Progress in antitumor activity of diterpenoid alkaloids in plants of Aconitum / 中国中药杂志

Small-molecule compounds with rich sources have diverse structures and activities. The active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) provide new sources for the discovery of new antitumor drugs. Aconitum plants as Chinese medicinal plants have the effects of dispelling wind, removing dampness, warming meridian, and relieving pain. They are mainly used to treat inflammation, pain, rheumatism, and tumors, improve heart function, and dilate blood vessels in clinical practice. Diterpenoid alkaloids are the main active components of Aconitum plants, including C20-, C19-, C18-diterpenoid alkaloids and bis-diterpenoid alkaloids. Stu-dies have demonstrated that diterpenoid alkaloids can effectively treat lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and other cancers. Diterpenoid alkaloids are considered as the most promising natural compounds against cancers. In this review, we summarized the chemical structures and antitumor activities of C20-, C19-, C18-diterpenoid alkaloids and bis-diterpenoid alkaloids extracted from plants of Aconitum, aiming to provide reference for further development of diterpenoid alkaloids from Aconitum as antitumor drugs.

Correlations between appearance traits and internal quality of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots based on theory of "quality evaluation through morphological identification" / 中国中药杂志

It is generally believed that high-quality Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots possess specific morphological characteristics, being red, robust, and long with strong odor. However, the scientific connotation of these characteristics has not been elucidated. According to the theory of "quality evaluation through morphological identification", we studied the correlations between appearance traits(the RGB value of root surface, root length, root diameter, dry weight, and ratio of phloem to xylem) and content of main chemical components(volatile oils, total saponins, total flavonoids, total polysaccharides, and seven saikosaponins) of B. scorzonerifolium roots. Epson Scanner and ImageJ were used to scan the root samples and measure the appearance traits. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry and HPLC were employed to determine the content of chemical components. The correlation, regression, and cluster analyses were performed to study the correlations between the appearance traits and the content of chemical components. The results showed that the content of volatile oils and saikosaponins were significantly correlated with RGB value, root length, and root diameter, indicating that within a certain range, the roots being redder, longer, and thicker had higher content of volatile oils and saikosaponins. According to the appearance traits and chemical component content, the 14 samples from different producing areas were classified into four grades, and the differences in morphological traits and chemical component content were consistent among different grades. The findings in this study demonstrate that appearance traits(RGB value, root length, and root diameter) can be used to evaluate the quality of B. scorzonerifolium roots. Meanwhile, this study lays a foundation for establishing an objective quality evaluation method for B. scorzonerifolium roots.

Quality analysis of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma / 中国中药杂志

Rosae Radix et Rhizoma is a herbal medicine in a variety of famous Chinese patent medicines, while the quality standard for this medicine remains to be developed due to the insufficient research on the quality of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma from different sources. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyzed the components in Rosae Radix et Rhizoma of different sources from the aspects of extract, component category content, identification based on thin-lay chromatography, active component content determination, and fingerprint, so as to improve the quality control. The results showed that the content of chemical components varied in the samples of different sources, while there was little difference in the chemical composition among the samples. The content of components in the roots of Rosa laevigata was higher than that in the other two species, and the content of components in the roots was higher than that in the stems. The fingerprints of triterpenoids and non-triterpenoids were established, and the content of five main triterpenoids including multiflorin, rosamultin, myrianthic acid, rosolic acid, and tormentic acid in Rosae Radix et Rhizoma was determined. The results were consistent with those of major component categories. In conclusion, the quality of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma is associated with the plant species, producing area, and medicinal parts. The method established in this study lays a foundation for improving the quality standard of Rosae Radix et Rhizoma and provides data support for the rational use of the stem.

