Chemical constituents from the aerial parts of Rubia cordifolia L. with their NO inhibitory activity.

A new naphthoquinone derivative (1) together with twenty-three known compounds (2-24), were isolated from the aerial parts of Rubia cordifolia L. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HR-ESIMS data. Compounds 1-13 were assessed for their inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Compounds 2-6 exhibited significant inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 21.37, 13.81, 24.56, 20.32, and 30.08 µmol·L-1, respectively.

[Comparison on anti-inflammatory activity of Gynostemma pentaphyllum processed with different methods].

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Gynostemma pentaphyllum dried with two different methods(air drying and heating) on inflammation in acute lung injury(ALI) mice in vivo and in vitro. Lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was sprayed into the airway of wild type C57BL/6J male mice to establish the model, and the drug was injected into the tail vein 24 h after modeling. Lung function, lung tissue wet/dry weight(W/D) ratio, the total protein concentration, interleukin 6(IL-6), IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), and pathological changes of the lung tissue were used to evaluate the effects of different gypenosides on ALI mice. The results showed that total gypenosides(YGGPs) and the gypenosides substituted with one or two glycosyl(GPs_(1-2)) in the air-dried sample improved the lung function, significantly lowered the levels of IL-1ß and TNF-α in BALF, and alleviated the lung inflammation of ALI mice. Moreover, GPs_(1-2) had a more significant effect on inhibiting NO release in RAW264.7 cells. This study showed that different drying methods affected the anti-inflammatory activity of G. pentaphyllum, and the rare saponins in the air-dried sample without heating had better anti-inflammatory activity.

New alkaloids from Polygonatum zanlanscianense Pamp.

Sixteen alkaloid compounds were isolated from the dried rhizomes of P. zanlanscianense, including a pair of new enantiomers (R/S)-7'-ethoxy-trans-p-couma-royltyramine (1a/1b) and 14 known compounds (2-14) isolated from this plant for the first time. The structures of new compounds were identified by IR, NMR and MS spectroscopic analysis, and their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD data.

Rubia cordifolia L. ameliorates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice through dual inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathways.

The aerial part of â€‹Rubia cordifolia â€‹L. has been used as an herbal medicine for a long time with various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antibacterial activities. The most notable usage of these was that this herbal medicine had good therapeutic effects on diarrhea caused by various factors. However, the mechanism for the ethanolic extract of â€‹R. cordifolia â€‹L. (RCEE) to treat Ulcerative colitis (UC) effectively is still unclear. In this study, DSS successfully induced UC mice and then intervene using different polar parts of RCEE. The results indicated that RCEE-treatment inhibited colonic combination NLRP3 inflammasome formation and IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 activation in vivo, significantly ameliorating the clinical symptoms, including alleviating colonic mucosal damage and infiltration of macrophages, suppressing the release of inflammatory cytokines, and reducing mortality. Taken together, this study suggests that dual inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathways activation using RCEE may be a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing the progression of UC.

[Comparison of chemical components between aerial and underground parts of Coptis chinensis based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E technology].

The ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E) technology was employed to compare the chemical components between the aerial and underground parts of Coptis chinensis samples from different batches. According to the retention time, molecular ion peak, and LC-MS~E fragment information of the reference substances and available literature, we identified a total of 40 components. Thirty-three and 31 compounds were respectively identified in the underground part(taproots) and the aerial part(stems and leaves) of C. chinensis. Among them, 24 compounds, including alkaloids(e.g., berberine and jatrorrhizine) and phenolic acids(e.g., chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and tanshinol), were common in the two parts. In addition, differential components were also identified, such as magnoline glucoside in the underground part and(±) lariciresionol-4-ß-D-glucopyranoside in the aerial part. The analysis of fragmentation pathways based on spectra of reference substances indicated the differences among samples of different batches. Furthermore, we performed the principal component analysis(PCA) for the peak areas of C. chinensis in different batches. The results showed that the underground part and the aerial part were clearly clustered into two groups, indicating that the chemical components contained in the two parts were different. Furthermore, the results of partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) identified 31 differential compounds(VIP value>1) between the underground part and the aerial part, mainly including alkaloids, phenolic acids, lignans, and flavonoids. This study proves that C. chinensis possesses great development potential with multiple available compounds in stems and leaves. Moreover, it sheds light on for the development and utilization of non-medicinal organs of C. chinensis and other Chinese medicinal herbs.

Anthraquinones from the Aerial Parts of Rubia cordifolia with Their NO Inhibitory and Antibacterial Activities.

The present study aimed to identify the composition of the aerial parts of Rubia cordifolia L. A chemical investigation on the EtOAc extracts from the aerial parts of Rubia cordifolia resulted in the isolation of four new anthraquinones, namely Cordifoquinone A-D (1-4), along with 16 known anthraquinones. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HR-ESIMS data. All isolates were assessed for their inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Compounds 1, 3 and 10 exhibited significant inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 14.05, 23.48 and 29.23 µmol·L-1, respectively. Their antibacterial activities of four bacteria, Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC 29213), Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (ATCC 14028) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), were also evaluated. Our results indicated that the antibacterial activity of these compounds is inactive.

Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of 1-Substituted 1,2,3-Triazole-Mollugin Derivatives.

A new series of mollugin-1,2,3-triazole derivatives were synthesized using a copper(I)-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of corresponding O-propargylated mollugin with aryl azides. All the compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity on five human cancer cell lines (HL-60, A549, SMMC-7721, SW480, and MCF-7) using MTS assays. Among the synthesized series, most of them showed cytotoxicity and most of all, compounds 14 and 17 exhibited significant cytotoxicity of all five cancer cell lines.

[Ecology suitability study of Polygonatum cyrtonema].

Using the 260 geographical distribution records of Polygonatum cyrtonema in China, combined with 53 environmental factors, the maximum entropy modeling(MaxEnt) was used to study the ecological factors affecting the suitability distribution of P. cyrtonema. The ArcGIS software was used to predict the potential distribution of the population of P. cyrtonema. The dominant factors were chosen by using the Jackknife test and the Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC) curve was used to evaluate the simulation. The results showed that high value of area under curve(AUC) denoted good results, which significantly differed from random predictions. Based on the evaluation criterion, the accuracies of the predictions of P. cyrtonema potential distribution in the current periods were excellent. The main environmental factors affecting the suitable growth of P. cyrtonema were the monthly precipitation, the wettest monthly precipitation, the annual average temperature range and the precipitation of November, March, February, April, May and October. There are 9 environmental factors in soil type. The potential fitness of P. cyrtonema in China is high, mainly concentra-ted in Hunan, western Hubei, Guangdong, northeastern Guangxi, southeastern Guizhou, Jiangxi, southwestern Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, southwestern Henan and Chongqing. The growth distribution of the potential distribution area of P. cyrtonema was divided, and the zoning map of the growth suitability of P. cyrtonema was formed. Through the comparative analysis of the potential distribution range based on MaxEnt and the distribution range of literature records, the understanding of the distribution range of P. cyrtonema was expanded.

Three new compounds from the flower branch of Gastrodia elata Blume and anti-microbial activity.

Three new compounds (1-3), including novel tetra-p-cresol substituted cyclopenta[a]naphthalene derivatives, named gastrodinol (1), 2-(4'-hydroxybenzoyl)-3-hydroxyethyl indole (2), 2-(4'-hydroxybenzoyl)-3-(4''-hydroxybenzyl)indole (3) were isolated from the flower branch of G. elata, along with five known compounds (4-8). Among them, compound 1 exhibited the most anti-microbial activity against Streptococcus agalactiae, with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 1 µg ml-1. This study demonstrated that the novel gastrodinol 1 found in the flower branch of G. elata may be responsible for the anti-microbial effect. It will lead to the development of new antibiotics, and how to utilize the TCM ''Tianma'' better.

Sesquiterpene amino ether and cytotoxic phenols from Dendrobium wardianum Warner.

A new bibenzyl derivative, dendrocandin V (1) and a new sesquiterpene amino ether, wardianumine A (2), together with eleven known compounds, including phenanthrenes (denbinobin (3), 9,10-dihydro-denbinobin (4), mostatin (5), loddigesiinols A (6)), bibenzyls (moscatilin (7), 5-hydroxy-3,4'-dimethoxybibenzyl (8), 3,4-dihydroxy-5,4'-dimethoxy bibenzyl (9), dendrocandin A (10), gigantol (11), dendrocandin U (12)) and an alkaloids (dihydroshihunine, 13) were isolated from the EtOH extraction of stems of Dendrobium wardianum Warner. Isolation of the new compound 2 indicated that N,N-dimethylethanolamine as the key adduction in the synthesis of dendroxine and its analogs in Dendrobium species. The hypothetical biosynthetic pathway of 2 was then postulated. Inspired by literature and traditional usage of the herbal medicine, some compounds were sent for cytotoxic activity and the results indicated that compounds 1, 3, 4, 5 showed cytotoxic activities against five human cancer cell lines (HL-60, A-549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7, and SW-480) with IC50 from 2.33-38.48µM. Among those compounds, 3 and 4 showed cell line selectivity with strong activity comparable to DDP.

Seventeen steroids from the pith of Tetrapanax papyriferus.

Two new steroidal ketones (1, 2), together with 10 known steroids (3-12) and five known steroidal saponins (13-17), have been obtained from the pitch of Tetrapanax papyrierus. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated as 3ß-hydroxystigmast-8, 22-diene-7,11-dione and 3ß-hydroxystigmast-8-ene-7,11-dione by IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Except for 4, 14, 15, 16, 13 compounds reported in this paper were isolated from Tetrapanax papyriferus for the first time.

Two new dendrocandins with neurite outgrowth-promoting activity from Dendrobium officinale.

Two new bibenzyl derivatives, dendrocandin T (1) and dendrocandin U (2), together with eight known bibenzyls, were isolated from the stems of Dendrobium officinale. Those compounds were sent for the first time for central nervous system-related bioassay and the results indicated that compounds 3, 4, and 5 have a certain degree of neurite outgrowth-promoting activity, and compounds 1, 2, 6, and 7 also have weak activity. The results indicated that D. officinale used as health food and traditional Chinese medicine "Tiepi Shihu" has a health function of neurotrophic effects.

