Insights into Fermentation Technology for Traditional Chinese Medicine:Progress and Applications

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has an exemplary role in the treatment and prevention of diseases.However,the advancement of TCM has been constrained by several factors,including its intricate structure,low active ingredient concentration,prolonged growth cycle,and the dfficulty in artificial cultivation.In recent years,research on the fermentation technology of TCM has increased.This paper provides an overview of the advantages of TCM fermentation technology,including efficiency enhancement and toxicity reduction,the development of new drugs,and the secondary utilization of dregs.Additionally,it discusses the progress of research on the application of fermented TCM in animal husbandry and disease treatment.The aim is to provide theoretical guidance for TCM fermentation technology research and the development of fermented TCM.

Visual Analysis of the Application and Development Trend of Cinnamon in the Field of Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on CiteSpace

[Objectives]This study was conducted to explore the application and development trend of Chinese medicinal material cinnamon in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.[Methods]Articles published from 2008 to 2023 were exported using"cinnamon"as the subject word in the Chinese database of CNKI.Knowledge graphs were drawn by CiteSpace software on the number of articles published,the institutions publishing articles,and keyword clustering,and the data were sorted by Excel.Combined with the extracted information,the application of cinnamon in traditional Chinese medicine and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine was analyzed,and its development trend was discussed and prospected,providing further reference for researchers.[Results]The number of articles published showed an overall upward trend and maintained a high number of articles.In the analysis of the journals publishing articles,the journal with the largest number of articles was West China Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences,which had certain representativeness.In the analysis of institutions publishing articles,the institution with the largest number of articles was Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,and most institutions had little cooperation.Four categories was obtained in keyword clustering,respectively,general research,component identification,production process and product development of cinnamon."Glycyrrhizin"was the keyword with the earliest burst time,and the hot words that have received much attention in recent years are"medication law"and"data mining".[Conclusions]The application of cinnamon in the field of traditional Chinese medicine is mainly to treat diseases and as raw materials for traditional Chinese medicine products.The development trend is"quality control"and"product research and development".Further research and development of cinnamon in traditional Chinese medicine need to promote the participation of more institutions to participate,and cooperation and communication between institutions should be strengthened to promote the deep integration of production,research and academia.

Advances in Research Methods of Pharmacodynamic Substances in Traditional Chinese Medicines and Their Application in the Teaching of Traditional Chinese Medicine Analysi

With the continuous progress of science and technology,the research methods of pharmacodynamic substances in traditional Chinese medicine are developing,and the application of these methods in teaching is becoming more and more extensive.By introducing these research methods into the classroom,teachers can help students to deeply understand the nature and mechanism of action of pharmacodynamic substances in traditional Chinese medicine,and improve their interest in and knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine.This paper introduces the definition of pharmacodynamic substances in traditional Chinese medicine,research methods,and their application in the teaching of traditional Chinese medicine analysis.

Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of endocrine metabolic diseases in 2023

This study aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the research progress in Chinese medicine in the treatment of endocrine metabolic diseases in 2023,covering traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)monomers,TCM extracts,and TCM combinations,including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications,obesity,hyperuricaemia,and thyroid disorders.After systematic sorting and summary,we found that in 2023,the research focusing on the application of TCM for endocrine metabolic diseases was still on the mechanism of action at the cellular and molecular levels,which not only influenced the classical pathways of lipid metabolism,but also delved into the key mechanisms of anti-inflammation,anti-oxidation,anti-insulin resistance,and so on.Additionally,TCM has shown remarkable results in the treatment of endocrine metabolic diseases by improving intestinal flora disorders and abnormal cellular iron death.These research results provide valuable ideas,methods,and tools for TCM in the prevention and treatment of endocrine metabolic diseases,and provide important references and guidance for future research and practice.

Potential prospects of Chinese medicine application in diabetic retinopathy

Current treatment strategies for diabetic retinopathy(DR),an eye condition that can lead to blindness,have mainly focused on proliferative DR,including vitreous injection,retinal photocoagulation,and vitrectomy.Vitreous injections mainly depend on anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.In this editorial,we comment on the article by Sun et al.We focus specifically on the mechanisms of the protective effect of genipin on the retina.Genipin is a gardenia extract used in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).In their study,the authors suggest that controlling advanced glycosylation by the intraocular injection of genipin may be a strategy for preventing retinopathy.The innovative use of a Chinese medicine extract injected into the eye to achieve a curative effect has attracted our attention.Although TCM is effective in treating DR,the topical application of DR,especially intraocular injections,is not yet feasible.Herein,we present a brief analysis of effective Chinese medicines for the treatment of DR.The effectiveness of local injections of TCM applied directly into the eyes holds promise as an effective treatment approach for DR.

