Metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials formed by coordination bonds between metal ion centers and organic ligands, exhibiting superior properties such as high specific surface area, controllable pore size structure, and excellent biocompatibility. They provide an innovative technological approach to address critical challenges in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research, including low solubility, poor stability, and suboptimal bioavailability of active components. Aligned with the historical context of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry being awarded to MOFs, this article systematically reviews the application advancements of five major MOF types—zeolitic imidazolate frameworks, university of oslos, materials of institute lavoisiers, porous coordination networks and isoreticular metal-organic frameworks—in TCM research. The discussion emphasizes the application priorities of different framework materials from the perspective of “structure-activity relationship”. Furthermore, the study delves into practical issues such as excessive focus on individual components, insufficiently established in vivo biosafety profiles, and high costs associated with large-scale production. Finally, it explores pathways for integrating the material properties of MOFs with the TCM “jun-chen-zuo-shi” (sovereign-minister-assistant-guide) compatibility theory, proposing a novel paradigm for biomimetic intelligent delivery systems to facilitate the modernization, internationalization, and clinical commercialization of TCM.

Objective To investigate the chemical constituents of the branches of Broussonetia papyrifera and screen for compounds with cytotoxic activity against primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells. Methods The compounds were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques including silica gel, RP-18, Sephadex LH-20, and MCI column chromatographies, as well as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods. The cytotoxicity of the isolates against PEL cell lines (BC-3 and BCBL-1) was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. The effects of active compounds on cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results Nineteen compounds were isolated and identified as broussoflavonol B (1), 8-prenylquercetin-3-methyl ether (2), taxifolin (3), liquiritigenin (4), (＋)-medioresinol (5), (＋)-syringaresinol (6), dadahol B (7), diospyrosin (8), balanophonin (9), 5-methoxybalanophonin (10), isokhellactone (11), nodakenetin (12), rutamarin (13), smyrindiol (14), marmesin (15), 8-methoxymarmesin (16), 7-demethylsuberosin (17), umbelliferone (18), and n-hexacosyl (E)-p-coumarate (19). Compounds 1,7 and 17 exhibited significant inhibitory activity against PEL cells. Among them, compound 7 showed half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 16.05 and 16.90 μmol/L against BC-3 and BCBL-1 cells, respectively. Further studies indicated that compound 7 could notably induce apoptosis and arrest cell cycle in PEL cells. Conclusion Compounds 8,17 and 19 were isolated from the Moraceae for the first time, while compounds 9—11 and 13 were obtained from the genus Broussonetia for the first time. Compound 7 exerts its anti-PEL activity by inducing cell apoptosis and blocking cell cycle progression.

Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is a key pathological feature following myocardial infarction (MI). This condition leads to myocardial stiffening and impaired cardiac pumping, ultimately resulting in complications including arrhythmias, heart failure, and cardiac rupture. Currently, interventions such as chemical drugs and surgery play an important role in the treatment of post-MI MF. However, they are still limited by suboptimal prognoses and high medical costs. Meanwhile, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated potential value in this area, owing to its holistic regulation and multi-target therapeutic effects. This review provides a systematic overview of the pathological mechanisms underlying MF after MI and the preventive and therapeutic strategies of TCM for this disease. It aims to provide references for future clinical research and guide drug development efforts.

Objective To reveal the dynamic evolution of the global innovation cooperation network in the field of pentacyclic triterpenoids, and analyze the collaborative evolution mechanism of network structure, national innovation strategies and individual behaviors at different stages of the technology lifecycle. Methods Based on global patent data from 1945 to 2025, social network analysis method is used to construct and analyze the innovation cooperation network in this field. According to the theory of technology lifecycle, four development stages are divided for dynamic comparison. Results The cooperative network structure presents a phased evolution, from a closed “core small world” in its infancy to a long-term expansion, ultimately converging into a “strategic focused” tight structure; The national innovation strategy is divided into three types of paths: “sustained openness”“first rising and then falling”“low-level stability”. The intensity of international cooperation decreases in an “inverted U-shape” as technology matures; There is a significant “structural fragmentation” among micro entities, with the industry forming a high-density collaborative closed loop, while key academic institutions are often in a “bilateral isolation” state at the edge of the network, leading to an ecological imbalance of “industry academia decoupling”. Conclusion This study systematically reveals the dynamic evolution mechanism of innovation cooperation networks in the field of pentacyclic triterpenoids from three levels: network structure, national strategy, and subject behavior. It deepens the theoretical understanding of cooperation and competition relationships in the technology lifecycle and provides empirical evidence and policy implications for building a more resilient innovation ecosystem.

