Hydrogels have attracted extensive attention due to their good biocompatibility, stimulus responsiveness, and tunable mechanical properties. Among many natural polymeric materials, polysaccharides are widely regarded as ideal candidates for the preparation of functional hydrogels because of their good biocompatibility, degradability, and high gel strength properties. Unfortunately, the research on the composition and properties optimization of polysaccharide-based hydrogels (PBHs) is still in their infancy, which limits the wide application of PBHs. Hence, it is important to explore the raw material selection and synthesis process of PBHs in depth. This review systematically summarizes the sources (chitosan, alginate, xanthan gum, konjac glucomannan, pectin, κ-carrageenan, cellulose, hyaluronic acid, starch, glucan, etc.) and type (polysaccharide/polysaccharide, polysaccharide/protein, polysaccharide/organic acid, and polysaccharide/nanomaterial composite hydrogels) of PBHs, which provides new research directions for solving the shortcomings of single PBHs in stability and load capacity. Moreover, this review systematically outlines the progress of PBHs in biomedicine, food industry, adsorption, and agriculture, as well as also discusses the challenges faced in their practical applications and future perspectives. For instance, the integration of interdisciplinary technologies (3D printing, artificial intelligence, etc.) can enhance the gel strength and thermal stability of PBHs, thereby improving their application in biomedicine. The findings provide important references for the further development and application of PBHs.

The two models of ultrasound assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (UATPE) of polysaccharides from corn stigma were established by response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN), and compared the prediction ability of RSM and ANN models. Subsequently, the extraction process of corn stigma polysaccharides (CSPs) was optimized by the combination of genetic algorithm (GA) and ANN. The results show that two models could precisely predict the CSPs yield, whereas the prediction ability of ANN was better than RSM. The optimum combination of process parameters was as follows: the ultrasound power of 466 W, extraction temperature of 54 C-degrees, liquid-to-solid ratio of 47 mL/g, and extraction time of 31 min. The highest CSPs yield was 9.89% +/- 0.14% under the above parameters, and then the crude CSPs were further purified by DEAE-52 and Sephadex G - 100 chromatography to obtain a homogenous fraction (CSPs-2-SG with a molecular weight of 2.86 x 10(6 )Da) that consisted of Man, GlcA, GalA, Glc, Gal, and Xyl with a molar ratio of 9.14:16.35:11.27:91.08:6.49:4.71. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) demonstrated that CSPs-2-SG showed irregular structures including uneven fragments, some holes, and spherical aggregates on the surface. Finally, the immunomodulatory activity of CSPs-2-SG was evaluated by RAW264.7 cells. CSPs-2-SG could improve viability, phagocytic rate, and NO content of RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, CSPs-2SG could increase the levels of IL - 1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in RAW264.7 cells. The findings provide important references for utilizing corn stigma as a potential natural immune regulator.

Introduction: Simple obesity is a common metabolic disease, which threatens human health. Huaji Jianpi Decoction (HJJPD), as a compound of traditional Chinese medicine, has significant advantages in the treatment of simple obesity, but its specific mechanism is still unclear. This paper was designed to explore the mechanism of HJJPD to exert weight loss effect by affecting PPARy/RXRa signaling pathway through network pharmacology and animal experiments. Methods: The network pharmacology method was used to construct the chemical component-target network of HJJPD. The key targets of HJJPD on PPARy/RXRa signaling pathway were identified by protein interaction (PPI) network and enrichment analysis. Animal experiments were used to evaluate the efficacy of HJJPD in treating simple obesity. Results: A total of 115 active components and 280 targets were identified. 102 targets related to signal pathway were retrieved from STRING database. 23 intersection targets were obtained by Venn diagram visualization analysis. 11 key targets were obtained by the evaluation of network topology parameters. Animal experiments show that HJJPD could reduce the body weight of mice, Lee's index, blood lipids, inhibit inflammatory factors, and improve the lipid accumulation of liver. Moreover, HJJPD could significantly regulate the mRNA and proteins expression levels of PPARy, RXRa, and ADIPOQ. Conclusion: HJJPD can prevent and treat simple obesity, repair liver structure and reduce inflammation in vivo by regulating PPARy/RXRa signaling pathway.

