Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a highly lethal disease and the majority of NSCLC patients are desperate for therapies that can effectively target their cancer and ultimately improve their overall survival. Docetaxel (DTX) represents the first-line of the antitumor agent that is used to treat NSCLC; however, it has poor solubility in water and unsatisfactory encapsulation efficiency. In our study, exosomes were isolated from A549 cancer cells by ultracentrifugation and then characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and Western blot (WB). The particle size changes of EXO and EXO-DTX were measured daily for seven days to test the stability. DTX was selected payload by electroporation (EXO-DTX). For the in vitro evaluation, cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay and cellular uptake were evaluated in the A549 cells. Also, this study evaluated the target and therapeutic effect of DTX as an antitumor agent in vivo. As a result, EXO-DTX with a particle size of 149.5 nm were successfully prepared and the cytotoxicity of the EXO-DTX was much greater than that of DTX monomers. Exosomes significantly increased the cellular uptake in vitro evaluation and showed better targeting to tumor tissue compared to the free DTX in the mice. We also explored the potential of tumor cell-derived exosomes as a drug delivery agent to target the parent cancer. Hence, we conclude that exosomes might be used as a potential antitumor drug delivery system (DDS).

Rhizoma Smilacis glabrae, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as well as a functional food, has been commonly used for detoxification treatments, relieving dampness and as a diuretic. In order to quickly define the chemical profiles and control the quality of Smilacis glabrae, ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization hybrid linear trap quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI/LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) was applied for simultaneous identification and quantification of its bioactive constituents. A total of 56 compounds, including six new compounds, were identified or tentatively deduced on the basis of their retention behaviors, mass spectra, or by comparison with reference substances and literature data. The identified compounds belonged to flavonoids, phenolic acids and phenylpropanoid glycosides. In addition, an optimized UHPLC-ESI/LTQ-Orbitrap-MS method was established for quantitative determination of six marker compounds from five batches. The validation of the method, including linearity, sensitivity (LOQ), precision, repeatability and spike recoveries, was carried out and demonstrated to be satisfied the requirements of quantitative analysis. The results suggested that the established method would be a powerful and reliable analytical tool for the characterization of multi-constituent in complex chemical system and quality control of TCM.

Platycodon grandiflorum is an edible and medicinal plant, and polysaccharides are one of its important components. To further improve the utilization rate of P. grandiflorum, we investigated the effects of four different extraction methods, including hot water, ultrasonic-assisted, acid-assisted, and alkali-assisted extractions, on the polysaccharides, which were named PG-H, PG-U, PG-C, and PG-A. The findings indicated that the extraction method had a significant impact on the yield, characteristics, and immunoregulatory activity. We observed that the yields decreased in the following order: PG-H, PG-U, PG-C, and PG-A. Galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and arabinose were the most prevalent monosaccharides in the four PGs. However, their proportions varied. In addition, the difference between the content of glucose and galacturonic acid was more significant. PG-U had the highest glucose content, whereas PG-C had the lowest. Galacturonic acid content was highest in PG-A, while the lowest in PG-U. The molecular weight decreased in the order of PG-U, PG-H, PG-C, and PG-A; the particle size was in the order of PG-U, PG-A, PG-H, and PG-C. Moreover, the extraction method had a great impact on immunoregulatory activity. The ability to stimulate the immune function of macrophages was as follows: PG-A > PG-C > PG-U > PG-H. The results indicated that PGs, with lower molecular weights and higher GalA content, exhibited better immune-stimulating activity. And more important the AAE method was a good way to extract polysaccharides from Platycodon grandiflorum for use as a functional product and immunological adjuvant.