Quality Evaluation of Lonicerae Flos Produced in Southwest China Based on HPLC Analysis and Antioxidant Activity.

Lonicera macranthoides, the main source of traditional Chinese medicine Lonicerae Flos, is extensively cultivated in Southwest China. However, the quality of L. macranthoides produced in this region significantly varies due to its wide distribution and various cultivation breeds. Herein, 50 Lonicerae Flos samples derived from different breeds of L. macranthoides cultivated in Southwest China were collected for quality evaluation. Six organic acids and three saponin compounds were quantitatively analyzed using HPLC. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of a portion of samples was conducted with 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging experiments. According to the quantitative results, all samples met the quality standards outlined in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The samples from Guizhou, whether derived from unopened or open wild-type breeds, exhibited high quality, while the wild-type samples showed relatively significant fluctuation in quality. The samples from Chongqing and Hunan demonstrated similar quality, whereas those from Sichuan exhibited relatively lower quality. These samples demonstrated significant abilities in clearing ABTS and DPPH radicals. The relationship between HPLC chromatograms and antioxidant activity, as elucidated by multivariate analysis, indicated that chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, and isochlorogenic acid C are active components and can serve as Q-markers for quality evaluation.

The comparative analysis of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos: A systematical review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) and Lonicerae Flos (LF) were once used as the same herb in China, but they were distinguished by Chinese Pharmacopoeia in 2005 in terms of their medicinal history, plant morphology, medicinal properties and chemical constituents. However, their functions, flavor, and meridian tropism are the same according to the Chinese pharmacopoeia 2020 edition, making researchers and customers confused. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aimed to provide a comparative analysis of LJF and LF in order to provide a rational application in future research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The information was gathered from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), SciFinder, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Chinese Masters and Doctoral Dissertations (all chosen articles were reviewed attentively from 1980.1 to 2023.8). RESULTS: Till now, 507 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified in LJF, while 223 ones (79 overlapped compounds) are found in LF, including organic acids and derivatives, flavonoids, triterpenoids, iridoids, and essential oil components, etc. In addition, the pharmacological activities of LJF and LF, especially for their anti-influenza efficacy and mechanism, and their difference in terms of pharmacokinetic parameters, toxicology, and clinical applications were also summarized. CONCLUSION: The current work offers comparative information between LJF and LF in terms of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and pharmacology, especially their anti-influenza activities. Despite the same clinical applications and similar chemical components in LJF and LF, differentiated components were still existed, resulting in differentiated pharmacological activities and pharmacokinetics parameters. Moreover, the research about anti-influenza mechanism and functional substances of LJF and LF is dramatically limited, restricting their clinical applications. In addition, few studies have investigated the metabolism feature of LF in vivo, which is one of the important bases for revealing the pharmacological mechanism of LF. At the same time, the toxicity of LJF and LF is not fully studied, and the toxic compounds of LJF and LF need to be screened out in order to standardize the drug use and improve their rational applications.

Traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: A systematic comparative review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lonicerae japonicae flos (LJF) and Lonicerae flos (LF) belong to different genera of Caprifoliaceae with analogous appearances and functions. Historically, they have been used as herbal medicines to treat various diseases with confirmed wind-heat evacuation, heat-clearing, and detoxification effects. However, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2005 Edition) lists LJF and LF under different categories. AIM OF THE STUDY: Few studies have systematically compared the similarities and dissimilarities of LJF and LF concerning their research achievements. This systematic review and comparison of the traditional use, identification, and phytochemical and pharmacological properties of LJF and LF provides valuable insights for their further application and clinical safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Related document information was collected from databases that included Web of Science, X-MOL, Science Direct, PubMed, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure. RESULTS: The chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of LJF and LF were similar. A total of 337 and 242 chemical constituents were isolated and identified in LJF and LF, respectively. These included volatile oils, cyclic ether terpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, and their saponins. Additionally, LJF plants contain more iridoids and flavonoids than LF plants. The latter have a variety of triterpenoid saponins and significantly higher chlorogenic acid content than LJF plants. Pharmacological studies have shown that LJF and LF have various anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-endotoxic, antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-platelet, myocardial protective, and hepatoprotective effects. CONCLUSIONS: This review was undertaken to explore whether LJF and LF should be listed separately in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia in terms of their disease prevention and treatment strategies. Although LJF and LF showed promising effects, their action mechanisms remains unclear. Specifically, their impact on gut microbiota, gastrointestinal tract, and blood parameters requires further investigation. These studies will provide the foundation for scientific utilization and clinical/non-clinical applications of LJF and LF, and the maximum benefits from their mutual use.

