Responses of Photosynthetic Pigment, Phenol and Total Saponin Contents of Panax notoginseng to Supplemental UV-B under Field Conditions

[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the content changes and their correlations of the photosynthetic pigment,phenols,including total phenols,total flavonoids and anthocyanins,and total saponins of the one-year-old P.notoginseng plants under supplemental UV-B stress in fields.[Method] The one-year-old plants were irradiated by UV-B in field for 1 min per day,and the plants under the UV-B lamp were regarded as a circle center,achieving an annular leaf-sampling.The photosynthetic pigment,phenols and total saponins of the leaves were determined spectrophotometrically.[Result] With the increase of sampling radius,the supplemental UV-B intensity decreased significantly,the contents of chlorophyll （Chl） a,Chl b,Chl （a＋b）,carotenoid （Car） and total photosynthetic pigment （Chl＋Car） of the leaves increased extremely significantly,the Chl a/b and total phenol content （TPC） decreased extremely significantly,but the Chl （a＋b）/Car changes were not significant.The contents of total flavonoids,anthocyanins and saponins all increased due to the increasing of UV-B,displaying dose effects.The UV-B intensity was positively correlated with the Chl a/b,and negatively with the Chl a,Chl b,Chl （a＋ b）,Car and （Chl＋Car） contents; and the two of TPC,total flavonoid content （TFC）,total anthocyanin content （TAC） and total saponin content （TSC） were positively correlated,all reaching extremely significant level.The UV-B intensity was positively and significantly correlated with the total flavonoid content （TFC）,negatively and significantly with the Chl （a＋b）/Car,and positively and insignificantly with the TPC,TAC and TSC.[Conclusion] For one-year-old plants of P.notoginseng,UV-B can decrease the contents of the Chl a,Chl b,Chl （a＋b）,Car and （Chl＋Car） and increase the Chl a/b and TPC,and,furthermore,induce the increases of the TFC,TAC and TSC in a dose-dependent manner.However,UV-B can hardly change the Chl （a＋b）/Car.The supplemental UV-B of well-suited dose might be one of the effective measures to improve the TSC of P.notoginseng.

Preliminary Identification of Red Pigment and Positive Correlation between the Contents of Red Pigment and Total Saponins of Panax notoginseng Fruits

[Objective] This study aimed to identify red pigment of Panax notoginseng fruits and explore the correlation between pigment content and total saponins of the fruits. [Method] The red pigment of Panax notoginseng fruits was preliminarily identi- fied with specific color reactions and UV-vis spectra, and the contents of the pigment and total saponins were determined via spectrophotometry. [Result] The red hues of the fruits were contributed by anthocyanins and/or the anthocyanidins. The contents of anthocyanins and total saponins of the fruits both decreased along with thinning of the red hues. The content difference of the anthocyanins in fruits with different red hues reached extremely significant level, but that of total saponins just reached significant level. [Conclusion] The red pigment of P. notoginseng fruits is anthocyanins which are of extremely significant positive correlation with total saponins in contents.

Effects of β-Aescin on the expression of nuclear factor-κB and tumor necrosis factor-α after traumatic brain injury in rats

To investigate the inhibiting effect of β-Aescin on nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) protein after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the rat brain, 62 SD rats were subjected to lateral cortical impact injury caused by a free-falling object and divided randomly into four groups: (1) sham operated (Group A); (2) injured (Group B); (3) β-Aescin treatment (Group C); (4) pyrrolidine dithocarbamate (PDTC) treatment (Group D). β-Aescin was administered in Group C and PDTC treated in Group D immediately after injury. A series of brain samples were obtained directly 6h, 24 h and 3 d respectively after trauma in four groups. NF-κB activation was examined by Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA); the levels of TNF-α protein were measured by radio-immunoassay (RIA); the water content of rat brain was measured and pathomorphological observation was carried out. NF-κB activation, the levels of TNF-α protein and the water content of rat brain were significantly increased (P＜0.01) following TBI in rats. Compared with Group B, NF-κB activation (P＜0.01), the levels of TNF-α protein (P＜0.01) and the water content of brain (P＜0.05) began to decrease obviously after injury in Groups C and D.β-Aescin could dramatically inhibit NF-κB activation and the expression of TNF-α protein in the rat brain, alleviate rat brain edema, and that could partially be the molecular mechanism by which β-Aescin attenuates traumatic brain edema.

Development and evaluation of Panax notoginseng saponins contained in an in situ pHtriggered gelling system for sustained ocular posterior segment drug delivery

Objective:This study aimed to lay the foundation for the research on Panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)in pH-sensitive in situ gel and the development and improvement of related preparations.Methods:We used Carbopol■940,a commonly used pH-sensitive polymer,and the thickener hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC E4M)as an ophthalmic gel matrix to prepare an ophthalmic in situ gel of PNS.In addition,formula optimization was performed by assessing gelling capability with the results of in vitro release studies.In vitro(corneal permeation,rheological,and stability)and in vivo(ocular irritation and preliminary pharmacokinetics in the vitreous)studies were also performed.Results:The results demonstrated that the in situ gelling systems containing PNS showed a sustained release of the drug,making it an ideal ocular delivery system for improving posterior ocular bioavailability.Conclusions:This study lays the foundation for the research of PNS contained in an in situ pH-triggered gel as well as the development and improvement of related preparations.It concurrently traditional Chinese medicine with a contemporary in situ gelling approach to provide new directions for the treatment of posterior ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

Current Situation of Chinese Medicine Combined with MSCs for the Treatment of the Neurovascular Unit Injury After Cerebral lschemia

Stroke has been a common problem in the global public health because of its high incidence,recur-rence,disability rate and mortality,among which ischemic stroke accounts for about 80%of the total stroke.Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury(CIRI)is one of the most important pathological injuries after ischemic stroke,and the effective treatment has always been a research focus at home and abroad.The proposal of the concept of neurovascular unit(NVU)which extends treatment ideas from local to holistic is in accordance with the holistic concept and treatment based on syndrome differentiation in Chinese medicine.Chinese medicine has many advantages,such as being multicomponent,multitarget,and multipath while stem cells are effective biological therapeutic means,both of which have been proved to exert comprehensive and definite effects on NVU injury caused by CIRI.This artide reviews the molecular mechanisms of NVU injury and the cerebropro-tective effects of Chinese medicine monomers or compound formulas combined with MSCs on NUV injury after cerebral ischemia,with a view to provide a theoretical basis for future studies.