A suitable ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of 11 mycotoxins with isotope internal standard in malt. The mycotoxins in malt were extracted and purified by one-step ultrasonic extraction procedure using acetonitrile/water/acetic acid (80 : 19 : 1), and then detected and confirmed by UPLC-MS/MS, and quantified by isotope labeled AFB1 ([13C17]-AFB1) and ZEN ([13C18]-ZEN) internal standards. Rapid separation of the 11 mycotoxins was successfully achieved on a Phenomenex Kinetex C18 column (100 mm x 2.1 mm, 2.6 μm) with gradient elution using the mobile phase of methanol containing 0.1% formic acid and 2 mmol x L(-1) ammonium acetate in water. Simultaneous acquisition was performed in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with electrospray ionization (ESI) source operated in both positive and negative ionization modes. The established method provided a good linearity for the 11 mycotoxins within their respective linear ranges with correlation coefficients all higher than 0.999 1. The average recoveries ranged from 75.0% to 117.0% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 5.1%. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantitation (LOQs) ranged from 0.05 to 30 μg x kg(-1) and 0.15 to 87.5 μg x kg(-1), respectively, which were below the maximum residue levels (MRLs) set by the European Union. Twenty malt samples were analyzed and nine samples were detected with mycotoxins, which were confirmed according to the same fragment ions found in positive samples and the standards at the same retention time. This study has demonstrated that the one-step extraction procedure of mycotoxins from complex matrices coupled to UPLC-MS/MS method is simple, quick, accurate and sensitive for quantitative and qualitative analysis of multiple mycotoxins in malt.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Fermentation ; Hordeum ; chemistry ; Limit of Detection ; Mycotoxins ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Adult ; Computer-Aided Design ; Humans ; Male ; Malocclusion ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Orthodontic Appliance Design ; Orthodontic Brackets ; Orthodontic Wires ; Radiography, Panoramic

All kinds of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) differed from each other with different chemical components and properties. Owing to poor conditions and technologies, and the lack of scientific preservation, most TCMs will easily become mouldy during the processes of growth, harvest, handling, translation and especially storage, which will not only influence the quality, safety and efficacy of TCMs, but also cause serious waste and economic losses, and even do great harm to human health. The process of storage is closely related to the qualities of TCMs with many interference factors. Therefore, scientific preservation of TCM during storage is crucial to prevent them from being mouldy. This review analyzed the important harm of mouldy TCMs, summarized the internal and external factors of resulting in TCMs to become mouldy. Based on the above discussion, together with the characteristics and limitations of current TCM preservation techniques, we prospect novel, scientific and reasonable preservation techniques, expecting to provide references for scientific preservation of TCMs to avoid becoming mouldy and guarantee their qualities.
Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drug Storage ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fungi ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; microbiology

· AIM: To observe the inhibitory effect of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on the proliferation of monkey choroidretinal endothelial cells (RF/6A) in hypoxia or normal conditions.retinal endothelial cells of rhesus monkey (RF/6A). The effect of TA on the cellular activity was observed by MTT,the effect on cellular proliferation and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry (FCM).cycle were reduced and the proportion of cells in G2-M phase was increased under the hypoxia condition .TA had a great effect on the cell cycle of choroid-retinal endothelial cells of rhesus monkey and it induced apoptosis of endothelial cells. It relatively increased the S-phase cells and reduced G2-M phase cells under both normal and hypoxia conditions, which indicates its role in blocking cell cycle from s-phase to G2-M phase and reducing mitosis.RF/6A cells while TA has the opposite effect in both normal and hypoxia conditions. TA can also induce apoptosis of endothelial cells.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of etanercept plus Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside (TWP) in elderly patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSTotally 46 elderly patients with active RA were randomly assigned to the treatment group (22 cases) and the control group (24 cases). All patients received subcutaneous injection of etanercept, 25 mg each time, twice per week. The dosage was reduced to once per week 3 months later. Patients in the treatment group took TWP Tablet (10 mg each time, three times per day), while those in the control group took methotrexate (MTX), 10 mg each time, once per week. The whole course lasted for 24 weeks. Patients' rest pain, tender joint number, swollen joint number, health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), patients' global assessment, physicians' global assessment, erythrocyte sediment rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), rheumatic factor were assessed at week 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24. The curative effect was statistically evaluated by the United States Institute of Rheumatology ACR20, ACR50, and ACR70 improvement criteria. Meanwhile, any adverse event was recorded and evaluated.

RESULTSTotally 41 completed the trial, and 5 dropped off (3 in the treatment group and 2 in the control group). Compared with the control group, there was no statistical difference in ACR20, ACR50, or ACR70 in the treatment group (P > 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, there was some improvement in tender joint number, swollen joint number, visual analogue scale (VAS) for patients' global assessment, VAS for physicians' global assessment, ESR, CRP, and HAQ between the two groups, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group in the same phase, there was no statistical difference in the treatment group (P > 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the occurrence of adverse events between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSEtanercept plus TWP could achieve equivalent therapeutic effect to that of Etanercept plus MTX. The two regimens could improve clinical signs, symptoms, and QOL related to RA. They were well tolerated in the treatment of elderly patients with active RA.

Aged ; Antirheumatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Etanercept ; Female ; Glycosides ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Tripterygium ; chemistry

The contamination of extrinsic harmful contaminants including mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides, etc, brings serious risks to traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), further to human health. Due to their unique photoluminescence, chemiluminescence, electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence properties, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) nanoparticles are widely used to immobilize bioprobes and biosensors, etc. In this review, the luminescence characteristics and specific ligands of QDs probles which are used to determine contaminants were summed up. Then, the applications of QDs-coated novel probes in the determination of mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides were discussed in detail. In addition, the contamination levels and characteristics of extrinsic harmful residues in TCMs were investigated. Further, the maximum levels of those contaminants in TCMs were compared with those set by various countries. Finally, the future development trends and problems of QDs-coated probes in the determination of those extrinsic residues in TCMs were prospected.
Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Nanotechnology ; instrumentation ; methods ; Quantum Dots ; Safety ; Time Factors

Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; Disease Susceptibility ; Female ; Genes, BRCA1 ; Genes, BRCA2 ; Humans ; Mutation ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; genetics

Cytometric bead array (CBA) is a new analytical technique, which can achieve real-time and rapid detection of targeted components in a small amount of sample. With many advantages of high throughput screening, high specificity and sensitivity, low cost, easy operation and good repeatability, this CBA technique has been widely used for the detection of various components in foods, agricultural products and environmental samples. Recently, it has got significant development in rapid detection of small molecules. This review briefly introduced the theory of CBA technique, summarized the application in the analysis of small molecules, such as mycotoxins, pesticide residues, shellfish toxins, and then prospected the application of trace small molecules detection in the complex matrices of traditional Chinese medicine and the development trend of it.
Drug Contamination ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; instrumentation ; methods ; Immunoassay ; instrumentation ; methods ; Microspheres ; Pesticides ; analysis ; Toxins, Biological ; analysis

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum biochemical parameters and Parkinson's disease (PD) risk in the elderly.Methods The 277 inpatients with PD as PD group in Jiangsu Province Hospital from January 2009 to December 2013 were selected,at the same time,the 277 age and gender-matched healthy persons were enrolled as control group.The levels of total cholesterol (TG),total bilirubin (TB),uric acid (UA),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were detected and compared between the two groups.Results The levels of TG,UA,TB,HDL-C and LDL-C were significantly lower in PD group than in control group [(4.35±1.13) mmol/L vs.(4.95±0.98) mmol/L,t=6.63;(278.00± 101.89)μmol/L vs.(380.90 ± 108.28) μmol/L,t =12.44;(13.02 ± 7.56) μmol/L vs.(17.39 ± 7.30)μmol/L,t=7.09;(1.26±0.37) mmol/L vs.(1.34±0.28) mmol/L,t=3.38;(2.59±0.79) mmol/L vs.(3.17±0.91) mmol/L,t=7.42,all P＜0.05].Logistic multiple regression analysis showed that the decreased levels of TB,UA and LDL-C were independently associated with prevalence risk of PD (OR=0.940,0.991 and 0.219,all P＜0.001).The combined score of TB,UA and LDL-C was constructed by using the linear weighted method.ROC curve was drawn to select the higher diagnostic validity index among TB,UA,LDL-C and combined score.The area under the ROC curve for TB,UA,LDL-C and combined score was 0.713,0.765,0.682 and 0.809 (all P＜0.001),and the value of combined score was the highest.Conclusions The decreased levels of TB,UA and LDL-C are independently associated with PD.They possess certain clinical value in evaluating the prevalence risk of PD.

Objective To analyse the effect of irinotecan hydrochloride injection on serum glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3), and WNT1 induced signaling pathway protein 2 (WISP2) and fibroblast growth factor binding protein 1 (FGFBP1) in tumor tissue fluid of patients with advanced rectal cancer.Methods 90 patients who were diagnosed with advanced rectal cancer in the hospital were collected.All patients were randomly divided into experimental group and control group,control group were treated with oxaliplatin +calcium folinate +fluorouracil chemotherapy, and experimental group were treated with oxaliplatin +calcium folinate +irinotecan hydrochloride injection chemotherapy.The treatment were repeated every four weeks, a total of six times.The serum GPX3 content, and WISP2, FGFBP1 levels in tumor tissue fluid were detected in two groups pre-and post treatment.The clinical efficacy was evaluated.ResuIts Compared with control group, the serum level of GPX3 in experimental group increased significantly (P<0.05);WISP2 level in tumor tissue fluid of experimental group increased significantly (P<0.05);FGFBP1 level in tumor tissue fluid of experimental group decreased significantly ( P<0.05 ) .The total efficiency of experimental group was higher than that of control group ( 64.44%vs.42.22%;χ2 =4.46,P<0.05), and the clinical benefit rate of experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group(93.33%vs.75.56%;χ2 =5.41,P<0.05).ConcIusion The irinotecan hydrochloride injection could increased levels of serum GPX3 and WISP2 in tumor tissue fluid, reduce FGFBP1 level in tumor tissue fluid, which has good clinical curative effect.