In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in both basic and clinical research within the field of traditional medicine, garnering increasing attention worldwide. To further promote a high-quality and international development of traditional medicine, the editorial board of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine provided a collection of the “Top 50 High-impact Researches of Traditional Medicine” published in 2021 through objective indicators and a strict selection process. The findings of the selected articles have a significant academic influence and possess considerable academic value both nationally and internationally. The selected articles cover a wide range of topics, including clinical research, acupuncture, pharmacology, chemistry, biosynthesis, medicinal plant resources, and new formulation and drug delivery system research on traditional medicine. Therefore, this article outlines the selection process of the top 50 high-impact research articles, analyzes their research characteristics, and provides a brief summary of their new findings and perspectives in the field of traditional medicine.
Medicinal plants are renowned for their abundant production of secondary metabolites, which exhibit notable pharmacological activities and great potential for drug development. The biosynthesis of secondary metabolites is highly intricate and influenced by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors, resulting in substantial species diversity and content variation. Consequently, precise regulation of secondary metabolite synthesis is of utmost importance. In recent years, genome sequencing has emerged as a valuable tool for investigating the synthesis and regulation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants, facilitated by the widespread use of high-throughput sequencing technologies. This review highlights the latest advancements in genome sequencing within this field and presents several strategies for studying secondary metabolites. Specifically, the article elucidates how genome sequencing can unravel the pathways for secondary metabolite synthesis in medicinal plants, offering insights into the functions and regulatory mechanisms of participating enzymes. Comparative analyses of plant genomes allow identification of shared pathways of metabolite synthesis among species, thereby providing novel avenues for obtaining cost-effective biosynthetic intermediates. By examining individual genomic variations, genes or gene clusters associated with the synthesis of specific compounds can be discovered, indicating potential targets and directions for drug development and the exploration of alternative compound sources. Moreover, the advent of gene-editing technology has enabled the precise modifications of medicinal plant genomes. Optimization of specific secondary metabolite synthesis pathways becomes thus feasible, enabling the precise editing of target genes to regulate secondary metabolite production within cells. These findings serve as valuable references and lessons for future drug development endeavors, conservation of rare resources, and the exploration of new resources.
Azadirachtin, a complex tetratriterpenoid limonin with potent insecticidal properties, is the most widely used biological pesticide worldwide. Its versatile pharmacological applications include the inhibition of tumor growth and anti-malarial, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Azadirachtin plays a pivotal role in pest control and novel drug development. The primary source of azadirachtin is the neem tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), with an azadirachtin content ranging from 0.3% to 0.5%. Despite the market demand for botanical pesticides reaching approximately 100,000 tons per year, the annual neem production in China is only 1.14 tons. Although azadirachtin can be obtained through plant extraction or chemical synthesis, the quantity obtained does not meet the market demand in China. The sluggish pace of azadirachtin biosynthesis results from the limited availability of genetic information and the complexity of the synthetic pathway. Recent advancements in azadirachtin biosynthesis hold promise as an efficient collection method. In this study, we explored the physicochemical properties, biological activities, mechanisms of action, and acquisition methods of azadirachtin. We also delved into recent progress in azadirachtin biosynthesis and assessed potential future usage challenges. This study aims to establish a theoretical foundation for the scientific application and efficient synthesis of azadirachtin, offering valuable reference information to the industry.
Acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine with a history of 2,000 years in China, has gained wider acceptance worldwide as a complementary therapy. Studies have examined its effectiveness in various health conditions and it is commonly used alongside conventional medical treatments. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, new possibilities for improving the efficacy and precision of acupuncture have emerged. This study explored the combination of traditional acupuncture and AI technology from three perspectives: acupuncture diagnosis, prescription, and treatment evaluation. The study aimed to provide cutting-edge direction and theoretical assistance for the development of an acupuncture robot.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) includes the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric nervous systems, and its senior regulatory center includes the brainstem, cingulate gyrus, and hypothalamus. Acupuncture can affect visceral, vascular, and glandular functions via the autonomic nervous regulatory pathway. In this paper, the relationship between pain and autonomic nervous function, the application of acupuncture guided by the autonomic nervous system, and the basis and clinical research on acupuncture analgesia are reviewed.
Malignant tumor has become a major threat affecting human health, and is one of the main causes of human death. Recent studies have shown that many traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have good anti-tumor activity, which may improve the therapeutic effect of routine treatment and quality of life with lower toxicity. However, the efficacy of TCM alone for the treatment of tumors is limited. Metal ions are essential substances for maintaining normal physiological activities. This article summarized the multiple mechanisms in which metal ions are involved in the prevention and treatment of tumors in TCM.
Chinese guideline has proven effective in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the global spread of the epidemic. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely recognized for its effectiveness in alleviating symptoms, inhibiting disease progress, reducing mortality, and improving the cure rate of patients with COVID-19. During the pandemic, “three medicines and three formulas” (TMTFs) stood out from hundreds of others in registered clinical studies, which became highly recommended as TCM for COVID-19 treatment. The TMTFs not only effectively relieve the clinical symptoms of fever, cough, fatigue, and phlegm, but also substantially shorten the time of nucleic acid negative conversion, improve lung computed tomography imaging features and inflammation, ameliorate clinical biochemical indicators, and reduce sequelae. Their potential pharmacological mechanisms are mainly related to the crosstalk between viral toxicity, endothelial damage, cytokine storm, immune response, and microthrombus. In brief, the clinical effects and the potential mechanisms of TMTFs on COVID-19 were systematically analyzed and summarized covering the entirety of disease development, including virus invasion and replication, immune response and cytokine storm, and acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. This review provides a theoretical basis and reference for the in-depth understanding of the positive role of TMTFs in COVID-19 treatment.
Objective:This work aimed to report the first complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Rheum palmatum, summarize the features of Caryophyllales mitogenomes, and to reveal the potential of utilizing the mitogenomes of R. palmatum and other Caryophyllales species for inferring phylogenetic relationships and species identification.
Methods: Both Illumina short reads and PacBio HiFi reads were utilized to obtain a complete mitogenome of R. palmatum. A variety of bioinformatics tools were employed to characterize the R. palmatum mitogenome, compare the reported mitogenomes in Caryophyllales and conduct phylogenetic analysis.
Results: The mitogenome of R. palmatum was assembled into a single master circle of 302,993 bp, encoding 35 known protein-coding genes, 18 transfer RNA genes, and three ribosome RNA genes. A total of 249 long repeats and 49 simple sequence repeats were identified in this mitogenome. The sizes of mitogenomes in Caryophyllales varied from 253 kb to 11.3 Mb. Among them, 23 mitogenomes were circular molecules, one was linear, and one consisted of relaxed circles, linear molecules, and supercoiled DNA. Out of the total mitogenomes, 11 were single-chromosome structure, whereas the remaining 14 were multi-chromosomal organizations. The phylogenetic analysis is consistent with both the Engler system (1964) and the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III system.
Conclusions: We obtained the first mitogenome of R. palmatum, which consists of a master circle. Mitogenomes in Caryophyllales have variable genome sizes and structures even within the same species. Circular molecules are still the dominant pattern in Caryophyllales. Single-chromosome mitogenomes account for nearly a half of all the mitogenomes in Caryophyllales, in contrast to previous studies. It is feasible to utilize mitochondrial genomes for inferring phylogenetic relationships and conducting species identification.
Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease characterized by multiple joint lesions and systemic complications. Danggui Niantong decoction (DGNTT) has been clinically used for RA treatment; however, its beneficial effect on cardiopulmonary complications has not been reported.
Methods: Female tumor necrosis factor-transgenic (TNF-Tg) mice were used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of DGNTT on arthritis and cardiopulmonary complications. Methotrexate (MTX) served as a positive control. Histopathological assessment of the joint sections was performed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE), Alcian Blue/Orange G, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining. Bone mass was assessed by micro-computed tomography, inflammatory infiltrates in the heart and lungs were evaluated by HE staining, cardiopulmonary fibrotic injury was identified by Masson's trichrome staining, and hypertrophy of mouse cardiomyocytes was measured by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining.
Results: DGNTT mitigated the inflammation of the ankle joint synovium, decreased the number of osteoclasts, and increased the area of cartilage and bone mass in TNF-Tg mice. In addition, DGNTT decreased the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the lung and heart tissues, accompanied by a reduction in cardiopulmonary fibrosis and myocardial cell hypertrophy in TNF-Tg mice. As a positive control drug, MTX attenuated the pathological changes in joints, but had no beneficial effect on cardiopulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in TNF-Tg mice.
Conclusions: DGNTT improved joint lesions and alleviated cardiopulmonary complications in TNF-Tg mice.
Objective: Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis has become a new targeted tumor therapy. In this study, we established a micellar carrier with a tumor neovascularization-targeting effect modified by the neovascularization-targeting peptide NGR.
Methods: The targeted polymer poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PEG-PLGA) modified with Asn-Gly-Arg (NGR) peptide was prepared and characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry. NGR-PEG-PLGA was used to construct curcumin (Cur)-loaded micelles by the solvent evaporation method. The physicochemical properties of the micelles were also investigated. Additionally, we evaluated the antitumor efficacy of the polymer micelles (PM) using in vitro cytology experiments and in vivo animal studies.
Results: The particle size of Cur-NGR-PM was 139.70β±β2.51 nm, and the drug-loading capacity was 14.37β±β0.06%. In vitro cytological evaluation showed that NGR-modified micelles showed higher cellular uptake through receptor-mediated endocytosis pathways than did unmodified micelles, leading to the apoptosis of tumor cells. Then, in vivo antitumor experiments showed that the modified micelles significantly inhibited tumor growth and were safe.
Conclusions: NGR-modified micelles significantly optimized the therapeutic efficacy of Cur. This strategy offers a viable avenue for cancer treatment.