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The dried seeds of Aesculus chinensis Bge. var. chekiangensis (Hu et Fang) Fang, called "Suo Luo Zi", have been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Nevertheless, most studies have been focused on components of less polarity fractions. In this research, twelve indoles, including six new indole glycosides ( 1 - 6 ) as well as six known analogs were isolated from the polar portion which has been seldom studied. This is the first description of N-glucosylated indoles obtained from the genus of Aesculus . Structures of the new compounds ( 1 - 6 ) were elucidated based on comprehensive interpretation of HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR. Additionally, the neuroprotective activities of the N-glucosylated indoles were evaluated for the first time indicating that compounds 1 - 5 and 9 - 10 exhibited moderate neuroprotective activities. Further cytotoxicity tests of isolates 1 - 10 on three human tumor cell lines suggested that none of these compounds were cytotoxic (IC 50 > 50 μM).

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of luteolin, luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, physalin A, physalin D and physalin L in rat plasma. Scutellarein and dexamethasone were used as the internal standards (IS). Plasma samples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. The five constituents were separated on an Acquity UPLC BEH C 18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm). A gradient elution procedure was used with acetonitrile (A)-0.1% aqueous formic acid (B). Mass spectrometric detection was performed in negative ion multiple reaction monitoring mode with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. This method showed good linearity (r 2  > 0.997) over a concentration range of 2.0-500 ng/mL with a lower limit of quantification of 2.0 ng/mL for all five compounds. The inter- and intra-day accuracy ranged from 91.7 to 104%, and precisions (RSD) were <6.46% for all analytes. The extraction recoveries of all analytes were >85%. This validated method was successfully applied for the first time to the pharmacokinetic study of five ingredients after oral administration of 70% ethanol extract of Chinese lantern in rats., (Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Abstract: Three pairs of monoterpene glycosides (1–6), of which compounds 1, 3, and 4 as new compounds, together with one new monoterpene (7) were obtained from the ethanol extract of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews. Their structures were determined on the basis of chemical methods and spectral data. On this basis, the spectral characteristics of three pairs of monoterpene glycosides were also discussed. The inhibitory effects of isolated compounds on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages were evaluated, and NO production was suppressed significantly by compounds 4–7. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ligusticum species (Umbelliferae) have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, Korean folk medicine and Native American medicine for their medicinal and nutritional value. Decoctions of the rhizomes are used in treatment and prophylaxis of migraine, anemia and cardiovascular conditions including stroke. Aim of study This review is intended to fully compile the constituents of locally and traditionally used Ligusticum species, present their bioactivities and highlight potential leads for future drug design, and thus, provide a reference for further research and application of these species. Emphasis is also placed on current trends in the pharmacokinetic studies of the major constituents. Methods The literature discussed is derived from readily accessible papers spanning the early 1990 s to the end of 2015. Information was collected from journals, books and online searches (Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Springerlink and CNKI). Results The major phytoconstituents, 154 of which are presented in this review, include alkaloids, phthalides and phenolic acids. The crude extracts and isolated constituents have exhibited a wide range of in vitro and in vivo pharmacologic effects, including cardioprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. The bioactive alkaloid tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) has attracted the most attention for its potent effect on calcium channels, anti-platelet as well as anti-inflammatory effects. Pharmacokinetic studies of major constituents have also been summarized. Conclusion The pthalides, organic acids and alkaloids of Ligusticum species have emerged as a good source of traditional medicines for the management of cardio- and cerebrovascular conditions, inflammation and neurogenerative disorders. The species discussed in this review have demonstrated wide pharmacological actions and have great potential to yield multipotent drugs if challenges such as poor bioavailability, solubility and toxicological profiles are addressed. Apart from the rhizomes, pharmacological activities of other botanical parts also need to be studied further. Expansion of research to cover other species in the Ligusticum genus would provide more opportunities for the discovery of new bioactive principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berberrubine, an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from many medicinal plants, possesses diverse pharmacological activities, including glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. This study aimed to investigate the metabolic profile of berberrubine in vivo . Therefore, a rapid and reliable method using the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and metabolynx™ software with mass defect filter (MDF) technique was developed. Plasma, bile, urine and feces samples were collected from rats after oral administration of berberrubine with a dose of 30.0 mg/kg and analyzed to characterize the metabolites of berberrubine in vivo for the first time. A total of 57 metabolites were identified, including 54 metabolites in urine, 39 metabolites in plasma, 28 metabolites in bile and 18 metabolites in feces. The results indicated that demethylenation, reduction, hydroxylation, demethylation, glucuronidation, and sulfation were the major metabolic pathways of berberrubine in vivo . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new cadinane-type sesquiterpenes named phacadinanes A–D ( 1 – 4 ) were isolated from the rhizomes of Curcuma phaeocaulis . Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR, as well as accurate mass measurements. Compound 4 was the first example of a rare 4,5- seco -cadinane sesquiterpene isolated from the Zingiberaceae family. Furthermore, inhibitory effects of the isolated compounds on nitric oxide production in LPS-activated macrophages were evaluated. Compounds 1 and 2 showed strong inhibitory activities on NO production with IC 50 values of 3.88 ± 0.58 and 2.25 ± 0.71 μM, respectively. A possible biogenetic pathway for 4,5- seco -cadinane sesquiterpene ( 4 ) was postulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new sesquiterpenes including a new elemane-type sesquiterpene, 5 βH -elem-1,3,7,8-tetraen-8,12-olide ( 1 ), and two new carabrane-type sesquiterpenes, 7 α ,11-epoxy-6 α -methoxy-carabrane-4,8-dione ( 2 ) and 8,11-epidioxy-8-hydroxy-4-oxo-6-carabren ( 3 ), together with eight known sesquiterpenes ( 4 – 11 ) were isolated from Curcuma wenyujin Y. H. Chen et C. Ling. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analyses. A possible biogenetic scheme for the related compounds was postulated. All of the isolated compounds were tested for inhibitory activity against LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Meanwhile, preliminary structure–activity relationships for these compounds are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation of Physalis minima led to the isolation of six new withanolides, including physaminilides H K (1 – 4), two artificial withanolides (5–6), and 19 known ones (7–25). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. The isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against A375 human melanoma cells. Compounds 1 , 8 – 9 , 12 – 13 , 15 – 17 and 19 exhibited significant cytotoxic activities with IC 50 values in the range of 1.2–7.5 μM. Unlabelled Image • Six new withanolides, including physaminilides H K, two artificial withanolides were isolated from Physalis minima L. • New withanolides were determined by NMR and ECD spectra. • Some compounds possessed significant cytotoxic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]