Background: The genus Atractylodes, native to East Asia, encompasses several species that serve as sources for the widely used traditional Chinese medicines Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Rhizoma. However, the international trade arouses concern regarding potential confusion and misidentification of Atractylodes species. Objective: A comprehensive understanding of the chemical diversity is crucial for ensuring the quality and exploring the potential variations in medicinal efficacy of Atractylodes. Methods: The GC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis identified 589 differentially accumulated metabolites across 5 Atractylodes species. Results: A total of 150 metabolites were predicted as potential chemical markers for species differentiation and quality assessment of Atractylodes. According to the metabolic profiles, the species of Atractylodes can be roughly classified into three categories: A. lancea and A. coreana with the volatile oil components being mainly atractylodin and β-eudesmol; A. macrocephala with the biomarker being atractylon; and A. japonica and A. carlinoides lying between the two categories above. Conclusions: Metabolomic results indicated that the metabolic profiles of A. carlinoides and A. macrocephala were similar and distinct from those of the other three species. Sesquiterpenoids were the main chemical components in the rhizome of A. carlinoides, which indicated the potential medicinal value of this plant.

Background: The genus Atractylodes, native to East Asia, encompasses several species that serve as sources for the widely used traditional Chinese medicines Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Rhizoma. However, the international trade arouses concern regarding potential confusion and misidentification of Atractylodes species. Objective: A comprehensive understanding of the chemical diversity is crucial for ensuring the quality and exploring the potential variations in medicinal efficacy of Atractylodes. Methods: The GC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis identified 589 differentially accumulated metabolites across 5 Atractylodes species. Results: A total of 150 metabolites were predicted as potential chemical markers for species differentiation and quality assessment of Atractylodes. According to the metabolic profiles, the species of Atractylodes can be roughly classified into three categories: A. lancea and A. coreana with the volatile oil components being mainly atractylodin and β-eudesmol; A. macrocephala with the biomarker being atractylon; and A. japonica and A. carlinoides lying between the two categories above. Conclusions: Metabolomic results indicated that the metabolic profiles of A. carlinoides and A. macrocephala were similar and distinct from those of the other three species. Sesquiterpenoids were the main chemical components in the rhizome of A. carlinoides, which indicated the potential medicinal value of this plant.

Background: The genus Atractylodes, native to East Asia, encompasses several species that serve as sources for the widely used traditional Chinese medicines Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Rhizoma. However, the international trade arouses concern regarding potential confusion and misidentification of Atractylodes species. Objective: A comprehensive understanding of the chemical diversity is crucial for ensuring the quality and exploring the potential variations in medicinal efficacy of Atractylodes. Methods: The GC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis identified 589 differentially accumulated metabolites across 5 Atractylodes species. Results: A total of 150 metabolites were predicted as potential chemical markers for species differentiation and quality assessment of Atractylodes. According to the metabolic profiles, the species of Atractylodes can be roughly classified into three categories: A. lancea and A. coreana with the volatile oil components being mainly atractylodin and β-eudesmol; A. macrocephala with the biomarker being atractylon; and A. japonica and A. carlinoides lying between the two categories above. Conclusions: Metabolomic results indicated that the metabolic profiles of A. carlinoides and A. macrocephala were similar and distinct from those of the other three species. Sesquiterpenoids were the main chemical components in the rhizome of A. carlinoides, which indicated the potential medicinal value of this plant.

Background: Epimedii Folium is well known for its medicinal value. Four Epimedium species—Euphorbia brevicornu, E. sagittatum, E. pubescens, and E. koreanum—are the designated original plants of Epimedii Folium. Objective: The objective of this study is to facilitate the identification of the four Epimedium species and clarify their distributional responses to climate change. Methods: In this study, we assessed the genetic divergence of the four species and identified the molecular markers for species identification by using chloroplast genome sequences. Furthermore, we forecasted the distribution of potentially suitable regions of the four species Folium under climate change. Results: The authors obtained 26 chloroplast genome sequences of the four species and identified 1393 variable sites and 273 indel events. Genetic divergence analyses revealed that E. koreanum had long genetic distance from the other three species. Compared with the complete chloroplast genome, six hypervariable markers were discovered, and both rps4-trnL and ndhF were chosen as Epimedii Folium-specific DNA barcodes. Climate change is expected to influence the geographical distribution of the four Epimedium species, which were primarily found in China, South Korea, and Japan, leading to both expansion and contraction of their distribution ranges. Conclusion: Two identification markers were selected as the specific DNA barcodes for all four original plant species of Epimedii Folium. In addition, the shift of potential suitable area in various climate scenarios has been predicted. With the support of identification markers and the dynamics of suitable distribution areas, we are able to establish a foundation for the sustainable utilization of medicinal Epimedium resources in the future.

