OBJECTIVE To preliminarily investigate the antiasthmatic effect and mechanism of Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair on the respiratory center. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， dexamethasone group （positive control）， and Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum 2∶1， 1∶1 and 1∶2 groups. Rats in each group were administered different ratios of the herb pair decoction [all at 18 g （crude drug）/kg]， dexamethasone suspension （0.5 mg/kg）， or normal saline intragastrically twice daily for seven consecutive days. Forty minutes after the last administration， medicated cerebrospinal fluid was collected to determine the content of effective components entering the brain. One and a half hours after the last administration， the nucleus tractus solitarius （NTS） was located using a stereotaxic apparatus. Histamine phosphate （1 μL） was injected into the NTS region at a constant rate of 1 μL/min using a 10 μL microsyringe to induce excitation of the respiratory center in rats； the blank group was injected with normal saline. The contents of neurotransmitters [nerve growth factor （NGF）， substance P （SP）， norepinephrine （NA）， 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） and acetylcholine （Ach）] in the medulla oblongata brain tissue were detected. The mRNA expressions of neurokinin-1 receptor （NK-1R）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， and c-fos in the medulla oblongata， as well as the protein expressions of NK-1R， p38 MAPK， and c-fos in the NTS region， were determined. RESULTS The main active components of Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair entering the brain were ephedrine， pseudoephedrine， and methylephedrine. Compared with blank group， the contents of NGF， SP， NA， 5-HT and Ach， and the relative expression levels of NK-1R， p38 MAPK， and c-fos mRNA and protein were significantly increased in the model group （ P ＜0.01）. Compared with model group， Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair groups with different ratios significantly reduced the neurotransmitter contents and the relative expression levels of NK-1R， p38 MAPK， and c-fos mRNA and protein （ P ＜0.01）， with the 2∶1 Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair and 1∶1 mass ratios showing relatively better effects. CONCLUSIONS Ephedrae Herba alkaloids are the main active components in affecting the function of the respiratory center. The herb pair groups with a larger proportion of Ephedrae Herba exhibit stronger effects. Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair can reduce the excitability of the respiratory center by down-regulating the expression of the NK-1R/MAPK/c-fos pathway in the NTS and decreasing the abnormal release of neurotransmitters such as NGF and SP.

ObjectiveTo study the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of rheumatoid arthritis （RA） in the patients with cold dampness obstruction syndrome. MethodsThe RA patients treated in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rheumatology of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital from August 2022 to June 2024 were selected. The demographic information， clinical data， laboratory test results， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom information were collected for syndrome differentiation， on the basis of which the characteristics and influencing factors of cold dampness obstruction syndrome were analyzed. ResultsA total of 258 RA patients were selected in this study， including 88 （34.1%） patients with cold dampness obstruction syndrome， 53 （20.5%） patients with dampness and heat obstruction syndrome， 31 （12.0%） patients with wind dampness obstruction syndrome， 29 （11.2%） patients with liver-kidney deficiency syndrome， 19 （7.4%） patients with Qi-blood deficiency syndrome， 14 （5.4%） patients with phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome， 15 （5.8%） patients with stasis obstructing collateral syndrome and 9 （3.5%） patients with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome. The patients were assigned into two groups of cold dampness obstruction syndrome and other syndromes. The group of cold dampness obstruction syndrome had lower joint fever， 28-tender joint count （TJC28）， and 28-joint disease activity score （DAS28）-C-reactive protein （CRP） and higher central sensitization， cold feeling of joints， fear of wind and cold， cold limbs， and abdominal distention than the group of other syndromes （P<0.05）. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that central sensitization （OR 5.749， 95%CI 2.116-15.616， P<0.001） and DAS28-CRP （OR 0.600， 95% CI 0.418-0.862， P=0.006） were the independent factors influencing cold dampness obstruction syndrome in RA. ConclusionCold dampness obstruction syndrome is a common syndrome in RA patients. It is associated with central sensitization， cold feeling of joints， abdominal distension and may be a clinical syndrome associated with central sensitization.

