Three new flavonol 3-O-glycosides, rhamnetin 3-O-[(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaroyl(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), rhamnocitrin 3-O-[(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), and isorhamnetin 3-O-[(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl(1→6)]-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), along with 13 known compounds, were isolated from Oxytropis racemosa TURCZ. Their structures were deduced by means of spectroscopic methods and chemical evidence. 2 and 6 showed cytotoxic activities against HCT-8 (IC₅₀ 6.38 µM) and A549 (IC₅₀ 5.20 µM), respectively.
Tibetan medicinal plants have been used for more than 2 000 years. In order to find their differences in antioxidant activity, total phenolics and total flavonoids between "hot-nature" and "cold-nature" herbs, we investigated the antioxidant activities of 40 Tibetan herbs from Qinghai plateau, with 20 herbs in cold-nature and 20 herbs in hot-nature. Antioxidant capacities were evaluated by the following methods: scavenging ABTS•(+) (2, 2'azinobis-(3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), scavenging O2•(-), and Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The effects on inhibition of mitochondrion lipid peroxidation were determined by measuring the formation of TBARS (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substrates). Total phenolics and flavonoids were estimated by Folin-Ciocalteu and NaNO2-Al(NO3)3-NaOH colorimetric methods. Interestingly, the cold-nature herbs displayed higher antioxidant activities than the hot-nature ones, corresponding to nearly three-fold higher total phenolic contents in the cold-nature herbs. Moreover, the antioxidant activities correlated linearly with the levels of total phenolics for both cold-nature and hot-nature herbs, but only with the levels of total flavonoids for the hot-nature herbs. The results suggested that the phenolic compounds, but not the flavonoids, play the major role in antioxidant capacities of the cold-nature herbs. These findings could shed new lights on the study the theory of Tibetan medicine.
Despite extensive studies documenting that changes in plant community structure in response to enhanced atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition were driven by positive effects of N enrichment on rhizome clonal plants in grassland communities, few studies have specifically investigated the responses of rhizome clonal plants to N enrichment in terms of above-and below-ground plant traits.<br>By monitoring above-ground and below-ground plant traits, we investigated long-term (13-year) effects of N addition (64 g m<sup>−2</sup> yr.<sup>−1</sup>) on <i>Leymus chinensis</i>, a rhizome clonal plant, in temperate steppes of northern China.<br>Nitrogen addition enhanced the relative above-ground biomass of <i>L. chinensis</i> from 0.6% (2004) to 75% (2016) in steppe communities. Nitrogen addition enhanced leaf N and chlorophyll concentrations, and specific leaf area, thus leading to a marked increase in photosynthetic rates. Nitrogen addition altered the patterns of carbon allocation, by enhancing the ratios of below-ground to above-ground biomass, while N addition reduced the ratios of rhizome to root biomass. Nitrogen addition modified morphological traits of absorptive fine roots (first two-order roots) by enhancing specific root length and reducing root tissue density and average root diameter. Nitrogen addition significantly shortened rhizome internodes and increased bud density of <i>L. chinensis</i>.<br>Nitrogen addition enhanced <i>L. chinensis</i> resource-acquiring and vegetative reproduction capability, thereby leading to its predominance in the steppe communities.
OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Arenaria kansuensis.METHOD: Column chromatographic techniques were applied to isolated constituents. A combination of physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic analysis were used to identify structures of constituents.
RESULT: Five compounds were obtained and elucidated as tricin (1), tricin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), tricin 4'-O-beta-guaiacylglyceryl ether (3), isoscoparin (4) and isovitexin (5).
CONCLUSION: Compound 2, 3 and 5 were isolated from A. kansuensis for the first time, compound 3 was obtained from the family Caryophyllaceae for the first time.
