Metabolomics and gut microbiota analysis reveal the differential efficacy of areca nut and charred areca nut in treating constipation.

Background: Areca nut (AN) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for centuries to treat gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Charred AN (CAN) is a processed product of AN with similar therapeutic effects. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic mechanisms of AN and CAN for constipation via metabolomics and gut microbiota analysis.

[Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal in Surface Flow Constructed Wetland Planted with Treating Swine Wastewater in Subtropical Central China].

The loss of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from aquaculture has caused eutrophication of freshwater systems. Here, surface flow constructed wetland (SFCW) planted with were used to treat swine wastewater from a medium-sized hoggery in subtropical Central China. Inflow concentrations of NH-N, TN, TP, and COD ranged from 535.

A predator-prey model with genetic differentiation both in the predator and prey.

In this paper, we propose a predator-prey model with genetic differentiation both in the predator and prey. First, we analyze two special cases: a model without the predators and a model with one genotype in both the predator and prey, and for each model show that the positive equilibria are always globally stable when they exist, while the boundary equilibria are always unstable. Then, for the newly proposed model, we give the results that the positive equilibrium is always local stable when it exists, the boundary equilibrium at the origin is always unstable, and the stability of another boundary equilibrium is determined by the existence of the positive equilibrium.

Antidepressant-like effects of cajaninstilbene acid and its related mechanisms in mice.

Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA), a bioactive constituent isolated from pigeon pea leaves, exhibited neuroprotective activities in previous studies. The present study aims to evaluate the antidepressant effects of CSA by using behavioral despair models of tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST), and a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model. CSA (30 or 60 mg/kg), intragastrically administrated for 7 days, could significantly reduce the immobility time of mice in TST and FST.

Cajaninstilbene Acid Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment Induced by Intrahippocampal Injection of Amyloid-β Oligomers.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers play an important role at the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and have been a vital target in the development of therapeutic drugs for AD. Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA), a major bioactive stilbene isolated from pigeon pea () leaves, exerted the neuroprotective property in our previous studies. The present study utilized a validated mouse model of early-stage AD induced by bilateral injection of Aβ oligomers into hippocampal CA1 regions (100 pmol/mouse) to investigate the cognitive enhancing effects of CSA and the underlying mechanism, by a combination of animal behavioral tests, immunohistochemistry, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis, and Western blot methods.

Increased prevalence of parent ratings of ADHD symptoms among children with bilateral congenital cataracts.

Aim: To investigate the behavioral and psychological disorders and the prevalence of parent ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms among children with bilateral congenital cataracts (CCs).

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated children with bilateral CC aged 3-8y (CC group) using Conners' Parent Rating Scale-48 (CPRS-48) from July to December 2016. The abnormal rates of psychological symptoms in CC children and normal vision (NV) children were compared using the Chi-square test.

Urinary metabolic disturbance in the olfactory bulbectomized rats and the modulatory effects of fluoxetine.

Aims: The present study aims to investigate the impacts of olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) on urinary metabolic profile and tryptophan metabolites in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats, and to explore the regulation effects of fluoxetine.

Main Methods: OBX model was developed by aspiration of olfactory bulbs. After fluoxetine treatment (10 mg/kg) for 14 days, urine samples were collected and behavior tests were applied.

LC-MS/MS-based quantification of tryptophan metabolites and neurotransmitters in the serum and brain of mice.

l-Tryptophan (Trp) metabolites and related neurotransmitters play crucial roles in physiological functions, and their imbalances are implicated in the pathology of depression, Alzheimer's disease and other diseases. Measurement of Trp metabolites and related neurotransmitters possesses a great potential to elucidate the disease mechanisms and evaluate the outcomes of therapeutic interventions. A simple, rapid, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of Trp, l-kynurenine (Kyn), kynurenic acid (Kyna), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), norepinephrine (NE), l-glutamic acid (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (ACh) in mice serum and the brain tissues in a single chromatographic run.

Pharmacokinetics of Nuciferine and N-Nornuciferine, Two Major Alkaloids From Leaves, in Rat Plasma and the Brain.

