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Rhubarb is the collective name for various perennial plants from the genus Rheum L. and the Polygonaceae family. They are one of the most ancient, commonly used, and important herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. Rhubarb is a major source of anthraquinones, but how they are synthesized remains largely unknown. Here, we generate a genome sequence assembly of one important medicinal rhubarb R. tanguticum at the chromosome level, with 2.76 Gb assembled into 11 chromosomes. The genome is shaped by two recent whole-genome duplication events and recent bursts of retrotransposons. Metabolic analyses show that the major anthraquinones are mainly synthesized in its roots. Transcriptomic analysis reveals a co-expression module with a high correlation to anthraquinone biosynthesis that includes key chalcone synthase genes. One CHS, four CYP450 and two BGL genes involved in secondary metabolism show significantly upregulated expression levels in roots compared with other tissues and clustered in the co-expression module, which implies that they may also act as candidate genes for anthraquinone biosynthesis. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic bases of anthraquinone biosynthesis that will facilitate improved breeding practices and agronomic properties for rhubarb in the future. A chromosome-scale genome assembly for rhubarb combined with transcriptomic data provides insight into the molecular mechanisms regulating anthraquinone biosynthesis in this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article extends stochastic input‐to‐state stability (SISS$$ \mathrm{SISS} $$) to stochastic time‐delayed hybrid systems with the properties of edge dependent. By quoting multiple Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, comparison principle in association with admissible edge‐dependent average dwell time (AED‐ADT$$ \mathrm{AED}\hbox{-} \mathrm{ADT} $$) approach and admissible amputated edge‐dependent average impulsive interval (AAED‐AII$$ \mathrm{AAED}\hbox{-} \mathrm{AII} $$) technology, several novel stability criteria of hybrid time‐delayed stochastic systems are established. We allow impulsive jump and subsystem switching to occur at different instants. Furthermore, a new method named AAED‐AII is recommended for gap between impulses, which is an improvement for mode‐dependent average impulsive interval. Finally, a practical example is given to show the effectiveness of the new design techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimorphic flowers growing on a single individual plant play a critical role in extreme adaption and reproductive assurance in plants and have high ecological and evolutionary significance. However, the omics bases underlying such a differentiation and maintenance remain largely unknown. We aimed to investigate this through genomic, transcriptome and metabolomic analyses of dimorphic flowers in an alpine biennial, Sinoswertia tetraptera (Gentianaceae). A high‐quality chromosome‐level genome sequence (903 Mb) was first assembled for S. tetraptera with 31,359 protein‐coding genes annotated. Two rounds of recent independent whole‐genome duplication (WGD) were revealed. Numerous genes from the recent species‐specific WGD were found to be differentially expressed in the two types of flowers, and this may have helped contribute to the origin of this innovative trait. The genes with contrasting expressions between flowers were related to biosynthesis of hormones, floral pigments (carotenoids and flavonoids) and iridoid compounds, which are involved in both flower development and colour. Metabolomic analyses similarly suggested differential concentrations of these chemicals in the two types of flowers. The expression interactions between multiple genes may together lead to contrasting morphology and chemical concentration and open versus closed pollination of the dimorphic flowers in this species for reproductive assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eudicots are the most diverse group of flowering plants that compromise five well-defined lineages: core eudicots, Ranunculales, Proteales, Trochodendrales, and Buxales. However, the phylogenetic relationships between these five lineages and their chromosomal evolutions remain unclear, and a lack of high-quality genome analyses for Buxales has hindered many efforts to address this knowledge gap. Results: Here, we present a high-quality chromosome-level genome of Buxus austro-yunnanensis (Buxales). Our phylogenomic analyses revealed that Buxales and Trochodendrales are genetically similar and classified as sisters. Additionally, both are sisters to the core eudicots, while Ranunculales was found to be the first lineage to diverge from these groups. Incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization were identified as the main contributors to phylogenetic discordance (34.33%) between the lineages. In fact, B. austro-yunnanensis underwent only one whole-genome duplication event, and collinear gene phylogeny analyses suggested that separate independent polyploidizations occurred in the five eudicot lineages. Using representative genomes from these five lineages, we reconstructed the ancestral eudicot karyotype (AEK) and generated a nearly gapless karyotype projection for each eudicot species. Within core eudicots, we recovered one common chromosome fusion event in asterids and malvids, respectively. Further, we also found that the previously reported fused AEKs in Aquilegia (Ranunculales) and Vitis (core eudicots) have different fusion positions, which indicates that these two species have different karyotype evolution histories. Conclusions: Based on our phylogenomic and karyotype evolution analyses, we revealed the likely relationships and evolutionary histories of early eudicots. Ultimately, our study expands genomic resources for