Chemical composition and bioactivity variability of two-step extracts derived from traditional and "QiNan" agarwood (Aquilaria spp.)

One of the primary applications for agarwood lies in the extracts, instead, there are obvious differences in the demands for agarwood components with different application fields. To obtain the rough separation and clarify each part's activity, four extracts of essential oil, hydrolat, extractum, and ethanol precipitation from traditional agarwood (TraA) and "Qinan" agarwood (QinA) were obtained by steam-solvent multistage extraction and ethanol precipitation. We investigated the chemistry and biological activity of multistage extracts using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and in vitro activity testing. The results demonstrated that two kinds of agarwood essential oils contained mainly sesquiterpenoids, yet the sesquiterpene species were remarkably diverse in two kinds of agarwood essential oils. Then, the TraA and QinA hydrolat, all predominantly aromatic and sesquiterpene, but with differences from the essential oil ingredients. Additionally, the extractum chiefly contained chromones and the ethanol precipitation method worked well to separate the impurities in the TraA extract, however, it was ineffective for the QinA extract. Ultimately, essential oils and extractums all have antioxidant properties, with extractums outperforming essential oils. Moreover, both extractums and essential oils exhibited excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and anti-inflammatory activity. The findings pointed to the feasibility of separating the primary components from TraA and QinA using a multi-stage extraction technique, providing a scientific basis for the efficient utilization of all components of agarwood, as well as the functional product development and differentiated utilization of extract products in incense, fragrance, perfume, and daily chemicals.

Cordyceps: Alleviating Ischemic Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Injury - A Comprehensive Review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cordyceps has a long medicinal history as a nourishing herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases (CCVDs), including cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury (CI/RI) and myocardial ischemic/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), are major contributors to mortality and disability in humans. Numerous studies have indicated that Cordyceps or its artificial substitutes have significant bioactivity on ischemic CCVDs, however, there is a lack of relevant reviews.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review aimed to investigate the chemical elements of Cordyceps and their pharmacological effects on ischemic CCVDs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted on the Web of Science, PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases using the keywords "Cordyceps", "Cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury", and "Myocardial ischemic/reperfusion injury" or their synonyms. The retrieved literature was then categorized and summarized.

RESULTS

The study findings indicated that Cordyceps and its bioactive components, including adenosine, cordycepin, mannitol, polysaccharide, and protein, have the potential to protect against CI/RI and MI/RI by improving blood perfusion, mitigating damage from reactive oxygen species, suppressing inflammation, preventing cellular apoptosis, and promoting tissue regeneration. Individually, Cordyceps could reduce neuronal excitatory toxicity and blood-brain barrier damage caused by cerebral ischemia. Additionally, it can significantly improve cardiac energy metabolism disorders and inhibit calcium overload caused by myocardial ischemia. Moreover, Cordyceps exerts a significant preventive and curative influence on the factors responsible for heart/brain ischemia, including hypertension, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and arrhythmia.

CONCLUSION

This review reveals the underlying effectiveness of Cordyceps on CI/RI and MI/RI, providing novel insights for managing these ischemic CCVDs.

Rapid identification of chemical constituents and dynamic metabolic profile of Shenqi-Tiaoshen formula in rat plasma based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MSE

Shenqi-Tiaoshen formula (SQTSF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription that has been employed in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Clinical practice has demonstrated that SQTSF is an effective prescription for stable COPD. However, owing to the complexity of TCM prescription, there is a lack of in-depth understanding of the chemical components of SQTSF and its in vivo metabolism studies. In this study, a comprehensive analytical strategy based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was established to identify the chemical components, the absorbed components, and the metabolites of SQTSF given by gavage in rats, and analyze their dynamic changes. As a result, 86 chemical components of SQTSF were characterized, which were mainly categorized into flavonoids, saponins, organic acids, terpenoids, etc. Among them, 13 compounds were confirmed unambiguously by reference standards. Furthermore, 20 prototype components and 46 metabolites were detected in rat plasma at different time points. It was found that one prototype component and thirteen metabolites could be detected during the entire 24 h, indicating that these compounds were slowly eliminated and thus accumulated in vivo over a prolonged duration. Interestingly, the phenomenon that three prototype components and fourteen metabolites reappeared after a period of disappearance from the plasma was found. It was also observed that different prototype components may generate the same metabolite. The metabolic processes of SQTSF in rats mainly included oxidation, reduction, hydration, demethylation, deglycosylation, methylation, acetylation, glucuronidation, glutathionylation, and associated combination reactions. Overall, the present study identified the chemical components of SQTSF and their dynamic metabolic profile in rat plasma, which provided a systematic and applicable strategy for screening and characterization of the prototype components and metabolites of TCM compound preparations.

Kombucha as a Health-Beneficial Drink for Human Health

Kombucha is a unique fermented beverage made from a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. Kombucha is normally based on black tea added to water, then sugar is added as a substrate for fermentation in this beverage. This unique beverage is composed of amino acids, flavonoids, vitamins, and some active enzymes. Several beneficial health effects such as antioxidant, antimicrobial effects have been reported as a result of probiotics and prebiotics presence. These health effects of kombucha are attributed to its bioactive chemical and biological agents of probiotics bacteria e.g., Gluconobacter, Acetobacter and yeasts like Saccharomyces sps., along with glucuronic acid as the main sources of the health protection. This review focuses on the beneficial effects of Kombucha including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-cancer antidiabetic properties, as well as liver protection, treat of gastrointestinal problems, AIDS, gastric ulcers, obesity (and energy production), detoxification, and skin health.

The association between PM2.5 components and blood pressure changes in late pregnancy: A combined analysis of traditional and machine learning models

BACKGROUND

PM2.5 is a harmful mixture of various chemical components that pose a challenge in determining their individual and combined health effects due to multicollinearity issues with traditional linear regression models. This study aimed to develop an analytical methodology combining traditional and novel machine learning models to evaluate PM2.5's combined effects on blood pressure (BP) and identify the most toxic components.

METHODS

We measured late-pregnancy BP of 1138 women from the Heshan cohort while simultaneously analyzing 31 PM2.5 components. We utilized multiple linear regression modeling to establish the relationship between PM2.5 components and late-pregnancy BP and applied Random Forest (RF) and generalized Weighted Quantile Sum (gWQS) regression to identify the most toxic components contributing to elevated BP and to quantitatively evaluate the cumulative effect of the PM2.5 component mixtures.

RESULTS

The results revealed that 16 PM2.5 components, such as EC, OC, Ti, Fe, Mn, Cu, Cd, Mg, K, Pb, Se, Na+, K+, Cl-, NO3-, and F-, contributed to elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP), while 26 components, including two carbon components (EC, OC), fourteen metallics (Ti, Fe, Mn, Cr, Mo, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, Na, Mg, Al, K, Pb), one metalloid (Se), and nine water-soluble ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, F-), contributed to elevated diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Mn and Cr were the most toxic components for elevated SBP and DBP, respectively, as analyzed by RF and gWQS models and verified against each other. Exposure to PM2.5 component mixtures increased SBP by 1.04 mmHg (95% CI: 0.33-1.76) and DBP by 1.13 mmHg (95% CI: 0.47-1.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the effectiveness of combining traditional and novel models as an analytical strategy to quantify the health effects of PM2.5 constituent mixtures.

Impacts of the aerosol mixing state and new particle formation on CCN in summer at the summit of Mount Tai (1534m) in Central East China

In this study, the aerosol size distributions, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration (NCCN), single-particle chemical composition and meteorological data were collected from May 12 to June 8, 2017, at the summit of Mt. Tai. The effects of new particle formation (NPF) events and aerosol chemical components on CCN at Mt. Tai were analyzed in detail. The results showed that, NPF events significantly enhanced the CCN population, and the enhancement effect increased with increasing supersaturation (SS) value at Mt.Tai. NCCN at SS ranging from 0.1 to 0.9 % on NPF days was 10.9 %, 36.5 %, 44.6 %, 53.5 % and 51.5 % higher than that on non-NPF days from 10:00-13:00 as NPF events progressed. The effect of chemical components on CCN activation under the influence of NPF events was greater than that in the absence of NPF events. The correlation coefficients of EC-Nitrate particles (EC-Sulfate particles) and CCN at all SS levels on NPF days were 1.31-1.59 times (1.17-1.35 times) higher than those on non-NPF days. Nitrate particles promoted CCN activation but sulfate particles inhibited activation at Mt. Tai. There are differences or even opposite effects of the same group of particles on CCN activation under the influence of NPF events in different air masses. EC-Sulfate particles inhibited CCN activation at all SS levels for type I but weakly promoted activation at lower SS ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 % and weakly inhibited it at higher 0.9 % SS for type II. OCEC particles significantly inhibited CCN activation for type II, and this effect decreased with increasing SS. OCEC particles only weakly inhibited activation at SS ranging from 0.5 to 0.7 % for type I. OCEC particles only weakly inhibited this process at 0.1 % SS, while they very weakly promoted activation for SS > 0.1 %. This reveals that the CCN activity is not only related to the chemical composition of the particles, but the mixing state also has an important effect on the CCN activity.

Research progress on the chemical components and pharmacological effects of Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino

Physalis Calyx seu Fructus is the dry calyx or the calyx with fruit of the Solanaceae plant Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino, with a long history of use in medicine and food. However, despite its many potential therapeutic and culinary applications, P. alkekengi is not being exploited for these applications on a large scale. This study analysed various research related to the different chemical components of P. alkekengi, including steroids, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, sucrose esters, piperazines, volatile oils, polysaccharides, amino acids, and trace elements. In addition, research related to the pharmacological activities of P. alkekengi, including its anti-inflammatory, anti microbial, antioxidative, hypoglycaemic, analgesic, anti-tumour, and immunomodulatory effects were investigated. Research articles from 1974 to 2023 were obtained from websites such as Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and journal databases such as Scopus and PubMed, with the keywords such as Physalis alkekengi, components, effects, and activities. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the progress of phytochemical and pharmacological research on the phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of P. alkekengi and a reference for the better exploitation of P. alkekengi in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the component variations of Raphani Semen during the stir-frying process and elucidation of transformation pathways of multiple components

Raphani Semen (RS) encompasses two distinct application forms in Chinese clinical practice: raw RS (RRS) and stir-fried RS (SRS). They exhibit divergent drug properties and effects, as described in traditional Chinese medicine theory known as "Sheng shu yi zhi, sheng sheng shu jiang". The dissimilarity in RS's drug properties is intrinsically linked to alterations in its internal components during the stir-frying process. Previous studies have demonstrated that stir-frying renders myrosinase inactive, thereby preventing the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates in RS. However, the precise enzymatic hydrolysis pathway and products of glucosinolates remain unclear. Furthermore, it remains uncertain whether other components undergo changes influenced by endogenous enzymes. The objective of this study is to systematically analyze the chemical components disparities between RRS and SRS using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-TOF-MS). Additionally, it seeks to elucidate the potential transformation pathways of multiple components from an enzymatic hydrolysis perspective. We have developed a sensitive and efficient high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QQQ-MS) method for quantifying the content of 5 characteristic components, including glucoraphenin, sinapine thiocyanate, sulforaphene, sinapic acid, and 3',6-disinapoylsucrose. Based on retention time and MS spectra, we have identified 19 characteristic components in both SRS and RRS, encompassing glucosinolates and sulfur-containing derivatives, oligosaccharide esters, and small-molecule phenolic acids. Notably, 18 of these components undergo changes during the enzymatic hydrolysis process, leading to the identification of 4 transformation pathways: glucoraphenin, 6-sinapoylglucoraphenin, 3',6-disinapoylsucrose and β-D-(3,4-disinapoyl) furanofructosyl-α-D-(6-sinapisoyl) glucoside, along with 3'-O-sinapoyl-6-O-feruloylsucrose. Quantitative analysis reveals significant differences, including lower levels of glucoraphenin in RRS compared to SRS, higher sulforaphene and sinapic acid levels in RRS, while sinapine thiocyanate and 3',6-disinapoylsucrose remain unchanged before and after stir-frying. The results of this study highlight distinct chemical compositions between RRS and SRS. Additionally, the method of characterization and content determination constructed in this paper has strong practical value and provides a useful approach for comprehensively evaluating the chemical composition and quality of RS.

Time series prediction of the chemical components of PM2.5 based on a deep learning model

Modeling-based prediction methods enable rapid, reagent-free air pollution detection based on inexpensive multi-source data than traditional chemical reaction-based detection methods in order to quickly understand the air pollution situation. In this study, a convolutional neural network (CNN) and long and short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks are integrated to create a CNN-LSTM time series prediction model to predict the concentration of PM2.5 and its chemical components (i.e., heavy metals, carbon component, and water-soluble ions) using meteorological data and air pollutants (PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3). In the integrated CNN-LSTM model, the CNN uses convolutional and pooling layers to extract features from the data, whereas the powerful nonlinear mapping and learning capabilities of LSTM enable the time series prediction of air pollution. The experimental results showed that the CNN-LSTM exhibited good generalization ability in the prediction of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn, with a mean R2 above 0.9. Mean R2 predicted for PM2.5, Pb, Ti, EC, OC, SO42-, and NO3- ranged from 0.85 to 0.9. Shapley value showed that PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO had a greater influence on the predicted heavy metal results of the model. Regarding water-soluble ions, the predicted results were dominantly influenced by PM2.5, CO, and humidity. The prediction of the carbon fraction was affected mainly by the PM2.5 concentration. Additionally, several input variables for various components were eliminated without affecting the prediction accuracy of the model, with R2 between 0.70 and 0.84, thereby maximizing modeling efficiency and lowering operational costs. The fully trained model prediction results showed that most predicted components of PM2.5 were lower during January to March 2020 than those in 2018 and 2019. This study provides insight into improving the accuracy of modeling-based detection methods and promotes the development of integrated air pollution monitoring toward a more sustainable direction.

Chemical characteristics of fine tire wear particles generated on a tire simulator

Tire wear is one of the major sources of traffic-related particle emissions, however, laboratory data on the components of tire wear particles (TWPs) is scarce. In this study, ten brands of tires, including two types and four-speed grades, were chosen for wear tests using a tire simulator in a closed chamber. The chemical components of PM2.5 were characterized in detail, including inorganic elements, water-soluble ions (WSIs), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Inorganic elements, WSIs, OC, and EC accounted for 8.7 ± 2.1%, 3.1 ± 0.7%, 44.0 ± 0.9%, and 9.6 ± 2.3% of the mass of PM2.5, respectively. The OC/EC ratio ranged from 2.8 to 7.6. The inorganic elements were dominated by Si and Zn. The primary ions were SO42- and NO3-, and TWPs were proven to be acidic by applying an ionic balance. The total PAHs content was 113 ± 45.0 μg g-1, with pyrene being dominant. In addition, the relationship between the chemical components and tire parameters was analyzed. Inorganic elements and WSIs in TWPs were more abundant in all-season tires than those in winter tires, whereas the content of PAHs was the opposite. The mass fractions of OC, Si, and Al in the TWPs all showed increasing trends with increasing tire speed grade, but the PAHs levels showed a decreasing trend. Ultimately, to provide more data for further research, a TWPs source profile was constructed considering the tire weighting factor.

Chemical index components and quality control of Traditional Chinese Medicine: "Never change a winning team"? -A case study of volatile oil from Bupleuri radix

Chemical index components, especially those defined as quality control (QC) markers through spectrum-effect relationship approach, are commonly suggested and adopted as indicator for quality control of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs). However, are chemical index components and quality control of TCMs "never change a winning team"? In this study, under the ponderation of the applicability of QC markers strategy, spectrum-effect relationship and OPLS-DA between GC×GC-MS fingerprint and inhibitory effect on the expression of extracellular secretory TNF-α of volatile oil from Bupleuri radix (BVO) was studied with the purpose of discovery of QC markers and establish a bioactive compounds-based QC method. 290 compounds of BVO were identified by GC×GC-MS. Besides, BVO had significant inhibitory effects on the expression of extracellular secretory TNF-α in a dose-dependent manner. The potency of different batches of BVOs could be distinguished with this bioassay-based method, which has been validated in terms of intermediate precision, repeatability, linearity, range and credibility tests. The QC markers of BVO were investigated by Spearman's correlation test and OPLS-DA. It is regrettable that there were no ideal QC markers of BVO could be found. In conclusion, quality control method relayed on chemical QC markers is not feasible for TCMs with complex composition but lack of ingredients that dominate in content, just like BVO. Alternatively, a bioassay-based method established in our study is suitable for quality control of BVO.

Network pharmacology-guided and TCM theory-supported in vitro and in vivo component identification of Naoluoxintong

Naoluoxintong (NLXT) has been used to treat ischemic stroke (IS) in China for more than two hundred years. However, the pharmacodynamic material basis of NLXT has not been fully studied. Under the guidance of the former network pharmacological analysis, a rapid and reliable method combining UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE with the novel informatics UNIFI™ platform was established which was used to study the composition of NLXT and its prototype components and metabolites in vivo. A total of 102 compounds were identified. 13 compounds were sourced from "Monarch herb", mainly involving flavonoids and their glycosides. 54 compounds were sourced from "Minister herb", mainly involving triterpenoid saponins, organic acids and lactones. 11 compounds were from the "Assistant herb", mostly containing citric acid and esters of citric acid. 24 compounds were from the "Guide herb", mostly including flavonoids and their glycosides, organic acids and lactones. Moreover, 24 prototype components and 30 metabolites were detected, and in vivo transformation pathways for different types of chemical components were provided. This is a comprehensive report on the identification of major chemical components in NLXT and metabolic components in rats by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with UNIFI platform under the guidance of network pharmacology, which is helpful for the quality control of NLXT and the study of quality markers.

Research progress on the pharmacological effects and chemical constituents of Pien Tze Huang and its potential Q-markers

Pien Tze Huang (PTH) was documented as an imperial prescription composed of Notoginseng Radix, Calculus Bovis, Snake Gallbladder, and Musk. It is famous in China and Asian countries due to its excellent effects in heat clearing, detoxifying, swelling reduction, and pain relieving. Modern pharmacological studies demonstrate that PTH shows excellent effects against various inflammatory diseases, liver diseases, and cancers. This review summaries the pharmacological effects, clinical applications, and mainchemical components of PTH. More importantly, its potential quality markers (Q-markers) were then analyzed based on the "five principles" of Q-markers under the guidance of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, including transfer and traceability, specificity, efficacy, compatibility, and measurability. As a result, ginsenosides Rb1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rd, ginsenoside Re, notoginsenoside R1, dencichine, bilirubin, biliverdin, taurocholic acid, and muscone are considered as the Q-markers of PTH. These findings will provide guidance and assistance for the construction of a quality control system for PTH.

