Cationic Nanoemulsion-Encapsulated Retinoic Acid as an Adjuvant to Promote OVA-Specific Systemic and Mucosal Responses.

Cationic nanostructures have emerged as an adjuvant and antigen delivery system that enhances dendritic cell maturation, ROS generation, and antigen uptake and then promotes antigen-specific immune responses. In recent years, retinoic acid (RA) has received increasing attention due to its effect in activating the mucosal immune response; however, in order to use RA as a mucosal adjuvant, it is necessary to solve the problem of its dissolution, loading, and delivery. Here, we describe a cationic nanoemulsion-encapsulated retinoic acid (CNE-RA) delivery system composed of the cationic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOTAP), retinoic acid, squalene as the oil phase, polysorbate 80 as surfactant, and sorbitan trioleate 85 as co-surfactant. Its physical and chemical properties were characterized using dynamic light scattering and a spectrophotometer. Immunization of mice with the mixture of antigen (ovalbumin, OVA) and CNE-RA significantly elevated the levels of anti-OVA secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in vaginal lavage fluid and the small intestinal lavage fluid of mice compared with OVA alone. This protocol describes a detailed method for the preparation, characterization, and evaluation of the adjuvant effect of CNE-RA.

Dissecting the efficacy of the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI): A systematic review and metaanalysis.

Premature ovarian insufficiency is a multi-factor gynecological disease that has become a major global health problem. In recent years, several trials have explored the treatment of premature ovarian insufficiency using Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, but the efficacy and safety of this combination remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining Chinese herbal medicine with acupuncture to treat premature ovarian insufficiency. From eight different databases, we retrieved randomized controlled trials wherein Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture had been compared with western medicine in the treatment of premature ovarian insufficiency. The bias risk assessment stipulated by the Cochrane Collaboration's tool was utilized to evaluate the quality of the chosen randomized controlled trials. This meta-analysis was executed with the help of Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 10.0. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework. A total of 10 randomized controlled trials involving 594 premature ovarian insufficiency patients were included in the analysis. Compared with western medicine, co-treatment with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine exhibited a significantly higher total effective rate (relative risk: 1.21; 95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.31; P < 0.01, I2 = 0%), but lower levels of luteinizing hormone (standardized mean difference: -0.57; 95% confidence interval: -1.06, -0.08; P < 0.05, I2 = 80%), follicle-stimulating hormone, and Kupperman index score. Moreover, the combined intervention increased estradiol level in the serum. Overall, the data demonstrate that acupuncture plus Chinese herbal medicine is an efficacious and safe treatment option for POI patients. These findings must be verified by conducting large-scale, multicenter, high-quality, and long-term randomized controlled trials.

Lomatogonium rotatum extract alleviates diabetes mellitus induced by a high-fat, high-sugar diet and streptozotocin in rats.

BACKGROUND: Lomatogonium rotatum (LR) is traditionally used in Mongolian folk medicine as a hypoglycemic agent, but its evidence-based pharmacological effects and me-chanisms of action have not been fully elucidated. AIM: To emphasize the hypoglycemic action mechanism of LR in a type 2 diabetic rat model and examine potential biomarkers to obtain mechanistic understanding regarding serum metabolite modifications. METHODS: A high-fat, high-sugar diet and streptozotocin injection-induced type 2 diabetic rat model was established. The chemical composition of the LR was identified by high performance liquid chromatography. LR extract administrated as oral gavage at 0.5 g/kg, 2.5 g/kg, and 5 g/kg for 4 wk. Anti-diabetic effects of LR extract were evaluated based on histopathological examination as well as the measurement of blood glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and lipid levels. Serum metabolites were analyzed using an untargeted metabolomics approach. RESULTS: According to a chemical analysis, swertiamarin, sweroside, hesperetin, coumarin, 1.7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyl xanthone, and 1-hydroxy-2,3,5 trimethoxanone are the principal active ingredients in LR. An anti-diabetic experiment revealed that the LR treatment significantly increased plasma insulin and GLP-1 levels while effectively lowering blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and oral glucose tolerance test compared to the model group. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomic analysis of serum samples detected 236 metabolites, among which 86 were differentially expressed between the model and the LR group. It was also found that LR considerably altered the levels of metabolites such as vitamin B6, mevalonate-5P, D-proline, L-lysine, and taurine, which are involved in the regulation of the vitamin B6 metabolic pathway, selenium amino acid metabolic pathway, pyrimidine metabolic pathway, and arginine and proline metabolic pathways. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that LR may have a hypoglycemic impact and that its role may be related to changes in the serum metabolites and to facilitate the release of insulin and GLP-1, which lower blood glucose and lipid profiles.

