Herb-glycosides are main active elements of Zhongcaoyao (Chinese traditional medicines, Chinese medical herbs). However, the herb-glycoside structures are not optimal active structure for the human bodies. After orally taken up, the herb-glycosides of Zhongcaoyao could be changed into other more active structures by the digestive system such as enzymes and intestinal microorganisms; then degraded and absorbed in the human body and play the real role of pharmic effect; but only a small amount could be changed and controlled by circadian state of the human body. If this biochange of herb-glycosides to more active structures in vivo was finished in vitro, it is very useful for the development of the Chinese traditional medicines, new plant medicines, health food, and function cosmetics. To biotransformate herb-glycosides to more active structure, this paper introduced the studies of author's team on the new microorganism isolation of the special herb-glycosidases and enzyme fermentation, the special enzyme purification and characterization.
Bacteria ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fermentation ; Ginsenosides ; metabolism ; Glycoside Hydrolases ; metabolism ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Saponins ; metabolism

Background: Dynamic preload indices may predict fluid responsiveness in end-stage liver disease. However, their usefulness in patients with altered vascular compliance is uncertain. This study is the first to evaluate whether dynamic indices can reliably predict fluid responsiveness in patients undergoing liver transplantation with a high femoral-to-radial arterial pressure gradient (PG). Methods: 80 liver transplant recipients were retrospectively categorized as having a normal (n = 56) or high (n = 24, difference in systolic pressure ≥ 10 mmHg and/or mean pressure ≥ 5 mmHg) femoral-to-radial arterial PG, measured immediately after radial and femoral arterial cannulation. The ability of dynamic preload indices (stroke volume variation, pulse pressure variation [PPV], pleth variability index) to predict fluid responsiveness was assessed before the surgery. Fluid replacement of 500 ml of crystalloid solution was performed over 15 min. Fluid responsiveness was defined as ≥ 15% increase in the stroke volume index. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) indicated the prediction of fluid responsiveness. Results: Fourteen patients in the normal, and eight in the high PG group were fluid responders. The AUCs for PPV in the normal, high PG groups and total patients were 0.702 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.553–0.851, P = 0.008), 0.633 (95% CI 0.384–0.881, P = 0.295) and 0.667 (95% CI 0.537–0.798, P = 0.012), respectively. No other index predicted fluid responsiveness. Conclusion PPV can be used as a dynamic index of fluid responsiveness in patients with end-stage liver disease but not in patients with altered vascular compliance.