China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, the 1st in the field of TCM, is supervised by China Association for Science and Technology and sponsored by Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Association. The journal is China's earliest comprehensive core journal of traditional Chinese medicine, and always maintains the circulation top in the professional areas. The journal publishes the latest research and progress of traditional Chinese medicine and takes a leading position in numbers of articles published, downloads and citations among all journals in this discipline.
Its scope covers new achievements, technologies, methods, experiences and concepts resulting from the research on Chinese materia medica pursuant to Chinese medical and pharmaceutical theories, traditional experiences, and modern science and technology, including medicinal resources and identification, cultivation, processing, preparation, chemistry, pharmacology, theory of Chinese pharmacy and clinical practice, bencaological study.
The journal is included in CA, JST and CSCD.
Honorary Editor-in-Chief Xiao Peigen Editor-in-Chief Wang Yongyan
Associate Editors Zhang Boli, Hu Zhibi, Yao Xinsheng, Li Lianda, Li Dapeng, Yang Baofeng, Zhou Chaofan, Huang Luqi, Chen Shilin, Li He.
Executive Editorial Board Cai Shaoqing, Chen Shilin
Wogonin is a main effective component of Radix Scutellariae, with a significant anti-cancer activity. Recently, extensive studies have focused on the anti-cancer pharmacological effects of wogonin, but there were still a few studies on its molecular mechanism. Therefore, the molecular targets of its anti-cancer activity were still unclear. In this study, network pharmacology was applied to investigate the potential targets and molecular pathway of wogonin in inhibiting the growth of colorectal cancer. It indicated that Wnt/
β-catenin was a key pathway of wogonin on colorectal cancer. Then, studies on pharmacology and molecular mechanism were performed according to network pharmacological results. Pharmacological results revealed that wogonin inhibited significantly the proliferation of SW480 (
P < 0.001), with concentration-dependent regularity in the range of 12.5–50 μmol·L
−1. Additionally, wogonin could arrest SW480 cells in G
1 phase. Western blot was used to investigate the effect of wogonin on four characteristic proteins of Wnt/
β-catenin pathway. CTNNB1 (
β-catenin), BIRC5 (survivin) and GSK3B were down-regulated significantly, while the expression level of BAX was up-regulated (
P < 0.05). In conclusion, wogonin could inhibit the proliferation of SW480 cells through the Wnt/
β-catenin pathway. The characteristic proteins CTNNB1 (
β-catenin), BIRC5 (survivin), GSK3B and BAX were identified as the potential targets. This study illuminated the anti-cancer molecular mechanism and drug targets of wogonin, which provided a theoretical basis for anti-colon cancer drug discovery and clinical application.
Rhizoma Paridis was prepared from the dried rhizoma of
Paris polyphylla var.
yunnanensis or
P.
polyphylla var.
chinensis. For the improvement of the quality standard of Rhizoma Paridis described in
Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition), it is proposed that the quality marker no longer contains polyphyllin Ⅵ, and instead, polyphyllin H is an alternative for the quantitative analysis. To determine polyphyllin Ⅰ, Ⅱ, H and Ⅶ in the Rhizoma Paridis samples collected from the different growing area in China, HPLC method was established using the same chromatographic conditions as those for simultaneous determination of polyphyllin Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅵ and Ⅶ described in
Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition). The methodology validation indicated that there was a good linearity among the ranges of 0.006 48–0.828, 0.006 52–0.834, 0.006 17–0.790, 0.006 31–0.808 g·L
−1 for polyphyllin Ⅰ, Ⅱ, H and Ⅶ, respectively. The average recoveries of four components were 100.2%–101.4%, with RSD less than 3.5%. The total amounts of polyphyllin Ⅰ, Ⅱ, H and Ⅶ in the analyzed samples of
P.
polyphylla var.
chinensis and
P.
polyphylla var.
yunnanensis ranged from 0.050 9% to 3.99% and from 0.115% to 3.23%, respectively. In the tested samples collected from other
Paris plants, there was high content of steroidal saponins in the samples of
P.
fargesii and
P.
forrestii, low content in the samples of
P.
polyphylla var.
stenophylla,
P.
delavayi and
P.
thibetica, and almost not occurrence in the sample of
P.
mairei. As a representative adulterant of Rhizoma Paridis processed slices, 7 batches of
Trillium samples contained high amount of polyphyllin Ⅵ and did not have polyphyllin H. Based on the present investigation, it is recommended that polyphyllin H together with polyphyllin Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅶ are suitable for the improvement of quality standard of Rhizoma Paridis and the total amount of four components are not less than 0.80%.
