The incidence and mortality of strokes have increased over the past three decades in China. Ischemic strokes can cause a sequence of detrimental events in patients, including increased permeability and dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier, brain edema, metabolic disturbance, endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, oxidative stress, inflammation, neuron death and apoptosis, and cognitive impairment. Thrombolysis using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) and mechanical embolectomy with a retrievable stent are two recognized strategies to achieve reperfusion after a stroke. Nevertheless, rtPA has a narrow therapeutic timeframe, and mechanical embolectomy has limited rates of good neurological outcomes. EGb761 is a standardized and extensively studied extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves. The ginkgolides and bilobalide that constitute a critical part of EGb761 have demonstrated protective properties towards cerebral injury. Ginkgolides include Ginkgolide A (GA), Ginkgolide B (GB), Ginkgolide C (GC), Ginkgolide J (GJ), Ginkgolide K (GK), Ginkgolide L (GL), and Ginkgolide M (GM). This review seeks to elucidate the neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of ginkgolides, especially GA and GB, and bilobalide in cerebral injury following ischemic strokes.

Further assessment of ultraviolet C light-emitting diode (UVC-LED) irradiation for influencing shiitake mushrooms’ (Lentinus edodes) volatile and sensory properties is needed. In this study, a comparison of UVC-LED irradiation treatment on the flavor profiles in various parts of shiitake mushrooms was conducted using gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and sensory analysis. Sixty-three volatile compounds were identified in shiitake mushrooms. The fresh shiitake mushrooms were characterized by the highest values of raw mushroom odors. After UVC-LED treatment, the content of C8 alcohols decreased, especially that of 1-octen-3-ol, while the content of aldehydes increased, especially the content of nonanal and decanal. The score of fatty and green odors was enhanced. For fresh samples, the mushroom odors decreased and the mushroom-like odors weakened more sharply when treated in ethanol suspension than when treated with direct irradiation. The fruit odors were enhanced using direct UVC-LED irradiation for fresh mushroom samples and the onion flavor decreased. As for shiitake mushroom powder in ethanol suspension treated with UVC-LED, the sweaty and almond odor scores decreased and the vitamin D₂ content in mushroom caps and stems reached 668.79 μg/g (dw) and 399.45 μg/g (dw), respectively. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that UVC-LED treatment produced rich-flavored, quality mushroom products.

Background: Rabies is a fatal yet preventable viral infection of the central nervous system zoonotic disease, with an almost 100% case fatality rate once symptoms appear. Despite the availability of effective vaccines and post-exposure prophylaxis, rabies continues to cause substantial mortality, particularly in parts of Asia and across the African continent where access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), timely diagnosis, and dog vaccination programs remain limited. Objectives: Rabies is a nearly invariably fatal zoonotic encephalitis caused by lyssaviruses, with an estimated 59 000 human deaths annually, predominantly in Asia and cross the African continent where access to PEP and dog vaccination is limited. Due to historical underreporting and fragmented surveillance, the true burden remains unclear. Using Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) 2021 data, we systematically assess the global, regional, and national burden of rabies from 1990 to 2021 to identify key drivers of change and persistent disparities. Methods: We extracted rabies incidence and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) data from the GBD 2021 via the Global Health Data Exchange. Countries were stratified into five sociodemographic index (SDI) categories. Age-standardized rates per 100 000 population were computed using the GBD world standard. We applied Bayesian age-period-cohort (APC) modeling to characterize temporal trends and project future age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR), decomposition analysis to partition burden changes into epidemiological, population growth, and aging components, and frontier benchmarking to assess each country’s performance relative to its SDI. Results: From 1990 to 2021, global rabies ASIR fell by 69.4% (0.42 to 0.13/100 000) and annual cases by 54% (22 035–10 181). Over the same period, DALYs declined 58.4% (1 368 780–569 550) and ASDR dropped from 24.48 to 7.51/100 000. In 2021, the highest ASIRs were in Nepal (1.71), Ethiopia (1.05) and Malawi (0.77/100 000). Age-period-cohort analysis showed net drifts of -3.96%/year for incidence and -3.90%/year for DALYs. Decomposition attributed ~170% of incidence decline to epidemiological gains, offset by ~60% from population growth and ~52% from aging. Conclusions: Scale up mass dog vaccination, ensure affordable PEP and strategic Pre-exposure prophylaxis, focus on high-risk age cohorts, bolster surveillance and data-driven governance, and sustain multisectoral investment through the phased “Zero by 30” framework. By aligning programmatic efforts with the demonstrated successes in high-performing countries and addressing the implementation deficits in lagging regions, the global community can accelerate progress toward the World Health Organization (WHO) goal of zero dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030.

Rhamnosyl Icariside II is a rare secondary flavonoid glycoside isolated from Epimedium L. plants. It has better stability and physiological activity than the primary flavonoid glycosides of Epimedium L., therefore, conversion of the primary flavonoid glycoside into Rhamnosyl Icariside II would be desirable. In this study, a method for the enzymatic production of Rhamnosyl Icariside II from the total flavonoids of Epimedium wushanense was established, and the conditions were optimized. Six commercial enzymes were screened, and the reaction conditions for the best enzyme were optimized. Snailase was the most effective hydrolase, and the highest yield was obtained under the optimized conditions. To facilitate industrial production of Rhamnosyl Icariside II, a scaled-up pilot test was performed. The reaction solution was extracted with n-butanol to obtain the Rhamnosyl Icariside II crude product, which was then subjected to silica gel column chromatography and preparative chromatography. Finally, a product of Rhamnosyl Icariside II with purity of 99.1 % was achieved, in a total yield of 46.8 %. Compared to direct extraction and acid hydrolysis, this method improves the product yield and purity, which is of great significance for the large-scale production of Rhamnosyl Icariside II. This study provides a basis for the physiological activity study of Rhamnosyl Icariside II, and offers possibilities for future applications in the healthcare sector.