Kudzu Research Articles

Pueraria montana (Kudzu vine) Ameliorate the Inflammation and Oxidative Stress against Fe-NTA Induced Renal Cancer.

Renal tissue plays a crucial function in maintaining homeostasis, making it vulnerable to xenobiotic toxicity. Pueraria montana has more beneficial potential against the various diseases and has long history used as a traditional Chinese medicine. But its effect against the renal cancer not scrutinize. The goal of this study is to see if Pueraria montana can protect rats from developing kidney tumors caused by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and ferric nitrite (Fe-NTA). Wistar rats was selected for the current study and DEN (use as an inducer) and Fe-NTA (promoter) for induction the renal cancer. For 22 weeks, the rats were given orally Pueraria montana (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) treatment. At regular intervals, the body weight and food intake were calculated. The rats were macroscopically evaluated for identification of cancer in the renal tissue. The renal tumor makers, renal parameters, antioxidant enzymes, phase I and II enzymes, inflammatory cytokines and mediators were estimated at end of the experimental study. Pueraria montana treated rats displayed the suppression of renal tumors, incidence of the tumors along with suppression of tumor percentage. Pueraria montana treated rats significantly (p < 0.001) increased body weight and suppressed the renal weight and food intake. It also reduced the level of renal tumor marker ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and [3H] thymidine incorporation along with suppression of renal parameter such as uric acid, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urea and creatinine. Pueraria montana treatment significantly (p < 0.001) altered the level of phase enzymes and antioxidant. Pueraria montana treatment significantly (p < 0.001) repressed the level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and improved the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10). Pueraria montana treatment suppressed the level of prostaglandin (PGE2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear kappa B factor (NF-κB) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). Pueraria montana suppressed the inflammatory necrosis, size the bowman capsules in the renal histopathology. Pueraria montana exhibited the chemoprotective effect via dual mechanism such as suppression of inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress.

Puerarin alleviates cadmium-induced mitochondrial mass decrease by inhibiting PINK1–Parkin and Nix-mediated mitophagy in rat cortical neurons

Cadmium (Cd) has well-known central nervous system toxicity, and mitochondria are direct targets of Cd-induced neuronal toxicity. However, how Cd induces mitochondrial mass decrease in terms of its neurotoxic effects remains unknown. Puerarin, an isoflavone extracted from kudzu root, can cross the blood–brain barrier and exert protective effects in nervous system disease. The purpose of the study was to determine the mechanism of Cd-induced mitochondrial mass decrease and the protective role of puerarin in rat cortical neurons. The results indicated that Cd induced mitochondrial mass decrease by activating mitophagy mediated by the PTEN-induced putative kinase protein 1 (PINK1)–E3 ubiquitin ligase (Parkin) and Nip3-like protein X (Nix) pathways in rat cortical neurons. Puerarin improved the Cd-induced decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in vitro, and blocked PINK1–Parkin and Nix-mediated mitophagy, inhibiting Cd-induced mitochondrial mass decrease in rat cortical neurons in vitro and in vivo. In summary, our data clearly indicated that puerarin protects rat cortical neurons against Cd-induced neurotoxicity by ameliorating mitochondrial damage, inhibiting mitophagy-mediated mitochondrial mass decrease. Puerarin appears to have great potential as a neuroprotective agent.

Differential Influence of Pueraria lobata Root Extract and Its Main Isoflavones on Ghrelin Levels in Alcohol-Treated Rats.

The study was carried out on alcohol-preferring male Wistar rats. The following drugs were repeatedly (28×) administered: acamprosate (500 mg/kg, p.o.), naltrexone (0.1 mg/kg, i.p), and Pueraria lobata (kudzu) root extract (KU) (500 mg/kg, p.o.) and its isoflavones: daidzin (40 mg/kg, p.o.) and puerarin (150 mg/kg, p.o.). Their effects on a voluntary alcohol intake were assessed. KU and alcohol were also given for 9 days in an experiment on alcohol tolerance development. Finally, total and active ghrelin levels in peripheral blood serum were measured by ELISA method. Acamprosate, naltrexone, daidzin, and puerarin, reducing the alcohol intake, caused an increase in both forms of ghrelin levels. On the contrary, though KU inhibited the alcohol intake and alcohol tolerance development, it reduced ghrelin levels in alcohol-preferring rats. The changes of ghrelin concentration could play a role as an indicator of the currently used drugs. The other effect on the KU-induced shift in ghrelin levels in the presence of alcohol requires further detailed study.

