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As one of the five major engineering plastics, polyamide brings many benefits to humans in the fields of transportation, clothing, entertainment, health, and more. However, as the production of polyamide increases year by year, the pollution problems it causes are becoming increasingly severe. This article reviews the current recycling and treatment processes of polyamide, such as chemical, mechanical, and energy recovery, and degradation methods such as thermal oxidation, photooxidation, enzyme degradation, etc. Starting from the synthesis mechanism of polyamide, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different treatment methods of polyamide to obtain more environmentally friendly and economical treatment schemes. Finding enzymes that can degrade high-molecular-weight polyamides, exploring the recovery of polyamides under mild conditions, synthesizing environmentally degradable polyamides through copolymerization or molecular design, and finally preparing degradable bio-based polyamides may be the destination of polyamide.

Anthraquinones are bioactive natural products, which are often found in medicinal herbs. These compounds exert antioxidant-related pharmacological actions including neuroprotective effects, anti-inflammation, anticancer, hepatoprotective effects and anti-aging, etc. Considering the benefits from their pharmacological use, recently, there was an upsurge in the development and utilization of anthraquinones as reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulators. In this review, a deep discussion was carried out on their antioxidant activities and the structure-activity relationships. The antioxidant mechanisms and the chemistry behind the antioxidant activities of both natural and synthesized compounds were furtherly explored and demonstrated. Due to the specific chemical activity of ROS, antioxidants are essential for human health. Therefore, the development of reagents that regulate the imbalance between ROS formation and elimination should be more extensive and rational, and the exploration of antioxidant mechanisms of anthraquinones may provide new therapeutic tools and ideas for various diseases mediated by ROS.

Rhodiola rosea L. (RRL) is a popular plant in traditional medicine, and Rosavin, a characteristic ingredient of RRL, is considered one of the most important active ingredients in it. In recent years, with deepening research on its pharmacological actions, the clinical application value and demand for Rosavin have been steadily increasing. Various routes for the extraction and all-chemical or biological synthesis of Rosavin have been gradually developed for the large-scale production and broad application of Rosavin. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that Rosavin has a variety of biological activities, including antioxidant, lipid-lowering, analgesic, antiradiation, antitumor and immunomodulation effects. Rosavin showed significant therapeutic effects on a range of chronic diseases, including neurological, digestive, respiratory and bone-related disorders during in vitro and vivo experiments, demonstrating the great potential of Rosavin as a therapeutic drug for diseases. This paper gives a comprehensive and insightful overview of Rosavin, focusing on its extraction and synthesis, pharmacological activities, progress in disease-treatment research and formulation studies, providing a reference for the production and preparation, further clinical research and applications of Rosavin in the future.

Tripeptide LSW, initially identified as a potent ACE inhibitory peptide from soybean protein, was recently reported to exert a protective effect against angiotensin II-induced endothelial dysfunction via extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, the molecular mechanisms, especially in lipid accumulation-induced atherosclerosis, still remain unclear. The study aimed to investigate whether the protective effects of LSW against endothelial dysfunction on vascular endothelial cells (VECs) was via vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs)-derived miRNA-145 packaged in EVs. The miRNA-145 was concentrated in EVs from LSW-treated VSMCs (LEVs), internalized into the HVUECs, and targeted the programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) expression of HUVECs. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) was applied to induce endothelial dysfunction in HUVECs; oxLDL-induced endothelial dysfunction in HUVECs was attenuated by PDCD4 knockout or LEVs incubation. The results of this study suggested a novel function of LSW as a regulator on the functional EVs from vascular cells in the oxLDL-induced atherosclerotic model.

