The gut microbiota is closely related to human health, and various gut microbiota health indices have been developed to assist in evaluating the health of the gut microbiota and even the overall health of the human body. Diets are one of the main factors that regulate the gut microbiota, while there is still no good method for evaluating the regulatory effects of dietary factors. To assess the regulatory effects of dietary factors on the gut microbiota of overweight individuals, we conducted an in vitro fermentation experiment based on 17 dietary factors, and developed an evaluation method for the regulatory effects of dietary factors based on the health index with principal component analysis (hiPCA). The results showed that most dietary factors had positive regulatory effects on the gut microbiota of overweight individuals. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and puerarin were the most significant dietary factors in regulating the gut microbiota of overweight individuals. The analysis of the contribution of species to the hiPCA indicated that GOS and puerarin might inhibit the activities of bacteria associated with overweight by regulating Eubacterium dolichum, Lactobacillus salivarius, Clostridium clostridioforme, Clostridium citroniae, and Lachnospiraceae bacterium 9_1_43BFAA. In addition, GOS may further enhance the inhibition of these activities by regulating Lachnospiraceae bacterium 6_1_63FAA, thereby reducing the gut health risks in overweight individuals. In summary, this study evaluated the health effects of dietary factors based on the hiPCA and specifically analyzed the role of different dietary factors in regulating the gut microbiota of overweight individuals. This provides new ideas and methods for improving gut microbiota health and has potential applications in the field of precision nutrition.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology* ; Isoflavones/pharmacology* ; Overweight/microbiology* ; Diet ; Fermentation ; Oligosaccharides/pharmacology* ; Principal Component Analysis

Based on the systematic retrieval and the reported components of Sojae Semen Nigrum and Sojae Semen Praeparatum, this study conducted in-depth analysis of conversion of components in the fermentation process, and discussed types and possible mec-hanisms of conversion of chemical components, so as to provide the basis for studying technology, medicinal ingredients and quality standards. According to the analysis, there is a certain degree of conversion of nutrients(like protein, sugar, lipid), bioactive substances(like isoflavones, saponins, γ-aminobutyric acid) and other substances(like nucleosides, melanoids, biamines, etc) in the process of fermentation.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Fermentation ; Isoflavones/analysis* ; Semen/chemistry* ; Soybeans

In this study, HPLC was used to determine the content of the four isoflavones of Astragalus membranceus var. mongholicus from different regions(calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, calycosin and formononetin), and gray correlation analysis and path analysis were used to explore the influence of climate factors on the content of isoflavone components in A. membranceus var. mongholicus. The results showed that there were significant differences in the content of the four isoflavones in different areas(P<0.05); grey correlation analysis showed that the highest temperature in July, the lowest temperature in January and the daily average temperature had a greater impact on the content of flavonoid glycosides, meanwhile precipitation and relative humidity were the more important factors for the accumulation of flavonoid aglycones. According to the general analysis, the direct positive effects of the lowest temperature in January and altitude on the contents of four isoflavones in A. membranceus var. mongholicus were significant. High altitude and extreme temperature conditions might be more adverse to the formation and accumulation of isoflavone components. Therefore, the religions of A. membranceus var. mongholicus with high contents of isoflavones should be chosen the low altitude region with higher minimum temperature in January. This study provides a reference basis for the quality evaluation of A. membranceus var. mongholicus, and basic data for the selection of suitable habitat, construction of planting standards and directional cultivation of medicinal materials in A. membranceus var. mongholicus.
Astragalus Plant ; Astragalus propinquus ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Isoflavones ; analysis ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine prescription which is used to treat ischaemic stroke and stroke-induced disabilities. However, the exact mechanism underlying BYHWD's amelioration of ischaemic stroke and its effective constituents remain unclear. The present study aimed to identify the effective constituents of BYHWD and to further explore its action mechanisms in the amelioration of ischaemic stroke by testing the activities of 15 absorbable chemical constituents of BYHWD with the same methods under the same conditions. The following actions of these 15 compounds were revealed: 1) Ferulic acid, calycosin, formononetin, astrapterocarpan-3-O-β-D-glucoside, paeonol, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, astraisoflavan-7-O-β-D-glucoside, ligustrazine, and propyl gallate significantly suppressed concanavalin A (Con A)-induced T lymphocyte proliferation; 2) Propyl gallate, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, paeonol, and ferulic acid markedly inhibited LPS-induced apoptosis in RAW264.7 cells; 3) Propyl gallate and formononetin significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO release; 4) Hydroxysafflor yellow A and inosine protected PC12 cells against the injuries caused by glutamate; and 5) Formononetin, astragaloside IV, astraisoflavan-7-O-β-D-glucoside, inosine, paeoniflorin, ononin, paeonol, propyl gallate, ligustrazine, and ferulic acid significantly suppressed the constriction of the thoracic aorta induced by KCl in rats. In conclusion, the results from the present study suggest that BYHWD exerts its ischaemic stroke ameliorating activities by modulating multiple targets with multiple components.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; administration & dosage ; analysis ; Isoflavones ; administration & dosage ; analysis ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Monoterpenes ; administration & dosage ; analysis ; PC12 Cells ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Saponins ; administration & dosage ; analysis ; Stroke ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Triterpenes ; administration & dosage ; analysis

