Five New Diarylbutyrolactones and Sesquilignans from Saussurea medusa and Their Inhibitory Effects on LPS-induced NO Production.

Five new diarylbutyrolactones and sesquilignans (1A/1B:  - 4: ), including one pair of enantiomers (1A/1B: ), together with 10 known analogues (5:  - 14: ), were isolated from the whole plants of Saussurea medusa. Compound 1: was found to possess an unusual 7,8'-diarylbutyrolactone lignan structure. Separation by chiral HPLC analysis led to the isolation of one pair of enantiomers, (+)-1A: and (-)-1B: . The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data. All compounds, except compounds 5, 7: and 9: , were isolated from S. medusa for the first time. Moreover, compounds 1:  -  4, 8: and 10:  - 14: had never been obtained from the genus Saussurea previously. Compounds (+)- 1A, 2, 5, 7: , and 9:  - 11: were found to inhibit the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of NO by RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values ranging from 10.1 ± 1.8 to 41.7 ± 2.1 µM. Molecular docking and iNOS expression experiments were performed to examine the interactions between the active compounds and the iNOS enzyme.

Bioactivity-guided isolation of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors from Saussurea obvallata (DC.) Edgew. Using affinity solid phase extraction assay.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Saussurea obvallata (DC.) Edgew. is a traditional Tibetan medicine used for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases, but the scientific validation was very limited. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to rapid screen and targeted isolate cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors from S. obvallata extract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An efficient ligand-fishing method based on affinity solid phase extraction (A-SPE) combining with HPLC was developed. The identified COX-2 inhibitors were separated using preparative liquid chromatography. In vitro COX-2 inhibition assays were employed to confirm the inhibitory activities of the isolated compounds. In addition, the effect of the isolated compounds on the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and the expression of COX-2 in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of four phenylpropanoids, isolariciresinol, syringaresinol, pinoresinol and balanophonin were targeted isolated as COX-2 inhibitors with IC50 values of 36.4 ± 2.6 µM, 23.1 ± 1.8 µM, 3.6 ± 0.3 µM and 12.1 ± 0.9 µM, respectively. The isolated compounds significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO production in a dose-dependent manner. And, the results of the inhibitory effect on the release of PGE2 and the expression of COX-2 in LPS-induced macrophages were consistent with A-SPE analysis. CONCLUSION: The present work demonstrated that the developed A-SPE-HPLC method could successfully targeted isolated COX-2 inhibitors from S. obvallata extract. And, the isolation results indicated that the therapeutic effect of S. obvallata on inflammation-related diseases was partly based on the COX-2 active ingredients.

Targeted Separation of COX-2 Inhibitor from Pterocephalus hookeri Using Preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Directed by the Affinity Solid-Phase Extraction HPLC System.

Pterocephalus hookeri, as a kind of popular traditional Tibetan medicine, is reputed to treat inflammatory related diseases. In the present work, a cyclooxygenase-2 functionalized affinity solid-phase extraction HPLC system was developed and combined with preparative-HPLC for rapidly screening and separating cyclooxygenase-2 ligand from P. hookeri extracts. Firstly, ligands of cyclooxygenase-2 were screened from extracts by affinity solid-phase extraction HPLC system. Then directed by the screening results, the recognized potential active compounds were targeted separated. As a result, the major cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor of P. hookeri was obtained with a purity of >95%, which was identified as sylvestroside I. To test the accuracy of this method, the anti-inflammatory activity of sylvestroside I was inspected in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The results show that sylvestroside I significantly suppressed the release of prostaglandin E2 with dose-dependent, which was in good agreement with the screening result of the affinity solid-phase method. This method of integration of screening and targeted separation proved to be very efficient for the recognition and isolation of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors from natural products.

Comprehensive screening and separation of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors from Pterocephalus hookeri by affinity solid-phase extraction coupled with preparative high-performance liquid chromatography.

