incidence of pigmentation.Despite the commercial value of potassium bromate (KBrO3), it has been linked to many diseases including cancer. Capparis spinosa possesses exceptional ethnobotanical, pharmaceutical, and economic prominence by virtue of its bioactive components. The present study was designed to explore the protective role and antioxidant potential of ethanolic leaves extract of C. spinosa against the oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and apoptosis induced by KBrO3 in an experimental animal model. The results of the study revealed remarkable diminution in the levels of oxidative stress in all the treatment groups. C. spinosa extract attenuated the toxic effects of KBrO3 significantly (p  less then  0.05) in a time- and dose-dependent manner by restoring the normal levels of ROS and antioxidative enzymes in serum and liver tissues. The extract also abolished the oxidative DNA damage as it was evident in decreased frequency of micronuclei. A marked increase in viable cells was observed in annexin-V apoptosis assay. In conclusion, the findings of the present study demonstrate that ethanolic leaves extract of C. spinosa has considerable protective effects against KBrO3-induced toxicity in experimental mice which is attributed to its antioxidant activity. Therefore, leaves of C. spinosa could be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant and bioactive compounds.

Qiweibaizhu decoction (QBD), a classic Chinese herbal formula, has been widely used for treating diarrhea in infants and children with spleen deficiency syndrome for centuries, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. The gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and intestinal mucus are closely associated with diarrhea.

In this study, the composition of the gut microbiota in diarrheal rats was analyzed by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. The concentrations of colon SCFAs were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The expression of mucin 2 (MUC2) in the colon was detected by immunofluorescence.

Diarrhea significantly changed the diversity and structure of the gut microbiota and disrupted the mucus barrier in juvenile rats. QBD did not significantly change the diversity and structure of the intestinal flora, but it enhanced the increasing tendencies of Verrucomicrobia and

and decreased the abundance of

(

=0.037) and

(

=0.043). QBD tends to repair the mucus layel flora, especially by increasing the abundance of Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia, resulting in mucus barrier repair, protection of the intestines, and treatment of diarrhea.

This study aimed to determine whether Danggui Buxue decoction (DGBX) can improve inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by regulating immunity and promoting intestinal mucosal repair.

Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to induce the IBD model. Drugs (DGBX or saline) were administered to mice, which were randomly divided into three groups (control, model, and experimental groups). Hematoxylin and eosin staining of intestinal tissues was conducted to observe for morphological changes. Changes in cytokines and immune cells in the intestinal tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence techniques were used to assess the status of the intestinal mucosal repair.

This study found that treatment with DGBX can effectively improve the inflammatory state and pathological structure of the IBD model. DGBX not only can significantly change the composition of intestinal mucosal immune cells and promote the regression of inflammation but also significantly increase the proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells and promote the rapid repair of intestinal mucosal barrier injury compared with the model group (

< 0.05).

Taking these results, DGBX shows promising protective effects on IBD by regulating immunity and promoting intestinal mucosal repair.

Taking these results, DGBX shows promising protective effects on IBD by regulating immunity and promoting intestinal mucosal repair.

This study reviewed and evaluated existing evidence of the efficacy of acupuncture as a clinical treatment for dysphagia after stroke.

Five English and four Chinese databases were searched from inception to March 2020. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) incorporating acupuncture or acupuncture combined with other interventions for the treatment of dysphagia after stroke were enrolled. All data were independently assessed and extracted by two authors. The bias risk assessment recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool was used to assess the quality of the selected studies. This meta-analysis was conducted by using RevMan 5.3. Pooled analyses were calculated by the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed by the

test.

Thirty-five studies involving 3024 patients were analyzed. read more The meta-analysis showed that the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture combined with other interventions was better than that of the control group for the standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) score (MD = -3.78, 95% CI -4.64 to -2.91,

< 0.00001), Ichiro Fujishima rating scale (IFRS) score (MD = 1.68, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.20,

< 0.00001), videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) score (MD = 2.26, 95% CI 1.77 to 2.74,

< 0.00001), and water swallowing test (WST) score (MD = -1.21, 95% CI -1.85 to -0.57,

= 0.0002). In studies reporting adverse effects, no serious outcome from an adverse event was confirmed.

This systematic review indicated that acupuncture could be an effective therapy for treating dysphagia after stroke although stricter evaluation standards and rigorously designed RCTs are needed.

This systematic review indicated that acupuncture could be an effective therapy for treating dysphagia after stroke although stricter evaluation standards and rigorously designed RCTs are needed.Panax notoginseng (PN) has become the most widely used dietary supplement and herbal in Asian countries. The effect of micronization on PN is not entirely clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of particle size of Panax notoginseng powder (PNP) and the potential to improve the bioavailability. The results showed that particle size reduction significantly changed the Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) in vitro dissolution and in vivo pharmacokinetics. The size of the Panax notoginseng powder (PNP) ranges from 60 to 214 μm. The surface morphology and thermal properties of PNP were extensively characterized, and these changes in physicochemical properties of PNP provide a better understanding of the in vitro and in vivo release behaviors of PNS. The in vitro studies demonstrated that the dissolution of PNS and particle size were nonlinear (dose- and size-dependent). The pharmacokinetics parameters of PNP in rats were determined by UHPLC-MS/MS. Powder 4 (90.38 ± 8.28 μm) showed significantly higher AUC0-T values in plasma (P less then 0.