Animal medicine is one of the important sources of Chinese medicine for disease prevention and treatment. In recent years, its bioactive substances have been gradually discovered, especially the protein and peptide components, which are co-occurring substances in animal medicine, with good biological activities such as antibacterial, anticancer and antithrombotic. In this paper, it was selected animal sources such as toad, different families of earthworms and scorpion, which have been studied more frequently, and searched domestic and international databases to review the research data related to animal proteins and peptides from 1989 to the present, focusing on reviewing the composition, composition analysis and biological activities of the proteins and peptides of these animal sources, so as to provide a reference basis for further research and application of animal source proteins/peptides.

OBJECTIVE To prepare the powders and tablets of indomethacin solid dispersion by spray drying method with crospovidone as carrier. METHODS Modulated differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier transform infrared were used to investigate the physical state of the drug in carriers and to detect the possible interactions between the drug and carriers in the solid dispersions. RESULTS Indomethacin remained amorphous in the presence of crospovidone when the drug loading was below 20%, and the hydrogen bonds between the drug and carriers were formed in the solid dispersion. Accelerated stability tests demonstrated that the amorphous solid dispersions using crospovidone as carrier were stable when the drug loading was less than 20%. CONCLUSION The solid dispersion tablets prepared with crospovidone exhibited shorter disintegration time and faster dissolution rate compared with the tablets using povidone or copovidone.

OBJECTIVE To establish a UHPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous content determination of Adenosine, guanosine, succinic acid, trigonelline, gastrodin, parishin A, parishin B, parishin C, parishin E, atractylenolide Ⅱ, atractylenolide Ⅲ, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, narirutin, hesperidin, rutin, naringin, tangeretin, poricoic acid A, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, isoliquiritin apioside, cyclic AMP. METHODS The Shim-pack GIST C₁₈ (2.1 mm×100 mm, 2 μm) column was used, the mobile phase was acetonitrile -0.1% formic acid, gradient elution, flow rate 0.3 mL·min^-1; injection volume 1 μL. ESI ion source for positive and negative ion scanning analysis using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. RESULTS All of the analytes showed good linearity (r≥0.991) in the tested ranges. The precision, repeatability and stability of the method were good for the twenty five components. The average recoveries were 95.57%-104.98% with the RSDs of 0.55%-4.68%. CONCLUSION This method is strong exclusivity and high sensitivity, which can provide experimental basis for the quality control research of Banxiabaizhutianma Decoction.

OBJECTIVE To establish a molecular identification method for the adulteration of Zaocys dhumnades in Chinese patent medicine. METHODS Eleven kinds of Chinese patent medicines containing Zaocys dhumnades and 15 kinds of Zaocys dhumnades and their adulterants were collected. The total genomic DNA was extracted from all samples, and the comparison and analysis of Zaocys dhumnades and its adulterants were conducted based on 12S gene fragments. The universal primer sequence, the specific primer sequence and the primers and probes used for fluorescence quantification of Zaocys dhumnades were designed according to the difference points. Different PCR methods were used to amplify the DNA of Zaocys dhumnades contained in the medicinal materials of Zaocys dhumnades and Chinese patent medicines respectively. The reaction system was optimized and the tolerance and adaptability of the methods were investigated. RESULTS The specific PCR technique of Zaocys dhumnades was established. All the authentic Zaocys dhumnades had a clear band around 200 bp, and other adulterants had no band. Fluorescent quantitative PCR method was established for the identification of Chinese patent medicines with low DNA content. CONCLUSION The medicinal materials of Zaocys dhumnades can be effectively identified by PCR amplification with specific primers. Fluorescent quantitative PCR detection can effectively identify the authenticity of Zaocys dhumnades in Chinese traditional medicine.The method is specific, rapid and sensitive, which provides a reference for the identification of Zaocys dhumnades in Chinese patent medicine.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of polyphyllin Ⅱ (PPⅡ) on apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells and its mechanism. METHODS Osteosarcoma (OS) U2OS and HOS cell lines were selected as the research object. CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of PPⅡ on cell viability. Colony forming assay was used to detect the effect of PPⅡ on colony formation ability. EdU incorporation assay was used to detect the effect of PPⅡ on DNA synthesis. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining assay was used to detect the effect of PPⅡ on cell apoptosis. JC-1 assay was used to determine the effect of PPⅡ on the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). The protein expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (Caspase 3), Caspase 7, Caspase 9, cleaved cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (cleaved Caspase 3), cleaved Caspase 7, cleaved Caspase 9, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (cleaved PARP), protein kinase R like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), p-PERK, and p-eIF2α were analyzed by Western blot. RESULTS PPⅡ significantly inhibited the viability of OS cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, dose-dependently inhibited the colony formation and DNA synthesis, significantly promoted apoptosis rate, decreased MMP (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and increased Bax/Bcl-2 protein ratio and the protein expression levels of cleaved Caspase 3, cleaved Caspase 7, cleaved Caspase 9, cleaved PARP, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, ATF4, CHOP (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION PPⅡ promotes OS cell apoptosis by regulating mitochondrial pathway and mediating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impurity profile of tacrolimus ointment and lay a foundation for the establishment of generic drug quality standard. METHODS HPLC-HRMS/MS was adopted to analyze the impurities in destroyed tacrolimus ointment. According to the primary and secondary mass spectrometry data combined with the mass spectrometry fragmentation patterns of impurities, the source and molecular structures of the impurities were speculated. RESULTS Tacrolimus ointment totally produced 10 impurities after destructive test, wherein contained three groups of isomers. CONCLUSION The analysis method of impurity profile established in this study provides a reference basis for the quality control and process optimization of tacrolimus ointment.