Pterocephalus hookeri, a classical Tibetan herb, is mainly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and contains various constituents potentially with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibition. A novel strategy for screening and target separating COX-2 inhibitors from the extracts of P. hookeri based on affinity solid-phase extraction (ASPE) column combined with preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (pre-HPLC) was successfully developed. The potential COX-2 inhibitors of P. hookeri were screened and recognized by the ASPE-HPLC system, which strategy is to analyze the compounds isolated by the ASPE column. Then, the active compounds were targeted separated by pre-HPLC according to real-time chromatograms. The control drugs celecoxib and glipizide were analyzed to verify the specificity and accuracy of the developed method. As a result, two pure compounds with COX-2 binding affinities were successfully separated from P. hookeri. They were characterized as swertisin and scopoletin using 1H- and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and the in vitro COX-2 inhibitory activities were verified. Compounds with COX-2 inhibitory activities could be screened and targeted separated from crude extracts by this strategy, which indicated that the proposed method was feasible, robust and effective for rapid separation of COX-2 inhibitors from natural products.

Enrichment and separation of high-polar compounds from Saussurea obvallata using solid-phase extraction combining with offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography.

The high-polar compounds from natural products are often used as medicines due to their good bioactivities. However, owing to the complexity and diversity of their structure, the separation of high-polar compounds is still a challenging work. For this, an efficient method for enrichment and separation of the high-polar compounds from Saussurea obvallata was developed. First, the target compounds were enriched from the total extract using a solid-phase extraction method. An offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography method was used for the separation of pure compounds from the enriched sample. After optimization of chromatographic conditions, high separation selectivity of target compounds was obtained on a polar-modified C18 column and a HILIC XAmide column. Hence, a two-dimensional reversed-phase × hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography system was constructed and enlarged from the analytical level to the preparative level. In the first dimension, four fractions were obtained on the XCharge C18 column with a recovery rate of 71.2%. In the second-dimension preparation on the XAmide column, eight high-polar compounds with more than 96% purity were isolated. All compounds were isolated from Saussurea obvallata for the first time. The results demonstrated that this developed strategy is effective for preparative-scale isolation of high-polar compounds from natural products.

Preparative isolation of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl inhibitors from Ribes himalense using medium-pressure and two-dimensional reversed-phase/reversed-phase liquid chromatography guided by an online HPLC-1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay.

The lack of suitable chromatographic purification methods makes it a challenge to effectively isolate the chemical components of traditional Tibetan medicines. Ribes himalense is a rarely studied Tibetan medicine, reputed to have free radical-scavenging effects. In the present work, we utilized it as a model herb to highlight an approach for the separation of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl inhibitors via medium-pressure chromatography and two-dimensional reversed-phase/reversed-phase interaction liquid chromatography under the guidance of an online high-performance liquid chromatography-1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay. Finally, we obtained two free radical inhibitors (>95% purity) from the R. himalense extract. This is the first report of the rapid isolation of these free radical inhibitors from R. himalense. This method can be useful in quality standard assessment and further pharmacological activity research, and may be used as a reference for the composition research of various natural products.

Arenaria kansuensis attenuates pulmonary fibrosis in mice via the activation of Nrf2 pathway and the inhibition of NF-kB/TGF-beta1/Smad2/3 pathway.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a key feature of COVID-19, Chinese herbal medicine Arenaria kansuensis has been used for curing pulmonary disease and antivirus for a long time and it has the potential against COVID-19. In this work, protective effect of A. kansuensis ethanol extract (AE) on pulmonary fibrosis was evaluated through paraquat (PQ)-induced pulmonary fibrosis animal model. Results showed that AE could significantly improve the survival rate, increase the body weight and reduce the lung index of mice at the raw drug doses of 700 and 350 mg/kg. Histopathological observation results showed that the destruction degree of lung tissue structure in mice was significantly improved with the increase of AE dosage. Collagen deposition in lung interstitium was significantly reduced. The marker protein alpha-SMA involved in PF were significantly inhibited through repressing TGF-beta1/Smads pathway. The degree of inflammatory infiltration was significantly reduced and inflammatory cytokines were significantly inhibited in mice through inhibiting the NF-kB-p65. Besides, oxidant stress level including upregulated ROS and down-regulated SOD and GSH was efficiently improved by AE through upregulation of Nrf2 and downregulation of NOX4. In summary, this study firstly showed that the protective effect of AE on pulmonary fibrosis was partly due to activation of Nrf2 pathway and the inhibition of NF-kB/TGF-beta1/Smad2/3 pathway.

A novel chromatographic separation method for rapid enrichment and isolation of novel flavonoid glycosides from Sphaerophysa salsula.

