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Fractionation of acetone and methanol extracts of Viola yedoensis, under the guidance of inhibition against Clostridium histolyticum collagenase (ChC), resulted in the isolation of esculetin (1) (IC(50) 12 μM) and scopoletin (2) (IC(50) 1.8 μM) as the active constituents, together with trans-p-coumaric acid (3), cis-p-coumaric acid (4), 3-O-β-D-glucosyl-7-O-α-L-rhamnosylkaempferol (5), rutin (6), isovitexin (7), isoorientin (8), vicenin-2 (9), isoscoparin (10), vanillic acid (11) and adenosine (12). Modification of phenolic hydroxy groups of 1 showed that small O-alkyl groups largely increased the activity, whereas larger O-alkyl groups decreased the activity, and 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (scoparone 13) potently inhibited ChC (IC(50) 24 nM).

Lysichiton camtschatcense is a well-known plant in Japan where it has been used as a traditional medicine by the "Ainu" people for the treatment of acute nephritis. It is presumed that L. camtschatcense has an inhibitory effect against nephritis caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) owing to its antioxidant activities. Consequently, the antioxidant effect of L. camtschatcense extracts was assessed against Fe(2+)/ascorbic acid (AsA)-induced lipid peroxidation in rat kidney and brain homogenates. The antioxidant effect of the chloroform extract (CE) was more potent than that of the methanol extract (ME) for both homogenates. The antioxidant effect of both extracts was similar to those of alpha-tocopherol, a lipid-soluble antioxidant, and glutathione (GSH), a water-soluble antioxidant, which were used as reference compounds. Although CE showed a low radical-scavenging effect for superoxide anion radicals (O(2)(*-)) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, assessed by using an electron spin resonance (ESR) method, hydroxyl radicals (*OH) were markedly scavenged by more than 80%. On the other hand, ME showed more significant scavenging effect for DPPH radicals and O(2)(*-) than CE. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of the L. camtschatcense extract on lipid peroxidation in rat kidney and brain are based on its high radical-scavenging effect against *OH, O(2)(*-) , and lipid-derived radicals generated from the cell membrane.

Two new dalbergiones (1–2) and a new flavanone (3) were isolated along with nine other known flavonoids (4–12) from the methanolic extract of propolis collected from Chitwan, Nepal. The structures were determined on the basis of spectral analysis.

Three known monodesmosidic saponins: 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-2β,3β,16α,23,24-pentahydroxyolean-12-ene-28-oic acid, 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl polygalacic acid, and 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-d-glucopyranosyl polygalacic acid; and two known nonsaponin compounds: a mixed compound of n-tetracosanoic acid (lignoceric acid), n-hexacosanoic acid (cerotic acid), and n-octacosanoic acid, and α-monopalmitin; were isolated for the first time from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC. together with another seven known compounds: platycoside G1 (3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-2β,3β,16α,23,24-pentahydroxyolean-12-ene-28-oic acid 28-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-l-arabinopyranoside), deapio-platycodin D, Polygalacin D, deapio-platycodin D3, platycoside A, α-spinasterol, and α-spinasteryl-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside. Alkaline hydrolysis of platycoside G1 afforded a new monodesmosidic prosaponin: 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-2β,3β,16α,23,24-pentahydroxyolean-12-ene-28-oic acid. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data and chemical evidence.

Four new diterpenoids, salvifulgenolide (1), trans-1,2-dihydrosalvifaricin (2), ent-19- O-acetoxy-15,16-epoxy-3,13(16),14-clerodatrien-6,18-diol (3) and ent-19-acetoxy-15,16-epoxy-6-hydroxy-3,13(16),14-clerodatrien-18-al (4) along with two known diterpenoids, 10β-hydroxybacchotricuneatin A (5) and dehydrokerlin (6) were isolated from the aerial parts of Salvia fulgens Cav. (Labiatae). The structures were established by spectroscopic methods, including the X-ray analysis of salvifulgenolide and trans-1,2-dihydrosalvifaricin.

Boi and its original plant Sinomenium acutum from Japan were compared with Seifuto and its botanical origins from China in terms of their internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and major chemical components. Boi, Seifuto, and their botanical origins overall showed seven variable sites in the ITS sequence and six genotypes. Japanese S. acutum and Boi had one nucleotide variation at position 593 to show two genotypes (J1 and J2) and their heterozygote (J3). Seifuto samples and their botanical origins, S. acutum and S. acutum var. cinereum from China, showed three genotypes (C1, C2, and C3), which did not agree with the botanical classification, indicating that they cannot be distinguished according to their ITS sequences. All Seifuto samples from Henan market showed the same ITS genotype (C1). The Japanese and Chinese genotypes differed in the nucleotide position 424, which can be used to distinguish the country of origin of these materials. In the HPLC analysis of six major components, sinomenine (1), magnoflorine (2), menisperine (3), 6-O-methyllaudanosoline glucoside (4), liriodendrin (5), and menisdaurin (6), all were detected in Boi, whereas five (all except for menisdaurin) were detected in Seifuto. The main component in the rhizome of Seifuto was sinomenine, whereas magnoflorine was the main component in the rhizome and the climbing stem of Boi. The content of sinomenine in Seifuto was almost twice that in Boi. Although the individual content of alkaloids 1–4 differed between Boi and Seifuto, the total contents of these alkaloids were comparable between them both in the climbing stem and rhizome.

A new diterpenoid with a rearranged neoclerodane skeleton, spiroleucantholide (compound “S1”), along with four known diterpenoids—salvifaricin (compound “S2”), isosalvipuberulin (compound “S3”), salvileucantholide (compound “S4”), and salviandulin E (compound “S5”)—was isolated from the aerial parts of Salvia leucantha CAV.. The structures were established by spectroscopic methods, including the X-ray analysis of spiroleucantholide (S1).