Research summary of chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Panax notoginseng and predictive analysis on its Q-markers / 中国中药杂志

Panax notoginseng contains triterpene saponins, flavonoids, amino acids, polysaccharides, volatile oil and other active components, which have the effects of promoting blood circulation, stopping bleeding, removing blood stasis, etc. This study summarized the herbal research, chemical constituents and main pharmacological activities of P. notoginseng, and based on the theory of Q-markers of traditional Chinese medicine, predicted and analyzed the Q-markers of P. notoginseng from the aspects of plant kinship, efficacy, drug properties, measurability of chemical components, etc. It was found that ginsenosides Rg_1, Re, and Rb_1 with specific content ratio, ginsenosides Rb_2, Rb_3, Rc, Rd, Rh_2, and Rg_3, notoginseng R_1, dencichine and quercetin could be used as potential Q-markers of P. notoginseng, which facilitated the formulation of quality standards reflecting the efficacy of P. notoginseng.

Herbal textual research on Chuanxiong Rhizoma in Chinese classical prescriptions / 中国中药杂志

Fourteen classical prescriptions in the Catalog of 100 Ancient Classical Prescriptions(First Batch) promulgated in 2018 contain Chuanxiong Rhizoma, which reveals the high medicinal value and wide application of Chuanxiong Rhizoma. This paper systematically reviews the ancient herbal books and modern literature to explore the name, origin, genuine producing area, medicinal part, harvesting, and processing of Chuanxiong Rhizoma, thus facilitating the development of classical prescriptions containing Chuan-xiong Rhizoma. It is confirmed that Chuanxiong Rhizoma, formerly known as "Xiongqiong" in Chinese, was first called "Chuanxiong" in late Tang Dynasty, which has been gradually accepted as its official name due to the rise of the status of Chuanxiong Rhizoma produced in Sichuan. The main original plant of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in past dynasties has always been deemed to be Ligusticum chuan-xiong(Umbellifera), whose rhizome serves as the medicinal part. In general, it is best harvested in summer but the harvesting time can vary with different growth environments. Since the Song Dynasty, Sichuan province has been recognized as the genuine producing area of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in light of the high yield and good quality. It is suggested that Chuanxiong Rhizoma from Sichuan be used preferentially in the development of classical prescriptions. There are multiple processing methods of Chuanxiong Rhizoma recorded in ancient medical classics, and the raw(after purifying and slicing) or wine-processed or stir-fried Chuanxiong Rhizoma is still in use today. In the development of classical prescriptions containing Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Chuanxiong Rhizoma is advised to be processed in accordance with current processing standards if the specific processing method is described in the medical classics. If not, the raw Chuanxiong Rhizoma is preferred and then processed following the processing standards of Chuanxiong Rhizoma decoction pieces in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

New dicyclopeptides from Dianthus chinensis / 药学学报

One new dicyclopeptide cyclo-(L-N-methyl Glu-L-N-methyl Glu) (1), together with one new natural dicyclopeptide cyclo-(L-methyl Glu ester-L-methyl Glu ester) (2), and two known dicyclopeptides cyclo-(L-methyl Glu ester-L-Glu) (3), and cyclo-(L-Glu-L-Glu) (4), were isolated from the aerial parts of Dianthus chinensis L. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods.