Huynh Thanh Duy

Pilea microphylla (L.) Liebm. is a well-known medicinal plant belonging to the Urticaceae family. Despite its widespread use in traditional medicine, the chemical composition and biological activities of P. microphylla extracts collected in Vietnam have not been fully documented. The chemical components of the ethanolic extract obtained from P. microphylla whole plants are reported here for the first time using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, revealing 62 constituents that account for 95.4% of this extract, with β-sitosterol (14.3%), cis-phytol (13.1%), tetrahydroedulan B (12.6%), hentriacontane (5.8%), and neophytadiene (5.6%) as dominant compounds. Additionally, approximately 45 metabolites have been reported from P. microphylla in the literature. The extract exhibited significant xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibition (IC50 = 74.12 ± 1.58 μg/mL) and nitric oxide (NO) production inhibition (IC50 = 61.29 ± 1.79 μg/mL). Molecular docking studies examined the binding interactions between 105 phytochemicals and the active sites of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) (PDB ID: 3E7G), interleukin (IL)-1β (PDB ID: 8C3U), and XO (PDB ID: 3NVY), with binding energies ranging from -5.4 to -11.3 kcal/mol, -5.0 to -8.8 kcal/mol, and -5.0 to -10.0 kcal/mol, respectively, indicating the anti-inflammatory and anti-XO potential of this species. These findings underscore the promising therapeutic applications of P. microphylla extracts for treating inflammatory and gout-related conditions.

Background: Grangea maderaspatana is traditionally used for its heat-clearing, detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties. Questions: What are the major phytochemical compositions of essential oils from G. maderaspatana? Have they antioxidant, anti-α-glucosidase, and anti-inflammatory properties? Studied species: Grangea maderaspatana (L.) Desf. (Asteraceae) Study site and dates: Quang Nam, Vietnam, 2025-2026 Methods: Volatile oil constituents were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Essential oils were evaluated for antioxidant, anti-α-glucosidase, and anti-inflammatory activities using DPPH scavenging, α-glucosidase inhibition, and LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell assays, respectively. Molecular docking was performed to further support in vitro findings. Results: The main compositions of essential oils were α-humulene, β-myrcene, germacrene D, limonene, β-elemene, β-caryophyllene, β-pinene, ar-curcumene, and caryophyllene oxide. Essential oils exhibited antioxidant activity (IC50= 243.69 µg/mL) and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 180.33 µg/mL). Essential oils inhibited NO production in RAW264.7 cells (IC50 = 50.25 µg/mL). These findings provide preliminary evidence of the biological activities of essential oils. Docking studies of the oil constituents, including δ-cadinene (-6.9 kcal/mol) and larixol (-6.8 kcal/mol), indicated favorable binding to α-glucosidase. Furthermore, β-curcumene, δ-cadinene, and α-cubebene showed the most favorable docking scores among the identified constituents against iNOS and IL-1β, with binding energies ranging from -7.0 to -7.1 kcal/mol and -6.8 kcal/mol, respectively. Conclusions: These findings suggest that G. maderaspatana essential oils has promising medicinal applications as a source of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and α-glucosidase inhibitory agents.

Hepatobiliary diseases pose major health challenges. While traditional Vietnamese medicine (TVM) is widely applied for the treatment of these conditions, prescription patterns and pharmacology remain unclear. This study aims to analyze TVM herbal combinations for chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and gallstones, and to explore their molecular mechanisms using network pharmacology and molecular docking. We analyzed 534 prescriptions from 27 sources. Data were processed using Excel and R (Apriori algorithm) for frequency and association rule mining. Active compounds and targets were identified via TCMSP, HERB, ETCM, and BATMAN-TCM. Network pharmacology mapped herb-compound-target-pathway interactions. Molecular docking (CB-Dock2) predicted binding affinities of key compounds with gallstone-related proteins. Yin Chen (24.78%) and Zhi Zi were top herbs for chronic hepatitis; Gan Cao (15.91%) and Bai Zhu for cirrhosis; Jin Qian Cao (56.52%) and Yin Chen for gallstones. Cold nature and bitter taste predominated across all conditions. Key combinations included Yin Chen–Zhi Zi, Gan Cao–Bai Zhu, and Jin Qian Cao–Yin Chen. Network pharmacology highlighted β-sitosterol as a central compound targeting NR1H4 (PDB ID: 5Y1J). Docking confirmed moderately strong binding (Vina score: –7.8 kcal/mol), suggesting therapeutic potential. This study systematically reveals TVM prescription patterns for hepatobiliary diseases and identifies β-sitosterol as a promising multi-target agent. These findings provide a mechanistic basis to integrate TVM into modern therapy, pending further experimental validation.

This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti‐inflammatory activities of essential oil from Illicium viridiflorum leaves (IVLE) using both in vitro and in silico methods. IVLE was extracted by hydrodistillation, and its phytocomposition was evaluated by using GC–MS. IVLE was found to contain 57 components, primarily monoterpenes (67.21%) and sesquiterpenes (30.03%) with β‐linalool, α‐pinene, 1,8‐cineole, β‐(E)‐ocimene, α‐limonene, β‐(E)‐caryophyllene, and β‐elemene as predominant components. Pharmacologically, IVLE exhibited moderate antioxidant activity, as demonstrated by its ability to neutralize DPPH radicals (IC ₅₀ = 158.16 ± 1.82 µg/mL). IVLE displayed a substantial NO inhibition with an IC ₅₀ value of 47.50 ± 1.35 µg/mL. Additionally, IVLE also showed significant α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC ₅₀ = 166.59 ± 1.44 µg/mL). Molecular docking studies revealed favorable binding profiles between 57 compositions and the active sites of the iNOS (3E7G), IL‐1β (8C3U), and α‐glucosidase (5NN8) targets, with binding energies ranging from −5.2 to −7.1 kcal/mol, from −4.6 to −6.9 kcal/mol, and from −4.8 to −7.0 kcal/mol, respectively. These results demonstrate that IVLE contains natural phytocompositions with antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and α‐glucosidase inhibitory capacities. The current work helps expand knowledge of the phytochemical components and bioactivities of IVLE, emphasizing its potential as a natural source with antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and anti‐α‐glucosidase properties.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical education has emerged as a transformative shift, particularly within competency-based medical education (CBME). AI technologies, including natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML), offer opportunities to enhance personalized learning and competency assessment. A scoping review was conducted following the framework by Arksey and O’Malley to examine the current integration of AI in CBME. Empirical studies were included, focusing on AI applications in medical education, competency assessments, and skill development. The 50 studies, published from 2010 to 2025, were included in the scoping review and the synthesized evidence demonstrated that AI has shown potential in automating assessments, providing real-time feedback, and supporting personalized learning paths. Common AI technologies such as generative AI, NLP, and ML were applied across diverse medical education settings. However, challenges regarding ethical concerns, faculty training, and limited integration within established curricula were identified. The integration of AI into CBME offers significant potential in medical education; however, several challenges remain. There is a need for more empirical research, longitudinal studies, and AI literacy programs such as training in prompt engineering, AI ethics, and responsible data use for both educators and students. Addressing these gaps will ensure AI’s effective, ethical, and equitable integration in medical training.