Mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus in ameliorating rheumatoid arthritis based on metabolomics and intestinal microbiota / 中国中药杂志

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA), a chronic autoimmune disease, is featured by persistent joint inflammation. The development of RA is associated with the disturbance of endogenous metabolites and intestinal microbiota. Gardeniae Fructus(GF), one of the commonly used medicinal food in China, is usually prescribed for the prevention and treatment of jaundice, inflammation, ache, fever, and skin ulcers. GF exerts an effect on ameliorating RA, the mechanism of which remains to be studied. In this study, ultra-perfor-mance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)-based serum non-target metabolomics and 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing were employed to elucidate the mechanism of GF in ameliorating RA induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in rats. The results showed that GF alleviated the pathological conditions in adjuvant arthritis(AA) rats. The low-and high-dose GF lo-wered the serum levels of interleukin(IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), IL-1β, and prostaglandin E2 in the rats(P<0.05, P<0.01). Pathways involved in metabolomics were mainly α-linolenic acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism. The results of 16S rDNA sequencing showed that the Streptococcus, Facklamia, Klebsiella, Enterococcus, and Kosakonia were the critical gut microorganisms for GF to treat AA in rats. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the three differential metabolites PE-NMe[18:1(9Z)/20:0], PC[20:1(11Z)/18:3(6Z,9Z,12Z)], and PC[20:0/18:4(6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)] were correlated with the differential bacteria. In conclusion, GF may ameliorate RA by regulating the composition of intestinal microbiota, α-linolenic acid metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. The findings provide new ideas and data for elucidating the mechanism of GF in relieving RA.

Study on time-toxicity relationship and mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus extract on hepatoxicity in rats based on proteomics / 中国中药杂志

To study the time-toxicity relationship and mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus extract on the hepatoxicity in rats. Rats were randomly divided into C group(0 day), D5 group(5 days), D12 group(12 days), D19 group(19 days), and D26 group(7 days recovery after 19 days of administration). The rats in normal group received normal saline through intragastric administration, and the rats in other groups received 10 g·kg~(-1 )Gardeniae Fructus extract through intragastric administration. After the final administration, the livers were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the liver tissue. Total liver proteins were extracted for proteomic analysis, detected by the Nano-ESI liquid-mass spectrometry system and identified by Protein Disco-very software. SIEVE software was used for relative quantitative and qualitative analysis of proteins. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed based on STRING. Cytoscape software was used for cluster analysis of differential proteins. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) database was used to perform enrichment signal pathway analysis. Pearson correlation analysis was performed for the screened differential protein expression and liver pathology degree score. The results showed that the severity of liver injury in D5, D12 and D19 groups was significantly higher than that in group C. The degree of liver damage in D5 group was slightly higher than that in D12 and D19 groups, with no significant difference between group D26 and group C. Totally 147 key differential proteins have been screened out by proteomics and mainly formed 6 clusters, involving in drug metabolism pathways, retinol metabolism pathways, proteasomes, amino acid biosynthesis pathways, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. The results of Pearson correlation analysis indicated that differential protein expressions had a certain temporal relationship with the change of liver pathological degree. The above results indicated that the severity of liver damage caused by Gardeniae Fructus extract did not increase with time and would recover after drug with drawal. The above pathways may be related to the mechanism of liver injury induced by Gardeniae Fructus extract.

