Objective To study the blood-entry active components and molecular mechanisms of Ferula sinkiangensis leaf aqueous extract (FSLAE) against alcoholic gastritis (AG), so as to provide a scientific basis for its medicinal development and the utilization of characteristic medicinal plant resources in Xinjiang. Methods Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used to characterize the in vitro chemical constituents of FSLAE and the blood-entry constituents of rats. The intersecting targets between blood-entry components of FSLAE and AG were screened by network pharmacology. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were applied to predict the core pathways, and molecular docking was performed to verify the binding activity of core components to key targets. The AG rat model was induced by 70% ethanol, control group, model group, FSLAE high-, medium-, low dose (150, 100, 50 mg/kg) groups and magnesium aluminum carbonate (31.5 mg/kg) group were set up, with 10 rats in each group, drugs were continuously given for 7 d. Pathological changes of gastric mucosa were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and IL-6 in serum were detected by ELISA. Hepatic and pancreatic function as well as nutrition-related indicators were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The expression of proteins related to the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway in gastric tissue was determined by Western blotting. Results A total of 191 in vitro chemical constituents were identified from FSLAE, among which 23 constituents were confirmed as blood-entry components, mainly including phenolic acids, coumarins, fatty acids, etc. The core active components were ferulic acid, isoferulic acid and 4-methylumbelliferone. Network pharmacology identified 148 intersecting targets between FSLAE and AG, which were significantly enriched in inflammation-related pathways such as TNF and JAK/STAT pathways, with STAT3, JAK2 and TNF as the core targets. Molecular docking verified that the binding energies of core components to core targets were all less than &8722;6 kcal/mol, indicating favorable binding activity. In vivo experiments results showed that FSLAE dose-dependently ameliorated gastric mucosal pathological injury and alleviated the lag in body weight gain in AG rats. FSLAE significantly downregulated levels of pro-inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-6) and abnormal hepatic and pancreatic function markers including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), amylase (AMY) and total bilirubin (TB) in serum (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001), upregulated levels of nutrition-related indicators such as albumin (ALB) and total protein (TP) (P < 0.05, 0.01), inhibited the phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3 in gastric tissue (P < 0.01, 0.001). Conclusion FSLAE exerts a gastroprotective effect against AG by inhibiting the excessive activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and alleviating inflammatory responses via its blood-entry active components. Phenolic acids and coumarins serve as the core pharmacodynamic material basis.

