Part Of Medicine Research Articles

Regularity of Artemisia argyi Harvest Time and Its Response to Meteorological Factors

Timely harvesting is an important prerequisite for quality standardization in the traditional Chinese medicine industry. To determine the harvest time of Artemisia argyi and clarify the influence of meteorological factors (MFs) on the harvest time, we selected two excellent germplasm resources, namely, “Nanyang 1” (NY) and Luoyang Artemisia argyi (LY), as examples. We examined the changes in yield, quality, and related traits on 11 sampling dates (SDs) after the six true-leaf stage. Additionally, we analyzed the relationship between eight MFs on different SDs and yield, as well as quality indices. The results show that the SDs and MFs have a significant impact on yield and quality. The dynamic changes in growth traits and dry matter accumulation characteristics of NY and LY were basically consistent. From 75 to 90 d, Artemisia argyi was in the middle and late stages of the transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, during which the amount of dry matter accumulation stabilized. The leaves are the most representative medicinal part, with the comprehensive values of the LY leaf yield and main medicinal ingredient contents reaching their maximum at 75 d; the comprehensive values of the NY leaf yield and main volatile ingredient contents reached their maximum at 75 d, while the comprehensive value of the flavonoid and phenolic acid contents reached their maximum at 90 d. Therefore, LY is suitable for harvesting at 75 d, while NY can be harvested at either 75 or 90 d, depending on the harvest goals. In addition, the mean daily minimum temperature (MDMNT), effective accumulated temperature above 10 °C (≥10 °C EAT), and mean temperature daily range (MTDR) were found to be key MFs affecting harvest time. The dry matter accumulation of the roots and stems was significantly positively correlated with the MDMNT (p < 0.01). The dry matter accumulation of the leaves was significantly positively correlated with ≥10 °C EAT (p < 0.05). The total volatile oil content was significantly positively correlated with the MTDR (p < 0.05). These show that meteorological factors affect the harvest time in production practice. This study provides scientific support for determining the harvest time and managing the cultivation of Artemisia argyi.

Integrative Analyses of Metabolome and Transcriptome Reveal Regulatory Network of Puerarin Biosynthesis in Pueraria montana var. lobata

Kudzu, scientifically known as Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S.M.Almeida ex Sanjappa & Predeep (P. lobata), is a perennial vine belonging to the family Leguminosae. Puerarin, a unique constituent and primary active ingredient of this genus, exhibits a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. This study started with several practical questions: Why is the root the main medicinal part? Why is it not peeled for medicinal purposes? Why is the harvest period usually from December to February? Although the puerarin biosynthesis pathway has been investigated, the stage at which the 8-C glycosylation reaction occurs remains controversial. In this study, metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses were performed on P. lobata organs and tissues, including leaves, young stems, mature stems, tuberous cortices, and cortex-excised tubers of roots. Two modules containing genes associated with puerarin biosynthesis were identified by WGCNA. The final selection of important candidate UDP-glucosyltransferases (UGTs) that may be involved in the puerarin biosynthesis pathway included two 8-C-GTs, three 7-O-GTs, and key transcription factors. On this basis, the regulatory network of puerarin biosynthesis was constructed and laid the foundation for the cultivation of high-quality medicinal kudzu with high puerarin content.

A Machine Learning‐Based Approach for the Prediction of Anticoagulant Activity of Hypericum perforatum L. and Evaluation of Compound Activity

ABSTRACTIntroductionHypericum perforatum L. (HPL) is extensively researched domestically and internationally as a medicinal plant. However, no reports of studies related to the anticoagulant activity of HPL have been retrieved. The specific bioactive components are unknown.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop a machine learning (ML) method for rapid prediction of anticoagulant activity in HPL and evaluation of compound activity. Materials and methods.First, an in vitro anticoagulant activity assay was developed for the determination of the bioactivity of various medicinal parts of HPL. Then, the peak areas of compounds in HPL were integrated using UPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS analysis. Subsequently, nine independent ML methods and two ensemble learning methods have been established to predict the anticoagulant activity of HPL and to evaluate the contribution of compounds. Feature importance scores were used for models visualization.ResultsA total of 24 compounds were shown to exhibited superior anticoagulant activity. Molecular docking experiments likewise confirmed this result. The results show that the branches of HPL have excellent anticoagulant activity, which has been previously overlooked. The established ML model demonstrated good performance in the prediction of the activity of HPL.ConclusionThe results were accurate and reliable, which significantly improved the efficiency of active compounds screening, and further exploration in this area is warranted.