Quality changes of Gardeniae Fructus Praeparatus processed by different frying methods: a color-component correlation analysis / 中国中药杂志

The chromatic values of the broken-fried and single-fried Gardeniae Fructus Praeparatus(GFP) were measured by the color analyzer to analyze the color variation rule, and the contents of 10 main components were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography(UPLC). The multivariate statistical analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and discriminant analysis were conducted to investigate the color and components of GFP samples. The experimental results revealed that L~*, a~*, b~*, and E~*ab decreased continuously during processing, and the color of samples gradually deepened. The trend and range of chromatic values during broken-frying and single-frying processes were basically identical. Gardenoside, crocin-Ⅰ(C-Ⅰ), and crocin-Ⅱ(C-Ⅱ) showed an obviously downward trend, while the contents of geniposidic acid and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5-HMF) increased significantly. Shanzhiside, deacetyl-asperulosidic acid methyl ester, and geniposide(G2) showed a downward trend. Scandoside methyl ester rose first and fell later. Genipin-1-O-gentiobioside(G1) went through a decrease-increase-decrease trend. The change trends of component contents during broken-frying and single-frying processes were generally consistent, but the change range was different. Among all the components, scandoside methyl ester and G1 showed obvious change. Because of different stir-frying time, the change rate of each component content in the process of broken-frying was higher than that in single-frying process. Additionally, geniposidic acid, gardenoside, scandoside methyl ester, C-Ⅰ, C-Ⅱ, and 5-HMF exhibited a higher correlation with apparent color. On the basis of above findings, the discriminant function of two frying processes was established, which could be applied to the discrimination of broken-fried and single-fried samples. This study analyzed the dynamic quality change rule of GFP during broken-frying and single-frying processes based on color-component correlation analysis, and found the two methods showed consistent change trend, yet with slight difference in the quality of samples. This study can provide data support for the processing of GFP.

Correlation analysis of color change and Maillard reaction during processing of Gardeniae Fructus Praeparatus / 中国中药杂志

The chromaticity space parameters of the samples during the processing of Gardeniae Fructus Praeparatus(Jiaozhizi in Chinese herbal name, JZZ) were measured by the visual analyzer to analyze the color variation rule during the processing of JZZ, and the content changes of total reducing sugar, total amino acid and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5-HMF) related to Maillard reaction were measured. Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression analysis of the data were carried out by SPSS 24.0 software. The experimental results showed that the objective coloration of the samples in the processing of JZZ was basically consistent with the traditional subjective color judgment; the contents of total reducing sugar and total amino acids showed a decreasing trend during the processing of JZZ, and the content of 5-HMF showed an increasing trend, which was in line with Maillard reaction law. Pearson correlation analysis results showed that there was a significant correlation between the chromaticity space parameters L~*(lightness value), a~*(red green value), b~*(yellow blue value), E~*ab(total color value) and the contents of total reducing sugar, total amino acid and 5-HMF(P<0.01), among which the values of L~*, a~*, b~*, E~*ab were positively correlated with the contents of total reducing sugar and total amino acid, and negatively correlated with the contents of 5-HMF. The results of linear regression analysis also showed that these two were highly correlated. In this study, by establishing the correspondence relationship between the color change of JZZ processing and Maillard reactants, wecan not only provide a basis for the objective digital expression of subjective color of JZZ, but also provide a reference for explaining the processing mechanism of JZZ from a new perspective.

Correlation between color and content of eight components of Gardeniae Fructus at different harvest time / 中国中药杂志

This research is to establish an HPLC method for determination of geniposidic acid, genipin-1-β-D-gentiobioside, geniposide, p-trans-coumaroylgenipin gentiobioside, chlorogenic acid, crocin-Ⅰ, crocin-Ⅱ and crocin-Ⅲ in Gardeniae Fructus at different harvest time. The detection wavelength was 238, 320 and 440 nm. Principal component analysis(PCA), correlation analysis, regression analysis and partial least squares(PLS) analysis were used to explore the relationship of color and content of eight components in Gardeniae Fructus. The result showed that the trend of the eight components in Gardeniae Fructus at harvest time in different three years was varied similarly. According to the variation of eight components at different harvest time, the mature and immaturate Gardeniae Fructus were discriminated. The content of crocin-Ⅰwas correlated positively with a~* of color significance. The redder color of Gardeniae Fructus showed the higher value of a~* and content of crocin-Ⅰ, indicating the better quality of Gardeniae Fructus. This method provided reference for justifying the color and quality of Gardeniae Fructus and scientific evidence for "assessing quality by distinguishing color".

