Anti-diabetic Effect of Zishenwan and Its Herbal Components： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Zishenwan， also known as Tongguanwan， is composed of three herbs：Anemarrhenae Rhizoma， Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex， and Cinnamomi Cortex， which thus is thought to be the representative formula to clear heat， purge fire， nourish Yin， and tonify Qi， and it is often used for treating anuresis and renal arthralgia. In recent years， this formula has become a commonly used combination of herbs and is used to treat diabetes （consumptive thirst disease） diagnosed with "lower consumption" syndrome. This article systematically reviewed the development of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） theory for Zishenwan. Moreover， based on modern pharmacological research， the previous studies on the components of Zishenwan， the improvement of diabetes-related diseases by Zishenwan， and the relationship between the single herd of Zishenwan and the treatment of diabetes were summarized， and the chemical components and the mechanisms for treating diabetes by the three herbs were discussed. It is found that Zishenwan can alleviate diabetes and diabetic nephropathy by performing anti-inflammation， enhancing insulin sensitivity， and inhibiting pyroptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells. Three herbs in Zishenwan and several components of them， including mangiferin， timosaponins， berberine， jatrorrhizine， cinnamaldehyde， and cinnamic acid can ameliorate diabetes and maintain stable glycometabolism by a variety of mechanisms such as improving insulin resistance in insulin target tissues， suppressing inflammation， anti-oxidation， regulating lipid metabolism， enhancing insulin secretion， and regulating gut microbiota. This review provides a theoretical foundation and reference for subsequent studies on the mechanisms of the anti-diabetic effect of Zishenwan.

Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex Combination Alleviates Slow Transit Constipation due to Yang Deficiency in Rats via Regulating VIP/cAMP/PKA/AQP Pathway in Colon / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex in regulating the intestinal function in the rat model of slow transit constipation （STC） due to yang deficiency via the vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）/cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide （cAMP）/protein kinase A （PKA）/aquaporin （AQP） pathway. MethodSD rats were randomized into 6 groups （n=6）， including a control group， a model group， high-， medium-， and low-dose Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex groups， and a prucalopride group. Other groups except the control group were treated with loperamide hydrochloride combined with ice water by gavage for the modeling of STC due to yang deficiency. The number of fecal pellets， time to the first black stool defecation， fecal water content， intestinal propulsion rate， and score of fecal properties were recorded in each group. At the end of the treatment， the colon was stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） to reveal the histopathological changes and Alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff （AB-PAS） to reveal the secretion of colonic mucus. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the level of VIP in the serum. The mRNA level of AQP in the colon was measured by polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to observe the expression of AQPs in the colon and kidney tissues. Western blot was performed to determine the protein levels of cAMP， PKA， and VIP in the colon tissue. ResultCompared with the control group, the model group had longer time to the first black stool defecation, reduced fecal pellets and water content, reduced Bristol Stool Form Scale score and intestinal propulsion rate, and constipation aggravated（P<0.01）. Moreover, increased the intestinal lesions, reduced the mucus secretion, reduce the serum VIP level, up-regulated the expression levels of AQP1 in the colon and kidney tissues, inhibited the expression of AQP3 and AQP9（P<0.01）., and down-regulated the protein levels of cAMP, PKA, and VIP in the colon tissue. Compared with the model group， the high-dose Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex group had shortened time to the first black stool defecation， increased fecal pellets and water content， increased Bristol Stool Form Scale score and intestinal propulsion rate， and alleviated constipation symptoms. Moreover， high-dose Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex reduced the intestinal lesions， increased the mucus secretion， elevated the serum VIP level（P<0.01）.， down-regulated the expression levels of AQP1 in the colon and kidney tissues， promoted the expression of AQP3 and AQP9（P<0.05，P<0.01）， and up-regulated the protein levels of cAMP， PKA， and VIP in the colon tissue. The medium- and low-dose groups had weaker effect than the high-dose group（P<0.01）. ConclusionHigh-dose Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex can improve the intestinal motility and balance the intestinal water and fluid metabolism by up-regulating the VIP/cAMP/PKA/AQP pathway， thereby mitigating the constipation symptoms in the rat model of slow transit constipation due to yang deficiency.

