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Introduction: The Gelao people are a unique minority in Southwest China with a unique culture for the utilization of edible plants, including a large number of medicinal plants. They believe that at least 61 species are edible and have medicinal value. Ethnobotany research can reveal the local knowledge of the Gelao people regarding the traditional use of plants and the relationship between this minority and their living environment to help retain and pass on this traditional knowledge forever. Methods: Edible wild plants and their applied ethnic knowledge were investigated in three counties in northern Guizhou. Gelao residents were the main informants, and literature search, village interviews, participatory observation and quantitative ethnobotany evaluation were used. Results: A total of 151 species of wild plants in 67 families are collected and eaten by Gelao residents, among which 61 species were considered to have medicinal value, accounting for 40.4% of the total, and 43 were listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. There were 57 plant species with fruits as their edible parts, which are consumed as snacks, followed by 54 species whose young seedlings and leaves are the edible parts, most of which are consumed cold or stir-fried. Other edible parts included roots or rhizomes (bulbs), flowers, whole plants, seeds, fruiting bodies and stems. There were two consumption modes: raw and cooked. Raw foods were mainly consumed as snacks, which mainly comprise fruits. Cooked foods were mainly vegetables consumed cold or stir-fried. Some plants were used as seasonings, infused wines, condiments and grains. The main medicinal functions were nourishing and reducing heatiness. Nourishing plants were mainly "shen" plants and Liliaceae, while plants able to reduce heatiness were mainly Asteraceae. Others functions included anti-hangover, anticancer and insecticidal. There were 38 species of important edible wild plants (CFSI > 500) in northern Guizhou, which had a high utilization rate. Houttuynia cordata Thunb. and Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. were the most representative edible wild plants in this area. The species, edible parts, edible categories, consumption modes and medicinal functions of edible wild plants in this area are diverse, and the traditional knowledge on their uses is rich. However, the number of wild plant species eaten by the informants and their related knowledge were positively correlated with age, which indicates that the rich traditional knowledge in this area is gradually disappearing with urbanization. Conclusions: The Gelao have a rich history of consuming wild plants. With the development of the social economy, the traditional knowledge passed from older generations is gradually being lost and its inheritance is facing great risks. This study collects, sorts and spreads this precious traditional knowledge, which is of great value to its protection and inheritance and fully demonstrates the value and importance of our work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gynostemma pentaphyllum is a traditional medicine used by ethnic minorities in southwest China and gypenosides are currently recognized as essential components of the pharmacological substances of Gynostemma pentaphyllum, which are effective in regulating metabolic syndrome, especially in improving hepatic metabolic disorders. The present study randomly divided C57BL/6J male mice into the normal diet control group (ND), high-fat diet modeling group (HFD) and gypenosides group (GP). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was applied to quantify bile acids in the liver, bile and serum of mice in ND, HFD and GP groups. Liver proteins were extracted for trypsin hydrolysis and analyzed quantitatively using UPLC-MS + MS/MS (timsTOF Pro 2). Total mouse liver RNA was extracted from ND, HFD and GP groups respectively, cDNA sequencing libraries constructed and sequenced using BGISEQ-500 sequencing platform. The expression of key genes Fxr, Shp, Cyp7a1, Cyp8b1, and Abab11 was detected by RT-qPCR. The results showed that gypenosides accelerated free bile acid synthesis by promoting the expression of bile acid synthase CYP7A1 and CYP8B1 genes and proteins and accelerating the secretion of conjugated bile acids from the liver to the bile ducts. GP inhibited the bile acid transporters solute carrier organic anion transporter family member (SLCO) 1A1 and SLCO1A4, reducing the reabsorption of free bile acids and accelerating the excretion of free bile acids from the blood to the kidneys. It also promoted the metabolic enzyme CYP3A11, which accelerated the metabolism and clearance of bile acids, thus maintaining the balance of the bile acid internal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ride-hailing industry is a new business form that combines traditional taxi services with Internet technology and a sharing economy. However, after its emergence, countries have focused on finding ways to regulate this industry. The regulation of ride-hailing has gone through three stages: from denial of negation to laissez-faire and prudential supervision. This study focuses on the market regulation of the ride-hailing industry, discusses whether ride-hailing platforms require strict regulation under the current Internet setting, and provides evidence for this problem from the perspective of evolutionary game theory between the behavior of the government and the platforms. This study argues that both ride-hailing platforms and the government are evolutionary game players with bounded rationality, constantly adjusting their strategies through confrontation, dependence, and restriction. Therefore, this study constructs a two-dimensional game model between the government and ride-hailing platforms and analyzes the stability strategies of the two participants in different scenarios, to clarify the game behavior and the game return matrix. Assuming that loose government regulation and the standard operation of the ride-hailing platforms are the optimal Pareto equilibrium of the game system, the study concludes that this optimal equilibrium cannot be achieved under the current conditions. Through parameter analysis and sample simulation calculations, the system can be directed toward this equilibrium by reducing government supervision cost and increasing government punishment. This provides a theoretical basis for the government to regulate the ride-hailing industry from the perspective of quantitative analysis. Related implications are finally proposed, which can help the decision-makers better understand the regulation countermeasures of the government and ride-hailing platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium, which belongs to the family of Orchidaceae, is a highly valuable traditional Chinese medicine commonly used in China. It exerts pharmacological activities such as antitumor and hypoglycemia effects, and its main components are alkaloids, polysaccharides, and terpenoids, among others. In recent years, research on the clinical application of Dendrobium in antitumor therapy has gained increasing attention. Accumulating evidence suggests that the active components of Dendrobium possess significant inhibitory effects on the viability of cancer cells as evident from in vivo and in vitro experiments, which indicates that Dendrobium exerts significant anticancer effect in treating and preventing cancer development, inhibiting the underlying potential molecular mechanisms, including suppression of cancer cell growth and proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis induction, tumor angiogenesis, and reinforcement of cisplatin (DDP) -induced apoptosis. We herein present a review that summarizes the research progress of the application of Dendrobium in cancer therapy and its molecular mechanisms. This review describes the positive aspects of the active ingredients of Dendrobium in the treatment of cancers in various systems of the human body, their inhibitory effects on tumor survival and tumor microenvironment, and their potential mechanisms. Additionally, this review proposes future application prospects of Dendrobium in cancer therapy to promote further research and future extensive clinical applications of Dendrobium in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]