Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Panax ginseng and Hedysarum neglectum root crop extracts / Atividade antimicrobiana e antioxidante de extratos de raízes de Panax ginseng e Hedysarum neglectum

In order to ensure the timely and uninterrupted supply of medicinal plant raw materials, the methods of cultivation of plant cell cultures, namely, the production of plant root cultures, are relevant. In this paper, the geroprotective potential of Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb and Panax ginseng C. A. Mey root cultures is studied. They were cultured under in vitro conditions by transforming the rhizome (H. neglectum) and seed seedlings (P. ginseng) with Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834 Swiss. To identify the geroprotective potential, the antimicrobial disc-diffusion method and the antioxidant activity were analyzed by titration of KMnO4 extracts of plant root cultures. The qualitative and quantitative composition was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. In the course of the work, the presence of antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of plant root culture extracts was established. Biologically active substances contained in extracts of Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb root crops and Panax ginseng C. A. Mey are characterized by geroprotective potential, so they can act as a source of natural antioxidants in the functional nutrition of the geroprotective orientation.

Para garantir o abastecimento em tempo e ininterrupto de matérias-primas de plantas medicinais, são relevantes os métodos de cultivo de culturas de células vegetais, nomeadamente a produção de culturas de raízes vegetais. Neste trabalho, foi estudado o potencial geroprotetor de culturas de raízes de Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb e Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. Eles foram cultivados em condições in vitro pela transformação do rizoma (H. neglectum) e mudas de sementes (P. ginseng) com Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834 Swiss. Para identificar o potencial geroprotetor, o método antimicrobiano de difusão em disco e a atividade antioxidante foram analisados por titulação de extratos de KMnO4 de raízes de plantas. A composição qualitativa e quantitativa foi analisada por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência, cromatografia em camada delgada e cromatografia gasosa com espectrometria de massa. No decorrer do trabalho, foi constatada a presença de atividade antimicrobiana e antioxidante dos extratos de raízes de plantas. Substâncias biologicamente ativas contidas em extratos de raízes de H. neglectum Ledeb e P. ginseng C. A. Mey são caracterizadas pelo potencial geroprotetor, podendo atuar como fonte de antioxidantes naturais na nutrição funcional da orientação geroprotetora.

Development, characterization and anti - Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity of solid lipid nanoparticles for oral Piper corcovadensis roots extract delivery / Desarrollo, caracterización y actividad anti - Mycobacterium tuberculosis de nanopartículas lipídicas sólidas para la administración oral de extracto de raíces de Piper corcovadensis

The present study thus aimed at the development and physicochemical characterization of solid lipid nanoparticles loaded with crude extract of Piper corcovadensis roots (SLN - CEPc) and chitosan - coated solid lipid nanoparticles loaded with crude extract of P. corcovadensis roots (C - SLN - CEPc), as well as the determination of its antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, its cytotoxicity against the Vero cell line and evaluation in the hemolysis assay. Both formulat ions containing the encapsulated extract showed high encapsulation efficiency, formed by a monodispersed system with small and spherical particles, and there was no aggregation of particles. In the biological assays, SLN - CEPc and C - SLN - CEPc showed promisin g anti - M. tuberculosis activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5 µg/mL, whereas the cytotoxic concentrations obtained at 50% (CC 50 ) in Vero cells were 60.0 and 70.0 µg/mL, respectively. Therefore, nanoencapsulation showed satisfactory results, justifying its usage in the development of new products.

El presente estudio apuntó al desarrollo y caracterización fisicoquímica de na nopartículas lípidas en estado sólido, cargadas con extracto crudo de raíz de Piper c orcovadensis (SLN - CEPc) y nanopartículas lípidas en estado sólido cubiertas con quitosano cargadas co n extracto crudo de raíz de P. corcovadensis (C - SLN - CEPc), así como la determinación de su actividad antimico bacterial contra Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, su citotoxicidad contra la línea celular Vero y su evaluación en ensayo de hemólisis. Ambas formulaciones que contenían el extracto encapsulado mostraron alta eficien cia de encapsulación, formado por un sistema monodispersado con pequeñas partículas esféricas, y no hubo agregación de partículas. En los ensayos biológicos, SLN - CEPc y C - SLN - CEPc mostraron un a prometedora actividad anti - M. tuberculosis con una mínima conc entración inhibitoria (MIC) de 12,5 µg/mL, mientras que las concentraciones citotóxicas obtenidas al 50% (CC 50 ) en células Vero estuvo en 60,0 y 70,0 µg/mL, respectivamente. Por lo tanto, la nanoencapsulación mostró resultados satisfactorios, justificando su uso en el desarrollo de nuevos productos.

