Quantitative analysis of highly similar salvianolic acids with 1 H qNMR for quality control of traditional Chinese medicinal preparation Salvianolate Lyophilized Injection

Traditional Chinese medicines treat ischemic stroke and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms

Ischemic stroke (IS) remains one of the leading causes of death and disability in humans. Unfortunately, none of the treatments effectively provide functional benefits to patients with IS, although many do so by targeting different aspects of the ischemic cascade response. The advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in preventing and treating IS are obvious in terms of early treatment and global coordination. The efficacy of TCM and its bioactive constituents has been scientifically proven over the past decades. Based on clinical trials, this article provides a review of commonly used TCM patent medicines and herbal decoctions indicated for IS. In addition, this paper also reviews the mechanisms of bioactive constituents in TCM for the treatment of IS in recent years, both domestically and internationally. A comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical studies will hopefully provide new ideas to address the threat of IS.

Metabolome profiling of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus treated Ocimum tenuiflorum L. provides insights into deviation in allocation of carbon compounds to secondary metabolism

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) has been reported to influence secondary metabolism of Ocimum tenuiflorum L., thereby improving its therapeutic and commercial importance. To explain changes in the secondary metabolite profile, the study reports effects of AM on leaf metabolome of two high yielding genotypes of O. tenuiflorum inoculated with Rhizophagus intraradices. NMR-based non-targeted metabolic fingerprinting was related to changes at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels in mycorrhizal (M) plants. AM resulted in higher accumulation of sucrose, which could be related with enhanced photosynthesis by virtue of increased uptake of mineral nutrients. A strong positive correlation between sucrose and net photosynthetic rate and sucrose and mineral nutrients supported that AM-mediated increase in uptake of mineral nutrients is associated with enhanced photosynthetic rate and accumulation of sucrose. Further, higher sucrose synthase activity resulted in increased glucose. Hexokinase activity was also higher in M plants resulting in higher pyruvate accumulation. On the contrary, Krebs cycle was compromised in M plants as evident by lower activities of its enzymes and concentrations of organic and amino acids. Nevertheless, AM increased activities and expressions of enzymes of terpenoid biosynthesis, shikimate, and phenylpropanoid pathways, thereby resulting in augmented production of terpenoids, phenylalanine, and phenols, respectively. Thus, metabolic reprogramming downstream of glycolysis was apparent wherein AMF resulted in more allocation of carbon resources to secondary metabolism as opposed to primary metabolism, which was supported by Pearson's correlation analysis. Higher C:N ratio in M plants explains the provision of more carbon resources to secondary metabolism as against primary metabolism.

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry determination and pharmacokinetic studies of five phenolic acids in rat plasma after intravenous administration of salvianolic acid for injection

A simple, efficient, and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination and pharmacokinetic study of salvianolic acid D, rosmarinic acid, lithospermicic acid, salvianolic acid B, and salvianolic acid Y in rat plasma after intravenous administration of salvianolic acid for injection. Three doses of administration, containing 10, 25, and 62.5 mg/kg, were investigated. Plasma samples were pretreated using protein precipitation with pre-cooled acetonitrile. As shown in S1, Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Acquity UPLC® BEH C18 column (1.7 μm, 2.1 × 100 mm) with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile-methanol-0.5% aqueous formic acid (10:30:60, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.3 ml/min. MS was detected by electrospray ion source negative ion mode and multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method was fully validated. The calibration curves for the five phenolic acids were linear in the given concentration ranges. The extraction recoveries, matrix effects, intra-day and inter-day precisions, and accuracies of the five analytes were all within acceptable limits. No significant difference of elimination half-life time (T_1/2 ) of five analytes at three doses was observed. Area under the curve and peak concentration (C_max ) of the five analytes demonstrated a linear increase in the doses with the linear correlation r of each analyte at three doses being greater than 0.915. It indicated that the pharmacokinetic behavior of is positively related to the dose in the range of 10-62.5 mg/kg.

