Quality control of Cordyceps sinensis, a valued traditional Chinese medicine

Cordyceps sinensis, a well-known and valued traditional Chinese medicine, is also called DongChongXiaCao (winter worm summer grass) in Chinese. It is commonly used to replenish the kidney and soothe the lung for the treatment of fatigue, night sweating, hyposexualities, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, asthemia after severe illness, respiratory disease, renal dysfunction and renal failure, arrhythmias and other heart disease, and liver disease. As the rarity and upstanding curative effects of natural Cordyceps, several mycelial strains have been isolated from natural Cordyceps and manufactured in large quantities by fermentation technology, and they are commonly sold as health food products in Asia. In addition, some substitutes such as Cordyceps militaris also have been used and adulterants also confused the market. Therefore, quality control of C. sinensis and its products is very important to ensure their safety and efficacy. Herein, markers and analytical methods for quality control of Cordyceps were reviewed and discussed.     

冬虫夏草抗肿瘤及免疫调节作用的研究进展

冬虫夏草为我国传统名贵中药,具有抗肿瘤、降血脂、免疫调节、祛痰、平喘、抗心律失常、保护肝肾功能等多种药理学作用。随着对冬虫夏草免疫机制的深入研究,为其作为抗肿瘤药物提供了有力证据。综述了冬虫夏草及其活性成分对黑色素瘤、甲状腺癌、胃癌、肺癌、乳腺癌等多种肿瘤的抑制作用,主要从吞噬细胞、自然杀伤细胞、树突状细胞、B/T淋巴细胞以及促进细胞因子的分泌等几个方面探讨冬虫夏草对其免疫活性的影响。其免疫调节的作用机制主要通过T淋巴细胞介导的细胞免疫应答和B/T淋巴细胞介导的体液免疫应答。     

冬虫夏草繁育品质量控制和药理活性研究进展

冬虫夏草为传统的名贵中药材,在中国有悠久的药用历史,具有补肾、益肺、止血、化痰的功效。近年来,冬虫夏草繁育品的研究获得突破,实现了冬虫夏草的大规模产业化繁育。冬虫夏草繁育品基原符合中国药典规定,与野生冬虫夏草相比,冬虫夏草繁育品不仅具有相似的化学成分和药理活性,还具有较低的重金属含量,安全性更容易控制。     

基于网络药理学和分子对接探讨冬虫夏草抗肿瘤的作用机制

目的 基于网络药理学方法和分子对接技术探究冬虫夏草抗肿瘤的作用机制。方法 利用TCMSP、CNKI、PubMed、Drugbank、Stitch和Swiss target prediction等平台检索冬虫夏草的化学成分和作用靶点;通过GeneCards、OMIM等数据库筛选肿瘤相关基因,运用Cytoscape 3.7.2构建冬虫夏草活性成分-靶点网络,通过String数据库对关键靶点构建网络互作(PPI)网络,并进行基因本体(GO)基因和京都基因和基因组百科全书(KEGG)通路富集分析,最后利用AutoDock Vina软件和Pymol软件对药物有效活性成分和关键靶点进行分子对接验证。结果 共得到冬虫夏草22个化合物,86个抗肿瘤共同靶点,主要包括环加氧酶(PTGS)2、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶3(MAPK3)、过氧化物酶体增生激活受体γ(PPARG)、胱天蛋白酶3(CASP3)、JUN基因等关键靶点。GO分析与KEGG通路结果显示,冬虫夏草抗肿瘤涉及到多种生物学过程以及PPAR、花生四烯代谢、5-羟色胺信号通路等多种信号通路。将关键化合物和靶点进行分子对接,提示冬虫夏草抗肿瘤可能的前5个主要活性成分11,14-二十碳二烯酸、花生四烯酸、黄豆黄素、胆甾醇和豆甾醇与关键靶点PTGS2、PTGS1、PGR、HMGCR和CNR1均能自发结合。结论 初步探讨了冬虫夏草抗肿瘤的主要活性成分、相关靶点及相关通路,发现冬虫夏草可以通过多成分、多靶点、多通路抗肿瘤,为后期实验验证提供了参考依据。     

冬虫夏草人工繁育品、野生品及亚香棒虫草中氨基酸比较

目的：比较冬虫夏草人工繁育品、野生品与亚香棒虫草中水解和游离氨基酸的含量。方法：采用氨基酸分析仪测定冬虫夏草人工繁育品、野生品以及亚香棒虫草中17种氨基酸的含量。结果：冬虫夏草人工繁育品的水解氨基酸含量为16.776%~19.080%,野生冬虫夏草为14.857%~21.959%,亚香棒虫草为13.043%~14.933%。冬虫夏草人工繁育品的游离氨基酸含量为1.767%~2.373%,野生冬虫夏草为1.753%~2.521%,亚香棒虫草为2.856%~3.197%。结论：冬虫夏草人工繁育品和野生品中氨基酸含量基本一致,和亚香棒虫草有显著性差异。本研究为冬虫夏草的鉴别及人工繁育品的进一步开发利用提供科学依据。     

