ABSTRACT
Two polysaccharides (PRP1 and PRP2) were isolated from Platycodonis Radix. Preliminary structural analysis indicated that PRP1 was composed of glucose, fructose, and arabinose in a molar ratio of 1:1.91:1.59 with a molecular weight of 440 kDa, whereas PRP2 was composed of arabinose, fructose, and galactose in a molar ratio of 1:1.39:1.18 with a molecular weight of 2.85 kDa. Compared with PRP2, PRP1 exerted stronger anticancer activity in vitro. Treatment with 5-30 µg/ml of PRP1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in vitro, and oral administration at the doses of 75-300 mg/kg also reduced the tumor growth in vivo. The miRNA expression patterns of human liver cancer cells HepG2 in vivo under PRP1 treatment were established, and microRNA-21 (miR-21) as the onco-miRNA was appreciably downregulated. PRP1 repressed the expression of miR-21, which directly targeted and suppressed PTEN (a negative regulator of the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade), and subsequently upregulated the expression of PTEN but downregulated the PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby promoting liver cancer cell apoptosis. These findings indicated that PRP1 inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of HepG2 mainly via inactivating the miR-21/PI3K/AKT pathway. Therefore, PRP1 could be used as a food supplement and candidate for the treatment of liver cancer.
ABSTRACT
Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus have been used for hundreds of years to treat hypertension in China. In previous research, there was not a suitable quality control of method for the formulas of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus. It is urgent and essential to develop modern analytical methods for Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus to ensure the quality of the formulas. A rapid approach for simultaneous determination of hyperoside, isoquercitrin and eleutheroside E in Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector was described and validated. The full method validation, including the linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, repeatability, stability and recovery, was examined. All target components, including isomers of hyperoside and isoquercitrin, were baseline separated in 35 min. The developed method was sensitive, reliable and feasible. With this method, the optimal decoction conditions of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus were selected, and their quality analysis was carried out. Furthermore, an herbal compatibility study of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus based on detecting variations in the content of their active ingredients was performed by the developed HPLC method. It could be an alternative for the quantitative analysis of herbs that contain hyperoside, isoquercitrin or (and) eleutheroside E in the future.
ABSTRACT
A two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) correlation spectroscopy technique has been introduced to study the intermolecular interaction between 4-aminopyridine and methacrylic acid. The type and relationship of the bond between 4-aminopyridine and methacrylic acid molecule could not be characterized directly using the one-dimensional FTIR spectroscopy. On the contrary, the interactions between 4-aminopyridine and methacrylic acid molecule were determined using 2D IR correlation spectroscopy. The synchronous cross peaks exist between stretching vibrations of hydroxyl group of methacrylic acid at 1298 and 1202 cm(-1) and C=N group of 4-aminopyridine at 1531 cm(-1), and between carbonyl group of methacrylic acid at 1705 cm(-1) and N-H group of 4-aminopyridine at 3382 and 3212 cm(-1), respectively. According to the two-dimensional correlation rules, the interactions of static electricity and hydrogen bonding exist between 4-aminopyridine and methacrylic acid molecule. Such successful applications demonstrate that two-dimensional infrared correlation spectroscopy may be a convenient and effective means in the study of the intermolecular and intramolecular interaction.
ABSTRACT
In-situ FTIR spectroscopy is a rising and dynamic technique. This technique combines the advantages of investigation in-situ and accurate structure analysis by FTIR spectroscopy, and can detect real time chemical change in materials at different temperatures and obtain the relationship between micromechanism of materials and temperature. In the present paper, thermal decomposition of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) heated with a rate of 5, 10, 20 and 40 degrees C x min(-1), respectively, was investigated by in-situ diffuse reflection FTIR spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that intramolecular cyclization occurs in breakage of HMX with a heating rate of 5 degrees C x min(-1), while intermolecular cyclization appears with a heating rate of 10, 20 and 40 degrees C x min(-1). With increasing temperature, the rupture rate of C-N bond is faster than that of N-N bond, which verifies that the cleavage of C-N bond is the dominant rupture form. With increasing heating rate, the decomposition beginning temperature of C-N bond increases. Eight kinds of gaseous products such as CO2, N2O, CO, NO, HCHO, HONO, NO2 and HCN were determined. The decomposition mechanism of HMX was not affected with changing heating rate.
ABSTRACT
In-situ FTIR spectroscopy is a rising and dynamic technique. This technique, which combines the advantages of investigation in-situ and accurate structure analysis by FTIR spectsoscopy, can detect the chemical change of materials in different temperature with real time and obtain the relationship between micromechanism of materials and temperature. In the present paper, thermal decomposition of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) heated with 5 degrees C x min(-1) was investigated by in-situ FTIR spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that C-N bond cleavage and N-N bond cleavage of HMX occur at 205 degrees C. With increasing temperature, the rupture rate of C-N bond is faster than that of N-N bond, which verifies that the cleavage of C-N bond is the dominant rupture form. The augment in tension of HMX cyclic confirms that intramolecular cyclization occurs in breakage of HMX. Eight kinds of gaseous products such as CO2, N2O, CO, NO, HCHO, HONO, NO2 and HCN were determined. According to the structure change in condensed state and gaseous products, the decomposition mechanism was deduced that HCHO, N2O, HONO and HCN were released due to the cleavage of C-N bond, and NO2 was released due to the cleavage of N-N bond.