Classification and Authentication of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos by Using 1H-NMR Spectroscopy and Chemical Pattern Recognition Analysis.

Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos are increasingly widely used in food and traditional medicine products around the world. Due to their high demand and similar appearance, they are often used in a confused or adulterated way; therefore, a rapid and comprehensive analytical method is highly required. In this case, the comparative analysis of a total of 100 samples with different species, growth modes, and processing methods was carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy and chemical pattern recognition analysis. The obtained 1H-NMR spectrums were employed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Specifically, after the dimensionality reduction of data, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) exhibited good classification abilities for the species, growth modes, and processing methods. It is worth noting that the sample prediction accuracy from the testing set and the cross-validation predictions of the LDA models were higher than 95.65% and 98.1%, respectively. In addition, the results showed that macranthoidin A, macranthoidin B, and dipsacoside B could be considered as the main differential components of Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae Flos, while secoxyloganin, secologanoside, and sweroside could be responsible for distinguishing cultivated and wild Lonicerae japonicae Flos. Accordingly, 1H-NMR spectroscopy combined with chemical pattern recognition gives a comprehensive overview and provides new insight into the quality control and evaluation of Lonicerae japonicae flos.

Lonicerae flos polysaccharides improve nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by activating the adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase pathway and reshaping gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer. Lonicerae flos polysaccharides (LPs) have been shown to be effective in treating metabolic diseases; however, the therapeutic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of LPs in NAFLD remain unclear. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the morphological characterization of Lonicerae flos polysaccharides (LPs) and the mechanism of LPs in relieving NAFLD. METHODS: The morphology of LPs was observed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal weight (TG), and thermal weight derivative (DTG); NAFLD mice were treated with LPs at the same time as they were induced with a Western diet, and then the indexes related to glycolipid metabolism, fibrosis, inflammation, and autophagy in the serum and liver of the mice were detected. RESULTS: The atomic force microscope analysis results indicated that the LPs displayed sugar-chain aggregates, exhibited an amorphous structure, and were relatively stable in thermal cracking at 150 °C. It was also found that LPs exerted therapeutic effects in NAFLD. The LPs prevented high-fat and -cholesterol diet-induced NAFLD progression by regulating glucose metabolism dysregulation, insulin resistance, lipid accumulation, inflammation, fibrosis, and autophagy. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor compound C abrogated LP-induced hepatoprotection in mice with NAFLD. The LPs further treated NAFLD by reshaping the structure of the gut microbiota, in which Desulfovibrio bacteria plays a key roles. CONCLUSION: Lonicerae flos polysaccharides exert protective effects against NAFLD in mice by improving the structure of the intestinal flora and activating the AMPK signaling pathway. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Discrimination and Prediction of Lonicerae japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos and Their Related Prescriptions by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Multivariate Statistical Analysis.

LJF and LF are commonly used in Chinese patent drugs. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, LJF and LF once belonged to the same source. However, since 2005, the two species have been listed separately. Therefore, they are often misused, and medicinal materials are indiscriminately put in their related prescriptions in China. In this work, firstly, we established a model for discriminating LJF and LF using ATR-FTIR combined with multivariate statistical analysis. The spectra data were further preprocessed and combined with spectral filter transformations and normalization methods. These pretreated data were used to establish pattern recognition models with PLS-DA, RF, and SVM. Results demonstrated that the RF model was the optimal model, and the overall classification accuracy for LJF and LF samples reached 98.86%. Then, the established model was applied in the discrimination of their related prescriptions. Interestingly, the results show good accuracy and applicability. The RF model for discriminating the related prescriptions containing LJF or LF had an accuracy of 100%. Our results suggest that this method is a rapid and effective tool for the successful discrimination of LJF and LF and their related prescriptions.

[Differences of flavor compounds in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos based on headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy].

