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This study aimed to establish a pre-column derivatization-high performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of amino acids in Morindae officinalis Radix and evaluate its nutritional value by amino acid ratio coefficient method. The amino acid test solution of Morindae officinalis Radix was prepared by hydrochloric acid hydrolysis method. Phenyl isothiocyanate and triethylamine were used as pre-column derivatization reagents. The amino acid content was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with Ultimate Amino Acid chromatographic column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm), 0.1 mol/L anhydrous sodium acetate-acetonitrile as mobile phase, gradient elution, column temperature of 40°C, and detection wavelength of 254 nm. The nutritional value of amino acids was evaluated by amino acid ratio (RAA), amino acid ratio coefficient (RC), and ratio coefficient score (SRC). Systematic cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used in classification analysis. The linear relationship of 15 amino acids was good, and the correlation coefficient r ≥ 0.999 6. The total amino acid contents of 16 batches of Morindae officinalis Radix were between 17.87 mg/g and 102.15 mg/g. Fifteen kinds of amino acids were detected in all 16 samples, including 6 kinds of essential amino acids, accounting for 14.15% to 32.06%, and 8 kinds of medicinal amino acids, accounting for 45.20% to 56.31%. The limiting amino acids were threonine and leucine. The amino acid ratio coefficient was between 33.87 and 61.31. The correlation of amino acid composition of Morindae officinalis Radix was significant. Two principal components were proposed in principal component analysis, and the contribution rate of cumulative variance was 97.085%. 16 batches of Morindae officinalis Radix are divided into 3 categories. This method was simple and effective. It could effectively separate 15 kinds of amino acids, and had good precision and repeatability. It has high medicinal value and can provided a reference for quality evaluation and resource development of Morindae officinalis Radix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is suggestive of a molecular target for cancer therapy due to its involvement in cell cycle, differentiation, and morphogenesis. Meanwhile, survivin is identified as an apoptosis inhibitor and involved in tumorgenesis. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential associations between TGF-β and survivin in glioblastoma U87 cell line. Survivin small interfering RNA (siRNA), Western blotting, and cell cycle analysis were introduced to detect relevant proteins in TGF-β pathways. In this study, we observed a concentration- and time-dependent increase of survivin expression after treatment with TGF-β1. However, the kinase inhibitors U0126 and LY294002 inhibited the upregulation of survivin in comparison with DMSO. In addition, survivin siRNA effectively abrogated survivin expression in U87 cells, therefore affected cells' entry into the S phase of cell cycle, and then repressed the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) in comparison with non-transfection. In conclusion, the present study shows that TGF-β upregulates survivin expression via ERK and PI3K/AKT pathway, leading to glioblastoma cell cycle progression. Thus, the blockade of survivin will allow for the treatment of glioblastoma, partially attributing to the inhibition of EGFR and MMP9 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]