Cinnamomi Cortex Regulates Incretin Effect in Diabetic Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the pharmacodynamic effects of Cinnamomi Cortex on the incretin effect in the rat model of diabetes mellites （DM） induced by streptozotocin （STZ） and explore the underlying mechanism from glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 （DPP-4）. MethodForty SD rats were randomly assigned into blank， model， sitagliptin （0.1 g·kg-1）， and low- and high-dose Cinnamomi Cortex （0.45 and 0.9 g·kg-1， respectively） groups. The DM rat model was established by a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg·kg-1 STZ in other groups except the blank group. The intervention lasted for 8 weeks. The status， body weight， water intake， food intake， and fasting blood glucose （FBG） of the rats were observed and determined. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to reveal the pathological changes of the pancreas， and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of glucagon in the pancreas. Biochemical assay was employed to measure the serum levels of lipid metabolism indexes such as total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， low-density lipoprotein （LDL）， and high-density lipoprotein （HDL）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin， insulin， glucagon， GLP-1， and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide （GIP） in rat serum， and Western blot to determine the protein levels of GLP-1 and DPP-4 in the pancreas. ResultAfter 8 weeks of intervention， the model group showed higher body weight， FBG， TC， TG， LDL， glycosylated hemoglobin， glucagon， insulin， and insulin resistance index and lower HDL， GLP-1， and GIP than the blank group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The Cinnamomi Cortex groups showed lower body weight， FBG， TC， TG， LDL， glycosylated hemoglobin， glucagon， insulin， and insulin resistance index and higher HDL， GLP-1， and GIP than the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The Cinnamomi Cortex groups showed recovered morphology of islet cells and no nucleus aggregation. Compared with the model group， the Cinnamomi Cortex groups showed declined levels of glucagon in the center of islet cells. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed up-regulated protein level of DPP-4 and down-regulated protein level of GLP-1 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high-dose Cinnamomi Cortex groups showed down-regulated protein level of DPP-4 and up-regulated protein level of GLP-1 （P<0.05）. ConclusionCinnamomi Cortex may reduce blood glucose and improve incretin effect to lower the blood glucose level by regulating DPP-4 and GLP-1 in DM rats.

Simultaneous determination of eleven volatile components in Cinnamomi Oleum by GC-MS / 中国中药杂志

A gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(GC-MS) method was established for the simultaneous determination of eleven volatile components in Cinnamomi Oleum and the chemical pattern recognition was utilized to evaluate the quality of essential oil obtained from Cinnamomi Fructus medicinal materials in various habitats. The Cinnamomi Fructus medicinal materials were treated by water distillation, analyzed using GC-MS, and detected by selective ion monitoring(SIM), and the internal standards were used for quantification. The content results of Cinnamomi Oleum from various batches were analyzed by hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA), principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) for the statistic analysis. Eleven components showed good linear relationships within their respective concentration ranges(R~2>0.999 7), with average recoveries of 92.41%-102.1% and RSD of 1.2%-3.2%(n=6). The samples were classified into three categories by HCA and PCA, and 2-nonanone was screened as a marker of variability between batches in combination with OPLS-DA. This method is specific, sensitive, simple, and accurate, and the screened components can be utilized as a basis for the quality control of Cinnamomi Oleum.

Experimental study of cardioprotective effects of Cinnamomi Ramulus and Cinnamomi Cortex formula granules on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats based on efficacy of "warming and coordinating heart Yang" / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to parallelly investigate the cardioprotective activity of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules(CRFG) and Cinnamomi Cortex formula granules(CCFG) against acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury(MI/RI) and the underlying mechanism based on the efficacy of "warming and coordinating the heart Yang". Ninety male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, CRFG low and high-dose(0.5 and 1.0 g·kg~(-1)) groups, and CCFG low and high-dose(0.5 and 1.0 g·kg~(-1)) groups, with 15 rats in each group. The sham group and the model group were given equal volumes of normal saline by gavage. Before modeling, the drug was given by gavage once a day for 7 consecutive days. One hour after the last administration, the MI/RI rat model was established by ligating the left anterior descending artery(LAD) for 30 min ischemia followed by 2 h reperfusion except the sham group. The sham group underwent the same procedures without LAD ligation. Heart function, cardiac infarct size, cardiac patho-logy, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, cardiac injury enzymes, and inflammatory cytokines were determined to assess the protective effects of CRFG and CCFG against MI/RI. The gene expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain protein 3(NLRP3) inflammasome, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD(ASC), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(caspase-1), Gasdermin-D(GSDMD), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), and interleukin-18(IL-18) were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). The protein expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, and N-GSDMD were determined by Western blot. The results showed that both CRFG and CCFG pretreatments significantly improved cardiac function, decreased the cardiac infarct size, inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and reduced the content of lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase MB isoenzyme(CK-MB), aspartate transaminase(AST), and cardiac troponin Ⅰ(cTnⅠ). In addition, CRFG and CCFG pretreatments significantly decreased the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in serum. RT-PCR results showed that CRFG and CCFG pretreatment down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, and downstream pyroptosis-related effector substances including GSDMD, IL-18, and IL-1β in cardiac tissues. Western blot revealed that CRFG and CCFG pretreatments significantly decreased the protein expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, and N-GSDMD in cardiac tissues. In conclusion, CRFG and CCFG pretreatments have obvious cardioprotective effects on MI/RI in rats, and the under-lying mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway to reduce the cardiac inflammatory response.