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos, as traditional Chinese medicinal and edible food, are widely used in medicine, food, health products, and other industries. However, there is no comprehensive study on the differences of flavor compounds in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos. This study applied headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry(HS-GC-IMS) to analyze the differences of flavor compounds in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos. The differential biomarkers were confirmed by multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that there were significant differences in the forty-seven flavor compounds in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos. The differential markers were ethyl acetate, propyl alcohol, 1-octanol, 1-hexanol, hexanal, and(Z)-2-hexen-1-ol. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the above markers were involved in the biosynthesis of major secondary metabolism, sulfate metabolism pathways, and formation of other flavor compounds. This study provides important references for the evaluation of flavor compounds of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos and the development of medicinal and edible products.

Structural characterization and protective effect of Lonicerae flos polysaccharide on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice.

This study aimed to investigate the structure characteristics Lonicera flos polysaccharides (LP) and the protective effects of LP on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice. The results showed the yield and purity of LP was 1.41% and 94.15%, the molecular weight was 53 kDa, and composed of arabinose, rhamnose, ribose, xylose, mannose, fructose, galactose and glucose; and LP had typical polysaccharide structural characteristics via ultraviolet and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Furthermore, LP obviously alleviated the injury of spleen and thymus; significantly promoted Interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG and IgM) secretion; and improved the richness of gut microbiota and the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in immunosuppressive mice. Taken together, these results suggested that LP possessed strong protective effect on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice via modulating gut microbiota.

Inhibitory effects of modified gamgil-tang in a particulate matter-induced lung injury mouse model.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The modified gamgil-tang (GGX) is a mixture of four herbal medicine including Platycodi Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Lonicerae Flos and Mori Radicis Cortex which has been traditionally used to treat lung and airway diseases to relieve symptoms like sore throat, cough, and sputum in Korea. Its major component chlorogenic acid had been reported to have antioxidant, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-microbial activity. AIM OF THE STUDY: To identify the inhibitory effect of GGX in a particulate matter (PM) induced lung injury mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated NO production, the release of TNF-α and IFN-γ in PM-induced MH-S cells, and the number of neutrophils, immune cell subtypes, and the secretion of TNF-α, IL-17, CXCL-1, MIP-2 in the PM-stimulated mouse model to assess the inhibitory effect of GGX against PM. In addition, as exposure to PM increases respiratory symptoms, typically cough and sputum, we attempted to evaluate the antitussive and expectorant activities of GGX. RESULTS: Our study provided evidence that GGX has inhibitory effects in PM-induced lung injury by inhibiting the increase in neutrophil and inflammatory mediators, deactivating T cells, and ameliorating lung tissue damage. Notably, GGX reduced PM-induced neutrophilic inflammation by attenuating the number of neutrophils and regulating the secretion of neutrophil-related cytokines and chemokines, such as TNF-α, IL-17, MIP2, and CXCL-1. In addition, GGX demonstrated an antitussive activity by significantly reducing citric acid-induced cough frequency and delaying the latent period and expectorant activities by the increased phenol red secretion compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: GGX is expected to be an effective herbal remedy to prevent PM-induced respiratory disease.

Rapid semi-quantitative analysis of hemolytic triterpenoid saponins in Lonicerae Flos crude drugs and preparations by paper spray mass spectrometry.

Hemolytic triterpenoid saponins, as one of the index components of Lonicerae Flos (LF), are also the main components causing hemolytic risk of LF. In order to evaluate the quality and hemolytic risk of LF crude drugs and preparations, it was a key to establish a method for quantitative analysis of hemolytic triterpenoid saponins in LF. Here, a rapid method for quantitative determining hemolytic triterpenoid saponins had been developed via paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS), taking macranthoidin B (MaB), macranthoidin A (MaA) and dipsacoside B (DiB) as three target model compounds, and asperosaponin VI (ASA VI, a structural analogue) was used as internal standard. The sample solution was directly loaded and separated on chromatographic paper, sprayed and ionized by a high positive voltage, and ultimately analyzed by mass spectrometry. All analytes were detected with good linearity, precision, repeatability and accuracy. Compared with traditional high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method, PS-MS method had no significant difference in the semi-quantitative analysis of the actual samples, adding the advantages of shorter analysis time, lower reagent consumption and no-need chromatography separation process. This work provides a new strategy for fast determining hemolytic triterpenoid saponins in LF crude drugs and preparations.