Modification of C20 oxidase in tanshinone biosynthesis pathway / 中国中药杂志

Tanshinones are one of the main effective components of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which play important roles in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Microbial heterogony production of tanshinones can provide a large number of raw materials for the production of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations containing S. miltiorrhiza, reduce the extraction cost, and relieve the pressure of clinical medication. The biosynthetic pathway of tanshinones contains multiple P450 enzymes, and the catalytic element with high efficiency is the basis of microbial production of tanshinones. In this study, the protein modification of CYP76AK1, a key P450-C20 hydroxylase in tanshinone pathway, was researched. The protein modeling methods SWISS-MODEL, Robetta, and AlphaFold2 were used, and the protein model was analyzed to obtain the reliable protein structure. The semi-rational design of mutant protein was carried out by molecular docking and homologous alignment. The key amino acid sites affecting the oxidation activity of CYP76AK1 were identified by molecular docking. The function of the obtained mutations was studied with yeast expression system, and the CYP76AK1 mutations with continuous oxidation function to 11-hydroxysugiol were obtained. Four key amino acid sites that affected the oxidation acti-vity were analyzed, and the reliability of three protein modeling methods was analyzed according to the mutation results. The effective protein modification sites of CYP76AK1 were reported for the first time in this study, which provides a catalytic element for different oxidation activities at C20 site for the study of the synthetic biology of tanshinones and lays a foundation for the analysis of the conti-nuous oxidation mechanism of P450-C20 modification.

Research progress of Codonopsis Radix and prediction of its Q-markers / 中国中药杂志

Codonopsis Radix is a traditional tonic medicine commonly used in China, which has the effects of strengthening the spleen and tonifying the lung, as well as nourishing blood and engendering liquid. The chemical constituents of Codonopsis species are mainly polyacetylenes, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, lignans, terpenoids and saponins, flavonoids, steroids, organic acids, saccharides, and so on. Modern pharmacological studies showed that Codonopsis Radix also has a variety of pharmacological effects such as enhancing body immunity, protecting gastrointestinal mucosa and resisting ulcers, promoting hematopoietic function, regulating blood sugar, and delaying aging. In this paper, the chemical constituents of Codonopsis species and the pharmacological effects of Codonopsis Radix were summarized, and on this basis, the quality markers of Codonopsis Radix were analyzed. It was predicted that lobetyolin, tangshenoside I, codonopyrrolidium A, and the oligosaccharides were the possible Q-markers of Codonopsis Radix. This paper will provide scientific references for the quality evaluation and profound research and the development of Codonopsis Radix.

Effects of stereoscopic traction on photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and quality of Codonopsis pilosula under organic cultivation / 中国中药杂志

To solve the serious problem of stem and leaf shading in the middle and late stage of traditional flat planting of Codonopsis pilosula, this study analyzed the effects of different stereoscopic traction heights on the photosynthetic characteristics and growth of C. pilosula and explored the optimal traction height to improve the yield and quality of C. pilosula. The experiment designed three stereo-scopic traction heights [H1(60 cm), H2(90 cm), and H3(120 cm)] with natural growth without traction as the control(CK). The results showed that the increase in stereoscopic traction heights broadened the growth space of stems and leaves of C. pilosula, enhanced the ventilation effect, significantly increased the average daily net photosynthetic rate of C. pilosula, promoted the absorption of intercellular CO_2, decreased the transpiration rate, and reduced the evaporation of water. Moreover, it effectively avoided the problem of weakened photosynthesis, maintained the carbon balance of individual plants, and promoted the growth and development of the C. pilosula roots. In terms of the seed yield of C. pilosula, it was ranked as H2>H1>H3>CK. To be specific, H1 increased by 213.41% compared with CK, H2 increased by 282.43% compared with CK, and H3 increased by 133.95% compared with CK. The yield and quality of C. pilosula were the highest in the H3 treatment group, with the fresh yield of 6 858.33 kg·hm~(-2), 50.59% higher than CK, dry yield of 2 398.33 kg·hm~(-2), 76.54% higher than CK, and lobetyolin content of 0.56 mg·g~(-1), 45.22% higher than CK. Therefore, the stereoscopic traction height has a great influence on the photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and quality of C. pilosula. Particularly, the yield and quality of C. pilosula can be optimized and improved in the traction height treatment of H3(120 cm). This planting method is worth popularizing and applying in the cultivated management of C. pilosula.