Research progress in chemical constituents and pharmacological action of Chinese medicine pair of Coptidis Rhizoma- Cinnamomi Cortex / 国际中医中药杂志

Coptidis Rhizoma- Cinnamomi Cortex is a classic couplet medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has the function of communicating heart and kidney, and has been widely used in clinic. At present, the chemical composition of Coptidis Rhizoma- Cinnamomi Cortex before and after compatibility, in terms of nature, quality and in vivo processes to carry out research. The drug pair has sedative hypnotic, hypoglycemic, antidepressant, antiarrhythmic and other pharmacological effects, involving regulation of neurotransmitters, regulation of inflammatory cytokines, antioxidant, regulation of intestinal flora and other mechanisms. The existing research is still insufficient, such as the study on the changes of material basis after the compatibility of Coptidis Rhizoma- Cinnamomi Cortex, as well as the pharmacological effects of cardiovascular system, lipid metabolism and perimenopausal syndrome. The best compatibility ratio of Coptidis Rhizoma- Cinnamomi Cortex in sedation, hypnosis, hypoglycemic and antidepressant needs further analysis.

Study on the molecular mechanism of Cinnamomi Cortex-Rehmanniae Radix in preventing and treating osteoporosis based on multi-directional regulation of inflammatory factors, estrogen and bone homeostasis / 药学学报

In this study, the molecular mechanism of Cinnamomi Cortex-Rehmanniae Radix (CR) in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis (OP) was investigated by integrating compatibility analysis of compound, bioinformatics and metabolomics. The rat OP models were established, and the Micro-CT indexes and pathological sections were comprehensively evaluated. The results showed that compared with the model group, the indexes such as bone mineral density (BMD) and bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) were significantly increased after CR treatment (P < 0.05), and the bone trabeculae were arranged into mesh. The results of UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS mainly involved amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and estrogen metabolism pathways. Integrating bioinformatics and metabolomics analysis, it was finally found that: ① cinnamic acid and ethylcinnamate inhibit inflammatory factors such as TNF, IL-1β, and IL-13, thereby preventing and treating OP; ② multiple active ingredients of CR target ESR2, PPARG, and CYP19A1, GABRA1 and other targets, regulate cAMP synthesis, AMPK signaling pathway and lipid metabolism, thereby regulating estrogen levels to prevent and treat OP; ③ oleic acid, arachic acid, etc. act on AR, VDR and other targets, and regulate HIF-1 signaling pathway and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, thereby regulating osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and affecting calcium and phosphorus absorption to maintain bone homeostasis. This study clarified the molecular mechanism of CR in preventing and treating OP from the perspective of multi-directional regulation of inflammatory factors, estrogen and bone homeostasis, and provided theoretical basis for the clinical application of CR and the development of compound. This experiment complied with the ethical standards of animal experiments and was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine (No. SUCMDL20210309002).

