A qHNMR method for simultaneous quantification of terpenoids from Ferula ovina (Boiss.) Boiss roots.

Ferula ovina (Boiss.) Boiss is one of the most important endemic medicinal plants in Iran, which has three main terpenoid compounds including ferutinin, stylosin and tschimgine. Ferutinin is the strongest natural phytoestrogen that has agonistic activity on estrogen receptors, particularly α-receptors. To determine the amount of ferutinin in F. ovina roots, we firstly used HPLC-UV method. In the HPLC method, the resolution of ferutinin from the two other compounds, stylosin and tshimgine, was poor. Therefore, we decided to use qHNMR method for simultaneous quantification of ferutinin, stylosin and tshimgine in the plant roots. Quantitative 1H-NMR (qHNMR) was carried out based on the relative ratio of signal integration of each compound [(H-1 for tschimgine (δH 4.94-5.03), OCH3 for stylosin (δH 3.8), and H-9 for ferutinin (δH 5.58)] to certain amount of the internal standard dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2). The qHNMR method showed good precision (intra-day RSD ≤ 2.31%, inter-day RSD ≤ 2.72%), linearity (in the ranges of 1.3-10.41, 1.2-9.7 and 1.1-9.02 mg/mL with correlation coefficients at 0.9991), repeatability (RSD ≤ 2.99%) and stability (RSD ≤ 2.4%) for the quantification of the compounds. This work confirmed that qHNMR represents a feasible alternative to high-performance liquid chromatography based methods for simultaneous quantification of ingredients in plant extracts.

A LC-MS validated method for quantification of rosmarinic acid and sesquiterpene lactones in Hedyosmum brasiliense.

The leaves of the aromatic neotropical shrub Hedyosmum brasiliense are employed popularly as a sedative, aphrodisiac and as a substitute for green tea. Sesquiterpene lactones and phenolic compounds were characterized as the main compounds of its aqueous extract, and some biological investigation demonstrated its anxiolytic, antidepressant and hypnotic effects. The quantification of podoandin, onoseriolide and rosmarinic acid in its infused tea was achieved by means of ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a electronspray ionization interface and a high resolution mass detector. Quantification of the analytes was performed employing the areas of the extracted ion chromatograms of the analytes, negative ion mode for rosmarinic acid (1) and positive mode for podoandin (2) and onoseriolide (3). The method was validated by evaluating specificity, linearity, precision and accuracy and has been found to be sensitive, precise and accurate. When applied to analyze the hot water infusion extract of H. brasiliense, compounds 1, 2 and 3 were obtained to be 188 ± 1.45 mg/g, 1.9 ± 0.15 mg/g and 1.7 ± 0.02 mg/g of extract, respectively. The H. brasiliense tea was found to be a good source of the rosmarinic acid, also widely employed in the cosmetic industry.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Ferula hermonis Boiss. - A Review.

Ferula hermonis, a well-known species of the genus Ferula found in Lebanon and Syria, has a brilliant history in traditional medicine as it has been used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men and menopausal disturbances in women. Thanks to modern pharmacological and clinical investigations, F. hermonis is a valuable medicinal and condimental plant that may be used for the treatment of impotence and diabetes, the prevention of osteoporosis, and possesses anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Phytochemical investigations have shown that this plant contains daucane aryl esters such as ferutinin, which has exhibited various biological activities including hypoglycemic and estrogenic activities. Ferutinin is one of the strongest natural phytoestrogen which has agonistic activity on estrogen receptors, particularly α receptor. It seems that ferutinin and its derivatives play an important role in F. hermonis biological activities, mainly the beneficial effects of this plant on impotence, diabetes and osteoporosis. The present review discusses the available data on the active constituents and biological activities of F. hermonis and their possible underlying mechanisms of action.

Screening of chemical composition and antifungal and antioxidant activities of the essential oils from three Turkish artemisia species.

The compositions of essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia santonicum, and Artemisia spicigera by hydrodistillation were analyzed by GC-MS, and a total of 204 components were identified. The major components of these essential oils were camphor (34.9-1.4%), 1,8-cineole (9.5-1.5%), chamazulene (17.8-nd%), nuciferol propionate (5.1-nd%), nuciferol butanoate (8.2-nd%), caryophyllene oxide (4.3-1.7%), borneol (5.1-0.6%), alpha-terpineol (4.1-1.6%), spathulenol (3.7-1.3%), cubenol (4.2-0.1%), beta-eudesmol (7.2-0.6%), and terpinen-4-ol (3.5-1.2%). The antifungal activities of these essential oils were tested against 11 plant fungi and were compared with that of a commercial antifungal reagent, benomyl. The results showed that all of the oils have potent inhibitory effects at very broad spectrum against all of the tested fungi. Pure camphor and 1,8-cineole, which are the major components of the oils, were also tested for antifungal activity against the same fungal species. Unlike essential oils, these pure compounds were able to show antifungal activity against only some of the fungal species. In addition, the antioxidant and DPPH radical scavenging activities of the essential oils, camphor, and 1,8-cineole were determined in vitro. All of the studied essential oils showed antioxidant activity, but camphor and 1,8-cineole did not.

Alicyclobacillus herbarius sp. nov., a novel bacterium containing omega-cycloheptane fatty acids, isolated from herbal tea.

