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Objective: To study the effect of berberine combined with risperidone therapy on endocrine hormones and oxidative stress in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: A total of 90 patients with schizophrenia who were treated in our hospital between May 2014 and May 2016 were collected, reviewed and then divided into the control group (n=47) who received risperidone therapy and the observation group (n=47) who received berberine combined with risperidone therapy. Serum insulin resistance index levels, thyroid hormone and prolactin contents as well as oxidative stress index contents before and after treatment were compared between two groups of patients. Results: Before treatment, differences in serum insulin resistance index levels, thyroid hormone and prolactin contents as well as oxidative stress index contents were not statistically significant between two groups of patients. After treatment, serum FINS and HOMA-IR levels in observation group were lower than those in control group; serum T3 content was higher than that in control group while PRL content was lower than that in control group; serum MDA content was lower than that in control group while SOD, GSH-Px and CAT contents were higher than those in control group. Conclusion: Berberine combined with risperidone therapy for patients with schizophrenia won't cause severe endocrine hormone level disorder, and helps to reduce the systemic oxidative stress response.

Under the deacetylation of fungal endophyte Penicillium canescens , which was isolated from pigeon pea, a novel and highly efficient biotransformation method of astragalosides to astragaloside IV in Radix Astragali was investigated. After single factor tests of the biotransformation procedure, the optimum biotransformation conditions were confirmed as the liquid solid ratio 20:1, the biotransformation temperature 30 °C, time 36 h and pH 7, respectively. Final content of astragaloside IV in Radix Astragali reached 7.66 ± 0.44 mg/g, which was 5.51-fold to that of untreated one and contents of astragaloside I and astragaloside II significantly decreased. The immobilized Ca-alginate gel beads with P. canescens could be reused at least for 13 runs. This is the first report that fungal endophyte was applied for the biotransformation of astragalosides to astragaloside IV in Radix Astragali and this novel high-efficiency biotransformation method will be an alternative to enhance the content of astragaloside IV in Radix Astragali in commercial process.