Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis extract attenuates memory impairment in rats with Alzheimer's disease by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by degeneration of the central nervous system. Recently, many studies have emphasized the beneficial role of Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis extract (GJ-4) in neuroprotection, which is considered a potential drug for treating AD. However, the mechanism underlying its neuroprotective effects is obscure. This research intended to analyze the effectiveness of GJ-4 to induce neuronal protective role on a rat model of neurotoxicity and probe the potential mechanism. An AD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of aluminum chloride (AlCl3). Then, AlCl3-induced rats were administered 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of GJ-4 orally. This study indicated that GJ-4 (25 and 50 mg/kg) mitigated AD-like behaviors, as evidenced by enhanced ambulation frequency, rearing frequency, and time spent in the target quadrant and decreased grooming frequency, defecation frequency, and escape latency in AlCl3-challenged rats. Also, GJ-4 at 25 and 50 mg/kg exerted an anti-apoptosis effect in the hippocampus of AlCl3-treated rats. Furthermore, GJ-4 (25 and 50 mg/kg) exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect in the hippocampus by repressing the activation of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, further inhibiting the activation of Caspase 1, ASC, IL-1ß, and IL-18 in AD hippocampus. Altogether, GJ-4 mitigated AlCl3-triggered impairment of learning and memory in AD rats via repressing NLRP3 inflammasome.

Whole-genome resequencing analysis of the medicinal plant Gardenia jasminoides.

Background: Gardenia jasminoides is a species of Chinese medicinal plant, which has high medicinal and economic value and rich genetic diversity, but the study on its genetic diversity is far not enough. Methods: In this study, one wild and one cultivated gardenia materials were resequenced using IlluminaHiSeq sequencing platform and the data were evaluated to understand the genomic characteristics of G. jasminoides. Results: After data analysis, the results showed that clean data of 11.77G, Q30 reached 90.96%. The average comparison rate between the sample and reference genome was 96.08%, the average coverage depth was 15X, and the genome coverage was 85.93%. The SNPs of FD and YP1 were identified, and 3,087,176 and 3,241,416 SNPs were developed, respectively. In addition, SNP non-synonymous mutation, InDel mutation, SV mutation and CNV mutation were also detected between the sample and the reference genome, and KEGG, GO and COG database annotations were made for genes with DNA level variation. The structural gene variation in the biosynthetic pathway of crocin and gardenia, the main medicinal substance of G. jasminoides was further explored, which provided basic data for molecular breeding and genetic diversity of G. jasminoides in the future.

Gardeniae Fructus Extract Alleviates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in Mice.

Muscle atrophy (MA) is a case in which protein degeneration occurs excessively due to an imbalance between protein synthesis and breakdown, and is characterized by decreased muscle mass and weakened muscle strength. Despite mounting concern about MA, the number of patients with MA is increasing every year. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of Gardeniae Fructus (GF) hot water extract on dexamethasone (DEX)-induced MA in mice. C57BL/6N mice were grouped (n = 8) as follows: Normal mice (Normal), MA mice were treated with distilled water (Control), MA mice were treated with GF 100 mg/kg (GF100), MA mice were treated with GF 200 mg/kg (GF200). For 10 days, DEX (25 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) injection was used to induce MA, and GF was administered. GF treatment restored the muscle weight decreased due to MA, and in particular, the weights of EDL+TA and Sol were significantly increased in the GF200 group. Also, it was confirmed that the swimming time was improved in the GF200 group. In addition, the expression of NADPH oxidase related to oxidative stress was significantly reduced, and protective (insulin-like growth factor I/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway) and catabolic (AMP-activated kinase [AMPK]/sirtuin 1 [SIRT1]/proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α)-forkhead box O (FOXO) pathway) pathways were significantly modulated. These results demonstrate that GF regulates muscle protein synthesis and catabolic pathways, and in particular, it is judged to improve MA by regulating the proteolytic AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α-FOXO pathway.

Antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of Gardenia latifolia in type-2 diabetic rats fed with high-fat diet plus low-dose streptozotocin.