Flavonoid glycosides exist widely in medicine herbs and often used as nutraceuticals because of their excellent bioactivity and low toxicity. For accurate quality control and bioactivity assessment of Sphaerophysa salsula, a rapid and productive method to isolate flavonoid glycosides is needed. Therefore, this work reports the development of a novel comprehensive strategy based on an online middle-pressure chromatography and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography for rapid enrichment and separation of flavonoid glycosides from S. salsula. First, the flavonoid glycosides were enriched using an online middle-pressure chromatographic column containing stationary middle chromatogram isolated phase. During this process, the high-volume injection of the extracting solution was realized by an empty precolumn positioned before the main chromatographic tower. Then, the compounds were separated through preparative high-performance liquid chromatography with Megress C18. As a result, one new flavonol 3-O-glycoside (2) and two known flavonol 3-O-glycosides (1, 3) were targetedly isolated from S. salsula. The content of compounds 1-3 in S. salsula was 0.09, 0.11, and 0.18 wt%, respectively. Comparing to traditional enrichment and separation methods, our technique offers significantly shorter sample pretreatment time as well as high reproducibility. We believe that our separation method has a strong potential to be used for the processing of other medicinal plants.

ß-carboline alkaloids attenuate bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice through inhibiting NF-kb/p65 phosphorylation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The plant Arenaria kansuensis is used in traditional medicine to treat lung inflammation for a long time. However, the anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect and its corresponding bioactive constituents of this plant have not been studied extensively. AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect and its corresponding bioactive constituents of A. kansuensis and its possible mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vivo experiment, the anti-pulmonary fibrosis effects of the fraction (Part1) enriched from ethyl acetate extracts of the whole plant A. kansuensis were evaluated through bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice (five groups, n = 10) daily at doses of 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg for 15 days. In vitro experiment, the anti-inflammation and reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) effect of 12 ß-carboline alkaloids isolated from Part1 were evaluated through lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 inflammatory cell model and TGF-ß1 induced A549 cell model. RESULTS: In this study, a fraction named Part1 extracted from Arenaria kansuensis presented strong anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect at the dose of 150 mg/kg. Vivo experiments showed that the survival rate and body weight of mice significantly increased after Part1 treatment. Part1 could significantly inhibit the initial of inflammation, deposition of collagen and expression of TGF-ß1 and α-SMA, moreover, the expression of E-cadherin was significantly elevated after administration of Part1. All the cure effects of Part1 were in dose dependent manner. A total of 12 ß-carboline alkaloids were identified in Part1 and they all showed suppressive effect on inflammatory cytokines including MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß through inhibition of NF-kb/p65 phosphorylation, and that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process was reversed by different compounds in different levels. The expression of indicators of EMT including α-SMA, vimentin and E-cadherin was significantly improved after given different ß-carboline alkaloids. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that antifibrogenic effect of ß-carboline alkaloids was due to inhibiting the initial of inflammation through NF-kb/p65 pathway and reversing the process of EMT.

Purification of Flavonolignan Diastereoisomers from Arenaria kansuensis by Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography Combined with Solid-Phase Extraction.

Herbal plants are significant for the reason that they have a great potential in discovering drug precursors. However, how to purify compounds with higher purity from them is a question which needs to be discussed. In present study, an offline 2D reversed-phase (RP) preparative liquid chromatography coupled with solid-phase extraction (SPE) method was successfully developed for the separation of flavonolignan diastereoisomers from Arenaria kansuensis. Based on the analysis of results, the major conclusion that we have drawn from it is a RP-SPE was selected for enriching target flavonolignan sample from A. kansuensis. After that, an ODS preparative column was used for 1D preparation, and the target sample (4.6 g) was divided into five fractions with a recovery of 83.9%. Then, a C18HCE preparative column, a polar-modified RP (polar-copolymerized) type, was used for isolating flavonolignan diastereoisomers in the 2D preparation. By establishing optimal 2D chromatography, hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) columns and normal-phase (NP) columns were tested simultaneously, and the result showed that diastereoisomers are not suitable for HILIC and NP chromatography mode. Our study resulted in a tricin and five analogous derivative flavonolignans with purity >98% were successfully purified from A. kansuensis. This is the initial report of Salcolin C, Salcolin B, Tricin 4'-O-(C-veratroylglycol) ether and 5'-methoxyhydnocarpin D from A. kansuensis. In addition, it tended to be the first time that Tricin 4'-O-(C-veratroylglycol) ether is isolated from natural resource. This method has great potential for efficiently isolating flavonolignan diastereoisomers from A. kansuensis, and it shows a great prospect for the separation of flavonolignans from complex samples.

