1.Toxic Mechanism, Risk Evaluation, and Regulatory Policies of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids from Senecionis Scandentis Herba: A Review
Weili CHEN ; Shengxuan LI ; Linying QIN ; Xiangle MENG ; Yu DONG ; Long CHENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(21):330-338
ObjectiveTo summarize the research results on the toxic mechanism and the relevant regulatory policies at home and abroad of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), the main toxic components, in Senecionis Scandentis Herba, thereby providing insights into the clinical use and scientific regulation of Senecionis Scandentis Herba. MethodsMultiple Chinese and English databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and VIP were searched, with "Senecio," "PSenecio scandens," and "pyrrolizidine alkaloids" as search terms. The relevant articles published from 1959 to 2025 were retrieved and analyzed, and 79 articles were finally selected for review. ResultsThe chemical components of Senecionis Scandentis Herba include alkaloids, flavonoids, volatile oils, sesquiterpenes, jacaranone derivatives, and organic acids, among which alkaloids are the most toxic components, followed by jacaranone derivatives. PAs are metabolized into highly active pyrrole derivatives in the liver, which can cause serious adverse reactions such as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome and DNA damage. The content of PAs varies significantly due to the origin, harvest period, and medicinal parts. There have been reports of clinical liver injury caused by preparations containing Senecionis Scandentis Herba, and some preparations have a daily intake of PAs exceeding the international safety threshold. Currently, international organizations have set limited standards for PAs, while China only controls the content of adonifoline, and the supervision is not yet perfect. ConclusionAlthough Senecionis Scandentis Herba has medicinal value, its PAs have significant toxicological properties. This is a problem that cannot be ignored and needs to be overcome in the use of Senecionis Scandentis Herba. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the quality control of raw materials, establish a more comprehensive limited standard for PAs, and optimize the medication strategy in combination with traditional Chinese medicine theory to ensure the safety of clinical medication.
2.Toxic Mechanism, Risk Evaluation, and Regulatory Policies of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids from Senecionis Scandentis Herba: A Review
Weili CHEN ; Shengxuan LI ; Linying QIN ; Xiangle MENG ; Yu DONG ; Long CHENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(21):330-338
ObjectiveTo summarize the research results on the toxic mechanism and the relevant regulatory policies at home and abroad of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), the main toxic components, in Senecionis Scandentis Herba, thereby providing insights into the clinical use and scientific regulation of Senecionis Scandentis Herba. MethodsMultiple Chinese and English databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and VIP were searched, with "Senecio," "PSenecio scandens," and "pyrrolizidine alkaloids" as search terms. The relevant articles published from 1959 to 2025 were retrieved and analyzed, and 79 articles were finally selected for review. ResultsThe chemical components of Senecionis Scandentis Herba include alkaloids, flavonoids, volatile oils, sesquiterpenes, jacaranone derivatives, and organic acids, among which alkaloids are the most toxic components, followed by jacaranone derivatives. PAs are metabolized into highly active pyrrole derivatives in the liver, which can cause serious adverse reactions such as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome and DNA damage. The content of PAs varies significantly due to the origin, harvest period, and medicinal parts. There have been reports of clinical liver injury caused by preparations containing Senecionis Scandentis Herba, and some preparations have a daily intake of PAs exceeding the international safety threshold. Currently, international organizations have set limited standards for PAs, while China only controls the content of adonifoline, and the supervision is not yet perfect. ConclusionAlthough Senecionis Scandentis Herba has medicinal value, its PAs have significant toxicological properties. This is a problem that cannot be ignored and needs to be overcome in the use of Senecionis Scandentis Herba. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the quality control of raw materials, establish a more comprehensive limited standard for PAs, and optimize the medication strategy in combination with traditional Chinese medicine theory to ensure the safety of clinical medication.
