Recognition and quality mapping of traditional herbal drugs:way forward towards artificial intelligence

The use of traditional herbal drugs derived from natural sources is on the rise due to their minimal side effects and numerous health benefits.However,a major limitation is the lack of standardized knowledge for identifying and mapping the quality of these herbal medicines.This article aims to provide practical insights into the application of artificial intelligence for quality-based commercialization of raw herbal drugs.It focuses on feature extraction methods,image processing techniques,and the preparation of herbal images for compatibility with machine learning models.The article discusses commonly used image processing tools such as normalization,slicing,cropping,and augmentation to prepare images for artificial intelligence-based models.It also provides an overview of global herbal image databases and the models employed for herbal plant/drug identification.Readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the potential application of various machine learning models,including artificial neural networks and convolutional neural networks.The article delves into suitable validation parameters like true positive rates,accuracy,precision,and more for the development of artificial intelligence-based identification and authentication techniques for herbal drugs.This article offers valuable insights and a conclusive platform for the further exploration of artificial intelligence in the field of herbal drugs,paving the way for smarter identification and authentication methods.

Chinese herbal medicine combined with Western medicine for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children:An overview of systematic reviews

Objective:To summarize the characteristics and evaluate the quality of the methodology and evidence within systematic reviews(SRs)of Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP)inchildren.Methods:SRs of randomized controlled trials were searched using PubMed,the Cochrane Library,Embase,the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Databases(CNKI),the Chinese Scientific Journals Database(VIP),Wanfang,and the SinoMed Database.SRs on the use of CHM alone or in combination with Western medications for MPP in children were included.The study compared the effects of Western medicine alone with those of CHM.The evidence quality using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews(AMSTAR)2,the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)2020,and the Grading of Recommendations,Assessment,Development,and Evaluation(GRADE)criteria.The primary indicators were the total effective rate,fever subsidence time,and cough disappearance time.The secondary outcomes were pulmonary rale disappearance time,average hospitalization time,lung X-ray infiltrate disappearance time,immunological indices,and inflammatory cytokine levels.Results:Twelve relevant SRs were included;75%(9/12)were assessed as very low quality,and 25%(3/12)Were rated as low quality using the AMSTAR 2 criteria.According to the PRISMA 2020 checklist,the average SR score was 20.3 out of a 27 point maximum.In all SRs,CHM demonstrated improvement in symptoms and signs among children with MPP.The evidence quality using the GRADE criteria ranged from"very low"(>50%)to"moderate"(<5%).The most common downgrading factor was imprecision,followed by publication bias and inconsistency.Conclusion:This overview highlights the limited quality of the methodology and evidence of the included SRs.Although the included studies showed the beneficial effects of CHM on MPP in children,it was difficult to draw firm conclusions owing to methodological flaws.

Model informed precision medicine of Chinese herbal medicines formulas-A multi-scale mechanistic intelligent model

Recent trends suggest that Chinese herbal medicine formulas(CHM formulas)are promising treatments for complex diseases.To characterize the precise syndromes,precise diseases and precise targets of the precise targets between complex diseases and CHM formulas,we developed an artificial intelligence-based quantitative predictive algorithm(DeepTCM).DeepTCM has gone through multilevel model calibration and validation against a comprehensive set of herb and disease data so that it accurately captures the complex cellular signaling,molecular and theoretical levels of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).As an example,our model simulated the optimal CHM formulas for the treatment of coronary heart disease(CHD)with depression,and through model sensitivity analysis,we calculated the balanced scoring of the formulas.Furthermore,we constructed a biological knowledge graph representing interactions by associating herb-target and gene-disease interactions.Finally,we experimentally confirmed the therapeutic effect and pharmacological mechanism of a novel model-predicted intervention in humans and mice.This novel multiscale model opened up a new avenue to combine“disease syndrome”and“macro micro”system modeling to facilitate translational research in CHM formulas.

