Search

Because of the complex components, simple content determination can hardly reflect the overall quality of Guizhi Fuling Capsules. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a multi-component dissolution test. The variability of quality among different batches of products from different manufacturers is a common problem of Chinese medicine solid preparations. To comprehensively control the quality of Guizhi Fuling Capsules, we studied the dissolution behaviors of 7 index components in the capsules under different conditions, and investigated the consistency of dissolution behaviors among different batches of products from the same manufacturer. The basket method of general rule 0931 in Chinese Pharmacopoeia was adopted, and the rotating speeds were set at 50, 75, and 100 r·min~(-1), respectively. The hydrochloric acid solution(pH 1.2), acetate buffer solution(pH 4.0), pure water, and phosphate buffer solution(pH 6.8) were used as the dissolution media. Automatic sampling was carried out at the time points of 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 min, respectively. The cumulative dissolution of 7 index components was measured through ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC). The difference factor f_1 and similarity factor f_2 were calculated to comprehensively evaluate the similarity of the dissolution curves among 8 batches of Guizhi Fuling Capsules, and a variety of dissolution and release equations were fitted. The results showed that multiple components had faster dissolution rates at higher rotating speed and in hydrochloric acid medium. The 8 batches of Guizhi Fuling capsules showed the average f_1 value lower than 15 and the average f_2 value higher than 50, which indicated that different batches of products had similar dissolution behaviors. Most components had synchronous dissolution behaviors and similar release cha-racteristics. This study provides a reference for the quality consistency evaluation among batches, processing optimization, and dosage form improvement of Guizhi Fuling Capsules.

The present study investigated the effect of extract of Poria cocos polysaccharides(PCP) on cytochrome P450 2 E1(CYP2 E1) and nuclear factor κB(NF-κB) inflammatory signaling pathways in alcoholic liver disease(ALD) mice and explored its protective effect and mechanism. Sixty male C57 BL/6 N mice of SPF grade were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a positive drug group(bifendate, 200 mg·kg~(-1)), and high-(200 mg·kg~(-1)) and low-dose(50 mg·kg~(-1)) PCP groups. Gao-binge mo-del was induced and the mice in each group were treated correspondingly. Liver morphological and pathological changes were observed and organ index was calculated. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) were detected. Malondialdehyde(MDA) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) in liver tissues were detected by assay kits. The levels of interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were detected by ELISA. The activation of macrophages was observed by immunofluorescence staining and protein expression of CYP2 E1, Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), NF-κB p65, and phosphorylated NF-κB p65(p-NF-κB p65) were analyzed by Western blot. The ALD model was properly induced. Compared with the model group, the PCP groups significantly improved the pathological injury of liver tissues. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention showed decreased macrophages in liver tissues. Additionally, the PCP groups showed reduced ALT, AST, MDA, IL-6, and TNF-α(Plt;0.05), and potentiated activity of SOD(Plt;0.01). PCP extract has the protective effect against alcoholic liver injury in mice, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the regulation of the expression of CYP2 E1 and inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory injury, thereby inhibiting the development of ALD.

In this study, the antioxidant property changes in fermented Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(FZSS) with Poria cocos were analyzed by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. Then the content determination of active ingredients and ~1H nuclear magnetic resonance(~1H-NMR) spectroscopy were also used to investigate the mechanism of FZSS with P. cocos in enhancing the antioxidant activity. The results showed that the content of active ingredients such as total phenols, total saponins and total polysaccharides were significantly increased during the fermentation time. The results of ~1H-NMR metabonomics showed that the contents of amino acids such as leucine, lysine, valine and alanine, nitrogen compounds such as creatine, creatinine, and betaine, and secondary metabolites, for instance, jujuboside A and spinosin were higher after fermentation, and above components showed positive correlation with antioxidant capacity in Pearson correlation analysis. Therefore, it was inferred that the enhancement of antioxidant activity of FZSS may be the result of the joint action of various chemical components. This study preliminarily clarified the mechanism of FZSS in enhancing the antioxidant activity, and provided new research ideas for the product development and utilization of FZSS.

