This work is supported by the Basic Scientific Research Business Project of Chongqing Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Project Number: jbky20200013), the Performance Incentive Guidance Project of Chongqing Scientific Research Institutions (Project Number: cstc2021jxjl 130025), and the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission Key Discipline Construction Project of Chinese Materia Medica Processing.

All animal-related experiments were conducted with approval from the Experiment Ethics Committee of the Chongqing Institute of TCM (laboratory animal ethics review certificate number: ZJS2022-03).
1. Determination of the bioactive components
NOTE: The species used in this research was Epimedium sagittatum, and the samples were collected in Fengdu County, Chongqing. The sample was identified as a dry above-ground part of E. sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim. by researchers of The Institute of Biological Medicine, Chongqing Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
<ol>
	<li>Prepare the control product solution by accurately weighing the appropriate amount of each reference substance, namely, icariin, epimedin A (EA), epimedin B (EB), epimedin C (EC), and baohuoside I (BI), using an electronic analytical balance, and dissolve in methanol. Using these, prepare a mixed reference stock solution containing 381.61 &#181;g/mL icariin, 124.14 &#181;g/mL EA, 110.24 &#181;g/mL EB, 1091.75 &#181;g/mL EC, and 184.98 &#181;g/mL BI.</li>
	<li>Prepare the test product solution by crushing EF through a No. 3 sieve. Place approximately 0.2 g (using an electronic analytical balance) of crushed EF into a stoppered Erlenmeyer flask, add 20 mL of dilute ethanol, and then ultrasonicate at 400 W power and 50 kHz frequency for 1 h. Shake well, and pass through a 0.22 &#181;m membrane filter to obtain the test solution.</li>
	<li>Perform the chromatography as follows. Use high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a C18 column with dimensions of 4.6 mm x 250 mm and an inner diameter of 5 &#181;m. Use acetonitrile as mobile phase A and ultrapure water as mobile phase B. Use the following gradient elution parameters: 0-30 min, 24% A to 26% A; 30-31 min, 26% A to 45% A; 31-45 min, 45% A to 47% A. Use a detection wavelength of 220 nm (for the detector used, see Table of Materials). Keep the column temperature at 30 &#176;C and the current velocity at 1.0 mL/min, and use a sample size of 10 &#181;L.</li>
	<li>To investigate the linear relationship, use the mixed reference solution as in step 1.1 diluted 2 times, 4 times, 8 times, 16 times, and 32 times, for icariin, EA, EB, EC, and BI, respectively. Use acetonitrile as mobile phase A and ultrapure water as mobile phase B.</li>
	<li>Use the following gradient elution parameters: 0-30 min, 24% A to 26% A; 30-31 min, 26% A to 45% A; 31-45 min, 45% A to 47% A. Use a detection wavelength of 220 nm (for the detector used, see Table of Materials). Keep the column temperature at 30 &#176;C and the current velocity at 1.0 mL/min and use a sample size of 10 &#181;L. Finally, record the peak areas. Plot the linear regression with the reference concentration (x-axis, &#181;g/mL) as the abscissa and the peak area (y-axis) as the ordinate using professional software (see Table of Materials).</li>
	<li>Perform the precision test by measuring the mixed control solution six consecutive times by HPLC using the chromatographic conditions shown in step 1.3. Record the detection time and peak areas of each chemical composition, and calculate the relative standard deviations (RSD) of the peak areas to assess the precision (reproducibility) using the formula below: 
	RSD% = standard deviation (SD)/arithmetic mean of calculated results (X) x 100 %</li>
	<li>To perform the reproducibility test, accurately weigh the EF powder, and prepare six parts of the test product solution in parallel according to the method in step 1.2. Subject the prepared solutions to HPLC under the chromatographic conditions presented in step 1.3. Record the retention times and peak areas of each chemical composition and calculate the amounts of each compound from a standard curve (peak areas versus concentrations). Calculate the RSD% as above.</li>
	<li>To perform the stability test, store the test solutions at room temperature, and measure their contents by the HPLC method described in step 1.3 at 0 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h after preparation to assess the stability. Record the retention times and peak areas of each chemical composition and calculate the RSD% of the peak areas as above.</li>