Analysis of new therapeutic strategies for diabetes mellitus based on traditional Chinese medicine'xiaoke'formulae

Objective:To develop new therapeutic strategies for diabetes mellitus(DM)by analyzing the mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)'xiaoke'formulae(TCM prescriptions for remedying xiaoke).Methods:We characterized 291 xiaoke formulae,including the herbs contained,chemical composition,constituents'targets,and corresponding genes.Xiaoke-related genes were retrieved based on the relationships of constituents'targets and xiaoke formulae,and a threshold of over 95.88%occurrence of each constituent target in the 291 TCM formulae served as a definition for xiaoke-related genes.Upon comparison with DM-related genes in the DisGeNET database,the genes differing in expression between cases administered TCM and synthetic drugs were explored using a TCM grammar system.Results:The results showed that xiaoke formulae and 14 exclusively xiaoke-related genes were significantly associated with multiple biological processes closely related to DM and diabetic complications(P<.01).Moreover,intervention in the expression of these xiaoke-related genes would affect DM-related genes directly or indirectly.Conclusion:The 14 xiaoke-related genes APEX1,EHMT2,TSHR,CBX1,FEN1,GMNN,JUN,KMT2A,MAPT,POLl,USP1,PIN1,POLB,and POLK can serve as candidate genes for antidiabetic drug design.Compared with DM-related genes in DisGeNET,intervention in the expression of 14 xiaoke-related genes by TCM formulae has the potential to not only lower blood glucose,but also reduce the occurrence of some side effects and inhibit the development of diabetic complications.These findings will contribute to the discovery of new strategies for treating DM.

Discussion on application of food-medicine homologous traditional Chinese medicine in prevention prescriptions for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

From sorting out and statistical analysis of 172 prevention prescriptions for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) put forward by government departments, medical institutions and TCM clinical experts in various provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, the results showed that food-medicine homologous traditional Chinese medicine (abbreviated as"food-medicine materials") such as honeysuckle, licorice, agastache, tangerine peel, fresh reed rhizome, perilla and platycodon are used most frequently. Combined with TCM theory and modern pharmacology analysis, not only deeper understandin/g of the application value of food-medicine materials, but also reference value of their daily use and development of related products reference in the future is expected to be acquired.

Clinical Comparison and Analysis of Decoction of Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined with Ear Acupoint Application and Simple Artificial Tears in the Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical comparison and analysis of decoction of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) combined with ear acupoint application and simple artificial tears in the treatment of dry eye syndrome. METHODS:A total of 62 patients(124 eyes) with dry eye syndrome treated in the Department of Ophthalmology of The 4th People's Hospital of Shenyang from July 2017 to March 2018 were selected and equally divided into 2 groups according to the admission order. The observation group received the combination therapy of TCM decoction and ear acupoint application, while the control group was given the simple artificial tears. The symptom score after 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks as well as the indicators including break-up time(BUT), Schirmer I test(SIT) and fluorescein(FL) were recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS: The symptom scores had no difference before treatment(P > 0.05), and were better in the observation group than those in the control group after treatment(P < 0.05). At 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after the treatment, the amelioration level of BUT, SIT, and FL indicators in the observation group was better than that of the control group(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with the artificial tears treatment method, the TCM decoction combined with ear acupoint application can significantly ameliorate the tear film stability, tear secretion, and reduce ocular surface damage for dry eye patients.

Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine Five-element Music Combined with Acupoint Application on Perioperative Sleep Quality in Patients Undergoing Joint Replacement Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) five-element music combined with acupoint application on perioperative sleep quality in patients undergoing joint replacement surgery. METHODS: In this study, a total of 122 patients with joint replacement surgery in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital were targeted from 2015 to 2018. All patients were grouped by random number table method. Among them, 61 patients with routine nursing were included in the control group. On this basis, the other 61 patients with acupoint application and TCM five-element music therapy were included as the observation group. 2 weeks later, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) was used to evaluate sleep quality in all patients. The sleep improvement of the 2 groups was evaluated, and the patient was assessed for anxiety and depression, and the curative efficacy was evaluated. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of nursing, the PSQI of the patients improved significantly. The PSQI of the observation group was only 6.6 ± 2.4, and the control group decreased to 9.9 ± 2.7. The observation group was better than the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05). Comparing the 2 groups, the anxiety score of the observation group decreased to 4.8 ± 1.6, which was significantly lower than that of 6.9 ± 2.2 in the control group. The depression score of the observation group decreased to 4.6 ± 1.3, which was significantly lower than that of 6.8 ± 2.3 in the control group. In the control group, the negative emotion scores after nursing were better than those before nursing, and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05). Comparing the 2 groups, the effective rate of sleep improvement in the observation group was 96.6%, and the cure rate was as high as 49.1%. The control group was 82.0%, and the cure rate was 18.0%. The observation group was better than the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of TCM five-element music with acupoint application can improve the perioperative sleep quality of patients undergoing joint replacement surgery, and it can help patients to relieve negative emotions. It is worth promoting.

