Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is endemic worldwide, seriously affecting the development of the pig industry, but vaccines have limited protective effects against PRRSV transmission. The aim of this study was to identify potential anti-PRRSV drugs. We examined the cytotoxicity of seven compounds formulated based on the mass ratio of glycyrrhizic acid to matrine and calculated their inhibition rates against PRRSV in vitro. The results showed that the seven compounds all had direct killing and therapeutic effects on PRRSV, and the compounds inhibited PRRSV replication in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The compound with the strongest anti-PRRSV effect was selected for subsequent in vivo experiments. Pigs were divided into a control group and a medication group for the in vivo evaluation. The results showed that pigs treated with the 4:1 compound had 100% morbidity after PRRSV challenge, and the mortality rate reached 75% on the 8th day of the virus challenge. These results suggest that this compound has no practical anti-PRRSV effect in vivo and can actually accelerate the death of infected pigs. Next, we further analyzed the pigs that exhibited semiprotective effects following vaccination with the compound to determine whether the compound can synergize with the vaccine in vivo. The results indicated that pigs treated with the compound had higher mortality rates and more severe clinical reactions after PRRSV infection (p < 0.05). The levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) were significantly greater in the compound-treated pigs than in the positive control-treated pigs (p < 0.05), and there was no synergistic enhancement with the live attenuated PRRSV vaccine (p < 0.05). The compound enhanced the inflammatory response, prompted the body to produce excessive levels of inflammatory cytokines and caused body damage, preventing a therapeutic effect. In conclusion, the present study revealed that the in vitro effectiveness of these agents does not indicate that they are effective in vivo or useful for developing anti-PRRSV drugs. Our findings also showed that, to identify effective anti-PRRSV drugs, comprehensive drug screening is needed, for compounds with solid anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo. Our study may aid in the development of new anti-PRRSV drugs.

Liver and Breast cancer are ranked as the most prevailing cancers that cause high cancer-related mortality. As cancer is a life-threatening disease that affects the human population globally, there is a need to develop novel therapies. Among the available treatment options include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy. The most superlative modern method is the use of plant-derived anticancer drugs that target the cancerous cells and inhibit their proliferation. Plant-derived compounds are generally considered safer than synthetic drugs/traditional therapies and could serve as potential novel targets to treat liver and breast cancer to revolutionize cancer treatment. Alkaloids and Polyphenols have been shown to act as anticancer agents through molecular approaches. They disrupt various cellular mechanisms, inhibit the production of cyclins and CDKs to arrest the cell cycle, and activate the DNA repairing mechanism by upregulating p53, p21, and p38 expression. In severe cases, when no repair is possible, they induce apoptosis in liver and breast cancer cells by activating caspase-3, 8, and 9 and increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. They also deactivate several signaling pathways, such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, STAT3, NF-kB, Shh, MAPK/ERK, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, to control cancer cell progression and metastasis. The highlights of this review are the regulation of specific protein expressions that are crucial in cancer, such as in HER2 over-expressing breast cancer cells; alkaloids and polyphenols have been reported to reduce HER2 as well as MMP expression. This study reviewed more than 40 of the plant-based alkaloids and polyphenols with specific molecular targets against liver and breast cancer. Among them, Oxymatrine, Hirsutine, Piperine, Solamargine, and Brucine are currently under clinical trials by qualifying as potent anticancer agents due to lesser side effects. As a lot of research is there on anticancer compounds, there is a desideratum to compile data to move towards clinical trials phase 4 and control the prevalence of liver and breast cancer.

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS) is the first choice for the treatment of insomnia. This research aimed to reveal the spatial distribution of identifying quality markers of ZSS and to illustrate the metabolite quality characteristics of this herbal medicine. Here, we performed a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) in situ to detect and image 33 metabolites in ZSS, including three saponins, six flavonoids, four alkaloids, eight fatty acids, and 12 amino acids. The MALDI images of the metabolites clearly showed the heterogeneous spatial distribution in different regions of ZSS tissues, such as the cotyledon, endosperm, and radicle. The distribution area of two saponins, six flavonoids, and three alkaloids increased significantly after the fried processing of ZSS. Based on the ion images, samples with different processing technologies were distinguished unambiguously by the pattern recognition method of orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA). Simultaneously, 23 major influencing components exerting higher ion intensities were identified as the potential quality markers of ZSS. Results obtained in the current research demonstrate that the processing of ZSS changes its content and distribution of the medicinal components. The analysis of MALDI-MSI provides a novel MS-based molecular imaging approach to investigate and monitor traditional medicinal plants.

