Anti-arthritic Effects of Oplopanax elatus in a Rat Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis (Adjuvant-induced Arthritis)

The stems of Oplopanax elatus (OE) have long been used to treat inflammatory disorders in herbal medicine, and in the previous investigation, OE was found to possess anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide-treated macrophages, RAW 264.7 cell. OE reduces inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase-induced NO production, and interferes with mitogen-activated protein kinase activation pathways. In the present study, the pharmacological action of the water extract of OE was examined to establish anti-arthritic action, using a rat model of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). The water extract of OE administered orally inhibited AIA-induced arthritis at (100 – 300) mg/kg/day. The paw edema was significantly decreased, in combination with reduced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The action mechanism includes an inhibition of MAPKs/nuclear transcription factor-κB activation. These new findings strongly suggest that OE possesses anti-arthritic action, and may be used as a therapeutic agent in inflammation-related disorders, particularly in arthritic condition.

Pharmacokinetic profiles of falcarindiol and oplopandiol in rats after oral administration of polyynes extract of Oplopanax elatus / 中国天然药物

Polyynes, such as facarindiol (FAD) and oplopandiol (OPD), are responsible for anticancer activities of Oplopanax elatus (O. elatus). A novel approach to pharmacokinetics determination of the two natural polyynes in rats was developed and validated using a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. Biosamples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction using ethyl acetate/n-hexane (V : V = 9 : 1) and the analytes were eluted on an Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 threaded column (4.6 mm × 50 mm, 1.8 μm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1% aqueous formic acid at a flow-rate of 0.5 mL·min(-1) within a total run time of 11 min. All analytes were simultaneously monitored in a single-quadrupole mass spectrometer in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode using electrospray source in positive mode. The method was demonstrated to be rapid, sensitive, and reliable, and it was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of the two polyynes in rat plasma after oral administration of polyynes extract of O. elatus.

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai: chemistry, traditional use and pharmacology / 中国天然药物

Oplopanax elatus (Nakai) Nakai, a member of the ancient angiosperm plant family Araliaceae, is used for the treatment of different disorders in the medicine systems of China, Russia, and Korea, and was designated in Russia as a classical adaptogen. Despite extensive studies of classical adaptogens, there are comparatively few reports concerning the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of O. elatus in English. The plant is a potential source of saponins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, terpenes, and other active compounds. Experimental studies and clinical applications have indicated that O. elatus possesses a number of pharmacological activities, including adaptogenic, anti-convulsant, anti-diabetic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, blood pressure modulating, and reproductive function effects. In this review, the chemistry, safety, and therapeutic potential of O. elatus are summarized and highlighted to encourage the further development of this plant.

Phenolic constituents from Oplopanax horridus / 中国中药杂志

The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques indluding silica gel, reverse phase silica gel, sephadex LH-20 and pre-HPLC and identified by their physicochemical properties and spectral data. Sixteen phenolic compounds had been isolated and n-butanol extracts which were fractionated from the ethanol extract of Oplopanax horridus roots bark. Their structures were identified as below, including 7 phenylpropanoid compounds, ferulic acid (1), 3-acetylcaffeic acid (2), caffeic acid (3), homovanillyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), 3-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), 3, 5-dimethoxycinnamyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (6), and 3-dimethoxycinnamyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7). Three coumarins, scopoletin (8), esculetin (9) and 3'-angeloyl-4'-acetyl-cis-knellactone (10). And 6 lignan compounds, (+)-isolaricires-inol-9'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (11), 3, 3'-dimethoxy-4, 9, 9'-trihydroxy-4', 7-epoxy-5', 8-lignan-4, 9-bis-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (12), (+)-5, 5'-dimethoxylariciresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (13), (-)-5,5'-dimethoxylariciresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (14), (-)-pinoresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (15), and (+)-5, 5'-dimethoxylariciresinol 9'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (16). All compounds were isolated and identified for the first time from this plant All the constituents except compounds 4, 6, 12 and 13 were obtained for the first time from the genus Oplopanax.

Structures of four new triterpenoid saponins from the leaves of Oplopanax elatus Nakai / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>Isolation and structural elucidation of the triterpenoid saponins of Oplopanax elatus Nakai.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Solvent extraction and column chromatography were used to isolate the triterpenoid saponins, physico-chemical constants and spectroscopic analysis were employed for structural elucidation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Four newtriterpenoid saponins named cirenshenoside S (1), cirenshenoside T (2), cirenshenoside U (3) and cirenshenoside V (4) were isolated, and their structures were elucidated to be 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl 3beta,23-dihydroxylup-20 (29)-en-28-oic acid 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1 --> 4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl hederagenin 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1 --> 4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl 3beta-hydroxyolean-9(11),12-dien-28-oic acid 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1 --> 4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3) and 3alpha-hydroxyolean-12-dien-23,28-dioic acid 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1 --> 4 )-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds 1-4 are new triterpenoid saponins and isolated from the leaves of Oplopanax elatus Nakai for the first time.</p>