Chemical constituents of roots of Rodgersia aesculifolia / 中国中药杂志

The chemical compositions of Rodgersia aesculifolia were isolated and purified using a combination of silica gel, reverse phase silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures were determined according to the physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. The MTT method and the ABTS kit were used to measure the cytotoxicity and antioxidant capacity of all isolates, respectively. Thirty-four compounds were isolated from R. aesculifolia and elucidated as stigmastane-6β-methoxy-3β,5α-diol(1), stigmastane-3β,5α,6β triol(2), β-sitosterol(3), β-daucosterol(4), stigmast-4-en-3-one(5), bergenin(6), 11-β-D-glucopyranosyl-bergenin(7), 11-O-galloybergenin(8), 1,4,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose(9), gallic acid(10), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester(11), ethyl gallate(12), ethyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate(13), caffeic acid ethyl ester(14), p-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid(15), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid(16), 2,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-propan-1-one(17), 3,7-dimethyl-2-octene-1,7-diol(18), crocusatin-B(19), neroplomacrol(20), geniposide(21), 3-hydroxyurs-12-en-27-oic acid(22), 3β-trans-p-coumaroyloxy-olean-12-en-27-oic acid(23), aceriphyllic acid G(24), isolariciresinol(25), trans-rodgersinine B(26), cis-rodgersinine A(27), neo-olivil(28),(7S,8R)-dihydro-3'-hydroxy-8-hydroxy-methyl-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy phenyl)-1'-benzofuranpropanol(29), 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone(30), quercetin 3-rutinoside(31), catechin-[8,7-e]-4β-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-dihydro-2(3H)-pyranone(32), ethyl α-L-arabino-furanoside(33), and l-linoleoylglycerol(34). One new compound was discovered(compound 1), 25 compounds were first isolated from R. aesculifolia, and 22 compounds were first isolated from the Rodgersia plant. The results indicated that compounds 22-24 possessed cytotoxicity for HepG2, MCF-7, HCT-116, BGC-823, and RAFLS cell lines(IC_(50) ranged from 5.89 μmol·L~(-1) to 20.5 μmol·L~(-1)). Compounds 8-14 and 30-32 showed good antioxidant capacity, and compound 9 showed the strongest antioxidant activity with IC_(50) of(2.00±0.12) μmol·L~(-1).

Chemical constituents of Helleborus thibetanus / 中国中药杂志

The chemical constituents of Helleborus thibetanus were isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, and semi-preparative RP-HPLC, and the structures of all compounds were identified by modern spectrographic technology(MS, NMR). The MTT method was used to measure the cytotoxicity of compounds 1-8. Twelve compounds were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of H. thibetanus and were identified as(25R)-22β,25-expoxy-26-[(O-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-1β,3β-dihydroxyfurosta-5-en(1), β-sitosterol myristate(2), β-sitosterol lactate(3), β-sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyrannoside(4), 4,6,8-trihydroxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one(5), 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene(6), 7,8-dimethylbenzo pteridine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione(7), 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid(8), p-hydroxy cinnamic acid(9), lauric acid(10), n-butyl α-L-arabinofuranoside(11) and methyl-α-D-fructofuranoside(12), respectively. Among them, compound 1 is a new compound and named thibetanoside L; compounds 2, 5-8, 11 are first isolated from the family Ranunculaceae; compound 12 is isolated from the genus Helleborus for the first time. The results of MTT assay showed that the IC_(50) values of compounds 1-8 against HepG2 and HCT116 cells were greater than 100 μmol·L~(-1).

An experimental study of acute toxicity and pharmacology of fermented Platycodonis Radix / 中国中药杂志