	<li>To perform the sample recovery test, weigh 0.2 g of EF powder into a stoppered Erlenmeyer flask for six replicates. Add an appropriate amount of the reference solution (the amount of reference substance added to the sample is equivalent to 100% of the known content of the sample) and prepare the test solution according to the method presented in step 1.2.</li>
	<li>Inject the samples into the chromatograph and analyze according to the chromatographic conditions in step 1.3. Record the peak areas, and calculate the average recovery and RSD% values as below: 
	Spiked sample recovery rate = (spiked sample content &#8722; sample content)/sample amount x 100%</li>
</ol>
2. Optimization of the EF mutton-oil processing technology using the Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology
<ol>
	<li>Select the key parameters in EF processing, such as the amount of mutton oil (A; 15%-35%), the mutton oil temperature (B; 50-120 &#176;C), and the frying temperature (C; 80-300 &#176;C), as influential factors. Use the comprehensive scores of icariin, EA, EB, EC, and BI content as the evaluation indexes. The percentage of mutton oil here is the mass percentage.</li>
	<li>Use the response surface analysis software (see Table of Materials) to design the Box-Behnken response surface experiments, explore the quadratic response surface, and construct a second-order polynomial model. Select the new Box-Behnken Design, and set the Numeric Factors option to 3; set factors A, B, and C. Click on Continue. Set the Responses option to 1 (which was the comprehensive score). Click on Continue to complete the design. A total of 17 experiments were planned (see Table 1). 
	NOTE: For the independent and dependent variables, along with their low, middle, and high levels, see Table 2.</li>
	<li>Process the EF according to the specific parameters in Table 1; for example, for order number 1, weigh refined mutton oil as 15% v/v, and then heat to 50 &#176;C to melt it. Add the crude EF to the melted mutton, stir-fry over a gentle fire (190 &#176;C) until it is evenly shiny, and then remove and cool. Performed 17 experimental operations. A total of 17 groups of EF-processed products were obtained in this work. 
	NOTE: Mutton oil is solid at room temperature (25 &#176;C) and melts into liquid when heated. Mutton oil in a liquid state can be used as the excipient.</li>
	<li>Prepare the test solutions of the processed products according to the method described in step 1.2. Then, analyze them using HPLC according to the chromatographic conditions described in step 1.3. Record the retention times and peak areas of each chemical composition, and calculate the contents of the icariin, EA, EB, EC, and BI in each test solution against an external standard curve. Use the comprehensive score calculation formula below to calculate the comprehensive scores of the 17 experimental groups: 
	Comprehensive score = Z/Zmax &#215; 0.5 + BI/BImax &#215; 0.5 
	where Z is the sum of the icariin, EA, EB, and EC contents; Zmax is the maximum value of the sum of the icariin, EA, EB, and EC contents in the 17 experimental groups; BI is the BI content; and BImax is the maximum value of the BI content in the 17 experimental groups.</li>
	<li>Import the comprehensive scoring results for the 17 groups of experiments into the data analysis software (see Table of Materials) to analyze the experimental data. Under the evaluation items, select the quadratic process order option and polynomial model type option.</li>
</ol>
3. Testing the effect of processing on zebrafish embryonic development
<ol>
	<li>Sample preparation
	<ol>
		<li>Crush the crude and processed EF through a No. 3 sieve (see Table of Materials). To 100 g of each EF sample, add 1,000 mL of ultrapure water. Soak the EF for 0.5 h, boil the water twice for 30 min each, and then filter with filter paper.</li>
		<li>Combine the filtrates and concentrate the sample by heating. Add ultrapure water to a final volume of 100 mL to obtain the processed EF (PEF, 1 g/mL) and the crude EF (CEF,1 g/mL) stock solutions. Measure the amount of raw drug in each stock solution.</li>
		<li>Place aliquots of 1 mL, 1.5 mL, 2.5 mL, 5 mL, and 7.5 mL stock solutions in 10 mL volumetric flasks, and then add ultrapure water to volume to prepare the test solutions with concentrations of 100 mg/mL, 150 mg/mL, 200 mg/mL, 250 mg/mL, 500 mg/mL, and 750 mg/mL for the zebrafish embryotoxicity study. 
		NOTE: The concentrations of the test solutions were prepared by referring to the relevant literature20,21 and by performing preliminary experiments to give the 10-fold concentration gradient used in normal toxicology. CEF was an unprocessed sample, and PEF was a sample prepared with the best processing technology described in section 2.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Zebrafish husbandry and embryo treatment21