Green synthesis of kudzu vine biochar decorated graphene-like MoSe2 with the oxidase-like activity as intelligent nanozyme sensing platform for hesperetin

It is an urgent need to exploit a potentially green, cost efficient and eco-friendly strategy for the utilization of waste kudzu vine. We developed a one-step green preparation of kudzu vine biochar (BC) decorated graphene-like molybdenum selenide (MoSe2) with the oxidase-like activity as intelligent nanozyme sensing platform for voltametric detection of hesperetin (HP) in orange peel using the in-situ hydrothermal synthesis method. The structure and properties of MoSe2-BC was characterized, and found that BC significantly improved electrochemical cycle stability, electronic conductivity, electrochemical active area, and electrocatalytic activity of MoSe2. The oxidase-like activity of MoSe2-BC was confirmed by the oxidization of the colorless substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to form blue products and the change of absorbance intensity of UV–vis absorption spectra. The MoSe2-BC exhibited excellent electrochemical sensing performance for the detection of HP in wide linear ranges from 10 nM to 9.5 μM with a low limit of detection of 2 nM using differential pulse voltammetric method. An emerging machine learning technique is used to realize the intelligent sensing of HP, and the performance evaluation of regression analysis was selected to evaluate this technique. This work will provide a guidance for the preparation and application of biochar decorated graphene-like nanomaterials with the oxidase-like activity and the development of intelligent nanozyme sensing platform.

New Insights Into the Effects of Individual Chinese Herbal Medicines on Chronic Kidney Disease.

The clinical and experimental study into the effects of Chinese herbal medicines on chronic kidney disease has evolved over the past 40 years with new insight into their mechanism and evidence of their clinical effects. Among the many traditional Chinese herbs examined in chronic renal disease, five were found to have evidence of sufficient clinical efficacy, high frequency of use, and well-studied mechanism. They are: Abelmoschus manihot and Huangkui capsule, Salvia miltiorrhiza and its components (tanshinone II A, salvianolic acid A and B); Rhizoma coptidis and its monomer berberine; Tripterygium wilfordii and its components (triptolide, tripterygium glycosides); Kudzu root Pueraria and its monomer Puerarin. These Chinese herbal medications have pharmaceutical effects against fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress and also promote renal repair and regeneration. This article reviews their clinical efficacy, anti-fibrotic effects in animal models, and molecular mechanism of action.

The Efficacy and Safety of Multiple Dose Regimens of Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) Root Extract on Bone and Cartilage Turnover and Menopausal Symptoms.

Background: Menopause is associated with detrimental changes in turnover of bone and cartilage and a variety of symptoms with negative impact on the quality of life. Naturally occurring isoflavones from Radix Pueraria lobata, Kudzu root, may possess chondroprotective and symptom-relieving properties, but efficacy and safety of dosing and dose frequencies required for pharmacological action is unclear. Purpose: This clinical trial evaluates the efficacy on bone and cartilage turnover, menopausal symptoms, and safety of five dose regimens of Kudzu root extract administered either once, twice or three times daily in women with at least mild menopausal symptoms. Materials and Methods: Fifty postmenopausal women were randomized equally into five different dose regimen groups of Kudzu root extract in a four-week, parallel group, open-label, single-center, exploratory study design. Biomarkers CTX-I and CTX-II reflecting bone and cartilage degradation, respectively, were assessed in blood samples and 24-h urine samples. Change from baseline in the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and subscales was evaluated. Safety endpoints were frequency of adverse events, changes in hematology and safety chemistry data, vital signs and electrocardiogram. Results: Fifty women (Age 54.2 years, SD: 2.9) were randomized. After 4 weeks of treatment, biomarkers of bone resorption and cartilage degradation were statistically significantly reduced from baseline levels in the group receiving two capsules three times a day, serum/urine CTX-I (−18.4%, 95% CI: −8.1 to −27.5, p = 0.001/−34.2%, 95% CI: −21.6 to −44.7, p < 0.0001), urine CTX-II (−17.4% 95% CI: −2.5 to −30.0, p = 0.02). The observed effects were consistent across study groups but appeared to favour three times daily dosing. Four weeks of treatment led to statistically significant reductions in the MRS Total Score (p < 0.0001–0.03) in four out of five treatment groups. Kudzu root extract was well tolerated in all dose regimens, and no serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion: The results indicate that Kudzu extract may possess beneficial effects on bone and cartilage health and may be a promising natural alternative to existing treatments for menopausal symptoms. Kudzu root extract was well tolerated for short-term treatment of mild to severe menopausal symptoms in women in all tested doses and dose frequencies.

