Pyranonaphthoquinones and Naphthoquinones from the Stem Bark of Ventilago harmandiana and Their Anti-HIV-1 Activity.

Seven previously undescribed compounds, including five pyranonaphthoquinones (ventilanones L-P) and two naphthoquinones (ventilanones Q and R), along with 15 known compounds were isolated from the stem bark of Ventilago harmandiana (Rhamnaceae). The structures were established by extensive analysis of their spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of ventilanone L was established from single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis using Cu Kα radiation and from its electronic circular dichroism data. Anti-HIV-1 activity using a syncytium inhibition assay and the cytotoxic activities of some isolated compounds were evaluated. Compounds 12, 13, 15, and 16 showed activity against syncytium formation with half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values ranging from 9.9 to 47 µM (selectivity index (SI) 2.4-4.5).

Four New Anthraquinones with Histone Deacetylase Inhibitory Activity from Ventilago denticulata Roots.

Chromatographic separation of the crude extracts from the roots of Ventilago denticulata led to the isolation of four new anthraquinones, ventilanones L-O (1-4), together with eight known anthraquinones (5-12). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and 2D NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS), as well as comparison of their spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature. HDACs inhibitory activity evaluation resulted that compound 2 exhibited moderate antiproliferative activity against HeLa and A549 cell lines but nontoxic to normal cell. Molecular docking indicated the phenolic functionality of 2 plays crucial interactions with class II HDAC4 enzyme.

Approaches to Cyclophane-Types of Cyclopeptide Alkaloids.

The cyclopeptide alkaloids are cyclic depsipeptides incorporating cyclophanes with polyamide units 13-, 14- and 15-membered macrocyclic systems. Although various pharmacological activities have been ascribed to cyclopeptide alkaloids from plants of the Rhamnacea family, these studies have been hampered by their low availability due to the lack of reasonable amounts distributed in nature. Therefore, novel and efficient synthetic approaches should be an important aim, which inspired us to examine how to diversely construct the unique structures of this type of natural products. In this account, several typical strategies are presented in terms of efficient, stereocontrolled and regioselective synthesis of cyclopeptide alkaloids.

Quality control of Semen Hoveniae by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

A method based on high-performance liquid chromatography and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was developed to control the quality of Semen Hoveniae. First, the chromatographic fingerprint was established in combination with the chemometrics methods such as similarity analysis, cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis to discover the qualitative markers. Then, an high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry method was developed to identify the chemical constituents in Semen Hoveniae. Moreover, the content of dihydromyricetin and dihydroquercetin in Semen Hoveniae were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. As a result, nine common peaks were assigned in the fingerprints and the similarity of the 13 batch samples varied from 0.425 to 0.993, indicating an obviously different quality. Dihydromyricetin and dihydroquercetin were the main qualitative markers to differ the quality of Semen Hoveniae. Meanwhile, a total of 21 chemical compounds were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and six of them were identified by comparing with information of reference standards. Finally, the content of dihydromyricetin and dihydroquercetin in 13 batch samples varied from 0.824  to 7.499 mg/g and from 0.05941  to 4.258 mg/g , respectively. In conclusion, the methods developed here will provide sufficient qualitative and quantitative information for the quality control of Semen Hoveniae.

Hovenia dulcis Thumberg: Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Regulatory Framework for Its Use in the European Union.

