Rhizoma Atractylodis Research Articles

Atractylodes lactone compounds inhibit platelet activation

Platelets play a crucial role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis-thrombosis and, therefore, antiplatelet drugs are widely used in the treatment of coronary artery disease. Moreover, advances in understanding the biological functions of natural plant products can provide new pharmacological strategies aimed at promoting cardiovascular health. Atractylenolide I (ATL-1), ATL-2, and ATL-3 are the major bioactive components of a Qi tonifying medicinal herb Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Atractylodes macrocephala), which is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). These components possess well-documented anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, but their effects on platelet activation are still unknown. In this study, the effects of ATL on platelet function in vitro and in vivo were investigated, and the underlying mechanism was explored. We found that ATL-2 and ATL-3 but not ATL-1 diminished agonist-induced platelet aggregation and diminished adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release from dense granules. The levels of phospho-Akt (Ser473) and phospho-p38 MAPK were downregulated in the presence of ATL-2 and ATL-3. We also found that ATL-2 and ATL-3 have a similar inhibitory effect on platelet activation as acetylsalicylic acid in response to agonists. Furthermore, ATL-2 and ATL-3 diminished the spreading of human platelets on immobilized fibrinogen (Fg), delayed clot retraction in platelet-depleted plasma containing human platelets, extended first occlusion time in a mouse model of ferric chloride (FeCl3)-induced carotid arterial thrombosis, and prolonged the bleeding time. These observations suggest that ATL-2 and ATL-3 are potential candidate therapeutic drugs for the prevention of thrombosis.

Study on effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine Jianpi Chushi decoction and ointment on chronic eczema.

To study the effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine Jianpi Chushi decoction and ointment on chronic eczema. DNCB acetone solution was used to sensitize the skin of back and ears of 36 rats in order to establish chronic eczema model. A total of 36 rats were divided into four groups of 9 randomly including oral medicine group, external inunctum group, combination therapy group, and model control group respectively. Besides, the blank group of 4 healthy rats were set. The oral medicine group was given Traditional Chinese Medicine Jianpi Chushi decoction [(Poria cocos, Chinese yam, Cortex dictamni, Zaocys dhumnade, Rhizoma atractylodis, Pericarpium citri reticulatae, Scutellaria baicalensis, Radix Sophorae Flavescentis, Raw Radix Paeoniae Alba, Licorice roots (Northwest Origin)] by gastric infusion (1.6g/mL·5mL/d); the external inunctum group was given Qingpeng ointment on the skin, the combination therapy group was given Jianpi Chushi decoction by gastric infusion and Qingpeng ointment combination therapy. The model control group was given normal saline (NS) of the same volume by gastric infusion and vaseline on skin. Continuous administration 15d and stopped for 3d. The thickness difference and weight difference of left and right ear of every group were measured and the degree of ear swelling were evaluated. The CD4+ and CD8+ content and the IL-2, IL-4 level of serum were detected, and the inflammatory cells counts of back skin were recorded. After treatment, the degree of ear swelling of oral medicine group, external inunctum group and combination therapy group significant decreased compared with model control group (P<0.05). The CD4+, CD8+ cell content and IL-2 level of oral medicine group, external inunctum group, combination therapy group and model control group significant decreased compared with blank group, and IL-2 level and the inflammatory cells count increased. After 15d of treatment, the CD4+, CD8+ cell content and IL-2 level of serum of oral medicine group, external inunctum group and combination therapy group raised and the IL-4 level and the inflammatory cells count had significant decreased compared with model control group, and the effect of combination therapy group was more obvious (P<0.05). Qral Jianpi Chushi decoction could treat chronic eczema effectively, and oral Chinese medicine combined with ointment could enhance and speed up the efficacy.

Quantitative and fingerprinting analysis of Atractylodes rhizome based on gas chromatography with flame ionization detection combined with chemometrics.