OBJECTIVES: To test the antidiabetic potential of Gardenia latifolia extract (GLE) in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) + streptozotocin (STZ). METHODS: The study was carried out in June 2021. Gardenia latifolia powdered leaves were subjected to Soxhlet extraction using ethanol. Male rats were administered a low dose-40 mg/kg STZ by intraperitoneal route following 2 weeks of HFD to induce type-2 diabetic rats (T2DR). Rats were randomized into 5 groups (n=6). Group 1 (normal control; 10 ml/kg normal saline); Group 2 (diabetic control: DC); Group 3 (standard; DR + metformin, 100 mg/kg per oral); Group 4 (DR + GLE 250 mg/kg); Group 5 (DR + GLE 500 mg/kg). The treatment period extended for 2 weeks. Body weight and fasting blood glucose were determined on days 0, 7, and 14. Fasting serum insulin (FSI) levels, fasting blood glucose (FBG), HOMA-IR, antioxidant enzyme level, Insulin tolerance test (ITT), and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) tests were estimated. RESULTS: Gardenia latifolia extract exhibited a marked decrease (p<0.001) in fasting blood glucose levels. T2DR receiving a higher dose of GLE showed a greater improvement in metabolic indices (FSI, FBG, Homeostatic Model Assessment of insulin resistance). The ITT and IPGTT results demonstrated that GLE could significantly enhance insulin tolerance, glucose tolerance, and antioxidant enzyme levels in T2DR. CONCLUSION: Gardenia latifolia can be an ideal medicinal plant candidate for treating T2DM, and it should be investigated further for its therapeutic potential.

Metabolomics integrated with transcriptomics reveals the distribution of iridoid and crocin metabolic flux in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis.

Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (G. jasminoides) fruits are used as a resource for obtaining natural colorants and in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. However, G. jasminoides presents a relatively long flowering period and different ripening periods, so there are significant differences in the accumulation of metabolites in fruits of different colors. In addition, the complete metabolic pathways of iridoidsand crocins, which are used as medicinal composition of G. jasminoides, are poorly understood at present. In this research, we comprehensively compared the transcriptome and metabolites profiles of the developmental stages and locations of iridoid and crocin biosynthesis. A large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected in four groups of samples, and clear variation in the pattern of metabolite abundance and gene expression were observed among different fruit colors and parts. Geniposide and gardenoside mainly accumulated in the sarcocarp of green fruit (GFS) and the sarcocarp of red fruit (FS), respectively. Crocin mainly accumulated in the peel and sarcocarp of red fruits. In the iridoid pathway, we hypothesized that there was a transport mechanism from the sarcocarp to the peel of G. jasminoides because of the inconsistent expression of G8O, 10-HGO and IS associated with differences in fruit ripening. UGTs play an important role in the biosynthesis of the active components of G. jasminoides. Combined transcriptome and metabonomics analysis showed a negative correlation between the biosynthesis of geniposide and crocin. The redirection of the metabolic flux and the regulation of key enzymes may be the main reasons for the changes in the biosynthesis of iridoid and crocin in G. jasminoides fruit. Our study expended valuable information for functional genomic library and provided new insights for metabolic engineering of secondary metabolite in G. Jasminoides.

A systematic metabolic pathway identification of Common Gardenia Fruit (Gardeniae Fructus) in mouse bile, plasma, urine and feces by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS.

Gardeniae Fructus was a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) containing various biological ingredients including iridoids and crocetins, monocyclic monoterpenes, organic acids, and flavonoids. However, few systematic identification studies of the bioactive components in vivo have been reported. Herein, the ingredients and metabolites of Gardeniae Fructus were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-sensitivity Q-TOF mass spectrometry. A total of 45 prototype compounds in Gardeniae Fructus extract were tentatively identified. After oral administration, 69 of prototypes and metabolites were identified from mice bile, plasma, urine, and feces, in which, 31 compounds were prototypes, and 38 chemicals were metabolites. The in vivo biotransformation pathways of these metabolites were also proposed including phase I (hydrolysis, hydrogenation, oxidation, loss of O, and ketone formation, decarboxylation) and phase II reactions (glycine, cysteine, glutathione, and glutamine, and sulfate conjugation, and glucuronidation). For the first time, our results had revealed systematic metabolic profiles of ingredients in Gardeniae Fructus extract in vivo of mice and replenished novel knowledge into the explanation of effective material and/or toxicological basis of Gardeniae Fructus which deserves further investigation.