As the inflammatory subtype of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with disorders of glycerophospholipid metabolism. Scoparone is the major bioactive component in Artemisia capillaris which has been widely used to treat NASH in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the underlying mechanisms of scoparone against NASH are not yet fully understood, which hinders the development of effective therapeutic agents for NASH. Given the crucial role of glycerophospholipid metabolism in NASH progression, this study aimed to characterize the differential expression of glycerophospholipids that is responsible for scoparone’s pharmacological effects and assess its efficacy against NASH. Liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry (LC-MRM-MS) was performed to get the concentrations of glycerophospholipids, clarify mechanisms of disease, and highlight insights into drug discovery. Additionally, pathologic findings also presented consistent changes in high-fat diet-induced NASH model, and after scoparone treatment, both the levels of glycerophospholipids and histopathology were similar to normal levels, indicating a beneficial effect during the observation time. Altogether, these results refined the insights on the mechanisms of scoparone against NASH and suggested a route to relieve NASH with glycerophospholipid metabolism. In addition, the current work demonstrated that a pseudotargeted lipidomic platform provided a novel insight into the potential mechanism of scoparone action.

为探索药用植物学双语教学模式,文章从学情分析、教学方式、教学内容、教学效果等方面对《药用植物学》双语教学模式进行了探索.首先利用问卷调查的方式对在校中药学专业本科生进行双语教学期望度、接受度和学习效果调研,然后运用过渡式双语教学方法,并将思政教学和科研训练融入教学实践中.最后,结合形成性评价分析双语教学获得的教学效果.双语教学不但能有效提高教学的效果,而且有利于提高学生理论知识学习的深度和广度,培养学生自主学习的能力.

食用真菌因其味道鲜美被广泛食用,并具有较高的营养价值和药用价值.多糖是食用真菌中最重要的活性成分之一.大量研究表明,食用真菌多糖具有抗氧化、抗肿瘤、抗炎和降血糖等功效.食用真菌多糖在医疗、食品和化妆品等领域被广泛应用.近年来,关于食用真菌多糖的提取、分离纯化及结构表征的相关研究越来越受重视.但提取和纯化方式不同将会导致多糖的生物学活性存在很大的差异.该文对食用真菌多糖的提取方法、纯化方法和结构特征进行整理、归纳和阐述,以期为食用真菌多糖的进一步研究提供理论参考.

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.) contains various active components including polysaccharides, polyphenols, vitamin, phenolic acid, etc. Polysaccharides are one of the most critical active components in hawthorn, which exhibits different biological activities such as immunomodulatory antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and other activities. Hence, the main purpose of this paper is to optimize the aqueous two-phase extraction (UTPE) of polysaccharides from hawthorn via a response surface methodology coupled genetic algorithm (RSM-GA) and then evaluate its antioxidant activity through free radicals scavenging experiments. The results show that the optimal extraction conditions to achieve the maximum polysaccharides yield (6.42 +/- 0.08)% from hawthorn by UTPE is obtained under the mass fraction of ammonium sulfate of 11%, extraction temperature of 57 degrees C, liquid-to-solid ratio of 33 mL g(-1,) ethanol concentration of 26%, and extraction time of 30 min, and the relative error between the experimental value and the theoretical value is 4.56%. The antioxidant capacity is enhanced with the increase of hawthorn polysaccharides (HPs) concentration. However, the antioxidant activity of HPs is weaker than that of ascorbic acid. The results of this study provide a critical material basis for promoting the further research of HPs, and have certain significance for the deep processing and product development of hawthorn.

长夏是中医学的重要术语，纵观诸代医家发现直至清代高士宗才明确注解过长夏之“长”字的读音问题，现代学者对此问题也有所探讨，但至今尚存争议。为了明确长夏之“长”字的读音，通过检索中医经典古籍，梳理现存文献和辨析现有学者的观点，在此基础上提出了新的见解，认为当“长”字读zhǎng时，有表示长者为尊之意；当读cháng时，其一表达生命、生机长久不熄的美好愿望与时间持续状态长，其二表示了黄钟之宫最长也。明了长夏的读音问题有助于进一步理解长夏，有助于进一步诠释与研究中医。

目的:探讨基于精益质量管理模型的全程管理方案在糖尿病肾病血液透析患者中的应用效果.方法:以2020年1 月—2021 年12 月在我院接受治疗的糖尿病肾病血液透析患者100 例作为观察对象,采用随机数字表法分为两组,各50 例.对照组的患者给予常规管理,干预组的患者实施基于精益质量管理模型的全程管理方案.对比两组实施效果.结果:干预后,干预组SAS、SDS评分低于对照组(P<0.05).干预后,干预组饮食依从性、服药依从性以及运动依从性均优于对照组(P<0.05).干预后,干预组平均尿素降低率、平均尿素清除指数、平均血细胞压积与对照组比较均得到显著改善(P<0.05).结论:糖尿病肾病血液透析患者在临床中实施基于精益质量管理模型的全程管理方案,能够改善患者的焦虑抑郁症状,提高治疗依从性,并且使血液透析相关指标得到改善.