This study assessed the feasibility of gas chromatography with flame ionization detection fingerprinting combined with chemometrics for quality analysis of Atractylodes rhizome. We extracted essential oils from 20 Atractylodes lancea and Atractylodes koreana samples by hydrodistillation. The variation in extraction yields (1.33-4.06%) suggested that contents of the essential oils differed between species. The volatile components (atractylon, atractydin, and atractylenolide I, II, and III) were quantified by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and confirmed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, and the results demonstrated that the number and content of volatile components differed between A. lancea and A. koreana. We then calculated the relative peak areas of common components and similarities of samples by comparing the chromatograms of A. lancea and A. koreana extracts. Also, we employed several chemometric techniques, including similarity analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, principal component analysis, and partial least-squares discriminate analysis, to analyze the samples. Results were consistent across analytical methods and showed that samples could be separated according to species. Five volatile components in the essential oils were quantified to further validate the results of the multivariate statistical analysis. The method is simple, stable, accurate, and reproducible. Our results provide a foundation for quality control analysis of A. lancea and A. koreana.

한약제제 백출(白朮)과 한약재 백출에 대한 HPLC 분석 비교연구

Objectives : To verify the equivalence between Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba herbal prescription(HP-ARA) and Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba herbal sub stance(HS-ARA). Methods : Safety tests by microbial regulation and heavy metal analysis (total heavy metal, Pb, As) and a stability test by long term shelf test for HP-ARA according to notification of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety were carried out. Then, multi component profile of HP-ARA and HS -ARA were analyzed by HPLC. Results : The safety and stability of HP-ARA confirmed by several tests. Correlation coefficient of equivalence of HP-ARA and ARA-HS showed 0.992. Conclusion : Based on this result of equivalence between HP-ARA and HS-ARA, HP-ARA can substitute HS-ARA used to make herbal medicines (herbal decoction, pills and powder).

소아 반복성 호흡기 감염의 한약 치료에 대한 임상 연구 동향: 중의학 논문을 중심으로

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate recent clinical studies on effect of herbal medicine treatment for recurrent respiratory tract infection in children. Methods We searched some clinical studies about recurrent respiratory tract infection in children from the China Academic Journal (CAJ) of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) (January 2011 to December 2015). Results 50 papers were selected from 168 studies. The herbal decoction was main herbal medicine treatment for recurrent respiratory tract infection in children. Commonly used herbs were Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Astragali Radix, Saposhnikovia Radix and Pseudostellariae Radix. Yupingfeng keli was the most frequently used herbal compound. Total effective rate was 66.4-100%, experimental group was significantly higher than control group in 45 papers (P<0.05). Immune index (in 22 papers) and curative effect of TCM syndrome (in 7 papers) were significantly higher than those of control group after treatment (p<0.05). Conclusions Herbal medicine has been shown as an effective treatment on recurrent respiratory tract infection in children. These research results can be utilized in other clinical studies and in treatment of recurrent respiratory tract infection for children.

Quality Assessment of Ijung-tang Preparations Using a HPLC Analysis

ABSTRACT Objectives : Ijung-tang (IJT) is a traditional herbal formula and has been used to treat digestive diseases such as abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. IJT consists of four herbal medicines, Ginseng radix, Atractylodis rhizoma alba, Zingiberis rhizoma, and Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma, containing various bioactive compounds. Quality assesment of IJT preparations was performed by analytical method for determining marker compounds.Methods : Determination of seven marker compounds in IJT preparations was quantitatively conducted by high- performance liquid chromatography equipped with a diode-array detector. The marker compounds were separated on a reversed-phase C18 column and the analytical method was successfully validated. Chemometric analysis was performed to compare IJT water extracts and commercial IJT granules.Results : Limit of detection and limit of quantification values were in the ranges of 0.093–2.649 μg/mL and 0.283–8.027 μg/mL, respectively. Precisions were 0.30–3.87% within a day and 0.23–2.35% over three consecutive days. Recoveries of the marker compounds ranged from 87.35-107.05%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) values < 6.15%. Repeatabilities were < 1.20% and < 1.71% of RSD value for retention time and absolute peak area, respectively. The results from quantitative analysis showed that the quantities of seven marker compounds of IJT samples varied, as were found in principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis.Conclusions : The analytical method developed in the present study was precise and reliable to simultaneously determine marker compounds of IJT. Therefore, it can be used for the quality assessment of IJT preparations.

Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Pentaherbs Formula, Berberine, Gallic Acid and Chlorogenic Acid in Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Inflammation.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common allergic skin disease, characterized by dryness, itchiness, thickening and inflammation of the skin. Infiltration of eosinophils into the dermal layer and presence of edema are typical characteristics in the skin biopsy of AD patients. Previous in vitro and clinical studies showed that the Pentaherbs formula (PHF) consisting of five traditional Chinese herbal medicines, Flos Lonicerae, Herba Menthae, Cortex Phellodendri, Cortex Moutan and Rhizoma Atractylodis at w/w ratio of 2:1:2:2:2 exhibited therapeutic potential in treating AD. In this study, an in vivo murine model with oxazolone (OXA)-mediated dermatitis was used to elucidate the efficacy of PHF. Active ingredients of PHF water extract were also identified and quantified, and their in vitro anti-inflammatory activities on pruritogenic cytokine IL-31- and alarmin IL-33-activated human eosinophils and dermal fibroblasts were evaluated. Ear swelling, epidermis thickening and eosinophils infiltration in epidermal and dermal layers, and the release of serum IL-12 of the murine OXA-mediated dermatitis were significantly reduced upon oral or topical treatment with PHF (all p < 0.05). Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and berberine contents (w/w) in PHF were found to be 0.479%, 1.201% and 0.022%, respectively. Gallic acid and chlorogenic acid could suppress the release of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and chemokine CCL7 and CXCL8, respectively, in IL-31- and IL-33-treated eosinophils-dermal fibroblasts co-culture; while berberine could suppress the release of IL-6, CXCL8, CCL2 and CCL7 in the eosinophil culture and eosinophils-dermal fibroblasts co-culture (all p < 0.05). These findings suggest that PHF can ameliorate allergic inflammation and attenuate the activation of eosinophils.

Herbal Medicines Induced Anticholinergic Poisoning in Hong Kong.

In the present review, the main objective was to report the incidence and causes of herbal medicines induced anticholinergic poisoning in Hong Kong during 1989–2012 and to emphasize the importance of pharmacovigilance, investigations and preventive measures. Relevant papers, official figures and unpublished data were obtained from Medline search, the Department of Health and the Drug and Poisons Information Bureau. In the New Territories East (where ~20% of the Hong Kong population lived), the incidence of herbal medicines induced anticholinergic poisoning during 1989–1993 was 0.09 per 100,000 population. There were no confirmed cases during 1994–1996. In the whole of Hong Kong, the incidence during 2000–June 2005 was 0.03 per 100,000 population. Contamination of Rhizoma Atractylodis (50%) and erroneous substitution (42%) were the main causes. The incidence during 2008–2012 was 0.06 per 100,000 population. Contamination of non-toxic herbs (50%) and erroneous substitution (41%) were the main causes. In Hong Kong, contamination of non-toxic herbs by tropane alkaloids and substitution of Flos Campsis by toxic Flos Daturae Metelis were the predominant causes of herbal medicines induced anticholinergic poisoning. Systematic studies along the supply chain are necessary to identify the likely sources of contamination. If erroneous substitution of Flos Campsis by Flos Daturae Metelis could be prevented, 40% of herbal medicines induced anticholinergic poisoning would not have occurred. Regular inspection of the retailer, continuing education for the staff in the herbal trade and repeated publicity measures will also be required. Pharmacovigilance of herbal medicines should help determine the incidence and causes of adverse reactions and monitor the effectiveness of preventive measures.