Application of metabolomics in quality control of traditional Chinese medicines: a review.

Plant metabolites are the components endowing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with therapeutic effects, and, simultaneously, they are the primary targets for quality control. From germplasm selection and origin determination to field management, growth duration, harvesting and processing, and, finally, storage and transportation, each step profoundly influences TCM quality. The complexity of these plant or herb metabolites poses numerous quality control challenges. Metabolomics, as a comprehensive and systematic approach, has demonstrated value in this field. This technique not only meets the requirements for studying the complex mechanisms of TCM but also has significant advantages in identifying the TCM components, including active components. Therefore, in this article, several key factors affecting the chemical characteristics and quality traits of TCM, including their origin, harvesting period, medicinal parts, and processing methods, are researched. Additionally, the current challenges of integrating metabolomics with other omics technologies (transcriptomics, spatial metabolomics, etc.) are discussed. Furthermore, a future development trends and prospects are highlighted. With the continuous deepening of research and ongoing updates in technological capabilities, metabolomics will play an increasingly important role in the quality control of TCM, providing more scientific and robust support for quality assurance and safety evaluation.

Abstract 4126971: Advanced Care Planning in the CCU: What are the Numbers?

Introduction: Advanced care planning (ACP) is an important, though often neglected, part of medicine. It can promote goal-concordant care and improve communication between the medical team and patient. This is especially important in the intensive care unit, where important health decisions are made by patients and families. Previous studies have shown that patients and families are interested in ACP discussions, especially in intensive care units. Studies are limited, however, in analyzing the prevalence of these discussions prior to and during admission to the cardiac intensive care unit (CCU). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Baseline demographics were collected on patients admitted or transferred to the CCU between January 1, 2022- July 1, 2022. The presence of any ACP (documentation including POLST forms, advance directives, or power of attorney forms) filled out prior to and during admission was recorded. Length of stay, outcome of admission, discharge disposition, and baseline comorbidity index using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were also recorded. Transplant patients, patients admitted for transplant, and patients who underwent multiple admissions were excluded from the study. Results: Between January and July, 400 patients met criteria for inclusion. The average age was 67, with males accounting for 62% of patients. The average CCI amongst these patients was 6.95. Of the 400 patients, 31 had ACP completed prior to their admission (7.75%). Out of the 369 patients who did not have ACP in place upon admission, 9 had ACP completed during their stay in the CCU (2.44%). There was no difference in CCU hours amongst those who had ACP prior to admission compared to those who did not (p=.9). There was, however, a difference among CCI index: those with ACP prior to admission had an average CCI of 9.94 compared to 6.7 in those without ACP (p<.001). Conclusions: Patients at risk of cardiac-related mortality can benefit from ACP discussions prior to the onset of critical illness; however, only a small fraction of patients admitted to the CCU have proper documentation of this process. Inpatient and outpatient ACP can target at-risk patients to improve both the conversation and documentation of patient values and treatment preferences. Possible interventions to provide this care include physician education, consistent discussion of ACP during rounds, or flagging patients without ACP in the EMR.

DGNMDA: Dual Heterogeneous Graph Neural Network Encoder for miRNA-Disease Association Prediction.