	<ol>
		<li>Adapt wild-type zebrafish (see Table of Materials) at a controlled temperature for 2 days, keep them in a flow-through aquarium at pH 7.0-7.4 and feed them twice daily. 
		NOTE: The inhibition of melanin formation in zebrafish was achieved by adding 1-phenyl-2-thiourea in a concentration of 0.003% (mass/volume) to the culture medium, which kept their bodies transparent for morphological observation.</li>
		<li>Select adult fertile wild-type zebrafish in the evening and separate them by using baffles in mating boxes. Remove the baffles the following morning, and allow the fish to spawn for 30 min. Collected the fertilized eggs with a dropper every 15 min. In total, 520 healthy wild-type embryos were collected. Keep the zebrafish embryos in an incubator at 28.5 &#176;C for 24 h.</li>
		<li>Randomly assign the healthy embryos at 24 h post fertilization (hpf) to 13 groups, and along with one control group, separately soak in 10 mL of each of the following solutions in a culture dish: PEF: 100 &#181;g/mL, 150 &#181;g/mL, 200 &#181;g/mL, 250 &#181;g/mL, 500 &#181;g/mL, 750 &#181;g/mL; CEF: 100 &#181;g/mL, 150 &#181;g/mL, 200 &#181;g/mL, 250 &#181;g/mL, 500 &#181;g/mL, 750 &#181;g/mL . Treat the blank control group with the medium as a solution. Each group contained 40 embryos in this study. 
		NOTE: The medium composition is 0.15 M NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 0.25 mM Na2HPO4, 0.45 mM KH2PO4, 1.3 mM CaCl2, 1.0 mM MgSO4, and 4 mM NaHCO3.</li>
		<li>Culture the zebrafish in a constant temperature incubator for up to 120 hpf. Count the number of dead larvae every day, observe the main organ morphology of the larvae in each experimental group under a stereomicroscope (scale bar = 500 &#181;m, see Table of Materials), and calculate the half-death concentration (LC50) of zebrafish at 72 hpf by using data analysis software (see Table of Materials).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Study+on+modern+pharmacological+effects+of+traditional+Chinese+medicine+for+tonifying+kidney+yang.">Study on modern pharmacological effects of traditional Chinese medicine for tonifying kidney yang.</a> Journal of Hubei University of Chinese Medicine. 13 (04), 63-66 (2011).</li><li>Luo, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Advances+in+the+chemical+constituents+and+pharmacological+studies+of+Epimedium.">Advances in the chemical constituents and pharmacological studies of Epimedium.</a> Asia-Pacific Traditional Medicine. 15 (6), 190-194 (2019).</li><li>Liu, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+icariin+on+ER&#946;+gene+expression+and+serum+estradiol+level+in+ovariectomized+rats.">Effects of icariin on ER&#946; gene expression and serum estradiol level in ovariectomized rats.</a> Hunan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 32 (1), 150-152 (2016).</li><li>Liu, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+epimedin+A+on+osteoclasts+and+osteoporotic+male+mice.">Effects of epimedin A on osteoclasts and osteoporotic male mice.</a> Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science. 41 (07), 1359-1364 (2021).</li><li>Liu, Y. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+icariin+and+epimedium+C+on+microstructure+of+bone+tissue+in+glucocorticoid+osteoporosis+model+mice+based+on+Micro-CT+technique.">Effects of icariin and epimedium C on microstructure of bone tissue in glucocorticoid osteoporosis model mice based on Micro-CT technique.</a> Drug Evaluation Research. 43 (09), 1733-1739 (2020).</li><li>Zhan, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evaluation+of+antiosteoporotic+activity+for+micro+amount+icariin+and+epimedin+B+based+on+the+osteoporosis+model+using+zebrafish.">Evaluation of antiosteoporotic activity for micro amount icariin and epimedin B based on the osteoporosis model using zebrafish.</a> Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal. (24), 30-35 (2014).</li><li>Zhan, Y., Wei, Y. -. J., Sun, E., Xu, F. -. J., Jia, X. -. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Two-dimensional+zebrafish+model+combined+with+hyphenated+chromatographic+techniques+for+evaluation+anti-osteoporosis+activity+of+epimendin+A+and+its+metabolite+baohuoside+I.">Two-dimensional zebrafish model combined with hyphenated chromatographic techniques for evaluation anti-osteoporosis activity of epimendin A and its metabolite baohuoside I.</a> Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica. 49 (06), 932-937 (2014).</li></ol>