Developments in the study of Chinese herbal medicine's assessment index and action mechanism for diabetes mellitus

In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),based on various pathogenic symptoms and the‘golden chamber’medical text,Huangdi Neijing,diabetes mellitus falls under the category‘collateral disease’.TCM,with its wealth of experience,has been treating diabetes for over two millennia.Different antidiabetic Chinese herbal medicines re-duce blood sugar,with their effective ingredients exerting unique advantages.As well as a glucose lowering effect,TCM also regulates bodily functions to prevent diabetes associated complications,with reduced side effects compared to western synthetic drugs.Chinese herbal medicine is usually composed of polysaccharides,saponins,al-kaloids,flavonoids,and terpenoids.These active ingredients reduce blood sugar via various mechanism of actions that include boosting endogenous insulin secretion,enhancing insulin sensitivity and adjusting key enzyme activity and scavenging free radicals.These actions regulate glycolipid metabolism in the body,eventually achiev-ing the goal of normalizing blood glucose.Using different animal models,a number of molecular markers are available for the detection of diabetes induction and the molecular pathology of the disease is becoming clearer.Nonetheless,there is a dearth of scientific data about the pharmacology,dose-effect relationship,and structure-activity relationship of TCM and its constituents.Further research into the efficacy,toxicity and mode of action of TCM,using different metabolic and molecular markers,is key to developing novel TCM antidiabetic formulations.

Unveiling the anticancer effect of traditional Chinese herbal medicine

In this issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology,Huang et al reported that Calculus bovis(CB),a traditional Chinese herbal medicine,impedes the growth of liver cancers in vivo.Through further in vitro studies,they showed that CB suppressed the M2 polarization of tumor-associated macrophages by suppressing the Wnt signaling pathway,which consequently inhibited the growth of liver cancer.Although the effects of traditional Chinese herbal medicine are often not scientifically proven,Huang et al successfully identified the molecular mechanism involved in the anticancer effect of CB,and it is anticipated that the molecular mechanisms involved in the effects of other traditional Chinese herbal medicines will be scientifically elucidated,as demonstrated in this article.

Advances in research on the efcacy of traditional Chinese herbal medicine in combating African swine fever

African swine fever(ASF)is a highly contagious disease of domestic and wild pigs caused by African swine fever virus(ASFV).The mortality rate associated with ASF is remarkably high,almost approaching 100%.Since the introduction of ASF into China in 2018,its rapid spread has caused marked economic losses in the country’s swine industry.To date,there are no safe and efective commercial vaccines or antiviral drugs against ASF;thus,there is an urgent need to develop novel prevention and control strategies.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),which comprises various herbs that are abundant in various potential functional components,holds great promise for the prevention and control of ASF.Here,we provide a comprehensive review of the advancements in TCM and the efects of its compound formulas against ASF,including the antiviral abilities,immunoregulatory activities,and practical application of these formulas for the prevention and control of ASF.We specifcally examined the potential and constraints of natural product-derived extracts and TCM formulas in combating ASFV.This review aims to ofer insights and ideas for the holistic management and containment of ASF.

Contamination of aflatoxins as threat to the safety of herbal Unani drugs: an overview

Unani medicine is an oldest system of traditional medicine,where drugs of animal,mineral and herbal origin are used for centuries to cure diseases.Unani remedies are now available not only in drug stores,but also in food stores and super markets.Therefore the efficacy and safety of these drugs is very crucial.One of the most serious risks associated with these remedies is,consumer assumes that they are natural,so they are safe.But biological contamination(bacterial,fungal and insect)of herbal medicines is a serious concern.The Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus are the fungal species that occur naturally,release aflatoxins and is a threat to the natural drugs.The World Health Organization has recommended determination of aflatoxins in natural drugs(Unani)as one of the parameter of their safety studies as Aflatoxin contamination is concerned significantly with health and economic loss affecting humans,animals,and agriculture.Aflatoxin B1 is categorized as a group 1 carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Cancer that causes a variety of health issues.Thus keeping in mind the deleterious health effects of aflatoxins,here,in this review we have made an attempt to summarize the aflatoxins with respect to their origin,occurrence,structure and properties to generate the awareness among the people dealing mainly with Unani herbal drugs.Besides these their toxicity and effects on health have also been discussed.The analytical methods for their determination and some measures to prevent their contamination are also suggested to improve the efficacy and safety of Unani herbal drugs.