Application of Chinese Traditional Medicine in Kidney Transplantation

Kidney transplantation is one of the important means in saving the life of patients with renal diseases of the terminal stage. However, rejection reaction often results in the loss of the grafted organs’ function. Almost half the recipients have been found to suffer from loss of graft function due to rejection reaction within 10 years of post-transplantation. Part of them have bad quality of life

Discussion on the Application of Ascending and Descending Property of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Compatibility of Clinical Prescriptions

Through the method of literature mining,the classics of traditional Chinese medicine,materia medica works,medical cases and documents are studied.Based on common prescriptions for the treatment of diseases such as abnormal Zang-fu viscera and qi movement,dysfunction,etc.,and combined with the theory of ascending and descending property of traditional Chinese medicine,the application of ascending and descending property of traditional Chinese medicine in clinical prescription compatibility and the factors affecting the application are summarized.The ascending and descending properties of traditional Chinese medicine have been widely used in prescription compatibility for the clinical treatment of impairment of purifying and descending function of the lung,spleen and stomach's ascending and descending disorders and heart-kidney noninteractionpatte.

Application of external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue

External treatment of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),also known as external treatment of internal diseases,has many advantages,such as simple,easy to operate,cost-effective and so on.Therefore,external treatment of TCM is favored by the majority of medical workers.By consulting the domestic literature reports on the treatment of cancer-related fatigue(CRF),it is found that the external treatment of TCM has a significant effect on the intervention of CRF,and has a good effect on reducing fatigue,improving the quality of life and prolonging the survival time.The purpose of this paper is to summarize the application of several external treatments in this disease,and to provide a variety of references for clinical treatment of CRF.

Recent advances in network pharmacology applications in Chinese herbal medicine

Network pharmacology is a new discipline based on the theory of systems biology and network analysis of biological systems to design the drugs.It comprehensively observes the intervention and influence of drugs on the disease network,and reveals the mystery of multi-molecular drugs synergistically acting on disease.These concepts reflect the ideas of multi-component,multi-target and system regulation,and have many similarities with the research ideas of traditional Chinese medicine,which focuses on syndrome differentiation and treatment,emphasizes the overall understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis.Network pharmacology can be used to predict and identify the target and active component of traditional herbal medicine,to clarify the mechanism of action,to scientifically explain the rules of the prescription,to explore the rules of real-world prescription,to discover new indications and new active compounds,and to study drug relocation,etc.The applications of network pharmacology in traditional herbal medicine were systematically summarized to demonstrate the significant value in these areas.

Traditional Chinese medicine for prevention and treatment of hepatocarcinoma: From bench to bedside

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has played a positive role in the management of hepatocarcinoma. Hepatocarcinoma patients may present Qi-stagnation, damp-heat, blood stasis, Qi-deficiency, Yin-deficiency and other TCM syndromes(Zheng). Modern treatments such as surgery, transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) and high intensity focus ultrasound treatment would influence the manifestation of TCM syndromes. Herbs with traditional efficacy of tonifying Qi, blood and Yin, soothing liver-Qi stagnation, clearing heat and detoxifying and dissolving stasis, have been demonstrated to be potent to prevent hepatocarcinogenesis. TCM has been widely used in all aspects of integrative therapy in hepatocarcinoma, including surgical resection, liver transplantation, TACE, local ablative therapies and even as monotherapy for middle-advanced stage hepatocarcinoma. Clinical practices have confirmed that TCM is effective to alleviate clinical symptoms, improve quality of life and immune function, prevent recurrence and metastasis, delay tumor progression, and prolong survival time in hepatocarcinoma patients. The effective mechanism of TCM against hepatocarcinoma is related to inducing apoptosis, autophagy, anoikis and cell senescence, arresting cell cycle, regulating immune function, inhibiting metastasis and angiogenesis, reversing drug resistance and enhancing effects of chemotherapy. Along with the progress of research in this field, TCM will contribute more to the prevention and treatment of hepatocarcinoma.

Effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine for diabetic retinopathy:A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

BACKGROUND Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is currently recognized as one of the most serious diabetic microangiopathies and a major cause of adult blindness.Commonly used clinical approaches include etiological control,microvascular improvement,and surgical intervention,but they are ineffective and have many side effects.Oral Chinese medicine(OCM)has been used for thousands of years to treat DR and is still widely used today,but it is unclear which OCM is more effective for DR.AIM To estimate relative effectiveness and safety profiles for different classes of OCMs for DR,and provide rankings of the available OCMs.METHODS The search time frame was from the creation of the database to January 2023.RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 software were used to perform the systematic review and Network meta-analyses(NMA).RESULTS A total of 107 studies and 9710 patients were included,including 4767 cases in the test group and 4973 cases in the control group.Based on previous studies and clinical reports,and combined with the recommendations of Chinese guidelines for the prevention and treatment of DR,9 OCMs were finally included in this study,namely Compound Xueshuantong Capsules,Qiming Granules,Compound Danshen Dripping Pills,Hexue Mingmu Tablets(HXMM),Qiju Dihuang Pills(QJDH),Shuangdan Mingmu Capsules(SDMM),Danggui Buxue Decoction(DGBX),Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction and Buyang Huanwu Decoction.When these nine OCMs were analyzed in combination with conventional western medicine treatment(CT)compared with CT alone,the NMA results showed that HXMM+CT has better intervention effect on the overall efficacy of DR patients,HXMM+CT has better effect on improving patients'visual acuity,SDMM+CT has better effect on inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor,DGBX+CT has better effect on reducing fundus hemorrhage area,HXMM+CT has better effect on reducing fasting blood glucose,and QJDH+CT has better effect on reducing glycated hemoglobin.When there are not enough clinical indicators for reference,SDMM+CT or HXMM+CT treatments can be chosen because they are effective for more indicators and demonstrate multidimensional efficacy.CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that combining OCMs with CT leads to better outcomes in all aspects of DR compared to using CT alone.Based on the findings,we highly recommend the use of SDMM or HXMM for the treatment of DR.These two OCMs have demonstrated outstanding efficacy across multiple indicators.

Comparative study on the anti-tuberculous effect and mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicines NiuBeiXiao He extract and JieHeWan

Background:The traditional Chinese medicine NiuBeiXiaoHe(NBXH)extract and Chinese medicine preparation JieHeWan(JHW)exhibit anti-tuberculosis(TB)effects.The anti-TB effect of NBXH was compared with that of JHW to elucidate the mechanism of action of NBXH.Methods:BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into a normal control group,TB model group,JHW treatment group,and NBXH treatment group.After 3 and 13 weeks of treatment,the therapeutic effect in each group was evaluated by comparing lung histopathology,lung and liver colony counts,the number of spots representing effector T cells secreting IFN-γin an enzyme-linked immunospot assay(ELISPOT),and the levels of Th1,Th2,and Th17 cytokines,which were measured by a cytometric bead array(CBA).Mouse RNA samples were subjected to transcriptome sequencing.Results:After 13 weeks of treatment,the mean histopathological lesion area of the NBXH group was significantly smaller than that of the TB model group(P<0.05).Compared with those in the TB model group,the lung colony counts in the JHW and NBXH groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the IL-2 and IL-4 levels in the NBXH group were significantly increased(P<0.05).NBXH partly restored significant changes in gene expression caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tuberculosis)infection.According to GO and KEGG analyses,the changes in biological process(BP),cell composition(CC)and molecular function(MF)terms and in signaling pathways caused by NBXH and JHW treatment were not completely consistent,but they were mainly related to the immune response and inflammatory response in the mouse TB model.Conclusions:NBXH had therapeutic effects similar to those of JHW in improving lung histopathology,reducing lung colony counts,and regulating the levels of cytokines.NBXH restored significant changes in gene expression and repaired cell damage caused by M.tuberculosis infection by regulating immune-related pathways,which clarified the mechanism of action of NBXH.

