed group,the medium dose processed group and the high dose processed group had the best inhibitory effect on body temperature,the low dose processed group could delay the fever time,and the low dose unprocessed group had poor inhibitory effect on fever.[Conclusions]The prepared Arnebiae Radix has enhanced drug effect,and milk processed Arnebiae Radix can be used to replace common Arnebiae Radix to reduce the dosage of Arnebiae Radix and save Arnebiae Radix resources.

Antidepressant effects of Yuanzhi (Polygalae Radix) extract on chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression in rats: modulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway

Objective To investigate the antidepressant effects of Yuanzhi(Polygalae Radix;PR)aqueous extract on chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)-induced depression rat models and the underlying mechanisms.Methods A total of 40 male Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into control;model;low dose of PR(PR-L;0.5 g/kg);high dose of PR(PR-H;1 g/kg);and fluoxetine(10 mg/kg)groups;with 8 rats in each group.Except for the rats in control group;those in the other four groups underwent CUMS-induced depression modeling.PR and fluoxetine were administered intragastrically once daily;30 min prior to the CUMS procedure;for 14 consecu-tive days until the behavioral tests were performed.After CUMS modeling;the sucrose prefer-ence test(SPT);open field test(OFT);novelty-suppressed feeding test(NSFT);forced swim test(FST);and tail suspension test(TST)were employed to assess the pharmacological ef-fects of PR on the mitigation of depressive-like behaviors in rat models.Additionally;the en-zyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was utilized to quantify the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α;interleukin(IL)-6;and IL-1βin the rats.Western blot analysis was al-so conducted to evaluate the protein expression levels of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB);in-ducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS);cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2);nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain(NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3);apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing caspase recruitment domain(ASC);and caspase-1 in the hippocampal tissues of the rats.Immunofluorescence staining was per-formed to observe the morphological changes in ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 positive(Iba-1+)cells in the dentate gyrus(DG)of rats with CUMS-induced depression.Results(i)Treatment with PR-H and fluoxetine resulted in significant enhancements in both the total distance and time the rats moved during tests(P<0.01 and P<0.05;respectively).Post-administration of PR-H and fluoxetine also led to statistically significant increase in su-crose preference among rats(P<0.05).Besides;PR-L;PR-H;and fluoxetine treatment markedly decreased the latency of ingestion(P<0.05;P<0.05;and P<0.01;respectively).As observed from the FST;PR-L;PR-H;and fluoxetine presented antidepressant effects on rats with CUMS-induced depression;leading to the reduction in time of their immobility(P<0.05;P<0.01;and P<0.01;respectively).The results of TST indicated reduced immobility time in rats receiving PR-H and fluoxetine treatment as well(P<0.01).(ii)Rats in model group showed an increase in the levels of Iba-1+microglia in their left and right brains in compari-son with control group(P<0.01).However;such increase was negated post PR treatment(P<0.01).Treatment with PR-L;PR-H;and fluoxetine considerably reduced the levels of inflam-matory factors(TNF-α;IL-1β;and IL-6;P<0.01).In addition;treatment of PR-L and PR-H ef-fectively counteracted the elevated levels of NLRP3;ASC;and caspase-1;and markedly down-regulated the expression levels of phosphorylated p65(p-p65);COX-2;and iNOS in rats’hip-pocampus(P<0.01).Conclusion Collectively;these findings indicate that PR exerts an antidepressant effect on rats with CUMS-induced depression partially through the modulation of the NLRP3 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Potential application of Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma-Rhubarb for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease based on network pharmacology and cell culture experimental verification