Study on mechanisms of anti-Alzheimer's disease action of absorbed components of Gardeniae Fructus based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

Gardeniae Fructus has the traditional effects of promoting intelligence and inducing resuscitation, but its mechanism is unclear. In this study, the relationship between Gardeniae Fructus's traditional effect of promoting intelligence and inducing resuscitation and anti-Alzheimer's disease effect was taken as the starting point to investigate the anti-Alzheimer's disease mechanism of the major absorbed components in Gardeniae Fructus by the network pharmacology method. The network pharmacology research model of "absorbed composition-target-pathway-disease" was adopted. In this study, the active components screening and target prediction technology were used to determine the active components and targets of Gardeniae Fructus in treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The enrichment pathway and biological process of Gardeniae Fructus were studied by using the bioinformatics annotation database(DAVID), and the results of molecular docking validation network analysis were used to elaborate the mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus in treatment of Alzheimer's disease. It was found that 35 absorbed components of Gardeniae Fructus not only regulated 48 targets such as cholines-terase(BCHE) and carbonic anhydrase 2(CA2), but also affected 11 biological processes(e.g. transcription factor activity, nuclear receptor activity, steroid hormone receptor activity, amide binding and peptide binding) and 7 metabolic pathways(MAPK signaling pathway, Alzheimer disease and estrogen signaling pathway, etc.). Molecular docking results showed that more than 60% of the active components could be well docked with key targets, and the relevant literature also showed that the active components could inhibit the MAPK1 expression of key targets, indicating a high reliability of results. These results indicated that Gardeniae Fructus may play its anti-Alzheimer's disease action via a "multi-ingredients-multi-targets and multi-pathways" mode, providing a scientific basis for further drug research and development.

Determination of heavy metal contents in Gardeniae Fructus and fried Gardeniae Fructus and their health risk assessment / 中国中药杂志

In this study, the contents of Cu, As, Cd, Pb and Hg in 10 batches of Gardeniae Fructus and 10 batches of fried Gardeniae Fructus from Fuzhou in Jiangxi were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS), and the target hazard coefficient(THQ) for different drug users(adults and children) was calculated by using the international health risk assessment model. According to the ISO and green industry standard, the content of Hg in 4 batches of Gardeniae Fructus exceeded the standard with an over-standard rate of 40%. The THQ and total THQ of Hg in 2 batches of Gardeniae Fructus were higher than the international standard limit of Gardeniae Fructus. For 10 batches of fried Gardeniae Fructus, the content of every heavy metal and total amount of five heavy metals did not exceed the standard. However, the THQ and total THQ of Hg in 1 batch of fried Gardeniae Fructus were higher than the international standard limit of Gardeniae Fructus. As compared with Gardeniae Fructus, the contents of Cu, Pb and Hg in fried Gardeniae Fructus decreased by 34.0%, 77.6% and 23.1%; the THQ of Cu, Pb and Hg for adults decreased by 33.3%, 75.0% and 96.9%; and the THQ of Cu, Pb and Hg for children decreased by 37.5%, 75.0%, 90.7%. It showed that the contents of heavy metals in individual batches of Gardeniae Fructus in this experiment had a certain risk to human health, but the contents of these heavy metals in fried Gardeniae Fructus had no obvious effect on human health. This study provided experimental basis and research ideas for safety evaluation of Gardeniae Fructus and fried Gardeniae Fructus.

