Rituals in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Taking a Case of Infertility as an Example

Ritual is one of the most classic research topics in the field of Anthropology, and rituals have close connection with medial practice. However, the research on this topic from the experience of Traditional Chinese Medicine is limited. This paper presents the whole story that a patient suffering from infertility got cured got cured by a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) and finally became a mother. With the detailed description of each medical practice, including pulse-taking, traditional Chinese herb therapy, and postpartum confinement, this paper analyzes the ritualized elements in the whole process, interprets how ritual play a role in the practice of TCM, and points out ritual’s essential significance in contributing to human’s well being and adjusting the relationships between individual and the world.

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Traditional Chinese Herb “Chai-Hu” Resources Using Genome-Wide SNPs Through Genotyping-By-Sequencing

Bupleurum (named “Chai-hu”) is an important traditional Chinese medicine resource in China. It has been widely used since ancient times and has antipyretic, analgesic and cholagogic functions, but there is little research on its genetic diversity. In this study, genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) was used to detect SNP loci in 39 Bupleurum germplasm resources from different regions in China and analyse their genetic diversity. A total of 25.1 Gb of data was obtained by sequencing, with an average of 0.64 Gb per sample. After screening, 83898 high-quality SNPs were obtained. The results of genetic research were obtained by phylogenetic tree, principal component analysis and population structure analysis, and the 39 experimental materials were divided into three groups. The average observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity of Bupleurum populations were 0.24 and 0.17, respectively, indicating that Bupleurum populations from five different provinces had a low level of genetic diversity. Population nucleotide diversity analysis and analysis of molecular variance showed that the percentage of intrapopulation variation was 120.88%, while the percentage of interpopulation variation was only 2.46%. There was relative aggregation of Bupleurum samples with the same geographical origin, but the division of population structure was not completely correlated with sample origin. The results showed that the genetic diversity of the materials was low and that the genetic variation was narrow. This provides a good basis for the genetic breeding and protection of species diversity of Bupleurum.

Lycium barbarum Extracts Extend Lifespan and Alleviate Proteotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Lycium barbarum berry (Ningxia Gouqi, Fructus lycii, goji berry, or wolfberry), as a traditional Chinese herb, was recorded beneficial for longevity in traditional Chinese medical scriptures and currently is a natural dietary supplement worldwide. However, under modern experimental conditions, the longevity effect of L. barbarum berry and the underlying mechanisms have been less studied. Here, we reported that total water extracts of L. barbarum berry (LBE), which contains 22% polysaccharides and other components, such as anthocyanins, extended the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans without side effects on worm fertility and pharyngeal pumping. Interestingly, we found that the lifespan extension effect was more prominent in worms with shorter mean lifespan as compared to those with longer mean lifespan. Furthermore, we showed that the lifespan extension effect of LBE depended on deacetylase sir-2.1. Remarkably, LBE rescued heat shock transcription factor-1 (hsf-1) deficiency in wild-type worms with different mean lifespans, and this effect also depended on sir-2.1. In addition, we found that LBE extended lifespan and alleviated toxic protein aggregation in neurodegenerative worms with hsf-1 deficiency. Our study suggested that LBE may be a potential antiaging natural dietary supplement especially to individuals with malnutrition or chronic diseases and a potential therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative diseases characterized by hsf-1 deficiency.

Research Advances in Multi-Omics on the Traditional Chinese Herb Dendrobium officinale

Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo is an important epiphytic plant, belonging to the Orchidaceae family. There are various bioactive components in D. officinale plants, mainly including polysaccharides, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds. These compounds have been demonstrated to possess multiple functions, such as anti-oxidation, immune regulation, and anti-cancer. Due to serious shortages of wild resources, deterioration of cultivated germplasm and the unstable quality of D. officinale, the study has been focused on the biosynthetic pathway and regulation mechanisms of bioactive compounds. In recent years, with rapid developments in detection technologies and analysis tools, omics research including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics have all been widely applied in various medicinal plants, including D. officinale. Many important advances have been achieved in D. officinale research, such as chromosome-level reference genome assembly and the identification of key genes involved in the biosynthesis of active components. In this review, we summarize the latest research advances in D. officinale based on multiple omics studies. At the same time, we discuss limitations of the current research. Finally, we put forward prospective topics in need of further study on D. officinale.