Analysis of sterols and fatty acids in natural and cultured Cordyceps by one-step derivatization followed with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Ten free fatty acids namely lauric acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitoleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, docosanoic acid and lignoceric acid and four free sterols including ergosterol, cholesterol, campesterol and β-sitosterol in natural (wild) Cordyceps sinensis, Cordyceps liangshanensis and Cordyceps gunnii, as well as cultured C. sinensis and Cordyceps militaris were first determined using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatization and GC–MS analysis. The conditions such as the amount of reagent, temperature and time for TMS derivatization of analytes were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, all calibration curves showed good linearity within the tested ranges. The intra- and inter-day variations for 14 investigated compounds were less than 3.4% and 5.2%, respectively. The results showed that palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid and ergosterol are main components in natural and cultured Cordyceps which could be discriminated by hierarchical clustering analysis based on the contents of 14 investigated compounds or the 4 fatty acids, where the contents of palmitic acid and oleic acid in natural Cordyceps are significantly higher than those in the cultured ones.     

发酵虫草菌粉指纹图谱研究

目的通过对发酵虫草菌粉指纹图谱的深入研究,为发酵虫草菌粉类产品的质量提高提供思路。方法液质联用确定发酵虫草菌粉类产品(百令胶囊)指纹图谱中6个主色谱峰的化学成分;采用中药色谱指纹图谱相似度评价系统,比较天然虫草和不同厂家发酵虫草菌粉指纹图谱相似度及不同干燥方式对指纹图谱的影响。结果百令胶囊指纹图谱中的6个主色谱峰成分为尿苷5-单磷酸、鸟苷酸、5’-腺嘌呤核苷酸、尿苷、鸟苷、腺苷。发酵虫草菌粉的指纹图谱与天然虫草均存在差异,其中百令胶囊的指纹图谱与天然虫草最接近。干燥方式对指纹图谱影响较大,采用沸腾干燥方式对应的指纹图谱主色谱峰的面积比最接近天然虫草晒干方式。结论指纹图谱可准确反映发酵虫草菌粉质量及质量控制方式的有效性。     

Functional study of Cordyceps sinensis and cordycepin in male reproduction: A review

Cordyceps sinensis has various biological and pharmacological functions, and it has been claimed as a tonic supplement for sexual and reproductive dysfunctions for a long time in oriental society. In this article, the in vitro and in vivo effects of C. sinensis and cordycepin on mouse Leydig cell steroidogenesis are briefly described, the stimulatory mechanisms are summarized, and the recent findings related to the alternative substances regulating male reproductive functions are also discussed.     

畲药食凉茶的化学成分和药理作用研究进展

食凉茶是一味畲族习用药材,来源于蜡梅科植物柳叶蜡梅或浙江蜡梅的干燥叶,具有理气健脾功效。食凉茶主要含有挥发油类、香豆素类、萜类、生物碱类、黄酮类、醌类、甾体类等化学成分,具有抗氧化、抗肿瘤、抗菌、抗炎、降血脂等多种药理作用,可用于上呼吸道感染、消化系统以及高血压等疾病。本文主要对食凉茶的化学成分、药理作用和临床应用的研究进展进行了系统综述,为食凉茶的开发和临床研究提供理论指导和实际应用参考。     

Morphological and microscopic identification studies of Cordyceps and its counterfeits

Macroscopic and microscopic studies were applied to distinguish Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. and its 5 common counterfeits. Transverse sections of stroma and larvae and surface sections of stroma of C. sinensis, Cordyceps gunnii, Cordyceps barnesii, Cordyceps gracilis, Cordyceps liangshanensis and Cordyceps militaris were examined and their morphological and microscopic features photographed. The main morphological and microscopic features of the 6 species of Cordyceps were basically similar except for certain diagnostic differences. These included macroscopic differences from C. sinensis as follows: the stroma of C. gunnii is stout and rough with sterile bulgy or branched apex; the larvae of C. barnesii has a pair of teeth on the head; the stroma of C. liangshanensi is thread-like; C. gracilis is without stroma; and C. militaris is without larvae. There were also microscopic differences: from C. sinensis as follows: the stroma of C. barnesii is without perithecia; C. gunnii, C. liangshanensis and C. gracilis are without bristles on the larva body. These differences allow C. sinensis and its counterfeits to be easily distinguished.     