Puerarin alleviates the ototoxicity of gentamicin by inhibiting the mitochondria‑dependent apoptosis pathway.

Gentamicin (GM) is a commonly used antibiotic, and ototoxicity is one of its side effects. Puerarin (PU) is an isoflavone in kudzu roots that exerts a number of pharmacological effects, including antioxidative and free radical scavenging effects. The present study investigated whether PU could protect against GM-induced ototoxicity in C57BL/6J mice and House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 (HEI-OC1) cells. C57BL/6J mice and HEI-OC1 cells were used to establish models of GM-induced ototoxicity in this study. Auditory brainstem responses were measured to assess hearing thresholds, and microscopy was used to observe the morphology of cochlear hair cells after fluorescent staining. Cell viability was examined with Cell Counting Kit-8 assays. To evaluate cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, TUNEL assays, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, DCFH-DA staining, JC-1 staining and western blotting were performed. PU protected against GM-induced hearing damage in C57BL/6J mice. PU ameliorated the morphological changes of mouse cochlear hair cells and reduced the apoptosis rate of HEI-OC1 cells after GM-mediated damage. GM-induced ototoxicity may be closely related to the upregulation of p53 expression and the activation of endogenous mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, and PU could protect cochlear hair cells from GM-mediated damage by reducing the production of ROS and inhibiting the mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway.

Identification of Transcription Factor Genes and Functional Characterization of PlMYB1 From Pueraria lobata.

Kudzu, Pueraria lobata, is a traditional Chinese food and medicinal herb that has been commonly used since ancient times. Kudzu roots are rich sources of isoflavonoids, e.g., puerarin, with beneficial effects on human health. To gain global information on the isoflavonoid biosynthetic regulation network in kudzu, de novo transcriptome sequencings were performed using two genotypes of kudzu with and without puerarin accumulation in roots. RNAseq data showed that the genes of the isoflavonoid biosynthetic pathway were significantly represented in the upregulated genes in the kudzu with puerarin. To discover regulatory genes, 105, 112, and 143 genes encoding MYB, bHLH, and WD40 transcription regulators were identified and classified, respectively. Among them, three MYB, four bHLHs, and one WD40 gene were found to be highly identical to their orthologs involved in flavonoid biosynthesis in other plants. Notably, the expression profiles of PlMYB1, PlHLH3-4, and PlWD40-1 genes were closely correlated with isoflavonoid accumulation profiles in different tissues and cell cultures of kudzu. Over-expression of PlMYB1 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly increased the accumulation of anthocyanins in leaves and proanthocyanidins in seeds, by activating AtDFR, AtANR, and AtANS genes. Our study provided valuable comparative transcriptome information for further identification of regulatory or structural genes involved in the isoflavonoid pathway in P. lobata, as well as for bioengineering of bioactive isoflavonoid compounds.

