Non-infectious chronic diseases in human including diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), atherosclerosis (AS), neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis, as well as malignant tumors may have some common pathogenic mechanisms such as non-resolved inflammation (NRI), gut microbiota dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondria dysfunction, and abnormality of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. These pathogenic mechanisms could be the basis for "homotherapy for heteropathy" in clinic. Some commonly used clinical drugs, such as metformin, berberine, aspirin, statins, and rapamycin may execute therapeutic effect on their targeted diseases, and also have the effect of "homotherapy for heteropathy". The mechanisms of the above drugs may include anti-inflammation, modulation of gut microbiota, suppression of endoplasmic reticulum stress, improvement of mitochondria function, and inhibition of mTOR. For virus infectious diseases, as some viruses need certain commonly used replicases, the inhibitors of the replicases become examples of "homotherapy for heteropathy" for antiviral therapy in clinic (for example tenofovir for both AIDS and HBV infection). Especially, in case of outbreak of new emerging viruses, these viral enzyme inhibitors such as azvudine and sofibuvir, could be rapidly used in controlling viral epidemic or pandemic, based on the principle of "homotherapy for heteropathy". In this review article, we show the research progress of the biological basis for "homotherapy for heteropathy" and the possible mechanisms of some well-known drugs, in order to provide insights and new references for innovative drug R&D.

The outer membrane composed predominantly of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential biological barrier for most Gram-negative (G^-) bacteria. Lipopolysaccharide transport protein (Lpt) complex LptDE is responsible for the critical final stage of LPS transport and outer membrane assembly. The structure and function of LptDE are highly conserved in most G^- bacteria but absent in mammalian cells, and thus LptDE complex is regarded as an attractive antibacterial target. In recent 10 years, the deciphering of the three-dimensional structure of LptDE protein facilities the drug discovery based on such "non-enzyme" proteins. Murepavadin, a peptidomimetic compound, was reported to be the first compound able to target LptD, enlightening a new class of antibacterial molecules with novel mechanisms of action. This article is devoted to summarize the molecular characteristics, structure-function of LptDE protein complex and review the development of murepavadin and related peptidomimetic compounds, in order to provide references for relevant researches.

Sepsis is a condition characterized by organ dysfunction resulting from the systemic inflammatory response triggered by an infection. Excessive inflammation and immunosuppression are intertwined, and severe cases may even develop into multiple organ failure. Studies have shown that indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1-mediated tryptophan metabolism is involved in the occurrence and development of sepsis, and elevated plasma kynurenine levels and Kyn/Trp ratios are early indicators of sepsis development. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive summary of the role of IDO1 in the acute inflammatory phase of sepsis, late immunosuppression, and organ damage. This includes its regulation of inflammatory state, immune cell function, blood pressure, and other aspects. Additionally, we analyze preclinical studies on targeted IDO1 drugs. An in-depth understanding and study of IDO may help to understand the pathogenesis and clinical significance of sepsis and multiple organ damage from a new perspective and provide new research ideas for exploring its prevention and treatment methods.

The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a serious impact on global public health and the economy. SARS-CoV-2 infiltrates host cells via its surface spike protein, which binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 on the host cell membrane. As a result, small molecules targeting spike protein have emerged as a hotspot in anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug research. Activity screening is an important step in seeking small molecule drugs. Therefore, this article aims to review the biological activity evaluation methods of small molecule inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with the goal of laying the foundation for the discovery of new anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

Sesquiterpenes are natural terpenoids with 15 carbon atoms in the basic skeleton, which mainly exist in plant volatile oil and have important physiological and medicinal value. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) is a kind of monooxygenase encoded by supergene family, which is one of the largest gene families in plants. It is involved in the synthesis and metabolism of terpenoids, alkaloids and other secondary metabolites. In the process of terpene biosynthesis, CYP450 participates in the post-modification stage of terpenes by introducing functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl and carbonyl, which plays an important role in enriching the diversity of terpenes. The CYP450 enzymes involved in sesquiterpene synthesis and their substrate catalytic specificity mechanisms have been partially investigated. In this paper, the biosynthetic pathway of plant sesquiterpenes, the structure and classification of CYP450 enzymes were briefly introduced, and the CYP450 enzymes involved in sesquiterpene biosynthesis were summarized, in order to provide a reference for intensive study of the role of CYP450 enzymes in the synthesis of sesquiterpenoids.