Characterization of chemical components of fresh and aged aerosol from vehicle exhaust emissions in Hong Kong

The chemical properties of fresh and aged aerosol emitted during controlled vehicular exhaust emissions were characterized in the analysis. Pyrene (10417.1 ± 534.9 ng kg^-1) is the most abundant of all analyzed compounds in total fresh emission and succinic acid (57359.8 ± 4000.3 ng kg^-1) is for the total aged emission. The fresh emission factors (EF_fresh) of all compounds in the n-alkanes group demonstrate higher average emissions for the two vehicles with EURO 3 standard compared to the other vehicles. The EF_fresh for benzo [a]pyrene is in descending order: G1 (183.1 ± 144.7 ng kg^-1) > G3 (103.4 ± 60.1 ng kg^-1) > G4 (91.2 ± 80.1 ng kg^-1) > G2 (88.6 ± 93.9 ng kg^-1). Aged/fresh (A/F) emission ratios (>20) confirmed that these diacid compounds are generated by the photooxidation of primary pollutants that emitted from gasoline combustions. High A/F ratios (>200) in phthalic acid, isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid under idling mode imply relatively more intense photochemical reactions for their productions compared with other chemical groups. Strong positive correlations (r > 0.6) were observed between the degradation of toluene and formations of pinonic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, terephthalic acid, and glutaric acid after the aging process, suggesting possible photooxidation of toluene that can lead to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in the urban atmosphere. The findings demonstrate that vehicle emission standards for pollution in relation to the change of particulate matter chemical compositions and SOA formations. The results warrant a need for regulated reformulation for such vehicles.

Machine learning in TCM with natural products and molecules: current status and future perspectives

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been practiced for thousands of years with clinical efficacy. Natural products and their effective agents such as artemisinin and paclitaxel have saved millions of lives worldwide. Artificial intelligence is being increasingly deployed in TCM. By summarizing the principles and processes of deep learning and traditional machine learning algorithms, analyzing the application of machine learning in TCM, reviewing the results of previous studies, this study proposed a promising future perspective based on the combination of machine learning, TCM theory, chemical compositions of natural products, and computational simulations based on molecules and chemical compositions. In the first place, machine learning will be utilized in the effective chemical components of natural products to target the pathological molecules of the disease which could achieve the purpose of screening the natural products on the basis of the pathological mechanisms they target. In this approach, computational simulations will be used for processing the data for effective chemical components, generating datasets for analyzing features. In the next step, machine learning will be used to analyze the datasets on the basis of TCM theories such as the superposition of syndrome elements. Finally, interdisciplinary natural product-syndrome research will be established by unifying the results of the two steps outlined above, potentially realizing an intelligent artificial intelligence diagnosis and treatment model based on the effective chemical components of natural products under the guidance of TCM theory. This perspective outlines an innovative application of machine learning in the clinical practice of TCM based on the investigation of chemical molecules under the guidance of TCM theory.

Application of CNN and ANN in assessment the effect of chemical components of biological nanomaterials in treatment of infection of inner ear and environmental sustainability

Nanoparticles (NPs) are a promising alternative to antibiotics for targeting microorganisms, especially in the case of difficult-to-treat bacterial illnesses. Antibacterial coatings for medical equipment, materials for infection prevention and healing, bacterial detection systems for medical diagnostics, and antibacterial immunizations are potential applications of nanotechnology. Infections in the ear, which can result in hearing loss, are extremely difficult to cure. The use of nanoparticles to enhance the efficacy of antimicrobial medicines is a potential option. Various types of inorganic, lipid-based, and polymeric nanoparticles have been produced and shown beneficial for the controlled administration of medication. This article focuses on the use of polymeric nanoparticles to treat frequent bacterial diseases in the human body. Using machine learning models such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs), this 28-day study evaluates the efficacy of nanoparticle therapy. An innovative application of advanced CNNs, such as Dense Net, for the automatic detection of middle ear infections is reported. Three thousand oto-endoscopic images (OEIs) were categorized as normal, chronic otitis media (COM), and otitis media with effusion (OME). Comparing middle ear effusions to OEIs, CNN models achieved a classification accuracy of 95%, indicating great promise for the automated identification of middle ear infections. The hybrid CNN-ANN model attained an overall accuracy of more than 0.90 percent, with a sensitivity of 95 percent and a specificity of 100 percent in distinguishing earwax from illness, and provided nearly perfect measures of 0.99 percent. Nanoparticles are a promising treatment for difficult-to-treat bacterial diseases, such as ear infections. The application of machine learning models, such as ANNs and CNNs, can improve the efficacy of nanoparticle therapy, especially for the automated detection of middle ear infections. Polymeric nanoparticles, in particular, have shown efficacy in treating common bacterial infections in children, indicating great promise for future treatments.

Sources, chemical components, and toxicological responses of size segregated urban air PM samples in high air pollution season in Guangzhou, China

The sources, sizes, components, and toxicological responses of particulate matter (PM) have demonstrated remarkable spatiotemporal variability. However, associations between components, sources, and toxicological effects in different-sized PM remain unclear. The purposes of this study were to 1) determine the sources of PM chemical components, 2) investigate the associations between components and toxicology of PM from Guangzhou high air pollution season. We collected size-segregated PM samples (PM_10-2.5, PM_2.5-1, PM_1-0.2, PM_0.2) from December 2017 to March 2018 in Guangzhou. PM sources and components were analyzed. RAW264.7 mouse macrophages were treated with PM samples for 24 h followed by measurements of toxicological responses. The concentrations of PM_10-2.5 and PM_1-0.2 were relatively high in all samples. Water-soluble ions and PAHs were more abundant in smaller-diameter PM, while metallic elements were more enriched in larger-diameter PM. Traffic exhaust, soil dust, and biomass burning/petrochemical were the most important sources of PAHs, metals and ions, respectively. The main contributions to PM were soil dust, coal combustion, and biomass burning/petrochemical. Exposure to PM_10-2.5 induced the most significant reduction of cell mitochondrial activity, oxidative stress and inflammatory response, whereas DNA damage, an increase of Sub G1/G0 population, and impaired cell membrane integrity were most evident with PM_1-0.2 exposure. There were moderate or strong correlations between most single chemicals and almost all toxicological endpoints as well as between various toxicological outcomes. Our findings highlight those various size-segregated PM-induced toxicological effects in cells, and identify chemical components and sources of PM that play the key role in adverse intracellular responses. Although fine and ultrafine PM have attracted much attention, the inflammatory damage caused by coarse PM cannot be ignored.

Sensitivity of PM10 oxidative potential to aerosol chemical composition at a Mediterranean urban site: ascorbic acid versus dithiothreitol measurements

The oxidative potential (OP) of PM10 daily samples collected at a traffic site in southeastern Spain during summer and winter was assessed by two acellular assays: the ascorbic acid (AA) and dithiothreitol (DTT) methods. Although PM10 levels were similar during both periods, OP values (expressed in nmol min-1 m-3) showed a defined seasonal trend. The AA activity was higher in summer than in winter, whereas the DTT reactivity exhibited an opposite seasonal pattern. Both assays were sensitive to different PM10 components, as shown by the results of the linear correlation analysis. Moreover, the relationship between OP values and PM10 chemical species was not the same during summer and winter, indicating that particle toxicity is associated with different sources during the warm and cold seasons. When OP values were expressed on a mass basis (nmol min-1 µg-1), lower correlation coefficients with PM10 chemical species were generally obtained compared to volume-normalized activities. These outcomes suggest that only some specific components have a significant intrinsic oxidative potential.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11869-023-01332-1.

Production regions discrimination of Huangguanyin oolong tea by using the content of chemical components and rare earth elements

Oolong tea is one of the most popular tea beverages in China. Tea cultivars, processing technology and origin of production affect the quality and price of oolong teas. To investigate the differences in Huangguanyin oolong tea from different production regions, the chemical components, mineral elements and rare earth elements of Huangguanyin oolong tea produced in Yunxiao (YX) and Wuyishan (WY) were analyzed by using spectrophotometry methods, targeted metabolomics and inductive plasma coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results of spectrophotometry methods revealed that there were significant differences in thearubigin, tea polyphenols and water extract between Huangguanyin oolong teas from different production regions. Targeted metabolomics identified a total of 31 chemical components in Huangguanyin oolong teas from the two production regions, of which 14 chemical components were significantly different and contributed to the regional differentiation of Huangguanyin oolong tea. Yunxiao Huangguanyin had relatively higher contents of (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methylgallate) (EGCG3″Me), ornithine (Orn) and histidine (His), while Wuyishan Huangguanyin had relatively higher contents of glutamic acid (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), β-aminobutyric acid (β-ABA) and other components. Moreover, ICP-MS identified a total of 15 mineral elements and 15 rare earth elements in Huangguanyin oolong tea from the two production regions, of which 15 elements were significantly different between YX and WY, and contributed to the regional differentiation of Huangguanyin oolong tea. K had a relatively higher content in Yunxiao Huangguanyin, while rare earth elements had relatively higher contents in Wuyishan Huangguanyin. The classification results by the production region showed that the discrimination rate of the support vector machine (SVM) model based on the 14 different chemical components reached 88.89%, while the SVM model based on the 15 elements reached 100%. Therefore, we used targeted metabolomics and ICP-MS techniques to screen and explore the chemical components, mineral elements and rare earth elements differences among two production regions, which indicated the feasibility of Huangguanyin oolong tea classification by production regions in the study. The results will provide some reference for the distinction between the two production regions of Huangguanyin oolong tea.