Protosappanoside D (PTD) is a new component isolated from the extract of Caesalpinia decapetala for the first time. Its structure was identified as protosappanin B-3-O-β-D-glucoside by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 2D-NMR and MS techniques. To date, the pharmacological activities, metabolism or pharmacokinetics of PTD has not been reported. Therefore, this research to study the anti-inflammatory activity of PTD was investigated via the LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells model. At the same time, we also used the UHPLC/Q Exactive Plus MS and UPLC-MS/MS methods to study the metabolites and pharmacokinetics of PTD, to calculate its bioavailability for the first time. The results showed that PTD could downregulate secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the metabolic study, four metabolites were identified, and the primary degradative pathways in vivo involved the desaturation, oxidation, methylation, alkylation, dehydration, degradation and desugarization. In the pharmacokinetic study, PTD and its main metabolite protosappanin B (PTB) were measured after oral and intravenous administration. After oral administration of PTD, its Tmax was 0.49 h, t1/2z and MRT(0–t) were 3.47 ± 0.78 h and 3.06 ± 0.63 h, respectively. It shows that PTD was quickly absorbed into plasma and it may be eliminated quickly in the body, and its bioavailability is about 0.65%.

Oleum Cinnamomi is a traditional medicine used by the Hmong, the essential oil obtained from Fructus Cinnamomi, for the treatment of coronary heart disease. Information regarding the efficient quality control markers of it is lacking, which has become a bottleneck restricting its development and utilization. Here, an integrated qualitative analysis approach based on a GC-MS and network pharmacology strategy was applied to explore quality control markers for the assessment of Oleum Cinnamomi. Firstly, the compounds of Oleum Cinnamomi were detected by GC-MS. In total, 57 chemical components were identified, mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, accounting for 83.05% of total essential oil components. Secondly, network pharmacology was adopted to explore the compounds linked to target genes of coronary heart disease. Fifty-two compounds were found, indicating the effectiveness of Oleum Cinnamomi in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Among them, 10 compounds, including eucalyptol, were chosen as potential effective compounds in Oleum Cinnamomi. Thirdly, an established GC-MS SIM method was validated and applied for the simultaneous determination of the contents of these 10 compounds using 20 sample batches of Oleum Cinnamomi. It was preliminarily found that the contents of these 10 compounds differed in Oleum Cinnamomi from different origins. Finally, quantitative analyte data were analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis to determine Oleum Cinnamomi quality. Four compounds (eucalyptol, p-cymene, sabinene, β-pinene) were identified as chemical markers for quality control. Accordingly, this study provides new strategies to explore the quality control markers and develops a novel method for the quality assessment of Oleum Cinnamomi.

Jin-Gu-Lian (JGL) is traditionally used by Miao for the treatment of rheumatism arthralgia. At the same time, the combination of Sargentodoxa cuneata (Oliv.) Rehd. et W (SC) and Alangium chinense (Lour.) Harms (AC), the core drug pair (CDP) in the formula of JGL, is used at high frequencies in many Miao medicine prescriptions for rheumatic diseases. However, previous research lacks the pharmacokinetic study of JGL, and study on the compatibility of its CDP with other medicinal herbs in the formula is needed. This study aims to establish a simple, rapid, and sensitive Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of four main bioactive components of JGL in rat plasma, including Salidroside (Sal), Anabasine (Ana), Chlorogenic Acid (CA), and Protocatechuic Acid (PCA), and compare the pharmacokinetic properties of two groups of rats after being orally administrated with JGL and its CDP extracts, respectively. The results showed that area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC), mean retention time (MRT), and clearance rate (CL), of Sal, Ana, CA and PCA in the two groups of rats were changed in different degrees. The CDP combined with other drugs could significantly increase the absorption of Sal and Ana, prolong its retention time in vivo, and may accelerate the absorption rate of CA and PCA. This indicated that the combination of CDP and other herbs may affect the pharmacokinetics process of active components in vivo, increase the exposure and bioavailability of compounds in the JGL group, and prolong the retention time, which may be the reason why JGL has a better inhibitory effect on inflammatory cytokines, providing a viable orientation for the compatibility investigation of herb medicines.