Microencapsulation has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance the stability and protection of bioactive compounds. In this work, roasted mate tea was microencapsulated using 15 % maltodextrin and lasiodiplodan (0.5-1.25 %) as wall coating materials. The microcapsules were characterized for encapsulation efficiency, hygroscopicity, moisture, water activity, water solubility, dissolubility, scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, colorimetry, antioxidant activity, as well as quantification of phenolic compounds and caffeine. Microencapsulation yields ranged from 44.92 to 56.39 %, and the efficiency of encapsulation varied from 66.54 to 70.16 by increasing the lasiodiplodan concentration. FT-IR revealed phenolic acids, flavonoids, and polyphenolics. Minor color variations were observed among the samples. Thermal analysis demonstrated the microencapsulates exhibited good thermal stability with no degradation below 250 °C. Encapsulated samples showed high levels of bioactive compounds, suggesting that microencapsulation by spray-drying was a favorable process, where maltodextrin, a low-cost protective agent, when combined with the properties of lasiodiplodan, can be a good option for stabilizing mate extracts.

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is an antineoplastic drug widely used in chemotherapy. Curcumin (CUR) and piperine (PP) show a protective effect on neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. This research was designed to measure several biochemical parameters in the brain tissue of CP-applied rats to investigate the impact of combined CUR-PP administration. The study evaluated six groups of eight rats: Group 1 was the control; Groups 2 and 3 were administered 200 or 300 mg/kg CUR-PP via oral gavage; Group 4 received only 200 mg/kg CP on day 1; Groups 5 and 6 received CP + CUR-PP for 7 days. Data from all parameters indicated that CP caused brain damage. Phosphorylated TAU (pTAU), amyloid-beta peptide 1-42 (Aβ1-42), glutamate (GLU), and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) parameters were the same in Groups 4, 5, and 6. On the other hand, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kβ), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in the CP + CUR-PP groups were lower than those in the CP group (p < 0.05). However, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and reduced glutathione (GSH) parameters were higher in the CP + CUR-PP groups compared to the CP group (p < 0.05). It is thought that the similarity of Groups 5 and 6 with Group 4 in Aβ1-42, pTAU, GLU, and GABA parameters hinder the determination of treatment protection however, they might have a therapeutic effect if the applied dose or study duration were changed. This study attempted to evaluate the effects of a CUR-PP combination on CP-induced brain damage in rats by measuring biochemical parameters and performing histopathological examinations. Based on the findings, this CUR-PP combination could be considered an alternative medicine option in cases with conditions similar to those evaluated in this study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the involvement of the high mobility group box protein B1 (HMGB1)-Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)/TLR4-nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway in the intestinal mucosal injury induced by Cryptosporidium parvum infection, and to examine the effect of oxymatrine (OMT) on C. parvum infection in mice.
METHODS: Forty SPF 4-week-old BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups, including the control group, infection group, glycyrrhizin (GA) group and OMT group. Each mouse was orally administered with 1 × 105 C. parvum oocysts one week in the infection, GA and OMT groups following dexamethasone-induced immunosuppression to model C. parvum intestinal infections in mice. Upon successful modeling, mice in the GA group were intraperitoneally injected with GA at a daily dose of 25.9 mL/kg for successive two weeks, and animals in the OMT group were orally administered OMT at a daily dose of 50 mg/kg for successive two weeks, while mice in the control group were given normal food and water. All mice were sacrificed two weeks post-treatment, and proximal jejunal tissues were sampled. The pathological changes of mouse intestinal mucosal specimens were observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the mouse intestinal villous height, intestinal crypt depth and the ratio of intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth were measured. The occludin and zonula occludens protein 1 (ZO1) expression was determined in mouse intestinal epithelial cells using immunohistochemistry, and the relative expression of HMGB1, TLR2, TLR4, myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and NF-κB p65 mRNA was quantified in mouse jejunal tissues using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay.