Chinese herbal injection for cardio-cerebrovascular disease: Overview and challenges

Cardio-cerebrovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and there is currently no optimal treatment plan. Chinese herbal medicine injection (CHI) is obtained by combining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory and modern production technology. It retains some characteristics of TCM while adding injection characteristics. CHI has played an important role in the treatment of critical diseases, especially cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, and has shown unique therapeutic advantages. TCMs that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, such as Salvia miltiorrhiza, Carthami flos, Panax notoginseng, and Chuanxiong rhizoma, account for a large proportion of CHIs of cardio-cerebrovascular disease. CHI is used to treat cardio-cerebrovascular diseases and has potential pharmacological activities such as anti-platelet aggregation, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrosis, and anti-apoptosis. However, CHIs have changed the traditional method of administering TCMs, and the drugs directly enter the bloodstream, which may produce new pharmacological effects or adverse reactions. This article summarizes the clinical application, pharmacological effects, and mechanism of action of different varieties of CHIs commonly used in the treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, analyzes the causes of adverse reactions, and proposes suggestions for rational drug use and pharmaceutical care methods to provide a reference for the rational application of CHIs for cardio-cerebrovascular diseases.

Development of a Quantum Dot-Based Fluorescence-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Puerarin

In this study, a rapid and highly sensitive fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay for puerarin determination was developed by the conjugation of quantum dots with an antibody against puerarin. The linear range and detection limit of the fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay were validated. The detection curve (y = -1041ln(x)+5366, R² = 0.999) was linear in the range of 7.8-125 ng/mL. The 50% inhibitory concentration determined by fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay was 33.8 ng/mL puerarin in water. The limit of detection for PUE was 6.1 ng/mL. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the quantitative detection of a natural product using quantum dots as fluorescent markers. Furthermore, the newly developed fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay was successfully applied to determine puerarin in several commercial Gegen Qinlian tablets, with a higher sensitivity than that of conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

NMR technique and methodology in botanical health product analysis and quality control

Botanicals have played an important role in maintaining human health and well-being throughout history. During the past few decades in particular, the use of botanical health products has gained more popularity. Whereas, quality, safety and efficacy concerns have continuously been critical issues due to the intrinsic chemical complexity of botanicals. Chemical analytical technologies play an imperative role in addressing these issues. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has proven to be a powerful and useful tool for the investigation of botanical health products. In this review, NMR techniques and methodologies that have been successfully applied to the research and development of botanical health products in all stages, from plants to products, are discussed and summarized. Furthermore, applications of NMR together with other analytical techniques in a variety of domains of botanical health products investigation, such as plant species differentiation, adulteration detection, and bio-activity evaluation, are discussed and illustrated with typical examples. This article provides an overview of the potential uses of NMR techniques and methodologies in an attempt to further promote their recognition and utilization in the field of botanical health products analysis and quality control.

Advances in analytical techniques and quality control of traditional Chinese medicine injections

Traditional Chinese medicine injections (TCMIs) are a new pharmaceutical form in the modernization of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Its efficacy is rapid, the curative effect is improved, and is widely used in critical and acute diseases, complicated and severe diseases, and other treatment. However, with the broad applications of TCMIs, clinical adverse reactions frequently occur, and safety problems become more prominent. Therefore, the quality control of TCMIs is essential. Chemical analysis methods and biological analysis methods are widely used in the quality control of TCMIs. This article describes the current status of TCMIs, the analytical techniques, and methods currently used, and the quality control of TCMIs. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the current analysis methods is presented. An overview of the quality control of TCMIs is introduced. In addition, emerging techniques of the quality control of TCMIs are introduced.

Research Progress of NMR in Natural Product Quantification

In the fields of medicine and health, traditional high-performance liquid chromatography or UV-visible spectrophotometry is generally used for substance quantification. However, over time, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) has gradually become more mature. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has certain advantages in the quantitative analysis of substances, such as being nondestructive, having a high flux and short analysis time. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been included in the pharmacopoeiae of various countries. In this paper, the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the recent progress in the quantitative study of natural products by NMR are reviewed, and its application in the quantitative study of natural products is proposed. At the same time, the problems of using NMR alone to quantify natural products are summarized and corresponding suggestions are put forward.