Roasting is crucial for producing Yuan An yellow tea (YAYT) as it substantially affects sensory quality. However, the effect of roasting time on YAYT flavor quality is not clear. To investigate the effect of roasting time on the sensory qualities, chemical components, odor profiles, and metabolic profile of YAYTs produced with 13 min roasting, 16 min roasting, 19 min roasting, 22 min roasting, and 25 min roasting were determined. The YAYTs roasted for 22 min got higher sensory scores and better chemical qualities, such as the content of gallocatechin (GC), gallocatechin gallate (GCG), free amino acids, solutable sugar, meanwhile the lightness decreased, the hue of tea brew color (b) increased, which meant the tea brew got darker and yellower. YAYTs roasted for 22 min also increased the contents of key odorants, such as benzaldehyde, nonanal, β-cyclocitral, linalool, nerol, α-cedrol, β-ionone, limonene, 2-methylfuran, indole, and longiborneol. Moreover, non-targeted metabolomics identified up to 14 differentially expressed metabolites through pair-wise comparisons, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, sucrose, and critical metabolites, which were the main components corresponding to YAYT roasted for 22 min. In summary, the current results provide scientific guidance for the production of high quality YAYT.

This study aimed to compare the effect of hot roller (HR) drying and hot air (HA) drying on the sensory evaluation, chemical quality, antioxidant activity, and metabolic profile of Yihong Congou black tea processed from E’cha NO1. The Yihong Congou black tea dried with HA obtained higher sensory scores and better chemical qualities such as the hue of tea brew color (a and b), content of theaflavins, thearubigins, water extract, free amino acids, tea polyphenol, and the ratio of polyphenol to amino acids as well as higher antioxidant capacities compared to that dried with HR. The HA drying tea increased the contents of volatile compounds that had positive correlation with sweet and flowery flavor, while the HR drying tea increased the contents of volatile compounds related to fruity flavor. Moreover, non-targeted metabolomics data indicated that the levels of most free amino acids significantly increased, while the levels of most soluble sugars reduced in the HA drying method compared to the HR drying method. The metabolic analysis was also consistent with the above results and revealed that D-ribose and gallic acid were the main characteristic metabolites of HA drying. Our results could provide a technical reference and theoretical guide to processing a high quality of Yihong Congou black tea.

High-pressure ultrasound-assisted extraction technology was applied to extract ferulic acid, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide H, senkyunolide A, ligustilide and levistolide A from Ligusticum chuanxiong rhizomes. Seven independent variables, including solvent type, pressure, particle size, liquid-to-solid ratio, extraction temperature, ultrasound power, and extraction time were examined. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) using a Central Composite Design (CCD) was employed to optimize the experimental conditions (extraction temperature, ultrasonic power, and extraction time) on the basis of the results of single factor tests for the extraction of these six major components in L. chuanxiong rhizomes. The experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation using multiple regression analysis and were also examined using appropriate statistical methods. The best extraction conditions were as follows: extraction solvent: 40% ethanol; pressure: 10 MPa; particle size: 80 mesh; liquid-to-solid ratio: 100:1; extraction temperature: 70 °C; ultrasonic power, 180 W; and extraction time, 74 min.

Polygonum capitatum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don is traditionally used by Hmong for the treatment of urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis. Information regarding the pharmacokinetic behavior of the extract in the condition of pyelonephritis is lacking. In the present study, we aimed to compare the pharmacokinetic properties of gallic acid (GA), protocatechuic acid (PCA), and quercitrin (QR)—the main bioactive constituents in the herb—in normal and pyelonephritis rats. The plasma samples were collected at various time points after administration of a single dose of Polygonum capitatum extract. The plasma level of GA, PCA, and QR at the designed time points was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and drug concentration versus time plots were constructed to estimate the pharmacokinetic parameters. The AUC(0-t), AUC(0-∞), MRT(0-t), and CL of GA, PCA, and QR in pyelonephritis rats was significantly different from those of the normal rats. The results indicated that the three constituents have higher rate of uptake and slower rate of elimination in the rats with pyelonephritis, suggesting altered rate and extent of drug metabolism.