The Chinese Herbal Formula Weichang’an Reduces the Proliferation of Human Gastric Cancer Cells via Mitochondrial Apoptosis

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of Chinese herbal formula Weichang’an(WCA)on the proliferation and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells.Methods Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK8)was used to evaluate the antiproliferative activity ofWCA on MKN45 cells;Giemsa staining was used to investigate cell colony formation;flow cytometry was used to analyze cell cycle,apoptosis rate,and caspases activation;and Hoechst staining was used to analyze the morphology of cell nuclei.The mitochondrial membrane potential was analyzed by both flow cytometric measurements and fluorescence microscopy.Western blot was used to analyze the protein levels of pro-caspase-3,Bcl-2,Bax,and Bcl-X.MKN45 cells were subcutaneously injected into the right forelimb of 16 nude mice to establish the tumor xenograft model,and a total of 12 nude mouse tumor xenograft models were successfully created.The nude mice were divided into the control group and the WCA-treated group.The two groups received normal saline and WCA treatment at 35.49 g/kg by a single daily oral gavage for 21 days.The body weight and tumor size of the nude mice were measured twice a week.The ultrastructural changes of subcutaneous tumors were observed by a transmission electron microscope.Results WCA can suppress cell proliferation and colony formation.It can also induce changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential and increase the activities of caspases-3,caspases-8,and caspases-9 in MKN45 cells.WCA induced S-phase arrest and apoptosis in MKN45 cells,and decreased the expression levels of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-X in MKN45 cells,while increasing the expression levels of the proapoptotic proteins Bax and pro-caspase-3 compared with the control group.WCA inhibited the growth of a xenografted MKN45 tumor in nude mice,and the protein levels of Bax and pro-caspase-3 were significantly increased,while Bcl-X and Bcl-2 were reduced compared with the control group.The differences are statistically significant(p<0.05).Conclusion WCA could suppress the proliferation of gastric cancer cells via mitochondrial apoptosis.

Integration of 1H-NMR-Based Metabolomics Approach with Traditional Chinese Pulse Diagnosis to Evaluate the Qi-Enhancing Activity of Herbal Tea

Human metabolism is intricately linked to an individual’s health status. Regardless of living habits, it will be reflected in the metabolic characteristics of urine. The utilization of the 1H NMR-based metabolomics method has enabled examine the metabolomic changes in urine under various physiology conditions, providing valuable insights into metabolites. In this particular study, volunteers were divided into two groups based on the strength of their spleen pulses, using the pulse diagnosis method employed in traditional Chinese medicine. Subsequently, their urine samples were analyzed, revealing notable variances in urea, creatinine, citric acid, succinic acid, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), alanine, hippuric acid, and glycine between the two groups. Interestingly, individuals with weak spleen pulses showed significant improvements after consuming herbal tea. Furthermore, we conducted LC-MS analysis on herbal tea and performed adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity tests on the C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cell line. The results indicated that within a reasonable concentration range, exposure to herbal tea led to an increase in the mitochondrial ATP production capacity of C2C12 cells. These findings shed light on the relationship between traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis and urine metabolites, highlighting their potential as non-invasive and straightforward health assessment indicators. They can aid in the preliminary determination of necessary dietary and lifestyle changes to enhance overall bodily health.

The potential of Chinese herbal medicines in treating anxiety disorders

In recent years,there has not been much progress in developing anxiolytic drugs.Amongst the barriers are the lack of clarity on the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders,low product conversion rates for developing drugs targeting the receptors,and species variability.Some scientists have focused on natural medicines,especially herbal medicines in traditional Chinese medicine.New drugs with excellent anxiolytic activity are hoped to be found in herbal medicines with anxiolytic effects.This mini-review summarised three Chinese herbal medicines with anxiolytic effects and anxiolytic herbal formulas used in the traditional Chinese medicine clinic.Several key issues that block the development of new anxiolytic drugs are also discussed.We hope to provide some ideas for researching and developing new anxiolytic drugs and studying anxiolytic components in traditional Chinese medicine.