Variations of the urban PM2.5 chemical components and corresponding light extinction for three heating seasons in the Guanzhong Plain, China

In order to investigate the variations of PM_2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) chemical components responding to the pollution control strategy and their effect on light extinction (b_ext) in the Guanzhong Plain (GZP), the comparisons of urban atmospheric chemical components during the heating seasons were extensively conducted for three years. The average concentration of PM_2.5 decreased significantly from 117.9 ± 57.3 μg m^-3 in the heating season 1 (HS1) to 53.5 ± 31.3 μg m^-3 in the heating season 3 (HS3), which implied that the effective strategies were implemented in recent years. The greatest contribution to PM_2.5 (∼30%) was from Organic matter (OM). The heightened contributions of the secondary inorganic ions (SNA, including NO₃^-, SO₄^2-, and NH₄⁺) to PM_2.5 were observed with the values of 34% (HS1), 41% (HS2), and 42% (HS3), respectively. The increased percentages of NO₃^- contributions indicated that the emission of NOx should be received special attention in the GZP. The comparison of PM_2.5 chemical compositions and implications across major regions of China and the globe were investigated. NH₄NO₃ was the most important contributor to b_ext in three heating seasons. The average b_ext was decreased from 694.3 ± 399.1 Mm^-1 (HS1) to 359.3 ± 202.3 Mm^-1 (HS3). PM_2.5 had a threshold concentration of 75 μg m^-3, 64 μg m^-3, and 57 μg m^-3 corresponding to the visual range (VR) < 10 km in HS1, HS2, and HS3, respectively. The enhanced impacts of the oxidant on PM_2.5 and O₃ were observed based on the long-term variations in PM_2.5 and OX (Oxidant, the sum of O₃ and NO₂ mixing ratios) over the five heating seasons and PM_2.5 and O₃ over six summers from 2016 to 2021. The importance of coordinated control of PM_2.5 and O₃ was also investigated in the GZP.

Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter chemical composition and in-hospital case fatality among patients with stroke in China

Background

There is little evidence on the association between PM_2.5 chemical components and fatality among hospitalized stroke patients.

Methods

This study used an inpatient discharge database from 2013 to 2019 in four provinces (Sichuan, Shanxi, Guangxi, and Guangdong) in China. Annual average exposure to PM_2.5 and its five chemical components [black carbon (BC), organic matter (OM), sulphate ( S O 4 2 - ), nitrate ( N O 3 - ), and ammonium ( N H 4 + )] were estimated using bilinear interpolation at patient's residential address. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the odds ratios (ORs). Counterfactual analyses were used to estimate the population attributable burden (PAF).

Findings

Among 3,069,093 hospitalized patients with stroke, each interquartile (IQR) increment in PM_2.5 and its chemical components was significantly associated with stroke fatality: the ORs were 1.137 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.118-1.157; IQR: 15.14 μg/m³] for PM_2.5, 1.108 (95% CI: 1.091-1.126; IQR: 0.71 μg/m³) for BC, 1.086 (95% CI: 1.069-1.104; IQR: 3.47 μg/m³) for OM, and 1.065 (95% CI: 1.048-1.083; IQR: 2.81 μg/m³) for S O 4 2 - . We did not find significant associations for N O 3 - (OR: 0.991, 95% CI: 0.975-1.008; IQR: 3.30 μg/m³). The associations were larger among patients with ischemic stroke than those with hemorrhagic stroke. The PAFs were 10.6% (95% CI: 9.1-12.2%) for BC, 9.9% (95% CI: 8.2-11.7%) for OM, and 6.6% (4.9-8.3%) for S O 4 2 - .

Interpretation

Ambient BC, OM, and S O 4 2 - might be important risk factors for stroke fatality. The findings advocate the need to develop tailored guidelines for PM chemical components and curb the emissions of the most hazardous chemical components.

Funding

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-016826).

Analysis of chemical components in two tree species of magnoliaceae, Magnolia sumatrana var. glauca (Blume) Figlar & Noot and Magnolia hypolampra (Dandy) Figlar

The essential oils from roots, branches, leaves and bark of Magnolia sumatrana var. glauca (Blume) Figlar & Noot and Magnolia hypolampra (Dandy) Figlar were extracted by ultrasonic-assisted extraction and the chemicals were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The major constitutes of M. sumatrana var. glauca were trans-cinnamaldehyde (27.55%), caryophyllene (1.20-10.14%), (+)-bulnesol (9.70%), α-caryophyllene (2.35-6.35%), α-eudesmol (1.08-6.17%). M. hypolampra was characterized by the presence of safrole (0.18-35.01%), (+) cycloisosativene (18.70%), oxirane, hexadecyl- (0.72-12.79%), β-cubebene (1.53-8.90%), (Z)-14-tricosenyl formate (8.65%). This is the first study of the composition of essential oils from the roots, branches and bark of M. sumatrana var. glauca and the roots of M. hypolampra, and some compounds were being described for the first time. Combined with present results and literatures, phytochemicals may be affected by multi-factors such as organs, growing location, and extraction methods, providing more approaches for further exploration of the non-wood resources of forestry species.

Review of the Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Artemisia Argyi, Artemisia Princeps, and Artemisia Montana

BACKGROUND

Artemisia argyi Lévl. et Van., Artemisia princeps Pamp., and Artemisia montana Pamp., which are the sources of mugwort, have been popular across East Asian countries for nearly 2000 years now. Essential oils are the major chemical component obtained from them, exhibiting a variety of biological activities.

OBJECTIVE

This review mainly focuses on the chemical composition and biological activities of A. argyi essential oil (AAEO), A. princeps essential oil (APEO), and A. montana essential oil (AMEO), with a special focus on their common and specific characteristics. The traditional use, distribution, and botany of A. argyi, A. princeps, and A. montana have also been summarized. In addition, the pharmacokinetics of AAEO was involved.

METHODS

We collected literature from online and offline databases by entering the following keywords: mugwort, wormwood, A. argyi, A. princeps, A. montana, essential oil, and volatile oil. No language limitation was present in our search.

RESULTS

A. argyi, A. princeps, and A. montana were used as traditional medicine, food, and health care products for a long time in Asia. They are widely distributed in most parts of China, Korea, and Japan. AAEO, APEO, and AMEO composed of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their derivatives, alkanes, olefins, etc. Most of the specific compounds of AAEO were monoterpenoids, nearly half of the specific compounds of APEO were aliphatic hydrocarbons, and the sesquiterpenes were the typical specific compounds of AMEO. The mugwort essential oil showed multiple biological activities, such as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, anticoagulation, sedative, and insecticide.

CONCLUSION

The present review provided insight into the chemical composition and biological activity of AAEO, APEO, and AMEO. The comprehensive literature showed that they possessed wide application prospects in various fields. However, they should be studied in more depth. The underlying bioactive mechanisms should be elucidated and their toxicity and quality control should be determined.

Unraveling the mystery of efficacy in Chinese medicine formula: New approaches and technologies for research on pharmacodynamic substances

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the key to unlock treasures of Chinese civilization. TCM and its compound play a beneficial role in medical activities to cure diseases, especially in major public health events such as novel coronavirus epidemics across the globe. The chemical composition in Chinese medicine formula is complex and diverse, but their effective substances resemble "mystery boxes". Revealing their active ingredients and their mechanisms of action has become focal point and difficulty of research for herbalists. Although the existing research methods are numerous and constantly updated iteratively, there is remain a lack of prospective reviews. Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive account of existing new approaches and technologies based on previous studies with an in vitro to in vivo perspective. In addition, the bottlenecks of studies on Chinese medicine formula effective substances are also revealed. Especially, we look ahead to new perspectives, technologies and applications for its future development. This work reviews based on new perspectives to open horizons for the future research. Consequently, herbal compounding pharmaceutical substances study should carry on the essence of TCM while pursuing innovations in the field.

Psoriasis treatment using Indigo Naturalis: Progress and strategy

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In recent years, there are increasing that the number of patients with psoriasis day by day, and it has become a common disease endangering public health. However, there is no specific cure for psoriasis or control of recurrence. Therefore, it's necessity to seek alternative and efficient therapy, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). As a TCM and effective medicine for the treatment of psoriasis, Indigo Naturalis (Baphicacanthus Cusia (Nees) Bremek.) has the effect of clearing heat, detoxifying blood, eliminating spots, reducing fire and calming panic, and it is used in many classical prescriptions for the treatment of psoriasis.

AIM OF REVIEW

To review the latest progress and strategies of Indigo Naturalis in the treatment of psoriasis. This manuscript mainly clarifies the traditional medicinal applications, the mechanism of action and application strategies of Indigo Naturalis, and its preparations in the treatment of psoriasis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Detailed information on Indigo Naturalis was collected from various online databases (PubMed, GeenMedical, Web of Science, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, and National Intellectual Property Administration).