A two-step ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry with mass defect filtering method for rapid identification of analogues from known components of different chemical structure types in Fructus Gardeniae-Fructus Forsythiae herb pair extract and in rat's blood.

Fructus Gardeniae-Fructus Forsythiae herb pair is an herbal formula used extensively to treat inflammation and fever, but few systematic identification studies of the bioactive components have been reported. Herein, the unknown analogues in the first-step screening were rapidly identified from representative compounds in different structure types (geniposide as iridoid type, crocetin as crocetin type, jasminoside B as monocyclic monoterpene type, oleanolic acid as saponin type, 3-caffeoylquinic acid as organic acid type, forsythoside A as phenylethanoid type, phillyrin as lignan type and quercetin 3-rutinoside as flavonoid type) by UPLC-Q-Tof/MS combined with mass defect filtering (MDF), and further confirmed with reference standards and published literatures. Similarly, in the second step, other unknown components were rapidly discovered from the compounds identified in the first step by MDF. Using the two-step screening method, a total of 58 components were characterized in Fructus Gardeniae-Fructus Forsythiae (FG-FF) decoction. In rat's blood, 36 compounds in extract and 16 metabolites were unambiguously or tentatively identified. Besides, we found the principal metabolites were glucuronide conjugates, with the glucuronide conjugates of caffeic acid, quercetin and kaempferol confirmed as caffeic acid 3-glucuronide, quercetin 3-glucuronide and kaempferol 3-glucuronide by reference standards, respectively. Additionally, most of them bound more strongly to human serum albumin than their respective prototypes, predicted by Molecular Docking and Simulation, indicating that they had lower blood clearance in vivo and possibly more contribution to pharmacological effects. This study developed a novel two-step screening method in addressing how to comprehensively screen components in herbal medicine by UPLC-Q-Tof/MS with MDF.

Green synthesis and characterization of biologically active nanosilver from seed extract of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis.

This article reports the utilization of seed extract (GSE) from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Gs-AgNPs) with versatile biological activities. The synthesized Gs-AgNPs were spherical in shape, crystal lattice with an average size of 20 nm as confirmed by UV-vis spectrum, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy with Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDS) and particle size analyses (PSA). Phenolic compounds, proteins, and terpenoids were likely involved in the Gs-AgNPs synthesis, as indicated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the Gs-AgNPs was 12.5 µg·ml-1 for S. enterica Typhimurium and 10 µg·ml-1 for S. aureus. The MBC of the Gs-AgNPs induced >70% bacterial cell death within 60 min, as confirmed by growth curve analysis followed by Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). Gs-AgNPs showed the highest scavenging activity for 1, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl DPPH radical (92.3 ±â€¯0.86%), Nitric oxide (NO) radical (72.5 ±â€¯2.15%), and Hydrogen peroxide H2O2 radical (85.25 ±â€¯1.45%). Anticancer results revealed an IC50 of 15.625 ±â€¯1.3 µg·ml-1 for Gs-AgNPs, whereas it was 580.54 ±â€¯2.5 µg·ml-1 for GSE. The Gs-AgNPs generated high reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in induced apoptosis as evident by up-regulation of apoptosis-related protein. In addition, the photocatalytic results revealed about 92% of the reduction in Coomassie Brilliant Blue dye color with Gs-AgNPs. Hence, this work provided economically viable and ecologically sustainable Gs-AgNPs as an alternative biomaterial for future therapeutic applications as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-cancer agents and in dye degradation for water remediation.

Quality assessment of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) extracts via UHPLC-DAD-MS analysis and detection of adulteration using gardenia fruit extract (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis).