Effect of Chinese Herbal Feed Additive on Meat Quality of Rex Rabbit

[ Objective] The aim of this study was to provide a theoretical basis for population and application of Chinese herbal feed additive in the rex rabbit breeding. [ Methyl] 108 weaned -rex rabbits aged 40 days were divided into three groups with thirty -six each group. Group A were fed basal diet, while group B were fed basal diet supplemented with 0.3% Chinese herbal feed additive and group C were fed basal diet supplemented with 0.4% Chinese herbal feed additive. The meat quality indexes were measured when feeding to 150 age in days. [ Result] There was significant difference among pH value, water loss rate, storing loss rate and crude protein content in each group （P〈0.05）, but no significant difference was found in tenderness, cooking percentage, moisture content and crude fat content （ P 〉 0.05）. The total content of ami- no acids, essential amino acids and semi essential amino acids as well as main delicious amino acids was highest in group C accounting for 23.84%, 11.47% and 8.32% respectively, next came group B accounting for 20.94%, 10.64% and 6.81% respectively, and lowest in group C （ control group） accounting for 19.06%, 9.61% and 6.46% respectively. [ Conclusion] The Chinese herbal feed additive can improve meat quality of rex rabbit the best addition of 0.4%.

Effects of Salinity and Dietary Chinese Herbal Medicine on Survival and Growth of Juvenile Fenneropenaeus chinensis

[Objective] The aim of this study was to provide theoretical basis for the large-scale breeding of Fenneropenaeus chinensis as well as the promotion of Chinese herbal medicine.[Method] The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of salinity（12‰,20‰ and 28‰）and dietary Chinese herbal medicine（CHM：0%,1%,2% and 4%）on survival and growth of juvenile F.chinensis with the average initial wet body weight of 0.027±0.005 g.The experiment lasted for 5 weeks.[Result] The survival rate,specific growth rate,food consumption and apparent digestibility coefficient was increased with CHM level increasing;when attained the critical value,the survival rate,specific growth rate,food consumption and apparent digestibility coefficient decreased with CHM level increasing.Food conversion ratio decreased with CHM level increasing,and then it increased after attained the critical value.At each CHM level,the survival rate,specific growth rate,food consumption and apparent digestibility coefficient were highest at salinity of 20‰,while food conversion ratio was lowest at salinity 20‰.[Conclusion] Salinity and CHM had a significant effect on growth of F.chinensis,which should be paid more attention in the breeding.

Effects of Herbal Feed Additive on Milk Production of Dairy Cows

[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the herbal feed additive Zengrujianniusan on the milk production of dairy cows. [Method] Thirty-two black-white lactating cows were randomly divided into four groups, and were fed with forage supplemented with 0 （control group）, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% Zengrujianniusan for 60 d. During this period, the contents of fat, protein and non-fat solid in milk were measured every 20 d. [Result] The milk production of the cows whose forage was added with 0.2 %, 0.4 % and 0.6% Zengrujianniusan was 4.02%, 12.50%, 14.00% higher than that of the control （P〉0.05）. The herbal feed additive had no significant influence on the contents of fat, milk and non-fat solid in milk, but significantly reduced the number of somatic cells. [Conclusion] The study will provide reference for developing feed additives which is safe and non-toxic to cows and their milk.

Effects of a Self-made Compound Chinese Herbal Medicine Additive on Growth Performance and Occurrence of Diarrhea in Weaned Piglets

In this study,the effects of compound Chinese herbal medicine on growth performance and occurrence of diarrhea in weaned piglets were investigated.A compound Chinese herbal medicine that consisted of Astragalus membranaceus,Codonopsis pilosula,Epimedium sagittatum,massa medicata fermentata,Atractylodes macrocephala,malt,Glycyrrhiza uralensis,Angelica sinensis and Crataegus pinnatifida,was crushed and then passed through a 500-mesh sieve.The obtained powder was added to the basal diet of weaned piglets.A total of 100 healthy crossbred weaned piglets,aging 26±2 days,were selected.They were randomly divided into 5groups（20 piglets/group） in according to principles of similar parity（3-5）,similar body weight and half male and half female.The piglets in the control group were fed with basal diet.For the piglets in the I,II and III groups,0.4%,0.7% and 1.0%of Chinese herbal medicine additive were added to the basal diets,respectively.The basal diet of piglets in the IV group was added with 30 mg/kg of oxytetracycline.The results showed the incidences of diarrhea in I,II and III groups were4.85%,5.14% and 5.63% lower than that of control groups（P〈0.05）.There was no significant difference in incidence of diarrhea between the control and the IV groups.