In recent years, numerous studies have highlighted the pivotal importance of miRNAs in personalized healthcare, showcasing broad application prospects. miRNAs hold significant potential in disease diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and therapeutic target discovery, making them an integral part of precision medicine. They are expected to enable precise disease subtyping and risk prediction, thereby advancing the development of precision medicine. GNNs, a class of deep learning architectures tailored for graph data analysis, have greatly facilitated the advancement of miRNA-disease association prediction algorithms. However, current methods often fall short in leveraging network node information, particularly in utilizing global information while neglecting the importance of local information. Effectively harnessing both local and global information remains a pressing challenge. To tackle this challenge, we propose an innovative model named DGNMDA. Initially, we constructed various miRNA and disease similarity networks based on authoritative databases. Subsequently, we creatively design a dual heterogeneous graph neural network encoder capable of efficiently learning feature information between adjacent nodes and similarity information across the entire graph. Additionally, we develop a specialized fine-grained multi-layer feature interaction gating mechanism to integrate outputs from the neural network encoders to identify novel associations connecting miRNAs with diseases. We evaluate our model using 5-fold cross-validation and real-world disease case studies, based on the HMDD V3.2 dataset. Our method demonstrates superior performance compared to existing approaches in various tasks, confirming the effectiveness and potential of DGNMDA as a robust method for predicting miRNA-disease associations.

Travelling Formulas

Abstract Plant, animal, and mineral products travelled thousands of miles from Central and South Asia, the Mediterranean, and even Africa to become part of the Chinese pharmacopeia. These products were often used as drugs that were commonly bundled in formulas. While individual drugs were gradually incorporated as part of Chinese medicine, the formula preparations which regularly carried them remain relics of history. By first examining identification and linguistic information, and then looking closely at several formulas containing chebulic myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz.) from both Indic and Chinese sources, we can understand better how this drug and its corresponding medical information made its way from South Asia to East Asia, thereby becoming part of the Chinese medical system.

Identification of New Compounds from the Roots of Rubia tibetica Hook. f.

Rubia tibetica Hook. f is a traditional Tibetan medicinal plant, with its roots serving as the primary medicinal part. Two new compounds, Rubiaxylm C and E (1 and 3), and one new natural compound, Rubiaxylm D (2) were isolated from R. tibetica, along with five known compounds (4-8). The structures of the previously undescribed compounds were elucidated by HR-ESIMS, 1D/2D NMR spectroscopic data and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Compound 1 is a rare anthrone substituted with a carbonyl group at position 1. Furthermore, all isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell lines.

The Rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz.: A Comprehensive Review on the Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology.

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (A. macrocephala) is a perennial herb of the genus Atractylodes. The rhizome of A. macrocephala (AMR) is its medicinal part. It primarily grows in Southeast Asia and function to invigorate the spleen and qi, drying dampness and removing water. It has long been used for cancer treatment, relieving inflammation, and improving gastrointestinal function, highlighting its remarkable medicinal value. This paper focuses on recent advancements in the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of AMR from 2018 to the present, while exploring its therapeutic and scientific potential. In recent years, more than 120 compounds have been identified in AMR. The primary active components have been identified as sesquiterpenoids, polysaccharides and polyacetylenes. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that AMR has anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, immunity enhancement, gastrointestinal function improvement, and other pharmacological effects. It is mainly employed in the clinical treatment of tumors and gastrointestinal diseases, showing promising developmental potential. Its mechanism may be related to reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting the expression of inflammatory mediators and factors, and alleviating apoptosis through related signaling pathways. It is hoped that this review can provide a theoretical reference and scientific basis for further systematic research and extensive clinical application of AMR.

Radiology during a war - experience in Ukraine.

