Chemical constituents of Calotropis gigantea L. and their anticancer activity / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To study the anti-cancer components of Calotropis gigantean L. METHODS: The powdered whole plants of C. gigantea were extracted with 95% alcohol. After removal of the solvent, the residue was extracted with petroleum ether and chloroform, and the compounds in the chloroform extract were isolated and purified by different column chromatograghies carried out on silica gel, RP-18, MCI, and Sephadex LH - 20 and their structures were elucidated by spectral data. RESULTS: Thirteen compounds were isolated and their structures were characterized as gofruside(1), uzarigenin(2), arjunolic acid(3), 3ξ-(1ξ-hydroxyethyl) -7-hydroxy-1-isobenzofuranone(4), daucosterol(5), syringaresinol(6), 12-O-benzoyl-deacylmetaplexigenin(7), 3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid(8), oleanolic acid(9), β-sitosterol(10), methyl 1-naphthaleneacetate(11), butylparaben(12), α-D-oleandropyranoside(13), and compounds 2 - 4, 6- 9, and 11 - 13 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Compounds 1 and 2 showed cytotoxicity against HLE, K562, RPMI8226, MCF7, MDA, and WM9 cell lines, with K562 and RPMI8226 being the most sensitive cells. CONCLUSION: Compounds 1 and 2 are premilinarily judged as the anti-cancer components in C. gigantean.

Screening of Active Fractions from Huanglian Jiedu Decoction against Primary Neuron Injury after Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the protective effect of active fractions of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD) on primary cortical neuron injury after oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)/reperfusion (R) injury. Methods Using macroporous resin method, HJDFE30, HJDFE50, HJDFE75, and HJDFE95 with 30%, 50%, 75%, and 95% alcohol were respectively prepared. Then the content of active components in different HJD fractions was determined with reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The OGD/R injury model was induced by sodium dithionite on primary cortical neurons in neonate rats. MTT assay was used to observe the effect of four fractions (HJDFE30, HJDFE50, HJDFE75, and HJDFE95) and seven index components of HJD on the neuron viability.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RP-HPLC showed active component(s) contained in HJDFE30 was geniposide; baicalin, palmatine, berberine, and wogonside contained in HJDFE50; baicalin, berberine, baicalein, and wogonin contained in HJDFE75. The neuron viability was decreased after OGD for 20 min and reperfusion for 1 h, (P <0. 01), and significantly increased after administered with HJD, HJDFE30, HJDFE50, and HJDFE75 (P <0. 05, P <0. 01). Geniposide, baicalin, baicalein, palmatine, wogonside, and wogonin could increase the cortical neuron viability (P <0. 05, P <0. 01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>HJDFE30, HJDFE50, and HJDFE75, as active fractions of HJD, had protective effect on primary cortical neuron injury after OGD/R. Furthermore, geniposide, baicalin, and baicalein were main active components of HJD.</p>

Influence of object material and inter-trial interval on novel object recognition test in mice / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy of novel object recognition (NOR) test in assessment of learning and memory ability in ICR mice in different experimental conditions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and thirty male ICR mice were randomly divided into 10 groups: 4 groups for different inter-trial intervals (ITI: 10 min, 90 min, 4 h, 24 h), 4 groups for different object materials (wood-wood, plastic-plastic, plastic-wood, wood-plastic) and 2 groups for repeated test (measured once a day or every 3 days, totally three times in each group). The locomotor tracks in the open field were recorded. The amount of time spent exploring the novel and familiar objects, the discrimination ratio (DR) and the discrimination index (DI) were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with familiar object, DR and DI of novel object were both increased at ITI of 10 min and 90 min (P<0.01). Exploring time, DR and DI were greatly influenced by different object materials. DR and DI remained stable by using identical object material. NOR test could be done repeatedly in the same batch of mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NOR test can be used to assess the learning and memory ability in mice at shorter ITI and with identical material. It can be done repeatedly.</p>