Development of 1 H-NMR methods for quantitative determination of alkylamides in Zanthoxylum bungeanum and quality evaluation based on its fingerprint

Alkylamides, as the representative hemp flavor and active ingredients, can reflect the quality of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. However, conjugated triene structure exists in alkylamides, which is easy to be oxidized and decomposed in air, making it difficult to quantify. In this study, a method for the quantitative determination of alkylamides by ¹ H-NMR technology was developed with 85% ethanol as the best extraction solvent, CDCl₃ as the best deuterium dissolution reagent, pyrazine as the internal standard, and triple peaks of hydrogen protons on the amide bond at δ 6.33 ppm as the quantitative signal peak. Meanwhile, methodological verification was carried out to prove the reliability and effectiveness of the method. On this basis, the contents of alkylamides in nine germplasms of Zanthoxylum with monthly dynamics were obtained. The results showed that the alkylamides of Hancheng stingless Z. bungeanum (HC) exhibited the highest content in August (51.92 ± 0.96 mg/g), while the lowest was FG in June (1.23 ± 0.21 mg/g). The results of ¹ H-NMR corresponded to those of HPLC, and the effectiveness of this method was verified. Accumulation dynamic results show that the best harvest period of Z. bungeanum is July and August. Moreover, the quality of nine varieties of Zanthoxylum bungeanum from a common garden was evaluated by the established ¹ H-NMR fingerprint and chemometric analyses. The results showed that Hancheng stingless Z. bungeanum was the best germplasm. This study provides a new strategy for the quantitative determination of alkylamides in Z. bungeanum and improves the quality evaluation system of Z. bungeanum. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results provide a new research idea for the analysis of important chemical components of Z. bungeanum. Meanwhile, the study provides a scientific basis for the quality evaluation and high-quality germplasm resources of Z. bungeanum.

A Rapid and Accurate 1HNMR Method for the Identification and Quantification of Major Constituents in Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pills

BACKGROUND

Qishen Yiqi dripping pills (QSYQ), composed of four herbal medicines-Salvia miltiorrhiza, Astragalus membranaceus, Panax notoginseng, and Dalbergiaodorifera-are widely used to treat ischemic cerebrovascular and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular conditions.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, a rapid and accurate proton NMR (1HNMR) spectroscopy method was established to control the quality of QSYQ and ensure their clinical efficacy.

METHOD

Firstly, different types of metabolites were identified based on the proton signal peaks of chemical shifts, coupling constants, and related information provided through two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. Secondly, a quantitative 1HNMR method was established for the simultaneous determination of major constituents in QSYQ samples. In addition, an HPLC method was performed to verify the results obtained by the quantitative proton NMR (qHNMR)  method.

RESULTS

In the present study, 26 metabolites were identified in the 1HNMR spectra of QSYQ. In addition, a rapid and accruate qHNMR method was established for the simultaneous determination of protocatechualdehyde, rosmarinic acid, danshensu, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, and ononin in ten batches of QSYQ samples for the first time. Moreover, the proposed qHNMR method and HPLC method were compared using Bland-Altman and plots Passing-Bablok regression, indicating no significant differences and a strong correlation between the two analytical methods.

CONCLUSIONS

This method is an important tool for the identification and quantification of major constituents in QSYQ.

HIGHLIGHTS

Compared with traditional HPLC, the established qHNMR method has the advantages of simple sample preparation, short analysis time, and non-destructive analysis.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Monomers: Novel Strategy for Endogenous Neural Stem Cells Activation After Stroke