A thermo-acidophilic gram-positive bacterium, strain CP-1T, which grows aerobically at 35-65 degrees C (optimum 55-60 degrees C) and at pH 3.5-6.0 (optimum pH 4.5-5.0), was isolated from a herbal tea made from the dried flowers of hibiscus. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that this bacterium was clearly distinguishable from previously described species of the genera Alicyclobacillus and Sulfobacillus. Strain CP-1T had unique omega-cycloheptane fatty acids as the major membrane lipid component, a characteristic which is peculiar to Alicyclobacillus cycloheptanicus. However, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics of strain CP-1T were different from those of the type strain of A. cycloheptanicus. DNA-DNA hybridization between the type strains of Alicyclobacillus species and Sulfobacillus disulfidooxidans was <20%, indicating that strain CP-1T represents a distinct species. On the basis of these results, the name Alicyclobacillus herbarius is proposed for this organism. The type strain is strain CP-1T (= DSM 13609T = IAM 14883T = NRIC 0477T).

[Constituents analysis on volatile oil of Pogostemon cablin from different collection time cultivated in Hainan].

The constituents of the volatile oil of Pogostemon cablin collected from Wanning city, Hainan province and the influence owing to different collection time were undertaken by GC/MS combination technology. The results showed that main compounds was patchouli alcohol in stem oil and leaf oil, its contents were respectively 36.06% and 37.74%; pogostone was poor, its contents in stem oil and leaf oil were respectively 17.08% and 0.85%; the contents of ten compounds were over 1%, which was respectively beta-patchoulene, beta-elemene, transcaryophyllene, delta-guaiene, seychellene, alpha-patchoulene, aciphyllene, alpha-guaiene, patchouli alcohol and pogostone; the contents of volatile oil from June to August were respectively 0.8%, 0.7% and 0.6%; patchouli alcohol, higher in July and June(42.62% and 40.84%), lower in August(31.40%).

[GC-MS analysis of volatile oil of Herba Pogostemonis collected from Leizhou county].

The chemical constituents of the volatile oil of the stems and leaves of Pogostemon cablin collected from Leizhou county have been analysed by means of GC-MS. The main constituents are patchouli alcohol, delta-guaiene, alpha-guaiene, seychellene, alpha-patchoulene, aciphyllene, trans-caryophyllene.

Measurement of a new anticonvulsant, (S)-3-(aminomethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid, in plasma and milk by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A specific and sensitive isocratic method for the measurement of a new anticonvulsant, (S)-3-(aminomethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid, in rat plasma and milk is described. Following deproteinization, the compound and internal standard [1-(aminomethyl)cycloheptaneacetic acid] were derivatized utilizing 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid and extracted with cyclohexane. Analytes were resolved on a 5 microns Spherisorb ODSII column (250 mm x 4.6 mm) using a mobile phase of 57% acetonitrile in 0.1 M ammonium acetate, pH 4.0. Absorbance was monitored at 350 nm. Limit of quantitation was 1.00 microgram/ml for a 100-microliters aliquot of plasma or milk.

New daucane esters from Ferula tingitana.

In addition to the three known daucane esters (2,3,8) and one phenylpropanoid (9), the petroleum ether extract of the roots of Ferula tingitana yielded four new daucane esters: 14-p-anisoyloxy-dauc-4,8-diene (1), acetyltingitanol (4), acetyldesoxodehydrolaserpitine (5), and 4-beta-hydroxy-6-alpha-p-hydroxybenzoyloxy-10-alpha-angeloyloxy dauc-8-ene (6). A possible biogenetic pathway for 1,5-cis- and 1,5-trans-daucanes is presented.

Gas-liquid chromatographic evaluation of bencyclane in biological samples for pharmacokinetic and bioavailability investigations: comparison of two analytical methods.

Analytical conditions that allow bencyclane, a vasodilator, to be evaluated in biological samples for pharmacokinetic and bioavailability investigations are reported. Two gas chromatographic methods were developed, one employing a flame-ionization detector, reaching a sensitivity of 0.5-1 micrograms/ml, and the other employing a thermionic specific detector and reaching a sensitivity of 10 ng/ml. The extraction recovery, reproducibility and specificity were all satisfactory with both methods. The former method is suitable for chemical quality controls and the latter has a sufficient sensitivity and reproducibility for determination of the drug in biological samples as required in pharmacokinetic investigations.

Substituent constants of azulene.

The ionization constants in water for six 3-substituted azuloic acids were determined spectrophotometrically. Conversion of these physical constants to their pKa values allowed a set of Hammett-type sigma values for the substituents on these acids to be calculated. Determination of partition coefficients for nine 1-substituted azulenes allowed Hansch-type pi values to be determined, using azulene as the model compound.

Thujaplicins from Thuja plicata as iron transport agents for Salmonella typhimurium.

Strains of Salmonella typhimurium which are unable to synthesize their normal iron transport agent, enterobactin, and which must be supported with an exogenous chelator (siderophore) on certain media, were used to examine various types of wood for the presence of chelators. Western red cedar wood, Thuja plicata, was observed to contain large amounts of three substances that in low concentration would serve as chelators for S. typhimurium. The chelators from T. plicata were characterized and found to be alpha-, beta-, and gamma-thujaplicin. Other planar cyclic alpha-hydroxyketones were examined, and several were found to function as chelators for S. typhimurium.