On-line HPLC-DPPH bioactivity-guided assay for isolated of antioxidative phenylpropanoids from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau medicinal plant Lancea tibetica.

Lancea tibetica is an important traditional Tibetan medicinal plant that grows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with great development potential in pharmaceutical industry. In this study, a combinative method using HPLC-DPPH and two-dimensional liquid chromatography has been developed to identify and separate antioxidants from Lancea tibetica. Under the target-guidance of HPLC-DPPH experiment, three antioxidant fractions from Lancea tibetica were recognized. Then, separation of the three fractions using two-dimensional semi-preparation liquid chromatography led to seven phenylpropanoids: (+)-pinoresinol-ß-D-glucoside (1), isoacteoside (2), acteoside (3), tibeticoside (4),epipinoresinol (5), anthelminthicol (6) and phillygenol (7). As a result, seven major antioxidants in Lancea tibetica were isolated with more than 96% purity. Furthermore, in vitro bioassay against DPPH revealed compounds 1-7 with IC50 values ranging from 6.16 ±â€¯0.08 to 25.09 ±â€¯0.11 (µM) and compounds 1, 2 and 3 showed activities stronger than the two reference antioxidants (vitamin C, rutin), with IC50 values of 6.16 ±â€¯0.08, 8.93 ±â€¯0.06 and 7.98 ±â€¯0.05 (µM), respectively. Results of the present study indicated that the method was an efficient technique to systematically screen and isolate antioxidants from medicine crops.

Anti-alcohol liver disease effect of Gentianae macrophyllae extract through MAPK/JNK/p38 pathway.

OBJECTIVES: The hepatoprotective effect of Gentianae macrophyllae root extract (GME) on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) was evaluated through ethanol induced ALD animal model. METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into control normal group (10 mice), ethanol-induced ALD model group (10 mice) and GME plus ethanol group (30 mice). Mice in model group were given intragastric administration with 50% (v/v) ethanol aqueous solution (200 µl for each) once daily for 19 days. Mice in control normal group received equal volumes of water. Mice in GME plus ethanol group were given intragastric administration with 50% (v/v) ethanol aqueous solution (200 µl for each) once daily at 10:00 a.m., after 1 h, mice in GME group sequentially were treated with 20, 40 and 100 mg/kg of GME by gastric gavage for 19 days. the average food and water consumed by the mice in every group were recorded every 2 days and body weight of every mouse in every group was measured every 2 days. KEY FINDINGS: Results showed that GME significantly improved alcohol induced liver injury in a dose-dependent manner. The impaired hepatic tissue structure was repaired and the collagen deposition declined after GME administration. Meanwhile, the level of malonaldehyde (MDA), Aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) (indicators of liver damage) in blood serum were significantly controlled by GME with a dose-dependent manner, moreover, body weight and liver index were also improved after administration of GME. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 were detected through RT-PCR and ELISA in experiment and GME can significantly inhibit the expression of TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 but have no effect on MCP-1. In order to explore the mechanism of GME on ALD, MAPKs pathway was examined and results indicated that GME attenuated ALD through inhibiting the phosphorylation of JNK and P38 and further suppressing the initiation of inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: GME attenuated ALD through inhibiting the phosphorylation of JNK and P38 and further suppressing the initiation of inflammation.

Antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory ingredients identified from Jerusalem artichoke flowers.

Jerusalem artichoke (JA, Helianthus tuberosus L.) has been researched extensively due to its wide range of uses, but there are limited studies on its flowers. In this study, we report the first detailed phytochemical study on JA flowers, which yielded 21 compounds. Compound 4 was identified as a major water-soluble yellow pigment of JA flowers. In addition, the methanol extract of JA flowers and the isolates were evaluated for their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Among the tested compounds, compound 13 showed the strongest ABTS+ free radical scavenging activity with SC50 value of 2.30 ± 0.13 µg/mL, and compound 6 showed most potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with inhibition rate of 60.0% ± 10.3% at a concentration of 250 µg/mL. Results showed that methanol extract of JA flowers exhibited antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities which could be attributed to its phenolic ingredients including chlorogenic acid derivatives, flavonoids and phenols.

