Bioactive neolignans and lignans from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国天然药物

Two new neolignans and one new lignan (1-3) were obtained from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora. Their structures were unambiguously elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compound 1 was a racemic mixture and successfully resolved into the anticipated enantiomers via chiral-phase HPLC. Compound 3 demonstrated moderate inhibitory activity against human carboxylesterase 2A1 (hCES2A1) with an IC50 value of 7.28 ± 0.94 μmol·-1.

Applying Biomod2 for modeling of species suitable habitats:a case study of Paeonia lactiflora in China / 中国中药杂志

Paeonia lactiflora is an important medicinal resource in China. It is of great significance for the protection and cultivation of P. lactiflora resources to find the suitable habitats. The study was based on the information of 98 distribution sites and the data of 20 current environmental factors of wild P. lactiflora in China. According to the correlation and importance of environmental factors, we selected the main environmental factors affecting the potential suitable habitats. Then, BCC-CSM2-MR model was employed to predict the distribution range and center change of potential suitable habitat of wild P. lactiflora in the climate scenarios of SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 during 2021-2100. The ensemble model combined with GBM, GLM, MaxEnt, and RF showed improved prediction accuracy, with TSS=0.85 and AUC=0.95. Among the 20 environmental factors, annual mean temperature, monthly mean diurnal range of temperature, temperature seasonality, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the driest quarter, and elevation were the main factors that affected the suitable habitat distribution of P. lactiflora. At present, the potential suitable habitats of wild P. lactiflora is mainly distributed in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong, Gansu, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Ningxia, and concentrated in the northeastern Inner Mongolia, central Heilongjiang, and northern Jilin. Under future climate conditions, the highly sui-table area of wild P. lactiflora will shrink, and the potential suitable habitat will mainly be lost to different degrees. However, in the SSP5-8.5 scenario, the low suitable area of wild P. lactiflora will partially increase in the highlands and mountains in western China including Xinjiang, Tibet, and Qinghai during 2061-2100. The distribution center of wild P. lactiflora migrated first to the northeast and then to the southwest. The total suitable habitats were stable and kept in the high-latitude zones. The prediction of the potential geo-graphical distribution of P. lactiflora is of great significance to the habitat protection and standardized cultivation of this plant in the future.

Optimization of Processing Technology of Paeonia lactiflora Stir-baked with Wine and Investigation of Its Anticoagulant Effect / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To optimize the processing technology of Paeonia lactiflora stir-baked with wine ，and to investigate its in vitro anticoagulant effect. METHODS ：The weight coefficient of each index was determined and the comprehensive score was calculated with analytic hierarchy process （AHP），Criteria Importance Though Intercrieria Correlation （CRITIC）and AHP-CRITIC weighting method ，using the contents of oxypaeoniflorin ，albiflorin，paeoniflorin，benzoic acid and water-soluble extract as index. Box-Behnken response surface methodology was used to optimize the parameters of P. lactiflora stir-baked with wine ，such as moistening time ，frying time and frying temperature. Then in vitro anticoagulant experiment was used to investigate the pharmacodynamics of P. lactiflora stir-baked with wine prepared according to the optimal processing technology. RESULTS ：The weight coefficients of albiflorin ，oxypaeoniflorin，paeoniflorin，benzoic acid and water-soluble extract determined by AHP-CRITIC weighting method were 0.233 9，0.131 7，0.183 3，0.078 9，0.372 3，respectively；the optimal processing technology of P. lactiflora stir-baked with wine included moistening time of 35 min，frying time of 20 min and frying temperature of 120 ℃. The results of in vitro anticoagulant test showed that P. lactiflora and P. lactiflora stir-baked with wine could significantly prolong the time of thrombin time ，prothrombin time ，activated partial thrombin time of plasma ；the effects of P. lactiflora stir-baked with wine were significantly better than those of P. lactiflora （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ：The optimized processing technology of P. lactiflora stir-baked with wine is stable and feasible. The in vitro anticoagulant effect of P. lactiflora stir-baked with wine prepared by this tehcnology is better than that of raw products.

