In order to comprehensively evaluate the quality of Viticis Fructus, this study established HPLC fingerprints and evaluated the quality of 24 batches of Viticis Fructus samples from different species by similarity evaluation and multivariate statistical analysis(PCA, HCA, PLS-DA). On this basis, an HPLC method was established to compare the content differences of the main components, including casticin, agnuside, homoorientin, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The analysis was performed on the chromatographic column(Waters Symmetry C_(18)) with a gradient mobile phase of acetonitrile(A)-0.05% phosphoric acid solution(B) at the flow rate of 1 mL·min~(-1) and detection wavelength of 258 nm. The column temperature was 30 ℃ and the injection volume was 10 μL. The HPLC fingerprint of 24 batches of Viticis Fructus samples was established with 21 common peaks, and nine peaks were identified. Similarity analysis was carried out based on chromatographic data of 24 batches of chromatographic data of Viticis Fructus, and the results showed that except for DYMJ-16, the similarity of Vitex trifolia var. simplicifolia was ≥0.900, while that of V. trifolia was ≤0.864. In addition, the similarity analysis of two different species showed that the similarity of 16 batches of V. trifolia var. simplicifolia was 0.894-0.997 and that of the eight batches of V. trifolia was between 0.990 and 0.997. The results showed that the similarity of fingerprints of these two species was different, but the similarity between the same species was good. The results of the three multivariate statistical analyses were consistent, which could distinguish the two different species. The VIP analysis results of PLS-DA showed that casticin and agnuside contributed the most to the distinction. The content determination results showed that there was no significant difference in the content of homoorientin and p-hydroxybenzoic acid in Viticis Fructus from different species, but the content of casticin and agnuside was significantly different in different species(P<0.01). The content of casticin was higher in V. trifolia var. simplicifolia, while agnuside was higher in V. trifolia. The findings of this study show that there are differences in fingerprint similarity and component content of Viticis Fructus from different species, which can provide references for the in-depth study of the quality and clinical application of Viticis Fructus.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Vitex/chemistry*

Prunus mume is an edible and medicinal material, and Mume Fructus is its processed product, which was first recorded in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica(Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing). It is an effective drug for stopping diarrhea with astringents and promoting fluid production to quiet ascaris. By consulting the ancient herbal works of the past dynasties, modern codes, and other rela-ted literature, this paper sorted out the medicinal evolution of Mume Fructus, examined the ancient efficacy of Mume Fructus and the main indications, and summarized the inclusion of Mume Fructus in national and provincial standards. It is recorded in the ancient herbal works of the past dynasties that Mume Fructus can be processed by various methods such as roasting, stir-frying or micro-frying, stir-frying with charcoal, single steaming, steaming with wine, and steaming after soaking in wine or vinegar, and prepared into pills, powders, and ointments, which are used in the treatment of fatigue, diabetes, malaria, dysentery, ascariasis, and other diseases. Mume Fructus has been included in nine editions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia and 19 provincial and municipal preparation specifications. The processing method of Mume Fructus is determined, namely, clean P. mume should be softened by moistening in water or steaming and pitted. By reviewing the effects of processing on its chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and its modern clinical application, this paper identified the following issues. The ancient application methods of Mume Fructus are diverse but less commonly used in modern times, there is a lack of standardized research on the processing, and the research on the changes caused by the difference in Mume Fructus before and after processing is not deep. Therefore, it is necessary to further investigate the change pattern of its chemical composition before and after processing and its correlation between its medicinal activity to standardize the processing technology and provide a solid basis for the use of Mume Fructus in parts and its quality control.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Materia Medica/analysis* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Prunus/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective To observe the role of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B) in kiwi fruit essence-mediated protection of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) in rats. Methods 96 male healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal control group, model group, and kiwi fruit essence treatment group(60 and 240 mg/kg) by the random number table method, with 24 animals in each group. The whole lungs underwent 6 MV X-ray irradiation (18 Gy) to induce RILI animal models in rats of the latter three groups. On the next day after irradiation, rats in the latter two groups were intragastrically administrated with 60 or 240 mg/kg kiwi fruit essence, once a day. The rats in the normal control and model groups were treated with 9 g/L sodium chloride solution. Eight rats in the latter three groups were randomly sacrificed on days 14, 28, and 56, while normal control rats were sacrificed on day 56 as the overall control. Blood samples were collected and separated. Serum concentrations of TNF-α and PDGF-B were detected using ELISA. The lung tissues were isolated for HE and Masson staining to evaluate alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The hydroxyproline (HYP) content in lung tissues was detected. The mRNA and protein expression of pulmonary TNF-α and PDGF-B were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with the model group, treatment with 60 and 240 mg/kg kiwi fruit essence group significantly reduced alveolitis on days 14 and 28 as well as PF lesions on days 28 and 56. Compared with the normal control group, HYP content in the lung tissue of the model group increased on day 28 and day 56, while TNF-α and PDGF-B levels in the serum and lung tissues increased at each time point. Compared with the model group during the same period, 60 and 240 mg/kg kiwi fruit essence element treatment group reported the diminished levels of serum and pulmonary TNF-α on day 14 and day 28. Consistently, the lung tissue HYP content and serum and pulmonary PDGF-B levels on day 28 and day 56 were reduced. In addition, the above indicators in the 240 mg/kg kiwi fruit essence treatment group were lower than those for the 60 mg/kg kiwi fruit essence treatment group. Conclusion Kiwi fruit essence can alleviate RILI in rats, which is related to the down-regulation of TNF-α expression at the early stage and decreased PDGF-B level at the middle and late stages.
Animals ; Male ; Rats ; Fruit/metabolism* ; Lung/radiation effects* ; Lung Injury/prevention & control* ; Oils, Volatile ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis/metabolism* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Actinidia/chemistry*