Dabie Mountain in Anhui province is a genuine producing area of Poria cocos, commonly known as Anling. Jinzhai county in Anhui province is a traditional producing area of P. cocos, and it is also a key county for poverty alleviation in Dabie Mountains. Poverty alleviation of traditional Chinese medicine producing area is an important measure to implement the major strategic deployment of the central government. The planting of P. cocos is helpful to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry in Dabie Mountains and help poverty alleviation. P. cocos is a saprophytic fungus with special demands on soil and ecological environment, and its planting appears a scattered and irregular distribution. Traditional investigation methods are time-consuming and laborious, and the results are greatly influenced by subjective factors. In order to obtain the suitable planting area of P. cocos in Jinzhai county, according to the field survey, the research team has explored the regional, biological characteristics and cultivation methods of P. cocos in the county, and obtained the altitude distribution area suitable for the growth of P. cocos. Then, the MaxEnt niche model was used to analyze the relationship between ecological factors and distribution areas, and the potential distribution zoning of P. cocos in Jinzhai county was studied. Combined with the characteristics of P. cocos planting pattern, taking ZY-3 remote sensing image as the data source, the maximum likelihood method was used to extract the area that could be used for P. cocos cultivation in Jinzhai county, and the reason why artificial planting P. cocos was mainly distributed in the west of Jinzhai county was analyzed. The suitable regional classification of P. cocos in Jinzhai county was obtained by superposition of suitable altitude distribution area, MaxEnt analysis and area extracted from remote sensing image, which provided data support for the planting planning of P. cocos in Jinzhai county.

Guizhi Fuling Formula was first seen in Synopsis of Golden Chamber by ZHANG Zhongjing. It is composed of Cinnamomi Ramulus, Poria, Moutan Cortex, Persicae Semen, Peony and other drugs, commonly used in the treatment of gynecological diseases such as hysteromyoma, ovarian cyst, endometriosis, pelvic inflammation, dysmenorrhea, etc. In addition, it is also used in internal medicine and urology. This reflects the modern doctors' recognition of the famous prescriptions in ancient books. However, whether Guizhi Fuling Formula is really suitable for these diseases still needs further study for verification. The author systematically searched CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library database: 2 304 papers on clinical research of Guizhi Fuling, covering 13 systems and 128 diseases. Combined with the questionnaire of experts, we investigated the knowledge of experts of traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine and combination of Chinese and Western medicine on the applicable indications of Guizhi Fuling Formula in this paper, systematically elaborated the clinical applications of Guizhi Fuling Formula, and summarized the applicable indications of Guizhi Fuling Formula, in order to provide a reference for the clinical rational application of Guizhi Fuling Formula, and provide a reference also for clinical medication.

Poria cocos is a both medicinal and edible Chinese herb variety, with the effects of diuretic, spleen-enhancing and tranquilizing. P. cocos polysaccharide(PCP) is one of the most important active substances of P. cocos. Pharmacological research shows that PCP has a variety of pharmacological activities such as regulating immunity, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, antitumor, and liver protection, with a huge development and utilization value. By consulting the relevant literature, we systematically summarized the chemical structures and the research progress on pharmacological activities of PCP and its derivatives in recent years to explore the chemical compositions and activities of PCP thoroughly. In addition, the current problems were discussed in this article to provide reference for further exploration of the structure-activity relationship of PCP and its further development and utilization.

Guizhi Fuling Capsules is a new-type traditional Chinese medicine preparation made by modern process method. It was widely used to treat uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammation, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, mammary gland hyperplasia and other gynecological diseases. Under the combination of disease and syndrome, the diagnosis and treatment model ofquot;Yizheng Tongbing, Yibing Tongzhiquot; with Chinese patent medicine has been widely used in clinical practice. Meanwhile, the effectiveness and safety have been given more and more attention. Based on the effectiveness of Guizhi Fuling Capsules, this paper preliminarily summarized the dominant diseases in randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews of Guizhi Fuling Capsules. On the basis of the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine and modern pharmacological mechanism, the clinical efficacy and mechanism of Guizhi Fuling Capsules were explored. Finally, according to the traditional Chinese medicine theory ofquot;Yizheng Tongbing, Yibing Tongzhiquot;, all the clinical evidences were integrated to form an integrated evidence chain, so as to provide guidance for the safe and rational use of Guizhi Fuling Capsules.

SATB1 plays a crucial role in the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer,and inhibition of SATB1 expression can effectively control breast cancer metastasis. In this study,homogeneous polysaccharides were isolated from Poria cocos and their sulfated derivatives were prepared to screen out the polysaccharide compositions with inhibitory effects on SATB1 expression. Smal-molecule components were removed from P. cocos by ethanol extraction,and P. cocos crude polysaccharide PPS was obtained by water extraction and ethanol precipitation. Then PPS was successively separated by DEAE Sepharose fast flow anion-exchange and Superdex-75 gel permeation chromatographic steps to give PPSW-1. The structure of PPSW-1 was identified and its sulfated derivatives were prepared. Then their inhibitory effects on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were investigated. A kind of polysaccharide,PPSW-1 with inhibitory effect on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells,was obtained from P. cocos,with a relative molecular weight of 3. 06×104,and structure of 1,6-branched 1,3-α-D-galactan. PPSW-1 and its sulfated derivative Sul-W-1 showed good inhibitory effect on cells migration,and the water solubility of Sul-W-1 was better than that of PPSW-1. In addition,it was found that polysaccharide of P. cocos and its sulfated derivative can inhibit expression of SATB1. In this study,a kind of homogeneous polysaccharide with inhibitory effect on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells was isolated from P. cocos,and its sulfated derivative with similar efficacy but better solubility was prepared,laying the foundation for the substance basis study of P. cocos.