Chemical constituents of roots of Rodgersia aesculifolia / 中国中药杂志

The chemical compositions of Rodgersia aesculifolia were isolated and purified using a combination of silica gel, reverse phase silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures were determined according to the physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. The MTT method and the ABTS kit were used to measure the cytotoxicity and antioxidant capacity of all isolates, respectively. Thirty-four compounds were isolated from R. aesculifolia and elucidated as stigmastane-6β-methoxy-3β,5α-diol(1), stigmastane-3β,5α,6β triol(2), β-sitosterol(3), β-daucosterol(4), stigmast-4-en-3-one(5), bergenin(6), 11-β-D-glucopyranosyl-bergenin(7), 11-O-galloybergenin(8), 1,4,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose(9), gallic acid(10), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester(11), ethyl gallate(12), ethyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate(13), caffeic acid ethyl ester(14), p-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid(15), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid(16), 2,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-propan-1-one(17), 3,7-dimethyl-2-octene-1,7-diol(18), crocusatin-B(19), neroplomacrol(20), geniposide(21), 3-hydroxyurs-12-en-27-oic acid(22), 3β-trans-p-coumaroyloxy-olean-12-en-27-oic acid(23), aceriphyllic acid G(24), isolariciresinol(25), trans-rodgersinine B(26), cis-rodgersinine A(27), neo-olivil(28),(7S,8R)-dihydro-3'-hydroxy-8-hydroxy-methyl-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy phenyl)-1'-benzofuranpropanol(29), 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone(30), quercetin 3-rutinoside(31), catechin-[8,7-e]-4β-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-dihydro-2(3H)-pyranone(32), ethyl α-L-arabino-furanoside(33), and l-linoleoylglycerol(34). One new compound was discovered(compound 1), 25 compounds were first isolated from R. aesculifolia, and 22 compounds were first isolated from the Rodgersia plant. The results indicated that compounds 22-24 possessed cytotoxicity for HepG2, MCF-7, HCT-116, BGC-823, and RAFLS cell lines(IC_(50) ranged from 5.89 μmol·L~(-1) to 20.5 μmol·L~(-1)). Compounds 8-14 and 30-32 showed good antioxidant capacity, and compound 9 showed the strongest antioxidant activity with IC_(50) of(2.00±0.12) μmol·L~(-1).

Quality analysis of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma / 中国中药杂志

Rosae Radix et Rhizoma is a herbal medicine in a variety of famous Chinese patent medicines, while the quality standard for this medicine remains to be developed due to the insufficient research on the quality of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma from different sources. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyzed the components in Rosae Radix et Rhizoma of different sources from the aspects of extract, component category content, identification based on thin-lay chromatography, active component content determination, and fingerprint, so as to improve the quality control. The results showed that the content of chemical components varied in the samples of different sources, while there was little difference in the chemical composition among the samples. The content of components in the roots of Rosa laevigata was higher than that in the other two species, and the content of components in the roots was higher than that in the stems. The fingerprints of triterpenoids and non-triterpenoids were established, and the content of five main triterpenoids including multiflorin, rosamultin, myrianthic acid, rosolic acid, and tormentic acid in Rosae Radix et Rhizoma was determined. The results were consistent with those of major component categories. In conclusion, the quality of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma is associated with the plant species, producing area, and medicinal parts. The method established in this study lays a foundation for improving the quality standard of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma and provides data support for the rational use of the stem.