Hovenia dulcis Thunberg is an herbal plant, belonging to the Rhamnaceae family, widespread in west Asia, USA, Australia and New Zealand, but still almost unknown in Western countries. H. dulcis has been described to possess several pharmacological properties, such as antidiabetic, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective, especially in the hangover treatment, validating its use as an herbal remedy in the Chinese Traditional Medicine. These biological properties are related to a variety of secondary metabolites synthesized by the different plant parts. Root, bark and leaves are rich of dammarane-type triterpene saponins; dihydrokaempferol, quercetin, 3,3',5',5,7-pentahydroflavone and dihydromyricetin are flavonoids isolated from the seeds; fruits contain mainly dihydroflavonols, such as dihydromyricetin (or ampelopsin) and hovenodulinol, and flavonols such as myricetin and gallocatechin; alkaloids were found in root, barks (frangulanin) and seeds (perlolyrin), and organic acids (vanillic and ferulic) in hot water extract from seeds. Finally, peduncles have plenty of polysaccharides which justify the use as a food supplement. The aim of this work is to review the whole scientific production, with special focus on the last decade, in order to update phytochemistry, biological activities, nutritional properties, toxicological aspect and regulatory classification of H. dulcis extracts for its use in the European Union.

Hypoglycemic effect of low-sugar juice derived from Hovenia dulcis on type 1 diabetes mellitus rats.

BACKGROUND: Fruit juice is usually rich in monosaccharides and disaccharides. A reverse osmosis separation machine was used to remove monosaccharides and disaccharides from Hovenia dulcis fruit juice, leaving behind most of the bioactive substances in a low-sugar fruit juice (LSFJ), so as to provide a more effective treatment for diabetic patients. METHOD: This study was carried out with type 1 diabetes mellitus model induced with high dose of streptozotocin (60 mg kg-1 ), and oral administration of LSFJ for 4 weeks. RESULTS: LSFJ treatment led to significant gain in body weight and increased serum insulin level, insulin-like growth factor-1 level, blood urea nitrogen level, creatinine level, and hepatic glycogen level. Meanwhile, fasting blood glucose, fructosamine level, and glucose tolerance were also observably enhanced. Additional, LSFJ treatment significantly improved lipid metabolism, islet quality, and islet oxidative stress. The messenger RNA levels of glucose metabolism genes in the pancreas of diabetic rats decreased in the diabetes model group, whereas messenger RNA expression of these genes was significantly increased with LSFJ treatment. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that LSFJ can improve symptoms associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The research also suggests new strategies for diabetes prevention and treatment. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comprehensive mass spectrometry-guided phenotyping of plant specialized metabolites reveals metabolic diversity in the cosmopolitan plant family Rhamnaceae.

Plants produce a myriad of specialized metabolites to overcome their sessile habit and combat biotic as well as abiotic stresses. Evolution has shaped the diversity of specialized metabolites, which then drives many other aspects of plant biodiversity. However, until recently, large-scale studies investigating the diversity of specialized metabolites in an evolutionary context have been limited by the impossibility of identifying chemical structures of hundreds to thousands of compounds in a time-feasible manner. Here we introduce a workflow for large-scale, semi-automated annotation of specialized metabolites and apply it to over 1000 metabolites of the cosmopolitan plant family Rhamnaceae. We enhance the putative annotation coverage dramatically, from 2.5% based on spectral library matches alone to 42.6% of total MS/MS molecular features, extending annotations from well-known plant compound classes into dark plant metabolomics. To gain insights into substructural diversity within this plant family, we also extract patterns of co-occurring fragments and neutral losses, so-called Mass2Motifs, from the dataset; for example, only the Ziziphoid clade developed the triterpenoid biosynthetic pathway, whereas the Rhamnoid clade predominantly developed diversity in flavonoid glycosides, including 7-O-methyltransferase activity. Our workflow provides the foundations for the automated, high-throughput chemical identification of massive metabolite spaces, and we expect it to revolutionize our understanding of plant chemoevolutionary mechanisms.

Structural elucidation and in vivo anti-arthritic activity of ß-amyrin and polpunonic acid isolated from the root bark of Ziziphus abyssinica HochstEx. A Rich (Rhamnaceae).