Preparation and Quality Control of Cinnamomi Ramulus Formula Granules based on Traditional Standard Decoction / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To prepare Cinnamomi Ramulus standard decoction according to the traditional decoction method, and study the preparation process and quality control of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules. METHODS: The standard decoctions of 16 batches of Cinnamomi Ramulus were prepared using decocting pot. The extracting rate, contents and transfer rates of cinnamic acid and cinnamaldehyde were calculated. The preparation process of Cinnamomi Ramulus dispensing granules was improved based on the parameters of standard decoction. The volatile oil was collected while extracting, and the β-cyclodextrin inclusion technology was applied in the granulation process. Based on the parameters of standard decoction, the quality standard of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules was established. RESULTS: The extracting rate of Cinnamomi Ramulus standard decoction was 3.58%-6.10%; the cinnamic acid content was 0.99%-2.59% and the transfer rate was 39.56%-62.28%; while the cinnamaldehyde content was 1.95%-4.69% and the transfer rate was 4.76%-7.85%. According to the standard decoction, 1 g of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules was equivalent to 14 g of pieces, containing cinnamic acid (0.50%-1.43%) and cinnamaldehyde (0.98%-3.50%). Six characteristic peaks in specific spectra were confirmed, including protocatechuic acid (1), coumarin (2), cinnamic acid (3), 2-methoxycinnamic acid (4), cinnamaldehyde (5) and 2-methoxycinnamaldehyde (6). CONCLUSION: In this study, the quality parameters of Cinnamomi Ramulus standard decoction are determined by traditional decocting pot. The strategy of establishing the preparation process and quality standard of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules based on standard decoction is proposed. It can provide reference for the research of Cinnamomi Ramulus dispensing granules and other Chinese medicine preparations containing volatile oil.

Q-marker prediction analysis of Cinnamomi Ramulus in Danggui Sini Decoction based on fingerprint and network pharmacology / 中草药

Objective: To analyze and predict the Q-marker of Cinnamomi Ramulus in Danggui Sini Decoction based on fingerprint and network pharmacology. Methods: The fingerprints of Cinnamomi Ramulus Decoction and Danggui Sini Decoction were established, and analyzed by using the similarity evaluation system software for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (2012 edition); The network pharmacology was used to screen and analyze the function target and pathway of related components of Cinnamomi Ramulus, and the "component-target-pathway" network was constructed to predict the potential Q-marker of Cinnamomi Ramulus in Danggui Sini Decoction. Results: The fingerprints of 15 batches of Cinnamomi Ramulus Decotion and 15 batches of Danggui Sini Decoction were established. The similarity of fingerprints was more than 0.96, and seven common components were identified, including protocatechuic acid, coumarin, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol, 2-methoxy cinnamic acid, and 2-methoxy cinnamaldehyde. A total of five active components, seven core target sites and 15 key pathways of Cinnamomi Ramulus were screened out through network pharmacology system, and based on the "Five Principles" of quality markers, 2-methoxy cinnamaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, and cinnamic acid were predicted as potential quality markers. Conclusion: In this study, the quality markers of Cinnamomi Ramulus in Danggui Sini Decoction are analyzed by fingerprint and network pharmacology, which provides a basis for comprehensive control of the quality of Danggui Sini Decoction, reference for further study on the mechanism of Danggui Sini Decoction, and demonstration for the correlation study of quality markers of compound and single medicine in the classic prescription.

Molecular docking combined with network pharmacology to study molecular mechanism of Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Decoction in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis / 中草药

Objective: To predict the active constituents and targets of Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Decoction (GSZD) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by using molecular docking and network pharmacology, and to analyze the effect of multi component-multi target-multi pathway combined with the theory of compatibility of TCM prescriptions. Methods: The main chemical constituents of nine kinds of Chinese herbal medicines (Cinnamomi Ramulus, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ephedrae Herba, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Saposhnikoviae Radix and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) were collected from TCMSP, TCM-Datebas@Taiwan and PubChen Compound database. The protein targets to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are found through DrugBank and TTD databases and uploaded to the String online database to build the network relationship of protein interaction. Appropriate crystal structures of protein targets were downloaded from PDB database, and molecular docking between compounds and targets was performed by using Discovery studio 4.5.0 software. A drug-compound-target visualization network was constructed by using Cytoscape 3.6.1 software to elucidate the main mechanism of GSZD against rheumatoid arthritis. Results: The results of molecular docking showed that there were 316 potential anti-arthritis active components in GSZD, acting on 26 targets, among which MAPK1, ZADH2, P38, AKR1C2, DHODH, CA2, MMP3, MMP9, RANKL, and other proteins were the main targets. Biological function and pathway analysis indicated that the mechanism of GSZD mainly involved in bone absorption (28%), histone kinase activity (20%), peptide tyrosine phosphorylation (20%), prostaglandin metabolism (12%), and other biological processes. The main pathway was osteoclast differentiation (94.12%). Conclusion: In this study, molecular docking combined with network pharmacology was used to study the pharmacodynamic material basis and molecular mechanism of GSZD in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis from the perspective of multi-target and multi-approach, providing reference and basis for better clinical use.