Comparison of anti-inflammatory effects of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos based on network pharmacology.

Objective: In Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) history, Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos were used clinically as one drug, but now they are admitted as two herbal medicines in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition). This study used network pharmacology to investigate whether the two can be used interchangeably for the treatment of inflammatory diseases in TCM clinical practice. Methods: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos were compared in the inflammation mechanism including core targets, Gene Ontology (GO), pathway and principle chemical components by the method of network pharmacology. Results: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos shared in six targets accounting for 66.7% of the entire core targets and more than half of the GO terms and pathways are similar. Organic acids are dominent compounds responsible for anti-inflammatory effects. Three of the compounds that bind to core targets including luteolin, quercetin and kaempferol, are shared in both herbs. Conclusion: Due to high similarity between Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos, we believe that they can be used interchangeably for the inflammation in clinical treatment.

Quality evaluation of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos based on simultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents combined with multivariate statistical analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) and Lonicerae Flos (LF) belong to different genera of Caprifoliaceae. They have been historically utilised as herbal medicine to treat various diseases. However, the comprehensive assessment of them still remains a challenge. OBJECTIVE: To develop a comprehensive method of ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) coupled with multivariate statistical analysis for the quality evaluation and reveal differential components of LJF and LF. METHODOLOGY: A validated UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method was established for simultaneous determination of 50 constituents, including 12 organic acids, 12 flavonoids, 6 iridoids, 3 saponins, 13 amino acids and 4 nucleosides. The obtained data were employed to multivariate statistical analysis. Principal component anlysis (PCA) and partial least squares determinant analysis (PLS-DA) were performed to classify and reveal differential components of samples; grey relational analysis (GRA) was introduced to assess the samples according to the contents of 50 constituents by calculating the relative correlation degree of each sample. RESULTS: Fifty constituents were simultaneously determined of LJF and LF. Based on obtained data, PCA and PLS-DA were easy to distinguish samples and the classification of the samples was related to 11 chemical constituents. GRA implied the quality of LJF was better, and that the flower buds were superior to the flowers. Moreover, organic acids are the main components of samples. CONCLUSION: This study not only established a method of simultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents in LJF and LF, but provided comprehensive information on the quality control of them. The developed method is conducive to distinguish orthologues or paralogues of them, and supply the support for "heterologous effects".

Chemical Pattern Recognition for Quality Analysis of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos Based on Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Anti-SARS-CoV2 Main Protease Activity.

Lonicerae japonicae flos (L. japonicae flos, Lonicera japonica Thunb.) is one of the most commonly prescribed botanical drugs in the treatment or prevention of corona virus disease 2019. However, L. japonicae flos is often confused or adulterated with Lonicerae flos (L. flos, Lonicera macrantha (D.Don) Spreng., Shanyinhua in Chinese). The anti-SARS-CoV2 activity and related differentiation method of L. japonicae flos and L. flos have not been documented. In this study, we established a chemical pattern recognition model for quality analysis of L. japonicae flos and L. flos based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and anti-SARS-CoV2 activity. Firstly, chemical data of 59 batches of L. japonicae flos and L. flos were obtained by UHPLC, and partial least squares-discriminant analysis was applied to extract the components that lead to classification. Next, anti-SARS-CoV2 activity was measured and bioactive components were acquired by spectrum-effect relationship analysis. Finally, characteristic components were explored by overlapping feature extracted components and bioactive components. Accordingly, eleven characteristic components were successfully selected, identified, quantified and could be recommended as quality control marker. In addition, chemical pattern recognition model based on these eleven components was established to effectively discriminate L. japonicae flos and L. flos. In sum, the demonstrated strategy provided effective and highly feasible tool for quality assessment of natural products, and offer reference for the quality standard setting.

