Plant Tissue Culture and Biosynthesis Provide a Fast Way to Produce Active Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicines

The plant kingdom has provided literally thousands of natural products with widely diverse chemical structures and a vast array of biological activities.Many of them have seen subsequent application in discovery of new druids and the pharmaceutical industry and clinical therapeutic application.

Integrative analysis of bone-formation associated genes and immune cell infiltration in osteoporosis, and the prediction of active ingredients in targeted traditional Chinese medicine

Objective To explore the differential expression and mechanisms of bone formation-related genes in osteoporosis(OP)leveraging bioinformatics and machine learning methodologies;and to predict the active ingredients of targeted traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)herbs.Methods The Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)and GeneCards databases were employed to conduct a comprehensive screening of genes and disease-associated loci pertinent to the pathogenesis of OP.The R package was utilized as the analytical tool for the identification of differentially expressed genes.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)logis-tic regression analysis and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination(SVM-RFE)algorithm were employed in defining the genetic signature specific to OP.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses for the selected pivotal genes were conducted.The cell-type identification by estimating rela-tive subsets of RNA transcripts(CIBERSORT)algorithm was leveraged to examine the infiltra-tion patterns of immune cells;with Spearman’s rank correlation analysis utilized to assess the relationship between the expression levels of the genes and the presence of immune cells.Coremine Medical Database was used to screen out potential TCM herbs for the treatment of OP.Comparative Toxicogenomics Database(CTD)was employed for forecasting the TCM ac-tive ingredients targeting the key genes.AutoDock Vina 1.2.2 and GROMACS 2020 softwares were employed to conclude analysis results;facilitating the exploration of binding affinity and conformational dynamics between the TCM active ingredients and their biological targets.Results Ten genes were identified by intersecting the results from the GEO and GeneCards databases.Through the application of LASSO regression and SVM-RFE algorithm;four piv-otal genes were selected:coat protein(CP);kallikrein 3(KLK3);polymeraseγ(POLG);and transient receptor potential vanilloid 4(TRPV4).GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analy-ses revealed that these trait genes were predominantly engaged in the regulation of defense response activation;maintenance of cellular metal ion balance;and the production of chemokine ligand 5.These genes were notably associated with signaling pathways such as ferroptosis;porphyrin metabolism;and base excision repair.Immune infiltration analysis showed that key genes were highly correlated with immune cells.Macrophage M0;M1;M2;and resting dendritic cell were significantly different between groups;and there were signifi-cant differences between different groups(P<0.05).The interaction counts of resveratrol;curcumin;and quercetin with KLK3 were 7;3;and 2;respectively.It shows that the interac-tions of resveratrol;curcumin;and quercetin with KLK3 were substantial.Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed the robust binding affinity of these bioactive compounds to the target genes.Conclusion Pivotal genes including CP;KLK3;POLG;and TRPV4;exhibited commendable significant prognostic value;and played a crucial role in the diagnostic assessment of OP.Resveratrol;curcumin;and quercetin;natural compounds found in TCM;showed promise in their potential to effectively modulate the bone-forming gene KLK3.This study provides a sci-entific basis for the interpretation of the pathogenesis of OP and the development of clinical drugs.

Impacts of Active Ingredients of Three Traditional Chinese Medicine on Immune Effect of PCV2 Vaccine

[ Objective ] The paper was to screen the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine （ TCM）, which significantly enhanced the immune effect of porcine circovirus type 2 （PCV2） vaccine. [Method]Sixty-six 14-day-old piglets were randomly divided into 11 groups, including immune control group, blank control group and nine drug groups. Piglets that were reared for 21 d were intramuscularly injected with 2 mL of inactivated vaccine in cervical region expect for blank control group. Piglets in nine drug groups were administrated with 5 mL of matrine, scutellarin and astragalus polysaecharide （ASP） at three doses （ high dose 12 mg, medium dose 8 nag, low dose 4 mg） three days before and after immunization; piglets in blank control group and irmnune control group were administrated with equal volume of normal saline. Five piglets were randomly selected from each group to collect venous blood at 7, 14, 21 and 28 d post immunization, and the PCV2 antibody level, the concentration of specific immunoglobulin [gG, the changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, and the content of serum IL-2 and IFN-γ were determined. [ Result] The immunological effects of active ingredients of three TCM on PCV2 vaccine all enhanced at different degree. The effects of scutellarin middle dose group was the best. [ Conclusion ] Scutellarin could be used as a candidate drug for PCV2 vaccine immunoenhancer.