Meconopsis horridula Hook.f. Thoms has been used as a traditional Tibetan medicine to clear away heat, relieve pain, and mobilize static blood. In this study, a reliable method based on high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry was established for the identification of components in this herb. A total of 40 compounds (including 17 flavonoids, 15 alkaloids, and eight phenylpropanoids) were identified or tentatively identified. Among them, 17 components were identified in the herb for the first time. Compound 39 appears to be a novel compound, which is confirmed as 3-(kaempferol-8-yl)-2,3-epoxyflavanone by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Moreover, seven major constituents were simultaneously quantified by the developed high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry method. The quantitative method was validated and quality parameters were established. The study provides a comprehensive approach for understanding this herbal medicine.
Meconopsis horridula Hook.f. Thoms has been used as a traditional Tibetan medicine to clear away heat, relieve pain, and mobilize static blood. In this study, a reliable method based on high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry was established for the identification of components in this herb. A total of 40 compounds (including 17 flavonoids, 15 alkaloids, and eight phenylpropanoids) were identified or tentatively identified. Among them, 17 components were identified in the herb for the first time. Compound 39 appears to be a novel compound, which is confirmed as 3-(kaempferol-8-yl)-2,3-epoxyflavanone by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Moreover, seven major constituents were simultaneously quantified by the developed high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry method. The quantitative method was validated and quality parameters were established. The study provides a comprehensive approach for understanding this herbal medicine.
Zuotai, a famous Tibetan medicinal mixture containing β-HgS, has been used to combine with herbal remedies for treating diseases for more than 1 300 years. The target organ for inorganic mercury toxicity is generally considered to be the kidney. Therefore, it is crucial to reveal the chemical speciation, spatial distribution and potential nephrotoxicity of mercury from Zuotai in kidney. To date, this remains poorly understood. We used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) imaging based on synchrotron radiation to study mercury chemical forms and mercury special distribution in kidney after mice were treated orally with Zuotai, β-HgS or HgCl2. Meanwhile, the histopathology of kidney was observed. Mice exposed with Zuotai showed kidney with significant proportion of mercury ions bound to sulfydryl biomolecules (e.g. Cys-S-Hg-S-Cys) plus some of unknown species, but without methylmercury cysteine, which is the same as β-HgS and HgCl2. The mercury is mainly deposited in renal cortex in mouse treated with Zuotai, β-HgS or HgCl2, but with a low level of mercury in medulla. The total mercury in kidney of mice treated with HgCl2 was much higher than that of β-HgS, and the later was higher than that of Zuotai. And, HgCl2 cause severe impairments in mouse kidney, but that was not observed in the Zuotai and β-HgS groups. Meanwhile, the bio-metals (Ca, Zn, Fe and Cu) micro-distributions in kidney were also revealed. These findings elucidated the chemical nature, spatial distribution and toxicity difference of mercury from Zuotai, β-HgS and HgCl2 in mouse kidney, and provide new insights into the appropriate methods for biological monitoring.
To provide insights into the mechanism for the attenuate-synergistic effect of Zuota to Tibetan medicine Renqing Mangjue, a contrasted study was carried out on the pharmacokinetics of brucine and strychnine in mice plasm, which are active and toxicant ingredient in the Tibetan medicine Renqing Mangjue. LC-MS/MS was used to detect simultaneously the concentrations of brucine and strychnine in mice plasm at-different time intervals after administration parallelly and randomly, and the pharmacokinetic software Kinetica 5. 0 was selected to non-compartmental analysis (NCA) for data, and statistical analysis software SPSS 19. 0 was used for significance test on the pharmacokinetic parameters. A reliable LC-MS/MS method was established for the determination of brucine and strychnine in blood plasma, which are consistent with the requirements of the preclinical pharmacokinetic study confirmed by the methodology. The linear concentration ranges of brucine and strychnine were 0.301-104.4 µg · L(-1) (r = 0.999 5) and 0.305-106 µg · L(-1) (r = 0.999 7), respectively; The intra-day and inter-day variable coefficients were both less than 10.0% with good precision; The average extraction recoveries of brucine and strychnine were 116.23% and 112.82%, and RSD were 3.2% and 2.3% separately;The average matrix effects of brucine and strychnine were 122.48% and 116.36%, and RSD were 7.7% and 4.4%, respectively. The pharmacokinetic results showed that AUCtot of brucine and strychnine in Zuota group were both increased remarkably (P < 0.05), and the Cmax of brucine in Zuota group was about 5.25-fold higher than that of brucine in non-Zuota group (P < 0.05). The Tmax of brucine and strychnine reduced to one-eighth and one-quarter respectively compared with those in Non-Zuota group. In addition, the eliminations of brucine and strychnine in vivo were accelerated after the compatibility of Zuota. A significant difference (P < 0.05) occurred at the MRT0-t, of brucine, while the MRT0-∞ and Lz of strychnine were statistically significant upon the inspection level α = 0.1. It was found that the absorption degree of brucine and strychnine in Zuota group increased in the range of the safe dose (or concentration), while their elimination rates were accelerated, which may be one of the mechanisms for attenuate-synergistic effect of Zuota to Tibetan medicine Renqing Mangjue.