A new phenolic acid ester from solid culture of Colletotrichum capsici, an endophytic fungus from Paeonia lactiflora / 中国中药杂志

A new phenolic acid ester, 4'-hydroxyphenylethyl 4,8(R)-dihydroxyphenylpropionate(1), was isolated from an endophytic fungus Colletotrichum capsici of Paeonia lactiflora roots, along with eight known phenolic derivatives, tyrosol(2), 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl acetate(3), methyl p-hydroxyphenylacetate(4), methyl m-hydroxyphenylacetate(5), 4-(4-hydroxyphene-thoxy)-4-oxobutanoic acid(6), 4-hydroxyphenethyl methyl succinate(7), trichodenol B(8) and 4-hydroxyphenethyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetate(9). Their structures were identified by a combination of high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet(UV) spectroscopy and electronic circular dichroism(ECD) spectroscopy. Compounds 2-9 were isolated from this fungus for the first time.

Construction and application of pharmacophore model of human carboxylesterase 2 inhibitors / 中国中药杂志

According to human carboxylesterase 2(hCE2) inhibitors reported in the literature, the pharmacophore model of hCE2 inhibitors was developed using HipHop module in Discovery Studio 2016. The optimized pharmacophore model, which was validated by test set, contained two hydrophobic, one hydrogen bond acceptor, and one aromatic ring features. Using the pharmacophore model established, 5 potential hCE2 inhibitors(CS-1,CS-2,CS-3,CS-6 and CS-8) were screened from 20 compounds isolated from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora, which were further confirmed in vitro, with the IC_(50) values of 5.04, 5.21, 5.95, 6.64 and 7.94 μmol·L~(-1), respectively. The results demonstrated that the pharmacophore model exerted excellent forecasting ability with high precision, which could be applied to screen novel hCE2 inhibitors from Chinese medicinal materials.

Anti-anaphylactic potential of benzoylpaeoniflorin through inhibiting HDC and MAPKs from Paeonia lactiflora / 中国天然药物

Guided by cell-based anti-anaphylactic assay, eighteen cage-like monoterpenoid glycosides (1-18) were obtained from the bioactive fraction of P. lactiflora extract. Among these, compounds 1, 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, and 17 significantly reduced the release rate of β-HEX and HIS without or with less cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the most potent inhibitor benzoylpaeoniflorin (5) was selected as the prioritized compound for the study of action of mechanism, and its anti-anaphylactic activity was medicated by dual-inhibiting HDC and MAPK signal pathway. Moreover, molecular docking simulation explained that benzoylpaeoniflorin (5) blocked the conversion of L-histidine to HIS by occupying the HDC active site. Finally, in vivo on PCA using BALB/c mice, benzoylpaeoniflorin (5) suppressed the IgE-mediated PCA reaction in antigen-challenged mice. These findings indicated that cage-like monoterpenoid glycosides, especially benzoylpaeoniflorin (5), mainly contribute to the anti-anaphylactic activity of P. lactiflora by dual-inhibiting HDC and MAPK signal pathway. Therefore, benzoylpaeoniflorin (5) may be considered as a novel drug candidate for the treatment of anaphylactic diseases.

A new monoterpene glycoside compound from roots of Paeonia lactiflora / 中草药

Objective: To study the constituents from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora. Methods: The chemical constituents were isolated by various chromatographic techniques and their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and NMR data. Results: Eleven compounds were obtained and characterized as (4S)-perillic acid 6-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1'→6'')- β-D-glucopyranosyl (1), 4,9-dihydroxy-8,10-dehydrothymol-1-O-β-D-glucoside (2), emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside (3), resveratrol (4), β-D-glucopyranosyl benzoate (5), ilexperphenoside A (6), catechol (7), methyl gallate (8), ethyl gallate (9), 3-methoxygallic acid (10), 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (11). Conclusion: Compound 1 is identified as a new compound, named perillic acid glycoside, compounds 2 and 5 are identified from the genus Paeonia for the first time.

A new lignan glucoside from root of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国中药杂志

A new lignan glucoside,(+)-fragransin A_2-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(1), has been isolated from the dry root of Paeonia lactiflora by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and MCI-gel resin, as well as preparative RP-HPLC. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis(MS, UV, IR, CD, 1 D and 2 D NMR) and chemical method. Compound 1 showed moderate inhibition against lipopolysaccharide induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophages, with an IC_(50) value of 21.3 μmol·L~(-1).