early-diverging eudicots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the event-triggered impulsive mechanism, this work introduces the p th moment (integral) input-to-state stability (p -(i)ISS) for a general group of impulsive and switched stochastic delay systems. Using the means of mode-dependent average dwell time and mode-dependent average impulsive interval, some sufficient conditions of p -ISS and p -iISS are supplied. By incorporating the input of subsystems and impulses into the triggering functions, two distinct types of event-triggered impulsive constraint is proposed, which is defined as mode-dependent event-triggered impulsive mechanism with input (MDETIMI). Different from the traditional event-triggered impulsive control, two MDETIMI strategy are individually discussed, which one is the supremum of K ∞ function of subsystem input and the superposition of impulsive input, and the other is the integral of K ∞ function of subsystem input and the superposition of impulsive input. Moreover, it is unveiled that even with the indeterminate derivatives of the Lyapunov functions, the Zeno phenomenon can effectively be avoided by using MDETIMI strategy. Finally, an example shows the effectiveness and practicability of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) as a ligand dependent transcription factor, is capable of regulating gene expression of cytochromes P450 and transporters involved in xenobiotic/drug metabolism and elimination. Due to the species differences in the regulatory specificity of PXR, gene regulation should not be extrapolated from mammal to fish without research data. The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of 27 natural products on PXR, CYP3A30 and MDR1 genes in channel catfish (Ietalurus punetaus) kidney cells (CC-K). The results showed that bisdemethoxycurcumin, glycyrrhetnic acid, rotenone, artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin, ligustilide and matrine strongly induced the mRNA levels of PXR. Additionally, the up-regulation of CYP3A30 gene ran parallel with PXR gene after the treatment of demethoxycurcumin, glycyrrhetnic acid, artemisinin, matrine, baicalein, schisantherin A, ligustilide, and dihydroartemisinin. Moreover, we found that natural products schisandrin A, schisandrin B, schisandrol A, and schisandrol B significantly up-regulated the mRNA level of MDR1 gene. Our work with a view to provide experimental data support for further research, which will make for the rational application of natural products in channel catfish, such as to avoid adverse herb-drug interactions or accelerating the residue elimination of chemical medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A more general framework of a hybrid system is developed to characterize the overall system subject to switch-ing signals and delay-dependent impulsive jumps. It relaxes the assumption that the impulsive behavior and switching signal have appeared simultaneously. There are two kinds of time series, impulsive and switching time series. These sequences need to be considered separately, which causes significant difficulties and challenges; • A novel definition called AED-AII is employed to portray the impulse signal. Within the framework of this new concept, when the subsystem switches from different modes to the ith mode, the AII corresponding to the ith mode may also be different. This approach is less conservative in the sense that it relaxes the limitation of MDAII to all-edge-dependence. Thus, the results are more flexible and more applicable for the stability of impulsive switched systems; • The relation of AED-AII, AED-ADT, impulsive gain and the decay rate of the Lyapunov functional for each mode is revealed. Compared with the MDAII and MDADT methods used in [23] and [16] , the results obtained in our paper are less conservative, which may make them applicable a larger class of switching signals and impulsive sequences. Compared with [24] , our results are more relaxed in that the conditions in [24] are designed without accounting for the effect of a delay-dependent impulse emerging in Lyapunov function part and the contribution existing in the functional part V2. When the influence of the switching signal is not considered, the conclusions in this paper return to the corresponding results in [9] , which implies that the results in this paper are more general. Moreover, [25] is not concerned with the delay existing in the impulse, and thus, the method may not be easily applied to our system. In other words, when the impulsive jumps are not affected by the time delay, which implies that ζ 2 i = 0. Theorem 1 in our setup can be reduced to Lemma 1 in [25]. Then, applying our results to impulsive switched delayed systems with delay-independent impulses, a relaxed criterion on the upper bound of dwell time is obtained. In this summary, for a kind of hybrid deterministic system, we emphasize the input-to-state stability (ISS) property. Meanwhile, the delay-dependent impulse and switching behavior are permitted to arise asynchronously. In other words, the impulses can arise many times or not once within a period of switching interval. For impulsive signals, A fresh idea called admissible edge-dependent average impulsive interval (AED-AII) is addressed according to properties of edges. By developing the multiple Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals (MLKFs), merged with the AED-ADT switching scheme and AED-AII method, some ameliorated criteria in accordance with the ISS of hybrid delayed systems are established with regard to stabilizing and destabilizing impulses. Compared with previous work, our setup enjoys the important features: the candidate functions fully taps the effect of the delay existing in the system dynamics and impulse on the function part of the MLKFs; the AED-AII method combined with the AED-ADT switching scheme in our paper