Nanocrystal drugs have many advantages, such as no carrier materials, easy industrialization, diversified dosage forms, and can significantly improve the solubility and bioavailability of insoluble drugs, so many drugs have been on the market. The traditional nanocrystal preparation technology has the problems of low preparation efficiency and process limitation of the smallest achievable particle size. With the progress of pharmaceutical preparation technology, the preparation technology of nanocrystal drugs is constantly improving, and new preparation technologies are constantly emerging. The emergence of new technologies has greatly shortened the process time and makes it possible to prepare nanocrystal drugs with smaller particle diameters. In this paper, the preparation technologies of nanocrystal drugs, especially the new preparation technologies such as high gravity controlled precipitation, microfluidic reaction technology and various combination technologies, are reviewed from three aspects: "Top-down" technology, "Bottom-up" technology and combination technology. This article also prospects the development of new preparation technologies, hoping to provide reference for the related research of nano-preparations.

ABC transporters on the intestinal barrier, blood-brain barrier and on tumor cells will affect drug bioavailability, transport across the blood-brain barrier and multidrug resistance. The active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines can affect the function and expression of ABC transporters. When combined with pharmaceuticals the potential interaction between the two can change the efficacy of the medicines. We review the ABC transporter superfamily and their distribution with regard to their relationship and interactions with traditional Chinese medicine on the intestinal barrier and the blood-brain barrier, as well as their role in tumor multidrug resistance mediated by ABC transporters. We summarize the research progress over the past five years.

In this study, a rat morphine drug discrimination model with a fixed ratio (FR) of 10 (FR10) was established using different methods to explore which methods can shorten the modeling time and test the dose-response relationship and median effective dose (ED₅₀) value. Animal welfare and experimental procedures are in accordance with the provision of the Animal Ethics Committee of Shanghai InnoStar Bio-tech Co., Ltd. Forty rats were initially shaped to press lever under a fixed-ratio schedule of food reinforcement. The animals that were successfully trained under a FR10 schedule of food reinforcement were divided into two groups, namely the single-lever + double-lever training group 1 and the double-lever training group 2. In each group, rats were trained to discriminate morphine at 5.6 mg·kg^-1 from saline by the intraperitoneal route. After training, different doses of morphine were used to substitute for training dose of morphine, the dose-response curve for morphine were identified in rats, and the ED₅₀ value was calculated. The results showed that, in food training phase: 34 rats successfully entered the discrimination training during food training; in discrimination training phase: 14 animals in group 1 met the discrimination training standard for the first time, which took about (40.71±2.93) days, and there were 13 animals in group 2 that met the discrimination training criteria for the first time, and it took about (51.15±2.55) days. It can be seen that the method of single-lever + double-lever training is better than single-lever training, and the difference is significant compared with group 1 (P < 0.05); in generalization test phase: there are 17 rats completed morphine generalization test, and the percentages of morphine-lever responses produced by the generalization test of different doses of morphine (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 3, 5.6, and 10 mg·kg^-1) were (9.56±3.13)%, (9.01±5.83)%, (13.82±7.95)%, (29.04±10.13)%, (41.70±10.65)%, (85.36±7.16)%, (94.56±2.76)%, respectively. The results showed that the discriminative stimulative effect induced by morphine dose between 0-10 mg·kg^-1 increased in a dose-dependent manner, producing a good dose-response curve, and the ED₅₀ value of morphine was 4.74 mg·kg^-1 by linear fitting. The above results showed that, the FR10 morphine drug discrimination model has been successfully established using different methods; the single-lever + double-lever training method is better than the single-lever training, and can relatively shorten the discrimination training cycle.

We established a simple and sensitive GC-MS method for the determination of β-elemene in rat plasma and measured the pharmacokinetics of citronella grass extract in rats. Plasma samples were pretreated using liquid-liquid microextraction: 100 μL of plasma sample (containing naphthalene as the internal standard) was extracted with 50 μL of n-hexane. The determination was performed on DB-5ms column (30 m×0.25 mm, 0.25 μm). The initial column temperature was 60℃ and raised to 160℃ at a rate of 50℃·min^-1, maintained for 3 min, and finally increased to 260℃ for 3 min. Helium was the carrier gas and the flow rate was 0.15 mL·min^-1. The injection volume was 2 μL. EI and selected monitored ions pattern were used for ion scanning with m/z 128 (naphthalene) and m/z 93 (β-elemene). Citronella grass extract was administered to rats by intragastric administration and intravenous administration (containing β-elemene 55 mg·kg^-1), and plasma was collected and prepared using an automated blood collection system. The linear range of β-elemene in plasma was 1.0-250 ng·mL^-1 (r=0.997), the limit of quantification was 1.0 ng·mL^-1, the accuracy was -4.47%﹣-0.85%, the extraction recovery was between 56.02%-66.89%, and no obvious matrix effect (94.28%-108.63%) was found. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of β-elemene were AUC_0-t (23.56±4.40) ng·mL^-1, t_max (1.67±0.58) h, C_max (7.36±0.69) ng·mL^-1, MRT_0-t (2.76±0.27) h, t_1/2z (2.73±1.36) h, V_z (7.39±3.18) L·kg^-1, CL_z (1.95±0.51) L·h^-1·kg^-1, and the absolute bioavailability was about 8.78%. The method is simple, accurate, and sensitive, and is suitable for the pharmacokinetic analysis of β-elemene in citronella grass extract in rats. All animal studies were implemented according to protocols, which were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

Three diarylheptanoids were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of Zingiber officinale peel by MCI Gel CHP-20, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and semipreparative high performance liquid chromatography. Their structures were identified by MS and NMR spectroscopy techniques: (2S, 2'S, 3R, 3'R, 4R, 4'R, 6R, 6'R)-6, 6'-bis((S)-1-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl)-2, 2'-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)octahydro-2H, 2'H-[3, 3'-bipyran]-4, 4'-diol (1), (E)-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)hept-4-en-3-one (2), and alpinin B (3). Compound 1 is a new compound, and compounds 2-3 were obtained from Zingiber officinale peel for the first time.

An immunologically stressed rat model was used in a metabolomics study on the ability of Paeoniae Rubra Radix to reduce the liver toxicity of Psoraleae Fructus. Different groups of rats were given the extracts of Psoraleae Fructus and Psoraleae Fructus together with Paeoniae Rubra Radix or combined with a non-toxic dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The biochemical indices of liver function and pathological changes in liver tissue were used to evaluate histopathological changes. UHPLC-QTOF/MS was used to analyze the metabolic profile of serum samples, combined with principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) methods. The HMDB database and Metabo Analyst online tool were used for biomarker identification and metabolic pathway-enrichment analysis. The results show that the co-treatment Psoraleae Fructus and LPS resulted in significant liver injury, indicated by the elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, as well as obvious pathological changes. Liver injury was significantly decreased by treatment with Paeoniae Rubra Radix. Metabolomic analysis showed that the addition of Paeoniae Rubra Radix ameliorated the abnormal serum metabolism in rats mainly through regulation of arachidonic acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways.

As the main active compound of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, tetrandrine (TET) has been used to treat silicosis for nearly 50 years. TET has clear therapeutic effect on pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. A recent study suggests that TET may inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 by blocking the two-pore channel 2 (TPC2), revealing its potential as a natural medicine to treat COVID-19. To explore the material basis of TET targeting lung efficacy and its potential toxicity, available literatures related to the pharmacological activity on pulmonary, dosage, toxicity and pharmacokinetics of TET are systemically reviewed. The prospect and current problems of TET to be a therapeutic agent for COVID-19 are further investigated on this basis.

The threat of fungal diseases is increasingly rigorous. The clinically invasive fungal infections remain a main cause of morbidity and mortality in certain high-risk groups, especially in critical patients or immunocompromised patients. In drug therapy, the problems of off-target toxicity and antifungal drug resistance are still challenging. With the wide application of biomaterials and nanotechnology, more nanomedicine studies have been carried out on antifungal drugs, such as the amphotericin B liposome which greatly reduced the renal toxicity of drugs has been successfully marketed. For the unique physical and chemical properties, the nano-drug delivery system possessed great potential in improving the bioavailability, reducing the side effects of drugs, increasing the stability of drugs, and achieving cells or tissue-specificity through the modification. This review summarized the applications and limitations of antifungal drugs. Some nanomedicines were summarized in discussion oriented around the antifungal therapy, including liposomes, niosomes, lipid nanoparticles, polymer nanoparticles, microemulsion, dendrimers, inorganic nanocarriers. Nanotechnology and nano-drug delivery system provide promising strategies for the research and development of new formulations that can improve antifungal activity and possibly overcome antifungal drug resistance.

To study the changes in the pharmacokinetic behavior of four coumarins (bergapten, oxypeucedanin, imperatorin and isoimperatorin) in rats before and after combinating Angelicae Dahuricae Radix with Chuanxiong Rhizoma. The plasma concentrations of the drugs were determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (UPLC-FLD) for dose response and time dependent curves. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 3.2.8, and SPSS 20.0 was used to analyze the differences of main pharmacokinetic parameters between the two groups. The result showed: comparing with Angelicae Dahuricae Radix group, the area under drug time curve (AUC_{0-24 h}) of bergapten, oxypeucedanin and imperatorin increased by 177.2%, 97.14% and 54.43% respectively, AUC_0-∞ increased by 282.3%, 104.2%, and 75.40% respectively, and clearance rate (CL_Z/F) decreased by 68.26%, 51.08% and 43.98% respectively; the peak drug concentration (C_max) of four coumarins was significantly increased; the distribution volume (V_Z/F) of bergapten was significantly decreased. These data indicated that Chuanxiong Rhizoma can promote the absorption of coumarins in Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, slow down the elimination of coumarins, and increase their bioavailability in vivo. The animal experiment scheme in this study has been approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: BUCM-4-2020083105-3072).

The direct acting substances of Cuscuta chinensis in vivo were preliminarily identified through the correlation analysis of "metabolites-effect identification" model. The ovariectomized female rats were i.g administered with 95% ethanol extract part, 40% ethanol elution part and n-butanol extract part of Cuscuta chinensis. The serum fingerprints of different parts and times of administration were established by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS. At the same time, serum estradiol (E₂), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were detected. Bivariate correlation analysis and grey correlation analysis were used to screen estrogenic components. The results showed that nine direct acting substances in vivo highly related to estrogen effect were found in the drug containing serum, which were hyperoside, astragalin, methyl quercetin glucuronide, quercetin-diglucuronide, quercetin, apigenin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol glucuronide and kaempferol. We can preliminarily screen out the direct acting substance of estrogen effect of Cuscuta chinensis in vivo based on the research idea of serum spectrum effect correlation. It provides a reliable basis for revealing the estrogeneffective substances of Cuscuta chinensis and confirming the quality markers. This experiment was approved by Harbin University of Commerce Ethics Committees (Approval No. HSDU2020-065).