RESULTS

This manuscript reviews a great deal of information about how Indigo Naturalis can treat psoriasis through immune cells, signal pathways and disease-related mediators. The mechanism of cymbididae is expounded from the aspects of regulating keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, regulating inflammatory infiltration of cellular immune system and improving microvascular dilation and hyperplasia in skin lesions.

CONCLUSION

The action mechanisms of Indigo Naturalis on psoriasis reflect the characteristics of multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways of Traditional Chinese medicine. However, some pharmacological and clinical research methods are improper, so that the results are difficult to explain at present. Therefore, further in-depth research is needed to provide knowledge in a wider range of areas to confirm the great therapeutic potential of Indigo Naturalis.

Impact of short-term control measures on air quality: A case study during the 7th Military World Games in central China

The 7th Military World Games held in Wuhan (WH) in Oct 2019 provided an opportunity to clarify the impact of short-term control measures on air quality. Fine particulate matters (PM_2.5) were collected in WH, Huangshi (HS), and Huanggang (HG) during the control (Oct 13-28, 2019) and non-control periods (Oct 29- Nov 5, 2019). The results showed that air quality was good during the control period, with the concentrations of PM_2.5 and gaseous pollutants being below the Grade Ⅱ of China Ambient Air Quality Standard. Concentrations of PM_2.5 and its major chemical components in the control period were significantly lower than those in the non-control period, with reductions ranging from 17% (trace elements) to 46% (elemental carbon). However, higher contributions of secondary components such as SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺ and secondary organic carbon (SOC) to PM_2.5 were observed during the control period, suggesting the important role of secondary transformation. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) of PM_2.5 showed that the main source regions were potentially located in surrounding cities Hubei Province, but regional transport can't be ignored. Six sources were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF) for both control and non-control period. The contributions of combustion emissions and vehicle emissions were amplified in the control period, while the contribution of construction dust increased significantly when the control measures ended. Emission reductions contributed more to PM_2.5 concentration decrease in WH (55%) than that in HS (51%) and HG (49%), which was consistent with the stricter control measures implemented in WH. These results indicated that short-term controls were effective at lowering PM_2.5 concentration. However, the elevated contributions of secondary aerosols and the influence of regional transport on the study areas also need to be paid attention for air quality improvement in the future.

Parameterization of the ambient aerosol refractive index with source appointed chemical compositions

The refractive index of ambient aerosols is widely used in the climate model and remote sensing. Traditionally, the real part of the refractive index (RRI) of the ambient aerosol is calculated from the measured mass fraction of the main inorganic components with known refractive index, without full resolving the effects of variation in the RRI of organic components, which always contribute more than 50 % of the total aerosol mass. For the first time, the ambient aerosol RRI and the aerosol chemical components were measured concurrently at a suburban site Changping, in Beijing, China. Measurements results show that the ambient aerosol ranges between 1.57 and 1.71 with a mean value of 1.66. The mean mass fractions of organic aerosol (OA), nitrate, sulfate, ammonium, and chloride to total non-refractory aerosol loading are 43.1 %, 21.9 %, 21.6 %, 13.1 %, and 0.3 % respectively. Source appointment analysis of the organic aerosol show that the fossil fuel-related OA, cooking OA, biomass burning OA, less oxidized oxygenated OA and more oxidized OOA contributes 18.0 %, 11.2 %, 4.1 %, 39.9 %, 26.7 % to the total aerosol. A new parameterization scheme of the ambient aerosol RRI, which considers the source appointed OA, is proposed based on the concurrent measurements of RRI and chemical composition. The measured and parameterized RRI shows good consistency with a correlation coefficient of 0.79 and slope of 0.98. Our measurement results reveal that a significant deviation of the calculated RRI exists without considering the variation of the RRI of the aerosol organic component. The parametrization scheme is adopted and applicable in aerosol model for bettering estimating the corresponding optical and radiative effects.

Curcumae rhizoma and its major constituents against hepatobiliary disease: Pharmacotherapeutic properties and potential clinical applications

BACKGROUND

Hepatobiliary disease currently serves as an urgent health issue in public due to health-modulating factors such as extension of life expectancy, increasingly sedentary lifestyles and over-nutrition. A definite treatment remains lacking owing to different stages of the disease itself and its intricate pathogenesis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been gradually popularized in clinic with the satisfactory efficacy and good safety. Curcumae Rhizoma (called E Zhu, EZ in Chinese) is a representative herb, which has been used to treat hepatobiliary disease for thousands of years.

PURPOSE

To systematically summarize the recent research advances on the pharmacological activities of EZ and its constituents, explain the underlying mechanisms of preventing and treating hepatobiliary diseases, and assess the shortcomings of existing work. Besides, ethnopharmacology, phytochemicals, and toxicology of EZ have been researched.

METHODS

The information about EZ was collected from various sources including classic books about Chinese herbal medicine, and scientific databases including Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer, ACS, SCOPUS, CNKI, CSTJ, and WANFANG using keywords given below and terms like pharmacological and phytochemical details of this plant.

RESULTS

The chemical constituents isolated and identified from EZ, such as terpenoids including β-elemene, furanodiene, germacrone, etc. and curcuminoids including curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, etc. prove to have hepatoprotective effect, anti-liver fibrotic effect, anti-fatty liver effect, anti-liver neoplastic effect, and cholagogic effect through TGF-β1/Smad, JNK1/2-ROS, NF-κB and other anti-inflammatory and antioxidant signaling pathways. Also, EZ is often combined with other Chinese herbs in the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases with good clinical efficacy and no obvious adverse reactions.

CONCLUSION

It provides a preclinical basis for the efficacy of EZ as an effective therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of hepatobiliary diseases. Even so, the further studies still needed to alleviate hepatotoxicity and expand clinical application.

Characterization of the spatial and temporal distribution of lead around a battery industrial park by LA-SPAMS

A convenient technique for direct solids analysis, laser ablation single particle aerosol mass spectrometry (LA-SPAMS), was used to investigate lead and other components in soil and bark samples from around a battery industrial park. In total, over 50,000 particles ranging in size from 0.2 to 2 μm were sampled and approximately 15-35% of the particles were analyzed for chemical composition. The mean mass spectrum results showed that the intensity of lead varied widely among sampling points, reaching the highest intensity in the topsoil and bark at sampling point 4, located closest to the core factory. Based on the neural network algorithm of adaptive resonance theory (ART-2a), the topsoil and bark samples were classified into five categories: crustal composition (Ca⁺, silicates, aluminates, etc.), elemental carbon (C₂^-, C₃^-, C₄^-, etc.), organic carbon (CN^-, levoglucosan, etc.), secondary inorganic sources (phosphates, nitrates, sulfates), and heavy metals (Pb⁺, Zn⁺, Cu⁺), with the proportion of Pb varying from 0.020 to 0.25% and 0.030-9.41% in topsoil and bark samples, respectively, while the proportion of Cu and Zn in topsoil and bark samples did not differ as greatly as Pb. In addition, the particle number concentrations of lead particles in topsoil and bark ranged from 0.14 to 3.48% and 0.36-37.93%, respectively. The concentrations of Pb in topsoil and bark samples measured by ICP-OES varied from 71 to 791 ppm and 172-2595 ppm, respectively. Overall, both the lead content in topsoil samples measured by LA-SPAMS and ICP-OES reached maximum values at sampling points 4 and 5, respectively, indicating moderate pollution with Pb at these two sites. This convenient LA-SPAMS method not only accurately detects the composition of solid samples, the mixing state of particulate matter, and the analytical component sources, but also omits tedious pretreatment steps, reduces the use of organic solvents, and shortens the detection time of solid samples, thereby providing an attractive method for soil environmental quality monitoring.

Insight into urban PM2.5 chemical composition and environmentally persistent free radicals attributed human lung epithelial cytotoxicity

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is detrimental to the human respiratory system. However, the toxicity of PM2.5 and its associated potentially harmful species, notably novel pollutants like environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), remains unclear. Therefore, one-year site monitoring and ambient air PM2.5 sampling in the Nanjing urban area was designed to investigate the relationships between chemical compositions (carbon fractions, metallic elements, and water-soluble ions) and EPFRs, and change in cytotoxicity with varying PM2.5 components. Oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species, ROS), inflammatory injury (IL-6 and TNF-α), and membrane injury (LDH) of human lung epithelial cells (A549) induced by PM2.5 were analyzed using in vitro cytotoxicity test. Both the composition and toxicity of PM2.5 from different seasons were compared. The average daily exposure of urban PM2.5 associated EPFRs load in Nanjing were 2.29 × 1011 spin m-3. Their exposure concentration and cytotoxic damage ability were stronger in the cold season than warm. The particle compositions of metals and carbon fractions were significantly positively correlated with EPFRs. The airborne EPFRs, organic carbon (OC), and heavy metal Cu, As, and Pb may pose principal cell damage ability, which is worthy of further study interlinking aerosol pollution and health risks.