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Independent variables and the determination of their levels 
The EF processing technology is only described in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the local Chinese medicine processing specifications published by 26 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country1. The description involves the following steps: taking mutton oil and heating it to melt, adding EF shreds, stir-frying with a slow fire until it is uniform and shiny, taking it out...

Epimedii folium (EF) is the dried leaves of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim., Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim., Epimedium pubescens Maxim., or Epimedium koreanum Nakai. EF can be used to treat osteoporosis, menopausal syndrome, breast lumps, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and other diseases1. As a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), EF has a history in medicine and food of more than 2,000 years. Due to its low price and remarkable effect of tonifying the kidneys, it is widely used in medicines and health foods. EF is processed by stir-frying it with mutton oil, a process first described in Lei Gong Processing Theory written by Lei Xiao in the Liu Song period2. The efficacies of crude EF and stir-fried EF are quite different. Crude EF mainly dispels rheumatism, whereas the stir-fried EF warms the kidneys to reinforce yang3. At present, EF is widely used as a raw material in drugs and health foods; there are 399 listed Chinese patent medicines, nine imported health foods, and 455 domestic health foods with EF as a raw material4. This medicinal material has great application prospects. However, in recent years, there have been increasing reports of adverse reactions and human liver injury caused by health foods and Chinese patent medicines using EF as a raw material, and related toxicity studies5,6,7 have reported that EF as a raw material has potential safety risks.
Chinese medicinal processing refers to pharmaceutical techniques that can effectively reduce or eliminate the toxicity and improve the safety of TCMs. The traditional processing method of EF is stir-frying with mutton oil, which reduces the toxicity of EF and enhances its effect of warming the kidneys and promoting yang8. This processing method is included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and various processing specifications1. The process of EF is only specified as follows: for every 100 kg of EF, 20 kg amniotic oil (refined) is added, and it is mild-fired until uniform and shiny1. There are no strict EF processing method parameters in the above standards, so local processing specifications have not been unified to provide consistency. Therefore, it would be useful to conduct a systematic study of the EF process. In this paper, the Box-Behnken experimental design-response surface method was used to optimize the processing technology of EF.
The Box-Behnken experimental design is a method typically used to optimize the factors in a process. The extraction parameters can be optimized by establishing the functional relationship between multiple regression equation-fitting factors and effect values. Recently, this method has been widely used to study TCM extraction5,6,7 and processing9,10,11. Various studies have reported TCM preparation methods involving salt processing, wine processing, and stir-frying following a Box-Behnken design, such as for salt-processed Psoraleae fructus12, wine-processed Cnidii fructus13, and roasted Cinnamomi ramulus14. This method has reduced test time, high test accuracy, and is suitable for multi-factor and multi-level tests. The method is simpler than the orthogonal design test method and more comprehensive than the uniform design method15. The obtained relationships can determine the predicted value of any test point within the test range, which is a great advantage. A zebrafish model can be used to test whether EF is less toxic after processing.
In TCM toxicity studies, the zebrafish model has the dual advantages of the high throughput of cell experiments and the similarities with rodent experiments16. This model is characterized by its small size, high spawning rate, short reproduction cycle, and ease of breeding. The model can be used in large-scale synchronous experiments in cell culture plates, and the experimental drug dosage is small, the experimental cycle is short, the cost is low, and the whole experimental process is easy to observe and operate17. Zebrafish embryos are transparent and develop rapidly. Therefore, the toxicity and teratogenic effects of drugs on visceral tissues at different developmental stages can be directly observed under a microscope18. The gene homology between zebrafish and humans is as high as 85%18. The signal transduction pathway of zebrafish is similar to that of humans18. The biological structure and physiological function of zebrafish are highly similar to those of mammals18. Therefore, a zebrafish model for drug testing can provide experimental animals that are reliable and fully applicable to humans19.
In this study, we used the Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology to optimize the amount and temperature of mutton oil and the frying temperature used in the EF processing technology, with the contents of icariin, epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C, and baohuoside I as the evaluation indexes. The zebrafish model was used to preliminarily explore the effect of an EF water extract on zebrafish embryonic development before and after processing to evaluate the attenuation effect of processing on EF.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetonitrile</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>197164</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Baohuoside <img alt="Equation 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/65096/65096eq01.jpg" style="margin: auto;" /> (B<img alt="Equation 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/65096/65096eq01.jpg" style="margin: auto;" /> )&#160;</td>
			<td>Chengdu Manst Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>MUST-20042402</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chromatographic column</td>
			<td>Waters Corporation</td>
			<td>Symmetry C18</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Design Expert software</td>
			<td>Stat- Ease Inc., Minneapolis, MN</td>
			<td>Trial Version8.0.6.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Detector</td>
			<td>Waters Corporation</td>
			<td>2998</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Disintegrator</td>
			<td>Hefei Rongshida Small Household Appliance Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>S-FS553</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electronic analytical balance</td>
			<td>Mettler-Toledo International Inc.</td>
			<td>MS205DU</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Epimedin A (EA)</td>
			<td>Chengdu Manst Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>MUST-21112118</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Epimedin B (EB)</td>
			<td>Chengdu Manst Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>MUST-20080403</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Epimedin C (EC)</td>
			<td>Chengdu Manst Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>MUST-20080310</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol</td>
			<td>Chongqing Chuandong Chemical ( Group ) Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>20180801</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Graphpad software</td>
			<td>GraphPad Software Inc., San Diego, CA, USA</td>
			<td>6.02</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)</td>
			<td>Waters Corporation</td>
			<td>2695</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Icariin</td>
			<td>Chengdu Glip Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>21091401</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Methanol</td>
			<td>Chongqing Chuandong Chemical (Group) Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>20171101</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microporous membrane</td>
			<td>Tianjin Jinteng Experimental Equipment Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>0.22&#956;m</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mutton oil</td>
			<td>Kuoshan Zhiniu Fresh Food Store</td>
			<td>20211106</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Office Excel office software</td>
			<td>Microsoft</td>
			<td>Office Excel 2021</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pharmacopoeia sieve</td>
			<td>Shaoxing Shangyu Huafeng Hardware Instrument Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>R40/3</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pure water machine</td>
			<td>Chongqing Andersen Environmental Protection Equipment Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>AT Sro 10A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Qualitative filter paper</td>
			<td>Shanghai Leigu Instrument Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>18cm</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stereomicroscope</td>
			<td>Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany</td>
			<td>Stemi 2000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ultrasonic cleaner</td>
			<td>Branson Ultrasonics (Shanghai) Co.,Ltd.</td>
			<td>BUG25-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Zebrafish</td>
			<td>China Zebrafish Resource Center (CZRC)</td>
			<td>The AB strain</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