单纯性肥胖是指无明显疾病诱因而出现的肥胖症,多由遗传因素、 环境因素等所引起.临床实践表明,中医药方法治疗单纯性肥胖症具有不良反应小、 疗效显著、 患者接受程度高等优点.中医脾胃理论作为中医临床应用中重要的实践理论基础,在指导单纯性肥胖治疗中发挥了重要作用.通过结合近年中医治疗单纯性肥胖的临床经验分析单纯性肥胖病因病机,系统论述中医脾胃理论在单纯性肥胖临床治疗中的应用,以期为指导临床实践提供一定借鉴.

Anthocyanins are natural flavonoid organic compounds widely existing in natural fruits and vegetables. Increasing researches have confirmed that anthocyanins have various biological activities, such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, hepatoprotective, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, anthocyanins have been widely used in food, health products, cosmetics, medicine, chemical industry, and other fields. The extraction and purification of anthocyanins from natural plants is the premise of anthocyanins application. The research progresses and future prospects of anthocyanins must be systematically reviewed to promote their better understanding. This paper reviewed the latest research progress in extraction and purification of anthocyanins, analyzed and compared the effects of different extraction and purification methods on the extraction rate and purity of anthocyanins. This review can provide scientific basis for the research and industrial utilization of anthocyanins.

Perturbation in sphingolipid metabolism has been regarded as a risk factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development, predisposing to inflammation, insulin resistance, and weight gain. Scoparone can regulate the level of ceramide in primary hepatocytes and effectively ameliorate hepatic inflammation, apoptosis, steatosis, and fibrogenesis in a mice model of NASH. Nevertheless, the potential effects of scoparone in sphingolipid metabolism, which is dysregulated in NASH, have not been explored so far. To uncover the impact of scoparone on sphingolipid metabolism in NASH and potential therapeutic targets for treating NASH, the liver tissue samples were collected and lipidomics analysis based on UPLC-QTRAP-MRM/MS was carried out. The collected raw data was handled with multivariate data treatment to discover the potential biomarkers in sphingolipid metabolism. Compared to the control group, 22 potential sphingolipid biomarkers were discovered in the NASH group, of which 10 were downregulated and 12 were upregulated. Orally administrated scoparone contributed to the reversal of the levels of these potential biomarkers. Ten differential metabolites showed a tendency of recovery compared to the control group and may be potential targets for scoparone to treat NASH. This study indicated that lipidomics can detect the perturbed sphingolipids to unravel the therapeutic effects of scoparone on NASH.

Ampelopsis grossedentata (AG) is an industrial crop in the grape family, which has been used as a dual-purpose plant for medicine and tea with high medicinal values. However, little is reported on the separation technology of active components from AG and processing technology of AG products. High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied to separate the principal component dihydromyricetin (DMY) from AG. DMY is added to starch-based products to improve food quality. The interaction between corn starch (CS) and DMY was investigated to predict and control the structure and function of starch-based foods. Results show that DMY with 97.13% purity was successfully obtained by HSCCC using a solvent system composed of light petroleum-ethyl acetate-methanol-water-trichloroacetic acid (1:3:1:3:0.01, v/v/v/v/v). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) exhibits that the interactions between CS and DMY included hydrogen bond and noncovalent bond. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that DMY could increase the relative crystallinity of CS. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance results (LF-NMR) imply that DMY decreased the spin relaxation time (T2 ) and inhibited the mobility of free water. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results suggest that DMY changed the surface morphology of CS through hydrogen bond interaction. Moreover, the results of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicate that DMY could enlarge the pores and change the microstructure of CS-DMY complexes. The findings promote the development of industrial CS-based products and utilization of corn crop.

