Objective To explore the cross-regional and multi-dimensional cooperation of global traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) researchers in the field of research on the TCM Corydalis yanhusuo from 2000 to 2024, and to sort out the research hotspots, frontier trends and regional distribution of research topics, so as to provide reference for the subsequent research on C. yanhusuo. Methods Literature on C. yanhusuo was retrieved from databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, Web of Science (WOS), and PubMed. The bibliometric software Coocation (COOC20.0) combined with VOSviewer 1.6.20 was used to conduct a visual analysis from multiple dimensions, including the number of publications, core authors, prolific institutions, keyword co-occurrence, and new word discovery, to construct a knowledge map of research hotspots and frontiers for C. yanhusuo. Results Since the 21st century, the number of papers published on C. yanhusuo research at home and abroad has gradually increased, and China is the core country for C. yanhusuo research. Major universities and research institutes in China are the main institutions for C. yanhusuo research, and the scope of cooperation exists in various TCM research units and related enterprises. English publications on C. yanhusuo are mostly contributed by Chinese research institutions, with hotspots concentrating on isolation and structural elucidation of alkaloid active components, establishment of quality assessment methods, and evaluation of alkaloid activity mechanisms. Conclusion Research on C. yanhusuo has entered a stage of diversified and in-depth development. In the future, it is expected that cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and multi-omics will be applied to the research on C. yanhusuo targets, mechanisms of action, and compound medication rules.

Duzhongye (Eucommiae Folium), as a medicinal herb with dual food and medicinal properties, exerts functions such as nourishing the liver and kidneys, strengthening tendons and bones, alleviating aches and pains, and enhancing mental focus and vital energy. Modern fermentation technology, integrated with microbiology and modern biotechnology, enables precise regulation of the fermentation process to efficiently produce fermentation products. In recent years, modern fermentation technology has been extensively applied in Chinese medicine. Fermentation can enhance or modify the therapeutic effects of herbal medicines, reduce toxicity, and broaden their clinical applications. Based on the current research status of Eucommiae Folium fermentation, this paper reviews fermentation methods, microbial strain selection, fermentation processes, and pharmacological effects. It aims to provide a reference for further in-depth research and development of Eucommiae Folium fermentation.

Objective To address the issues of strong subjectivity and low efficiency in traditional Chinese medicine origin tracing, we explore the method of Chinese medicine origin tracing based on mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) combined with machine learning algorithm modeling, and provide new technical support for traditional Chinese medicine origin tracing. Methods Based on the mid-infrared spectral dataset, this study performed outlier handling, missing value imputation, first-order difference, high-variance feature selection, distance calculation and clustering analysis, and locally linear embedding (LLE) for dimensionality reduction. Subsequently, we constructed six machine learning models including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and artificial neural network (ANN) models. We then employed the Ivy Algorithm (IVYA) to optimize model parameters. A multidimensional evaluation framework was established, incorporating the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) alongside accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score (F1). This framework was used to identify the optimal model for Chinese herbal medicine origin tracing. Results SVM (macro-average AUC = 0.998, F1 = 0.949, accuracy = 0.949, recall = 0.949, precision = 0.956) and ANN (macro-average AUC = 0.999, F1 = 0.940, accuracy = 0.939, recall = 0.939, precision = 0.944) demonstrated optimal performance in identifying the origins of Chinese herbal medicines. They exhibited high consistency in predicting the origins of unknown samples, with core evaluation metrics significantly outperforming RF, LightGBM, KNN, and XGBoost. The SVM model can accurately capture the functional group vibration differences in the medium chemical components of medicinal materials from different origins. ANN models simulate the multifactorial nonlinear coupling effects formed by Chinese herbal medicine origins. Both models not only achieve efficient differentiation among 11 origins but also exhibit complementary strengths: SVM’s globally optimal classification hyperplane excels at processing origins with markedly distinct spectral features, while ANN’s distributed representation capability better suits complex scenarios with high feature overlap. The MIRS method, integrating SVM and ANN, offers rapid, non-destructive, and high-throughput advantages for Chinese herbal medicine traceability. This provides an objective tool for large-scale origin tracing of authentic medicinal materials and delivers a practical technical pathway for the modernization of the Chinese herbal medicine industry. Conclusion MIRS combined with SVM, RF, LightGBM, KNN, XGBoost, and ANN demonstrates effectiveness for Chinese herbal medicine origin tracing. Among these, SVM and ANN emerge as preferred models for this application, offering an interdisciplinary solution. Future integration of multimodal data and deep learning techniques holds promise for enhancing model performance.

Objective Study on the chemical components of Chishui Dendrobium nobile (Orchidaceae).Methods A systematic chemical study was conducted on the n-butanol fraction of the 95% ethanol extract of Chishui D. nobile using methods and techniques such as silica gel, Toyopearl HW-40C, and semi-preparative liquid chromatography, with structural identification carried out through HRESIMS, NMR, IR, UV, and other spectroscopic methods. Results A total of six compounds were isolated and identified as 6,7-dimethyl-1-[(2S,3R,4R)-2,3,5-trihydroxy-4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-1,4-dihydroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (1), 2-phenylethyl 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), diospyrososide (3), benzyl-β-D-glucoside (4), icariside D₂ (5), 2-methoxyphenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (6). Conclusion Compound 1 was identified as a new alkaloid, named dendronobiline A1, while compound 2 was identified as a new phenylethanoid glycoside, named dendronobiside A1. Compounds 3—6 are isolated from the plant for the first time.

Objective To explore the effect differences and biological mechanisms of Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma) combined with sour herb Wumei (Mume Fructus) and pungent herb Wuzhuyu (Evodiae Fructus) in treating cholestasis based on “liver desires dispersion” theory from “five zang-organs preferences and aversions in tonification and purgation” in traditional Chinese medicine, thereby enriching the scientific connotation of “sour purgation” and “pungent tonification”. Methods A total of 36 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, Coptidis Rhizoma group, Coptidis Rhizoma-Mume Fructus group, Coptidis Rhizoma-Evodiae Fructus group and ursodeoxycholic acid group. A cholestasis model was induced using α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT). After drug intervention, the anti-cholestatic effects were evaluated by measuring serum biochemical markers sun as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TBIL), total bile acid (TBA) and histopathological examination. The anti-inflammatory effects were assessed by measuring levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6 in serum. The anti-oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) in serum. The lipid-regulating effects were evaluated by measuring levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in serum. LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics was performed on fecal samples to analyze metabolites, identify differential metabolites, and conducting Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Results Compared with model group, the serum biochemical index levels of each treatment group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001), the phenomena of liver tissues inflammatory cell infiltration, liver cell swelling and focal necrosis were significantly alleviated. Compared with Coptidis Rhizoma group, Coptidis Rhizoma-Mume Fructus group demonstrated significantly enhanced anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects (P < 0.05, 0.01), while Coptidis Rhizoma-Evodiae Fructus group showed significantly enhanced lipid-regulating effects (P < 0.05). Metabolomics analysis indicated that the enhanced anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects following the combination of Coptidis Rhizoma with Mume Fructus were associated with the modulation of primary bile acid biosynthesis pathway, the enhanced lipid-regulating effect following the combination of Coptidis Rhizoma with Evodiae Fructus was linked to the regulation of linoleic acid metabolism pathway. Conclusion Coptidis Rhizoma, whether combined with Mume Fructus or Evodiae Fructus, exerts definite interventional effects on cholestatic rats, demonstrating the differential characteristics of “purgation with sour herbs” and “tonification with pungent herbs”. The modulation of primary bile acid biosynthesis pathway and linoleic acid metabolism pathway represents the potential mechanism underlying these differential effects.

Objective To preliminarily explore the correlation between changes in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and peripheral neurotransmitter levels in patients with depression of heart-kidney non-interaction syndrome treated with Jiaotai Pill (交泰丸, JTW) alone or in combination with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and to exploratorily develop efficacy prediction models. Methods This post-hoc analysis utilized data from a randomized controlled trial (n = 91). Patients were divided into the JTW group (n = 31), JTW combined with SSRIs group (n = 30), and SSRIs group (n = 30). Response after eight weeks of treatment was defined as a ≥ 50% reduction rate in the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) score. Changes in neurotransmitter levels and TCM syndrome scores before and after treatment were compared among the three groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the associations between changes in individual TCM syndrome scores and changes in neurotransmitter levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA). Firth's penalized-likelihood logistic regression, adjusted for confounders such as age and sex, was employed to analyze the independent associations between baseline characteristics and treatment response within each group, identifying potential predictors. Predictive models were constructed based on statistically significant predictors. Bootstrap internal validation (1 000 repetitions) was performed to correct for overfitting, and the optimism-corrected area under the curve (AUC) was reported to evaluate the discriminatory performance of the models. Results No statistically significant difference in response rates was observed among the three groups (P > 0.05). Comparisons before and after treatment showed that 5-HT and NE levels, as well as most TCM syndrome scores, improved significantly from baseline in all three groups (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that in the JTW group, Δ5-HT was positively correlated with Δinsomnia/dreamfulness (r = 0.521, P = 0.003) and Δdry throat and mouth (r = 0.438, P = 0.014). Multivariate analysis indicated that in the JTW group, baseline “forgetfulness” was a negative predictor of efficacy (OR = 0.60, P = 0.022). In the combination group, baseline “palpitations” was a positive predictor (OR = 1.62, P = 0.029), while “spermatorrhea or irregular menstruation” was a negative predictor (OR = 0.22, P = 0.007). Notably, the symptom of “spermatorrhea or irregular menstruation” itself did not show significant improvement after treatment. Predictive model analysis showed that in the JTW group, the model based on “forgetfulness” had a corrected AUC of 0.669 (original AUC = 0.838). In the combination group, the composite model including both “palpitations” and “spermatorrhea or irregular menstruation” demonstrated the best predictive performance, with a corrected AUC of 0.809 (original AUC = 0.937), suggesting preliminary discriminatory ability but also indicating potential overfitting. Conclusion By exploring the associations between TCM syndromes and neurotransmitter changes in depressed patients with heart-kidney non-interaction syndrome treated with JTW and by developing efficacy prediction models, this study provides preliminary evidence to guide treatment selection for clinical subtypes predominantly characterized by “exuberance of heart fire” or “kidney essence deficiency”. These findings offer exploratory clues for the precise application of JTW, though its predictive performance requires further validation in prospective and large-scale studies.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of ethanol extract of bran-fried Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma) (EBAR) on bile duct ligation-induced liver fibrosis in mice and explore the mechanism of its treatment for liver fibrosis from the perspective of regulating hepatic metabolites. Methods C57BL/6 mice were subjected to bile duct ligation to establish a liver fibrosis model and treated with EBAR for 14 d. Levels of liver function markers and inflammatory cytokines in serum were measured. The expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen type I (COL1A1) and COL4A2 in liver tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and Western blotting. JS1 cells were induced with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) to establish a hepatic stellate cell activation model. After EBAR intervention, the expressions of α-SMA, COL1A1, COL4A2 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP1) were examined by immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation and metabolomics were employed to investigate the potential mechanisms of EBAR against liver fibrosis, and key mechanisms were validated by Western blotting. Results In the liver fibrosis mouse model, EBAR significantly reduced liver index, serum liver function indicators and inflammatory cytokine levels (P < 0.05, 0.01), significantly inhibited the expressions of α-SMA, COL1A1 and COL4A2 in liver tissues (P < 0.05, 0.01), significantly alleviated hepatic fibrous tissue hyperplasia and collagen deposition and improved pathological damage in liver tissue. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that Atractylodis Rhizoma exerts anti-hepatic fibrotic effects primarily by regulating signaling pathways such as adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Metabolomic analysis showed that EBAR affected the generation of various metabolites in liver tissues of liver fibrosis mouse model, particularly metabolites related to the citric acid cycle and fatty acid metabolism. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that EBAR exerted anti-hepatic fibrotic effects by promoting AMPK phosphorylation (P < 0.05, 0.01) and activating AMPK/silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) signaling pathway. Conclusion EBAR exerts anti-fibrotic effects by activating AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway and regulating hepatic energy metabolism.

Objective To establish the HPLC fingerprint of water-soluble components for different habitat‑processed products of Fritillaria thunbergii, and evaluate the quality of F. thunbergii piece and Huibei from different origins. Methods Inertsil ODS-SP-C₁₈column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5.0 μm) was used with methanol (A)-water (B) as mobile phase for gradient elution. The detection wavelength was 260 nm, the column temperature was 25 °C, the volume flow rate was 1.0 mL/min, and the injection volume was 15 μL. The HPLC fingerprint was established and the similarity was analyzed. The chemical constituents were identified and quantitatively determined by comparing with the reference substances. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal components analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to evaluate the quality of F. thunbergii from different producing areas. Results A total of 15 common peaks were matched in the fingerprints of F. thunbergii piece and Huibei, and ten components were identified including peak 3-uracil, peak 5-hypoxanthine, peak 6-guanine, peak 8-thymine, peak 9-inosine, peak 10-guanosine, peak 11-adenine, peak 12-thymidine, peak 14-adenosine and peak 15-2-deoxyadenosine. The areas of 15 common peaks were further analyzed by HCA, PCA and OPLS-DA. The results can distinguish F. thunbergii piece and Huibei well. With VIP > 1 as the index, a total of eight differential components with large contribution rate were obtained, which were peak 3,7,10,5,12,14,6 and 8. Conclusion The established fingerprint and multi-component content determination methods of water-soluble components of F. thunbergii piece and Huibei are simple and reproducible, and can be used for the quality evaluation and quality control of different processing methods of F. thunbergii from different producing areas.

Objective To optimize the honey-frying process of Pipaye (Eriobotryae Folium, EF) and establish a quality differentiation system between raw and processed products, providing scientific evidence for standardized production and quality control of honey-fried EF. Methods The effects of five factors-honey-to-water ratio, solid-to-liquid ratio, moistening time, stir-frying temperature, and stir-frying duration were investigated through single-factor experiments. The comprehensive weights of maslinic acid, corosolic acid, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, and hyperoside were determined using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) combined with the criteria importance through intercriteria correlation (CRITIC) objective weighting method. Key process parameters (honey-to-water ratio, stir-frying temperature, and stir-frying duration) were optimized via Box-Behnken design coupled with response surface methodology (BBD-RSM) to establish the optimal honey-processing conditions for EF. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography/high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC/HPLC) was employed to develop fingerprint profiles of raw and honey-processed EF. Component differences were compared using similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Additionally, correlation analysis between colorimetric values and indicator components was conducted. Results The optimized honey-processing parameters for EF were determined as follows: honey-to-water ratio of 1:1.06, solid-to-liquid ratio of 2.0:1, moistening time of 2.5 h, stir-frying temperature of 157.9 ℃, and stir-frying duration of 11.1 min. In the established fingerprint profile of triterpenic acids in EF, 12 common peaks were identified in the raw products, while nine common peaks were identified in the processed products. Among these, four peaks were assigned as maslinic acid (peak 6), corosolic acid (peak 7), oleanolic acid (peak 11), and ursolic acid (peak 12), all of which showed increased content after honey-processing. In the fingerprint profile of organic acids, 11 common peaks were identified in the raw products, and 12 common peaks were found in the processed products. Four of these peaks were identified as neochlorogenic acid (peak 1), chlorogenic acid (peak 3), cryptochlorogenic acid (peak 4), and hyperoside (peak 11)-all of which decreased in content after honey-processing. The colorimetric values (L^*, a^*, b^*) of the honey-processed loquat slices showed a significant positive correlation with the content of triterpenic acids, and a significant negative correlation with the content of organic acids and flavonol glycosides. Conclusion The AHP-CRITIC weighting method combined with BBD-RSM can effectively balance multiple indicators. The honey-frying process for EF is stable and feasible. Integrating fingerprints with chemometric methods precisely characterizes quality changes before and after processing, offering evidence for enhanced quality control standards.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of Dangshen (Codonopsis Radix) containing serum (CRCS) on inflammatory factors release and epithelial cell excessive apoptosis in vitro model of ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods Bioinformatics analysis tools were used to predict and regulate the upstream miRNAs of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of PTEN and the expressions of miR-21, miR-30a-3p, miR-198, miR-152-3p, miR-301a-3p, miR-320 and miR-3691-5p in colon tissues of UC rats model induced by enema 5% 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid solution (TNBS)/ethanol composite solution. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 μg/mL) was used to induce human normal colon epithelial NCM460 cells to construct an in vitro model of UC, 1%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% CRCS intervention was administered for 24 h. The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 method. Subsequently, miR-21 mimics and miR-21 inhibitor were transfected into model cells, respectively, which were cultured in 6 % CRCS complete medium for 24 h. The levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-17, IL-1β, IL-8, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in each group were detected by ELISA. The expression of miR-21 in each group was detected by qRT-PCR. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of PTEN, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), cleaved cystein-asparate protease-3 (cleaved Caspase-3) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway related proteins. The binding sites of miR-21 and PTEN were predicted by bioinformatics, and the targeting effect of miR-21 on PTEN was verified by dual luciferase reporter gene detection system. Results A total of seven miRNAs that may target PTEN were screened by bioinformatics analysis. Among them, the expression of miR-21 was decreased significantly after CRCS intervention (P < 0.01), while the expressions of miR-30a-3p, miR-198, miR-152-3p, miR-301a-3p, miR-320 and miR-3691-5p had no statistical significance. The results of CCK-8 showed that 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% CRCS could significantly improve cell viability (P < 0.01). Compared with model group, CRCS and miR-21 inhibitor increased the expression levels of PTEN and Bcl-2 proteins in cells (P < 0.01), and decreased the expression levels of miR-21, Bax, cleaved Caspase-3, p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt (P < 0.01). Compared with CRCS group, miR-21 mimics significantly attenuated the up-regulation of PTEN and Bcl-2 expressions by CRCS (P < 0.01) and the down-regulation of miR-21, Bax, cleaved Caspase-3, p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt expressions (P < 0.05, 0.01). The results of dual luciferase reporter assay showed that in the transfected wt-Luc-PTEN plasmocytes, CRCS intervention could significantly increase luciferase activity (P < 0.01), and miR-21 mimics could significantly reduce luciferase activity (P < 0.01). In the combined treatment, miR-21 mimics could partially weaken the effect of CRCS on luciferase activity (P < 0.01). In transfected mut-Luc-PTEN plasmocytes, CRCS intervention and miR-21 mimics did not cause significant changes in luciferase activity. Conclusion CRCS could alleviate UC by inhibiting pro-inflammatory factors release and excessive apoptosis of epithelial cells. The mechanism is at least partially dependent on miR-21/PTEN/PI3K/Akt axis.