Promoting the browning of white fat may be a potential means of combating obesity. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of resveratrol (RES) on the body weight and browning of white fat in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice and the potential associated mechanism in vivo. Eight-week-old male mice were randomized to receive different treatments: (1), chow without any additional treatment (chow); (2), chow plus 0.4% resveratrol (chow-RES); (3), HFD without any additional treatment (HFD); and (4), HFD plus 0.4% resveratrol (HFD-RES). After 4 weeks of feeding, additional 8-week-old male recipient mice were randomly allocated to the following 4 treatments: (5), HFD and received feces from chow-fed mice; (6), HFD and received feces from chow-RES-fed mice; (7), HFD and received feces from HFD-fed mice; and (8), HFD and received feces from HFD-RES-fed mice. RES treatment significantly inhibited increases in fat accumulation, promoted the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) and alleviated gut microbiota dysbiosis in HFD-fed mice. Subsequent analyses showed that the gut microbiota remodeling induced by resveratrol had a positive role in WAT browning, and sirtuin-1 (Sirt1) signaling appears to be a key component of this process. Overall, the results show that RES may serve as a potential intervention to reduce obesity by alleviating dysbiosis of the gut microbiota.

Periploca forrestii Schltr. (P. forrestii) is a species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) known as “Miao medicine”, and has a long history of use in the treatment of rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and joint pain. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-arthritis effects of the cardenolide-rich and caffeoylquinic acid-rich fractions (CDLFs and CQAFs) of P. forrestii in collagen-induced arthritic (CIA) rats, and defined the mechanisms of therapeutic action in MH7A cells treated with TNF-α. Serum rheumatoid factor (RF), TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, PGE2, NO, SOD, and MDA were determined by ELISA or other commercially assay kits. Histopathological changes in ankle joint tissues were examined. The mRNA expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS in MH7A cells were measured by qRT-PCR assays. In addition, the expressions of iNOS, COX-2, and p65 proteins, and the phosphorylation of IκBα, p38, ERK1/2, and JNK proteins in MH7A cells were analyzed by Western blot. The results showed that CDLF and CQAF could suppress the paw swelling in CIA rats at different doses (125 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, and 500 mg/kg). Histopathological examination suggests that the CDLF and CQAF significantly relieved the damage of the structure of the ankle joint in CIA rats. In addition, serum RF, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, PGE2, NO, and MDA were decreased, along with increased activity of serum SOD. Furthermore, CDLF and CQAF downregulated the expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2, iNOS, and p65, and inhibited the phosphorylation of IκBα, p38, ERK1/2, and JNK in MH7A cells treated with TNF-α. These findings demonstrated that both CDLF and CQAF exhibited anti-arthritic activity, which might be associated with their inhibitory effects on the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

Erigeron breviscapus, a traditional Chinese medicine, is clinically used for the treatment of occlusive cerebral vascular diseases. We developed a sensitive and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method for simultaneous quantitation of chlorogenic acid, scutellarin, and scutellarein, the main active constituents in Erigeron breviscapus, and compared the pharmacokinetics of these active ingredients in sham-operated and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats orally administrated with Erigeron breviscapus extract. Plasma samples were collected at 15 time points after oral administration of the Erigeron breviscapus extract. The levels of chlorogenic acid, scutellarin, and scutellarein in rat plasma at various time points were determined by a UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method, and the drug concentration versus time plots were constructed to estimate pharmacokinetic parameters. The concentration of chlorogenic acid in the plasma reached the maximum plasma drug concentration in about 15 min and was below the limit of detection after 4 h. Scutellarin and scutellarein showed the phenomenon of multiple absorption peaks in sham-operated and MCAO rats, respectively. Compared with the sham-operated rats, the terminal elimination half-life of scutellarein in the MCAO rats was prolonged by more than two times and the area under the curve of each component in the MCAO rats was significantly increased. The results showed chlorogenic acid, scutellarin, and scutellarein in MCAO rats had higher drug exposure than that in sham-operated rats, which provided a reference for the development of innovative drugs, optimal dosing regimens, and clinical rational drug use.