The chemical constituents from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia were systematically explored by chromatographic fractionation methods including silica gel, octadecylsilyl(ODS) gel, Sephadex LH-20 gel, and preparative high performance liquid chromatography(pre-HPLC). The chemical structures of all isolated compounds were identified on the basis of their physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analyses, as well as the comparisons of their physicochemical and spectroscopic data with the reported data in literature. As a result, 22 isolated compounds from the 90% ethanol extract of the fruits of M. citrifolia were identified, which were moricitritone(1), 2'-deoxythymidine(2), cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Tyr)(3), methyl-5-hydroxy-2-pyridinecarboxylate(4), methyl pyroglutamate(5), bisbenzopyran(6), epipinoresinol(7), 3, 3'-bisdemethyl pinoresinol(8), 3, 3'-bisdemethyltanegool(9), trimesic acid(10), crypticin B(11), kojic acid(12), vanillic acid(13), protocatechoic acid(14), 5-hydroxymethyl furfural(15), blumenol A(16), 1-O-(9Z, 12Z-octadecadienoyl) glycerol(17), mucic acid dimethylester(18), methyl 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosylbenzoate(19), 2-phenylethyl-O-β-D-glucoside(20), scopoletin(21), and quercetin(22). Among them, compound 1 was a new pyrone derivative, compounds 2, 4-7, 10-12, and 17 were isolated from the plants belonging to Morinda genus for the first time, and compound 18 was obtained from M. citrifolia for the first time. Moreover, on the basis of testing the activities of all isolated compounds on inhibiting the proliferation of synovial fibroblasts in vitro by MTS assay, the anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities of all isolated compounds were initially evaluated. The results showed that compounds 1-6, 9, 19, and 20 exhibited remarkable anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, which displayed the inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MH7A synovial fibroblast cells with the IC_(50) values in the range of(3.69±0.08) to(168.96±0.98) μmol·L~(-1).
Fruit/chemistry* ; Morinda/chemistry* ; Synoviocytes ; Cell Proliferation ; Arthritis

