Chemical constituents from Alpinia oxyphylla / 中草药

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Alpinia oxyphylla. Methods: The ethyl acetate fraction of 95% ethanol extract from A. oxphylla was isolated and purified by silica, MCI, Sephadex LH-20 and semi-preparative HPLC, then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data. Results: Sixteen compounds were isolated and their chemical structures were identified as phthalic acid-bis (2’-ethyl heptanyl) easter (1), (E)-1-(4’-hydroxy-3’-methoxyphenyl)-7- (4″-hydroxy-phenyl)-hept-4-en-3-one (2), 5-hydroxy-7-(4″-hydroxy-3″-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone (3), 1β,4β,7β- trihydroxyeudesmane (4), bullatantriol (5), 1,5-epoxy-3-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy- phenyl) heptanes (6), 1-tetratriacontanol (7), dihydrogingerenone B (8), tectochrysin (9), chrysin (10), oxyphyllenone B (11), (1R,4R,10R)-1β,4α-dihydroxy-11,12,13-trinor-5,6-eudesmen-7-one (12), daucosterol (13), 1-(4’-hydroxyphenyl)-7-(3″-methoxy- 4″-hydroxyphenyl)-4-ene-3-heptanone (14), yakuchinone A (15) and 5-dehydroxy-hexahydro-demethoxycurcumin B (16). Conclusion: A total of 16 compounds were isolated and identified. The compounds 1-2, 4-8 are isolated from the genus for the first time, and compounds 3 were isolated from the plant for the first time.

Analysis and Identification of Sesquiterpenes in Alpinia oxzphylla Miq Based on UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS / 中草药

Objective: To establish a rapid and accurate analytical method for the identification of complex system of traditional Chinese medicine, and to systematically clarify the chemical composition of sesquiterpenes in Alpinia oxyphylla. Method: On the basis of optimizing the extraction process of sesquiterpenes, the accurate molecular weight and secondary fragment ions information of unknown compounds were captured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS). Compared with the relative retention time and mass spectrometry data of the reference substance, combined with relevant references and databases, the sesquiterpene unknown compounds in the fruits of A. oxyphylla were accurately and rapidly characterized. Results: A total of 24 sesquiterpenes were identified and classified into four categories according to their skeleton structure, including nine eudesmane-type, six cadinane-type, eight eremophilane-type, and one oplopanone-type. Conclusion: In this study, the established analytical method was used to realize the rapid and accurate identification of sesquiterpenes in the fruits of A. oxyphylla, which provided a theoretical basis for the research on the pharmacodynamic substance basis and quality control of the fruits of A. oxyphylla.

Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. extract changes miRNA expression profiles in db-/db- mouse kidney

BACKGROUND: A number of dysregulated miRNAs have been identified and are proposed to have significant roles in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus or renal pathology. Alpinia oxyphylla has shown significant anti-inflammatory properties and play an anti-diabetes role. The objective of this study was to detect the alteration of miRNAs underlying the anti-diabetes effects of A. oxyphylla extract (AOE) in a type II diabetic animal model (C57BIKsj db-/db-). RESULTS: Treatment with AOE for 8 weeks led to lower concentrations of blood glucose, urine albumin, and urine creatinine. 17 and 13 miRNAs were statistically identified as differentially regulated in the DB/DB and db-/db- AOE mice, respectively, compared to the untreated db-/db- mice. Of these, 7 miRNAs were identified in both comparison groups, and these 7 miRNAs were verified by quantitative real-time PCR. Functional bioinformatics showed that the putative target genes of 7 miRNAs were associated with several diabetes effects and signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: These founding suggest that the potential of AOE as a medicinal anti-diabetes treatment through changes in the expressions of specific miRNAs. The results provide a useful resource for future investigation of the role of AOE-regulated miRNAs in diabetes mellitus.

Simultaneous quantitation of four antioxidant components in Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. by UPLC / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To establish a UPLC method for simultaneous determination of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (1), leu-hetenone A (2), lectochrysin (3), and nootkatone (4) in Alpinia, oxyphylla Miq, and to compare the contents of the four components in different parts of this medicinal materials from different places. METHODS: The UPLC method was established on an HSS T3 Column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.8 μm). The mobile phase consisted of water containing 0.1% formic acid and acetonilrile in gradient elution mode at the flow rate of 0.5 mL · min-1 and the detection wavelength was set at 255 nm. RESULTS: The standard curves of compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 showed good linearity in the ranges of 1.223-24.46, 2.016-40.32, 1.875-37.50 and 16.78-335.6 μg · mL-1 with the corresponding average recoveries of 99.5%, 101.5%, 100.9% and 101.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The method is precise and highly reproducible, which can be used to simultaneously determine the antioxidant components including 5-hydroxymelhyl furfural, teuhetenone A, tectochrysin, and nootkatone in Alpinia oxyphylla Miq; compounds 2 and 4 are mainly extracted from the seeds, while compounds 1 and 3 come from the seeds and putamens equally. There are significant differences among the samples from different production areas.

Effect of water extracts of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruit on memory impairment in cerebral ischemia rats / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective This report investigate the intervention effect of the water extract of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruit (AOF)on memory impairment and the mechanism in cerebral ischemia rats. Methods 48 Rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group(n=12), ischemia group(n=12), AOF group Ⅰ( n= 12)and AOF group Ⅱ (n= 12). The model of transient cerebral ischemic/reperfusion was made by bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries in rats and combination with reducing blood pressure with an abdominal injection of so-dium nitroprusside. Learning-memory ability was observed by step through test. The content of NO and the activi-ties of NOS were measured in hippocampus. Results In step through test,the latency in ischemia group[(143.8±65.2)s]significantly decreased, the number of errors (8.9±4.2 ) significantly increased compared with sham-operated group [latency: (257.2±67.1 ) s; number of errors: (1.7±1.1 ), P<0.01 ]. The latency in AOF group Ⅰ and AOF group Ⅱ[(186.5±46.2) s, (193.4±43.7 ) s ] significantly increased, the number of errors (6.1±2.9,5.2±2.1 ) significantly decreased compared with ischemia group(P<0.05, P<0.01). In hippocampus, the content of NO and the activities of NOS in ischemia group [(56.53±27.42) nmol/mg prot, (17.23±5.64) nmol/mg prot] significantly increased compared with sham-operated group[ (40.02±17.9 ) nmol/mg prot, ( 10.46±6.15)nmol/mg prot], and in AOF group Ⅰ and AOF group Ⅱ [content of NO:group Ⅰ (46.60 ±20. 26)nmol/mg prot,group Ⅱ (42.38±21.23) nmol/mg prot ;activities of NOS:group Ⅰ (13.98±5.13 ) nmol/mg pint,group Ⅱ(13.61±5.27) nmol/mg prot] significantly decreased compared with ischemia group(P<0.05). Conclu-sion AOF could significantly ameliorate the memory impairment in cerebral ischemic rats. Its effects may be in-volved in the decrease of content of NO and activities of NOS in hippocampus.