Research Profile: Dr. Jeevan K. Prasain

Dr. Jeevan K. Prasain is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His current research focuses on delineation of unconventional cyclooxygenase (Cox)-independent prostaglandin (PG) synthesis mechanism, mass spectrometry-based metabolomics/lipidomics, biological activity, and uptake and metabolisms of dietary botanicals in vitro and in vivo. Dr. Prasain received his MSc in chemistry from Tribhuvan University located in Kathmandu, Nepal and went on to obtain his PhD in Japan from the Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University in pharmaceutical sciences. During his PhD tenure, he devoted much of his studies to natural product chemistry resulting in the discovery of several novel bioactive diarylheptanoids, subjects he went on to publish in several papers. After the completion of his PhD, he was awarded the Canadian Government Visiting Fellowship at the Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI) in Montreal, Canada to pursue postdoctoral research. During his time at BRI, Dr. Prasain was involved in drug discovery and high throughput screening of bioactive natural products from natural product libraries and their analysis by tandem mass spectrometry. Through this research, Dr. Prasain later went on to be a recipient of a Science and Technology Award at RIKEN in Tokyo Japan where he developed a mass spectrometry method for analysis of antibiotic cytochalasins. Based on his experiences in natural products research, he developed a great interest in dietary polyphenols in the promotion of health and prevention of chronic disease. Dr. Prasain joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Stephen Barnes in 2001, where he was later promoted to Assistant Professor in 2003. One of his research focuses was on the understanding of antidiabetic effects of puerarin, an isoflavone C-glucoside from Kudzu root and its metabolism and bioavailability. Kudzu root is well-known in traditional Chinese medicine, and various kudzu root based dietary supplements are available in the US market. Prasain's lab, in collaboration with Dr. Elias Meezan, also at UAB, demonstrated that puerarin treatment significantly improves glucose tolerance in C57 BL/6J ob/ob mice, an animal model of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Specifically, puerarin blunts the rise in blood glucose levels after i.p. administration of glucose. Prasain et al. also found that in contrast to its O-glucoside isomer daidzin, puerarin is essentially absorbed without undergoing metabolism and is excreted in the urine mainly as an unchanged parent. In addition, in collaboration with Dr. Clinton Grubbs at UAB on the role of cranberry juice in bladder cancer prevention in animals, Prasain et al. demonstrated that commercially available cranberry juice concentrate can prevent urinary bladder cancers dose-dependently in N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine (OH-BBN) induced bladder carcinogenesis in rats when compared to the control group. This study also indicated that cranberry compounds once ingested reach the urinary bladder and concentrate in the urine in either the intact or in the metabolized forms and may prevent against the progression of carcinogenesis. This is because bladder cancers occur almost exclusively in the bladder epithelium, which is directly exposed to the urine stored in the bladder. In 2009, Dr. Prasain received an NIH R21 funding for investigating urinary metabolites of cranberry that protect against bladder cancer. The primary focus of this project was to understand what cranberry metabolites stored in the bladder are bioavailable and which metabolites are responsible against bladder carcinogenesis. The other focus of Dr. Prasain's lab is in the area of lipidomics, particularly profiling and characterizing PGs and other signaling lipids using tandem mass spectrometry. Using a combination of genetics, microinjection, and mass spectrometry, the late Dr. Michael Miller's and Dr. Prasain's labs discovered that C. elegans oocytes secrete sperm attractants F-series PGs derived from polyunsaturated fatty acid precursors. This NIH funded research led to an unanticipated discovery that C. elegans and mice generate specific F-series PGs without Cox enzymes. Over the past several years, much of the Dr. Prasain's lab effort has been to identify genes essential for Cox-independent PG synthesis and the signaling mechanisms that regulate PG functions in reproductive biology. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Effects of Electron Beam Irradiation Sterilization on Quality of Edible Kudzu Root Powder

To study the effects of electron beam irradiation on the quality of edible kudzu root powder, edible kudzu root powder was irradiated by electron beam of different doses (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 kGy), and sterilization effects, nutritional and functional activities and physical properties were investigated. The results showed that electron beam irradiation obviously bactericidal effect on edible kudzu root powder and the microbial survival decreased significantly with increasing of irradiation dose, the D10 value of aerobic plate count was 2.68 kGy. Different doses of electron beam irradiation had no obvious effects on general nutrients including moisture, ash, protein, starch, vitamin B1 and B2, isoflavones including puerarin, daidzein, genistin, and ·OH radical scavenging activitiy in edible kudzu root powder (P>0.05). After irradiation, the fat content increased significantly (P<0.05), while dietary fiber content, whiteness, DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power decreased (P<0.05), but the overall change was not too big. The polysaccharide content, solubility and swelling force significantly increased (P<0.05), and the freeze-thaw stability was significantly enhanced (P<0.05). Therefore, electron beam irradiation was an effective sterilization method for edible kudzu root powder, the doses within 12.5 kGy wouldn't cause obvious damage to its nutritional quality and functional composition, and was expected to improve its physical properties as food processing raw materials. This study would provide a theoretical reference for the control of microorganism in edible kudzu root powder and products processed by electron beam irradiation.

