Chuan-Xi Wang

1. Microorganisms, possess distinctive stereoselective enzymatic systems that enable the synthesis of a diverse array of chiral compounds, which are challenging to produce via traditional chemical ...

Hemostatic materials play a crucial role in wound healing by promoting blood concentration or releasing procoagulant factors. While hydrophilic hemostatic materials are effective, they may cause excessive blood loss and difficulty removing from the wound. Conversely, hydrophobic hemostatic materials avoid these issues but may hinder blood concentration and the release of procoagulant factors due to their water‐repellent nature. This study investigates the hemostatic properties and underlying mechanism of puffball (Bovistella sp.) spores, a traditional hemostatic material. The unique hollow ball‐rod morphology and strong water affinity of puffball spores enable efficient water removal, leading to improved blood clotting without the drawbacks typically associated with hydrophilic hemostatic materials. Further analysis reveals that the nano‐protrusions on the spore surface create a textured hydrophobic surface due to the pinning effect, which prevents adhesion to the wound after clotting. Overall, puffball spores exhibit hemostatic efficacy comparable to the commercial agent QuikClot, with enhanced safety and reduced side effects. Their characteristic morphology, physicochemical properties, and chemical compositions offer inspiration for advancing hemostatic materials and addressing current challenges in wound healing. Additionally, this work provides new perspectives for insight into the pharmacological substance basis of traditional medicine, expanding beyond the conventional component‐focused mentality to a material‐based insight.

Chinese cordyceps, also known as Dong-Chong-Xia-Cao, is widely recognized as a famous precious tonic herb, and used as traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. It is mainly used for regulating the immune system and improving functions of the lung and kidney, with anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic activities. Due to its rarity and preciousness, a few chemical components are isolated and identified. Moreover, most of them are common chemical components and widely distributed in other natural resources, such as nucleosides, sterols, fatty acids, sugar alcohols, and peptides. Therefore, a large number of active substances of Chinese cordyceps is still unclear. During our search for chemical constituents of Chinese cordyceps, a new thiazole alkaloid, cordythiazole A (1), was isolated and identified. Its structure was elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. This is the first report of the presence of thiazole alkaloid in Chinese cordyceps, which adds a new class of metabolite of Chinese cordyceps. Furthermore, a putative biosynthesis pathway of cordythiazole A was proposed based on possible biogenic precursor, genes, and literatures. In addition, it showed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with potency close to that of acarbose. The discovery of cordythiazole A with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity adds a new class of potential anti-diabetes ingredient in Chinese cordyceps. Graphical abstract