Study on Content Determination of 6 Active Ingredients in Paeonia lactiflora during Different Harvesting Periods and Their Variation / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To establish the method for content determination of 6 active ingredients in Paeonia lactiflora during different harvest periods ，and to investigate its variation rules so as to determine the optimal harvesting period. METHODS ：HPLC method was adopted to determine the contents of gallic acid ， catechin， alibiflorin， paeoniflorin， benzoic acid and benzoylpaeoniflorin，and principal component analysis was conducted . The determination was performed on Thermo C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile- 0.1％ phosphoric acid aqueous solution （gradient elution ）at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 230 nm，and column temperature was 35 ℃. The sample size was 10 µL. RESULTS ：The linear range of the above 6 ingredients were 0.013 2-0.25 mg/mL（r＝0.999 2），0.013 2-0.25 mg/mL（r＝0.999 9），0.026 8-0.51 mg/mL（r＝0.999 7）， 0.42-8.01 mg/mL（r＝0.999 2），0.016-0.31 mg/mL（r＝0.999 4），0.02-0.38 mg/mL（r＝0.999 8），respectively. The limits of quantification were 0.009 3，0.008 5，0.016 3，0.021 7，0.011 3，0.017 4 mg/mL，and the limits of detection were 0.003 3，0.002 7， 0.005 4，0.007 3，0.003 8，0.005 9 mg/mL. RSDs of precision ，stability and repeatability tests were less than 2％. The recoveries were 96.01％-99.43％（RSD＝1.23％，n＝9），97.95％-100.45％（RSD＝0.79％，n＝9），97.98％-100.11％（RSD＝0.68％，n＝ 9），98.83％ -100.09％ （RSD＝0.65％ ，n＝9），98.58％ - 100.95％（RSD＝1.35％，n＝9），96.28％-103.26％（RSD＝ 1.76％，n＝9）. The contents of above 6 ingredients in Radix Paeoniae Rubra （roots） were 0.016％ -0.057％ ，0-0.067％ ， 0.207％-0.640％，2.350％-5.887％，0.030％- 0.245％，0.054％- 0.381％，respectively. On May 30th，the drying rate of Radix 0451-87266873。E-mail：wangzhen_yue@163.com Paeoniae Rubra was the lowest （about 33％），and on Sept. 15th，the drying rate was the highest （about 49％）. The contents of gallic acid and paeoniflorin in the leaves of P. lactiflora were higher than the root during Jul.-Oct. Results of principal component analysis showed that the variance contribution rates of the first two principal components were 71.845％ and 18.170％，respectively；cumulative variance contribution rate was 90.015％. The months with higher comprehensive scores were May to Jun. and Sept. to Oct. CONCLUSIONS ：Established method is simple ， accurate，reproducible and precise. It can be used to determine the contents of 6 active ingredients in Radix Paeoniae Rubra during different harvest periods. Sept. 30th to Oct. 15th is the optimum harvesting periods for Radix Paeoniae Rubra ，and leaves can be harvested around Jul. 15th.

Antidepressant-like effects of albiflorin involved the NO signaling pathway in rats model of chronic restraint stress / 中国天然药物

The depressant-like effects of albiflorin (AF) were studied on stressed chronic restraint stress (CRS) rats. Experimental rats were subjected to immobilization stress for a daily 6 h-restraining in a plastic restrainer for continuous 21 d and were treated with 30 or 15 mg·kg

