Humans ; Adult ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; Pneumonia, Viral/complications* ; Risk Factors ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis/complications*

This study compared the transcriptome of Atractylodes lancea rhizome at different development stages and explored genes encoding the key enzymes of the sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis pathway. Specifically, Illumina NovaSeq 6000 was employed for sequencing the cDNA libraries of A. lancea rhizome samples at the growth stage(SZ), flowering stage(KH), and harvesting stage(CS), respectively. Finally, a total of 388 201 748 clean reads were obtained, and 16 925, 8 616, and 13 702 differentially expressed genes(DEGs) were identified between SZ and KH, KH and CS, and SZ and CS, separately. Among them, 53 genes were involved in the sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis pathways: 9 encoding 6 enzymes of the mevalonic acid(MVA) pathway, 15 encoding 7 enzymes of the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate(MEP) pathway, and 29 of sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid biosynthesis pathway. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA) yielded 12 genes related to sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis for the SZ, 1 gene for the KH, and 1 gene for CS, and several candidate genes for sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis were discovered based on the co-expression network. This study laid a solid foundation for further research on the sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis pathway, analysis of the regulation mechanism, and mechanism for the accumulation of sesquiterpenoids in A. lancea.
Atractylodes/genetics* ; Mevalonic Acid/metabolism* ; Rhizome/genetics* ; Sesquiterpenes/metabolism* ; Transcriptome ; Triterpenes/metabolism*

Medicinal plants are the main source of clinical medication in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). China has achieved large-scale cultivation and production of medicinal plants. As an important resource for the sustainable development of agriculture in the future, microorganisms can also promote the green, ecological and high-quality development of Chinese medicine agriculture. However, research on the medicinal plant microbiome is still limited. Therefore, based on the development timeline of microbiome research, the present study reviewed the origin, technology, and hotspots of microbiome research and proposed some suggestions for future research according to the advances in medicinal plant microbiome.(1)Systematic investigation of medicinal plant microbiome on the species, genus, and family levels should be carried out on the medicinal plants of different chemotypes in order to reveal the coevolution of the microorganisms and their host plants.(2)Spatial and temporal research on medicinal plant microbiome should be performed to reveal the effects of microorganisms on the growth, development, and secondary metabolite accumulation of medicinal plants, as well as the underlying mechanisms.(3)Model medicinal plant species should be selected and microorganism-plant interaction research models should be established.(4)Core microbiome of medicinal plants should be explored for the future application of crucial microbes in the sustaina-ble agriculture of Chinese medicine.(5)Breeding of medicinal plant-associated microbes should be carried out to lay the foundation for novel medicinal plant breeding strategies.(6)High-throughput sequencing, traditional incubation, and isolation of microbes should be combined to study medicinal plant microbiome, thereby promoting the exploitation and application of uncultured microbial strains.(7)Platforms for the preservation of medicinal plant-associated microbe strains and data of their metabolites should be established and the exchange of information and cooperation between these platforms should be subsequently enhanced. With these suggestions, the efficient and rapid development of medicinal plant microbiome research is expected to be promoted.
Plants, Medicinal ; Plant Breeding ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Agriculture ; Microbiota

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of glutathione peroxidase(GPX)genes and the clinical prognosis in glioma patients,and to construct and evaluate the model for predicting the prognosis of glioma. Methods The clinical information and GPX expression of 663 patients,including 153 patients of glioblastoma(GBM)and 510 patients of low-grade glioma(LGG),were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database.The relationship between GPX expression and patient survival was analyzed.The key GPX affecting the prognosis of glioma was screened out by single- and multi-factor Cox's proportional-hazards regression models and validated by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(Lasso)regression.Finally,we constructed the model for predicting the prognosis of glioma with the screening results and then used concordance index and calibration curve respectively to evaluate the discrimination and calibration of model. Results Compared with those in the control group,the expression levels of GPX1,GPX3,GPX4,GPX7,and GPX8 were up-regulated in glioma patients(all P<0.001).Moreover,the expression levels of other GPX except GPX3 were higher in GBM patients than in LGG patients(all P<0.001).The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the progression-free survival of GBM with high expression of GPX1(P=0.013)and GPX4(P=0.040),as well as the overall survival,disease-specific survival,and progression-free survival of LGG with high expression of GPX1,GPX7,and GPX8,was shortened(all P<0.001).GPX7 and GPX8 were screened out as the key factors affecting the prognosis of LGG.The results were further used to construct a nomogram model,which suggested GPX7 was the most important variable.The concordance index of the model was 0.843(95%CI=0.809-0.853),and the calibration curve showed that the predicted and actual results had good consistency. Conclusion GPX7 is an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of LGG,and the nomogram model constructed with it can be used to predict the survival rate of LGG.
Brain Neoplasms ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma/diagnosis* ; Glutathione Peroxidase/metabolism* ; Humans ; Peroxidases ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models

Caffeic acid and its oligomers are the main water-soluble active constituents of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Arnebiae Radix. These compounds possess multiple biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, cardiovascular protective, liver protective, anti-liver fibrosis, antiviral and anticancer activities. The phenylpropanoid pathway in plants is responsible for the biosynthesis of caffeic acid and its oligomers. Glycosylation can change phenylpropanoid solubility, stability and toxic potential, as well as influencing compartmentalization and biological activity. In view of the important role played by de-glycosylation in the regulation of phenylpropanoid homeostasis, the biosynthesis of caffeic acid and its oligomers are supposed to be under the control of relative UDP-glycosyltransferases(UGTs). Through the data mining of Arnebia euchroma transcriptome, we cloned 15 full-length putative UGT genes. After recombinant expression using the prokaryotic system, the crude enzyme solution of the putative UGTs was examined for the glycosylation activities towards caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid in vitro. AeUGT_01, AeUGT_02, AeUGT_03, AeUGT_04 and AeUGT_10 were able to glycosylate caffeic acid and/or rosmarinic acid resulting in different mono-and/or di-glycosylated products in the UPLC-MS analyses. The characterized UGTs were distantly related to each other and divided into different clades of the phylogenetic tree. Based on the observation that each characterized UGT exhibited substrate or catalytic similarity with the members in their own clade, we supposed the glycosylation abilities towards caffeic acid and/or rosmarinic acid were evolved independently in different clades. The identification of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid UGTs from A. euchroma could lead to deeper understanding of the caffeic acid oligomers biosynthesis and its regulation. Furthermore, these UGTs might be used for regiospecific glycosylation of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid to produce bioactive compounds for potential therapeutic applications.
Boraginaceae/genetics* ; Caffeic Acids ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Cinnamates ; Cloning, Molecular ; Depsides ; Glycosyltransferases/genetics* ; Phylogeny ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

As the most advanced environment-friendly production model in the international society, ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica(CMM) is the only way for the development of modern agriculture. With the proposal of the declaration on ecolo-gical agriculture of CMM, "Don't grab land from farmland, don't be enemies of grass and insects, don't be afraid of barren slopes and forests, and live up to the green and green mountains", the ecological planting of CMM has blossomed all over the country, and formed a scientific theory, technology and model. Based on the theory and method of economics, this paper expounds the comprehensive benefits and development advantages of ecological agriculture of CMM from the perspectives of farmers(producers), patients(consumers) and the country. From the perspective of medicinal farmers, the input and output income of conventional agriculture and ecological agriculture of CMM such as Panax ginseng, Astragalus propinquus, Atractylodes lancea, and Bupleurum chinense were compared, and it was found that ecological agriculture of CMM had obvious advantages in net income, average annual income and input-output ratio, which could better promote farmers' income. From the perspective of patients, according to the same dose, the content of active ingredients in ecologically planted CMMs is significantly higher than that in conventionally-planted herbs, and the amount of effective substances taken by patients is also higher, so as to achieve better therapeutic effect. At the national level, ecological planting of CMM is the key to ensuring the high-quality development of CMM industry, increasing farmers' income, ensuring the safety of people's drug use and promoting the sustainable development of agriculture. It is also an important part of realizing the harmonious development of economy, society and environment and promoting ecological civilization. In general, the declaration on ecological agriculture of CMM embo-dies the core characteristics and goals of ecological agriculture, and also points of the path and vision of ecological agriculture of CMM in the future. The declaration will guide production practice, promote the benefit of farmers, and lay the foundation for the sustainable development of CMM industry.
Agriculture ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Materia Medica ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal

This paper summarized the effects of ecological planting on secondary metabolism firstly and pointed out that ecological planting can increase the content of secondary metabolites in plants, especially the content of defensive secondary metabolites. The possible mechanism was analyzed subsequently. Then, we reviewed the induction and utilization of secondary metabolism in the ecological planting of Chinese materia medica from the perspectives of biological control of pests and diseases, promotion of beneficial microorganism accumulation, optimization of mixed planting, regulation of no-tillage and straw cover. In this article, we pointed out that paying close attention to secondary metabolism is the most important feature of ecological planting of Chinese materia medica. Ecological planting can promote the accumulation of secondary metabolites of Chinese materia medica which means can improve the quality of Chinese materia medica, beneficial to the prevention and control of diseases, insects and weeds. Furthermore, lacking of systemic researches,the extensive verifications and systematic in-depth researches on the ecological planting of Chinese materia medica should be carry out urgently.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Materia Medica ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal ; Secondary Metabolism

The cluster brand is the embodiment of the core competitiveness of an industry. Developing and cultivating cluster brand of ecological agriculture of Dao-di herbs not only helps to optimize the value chain of the Chinese medicinal materials(CMMs) industry cluster, realize the value-added of the CMMs industry cluster, but also enhance the visibility and influence of the industrial cluster, enhance the core competitiveness of the industrial cluster. This has important practical significance for promoting the "orderly" "safe" and "effective" development of the Dao-di herbs. Based on the industry development status of CMMs, this article introduces several concepts related to cluster brands and their relationships, and focuses on the cultivation models and strategies of cluster brand in the CMMs industry. Based on the current status of the development of the CMMs industry, this article introduces several concepts related to cluster brands and their interrelationships. It discusses the cultivation models and strategies of cluster brands in the CMMs industry, industry associations, Chinese medicine companies and individual growers as the support, insists on the ecological cultivation of authentic medicinal materials and the cultivation of cluster brands. Finally, it points out the direction for the high-quality development of the ecological agriculture of CMMs.
Agriculture ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Industrial Development ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal

Aiming at the phenomenon of heavy metal Cd exceeding the standard of Chuanxiong medicinal materials,the accumulation of 12 inorganic elements,including heavy metals,in Ligusticum chuanxiong was studied in this paper. It was found that the contents and distribution of most inorganic elements in the stems and leaves of L. chuanxiong were higher than those in the rhizomes at seedling and shooting stages. The content of most elements in rhizome reached the highest at harvest stage,and the distribution ratio of some elements in rhizome was higher than that in stem and leaf at harvest stage. But rhizome,stem and leaf of L. chuanxiong have relatively stable absorption capacity and enrichment effect on different elements,and are less affected by growth period and position. Rhizomes and stems and leaves of L. chuanxiong were enriched with Cd,and stems and leaves also accumulated Pb at seedling stage and stem stage. The absorption capacity of Pb in stems and leaves of L. chuanxiong was higher than that of rhizomes,and the ability of absorbing Cd was less than that of rhizomes at harvest time. The total uptake of Cd and Pb by L. chuanxiong decreased with the prolongation of growth time,but the proportion of Cd and Pb in rhizome increased,so that the content of Cd and Pb increased with the prolongation of growth time.
Cadmium ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Ligusticum ; chemistry ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for brain injury in preterm infants by a multicenter epidemiological investigation of brain injury in hospitalized preterm infants in Anhui, China. METHODS: Preterm infants who were hospitalized in the department of neonatology in 9 hospitals of Anhui Neonatal Collaboration Network between January 2016 and January 2017 were enrolled as subjects. The data of maternal pregnancy and clinical data of preterm infants were collected, and the logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for brain injury in preterm infants. RESULTS: A total of 3 378 preterm infants were enrolled. Of the 3 378 preterm infants, 798 (23.56%) had periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (PVH-IVH), and 88 (2.60%) had periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Intrauterine distress, anemia, hypoglycemia and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) were risk factors for PVH-IVH (OR=1.310, 1.591, 1.835, and 3.310 respectively; P<0.05), while a higher gestational age was a protective factor against PVH-IVH (OR=0.671, P<0.05). PVH-IVH, NEC and mechanical ventilation were risk factors for PVL (OR=4.017, 3.018, and 2.166 respectively; P<0.05), and female sex and use of pulmonary surfactant were protective factors against PVL (OR=0.514 and 0.418 respectively; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Asphyxia/anoxia, infection/inflammation, mechanical ventilation, anemia and hypoglycemia may increase the risk of brain injury in preterm infants.
Brain Injuries ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; China ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Leukomalacia, Periventricular