A new UHPLC-DAD-MS method based on a Core-Shell particles column was developed to realize the rapid separation of saffron stigma metabolites (Crocus sativus L.). A single separation of 35 compounds included cis and trans-crocetin esters (crocins), cis-crocetin, trans-crocetin, kaempferol derivatives, safranal, and picrocrocin from pure saffron stigmas. This method permitted the detection of 11 picrocrocin derivatives as the typical group of compounds from saffron as well as the detection of gardenia-specific compounds as typical adulterant markers. The metabolite concentration in a Standardized Saffron Extract (SSE) was determined using the method described herein and by comparison to the ISO3632 conventional method. The safranal content was 5-150 times lower than the value of 2% that was expected via ISO3632 analyses. Using the same Core-Shell separation, geniposide detection appeared to be a relevant approach for detecting the adulteration of saffron by using gardenia.

Fecal Metabolomics of Type 2 Diabetic Rats and Treatment with Gardenia jasminoides Ellis Based on Mass Spectrometry Technique.

Modern studies have indicated Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (G. jasminoides) showed positive effect in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this study, 60 streptozotocin-induced T2DM rats were divided into four groups: type 2 diabetes control group, geniposide-treated group, total iridoid glycosides-treated group, and crude extraction of gardenlae fructus-treated group. The other ten healthy rats were the healthy control group. During 12 weeks of treatment, rat's feces samples were collected for the metabolomics study based on mass spectrometry technique. On the basis of the fecal metabolomics method, 19 potential biomarkers were screened and their relative intensities in each group were compared. The results revealed G. jasminoides mainly regulated dysfunctions in phenylalanine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and secondary bile acid biosynthesis pathways induced by diabetes. The current study provides new insight for metabonomics methodology toward T2DM, and the results show that feces can preferably reflect the liver and intestines disorders.

Ethanol extract of baked Gardeniae Fructus exhibits in vitro and in vivo anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic activities in malignant cancer cells: Role of suppression of the NF-κB and HIF-1α pathways.

Gardeniae Fructus (GF, Zhi Zi in China), a fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, has been used in traditional medicine to reduce inflammation and headache and to treat hepatic disorders, hypertension, and icterus. In recent studies, extract of raw or stir-baked GF was shown to have pharmacological activities for viral infection, thrombosis, hyperlipidemia, convulsion, inflammation, oxidative stress, and others. In addition, baked GF extract suppressed the proteolytic activities and altered the cellular morphology of tumor cells. However, the effects of ethanol extract of baked GF (EBGF) on the metastatic and angiogenic capacities of malignant tumor cells and its detailed mechanism of action have not been reported. In this study, we found that EBGF significantly inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced MMP-9 and -13 and uPA expression via suppression of PMA-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κBp65. Metastatic potential, including migration, invasion, and colonization, was substantially reduced by EBGF with no cytotoxicity. In addition, EBGF attenuated tumor-induced angiogenesis, including microvessel sprouting, migration of endothelial cells (ECs), and tube formation of ECs, by inhibiting the release of pro-angiogenic factors from tumor cells. In C57BL/6 mice, we observed that daily administration of EBGF at 50 and 100 mg/kg suppressed metastatic colonization of B16F10 melanoma cells in the lungs. Furthermore, EBGF administration did not cause adverse effects, suggesting that EBGF is safe and may be a potential herbal medicine capable of controlling metastatic malignant cancers.

Cross-linking of interfacial casein layer with genipin prevented pH-induced structural instability and lipase digestibility of the fat droplets.

The present study provided a new approach to enhance the stability of protein-emulsified nanoemulsions and to control the lipase digestibility of lipid droplets through spontaneous cross-linking of the interfacial layer with genipin, a functional ingredient isolated from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides E. Cross-linking casein-emulsified nanoemulsions under different genipin/casein mass ratios (1:20, 1:10, 1:5) significantly (p < 0.05) or very significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced their stability under harsh gastric pH environments and prevented nanoemulsion flocculation. As observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM), under the pH 1.2 condition, the genipin cross-linked nanoemulsion showed more compact microstructure with clear and defined contour as well as "core-shell" structure caused by the swelling of the surface protein film. Interestingly, the intestinal digestibility of lipid droplets was delayed very significantly (p < 0.01) after cross-linking the interfacial casein layer with genipin, which was enhanced by the increase in genipin/casein mass ratio and cross-linking time.