Two natural products, compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from the root bark of Ziziphus abyssinica for the first time and were structurally elucidated as ß-amyrin and polpunonic acid, respectively. Both compounds were further subjected to an in vivo study in rats to evaluate their anti-arthritic potency. Compared to the arthritic control group, rats treated with different doses of 1 or 2 (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg) exhibited significantly higher total change in body weight as well as lower arthritic scores and total change in paw edema and erythema. Histopathological examinations of the hind paws of the rats further demonstrated the beneficial effects of both compounds as they significantly reversed cartilage erosion, subchondral cyst, and Weichselbaum's lacunae formation. Evidence of bone remodeling was also observed in all groups of rats treated with 1 or 2. Hematological and serum biochemical parameters were not significantly affected by treatment of 1 or 2. Taken together, the results from the present study suggest potential therapeutic benefit of ß-amyrin and polpunonic acid in rheumatoid arthritis and related inflammatory disorders.

Assessment of Insecticidal Activity of Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids from Chilean Rhamnaceae Plants against Fruit-Fly Drosophila melanogaster and the Lepidopteran Crop Pest Cydia pomonella.

The Chilean plants Discaria chacaye, Talguenea quinquenervia (Rhamnaceae), Peumus boldus (Monimiaceae), and Cryptocarya alba (Lauraceae) were evaluated against Codling moth: Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae), which is one of the most widespread and destructive primary pests of Prunus (plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, almonds), pear, walnuts, and chestnuts, among other. Four benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (coclaurine, laurolitsine, boldine, and pukateine) were isolated from the above mentioned plant species and evaluated regarding their insecticidal activity against the codling moth and fruit fly. The results showed that these alkaloids possess acute and chronic insecticidal effects. The most relevant effect was observed at 10 µg/mL against D. melanogaster and at 50 µg/mL against C. pomonella, being the alteration of the feeding, deformations, failure in the displacement of the larvae in the feeding medium of D. melanogaster, and mortality visible effects. In addition, the docking results show that these type of alkaloids present a good interaction with octopamine and ecdysone receptor showing a possible action mechanism.

[Study on the mechanism of Flos Puerariae and Semen Hoveniae in treatment of alcoholic liver injury based on network pharmacology and molecular docking].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of Flos Puerariae and Semen Hoveniae in treatment of alcoholic liver injury (ALI) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. METHODS: The information of chemical constituents and targets of Flos Puerariae and Semen Hoveniae was collected from TCMSP and Swiss databases, and the threshold values of oral bioavailability (OB) ≥ 30%, drug likeness (DL) ≥0.18 were used to screen the potential active compounds. The GeneCard and DrugBank databases were used to obtain the targets corresponding to ALI. The common targets were queried using Venn Diagram, and the network of PPI and Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed through DAVID and Reactome database. Autodock Vina software was used for molecular docking of potential ingredients and key targets. RESULTS: A total of 21 potential active compounds and 431 therapeutic targets were gathered in Flos Puerariae and Semen Hoveniae, which involved 273 biological functions, 90 KEGG pathways and 362 Reactome pathways. The GO functions involved protein binding, ATP binding, etc.; the KEGG pathways mainly included PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway; the Reactome pathways contained signal transduction and immune system, etc. The results of molecular docking showed that 21 potential active ingredients had good affinity with the core targets Akt1, TP53 and IL-6. CONCLUSIONS: The network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis demonstrate the synergetic effect of Flos Puerariae and Semen Hoveniae with multi-compounds, multi-targets and multi-pathways in the treatment of ALI; and also predict the possible medicinal substance, key targets and pathways, which provides clues for the new drug development and mechanism research.

