The resource shortage of Rhizoma Paridis has never been effectively addressed, and the industry continues to search for alternative resources. The in vitro effects on thrombin of Paris saponins and in vivo hemostatic activity of Paris fargesii var. brevipetala (PF) were evaluated in this study. PF is considered to be an alternative source of Rhizoma Paridis (RP). The in vitro incubation experiment was designed to investigate the effects on thrombin activity of Paris saponin H (PS H) and saponin extract in PF. The bleeding time of mouse tail snipping was used to evaluate the in vivo hemostatic effects of Paris saponins. Also, in vivo changes in four blood coagulation parameters in rats after oral administration of different groups of Paris saponins were compared. The effects of Paris saponins on liver function and blood lipid parameters were examined in order to avoid drug-induced liver injury. Activity studies of thrombin after ultra-filtration centrifugation showed that Paris saponins were able to enhance thrombin activity. Ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) analysis results of the substrates led us to speculate that there is a specific binding between Paris saponins and thrombin. PS H and Paris saponins in PF significantly shortened the bleeding time in mice. One pathway by which Paris saponins enhance in vivo blood coagulation is by increasing fibrinogen (FIB), among the four blood coagulation parameters in rats. At the same time, the effects on liver and blood lipid parameters were insignificant. P. fargesii var. brevipetala can be developed as an alternative medicinal source of Rhizoma Paridis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Treg/Th1 imbalance in cadmium-induced lung injury and the potential protective effect of astilbin against cadmium-induced lung injury in chicken. Cadmium exposure significantly decreased T-AOC and GSH-Px levels and SOD activity in the chicken lung tissues. In contrast, it significantly increased the MDA and NO levels. These results indicate that cadmium triggers oxidative stress in lungs. Histopathological analysis revealed that cadmium exposure further induced infiltration of lymphocytes in the chicken lungs, indicating that cadmium causes pulmonary damage. Further analysis revealed that cadmium decreased the expression of IL-4 and IL-10 but increased those of IL-17, Foxp3, TNF-α, and TGF-β, indicating that the exposure of cadmium induced the imbalance of Treg/Th1. Moreover, cadmium adversely affected chicken lung function by activating the NF-kB pathway and inducing expression of genes downstream to these pathways (COX-2, iNOS), associated with inflammatory injury in the lung tissue. Astilbin reduced cadmium-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in the lungs by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities and restoring Treg/Th1 balance. In conclusion, our results suggest that astilbin treatment alleviated the effects of cadmium-mediated lung injury in chickens by restoring the Treg/Th1 balance.

Owing to the sustainability, environmental friendliness, and structural diversity of biomass-derived materials, extensive efforts have been devoted to using them in high-energy rechargeable batteries. Alkali-metal–selenium batteries, one of the high-energy rechargeable batteries with a reasonable cost compared to up-to-date lithium-ion batteries, have also attracted significant attention. Therefore, a timely and comprehensive review of the biomass carbon structures/components to the mechanisms for enhancing alkali-metal–selenium batteries has been systematically introduced. In the end, advantages, challenges, and outlooks are pointed out for the future development of biomass-derived carbon materials in alkali-metal–selenium batteries. This review could help researchers think about using biomass carbon materials to improve battery performance and what other problems should be solved, thereby promoting the application of biomass materials in battery design.