Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) remains rampant worldwide and poses a serious threat to human health. Tea is a medicinal and edible homologous plant that exhibits potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties via the prevention of virus entry into host cells, inhibition of virus replication, and enhancement of the innate and cellular immune responses. In this review, the properties of six major types of tea were systematically summarized, including green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea, and dark tea. We focused on the primary components of tea exhibiting antiviral activities, which included (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, (-)-gallocatechin gallate, tannic acid, oolonghomobisflavan A, theaflavins, and white-tip silver needle flavonoids. Among them, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate is proposed to be an antiviral compound that interferes with the entire life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 by balancing inflammation and immunity. Thus, this compound can serve as a promising lead structure for the development of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors.
Acupuncture therapy is widely used in the clinic, and its therapeutic effects have been proven by numerous studies. The dose-effect relationship of acupuncture is a fundamental aspect of the acupuncture research system. Recent studies found that different acupuncture dosages altered study results directly, indicating the importance of screening the optimal stimulation dosage. However, the system for studying the acupuncture dose-effect relationship is still in its infancy, and the methodology of the system needs to be improved. This review aimed to define the factors impacting acupuncture “dosage” and “effect,” and to improve the methodological system for research on the dose-effect relationship of acupuncture. By summarizing the current findings of acupuncture dose-effect studies, we discussed the vital acupuncture parameters and methodological problems that influence the relationship between acupuncture dosage and its effects. These factors consist of specific influencing factors (acupoint selection, acupuncture manipulation parameters, de qi response) and nonspecific influencing factors (comparison selection, blinding procedure, patient expectancy). Our perspectives offer suggestions for the design of acupuncture dosage-effect trials. Further studies need to be conducted to establish the methodological system and provide systematic evidence of the acupuncture dose-effect relationship.
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a major threat to the elderly, and efficient therapy is rarely available. A group of phytochemicals has been shown to ameliorate NDs; however, poor stability, low bioavailability, and reduced drug accumulation in brain tissue limit their application in NDs. Therefore, a targeted drug delivery system is a feasible treatment strategy for NDs. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) possess many favorable bioactivities and are excellent carriers for targeting brain tissue. This review summarizes EVs as novel phytochemical carriers in ND therapy. First, we discuss the current challenges of ND therapy and the therapeutic effects of phytochemicals for NDs. Second, we highlight the ability of EVs to cross the blood-brain barrier and act as drug carriers to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drugs for NDs. Finally, encapsulation strategies for phytochemicals in EVs are particularly reviewed, as they are critical for obtaining high loading efficacy and stable drug delivery systems. This review provides new insights into EV-based drug delivery systems for improving the therapeutic effect of phytochemicals for ND treatment. Therefore, the release rate and pharmacokinetics of phytochemicals should be well controlled to ensure the therapeutic efficacy of phytochemical-loaded EVs in the brain.
With its long-term empirical clinical practice and increasing number of health benefits reported, Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) is gaining increasing global acceptance. Importantly, the identification of chemical constituents in vitro and exposed forms in vivo is a prerequisite for understanding how CMM formulae prevent and treat diseases. This review systematically summarizes the exciting and magical journey of CMM components from compound formulae to where they fight, the possible structural transformation of CMM components in vitro and in vivo, and their pharmacological contribution. When a decoction is prepared, significant chemical reactions are observed, including degradation and production of polymers and self-assembling supramolecules, leading to the construction of a component library with diverse decoction structures. After ingestion, compounds pass through the intestinal and blood-brain barriers and undergo a more wonderful journey involving the gut microbiota, microbial enzymes, and endogenous drug-metabolizing enzymes (mainly liver enzymes). At this stage, they are modified and assembled into novel and complex compounds, such as newly generated metabolites, conjugates, and self-assembling superamolecules. This review might provide a strategic orientation to explore the active compounds of CMM formulae in vivo.