Ultrafiltration is one of the most fascinating technologies, which makes it possible to improve the quality of traditional medicines for application in the pharmaceutical industry. However, researchers have paid little attention to the effect of ultrafiltration membrane on traditional medicines chemical constituents. In this work, Ophiopogon japonicus (L.f) Ker-Gawl. was used as an example to illuminate the influence of ultrafiltration with different material and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membrane on natural chemical constituents as measured by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UFLC-IT-TOF/MS). Our results indicated that ultrafiltration membrane significantly impacted homoisoflavonoids, especially homoisoflavonoids that were almost completely retained on the polyethersulfone (PES) membrane. We also found that the larger number of aglycone hydroxy and sugar moiety in steroid saponins, the higher the transmittance. Furthermore, the passage rate (%) of ophiogenin type saponins was higher than that of others. The possible adsorptive mechanisms were hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and benzene ring interaction by π-π stacking. In conclusion, it is crucial to choose appropriate ultrafiltration membrane based on the characteristics of produce products for application of ultrafiltration technique.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Chromatography, Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Isoflavones ; analysis ; Molecular Structure ; Molecular Weight ; Ophiopogon ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Polymers ; Saponins ; analysis ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; methods ; Sulfones ; Ultrafiltration ; methods

To discuss the effect of puerarin (Pue) on the proliferation of hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and discuss whether its mechanism is achieved by regulating reactive oxygen. PASMCs of primarily cultured rats (2-5 generations) were selected in the experiment. MTT, Western blot, FCM and DCFH-DA were used to observe Pue's effect the proliferation of PASMCs. The Western blot was adopted to detect whether ROS participated in Pue's effect in inhibiting PASMC proliferation. The PASMCs were divided into five groups: the normoxia group, the hypoxia group, the hypoxia + Pue group, the hypoxia + Pue + Rotenone group and the hypoxia + Rotenone group, with Rotenone as the ROS blocker. According to the results, under the conditions of normoxia, Pue had no effect on the PASMC proliferation; But, under the conditions of hypoxia, it could inhibit the PASMC proliferation; Under the conditions of normoxia and hypoxia, Pue had no effect on the expression of the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) among PASMCs, could down-regulate the expression of hypoxia-induced cell cycle protein Cyclin A and proliferative nuclear antigen (PCNA). DCFH-DA proved Pue could reverse ROS rise caused by hypoxia. Both Rotenone and Pue could inhibit the up-regulated expressions of HIF-1α, Cyclin A, PCNA caused by anoxia, with a synergistic effect. The results suggested that Pue could inhibit the hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation. Its mechanism may be achieved by regulating ROS.
Animals ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Hypoxia ; pathology ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; physiology ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; analysis ; Pulmonary Artery ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