Extracts from Sageretia thea reduce cell viability through inducing cyclin D1 proteasomal degradation and HO-1 expression in human colorectal cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Sageretia thea (S. thea) has been used as the medicinal plant for treating hepatitis and fevers in Korea and China. Recently, anticancer activity of S. thea has been reported, but the potential mechanism for the anti-cancer property of S. thea is still insufficient. Thus, we evaluated whether extracts from the leaves (STL) and branches (STB) of S. thea exert anticancer activity and elucidated its potential mechanism in SW480 cells. METHODS: MTT assay was performed for measuring cell viability. Western blot and RT-PCR were used for analyzing the level of protein and mRNA, respectively. RESULTS: Treatment of STL or STB decreased the cell viability and induced apoptosis in SW480 cells. Decreased level of cyclin D1 protein was observed in SW480 cells treated with STL or STB, but no change in cyclin D1 mRNA level was observed with the treatment of STL or STB. MG132 blocked downregulation of cyclin D1 protein by STL or STB. Thr286 phosphorylation of cyclin D1 by STL or STB occurred faster than downregulation of cyclin D1 protein in SW480 cells. When SW480 cells were transfected with T286A-cyclin D1, cyclin D1 degradation by STL or STB did not occur. Inhibition of GSK3ß and cyclin D1 nuclear export attenuated STL or STB-mediated cyclin D1 degradation. In addition, STL or STB increased HO-1 expression, and the inhibition of HO-1 attenuated the induction of apoptosis by STL or STB. HO-1 expression by STL or STB resulted from Nrf2 activation through ROS-dependent p38 activation. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that STL or STB may induce GSK3ß-dependent cyclin D1 degradation, and increase HO-1 expression through activating Nrf2 via ROS-dependent p38 activation, which resulted in the decrease of the viability in SW480 cells. These findings suggest that STL or STB may have great potential for the development of anti-cancer drug.

Targeted Isolation of Neuroprotective Dicoumaroyl Neolignans and Lignans from Sageretia theezans Using in Silico Molecular Network Annotation Propagation-Based Dereplication.

The integration of LC-MS/MS molecular networking and in silico MS/MS fragmentation is an emerging method for dereplication of natural products. In the present study, a targeted isolation of natural products using a new in silico-based annotation tool named Network Annotation Propagation (NAP) is described. NAP improves accuracy of in silico fragmentation analyses by reranking candidate structures based on the network topology from MS/MS-based molecular networking. Annotation for the MS/MS spectral network of the Sageratia theezans twig extract was performed using NAP, and most molecular families within the network, including the known triterpenoids 1-7, could be putatively annotated, without relying on any previous reports of molecules from this species. Based on the in silico dereplication results, molecules were prioritized for isolation. In total, six dicoumaroyl 8- O-4' neolignans (8-13) and three dicoumaroyl lignans (14-16) were isolated from the twigs of S. theezans and structurally characterized by spectroscopic analyses. Isolates were evaluated for their neuroprotective activity, and compounds 14-16 showed potent protective effects against glutamate-induced oxidative stress in mouse HT22 cells at a concentration of 12.5 µM.

Naphthalene Derivatives and Quinones from Ventilago denticulata and Their Nitric Oxide Radical Scavenging, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Antibacterial, and Phosphodiesterase Inhibitory Activities.

New naphthalene derivatives (1 and 2) and a new isomer (3) of ventilagolin, together with known anthraquinones, chrysophanol (4), physcion or emodin 3-methyl ether (5), and emodin (6), were isolated from vines of Ventilago denticulata. The isolated compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 1.15 - 40.54 µg/ml. Compounds 1 - 3 selectively exhibited weak antibacterial activity (MIC values of 200.0 - 400.0 µg/ml), while emodin (6) displayed moderate antibacterial activity with MIC value of 25.0 µg/ml. The isolated compounds showed nitric oxide and DPPH radical scavenging activities. Compounds 1 - 3 and 6 exhibited weak xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, while emodin (6) acted as an aromatase inhibitor with the IC50 value of 10.1 µm. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 8.28 µm and 6.48 µm, respectively.

Rhamnellosides A and B, ω-Phenylpentaene Fatty Acid Amide Diglycosides from the Fruits of Rhamnella franguloides.