RESULTS: HE staining showed that the mouse intestinal villi were obviously atrophic, shortened, and detached, and the submucosal layer of the mouse intestine was edematous in the infection group as compared with the control group, while the mouse intestinal villi tended to be structurally intact and neatly arranged in the GA and OMT groups. There were significant differences among the four groups in terms of the mouse intestinal villous height (F = 6.207, P = 0.000 5), intestinal crypt depth (F = 6.903, P = 0.000 3) and the ratio of intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth (F = 37.190, P < 0.000 1). The mouse intestinal villous height was lower in the infection group than in the control group [(321.9 ± 41.1) μm vs. (399.5 ± 30.9) μm; t = 4.178, P < 0.01] and the GA group [(321.9 ± 41.1) μm vs. (383.7 ± 42.7) μm; t = 3.130, P < 0.01], and the mouse intestinal crypt depth was greater in the infection group [(185.0 ± 35.9) μm] than in the control group [(128.4 ± 23.6) μm] (t = 3.877, P < 0.01) and GA group [(143.3 ± 24.7) μm] (t = 2.710, P < 0.05). The mouse intestinal villous height was greater in the OMT group [(375.3 ± 22.9) μm] than in the infection group (t = 3.888, P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference in mouse intestinal villous height between the OMT group and the control group (t = 1.989, P > 0.05). The mouse intestinal crypt depth was significantly lower in the OMT group [(121.5 ± 27.3) μm] than in the infection group (t = 4.133, P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference in mouse intestinal crypt depth between the OMT group and the control group (t = 0.575, P > 0.05). The ratio of the mouse intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth was significantly lower in the infection group (1.8 ± 0.2) than in the control group (3.1 ± 0.3) (t = 10.540, P < 0.01) and the GA group (2.7 ± 0.3) (t = 7.370, P < 0.01), and the ratio of the mouse intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth was significantly higher in the OMT group (3.1 ± 0.2) than in the infection group (t = 15.020, P < 0.01); however, there was no significant difference in the ratio of the mouse intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth between the OMT group and the control group (t = 0.404, P > 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining showed significant differences among the four groups in terms of occludin (F = 28.031, P < 0.000 1) and ZO1 expression (F = 14.122, P < 0.000 1) in mouse intestinal epithelial cells. The proportion of positive occluding expression was significantly lower in mouse intestinal epithelial cells in the infection group than in the control group [(14.3 ± 4.5)% vs. (28.3 ± 0.5)%; t = 3.810, P < 0.01], and the proportions of positive occluding expression were significantly higher in mouse intestinal epithelial cells in the GA group [(30.3 ± 1.3)%] and OMT group [(25.8 ± 1.5)%] than in the infection group (t = 7.620 and 5.391, both P values < 0.01); however, there was no significant differences in the proportion of positive occluding expression in mouse intestinal epithelial cells between the GA or OMT groups and the control group (t = 1.791 and 2.033, both P values > 0.05). The proportion