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
Ethylene responsive factor (ERF), one of the largest families of transcription factors in plants, plays a key role in secondary metabolism of herbal plants. To analyze the expression of ERF family genes, this study used the heat map clustering method to analyze the ginseng transcriptomes of different parts and different growth years. The content of ginsenosides Rg
1, Re and Rb
1 in various concentrations of MeJA-treated ginseng adventitious roots was determined by the UPLC-MS/MS method. The expression of key genes of ginsenoside biosynthesis (
DDS,
CYP716
A47,
CYP716
A53
v2) and
ERF family genes in MeJA-treated
P. ginseng adventitious roots was determined by using real-time quantitative PCR. Pearson correlation was adopted to analyze the gene expression patterns of
DDS,
CYP716
A47,
CYP716
A53
v2 gene and
ERF family. The results showed that the content of protopanaxadiol ginsenoside Rb
1 in
P. ginseng adventitious roots treated with different concentrations of MeJA increased, and the content of protopanaxatriol ginsenoside Rg
1 and Re decreased. It is consistent with the increase in
DDS and
CYP716
A47 expression and the decrease in
CYP716
A53
v2 gene expression. The expression of
ERF003,
ERF118 and
ERF012 genes was significantly positively correlated with
CYP716
A53
v2, but negatively correlated with
DDS. While the expression of
ERF1
B was significantly negatively correlated with
CYP716
A47. It is proved that
ERF003,
ERF118 and
ERF012 were likely to inhibit the expression of
DDS and promote the expression of
CYP716
A53
v2, and
ERF1
B was likely to inhibit
CYP716
A47. This work could provide a theoretical basis of ERF functional verification of regulating the biosynthesis of ginsenosides.
To explore whether paeonol can play an anti-atherosclerotic role by regulating the expression of aortic caveolin-1 and affecting NF-κB pathway, so as to inhibit the inflammatory response of vascular endothelium in atherosclerotic rats. The atherosclerotic model of rats was induced by high-fat diet and vitamin D
2. The primary culture of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) was carried out by tissue block pre-digestion and adherent method. The injury model of VECs was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and filipin, a small caveolin inhibitor, was added for control. HE staining was used to observe pathological changes of aorta. TNF-
α, IL-6 and VCAM-1 were detected by ELISA. Western blot assay was used to detect the protein expression levels of caveolin-1 and p65 in aorta and VECs. The results showed that as compared with model group, paeonol significantly reduced aortic plaque area and lesion degree in rats, decreased the level of serum TNF-
α, IL-6 and VCAM-1 in the rats and enhanced the relative expression level of caveolin-1, decreased p65 expression conversely (
P < 0.05 or
P < 0.01). In vitro, as compared with model group, paeonol obviously improved cell morphology, decreased the secretion of TNF-
α, IL-6 and VCAM-1 in VECs, increased caveolin-1 expression, and decreased p65 protein expression (
P < 0.05 or
P < 0.01). Furthermore, filipin could reverse the effect of paeonol on expression of inflammatory factors and proteins (
P < 0.05 or
P < 0.01). According to the results, it was found that paeonol could play the role of anti-atherosclerosis by up-regulating the expression of caveolin-1 and inhibiting the activation of NF-κB pathway to reduce vascular inflammation in atherosclerotic rats.
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become a primary cause of end-stage kidney disease, without any effective treatment available. In this study, we assessed the protective effect of Guanxin Danshen Formula (GXDSF) on diabetic nephropathy in db/db mice. The db/m and db/db mice were randomly divided into four groups: a control group, a model group, a metformin group, and a GXDSF group. After 8 weeks’ treatment with GXDSF, metformin or normal saline, the mice were sacrificed, and the blood and kidney tissues were collected for further analysis. Compared with the model group, the TG, TCH and LDL levels significantly decreased in the GXDSF group. The results from HE and PAS staining showed that db/db mice exhibited abnormal kidney tissues with increased glomerular volume, basement membrane thickening and mesangial cell proliferation, which could be significantly alleviated by GXDSF treatment. GXDSF treatment also reduced serum creatinine and BUN. Meanwhile, GXDSF treatment markedly elevated the GSH-PX levels, while reduced the LDH and MDA levels in the kidney tissues. Western blot assay showed that GXDSF evidently up-regulated the protein levels of ER
α and p-Akt, and subsequently promoted the HO-1 expression mediated by Nrf2. These data collectively indicated that GXDSF protected db/db mice against DN by regulating the ER
α and Nrf2-mediated HO-1 expression.
