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The recycling and reuse of solid wastes mark the construction industry's development towards sustainable and green technologies. 3D printing technology using recycled solid materials is in great demand for intelligent and low-carbon construction. This paper incorporates crumb rubber (0–1 mm) into the printing ink and analyses the fresh and hardened properties. The results showed that the flowability was positively correlated with rubber ratio but negatively with fiber content. R40F15 (40% rubber and 1.5% fiber) obtained the optimal flowability for 3D printing, which remained above 15 mm for 30min. The compressive strength peaked when incorporating 1.5% fiber, while the flexural strength reached the bottom. X direction generated the highest compressive strength in the whole anisotropic tests, followed by the Y and Z directions. The highest strengths of 1.5% and 2.0% fiber content were 69.45 MPa and 64.5 MPa, incorporating 20% rubber. Thus, surfaces anticipated to bear higher loads in compression should be aligned with the X-axis or, at a minimum, avoid alignment with the Z-axis for optimal structural performance. Y direction obtained the highest flexural strength in all anisotropic tests when incorporating 1.5% fiber. Results from digital image correlation test supported that fiber tended to agglomerate in the Y direction. Besides, the environmental analysis was conducted in this paper to quantitively calculate the impacts of all raw materials to the environment.

Merging traditional Chinese medicine's (TCM) principles of medicine-food homology with modern flavor chemistry, this research unveils PungentDB (http://www.pungentdb.org.cn/home), a database documenting 205 unique pungent flavor compounds from 231 TCMs. It provides detailed insights into their chemical attributes, biological targets (including IC50/EC50 values), and molecular structures (2D/3D), enriched with visualizations of target organ distribution and protein structures, exploring the pungent flavor space with the help of a feature-rich visual interface. This collection, derived from over 3249 sources and highlighting 9129 targets, delves into the compounds' unique pungent flavors—taste, aroma, and thermal sensations—and their interaction with taste and olfactory receptors. PungentDB bridges ancient wisdom and culinary innovation, offering a nuanced exploration of pungent flavors' role in enhancing food quality, safety, and sensory experiences. This initiative propels flavor chemistry forward, serving as a pivotal resource for food science advancement and the innovative application of pungent flavors.

The potential role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) in regulating the biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) has not been explored in marine gastropod. In this study, we identified and characterized a PPAR gene from the abalone species Haliotis discus hannai Ino. This gene encodes a peptide consisting of 469 amino acids and comprises typical four domains: A/B domain, DNA-binding domain, D domain, and ligand-binding domain. Highest homology with that of the Patella depressa (51.08 %) from multiple alignments and phylogenetic tree analyses revealed it is a direct orthologue of the vertebrate PPAR. Tissue distribution analysis demonstrated that PPAR was highly expressed in muscle and gill, with lower expression observed in the kidney, female gonad, and hepatopancreas. Dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that abalone PPAR significantly up-regulated the promoter activity of Δ5 fatty acyl desaturase (Δ5fad), a crucial enzyme in LCPUFA biosynthesis. Furthermore, C18PUFA significantly increased the expressions of Δ5fad and PPAR in the hepatopancreas of abalone compared to the control group fed with an LCPUFA-rich diet. These findings suggest that PPAR acts as a positive transcription factor for the fad gene, contributing to the transcriptional regulation of LCPUFA biosynthesis in abalone.

Metallized pellets serve as a significant recycling product derived from the iron and steel production, comprising dust and sludge. However, the substantial presence of residual zinc within these pellets poses challenges such as vaporization, condensation, and accumulation, ultimately leading to severe clogging in off-gas pipes and potential erosion of refractory materials. To address this, a novel approach is proposed to efficiently harness the potential of metallized pellets within the converter process, focusing on investigating the behavior and mechanism of zinc oxides. Results reveal that metallized pellets introduce Zn elements with a distribution ratio of approximately 1:1 in the steel-gas phase and only around 3% in the slag. The Zn element can remain stable in the over-oxidized molten steel, and an inverse proportional relationship between [C] and [Zn] contents in the molten steel has been derived from industrial and laboratory experiments as follows.[%C]0.84·[%Zn]=0.0055Furthermore, the end-point Zn content in the molten steel is closely related to the C content in the molten steel before the addition of the metallized pellets. The ZnO contained within the metallized pellets must undergo reduction by the [C] present in the molten steel, as well as by the [C] to facilitate vaporization and escape. Consequently, a critical carbon content (approximately 0.3%) emerges, wherein the addition of metallized pellets enables the maximum and enduring presence of Zn elements within the molten steel while minimizing vaporization and escape of Zn into the off-gas pipeline.