ObjectiveTo explore the regulatory effects and mechanisms of Astragali Radix polysaccharide （APS） on inhibitor of differentiation1 （ID1） and protein kinase B （Akt） in gastric cancer. MethodsImmunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of ID1 and Akt in 61 gastric cancer tissue samples and 20 adjacent normal gastric tissue samples. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the localization of ID1 and Akt. The effects of APS at the concentrations of 0.625， 1.25， 2.5， 5， 10， 20 mg·L^-1 on the proliferation of gastric cancer MGC-803 cells were examined by the cell counting kit-8（CCK-8） method and the colony formation assay. The target information of APS was retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and Analysis Platform and Swiss Target Prediction. Keywords such as gastric cancer， gastric tumor， and stomach cancer were searched against GeneCards， UniProt， DisGeNET， and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM） for the screening of gastric cancer-related targets. The online tool jvenn was used to create the Venn diagram to identify the common targets， and STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network. Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analyses were conducted via R 4.2.2 to predict the potential roles of APS in the development of gastric cancer. The cell scratch assay was employed to assess the effect of APS on the migration of MGC-803 cells. The protein and mRNA levels of ID1 and Akt in the cells treated with APS were determined by Western blot and Real-time PCR， respectively. ResultsCompared with the adjacent normal gastric tissue， the gastric adenocarcinoma tissue showed increased positive expression of ID1 （χ² =81.00， P<0.01）. Immunofluorescence detection showed that ID1 and Akt were mainly located in the cytoplasm of gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Bioinformatics analysis identified 14 common genes shared between APS and gastric cancer. The average degree of protein-protein interaction network nodes was 14.29. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment results showed that ID1 and Akt were significantly enriched in the Rap1 and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase （PI3K） /Akt signaling pathways. Cell experiments demonstrated that 5-fluorouracil （0.1 mg·L^-1） and APS （10， 20 mg·L^-1） groups showed decreased cell proliferation， migration， and colony formation. Compared with the control group， 10， 20 mg·L^-1 APS inhibited the proliferation of MGC-803 cells （P<0.01）， with 10 mg·L^-1 APS demonstrating stronger inhibitory effect. In addition， APS at 10， 20 mg·L^-1 inhibited the migration （P<0.01） and colony formation （P<0.05， P<0.01） of MGC-803 cells. Compared with the control group， APS at 10， 20 mg·L^-1 down-regulated the protein levels of ID1 （P<0.01） and Akt （P<0.05） and the mRNA levels of ID1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and Akt （P<0.05， P<0.01） in MGC-803 cells. ConclusionID1 and Akt are highly expressed in the gastric adenocarcinoma tissue， which may be related to the development of gastric cancer. APS can down-regulate the protein and mRNA levels of ID1 and Akt to exert anti-tumor effects， which is expected to provide new therapeutic targets for gastric cancer treatment.

Addressing the enduring challenge of evaluating traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), the integrated evidence chain-based effectiveness evaluation of TCMs (Eff-iEC) has emerged. This paper explored its capacity through a demonstration study that evaluated the effectiveness evidence of six commonly used anti-hepatic fibrosis Chinese patent medicines (CPMs), including Biejiajian Pill (BP), Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DZP), Biejia Ruangan Compound (BRC), Fuzheng Huayu Capsule (FHC), Anluo Huaxian Pill (AHP), and Heluo Shugan Capsule (HSC), using both Eff-iEC and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The recognition of these CPMs within the TCM academic community was also assessed through their inclusion in relevant medical documents. Results showed that the evidence of BRC and FHC received higher assessments in both Eff-iEC and GRADE system, while the assessments for others varied. Analysis of community recognition revealed that Eff-iEC more accurately reflects the clinical value of these CPMs, exhibiting superior evaluative capabilities. By breaking through the conventional pattern of TCMs effectiveness evaluation, Eff-iEC offers a novel epistemology that better aligns with the clinical realities and reasoning of TCMs, providing a coherent methodology for clinical decision-making, new drug evaluations, and health policy formulation.