Quality evaluation of multi-components simultaneous determination and fingerprint of Gardeniae Fructus from different regions / 中国中药杂志

An analysis method was established by UPLC fingerprint and then applied to simultaneous determination of multiple compounds in Gardeniae Fructus from different areas in China. Samples were separated on a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18( 2. 1 mm×50 mm,1. 7 μm) column with 0. 1% formic acid-water and acetonitrile solution as gradient mobile phase at a flow rate of 0. 4 m L·min-1 at various wavelengths. The similarity of samples was over 0. 95 with ″Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine( 2012 edition) ″. The UPLC common fingerprints for 32 batches were established with 19 common peaks identified. The samples were divided into 3 groups analyzed by HCA and PCA. Five components were identified as the main compositions which caused the differences of chemical constituents in the samples from different areas with partial least squares discriminant analysis( PLS-DA). The content of the total components in each area was Zhejiang > Fujian > Jiangxi > Sichuan. This method was accurate and viable,could be used to evaluate the quality of Gardeniae Fructus.

Technology optimization of Gardeniae Fructus processed with ginger juice and composition changes after processing / 中国中药杂志

To optimize the technology of Gardeniae Fructus processed with ginger juice,establish fingerprints and simultaneously determine seven compounds( geniposidic acid,chlorogenic acid,genipin-1-β-D-gentiobioside,geniposide,rutin,crocin Ⅰ,and crocin Ⅱ) by using ultra high performance liquid chromatography( UPLC). Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18( 2. 1 mm×50 mm,1. 7μm) column was used with acetonitrile and 0. 1% formic acid solution as mobile phase for gradient elution at the flow rate of 0. 4 m L·min-1. The data was comprehensively processed and analyzed with similarity evaluation,principal component analysis( PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis( PLS-DA) methods. Twenty common peaks were identified in this study,and the similarity of samples was over 0. 97. The results of PCA and PLS-DA showed that there were differences in chemical compositions and contents between the raw Gardeniae Fructus and those processed with ginger juice,with 9 potential differentiated chromatographic peaks. After being processed with ginger juice,the contents of chlorogenic acid,crocin Ⅰ and crocin Ⅱ were less than before and the contents of other four compositions were higher than before. The optimized preparation for Gardeniae Fructus processed with ginger juice was stable and feasible. The methods of UPLC fingerprints and simultaneous determination of seven components can be effectively carried out to distinguish Gardeniae Fructus and Gardeniae Fructus processed with ginger juice.

Grade evaluation of Gardeniae Fructus based on quality constant method / 中国中药杂志

Grade evaluation method of quality constant is a kind of grading method for Chinese medicinal materials and decoction pieces,combining the external morphological index and internal content index. This method was used in this paper for grade evaluation of Gardeniae Fructus. By measuring the morphological and content indexes of 14 batches of Gardeniae Fructus,a method for calculating the quality constant of fruits was established,and the grade evaluation criteria were formed. At the same time,the NO inhibition effect of different grades of Gardeniae Fructus samples on RAW264. 7 cells induced by LPS was determined to investigate the relationship between the quality grade and pharmacodynamics of decoction pieces. The results showed that the quality constants of Gardeniae Fructus decoction piece samples ranged from 1. 46 to 4. 42. If the percentage quality constant ≥80% was classified into first-class,50%-80%as second-class and the rest as third-class,the quality constant was ≥3. 54 for first-class,2. 21-3. 54 for second-class and <2. 21 for third-class Gardeniae Fructus decoction pieces. The pharmacodynamic results showed that the pharmacodynamic intensity was positively correlated with the grade,which also proved the rationality of the grade evaluation method of quality constant.

Establishment of extraction method for Gardeniae Fructus extract and its application in evaluating different Gardeniae Fructus decoction pieces / 中国中药杂志