Water-soluble matter in PM2.5 in a coastal city over China: Chemical components, optical properties, and source analysis

Although marine and terrestrial emissions simultaneously affect the formation of atmospheric fine particles in coastal areas, knowledge on the optical properties and sources of water-soluble matter in these areas is still scarce. In this work, taking Qingdao, China as a typical coastal location, the chemical composition of PM_2.5 during winter 2019 was analyzed. Excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy was combined with parallel factor analysis model to explain the components of water-soluble atmospheric chromophores of PM_2.5. Our analysis indicated that NO₃^-, NH₄⁺ and SO₄^2- ions accounted for 86.80% of the total ion mass, dominated by NO₃^-. The ratio of [NO₃^-]/[SO₄^2-] was up to 2.42 ± 0.84, suggesting that mobile sources play an important role in local pollutants emission. The result of positive correlation between Abs₃₆₅ with K⁺ suggests that biomass burning is an important source of water-soluble organic compounds (WSOC). Six types of fluorophores (C1-C6), all humic-like substances, were identified in WSOC. Humification index, biological index and fluorescence index in winter were 1.66 ± 0.34, 0.51 ± 0.44 and 1.09 ± 0.78, respectively, indicating that WSOC in Qingdao were mainly terrestrial organic matters. Overall, although the study area is close to the ocean, the contribution of terrestrial sources to PM_2.5, especially vehicle exhaust and coal combustion, is still much higher than that of marine sources. Our study provides a more comprehensive understanding of chemical and optical properties of WSOC based on PM_2.5 in coastal areas, and may provide ground for improving local air quality.

Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter and its constituents may affect renal function via oxidative stress: A longitudinal panel study

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has been reported to increase the risks of chronic kidney disease. However, limited research has assessed the effect of PM_2.5 and its constituents on renal function, and the underlying mechanism has not been well characterized. We aimed to evaluate the association of PM_2.5 and its constituents with kidney indicators and to explore the roles of systematic oxidative stress and inflammation in the association. We conducted a longitudinal panel study among 35 healthy adults before-, intra- and after-the 2019 Wuhan Military World Games. We repeatedly measured 6 renal function parameters and 5 circulating biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation at 6 rounds of follow-ups. We monitored hourly personal PM_2.5 concentrations with 3 consecutive days and measured 10 metals (metalloids) and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) components. The linear mixed-effect models were applied to examine the association between PM_2.5 and renal function parameters, and the mediation analysis was performed to explore potential bio-pathways. PM_2.5 concentrations across Wuhan showed a slight decrease during the Military Games. We observed significant associations between elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and PM_2.5 and its several metals and PAHs components. For an interquartile range (IQR) increase of PM_2.5, BUN increased 0.42 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.14 to 0.69). On average, an IQR higher of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), thallium (Tl) and Indeno (1,2,3-cd) pyrene (IPY) were associated with 0.90, 0.65, 0.29, 0.27, 0.26 and 0.90 mmol/L increment of BUN, respectively. Moreover, superoxide dismutase was positively associated with PM_2.5 and mediated 18.24% association. Our research indicated that exposure to PM_2.5 might affect renal function by activating oxidative stress pathways, in which the constituents of Pb, Cd, As, Se, Tl and IPY might contribute to the associations.

The oxidative and neurotoxic potentials of the ambient PM2.5 extracts: The efficient multi-solvent extraction method

The health effects of ambient air particulate matter with a diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5) on the central nervous system are well known and the induced oxidative stress has been shown as their main neuropathologic outcome. Ambient air PM_2.5 sampling methods mostly use air sampler systems that collect PM_2.5 on filters, which is followed by a PM_2.5 extraction approach. Inefficient extraction may lead to compositional bias and unreal interpretation of the results. This study aimed to compare our proposed multi-solvent extraction (MSE) approach for PM_2.5 extraction with a conventional aqueous extraction (AqE) method using the analysis of oxidative effects and cytotoxicity in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. Ambient PM_2.5 samples were collected from an urban traffic location in Tehran city, the capital of Iran, using a high-volume sampler. The developed MSE method was proved to have superior advantages over the AqE method including an increased extraction efficiency (as much as 96 against 48% for PM_ms and PM_aq, respectively), and decreased artifacts and compositional biases. Ambient PM_2.5, besides PM_ms and PM_aq were analyzed for water-soluble ions, metals, and major elements. Dithiothreitol, ascorbic acid, lipid peroxidation, and cell viability assays on SH-SY5Y cells represented the significantly higher oxidative potential for PM_ms compared to PM_aq. The increased cytotoxicity may occur because of the increased oxidative potential of PM_ms and possibly is associated with higher efficiency of the MSE over the AqE method for removal of total redox-active PM components.

Qualitative analysis of chemical components in Lianhua Qingwen capsule by HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS coupled with GC-MS

The Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) capsule is a popular traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of viral respiratory diseases. In particular, it has been recently prescribed to treat infections caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, due to its complex composition, little attention has been directed toward the analysis of chemical constituents present in the LHQW capsule. This study presents a reliable and comprehensive approach to characterizing the chemical constituents present in LHQW by high-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). An automated library alignment method with a high mass accuracy (within 5 ppm) was used for the rapid identification of compounds. A total of 104 compounds, consisting of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, quinones, terpenoids, and other phytochemicals, were successfully characterized. In addition, the fragmentation pathways and characteristic fragments of some representative compounds were elucidated. GC-MS analysis was conducted to characterize the volatile compounds present in LHQW. In total, 17 compounds were putatively characterized by comparing the acquired data with that from the NIST library. The major constituent was menthol, and all the other compounds were terpenoids. This is the first comprehensive report on the identification of the major chemical constituents present in the LHQW capsule by HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS, coupled with GC-MS, and the results of this study can be used for the quality control and standardization of LHQW capsules.

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The chemical components of LHQW capsule were revealed using HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS and GC-MS.

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The approach combined HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS and GC-MS methods.

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A library alignment method was used for the rapid identification of the chemical components.

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In total, 120 compounds were putatively identified.

Source apportionment and health risk due to PM10 and TSP at the surface workings of an underground coal mine in the arid desert region of northwestern China

The surface operations area of an underground coal mine near Lingwu in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was selected for this study. Particulate matter (PM) was sampled in the coal screening plant during the day and night in Spring and Winter, 2019. Twelve trace metals and eight water-soluble ions in particulate matter up to 10 μm in diameter (PM₁₀) and total suspended particles (TSP) were analyzed using ICP-OES and ion chromatography, respectively. The enrichment factor (EF) and positive matrix fraction (PMF) were used to identify potential sources of particulate metals. The forward trajectory model was used to analyze the main migration pathways of particles. Results showed that higher concentrations of PM₁₀ and TSP were found in Spring than in Winter; the concentration of PM at night was lower than during the day. Most of the trace metals in TSP were greater than in PM₁₀, while the content of most water-soluble ions in TSP was lower than in PM₁₀. The EF analysis confirmed that particulate metals were attributable to anthropogenic emission. PMF model results further demonstrated that the main sources of PM in both seasons were regional suspended dust, traffic emission, industrial emission and coal burning. Air mass dispersion analysis showed that PM generated by these operations may spread to eastern and southeastern China within 72 h in Spring, while mainly to southeastern and southern China in Winter. These suggest a need for greater focus on strengthening the monitoring and early warning of the presence of atmospheric PM in southern Shanxi, China. Because of the risks that particulate metals pose to human health, the protection of children should be strengthened around the surface operation area of an underground coal mine. Moreover, monitoring of the concentrations of Cr in PM₁₀ and Mn in TSP in Spring should be strengthened, and the opposite procedure should be adopted in Winter. These findings are useful for providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of pollutants in underground mining areas and the construction of cleaner production lines.

Association of abnormal-glucose tolerance during pregnancy with exposure to PM2.5 components and sources

Maternal exposure to PM_2.5 has been associated with abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy, but little is known about which constituents and sources are most relevant to glycemic effects. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1148 pregnant women to investigate associations of PM_2.5 chemical components with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and to identify the most harmful sources in Heshan, China from January 2015 to July 2016. We measured PM_2.5 using filter-based method and analyzed them for 28 constituents, including carbonaceous species, water-soluble ions and metal elements. Contributions of PM_2.5 sources were assessed by positive matrix factorization (PMF). Logistic regression model was used to estimate composition-specific and source-specific effects on GDM/IGT. Random forest algorithm was applied to evaluate the relative importance of components to GDM and IGT. PM_2.5 total mass and several chemical constituents were associated with GDM and IGT across the early to mid-gestation periods, as were the PM_2.5 sources fossil fuel/oil combustion, road dust, metal smelting, construction dust, electronic waster, vehicular emissions and industrial emissions. The trimester-specific associations differed among pollutants and sources. The third and highest quartile of elemental carbon, ammonium (NH₄⁺), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) across gestation were consistently associated with higher odds of GDM/IGT. Maternal exposures to zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti) and vehicular emissions during the first trimester, and vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), road dust and fossil fuel/oil combustion during the second trimester were more important for GDM/IGT. This study provides important new evidence that maternal exposure to PM_2.5 components and sources is significantly related to elevated risk for abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy.