Kudzu isoflavone C‐glycosides: Analysis, biological activities, and metabolism

AbstractRadix Pueraria (the root of kudzu Pueraria lobota) is a popular traditional Chinese medicine used in dietary supplements in Western markets and has potential health benefits. Kudzu roots are rich in isoflavones C‐ and O‐glycosides, of which puerarin (daidzein 8‐C‐glucoside) is the most abundant isoflavone. Puerarin is a unique isoflavone that it is resistant to intestinal hydrolysis and has a wide range of effects in preventing metabolic diseases. Our previous studies indicate that chronic exposure to a diet enriched in puerarin significantly reduces serum total cholesterol, arterial blood pressure, insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in ovariectomized, stroke‐prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SP‐SHR), a model of metabolic syndrome. Further, our studies demonstrate that puerarin is absorbed as the intact glucoside and acutely improves glucose tolerance, indicating that it has potential for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. This paper reviews recent progress in the understanding of biological activities and metabolism and in the analysis of puerarin in kudzu root extracts or supplements.

Rapid discrimination and quantification of kudzu root with its adulterant part using FT-NIR and a machine learning algorithm

Kudzu root (KR) is regarded as a natural health food with high medicinal value, and is commercially available in dietary supplements that are primarily marketed for women’s health. The nutrient and functional substances are mainly distributed in the root; and moreover, the appearance and taste of Kudzu stem (KS) are both similar to KR. Thus, the ability to differentiate KR and KS and to detect adulteration of KR with the addition of cheaper KS is important in preventing the possible commercial fraud that adversely affects both the food industry as well as the consumers. With this assumption, the present work had two different goals of developing a rapid, simple and accurate method to distinguish KR from KS, and to test the feasibility of quantifying the adulteration ratio of KR to KS. To achieve these goals, NIR spectroscopy was coupled with 4 different algorithms including the principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), partial least squares (PLS) test, and least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM). The results showed that PLS-DA achieved 100 percent classification accuracy for both KR and KS. The LS-SVM model had superior capability than did the PLS model in predicting the adulteration ratio between KR and KS. It has provided excellent predictive performance with a high Rp value of 0.9972 and a low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) value of 2.1724. These observations revealed the potential of NIR spectroscopy combined with machine learning methods as effective approach in distinguishing possible adulteration of KR.

Puerarin Attenuates Cadmium-Induced Neuronal Injury via Stimulating Cadmium Excretion, Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis.

Cadmium (Cd) is a potential pathogenic factor in the nervous system associated with various neurodegenerative disorders. Puerarin (Pur) is an isoflavone purified from the Chinese medical herb, kudzu root, and exhibits antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties in the brain. In this study, the detailed mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective potential of Pur against Cd-induced neuronal injury was evaluated for the first time in vivo in a rat model and in vitro using primary rat cerebral cortical neurons. The results of the in vivo experiments showed that Pur ameliorated Cd-induced neuronal injury, reduced Cd levels in the cerebral cortices, and stimulated Cd excretion in Cd-treated rats. We also observed that the administration of Pur rescued Cd-induced oxidative stress, and attenuated Cd-induced apoptosis by concomitantly suppressing both the Fas/FasL and mitochondrial pathways in the cerebral cortical neurons of rats both in vivo and in vitro. Our results demonstrate that Pur exerted its neuroprotective effects by stimulating Cd excretion, ameliorating Cd-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in rat cerebral cortical neurons.

