Sophorae Flavescentis Radix is one of the commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in China, and a large amount of pharmaceutical residue generated during its processing and production is discarded as waste, which not only wastes resources but also pollutes the environment. Therefore, elucidating the chemical composition of the residue of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and the differences between the residue and Sophorae Flavescentis Radix itself is of great significance for the comprehensive utilization of the residue. This study, based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) technology combined with multivariate statistical methods, provides a thorough characterization, identification, and differential analysis of the overall components of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue. Firstly, 61 compounds in Sophorae Flavescentis Radix were rapidly identified based on their precise molecular weight, fragment ions, and compound abundance, using a self-constructed compound database. Among them, 41 compounds were found in the residue, mainly alkaloids and flavonoids. Secondly, through principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), 15 key compounds differentiating Sophorae Flavescentis Radix from its residue were identified. These included highly polar alkaloids, such as oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine, which showed significantly reduced content in the residue, and less polar flavonoids, such as kurarinone and kuraridin, which were more abundant in the residue. In summary, this paper clarifies the overall composition, structure, and content differences between Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue, suggesting that the residue of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix can be used as a raw material for the extraction of its high-activity components, with promising potential for development and application in cosmetics and daily care. This research provides a scientific basis for the future comprehensive utilization of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Sophora/chemistry* ; Flavonoids/chemistry* ; Alkaloids/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE: Cigarette smoking exacerbates the progression of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in chronic lung diseases has gained attention; however, it remains unclear whether smoking-exacerbated lung damage in TB is associated with TLS. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of pulmonary TLS in smokers with TB and to explore the possible role of TLS in smoking-related lung injury in TB. METHODS: Lung tissues from 36 male patients (18 smokers and 18 non-smokers) who underwent surgical resection for pulmonary TB were included in this study. Pathological and immunohistological analyses were conducted to evaluate the quantity of TLS, and chest computed tomography (CT) was used to assess the severity of lung lesions. The correlation between the TLS quantity and TB lesion severity scores was analyzed. The immune cells and chemokines involved in TLS formation were also evaluated and compared between smokers and non-smokers. RESULTS: Smoker patients with TB had significantly higher TLS than non-smokers ( P < 0.001). The TLS quantity in both the lung parenchyma and peribronchial regions correlated with TB lesion severity on chest CT (parenchyma: r = 0.5767; peribronchial: r = 0.7373; both P < 0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed increased B cells, T cells, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) expression in smoker patients with TB ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Smoker TB patients exhibited increased pulmonary TLS, which was associated with exacerbated lung lesions on chest CT, suggesting that cigarette smoking may exacerbate lung damage by promoting TLS formation.
Humans ; Male ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/immunology* ; Middle Aged ; Tertiary Lymphoid Structures/pathology* ; Adult ; Lung/pathology* ; Smoking/adverse effects* ; Smokers ; Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

This study aims to identify the main chemical compounds, investigate the effects of different drying methods on the quality, and determine the appropriate drying method of Callicarpae Nudiflorae Folium. UPLC-UV-Q-TOF-MS was employed to characterize and identify 35 main compounds, including phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoids, and iridoids in Callicarpae Nudiflorae Folium. A method for the simultaneous determination of 8 compounds with strong UV absorption and high content was established to evaluate the quality of Callicarpae Nudiflorae Folium dried by different methods. UPLC-UV-Q-TOF-MS combined with principal component analysis(PCA) was employed to compare the Callicarpae Nudiflorae Folium samples treated by microwave drying at different power(119, 231, and 385 W), drying in the shade, sun drying, and oven drying at different temperatures(50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 ℃). The total content of decaffeoyl acteoside, picroside Ⅲ, galuteolin, forsythin B, acteoside, isoacteoside, 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-glucoside, and caffeic acid in Callicarpae Nudiflorae Folium, as well as the content of most compounds, decreased with the rise in drying temperature and with the decrease in microwave power. Considering the content of compounds, low carbon, and energy saving, microwave drying at 231 W, low-temperature drying, or natural drying is recommended for the production of Callicarpae Nudiflorae Folium. This study provides a scientific basis for the selection of drying methods for Callicarpae Nudiflorae Folium at the place of origin and for the improvement of quality standards.
Desiccation/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Callicarpa/chemistry* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Microwaves ; Mass Spectrometry

Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Tetanus/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology*

