Screening of Antioxidant Potential of Selected Barks of Indian Medicinal Plants by Multiple in vitro Assays

Objective To evaluate the antioxidant potential in herbal extract barks of five therapeutically important medicinal plants native to India, i.e. Crataeva nurvala Buch.-Ham., Buchanania lanzan Spreng., Aegle marmelos Corr., Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. ex DC., and Cedrela toona Roxb. Methods Standardized aqueous alcoholic extracts from the selected barks having different target radicals, such as superoxide radical, nitric oxide, ABTS radical, and peroxidative decomposition of phospholipids, were prepared and screened by multiple in vitro assays. These extracts were also tested for total phenolic and tannin content and correlated with antioxidant capacity. Results Total phenolic and tannin contents were found to be the highest in C. nurvala （195 GAE mg/g and 218.3 mg/g CE）. SOD mimetic activity was found to be the highest in Crataeva nurvula, although all barks showed activity more than IO3 units/mg extract. Lipid peroxidation inhibitory potential was found to be the highest in Crataeva nurvala （83.4% inhibition of MDA formation/10 μg extract）, and also showed a comparatively high NO quenching capacity （45.5% per 10 μg extract）. The highest NO quenching potential was found in Aegle marmelos （47.3% per 10 μg extract）. Cedrela toona showed the lowest LPO inhibitory potential and NO quenching capacity （50.5% and 30.5%, respectively）. Buchanania lanzan, a medicinal plant extensively used for inflammatory disorders and Dalbergia sissoo also showed 72.5% and 69.1% LPO inhibitory potential/10 μg extract. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity ranged from 0.24 to 0.39 mmol/L TEAC/mg extract, indicating that all the barks tested had ABTS^＋ radical quenching capacity. Conclusion Bark of Crataeva nurvula has the highest antioxidant capacity and a positive correlation between antioxidant activity and their plendic content was found.

Study on Antifungal Activity of Some Medicinal Plants against Gray Mold(Botrytis cinerea)

In order to investigate antifungnl effect of medicinal plant extracts on Botrytis cinerea, the antifungal activity of ethanol extracts of 8 medicinal plants in- eluding Ginkgo biloba against Botrytis cinerea was determined by growth rate method. The results showed that Ginkgo biloba and Ginnamomum cassia extracts had significant inhibition effects on B. cinema mycelium growth （P 〈 0.05）, with inhibition rates over 70% and ECho values of 0.027 mg/ml and 0.039 mg/ml, re- spectively, significantly different from the antifungal effects of other kinds of medicinal plants ; and P. ternata and A. tsaoko extracts showed the second highest in- hibition effects, with ECho values of 0. 011 9 and 0. 039 3 mg/ml, respectively. Further experimental application could be carried out.

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.

Application of Several Additives Instead of Antibiotics in the Production of Laying Hens

[ Objective ] The test was conducted to study the effect of three different additives instead of antibiotics in the production of laying hens. [ Method ] Basal diets in four test groups were added with 0. 015 % oxytetracycline, 0. 01% microecological preparation, 0.2% fulvic acid, and 0. 1% Chinese herbal medi- cine extract respectively, and laying hens in control group were fed with basal diets. Effect of four different additives on performance and egg quality were studied under the temperature of 28.6℃. [ Result] The average egg-laying rate and feed-egg ratio in groups 2, 3 and 4 were significantly better than those in control group and group 1 （P 〈 0.05 ）. The contents of fat and cholesterol in eggs in groups 2, 3 and 4 were lower than those in control group and group 1. And the fat content of eggs in group 4 was 13.42% lower than that in control group, the difference was significant （ P 〈 0.05 ）. The protein contents in groups 2, 3 and 4 were signifi- cantly higher than those in control group and group 1 （P 〈 0.05 ）. [Condusion ] Microecological preparation, fulvic acid and Chinese herbal medicine extract could replace antibiotics to be applied in the production of laying hens.