Comparison of anti-inflammatory effects of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos based on network pharmacology / 中草药·英文版

Objective: In Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) history, Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos were used clinically as one drug, but now they are admitted as two herbal medicines in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition). This study used network pharmacology to investigate whether the two can be used interchangeably for the treatment of inflammatory diseases in TCM clinical practice. Methods: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos were compared in the inflammation mechanism including core targets, Gene Ontology (GO), pathway and principle chemical components by the method of network pharmacology. Results: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos shared in six targets accounting for 66.7% of the entire core targets and more than half of the GO terms and pathways are similar. Organic acids are dominent compounds responsible for anti-inflammatory effects. Three of the compounds that bind to core targets including luteolin, quercetin and kaempferol, are shared in both herbs. Conclusion: Due to high similarity between Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos, we believe that they can be used interchangeably for the inflammation in clinical treatment.

[Comparative study on anti-inflammatory effect of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos].

The aim of this paper was to observe the anti-inflammatory action and mechanism of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract in xylene-induced ear swelling experiment and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell inflammatory model. In vivo, xylene-induced mouse auricle swelling model was used to detect the auricle swelling degree and swelling inhibition rate of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract; the pathological changes of mice auricle were observed by hematoxylin eosin(HE) staining. In vitro, RAW264.7 inflammatory cell model was induced by LPS, where the cytotoxic effects of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract on RAW264.7 cells were detected by CCK-8 method; Griess method was used to detect the effect of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract on nitric oxide(NO) production, and ELISA method was used to detect the content of inflammatory factors interleukin-6(IL-6), IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). At last, Western blot was used to detect the protein changes of cyclooxygenase 1(COX1), COX2 and inducible nitric oxide synthetase(iNOS) for RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that both Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract could significantly inhibit the degree of auricle swelling caused by xylene in mice and the inhibition rate was positively correlated with the drug dose. Furthermore, both of them could reduce the infiltration of lymphocytes and neutrophils in mouse ear tissues. For in vitro experiments, both Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract inhibited NO secretion in RAW264.7 cells, down-regulated the release of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, and down-regulated iNOS protein and COX2, NF-κB p65 protein content. In conclusion, both Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract have good anti-inflammatory effect, and the mechanism may be related with the inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

Lonicerae japonicae flos (called Jinyinhua, JYH in Chinese), flowers or flower buds of Lonicera japonica Thunberg, is an extremely used traditional edible-medicinal herb. Pharmacological studies have already proved JYH ideal clinical therapeutic effects on inflammation and infectious diseases and prominent effects on multiple targets in vitro and in vivo, such as pro-inflammatory protein inducible nitric oxide synthase, toll-like receptor 4, interleukin-1 receptor. JYH and Lonicerae flos [called Shanyinhua, SYH in Chinese, flowers or flower buds of Lonicera hypoglauca Miquel, Lonicera confusa De Candolle or Lonicera macrantha (D.Don) Spreng] which belongs to the same family of JYH were once recorded as same herb in multiple versions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP). However, they were listed as two different herbs in 2005 Edition ChP, leading to endless controversy since they have close proximity on plant species, appearances and functions, together with traditional applications. In the past decades, there has no literature regarding to systematical comparison on the similarity concerning research achievements of the two herbs. This review comprehensively presents similarities and differences between JYH and SYH retrospectively, particularly proposing them the marked differences in botanies, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities which can be used as evidence of separate list of JYH and SYH. Furthermore, deficiencies on present studies have also been discussed so as to further research could use for reference.

Quality Control of Dynamic Volatile Components in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:The molecular connectivity index method and total statistical moment method were used to control the quality of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， and the stability and consistency of volatile components of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos were clarified. Method:Volatile oils in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos from different producing areas was extracted for GC-MS determination with electron bombardment ion source， ion source temperature of 230 ℃， and detection range of m/z 35-650. Then National Institute of Standards and Technology （NIST） 05 and ChemicalBook database were used for qualitative analysis of these volatile components， the peak area normalization method was used for quantitative analysis， and the total statistical moment parameters and the zero-order， first-order， second-order， third-order molecular connectivity indexes of the components were calculated. Result:Number of peaks （RSD were 28.5%， 33.4%， respectively）， total zero-order moments （RSD were 55.5%， 128.9%， respectively） and total second-order moments （RSD were 15.3%， 21.5%， respectively） of 10 batches of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos were unstable， indicating that the types and contents of volatile components fluctuated sharply， but the total first-order moments （RSD were 7.5%， 8.8%， respectively） and the zero-order， first-order， second-order and third-order molecular connectivity indexes （RSD ranged from 8.1% to 10.3% and 4.2% to 5.5%， respectively） were relatively stable， indicating that the overall "imprinting template" of the components was similar. Statistical analysis of each parameter found that there were no significant differences in the number of peaks， total first-order moments and zero-order， first-order， second-order， third-order molecular connectivity indexes between volatile oils from Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos. Conclusion:Under the guidance of supramolecular gas evolution "imprinting template" theory， the molecular connectivity index method and total statistical moment parameters are used to jointly characterize the "imprinting template" of TCM components in vitro， which can control the stability and consistency of TCM quality.

