No abstract is available for this article.

ABSTRACTBackgroundGoat bezoar (Houzao in Chinese, also called “monkey” bezoar or Caprae Calculus) is a valued traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used in the treatment of pediatric cough for centuries. However, its undefined chemical composition hinders quality control and mechanistic understanding, limiting its modernization and further development.ObjectiveThis study aims to comprehensively characterize the chemical composition of goat bezoar and develop a robust quality control method.MethodUPLC‐qTOF‐MS was first utilized to analyze the methanol extract of goat bezoar reference material. Markers specific to the medicinal portion were identified by comparing the chemical profiles with the non‐medicinal portion and 50 co‐formulated TCMs. Amino acid composition and ash content were also determined. Validated quantitative methods for these markers were subsequently developed using both UPLC‐qTOF‐MS and UPLC‐DAD and applied to assess the quality of 13 batches of raw goat bezoar material and 38 batches of commercial products.ResultsEight characteristic markers, including ellagic acid and seven of its gut microbial metabolites (urolithins), were identified exclusively within the medicinal portion. Ellagic acid (72.72%–89.41%) and total urolithins (2.14%–5.13%) were major components. These, along with amino acids (1.19%–5.91%) and total ash (2.09%), account for over 90% of the medicinal portion's composition. The analysis of commercial materials and products using this method revealed that goat bezoar may be absent in 20 commercial products while all the goat bezoar powder samples were authentic.ConclusionThis study provides the first comprehensive chemical characterization of goat bezoar, revealing its unique composition and establishing it as the only known TCM with urolithins. Validated quantitative methods for ellagic acid and urolithins provide a crucial quality control tool, paving the way for further research, development, and modernization of this valuable TCM.

No abstract is available for this article.

ABSTRACTNeurological disorders impose a significant burden on the healthcare systems. The latest published data by WHO indicated that stroke was the second leading cause of death globally in 2020, with Alzheimer's disease (ad) and other dementias in the seventh position. The treatment of neurological disorders is challenging because of the complex nature of the disease, as well as limited accessibility to this target organ due to several biological barriers. There is a wide range of treatment options for neurological disorders. Small drug molecules, antibodies, and stem cells have been employed for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, but currently, there is no effective treatment for AD. As conventional drugs have not been successful in achieving therapeutic outcomes, natural products such as curcumin, stemming from traditional medicines, have been tested for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. However, this compound has not shown significant therapeutic effects for the treatment of brain diseases, mainly due to rapid clearance from the body. Therefore, phytochemical nanoparticles have been developed. In this review article, the rationale has been provided for the use of nanoparticles for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases with emphasis on phytochemical nanoparticles.

ABSTRACTBackgroundUncariae Ramulus cum Uncis (URCU) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating neurodegenerative disorders. The Chinese Pharmacopeia recognizes five Uncaria species as authorized botanical sources of URCU; however, there is currently no established quality control method for individual species. Furthermore, significant variations in the chemical profiles among these species have been reported.ObjectiveChemical analysis methods were established to evaluate the five species in terms of chemical profile and resource availability, as to determine which species should be preferred as the official source(s).MethodTen batches of URCU sample were collected from various regions of China for each of the five species of URCU. Among five species, only UR can be obtained from herbal medicine market, whereas the other four species were sourced from the wild. All samples identities were confirmed by herbarium specimen authentication, morphological identification, and microscopic identification. Twelve alkaloids were identified in the five species, and a UPLC‐DAD assay method targeting six marker alkaloids was developed and validated.ResultsOnly UR and UM demonstrated the most stable chemical profiles and agreement with published literature. UR mainly contains corynoxeine, isocorynoxeine, rhynchophylline, and isorhynchophylline, whereas corynoxine, corynoxine B, rhynchophylline, and isorhynchophylline dominate in UM.ConclusionThis study comprehensively evaluated the chemical variations among the five officially recognized URCU species using a UPLC‐DAD method. It brings important implications for quality control and standardization of URCU. Considering chemical stability and supply availability, UR is recommended as the sole botanical source for URCU.

No abstract is available for this article.

No abstract is available for this article.