This study investigated the acute toxicity of fermented Platycodonis Radix on mice and its effect on coughing in mice infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The maximum dosage(MAD) was used in the acute toxicity experiment on mice to observe the signs of mice. After 14 days, dissection, blood biochemical examination, and pathological tissue section observation were conducted. In the pharmacological experiment of fermented Platycodonis Radix, 60 healthy BALB/c mice, 30 males and 30 females, were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, a carbetapentane group(0.013 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and high-, medium-, and low-dose fermented Platycodonis Radix groups(5.2, 2.6, and 1.3 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), with 10 mice in each group. Except for the blank group, the mice in the other five groups underwent model induction by intranasally instilling 20 μL of 1×10~6 CCU M. pneumoniae for 3 days, and the mice in each group were orally administered the corresponding drugs for 7 days. Cough induction experiment was conducted to observe and record the cough latency and total cough count within 3 min for each group. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes in lung tissues. Immunohistochemistry was performed to observe the protein expression of transient receptor potential A1(TRPA1), calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP), and substance P(SP) in the lung tissues of mice in each group. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) was used to elucidate the changes in the mRNA levels of cough-related factors TRPA1, CGRP, and SP in mice treated with fermented Platycodonis Radix. No mice died in the acute toxicity experiment, and there were no changes in general behavior and major organ histopathological examinations. Compared with the blank group, there were no statistically significant differences in blood biochemical indexes. In the pharmacological experiment of fermented Platycodonis Radix, compared with the model group, the high-and medium-dose fermented Platycodonis Radix groups showed improved lung tissue structure of mice, with clear structure and regular tissue morphology. The qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical detection showed a decrease in the expression of TRPA1, CGRP, and SP in the fermented Platycodonis Radix groups. Fermented Platycodonis Radix can exert an inhibitory effect on cough by suppressing the expression of TRPA1, CGRP, and SP in lung tissues, thereby identifying the target of the drug.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi activity in the rhizosphere of tree seedlings subjected to residual herbicides / Atividade de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares na rizosfera de mudas de árvores submetidas a herbicidas residuais

Abstract Trees occurring on the margins of agricultural areas can mitigate damage from residual herbicides. Rhizospheric microbial activity associated with trees is one of the main remedial capacity indicators. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rhizospheric microbiological activity in tree species subjected to the herbicides atrazine and sulfentrazone via the rhizosphere. The experiment was designed in four blocks and a 6 × 3 factorial scheme. The first factor consisted of six tree species from Brazil and the second of atrazine, sulfentrazone, and water solutions. Four herbicide applications were performed via irrigation. The total dry mass of the plants, mycorrhizal colonization, number of spores, basal respiration of the rhizospheric soil, and survival rate of bioindicator plants after phytoremediation were determined. Trichilia hirta had higher biomass when treated with atrazine and sulfentrazone. Herbicides decreased the microbial activity in Triplaris americana and did not affect the microbiological indicators of Myrsine gardneriana, Schizolobium parahyba, and Toona ciliata. Fewer bioindicator plants survived in soil with Triplaris americana and sulfentrazone. Microbiological indicators were influenced in different ways between species by the presence of herbicides in the rhizosphere.

Resumo As árvores que ocorrem nas margens das áreas agrícolas podem mitigar os danos dos herbicidas residuais. A atividade microbiana rizosférica associada às árvores é um dos principais indicadores de capacidade corretiva. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a atividade microbiológica rizosférica em espécies arbóreas submetidas aos herbicidas atrazina e sulfentrazone via rizosfera. O experimento foi estruturado em quatro blocos e esquema fatorial 6 × 3. O primeiro fator consistiu em seis espécies de árvores do Brasil e o segundo em soluções de atrazine, sulfentrazone e água. Quatro aplicações de herbicidas foram realizadas via irrigação. Foram determinados a massa seca total das plantas, colonização micorrízica, número de esporos, respiração basal do solo rizosférico e taxa de sobrevivência de plantas bioindicadoras após fitorremediação. Trichilia hirta apresentou maior biomassa quando tratada com atrazina e sulfentrazone. Os herbicidas diminuíram a atividade microbiana em Triplaris americana e não afetaram os indicadores microbiológicos de Myrsine gardneriana, Schizolobium parahyba e Toona ciliata. Menos plantas bioindicadoras sobreviveram no solo com Triplaris americana e sulfentrazone. Os indicadores microbiológicos foram influenciados de formas distintas entre as espécies pela presença dos herbicidas na rizosfera.

