Hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout became typical metabolic disorders characterized by multiple pathogenic factors. Their incidence increased annually, affecting younger populations. Given that uric acid (UA) and inflammation were the primary disease mechanisms, the search for effective and low-side-effect UA-lowering and anti-inflammatory drugs became a pressing scientific priority. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) encompassed a rich array of theoretical and practical experience, along with a diverse range of chemical substances, making herbs or their components potential sources for therapeutic drugs. Despite the significant role that modern herbal medicines played in treating HUA and gout, the existing research literature remained fragmented, lacking comprehensive and systematic reviews. In this review, we focused on the regulation of UA and summarized the discovery of UA-lowering pharmacodynamic components or ingredients derived from herbs and formulas, as well as their multi-targeted mechanisms of action. Emphasizing this focus, we proposed that, compared to acute inflammation, low-grade inflammation may play a relatively "unnoticed" role in the disease process. In contrast to Western medicine, we discussed the risks and benefits of herbal medicines and their ingredients for treatment, drawing from theoretical insights and clinical practice. This review offered comprehensive perspectives on the research into anti-HUA and gout treatments using herbal medicines and their natural products. Additionally, it provided a forward-looking view on natural product discovery, the exploration of therapeutic strategies, and new drug research in this field.

Image 1.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular inflammatory disease caused by abnormal lipid metabolism.The formation of lipid-rich foam cells acts as the initial trigger for development of atherosclerotic lesions.Recent studies have shown that lipophagy,a form of selective autophagy,can selectively degrade lipid droplets stored intracellularly and promote cholesterol efflux through the autophagic lysosomal pathway.As a result,intracellular lipid accumulation is re-duced and foaming is inhibited,making lipophagy a potential new target for current anti-atherosclerosis therapy.This arti-cle reviews the crucial role and molecular mechanism of lipophagy in the link between lipid metabolism and atherosclero-sis.Its objective is to outline the regulatory mechanism of lipophagy and present fresh insights for the treatment of athero-sclerotic diseases.

Objective:To determine residual sulfite in traditional Chinese medicinal materials or pieces processed by sulfur fumi-gation respectively by iodine titration, acid-base titration and ion chromatography and compare the results. Methods:The three meth-ods were used to determine four kinds of Chinese herbal medicines including Codonopsis radix, Dioscoreae rhizoma, Achyranthis bident-atae Radix and Atractulodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, the recovery tests were also performed and the results were analyzed and compared to summarize the characteristics and quality control requirements of each method. Results:Iodine titration and acid-base titration had the advantages of simple operation process and low cost. However, there were many interference factors in the two methods, and due to different principles, they were suitable for the determination of different varieties of herbal medicines. Ion chromatography method had the advantages of high sensitivity and strong specificity, while the cost was high. Conclusion: It is suggested that proper methods should be chosen for the determination of sulfur dioxide residues according to actual situations.