optimization of the epimedii folium mutton-oil processing technology and testing its effect on zebrafish embryonic development

As a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Epimedii folium (EF) has a history in medicine and food that is &#62; 2,000 years old. Clinically, EF processed with mutton oil is often used as a medicine. In recent years, reports of safety risks and adverse reactions of products that use EF as a raw material have gradually increased. Processing can effectively improve the safety of TCM. According to TCM theory, mutton-oil processing can reduce the toxicity of EF and enhance its tonifying effect on the kidneys. However, there is a lack of systematic research and evaluation of EF mutton-oil processing technology. In this study, we used the Box-Behnken experimental design-response surface methodology to optimize the key parameters of the processing technology by assessing the contents of multiple components. The results showed that the optimal mutton-oil processing technology of EF was as follows: heating the mutton oil at 120 &#176;C &#177; 10 &#176;C, adding the crude EF, stir-frying it gently to 189 &#176;C &#177; 10 &#176;C until it is evenly shiny, and then removing it and cool. For every 100 kg of EF, 15 kg of mutton oil should be used. The toxicities and teratogenicities of an aqueous extract of crude and mutton-oil processed EF were compared in a zebrafish embryo developmental model. The results showed that the crude herb group was more likely to cause zebrafish deformities, and its half-maximal lethal EF concentration was lower. In conclusion, the optimized mutton-oil processing technology was stable and reliable, with good repeatability. At a certain dose, the aqueous extract of EF was toxic to the development of zebrafish embryos, and the toxicity was stronger for the crude drug than for the processed drug. The results showed that mutton-oil processing reduced the toxicity of crude EF. These findings can be used to improve the quality, uniformity, and clinical safety of mutton oil-processed EF.

Methodological investigation results 
A linear relationship between the concentration of icariin, EA, EB, EC, BI, and chromatographic peak areas was observed (see Table 3). The RSD% values (n = 6) of the chromatographic peak areas of icariin, EA, EB, EC, and BI were 0.28%, 1.22%, 0.65%, 1.67%, and 1.06%, respectively, indicating that the precision of the HPLC measurements was good. The RSD% values (n = 6) of the contents of icariin, EA, EB, EC, and BI were 1.59%, 1.46%, 1.86%, 2.29%...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Optimization of the Epimedii Folium Mutton-Oil Processing Technology and Testing Its Effect on Zebrafish Embryonic Development at JoVE.com

Optimization of the Epimedii Folium Mutton-Oil Processing Technology and Testing Its Effect on Zebrafish Embryonic Development

In this protocol, the mutton-oil processing technology of Epimedii folium (EF) was optimized by applying a Box-Behnken experimental design-response surface methodology, and the effect of crude and optimized water-extracted EF on zebrafish embryonic development was preliminarily investigated.

As a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Epimedii folium (EF) has a history in medicine and food that is &#62; 2,000 years old. Clinically, EF processed ...

optimization-epimedii-folium-mutton-oil-processing-technology-testing

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

395 Views.  Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica. In this protocol, the mutton-oil processing technology of Epimedii folium (EF) was optimized by applying a Box-Behnken experimental design-response surface methodology, and the effect of crude and optimized water-extracted EF on zebrafish embryonic development was preliminarily investigated.