Moutan Cortex(MC) residues produced after the extraction of MC can be re-extracted for active components and used to produce organic fertilizer and animal feed. However, they are currently disposed as domestic waste, which pollutes the environment. This study analyzed the chemical composition of the medicinal material, residues, and residue compost of MC by UPLC-UV-Q-TOF-MS. Furthermore, the nutrient composition of MC residues and the residue compost was analyzed. The results showed that:(1)MC residues had lower content of chemicals than the medicinal material, and content of paeonol, gallic acid, and galloylglucose in MC residues were about 1/3 of that in the medicinal material. The content of chemicals were further reduced after residue composting, and the quantitative compounds were all below the limits of detection.(2)Compared with MC residues, the residue compost showed the total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, and organic matter content increasing by 122.67%, 31.32%, 120.39%, and 32.06%, respectively. Therefore, we concluded that the MC residues can be used to re-extract active compounds such as paeonol, gallic acid, and galloylglucose. The MC residue compost is a high-quality organic fertilizer containing minimal content of chemicals and can be widely used in the cultivation of Chinese medicinal herbs.
Animals ; Composting ; Fertilizers ; Soil/chemistry* ; Hydrolyzable Tannins ; Nutrients ; Acetophenones ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Paeonia

Objective:To investigate the expression of microRNA-27b (miRNA-27b) , miRNA-221 and miRNA-222 in keloids and their relationship with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).Methods:From January 2021 to January 2022, 36 cases of keloid tissue (keloid group) , 36 cases of normal adjacent scar tissue (normal control group) and 12 cases of flat scar (flat scar group) were selected from Dermatology and Venereology Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People’ s Hospital. VEGF protein expression and microvascular density in the three groups were determined by immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of miRNA-27b, miRNA-221 and miRNA-222 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. SPSS 27. 0 statistical software was used for analysis. The measurement data of normal distribution were expressed as Mean ± SD. ANOVA was used for multi-group comparison, and LSD method was used for pound-for-pair multiple comparison. The measurement data of non-normal distribution were expressed as M ( Q1, Q3) , and Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis among data. All tests were bilateral tests, and P<0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The levels of VEGF protein and microvascular count in keloid group [(0. 28±0. 08) , (47. 78±14. 06) bar/×400 view] were significantly higher than those in normal control group [(0.09±0.05), (10.25±5.08) bar/×400 view] and flat scar group [(0.19±0.06) , (23.75±7.94) bar/× 400 view] , the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0. 01) . The expression level of miR-27b in keloid group [0.50 (0.32, 0.64) ] was significantly lower than that in normal control group [0.69 (0.37, 1.69) ] and flat scar group [1.35 (0.68, 1.74) ] , the difference was statistically significant ( P<0. 05). There were no significant difference in the expression levels of miR-221 and miR-222 among the three groups ( P>0. 05 ). Correlation analysis showed that miR-27b, miR-221, miR-222 were positively correlated with VEGF protein expression in keloid group ( r=0.36, 0.41, 0.37, P<0. 05). Conclusions:miR-27b, miR-221 and miR-222 in keloid are positively correlated with the expression of VEGF, which may have certain regulatory effects on its angiogenesis, and the low expression of miR-27b may play an important role in the occurrence and development of keloid.

Objective:To investigate the expression of microRNA-27b (miR-27b), miR-221 and miR-222 in keloids and their relationships with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).Methods:From January 2021 to January 2022, 36 cases of keloid tissue (keloid group), 36 cases of adjacent normal tissue (normal control group) and 12 cases of flat scars (flat scar group) were collected from Dermatology and Venereology Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Hospital. VEGF protein expression and microvessel density in the three groups were determined by immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of miR-27b, miR-221 and miR-222 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. SPSS 27.0 statistical software was used for statistical analysis. The normally distributed measurement data were expressed as Mean±SD. ANOVA was used for multi-group comparison, and the LSD method was used for pound-for-pair multiple comparisons. The measurement data of non-normal distribution were expressed as M ( Q1, Q3), and Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for the comparison between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used for the correlation analysis among data. All tests were bilateral tests, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The levels of VEGF protein and microvessel count in the keloid group [0.28±0.08, (47.78±14.06) bar /×400 view] were significantly higher than those in normal control group [0.09±0.05, (10.25±5.08) bar /×400 view] and flat scar group [0.19±0.06, (23.75±7.94) bar /×400 view], the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). The expression level of miR-27b in keloid group [0.50 (0.32, 0.64)] was significantly lower than that in normal control group [0.69 (0.37, 1.69)] and flat scar group [1.35 (1.25, 1.74)], the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the expression levels of miR-221 and miR-222 among the three groups ( P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that miR-27b, miR-221, miR-222 were positively correlated with VEGF protein expression in keloid group ( r=0.36, 0.41, 0.37, P<0.05). Conclusion:The expression of miR-27b is different in keloid, flat scar and normal tissue. miR-27b, miR-221 and miR-222 are positively correlated with VEGF expression in keloid, suggesting that the miRNA/VEGF axis may play a key role in the occurrence and progression of keloid.