Treatment of Chinese Traditional Medicine Wastewater by Photosynthetic Bacteria

The influence factors treating wastewater of Chinese traditional medicine extraction by photosynthetic bacteria are tested and discussed. The results indicate that the method of photosynthetic bacteria can eliminate COD and BOD from wastewater in high efficiency. And it also has high load shock resistance. On the conditions of slight aerobic and semi-darkness, treating wastewater of Chinese traditional medicine extraction, the method has better efficiency to eliminate COD and BOD from the wastewater than those by anaerobic illumination and aerobic darkness treatments. After pretreatment of hydrolytic acidization, the removal rate of COD in the wastewater reached more than 85 %, and that rate of BOD reached more than 90% in the treating system of photosynthetic bacteria. It may be more feasible and advantageous than traditional anaerobic biological process to treat organic wastewater using PSB system.

Design of Traditional Chinese Medicine Extraction Workshop Process and Automation System

Objective: This paper takes the example of a Panax notoginseng extraction workshop and designs an automated production workshop with advanced domestic capabilities. Methods: 1) Based on the small-scale Panax notoginseng extraction process, the feasibility of the workshop production process is demonstrated. 2) The workshop process design for Panax Notoginseng saponin extraction is completed, including production organization plans and the selection of key equipment. 3) For the Panax notoginseng extraction workshop process, an automated production control system is designed. Conclusion: Through optimized design of the production process and automation system, continuous and automated production of traditional Chinese medicine extraction is achieved, leading to improvements in drug quality and production efficiency.

Beijing Tong Ren Tang Herbal Medicines Extract Factory

The Beijing Tong Ren Tang Herbal Medicines Extract Factory, a specialized producer of traditional Chinese medicines in tablet form, was set up in 1952 by Le Songsheng, vice mayor of Beijing and manager of Tong Ren Tang, with the aim of producing traditional Chinese medicines in Western form and by scientific means. The factory produced the

Computational investigation on the molecular structure and chemical reactivity of a traditional Chinese medicine extract MK-1 molecule

MK-1 molecule(C_(16)H_(16)O_(2)),the simplest structure of vitamin K(VK)compound family,is an extract from traditional Chinese medicine Cymbopogon distans(Nees ex Steud.)Wats(Chinese name YunXiangCao),which has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years due to its antiasthmatic,antitussives and expectorant effects.To investigate the molecular structure and chemical reactivity of MK-1 molecule,computational investigations on six conformational minima structures were carried out at the MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p)level of theory.Several local reactivity descriptors including condensed Fukui function,average local ionization energy,and molecular electrostatic potential on each individual atom were determined to predict the intrinsic reactivity of MK-1 molecule.

Research on Technology Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Extraction Based on Patent Information

Objective To understand the development status of traditional Chinese medicine extraction technology,so as to provide a reference for enterprises and scientific research institutions to determine the direction of technological innovation.Besides,the government can formulate scientific and technological innovation strategies.Methods Based on patent information,statistical methods were applied to analyze the development of traditional Chinese medicine extraction technology.Then,the core technology was identified by constructing a patent citation network.Finally,the main path analysis method was applied to discover the technological evolution path.Results and Conclusion The extraction technology of traditional Chinese medicine is still in the growth stage.At present,its R&D is based on enterprises,supplemented by scientific research institutions.The core technologies are ultrasonic extraction and enzymatic extraction.The main path represented by enzymatic extraction technology reveals the evolution process of traditional Chinese medicine extraction technology.Based on this,relevant suggestions are put forward.Firstly,technological innovation cooperation should be strengthened to explore new models of achievement transformation and cooperation.Secondly,key enterprises of technology clusters should be cultivated to accelerate breakthroughs in core technologies.Thirdly,combined technologies can achieve high-efficiency enzyme-assisted extraction and open up new ways of extracting traditional Chinese medicine.Fourthly,traditional techniques should be improved to develop innovative modern techniques.

