This study aims to investigate the correlations of the appearance traits, total antioxidant capacity, and component content of Forsythiae Fructus processed by different methods, explore the effects of different processing methods on the abovementioned three aspects of Forsythiae Fructus, and screen out the internal and external indicators that have important effects on its quality. It determined the length, diameter, stem length, chroma value L~*, a~*, b~*, and other appearance indexes and antioxidant activity of Forsythiae Fructus processed by different methods. The content of forsythiaside A, rutin, forsythin, pinoresinol, and phillygenin was determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography(UPLC). Correlation analysis, principal component analysis(PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), and independent sample t-test analysis were performed on the appearance indexes and the component content. The correlation analysis showed that there were differences in the appearance traits and the component content. L~* and E~* had highly significant negative correlations with pinoresinol and phillygenin(P<0.01) and significant positive correlations with forsythiaside A(P<0.05). There were a highly significant negative correlation between a~* and forsythiaside A(P<0.01) and highly significant positive correlations of a~* with pinoresinol and phillygenin(P<0.01). There were a highly significant positive correlation between b~* and forsythiaside A(P<0.01) and highly significant negative correlations of b~* with pinoresinol and phillygenin(P<0.01). The total antioxidant capacity had highly significant negative correlations with pinoresinol and phillygenin(P<0.01). The PCA results showed that there were differences among Forsythiae Fructus samples processed by different methods. OPLS-DA marked five important indicators, which were forsythiaside A, stem length, E~*, L~*, and b~*. The results of independent sample t-test showed that the content of forsythiaside A, pinoresinol, and phillygenin, the total antioxidant capacity, and the appearance traits such as L~*, a~*, b~*, and E~* were significantly different between the Forsythiae Fructus samples processed by steaming and boiling(P<0.05). According to content determination and a related biological activity analysis, steaming is a good choice from the perspective of improving the stability of chemical constituents and antioxidant activity of Forsythiae Fructus. From the point of view of improving the stability of chemical constituents and anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of Forsythiae Fructus, it is recommended to use boiling as the processing method. Based on the above analysis methods, the main indexes for the appearance traits of Forsythiae Fructus processed by different methods are powder chroma value(L~*, a~*, b~*, E~*), stem length, and total antioxidant capacity, and those for chemical constituents are the content of forsythiaside A, pinoresinol, and phillygenin. This study provides reference for seeking scientific processing methods of Forsythiae Fructus.
Forsythia/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Antioxidants/analysis* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Glycosides/analysis* ; Principal Component Analysis ; Furans ; Lignans

Rubi Fructus has a long history of medicinal and edible use in China. It contains chemical components such as terpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, fatty acids, and alkaloids, and possesses various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anti-tumor, anti-osteoporosis, and liver-protective effects. Rubi Fructus is widely applied in medical, health, and food fields. The quality of Rubi Fructus can directly affect the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication. Therefore, this article reviews the research progress on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Rubi Fructus. Based on the concept of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) quality markers(Q-markers), the article explores the screening and determination of Q-markers for Rubi Fructus from various aspects, including plant kinship, traditional efficacy, medicinal properties, measurability of chemical composition, different processing methods, producing areas, harvesting periods, and planting conditions. The components ellagic acid, kaempferol, quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, rutin, astragalin, tiliroside, and hyperoside are preliminarily proposed as Q-markers for Rubi Fructus, providing a reference for the quality control of Rubi Fructus.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Rubus/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Animals

In this study, potential quality markers(Q-markers) of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus for treating bronchial asthma were predicted based on analytic hierarchy process(AHP), entropy weight method(EWM), fingerprint, and network pharmacology. AHPEWM was employed to quantitatively identify the Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus. AHP was used to weight the primary indicators(effectiveness, measurability, and specificity), while EWM was employed to analyze the secondary indicators of each primer indicator. Further, through fingerprint combined with network pharmacology, a ″component-target-pathway″ network was constructed to screen the components of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus for treating bronchial asthma. It was finally determined that schisandrol A,schisandrin A, and schisandrin B were potential Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in the treatment of bronchial asthma. This study is the first to comprehensively use AHP-EWM, fingerprint, and network pharmacology to screen the key Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in the treatment of bronchial asthma. This study provides a scientific basis for improving the quality standard of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus and lays a foundation for studying its material basis in treating bronchial asthma.
Schisandra/chemistry* ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Humans ; Entropy ; Lignans/analysis* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Cyclooctanes ; Polycyclic Compounds/analysis*