Objective To investigate the medication regularity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for preventing and treating alcohol-related liver and brain injuries, and to explore the intervention mechanisms of Jiejiu Formula (JJF) with homology of medicine and food on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI) through network pharmacology and experimental validation. Methods Herbal formulas targeting ALD and ARBI were collected from TCM classics of the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. Frequency analysis was performed on the constituent herbs to identify high-frequency ingredients. Their properties, flavors, meridian affinities, and dosages were analyzed. Association rule mining and cluster analysis were then applied to identify a core herbal combination for the JJF. Network pharmacology was used to screen the active components and potential targets of the JJF against ALD and ARBI. Core targets were subjected to gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were employed to validate the predicted mechanisms and binding stability. Subsequently, an alcohol-induced liver and brain injury mouse model was established to verify the findings in vivo. Results A total of 301 formulas containing 263 distinct herbs were identified. Herbs with a warm nature, pungent flavor, stomach meridian affinity, and heat-clearing functions were the most frequently used. The combination of “Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma)-Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium)-Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma)” demonstrated the highest frequency and strongest association, and all three herbs are classified as medicinal food ingredients. Therefore, this combination was designated as the JJF. Network pharmacology identified 289 active components and 254 potential targets for the JJF against ALD/ARBI. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed five core targets. KEGG enrichment analysis highlighted pathways related to endocrine resistance. Molecular docking suggested that 2-[(3R)-8,8-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrano[6,5-f]chromen-3-yl]-5-methoxyphenol and phaseolinisoflavan have good binding affinity and stability with protein kinase B1 (AKT1), which was further confirmed by stable binding in MD simulations. In vivo experiments showed that the JJF alleviated alcohol-induced damage in liver and brain tissues to varying degrees. Conclusion JJF exerts preventive and therapeutic effects against ALD and ARBI. It potentially acts on key targets such as Src proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase (SRC), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), and AKT1, and modulates pathways like endocrine resistance. Furthermore, the JJF may accelerate alcohol metabolism, enhance anti-oxidative stress capacity, upregulate mRNA expression within the phosphatidylinositol-3-hydroxykinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, and inhibit mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) expression, thereby regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory responses to achieve its protective effects.

Objective To detect and compare the contents of multiple indexes in Homalomena occulta from different producing areas, and to provide basis for quality evaluation of H. occulta. Methods In this study, 19 batches of H. occulta were collected. An HPLC method was performed on a CenturySIL C₁₈ BDS column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with acetonitrile-0.3% phosphoric acid as the mobile phase under gradient elution and wavelength switching detection at 260, 330 and 210 nm to simultaneously determine the contents of 11 components (protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, apigenin, pinocembrin, daucosterol, β- sitosterol, stigmasterol, ursolic acid, betulinic acid). The content of linalool was determined, and the alcohol-soluble extract, total ash and acid-insoluble ash were examined according to the 2025 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and grey relational analysis (GRA) were comprehensively applied to evaluate the quality of H. occulta from different producing areas and to screen the quality difference markers. Results The contents of each index in 19 batches of H. occulta were protocatechuic acid 0.251—0.903 mg/g, caffeic acid 0.171—0.294 mg/g, ferulic acid 0.041—0.101 mg/g, quercetin 0.265—0.490 mg/g, apigenin 0.144—0.250 mg/g, pinocembrin 0.046-0.088 mg/g, daucosterol 0.237—0.509 mg/g, β-sitosterol 0.394—1.153 mg/g, stigmasterol 0.102—0.218 mg/g, ursolic acid 0.154—0.328 mg/g, betulinic acid 0.071—0.116 mg/g, linalool 3.022—5.079 mg/g, extract 19.5%—33.5%, total ash 2.4%—6.5% and acid-insoluble ash 0.5%—1.2%. Chemical pattern recognition analysis showed that there were some differences in the quality of H. occulta in different producing areas. The 19 batches of samples were divided into 3 groups, and the samples with similar origin were divided into one group. The quality difference markers of each sample were linalool, quercetin, ursolic acid, β-sitosterol and protocatechuic acid. The quality evaluation results of factor analysis and grey correlation analysis were consistent, which showed that the quality of S15—S19 samples from Guangxi was better. Conclusion By analyzing and comparing the contents of multiple indexes in H. occulta from different producing areas, the quality difference markers for distinguishing each sample were determined, which can provide a method reference for the quality evaluation of H. occulta.

Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) are immune cells with strong functional plasticity in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Their infiltration, activation, polarization balance, and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) profoundly affect tumor occurrence, development, and immune responses. Polarization imbalance of TANs and excessive formation of NETs are key mechanisms underlying tumor immune evasion. The core pathogenesis of “deficiency-stasis-toxin” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is closely related to the abnormal function of TANs: deficiency of healthy qi is the fundamental prerequisite for the abnormal function of TANs; intertwining of phlegm and stasis provides a pathological basis for the pro-tumor microenvironment of TANs; and internal accumulation of heat-toxin drives abnormal activation of TANs and amplification of inflammation. With the advantages of multi-target and multi-pathway effects, TCM regulates signaling pathways such as C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1)/C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) through therapeutic methods including reinforcing healthy qi and eliminating pathogens; resolving phlegm and removing stasis; clearing heat and resolving toxin. These methods can inhibit the abnormal recruitment and activation of TANs, regulate the N1/N2 polarization balance, and reduce NETs production, thereby improving the immunosuppressive state of TME and blocking tumor progression. From the perspective of integrated TCM and Western medical theories, this article systematically explains the tumor regulatory mechanism of TANs and its intrinsic correlation with the core pathogenesis of “deficiency-stasis-toxin” in TCM. It also analyzes the functional mechanism of TCM in regulating TANs based on existing research, which not only lays a theoretical foundation for revealing the scientific connotation of TCM in anti-tumor therapy but also provides core theoretical support for constructing a new integrated TCM and Western medicine strategy for TANs-targeted antitumor therapy.

Objective To investigate the withanolides from the aerial parts of Physalis minima and evaluate their in vitro anti-tumor activities against human colon cancer (HCT-116), triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231), and human erythroleukemia (HEL) cell lines. Methods The chemical constituents were isolated and purified using various chromatographic techniques. Their structures were elucidated through a comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data, including infrared (IR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). The proliferation inhibitory activitiesof the isolated compounds against the above three cancer cell lines were evaluated using the MTT assay. Results Eight withanolides were isolated and identified from the aerial parts of P. minima, including two new compounds (1 and 2), which were characterized as (8R,9S,10R,13R,14R,16S,17R,20S,22R,24S)-14α,17α:16α,24α-diepoxy-13α,14β,22α-trihydroxy-1,15-dione-13,14-seco-ergosta-2,5-diene- 18,20-olide (1) and (8R,9S,10R,13R,14R,16S,17R,20S,22R,24R,25R)-14α,17α:14,27-diepoxy-13α,22α-dihydroxy-1,15-dione-13,14-seco-ergosta-2,5-diene-18,20-olide-24-propionic acid (2). The known compounds were identified as 5α-ethoxy-6β-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrophysalin B (3), physalin VI (4), physaminin F (5), physagulide D (6), pubesenolide (7), and physaminilide I (8). The in vitro bioassay results demonstrated that three compounds (1, 3, and 5) exhibited potent inhibitory activities against HCT-116 cells, with IC₅₀ values ranging from (10.97 ±1.62) to (39.20 ±2.17) μmol/L. Compound 3 displayed an IC₅₀ value of (19.36 ±1.03) μmol/L against MDA-MB-231 cells. Additionally, three compounds (1, 3, and 4) showed inhibitory effects on HEL cells, with IC₅₀ values ranging from (8.27 ±0.37) to (38.97 ±1.77) μmol/L. Conclusion Compounds 1 and 2 are new compounds. Compound 1 represents the first reported 22, 26-seco-nor-physalin, named phyminate A , while compound 2 is the first 22,26-seco-physalin featuring a 24-propionic acid moiety and a C-14/C-27 ether bridge, named phyminate B. The inhibitory activities of compounds 1, 3—5 against three tumor cell lines indicate their potential as anti-cancer candidates, justifying in-depth study.