The Ti/SiC gradient material with Mg2Si additive was designed and fabricated by reaction sintering. The structure, microstructure and properties were investigated systematically. The result indicated that the Ti/SiC gradient material contained six layers with Ti-rich and Si-rich regions. The relative density decreased from 98.32% to 88.73%, and it increased to 97.28%. Besides, the harness increased from 532.97 HV to 571.32 HV and reduced to 228.14 HV with the increase of Ti content. The fracture toughness of the SiC layer was 6.74 MPa m1/2, and it decreased to 4.91–5.39 MPa m1/2 at the layers containing Ti. The shrinkage rates increased during heating, and it slowed down at the holding stage. The densification primarily occurred at the heating and holding stages. The densification mechanism is the pore displacement controlled by lattice diffusion. Ti5Si3 synthesized by the reaction between Ti and SiC shows the incoherent interface to the Ti grain.

Previous studies have demonstrated that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) exhibiting an M2 phenotype contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of various cancer types, including lung cancer. Therapeutic approaches targeting TAMs have the potential to complement and synergize with conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Through database analysis, it has become evident that the expression of CTNNB1 (β-catenin) is predominantly localized in macrophages, and its presence is associated with unfavorable outcomes in the absence of CD8+ cells. Jin-Fu-An decoction (JFAD) has been utilized as an adjunct to augment current clinical interventions. By conducting a network pharmacological analysis, we discovered that CTNNB1 is a significant target of JFAD. Experiments were conducted to examine the impact of JFAD on macrophage polarization both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the study investigated the combined effect of JFAD and cisplatin (CDDP) on mitigating adverse reactions and prolonging survival in subcutaneously transplanted tumor models and orthotopic lung cancer models. The percentage of M1 and M2 macrophages in the tumor and spleen were measured using flow cytometry. Additionally, the levels of β-catenin, M1, and M2 macrophage markers were measured by Western blotting and qPCR, while CD8 and iNOS protein expression was analyzed via immunohistochemistry. Our research findings indicate that JFAD has the ability to modulate the transformation of M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages, augment the anticancer efficacy of CDDP, and diminish the expression of cell-related markers in M2 cells. This regulatory effect may potentially be associated with the downregulation of β-catenin expression.

As precursors of disinfection by-products (DBPs), sediment hydrophobic organic compounds (HPOCs) derived from six reservoirs along the Dongjiang River were chlorinated (Cl-WS) and then fractionated into two polar components (hydrophobic organic compounds (Cl-HOCs) and hydrophilic organic compounds (Cl-HICs)) by solid phase extraction. Based on Caco-2 cell exposure study, the genotoxicity of Cl-WS, Cl-HOCs and Cl-HICs was analyzed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis, comet assay and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase assay. Protective effects of antioxidants (catalase, vitamin C and epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG)) on genotoxicity of the chlorinated samples were investigated. The results showed that Cl-WS and its two fractions (Cl-HOCs and Cl-HICs) induced ROS, DNA damage and dioxin-like toxicity (TEQbio), and Cl-HICs were a major contributor to oxidative damage and TEQbio compared with Cl-HOCs. Antioxidants significantly reduced Cl-HOCs- and Cl-HICs-induced ROS, but had insignificant effect on DNA oxidative damage and TEQbio. In addition, EGCG showed higher efficacy in reducing DNA damage induced by Cl-HICs than by Cl-HOCs. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the genotoxicity of Cl-WS and its two polar components in Caco-2 cells, as well as the protective effects of antioxidants on Cl-HOCs and Cl-HICs-induced ROS, DNA damage, and TEQbio. This study provides important toxicity information for water treatment industries in differentiating DBPs of different polarity.