Preparative isolation of antioxidative compounds from Dracocephalum heterophyllum using off-line two-dimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography/hydrophilic interaction chromatography guided by on-line HPLC-DPPH assay.

Traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) has been valuable for the identification of new therapeutic leads. Nevertheless, reports about the chemical constituents of TTM are meager owing to the lack of suitable purification techniques. In this study, an off-line two-dimensional reversed-phase/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (2D RP/HILIC) technique guided by on-line HPLC-DPPH has been established for the isolation of pure antioxidants from the extract of Dracocephalum heterophyllum. According to the chromatographic recognition outcome of the HPLC-DPPH system, the first-dimensional (1D) separation on the Megress C18 preparative column yielded 6 antioxidative fractions (61.4% recovery) from the ethyl acetate fraction (6.1 g). In the second-dimensional (2D) separation, a HILIC XAmide preparative column was employed. In total, 8 antioxidants were isolated from D. heterophyllum with a purity of >95%, which indicated the efficiency of the developed method to prepare antioxidative compounds with high purity from plant extracts. In addition, this method was highly efficient for the preparation of structural analogues of the antioxidative polyphenols and could be applied for the purification of structural analogues from other resources.

Efficient Separation of Four Antibacterial Diterpenes from the Roots of Salvia Prattii Using Non-Aqueous Hydrophilic Solid-Phase Extraction Followed by Preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.

An efficient preparative procedure for the separation of four antibacterial diterpenes from a Salvia prattii crude diterpenes-rich sample was developed. Firstly, the XION hydrophilic stationary phase was chosen to separate the antibacterial crude diterpenes-rich sample (18.0 g) into three fractions with a recovery of 46.1%. Then, the antibacterial fractions I (200 mg), II (200 mg), and III (150 g) were separated by the Megress C18 preparative column, and compounds tanshinone IIA (80.0 mg), salvinolone (62.0 mg), cryptotanshinone (70.0 mg), and ferruginol (68.0 mg) were produced with purities greater than 98%. The procedure achieved large-scale preparation of the four diterpenes with high purity, and it could act as a reference for the efficient preparation of active diterpenes from other plant extracts.

8-isopentenyl isoflavone derivatives from the whole herb of Sphaerophysa salsula.

Phytochemical studies on the whole herb of Sphaerophysa salsula has resulted in the discovery of one new 8-isopentenyl isoflavone derivative, named sphaerosin s2 (3-(8-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-furo[2,3-h]chromen-3-yl)-2,6-dimethoxyphenol) (1), along with four know 8-isopentenyl isoflavone derivatives (2-5). Compounds (2, 4 and 5) were isolated for the first time from this species. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of ESI-MS, UV, IR, 1D NMR and 2D NMR data.

Osteon Myospalacem Baileyi attenuates osteoclast differentiation through RANKL induced NFAT pathways.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Osteon Myospalacem Baileyi, known as Sai long gu (Tibetan language, means "blind rat bone"), is the whole skeleton of Tibet plateau rodentia animal Myospalacem Baileyi. Osteon Myospalacem Baileyi had been widely used in the Tibet region as an anti-osteoporosis drug and since 1991 Osteon Myospalacem Baileyi has been listed in the Pharmacopoeia of People's Republic of China as the first-class animal new medical material. However, the mechanism of its anti-osteoporosis activities is still unclear. It is very desirable to solve this problem for further study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: in this study, preparative chromatography was employed to produce the active fraction ET4 from Osteon Myospalacem Baileyi crude. Flow cytometry and MTT assay were used to evaluate the toxicities of ET4. BMM cells were separated from mouse bone marrow to test the inhibition effects of ET4 on osteoclastogenesis. Western blot was used to find out the pathways, through which ET4 could act on osteoclastogenesis. Q-PCR was used to test the osteoclastogenesis marker genes. At last, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy was used to test the osteoclastogenesis master protein NFATc1 nuclei translocation. RESULTS: In this study we report that ET4, at the dose of 60µg/mL, significantly inhibited the formation of osteoclasts. Notably, ET4 did not affect the BMM viability at that dose. In addition, Osteon Myospalacem Baileyi could inhibit the expression of osteoclast marker genes, including cathepsin K (CTSK), nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP, Acp5) dendrite cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP), calcitonin receptor (CTR), osteoclast associated and immunoglobulin-like receptor (OSCAR). Mechanistically, ET4 dose- and time-dependently blocked the RANKL-induced activation of ERK and c-Fos as well as the induction of NFATc1 which is essential for OC formation. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that ET4 might be a useful alternative therapy in preventing or treating osteolytic diseases.