Antimicrobial Agents from Selected Medicinal Plants in Libya

Objective： To test the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of water and methanol extracts of 23 plant species that are commonly used in Libyan folk medicine. Methods： The antimicrobial activity was determined using the well-diffusion method. Four test microorganisms were used namely, Escherichia coil, Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The minimum inhibitory concentration （MIC） was determined for the high biologically active crude plant extracts. Results： Among 23 medicinal plants used in the study, only 5 methanolic extracts [Rosmarinus offcinalis L., Carduus marianium L., Lantana camara L., Rhus tripartite （ueria） Grande, and Thymus capitatus （L.） Hoffm （link）] showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella species, while 22 methanolic and aqueous extracts showed moderate to weak antimicrobial activity on all tested organisms. However 19 of the extracts showed no activity at all against Gram -ve and Gram ＋ve microorganisms. MIC was found to be 1.25 mg/mL （Thymus capitatus）, 3 mg/mL （Rhus tripartite）, 4 mg/mL （Carduus marianium）, 5 mg/mL （Rosamarinus officinalis） and 5 mg/mL （Lantana camara）, respectively. Condusions： The present results revealed that, crude methanolic extracts of the investigated Libyan folk medicinal plants exhibited mild to high in vitro antibactedal activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms.

Effects of Shenlian Extracts (参莲提取物) on Atherosclerosis by Inhibition of the Inflammatory Response

Objective: Inflammation plays a critical role in atherosclerosis, and this inflammatory reaction is being intensively studied. Shenlian Extracts (参莲提取物), an active ingredient of Chinese medicinal herbs, is believed to have multiple therapeutic and preventive effects against human vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis. Our work investigated whether Shenlian Extracts serves as an anti-inflammatory agent during atherogenesis. Methods: We established a model of atherosclerosis in rabbits using balloon angioplasty and a high cholesterol diet. The effects of Shenlian Extracts on vessel structure and inflammation were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining of the femoral artery, measurement of inflammation-related factors in serum or vascular tissue, and radioimmunoassay. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), flow cytometry and western blots were also performed. Results: We show that oral pre-treatment with Shenlian Extracts suppressed the pathological changes associated with atherosclerosis and that graded doses of Shenlian Extracts reduced total serum levels of cholesterol (90, 180 and 360 mg/kg), triglyceride (180 and 360 mg/kg), and LDL-c (90, 180 mg/kg). Various doses of Shenlian Extracts reduced serum content of TNF-α (180 and 360 mg/kg), CRP (90, 180 and 360 mg/kg) and IL-8 (360 mg/kg) (P<0.05), but led to no significant changes in IL-1β levels. Treatment with Shenlian Extracts also significantly reduced VCAM-1 levels (90 and 360 mg/kg) and IGF-1 levels (90 and 180 mg/kg) in vascular tissue but had no significant effect on ICAM-1 and MCP-1 levels. Finally, Shenlian Extracts significantly reduced the abnormal expression of CD18 in monocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These results suggest that Shenlian Extracts may play a direct role in preventing and treating atherogenesis by inhibiting the inflammatory reaction, providing insights into the possible mechanism underlying the anti-atherosclerotic actions of Shenlian Extracts.

Estimation of bioaccessibility and potential human health risk of mercury in Chinese patent medicines

Mercury（Hg）, mainly in cinnabar species, has been used in medicine for thousands of years in China, and worldwide concern has been raised on its toxicity. In this work, the amount of bioaccessible mercury in 16 Chinese patent medicines（CPMs） was measured by using an in vitro simulated digestion system, consisting of simulated gastric and intestinal fluid, to investigate the bioavailability of mercury in CPMs and evaluate its potential risk to human health. Total mercury and mercury in the gastrointestinal extracts were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry（ICP-MS）. The levels of total Hg in 16 CPMs ranged from not detected to 11.89 mg/g, with a mean value of 1.13 mg/g, while the extractable Hg ranged from not detected to 4.37 μg/g, with a mean value of 0.42 μg/g.Mercury bioaccessibility varied significantly in the investigated CPMs, depending on the ingredient. Compared to the CPMs without cinnabar（2.5%–30.9%）, the percentage of mercury in the gastrointestinal supernatants for CPMs with cinnabar was quite a bit lower（0.037%）. By comparing with the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives（FAO/WHO） safety guideline, the average daily intake dose（ADD） of Hg in the medicines was then calculated to access the risk of mercury to human health from taking CPMs.