In recent years, polysaccharides have received much attention because of their high safety and good immunological activity. The study of polysaccharide in vivo process is a key scientific problem that needs to be solved for polysaccharide drug development. Some progress has been made in the field of polysaccharide pharmacokinetics and immunomodulation. However, due to the lack of both chromogenic and light-absorbing groups and the complex molecular structure of polysaccharides, the in vivo processes and immunomodulatory mechanisms of polysaccharides have been slow to be investigated. The effective combination of multiple techniques can break the bottleneck of difficult tracing and unknown immunomodulatory mechanism of polysaccharides in vivo, and promote the development and utilization of polysaccharides. In this paper, we systematically summarize the key techniques in the study of polysaccharide in vivo processes and immunomodulatory mechanisms in order to provide technical references and research ideas for the study of polysaccharide in vivo processes and immunomodulatory mechanisms.

Small-molecule phenolic substances widely exist in animals and plants, and have some shared biological activities. The metabolism of phenylalanine and tyrosine in the human body, and especially the metabolism of catecholamine neurotransmitters, produces endogenous small-molecule phenols. Endogenous small-molecule phenolic substances are functionally related to the important physiological processes and the occurrence of mental diseases in humans and some animals, which are systematically sorts and summarized in this review. Integrating the previous experimental research and literature analysis on natural small-molecule phenols by our research group, the understanding of the hypothesis that "small-molecule phenol are pharmacological signal carriers" was deepened. Based on above, the concept of "phenolomics" was further proposed, analyzed the research direction and research content which can bring into the knowledge framework of phenolomics. The induction of phenolomics will provide wider perspectives on explaining the pharmacological mechanism of drugs, discovering new drug targets, and finding biomarkers of mental diseases.

Due to the high similarity with the lipid layer between human skin keratinocytes, functional cosmetics with layered liquid crystal structure prepared by liquid crystal emulsification technology encapsulating natural active substances have become a hot research topic in recent years. This type of functional cosmetic often has a fresh and natural skin feel, excellent skin barrier repair function and efficient moisturizing effect, etc., showing great potential in cosmetic application. However, the present research on the application of liquid crystal emulsification technology to functional cosmetics is still in the initial stage, and there are fewer relevant reports with reference values. Based on the mentioned above, this review provides a comprehensive summary of functional cosmetics with layered liquid crystal structures prepared by liquid crystal emulsification technology from the following aspects: the structure of human skin, the composition of lamellar liquid crystal, the advantages of liquid crystal emulsification technology containing natural active substances used in the field of functional cosmetics, the preparation process, main components, influencing factors during the preparation and the market functional cosmetics with lamellar liquid crystal structure. Finally, the prospect of the application of liquid crystal emulsification technology in functional cosmetics is presented, to provide useful references for those engaged in the research of liquid crystal emulsification technology-related functional cosmetics.

This paper investigates the effect of myricetin (MYR) on renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in mice and its mechanism. The animal experiment has been approved by the Ethics Committee of China Pharmaceutical University (NO: 2022-10-020). Thirty-five ICR mice were divided into control, UUO, UUO+MYR, CBDL and CBDL+MYR groups. H&E and Masson staining were used to detect pathological changes in kidney tissues. Western blot (WB) was used to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in renal tissue, and total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity detection kit (WST-8) was used to detect the changes of total SOD in renal tissue of CBDL mice. In vitro, HK-2 cells and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1, 10 ng·mL^-1) were used to induce fibrotic model, and high glucose (30 mmol·L^-1) was used to induce oxidative stress model, and then treated with different concentrations of MYR, WB was used to detect the expression of fibrosis and oxidative stress-related proteins, while NIH/3T3 cells were treated with different concentrations of MYR, and their effects on cell proliferation were detected by 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (Brdu). The results showed that the renal lesions in UUO group and CBDL group were severe, collagen deposition was obvious, the expression of collagen-Ⅰ (COL-Ⅰ), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (FN), vimentin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) protein was up-regulated, and the activity of SOD enzyme in CBDL group was significantly decreased. MYR partly reversed the above changes after treatment. MYR inhibited the proliferation of NIH/3T3 cells but had no effect on the proliferation of HK-2 cells, and decreased the upregulation of PAI-1, FN and vimentin in HK-2 cells stimulated by TGF-β1. MYR can also up-regulate the down-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in HK-2 cells stimulated by high glucose. To sum up, MYR can improve renal fibrosis in vivo and in vitro, probably by inhibiting the proliferation of fibroblasts and activating Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.

