Ovarian cancer is often characterized as a “silent killer” due to its insidious onset, difficulty in early diagnosis, and high mortality rate. Furthermore, advanced stages of the disease exhibit high recurrence rates and formidable chemoresistance. In recent years, the synergistic and sensitizing value of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the comprehensive management of ovarian cancer has become increasingly evident. This review systematically summarizes the pivotal mechanisms underlying the intervention of TCM monomers and compound formulas in ovarian cancer. It reveals that TCM constituents not only inhibit tumor invasion and metastasis by inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting apoptosis and ferroptosis, and modulating crucial signaling pathways—including the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways—but also demonstrate unique advantages in reversing platinum resistance and alleviating chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression by interfering with glycolipid metabolic reprogramming and remodeling the immune microenvironment. Future research should integrate multi-omics technologies to comprehensively validate these complex molecular networks, thereby providing robust evidence-based medical foundations for clinical precision therapeutics and the development of novel antineoplastic agents.

Zingiberaceae plants are important medicinal and edible resources, widely used in traditional diets and medicine. They combine nutritional value with diverse physiological regulatory functions, holding significant potential for future applications. This study focused on seven Zingiberaceae species listed in the National Health Commission’s inventory of traditional food and medicinal materials: Zingiber officinale (ginger, including fresh and dried forms), Alpinia oxyphylla, Amomum tsaoko, Curcuma longa, A. villosum, Kaempferia galanga, and Alpinia officinarum. A systematic literature review and industrial analysis were conducted to summarize their core functional components, pharmacological activities, and industrialization status. The results showed that these plants are generally rich in volatile oils, gingerols, curcumin, flavonoids, and polysaccharides, exhibiting bioactivities such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, metabolic regulatory, neuroprotective, and potential antitumor effects. Furthermore, a comprehensive system for extracting and identifying these functional components and evaluating their bioactivities has been established. Analysis of the industrial chain revealed uneven development of Zingiberaceae resources, with common challenges including fragmented cultivation, extensive processing, lack of standardization, weak branding, and insufficient industry-academia-research collaboration. Corresponding recommendations were proposed: promoting whole-chain standardization, advancing deep processing and high-value product development, building collaborative innovation systems, and implementing branding and internationalization strategies. Future research should integrate advanced technologies like multi-omics to elucidate mechanisms of action and provide evidence-based support hrough high-quality clinical studies. Technological innovation will drive the development and layout of high-value products, facilitating the transformation of Zingiberaceae resources from a “resource advantage” into an “industrial advantage”, thereby contributing to the health industry and regional economic development.

Astragalus membranaceus, a traditional qi-tonifying herb, exhibits quality that is strongly influenced by ecological factors of the production region, cultivation practices, and processing techniques. Significant differences in morphology, chemical composition, and bioactivity are observed among different production areas: A. membranaceus from Hunyuan, Shanxi is characterized by high levels of calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, that from Longxi, Gansu is enriched in astragaloside, while samples from Inner Mongolia contain higher concentrations of isoflavonoids. These variations arise from the intricate coupling between ecological factors (such as soil elemental composition, climate, and microbial communities) and genetic background, with associated plants and secondary metabolite regulatory networks serving as key mechanisms. Cultivation patterns exert considerable influence, as wild-simulated cultivation can approximate wild-type quality; appropriate planting density, water and nutrient management, and arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation effectively enhance the accumulation of bioactive constituents. Harvesting and processing are equally critical: autumn harvest, hot air drying at 60 ℃, and honey-frying processing maximize retention of active compounds and improve immunomodulatory activity. Additionally, previous studies have examined chemical changes during processing and identified astragaloside and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside as marker compounds, establishing quality control strategies from raw materials to final products. The 2025 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, which focus on single constituents, are insufficient to fully reflect the synergistic effects of constituent clusters. Expansion of cultivation areas exacerbates quality variability, and continuous cropping can disrupt soil microbial ecology. Future approaches should integrate multi-omics analyses and intelligent monitoring to develop a dynamic quality evaluation system based on bioactive constituents, and employ “soil–climate–genotype” matching models to optimize cultivation in non-authentic production regions, thereby promoting high-quality development of the A. membranaceus industry.