In this experiment,the gradation analysis method was used to evaluate the quality of different pieces of Gardeniae Fructus through the extraction rate difference and the difference analysis of the main components in the extract. In this experiment cold-dip and hot-dip methods were used to compare the yield of Gardeniae Fructus extract and the content of chemical constituents with water,25%,50%,75% and 95% ethanol fractions. By weighted calculation,the optimal extraction method of Gardeniae Fructus was determined,and this was verified by practical application. RESULTS:: showed that for the water-soluble extract,cold dip method was better than the hot dip method; and for alcohol-soluble extract,75% ethanol under cold dip method was best. The verification results showed that water-soluble extracts under cold dip methods could be used to significantly distinguish the raw Gardeniae Fructus( GF) and processed( stir-baked) GF( GFP) collected from the market. Meanwhile,this method could be also used to distinguish the same batch of GF,GFP and carbonized GF( GFC) with significant differences,respectively( P<0. 05). Ethanol-soluble extract can be used to clearly distinguish GFP and GFC pieces in the same batch( P<0. 05). The results of content determination showed that the variation coefficient of components in GF processed products was higher than that in extracts,and the content of hydroxygeniposide was the most significant component between GF and its processed products. It is suggested that the method of water-soluble extract of GF and the determination of the content of gardoside should be combined together to evaluate the quality of GF and its heat processed products.

Mechanism of Gardenia jasminoides against cholestasis based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

To screen the active ingredients of Gardenia jasminoides and potential targets,and investigate the mechanisms against cholestasis based on network pharmacology technology. Twenty-one active components of G. jasminoides were retrieved and the target sites were screened by using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform( TCMSP). Cytoscape3. 2. 1 was used to construct the component-target network. Two hundred and eight targets related to cholestasis were searched and screened through Dis Ge NET,KEGG and OMIM databases. The key targets of G. jasminoides components and cholestasis were integrated and screened,and the component-target-disease network was constructed with Cytoscape 3. 2. 1 software to screen out the core network whose freedom degree was greater than the average value. The Clue GO plug-in of Cytoscape 3. 2. 1 software was used to analyze the biological processes and pathway enrichment of G. jasminoides in regulation of cholestasis. GO biological process analysis revealed 17 biological processes,involving 3 signaling biological processes related to cholestasis,i.e. acute inflammatory response,positive regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolic process,and nitric oxide biosynthetic process. KEGG-KEEG-305 terms and REACTOME pathways analysis revealed 17 regulatory pathways,involving 4 signaling pathways related to cholestasis,i.e. metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450,nuclear receptor transcription pathway,GPVI-mediated activation cascade and platelet activation. It was found that aqueous extract of G. jasminoides could improve serum biochemical abnormalities in ANIT-induced cholestasis rats. Aqueous extract of G. jasminoides could decrease the protein and mRNA expression levels of ESR1 in liver tissues,and increase the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARG,NOS2,F2 R,NOS3,and NR3 C1. To sum up,the possible mechanisms of G. jasminoides against cholestasis may be related with the above three processes and four pathways.

Genipin Inhibits Hypoxia-Induced Accumulation of HIF-1α and VEGF Expressions in Human Cervical Carcinoma Cells / 고신대학교의과대학학술지

OBJECTIVES: Hypoxia—a characteristic of almost all types of solid tumors—has been associated with poor outcomes in several human malignancies. Genipin—an active constituent of Gardenia fruit— has been reported to exert an anti-tumor effect in several cancers. In this study, we investigated inhibition of angiogenesis using Genipin-mediated hypoxia-induced hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1) and VEGF expression in human cervical cancer cells.METHODS: Under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF in cervical cancer HeLa cells was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Luciferase reporter assays were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the hypoxia-induced survivin activation.RESULTS: Surprisingly, we found that Genipin suppressed the HIF-1α accumulation during hypoxia in human liver cancer cell line (HepG2), human prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP), colon cancer cell line (HCT116), and breast cancer cell line (MDA231). Genipin treatment also significantly reduced hypoxia-induced secretion of VEGF.CONCLUSIONS: Suppression of HIF-1α accumulation following treatment with Genipin under hypoxia was associated with PI3K and MAPK pathways. Taken together, these results suggested that Genipin inhibits HIF-1α expression through inhibition of PI3K and MAPK signaling pathways. These results provide new insights into a potential mechanism of the anticancer properties of Genipin.

