This study aims to explore the mechanism of fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma against chronic bronchitis airway inflammation. The SD rats of SPF grade were divided into control group, model group, Guilongkechuanning group(GLKCN, 1.125 g·kg~(-1)), high-dose fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma group(LG-HD, 15 g·kg~(-1)), and low-dose fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma group(LG-LD, 7.5 g·kg~(-1)). The chronic bronchitis models of rats in other groups except the control group were induced by the modified smoking method. From the 15 th day of modeling, the rats were given corresponding agents by gavage for 20 consecutive days. After the last administration, the rats were sacrificed for sample collection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to detect serum transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) and interleukin-6(IL-6) levels. The protein expression of TGF-β, IL-1β and IL-6 in lung tissue was detected by immunohistochemical method. Masson staining was performed to detect collagen fibers and muscle fibers in lung tissue, and HE staining to detect the pathological changes of lung tissue. Human bronchial epithelial(16 HBE) cells were cultured in vitro, and CCK-8(cell counting kit-8) method was used to detect the cytotoxicity of cigarette smoke extract(CSE) and fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma. After the exposure of 16 HBE cells to 3.5% CSE and appropriate concentration(800, 400 μg·mL~(-1)) of fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma for 24 h, quantitative real-time PCR was conducted to determine the mRNA levels of TGF-β and IL-1β, and Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of TGF-β and IL-6 in the cells. The rat model of chronic bronchitis induced by smoking was successfully established. Fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma reduced serum TGF-β and IL-6 levels, down-regulated the protein levels of TGF-β, IL-1β, and IL-6 in lung tissue, and alleviated pathological changes and fibrotic lesions in lung tissue. Moreover, it down-regulated the CSE-induced protein expression of TGF-β and IL-6 as well as the mRNA level of TGF-β in 16 HBE cells. These results indicated that fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma could prevent airway inflammation from chronic bronchitis and promote cell repair by inhibiting the TGF-β signaling pathway.
Animals ; Bronchitis, Chronic/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Poaceae/chemistry* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhizome ; Signal Transduction ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/genetics*

Study the growth and development process of rhizomes(bamboo-like part) of Notopterygium incisum and the changes of carbohydrate, endogenous hormones and secondary metabolites, and provide theoretical guidance for the formation of high-quality N. incisum medicinal commodities under artificial cultivation. The One-year-old seedlings were transplanted to the original habitat,and the growth and physiological characteristics of N. incisum were dynamically monitored. The results showed that: ① Seedlings transplanted to the original habitat in spring could form rhizomes(bamboo-like part) in the same year. ② After 60 days of transplantation, the root length and root diameter of underground part of N. incisum had increased rapidly, and carbohydrate content in roots and rhizomes had accumulated rapidly. After 120 days of transplantation, the roots and rhizomes of underground part had grown slowly, and starch content in roots and rhizomes increased continuously, while sucrose and total soluble sugar content decreased gradually. ③ The content of abscisic acid(ABA) in rhizomes decreased firstly and then increased, while the indole acetic acid(IAA) content stabilized firstly and then increased rapidly, and the contents of gibberellin(GA_3) and zeatin riboside(ZR) continued to increase. ④ The content of notopterol in rhizomes was higher than that in roots, while the content of isoimperatorin was lower than that in roots, but the total content of the both in rhizomes was higher than that in roots. Therefore, N. incisum can form rhizomes with high content of secondary metabolites under wild tending, and the growth and development of rhizomes are closely related to changes in carbohydrates and are regulated by related endogenous hormones.
Apiaceae/growth & development* ; Ecosystem ; Phytochemicals/analysis* ; Plant Roots/growth & development* ; Plants, Medicinal/growth & development* ; Rhizome/growth & development* ; Secondary Metabolism ; Seedlings/growth & development*