Stem cell therapy, which has become a potential regenerative medical treatment and a promising approach for treating brain injuries induced by different types of cerebrovascular disease, has various application methods. Activation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) can enable infarcted neuron replacement and promote neural networks’ regeneration without the technical and ethical issues associated with the transplantation of exogenous stem cells. Thus, NSC activation can be a feasible strategy to treat central nervous system (CNS) injury. The potential molecular mechanisms of drug therapy for the activation of endogenous NSCs have gradually been revealed by researchers. Traditional Chinese medicine monomers (TCMs) are active components extracted from Chinese herbs, and some of them have demonstrated the potential to activate proliferation and neurogenesis of NSCs in CNS diseases. Ginsenoside Rg1, astragaloside IV (AST), icariin (ICA), salvianolic acid B (Sal B), resveratrol (RES), curcumin, artesunate (ART), and ginkgolide B (GB) have positive effects on NSCs via different signaling pathways and molecules, such as the Wingless/integrated/β-catenin (Wnt/β-catenin) signaling pathway, the sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1). This article may provide further motivation for researchers to take advantage of TCMs in studies on CNS injury and stem cell therapy.

The application of qNMR for the determination of rosuvastatin in tablet form

In this study, quantative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) method was used to determine the content of rosuvastatin in tablet. Linearity, range, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, and precision were determined in validation study of rosuvastatin. Furthermore, validation study of rosuvastatin was performed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Uncertainties of qNMR and HPLC methods were determined using per EURACHEM/CITAC Guide CG 4 (3th edition), quantifying uncertainty in analytical measurement. qNMR and HPLC methods were linear in the ranges of 0.10 - 5.00 mg/mL and 0.001 - 0.0995 mg/mL, respectively and these lineraties indicate very good linearity performance with regression coefficients (R2 value) above > 0.99. Moreover, LOD and LOQ values using qNMR method were observed as 0.25 mg/mL and 0.80 mg/mL, respectively. These values using HPLC method were found as 0.00051 µg/mL and 0.001695 µg/mL, respectively. The strengths and weaknesses of qNMR method and HPLC method were determined with spectral emphasis on the role of identical reference standards in qualitive and quantitative analyses. It was found that qNMR method is simple, efficient, reliable, and accurate method. Moreover, qNMR method is an easy, practical, and useful method for the validation and optimization of rosuvastatin in the tablet.

Development of a Quantitative NMR Method for Direct and Simultaneous Determination of Four Flavonoids in Scutellaria baicalensis georgi Extracts

Introduction:

Scutellaria Baicalensis Georgi (SBG), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used for the treatment of antiviral therapy, contains many flavonoids.

Materials and Methods:

A simple, fast and accurate 1H quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (1HqNMR) method was established for simultaneously determination of four flavonoids (Baicalin, Baicalein, Wogonin and Wogonoside) in SBG extract by using 3,4,5-trichloropyridine as an internal standard (IS). All the NMR determination work was performed at 308 K on an NMR sample tube inserted with a co-axial tube. The NMR sample tube was added with the sample (SBG extract and IS), the co-axial insert tube was added with D2O. Quantification of four flavonoids was carried out by calculating the relative peak area ratio of the selected proton signals from the target compounds and the IS.

Results:

The validated 1H-qNMR method was successfully used to determine the four flavonoids in 9 batches of SBG from different origins and the results were in good accordance with those obtained from HPLC.

Conclusion:

The established 1H-qNMR method could be used as a powerful tool for the quality control of SBG from different sources and had potential in the quantification of main components from other TCMs.

Application of "spider-web" mode in discovery and identification of Q-markers from Xuefu Zhuyu capsule

BACKGROUND

The selection of quality control indicators in a complex system is a key scientific issue for the study of Chinese materia medica (CMM), which is directly related to its safety and efficacy. In order to scientifically understand and control the quality of CMM, quality marker (Q-marker) has been recently raised as a new concept, which provided a novel research idea for the quality control and evaluation of CMM.

PURPOSE

By a new and integrated "spider-web" mode, Q-markers of Xuefu Zhuyu capsule (XZC) were comprehensively uncovered, conducing to great improvement of quality control of XZC.

METHODS

Mainly established by three dimensions derived from six variables including content, stability and activity, "spider-web" mode was constructed to evaluate Q-marker property of candidate compounds by taking regression area of the tested compounds into account.

