Discussion on application of principal component analysis in analysis of traditional Chinese medicines and natural drugs / 中国中药杂志

Principal component analysis is a widely used chemometric method. In this paper, the development history of principal component analysis was summarized, and then its basic principle was elaborated. Afterwards, its applications in the analysis of traditional Chinese medicines and natural drugs were classified and discussed with some representative examples. Finally, the prospect of its application was outlooked at the end of this paper.

Fast determination of aconitine in biological materials by LC-MS/MS / 中国法医学杂志

Objective To establish a HPLC-MS method for determination of aconitum alkaloids in biological samples. Methods The aconitum alkaloids were extracted from the whole blood by using acetonitrile-methanol (5:1 v/v) and then analyzed using HPLC-MS in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with positive ionization. The analytical column was Agilent Zorbax SB C18 (2.1mm×50mm, 1.8μm)and the mobile phase were water containing 0. 1 % formic acid : acetonitrile (60 : 40 v/v) in isocratic elution. Results The retention time of detection of the aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine were 0.73 min, 0.77 min and 0.63 min, and the precursor product ion combinations of m/z 646.4 → 586.4, 616.1 → 556.5 and 632.4 → 572.1 were used for quantitative analysis, respectively. Calibration curve was linear within the range of 0.1-250 ng/mL with the LOD was 0.1ng/mL, and the coefficient of variation (CV) less than 5.42 % (n=6). The extraction recoveries of aconitine in blood were more than 90 %.Conclusion The results demonstrated that the present method was reliable and robust for natural drugs.

Flavonóides: constituição química, ações medicinais e potencial tóxico / Flavonoids: Chemical composition, medical actions and toxicity

Os flavonóides são um grupo de substâncias naturais com estrutura fenólica variável, e portanto, de considerável interesse científico e terapêutico. Assim, teve-se por objetivo realizar uma revisão bibliográfica, de forma extensa porém objetiva, sobre as principais ações terapêuticas e a toxicidade das principais classes de flavonóides. A partir desta revisão da literatura, verificou-se, em ensaios pré-clínicos, que estes compostos tem o potencial de modificar a biossíntese de eicosanoides (resposta anti-prostanoide e antiinflamatoria); de proteger o colesterol-LDL da oxidacão (inibindo formação de placa aterosclerotica); de prevenir a agregacão plaquetária tendo efeitos anti-trombóticos; de promover o efeito anti-hipertensivo e anti-isquêmico; de regenerar antioxidantes primários, como a vitamina C, no organismo; de ter efeito antipromocionais na carcinogênese de alguns tipos de câncer; de amenizar os sintomas da menopausa; de aumentar a lipólise; de desacelerar o processo degenerativo em bainhas de mielina; de aumentar a secreção de insulina; de aumentar a expressão de genes responsáveis pela produção de proteínas sinápticas; de estimular os linfócitos B a produzirem anticorpos e de possuir atividade leishmanicida. Quanto a toxicidade dos flavonóides, estudos demostram que em altas doses e em utilização crônica, estes compostos desencadeiam reações alérgicas em humanos; modificam as membranas de hepatócitos causando necrose e morte celular em ratos; causam mutagenicidade e clastogenicidade em medula óssea de camundongos; interferem de forma significativa no funcionamento da tireóide e inibe a ação de citocromos P450 causando alterações drásticas no funcionamento do fígado de roedores. Dessa forma, pode-se verificar que os flavonóides tem uma grande capacidade terapêutica quando bem utilizado, devendo-se sempre levar em consideração doses e tempo de exposição aos organismos aos quais são administrados. Essas considerações são importantes por servirão de base para o estabelecimento de doses seguras e eficazes de utilização dos flavonóides para a população.

Flavonoids are a group of natural substances with variable phenolic structure and therefore, considerable scientific interest and therapeutic. Thus, the objective was to conduct a literature review of but objective extensively on major therapeutic actions and on the toxicity of flavonoids class. In this literature review, it was found that, in preclinical studies, these compounds have the potential to modify the biosynthesis of eicosanoids; protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation; prevent platelet aggregation with antithrombotic effects; promote the antihypertensive and anti-ischemic effect; regenerate primary antioxidants like vitamin C in the body; not to promote some carcinogenic effects on certain types of cancer; alleviate menopausal symptoms; increase lipolysis; slow down degenerative process in myelin sheaths; increase insulin secretion; increase the expression of genes responsible for the production of synaptic proteins; stimulate lymphocytes B to produces antibodies and have leishmanicydal activity. About the toxicity of flavonoids, studies show that, at high doses and in chronic use, these compounds trigger allergic reactions in humans; modify the membranes of hepatocytes, causing necrosis and cell death, in rats; cause mutagenicity and clastogenicity in mouse bone marrow, interfere significantly on thyroid function and inhibit the action of cytochrome P450, causing drastic changes in the function of the liver in rodents. Thus, it can be seen that the flavonoids have a wide therapeutic capacity when properly used, taking into account doses and exposure times to whom they are administered. These considerations are important because they set the bases for the establishment of safe and effective doses of flavonoids on the population.