Effects of Total Glucosides of Paeonia lactiflora Combined with Cisplatin on Tumor Inhibition and Renal Injury Improvement in Model Rats with Gastric Cancer / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To study the improvement effects of total glucosides of Paeonia l actiflora（TGPL）combined with cisplatin on tumor inhibition and renal injury in gastric cancer model rats. METHODS ：Totally 75 rats were divided into control group（normal saline ，i.g.），model group （normal saline ，i.g.），cisplatin group （25 mg/kg，i.p.），TGPL group （200 mg/kg，i.g.）， TGPL+cisplatin group （200 mg/kg TGPL ，i.g.+25 mg/kg cisplatin ，i.p.），with 15 rats in each group. Except for control group ， gastric cancer rat models were established in other groups by subcutaneous inoculation of gastric cancer BGC 823 cell suspension. After modeling ，they were given relevant medicine intraperitoneally/intragastrically ，for consecutive 28 d. The tumor weight and tumor inhibition rate were measured. The apoptosis rate in tumor tissue was detected by flow cytometry ；Western blotting assay was used to detect the levels of Bcl- 2 and Bax in tumor tissue ；ELISA or biochemical analyzer were used to determine the levels of IL-18 and KIM- 1 in urine ，BUN and Scr in serum ，as well as SOD， MDA and GSH in renal tissue ； histopathological 015）changes of renal tissue in rats were detected by HE staining. 65896961。E-mail：taolitianxia999@163.com RESULTS： Compared with control group ， there was no statistical significance in the levels of IL- 18 and KIM- 1 in urine，serum levels of BUN and Scr ，the levels of SOD MDA and GSH in renal tissue of model group （P＞0.05）；no obvious histopathological change was found in renal tissue. Compared with model group ，tumor weight in cisplatin group was decreased significantly ，while cell apoptosis was increased significantly，while expression level of Bax in tumor tissue was increased significantly ，the expression level of Bcl- 2 was decreased significantly（P＜0.05）；the levels of IL- 18 and KIM- 1 in urine ，BUN and Scr in serum and MDA in kidney were increased significantly（P＜0.05）；the levels of SOD and GSH in renal tissue were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）；renal tubules were dilated，vacuoles of epithelial cells in basal layer and cast in renal tubules formed . Compared with cisplatin ，tumor weight in TGPL+cisplatin group was decreased significantly ，while apoptotic rate was increased significantly ，while the level of Bax was increased significantly ，expression level of Bcl- 2 was decreased significantly （P＜0.05）；the levels of IL- 18 and KIM- 1 in urine ， BUN and Scr in serum and MDA in renal tissue were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）；the levels of SOD and GSH in renal tissue were increased significantly （P＜0.05）；there was no tubule dilation ，but vacuoles were occasionally found in basal epithelial cells，and the cast formation in renal tubules was rare. Compared with TGPL group，tumor weight in TGPL +cisplatin group was significantly reduced ，the tumor inhibition rate was significantly increased ，the apoptosis rate was significantly increased ，while the expression level of Bax in tumor tissue was increased significantly ，expression level of Bcl- 2 was decreased significantly （P＜ 0.05）；there was no statistical significance in the levels of IL- 18 and KIM- 1 in urine ，the levels of BUN and Scr in serum ，the levels of SOD ，MDA and GSH in renal tissue （P＞0.05）；a small amount of inflammatory cells infiltrated occasionally in renal tissue. CONCLUSIONS ：TGPL combined with cisplatin can inhibit tumor growth ，promote tumor cell apoptosis and improve renal injury induced by cisplatin.

Comparative study on differences of Paeonia lactiflora from different habitats based on fingerprint and chemometrics / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to compare the differences of Paeonia lactiflora from different habitats by establishing fingerprint. The fingerprint of P. lactiflora was established by UPLC. The samples collected from Sichuan,Hebei,Henan,Shanxi and Anhui were analyzed. The common peaks were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. The relative peak area of the common peaks was analyzed through similarity evaluation system( 2012 edition) for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine developed by the National Pharmacopoeia Commission. Twelve common peaks were obtained and ten components were identified by reference substance and literature comparison. The similarity of each sample to the reference fingerprint is greater than 0. 900. However,all samples were clearly divided into 5 groups according to habitats after PLS-DA analysis. The peaks 2,6( ethyl gallate),10( galloypaeoniflorin) and 12( benzoyl paeoniflorin) were found to be the main difference components between the samples from five different habitats through the VIP value map. The study found that the variety of ingredients in the different areas are basically similar. But there are some differences in the content of the four components. The results of this study can provide reference at choosing and utilizing P. lactiflora from different places comprehensively.

Study on secondary metabolites of endophytic fungus Alternaria alternate from Paeonia lactiflora / 中草药

Objective This study focused on the secondary metabolites of endophytic fungus Alternaria alternate in Paeonia lactiflora. Methods Compounds were isolated from the EtOAc extract by chromatography technology and their structures were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analysis. Results A total of 15 compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as methyl 4-acetamido-3-hydroxybenzoate (1), (E)-methyl5-hydroxy-3-methylpent-2-eno (2), isobenzofuranone A (3), 4-hydroxyacetophenone (4), 6-hydroxy-isosclerone (5), talarojlavone (6), 7-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-5-methyl-4H-chromen-4-one (7), alternarienonic acid (8), 7-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (9), 5-hydroxy-epialtenuene (10), alternariol (11), methyl 3-hydroxybenzoate (12), stemphyperylenol (13), altenusin (14), and altenuene (15). Conclusion Compounds 1, 3, 5-10, 12, and 13 are isolated from Alternaria alternatefor the first time.