RESULTS

The candidate compounds with larger regression area were preferentially adopted as Q-markers, which should possess the satisfactorily integrated properties of content, stability and activity. Six compounds, naringin, isoliquiritin, paeoniflorin, protocatechuic acid, neohesperidin and ferulic acid, were identified and preferred as Q-markers of XZC.

CONCLUSION

Based on "spider-web" mode, Q-markers from Xuefu Zhuyu capsule were successfully screened, which would substantially perform quality control of XZC and prove the feasibility of "spider-web" mode in solving the selection of quality control indicators from compound formulae.

The Rapid Discrimination and Quality Assessment of Three Zanthoxylum Species Using 1H NMR Spectrometry

The husks and fruits of Zanthoxylum species (Rutaceae) are the popular pungent and spicy ingredients of foods and the traditional medicines in many countries. Three Zanthoxylum species, Z. bungeanum, Z. schinifolium, and Z. piperitum, are distributed and intermixed with each other as “Zanthoxyli Pericarpium” in Korean markets. In the present study, we analyzed the ethyl acetate-soluble and nonpolar fractions of Zanthoxylum samples by ¹H NMR spectrometry and performed a multivariate analysis for finding the discriminant markers between three species. Xanthoxylin was identified as the metabolic marker for the discrimination of Zanthoxylum species and quantified by the qNMR approach.

Simultaneous Determination of Three Coumarins in Angelica dahurica by 1H-qNMR Method: A Fast and Validated Method for Crude Drug Quality Control

In this study, a quantitative ¹H NMR method (¹H-qNMR) for determining the contents of imperatorin, byakangelicin, and oxypeucedanin in A. dahurica in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been established. Dried plant material was extracted exhaustively with methanol by an ultrasonication-assisted extraction method. The ¹H-qNMR measurements were performed on a 600 -MHz spectrometer with hydroquinone as the internal standard reference in deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO-d₆) solvent. Quantification was carried out using the ¹H resonance signals at 6.55 ppm for hydroquinone and 7.68, 7.38-7.39, and 6.38-6.39 ppm for imperatorin, byakangelicin, and oxypeucedanin, respectively. The linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), precision, reproducibility, stability, and recovery of the methodology were evaluated, and results were good. The newly developed method has been applied to determine the three coumarins in A. dahurica.

A novel critical control point and chemical marker identification method for the multi-step process control of herbal medicines via NMR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Herbal medicines have played a vital role in maintaining the health of the world population in the past thousands of years, and have proved to be an effective therapy. It is important to improve our understanding of the effects of the multi-step processing in herbal medicines on the chemical changes to ensure product quality. A proton nuclear paramagnetic resonance (¹H NMR)-based evaluation strategy was developed for an efficient process variation exploration and diversified metabolite identification. In this study, 48 process intermediates from 6 commercial batches of the multi-step manufacturing chain of Danshen processing were obtained. Hierarchical classification analysis (HCA) tree based on ¹H NMR spectra clustered the samples according to the processing steps, which indicates that ¹H NMR has the potential capability for critical control point identification based on its adequate information of the organic compounds. Then, principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were applied to distinguish the major metabolite differences between the intermediates before and after the critical control point. In this case, the alkali-isolation and acid-dissolution method was recognized as the most critical process in the multi-step chain of Danshen extract manufacturing. Potential metabolites with the larger amplitude of variation and contributing the most to the discrimination were found to be potential quality markers by S-plot, including several previously undetected amino acids. The results in this study are consistent with previous research studies and reference experiments conducted with other analytical tools. Taken together, they prove that ¹H NMR with chemometrics is a very effective process quality control tool to provide comprehensive information on the chemical changes during the processing of herbal medicines, and help with the identification of critical control points and potential critical quality markers.

NMR and chemometric-based critical control point and chemical marker identification for the multi-step process control of herbal medicines.

Quality evaluation and traceability of Bletilla striata by fluorescence fingerprint coupled with multiway chemometrics analysis

BACKGROUND

Traditional methods of evaluating herbs were mainly based on chromatographic techniques. They usually included tedious sample preparation procedures, taking tens of minutes to hours, and consume solvents as well as standards for external calibration. In this paper, the feasibility of employing a fluorescence fingerprint coupled with multi-way chemometrics analysis for quality evaluation and traceability of Bletilla striata were investigated.