Respiratory viral infections are highly prevalent infectious diseases worldwide, characterized by complex pathogens and rapid mutations, posing limitations to existing prevention and treatment strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) demonstrates unique advantages in holistic regulation and multi-target intervention for these infections. However, the complex pharmacodynamic basis and systemic mechanisms of TCM have presented challenges in achieving comprehensive evaluation and systematic mechanism elucidation. Inspired by systems philosophy and systems biology, this paper proposes an integrative research pathway centered on metabolomics as a phenotypic hub. At the observational level, it incorporates conventional metabolomics, stable isotope tracing, spatial metabolomics, and single-cell/subcellular metabolic analyses. At the association level, it combines multi-omics data such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and microbiome data. At the computational level, artificial intelligence is utilized for feature extraction and network modeling. This pathway aims to advance systematic research in biomarker discovery, syndrome substance basis elucidation, and the synergistic mechanisms of complex formulas in the prevention and treatment of respiratory viral infections with TCM. By promoting a new paradigm of systems biology research driven by metabolomics, it is expected to enhance the interpretation of TCM-based preventive and therapeutic mechanisms, thereby significantly promoting the modernization and internationalization of TCM.

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which Reduning Injection (热毒宁注射液, RDN) against secondary Staphylococcus aureus infection following H1N1 influenza A virus infection by inhibiting alveolar macrophages (AMs) depletion. Methods Lethal and sub lethal infection model of H1N1 secondary S. aureus were established and drugs were given for intervention, mortality, body weight change rate and lung index of mice were determined. Lung viral load was detected by qRT-PCR and lung bacterial load was detected using plate colony counting. The expressions of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand-1 (CXCL-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in lung tissue were analyzed by qRT-PCR and ELISA, levels of myeloperoxidase-DNA (MPO-DNA) and neutrophil elastase-DNA (NE-DNA) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by ELISA. Flow cytometry was used to assess the proportions of AMs, neutrophils and monocytes in lung single-cell suspensions and the proportion of T helper 1(Th1)/T helper 2 (Th2) cells in peripheral blood. Results Compared with the secondary infection group, high-dose of RDN reduced mortality and inhibited body weight loss and lung index (P < 0.01, 0.001). Both high-and low-dose of RDN significantly reduced lung virus and bacteria levels (P < 0.05, 0.001). High-dose of RDN were superior to cefuroxime in inhibiting weight loss, reducing the lung index and decreasing lung virus level (P < 0.05, 0.01). RDN high-and low-dose groups significantly reduced the levels of IFN-γ and CXCL-1 in lung tissue and significantly increased the proportion of AMs (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001). RDN high-dose group significantly reduced MCP-1 level (P < 0.05, 0.01); The proportion of AMs in RDN high-dose group was higher than that of oseltamivir phosphate group and cefaclor group (P < 0.05, 0.001), while the levels of CXCL-1 and MCP-1 were lower than those of cefaclor group (P < 0.05, 0.01). The infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes in RDN high-and low-dose groups was significantly reduced (P < 0.001), and RDN high-dose group was superior to oseltamivir phosphate group and cefaclor group (P < 0.05, 0.001). The level of TNF-α was significantly decreased in RDN high-dose group (P < 0.01), while the levels of MPO-DNA and NE-DNA were significantly decreased in RDN high-and low-dose groups (P < 0.05, 0.001); The levels of TNF-α and NE-DNA in RDN high-dose group were lower than those in cefaclor group (P < 0.01). The Th1/Th2 ratio was significantly decreased in RDN high-and low-dose groups (P < 0.01, 0.001), and RDN high-dose group was lower than cefaclor group (P < 0.05). Conclusion RDN shows significant activity against secondary S. aureus infection following H1N1 infection. RDN alleviates lung inflammatory damage by correcting excessive Th1-type immune polarization, reducing IFN-γ expression, restoring the AMs ratio and reducing effector cell infiltration.

Objective To study the inhibitory effect and its potential molecular mechanism of coptisine hydrochloride on influenza A virus (IAV). Methods CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of coptisine hydrochloride on viability of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and human embryonic kidney 293T cells (293T). By using an in vitro viral infection model, the regulatory effect of coptisine hydrochloride on IAV replication and viral nucleoprotein (NP) expression was detected, and its half effective concentration (EC₅₀) and half cytotoxic concentration (CC₅₀) were calculated. A mouse model infected with H1N1-UI182 was constructed, coptisine hydrochloride was given for intervention, changes in survival rate, body weight, lung index, lung tissue virus titer and viral load were detected. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological damage of lung tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of NP protein in lung tissue. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect the regulatory effect of coptisine hydrochloride on transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, as well as its effect on the expressions of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Results At the cellular level, compared with model group, coptisine hydrochloride significantly inhibited IAV replication and reduced NP protein expression level (P < 0.05, 0.001). Coptisine hydrochloride had an EC₅₀ of 15.93 μg/mL and a CC₅₀ of 83.42 μg/mL in MDCK cells, and an EC₅₀ of 18.44 μg/mL and a CC₅₀ of 69.90 μg/mL in 293T cells. In the H1N1-UI182 infected mouse model, compared with model group, coptisine hydrochloride significantly improved the decline in body weight of mice, increased survival rate, and significantly reduced lung index, lung tissue virus titer and viral load (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001). The histopathological results showed that coptisine hydrochloride significantly reduced the inflammatory infiltration and alveolar structural damage caused by viral infection in lungs. The immunohistochemical results showed that coptisine hydrochloride significantly reduced the expression of NP protein in lung tissue. Western blotting and qRT-PCR results showed that compared with model group, coptisine hydrochloride could regulate TRPV4/NF-κB signaling pathway, significantly inhibit TRPV4 overactivation (P < 0.001), block NF-κB nuclear translocation (P < 0.001), and subsequently downregulate the expressions of pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001). Conclusion Coptisine hydrochloride could directly inhibit IAV replication and regulate TRPV4/NF-κB signaling pathway to improve virus induced inflammatory response, exerting anti-IAV effects.