Simultaneous Determination of 15 Monoterpene Glycosides in Radix Paeoniae Alba and Seed Cake of Peony by HPLC / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To establish an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of 15 monoterpene glycosides in Radix Paeoniae Alba and seed cake of peony. METHODS: The separation was performed on an Agilent Zorbax SB C18-Aq column, using acetonitrile (A) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution (B) (pH 2.8) as the mobile phase by gradient elution. The elution program was as follows: 0 min(A, 9%)→8 min(A, 9%)→10 min(A, 15%)→25 min(A, 20%)→42 min(A, 35%)→50 min(A, 35%). The flow rate was 1.0 mL•min-1. The detection wavelength was maintained at 260 nm. The column temperature was set at 30 ℃. RESULTS: The linear range was 5.1-81.6 μg•mL-1 for pyrindylpaeoniflorin, 12.95-207.2 μg•mL-1 for mudanpioside F, 6.2-99.2 μg•mL-1 for oxyalbiflorin, 12.2-195.2 μg•mL-1 for oxypaeoniflorin, 8.0-128.0 μg•mL-1 for 10-hydroxypaeoniflorin, 5.5-88.0 μg•mL-1 for albiflorin, 6.0-96.0 μg•mL-1 for paeoniflorin, 6.0-96.0 μg•mL-1 for oxypaeonidanin, 5.6-89.6 μg•mL-1 for 4-O-methyl-oxypaeoniflorin, 4.7-75.2 μg•mL-1 for galloylpaeoniflorin, 5.4-86.4 μg•mL-1 for 4-O-methyl-paeoniflorin, 5.0-80.0 μg•mL-1 foralbiflorin R1, 5.7-91.2 μg•mL-1 for paeonidanin, 5.4-86.4 μg•mL-1 for benzoyloxypaeoniflorin and 6.7-107.2 μg•mL-1 for benzoylpaeoniflorin. The average recoveries of the 15 monoterpene glycosides, were between 96.8%-105.6% and the RSD values were 1.05%-3.41%. CONCLUSION: The method is simple, accurate and can be used for the quality control of peony.

Quality characterization of radix paeoniae alba in huangqi guizhi wuwu decoction / 国际药学研究杂志

Objective: To establish the HPLC fingerprint of the chemical components of the decoction of Radix Paeoniae Alba(RPA)and determine the content of paeoniflorin, so as to provide a scientific method for the quality char- acterization and control of RPA and establish a correlation between the quality of standard granules in classical prescrip- tion and the quality of RPA. Methods: Thermo Syncronis C18(250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm)chromatographic column was used, the mobile phase was constituted by acetonitrile(A)and 0.05 % phosphate aqueous solution(B), the detection wavelength was 230 nm, the column temperature was 30℃, the flow rate was 1.0 ml/min, and the injection volume was 20 μl;the gradient eluting procedure was 0-15 min, 5% A-15% A;15-45 min, 15% A-25% A;45-65 min, 25% A-50% A. Results: The HPLC fingerprint of RPA was established, 11 common peaks were identified by HPLC-Q-TOFMS/ MS, and the similarity of 10 batches were evaluated. The content determination of paeoniflorin in 10 batches of RPA decoction-lyophilized powders was also completed. Conclusion: This study provides a scientific and reliable method for the quality characterization and control of RPA as well as a reference for the quality characterization and control of the standard decoction and granules.

