[Evaluation of quality coherence of prepared slices of polygoni cuspidati rhizoma commercially available in China based on HPLC fingerprint].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality coherence of the prepared slices of Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma commercially available in China and provide a reference for their quality evaluation. METHODS: The fingerprints were obtained using HPLC method, and analyzed with Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System (2004A Version) provided by Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission. The experiment was carried out with an Agilent TC-C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) using acetonitrile-0.05% aqueous solution of phosphoric acid as mobile phase at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, detection wavelength of 230 nm, and temperature of 25 degrees C. RESULTS: The fingerprint for Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma was established. 21 common characteristic peaks were identified and the similarities of 24 batches of prepared slices of Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma were between 0.882 - 0.988. CONCLUSION: The quality of the prepared slices of Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma commercially available in China is comparable.

[Study on the chemical components of volatile oil from Euphorbia pekinensis radix].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the volatile oil from Radix Euphorbia Pekinensis. METHODS: Volatile oil was extracted from Radix Euphorbia Pekinensis by steam distillation and GC-MS was employed for detecting the content of the constituents. The relative content of the chemical constituents were calculated using area normalization method. RESULTS: 35 peaks were separated and 29 constituents were identified. The yield rate of volatile oil extracted from the dried radix of Euphorbia Pekinensis was 0.3%. CONCLUSION: The main components of volatile oil were agarospirol and hedycargol and their contents were 49.23% and 20.66% respectively. This paper provides valuable experimental data for further research of Radix Euphorbia Pekinensis.

Distribution of Two bioactive compounds in flowers of Trollius chinensis.

A comprehensive procedure was established, which combined a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay for the simultaneous quantification of 2″-O-ß-L-galactopyranosylorientin (OGA) and veratric acid and a gravimetric analysis for the determination of the mass fraction of the floral parts (calyx, corolla, stalk, stamens and pistils and ovary) of Trollius chinensis, to investigate the distribution and identify the enriched floral part(s) of these two compounds in the flowers. The calculated mean distributions of OGA in calyx, corolla, stamens and pistils, stalk and ovary were 83.62, 7.76, 4.35, 2.92 and 1.35%, respectively, whereas those of veratric acid in the corresponding floral parts were 46.41, 9.01, 18.41, 4.11 and 22.06%, respectively, indicating the uneven and noncorresponding distribution of these two compounds. This study extends the application of the HPLC assay and favors the production of OGA and veratric acid from the flowers of T. chinensis in addition to the benefits of breeding, cultivation and utilization of these flowers.

Investigation on Flos Trollii: constituents and bioactivities.

Flos Trollii, the flowers of Trollius chinensis Bunge, has been widely used in Chinese and Mongolian medicine for its efficacy of heat-clearing and detoxification. This drug has both medicinal and edible applications, and has led to various pharmacognosy, natural product chemistry, and pharmacology studies. As a result, its chemical constituents and bioactivities have been well-characterized in recent years. Nevertheless, a couple of critical issues, such as the major effective components, are still unresolved. The present review summarizes research progress on this drug regarding the constituents and bioactivities based on investigations in these laboratories and the results reported in recent publications. In addition, the pending issues are discussed and constructive suggestions for further investigation are proposed.