BACKGROUND Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the serious complications of diabetes mellitus,and the existing treatments cannot meet the needs of today's patients.Traditional Chinese medicine has been validated for its efficacy in DKD after many years of clinical application.However,the specific mechanism by which it works is still unclear.Elucidating the molecular mechanism of the Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma-rhubarb drug pair(NRDP)for the treatment of DKD will provide a new way of thinking for the research and development of new drugs.AIM To investigate the mechanism of the NRDP in DKD by network pharmacology combined with molecular docking,and then verify the initial findings by in vitro experiments.METHODS The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP)database was used to screen active ingredient targets of NRDP.Targets for DKD were obtained based on the Genecards,OMIM,and TTD databases.The VENNY 2.1 database was used to obtain DKD and NRDP intersection targets and their Venn diagram,and Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to build a"drug-component-target-disease"network.The String database was used to construct protein interaction networks.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology analysis were performed based on the DAVID database.After selecting the targets and the active ingredients,Autodock software was used to perform molecular docking.In experimental validation using renal tubular epithelial cells(TCMK-1),we used the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay to detect the effect of NRDP on cell viability,with glucose solution used to mimic a hyperglycemic environment.Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle progression and apoptosis.Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of STAT3,p-STAT3,BAX,BCL-2,Caspase9,and Caspase3.RESULTS A total of 10 active ingredients and 85 targets with 111 disease-related signaling pathways were obtained for NRDP.Enrichment analysis of KEGG pathways was performed to determine advanced glycation end products(AGEs)-receptor for AGEs(RAGE)signaling as the core pathway.Molecular docking showed good binding between each active ingredient and its core targets.In vitro experiments showed that NRDP inhibited the viability of TCMK-1 cells,blocked cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase,and reduced apoptosis in a concentrationdependent manner.Based on the results of Western blot analysis,NRDP differentially downregulated p-STAT3,BAX,Caspase3,and Caspase9 protein levels(P<0.01 or P<0.05).In addition,BAX/BCL-2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 ratios were reduced,while BCL-2 and STAT3 protein expression was upregulated(P<0.01).CONCLUSION NRDP may upregulate BCL-2 and STAT3 protein expression,and downregulate BAX,Caspase3,and Caspase9 protein expression,thus activating the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway,inhibiting the vitality of TCMK-1 cells,reducing their apoptosis.and arresting them in the G0/G1 phase to protect them from damage by high glucose.

Determination of Benzoylaconitine Compounds in the Decoctions of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata(Heishun Pieces),Trichosanthis Fructus and Their Combination

[Objectives]This study was conducted to determine the contents of benzoylmesaconine,benzoylaconitine and benzoylhypacoitine in the decoctions of Heishun pieces,Trichosanthis Fructus and their combination.[Methods]Heishun pieces,Trichosanthis Fructus and their combination were extracted for different time periods,and then grouped.HPLC was performed using an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C 18 chromatographic column(4.6 mm×250 mm,5μm)and acetonitrile-0.02 mol/L sodium dihydrogen phosphate as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min and a column temperature of 30℃,and the sample volume was 20μL.The detection wavelength was 230 nm.[Results]The total amounts of benzoylmesaconine,benzoylaconitine and benzoylhypacoitine in the single decoction group of Heishun pieces were all significantly different from those in the combined decoction group at corresponding time.[Conclusions]The total content of the benzoylaconitine type increased significantly after the combined decoction of Heishun pieces and Fructus Trichosanthis,which proves the scientificity of"eighteen incompatible medicaments,19 counteraction"in traditional Chinese medicine to some extent.

Protective mechanism of Paeoniae Radix Alba against chemical liver injury based on network pharmacology,molecular docking,and in vitro experiments