Ionic Liquid 1-Vinyl-3-dodecylimidazole Bromide Embedded Hybrid Monolithic Column and Its Versatile Post-modification with Amino Acids

The amino acids post-modified ionic liquids-based hybrid monolithic columns were successfully developed. For the first step, using 1-vinyl-3-dodecylimidazole bromide (VDI·Br) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane methacryl substituted (POSS-MA) as monomer and crosslinking agent, the monolithic POSS-VDI matrix material was polymerized in 100 μm capillary. The prepared POSS-VDI column is of ion-exchange/reverse-phase mixed-mode retention characteristics. The column efficiency reached 137,000 N/m for thioureas. The POSS-VDI column has also been successfully applied to recognize and analyze the effective components of Traditional Chinese Medicines Fangji and the Root of Kudzu Vine. Furthermore, based on its good chromatographic performances, in the second step, amino acids l-Proline (l-Pro), Glycine (Gly) or DL-Phenylalanine (DL-Phe) were further exploited as the anion exchangers to post-modify the POSS-VDI column. The new POSS-VDI-Pro, POSS-VDI-Gly and POSS-VDI-Phe columns exhibited different separation selectivity for the complex egg white protein sample. The present work provides a good route to fabricate versatile amino acids and ionic liquids modified monolithic columns with good separation selectivity.

Phytochemicals and biological activities of Pueraria flower: a review

Pueraria lobata (Kudzu root) has been well documented as a food and also an herbal plant for its ability to alleviate hangover, diarrhea and cardiovascular diseases. However, the flower of Pueraria lobata has been attracted attention only in recent decades. Bioactive phytochemicals such as isoflavones, saponins, essential oils and other components have been isolated and identified in Pueraria flower extracts (PFE). Both in vivo and in vitro research have indicated the health promoting effects of Pueraria flower including hepatoprotective property, estrogenic effects, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammation activity and other pharmacological activities. In this review, we have summarized the chemical compositions and pharmacological actions of Pueraria flower and updated knowledge with recent progress.

Preparation and properties of Pue-loaded HA-ADH-PS nanomicelles

ABSTRACT Puerarin (Pue) is the most abundant isoflavonoid in kudzu root. It has been widely used as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, poor-bioavailability of puerarin is the main obstacle to its widespread clinical applications. In this paper, HA-ADH-PS nanomicelles were prepared by chemical modification, noncovalent modification and etc, and characterized by means of FT-IR, ultraviolet (UV) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of Pue-loaded HA-ADH-PS nanomicelles were 45.1% and 19.89% by UV, respectively. It could be observed from the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images that HA-ADH-PS micelles appeared obvious spherical structure in the water. The particle size of HA-ADH-PS nanomicelles and Pue-loaded HA-ADH-PS nanomicelles were about 136.8 nm and 119.5 nm with a PDI of 0.237 and 0.272, respectively. The fluorescence probe method was used to characterize the critical micelle concentration, the critical micelle concentration (CMC) value of the nanomicells was 0.002 g/L and the results met the requirements and ensured the stability of micelles after dilution. DPPH assay suggested that Pue-loaded HA-ADH-PS nanomicelles had an obvious radical scavenging effect in vitro. MTT test showed that Pue-loaded HA-ADH-PS nanomicelles was non-toxic and had good biocompatibility. Thus, Pue-loaded HA-ADH-PS nanomicelles could be used as a potential drug carrier for puerarin.

Impact of isoflavons on biochemical and morphometric parameters of rats with alloxan diabetes mellitus

Isoflavones (IF) of plant origin with antioxidant activity can also exhibit antidiabetic effects. The study of the antidiabetic effect of the kudzu root extract (Pueraria lobata) obtained using natural deep solvents and containing the isoflavones puerarin, genistein and daidzein in an amount of 40 mg / g of the extract was carried out. Sixty male Wistar rats were used in the experiment. Type 1 diabetes mellitus was simulated by intraperitoneal administration of alloxan solution at a dose of 170 mg / kg. The IF extract was administered intragastrically to diabetic and healthy animals at doses of 100 mg / kg and 200 mg / kg three times a week (12 injections in total). The administration of IF to diabetic rats was accompanied by the correction of hyperglycemia, an increase in glucose tolerance, the normalization of parameters of the functional state of various organs (AST, ALT, urea, total protein), promoted the restoration of the number of β-cells and the content of insulin in them, stimulation of the proliferative process in the pancreatic islets (the number of Ki67 + cells), and was accompanied by an increase in insulin content in blood plasma. Dose dependence was manifested in a more pronounced effect of the dose of IF 200 mg / kg on the restoration of the number of pancreatic islets, β-cells and proliferating cells in the islets and a more significant increase in the level of insulin in blood plasma compared with the dose of 100 mg / kg. When IF was administered to healthy animals, no deviations from the norm in the glycemic control and cytolysis parameters were detected, no changes were found in the islet apparatus, which indicates the absence of the toxic effect of IFs extracted using natural deep solvents.

