Discovery of the relationship between bitter taste and bitter flavor (efficacy) based on hTAS2Rs

Objective:To explore the relationship between bitter taste and bitter flavor(efficacy),their character-istics were analyzed at the target and pharmacodynamic points.Methods:Compounds with bitter receptor activity were obtained by high-throughput screening models of the human bitter taste receptors(hTAS2Rs),which were used to analyze bitter taste.The efficacy of anti-asthma medications was used as an example to research bitter flavor(efficacy).The pharmacological effects of bitter taste and bitter flavor(efficacy)were classified according to the functional modules.The coverage for the same targets or pharmacological effects in the overall protein interaction network(PIN)of bitter taste and bitter flavor(efficacy)was analyzed to reveal their relationship.The effect of the compound polydatin with anti-asthma activation on hTAS2R14 was studied to verify the reliability of the aforementioned idea.Results:A total of 121 Chinese materia medica(CMM)compounds that activate hTAS2R10,hTAS2R14,and hTAS2R49 were obtained.The analysis results indicated that 108 same targets for bitter taste and bitter flavor(efficacy)were obtained,accounting for 13.9%in the PIN of bitter taste and 72.5%in the PIN of bitter flavor(efficacy).The pharmacological effects shared by bitter taste and bitter flavor(efficacy)accounted for 79%of the PIN of bitter taste and 81%of the PIN of bitter flavor(efficacy).The activating effect of the anti-asthma compound polydatin on hTAS2R14 was dose-dependent with EC 50 of 4.3 m M.Conclusion:In this study,the relationship between bitter taste and bitter flavor(efficacy)has been demonstrated from the target and pharmacodynamic points,which are based on hTAS2Rs and anti-asthma effect.Bitter taste and bitter flavor(efficacy)exhibited a high correlation.This study provides a theoretical and scientific basis for the hypothesis that“the property theory of CMM is the clinical pharmacodynamics of CMM.”

Vigorously Boosting the Development of Chinese Human Rights Theory and Practice

We feel a great honor and heavy responsibil- ity upon the Human Rights Research Center at Shandong University being named one of China＇s national human rights education and training bases. In our view, national human rights education and training bases should keep up with the times, bring into full play their ad- vantages of uniqueness and openness, complement each other, make con- certed efforts to achieve innovation and vigorously boost the development of Chinese human rights theory and practice. The university center will continue to bring into play its tradi- tional strength in theoretical research and graduate education and work hard to fulfill all the tasks of the center. It will focus on the following work.

Tonic Herbs and Herbal Mixtures in Chinese Medicine

This review results from a Pub Med-based data-mining of scientific literature concerning typical tonic herbs and formulas of Chinese herbal medicine and their application principle under the theory of CM. We have focused on two aspects of tonic activity: body tonification against qi气-, blood血-, yin阴-and yang阳-deficiency, respectively, and organ(Zang 脏and Fu腑) tonification against heart-, liver-, spleen/stomach-,lung-, and kidney-deficiency, respectively.Body-tonifying herbs are: Astragalus Membranaceus Radix(Huang-qi黄芪) and Panax Ginseng Radix(Ren-shen人参) for qi-tonification;Angelicae Sinensis Radix(Dang-gui当归) and Rehmannia Glutinosa Radix Preparata(Shu-di熟地) for blood-tonification; Ophiopogon Japonicus Radix(Mai-dong麦冬) and Scrophularia Ningpoensis Radix(Xuan-shen玄参) for yin-deficiency; Myristica Fragrans Semen(Roudou-kou肉豆蔻) and Psoralea Corylifolia Fructus(Bu-gu-zhi补骨脂) for yang-deficiency. The corresponding CM formulas are: Bu-zhong-yi-qi decoction(补中益气汤) for qi-tonification; Si-wu decoction(四物汤) for blood-tonification; Zeng-ye decoction(增液汤) for yin-tonification;Si-shen pill(四神丸) for yang-tonification.Organ-tonifying herbs are: Glycyrrhizae Uralensis Radix Preparata(Zhi-gan-cao炙甘草) and Rehmannia Glutinosa Radix(Di-huang地黄) for heart-tonification; Lycium Barbarum Fructus(Gou-qi-zi枸杞子) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix(Dang-gui当归) for liver-tonification; Panax Ginseng Radix(Ren-shen人参) and Atractylodis Macrocephala Rhizoma(Bai-zhu白术) for spleen/stomach-tonification; Panax Ginseng Radix(Ren-shen人参) and Astragalus Membranaceus Radix(Huang-qi黄芪) for lung-tonification; Cornus Officinalis Fructus(Shan-zhu-yu山茱萸)and Dioscorea Opposite Rhizoma(Shan-yao山药) for kidney-tonification. The corresponding CM formulas are: Zhi-gan-cao decoction(炙甘草汤) for heart-tonification; Yi-guan decoction(一贯煎) for liver-tonification; Shen-ling-bai-zhu powder(参苓白术散) for spleen/stomachtonification; Bu-fei decoction(补肺汤) for lung-tonification; Liu-wei-di-huang pill(六味地黄丸) for kidney tonification.These herbs and formulas were described regarding their efficacy, reasonable use and unreasonable abuse specific to different patients with different symptoms. The scientific investigation on efficacy and safety of Chinese formulas will propel the acceptance and spread of TCM in the western world for the sake of patients worldwide.