Dictamni Cortex powder-induced liver injury based on integrated evidence chain / 中国中药杂志

A typical clinical case of taking Dictamni Cortex(Baixianpi) powder was analyzed to study liver damage caused by Dictamni Cortex. Liver damage was diagnosed according to the integrated evidence chain method recommended by the Guideline for Diagnosis and Treatment of Herb-Induced Liver Injury. By analyzing clinical history and biochemistry and imaging examinations, underlying diseases, such as viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease and alcoholic liver disease, were excluded. Through the investigation of medication history, we made it clear that the patient only took Dictamni Cortex powder during the period, and thus suspected that the liver injury was induced by Dictamni Cortex. Furthermore, the quality of the drug was tested, and the results showed it was consistent with the quality standard of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. DNA barcoding showed that the drug was 100% similar with Dictamnus dasycarpus. Moreover, exogenous harmful substances and chemical drug additions were tested, and the results showed that the content of heavy metal, pesticide residues and microbial toxin were consistent with the required standards, and no chemical drug additions were found in Agilent Fake TCM-Drugs database. In summary, we confirmed that the clinical case of drug-induced liver injury was induced by D. dasycarpus with the dose of 15 g•d⁻¹, which exceeded the prescribed amount of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. According to the Guideline for Diagnosis and Treatment of Herb-Induced Liver Injury, the case of drug-induced liver injury induced by D. dasycarpus was confirmed, which provided a direct and reliable evidence for the study of risk of liver injury induced by D. dasycarpus and its relevant preparations.

Pharmacognostical Identification of Selaginellae Uncinatae Herba / 中国药师

Objective:To pharmacognostically identify Selaginellae uncinatae Herba to provide reference for the identification and utilization of Selaginellae uncinatae Herba. Methods:On the basis of observing the characters, structure and microscopic characteris-tics of the powder, Selaginella uncinata Herba was identified by a TLC method using amentoflavone as the reference substance. The contents of total ash, acid insoluble ash and alcohol-soluble extracts in Selaginellae uncinatae Herba were detected as well. Results:The morphological identification, microscopic identification and TLC identification of the herb was respectively established. The content limits of the total ash, acid insoluble ash and alcohol soluble extract were preliminarily determined. Conclusion:The studies provide reference for the identification and quality evaluation of Selaginellae uncinatae Herba.

A Pharmacognostical Study on the Fistular Onion Bulb(Allium fistulosum) / 中草药

"Congbai", fistular onion bulb, a Chinese herbal drug, was systematically studied in such aspects as botanical morphology, macroscopical characters, histology and so on. Scientific basis was provided to draw up the standard of identifying "Congbai".

Pharmacognostical identification of rhizomes of Costus L / 中草药

Object To provide a basis for the identification and quality control of the crud drugs of Costus L.. Methods Morphological and histological characters of the rhizomes of Costus spectosus (Koen.) Smith, Costus lacerus Gagnep.and Costus tonkinensis Gagnep. were described and illustrated, respectively. TLC of the above drugs was finished. Microscopical characters of the epidemis of leaves of these species were also compared. Results The characters involving the vessel order in vascular bundle ring at the inner side of pericycle in the transverse section, calcium oxalate crystals occurred in the vessel, the characteristic calcium oxalate crystals in the cortex and cork cell and the TLC qualitative analysis for diosgenin, etc. are important for identification of Costus L.. Conclusion These three crude drugs can be identified by the above research results.

Pharmacognostical identification of Chinese crude drug Fructus Schisandrae Sphenantherae / 中草药

Object To provide a basis for the identification of the crude drug of Fructus Schisandrae Sphenantherae Methods Morpholgical characters and microstructural features of the seed surface of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils , S. rubriflora (Franch ) Rehd. et Wils., S. viridis A. C. Smith, and S. henryi Clarke were observed under light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Identification of them was also completed by TLC qualitative analysis for deoxyschisandrin and schisantherin A Results The fruits of S. sphenanthera, S. rubriflora, S. viridis and S. henryi could be classified to three types with the characters of micromorphological features of the seed surface. The results of TLC showed that deoxyschisandrin and schisantherin A were present in the fruits of S. sphenanthera from Pingli, Shaanxi, Luanchuan, Henan, Yangcheng, Shanxi, S. rubriflora and S.viridis, Hengshan Hunan Provinces The fruit of S. henryi contained a little quantity of schisantherin A, but the fruits of S. sphenanthera from Liuba Shaanxi and Xiaolongshan Gansu Provinces did not have deoxyschisandrin and schisantherin A. Conclusion The fruits of S. sphenanthera from different geographical origin, S. rubriflora, S. viridis and S. henryi can be identified by the characters of micromorphological featrues of the seed surface and the TLC qualitative analysis for deoxyschisandrin and schisantherin A

Application of Western-blot in Identification of Medicinal Panax Species / 中药新药与临床药理

Proteins from dried roots of three medicinal Panax species (P. Quinquefolius, P. ginseng and P. nologinseng) were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western-blot. The protein fin- gerprints of Panax species were confirmed. From 28KD to 58KD and 55KD are in common. Very specific fingerprints of P. quinquefolius are found below 28KD. The fingerprints above 58KD seemed to be peculiar to P. ginsing. Hence the Western-blot approach can be used as a means to authenticate the concerned Panax species, especially for identification of P. quinquefolius.