Senkyunolide I (SI) is a natural phthalide that has drawn increasing interest for its potential as a cardio-cerebral vascular drug candidate. In this paper, the botanical sources, phytochemical characteristics, chemical and biological transformations, pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties, and drug-likeness of SI are reviewed through a comprehensive literature survey, in order to provide support for its further research and applications. In general, SI is mainly distributed in Umbelliferae plants, and it is relatively stable to heat, acid, and oxygen, with good blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Substantial studies have established reliable methods for the isolation, purification, and content determination of SI. Its pharmacological effects include analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-thrombotic, anti-tumor effects, alleviating ischemia–reperfusion injury, etc. Pharmacokinetic parameters indicate that its metabolic pathway is mainly phase Ⅱ metabolism, and it is rapidly absorbed in vivo and widely distributed in the kidneys, liver, and lungs.

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.

Background: The Chuanqing people (穿青人) are a linguistic group native to the Guizhou Province of China, with unique culture and rich knowledge of traditional medicinal plants. Herbal market at Dragon Boat Festival (DBF) plays an important role in the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge among the Chuanqing people. This study aims to record the profile of medicinal plants of the Chuanqing people, discuss the dilemmas faced by their inheritance, and propose some strategies for passing down information, which is critical for the inheritance and protection of the Chuanqing people’s traditional medical knowledge. Methods: Data were collected through key informants and semi-structured interviews and free listing. Collected voucher specimens were identified using by botanical taxonomy method and deposited in the herbarium. Data were analyzed through use-value (UV) and cultural importance index (CI) values. Medicinal plants were compared with the Information System of Chinese Rare and Endangered Plants of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Results were compared with the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China (ChP), the Quality Standard of Traditional Chinese Medicine and National Medicine in Guizhou Province (QSG), and traditional medicines of Southeast Asian countries. Results: A total of 102 species from 53 families and 92 genera were recorded, with Orchidaceae and Asparagaceae (six species each), and Berberidaceae and Asteraceae (five species each) as the predominant families. The whole plant (36%) was the most common medicinal part. Decoction (44%) was the most common preparation method. Seventy-one investigated human ailments were grouped into 12 categories. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (34 mentions) were most frequently mentioned in this study. Moreover, the most frequently used taxon was Hedera sinensis (Tobler) Hand.-Mazz. (UV and CI = 0.29). The Chuanqing people’s medicine was highly similar to ChP and QSG. In comparison with Southeast Asian countries’ traditional medicines, except for the same preparation methods, the similarities in terms of medicinal ingredients, plants, and disease treatment were very low. Conclusions: The herbal market at the DBF is an important platform for exchanging knowledge about the Chuanqing people’s traditional medicinal plants. The Chuanqing people’s traditional medicine is facing many challenges to its inheritance and development. To solve these problems, this study highlights the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Chuanqing people, providing basic data for further research and protection of minority medicine.

The application of the seed oil of Prunus mira Koehne (Tibetan name ཁམབུ།), a plant belonging to the Rosaceae family, for the treatment of alopecia has been recorded in Jingzhu Materia Medica (ཤེལ་གོང་ཤེལ་ཕྲེང་།) (the classic of Tibetan medicine) and Dictionary of Chinese Ethnic Medicine. This study aims to reveal the effective components and mechanism of hair growth promotion in the kernel of Prunus mira Koehne. Network pharmacology was used to predict the mechanism of action and effective components in the treatment of the kernel of Prunus mira Koehne. The contents of amygdalin in 12 batches of the kernel of Prunus mira Koehne were determined by HPLC. An animal model of the depilation of KM mice induced by sodium sulfide was created, and five effective components that promoted hair growth were initially screened. In the study of the effectiveness and mechanism of action, KM and C57BL/6 mice are selected as experimental objects, three screening tests for active components of the kernel of P. mira are performed, and three effective components are screened out from the eight components. HE staining was used to detect the number of hair follicles and the thickness of the dermis. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the influence of the expression of indicators in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in skin, including β-catenin, GSK-3β, and mRNA and protein expression levels of Cyclin D 1 and LEF 1. The network pharmacology study showed 12 signaling pathways involving 25 targets in the treatment of alopecia by the kernel of Prunus mira Koehne. vitamin E (3.125 mg/cm²/d), β-sitosterol (0.061 mg/cm²/d), and linoleic acid (0.156 mg/cm²/d) in the kernel of Prunus mira Koehne can promote hair growth in mice, and the mechanism of action may be related to the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Corydalis is one of the few lineages that have been reported to have extensive large-scale chloroplast genome (cp-genome) rearrangements. In this study, novel cp-genome rearrangements of Corydalis pinnata, C. mucronate, and C. sheareri are described. C. pinnata is a narrow endemic species only distributed at Qingcheng Mountain in southwest China. Two independent relocations of the same four genes (trnM-CAU-rbcL) were found relocated from the typically posterior part of the large single-copy region to the front of it. A uniform inversion of an 11–14-kb segment (ndhB-trnR-ACG) was found in the inverted repeat region; and extensive losses of accD, clpP, and trnV-UAC genes were detected in all cp-genomes of all three species of Corydalis. In addition, a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed based on 31 single-copy orthologous proteins in 27 cp-genomes. This study provides insights into the evolution of cp-genomes throughout the genus Corydalis and also provides a reference for further studies on the taxonomy, identification, phylogeny, and genetic transformation of other lineages with extensive rearrangements in cp-genomes.