The Transcript Profile of a Traditional Chinese Medicine, Atractylodes lancea, Revealing Its Sesquiterpenoid Biosynthesis of the Major Active Components.

Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC., named “Cangzhu” in China, which belongs to the Asteraceae family. In some countries of Southeast Asia (China, Thailand, Korea, Japan etc.) its rhizome, commonly called rhizoma atractylodis, is used to treat many diseases as it contains a variety of sesquiterpenoids and other components of medicinal importance. Despite its medicinal value, the information of the sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the transcriptome analysis of different tissues of non-model plant A. lancea by using short read sequencing technology (Illumina). We found 62,352 high quality unigenes with an average sequence length of 913 bp in the transcripts of A. Lancea. Among these, 43,049 (69.04%), 30,264 (48.53%), 26,233 (42.07%), 17,881 (28.67%) and 29,057(46.60%) unigenes showed significant similarity (E-value<1e-5) to known proteins in Nr, KEGG, SWISS-PROT, GO, and COG databases, respectively. Of the total 62,352 unigenes, 43,049 (Nr Database) open reading frames were predicted. On the basis of different bioinformatics tools we identify all the enzymes that take part in the terpenoid biosynthesis as well as five different known sesquiterpenoids via cytosolic mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway and plastidal methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways. In our study, 6, 864 Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) were also found as great potential markers in A. lancea. This transcriptomic resource of A. lancea provides a great contribution in advancement of research for this specific medicinal plant and more specifically for the gene mining of different classes of terpenoids and other chemical compounds that have medicinal as well as economic importance.

Chinese herbal formula for postprandial distress syndrome: Study protocol of a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

IntroductionFunctional dyspepsia is one of the typical functional gastrointestinal disorders and can be further categorized into postprandial distress syndrome and epigastric pain syndrome. The clinical response to conventional medicine treatment is unsatisfactory so that a majority of the population will seek help from Traditional Chinese Medicine. In clinical practice JianPi’I, derived from a classical TCM formula Xiangshaliujunzi decoction, appears to have a satisfactory effect on functional dyspepsia. Therefore, in order to further verify the benefit of JianPi’I, we designed a strict clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of JianPi’I in postprandial distress syndrome patients. MethodsThis is a 10-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Eligible 144 patients will randomly be assigned to JianPi’I or placebo. The primary outcome is the change in the postprandial discomfort severity scale from baseline to treatment endpoint. The secondary outcomes include the changes in the clinical global impression scale, Traditional Chinese Medicine symptoms scores, MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey and gastric emptying from baseline to treatment endpoint. DiscussionThe main ingredients of JianPi’I contain Radix Codonopsis (Dangshen), Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Baizhu), Poria (Fuling), Fructus Amomi (Sharen), Radix Glycyrrhizae (Gancao), Radix Aucklandiae (Muxiang), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Chenpi), and Rhizoma Pinelliae (Banxia), which are expected to alleviate symptoms of postprandial distress syndrome. This randomized placebo-controlled trial will comprehensively examine the efficacy and safety of JianPi’I in postprandial distress syndrome patients, and aim to provide a new treatment option for clinical practice in postprandial distress syndrome management.

Anti-inflammatory and Antinociceptive Constituents of Atractylodes japonica Koidzumi.

The rhizomes of many Atractylodes species, including Atractylodes chinensis Koidzumi, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidzumi, and Atractylodes japonica Koidzumi, are collectively termed Atractylodis Rhizoma. We prepared n-hexane extracts of the three species and evaluated their anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Among all n-hexane extracts, those of A. japonica most strongly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells; five sesquiterpenes, atractylon, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide II, atractylenolide III, and 8-epiasterolid, were isolated from A. japonica. The phytochemical content of A. japonica was similar to those of A. chinensis and A. macrocephala. Moreover, the atractylon concentration was higher in A. japonica than in A. chinensis and A. macrocephala. Atractylon significantly inhibited NO and prostaglandin E2 production as well as inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Atractylon (40 mg/kg) also significantly reduced the acetic-acid-induced writhing response, carrageenan-induced paw edema, and hot-plate latent pain response in mice. According to the results, A. japonica has anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects and atractylon is the major active component of A. japonica. Therefore, atractylon can be used as a bioactivity marker in A. japonica.

