Danggui to Angelica sinensis root: are potential benefits to European women lost in translation? A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Danggui (Chinese Angelica root; Dong quai; Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels.) is a traditional Chinese herbal remedy with a long history of use in China, Korea and Japan. Even today it is still one of the herbs most commonly used by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners in China, as well as Europe. It is mainly used for the treatment of women's reproductive problems, such as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhoea, menopause, among others. Using Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. root as the example, this Review examines the ease with which the use of a Traditional Chinese Herbal Remedy can be transposed from one culture to another. By examining the more recent literature, a number of aspects are considered by the author to be potentially lost in translation: (i) identity and quality (phytochemistry); (ii) tradition of use and processing (smoke-drying, stir-frying, with and without wine); (iii) method of use and traditional types of Chinese herbal medicines; (iv) ethnic differences (Caucasian vs. Asian); (v) efficacy, safety and potential for western drug-herb interactions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review is based on evaluation of the literature available in scientific journals, textbooks, electronic sources such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, etc., as well as other web-sites. RESULTS: A vast amount of information concerning the use of Angelica sinensis exists in the public domain. Many aspects associated with the use of the root are deemed problematical, such as identity, processing, amount and types of constituents, tradition of use in combination with other Chinese herbs, ethnicity of users, etc. Numerous constituents have been isolated with phthalides, ferulic acid and polysaccharides showing biological activities. CONCLUSION: In spite of the potential activities associated with the traditional use of danggui, and the many trials using the Chinese system of 'Zheng differentiation', well-designed western-style clinical trials carried out using the authenticated, chemically standardized crude drug material to confirm clinical efficacy are in short supply. However increasing research into Angelica sinensis extracts and constituents shows that many of the traditional uses are not without scientific basis.

Isolation, structure elucidation, and cytotoxic evaluation of furanonaphthoquinones from in vitro plantlets and cultures of Streptocarpus dunnii.

Two new furanonaphthoquinones, (3R)-7-methoxy-α-dunnione (5) and (3R)-6-hydroxy-7-methoxy-α-dunnione (6), along with the known (3R)-dunnione (1), (3R)-α-dunnione (2), (3R)-7-hydroxy-α-dunnione (3), and 1-hydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone (4), were isolated from in vitro cultures of Streptocarpus dunnii. The structures of compounds 5 and 6 were established by spectroscopic means. This is the first report of hydroxylated furanonaphthoquinones in a Streptocarpus species. Compounds 1-3 demonstrated cytotoxic activity against a range of breast cancer and pancreatic tumor cell lines.

Inhibition of LFA-1 mediated T-cell motility by naphthoquinones.

An in vitro T-cell migration assay has been established that can be used to study the effects of compounds on the development of T-cell polarisation with HuT-78 T lymphocytes. This assay indicates the ability of compounds tested to inhibit the inflammatory response by decreasing LFA-1-mediated T-cell motility. The effect of a series of naturally occurring quinone isolates on motility has been evaluated in this assay. Distinct differences have been observed between naphthoquinones, dihydrofuranonaphthoquinones and anthraquinones.

Phylogenetics of Papaver and related genera based on DNA sequences from ITS nuclear ribosomal DNA and plastid trnL intron and trnL-F intergenic spacers.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Representatives from Papaver, Roemeria, Stylomecon and Meconopsis were studied to elucidate phylogenetic relationships between Papaver and these closely allied genera. METHODS: Two molecular data sets were used individually and combined and included sequences from the internally transcribed spacer region (ITS) of 18S-26S nuclear ribosomal DNA and the trnL intron and the trnL-trnF intergenic spacer region of plastid DNA. KEY RESULTS: Parsimony analysis demonstrated that the genus is not monophyletic unless the closely related Roemeria, Stylomecon and Meconopsis cambrica are included in a revised circumscription of Papaver. Three distinct clades are resolved in a combined ITS and trnL-F analysis. Clade 1 consists of Papaver sect. Meconella and Asian Meconopsis. Clade 2 contains a group here identified as Papaver s.s., comprising sections Carinatae, Meconidium, Oxytona, Papaver, Pilosa, Pseudopilosa and Rhoeadium. Clade 3 consists of Papaver sect. Argemonidium and Roemeria refracta. A number of diagnostic indels support these groupings. Within clade 2, sects. Papaver and Rhoeadium are either not monophyletic or lack evidence supporting their monophyly. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this molecular analysis indicate that a number of morphological characters such as valvate capsule dehiscence, dark or light filaments and sessile stigmatic discs have arisen in parallel. The phylogenetic trees are incongruent with the existing taxonomy of Papaver, and a revised classification is suggested.

Biotransformation of aliphatic and aromatic ketones, including several monoterpenoid ketones and their derivatives by five species of marine microalgae.

The biotransformation of a series of aliphatic and aromatic ketones by five cultures of photosynthetic microalgae is reported. The test substrates include the monoterpenoid ketones carvone and menthone and a series of aromatic ketones related to and including acetophenone. All of the test organisms show some degree of specificity and stereoselectivity in the biotransformation of substrates.