Trace anti-inflammatory ß-carboline alkaloid identified in Arenaria kansuensis by two-dimensional chromatography coupled with UniElut C18AEX based solid-phase extraction re-enrichment technology.

Traditional Chinese medicine is important for discovery of drug precursors. However, information about trace chemical composition of them is very limited due to the lack of appropriate enrichment and chromatographic purification methods In our work, A. kansuensis was taken as an example, a novel two-dimensional reversed-phase/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with UniElut C18AEX solid-phase extraction re-enrichment method based on anti-inflammatory bioactivity-guided assay was developed for gathering and purifying trace ß-carboline alkaloids with high purity from the ethyl acetate extract of A. kansuensis. Extraction with ethyl acetate as the first enrichment method, then, a UniElut C18AEX column was employed to re-enrich trace fraction which was hardly detected by diode array detector during high performance liquid chromatography analysis, eighteen grams of UniElut C18AEX was used as sorbent material to pack a 60mL pipette tip for the extraction of ß-carboline alkaloids from 100mL of ethyl acetate sample. The whole extraction process was finished in 10min, and the volume of eluent used was only 120mL. The enriching fraction (100mg) was used for the following two-dimensional purification. First-dimensional preparation was carried on a RP-Megress-C18 prep column, and four anti-inflammatory fractions were obtained from the 100mg re-enriching sample with a recovery of 66.9%. A HILIC-XAmide prep column was selected for the second dimensional preparation. Finally, two pair of analogue ß-carboline alkaloids and one other ß-carboline alkaloid were purified from A. kansuensis. The purity of the isolated compounds was ≫>98%, which indicated that the method was efficient to re-enrich and manufacture single trace ß-carboline alkaloids with high purity from A. kansuensis. Additionally, this method showed great potential to serve as a good example for the purification and enrichment of analogue structure anti-inflammation carboline alkaloids from other plant materials.

Sophoridine from Sophora Flower Attenuates Ovariectomy Induced Osteoporosis through the RANKL-ERK-NFAT Pathway.

An imbalance in osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis is a crucial pathological factor in the development of osteoporosis. Osteoclasts (OCs) play a pivotal role in osteoporosis, whose new therapy exploration has been focused on the suppression of OC formation. Sophoridine is found from the Chinese traditional food sophora flower to exhibit anti-osteoporosis capacity by screening. This study is focused on its anti-osteoporosis mechanism evaluation. The anti-osteoporosis effect of sophoridine, (15 mg kg-1 body), was evaluated in ovariectomized (OVX) mice by monitoring changes in bone histomorphometry index, formation of osteoclasts from blood-derived mononuclear cells, and changes in the synthesis of pro-osteoclastogenic cytokines. Signal pathways were investigated by QPCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence. Sophoridine has a significant anti-osteoporosis effect in vivo, which can inhibit RANKL-induced OC formation, the appearance of OC-specific marker genes, and OC marker protein in vitro. Mechanistically, sophoridine dose- and time-dependently blocks the RANKL-induced OC formation and the activation of ERK and c-Fos as well as the induction and nucleus translocation of NFATc1. Sophora flower might be a useful alternative functional food in preventing or treating osteoporosis.

Preparative isolation of flavonoid glycosides from Sphaerophysa salsula using hydrophilic interaction solid-phase extraction coupled with two-dimensional preparative liquid chromatography.

An offline preparative two-dimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with hydrophilic interaction solid-phase extraction method was developed for the preparative isolation of flavonoid glycosides from a crude sample of Sphaerophysa salsula. First, the non-flavonoids were removed using an XAmide solid-phase extraction cartridge. Based on the separation results of three different chromatographic stationary phases, the first-dimensional preparation was performed on an XAqua C18 prep column, and 15 fractions were obtained from the 5.2 g target sample. Then, three representative fractions were selected for additional purification on an XAmide preparative column to further isolate the flavonoid glycosides. In all, eight flavonoid glycosides were isolated in purities over 97%. The results demonstrated that the two-dimensional liquid chromatography method used in this study was effective for the preparative separation of flavonoid glycosides from Sphaerophysa salsula. Additionally, this method showed great potential for the separation of flavonoid glycosides from other plant materials.