Two new ω-phenylpentaene fatty acid amide diglycosides, rhamnellosides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the fruits of Rhamnella franguloides (Rhamnaceae). These compounds were prioritized using LC-MS/MS molecular networking dereplication based on our previous discovery of 2-acetoxy-ω-phenylpentaene fatty acid triglycosides berchemiosides A-C from a phylogenetically related species, Berchemia berchemiifolia. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses in combination with chemical derivatization. The pentaene groups of 1 and 2 were found to have (6E, 8E, 10Z, 12Z, 14E)-geometry, which is the same as that found in berchemioside A.

Protective effects and possible molecular mechanism of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. extract on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity.

Hovenia dulcis Thunb. is a traditional hepatoprotective Chinese medicine, and in research, much effort has been focused on the protection against alcoholic liver injury. In this study, the protective effects of a fruit ethanol extract of Hovenia dulcis (FE) against APAP-induced acute hepatotoxicity in mice and the possibly involved molecular mechanisms were investigated. Hepatoprotective activity of FE is clearly indicated by histopathological and biochemical examination. Treatment with FE resulted in inhibition of CYP2E1 activity involved in the transformation of APAP in vivo. Expressions of the altered bile acid metabolism and transport-related genes and relative proteins of apoptosis were normalized by preconditioning with FE before APAP treatment. These results suggested FE to alleviate APAP-induced liver injury in a dose-dependent manner by inhibition of cytochrome P450 activity, hepatocyte apoptosis and regulation of bile acid homeostasis imbalance.

Berchemiosides A-C, 2-Acetoxy-ω-phenylpentaene Fatty Acid Triglycosides from the Unripe Fruits of Berchemia berchemiifolia.

Three compounds in a new class of 2-acetoxy-ω-phenylpentaene fatty acid triglycosides, berchemiosides A-C (1-3), and a biosynthetically related phenolic glycoside (4) were isolated from the unripe fruits of Berchemia berchemiifolia, along with three flavonoid 5-O-diglycosides (5-7) and three known flavonoids (8-10). Their chemical structures including absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic analysis in combination with chemical derivatization. The pentaene group of 1 was found to have (6E,8E,10Z,12Z,14E)-geometry, whereas those of 2 and 3 exhibited all-E geometries. The isolated compounds were examined for their cytotoxicity and xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity; only compound 7 showed weak XO inhibitory activity.

Effects of selected Palestinian plants on the in vitro exsheathment of the third stage larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal parasites are one of the main restrictions to small ruminant production. Their pathological importance is primarily related to the major production losses, in quantity or quality, induced by the direct action of worms. Control of these parasites is based exclusively on the frequent use of anthelmintic drugs. However, the resistance to anthelmintics in worm populations after commercialisation of chemical drugs is now widespread. Therefore, there is a need to find new natural resources to ensure sustainable and effective treatment and control of these parasites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthelmintic activity, as minimum inhibitory concentration (IC 50 mg/mL), of different plant extracts using larval exsheathment inhibition assay using a two-species but steady population of parasitic nematodes (ca. 20% Teladorsagia circumcinta and 80% Trichostrongylus colubriformis). RESULTS: The study showed that the ethanolic extracts of 22 out of the 48 plant extracts, obtained from 46 plant species, have an inhibitory effect >50% (at concentrations of 100 mg/mL) on the third stage larvae (L3) of the nematodes exhibited the strongest inhibition activity (94%) with IC 50 of 0.02 mg/mL, where other members of the Rhamnaceae family have shown to possess strong anthelmintic activity (70-89%). CONCLUSIONS: Plant extracts are potential rich resources of anthelmintics to combat helminthic diseases. Our results suggest that extracts from Rhamnus elaternus, Epilobium hirsutum, Leucaena leucocephala and Rhamnus palaestinus have promising anthelmintic activity, with potential applications in animal therapeutics and feed.

Antigenotoxic properties of Paliurus spina-christi Mill fruits and their active compounds.