Military radiology, an integral part of military medicine, plays a pivotal role in medical triage, diagnosis, and treatment. Its significance lies in providing timely and accurate assessments in challenging situations.The utilization of contemporary sonographic techniques enables rapid identification of life-threatening conditions, ensuring prompt medical aid and facilitating regional anesthesia. Computed tomography emerges as a critical tool for assessing injury extent, planning surgeries, monitoring postoperative phases, and conducting retrospective evaluations, especially when anatomical dissection is complex.Battlefield radiology not only enhances the understanding of injury mechanisms and battlefield traumas but also contributes significantly to the overall improvement of diagnostic and treatment approaches. Ukrainian doctors actively engaged in diverse stages of patient care accumulate a wealth of knowledge, substantially elevating the survival rates of wounded individuals. This experience serves as the foundation for ongoing enhancements and the advancement of military radiology, even during periods of peace. · Military radiology is essential in medical triage, diagnosis, and treatment within military contexts.. · Modern sonographic methods enable swift identification of life-threatening conditions.. · Computed tomography is indispensable for assessing injuries, planning surgeries, and conducting retrospective evaluations.. · Ukrainian doctors actively contribute to the knowledge base, improving diagnostic and treatment practices.. · The acquired experience serves as a foundation for ongoing advancements in military radiology, extending its impact beyond wartime scenarios.. · Nehria N, Nehria Y, Bukharin T. Radiology during a war - experience in Ukraine. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2024; DOI 10.1055/a-2326-7724.

Penyuluhan Hipertensi dan Pelatihan Pemanfaatan Tanaman Obat untuk Mengontrol Tekanan Darah pada Masyarakat Nagrak dan Ciangsana

Hypertension is one of the non-communicable diseases with a high prevalence in Indonesia. This disease can cause various complications that lead to the death of the sufferer. Consumption of medicinal plants is one of the simple ways that ordinary people can do to control blood pressure. In this activity, counseling on hypertension and training on how to recognize and process native Indonesian medicinal plants so that they can be used to control blood pressure. Activity’s evaluation is carried out using questionnaires before (pre-test) and after (post-test) counseling and evaluation of the overall implementation. The results of the Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that the post-test results were significantly higher than the pre-test (p=0.046). After the training, participants became skilled in recognizing medicinal plants that are useful for controlling blood pressure as well as understanding how to process medicinal plant parts and the amount that must be consumed.

Biomedical model, reductionism and their consequences for body perception

Modern medicine is constantly evolving, enabling the early detection of diseases, offering various treatment options, protecting against undesirable conditions and providing advanced pharmacological solutions. The 19th century biomedical model, which prevailed into the 20th century, has greatly improved our understanding of the human body and the causes of disease. Despite the introduction of other models, such as the bio-psycho-social and the patient-centered model, the biomedical model remains an integral part of evidence-based medicine (EBM). It leads to various consequences such as specialization, biological determinism, the victim-blaming approach, reductionism and objectification. The article uses phenomenology as an analytical framework. Two research questions were posed: 1) How does the biomedical model influence the fragmentation of patient care? 2) What influence does the biomedical model have on the perception of the patient’s body? The main argument is that the medical model of disease is still influential in the fields of research, education and medical practice and, with the advances of evidence-based medicine, influences the perception of the patient’s body. The article is based on a literature review and aims to show the non-obvious connection between medical progress and body perception. The analysis has shown that the biomedical model influences the fragmentation of patient care through increasing professional reductionism and specialization, leading to an objectification of the body that can be made by both doctors and patients.

Qualitative phytochemical analysis of bioactive constituents in acetone extract of seeds of Hydnocarpus pentandra

Ethnoveterinary medicine focuses on the practical use of community or area based traditional and indigenous knowledge including the collection, preparation and administration of medicinal plants or plant parts for curing diseases of animals. Hydnocarpus pentandra is a plant endemic to South India which is traditionally known for the antileprotic activity of its seed oil. Diverse pharmacological activities of the plant extracts depend on the presence of its secondary metabolites. The present research was conducted to explore the phytochemical constituents present in the acetone solvent extract of the seeds of H. pentandra. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the extract using colorimetric reactions revealed the presence of steroids, triterpenes, diterpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids and carbohydrates. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of different compounds which included paromomycin, D-streptamine, carnegine, 4-propyl acridine and R-limonene. The acetone extract could be considered as a potent source of new molecules with different pharmacological actions. Keywords: Hydnocarpus pentandra, phytochemical screening, secondary metabolites

The descriptive psychopathology of melancholia in Roubinovitch and Toulouse's 1897 monograph “La Mélancolie”

