Investigation on the mitigation effects of furfuryl alcohol and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and their carboxylic acid derivatives in coffee and coffee-related model systems.

The mitigation of furfuryl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, 2-furoic acid, and 5-hydroxymethyl 2-furoic acid was conducted in two dry model systems mimicking coffee and an actual coffee system by incorporating 14 chemicals, that are categorized to phenolic acids, flavonoids, non-phenolic antioxidants, and non-antioxidant agents. Mitigation effects were determined as the decrease in the levels of the studied furan derivatives after the systems went through a controlled roasting process. Strong mitigation effects in the dry model systems were observed after the application of phenolic acids, quinic acid or EDTA. The mitigation effects of phenolic acids and flavonoids depended on the number and availability of phenolic hydroxyl groups. Certain agents exhibited a furan derivative-specific reducing effect while most of them showed a generalized effect. The mitigation efficacy decreased with the increasing complexity of the tested systems. In the coffee system, mitigation effects were almost completely lost in comparison with dry model systems. Still, taurine and sodium sulfite exerted the strongest mitigation effect in the coffee system.

Chemical constituents from Calystegia sepium / 中草药

Objective To study the chemical constituents from Calystegia sepium. Methods The compounds were isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, ODS column chromatography, preparative HPLC and so on. Their structures were determined on the basis of physicochemical properties and their spectroscopic data, as well as literatures. Results A total of 20 compounds were separated and identified as tyrosol (1), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), scutellarein-7-O-β- glucopyranoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), kaempferol-3-O-galactoside (5), kaempferol-3-O-β-robinobioside (6), nicotiflorin (7), rutin (8), uridine (9), tachioside (10), 2-methoxy-4-(2’-hydroxyethyl)-phenyl-1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (11), 4-hydroxyphenethylol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (12), polybotrin (13), pyridine-3,5-dicarboamide (14), skimmin (15), benzylalcohol-β-D-glucopyranoside (16), 5-hydroxyl-2-hydroxymethylpyridine (17), picein (18), 5-hydroxymethyl-furaldehyde (19), and sessiline (20). Conclusion Compounds 1-20 are isolated from Calystegia sepium for the first time.

Qualitative evaluation of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma from different habitats by HPLC-PDA fingerprint combined with UFLC-Q-TOF/MS qualitative identification / 中草药

Objective: To establish and identify the HPLC-PDA fingerprint of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR) and provide a reference for the comprehensive control of the quality of AMR. Methods: AMR was extracted with 70% methanol by sonicating for 60 min. The analysis of AMR extract was performed on Inertsil® ODS-SP column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), column temperature was maintained at 40 ℃, flow rate was 1.0 mL/min, and detector was Waters 2998 UV detector with detection wavelength 235 nm. Mobile phase was acetonitrile (B)-water (A) with the elution gradient 0 -10 min, 30%-45% B, 10-25 min, 45% B, 25-50 min, 45%-70% B, 50-55 min, 70% B, 55-62 min, 70%-30% B, 62-75 min, 30% B. Time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF/MS) and electro-spray ion (ESI) source were used for the qualitative analysis in a positive ion mode, and mass scan range was m/z 50-1 500. Results: Comparing and fitting the peaks of AMR from different habitats (Zhejiang, Anhui, and Hunan Provinces), the HPLC-PDA fingerprint was set up with six common peaks, and they were identified by UFLC-Q-TOF/MS as 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furaldehyde, atractylenolide III, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide II, atractylenolide VI, and biatractylenolide. System suitability, extraction, and chromatographic conditions of AMR were optimized. RSD of accuracy, stability and repeatability was all less than 2%. Measuring ten batches and fitting fingerprint similarity, the values were all greater than 0.95. Conclusion: The HPLC fingerprint can be used as standard uniformity and stability of quality control methods for AMR slice.

Catalytic hydrothermal conversion of carboxymethyl cellulose to value-added chemicals over metal-organic framework MIL-53(Al).

Catalytic hydrolysis of biomass over solid catalysts can be one of the most efficient pathways for a future sustainable society dependent on cellulose biomass. In this work metal-organic framework MIL-53(Al) without any functionalization was directly employed as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the hydrolysis of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to 5-hydroxymethyl-furaldehyde (5-HMF) in aqueous phase. A 5-HMF molar yield of 40.3% and total reducing sugar (TRS) molar yield of 54.2% were obtained with water as single solvent at 473 K for 4 h. The catalyst could be reused three times without losing activity to a greater extent. With the remarkable advantages such as the use of water as single solvent and MIL-53(Al) as a novel heterogeneous green catalyst, the work provides a new platform for the production of value added chemicals and liquid fuels from biomass.

Bioactive components on immuno-enhancement effects in the traditional Chinese medicine Shenqi Fuzheng Injection based on relevance analysis between chemical HPLC fingerprints and in vivo biological effects.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (SFI) is an injectable traditional Chinese herbal formula comprised of two Chinese herbs, Radix codonopsis and Radix astragali, which were commonly used to improve immune functions against chronic diseases in an integrative and holistic way in China and other East Asian countries for thousands of years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This present study was designed to explore the bioactive components on immuno-enhancement effects in SFI using the relevance analysis between chemical fingerprints and biological effects in vivo. According to a four-factor, nine-level uniform design, SFI samples were prepared with different proportions of the four portions separated from SFI via high speed counter current chromatography (HSCCC). SFI samples were assessed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for 23 identified components. For the immunosuppressed murine experiments, biological effects in vivo were evaluated on spleen index (E1), peripheral white blood cell counts (E2), bone marrow cell counts (E3), splenic lymphocyte proliferation (E4), splenic natural killer cell activity (E5), peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis (E6) and the amount of interleukin-2 (E7). Based on the hypothesis that biological effects in vivo varied with differences in components, multivariate relevance analysis, including gray relational analysis (GRA), multi-linear regression analysis (MLRA) and principal component analysis (PCA), were performed to evaluate the contribution of each identified component. RESULTS: The results indicated that the bioactive components of SFI on immuno-enhancement activities were calycosin-7-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (P9), isomucronulatol-7,2'-di-O-glucoside (P11), biochanin-7-glucoside (P12), 9,10-dimethoxypterocarpan-3-O-xylosylglucoside (P15) and astragaloside IV (P20), which might have positive effects on spleen index (E1), splenic lymphocyte proliferation (E4), splenic natural killer cell activity (E5), peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis (E6) and the amount of interleukin-2 (E7), while 5-hydroxymethyl-furaldehyde (P5) and lobetyolin (P13) might have negative effects on E1, E4, E5, E6 and E7. Finally, the bioactive HPLC fingerprint of SFI based on its bioactive components on immuno-enhancement effects was established for quality control of SFI. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study provided a perspective to explore the bioactive components in a traditional Chinese herbal formula with a series of HPLC and animal experiments, which would be helpful to improve quality control and inspire further clinical studies of traditional Chinese medicines.