Advances in Pharmacological Research on Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease-related Bowel Cancer

In recent years,with the modern development of traditional medicine,the research on the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and bowel cancer is increasingly deep.This paper reviews the pharmacological research progress of flavonoids,alkaloids,polyphenols,polysaccharides,steroids and saponins in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and canceration.

A review on cocrystal of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine

In the development of new drugs products,especially the development of traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients,solubility and oral bioavailability are the main factors which are restricting the development of new drugs,whereas the physicochemical properties of active ingredients are the key element to affecting these factors.Pharmaceutical cocrystal provides an excellent opportunity to develop new drugs with excellent physical and chemical properties such as melting point,solubility,stability and bioavailability while retaining the pharmacological properties of individuals active pharmaceutical ingredients among pharmaceutical cocrystal compounds.Traditional Chinese herbal medicine has the characteristics of multiple pathways and multiple targets,mainly because it contains many active ingredients,like cocrystals thereof with many components.The active ingredients extracted from traditional Chinese herbal medicine have a wide range of pharmacological activities,but most of the active ingredients affect the development of traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients due to their physical and chemical properties such as solubility.Traditional Chinese medicine pharmaceutical cocrystals can not only improve the physical and chemical properties of drugs without changing the internal structure of drugs,so as to provide a new scheme for the development of traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients.This paper reviews the research progress of active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine pharmaceutical cocrystal.The preparation methods of cocrystals are summarized and the advantages of cocrystals are illustrated with examples.

Application of Caenorhabditis elegans in screening active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine

People continue to recognize the important role of Chinese medicine in the treatment of diseases,and there is an urgent need to clarify the mechanism of Chinese medicine.Because of the multi-target and multi-component characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine,it is difficult to elaborate from a single perspective.As a high-quality animal model,Caenorhabditis elegans with the characteristics of small size and fast reproduction,has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine activity experiments.In this article,Caenorhabditis elegans,as model organisms used to screen the active components of traditional Chinese medicine were reviewed.

Inhibition of growth and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer targeted by Traditional Chinese Medicine Tubeimu in orthotopic mice models

Objective： Triple-negative breast cancer（TNBC） is highly invasive and metastatic, which is in urgent need of transformative therapeutics. Tubeimu（TBM）, the rhizome of Bolbostemma paniculatum（Maxim.） Franquet, is one of the Chinese medicinal herbs used for breast diseases since the ancient times. The present study evaluated the efficacy, especially the anti-metastatic effects of the dichloromethane extract of Tubeimu（ETBM） on TNBC orthotopic mouse models and cell lines.Methods： We applied real-time imaging on florescent orthotopic TNBC mice model and tested cell migration and invasion abilities with MDA-MB-231 cell line. Digital gene expression sequencing was performed and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） analysis applied to explore the pathways influenced by ETBM.Moreover, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions（q RT-PCR） and Western blot were delivered to confirm the gene expression changes.Results： ETBM exhibited noticeable control on tumor metastasis and growth of TNBC tumors with no obvious toxicity. In compliance with this, it also showed inhibition of cell migration and invasion in vitro. Its impact on the changed biological behavior in TNBC may be a result of decreased expression of integrin β1（ITGβ1）, integrin β8（ITGβ8） and Rho GTPase activating protein 5（ARHGAP5）, which disabled the focal adhesion pathway and caused change in cell morphology.Conclusions： This study reveals that ETBM has anti-metastatic effects on MDA-MB-231-GFP tumor and may lead to a new therapeutic agent for the integrative treatment of highly invasive TNBC.

Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Technology

In recent years,using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to reveal the therapeutic targets of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)has become a research hotspot.This paper summarizes 31 studies of traditional Chinese medicine for IBS by domestic and foreign scholars,and expounds the action mechanism of single drug,drug pair and compound prescription in the treatment of IBS from the aspects of drug activity,action target,biological process and pathway analysis.It also discusses the shortcomings and prospects of network pharmacology and molecular docking technology in the field of traditional Chinese medicine research,and provides reference for expanding the research ideas of traditional Chinese medicine in treating IBS.