contains a larger group of the impulsive and switching signals; and for the case in which all the subsystems are unstable, the stability criterion is suitable for the arbitrary time delay. Finally, an example shows that the results of this paper are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay was developed for the detection of Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV). In this procedure, a set of four primers matching a total of six sequences in the coat protein gene region of CCYV was synthesized for the RT-LAMP assay using total RNA extracted from CCYV-infected melon leaf tissues, and the optimum reaction temperature and assay time were determined. The sensitivity assay showed that the virus was detectable in RT-LAMP reactions at dilutions of 1×10−11, which was 105 times more sensitive than the RT-PCR assay. The RT-LAMP assay for CCYV and Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV) exhibited high specificity for CCYV. This simple and sensitive method has potential for detection of CCYV in samples collected in the field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The application value of repeated intra-articular pulsed radiofrequency for the treatment of knee joint pain has remained to be determined. To investigate this, a total of 64 patients with chronic knee joint pain admitted to Caoxian People's Hospital (Caoxian, Chine) between October 2016 and May 2018 were enrolled in the present study and analyzed prospectively. The patients were randomly divided into a control group, receiving treatment with a single intra-articular pulsed radiofrequency through the knee joint (n=32), and an experimental group, receiving multiple intra-articular pulsed radiofrequency treatments through the knee joint (n=32). The visual analog scale score (VAS), clinical efficacy and adverse reactions prior to and after treatment were compared between the two treatments. Synovial fluid cytokines were measured using ELISA prior to and after treatment. After the treatment, the control group and the experimental group both had a lower VAS (P<0.001) and the control group had a higher VAS and lower pain relief than the experimental group (P<0.001). The control group had a total effectiveness rate of 78.13%, with 13 patients experiencing complete relief (40.63%), 12 patients exhibiting a marked improvement (37.5%) and 7 patients reporting no effects (21.87%). The experimental group had a total effectiveness rate of 90.63%, with 18 patients (56.25%) being cured, 11 patients having a marked effect (34.37%) and 3 patients reporting no effects (9.38%). The experimental group had a higher incidence of adverse reactions than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the two groups had decreased IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α levels in the knee joint synovial fluid (P<0.05), with the experimental group having lower cytokine levels than the control group (P<0.05). These results indicated that repeated intra-articular pulsed radiofrequency is an effective method for the treatment of knee joint pain and may be used in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the effects of poplar secondary metabolites on Lymantria dispar , six poplar secondary metabolites (i.e., caffeic acid, salicin, rutin, quercetin, flavone, and catechol) and three mixtures containing characteristic secondary metabolites in poplar were selected. Mixture 1 contained flavone and salicin, mixture 2 contained salicin, caffeic acid, and catechol, and mixture 3 contained flavone, catechol, and caffeic acid. Mixtures were added to artificial diets used to feed 2nd instar L. dispar larvae. The effects of different secondary metabolites on larval growth and development, antifeedant activity, nutrient utilization, and detoxifying enzymatic activity were investigated. Results revealed that there were different influences on L. dispar larvae. The maximum antifeedant rate of flavone was 87.58%. Larvae treated with mixture 2 had a significantly longer development time of 5.61 d with a survival rate of 38.75% for 15 d, which is lower than a single secondary metabolite. No L. dispar larvae survived on feeding diets containing flavone for 7 d. An increase in GST and P450 activities in larvae was significantly induced during the 72 h feeding on artificial diets containing experimental secondary metabolites. After treatment containing salicin and flavone for 24–72 h, P450 activity increased at first then decreased. These results provide a foundation for further investigation on the host selection and underlying adaptation mechanisms in L. dispar. Unlabelled Image • Poplar secondary metabolites affected growth and development of L. dispar larvae. • Flavone showed significantly antifeedant activity to L. dispar larvae. • GST and P450 in L. dispar larvae involved in detoxifying poplar secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the asynchronous l 2 − l ∞ filtering problem is directed at a kind of discrete-time impulsive switched systems, where 'asynchronous' implies that there is a delay when switching occurs between filter modes and system modes. A novel Lyapunov function has been constructed. The inventiveness lies in discontinuity of Lyapunov-like function at both the switching time and the instant when the system modes and filter modes are matched. An improved inequality portraying the relationship among Lyapunov-like function, impulse, asynchronous phenomena and disturbance is built to pledge the l 2 − l ∞ performance. On the basis of directed graph, the novel Lyapunov function, the improved inequality and admissible edge-dependent average dwell time technology, some criteria suitable for proving the globally uniformly exponential stability of filtering error system are proposed with l 2 − l ∞ performance index, and the relevant filter can also be designed. Finally, three numerical examples show the availability