Background. As the major type of obesity in clinical, simple obesity has gained increasing attention in recent years. Depending on the etiology and pathogenesis of simple obesity and combined with clinical practice experience, Huaji Jianpi decoction (HJJPD) was established to invigorate the spleen and eliminate dampness; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is yet unclear. Materials and Methods. A simple obesity mouse model was established by feeding a high-fat diet to the animals, and the related indexes were analyzed. The mice were divided into the normal, positive control (orlistat), and HJJPD high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose groups. After 6 weeks of administration, the curative effect of HJJPD was observed. Simple obesity is associated with leptin resistance. The leptin signal transduction pathways mainly include the JAK2-STAT3, AMPK-ACC, LepRb-IRS-PI3K-PDE3B-cAMP, and LepRb-SHP2-MAPKs (ERK1/2) pathways. Therefore, the networks of HJJPD acting on these four pathway-related targets were constructed using the network pharmacology method, and the key nodes were identified. Results. After 6 weeks of drug intervention, we found a good therapeutic effect of HJJPD on simple obesity in the mouse model. The biological network analysis showed that HJJPD plays a role in treating leptin resistance in simple obesity by acting on multiple targets in the JAK2-STAT3 pathway via various components. Also, HJJPD can improve leptin resistance in mice by enhancing the binding force of LEP and LEPRB and activating the LEP-mediated JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway. Conclusion. In this study, animal experiments, network pharmacology, and molecular biology were combined to establish a mouse model of simple obesity, confirm the role of HJJPD in the treatment of simple obesity, and preliminarily reveal the related mechanism. Relevant research results will provide a basis for the treatment of simple obesity and the drug discovery.

为了分析和探讨近10年来国内学者关于易水学派领域的研究热点与发展趋势,在中国知网、 万方、 维普数据库检索并导出近10年易水学派相关文献,运用文献计量学工具CiteSpace软件绘制知识图谱,对发文量、 研究团队、 发文机构、 关键词等方面进行可视化分析检索.研究共纳入相关文献2397篇,得到关键词3649个,关键词聚类得到17个;有53位作者发文量大于5篇,发现以张保春、 任北大、 刘桂荣、 姚文轩、 李付平、 董尚朴等学者为代表的三个较大学术影响力团队,研究热点主要集中在李东垣和脾胃学说,近5年开始重视明清时期其他易水学派医家,近两年结合新型冠状病毒肺炎产出了一定成果,但总体分析对脏腑辨证理论等研究略显不足,研究方法略显陈旧,提示在今后应当加强对易水学派的溯源研究,进一步完善易水学派的传承体系.

This paper was designed to predict the mechanisms of the active components of Huaji Jianpi Decoction (HJJPD) against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) based on network pharmacology-combined animal experiments. The candidate compounds of HJJPD and its relative targets were obtained from TCMSP and PharmMapper web server, and the intersection genes for NAFLD were discerned using OMIM, GeneCards, and DisGeNET. Then, the target protein-protein interaction (PPI) and component-target-pathway networks were constructed. Moreover, gene function annotation (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed to study the potential signaling pathways associated with HJJPD's effect on NAFLD. Molecular docking simulation was preformed to validate the binding affinity between potential core components and key targets. Eventually, the candidate targets, the possible pathway, and the mechanism of HJJPD were predicted by the network pharmacology-based strategy, followed by experimental validation in the NAFLD mice model treated with HJJPD. A total of 55 candidate compounds and 36 corresponding genes were identified from HJJPD that are associated with activity against NAFLD, and then the network of them was constructed. Inflammatory response and lipid metabolism-related signaling pathways were identified as the critical signaling pathways mediating the therapeutic effect of the active bioactive ingredients on NAFLD. Compared with the model group, the liver wet weight, liver/body ratio, the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in serum in the HJJPD low-dose (17.52 g/kg·d), medium-dose (35.04 g/kg·d), and high-dose (70.07 g/kg·d) groups significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Light microscope observation shows that HJJPD could control the degree of lipid denaturation of the mouse liver tissue to a great extent. RT-qPCR results show that the mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferative activated receptor gamma (PPARG), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), antiserine/threonine protein kinase 1 (AKT1), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (PTGS2) in the liver tissues of the three HJJPD groups (17.52 g/kg·d, 35.04 g/kg·d, and 70.07 g/kg·d) were significantly lower than those in the model group (P < 0.05). HJJPD can exert its effect by inhibiting hepatic steatosis and related mRNA expression and decreasing the levels of other liver-related indexes. This study suggested that HJJPD exerted its effect on NAFLD by modulating multitargets with multicompounds through multipathways. It also demonstrated that the network pharmacology-based approach might provide insights for understanding the interrelationship between complex diseases and interventions of HJJPD.