Objective:In a chromatographic cycle, the adsorption process is a critical unit operation that has a significant impact on downstream processes and, ultimately, the quality of the final products. The development of a rapid method to determine the endpoints of adsorption processes in a large-scale manufacturing is of substantial importance for herbal medicine (HM) manufacturers.
Methods:In this study, the adsorption of saponins on a macroporous resin column chromatograph, a critical unit operation in Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H.Chen injection manufacturing, was considered as an example. The evaluation results of in-line ultraviolet and visible spectra combined with various multivariate analysis methods, including the moving block standard deviation (MBSD), difference between the moving block average and the target spectrum (DMBA-TS), soft-independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA), and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), were compared.
Results:MBSD was unsuitable for adsorption processes. The relative standard errors of prediction between the predicted and experimental endpoints were 13.2%, 4.67%, and 5.71% using DMBA-TS, SIMCA, and PLS-DA, respectively.
Conclusions:Among the considered analysis methods, SIMCA and PLS-DA were more effective for endpoint determination. The results of this study provide a more comprehensive overview of the effectiveness of various multivariate analysis methods to facilitate the selection of the most suitable method. This study was also conducive to address the issues of the in-line detection of adsorption endpoints to guide practical HM manufacturing.
Objective:We aimed to establish a novel strategy for identifying key genes and active anti-inflammatory ingredients in Panax medicinal plants.
Methods:First, fresh roots of 2-year-old Panax plants, including P. ginseng C. A. Mey., P. quinquefolium L., P. notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen, P. japonicus C.A.Mey., P. japonicus Mey. var. major (Burk.) C. Y. Wu et K. M. Feng, were selected as explants, and callus formation was induced under three experimental temperatures (17, 24, and 30°C). Second, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze the saponin content of the callus. Nitric oxide reduction efficacy was used for “component-efficacy” gray correlation analysis to find the active anti-inflammatory ingredients. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the inflammatory factors and verify the active ingredients’ anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of key genes in the callus, and “gene-component” gray correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between the regulatory pathway of the genes and the components.
Results:Among the three experimental temperatures (17, 24, and 30°C), the lowest temperature (17°C) is the most suitable for generating Panax callus. Lower-latitude native Panax notoginseng is more adaptable under high culture temperatures (24°C and 30°C) than other Panax plants. The ginsenoside contents of the callus of P. notoginseng and P. japonicus were the highest under similar climate conditions (17°C). Major anti-inflammatory components were G-Rh1, G-Rb1, G-Rg3, and G-Rh6/Floral-GKa. CYP76A47 contributed to the accumulation of anti-inflammatory components.
Conclusions:This study provides a strategy for the gene-component-efficacy correlational study of multi-component, multi-functional, and multi-purpose plants of the same genus.
Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of YINDARA-4 in improving the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in a rat model and investigate the impact of YINDARA-4 on potential targets of IBS management, such as the serotonin level in intestinal tissues and the structure and composition of the gut microbiota.
Methods: We developed an IBS rat model by combining stress from maternal separation, acetic acid administration, and restraint. We administered YINDARA-4 water extract to the IBS rat model for 10 consecutive days. The fecal water content, visceral sensitivity, gut microbiota, and serotonin levels in the colonic tissue were then analyzed and compared between the control group, IBS model group, and YINDARA-4-treated groups.
Results: Treatment with YINDARA-4 reversed visceral hypersensitivity in a dose-dependent manner in the experimental rat model of IBS. The relief of visceral hypersensitivity upon treatment with YINDARA-4 involved regulation of the gut microbiota structure and composition, and normalization of elevated serotonin levels in the colon. The decrease in colonic serotonin levels with YINDARA-4 treatment might be associated with a reduction in the abundance of Helicobacter and enrichment of Butyricimonas.
Conclusions: Treatment with YINDARA-4 was beneficial against visceral hypersensitivity in a rat model of IBS. The improved symptoms exhibited in IBS rats were associated with favorably altered gut microbiota and normalization of serotonin levels in the colon.