This study aimed to investigate halofuginone's inhibitory effect and mechanism on the activity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. HepG2 cells were used to detect the effects of halofuginone. After treatment, cell activity, cell migration, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis were detected by CCK-8, transwell, and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression levels of growth and metabolism-related factors such as citrate synthase (CS), ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH), and isocitrate deoxygenase (IDH) were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot. Compared with the control group, the activity of HepG2 cells was significantly inhibited by halofuginone (P < 0.01), the migration rate of HepG2 cells was decreased (P < 0.01), the apoptosis of HepG2 cells was induced (P < 0.01), and the cell cycle was arrested in S phase (P < 0.01). The expression levels of tricarboxylic acid key enzymes CS, IDH3, and OGDH were up-regulated, the expression level of isocitrate dehydrogenase isoenzymes IDH1 and IDH2 were down-regulation. In conclusion, halofuginone can inhibit the proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells and promote apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, which may be due to the promotion of the aerobic metabolism of cells.

This study aims to investigate the effect of salvianolic acid B (Sal B), the active ingredient of Salvia miltiorrhiza, on H9C2 cardiomyocytes injured by oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) through regulating mitochondrial fission and fusion. The process of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury was simulated by establishing OGD/R model. The cell proliferation and cytotoxicity detection kit (cell counting kit-8, CCK-8) was used to detect cell viability; the kit method was used to detect intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), total glutathione (t-GSH), nitric oxide (NO) content, protein expression levels of mitochondrial fission and fusion, apoptosis-related detection by Western blot. Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) detection kit and Hoechst 33342 fluorescence was used to observe the opening level of MPTP, and molecular docking technology was used to determine the molecular target of Sal B. The results showed that relative to control group, OGD/R injury reduced cell viability, increased the content of ROS, decreased the content of t-GSH and NO. Furthermore, OGD/R injury increased the protein expression levels of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), mitofusions 2 (Mfn2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (caspase 3), and decreased the protein expression levels of Mfn1, increased MPTP opening level. Compared with the OGD/R group, it was observed that Sal B had a protective effect at concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 100 μmol·L^-1. Sal B decreased the content of ROS, increased the content of t-GSH and NO, and Western blot showed that Sal B decreased the protein expression levels of Drp1, Mfn2, Bax and caspase 3, increased the protein expression level of Mfn1, and decreased the opening level of MPTP. In summary, Sal B may inhibit the opening of MPTP, reduce cell apoptosis and reduce OGD/R damage in H9C2 cells by regulating the balance of oxidation and anti-oxidation, mitochondrial fission and fusion, thereby providing a scientific basis for the use of Sal B in the treatment of myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury.

Based on the strategy of metabolomics combined with bioinformatics, this study analyzed the potential allergens and mechanism of pseudo-allergic reactions (PARs) induced by the combined use of Reduning injection and penicillin G injection. All animal experiments and welfare are in accordance with the requirements of the First Affiliated Experimental Animal Ethics and Animal Welfare Committee of Henan University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: YFYDW2020002). Based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technology combined with UNIFI software, a total of 21 compounds were identified in Reduning and penicillin G mixed injection. Based on molecular docking technology, 10 potential allergens with strong binding activity to MrgprX2 agonist sites were further screened. Metabolomics analysis using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technology revealed that 34 differential metabolites such as arachidonic acid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes were endogenous differential metabolites of PARs caused by combined use of Reduning injection and penicillin G injection. Through the analysis of the "potential allergen-target-endogenous differential metabolite" interaction network, the chlorogenic acids (such as chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, and isochlorogenic acid A) and β-lactam allergens in the combination of the two may be mainly regulated by PLD1, PLA2G12A and CYP1A1. The three upstream signal target proteins mainly activate the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway, promote the degranulation of mast cells, release downstream endogenous inflammatory mediators, and induce PARs.