Our modern syndrome of major depression developed over the 19th century and assumed its largely current form in Europe during the last decades of that century. A defining monograph in that historical development in German-speaking Europe was published by Krafft-Ebing in 1874. In this article, we provide a detailed commentary (and an English translation) of key sections of a monograph—“La Mélancolie” (The Melancholy) published by Roubinovitch and Toulouse in 1897—that plays a parallel role in the Francophone world. We emphasize six features of this important document. First, is it thoroughness, covering, with often vivid descriptions, the symptoms, signs, subtypes, course of illness, and outcome of melancholia. Second, this work describes the key features of the evolution of the concept of melancholia over the prior century. Third, we also see in this monograph important references to the leading explanatory psychophysiological model for melancholia developed in the middle third of the 19th century—melancholia as psychalgia or “mental pain.” Fourth, the authors are committed to attempting to understand, in psychological terms, key features of the melancholic syndrome and in particular the development of delusions. Fifth, they give great emphasis to a symptom/sign pair in their diagnosis and description of melancholia: psychological suffering accompanied with resignation and “psychophysical decrease.” Sixth, these authors attend to the lived experienced of their melancholic patients, considering some key themes, such as derealization, now emphasized in phenomenological studies of depression. Seventh, they have an insightful view of the evolution of psychiatric diagnoses that applies to the modern day—that disease identification in psychiatry lags behind that most parts of medicine as our diagnostic categories are still “only provisional symptomatic groupings which will one day be replaced by more exact conceptions of the nature of the relationships which unite the facts.”

Application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and chemometrics-based crested porcupine algorithm in identification of different medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis

ObjectiveAngelica sinensis is one of the commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine clinic, exhibits different pharmacological characteristics due to variations in the content of active ingredients in its head, body, and tail. Therefore, research on the identification methods of different medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis is of great practical significance. Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) technology is widely used in the field of nondestructive testing because of its unique electromagnetic wave characteristics. This study explores the feasibility of combining THz-TDS with chemometrics to identify different medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis. MethodsBy comparing the spectral response characteristics of different parts of Angelica sinensis to various optical parameters, the absorption coefficient spectrum in the 0.6–3.0 THz range was selected, and three types of feature extraction algorithms, namely, joint Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling (CARS), Uninformative Variable Elimination (UVE), and Successive Projections Algorithm (SPA), were used to establish the classification models of Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) in turn, and optimize the models by using the crown porcupine algorithm (Crested Porcupine Optimizer (CPO) to optimize the model. ResultsThe research results indicate that the CPO optimizer significantly improved the classification accuracy of the models, with the accuracy of the ELM, RF, and SVM models increasing by 4.36%, 1.11%, and 12.22%, respectively. The SPA-CPO-SVM model exhibited the best overall performance, achieving accuracies of 96.11% and 97.96% on the prediction and training sets, respectively, while the number of input features was only 5% of the total feature set. ConclusionThe results show that the fully joint feature extraction strategy and optimization algorithm can play a powerful synergistic effect in model construction, confirming the feasibility of THz-TDS technology to correctly identify different medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis, and providing an important reference for the application of terahertz technology in the identification of Chinese herbal medicines.

Regulatory Effects of Chlormequat Chloride on the Yield and Chemical Composition of Angelica sinensis Radix