Objective: To explore the relationship between bitter taste and bitter flavor (efficacy), their characteristics were analyzed at the target and pharmacodynamic points. Methods: Compounds with bitter receptor activity were obtained by high-throughput screening models of the human bitter taste receptors (hTAS2Rs), which were used to analyze bitter taste. The efficacy of anti-asthma medications was used as an example to research bitter flavor (efficacy). The pharmacological effects of bitter taste and bitter flavor (efficacy) were classified according to the functional modules. The coverage for the same targets or pharmacological effects in the overall protein interaction network (PIN) of bitter taste and bitter flavor (efficacy) was analyzed to reveal their relationship. The effect of the compound polydatin with anti-asthma activation on hTAS2R14 was studied to verify the reliability of the aforementioned idea. Results: A total of 121 Chinese materia medica (CMM) compounds that activate hTAS2R10, hTAS2R14, and hTAS2R49 were obtained. The analysis results indicated that 108 same targets for bitter taste and bitter flavor (efficacy) were obtained, accounting for 13.9% in the PIN of bitter taste and 72.5% in the PIN of bitter flavor (efficacy). The pharmacological effects shared by bitter taste and bitter flavor (efficacy) accounted for 79% of the PIN of bitter taste and 81% of the PIN of bitter flavor (efficacy). The activating effect of the anti-asthma compound polydatin on hTAS2R14 was dose-dependent with EC50 of 4.3 μM. Conclusion: In this study, the relationship between bitter taste and bitter flavor (efficacy) has been demonstrated from the target and pharmacodynamic points, which are based on hTAS2Rs and anti-asthma effect. Bitter taste and bitter flavor (efficacy) exhibited a high correlation. This study provides a theoretical and scientific basis for the hypothesis that “the property theory of CMM is the clinical pharmacodynamics of CMM.”

The meat yield, and chemical and nutrients composition of the pond, rice-field and wild-caught crayfish meat were investigated. The results showed that the meat yield of pond crayfish (10.52%) was significantly higher than that of rice-field (10.05%) and wild-caught (10.32%) crayfish. The rice-field crayfish meat had the highest moisture contents (81.43%) and the lowest protein content (15.50%). The higher lipid contents were found in the rice-field and pond crayfish meat (1.10% and 1.19%, respectively). While, the pond crayfish meat had the highest essential amino acids (6.09 g/100 g) and total amino acids (16.21 g/100 g) content, and the Σn-3/Σn-6 PUFA ratio (1.78). The essential amino acid index in the pond and rice-field crayfish meat was higher than 70 which indicated that they were high-quality protein. The pond crayfish meat contained more macro-minerals, but less micro-minerals. While, the trace minerals were rich in the rice-field crayfish meat. The heavy metals contents in the crayfish meat were under limit. Overall, the pond, rice-field and wild-caught crayfish meat all exhibited good nutritional quality, and the pond crayfish meat showed better in terms of amino acids and fatty acids composition. For the rice-field crayfish, most of its nutritional quality were similar with the wild-caught crayfish.

The effect of steaming (100 ℃), boiling (100 ℃), frying (160 ℃) and high-pressure steam (121 ℃) on crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) quality was compared. The results showed that all four treatments have sterilization effect. The color, taste and texture of crayfish treated by steaming and boiling were better than by frying and high-pressure steam. Among the four cooking methods, the frying group has the highest cooking loss (32%) and thiobarbituric acid value (0.71 mg/kg). The effects of four thermal treatment on the content of astaxanthin of crayfish meat were significantly different. By comparing the content of volatile flavor compounds (VOCs), it was found that the crayfish treated by steaming and frying containing more species VOCs than the other two methods. For cooking crayfish, steaming could be beneficial for maintaining good edible quality. These results would be helpful for crayfish processing and new products development.

