[Examination of Extraction Conditions of Chlorogenic Acid and Its Content in Domestic Phellodendron amurense Leaves].

Phellodendron amurense is a broad-leaved tree; its outer bark and cork layers are removed and used as a crude medicinal agent known as Phellodendri Cortex. These trees are cultivated for approximately 15 to 20 years, harvested by felling, and processed by separating the outer and inner bark. Conventionally, parts other than the inner bark (i.e., fruit, leaves, and heartwood) remain unused. However, the revenue earned from by-products could contribute to continued cultivation of Phellodendron amurense. Herein, we examined the extraction condition and investigated the content of chlorogenic acid in the leaves of domestic Phellodendron amurense, which possesses antioxidant activity.

[Simultaneous Quantitative Analysis of Berberine and Other Alkaloids in Powdered Phellodendron Bark].

Phellodendron bark ("Obaku") is an important crude drug used in Kampo-medicine. Recently, powder formulation of phellodendron bark was approved as an "efficacious treatment for bruise, sprain, and periodontal diseases", and it has been marketed as an OTC agent. To obtain this approval, the examination of quality control-related characteristics is necessary. Therefore, we established a quantitative method for jatrorrhizine, palmatine, and berberine determination. In this study, we compared the contents of the three constituents obtained from the extracts of Japanese and Chinese phellodendron bark and found remarkable difference.

Structural Analysis of Polygalaxanthones, C-Glucosyl Xanthones of Polygala tenuifolia Roots.

Polygalaxanthone III, a xanthone glycoside that is a major constituent of "Polygala Root" (Polygala tenuifolia roots, Onji in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia), has been used as a standard in the quality control of crude drugs. However, we previously noted differences in the chromatographic properties of one of three samples of polygalaxanthone III. Therefore, standardization of the standard itself is extremely important. The structures of three standard samples commercially available as polygalaxanthone III were characterized by LC/MS and NMR. LC/MS analysis revealed that two molecular types exist. Both types are chromatographically separable but have an identical mass number with distinguishable MS/MS spectra. One dimensional (1D)-NMR analyses demonstrated that both had the same xanthone moiety and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) analyses revealed that they are structural isomers at the connecting position of glucose to apiose 1-position. Consequently, the isomers were identified as polygalaxanthone III and its regioisomer, polygalaxanthone XI. Based on the findings, we recommend using the LC-MS/MS detection method, which discriminates polygalaxanthone III and XI, to confirm the quality of the standard.

[Quality Evaluation of Saposhnikoviae Radix (Differences between Wild-type and Cultivated Products)].

　Saposhnikoviae Radix ("Boufu") is an important crude drug used in Kampo formulation. It is extracted from wild-type plants. However, recently, extraction has become difficult because of a decrease in wild-type plants. Therefore, cultivated plants account for the majority of the market, from which the crude drug is extracted. However, the cultivation techniques used are not sufficient to obtain the desirable extracts. In this study, we compared the contents of the extract and the quantitative values of characteristic constituents obtained from wild-type and cultivated plants, and found a remarkable difference. Therefore, it is considered that these indicators play an important role in the establishment of better cultivation technology.