Investigation of Heavy Metal Contents in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine Peristrophe roxburghiana Collected from Northwest of Guangxi

Objective] This study was conducted to evaluate the product quality and safety of Peristrophe roxburghiana_ col ected from different places in Hechi City, northwest of Gunagxi, so as to provide basic data for further development and uti-lization of the characteristic plant resource P. roxburghiana. [Method] Contents of 9 kinds of heavy metals including Cd, Mn, Pb, Zn and Cu in the herb were deter-mined by the method of wet digestion-flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry, respectively. [Results] Heavy metal contents of Cd, Mn, Pb, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Hg and Se were 1.62-17.25, 8.93-142.53, 4.37-18.43, 103.7-242.81, 2.55-5.35, 85.40-146.30, 0.07-0.54, 0.00-0.08 and 0.00-0.47 mg/kg, respectively. According to the national food safety standards and Green Trade Standards of lmporting ＆amp; Exporting Medicinal plants ＆amp; Preparations, the heavy metal contents of the P. roxburghiana_samples col ected from different coun-ties in Hechi City exceeded standards or at the critical values. Among which, Cd, Pb and Zn contents of the samples are seriously higher than the standards. [Con-clusion] Therefore, the impact of soil heavy metal pol ution on the safety of edible plants in the northwest of Guangxi should be highly concerned.

Isolation and Identification of the Pathogen Causing Skin Ulcer Disease in Cynoglossus semilaevis Günther and Its Sensitivity to Chinese Herbal Medicine

In this study, the pathogen causing skin ulcer disease in Cynoglossus semilaevis Gunther was isolated for morphological observation, physiological and bio- chemical identification. According to the result, the isolated pathogen was identified as Vibrio harveyi. The results of recurrent infection of C. semilaevis Gonther showed that the pathogen was strongly pathogenic to C. semilaevis Gunther. In or- der to explore the pathogenesis, outer membrane protein （OMP） gene of C. semi- laevis Gunther was detected by PCR. The results showed that all the three repre- sentative strains harbored OMP gene. According to the results of sensitivity test of the pathogen to Chinese herbal medicine, Galla Chinensis, Fructus Mume, Fructus Hippophae and Lignum Sappan exerted strong antibacterial effects against V. harveyr, Pericarpium Granati exhibited slight antibacterial effect against V. harveyi; Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, Rhizoma Acori GramineL Herba Houttuyniae, Herba Portulacae, Herba Andrographis, Eucalyptus globulus Labill. and Herba Menthae Heplocalycis had little effect on V. harveyi. Galla Chinensis, Fructus Mume, Fructus Hippophae and Lignum Sappan were prepared into three prescriptions, among which prescription 1 （Galla Chinensis ＋ Fructus Mume） exhibited the strongest antibacterial effect.

Study on the Activity of Herbal Extract to Kill Root-knot Nematode of Cucumber Seedlings Stage

Present mature plants hydroponic technology was used,combined with some excellent characteristics,such as growth conditions was easy to control and process of root growth was easy to continuously observe,the nematicidal activity of 5 kinds of Chinese herbs extracts and the compound solution of Avermectin,with strong contact toxicity effect indoor,was systematically studied and investigated the affection on the root-knot nematode parasitized on the cucumber seeding stage. It is found that under the premise of no influence on root growth of cucumber,extracts from Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora and Punica granatum showed strong prevention and nematicidal activity,and had the similar efficacy of Avermectin; while the extracts from Cibotium barometz,Aucklandia lappa Decne and Fructus cnidii showed low nematicidal activity and various degrees inhibition effect on plant growth.

Constituents of the anti-asthma herbal formula ASHMI^(TM) synergistically inhibit IL-4 and IL-5 secretion by murine Th2 memory cells,and eotaxin by human lung fibroblasts in vitro

