Objective To establish the functional constipated mouse model by compound diphenoxylate, and explore the anti-constipation effect of black garlic polysaccharide. Methods Mouse small intestine ink propulsion experiment and mouse defecation experiment were carried out respectively. The mice in each experiment were randomly divided into blank group, model group, positive group and black garlic polysaccharide （0.25, 0.5, 1 g/kg） groups. Mice in blank group and model group were given distilled water, and in positive group were given lactulose oral solution. Compound diphenoxylate （5 mg/kg） was intragastric administrated after 1 week of administration, and small intestine propulsion experiment and defecation experiment were conducted respectively. Results Compared with model group, intestinal propulsion rate of black garlic polysaccharide groups was significantly increased and first dejection time was significantly shorten, and the number, weight and fecal water content increased significantly at 6 h in middle and high dose groups. Conclusion Black garlic polysaccharide could promote intestinal propelling, shorten defecation time and increase fecal water content.

Objective To screen the pharmacodynamic material basic components of Artemisiae Annuae Herba and study its antioxidant activity in vitro by investigating the spectrum-effect relationship between the HPLC fingerprints of 11 batches of Artemisiae Annuae Herba(dried aerial part of Artemisia annua L.).Methods The determination was performed on Aglient C18 column(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm)with mobile phase consisted of 0.2%phosphoric acid solution-Methanol(gradient elution)at the flow rate of 1.0 ml/min.The column temperature was indoor temperature,and detection wavelength was 220 nm,with sample size of 10 μl.Using isochlorogenic acid A as reference,HPLC fingerprints of 11 batches of samples were determined.The common peaks of 11 batches of samples were identified and recorded through TCM chromatographic fingerprint similarity evaluation system(2012 edition).Using scavenging rate of DPPH and ABTS free radical as pharmacodynamic indicators of antioxidant effects,SIMCA 14.1 analysis software was used for PLSR to establish the spectra-effect relationship.Results There were 48 common peaks on 11 batches of sample,11 components were identified as scopoletin,scoparone,isochlorogenic acid B,A,C,luteolin,apigenin,chrysosplenetin,artemisinin,artemisetin and artemisinic acid.The scavenging activity of 11 batches of samples to DPPH and ABTS free radicals was detected.The spectrum-effect relationship showed that isochlorogenic acid A,B,C and scoparone were positively associated with its antioxidant capacity,and variable projection value was greater than 1.It was suggested that these components were the material basis of antioxidant effect in Artemisiae Annuae Herba.Conclusion This study investigates the antioxidant capacity of different substances in Artemisiae Annuae Herba in vitro,and proves that isochlorogenic acid A,B,C and scoparone play a major role for the antioxidant capacity.

Objective To explore the effect of Bajitianwan(BJTW)formula on bone formation of Aβ-injured osteoblasts and its mechanism.Methods Osteoblasts isolated from neonatal 24-hour Wistar rats were used for the study,and osteoblasts were subjected to damage with Aβ1-42 oligomers,and pharmacological intervention was performed with the aqueous extract of BJTW formula.The MTT assay,alkaline phosphatase(ALP)activity assay,catalase(CAT)activity assay,superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity assay,glutathione(GSH)activity assay and malondialdehyde(MDA)activity assay were carried out respectively.The expression levels of bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP2),osteogenic specific transcription factor(RUNX-2)and osteoprotective protein(OPG)were detected by Western blotting.After confirming the effect of BJTW formula on Aβ-injured osteoblasts,the network pharmacology method was used to predict the potential pathways.Results The BJTW formula significantly promoted the proliferation of Aβ-injured osteoblasts,increased ALP,SOD and GSH activity,inhibited MDA activity,and promoted the expression of bone formation-related proteins BMP2,RUNX-2 and OPG.Network pharmacological analysis showed that the effect of ameliorating of Aβ-injured osteoblasts by BJTW formula was mainly mediated by AGE-RAGE,PI3K-Akt,MAPK and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction signaling pathways.Conclusion In this study,the effect of BJTW formula on improving the osteoblasts damaged by Aβ was confirmed for the first time,and its related mechanism was explored based on network pharmacology method.The results lay a strong foundation for the clinical application of traditional formula BJTW against osteoporosis.

Objective To investigate the active ingredients and components that inhibiting cathepsin K activity in Erzhi Wan, a classic kidney-tonifying formula. Methods Then-butanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether parts and 30 active components in Erzhi Wan were screened by established high throughput fluorescence methods of inhibit the binding activity of CTSK with Z-FR-MCA substrate, the formation of CTSK and chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) complex activity, and the activity of substrate type I collagen degradation by CTSK. Molecular docking and insoluble collagen substrate binding assays were applied to verify the potential CTSK inhibitors. Results The n-butanol and petroleum ether parts of Erzhi Wan inhibited the formation of CTSK and CSA^* complex by more than 90%, the petroleum ether part inhibited the binding of CTSK to substrate Z-FR-MCA by more than 90%, the collagen degradation inhibition rate of CTSK in n-butanol part was more than 95% and that in petroleum ether part was 58.6%. Among the 30 active components, 11 showed that the inhibition rate of CTSK and CSA^* complex formation was more than 50%, and 5 components with the inhibition rate of Z-FR-MCA binding activity more than 50%. Finally, there were four components including eclalbasaponin Ⅸ, (-)-epicatechin gallate, nuezhenoside and wedelolactone. The inhibition rate of collagen degradation was more than 50%. Eclipta saponin IX inhibited the binding rate between collagen fibers and CTSK, up to 60%, but all of them failed to dock with CTSK active site. Conclusion There are active components that inhibiting cathepsin K in Erzhi Wan, which mainly exists in the n-butanol ingredients, but the active components is not an active-site inhibitor. It might inhibit the binding of CTSK with oligosaccharides by binding to other sites of CTSK, and then reduce the collagen degradation activity of CTSK.

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone metabolism disease characterized by low bone mass, bone microstructure destruction, increased bone fragility, and easy fracture，which is more common in the elderly. Animal medicine, as an important part of natural medicines, has the characteristics of wide resources, complex chemical components, and broad pharmacological effects. It has been extensively used in the field of anti-osteoporosis. This article summarizes the pharmacological effects and applications of several major animal medicines for osteoporosis, and discusses the existing problems, aiming to provide a reference for the development of animal drugs against osteoporosis.

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of Bajitianwan on preventing D-galactose (D-gal)-induced osteoblast bone loss. Methods Osteoblasts isolated from 24 h old Wistar rats were injured by D-gal and intervened with Bajitianwan extract. The osteoblastic proliferation and differentiation were determined by MTT and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), respectively. The cell reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected by DCFH-DA fluorescent probes. The expression of cellular oxidation-related protein nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), protein kinase B (AKT), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) were detected by Western blotting. The intranuclear expression of Nrf2 protein was measured by immunofluorescence. Results Bajitianwan extract had significantly increased the osteoblastic proliferation and differentiation, and significantly reduced the intracellular ROS level. Bajitianwan extract had activated the PI3K/AKT pathway via activating the phosphorylation of AKT in osteoblasts, and promoted NQO1 and HO-1 expression. In addition, Bajitianwan had significantly promoted the expression of Nrf2 in the nucleus of osteoblasts, activating Nrf2 signaling pathway, and further promoted bone formation. Conclusion This study confirmed that Bajitianwan could prevent D-gal injured osteoblastic bone loss for the first time. The mechanism might be related to the regulation of oxidative stress associated PI3K/AKT and Nrf2 signaling pathway.

As a complex and large microbial community colonized in the human body, the intestinal flora and its metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play an important role in participating in human metabolism, resisting pathogens, and regulating immune mechanisms. In recent years, many studies have found that the intestinal flora is closely related to bone metabolism. The intestinal flora is able to regulate bone metabolism and affect bone mass changes through various pathways such as absorption of nutrition, generation of SCFAs, regulation of immunity, and influence on body metabolism. The potential pathways and mechanisms by which intestinal flora affect bone mass changes were reviewed in this article in bone metabolism. The related study on Traditional Chinese Medicine that has effects in balancing intestinal flora for regulating bone metabolism was also introduced in order to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, a disease related to bone metabolism.