To establish a UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of six triterpenoid constituents (pachymic acid, dehydropachymic acid, dehydrotumulosic acid, polyporenic acid C, dehydroeburicoic acid and dehydrotra metenolic acid) in Guizhi Fuling capsules (GFC). Chromatographic analysis was conducted on Agilent Porosheell 120 SB-C₁₈ column (4.6 mm×150 mm, 2.7 μm), with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution-methanol as the mobile phase for gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL•min-1. The column temperature was 30 ℃ and the sample size was 5 μL. The samples were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometer with negative electrospray ionization (ESI) source, and monitored under a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, with the quantitative ion pairs m/z 527.8→465.5 (pachymic acid), m/z 525.6→465.6 (dehydropachymic acid), m/z 483.4→337.3 (dehydrotumulosic acid), m/z 481.5→419.5 (polyporenic acid C), m/z 467.4→337.1 (dehydroeburicoic acid), m/z 453.4→337.0 (dehydrotra metenolic acid). Six triterpenoid acids showed good linear relationships within the investigated concentration ranges (r0.996 8), with RSDs of precision less than 6.2%, and all RSDs of repeatability less than 5.9%. The average recovery rate was 97.90%, 100.2%, 99.60%, 101.7%, 102.6% and 103.0% respectively. The method was rapid, accurate, repeatable and could be used as a method for quantitative determination of triterpenoid acids in Chinese medicine prescriptions, providing a reference method for the quality control of Guizhi Fuling capsules and providing a reference for the content determination for Chinese medicine prescriptions containing Poria cocos.

Poria cocos is one of medical materials frequently used in China and well marketed at home and abroad. Based on the analysis of exports and imports data of P. cocos, we found that large proportions of P. cocos were exported, while only a small proportions of those were imported in China between 2011 and 2016. During periods of these six years, the annual exporting trade of P. cocos in quantity significantly decreased, but that in dollars tend to increase slightly and the unit-prices of P. cocos significantly increased. Statistically, the average annual export trade of P. cocos from 2011 to 2016 in quantity and dollars were 9 279.73 tons and 35.454 million dollars, respectively. And the average annual export in unit-price was 4.14 dollars per kilogram. In total, P. cocos came from 29 provinces and exported to 44 countries through 21 ports. More than 98% of total exports of P. cocos were flew to the markets of countries in Asia, of which Hong Kong was the major partner in import trade of P. cocos. Large amount of P. cocos came from Guangdong province and exported mainly through Shenzhen port. Except the exports, China also imports P. cocos from other countries, among which Korea was the major country exports largest amount of P. cocos to China. And most of P. cocos were imported by Jilin province and mainly through Changchun port. To improve the export kinetic, quality and profits of P. cocos, and thus enhance the international competitiveness of the industry of P. cocos, Chinese governments should emphasize the researches on the products of P. cocos, broaden the demand space of the high-end customers, stimulate the high-end market grow in high speed and accelerate the process of standardization in future.

"Adversity" is one primary element that impacts the pharmacology components of authentic Chinese herbal medicine. Knowledge about "adversity" is a precondition of yield estimation, quality monitoring, location selection and the geo-herbalism protection. Used 3S(GIS, RS and GPS) technology to combine multi-source key ecological factors of "Anling", and used parasitic relationships between organisms to extracting its suitable region for the first time. Results showed that the "Anling" were mainly distributed in Dabie coteau. Suitable area amount to 36.8 km², Yuexi, Shucheng, Jinzhai and Qianshan which account for about 93.55% of whole congenial region. The first three accounts for about 80.82%. It was Yuexi that account for 1/3 above especially. Field investigation verify accuracy of extraction about 91.67%, which has confirmed it is feasible that using the relationship between parasitic host and parasitic to extract native environment of parasitic traditional medicine based on 3S technology.

The surface layer of the sclerotia of Poria cocos, named Fu-Ling-Pi, is used as a diuretic in traditional Chinese medicine to treat edema and urinary dysfunction. Recent studies have showed that the triterpenes (lanostane and 3,4-secolanostane skeletons) and polysaccharides (beta-pachyman) are the main components of Fu-Ling-Pi and they exhibited various biological activities, such as anti-tumor, antibacterial and antioxidant, etc. This review was focused on the chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical uses of this drug and it may provide scientific foundation for further development and utilization of Fulingpi.