Objective:To explore and validate the potential targets of Paeoniae Radix Alba(P.Radix,Bai Shao)in protecting against chemical liver injury through network pharmacology,molecular docking technology,and in vitro cell experiments.Methods:Network pharmacology was used to identify the common potential targets of P.Radix and chemical liver injury.Molecular docking was used to fit the components,which were subsequently verified in vitro.A cell model of hepatic fibrosis was established by activating hepatic stellate cell(HSC)-LX2 cells with 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor-β1.The cells were exposed to different concentrations of total glucosides of paeony(TGP),the active substance of P.Radix,and then evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 assay,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and western blot.Results:Analysis through network pharmacology revealed 13 key compounds of P.Radix,and the potential targets for preventing chemical liver injury were IL-6,AKT serine/threonine kinase 1,jun protooncogene,heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1),peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma(PPARG),PTGS2,and CASP3.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment analysis indicated the involvement of response to drugs,membrane rafts,and peptide binding.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis revealed that the main pathways involved lipid and atherosclerosis and chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation.Paeoniflorin and albiflorin exhibited strong affinity for HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,and CASP3.Different concentrations of TGP can inhibit the expression of COL-I,COL-III,IL-6,TNF-a,IL-1β,HSP-90a,and PTGS2 while increasing the expression of PPAR-γand CASP3 in activated HSC-LX2 cells.Conclusion:P.Radix primarily can regulate targets such as HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,CASP3.TGP,the main active compound of P.Radix,protects against chemical liver injury by reducing the inflammatory response,activating apoptotic proteins,and promoting the apoptosis of activated HSCs.

Optimization of Preparative Separation and Purification of Total Flavonoids from Radix Puerariae by Macroporous Resin Method

Aim To screen the optimum macroporous resin and conditions for the isolation and purification of flavonoids from Radix Puerariae. Methods The static and dynamic adsorption/desorption methods were used, and the separation and purification process was evaluated by measuring the concentration of total flavonoid in the fractions with UV spectrophotometer. Results The SP70 macroporous resin was the most effective compared with other macroporous resins. The optimum conditions were screened, which were 0.5 g· mL^- 1 corresponding to crude drug for concentration of extract, pH 5 - 6, and appended 60 times the volume of the resin bed （BV） with the adsorption speed 2 BV·h^-1, and the volume of aq. 70% （V/V） ethanol as eluant was 5 BV with desorption speed 2 BV·h^-1. By this method, the final contents of total flavonoids exceeded 80%. Conclusion The SP70 macroporous resin is the most effective one for large-scale isolation and purification of flavonoids from Radix Pueraria, which meets industrial needs.

Analysis of principal isoflavone glycosides and aglycones in Radix astragali

Two major isoflavone glycosides [calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside （1） and ononin （2）] and their aglycones [calycosin （3） and formononetin （4）] were simultaneously quantified with HPLC/DAD method. Two unknown compounds were identified as calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside-6＇＂-O-malonate （U1） and formononetin 7-O-β-D-glucopymnoside-6＇＂-O-malonate （U2）, respectively, with LC/MS^n. Raw Radix astragli were shown to have higher contents of isoflavone glycosides （1, 2）, but lower contents of aglycones （3, 4） than the processed herbal materials. After being moistened with water and stored up for 24 h at 35 ℃, the glycosides and their m_alonates were almost completely transformed to their corresponding aglycones. The different contents of the isoflavone glycosides and their aglycones in raw and processed Radix astragali materials might be due to enzymolysis of the glycosides during processing.

椭圆萝卜螺Radix swinhoei(H.Adams)对三种沉水植物的牧食选择

报道了2005年7～9月在太湖试验基地进行的椭圆萝卜螺对沉水植物牧食的实验结果.结果表明,椭圆萝卜螺对3种沉水植物的平均牧食率为7.87mg·g^-1·d^-1,其中对苦草的牧食率最高（13.63 mg·g^-1·d^-1）,马来眼子菜次之（9.66mg·g^-1·d^-1）,轮叶黑藻最低（0.31mg·g^-1·d^-1）,且牧食率与螺规格呈显著负相关.椭圆萝卜螺对沉水植物的牧食具有选择性,喜食苦草而较少选食其他两种沉水植物.椭圆萝卜螺的食物选择性能力与其规格有关,随着生长对沉水植物的选择性加强.探讨了椭圆萝卜螺对沉水植物的选食机理.