Objective: To identify the relationship between the active compounds in turmeric (Curcuma Longa L., C. Longa) and their medicinal properties, and clarify the chemical material basis of the medicinal properties in C. Longa. Methods: High throughput screening models of the thermo-transient receptor potentials (thermo-TRPs) and human taste type 2 receptors (hTAS2Rs) were established to evaluate the activity of the active compounds in C. Longa. The biological processes and distributions of the related targets of the active compounds were acquired by data mining. The above results were then used as basic data to comprehensively analyze the material basis of the medicinal properties of turmeric. Results: Curcumin inhibited TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV3, and TRPA1, while demethoxycurcumin (DMC) inhibited TRPV3, TRPA1, and TRPM8. In terms of the 21 hTAS2Rs, the response values of hTAS2R38, hTAS2R16, and hTAS2R44 intervened by curcumin were ranked top three; the response values of hTAS2R3, hTAS2R1, and hTAS2R9 by DMC were in top three; the response values of hTAS2R47, hTAS2R39, and hTAS2R43 by bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) were in top three. The biological processes related to active compounds primarily involved blood circulation, ossification, and regulation of the inflammatory response. Conclusion: Curcumin, DMC, and BDMC were identified as the material basis of the property of Chinese materia medica of C. Longa. Among these, curcumin and DMC may contribute to its warming effect in the four qi. Curcumin, DMC, and BDMC may lead to its bitter flavor, and the three active compounds were consistent with the meridian entry of C. Longa. Although different compounds play diverse roles in the four qi, five flavors, and meridian entry, they all were relevant to the efficacy of C. Longa. It is helpful to further understand the important role of the property of Chinese materia medica for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine.

Objectives: The aim of this research was to establish standard norms for posterior smile-related characteristics including posterior smile line (PSL), the most posterior teeth displayed, buccal corridor ratio (BCR), and buccal corridor symmetry (BCS) and investigate its aesthetic contributions to smile attractiveness in a Chinese population. Materials and methods: From digitally recorded dynamic smile videos of young Chinese participants, 188 standardised full-smile images were captured and then aesthetically evaluated by 22 laypersons using a visual analog scale (VAS). Four smile-related variables in the posterior region were analysed. VAS data were compared between subgroups to test the influence of these variables on smile aesthetics with significance level of P < .05. Results: The VAS scores of participants with high PSL were significantly lower than those with average or low PSL (P < .01), especially when they display average or low anterior smile line (P < .05). Smiles with the second premolar displayed obtained the highest VAS amongst the 3 subgroups (P < .05). No significant differences were found between the VAS scores of BCR and BCS (P > .05). Conclusions: Maxillary posterior gingiva and teeth displayed influence smile attractiveness evaluated by laypersons, which should be given attention when treating patients with compromised aesthetics, especially those displaying average or low anterior smile lines.

Objective: The application of Chinese materia medica (CMM) in clinical diseases is the embodiment and continuation of the property theory of CMM (PTCMM). However, due to a lack of precise quantitative description methods, it is difficult to systematically analyze the property of CMM (PCMM) and clinical effect features at the micro molecular level. Methods: The therapeutic drugs and targets were obtained from the Drugbank database. The molecular descriptors of these drugs were calculated based on Dragon software. Drug–effect relationships that integrated the molecular descriptors and effect descriptors were plotted as grayscale images. These images were used to train the LeNet-5 model and the AlexNet model. The best-performing model was used to predict the effect features of the CMM compounds. Finally, the effect features of the PCMM combinations were calculated based on the support vector machine recursive feature elimination algorithm. Results: The AlexNet model showed a superior prediction performance. The results showed that its accuracy, precision, sensitivity, F-measure, and Matthews correlation coefficient on the training set were 0.940, 0.936, 0.945, 0.940, and 0.880, respectively, and those of the test set were 0.909, 0.901, 0.920, 0.910, and 0.819, respectively. A total of 399 compounds in the 42 CMMs for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis were predicted by this model. The key effect features of the Han-Ku-Gan combination were anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-Parkinson, hypoglycemic, and anti-coagulant properties, as well as excitation of uterine smooth muscle. The key effect features of the Wen-Xin-Gan combination were anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-hypertensive, anti-coagulant, anti-tumor, and anti-cardiac insufficiency effects, as well as enhanced immunity, sedation and hypnosis, and analgesia. Conclusion: This study provides a new method for the further exploration of the relationship between the PCMM and clinical effect features.