Wonder or evil?: Multifaceted health hazards and health benefits of Cannabis sativa and its phytochemicals

Cannabis sativa, widely known as 'Marijuana' poses a dilemma for being a blend of both good and bad medicinal effects. The historical use of Cannabis for both medicinal and recreational purposes suggests it to be a friendly plant. However, whether the misuse of Cannabis and the cannabinoids derived from it can hamper normal body physiology is a focus of ongoing research. On the one hand, there is enough evidence to suggest that misuse of marijuana can cause deleterious effects on various organs like the lungs, immune system, cardiovascular system, etc. and also influence fertility and cause teratogenic effects. However, on the other hand, marijuana has been found to offer a magical cure for anorexia, chronic pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and disturbed sleep. Indeed, most recently, the United Nations has given its verdict in favour of Cannabis declaring it as a non-dangerous narcotic. This review provides insights into the various health effects of Cannabis and its specialized metabolites and indicates how wise steps can be taken to promote good use and prevent misuse of the metabolites derived from this plant.

Aucklandiae Radix and Vladimiriae Radix: A systematic review in ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Aucklandiae Radix (AR) and Vladimiriae Radix (VR), as commonly used traditional Chinese herbal medicine, were widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The two herbal medicines were warm, pungent and bitter. They entered the spleen, stomach, large intestine and gallbladder meridians, and had the effect of promoting qi circulation to relieve pain. It is usually used for chest and hypochondrium, abdominal fullness and pain, tenesmus, indigestion, and warming the middle to harmonize the stomach in clinically.

AIM OF THIS REVIEW

To provide a reference for the identification of traditional use, the material basis of efficacy and preclinical research between AR and VR, this review systematically summarized the similarities and differences in ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and modern pharmacology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literature information was collected systematically from the electronic scientific databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Geen Medical, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, as well as other literature sources, such as classic books of herbal medicine, master's thesis, doctoral thesis.

RESULTS

In the plateau areas of Sichuan Province, VR used to be regarded as substitute or local habit for AR, which is regularly used for chest, abdominal fullness and pain, diarrhea, and other related diseases. In Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) 2020 edition, 145 prescription preparations with AR were collected, such as Xianglian Wan, Muxiang Shunqi Wan, Liuwei Muxiang San. However, only one prescription preparation (Jiuxiang Zhitong Wan) contained VR. Additionally, 237 and 254 chemical components were separately isolated and identified from AR and VR, 69 kinds of compounds were common among them, and the significant differences were presented in sesquiterpene lactones, monoterpenoids, triterpenoids and phenylpropanoids. Moreover, Costunolide (COS) and Dehydrocostus lactone (DEH), two main research objects of modern pharmacology, showed multiple pharmacological activities. Not only could they inhibit the activity of some cancer cells (such as breast cancer and leukemia cells), but they regulated the levels of various inflammatory factors (including TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-6) and repressed the growth and reproduction of various microorganisms (like Helicobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus).

CONCLUSION

COS and DEH as the common active components, provide a certain basis for local medicine about the substitution of VR for AR in Sichuan province of China in the past. In addition, the sesquiterpenoids are the main common compounds in AR and VR by collecting and collating a large number of literature and various data websites. Furthermore, AR and VR have significant differences in ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry, especially in sesquiterpene lactones, monoterpenoids, triterpenoids and phenylpropanoids, and are probably viewed as reference of a separate list of AR and VR in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

HPLC fingerprinting-based multivariate analysis of chemical components in Tetrastigma Hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg: Correlation to their antioxidant and neuraminidase inhibition activities

Tetrastigma Hemsleyanum Diels & Gilg (TDG) has attracted growing attention in China; however, there were few studies on its bioactive components. Herein, the characteristic chemical components and dual antioxidant and neuraminidase inhibitory activities of fifteen batches of TDG from different places of origin and their relevance were investigated. The HPLC fingerprint was first established and the marker components were identified by using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Catechin-5-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, tartaric acid, (1R, 2R, 4S)-2-hydroxy-1, 8-cineole-β-d-glucopyranoside, and phlorizin were identified for the first time. The result of multivariate statistical analysis indicated that multiple components have a significant contribution to the classification of TDG, such as chlorogenic acid, saccharumoside C/D, robinin, procyanidin B₂, rutin, isoquercitrin, etc. Then, the antioxidant and neuraminidase inhibitory activities of fifteen batches of TDG were measured. The result of grey relationship analysis showed that the contents of rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol-3-rutinoside, and astragalin were positively correlated with these two activities with correlation coefficients more than 0.8. The quantitative analysis of these four bioactive compounds was performed by using HPLC-DAD. The recovery rate of the method varied from 98.02% to 100.21%, the RSD values of precision, stability and repeatability were between 1.32-3.15 %, and the R value of the linear equation was above 0.9990. To sum up, this study is valuable in the quality control of TDG.

Evolution of secondary inorganic aerosols amidst improving PM2.5 air quality in the North China plain

The Clean Air Action implemented by the Chinese government in 2013 has greatly improved air quality in the North China Plain (NCP). In this work, we report changes in the chemical components of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) at four NCP sampling sites from 2012/2013 to 2017 to investigate the impacts and drivers of the Clean Air Action on aerosol chemistry, especially for secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA). During the observation period, the concentrations of PM_2.5 and its chemical components (especially SIA, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC)) and the frequency of polluted days (daily PM_2.5 concentration ≥ 75 μg m^-3) in the NCP, declined significantly at all four sites. Asynchronized reduction in SIA components (large decreases in SO₄^2- with stable or even increased NO₃^- and NH₄⁺) was observed in urban Beijing, revealing a shift of the primary form of SIA, which suggested the fractions of NO₃^- increased more rapidly than SO₄^2- during PM_2.5 pollution episodes, especially in 2016 and 2017. In addition, unexpected increases in the sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) and the nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) were observed among sites and across years in the substantially decreased PM_2.5 levels. They were largely determined by secondary aerosol precursors (i.e. decreased SO₂ and NO₂), photochemical oxidants (e.g. increased O₃), temperature, and relative humidity via gas-phase and heterogeneous reactions. Our results not only highlight the effectiveness of the Action Plan for improving air quality in the NCP, but also suggest an increasing importance of SIA in determining PM_2.5 concentration and composition.

Effects of rhizosphere fungi on the chemical composition of fruits of the medicinal plant Cinnamomum migao endemic to southwestern China

BACKGROUND

This study examined how rhizosphere fungi influence the accumulation of chemical components in fruits of a small population species of Cinnamomum migao.

RESULTS

Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were dominant in the rhizosphere fungal community of C. migao. Pestalotiopsis and Gibellulopsis were associated with α-Terpineol and sabinene content, and Gibellulopsis was associated with crude fat and carbohydrate content. There were significant differences in rhizosphere fungal populations between watersheds, and there was no obvious change between fruiting periods. Gibberella, Ilyonectria, Micropsalliota, and Geminibasidium promoted sabinene accumulation, and Clitocybula promoted α-Terpineol accumulation.

CONCLUSION

The climate-related differentiation of rhizosphere fungal communities in watershed areas is the main driver of the chemical composition of C. migao fruit. The control of the production of biologically active compounds by the rhizosphere fungal community provides new opportunities to increase the industrial and medicinal value of the fruit of C. migao.

Natural drug sources for respiratory diseases from Fritillaria: chemical and biological analyses

Fritillaria naturally grows in the temperate region of Northern Hemisphere and mainly distributes in Central Asia, Mediterranean region, and North America. The dried bulbs from a dozen species of this genus have been usually used as herbal medicine, named Beimu in China. Beimu had rich sources of phytochemicals and have extensively applied to respiratory diseases including coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Fritillaria species have alkaloids that act as the main active components that contribute multiple biological activities, including anti-tussive, expectorant, and anti-asthmatic effects, especially against certain respiratory diseases. Other compounds (terpenoids, steroidal saponins, and phenylpropanoids) have also been identified in species of Fritillaria. In this review, readers will discover a brief summary of traditional uses and a comprehensive description of the chemical profiles, biological properties, and analytical techniques used for quality control. In general, the detailed summary reveals 293 specialized metabolites that have been isolated and analyzed in Fritillaria species. This review may provide a scientific basis for the chemical ecology and metabolomics in which compound identification of certain species remains a limiting step.

The research progresses and future prospects of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg: A valuable Chinese herbal medicine

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg, known as Sanyeqing in China, was an extensively used folk Chinese herbal medicine. This plant had been validated to be highly effective for treating high fever, pneumonia, hepatitis, gastritis, cervicitis, lymphatic tuberculosis, septicemia, and viral meningitis.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

As a review in T. hemsleyanum, this article aims to provide a critical and comprehensive evaluation for future research as well as the development of new drugs. The possible uses and future research directions of this plant were also discussed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was conducted on different scientific search engines, including Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI. Additional information was obtained from classic books about Chinese herbal medicine and scientific databases.

RESULTS

T. hemsleyanum was a perennial herb climbing vine, which was mainly based on field cultivation. About 150 chemical compounds have been isolated from T. hemsleyanum, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides, triterpenoids, steroids, and organic acids. Studies on the physiological aspects of T. hemsleyanum have been focused on the effects of light and fertilizer on their growth, and few other studies have been conducted. The plant had widespread pharmacological effects on the immune system, as well as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic.

CONCLUSIONS

T. hemsleyanum was a valuable traditional Chinese medical herb with pharmacological activities that mainly affected the immune system. This review summarized its botanical description, cultivation techniques, physiology, ethnopharmacology, chemical components, and pharmacological functions. This information suggested that we should focus on the development of new drugs related to T. hemsleyanum. Meanwhile, it was important to emphasize the traditional use of T. hemsleyanum, avoiding over-harvesting that exerted a great impact on resource scarcity. And developing its new clinical usage and comprehensive utilize would augment the therapeutic potentials of T. hemsleyanum.