Anemone flaccida Fr. Schmidt is a perennial medicinal herb that contains pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins as the major bioactive constituents. In China, the rhizomes are used as treatments for a variety of ailments including arthritis. However, yields of the saponins are low, and little is known about the plant's genetic background or phytohormonal responsiveness. Using one-quarter of the 454 pyrosequencing information from the Roche GS FLX Titanium platform, we performed a transcriptomic analysis to identify 157 genes putatively encoding 26 enzymes involved in the synthesis of the bioactive compounds. It was revealed that there are two biosynthetic pathways of triterpene saponins in A. flaccida. One pathway depends on β-amyrin synthase and is similar to that found in other plants. The second, subsidiary ("backburner") pathway is catalyzed by camelliol C synthase and yields β-amyrin as minor byproduct. Both pathways used cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (CYPs) and family 1 uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases (UGTs) to modify the triterpenoid backbone. The expression of CYPs and UGTs were quite different in roots treated with the phytohormones methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid and indole-3-acetic acid. This study provides the first large-scale transcriptional dataset for the biosynthetic pathways of triterpene saponins and their phytohormonal responsiveness in the genus Anemone.
Anemone ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Biosynthetic Pathways ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; drug effects ; Glycosyltransferases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Plant Growth Regulators ; pharmacology ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; Rhizome ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Saponins ; metabolism ; Triterpenes ; metabolism

This study aims to analyze and compare the effect of cell wall-broken decoction pieces, conventional decoction pieces and conventional powder of Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma on the intestinal flora of normal mice. The conventional bacterial culture and PCR-DGGE (polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) were adopted for the mice after the oral administration for 14 days. According to the bacterial culture results, the 1/8 dose cell wall-broken decoction pieces group showed fewer Enterococcus and Escherichia coli bacillus but more Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium than the conventional decoction pieces group and the traditional powder group (P <0.05). Meanwhile, on the basis of the PCR-DGGE results, the 1/8 dose cell wall-broken decoction pieces group revealed the highest Shannon-Wiener index (H) and species richness (S) among the seven groups, with extremely significant differences compared with the normal group (P <0.01), significant differences compared with the conventional decoction pieces group and the conventional powder group (P <0.05) and a high intra-group similarity. In conclusion, the long-term intake of 1/8 dose Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma cell wall-broken decoction pieces showed a certain effect in regulating intestinal tract by promoting the growth of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Furthermore, the intestinal flora community will become more stable.
Animals ; Bifidobacterium ; drug effects ; genetics ; growth & development ; Cell Wall ; Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Lactobacillus ; drug effects ; genetics ; growth & development ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhizome ; Rhodiola

In this paper, the varying pattern of the amount of rhizospheric microorganisms, including bacteria, actinomycetes and fungus, was observed during the cultivation of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis. And the correlations between number of rhizospheric microorganisms and the quality of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were also studied. The results showed that the rhizospheric microorganism source of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis was rich. The distribution of rhizospheric microorganisms (soil bacteria, fungus, actinomycetes, potassium-solubilizing bacteria, inorganic phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, organic phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria) collected from different origin places existed significant difference (P < 0.05). The varying pattern for the amount of rhizospheric microorganisms was showed as following: the amount of bacteria > the amount of actinomycetes > the amount of fungus. The medicinal quality of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis was influenced by their habits, and the increase of cultivation years caused the obvious decrease of the quality of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Therefore, the increase of cultivation years will cause the variation of the soil micro-ecology flora, and decrease the nutrient absorption and the utilization of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, which will make the decrease of the medical quality of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis.
Bacteria ; genetics ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; Biodiversity ; China ; Fungi ; genetics ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; Liliaceae ; chemistry ; microbiology ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; microbiology ; Rhizosphere ; Saponins ; analysis ; Soil Microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of compound Coptidis Rhizoma capsule (CCRC) on unbalanced expression of renal tissue TGF-β1/BMP-7 and Smad signaling pathway in rats with early diabetic nephropathy (DN), and discuss CCRC's effect on DN rats with early diabetic nephropathy and its possible mechanism.

METHODDN model rats were established by injecting streptozotocin (STZ). The rats were randomly divided into seven groups: the normal group, the model group, the enalapril treatment group, the xiaoke pill treatment group and three CRCC treatment groups. They were orally administered once a day for five weeks. The fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), insulin (Ins), 24 h urinary protein (24 h Upro) and 24 h urinary microalbumin (24 h UmAlb) were tested. The pathological changes in renal tissues were examined by optical microscopy. Immuno- histochemical measures were used to detect the expressions of TGF-β1, BMP-7, Smad2/3, Smad1/5, and Smad7 protein, and RT-PCR was used to detect TGF-β1 mRNA and BMP-7 mRNA in renal tissues.