Effect of Rhizophagus intraradices on growth of Salvia miltiorrhiza / 中国中药杂志

The study aimed to explore the effects of inoculation of Rhizophagus intraradices on the biomass, effective component content, and endogenous hormone content of Salvia miltiorrhiza through pot experiments. The number of leaves, plant height, dry weight of aboveground and underground parts, branch number, root number, root length, root diameter, and other biomass were mea-sured by weighing and counting methods. The content of salvianolic acid B, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tanshinone Ⅰ, tanshinone Ⅱ_A, cryptotanshinone, and other effective components was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. The content of ABA and GA_3 was determined by triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The correlations between biomass and effective components and between effective components and plant hormones ABA and GA_3 were analyzed. The results showed that R. intraradices significan-tly increased the aboveground dry weight, leaf number, and root number of S. miltiorrhiza by 0.24-0.65 times, respectively. The content of salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid in the aboveground part and the content of salvianolic acid B, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tanshinone Ⅰ, and tanshinone Ⅱ_A in the underground part were significantly increased by 0.44-1.78 times, respectively. R. intraradices infection significantly increased the GA_3/ABA values of aboveground and underground parts by 3.82 and 76.47 times, respectively. The correlation analysis showed that caffeic acid, the effective component of the aboveground part, was significantly positively correlated with plant height, tanshinone Ⅱ_A, the effective component of the underground part, was significantly positively correlated with biomass root number, cryptotanshinone, and dry weight, while rosmarinic acid was significantly negatively correlated with dry weight. There were significant positive correlations between cryptotanshinone and ABA, tanshinone Ⅱ_A and ABA and GA_3, and caffeic acid and GA_3. In conclusion, R. intraradices can promote the accumulation of biomass and secondary metabolites of S. miltiorrhiza and regulate the balance between plant hormones ABA and GA_3, thereby promoting the growth of S. miltiorrhiza.

Identification and biological characteristics of violet root rot pathogen of Pseudostellaria heterophylla in Fujian province / 中国中药杂志

Violet root rot is one of the main root diseases in the production process of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. To clarify the pathogenic species that cause the violet root rot of P. heterophylla in Fujian province, the roots and the sclerotia with violet root rot symptoms were collected from the main producing areas of P. heterophylla(Fujian province) from 2017 to 2021, and the pathogens were isolated by tissue separation method and identified by morphology and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis. Additionally, the biological characteristics of the pathogens were studied and the fungicides were determined. The results showed that 78 strains of violet root rot were isolated from the collected root samples, which belonged to one type after preliminary morphological identification. Two represen-tative strains were selected from the pathogens for multi-gene phylogenetic analysis, and they were clustered with Helicobasidium mompa together. The suitable culture conditions for the mycelium were OA medium, 25 ℃, pH 6, and ammonium oxalate as the nitrogen source. The lethal temperature of the mycelium was 50 ℃ for 10 minutes. Moreover, 99.1% propiconazole and 98.7% azoxystrobin had the optimal bacteriostatic effect, and the concentrations with the 50% bacteriostatic rate were 16.85 and 12.24 μg·mL~(-1), respectively. On the basis of the above results, the pathogen causing violet root rot of P. heterophylla in Fujian province was H. mompa. The medium type, growth temperature, pH value, nitrogen source, etc. had significant effect on the growth of mycelium.

Physiological and biochemical mechanisms of brassinosteroid in improving anti-cadmium stress ability of Panax notoginseng / 中国中药杂志

In this study, the effect of brassinosteroid(BR) on the physiological and biochemical conditions of 2-year-old Panax notoginseng under the cadmium stress was investigated by the pot experiments. The results showed that cadmium treatment at 10 mg·kg~(-1) inhibited the root viability of P. notoginseng, significantly increased the content of H_2O_2 and MDA in the leaves and roots of P. noto-ginseng, caused oxidative damage of P. notoginseng, and reduced the activities of SOD and CAT. Cadmium stress reduced the chlorophyll content of P. notoginseng, increased leaf F_o, reduced F_m, F_v/F_m, and PIABS, and damaged the photosynthesis system of P. notoginseng. Cadmium treatment increased the soluble sugar content of P. notoginseng leaves and roots, inhibited the synthesis of soluble proteins, reduced the fresh weight and dry weight, and inhibited the growth of P. notoginseng. External spray application of 0.1 mg·L~(-1) BR reduced the H_2O_2 and MDA content in P. notoginseng leaves and roots under the cadmium stress, alleviated cadmium-induced oxidative damage to P. notoginseng, improved the antioxidant enzyme activity and root activity of P. notoginseng, increased the content of chlorophyll, reduced the F_o of P. notoginseng leaves, increased F_m, F_v/F_m, and PIABS, alleviated the cadmium-induced damage to the photosynthesis system, and improved the synthesis ability of soluble proteins. In summary, BR can enhance the anti-cadmium stress ability of P. notoginseng by regulating the antioxidant enzyme system and photosynthesis system of P. notoginseng under the cadmium stress. In the context of 0.1 mg·L~(-1) BR, P. notoginseng can better absorb and utilize light energy and synthesize more nutrients, which is more suitable for the growth and development of P. notoginseng.