OBJECTIVE: Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma (Hongjingtian in Chinese, RCRR), the roots and rhizomes of Rhodiola crenulata and its application in the medicinal market is very chaotic. In this study, DNA barcoding database and identification engine of Rhodiola species were established, decoction pieces from the medicinal market were identified, and the application and challenges of DNA barcoding in the rapid radiation of Rhodiola species were analyzed. This study provides reference for the protection, rational development, and utilization of endangered resources within Rhodiola species. METHODS: A total of 50 original plant samples from 20 species of the genus Rhodiola from Hebei, Xinjiang, Tibet, Jilin, and other major production areas were collected. Theses samples cover the typical distribution area (Qinghai-Tibetan Platea) of Rhodiola species and other scattered alpine regions (Changbai Mountain, Taibai Mountain, Lushan Mountain, etc.), it encompasses all Rhodiola species with thick rhizomes in China. ITS2 and psbA-trnH barcode of Rhodiola database (BORD) were established and an identification engine named Rhodiola-IDE was developed. The stability and accuracy of the standard DNA barcoding database were evaluated using two datasets. Rhodiola-IDE identified 31 decoction pieces of RCRR from the medicinal material market. RESULTS: The BORD containing 1 532 sequences of 88 Rhodiola species has been established, and the identification efficiency results showed good accuracy and stability. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), 23 samples (74.2%) were identified as authentic R. crenulata, while the rest of the marketed varieties were R. kirilowii, R. dumulosa, and R. fastigiata. The product label "Larger flower, Hongjingtian" was identified as R. crenulata. Samples labeled as "Smaller flower, Hongjingtian" were identified as R. crenulata, R. kirilowii, and R. fastigiata. CONCLUSION ITS2 and psbA-trnH barcodes can identify monophyletic groups represented by R. crenulata. However, for non-monophyletic species, it is necessary to collect as many samples as possible and combine them with multiple markers for joint identification. This study discussed the application and challenges of DNA barcodes in Rhodiola under rapid radiation conditions, providing a scientific basis for the rational development and utilization of Rhodiola varieties.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasonic cycloplasty(UCP)combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)+ panretinal photocoagulation(PRP)in the treatment of advanced neovascular glaucoma(NVG).METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 45 patients(45 eyes)with advanced NVG who received surgery in our hospital from August 2020 to September 2022 were collected and divided into UCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group(16 patients, 16 eyes), transscleral cyclophotocoagulation(TCP)+anti-VEGF+PRP group(20 patients, 20 eyes), UCP alone group(9 patients, 9 eyes). The intraocular pressure, pain scores, postoperative medication, effective rate, total success rate and the incidence of complications of the patients in the three groups were compared before surgery and at 1 d, 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo after surgery.RESULTS: There was no significant difference in preoperative intraocular pressure, pain scores and preoperative medication of patients in the three groups(all P>0.05). While there were statistical significance in the intraocular pressure and pain scores at 1 d, 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo after surgery(all P<0.01). The intraocular pressure of the UCP alone group(31.78±10.23 mmHg)was found to be higher than that of both the UCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group(19.44±8.23 mmHg)and the TCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group(20.80±10.27 mmHg)at 1 mo postoperatively(all P<0.017). The pain score of the TCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group at 1 d and 1 wk postoperatively was higher than both the UCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group and the UCP alone group(all P<0.017). The effective rates of UCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group, TCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group and UCP alone group were 81%(13/16), 75%(15/20)and 67%(6/9), respectively,(P=0.675), and the success rates were 69%(11/16), 50%(10/20), and 0(0/9), respectively(P=0.003). There was no significant difference in complications of patients in the three groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: UCP combined with anti-VEGF +PRP and TCP combined with anti-VEGF +PRP showed comparable efficacy in reducing intraocular pressure in advanced NVG. UCP combined with anti-VEGF+PRP was more effective in relieving pain and with no serious complications in advanced NVG. UCP alone can effectively control intraocular pressure and alleviate the pain of patients in the early postoperative period, but long-term control still requires anti-VEGF+PRP.