Objective To study the protective effect and mechanism of Paeonia lactiflora polysaccharides on liver fibrosis with liver yin deficiency syndrome in rats based on mitochondrial dynamics. Methods Male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, silybin (42 mg/kg) group, Zhibai Dihuang Wan (知柏地黄丸, 408 mg/kg) group and P. lactiflora polysaccharide low-, high-dose (169, 338 mg/kg) groups, with eight rats in each group. Drugs were continuously intervented for six weeks, starting from the second week of administration, except for the control group, all other rats were treated with an ip 20% carbon tetrachloride olive oil solution combined with ig thyroid tablets (30 mg/kg) to establish a liver fibrosis with liver yin deficiency syndrome model. Sign score, body weight, food intake, water intake, tongue surface moisture level and rectal temperature of rats were detected. Levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in serum were measured using ELISA, and ratio was calculated. Activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and levels of total bilirubin (TBIL), total bile acids (TBA) in serum were measured using colorimetric assays. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes and degree of liver fibrosis. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe mitochondrial ultrastructure in liver. Immunofluorescence was used to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in liver. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level was measured to using a kit. Western blotting was used to detect fibronectin 1 (FN1), collagen I (COL-I), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), p-ERK, p38, p-p38, fission 1 (Fis1), dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), p- Drp1, optic atrophy 1 (Opa1) and mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) protein expression levels in liver of rats. Results Compared with model group, the body weight, fecal consistency score and tongue surface moisture of rats in P. lactiflora polysaccharides group were significantly increased (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001), while mental state, coat luster, urine score, overall physical condition score, rectal temperature, food and water intake were significantly decreased (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001), cAMP level was decreased and cGMP level in serum was increased (P < 0.001), and cAMP/cGMP value was significantly reduced (P < 0.001), liver function related indicators were significantly reduced (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001), liver tissue pathological damage was improved, the collagen fiber area was significantly reduced (P < 0.001), and the expression levels of liver fibrosis proteins α-SMA, COL-I and FN1 were significantly decreased (P < 0.01, 0.001), the morphology and structure of mitochondria in liver were improved, ROS level in liver was decreased and ATP level was increased (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001), expression levels of p-ERK/ERK, p-p38/p38, Fis1 and p-Drp1/Drp1 proteins were significantly reduced (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001), while the expression levels of Opa1 and Mfn2 proteins were significantly increased (P < 0.01, 0.001). Conclusion P. lactiflora polysaccharides have a protective effect on liver fibrosis in rats with liver yin deficiency syndrome, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of ERK/p38 MAPK pathway to regulate mitochondrial dynamic homeostasis.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Zhizhu Kuanzhong Capsule (枳术宽中胶囊, ZZKZ) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) and associated depressive-like behaviors. Methods The main components in ZZKZ were analyzed using UPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap-MS. UC model was established by freely drinking 3.5% DSS solution in mice, and drug intervention was given for 7 d. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS) staining were used to evaluate the pathological damage and mucus secretion of colon tissue. Depressive like behavior was evaluated using open field experiments and sugar water preference experiments. 16S rRNA sequencing and serum untargeted metabolomics were used to analyze changes in gut microbiota and serum metabolites. Network pharmacology was used to predict targets and pathways, which were validated through molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, qRT-PCR and Western blotting experiments. Results Compared with model group, ZZKZ significantly reduced colon shortening in UC mice (P < 0.05, 0.01), decreased disease activity index (DAI) score (P < 0.01), increased total distance, average exercise speed in open field experiments and sugar preference index (P < 0.05, 0.01), reduced the expressions of inflammatory factors in colon and brain tissues (P < 0.05, 0.01), and alleviated intestinal tissue pathological damage and hippocampal neuron damage (P < 0.01). 16S rRNA sequencing results showed that ZZKZ could reduce the abundance of harmful bacteria, increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria, and reverse the imbalance of gut microbiota. The results of serum non-targeted metabolomics analysis showed that ZZKZ could regulate metabolic pathways, reverse lipid, tryptophan and bile acid metabolism disorders. Network pharmacology analysis predicted that Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was related pathway, ursolic acid, atractylenolide I, hesperetin and isorhamnetin in ZZKZ showed significant binding affinity with their target proteins, which may be the main active ingredients for their therapeutic effects. Western blotting results showed that compared with model group, ZZKZ significantly upregulated the expressions of zonula occludin-1 (ZO-1), Occludin and Claudin-1 in colon of UC mice (P < 0.05, 0.01), and inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 (P < 0.05). Conclusion ZZKZ may alleviate UC and associated depressive like behavior by regulating gut microbiota, metabolic pathways and inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Lvjiao Buxue Granules (驴胶补血颗粒) in improving postpartum qi and blood deficiency model rats based on spleen transcriptomics. Methods Rats 24 h postpartum were subjected to continuous two weeks weight-bearing swimming combined with orbital bloodletting to establish a postpartum qi and blood deficiency model. After successful modeling, they were randomly divided into model group, Lvjiao Buxue Granules low-, medium-, high-dose (0.84, 1.68, 3.36 g/kg) groups and Danggui Buxue Pills (当归补血丸, 1.89 g/kg) group. Rats 24 h postpartum were also selected as the control group. After two weeks of drug intervention, the comprehensive evaluation of the improvement effect of Lvjiao Buxue Granules on postpartum qi and blood deficiency symptoms in model rats was conducted through qi deficiency score, blood deficiency score, blood routine index, immune organ index, immune inflammation index and other indicators. Through transcriptome analysis, the effects of Lvjiao Buxue Granules intervention on differentially expressed genes and related signaling pathways in spleen of rats were explored. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to verify the protein and gene expressions in key signaling pathways. Results Lvjiao Buxue Granules could significantly improve qi deficiency score, blood deficiency score and blood routine indicators of postpartum qi and blood deficiency model rats (P < 0.05, 0.01), reduce inflammation related indicators such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in serum (P < 0.05, 0.01), increase immune regulation related indicators such as immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG and IgM levels (P < 0.05, 0.01), and inhibit the expressions of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway related proteins and genes in spleen tissue (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001). Conclusion Lvjiao Buxue Granules can improve the symptoms of postpartum qi and blood deficiency in rats by inhibiting the phosphorylation of MAPK pathway, regulating the immune function of body and reducing the occurrence of inflammatory reactions.