The leaf of the lotus () is a natural plant resource used as both food and herbal medicine (He-Ye) in China. Alkaloids are considered the major bioactive compound of the herb and exhibit various biological activities, including anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperuricemic effects. Nuciferine (NF) and N-nuciferine (N-NF) are two major alkaloids found in the herb.

[Improving Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal from Reclaimed Water Using a Novel Sulfur/Iron Composite Filler].

In order to improve the ability of denitrification and phosphorus removal from reclaimed water, a novel composite filler was prepared using sulfur powder and sponge iron powder, and a comparative experiment was constructed at different HRT(hydraulic retention time) and C/N(carbon-nitrogen ratio) conditions between the novel filler and the composite filler. The results showed that the efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus removal on the novel filler was higher than that on the grain filler (more than 30% higher at HRT=4 h and C/N=1). Moreover, based on the 16S rRNA gene clone library, the denitrification system in the two reactors included sulfur autotrophic denitrification bacteria and heterotrophic denitrification bacteria, while the proportion of sulfur autotrophic denitrification bacteria in the novel filler system was higher.

Inhibitory effects of Danhong Injection and its major constituents on human cytochrome P450 enzymes in vitro.

Danhong Injection (DHI) as a Chinese patent medicine is mainly used to treat ischemic encephalopathy and coronary heart disease in combination with other chemotherapy. However, the information on DHI's potential drug interactions is limited. The goal of this work was to examine the potential P450-mediated metabolism drug interaction arising from DHI and its active components.

Pharmacokinetics of Cajaninstilbene Acid and Its Main Glucuronide Metabolite in Rats.

As a major active stilbene from the leaves of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), cajaninstilbene acid (CSA) exerts various pharmacological activities. The present study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of CSA and one of its main metabolites (M1) to explore their fate in the body and provide a pharmacokinetic foundation for their in vivo biological activities and functional food or complementary medicine application. M1 was characterized as CSA-3-O-glucuronide using the multiple reaction monitoring-information-dependent acquisition-enhanced product ion technique.

[Effects of Temperature on the Characteristics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal and Microbial Community in SCSC-S/Fe].

In order to investigate the effect of temperature on the cellulose-degrading bacteria and denitrifying bacteria, the denitrification and phosphorus removal of solid carbon source of cellulose corncob+sulfur/sponge iron nitrogen and phosphorus removal composite system, abbreviated as SCSC-S/Fe, was analyzed under different temperature conditions, and the surface structure and microbial properties of corncob before and after reaction were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technologies. The results indicated that when temperature increased from 15, 20, 25 to 30℃, the average TN removal rate of the system increased from 78.88% to 92.

Plasma and brain pharmacokinetics of ganoderic acid A in rats determined by a developed UFLC-MS/MS method.

Ganoderic acid A (GAA), an active triterpenoid of the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Lingzhi, has been reported to exhibit antinociceptive, antioxidative, and anti-cancer activities. The present study aims to establish a sensitive and rapid UPLC-MS/MS method for studying the plasma and brain pharmacokinetics of GAA in rats. The analytes were separated on a C18 column eluted with a gradient mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.

Ganoderic Acid A Metabolites and Their Metabolic Kinetics.

Ganoderic acid A (GAA), a representative active triterpenoid from , has been reported to exhibit antinociceptive, antioxidative, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective and anticancer activities. The present study aims (1) to identify GAA metabolites, by analyzing the bile, plasma and urine after intravenous administration to rats (20 mg/kg), and by incubating with rat liver microsomes (RLMs) and human liver microsomes (HLMs); (2) to investigate the metabolic kinetics of main GAA metabolites. Using HPLC-DAD-MS/MS techniques, a total of 37 metabolites were tentatively characterized from samples based on their fragmentation behaviors.