基于共享Cache多核处理器的Radix聚集连接优化

基于目前主流的多核处理器,研究了数据库Radix-Join算法中的聚集连接优化。针对多线程聚集连接执行时,线程Cache访问缺失严重的问题,采用预读线程预先将聚集连接线程需要访问的聚集对从内存读入L2-Cache,提高了线程的Cache访问性能。并根据聚集连接执行时的代价模型,优化了聚集连接执行框架和各种线程参数。在实验中,基于内存数据库EaseDB实现了本文提出了算法,实验结果表明,聚集连接性能得到较大提高。

Correlation analysis between the HPLC fingerprints and in vitro antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate extracts from Radix isatidis

Aim To study the correlation between the HPLC fingerprints and in vitro antibacterial activities of EtOAc extracts of Radix isatidis from various sources. Methods Ten batches of Radix isatidis EtOAc extracts were analyzed with HPLC and the fingerprints were established. The influence of EtOAc extracts on the thermogenic curve of growth of Escherchia coli was obtained by microcalorimetry. The chemical differences of EtOAc extracts of Radix isatidis from various sources in the HPLC fingerprints were probed with hierarchical clustering analysis and similarity analysis. The correlation between the HPLC fingerprints and in vitro antibacterial activities was analyzed with multivafiant correlation analysis. Results Close correlation existed between the HPLC fingerprints and in vitro antibacterial activities of EtOAc extracts of Radix isatidis. Conlusion The combination of HPLC fingerprints and antibacterial activities can be used to discover principle components of Radix isatidis on bioactivity.

基于Radix-4 Booth编码的乘法器优化设计

传统Radix-4 Booth编码在负值部分积生成过程中会产生大量求补操作,影响乘法器的工作效率。为此,提出一种重组部分积的乘法器优化设计。通过增加一个"或"门运算以及重组硬连线,避免求补过程中的加法运算,并且未产生多余的部分积。在32位乘法器上的验证结果表明,该设计能有效减小关键路径延迟和芯片面积消耗。

Inorganic Elements in Tuber of Chinese Herbal Medicine Radix Pseudostellariae from Guizhou Province

By analyzing the contents of inorganic elements in Radix Pseudostellariae from Guizhou Province, the aim was to assess the present quality of Radix Pseu- dostellariae, set limited standards of heavy metals, establish element fingerprints, and find out the characteristic elements. ICP-MS was used to measure the content of inorganic elements and map the element fingerprints. Additionally, WM/T2-2004 was applied to evaluate the quality of heavy metal elements, and the characteristic elements were determined by principal component analysis. The results showed that the contents of inorganic elements in Radix Pseudostellariae were between 0.057 and 959 mg/kg with the coefficients of variation ranging from 0.134 to 1.478, and the contents of Cd, As, Pb, and Hg were below the Standard of WM/T2-2004 in 90% of Radix Pseudostellariae. The standard limits of heavy metals in Radix Pseu- dostellariae were Cr≤6.5 mg/kg, Cu≤10 mg/kg, As≤2.0 mg /kg, Cd≤0.3 mg/kg, Hg≤0.15 mg/kg, and Pb≤4.0 mg/kg. The features of the inorganic eJements finger- prints could provide theoretical basis of identifying the quality of Radix Pseudostel- lariae and distinguishing Radix Pseudostellariae from other Chinese herbal medicines. The characteristic inorganic elements of Radix Pseudostellariae were found to be Cd, Cu, Co, Zn, Fe, Ca, Mg, and AI. Radix Pseudostellariae from Guizhou Province contained abundant inorganic elements, and the contents of heavy metals were below the evaluation criterion. The study provided a reference for the future development of the limiting values of heaw metals in Radix Pseudostellariae.

Radix-8 Booth译码Montgomery模乘的RSA算法的设计和硬件实现

提出一种使用Radix-8 Booth译码的Montgomery模乘算法,进一步减少了模乘的中间乘积项个数,提高了模乘的速度.并给出基于该模乘算法的1024位RSA加密硬件的实现方案,其加密速度可达到采用普通Montgomery模乘的RSA加密方案的2倍.在设计方法上使用基于系统级算法的快速设计流程,在系统级设计阶段确定模乘和RSA整体算法的实现方案,并对其评估及优化,缩短了RTL阶段的设计时间,加快了设计思想到硬件实现的转化.实现方案在自行设计的FPGA开发板上通过验证,并进一步转换为ASIC设计综合.