Bioactive components and functional properties of Hottuynia cordata and its applications

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. is a member of Saururaceae, a family mainly distributed in Eastern Asia. It has long been used in China both as an edible vegetable and in traditional medicine. Recent studies indicate that H. cordata contains abundant nutrients and active components including volatile oils, flavonoids, and water soluble polysaccharides. In addition, H. cordata exhibits a wide range of pharmaceutical activities including antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunologic, anticancer, antioxidative, and antimutagenic effects. At present, injectable H. cordata has been used clinically for treating infectious disease, inflammation, and anaphylaxis. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the nutrients and pharmacologically relevant compounds of H. cordata that have been characterized to date, and of the studies supporting its medicinal use. Particular attention has been given to the pharmacological action and the state of utilization of H. cordata. Finally, future trends on H. cordata such as pharmacological components and mechanism, and the development of potential products have briefly been inferred.     

Polysaccharides from Cordyceps sinensis mycelium ameliorate exhaustive swimming exercise-induced oxidative stress

Context. Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. (Clavicipitaceae) is a famous medicinal fungus (mushroom) in Chinese herbal medicine. Polysaccharides from Cordyceps sinensis (CSP) have been identified as active ingredients responsible for its biological activities. Although many pharmacological actions of CSP have received a great deal of attention, research in this area continues.

Objective: The current study was designed to investigate the effects of CSP on exhaustive exercise-induced oxidative stress.

Materials and methods: The mice were divided into four groups: control (C), low-dose CSP treated (LC), intermediate-dose CSP treated (IC) and high-dose CSP treated (HC). The treated groups received CSP (100, 200 and 400?mg/kg, ig), while the control group received drinking water for 28?days, followed by being forced to undergo exhaustive swimming exercise, and some biochemical parameters including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured using detection kits according to the manufacturers’ instructions.

Results: Compared with the C group, exhaustive swimming time was significantly prolonged in the LC, IC and HC groups (p?p?p?p?p?Discussion and conclusion: The results obtained herein indicate that CSP could ameliorate exhaustive exercise-induced oxidative stress.     

冬虫夏草繁育品中重金属及有害元素分布特征研究及风险评估

目的：对冬虫夏草繁育品干品和鲜品中重金属及有害元素分布特征进行研究，以期为无公害冬虫夏草的繁育提供技术支持。方法：采用微波消解法对干品和鲜品样品进行有机破坏处理，以ICP-MS法为检测方法，对干品和鲜品共30批次的样品中铅(Pb)、镉(Cd)、砷(As)、汞(Hg)、铜(Cu)5种重金属及有害元素进行测定，结合化学计量学对测定结果的含量特征进行分析；结合课题组前期建立的风险评估方法(HI或MOE法)从食用及药用两方面对分析结果进行风险评估。结果：分析过程中各元素在线性范围内线性关系良好，进样精密度RSD在0.34%～0.79%之间，各元素的回收率在93.0%～103.0%之间。30批次样品中，Cu、Cd全部检出，含量范围分别是2.1～8.98 mg·kg^-1和0.02～0.25 mg·kg^-1;As有26批检出，含量范围是0.10～0.48 mg·kg^-1;Pb有16批检出，含量范围是0.10～0.50 mg·kg^-1;Hg仅有4批检出，含量范围是0.02～0.05 mg·kg^-1     

Discrimination of polysaccharides from traditional Chinese medicines using saccharide mapping—Enzymatic digestion followed by chromatographic analysis

Polysaccharides isolated from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) exhibit multiple pharmacological activities. However, quality control of polysaccharides is a challenge because of their complicate structure and macro-molecular mass. In this study, saccharide mapping based on specific enzymatic digestion of polysaccharides and chromatographic analysis was proposed to discriminate the polysaccharides from different TCMs. Endo-carbohydrase such as glucanase, arabinanase, xylanase, galactanase, cellulase, amylase and pectinase were used for enzymatic digestion of polysaccharides from 9 TCMs namely Panax ginseng, P. notoginseng, P. quinquefolium, Cordyceps sinensis, C. militaris, Ganoderma lucidum, G. sinense, Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis. By using high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) as well as derivatization with 1-Phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) and HPLC analysis, the enzymatic hydrolysis properties of polysaccharides and their saccharide mapping were determined. The polysaccharides from 9 TCMs were firstly successfully distinguished based on their characteristic saccharide maps, which is helpful to improve the quality control of polysaccharides.     