of the obtained conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C. officinalis Kuan is the dry root of Cyathula officinalis Kuan. Clinically, it is used for fall and flutter injury, rheumatism and arthralgia. Phytoecdysteroids have significant anti-inflammatory effects, and the phytoecdysteroids present in C. officinalis Kuan exhibit potential for treating rheumatoid arthritis. This study first developed a selective, accurate and efficient LC-MS/MS method for 12-day pharmacokinetic studies regarding the simultaneous determination of cyasterone, 25-epi-28-epi-cyasterone, precyasterone and capitasterone from C. officinalis Kuan phytoecdysteroids extract in normal and adjuvant arthritis rats. An Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 RRHD column (1.8 µm, 50mm × 2.1 mm) with a gradient mobile phase consisting of water (A) and acetonitrile (B) was used for analysis. The mass analysis was performed in an Agilent 6430 QQQ-MS mass spectrometer with positive mode multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The results indicated that the AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ values of the four phytoecdysteroids in adjuvant arthritis rats were different from those in normal rats on the first day, which could provide a helpful reference for pharmacological and toxicological studies, as well as clinical applications of C. officinalis Kuan in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. 1. C. officinalis Kuan is the dry root of Cyathula officinalis Kuan which has been used for the treatment of flapping injury, rheumatism arthralgia, foot flaccidity, and tendon contracture thousands of years in China, and has been officially included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. 2. A highly accurate, stable, and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was first established and validated for simultaneously determination four phytoecdysteroids: cyasterone, 25-epi-28-epi-cyasterone, precyasterone and capitasterone in normal and adjuvant arthritis rats plasma samples 12 days of continuous gavage of C. officinalis Kuan phytoecdysteroids extract. 3. The phytoecdysteroids is the important component of C. officinalis Kuan, which is difficult to separated. And there is no report for the pharmacokinetic study of phytoecdysteroids from C. officinalis Kuan. And the method provides a good reference for the follow-up studies clinical medication of the phytoecdysteroids from C. officinalis Kuan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selective and sensitive ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of three triterpenoid saponins isolated from Astragalus membranaceus leaf extract. In this article, a method for simultaneous determination of Huangqiyenin A, Huangqiyenin E, and Huangqiyenin K was established for the first time. The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of Astragalus membranaceus leaf extract after oral administration. Liquid–liquid extraction was applied to plasma sample preparation. Multiple reaction monitoring mode with an electrospray ion source in positive electrospray ionization was chosen to quantify the analytes. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters HSS T3 column, using gradient elution with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and 5 mM ammonium acetate/water. The pharmacokinetic results showed that all three compounds had the characteristics of rapid absorption‐slow metabolism trend. The time of maximum plasma concentration of Huangqiyenin A is higher than Huangqiyenin E and Huangqiyenin K. And the maximum plasma concentration of Huangqiyenin A is higher as well. The pharmacokinetic results revealed the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the three analytes in rat plasma, which could provide a helpful reference for the further study of Astragalus membranaceus leaf extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subnival glasshouse plants provide a text-book example of high-altitude adaptation with reproductive organs enclosed in specialized semi-translucent bracts, monocarpic reproduction and continuous survival under stress. Here, we present genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses for one such plant, the Noble rhubarb (Rheum nobile). Comparative genomic analyses show that an expanded number of genes and retained genes from two recent whole-genome duplication events are both relevant to subnival adaptation of this species. Most photosynthesis genes are downregulated within bracts compared to within leaves, and indeed bracts exhibit a sharp reduction in photosynthetic pigments, indicating that the bracts no longer perform photosynthesis. Contrastingly, genes related to flavonol synthesis are upregulated, providing enhanced defense against UV irradiation damage. Additionally, anatomically abnormal mesophyll combined with the downregulation of genes related to mesophyll differentiation in bracts illustrates the innovation and specification of the glass-like bracts. We further detect substantial accumulation of antifreeze proteins (e.g. AFPs, LEAs) and various metabolites (e.g. Proline, Protective sugars, procyanidins) in over-wintering roots. These findings provide new insights into subnival adaptation and the evolution of glasshouse alpine plants. A chromosome-level genome assembly for the glasshouse plant Rheum nobile (noble rhubarb) combined with phylogenetic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses provides insight into how alpine plants have adapted to growth in extreme environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method to simultaneously determine Picroside-I, Picroside-II, Picroside-III, minecoside, and sweroside in rat plasma. The chromatographic column was an ACQUITY UHPLC® BEH Amide Column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 µm; Waters, MA, USA), column temperature 40 °C. The mobile phase was 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution–0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution. The flow rate was 0.4 mL/min. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and negative ion modes were adopted. The results showed that the calibration curves of five compounds in plasma showed good linearity (r > 0.9911) over the studied dose range. The lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) for Picroside-I, Picroside-II, Picroside-III, minecoside, and sweroside were 6.876, 5.193, 5.040, 1.260, and 4.527 ng/mL, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision were <15%. The matrix effects ranged from 95.77 to 101.9%. The Tmax were 1.1 ± 0.2, 1.1 ± 0.1, 0.8 ± 0.1, 1.0 ± 0.2, and 2.1 ± 0.1 h. This study will be useful in understanding the behavior of drugs in the body and the body's effect on drugs. It also offers theoretical underpinnings and highlights the importance of clinical applications and creating novel drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies integral input-to-state stability (iISS) of a class of hybrid delayed systems with impulse and switching behavior, in which the delay-dependent impulse and switching behavior are allowed for asynchronous occurrence. Relative to admissible edge-dependent average dwell time (AED-ADT) concept of the switching signal, a fresh concept of admissible edge-dependent average impulsive interval (AED-AII) is proposed for the impulse signal. Several sufficient criteria for iISS are achieved by using multiple Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (MLKF) tool, AED-ADT switching, and AED-AII schemes. An improved inequality that describing the relation among Lyapunov function continuous switching signal and discrete impulse is constructed, where the jump amplitude at discrete switching points and impulsive moments including delay-dependent part and delay-independent part are involved. Compared with existing results, our conclusions have the following novelties: (1) the influence of time delay existing in continuous dynamics and discrete impulse on the function part of L-K functional is dug out, which is less conservative; (2) the AED-AII scheme proposed in this paper is combined with the AED-ADT switching method, which contains a larger set of the impulsive and switching signal. Moreover, the stability criterion is suitable for the arbitrary time delay in situation that all the subsystems are destabilizing. Finally, an example is given to verify the validity of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A sensitive and rapid ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method was successfully applied to the determination of 10 alkaloids in beagle dog plasma following a single oral dose of Xiatianwu capsules and enteric‐coated capsules, with theophylline serving as the internal standard (IS). Methods: Plasma samples were preprocessed using liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) with ethyl acetate ahead to separation using a gradient elution procedure on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column (1.8 μm, 100 × 2.1 mm). The mobile phase was composed of 0.1% formic acid solution and acetonitrile at the flow rate of 0.3 ml/min. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used to determine the analytes in the positive ion mode. Results: The calibration curves for 10 analytes demonstrated a high degree of linearity (r ≥ 0.9920). The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) values for 10 alkaloids were all more than 1.074 ng/ml, and matrix effects varied from 94.25% to 106.15%. The mean extraction recovery of quality control samples at low (LQC), medium (MQC) and high (HQC) concentrations, as well as IS, was all more than 76.60%. The intra‐day and inter‐day precision (RSD) also satisfied the requirement. Simultaneously, the variation of assay accuracies (RE) was between 13.05% and 9.38%. Conclusion: The test was validated in accordance with regulatory bioanalytical guidelines and was found to be suitable for use in a pharmacokinetic investigation of these compounds in beagle dogs after oral administration of Xiatianwu general capsules and enteric‐coated capsules. The Cmax of 10 alkaloids ranged from 52.61 to 192.46 ng/ml after oral administration of Xiatianwu capsules, and from 67.50 to 247.36 ng/ml. The Tmax was between 0.59 and 1.33 h of Xiatianwu capsules, and between 1.08 and 2.00 h of enteric‐coated capsules. The t1/2 ranged from 3.18 to 7.47 h of general capsules, and from 6.01 to 11.36 h. AUC0‐t ranged from 181.06 to 722.74 ng·h/ml of Xiatianwu capsules, and from 275.03 to 884.17 ng·h/ml of enteric‐coated capsules. The Cmax of enteric‐coated capsules were significantly increased except for tetrahydropalmatine and berberine. Tmax of general capsules were less than 1 h, and of enteric‐coated capsules were less than 2 h. The t1/2 of dehydrocorydaline, palmatine, tetrahydrojatrorrhizine, jatrorrhizine and coptisine in enteric‐coated capsules was longer than that in ordinary capsule. The AUC0‐t and AUC0‐∞ of bicuculline, dehydrocorydaline, protopine, magnoflorine, tetrahydrojatrorrhizine, jatrorrhizine, berberine and coptisine were all significantly higher in enteric‐coated capsules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of colon cancer is increasing year over year, seriously affecting human health and quality of life in recent years. However, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been utilized for the treatment of colon cancer. S. officinalis Saponins (S-Saponins), the potential compound of TCM, displays multiple biological activities in colon cancer treatment. In our study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) combined with multivariate statistical analysis were performed to analyze and identify raw and processed saponins. Then, MTT and cell migration assays were used to preliminarily explore