Effects of Gardenia jasminoides extracts on cognition and innate immune response in an adult Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease / 中国天然药物

Herbal extracts have been extensively used worldwide for their application on memory improvement, especially among aged and memory-deficit populations. In the present study, the memory loss induced by human Abeta protein over-expression in fruitfly Alzheimer's disease (AD) model was rescued by multiple extracts from Gardenia jasminoides. Three extracts that rich with gardenia yellow, geniposide, and gardenoside components showed distinct rescue effect on memory loss. Further investigation on adding gardenoside into a formula of Ganoderma lucidum, Panax notoginseng and Panax ginseng (GPP) also support its therapeutic effects on memory improvement. Interestingly, the application of GPP and gardenoside did not alter the accumulation of Abeta proteins but suppressed the expression of immune-related genes in the brain. These results revealed the importance and relevancy of anti-inflammation process and the underlying mechanisms on rescuing memory deficits, suggesting the potential therapeutic use of the improved GPP formulation in improving cognition in defined population in the future.

Comparative Evaluation of Hepatoprotective Activities of Geniposide, Crocins and Crocetin by CCl4-Induced liver Injury in Mice

Iridoid glycosides (mainly geniposide) and crocetin derivatives (crocins) are the two major active constituents in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. In the present study, geniposide, crocins, crocin-1 and crocetin were separated from gardenia chromatographically. Then, mice were orally administrated with geniposide (400 mg/kg b.w.), crocins (400 mg/kg b.w.), crocin-1 (400 mg/kg b.w.) and crocetin (140 mg/kg b.w.) once daily for 7 days with CCl4. Hepatoprotective properties were evaluated by biochemical parameters: Administration of geniposide, crocins, crocin-1and crocetin significantly lowered serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in CCl4-treated mice. The reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) activities were also increased by geniposide, crocins, crocin-1 and crocetin. Histopathological examination of livers showed that these components reduced deformability, irregular arrangement and rupture of hepatocyte in CCl4-treated mice. These biochemical results and liver histopathological assessment demonstrated that geniposide, crocetin derivatives and crocetin show comparative beneficial effects on CCl4-induced liver damage via induction of antioxidant defense. Therefore, contents of geniposide and crocetin derivatives should be both considered for hepatoprotective efficacy of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis.

Antitumor Effects of Genipin: New and Emerging Insights from Recent Studies

Genipin, an aglycone derived from geniposide found in Gardenia jasminoides, is known to be an excellent natural cross-linker, strong apoptosis inducer, and antiviral agent. Although evidence suggests antiviral activity of genipin in several in vitro viral infection systems, there have been few literatures which review antitumor effects of genipin in a variety of in vitro/in vivo models of cancers yet. In this review, we present some of the latest findings in the studies of genipin focusing on antitumor effects and its mechanisms. In brief, genipin inhibits mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 to increase accumulation of reactive oxygen species, leading to ROS/c-Jun N-terminal kinase-dependent apoptosis of cancer cells. Genipin also increase tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases (MMP), resulting to decrease activities of MMP-2 which plays a key role in metastasis of cancers. Genipin has shown a biphasic effects on cell death and survival in cancer cells as many other plant-derived phytochemicals do. Finally we discuss the potential of genipin as a promosing novel antitumor agent which could be applicable to chemotherapy and/or chemoprevention for cancers.

Genetic characterization and authentication of Gardenia jasminoides in different regions of China by using improved RAPD analysis.

Gardenia jasminoides is a common garden medicinal plant known for its anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombic, anti-fibrotic, antiviral, hepatoprotective, lung-protective, renal-protective, retina-protective and neuroprotective activities. It is found in several regions of the world, including China, but information about its genetic characteristics is limited. Here, we employed an improved method of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis (with increased RAMP time) to investigate the genetic link between G. jasminoides samples collected from six different regions of Southern China. Total 26 RAPD primers were selected randomly, among which 23 primers generated reproducible polymorphic amplification bands. A total of 174 bands were obtained, where each primer had amplified 5-13 bands with an average of 7.56 bands per primer. The band size ranged approximately 150-2200 bp. Cluster dendrogram was obtained based on the improved RAPD amplification profiles, which showed that the similarity coefficients among six varieties of G. jasminoides ranged 0.67-0.88. To our knowledge, this is the first report of genetic characterization of G. jasminoides using improved RAPD analysis, which may be useful for the preservation of genetic diversity and identification of Gardenia population.