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of icariin in improving knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in rats with kidney deficiency and blood stasis based on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Methods A total of 60 female SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, positive control [Xianling Gubao Capsules (仙灵骨葆胶囊, 270 mg/kg)] group and icariin low-, medium-, high-dose (40, 100, 200 mg/kg) groups, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the control group, the other groups were prepared with a combination of “ovariectomy method + hydrocortisone combined with adrenaline method + modified Hulth method” to establish a kidney deficiency and blood stasis KOA rat model. After successful modeling, each group was administered ig continuously for four weeks. The joint inflammation score and joint swelling degree of rats were measured at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after administration. After administration, the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-10 in serum were detected by ELISA. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe pathological changes in knee cartilage. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of TLR4, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB), p-IκB, NF-κB p65 and p-NF-κB p65 proteins in cartilage tissue. Results Compared with control group, the joint inflammation score and joint swelling degree of rats in model group were significantly increased (P < 0.001), the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α in serum were significantly increased (P < 0.001), and the level of IL-10 was significantly decreased (P < 0.001). The pathological damage of cartilage tissue was obvious, and the protein expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, p-IκB, p-NF-κB p65 in cartilage tissue were significantly increased (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001). Compared with model group, the positive control group and icariin medium-, high-dose groups showed varying degrees of improvement in the above indicators, while some indicators in icariin low-dose group showed an improvement trend. Conclusion Icariin could improve joint inflammation and cartilage damage in KOA rats with kidney deficiency and blood stasis, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and regulating the balance of inflammatory cytokine network.

Objective Given the complexity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula constituents and their unclear interactions, a deep learning-based molecular interaction prediction model is constructed taking the prediction of interactions among constituents as the entry point, providing methodological support for identifying potential constituent interactions and subsequent studies on formula compatibility mechanisms. Methods We propose a molecule-molecule interaction prediction model based on molecular 3D structural features and Extended Connectivity Fingerprints, designated as 3D structure and extended connectivity fingerprints molecule-molecule interaction (3DFPMMI). The model employs the SchNet network to extract deep features from the 3D graph structure of molecules while simultaneously acquiring Extended Connectivity Fingerprints, and achieves effective fusion of multi-source features through a contrastive learning strategy. The model is trained on the DrugBank drug-drug interaction dataset, and cross&8209;domain generalization is implemented to realize the prediction of interactions among TCM constituents. Results The 3DFPMMI model achieves an accuracy of 0.921 and an area under the precision-recall curve of 0.972 on the DrugBank dataset, both outperforming other benchmark models. Ablation studies confirm that molecular 3D structural features, extended connectivity fingerprint features, and the contrastive learning-based feature fusion strategy are all core effective modules for improving model performance. When applied to predict component interactions in the classic TCM formulas Buyang Huanwu Decoction and Banxia Xiexin Decoction, some of the prediction results are highly consistent with the conclusions from existing experimental studies. Conclusion This study establishes a novel method for predicting interactions among TCM ingredients and preliminarily validates its application potential. This work offers new technical tools and methodological references for interpreting the compatibility mechanisms of TCM formulas at the molecular level.

Objective To address the challenges of difficult detection of tiny tangential defects, strong background noise interference, and the difficulties in deploying general detection models on low-computing-power edge devices in pharmaceutical capsule production lines, an improved lightweight object detection algorithm is proposed. Methods Using YOLOv8n as the baseline architecture, targeted optimizations are performed through a three-pronged strategy. A coordinate attention (CA) mechanism is embedded in the backbone network to enhance the model’s spatial perception capability for tiny tangential defects and edge micro-defects of capsules. A C2f_GhostConv module is designed to reconstruct the neck network, utilizing Ghost convolution (“primary convolution + cheap operations”) to enhance fine-grained feature representation. Depthwise separable convolution (DWConv) is comprehensively adopted to replace the standard convolution in the backbone, decoupling spatial convolution and channel fusion into two independent steps, thereby achieving deep compression of parameter count and computational load. Results On an industrial dataset containing 1 204 images of various capsule defects, DWG-CA-YOLOv8 achieves a mean Average Precision (mAP@0.5) of 90.5%, demonstrating high-precision localization and accurate classification for six defect types and normal capsules, meeting the reliability required for industrial real-time detection. The model’s parameter count is reduced to 2.10 M, and the floating-point operations (FLOPs) to 5.9 G, representing reductions of 30.2% and 28.1%, respectively, significantly improving lightweight performance. Conclusion This study successfully achieves synergistic optimization of detection accuracy and model complexity, providing a scalable and low-cost lightweight solution for real-time online quality control of pharmaceutical production lines.