Progress on antioxidant activity of single or compound traditional Chinese medicine

Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of various diseases.Nature antioxidants derived from traditional Chinese medicine protect the cells and tissues from oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals and reactive oxygen species,therefore have a great potential in delaying ageing process and preventing oxidative stress-related disease.In this article,the antioxidant benefits of common single and compound traditional Chinese medicine in protecting tissues from injury are reviewed,along with identification of the various constituents that possess antioxidant activity and its mechanism were reviewed.

Perspectives in application of biosensors for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine

Biosensor is an instrument which is sensitive to biological material and converts its concentration into electrical signals.Organisms such as enzymes, antibodies, tissues, cells and so on can selectively identify specific substances. Thesemolecular recognition functions can be combined with the target, such as the binding of antibodies and antigens, and thebinding of enzymes to the substrate through the recognition process. Biosensor has the advantages of high specificity,high sensitivity, fast reaction speed, low cost and easy operation. It has wide application prospect in food, pharmacy,chemical industry, clinical examination, biomedicine, environmental monitoring and so on, especially as a newtechnology means, in the field of modern herbal medicine research influence. Studies have demonstrated that thebiosensing technology has been applied to, traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） targets, isolation and purification ofTCM, the mechanism of TCM, quality control of TCM, the active ingredients detection of TCM and other basicresearches. Biosensor technology has made an important contribution to the research of modern herbal medicine, and hasbecome a Hot-spot in future research.

Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine monomers in intervening colorectal cancer by regulating MAPK signaling pathway

The incidence rate and mortality rate of colorectal cancer in China are increasing year by year.Finding effective therapeutic strategies and interventions,especially exploring“highly effective and low toxic”drugs to prevent“inflammation-cancer”transformation,treat primary tumors,prevent tumor metastasis and reduce the toxicity and increase efficiency of existing therapies has become a hot topic of domestic and foreign scholars.The advantage of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of colorectal cancer is to reduce the postoperative recurrence rate,improve patients’symptoms and the quality of life of“tumor survivors”and prolong the survival time.This paper summarizes the tumor treatment strategies and research prospects of traditional Chinese medicine targeting mitogen activated protein kinase by sorting out the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine extracts or effective components intervening colorectal cancer by regulating mitogen activated protein kinase signal pathway in tumor cells in recent years.

Screening potential mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines using a mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method

Mitochondria regulate numerous crucial cell processes, including energy production, apoptotic cell death, oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Here, we applied an efficient mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry（LC/MS） method,also known as screening method for mitochondria-targeted bioactive constituents（SM-MBC）. This method allowed searching natural mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines（TCMs）, including Puerariae Radix（PR） and Chuanxiong Radix（CR）. A total of 23 active compounds were successfully discovered from the two TCMs extracts. Among these 23 hit compounds, 17 were identified by LC/MS, 12 of which were novel mitochondria-targeting compounds. Among these, 6 active compounds were analyzed in vitro for pharmacological tests and found able to affect mitochondrial functions. We also investigated the effects of the hit compounds on Hep G2 cell proliferation and on loss of cardiomyocyte viability induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. The results obtained are useful for in-depth understanding of mechanisms underlying TCMs therapeutic effects at mitochondria level and for developing novel potential drugs using TCMs as lead compounds. Finally, we showed that SM-MBC was an efficient protocol for the rapid screening of mitochondria-targeting constituents from complex samples such as PR and CR extracts.

Research Progress of Chinese Medicine Used in Treating COVID-19

The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought great health threat to human beings all over the world,it also brings great challenges to the development of medicine.Several traditional Chinese medicines have good effects on treating pneumonia patients in COVID-19.In this article,the active composition,pharmacological mechanism and clinical practice of these traditional Chinese medicines were reviewed.This will be of positive significance to the further research and clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine for treating COVID-19 pneumonia.

