Taxillus chinensis,belonging to hemiparasitic herbal medicine and featuring its wild host range,is used for relief from rheumatic conditions,reinforcement of liver and kidney,strengthening of tendon and bone,and prevention of abortion.It showed that host trees presented significant impacts on the quality of Taxillus chinensis in the modern researches.In this study,both domestic and foreign published articles over Taxillus chinensis from various host trees were reviewed to summarized its herbalogy,chemical constituents,toxicity,and pharmacological action.In regard to the influences on the quality of medicinal materials,ideas and references for the quality control of Taxillus chinensis were provided by analyzing the quality of Taxillus chinensis impacted by hosts.

Objective To elucidate the therapeutic mechanism of Qingxin Jieyu Granule(QXJYG)against atherosclerosis(AS)based on network pharmacology.Methods The major targets and pathways of QXJYG against AS were analyzed using network pharmacology.Rat models of AS established by high-fat feeding combined with intraperitoneal vitamin D3 injection were treated daily with normal saline,atorvastatin(13.15 mg/kg),or QXJYG at 0.99,1.98,and 3.96 g/kg for 8 weeks(n=6).Ultrasound and HE staining were used to assess the function and pathologies of the abdominal aorta.Blood lipids and serum levels of Ang II,ET-1,TXA2,PGI2,and ox-LDL of the rats were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer or ELISA.The expressions of LOX-1,PPARγ,RXRα,p-P65,VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in the abdominal aorta were detected with immunohistochemistry.Results The rat models of AS showed obvious abdominal aorta wall thickening,increased pulse wave velocity and pulse index,decreased inner diameter of the abdominal aorta,elevated levels of TC,LDL-C,Ang II,ET-1 and TXA2,and lowered levels of HDL-C and PGI2.QXJYG and atorvastatin treatment of the rat models significantly alleviated histopathological changes of the abdominal aorta,decreased serum levels of TC,LDL-C,Ang II,ET-1 and TXA2,and increased the levels of HDL-C and PGI2.Network pharmacology study suggested the therapeutic effect of QXJYG against AS was mediated by regulating lipid metabolism,PPAR and NF-κB pathways.Consistently,treatments with QXJYG were found to significantly decrease ox-LDL level and LOX-1,P-P65,VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 protein expressions while increasing PPARγ and RXRα expressions in the aorta of AS rats.Conclusion QXJYG alleviates lipid metabolism disorder and improves histopathological changes of the abdominal aorta of AS rats possibly by lowering ox-LDL level,reducing LOX-1 expression,activating PPARγ and RXRα,and inhibiting P65 phosphorylation to reduce VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression in the aorta.

Objective To elucidate the therapeutic mechanism of Qingxin Jieyu Granule(QXJYG)against atherosclerosis(AS)based on network pharmacology.Methods The major targets and pathways of QXJYG against AS were analyzed using network pharmacology.Rat models of AS established by high-fat feeding combined with intraperitoneal vitamin D3 injection were treated daily with normal saline,atorvastatin(13.15 mg/kg),or QXJYG at 0.99,1.98,and 3.96 g/kg for 8 weeks(n=6).Ultrasound and HE staining were used to assess the function and pathologies of the abdominal aorta.Blood lipids and serum levels of Ang II,ET-1,TXA2,PGI2,and ox-LDL of the rats were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer or ELISA.The expressions of LOX-1,PPARγ,RXRα,p-P65,VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in the abdominal aorta were detected with immunohistochemistry.Results The rat models of AS showed obvious abdominal aorta wall thickening,increased pulse wave velocity and pulse index,decreased inner diameter of the abdominal aorta,elevated levels of TC,LDL-C,Ang II,ET-1 and TXA2,and lowered levels of HDL-C and PGI2.QXJYG and atorvastatin treatment of the rat models significantly alleviated histopathological changes of the abdominal aorta,decreased serum levels of TC,LDL-C,Ang II,ET-1 and TXA2,and increased the levels of HDL-C and PGI2.Network pharmacology study suggested the therapeutic effect of QXJYG against AS was mediated by regulating lipid metabolism,PPAR and NF-κB pathways.Consistently,treatments with QXJYG were found to significantly decrease ox-LDL level and LOX-1,P-P65,VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 protein expressions while increasing PPARγ and RXRα expressions in the aorta of AS rats.Conclusion QXJYG alleviates lipid metabolism disorder and improves histopathological changes of the abdominal aorta of AS rats possibly by lowering ox-LDL level,reducing LOX-1 expression,activating PPARγ and RXRα,and inhibiting P65 phosphorylation to reduce VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression in the aorta.

Paridis Rhizoma， a traditional valuable Chinese herbal medicine， has the functions of clearing heat and removing toxin， relieving edema and pain， cooling liver and calming convulsion， which can be used to treat various diseases such as mumps， abscess， burn， bleeding， and tumor. It has been used in folk medicine for a long time and is the main raw material of various Chinese patent medicines such as Gongxuening Capsules and Yunnan Baiyao. Polyphyllin Ⅰ， an isospirostanol saponin and one of the main active components in Paridis Rhizoma， is distributed in the rhizome， pericarp， and leaves of Paris polyphylla. With high polarity， polyphyllin Ⅰ is mainly extracted by n-butanol extraction and macroporous adsorption resin chromatography， separated by silica gel column chromatography and preparative high performance liquid chromatography， and purified with the combination of methods. With anti-tumor， anti-inflammatory， antibacterial， and anti-virus effects， it is generally employed to treat liver cancer， lung cancer， gastric cancer and other cancers as well as arthritis， influenza， sore toxin， and bacterial infection. However， polyphyllin Ⅰ may cause stomach irritation， hemolysis， liver damage， kidney damage， heart damage， and other adverse reactions. Pharmacokinetic studies show that it has problems such as low bioavailability and poor intestinal absorption and permeability， which affect the clinical application of polyphyllin Ⅰ. This paper summarizes the research on the plant sources， extraction and separation methods， pharmacological effects， adverse reactions， and pharmacokinetics of polyphyllin Ⅰ in recent years， which is expected to provide a reference for the rational clinical application and other in-depth research work of polyphyllin Ⅰ.