OBJECTIVE To study the pharmacokinetic changes in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of bronchial asthma model rats after the complication of Ephedra sinica and Prunus armeniaca. METHODS SD male rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， E. sinica group （12 g/kg， calculated by raw drug， similarly hereinafter）， P. armeniaca group （6 g/kg） and E. sinica-P. armeniaca drug-pair group （12 g/kg of E. sinica+6 g/kg of P. armeniaca）， with 6 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， the bronchial asthma model was induced by spraying rats in each group with an equal volume mixture of 2% acetylcholine chloride and 0.4% histamine phosphate， once a day， for 7 d. One hour before modeling every time， rats in each group were gavaged with the corresponding drug/normal saline， once a day， for 7 d. After the final administration and provocation of asthma， blood and cerebrospinal fluid collection were performed at different time points. The plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples were pre-treated （with geranylgeranyl as the internal standard）， and the mass concentrations of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine， methyl ephedrine and amygdalin in both samples were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. DAS 2.0 pharmacokinetic software was used to determine the main pharmacokinetic parameters through the non-atrial chamber model and to compare the changes of the pharmacokinetic parameters before and after the combination of the two drugs. RESULTS Compared with E. sinica group， cmax and AUC0-21.33 h （or AUC0-10.67 h） of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine and methyl ephedrine in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of rats were significantly reduced in E. sinica-P. armeniaca drug-pair group， while CLZ/F and VZ/F were significantly increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； tmax of methyl ephedrine in the cerebrospinal fluid was significantly shortened （P＜ 0.05）.Compared with P. armeniaca group， the t1/2 of amygdalin in the plasma of rats in E. sinica-P. armeniaca drug-pair group was significantly shortened， and CLZ/F was significantly increased （P＜0.01）； the tmax of bitter amygdalin in the cerebrospinal fluid was significantly shortened， and the AUC0-10.67 h， CLZ/F， and VZ/F were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS The combination of E. sinica and P. armeniaca accelerates the absorption and elimination of ephedra alkaloids， thus reducing the accumulation of ephedra alkaloids in the bronchial asthma model rats.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of heparin on focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA)/Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK) signaling pathways during acute lung injury (ALI) in septic mice.Methods:Thirty SPF healthy adult male C57BL/6J mice, aged 6-8 weeks, weighing 20-23 g, were assigned into 3 groups ( n=10 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), ALI group, and heparin group (group H). Septic ALI model was prepared by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide 15 mg/kg, while group C received the equal volume of normal saline. In group H, heparin sodium solution 10 U was injected via the tail vein at 30 min before developing the model. The equal volume of normal saline was injected in C and ALI groups. Venous blood samples were collected from the eyeballs under deep anesthesia at 24 h after lipopolysaccharide injection. The mice were subsequently sacrificed and lung tissues were obtained for determination of the serum concentrations of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), wet/dry lung weight (W/D) ratio, expression of vascular endothelial adhesion factor 1 (VCAM-1) (by immunohistochemical staining) and expression of FAK, phosphorylated FAK (p-FAK), RhoA, GTP-bound RhoA (RhoA-GTP) and ROCK (by Western blot) and for examination of the pathological changes. The lung injury was assessed and scored. Results:Comparison with group C, the serum concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, W/D ratio and lung injury scores were significantly increased, and the expression of VCAM-1, p-FAK, RhoA-GTP and ROCK was up-regulated in ALI group ( P<0.05). Compared with ALI group, the serum concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, W/D ratio and lung injury scores were significantly decreased, and the expression of VCAM-1, p-FAK, RhoA-GTP and ROCK was down-regulated in H group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The mechanism through which heparin mitigates ALI is associated with the inhibition of the FAK/RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway in septic mice.

