Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials Research Articles

E'jiao and Cubilose Formula Induced Antioxidant Activity and Improved Collagen Expression of Human Skin Fibroblasts During Oxidation Damage.

As traditional Chinese medicinal materials, E'jiao and cubilose are rich in various bioactive substances with good antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-regulating effects. To obtain the optimal ratio of synergistic effect between E'jiao and cubilose. The antioxidant capacity of E'jiao and cubilose digestive fluid was evaluated invitro, as well as the intracellular oxidation balance between HSF cells and 3D whole-skin model induced by H2O2. E'jiao, cubilose, and their different ratios of composites had better scavenging ability against free radicals such as DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl). Using HSF cells induced by H2O2 as an oxidative damage model, it was found that the combination of E'jiao and cubilose in a ratio of 2:3 significantly enhanced the activities of SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT enzymes compared to the separate treatments of E'jiao and cubilose, as well as other combination ratios. It effectively reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species caused by H2O2 in HSF (Human Skin Fibroblast)cells and protected the integrity of the cells. Further analysis using flow cytometry and a 3D full-thickness skin model revealed that the combination ratio of 2:3 increased the proportion of H2O2-treated cells in the S%+G2% phase from 19.1% + 7.4%-22.1% + 28.8%, helping oxidatively damaged cells partially recover their proliferative capacity. It also promoted the expression of collagen I and collagen IV in the 3D full-thickness skin model, with improvement rates reaching 168.00% and 123.68%, respectively. These findings indicate that the combination of E'jiao and cubilose in a ratio of 2:3 exhibits good synergistic effects, enhancing the ability of cells to resist oxidative damage, promoting cellular renewal and metabolism, and improving skin antiwrinkle capacity.

A Data-Driven Model for Classification of Traditional Chinese Medicine Materials

This paper proposes a data-driven classification model for traditional Chinese medicinal herbs based on mid-infrared spectral data. Addressing the limitations of traditional identification methods when the herbs’ appearance is damaged or incomplete, this study employs machine learning techniques to achieve accurate classification of medicinal herb types through spectral data preprocessing and feature extraction. Firstly, the Savitzky-Golay convolution smoothing method and Standard Normal Variate (SNV) transformation were used for denoising the spectral data. Then, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to reduce the dimensionality of the high-dimensional spectral data and extract the key features. Finally, the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) was applied to cluster the reduced data, categorizing the medicinal herbs into six classes. The results show that this method produces the accurate and stable classification. The constructed model is not only applicable to the classification and origin identification of medicinal herbs but also provides an important reference value for the classification and origin identification of other plant species.

Research Progress of Maillard Reaction and its Application in Processing of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Maillard reaction, also known as the ‘non-enzymatic browning reaction’, involves a reaction between reducing sugars and amino compounds, including amino acids and proteins. The Maillard reaction has been increasingly used in the production of traditional Chinese medicine and food. This study thoroughly examines the mechanism of the reaction, the factors that influence it and the techniques used for extracting, separating and purifying Maillard reaction products (MRPs) in food and Chinese medicine processing. Additionally, the article explores the physiological functions of MRPs, highlighting their antioxidant, hepato-protective, antibacterial, immune-boosting, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory, health-promoting, detoxifying and antiviral effects. MRPs have diverse outcomes because of various influencing factors; they can contain trace amounts of potentially harmful constituents, such as acrylamide, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and advanced glycosylation products. The study also includes a comparative analysis of common methods used for the separation and purification of concentrated MRPs. These methods consist of ultrafiltration, macroporous resin, gel chromatography, ion exchange chromatography and dialysis. Results indicate that each method has advantages and disadvantages, and thus careful consideration should be placed on specific applications. Furthermore, a future outlook for the research and development of Maillard reaction and its products is proposed. Given that the physiological activities of MRPs are diverse, thorough qualitative and quantitative analysis of the reaction mechanisms, influencing factors and pharmacologically active ingredients is needed. This study offers valuable insights into the advancement of MRPs for industries involved in food and traditional Chinese medicinal material processing. These insights can be effectively utilised in healthcare and clinical practice, offering innovative ideas for scientific and technological professionals involved in research and development.

Q-Marker Prediction of Astragali Complanati Semen Based on Fingerprint and Network Pharmacology.

Astragali Complanati, known in Chinese as Shayuanzi, is a common medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly used for tonifying the kidney, supporting yang, consolidating essence, reducing urine and other diseases. The UPLC fingerprint of Astragali Complanati Semen (ACS) was established, and the Q-markers of ACS were analyzed by network pharmacology. First, the UPLC fingerprint detection method was established for ACS, and the common peaks were identified by UPLC-MS/MS. The "component-target-pathway" network relationships of characteristic components of ACS were constructed by network pharmacology, and the potential Q-markers were predicted. A total of 24 common peaks were identified from the UPLC fingerprint of ACS, and 12 chromatographic peaks were identified by UPLC-MS/MS. A total of 12 Q-markers candidate components were screened out. Through network pharmacological analysis, it is predicted that myricetin 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-2)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-6)]-β-D-glucopyranoside, myricetin 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1-2)-β-D-glucopyranoside, myricetin 3-β-D-glucopyranoside, cannabiscitrin, laricitrin-3-O-glucoside, leucoside, complanatoside B, complanatuside, complanatuside 6''-malonate, clycosin, rhamnocitrin 3-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside and 3-O-[5'''-O-feruloyl-beta-D-apiofuranosyl(1'''->2'')-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] rhamnocitrin are the Q-markers of ACS. The method established in this study was accurate, reliable, simple and practical and could be used as a reference method for ACS quality detection. Twelve Q-markers selected by network pharmacology could provide support and references for ACS quality control.

The chemical composition, antioxidative and antimicrobial potentials of Toona sinensis essential oils from different regions of China

Toona sinensis is one of the traditional Chinese medicinal materials with rich physiological activities. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition differences of the essential oils from the tender leaves and shoots of T. sinensis, collected from four main producing areas in China, and to verify their anti-listeria and antioxidant properties. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was conducted on the essential oils obtained by hydro-distillation. The results indicated that compounds such as β-elemene (3.5∼8.1%), α-caryophyllene (3.7∼7.2%), and trans-caryophyllene (4.0∼9.7%) were the main common components of T. sinensis essential oils (TSEO) from four producing areas. The results of DPPH and ABTS showed that the essential oil from Dazhou, Sichuan, China had the best antioxidant effect. At a concentration of 1.25 mg/mL, the antioxidant activity of TSEO-DZ from Sichuan was comparable to 0.08 mg/mL of BHT and was only slightly lower than 0.06 mg/mL of VC. The broth dilution method showed that the essential oil from Tai ‘an, Shandong, China, showed better antibacterial effect, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MLC) values of 1.25 μL/mL and 2.54 μL/mL, respectively. This study demonstrates that TSEO possesses promising application potential in antioxidant and anti-listeria activities, and it confirms that the growth environment of T. sinensis significantly influences the quality, content, and biological activity of the essential oil.

Evaluation of the Pharmaceutical Activities of Chuanxiong, a Key Medicinal Material in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Szechwan lovage rhizome (SLR, the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Chuanxiong in Chinese transliteration) is one Chinese materia medica (CMM) commonly used to activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis. SLR is applicable to most blood stasis syndromes. It has significant clinical efficacy in relation to human diseases of the cardiocerebrovascular system, nervous system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, etc. Apart from China, SLR is also used in Singapore, Malaysia, the European Union, and the United States of America. However, the current chemical markers in pharmacopeia or monography for the quality assessment of SLR are not well characterized or specifically characterized, nor do they fully reflect the medicinal efficacy of SLR, resulting in the quality of SLR not being effectively controlled. CMM can only have medicinal efficacy when they are applied in vivo to an organism. The intensity of their pharmaceutical activities can more directly represent the quality of CMM. Therefore, the chemical constituents and pharmacological actions of SLR are reviewed in this paper. In order to demonstrate the medicinal efficacy of SLR in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, bioassay methods are put forward to evaluate the pharmaceutical activities of SLR to improve hemorheology, hemodynamics, and vascular microcirculation, as well as its anti-platelet aggregation and anticoagulation properties. Through comprehensive analyses of these pharmaceutical properties, the quality and therapeutic value of SLR are ascertained.

Integrating Genomics and Transcriptomics to Identify Candidate Genes for Egg Production in Taihe Black-Bone Silky Fowls (Gallus gallus domesticus Brisson).

The Taihe Black-Bone Silky Fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus Brisson) possesses significant value in terms of consumption, medicinal applications, and ornamental appeal, representing a precious genetic resource and traditional Chinese medicinal material. However, considerable variation exists within populations regarding egg-laying performance. This study integrates a whole-genome selection signal analysis (SSA) with a transcriptome analysis to identify genes associated with egg-laying traits in Taihe Black-Bone Silky Fowls. We identified 31 candidate genes under selection from the high-yield chicken (HC) and low-yield chicken (LC) groups. Additionally, through RNA-seq analysis, 257 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from four comparative groups. Two overlapping genes-LPL and SETBP1-were found in both the selected gene and DEG lists. These selected genes and DEGs were enriched in pathways related to ovarian development, including the lysosome pathway, the ECM-receptor interaction pathway, the TGF-beta signaling pathway, the Wnt signaling pathway, the PPAR signaling pathway, and the glycerolipid metabolism pathway. These research findings contribute to the breeding of Taihe Black-Bone Silky Fowls with high egg production traits and provide a theoretical foundation for exploring the regulatory mechanisms of avian reproduction.

Notopterygium Incisum Extract Promotes Apoptosis by Preventing the Degradation of BIM in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a prevalent malignancy worldwide, has prompted extensive research into anticancer drugs. Traditional Chinese medicinal materials offer promising avenues for cancer management due to their diverse pharmacological activities. This study investigated the effects of Notopterygium incisum, a traditional Chinese medicine named Qianghuo (QH), on CRC cells and the underlying mechanism. The sulforhodamine B assay and colony formation assay were employed to assess the effect of QH extract on the proliferation of CRC cell lines HCT116 and Caco-2. Propidium iodide (PI) staining was utilized to detect cell cycle progression, and PE Annexin V staining to detect apoptosis. Western blotting was conducted to examine the levels of apoptotic proteins, including B-cell lymphoma 2-interacting mediator of cell death (BIM), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) and cleaved caspase-3, as well as BIM stability after treatment with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. The expression of BAX was suppressed using lentivirus-mediated shRNA to validate the involvement of the BIM/BAX axis in QH-induced apoptosis. The in vivo effects of QH extract on tumor growth were observed using a xenograft model. Lastly, APCMin+ mice were used to study the effects of QH extract on primary intestinal tumors. QH extract exhibited significant in vitro anti-CRC activities evidenced by the inhibition of cell proliferation, perturbation of cell cycle progression, and induction of apoptosis. Mechanistically, QH extract significantly increased the stability of BIM proteins, which undergo rapid degradation under unstressed conditions. Knockdown of BAX, the downstream effector of BIM, significantly rescued QH-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the in vitro effect of QH extract was recapitulated in vivo. QH extract significantly inhibited the tumor growth of HCT116 xenografts in nude mice and decreased the number of intestinal polyps in the APCMin+ mice. QH extract promotes the apoptosis of CRC cells by preventing the degradation of BIM.

Differential potassium channel inhibitory activities of a novel thermostable degradation peptide BmKcug1a-P1 from scorpion medicinal material and its N-terminal truncated/restored peptides

Thermally stable full-length scorpion toxin peptides and partially degraded peptides with complete disulfide bond pairing are valuable natural peptide resources in traditional Chinese scorpion medicinal material. However, their pharmacological activities are largely unknown. This study discovered BmKcug1a-P1, a novel N-terminal degraded peptide, in this medicinal material. BmKcug1a-P1 inhibited hKv1.2 and hKv1.3 potassium channels with IC50 values of 2.12 ± 0.27 μM and 1.54 ± 0.28 μM, respectively. To investigate the influence of N-terminal amino acid loss on the potassium channel inhibiting activities, three analogs (i.e., full-length BmKcug1a, BmKcug1a-P1-D2 and BmKcug1a-P1-D4) of BmKcug1a-P1 were prepared, and their potassium channel inhibiting activities on hKv1.3 channel were verified by whole-cell patch clamp technique. Interestingly, the potassium channel inhibiting activity of full-length BmKcug1a on the hKv1.3 channel was significantly improved compared to its N-terminal degraded form (BmKcug1a-P1), while the activities of two truncated analogs (i.e., BmKcug1a-P1-D2 and BmKcug1a-P1-D4) were similar to that of BmKcug1a-P1. Extensive alanine-scanning experiments identified the bonding interface (including two key functional residues, Asn30 and Arg34) of BmKcug1a-P1. Structural and functional dissection further elucidated whether N-terminal residues of the peptide are located at the bonding interface is important in determining whether the N-terminus significantly influences the potassium channel inhibiting activity of the peptide. Altogether, this research identified a novel N-terminal degraded active peptide, BmKcug1a-P1, from traditional Chinese scorpion medicinal material and elucidated how the N-terminus of peptides influences their potassium channel inhibiting activity, contributing to the functional identification and molecular truncation optimization of full-length and degraded peptides from traditional Chinese scorpion medicinal material Buthus martensii Karsch.

Jiawei Bai-Hu-decoction ameliorated heat stroke-induced brain injury by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signal and mitophagy of glial cell

Ethnopharmacological relevanceJiawei Bai-Hu-Decoction (JWBHD), a prescription formulated with seven traditional Chinese medicinal material has demonstrated clinical efficacy in mitigating brain injury among heat stroke (HS) patients. Aim of the studyThis study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of JWBHD on rat model of HS and to explore its therapeutic mechanisms by integrating network pharmacology and pharmacodynamic methodologies, which major components were analyzed by using UPLC-MS/MS. Materials and methodsThe network pharmacology analysis was firstly conducted to predict the potential active ingredients and therapeutic targets of JWBHD. The anti-HS effectiveness of JWBHD was then evaluated on rats experienced HS. Rat brain tissues were harvested for a comprehensive array of experiments, including Western blot, PCR, H&E staining, Nissl staining, ELISA, transmission electron microscope, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence to validate the protective effects of JWBHD against HS-induced brain damage. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of JWBHD on TLR4/NF-κB signal and mitophagy of glial were further verified on HS-challenged F98 cell line. Finally, the chemical compositions of the water extract of JWBHD were analyzed by using UPLC-MS/MS. ResultsNetwork pharmacology has identified fifty core targets and numerous HS-related signaling pathways as potential therapeutic targets of JWBHD. Analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) and GO suggests that JWBHD may suppress HS-induced inflammatory signals. In experiments conducted on HS-rats, JWBHD significantly reduced the core temperature, restored blood pressure and alleviated neurological defect. Furthermore, JWBHD downregulated the counts of white blood cells and monocytes, decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in peripheral blood, and suppressed the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB in the cerebral cortex of HS-rats. Besides, JWBHD inhibited the apoptosis of cortical cells and mitigated the damage to the cerebral cortex in HS group. Conversely, overactive mitophagy was observed in the cerebral cortex of HS-rats. However, JWBHD restored the mitochondrial membrane potential and downregulated expressions of mitophagic proteins including Pink1, Parkin, LC3B and Tom20. JWBHD reduced the co-localization of Pink1 and GFAP, a specific marker of astrocytes in the cerebral cortex of HS-rats. In addition, the inhibitory effect of JWBHD on TLR4/NF-κB signaling and overactive mitophagy were further confirmed in F98 cells. Finally, UPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that the main components of JWBHD include isoliquiritigenin, liquiritin, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Re, etc. ConclusionsJWBHD protected rats from HS and prevented HS-induced damage in the cerebral cortex by suppressing TLR4/NF-κB signaling and mitophagy of glial.

Fluorescent sensing of rutin by carbon dots derived from the heart of cumin seeds

Carbon dots (CDs) prepared from biomass usually produce poor quantum yield and reproducibility. A fine separation of raw materials may enhance the fluorescence performance. In this work, embryos of cumin seeds were precisely chosen as the carbon source to prepare (CDs) through hydrothermal method. The obtained product (CDs-E) possessed a higher quantum yield of 10.60 % than those synthesized with testas or whole seeds, which may be due to the relatively smaller particle size and more C-N functional groups. Rutin, as a common natural active component, could quench the fluorescence of CDs-E notably through internal filtering effect. Herein, a highly selective fluorescent sensor based on CDs-E for detecting rutin was proposed with a linearity range of 0.05 ∼ 30 μM and a detection limit of 0.015 μM obtained. Additionally, the developed method was successfully applied for the detection of rutin in Flos Sophorae, rutin tablets and capsules. This work showed the significance of fine classification for natural carbon source in preparation of CDs and provided a feasible method for quality monitoring of rutin-related pharmaceuticals, health care products and traditional Chinese medicinal materials.

Convenient and highly efficient adsorption of diosmetin from lemon peel by magnetic surface molecularly imprinted polymers

As a typical bioflavonoid, diosmetin is desirable in the field of natural medicine, healthy food, and cosmetics by anti-cancer, antibacterial, antioxidant, estrogen-like and anti-inflammatory activities, and it comes from a wide range of sources in traditional Chinese medicine like spider fragrance, spearmint and chrysanthemum, as well as in Citrus fruit. However, traditional analytical methods such as silica gel column chromatography face multiple challenges in the selective extraction of diosmetin from biological materials and traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a new type of absorbent with high efficiency, recyclability and good specificity to diosmetin. In this investigation, a magnetic surface molecularly imprinted polymer (labeled as Diosmetin/SMIPs) was synthesized employing magnetic nanoparticles as the carrier and 4-vinylpyridinyl (4-VP) as the functional monomer by surface imprinting technology. The functional monomer was screened by the binding energy (ΔE) between functional monomers and template molecules via computational simulation. The Diosmetin/SMIPs had a high level of specific recognition and adsorption capability towards diosmetin with a 20.25 mg g-1 adsorption capacity and an imprinting factor (IF) of 2.28. Additionally, it demonstrated excellent regeneration performance with 8 adsorption/desorption cycles. In addition, 91.20 %–94.16 % of spiked diosmetin was recovered from the lemon peel samples. The strategy of constructing Diosmetin/SMIPs based on computational simulation can effectively enhance the specific adsorption performance of diosmetin. Meanwhile, Diosmetin/SMIPs synthesized by imprinting polymerization showed excellent anti-interference and reusability, and realized efficient targeted extraction of diosmetin from lemon peel samples. The results of this investigation provide a promising adsorbent for selective enrichment of diosmetin from Citrus fruit and complicated materials.

Predicting the Potential Distribution of Hypericum perforatum under Climate Change Scenarios Using a Maximum Entropy Model.

H. perforatum, as one of the Traditional Chinese Medicinal materials, possesses a variety of pharmacological activities and high medicinal value. However, in recent years, the wild resources of H. perforatum have been severely depleted due to global climate change and human activities, and artificial cultivation faces problems such as unstable yield and active ingredient content. This poses a serious obstacle to the development and utilization of its resources. Therefore, this experiment took H. perforatum as the research object and used 894 distribution records of H. perforatum and 36 climatic environmental factors, using the MaxEnt model and GIS technology to explore the main climatic factors affecting the distribution of H. perforatum. Additionally, by utilizing the principles of ecological niche theory, the potential suitable distribution regions of H. perforatum across past, present, and future timelines were predicted, which can ascertain the dynamics of its spatial distribution patterns and the trend of centroid migration. The results indicate that the main environmental factors affecting the geographical distribution of H. perforatum are solar radiation in April (Srad4), solar radiation in September (Srad9), mean temperature of driest quarter (Bio9), solar radiation in November (Srad11), annual mean temperature (Bio1), and annual precipitation (Bio12). Under future climate scenarios, there is a remarkable trend of expansion in the suitable distribution areas of H. perforatum. The centroid migration indicates a trend of migration towards the northwest direction and high-altitude areas. These results can provide a scientific basis for formulating conservation and sustainable use management strategies for H. perforatum resources.

Genetic Identification of Medicinal Citrus Cultivar 'Local Juhong' Using Molecular Markers and Genomics.

The citrus cultivar 'Local Juhong', which has historically been used as a traditional Chinese medicinal material, originated in Yuanjiang County, Hunan Province.Its parental type and genetic background are indistinct as of yet. Morphological observation shows that 'Local Juhong' has a slight oblateness in fruit shape, a relatively smooth pericarp, a fine and slightly raised oil vacuole, and an inward concave at the blossom end. The tree form and fruit and leaf morphology of 'Local Juhong' are similar to those of 'Huangpi' sour orange. To reveal the genetic background of 'Local Juhong', 21 citrus accessions were evaluated using nuclear and chloroplast SSR markers and whole-genome SNP information. 'Local Juhong' was grouped with mandarins and sub-grouped with 'Miyagawa Wase' and 'Yanxi Wanlu' in a nuclear SSR analysis, which indicated that its pollen parent might be mandarins. It was closely clustered with orange and pummelo in the chloroplast SSR analysis. The genomic sequence similarity rate of 'Local Juhong' with mandarin and pummelo heterozygosity was 70.88%; the main part was the heterozygosity, except for the unknown (19.66%), mandarin (8.73%), and pummelo (3.9%) parts. Thus, 'Local Juhong' may be an F1 hybrid with pummelo as the female parent and mandarin as the male parent, sharing sisterhood with 'Huangpi' sour orange.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of miRNAs and Natural Antisense Transcripts Show the Complexity of Gene Regulatory Networks for Secondary Metabolism in Aristolochia contorta.

Aristolochia contorta Bunge is an academically and medicinally important plant species. It belongs to the magnoliids, with an uncertain phylogenetic position, and is one of the few plant species lacking a whole-genome duplication (WGD) event after the angiosperm-wide WGD. A. contorta has been an important traditional Chinese medicine material. Since it contains aristolochic acids (AAs), chemical compounds with nephrotoxity and carcinogenicity, the utilization of this plant has attracted widespread attention. Great efforts are being made to increase its bioactive compounds and reduce or completely remove toxic compounds. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are two classes of regulators potentially involved in metabolism regulation. Here, we report the identification and characterization of 223 miRNAs and 363 miRNA targets. The identified miRNAs include 51 known miRNAs belonging to 20 families and 172 novel miRNAs belonging to 107 families. A negative correlation between the expression of miRNAs and their targets was observed. In addition, we identified 441 A. contorta NATs and 560 NAT-sense transcript (ST) pairs, of which 12 NATs were targets of 13 miRNAs, forming 18 miRNA-NAT-ST modules. Various miRNAs and NATs potentially regulated secondary metabolism through the modes of miRNA-target gene-enzyme genes, NAT-STs, and NAT-miRNA-target gene-enzyme genes, suggesting the complexity of gene regulatory networks in A. contorta. The results lay a solid foundation for further manipulating the production of its bioactive and toxic compounds.

Zwitterion-Modified MXene Quantum Dot as a Nanocarrier for Traditional Chinese Medicine Sanguinarine Delivery and Its Application for Photothermal-Chemotherapy Synergistic Antibacterial and Wound Healing.

The nanomaterialization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has aroused widespread interest among researchers. Sanguinarine (SAN) is a kind of TCM with good antibacterial properties, which has important applications in anti-infection of wounds. Additionally, the combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy can overcome bacterial resistance, further improving bactericidal and wound healing efficiency. In this paper, we prepared an antibacterial agent by loading SAN on the zwitterion-modified MXene quantum dot nanocarrier (SAN@AHEP@Ta4C3), realizing pH/NIR controlled drug release and photothermal/chemotherapy synergistic antibacterial and wound healing. The particle size of SAN@AHEP@Ta4C3 is about 120 nm, and it has a good water solubility and stability. In addition, it also has excellent photothermal conversion performance (η = 39.2%), which can effectively convert light energy into heat energy under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, further promoting drug release and achieving bactericidal effects by synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. The in vitro and in vivo experiments show that SAN@AHEP@Ta4C3 exhibits an excellent antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and it can effectively promote the wound healing of mice. Moreover, the SAN@AHEP@Ta4C3 also has good biocompatibility and has no side effects on normal tissue and organs. This work introduces a multifunctional antibacterial agent based on TCM and hot-spot material MXene, which will have considerable application prospects in biomedical fields.

Similar neurotoxin expression profiles of traditional Chinese scorpion medicine material between juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions revealed by multiple strategic proteomics

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe Mesobuthus martensii scorpions, called as “Quanxie”, are known Chinese medicinal material base on the “Combat poison with poison” strategy for more than one thousand years, and still widely used to treat various diseases according to the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China nowadays. Aim of studyThe study aims to investigate the similarity of scorpion neurotoxins at the protein level between the juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions as Chinese medicine materials. Materials and methodsThe second-, third- and fourth-instar, and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions were collected for the characterization of neurotoxin expression through multiple strategic proteomics, including undigested scorpion venom, endopeptidase-digested, and undigested scorpion telson extract for the sample analysis. ResultsBased on the known 107 scorpion neurotoxins from the genomic and transcriptomic analysis of adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions, the multiple strategic proteomics first revealed that neurotoxins exhibited more stability in telson extract than secreted venom. In the reported transcripts of scorpion neurotoxins, approximately 53%, 56%, 66% and 78% of neurotoxins were detected through undigested scorpion venom, the endopeptidase Arg-C-, Lys-C-digested telson extract, and undigested telson extract strategies, respectively. Nearly 79% of scorpion neurotoxins detected in third-instar Mesobuthus martensii scorpions represent the largest number of scorpion neurotoxins from proteomic analysis to date. Moreover, a total of 84% of scorpion neurotoxins were successfully identified at the protein level, and similar neurotoxin expression profiles in second-, third- and fourth-instar, and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions were first revealed by the multiple strategic proteomics. ConclusionThese findings for the first time demonstrate the similar neurotoxin expression profiles between the juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions as Chinese medicinal material, which would serve as a paradigm for further toxin analysis from different venomous animals.

Learning traditional Chinese medicine materials through playing.

Learning traditional Chinese medicine materials through playing.

Quality study of animal-derived traditional Chinese medicinal materials based on spectral technology: Calculus bovis as a case.

Calculus bovis (C. bovis) is a typical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) derived from animals, which has a remarkable curative effect and high price. Rapid identification of C. bovis from different types was realized based on spectral technology, and a rapid quantitative analysis method for the main quality control indicator bilirubin was established. We conducted a supervised and unsupervised pattern recognition study on 44 batches of different types of C. bovis by five spectral pretreatment methods. Three variable selection methods were used to extract the essential information, and the partial least squares regression (PLSR) quantitative model of bilirubin by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was constructed. The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model could achieve 100% accuracy in identifying different types of C. bovis. The R2 of the NIR quantitative model was 0.979, which is close to 1, and the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) was 2.3515, indicating the good prediction ability of the model. The study was carried out to further improve the basic data of quality control of C. bovis and help the high-quality development of TCM derived from animals.

A Highly Sensitive and Rapid Colloidal Gold Immunoassay for Puerarin Detection.

Radix Puerariae is a traditional Chinese medicinal material with a rich history of use in East and Southeast Asia. Puerarin, a unique component of the Pueraria genus, serves as a quality control marker for herbal medicines like Pueraria lobata and Pueraria thomsonii in China, displaying diverse pharmacological properties. This study developed puerarin colloidal gold immunoassay dipsticks utilizing an anti-puerarin monoclonal antibody, resulting in a fast and sensitive detection method with a limit of 500-1000 ng·mL-1. Evaluation using tap water-extracted P. lobata and P. thomsonii samples showed consistent results compared to LC-MS analysis. Cross-reactivity assessments of puerarin analogs revealed minimal interference, affirming the dipstick's reliability for distinguishing between the two species.