To establish a HPLC method for simultaneously determining plasma concentrations of gastrodin (Gas) and its metabolites hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA), puerarin (Pur) and internal standard (IS) p-hydroxyphenylethanol (Tyr) in rats and studying the pharmacokinetic process and interactions of gastrodin and puerarin after single and combined intravenous injection and oral administration. With Tyr as the internal standard, plasma samples were processed with methanol for protein precipitation, supernatant was dried with N2, and residues were re-dissolved with acetonitrile-0.05% phosphoric acid (20: 80). Chromatography was carried out on an Agilent ZORBAX SB-Aq C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm), with acetonitrile-0.05% phosphoric acid as the gradient mobile phase for the gradient elution. The UV detector wavelength was set at 221 nm for Gas HBA and IS and 250 nm for Pur. After the single or combined administration of Gas and Pur, their plasma concentrations in rats were detected. WinNonlin 5.2 pharmacokinetic software and SPSS 17. 0 software were used to respectively calculate pharmacokinetic parameters of each group, make a statistical analysis and compare the pharmacokinetic processes of Gas and Pur after the single or combined administration. According to the results, the absolute recoveries between low, media and high concentrations of Gas, HBA and Pur and IS as well as Tyr were more than 77.20%, with a good linearity (r > 0.999 6, n = 5) for Gas, HBA and Pur within concentration ranges of 0.10-101, 0.03-7.58 and 0.05-5.98 mg xL ('1) respectively. The lower limits of quantification for Gas, HBA and Pur were 0.10, 0.03, 0.05 mg x L(-1), respectively. Their in-ra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 12% with the accuracy between 85. 1% -1 10. %. All of the three substances and IS were stable during the whole analysis process. The findings showed significant differences in the main in vivo pharmacokinetic parame-ers in rats (AUC, C.(max) T,½ T.(max) MRT) after the single and combined administration of Gas and Pur. Either after the oral adminis-ration or after the intravenous injection, parameters showed a lower clearance rate ( L) longer mean residence time ( RT) and higher relative bioavailability, especially after the oral administration. Specifically, the relative bioavailability of the combined oral ad-inistration of Pur was 10. 7 times of that of the single administration, while that of Gas was 1. times of that of the single administra-ion. The combined administration of Gas and Pur can promote the absorption, decrease the elimination rate and prolong the mean resi-ence time. The method is simple and accurate and can be applied in the simultaneous determination of plasma concentrations of Gas, HBA and Pur in rats and the pharmacokinetic studies.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Benzyl Alcohols ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Glucosides ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Isoflavones ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Flavonoids are a class of important active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, pharmacological activity and in vivo process is the focus of research in recent years. Calycosin is the main active ingredients of flavonoids in Astragali Radix, recent studies indicate that it has many kinds of pharmacological activity, but the absorption and transport characteristics in vivo is unclear. The experiment using Caco-2 cell model, with apigenin as internal standard substance, using the method for the determination of drug concentration by HPLC, were studied at different concentrations and absorption transport characteristics of respectively adding different types of protein inhibitors. Data were analyzed by Q test, the results show that low, middle, high concentration of P(app)(BL-AP)/ P(app)(AP-BL) = 1.38 < 1.5, respectively adding different types of protein inhibitors, compared with the control group of P(app)(BL-AP)/ P(app)(AP-BL), there were no significant differences. Calycosin absorption may mainly passive transport, also involved in active transport mechanism, the transport may not be affected by the P-protein, MRP2 protein, SGLT protein.
Absorption ; Biological Transport ; Caco-2 Cells ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; chemistry ; Drug Stability ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Isoflavones ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Models, Biological

AIM: In a previous study, the anti-inflammatory effects of tectorigenin were disclosed. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of tectorigenin on acute lung injury using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model were investigated METHOD: The cell-count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was measured. The animal lung edema degree was evaluated by the wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio. The superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activity and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was assayed using SOD and MPO kits, respectively. The levels of inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, and IL-6 were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Pathological changes of lung tissues were observed through HE staining. The inflammatory signal pathway related protein nuclear factor NF-κB p65 mRNA expression was measured by real-time PCR, and the protein level of NF-κB p65 was measured using Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The data showed that treatment with the tectorigenin markedly attenuated the inflammatory cell numbers in the BALF, decreased nuclear factor NF-κB p65 mRNA level and protein level in the lungs, and improved SOD activity and inhibited MPO activity. Histological studies showed that tectorigenin substantially inhibited LPS-induced neutrophils in lung tissue compared with the model group. CONCLUSION The results indicated that tectorigenin had a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI in mice.
Acute Lung Injury ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; cytology ; Cell Count ; Female ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Isoflavones ; therapeutic use ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Peroxidase ; analysis ; Pulmonary Edema ; pathology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; analysis

To compare the differences between Hengshanhuangqi (HH) and Chuanhuangqi (CH) at molecular level, 1H NMR based plant metabolomics approach was used to reveal the chemical difference between HH and CH. Then, the contents of astragaloside IV and calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside, the marker compounds specified in China Pharmacopoeia, were determined. In addition, the ITS2 fragments of HH and CH were sequenced. Twenty-three metabolites were identified in the 1H NMR spectrum, and the principal component analysis showed CH and HH could be separated clearly. HH contained more aspartic acid, GABA, citric acid, astragaloside IV and calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside, while CH contained more threonine, alanine, acetic acid, choline, arginine, fructose and sucrose. And the astragaloside IV is almost undetectable in CH. In addition, the ITS2 fragment sequences of HH and CH were different at eight bases. Thus, the HH and CH showed significant differences chemically and genetically.
Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Isoflavones ; analysis ; Metabolomics ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; Principal Component Analysis ; Saponins ; analysis ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Species Specificity ; Triterpenes ; analysis