Use of Pulsed Arc Discharge Exposure to Impede Expansion of the Invasive Vine Pueraria montana

The invasive kudzu vine Pueraria montana var. lobata is an agricultural nuisance that disturbs the field cultivation of crop plants. We developed a simple electrostatic method of suppressing the invasive growth of kudzu vines as an alternative to the use of herbicides for weed control. Exposure of the vine apex to a high-voltage arc discharge was the focal point of the study. To achieve this, we constructed a ladder-shaped apparatus by arranging several parallel copper rods at specific intervals in an insulating frame. The top rod was linked to a direct current voltage generator and pulse-charged at −10 kV, and the remaining rods were linked to a grounded line. Because of the conductive nature of the grounded vine body, the vine climbing along the grounded rods was subjected to a pulsed arc discharge from the charged rod when its apex entered the electric field produced around the charged rod. The part of the vine exposed to the discharge was heated, which promoted vaporisation of body water. This destroyed the tip growing point and prevented vine elongation. A simplified weed control apparatus was developed, which can be fabricated for practical use from inexpensive, ready-made materials.

Observation of the therapeutic effect and prognosis analysis of Yiqijiebiao prescription for the treatment of children with influenza B

To observe the efficacy of Yiqijiebiao prescription in treating children with influenza B infection (flu). A total of 120 children with influenza B infection who were treated at the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Clinic of Tianjin Children's Hospital from October to December 2019 were enrolled. According to different treatments, the children were divided into Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group and Western medicine treatment control group, with 60 cases in each group. Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group was orally given Yiqijiebiao prescription plus and minus treatment (composition: perilla leaf, kudzu root, Bupleurum, Qing Pinellia, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi each 6 g, tangerine peel, nepeta panicle, Divaricate Saposhniovia root, praecupura, almond, ginseng, platycodon, roasted licorice each 4 g, add plaster and cooked rhubarb for dry stools, add pre-bait, honey loquat leaves for severe cough, add Angelica dahurica and flos magnoliae for runny nose), take 1 dose a day, twice a day; Western medicine treatment control group was orally given Ribavirin, 10 mg/kg each time, 3 times a day. After 7 days of treatment, the changes in clinical symptoms, laboratory results and clinical efficacy of the two groups were observed, and the changes in prognostic indexes of the two groups were analyzed. The numbers of children with normal body temperature and improved or partially improved symptoms such as cough, sore throat, and runny nose in the Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (normal body temperature: 49 cases vs. 44 cases, cough relieved: 33 cases vs. 25 cases, sore throat relieved: 27 cases vs. 23 cases, runny nose relieved: 47 cases vs. 42 cases, all P < 0.05). The numbers of children whose nasopharyngeal swabs with influenza B virus antibody (IBV-Ag) turned negative and serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the normal reference value range (< 10 mg/L) were significantly higher than those in Western medicine treatment control group (IBV-Ag negative: 36 cases vs. 31 cases, SAA in the normal reference value range: 49 cases vs. 46 cases, CRP in the normal reference value range: 50 cases vs. 46 cases, all P < 0.05). The total effective rate of Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group after treatment was significantly higher than that of control group [81.67% (49/60) vs. 75.00% (45/60), P < 0.05]. The numbers of children with constipation, loss of appetite and diarrhea in the Yiqijiebiao prescription treatment group were significantly less than those in the control group (constipation: 11 cases vs. 14 cases, loss of appetite: 8 cases vs. 11 cases, diarrhea: 6 cases vs. 8 cases, all P < 0.05). Yiqijiebiao prescription can significantly improve the clinical symptoms and laboratory results of children with influenza B infection and increase the total effective rate, and have a definite effect.

Development of New Electrochemical Sensor based on Kudzu Vine Biochar Modified Flexible Carbon Electrode for Portable Wireless Intelligent Analysis of Clenbuterol

Development of New Electrochemical Sensor based on Kudzu Vine Biochar Modified Flexible Carbon Electrode for Portable Wireless Intelligent Analysis of Clenbuterol