Identification of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium and its adulterants / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To explore a set of identification methods of discriminating Bupleurum scorzonerifolium from its adulterant Bupleuru bicaule. METHODS: Methods of morphological comparison of plant samples with specimens, macroscopic identification of the roots, TLC identification of the root extracts, and DNA molecular identification by ITS2 sequence were applied. RESULTS: There were distinctive differences in the morphological, macroscopic, and TLC characteristics between B. chinense and B. scorzomerifolium. The DNA of ITS2 sequence was able to be identified by measuring their mean intraspecific genetic distance (K-2-P distance) which was lower than their mean interspecific genetic distance. In the cluster dendrogram, both of them showed monophyletic property and could be distinguished from other adulterants. CONCLUSION: On the basis of comparison of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium and its adulterant Bupleurum bicaule, the main identification features were summarized by a combination of original plant morphology, macroscopic identification of the roots, TLC identification, and DNA molecular identification methods. DNA identification technology is an important supplement of the traditional identification methods, which may have great potential and application prospect in origin identification of medicinal plants.

A new saikogenin from the roots of Bupleurum bicaule / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To study the chemical constituents from the roots of Buleurum bicaule Helm (Apiaceae).@*METHOD@#Silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, MPLC Rp-C18 column chromatography, and HPLC were used for isolation of compounds. The structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D- and 2D-NMR technology and HRESI-MS. Compounds were evaluated in vitro for their inhibitory ability against the proliferation of rat mesangial cells by the MTT method.@*RESULTS@#Twelve compounds were isolated, and their structures were identified on the basis of their spectroscopic and physico-chemical properties as 13, 28-epoxy-olean-11-en-3-one (1), saikogenin E (2), saikogenin G (3), 11α-methoxy-3β, 16β, 23, 28-tetrahydroxyolean-12-ene (4), saikogenin D (5), prosaikogenin F (6), prosaikogenin A (7), prosaikogenin G (8), prosaikogenin D (9), laccaic acid (10b), methyl gallate (11), and ethyl gallate (12). Compounds 1, 2, 7, 8, and 10 were observed to have inhibitory activity against mesangial cell proliferationin to different degrees.@*CONCLUSION@#Compound 1, 8, and 10 exhibit significant inhibitory effects on rat mesangial cell proliferation induced by Ang II.