Ultrasound assisted aqueous two-phase extraction of polysaccharides from Cornus officinalis fruit was modeled by response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN), and optimized using genetic algorithm coupled with ANN (GA-ANN). Statistical analysis showed that the models obtained by RSM and ANN could accurately predict the Cornus officinalis polysaccharides (COPs) yield. However, ANN prediction was more accurate than RSM. The optimum extraction parameters to achieve the highest COPs yield (7.85 +/- 0.09)% was obtained at the ultrasound power of 350 W, extraction temperature of 51 degrees C, liquid-to-solid ratio of 17 mL/g, and extraction time of 38 min. Subsequently, the crude COPs were further purified via DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 chromatography to obtain a homogenous fraction (COPs-4-SG, 33.64 kDa) that contained galacturonic acid, arabinose, mannose, glucose, and galactose in a molar ratio of 34.82:14.19:6.75:13.48:12.26. The structure of COPs-4-SG was also characterized with UV-vis, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Congo-red test, and circular dichroism (CD). The findings provide a feasible way for the extraction, purification, and optimization of polysaccharides from plant resources

Reducing the incidence of obesity is the focus of global attention, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may play an important role in achieving this goal. Numerous studies have shown that most individuals with obesity have leptin resistance, exogenous leptin is ineffective in individuals with obesity, and the effect of leptin decreases with increased serum leptin levels in individuals with obesity. At present, there are many hypotheses regarding the mechanism of leptin resistance, but there is no definite conclusion. TCM has a long history of treating obesity, and single and compound TCM is an effective obesity treatment method. However, TCM's mechanism of action is complex and resists further weight loss drug development. In the last decade, network pharmacology has become an important tool for exploring the mechanism of compound TCMs. In this study, we reviewed the interrelation between TCM obesity treatment and leptin resistance, and network pharmacology studies of TCM intervention in simple obesity revealed that their targets overlap with the leptin pathway. We also summarized TCM pairs that effectively interfere with leptin resistance and their related intervention mechanisms, providing targets for anti obesity drug development.

Stroke has become a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The cellular recycling pathway autophagy has been implicated in ischemia-induced neuronal changes, but whether autophagy plays a beneficial or detrimental role is controversial. Hydroxysafflor Yellow A (HSYA), a popular herbal medicine, is an extract of Carthamus tinctorius and is used to treat ischemic stroke (IS) in China. HSYA has been shown to prevent cardiovascular and cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in animal models. However, the specific active ingredients and molecular mechanisms of HSYA in IS remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of HSYA treatment on autophagy in a rat model of IS. IS was induced in rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion. Rats were treated once daily for 3 days with saline, HYSA, or the neuroprotective agent Edaravone. Neurobehavioral testing was performed on days 1, 2, and 3 post-surgery. Brains were removed on day 3 post-surgery for histological evaluation of infarct area, morphology, and for qRT-PCR and western blot analysis of the expression of the autophagy factor LC3 and the signaling molecules HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1. Molecular docking studies were performed in silico to predict potential interactions between HSYA and LC3, HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1 proteins. The result showed that HSYA treatment markedly alleviated IS-induced neurobehavioral deficits and reduced brain infarct area and tissue damage. HSYA also significantly reduced hippocampal expression levels of LC3, HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1. The beneficial effect of HSYA was generally superior to that of Edaravone. Molecular modeling suggested that HSYA may bind strongly to HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1 but weakly to LC3. In conclusion, HSYA inhibits post-IS autophagy induction in the brain, possibly by suppressing HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3 and Notch1. HSYA may have utility as a post-IS neuroprotective agent.

Stroke has become a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The cellular recycling pathway autophagy has been implicated in ischemia-induced neuronal changes, but whether autophagy plays a beneficial or detrimental role is controversial. Hydroxysafflor Yellow A (HSYA), a popular herbal medicine, is an extract of Carthamus tinctorius and is used to treat ischemic stroke (IS) in China. HSYA has been shown to prevent cardiovascular and cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in animal models. However, the specific active ingredients and molecular mechanisms of HSYA in IS remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of HSYA treatment on autophagy in a rat model of IS. IS was induced in rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion. Rats were treated once daily for 3 days with saline, HYSA, or the neuroprotective agent Edaravone. Neurobehavioral testing was performed on days 1, 2, and 3 post-surgery. Brains were removed on day 3 post-surgery for histological evaluation of infarct area, morphology, and for qRT-PCR and western blot analysis of the expression of the autophagy factor LC3 and the signaling molecules HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1. Molecular docking studies were performed in silico to predict potential interactions between HSYA and LC3, HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1 proteins. The result showed that HSYA treatment markedly alleviated IS-induced neurobehavioral deficits and reduced brain infarct area and tissue damage. HSYA also significantly reduced hippocampal expression levels of LC3, HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1. The beneficial effect of HSYA was generally superior to that of Edaravone. Molecular modeling suggested that HSYA may bind strongly to HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3, and Notch1 but weakly to LC3. In conclusion, HSYA inhibits post-IS autophagy induction in the brain, possibly by suppressing HIF-1[Formula: see text], BNIP3 and Notch1. HSYA may have utility as a post-IS neuroprotective agent.