The Effect and Mechanism of Fructus lycii on Improvement of Exercise Fatigue Using a Network Pharmacological Approach with in vitro Experimental Verification

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of Fructus lycii in improving exercise fatigue.Methods A network pharmacological approach was used to explore potential mechanisms of action of Fructus lycii.Skeletal muscle C2C12 cells and immunofluorescence were employed to verify the effect and mechanism of the representative components in Fructus lycii predicted by network pharmacological analysis.Results Six potential active components,namely quercetin,β-sitosterol,stigmasterol,7-Omethylluteolin-6-C-beta-glucoside_qt,atropine,and glycitein,were identified to have potency in improving exercise fatigue via multiple pathways,such as the PI3K-Akt,neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,IL-17,TNF,and MAPK signaling pathways.The immunofluorescence results indicated that quercetin,a significant active component in Fructus lycii,increased the mean staining area of 2-NBDG,TMRM,and MitoTracker,and decreased the area of CellRox compared to the control.Furthermore,the protein expression levels of p-38 MAPK,p-MAPK,p-JNK,p-PI3K,and p-AKT markedly increased after quercetin treatment.Conclusion Fructus lycii might alleviate exercise fatigue through multiple components and pathways.Among these,quercetin appears to improve exercise fatigue by enhancing energy metabolism and reducing oxidative stress.The PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways also appear to play a role in this process.

The Inhibitory Effect of Extracts From Fructus lycii and Rhizoma polygonati on in vitro DNA Breakage by Alternariol

Alternariol caused DNA single-strand breakage. Conversion of the closed circular double-stranded supercoiled DNA (pBR 322) to the nicked circular form and linear form was used to investigate the effect of extracts of some Chinese medical herbs on DNA nicking induced by alternariol. Some substances in the extracts of Rhizoma polygonati (RP) and Fructus lycii (FL) were shown to protect DNA from the attack by alternariol.Some substance in the RP may bind to plasmid DNA, and this binding reduces the electrophoretic mobility of DNA. These results indicate that substances from FL and RP may be used as DNA protectors. It is possible that they play an important role in preventing cancer.

Gouqizi(Fructus Lycii)seed oil reduces D-galactose induced inflammation in testis of rats via Janus kinase 1/signal transducerand activator of transcription 1/nuclear factor-κB in vitro and in vivo

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the efficacy of Gouqizi(Fructus Lycii)seed oil(FLSO)on D-gal induced inflammation in testis of rats in vitro and in vivo.METHODS:In aging Sertoli cells(TM4 cells)induced by D-galactose(D-gal),the expression of upregulated agingrelated proteins.The number of cells counted by cell counting kit(CCK)-8 assay showed a high number of cells disposed with FLSO at 50,100 and 150μg/mL compared to that for the aging model.In vivo,male Sprague–Dawley rats(n=50,8-week-old,230-255 g)were randomly categorized into control,aging model,and FLSO(low-,medium-,and high-dose)groups.The expression of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)and its upstream factors[Janus kinase 1(JAK1)and signal transducerand activator of transcription 1(STAT1)]was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence,related inflammatory factors quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Evaluation of testicular tissue by Johnsen score,the spermatogenic function was explored.RESULTS:The expression of interleukin-1β(IL-1β)(P<0.05),IL-6(P<0.001),and tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α)(P<0.05)was decreased significantly,while that of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)(P<0.001)and IL-10(P<0.05)was increased in cells disposed with FLSO 100μg/mL.FLSO inhibited the expression of NF-κB and declined pp65/p65(P<0.01),as detected by Western blotting.In vivo,the levels in serum of IL-1β(P<0.001),IL-6(P<0.05),and TNF-α(P<0.01)declined while IL-10(P<0.05)was upregulated post-FLSO treatment.In addition,the expression of JAK-1 and STAT1 increased significantly in testicular tissue of rats treated with FLSO as compared to the aging model of rats(P<0.001),while the expression of NF-κB(P<0.001)declined in the testis in the FLSO group,as assessed by immunofluorescence.The levels of inhibor B and testosterone in serum both increased(P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS:In conclusion,this study determined the protective effects of FLSO to tolerate inflammatory injury in the testis,indicating that FLSO alleviates inflammation via JAK-1/STAT1/NF-κB pathway.

A Rapid Determination of 30 Prohibited Pesticide Residues in Lycii Fructus by UPLC-MS/MS

Prohibited pesticide residues have become one of the main factors affecting the quality and safety of Lycii Fructus,However,rarely studies focus on the rapid determination of these residues.Here,a total of 30 kinds of prohibited pesticide residues were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)in five different process ways.Pretreatment methods,chromatographic separation and detection conditions in mass spectrometry were all optimized accordingly.Among the five different pretreatment methods,the first and third solid phase extraction failed to provide high recoveries of sulfosulfuron compounds(both lower than 60%).Recovery of chlorphenamidine by the Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe multiresidue method(QuEChERS)was lower than 60%,which did not meet the requirements of trace determination.The concentrations of 30 prohibited pesticides residues treated by straightforward and solid phase extraction showed good linearity in their corresponding ranges,with correlation coefficients over 0.99.The average recoveries of straightforward ranged from 78.13%to 110.9%,while RSD ranged from 1.3%to 16.9%,albeit poor purification was observed.The recovery yield from solid phase extraction was between 67.75%and 103.08%with RSD value from 0.8%to 14.0%,which met the requirements of trace determination,this method has good precision and stability.These results could be employed to other Traditional Chinese Medicines(TCMs)in detecting prohibited pesticide residues.

Noodle with Fructus Lycii and Bean Sprouts

Ingredients: 250 grams of fructus lycii (a traditional Chinese medicine), one egg, 500 grams of flour and some fresh bean sprouts. Directions:

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Uncover the Molecular Targets and Associated Potential Pathways of Lycii Fructus for the Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Objective To explore the molecular targets and associated potential pathways of Lycii Fructus(LF,Gou Qi Zi,枸杞子)in the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa(RP)by the approaches of network pharmacology and bioinformatics.Methods The potential blood-entry active ingredients and targets of LF were retrieved by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP).RP-related gene targets were retrieved through disease comprehensive databases.Protein-protein interaction(PPI)network of LF component-targets and RP disease-targets was constructed by STRING,and the intersection of the 2 networks was extracted.Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis of theintersection network were conducted by Database for Annotation,Visualization and Integrated Discovery(DAVID).CytoHubba was used to screen the key targets.Results A total of 188 chemical constituents related to LF was retrieved from TCMSP database.45 active ingredients were screened according to pharmacokinetic parameters oral bioavailability(OB)and drug similarity(DL).36 active ingredients were further screened and 201 targets related to these constituents were obtained.206 target genes directly related to RP were obtained from the disease comprehensive databases,and 89 genes were obtained from the intersection of componenttarget and disease-target PPI network.These genes were mainly involved in intracellular signal transduction,GTPase activity regulation,cell morphology regulation,and other biological processes.Molecular functions were mainly related to Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity,GTPase activator activity,receptor signal protein serine/threonine kinase activity and so on.They were enriched in the cytoplasm,cell membrane,Golgi apparatus,and other regions.The mechanism was related to cell cycle pathways,neurotrophin signaling pathways,Ras signaling pathways,and so on.10 key gene targets of LF in the treatment of RP were screened.Conclusions The material basis for LF to exert its pharmacodynamic effect is 36 active ingredients such as cycloartenol,mandenol,and so on.The key targets of LF in the treatment of RP include 10 genes,such as Rho,PAK,and so on.The main mechanism is related to the regulation of the Ras signaling pathway,neurotrophin signaling pathway,cell cycle related pathway,and other signaling networks.

Effects of Lycii Fructus and Salviae Miltiorrhizae on the Syndrome of Deficiency with Blood Stasis in RCS(rdy-/-, p-/-) Rats with Retinitis Pigmentosa: An Intervention Study

Objective To investigate the effects of Lycii Fructus(LF,Gou Qi Zi,枸杞子)and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix Ex Rhizoma(SM,Dan Shen,丹参)on the syndrome of deficiency with blood stasis in the RCS(rdy-/-,p-/-)rats with retinitis pigmentosa(RP).Methods A total of 32 RCS(rdy-/-,p-/-)rats were divided into 4 groups(equal amounts of female and male rats in each group):model group treated with 0.9%normal saline,LF group treated with LF formula granules,SM group treated with SM formula granules,and LF and SM(L·S)group treated with LF and SM formula granules.Eight RCS(rdy+/+,p+/+)rats(4 males and 4 females)were treated with 0.9%normal saline to serve as blank group.The contents of E2,PG,P-Selectin,plasma viscosity,whole blood relative index of the high shear rate and fibrinogen content in plasma,and the content of cAMP and cGMP in retinal homogenate were detected.The retina was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining.Results The contents of E2,PG,P-Selectin,plasma viscosity,whole blood relative index of the high shear rate,and fibrinogen content in the plasma of L·S group significantly differed from those of model group(P<0.01),but were similar to those of blank group.The contents of cAMP and cGMP in the retinal homogenate of L·S group significantly differed from those in model group(P<0.01)but were similar to those in blank group(P>0.05).Conclusions LF and SM can effectively treat retinitis pigmentosa by ameliorating the syndrome of deficiency with blood stasis.

Intellectual Property Rights and Authentic Protection of Chinese Wolfberry in Xinjiang

This paper introduced the biological characteristics and medicinal value of medlar(Lycium chinense Miller).It studied Chinese wolfberry industry and its agricultural intellectual property resources in Xinjiang.In addition,it analyzed main problems such as the lag in the construction of authentic medicinal materials bases and insufficient deep processing of related products.Finally,it proposed eight recommendations including cultivating biological species with more medicinal value and creating an advantageous area of characteristic authentic medicinal materials.

Research and application of Lycii Fructus in medicinal field

Lycii Fructus（Lycium barbarum, Gouqizi in Chinese name） is one of the most popular Chinese material medica and a common ingredient in tonic food. This fruit has been paid rapidly growing attention for its nutrient value and noticeable pharmacological properties. The present paper focuses on the legal resource of Gouqizi and reviews the main research in medicinal field including botanical identification,ethnopharmacological functions, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, clinic usages, and safety issues.In addition, some issues needed address will be also discussed. We strongly believe that further investigation will deepen our knowledge of Gouqizi and promote the industrial development in the world.

Molecular mechanism of Mimenghua Granules in treating dry eye

Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism of Mimenghua Granules in treating dry eye based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics methods.Methods:Screening and prediction of possible blood-inducing active ingredients and action target of Mimenghua Granules through Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and analysis platform;mining dry eye-related diseases through disease gene database,gene target;use the functional protein combined network database STRING to draw the component-target and disease-target PPI networks,and extract the intersection of these two networks;use DAVID database analysis to screen key targets and analyze the mechanism of action.Results:A total of 593 active ingredients related to Mimenghua Granules were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database,and 59 blood active ingredients were obtained by screening based on pharmacokinetic parameters,and 680 targets related to these ingredients were retrieved;from disease genes,the database searches for 47 genes directly related to dry eye;3 key genes(ICAM1,IFNG,and IL-6)were obtained after the intersection of the component target and disease target PPI network;these genes are mainly involved in natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity,Jak-STAT signaling pathway,and Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction.Conclusion:The mechanism of Mimenghua Granules in treating dry eye is related to the interaction of cytotoxic pathway,Jak-STAT signal pathway,and cytokines.The key gene targets are ICAM1,IFNG,and IL-6.