3.Altered functional brain properties in patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia
Linying GUO ; Shiqi YANG ; Jyv ZHANG ; Jingjing SHI ; Yuanyuan QIN ; Jian WANG ; Tian TIAN ; Wenzhen ZHU
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine 2017;16(9):865-870
Objective To discuss the alterations of functional brain properties in patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) based on graph theoretical approaches.Methods A total of 20 patients with pain in the distribution of left trigeminal nerve and 22 matched healthy controls were recruited in our hospital from May 2013 to January 2015.Resting-state functional MRI data in both groups were collected and analyzed with GRETNA software to obtain the matrices of brain network.From these connectivity matrices,a number of key characteristics were computed,including network efficiency,weighted shortest path length,weighted clustering coefficient and small-wordless.A two-tailed t test was used to appraise the significance of any inter-group differences in complex network measures investigated.Network-based statistic (NBS) approach was used to localize specific pairs of brain regions in which functional connectivity strength were altered in patients.Pearson's correlation analyses were performed to identify the correlations between clinical data and altered network properties in patients.Results ITN patients had significantly increased weighted clustering coefficient in the right calcarine (CAL) and bilateral thalamus,increased total efficiency in the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG),and increased regional efficiency in the right SFG,right CAL,bilateral cuneus and left pallidum,and significantly reduced weighted shortest path length for regional nodal characteristics in the right superior parietalis lobules (P<0.05).The total efficiency in the left SFG and regional efficiency in the right SFG in ITN patients were negatively correlated with course of disease (r=-0.500,P=0.035;r=-0.501,P=0.034).As compared with the healthy controls,the ITN patients had enhanced functional loop connection between left SFG and right supplementary motor area,between left SFG and right SFG,between left SFG and right middle frontal gyrus,between left SFG and right orbital middle frontal gyrus,between left SFG and partes opercularis of right gyrus frontalis inferior (IFGoperc),between left SFG and bilateral putamen (PUT),between left SFG and right PAL,between right PUT and left interior superior frontal gyrus,and between left PUT and right caudate nucleus.The connectivity strength between left SFG and right IFGoperc was negatively correlated with disease duration (r=-0.487,P=-0.041).Conclusion Alterations in regional nodal characteristics may suggest central sensitization and modulation in ITN patients.
4.Atlas-based deep gray matter and white matter analysis in Alzheimer's disease:diffusion ;abnormality and correlation with cognitive function
Yuanyuan QIN ; Shun ZHANG ; Linying GUO ; Min ZHANG ; Wenzhen. ZHU
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2016;50(5):348-352
Objective To identify the diffusion alterations of deep gray matter(GM) and white matter (WM) among Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy people by atlas?based analysis (ABA), and to investigate the respective relationship with cognitive function. Methods Twenty?one AD patients (AD group), 8 MCI patients (MCI group) and 15 normal controls (control group) were performed by conventional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The raw data of DTI was processed by using DTI studio software to generate the fractional anisotropy (FA) images. Then ABA was used to quantify the FA value in 58 deep GM and WM structures. The differences of FA value among three groups were compared by using one way ANOVA, with a post?hoc analysis. In AD and MCI groups, the partial correlation was further investigated between mini?mental state examination (MMSE) score and FA value in the brain regions that have significant differences between AD and MCI group or between MCI and control group. Results Compared with control group, AD patients showed wide?spread FA decrease in most deep GM and WM regions (corrected P<0.05). The FA values of the hypothalamus, the fornix, the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and the cingulum in AD group were significantly lower than those in MCI group (corrected P<0.05). The FA value of the right splenium of corpus callosum (SCC) in MCI group was significantly lower than that in control group (MCI:0.550±0.018 vs. Control:0.585±0.026, P<0.05). In AD and MCI group, the FA values of the left hypothalamus, the right hypothalamus, the left cingulum, the right cingulum, and the left SLF were positively correlated with MMSE scores(r=0.502, 0.515, 0.535, 0.527, 0.512; P<0.05). No significant correlation was found between the FA value of the right SCC, the right SLF, the right fornix/stria terminalis, the right fornix and MMSE scores(P>0.05). Conclusion Based on ABA, this study found the diffusion changes not only in the WM but also the deep GM in AD patients, but only WM diffusion disruptions in MCI group. The decreased FA value in the right SCC appeared early, but had no correlation with the cognitive impairment. The FA value in the hypothalamus, the fornix, the SLF and the cingulum decreased with the disease progression, and correlated positively with the cognition decline.

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