Objective To predict and preliminarily verify the potential targets and related signaling pathways of Artemisia annua L. in treating glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) with kidney-yin deficiency by network pharmacology and in vitro experiments. Methods The pharmacological targets of Artemisia annua L. were obtained from TCMSP database and were converted to gene names through Uniprot database. The target genes of GIOP with kidney-yin deficiency were obtained from GeneCards database, OMIM database and Drugbank database, and the common target genes were obtained by cross analysis with drug target gene. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by String database, and visualization analysis and core targets screening were performed by Cytoscape 3.9.0. All common targets were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analysis through Metascape database. Finally, the prediction results were verified by in vitro experiments. Results Ninety-eight targets of Artemisia annua L. to GIOP with kidney-yin deficiency were screened, including 17 core genes. The results of GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis indicated that Artemisia annua L. treating GIOP with kidney-yin deficiency was related to biological processes such as hormonal response, positive regulation of cell death and extracellular stimulation response, et al, as well as signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, AGE/RAGE, MAPK and IL-17 et al. The number of genes enriched in PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was the largest. In vitro experiment results showed that Artemisia annua L. promoted the proliferation of osteoblasts damaged by dexamethasone (DEX), increased alkaline phosphatase activity, activated PI3K/AKT pathway, and promoted the phosphorylation of AKT. Conclusion Artemisia annua L. treating GIOP with kidney-yin deficiency has the characteristics of multi-targets and multi-pathway, which could promote the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts through multiple pathways. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is an important pathway. Artemisia annua L. treating GIOP with kidney-yin deficiency might be related to its ability to promote the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and promote the phosphorylation of AKT.

Objective To study the chemical constituents of Hippocampus trimaculatus Leach. Methods After extracted with ethanol, Hippocampus trimaculatus Leach was isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, and reversed-phase C₁₈ column chromatography. The structures of compounds were identified by physical and chemical properties, spectral data and literature comparison. Results Eight compounds were isolated from Hippocampus trimaculatus Leach and identified as L-phenylalanine (1), alanine (2), inosine (3), cholesterol (4), N-acetyltyramine (5), uracil (6), D-mannitol (7), tetrodoine (8), respectively. Conclusion Compounds 5, 7, 8 are isolated from Hippocampus trimaculatus Leach for the first time.

Objective To study the effect of traditional Chinese medicine, Syngnathus on learning and memory impairment induced by D-galactose in aging mice and its mechanism of action. Methods HPLC was used to determine the content of DHA, the active ingredient in anti-learning and memory impairment in Syngnathus. The aging mouse model was prepared by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose (D-gal). Morris water maze test and Western blot were used to detect the ability of learning and memory, biochemical indicators and protein expression related to oxidative damage in the hippocampus, and to explore the protective effect and mechanism of Syngnathus on learning and memory impairment in aging mice. Results HPLC results showed that the DHA content in Syngnathus was 7.761 3 mg/g (calculated as crude drug), accounting for about 47% of the total composition. Morris water maze results showed that Syngnathus could reduce the escape latency of learning and memory-impaired aging mice and increase the target quadrant swimming time, the proportion of swimming distance and the number of times of crossing the platform, and improve the learning and memory impairment of mice. In addition, Syngnathus can activate the AKT/FOXO1/SOD2 signaling pathway in the hippocampus of aging mice with learning and memory impairment, promote the expression of oxidative stress pathway-related proteins, and improve the learning and memory impairment in aging mice by reducing the degree of oxidative damage in the hippocampus of aging mice. Conclusion This study found that Syngnathus is rich in DHA, which has the effect of improving learning and memory impairment induced by D-galactose in aging mice, and preliminarily clarified that its mechanism of action is related to anti-oxidation. Experimental evidence is provided.