Zuotai, also named as "gTso thal", a known Tibetan medicinal mixture containing insoluble cubic crystal mercuric sulfide (β-HgS), has been used to treat diseases with long history. The mercury release ratio from Zuotai in gastrointestinal environment is one determinant factor for its bioavailability and biological effect. However, the information is still scarce now. Therefore, the study was designed to investigate the effect of sulfhydryl biomolecules [L-cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH)] and pH on mercury dissociation from Zuotai, β-HgS, and hexagonal crystal mercuric sulfide (α-HgS) in artificial gastrointestinal juices or pure water with a 1:100 solid-liquid ratio. And, the digestion and peristalsis of gastrointestinal tract were simulated in vitro. The results showed the following trend for the mercury release ratio of Zuotai, artificial gastric juice > artificial intestinal juice > pure water, whereas the trend for β-HgS and α-HgS was as follows, artificial intestinal fluid > artificial gastric fluid > pure water. The mercury release ratios of Zuotai, β-HgS, and α-HgS significantly increased in artificial intestinal juice containing L-Cys or GSH compared to those without sulfhydryl biomolecules in the juice. However, in contrast to the results observed for β-HgS and α-HgS, the mercury release ratio of Zuotai was reduced remarkably in pure water and artificial gastric juice with Cys or GSH. And, we found that strong acidic or strong alkaline environments promoted the dissociation of mercury from Zuotai, β-HgS, and α-HgS. Taken together, current findings may contribute to other studies regarding clinical safety and bioavailability of the traditional drug Zuotai containing β-HgS.
Zuotai, also named as "gTso thal", a known Tibetan medicinal mixture containing insoluble cubic crystal mercuric sulfide (β-HgS), has been used to treat diseases with long history. The mercury release ratio from Zuotai in gastrointestinal environment is one determinant factor for its bioavailability and biological effect. However, the information is still scarce now. Therefore, the study was designed to investigate the effect of sulfhydryl biomolecules [L-cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH)] and pH on mercury dissociation from Zuotai, β-HgS, and hexagonal crystal mercuric sulfide (α-HgS) in artificial gastrointestinal juices or pure water with a 1:100 solid-liquid ratio. And, the digestion and peristalsis of gastrointestinal tract were simulated in vitro. The results showed the following trend for the mercury release ratio of Zuotai, artificial gastric juice > artificial intestinal juice > pure water, whereas the trend for β-HgS and α-HgS was as follows, artificial intestinal fluid > artificial gastric fluid > pure water. The mercury release ratios of Zuotai, β-HgS, and α-HgS significantly increased in artificial intestinal juice containing L-Cys or GSH compared to those without sulfhydryl biomolecules in the juice. However, in contrast to the results observed for β-HgS and α-HgS, the mercury release ratio of Zuotai was reduced remarkably in pure water and artificial gastric juice with Cys or GSH. And, we found that strong acidic or strong alkaline environments promoted the dissociation of mercury from Zuotai, β-HgS, and α-HgS. Taken together, current findings may contribute to other studies regarding clinical safety and bioavailability of the traditional drug Zuotai containing β-HgS.