Objective:To investigate the expression of microRNA-27b (miRNA-27b) , miRNA-221 and miRNA-222 in keloids and their relationship with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).Methods:From January 2021 to January 2022, 36 cases of keloid tissue (keloid group) , 36 cases of normal adjacent scar tissue (normal control group) and 12 cases of flat scar (flat scar group) were selected from Dermatology and Venereology Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People’ s Hospital. VEGF protein expression and microvascular density in the three groups were determined by immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of miRNA-27b, miRNA-221 and miRNA-222 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. SPSS 27. 0 statistical software was used for analysis. The measurement data of normal distribution were expressed as Mean ± SD. ANOVA was used for multi-group comparison, and LSD method was used for pound-for-pair multiple comparison. The measurement data of non-normal distribution were expressed as M ( Q1, Q3) , and Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis among data. All tests were bilateral tests, and P<0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The levels of VEGF protein and microvascular count in keloid group [(0. 28±0. 08) , (47. 78±14. 06) bar/×400 view] were significantly higher than those in normal control group [(0.09±0.05), (10.25±5.08) bar/×400 view] and flat scar group [(0.19±0.06) , (23.75±7.94) bar/× 400 view] , the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0. 01) . The expression level of miR-27b in keloid group [0.50 (0.32, 0.64) ] was significantly lower than that in normal control group [0.69 (0.37, 1.69) ] and flat scar group [1.35 (0.68, 1.74) ] , the difference was statistically significant ( P<0. 05). There were no significant difference in the expression levels of miR-221 and miR-222 among the three groups ( P>0. 05 ). Correlation analysis showed that miR-27b, miR-221, miR-222 were positively correlated with VEGF protein expression in keloid group ( r=0.36, 0.41, 0.37, P<0. 05). Conclusions:miR-27b, miR-221 and miR-222 in keloid are positively correlated with the expression of VEGF, which may have certain regulatory effects on its angiogenesis, and the low expression of miR-27b may play an important role in the occurrence and development of keloid.

Objective:To investigate the expression of microRNA-27b (miR-27b), miR-221 and miR-222 in keloids and their relationships with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).Methods:From January 2021 to January 2022, 36 cases of keloid tissue (keloid group), 36 cases of adjacent normal tissue (normal control group) and 12 cases of flat scars (flat scar group) were collected from Dermatology and Venereology Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Hospital. VEGF protein expression and microvessel density in the three groups were determined by immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of miR-27b, miR-221 and miR-222 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. SPSS 27.0 statistical software was used for statistical analysis. The normally distributed measurement data were expressed as Mean±SD. ANOVA was used for multi-group comparison, and the LSD method was used for pound-for-pair multiple comparisons. The measurement data of non-normal distribution were expressed as M ( Q1, Q3), and Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for the comparison between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used for the correlation analysis among data. All tests were bilateral tests, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The levels of VEGF protein and microvessel count in the keloid group [0.28±0.08, (47.78±14.06) bar /×400 view] were significantly higher than those in normal control group [0.09±0.05, (10.25±5.08) bar /×400 view] and flat scar group [0.19±0.06, (23.75±7.94) bar /×400 view], the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). The expression level of miR-27b in keloid group [0.50 (0.32, 0.64)] was significantly lower than that in normal control group [0.69 (0.37, 1.69)] and flat scar group [1.35 (1.25, 1.74)], the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the expression levels of miR-221 and miR-222 among the three groups ( P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that miR-27b, miR-221, miR-222 were positively correlated with VEGF protein expression in keloid group ( r=0.36, 0.41, 0.37, P<0.05). Conclusion:The expression of miR-27b is different in keloid, flat scar and normal tissue. miR-27b, miR-221 and miR-222 are positively correlated with VEGF expression in keloid, suggesting that the miRNA/VEGF axis may play a key role in the occurrence and progression of keloid.

This study aimed to characterize and identify the non-volatile components in Pogostemonis Herba by using ultra-perfor-mance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with UNIFI and an in-house library. The chemical components in 50% methanol extract of Pogostemonis Herba were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS in both positive and negative MS~E continuum modes. Then, the MS data were processed in UNIFI combined with an in-house library to automatically characterize the metabolites. Based on the multiple adduct ions, exact mass, diagnostic fragment ions, and peak intensity of compounds and the fragmentation pathways and retention behaviors of reference substances, the structures identified by UNIFI were further verified and those of the unidentified compounds were tentatively elucidated. A total of 120 compound structures were identified or tentatively identified, including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phenolic acids, terpenes, fatty acids, alkaloids, and phenylethanoid glycosides. Sixteen of them were accurately identified by comparison with reference substances, and 53 compounds were reported the first time for Pogostemonis Herba. This study systematically characterized and identified the non-volatile compounds in Pogostemonis Herba for the first time. The findings provide a scientific basis for revealing the pharmacodynamic material basis, establishing a quality control system, and developing products of Pogostemonis Herba.