OBJECTIVE To establish a method for the determination of related substances in gefitinib and gefitinib tablets, evaluate the quality evaluation of products from different manufacturing enterprise and reserve methods for the new version of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. METHODS HPLC experiment was performed on a column of CAPCELL PAK C₁₈ MGⅡ (4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm) with the mobile phase of 1% ammonium acetate solution (adjust pH to 6.20±0.05 with glacial acetic acid) (A)-acetonitrile (B) with gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 mL·min^-1, the column temperature was maintained at 30 ℃, and the detection wavelength was set at 247 nm. The injection volume was 20 μL. RESULTS Gefitinib and 17 impurities showed good linear relationships with the peak area in the range between the LOQs and 0.2% of the principal component (r>0.999 0). The recoveries are between 89.4% and 108.6%. The LOQs are between 0.5 ng and 4.6 ng (equivalent to 0.002% to 0.02% of the principal component), and the LODs are between 0.1 ng and 1.0 ng (equivalent to 0.001% to 0.005% of the principal component). The results showed that the main impurity detected in gefitinib raw material was impurity B, while the main impurities detected in gefitinib tablets were impurity B and impurity Ⅴ. CONCLUSION This method is efficient, sensitive, accurate, and has good durability. It can be used for the quality control of impurities in gefitinib and gefitinib tablets. And it provides a reliable method for updating national pharmacopoeia standards.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of tea polyphenols (TP) on aspirin-induced injury of human gastric epithelial cells GES-1 and its molecular mechanism. METHODS GES-1 cells were treated with aspirin (19.27 mmol·L^-1) and different concentrations of tea polyphenols (50, 100, 200 μmol·L^-1) for 24 h. GES-1 cells were randomly divided into control group, aspirin group(19.27 mmol·L^-1), aspirin 19.27 mmol·L^-1+TP 50 μmol·L^-1 group, aspirin 19.27 mmol·L^-1+TP 100 μmol·L^-1 group, aspirin 19.27 mmol·L^-1+TP 200 μmol·L^-1 group. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) was used to detect the survival rate of GES-1 cells. Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were used to detect apoptosis of GES-1 cells. Dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) fluorescent probe was used to detect the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) of GES-1 cells. Corresponding kits were used to detect the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) of GES-1 cells. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of B-lymphocytoma-2 (Bcl-2), B-lymphocytoma-2-associated X protein (Bax), nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme monooxygenase 1 (HO-1) of GES-1 cells. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the apoptosis rate, apoptosis index, ROS, MDA levels, nuclear Nrf2/ cytoplasmic Nrf2 ratio, Bax, and HO-1 protein expression levels of GES-1 cells in 19.27 mmol·L^-1 aspirin group were significantly increased, while the cell survival rate, Bcl-2 protein expression level, SOD and CAT levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with 19.27 mmol·L^-1 aspirin group, the apoptosis rate, apoptosis index, ROS, MDA levels and Bax protein expression levels in aspirin 19.27 mmol·L^-1+TP (50, 100, 200 μmol·L^-1)groups were significantly decreased, while the cell survival rate, nuclear Nrf2/cytoplasmic Nrf2 ratio, Bcl-2, Nrf2, HO-1 protein expression levels, SOD and CAT levels were significantly increased (P<0.05).CONCLUSION Tea polyphenols can alleviate aspirin-induced GES-1 cell damage, and the mechanism may be related to the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway and the inhibition of mitochondrial pathway mediated apoptosis.