CiteSpace knowledge map of research hotspots and frontiers of Polygalae Radix / 中国中药杂志

In this study, the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) were searched comprehensively for the literature about the research on Polygalae Radix. After manual screening, 1 207 Chinese articles and 263 English articles were included in this study. Excel was used to draw the line chart of the annual number of relevant publications. CiteSpace 6.1.R3 was used for the visual analysis of author cooperation, publishing institutions, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, and bursts in the research on Polygalae Radix. The results showed that the number of articles published in Chinese and English increased linearly, which indicated the rising research popularity of Polygalae Radix. WANG J and LIU X were the authors publishing the most articles in Chinese and English, respectively. Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were the research institutions with the largest number of Chinese and English publications in this field, respectively. The institutions publishing the relevant articles in English formed a system with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences as the core. According to the keywords, the research hotspots of Polygalae Radix included variety selection and breeding, quality standard, extraction and identification of active chemical components, prescription compatibility, processing, clinical medication rules, and pharmacological mechanism. The research frontiers were the molecular mechanisms of Polygalae Radix and its active components in exerting the protective effect on brain nerve, regulating receptor pathways, alleviating anxiety and Alzheimer's disease, as well as data mining and clinical medication summary. This study has reference significance for the topic selection and frontier identification of the future research on Polygalae Radix.

Two new prenylated 2-arylbenzofurans from roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus and their anti-respiratory burst activities / 中国中药杂志

Two prenylated 2-arylbenzofurans were isolated from roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus, with a combination of various chromatographic approaches, including ODS, MCI, Sephadex LH-20, and semipreparative high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). They were identified as 5-[6-hydroxy-4-methoxy-5,7-bis(3-methylbut-2-enyl)benzofuran-2-yl]-1,3-benzenediol(1) and 5-[2H,9H-2,2,9,9-tetramethyl-furo[2,3-f]pyrano[2,3-h][1]benzopyran-6-yl]-1,3-benzenediol(2) with spectroscopic methods, such as HR-ESI-MS, IR, 1D NMR, and 2D NMR, and named artoheterins B(1) and C(2), respectively. The anti-respiratory burst activities of the two compounds were evaluated with rat polymorphonuclear neutrophils(PMNs) stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA). The results showed that 1 and 2 exhibited significant inhibitory effect on respiratory burst of PMNs with IC_(50) values of 0.27 and 1.53 μmol·L~(-1), respectively.

Rapid identification and differential markers of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of different sources based on Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose / 中国中药杂志

Since Curcumae Radix decoction pieces have multiple sources, it is difficult to distinguish depending on traditional cha-racters, and the mixed use of multi-source Curcumae Radix will affect its clinical efficacy. Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose was used in this study to quickly identify and analyze the odor components of 40 batches of Curcumae Radix samples from Sichuan, Zhejiang, and Guangxi. Based on the odor fingerprints established for Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of multiple sources, the odor components was identified and analyzed, and the chromatographic peaks were processed and analyzed to establish a rapid identification method. Principal component analysis(PCA), discriminant factor analysis(DFA), and soft independent modeling cluster analysis(SIMCA) were constructed for verification. At the same time, one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) combined with variable importance in projection(VIP) was employed to screen out the odor components with P<0.05 and VIP>1, and 13 odor components such as β-caryophyllene and limonene were hypothesized as the odor differential markers of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of diffe-rent sources. The results showed that Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose can well analyze the odor characteristics and rapidly and accurately discriminate Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of different sources. It can be applied to the quality control(e.g., online detection) in the production of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces. This study provides a new method and idea for the rapid identification and quality control of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces.

Effect of Rhizophagus intraradices on growth of Salvia miltiorrhiza / 中国中药杂志

The study aimed to explore the effects of inoculation of Rhizophagus intraradices on the biomass, effective component content, and endogenous hormone content of Salvia miltiorrhiza through pot experiments. The number of leaves, plant height, dry weight of aboveground and underground parts, branch number, root number, root length, root diameter, and other biomass were mea-sured by weighing and counting methods. The content of salvianolic acid B, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tanshinone Ⅰ, tanshinone Ⅱ_A, cryptotanshinone, and other effective components was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. The content of ABA and GA_3 was determined by triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The correlations between biomass and effective components and between effective components and plant hormones ABA and GA_3 were analyzed. The results showed that R. intraradices significan-tly increased the aboveground dry weight, leaf number, and root number of S. miltiorrhiza by 0.24-0.65 times, respectively. The content of salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid in the aboveground part and the content of salvianolic acid B, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tanshinone Ⅰ, and tanshinone Ⅱ_A in the underground part were significantly increased by 0.44-1.78 times, respectively. R. intraradices infection significantly increased the GA_3/ABA values of aboveground and underground parts by 3.82 and 76.47 times, respectively. The correlation analysis showed that caffeic acid, the effective component of the aboveground part, was significantly positively correlated with plant height, tanshinone Ⅱ_A, the effective component of the underground part, was significantly positively correlated with biomass root number, cryptotanshinone, and dry weight, while rosmarinic acid was significantly negatively correlated with dry weight. There were significant positive correlations between cryptotanshinone and ABA, tanshinone Ⅱ_A and ABA and GA_3, and caffeic acid and GA_3. In conclusion, R. intraradices can promote the accumulation of biomass and secondary metabolites of S. miltiorrhiza and regulate the balance between plant hormones ABA and GA_3, thereby promoting the growth of S. miltiorrhiza.

Chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, processing and clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine Scrophulariae Radix: a review / 中国中药杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine Scrophulariae Radix, which is also called Yuan Shen, black Shen, is the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis of the Scrophulariaceae family. Research has indicated that the chemical constituents of Scrophulariae Radix mainly include terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, organic acids, volatile oils, steroids, sugars, flavonoids, alkaloids and phenols, among which iridoids and phenylpropanoids were the main active constituents. It has been reported that extracts of Scrophulariae Radix or its active substances have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-tumor, anti-fatigue, uric acid-lowering, anti-depression, myocardial cell-protective and other pharmacological activities, and can regulate cardiovascular system, central nervous system and immune system. This paper reviewed the present research achievements of Scrophulariae Radix in chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, processing methods, toxicity and other aspects, and the clinical application of Scrophulariae Radix in ancient and modern times was illustrated. This paper aimed to provide reference for further research of Scrophulariae Radix and facilitated its clinical application.

Effects of growth patterns and years on quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix samples / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to reveal the effects of different growth patterns and years on the quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix samples. The apparent colors of the powder samples were quantified by a colorimeter, and the total color values(E~*ab) were calculated. The content of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, 4'-O-β-D-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, sec-O-glucosylhamaudol, and 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol in the samples was simultaneously determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Cluster analysis, principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis were performed to analyze the powder chromatic values and the content of 5 components. The results showed that the E~*ab values of the samples were in the order of wild group<multiple-year-old group<one-year-old group. The content of cimifugin, sec-O-glucosylhamaudol, and 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol in the wild group was significantly higher than that in the multiple-year-old and one-year-old groups. The results of multivariate statistical analysis showed that the quality of multiple-year-old group varied greatly. The quality of the multiple-year-old samples was close to that of the wild group and better than that of the one-year-old group. The variable importance in the projection(VIP) values of b~*, 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol content, E~*ab, and L~* were all larger than 1, and that of cimifugin content was close to 1. The E~*ab value was negatively correlated with the content of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, sec-O-glucosylhamaudol, and 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol, while it had no linear correlation with the 4'-O-β-D-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol content. The growth patterns and years had different effects on the quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix samples. The chromatic values of Saposhnikoviae Radix and the content of 5 components can be used to evaluate the quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix, and 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol and cinmifugin can be considered as markers for the quality control of Saposhnikovia divaricata during the growing process.

Resource components and utilization values of different parts of Panax quinquefolium in Shandong province / 中国中药杂志

To explore the resource components and availability of different parts of Panax quinquefolium in Shandong province, the paper employed the non-targeted metabolomics technology based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) to analyze the metabolites and their metabolic pathways in the root, fibril, stem, and leaf of P. quinquefolium. The content of seven ginsenosides and polysaccharides in different parts was determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry(UV-Vis). The results showed that the metabolites were mainly sugars, glycosides, organic acids, amino acids and their derivatives, terpenoids, etc. The total abundance of metabolites followed the trend of leaf > root > fibril > stem. Most of the differential metabolites were concentrated in phenylpropane biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, citric acid cycle, and amino acid biosynthesis. The leaf contained high levels of sugars, glycosides, amino acids and their derivatives, and flavonoids; the root was rich in terpenoids, volatile oils, vitamins, and lignin; the fibril contained rich organic acids; and the stem had high content of nucleotides and their derivatives. The content of ginsenosides Re and Rb_1 was significantly higher in the root; the content of ginsenosides Rg_1, Rg_2, Rd, F_(11), and polysaccharide was significantly higher in the leaf; and the content of ginsenoside Rb_2 was significantly higher in the stem. We analyzed the resource components and availability of different parts of P. quinquefolium, aiming to provide basic information for the comprehensive development and utilization of P. quinquefolium resources in Shandong province.