With the continuous deepening of research on active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, Dactylicapnos alkaloids play an increasingly important role in the fields of plant chemistry and innovative drug development. This article elaborates on the main achievements and progress in the research of alkaloid components in the Dactylicapnos at home and abroad, and introduces the research status and characteristics of this field at home and abroad. By comparing domestic and foreign studies, this article found that there are some hot and difficult issues in the research field of Dactylicapnos alkaloid components, mainly manifested in the imbalance of alkaloid research among different species in Dactylicapnos, the narrow scope of alkaloid components and pharmacological activity research in this genus. Finally, this article provides a review of the efficacy, chemical composition, biosynthetic pathways, and pharmacological activities of Dactylicapnos, pointing out the shortcomings of current research and proposing future research directions and possible development trends. This article aims to provide reference for researchers on Dactylicapnos alkaloids and provide insights and suggestions for subsequent investigations.

Objective To observe the effect of water extract of Crataegus pinnatifida leaves on vascular inflammatory injury and systemic lipid metabolism disorders in apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE^−/−) mice induced by homocysteine (Hcy) and high fat. Methods Eight C57BL/6J mice fed a normal diet were served as the control group, 40 ApoE^−/− mice were randomly divided into high-fat group, high-fat + methionine group, simvastatin (5.7 mg/kg) group, C. pinnatifida leaves low-and high-dose (12, 24 g/kg) groups, with eight mice in each group. Except for the control group, all other mice were fed a 21% high-fat diet for 18 weeks. Starting from the 11th week, except for the control and high-fat groups, the remaining mice were received daily intragastric administration of methionine (1 g/kg) to induce hyperhomocysteinemia. Corresponding drugs were administered to each treatment group, while the control and high-fat groups received an equivalent volume of saline. Counts of white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets in peripheral blood were measured. Levels of Hcy, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum were assessed. Oil red O staining was used to observe lipid plaques in aortic intima and lipid content in liver sections. Filipin staining was used to measure hepatic cholesterol level. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to examine pathological morphological changes in aortic tissue. Masson staining was used to detecte collagen fiber deposition in aorta. Immunofluorescence staining was used to evaluate the expressions of p50, p65 in aorta and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1) and SREBP2 in liver. Results Compared with control group, levels of Hcy, TC, TG, LDL-C and inflammatory factors in serum of mice in high-fat group and high-fat + methionine group were significantly increased (P < 0.01), while the level of HDL-C was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). The red stained area of aorta was significantly increased (P < 0.01), the endometrium was thickened and showed obvious pathological changes, lipid accumulation was increased (P < 0.01), and expressions of p50, p65 were increased (P < 0.01). The expressions of SREBP1 and SREBP2 in liver were increased (P < 0.01), and the lipid content was increased (P < 0.01). Compared with high-fat + methionine group, levels of Hcy, TC, TG, LDL-C and inflammatory factors in serum of mice in each treatment group were significantly reduced (P < 0.01), while the level of HDL-C was significantly increased (P < 0.05, 0.01). The red stained area of aorta was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), pathological changes were alleviated, lipid accumulation was reduced (P < 0.01), and the expressions of p50, p65 were reduced (P < 0.01). The expressions of SREBP1 and SREBP2 in liver were decreased (P < 0.01), and the lipid content was decreased (P < 0.01). Conclusion The water extract of C. pinnatifida leaves could improve the atherosclerosis of blood vessels in mice, and its mechanism may be closely related to the inhibition of inflammatory damage of vascular endothelium and liver lipid synthesis.