[Study on HPLC-characteristic chromatogram for evaluation of quality of Scutellaria Extract and influencing factors of preparations].

This work was carried out to establish and validate the specific characteristic chromatography of Scutellaria Extract and evaluate the quality of commercial Scutellaria Extract and optimize production process parameters. Scutellaria Extract and formulation samples collected from different manufacturers were analyzed using HPLC-characteristic chromatogram. The HPLC characteristic peaks were considered to be the index for the parameters optimization in preparations of Scutellaria Extract. The chemical pattern recognization was applied for the analysis of characteristic peak data. The established characteristic fingerprint method possessed a good precision, repeatability, and stability. Ten common characteristic peaks were determined and identified in the specific chromatogram of 31 batches of Scutellaria Extract and 4 batches of formulation. The process parameters influenced the characteristic peaks area significantly. The similarity analysis results showed that after removing baicalin peak, the similarity of the characteristic chromatography of 9 samples were less than 0.90, indicating that the quality of commercial Scutellaria Extract was inconsistent. Non-parametric test result showed that the relative peaks area of the number 4, 6, 7 characteristic peaks had significant differences(P<0.05), indicating the differences of the Scutellaria Extract quality were mainly reflected in the characteristic peaks 4, 6 and 7(norwogonin-7-O-glucuronide, oroxylin A-7-O-glucuronide, wogonoside, respectively). The cluster analysis accurately classified 31 extract samples and 4 formulation samples into five categories based on 10 characteristic peaks. The quality of Scutellaria Extracts was comprehensively evaluated and ranked by PCA. The result showed that the higher content of baicalin, the score value of quality(F value) was lower, and the quality of the Scutellaria Extract should be evaluated by multi-components instead of a single baicalin component. The optimized characteristic peaks method is stable and reliable. It is advantageous for the extract and formulations integrative quality control by combining the chemical pattern recognization.

Effect of traditional Chinese medicine in improving human health by regulating bacterial quorum sensing system / 中国中药杂志

Quorum sensing(QS) is one of the research hotspots in the fields of microbiology and medicine in recent years. Quorum sensing is a cell communication regulatory system, which is used by bacterial flora to pass on information of population density by sensing specific signaling molecules to the environment. The QS system of bacteria can impact biological functions, such as bacterial growth, proliferation, biofilm formation, virulence factor production, antibiotic synthesis, and ultimately adapt the bacteria to environmental changes. At present, more and more active ingredients can regulate quorum sensing have been found in traditional Chinese medicines(TCM). TCM and their active ingredients can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and finally achieve the purpose of treating diseases. It embodies multi-pathway and multi-target characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. This article first introduces molecular types and regulation mechanisms of quorum sensing signals between bacteria. On this basis, the human health-related bacterial quorum sensing is summarized, and the regulatory effect of TCM on bacterial quorum sensing system is discussed. Finally, it is noted that the material basis and mechanisms of TCM in improving human health through bacterial quorum sensing system are still unclear. Future research hotspots will focus on quorum sensing active substances, quorum sensing key nodes and relevant targets. In a word, this article provides reference for the treatment of relevant diseases.

Screening potential mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines using a mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method / 药物分析学报

Mitochondria regulate numerous crucial cell processes, including energy production, apoptotic cell death, oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Here, we applied an efficient mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method,also known as screening method for mitochondria-targeted bioactive constituents (SM-MBC). This method allowed searching natural mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs), including Puerariae Radix (PR) and Chuanxiong Radix (CR). A total of 23 active compounds were successfully discovered from the two TCMs extracts. Among these 23 hit compounds, 17 were identified by LC/MS, 12 of which were novel mitochondria-targeting compounds. Among these, 6 active compounds were analyzed in vitro for pharmacological tests and found able to affect mitochondrial functions. We also investigated the effects of the hit compounds on HepG2 cell proliferation and on loss of cardiomyocyte viability induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. The results obtained are useful for in-depth understanding of mechanisms underlying TCMs therapeutic effects at mitochondria level and for developing novel potential drugs using TCMs as lead compounds. Finally, we showed that SM-MBC was an efficient protocol for the rapid screening of mitochondria-targeting constituents from complex samples such as PR and CR extracts.

Protective Effects and Mechanisms of Polygonatum kingianum on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver in Rats / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investgate the protective effects and mechanisms of Polygonatum kingianum on nonalcoholic fatty liver induced by high-fat diet in rats. METHODS: A total of 42 rats were randomly divided into normal control group (normal saline), model group (normal saline), resveratrol group (positive control, 40 mg•kg-1) and low-, middle-and high-dose P. kingianum group (1, 4, 8 g•kg-1). They were intragastrically given corresponding compounds (or normal saline) once a day, lasting for 14 weeks. Nonalcoholic fatty liver was induced by feed with high-fat diet for 14 weeks in those groups except for normal control group. Blood was taken from the corneas at 0, 6, 12 and 14 week, and then the levels of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in serum were determined. Afterword, the rats were sacrificed at 14 week followed by the measurement of organs indices of liver, spleen and kidney, as well as the detection of levels of TC, TG, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in liver tissues. Furthermore, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), ATP synthase and respiratory chain complex and Ⅱ in hepatic mitochondria were determined. RESULTS: Nonalcoholic fatty liver was successfully induced by high-fat diet in rats. The different doses of water extract of P. kingianum could significantly inhibit the increasing of liver index and serum TC in high-fat diet-induced rats, alleviate swelling, degeneration, necrosis and inflammatory injury of hepatic cells, inhibit the increasing of TC, TG and LDL-C and decrease of HDL-C in liver tissues, as well as inhibit the exaltation of MDA level and reduction of SOD, GSH-PX, ATP synthase and respiratory chain complex and Ⅱ activity in hepatic mitochondria. CONCLUSION: P. kingianum shows protective effects on high-fat diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver in rats. The action mechanism may be related to the elimination of oxidative stress product (MDA) and improvement of antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD and GSH-PX) in hepatic mitochondria, as well as the improvement of energy metabolism obstacle.

Study on HPLC-fingerprint-based identification of dao-di herb and non dao-di herb of scutellariae radix / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the discrepancies between chemical constituents in Dao-di herb and non Dao-di herb of Huangqin (the root of Scutellaria baicalensis), study the impact of habitat and growth pattern (including cultivated and wild Huangqin) on chemical substances of Huangqin, and then provide evidence for the identification of Dao-di herb and quality evaluation of Huangqin.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The chemical constituents in Huangqin collected from different habitats and under different growth patterns, were analyzed using HPLC fingerprint. The fingerprints obtained were then evaluated by hierarchical clustering analysis, principal component analysis and components peak area pattern.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The fingerprints' chemical profiles of Dao-di herb and non Dao-di Huangqin had significant disparity. The fingerprints of modem Dao-di herb Huangqin samples originated from Chengde (Hebei Province) were significantly different from those from other habitats, though the fingerprints of the non Dao-di Huangqin collected from Chifeng (Inner Mongolia) and Chengde had high similarity to each other. The chemical characteristics of Huangqin samples collected from the habitats recorded in ancient herbals, such as Qingyang (Gansu Province), Yan'an (Shaanxi Province), Linyi (Shangdong Province), Changzhi and Jinzhong (Shanxi Province) were similar. The fingerprints of modern non Dao-di samples collected from Dingxi and Longnan (Gansu Province) and Shangluo (Shaanxi Province) had high similarity. In addition, the content of acteoside in wild Huangqin was higher than that in cultivated Huangqin.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Dao-di herb and non Dao-di herb of Huangqin could be distinguished using the developed HPLC fingerprints. The results obtained may provide evidence for the quality control and pharmcodynamical research of Dao-di herb and non Dao-di Huangqin.</p>