Poria cocos is the dried sclerotium of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb., which was the current accepted name and was formerly known as Macrohyporia cocos (Schwein.) I. Johans. & Ryvarden, Pachyma cocos (Schwein.) Fr., Poria cocos F.A. Wolf and Sclerotium cocos Schwein. It is one of the most important crude drugs in traditional Chinese medicine, with a wide range of applications in ameliorating phlegm and edema, relieving nephrosis and chronic gastritis and improving uneasiness of minds. Its extensive pharmacological effects have attracted considerable attention in recent years. However, there is no systematic review focusing on the chemical compounds and pharmacological activities of Poria cocos. Therefore, this review aimed to provide the latest information on the chemical compounds and pharmacological effects of Poria cocos, exploring the therapeutic potential of these compounds. We obtained the information of Poria cocos from electronic databases such as SCI finder, PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang DATA and Google Scholar. Up to now, two main active ingredients, triterpenes and polysaccharides of Poria cocos, have been identified from Poria cocos. It has been reported that they have pharmacological effects on anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, and liver and kidney protection. The review summarizes the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Poria cocos, which suggest that researchers should focus on the development of new drugs about Poria cocos to make them exert greater therapeutic potential.

High-purine diet can cause gut microbiota disorder, which is closely related to the occurrence of hyperuricemia (HUA). At the same time, the development of HUA is often accompanied by renal impairment. Chicory, a natural medicine, has a significant effect on lowering uric acid. However, whether its concrete mechanism is associated with the regulation of gut microbiota and renal damage is still unclear. Hyperuricemic quails induced by high-purine diet were used, and quails were divided into control (CON), model (MOD), and model plus high, middle, low doses of chicory. The uricosuric effect was evaluated by detecting the uric acid levels in serum and feces. Meanwhile, the morphology of intestine and kidney were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and the expression of intestinal barrier junction proteins Occludin, Claudin-1 were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting. Furthermore, the latent mechanism was clarified by analyzing 16S rRNA amplicon of gut microbiota and measuring the changes of LPS/TLR4 axis inflammatory response of the kidney by western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that serum uric acid levels were significantly decreased, and the feces uric acid levels were noticeably increased after the intervention of chicory. In addition, chicory could repair the damage of intestinal mucosa and improve the permeability of intestinal barrier. Moreover, the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis uncovered that chicory restored gut microbiota by increasing the probiotics flora (Bifidobacterium, Erysipelotrichaceae) and reducing the pathogenic bacteria group (Helicobacteraceae). Furthermore, it was found that chicory reduced the LPS/TLR4 axis inflammatory response by down regulating the serum LPS and TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway in kidney, thus promoting the excretion of uric acid in kidney. Chicory intervention ameliorated HUA via modulating the imbalance of gut microbiota and suppressing LPS/TLR4 axis inflammatory reaction in quail model, which may be a promising candidate for hyperuricemia-relieving properties.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has aroused great public health concern worldwide. Currently, COVID-19 epidemic is spreading in many countries and regions around the world. However, the study of SARS-CoV-2 is still in its infancy, and there is no specific therapeutics. Here, we summarize the genomic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, we focus on the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including the roles of angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE2) in cell entry, COVID-19 susceptibility and COVID-19 symptoms, as well as immunopathology such as antibody responses, lymphocyte dysregulation, and cytokine storm. Finally, we introduce the research progress of animal models of COVID-19, aiming at a better understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and providing new ideas for the treatment of this contagious disease.