Video: Optimization of the Epimedii Folium Mutton-Oil Processing Technology and Testing Its Effect on Zebrafish Embryonic Development

Turbidimetry on Human Washed Platelets: The Effect of the Pannexin1-inhibitor Brilliant Blue FCF on Collagen-induced Aggregation

Turbidimetry is a laboratory technique that is applied to measure the aggregation of platelets suspended in either plasma (platelet-rich plasma, PRP) or in buffer (washed platelets), by the use of one or a combination of agonists. The use of washed platelets separated from their plasma environment and in the absence of anticoagulants allows for studying intrinsic platelet properties. Among the large panel of agonists, arachidonic acid (AA), adenosine di-phosphate (ADP), thrombin and collagen are the most frequently used. The aggregation response is quantified by measuring the relative optical density (OD) over time of platelet suspension under continuous stirring. Platelets in homogeneous suspension limit the passage of light after the addition of an agonist, platelet shape change occurs producing a small transitory increase in OD. Following this initial activation step, platelet clots form gradually, allowing the passage of light through the suspension as a result of decreased OD. The aggregation process is ultimately expressed as a percentage, compared to the OD of platelet-poor plasma or buffer. Rigorous calibration is thus essential at the beginning of each experiment. As a general rule: calibration to 0% is set by measuring the OD of a non-stimulated platelet suspension while measuring the OD of the suspension medium containing no platelets represents a value of 100%. Platelet aggregation is generally visualized as a real-time aggregation curve. Turbidimetry is one of the most commonly used laboratory techniques for the investigation of platelet function and is considered as the historical gold standard and used for the development of new pharmaceutical agents aimed at inhibiting platelet aggregation. Here, we describe detailed protocols for 1) preparation of human washed platelets and 2) turbidimetric analysis of collagen-induced aggregation of human washed platelets pretreated with the food dye Brilliant Blue FCF that was recently identified as an inhibitor of Pannexin1 (Panx1) channels.

We describe a straightforward method for the isolation of washed platelets from human blood followed by agonist-induced platelet aggregation measurements by turbidimetry. As an example we apply this method for studying the aggregation response of human platelets to collagen after a pre-incubation with the Pannexin1 channel inhibitor Brilliant Blue FCF.

Turbidimetry is a laboratory technique that is applied to measure the aggregation of platelets suspended in either plasma (platelet-rich plasma, PRP) or ...

Measuring the Effect of Chemicals on the Growth and Reproduction of Caenorhabditis elegans

Toxicological evaluation is crucial for understanding the effects of chemicals on living organisms in basic and applied biological science fields. A non-mammalian soil round worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, is a valuable model organism for toxicology studies due to its convenience and lack of animal ethics issues compared with mammalian animal systems. In this protocol, a detailed procedure of toxicological evaluation of chemicals in C. elegans is described. A clinical anticancer drug, etoposide, which targets human topoisomerase II and inhibits DNA replication of human cancer cells, was selected as a model testing chemical. Age-synchronized C. elegans eggs were exposed to either dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or etoposide, and then the growth of C. elegans was monitored every day for 4 days by the stereo microscope observation. The total number of eggs laid from C. elegans treated with DMSO or etoposide was also counted by using the stereo microscope. Etoposide treatment significantly affected the growth and reproduction of C. elegans. By comparison of the total number of eggs laid from worms with different treatment periods of chemicals, it can be decided that the reproductive toxicity of chemicals on C. elegans reproduction is reversible or irreversible. These protocols may be helpful for both the development of various drugs and risk assessment of environmental toxicants.

Measuring the Effect of Chemicals on the Growth and Reproduction of Caenorhabditis elegans

A basic protocol to evaluate the toxicity of chemicals in a model animal, Caenorhabditis elegans, is described. The method is convenient and useful for the development of pharmaceuticals as well as for the risk assessment of various environmental pollutants.

Toxicological evaluation is crucial for understanding the effects of chemicals on living organisms in basic and applied biological science fields. A ...

Methodology for Sputum Induction and Laboratory Processing

The technique of sputum induction and processing is a recognized non-invasive method allowing the collection and analysis of cells from the airways, which is interesting in various respiratory diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic cough, or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This technique is well tolerated, safe and non-invasive, but is currently limited to research services and specialized centers in clinical practice because it is technically demanding, time-consuming, and requires trained staff. The success rate of sputum induction and analysis is about 80%.
Here, we describe the induction and laboratory processing of sputum samples. Sputum is induced by inhalation of hypertonic or isotonic saline with salbutamol. For the processing, we use the whole sputum technique. Dithiothreitol (DTT) is used to allow mucolysis of sputum samples. The primary aim of sputum processing is to obtain a differential cell count to study the cell types present in the airway lumen. Additional analyses may also be performed on sputum supernatant and sputum cells, which may allow further investigation into inflammatory processes and immune mechanisms. Examples include studying mediators in sputum supernatant and performing a large spectrum of analysis on sputum cells such as flow cytometry, genomics, or proteomics.
Finally, representative results of sputum analysis in healthy controls, asthmatics, and COPD patients are presented.