Antioxidant Activity of 50 Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials Varies with Total Phenolics

This study was designed to determine the total phenolic content of 50 herbs and to examine their antioxidant potential. In the sample preparation, 60% ethanol was chosen as the extraction solvent for the subsequent experiments. Folin-Cicolteau phenol reagent and a colorimetric method were used to determine the total phenolic content of the selected herbs. The result showed that total phenolic content of those herbs ranged from 2 to 185 mg/g. In antioxidant assay, the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) values ranged from 2 to 134 mg GAE/g;the IC50 values of DPPH?·, ·OH and ?scavenging were in the range of 0.06 - 5.50 mg/mL, 0.017 - 0.636 mg/mL and 0.050 - 0.681 mg/mL respectively. Flos caryophylli was the exceptant in the ?scavenging assay because there was no linear relation between the concentration and the scavenging percentage. Compared to gallic acid, ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in antioxidant assay as positive control, the most potential antioxidant herbs were Cacumen platycladi, Radix et Rhizoma rhei, Rhizoma rhodiolae crenulatae, and Rhizoma sanguisorbae with considerable content of phenolics. Especially, a positive and significant correlation was found between the total phenolic content and FRAP value or DPPH· scavenging percentage.

Traditional Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and detoxifying in unstable angina pectoris:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:The purpose of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and detoxifying(ABCD)in patients with unstable angina pectoris.Methods:We performed an electronic literature search of six medical databases for relevant articles published up to December 2014.Randomized controlled trials that compared ABCD Chinese medicine(alone or alongside conventional drugs)with conventional drugs or other Chinese medicines alone were included.A meta-analysis was performed for the following outcome measures:reduction of angina symptoms,electrocardiogram improvement,blood lipid levels,inflammatory factor levels,and plasma fibrinogen levels.Results:In total,11 moderate-to low-quality studies involving 686 patients were included.The evidence indicated that ABCD Chinese medicine exhibited superior effectiveness in relieving angina symptoms compared with conventional drugs[relative risk,1.23;95%confidence interval,1.05e1.44];however,electrocardiogram improvement was not very significant(relative risk,1.21;95%confidence interval,0.91e1.62).Moreover,ABCD Chinese medicine exhibited superior anti-inflammatory,anticoagulant,and lipid-lowering effects compared with other medicines.Conclusions:Within the methodological limitations of the included studies,our results suggest that ABCD Chinese medicine is beneficial for the treatment of unstable angina pectoris.

Effects of ginger moxibustion combined with Chinese medicine iontophoresis on patients with primary dysmenorrhea

Objective:To observe the effects of Ginger moxibustion combined with iontophoresis with traditional Chinese medicine on the improvement of symptoms, serum platelet activating factor (PAF) level and uterine artery pulsation index in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.Methods 114 patients with primary dysmenorrhea who were treated in our hospital from August 2017 to February 2019 were divided into two groups according to the different treatment schemes. 57 patients in the control group were treated with ibuprofen capsules, and 57 patients in the study group were treated with Ginger moxibustion combined with iontophoresis with traditional Chinese medicine. After three menstrual cycles of treatment, the curative effect was evaluated and the improvement of symptoms was counted. PAF, PAF-AH and platelet adhesion rate were compared, uterine artery hemodynamics was measured, and levels of serum hs-CRP and IL-6 were measured.Results The overall response rate of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the scores of different symptoms in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the scores of different symptoms in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, PAF and platelet adhesion rate in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), PAF-AH was significantly higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05), and PAF and platelet adhesion rate in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05), PAF-AH was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the pulsation index, resistance index and peak systolic-diastolic ratio in the study group were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the pulsation index, resistance index and peak systolic-diastolic ratio in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum hs-CRP and IL-6 in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the levels of serum hs-CRP and IL-6 in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).Conclusions Ginger moxibustion combined with iontophoresis with traditional Chinese medicine is helpful to improve the overall response rate of primary dysmenorrhea treatment, reduce the score levels of different symptoms, rationally improve PAF, PAF-AH, platelet adhesion rate, and the pulse index, resistance index, peak systolic-diastolic ratio are decreased significantly, and serum hs-CRP and IL-6 levels tend to be normal.