Bioactive neolignans and lignans from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国天然药物

Two new neolignans and one new lignan (1-3) were obtained from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora. Their structures were unambiguously elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compound 1 was a racemic mixture and successfully resolved into the anticipated enantiomers via chiral-phase HPLC. Compound 3 demonstrated moderate inhibitory activity against human carboxylesterase 2A1 (hCES2A1) with an IC50 value of 7.28 ± 0.94 μmol·-1.

Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle: A critically endangered medicinal herb with rich potential for use in medicine / 中西医结合学报

Aconitum heterophyllum (Patrees) is a critically endangered medicinal herb of the northwestern Himalayas and has enormous pharmacological potential. It is the only nonpoisonous member of the genus Aconitum, and has been used as a medicinal herb since ancient times. A. heterophyllum is an important ingredient in many traditional systems of medicine. Mostly, it is harvested for its roots, and its medicinal properties are due to the presence of diverse bioactive secondary metabolites, commonly known as aconites. Our understanding of the pharmacological properties of this intriguing genus is continuously growing due to its broad chemical diversity. The therapeutic uses identified by traditional medicinal practice are receiving extensive study. Multiple in vitro experimental investigations of A. heterophyllum have reported the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiarrhythmic, antiparasitic and anticancer properties, as well as its effects on the central nervous system. In this review, we highlight the classification, distribution, commerce, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and conservation measures relevant to this species. Additionally, this review includes the biosynthetic pathways of A. heterophyllum's key constituents, which could be targeted to enhance the expression levels of desired metabolites via genetic interventions. Studying the genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomic aspects of this species would be helpful in developing highly designed genotypes and chemotypes of this species to be used in commercial production.

Analysis of volatile constituents and chemical relationship of cultivated and wild Angelica dahurica / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the volatile constituents and their contents in the roots of 5 cultivated Angelica dahurica and one wild A. dahurica and analyze the chemical relationship among the plants of A. dahurica.@*METHODS@#The essential oil was extracted from the roots of 5 cultivated plants of Angelica dahurica and one wild A. dahurica by water steam distillation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to separate and identify all the volatile oil components in the extracts, and their relative contents were calculated with area normalization method. We also conducted clustering analysis and principal component analysis of the volatile oil components.@*RESULTS@#We identified a total of 81 compounds from the roots of the 6 plants of Angelica dahurica, including 27 in Chuanbaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Hangbaizhi'), 34 in Hangbaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Hangbaizhi'), 24 in Qibaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Qibaizhi'), 32 in Yubaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv.'Qibaizhi'), 28 in Bobahizhi (Angelica dahurica cv.'Qibaizhi'), and 34 in Xinganbaizhi (Angelica dahuirca). These compounds included, in the order of their relative contents (from high to low), alkanes, olefins, esters, organic acids and alcohols. Among the common components found in the roots of all the plants of A. dahurica, nonylcyclopropane, cyclododecane and hexadecanoic acid were identified as the volatile oil components that showed the highest relative contents. Clustering analysis of the volatile oil components showed that wild Angelica dahurica (Xing'anbaizhi) and the 5 cultivated Angelica dahurica (Chuanbaizhi, Hangbaizhi, Qibaizhi, Yubaizhi, Bobaizhi) could be divided into two groups, and the cultivated Angelica dahurica could be divided into two subgroups: Chuanbaizhi, Yubaizhi and Hangbahizhi were clustered in one subgroup, and Qibaizhi and Bobaizhi in another. The results of principal component analysis was consistent with those of clustering analysis.@*CONCLUSION@#The main volatile oil components and their contents vary among the 6 plants of A. dahurica. Nonylcyclopropane, cyclododecane and hexadecanoic acid are the most abundant volatile oil components in all the plants of A. dahurica, which can be divided into two clusters.