the effects of saponins in vitro on colon cancer cells. The results showed that 29 differential saponins compounds under Paozhi were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS. Moreover, in vitro validation showed that Sprocessed better inhibited the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells than Sraw. This study provides a basis for the determination of the chemical fundamentals of the efficacy changes during Paozhi through inferring the changes in saponin components and its possible transformation mechanisms before and after processing S. officinalis. Meanwhile, it also provides new insights into potential bioactive ingredients for the treatment of colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selective and rapid ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method was established and validated for the determination of ziyuglycoside I, 3β,19α-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic-acid 28-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester, and pomolic acid in rats after the oral administration of ziyuglycoside I, 3β,19α-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic-acid 28-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester, pomolic acid, and Sanguisorba officinalis L. extract. The separation was carried out on an ACQUITY UPLC®HSS T3 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.8 μm), using methanol and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate water as the mobile phase. The three compounds were quantified using the multiple reaction monitoring mode with the electrospray ion source in both the positive and negative mode. Liquid-liquid extraction was applied to the plasma sample preparation. Bifendate was selected as the internal standard. The intra-day and inter-day precision and the accuracy of the method were all within receivable ranges. The lower limit of quantification of ziyuglycoside I, 3β,19α-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic-acid 28-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester, and pomolic acid were 6.50, 5.75, and 2.63 ng/mL, respectively. The extraction recoveries of analytes in rat plasma ranged from 83 to 94%. The three components could be rapidly absorbed into the blood (Tmax, 1.4–1.6 h) both in the single-administration group or S. officinalis extract group, but the first peak of PA occurred at 0.5 h and the second peak at 4–5 h in the S. officinalis extract. Three compounds were eliminated relatively slowly (t1/2, 7.3–11 h). The research was to establish a rapid, sensible, and sensitive UHPLC–MS/MS method using the multi-ion mode for multi-channel simultaneous mensuration pharmacokinetics parameters of three compounds in rats after oral administration of S. officinalis extract. This study found, for the first time, differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters of the three compounds in the monomer compounds and S. officinalis extract administration, which preliminarily revealed the transformation and metabolism of the three compounds in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumex gmelinii Turcz. (RGT) is a medicinal plant of the genus Rumex, family Polygonaceae. Our research group isolated an endophytic fungus, Plectosphaerella cucumerina (Strain J-G) from RGT, which could significantly promote host growth when co-cultured with host seedlings. In this study, we used transcriptome analysis and verification experiments to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying this growth-promoting effect. We found that, during co-culture with Strain J-G, the expression of genes encoding key enzymes in amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate synthesis and metabolism were up-regulated in RGT tissue culture seedlings, providing additional substrate and energy for plant growth. In addition, the expression of genes encoding the responser of RGT seedlings to hormones, including auxin and cytokinin, were significantly enhanced, promoting plant growth and development. Furthermore, RGT seedling defense systems were mobilized by Strain J-G; therefore, more secondary metabolites and substances involved in stress resistance were produced, ensuring normal plant growth and metabolism. The research showed Strain J-G significantly promote the accumulation of biomass and effective components of RGT, which provide basis for its application. This research also provides a reference method for the study of growth-promoting mechanism of endophytic fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicago ruthenica has been recently cultivated as a new forage crop and has been recognized as a source of genes to improve abiotic stress tolerance in cultivated alfalfa because of its remarkable tolerance to drought, salinity‐alkalinity, and cold and snowy winters. Here, we reveal a chromosome‐scale genome sequence of M. ruthenica based on Illumina, PacBio, and Hi‐C data. The assembled genome consists of 903.56 Mb with 50,268 annotated protein‐coding genes, which is larger and contains relatively more genes than Medicago truncatula (420 Mb and 44,623 genes) and Medicago sativa spp. caerulea (793 Mb and 47,202 genes). All three species shared the ancestral Papilionoideae whole‐genome duplication event before their divergence. The more recent expansion of repetitive elements compared to that in the other two species was determined to have contributed greatly to the larger genome size of M. ruthenica. We further found that multiple gene and transcription factor families (e.g., SOS homologous genes, NAC, C2H2, and CAMTA) have expanded in M. ruthenica, which might have led to its enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress. In addition, M. ruthenica harbors more genes involved in the lignin and cellulose biosynthesis pathways than the other two species. Finally, population genomic analyses revealed two genetic lineages, reflecting