Kaempferia galanga L.: Progresses in Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Ethnomedicinal Uses

K. galanga is an aromatic medicinal herb. It is locally to India and distributed in China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. K. galanga is a Traditional Chinese Herb Medicine (TCHM), which has been applied to treat cold, dry cough, toothaches, rheumatism, hypertension and so on. In addition, it has been used widely as spices since its highly aromas. The aim of this review is to compile and update the current progresses of ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of K. galanga. All the data on K. galanga were based on different classical literary works, multiple electronic databases including SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, etc. The results showed that ninety-seven compounds have been identified from rhizome of K. galanga, including terpenoids, phenolics, cyclic dipeptides, flavonoids, diarylheptanoids, fatty acids and esters. Modern pharmacology studies revealed that extracts or secondary metabolites of the herb possessed anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumorous, anti-bacterial, and anti-angiogenesis effects, which were closely related to its abundant ethnomedicinal uses. In conclusion, although previous research works have provided various information of K. galanga, more in-depth studies are still necessary to systemically evaluate phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicity and quality control of this herb.

Preparation and Antibacterial Activity of Thermo-Responsive Nanohydrogels from Qiai Essential Oil and Pluronic F108

Essential oils (EOs) have been used in cosmetics and food due to their antimicrobial and antiviral effects. However, the applications of EOs are compromised because of their poor aqueous solubility and high volatility. Qiai (Artemisia argyi Levl. et Van. var. argyi cv. Qiai) is a traditional Chinese herb and possesses strong antibacterial activity. Herein, we report an innovative formulation of EO as nanohydrogels, which were prepared through co-assembly of Qiai EO (QEO) and Pluronic F108 (PEG-b-PPG-b-PEG, or PF108) in aqueous solution. QEO was efficiently loaded in the PF108 micelles and formed nanohydrogels by heating the QEO/PF108 mixture solution to 37 °C, by the innate thermo-responsive property of PF108. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of QEO reached 80.2% and 6.8%, respectively. QEO nanohydrogels were more stable than the free QEO with respect to volatilization. Sustained QEO release was achieved at body temperature using the QEO nanohydrogels, with the cumulative release rate reaching 95% in 35 h. In vitro antibacterial test indicated that the QEO nanohydrogels showed stronger antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli than the free QEO due to the enhanced stability and sustained-release characteristics. It has been attested that thermo-responsive QEO nanohydrogels have good potential as antibacterial cosmetics.

Acanthopanax henryi: Review of Botany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Acanthopanax henryi (Oliv.) Harms (Araliaceae), also known as Eleutherococcus henryi and Caoyewujia (Hengliwujia) in Chinese, is a widely used traditional Chinese herb with the effects of expelling wind and removing dampness, relaxing the muscles and stimulating the blood circulation, and regulating the flow of qi to alleviate pain in the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acanthopanax henryi (AH, thereafter) possesses ginseng-like activities and is known as ginseng-like herb. In the past decade, a great number of phytochemical and pharmacological studies on AH have been carried out. Several kinds of chemical compositions have been reported, including terpenoids (monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, and triterpenoid saponins), phenylpropanoids, caffeoyl quinic acid derivatives, flavonoids, lignans, sterols, fatty acids, etc., among which, triterpenoid saponins were considered to be the most active components. Considerable pharmacological experiments in vitro have demonstrated that AH possessed anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-adipogenic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-oxidation, anti-AChE, anti-BuChE, and antihyaluronidase activities. The present review is an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the botany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of AH.