We designed and synthesized eighteen lycorine derivatives with five different structural types, and evaluated their antiviral activities on a HCoV-OC43-infected H460 cell model. Structure-activity relationships suggested that the introduction of appropriate substituents on the 6N atom of lycorine was beneficial to activity. Compound 6a gave a good activity with the half effective concentration (EC₅₀) and selectivity index (SI) values of 2.36 μmol·L^-1 and 16.52, respectively. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) result indicated that 6a might target the non-structural protein 12 (NSP12) subunit in RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of SARS-CoV-2 with the dissociation constant (K_D) value of 1.36 μmol·L^-1. Molecular docking indicated that 6a might act on nidovirus RdRp-associated nucleotidyltransferase (NiRAN) catalytic center of NSP12, distinct from the mechanism of nucleoside-like drugs such as remdesivir. This study provides scientific data for the development of lycorine derivatives into a new class of anti-SARS-CoV-2 small molecule inhibitors.

In this study, we designed and synthesized 12 novel aloperine derivatives with different core structures. Among them, compound 3 with a ten-membered ring core was obtained through a special ring expansion reaction after γ-H Huffman elimination of quaternary ammonium salt, and the structure was verified by X-single crystal diffraction. Furthermore, their antiviral activity against human β-coronavirus HCoV-OC43 was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Quaternary ammonium salt 2a and 3 had a good inhibitory effect against HCoV-OC43, and 2a had the highest anti-HCoV-OC43 activity with an EC₅₀ values of 3.77 μmol·L^-1 and a SI value of over 53.1. Schrӧdinger molecular docking results showed that both 2a and 3 might display their anti-HCoV-OC43 activity by directly acting on host TMPRSS2 and SR-B1. The results expanded the structural types of endocyclic aloperine and the function against coronavirus, and provided useful scientific data for the development of pharmaceutical applications of these compounds.

Three 2,3-diketoquinoxaline alkaloids were isolated from Heterosmilax yunnanensis Gagnep. Their structures were determined through 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, and IR as 1-[5′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl] ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (1), 1-[2′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl]ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (2), and 1-ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (3). Compounds 1 and 2 are novel compounds, and 3 was isolated from H. yunnanensis for the first time. The hepatoprotective activity of these three compounds was evaluated, with compound 3 showing promising hepatoprotective activity.

Twelve compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of the 80% aqueous ethanol extract of the roots and stems of Dalbergia rimosa Roxb. by silica gel, MCI, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by spectral analysis such as UV, IR, MS, 1D/2D NMR and by comparison with literature information as dalbergiquinol A (1), dalbergiquinol B (2), R-(-)-3′-hydroxy-2,4,5-trimethoxydalbergiquinol (3), neokhriol A (4), mucronulatol (5), (3R)-7,2′,3′-trihydroxy-4′-methoxy-isoflavane (6), isomucronulatol (7), (3S)-violanone (8), 3′-O-methylviolanone (9), eryvarin M (10), (±)-α, 3,4,2′,4′-pentahydroxydihydrochalcone (11) and (-)-butin (12). Compound 1 and 2 are new compounds, and compounds 3-12 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Compounds 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12 showed good scavenging effect on DPPH free radical.