RESULTS

Relative concentrations of four markers presented in B. striata were determined by using a four-component self-weighted alternating trilinear decomposition (SWATLD) model. These markers could be applied to accurate classification and quality control of B. striata samples from different regions. Furthermore, multiway principal component analysis, multilinear partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), unfolded PLS-DA, and SWATLD-PLS-DA models were applied to classify the B. striata samples according to their geographic origins. Consistent results were obtained showing that B. striata samples could be successfully grouped based on their geographical origins and quality.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that the method developed can be used for quality evaluation and traceability of B. striata. Compared with the chromatographic methods, the method employed in this study was more convenient, simpler, and more sensitive. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Xueshuantong injection (lyophilized) combined with salvianolate lyophilized injection protects against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats through attenuation of oxidative stress

Salvianolate lyophilized injection (SLI) and Xueshuantong injection (lyophilized) (XST) are two herbal standardized preparations that have been widely used in China for the treatment of acute cerebral infarction. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of SLI combined with XST in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO/R). Wistar rats were subjected to 1.5 h of MCAO followed by reperfusion for 3 h, then were treated with SLI or XST alone, or with their combinations via tail vein injection daily for 3 d. Edaravone (EDI, 6 mg·kg^-1·d^-1) was used as a positive control drug, We showed that administration of a combination of 1X1S (XST 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 plus SLI 21 mg·kg^-1·d^-1) more effectively protected the ischemic brains than SLI or XST used alone. Administration of 1X1S not only significantly decreased neurological deficit scores and infarct volumes and increased regional cerebral blood flow, but also inhibited the activation of both microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus. Furthermore, administration of 1X1S significantly decreased the levels of MDA and ROS with concomitant increases in the levels of antioxidant activity (SOD, CAT and GSH) in the brain tissues as compared with SLI and XST used alone. Moreover, administration of 1X1S remarkably upregulated the expression of Nrf-2, HO-1 and NQO-1, and downregulated the expression of Keap1 and facilitated the nuclear translocation of Nrf-2 in the brain tissues as compared with XST used alone. Our study demonstrates that a combination of 1X1S effectively protects MCAO/R injury via suppressing oxidative stress and the Nrf-2/Keap1 pathway.

Patient characteristics associated with treatment response in patients receiving salvianolate injection for stable angina

OBJECTIVE

To explore patient characteristics associated with treatment response in patients receiving salvianolate injection for stable angina.

METHODS

An analysis was conducted of data from a multicenter, phase IV clinical trial undertaken in China that enrolled 2150 patients hospitalized for stable angina from 50 hospitals. The treatment outcomes were changes of angina severity and nitroglycerin use between baseline and the last day of treatment. We used logistic regression models to explore patient characteristics associated with the treatment response.

RESULTS

Patients who were overweight or obese (OR_a 1.20, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.44), present with hypertension (OR_a 1.23, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.49), experienced with 3 or more episodes of angina per week (OR_a 1.77, 95% CI 1.44 to 2.17), or concomitantly using antiplatelet agents (OR_a 1.44, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.78) were associated with better treatment response defined with the change of angina severity. Those of overweight or obesity (OR_a 1.57, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.12) or concomitantly using calcium antagonists (OR_a 2.38, 95% CI 1.39 to 4.08) fared better treatment response according to discontinuation or reduction of nitroglycerin use.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients diagnosed with stable angina and receiving salvianolate injection might fare better treatment response if they were overweight or obese, experienced with hypertension, three or more episodes of angina per week, or concomitantly using antiplatelet agents and calcium antagonists.