Objective:To compare the differences in distribution and prognosis of cervical cancer patients in the 2009 and 2018 editions of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging, and to analyze the prognostic factors of cervical cancer patients.Methods:The clinical data of 524 cervical cancer patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2010 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were staged according to the 2009 and 2018 FIGO staging, and the Kendall τb coefficient was calculated to compare the consistency of the distribution of the two stages. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis, and log-rank test was used to test the difference of prognosis in each stage. Cox-regression was used to analyze the prognostic factors of cervical cancer patients.Results:In the 2009 FIGO edition of staging, 1 case of stage ⅠB1 was reduced to stage ⅠA1 due to the microscopic infiltration depth <5 mm, 51 cases of stage ⅠB1 were raised to stage ⅠB2 due to 2 cm4 cm. A total of 119 cases raised to stage ⅢC1 due to pelvic lymph node metastasis, and 11 cases raised to stage ⅢC2 due to para-aortic lymph node metastasis. The distribution of cases in the two stages was consistent (τb=0.61, P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in overall survival (OS) ( χ2=107.13, P<0.001; χ2=93.02, P<0.001; χ2=92.74, P<0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) ( χ2=91.95, P<0.001; χ2=77.69, P<0.001; χ2=73.27, P<0.001) among patients with different stages of FIGO in 2018 (ⅠA, ⅠB, Ⅱ, ⅢA, ⅢB, ⅢC1, ⅢC2, Ⅳ) and 2009 (ⅠA, ⅠB, Ⅱ, ⅢA, ⅢB, Ⅳ) and patients with different T stages (T 1, T 2, T 3, T 4). There were statistically significant differences in OS ( χ2=20.71, P<0.001) and PFS ( χ2=24.25, P<0.001) in 2018 FIGOⅠB and ⅢC stages, and there was a statistically significant difference in OS between stage ⅢC1 and stage ⅠB2 ( χ2=6.18, P=0.013). Multivariate analysis showed that age ( HR=1.88, 95% CI: 1.08-3.28, P=0.026), pathological type ( HR=2.11, 95% CI: 1.04-4.27, P=0.038), lymph node metastasis ( HR=2.18, 95% CI: 1.34-3.56, P=0.002), parametrial spread ( HR=2.56, 95% CI: 1.52-4.29, P<0.001), maximum tumor diameter ( HR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.18-3.30, P=0.009), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) positive after treatment ( HR=4.49, 95% CI: 2.09-9.68, P<0.001) and Hemoglobin (HB) level before treatment ( HR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.35-0.96, P=0.035) were independent risk factors for OS in patients with cervical cancer. According to the 2018 FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates of patients with stage ⅠB1, ⅠB2, ⅠB3 were 100%, 97.1% and 87.9% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=7.79, P=0.020), and there was a statistically significant difference between stage ⅠB1 and ⅠB3 ( χ2=5.55, P=0.019). According to the 2009 FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates of patients with stage ⅠB1 and ⅠB2 were 95.7% and 84.3% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=9.08, P=0.003). For patients with 2018 FIGO stage ⅠB, SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=1 172.50, 95% CI: 10.37-132 554.51, P=0.003) was an independent risk factor for OS, and differentiation degree ( HR=0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.81, P=0.032), treatment method ( HR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.04-0.71, P=0.015) and SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=190.68, 95% CI: 14.27-2 547.67, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for PFS. For patients with 2018 FIGO stage ⅠB, stage ( HR=9.56, 95% CI: 2.38-38.32, P=0.001), SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=126.32, 95% CI: 12.36-1 290.60, P<0.001) and lymph node metastasis ( HR=20.07, 95% CI: 3.63-111.11, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for OS, and differentiation degree ( HR=0.11, 95% CI: 0.02-0.63, P=0.013), treatment method ( HR=0.22, 95% CI: 0.06-0.75, P=0.015) and SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=43.83, 