Sophorae Flavescentis Radix is prepared from the root of
Sophora flavescens. The comprehensive knowledge of the effective components in
S.
flavescens makes its quality standard improvement more possible. TLC identification method for main flavonoids and alkaloids in one test was established using GF
254 thin layer plate and the lower solution of chloroform-methanol-water-formic acid(4:2:1:0.6) as developing solvent. The quantitative method of marker alkaloids was revised including the simplified sample preparation procedure and the chromatographic conditions. The determination of four alkaloids in the samples indicated that 32 batches of tested samples were qualified ones. The total oxymatrine and matrine, total oxysophocarpine and sophocarpine, as well as total amount of four tested components in the different samples were 1.08%-2.55%, 0.369%-0.860%, 1.67%-3.40%, respectively. There was a significantly positive correlation between oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine. Total oxymatrine and matrine had same correlation with total oxysophocarpine and sophocarpine. The moisture content and extractive in 32 batches of samples fulfilled the require of not more than 11.0% and not less than 20.0%, respectively. Thirteen tested pesticides were not detected in 12 batches of samples. The present study provided the evidence for the revision of quality standard of Sophora Flavescentis Radix.
The present study was conducted to explore the effect of constant temperature overwintering on the growth, gonadal development and internal quality of the
Wh.
pigra which were in overwintering period.
Wh.
pigra which in overwintering period were placed in light incubator at 21 ℃, and the
Wh.
pigra that overwintered under natural conditions were used as control. That the changes of growth performance, gonad index, internal quality of two groups of
Wh.
pigra were measured at the end of the overwintering. Simultaneously the tissue slice technique was used to observe the morphological structure of the spermary and ovary of the two groups. The results showed that the body weight of constant temperature overwintering
Wh.
pigra which were placed in light incubator at 21 ℃ was 2.35 times that of natural overwintering
Wh.
pigra which overwintered under natural conditions, and the weight of female gonads of the
Wh.
pigra which were placed in light incubator at 21 ℃ was 11.54% higher than that of
Wh.
pigra which overwintered under natural conditions, and the weight of male gonads of the
Wh.
pigra which were placed in light incubator at 21 ℃ was 48.33% higher than that of the
Wh.
pigra which overwintered under natural conditions. At the same time, that vitellogenesis cells and film forming cells which in ovarian vesicles were significantly higher than those of the
Wh.
pigra which overwintered under natural conditions, and that spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes which in seminal vesicle were significantly higher than those of
Wh.
pigra which overwintered under natural conditions. Most important of all, the anti-thrombin activity of
Wh.
pigra which were placed in light incubator at 21 ℃ increased by 27.85% compared with the
Wh.
pigra that overwintered under natural conditions. In conclusion, that constant temperature can promote the growth, the development of sperm and egg cells, and the increase of anti-thrombin activity of
Wh.
pigra which were in overwintering period.
Mineral nutrient elements are the key factors to maintain the growth and quality of
Panax quinquefolium. In order to understand the comprehensive effect of different nutrient elements deficiency on
P. quinquefolium, 2-year-old
P. quinquefolium samples were cultivated by Hoagland complete nutrient solution (CK) or 10 different nutrients deficiency solution in sand culture. During the cultivation, the deficient symptom was observed. The plant height, leaf area, biomass, photosynthetic indicator, root activity, ginsenoside content were measured. The results showed that N, K or Fe deficiency could lead to leaves of
P. quinquefolium yellowing. N, K, Ca, Mg and B deficiencies were the main factors decreasing plant height and leaf area. The biomass of plant decreased significantly in all the nutrient deficiency treatments (
P < 0.05) compared with that in the control group, and that in the N, K, Ca or Fe deficiency groups descended over 50%. In the absence of N, K and Fe elements, the
Pn,
Gs,
Ci,
Tr and chlorophyll of leaves were decreased mostly. The first three factors decreasing root activity were N, K and Ca deficiencies. The effects of nutrient deficiency on saponins of
P. quinquefolium were different. Generally, N, P, B, Zn and Cu deficiencies resulted the synthesis of saponins decreased significantly (
P < 0.05). This study contributed to clarify the demand characteristics of
P. quinquefolium for different nutrient elements, which is of great significance for the diagnose of nutrient deficiency, the rational fertilizer and the improvement of yield and quality of
P. quinquefolium.
In order to provide scientific recommendations for the revision of the quality standards of Poria in
Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), a series of experiments were carried out to improve the quality standards of Poria. TLC methods were established to identify Poria by using pachymic acid, dehydrotumulosic acid and Chinese medicinals as reference substances. The contents of water, total ash, pesticide residues, heavy metals and deleterious element, mycotoxins, sulfur dioxide residues and ethanol-soluble extract of medicinal materials and processed slices of Poria were determined according to the methods recorded in the volume Ⅳ of
Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition). An HPLC method was developed for the determination of pachymic acid and dehydropachymic acid. The contents of polysaccharides were determined by spectrophotometry using anhydro-D-glucose as a reference substance. The quality standards were established on the basis of the research results, in which the [assay] was added, and the [identification] and [tests] were revised when compared with
Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition). The established methods are simple, specific, repeatable, and suitable for the quality evaluation of Poria.
