ABSTRACT
We investigated concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, As, Ni, and Cr in samples of soil, cereal, and vegetables from Yangzhong district, China. Compared to subsoils, the sampled topsoils are enriched in Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As. High levels of Cd and Hg are observed in most agricultural soils. Concentrations of Cr and Ni show little spatial variation, and high Cu, Pb, and Zn contents correspond well to areas of urban development. High As contents are primarily recorded at the two ends of the sampled alluvion. The contents of Cd, Hg, and total organic carbon (TOC) increase gradually to maximum values in the upper parts of soil profiles, while Cr and Ni occur in low concentrations within sampled profiles. As, Pb, Cu, and Zn show patterns of slight enrichment within the surface layer. Compared to data obtained in 1990, Cd and Hg show increased concentrations in 2005; this is attributed to the long-term use of agrochemicals. Cr and Ni contents remained steady over this interval because they are derived from the weathering of parent material and subsequent pedogenesis. The measured As, Cu, Pb, and Zn contents show slight increases over time due to atmospheric deposition of material sourced from urban anthropogenic activity. Low concentrations of heavy metals are recorded in vegetables and cereals because the subalkaline environment of the soil limits their mobility. Although the heavy metal concentrations measured in this study do not pose a serious health risk, they do affect the quality of agricultural products.
Subject(s)
Agriculture , Metals, Heavy/analysis , Soil Pollutants/analysis , Chemical Phenomena , Chemistry, Physical , China , Edible Grain/chemistry , Environmental Monitoring , Food Analysis , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Seasons , Vegetables/chemistryABSTRACT
From the roots of Paeonia veitchii Lynch., a new phenolic glycoside, 2-O-[alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside]-benzaldehyde (1) was isolated together with seven known phenolic compounds. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic method.
Subject(s)
Benzaldehydes/chemistry , Glycosides/chemistry , Glycosides/isolation & purification , Paeonia/chemistry , Phenols/chemistry , Phenols/isolation & purification , Plant Roots/chemistry , Molecular StructureABSTRACT
A new spiro-sesquiterpene, spirofragilin (1), along with a known related sesquiterpene, dehydroherbadysidolide (2), have been isolated from the marine sponge Dysidea fragilis collected in the South China Sea. The structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis.
Subject(s)
Dysidea , Phytotherapy , Sesquiterpenes/chemistry , Animals , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Spiro Compounds/chemistryABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To develop a new method for the determination of Jujubaside A in Semen Ziziphi Spinosae. METHOD: A RP-HPLC method was set up, using Hypersil-18 column, acetonitrile: water(30:70) as mobile phase with a flow rate of 0.8 ml.min-1. RESULT: The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.076-0.456 mg. The average recovery was 93.5%. CONCLUSION: The method is appropriate for the determination of Jujubaside A.
Subject(s)
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Saponins/analysis , Ziziphus/chemistry , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Fruit/chemistryABSTRACT
Water and liquor extracts of ginseng simulating its habitual preparations used in the practice of traditional Chinese medical science were prepared from 25 samples, and data reflecting its chemical constituents as a whole were obtained by ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and emission spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma source (ICP). Antifatigue, antidiuretic, and macrophage phagocytosis experiments were carried out to determine the pharmacologic actions of the extracts. Results obtained with the extracts on mice were compared mutually and with those obtained on placebo-treated ones in the respective pharmacologic experiments. Based on the results of the three pharmacologic experiments, features were selected from among the chemical data and fuzzy equations formulated hereby were solved to ascertain the effective constituents with different weights and their compatibility. Finally, correlation analysis was carried out, and a new scheme for the quality assessment of ginseng has been worked out. The methodology proposed is of general significance to the formulation of quality assessment schemes for Chinese traditional medicines and the ascertainment of their bioactive constituents.