Anti-tumor effects of Atractylenolide I on bladder cancer cells.

BackgroundAtractylenolide I (ATR-1), an active component of Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, possesses cytotoxicity against various carcinomas. However, little is known about the effects of ATR-1on bladder cancer. In the present study, the anti-tumor activity of ATR-1 was examined on bladder cancer cells both in vivo and in vitro.MethodsMTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxic effect of ATR-1. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis levels were evaluated using flow cytometry. Western blotting assay was applied to measure the levels of proteins associated with the apoptotic pathway, cell cycle progression and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Tumor models in nude mice were induced by injection of T-24 and 253J human bladder cancer cells.ResultsATR-1 inhibited bladder cancer cell proliferation, arrested cell cycle in G2/M phase through up-regulation of p21 and down-regulation of cyclin B1, CDK1 and Cdc25c. Meanwhile, ATR-1 also triggered cellular apoptosis depending on the activation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Mechanism investigation indicated that ATR-1 exerts its anti-tumor effect also relies on the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Finally, mice studies showed that ATR-1 blocked the T-24 or 253J-induced xenograft tumor growth without noticeable toxicity.ConclusionsATR-1 may be served as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Protective effect of a polysaccharide from Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae on acute liver injury in mice

A homogeneous polysaccharide was isolated and purified from Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (RAM) and named PRAM2. Its average molecular weight was 19.6×103Da and it was composed of rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, glucose, mannose and galactose in a ratio of 1: 1.3: 1.5: 1.8: 2.1: 3.2. In vitro experiments confirmed that PRAM2 presented an obvious effect to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) (DPPH), superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical. In vivo experiments confirmed that PRAM2 could reduce the liver weight, liver index, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities in the serum; meanwhile, PRAM2 could significantly reduce nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, and nitric oxide (NO) and malonaldehyde (MDA) contents in the liver tissues, and increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities. These results suggest that PRAM2 has a significant in vitro antioxidant activity and a protective effect on CCl4-induced liver injury in mice; the protective effect may be related to its anti-oxidation, its inhibition of NOS activity and NO level and its reduction of the production of free radicals.

Determination and Pharmacokinetic Comparisons of Atractylodin after Oral Administration of Crude and Processed Atractylodis rhizoma.

Background:In traditional Chinese medicine, Atractylodis rhizoma is the dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. or Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz. After being processed, the dryness of A. rhizoma decreased, and the function of tonifying spleen increased. Therefore, the processed A. rhizoma is the best choice of clinical application. As the main active components, polyethylene alkynes exhibits various desirable pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-arrhythmia activity. However, there is no report on the pharmacokinetic comparisons of atractylodin, one of polyethylene alkynes, in bio-samples after oral administration of crude and processed A. rhizoma until now. The in vivo study of active components of A. rhizoma would be necessary and helpful for clinical application and clarification of processing principle.Objective:To compare the pharmacokinetic parameters of atractylodin after oral administration of crude and processed A. rhizoma, and clarify the processing principle of A. rhizoma.Materials and Methods:Plasma concentrations of atractylodin in rats were determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatogram and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated with Drug and Statistics 2.0 Software Package (Chinese Pharmacological Society, Shanghai, China).Results:The AUC0−t, AUC0→∞, Tmax, and Cmax of processed A. rhizoma were increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with that in crude A. rhizoma after using Student's t-test.Conclusions:Processing A. rhizoma with wheat bran by stir-frying can promote and accelerate the absorption of atractylodin.SUMMARY In this paper, a RP-HPLC method with UV detection for quantification of atractylodin (a main active component in Atractylodis Rhizoma) in rat plasma has been developed and applied to a preliminary pharmacokinetic study of atractylodin after oral administration of crude and processed Atractylodis Rhizoma respectively. The result indicates that processing Atractylodis Rhizoma with wheat-bran can promote and accelerate the absorption of atractylodin.