Atractylodes lancea is a perennial herbaceous plant of Asteraceae, with rhizomes for medical use. However, A. lancea plants from different habitats have great variability, and the germplasm resources of A. lancea are unclear and mixed during production. Therefore, it is urgent to protect new varieties of A. lancea. The distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing of new plant varieties is the foundation of plant variety protection, and the DUS testing guidelines are the technical basis for variety approval agencies to conduct DUS testing. In this study, the phenotypic traits of 94 germplasm accessions of A. lancea were investigated considering the breeding and variety characteristics of A. lancea in China. The traits were classified and described, and 24 traits were preliminarily determined, including 20 basic traits that must be tested and four traits selected to be tested. The 20 basic traits included 3 quality traits, 5 false quality traits, and 12 quantitative traits, corresponding to 1 plant traits, 2 stem traits, 8 leaf traits, 6 flower traits, and 3 seed traits. The measurement ranges and coefficients of variation of eight quantitative traits were determined, on the basis of which the grading criteria and codes of the traits were determined and assigned. The guidelines has guiding significance for the trait evaluation, utilization, and breeding of new varieties of A. lancea.
Atractylodes/growth & development* ; China ; Phenotype ; Guidelines as Topic ; Plant Breeding

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the pillar for the development of motherland medicine, and animal medicine has a long history of application in China, characterized by wide resources, strong activity, definite efficacy, and great benefits. It has significant potential and important status in the consumption market of raw materials of TCM. In the context of global climate change, farming system alterations, and low renewability, the depletion of wild medicinal animal resources has accelerated. Accordingly, the conservation and sustainable utilization of wild resources of animal medicinal materials has become a problem that garners increasing attention and urgently needs to be solved. This paper summarizes the current situation of domestic and foreign medicinal animal breeding and research progress in industrial application in recent years and points out the issues related to standardized breeding, germplasm selection and breeding, and quality evaluation standards for medicinal animals. Furthermore, this paper discusses standardized breeding, quality standards, resource protection and utilization, and the search for alternative resources for rare and endangered medicinal animals. It proposes that researchers should systematically carry out in-depth basic research on animal medicine, improve the breeding scale and level of medicinal animals, employ modern technology to enhance the quality standards of medicinal materials, and strengthen the research and development of alternative resources. This approach aims to effectively address the relationship between protection and utilization and make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of medicinal animal resources and the animal-based Chinese medicinal material industry.
Animals ; Breeding ; China ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Conservation of Natural Resources

Objective To investigate the correlation between dual-energy computed tomography angiography(CTA)parameters of carotid plaques and acute stroke events.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and imaging data of patients who underwent dual-energy head and neck CTA and brain MRI scans.Utilizing the Siemens workstation(Syngo.Via VB40B),region of interest(ROI)were placed on the thickest slice of the carotid plaque in the axial plane to obtain parameters such as fat fraction(FF),virtual non-contrast(VNC)value,iodine concentration(IC),electron density(Rho),effective atomic number(Zeff),dual energy index(DEI),spectral curve,and corresponding CT values at 40 keV(40 keVHU)and 90 keV(90 keVHU).The slope of the energy spectrum curve(λ)was calculated within the 40 keV-90 keV range.Patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in the ipsilateral anterior circulation territory were classified into the ACI group,while those without were classified into the non-acute cerebral infarction(NACI)(NACI group).Qualitative data were analyzed using the x2 test,and quantitative data were analyzed using the t-test.The predictive performance was assessed using the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the differences between different ROC curves were compared using the DeLong test.Results A total of 72 patients were included,with 21 in the ACI group and 51 in the NACI group.The mean values of FF,Zeff,and 40 keVHU in the ACI group were greater than those in the NACI group.Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for Zeff,DEI,40 keVHU,and λ(P＜0.05).40 keVHU demonstrated the highest predictive performance,and the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity was 0.789,81.0％,and 74.5％,respectively.A combined variable constructed through logistic regression analysis yielded an AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.796,85.7％,and 70.6％,respectively,with no significant statistical differences compared to single factor variables.Conclusion Dual-energy CTA parameters of carotid plaques may aid in predicting intraplaque hemorrhage(IPH)and the occurrence of acute stroke events.