The property theory of Chinese materia medica is one of the foundations of traditional Chinese medicine. The property of Chinese materia medica (PCMM) is a multi-dimensional expression of the effect of Chinese materia medica (CMM), and it is related to the clinical prescription that fully reflects the clinical effect evaluation of CMM in a holistic, systematic, and scientific way. This paper discusses the source, development, and application of the PCMM by considering not only the five dimensions that constitute the PCMM but also the recognition of the human body and disease as given in traditional Chinese medicine. This paper aims to provide theoretical guidance for the rational use and development of CMM.

Silicon carbide (SiC) has been widely used in industries due to its advantages of wide bandgap, high mechanical and thermal properties, attractive thermal shock resistance and conductivity. To enhance the propertis of the components made of SiC, ball-milling is usually adopted to refine SiC particles before fabrication. However, these existing ball-milling processes are either time-consuming or costly. In this work, a cost-effective and efficient process was proposed to refine SiC particles by using balls of diameters ranging from 5 to 15 mm. The average size of SiC, Dv(50) and Dv(90), decreased dramatically from 39.7 and 111 μm to 7.51 and 19 μm after 5 h, with a reduction of 81.1% and 82.9%, respectively. Neither oxidation nor reaction occurred during the milling process for 5 h. Moreover, the irregular particles are distributed homogeneously without any impurities.

Silicon carbide ceramics were prepared by hot press sintering using Mg additive. Pores are observed on boundaries between particles, grains, and substructures. The microstructures and pores in the ceramics were observed. Results show that pores between particles mainly located on boundaries along the major axis of elongated particles. Micronecks formed between particles in the initial stage, which divide voids between particles into micropores. The initial micronecks and pores are generous to distribute along the major axis of elongated particles. Pores shrunk in the intermediate stage then coarsened. Equiaxed nanopores are formed on grain boundaries between abnormal growth grains and normal grains. Elongated nanopores are formed adjacent to high-density defects.

Silicon carbide was hot pressing sintered at 1300 ̊C/30 MPa by using magnesium additive. Microstructure and sintering mechanism are studied. Result shows that the hot pressing sintered sample composed of both α-SiC and β-SiC, indicating that no polytype transition has happened. Magnesium with stacking faults is located on the silicon carbide matrix as second phase particles. Dislocations and stacking defaults are initiated from grain boundaries and move toward the interior. Micropores locate on grain boundaries, substructure and triple grain junction, revealing a boundary diffusion mechanism. Long-range dislocations in grains and substructures in the lattice confirm a power-law creep mechanism. Keywords: Hot pressing sintering, Silicon carbide, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Microstructure, Sintering mechanism

Seeing that opinions vary, no unanimous conclusion has been drawn on mechanisms of SiC sintered with Mg additive. In this work, SiC porous ceramics were sintered at 1300 °C/30 MPa for 2 h and 6 h. The X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), were used to study the microstructure and mechanism, relative density and mechanical properties were tested. Results show that relative density and most of the mechanical properties decreased with prolongation of sintering time, while hardness increased. M2C3 forms during sintering and has a pinning effect on the boundary between SiC and Mg. Both SiC and M2C3 are strong bonded with Mg with coherent boundary. The mechanism of microstructure evolution has been discussed. Keywords: Ceramics, Sintering, Microstructure, Transmission electron microscopy, TEM

