Effects of drying methods on contents of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of Angelica dahurica.

Baizhi (Angelica dahurica) has been widely used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, functional food and cosmetic product ingredient, mostly because of the high furanocoumarin compounds in roots. Because the fresh root is perishable, drying techniques are needed to maintain a higher-quality product. Freeze-drying is the best method but energy-consuming and costly. The aim of this study was to analyze the quality (antioxidant and furanocoumarin content) of Baizhi roots after freeze-drying (the control) and in-the-shade, 40 and 70 °C drying. Antioxidant activity was revealed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and Fe2+ chelating assay, and the content of six furanocoumarin compounds, including xanthotoxin, bergapten, oxypeucedanin, imperatorin, phellopterin and isoimperatorin, was analyzed by liquid chromatography. Antioxidant activity was greater in roots with in-the-shade, 40 and 70 °C drying than freeze-drying. The furanocoumarin content pattern was similar with 70 °C drying and freeze-drying. A. dahurica roots dried at 70 °C may be an alternative method for maintaining high quality.

Influence of harvest stage on the pharmacological effect of Angelica dahurica.

BACKGROUND: Baizhi (Angelica dahurica) has been widely used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, functional food and cosmetic product ingredient, mostly because of the high furanocoumarin compounds in roots. The cropping system of Baizhi with its unique summer dormancy feature, is easily affected by the transition of its growth stages. The aim of this study was to analyze the quantity (size, form and dry weight [DW]) and quality (antioxidant and furanocoumarin content) of taproot and lateral root from three growth stages of Baizhi; vegetative (V-stage), summer dormancy (S-stage) and bolting stage (B-stage). RESULTS: Root length and diameter were lower at V-stage than the other two stages, and S-stage had higher lateral root to total root ratio. However, the highest root DW was observed at S-stage. Antioxidant activity was revealed by 2,2-diphenyl-L-picrylhydrazyl and Fe2+ chelating assay, and the content of six furanocoumarin compounds, including xanthotoxin, bergapten, oxypeucedanin, imperatorin, phellopterin and isoimperatorin, was analyzed by liquid chromatography. Although the antioxidant activity was less at S-stage than the other stages, furanocoumarin contents showed little variation. CONCLUSION: Considering the high DW and stable furanocoumarin composition, S-stage is the best harvest stage than the other stages because of its richer total pharmacological content.

Antifatigue properties of tanshinone IIA in mice subjected to the forced swimming test.

CONTEXT: Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is a constituent of Danshen Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae); however, its antifatigue activity remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To study the antifatigue properties of Tan IIA and its underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In program I, three mouse groups were separately subjected to three gavages with 0, 1 and 6 mg/kg Tan IIA and forced swimming test (FST) weekly for 8 weeks; in program II, one gavage with 0, 2 and 10 mg/kg Tan IIA was administered plus FST weekly for 4 weeks. Serum glucose, lactate, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were determined after final FST. RESULTS: Tan IIA significantly prolonged swimming durations in program I but not in program II. Swimming times were 3208 ± 1054 and 2443 ± 1054 s for the 1 and 6 mg/kg treatments and 856 ± 292 s for the vehicle control. The two doses significantly reduced serum glucose levels (40.3 ± 8.5 and 60.0 1 ± 11.8 mg/kg) and lactate levels (61.3 ± 27.5 and 68.8 ± 8.5 mg/kg) in treated mice compared with those in control mice (137.5 ± 38.6 mg/kg and 122.7 ± 18.2 mg/kg, respectively). However, no significant differences were observed regarding SOD, MDA or BUN levels. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Tan IIA has antifatigue activity and is associated with reductions in serum glucose and lactate levels. Further studies should assess muscle hypertrophy and efficient aerobic glycolysis caused by Tan IIA. Tan IIA has potential as a pharmacological agent for fatigue resistance.

Synergistic combinations of tanshinone IIA and trans-resveratrol toward cisplatin-comparable cytotoxicity in HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

AIM: To determine the combinative effects of tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) and trans-resveratrol (Resv) on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest and DNA fragmentation in HepG2 human liver cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytotoxicity was detected by the cell proliferation and cytotoxicity WST-1 assay. Cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis were determined using flow cytometry analysis. DNA fragments were separated by gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Tan IIA and Resv at mixture ratios of 1/2:1/2 and 1/3:2/3 exerted synergistic cytotoxicity comparable to that of cisplatin. Elevated proportions of sub-G1 and apoptotic cells were respectively found in the combinative treatments in comparison with hypothetic values of additive effects. Moreover, a more intensive pattern of apoptotic DNA fragmentation was visualized in combined treatments than in individual ones. CONCLUSION: Combining Tan IIA and Resv causes synergistic cisplatin-comparable, cytotoxicity and robustly induces apoptosis, sub-G1 cell cycle arrest and DNA fragmentation. This study provides evidence supporting further pre-clinical investigations of the combinational synergism.