Research Process on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Effect of Four Kinds of Couplet Medicine of Cinnamomi Ramulus / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Cinnamomi Ramulus is a dry tender branch of <italic>Cinnamomum cassia</italic> Presl, which is a multifunctional traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Cinnamomi Ramulus has different efficacy under different compatibility environment. Complet medicine is a commonly used and relatively fixed compatibility form of two drugs, and it is the smallest unit in the compatibility of TCM. The four kinds of complet medicine commonly used in Cinnamomi Ramulus were as follows: the diaphoretics pungent in flavour and warm in property pairs include Cinnamomi Ramulus Ephedrae Herba and Cinnamomi Ramulus Bupleuri Radix complet medicine. The stasis dredge collaterals pairs involve Cinnamomi Ramulus Poria and Cinnamomi Ramulus Persicae Semen complet medicine. The regulation Qi and Blood Cinnamomi Ramulus Paeoniae Radix Alba complet medicine. Wenda Tongyang pairs consist of Cinnamomi Ramulus Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparaia, Cinnamomi Ramulus Astragali Radix, and Cinnamomi Ramulus Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma complet medicine. After compatibility, some changes have taken place in the chemical composition of complet medicines. For example, after compatibility of Cinnamomi Ramulus and Ephedrae Herba, the content of effective components of both herbs decreases, and the chemical constituents that are not found in single herbs are produced. After compatibility of Cinnamomi Ramulus and Bupleuri Radix, the dissolution of active ingredients is related to compatibility ratio. The active ingredients of Cinnamomi Ramulus Poria, Cinnamomi Ramulus Paeoniae Radix Alba pair and Cinnamomi Ramulus Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparaia have also changed to some extent.The content of active ingredients in Astragali Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma both increase after compatibility with Cinnamomi Ramulus. Different complet medicine have different pharmacological effects, Cinnamomi Ramulus Ephedrae Herba complet medicine have the effect of transpiration and antipyretic, Cinnamomi Ramulus Bupleuri Radix complet medicine can analgesia. Cinnamomi Ramulus Poria complet medicine have the effect of diuretic, improve myocardial ischemia and so on. Cinnamomi Ramulus Persicae Semen complet medicine have the anti-coagulation action.Cinnamomi Ramulus Paeoniae Radix Alba complet medicine have the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Cinnamomi Ramulus Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparaia complet medicine have the effect of dispelling cold to relieve pain. Cinnamomi Ramulus Astragali Radix complet medicine have the many effects in relieving anti-coagulation, antioxidation and anti-myocardial ischemia. Cinnamomi Ramulus Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma complet medicine displays diverse activities, including antiarrhythmic, antithrombosis. In this paper, the chemical constituents and pharmacology of four kinds of complet medicine of Cinnamomi Ramulus were reviewed, which provided a reference for the better open utilization of Cinnamomi Ramulus complet medicine.

Study on chemical constituents of Cinnamomi Ramulus / 中国中药杂志

The chemical constituents of Cinnamomi Ramulus were investigated in this study. Twenty-two compounds were isolated by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatographies and preparative HPLC and their structures were identified by various spectral analyses as dihydrorosavin(1), rosavin(2), 1-phenyl-propane-1,2,3-triol(3), patchoulol(4), graphostromane B(5),(+)-lyoniresinol-3 a-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(6),(-)-lyoniresinol-3 a-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(7), cinnacaside(8), subaveniumin A(9), 3-phenyl-2-propenyl-6-O-L-arabinopyranosyl-β-glucopyranoside(10), 2-phenylethyl-β-vicianoside(11), cinnacasol(12), [(2R,3S,4S,5R,6R)-6-(benzyloxy)-3,4,5-trihydroxytetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl] methyl hydrogen sulfate(13), coniferyl aldehyde(14),(2R,3R)-5,7-dimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyflavan-3-ol(15), cinnacassin L(16), E-cinnamic alcohol(17),(E)-3-(2-methoxyphenyl)-2-propen-1-ol(18), 2-hydroxyphenylpropanol(19), cinnamomulactone(20),(+)-syringaresinol(21) and cinnamomumolide(22), respectively. Among them, 1 is a new compound and 3-7, 9-11, 13, 15, 18 and 19 were isolated from the plant for the first time.

Establishment of Near Infrared Quantitative Analysis Model for Four Components in Cinnamomi Cortex / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To establish a rapid evaluation method for Cinnamomi Cortex decoction pieces by near infrared spectroscopy. Method::The contents of coumarin, cinnamalol, cinnamic acid and cinnamaldehyde in 86 batches of Cinnamomi Cortex of different origins were determined by HPLC. And the NIR spectra of different batches of Cinnamomi Cortex were also collected. With NIR spectrum as independent variable and coumarin, cinnamalol, cinnamic acid and cinnamaldehyde as dependent variables, a quantitative analysis model of four components in cinnamon was established by partial least squares method. Result::The correlation coefficients (r) of coumarin, cinnamic alcohol, cinnamic acid and cinnamaldehyde near infrared quantitative analysis models were 0.952 8, 0.977 7, 0.961 9, 0.992 2, root mean square error of cross(RMSEC) were 0.012 2, 0.006 1, 0.004 3, 0.82 g·g-1, root mean square errorof cross-validation(RMSECV) were 0.015 8, 0.011 2, 0.002 0, 1.481 1 g·g-1, and root mean square error of prediction(RMSEP) were 0.017 8, 0.010 3, 0.010 3, 0.005 5, 1.63 g·g-1. Conclusion::The established NIR quantitative analysis model of four active ingredients in Cinnamomi Cortex slices has a good accuracy, and provides a basis for rapid evaluation of the quality of Cinnamomi Cortex slices.

Radix Morinda officinalis and Cortex cinnamomi treat depression by upregulating 5-hydroxytryptamine, norepinephrine, and dopamine in hippocampus in rats

Background: Chinese herbal medicine have been reported to have less side effects in treatment of depression disorder than Western antidepressants, while the mechanism remains unclear. Our previous studies have shown that combined use of Radix Morinda officinalis and Cortex cinnamomi have antidepressant effects Objective: To explore the mechanism of combined use of Radix Morinda officinalis and Cortex cinnamomi in treating depression disorder. Methods: Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into experimental group, control group, model group and blank group with 15 rats in each group. After establiment of depression models, the experimental group and control group were given the Chinese decoction (2 mL/day) and fluoxetine hydrochloride (2 mL/day) respectively for 3 weeks, meanwhile the model group and blank group were fed with normal saline (2 mL/day). Body weight measurement and sucrose preference test were performed regularly. Finally, the rats were sacrificed after treatment, and the hippocampus were taken to detect 5-hydroxytryptamine, norepinephrine, and dopamine contents. Results: The experimental group showed increased body weight and sucrose consumption than the other groups. Higher 5-hydroxytryptamine, norepinephrine and dopamine contents were also observed in the experimental group than other groups. Conclusions: The antidepressant effects of Radix Morinda officinalis and Cortex cinnamomi decoction may show antiexpression effects by up-regulating content of 5-HT, NE, and DA in rats' hippocampus.

Isolation and Identification of Chemical Constituents from Cinnamomi Ramulus / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:The research group found in the early stage that the 75%alcohol extract of the Cinnamomi Ramulus had a significant physiological activity in inhibiting necroptosis by screening out the self-built sample library of 100 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines in Jiangxi. To identify the active components and find the target compounds,the 75%alcohol extracts of Cinnamomi Ramulus were isolated and studied systemically in chemistry. Method:The 20 kg dry Cinnamomi Ramulus was crushed into coarse powder,and extracted with 75%alcohol for four times, one time every 7 d. Then total extracts were obtained after solvent was recycled under decompression. The extract was separated by D101 macroporous resin column chromatography and eluted by water,30%ethanol,50%ethanol,70%ethanol,90%ethanol,so as to get the corresponding fraction finally. The compounds in the 30%ethanol and 50%ethanol fraction were isolated and purified by chromatography on silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 column and high pressure preparative chromatography,and their structures were determined according to physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. Result and Conclusion:Thirteen compounds were isolated and identified as (+)-syringaresinol (1),(+)-lyoniresinol (2),spicatolignan B (3),(-)-secoisolariciresinol (4),ovafolinin B (5),protocatechualdehyde (6),protocatechuic acid (7),syringaldehyde (8),vanillic acid (9),ethyl protocatechuate (10),syringic acid (11),ethyl gallate (12),2-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,3-pepper ring-5-aldehyde (13). Compounds 1-5,10-13 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Chemical constituents of carboxylic acid and its derivatives in Cinnamomi Ramulus / 中草药