System-level study on synergism and antagonism of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine by using molecular imprinting technology.

In this work, synergism and antagonism among active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were studied at system-level by using molecular imprinting technology. Reduning Injection (RDNI), a TCM injection, was widely used to relieve fever caused by viral infection diseases in China. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) synthesized by sol-gel method were used to separate caffeic acid (CA) and analogues from RDNI without affecting other compounds. It can realize the preparative scale separation. The inhibitory effects of separated samples of RDNI and sample combinations in prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells were studied. The combination index was calculated to evaluate the synergism and antagonism. We found that components which had different scaffolds can produce synergistic anti-inflammatory effect inside and outside the RDNI. Components which had similar scaffolds exhibited the antagonistic effect, and the antagonistic effects among components could be reduced to some extent in RDNI system. The results indicated MIPs with the characteristics of specific adsorption ability and large scale preparation can be an effective approach to study the interaction mechanism among active ingredients of complex system such as TCM at system-level. And this work would provide a new idea to study the interactions among active ingredients of TCM.

Biomass assisted synthesis of alumina by Gardenia Jasminoides Ellis and their application for removal of Ni(II) from aqueous solution.

A simple and novel process has been proposed to synthesize alumina using gardenia extract and aluminum salts in an aqueous solution. The alumina sample notated as "bio-Al2O3" was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiment. The results indicated that the existence of the gardenia biomass enlarged the surface area of alumina and reached 256 m(2)/g. The thermo gravimetric (TG), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results showed that gardenia biomass bound to the surface of the alumina has substantially improved the adsorption capacity of Ni(II) and the adsorption behavior of nickel ion was related to the biomass functional groups. The results of three adsorption-desorption cycles showed that the bio-Al2O3 using as the adsorbent for Ni(II) was relatively stable. The kinetic of the Ni(II) adsorption by the bio-Al2O3 followed pseudo-second-order equation. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to analyze the experimental data and the result demonstrated that the adsorption isotherms followed Langmuir isotherm model.

One-enzyme catalyzed simultaneous plant cell disruption and conversion of released glycoside to aglycone combined with in situ product separation as green one-pot production of genipin from gardenia fruit.

A direct one-pot production of genipin, an iridoid aglycone, from crude gardenia fruit was developed. The method relied on the use of single cellulase to disrupt plant cells and to cleave off sugar molecules simultaneously, thereby enhancing the release of intracellular iridoids and converting geniposide to genipin. During the biocatalysis, eco-friendly ethyl acetate was used to extract the product, providing the partial purification and the minimization of genipin degradation. By using 10 mg/mL cellulase and 24 h-incubation at 50 °C, pH 4, combined with in situ extraction, genipin with good purity was yielded at 58.83 mg/g, which increased 12.38 and 1.72 times compared with those obtained from the procedures without either the aid of enzyme or in situ extraction, respectively. Therefore, this integrated approach is promising for the production of genipin and should be potentially applied to the preparation of other plant aglycones.

Changes in total and individual crocetin esters upon in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of saffron aqueous extracts.

Changes that may be expected in crocetin esters (crocins) upon digestion were examined in saffron aqueous extracts for the first time. Chemical characterization of total and individual crocins and other bioactive compounds was achieved by UV-vis spectrophotometry, RP-HPLC-DAD, and LC-ESI-MS. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using in vitro assays and the comet assay. The observed loss for both total and trans-crocins was higher in saffron (∼50%) than in gardenia extracts (∼30%), which were also examined for comparison. Loss was lower than that reported for hydrophobic carotenoids. cis-Isomers were less affected, leading to the hypothesis that trans/cis isomerization may occur in parallel to degradation reactions. Monitoring changes in the extracts at oral, gastric, or intestinal phases, separately, verified this view pointing out the critical effect of pH, temperature, and duration of process but not of digestive enzymes. No isomerization and less degradation (<20% loss) was evidenced when pure trans-crocetin (di-ß-D-gentiobiosyl) ester was subjected to gastric or intestinal conditions.