Objective To investigate the correlation between dual-energy computed tomography angiography(CTA)parameters of carotid plaques and acute stroke events.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and imaging data of patients who underwent dual-energy head and neck CTA and brain MRI scans.Utilizing the Siemens workstation(Syngo.Via VB40B),region of interest(ROI)were placed on the thickest slice of the carotid plaque in the axial plane to obtain parameters such as fat fraction(FF),virtual non-contrast(VNC)value,iodine concentration(IC),electron density(Rho),effective atomic number(Zeff),dual energy index(DEI),spectral curve,and corresponding CT values at 40 keV(40 keVHU)and 90 keV(90 keVHU).The slope of the energy spectrum curve(λ)was calculated within the 40 keV-90 keV range.Patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in the ipsilateral anterior circulation territory were classified into the ACI group,while those without were classified into the non-acute cerebral infarction(NACI)(NACI group).Qualitative data were analyzed using the x2 test,and quantitative data were analyzed using the t-test.The predictive performance was assessed using the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the differences between different ROC curves were compared using the DeLong test.Results A total of 72 patients were included,with 21 in the ACI group and 51 in the NACI group.The mean values of FF,Zeff,and 40 keVHU in the ACI group were greater than those in the NACI group.Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for Zeff,DEI,40 keVHU,and λ(P＜0.05).40 keVHU demonstrated the highest predictive performance,and the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity was 0.789,81.0％,and 74.5％,respectively.A combined variable constructed through logistic regression analysis yielded an AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.796,85.7％,and 70.6％,respectively,with no significant statistical differences compared to single factor variables.Conclusion Dual-energy CTA parameters of carotid plaques may aid in predicting intraplaque hemorrhage(IPH)and the occurrence of acute stroke events.

Objective To investigate the effect of patient's body shape and image acquisition mode on the radiation dose and image quality in percutaneous coronary angiography.Methods A total of 40 patients,who received selective percutaneous coronary angiography at the Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital of China between January 2022 and June 2023,were selected for this study.The patients were randomly divided into conventional group(including 11 males and 9 females,using coronary angiography mode to make image acquisition)and low-dose group(including 14 males and 6 females,using electrophysiological mode to make image acquisition).The patient's basic information,body size data,and the various radiation dose data were collected.The image quality rating scale for assessing the image quality was formulated.The independent sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for the comparison between the two groups.Pearson correlation analysis method was used to make correlation analysis.Results The larger the patient's chest circumference was,the higher the radiation dose would be,there was a positive linear relationship between the patient's chest circumference and the radiation dose.All the radiation dose parameters in the low-dose group were significantly lower than those in the conventional group(P＜0.01),and its reduction percentage was 48.51％-60.74％.No statistically significant difference in image quality score existed between the two groups(P＞0.0l),and in both groups the image quality was rated as good or better,meeting the requirements of intervention procedures.Conclusion In percutaneous coronary angiography the radiation dose is influenced by multiple factors including patient's body shape,image acquisition mode,exposure time,etc.Optimizing the image acquisition mode can remarkably reduce the radiation dose while maintaining the image quality and protecting the health of patients and operators.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,33:599-603)

Objective:To determine the external bremsstrahlung doses and doses to radiation workers in selective internal radiation therapy using 90Y resin microspheres ( 90Y-SIRT). Methods:Using an AT1123 X-ray and gamma radiation dosimeter, the ambient dose equivalent rates of bremsstrahlung at distances of 30 and 100 cm from the 90Y drug with and without lead shielding were measured. The attenuation factors of 90Y bremsstrahlung attributed to lead cans and lead aprons were calculated. Furthermore, the dose rates at corresponding sites were theoretically estimated using formula. Finally, the annual doses to radiation workers were estimated based on estimated and measured bremsstrahlung doses. Results:The measured dose rates of 90Y bremsstrahlung ranged from 0.19 to 0.26 μSv·h -1·GBq -1 at a distance of 1 m from the surface of the lead shield and from 1.00 to 1.60 μSv·h -1·GBq -1 at a distance of 1 m from the surface of the unshielded penicillin bottle, plexiglass transport container, injection delivery box, and the patient. The deviations between the calculated and measured bremsstrahlung doses were mostly close to or less than ±20%. Under conditions of 200 patients treated annually, 3 GBq for each bottle of 90Y resin microspheres, and a maximum dose of 2 GBq per patient, the estimated annual effective doses to nuclear medicine technologists, interventional injection physicians, and ward-round physicians were 2.24, 1.04 and 0.22 mSv, respectively, and the annual equivalent doses to their hands were 49.9, 25.5 and 2.06 mSv, respectively. The measured attenuation factors of 90Y bremsstrahlung attributed to the lead can of 6.4 mmPb equivalent and the lead apron of 0.5 mmPb equivalent ranged from 0.13 to 0.15 and from 0.45 to 0.50, respectively. Conclusions:Under normal working conditions, the annual effective doses to the radiation workers in 90Y-SIRT will not exceed 5 mSv. Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) or covering the injection sites of patients using a lead apron during 90Y injection can reduce the doses to the workers by approximately 50%.