OBJECTIVE： Anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention （ASHMITM）, a combination of three tradi- tional Chinese medicinal herbs developed in our laboratory, has demonstrated efficacy in both mouse models of allergic asthma, and a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial in patients with asthma. This study was designed to determine if the anti-inflammatory effects of individual herbal constituents of ASHMITM exhibited synergy. METHODS： Effects of ASHMI and its components aqueous extracts of Lingzhi （Ganoderma lucidum）, Kushen （Sophora flavescens） and Gancao （Glycyrrhiza uralensis）, on Th2 cytokine secretion by murine memory Th2 cells （D10.G4.1） and eotaxin-1 secretion by human lung fibroblast （HLF-1） cells were determined by measuring levels in culture supernatants by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay. Potential synergistic effects were determined by computing interaction indices from concentration-effect curve parameters. RESULTS： Individual Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao extracts and ASHMI （the combination of individual extracts） inhibited production of interleukin （IL）-4 and IL-5 by murine memory Th2 cells and eotaxin-1 production by HLF-1 cells. The mean 25%-inhibitory-concentration （IC2s） values （mg/mL） forASHMI, Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao for IL-4 production were 30.9, 79.4, 123, and 64.6, respectively; for IL-5 production were 30.2, 263, 123.2 and 100, respectively; for eotaxin-1 were 13.2, 16.2, 30.2, and 25.1, respectively. The IC50values （mg/mL） for ASHMI, Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao for IL-4 production were 158.5, 239.9, 446.7, and 281.8, respectively; for eotaxin-1 were 38.1, 33.1, 100, and 158.5, respectively. The interaction indices of ASHMI constituents at IC25 were 0.35 for IL-4, 0.21 for IL-5 and 0.59 for eotaxin-l. The interaction indices at IC^0 values were 0.50 for IL-4 and 0.62 for eotaxin-1 inhibition. Inhibition of IL-5 did not reach IC^0 values. All interaction indices were below 1 which indicated synergy. CONCLUSION： By comparing the interaction index values, we find that constituents in ASHMITM synergistically inhibited eotaxin-1 production as well as Th2 cytokine production.

Effects of Salinity Fluctuation and Dietary Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicines on Survival,Growth and Immunity of Exopalaemon carinicauda

[Objective]The aim of this study was to provide a theoretical basis for the large-scale breeding of Exopalaemon carinicauda. [Method]Effects of salinity fluctuation （S0,S3,S6 and S9 represented salinity fluctuations of 0,3,6 and 9 respectivley） and dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines （0,1%,2% and 4% respectively） on survival,growth and immunity of E.carinicauda were studied,and its experiment lasted for 60 d. [Result]The results showed that specific growth rate,feed conversion efficiency and superoxide dismutase activity of E.carinicauda in the treatment group with 1% dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicine and S6 salinity fluctuation were higher than those in other treatments,which was significantly higher than the treatment groups with S0,S3 and S9 salinity fluctuation at the same adding level of 1% dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicine. The regression analysis indicated that at S0,S3 and S6 salinity fluctuation,the optimal adding level of dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines in feeds decreased with the increase of salinity fluctuation,accounting for 2.74%,1.77% and 0.51% respectively. At four adding levels of dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines,the optimal salinity fluctuation of E.carinicauda also decreased with the increase of dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines in feeds,accounting for 5.26,4.95,3.54 and 1.97 respectively. [Conclusion]Salinity,dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines and their interactions have a significant effect on survival,growth and immunity of E.carinicauda,which calls for attentions in the breeding.

Effects of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine on the Structure of Duodenal Mucosa of Chickens under Heat Stress

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effects of traditional Chinese herbal medicine on the structure of duodenal mucosa of chickens under heat stress. [Method] One hundred and twenty 88-day-old Isa Brown chickens were randomly divided into six groups, including three control groups （normal temperature control group, high temperature control group, high temperature Vc control group） and three high-temperature administration groups （high-dose administration group, moderate-dose administration group, low-dose administration group）. Chickens in normal temperature control group were reared at 14-25 ℃, and those in other five groups were reared at 28-39 ℃. The experiment lasted 10 d. Five chickens in each group were euthanized at 1, 4, 8 and 10 d post-treatment, respectively. The duodenal mucosa was collected and prepared into tissue slices with the conventional method for hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Mucosal thickness, villus length and crypt depth of duodenal mucosa were measured. [Result] Under heat stress, duodenal mucosal thickness and villus length were both significantly lower than those in normal temperature control group, and the duodenal villi were scarce and thin. However, under high temperature conditions, various indicators in high-dose and moderate-dose administration groups were higher than those in high temperature control group and high temperature Vc control group, which exhibited extremely significant differences at 8 and 10 d post-treatment, especially. Moreover, various indicators in high-dose administration group were significantly higher than those in moderate-dose and low-dose administration groups. The traditional Chinese herbal medicine prescription exhibited higher protective effects on duodenal mucosa of chickens under heat stress compared with high temperature Vc control group. [Conclusion] Under heat stress, traditional Chinese herbal medicine reduced effectively the duodenal mucosa damage in chickens.