Glycosides from flower buds of Lonicera macranthoides / 中草药

Objective: To study the glycosides from the 70% ethanol extract of Lonicera macranthoides. Methods: The compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatography of HP-20 macroporous resin, silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative RP-HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectral analyses. Results: Eight compounds were isolated and identified as 7,3’,4’-trimethoxylquercetin-3-O-α-L-arabinadosyl-(1→6)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), 7,3’,4’-trimethoxylquercetin-3-O-rutoside (2), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), (2E,6S)-8-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1″→6’)- β-D-glucopyranosyl]-2,6-dimethyloct-2-eno-1,2″-lactone (4), kankanoside E (5), betulalbuside A (6), shomaside F (7), and amarantholidoside V (8), respectively. Conclusion: Compound 1 is a new compound named methoxylquercetinside, while compounds 5-8 are isolated from the genus of Lonicera for the first time.

Comparative study on anti-inflammatory effect of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper was to observe the anti-inflammatory action and mechanism of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract in xylene-induced ear swelling experiment and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell inflammatory model. In vivo, xylene-induced mouse auricle swelling model was used to detect the auricle swelling degree and swelling inhibition rate of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract; the pathological changes of mice auricle were observed by hematoxylin eosin(HE) staining. In vitro, RAW264.7 inflammatory cell model was induced by LPS, where the cytotoxic effects of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract on RAW264.7 cells were detected by CCK-8 method; Griess method was used to detect the effect of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract on nitric oxide(NO) production, and ELISA method was used to detect the content of inflammatory factors interleukin-6(IL-6), IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). At last, Western blot was used to detect the protein changes of cyclooxygenase 1(COX1), COX2 and inducible nitric oxide synthetase(iNOS) for RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that both Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract could significantly inhibit the degree of auricle swelling caused by xylene in mice and the inhibition rate was positively correlated with the drug dose. Furthermore, both of them could reduce the infiltration of lymphocytes and neutrophils in mouse ear tissues. For in vitro experiments, both Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract inhibited NO secretion in RAW264.7 cells, down-regulated the release of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, and down-regulated iNOS protein and COX2, NF-κB p65 protein content. In conclusion, both Lonicerae Japonicae Flos extract and Lonicerae Flos extract have good anti-inflammatory effect, and the mechanism may be related with the inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway.

A Simple, Rapid, and Practical Method for Distinguishing Lonicerae Japonicae Flos from Lonicerae Flos.

Lonicerae japonicae flos (LJF), the dried flower buds of Lonicera japonica Thunb., are often adulterated with Lonicerae. flos (LF), which is derived from the other four Lonicera species. Scholars at home and abroad have established several analytical methods to distinguish LJF from the four Lonicera species of LF; however, to date, no effective and practical method has been established for distinguishing LF from LJF. In our present study, the HPLC fingerprints of LJF and LF were compared, and differences in the content of one of the iridoids were found. Column chromatography combined with pre-HPLC was used for isolating and preparing the iridoid, and its structure was identified as secologanic acid. Then, a method for determining the content of secologanic acid was established using HPLC. The amounts of secologanic acid in 34 batches of LJF and 38 batches of LF were determined. The average amount of secologanic acid in 34 batches of LJF was 18.24 mg/g, with values ranging from 12.9 mg/g to 23.3 mg/g, whereas the average amount in 38 batches of LF was 1.76 mg/g, with values ranging from 0.2 mg/g to 7.2 mg/g. Therefore, secologanic acid can be considered as one of the characteristic components for distinguishing LJF and LF. Our study not only provides a rapid, simple, sensitive, and practical method for identifying LJF and LF but also establishes a method for discovering the characteristic components of other herb-medicines that are susceptible to adulteration.