Chemical constituents from water-soluble extract of dry roots of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国中药杂志

Nineteen compounds were isolated from the water-soluble extract of the dry roots of Paeonia lactiflora by using various chromatographic techniques. Their structures were identified by MS， NMR and other spectroscopic analysis as paeoniflorin(1)， 4--ethylpaeoniflorin(2)， 2'--benzoylpaeoniflorin(3)， benzoylpaeoniflorin(4)， 4"-hydroxy-benzoyloxypaeoniflorin(5)， moudanpioside C(6)， 6'--benzoyl-4"-hydroxy-3"-methoxy-paeoniflorin(7)， paeoniflorin B(8)， 6--benzoylalbiflorin(9)， secoisolariciresinol (10)， (+)-lyoniresinol(11)， dihyrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol(12)， ()-threo-7，9，9'-trihydroxy-3，3'-dimethoxy-8--4'-neolignan(13)， (+)-neo-olivil (14)， [()-5-methyl-2，3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-3-yl]methanol(15)， 5-hydroxy--hydroxymethyl-6-methyl-2，3-dihydrobenzofuran(16)， (+)-()-2-hydroxy-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-propan-1-one(17)， (+)-(2)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-propanol(18)， (+)-()-()-4-hydroxy-2-nonenoic acid(19). Compounds 15 and 18 are new natural products， while compounds 10， 11， 13， 14， 17 and 19 are isolated from the genus Paeonia for the first time.

Analysis on "component-target-pathway" of Paeonia lactiflora in treating cardiac diseases based on data mining / 中国中药杂志

Based on the literature review and modern application of Paeonia lactiflora in heart diseases, this article would predict the target of drug and disease by intergrative pharmacology platform of traditional Chinese medicine (TCMIP, http://www.tcmip.cn), and then explore the molecular mechanism of P. lactiflora in treatment of heart disease, providing theoretical basis and method for further studies on P. lactiflora. According to the ancient books, P. lactiflora with functions of "removing the vascular obstruction, removing the lumps, relieving pain, diuretic, nutrient qi" and other effects, have been used for many times to treat heart disease. Some prescriptions are also favored by the modern physicians nowadays. With the development of science, the chemical components that play a role in heart disease and the interrelation between these components and the body become the research hotspot. In order to further reveal the pharmacological substance base and molecular mechanism of P. lactiflora for the treatment of such diseases, TCM-IP was used to obtain multiple molecular targets and signaling pathways in treatment of heart disease. ATP1A1, a common target of drug and disease, was related to energy, and HDAC2 mainly regulated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy gene and cardiomyocyte expression. Other main drug targets such as GCK, CHUK and PRKAA2 indirectly regulated heart disease through many pathways; multiple disease-associated signaling pathways interfered with various heart diseases including coronary heart disease, myocardial ischemia and myocardial hypertrophy through influencing energy metabolism, enzyme activity and gene expression. In conclusion, P. lactiflora plays a role in protecting heart function by regulating the gene expression of cardiomyocytes directly. Meanwhile, it can indirectly intervene in other pathways of heart function, and thus participate in the treatment of heart disease. In this paper, the molecular mechanism of P. lactiflora for treatment of heart disease was in computer prediction analysis level, and the specific mechanism of action still needs further experimental verification.

Rapid determination of paeoniflorin and albiflorin in red peony root by near-infrared spectroscopy / 中草药

Objective To develop a method for the measurement of the content of paeoniflorin and albiflorin in red peony root (the roots of Paeonia lactiflora, RPR) by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) for quality rapid assessment. Methods A total of 65 RPR samples were collected from Sichuan, Zhejiang and Anhui of China, and then quantified the content of paeoniflorin and albiflorin by NIR and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Fifty-three samples were chosen as the calibration set, while the remaining 12 samples were assigned to external validation set. The calibration model of paeoniflorin and albiflorin was further developed by modified partial least squares (MPLS) using UPLC data as reference based on optimized spectral regions, pre-treament of spetrum and the number of principal divisors. The content of paeoniflorin and albiflorin in unknown samples (validation model) was predicted according to the validation set of NIR. Results The standard errors of prediction (SEP) for the contents between the predicted value of NIR method and the estimated value of UPLC method were 1.437 2% for paeoniflorin and 0.784 3% for albiflorin, and their correlation coefficient (R) were 0.990 2 for paeoniflorin) and 0.994 4 for albiflorin in 53 calibration set samples. Moreover, the SEP and R of that in 12 validation set samples were 0.714 5%, 0.988 0% for paeoniflorin, and 0.632 4, 0.994 6 for albiflorin, respectively. The sum of paeoniflorin and albiflorin in RPR cultivated in Sichuan, Anhui, and Zhejiang province in China were 5.49%, 5.33%, and 4.81%, respectively. Conclusion NIR can quantify the amounts of paeoniflorin and albiflorin quickly and simultaneously in RPR for quality rapid assessment. The quality of RPR cultivated in Sichuan, Anhui, and Zhejiang is similar based on the sum of these two bioactive compounds without significant differences.