Optimization of vacuum belt drying process of Gardeniae Fructus in Reduning injection by Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology / 中国中药杂志

To optimize the belt drying process conditions optimization of Gardeniae Fructus extract from Reduning injection by Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology, on the basis of single factor experiment, a three-factor and three-level Box-Behnken experimental design was employed to optimize the drying technology of Gardeniae Fructus extract from Reduning injection. With drying temperature, drying time, feeding speed as independent variables and the content of geniposide as dependent variable, the experimental data were fitted to a second order polynomial equation, establishing the mathematical relationship between the content of geniposide and respective variables. With the experimental data analyzed by Design-Expert 8. 0. 6, the optimal drying parameter was as follows: the drying temperature was 98.5 degrees C , the drying time was 89 min, the feeding speed was 99.8 r x min(-1). Three verification experiments were taked under this technology and the measured average content of geniposide was 564. 108 mg x g(-1), which was close to the model prediction: 563. 307 mg x g(-1). According to the verification test, the Gardeniae Fructus belt drying process is steady and feasible. So single factor experiments combined with response surface method (RSM) could be used to optimize the drying technology of Reduning injection Gardenia extract.

Analysis of volatile ingredients in Gardeniae Fructus and its processed products by GC-MS / 中国中药杂志

Gardeniae Fructus contains volatile ingredients, however, the species and proportions in different processed products of Gardeniae Fructus are different. In this experiment, volatile ingredients were separated by steam distillation with content of 1.2, 1.0, 0.9, 0.7 µL · g(-1) in Gardeniae Fructus, fried Gardeniae Fructus, stir-baked Gardeniae Fructus, Gardeniae Fructus fried into carbon respectively. One hundred and twenty-four kinds of volatile components were identified by GC-MS. Fifty-three kinds of volatile ingredients consisted in Gardeniae Fructus accounting for 93.85%, 54 kinds in fried Cardeniae Fructus accounting for 92.01%, 32 kinds in stir-baked Cardeniae Fructus accounting for 91.59% and 43 kinds in Gardeniae Fructus fried into carbon accounting for 90.81%. In this paper, analysis of Gardeniae Fructus by GC-MS provides a scientific basis for elucidating the mechanism of different processed products.

Effect of different compatibility of zhizi dahuang decoction on pharmacokinetics of naringenin and hesperetin / 中国中药杂志

An HPLC-UV method was developed for the determination of total naringenin and total hesperetin in rat plasma after oral administration of Citrus aurantium Immaturus extracts and Zhizi Dahuang decoction. Plasma samples were pretreated with liquid-liquid extraction procedure and acid hydrolysis method was used for converting conjugated naringenin and hesperetin to their respective free forms. Plasma samples were separated on a C18 column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm), using 0.1% phosphoric acid and methanol as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1) with gradient elution. DAS 2.0 software was applied to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters while the SPSS 16.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Significant differences were observed, the C(max) AUC(0-t) of total naringenin in ZS group was 73.5% and 65.9% higher than those in ZZDHD group, respectively; the C(max), AUC(0-t) of total hesperetin in ZS group was 63.5% and 119.1% higher than those in ZZDHD group, respectively. There is a obvious decrease in C(max) and AUC(0-t) of total naringenin and total hesperetin after compatibility and their pharmacokinetic characteristics changed greatly due to the combination of other herbs. The established method was rapid, sensitive, selective and accurate, and it could be applied in the determination of total naringenin and total hesperetin in rat plasma.