Quality Evaluation of the Traditional Medicine Majun Mupakhi ELA via Chromatographic Fingerprinting Coupled with UHPLC-DAD-Quadrupole-Orbitrap-MS and the Antioxidant Activity In Vitro

By merging a high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method with high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), an assay was developed for chemical fingerprinting and quantitative analysis of traditional medicine Majun Mupakhi ELA (MME), and constituent compounds were identified using HPLC coupled with UHPLC-DAD-Quadrupole-Orbitrap-MS method. In addition, the antioxidant capacity of MME was assessed based on the ability of components to scavenge radicals using in vitro method. Using a HPLC-DAD method with HPTLC easily validated the chemical fingerprinting results and quantified three characteristic components, namely, gallic acid (1), daidzein (2), and icariin (3), in commercial MMEs. The three compounds presented excellent regression values (R² = 0.9999) in the ranges of the test and the method recovery was in the range from 100.49% to 100.68%. The fingerprints had 27 common characteristic peaks, of which 13 were verified by rapid UHPLC-DAD-Q-Orbitrap-MS analysis. In vitro antioxidant assays rapidly assessed and contrasted antioxidant activity or the free radical scavenging activity of the main polyphenolic classes in MMEs, and the antioxidant capacity was mostly affected by the presence of gallic acid. Thus, this study establishes a powerful and meaningful approach for MME quality control and for assessing in vitro antioxidant activity.

Neuroprotective effect of salvianolate lyophilized injection against cerebral ischemia in type 1 diabetic rats

BACKGROUND

Salvianolate lyophilized injection (SLI) has been clinically used in China for the treatment of acutely cerebral infarction. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that Diabetes mellitus (DM) not only increases the risk of ischemic stroke recurrence but also leads to poor outcomes and increases fatality rates after stroke. Our previous study has proved that SLI can reduce the infarct volume after stroke in type 1 diabetic rats. The aim of the study is to explore the mechanism of SLI on stroke outcome in type 1 diabetic (T1DM) rats.

METHODS

Type 1 diabetes rats model (T1DM) was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) and T1DM rats were subjected to intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The T1DM + MCAO rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham-operated, model-vehicle, positive control group (Edaravone-treating, DE 6 mg/kg) and SLI-treating group (10.5 mg/kg, 21 mg/kg and 42 mg/kg). SLI and DE were administered by tail vein injection at 3 h after MCAO, then daily for 14 days. Micro-CT scans of the brain tissue revealed vessel characteristics and distribution in the ischemia zone. Glucose uptake was analyzed by PET/CT. RAGE, MMP9 and inflammatory factors (COX-2, TNF-α and ICAM-1), HQ-1, HQO-1 and Nrf-2 expression levels in the ischemic brain tissue were analyzed by Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot at 14 days after MCAO.

RESULTS

In this study, we have demonstrated that SLI treatment significantly increased the number of brain microvasculature in ipsilateral and glucose uptake in cortex, hippocampus and penumbra in the T1DM + MCAO rats. SLI also significantly decreased the expression of RAGE, MMP9 and inflammatory factors expression, and increased the expression of HQ-1, HQO-1 and Nrf-2 in T1DM + MCAO rats.

CONCLUSION

The study showed that SLI could protect against cerebral ischemia injury in T1DM + MCAO rats and the mechanism is related to decrease inflammatory factors and activate of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Metabolic discrimination of sea buckthorn from different Hippophaë species by 1H NMR based metabolomics

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë; Elaeagnaceae) berries are widely consumed in traditional folk medicines, nutraceuticals, and as a source of food. The growing demand of sea buckthorn berries and morphological similarity of Hippophaë species leads to confusions, which might cause misidentification of plants used in natural products. Detailed information and comparison of the complete set of metabolites of different Hippophaë species are critical for their objective identification and quality control. Herein, the variation among seven species and seven subspecies of Hippophaë was studied using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) metabolomics combined with multivariate data analysis, and the important metabolites were quantified by quantitative ¹H NMR (qNMR) method. The results showed that different Hippophaë species can be clearly discriminated and the important interspecific discriminators, including organic acids, L-quebrachitol, and carbohydrates were identified. Statistical differences were found among most of the Hippophaë species and subspecies at the content levels of the aforementioned interspecific discriminators via qNMR and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. These findings demonstrated that ¹H NMR-based metabolomics is an applicable and effective approach for simultaneous metabolic profiling, species differentiation and quality assessment.