A simple and reproducible HPLC-photodiode array detector method has been described for evaluating and controlling quality of Forsythia suspensa extract (FSE). First, by analysis of chromatographic fingerprints, the similarities of chromatograms of FSE samples from the same pharmaceutical company exceeded 0.999, 0.997 and 0.960, respectively, although they were much lower from different pharmaceutical companies. Second, by further comparing many batches of extract chromatograph charts with the corresponding reference herb materials, the ''common peaks'' 3, 5, 7 and 10 were defined as ''marker peaks'', which were identified as (1)-pinoresinol-b-D-glucoside, forsythiaside, phillyrin and phillygenin, respectively. Third, four ''marker peaks'' were simultaneously determined based on fingerprint chromatogram for further controlling the quality of FSE quantitatively. Namely, the newly developed method was successfully applied to analyze 38 batches of FSE samples supplied by three pharmaceutical factories, which showed acceptable linearity, intra-day precision (RSDo2.76%), inter-day precision (RSDo3.43%) and the average recovery rates in the range of (95.3872.96)% to (101.6073.08)%. At last, hierarchical clustering analysis and Bayes discriminant analysis statistical methods were used to classify and differentiate the 38 FSE samples to provide the basis for guiding reasonable use of FSE and controlling its quality better.

BackgroundThis study aimed to determine whether plasma nesfatin-1, cortisol, and inflammatory cytokines could be used as novel noninvasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of moderate and severe depressive disorder (MSDD).Materials and methodsA total of 70 patients with MSDD and 70 healthy subjects were assessed. Patients with MSDD were selected from Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Anhui Mental Health Center, and subjects in the control group were selected from healthy volunteers. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HAMD-17) was used to evaluate the two groups. ELISA was used for the measurement of plasma nesfatin-1, cortisol, IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. The diagnostic value of plasma nesfatin-1, cortisol, IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α for MSDD was assessed.ResultsCompared to healthy controls, the HAMD-17 scores and average nesfatin-1, cortisol, IL-6, and CRP levels in patients with MSDD were significantly increased. Moreover, multivariate linear regression analysis showed that HAMD-17 score was positively associated with plasma nesfatin-1 and cortisol. Furthermore, the results of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed an area under curve (AUC) of 0.985 with 94.3% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity of nesfatin-1, and an AUC of 0.957 with 91.4% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity of cortisol in discriminating patients with MSDD from healthy volunteers. A combined ROC analysis using nesfatin-1 and cortisol revealed an AUC of 0.993 with a sensitivity of 97.1% and a specificity of 98.6% in separating patients with MSDD from healthy volunteers.ConclusionThese results suggest that plasma nesfatin-1 and cortisol might be potential novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of MSDD.

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We conducted a case-control study in China to clarify the association between XRCC1-Arg399Gln polymorphism and HCC risk. In conclusion, we observed that XRCC1-Arg399Cln polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to HCC, and XRCC1 Gln allele genotype showed significant prognostic associations.

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Chemical investigation of the 70% ethanol extract of the unripe fruits of Forsythia suspensa resulted in the isolation of a novel caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside, lianqiaoxinoside B, together with the known compound forsythoside H. The new compound was elucidated to be 1'',2''-[β-(3,4,-dihydroxylphenyl)-α,β-dioxoethanol]-3''-O-caffeoyl-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-β-glucopyranoside by extensive spectroscopic and chemical studies. Lianqiaoxinoside B and forsythoside H showed strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in vitro by the 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate (ABTS) radical-scavenging assay and plate method. This study can be further extended to exploit for the possible application of caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides as the alternative antioxidants and antimicrobial agents of natural origin.

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