of positive ZO1 expression was significantly lower in mouse intestinal epithelial cells in the infection group than in the control group [(14.4 ± 1.8)% vs. (24.2 ± 2.8)%; t = 4.485, P < 0.01], and the proportions of positive ZO1 expression were significantly higher in mouse intestinal epithelial cells in the GA group [(24.1 ± 2.3)%] (t = 5.159, P < 0.01) and OMT group than in the infection group [(22.5 ± 1.9)%] (t = 4.441, P < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences in the proportion of positive ZO1 expression in mouse intestinal epithelial cells between the GA or OMT groups and the control group (t = 0.037 and 0.742, both P values > 0.05). qPCR assay showed significant differences among the four groups in terms of HMGB1 (F = 21.980, P < 0.000 1), TLR2 (F = 20.630, P < 0.000 1), TLR4 (F = 17.000, P = 0.000 6), MyD88 (F = 8.907, P = 0.000 5) and NF-κB p65 mRNA expression in mouse jejunal tissues (F = 8.889, P = 0.000 7). The relative expression of HMGB1 [(5.97 ± 1.07) vs. (1.05 ± 0.07); t = 6.482, P < 0.05] 、TLR2 [(5.92 ± 1.29) vs. (1.10 ± 0.14); t = 5.272, P < 0.05] 、TLR4 [(5.96 ± 1.50) vs. (1.02 ± 0.03); t = 4.644, P < 0.05] 、MyD88 [(3.00 ± 1.26) vs. (1.02 ± 0.05); t = 2.734, P < 0.05] and NF-κB p65 mRNA [(2.33 ± 0.72) vs. (1.04 ± 0.06); t = 2.665, P < 0.05] was all significantly higher in mouse jejunal tissues in the infection group than in the control group. A significant reduction was detected in the relative expression of HMGB1 (0.63 ± 0.01), TLR2 (0.42 ± 0.10), TLR4 (0.35 ± 0.07), MyD88 (0.70 ± 0.11) and NF-κB p65 mRNA (0.75 ± 0.01) in mouse jejunal tissues in the GA group relative to the control group (t = 8.629, 5.830, 11.500, 4.729 and 6.898, all P values < 0.05), and the relative expression of HMGB1, TLR2, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 mRNA significantly reduced in mouse jejunal tissues in the GA group as compared to the infection group (t = 7.052, 6.035, 4.084, 3.165 and 3.274, all P values < 0.05). In addition, the relative expression of HMGB1 (1.14 ± 0.60), TLR2 (1.00 ± 0.24), TLR4 (1.14 ± 0.07), MyD88 (0.96 ± 0.25) and NF-κ B p65 mRNA (1.12 ± 0.17) was significantly lower in mouse jejunal tissues in the OMT group than in the infection group (t = 7.059, 5.320, 3.510, 3.466 and 3.273, all P values < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences between the OMT and control groups in terms of relative expression of HMGB1, TLR2, TLR4, MyD88 or NF-κB p65 mRNA in mouse jejunal tissues (t = 0.239, 0.518, 1.887, 0.427 and 0.641, all P values > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: C. parvum infection causes intestinal inflammatory responses and destruction of intestinal mucosal barrier through up-regulating of the HMGB1-TLR2/TLR4-NF-κB pathway. OMT may suppress the intestinal inflammation and repair the intestinal mucosal barrier through inhibiting the activity of the HMGB1-TLR2/TLR4-NF-κB pathway.