Two methods including gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were established to detect common alkyl sulfonates and aryl sulfonates genotoxic impurities. Four alkyl sulfonates and methyl benzenesulfonate were determined by GC-MS/MS using butyl methanesulfonate as the internal standard, the chromatographic column was HP-5MS UI (30 mm × 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm), the carrier gas was helium, the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min^-1 in a constant flow mode, the sample inlet temperature was set to 250 ℃, the split ratio was 10∶1, and the initial temperature of the heating program was 80 ℃, maintained for 1 minute, and then increased to 240 ℃ at a heating rate of 30 ℃·min^-1 for 2 minutes. The mass spectrometry detector was an electron bombardment ion source (EI source), the data collection condition was multi reaction monitoring mode (MRM), and method validation using the raw material of clinical drug citalopram hydrobromide as a sample. The results showed that the linear range of four alkyl sulfonates and methyl benzenesulfonate were good at 3-50 ng·mL^-1 and 9-150 ng·mL^-1, with a correlation coefficient of r > 0.999, The spiked recovery was 80%-120%. The detection limits were 1 and 3 ng·mL^-1; Ten aryl sulfonates determined by LC-MS/MS, the chromatographic column was CSH Fluoro phenyl (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 µm), the mobile phase was methanol (B)-5 mmol·L^-1 ammonium formate (D), with a flow rate of 0.2 mL·min^-1, and gradient elution was performed. The gradient program (T/% B) was set as 0/20, 25/90, 35/90, 42/20. The mass spectrometer detector was electro spray ionization with positive ionization mode (ESI⁺), the data collection was in dynamic multi reaction monitoring mode (dMRM), and the method was validated using the raw material of the clinical drug citalopram hydrobromide as a sample. The results showed that the linear range of aryl sulfonates were good at 9-2 000 ng·mL^-1, 3-100 ng·mL^-1 and 0.9-30 ng·mL^-1, respectively. The correlation coefficient r > 0.999, the spiked recovery was 80%-120%. The detection limits were 30, 1 and 0.3 ng·mL^-1. Two detection methods did not detect potential sulfonate genotoxicity impurities in the above APIs. The established analytical methods are reliable and effective, which can provide reference for drug quality control and detection.

This study constructed a LHCGR-CRE-luc-HEK293 transgenic cell line according to the activation of the cAMP signaling pathway after recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin binding to the receptor. The biological activity of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin was assayed using a luciferase assay system. The relative potency of the samples was calculated using four-parameter model. And the method conditions were optimized to validate the specificity, relative accuracy, precision and linearity of the method. The results showed that there was a quantitative potency relationship of human chorinonic gonadotropin (hCG) in the method and it was in accordance with the four-parameter curve. After optimization, the conditions were determined as hCG dilution concentration of 2.5 μg·mL^-1, dilution ratio of 1∶4, cell number of 10 000-15 000 cells/well, and induction time of 6 h. The method had good specificity, relative accuracy with relative bias ranging from -8.9% to 3.4%, linear regression equation correlation coefficient of 0.996, intermediate precision geometric coefficient of variation ranging from 3.3% to 15.0%, and linearity range of 50% to 200%. This study successfully established and validated a reporter gene method to detect hCG biological activity, which can be used for hCG biological activity assay and quality control.

In this study, fluvoxamine maleate sustained-release pellet system tablets were prepared and were used to evaluate their release behaviors in vitro. Fluvoxamine maleate pellets were prepared using centrifugal-spherization method and coated by fluidized bed as bottom-spray. The multi-unit sustained-release pellets and appropriate excipients for prescription volumes were mixed uniformly and then compressed to tablets. Screening and determining the optimal formulation of drug loaded pellets through L8 (2⁴) Taguchi experiment. Using Minitab software to design a DOE experiment with 2⁴ partial factors, including material temperature, fan speed, atomization pressure, and spray rate to optimize the bottom spray coating process. Taking monostearate glycerol ester with a particle size of 24-40 mesh as the main diluent for tableting to relieve the delamination phenomenon between pellets and excipients during tablet pressing and reduce mechanical damage to the coating film. By examining the powder fluidity indexes such as angle of repose, bulk density, tapped density, and Hausner ratio of mixed particles, it was found that the flowability and compressibility are good and suitable for direct compression. Evaluate the basic properties of the sustained-release tablets, investigate the in vitro release behavior and study the release mechanism. The results of in vitro release test showed that the self-made sustained-release tablets could disintegrate into independent pellet units in phosphate buffer at pH 6.8 and release slowly within 24 h, which conformed to the first-order drug release model. The fluvoxamine maleate sustained-release pellet system tablets meet the requirements of preparation design and has a great commercial prospect.

It has become an industry consensus that self-assembled nanoparticles (SAN) are formed by molecular recognition of chemical components in traditional Chinese medicine during the decoction process. The insoluble components in the decoction are mostly in the form of nanoparticles, which can improve the problem of poor water solubility. However, the transfer rate of these insoluble components in the decoction is still very low, which limits the efficacy of the drug. This study aimed to refine the traditional decoction self-assembly phenomenon. The self-assembled nanoparticles were constructed by micro-precipitation method (MP-SAN), and characterized by particle size, zeta potential, stability index and morphology. The formation of MP-SAN and alterations in related physicochemical properties were evaluated using modern spectroscopic and thermal analysis techniques. The quality value transmitting pattern of lignan components within the MP-SAN was assessed via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The MP-SAN showed sphere-like structure with uniform morphology, particle size of (245.3 ± 3.2) nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of (0.13 ± 0.03), zeta potential of (-48.9 ± 5.9) mV and stability index (SI) of (86.05% ± 2.27%). Comprehensive analyses using ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and other techniques confirmed molecular recognition between the decoction and ethanol extraction, leading to electron rearrangement under the influence of non-covalent bonding. This resulted in the formation of nanoparticles possessing superior thermal stability. As determined by HPLC, the encapsulation rates of the index components in the MP-SAN were all greater than 75% (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol: 77.00%; herpetolide A: 78.57%; herpetrione: 94.53%), and the transfer rates were all higher than 65% (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol: 96.01%; herpetolide A: 67.86%; herpetrione: 65.55%), which were 1.34, 1.38 and 4.81 times compared with those of the traditional decoction. In summary, this study successfully constructed the MP-SAN based on micro-precipitation method to achieve high transfer rate and high encapsulation rate of insoluble components in docoction, which provides a pharmaceutics idea for the efficient utilization of pharmacodynamic substance basis of traditional Chinese medicine.

Thrombus is a major factor leading to cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Although fibrinolytic anti-thrombotic drugs have been widely used in clinical practice, they are still limited by narrow therapeutic windows, short half-lives, susceptibility to inactivation, and abnormal bleeding caused by non-targeting. Therefore, it is crucial to effectively deliver thrombolytic agents to the site of thrombus with minimal adverse effects. Based on the long blood circulation and excellent drug-loading properties of human serum albumin (HSA), we employed genetic engineering techniques to insert a functional peptide (P-selectin binding peptide, PBP) which can target the thrombus site to the N-terminus of HSA. The fusion protein was expressed using Pichia pastoris and purified by Ni-chelating affinity chromatography. After being loaded with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), the fusion protein formed homogeneous and stable nanoparticles (named as PBP-HSA@Au) with a diameter of 17.7 ± 1.0 nm and a zeta potential of -11.3 ± 0.2 mV. Cytotoxicity and hemolysis tests demonstrated the superb biocompatibility of PBP-HSA@Au. Platelet-targeting experiments confirmed the thrombus-targeting ability conferred by the introduction of PBP into PBP-HSA@Au. Upon near-infrared ray (NIR) irradiation, PBP-HSA@Au rapidly converted light energy into heat, thereby disrupting fibrinogen and exhibiting outstanding thrombolytic efficacy. The designed HSA fusion protein delivery system provides a precise, rapid, and drug-free treatment strategy for thrombus therapy. This system is characterized by its simple design, high biocompatibility, and strong clinical applicability. All animal experiments involved in this study were carried out under the protocols approved by the Animal Experiment Ethics Committee of Jiangnan University [JN. No20230915S0301015(423)].

