Simultaneous quantitation of 23 bioactive compounds in Tanreqing capsule by high‐performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Tanreqing capsule (TRQC) is a formulation frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat pyrexia, cough, expectoration and pharyngalgia. Since the pharmacological action of traditional Chinese medicines is closely related to their complex and diverse constituents, understanding the exact composition of TRQC is important to elucidate its clinical effectiveness and mechanism of action as well as to establish quality control methods and resolve safety issues. Herein, we employed high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous quantitation of 23 bioactive compounds in five batches of TRQC; the analytes could be categorized into five types: organic acids (seven compounds), flavonoids (10 compounds), iridoids (two compounds), phenylethanoid glycosides (two compounds) and bile acids (two compounds). The calibration curves for all analytes showed good linearity (r > 0.9953), and the inter‐ and intra‐day precisions did not exceed 4.94 and 4.97%, respectively. The recoveries varied from 90.47% to 109.80%; the corresponding relative standard deviations (RSDs) did not exceed 4.94%; and the repeatability (RSD < 4.72%) and stability (RSD < 4.88%) were also within acceptable limits. Thus, this study can be viewed as a fundamental reference for setting comprehensive TRQC quality standards.     

Metabonomics study of the effects of traditional Chinese medicine formula Ermiaowan on hyperuricemic rats

To explore the global mechanism of Ermiaowan on hyperuricemia regulation, the holistic function of Ermiaowan for hyperuricemia in rats was firstly assessed by the urinary metabonomics method which was based on ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The urinary targeted metabonomics approach combined with the serum biochemical analysis and histological assay was conducted to verify the research result. As a result, the significant differences in metabolic profiles were observed from Ermiaowan‐treated group, model group, and healthy control group by using multivariate statistical approaches. Twenty therapeutic related metabolites were identified in response to the therapeutic effects of Ermiaowan, which were mainly associated with purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and tyrosine metabolism. In addition, the urinary targeted metabonomics study showed that Ermiaowan can better restore the disturbed pathways than Phellodendri cortex and Atractylodis rhizome. The biochemical assay and histopathological assay confirmed that Ermiaowan could significantly reduce uric acid and fibrosis areas of kidney. These results provided new insights into the mechanism of Ermiaowan on hyperuricemia.     

Functional sample path properties of subsequence's C-R increments for a Wiener process in Hlder norm

In this paper, with the aid of large deviation formulas established in strong topology of functional space generated by H¨older norm, we discuss the functional sample path properties of subsequence's C-R increments for a Wiener process in H¨older normThe obtained results,generalize the corresponding results of Chen and the classic Strassen's law of iterated logarithm for a Wiener process.     

Mechanisms of graphene influence on cell differentiation

The graphene family of nanomaterials (GFN) have a common carbon lattice base structure but represent a diverse range of materials with distinct chemical and physical characteristics. These characteristics are determined by the fabrication method and impart each material with specific chemical properties which govern interaction with cells and biomolecules, and physical properties that give unique nanotopography, stiffness, and electrical properties. Remarkably, members of the GFN have been shown to promote tissue formation and influence cell differentiation in a variety of tissue types, including neural, bone, and cardiac muscle, making them of high interest to the biomedical field. The diverse range of materials and experimental setups in the literature make uncovering the mechanism of action challenging. Nevertheless, it is becoming clear that the ability of GFN to form non-covalent interactions (π-π, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic) with biomolecules may increase their bioavailability via sequestering/concentration/conformation protection to induce cell differentiation. In addition to the chemical properties, the stimulation of mechanosensing pathways, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and enhanced electrical activity of cells on GFN substrates demonstrates the importance of the physical properties in directing cell differentiation. The understanding of the mechanism behind the ability of GFN to enhance cell differentiation will allow the design and selection of materials with the desired properties for tissue repair and regeneration.     

Tuning of Photonic band gap via combined effect of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystal composite

ABSTRACT

Blue phase liquid crystals are soft 3D photonic crystals in which the liquid crystal molecules self-assemble to form a cubic structure with lattice spacing of a few hundred nanometers resulting in selective reflection of colours in the visible spectrum. The corresponding wavelength or the ‘photonic band gap’ can be tuned using various external stimuli such as thermal, electric, magnetic and optical fields. Here, we report efficient tuning of photonic band gap by utilising the combination of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystalline system. The studies indicate that the chirality of the medium has a direct bearing on the direction of the wavelength shift and the extent of the photonic band gap tunability. More importantly, the synergistic effect of the two fields helps in reversible tuning of the band gap.     