The purpose of this study was to explore the neuroprotective effects of daidzein on the apoptotic pathway in the hippocampus and cortex of D-galactose treated mice. For this purpose we have examined the expression of bcl-2 mRNA, bax mRNA and caspase-3 in the hippocampus and cortex of D-galactose-treated mice after fed with 10 or 5 mg/kg of daidzein. The results of in situ hybridization experiments indicate that daidzein could help increase the transcriptions of bcl-2 and decrease the transcriptions of bax in those brain regions of D-galactose-treated mice. Furthermore, immunohistochemical studies showed that daidzein could reduce the expression of caspase-3 in both brain regions. These results suggest that daidzein in soybean can inhibit the D-gal induced apoptosis via Bcl-2/Bax apoptotic pathway and be a potential medical candidate for neurodegeneration therapy.

Shenxiong glucose injection (SGI), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation, has been widely used for the treatment of various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for many years. We assessed the potential influences of SGI on the activities of six CYP enzymes (CYP1A2, CYP2C11, CYP2C19, CYP2D4, CYP2E1, and CYP3A2) and on the pharmacokinetics of warfarin in rats. We compared plasma pharmacokinetics of six probe drugs (caffeine/CYP1A2, tolbutamide/CYP2C11, omeprazole/CYP2C19, metoprolol/CYP2D4, chlorzoxazone/CYP2E1, and midazolam/CYP3A2) and of warfarin between control and SGI-pretreated groups, to estimate the effect on the relative activities of the six isozymes and warfarin metabolism. There were no significant differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters of caffeine, omeprazole, metoprolol, chlorzoxazone, and midazolam between the SGI-pretreated and control groups. However, many pharmacokinetic parameters of tolbutamide in SGI-pretreated rats were affected significantly (p < 0.05), and indicated tolbutamide metabolism in the former group was markedly slower. Moreover, SGI reduced the clearance of warfarin. These results suggested SGI showed no effects on the enzyme activities of rat CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2D4, CYP2E1, and CYP3A2, but inhibited the enzyme activity of CYP2C11, and improved the blood concentration of warfarin. This suggests that the dose of warfarin may need be adjusted when co-administrated with SGI.

Purple sweet potato color (PSPC), a class of naturally occurring anthocyanins, exhibits beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome. Sustained inflammation plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Here we explored the effects of PSPC on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic inflammation and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Mice were divided into four groups: Control group, HFD group, HFD + PSPC group, and PSPC group. PSPC was administered by daily oral gavage at doses of 700 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks. Nicotinamide riboside (NR) was used to increase NAD+ levels. Our results showed that PSPC effectively ameliorated obesity and liver injuries in HFD-fed mice. Moreover, PSPC notably blocked hepatic oxidative stress in HFD-treated mice. Furthermore, PSPC dramatically restored NAD+ level to abate endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) in HFD-treated mouse livers, which was confirmed by NR treatment. Consequently, PSPC remarkably suppressed the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 nuclear translocation and nucleotide oligomerization domain protein1/2 (NOD1/2) signaling in HFD-treated mouse livers. Thereby, PSPC markedly diminished the NLR family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, ultimately lowering the expressions of inflammation-related genes in HFD-treated mouse livers. In summary, PSPC protected against HFD-induced hepatic inflammation by boosting NAD+ level to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Purple sweet potato color (PSPC), a class of naturally occurring anthocyanins, exhibits beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome. Sustained inflammation plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Here we explored the effects of PSPC on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic inflammation and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Mice were divided into four groups: Control group, HFD group, HFD+ PSPC group, and PSPC group. PSPC was administered by daily oral gavage at doses of 700 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks. Nicotinamide riboside (NR) was used to increase NAD+ levels. Our results showed that PSPC effectively ameliorated obesity and liver injuries in HFD-fed mice. Moreover, PSPC notably blocked hepatic oxidative stress in HFD-treated mice. Furthermore, PSPC dramatically restored NAD+ level to abate endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) in HFD-treated mouse livers, which was confirmed by NR treatment. Consequently, PSPC remarkably suppressed the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 nuclear translocation and nucleotide oligomerization domain protein1/2 (NOD1/2) signaling in HFD-treated mouse livers. Thereby, PSPC markedly diminished the NLR family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, ultimately lowering the expressions of inflammation-related genes in HFD-treated mouse livers. In summary, PSPC protected against HFD-induced hepatic inflammation by boosting NAD+ level to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]