Corydalis Bungeanae Herba is often used to treat a variety of inflammatory diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. In order to determine its chemical material basis, the components of Corydalis Bungeanae Herba were isolated by an automated purification system. Flavonoids and alkaloids were prepared, and all such components were identified by mass spectrometry. The effects of the components on the production of inflammatory mediators and pharmacological mechanisms in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell inflammation model were examined. Mouse macrophages (RAW264.7) were first treated with LPS. The relationship between cell viability and LPS concentration was observed. Then, the effects of flavonoid and alkaloid components with different administration concentrations on cell viability were detected to determine the maximum administration concentration. Secondly, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 μg·mL
−1 flavonoid and alkaloid components were added respectively to observe the effects and mechanism of different concentrations of flavonoid and alkaloid components on LPS-induced inflammation of RAW264.7 macrophages. Griess reagent assay was used to detect NO content in cell supernatant. The inflammatory cytokines (TNF-
α, IL-1
β and IL-6) in cell supernatant were determined by ELISA method. Western blot method was used to detect the intracellular nuclear factor (NF-κB) IκB
α phosphorylation (p-IκB
α), p65 phosphorylation (p-p65) and protein expression of TLR4 and TLR2. The results showed that the alkaloid components inhibited the production of NO, TNF-
α, IL-1
β and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner in the concentration range of 2.5–20 μg·mL
−1. In inflammation upstream pathways, the inhibitory effect of the alkaloid components on the TLR2 expression level was weaker than that of TLR4. In inflammation downstream, alkaloid components significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB
α and p65 in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggested that the alkaloid components were the material basis of Corydalis Bungeanae Herba, and its anti-inflammatory mechanism might be related to inhibiting the transmission of inflammatory signals in TLRs/NF-κB signaling pathways dominated by TLR4, interfering with the activation of inflammatory genes and inhibiting their over expression, and down-regulating the secretion level of inflammatory factors.
This study aims to reveal the pharmacokinetics of Shuganning Injection in normal rats. In this experiment, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) was used to establish an analytical method for simultaneous determination of chlorogenic acid, gardenioside, oroxylin A and baicalin in rat plasma. Then, the non-compartmental model (NCA) in Phoenix WinNonLin 6.4 software was used to fit pharmacokinetic parameters. The methodological validation showed that the linear relationship of the components in rat plasma samples was good (
r > 0.995). The recovery rate and matrix effect of plasma samples with low, middle and high concentration were 79.14%–101.4%. The intra-day and inter-day precision, accuracy and stability met the requirements of biological sample analysis. The half-life (
t1/2) of chlorogenic acid, gardenioside, oroxylin A did not change significantly and the area under blood concentration-time curve (AUC
0–
t) was proportional to the dose, which suggested that three components showed a linear kinetic characteristics, but baicalin showed nonlinear kinetic characteristics. Moreover, the retention time of each component in rats was short. The established UPLC-MS/MS quantitative analysis method was rapid, sensitive and accurate, which can be used for the determination of chlorogenic acid, gardenioside, oroxylin A and baicalin in rat plasma and pharmacokinetic study of Shuganning Injection.
In this study, the contents of Cu, As, Cd, Pb and Hg in 10 batches of Gardeniae Fructus and 10 batches of fried Gardeniae Fructus from Fuzhou in Jiangxi were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS), and the target hazard coefficient(THQ) for different drug users(adults and children) was calculated by using the international health risk assessment model. According to the ISO and green industry standard, the content of Hg in 4 batches of Gardeniae Fructus exceeded the standard with an over-standard rate of 40%. The THQ and total THQ of Hg in 2 batches of Gardeniae Fructus were higher than the international standard limit of Gardeniae Fructus. For 10 batches of fried Gardeniae Fructus, the content of every heavy metal and total amount of five heavy metals did not exceed the standard. However, the THQ and total THQ of Hg in 1 batch of fried Gardeniae Fructus were higher than the international standard limit of Gardeniae Fructus. As compared with Gardeniae Fructus, the contents of Cu, Pb and Hg in fried Gardeniae Fructus decreased by 34.0%, 77.6% and 23.1%; the THQ of Cu, Pb and Hg for adults decreased by 33.3%, 75.0% and 96.9%; and the THQ of Cu, Pb and Hg for children decreased by 37.5%, 75.0%, 90.7%. It showed that the contents of heavy metals in individual batches of Gardeniae Fructus in this experiment had a certain risk to human health, but the contents of these heavy metals in fried Gardeniae Fructus had no obvious effect on human health. This study provided experimental basis and research ideas for safety evaluation of Gardeniae Fructus and fried Gardeniae Fructus.
A new isoquinoline alkaloid (1) was isolated from the whole plant of
Thalictrum glandulosissimum by using various chromatographic techniques, including silica gel, sephadex, MCI-gel resin, and RP-HPLC, and its structure was determined as 1-(6-hydroxy-7-methylisoquinolin-1-yl)ethantone by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. This compound was evaluated for anti-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) activity. The results showed that it had a prominent anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates of 28.4%. This rate was closed to that of positive control.
The efficacy of oral Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction was systematically evaluated by network Meta-analysis. The literature search was conducted in three English databases (Medline, EMbase and Cochrane Library) and four Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, WanFang and SinoMed) from inception to June 2018, and the randomized controlled trials of acute cerebral infarction were screened out according to the pre-set criteria. Two reviewers independently screened out the literature by using pre-specified eligibility criteria, and assessed the quality of included studies according to the risk of bias tool of Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0. Data analysis was conducted by using Stata 13.0 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 software. Finally, 52 RCTs were included with 11 oral Chinese patent medicines involved. The results of the network Meta-analysis showed that in terms of the total effective rate, the order of efficacy was as follows: Naomaitai Capsules > Xiaoshuan Changrong Capsules > Angong Niuhuang Pills > Yangxue Qingnao Granules > Compound Danshen Dripping Pills > Naoxintong Capsules > Tongxinluo Capsules > Naoxueshu Oral Liquid > Zhuyu Tongmai Capsules > Yinxingye Tablets > Compound Danshen Tablets; in terms of neurological deficit scores, the order of efficacy was as follows: Tongxinluo Capsules > Angong Niuhuang Pills > Compound Danshen Dripping Pills > Xiaoshuan Changrong Capsules > Yangxue Qingnao Granules > Zhuyu Tongmai Capsules > Naoxintong Capsules > Naoxueshu Oral Liquid; in terms of Barthel index score, the order of efficacy was as follows: Xiaoshuan Changrong Capsules > Naomaitai Capsules > Naoxueshu Oral Liquid > Angong Niuhuang Pills > Tongxinluo Capsules > Zhuyu Tongmai Capsules. Although different oral Chinese patent medicines can improve these outcomes, the difference in efficacy ranking was relatively large. Because of the small number and low quality of research literature, the conclusion still needs to be proved by multi-center, large-sample, and double-blind randomized trials.
Data GSE75214 and GSE48959 that contained ulcerative colitis (UC) in the active stage were download from GEO database. Differential genes of UC in the active stage were obtained according to the screening criteria of
P < 0.05 and |log
2 FC| ≥ 1.5. PPI analysis was performed in the STRING database, and GO and KEGG pathway analysis was performed in DAVID database. Cytoscape was used to visualize differential genes, and calculate key genes in the active stage. Coremine Medical was employed to analyze and systematically evaluate Chinese medicines for treating key genes. Finally, 139 differentially expressed genes in the active stage were screened out, including 109 up-regulated genes and 30 down-regulated genes. As assessed by DAVID, the biological processes and pathways of these differential genes were mainly enriched in inflammatory response, immune response, chemokine activity, TNF pathway, NF-κB pathway, and Toll-like receptor pathway. IL-6, CXCL8, IL-1
β, MMP9, CXCL1, ICAM1, CXCL10, TIMP1, PTGS2, and CXCL9 were the key genes of UC in the active stage as calculated by Cytoscape. According to Coremine Medical analysis, Chinese medicines for UC in the active stage included Curcumae Longae Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, and Curcumae Radix. Scutellariae Radix is effective in clearing heat, dispelling dampness, purging fire, and removing toxin, which is in line with the pathogenesis of active-stage UC, and is commonly used in clinical treatment of dampness-heat diarrhea. Therefore, Huangqin Decoction with Scutellariae Radix as the sovereign medicine was selected for systematic evaluation. The evaluation showed that Scutellariae Radix was superior to western medicine in terms of improving clinical efficacy and reducing inflammatory factors and immunoglobulin levels, with statistically significant differences and fewer adverse reactions. This study provided a new idea for further investigation on the pathogenesis of UC in the active stage by analyzing the genes and their mechanism of action, and the systematic evaluation of Chinese medicine for the treatment of active-stage UC provided a reference for the clinical prevention and treatment of UC by traditional Chinese medicine.
Polysaccharide from
Ganoderma applanatum (PGA) has the activities of resisting tumor and enhancing immune function. The anti-tumor effect of its intratumoral injection has not been reported. In this study, the polysaccharide was extracted from
G.
applanatum by water extraction and alcohol precipitation, and purified by ceramic membrane after protein removal by Sevage method. The total PGA was about 63%. The combination of PGA and paclitaxel (PTX) showed a synergistic effect on cytotoxicity of 4T1 cells at a low concentration in vitro. In addition, the growth curve of 4T1 cells showed that PGA could retard the growth of 4T1 cells gradually. The PGA thermosensitive gel (PGA-TG) was prepared by using poloxamer 188 and 407. The gel temperature was 36 °C, and the PGA-TG could effectively slow down the release rate of PGA in vitro. With 4T1 breast cancer-bearing mice as a model, this study evaluated the therapeutic effect of intratumoral injection of PGA combined with tail vein injection of nanoparticle albumin-bound PTX (nab-PTX). In high- and low-dose PGA-TG groups, each mouse was given with 2.25 and 1.125 mg of PGA respectively, twice in total, and the dose of PTX was 15 mg·kg
−1, once every 3 days, for a total of five times. The tumor inhibition rate was 29.65% in the high-dose PGA-TG group, 58.58% in the nab-PTX group, 63.37% in the low-dose PGA-TG combined with nab-PTX group, and 68.10% in the high-dose PGA-TG combined with nab-PTX group respectively. The inhibitory effect in the high-dose PGA-TG group combined with nab-PTX on tumors was significantly higher than that in the nab-PTX group (
P < 0.05). The results showed that PTX therapy combined with intratumoral injection of PGA-TG could improve the therapeutic effect for 4T1 mice and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