Rapid identification and differential markers of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of different sources based on Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose / 中国中药杂志

Since Curcumae Radix decoction pieces have multiple sources, it is difficult to distinguish depending on traditional cha-racters, and the mixed use of multi-source Curcumae Radix will affect its clinical efficacy. Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose was used in this study to quickly identify and analyze the odor components of 40 batches of Curcumae Radix samples from Sichuan, Zhejiang, and Guangxi. Based on the odor fingerprints established for Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of multiple sources, the odor components was identified and analyzed, and the chromatographic peaks were processed and analyzed to establish a rapid identification method. Principal component analysis(PCA), discriminant factor analysis(DFA), and soft independent modeling cluster analysis(SIMCA) were constructed for verification. At the same time, one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) combined with variable importance in projection(VIP) was employed to screen out the odor components with P<0.05 and VIP>1, and 13 odor components such as β-caryophyllene and limonene were hypothesized as the odor differential markers of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of diffe-rent sources. The results showed that Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose can well analyze the odor characteristics and rapidly and accurately discriminate Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of different sources. It can be applied to the quality control(e.g., online detection) in the production of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces. This study provides a new method and idea for the rapid identification and quality control of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces.

Two new prenylated 2-arylbenzofurans from roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus and their anti-respiratory burst activities / 中国中药杂志

Two prenylated 2-arylbenzofurans were isolated from roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus, with a combination of various chromatographic approaches, including ODS, MCI, Sephadex LH-20, and semipreparative high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). They were identified as 5-[6-hydroxy-4-methoxy-5,7-bis(3-methylbut-2-enyl)benzofuran-2-yl]-1,3-benzenediol(1) and 5-[2H,9H-2,2,9,9-tetramethyl-furo[2,3-f]pyrano[2,3-h][1]benzopyran-6-yl]-1,3-benzenediol(2) with spectroscopic methods, such as HR-ESI-MS, IR, 1D NMR, and 2D NMR, and named artoheterins B(1) and C(2), respectively. The anti-respiratory burst activities of the two compounds were evaluated with rat polymorphonuclear neutrophils(PMNs) stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA). The results showed that 1 and 2 exhibited significant inhibitory effect on respiratory burst of PMNs with IC_(50) values of 0.27 and 1.53 μmol·L~(-1), respectively.

CiteSpace knowledge map of research hotspots and frontiers of Polygalae Radix / 中国中药杂志

In this study, the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) were searched comprehensively for the literature about the research on Polygalae Radix. After manual screening, 1 207 Chinese articles and 263 English articles were included in this study. Excel was used to draw the line chart of the annual number of relevant publications. CiteSpace 6.1.R3 was used for the visual analysis of author cooperation, publishing institutions, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, and bursts in the research on Polygalae Radix. The results showed that the number of articles published in Chinese and English increased linearly, which indicated the rising research popularity of Polygalae Radix. WANG J and LIU X were the authors publishing the most articles in Chinese and English, respectively. Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were the research institutions with the largest number of Chinese and English publications in this field, respectively. The institutions publishing the relevant articles in English formed a system with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences as the core. According to the keywords, the research hotspots of Polygalae Radix included variety selection and breeding, quality standard, extraction and identification of active chemical components, prescription compatibility, processing, clinical medication rules, and pharmacological mechanism. The research frontiers were the molecular mechanisms of Polygalae Radix and its active components in exerting the protective effect on brain nerve, regulating receptor pathways, alleviating anxiety and Alzheimer's disease, as well as data mining and clinical medication summary. This study has reference significance for the topic selection and frontier identification of the future research on Polygalae Radix.