Here we describe the technique of sputum induction. This protocol also explains the sputum processing to perform a differential cell count and to collect sputum supernatant and cells for further analysis.

The technique of sputum induction and processing is a recognized non-invasive method allowing the collection and analysis of cells from the airways, which ...

A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery

Chronic pain following surgery, persistent postsurgical pain, is an important highly prevalent condition contributing to significant symptom burden and lower quality of life. Persistent postsurgical pain is relatively refractory to treatment hence generating a high need for preventive strategies and treatments. Therefore, the identification of patients at risk of developing persistent pain is an area of active ongoing research. Recently it was demonstrated that peri-operative disruptions in central pain processing may be able to predict persistent postsurgical pain at long term follow-up in breast cancer patients. The aim of the current report is to present a short protocol to obtain pain thresholds to different stimuli at multiple sites and a measure of endogenous analgesia in breast cancer patients. We have used this method successfully in a clinical context and detail some representative results from a clinical study.

Persistent postsurgical pain may be related to changes in pain processing. By assessing pain in response to standardized stimuli, changes in pain processing can be elucidated. We present methods to obtain pain thresholds to different stimuli and a measure of endogenous analgesia in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery.

Chronic pain following surgery, persistent postsurgical pain, is an important highly prevalent condition contributing to significant symptom burden and ...

Measuring the Effects of Bacteria and Chemicals on the Intestinal Permeability of Caenorhabditis elegans

In living organisms, intestinal hyperpermeability is a serious symptom that leads to many inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Caenorhabditis elegans is a nonmammalian animal model that is widely used as an assay system due to its short lifespan, transparency, cost-effectiveness, and lack of animal ethics issues. In this study, a method was developed to investigate the effects of different bacteria and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) on the intestinal permeability of C. elegans with a high-throughput image analysis system. The worms were infected with different gut bacteria or cotreated with DIM for 48 h and fed with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran overnight. Then, the intestinal permeability was examined by comparing the fluorescence images and the fluorescence intensity inside the worm bodies. This method may also have the potential to identify probiotic and pathogenic intestinal bacteria that affect intestinal permeability in the animal model and is effective for examining the effects of harmful or health-promoting chemicals on intestinal permeability and intestinal health. However, this protocol also has some considerable limitations at the genetic level, especially for determining which genes are altered to control illness, because this method is mostly used for phenotypic determination. In addition, this method is limited to determining exactly which pathogenic substrates cause inflammation or increase the permeability of the worms' intestines during infection. Therefore, further in-depth studies, including investigation of the molecular genetic mechanism using mutant bacteria and nematodes as well as chemical component analysis of bacteria, are required to fully evaluate the function of bacteria and chemicals in determining intestinal permeability.

Measuring the Effects of Bacteria and Chemicals on the Intestinal Permeability of Caenorhabditis elegans

This protocol describes how to measure intestinal permeability of Caenorhabditis elegans. This method is helpful for basic biological research on intestinal health related to the interaction between intestinal bacteria and their host and for screening to identify probiotic and chemical agents to cure leaky gut syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases.

In living organisms, intestinal hyperpermeability is a serious symptom that leads to many inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Caenorhabditis elegans is a ...

Design and Development of a Model to Study the Effect of Supplemental Oxygen on the Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiome

Airway microbial communities are thought to play an important role in the progression of cystic fibrosis (CF) and other chronic pulmonary diseases. Microbes have traditionally been classified based on their ability to use or tolerate oxygen. Supplemental oxygen is a common medical therapy administered to people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF); however, existing studies on oxygen and the airway microbiome have focused on how hypoxia (low oxygen) rather than hyperoxia (high oxygen) affects the predominantly aerobic and facultative anaerobic lung microbial communities. To address this critical knowledge gap, this protocol was developed using an artificial sputum medium that mimics the composition of sputum from pwCF. The use of filter sterilization, which yields a transparent medium, allows optical methods to follow the growth of single-celled microbes in suspension cultures. To create hyperoxic conditions, this model system takes advantage of established anaerobic culturing techniques to study hyperoxic conditions; instead of removing oxygen, oxygen is added to cultures by daily sparging of serum bottles with a mixture of compressed oxygen and air. Sputum from 50 pwCF underwent daily sparging for a 72-h period to verify the ability of this model to maintain differential oxygen conditions. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was performed on cultured and uncultured sputum samples from 11 pwCF to verify the ability of this medium to support the growth of commensal and pathogenic microbes commonly found in cystic fibrosis sputum. Growth curves were obtained from 112 isolates obtained from pwCF to verify the ability of this artificial sputum medium to support the growth of common cystic fibrosis pathogens. We find that this model can culture a wide variety of pathogens and commensals in CF sputum, recovers a community highly similar to uncultured sputum under normoxic conditions, and creates different culture phenotypes under varying oxygen conditions. This new approach might lead to a better understanding of unanticipated effects induced by the use of oxygen in pwCF on airway microbial communities and common respiratory pathogens.