Evaluation of Medicinal Categorization of Atractylodes japonica Koidz. by Using Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequencing Analysis and HPLC Fingerprinting Combined with Statistical Tools.

Atractylodes rhizomes have been used as the herbal medicine “Changchul” or “Baekchul,” according to their clinical purpose, in Korea, China, and Japan. Among the Atractylodes species, the medicinal use of Atractylodes japonica has been controversial, as it is categorized as both Changchul and Baekchul in those countries, and, moreover, parts of the rhizome have been differently used, depending on age of the plant, in Korea. Chromatographic fingerprinting by using HPLC combined with chemometric analyses and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing analysis were conducted to classify and identify 34 crude drugs derived from Atractylodes rhizomes. The identification of the samples, authenticated by their morphological features as A. japonica Koidz. (Changchul and Baekchul), A. chinensis Koidz., and A. macrocephala Koidz., was confirmed as A. japonica, A. chinensis, and A. macrocephala by ITS sequencing. The results from chemometric analyses showed that the chemical components of the crude drugs from A. japonica were significantly different from those from A. macrocephala but were similar to those from A. chinensis. The analyses also suggested that the categorization by age of A. japonica as Changchul or Baekchul is not recommended. The results indicate that A. japonica should be categorized as “Changchul” and should not be further categorized by age.

Two-Week Repeated Dose Toxicity of Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba in F344 Rats

This research is to estimate the toxicity of Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba (ARA) in F344 rats and to find a dose level for the 13 weeks toxicity study. A hot water extract of ARA (ARWE) was administered orally to F344 rats at dose levels of 0 (vehicle control), 500, 1000, 2000, 3500, and 5000 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks. Each group was composed to five male and five female F344 rats. According to the result, there were no ARWErelated adverse changes in mortality, body weights, food consumption, urinalysis, hematology, clinical chemistry, gross finding at necropsy, and organ weight examination. Salivation was observed in 3500 and 5000 mg/kg/day in male and female rats but it could not have found any relationship with ARWE administration. Based on our findings, ARWE may not cause toxicity in rats under the experimental conditions. Therefore, dose level of 5000 mg/kg/day as a highest treatment group in 13-week exposure study is recommended for further toxicity assessment.

Review of Recent Clinical Trials for Depression in Traditional Chinese Medicine -Based on Randomized Controlled Trials and Systematic Reviews-

The purpose of this study was to review the research on treating depression in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) over the last 5 years to set the foundation for further studies. We searched for and analyzed articles about depression in CNKI(China National Knowledge Infrastructure) from January 2010 to December 2014. The results were as follows : The most frequently used diagnostic criteria was CCMD-3(The Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders-3), and the most used evaluation criteria was HAMD(Hamilton Depression Rating Scale). Prescription of decoction of medical herbs was most frequently used as a therapeutic method. Acupuncture, traditional Chinese psychotherapy, and music therapy were also used for some studies. The most frequent TCM Syndrome Differentiation Type was stagnation of liver-QI. For decoction of Chinese herbs, Soyo-san(Xiaoyao-san) and Sihosogan-san(Chaihushugan-san) were most often prescribed, and Bupleuri Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Curcumae Radix, Poria cocos wolf, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba were mainly used for medical herbs. BaekHoi(GV20) and Yindang(Ex-HN3) were often used as acupuncture sites. Post-Stroke Depression was the most common case of intercurrent or secondary depression. According to the Jadad Quality Assessment Scale, the quality of the reports was not high as most of the reports had a score of 3 or below. Most systematic reviews on depression were conducted by Chinese researchers. The problem with Clinical research on depression, according to those reviews, was that there were no standardized criteria for the diagnosis and treatment and the trials were usually not randomized nor controlled. We found out there are various clinical methods for treating depression in TCM, and hope that this research could provide the preliminary data for designing and conducting clinical trials for depression.