Pentacyclic triterpenoids from spikes of Prunella vulgaris L. inhibit glycogen phosphorylase and improve insulin sensitivity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Phytochemical investigation of methanol extract from the spikes of Prunella vulgaris L. led to the isolation of two new pentacyclic triterpenoid glycosides Vulgasides I (1) and II (2) along with 13 known compounds (3-15). Their structures were established on the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance (1D and 2D) and mass spectroscopic data analysis. All the isolated compounds were screened for glycogen phosphorylase inhibitory activity and also evaluated for their effect on insulin sensitivity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Two new compounds (1, 2) did not demonstrate the glycogen phosphorylase inhibitory activity, but other compounds (3-11) exhibited varying degrees of glycogen phosphorylase inhibitory activity with IC50 values in the range from 30.69 to 68.85 µM. Compounds 3, 6, 7, 11, and 13 demonstrated markedly increased insulin-mediated glucose consumption in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

[Dynamic accumulation of dry substance and active components in root of Peucedanum praeruptorum].

OBJECTIVE: To study the dynamic accumulation regulation of dry substance and four coumarin constituents in root of Peucedanum praeruptorum, so to provide the basis for optimal harvest time. METHOD: Roots of P. praeruptorum were collected periodically. The dry weight of the roots was measured and the content of four coumarins was determined by HPLC method. RESULT: The dry substance accumulation of the root reached the maximum amount and the coumarin contents maintain stability at the end of the vegetative growth period. The coumarins of roots decline significantly in the reproductive growth period. CONCLUSION: The most optimum collecting time of root of P. praeruptorum cultivated in Ningguo county in Anhui province should be from December to next February.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds in the leaves of aquilaria sinensis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

INTRODUCTION: The leaves of Aquilaria sinensis traditionally have been used in China for a century. Phenolic compounds were investigated to be the major active compounds in them. OBJECTIVE: To establish a method that will simultaneously determine the phenolic compounds in Aquilaria sinensis leaves and identify their characteristic fragmentation patterns, and to make a comparison of A. sinensis leaf samples from different areas of China. METHODS: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) and photodiode array detection (DAD) were used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-one compounds, including xanthones, benzophenones and flavones, were identified or tentatively characterised. The fragmentation patterns of xanthones and benzophenones were also described. Also, eight components in the herbal samples from different regions were determined by HPLC-DAD. CONCLUSION: The method developed is suitable for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic constituents in the leaves of A. sinensis.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of rhizoma of Coniogramme japonica].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Rhizoma of Coniogramme japonica. METHODS: The Rhizome of C. japonica were extracted with ethanol and the chemical constituents were separated by chromatography technique, and their structures were determined by spectral analysis. RESULTS: Six compounds were isolated and identified as butyl 2-formyl-5-butoxymethyl-1 H-pyrrole-1-butanoate (1), pterolactam (2), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (3), methyl linoleate (4), trilinolein (5), dehydrovomifoliol (6). CONCLUSION: All compounds are isolated from the genus for the first time, and the compound 1 is a new compound.

[Medicinal species of genus Polygonum s. lat. distributed in Anhui Province].

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the resource of medicinal plants of genus Polygonum s. lat. distributed in Anhui Province. METHOD: Conducting field investigation and consulting related specimens and data. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The distribution, growing environment and medicinal use of 32 taxa have been clarified. A scientific basis for further study for these medicinal plants has been provided.

[Species of Ligularia in the northwestern China and their medicinal uses].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the species of Ligularia distributed in the northwestern China and their medicinal uses in the local area. METHOD: Field investigation, specimen collection, taxonomic study and datum check were adopted. RESULT: There are 29 species and 1 varieties of Ligularia distributed in the northwestern China, and 18 species of them had been used as folk medicines with the function of resolving phlegm, relieving cough, clearing heat and toxins. CONCLUSION: The northwestern China is abundant in medicinal resource of Ligularia.

[Terpenoid compounds isolated from Ligularia sagitta].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of radix and rhizome of Ligularia sagitta. METHOD: Isolation and purification were carried out on the column chromatography of silica gel and sephadex LH -20. The structures were identified by spectral analysis. RESULT: Seven terpenoid compounds were isolated from the radix and rhizome of L. sagitta. Five of them are sesquiterpenoids, the structures were determined as 7alpha-hydroxy-9(10) -ene-1, 8-dioxo-6, 7-dihydrofuranoeremophilane (1), 1p, 10P3-epoxy-6beta, 8 beta-dihydroxy-eremophil7 (11) -en-12, 8alpha-olide (2) , 1-oxo-9-desoxycacalol (3), benzofuranoeremophil-l-ene (4) and bakkenolide (5); other two compounds belong to triterpenoid. 3p, 16P3-dihydroxy-12-oleanen-28-al (6) and lupeol (7). CONCLUSION: Compoundsl-3 and 6 were: isolated from L. sagitta for the first time, and compounds 3 and 6 were obtained from Ligularia for the first time.