The anticonvulsant activity of Astragalus squarrosus total extract was assessed in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsion in mice, with diazepam as the standard drug, while mechanistic studies were also conducted using flumazenil, a GABA A-benzodiazepine receptor complex site antagonist. The extract produced protection against convulsion at 400 mg/kg, comparable with protection of...

Astragalus membranaceus is an important medicinal plant in Asia. Several of its varieties have been used interchangeably as raw materials for commercial production. High resolution genetic markers are in urgent need to distinguish these varieties. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the chloroplast genome of A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge var. mongholicus (Bunge) P.K. Hsiao using the next generatio...

Astragalus polysaccharides (APS), one of main bioactive components in Astragalus membranaceus Bunge, has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory activities, but the molecular mechanisms behind this activity are largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate expression of inflammatory cytokines and the MAPK/NF-κB pathway in human THP-1 macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The re...

Diabetes is caused by excessive accumulation of glucose in human blood. The disease is hereditary, but can also be affected by the environment. At present, there are many limitations in the development of single-target drug therapy for the treatment of diabetes. Chinese herbal medicine has long been used for diabetes treatment as well as many other diseases in East Asia. Clinical practice has d...

BACKGROUND Jiangtang decoction (JTD) is a China patented drug which contains Euphorbia humifusa Willd, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, and Coptis chinensis Franch. For decades, it has also been used clinically to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN) effectively; however, the associated mechanisms remain unknown. Thus, the present study aimed ...

The current practice of ingesting phytochemicals to support the immune system or to fight infections is based on centuries-old tradition. We review reports on seven Chinese herbs, (Aloe vera Mill. (Aloaceae), Angelica species (Umbelliferae), Astragalus membranaceus Bunge. (Leguminosae), Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) Karst. (Ganodermataceae), Panax ginseng C.A Mey. (Araliaceae), Scutellaria species (L...