In Vivo Biological Behavior of Polymer Scaffolds of Natural Origin in the Bone Repair Process

Autologous bone grafts, used mainly in extensive bone loss, are considered the gold standard treatment in regenerative medicine, but still have limitations mainly in relation to the amount of bone available, donor area, morbidity and creation of additional surgical area. This fact encourages tissue engineering in relation to the need to develop new biomaterials, from sources other than the individual himself. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of an elastin and collagen matrix on the bone repair process in critical size defects in rat calvaria. The animals (Wistar rats, n = 30) were submitted to a surgical procedure to create the bone defect and were divided into three groups: Control Group (CG, n = 10), defects filled with blood clot; E24/37 Group (E24/37, n = 10), defects filled with bovine elastin matrix hydrolyzed for 24 h at 37 °C and C24/25 Group (C24/25, n = 10), defects filled with porcine collagen matrix hydrolyzed for 24 h at 25 °C. Macroscopic and radiographic analyses demonstrated the absence of inflammatory signs and infection. Microtomographical 2D and 3D images showed centripetal bone growth and restricted margins of the bone defect. Histologically, the images confirmed the pattern of bone deposition at the margins of the remaining bone and without complete closure by bone tissue. In the morphometric analysis, the groups E24/37 and C24/25 (13.68 ± 1.44; 53.20 ± 4.47, respectively) showed statistically significant differences in relation to the CG (5.86 ± 2.87). It was concluded that the matrices used as scaffolds are biocompatible and increase the formation of new bone in a critical size defect, with greater formation in the polymer derived from the intestinal serous layer of porcine origin (C24/25).     

Chemical Profiles and Pharmacological Properties with in Silico Studies on Elatostema papillosum Wedd

The current study attempted, for the first time, to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the phytochemical components of Elatostema papillosum methanol extract and their biological activities. The present study represents an effort to correlate our previously reported biological activities with a computational study, including molecular docking, and ADME/T (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion/toxicity) analyses, to identify the phytochemicals that are potentially responsible for the antioxidant, antidepressant, anxiolytic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities of this plant. In the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis, a total of 24 compounds were identified, seven of which were documented as being bioactive based on their binding affinities. These seven were subjected to molecular docking studies that were correlated with the pharmacological outcomes. Additionally, the ADME/T properties of these compounds were evaluated to determine their drug-like properties and toxicity levels. The seven selected, isolated compounds displayed favorable binding affinities to potassium channels, human serotonin receptor, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), COX-2, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and human peroxiredoxin 5 receptor proteins. Phytol acetate, and terpene compounds identified in E. papillosum displayed strong predictive binding affinities towards the human serotonin receptor. Furthermore, 3-trifluoroacetoxypentadecane showed a significant binding affinity for the KcsA potassium channel. Eicosanal showed the highest predicted binding affinity towards the human peroxiredoxin 5 receptor. All of these findings support the observed in vivo antidepressant and anxiolytic effects and the in vitro antioxidant effects observed for this extract. The identified compounds from E. papillosum showed the lowest binding affinities towards COX-1, COX-2, and NF-κB receptors, which indicated the inconsequential impacts of this extract against the activities of these three proteins. Overall, E. papillosum appears to be bioactive and could represent a potential source for the development of alternative medicines; however, further analytical experiments remain necessary.     

Central Sets Theorem along filters and some combinatorial consequences

The Central Sets Theorem was introduced by H. Furstenberg and then afterwards several mathematicians have provided various versions and extensions of this theorem. All of these theorems deal with central sets, and its origin from the algebra of Stone–?ech compactification of arbitrary semigroup, say $\beta S$. It can be proved that every closed subsemigroup of $\beta S$ is generated by a filter. We will show that, under some restrictions, one can derive the Central Sets Theorem for any closed subsemigroup of $\beta S$. We will derive this theorem using the corresponding filter and its algebra. Later we will also deal with how the notions of largeness along filters are preserved under some well behaved homomorphisms and give some consequences.