Application of evaporative light scattering detector in analysis of natural drugs / 药学实践杂志

Objective To summarize the advantage and application of evaporative light scattering detector(ELSD) for the analysis of natural drugs .Methods The application of ELSD in natural medicine analysis was reviewed in the article .Results ELSD in analysis of natural drugs ,natural drugs quality standards research ,fingerprint ,multi‐spectrum combination technology and high‐throughput screening had been widely applied .Conclusion Evaporative light scattering detector had a broad applica‐tion prospect .

Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Activity of Five Malaysian Medicinal Plants.

Natural drugs play important and vital role in the modern medicine. It is usually used to cure some ailments which may not be treated by conventional medicine. Natural drugs may exhibit many biological activities, such as antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-diabetic and antioxidant. Five medicinal plants were screened, namely Moringa oleifera, Cymbopogon citrates, Cynodon dactylon, Manihot esculenta and Plectranthus ambonicus, for potential antibacterial activity against five clinical pathogens (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella peumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis). The purpose of this study is extracting, analyzing and screening phytochemicals and antibacterial activity in selected plant leaves. The ethanolic extracts of plant leaves were prepared using Soxhlet extraction and the in-vitro testing were conducted using disc diffusion method. The diameter of inhibition zones were measured in millimetre (mm), and test were conducted in three replicates. At concentration 5mg/mL, no inhibition zones detected in all extracts. As the concentration of extract increases, the bacterial inhibition zones also increases; thus, the more effective the antibacterial properties. The most active antibacterial plant was P. ambonicus, followed by M. oleifera and C. citratus; and the weakest were C. dactylon and M. esculenta. The most susceptible bacteria were S. aureus, followed by K. peumoniae and the most resistant bacteria were P. aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids and saponins in most of the plant extracts. The result of this study supports the use of all the selected five medicinal plants as a source of antibiotic substance for the possible treatment of human pathogenic organisms. These plants can be further subjected to isolation of the therapeutic antimicrobials and further pharmacological evaluation.

Some Medicinal Plants Cultivated in Iran.

Medicinal plants contain plant materials such as leaf, root, flower and seed using for producing drugs. Essential oils and extracts of various species of edible and medicinal plants, herbs, and spices constitute of very potent natural biologically active agents. Iran with 1.64 million km2 areas has 7500-8000 plant species. Iran is an ancient country in usage of herbal plants. The ancient Persians soon became familiar with various medicinal plants. Several medicinal species are cultivated in Iran. This review focuses on some of these plants such as Ziziphora, Stachys, Satureja, Thymus, Scrophularia, Thymbra, Tanacetum, Ocimum and Crocus.

The construction of natural drugs curriculum system in the process of pharmacy talentstraining / 中华医学教育探索杂志

On the basis of analyzing the transition and development trend of current medical and pharmaceutical mode,this article proposed that in the process of pharmacy talents training,not only biological,but also the construction of natural drugs knowledge should be stressed.In addition,the necessity of natural drugs knowledge construction as well as its practice and future blueprint in our university were illuminated intensively,in order to provide reference for the training of pharmacy talents in local colleges.

Treatment of nonalcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver diseases by single natural drug and active natural products: Research advances / 国际药学研究杂志

This paper reviews the recent research progress on the utilization of natural drugs against nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases(NAFLD)and alcoholic fatty liver diseases (AFLD). A total of 122 species of natural drugs, confined to the effective extracts of single herbal or animal drug and the active single natural products, were summarized and categorized as alkaloids, total flavonoids and total phenolics, single phenolics, terpenoids and steroids, total glycosides and total esters, amino acids and heterocycles, polysaccharides and proteoglycans, polypeptides/glycopeptides and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, coumarins and phenomens, single herbal drug, animal and fungus drugs. The future tendency of new natural drug research and development against NAFLD and AFLD is also discussed and some afforded suggestions were provided.