Chemical ingredient groups B and C in Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar affect diversity of gut microbiota in rat model of malignant ascites induced by Walker-256 cells / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the effects of chemical ingredient groups B and C in Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar on the diversity of gut microbiota in the rat model of malignant ascites, identify the key differential microbial taxa, and reveal the biological mechanism of water-expelling effect of the two chemical ingredient groups. The rat model of malignant ascites induced by Walker-256 cells was established, and phenolphthalein was used as the positive drug. The rats were orally administrated with corresponding agents for consecutive 7 days. On day 6, fresh feces samples were collected from the rats, and 16 S rDNA high-throughput sequencing and GC-MS were employed to determine the composition of gut microbiota and the content of short-chain fatty acids, respectively. On day 7, serum and intestinal tissue samples were collected for the determination of related indicators. Compared with the control group, the model group showed decreased feces volume and urine volume(P<0.01), increased volume of ascites and levels of Na~+, K~+, and Cl~- in urine(P<0.01), down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of intestinal AQP8(P<0.01), lowered abundance of beneficial Lactobacillus(P<0.01) while risen abundance of potential pathogenic Lachnospiraceae and Anaeroplasma(P<0.01), and reduced content of short-chain fatty acids(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, administration with chemical ingredient groups B and C alleviated all the above indicators(P<0.01). In conclusion, chemical ingredient groups B and C in Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar could alleviate the disordered gut microbiota in rats with malignant ascites to expel water through increasing the abundance of beneficial Lactobacillus and reducing the abundance of harmful Lachnospiraceae and Anaeroplasma. This study can provide a reference for the reasonable clinical application of Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar.

Methods for synchronous detection of 14 mycotoxins in Pseudostellariae Radix and investigation on its contamination / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to establish a method for synchronous detection of 14 mycotoxins in Pseudostellariae Radix and investigate its contamination with mycotoxins, so as to provide technical guidance for monitoring the quality of Chinese medicinal materials and medication safety. The sample was extracted with 80% acetonitrile in an oscillator for 1 h, purified using the modified QuEChERS purifying agent(0.1 g PSA + 0.3 g C_(18) + 0.3 g MgSO_4), and separated on a Waters HSS T3 chromatographic column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 μm). The gradient elution was carried out with 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile, followed by the scanning in the multi-reaction monitoring(MRM) mode and the analysis of mycotoxin contamination in 26 Pseudostellariae Radix samples. The recovery rates of the established method were within the range of 82.17%-113.6%, with the RSD values less than 7% and the limits of quantification(LOQ) being 0.019-0.976 μg·kg~(-1). The detection rate of 14 mycotoxins in 26 batches of medicinal materials was 53.85%. The detection rate of sterigmatocystin(ST) was the highest, followed by those of zearalenone(ZEN), aflatoxin G_2(AFG_2), fumonisin B_1(FB_1), HT-2 toxin, and nivalenol(NIV). Their respective detection rates were 38.46%, 26.92%, 23.08%, 11.54%, 11.54%, and 7.69%, with the pollution ranges being 1.48-69.65, 0.11-31.05, 0.11-0.66, 0.28-0.83, 20.86-42.56, and 0.46-1.84 μg·kg~(-1), respectively. The established method for the detection of 14 mycotoxins is accurate, fast and reliable. The research results have very important practical significance for guiding the monitoring and prevention and control of exogenous fungal contamination of Chinese medicinal materials.

Chemical constituents of cyclic peptides from fibrous roots of Pseudostellaria heterophylla / 中国中药杂志

Four cyclic peptides were isolated from the 75% ethanol extract of the fibrous roots of Pseudostellaria heterophylla by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. Through mass spectrometry, NMR and other methods, they were identified as pseudostellarin L(1), heterophyllin B(2), pseudostellarin B(3), and pseudostellarin C(4). Among them, compound 1 was a new cyclic peptide, and compounds 2-4 were isolated from the fibrous roots of P. heterophylla for the first time. None of these compounds displayed cytotoxic activities against MCF-7, A549, HCT-116, and SGC-7901 cells.