A Green Antioxidant Activity-Integrated Dual-Standard Method for Rapid Evaluation of the Quality of Traditional Chinese Medicine Xuebijing Injection by On-Line DPPH-CE-DAD

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.

Microwave-Assisted Extraction Combined with In-Capillary [Fe(ferrozine)3]2+-CE-DAD to Screen Active Components with the Ability to Chelate Ferrous Ions from Flos Sophorae Immaturus (Flos Sophorae)

An efficient microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) combined with in-capillary [Fe(ferrozine)3]2+-capillary electrophoresis-Diode Array Detector (in-capillary [Fe(ferrozine)3]2+-CE-DAD) was developed to screen active components with the ability to chelate ferrous ions and determine the total antioxidant activity. The MAE conditions, including methanol concentration, extraction power, extraction time, and the ratio of material to liquid, were optimized by an L₉(3⁴) orthogonal experiment. Background buffer, voltage, and cartridge temperature that affect the separation of six compounds were optimized. It was found that rutin and quercetin were the main components chelating ferrous ions in Flos Sophorae Immaturus (Flos Sophorae) by the in-capillary [Fe(ferrozine)₃]²⁺-CE-DAD. The recoveries were ranged from 95.2% to 104%. It was concluded that the MAE combined with in-capillary [Fe(ferrozine)₃]²⁺-CE-DAD method was a simple, reliable, and efficient tool for screening active components from the complex traditional Chinese medicine samples and evaluating their ability to chelate ferrous ions.

Network Pharmacology-Guided Development of a Novel Integrative Regimen to Prevent Acute Graft-vs.-Host Disease

Lapses in the graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis and side effects of current standard care following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) call for novel regimens. Traditional approaches targeting T cells showed limited success in preventing acute GVHD (aGVHD). System medicine showed promising results treating complex diseases such as sepsis and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Adapting established network pharmacology analysis methods, we aimed to develop novel integrative regimens to prevent aGVHD. Our network pharmacology analysis predicted that Xuebijing injection (XBJ) targets a series of key node proteins in aGVHD network. It also unveiled that Salviae miltiorrhizae (Danshen), an herb in Xuebijing formula, which prevented aGVHD in rats, shares five out of six key GVHD node proteins targeted by XBJ. Interestingly, network pharmacology analysis indicated Xuebijing may share multiple aGVHD targets with Cyclosporin A (CsA), a first-line drug for preventing aGVHD in the clinic. Based on current information, we hypothesized that combination of XBJ and CsA may yield superior results in aGVHD prevention than either drug alone. We performed in vitro and in vivo assays to validate the predictions by the network pharmacology analysis. In vitro assays revealed XBJ prevented platelet aggregation and NF-κB nuclear translocation in macrophages. XBJ also promoted angiogenesis in tube-formation assay. Importantly, the combination of CsA and XBJ was effective in rescuing mice subjected to lethal GVHD. XBJ contributed to the rescue through preventing NF-κB nuclear translocation, attenuating inflammation and maintaining viability of macrophages. Overall, network pharmacology is a powerful tool to develop novel integrative regimens. Combination of XBJ and CsA may shed light on preventing aGVHD.

Clinical investigation of the efficacy and toxicity of apatinib (YN968D1) in stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer after second-line chemotherapy treatment: A retrospective study

Background

This study was designed to assess the clinical efficacy and toxicity of apatinib (YN968D1) as third or subsequent‐line treatment for stage III/IV non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

A total of 100 patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with apatinib at a daily dose of 250/425/500 mg at Shandong Cancer Hospital from January 2016 to June 2018 were enrolled in our study. The objective response, disease control, and median progression‐free survival rates were reviewed and evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the prognostic factors. The main adverse events were evaluated per the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0.

Results

All patients were assessable for response. No complete responses were observed, 11 patients achieved a partial response, and 56 showed stable disease. The objective response rate was 11.0%, the disease control rate was 67.0%, and the median progression‐free survival was 2.93 months (95% confidence interval 2.07–3.87). In Cox regression analysis, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score (hazard ratio 1.799; P < 0.05) and smoking history (hazard ratio 1.958; P < 0.05) were predictive indicators for apatinib treatment efficacy. Treatment‐related adverse events were tolerated, predictable, reversible, and controllable.

Conclusion

Apatinib was found to be both effective and safe in advanced NSCLC patients without a genetic driver mutation who experienced progression after two or more lines of chemotherapy treatment.

A powerful on line ABTS+-CE-DAD method to screen and quantify major antioxidants for quality control of Shuxuening Injection

A novel method of on-line 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate)-Capillary Electrophoresis-Diode Array Detector (on-line ABTS⁺-CE-DAD) was developed to screen the major antioxidants from complex herbal medicines. ABTS⁺, one of well-known oxygen free radicals was firstly integrated into the capillary. For simultaneously detecting and separating ABTS⁺ and chemical components of herb medicines, some conditions were optimized. The on-line ABTS⁺-CE-DAD method has successfully been used to screen the main antioxidants from Shuxuening injection (SI), an herbal medicines injection. Under the optimum conditions, nine ingredients of SI including clitorin, rutin, isoquercitrin, Quercetin-3-O-D-glucosyl]-(1-2)-L-rhamnoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, apigenin-7-O-Glucoside, quercetin-3-O-[2-O-(6-O-p-hydroxyl-E-coumaroyl)-D-glucosyl]-(1-2)-L-rhamnoside, 3-O-{2-O-[6-O-(p-hydroxyl-E-coumaroyl)-glucosyl]}-(1-2) rhamnosyl kaempfero were separated and identified as the major antioxidants. There is a linear relationship between the total amount of major antioxidants and total antioxidative activity of SI with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.9456. All the Relative standard deviations of recovery, precision and stability were below 7.5%. Based on these results, these nine ingredients could be selected as combinatorial markers to evaluate quality control of SI. It was concluded that on-line ABTS⁺-CE-DAD method was a simple, reliable and powerful tool to screen and quantify active ingredients for evaluating quality of herbal medicines.