Correlations between appearance traits and internal quality of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots based on theory of "quality evaluation through morphological identification" / 中国中药杂志

It is generally believed that high-quality Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots possess specific morphological characteristics, being red, robust, and long with strong odor. However, the scientific connotation of these characteristics has not been elucidated. According to the theory of "quality evaluation through morphological identification", we studied the correlations between appearance traits(the RGB value of root surface, root length, root diameter, dry weight, and ratio of phloem to xylem) and content of main chemical components(volatile oils, total saponins, total flavonoids, total polysaccharides, and seven saikosaponins) of B. scorzonerifolium roots. Epson Scanner and ImageJ were used to scan the root samples and measure the appearance traits. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry and HPLC were employed to determine the content of chemical components. The correlation, regression, and cluster analyses were performed to study the correlations between the appearance traits and the content of chemical components. The results showed that the content of volatile oils and saikosaponins were significantly correlated with RGB value, root length, and root diameter, indicating that within a certain range, the roots being redder, longer, and thicker had higher content of volatile oils and saikosaponins. According to the appearance traits and chemical component content, the 14 samples from different producing areas were classified into four grades, and the differences in morphological traits and chemical component content were consistent among different grades. The findings in this study demonstrate that appearance traits(RGB value, root length, and root diameter) can be used to evaluate the quality of B. scorzonerifolium roots. Meanwhile, this study lays a foundation for establishing an objective quality evaluation method for B. scorzonerifolium roots.

Progress in antitumor activity of diterpenoid alkaloids in plants of Aconitum / 中国中药杂志

Small-molecule compounds with rich sources have diverse structures and activities. The active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) provide new sources for the discovery of new antitumor drugs. Aconitum plants as Chinese medicinal plants have the effects of dispelling wind, removing dampness, warming meridian, and relieving pain. They are mainly used to treat inflammation, pain, rheumatism, and tumors, improve heart function, and dilate blood vessels in clinical practice. Diterpenoid alkaloids are the main active components of Aconitum plants, including C20-, C19-, C18-diterpenoid alkaloids and bis-diterpenoid alkaloids. Stu-dies have demonstrated that diterpenoid alkaloids can effectively treat lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and other cancers. Diterpenoid alkaloids are considered as the most promising natural compounds against cancers. In this review, we summarized the chemical structures and antitumor activities of C20-, C19-, C18-diterpenoid alkaloids and bis-diterpenoid alkaloids extracted from plants of Aconitum, aiming to provide reference for further development of diterpenoid alkaloids from Aconitum as antitumor drugs.

Functional characterization of CYP81C16 involved in the tanshinone biosynthetic pathway in Salvia miltiorrhiza / 中国天然药物

Danshen, the dried roots and rhizomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (S. miltiorrhiza), is widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Tanshinones, the bioactive compounds from Danshen, exhibit a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties, suggesting their potential for future therapeutic applications. Tanshinone biosynthesis is a complex process involving at least six P450 enzymes that have been identified and characterized, most of which belong to the CYP76 and CYP71 families. In this study, CYP81C16, a member of the CYP71 clan, was identified in S. miltiorrhiza. An in vitro assay revealed that it could catalyze the hydroxylation of four para-quinone-type tanshinones, namely neocryptotanshinone, deoxyneocryptotanshinone, and danshenxinkuns A and B. SmCYP81C16 emerged as a potential broad-spectrum oxidase targeting the C-18 position of para-quinone-type tanshinones with an impressive relative conversion rate exceeding 90%. Kinetic evaluations andin vivo assays underscored its highest affinity towards neocryptotanshinone among the tested substrates. The overexpression of SmCYP81C16 promoted the accumulation of (iso)tanshinone in hairy root lines. The characterization of SmCYP81C16 in this study accentuates its potential as a pivotal tool in the biotechnological production of tanshinones, either through microbial or plant metabolic engineering.

Resource components and utilization values of different parts of Panax quinquefolium in Shandong province / 中国中药杂志

To explore the resource components and availability of different parts of Panax quinquefolium in Shandong province, the paper employed the non-targeted metabolomics technology based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) to analyze the metabolites and their metabolic pathways in the root, fibril, stem, and leaf of P. quinquefolium. The content of seven ginsenosides and polysaccharides in different parts was determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry(UV-Vis). The results showed that the metabolites were mainly sugars, glycosides, organic acids, amino acids and their derivatives, terpenoids, etc. The total abundance of metabolites followed the trend of leaf > root > fibril > stem. Most of the differential metabolites were concentrated in phenylpropane biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, citric acid cycle, and amino acid biosynthesis. The leaf contained high levels of sugars, glycosides, amino acids and their derivatives, and flavonoids; the root was rich in terpenoids, volatile oils, vitamins, and lignin; the fibril contained rich organic acids; and the stem had high content of nucleotides and their derivatives. The content of ginsenosides Re and Rb_1 was significantly higher in the root; the content of ginsenosides Rg_1, Rg_2, Rd, F_(11), and polysaccharide was significantly higher in the leaf; and the content of ginsenoside Rb_2 was significantly higher in the stem. We analyzed the resource components and availability of different parts of P. quinquefolium, aiming to provide basic information for the comprehensive development and utilization of P. quinquefolium resources in Shandong province.