Chlormequat chloride (CCC), as a commonly used plant growth regulator in the production of rhizomatous medicinal herbs, can effectively control the bolting phenomenon in Angelica sinensis, significantly increasing the yield of underground rhizomes (medicinal part). However, its specific effects on the intrinsic quality of Angelica sinensis, especially medicinal components, require further investigation. The objective of this study is to conduct a thorough examination of CCC residue and its influence on the yield and medicinal components of Angelica sinensis. By spraying different concentrations of CCC on Angelica sinensis, we systematically monitored the final yield of Angelica sinensis Radix (ASR) in each treatment group and the residual concentration of CCC in ASR. Using UPLC-QTOF-MS technology, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the metabolic profile of ASR. Subsequently, UFLC-MS/MS was employed to accurately quantify the changes in the content of nine key active components in ASR. The results of this study indicate that the application of CCC significantly improves the yield of ASR, with the best effect observed at 0.1 g/L, resulting in a yield increase of 24.8%. Meanwhile, the residual amount of CCC in ASR is positively correlated with the application concentration, with the residual levels as high as 7.12 mg/kg in the high-concentration treatment group. Metabolomic analysis preliminarily identified 21 chemical components in ASR, including four organic acids and 13 phthalides. It is worth noting that the quantitative analysis results indicate significant changes in active components such as butylphthalide, Z-ligustilide, and ferulic acid after the application of CCC. Specifically, high-concentration CCC significantly increased the content of butylphthalide and levistolide A, while low-concentration CCC significantly promoted the accumulation of coniferyl ferulate and senkyunolide A, accompanied by a significant decrease in Z-ligustilide and ferulic acidy. In conclusion, while CCC use can increase yield, the associated increase in residues and imbalanced composition ratios may threaten the quality and safety of ASR. Therefore, it is crucial to control the amount of CCC used rationally to balance yield enhancement and quality assurance.

Next-Gen Surgery: AI Robots Leading the Way in Healthcare

As human generations evolve, medical science and engineering have developed, and robotics have become an integral part of medicine from administrative duties to surgical procedures. In medical procedures, robotic systems support and enhance the accuracy and agility of human surgeons. This method is known as robotic surgery or robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). In the public health field, RAS plays an essential role due to its ability to improve surgical precision, lessen patient discomfort following surgery, and shorten hospital stays. In spite of the systems not being entirely self-contained, skilled surgeons use a console and specialized instruments to perform procedures that are more accurate and less invasive. Robots can help provide healthcare services such as monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and providing emotional support. The use of AI with robotics in healthcare has shown a remarkable rise in the past few years, particularly in rural India with limited access to healthcare providers and limited health resources. Urban and rural hospitals across the country can use artificial intelligence to manage tasks like surgery assistance, streamlining hospital logistics, and organizing routine checkups. The following considerations are the main causes of a surge in robotic help in the healthcare sector: (a) robots are hardworking; (b) they can withstand stress; (c) their grasping abilities; (d) they can do precise surgeries; and (e) they are capable of performing repetitive jobs. The present discourse delves into a few medical robotics applications, discussing their advantages, disadvantages, and possible avenues for future research and development.

Assessment of suitable region of Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. under different climatic conditions in China by the MaxEnt model and HPLC analysis.

Asparagus cochinchinensis is a member of the Asparagaceae family whose medicinal part is the dried root tuber. The distribution of A. cochinchinensis and its secondary metabolites are closely associated with environmental factors, such as climate and soil properties. By establishing and optimizing a maximum entropy model, we analyzed and predicted the distribution pattern and migration direction of suitable habitats for A. cochinchinensis and determined the main environmental factors affecting the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Under current climatic conditions, the area of suitable habitats for A. cochinchinensis (208.38 × 104 km2) accounts for 21.71% of the land area of China, and the areas of lowly, moderately, and highly suitable areas were 64.15 × 104 km2, 113.66 × 104 km2, and 30.57 × 104 km2, respectively. Under future climate scenarios, the total area of suitable habitats hardly changes. The area of highly suitable habitats significantly decreases under the SSP1-RCP2.6 scenario (to 83.22% of the current value) and the SSP3-RCP7 scenario (to 48.94% of the current value), but eventually increases to 112.86% of the current value under the SSP5-RCP8.5 scenario, which indicates that A. cochinchinensis might adapt better to a high-carbon-emissions scenario. Under different climate scenarios, low-impact areas mainly occur in southern China and will correspond 92.07% of the current suitable area. Highly suitable habitats primarily occur in the southeastern Sichuan Basin, northern Guangxi, eastern Guizhou, and western Hunan. HPLC analysis showed that the content of protodioscin (0.373%) and protogracillin (0.044%) in S2 was the highest. The total saponins contents of S1 and S2 were the highest, which were 35.6586 and 33.1262 mg/g, respectively. The total polysaccharide content of S9 was the highest (16.9467%). The total contents of saponins and polysaccharides in A. cochinchinensis were significantly, but oppositely, correlated with temperature, precipitation, and other factors. This study has identified environmental factors affecting the growth and quality of A. cochinchinensis, which has guiding significance for resource conservation and site selection for large-scale cultivation.