Chemical formation and source apportionment of PM2.5 at an urban site at the southern foot of the Taihang mountains

The region along the Taihang Mountains in the North China Plain (NCP) is characterized by serious fine particle pollution. To clarify the formation mechanism and controlling factors, an observational study was conducted to investigate the physical and chemical properties of the fine particulate matter in Jiaozuo city, China. Mass concentrations of the water-soluble ions (WSIs) in PM_2.5 and gaseous pollutant precursors were measured on an hourly basis from December 1, 2017, to February 27, 2018. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) method and the FLEXible PARTicle (FLEXPART) model were employed to identify the sources of PM_2.5. The results showed that the average mass concentration of PM_2.5 was 111 μg/m³ during the observation period. Among the major WSIs, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium (SNA) constituted 62% of the total PM_2.5 mass, and NO₃^- ranked the highest with an average contribution of 24.6%. NH₄⁺ was abundant in most cases in Jiaozuo. According to chemical balance analysis, SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, and Cl^- might be present in the form of (NH₄)₂SO₄, NH₄NO₃, NH₄Cl, and KCl. The liquid-phase oxidation of SO₂ and NO₂ was severe during the haze period. The relative humidity and pH were the key factors influencing SO₄^2- formation. We found that NO₃^- mainly stemmed from homogeneous gas-phase reactions in the daytime and originated from the hydrolysis of N₂O₅ in the nighttime, which was inconsistent with previous studies. The PMF model identified five sources of PM_2.5: secondary origin (37.8%), vehicular emissions (34.7%), biomass burning (11.5%), coal combustion (9.4%), and crustal dust (6.6%).

Toxicological effects of personal exposure to fine particles in adult residents of Hong Kong

Toxicological studies have demonstrated the associations between fine particle (PM_2.5) components and various cytotoxic endpoints. However, few studies have investigated the toxicological effects of source-specific PM_2.5 at the individual level. To investigate the potential impact of source-specific PM_2.5 on cytotoxic effects, we performed repeated personal PM_2.5 monitoring of 48 adult participants in Hong Kong during the winter and summer of 2014-2015. Quartz filters were analyzed for carbonaceous aerosols and water-soluble ions in PM_2.5. Teflon filters were collected to determine personal PM_2.5 mass and metal concentrations. The toxicological effects of personal PM_2.5 exposure-including cytotoxicity, inflammatory response, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production-were measured using A549 cells in vitro. Personal PM_2.5 samples collected in winter were more effective than those collected in summer at inducing cytotoxicity and the expression of proinflammation cytokine IL-6. By contrast, summer personal PM_2.5 samples induced high ROS production. We performed a series of statistical analyses, Spearman correlation and a source apportionment approach with a multiple linear regression (MLR) model, to explore the sources contributing most significantly to personal PM_2.5 bioreactivity. Secondary inorganic species and transition metals were discovered to be weak-to-moderately associated with cytotoxicity (r_s: 0.26-0.55; p < 0.01) and inflammatory response (r_s: 0.26-0.44; p < 0.05), respectively. Carbonaceous aerosols (i.e., organic and elemental carbon; r_s: 0.23-0.27; p < 0.05) and crustal material (Mg and Ca) was positively associated with ROS generation. The PMF-MLR models revealed that tailpipe exhaust and secondary sulfate contributed to ROS generation, whereas secondary nitrate was the major contributor to PM_2.5 cytotoxicity and inflammation. These results improve and variate the arguments for practical policies designed to mitigate the risks posed by air pollution sources and to protect public health.

Edible flower essential oils: A review of chemical compositions, bioactivities, safety and applications in food preservation

In the context of consumers' growing concerns and boycotts of artificial and harmful chemicals, satisfying the demands for good-quality food products possessing clean and safe images is a challenge for food industry. Due to natural and avirulent images, various bioactivities as well as potentials to be used as safer substitutes for chemical preservatives, flower essential oils (EOs) have aroused increasing interests in the recent past. Many literatures have verified the biological activities of flower EOs, and have given high value to the preservative potentials of flower EOs in food systems. In this work, a review is done on the most recent publications associating the chemical constituents, bioactivities (antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anti-pest abilities) and safety of flower EOs. The effects of flower EOs on food flavor are also discussed. Finally, the current combined preservation applications of flower EOs and other technologies are summarized.

Cause of PM2.5 pollution during the 2016-2017 heating season in Beijing, Tianjin, and Langfang, China

To investigate the cause of fine particulate matter (particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm, PM_2.5) pollution in the heating season in the North China Plain (specifically Beijing, Tianjin, and Langfang), water-soluble ions and carbonaceous components in PM_2.5 were simultaneously measured by online instruments with 1-hr resolution, from November 15, 2016 to March 15, 2017. The results showed extreme severity of PM_2.5 pollution on a regional scale. Secondary inorganic ions (SNA, i.e., NO₃^-+SO₄²+ NH₄⁺) dominated the water-soluble ions, accounting for 30%-40% of PM_2.5, while the total carbon (TC, i.e., OC + EC) contributed to 26.5%-30.1% of PM_2.5 in the three cities. SNA were mainly responsible for the increasing PM_2.5 pollution compared with organic matter (OM). NO₃^- was the most abundant species among water-soluble ions, but SO₄^2- played a much more important role in driving the elevated PM_2.5 concentrations. The relative humidity (RH) and its precursor SO₂ were the key factors affecting the formation of sulfate. Homogeneous reactions dominated the formation of nitrate which was mainly limited by HNO₃ in ammonia-rich conditions. Secondary formation and regional transport from the heavily polluted region promoted the growth of PM_2.5 concentrations in the formation stage of PM_2.5 pollution in Beijing and Langfang. Regional transport or local emissions, along with secondary formation, made great contributions to the PM_2.5 pollution in the evolution stage of PM_2.5 pollution in Beijing and Langfang. The favourable meteorological conditions and regional transport from a relatively clean region both favored the diffusion of pollutants in all three cities.

Chemical characteristics of road dust PM2.5 fraction in oasis cities at the margin of Tarim Basin

In order to understand the compositions characteristics of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) fraction in road dust (RD_2.5) of oasis cities on the edge of Tarim Basin, 30 road dust (RD) samples were collected in Kashi, Cele, and Yutian in the spring, 2018, and RD_2.5 was collected using the resuspension approach. Eight water-soluble ions, 39 trace elements and 8 fractions of carbon-containing species in PM_2.5 were analyzed. Ca²⁺ and Ca were the most abundant ions and elements in RD_2.5 (7.1% and 9.5%). Cl^- in RD_2.5 was affected not only by attributed to saline-alkali soils in oasis cities of the Tarim Basin and dust from Taklimakan Desert but also by human activities. Moreover, the organic carbon/elemental carbon (OC/EC) ratio indicated that carbon components in RD_2.5 in Cele town mainly come from fossil fuel combustion, while those in Yutian and Kashi mainly come from biomass combustion. It is noteworthy that high Ca in RD_2.5 was seriously affected by anthropogenic emissions, and high Na and K contents in RD_2.5 could be derived from soil and desert dust. It was estimated that Cd, Tl, Sn and Cr were emitted from anthropogenic emissions using the enrichment factor. The coefficients of divergence (COD) result indicated that the influence of local emission on road dust emission is greater than that of long-distance transmission. This study is the first time to comprehensively analyze the chemical characteristics of road dust in oasis cities, and the results provides the sources of road dust at the margin of Tarim Basin.

The scientific elucidation of daodi medicinal materials

Daodi medicinal materials (DMMs), with unique characteristics and specific ecological growing environments, are recognized as high-quality medicinal products of Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs). The quality evaluation of CMMs is fundamental for standardization. The concept and application of DMMs have a long history as described in records in ancient books and rooted in practice and experience over generations. DMM is the specific term for pure, superior medicinal herbs with the following characteristics: optimum harvest season (reflecting the appropriate developmental stage of the plant), scrupulous processing, traditional preparation technology, etc. As DMM and high-quality medicinal products are traditionally thought to be closely related, modern scientific studies that confirm the association of these products are described. This article aims to clarify the scientific elucidation of DMMs.

Analysis of taste characteristics and identification of key chemical components of fifteen Chinese yellow tea samples

In order to explore the taste characteristics and molecular sensory basis of Chinese yellow tea, in this study, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) were used to analyze the sensory characteristics and chemical components of 15 yellow tea samples from different regions of China. The results showed that: 11 sensory descriptors and their definitions were obtained by QDA, namely, sweet, umami, bitter, sour, astringent, sweet after taste, mellow, neutral, after-taste, thick and tainted taste. The results of variance indicated that there were significant variation in taste sub-attributes of different samples (p <0.05). Principal component analysis indicated that there was a positive correlation between bitter and astringent, between sweet, umami and sour, and between mellow, thick, after-taste and neutral. All yellow tea samples were divided into four categories according to cluster analysis. The results of PLSR showed that there were 22 chemical components that had an important contribution to the taste characteristics of yellow tea, and the chemical components that had an important influence on each taste component were obtained. The identification of key contribution components of taste characteristics in yellow teas will provide a theoretical basis for further research on the directional adjustment and control of tea taste quality.