Constructing powder dispersion of Tongmai Dasheng Tablets based on dissolution of effective components and dispersibility of medicinal powder / 中草药

Objective: To improve the dissolution of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (SMRR) and Paeoniae Radix Alba (PRA) in Tongmai Dasheng Tablets (TDT), and to construct a good powder dispersion. Methods: SMRR, PRA, and Placenta Hominis (PH) were crushed by common method and ultramicro method using calgon as a dispersant to prepare 19 powder dispersion samples. The particle size distribution, infrared spectrum, dispersion, specific surface area, and porosity of the powder dispersions were investigated. The contents of salvianolic acid B and paeoniflorin were measured by HPLC, and the dissolution of salvianolic acid B and paeoniflorin in different powder dispersions was evaluated. Results: Infrared spectrum results showed that superfine pulverization, mixed comminution or adding the auxiliary pulverizing cannot produce new substances in medicinal powder. The dissolution rate of salvianolic acid B and paeoniflorin in the mixed ultramicro powder dispersions of SMRR and PRA was the highest, salvianolic acid B 83.57%, RSD 2.03%, paeoniflorin 80.75%, RSD 0.61%. Conclusion: The dissolution rate is affected not only by the specific surface area of the powder but also by the dispersity of the powder. In order to improve the dissolution rate of active ingredients in powder, it is important to increase the specific surface area of the powder and improve the dispersity of the powder. In the mixed powder of SMRR, PRA, and PH, the dissolution rate of salvianolic acid B and paeoniflorin was lower than that of the mixed powder of SMRR and PRA. Hence, PH was smashed alone, and then mixed with the other two kinds of medicinal powder.

Study on the Effects and Mechanism of Couplet Medicines of Scutellaria baicalensis-Paeonia lactiflora on Improving Ulcerative Colitis in Mice / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects and mechanism of couplet medicines of Scutellaria baicalensis-Paeonia lactiflora on improving ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. METHODS: A total of 70 mice were randomly divided into blank group, model group, S. baicalensis group (1. 5 g/kg), P. lactiflora group (1. 5 g/kg), S. baicalensis-P. lactiflora (2:1, 1:1, 1:2, m/m) groups (total amount of 1. 5 g/kg), with 10 mice in each group. Except for blank group, UC model of mice was induced in each group. The next day after modeling, treatment groups were given relevant medicine liquid 0. 2 mL/10 g (75 mg/mL, calculated by crude drug mass concentration), while blank group and model group were given constant volume of normal saline intragastrically, once a day, for consecutive 7 d. After administration, disease activity indexes (DAI) of rats were scored, and the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, D-LA and myeloperoxidase (DAO) were determined. The length of the colon was measured and the intestinal mass index was calculated in mice. The activities of medullary peroxide (MPO) and SOD, the levels of NO and MDA were determined in colon tissue. RESULTS: Compared with blank group, DAI score, serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, D-LA and DAO, the levels of MPO, NO and MDA in colon were increased significantly in model group, while the length of colon, intestinal mass index and SOD level of colon tissue were decreased significantly, with statistical significance (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). Compared with model group, DAI score, serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and DAO, the level of MDA in colon were decreased significantly in S. baicalensis group (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). The serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, the level of MDA in colon were decreased significantly in P. lactiflora group (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). Above indexes of S. baicalensis-P. lactiflora (2:1) group were improved significantly except for the length of colon (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). Above indexes of S. baicalensis-P. lactiflora (1:1) group were improved significantly except for serum level of IL-6 and the level of SOD in colon (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). Above indexes of S. baicalensis-P. lactiflora (1:2) group were improved significantly except for serum level of NO (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). CONCLUSIONS: The couplet medicines of S. baicalensis-P. lactiflora can reduce the expression of proinflammatory factors, enhancing antioxidant activity of the body and decrease intestinal mucosal permeability so as to improve UC symptom of mice; and the effect of S. baicalensis-P. lactiflora (2:1) group is the best.