[Research progress of Codonopsis Radix and prediction of its Q-markers].

Codonopsis Radix is a traditional tonic medicine commonly used in China, which has the effects of strengthening the spleen and tonifying the lung, as well as nourishing blood and engendering liquid. The chemical constituents of Codonopsis species are mainly polyacetylenes, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, lignans, terpenoids and saponins, flavonoids, steroids, organic acids, saccharides, and so on. Modern pharmacological studies showed that Codonopsis Radix also has a variety of pharmacological effects such as enhancing body immunity, protecting gastrointestinal mucosa and resisting ulcers, promoting hematopoietic function, regulating blood sugar, and delaying aging. In this paper, the chemical constituents of Codonopsis species and the pharmacological effects of Codonopsis Radix were summarized, and on this basis, the quality markers of Codonopsis Radix were analyzed. It was predicted that lobetyolin, tangshenoside I, codonopyrrolidium A, and the oligosaccharides were the possible Q-markers of Codonopsis Radix. This paper will provide scientific references for the quality evaluation and profound research and the development of Codonopsis Radix.

Immune-enhancement effects of oligosaccharides from Codonopsis pilosula on cyclophosphamide induced immunosuppression in mice.

As an important edible traditional Chinese medicine, Codonopsis pilosula has good immunomodulation effects. This study focuses on C. pilosula oligosaccharides (CPO), which are the sweetness components of C. pilosula. CPO were obtained through systematic separation and purification (the yield is 14.3%), and the effect of CPO on the immunological activities of immunocompromised mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX) was evaluated. The results showed that CPO could increase immune organ indices, phagocytic index and immunoglobulin contents, stimulate the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes (coordinating with ConA and LPS), enhance the earlap swelling of the DTH reaction, promote the production of NO and cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-γ) and upregulate the expression of the corresponding mRNA. In addition, CPO upregulated the protein expression of phosphorylated p38, phosphorylated ERK1/2 and phosphorylated JNK, which indicated that CPO might exert immunomodulatory effects through the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings indicated that CPO are important immunomodulatory components in C. pilosula and could be developed as immunomodulators in medicine or functional food areas.

The pharmacokinetic study of rutin in rat plasma based on an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide modified sensor.

An electrochemical method based on a directly electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) film coated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was developed for the rapid and convenient determination of rutin in plasma. ERGO was modified on the surface of GCE by one-step electro-deposition method. Electrochemical behavior of rutin on ERGO/GCE indicated that rutin underwent a surface-controlled quasi-reversible process and the electrochemical parameters such as charge transfer coefficient (α), electron transfer number (n) and electrode reaction standard rate constant (ks ) were 0.53, 2 and 3.4 s-1, respectively. The electrochemical sensor for rutin in plasma provided a wide linear response range of 4.70×10-7-1.25×10-5 M with the detection limit (s/n=3) of 1.84×10-8 M. The assay was successfully used to the pharmacokinetic study of rutin. The pharmacokinetic parameters such as elimination rate half-life (t1/2), area under curve (AUC), and plasma clearance (CL) were calculated to be 3.345±0.647 min, 5750±656.0 µg min/mL, and 5.891±0.458 mL/min/kg, respectively. The proposed method utilized a small sample volume of 10 µL and had no complicated sample pretreatment (without deproteinization), which was simple, eco-friendly, and time- and cost-efficient for rutin pharmacokinetic studies.