积雪草苷类化合物对神经系统药理作用研究进展

积雪草总苷是积雪草的主要活性成分,其中的单体成分包括积雪草苷、羟基积雪草苷和积雪草酸等,在临床上主要用于治疗皮肤损伤,促进创面愈合以及瘢痕修复等。近年来发现积雪草苷类化学成分对神经系统也存在着多种药理活性,如抗抑郁、抗痴呆、对脊髓损伤以及脊髓神经细胞变性的保护、对抗脑缺血损伤以及镇痛、抗惊厥等。综述积雪草苷类化学成分对神经系统的药理作用研究进展,希望为该类化合物治疗神经系统疾病的研究与应用及新药开发提供理论依据。     

蛹虫草液体发酵产物冻干粉的抗氧化活性及保肝作用

目的 研究蛹虫草液体发酵产物冻干粉的抗氧化活性及保肝作用。方法 采用真空冷冻干燥的方法将蛹虫草液体发酵产物制成干粉并对冻干粉主要成分进行分析测定,通过DPPH自由基清除实验和衰老小鼠模型验证蛹虫草发酵产物冻干粉的抗氧化活性,通过小鼠急性肝损伤实验研究冻干粉的保肝作用,采用急性毒性试验验证冻干粉的安全性。结果 蛹虫草发酵产物冻干粉含丰富的粗纤维、粗多糖、粗三萜及黄酮类物质。蛹虫草发酵产物冻干粉对DPPH自由基的半数有效浓度（EC₅₀）为8.12 mg/mL,在16 mg/mL时对DPPH自由基的清除率为61.56%,与0.02 mg/mL的维生素C（Vc）清除能力相当;蛹虫草发酵产物能显著提高衰老模型小鼠血清和肝脏中的总超氧化物歧化酶（T-SOD）、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-px）活力水平,降低丙二醛（MDA）含量,高剂量组的抗衰老效果与阳性药Vc组的抗氧化能力相当。小鼠急性肝损伤试验结果显示,冻干粉能有效降低模型组小鼠血液中门冬氨酸氨基转移酶（AST）与丙氨酸氨基转移酶（ALT）水平（P＜0.05）。冻干粉的半数致死量（LD₅₀）远大于国家无毒标准15 g/kg,属于无毒级别。结论 蛹虫草发酵产物具有良好的抗氧化活性和保肝作用,且安全无毒。     

畲药地稔化学成分和药理作用研究进展

地稔是畲族习用药材,是野牡丹科植物地稔Melastoma dodecandrum Lour.的地上部分,含有脂肪酸、有机酸、多糖、挥发油、黄酮、鞣质、三萜、甾体等化学成分,具有抗氧化、降血糖、血脂、抗炎镇痛、止血凝血、抑菌等多种药理作用,可用于消化道出血、崩漏及糖尿病等疾病。本文主要对地稔的化学成分和药理作用研究进展进行了系统综述,为地稔的质量评价研究和产品开发提供科学依据。     

Enhancement of Neuromuscular Activity by Natural Specimens and Cultured Mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis in Mice

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of natural specimen and laboratory cultured mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis on neuromuscular activity in mice. The powder of natural specimen and laboratory cultured Cordyceps sinensis was orally administered at the dose rate of 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg for 30 days. Natural specimen and in vitro propagated Cordyceps sinensis showed significant (P<0.05) enhancement in neuromuscular endurance and antidepressant activity at 300 and 500 mg/kg as compared to the control group. However, the fungus did not proved to be as effective as fluoxetine in exhibiting antidepressant action. Muscular endurance was determined on a Rota rod apparatus while antidepressant (mood elevating) activity was measured on a photoactometer in Swiss albino mice. The effects produced by both natural specimens and laboratory cultured Cordyceps sinensis were comparable and showed almost equal potency.     

板蓝根抗流感病毒有效成分研究进展

板蓝根为十字花科植物菘蓝的干燥根,是清热解毒、凉血利咽的代表性中药,临床上常用于防治呼吸道病毒性疾病。目前,板蓝根中的逾百种化学成分被鉴定,分子多样性十分丰富,然而对于这些化合物如抗流感病毒有效成分的药理活性等多缺乏系统评价和论述。本文综述了板蓝根活性成分分离和鉴定的最新概况,深入探讨板蓝根抗流感病毒抗炎药效活性成分的现代药理研究新进展,为中药材二次开发研究及其应用提供新的思路和参考。     

续断化学成分及药理作用研究进展

续断为临床常用中药,主要用于治疗筋伤骨折、跌扑损伤、风湿痹痛、肝肾不足、腰膝酸软、崩漏、胎漏等病症。通过对文献资料的查找总结,对续断的化学成分和药理作用作总结概括,为续断的研究开发提供参考。