Effects of growth patterns and years on quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix samples / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to reveal the effects of different growth patterns and years on the quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix samples. The apparent colors of the powder samples were quantified by a colorimeter, and the total color values(E~*ab) were calculated. The content of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, 4'-O-β-D-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, sec-O-glucosylhamaudol, and 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol in the samples was simultaneously determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Cluster analysis, principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis were performed to analyze the powder chromatic values and the content of 5 components. The results showed that the E~*ab values of the samples were in the order of wild group<multiple-year-old group<one-year-old group. The content of cimifugin, sec-O-glucosylhamaudol, and 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol in the wild group was significantly higher than that in the multiple-year-old and one-year-old groups. The results of multivariate statistical analysis showed that the quality of multiple-year-old group varied greatly. The quality of the multiple-year-old samples was close to that of the wild group and better than that of the one-year-old group. The variable importance in the projection(VIP) values of b~*, 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol content, E~*ab, and L~* were all larger than 1, and that of cimifugin content was close to 1. The E~*ab value was negatively correlated with the content of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, sec-O-glucosylhamaudol, and 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol, while it had no linear correlation with the 4'-O-β-D-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol content. The growth patterns and years had different effects on the quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix samples. The chromatic values of Saposhnikoviae Radix and the content of 5 components can be used to evaluate the quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix, and 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol and cinmifugin can be considered as markers for the quality control of Saposhnikovia divaricata during the growing process.

Screening and molecular identification of endophytic fungi promoting accumulation of flavonoids in callus of Scutellaria baicalensis / 中国中药杂志

To screen and identify the endophytic fungal strains that could promote the accumulation of flavonoids in the callus of Scutellaria baicalensis. Seventeen endophytic fungal strains from S. baicalensis were used to prepare mycelium elicitors and fermentation broth elicitors. Their effects on flavonoid accumulation in S. baicalensis callus were then determined. The results showed that the fermentation broth elicitors of two strains(CL79, CL105) promoted the accumulation of flavonoids. The fermentation broth elicitor of CL79 significantly promoted accumulation of baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, and wogonin, with the maximum levels increased by 37.8%, 40.4%, 44.7%, and 42.2%(vs. blank), respectively. Similarly, the fermentation broth elicitor of CL105 significantly promoted the accumulation of baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, and wogonin, with the maximum levels increased by 78.1%, 140.9%, 275.6%, and 208.5%(vs. blank), respectively. CL79 was identified as Alternaria alternata, and CL105 as Fusarium solani. The fermentation broth elicitors of A. alternata CL79 and F. solani CL105 were able to promote the flavonoid accumulation in the callus of S. baicalensis, which enriched the resources of endophytic fungi and provided candidate strains for the development of microbial fertili-zers for improving the quality of S. baicalensis.

Chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, processing and clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine Scrophulariae Radix: a review / 中国中药杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine Scrophulariae Radix, which is also called Yuan Shen, black Shen, is the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis of the Scrophulariaceae family. Research has indicated that the chemical constituents of Scrophulariae Radix mainly include terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, organic acids, volatile oils, steroids, sugars, flavonoids, alkaloids and phenols, among which iridoids and phenylpropanoids were the main active constituents. It has been reported that extracts of Scrophulariae Radix or its active substances have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-tumor, anti-fatigue, uric acid-lowering, anti-depression, myocardial cell-protective and other pharmacological activities, and can regulate cardiovascular system, central nervous system and immune system. This paper reviewed the present research achievements of Scrophulariae Radix in chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, processing methods, toxicity and other aspects, and the clinical application of Scrophulariae Radix in ancient and modern times was illustrated. This paper aimed to provide reference for further research of Scrophulariae Radix and facilitated its clinical application.