Objective To explore the efficacy and mechanism of Daqinglong Decoction (大青龙汤) in inhibiting viral pneumonia in mice caused by influenza A virus (H1N1/PR8). Methods The main chemical components in Daqinglong Decoction were detected by UPLC-QE-HF-MS/MS. Mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, oseltamivir (27.5 mg/kg) group, Daqinglong Decoction high-, medium-, and low-dose (23.10, 11.55, 5.78 g/kg) groups. The model of pneumonia in mice caused by influenza A virus (H1N1/PR8) infection was established, after continuously administration for 4 d, the therapeutic effect of Daqinglong Decoction on viral pneumonia was evaluated by detecting the viral load of lungs, the levels of inflammatory factors in lung tissues, the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes, and the pathological structure and imaging of lungs. The mechanism was studied through proteomics and Western blotting. Results A total of 77 major chemical constituents in Daqinglong Decoction were identified. Compared with model group, Daqinglong Decoction significantly reduced the viral load of lung tissues (P < 0.01), decreased the level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in lung tissues (P < 0.05, 0.01), increased the percentage of CD4⁺ T cells in the peripheral blood (P < 0.05), markedly improved lung lesions, and significantly up-regulated the expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 (NFAT5) and down-regulated the expression of tyrosine-protein kinase ZAP-70 (ZAP70) in lung tissues of infected mice (P < 0.05). Conclusion Daqinglong Decoction inhibited viral proliferation in lung tissues, decreased TNF-α expression, increased CD4⁺ T lymphocyte level and ameliorated lung lesions, and its mechanism of treating viral pneumonia was related to the modulation of NFAT5 and ZAP70 mediated T cell immunity.