Qualitative and quantitative analysis methods for chemical components of different processed products of Corni Fructus were established to systematically characterize and identify these components, and the content of the main differential components was determined. The chemical components of different processed products of Corni Fructus were collected using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Through analysis of self-built databases, literature, and reference standards, a total of 93 components were obtained, including 19 iridoids, 15 flavonoids, 16 organic acids, eight triterpenoids, eight tannins, four amino acids, two polysaccharides, five olefins, and 16 other compounds. Additionally, by using multivariate statistical methods, the differential components between different processed products of Corni Fructus were screened under the conditions of VIP>1.0 and FC<0.5 or FC>2.0 and P<0.05. The PCA and OPLS-DA results showed differences in the chemical components between different processed products of Corni Fructus. A total of 21 differential components were screened, including tartaric acid, morroniside, and rutin. On this basis, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) was used to determine the content of 10 main common differential components, including gallic acid, morroniside, ursolic acid, loganin, swertiamarin, rutin, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, cornuside Ⅰ, quercetin, and oleanolic acid. The above 10 components showed a good linear relationship within the determined concentration range, with the precision, stability, repeatability, and sample recovery rate all meeting the requirements. Compared with that in Corni Fructus, the content of iridoid glycosides in wine-prepared Corni Fructus and wine-and honey-prepared Corni Fructus decreased, while the content of gallic acid, rutin, quercetin, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid increased. Compared with wine-prepared Corni Fructus, wine-and honey-prepared Corni Fructus showed varying degrees of increase in all other components, except for a slight decrease in gallic acid content. In summary, this study clarified the influence of different processing methods on the chemical components of Corni Fructus, providing a theoretical basis for the scientific connotation, overall quality evaluation, and clinically rational application of Corni Fructus processing in the future.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Cornus/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry*

To study the differences in transcript levels among different organs of Spatholobus suberectus and to explore the genes encoding enzymes related to the catechin biosynthesis pathway, this study utilized the genome and full-length transcriptome data of S. suberectus as references. Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed on five different organs of S. suberectus-roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits-using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. A total of 115.28 Gb of clean data were obtained, with GC content values ranging from 45.19% to 47.54%, Q20 bases at 94.17% and above, and an overall comparison rate with the reference genome around 90%. In comparisons between the stem and root, stem and leaf, stem and flower, and stem and fruit, 10 666, 9 674, 9 320, and 5 896 differentially expressed genes(DEGs) were identified, respectively. The lowest number of DEGs was found in the stem and root comparison group. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly concentrated in the pathways of phytohormone signaling, phenylalanine biosynthesis, etc. A total of 39 genes were annotated in the catechin biosynthesis pathway, with at least one highly expressed gene found in all organs. Among these, PAL1, PAL2, C4H1, C4H3, 4CL1, 4CL2, and DFR2 showed high expression in the stems, suggesting that they may play important roles in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in S. suberectus. This study aims to provide important information for the in-depth exploration of the regulation of catechin biosynthesis in S. suberectus through transcriptome analysis of its different organs and to provide a reference for the further realization of S. suberectus varietal improvement and molecular breeding.
Catechin/biosynthesis* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Fabaceae/metabolism* ; Transcriptome ; Flowers/metabolism* ; Plant Stems/metabolism* ; Plant Leaves/metabolism* ; Plant Roots/metabolism* ; Fruit/metabolism*

Eight amide alkaloids(1-8) were isolated from the 70% ethanol extract of Cannabis Fructus using silica gel column chromatography, MCI column chromatography, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Their structures were identified as hempspiramide A(1), N-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]formamide(2), N-acetyltyramide(3), N-trans-p-coumaroyltyramine(4), N-trans-caffeoyltyramine(5), N-trans-feruloyltyramine(6), N-cis-p-coumaroyltyramine(7), N-cis-feruloyltyramine(8) by using spectroscopic methods such as NMR and MS. Among these compounds, compound 1 was a new amide alkaloid, while compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from Cannabis Fructus for the first time. Some of the isolates were assayed for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 5-7 displayed significant inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase with IC_(50) values ranging from 1.07 to 4.63 μmol·L~(-1).
Cannabis/chemistry* ; Alkaloids/pharmacology* ; Amides/isolation & purification* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Molecular Structure ; alpha-Glucosidases/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid

Gardeniae Fructus, a traditional Chinese medicine, has significant pharmacological activities such as clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting bile secretion and protecting liver injury. It is widely used in clinical practice for treating conditions like fever-induced restlessness, damp-heat jaundice, dysuria with pain, and fire-toxin sores. Gardeniae Fructus has been included in "list of items that are both food and medicine", so it is also used as an ingredient in food and health products. However, recent toxicological studies have shown that Gardeniae Fructus has certain potential hepatotoxicity, and its improper use may pose a risk. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the dual regulatory effects and their scientific connotations of Gardeniae Fructus on efficacy and toxicity. Based on the current progress in clinical, pharmacological and toxicological researches, this paper will discuss the characteristics and possible mechanisms of the dual effects of efficacy and toxicity of Gardeniae Fructus, and propose thoughts on the rational clinical use and scientific supervision of Gardeniae Fructus.
Animals ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Gardenia/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Liver/drug effects*

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the anti-aging effect of β-sitosterol (BS), an important component in the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq., in C. elegans and its regulatory effect on ETS-5 gene to modulate ferroptosis. METHODS: C. elegans treated with 10 µg/mL BS were monitored for survival time and changes in body length, motility, and reproductive function. The effect of ETS-5 gene knockdown on survival time of C. elegans was observed, and the changes in fat accumulation and lipid redox homeostasis in the transfected C. elegans were assessed using Oil Red O staining and by detecting MDA levels and the GSH/GSSG ratio. The mRNA expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes (FTN-1, GPX-1 and AAT-9) were detected using qPCR. The effects of BS treatment and ETS-5 knockdown on AAT-9 enzyme activity in C. elegans were examined. The effect of BS on nuclear localization of FEV (the human homolog of ETS-5) was validated in cultured human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVECs). RESULTS: Both BS treatment and ETS-5 knockdown significantly prolonged the lifespan, promoted lipid accumulation and reduced lipid peroxidation in C. elegans. ETS-5 knockdown resulted in upregulated expressions of the ferroptosis repressors GPX-1, AAT-9 and FTN-1 and increased the GSH/GSSG ratio in C. elegans. CONCLUSIONS BS inhibits ferroptosis in C. elegans by suppressing the expression of ETS-5 transcription factor and hence the activity of AAT-9 enzyme, a key gene for ferroptosis, which in turn prolongs the lifespan of C. elegans.
Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans/physiology* ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Alpinia/chemistry* ; Sitosterols/pharmacology* ; Longevity/drug effects* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Humans

Docynia delavayi (Franch.) Schneid. is an economic fruit plant with high medicinal and edible values. The TCP gene family plays a vital role in plant growth and development. To explore the function of the TCP gene family in the growth and development of D. delavayi. In this study, the TCP gene family (DdeTCP) members were identified from the D. delavayi genome and their expression levels at different stages of seed germination and fruit development were analyzed. The results showed that a total of 18 DdeTCP genes were identified from the D. delavayi genome, with uneven location on 11 chromosomes. The phylogenetic tree showed that the 18 DdeTCPs could be classified into class Ⅱ (3) and class Ⅱ (15), suggesting that functional differentiation occurred among the DdeTCP family members. DdeTCP11 highly homologous to AtTCP14 was highly expressed in the early stage of seed germination, which suggested that this gene played a key role in seed germination. In addition, DdeTCP16 in class Ⅱ had a high expression level during the fruit ripening stage, which indicated that it might be related to fruit ripening. The findings lay a foundation for probing into the roles of the DdeTCP gene family in the growth and development of D. delavayi.
Phylogeny ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Multigene Family ; Genome, Plant/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Germination/genetics* ; Fruit/growth & development* ; Genes, Plant

Background: The 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey results showed that the contribution of fruits and vegetables (FV) in the one-day food intake of adolescents only accounted for 2.6% and 5.9%, respectively. Numerous literatures also stated that insufficient intake of FV is associated with the development of most non-communicable diseases. Objectives: This study was undertaken to compare the knowledge and consumption of FV between selected respondents from public and private SHS in Imus City. Methods: The study used a descriptive research design, and convenience sampling was done to gather respondents. A self-administered questionnaire was developed and the level of knowledge on FV was classified into low, fair, and good. In the evaluation of FV amount consumption, the Daily Nutrition Guide Pyramid for Teens was used. The data were reported in mean, mode, and percentages. Results: More public SHS (49%) obtained a good level of knowledge on nutrient contents of FV, and consumed fruits (61%) more than the recommended daily serving. While more private SHS (96%) had a good level of knowledge of its health benefits but consumed vegetables (67%) less than the recommended daily serving. Their most consumed vegetables were dahon ng sili and garlic. The most consumed fruits were Indian mango and pear. Squash (47%) was the most liked vegetable by both groups. The majority of public SHS identified banana (37%) as their most liked fruit while it was mango (22%) for the majority of private SHS. Public SHS respondents were also recorded to have a lower average estimated family expenditure on FV. Conclusion The study concluded that both public and private SHS do not consume adequate amounts of FV despite their good level of knowledge of its nutrients and health benefits.
Knowledge ; Economics ; Fruit ; Vegetables