Investigation of the material basis of Xiexin Tang to alleviate type 2 diabetes mellitus based on spectrum-effect analysis by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.

Xiexin Tang (XXT) is a classic prescription for treating diabetes in clinical practices for thousands of years in China, which has been also proved by a large number of modern pharmacological studies. However, due to its complex composition, the bioactive ingredients of XXT is still unclear. In present researches, spectrum-effect relationship analysis is widely used to explore the material basis of traditional medical herbs, so this method was adopted in this study. Firstly, the extract of XXT was separated and enriched into 5 fractions by macroporous adsorption resin. Then, UPLC-Q-TOF/MS method was used for qualitative identification of components in each eluting part, and efficacy of each fraction was assessed by the T2DM rat model. Based on grey relational analysis and pearson bivariate correlation analysis, it was found that the components such as berberine, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, acteoside, berberastine and 1-O-galloyl-ß-D-glucose might be the main effective basis of XXT to improve T2DM.

The efficacy of Shenghua Decoction supplementation after early medical abortion: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIMS: Shenghua Decoction (SHD) is a well-known classic herbal formula documented in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been widely applied during the postpartum period in Chinese communities for several years. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of SHD as an adjuvant treatment for early medical abortion using a combination of mifepristone followed by misoprostol. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was reported using 2020 PRISMA guidelines. Eight databases were searched from their establishment to February 28, 2022, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs): PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese BioMedical database, the Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and the Wanfang database. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation estimated the quality of evidence. RESULTS: Sixteen RCTs involving 3016 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with no treatment as the control group after early medical abortion, patients treated with SHD were associated with a higher complete abortion rate (RR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.10 - 1.18; P < 0.01, I2 = 26%, moderate quality), lower incomplete abortion rate (RR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.24 - 0.41; P < 0.01, I2 = 0%, moderate quality), and lower viable pregnancy rate (RR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.11 - 0.62; P < 0.01, I2 = 0%, moderate quality). Additionally, SHD supplementation was associated with reduced the induction-abortion time, duration of vaginal bleeding and menstrual recovery time. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that SHD supplementation may be beneficial for women seeking a medical abortion before the 7-week gestational period and no adverse events in the experimental group were reported. However, the methodological quality of the included RCTs was unsatisfactory, and therefore it is necessary to further verify the effectiveness of SHD using standardized studies of rigorous design.

Targeting intestinal flora and its metabolism to explore the laxative effects of rhubarb.

Rhubarb, a traditional herb, has been used in clinical practice for hundreds of years to cure constipation, but its mechanism is still not clear enough. Currently, growing evidence suggests that intestinal flora might be a potential target for the treatment of constipation. Thus, the aim of this study was to clarify the laxative effect of rhubarb via systematically analyzing the metagenome and metabolome of the gut microbiota. In this study, the laxative effects of rhubarb were investigated by loperamide-induced constipation in rats. The gut microbiota was determined by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used for fecal metabolomics analysis. The data showed that rhubarb could significantly shorten gastrointestinal transit time, increase fecal water content and defecation frequency, improve gastrointestinal hormone disruption, and protect the colon mucus layer. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that rhubarb could improve the disorder of intestinal microbiota in constipated rats. For example, beneficial bacteria such as Ligilactobacillus, Limosilalactobacillus, and Prevotellaceae UCG-001 were remarkably increased, and pathogens such as Escherichia-Shigella were significantly decreased after rhubarb treatment. Additionally, the fecal metabolic profiles of constipated rats were improved by rhubarb. After rhubarb treatment, metabolites such as chenodeoxycholic acid, cholic acid, prostaglandin F2α, and α-linolenic acid were markedly increased in constipation rats; in contrast, the metabolites such as lithocholic acid, calcidiol, and 10-hydroxystearic acid were notably reduced in constipation rats. Moreover, correlation analysis indicated a close relationship between intestinal flora, fecal metabolites, and biochemical indices associated with constipation. In conclusion, the amelioration of rhubarb in constipation might modulate the intestinal microflora and its metabolism. Moreover, the application of fecal metabolomics could provide a new strategy to uncover the mechanism of herbal medicines.Key points• Rhubarb could significantly improve gut microbiota disorder in constipation rats.• Rhubarb could markedly modulate the fecal metabolite profile of constipated rats.

The study of schizogenous formation of secretory ducts in Ferula ferulaeoides (Steud.) Korov.

The secretory ducts of Ferula ferulaeoides (Steud.) Korov. are the main tissue of synthesis, secretion, and accumulation of resin. The formation of secretory ducts is closely related to the harvest and quality of resin, but the lumen formation mode and corresponding mechanism have not been thoroughly studied. This study of F. ferulaeoides investigated the microstructure and ultrastructure of the secretory ducts from a developmental point of view. Stem samples were analyzed by light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. The data results showed (1) the walls of secretory cells were intact during the development of secretory ducts in F. ferulaeoides; (2) the plastids and endoplasmic reticulum of secretory cells participated in the synthesis of resin; (3) pectinase was involved in the degradation of the middle lamella; and (4) no features of programmed cell death during the formation of secretory ducts. The results suggested that the formation of F. ferulaeoides' secretory ducts was schizogenous, and pectinase was involved in its formation. These data may be beneficial to further explore the formation of secretory duct in other species of Ferula L. and the formation mechanism of schizogenous secretory structures.

[Biopharmaceutical classification and transport mechanism of 4 alkaloids in Mongolian herbal medicine Sophorae Flavescentis Radix].

In this study, we studied the solubility and permeability of matrine, oxymatrine, sophoridine, and oxysophocarpine, four alkaloids in the Mongolian herbal medicine Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, and evaluated the absorption mechanism with the Caco-2 cell model, so as to provide a basis for the new drug development and efficacy evaluation of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix. The results showed that all the four alkaloids had high solubility and high permeability and can be well absorbed, belonging to the class-I drugs of Biopharmaceutical Classification System(BCS). The absorption(AP→BL) and excretion(BL→AP) of matrine and oxymatrine were not affected by the concentration while the absorption depended on P-gp protein. The absorption(AP→BL) and excretion(BL→AP) of sophoridine and oxysophocarpine were positively related to the concentration and time, and the absorption process was independent from P-gp protein. The results provide scientific reference and an experimental basis for the development of Mongolian medical prescriptions containing Sophorae Flavescentis Radix.

[Research and verification of quality evaluation method of Epimedii Folium based on quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker].

The quality control of Epimedii Folium, composed of diverse constituents, is single at present. In view of this, an eva-luation method of 13 chemical constituents based on quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS) was established to further explore the composition differences of raw products and alcohol extracts in different batches and the influence of alcohol extraction on the composition, so as to provide a reference for improving the quality evaluation and control of Epimedii Folium. The fingerprints of different batches of Epimedii Folium were constructed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) to evaluate the inter-batch consistency. The changes of the flavonoids in Epimedii Folium during alcohol extraction were analyzed based on determined levels and heat map, and the reasons for the changes were preliminarily discussed. With icariin, the quality control component recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, as the internal reference, the stability of the relative correction factors of chemical components under different conditions was investigated to obtain the relative correction factors. Then the determination results of QAMS and the external standard method were compared to verify the accuracy of QAMS. The results revealed that all batches of Epimedii Folium met the requirements specified in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and the fingerprints of Epimedii Folium from the same place of origin exhibited a high similarity. Raw products and alcohol extracts of Epimedii Folium could be clearly distinguished by prenylated flavonoids, which are potential biomarkers for quality control. Additionally, the glycoside hydrolysis in the alcohol extraction was preliminarily explored. The QAMS method has good accuracy, durability, and repeatability in determining 13 chemical components in Epimedii Folium under different experimental conditions. No significant difference in the results obtained by the two methods was observed. This study can provide a reference for comprehensive, rapid and reasonable quality evaluation of Epimedii Folium.

The Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Shoutai Pill Combined with Western Medicine in the First Trimester of Pregnancy in Women with Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Shoutai Pill (STP), a famous classic herbal formula documented in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is widely available in China for treating unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims at evaluating the efficacy and safety of STP in the first trimester of pregnancy in women with a history of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion. METHODS: The following eight databases were searched from their establishment to Dec 31, 2019, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs): PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese BioMedical database (CBM), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and the Wanfang database. The quality of evidence was estimated by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). RESULTS: A total of 12 studies (916 patients) with URSA were contained in this meta-analysis. The forest plot showed that patients treated with Shoutai Pill and western medicine had a significantly lower incidence of early pregnancy loss (RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.34-0.52; P < 0.01, I 2 = 0%). Subgroup analysis revealed that different types of TCM syndrome differentiation had the similar results. Also, in the combined group, patients had a lower TCM syndromes and symptoms and serum D-dimer level, while higher incidence of live birth. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that cotreatment with STP and western medicine might be superior to western medicine alone in the first trimester of pregnancy to prevent miscarriage in women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion, and there was no adverse event in the experimental group reported. However, the methodological quality of included RCTs was unsatisfactory; it is necessary to verify its effectiveness with further more standardized researches of rigorous design.

Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Tonifying Kidney (Bushen) and Activating Blood (Huoxue) Prescription for Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We carried out this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of TKABP on POI. METHODS: The following eight databases were searched from the establishment to September 30, 2019, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs): PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese BioMedical database (CBM), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and the Wanfang database. The quality of evidence was estimated by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). RESULTS: Twenty-three RCTs involving 1712 patients with POI were included. Compared to hormone therapy (HT) groups, TKABP groups showed a significantly higher total effective rate (RR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.04-1.17; P < 0.01, I 2 = 32%). In addition, TKABP groups revealed a better improvement in terms of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, serum estradiol (E2) levels, peak systolic velocity (PSV) of ovarian stromal blood, and Kupperman index (KI) score. However, serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and ovarian volume (OV) showed no significant statistical difference. Subgroup analyses showed that herbal paste and 3 months of treatment duration had a greater effect on the improvement of hormone levels. Besides, the occurrence of related adverse events in TKABP groups was lower than that in HT groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our review suggests that TKABP appears to be an effective and safe measure for patients with POI, and the herbal paste may be superior. However, the methodological quality of included RCTs was unsatisfactory, and it is necessary to verify its effectiveness with furthermore standardized researches of rigorous design.

[Absorption enhancing effects and safety of PAMAM dendrimers on liquiritin].

PAMAM dendrimer is one of the most widely studied dendrimers in recent years, which has a large number of functional groups on the surface and cavities inside, specific three-dimensional structure and good biocompatibility, permeability and stability. It has been widely applied in drug and gene carrier fields and may become a new absorption enhancer. In order to study the absorption enhancing effects of PAMAM dendrimers, liquiritin was selected as the model drug, with the protection of spleen and liver, detoxification and other functions, but it had not been widely used in clinical application because of its difficult absorption, first pass effect, and low bioavailability. This topic was based on the two main determinants (solubility and permeability) of intestinal absorption in the body, researched the physicochemical properties of liquiritin, analyzed the transport volume of liquiritin with or without PAMAM dendrimers by using Caco-2 cell model, and analyzed the cytotoxicity of PAMAM dendrimers on Caco-2 cells by MTT experiments. These results showed that 0.1% of the G4 generation PAG can promote the absorption of liquiritin safely and effectively, and it was suitable for further development into a new type of pharmaceutical excipients.

Spirulina elicits the activation of innate immunity and increases resistance against Vibrio alginolyticus in shrimp.

The effect of Spirulina dried powder (SDP) on the immune response of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei was studied in vitro and in vivo. Incubating shrimp haemocytes in 0.5 mg ml(-1) SDP caused the degranulation of haemocytes and a reduction in the percentage of large cells within 30 min. Shrimp haemocytes incubated in 1 mg ml(-1) SDP significantly increased their phenoloxidase (PO) activity, serine proteinase activity, and respiratory burst activity (RB, release of superoxide anion). A recombinant protein of lipopolysaccharide and ß-1,3-glucan binding protein (LGBP) of the white shrimp was produced, named rLvLGBP, and examined for its binding with SDP. An ELISA binding assay showed that rLvLGBP binds to SDP with a dissociation constant of 0.0507 µM. In another experiment, shrimp fed diets containing SDP at 0 (control), 30, and 60 g kg(-1) after four weeks were examined for LGBP transcript level and lysozyme activity, as well as phagocytic activity, clearance efficiency, and resistance to Vibrio alginolyticus. These parameters were significantly higher in shrimp receiving diets containing SDP at 60 g kg(-1) or 30 g kg(-1) than in controls. In conclusion, shrimp haemocytes receiving SDP provoked the activation of innate immunity as evidenced by the recognition and binding of LGBP, degranulation of haemocytes, reduction in the percentage of large cells, increases in PO activity, serine proteinase activity, superoxide anion levels, and up-regulated LGBP transcript levels. Shrimp receiving diets containing SDP had increased lysozyme activity and resistance against V. alginolyticus infection. This study showed the mechanism underlying the immunostimulatory action of Spirulina and its immune response in shrimp.

[Biopharmaceutics classification and absorption mechanisms primary study on four kinds of flavonoids].

The solubility and permeability on four kinds of flavonoids (kaempferol, hesperidin, apigenin, genistein) were test according to the theory of biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS), and their absorption mechanism. The solubility was investigated by the method in determination of solubility of "Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010". To detect appearance permeability of compounds mentioned above, the appropriate concentrations were selected by the MTT method in cell transfer experiments in Caco-2 cell model, which established by in vitro cell culture method. Therefore, these compounds were classified with BCS according to solubility and permeability. In addition, to explore absorption mechanisms, the experiments in three different concentrations of compounds in high, medium and low in bidirectional transformation methods in Caco-2 cell model contacted. The study indicated that all of kaempferol, hesperidin, apigenin, genistein have the characteristics in low solubility and high permeability, which belong to BCSⅡ, and the absorption mechanism of kaempferol was active transportation. Whereas, hesperidin, apigenin, genistein were passive transportation. In this study, it carried out initial explorations on establishment of determination for solubility and permeability in flavonoids, and provided theoretical reference for further research on BCS in traditional Chinese medicine.

Antioxidant flavonoids from Epimedium wushanense.

Two new flavonoids, wushanicaritin (1) and wushankaempferol (2), along with 24 known flavonoids were isolated from the whole herb of Epimedium wushanense T.S. Ying (Berberidaceae). On the basis of NMR and ESI-MS spectroscopic analysis, structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated as 8-γ-hydroxy-γ,γ-dimethylpropyl-3,5,7-trihydroxy-4'- methoxyflavone and kaempferol 3-O-α-l-[2,3-di-O-ß-D-(6-E-p-coumaroyl) glucopyranosyl]-rhamnopyranosyl-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activity tests indicated that 1 (IC(50) 35.3 µM) exhibited antioxidant activity comparable to Vitamin C (IC(50) 32.0 µM), while 2 (IC(50) 443.7 µM) showed weak activity.

