RESUMO
Rhododendron molle G. Don is first recorded in Shengnong's Herbal Classic, and its fruits, which are termed as Liuzhouzi, are often used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in Chinese folk. During our ongoing investigation to develop a safer and potential new arthritis therapy, a process for the preparation of diterpenoid fraction from Rhododendron mollefruits was established. In order to evaluate the main components and the anti-rheumatoid arthritis effect of the diterpenoid fraction, phytochemical and pharmacological experiments were used. As the result, the main components of diterpenoid fraction were identified as rhodojaponin III (1), rhodojaponin VI (2), 2-O-methylrhodojaponin (3), and 5'-β-D-glucopyranosy-loxyjasmonic acid (4). These four components constitute greater than 95% of diterpenoid fraction using area normalization method of HPLC-ELSD. The results of CIA rat experiment showed that high dose of diterpenoid fraction (0.6 mg·kg
RESUMO
Rhododendron molle is a plant of the Ericaceae family. It is commonly used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Modern pharmacological studies have confirmed that its diterpenoids are main medicinal ingredients with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and other pharmacological effects. Through reviewing domestic and foreign literatures, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the research progress in the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of R. molle, and briefly prospects research of the titled plant.