A comprehensive review on the chemical constituents,sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis and biological activities of Sarcandra glabra

Sarcandra glabra(Thunb.)Nakai is a perennial evergreen herb categorised within the Sarcandra Gardner genus under the Chloranthaceae family.Indigenous to tropical and subtropical regions of East Asia and India,this species is extensively distributed across China,particularly in the southern regions(Sichuan,Yunnan,and Jiangxi).In addition to its high ornamental value,S.glabra has a rich history of use in traditional Chinese medicine,evident through its empirical prescriptions for various ailments like pneumonia,dysentery,fractures,bruises,numbness,amenorrhea,rheumatism,and other diseases.Besides,modern pharmacological studies have revealed various biological activities,such as antitumour,anti-bacterial,anti-viral anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.The diverse chemical constituents of S.glabra have fascinated natural product researchers since the 1900s.To date,over 400 compounds including terpenoids,coumarins,lignans,flavonoids,sterols,anthraquinones,organic acids,and organic esters have been isolated and characterised,some featuring unprecedented structures.This review comprehensively examines the current understanding of S.glabra’s phytochemistry and pharmacology,with emphasis on the chemistry and biosynthesis of its unique chemotaxonomic marker,the lindenane-type sesquiterpenoids.

Multi-layered effects of Codonopsis Radix on the immune system

Recent research has highlighted the potential of Codonopsis Radix to modulate the immune system,making it a promising candidate for treating chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases,tumors,and aging.However,because of the complex immune activities of its various components,a comprehensive understanding of Codonopsis Radix immune-regulating properties is still lacking.This knowledge gap hinders its widespread utilization in clinical practice.Therefore,this review aimed to assess the impact of Codonopsis Radix on the immune system and elucidate its underlying mechanisms.Additionally,we compared the immunomodulatory effects of different active ingredients derived from Codonopsis Radix to provide a theoretical basis for future investigations on immunomodulation.

The traditional Chinese medicines treat chronic heart failure and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms

Chronic heart failure(CHF)is a severe public health problem with increasing morbidity and mortality,any treatment targeting a single session is insufficient to tackle this.CHF is characterized by reduced cardiac output resulting from neurohumoral dysregulation and cardiac remodeling,which might be related to oxidative stress,inflammation,endoplasmic reticulum stress,apoptosis,autophagy,mitochondrial function,and angiogenesis.These molecular mechanisms interact with each other through crosstalk.Historically,Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely applied in the treatment of CHF,and therapeutic effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and their ingredients have been scientifically confirmed over the past decades.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)with multiple components can confront the different pathogenesis of CHF through multiple targets.This review analyzes commonly used TCM patent drugs and TCM decoctions that are applicable to different stages of CHF based on clinical trials.Diverse bioactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to treat CHF via multiple molecular mechanisms.This review comprehensively covers the key works on the effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM,herbal ingredients and synergistic effects of constituent compatibility in treating CHF,providing additional ideas to address this threat.

Accurate construction of cell membrane biomimetic graphene nanodecoys via purposeful surface engineering to improve screening efficiency of active components of traditional Chinese medicine

Biomimetic nanoengineering presents great potential in biomedical research by integrating cell membrane(CM) with functional nanoparticles. However, preparation of CM biomimetic nanomaterials for custom applications that can avoid the aggregation of nanocarriers while maintaining the biological activity of CM remains a challenge. Herein, a high-performance CM biomimetic graphene nanodecoy was fabricated via purposeful surface engineering, where polyethylene glycol(PEG) was used to modifying magnetic graphene oxide(MGO) to improve its stability in physiological solution, so as to improve the screening efficiency to active components of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). With this strategy, the constructed PEGylated MGO(PMGO) could keep stable at least 10 days, thus improving the CM coating efficiency. Meanwhile, by taking advantage of the inherent ability of He La cell membrane(HM) to interact with specific ligands, HM-camouflaged PMGO showed satisfied adsorption capacity(116.2 mg/g) and selectivity. Finally, three potential active components, byakangelicol, imperatorin,and isoimperatorin, were screened from Angelica dahurica, whose potential antiproliferative activity were further validated by pharmacological studies. These results demonstrated that the purposeful surfaceengineering is a promising strategy for the design of efficient CM biomimetic nanomaterials, which will promote the development of active components screening in TCM.