This study is aimed to explore the effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium combined application on the active components of Rhodiola crenulata. R. crenulata was used as the research object, "3414" fertilization experiment were conducted with regular fertilization of NPK(N 60 kg·hm⁻², P₂O₅ 100 kg·hm⁻²,KCl 160 kg·hm⁻²) to study the effect of different rates of NPK fertilization on the total amount of 4 phenolic constituents of gallic acid, salidroside, tyrol and ethyl gallate through field test. The results show that the content of salidroside was higher in the treatment of N₁P₂K₁ and N₁P₂K₂, andthe total amount of four phenols was higher in the treatment of N₁P₂K₂ and N₂P₂K₂. The suitable level of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium promoted the accumulation of the 4 kinds of phenols.The amount of fertilizer recommended by the three factor fertilizer effect equation,(N 0 kg·hm⁻²,P₂O₅ 150 kg·hm⁻²,KCl 31.71 kg·hm⁻²) obtained the highest content of salidroside, and it was 1.54%.（N 35.54 kg·hm⁻²,P₂O₅ 150 kg·hm⁻²,KCl 237.73 kg·hm⁻²）obtained the highest content of 4 kinds of phenolic compounds, and it was 1.93%. This study provides a reference for the standardization of artificial planting of endangered Tibetan medicine.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE:Mindfulness-based intervention has received more clinical interest and empirical support for individuals with ADHD especially to improve attention. However, no systematic review has been done to analyze and compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention on individuals with ADHD in different age groups. This review examined its effectiveness for individuals (children, adolescents and adults) with ADHD to improve attention.
METHODS:
In 7 databases, totally of 152 studies were identified; 9 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were reviewed. Five of the studies recruited adults as the participants, two recruited adolescents as the participants, one recruited both adults and adolescents as the participants and one recruited children as the participants.
RESULTS:
It was found that mindfulness-based intervention was comparatively more popularly used in adults with ADHD to improve attention, and the improvement was significant.
CONCLUSION:
It is still unclear whether mindfulness-based intervention is effective for children and adolescence with ADHD due to limited studies available and the limitations of the study design in the reviewed studies. Therefore, more research in the future is required to answer the question.
Artemisia vestita Wall., a traditional Tibetan medicine, has wide clinical application for inflammatory diseases. However, its molecular mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity and underlying mechanism of the ethanol extract from Artemisia vestita (AV-ext) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. Pretreatment with AV-ext significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in serum and liver and lung tissues, and improved the survival of mice with experimental sepsis. AV-ext also remarkably reduced the expression levels of TNF-alpha, interleukin-1beta and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and dose dependently suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, pretreatment with AV-ext dose dependently inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), as well as the degradation and phosphorylation of inhibitory kappaB (IkappaB) in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results collectively reveal that AV-ext inhibits TNF-alpha release from macrophages by suppressing MAPK and NF-kappaB signaling pathways and suggest that AV-ext may be beneficial for the treatment of endotoxin shock or sepsis.
Artemisia vestita Wall., a traditional Tibetan medicine, has wide clinical application for inflammatory diseases. However, its molecular mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity and underlying mechanism of the ethanol extract from Artemisia vestita (AV-ext) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. Pretreatment with AV-ext significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in serum and liver and lung tissues, and improved the survival of mice with experimental sepsis. AV-ext also remarkably reduced the expression levels of TNF-alpha, interleukin-1beta and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and dose dependently suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, pretreatment with AV-ext dose dependently inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), as well as the degradation and phosphorylation of inhibitory kappaB (IkappaB) in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results collectively reveal that AV-ext inhibits TNF-alpha release from macrophages by suppressing MAPK and NF-kappaB signaling pathways and suggest that AV-ext may be beneficial for the treatment of endotoxin shock or sepsis.
Artemisia vestita Wall., a traditional Tibetan medicine, has wide clinical application for inflammatory diseases. However, its molecular mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity and under-lying mechanism of the ethanol extract from Artemisia vestita (AV-ext) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. Pretreatment with AV-ext significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in serum and liver and lung tissues, and improved the survival of mice with experimental sepsis. AV-ext also remarkably reduced the expression levels of TNF-α, interleukin-1β and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and dose dependently suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, pretreatment with AV-ext dose dependently inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), as well as the degradation and phosphorylation of inhibitory κB (IκB) in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results collectively reveal that AV-ext inhibits TNF-α release from macrophages by suppressing MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways and suggest that AV-ext may be beneficial for the treatment of endotoxin shock or sepsis.