Adjuvant Effects of Fermented Red Ginseng Extract on Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Chemotherapy

Objective： To investigate the adjuvant therapeutic effects of fermented red ginseng（FRG） extract on non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC） patients treated with chemotherapy. Methods： A total of 60 patients with advanced NSCLC were assigned to two groups using a random number table, i.e., the gemcitabine plus cisplatin（GP） chemotherapy alone group（26 patients） and the FRG ＋ GP chemotherapy group（34 patients）, for 60-day treatment. Patients were then assessed according to the Fatigue Symptom Inventory, Chinese medicine symptoms score, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Karnofsky Performance Status Scale, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung. In addition, chemotherapy toxicity and tumor biomarkers were measured. Results： For NSCLC patients after chemotherapy, FRG extract significantly improved the FSI score, CM symptoms score, psychological status, physical conditions, and quality of life and reduced chemotherapy toxicity（P〈0.01）, but the expression levels of carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin-19 fragments, and neuron-specific enolase were not significantly different between the chemotherapy alone and the FRG ＋ chemotherapy groups or between pre-and post-treatments（P〉0.05）. Conclusions： This study demonstrated that FRG extract had an adjuvant effect on advanced NSCLC patients treated with chemotherapy. Further studies with a larger sample size will verify the current findings.

Aeromonas veronii isolated from climbing perch(Anabas testudineus)suffering from epizootic ulcerative syndrome(EUS)

Motile Aeromonads are responsible for various diseases in fishes that cause significant economic losses in aquaculture.Aeromonas spp.are also frequently isolated from fish suffering from Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome(EUS).The present study was conducted to isolate and identify A.veronii from Vietnam climbing perch(Anabas testudineus)suffering from EUS,evaluate the pathogenicity of the isolates,and find out antibiogram profile and susceptibility of the isolates to medicinal plant extracts.Vietnam climbing perch(A.testudineus)suffering from EUS was collected from fish farms located at Savar,Dhaka and bacteria were isolated from the external ulcerative lesion,and kidney and liver of the infected fish on nutrient agar plates.Preliminary phenotypic identification of the bacterial isolates was performed following morphological,physiological and biochemical characterization tests.The 16S rRNA gene sequencing was accomplished for further molecular identification of five selected isolates.To evaluate the pathogenicity of the isolates in vivo artificial infection challenge test was conducted through immersion method.Another in vivo pathogenicity test was done at three different temperatures(18◦C,28◦C,and 37◦C)to examine the effects of temperature on the pathogenicity of the isolates.Ten commercial antibiotics were used to find out the antibiogram profile of the isolates.Finally,susceptibility of the isolates was screened against 19 medicinal plants extracts.A total of 38 out of 46 isolates isolated from Vietnam climbing perch(A.testudineus)suffering from EUS were phenotypically identified as Aeromonas sp.Five randomly selected isolates were further confirmed as A.veronii by analyzing the 16S rRNA gene sequence homology.The pathogenicity of the isolates was found moderate to high(41%-80%mortality)in the artificially challenged fish.The highest and lowest mortality was obtained in the fish challenged with the isolates BFKA33 and BFKA12,respectively.The isolates were found resistant to several antibiotics,including amoxicillin,ampicillin,penicillin-G,and vancomycin.Nevertheless,extracts of three medicinal plant(Allium sativum,Syzygium aromaticum,and Tamarindus indica)demonstrated antibacterial activity to the isolates(BFKA12,BFKA15,BFKA18,BFKA29,and BFKA33).