Research Status of Serum Pharmacology and Serum Pharmacochemistry of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Serum pharmacochemistry of traditional Chinese medicine has become a more accurate and rapidly developing reasonable way to analyze the effective material basis of traditional Chinese medicine in recent years. Through this method, we can select very complex Chinese medicine components and clarify the effective substances consistent with the main functions, and then separate and purify effective ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, so as to explain the material basis of the drug effect and prove the rationality and principle of action of Chinese medicine compounds. It can show the multi-component and multi-target characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine, and after analyzing the migrating components of serum, we can explore the direct effective substances that act on the patient’s body, so as to accelerate and accurately complete the in-depth study of the effective substances of Chinese medicine.

Mechanisms and status of research on the protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine against ischemic brain injury

Ischemic brain injury occurs when the metabolic needs of brain tissue cannot be met due to insufficient blood supply to the brain.It is one of the main causes of death and adult disability worldwide.The recurrence rate of ischemic brain injury is high.It places a heavy economic burden on families and society,and seriously affects human health and quality of life.In traditional Chinese medicine,ischemic stroke belongs to the category of“stroke”.The use of traditional Chinese medicine to treat stroke has a long history.After years of experimental research,a large amount of theoretical knowledge and practical experience have been accumulated.Promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis is the basis of traditional Chinese medicine theory on the treatment of ischemic stroke.Commonly used single Chinese medicines include Chuangxiong(Ligusticum chuanxiong hort),Danggui(Angelica sinensis),Danshen(Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge),Honghua(Carthamus tinctorius L.),Mudanpi(Moutan Cortex),and Huangqi(Astragali Radix).Buyang Huanwu decoction,Xinglou Chengqi decoction,Taohong Siwu decoction,and other traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions are believed to have a protective effect against brain damage caused by ischemic stroke.With the development of modern medical technology,the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine treatments for ischemic brain injury has gradually been explored.This article reviews the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine’s protection against ischemic brain injury and its current clinical application.

Advances in traditional Chinese medicine for liver disease therapy in 2021

Liver diseases and their co-morbidities represent a major public health problem.Owing to its progressive pathogenesis and lack of effective treatment,liver disease has become one of the most important causes of death worldwide.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has potential advantages in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases,including high safety,remarkable curative effects,and low toxicity and side effects.In 2021,TCM extracts and their derivatives,TCM compounds,and ethnic medicines showed good efficacy in the treatment of liver diseases.The main mechanisms and representative drugs of TCM can be summarized by the use of amygdalin,dicoumarol,quercetin,and ancient ephedrine decoction to treat hepatitis by inhibiting viral replication,as well as the use of Gentianae Radix,lupeol,Zornia diphylla(L.)Pers.,and Chinese patent medicine Liuwei Wuling tablet to alleviate acute liver injury by improving oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in the body.In the treatment of alcoholic liver disease and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease,the mechanism of TCM is the inhibition of oxidative stress,improving metabolism,regulating intestinal microflora,and enhancing intestinal barrier function.The representative TCM for alcoholic liver disease includes astragaloside,puerarin,patchouli alcohol,and Mori Fructus polysaccharide,while those for metabolic-associated fatty liver disease include saikosaponin,dehydroabietic acid,hesperetin,berberine,and Panax Notoginseng saponins.Additionally,germacrone,forsythin,geniposide,and protocatechuic acid can inhibit the activation or migration of stellate cells and improve liver fibrosis.Toosendanin,paeoniflorin,chrysin,and the classical prescription Huanglian decoction can significantly inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cells and promote their apoptosis for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.The activation of the farnesol X receptor pathway can improve bile metabolism in the liver,thus,significantly alleviating cholestatic liver disease.Its representative drugs include the TCM extracts pterostilbene and arbutin.In this review,we summarize the advances made in research on TCM used in the treatment of liver diseases in 2021,providing a reference for further development of TCM for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.

Quality Evaluation on Traditional Chinese Medicine Nursing Plan for Stroke in Acute and Recovery Phases

OBJECTIVE: To formulate the quality evaluation questionnaire of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) nursing plan for stroke in acute and recovery phases, and to evaluate the quality of TCM nursing plan for stroke by clinical nurses. METHODS: The questionnaire was designed by referring to the Applicability Questionnaire of TCM Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline, and the expert consultation was used to assess the content validity. In addition, the results of the questionnaire were processed and analyzed with SPSS20.0 software. RESULTS: The content validity of the self-designed questionnaire was 0.94 for the S-CVI/Ave score. The results of the questionnaire demonstrated that the overall content of the plan was "better than the original routine nursing plan"(59.18%); the recognition degree of "common symptoms"(36.70%) and "syndrome classification"(36.70%) of the plan was the lowest. CONCLUSION: The plan is supposed to be further improved in the future in order to be coincident with clinical reality.