The present study explored the consistency of the content proportions of active components of Aurantii Fructus and analyzed the influencing factors based on three-dimensional multi-component analysis. A total of 839 Aurantii Fructus samples in 65 research articles were analyzed using the three-dimensional multi-component analysis mode. The content data of flavonoid components(naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, narirutin, and nobiletin), coumarin components(meranzin and gluconolactone), and alkaloid(synephrine) in 386 samples which met the criteria of 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia were extracted and adjusted to percentages, and the content ratios between components were calculated. The influencing factors of Aurantii Fructus quality were analyzed. The results showed content ratios of components as follows: neohesperidin∶naringin in the range of 0.4-1.2; narirutin∶naringin in the range of 0.02-0.16; hesperidin∶naringin in the range of 0.01-0.3; nobiletin∶naringin in the range of 0.000 588 3-0.069 68; synephrine∶naringin in the range of 0.02-0.042; gluconolactone∶naringin in the range of 0.001-0.01; meranzin∶naringin in the range of 0.000 4-0.035. The quality of Aurantii Fructus was closely related to the origin, variety, harvesting time, and processing method of medicinal materials. Harvesting time had a greater impact on the quality of Aurantii Fructus, and the origin and variety had a certain impact on the quality of Aurantii Fructus. The findings of this study indicated that the ratios between flavonoid components, flavonoids and coumarin components, and flavonoids and alkaloids fluctuated. The production base should optimize the varieties, harvesting period, and processing methods of Aurantii Fructus to provide a scientific basis for the production of high-quality Aurantii Fructus.
Citrus ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Coumarins/analysis* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*

The present study optimized the ethanol extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus drug pair by network pharmacology and Box-Behnken method. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to screen out and verify the potential active components of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus, and the process evaluation indexes were determined in light of the components of the content determination under Ziziphi Spinosae Semen and Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). The analytic hierarchy process(AHP) was used to determine the weight coefficient of each component, and the comprehensive score was calculated as the process evaluation index. The ethanol extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus was optimized by the Box-Behnken method. The core components of the Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus drug pair were screened out as spinosin, jujuboside A, jujuboside B, schisandrin, schisandrol, schisandrin A, and schisandrin B. The optimal extraction conditions obtained by using the Box-Behnken method were listed below: extraction time of 90 min, ethanol volume fraction of 85%, and two times of extraction. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking, the process evaluation indexes were determined, and the optimized process was stable, which could provide an experimental basis for the production of preparations containing Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus.
Ethanol ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Network Pharmacology ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Ziziphus/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/chemistry* ; Schisandra/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Technology, Pharmaceutical

Ten alkaloids(1-10) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the fruit of Lycium chinense var. potaninii by silica gel, ODS, and preparative high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), and identified by NMR and MS as methyl(2S)-[2-formyl-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]-3-(phenyl)propanoate(1), methyl(2R)-[2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]-3-(phenyl)propanoate(2), 3-hydroxy-4-ethyl ketone pyridine(3), indolyl-3-carbaldehyde(4),(R)-4-isobutyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]oxazine-6-carbaldehyde(5),(R)-4-isopropyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]oxazine-6-car-baldehyde(6), methyl(2R)-[2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoate(7), dimethyl(2R)-[2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanedioate(8), 4-[formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanoate(9), 4-[2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanoic acid(10). All the compounds were isolated from the plant for the first time. Among them, compounds 1-3 were new compounds. Compounds 1-9 were evaluated for hypoglycemic activity in vitro with the palmitic acid-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cells. At 10 μmol·L~(-1), compounds 4, 6, 7, and 9 can promote the glucose consumption of HepG2 cells with insulin resistance.
Lycium/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Insulin Resistance ; Propionates ; Alkaloids/pharmacology*

Perilla frutescens is a widely used medicinal and edible plant with a rich chemical composition throughout its whole plant. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia categorizes P. frutescens leaves(Perillae Folium), seeds(Perillae Fructus), and stems(Perillae Caulis) as three distinct medicinal parts due to the differences in types and content of active components. Over 350 different bioactive compounds have been reported so far, including volatile oils, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenes, sterols, and fatty acids. Due to the complexity of its chemical composition, P. frutescens exhibits diverse pharmacological effects, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antidepressant, and antitumor activities. While scholars have conducted a substantial amount of research on different parts of P. frutescens, including analysis of their chemical components and pharmacological mechanisms of action, there has yet to be a systematic comparison and summary of chemical components, pharmacological effects, and mechanisms of action. Therefore, this study overviewed the chemical composition and structures of Perillae Folium, Perillae Fructus, and Perillae Caulis, and summarized the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of P. frutescens to provide a reference for better development and utilization of this valuable plant.
Perilla frutescens/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Oils, Volatile/analysis* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry*