Porous hollow carbonaceous microspheres (PHCMs) fabricated from yeast cells by hydrothermal treatment have stimulated interest because of their outstanding chemical and physical properties. Herein, the functionalizations of PHCMs by further coating of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles onto the surface were carried out. The structure of resulted α-Fe2O3@PHCMs products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and BET specific surface area measurements (BET), respectively. Its promising application was evaluated by the Fenton-like degradation of fluorescent whitening agent-VBL from aqueous solutions.<br>In this work, novel α-Fe2O3@porous hollow carbonaceous microspheres (α-Fe2O3@PHCMs) were synthesized through a combination of hydrothermal method and calcinations route and achieved excellent removal efficiency for fluorescent whitening Agent-VBL.<br><br>Display Omitted<br>• The hybrid α-Fe2O3@ porous hollow microspheres (PHCMs) were firstly fabricated. • The formation mechanism of α-Fe2O3@PHCMs microspheres was proposed and verified. • Dithizone played a key role in the synthesis of α-Fe2O3@PHCMs composites. • A favorable removal for the fluorescent whitening agent-VBL were achieved.
Glucose carbon with uniform diameter was successfully anchored by TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles via a facile low-temperature hydrothermal process independent of surfactants or external forces. The resultant TiO<sub>2</sub>@glucose carbon composite (TiO<sub>2</sub>@GCs) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The elimination of direct deep blue (DDB) from aqueous solution by adsorption onto TiO<sub>2</sub>@GCs was investigated in the up-flow fixed-bed columns. The effects of the influent concentration (10-30 mg L<sup>−1</sup>), flow rate (3-5 mL min<sup>−1</sup>), bed depth (1.0-2.0 cm) and pH (1.0-9.0) were investigated. Breakthrough time and adsorption capacity of the fixed-bed increased with increasing bed depth, whereas decreased with the increase in initial concentration, bed depth and solution pH values. The experimental data was in good agreement with both Thomas model and Yoon-Nelson model. The employed bed saturated with DDB was readily regenerated through a simple regeneration process with UV irradiation for 1 h. Furthermore, the adsorption-regeneration process was conducted for six cycles and no major decrease of regeneration efficiency was observed for the first three cycles. One possible mechanism for regenerating dye-loaded TiO<sub>2</sub>@GCs was proposed. The verifying experiment found that hydroxyl radicals and superoxide ions significantly affected the regeneration of employed TiO<sub>2</sub>@GCs bed.
The paper introduces the heated moxibustion and bloodletting in Tibetan medical literature of Dunhuang Heritage. It proves that the external therapies in Tibetan medicine such as heated moxibustion and bloodletting are of very high level since the 8th century, which inspires current clinical practice. It also shows that the extensive exchange between Tibetan medicine and various kinds of medicine such as Chinese medicine promoted the development of Tibetan medicine.
<p>This issue of the journal <em>Materials for Historical Research on Kanlho</em> (Kan lho'i lo rgyus dpyad gzhi'i yig rigs) provides short histories for over 80 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province, China. (Ben Deitle 2009-07-15)</p>
An ethyl acetate extract from the barks of the ethnic Chinese medicine <i>Daphne tangutica</i> Maxim. exhibited antihepatocellular carcinoma activity against HepG2 and Hep3B cell lines. By using high-performance liquid chromatography based activity profiling in combination with offline liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and NMR analysis, we rapidly identified ten major components of the extract, including seven active principles, coumarins (<b>1-4</b>) and biscoumarins (<b>7, 8, 10</b>), along with three inactive flavonoids (<b>5, 6, 9</b>). This study demonstrated that our combined protocol can be used as an important strategy for chemical profiling, dereplication as well as the identification of bioactive compounds from herbal medicines.
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