BACKGROUND: Paliurus spina-christi Mill. (PS) fruits are widely used for different medical purposes in Turkey. Like in many medicinal herbs the studies concerning their activity, the activities of PS are also not well clarified. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antigenotoxicity of the compounds isolated and identified from the extracts of PS fruits. METHODS: The active compounds were separated, isolated, and determined by chromatographic methods and their structural elucidation was performed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) methods. The compounds were obtained from either ethyl acetate (EA) or n-butanol extracts. The cytotoxicities of the compounds using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and the antigenotoxic activities of the compounds using the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis techniques (comet assay) were evaluated in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast (V79) cell lines. RESULTS: The isolated major compounds were identified as (+/-) catechins and gallocatechin from EA fraction and rutin from n-butanol fraction of PS fruits. Their chemical structures were identified by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HMBC, and HMQC techniques. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration of catechins, gallocatechin, and rutin were found to be 734 µg/mL, 220 µg/mL, and 1004 µg/mL, respectively. The methanolic extract of PS (1-100 µg/mL) alone did not induce DNA single-strand breaks while catechins (1-100 µg/mL), gallocatechin (1-50 µg/mL), and rutin (1-50 µg/mL) significantly reduced H2O2-induced DNA damage. CONCLUSION: It has been suggested that PS fruits and their compounds catechins, gallocatechin and rutin may have beneficial effects in oxidative DNA damage. It seems that PS fruits may be used in protection of the disorders related to DNA damage.

Hovenia Dulcis Extract Reduces Lipid Accumulation in Oleic Acid-Induced Steatosis of Hep G2 Cells via Activation of AMPK and PPARα/CPT-1 Pathway and in Acute Hyperlipidemia Mouse Model.

Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (HDT) was known to have anti-fatigue, anti-diabetes, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. In the present study, the anti-fatty liver mechanism of HDT was elucidated in oleic acid (OA)-treated Hep G2 cells and acute hyperlipidemia mouse model using Triton WR-1339. Here, HDT activated p-AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), proliferator activated receptor-α, carnitine palmitoyltransferase and also inhibited the expression of lipogenesis and cholesterol synthesis proteins, such as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, SREBP-2, and fatty acid synthase in OA-treated Hep G2 cells. Conversely, AMPK inhibitor compound C blocked the anti-fatty liver effect of HDT to induce AMPK phosphorylation and decrease 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and lipid accumulation by oil red O staining in OA-treated Hep G2 cells. Additionally, HDT pretreatment protected against the increase of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and phospholipid in an acute hyperlipidemia mouse model with enhancement of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities. Taken together, HDT inhibits OA-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via activation of AMPK and proliferator activated receptor-α/carnitine palmitoyltransferase signaling and enhancement of antioxidant activity as a potent candidate for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hyperlipidemia. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Correlation analysis between quality and habitat phenotype of Hovenia acerba].

The contents of dihydromyricetin and total flavonoids of Hovenia acerba seeds were detected by HPLC-DAD and UV spectrophotometer. And then the correlation between the habitat, phenotype and quality of H. acerba seeds were deeply studied. There were big differences in both appearance and quality among the H. acerba seeds from different places. It showed that the content of dihydromyricetin in H. acerba seeds was 0.41-9.81 mg•g⁻¹, and the content of total flavonoids was 5.52-21.98 mg•g⁻¹. The cluster analysis showed that the quality of H. acerba seeds was related to the habitat. The samples from Jianghan Plain Area showed relatively stable and excellent quality. According to the correlation analysis, there was a significant positive correlation between 1 000-seeds weight, red-black seeds ratio and the content of dihydromyricetin, while the content of total flavonoids was not related to the 1 000-seeds weight and red-black seeds ratio. So the 1 000-seeds weight and red-black seeds ratio could be used as an initial judgment of the quality of H. acerba seeds. As dihydromyricetin and total flavonoids content was not related, both dihydromyricetin and total flavonoids should be taken into account when the quality of H. acerba seeds was studied.