The goal of this protocol is to develop a model system for the effect of hyperoxia on cystic fibrosis airway microbial communities. Artificial sputum medium emulates the composition of sputum, and hyperoxic culture conditions model the effects of supplemental oxygen on lung microbial communities.

Airway microbial communities are thought to play an important role in the progression of cystic fibrosis (CF) and other chronic pulmonary diseases. ...

A Method for Zanba-Stir-Fried Tiebangchui Process Optimization

Optimization of Processing Technology for Tiebangchui with Zanba Based on CRITIC Combined with Box-Behnken Response Surface Method

The dried root of Aconitum pendulum Busch., called Tiebangchui (TBC) in Chinese, is one of the most famous Tibetan medicines. It is a widely used herb in northwest China. However, many cases of poisoning have occurred because of TBC's intense toxicity and because its therapeutic and toxic doses are similar. Therefore, finding a safe and effective method to reduce its toxicity is an urgent task. A search through the Tibetan medicine classics shows that the processing method of TBC stir-fried with Zanba was recorded in the "Processing specification of Tibetan medicine of Qinghai Province (2010)". However, the specific processing parameters are not yet clear. Thus, this study aims to optimize and standardize the processing technology of Zanba-stir-fried TBC.
First, a single-factor experiment was conducted on four factors: the slice thickness of TBC, amount of Zanba, processing temperature, and time. With monoester and diester alkaloid contents in Zanba-stir-fried TBC as indexes, CRITIC combined with the Box-Behnken response surface method was used to optimize the processing technology of Zanba-stir-fried TBC. The optimized processing conditions of Zanba-stir-fried TBC were a TBC slice thickness of 2 cm, three times more Zanba than TBC, a processing temperature of 125 &#176;C, and 60 min of stir-frying. This study determined the optimized and standard processing conditions for the usage of Zanba-stir-fried TBC, thus providing an experimental basis for the safe clinical use and industrial production of Zanba-stir-fried TBC.

Author Spotlight: Optimization of Processing Technology for Tiebangchui with Zanba Based on CRITIC Combined with Box-Behnken Response Surface Method  

The present protocol describes an efficient and standard detoxification processing method for Zanba-stir-fried Tiebangchui using CRITIC combined with the Box-Behnken response surface method.

The dried root of Aconitum pendulum Busch., called Tiebangchui (TBC) in Chinese, is one of the most famous Tibetan medicines. It is a widely used herb in ...

Optimization of Processing of Tiebangchui with Highland Barley Wine Based on the Box-Behnken Design Combined with the Entropy Method

The processing of toxic ethnomedicines is of great significance for their safe clinical application. Thus, the limitations of traditional processing should be addressed, and the processing method of ethnomedicines should be standardized using modern research methods. In this study, the processing technology of a commonly used Tibetan medicine Tiebangchui (TBC), the dried root of Aconitum pendulum&#160;Busch, processed with highland barley wine was optimized. Diester-diterpenoid alkaloid (DDA) (aconitine, 3-deoxyaconitine, 3-acetylaconitine) and monoester-diterpenoid alkaloid (MDA) (benzoylaconine) content were used as evaluation indicators, and the weight coefficient of each evaluation index was determined by the entropy method.
The single factor test and Box-Behnken design were used in investigating the influence of the ratio between highland barley wine and TBC, slice thickness of TBC, and processing time. Comprehensive scoring was performed according to the objective weight of each index determined by the entropy method. The optimal processing conditions of TBC with highland barley wine were as follows: the amount of highland barley wine is five times that of TBC, a soaking time of 24 h, and a TBC thickness of 1.5 cm. The results showed that the relative standard deviation between the verification test and predicted value was less than 2.55% and the optimized processing technology of TBC processed with highland barley wine is simple, feasible, and stable, and so can provide a reference for industrial production.

The present protocol describes an efficient method for optimization of the processing technology of Tiebangchui processed with highland barley wine based on a Box-Behnken design response surface combined with the entropy method.

The processing of toxic ethnomedicines is of great significance for their safe clinical application. Thus, the limitations of traditional processing ...