RESULTCompared with model group, BUN, Scr, Ins, 24 h Upro and 24 h UmAlb levels decreased at different degrees in CCRC treatment groups; the abnormal pathomorphology in renal tissue was improved; immunohistochemistry results showed that the expression of TGF-β1 and Smad2/3 were reduced, while the expression of BMP-7, Smad1/5 and Smad7 increased in CRCC treatment groups; the expression of TGF-β1 mRNA were reduced, but the expression of BMP-7 mRNA had no obvious change in CRCC treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONCRCC can improve the early renal function, delay the progression of chronic renal pathology and maintain the dynamic balance of TGF-β1/BMP-7 expression in renal tissues of DN rats. The mechanism may be related to down-regulation of renal TGF-β1 and up-regulation of BMP-7 through Smad signaling pathway.

Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Coptis ; chemistry ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Smad Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism

Currently, as an important raw material of Chinese traditional patent medicines, Paridis Rhizome is in great demand, which led to its price increases. In order to protect the wild resources and satisfy market demand of Paridis rhizome, the researches in various directions were conducted, involved its chemical composition, pharmacological action, clinical application, resource investigation, artificial cultivation, etc. Herein, the chemical studies of genus Paridis Rhizome, aerial parts of Paridis Rhizome gummy and starchy Paridis Rhizome, and the studies of endophyte in Paridis Rhizome were reviewed and analyzed in order to explore the substitutes of Paridis Rhizome, and provide the reference for the enlargement of medicinal resources of Paridis Rhizome. It manifests that the steroidal saponins, the important chemical compositions in Paridis Rhizome were tested in genus Paridis Rhizome, aerial parts of Paridis Rhizome, gummy Paridis Rhizome and the endophyte in Paridis Rhizome. However, the further experimental studies and clinical verification works should be carried out to confirm the final substitute.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Liliaceae ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; growth & development

The study is aimed to understand the resource and the current situation of the use of Cibotii Rhizoma and provide the basis for protecting and utilization. The method of literature survey, field survey and quality assessment were applied in the study. The results showed that all the Cibotii Rhizoma came from wild resource and was mainly founded in Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Zhejiang, etc. It contains over 5 000 000 kg in the area which total is about 7 000 hm2. The annual output is over 850 000 kg. At present, there is no cultivated resources. Based on the investigation and market sampling analysis from various regions, the results showed that the quality of the collected crude drugs conformed with the regulations of the Chinese pharmacopoeia. However the qualification rate of decoction pieces of Cibotii Rhizoma in market was only 56.4%. At present, the resource of Cibotii Rhizoma could meet the needs of medinal uses. It is important to protect the wild resource which is less and less because of the environmental factors. It also need to make a standard of processing method to ensure the safety, and solve quality problem of the decoction pieces.
China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Ferns ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; growth & development

This research aimed at studying the effects of irrigation and rhizome length on the survival of ratio, yield and quality of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in wild tending condition. Employed the split-block design to carry out the field experiment, sampled with the quadrat method to measured the relative growth indexes and to estimate the yield, used the HPLC (high performance liquid chromatog- raphy ) method to measure the glycyrrhizin in the rhizome and adventitious root of the G. uralensis in this study. The quantity of the adventitious roots and the survival ratio were increased significantly as the length of the rhizome increased (P < 0.01), but the length of the rhizome had no remarkable effect on the content of glycyrrhizin. The average content of the glycyrrhizin in the adventitious root and rhizome could reach 3.03% and 2.12% after 3-year wild tending, respectively, and this results indicated that the quality of the glycyrrhiza using this method was much better than that from cultured glycyrrhiza with the reproducing method of seeding. so using the rhizome as reproductive material to produce the glycyrrhiza under the wild tending condition could get the high quality glycyrrhiza quick- ly and steadily, this phenomenon could be explained by the Hypothesis of synthetic inertia of the medicinal components from the wild material of G. uralensis. But the maximum yield with this method was just more than 945 kg x hm(-2) in this study. So the further work of how to increase the yield in the practical application with the method found in this study need to be done in the next research.
Agricultural Irrigation ; Culture Techniques ; methods ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; metabolism ; Rhizome ; growth & development ; Survival Analysis

The paper is aimed to study the dynamic accumulation regulation of curcumin (Cur), demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxyeurcumin (BDMC) in three strains of Curcuma longa, and provide scientific references for formalized cultivation, timely harvesting, quality control and breeding cultivation of C. longa. The accumulation regulation of the three curcumin derivatives was basically the same in rhizome of three strains. The relative contents decreased along with plant development growing, while the accumulation per hectare increased with plant development growing. The accumulation of curcuminoids per hectare could be taken as the assessment standard for the best harvest time of C. longa. A3 was the best strain in terms of Cur and BDMC content.
Curcuma ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Curcumin ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; metabolism ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism