[Snakes as a source of drugs from the Han to the Song Dynasties].

This paper examined the history of snakes as a source of drugs from the Han to the Song Dynasties. Snake products, for medicinal purposes, were not widely used in the Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties out of worship and fear of snakes.The source of snake products taken for medical purposes might be partly because local people ate snakes in the South area. Palace snakes and pit viper products were taken as drugs in the Tang Dynasty for the treatment of leprosy and ulcers of the female external genitals. Zaocysdhumnades were seldom used as medicine because they were not recorded in medical documents in the Tang Dynasty, but only seen in some notes. They were widely used in medical practice in the late Tang and the early Song Dynasties and were formally recorded in medical documents for the diseases caused by Wind. Their effectiveness, rarity, high value and toxicity contraindication were repeatedly stressed while palace snakes and pit vipers were seldom mentioned and used.

The effect of herbal medicine baicalin on pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin, substrate of organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1.

The aim of this study was to explore potential herb-drug interaction between baicalin and rosuvastatin, a typical substrate for organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) related to different OATP1B1 haplotype groups. Eighteen unrelated healthy volunteers who were CYP2C9*1/*1 with different OATP1B1 haplotypes (six OATP1B1*1b/*1b, six OATP1B1*1b/*15, and six OATP1B1*15/*15) were selected to participate in this study. Rosuvastatin (20 mg orally) pharmacokinetics after coadministration of placebo and 50-mg baicalin tablets (three times daily orally for 14 days) were measured for up to 72 h by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in a two-phase randomized crossover study. After baicalin treatment, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC)(0-72) and AUC(0-infinity) of rosuvastatin decreased by 47.0+/-11.0% (P=0.001) and 41.9+/-7.19% (P=0.001) in OATP1B1*1b/*1b, 21.0+/-20.6% (P=0.035) and 23.9+/-8.66% (P=0.004) in OATP1B1*1b/*15, and 9.20+/-11.6% (P=0.077) and 1.76+/-4.89% (P=0.36) in OATP1B1*15/*15, respectively. Moreover, decreases of both AUC(0-72) and AUC(0-infinity) of rosuvastatin among different haplotype groups were significantly different (P=0.002 and <0.001). Baicalin reduces plasma concentrations of rosuvastatin in an OATP1B1 haplotype-dependent manner.

Constituents from the roots of Semiaquilegia adoxoides.

The isolation of griffonilide (1), lithospermoside (2) and magnoflorine (3) from the roots of Semiaquilegia adoxoides is reported.

[Analysis of tannins in Fructus Chebulae and its confusion varieties by HPCE].

AIM: To analyze the hydrolyzable tannins-chebulinic acid (I) and chebulagic acid(II) in Fructus Chebulae and its confusion varieties by using high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) method. METHODS: Using a capillary (375 microns OD x 50 microns ID; 81.5 cm x 61.5 cm) and a power supply set at 24 kV, with phosphate-borate buffer containing 20 mmol.L-1 Na2HPO4-60 mmol.L-1 boric acid and a UV detector at 280 nm, sample solution was loaded in decompression mode at the positive end of the capillary, the loading time was 5 s. RESULTS: The linear ranges of I and II were 0.0842-0.842 and 0.842 and 0.0940-0.940 mg.mL-1 respectively, the correlation coefficient were 0.9966 and 0.9957, the average recoveries were 95.6% (RSD = 4.0%, n = 5) and 95.0% (RSD = 4.4%, n = 5), the RSDs (n = 5) of measurement precision test were 2.2% and 1.7%, the RSDs (n = 6) of reproduction test were 5.4% and 4.0% respectively. The contents of I and II were obviously interrelated with the variety and characteristics of Fructus Chebulae, the contents of I and II in the confusion varieties of Fructus Chebulae were very low. CONCLUSION: It is suitable to use I and II as the criterion in quality evaluation of Fructus Chebulae, and the HPCE method is effective for quality evaluation of the crude Fructus Chebulae.

Gallotannins and related polyphenols from Pistacia weinmannifolia.

Two new gallotannins, pistafolins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the leaf extract of Pistacia weinmannifolia. Their structures were determined by spectral methods. Four known gallotannins (3-6), seven known flavonoid glycosides (7-13), along with 1-O-beta-D-(6'-O-galloyl)-glucopyranosyl-3-methoxy-5-hydroxybenzen e (14), gallic acid (15), methyl gallate (16), (+)-catechin (17), and (+)-gallocatechin (18), were also isolated. Some of these compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity toward K562 cells, and two small molecular phenolic compounds, 15 and 18, showed significant inhibitory effects with IC50 values less than 5 micrograms/ml.

Hydrolyzable tannins and related polyphenols from Eucalyptus globulus.

Eucaglobulin (1), a new complex of gallotannin and monoterpene, was isolated from the leaves of Eucaloptus globulus. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of spectral data. Four known hydrolyzable tannins [tellimagrandin I (2), eucalbanin C (3), 2-O-digalloyl-1,3,4-tri-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (4), 6-O-digalloyl-1,2,3-tri-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (5)], as well as gallic acid (6) and (+)-catechin (7), were also isolated. The antibacterial effects of some of these compounds were examined.

[Preliminary study on apoptosis of BEL-7402 cells induced by Chinese herbs for warming yang and dispersing stasis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antitumor mechanism of Chinese herbs for warming yang and dispersing stasis and observe the action of these herbs in inducing apoptosis of BEL-7402 cells. METHOD: Apoptosis of BEL-7402 cells induced by the above-said herbs was detected through fast red tablet staining, flow cytometry and terminal uridine deoxynucleotidyl and labeling (TUNEL). RESULT: After treating BEL-7402 cells with the herbs typical apoptosis characteristics could be seen under light microscope and TUNEL positive cells were detectable. The apoptotic rate was 13.9% (drug concentration 0.5%) and 21.6% (drug concentration 1%) CONCLUSION: Chinese herbs for warming Yang and dispersing stasis could induce apoptosis of BEL-7402 cells and this effect depends on drug concentration. Inducing the apoptosis of tumor cells may be part of the mechanism displayed by Chinese herbs for warming Yang and dispersing stasis in treating hepatoma.

Reinforcement effects of Boschniakia rossica on discrimination learning in cholinergic lesions of rats.

The dried herb or stem of Boschniakia rossica (Boschniakiae Herba) has been used as an antisenile agent in the Jilin Province of China. To elucidate the effects of Boschniakiae Herba on decreased learning ability and memory weakness, a 50% ethanol extract of Boschniakiae Herba was administered to rats whose nucleus basalis of Meynert had been destroyed by the injection of ibotenic acid. This administration showed a significant improvement in the decrease of the ratio of correct responses caused by destruction of the nucleus basalis of Meynert. These results suggest that B. rossica would be therapeutic in senility.

Tannins and related polyphenols of euphorbiaceous plants. XI. Three new hydrolyzable tannins and a polyphenol glucoside from Euphorbia humifusa.

Three new hydrolyzable tannins, euphormisins M1, M2, and M3, were isolated from Euphorbia humifusa WILLD., and respectively characterized as 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-4-O- brevifolincarboxyl-beta-D-glucose (19), an oxidative metabolite (23) of geraniin, and 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-alpha-D-glucose (18), by spectroscopic and chemical methods. A new ellagic acid glucoside (16) and fifteen known tannins, including geraniin (8) and four dimers [euphorbins A (13), B (14), excoecarianin (15) and eumaculin A (12)], were also isolated.

Radical scavenger effect of Boschniakia rossica.

To elucidate the mechanism of the invigorating and antisenile action of the dried herb of Boschniakia rossica (Boschniakiae Herba), the free radical scavenging activity of its 50% ethanol extract (BR) was examined using an electron spin resonance spectrometer. The scavenging activity of plasma from Fisher-334 rats with continuous administration of BR was also examined. The concentrations showing 50% inhibition of the free radical of BR on the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical, superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical were 0.003%, 0.06% and 9.67%, respectively. Plasma from the rats with BR administered clearly showed higher free radical scavenging activity compared with that of normal control rats. These findings suggest that Boschniakia rossica has strong free radical scavenging activity and consequently it has inhibitory effects on the disorders caused by free radical production in living tissue.

[Symptoms complex of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with congestive heart failure].

This paper have carried out clinical study on 65 cases of congestive heart failure (CHF). (1) The insufficiency of Heart-Qi was the main cause of invasion of CHF. Along with aggravation of CHF, the Heart Yin deficiency developed into the Heart Yang deficiency and accompanying symptoms multiplied gradually. (2) Except plasma aldosterone (pALD) (P greater than 0.05), the levels of plasma atrial natriuretic polypeptide (pANP) and plasma angiotensin II (pAII) in the Heart Yin deficiency group was increased obviously compared with healthy persons (P less than 0.05-0.001). In the Heart Yang deficiency group, the levels of pANP and pALD was increased markedly (P less than 0.05-0.005), the level of pAII was decreased obviously (P less than 0.05), as compared with the Heart Yin deficiency group. (3) There were positive correlations between pANP and pALD (P less than 0.005), negative correlations between pAII and pANP, pALD (P less than 0.001).

[Phenolic constituents of licorice. IV. Correlation of phenolic constituents and licorice specimens from various sources, and inhibitory effects of licorice extracts on xanthine oxidase and monoamine oxidase].

The roots and/or rhizomes of Glychyrrhiza uralensis, G. glabra and G. inflata, and commercial licorice specimens from various regions or countries were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and classified into three types based on their phenolic constituents. i) Type A: The roots and rhizomes of G. uralensis, commercial licorice specimens from northwestern region of China (Seihoku-kanzo) and from northeastern region of China (Tohoku-kanzo) in Japanese markets, and also several licorice specimens from Chinese markets. They contain licopyranocoumarin (6), glycycoumarin (7) and/or licocoumarone (8), which were not found in G. glabra and G. inflata. ii) Type B: The root and rhizome of G. glabra, and the licorice specimens imported from the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. They contain glabridin (9) and glabrene (10), which were not found in the samples of the other two Glycyrrhiza species. A root sample of Glycyrrhiza species from Turkey also contains 9 and 10. iii) Type C: The root sample of G. inflata. They contain licochalcones A (11) and B (12), which were not found in the samples of the other two Glycyrrhiza species. Commercial licorice specimens obtained in Japan, which were imported from Sinkiang of China (Shinkyo-kanzo), and some licorice specimens obtained from Chinese markets, have also been found to contain 11 and 12. The phenolics 6-12, characteristic constituents of types A, B or C, were not found in a specimen of cortex-free licorice from a Japanese market (kawasari-kanzo). Extracts of some licorice specimens of types A and B, and all of the licorice specimens of type C inhibited 40-56% of the xanthine oxidase activity at the concentration of 30 micrograms/ml. Extracts of some licorice specimens of types A and B also showed inhibitory effects on monoamine oxidase (44-64% inhibition, at the concentration of 30 micrograms/ml), which were slightly weaker than that of harmane hydrochloride.

[A new lignanolide from the leaves of Daphne genkwa].

A new (-)-4-oxo-2,6-bis-(3',4'-methylenedioxy phenyl)-3, 7-dioxabicyclo[3, 3, 0] octane lignan, genkdaphin was isolated from the leaves of Daphne genkwa Sieb. et Zucc. mp 118-119.5 degrees C, C20H16O7 (HRMS, 368.08631, M+), [alpha]27D-64.8 degrees (c 0.5, CHCl3). On the basis of UV, IR, MS, 1H and 13CNMR spectral analysis, the structure of the genkdaphin has been established as (-)-4-oxosesamin.