［摘要］ 目的 探讨高迁移率族蛋白B1 (high mobility group box protein B1, HMGB1)-Toll样受体2 (Toll-like receptor 2, TLR2)/TLR4-核因子κB (nuclear factor κB, NF-κB) 通路在微小隐孢子虫感染致肠黏膜损伤中的作用, 以及氧化苦参碱 (oxymatrine, OMT) 对小鼠微小隐孢子虫感染的干预作用。方法 4周龄SPF级BALB/c小鼠40只随机分成4组, 分别为 对照组、感染组、甘草酸 (glycyrrhizin, GA) 组及OMT组。感染组、GA组及OMT组小鼠给予地塞米松免疫抑制1周后, 每 只灌胃1 × 105个微小隐孢子虫卵囊建立微小隐孢子虫肠道感染小鼠模型。模型建立成功后, GA组小鼠连续2周腹腔注 射GA 25.9 mL/(kg·d), OMT组连续2周经口灌胃OMT 50 mg/(kg·d); 对照组正常饮食、饮水。治疗2周后剖杀各组小鼠, 取空肠近端组织。采用苏木精-伊红 (hematoxylin-eosin, HE) 染色观察小鼠肠黏膜病理变化, 测量肠绒毛高度、肠隐窝深 度及两者比值; 采用免疫组织化学染色检测小鼠肠上皮细胞中闭合蛋白 (occludin) 和紧密粘连蛋白1 (zonula occludens protein 1, ZO1) 表达水平, 采用实时荧光定量PCR (quantitative real-time PCR, qPCR) 检测小鼠空肠组织中HMGB1、TLR2、 TLR4、髓样分化因子88 (myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88, MyD88) 、NF-κB p65mRNA相对表达量。结果 HE 染色结果显示, 与对照组比较, 感染组小鼠肠绒毛明显萎缩变短、脱落, 黏膜下层水肿; GA组和OMT组小鼠肠绒毛结构 趋于完整, 排列趋于整齐。各组小鼠肠绒毛高度 (F = 6.207, P = 0.000 5) 、肠隐窝深度 (F = 6.903, P = 0.000 3) 及两者比 值 (F = 37.190, P < 0.000 1) 差异均有统计学意义。感染组小鼠肠绒毛高度 [(321.9 ± 41.1) μm] 显著低于对照组 [(399.5 ± 30.9) μm] (t = 4.178, P < 0.01) 和GA组 [(383.7 ± 42.7) μm] (t = 3.130, P < 0.01), 感染组小鼠肠隐窝深度 [(185.0 ± 35.9) μm] 显著高于对照组 [(128.4 ± 23.6) μm] (t = 3.877, P < 0.01) 及GA组 [(143.3 ± 24.7) μm] (t = 2.710, P < 0.05) 。OMT组小 鼠肠绒毛高度 [(375.3 ± 22.9) μm] 显著高于感染组 (t = 3.888, P < 0.01), 与对照组差异无统计学意义 (t = 1.989, P > 0.05); OMT组小鼠肠隐窝深度 [(121.5 ± 27.3) μm] 显著低于感染组 [(185.0 ± 35.9) μm] (t = 4.133, P < 0.01), 与对照组差异无统 计学意义 (t = 0.575, P > 0.05) 。感染组小鼠肠绒毛高度与肠隐窝深度比值 [(1.8 ± 0.2) ] 显著低于对照组 [(3.1 ± 0.3) ] (t = 10.540, P < 0.01) 及GA组 [(2.7 ± 0.3) ] (t = 7.370, P < 0.01); OMT组小鼠肠绒毛高度与肠隐窝深度比值 [(3.1 ± 0.2) ] 显著 高于感染组 (t = 15.020, P < 0.01), 与对照组差异无统计学意义 (t = 0.404, P > 0.05) 。免疫组织化学染色结果显示, 各组 小鼠肠上皮细胞中occludin (F = 28.031, P < 0.000 1) 及ZO1表达水平差异均有统计学意义 (F = 14.122, P <0.0001) 。感染组 小鼠肠上皮细胞中occludin阳性表达率 [(14.3 ± 4.5) %] 低于对照组 [(28.3 ± 0.5) %] (t = 3.810, P < 0.01), GA组 [(30.3 ± 1.3) %] 、OMT组小鼠肠上皮细胞中occludin阳性表达率 [(25.8 ± 1.5) %] 显著高于感染组 (t = 7.620、5.391, P 均< 0.01), 但GA组、OMT组小鼠肠上皮细胞中occludin阳性表达率与对照组差异均无统计学意义 (t = 1.791、2.033, P 均> 0.05) 。 感染组小鼠肠上皮细胞中ZO1阳性表达率 [(14.4 ± 1.8) %] 显著低于对照组 [(24.2 ± 2.8) %] (t = 4.485, P < 0.01), GA组 [(24.1 ± 2.3) %] (t = 5.159, P < 0.01) 、OMT组小鼠肠上皮细胞中ZO1阳性表达率 [(22.5 ± 1.9) %] 显著高于感染组 (t = 4.441, P < 0.05), 但GA组、OMT组小鼠肠上皮细胞中ZO1阳性表达率与对照组差异均无统计学意义 (t = 0.037、0.742, P 均> 0.05) 。qPCR检测结果显示, 各组小鼠空肠组织中HMGB1 (F = 21.980, P < 0.000 1) 、TLR2 (F = 20.630, P < 0.000 1) 、 TLR4 (F = 17.000, P = 0.000 6) 、MyD88 (F = 8.907, P = 0.000 5) 、NF-κB p65 mRNA 表达水平差异均有统计学意义 (F = 8.889, P = 0.000 7) 。感染组小鼠空肠组织中HMGB1 [(5.97 ± 1.07) vs. (1.05 ± 0.07); t = 6.482, P < 0.05] 、TLR2 [(5.92 ± 1.29) vs. (1.10 ± 0.14); t = 5.272, P < 0.05] 、TLR4 [(5.96 ± 1.50) vs. (1.02 ± 0.03); t = 4.644, P < 0.05] 、MyD88 [(3.00 ± 1.26) vs. (1.02 ± 0.05); t = 2.734, P < 0.05] 、NF-κB p65 mRNA 相对表达量 [(2.33 ± 0.72) vs. (1.04 ± 0.06); t = 2.665, P < 0.05] 均 显著高于对照组。与对照组比较, GA组小鼠空肠组织中HMGB1 (0.63 ± 0.01) 、TLR2 (0.42 ± 0.10) 、TLR4 (0.35 ± 0.07) 、 MyD88 (0.70 ± 0.11) 、NF-κB p65 mRNA 相对表达量 (0.75 ± 0.01) 均显著下降 (t = 8.629、5.830、11.500、4.729、6.898, P 均< 0.05) 。与感染组比较, GA组小鼠空肠组织中HMGB1、TLR2、TLR4、MyD88、NF-κB p65 mRNA 相对表达量均显著降低 (t = 7.052、6.035、4.084、3.165、3.274, P 均< 0.05); OMT 组小鼠空肠组织中HMGB1 (1.14 ± 0.60) 、TLR2 (1.00 ± 0.24) 、TLR4 (1.14 ± 0.07) 、MyD88 (0.96 ± 0.25) 、NF-κB p65 mRNA 相对表达量 (1.12 ± 0.17) 亦显著低于感染组 (t = 7.059、5.320、3.510、 3.466、3.273, P 均< 0.05) 。OMT组与对照组小鼠空肠组织中HMGB1、TLR2、TLR4、MyD88、NF-κB p65 mRNA 相对表达量 差异均无统计学意义 (t = 0.239、0.518、1.887、0.427、0.641, P均> 0.05) 。结论 微小隐孢子虫感染小鼠后通过上调 HMGB1-TLR2/TLR4-NF-κB 通路表达引起肠道炎症反应、破坏肠黏膜屏障。OMT 可能通过抑制HMGB1-TLR2/TLR4-NF-κB 通路活性抑制小鼠肠道炎症, 并修复肠黏膜屏障。.

Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) leaves, which contain a range of bioactive compounds, have been used as a traditional Chinese medicine homologous food since ancient times. However, there is a paucity of literature on comprehensive studies of alkaloids in the leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.). For the first time, this study aimed to discover and identify alkaloids extracted from Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) leaves by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). A total of ten alkaloids have been identified from Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) leaves based on accurate mass spectra (mass accuracy, isotopic spacing and distribution) and comparison to fragmentation spectra reported in the literature. In vitro, alkaloids alleviated insulin resistance by increasing glucose consumption and glycogen content in insulin resistance HepG2 cells. The RNA-seq and western blotting results showed that alkaloids could upregulate the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and increase the phosphorylation of insulin receptor protein kinase B (AKT). This study not only clarified the chemical constituents and revealed that diverse alkaloids also presented from Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) leaves, also, it will provide chemical information on potential compounds for developing new drugs.

Species of the genus Codonopsis (Campanulaceae) have a long history of application, acclaimed for its edible and therapeutic attributes. Scholarly inquiries into Codonopsis span botany, phytochemistry, quality assurance, pharmacodynamics, and toxicity, revealing a rich and comprehensive body of knowledge. This study synthesizes information from esteemed scientific databases like SciFinder, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese herbal classics to create a thorough scientific conceptual and theoretical framework for Codonopsis research. In this article, the phytochemical composition includes saccharides, polyacetylenes, polyenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, lignans, terpenoids, and organic acids was summarized. To date, over 350 monomeric compounds have been isolated and identified from Codonopsis, with recent studies primarily focusing on polysaccharides, aromatic derivatives, lignans, and polyacetylenes. Codonopsis exhibits broad pharmacological activities across various systems, including immune, blood, cardiovascular, central nervous, and digestive systems, with no significant toxicity or adverse effects reported. The existing research, focusing on various extracts and active parts without identifying specific active molecules, complicates the understanding of the mechanisms of action. There is an urgent need to advance research on the chemical composition and pharmacological effects to fully elucidate its pharmacodynamic properties and the basis of its material composition. Such efforts are crucial for the rational development, utilization, and clinical application of this herb.

We read with interest the article by Kulesza et al. about a narrative review on the question of whether cannabidiol is really effective in treating lower back pain [1]. After a literature search using suitable search terms and application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, the authors included 10 studies in the analysis [1]. One of the articles included was an editorial and four papers were reviews [1]. Cannabidiol has been found to be ineffective in treating lower back pain and further studies are needed to answer the question of interest. The review is impressive, but several points require discussion.

Trollius chinensis Bunge (TCB) is a perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family with medicinal and edible values. It is widely distributed and commonly used in various regions, including Asia, Europe, and North America. The main chemical components of TCB include alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and volatile oil compounds. TCB is renowned for its anti-inflammatory, heat-clearing, detoxifying, and eyesight-improving properties. Its dried flowers are commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine indicated for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections, chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, influenza, and bronchitis. Modern pharmacology has demonstrated the anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and antioxidant effects of TCB. This study presents a comprehensive overview of various aspects of TCB, including herbal textual research, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, traditional uses, clinical application, and quality control, aiming to provide new ideas on the scientific application of TCB as well as the integration of modern research with traditional medicinal uses.