the west and east of its geographical distribution, respectively. The two lineages probably diverged during the last glaciation and survived in multiple refugia at the last glacial maximum, followed by recent expansion. Our genomic data provide a genetic basis for further molecular breeding research on M. ruthenica and alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global energy crisis and environmental pollution have caused great concern. Hydrogen is a renewable and environmentally friendly source of energy and has potential to be a major alternative energy carrier in the future. Due to its high capacity and relatively low cost of raw materials, alanate has been considered as one of the most promising candidates for hydrogen storage. Among them, LiAlH 4 and NaAlH 4 , as two representative metal alanates, have attracted extensive attention. Unfortunately, the high desorption temperature and sluggish kinetics restrict its practical application. In this paper, the basic physical and chemical properties as well as the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reaction mechanism of LiAlH 4 and NaAlH 4 are briefly reviewed. The recent progress on strategic optimizations toward tuning the thermodynamics and kinetics of the alanate including nanoscaling, doping catalysts and compositing modification are emphatically discussed. Finally, the coming challenges and the development prospects are also proposed in this review. [Display omitted] • The hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reaction mechanism of LiAlH 4 and NaAlH 4 are briefly reviewed. • The recent progress on optimizations toward tuning the thermodynamics and kinetics of LiAlH 4 and NaAlH 4 are discussed. • The coming challenges and the development prospects for actual application of hydrogen energy are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome size varies greatly across the flowering plants and has played an important role in shaping their evolution. It has been reported that many factors correlate with the variation in genome size, but few studies have systematically explored this at the genomic level. Here, we scan genomic information for 74 species from 74 families in 38 orders covering the major groups of angiosperms (the taxonomic information was acquired from the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG IV) system) to evaluate the correlation between genome size variation and different genome characteristics: polyploidization, different types of repeat sequence content, and the dynamics of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTRs). Surprisingly, we found that polyploidization shows no significant correlation with genome size, while LTR content demonstrates a significantly positive correlation. This may be due to genome instability after polyploidization, and since LTRs occupy most of the genome content, it may directly result in most of the genome variation. We found that the LTR insertion time is significantly negatively correlated with genome size, which may reflect the competition between insertion and deletion of LTRs in each genome, and that the old insertions are usually easy to recognize and eliminate. We also noticed that most of the LTR burst occurred within the last 3 million years, a timeframe consistent with the violent climate fluctuations in the Pleistocene. Our findings enhance our understanding of genome size evolution within angiosperms, and our methods offer immediate implications for corresponding research in other datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residue depletion of niclosamide (NIC) in freshwater fish including blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) and channel catfish (Ietalurus Punetaus) were investigated under laboratory conditions. NIC concentrations in fish were determined by Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with heated electrospray ionisation. The mean recoveries were in the range of 75.5-98.5%, with relative standard deviations ranging from 1.0 to 9.4%. The depletion results showed that the long half-life of NIC was 8.8-22.1 days. Risk assessment of NIC residue in edible tissues (muscle and skin) of the three species of freshwater fish was performed using the quotient (RQ), because of no maximum residue limit (MRL) has been set for NIC in fish. The results demonstrated that the RQ values were all significantly lower than 1. Therefore, the effect of NIC residues in the three species of freshwater fish at the immersion concentration was negligible to Chinese people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), a bipartite crinivirus, causes chlorotic leaf spots and yellowing symptoms on cucurbit leaves. We previously developed an infectious clone of CCYV. Limited work has been conducted on the construction of a crinivirus green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression vector to date. Finding: We constructed a CCYV GFP expression vector using the "add a gene" strategy based on CCYV RNA2 cDNA constrcut. Three resultant clones, pCCYVGFPSGC, pCCYVGFPCGC, and pCCYVGFPCGS, were constructed with different promoters used to initiate GFP and CP expression. At 25 dpi GFP fluorescence was detectable not only in leaf veins but also in the surrounding cells. pCCYVGFPCGC-infected cucumber leaves exhibited cell spread at 25 dpi, whereas pCCYVGFPSGC and pCCYVGFPCGS were mainly found in single cells. Further observation of pCCYVGFPCGC GFP expression at 30 dpi, 40 dpi, and 50 dpi showed phloem-limited localization in the systemic leaves. Conclusions: We developed of a CCYV GFP expression vector that will be useful for further study of CCYV movement in cucurbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) shows high efficiency in the plasma sample preparation. However, this extraction method is not optimal for the biological samples containing complex organic interferences, such as liver and brain tissues. Some plant secondary metabolites can be converted between water-insoluble and water-soluble forms by pH adjustment. Objective: A two-step pH-dependent LLE method was introduced in this study to eliminate both water-soluble and lipidic interferences using the properties of pH-dependent interconvertible forms of analytes during sample preparation. A sensitive and reliable method using a reverse-phase HPLC coupled with a fluorescence detector was developed and validated. Materials and methods: 10-Hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) with internal standard camptothecin and liver tissues were used as model compounds and biological samples. The lactone form of HCPT was converted to the water-soluble carboxylate form under moderate alkaline conditions, and the water-insoluble interferences were extracted with a nonpolar solvent. Afterward, the water-insoluble lactone form of HCPT was regenerated by acidification and then extracted using an organic solvent in a second LLE step. Results: The calibration curve was linear ( r2 > 0.999) for HCPT concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 160 ng/mL. The mean recoveries of HCPT were 114.94 ± 3.98, 104.30 ± 2.44 and 95.90 ± 1.40% ( n = 6) at concentrations of 2.5, 10 and 80 ng/mL, respectively. The stability determination data showed that no significant degradation occurred under the experimental conditions. This method was successfully applied to liver tissue distribution study of HCPT in mice. Discussion and conclusion: This two-step LLE can be applied to distribution studies of compounds with pH-dependent interconvertible forms in other biological matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel analytical method involving high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD) was developed for simultaneous determination of 11 phenolic acids and 12 triterpenes in Sanguisorba officinalis L. Chromatographic separation was conducted with gradient elution mode by using a DiamonsilTM C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with the mobile phase of 0.1% acetic acid water (A) and methanol (B). The drift tube temperature of ELSD was set at 70 °C and the nitrogen cumulative flow rate was 1.6 L/min. The method was fully validated to be linear over a wide concentration range (R2 ≥ 0.9991). The precisions (RSD) were less than 3.0% and the recoveries were between 97.7% and 101.4% for all compounds. The results indicated that this method is accurate and effective for the determination of 23 functional components in Sanguisorba officinalis L. and could also be successfully applied to study the influence of processing method on those functional components in Sanguisorba officinalis L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar , as one of the most important forest pests in the world, can feed on more than 500 species of host plants, causing serious damage to the forests. Poplar is one of the favorite host plants of L. dispar. The present study aimed to explore the effects of poplar secondary metabolites on the growth and detoxification function of L. dispar larvae. We also aimed to study the expression of glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes in different developmental stages and in response to treatment with secondary metabolites. Six kinds of main secondary metabolites and three groups of characteristic mixed secondary metabolites were selected as follows: Caffeic acid, salicin, rutin, quercetin, catechol, flavone, mixture 1 (salicin and flavone), mixture 2 (salicin, caffeic acid and catechol), and mixture 3 (flavone, caffeic acid and catechol) according to the content changes of secondary metabolites in poplar. The thirteen GST genes were selected as candidate genes to study the expression of GST genes in different developmental stages and after treatment with secondary metabolites using quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR. The LdGSTe4 and LdGSTo1 genes could be induced by secondary metabolites and were screened to explore their detoxification function against secondary metabolites using RNA interference technology. The results showed that salicin and rutin significantly induced the expression of LdGSTe4 and LdGSTo1. Under the stress of secondary metabolites, LdGSTe4 silencing affected the adaptability of L. dispar larvae to salicin and rutin. LdGSTe4 silencing resulted in a significant decrease in the body weight of L. dispar , but had little effect on the relative growth rate, relative consumption rate, efficiency of conversion of ingested food, efficiency of conversion of digested food, and approximate digestibility, as well as the survival rate and development time. These results provide a deeper understanding of the adaptive mechanism of L. dispar to host plants, form the foundation for the further research into the host resistance mechanism, and identify target genes for breeding resistant transgenic poplar. Thirteen GST family genes were identified from the transcriptome of gypsy moth by bioinformatics analysis. After feeding with six main poplar secondary metabolites, the changes of GSTs gene expression level contribute to the defense function of gypsy moth. Among them, salicin and rutin significantly induced the expressions of LdGSTe4 and LdGSTo1 genes. Under the stress of secondary metabolites, LdGSTe4 silencing affected the adaptability of L. dispar larvae to salicin and rutin. [Display omitted] • Thirteen GST genes were identified from the Asian gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. • The developmental expression of GST genes was studied. • GST expressions in response to poplar secondary metabolites were studied. • Larval LdGSTe4 and LdGSTo1 expression was induced by salicin and rutin stresses. • LdGSTe4 silencing affected the adaptability of L. dispar larvae to salicin and rutin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]