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been well established as a high-risk factor for the carcinogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cellular microRNA (miRNA) is involved in tumorigenesis by accelerating the malignant phenotype in HCC. However, whether HBV can encode miRNAs that contribute to HCC is not entirely clear. Methods: In this study, an miRNA encoded by HBV (HBV-miR-2) was identified by Solexa sequencing in HBV-positive HCC specimens and further verified in serum samples from HCC patients with HBV infection and in HBV-positive HCC cell lines. To evaluate the roles of HBV-miR-2 in liver cancer cells, we determined cell viability and migration/invasion ability by gain-of-function experiment in HBV(−) liver cancer cells (HepG2 and Huh7) and loss-of-function experiments in Huh7 cells stably expressing HBV-miR-2 (Huh7/HBV-miR-2 cells) and HepG2.2.15 cells. Furthermore, to elucidate the mechanism by which HBV-miR-2 work on cell malignancy, we identified and studied the effect of two target genes (TRIM35 and RAN) of HBV-miR-2 in liver cancer cells. Findings: We revealed that HBV-miR-2 promoted HCC cell growth ability by suppressing apoptosis and promoting migration and invasion by enhancing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), functioning as an oncogene in the development of HBV-related HCC. Furthermore, we demonstrated that HBV-miR-2 suppresses the expression of TRIM35 but enhances RAN expression by targeting their 3′-untranslated regions (3’UTR) and that the ectopic expression of TRIM35 or knockdown of RAN counteracted the malignant phenotypes induced by HBV-miR-2. Interpretation: Our findings indicate that an HBV-encoded miRNA, HBV-miR-2, promotes oncogenic activity by downregulating TRIM35 expression and upregulating RAN expression in liver cancer cells, likely providing insight into tumorigenesis in HBV-related liver cancer. Fund: This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No: 81830094; 91629302; 31270818) and the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (No: 12JCZDJC25100). Keywords: HBV, miRNA, Liver cancer, Proliferation, Invasion

Summary: Recent studies send an unambiguous signal that the class of agents known as sodium-glucose–linked co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) prevent heart failure hospitalization in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. Herein the authors utilize a rodent model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and demonstrate that treatment with the SGLT2i empagliflozin, reduces left ventricular mass, improving both wall stress and diastolic function. These findings extend the observation that the main mechanism of action of empagliflozin involves improved hemodynamics (i.e., reduction in preload and afterload) and provide a rationale for upcoming trials in patients with HFpEF irrespective of glycemic status. Key Words: diastole, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, sodium-glucose−linked co-transporter-2 inhibitor, systole

Despite extensive research into steel refining with nanoparticle addition, some aspects remain unclear, such as the low utilization ratio of the nanoparticles. In this study, application of surface-modified nanoparticles in the steel refining process was investigated. The effects of their addition amount on inclusion modifications and microstructure refinements were investigated and the mechanism of intragranular ferrite formation was clarified. Initial experiments were performed to determine the appropriate steelmaking holding time, and the utilization ratio of MgO@C nanoparticle was 65% from the calculated total oxygen content. After nanoparticle addition, the inclusions were mainly composed of MgAl2O4 spinel or MgAl2O4–TiN-based composite inclusions. The inclusion size sharply decreased with nanoparticle addition. The number of sub-micrometer inclusions accounted for 77.2% of all inclusions in S2 steel sample, which contributed to inhibit the migration of prior austenite grain boundaries, and effectively induced acicular ferrite nucleation. Based on the theory that inclusions act as heterogeneous nuclei to induce ferrite nucleation, the results from thermodynamic calculations showed that the critical nucleation diameter for the TiN inclusions is 0.346 μm, which is consistent with experimental data of the minimum inclusion size for ferrite nucleation in actual steel samples. Keywords: Surface treatment, MgO nanoparticles, Nanoparticle utilization ratio, Inclusion characteristics, Intragranular ferrite nucleation, Critical inclusion diameter

The lithium-containing solution is also rich in lithium after preparation of lithium carbonate. With the depletion of primary lithium resource, it is necessary to recovery lithium from a low concentrated lithium-containing solution which can solve the shortage of lithium resources and avoid the waste of lithium. In this article, the lithium phosphate is recovered from lithium-containing solution with a concentration of 2 g/L after preparation of lithium carbonate. The results show that by the application of ultrasound, the lithium recovery rate can be increased. The concentration of lithium is less than 0.3 g/L after preparation of lithium phosphate. For lithium carbonate recovery by ultrasound, please refer to the full length article entitled “Lithium carbonate recovery from lithium-containing solution by ultrasound assisted precipitation”, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2018.12.025 (Chunlong Zhao et al., 2019) [1]. Keywords: Lithium phosphate, Recovery, Precipitation, Lithium-containing solution

Objective: Explicating the property and action of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the perspectives of modern science deepens the insight into the property of TCM, and provides the basis for new drug discovery and clinical therapy. In this study, we investigated the relationship between transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) and pungent flavor using three-dimensional pharmacophores based on virtual screening methods. Methods: Firstly, an inhouse database was established to identify the related pharmacological action according to the traditional Chinese herbs expressing an action of promoting blood circulation. Then, several therapeutic targets, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoAR), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1) and platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR), were selected to screen traditional Chinese herbs, and the common virtual screening hits with various hit scores providing data to reveal the correlation among TRPM8 and therapeutic targets. Results: According to the screening results, TRPM8 agonists were able to identify the effective components of pungent herbs and TRPM8, which shares the common virtual screening hits with the therapeutic targets, was considered to be related to the action of pungent taste. Conclusion: The novel ideas and methods in this study are beneficial to unveil the scientific relationship between a TCM property and its action.

Objective: Used extensively to treat cardiovascular disease, Danqi analogous formulas (DQAF) include prescriptions for Danqi (DQ), Fufang Danshen (FFDS) and Qishen Yiqi (QSYQ). Differences in prescription compatibility result in varying emphases of DQAF in clinical application. Methods and results: Based on network analysis in this study, common and distinct mechanisms of DQAF actions on cardiovascular disease were analyzed at a systemic level. Components–targets–pathways models were developed by Cytoscape (http://www.cytoscape.org/); whereby, target information for active compounds was obtained based on the PharmMapper database (http://59.78.96.61/pharmmapper/), which was further used to search pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (http://www.genome.jp/kegg/). Based on target and network analyses, we discovered RBP4 is a potential common target of DQAF, while mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) and glutathione S-transferase P were potential targets of FFDS and QSYQ, respectively. Furthermore, the potential of DQAF to treat cardiovascular disease occurs through effects on the endocrine, immune, and digestive systems, in addition to lipid, sugar and amino acid metabolic pathways. Whereas FFDS exhibits effects on Toll-like receptor, transforming growth factor beta and MAPK signaling pathways; QSYQ exerts effects on cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling, as well as metabolism of glutathione and arachidonic acid. Conclusion: This study not only reflects the formulas-effect modality of multiple compounds, targets and pathways, but also provides clues to better understand physiological mechanisms of DQAF.

Objective: Lipid droplet (LD) deposition in adipose tissue is a critical factor leading to metabolic dysfunction. Various herbal medicines in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are used to treat hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. The objective of this study was to identify potential anti-adipogenic agents from TCM herbal compounds. Methods: One hundred and twenty compounds were evaluated in terms of their effect on adipocyte differentiation through image-based high content screening. Anti-adipogenic effects of identified hits were further confirmed at various concentrations. In addition, drug-induced liver injury assay was performed with HepG2 cells to test the hepatotoxicity of hit compounds. Results: Berbamine (BBM), a chemical isolated from barberry, and a derivative of BBM, berbamine dihydrochloride (BBMD), reduced LDs formation by more than 50%. Dose-dependent effects were observed and the IC50 values of the two hits, BBM and BBMD, were determined as 1.88 μM and 0.95 μM, respectively. Moreover, BBM induced mild HepG2 cell injury, while its dihydrochloride—BBMD did not exhibit hepatotoxicity within 40 μM. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that BBMD may be a potential therapeutic candidate for disorders associated with elevated LDs accumulation.