Multi-Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Enzymatic Extraction of Atratylodes macrocephala Polysaccharides and Antioxidants Using Response Surface Methodology and Desirability Function Approach.

Rhizoma Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides (RAMP) have been reported to have a variety of important biological activities. In this study, an ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE) was employed to obtain the highest extraction yield and strongest antioxidant activity of RAMP and optimized by a multi-response optimization process. A three-level four-factor Box-Behnken design (BBD) was performed as response surface methodology (RSM) with desirability function (DF) to attain the optimal extraction parameters. The DPPH scavenging percentage was used to represent the antioxidant ability of RAMP. The maximum D value (0.328), along with the maximum yield (59.92%) and DPPH scavenging percentage (13.28%) were achieved at 90.54 min, 57.99 °C, 1.95% cellulase and 225.29 W. These values were further validated and found to be in good agreement with the predicted values. Compared to the other extraction methods, both the yield and scavenging percentage of RAMP obtained by UAEE was favorable and the method appeared to be time-saving and of high efficiency. These results demostrated that UAEE is an appropriate and effective extraction technique. Moreover, RSM with DF approach has been proved to be adequate for the design and optimization of the extraction parameters for RAMP. This work has a wide range of implications for the design and operation of polysaccharide extraction processes.

Atractylenolide I protects mice from lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury

Atractylenolide I (AO-I), one of the major bioactive components isolated from Rhizoma Atractylodes macrocephala, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of AO-I on acute lung injury (ALI) using LPS-induced ALI mouse model. Lung injury was assessed by histological study. Inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β production were detected by ELISA. TLR4 expression and NF-κB activation were measured by western blot analysis. The results showed that treatment of AO-I significantly attenuated LPS-induced lung wet-to-dry weight ratio and MPO activity. Meanwhile, treatment of AO-I significantly inhibited the production of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-13, and MIF production in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), as well as neutrophils and macrophages in BALF. AO-1 could up-regulate the production of IL-10 in BALF. Besides, LPS-induced TLR4 expression and NF-κB activation were suppressed by treatment of AO-I. In conclusion, the current study suggested that AO-I protected mice acute lung injury induced by LPS via inhibition of TLR4 expression and NF-κB activation.

Effect of Modified Baizhu Powder on Gastrointestinal Functions in Mouse Models with Stomach-cold Functional Dyspepsia

To explore the effect of modified Baizhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) powder on the gastrointestinal function in mouse models with stomach-cold functional dyspepsia. Meanwhile,the mouse models were administered with Shihu (dendrobium), a traditional Chinese drug with cold nature and flavour, to explore the way via which it exert its effect on specific symptoms. Methods: Mouse models with stomach-cold functional dyspepsia were established by ice water and ice NaOH. The effects of modified Baizhu powder and dendrobium on mice were observed in terms of water intake, weight change,small intestine propulsion rate, intestinal absorption function, and effects on ghrelin and motilin. The modified Baizhu powder effectively increased food intake, water intake, body weight (P<0.05) and swimming time (P<0.01), increased the small intestine propulsion rate and serum D-xylose content (P<0.05), and up-regulated ghrelin (P<0.05). Also, it showed a trend to down-regulate the motilin, although the change was not statistically significant (P>0.05). In contrast,the use of Shihu aggravated symptoms in the mouse models. Conclusion: The changes in ghrelin and motilin levels may be the neuro-endocrine mechanisms via which the modified Baizhu powder and Shihu exert their effects on mouse models.