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of Epimedium wushanense by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

A new HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS(n) method was developed for rapid separation, characterization and quantitation of flavonoids in Epimedium wushanense, a popular Chinese herbal medicine. For qualitative identification, a total of 37 compounds were characterized from the underground and aerial parts of E. wushanense. Among them, 28 compounds were prenylated flavonoids, and 23 were confirmed by comparing with reference standards. For quantitative analysis, 12 major flavonoids including kaempferol glycosides, desmethylicaritin glycosides, and icaritin glycosides were simultaneously determined by HPLC/UV. Samples were separated on a Waters Symmetry C(18) column at 35 °C eluted with a gradient three-component mobile phase of acetonitrile, methanol, and water containing 0.03% v/v formic acid. All the flavonoids showed good linearity (r(2) ≥0.9997). The recoveries varied from 92.6 to 106.1% at three concentration levels. This method was applied to the determination of 20 samples of different geographical sources, harvesting time, and plant parts. Contents of the predominant flavonoid, epimedin C, ranged from 1.4 to 5.1% in aerial parts and 1.0 to 2.8% in underground parts. The methods established in this paper were simple and reliable and could be used for the quality control of E. wushanense.

HPLC-DAD-MS(n) analysis and HPLC quantitation of chemical constituents in Xian-ling-gu-bao capsules.

In this study, a systematic method was established for the global quality control of Xian-ling-gu-bao capsules (XLGB), a popular six-herb Traditional Chinese Patent Medicine (TCPM) for the treatment of osteoporosis. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. In qualitative analysis part, a fast and sensitive method based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS(n)) was established for rapid separation and sensitive identification. Samples were separated on a Waters Symmetry C(18) column (250mm×4.6mm, 5µm) by gradient elution using acetonitrile (A) and water-formic acid (B; 0.03%, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0ml/min. Based on the mass spectra, UV spectra and retention time, 47 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized, including 27 flavonols (all from Epimedii Herba, the major component herb), 4 coumarins, 3 flavonones, 1 chalcone, 3 isoflavones, 1 coumestrol, 3 triterpenoid saponins, 1 iridoid, 3 steroidal saponins, and 1 phenolic acid. Among them, 18 compounds were confirmed by comparing with reference standards. In quantitative analysis part, 10 major compounds in 18 batches of XLGB were simultaneously determined by HPLC/UV detected at 270nm. The method was validated with respect to intra- and inter-day precision, repeatability and stability, with RSD less than 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.9% and 1.8%, respectively. All the 10 analytes showed good linearity in wide linear ranges (r(2)=0.9999), and their average recoveries varied between 97.8% and 104.9%.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of curcuminoids in herbal medicines derived from Curcuma species.

A validated and sensitive HPLC-UV-MS method was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of curcuminoids in eight herbal medicines derived from four Curcuma species. The samples were separated on a YMC ODS-A C18 column with a gradient elution of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid. Curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin showed good linearity (r>0.9998) in the concentration ranges of 4.88-625, 4.29-550 and 3.98-510µg/mL, respectively. The results suggested that the contents of three major curcuminoids in different herbal medicines varied significantly. Curcuminoids were only detected in Jianghuang, HuangsiYujin, and PengEzhu. Amongst them, Jianghuang contained the highest amounts of curcuminoids (40.36mg/g), which were almost 20 times higher than HuangsiYujin (1.94mg/g) and 400 times higher than PengEzhu (0.098mg/g). Furthermore, amongst the Jianghuang samples collected from different areas, samples from Sichuan Province contained remarkably higher amounts of curcuminoids (22.21-40.36mg/g) than other cultivation regions.