Lotus leaf alkaloid fraction can strongly inhibit CYP2D6 isoenzyme activity.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Chinese herbal medicine He-Ye, the leaves of the lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) plant, is traditionally used in China for the treatment of sunstroke, thirst, diarrhea, and fever. Currently, the leaf is used not only as an herbal tea to reduce lipid level and control body weight, but also as a major ingredient in some lipid-lowering Chinese patented medicines. Our previous study demonstrated that the alkaloid fraction (AF) of the herb has a strong inhibitory effect on CYP2D6 isoenzyme activity in vitro.

[Surface Property and Sorption Characteristics of Phosphorus onto Surface Sediments in Sanggou Bay].

Kinetic curves and isotherms were investigated to study the sorption mechanism of phosphorus onto the sediments of Sanggou Bay, together with the surface charge properties of sediments and the forms of phosphorus studied. The results showed that the sorption including a fast process and a slow one, and could be described by a two-compartment first order equation. The thermodynamic isotherms were well fitted with a modified Langmuir equation.

Anti-stress effects of ginseng total saponins on hindlimb-unloaded rats assessed by a metabolomics study.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ginseng, the roots and rhizomes of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey.

LC/MS-based metabolomics strategy to assess the amelioration effects of ginseng total saponins on memory deficiency induced by simulated microgravity.

Microgravity-induced memory deficiency seriously affects learning and memory ability of the astronaut during spaceflight, with few effective countermeasures. Panax ginseng C. A.

Phenolphthalein-based Poly(arylene ether sulfone nitrile)s Multiblock Copolymers As Anion Exchange Membranes for Alkaline Fuel Cells.

A series of phenolphthalein-based poly(arylene ether sulfone nitrile)s (PESN) multiblock copolymers containing 1-methylimidazole groups (ImPESN) were synthesized to prepare anion exchange membranes (AEMs) for alkaline fuel cells. The ion groups were introduced selectively and densely on the unit of phenolphthalein as the hydrophilic segments, allowing for the formation of ion clusters. Strong polar nitrile groups were introduced into the hydrophobic segments with the intention of improving the dimensional stability of the AEMs.

[Soft tissue changes observed through musculoskeletal ultrasound in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with needle-knife].

Objective: To study soft tissue changes observed through musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with needle-knife, so as to provide MSUS basis for needle-knife in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: Forty patients with knee osteoarthritis treated in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from December 2011 to December 2012 were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. All the patients were treated with needle-knife release method.

[Temporal and spatial distribution of particulate organic carbon in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea in spring].

Based on the data from cruises that carried out in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from April to May, 2009, the temporal and spatial distributions of the particulate organic carbon (POC) were analyzed. And the sources of POC were further discussed according to the chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and C/N. The results showed that the concentration of POC in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea ranged from 24.

Licochalcone A inhibits growth of gastric cancer cells by arresting cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis.

The aim of this study was to determine the anticancer effects of seven licorice compounds in MKN-28, AGS, and MKN-45 gastric cancer cells and human gastric epithelium immortalized cells. We also explored the mechanism of action of licochalcone A (LCA), the most cytotoxic licorice compound, by analyzing its influence on cell cycle progression and apoptosis. The results indicated that LCA was the most cytotoxic licorice compound of those tested, and it inhibited gastric cancer cells growth in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of approximately 40μM.

[Characteristics and chlorinated disinfection by-products formation potential of dissolved organic matter fractions in treated wastewater].

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) from a biological treated wastewater of municipal wastewater treated plant was isolated and fractionated using resin adsorption into four different fractions. These fractions are operationally categorized as hydrophilic substances (HIS), hydrophobic acids (HOA), hydrophobic neutrals (HON), and hydrophobic bases (HOB). The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and specific UV absorbance, characteristics of three dimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (3DEEM) and disinfection byproducts formation potential of each fraction was investigated in this paper.

[Characterization of the change in DOM during wastewater chlorine and chlorine dioxide disinfections by 3DEEM].

The change of DOM (dissolve organic matter) during wastewater chlorine and chlorine dioxide disinfections was characterized by 3DEEM (three-dimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy) method. The results showed that the DOM in wastewater tested was quite different from drinking water and surface waters. It contained more aromatic proteins and soluble microbial products, and the humus were predominately microbially derived and had less aromatic moieties.