The leaves of sea buckthorn(Hippophae rhamnoides), considered as common food raw materials, have records of medicinal use and diverse pharmacological activities, showing a potential medicinal value. However, the active substances in the sea buckthorn leaves and their mechanisms of action remain unclear. In addition, due to the extensive source and large variety variations, the quality evaluation criteria of sea buckthorn leaves remain to be developed. To solve the problems, this study predicted the main active components, core targets, key pathways, and potential pharmacological effects of sea buckthorn leaves by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Furthermore, ultra-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection(UPLC-DAD) was employed to determine the content of active components and establish the chemical fingerprint, on the basis of which the quality markers of sea buckthorn leaves were predicted and then verified by the enzyme activity inhibition method. The results indicated that sea buckthorn leaves had potential therapeutic effects on a variety of digestive tract diseases, metabolic diseases, tumors, and autoimmune diseases, which were consistent with the ancient records and the results of modern pharmacological studies. The core targets of sea buckthorn leaves included PTPN11, AKT1, PIK3R1, ESR1, and SRC, which were mainly involved in the PI3K-AKT, MAPK, and HIF-1 signaling pathways. In conclusion, the active components of sea buckthorn leaves are associated with the rich flavonoids and tannins, among which quercitrin, narcissoside, and ellagic acid can be used as the quality markers of sea buckthorn leaves. The findings provide a reference for the quality control and further development and utilization of sea buckthorn leaves as medicinal materials.
Hippophae/chemistry* ; Network Pharmacology ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Fruit/chemistry*

Objective: To study the protective effects of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice on alcoholic liver injury in rats and explore the regulatory mechanism of toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4)/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway in this process. Methods: Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into control group (C), model group (M), low-dose Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice group (LLM), medium-dose Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice group (MLM) and high-dose Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice group (HLM), 12 rats in each group. The group M, LLM, MLM and HLM were treated with 20 ml/kg (8 g/(kg·d)) ethanol (400 g/L) intragastrically and the gavage was divided into two sessions, group C was treated with an equal volume of distilled water at the same time point. Four hours before the first alcohol gavage session, rats in each dose group of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice were administered with 2.4, 4.8, 9.6 ml/(kg·d) Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice respectively, and the other groups were given equal volume of distilled water at the corresponding time points. Four weeks later, the rats were sacrificed 24 hours after the end of the last experiment, blood and liver were collected. The liver index was calculated. The morphology of the liver was observed by HE staining. The expressions of hepatic TLR4, p38 MAPK and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK) were detected by immunohistochemistry. The activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were detected by colorimetry. The levels of hepatic tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Compared with group C, the alcoholic liver injury model was established successfully in Group M. Compared with group M, related indicators in each dose group of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice were improved, the improvement of hepatic morphology in group HLM was the most significant, the liver index, the levels of serum ALT, AST and hepatic TLR4, p38 MAPK/p-p38 MAPK ratio, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-18 were decreased (P＜ 0.05 or P＜0.01), while the level of hepatic IL-10 was increased (P＜0.01). Comparison among the dose groups of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice, the levels of liver index, serum AST and hepatic TLR4, p38 MAPK/p-p38 MAPK ratio, TNF-α, IL-18 in HLM were lower than those in LLM (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01); the level of hepatic IL-10 in HLM was higher than that in LLM and MLM (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01); the other indicators in each dose group had no statistical difference (P＞0.05). Conclusion: Lycium ruthenicum Murr. juice can improve the inflammatory stress by regulating TLR4/p38 MAPK signaling pathway, relieve alcoholic liver injury in rats, and the effect of high-dose group is better than the others.
Animals ; Fruit and Vegetable Juices ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-18 ; Liver/metabolism* ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic/therapy* ; Lycium/chemistry* ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism*