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  • Yanan SONG, Yun WANG, Zhe JIA, Yanping LIU, Cun ZHANG
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(4): 428-438.

    OBJECTIVE To perform a metrology analysis and data mining on pertinent paper and patents related to Chinese processing equipment, aiming to investigate the research context, current status, emerging trends, and challenges in the field, along with future development prospects of such equipment. METHODS The papers and patents related to processing equipment published in China over the years, which were included in the CNKI database, were retrieved. Excel, CiteSpace, and SPSS Modeler software were used to conduct descriptive,clustering, and association rule analysis on the processing equipment papers and patents. The results were combined to further summarize and analyze the current research status,emerging trends, and future development prospects of processing equipment. RESULTS In the end, a total of 68 Chinese paper and 614 Chinese patents were screened. In recent years, the publication volume of both Chinese paper and patents has exhibited a fluctuating upward trend. The analysis of keywords in Chinese paper shows that the research on processing equipment mainly focuses on processing technology, interdisciplinary research, and intelligent processing equipment. Intelligent research is currently and will be a hotspot in the future. According to the type of processing equipment, Chinese patents mainly involve drying, purification, and cutting. The change of mechanical movement form and the superposition of multi-mechanical movement form are the main innovation ways of the current processing equipment. There is some processing equipment with characteristic processing or multi-processing method. There is a lack of on-line monitoring equipment. CONCLUSION The annual publication volume of Chinese paper on processing equipment shows an increasing trend. It is predicted that the future research trends will mainly focus on the intelligentization of processing equipment, which will be initially reflected in the improvement of online monitoring technology. Promoting academic exchanges and scientific research cooperation between various teams and institutions will help promote further development in this field.

  • Jianfa WU, Ying CUI, Weixing DING, Rui DONG, Leiling SHI, Jing ZHANG, Lulu WANG
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 223-233.

    OBJECTIVE To study the chemical constituents of different polar parts of Allii macrostemonis Bulbus. METHODS The chemical constituents in Allii macrostemonis Bulbus were isolated and purified by extraction, silica gel column chromatography, reversed-phase silica (ODS) column chromatography, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The compounds were structurally characterized by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR). Meanwhile, the antioxidant activity of each of the compound was determined in vitro using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH·) and the 2,2'-amino-bis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline sulfonate-6) ammonium salt radical (ABTS·) scavenging method. RESULTS Twenty-four compounds were isolated from Allii macrostemonis Bulbus. Two compounds were isolated from the petroleum ether fraction and identified as oleic acid (1) and dodecanoic acid (2). Five compounds were isolated from the dichloromethane fraction and identified as kaempferol (3), isorhamnetin (4), oleanolic acid (5), sarsasapogenin (6), and tigogenin (7). Sixteen compounds were isolated from the n-butanol fraction and identified as (+)-catechin (8), quercetin (9), harpagide (10), magnoflorine (11), synephrine (12), gallic acid (13), syringin (14), thymidine (15), guanosine (16), β-sitosterol (17), stigmasterol (18), daucosterol (19), dibutyl phthalate (20), L-tryptophan (21), respectively, 7,7'-bis-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-8,8'-dihydroxymethyl-tetrahydrofuran-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (22), and polianthoside B (23). One compound, betaine (24), was isolated from the aqueous fraction. The in vitro antioxidant results showed that compound 9 had the strongest scavenging ability for DPPH· and ABTS·, with IC50 values of (0.32±0.11) mg·mL-1 and (0.03±0.02) mg·mL-1, respectively. CONCLUSION Compounds 2-5, 8-12, 20 and 22-24 are isolated from this plant for the first time, with compounds 22 and 23 being isolated for the first time from Liliaceae family.

  • Ruyue DONG, Xiaolu HAN, Zengming WANG, Kun WAN, Xiaoxuan HONG, Hui ZHANG, Nan LIU, Mingyuan LI, Aiping ZHENG
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 214-222.

    With the rapid development of science and technology, the application of 3D printing technology in personalized drug manufacturing is becoming increasingly mature, providing innovative solutions for patients and the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the integration of the 3D printing process, there are more adjustable parameters, and the printing process needs to be analyzed and monitored so as to optimize the printing process and reduce the risk thus to ensure the quality of the product. Process analytical technology (PAT) can ensure the consistency between product quality and intended use through systematic control measures, solving the limitations, contingencies and lags associated with pharmaceutical batch sampling, so the pharmaceutical industry has begun to introduce PAT technology to co-manage the production process. Based on the above background, this paper aims to integrate current research findings, dentify the challenges and opportunities associated with the application of PAT, and provide references for industry practices and future research. This paper briefly introduces PAT-related regulations, model building methods, lists commonly used PAT tools, and summarizes the application of PAT in the process of drug 3D printing. Combined with the advantages of PAT and the current status of domestic and international applications, we also evaluates the current regulatory environment and analyzes the current challenges faced by 3D printed drugs and PAT.

  • Chong WANG, Juntian XU, Zuxuan WANG, Juan HOU, Xiaodong HUA
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 302-307.

    OBJECTIVE To establish a method for the quantitative detection of bacterial endotoxin in glutamic acid and verify its feasibility. METHODS Verification test of the reliability of bacterial endotoxin standard curve, interference test of calcium ion buffer and sodium ammonium hydrogen phosphate used in pre-treatment, and interference test of test product and additional endotoxin recovery test were carried out in sequence by using limulus reagents from two manufacturers according to the standard of kinetic chromogenic assay in bacterial endotoxin inspection method (General Chapter 1143 in Chinese Pharmacopoeia2020 Edition). A method for the detection of bacterial endotoxin in glutamic acid was successfully established, and three batches of samples were quantitatively detected by this method. RESULTS Glutamic acid was dissolved with sodium ammonium hydrogen phosphate together to the concentration of 20 mg·mL-1, then diluted by calcium ion buffer to the concentration of 5 mg·mL-1, which had no interference effects on bacterial endotoxin test. The contents of endotoxin in three batches of samples were all lower than the limit of 12 EU·g-1, the RSD values were all lower than 10%, and the endotoxin recovery rates were in the range of 50% to 200%, which met the requirements. CONCLUSION The bacterial endotoxin test method established in this study can be used to detect the bacterial endotoxin in glutamic acid and control its quality.

  • Yongqi GAN, Cheng LIU, Bin ZHU, Lanyan FAN, Jun NONG, Jie HUANG, Wenchao LING, Manman LU
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 244-249.

    OBJECTIVE To indentify and analyze Bacillus species and their characteristics contaminating traditional Chinese medicine. METHODS Screening for a reaction system more suitable for gyrB gene amplification conditions and sequencing Bacillus species in contaminated traditional Chinese medicine preparations, medicinal herbal, herbal pieces and extracts. Analyzing the types and homogeneity of contaminating bacteria through comparing gene sequences and constructing a phylogenetic tree. RESULTS The results indicate that the prevalence of Bacillus subtilis as the most common contaminating bacterium across various sample types, followed by Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Additionally, pathogenic bacterium Bacillus cereus was also detected in this analysis. The gyrB gene demonstrates good discriminatory power for various Bacillus species and subspecies, effectively distinguishing same contaminating strains relationships among diverse production enterprises, showing relevance of sources. CONCLUSION To ensure the quality and safety of traditional Chinese medicine products, production enterprises must enhance control measures at the source during the production process and select appropriate sterilization processes tailored to the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine varieties.

  • Fang YANG, Yisa HU
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 250-256.

    OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of saikosaponin A (SA) on inflammatory injury in rats with reflux esophagitis (RE) by regulating the interleukin (IL)-6/tyrosine kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into RE group, normal group, SA low-dose group (gavage of 12.5 mg·kg-1 SA), SA high-dose group (gavage of 50 mg·kg-1 SA), omeprazole group (gavage of 2 mg·kg-1 omeprazole), SA high-dose+IL-6 activator recombinant rat IL-6 protein (rRIL-6) group (gavage of 50 mg·kg-1 SA+intraperitoneal injection of 0.05 mg·kg-1 rRIL-6), with 12 rats in each group. Except for the normal group, rats in all other groups were required to undergo RE model construction through fore-stomach ligation combined with partial ligation of the external pylorus. After successful modeling, the drug was administered once a day for 2 weeks. The damage rate of esophageal mucosa was detected. Hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE) was applied to detect pathological changes in esophageal tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to detect levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and IL-8 in esophageal tissue. Terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was applied to detect cell apoptosis in esophageal tissue. Immunohistochemical staining was applied to detect the expression of claudin-5 in esophageal tissue. Western blot was applied to detect IL-6, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 proteins in esophageal tissue. RESULTS Compared with the normal group, the esophageal tissue compactness of rats in the RE group decreased, and there was a large amount of inflammatory cell infiltration, the incidence of esophageal mucosal injury, levels of TNF-α, COX-2, IL-8 in esophageal tissue, apoptosis rate, and the expression of IL-6, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 proteins increased, while the average optical density of claudin-5 in esophageal tissue decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the RE group, the pathological damage to the esophageal tissue of rats in the SA low-dose group, SA high-dose group, and omeprazole group was reduced, the incidence of esophageal mucosal injury, levels of TNF-α, COX-2, IL-8 in esophageal tissue, apoptosis rate, and the expression of IL-6, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 proteins decreased, while the average optical density of claudin-5 in esophageal tissue increased (P<0.05). Compared with the SA high-dose group, the SA high-dose+rRIL-6 group had severe pathological damage to the esophageal tissue, the incidence of esophageal mucosal injury, levels of TNF-α, COX-2, IL-8 in esophageal tissue, apoptosis rate, and the expression of IL-6, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 proteins increased, while the average optical density of claudin-5 in esophageal tissue decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION SA may improve inflammatory injury in RE rats by inhibiting the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

  • Wei ZHENG, Ping GONG, Ziwei ZHANG, Wanmei ZHOU, Ning CHEN
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 272-283.

    OBJECTIVE To develop a novel gastric retention drug delivery system incorporating curcumin(Cur), based on the shape memory polypropylene carbonate-polyethylene glycol (PPC-PEG), with the objective of enhancing the in vivo bioavailability of Cur. METHODS The curcumin-cyclodextrin inclusion complex (Cur_β-CD) was prepared and loaded onto the shape memory polypropylene carbonate-polyethylene glycol composite film (PPC-PEG) to create the expanded gastric retention drug delivery system (Cur_β-CD_PPC-PEG); multiple characterization, proliferation inhibition analysis of human gastric cancer cells (SGC-7901) in vitro, and pharmacokinetics analysis in rats were then performed. RESULTS After cyclodextrin inclusion, the water solubility of Cur_β-CD was 35.85 times higher than that of Cur. The deformation recovery rate of the composite film PPC-PEG(7.5∶2.5) is 88.6% at 37 ℃. The Cur was physically incorporated into the composite film of Cur_β-CD_PPC-PEG, and the loaded Cur exhibited excellent thermal stability. The loaded Cur has a certain effect on the shape memory performance of PPC-PEG; however, it still satisfies the requirement for deformation recovery rate as a deformable gastric retention formulation. The in vitro cumulative release rate of Cur_β-CD_PPC-PEG over a 48-hour period was determined to be 71.42%. The Cur_β-CD_PPC-PEG exhibits significant efficacy in vitro against the proliferation of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells, with a remarkable inhibitory rate of 86.64% observed after 48 h of treatment. The pharmacokinetic results showed that the area under the curve (AUC0-24) and the retention time in vivo (MRT0-24) of Cur_β-CD_PPC-PEG were 9.73 times and 2.95 times higher than those of Cur. CONCLUSION In this study, a novel shape memory gastric retention drug delivery system of Cur_β-CD_PPC-PEG is successfully prepared. The system exhibits a favorable drug controlled release effect within 48 h, characterized by rapid onset, prolonged duration of efficacy, and high bioavailability.

  • Yingjie XU, Hongyun HUANG, Yang WANG, Chunhua LIU, Lin ZHENG, Jia SUN, Yongjun LI
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 290-301.