Objective To investigate the chemical constituents of Cinnamomi Ramulus. Methods Silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column, and sp-HPLC chromatographies were applied to separate and purify the chemical constituents, followed by various spectral analyses to determine the chemical structures. Results Fifteen carboxylic acids and its derivatives were isolated, and their structures were identified as guizhi acid A (1), dihydrophaseic acid (2), rel-5-(3S,8S-dihydroxy-1R,5S-dimethyl-7-oxa-6-oxobicyclo [3,2,1]-oct- 8-yl)-3-methyl-2Z,4E-pentadienoic acid (3), vanillic acid (4), syringic acid (5), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (6), E-cinnamic acid (7), E-o-hydroxycinnamic acid (8), erythro-guaiacylglycerol-8’-vanillic acid ether (9), salicylic acid (10), decumbic acid (11), hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (12), protocatechuic acid (13), E-melilotoside (14), and cryptamygin-B (15), respectively. Conclusion Fifteen compounds were successfully identified from Cinnamomi ramulus, among which 1 is a new compound and compounds 2, 3, 9-12 are isolated from the plant for the first time.

Establishment of UPLC/Q-TOF-MS chromatographic fingerprint of triterpenoic acids in Guizhi Fuling Capsule / 中草药

Objective: To construct the fingerprint of the triterpenoic acid in Guizhi Fuling Capsule (GFC) by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS, and give a new method for its quality control. Methods: The triterpenoic acid were isolated by UPLC and detected by Q-TOF- MS. The established fingerprint was an atlas of UPLC/Q-TOF-MS. Results: The UPLC/Q-TOF-MS fingerprints of triterpenoids in GFC were established, which preserved high precision, selectivity, and specificity. A total of 26 common peaks were selected as the fingerprint peaks of GFC, of which a total of 18 mutual peaks (3, 5-18, 20, 23, and 24) from Poria, peak 2 was from Paeoniae Radix Alba and Moutan Cortex. Peak 4 was from Poria, Moutan Cortex, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Cinnamomi Ramulus. Peak 19 was from Moutan Cortex, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Cinnamomi Ramulus, peak 21 was from Moutan Cortex and Paeoniae Radix Alba, peaks 22 and 25 were from Poria, Moutan Cortex, Persicae Semen, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Cinnamomi Ramulus, peak 26 was from Cinnamomi Ramulus, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Persicae Semen. The similarity among the 10 batches of GFC was above 0.90. The Results: of validation met technical requirement of fingerprints. Sixteen chemical components were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, which were 16α-hydroxydehydrotrametenolic acid, 16α-hydroxychalcic acid, 3-oxo-6,16α-dihydroxy-lanosta-7,9(11),24(31)-trien-21- oic acid, dehydrotumulosic acid, tumulosic acid, 3-oxo-6,16α-dihydroxy-lanosta-8,24-diene-21-oic acid, eburicoic acid, polyporenic acid C, 3-epidehydrotumulosic acid, 3-O-acetyl-16α-hydroxydehydrotrametenolic acid, 3-epidehydropachymic acid, 3-O-acetyl-16α- hydroxyplugymic acid, dehydropachymic acid, pachymic acid, dehydrotrametenolic acid, and dehydroeburicoic acid. Conclusion: The method is rapid, accurate, and has desirable precision, reproducibility, and stability, which could be applied to the quality control of GFC.

Effects of different Chinese meteria medica pair on regulation of adrenal function in mice with hydrocortisone-induced syndrome / 中草药

Objective: To study the effects of different Chinese materia medica combinations on the regulation of adrenal function. Methods Mice with 1.65 mg/(kg•d) hydrocortisone for 14 d to induce drug-induced syndrome was treated synchronously with assissting yang and dissipating cold (Aconm Lateralis Radix Praeparaia-Cinnamomi Cortex), nourishing yin and reducing fire (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma-Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex), tonifying qi and promoting fluid production (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma-Astragali Radix), and tonifying blood and benefiting spirit (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus). The body mass of mice was dynamically observed every day, and the characteristic information such as body mass, holding power, axillary temperature, activity degrees of open field, and infrared temperature were detected by the experimental methodology of mice syndrome differentiation; The mice were sacrificed whose spleen, thymus was weighed and the organ index was calculated. Serum corticosterone, ACTH, adrenaline, and noradrenaline were measured by ELISA. The gene expressions of Star, Cyp11a1, Cyp21a1, Cyp11b1, Cyp11b2, Dbh, Ddc, Pnmt, and Th in the adrenal were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The protein’s expressions of LDLR, SRB1, and StAR were detected by Western blotting. Results:The effects of four different treatments on the reduction of body weight and body temperature caused by hydrocortisone were not significant. The holding power of mice in Aconm Lateralis Radix Praeparaia-Cinnamomi Cortex group was significantly higher than that of hydrocortisone group (P < 0.05). Compared with the hydrocortisone group, the serum corticosterone content of mice in Anemarrhenae Rhizoma-Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex group increased significantly (P < 0.01); The genes expression of Star, Cyp11b1, and Cyp11b2 was significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05, 0.01); The proteins expression of SRBI and StAR were significantly up-regulated. Conclusion: The nourishing yin and purging fire treatment group (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma-Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex) is the best to correct and protect the adrenal cortex function in mice with hydrocortisone induced syndrome at low dose.

Anti-melanogenesis and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Cinnamomi Cortex Extract In Vitro / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Many researchers have sought to identify safe, natural herbal extracts that exert an anti-melanogenesis effect. Cinnamomi cortex has been widely used as a herbal medicine in Asia and Europe. OBJECTIVE: To confirm the inhibitory effects of Cinnamomi cortex extract against melanogenesis and inflammation and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of these actions. METHODS: Effects of Cinnamomi cortex extract on melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in B16F10 melanoma cells were evaluated using an ELISA reader. Tyrosinase and MITF protein expression was determined using western blotting. Nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells was measured using Griess reaction. PGE₂ was assayed with an ELISA kit. RESULTS: Cinnamomi cortex extracts inhibited melanin synthesis, tyrosinase activity, and MITF and tyrosinase expression through regulation of the ERK and CREB genes in α-MSH-induced B16 melanoma cells. In addition, Cinnamomi cortex extracts inhibited the expression of NO, PGE₂, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells. CONCLUSION: We suggest that Cinnamomi cortex may be a potentially useful agent for treating inflammatory skin diseases such as hyperpigmentation based on its inhibitory effects against melanin synthesis and inflammation response in vitro.

Molecular mechanism of Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba drug pair against sepsis based on integrative pharmacology platform of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Guizhi Decoction is a resolving agent,which is a classic prescription for traditional Chinese medicine. It is effective in the treatment of sepsis in clinical practice. However,due to the complexity of the prescription,its anti-sepsis mechanism is difficult to be clarified. The " Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba" drug pair,as the classic compatibility for medicinal and medicinal herbs,is the core of Guizhi Decoction. In this study,Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba drug pair was used as the research object and the molecular mechanism of its treatment of sepsis was investigated by analyzing the chemical compositions with integrative pharmacology platform( TCMIP,http://www.tcmip.cn/),predicting disease target,analyzing gene function and pathway of " Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba" in treatment of sepsis,and establishing a multi-dimensional network relationship of " Chinese medicine-chemical components-core targets-key pathways". The prediction results of " Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba" drug pair showed that its anti-sepsis effect was associated with 45 active components,and the active components played an anti-sepsis role through multiple targets and pathways,involving inflammatory targets such as PF4,MyD88,TLR4,BDKRB2,CD14,and NOS3. The sepsis was relieved mainly by regulating Toll like signaling pathway,Fox O signaling pathway,chemokines signaling pathway,thyroid and insulin endocrine signaling pathways and biological processes. This study provides a scientific basis for further development of Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba drug pair and Guizhi Decoction against sepsis.