ABSTRACT
Objective: To screen the anti-inflammatory effective fraction from the roots of Pulsatilla cernua and to study the chemical constituents. Methods: The dried roots of P. cernua were extracted with 70% EtOH under reflux conditions, the extract was fractioned by macroporous resin column with H2O, 30%, 50%, and 95% EtOH, and four fractions were obtained, respectively. The anti-inflammatory effective fraction was determined by the experiment of xylene-induced mice ear swelling. Compounds were isolated and purified from the anti-inflammatory effective fraction with various column chromatographic methods. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical characters and spectral analyses. Results: The 50% EtOH fraction from macroporous resin column was more effective to the mice with inflammation than the others and 12 compounds were isolated from this fraction: (+)-8-hydroxypinoresinol-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), 3, 4:3', 4'-bis(methylenedioxy)-9'-hydroxyl-lignane-9-methyl-O-β- D-glucopyranoside (2), prinsepiol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), (+)-cycloolivil-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), 6-O-(E)-feruloyl-β-glucopyranoside (5), 6-O-(E)-feruloyl-α-glucopyranoside (6), oleanolic acid-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl (7), hederagenin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl- (1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosy (8), hederagenin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl (9), oleanolic acid-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α- L-arabinopyranoside (10), echinocystic acid-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α- L-arabinopyranoside (11), and lupeol (12). Conclusion: The 50% EtOH fraction, as the anti-inflammatory effective fraction, is from macroporous resin column of 70% EtOH extract from the roots of P. cernua. Compounds 2-4, 6, 8, and 9 are discovered from the plants of genus Pulsatilla Adans. for the first time.