UGT75L6 and UGT94E5 mediate sequential glucosylation of crocetin to crocin in Gardenia jasminoides.

Crocin is an apocarotenoid glycosyl ester accumulating in fruits of Gardenia jasminoides and used as a food coloring and nutraceutical. For the first time, the two glucosyltransferases UGT75L6 and UGT94E5 that sequentially mediate the final glucosylation steps in crocin biosynthesis in G. jasminoides have been identified and functionally characterized. UGT75L6 preferentially glucosylates the carboxyl group of crocetin yielding crocetin glucosyl esters, while UGT94E5 glucosylates the 6' hydroxyl group of the glucose moiety of crocetin glucosyl esters. The expression pattern of neither UGT75L6 nor UGT94E5 correlated with the pattern of crocin accumulation in G. jasminoides.

The biosynthesis of palladium nanoparticles by antioxidants in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis: long lifetime nanocatalysts for p-nitrotoluene hydrogenation.

Gardenia jasminoides Ellis' water crude extract was used for the bioreduction of palladium chloride in this paper. The UV-vis spectrum, x-ray diffraction spectrum measurement, the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and TEM technique confirmed the formation of palladium nanoparticles and identified antioxidants including geniposide, chlorogenic acid, crocins and crocetin were reducing and stabilizing agents for synthesizing palladium nanoparticles in water crude extract. The particle size and dispersity were temperature-dependent. The particle sizes ranged from 3 to 5 nm and revealed the best dispersity at 70 degrees C. Catalytic performance of the biosynthetic Pd nanoparticles with good dispersity was investigated by hydrogenation of p-nitrotoluene. The catalysts showed a conversion of 100% under conditions of 5 MPa, 150 degrees C for 2 h. The selectivity of p-methyl-cyclohexylamine achieved 26.3%. The catalyst was recycled five times with no agglomeration and maintained activity, which was attributed to the appropriate protection of the antioxidants. On the basis of the study, it appears to be a new promising biosynthetic nanocatalyst for the development of an industrial process.

Chemical fingerprinting of Gardenia jasminoides fruit using direct sample introduction and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection.

A rapid, rugged, and inexpensive approach is described to develop chemical fingerprints of volatile and semivolatile fractions in herbal medicine. The method is based on the combination of direct sample introduction and gas chromatography (GC) analysis with mass spectrometry detection. In comparison with routine methods, the proposed approach provides the most informative fingerprint and does not demand time-consuming extraction, pretreatment, and cleanup procedures. The approach was applied to establish the GC fingerprint of gardenia fruit (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis), in which 39 components were identified. With the help of principal components analysis, the obtained fingerprint could reveal the variation in and within different herb samples as affected by season and developmental state (wild or cultivated). The results indicated that the proposed approach could serve as a rapid, simple, and effective technique for the quality control of herbal medicines.

Improvement of leaching process of Geniposide with ultrasound.

The effect of ultrasound on the leaching process, in which Geniposide is leached from the Gardenia fruit by deionized water at 20 degrees C, was investigated. The phase equilibrium and the dynamics were measured at static, stirring, and ultrasonically assisted conditions, respectively. The experimental results show that the extraction yield of Geniposide with ultrasound at 0.1533 W cm(-2), is increased by 16.5%, in comparison with that without ultrasound when the ratio of the solvent volume to the fruit weight is 40 ml/g. A model for mass transfer, based on the intraparticle diffusion and the external mass transfer, was developed. And the dynamic curves calculated by the model are in a good agreement with the experimental data. The external mass transfer coefficient k(f)/R and intraparticle diffusion coefficient D(e)/R2 were obtained by fitting of the experiment data. The external mass transfer coefficient with ultrasound at 0.1533 W cm(-2) is 1.63 times higher than that in static process, and the intraparticle diffusion coefficient with ultrasound at 0.1533 W cm(-2) is 3.25 times higher than that in static process.