Objective To analyze the research status, thematic structure and evolutionary trends of Chinese and English literature on Huangqi (Astragali Radix) using natural language processing and deep-learning-based semantic modeling, and to provide references for hotspot identification and knowledge structure mapping. Methods Literature related to Astragali Radix was retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data and VIP databases, with the retrieval fields limited to titles and keywords. After deduplication using NoteExpress and manual screening, titles, keywords and abstracts were combined to construct the analytical corpus. Natural language processing approaches including text cleaning, terminology normalization and semantic embedding were performed, and PubMedBERT combined with BERTopic was used for topic identification, visualization and subtopic analysis of Topic 0. Results A total of 12 159 Chinese publications and 1 536 English publications were included. The publication output of Chinese publications increased markedly after 2015, while English publications showed a continuous upward trend. Topic modeling identified 19 major topics in Chinese literature, mainly involving immunomodulation, diabetic nephropathy, quality control of astragaloside IV, peripheral neuropathy, tumor immunoregulation and phosphatidylinositol-3-hydroxykinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt)-related network pharmacology. In English literature, 20 major topics were identified, mainly involving formula-related mechanisms, quality analysis of Astragali Radix, network pharmacology and cancer, chemical constituents, fibrosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, diabetes and gut microbiota. Subtopic analysis of Topic 0 suggested that the Chinese core topic showed an intertwined pattern of “components-preparations-formulas-diseases-mechanisms”, whereas the English core topic was more mechanism- and model-oriented. Conclusion Both Chinese and English Astragali Radix literature showed continuous growth and thematic diversification. Chinese studies focused more on clinical application, compound formulas, diabetic nephropathy and quality control, whereas English studies emphasized molecular mechanisms, network pharmacology, natural product chemistry and modern pharmacological validation. Natural language processing and deep-learning-based topic modeling can effectively reveal the knowledge structure and evolutionary trajectory of Astragali Radix research, providing references for subsequent research topic selection and evidence integration.

Objective Through bibliometric analysis, the relevant literature on the prevention and treatment of cognitive dysfunction in diabetes with traditional Chinese medicine from January 2001to December 2025 was analyzed, and the research status, development context, cutting-edge trends and future directions in this field were systematically revealed. Methods By searching the relevant literature in the databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed in the past 20 years, the NoteExpress software was used to deduplicate and sort them, and CiteSpace and VOSviewer softwares were used to conduct visual analysis on the publication trends, authors, institutions, countries, keywords, etc. Results A total of 312 Chinese literature and 183 English literature were included. The number of published literature in Chinese is higher than that in English, occupying a dominant position. China and the United States ranked among the leading countries in terms of publication volume. The research teams centered on Zhan Libin have establish in both the Chinese and English literature, however, collaboration across teams and institutions remained insufficient. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were the core institutions contributing to the Chinese literature, while Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was the major contributor to the English literature. Overall, the research institutions were primarily concentrated among Chinese universities of traditional Chinese medicine and their affiliated hospitals. The “apoptosis” exhibited the highest burst strength in the Chinese literature, whereas “traditional Chinese medicine” exhibited the highest burst strength in the English literature. “Gut microbiota” was a sustained burst keyword in both the Chinese and English literature. Meanwhile, the “microbiota-gut-brain axis” and multi-omics integration have emerged as promising research frontiers in this field. Conclusion Research on traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of diabetic cognitive dysfunction is currently at a critical stage of transition from phenomenological description to mechanistic elucidation, from single-pathway investigation to network-based regulation, and from basic research to clinical translation. Future research should focus on five key areas: target validation, multi-omics integration, peripheral-central interactions, metabolic reprogramming, and clinical translation, with the aim of addressing major challenges related to target validation, quality control, model relevance, blood-brain barrier assessment, and clinical trials, thereby advancing the modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of diabetic cognitive dysfunction.

Objective Based on the whole-genome data of Lycium ruthenicum, this study aimed to systematically identify members of the LrMATE gene family, characterize their structural features, evolutionary relationships, and expression patterns during different fruit coloration stages, and screen candidate genes potentially involved in anthocyanin transport and accumulation. Methods Members of the LrMATE gene family were identified using hidden Markov model (HMM) searches and sequence alignment with known MATE proteins. Bioinformatics approaches were then used to analyze their physicochemical properties, chromosomal location, phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, cis-acting regulatory elements, and syntenic relationships. Combined with transcriptome data from different fruit developmental stages and changes in anthocyanin content, candidate genes related to anthocyanin accumulation were screened through correlation analysis between gene expression levels and anthocyanin content, as well as weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Results A total of 53 LrMATE genes were identified in the L. ruthenicum genome and were unevenly distributed across 12 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into five subfamilies, among which subfamily II contained the largest number of members, with 19 genes. Some members of this subfamily clustered closely with previously reported MATE proteins involved in the transport of plant secondary metabolites. Based on the expression patterns of LrMATE genes during different fruit developmental stages, changes in anthocyanin content, and co-expression analysis, LrMATE12, LrMATE15, LrMATE23, LrMATE26, LrMATE27, LrMATE37, and LrMATE38 were predicted to be involved in anthocyanin transport and accumulation during fruit coloration in L. ruthenicum. Conclusion This study systematically characterized the LrMATE gene family in L. ruthenicum and identified seven candidate genes potentially associated with anthocyanin transport and accumulation. These findings provide important candidate gene resources for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms through which LrMATE genes mediate anthocyanin accumulation in L. ruthenicum, and offer a theoretical basis for the development of anthocyanin-related medicinal active components, fruit quality improvement, and the breeding of high-anthocyanin germplasm resources.