Based on the interaction between supramolecule of traditional Chinese medicine and enterobacteria, the material basis of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma was explored. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to characterize the morphological differences of Rhubarb single decoction, Coptis single decoction and Rhubarb and Coptis co-decoction. An in vitro antibacterial model (E. coli, E. faecium and B. subtilis) was established to evaluate the damage effect of the combination of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma on enterobacteria. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to analyze the changes of chemical components of single decoctions and co-decoctions. The co-decoction of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma was turbid after decocting. The spherical particles of 300-400 nm were observed under SEM, and the co-decoction was more uniform and stable than that of single decoction. The interaction between supramolecules formed after the combination of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma and enterobacteria was significantly different from that of single decoction. In the process of interaction between supramolecules and enterobacteria, the spherical state was maintained, and the medicinal ingredients in Coptidis Rhizoma or Rhei Radix et Rhizoma were blocked, which could effectively alleviate the damage to enterobacteria. This study provided a reference for subsequent studies on the regulation of intestinal flora homeostasis by the combination of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma.

Based on the long bud stage phenotype of a new Lonicera japonica Flos variety "Huajin 6", using "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" as materials, probing the mechanism of its phenotype formation. Detection of endogenous Jasmonic acid hormones (JAs) content; the genes related to jasmonic acid (JA) synthesis were identified by transcriptome analysis of Lonicera japonica; flower buds and flowers of "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" were collected at different periods, and the qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time PCR) technique was used to analyze the trend of the expression of synthesis-related enzyme genes in Lonicera japonica Flos during the bud stage. The study found that the content of JAs in "Huajin 6" Lonicera japonica Flos was significantly lower than that in "Da Mao Hua"; applying exogenous methyl-jasmonate (MeJA) to "Huajin 6" can restore its flowering phenotype, making it close to wild type Lonicera japonica Flos; there are significant differences in the expression of two allene oxide synthase genes (AOS), three lipoxygenase genes (LOX), and two allene oxide cyclase genes (AOC) in the flowers and buds of "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" at different periods. It is hypothesized that the low expression of JA synthesis-related enzyme genes in " Huajin 6" leads to the blockage of JA synthesis, which causes the formation of the long bud phenotype. This study laid a certain foundation for the genetic breeding of Lonicera japonica, provided a new idea for the improvement of Lonicera japonica varieties, and provided a reference for the study of JAs in plant flower organs.

The gene GeDRP1E encoding dynamin-related protein 1E in Gastrodia elata was cloned by specific primers which were designed based on the transcriptome data of G. elata. Bioinformatics analysis on GeDRP1E gene was carried out by using ExPASy, ClustalW, MEGA, etc. Positive transgenic Arabidopsis plant and potato minituber were obtained with the genetic transformation system of Arabidopsis and potato. The plant height and seed setting rate of transgenic Arabidopsis, and agronomic characters, such as size, weight and starch content of potato minituber of transgenic potato were tested and analyzed. And GeDRP1E gene function was preliminarily investigated. The results showed that the open reading frame of GeDRP1E gene was 1 899 bp in length and 632 amino acids residues were encoded, with a relative molecular weight of 69.90 kDa and a molecular formula of C₃₀₇₉H₄₉₇₃N₈₈₃O₉₃₃S₁₉. It was predicted that the theoretical isoelectric point was 7.27, the instability coefficient was 43.34, and the average hydrophilicity index was -0.259, which was indicative of an unstable hydrophilic protein. GeDRP1E has no transmembrane structure and signal peptide, and was localized in the cytoplasm. The phylogenetic tree showed that GeDRP1E was highly homologous with DRP1E proteins of other plant species, among which GeDRP1E had the highest homology with DcDRP1E (XP_020689662.1) in Dendrobium candidum, reaching 90.05%. GeDRP1E plant expression vector pCambia1300-35Spro-GeDRP1E was constructed by double digests, and Arabidopsis complementary mutant and potato overexpression strain of GeDRP1E gene were obtained by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transformation. Compared with the Arabidopsis AtDRP1E mutant, the height and seed setting rate of the GeDRP1E complementation mutant were rescued. The minituber of GeDRP1E overexpression potato had larger size, heavier weight and higher starch content, comparing to wild-type potato. It was preliminarily induced that GeDRP1E was involved in mitochondrial morphology regulation, which related to the growth and development of Arabidopsis plants and potato miniature. The research results laid a foundation for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the growth and development of G. elata tuber development.