    OBJECTIVE To study the chemical composition of Gukang Capsules by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitwell high resolution mass spectrometry(UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS/MS).METHODS The analysis of 70%methanol extract of the drug was performed on a 45 ℃ thermostatic Hypersil GOLD C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.9 μm)with mobile phase consisting of 0.1%formic acid solution-acetonitrile gradiently eluted at 0.3 mL·min-1,and the injection volume was 1 μL.The information of the chemical constituents of Gukang Capsules was acquired in positive and negative ion modes by electrospray ion source,and the chemical composition was analyzed and identified by software combined with control comparison,database matching,literature reports and mass spectrometry rules. RESULTS A total of 137 compounds were identified from Gukang Capsules,mainly including flavonoids,saponins,organic acids and coumarins,etc.,among which 27 compounds were identified by comparison with reference substances and their origins of medicinal materials were determined.CONCLUSION In this study,the main chemical composition of Gukang Capsules was identified by this rapid and efficient analytic method,which laid a foundation for further research on pharmacodynamic substance base and quality control.

  • Lüdong GONG, Chengzhi ZHONG, Ting LI, Panpan TANG, Hong YAN, Zhida ZI, Yan GUO, Desong WU, Liping FENG
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 257-265.

    OBJECTIVE To explore the supercritical CO2 extraction process of Curcuma longa L. and its effects on alleviating alcohol intoxication and protecting the liver. METHODS The extraction yield, curcumin, and α-turmerone contents were used as evaluation indicator. Single-factor experiments and orthogonal experimental designs were employed to optimize process parameters such as the amount of co-solvent, extraction pressure, extraction temperature, extraction time, separation vessel pressure, and temperature. The alcohol alleviating effects, pathways, and liver protection of Curcuma longa L. Supercritical CO2 extract were evaluated using mouse alcohol intoxication models, rat alcohol intoxication models, and mouse subacute alcohol-induced liver injury models. The results indicated that the optimal process for Curcuma longa L. RESULTS Supercritical CO2 extraction included: an extraction pressure of 30 MPa, extraction temperature of 55 ℃, using ethanol as a co-solvent at a weight equal to that of the medicinal material, an extraction time of 2 hours, maintaining consistent pressure in the separation vessel and storage tank, a separation vessel temperature of 40 ℃, and ethanol recovery through depressurization at 50 ℃. Furthermore, the supercritical extract significantly reduced the sleep time of mice after alcohol intoxication and improved their wake-up experiment (P<0.01), increased the ADH level in rats (P<0.01), and reduced the levels of TC, LDL-C, and TBIL in the serum of mice in the subacute liver injury model (P<0.01). CONCLUSION The preparation process developed in this study has a high extraction rate, is stable and feasible, and the supercritical CO2 extract produced exhibited good alcohol alleviating effects and reduces subacute alcohol-induced liver injury.

  • Jiwei LU, Yiling FAN, Zhukang CHEN, Guangzhi GU, Songqing GU, Meicheng YANG, Xiaoming GAO, Xinhua XIANG
    Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025, 60(3): 308-312.

    OBJECTIVE To analyze the results of three NMPA's Microbial Proficiency Testing Programs, NIFDC-PT-288, NIFDC-PT-340, and NIFDC-PT-446, to evaluate the microbiological testing abilities of laboratories nationwide in drug detection, thus the regulatory agencies can learn the microbiological proficiency status of drug inspection laboratories and the laboratories can improve the microbiological detection ability. METHODS The results of the three proficiency testing programs were analyzed regarding the satisfaction rate, identified problems, and key technical points, and the laboratory types, number of laboratories and capability of the laboratories participating the three proficiency testing projects were analyzed. RESULTS The result satisfaction rates of provincial food and drug inspection institutions were 95.7% (NIFDC-PT-288), 86.4% (NIFDC-PT-340) and 100.0% (NIFDC-PT-446), while the satisfaction rates of municipal food and drug control institutions were 95.5% (NIFDC-PT-288), 83.9% (NIFDC-PT-340) and 92.5% (NIFDC-PT-446), respectively. The satisfaction rates of enterprise laboratory were 86.7% (NIFDC-PT-288), 65.7% (NIFDC-PT-340) and 80.2% (NIFDC-PT-446), respectively. The satisfaction rates of other types of laboratories were 100.0% (NIFDC-PT-288), 61.5% (NIFDC-PT-340) and 86.7% (NIFDC-PT-446), respectively. CONCLUSION The successful implementation of the three microbiological proficiency testing programs has provided the laboratories with effective external quality control means, and it also provides the first-hand reference for regulatory authorities on the microbiological testing capability of nationwide drug laboratories. The qualitative microorganism testing ability of drug laboratories is basically good, while the quantitative microorganism testing ability needs to be improved.