Rebalancing immune homeostasis in combating disease: the impact of medicine food homology plants and gut microbiome

BackgroundGut microbiota plays an important role in multiple human physiological processes and an imbalance in it, including the species, abundance, and metabolites can lead to diseases. These enteric microorganisms modulate immune homeostasis by presenting a myriad of antigenic determinants and microbial metabolites. Medicinal and food homologous (MFH) plants, edible herbal materials for both medicine and food, are important parts of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). MFH plants have drawn much attention due to their strong biological activity and low toxicity. However, the interplay of MFH and gut microbiota in rebalancing the immune homeostasis in combating diseases needs systematic illumination. PurposeThe review discusses the interaction between MFH and gut microbiota, including the effect of MFH on the major group of gut microbiota and the metabolic effect of gut microbiota on MFH. Moreover, how gut microbiota influences the immune system in terms of innate and adaptive immunity is addressed. Finally, the immunoregulatory mechanisms of MFH in regulation of host pathophysiology via gut microbiota are summarized. MethodsLiterature was searched, analyzed, and collected using databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using relevant keywords. The obtained articles were screened and summarized by the research content of MFH and gut microbiota in immune regulation. ResultsThe review demonstrates the interaction between MFH and gut microbiota in disease prevention and treatment. Not only do the intestinal microorganisms and intestinal mucosa constitute an important immune barrier of the human body, but also lymphoid tissue and diffused immune cells within the mucosa participate in the response of innate immunity and adaptive immunity. MFH modulates immune regulation by affecting intestinal flora, helps maintain the balance of the immune system and interfere with the occurrence and development of a broad category of diseases. ConclusionBeing absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, MFH can have profound effects on gut microbiota. In turn, the gut microbiota also actively participate in the bioconversion of complex constituents from MFH, which could further influence their physiological and pharmacological properties. The review deepens the understanding of the relationship among MFH, gut microbiota, immune system, and human diseases and further promotes the progression of additional relevant research.

Integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology reveal the procoagulant mechanisms of Cirsium setosum extracts

As a medicinal plant, Cirsium setosum has excellent procoagulant effects and has long been used as a cure for hemoptysis, epistaxis, uremia and metrorrhagia caused by blood heat. However, the key medicinal part of C. setosum, as well as the biologically active substances that play a major role, are not known. In this study, the aboveground, underground and whole grass portions of C. setosum were subjected to a coagulation comparison experiment to determine the primary active procoagulant compounds. The main active procoagulant compounds of C. setosum were then screened using a comparative metabolomics analysis between aboveground and underground. Network pharmacology analysis was used to construct the “active ingredient-disease target-pathway” network. Finally, molecular docking was used to verify the binding ability and affinity between the key active ingredients obtained from the screening and the targets. The results indicated that the aboveground part of C. setosum could significantly shorten activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and that this part exerts substantial procoagulant effects. The total phenol, total flavonoid and total alkaloid content of the aboveground part was measured to be higher than those of the underground part and whole grass. Furthermore, comparative metabolomics analysis as well as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database and literature search screening yielded 10 active substances, including naringenin, guanine, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside, flavone, vitexin, and tiliroside, which may be related to the coagulation-promoting properties of C. setosum and its therapeutic effects on coagulation-related disorders. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that C. setosum may exert procoagulant effects mainly through tiliroside, calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside, and flavone, which act on key target proteins, such as SRC, PRKACA, EGFR, AKT1, MAPK3, and GSK3B. In summary, C. setosum exerts its procoagulant and therapeutic effects on coagulation-related diseases through multiple compounds, targets, and pathways.