Objective To characterize the material basis of Mahuang Xixin Fuzi Decoction (麻黄细辛附子汤, MXF) and Mahuang Gancao Fuzi Decoction (麻黄甘草附子汤, MGF), and explore the differences in intervention effects and mechanisms of MXF and MGF on mouse models of kidney-yang deficiency and external infection syndrome, and provide basic research basis for clinical precision medication. Methods The chemical composition of MXF and MGF was analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ/MS). A total of 60 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group (12 mice) and kidney-yang deficiency syndrome model group (48 mice). A mouse model of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome was established by ip estradiol benzoate, and then intranasal infection with H1N1 influenza virus was performed to establish a mouse model of kidney-yang deficiency and external infection syndrome. The successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into model group, MXF (1.8 g/kg) group, MGF (1.8 g/kg) group and oseltamivir (22.53 mg/kg) group, with 12 mice in each group. After continuous administration for 7 d, changes in body weight, anal temperature, survival rate, organ indexes, lung tissue pathology, levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in tracheal and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung viral load, and serum inflammatory cytokine levels of mice in each group were detected. Results A total of 15 components including ephedrine, aconitine, sesamin ester and asarinin were detected in MXF, and 18 components including ephedrine, aconitine and liquiritin were detected in MGF. The content of ephedra alkaloids in MXF was higher than that in MGF. Compared with model group, all treatment groups were able to restore the body weight and anal temperature of mice, and the recovery effect was oseltamivir > MXF > MGF; There were no mouse deaths in oseltamivir and MXF groups, while one mouse died in MGF group; The lung index of oseltamivir group and MXF group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05, 0.01); The lung tissue lesions of mice in each treatment group were reduced, with the degree of reduction being oseltamivir > MXF > MGF; MXF had a higher clearance rate of lung viruses in mice; MGF significantly increased the level of SIgA in lung lavage fluid (P < 0.05); Oseltamivir, MXF and MGF could effectively reduce the total value of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors, the ratio of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors, and the proportion of pro-inflammatory factors, alleviate the body’s inflammatory response, and MGF had higher anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing effects than MXF; According to the box plot analysis of comprehensive therapeutic effects, MXF was superior to MGF. Conclusion Different adjuncts [Xixin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma/Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma)] in MXF and MGF affect the contents of common components (ephedra alkaloids, aconitum alkaloids) in the formula; Both MXF and MGF could effectively treat kidney-yang deficiency and external infection syndrome and reduce the damage caused to the body by viral infection. Comparing the two, MXF has better comprehensive pharmacological effects, but MGF has better effects on inflammatory factors and immune regulation.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of Ampelopsis grossedentata extract in treating post-infection cough (PIC) through network pharmacology combined with in vivo experiments. Methods Active components from A. grossedentata were screened through HERB database, PIC related targets were obtained from GeneCards platform, intersecting targets were obtained, “drug-active ingredient-target” network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were constructed. Gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed, and molecular docking validation was performed between core components and core targets. PIC guinea pig model was constructed, control group, model group, A. grossedentata extract low-, medium-, high-dose (64, 128, 256 mg/kg) groups and Suhuang Zhike Capsule (苏黄止咳胶囊, 314 mg/kg) group were set up. After administration, cough sensitivity, inflammatory cell numbers and levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), substance P (SP), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were detected. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe pathological changes in tracheal, bronchial and lung tissues. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of core target proteins in lung tissue. Results The core active ingredients of A. grossedentata screened by network pharmacology included physcion, emodin, quercetin, etc. The core targets included B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), sarcoma proto oncogene kinase (SRC), etc. The enrichment involved EGFR, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) and other signaling pathways. Molecular docking showed that the binding energy between core components and core targets was low, with good affinity. The animal experiment results showed that compared with model group, A. grossedentata extract could significantly prolong the cough latency and reduce the number of coughs in guinea pigs (P < 0.05, 0.01), reduce the number of inflammatory cells and levels of SP, IL-4, TNF-α, INF-γ in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (P < 0.05, 0.01), improve the pathological damage of trachea, bronchus and lung tissue, up-regulate the expression of Bcl-2 protein in lung tissue (P < 0.01), down-regulate the expressions of EGFR and p-STAT3 protein (P < 0.01). Conclusion A. grossedentata extract has significant therapeutic effects on PIC, and its mechanism may be through the action of core components such as physcion, emodin and quercetin on targets such as Bcl-2, EGFR, STAT3, regulating related signaling pathways, reducing airway mucosal damage and inflammatory reactions, and thus exerting therapeutic effects.

Objective To conduct a bibliometric analysis of antiviral research on chikungunya fever, to reveal the current status and research hotspots, and to provide references for infection prevention and drug development. Methods Publications related to antiviral studies on chikungunya fever were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection from database inception to August 10, 2025. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used for visual analysis of publication output, countries, journals, institutions, authors, and keywords, wheras Excel 2019 was employed to summarize and calculate the frequency of drug-related keywords. Results A total of 583 publications were included, showing an overall upward trend in output between 2004 and 2025. The United States had the highest number of publications; the top three productive authors were Merits Andres, Neyts Johan, and Delang Leen, Antiviral Research was the leading journal in terms of publications, and core research forces were concentrated in comprehensive universities such as the University of Tartu and infectious disease institutes such as the Institut Pasteur. Keyword analysis indicated that “chikungunya virus” “replication” “infection” were high-frequency core terms. Research themes mainly focused on viral replication, infection, and identification, encompassing molecular docking, gene expression, and inhibitor screening, as well as animal model construction and cross-virus studies. Keyword frequency analysis of antiviral drugs showed that chemical drugs dominated the field, with small-molecule inhibitors being the most common, and chloroquine and ribavirin appearing most frequently, studies on biologics, traditional Chinese medicine, and natural products were relatively scattered. Conclusion Antiviral research on chikungunya virus remains in its early stages, with a paucity of clinically approved therapeutics and specific vaccines. Research priorities have shifted from transmission surveillance toward drug discovery and target-based investigations, with emerging technologies—including structural biology, molecular docking, and reverse genetics—facilitating candidate compound development. Future research should prioritize drug repurposing, multi-target strategies, and systematic evaluation of bioactive natural products, particularly flavonoids, diterpenoids, and traditional Chinese medicinal compounds for symptomatic intervention. Integrating interdisciplinary methodologies and fostering international collaboration are essential to enhance research efficiency, accelerate clinical translation, and provide innovative avenues for chikungunya virus prevention and control.