95% CI: 7.94-241.84, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for PFS. According to the 2018 FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates of patients with stage ⅡA and ⅡB were 95.7% and 75.6% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=13.96, P<0.001). The 5-year PFS rates of patients with stage ⅡA and ⅡB were 83.1% and 67.1% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=7.61, P=0.006). According to the 2009 FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates of patients with stage ⅡA and ⅡB were 90.9% and 75.0% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=8.85, P=0.003). The 5-year PFS rates of patients with stage ⅡA and ⅡB were 75.7% and 66.7% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=4.07, P=0.044). For patients with 2018 FIGO stage Ⅱ, pathological type ( HR=20.28, 95% CI: 2.93-140.32, P=0.002) and stage ( HR=4.35, 95% CI: 1.02-18.55, P=0.047) were independent risks factors for OS. For patients with 2009 FIGO stage Ⅱ, pathological type ( HR=5.82, 95% CI: 1.62-20.94, P=0.007) was an independent risk factor for OS, and pathological type ( HR=3.09, 95% CI: 1.22-7.85, P=0.017) and lymph node metastasis ( HR=2.07, 95% CI: 1.22-3.51, P=0.007) were independent risk factors for PFS. For patients with 2018 FIGO stage Ⅲ, maximum tumor diameter ( HR=3.31, 95% CI: 1.45-7.56, P=0.005) and SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=4.67, 95% CI: 1.22-17.86, P=0.024) were independent risk factors for OS, and pathological type ( HR=4.15, 95% CI: 1.47-11.77, P=0.007) and SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=3.96, 95% CI: 1.45-10.86, P=0.007) were independent risk factors for PFS. Conclusion:The 2018 and 2009 FIGO staging have a good distribution consistency in the cervical cancer patients, and the 2018 FIGO stage ⅠB has more advantages in judging the prognosis, but stage ⅢC cannot accurately judge the prognosis. Lymph node metastasis and maximum tumor diameter are more important prognostic factors.

Objective:To assess the safety and efficacy of Anthocyanins for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.Methods:From November 2018 to December 2020, a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical study was conducted in 6 hospitals.The regular medication for the two groups was memantine, with the addition of a combination preparation containing Anthocyanins for the experimental group and a placebo for the control group.The Mini-Mental State Scale(MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale(MoCA), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale(ADAS-cog), Activities of Daily Living Scale(ADCS-ADL)and Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)were used for assessment at the beginning.After 16 weeks of treatment, MMSE, MoCA, ADCS-ADL, ADAS-cog and the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change Plus Caregiver Input(CIBIC-Plus)Scale were conducted and adverse events were recorded.Results:A total of 66 patients were enrolled, with 33 in the control group and 33 in the experimental group.There were no significant differences in cognitive function scores between the two groups before enrollment.Differences in MMSE scores, MOCA scores and ADAS-cog scores before and after treatment between the control group and the experimental group were 1.9±2.4 vs.3.4±2.0( t=2.62, P=0.011), 1.8±1.9 vs.2.9±1.4( t=2.45, P=0.018)and 3.0±2.3 vs.5.3±4.6( t=2.45, P=0.019), respectively.The differences were statistically significant.Instrumental activities of daily living(IADL)scores before and after treatment in the control group were 21.6±5.7 vs.22.6±6.2( t= 2.09, P= 0.046), and those in the experimental group were 22.7±5.4 vs.23.4±5.4( t= 2.45, P= 0.021). The differences between the two groups before and after treatment were statistically significant. Conclusions:Treatment with Anthocyanins can delay the decline of cognitive function and activities of daily living ability in patients with Alzheimer's disease.Anthocyanins may be a promising therapeutic drug for Alzheimer's disease in the future.